Xuxiang did not halt to lash out at her. He entirely threw the blame on her shoulders when he was the one who begged to have it raw. If she had been sensible that day, she would have eagerly refused and run away. She was only twenty-four years old then, twelve years apart from Qiang Xuxiang at the time she slept with him.
She was already married to her husband, Jiang Shi, at the time when she gave her whole life to Qiang. They were married, yet An Yu never once initiated any romance with Jiang Shi and ran off to be with another older man, twelve years older than her. Not too long after, Jiang Shi filed for divorce, and they separated. An Yu at last had her freedom and wanted to chase after Qiang. He was one of the wealthiest men in Wuhan—any woman's dream. He was good-looking, good in bed, and rich too—a perfect combo for women of this age. The only option he offered her was to sleep with him, and eagerly, An Yu accepted it. From then on, she became his mistress. Still, she was not satisfied. Xuxiang had so many mistresses outside, hence she felt less special and less favored by him too. She wanted more riches; that was how she met Ling Haoyu and was manipulated into trusting that he was still Lixin's father.
"I see why he was so eager to also propose to me. I was too greedy to see that. Can you help me? I cannot keep this up. He is weak on the bed. He is always erect, and before I orgasm, he is already done. I…" Xuxiang's laughter was heard after her erotic complaint. Was she trying to turn him on or compliment him? Anyone she was aiming for worked because a dirty grin was pasted on Xuxiang's face.
"If he cannot satisfy you, you know where to find me. Have you heard the latest news? Muchen has abandoned Haoyu to his ugly fate. It is best you look for how to break off too before Haoyu ties you down for the fact that you have his baby, which, funny enough, is not his either." Xuxiang said it nonchalantly. Since she wanted riches, this was her price to pay. Xuxiang noted her heavy breathing and grinned more. She must be upset that her fate has gotten worse. Without the mastermind, Haoyu was a weakling who dared not go up against his son, Mu Lixin. Who would dare do such a thing?
At the mention of Mu Lixin's name, people retracted backward and shivered in dread. The man was the most feared in Wuhan. From his beauty to his wealth, he attracted women of all ages and sizes, all of whom were scared to approach him. They could only dream of him from afar. Rumors had it that Lixin was gay and had a large scar, which even made it crueler to look at him.
"When did you find this out?"
"This morning! Stunning right? I could not believe it, but then again, why would I not believe it? Muchen has every right to withdraw his hands from the greedy Haoyu. Have you ever heard of the reason why his first wife, Mu Nuying, died?"
"Lixin's mother?" An Yu gulped in. Could it be that Haoyu had a hand in her death? She shivered, starting to get alert when around this man. He was not as simple as he portrayed himself to be. "He killed her?"
"And burned her dead. Is that not why Lixin is suing him? Haoyu is stupid. If he had brains, he would not be as daring as he is now to chase after that lawsuit. Lixin has the upper hand over him. And now, Muchen pulls out his support, which he is down for. We can only watch from afar as Lixin avenges his mother. Ever heard of Mu Lixin?" That was a useless question for An Yu. Who would not know about the almighty, merciless, brutal king, Mu Lixin? His presence alone was enough to tag him as a god. He had everything—power, riches, and fame. In addition, his actions were backed up by the Mu, the world's richest elite group. How lucky he is to have the surname Mu! After Nuying and Haoyu divorced, Lixin discarded the Ling and took his mother's last name, which favored him.
He had so many people at his feet! So many riches! At a young age, he was running up for the chairman position in the Mu group, and by default, while being favored by Mu Jialing, his grandfather—another prestigious face in Wuhan—he was able to garner support from the shareholders and masses; furthermore, he owned thirty-five percent of his mother's and twenty percent of his, totaling fifty-five percent of the sole, largest investment company in China and beyond.
Surprisingly, at such a young age, he was not a disappointment. He proved his worth, earning him the title 'business guru' in China. No matter his age, older individuals bowed before him. Simply put, going after him alone with no upper-level allies was like seeking an excruciating death. His second uncle's dreadful death was one of a million things Lixin was capable of doing.
"Are you kidding me?" An Yu replied. "I will count on you from now on, Qiang Xuxiang. The plot has to change; Haoyu's doom is very near."
.........….
At the amusement park.
Smiling at the blue sky, Mingxia pointed at the sky and laughed. The clouds were very bright and shaped like hearts. She chuckled, remembering the last time she had fun. It was a million years ago. She stopped walking and waited for Lixin to catch up to her. Shocked? She could walk but for only a little while. Soon, her spinal cord would be able to learn how to carry her lower body like it used to, despite the paralysis disorder. Lixin caught up quickly because of his long legs, supported her back with his hands, and led her into the merry-go-round.
"This is childish." Lixin rejected the pony doll Mingxia wore on his head, took it, and put it on, seeing her sulking face. Lixin assured her that he was not going to reject any of her fun acts, so he wore it instantly. Hours of fun and joy all ended. Mingxia sat down on the bench close to the water and handed Lixin a bottle of water. She was stunned that he agreed to lower his self-esteem and ego for her. Mingxia was truly moved by his actions. Her happiness could not be hidden; she smiled brightly.
"It is not. You look cute." Mingxia giggled as she secretly took pictures of Lixin when he was not looking her way. "I wish you did not have to bring that mask along and clear the park just for us. It is more fun when people are around." She pouted her lips. Mingxia felt bad for having all these fun activities all to herself; it would have been better if Lixin had not booked the entire amusement park for the day.
"If you like this park so much, I will buy it under your name," Lixin responded by removing the ponytail hairband from his hair, patting his hair, and leaning on the bench. The scenery was very pleasant and relaxing to observe. He peeked at her smiling face and felt much more relieved. He preferred this Mingxia to whatever Mingxia he saw last night. He always wanted her to be happy. "How does it feel like walking again?" He asked, looking down at her legs. There were some faint scars from the fall on her legs. Her recuperating self was quick. After four weeks of physiotherapy, she learned how to walk without any worries.
"Good. I am happy that I can walk." Mingxia uttered it with a beam on her face. At least there was a little hope for her face-slapping comeback. Wondering how people would laugh at her making a comeback in a wheelchair devastated her. Nonetheless, she strived, and now she could walk! Though not for long. "Thank you, Mu Lixin."
"For what?" His brows creased together. Mingxia always said thanks for things that were his responsibility. Did Mingxia forget so soon that it was his mother's last wish to take care of her? He was keen to go to any extent to fulfill his mother's wish. "You are too soft for this world, Zhou Mingxia. If you keep thanking me for everything I do, I will get pissed off!" Lixin added. He could count the numerous times Mingxia had thanked him today. It was getting him pissed.
"That is how I am. And you are right. I am weak for this world; therefore, I will have to rely on you to teach me your ways, Lixin. You would not say no to me, would you?" Mingxia mumbled with all the seriousness in her heart. It was about time she showed the world that she was a badass. Even Luo Yuxuan himself would be surprised by her change. Yuxuan belittled her for this reason, and Mingxia was not going to allow anyone to do that to her. It was time to be strong for herself.
"Whatever…"
"Is that a yes?" She bubbled up, giggling like a little child permitted to hang out with her friends. Mingxia sucked in her orange soda, stole a glance at him, and played with her fingers. Mingxia could tell he was troubled by something but did not want to ask. An idea popped into her mind. "Can we ride the ferry wheel?"