Chapter 45: Schemes

Lan Yanzhi’s mad dash toward Mu Sihan looked, to the woman watching, as though he could hardly wait to return to his beloved’s side. Though she felt a twinge of reluctance, she had to admit that the two of them sitting together made for an exceptionally striking sight.

It made sense, really—a charming young master who flitted among flowers, perhaps only a fierce and untamed Mu Sihan could truly conquer him. Lan Yanzhi was utterly absorbed in Mu Sihan’s phone. If he knew what the woman was thinking, he would surely have kicked her aside and added, “Overactive imagination is an illness—you need treatment.”

On Mu Sihan’s phone was a photo sent to him: Nan Zhi, fresh from her bath, stepping out of the bathroom in a nightgown. Her long, tea-colored hair lay damp across her delicate shoulders; her pale hands held a towel as she tilted her head to wipe away droplets. Her face, small and refined, was pristine and lovely, lips red as though ravaged by him. Mu Sihan clamped a cigar between his lips, staring at the screen until it dimmed, then unlocking it to brighten the display again.

The woman, just washed, was radiant as a lotus emerging from water. The allure of her makeup had faded, leaving her fresh and pure—like a university student newly arrived on campus. Her figure in the strappy nightdress was slender and graceful, bearing no sign of having borne a child.

Suddenly a hand darted out, snatching the phone from Mu Sihan. Lan Yanzhi, barely able to glimpse the woman’s face, saw the device quickly reclaimed by Mu Sihan, who moved with ruthless speed. At the same moment, Lan Yanzhi caught a fierce kick to his calf.

“Damn it, Fourth Brother, did you really have to kick so hard?” Lan Yanzhi protested loudly. “Whenever I’ve had racy photos, I’ve always shared them with you. The one you're looking at is just a woman in a nightdress—what’s the harm in me taking a peek?”

Mu Sihan rose from the sofa, his tall figure shrouded in the dim light, an oppressive aura emanating from his dark eyes. Seeing Mu Sihan’s temper about to erupt, Lan Yanzhi hastily backed down, “Alright, alright, Fourth Brother doesn’t want me to look, so I won’t.”

Mu Sihan snorted coldly and strode out of the private room, phone in hand. He didn’t go far; he leaned against the wall, one long leg lazily bent, and glanced again at his phone.

The woman had sent only a photo after her bath, without a single word. Was she playing games with him again? Mu Sihan frowned, feeling irritated. With a dark expression, he sent back a single exclamation mark.

A minute passed. Two minutes... Five minutes. Still no response.

The easily kindled fire in his chest began to blaze uncontrollably. At that moment, he felt an overwhelming urge to storm into the hospital and drag out that scheming woman for a thorough beating.

...

Meanwhile, the woman he was cursing so fiercely suddenly shivered. Glancing at Xiao Kai, who was fiddling with her phone, Nan Zhi walked over and took it back from his hands. “Sweetheart, it’s getting late. Time to rest.”

Xiao Kai frowned, his tiny brows drawn together in disappointment. He had never seen someone so hopeless at chatting. He’d already secretly sent a photo of beautiful Zhi Zhi after her bath—shouldn’t he reply with something like ‘You’re so beautiful,’ ‘I like you so much,’ or ‘Can we go out together?’ But all he got was a single [!].

What a terrible temper! What if he’s mean to his lovely Zhi Zhi in the future? Hmph, he didn’t want to bother with him anymore. Luckily, before Nan Zhi retrieved her phone, Xiao Kai decisively removed him from her list of friends.

Nan Zhi’s mood had improved since visiting Jun Yuan’s office—he’d told her he’d found suitable bone marrow for Xiao Kai. With that, Nan Zhi no longer needed to search for Xiao Kai’s biological father.

She smiled as she put away her phone, completely unaware that her precious son had almost sold her out.