Chapter 10 Using Her as a Springboard

The next day, the ringing of Mu Nuannuan’s mobile phone jolted her out of her sleep. While everyone in the world was using the latest smartphone, she was using an old phone, which only allowed her to make calls and send SMSes. That was to conform to her image as a hick.

She picked up the phone and saw the caller ID. Her mind instantly went from half-awake to full alert. After two seconds of hesitation, she pressed the answer button. “Dad.”

“You came home yesterday? Who sent you?” Mu Liyan’s voice was as somber as ever.

His indifference was disappointing. Mu Nuannuan had just gotten married, but he did not do what any good father would have done. He had not called her in a hundred years, and when he finally called, it sounded like an interrogation. It was no wonder that Mu Nuannuan did not trust him.

In spite of that, she still told him the truth. “It was Moo Tingxiao’s cousin.”

Mu Liyan was silent for a moment before he said, “If you have time, bring your elder sis over to the Moo Family’s place for a visit. Introduce her to some young men if there are suitable ones. Let her make more friends.”

Mu Nuannuan got the hint. She also figured that “Moo Jiachen” and Mu Wanqi had probably met after she left the Mu Family residence that day. Mu Wanqi could have taken a liking to "Moo Jiachen". That was the reason Mu Liyan called—he was asking her to become their go-between.

How convenient their plan was. Mu Wanqi was supposed to marry Moo Tingxiao in the first place, yet she became the one who married the man instead. Now, they wanted to use her as a springboard to find a high-quality man in the Moo Family for Mu Wanqi. Everyone in Huyang knew that, except for Moo Tingxiao, his cousins were all whiz kids.

There was a hint of self-deprecation in Mu Nuannuan’s eyes. Was she not his biological child just like Mu Wanqi? Why did he have to favor one over the other?

Mu Nuannuan wrestled with her hurt feelings, trying to keep her voice level. “I’ve wanted to bring elder sis to visit the Moo Family, but until now, I haven't even met Moo Tingxiao.”

Upon hearing that, Mu Liyan was outraged. “You haven’t met your husband yet? You abbreviated piece of nothing! And you still had the nerve to come home!”

With a lump in her throat, Mu Nuannuan fought back her tears and spoke as usual, “Why don't you send elder sis to the Moo Family? Maybe Moo Tingxiao will want to meet her. I’m just a fake. Why would he want to see me?”

Just then Moo Tingxiao exited the bathroom and overheard what she said.

Sitting on the bed, her seaweed-like hair was almost waist-length. She clenched her phone so tightly that the blood veins on her fingers bulged. Tears swelled in her eyes, but she stubbornly kept them in. It made a person want to take pity on her upon seeing her slim and fragile figure.

Moo Tingxiao squinted, finding that his wife was gradually becoming a sight to behold. The person on the other end of the line likely said something that agitated Mu Nuannuan. He saw her face turn pale, but she was still on the phone, saying nothing.

Moo Tingxiao went over, grabbed the phone from her and hung up. Gee, she was still using an antique phone. He looked down at Mu Nuannuan, his voice devoid of emotions. “You can choose not to listen if you want.”

Mu Nuannuan hastily looked up. Tears were blurring her vision; she could not even see his face. Strangely, she found comfort in his words. But the next moment, she was wide-eyed. “Why am I on the bed?” She remembered that she had let the man sleep in her bed while she was on the sofa last night.

“You sleep-walked and climbed onto the bed last night.” Moo Tingxiao then lay down beside her.