"Is there a need to celebrate such an autistic child when we know he has limited days to leave? We should be planning his funeral rather than having a good time with him!" The atmosphere became too choky for anyone to breathe as Lixin's grin became a solemn frown. His frown spread throughout his face. He gripped his phone and dialed some number, and the next second, many guards came running in with weapons. "What are you going to do to me? Kill me for speaking the truth? Let Luyang know he is a bastard! You are too much Mu Lixin; have you forgotten that giving him hope of persistence is called wickedness?" Zaizai spoke out louder, struggling to free herself from the grip of two hefty men. The noisy crowd had settled down, all waiting for the drama to unfold.
It was not news any longer that the third daughter of Jialing's mistress, Mu Zaizai, had been at odds and had beef with her nephew, Mu Lixin, and what was more surprising was that she dared utter her mouth and speak ill of the person Lixin favored the most. They could only yell in terror and watch as the young master gave her a taste of her medicine. All their anticipation went down the drain considering that Lixin did not make any comment. He only glanced at Luyang, whose ears were pitched close by Mingxia, and sighed.
"Are you not too shameless to step your feet here after accusing the Mu family of mistreating you? I will only clarify this issue once, and as soon as it is done, you pack your bags and go." Lixin spoke in a bloodthirsty manner, balling his fist. He looked at his grandfather, who gave him a go-ahead nod, and he proceeded distantly. His voice carrying all the threatening aura that could exist in this world, he cast an unsympathetic scowl at her. "As the power vested in me as the heir of Mu's empire, I, Mu Lixin, blacklist you, Mu Zaizai! You are never allowed to step foot on any premises that belong to the Mu family. I have stripped you of your title as the third young Miss of the Mu!"
BANG!
His orders were thunderous to the ears of everyone present, and instantly, Mu Zaizai fell to the ground, clutching onto the legs of Lixin's trousers. Her face pulled off her pitiful act while murmurs filled the entire hall. They all sniggered at the disgraceful woman on the ground who had been so brazen enough to challenge the young master Mu, pleading for her life. Once one is blacklisted by the Mu Family, it is hard to live a good life in Wuhan City. No one in their right mind would employ them or grant them accommodations. They were left alone to face the harsh cruelty of being debarred. Many cases were not so serious, but Mu Zaizai had threaded on a path of no return once she began insulting Mu Luyang. That autistic child was Lixin's bottom line! Threading on it only meant requesting an unbearable death, which Lixin never failed to give to offenders!
That was what Mu Zaizai had done. The crowd showed sympathy for her, still petrified to plead with Lixin to temper justice with mercy. What was there to temper justice with? Zaizai had brought bad luck upon herself and her generation to come. How was she going to subsist with this stigma for the rest of her days?
"You…! Let go of me. I am still the young Miss Mu. Let's go off!" Zaizai screamed at the top of her lungs, feeling the sturdy grasp on her shoulders. She can never be humiliated by this arrogant boy! Mu Zaizai gazed up to see Jialing, her father, watching the whole drama from up there. He had pleasure written on his face, which brought Zaizai to annoyance. No matter whether she had Mu's blood running through her veins, she was still considered an illegitimate child! "In your eyes, am I this to you?"
Her breath hitched while real tears followed uncontrollably down her cheeks. Mu Zaizai freed herself, stood up from the ground, and pointed at the old man smoking on the balcony. The elites maliciously chuckled at this girl's brevity for bringing the ruthless old man into the conversation. It was one thing for Mu Lixin to pass an order, and it was another for Mu Jialing to make an order. Both dealt with critical issues in merciless ways, but despite that, Mu Jialing's method always involved bloodshed and bones! Was Mu Zaizai truly testing her luck today?
Did she assume Jialing would allow her to stay even when she insulted his great-grandchild? No way! She must be punished severely. It currently depends on their mood.
"You heard Xiao Lixin, did you not? Throw her out! From today onwards, I, Mu Jialing, disown you! You are not my daughter. I have tolerated your nonsense for too long. Why should I care about giving the same treatment to you when you are only my mistress's daughter? You are even counted lucky to bear the surname Mu, ungrateful brat. Take her away! Her existence is causing me to vomit!"
Mu Zaizai's body paled as she was weakly dragged out like a mess. Everyone was too scared to speak, so they wallowed in their thoughts, wondering how badly the relationship between the father and the daughter had worsened. It was news that Zaizai was only a child from his mistress; they did not expect this news to be true! Soon, Mu Zaizai was out of the hall, and the music was tuned to the highest, with everyone dancing as if nothing had happened.
Lixin returned to his seat, gazing into Zhou Mingxia's eyes. The entire time he was talking, he stole peeks from Mingxia, mostly because he wanted to confirm that Luyang heard nothing that Zaizai was saying. He brushed his palms against her, telling her not to think about what was going on.
"Luyang is tired and needs his rest. I will head first to his room." Mingxia exempted herself from Lixin's side, strode to the staircase, and halted the instant she saw Lixin following her. "You can stay and entertain the guest. You are the host after all." She tried her best to push him away. She had felt overwhelmed by the surge of emotions tugging at her feeble heart. Mingxia wanted some time alone to clear her head, which was why she used Luyang as an excuse to use the bathroom.
Lixin did not believe her either and blocked her road, insisting he escort her to Luyang's room. Seeing Mingxia's stubborn attitude, Yeong used it as an opportunity to approach Lixin. She smiled lovingly at him.
"Mr. Mu, I have not properly thanked you enough. Can I invite you to a meal at Zhou's mansion?" Her voice was high-pitched, giving him no room for rejection. If he rejected her offer, then it would be too embarrassing to show up in front of him again. "Sister Xia, you would not mind letting me borrow him for a meal." Mingxia sighed, waved her hands, and used it as a chance to run upstairs with Luyang snoring in her arms. She went straight to his room, laid him down on her bed, and watched him as he slept.
This pretty boy had gone through a lot and still had to be brave, wishing for a good life. Luyang's situation reminded her of her little self. They both had something they were longing for, but it was as hopeless as they were. Mingxia sniffed in and wiped her tears with the back of her palms. She was going to be strong for the little guy. She tilted her head towards the open door to find Lixin leaning on the door frame. Her heart began to beat faster. She nervously stuttered.
"I swear, I was only laying him to rest." Mingxia stammered, concerned if Lixin assumed she was executing any bad schemes against him. It was already awkward for the both of them after Lixin's stubborn tantrums and anger, which up until now could not be comprehended by Mingxia. "I am sorry for coming. This is my first time attending a birthday party. Father never gave me one, and he forbade me from attending one too as a punishment since I was an inconvenience to him." Lumps of words were stuck in Mingxia. Forcing it out of her mouth was like reopening her healed wounds and pouring salt on them.
She promised herself not to be weak again, but then again, she found it problematic to stop herself from hurting when things from her past arose. Mingxia pursued her lips into a thin line after she was done. Maybe fate had brought her to him, and now it was the same fate that tore them apart. Mingxia was almost healed from her paralysis; was that, not good news to celebrate? But why did she feel so sad, knowing she was about to leave Lixin?
"Do not talk again. Get up; we are leaving." Lixin replied, helping her up from the ground and taking her to where he had parked his car. He helped her inside, strapped her seatbelt, and did the same for his own. Silence consumed both of them, with each of them making judgments of their own. Lixin took it upon himself to speak first to her. "You are almost healed. It is good."
Zhou Mingxia's heart weltered in melancholy as he brought up that topic so calmly. Was he ready to dispose of her, as Yichen stated? She gasped, not prepared to hear him talk.
"I will find an apartment to stay in. You can pay, and later, when I start working, I will pay twice the money back to you." Mingxia laid down her best offer. She had no money on her, and going to ask the Zhou family for help would only put her in a tough situation, so she decided to ask him one last time for his help. "It is okay if you do not want to see me anymore. I won't be your lawyer either."
"Who said I did not want to see you? What nonsense are you sprouting?"