Chapter 28: That Pair of Scoundrels
Wei Xun weighed the phone in his hand for a moment before picking up.
“San Ge?”
Mu Jia Shu’s voice came through the receiver, tinged with a slight nasally quality, sounding rather lazy.
“Mm,” Wei Xun replied. “Did I wake you? Go back to sleep. I’m fine; my hand just slipped and I accidentally hit the screen.”
Mu Jia Shu said, “It’s so late. Why aren’t you home yet? Are you still at the company? You should head back.”
Wei Xun: “…”
He suddenly understood the sense of dread Pang Xing had felt earlier. He subconsciously glanced around, almost suspecting that Mu Jia Shu had planted a hidden camera somewhere.
Mu Jia Shu seemed to guess his confusion. “Your voice has an echo from the hallway. You couldn’t possibly be at home.”
Wei Xun couldn’t help but chuckle. “You little brat, you’re too sharp for your own good.”
Mu Jia Shu laughed too. The two shared a few casual words before Wei Xun said, “Alright, go back to sleep. I’ll stop bothering you. Get some rest!”
Mu Jia Shu gave a soft “mm.” “You get home soon, too!”
“I know.”
Several seconds passed, but neither of them hung up.
Wei Xun: “…You hang up first. I’m waiting for you.”
Mu Jia Shu laughed again, stopping the idle chatter. Just as he was about to end the call, Wei Xun’s voice came through again, low and soft. “Xiao Shu, you won’t… make it so I can’t find you again, right?”
“I won’t,” Mu Jia Shu answered immediately. “Don’t worry!”
After the call ended, Wei Xun felt much more at ease, though the tender smile on his face gradually faded.
Now that the secrets between them were out in the open, Mu Jia Shu had neither mentioned leaving nor asked a single question about the Mu family’s situation.
Wei Xun knew he had a knot in his heart. Combined with how suddenly everything had happened, Mu Jia Shu likely needed time to process and arrange things. Regardless, Wei Xun preferred it if the other stayed by his side forever, so he didn’t press him.
However, the truth behind Mu Jia Shu’s previous death was becoming increasingly blurred. It was hard to determine if the mastermind was targeting the Mu family or Mu Jia Shu specifically. If the enemy was truly determined, the fact that Shen Shu shared the Mu bloodline wouldn’t stay hidden for long. Under these circumstances, was he really safe out there alone?
Wei Xun sighed softly at the thought.
His original plan was to use Pang Xing as bait to catch a big fish. He had waited for several days without any movement from that side. One day, while he was idle, he happened to flip through a self-study accounting book on Mu Jia Shu’s desk that was half-read.
Only then did Wei Xun realize the boy hadn’t been slacking off. “You’re planning to take the adult self-study exam… Oh, I see now. No wonder you refused when I asked if you wanted to go to university. You already had your own plan.”
Mu Jia Shu said, “Yeah. I’m already this old; spending four years on a university campus would be a waste of time. Shen Shu only graduated high school. It’s a bit inconvenient without a degree, so I figured I’d get an undergraduate degree first before sitting for the postgraduate entrance exams.”
In his previous life, he had gone straight for a doctorate after a combined master’s and PhD program abroad. The current gap was simply too vast. Wei Xun could have predicted that with Mu Jia Shu’s proud nature, he wouldn’t be content with his current status. “I was actually planning to discuss this with you in a bit. Hmm… wait a second, take this.”
Mu Jia Shu took the document bag Wei Xun pulled out. Upon opening it, he found a diploma and several certificates. “You…”
Wei Xun said, “I pulled a few strings. But it’s not like we’re faking anything—you already have the skills, so taking the exams again would be meaningless. You can just apply directly for postgraduate studies when the time comes. Or, you could take a part-time program; it’s more relaxed.”
Mu Jia Shu held the documents and remained silent. Wei Xun picked up the cup on the desk, rinsed it, walked to the water dispenser to fill it, and handed it back. “Have some water.”
“Hey, I say.” Mu Jia Shu finally smiled, his finger tapping the document bag. He looked at Wei Xun and said, “San Ge, I’m really happy we recognized each other. Sometimes I feel like you’re like my mother; I can feel a sense of maternal love from you. That’s why I’ve liked being with you since I was little…”
Wei Xun was completely choked up, unable to catch his breath for a long time. His first reaction was to deliver a smack to the back of Mu Jia Shu’s head. “Nonsense!”
Mu Jia Shu couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Wei Xun regretted it the moment he did it. He reached out to rub the spot he had just hit, asking worriedly, “I shouldn’t have hit your head, right? Does it hurt?”
Mu Jia Shu pushed his hand away with a smile. “You know how much strength you used. My head isn’t made of paper.”
He stood up. “I’ll stop here. Is Wei Bo-bo’s orderly picking you up today? Then I’m heading home. Grandma asked me to bring some groceries back for her.”
It was rare for Wei Xun to hear Mu Jia Shu speak with such “down-to-earth” domesticity, and he found it quite jarring. Yet, the way he called her “Grandma” sounded perfectly natural. Watching Mu Jia Shu walk toward the door, Wei Xun hesitated before finally calling out, “Xiao Shu.”
Mu Jia Shu turned around. Wei Xun said, “I… want to ask you something. Xiao Shu, Mu Shu-shu asked about you again yesterday. He said he wanted to see you if there was a chance.”
Mu Jia Shu gave an “oh” and paused for a moment. “How is my father’s health?”
Although one only needed to turn on the news to see Mu Yanrui’s silhouette, this was the first time Mu Jia Shu had proactively asked about his own family. Wei Xun said, “It’s alright. You know, he has the same old problem you used to have, but it’s much milder. He takes good care of himself, so it doesn’t affect anything. But he misses you… Do you want to tell him the truth?”
At the words “he misses you,” Mu Jia Shu arched an eyebrow. Wei Xun said, “Hey, I’m serious. Even if he doesn’t say it, I can tell. Tell me what your plans are; it’s better than keeping it to yourself.”
Mu Jia Shu smiled, retracted his gaze, and said, “It’s hard to say.”
After dropping that vague response, he left without looking back.
Wei Xun watched his retreating figure and frowned deeply, his fingers tapping the desk. After a long while, he pulled out his phone and sent two messages.
The weather was getting a bit hot. As soon as Mu Jia Shu stepped out of the company doors, he took off his suit jacket and carried it in his hand, walking the route back home.
He passed a supermarket and remembered he hadn’t bought the groceries yet. He made a turn to go inside, but after a few steps, he heard a car horn honking incessantly behind him.
The road in this area was very wide; there was no way a car couldn’t pass. Mu Jia Shu didn’t look back, simply hugging the side of the road to ensure he wasn’t in the way. However, the horn continued to blare, one honk after another, becoming quite irritating.
Frowning slightly, he turned around. An Audi pulled up right in front of him. The doors opened, and as he looked at the two people stepping out, he felt an immediate wave of disgust.
If one were to rank the people Mu Jia Shu loathed the most, Li Qing and Wen Shihe would undoubtedly be the top two. He had heard from Shen Ze that Li Qing hadn’t really wanted to follow Wen Shihe, which was why he had pushed Shen Shu out as a target back then. He didn’t know how the two of them had ended up together again.
Wen Shihe had already put on a condescending air, but he froze for a moment upon seeing Mu Jia Shu turn around, appearing as if he didn’t quite recognize him. Once he snapped out of it, he reached out a hand to greet him. “Yo, Shen Shu, we meet again. Where are you off to?”
Mu Jia Shu smiled and shook his hand. However, Wen Shihe only let his fingertips brush against Mu Jia Shu’s hand before immediately withdrawing it with a look of disdain.
Mu Jia Shu didn’t care in the slightest. “To the supermarket.”
When he answered Wen Shihe, he didn’t even spare a glance in Li Qing’s direction. This made Li Qing feel incredibly slighted. He couldn’t help but mock, “Going to the supermarket to buy things and then carrying them home on foot? Why work so hard? Why don’t we give you a lift? I mean, even if you can’t afford a car, a bicycle would be a lot more convenient.”
Only then did Mu Jia Shu spare him a glance, saying pointedly, “Whether this car can take me home… I don’t think you’re the one who has the final say, right?”
Li Qing was choked. In that instant, his face turned a mottled shade of blue and white. He was likely truly infuriated by Mu Jia Shu, and he couldn’t help but retort, “What are you so proud of? Just because you finally managed to hook up with a man, you think you’re someone special?”
Beside them, Wen Shihe arched an eyebrow. Mu Jia Shu already understood who Li Qing was referring to. Instead of arguing, he laughed. “Indeed, there’s nothing to be proud of. But the fact that you can stand here and talk to me like a decent human being… isn’t it also because you hooked up with a man?”
Li Qing’s expression became extremely ugly. He stole a glance at Wen Shihe and didn’t dare speak further. If he had known Mu Jia Shu would be this tough today, he wouldn’t have opened his mouth at all.
Previously, because he didn’t understand the situation, he had been wary of everyone. Now that everything was out in the open with Wei Xun and he knew what needed to be known, Mu Jia Shu saw no need to continue playing nice or trying to coax information out of them. He had no intention of giving Li Qing any face.
“Tsk tsk,” Wen Shihe said. “Your temper has certainly grown. Come on, tell me, which man did you hook up with?”
Li Qing remembered the scene he had witnessed last time and whispered, “I think it’s the boss of their company.”
Li Qing didn’t know the specific name of Dingfeng’s boss, but it was impossible for Wen Shihe not to know. Upon hearing it was Wei Xun, his expression shifted instantly.
Mu Jia Shu shook his head and replied modestly, “You flatter me. I haven’t ‘hooked up’ with him yet; I still need to work harder.”
Wen Shihe thought about it and realized it made sense. Wei Xun was famous in their circle for having an impeccable reputation; he never played around. Why would he suddenly go crazy and take an interest in someone like this? If nothing else, if his old man found out, he’d break his legs.
He felt relieved and let out a snort. “At least you have some self-awareness.”
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