Chapter 19

“Xi Heng, can I sleep with you tonight?”

A forked purple lightning exploded across the deep night sky. After the tremendous thunder, the brightness vanished, and the man’s sharply defined profile sank into a half-lit, half-dark shadow. Mu He couldn’t make out his expression, only hearing a soft laugh escape his throat, tinged with a trace of helplessness: “Mu Yangyang.”

She instinctively straightened her back.

“If I remember correctly,” Huo Siheng shifted into a more relaxed posture, his gaze smiling in the dim light, “you seem to be twenty-two this year.”

“You remembered wrong!”

Mu He turned sideways, using her back to gently push him aside blocking the door. She boldly hugged the blanket and stepped into his room, turning to flash him a triumphant smile, the corners of her eyes gleaming with satisfaction. “My birthday hasn’t come yet, so it doesn’t count.”

No law says a twenty-two-year-old can’t be afraid of thunderstorms, right?

Her inner scheme was working perfectly—now that she was in, he wouldn’t be letting her leave again.

Mu He pushed his blanket aside and claimed half the bed for herself. Once lying down, seeing him still standing, she felt a tiny pang of guilt for her bold intrusion, nervously clearing her throat: “Aren’t you coming to sleep?”

Huo Siheng’s eyes darkened: “Are you sure you really want to sleep with me?”

Mu He was startled. It clearly meant the same thing, so why did she hear impropriety, a hint of mischief, in his words?

It must be a misconception. Shyness and modesty were completely overridden by fear. She nodded: “Sure.”

It’s not like they hadn’t slept together before.

Yet when he finally lay beside her, Mu He sensed something was off.

His bed… wasn’t as big as the master bedroom’s.

Even with separate blankets, the man’s presence was overwhelming. The air felt thin, making Mu He almost suffocate, hesitant even to breathe deeply.

Perhaps when they first met she was too young; she never thought of differences between men and women with him.

But at this moment, she realized that eight years ago and eight years later, sharing the same bed had… different implications.

“Xi Heng.”

“Your bed is a little small. I think we…” Mu He tugged gently at the blanket, carefully choosing her words, “…should probably sleep in the master bedroom instead?”

Huo Siheng could hear the implication, deliberately teasing her: “Do you think you could escape if I really wanted to do something to you?”

No.

Wrong…

Mu He’s heart fluttered slightly. Finally, she turned the thought around. Eyes wide in disbelief, clutching the blanket, sitting up to look down at him, she exclaimed: “If you do anything to me, you’re… a beast!”

“Miss Mu,” Huo Siheng chuckled softly at her accusation, “should I remind you that the one barging into my room in the middle of the night hugging a blanket… is you?”

Mu He was speechless.

After a moment, she mumbled quietly: “I wouldn’t do anything to you.”

Huo Siheng heard her and squinted, eyes narrowing slightly, saying with hidden meaning: “I hope tomorrow when I wake up, my pajamas are still dry.”

Certain memories surfaced, and Mu He’s face immediately heated.

The last time they slept together, the bed was even smaller, barely enough for two. They had started back-to-back, clear boundaries, but somehow she ended up lying on his chest, even wetting his clothes…

Unpleasant memories.

Mu He frowned in frustration, speaking with mock authority: “Xi Heng, for your own safety, I think it’s better if you just sleep quietly.”

Sure enough, he fell silent, even his breathing soft and steady.

Thunder cracked again, startling her into a shiver.

Mu He closed her eyes, trying to summon sleep, but the more she tried, the more awake she became. After what felt like a century, she softly called: “Xi Heng, are you asleep?”

Huo Siheng had long sensed her restlessness. Without opening his eyes, lazily: “…Mm.”

“You can,” Mu He softened her voice, whispering as if sharing a secret, “tell me a bedtime story?”

She wasn’t a child anymore, so why ask for a bedtime story?

It sounded ridiculous, yet in front of him, she didn’t feel embarrassed at all.

“No.”

She knew it.

She had to compromise: “Then can you sing me a lullaby?”

“How about a Russian song? If you don’t understand the lyrics, it’s easier to fall asleep.”

Huo Siheng didn’t respond.

“Xi Heng, Xi Heng, Xi Heng…” She didn’t even notice her tone had become almost coaxing.

Overlapping her voice was his deep, magnetic timbre: “Вeчeptnxonпecheюhaдpekonплывet. (The song ripples gently across the evening water)…”

Mu He recognized the melody as a famous Soviet song, “The Hawthorn Tree,” about a love triangle between two men and a woman. Surrounded by his lazy, enchanting voice, the wind and rain outside gradually faded, and she closed her eyes contentedly.

Before he finished, Huo Siheng noticed she had completely fallen asleep. Tilting his head, he saw her long lashes resting low, a shallow smile dimpled her cheek. He buried all his emotions deep in his eyes, only slightly raising the corners of his lips, softly whispering to her in Russian: “Good night.”

The storm raged all night, hammering the ceiling. He listened to her shallow breathing, inhaling her faint, subtle fragrance, feeling peace in his heart.

The rain continued the entire night.

The next day, Huo Siheng woke to daylight. The door was ajar, a bright beam of sunlight on the floor. The other side of the bed was empty; only the soft, crumpled sheets remained, evidence of their shared sleep. Always alert, he found this deep, uninterrupted sleep unprecedented. Checking the sleep monitoring system, he saw five hours total, nearly two in deep sleep.

In ten years, he had never slept this long and soundly.

Sitting at the head of the bed, he stared at the crumpled sheets, lost in thought.

Mu He, who had slept peacefully thanks to his presence, first checked if she had overstepped. Thankfully, he was still asleep. His faint blue stubble softened his cold elegance, giving him a slightly decadent beauty. She wanted to touch him to see how it felt but feared waking him, silently admiring him for several minutes before heading back to wash up.

She received last-minute notification from the crew to return and reshoot some shots. Arriving on time, she entered the makeup room and overheard Zheng Youyou and Teacher Dai talking about last night’s strong typhoon and heavy rain: “Once in ten years, the whole city lost power…”

Power outage?

Mu He recalled, after greeting them, that there hadn’t been one. When she went to Xi Heng’s place, his lights were on.

Maybe Jin Yue Bay had a generator, given how high-tech the building was, complete with instruction manuals.

By noon, Mu He finished the reshoots. Tan Mian picked up the boxed lunch. The same dishes over and over made taste buds fatigued, yet Mu He wasn’t picky. At least compared to Xi Heng’s cooking, the crew’s boxed lunch wasn’t bad.

After eating and resting, Yuan Xin’er personally came with her assistant to deliver coffee. She chatted with Mu He warmly, sincerely. Before leaving, she held Mu He’s hand like an older sister: “If anything comes up, feel free to come to me.”

Someone like Yuan Xin’er, with such status, yet so approachable, easily won favor. In less than ten minutes, Tan Mian’s heart was stolen, holding her coffee in awe: “She’s really so nice, unlike Zhong—”

Realizing her slip, she covered her mouth and redirected: “Yangyang, Xin’er is also a top student, graduated from a famous foreign university, winning scholarships every year. Later, she was discovered by a scout, which led her into the entertainment industry.”

Mu He only smiled, saying nothing.

The afternoon primarily filmed Qi Hao and Yuan Xin’er’s scenes. Two skilled actors performing together, the audience was in for a treat. Mu He, as usual, sat in the corner with the script, studying intently. By 4:30 p.m., the sky darkened ominously, signaling rain, she prepared to leave.

Traffic delayed her driver. Mu He waited under the eaves, playing on her phone, just after collecting an egg from Ant Manor, she looked up to see Zhong Li Fei returning, her expression grim, walking hurriedly, as if even the wind stirred by her steps carried anger.

Mu He sensed something was wrong with Zhong Li Fei, like she was going to confront someone recklessly. Watching her enter the underground parking, Mu He called Tan Mian: “Let’s go see.”

The parking lot was huge. After entering, Zhong Li Fei had vanished. Mu He followed the sound of high heels, guiding Tan Mian toward the southeastern corner.

What they saw next left them dumbfounded.

A black luxury car was violently shaking. Anyone could tell from the wild movement what was happening inside.

Tan Mian swallowed hard

!

No one needed to answer.

Zhong Li Fei’s actions spoke for themselves. She lifted her bag and slammed it forcefully against the car window. Obviously, it was a futile effort. She kicked off her high-heeled boots and, like a shrew, attacked the car window hysterically. Inside, the pair of cheating lovers were already pale with fear, but when her heels struck the glass, it only made a dull sound without causing any real damage.

Tan Mian watched in disbelief as Zhong Li Fei repeatedly struck the car window with her heels, panicking: What should we do? What should we do?

“Yangyang…”

She turned her head—Mu He was gone.

Tan Mian anxiously searched around. Seconds later, Mu He reappeared, holding two steel rods she had somehow found. Tan Mian was stunned: What was she planning to do?

!

Oh my god, Yangyang isn’t going to…

Mu He walked over to Zhong Li Fei and handed her a steel rod: “Use this.”

Zhong Li Fei’s eyes were reddened with anger. Seeing Mu He, a myriad of emotions flashed across her eyes, yet without hesitation, she took the rod, lifted it above her head, and struck down with all her strength.

“Give me a hand.”

Zhong Li Fei said.

Mu He tapped the steel rod in her hands: “No problem.”

Zhong Li Fei jumped onto the car hood, stomping until it clanged loudly. At that moment, she looked like a proud queen, gazing down with disdain at the frightened couple inside, striking the windshield with repeated heavy blows.

How could the glass of a luxury car be so easily broken by a woman with no physical strength?

Mu He wasn’t very strong either, but she excelled at physics, skilled in analyzing force points. She identified the fragile spot, concentrated her strength, and struck precisely.

Seeing a hole smashed in the rear side glass on the driver’s side, Zhong Li Fei jumped down excitedly, hammering the glass in a frenzy until the entire pane shattered. She successfully opened the car door, hastily pulling the flustered cheating couple out of their clothes…

Not wanting her eyes polluted by the filthy scene, Mu He looked away. But Zhong Li Fei, still enraged, likely had little rationality left. To simplify what followed, Mu He quietly took her phone, turned on the camera, and filmed the interior.

The indecent, disgraceful acts were committed by Zhou Jing and his companions, but public opinion often judged the victim, Zhong Li Fei, too harshly. If Zhou Jing reported it first, the facts would surely be distorted.

People rarely cared about the truth; they only cared whether the incident was dramatic, sensational, and ripe for gossip.

As for exposing it, the initiative was in Mu He’s hands, the decision in Zhong Li Fei’s. Zhou Jing had no say; even if he wanted to stir trouble, he couldn’t make a big splash.

Zhong Li Fei thoroughly beat the adulterous couple trapped in the car. Zhou Jing’s face was dark, silent the entire time. The young model cried loudly, claiming she would sue Zhong Li Fei for attempted murder.

Zhong Li Fei laughed at the absurdity, perhaps thinking it an insult to entangle with such low-intelligence creatures. She had caught them in the act, beaten them, vented her anger—she hadn’t really suffered any loss.

She didn’t want to look at the disgusting couple anymore: “Hurry up and leave.”

Mu He quickly turned her back, hiding her phone, heart pounding.

The two left the car, bent over to pick up scattered clothes. Zhou Jing was fast—within seconds, he had dressed, ignoring the model entirely, turning to leave.

“Hey.”

Mu He called out.

Zhong Li Fei looked at her in surprise, her eyes glittering with complex emotion.

Zhou Jing didn’t know her intent, but despite the awkwardness, he turned: “What is it?”

Mu He pointed at the young model still struggling with her skirt, voice light: “Don’t litter.”

The model and Zhou Jing: “…”

Tan Mian covered her mouth, trying not to laugh, face red. Zhong Li Fei, amused by Mu He’s seriousness, snorted, then straightened her expression: “Did you hear me? Take the trash with you!”

Zhou Jing clenched his fists at his sides. After calming slightly, he seemed to try to make amends, glancing at Zhong Li Fei: “Li Fei, I…”

Zhong Li Fei gave him no chance to apologize, spitting: “My surname is Zhong Li, given name Fei.”

Ironically, they had been dating nearly six months, and Zhou Jing hadn’t even learned her real name. She had genuinely cared, but since their relationship ended today, there was no need to preserve his dignity.

Zhou Jing, embarrassed, said nothing more, genuinely leaving this time.

The young model stumbled along, finishing dressing as she followed.

After they left, Zhong Li Fei snorted disdainfully: “A bitch with a dog, forever.”

Mu He responded lightly: “Don’t insult the dog.”

Zhong Li Fei laughed again, looking at this girl who held no grudges and had helped her out. She sincerely said: “Thank you.”

“It was nothing.”

In situations like this, she could never stand idly by.

“Just…” Mu He hesitated, pointing at the nearly destroyed luxury car. Although most of the damage was Zhong Li Fei’s doing, the steel rod was hers, and she had smashed the window…

She bit her lip lightly: “I don’t have much money right now. I don’t have to pay for this window, right?”

Zhong Li Fei burst into a series of laughs. After a full minute, she finally stopped: “Haha, you’re so interesting!”

Mu He: “…”

Because of this incident, Mu He returned home very late. Sitting on the sofa, massaging her aching wrist—probably strained from smashing the window—she looked up at the footsteps approaching.

The man’s handsome face was cold, carrying a dangerous, oppressive aura as he walked toward her.

Mu He’s first thought:

Had she committed some unforgivable crime against him last night?

When he sat beside her, she felt as if in an ice cellar: “Xi Heng?”

Couldn’t they discuss anything?

If she had really done something, she would take full responsibility…

Huo Siheng’s eyes were like cold stars, flickering with faint icy light: “This afternoon at the film city underground parking lot, what did you do?”

How could he know?

!

No, that wasn’t the point.

Mu He wasn’t afraid of him scolding or yelling, but she dreaded this cold, blade-like, grinding anger—it meant he was truly mad. Panic seized her; she had no idea how to respond.

Huo Siheng issued his final ultimatum in a low voice: “One minute. Explain yourself.”

At a time like this, explanation wasn’t the priority. Admitting fault obediently was the best choice.

Mu He whimpered softly, clear eyes misting with tears, forehead against his shoulder, rubbing lightly. Her right hand lifted in front of him, choked with complaint: “Xi Heng, my hand… it really hurts.”

Just as she expected, in his peripheral vision, his tightly pressed lips relaxed slightly, his expression softening a bit.