"Of course I refused." After putting the box into her handbag, Bai Yan looked at Mu Xing with a leisurely expression. "Why are you reacting so strongly?"
"Ah." Mu Xing responded blankly, shrinking back into the sofa. "No, I was just... curious. Minister Cai is really attentive, that's great. But... Wan'er, you, you really refused?"
“Of course I refused. What would I do here? The bookstore is still short-staffed. If I stayed, Young Master Song would be overwhelmed with work.” Narrowing her eyes, Bai Yan leaned closer to Mu Xing. “What do you think?”
Mu Xing looked away and muttered softly, "I... I didn't really think so. I never expected Minister Cai to keep you. How could I have imagined this?" Despite her words, she couldn't suppress the smile on her face.
With a snort, Bai Yan simply said, "Anyway, I refused. We're doing fine in Wenjiang. I have no interest in Nanjing or Beijing." Glancing at Mu Xing, who was secretly amused, Bai Yan added, "However, as long as you're here, I'm interested in anywhere."
Chapter Ninety-Seven
The next morning, Minister Cai and Uncle Mu went out together, while Mu Xing and Bai Yan stayed at the mansion to accompany Madam Cai. Unlike the bustling activity of the major families in Wenjiang, the Cai mansion was completely unaffected by the war in Northeast China. Throughout the day, the mansion was bustling with people, all of whom were relatives of high-ranking officials and young ladies from noble families.
Mu Xing and Bai Yan were naturally adept at social interactions and handled situations with ease. Madam Cai, however, lacked a daughter, which had previously made her feel somewhat resentful at tea parties. Now, with her two daughters presenting such poise and elegance, she became even more enthusiastic.
Just after ten o'clock in the morning, Madam Cai invited a group of ladies and young women to sit in the flower hall and play several rounds of mahjong. Mu Xing was preoccupied with his uncle and elder brother's affairs and had no interest in playing, while Bai Yan, having spent years in the brothel, certainly knew how to play. Sitting below Madam Cai, Bai Yan was extremely attentive, feeding and assisting her with tiles, making Madam Cai beam with joy, her large diamond ring almost falling off her hand.
After several card games, it was afternoon tea time. Moving back to the inner room, the ladies selected over a dozen new winter outfits over tea. Madam Cai then pulled Bai Yan out to model, having her try on cheongsams and fur coats. The results were undeniable; the ladies, whether genuinely or feigning surprise, were all astonished, praising Madam Cai's ability to impress.
In the evening, Madam Cai originally wanted to hold a small gathering, but after being persuaded by her subordinates, she remembered the fighting in Northeast China and decided to give up the idea in order to keep a low profile.
Minister Cai and Uncle Mu went out early and returned late for several days in a row. Bai Yan and Mu Xing also accompanied Madam Cai for several days in a row, shopping, buying jewelry and clothes, watching movies... After a few days, just trying on clothes made Bai Yan lose weight.
Finally, the day arrived. Uncle Mu, who was out, suddenly sent his henchman Jin Rong back to the mansion to put Mu Xing and Bai Yan in a car and drive them to an apartment.
As soon as she got out of the car, tears streamed down Mu Xing's face. She ran over and threw herself into Mu Qing's arms, who was waiting at the door: "Big Brother!"
After being locked in the small room for six or seven days, the eldest brother, who was weak and powerless, was almost tackled by her. It took a long time to persuade Mu Xing to let go of his hand, and then the group went into the room.
"What's the situation now?" Looking at the mess in the room, Mu Xing asked with tears in her eyes, "Uncle has been leaving early and coming home late these past few days, I don't know what's going on. Will those people still cause us trouble?"
The eldest brother was too weak to speak, so Uncle Mu had to explain.
Mu Qing's house arrest was originally a result of factional struggles; without external reasons, he would have inevitably become a victim. However, "coincidentally," Minister Cai raised the issue at a central meeting, requesting the Intelligence Bureau to provide information on the Japanese invasion of China in the three northeastern provinces in order to gain international support. This reminded the government of the deputy director of the Intelligence Bureau, who had been conducting intelligence work in the three northeastern provinces, and led to an order for the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (Zhongtong) to release Mu Qing.
Mu Xing said anxiously, "But this is just a temporary measure, isn't it? Once the relevant work is completed, the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics can still arrest Brother again. What will we do then? Can't we just let Brother go back to Wenjiang to work?"
After a long silence, Uncle Mu shook his head.
Mu Xing asked, "Why?"
“Ah Xuan, this is my mission.” Mu Qing suddenly said in a deep voice, “It is my responsibility and my ideal to guard Nanjing. Just like you studying medicine, I also hope to realize my value. At least for now, the intelligence bureau is my home.”
"Big brother..." Mu Xing wanted to say something, but Bai Yan, who was standing to the side, looked at the expressions on Uncle Mu's and eldest brother's faces, reached out and tugged at Mu Xing: "Ah Xuan, I think Big brother and Uncle must have made this decision after careful consideration. They must have thought things through much more deeply, right?"
Upon hearing this, Mu Xing bit her lip, looked at her older brother, and finally said, "I understand, older brother. I believe your decision."
After ruffling Mu Xing's hair, Mu Qing looked at Bai Yan and said, "Miss Bai, thank you for your help. I am very grateful and will definitely repay you when I have the chance."
Bai Yan hurriedly said, "I don't deserve it. I didn't do anything. It was all thanks to Uncle and Uncle Cai's efforts. Besides..." She turned to look at Mu Xing, "You are Ah Xuan's older brother, so of course I have to help."
Mu Xing, who had been frowning, suddenly perked up. Stealing a glance at her uncle who seemed oblivious, Mu Xing turned to Bai Yan and smiled, muttering softly, "Yes, we're all family..."
Before Mu Qing could react, her uncle finally coughed and said, "Alright, your older brother still has work to do. The government is waiting for his report. Time is of the essence, and we can't stay any longer. Let's talk again when we get back to Wenjiang after the intelligence bureau finishes its work."
Thus, Mu Xing reluctantly bid farewell to his elder brother. Uncle Mu gave him a few more words of advice, and then the group returned to the Cai residence. Minister Cai and his wife were waiting at the residence, and naturally, they exchanged many thanks and pleasantries.
Having been busy with this matter for several days, Wen Jiang's work, though arranged, could not be completely completed. Therefore, his uncle took the opportunity to say goodbye, and Madam Cai naturally tried her best to persuade him to stay. Although the banquet could not be held, Madam Cai still managed to hold a small reception as a farewell gift.
In the living room of the mansion, light and cheerful music played, foreshadowing another night of singing, dancing, and clinking glasses.
As the host and guest, Bai Yan and Mu Xing were upstairs getting ready.
The servants were all dismissed from the room. Mu Xing squatted on the ground, tidying up the tassels on Bai Yan's cheongsam. Bai Yan stood leaning against the chair, watching her movements.
Mu Xing hadn't changed her clothes yet, and was squatting on the ground wearing only a slip. She often walked around outside, so the color on her neck was slightly darker than the rest of her body, but it wasn't very noticeable with her shoulder-length hair down. She was looking down at Liu Su very intently. From above, her usually sharp eyebrows and eyes were drawn into a line, and because she was so focused, her lips unconsciously pouted slightly, like a child's.
The tassels were delicate, and Mu Xing patiently combed them one by one, her slender fingers weaving through the electric blue tassels, creating varying shades that were both deep and shallow, sometimes visible and sometimes hidden. Bai Yan watched, feeling as if those hands were scratching at her heart, causing a subtle itch.
"Alright." Setting down the tassels, Mu Xing pulled the cheongsam up again, smoothing out every wrinkle. The warm touch of her fingers slowly brushed against the white stockings on her calves. The cheongsam's slit reached mid-thigh, and as she moved it slightly inward, she accidentally touched the garter belt on her thigh. Touching it closely, she confirmed it was made of lace. The curve of her hips narrowed inward, and a small patch of pure white mesh at the waist subtly revealed the color of the lilac-colored petticoat underneath. But even without seeing it, one could imagine the color of the skin hidden beneath—a color softer than lilac, purer than white, the color belonging to Shu Wan.
Further up...
Bai Yan tilted her head slightly and let out a barely audible sigh.
Mu Xing stood behind her, gently pinching her chin with one hand, looking at the dressing mirror opposite her, watching the overlapping figures in the mirror.
Bai Yan was also looking. She suddenly said, "That day, I saw an electric silk dance dress in your closet."
Mu Xing's nose touched her ear, the cool touch quickly replaced by warmth: "It seems so."
Bai Yan laughed and reached out to brush Mu Xing's arm: "I can't help but wonder what you would look like in a dance dress like that."
Mu Xing also laughed: "Whatever kind you want, I can have it."
Bai Yan suddenly turned around, put her arms around Mu Xing's neck, and her made-up eyes sparkled like starlight under the electric light.
“Actually, what I want to see most is you in a wedding dress,” she said slowly. “I also want to wear a wedding dress, and we can stand together like this.”
"All the music downstairs is playing for us, the cake, the champagne, the red firecrackers exploding at the door... all the laughter, all the blessings, everything belongs to us, to you and me."
"But what I want most, what I want to see most, is only you. As long as I have you, I can give up everything else, you know that?"
Holding Bai Yan tightly, Mu Xing replied, "Yes, I know."
The room fell silent for a moment, with only a faint hum of electricity emanating from the ceiling, and the music downstairs seemed to drift away into the distance. The magnificent lights reflected in the full-length mirror, embracing the two people reflected there.
"So, were you worried that I would stay in Nanjing?"
"…Um…"
"fool."
Chapter Ninety-Eight
Back in Wenjiang, everything returned to normal. The Mu family was busy with relief efforts in the three northeastern provinces, and Mu Xing was also shuttling between the clinic and the relief association. Now he also had to manage the pharmacy—thanks to the Shen Bao newspaper's call to boycott Japanese goods, the sales of domestically produced Western medicines were booming, and naturally, there was more work to be done.
Bai Yan was equally busy. To keep up with current events, she, as an editor, had to work part-time as a writer, penning current affairs commentary articles. The transition from free fiction writing to argumentative essays required adaptation, especially when discussing national affairs, which demanded even greater caution while remaining sharp. Bai Yan was practically tearing her hair out from the effort.
Under such immense pressure, neither Mu Yuan nor the two parties involved brought up their relationship again. There was no time, nor any breakthrough—everyone was busy working for the people's livelihood. If Mu Xing were to suddenly jump in front of her parents and talk about their private affairs, she would probably want to slap herself before her parents could react.
So Mu Xing could only pretend nothing was wrong, going to work and coming home as usual, and going to see Bai Yan as usual. Mu Yuan didn't react at all, which seemed to imply tacit approval.
However, human nature is inherently base. Before the incident, Mu Xing only hoped her family wouldn't find out; once they did, she hoped they could pretend nothing had happened; now that everyone is pretending nothing's wrong, she's anxiously hoping to get the truth out of everyone, to know whether she's dead or alive, even if it means getting a huge scar on her head...
In short, Mu Xing was very anxious.
One night, on the eve of the Mid-Autumn Festival, she was anxiously checking the list of books to be donated in her study when Mrs. Mu suddenly knocked on the door.
Mu Xing quickly stood up: "Mother, why aren't you resting yet?"
Madam Mu waved for her to sit down and placed the hot milk from the plate on the table: "You've been so busy these past few days, I'm afraid you haven't been sleeping well. I had them heat up some milk, remember to drink it before you go to bed."
Mu Xing was always the type to understand things deeply, and she couldn't help but feel uneasy because she suspected something was wrong with the milk. She sat down nervously and looked at the ledger in front of her, only to find that the words were all distorted.
Madam Mu sat next to Mu Xing and first asked about the clinic and fundraising. Mu Xing answered truthfully. Just as he was wondering how his mother would bring up the topic, Madam Mu suddenly took out a book from under her plate.
She flipped through the book and said, "You said before that Miss Bai is now working at Youcheng's bookstore?"
Mu Xing, with her sharp eyes, noticed that the book in Madam Mu's hand was a magazine edited by Song Youcheng, and quickly replied, "Yes, she used to be just an editor, but recently the bookstore wanted to transform, so she also helped write some short articles."
Mrs. Mu clicked her tongue and pointed to the article she was reading, saying, "This is the one she wrote, isn't it? I see it's signed by her. This article says that women should also pay more attention to current affairs and politics and contribute to the country's development. Her political stance... isn't it a bit 'leftist'?"
Mu Xing almost jumped into the cup in fright: "Mom! You can't say things like that!" She was really scared by her older brother's situation. "Right now, public opinion is advocating that the people pay attention to politics. She's just pandering to the readers."
Madam Mu remained noncommittal, read another passage, and recited: "'I observe that the nation's troubles are worsening day by day, and I cannot sleep because of them. At this critical moment, I only wish that the glory of our motherland will be carried forward by thousands of women, who will jointly resist the atrocities of the Japanese invaders...' The writing is quite fluent, and the wording is good. Miss Bai mentioned before that she went to middle school, but that was many years ago. How come she doesn't seem to have any difficulty writing now?"
Mu Xing then told Madam Mu in detail about how Bai Yan had studied at the warlord's advisor's residence and had occasionally written and published articles while working at the Changsan Hall.
Mu Xing wanted her mother to like Bai Yan, so she kept praising her in her words. When she got excited, she even took out the various magazines that her mother kept in her bedside table and showed them the novel written by Bai Yan to Madam Mu.
Once she started talking, she couldn't stop. Mu Xing only stopped when she realized that her mother hadn't spoken for a while. After a moment of silence, she couldn't help but blush.
But after thinking it over, she still looked at Madam Mu firmly and earnestly and said, "Mother, Shu Wan is really, really a very good girl, and I like her very much. I dare not say that I can't live without her in this life, but at least at this moment, I miss her very much."
Mrs. Mu looked at her daughter, at her flushed face and reddened eyes, at the smile she couldn't hide when she talked about Miss Bai... Wasn't this the smile that parents wanted to see most?
With a soft sigh, Madam Mu patted Mu Xing's hand: "Mother understands."
…
The next day was as busy as ever. After get off work, Mu Xing didn't go back to Mu Garden, but instead went to her and Bai Yan's little home. She walked upstairs with light steps, and as soon as she opened the door, she smelled the aroma of food.
Hearing the door open, Bai Yan peeked out from the kitchen. Seeing that it was Mu Xing, she smiled and said, "What brings you here?"
"Of course I miss you." After putting down her things, Mu Xing went into the kitchen.
A pot of bok choy and tofu soup was simmering, the pale broth bubbling gently. The freshly added honeycomb tofu bobbed and tumbled, forcefully wafting its aroma towards the nose. Bai Yan stood in front of the stove, stirring the soup. Unlike her usual colorful and novel cheongsams, she wore only an amber-colored plaid cheongsam today. The length was conventional, the style ordinary. It wasn't particularly stunning, but it perfectly complemented the pots and pans, the hot soup, the small kitchen, and all the mundane, trivial things in the kitchen.
Bai Yan was ladling soup while talking to Mu Xing about the bookstore. After a while, not hearing a response, she turned around and saw Mu Xing staring straight at her. She blushed and said, "Why are you looking at me like that?" Putting down the spoon, she smoothed her cheongsam. "Isn't this dress pretty?"
"It looks good, it suits you very well." Mu Xing came back to her senses. "Wan'er, I have something to tell you."
"Really?" Bai Yan said. "I also have something to tell you. Wait a moment." She turned and walked into the bedroom, and Mu Xing took out the soup bowl and put it down, then sat down at the dining table to wait.
A short while later, Bai Yan returned with a white envelope.
The envelope contained the royalties that the publisher had promised her. She hadn't told Mu Xing about it a few days ago, so this was a good opportunity to surprise her.
"Should you speak first or should I?" Bai Yan smiled and placed the white envelope on the table. When she looked up, she saw that Mu Xing had also taken out an envelope and pushed it in front of her.
Bai Yan was taken aback: "What is this?"
“This is a gift of gratitude from Mu Yuan,” Mu Xing said.
Bai Yan panicked and said, "What do you mean? Ah Xuan, I said I didn't need any gifts, this..."
"Wan'er, listen to me first." Mu Xing quickly reached out and took her hand, squeezing it reassuringly.
Bai Yan bit her lip and nodded gently: "Go ahead and say it."
"I will not redeem you, nor will the Mu family," Mu Xing said, enunciating each word clearly.
Unexpectedly, Bai Yan was stunned and stared blankly at her.
Mu Xing looked back calmly, his gaze clear.
Bai Yan had seen that look in his eyes before.
In the very beginning, at the Cui family's trading company, Mu Xing had viewed her in the same way. Clean, pure, without a trace of lewdness, only admiration.