“You promise, you promise. You promise all the time, and yet I still end up worrying.” Li Beinian choked with grievance. “Your promise is worthless.”
Mu Xichen looked helpless. He lowered his head to touch her face and gently wiped away her tears. “Don’t cry. Are you trying to make my wife look ugly?”
Li Beinian was so amused by his words that she found herself unable to cry, but neither was she in the mood to laugh.
She punched his shoulder angrily and said, “It’s your fault that your wife looks ugly!”
“Okay, okay. I was in the wrong.” Mu Xichen held her fist and said helplessly.
His eyes were dark and burning yet sparkling with light.
There was a raging fire in his heart. Unable to resist it any longer, he lowered his head and kissed her ruby red lips.
Li Beinian pouted and tried to push him away. However, the man wouldn’t let go. Instead, he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her waist as he gradually deepened the kiss.
“Mmmm…” Li Beinian pushed him away. Her face was flushed as she mumbled,” Aren’t you tired? ”
“I’m tired.” Mu Xichen’s lips rested on the corner of her mouth. He slowly moved down her neck and kissed her tender flesh. His voice was low and muffled as he said, “I’m tired of being vegan.”
He lifted the hem of her pajamas and pulled her under his strong body. His breath was scorching and his lips and teeth teasingly bit on her soft skin. “We haven’t done it in a long time. I’ve missed you.”
Following his lead, Li Beinian slipped her hands under his arms and hooked them around his shoulders. Her breathing quickened slightly as he teased her. She narrowed her eyes slightly and whispered passionately, “Me too…”
Mu Xichen kissed her again. This time, his movements were more urgent. He lifted her shirt and caressed her.
After being apart for almost a month, Mu Xichen was particularly amorous.
It was rare for Li Beinian to be able to take it all in. She tossed and turned beneath him, moaning passionately. Finally, she fell asleep in his arms as he carried her to the bathroom.
Afraid that he would disappear early in the morning, Li Beinian did not sleep well.
Every now and then, she would open her eyes to look at him, falling asleep only after she had put her arms around his waist to secure him.
Even so, like a curse, she ended up having a nightmare.
In her dream, she seemed to have returned to the villa that Mu Donglin had set up.
The servants treated her respectfully in front of others, but behind her back, they did not treat her with much enthusiasm or respect.
On that day, Mu Donglin brought her to her grandfather’s house in Qian Zhou.
In Old Master Li’s opinion, Mu Donglin had always been a good son-in-law and a good man.
Besides, Li Beinian did not want others to know that she was being neglected, so Grandpa had no idea that she was not doing well.
After spending time at her grandfather’s house all morning, an unfamiliar guest turned up.
The guest was a British of mixed parentage, he looked to be in his thirties, perhaps even hitting forty.
She heard them calling him: Nico.
Li Beinian did not know this man, but she could clearly feel her grandpa’s dislike for him.
When Nico saw her, his gaze inevitably lingered on her. He did not attempt to hide this.
Old Master Li didn’t seem to want her to interact with Nico hence not long after the man turned up, he got Mu Donglin to take her home.
However, soon after this episode, Li Beinian was targeted and forced to hand over that important item.
Looking at the person in front of her as he approached, Li Beinian retreated in terror. Suddenly, she missed her footing and her body jerked violently.
Li Beinian opened her eyes and the first sight that greeted her was Mu Xichen.
She was curled up in his arms, wrapped in a warm and thick blanket.
Her back was already drenched in sweat.
The girl immediately felt cooler as the blanket was lifted. Only then did she feel air circulating around her, and relaxed at once.
Mu Xichen reached out to brush her hair off her face. He said in his deep voice, “Did you have a nightmare?”
Li Beinian nodded and looked up at Mu Xichen’s sleepy face.
Reaching out to touch his eyebrows, she whispered, “I had a dream about my father.”
Mu Xichen became alert on hearing this.
He focused his gaze and frowned, repeating, “Father?”
“Yes,” Li Beinian responded faintly. “Nico Rothschild.”
Mu Xichen’s eyes darkened as he ran his hand through her long hair. Although his gaze was on her, it was obvious that his attention was not.
“I dreamed that he died. After he died, Lin Ya and Mu Donglin came to me and wanted me to hand over the ruby. They wanted the Rothschild inheritance.”
“How did he die?” Mu Xichen asked.
Li Beinian shook her head slowly. “I don’t know, but it’s definitely not a normal cause of death. I suspect that Lin Ya did it.”
“Lin Ya won’t do it himself.”
“P.I.T. They did it.” Li Beinian was certain. “Yesterday, they came to our home and wanted me to open the door. They used you as bait and even left me a photo of Grandpa’s residence in Qian Zhou.”
Li Beinian placed her hands on Mu Xichen’s chest and looked up at him. “I’ve already asked my friend for help. Do you remember Zhong Taiba? I had asked him to keep an eye on Qian Zhou for me and to inform me as soon as there’s any unusual movement. Now, I’m worried about something else. I have a nagging feeling about the news leak where the Rothschild family’s internal affairs is concerned. If it weren’t for the fact that someone is working with them, no matter how ambitious Lin Ya is, he wouldn’t have set his sights on Rothschild – its power is too distant and out of reach. Do you think… it’s possible that someone close to Nico is behind this?”
“Who do you suspect is it?”
“Yesterday, I discovered that his junior chef had gone to the supermarket to buy turtle and celery. I caught my attention and even asked Nico to question him. However, that person said that he noticed how popular and delicious this dish was in our country and thought of making it himself. He had no idea that this food combination is toxic.” Li Beinian told him everything in detail and concluded, “I suspect that the young man is behind it.”
Mu Xichen looked at her intently and asked, “Where’s that person now?”
“I heard that he had been fired and sent back to England.” Li Beinian was a little stunned after she said this. “You don’t think it was him?”
“An ambitious person is naturally shrewd. If this person wants to seize such a huge family fortune, he wouldn’t present himself to be suspected.”
Hence, there must be someone else behind this.
“Since this person can so completely convince the junior chef, he would have some understanding of the young man. Besides that, in order to ensure that Nico will successfully consume this poisonous dish, or have Nico die in some other way, he would have sent someone to watch over him, or do it personally.” Mu Xichen spoke at length, revealing all these possibilities that he had thought of. “This person should be someone that Nico trusts very much.”
Li Beinian was slightly stunned. She subconsciously thought of that old man’s gentlemanly smiles and nods .
Could it be him?
Li Beinian found herself rejecting this possibility and said, “It can’t be Will. Will is a senior to Nico and watched him grow up. It’s quite… impossible.”
“There are no absolutes.” Mu Xichen looked down at her. “Christianity believes that human nature is evil. Will is a Christian.”
“Ah…” Li Beinian felt a tightening in her chest. “No way. Will and Nico get along every day. Will is Nico’s butler. They’ve been together for 30 to 40 years. Even animals develop feelings for each other, let alone humans…”
“This is only a possibility.” Mu Xichen patted her back and comforted her. “Don’t worry.”
Li Beinian bit her lip and a terrifying possibility came to her mind.
She stared at Mu Xichen for a long time before she finally decided to ask, “Is Ah Ye the person you trust the most now?”
Mu Xichen brushed his hand across her waist and whispered, “And you.”
“Then, do you think Ah Ye will betray you?” Li Beinian’s heart pounded. She placed her hands on his chest and felt a chill run down her spine. The next moment, her scalp went numb and an iciness spread across her body.
Sensing how tense Li Beinian was, Mu Xichen gently comforted her and replied firmly, “It won’t happen, don’t worry.”
“Why?”
“Ah Ye and I are different from Nico and Will.” Mu Xichen explained patiently. “Ah Ye and I grew up together. We’re brothers… we’re more than brothers.”
“Of course you’re more than brothers. Look at how bad your relationship with your brother is!”
It was miraculous enough that Mu Xichen and Mu Donglin did not break out in a fight whenever they met. They hated each other so much, how could he even draw a comparison to Gu Mingye?
It went without saying of course!
Mu Xichen smiled upon hearing this and said, “Even my cousins and I have better relationships.”
Li Beinian blinked. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, Ah Ye would never betray me.”
Li Beinian also felt that Gu Mingye wasn’t that sort of person. Her mind went back to Nico and Will. “So what’s the difference when it comes to Will and Nico?”
“Ah Ye and I are equals, but Nico and Will aren’t.” Mu Xichen’s voice was light and flat. “They’re master and servant, how could you compare them to brothers.”
Li Beinian saw what he meant. Her body stiffened as she said somewhat fearfully, “If it’s really Will, then doesn’t that put Nico in a very dangerous situation? If Will is out to frame him… he won’t be able to escape it.”
“Uh huh.”
Li Beinian couldn’t lie down anymore and got onto her feet. “It’s too terrible. Should I alert him?”
“And how are you going to do that?” Mu Xichen lay down calmly and looked at her with interest. “Tell him, ‘Your butler might kill you. Be careful.’?”
Li Beinian froze. “So, are we just going to ignore it?”
“It may not be Will.” Mu Xichen pulled her back down. “You’re right, decades of affection is hard to erase. Besides, Will was an orphaned child.”
“How do you know?”
Mu Xichen smiled. “I have spies in the villa opposite.”
Li Beinian shuddered and turned to look at him in disbelief. “Spies? You?”
“Yes.” Mu Xichen propped himself up with one hand and held her in his arm as he whispered, “Not only in the villa across the street, but also in the Mu Family Mansion.”
