Yesterday, he said he would try to co back, but Su Mu made two calls to him without getting an answer. She called Song Yi, who only ntioned that he was busy, but just how busy could he be that he didn’t even have ti for one phone call.
There was still no ssage on her cell phone, and Fu Shinian still hadn’t replied. As she hesitated over whether to call him again, the bathroom door was pushed open, and Jiang Bei ca in. She leaned against the doorfra and glanced at Su Mu, whose complexion didn’t look great:
"Had a nightmare?"
Su Mu forced a smile:
"It’s nothing."
"Still no call from Fu Shinian?"
Su Mu nodded: "Maybe he’s busy."
"Even the president isn’t as busy as him, not having a mont for a phone call. Do you think you can fool yourself with that excuse?" Jiang Bei looked at Su Mu with sympathy. "I thought he had truly reford, but now it seems like a leopard can’t change its spots. It hasn’t been long since you forgave him, and yet, he’s beco even worse than before."
Su Mu really wanted to defend Fu Shinian but felt it unnecessary once the words ca to her lips. The opposition between Jiang Bei and Fu Shinian was not a matter of a day or two, and her words carried no weight with Jiang Bei. In fact, she was the sa as Fu Shinian—she always valued actions over words.
It was two days after Fu Shinian returned from New York, but Su Mu didn’t know that. She only discovered his car and Song Yi standing beside it when she went back to the old mansion to see the old lady. She hurried over, and at that mont, Song Yi also noticed her. His expression was sowhat unnatural, as if he wanted to say sothing, but in the end, all he said was:
"Madam."
Su Mu didn’t have ti to ponder the aning behind Song Yi’s expression:
"Shinian is back?"
"Yes, he arrived this morning."
This morning ant that he had been back for half a day, and yet she was only finding out now. Her hand, which hung by her side, clenched unconsciously. She couldn’t quite describe her feelings—using any sort of taphor, she felt like the superfluous one.
Song Yi sneaked glances at Su Mu’s reaction, and seeing her stand motionless for a long ti, he finally spoke up, mindful of the weather:
"Madam, you should go inside."
Inside the house, Fu Shinian was dressed in white and black, sitting on the couch chatting leisurely with the old lady—a sight that made Su Mu feel like it would be inappropriate to interrupt them. As she considered leaving, the old lady spotted her first:
"Is that Susu? Did you know Shinian ca back from a trip and specially ca to visit?"
Su Mu had no choice but to approach, but she chose to sit on the other side of the old lady:
"Grandma."
"You’ve been with Xiaobei these last few days; there’s no need to visit so often. I was just about to ask Shinian to look for you. It’s customary to visit your wife first when you co back from a trip, not your grandma."
Su Mu smiled and glanced at Fu Shinian, only to find him intently peeling an apple, never once looking her way.
Whatever the grandma said afterward, Su Mu didn’t catch a single word. Her gaze remained fixed on Fu Shinian’s face, but as if he sensed her stare, he never once looked up.
Su Mu had a premonition that he already knew everything; otherwise, his attitude wouldn’t have changed so abruptly without reason.
The grandma’s eyes darted between them, and then she said with a smile:
"Alright, stop keeping company here. I know you two have things to discuss, so go ahead and go back."
As Su Mu tried to get up from her seat, Fu Shinian casually spoke:
"Old lady, where are you trying to send off to?"
"Back to your own ho." The old lady glared at him with a smile: "Don’t be a nuisance here."
"There’s a guest at my place, so I’ll continue to stay here with you." Fu Shinian handed the peeled apple to the old lady: "Didn’t I tell you already? I’ll stay at the old house with you until before the New Year. Have you forgotten that?"
Before the old lady could realize anything, Su Mu interrupted:
"Grandma, considering Jiang Bei’s current situation, it wouldn’t be good for him to move back ho. If Shinian goes back, Jiang Bei, stubborn as he is, might try to move out too. He’s still injured and there’d be no one to look after him if he moves out. I wouldn’t be at ease. Let’s just have Shinian stay here. Once Jiang Bei’s issues are resolved, I’ll co back too."
After Su Mu finished speaking, Fu Shinian finally cast a fleeting glance at her. Su Mu sensed it and turned slightly to et his gaze. Neither of them said a word, and after a few seconds, as if by agreent, they averted their eyes at the sa ti.
The old lady looked at Fu Shinian:
"Did you discuss this with Su Mu before you ca back?"
Fu Shinian nodded:
"Yes."
"Alright then, if that’s the case, I have nothing more to say." The old lady got up, passing the apple to Su Mu: "Shinian peeled this for you."
Su Mu received it but never had she felt an apple could weigh so heavily in her hands.
"Thank you, Grandma."
"I’ll go rest for a bit. I know you haven’t seen each other in a few days and have a lot to talk about. Hurry up to your room."
Su Mu smiled and watched the old lady return to her room.
The living room beca eerily quiet. Su Mu’s breathing was light, but continuing like this would not yield any positive results. She bent down to place the apple on the table and intended to look up at Fu Shinian, but ultimately, she didn’t have the courage. Instead, she spoke softly:
"I have sothing to tell you."
Fu Shinian went upstairs:
"Don’t let the old lady hear."
His tone was so cold and disdainful that she seed utterly out of place here.
On the second floor, in the study, when Su Mu entered, Fu Shinian was standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window smoking. The cigarette had just been lit, but it was almost burnt to the filter—a clear sign of his intense smoking. Was this his way of trying to relieve so sort of tension? Su Mu stood behind him and let out a slight laugh.
Really, there was no need for such antics.
Su Mu thought she would be the first one to break the oppressive silence, but she was mistaken. The first to speak was Fu Shinian, who asked:
"What did you do on the night of January 18th?"
Although she had anticipated he knew everything, when she heard him ntion the incident, Su Mu still felt suffocated by the oppressive air around them. She wanted to deny it, but that would surely only infuriate him further.
So things are wrong from the start, and Su Mu missed the chance to be proactive. Now, to Fu Shinian, everything seed like an admission made under duress.
"I was at the Wen Family’s place. I have no recollection of what happened, but when I woke up the next day, I was in Wen Han’s bed, and both of us were undressed."
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