The conversation stunned Yue Lingsi and Xi Xinyi. They exchanged glances at each other as their eyes darkened. Xi Jiyang disappeared around the staircase and there was an odd atmosphere in the air.

"Grandmother, are you okay?" Xi Xinyi asked as she noticed Deng Wenwen seeming unwell.

Deng Wenwen's breathing hastened. She stared at the staircase without saying anything and her face looked terrible. Xi Xinyi was startled by her reaction.

"Get her the medicine!" Yue Lingsi responded quickly.

Xi Xinyi heard her and quickly grabbed the medicine while Yue Lingsi poured a glass of water for Deng Wenwen to swallow her medicine.

They helped Deng Wenwen to sit on the sofa, and she recovered after some time.

"Mother, are you feeling better now?" Yue Lingsi comforted her, "Father hasn't really been in a good mood these past few days. You don't have to take what he said personally. Xiaye really stepped over her boundaries this time. Not only did she hide it from us, but she didn't even tell you about it. How disrespectful and cold! Even if Xinyi... Well, she shouldn't have done that anyway..."

"Don't be angry, Grandmother. She's penalizing me. If it weren't for me, things wouldn't have turned out this way. Grandfather is right. Since things have turned out like this, we should both compromise. After all, the 37% of shares have already been set. Sister is now the Operating President on behalf of Glory World in Yueying, so we can only hope for peace in the future."

Xi Xinyi gave it some thought before she closed her eyes and said solemnly, "I never expected things to turn out this way. It's all my fault, but don't worry, Grandmother. Sister is a member of the Xi family. I believe she wouldn't betray us. Let's forget this happened and take it as my compensation towards her."

Yue Lingsi totally agreed with what Xi Xinyi said. "Mother, you don't have to worry about it. Xi Xiaye is the same as Shen Wenna. Not many people can stand them. Father isn't penalizing you. It must be Xi Xiaye who begged them to keep it a secret. Yueying is still fine now, especially since we still have Yifeng managing it!"

"That's right, Grandmother. I've decided to go back to Yueying once I get better to help Yifeng out. I'll manage Yueying well and I'll learn from him. I'm sure I'll make Yueying even better! Mother is around too. Along with Yifeng and my uncle helping out, Yueying will be fine. You should just focus on recovering your health at this moment."

Deng Wenwen's expression softened when she heard Xi Xinyi's persuading. She drank some water and looked at Xi Xinyi, her face still in shock. "Xinyi, you mentioned that Xiaye really married into the Mu family. Glory World Corporation's Mu family? That Mu family..."

A cold light flashed through Xi Xinyi's eyes as she nodded and replied quietly, "Mmm, that should be the truth. With the 37% of shares under Xi Xiaye's control, and 17% of that directly under her, it's pretty obvious, isn't it?"

"But don't worry, Grandmother. I won't let Yueying fall. I'll take care of it."

Xi Xinyi turned her head to Yue Lingsi and said, "Mother, you should help Grandmother back to her room to get some rest. It's getting pretty late and I should go back soon. Yifeng will be coming back at night."

Yue Lingsi nodded. "Okay, by the way, remember to take those tonic!"

...

Xi Xinyi never gave Han Yifeng a proper reply ever since he offered her two options, but she moved into Han Yifeng's villa and had stayed with him after she was discharged several days ago.

Han Yifeng did not go back to the villa in the past few days. He went back to the Han Residence instead, so Xi Xinyi only met him once during this period of time. Obviously, he was trying to avoid her.

However, Xi Xinyi did not care because she had already decided that by the time her body recovered, the negative news would have gone away. Then, she would return to Yueying and learn from Han Yifeng and take control of Yueying.

She believed that it was impossible for their relationship to vanish just like that. She wanted to get Han Yifeng back, so she tried to delay the pressing matter and slowly get back into his heart.

She believed she could do it.

After all, Xi Xinyi was not any inferior compared to Xi Xiaye. If Han Yifeng noticed her good side again, she would be able to win him back!

...

After parting with Xi Mushan, Xi Xiaye went to Su Nan's place and brought her some tonic. Su Nan seemed chubbier than before. She appeared to be in good health.

"Looks like Ruan Heng takes care of you very well."

On their apartment balcony, they sat opposite each other. Su Nan was flipping through a children's artbook while Xi Xiaye was making some honey for her.

"Of course, look at me now. I'm his queen! He has to listen to whatever I say. I'm that precious!" Su Nan replied straightforwardly.

"You're happy now, huh? Poor Ruan Heng. I never knew you were such an expert at controlling your man." Xi Xiaye laughed as she handed her the glass of honey.

Su Nan took a few sips as she squinted her eyes and looked at Xi Xiaye. "What now? Do you want to learn from me? I can tell you my secret, and I'm sure Master Mu will forever listen to whatever you say!" She looked at Xi Xiaye with a seductive gaze as she wore a sly smile on her face.

Xi Xiaye raised her eyebrows and shrugged. She drank her tea and said, "Do you have a secret? Mu Yuchen told me before that you have the potential to be a relationship counselor."

"I'm surprised that your man gave me such high praise. My impression of Master Mu is getting better!" Su Nan giggled. "However, I'm still going to tell you this secret whether you want to hear it or not because I want you to always be happy. Maybe it'll be useful for you too."

Xi Xiaye was stunned for a moment. She closed her eyes and tried to hide the eagerness in her eyes.

Su Nan cleared her throat as she put on a smile and said to Xi Xiaye quietly, "First and foremost, you need to go to people in the Mu family like his grandparents and parents. Get them on your side. Creating a good relationship with them is the very first step. I'm now practically sisters with Ruan Heng's mother. If Ruan Heng were to say something bad about me, his mother would be angry for my sake!"

Hmm, the mother-in-law, huh?

Xi Xiaye then frowned as she thought about Zhuang Shurong...

She did not need to do that, did she? She felt that Zhuang Shurong was an understanding and easygoing person. Even though she seemed pretty strict, she treated her very well. Moreover, Mu Yuchen and her were not staying with them, so it was not really much of an issue.

"Also, I think you're a really honest person. You'll always keep quiet when you're unhappy. I'm sure you're the same when you're with Master Mu, am I right?" Su Nan's eyes saw through Xi Xiaye and teased her.

Xi Xiaye stared at her. "So, you're smart enough to guess how I'd react now, huh?"

"Of course, how long do you think I've known you for? But let me tell you, no words can be as effective as 'you naughty thing!'. Believe me, this is the conclusion I've gotten after trying so many times. You need to learn how to act all coquettish. Women who know how to do that have the best lives!" Su Nan said with a grin. She did not forget to turn around and peek at Ruan Heng who was busy at the moment, afraid that he might hear her.

Xi Xiaye choked because of what she said!

After some coughing, her eyes locked onto Su Nan. "You naughty thing?"

"Yes! What? It's the truth! If you tell Master Mu that and assume the position of a foxy, little woman, I'm sure his heart will melt instantly! Try it!"

"No!" She was too embarrassed to say that to Mu Yuchen.

"Really! I've tried it with Ruan Heng so many times before!"

...

It was 10 p.m. when Xi Xiaye arrived back at Maple Residence after leaving Su Nan's place. She had dinner back at Su Nan place since her friend did not want her to eat alone at home.

She had been going to bed pretty early in the past few days. Since she felt pretty tired, she fell asleep very quickly.

The whole villa was quiet as stars filled up the black sky outside. The breeze was light and the night seemed beautiful.

The curtain inside the room was not closed, so the light from the stars scattered all over the floor while the scent of the flowers from the backyard floated all around the room.

She had quite some free time these few days, but without the man around, she felt a little odd like something was missing since she was used to having him sleep beside her for months. She could not sleep well without him, but after several days, she gave in to exhaustion and finally fell into a good, deep sleep.

After some time, as she was still in her deep slumber, she unconsciously heard the sound of the door opening. She somehow saw the man watching her beside the bed. After a while, the figure went missing, and then she heard the sound of water coming from the bathroom...

She thought she was dreaming again since she had been dreaming about him for the past few days.

Not too long after that, she could feel the blanket being pulled away, and his exclusive scent was all over her. She woke up instantly, and before she could react, she was already inside his arms.

"You're back!" She could not help but shriek after realizing it was not a dream. Her eyes flew open wide.

With the help of the dim wall lamp, she saw Mu Yuchen's face before her eyes like the quiet, dark sky with stars inside them.

"I saw you were asleep, so I didn't call you, but the way you slept was really comparable to some animals." He tugged at the blanket a little as he spoke softly, seeming tired.

"I haven't been sleeping well. When did you come back? You should've called me first..."

She rubbed her eyes and fell into his arms. The familiar smell was back, and she could feel the odd void inside her heart being filled.

He hugged her and left a kiss on her forehead. "I rushed back after I was done with stuff over there. Why don't you seem excited? Someone sent me a message and told me that she misses me..."

Xi Xiaye's eyes were like the stars in the sky as she raised her eyebrows and replied him cheekily, "Who sent you that? Your admirer?"

"What a heartless woman!" He ranted helplessly as he ran his fingers through her long, silky hair. He tucked her hair behind her ears, then touched her beautiful face. "You seem to be pretty used to my absence. Are you?"

Her eyes darkened when she heard him. Her tone was soft as she looked at him in the eye. "Nope, I ate bread and instant noodles for breakfast and dinner. No one would prepare the bath water for me... and the house is empty. I'm actually a little scared..."

"Didn't I ask Sis Wang to come over? Did she not come?" Mu Yuchen frowned.

"I asked her to go back. She caught a cold and needed more rest," she replied softly.

"Mmm? Let me see... Did you lose weight? It was tough for me to fatten you up."

He wrapped his hand around her waist, but she backed off slightly and stared at him. "I didn't lose any weight! The weight I put on some time ago didn't go away. Summer is coming soon., I don't think I can wear my qipao now and it's all your fault! I think we should start going vegetarian..."

"Don't wear it if you can't then. It doesn't matter to others if you have curves or not. I've brought back a lot of clothes this time. Li Si will be sending them over tomorrow, so you can take a look and see if there's anything you like."

Before she could react, he untied her sash and went down on her. His cold lips met hers.

"You... don't..."

"It's been so long. Don't you miss me?" He raised his head a little and looked at her.

"Xi Xiaye... I don't care if you miss me or not. I missed you..."

He then ignored her and went down on her!

Xi Xiaye was helpless against this pervert! She was not even done talking yet!

Their affectionate battle lasted till it was close to dawn before the husband and wife fell asleep.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder. He had spent the past few days missing her with a burning longing in his chest. Naturally, he would not let go of her so easily. This was the only way he could fill up the empty void he had felt for the past few days.

Initially, Xiaye was planning to speak to him after resting a while, but after his demands that knew no limits, she had forgotten all about it.

The silent night was very quickly chased away by the first rays of the morning sun. It felt like they had not slept for long before the sky started to turn bright outside. The warm beams of the morning light poured in through the window, and then slowly it moved. The soft, scattered light came in through the light-colored cotton curtains on the side...

A long while after morning arrived, the two of them were still curled up and asleep in bed.

It felt as if a century had passed before she slowly turned around in his embrace. He immediately subconsciously reached out to pull her in as he called out softly, "Xiaye..."

"Hmm?"

When she heard his low, raspy voice, she seemed to be awakened from her sleepy daze. She answered softly and opened her eyes, rubbing them before she looked at him. Then, he noticed that he was still in deep sleep.

Adjusting to a different timezone, he had said!

At first, she was already quite tired, and last night, they had tossed and turned around sleeplessly. Although she had said no quite a few times, he did not let her go. How could she not have immediately distinguished that he was a pervert hiding beneath his cold and distant appearance?

She breathed in deeply and watched him deep in his slumber. Then, she carefully moved his hand on her waist away. She got out of bed to pick up the clothes on the side and scratched her messy head of hair. After that, she walked unhurriedly to the bathroom.

Because he was sleeping pretty soundly, Xi Xiaye went straight downstairs to prepare breakfast after she was done washing up.

These past few days, she had learned two simple home-cooked dishes that they both liked from Shen Wenna. When she let Shen Wenna try it, she had declared her approval, so Xi Xiaye decided that if she were to cook in the future, she would only cook those two dishes.

She cooked chicken soup which was made with ingredients that she brought back from the Mu residence. Then, she cooked another two more side dishes, and that was about it. When she served the dishes, the man was still nowhere to be found in the living room. She was thinking about whether to go upstairs and call him down when suddenly there was the sound of footsteps from upstairs. She looked up and saw him walking down, still dressed in his pajamas although his messy black hair was still a little wet.

"Come over to eat." Xi Xiaye wiped her hands, then handed the towel to him.

"What yummy food did you make?" Mu Yuchen took the towel and wiped his hands. He sat across her and looked at the dishes on the table. They all looked quite appetizing. Then, he stared at her in shock. "Did you sign up for cooking classes while I was gone?"

When she heard this, Xi Xiaye could not help but laugh as she raised her brows. "I'm taking this as a compliment from you!"

"I've been learning how to cook some dishes from Mother at the Shen residence. Even though this is a product of a lot of effort, I swear that I've worked very hard to learn. God knows I don't have talents in such aspects, so it's best for you to handle our future meals, Mr. Mu."

He frowned and hesitated when he heard this. "No one's asking you to be a good trophy wife and a loving mother. Just get two maids from the Mu residence."

"I don't want to. We can do it ourselves."

Xi Xiaye took the soup he served as she answered, "Right, Ah Mo and Vice President Liu have already flown to City B. Ah Shi's pretty much adapted to the entertainment club. If you're free tonight, you should go over to take a look. Su Chen's been coming over to help out these past few days."

"I'll go over to take a look tonight. Are you coming along too?" He answered, then continued drinking his soup.

She nodded. "Initially, I was planning to go take a look tonight, but there's a tender meeting tomorrow, so I need to prepare for it. I've been getting people to check on the situation over at Qi Kai, and they seem to be quite confident. Qi Lei's always socializing with the people from the government. I wanted to raise this to Father..."

"No need to tell him about this. Don't worry. I'll handle it." He suddenly looked up at her and said, "You don't have to tell them about the company matters."

Xi Xiaye nodded. She knew how he was like; he would not tell Mu Tangchuan anything, just as how she would not open up to Xi Mushan.

"Yesterday, my father came looking for me. I had lunch with him. Unexpectedly, when we returned, I bumped into Xi Xinyi and her mother again." She could not help but whine to him, "Every time I see them, I just don't feel happy, especially when I see them with my father!"

"Mmm? What's wrong? Are they causing trouble and making you angry again?" Mu Yuchen stopped what he was doing as he frowned slightly and demanded in a cold tone.

"Well, no. Yue Lingsi said that she came to look for me. I think it must be because of Xi Xinyi's matter, but Father stopped them. Okay, let's eat." Xi Xiaye breathed in, then picked up her bowl.

"Just don't let yourself be taken advantage of. Don't be nice to them. If anything happens, just let me take it on."

"Mmm..."

"Eat more. Later, I have something to show you!"

"What is it?"

"Finish this up. I'll consider it a reward for you."

"How insincere of you..."

...

Not long after lunch, Li Si and two black-clothed bodyguards came over. They brought all the things that he liked over there and had bought for her.

When she saw the sofa piled up with bags, she was dumbfounded.

She flipped through quite a few items and picked one up to put it against her body. She also wore a delicate jade bracelet on her wrist. Then, she looked up at him while he was going through some documents. She said calmly, "Mr. Mu, don't you think that if I wear this color and match it with this bracelet, I'll look a little mature?"

Mu Yuchen glanced up at her from his documents and nodded happily. "Mmm."

Then, he continued looking down at his documents.

"What about this?" She picked up another apparel and gestured it about.

"Mmm, not bad too." He looked up again and replied, "How bad can my wife's judgment be?"

Then, he closed his document and took a brocade box out from the drawer of the coffee table and handed it to her. "Come here. I'll put it on for you to try."

"What is it?"

...

"It's pretty."

Admiring her casually pinned-up hair and the shine of the sapphire blue flickering about by her ear, he nodded with satisfaction. He looked at her with a profound gaze and suddenly said in a lowered voice, "Missus, let's take wedding pictures on the first of May, and then we have our wedding in June. I don't want to take too long."