"That's just from running earlier."
"Really?" An Nuannuan blinked, leaning close to Xu Musen's ear, "Hubby~"
Xu Musen felt a wave of softness all over his body as he looked at An Nuannuan before him, her clear eyes, but the smile at the corners of her mouth had a somewhat mischievous feeling.
Who turned my cute wife into this?
Seems more and more like a certain Xiao Sickly Cutie.
"Nuannuan, didn't you say you wouldn't call me hubby today?"
"Because I don't keep my word, is that not okay?"
An Nuannuan tilted her face up, looking serious and justified.
Xu Musen watched her and finally couldn't help but laugh out loud, "Of course it's okay, what my dear wife says is like an imperial edict, I'll listen however you want."
"Hmph, that's more like it."
An Nuannuan smiled sweetly, holding onto Xu Musen's arm. She particularly liked this, hugging his arm made her feel very safe.
Xu Musen also felt a sense of security, as he looked down at An Nuannuan. This honeymoon really had a perfect ending.
The two exchanged a glance.
Father Xu and Mother Xu had prepared everything early, even bringing some local specialties, thinking they could make some delicious food for Yao Mingyue after they were abroad.
Xu Musen didn't bring much, he'd already arranged for a private residence next to the hospital, so they could move in directly upon arrival.
The only special thing he carried was a praying plate with faded engravings.
He looked at it quietly for a long time before placing it in the pocket of his inner lining.
Back in the room, An Nuannuan was holding a sketchbook, and she slowly closed it.
"What are you holding?" Xu Musen asked.
"Secret." An Nuannuan huffed and put the sketchbook into her bag.
Xu Musen smiled but didn't ask further.
It was time to set off.
Suddenly, Xu Musen received a text message.
"Come downstairs, I have something to talk to you about."
But the sender... Zhu Yulan.
Xu Musen raised an eyebrow, walked to the window, and looked down. Sure enough, a tall figure was standing at the street corner.
Zhu Yulan dressed in a rather business-style luxury outfit, wearing sunglasses, was leaning quietly against her Ferrari, looking up to meet Xu Musen's gaze from the window.
Xu Musen blinked, then immediately turned and walked down.
At the street corner, Zhu Yulan leaned alone against the car door, dressed in a lady's business-style outfit, with a clean and crisp white shirt and trousers, making her tall figure seem even taller visually, highlighting her inherent nobility as the family's eldest daughter.
She looked at the somewhat surprised Xu Musen, took off her sunglasses, revealing bright almond eyes, and smiled at him, "Long time no see."
Xu Musen nodded, looking at the Ferrari behind her, "But why did you suddenly come here?"
Huhai is nearly a thousand kilometers from Zheng City, and Zhu Yulan's personality surely wouldn't drive such a long distance out of boredom.
Zhu Yulan didn't rush to answer but looked Xu Musen up and down.
After more than a month of not seeing him, Xu Musen had been to many places under the sun and wind every day, his skin darker, losing some youthful radiance, but gaining a more mature man's refined look.
"Did you enjoy the honeymoon?"
After a while, Zhu Yulan finally spoke.
This past month, Xu Musen's social media was filled daily with various sweet check-in photos of him and An Nuannuan.
Xu Musen nodded, "It was great, but Boss Zhu, you came all this way, surely not just to ask that, right?"
Zhu Yulan paused for a moment, "Is something wrong with Yao Mingyue?"
Xu Musen's eyes moved slightly, after a moment of silence he spoke, "Why suddenly ask that?"
The fact that Yao Mingyue was ill hadn't been told to anyone by Xu Musen. He understood Yao Mingyue's pride, not wanting others to know she could be so vulnerable.
Zhu Yulan took out her phone and opened Xu Musen's social media page, where a group of friends including Zhou Hangyu teased under his and An Nuannuan's honeymoon photos.
"But I haven't seen any trace of her. I know her fairly well. If she had the strength to cause trouble, she'd find a way to be with you or use some strange way to post on social media opposing your honeymoon travel. But she didn't, which is unlike her.
She's a very proud person. If she doesn't even care about you anymore, then it's because she's facing something she can't handle herself..."
Zhu Yulan spoke slowly, her relationship with Yao Mingyue wasn't very good, every meeting ended up red-eyed, secretly competing with each other.
But as time went by, they inevitably felt a sense of hero's mutual admiration, understanding each other's pride and naturally feeling a mutual understanding others couldn't.
Xu Musen was silent for a few seconds, looking into Zhu Yulan's eyes at this moment, he suddenly smiled, "I didn't expect that, with her personality, there'd be another girl who understands her so well..."
Yao Mingyue had gone through two lifetimes with not many friends, her world revolving around Xu Musen.
But a person can't live without friends, having someone who has no blood relation, no emotional responsibility, and can purely converse as friends to seek inner release, this is indeed fortunate.