084 The Girl Untouched by the Chill

The usually gentle and obedient little sister suddenly lost her temper, catching Mu Jingchi completely off guard. Yet this incident also made him begin to reflect—had he truly done something wrong?

So, as Mu Jingchi walked out of the Mu residence in a daze, the housekeeper Ji and the group of servants, who had been hiding in the side hall, began to see the "young lady" upstairs in a different light. The Mu family... perhaps a new order would soon emerge.

Upstairs, on this side—

Mu Qingcheng swallowed a cold medicine brought to her by housekeeper Ji, then sank into a drowsy sleep on her bed. Before closing her eyes, she vaguely recalled her attitude toward Mu Jingchi just moments ago... There was indeed a trace of guilt in her heart.

Toward Mu Jingchi, she had always felt a certain warmth. This brother, who had cared for her quietly, though often overly intense, had always given his all to protect her.

"Perhaps I shouldn’t have come here. Then I wouldn’t have gotten involved with these people I shouldn’t cross paths with."

Mu Qingcheng’s last bit of consciousness lingered on the moment that man kissed her forehead. That heat and impulsiveness... remained vivid in her memory.

...

At the same time, in the hospital—

Mu Qing woke from repeated bouts of sleep. His mind gradually cleared; aside from a lingering weakness in his limbs, there was nothing particularly strange. He knew in his heart that even if he hadn’t come here, he would have slowly recovered on his own.

Mu Qing’s illness was indeed extremely complex—almost beyond hope of cure. Thus, regardless of how the Mu family treated him, where he sought treatment, or even whether he sought treatment at all, it made no real difference.

In the end, the outcome would be the same: incurable.

At this moment, Mu Qing got out of bed, stretched his limbs slightly, and decided to step outside for some air. As he walked down the corridor leading from the hospital to the little garden behind, he caught sight of an unexpected figure...

Still as cold as ever, expressionless, without a hint of emotion even in her eyes. In a space bathed in warm sunlight, she maintained her icy demeanor.

It was a distance that could not be breached—a detachment that, since it could not be changed, required no effort to conceal.

Mu Qing instinctively paused, his cool gaze tinted with confusion. As the figure slowly approached and finally stood before him, he softly spoke,

"Hello."

"...Hello."

The girl stopped as well, standing before Mu Qing. Her shoulder-length hair framed a delicate, pale face. Her features were refined and exquisite—not like his own sister, who always carried the sly sharpness of a little fox.

She was simple—simply beautiful, simply cold.

Mu Qing casually brushed aside his golden locks, every movement imbued with the nonchalance of an artist, while his gaze attempted gently to settle on the young girl. Seeing that she did not speak, he took the initiative,

"Is your leg better?"

"Yes, it's healed."

She nodded, neither shy nor enthusiastic.

This was the reaction Mu Qing had expected. He was in no hurry, patiently continuing,

"My name is Mu Qing. And you?"

He extended a hand—long, elegant fingers, skin white and luminous. The girl’s brows furrowed imperceptibly, but ultimately she slowly reached out her small hand and softly replied,

"My name is Xia Wan."

****

Evening—

The cyclical glow of sunset spilled into the room, accompanied by the familiar vibration, waking the girl who was still asleep.

She reached for her phone on the bedside table and pressed the answer key.

A boy’s bright, confident voice came through immediately,

"Boss, I’ve arrived."

In the next moment,

Mu Qingcheng’s eyes snapped open.

She looked up at the pink clock hanging on the opposite wall; the time pointed to five thirty. At the same time, the sound of a car horn drifted in from outside.

Mu Qingcheng purposefully ignored the lingering fatigue and soreness in her body, swiftly turned over and got out of bed, and walked to the window.

Upon seeing her grandfather’s car pull in, she murmured,

"See you tonight."

She then hung up the phone and turned toward the bathroom.