Mu Qi's expression was somber, but as the cake touched his lips, he still opened his mouth.
"Does it taste good, Mu Qi?" Yun Shu Nian asked, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him, as if expecting validation.
Mu Qi nodded, not letting the stars in Yun Shu Nian's eyes fade.
"I knew it! Mu Qi, isn't this less sweet than other desserts? This uses trehalose, it's only a tiny bit sweet..." Yun Shu Nian explained, gesturing with her hands.
Mu Qi responded with occasional affirmations, unsure how long the beast roaring within his heart could be contained. Sudancn.com
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That night, the butler, having just exited the top floor of the castle, pulled out his phone to check the Mu family group chat. To his surprise, the first interface that popped up was a call from Yamamiya.
The butler flinched, then quickly reacted, pressing the answer button without hesitation.
"Captain, what are your orders?"
"Young Master wishes to see Ling Xue. Bring her back."
Yamamiya hung up immediately after speaking.
The butler listened to the dial tone of the disconnected call and frowned slightly, then headed downstairs without much thought.
*Bang bang—*
Arriving at Ling Xue's door, the butler knocked twice without hesitation. Before long, Ling Xue opened the door.
Before the butler could speak, Ling Xue took the lead.
"You can return to the capital," the butler said, following Ling Xue.
"I know that naturally." Ling Xue's tone was slightly raised, still carrying an innate coldness.
The butler instantly understood that this sudden command was directly related to Ling Xue. However, the butler was never one to meddle. Knowing too much was not a good thing for him; he didn't want to be entrusted with heavy responsibilities and walk on the edge of a knife every day.
An hour later.
A plane flying from Country L to the capital officially took off. At the same time, a group of people stormed the castle.
"Where is Ling Xue?"
After searching the entire castle with no success, Yu Sheng grabbed a servant by the collar, a short knife pressed against the servant's throat.
"Big Brother, I don't know anything. Please spare me."
The Adam's apple beneath the blade shifted slightly, then stopped. Yu Sheng did not release him, instead pressing the blade further in. Instantly, blood bloomed between the blade and the throat, only to retract slightly a few seconds later. Seeing the servant still shake his head, Yu Sheng forcefully shoved him to the ground.
On the plane, Ling Xue watched the night sky outside change from dark to light and back to dark. Her volatile mood over the past few days gradually calmed. She had finally returned.
After the plane landed, the butler, who had returned with Ling Xue, did not give her time to rest. He directly ordered those behind him to tie a scarf around Ling Xue's eyes and take her into a car. Knowing she was going to see Mu Qi, Ling Xue was cooperative.
Shortly after, Ling Xue was led to a chair and sat down. Then, the scarf was removed.
"Mu Qi, this will make people think we're having an affair," Ling Xue said, looking at the airtight room and the table and chair in front of her, feeling slightly strange.
"Who is Zhao Xue?"
Ling Xue leaned back and asked leisurely, "Why should I tell you?"
Mu Qi had always been direct, and Ling Xue was accustomed to it.
"Are you thinking of going back to Country L?" Mu Qi curled his lips, his expression filled with impatience. The intense pressure he exuded felt as if he would pounce and bite her to death at any moment.
"Then how do you guarantee that if I tell you, you won't take me somewhere else?"
Ling Xue now held the information Mu Qi wanted. She was not a naive fool and naturally wouldn't tell him for free.
After Ling Xue finished speaking, Mu Qi took a silver 'Wushi Pai' (a charm for good luck and protection) from his pocket, placed it on the table, and slid it forcefully towards Ling Xue.
"Mu family's Wushi Pai. It grants you one promise."
Mu Qi finished speaking, and Ling Xue's gaze slid from his face to the Wushi Pai in her hand, observing it closely. The Wushi Pai had ordinary patterns and texture, but at the bottom, a symbol she couldn't understand was branded. Mu Qi disdained using deceitful, inferior methods.
Ling Xue put the Wushi Pai into her bag and finally spoke.
"Zhao Xue? Zhao Xue is Yun Shu Nian's destined lover in both her past and present lives." Ling Xue's lips curved into a slight smile, and her eyes held a hint of pity as she looked at Mu Qi.
"What did you say?!"
With a bang, Mu Qi's fist landed heavily on the table in front of him. Under its owner's fury, the table developed several cracks. To think Mu Qi could also lose his composure. Ling Xue looked at the extremely enraged Mu Qi before her with disbelief, feeling a sense of novelty yet acutely sensing danger.
"I'm leaving." Remembering the freedom she had finally gained, Ling Xue didn't want to linger here too long. She picked up her bag and walked towards the exit.
With a creak, the door opened. The heat and scent of the three burly men blocking the doorway assailed her. Ling Xue frowned, then turned to meet Mu Qi's eyes, which were glowing scarlet.
"Where is he?"
Ling Xue recalled the words of the creature, neither human nor ghost, as she spoke, "I don't know where he is, but he's about to be by Yun Shu Nian's side. Once that person named Zhao Xue arrives, you will be nothing."
After Ling Xue finished speaking, she waited for a long time before the three men blocking Mu Qi finally stepped aside.
That night.
Mu Qi drove his SUV at breakneck speed back to Qi Yuan alone. The SUV soon stopped in the courtyard of Qi Yuan. As Mu Qi got out of the car, he saw Yun Shu Nian standing at the entrance, wearing a wool cardigan.
Yun Shu Nian stood up, intending to greet him, but Mu Qi beat her to it, walking straight over and pulling her into an embrace. Mu Qi held Yun Shu Nian so tightly that Yun Shu Nian, who was usually sensitive to pain, didn't resist at first. She simply tilted her head back, inhaling his scent.
"Mu Qi, should we go to the bedroom?" Yun Shu Nian's voice was much softer than usual. Beneath the dim moonlight, the destructive darkness in her eyes, and the cruel, obsessive, and sinister expression were hidden.