Xi Xiaye did not reply. She lowered her head and looked at him holding her slightly swollen hand as he clenched them a little.

"Does it hurt?" he asked gently.

"A little..." she replied quietly with a pitiful tone in her voice. She thought he would comfort her. Instead, he stared at her and said coldly, "You deserved it."

While he answered with those mean words, his hand that clenched her hands gently did not stop. "Next time, let the others do this. While the skin on your hands is pretty thick, it's not going to be tougher than their fists. You're not suited to teach people a lesson. You acted like a gangster. You need to be more civilized even when fighting."

"I'm always a gangster anyway. Why should I be civilized with someone like that? Do you think they'll listen to me just because I spoke? Yue Lingsi is mad! Deal with her any longer and I'll be put at a disadvantage." Xi Xiaye stared back at him.

"I didn't say anything, did I? I'm just worried that they tricked you again, my dear."

Xi Xiaye closed her eyes. "I'll take whatever they throw at me. I'm not afraid at all."

He smiled and stopped saying anything. He would just have to watch over her then.

Shen Wenna was asleep when they returned to the ward while Xi Mushan seemed exhausted.

Not only did he need to take care of Xi Jiyang at home, but he also had to be in the office in the afternoon, and now...

Xi Xiaye stood behind him and saw his worn out expression. She could not bear to see him like this. After a while she turned around and gave Mu Yuchen a glance, she only turned away again when he nodded slightly.

After some internal struggle, she gently patted Xi Mushan's shoulder. He woke up with a start and looked at Xi Xiaye.

"Father, you should go back and rest. You seem pretty tired. Mu Yuchen and I will be here," said Xi Xiaye to him.

Xi Mushan took a deep breath. The exhaustion in his eyes decreased a little as he glanced at Shen Wenna on the bed and shook his head. "It's fine. I'll look after her. You and Ah Chen just rushed back here, so you guys should go back. Besides, I want to spend more time with your mother. We never really had the chance before."

"But you look like you'll fall any moment, and Grandfather needs you to take care of him too. Just leave this to me." Xi Xiaye tried to convince Xi Mushan, but he did not move an inch from the chair.

Xi Mushan turned towards the silent Mu Yuchen and said, "Ah Chen, bring Xiaye back tomorrow. I'll stay here tonight."

Mu Yuchen's eyes darkened as he looked at Shen Wenna from the back. He glanced over at the woman by his side before he nodded. "Okay, please take care of Mother for tonight. We'll come over tomorrow. I'll have some people to stay on guard outside."

Xi Mushan nodded in appreciation., "Okay, don't worry. I'll call you if anything happens. Hurry up and go back now."

He seemed like he did not want to talk anymore. He just looked away and adjusted Shen Wenna's blanket.

Mu Yuchen pulled Xi Xiaye out as she stared on blankly.

The two of them did not say anything on the way back. Mu Yuchen was driving while Xi Xiaye rested with her eyes closed.

After some time, she asked quietly with her eyes still closed, "Do you think it's possible for Father and Mother to get back together again?"

He glanced at her while driving. His deep voice sounded comforting, "It depends on them. They will if they can let go of the past. Otherwise, it'll be impossible. Father intends to make amends and is now trying to do so, but if Mother insists, then..."

Mu Yuchen did not continue, but Xi Xiaye knew what he was going to say.

She sighed, "Mother was deeply hurt by Father back then. Xi Xinyi is almost the same age as me. How can a proud woman like my mother accept it? Moreover, it's someone whom she thought was her best friend."

"Mother is just like you... Kind, straightforward, and never wary of people around her. If someone who usually never contacts you suddenly came close and started treating you nicely, they mostly have other intentions. Do you understand?"

"I was still a child back then. How would I have known who was good and who was bad? It wasn't written on their faces." Xi Xiaye opened her eyes and looked at him, her expression drowned in sorrow. "Mother is having another check up in two days. If her condition doesn't change, I... I..."

"Don't worry. The doctors haven't come to a conclusion yet, have they? You're too pessimistic sometimes. Who knows if she might get back together with Father because of this? Just like Ah Mo and Lingshi, they might appreciate someone they've lost before. They're not children anymore and should know better than us."

Mu Yuchen continued gently, "It's their business whether they get back together or not, and we can't intervene at all. We can only give them courage and hope."

"Mmm, the first thing is to make Father divorce Yue Lingsi. Only then can he regain the right to get back with Mother. They seized Father for so many years and it's time to take him back." Xi Xiaye closed her eyes and said, "And then I'll take back whatever that belongs to me and my mother. I want them to experience how it feels like to lose something."

"Alright, stop worrying about this now. Focus on taking care of Mother. You don't have to go to work for the time being. The wedding dresses should be here soon. We'll bring Mother over and take a family photo together. Grandpa mentioned this to me before."

"Grandpa... I just called him. He's outside City Z now, so I didn't tell him about Mother's condition. I'm afraid that he might not be able to take it."

Xi Xiaye's heart sank. She wondered what would happen if Shen Yue came back and found out about what had happened to Shen Wenna.

"Grandpa is a strong person. Don't worry. He's always thinking about you and Mother. Why else do you think he never interfered between you two and the Xi family? It's for you and your mother's sake. If anything happened to Father, the first person to be sad would be you or your mother, understand?"

The next day, Xi Xiaye went to the hospital early in the morning. She bumped into Su Nan when she arrived at the hospital. Her friend looked exhausted and apologetic.

"I'm sorry, Xiaye, I didn't protect Aunt Shen. She became like this because of me. I was too reckless, I shouldn't have triggered those two mad women! It's all my fault, Xiaye. I don't care if you're going to beat me up or scold me. I won't say anything about it."

At the corner of the corridor, Su Nan's eyes became teary. She had been worrying and blaming herself for the past few days and was struggling to face them again.

Xi Xiaye frowned slightly as she looked at Su Nan who was on the verge of crying. She put on a bitter smile and hugged her. "What are you talking about? How is this your fault? You wouldn't have spoken up for her if you didn't think of her like your mother. She mentioned it to me last night and was worried that you might be overthinking. Cheer up! There's still a baby inside you."

Su Nan sniffed and sobbed. "Yue Lingsi is really horrible! Not only did she destroy your parents' relationship, but now she's even saying otherwise. I've never seen anyone this shameless in my whole life."

Xi Xiaye sighed, "You should already know what they're capable of, don't you?"

"Xiaye..." Su Nan called out to her softly.

Xi Xiaye smiled and gave Su Nan's shoulder a pat as a comforting smile appeared on her face. "Don't worry. Their happy days are numbered. Maybe it's karma, so you don't have to worry so much now. Alright, let's go in. Mu Yuchen and my father are there. I think my mother just woke up too. She'll be very happy if you visit her."

Xi Xiaye then turned around and headed into Shen Wenna's room. Su Nan remained stationary for a moment. Although she did not know what Xi Xiaye meant, she did not give it much thought and followed her.

In Shen Wenna's room, the doctor had just finished another checkup on Shen Wenna. Mu Yuchen was talking to the doctor while Xi Mushan was helping the nurse to change Shen Wenna's drip.

Although Shen Wenna was usually pretty distant, she was afraid of needles, so she frowned the moment she heard that the nurse was bringing the needles over. Xi Mushan held her and grabbed her hand as the nurse did her job.

The young little nurse smiled enviously. "Teacher Shen, you're like a little girl. Needles aren't painful. You don't have to be afraid."

"She has a slight phobia of blood," replied Xi Mushan to the nurse for her. His eyes darkened as he realized something. After a while, he said, "Be careful. She's afraid of the pain."

The nurse chuckled a little. Despite her putting Shen Wenna on the drip, the Mayor was the one getting nervous.

"Alright, it'll be done very soon."

Xi Xiaye saw this exact scene when she came into the room. Xi Mushan was holding Shen Wenna tenderly in his arms. She smiled and traded glances with Su Nan behind her before they both chuckled.

Their giggles alerted the patient, and Shen Wenna quickly pushed Xi Mushan away as her face blushed. She kept her usual poker face, but it did not seem very natural.

Shen Wenna listened to the chuckle from the door as she asked, "Is that Xiaye?"

"It's me, Mother! And Nan Nan is here to visit you as well!"

Xi Xiaye came to her bedside. The nurse was already done and was now adjusting the tubing.

"Aunt Shen, are you feeling better?"

Su Nan put a Thermos on the table and came nearer as Xi Mushan helped Shen Wenna to lie on her back before heading to Mu Yuchen on the sofa.

"I'm much better. Don't worry, you silly girl. It's not your fault. I'm the one who wasn't careful, so don't overthink."

Shen Wenna put on a smile as a faint light flashed in her eyes as if her loss of sight did not affect her at all.

"It's no big deal. I can take this as early retirement."

"But you can't see anymore! I... I really..." Su Nan sobbed, gripping Shen Wenna's hand with both her hands.

"I can't see, but I can still hear. Alright, I'm fine. Isn't everything okay right now?" Shen Wenna patted Su Nan's hands. "I'll be discharged in a few days after my condition has stabilized. I'm not very comfortable here. Who knows if I'll feel better at home and I can start seeing again?"

"Aunt Shen..."

Xi Xiaye stood aside quietly, staring at Shen Wenna's calm face. She felt pressured when she saw her relaxed manner.

She turned away and closed her eyes as she took a deep breath. The bitter feeling coming up her throat was hard to suppress.

After a while, she poured a glass of water for Shen Wenna and handed it to Su Nan.

"Aunt Shen, have some water. Your lips seem a little dry."

...

Xi Xiaye bent over and adjusted her blanket a little before heading toward Mu Yuchen.

The doctor flipped through the record file as he said, "If the patient insists, she can be discharged in a few days. Remember to bring her out for walks frequently. She might feel better in a different environment and it could possibly help with her sight. We'll observe her for a few weeks and see if there are any changes in the blood clot inside her brain, then we'll analyze it again."

"We'll list some things to be noted down. The hospital can send an experienced nurse to take care of her too. Mayor Xi, Chairman Mu, don't worry. It might not be as bad as we thought. More importantly, we'll have to take a look at her condition in the later stages."

Xi Mushan nodded. "What's the result of the checkup?"

"Aside from the blood clot, she had a slight concussion and might experience a headache from time to time. Try to refrain from doing any extreme physical activities, always maintain a positive mood, and take the medication and treatment on time. It'll be fine after a while."

After the doctor finished, he left.

"Mother, do you want to be discharged already?" asked Xi Xiaye softly as she sat down on the sofa on the side.

"She said she doesn't like the hospital, and it's quite boring staying here, so she wants to be discharged," Xi Mushan said with a dim expression. There was a frustration that could not be concealed in his tone.

Xi Xiaye paused before she subconsciously turned to look at Mu Yuchen. When he saw him looking to Xi Mushan thoughtfully, she was about to say something. However, a light knocking on the door suddenly interrupted her.

The few of them quickly looked toward the door and saw Ah Mo whose arms were still tucked across his chest.

Ah Mo bowed slightly and called out softly, "Master!"

Mu Yuchen walked out unhurriedly.

...

Mu Yuchen sat down on the bench in the corridor. Ah Mo quickly handed him a leather folder. "Master, these are the information we've got. We have Li Si's one too. Some other things are still being investigated."

Mu Yuchen reached out and took it. Opening it, he then casually pulled the document out. He briefly looked through it as well as the attached pictures, then nodded and put it back.

"Good job! This is an unexpected outcome. I've been considering how to shut the Yue family's mouth so that they won't be able to refute. This is here just in time." Mu Yuchen's brows lifted as he looked thoughtfully at Ah Mo.

A smile instantly surfaced on Ah Mo's handsome face. "This is all to Ah Bao's credit. Unexpectedly, he lives in Kowloon New City and saw Yue Lingsi. He even remembered her. This might be God's will."

Mu Yuchen's gaze instantly stopped on Ah Mo's arm as he asked in a low voice, "How has your hand been feeling these two days?"

Ah Mo lowered his gaze and looked at his arm that was still bandaged. He then broke out into a smile. "It's no big deal! It'll be fine in a few more days. Don't worry."

"How is it on Grandfather and Grandmother's end?"

Mu Yuchen had not really called home in this period of time. He had just told them about Ah Mo's situation the other day.

"They sent over some servants to my place. They bought Lingshi's clothes and shoes in the dozens! They even hired a pretty skilled footman for her. I'm sure they must be worried. Since the matters at Movie City have been handed over to VP Liu for now, I've been planning to go around the club every day with Lingshi. That way, I'd feel more assured."

When he spoke about this, Ah Mo's tone seemed to have turned slightly heavy. "Master, have you investigated the other end's matter clearly? Since we can prove that the driver was a cancer patient, I keep thinking there's more to it. If you follow the clues, you might find something.

"Also, Master, previously I've been taking notes on the Gu family. After that incident, they've been close business dealings, but Qi Qiming never let Qi Lei get involved with Qi Kai and the Gu family collaborations. This is quite unbelievable."

Ah Mo revealed his doubt as his eyes were dense with depth. "I'm very worried that if this incident wasn't an accident, then..."

"Don't confuse yourself first. If it wasn't an accident, it'd actually be good for us. This means that someone is secretly going against us. As long as they make a move, then we won't be far from the truth. I do hope that it was really Qi Feng. I've looked for them for quite a few years now. It isn't him who needs to settle the score with me, but it is I who have scores to settle with him," Mu Yuchen responded with a cold expression. His eyes hid a faint gloom.

"Don't worry, Master. I've already gotten people to inspect it. As long as they are in Los Angeles, we'll turn the entire city upside down and find them."

Ah Mo's tone was certain and his eyes concealed a hint of stern coldness. "That way, we can get Shi Shi her justice. We must clarify what happened years ago. Why would Lingtian have done that? His death is still so suspicious..."

Mu Yuchen's expression darkened while his fingers were propped against his forehead heavily. He shut his eyes to ease his mind for a while, then said in a deep voice, "Perhaps only Qi Feng or Gu Lingsha can give you the answer to this, so we must find them."

"Yes! Master, please don't worry. As long as they're still alive, we'll definitely be able to find them."

Mu Yuchen nodded. He looked down at the leather folder in his hand, then suddenly said, "Could you suppress the news from the media?"

"Xi Xinyi wanted to use the current relationship between Teacher Shen and him to cause huge news. Yesterday, someone even anonymously sent a lot of scandals related to Teacher Shen. It's from an IP address abroad. I've managed to push things down for now, but there's not much we can do about it. Suppressing things like that isn't a solution. We must find a way to resolve it as soon as possible."

As he listened to Ah Mo, Mu Yuchen suddenly frowned slightly. "Abroad? Could you find out from where exactly?"

"We can't. I've tried." As Ah Mo admitted this, he could not help but sound defeated. "Master, then now..."

"Resolve the thorny issues first. It's time for these old affairs to stop too." Mu Yuchen lowered his head contemplatively, studying the folder in his hand for a long while before continuing, "You rest well. We can set out on our journey after a few days of rest after the first of May. Just leave the matters here to Li Si and the rest."

"Got it, Master! Right, Master, do we want to take note of the Yue family's tendencies? I'm worried about them doing something to Mayor Xi. Previously, the elder from the Yue family had an unhappy encounter with Mayor Xi because of Xi Xinyi's matters. The Han family refuses to confront the problems. I heard that Han Yifeng did ask Xi Xinyi for a divorce, but there hasn't been an outcome until now."

"They won't be able to get divorced so easily. You don't have to care about that."

Bam!

Mu Yuchen had not finished yet when suddenly there was a loud collision. The two of them reflexively turned to look and noticed that Shen Yue's frail body had appeared at the entrance of Shen Wenna's ward. He pressed the walking stick in his hand stiffly against the door and before Mu Yuchen could react, he had already gone in!

That was bad news!

Alarmed, Mu Yuchen quickly walked over to the ward in huge strides.

However, he was indeed too late. He had just reached the door when he saw Shen Yue's walking stick in his hand that was about to fix Shen Wenna's blanket. His aged and stern voice sounded extremely clear and imposing in the large ward. "Who allowed you to come here?! Get lost!"

The tapping that came as a result of the walking stick hitting his finger bone startled Xi Xiaye. She then quickly rushed over to hold Shen Yue.