TRWSB – Chapter 120 Eavesdropping

Qi Shaorong got dressed and walked out, and by then, everyone in the hall had gathered.

He glanced at Mu Tingxuan and asked with concern, “Tingxuan, are you alright?”

Mu Tingxuan, with a calm expression, responded, “I’m fine, Young Master, don’t worry.”

Qi Shaorong observed Mu Tingxuan and urged, “If you’re feeling unwell, I can approve your leave. You know, I don’t often offer such generosity!”

Mu Tingxuan smiled slightly and said, “Young Master, I really am fine.”

Mu Tingxuan lowered his head, a warm feeling rising in his heart. Recently, Qi Shaorong had been busy negotiating with the Merchant Alliance, handling many matters. To get revenge for him, Qi Shaorong had gone to great lengths. How could Mu Tingxuan, at this time, drag Qi Shaorong down?

The group continued eating when a knock sounded at the door.

Qi Shaorong frowned as he put down his chopsticks and said, “Who could be coming at this hour? Are they here to mooch off a meal?”

Zhuang Hao: “…”

Mu Tingxuan tightly gripped his chopsticks, stood up abruptly, and said, “I’ll go.”

Yi Fan placed his hand on Mu Tingxuan’s and said, “Let me go. It might be…”

Mu Tingxuan shot Yi Fan a glance and replied coldly, “If it’s something I need to face, then I’ll face it.”

Mu Tingxuan withdrew his hand from Yi Fan’s grip and walked out.

Yi Fan watched Mu Tingxuan’s retreating figure, feeling an emptiness inside.

……

Mu Tingxuan opened the door to find Mu Xingzhi standing there.

Mu Tingxuan looked at the visitor and asked, “You… are looking for someone?”

Mu Xingzhi’s eyes immediately became misty. He trembled and, in a hoarse voice, said, “I’m looking for you!”

Mu Tingxuan looked at Mu Xingzhi, lowered his head, and asked, “Looking for me? Is there something you need?”

“Can I talk to you alone?” Mu Xingzhi asked.

Mu Tingxuan looked at Mu Xingzhi and replied, “I don’t think there’s anything between us that needs discussing.”

During his childhood, he never even saw Mu Xingzhi’s face.

When he was little, he saw other children being held by their fathers, and he imagined that his own father might one day hold him too. He didn’t expect his father to lift him as he did with other children, but he occasionally hoped that his father would talk to him—just a conversation. However, it never happened.

Mu Tingxuan remembered that when he was younger, a dog named A Bao always kept him company. Even though he would sometimes go hungry, he would share his food with the dog. Loneliness was truly unbearable at times, and in his childhood, the only one who truly cared for him was that dog.

When he was five, Mu Yueshan had cut open his body to take the Wood Spirit Heart, and at that time, A Bao had jumped in to protect him. The dog had bitten the person trying to harm him but was ultimately beaten to death.

Mu Xingzhi lowered his head, his voice trembling as he said, “I’m sorry.”

Mu Tingxuan looked at Mu Xingzhi and said, “You don’t need to say that.” No matter what, Mu Xingzhi was his father, and Mu Tingxuan was alive, able to experience the world’s beauty, so he still owed a certain amount of gratitude to Mu Xingzhi.

“Give me a little time. I just want to talk to you,” Mu Xingzhi pleaded earnestly.

Mu Tingxuan looked at him and finally sighed deeply. “Although I don’t think there’s anything for us to discuss, if you insist, then come in.”

……

Qi Shaorong was eating his meat slices when he remarked, “I wonder what Mu Tingxuan and that old man are talking about?”

Zhuang Hao leaned towards Yi Fan and said, “Hey, aren’t you going to eavesdrop?”

Yi Fan: “…Eavesdropping is bad.”

Zhuang Hao looked at Yi Fan and said, “You really aren’t going? If you don’t go now, once they’re done talking, you won’t be able to hear anything.”

Yi Fan gave Zhuang Hao a look before standing up and leaving.

Zhuang Hao leaned in closer to Qi Shaorong and said, “Look at Yi Fan! He’s not upright at all!”

Qi Shaorong tilted his head and glared at Zhuang Hao, replying curtly, “If you think Yi Fan isn’t upright, does that mean you’re some sort of paragon of virtue?”

Zhuang Hao responded proudly, “Of course! I’m the most upright person around!”

Qi Shaorong: “…”

Shen Yuan silently nibbled on a steamed bun, pretending to be invisible. He sighed inwardly, feeling that the bar for his personal standards was being constantly lowered as he watched Zhuang Hao and Qi Shaorong interact. He never expected Zhuang Hao to have such a lively side.

Qi Shaorong glanced at Zhuang Hao and said, “I’m drinking water, so keep your distance. If you tell me any more bad jokes, I’ll spit water in your face.”

Zhuang Hao: “…”

Mu Tingxuan stood to one side and said, “If you have something to say, hurry up. Once you’re done, please leave.”

Mo Xingzhi looked at Mu Tingxuan with some apology and asked, “How have you been these years?”

Mu Tingxuan crossed his arms and replied coldly, “Very well. The people I follow treat me well, and I have a few companions I can confide in. I think you know that Young Master has offended the former king of the country to stand up for me. Though many don’t treat me well, at least there are still people who care about me.”

Mo Xingzhi clenched his fists and said, “If you’re doing well, then that’s good.”

Mu Tingxuan looked at Mo Xingzhi and said, “You didn’t come all the way here just to ask me how I’m doing, did you? If you’ve come to ask me to spare the Mu family, then please leave. Young Master has gone to great lengths for me, and I can’t drag him down at this time. Also, deep down, I don’t want to spare the Mu family. The worse the Mu family gets, the happier I am.”

“Is that how you see me?” Mo Xingzhi asked, his voice trembling.

Mu Tingxuan looked at him and replied indifferently, “How should I see you? When I was a child, all I ever heard was how you worked for the family, what great contributions you made.”

“Because of my fate, I might have threatened the Mu family. Without even investigating, you expelled me from the Mu family. I lived in the Mu family for five years, and you were always busy with the family’s affairs. Did you ever care what kind of life I was living? You probably think that since the Mu family spared my life, that was already very merciful, right?”

“I’m sorry,” Mo Xingzhi closed his eyes. From the moment he was born, he had been brainwashed by the family, convinced that his existence was solely for the family’s benefit.

But everything changed when he heard about Mu Tingxuan’s death. At that moment, Mo Xingzhi didn’t know anymore what it meant to serve the family, and sadly, he realized too late.

Mu Tingxuan looked at him and said quietly, “You don’t need to apologize. You gave me life, and no matter what, I should be grateful to you. But I don’t owe you anything. When I was five, I had my Wood Spirit Heart removed. My life force was drained, and I almost died several times. It was my uncle who took me to the original country, and by some miracle, I was healed.”

“I’ve already died once. I owe you a life, but that debt has already been repaid to the Mu family.”

Mo Xingzhi looked at Mu Tingxuan, whose face remained calm, and said, “I’m sorry.”

Mu Tingxuan replied, “I’m doing well now. If there’s nothing special, please don’t come looking for me anymore.”

Mo Xingzhi stood there trembling, unable to say a word.

“Father, I’m sorry. Take care of yourself,” Mo Xingzhi thought he had a lot to say, but when faced with Mu Tingxuan’s clear eyes, he felt all words were powerless.

Mo Xingzhi left, disoriented, while Mu Tingxuan clenched his fists and stood in the courtyard for a long time.

Yi Fan walked over and hugged Mu Tingxuan, saying, “If you want to cry, cry. Don’t hold it in. Let it out.”

Mu Tingxuan gave a bitter smile and said, “I’ve long passed the age for crying.”

Yi Fan bit his lip, a pang of sadness rising in his heart.

“Ah Fan, you like me, don’t you?” Mu Tingxuan asked, looking at Yi Fan.

Yi Fan’s heart skipped a beat, and he felt a sudden wave of nervousness. “Yes.”

“What do you like about me?” Mu Tingxuan asked, confused.

Yi Fan smiled and said, “I don’t know. I just like you a lot.”

“Thank you.”

Yi Fan hugged Mu Tingxuan and said, “There’s no need to thank me for this.”

Mu Tingxuan smiled weakly and said, “When I was younger, I always hoped someone would like me, but everyone treated me like a disaster. So, being liked by someone now makes me very happy.”

Yi Fan tightened his arms around him. “You’ve grown up. The things from when you were a child are in the past now.”

“Ah Fan, let’s do it.”

Yi Fan froze for a moment, his mind overwhelmed as if fireworks were exploding. “I…”

“You don’t want to?”

Yi Fan’s face turned red. “No, no, it’s just… too sudden.”

Yi Fan was embarrassed, his face completely confused. The one even more confused was Zhuang Hao, who was watching from a distance as Yi Fan and Mu Tingxuan walked off together, his heart filled with a deep sense of bitterness.

……

Zhuang Hao returned to the table, looking lost. Shen Yuan looked at him and asked, “Zhuang Hao, didn’t you go to call Yi Fan and Mu Tingxuan back for dinner? Where are they?”

Zhuang Hao forced a dry smile and said, “Don’t bother calling them. They’re not hungry right now and probably have no appetite.”

Qi Shaorong looked at Zhuang Hao and asked, “What’s wrong with you? You look like you’ve just received some huge blow!”

Zhuang Hao turned and looked at Qi Shaorong. “Do I look like I’ve been hit hard?”

Shen Yuan hurriedly nodded. “Yes, you look like you’ve suffered a devastating blow.”

Zhuang Hao: “…”

Qi Shaorong looked at him and asked, “What exactly happened?”

Zhuang Hao shook his head. “It’s nothing. It’s just that Yi Fan and Mu Tingxuan went to roll in the sheets.”

Qi Shaorong spat out his drink, splashing Zhuang Hao’s face.

“Are you crazy? Did Yi Fan really try to force himself? No way!” Qi Shaorong muttered.

“No, it was Mu Tingxuan’s idea.”

Qi Shaorong tilted his head, blinking. “Oh! I didn’t expect Mu Tingxuan to be so open-minded.”

Zhuang Hao: “Yi Fan’s taking advantage of the situation, he’s such a scoundrel…”

Zhuang Hao secretly thought: Yi Fan is so cunning, taking advantage of Mu Tingxuan when he’s vulnerable. It’s really sneaky! I made fun of Yi Fan a few days ago, mocking him and Mu Tingxuan for not making progress, but who would’ve thought they’d end up together so quickly?

Qi Shaorong looked at Zhuang Hao and asked, “What’s wrong with you? You look so miserable!”

“Zhuang Hao, you’re jealous, aren’t you? Don’t worry about it!” Shen Yuan teased.

Qi Shaorong: “Jealous? What’s there to be jealous about? Rolling in the sheets is just having one more person in bed. The bed gets smaller, that’s all. What’s there to be happy about?”

Shen Yuan: “…”

Zhuang Hao looked at Qi Shaorong and said, “I’ll sleep with you tonight!”

Qi Shaorong rolled his eyes and said, “Go cool off. Don’t think too much.”

Zhuang Hao: “…”