He wanted to turn around, but he had been standing for too long, his legs numb. He had to stay put for a while until he felt sensation in his legs. Then he turned to get his phone.
Opening his phone, he saw a photo sent by Tianlang from the State of Qi.
Looking at the photo, the couple was walking hand-in-hand in the garden.
The man had deep and handsome features, a straight nose, and a well-defined jawline.
He bore some resemblance to Mu Jiuchen's eyebrows and eyes, which startled him, as he had never dared to confirm this matter.
As for the woman, he recognized his mother at a glance.
Time had been remarkably kind to her, leaving few traces on her face. She was still as beautiful as he remembered.
Mu Jiuchen's once indifferent heart ached again without warning, a sharp pain spreading through his body, as if his heart were being torn by two forces.
So, it was true that some people in this world abandoned their children for true love.
So, was his birth so ill-timed?
So, the heart he thought had long since let go had not truly let go. He wished his mother happiness, yet he felt his own life was cold and pathetic.
Regardless of whether it was him or his mother, this regret would accompany them both, piercing their hearts for a lifetime.
Mu Jiuchen saved the photo, then turned to bathe.
His eyes were slightly red. Perhaps due to the pain, he even shed physiological tears.
In the bathroom, after a refreshing shower, Mu Jiuchen collapsed onto the bed, drowsy, and fell asleep.
In the deep of the night, the beloved entered his dreams.
Mu Jiuchen dreamt of his beloved woman again. She was still wearing a white long dress, with a faint smile on her face, her skin lustrous and her phoenix eyes filled with deep love.
Under the dim light, her fair skin shone brilliantly.
Mu Jiuchen could not resist embracing her.
Jiang Nuan leaned into him, encircling his strong waist, and said with a light laugh, "Mu Jiuchen, don't be sad. I've always been by your side, accompanying you!"
Mu Jiuchen had been very tired lately. Hearing her gentle voice soothed his aching heart.
He gently kissed her forehead and softly replied, "Okay!"
Then he closed his eyes to rest. The woman in his arms felt so real!
Holding her like this, he could fall asleep with peace of mind.
He was like a parched tree in the desert, about to wither and die from thirst and pain, but with her gentle reassurance, bright flowers bloomed instantly in his heart.
With the first rays of dawn peeking through the window, Mu Jiuchen suddenly opened his eyes. He had slept until he woke naturally, a faint smile on his lips.
He glanced sideways at the empty space beside him. The feeling of her presence still lingered. He then realized it had all been a dream, but even so, he was immensely satisfied.
Mu Jiuchen smiled, got up to wash, changed his clothes, and went downstairs for breakfast.
The backlog of nearly a month's work would make him breathless today.
After breakfast, Lu Jinyan and Lu Jinyue stayed at home with the siblings. Mu Jiuchen went to the company to work.
As soon as Su Wanting learned that Mu Jiuchen had returned, she began plotting how to approach him.
Mu Jiuchen had gone through many events recently. Jiang Nuan's fate was unknown.
Jiang Muyan and Lu Qiaoyi were in prison.
Lu Qiaoyi was sentenced to death!
And she had become the ultimate victor!
Su Wanting watched as Mu Jiuchen entered the company gates. The man was dressed in a black shirt and black casual pants, walking with a commanding stride. He was the dazzling center of attention, stealing everyone's breath.
She walked towards him with a charming smile, dressed in a white brocade qipao, her hair as black as ink, her skin fair, and her clear, alluring almond eyes complementing her slender, well-proportioned figure. She looked like a beauty from a painting.
When she stood before Mu Jiuchen, his expression suddenly darkened.
Su Wanting, as if not noticing, smiled gently, "Ninth Master, long time no see!"
Mu Jiuchen merely nodded slightly and continued to walk forward indifferently.
Su Wanting watched his coldness, a hint of disappointment flashing in her eyes. He was even colder now.
Su Wanting, unwilling to give up, walked towards him but was stopped by Xiao Fan.
Xiao Fan smiled, "Miss Su, please have some self-respect. Ninth Master is very busy today. Don't try to provoke him." He was kindly warning the young lady.
This Miss Su was no easy pushover.
She liked to cause him trouble. He was busy today and wanted to get rid of trouble first.
Su Wanting cast a sullen glance at Xiao Fan, then noticed a woman standing beside him.
"Jiang Nuan," she exclaimed involuntarily, then quickly realized she was not Jiang Nuan.
She looked closely at the woman before her. Both in presence and demeanor, she fell short of Jiang Nuan.
Although her features resembled Jiang Nuan, there was an incongruity. She wasn't the true Jiang Nuan, who possessed an innate radiance that made her impossible to ignore.
Jiang Nuan seemed to be a unique existence, dazzling to the point of envy.
Wen Nuan gazed deeply at Su Wanting and smiled, "Miss, you have mistaken me for someone else. My name is Wen Nuan."
Su Wanting was stunned, finally understanding the saying that righteousness is a foot higher, and evil is a yard higher.
Even their names were so similar, and it was a coincidence that Jiang Nuan was in trouble. This woman was taking advantage of the situation to appear beside Mu Jiuchen. Her intentions were more obvious than Sima Zhao's plot.
Xiao Fan led Wen Nuan into the company, handed her over to the human resources department, casually arranged a job, and assigned someone to keep an eye on her.
As Xiao Fan watched Wen Nuan leave with the HR personnel, he breathed a sigh of relief. Occasionally, he felt that such days were quite good. Without these people, his life would surely be dull.
Suddenly, he felt unworthy of peaceful days.
He chuckled and turned to go upstairs for a meeting.
Mu Jiuchen had not worked for more than twenty consecutive days. He was as busy as a spinning top the entire day, eating lunch while reviewing documents.
He had no time for idle thoughts throughout the day.
In the afternoon, Jiang Yukuo and Jiang Siyun took their two maternal uncles to a wellness center.
The wellness center now had two chefs, and business was as good as ever.
As soon as Le Cheng saw Jiang Yukuo, she dropped the tray in her hand and hugged Jiang Yukuo and Jiang Siyun, crying heartbrokenly.
"Big Treasure, Third Treasure, what about your sister? Wuwuwuwu... I missed her so much during the days she was away."
Jiang Yukuo and Jiang Siyun were bewildered. They hadn't seen Aunt Le Cheng being so affectionate before.
Jiang Yukuo reached out and touched her slightly greasy hair, with a look of disdain, "Aunt Le Cheng, you didn't wash your hair today."
In his impression, girls didn't go out without washing their hair.
Le Cheng instantly stopped crying. This kid, how could his eyes be so sharp? She had woken up a bit early this morning and hadn't had time to wash her hair.
Looking at the two handsome men behind them, Le Cheng felt extremely embarrassed.
"Where is Second Treasure?" Le Cheng couldn't find Jiang Shaoqing and couldn't help but ask.
Jiang Yukuo said, "Shaoqing won't be back for a while, and my mother won't be back for some time either. If there aren't enough ingredients for the wellness soup, you don't have to make it later. We'll sell the wellness soup after my mother returns."
Le Cheng said, "Sister taught Chef Xiao, and he is doing very well now. We are all holding our ground and waiting for Sister to come back."