Mu Heng truly cared for this wife of his who had undergone such a drastic shift in temperament, though in the beginning, he had not recognized it as love.
When Fan Shenggang forced him to choose between taking Chu Muyao or Zheng Lele, he felt nearly broken inside.
This was a situation that should never have happened; he ought to have chosen Chu Muyao without a moment’s hesitation, considering that everything he had done over the years was meant for her sake.
Especially when he saw Zheng Lele’s tear-filled eyes, forcing a facade of strength to urge him to choose Chu Muyao instead, Mu Heng felt as though his heart were shattering.
He had made a choice that tore him apart.
He chose Chu Muyao, his young mistress.
Yet when he departed the general’s residence, he felt no joy, experiencing instead a relentless inner torment.
The pain felt precisely like being stripped of the right to consume nourishment, left alive only by a nutrient tube feeding into one’s veins while denied the ability to taste any food.
At that exact moment, Mu Heng understood just how extraordinary Zheng Lele was to him.
Especially upon reaching safety, when Chu Muyao embraced him and declared her wish to spend eternity by his side, Mu Heng’s mind was filled entirely with Zheng Lele.
The sight of Zheng Lele eating fish, the image of Zheng Lele smiling foolishly, the vision of Zheng Lele in his frailty, played on an endless loop inside Mu Heng’s head.
Not until Chu Muyao warned him, “You are acting somewhat abnormal, have you fallen in love with someone else?” did Mu Heng realize the truth.
He knew he had fallen in love with Zheng Lele.
He grew desperate to rescue Zheng Lele, unwilling to wait even a single moment longer.
Unlike the rescue of Chu Muyao, which allowed ample time for preparation, Mu Heng slipped into the general’s residence alone to gather information. However, none of the servants seemed to know of Zheng Lele’s existence, and even the identity of the seventh concubine was rumored by everyone to be a ghost of the past.
Some went so far as to tell Mu Heng that the seventh concubine had apparently passed away long ago.
At that instant, Mu Heng’s world collapsed.
He had no idea how he managed to endure that period, knowing only that he fell violently ill.
Around that time, the village chief of Langya Village sought out Mu Heng, bringing along numerous jars of liquor. Amidst the heavy intoxication, the village chief remarked that Zheng Lele could not possibly be dead; had he perished, some trace of news would surely have surfaced.
This rekindled a glimmer of hope within Mu Heng. Coincidentally, around this period, Chu Fengyuan returned to the country alongside his son Chu Muxuan, requiring a courageous and resourceful individual to infiltrate the general’s residence and execute a frame-up.
Eager to plunge deep into the general’s residence once more, Mu Heng accepted the assignment without a moment’s hesitation.
And it was fortunate that he took on this task, for it enabled him to reunite with the Zheng Lele he had yearned for so dearly.
The instant he laid eyes on Zheng Lele again, Mu Heng initially suspected that his overwhelming longing was simply playing tricks on his vision.
Fortunately, upon overhearing Zheng Lele conversing with someone else, Mu Heng recognized the voice and confirmed beyond doubt that Zheng Lele stood right before him, having transformed from the seventh concubine of the general’s residence into Dr. Yu.
How deeply he cherished the chance to remain alongside Zheng Lele.
To secure a peaceful life with Lele, Mu Heng was willing to brave any peril ordinary men would never dare face.
As for the downfall of Fan Shenggang, Mu Heng regarded it as entirely disconnected from his own path.
Given the position Fan Shenggang occupied, his hands were hardly pristine.
Consequently, Mu Heng carried out his tasks with clean efficiency and absolute freedom from guilt, focusing his entire mind solely on remaining with Zheng Lele.
Yet when Lele sustained injuries, Mu Heng suffered deep remorse.
Determined to shield Zheng Lele from the ongoing struggles for power, Mu Heng whisked him away to his secluded sanctuary by the shore.
He longed to spend eternity with Zheng Lele, a desire that intensified dramatically after Zheng Lele regained consciousness.
His departure alongside the village chief stemmed from a debt of gratitude; after Chu Muyao’s charitable act permitted Mu Heng entry into the Chu household, he was essentially raised under the village chief’s watch. Furthermore, the chief promised this would be the final task, after which Mu Heng would attain absolute freedom.
As a side note, the village chief served as Chu Fengyuan’s trusted lieutenant, remaining stationed in Langya Village following Chu Fengyuan’s departure to manage all affairs in the region.
Yet this single decision made him feel as though he might lose Zheng Lele forever.
How much effort must one expend to earn another’s complete trust, only to watch a single decision shatter that trust entirely?
“Mu Heng…” Twisting her features in grievance, Chu Muyao accused, “You are hurting me.”
Witnessing the red marks left around his older sister’s wrists from Mu Heng’s tight grip, Chu Muxuan immediately interjected, “Mu Heng hyung, sister only punished me because I made a mistake, do not blame her!”
Shaking off Chu Muyao’s arm with a rough motion, Mu Heng rebuked angrily, “You claimed you required a trusted spouse, and I agreed to assist you. Miss, why on earth did you summon Zheng Lele here!”
Hearing this, Chu Muyao flared up in indignation as well. “What gives you the right to pamper some effeminate wretch like that! Mu Heng! Get it straight, I was the one who saved you back then! Do not think I am unaware of your scheme to abandon the Chu family and run off to dally with that soft-spoken creature!”
Stunned, Chu Muxuan stammered, “Wait… are you saying… Zheng Lele’s affection belonged to Mu Heng hyung rather than sister?”
Chu Muyao pressed on, “I poured endless effort into cultivating you into the man you are today, yet now you wish to cast me aside for some irrelevant outsider!”
“What are the arguments about!”
Chu Fengyuan’s sudden arrival caused the previously arrogant Chu Muyao to shrink back instantly.
Both Chu Muyao and Chu Muxuan lowered their heads and murmured a respectful “Father.”
“Muyao.” Glancing sideways at her, Chu Fengyuan scolded, “You have only just been wed, yet you already create discord with your husband.”
Shaking her head hastily, Chu Muyao replied, “Your daughter would not dare.”
A cold scoff escaping his lips, Chu Fengyuan stated, “Mu Heng stands as our greatest contributor, bear that in mind.”
Biting her lower lip, Chu Muyao nodded in compliance. “Daughter will remember.”
Turning next toward Mu Heng, Chu Fengyuan clapped a heavy hand onto his shoulder. “If Muyao proves unruly, feel free to discipline her on my behalf.”
Frowning heavily, Mu Heng offered no response.
“Muxuan,” Chu Fengyuan called out.
“Father.”
“Cease your foolish antics with your sister, and remember that you represent the hope of the Chu family.” Beckoning to him, Chu Fengyuan commanded, “Follow me.”
Casting one look toward the ashen-faced Chu Muyao and another toward Mu Heng, whose gaze remained fixed downward, Chu Muxuan finally answered, “Yes.”
Remaining with her head bowed and looking utterly heartbroken, Chu Muyao reached out to catch the edge of Mu Heng’s sleeve. “Mu Heng, you understand that father has always favored sons over daughters…”
Lifting his gaze toward the sky, Mu Heng unclipped his collar bow tie and placed it directly into the hand clutching his sleeve.
Without uttering a single further word or turning back, he strode out of the general’s residence.
In this world, Yu Xingliang possessed virtually no place to call home, leaving him with no alternative but to bring Fan Ruyi back to the coastal cabin he had previously shared with Mu Heng.
A heavy rainstorm two days prior had blown away a wooden plank from the roof, causing water to drip steadily inside.
Fortunately, the mattress remained dry, allowing Yu Xingliang to lay Fan Ruyi gently upon the bed.
He then retrieved an iron bucket, positioning it directly beneath the leak in the roof.
Water dripped rhythmically into the bucket, creating a pattering sound that injected a semblance of lively melody into the gloomy interior.
Scavenging dry wood from the firewood stack, Yu Xingliang kindled a fire. Without warmth, surviving the dropping night temperatures would prove difficult.
Exhausted by the day’s harrowing ordeals, Fan Ruyi seemed drained and slipped into a deep sleep.
Pondering for a moment, Yu Xingliang resolved to venture down to the sea to catch a fish and brew some nourishing broth for her.
Arming himself with Mu Heng’s fishing spear and carrying a bamboo creel, he stepped out of the door.
No sooner had he left than Fan Ruyi slowly fluttered her eyes open.
Waves chased one another across the shoreline, lapping against Yu Xingliang’s shins.
Raising the spear and mimicking Mu Heng’s posture, he thrust downward with precision!
It felt rather ironic; despite the countless lessons Mu Heng had imparted previously without yielding a single catch, Yu Xingliang managed to spear a large yellow croaker on his very first strike.
Retrieving his creel, he carefully deposited the fish inside, contemplating whether to attempt catching a second one.
Upon glancing back toward the shore, however, he caught sight of flickering flames dancing inside the coastal cabin.
Startled, Yu Xingliang dropped the spear and sprinted back toward the dwelling.
Closing in on the cabin, he discovered that Fan Ruyi was holding a burning piece of firewood and setting fires at various points around the interior.
“Ruyi!” Screaming her name, Yu Xingliang lunged forward to rush into the burning building, only to have his elbow seized from behind in a tight grip.
“Do not go in!” Arriving just in time, Mu Heng yanked Yu Xingliang back from the encroaching flames.
“But Ruyi is still trapped inside, I have to save her!”
Gazing at the rapidly intensifying inferno that swallowed any sign of Fan Ruyi, Mu Heng shook his head. “The fire is too fierce, rescue is impossible.”
Consumed by self-blame, Yu Xingliang wept tears of bitter regret. “It is all my fault, I should never have left her alone in the house!”
Seeing Yu Xingliang break down in tears, Mu Heng plunged directly into the surf without hesitation.
Before Yu Xingliang could process his actions, Mu Heng emerged dripping wet from the ocean and plunged straight into the burning structure.
A sensation akin to being dropped into boiling oil gripped Yu Xingliang’s heart, freezing his entire body into stone as he found himself completely incapable of uttering a sound.
The flames raged higher and higher. Just as utter despair threatened to swallow him whole, Mu Heng burst forth from the blinding wall of fire like a descending deity, wrapped securely in a thick quilt that shielded both himself and Fan Ruyi.
Barely a second later, the wooden coastal cabin collapsed completely under the roaring blaze, its roof beams tumbling downward into a pile of blazing timbers.
Depositing the unconscious Fan Ruyi safely on the ground, Mu Heng turned his attention immediately toward Yu Xingliang. Noticing the vacant, horrified expression on the youth’s face, he discarded any concern for his own condition and rushed to his side.
“Lele? Are you alright?”
Sensing the warmth radiating from Mu Heng’s fingertips, Yu Xingliang felt the magical undoing of a paralysis, bursting forth with a loud sob.
Overwhelmed with distress, Mu Heng pulled Yu Xingliang tightly into his embrace, desperate to wipe away the tears yet hesitant due to his soot-stained hands, leaving him frozen in mid-air.
It was Yu Xingliang who broke the hesitation by throwing his arms around Mu Heng’s neck, deciding to cast aside any further obsession over whether Mu Heng had deceived him.
At the exact moment he had nearly lost Mu Heng seconds prior, a flood of memories raced through his mind, convincing him that even if Mu Heng’s entire existence proved to be a trap, he willingly walked into the snare.
“Lele, do not cry anymore.” Holding him close with fierce tenderness, Mu Heng apologized repeatedly. “I am sorry, Lele. I am sorry, truly sorry.”
He felt profound remorse for the suffering he had inflicted upon Zheng Lele.
Soaking Yu Xingliang’s shoulder with his continuous sobs, the youth could only shake his head vigorously.
Beneath the clear, pristine moonlight, the coastal fire slowly dwindled to embers, returning the shore to absolute tranquility.