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 Fam
As far as Mu Nuannuan could remember, she had never sleepwalked. She looked at him, her face flushed. “You…”“I’m a patient.” Moo Tingxiao turned to look at her. His voice sounded cold.Never in her life had she ever shared a bed with a man. She was furious, but the man’s stone-cold aura and powerful presence put the flames of her anger out.Feeling a little nervous, she pressed her lips together. She whipped the quilt away and was about to get out of bed when the man beside her grabbed her hand. Moo Tingxiao’s sight landed on her face as he stared at her quizzically. “Why are your hands so fair but your face olive?Shocked, Mu Nuannuan pulled her hand away and said, “It’s an inborn thing.” Jumping out of bed, she went into the washroom. Moo Tingxiao started to find the woman all the more interesting.…In the bathroom, Mu Nuannuan looked at her sallow skin in the mirror self-deprecatingly.She used a toner, which she had taken out from a cabinet under the sink, and began to remove he
It disgusted Mu Nuannuan when she saw how mean Mu Wanqi was. Thus, she demanded, “What are you talking about?” “Have I gotten it wrong? You know better,” Mu Wanqi sneered. “You dare say that you’re not into Chuhan?”Mu Nuannuan remained silent with her head low. She knew she could not deny it because Shen Chuhan had been the man she liked all this while.Just then, Mu Wanqi sounded startled. “Chuhan?”Mu Nuannuan looked up and noticed that Shen Chuhan was already back. Her heart skipped a beat. She wondered how much of the conversation he had heard. However, Shen Chuhan looked away, apparently to avoid her eyes. She knew then that he had heard it all.Mu Wanqi was pleased to see Shen Chuhan’s reaction. She smiled and consoled him, “Chuhan, there shouldn’t be any more baggage between us. Nuannuan is married. We can now be together.”That was more like it. Anyone would have reacted the same way before an ugly and dumb woman like Mu Nuannuan. It was a wonder that Moo Tingxiao’s cousin wa
Mu Nuannuan was startled for a second before she realized that it was “Moo Jiachen” on the line. “Why haven’t you left?” she asked.She received the sound of him hanging up as a reply. Irritated, she looked at her phone, then squatted down with her head in her hands. Why was everyone making her life difficult? Xiao Chuhe and Mu Liyan had brought her to this world but never loved her. They forced her into a marriage where her husband, Moo Tingxiao had no desire to even meet her. She wanted to stay out of trouble, but “Moo Jiachen” always stuck close to her. If she tried to ignore him, would he tell Moo Tingxiao that she was seducing his cousin?Thinking of the possibility, Mu Nuannuan took a deep breath and stood up. She usually threatened Xiao Chuhe and Mu Wanqi with it, but she knew that it did not matter if “Moo Jiachen” made things up or not. The Moos would offer her as a sacrifice to preserve their family reputation the instant things hit the fan.…Instead of buying the list of d
Mu Nuannuan glanced at the bitter-looking “Moo Jiachen” and was shocked to see his hand bleeding. She swore she had added nothing weird to the food, so why did he mutilate himself?Mu Tingxiao ignored her and wanted to walk away. Just then, his phone rang. He peered at the unfamiliar number on his phone and hung up right away before he looked at Mu Nuannuan. “Let’s go back in.”His voice sounded gloomy and depressed. It was apparent that he was emotionally disturbed. Feeling a little scared, Mu Nuannuan quietly retreated into the house. However, she left her hand on the door, leaving it open as she was reluctant to shut the man out.Moo Tingxiao did not notice the dilemma on her face because his phone rang again. Instead of a strange number, it was a call from Shiye. He picked up the call without hesitation in front of Mu Nuannuan. “Why is he calling?”“He wants you to come home with his daughter-in-law for dinner, tonight.”“Hmph!” Moo Tingxiao sneered. “You can just ignore his call t
Moo Tingxiao’s father, Moo Qingfeng, the dream lover of half of the women in Huyang when he was young?Frozen for a few seconds, Mu Nuannuan came to her senses and hurriedly replied, “Hi.” She could never utter the word “father”.“Come over for dinner tonight if you have time.” Moo Qingfeng’s voice was full. It had the kind of composure that only came with age after one went through the vicissitude of life. Although it sounding like an order, it did not create any resentment in her. Mu Nuannuan knew she could not say no to him, so she humbly replied, "I'd love to.""My chauffeur will pick you up. See you tonight," he slowly said, then hung up. Moo Qingfeng had been very polite from the start, but there was also an air of unquestionable authority.Mu Nuannuan hastened out the door and hailed a cab to get to Moo Tingxiao's mansion, realizing that Moo Qingfeng's chauffeur would pick her up from there.…Standing in front of the gate, Mu Nuannuan looked up at Moo Tingxiao’s mansion. Built
Mu Nuannuan never imagined that a powerful man as rich as Croesus[1] would be such a nice person. Transfixed for a moment, she said, “I—I’m Mu Nuannuan.” This time, her reaction was genuine; she was dumbstruck.“Be at ease. You’re now part of the Moo Family and also my half daughter.” While he spoke, Moo Qingfeng poured her a glass of water.During her years in the Mu Family, her dad, Mu Liyan never looked her in the eye, while her mom, Xiao Chuhe gave all of her attention to Mu Wanqi and her brother. No elder had ever treated her with such gentleness. She was completely overwhelmed.Mu Nuannuan took the glass of water from him and said, “Thank you.”“You can call me ‘Dad’, the same way Tingxiao calls me.” As he spoke, Moo Qingfeng secretly observed her. In the looks department, she did not earn any score. She was even obtuse. Nevertheless, she was well-mannered and genuine—a good kid.“Dad,” Mu Nuannuan greeted after a moment of hesitation. Moo Qingfeng smiled and said apologetically
Mu Nuannuan was a little surprised that Moo Tingxiao finally wanted to see her.She gave the door two knocks and pushed it open. It felt surreal.The moment she stepped into the study room and before she had a chance to make out the situation, a hoarse voice said, “Shiye, who is it?”“Young Master, it’s your wife,” answered the man who was standing by a table.Mu Nuannuan could now see a man with broad shoulders sitting on a chair behind the desk. His back was facing her. From where she stood, she could barely make out the back of his head and his arms on the armrests. The man was tall... So, that was Moo Tingxiao?Shiye squinted at Mu Nuannuan. “Mrs. Moo.”“Shiye?” She heard Moo Tingxiao call out the man’s name.Shiye nodded and said nothing. He was not a man of many words.Just then, Moo Tingxiao spoke, “You’ve met Moo Qingfeng?”That startled Mu Nuannuan. It was only after she had snapped out of it that she realized Moo Tingxiao was talking to her. She knew from Moo Qingfeng’s mouth