Ten minutes later, Yun Shūniàn took advantage of the chaos to open Ling Xuě's bedroom door.
When Yun Shūniàn entered, Ling Xuě was in the living room looking at a doll she had taken from the bedroom.
Upon seeing Yun Shūniàn, Ling Xuě immediately stopped caressing the doll.
"How did you get in?" Ling Xuě frowned, then placed the doll behind her.
The moment Yun Shūniàn's gaze fell on Ling Xuě, her formerly tender and harmless crescent eyes filled with malice: "You won't get to know."
With that, Yun Shūniàn raised her dagger and advanced directly towards Ling Xuě.
Ling Xuě instinctively wanted to escape, but her fingers brushed against the doll behind her, causing her to freeze for a moment.
Just as the knife in Yun Shūniàn's hand was about to stab Ling Xuě, a figure suddenly blocked Ling Xuě's path.
Yun Shūniàn's pupils constricted. She stopped just in time and met a familiar pair of eyes.
"Miss Yun, I think you've misunderstood something."
After Yù Shēng spoke, Yun Shūniàn didn't retract her dagger. She simply looked into Yù Shēng's eyes, lost in thought.
Yù Shēng paused for a moment and continued:
"From now on, I will spread the news of Sister Ling's death, ensuring Mu Qí never knows she's alive."
Yù Shēng said this because he knew that provoking Yun Shūniàn would inevitably lead to a confrontation with Mu Qí, and then they might truly lose their chance.
Of course, Yù Shēng also had a selfish motive.
He didn't want Ling Xuě to continue to be entangled with Mu Qí.
"On what grounds do you think I would agree?" Yun Shūniàn glanced at Ling Xuě behind Yù Shēng, then met Yù Shēng's eyes again.
Uncharacteristically, the usually assertive Ling Xuě was obediently hiding behind Yù Shēng, not showing her face.
Indeed, why would he think Yun Shūniàn would agree?
Yù Shēng's gaze sharpened, stumped by Yun Shūniàn's question.
A moment later, before Yù Shēng could offer a reasonable explanation, Yun Shūniàn was the first to retract her dagger.
Strangely, when Yun Shūniàn looked into Yù Shēng's eyes, she always felt a pang of softness.
It was as if she shared a deep connection with those eyes.
"Then thank you, Miss Yun." Seeing that Yun Shūniàn had agreed, Yù Shēng quickly thanked her.
"Remember what you said. If Mu Qí finds out Ling Xuě is alive, even if you hide her at the ends of the earth, she won't escape me."
Yù Shēng nodded, his body remaining still behind Ling Xuě.
Yun Shūniàn's gaze lingered fiercely on the hem of Ling Xuě's clothes for a few seconds before she turned to leave.
However, before taking a few steps, Yun Shūniàn suddenly stopped, turned back to look at Yù Shēng, and said: "Next time we meet, call me Madam Mu."
Yun Shūniàn's expression was serious, and Yù Shēng dared not be negligent: "Alright, Madam Mu."
Hearing the answer she wanted, Yun Shūniàn didn't linger and left.
When she heard the door close, Yù Shēng slowly relaxed. Unexpectedly, a small hand suddenly snaked into his shirt, making Yù Shēng's body tense up again.
Yù Shēng paused for a moment, then stiffly looked back. He saw Ling Xuě staring intently at his waist.
Yù Shēng moved his lips, but ultimately said nothing and did nothing, only trembling imperceptibly when he could no longer help it.
Not long after, with a bang, the pot simmering in the kitchen fell, its lid dislodged by the pressure difference.
Ling Xuě's caressing hand on Yù Shēng's waist paused, and she finally came back to her senses.
Ling Xuě suppressed the dazed look in her eyes, pretended as if nothing had happened, and withdrew her hand from Yù Shēng's waist.
"Ahem, your shirt is wrinkled. Let me tidy it up for you."
Yù Shēng remained silent, his face flushing.
As Ling Xuě spoke, the awkward atmosphere intensified with the passing of time.
Ling Xuě hurriedly walked into the kitchen, turned off the heat, and then went straight into her bedroom: "I'm going to sleep. You can leave now."
Yù Shēng swallowed, lingered in place for a moment, and before leaving, he turned off the lights and closed the door for Ling Xuě.
When Yun Shūniàn left Ling Xuě's apartment, the battle outside had already ceased.
More than a dozen burly-looking bodyguards had been subdued by Shān Gōng and his men.
It must be said that these bodyguards were top-tier in their profession, but they had run into the Mu family.
There was a fundamental difference between going through purgatory and merely stepping through burning embers.
"Shān Gōng, let's go back." Yun Shūniàn said, then walked ahead, with Shān Gōng and others following closely.
"Thank you for today."
Upon reaching the ground floor, Yun Shūniàn knitted her brows.
Yun Shūniàn was a deep sleeper. Coming out at night to engage in such high-intensity activity was truly not her usual routine.
Shān Gōng responded with an impassive expression: "Madam, you have the right to command me."
"Heh heh." Yun Shūniàn knew well that even though her relationship with Shān Gōng had become less tense these days, they were still far from the point where he would obey her unconditionally.
She didn't understand why Shān Gōng had been so cooperative this time, nor did she intend to waste her energy trying to guess.
After all, Shān Gōng wouldn't harm them.
Yun Shūniàn's guess was correct; Shān Gōng did have his own agenda.
Based on the time of Mu Qí's disappearance, Shān Gōng suspected it was after Mu Qí met Ling Xuě.
This meant that perhaps after Yun Shūniàn killed Ling Xuě, their young master's shackles could be removed.
Although the young master was completely indifferent to the shackles he wore, and even had a strange fondness for them, Shān Gōng couldn't help but feel uneasy about his master being controlled by a pair of chains held by a woman.
Meanwhile, Mu Qí, who had been searching for Yun Shūniàn in his nightmares, woke up.
When Mu Qí opened his eyes and didn't see Yun Shūniàn, his breathing immediately quickened, his heart rate accelerated, and the anxiety that surfaced on his face gave him a tragically beautiful brokenness.
Mu Qí got out of bed in a panic and went to the bathroom to check.
After confirming Yun Shūniàn wasn't there, he immediately, without regard for the consequences, tried to break free from his chains by force.
Before Yun Shūniàn left, she had instructed Aunt Zhāng. Now, Aunt Zhāng, who was downstairs, noticed the commotion in the master bedroom and quickly went upstairs.
"Mr. Mu, you can't do this."
As soon as Aunt Zhāng entered, she saw the blood oozing from Mu Qí's wrist and his reckless actions. Aunt Zhāng was immediately startled and stepped forward, trying to stop Mu Qí.
However, Mu Qí was not someone Aunt Zhāng could control.
"Get lost." Mu Qí raised his hand and flung Aunt Zhāng away.