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CHAPTER 38
The Illness That Shook the Mu Family
The Mu residence was rarely ever noisy.
It was a place of discipline, order, elegance, and an air of power that came naturally to families who had ruled their industries for generations.
But tonight—
the mansion shook with chaos.
Servants ran through the corridors.
Phones rang without pause.
Doctors rushed in and out of the matriarch's room.
And the usually calm, impenetrable Mu family carried expressions of fear that no one had seen in years.
The matriarch of the Mu family—Old Madam Mu, mother of Wu Weiya—had suddenly collapsed during the afternoon tea gathering. One moment she was teasing Mu Sinlan about her lack of marriage prospects, the next her teacup slipped from her hand and shattered, followed by her frail body.
Wu Weiya was crying before anyone could catch her mother.
Mu Xichen held onto his wife, his face grave.
Mu Dongling barked orders at the doctors.
Mu Sinlan paced, trembling uncontrollably.
And Mu Lingchen—
stood at the foot of the staircase, still in his suit, the shadows beneath his eyes deeper than ever, his face unreadable but rigid with tension.
Hours passed.
The specialist team finally spoke:
"There is only one person who can stabilize her condition—the apprentice of the world-renowned physician, Master Yan."
"But Master Yan refused us the last time!" Wu Weiya cried, voice cracking.
"Yes," the doctor said helplessly, "but the apprentice is rumored to be even more skilled… If you can find them."
"Rumored?" Mu Dongling snapped. "You don't even know their whereabouts?!"
"They keep their identity hidden… many medical sects have been trying to contact them for years."
Mu Xichen slammed a hand against the wall.
"This is the Mu family. Why can't we find ONE person?!"
The doctor bowed his head.
"Because the apprentice does not accept money… nor status."
Mu Sinlan sobbed softly.
But Mu Lingchen—
said nothing.
His jaw clenched tightly, eyes flashing with something sharp and determined. His exhaustion was evident—bloodshot eyes, veins visible near his temples, fingers pinched white from stress.
He turned away and walked off without a word.
"Lingchen—where are you going?" his mother shouted after him.
"To find them," he said simply, without stopping.
Wu Weiya broke down again.
Mu Dongling exhaled harshly.
"Let's hope he finds them before it's too late."
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That same night
Shi Yunxi walked through her quiet apartment, holding a cup of warm tea. The children were asleep at Song Liyun's place because she had returned late from fittings.
The living room felt strangely empty.
Too quiet.
Her steps slowed.
She knew why.
For three weeks straight, Mu Lingchen had appeared everywhere—her fittings, her auditions, her script readings—always under some excuse, always cold on the surface, but impossible to ignore.
Their encounters had become… a pattern.
But now?
Two days.
Two whole days.
Not even a glimpse of him.
Her chest tightened unexpectedly.
"Why… am I thinking about him?"
She touched her own face, startled by the warmth that crept into her cheeks.
Why did she notice his absence?
Why did she remember the way his voice softened when he spoke to Mu Rui?
Why did she remember the faint scent of cedar and cold mint whenever he stood beside her?
Why did she think about his eyes—dark, cold, always intense…
…yet strangely safe?
Yunxi shook her head hard.
"This is ridiculous," she whispered, embarrassed at herself.
But at the same time—
She felt something unfamiliar curl in her chest.
Something fragile.
Something warm.
Something she had no intention of developing—
yet it grew anyway.
And she didn't know that, at that very moment, on the other side of the city, a man with bloodshot eyes was driving through the night, thinking of her too.
But for a very different reason.
Because the name he kept hearing in medical circles…
The name of the apprentice everyone was trying to find…
Matched one person.
One person he couldn't get out of his mind.
Shi Yunxi.
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