Chapter 93 -Father Xi Mushan
After breakfast, the husband and wife made their way to Hospital T.
“The wound’s healing pretty well. You still need to change your dressing often when you get back. Just be careful and it’ll be completely healed soon,” the doctor said after checking Xi Xiaye’s wound.
Xi Xiaye stood up and fixed her shirt. “Thank you, doctor. I’ll be careful.”
“Mmm, I’ll prescribe some more medication for you. Just apply it for another half a month and it should be healed, but you still have to be careful with your diet for now.”
Xi Xiaye nodded. She took the doctor’s prescription list and walked out from behind the screen.
Mu Yuchen who was waiting outside the screen very quickly went up to her to take the list. After a glance through, he then handed to Ah Mo behind him.
Ah Mo immediately retreated to pay and get the medication.
“Let’s go home. When Ah Mo gets the medication, he’ll send it over right away.”
“Mmm, the weather’s pretty good today. Mu Yuchen, let me bring you to my teahouse. How about that?”
Xi Xiaye frequently visited Bamboo Teahouse on the weekends. However, her usual visit did not happen last week because of the incident and this week she should drop by. In fact, it was near the year-end, so she should show her face and explain the vacation matters. Previously, she had asked Professor Lin to prepare New Year gifts to be posted to the teahouse employees during the holidays. She wondered how the preparations were coming along.
“Teahouse?”
“I was bored, so I opened one to pass the time. Mainly, it’s because it’s quite a good area. You can read, play chess, or enjoy zither music,” explained Xi Xiaye.
“Since Milady has made such a sincere invitation, as your husband, I obviously have to do you the honor.” Mu Yuchen smiled calmly and reached out to hold her by the shoulders to walk forward.
…
Actually, by calculation, Bamboo Teahouse was not too far from Maple Residence. Both lay north of the city. If one sped up while driving the distance, it would not even take half an hour to get there. The journey also took the same route where the car race was the other day, at the Ninth Crooked Bend.
In a certain corner outside the main area of Bamboo Teahouse.
Amidst the relaxing and melodious sounds of the zither, Xi Xiaye was at ease as she brewed Mu Yuchen some tea. “Drink some tea, or read a while. I’ll go tidy up the bookshelf for a bit. Later on, I still need to talk to Professor Lin about some things. There’s also dessert. See if there’s anything you like and I’ll have them make it for you.” Xi Xiaye picked up her tea and took a sip.
Mu Yuchen sipped his tea, then he stood up too. “I’ll help you tidy it up. You sit here and rest. Your wound hasn’t healed and already you’re so restless.”
With his tall and handsome body, he had already walked over as he said this. In just a few large strides, he went up to the bookshelf and started arranging it.
Xi Xiaye watched his busy silhouette and pursed her lips. She smiled calmly to herself. After a while, she picked up her tea and drank it, her gaze unexpectedly sweeping past the entrance.
When she saw who had lifted the beaded curtain and strolled over, she still could not help but be startled. Even the movement of her hands had suddenly frozen.
“I’ve especially come over to take a look. Aren’t you going to invite me to have a seat?”
He walked up to Xi Xiaye and seeing how startled she was to see him without uttering anything for quite a while, Xi Mushan’s steadfast and stern expression eased a little as he spoke softly. His voice was a little cold and bore the usual seriousness in his speech and manner.
Xi Xiaye slowly tore her eyes away and unhurriedly lowered her gaze. Soon, she then pulled Mu Yuchen’s teacup towards her.
Looking at her, Xi Mushan then moved and sat down across her.
She casually found an empty cup and gracefully served Xi Mushan some tea as she asked, “How did you find this place?”
Xi Mushan held up the tea and calmly took a sip, his sharp eyes piercing straight at Xi Xiaye. He examined her quite a few times before his gaze fell onto her left shoulder. The light in his eyes sparkled quite a bit, then his deep voice said in concern, “Obviously, I have my ways of finding this place. How’s your injury?”
When she heard this, Xi Xiaye looked up slightly and gazed calmly at Xi Mushan. Her red and apathetic lips were pursed tightly, and she did not say anything.
“The other day, I got someone to run out to look for you, but unexpectedly they couldn’t find you. I found out about what happened the other day. Do you blame me for not appearing in time to save you?” Xi Mushan asked softly.
When she heard this, Xi Xiaye’s indifferent and beautiful face suddenly flashed with a sneer that seemed to mock herself. With a calm glance askance, she then lowered her head and said coldly, “Shouldn’t I be used to all that by now? It doesn’t matter anymore. No matter what happens, it has nothing to do with me now, isn’t that so?”
Xi Mushan’s movements stiffened as he gripped the teacup. He looked long and hard at her. After a long while, he took another sip and then sighed, “I know you don’t want to let people know about your relationship with the Xi family, but you are my daughter. That is a fact.”
He paused, then set the cup in his hand aside. His gaze instantly darkened as he suddenly lowered his head and looked at the light green tea that was still swishing slightly in the cup. “Ever since I got a divorce from your mother, you haven’t been willing to come home. Do you really hate me that much?”
Xi Xiaye lowered her gaze, the corner of her lips curved into a sneer.
“This Friday is Xinyi and Han Yifeng’s engagement. I hope that you can come home. Your grandfather hasn’t been in very good health recently, especially after his birthday the last time. Now, the person he misses most is you. As for Xinyi and Han Yifeng’s matters, however all of you want to handle it, I won’t intervene.”
Xi Mushan suddenly glanced up at Xi Xiaye. He thought about it, and then added, “As for the matter about Yueying, your grandmother really crossed the line…”
Engagement…
When she heard this, Xi Xiaye slowly looked up. Her beautiful face had frozen for an instant, then it turned into an apathetic smile which disappeared at the corner of her lips.
When he saw that Xi Xiaye had not uttered a sound, Xi Mushan suddenly asked in a lowered voice, “Are you unwilling to speak to me either?”
After a long pause, Xi Xiaye plainly asked, “What’s there to say to you?” Her voice seemed to be fatigued and bleak.
Xi Xiaye’s words unexpectedly made Xi Mushan’s heart sink. As he watched this expression that looked increasingly similar to her mother, Shen Wenna’s coolness, Xi Mushan felt a pang of helplessness in his heart.
“Have you been doing well recently?” He thought about it before asking softly, not revealing any expression.
“If you guys appear less, I’d naturally be doing good.” Xi Xiaye’s voice sounded hostile and her gaze that was cold as the wind brushed past Xi Mushan’s face. A stubborn determination and invisible sadness gathered at the corner of her eyes. “I thought you’d ask about whether my mother’s doing well.”
When he heard this, Xi Mushan was startled. He could not help but feel sorrowful. He thought about it before saying softly, “As your father, I just hope that you can understand that there are some things whereby once they’ve happened, you can never return to the past again.”
Then, he unhurriedly got up, his sharp gaze meeting her cold stare. “Come home this Friday.”
He actually used a tone of command as a finale.
Xi Xiaye watched his tall figure turn and vanish outside the beaded curtains, the corner of her lips curving into a faint sneer…