Mu Xing immediately said, "You haven't eaten yet? Let's go get a big meal..."
Bai Yan originally wanted to tell them not to go out and waste money, but smelling the burnt smell in the kitchen and seeing the burnt pot, she had no choice but to go out with them.
“That was Mrs. Ma, the one I told you about before,” Bai Yan said. “She’s been free these past few days, so she came over to teach me how to make soup.”
Mu Xing nodded: "It's good to have someone to talk to. Otherwise, I'm afraid you'll get bored at home all by yourself."
Bai Yan didn't say anything.
She hadn't told Mu Xing that being alone in that house wasn't just about feeling bored.
For the first few days, things were fine; she could go downstairs for a stroll every day to familiarize herself with the surroundings. But in the last few days, all she did was get up, read, eat, chat with Mrs. Ma for a few minutes, and then go to sleep.
She no longer needed to sell her smiles, nor did she need to go shopping for fancy clothes. The apartment was also very different from Yuejiang Lane; there was no exaggerated laughter, no noisy music or singing. At night, the surroundings were so quiet it was almost frightening.
Day after day, she repeated those fixed routines, unsure whether she was killing time or living her life.
But she also knew that Mu Xing was earning money to redeem her from her bondage, and she couldn't expect Mu Xing to come and keep her company every day.
Moreover, these days are already so much better than when she was in the brothel, she really shouldn't ask for more companionship.
Things will be better once Mu Xing tells his family the truth and moves out.
That's all she could think.
"Western food or stir-fry?" Mu Xing turned to look at Bai Yan, and seeing her looking down thoughtfully, he couldn't help but laugh, "Are you starving? Why are you spacing out?"
Coming to her senses, Bai Yan smiled, concealing her emotions: "Anything is fine, what do you want to eat?"
Mu Xing had already eaten dinner and was just keeping Bai Yan company. She thought for a moment and said, "Weren't you making corn chowder? Let's go eat some Western food."
They found a large restaurant near the apartment, ordered their food, and Mu Xing recounted his visit to Song Youcheng that day.
Poking at the steak on her plate, Bai Yan said, "As you said, Young Master Song has lost power and is being deliberately targeted by his family. Now, apart from his love for that young lady, he can be said to have almost nothing left."
Mu Xing nodded: "Actually, I had been worried about this situation when I talked to Mengwei and the others before, but I never expected that Uncle Song would be so heartless. He would rather not acknowledge Youcheng as a child than accept Miss Xiaobaihe."
Slowly chewing her steak, Bai Yan remained silent for a while before finally asking, "Do you think he can persevere? Or rather, how long can he persevere?"
Looking up at Mu Xing, she said, "If even the last bit of love is ultimately used to fill an empty stomach, what will Young Master Song do? And what will Miss Xiao Baihe do?"
Understanding the implication in her words, Mu Xing said, "I don't know how long he can hold on, but I think that as friends, the help we can give is ultimately limited; we are consumables. Whether it's his career, his finances, or even his love with Xiao Baihe, we can't let it be consumed like this."
"We must not give up on growth even in difficult circumstances, so that these things can continue to operate and reproduce, so that we don't sit idly by and deplete our resources, and eventually even consume our emotions."
“I always feel that the sweet romance between two people when things are going well is just a small dessert. If you can turn dessert into simple meals when things are tough, to the point where you have to eat them every day, then no matter how big the difficulties are, you can definitely get through them with a full stomach.”
Mu Xing shook the broccoli on the silver fork, swallowed it in one gulp, and laughed: "We Chinese, as long as we can fill our stomachs, can rebuild an empire like Yao, Shun, and Yu anywhere."
"Besides, he has his lover by his side."
Her words were vague and roundabout, but Bai Yan was only hovering on the edge of the issue. No one—or dared to—rashly touch upon the question that was on their minds.
Don't rush, don't rush.
Both of them thought the same thing. They shouldn't rush to tears just because they saw the rabbit trapped in a cage. Instead, seeing the rabbit's predicament should prompt them to reflect on how to change their course.
Mu Xing changed the subject and talked about her progress over the past two days: she needed investment, but instead of asking her uncle for help, she found another hospital and persuaded them to invest in the production of the new drug.
"This is a win-win situation. When we produce it here, we'll save on the costs of importing from Japan, so the price will naturally be lower than the current market price. We'll then only entrust it to this one pharmacy for sale..."
Bai Yan has seen some peripheral business communications over the years and can say a few things about them. But when it comes to deeper aspects, she doesn't know much about them.
But she listened attentively, and asked questions without hesitation about anything she didn't understand. Mu Xing was happy to explain in detail to her, and tried to avoid using overly technical jargon.
They both knew very well that there were no perfectly compatible lovers from birth. All they had was the patience to listen and understand, and a heart that tried to get closer to each other.
When they got home, it was already late. After taking a shower, the two did things that were inappropriate for children, washed their hands, and then leaned against the pillows to talk.
Bai Yan slowly said, "You just said that the graphic designer and editor at Young Master Song's publishing house have all resigned?"
Playing with her fingers through Bai Yan's curly hair, Mu Xing lazily replied, "They've all left. Xiao Baihe can draw some pictures, but they're all in the Japanese style, which isn't fashionable anymore. Now, only Li Yining has agreed to go and help him out."
Bai Yan nodded silently, saying nothing more. Mu Xing, however, kept glancing at her several times, so Bai Yan asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
Mu Xing clicked his tongue and said, "Someone is secretly thinking about things and is unwilling to discuss them with me, the head of the household. It's really disheartening."
Bai Yan denied it: "Who are you talking about? I've never done anything sneaky." After saying that, she sighed again, "I don't know how to say it."
Mu Xing patted his shoulder repeatedly and said, "Can't you lean on my broad shoulders? What are you afraid of? Just say what you want to say. Even if the sky falls, I'm tall enough to hold it up. Has someone bullied you?"
"Who dares to bully me?" Bai Yan smiled and leaned over to nestle on Mu Xing's shoulder, slowly saying, "Actually... I was thinking, could I also go and do odd jobs at Young Master Song's magazine?" As she spoke, she glanced at Mu Xing nervously several times.
She couldn't quite explain why she was so nervous. She knew Mu Xing would definitely agree to her request, and he certainly wouldn't be like some of his clients who demanded that the women they kept be hidden in hotels, waiting only for their advances.
She knew Mu Xing wasn't that kind of person, but when she made her request, she still couldn't control her nervousness and trepidation.
Just as Bai Yan had expected, Mu Xing was taken aback at first, then laughed and said, "You've been thinking about this? I thought it was some kind of difficult problem. If you want to go, I'll talk to Song Youcheng tomorrow; he's having trouble finding manpower. If you're willing to go, it'll be helping him out. It's just the salary..."
Bai Yan quickly replied, "I don't need any salary, as long as I have something to do."
Mu Xingxian said, "That's what I was thinking too. He's having such a hard time, it's not good to ask him to pay his salary. I'm just worried that you're working too hard." As she spoke, she looked down at Bai Yan and asked, "Shu Wan, aren't you bored at home?"
Without saying much, Bai Yan just smiled and said, "I just wanted to find something to do. You work so hard outside, I should do something too. Actually, I was just thinking that I should continue to submit articles to 'Wonderful Words'. Although the payment is not much, it can still cover the cost of a few meals at home."
Mu Xing originally wanted to say that she didn't need to worry about the expenses, but after thinking about it, she didn't say it. She smiled and said, "Okay, then I'll wait for the day when our great writer Bai takes care of me. I'm always ready."
Bai Yan also said, "Then I'll have to work hard. With your picky eating habits, I'm afraid I won't be able to support you with just one or two manuscript fees."
Mu Xing laughed: "If you were to support me, even if I only ate bread and drank water every day, I would be willing."
Chapter Seventy-Seven
A few days later, Mu Xing took a break from his busy schedule and told Song Youcheng about Bai Yan's desire to work as an editor at Song Youcheng's bookstore. Song Youcheng was naturally more than happy to oblige.
Upon hearing Mu Xing say that Bai Yan was the somewhat famous "Laughing Man," Song Youcheng almost jumped up.
"That's wonderful! If Miss Bai is willing to contribute to our magazine, then we won't have to worry about finding readers." He rubbed his hands excitedly. "No, no, Ah Xuan, do you think I should go and invite Miss Bai myself?"
Mu Xing quickly stopped him, saying, "No need for such formalities. We know you have so much to do, just go ahead and take care of it. I'll bring Shu Wan over, no need for formalities. As for the article contribution, I think she'd be willing. But it's too early to talk about the magazine now, you should sort out the funding issue first."
Song Youcheng nodded, "Yes, yes, I was too excited." He smiled bitterly, "In the past few months, there have been countless cases where things were finalized but then changed at the last minute. I'm afraid of being rejected, so I always want to confirm things as soon as possible."
Mu Xing said, "Don't worry, Shu Wan wouldn't do that. She's close to me, so she naturally wouldn't try to harm you."
Then the two discussed Bai Yan's salary.
Mu Xing originally intended not to pay any salary, but Song Youcheng insisted on not doing so, and in the end, they settled on one-third of the original editor's salary. Song Youcheng repeatedly assured that once the bookstore's development returned to normal, he would definitely increase salaries and provide compensation.
After their conversation, Song Youcheng had other things to do, while Mu Xing, having finished her work for the day, went to find Bai Yan to tell her about the matter and have lunch together.
As soon as Mu Xing opened the door, she saw Bai Yan sitting on the sofa, with another woman opposite her, and the two were talking. Upon seeing her come in, Bai Yan quickly stood up: "You're back. Have you finished everything?" As she spoke, she quickly glanced down at the woman opposite her.
Mu Xing smiled and walked over: "I've finished everything, so I wanted to come see you and talk to you about something. I remember this lady..." She was about to greet the woman on the sofa when she looked down and was startled by the injury on the woman's face.
The woman's charming face was covered with red marks and many scratches that extended into her high-necked cheongsam, suggesting she had been severely beaten.
Controlling his expression, Mu Xing managed to finish speaking: "...Your friend, right?"
The woman on the sofa seemed a little uncomfortable. She tilted her head, her curly hair covering half her face, and stood up, saying, "Miss Mu, I am Fei Hua. I have met you a few times at Yu Hua Book House."
"Hello, hello, please sit down." Mu Xing nodded hurriedly, then turned to look at Bai Yan, who was pouring tea, indicating whether he should go to the study to avoid her.
Bai Yan shook her head, and Fei Hua, who was sitting on the sofa, put away her slight unease and smiled, "Miss Mu, did you just come back from work?"
Seeing that she didn't need to avoid it, Mu Xing consciously sat down on the small sofa to the side to avoid looking directly at the injury on Fei Hua's face, and said, "Yes, I just had some free time and wanted to come and keep Shu Wan company."
Bai Yan had mentioned Fei Hua to Mu Xing before, and knowing that Fei Hua knew about him, Mu Xing didn't shy away from the topic.
Upon hearing this, Fei Hua smiled at Bai Yan and said, "You are so lucky. Miss Mu still cares about you so much, unlike our principal, who is probably off listening to the newcomers' laughter somewhere else."
Bai Yan poured a cup of tea for Mu Xing and added water for Fei Hua while saying, "Oh dear, you're not favored? Look at your outfit, did you pick it up on the street? Even if you don't dare to make a fortune secretly, you should at least help me out."
Fei Hua immediately burst into laughter.
Mu Xing listened to the two joking with each other, finding it quite amusing.
She had never seen Bai Yan display such a tone before, except when they first met.
Bai Yan once told her that speaking Suzhou dialect was just a tactic she used, and that she actually disliked it, even loathed it. But over the years, this accent seemed to have become ingrained in her bones, and when she faced her friends' unrestrained teasing, she would unconsciously use that tone.
Unlike her usual gentle demeanor, her soft Wu dialect accompanied her laughter, carrying a hint of willfulness and a touch of spicy, street-smart charm.
Mu Xing really liked Bai Yan like this.
Just like she likes any side of herself.
Over there, Fei Hua continued talking about her principal. Mu Xing listened from the side. It turned out that the principal wanted to redeem Fei Hua and wanted to invite Bai Yan back to the brothel for a get-together.
Mu Xing thought silently: Principal Zhang is the principal and board member of Allen Girls' School. If Fei Hua is one of his people, no ordinary person would dare to hit her so hard. It seems that only…
Just then, Fei Hua suddenly said to her, "I'm so sorry, I should have invited Miss Mu as well, but several of the girls from the brothel will be coming, and I'm afraid it would be difficult to explain to the brothel."
Mu Xing hired Bai Yan under Wang Mengwei's name, so she naturally couldn't bring Bai Yan in and out of the brothel as she used to.
Nodding in understanding, Mu Xing was about to congratulate Fei Hua when a thought suddenly struck her. She remembered that Li Yining had mentioned wanting to discuss the textbook acquisition with Principal Zhang. Given Fei Hua's relationship with Principal Zhang, if she could get Fei Hua to put in a good word for her, the chances of the acquisition would likely increase significantly.
Having made up his mind, Mu Xing took advantage of a break in the conversation to say tactfully, "Speaking of Principal Zhang, I imagine the girls' school should be preparing for the textbooks and such for next semester. Miss Fei Hua has probably been frequently attending dinners with various publishing houses lately."
Upon hearing Mu Xing mention the textbooks, Bai Yan naturally understood and exchanged a glance with Fei Hua.
Having navigated social situations for years, Fei Hua understood Mu Xing's underlying message. Instead of continuing to play games, she said directly, "Miss Mu, is there any collaboration you'd like to discuss with the principal? Please tell me. If there's anything I can do to help, it would be a great help."
Seeing her so frank, Mu Xing stopped beating around the bush and explained the matter in a few words.
Unexpectedly, Fei Hua burst into laughter as soon as Mu Xing finished speaking.
She said, "What a coincidence! What auspicious days these past few days are there? Why is everyone so eager to find ways to access textbooks?"
Mu Xing was startled and hurriedly asked which publishing house also wanted to use this approach.
Fei Hua's eyes darted around, but she didn't say anything explicitly. She only said, "Since it's Miss Mu who asked, I naturally have no reason not to agree. However, the principal is in Nanjing for a meeting these days, so if we want to discuss this, please wait a few days."
Mu Xing quickly thanked her and offered some reward, which Fei Hua accepted without hesitation.
After chatting for a while longer, it was already lunchtime. Although Mu Xing and Bai Yan tried to persuade her to stay, Fei Hua still got up to say goodbye: "You don't have much time to get together anyway, so don't worry about me."
After escorting Fei Hua to the elevator, Mu Xing and Bai Yan were about to return to their room when the door to apartment 304 across the hall suddenly opened, and a man stepped out. Upon seeing the two approaching, the man's expression turned strange, and he mumbled something unintelligible.
Upon seeing the man, Bai Yan greeted him, "Hello, Teacher Jiang. Are you going out to teach?"
Mu Xing was about to greet them when, upon hearing Bai Yan's words, Teacher Jiang's expression suddenly changed drastically. She looked as if she'd seen a ghost and hurriedly rushed forward, squeezing past the two of them. Mu Xing quickly reached out and grabbed Bai Yan, afraid she would be bumped into.
In that instant as they brushed past each other, she heard Teacher Jiang mutter, "Father, forgive them, for..."