"I heard this stand has the best view, and it's priceless," Tang Yu said.
Mu Xing absentmindedly responded, glancing at the "isolated island".
Two people were already seated on a small bleacher stand. They were a few steps apart, and only half of their backs could be seen. The man speaking in profile was likely Tang Gongzi's friend, while the other was laughing…
With just one glance, Mu Xing felt as if his pupils had been struck by a heavy blow, his whole world seemed to turn upside down.
Even across the entire universe, across countless mountains and rivers, she could recognize it at a glance—it was clearly…
"We've arrived." The waiter who led the way said to the people in the stands, "Young Master, Young Master Tang and his friends have arrived."
Upon hearing this, the two people who were talking stood up and turned around.
Bai Yan raised her head, her smile still lingering, but it quickly froze and dried the moment she met Mu Xing's gaze. Her exaggerated smile was like a comical mask, concealing her beauty.
Mu Xing's pupils contracted sharply, but she couldn't see anything. A tumultuous wave crashed against her back, yet she felt as if she were on a deserted island, the silence terrifying.
"Miss Bai...?"
Chapter 53
The moment Bai Yan met Mu Xing's gaze, she felt all the pre-programmed words and actions that had filled her mind crumble instantly. In her empty and windless heart, the first thing that surged up was an overwhelming sense of shame.
She knew she should smile, should respond with grace and composure, and chat as if she were dealing with any of her previous guests.
But she just stood there, stunned, looking at the shock and pain on Mu Xing's face, letting herself be overwhelmed by shame, unable to utter a single word.
Tang Yu was taken aback to see Bai Yan there and quickly looked at Mu Xing. Seeing her pale face, he knew things were going badly.
He had heard that Bai Yan hadn't left Mu Xing's parties since Mu Xing's wedding banquet. Breakups and makeups are common in the world of romance, but to break up and then hook up with someone else right after, and then be bumped into by a former patron in such a setting, is just too undignified, even for a prostitute.
If the person who invited Bai Yan were just an ordinary rich kid, and Mu Xing was so angry he wanted to fight, he wouldn't mind helping him out. But now he was facing the owner of the stadium; if he were to fight, he was afraid it would damage their relationship.
Worried that Mu Xing might get angry and turn on him, Tang Yu grabbed her arm and pretended to be casual, saying, "Yimin, we're late. Let me introduce you, this is my friend, the third young master of the Mu family..." As he spoke, he secretly squeezed Mu Xing's arm, signaling him to speak.
Mu Xing just stared at Bai Yan without saying a word.
She couldn't speak, fearing that if she opened her mouth, she would hurt herself and others.
She repeatedly told herself that Miss Bai had already rejected her, that all her efforts were just an attempt, and that she shouldn't expect anything in return. But just seeing Bai Yan sitting next to a strange man, chatting and laughing, was enough to make all her reason explode like fireworks on the stadium.
She couldn't help but feel resentful and angry, so she had no choice but to keep quiet.
Noticing Mu Xing's gaze, Sun Yimin was somewhat surprised. Turning to look at Bai Yan, he smiled and said, "It seems that Young Master Mu and Miss Bai know each other?"
Bai Yan snapped out of her daze, quickly looked away, and forced a smile, saying, "Yes, we know each other..."
Before she could finish speaking, Mu Xing across from her suddenly said stiffly, "Not familiar."
Upon hearing this, not only Bai Yan and Tang Yu were stunned, but Sun Yimin also raised an eyebrow. After glancing at Mu Xing again, he said, "My name is Sun Yimin, and my given name is Pei. I recently returned from Germany. I had heard Han Guang mention Young Master Mu before, but it is a pity that I only have the opportunity to meet him today."
Han Guang was Tang Yu's courtesy name; addressing each other by this name showed their good relationship. Although indignant, Mu Xing didn't want to offend Tang Yu, so he said succinctly, "Mu Xing, courtesy name Xuanji. My visit is unannounced and impolite." (Group number 82452009)
After exchanging a few polite words, Sun Yimin invited everyone to sit down.
The sofa was arranged in a circular pattern. Sun Yimin sat in the main seat, with Bai Yan to his left. Tang Yu and Mu Xing, being guests, sat to Sun Yimin's right. After everyone took their seats, Mu Xing and Bai Yan were positioned facing each other.
Mu Xing glanced at Bai Yan expressionlessly, then looked away.
With just one glance, Bai Yan felt as if she were sitting on pins and needles, her whole body becoming uneasy. It was as if tiny sparks had exploded around her, burning her so much that she couldn't return to her original state.
She had assumed that, given Mu Xing's personality, she would have immediately lost her temper or stormed off. If that were the case, at least she would know Mu Xing was angry. But now, the calmer Mu Xing remained, the more anxious she became, wondering what Mu Xing was thinking. Was it that extreme anger had turned into calm, or… had she simply stopped caring?
Upon thinking of this, Bai Yan felt a sharp pain in her heart.
In the depths of her pain, she even wanted to laugh, to laugh at her own lack of self-awareness. She had so ruthlessly rejected Mu Xing's feelings, yet now she still dared to fantasize that Mu Xing would be angry or upset because of her. Did she really think she was something worth clinging to?
As Bai Yan's mind was racing, Sun Yimin suddenly moved closer, his warm breath brushing against her temple.
"Miss Bai, would you like orange soda or plain soda?"
Without even looking up, Bai Yan could clearly feel a cold gaze shooting towards her from the other side, almost piercing her. Uncomfortably turning her head slightly to the side, she said, "...Anything is fine."
Nodding, Sun Yimin said to the waiter beside him, "Bring four bottles of soda." After saying that, he turned to Tang Yu and asked, "Hanguang, is that alright?"
Just as Tang Yu was about to nod, Mu Xing beside her suddenly said, "She can't drink iced soda these days, let's switch to herbal tea."
Upon hearing this, everyone was taken aback, their expressions changing, and the atmosphere suddenly became somewhat strange.
Mu Xing didn't name names, but he emphasized "these past few days" and "ice soda," clearly implying that Bai Yan was unwell.
But she clearly said just now that she wasn't familiar with Bai Yan, so why does she know such a private matter now and remember it so clearly?
In the ensuing silence, Bai Yan's face flushed red, and she couldn't help but bite her lip and glare at Mu Xing. Mu Xing, however, remained expressionless, simply looking at the low table in front of him.
Tang Yu covered her mouth with her fist, trying to make her smile less obvious.
Unable to resist glancing at Bai Yan, Sun Yimin then said to the waiter, "In that case, bring three bottles of soda and a cup of hot herbal tea."
The waiter responded and left.
As they spoke, the players on the field were already ready for the match. As the owner of the field, Sun Yimin naturally knew these players very well.
"The team in red is called 'Misfortune,' and their footwork is quite impressive. Their best technique is the 'side-over slam,' which is a very rare skill..."
Sun Yimin explained to Bai Yan at length, then suddenly remembered something and said, "Oh, it's all my fault, Miss Bai, you don't know what 'Misfortune' means, do you? It's a foreign word that means 'bad luck.' You know what bad luck is, right? It's just being unlucky. This team's nickname is 'Unlucky Guys.'"
Bai Yan smiled somewhat awkwardly.
She naturally understood the meaning of the foreign words, but having never studied football before, she couldn't comprehend Sun Yimin's use of technical jargon. She could only see the players running around the field, but had no idea how the calls were being made; she was completely clueless.
Listening to Sun Yimin's passionate explanation, she could only reluctantly respond.
Gradually, the gaze that had been following Sun Yimin's waving fingers unconsciously fell on one spot.
She seems to have lost some weight.
Bai Yan thought blankly.
Her usually meticulously styled hair was no longer as sleek, sticking up frizzily. Her already thin cheeks seemed even more delicate, and her eyes, which could be sharp or gentle, no longer held their usual sparkle. Two dark circles under her eyes made her look exceptionally tired.
Is she busy with business? Or is she... trying to "give it a shot"?
Her eyes were filled with Mu Xing's image, and gradually she could no longer hear Sun Yimin's loud talking. Her gaze, her hearing, and all her thoughts drifted in her direction.
She heard Mu Xing say to Tang Gongzi, "...Speaking of books, I recently read a magazine and came across an article by a female author in 'Strange Words and Wonderful Thoughts.' Previously, her articles were all tragic and heart-wrenching, but recently they have changed to happy endings and comedies, which have been very well received. I am quite curious as to why she has made such a change."
So she also reads books for leisure and relaxation...wait a minute?
"Wonderful Words and Clever Thoughts"? Female author?
Bai Yan's previously drifting mind suddenly returned to its place. Recalling Mu Xing's words, her heart skipped a beat.
Because of her background in literature from school, she would occasionally write articles and submit them to magazines in her spare time as a pastime. Among them, "Wonderful Words" was one of the magazines she frequently submitted to. As far as she knew, she was the only woman among the long-term contributors to this book.
Why would Mu Xing suddenly look at this magazine...?
Bai Yan couldn't help but look across the street, only to meet Mu Xing's gaze. Like a startled deer escaping a trap, she hurriedly looked away, but her mind wouldn't come back to her.
Since she wasn't particularly interested in the ball game, Tang Yu seriously considered Mu Xing's question and smiled, "Perhaps this female author was lonely in her boudoir in the past, which is why she wrote such mournful poems. Now that she's deeply involved in love, her writing reflects her heart."
With a cryptic laugh, Mu Xing said, "But this magazine was delivered to me today. I looked at it and found that her writing has returned to a sorrowful and melancholic style. According to you, it means she's had another rough patch in love. But if comedies can make her happy and also make her readers happy, why would she abandon comedy and stubbornly return to sadness?"
Tang Yu said, "Maybe she just likes tragedies? Happy ending comedies are nice, but they're not her type. No matter how good the response is, it won't change her mind. That's a kind of integrity, though."
"No, I don't think so." Looking directly at Bai Yan, Mu Xing said, word by word, "She's afraid, so she doesn't dare to make changes. She refuses to believe that a perfect story can truly bring her happiness, so she's fearful, withdrawn, and afraid to try, preferring to retreat to her familiar world. But she should have realized that staying the same won't make her happier. She clearly deserves better happiness, so why is she refusing it?"
Her voice was steady and clear, every word carrying profound meaning, even to the point of being somewhat too explicit.
Sun Yimin stopped his commentary and turned to look in their direction. Tang Yu remained silent.
Mu Xing continued to stare intently at Bai Yan.
After a long while, just as Sun Yimin's brows furrowed deeper and deeper, Tang Yu suddenly turned to Mu Xing and said, "Young Master Mu, didn't you just say you were going to see...that person? I think it's about time."
Tang Yu had even planned to drag Mu Xing away, but to her surprise, Mu Xing only took one last deep look at Bai Yan before standing up readily and bidding farewell to Sun Yimin.
Bai Yan was still in a daze even after Mu Xing and Tang Yu walked out of the stands.
For a moment, she even thought of standing up and chasing after him, but the instant she moved slightly, Sun Yimin's hand was already firmly in hers.
"Miss Bai, you seem to be feeling a little unwell. How about having some herbal tea to help you feel better?"
The warm tea flowed into my mouth, leaving nothing but bitterness.
The surrounding noise rose in waves, and the palms of my hands, which were being held, were sticky with sweat. The lights flickered, making the entire stadium almost brighter than during the day.
But the light that belonged to her had been extinguished by her own hands.
Chapter 54
A few steps from the stands, Mu Xing glanced out of the corner of her eye and suddenly noticed that Tang Yu beside her seemed to be snickering. She felt annoyed and simply said, "Young Master Tang, please stop laughing. I'm feeling sad right now. Aren't you being a bit disrespectful?"
Upon hearing this, Tang Yu became even more audacious. He turned to look at Mu Xing and said with a smile, "Young Master Mu, do you know that a little poem about you has been circulating at the dinner table recently?"
Mu Xing had rarely met with Tang Yu's group recently, so he was unaware of the situation and said, "Is that so? Young Master Tang, why don't you tell me about it?"
Tang Yu suppressed his smile and said seriously, "This little poem is, 'Peach blossoms meet for the first time in the cave, the bride sheds tears, and Mu Lang is ashamed. Don't say that Mu Lang is just an empty shell, he still needs a donkey kidney to make up for it.'" Before he even finished reciting it, he almost burst out laughing.
Mu Xing: "..."
What is donkey kidney? Having crammed on Traditional Chinese Medicine, Mu Xing certainly knew that donkey kidney was another name for donkey penis. In summary, this doggerel clearly implies that as Young Master Mu, she was impotent in a certain area, which is why Miss Bai stopped seeing her!
Even though Mu Xing often went out and about, no one had ever told her such lewd jokes so bluntly. Besides, the poem was a complete distortion of the facts and malicious slander! How could she possibly be incapable!
She was caught between shame and anger, and her face turned completely red.
Maintaining a serious expression, Tang Yu even patted Mu Xing's shoulder and said with a heavy heart, "It's okay. If it were me... no, that's impossible. Anyway, it's no wonder you're sad. I know a doctor who's very experienced in this area; I can introduce you to him another day." Her words were very considerate.
"Heh." With a cold laugh, Mu Xing gritted his teeth and said, "There is such a divine doctor. I really don't know what unspeakable secret Brother Tang had that led to our acquaintance."
Tang Yu: "...cough."
Joking aside, Tang Yu still inquired about Mu Xing's bumpy love life: "Speaking of which, what's going on between you and Miss Bai? If there's anything I can help you with, please don't hesitate to ask."
It was inconvenient to discuss Miss Bai's inner turmoil with Tang Yu, so Mu Xing simply said, "Thank you. It's just that our hearts aren't in sync for the time being; we'll need more time. I'm willing to wait."
Tang Yu originally wanted to say that even if you were willing to wait, judging from the situation, he was afraid Miss Bai would not be able to wait.
Seeing Mu Xing's serious expression, and not wanting to upset her, Tang Yu simply said, "In that case, I wish you all the best."