By the time Li Qingyang came out of the study, an hour had passed.
His father’s admonitions still rang in his ears.
He had just stepped into the bedroom when a petite figure suddenly rushed up behind him and wrapped her arms tightly around him.
“…I’m sorry.”
Her voice sounded remorseful.
“I was too impulsive today. Dad didn’t give you a hard time, did he? I didn’t want things to turn out this way either…”
Li Qingyang didn’t answer or move.
“A-Yang, don’t be mad at me.”
She pouted, trying to win him over with a coaxing tone.
“Let go. I’m going to shower.”
His manner was distant.
“A-Yang…”
“If you keep talking, get out.”
“…”
Lan Ying released him awkwardly.
Li Qingyang wasn’t even willing to spare her a glance.
During the day, he had smiled so happily at that woman, yet he could barely be bothered to humor his own wife.
No matter how hard she tried to please him, he remained unmoved.
He was like an iceberg, impossible to thaw.
Watching him disappear into the bathroom, she felt a heaviness in her chest. Bitterness and bewilderment slowly churned inside her. Lan Ying lay back on the bed, dazed, and pulled the covers tightly around herself.
For the first time, she couldn’t help wondering: Had she made the right choice in this marriage?
A year ago, she had fallen in love with him at first sight at a banquet. As the cherished daughter of the Lan family, she had never thought any man worthy of her.
She had countless admirers, but their eyes held nothing but greed and desire. They disgusted her.
But Li Qingyang was different.
He was strikingly handsome, his figure and appearance exceptional; he stood out among any crowd. But what attracted her most was his uniquely refined, gentle air. One glance into his warm eyes had been enough to make her fall completely.
Her heart had pounded as if it might leap from her chest.
She was certain she had fallen in love.
Helplessly, irrevocably.
Later, when their families discussed marriage, Lan Ying had been so excited she couldn’t sleep night after night. Marrying for love was every woman’s dream, especially for a woman from a prominent family.
She knew that in a marriage between two prominent families, a couple’s feelings had to be nurtured over time. For the first few months after their wedding, she had kept trying to build an emotional connection with him.
His response, however, had been terribly cold.
Until today, she had been forced to face reality.
Her husband was only like this with her.
Before long, Li Qingyang came out of the bathroom, still carrying the cool dampness of the water, and lay down on the other side of the bed.
The distance between them might as well have been a galaxy.
Another night in which they shared a bed but dreamed separate dreams.
She slowly closed her eyes, and tears slid silently down her cheeks.
…
South of the city, at the Mu family manor.
A black car drove into the estate. Lin Yumo sat inside with only the young Butler Lu for company. She lowered the window and looked outside curiously.
The Mu family manor was brightly lit in the distance, with figures moving back and forth faintly visible.
Something was wrong.
The Mu family shouldn’t be this busy at this hour.
Lin Yumo had sensed something was off even before she arrived.
Even if Mu Yun wanted to see her, it shouldn’t have been this late. His health had always been poor, so he kept an early schedule. The Mu family’s servants finished work early, and only a small number stayed on night duty.
She had a bad feeling.
A few minutes later, the car pulled into the garage at the old residence.
“Miss Lin, please get out.”
Butler Lu took her luggage and led her inside.
“Please wait here for a moment.”
“Thank you.”
Lin Yumo stood where she was and waited for him to announce her arrival.
But before Butler Lu could go upstairs, several figures appeared at the top of the staircase. He stopped at once and bowed respectfully. “Master, Madam, Second Young Master.”
“You may go.”
“Yes.”
The newcomer spoke in a deep, resonant voice, carrying the unassailable authority of a man in his prime. “You, come up here.”
He was speaking to Lin Yumo.
This was Mu Yun, Mu Linhan’s father, chairman of Mu Group, and the most powerful voice in the Mu family.
His imposing presence could not be concealed, not even by his sickly appearance.
Lin Yumo obediently stepped forward, letting his gaze fall on her as she put on a docile expression.
Mu Yun said nothing for a long while.
Standing behind him, Gu Xinyue asked, “Master, what do you think of her?”
Mu Yun assessed her. “She’s presentable.”
Mu Chen’an winked at Lin Yumo. The smile at the corner of his lips made the atmosphere feel a little less tense.
“What’s your name?” Mu Yun asked.
She replied respectfully, “My name is Lin Yumo.”
Mu Yun gave a slight nod, then turned around.
“Being a daughter-in-law of the Mu family isn’t easy. I had you brought here so suddenly tonight because I want to see whether you’re capable of taking on the position of Young Madam.”
He walked down the corridor, the others following close behind. They also gestured for Lin Yumo to come along.
Lin Yumo quietly brought up the rear.
This corridor led to Mu Linhan’s room.
Had something happened to him?
Lin Yumo couldn’t help worrying.
Servants lined both sides of the corridor, each looking troubled, as if faced with some enormous problem.
When one of the male servants saw Mu Yun return, he stepped forward and reported in a low voice, “Master, the Eldest Young Master still won’t let us into his room. He’s smashed everything.”
Mu Yun frowned. “Has he eaten anything at all?”
“…No. We can’t get in to clean up either. The Eldest Young Master is resisting us very strongly.”
Mu Yun asked again, “Have the doctors been here?”
“They have, but the Eldest Young Master sent them all away. The medical team says they can only treat him once he’s calmed down. The medicine has already been prescribed, though. If the Eldest Young Master is willing to eat, he can take it…”
“Everyone, go,” Mu Yun said with a sigh.
“Yes…”
The servants scattered as if they’d been granted a reprieve.
Gu Xinyue looked deeply worried. “Linhan hasn’t eaten for two or three days. He’s only just had surgery, and he’s still so weak. How can he possibly endure this? Honestly…”
Her words were heartfelt, as if she were truly a loving stepmother. “Yumo, Chen’an said last time that Linhan treats you differently. Why don’t you go in and see him?”
Mu Chen’an chimed in. “Big Brother seems to like Little Sister-in-law quite a bit. Why not let her try?”
Lin Yumo: “…”
In truth, Mu Yun had intended to do just that. If there had been any other option, he wouldn’t have summoned her in the middle of the night. Mother and son had set him up perfectly, giving him an opening to say what he wanted.
“Go in. If you can really get him to accept you, then you’ll be a daughter-in-law of the Mu family.”
Lin Yumo understood.
After passing Gu Xinyue’s test, she now had to pass Mu Yun’s. If she failed tonight, the Mu family wouldn’t acknowledge her status.
Ever since her rebirth, events had kept taking a different course.
To be honest, she wasn’t sure she could do it.
But she had no choice.
“…I understand.”
She stepped forward and pushed open the heavy wooden door.
The room beyond was pitch-black.
In the faint light from the corridor, she could just make out food scraps and shards of glass scattered across the floor. Clearly, there had been a scene in here earlier that day.
A strange smell filled her nostrils.
Lin Yumo frowned slightly, entered the room, and closed the door.
Feeling her way through the disorder, she made it to the bed.
In just a second, she sensed something was wrong.
There was no sound of breathing.
Lin Yumo immediately lifted the covers, only to find the sheets wet beneath her hand.
Mu Linhan… was gone.