AERHABDAW 40

Chapter 40: Sinister Intentions

The edge of the bed beside her suddenly sank slightly. A familiar warmth was so close that the chill of his hand seemed to heat up instantly—just a flick of her finger could reach him.

But she did nothing.

Fu Xingchen furrowed his brows as he stared at his lover lying on the bed with her eyes closed, pretending to sleep. His heart sank slowly.

He knew that Shao Leyan carried deep wounds in her heart, but he had thought that his presence was already helping to heal her. Where had he gone wrong?

He couldn’t understand.

“Yanyan, if you’re tired, just rest peacefully. I’ll stay by your side. But if you’re not asleep… there’s no one else here. Can you talk to me? I’m really worried about you.”

Shao Leyan’s heart raced even faster, and her fingers instinctively clenched the blanket.

Fu Xingchen noticed her small movement. His lips went pale as he slowly extended his pinky, gently hooking hers.

“You… is it… him again? Xiao Yi?”

Slap!

The taut string in Shao Leyan’s mind snapped unexpectedly. Her eyes flew open. Red veins rimmed her eyes, making her look like someone who hadn’t slept for days, and her black pupils were as dark as a room with the lights off, reflecting no light at all.

“No… why would you think of him?”

Fu Xingchen’s trembling hand gently caressed her pale cheek, afraid she would continue pretending to sleep and refuse to communicate with anyone. He leaned down to meet her gaze.

“Then why did you suddenly faint? Even a healer-type psychic couldn’t find anything wrong?”

Shao Leyan opened her mouth, wanting to cry and explain everything. But whenever she recalled those terrifying moments, it was as if her voice had been stolen—she couldn’t say a word.

Was she supposed to tell him that the person who had done unspeakable things to her looked exactly like the lord of Central City? How would Fu Xingchen react?

Was she supposed to ask him to take revenge on someone from a parallel timeline?

Not to mention whether he would even be willing, and even if he were, Mu Sheng was not someone who could be easily toppled.

Shao Leyan blinked and forced a smile, one so faint it was worse than crying.

“I… I’ve just been at the Lord’s palace for too long. Moving somewhere else suddenly caused some stress. You know… ever since I came to the underground city, I haven’t left it at all.”

Fu Xingchen’s gaze remained tense, but his frown eased. He moved from hooking her pinky to clasping both hands around hers.

“Don’t worry. I’ll urge Lord Mu so that the discussions are concluded quickly, and we can return sooner.”

Shao Leyan obediently nodded, standing under Fu Xingchen’s affectionate gaze, almost ready to break down.

Fortunately, he didn’t ask any more questions.

They sat together for a while longer. Once Shao Leyan had regained enough strength, Fu Xingchen finally took her out.

Even though she had repeatedly mentally prepared herself, seeing that devilishly grotesque, hypocritical face again made her shiver. She almost trembled in Fu Xingchen’s arms.

The room was comfortably warm, yet Shao Leyan felt chilled to the bone, her back soaked with cold sweat.

Mu Sheng, in contrast, had eyes that lit up when he saw Shao Leyan. Though he had long since lost the vitality and passion of his twenties as the father of two adult children, the lively steps with which he hurried toward her made him seem like a lovestruck youth.

Seeing the girl he liked, he could hardly wait.

Mu Sheng only stopped a few steps away, his large, veined hands nervously rubbing together in front of his stomach. Though he looked at Fu Xingchen directly, his peripheral vision never left Shao Leyan.

This subtle yet impossible-to-ignore attention was something Shao Leyan knew all too well.

If it weren’t for the entirely new world she was in, she would have thought that the powerful Lord Mu Sheng and that beastly, inhumane man were the same person.

“Lord Fu, how is Madam? Why does she still look so pale?”

Fu Xingchen, slightly displeased by Mu Sheng’s reaction, tightened his hold on Shao Leyan’s arm and replied with a calm but polite tone.

“Leyan is physically weak. Traveling such a long distance caused some discomfort, but she’s already much better.”

“Ah?” Mu Sheng asked with concern. “It doesn’t seem like a serious problem. Why couldn’t a healer-type psychic fix it?”

“Father!”

Seeing Fu Xingchen’s expression darken, Mu Jinsheng, following behind Mu Sheng, quickly tried to change the topic.

“Since Madam Fu is fine, we can rest easy. Let’s focus on business. Shi Huai has gotten wind of our meeting—he might cause trouble again. We should prepare in advance.”

Mu Sheng rolled his eyes at his inattentive son. Out of respect for Shao Leyan, he didn’t scold him directly, instead forcing a friendly expression. It was as if his previous frown had been an illusion.

“Well, Lord Fu, I’ll escort you to your residence first. Once you’re settled, we can get down to business.”

Fu Xingchen noticed the undercurrents between Mu Sheng and his son, smiling coldly in his mind, though his face remained neutral.

“This is a minor matter. Lord Mu doesn’t need to handle it personally. Madam and I are always together—she’ll attend the meeting even if it’s just as an observer.”

“Oh?”

Mu Sheng’s heart skipped a beat. He was displeased that Fu Xingchen brought his young, beautiful wife even to serious matters.

Yet the more Fu Xingchen cared about this young lady, the more interested Mu Sheng became.

If he could snatch away Fu Xingchen’s beloved woman, would Fu Xingchen remain as composed as always?

He suddenly looked forward to it.

To see Fu Xingchen break and despair.

“Of course!”

Mu Sheng clapped his hands happily, grinning from ear to ear.

“You newlyweds are inseparable, I understand. Fine, then let Jinsheng escort you. Jinsheng, take Lord Fu and Madam Fu to their residence. Fulfill any of Madam Fu’s requests—no need to ask me.”

Mu Jinsheng sighed silently, seeing through his father’s decades-long, shameless scheming. But even though he disapproved, he couldn’t confront his father directly—only intervene if necessary.

“Understood, Father. Lord Fu, Madam Fu, this way.”

Shao Leyan exhaled in relief, though she still didn’t dare leave Fu Xingchen’s arms.

Together, they walked past Mu Sheng.

Upon reaching the assigned residence, Shao Leyan still couldn’t shake off the earlier scene. Especially when she saw the conspicuous “Lord’s Exclusive” sign on the opposite room’s door, she felt as if some dark, damp force was staring at her, sending chills down her spine.

Her voice trembled as she asked, “We’re staying here?”

Mu Jinsheng was momentarily taken aback. “Huh? What did you say?”

Fu Xingchen glanced at the spacious, fully furnished room. Thinking Shao Leyan might be dissatisfied, he gently coaxed her:

“Do you think this place isn’t as comfortable as the Lord’s palace, Leyan? If you don’t want to stay here, I can have them…”