Chapter 38

Just his presence alone was enough to make Mu He thrilled, not to mention this cleverly subtle flirtation. Even if she appeared calm on the surface, inside her heart was already stirred, her mind spinning, unable to calculate even 1+1.

Yet… why did it feel like… having an affair?

Thirty thousand feet above the ground, under the coat, their palms gradually shared warmth. Aside from each other, no one knew their relationship, nor that they were being this intimate.

Outside the window, sunlight was warm, the sky clear, no turbulence; the cabin was quiet and peaceful.

Her black eyes sparkled with amusement. Even her long lashes couldn’t hide it, and her porcelain-like skin betrayed a soft pink, forming a faint blush.

A middle-aged man behind suddenly coughed heavily.

Mu He jumped, feeling guilty, wanting to withdraw her hand, but he held it tighter. Her heart nearly snapped. She lightly tapped the back of his hand to signal him to be discreet—what if someone noticed?

Huo Shiheng, knowing his limits, diverted his gaze toward her, eyes carrying a teasing glint.

Mu He froze, quickly looking out at the clouds.

He pressed his lips in a silent smile.

It wasn’t until cabin service began that Huo Shiheng released her hand and returned his coat, as if nothing had happened—they became strangers again.

Not a single passenger, even the energetic Tan Mian, noticed that their Mu Laoshi had been secretly holding hands and flirting under his coat with a man she thought was married. Tan Mian was focused on breakfast, hungry, checking off a bunch of food items on the menu.

Mu He tucked some hair to cover her cheeks, still heart racing. She wasn’t very hungry, ordering just milk and oatmeal.

To her right, the flight attendant bent slightly, smiling warmly, asking Huo Shiheng in English how she could serve him.

Seeing the attendant directly ignore the wedding ring on his hand and stare at him intently, Mu He felt slightly uncomfortable, as if her private treasure were being observed. She cleared her throat.

“Yangyang,” Tan Mian asked with concern, “is your throat uncomfortable?”

Mu He admitted: “A little.”

Tan Mian rummaged through her bag, pulling out a moisturizing throat mask: “Put it on after eating, it works well.”

Mu He nodded absentmindedly.

The little jealous one next to her must have sensed the tension—how could Huo Shiheng not notice the sourness in the air?

He tilted his face, smiled slightly, lightly coughed in response, then resumed a neutral expression while the attendant approached: voice calm and distant, “A cup of coffee, please.”

The handsome man before her had deep features, looking almost mixed-race, yet spoke perfect Mandarin. The attendant, slightly taken aback, smiled: “Of course, sir, please wait a moment.”

Mu He was satisfied with his behavior; her throat finally felt less itchy.

Apart from quiet eating sounds, the cabin was silent.

After the meal, Tan Mian saw a dashing man walking toward them, four stripes on his shoulder—the captain! She swallowed sharply. What kind of day was this, handsome guys one after another?

Before she could admire him, a soft, muffled voice from the front shouted joyfully: “Daddy!”

Uh… what luck! Finally meeting two handsome men, one married, the other married with a daughter!

Mu He straightened, looking at the front-row family of three. Their voices were low, not disturbing anyone. She strained to hear a little girl ask confusedly:

“Grandma and Grandpa call Mom ‘Nian Nian’ and me ‘Baby.’ But why does Daddy call me ‘Nian Nian’ and Mom ‘Baby’? Aren’t I the baby?”

Tan Mian wanted to hear the captain’s answer, but was barely holding back laughter—child, you’re too young to understand the adult world.

Still, this family was so sweet!

Sadly, the captain returned to the cockpit in under two minutes.

The flight lasted an hour and a half. Tan Mian smiled at the couple’s romance throughout. Because this was a newly introduced plane for Zhao Yuan Airlines, business class passengers received a satisfaction survey. Tan Mian rated it highly, leaving a note: a few passengers coughed, likely due to dry air; hoped for improvement.

Mu He’s trip was public; many Thousand Paper Cranes (fans) came to see her. They wanted to make up for their idol never being greeted at the airport. Fan club president Yang Le Duo, attending college in South City, organized the pick-up. To avoid causing trouble, she repeatedly instructed fans in the group to follow airport rules.

Mu He didn’t use the VIP lane. Outside, she saw a crowd with white crane stickers on their faces, phones in hand. She removed her mask, waving happily. Thousand Paper Cranes erupted, following her, taking photos, recording videos, chatting, shaking hands, asking for autographs.

Tan Mian had planned to be her bodyguard, but the fans were well-behaved, orderly and quiet, leaving her no work. The president had truly done a great job.

At the exit, the Thousand Paper Cranes stopped, every youthful face smiling, shouting in unison: “Yangyang, always walk the path of flowers from now on!”

Just keep moving forward, carrying your light and beauty. We, the chasers of light, see a broader world through your glow, becoming better people.

Thank you for letting us meet you.

Mu He turned back, bowing deeply. Words choked in her throat, but all she could say was: “Thank you.”

Turning away again, her eyes were already red.

Several younger girls cried along with her.

Outside, Ding Wu, just returned to South City from City B, was drawn by the Thousand Paper Cranes’ shouts. His business partner snorted: “Celebrities these days travel like heads of state. Fans and bodyguards, hiring so many. Why not just clear the area?”

Ding Wu only smiled quietly, pondering: Yangyang? This name feels familiar… where have I heard it?

Meanwhile, Mu He had already gotten into the car, sending a message to Xi Heng asking where he was.

He replied quickly: “Send me the room number at the hotel.”

Mu He suggested: “Why don’t you book a room at the hotel too?”

She transferred him some money.

Business class isn’t cheap. Although after canceling the engagement Xi Heng’s financial situation recovered, without work, his income source was gone—any wealth would eventually run out.

Moreover, even if he had money, could it surpass hers?

No need to calculate such small matters too precisely.

Huo Shiheng received the transfer, smiling suddenly, recalling how he had given her the impression that she couldn’t even afford a hotel room.

Still, it was a fresh feeling. He accepted her money calmly: “Okay.”

With his accommodation arranged, Mu He finally relaxed. Thinking about staying in the same hotel, if paparazzi captured them, it would be troublesome. Should she avoid meeting him?

No, he came specifically to accompany her—she couldn’t bear to neglect him.

Was there a way to satisfy both needs?

Tan Mian held her phone, muttering: “Why can’t I find it?”

“Mian Mian, what are you looking for?”

“The ring.”

Tan Mian said: “That handsome guy on the plane had a unique wedding ring. I wanted to see which brand it was.”

Mu He silently replied—it was a prize from a small scenic stall. Finding it would be miraculous.

Tan Mian gave up, sighing: “Handsome, loves his wife, devoted, makes ginger-red-sugar tea during her period, always wears his wedding ring, coldly rejects other women’s advances—how many men can do that these days?”

“If a man treated me that well, I’d marry him immediately!”

Mu He felt a wave of sweetness rise in her heart. Mian Mian, you know? The man you praise so highly… he’s mine.

“Yangyang, I think his wife must be very happy.”

Mu He smiled, eyes curved, voice sweet: “Mm, I think so too.”

Before she realized it, the car arrived at the five-star hotel arranged for the guests. Tan Mian went to the front desk, got the room card, and took the elevator to the 16th floor, first pushing the suitcase into Mu He’s room.

Mu He, knowing Tan Mian had worked hard, said: “You go rest. I’ll organize things myself.”

“No, no.”

Tan Mian insisted, organizing items in the suitcase, making a “call me” gesture: “Yangyang, I’m next door, just call.”

Mu He saw her out, casually closing the door, then walked around the room, checking the bathroom for cameras or surveillance. Even in a luxury suite of a high-end hotel, it’s always better to be cautious.

Nothing unusual was found.

Mu He changed into her pajamas and went to sleep, but felt like she hadn’t slept long before being woken up. She sat up, turned on the light, and reached for her buzzing phone on the bedside table, groggily saying hello.

It was Tan Mian on the other end: “Yangyang, it’s four o’clock. Time to get going.”

The fashion show started at 7:30 p.m.

A little past seven, Mu He finished her styling and arrived at the venue early. She was assigned a front-row middle seat among the guests, with other scattered celebrities and designers around.

Unexpectedly, Madam Qin was also invited, adorned in pearls and jewels, exuding wealth and presence that was hard to ignore.

Mu He lowered her gaze.

Her phone lit up with a screenshot sent by Tan Mian: #MuHeAirportBeautyShot#. Was she trending again?

It turned out that fan club president Yang Le Duo, to satisfy Thousand Paper Cranes who couldn’t come to greet her, had brought her computer and camera to the airport. After Mu He left, she went to a nearby café intending to retouch the photos, but found the raw images were already excellent. She only adjusted the color slightly and uploaded them to the official blog.

There wasn’t even time to buy a headline; the flood of fans immediately pushed it to the trending list. The comment section became a massive rainbow praise scene.

The lights dimmed; the show officially began. Tall, slender models walked the runway one by one.

Mu He put away her phone and focused on the show.

Unbeknownst to her, as she admired the beautiful scenery, she herself became part of a live stream by a major fashion blogger. Once her figure appeared on screen, the chat went wild!

“Don’t move, don’t move! I want to see the young lady!”

“Hahaha, she looks so focused, she definitely doesn’t know we’re watching! Shh, let’s watch secretly, don’t tell her.”

“I love her face too much, amazing!”

The Thousand Paper Cranes who had been admiring her airport photos were summoned to the stream, causing it to crash for a moment. When it recovered, it shot to number one on the trending list.

Everyone enthusiastically discussed: with this beauty and temperament, if Mu He walked the runway, she would outshine everyone.

Someone said: “There’s still a difference compared to the models.”

Fans, led by the Thousand Paper Cranes, all chimed in about the forty-meter-long blade: “What difference?”

“Don’t you notice the models’ chests are all flat? As for her… hmm, roughly estimating, probably a C cup.”

“Ahem, keep it low-key, keep it low-key.”

…

The fashion blogger noticed the discussion was getting a bit strange. With the major new product about to appear, she hurriedly moved the camera back to the runway.

The last model was a famous supermodel. Midway, she accidentally lost an earring, but her quick reaction kept her composed and confident, giving the show a perfect ending.

Mu He only got up after everyone left, heading to the door where someone stopped her.

Madam Qin’s heavily made-up face was full of smiles: “Miss Mu, may I have a word?”

Mu He stood still, expression neutral.

“Miss Mu,” Madam Qin continued, still smiling, “I heard you’re from Shancheng. Do you happen to know Village Chief Mu Haoran?”

“Madam Qin.”

Coldness flickered in Mu He’s eyes; her voice carried no warmth: “Since you’ve already investigated thoroughly, why bother pretending to test me?”

Madam Qin’s face paled slightly, tears welling in her eyes: “You… you know everything?”

Mu He smiled: “What do you think I should know?”

“Child,” Madam Qin broke down crying, “I… I didn’t mean it…”

Mu He didn’t want to waste any more time and walked past her.

Back in the hotel room, Mu He didn’t turn on the lights, curling up on the sofa, sinking into the darkness, clearing her mind. After an unknown amount of time, light, soft knocks came from outside. She recognized the code: open the door.

It was Xi Heng outside.

Mu He, wary of paparazzi, said: “Come in quickly.”

Huo Shiheng was always cautious and would never give her reason for gossip or trouble. As for surveillance, he would later arrange Zhang Chang to handle it.

Once the door closed, Mu He could no longer restrain her emotions, reaching out to hug his waist: “Xi Heng.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Tonight… I met that woman… the one who gave birth to me.”

Mu He revealed the secret buried deep in her heart. In reality, it was simple: abandoned by her mother at birth, father unknown, raised by her uncle. She thought her heart was unbreakable, yet in his presence, her sadness and vulnerability poured out.

Because she knew only he would understand, only he would feel her pain.

Huo Shiheng held her tighter, kissing her forehead, soothing gently: “It’s all past…”

His embrace was warm, reassuring. Tears that had stubbornly lingered finally flowed. Mu He leaned against his chest, quietly crying for a while.

“Yangyang, how do you feel about your father?”

As long as he lived, he could help her find out.

Mu He shook her head: “Having you is enough.”

“I read Dad’s notes several times but couldn’t find the reason for the abandonment. I asked him, and in my dreams, chased her to ask many times. Tonight was a perfect chance to ask in person…” Yet she lacked the courage to hear the answer.

Shancheng’s culture had always favored sons over daughters. Would her fate have been different if she were a boy?

“Yangyang,” Huo Shiheng, with his long hand around her shoulder, said thoughtfully, “let’s have a daughter in the future.”