Chapter 24

“Daddy…”

Hearing her unconscious murmuring, Huo Si Heng’s expression became particularly… complex.

Mu He was being dragged deeply by a dream, the imagery chaotic. She dreamed of a young woman whose face she couldn’t see, stumbling across a meadow, walking into the depths of the forest, finally stopping by a stream. The woman placed the baby she was holding under a tree and left without looking back.

The man following the woman shook his head helplessly, sighed, and picked up the baby, who was crying uncontrollably, gently soothing: “Good, don’t cry, don’t cry. Uncle will take care of you from now on.”

The scene shifted.

The baby abandoned by her mother had grown into a graceful young woman and successfully received her university acceptance letter. The man’s temples had turned white, laugh lines stacking around his eyes, his concealed satisfaction and joy unable to hide: “Our Yangyang has endured all the hardships of this life; from now on, you’ll live well.”

Later, she went to the city for school while he remained in the remote mountains.

The night before their parting, they sat in the attic watching the stars, talking all night.

At dawn, he sent her to the county station to take the train. She sat on the seat with teary eyes, he stood outside, smiling as he waved goodbye. Only after the train left his sight did he turn away, tears streaming down his face.

From separation across the land to a final farewell, it only took three short years—she didn’t even get a chance to see him one last time.

This man who had not given her life, but had poured his entire life into loving her, Mu Haoran—her uncle, who was also her father—remained forever frozen at the moment she was nineteen.

Tears streamed from Mu He’s eyes. She clung tightly to Huo Si Heng, her hoarse, helpless voice breaking hearts: “Daddy… don’t leave me.”

Huo Si Heng clearly felt a strange, dull pain in his chest. He gently wiped the tears from her face, the scalding liquid burning his fingertips. His gaze dimmed, comparable to the night outside. He lightly stroked her back repeatedly: “Never again.”

Whether she heard it or not, Mu He nestled against his neck and fell asleep again, eyelids and nose tips reddened, tear drops hanging at the ends of her lashes, remnants of tears on her face, looking like a fragile porcelain doll.

Huo Si Heng adjusted his position slightly; even a small movement was noticed by her, and she hugged him tighter. His heart softened in disbelief. Lowering his head, he lightly kissed the spot between her brows: “Sleep well, I’m here.”

He closed his eyes too.

Though resting, he remained constantly attentive to her.

At dawn, Mu He’s fever finally subsided. Her body temperature returned to normal, and she began to resent the “hot furnace” she had been hugging. When she realized she couldn’t push him away, she turned over, back facing him, and finally felt better.

She let out a long breath.

Huo Si Heng, used and discarded by her, sat up on the bed, smiling helplessly. He bent over to retrieve a digital thermometer from the medicine box on the floor. Opening it, he lifted her sleepwear slightly and gently placed it under her armpit, carefully keeping his eyes forward. Yet that familiar faint fragrance still reached his nose…

A few minutes later, the thermometer beeped. Huo Si Heng noted 37.1°C, relaxed his brows slightly, tucked in the covers, and got up to leave.

With daylight fully bright, Mu He, now fully awake, felt something brushing lightly on her lips. Opening her eyes, she met the deep gaze of the man and exclaimed in surprise: “Xi Heng?”

Why was he in her room?

Seeing the cup and cotton swab in his hand, she realized he had been moisturizing her lips.

She had known about her high fever last night but had been too tired to get up. By experience, sleeping it off usually healed her by the next day, even without medicine. She wasn’t that fragile.

Huo Si Heng observed her complexion—slightly pale—but her eyes had regained their sparkle, returning to the strong, vibrant Yangyang. The weak, tearful version from last night seemed nonexistent.

After a few seconds of silence, he asked softly: “Anywhere else uncomfortable?”

The residual effects of the fever combined with being suspended on wires for half a day left Mu He weak and sore. Sitting at the head of the bed, she had no strength to answer and instead asked: “How did you know I had a fever?”

At this moment, Wanwan, suppressed by Huo Si Heng’s gaze and having only been able to watch them sleep together from the corner, jumped onto the bed, proudly raising her small head: “Meow!”

It was me who went to find him!

“Could it be… Wanwan?”

Huo Si Heng nodded.

Mu He exclaimed and petted her: “Wanwan, you’re amazing.”

Wanwan nudged her palm: “Meow!”

Yes, I’m just that awesome!

Catching a fleeting glance of the man’s slightly stern expression, she immediately softened her voice: “Meow~” Actually, not really~ I was just notifying you; he’ll take care of you from now on.

“What do you want for breakfast?”

Mu He paused mid-stroke, hesitantly asking: “You’re cooking?”

The memory of tomato scrambled eggs and stir-fried beef from the other night left a deep shadow.

“Or… maybe…”

Before she could finish, Huo Si Heng guessed the rest: “Takeout is unhygienic.”

Alright.

Mu He relented. With little appetite, she only wanted something light: “Then make porridge.”

Feeling it was too plain, and without side dishes, she pursed her lips: “I want egg drop porridge. You should know how to make it, right?”

Huo Si Heng: “…” Did he really look like someone who couldn’t even make egg drop porridge?

In Mu He’s eyes, he truly couldn’t. She began teaching him: “It’s simple. Crack an egg into a bowl, add some oil and salt, then pour in plain porridge and stir evenly.”

As she spoke, she belatedly realized that under her pajamas… she wasn’t wearing anything. Sitting face-to-face with him, she quietly tugged the blanket up bit by bit…

Fortunately, the pajamas weren’t thin; he probably didn’t notice.

Wanwan, with all-seeing eyes, looked at her, as if saying: Don’t cover it up. You slept hugging last night, and you clung to him so tightly—he surely felt everything!

Completely unaware, Mu He hid herself snugly under the blanket, feeling self-satisfied, not knowing every little movement and thought had been seen by Huo Si Heng. He raised the corner of his eye slightly, forming an elegant curve, then turned and walked toward the door.

The shifting light and shadow from his movement fell still. Mu He flopped back onto the bed, sighing to Wanwan: “What should I do?”

Having always been alone when sick, now with him taking care of her, she became unknowingly vulnerable. She was afraid of growing attached, even dependent on this warmth. And he… one day, he would leave.

Just like eight years ago.

Suddenly, Mu He had an absurd thought—

Could she make him hers?

That way, she could keep him.

She startled herself.

Yangyang, you’re too selfish. What are you thinking of Xi Heng as?

He’s not a possession to be owned. You can’t just claim him. How are you different from his arranged fiancée?

There’s still a difference.

He had never met that woman; there was no emotional attachment. Even if it ended badly, neither would be deeply hurt emotionally.

But he was truly, deeply good to her.

Good enough that she couldn’t gamble on it, nor would she.

Mu He tapped her head twice—her fever had scrambled her brain. Be content, Yangyang. She was good at self-soothing. After indulging in some melodrama, she prepared to wash up. But just as her feet touched the floor, her legs weakened, and she collapsed back onto the bed.

Cautiously entering the bathroom, she discovered bruises on the inner thighs—not surprising after being suspended on wires for so long, plus that area’s particularly delicate and sensitive. Luckily, she had no scenes today, so she could rest at home.

She poured soothing essential oil into the bathtub. After soaking, she finally felt less uncomfortable. Changing clothes and coming into the living room, Xi Heng had already made the egg drop porridge.

She only needed to sit and wait to eat.

The porridge was soft and flavorful, better than expected. Mu He quickly finished a bowl, regaining strength, her cheeks flush with color. In the warm sunlight, her black hair gleamed with a hint of gold, and her eyes shone brightly.

Lively, radiant, full of life.

Huo Si Heng gazed deeply at her, his eyes gradually warming, a trace of a smile surfacing from the depths of his gaze, fleeting and captivating.

After breakfast, Mu He rested for a while, returned to the bedroom, applied some ointment, and lay down again.

Bathed in sunlight streaming through the window, she lazily closed her eyes, enjoying a rare moment of peace and content

The phone “dinged,” and the screen lit up. She grabbed it and saw a WeChat message from Tan Mian: “Yangyang, not good, you’re trending again!”

#Mu He Bullies People Too Much# — seeing this trending topic, Mu He instinctively thought it was one of the previous ten sins, but it turned out to be because of Yuan Xin’er.

It might have been a video taken by fans visiting the set, showing the scene where she slapped Yuan Xin’er, accompanied by a photo of Yuan Xin’er covering her face. Seeing them together, it was easy to misunderstand, especially for Yuan Xin’er’s fans, Xin Guang, who would naturally assume their idol had been bullied.

Most people on Weibo were just spectators. Besides internet trolls, Xin Guang as the main force launched a full assault, criticizing her for having an unnoticeable face yet daring to bully a future Best Actress. Some conspiracy theories claimed that for slap scenes, Yuan Xin’er either used camera angles or a stunt double and was never actually hit, so Mu He must have colluded with Zhong Li Fei to “make the fake real.” In short, they set the pace wildly, continuously sending all kinds of verbal attacks, enough to drown someone in spit.

Honestly, after being hated online once, Mu He’s psychological resilience had grown extraordinarily strong. This level of criticism or malicious comments barely caused any ripple in her heart, even giving her the feeling: “You guys’ fandom battle power isn’t impressive.”

Everyone only saw Yuan Xin’er being slapped, not that her shoulders and legs were so sore she could barely walk.

Yuan Xin’er had Xin Guang to protect her, didn’t Mu He have Qian Zhi He too?

Even thinking that way, Mu He couldn’t bear to see her fans and Xin Guang fighting, wasting energy and time. Besides, the loudest voice doesn’t equal the most right. After discussing with Ye Xi, she directly mentioned Yuan Xin’er on Weibo.

Mu He V: “Could Sister Xin’er @Yuan Xin’er please come out and clarify—did you voluntarily request to actually be hit in this scene?

Also, do you think I, in the role of Xi Yin, hit you with personal emotion involved?

Finally, after completing the scene, did I apologize to you?”

“Speaking of courage to confront head-on, in the entertainment industry, I bow to no one, only you.”

“If all celebrities were like you, paparazzi would be out of a job haha.”

“Class rep summary: three questions, all emphasizing this is acting. Most importantly, each directly hits the core of Xin Guang’s criticism. Irresponsible speculation, I guess Xin Guang doesn’t even know their own logic. Look, someone helped organize it…”

“Not taking sides, let’s see how @Yuan Xin’er responds.”

How could Yuan Xin’er respond?

Of course, she would be furious but still maintain a smile. What was Mu He’s strategy?

Normally, one would just lie low, take the criticism, then publicly apologize, right?

Yuan Xin’er really didn’t understand at all.

After being slapped yesterday, she vented her anger on her assistant but stayed mad until midnight. Seeing Mu He trending with fans sympathizing and defending her, she finally felt a bit better.

However, she didn’t enjoy it for long before receiving Mu He’s mention asking her to explain.

She was confused. Explain what?

No worries, Mu He thoughtfully listed everything for her one by one.

Yuan Xin’er was so angry she didn’t know what to say, even swearing, but considering Mu He was backed by Xingyu Media, she had to give face. Reluctantly, she went on Weibo and very magnanimously explained to fans that it was all a misunderstanding (haha), she voluntarily asked the director for a real slap (really), and Mu He was just doing her job (whether personal emotion was involved, who knows), and also mentioned the apology (pretend remorse afterward, anyone can do).

Xin Guang: “Ahhh, the goddess is so dedicated! Hard work!”

Bystanders: “@Xin Guang, did you forget to apologize to @Mu He?”

Since the goddess herself explained it was a misunderstanding, it must be a misunderstanding. She couldn’t have truly been taking revenge and still defended Mu He, right?

Fans’ actions, idol pays the price. They insulted Mu He without understanding the situation, risking bad press for the goddess.

After all, they were on the same set, constantly seeing each other. If the relationship became tense because of them, it would be bad.

So some Xin Guang, after being reminded, obediently went to Mu He’s Weibo to apologize, some even following her.

Mu He: “?”

Yuan Xin’er: “!”

Blood-spitting.

Xingyu Media PR: “What’s going on? Are we about to lose our jobs?”

Soon, people noticed Zhong Li Fei liked Mu He’s Weibo but not Yuan Xin’er’s… truly, hidden merit and fame.

Fans of Ai Fei: “Nobody speak! Our Fei Fei, slipped!”

Zhong Yang CP fans cheered: “Always hold high the ZY banner!”

Finally, Mu He’s clean and decisive handling of this incident was hailed as a textbook-level clarification.

Tan Mian’s laughter in the voice message nearly blew the roof off: “I didn’t believe it when I heard Yuan Xin’er’s fans were mostly young, now I’m completely convinced hahaha…”

Mu He was also left laughing and crying by Xin Guang.

In a twist of fate, she put down her phone to nap and realized… her period had started.

The first day always hurt badly, shoulders and legs aching too, as if every part hurt. When Huo Si Heng came in, he saw her curled up on the bed, a hint of pain in her expression. He asked: “What’s wrong?”

There was no way she could truthfully tell him it was a woman’s private problem, right?

Mu He shook her head, trying to keep her voice normal: “Nothing, just a bit tired.”

Huo Si Heng read her expression, thoughtful, letting her rest properly while lightly closing the door.

He leaned against the wall, face calm as water, holding his phone, typing into the search bar: dysmenorrhea.

Quiet all around, Mu He gradually felt sleepy. Tan Mian, knowing she wasn’t feeling well, came to see her without warning. Her sleepiness vanished, and she hurried to the next room to find Xi Heng. He wasn’t there, so she first hid his water cup and shoes.

Tan Mian, seeing she was fine, relaxed: “Yangyang, I have to tell you, I just met a tall, handsome man downstairs!”

“Really super handsome, even compared to our company’s Best Actor Lin Xi Yu, definitely not losing! His features are deep, looks almost mixed-race…”

Hearing this, Mu He was certain who she was talking about. He went out? For what?

“I wanted to get a better look, but he walked so fast, couldn’t catch up.”

Tan Mian held her face, acting lovestruck. As a Jin Yue Bay owner, her looks were high, definitely a tall rich handsome type, and this was her first time seeing such a person in real life: “Too bad, he already has a girlfriend.”

Mu He doubted her ears: “Girlfriend?”

Could the person Tan Mian saw not be Xi Heng?

“Yes.”

Tan Mian explained, “I saw ginger and brown sugar in the bag he was carrying; isn’t that obviously for his girlfriend?”

Could also be a wife—handsome men often marry young.

Xi Heng went out to buy ginger and brown sugar for her?

How did he know her period had started?

Mu He’s ears flushed in embarrassment, warmth spreading from her heart, mingled with a sweetness she hadn’t noticed.

She wanted to tell Tan Mian, what you see isn’t always reality. That man may live in Jin Yue Bay, but he isn’t an owner, has no money, poorer than her, and he doesn’t have a girlfriend…

Suddenly, a loud “clang” came from the kitchen, startling them both.

Mu He followed the sound and saw through the door gap a long, beautiful hand, a black shirt sleeve neatly cuffed. Her eyes widened, heart pounding. Could Xi Heng be in the kitchen making ginger brown sugar water for her?

She thought he was at the gym.

From Tan Mian’s view, she could only see the kitchen door. Hearing the noise, her first reaction: someone is inside.

She quickly got up to see what was happening.

“Mian Mian!”

Mu He didn’t have time to stop her, only watching as she approached the kitchen, reaching out to push the door…