CHAPTER 35 — The Mu Family Summons (Corrected Version)
The Mu residence had always carried an air of immovable prestige—marble pillars, towering walls, quiet hallways lined with ancestral paintings. But today, beneath all that grandeur, tension simmered like a storm waiting to break.
Mu Lingchen stepped through the entrance with Mu Rui in his arms, his expression cold, composed, and impossibly distant. His presence alone made the servants stiffen immediately, lowering their gazes as though afraid their breaths might offend him.
"Lingchen-ge!"
A flash of energy burst into the hall.
Mu Xinlan barreled forward in her fluffy slippers, nearly tripping over her own excitement. A bowl of cherries sloshed dangerously in her hand. When she spotted the child in Lingchen's arms, she gasped dramatically.
"RuiRui! You little traitor! You didn't tell your favorite Aunty Xinlan you were coming home!"
Mu Rui blinked shyly. "Aunty…"
Xinlan melted instantly. "So cute… Lingchen-ge, I'm abducting him later."
Lingchen gave her a flat, icy stare.
"No."
"Ugh, you're no fun," she muttered, though her smile stayed bright.
Before he could respond, calm footsteps entered the hall.
Mu Dongling, the eldest brother, emerged with the silent authority of a mountain—tall, steady, and disciplined. His strict expression softened a fraction when he saw Rui.
"Lingchen. RuiRui. Dad is waiting in the study."
Behind him, the temperature shifted again.
Wu Weiya—the Mu family matriarch—entered with the elegance of a woman born into power. Her silk qipao shimmered under the warm lights, and for a moment her sternness melted when her gaze landed on Rui.
"Come here, RuiRui," she said warmly.
Mu Rui reached out to her without fear. "Grandma…"
But as soon as she turned toward Lingchen, her warmth dimmed into firm authority.
"Lingchen," Wu Weiya said, "we need to talk as a family."
Mu Xhichen, the Mu patriarch, walked in behind her. His calm expression was carved from years of leadership, and even age couldn't soften the strength in his posture.
"Lingchen," he said, voice deep and resonant, "bring the boy and come to the study."
Lingchen's jaw tightened.
He already knew where this discussion was heading.
Once inside, the heavy door shut with a solemn thud.
Wu Weiya folded her hands. "Lingchen, RuiRui is growing. He cannot grow up with only you. He needs a mother."
Lingchen's expression didn't shift, but the silence around him froze.
Mu Xinlan chimed in helpfully, "Ge, I already introduced you to Ning Xi—remember? My friend from the cast! She's so gentle, elegant, talented, and she's totally your type. And she likes you."
Lingchen cut her a frigid look.
"There is no 'type.' And there is no interest."
Xinlan huffed dramatically.
Mu Dongling cleared his throat. "Lingchen, avoiding this forever is not a solution. The shareholders are asking, the public is speculating… and RuiRui deserves a complete family."
Mu Xhichen's voice deepened. "We tolerated your independence for long enough. But as head of the family, you must consider the Mu legacy. A wife. Stability."
Lingchen remained silent.
Wu Weiya sighed. "Lingchen… RuiRui is adorable, but he will need a mother's care. You cannot raise him alone forever."
For a moment, the room fell still.
Lingchen's eyes drifted to the child beside him—quiet, obedient, clutching his father's sleeve.
A shadow flickered across Lingchen's gaze.
Not hesitation.
Not confusion.
But something sharper.
Something complicated.
Something dangerous.
The kind of feeling that could only lead to one truth—
His thoughts kept drifting back to a woman he should not be thinking about.
Shi Yunxi.
And that was the very thing he needed to hide.