Chapter 12: A Toast to Growing Old Together
1265 Words
Murong Tianxing’s cheeks flushed crimson with embarrassment.
She leaned in closer, hands planted firmly on the armrests of the wheelchair, puffing her cheeks like an indignant child. “I’m talking to you—can’t you hear me?”
Zhuo Xi, trailing behind them, halted his steps in silence. Yet in his heart, he couldn’t help but feel that what unfolded before his eyes resembled more a lovers’ quarrel than a confrontation. Ever since Miss Mu appeared, the Fourth Young Master’s once-muted life has been lit with unexpected color.
The breeze rustled gently, lifting the hem of her sky-blue dress. Under Leng Lie’s inscrutable gaze, time seemed to slow. Even the sound of birdsong retreated from her consciousness, leaving only the echo of her own breath and the quickening beat of her heart—steady, then erratic, then lost entirely.
“So eager to lay your cards on the table?” Leng Lie’s voice broke the stillness like a drop of ink into clear water.
Mu Tianxing’s eyes widened in disbelief. She quickly glanced—no one nearby. Only Zhuo Ran stood at a distance, watching over them. She finally exhaled, lowering her voice. “There’s no one here... but are there cameras?”
“This is a blind spot,” Leng Lie replied coolly, raising his hand with a graceful flick.
As Zhuo Xi pushed the wheelchair forward and passed her by, Leng Lie casually added, “You’re blushing.”
Zhuo Xi: “…”
Mu Tianxing nearly imploded. She spun in place, twice, her anger rising like steam. Walk or stay? Retreat or advance? Every option led only to more frustration. Why did it have to be him?
Unwilling to back down, she caught up with him, her voice laced with grievance. “Is this how you treat the person who saved your life?”
Leng Lie paused, pondered seriously, and then gave a small nod.
Just as she braced for some semblance of an apology, he uttered a single syllable, as detached as ever—“Mn.”
The wheelchair rolled onward.
Mu Tianxing spun again, nearly shrieking in silent exasperation.
Zhuo Xi glanced back at her pitiful state and leaned toward Leng Lie. “Young Master… I believe Miss Mu might be on the verge of emotional collapse.”
Leng Lie’s lips lifted slightly, barely a smile. Another casual, indifferent “Mn.”
Zhuo Xi: “…”
Throughout lunch, Mu Tianxing upheld every rule of etiquette drilled into her at the finishing academy. After the meal, she pushed Leng Lie’s wheelchair, politely asking him to leave—saying she wished to see his house in the city.
The visit was, after all, only a formality.
Ling Yuan smiled warmly. “You're welcome anytime.”
Mu Tianxing smiled too, all grace on the outside. “Even if you invite me again, I’m never coming back,” she thought grimly.
Once in the car, she massaged her nearly frozen smile, then turned to the window with a cold face. “Drop me off when we reach the city. I’ll take a taxi.”
She avoided Leng Lie’s face with all her might. Staying even one more minute felt like shortening her life.
Zhuo Ran and Zhuo Xi said nothing. Nor did Leng Lie.
This time, she left her headphones on but didn’t close her eyes—afraid she might miss her stop. As they exited the freeway and entered the city, she knocked impatiently on the window.
“Stop the car! I’m getting off!”
Neither Zhuo Ran nor Zhuo Xi dared to turn their heads.
“I said stop! Didn’t you hear me? Stop the damn car!”
No matter how loudly she shouted, no one moved.
Because unless Leng Lie spoke, no one in this car would dare disobey.
Suddenly, just as she was about to scream from frustration, that magnetic voice cut in—
“You’re not curious to see my place?”
“… What?” She blinked, completely thrown off by the abrupt change of topic.
Leng Lie looked at her with the utmost seriousness. “Back at the Ling estate, you said you wanted to see my house in the city.”
“Uh…”
Mu Tianxing was momentarily speechless.
Oh heavens, strike this man down with lightning!
His innocent expression was nothing more than a wolf dressed in sheep’s clothing.
Regaining her composure, she forced her voice into something resembling calm. “Maybe next time. I’m a bit tired today.”
Her delicate face tilted toward him, eyes wide with a feigned innocence that mirrored his own, if not surpassed it. Her sincerity was flawless.
He nodded, equally composed. “Sure, next time. But since we’re getting married in three months, I was thinking of redecorating the house. If you’re not picky about your future living environment, then there’s really nothing for you to worry about.”
A thousand galloping horses thundered across Mu Tianxing’s mind.
And then, as if to seal the torment with a final blow, Leng Lie added lazily, “You were the one who said we should find a place to talk. But since it seems you have nothing more to say, let me just offer my congratulations in advance—may we have a happy marriage and grow old together.”
“Wait a minute!” She finally exploded. Who said anything about growing old together?! “If we really want to live happily ever after—both of us—then fine! I’ll go see your place!”
“Mn.”
When Mu Tianxing stood before Leng Lie’s city house, she finally understood the phrase: A starved camel is still bigger than a horse.
Even as a castaway son of the Ling family, the place he lived in was… breathtaking.
The sharply peaked rooftops and gray-white walls instantly reminded her of the cathedrals she had seen in Ireland. Under the summer sun, the building’s surface shimmered like pearls, glowing with both mystery and sanctity.
Only one room on the second floor had a full-length window veiled with thick beige curtains. The rest of the windows—regardless of size—were all elliptical, crafted in a timeless, inward-curving style. White frames carved the sparkling glass into fragments of crystal, not so much windows as embedded works of art.
A narrow path of fresh grass led from her feet to the villa’s front steps. On either side bloomed clusters of unknown wildflowers, scattered with charming disarray that lent the place a whimsical elegance.
To the left of the path was a garage large enough to house eight SUVs. To the right, a private basketball court. As her gaze lingered on the tall hoop, a flicker of confusion passed through her eyes.
Surrounding the estate there were no electronic gates and no wrought iron craft skills. Instead, towering crêpe myrtle trees stood sentry. The season was in full bloom, the branches heavy with snowy-white blossoms, their fragrance thick in the air. A sudden breeze scattered petals like confetti across the courtyard—breathtaking, dreamlike.
Mu Tianxing stood frozen, overwhelmed by the beauty before her.
She hadn’t even stepped inside, and already she was falling in love with the house.
Leng Lie had already been helped into his wheelchair. He turned slightly to glance at her. Her expression alone told him all he needed to know.
So he simply sat there beside her, silently, letting her lose herself in a gentle rain of flowers—two people suspended in a moment of quiet, waiting for a future neither of them could yet see.
- Writer
