The two walked forward side by side, without holding hands; the mere touch of their shoulders and arms was enough to warm their hearts.
As Mu Xing walked towards the courtyard house where Jin Bao lived, perhaps influenced by his mood, he felt that even the alleyway exuded a gloomy atmosphere, and the bougainvillea on the wall had withered and turned yellow.
“I bought the things I needed yesterday and delivered them to Jinbao’s house. Let’s take a look and leave in a bit, otherwise it’s pointless to stay and bother him,” Bai Yan said.
Remembering the "clothes" Jinbao had dressed Xiao Azhen at noon, Mu Xing felt a pang of sadness and could only nod silently.
Turning to look at her, Bai Yan reached out and gently hooked Mu Xing's hand.
Mu Xing turned his head in surprise.
Without saying much, Bai Yan simply smiled and said, "I'm here with you."
Upon hearing this, Mu Xing was stunned, and a wave of emotion welled up in his eyes. He then tightly grasped Bai Yan's hand.
She thought of her aunt, and Shu Wan thought of her.
Just as I approached, a sound suddenly came from inside the courtyard.
"...Don't blame me for being blunt, but the death of this child is such bad luck! I'm here today to inform you that if he really dies, you are not allowed to bury him during the day! If you want to cry or hold a funeral, do it at night. If I see even a trace of paper money or ashes during the day, I will hold you accountable!"
Mu Xing was taken aback, but Bai Yan had already reacted. She pulled Mu Xing a few steps into the courtyard and saw a man in a long gown standing there, with two followers beside him. Jin Bao stood under his own porch, his face flushed with anger. Everyone in the courtyard was there, glaring and frowning at the man in the long gown.
Aunt Li, who was close to Jinbao, tried to speak up for her: "Second Master, that's not how it works. The child is just at home recuperating..."
Unexpectedly, the man bristled and started cursing, "Rest assured, what rest? Do you think we're stupid? This blood has soaked the bed, and you're still here putting on a show on the 'Looking-Homeward Terrace' like you're some kind of fool? I think..."
Before the man could finish speaking, Bai Yan sneered from behind, "I think you're a rotten, heartless wretch with sores on your back and pus oozing from your navel!"
Mu Xing was immediately stunned.
The man in the long gown was equally stunned, not expecting anyone to dare to respond to him. He glared at her, about to start cursing, when Bai Yan pressed in front of him: "What are you glaring at? Do you think you're right? The doctor said the child needs to rest, so what are you howling about here? It's not even dark yet and you're already calling your own soul, hoping your father will reach out from the coffin for paper money to burn?"
With Bai Yan taking the lead, Aunt Li, who had been angry that morning, immediately chimed in: "That's right! Can't you speak properly? Boss Sun, you think Jinbao is an easy target because she's a lonely woman? If it were the high-ranking official next door, would you still dare to be so rude? You'd probably have to lick their boots on your knees!"
"You, you!" Startled by the barrage of words, the man blushed crimson and stamped his foot, ready to strike. Mu Xing swiftly pulled Bai Yan away and shielded her. The two men who had been clenching their fists rushed forward, shouting, "What?! You want to fight?!"
Protecting Bai Yan, Mu Xing turned around, intending to reason with the man in the long coat, but when he saw her face, his expression immediately changed: "Dr. Mu?"
Mu Xing was stunned: "Huh?"
The man in the long gown seemed to have mastered the essence of Sichuan opera face-changing. He abandoned his domineering demeanor and instantly put on a smiling face: "Dr. Mu, don't you remember me? I'm Mr. Zhang's accountant. You even performed surgery on my wife before. My big, fat son weighed seven pounds and eight ounces. Have you forgotten?"
Upon hearing the name Zhang Derong, Mu Xing immediately remembered the esteemed name of the man in front of her. Having grown accustomed to Mr. Sun's polite demeanor, she hadn't recognized him at all when his flamboyant "mask" was revealed.
Since they're acquaintances, then...
Mu Xing looked Mr. Sun up and down with a smile, "Ah, it's Mr. Sun. Look, I didn't recognize you at all in this new place."
Mr. Sun smiled, glancing around naturally as he did so: "It's alright, it's alright, it's good that you recognized me now. This is... your friend's house?"
Mu Xing raised an eyebrow and nodded. Before Boss Sun could speak, she continued, "But it's alright, don't worry about me. What were you just telling us?"
Having spent years navigating the business world, Mr. Sun had long since developed a strong mentality. He said without changing his expression, "It's nothing. It's just that, Dr. Mu, as you know, my family just 'picked up' a chubby little boy, so there's always a bit of taboo surrounding it. You can understand, right?"
Mu Xing didn't speak, but looked at Bai Yan. Bai Yan chimed in, "Mr. Sun, you're joking. We don't need to understand anything. Just inform them as you see fit. It's just that, as you can see, Miss Mu and I came to visit my adopted sister who's at home recuperating, and that's taken up quite a bit of our time."
"Ah, yes, yes." Boss Sun nodded, then turned to look at Jinbao under the eaves: "Well, I just wanted to say that there are some taboos in my house. If you... have anything to do in the future, please let me know so we can discuss how to avoid these taboos, right?"
Jinbao didn't speak, but nodded.
Mr. Sun breathed a sigh of relief, then looked at Aunt Li and the others: "You gentlemen can understand, right?"
The crowd remained noncommittal.
Finally, he looked at Mu Xing and said, "Dr. Mu, you two can continue your conversation. I won't bother you any longer. Please come to my humble abode for tea another day. Please don't refuse."
Mu Xing smiled, said a few polite words, and finally sent the Sichuan opera face-changing artist away.
Chapter 85
After seeing the landlord off, Jinbao looked at the people in the courtyard with red eyes. Her thick, black hair covered her face, casting a dark shadow. Her lips trembled, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she just lowered her head and slipped back into her room.
Someone sighed, and everyone in the courtyard and at their doorsteps fell silent, returning to their own homes. Only Mu Xing and Bai Yan remained, standing together in the cramped, gray courtyard.
Looking at Bai Yan, Mu Xing wanted to say something, but remained silent. Noticing her gaze, Bai Yan turned her face away, and the two stared at each other for a while before Mu Xing finally managed to utter, "You're really something, that string of insults you just gave Boss Sun."
Bai Yan was taken aback, then smiled helplessly: "Back in... that place, you couldn't survive without being sharp-tongued." Then, she pursed her lips and glanced at Mu Xing: "Did I scare you?"
"How could that be?" Mu Xing shook his head. "I think it's fine. You're like this..." Realizing that this was not a good time to speak, Mu Xing didn't continue. Bai Yan understood and thought that Jin Bao should have calmed down. The two of them then walked together towards Jin Bao's room.
The room was dimly lit. Little Zhen was lying on the bed, and Jinbao was changing her sheets. When the two came in, he said in a hoarse voice, "...Zhen is bleeding again. The smell is so strong. Sister Bai, why don't you sit outside for a while?"
Bai Yan reached out to help, but Jin Bao quickly stopped her, saying, "No need, no need... Sister Bai, really, no need. Just let me keep busy." She paused, then choked back tears and whispered, "I'm scared, Sister Bai, I'm so afraid that if I'm idle, just watching Ah Zhen like this, she..."
Bai Yan quickly hugged her: "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, or... I'll stay here with you tonight and keep Xiao Azhen company, how about that?"
After all that commotion, Jinbao finally couldn't take it anymore. She covered her mouth and nodded haphazardly.
After comforting Jinbao for a while, Bai Yan helped change the blood-stained sheets for Xiao Azhen. Jinbao went to wash the sheets, and Mu Xing sat down by the bed to take Xiao Azhen's pulse. However, as soon as his hand touched Xiao Azhen, Mu Xing's heart sank.
"Ah Zhen...?" She nudged little Ah Zhen. "Wake up, little Ah Zhen?"
Little Zhen lay on the bed, her face pale and bluish, her chest rising and falling slightly, showing no reaction.
"What's wrong?" Seeing this, Bai Yan also sensed that something was wrong. Afraid of scaring Jinbao outside, she took a few steps closer and asked in a low voice.
Mu Xing frowned: "Shh, listen."
Bai Yan immediately fell silent. For a moment, the only sounds in the room were the rushing water from the outside and a soft snore.
Mu Xing reached out to check Xiao Azhen's heartbeat and body temperature, gritted his teeth, and said to Bai Yan, "Wan'er, call her a few times."
Bai Yan called out to Xiao Azhen a few times as instructed, and occasionally nudged her. After a while, Xiao Azhen finally let out a muffled "hmm" and gradually woke up—though she could only squint her eyes and respond groggily.
Seeing this, Bai Yan understood without Mu Xing needing to explain.
Looking out the window, she said to Mu Xing, "It's getting late. You've had a long day. You should go home. I'll stay here so that if anything happens, Jinbao can look after me."
Mu Xing wanted to stay, but Bai Yan disagreed. Considering the difficulties of explaining things to his family, he had no choice but to give up.
"You know Mu Yuan's phone number. If anything happens, be sure to call me." Realizing that Jin Bao's family didn't have a phone, Mu Xing changed his mind: "Or you can send someone to look for me. I'll definitely come over."
Bai Yan agreed, but then suddenly remembered something: "By the way, you said you were going to Beiping with your second brother, but I saw on the news yesterday that Peking Union Medical College has already started classes?"
Mu Xing nodded: "My second brother went a few days ago. I'll go again next time I have the chance." He didn't reveal any emotion.
The two had reached the alley entrance. Bai Yan looked at Mu Xing, thought for a moment, and slowly said, "I've been considering something these past two days, and after much thought, I think it might be feasible."
Mu Xingqi asked, "What is it?"
“Perhaps…” Bai Yan changed her mind after a quick glance, “Never mind, I’ll tell you in a couple of days.”
Mu Xing immediately became anxious: "No, no, tell me now! You've piqued my curiosity!"
Bai Yan remained unmoved: "It's not the right time yet." Seeing a rickshaw approaching from the roadside, she quickly reached out to stop it and pushed Mu Xing towards it: "The rickshaw is here, let's go quickly, or we won't be able to get a taxi again."
Mu Xing hurriedly got into the car, still unwilling to give up: "What exactly happened? You should at least give me a hint."
"You'll find out in a couple of days. Let me be ready first." Bai Yan waved her hand. "Hurry up and go, be careful on the road."
The rickshaw driver was very considerate and ran off immediately. Mu Xing could only shout, "Really... alright, alright, remember to call me if you need anything!"
A smile unconsciously crept onto Bai Yan's face as she stood there watching the rickshaw disappear around the corner. After thinking for a moment, she stretched out her hand and counted, "The 16th, the 17th, um, four more days... only four days left." Nodding in satisfaction, she turned and walked towards Jinbao's house.
When Mu Xing returned home, it was completely dark. Dark clouds hung heavily over Mu Garden, blocking out even a glimmer of starlight.
It was past dinner time, and the living room was empty. Mu Xing guessed that her mother and aunt were playing cards in the flower room. She didn't care and went upstairs to greet the old lady. Just as she was about to go downstairs to have dinner, the old lady's personal maid, Jingye, suddenly called her back.
"Miss, Madam just instructed that you please go to the study to talk."
"Huh? Is something the matter?" Mu Xing asked, puzzled.
Jingye kept her eyes downcast as always: "I don't know either. Please go to the study first, young lady."
Although she didn't know what was going on, Mu Xing obediently turned around. But just as she was about to leave, Jing Ye behind her suddenly called out, "Miss!"
“Miss, Fu Guang has been home for six days.” Jing Ye said, word by word, “Uncle Song has also been transferred to the outer residence, for six days now.”
Mu Xing was stunned, but before she could speak, Jing Ye had already turned and gone back to her room. Helpless, Mu Xing could only walk towards the study while pondering.
"Six days..."
Six days ago was the 11th, and she couldn't really remember anything special about that day. But going back a day, to the 10th, Xiao Zhen was hospitalized. They were busy all day, and she even opened up to Wan'er outside the municipal hospital...
The study door was ajar, and Dr. Mu and his wife could be vaguely seen inside. Out of habit, Mu Xing was about to knock when, in a flash, she remembered something.
On the day Xiao Zhen was hospitalized, she called her father and asked him to help secure a bed for her. During the call, her father seemed to say that he also needed to go to the municipal hospital later for a meeting…
Before a hypothesis could fully take shape in his mind, Mu Xing stood frozen on the spot, feeling as if he had been struck by lightning in his temples. His heart pounded throughout his body for a moment, and he wished he could stop beating on the spot and let everything die in silence.
The father's unusually early bedtime on the night of the 10th, Fu Guang and Uncle Song's transfer on the 11th, the father's gloomy face in the morning, the unusually quiet house, the unprovoked meeting... all these abnormalities pointed to the only answer.
"...Why are you standing at the door instead of coming in?"
Madam Mu's voice came from inside the door, accompanied by undisguised emotion. However, Mu Xing's head, which was about to explode at the moment, could not make out what it meant. He only heard the sound of a verdict.
His raised hand trembled uncontrollably.
Even though she had prepared herself mentally and imagined the scene countless times, everything collapsed when she finally faced this moment.
For a moment she almost screamed and turned to run away, but in the end, Mu Xing pushed open the cabinet door and went out.
Chapter 86
Pushing open the door, Mu Xing walked in stiffly and sat down on the sofa. The soft sofa, the elegant French lamp, the steaming coffee on the table—everything was a familiar scene, yet the atmosphere was completely different.
After a brief silence, Madam Mu, who was sitting opposite Mu Xing, finally spoke.
"I heard from Madam Li that Yi Ning hasn't been in a good mood lately, did you know that?"
Mu Xing was stunned, and his mind, which was on the verge of exploding, suddenly went into a state of chaos.
Yi, Yi Ning? Wasn't Mother going to talk about Shu Wan? Why did she suddenly bring up Yi Ning?
Realizing that her mother was still waiting for her reply, Mu Xing calmed herself down and tried to maintain her usual tone, saying, "I'm not sure. I've been too busy lately, and we haven't been in touch much."
Madam Mu nodded: "You two had a fight? I haven't seen you mention Yi Ning much lately."
Although Mu Xing kept reminding herself that her parents couldn't possibly be making such a big fuss to talk to her about such mundane topics, the sudden gentle atmosphere gradually eased her mood.