Unlike the disheveled state she was in when they first met, the woman was now dressed properly and had even made up. Her usually cold and hard eyes had softened, and she looked quite different now.
"It's you...?" Seeing the woman at the door, Mu Xing was startled and tried to sit up, but Bai Yan pressed her back down: "Be careful of your wound!"
Upon hearing the sound, the woman hurried a few steps, wanting to get there quickly.
Mu Xing was pinned to the bed and could only hurriedly say, "Slow down, your leg isn't healed yet!"
Walking a few steps to the bedside, the woman forced a smile and said, "It's alright now, but... I'm so sorry for dragging you into this, Miss Mu." As she spoke, she bent down to bow.
Mu Xing repeatedly said there was no need. Bai Yan originally wanted to reach out and stop the woman, but after thinking about it again, she did not reach out.
Uncle Mu followed behind without stopping her. Only after the woman straightened up did he say, "A doctor should be compassionate. This is what Ah Xuan should do. Miss Wang, you don't need to worry about it."
Miss Wang said, "Mr. Mu, you are too kind. Even though it was Miss Mu's kind act, I have not been able to repay it and have instead implicated Miss Mu. I feel really guilty and uneasy."
Bai Yan coldly watched her earnest apology and finally couldn't help but say, "That's true, but since you knew there might be repercussions, why didn't you just say so directly in the first place? That way, we would have been aware of the situation and Ah Xuan wouldn't have suffered this calamity for nothing."
Her words were blunt, but they were meant to defend Mu Xing. Hearing this, both Uncle Mu and Mu Xing couldn't help but glance at her, though their feelings were quite different.
Hearing her accusation, Miss Wang naturally had no way to refute it, and simply said, "This matter was indeed my oversight, but the helplessness involved is already known to Lord Mu. Now I am telling Miss Mu, and I hope you will understand my concealment."
After saying that, she recounted the circumstances and opportunities that led to her trip.
It turns out that this Miss Wang—naturally, she called herself Comrade Wang—was a member of a political party hostile to the authorities.
Since the breakdown of cooperation between the two parties, the authorities have launched a large-scale crackdown on hostile forces. Members of the organization, such as Comrade Wang, have responded by launching various counter-crackdown operations. However, in early April, a member betrayed their organization, defecting to the authorities and selling out the organization's membership list. This act not only brought a huge crisis to the organization but also led to the deaths of several members.
Comrade Wang was originally hiding in Beiping, but his identity was exposed and he had to evacuate to Wenjiang to seek help to transfer to a new base.
"As for what happened later, you all know it." Miss Wang smiled bitterly. "My whereabouts were exposed, and I was hunted down. That day, I thought I was going to die for sure, but I never expected... I would meet Miss Mu."
She looked at Mu Xing: "If it weren't for Miss Mu's willingness to lend a helping hand, I'm afraid I would already be..."
Bai Yan reached out and tucked the blanket around Mu Xing, saying, "So you were taken away by your contact later? According to you, if you were taken away, you should have left immediately. How did you know about Mu Xing and even contact Uncle Mu?"
Her question hit the nail on the head. Miss Wang paused, didn't speak, and looked at Uncle Mu instead.
Under the questioning gazes of Mu Xing and Bai Yan, Uncle Mu simply said, "Since the Mu family has been falsely accused, let's just confirm it."
Mu Xing exclaimed in surprise, "Uncle, this is no joke!"
Uncle Mu glanced at her speechlessly, but before he could speak, Bai Yan nudged Mu Xing and said, "Do you think your uncle is as reckless as you? Uncle Mu made this decision because he has a well-thought-out plan, so you don't need to worry about it anymore."
These words struck a chord with Uncle Mu, who nodded in satisfaction and added, "In short, things have come to this point. Comrade Wang and I have our own plans. Ah Xuan, just focus on recovering. You don't need to worry about the rest. Comrade Wang told you all this so that you would have a clear understanding of what to do next. You can weigh the pros and cons yourself."
Bai Yan was pleased to hear Uncle Mu say "you all," but when she heard Uncle Mu say to Mu Xing, "I have something else to say to you," she became worried again.
Uncle Mu clearly wanted to speak with Mu Xing alone. After exchanging a glance with Mu Xing, Bai Yan could only leave the ward with Miss Wang.
Bai Yan closed the door heavily, wondering whether she should wait outside to see what was going on, when Miss Wang suddenly said, "Miss Bai, Master Mu has something to say to Miss Mu. Shouldn't we guests wait in the outer room?"
Through the window, Bai Yan saw Uncle Mu in the inner room turn his head to glance outside. She frowned slightly in annoyance, but quickly relaxed her brow. She turned to Miss Wang and smiled, "Alright, this way please."
The two sat down in the small outer living room. Fu Guang happened to be waiting there and hurried over to Bai Yan, asking, "Miss Bai, would you like some flower tea or green tea?"
Bai Yan turned to look at Miss Wang and smiled, "Let's ask the guest first, Miss Wang. What would you like to drink? Ah Xuan once said that lotus seed tea is the best drink in summer. It clears the mind, calms the spirit, and eliminates distracting thoughts. It is the best summer tea."
Miss Wang simply nodded and said that anything was fine.
When the tea was served, Bai Yan's mind was still on the hospital room, and she didn't want to say anything more. Miss Wang first praised the tea, then said to Bai Yan, "It seems that Miss Bai and Miss Mu are close friends, aren't they?"
Bai Yan nodded and said, "Yes, they are very good friends."
Ms. Wang said first, "I can tell."
After thinking for a moment, she added, "Actually, I originally thought that young ladies like Miss Mu, who live in an ivory tower, would all be arrogant and conceited. I never expected that Miss Mu would not only have the courage to venture out into the world and possess excellent medical skills, but also be so bold. I truly admire her."
Hearing her praise Mu Xing so highly, Bai Yan felt a little uncomfortable, but also a strange sense of pride. She said, "Of course, Ah Xuan is extraordinary."
…
What do you mean by 'she is extraordinary'?
In the hospital room, Uncle Mu frowned and said in a somewhat ambiguous tone, "Ah Xuan, what do you mean by that?"
Mu Xing's mind raced.
Her uncle merely asked her why she was getting close to Shu Wan, his tone not revealing any suspicion about their actual relationship. And indeed, their relationship was far more complex than one could easily imagine.
Thinking this way, she could simply explain her closeness with Shu Wan as a mutual appreciation, a sisterly and best friend relationship.
This should be the most common and acceptable explanation for relationships between women in this world.
After her conversation with Bai Yan, Mu Xing knew that no matter how much she wanted to introduce Bai Yan to her parents and relatives as her lover, this was not the right time to be honest, nor was it the time for her to act rashly.
Even if there is affection, it is even more important to have a sense of proportion.
Therefore, following the previous discussion, Mu Xing said, "Uncle, I did meet Shu Wan in a brothel, but she is really different from ordinary courtesans. Although she was in that situation, her thoughts and insights were no different from mine, and she was even more resilient and intelligent."
Looking at the person in front of her, she said earnestly, word by word, "To me, she is the most special, the best 'friend'."
Chapter Sixty-Four
Mu Xing recounted in detail how she met Bai Yan and how they got to know each other, naturally omitting many specific details and feelings.
Uncle Mu listened attentively, his gaze deep, his thoughts unreadable.
After a long silence, he said, "You said Miss Bai has a good character, and I can see that. She really cares about you. As for you saying she's your friend, your uncle also hopes that you and Miss Bai will be 'good friends' forever, just like Yi Ning."
These words were quite meaningful, and Mu Xing dared not think about what the underlying intention was. He simply nodded hesitantly, "Of course."
After saying that, Uncle Mu stopped mentioning the matter and said, "As for your identity outside, your parents and I have discussed it and decided to announce that there are bad people impersonating the Mu family to commit fraud. This decision is for your sake, but even more so for the Mu family."
Mu Xing had a premonition about her uncle's decision. She didn't care about status; her only concern was Bai Yan.
She had approached Bai Yan under the identity of the Third Young Master Mu, and now that identity was tainted, it would inevitably affect Bai Yan. However, she also knew that this was a serious matter and she absolutely could not let her personal affairs affect the Mu family.
Therefore, we can only discuss countermeasures with Shu Wan later. Anyway, we will take Shu Wan away sooner or later, so these temporary problems are not too difficult.
Uncle Mu continued, “Although your father and I hope you will become successful, you are still a girl and should act like one. Of course, you can still pursue your career as you see fit. With our support, you can do whatever you want as a woman. Also, you are growing up now, and you should know what you should and shouldn’t do. You have accomplished a lot recently, and now is a good opportunity to take a good rest and reflect on your actions.”
Hearing his uncle's reprimand, Mu Xing naturally had no way to refute him and responded to each point.
After saying this, Uncle Mu told Mu Xing to rest well and then left.
Thinking that Bai Yan would definitely come over to talk, Mu Xing lay on the bed and waited for a while, but instead of Bai Yan, Miss Wang came instead. She had no choice but to force herself to deal with her.
Miss Wang thanked him sincerely again, but Mu Xing naturally declined, saying it wasn't necessary. Then Miss Wang asked about the condition of his wound, and Mu Xing gave a brief explanation. Miss Wang nodded, and the two of them were speechless for a moment.
Mu Xing thought that Miss Wang had just come to visit her again and would be leaving now, but to her surprise, Miss Wang didn't leave. Afraid that it would be too awkward for the two of them to stand there awkwardly, she had to rack her brains to find something to talk about. However, because of the sensitive nature of Miss Wang's identity, she had to steer the conversation towards herself.
However, once the conversation started, Mu Xing discovered that Ms. Wang and she were quite similar in their life experiences and hobbies, and Ms. Wang had even studied in the United States.
When they talked about their lives in the United States, the two were surprised to find that they had both attended the Kitano Summer Camp at BlueBridge at the same time, and that they both had a particular fondness for a racecourse in Kitano. They couldn't help but feel a sense of mutual appreciation.
"...I really love the iced plum drink at the racecourse. Every time I go, I have to drink it to my heart's content. I even scared that Asian bartender once," Ms. Wang said with a smile.
Mu Xing nodded: "I also really like that iced plum juice. I've been to other racetracks since then, but I've never tasted such refreshing juice again." As she spoke, she glanced at the door again.
Strange, why hasn't Shu Wan arrived yet?
Noticing that she kept looking out the door, Miss Wang smiled and said, "Miss Mu and Miss Bai have such a good relationship."
Coming to her senses, Mu Xing couldn't help but smile shyly.
Miss Wang then said leisurely, "However, when Uncle Mu went over just now, he said he had something to say to Miss Bai and asked her to go to another place. She probably won't be able to come back for a while."
Upon hearing this, Mu Xing was immediately terrified and all her leisurely mood vanished. She hurriedly said, "Why didn't you say so earlier..." But she spoke too hastily and accidentally inhaled a breath of cold air, which caused her to cough violently.
Miss Wang hurriedly tried to pat her back, but hesitated for fear of aggravating the wound. Seeing that Mu Xing's face was red from coughing, she quickly went to pour her a cup of tea.
Mu Xing finally calmed down, and just as Miss Wang was about to hand her the tea, Bai Yan happened to walk to the door and, seeing this, hurriedly said, "Wait! The tea is cold!"
She walked over in a few steps, placed the hot tea she was carrying on the table, took the tea from Miss Wang and put it aside, then poured herself a cup of hot tea and handed it to Mu Xing.
As Bai Yan watched Mu Xing drink tea, she slowly said, "I just went over to pour you a cup of tea, and your face turned red?"
Mu Xing was drinking tea and didn't want to talk, so Miss Wang quickly said, "It's all my fault. I forgot that Miss Mu needs to rest more, and instead I made her talk."
Bai Yan didn't look at her, but only glanced at Mu Xing and nodded, saying, "Oh, so you blushed while talking to Miss Wang."
Mu Xing buried half her face in the teacup, blinking innocently at Bai Yan, who also looked at her with a half-smile.
Seeing that the atmosphere was a bit strange, Miss Wang said from the side, "If Miss Mu wants to rest, then I won't bother you any longer."
Bai Yan then turned around and smiled, "Okay, Miss Wang, take care." With that, she smiled and escorted Miss Wang to the door, then closed the door with a "snap" and turned to look at Mu Xing.
Mu Xing finally put down the cup that was stuck to her face, unable to suppress the smile on her lips. She deliberately said, "You were right, I need to rest."
Bai Yan glared at her and sneered, "Then I'll leave too, without disturbing Miss Mu. You still want to savor the laughter and joy you shared with her."
As she spoke, she actually turned around and opened the door.
Seeing that she was really leaving, Mu Xing quickly threw down the cup, immediately clutched his wound, and cried out, "Ouch, my wound hurts so much!"
Bai Yan leaned against the door and said coolly, "Now you know it hurts? It's okay, just smile at people and it won't hurt anymore."
Seeing that she wasn't falling for his trick, Mu Xing had no choice but to back down and apologize, saying, "I wasn't laughing. I just heard from Miss Wang that you were summoned by my uncle, and I was so anxious that I choked. There's no question of laughing or not laughing..."
Bai Yan snorted, closed the door, walked over, helped Mu Xing lie down, and then said, "Your uncle knows my identity."
Mu Xing nodded and told Bai Yan about his conversation with his uncle, then asked her what his uncle had said.
Bai Yan said, "It's nothing, just some words of concern for you. Although I'm not as close to you as your parents or uncles, my feelings for you are no less. I told him my attitude, and that's all."
Mu Xing reached out and took her hand.
Bai Yan glanced at her again: "I was just confessing my feelings to your uncle when I turned around and heard you laughing with him here."
Mu Xing tickled her palm: "Oh, let's just have a normal chat. Miss Wang is also..." Seeing Bai Yan's expression, she immediately changed her tune, "There's nothing to talk about. I was getting anxious waiting for you, so I didn't have time to chat."
Bai Yan was just joking, and seeing Mu Xing's words, she naturally stopped dwelling on it.
After talking for a while, Mu Xing brought up the matter of erasing her male identity that her uncle had mentioned. Bai Yan pondered for a moment and said, "That's only right. Even if this hadn't happened, I would have been very worried about you every day you were out and about, not to mention your parents. Now that we've broken off this relationship, it's not necessarily a bad thing. As for me, I'll just be the subject of some gossip, which is nothing. It's just that the matter of redeeming myself will probably require the help of others to get it done."
After some discussion, all they came up with was the phrase "let's take it one step at a time."
“I just heard from my uncle that Grandma likes you very much.” Stroking her fair and delicate palm, Mu Xing said, “Grandma likes smart and beautiful girls, and she will definitely like you in the future. So will my uncle and the others.”
Bai Yan nodded silently.
The old lady was willing to let her stay a few more days, and she naturally knew what to do.
In the following days, Uncle Mu invited reporters from several familiar newspapers to come and claim that some criminals were using the Mu family's name to commit fraud, which aroused the great attention of the Mu family and the Public Security Bureau. The Mu family strongly condemned this behavior.