Mu Tingxiao also remembered this matter. When he first met Jiang Beibei, he had taken her for a hostess and always thought of her as vain and loose.
Because of this, he had loested Jiang Beibei for over twenty years and bullied her for over twenty years.
Thinking of all this, he could not hide the heartache on his face, and he affectionately stroked Jiang Beibei's young and smooth cheek.
"I'm sorry, Beibei." At this moment, he truly wanted to say those words. The three words "I'm sorry" spanned across two lifetimes.
Jiang Beibei had no idea what was going on. She only felt that the man's eyes were too profound, seemingly holding endless deep affection for her.
"Young Master Xiao, I..."
"Beibei, call me Xiao." Mu Tingxiao kissed her forehead and rested against her shoulder, savoring the joy of regaining what was lost.
Qin Kai wore a puzzled expression. Why did he feel that Mu Tingxiao was acting strange? Yet he could not pinpoint exactly what was wrong, leaving him quite perplexed.
Jiang Beibei felt that this senior was acting a bit strange. Remembering that she still had to work, she sat in his lap and said softly, "Um, Young Master Xiao, I still have to work. Could you let me go?"
Mu Tingxiao frowned deeply and insisted, "Call me Xiao, or Brother Xiao."
"Brother Xiao" and things like that were simply too intimate; Jiang Beibei really couldn't bring herself to say them.
"Mu Tingxiao." Calling him by his full name should be fine, right?
Though dissatisfied, Mu Tingxiao still acknowledged it. Everything had to be taken slowly; he was afraid of scaring the girl in his arms away.
"Mm." Mu Tingxiao forced a stiff smile. Having been consumed by hatred for over a decade, he had long forgotten how to smile.
Remembering what she had just said, he refused, "You are not allowed to leave me, and you're not allowed to do this part-time job here anymore either. I'll have a word with the manager here, and you'll come home with me in a while."
He would take Beibei home. He had said before he died that in this life he had come to love her. Perhaps the heavens had heard his innermost prayer and sent him back for another lifetime.
Jiang Beibei grew anxious. She could not afford to lose this job. The director mother at the orphanage was ill and needed a significant amount of money for medical expenses."No, I can't, I need this job." Jiang Beibei grabbed the lapels of his shirt, her eyes locking onto his with unwavering determination.
Accustomed to her companionship for over a decade, how could Mu Tingxiao ever let her leave his side again? Already possessing a strong sense of territoriality over her, how could he possibly allow her to work in a place like this every day, letting all those men and women even glance at her?
If he could, he would lock her up at home and never let her out anywhere. But Beibei was still in college; although universities had classes, fortunately they weren't too demanding.
He had already planned everything. He wouldn't attend university anymore, at most applying to go to the school only during exam periods each semester.
Having not studied for over twenty years, he had zero interest in it.
"Beibei, I have money, and it's all yours." Mu Tingxiao's tone was gentle yet brooked no argument, and Jiang Beibei knew she couldn't argue with him.
Although she also harbored a secret crush on Mu Tingxiao, being loved and cherished by him like this filled her not only with joy, but also with a profound sense of unease.
Everything had happened so absurdly. Clearly, the two of them had no connection to begin with; how had things evolved to this point overnight?
Love at first sight? It didn't seem quite like that. The way Mu Tingxiao looked at her didn't look like someone seeing her for the first time, but rather...
"Mu Tingxiao, I need this job." Jiang Beibei could only say that; she didn't want to depend on a man.
Yet Mu Tingxiao had long been used to being overbearing; how could he possibly allow his Beibei to stray an inch from him? But he didn't phrase it that way, speaking instead: "Beibei, you'll have plenty of time for work once you enter society. Right now, your primary focus is your education. It won't do to neglect it."
Jiang Beibei said anxiously, "But Mother Director is sick and needs a lot of money for treatment."
Hearing her say this, Mu Tingxiao remembered that Beibei had grown up in an orphanage. She had no family left around her; only Mother Director from the orphanage had been truly good to her.
Thinking of what Fang Rou had said on her deathbed, his gaze toward Jiang Beibei turned tender and lingering. "Beibei is my girlfriend, so I will pay for those medical expenses. If Beibei feels uneasy about it, then you can cook for me every day to repay me."Jiang Beibei lowered her head in deep thought. Medical treatment at the hospital required a lot of money; even with her working every day, it would take a very long time for her to afford the care needed for Mother Director's recovery. But if Mu Tingxiao helped, it seemed Mother Director could recover much sooner.
"Alright, then I'll take care of you every day." The corners of Jiang Beibei's lips curved up slightly, revealing the dimples on both sides of her cheeks.
Qin Kai truly had no heart to watch the two of them being so lovey-dovey. He glanced at Fang Cheng, knowing the man was terrified that Mu Tingxiao would hold it against him for forcing Jiang Beibei to drink earlier.
Patting Fang Cheng on the shoulder, Qin Kai said, "Forget it, what's done is done without malice. Come, let's have a drink."
Fang Cheng gave a bitter laugh. Since things had already happened, he could only pray that Young Master Xiao was magnanimous enough not to pursue the matter.
"Cheers."
The two men began drinking, while Mu Tingxiao held Jiang Beibei in his arms, toying with her slender fingers.
In her past life, the girl had taken care of him for over a dozen years, washing his clothes and cooking for him every day, doing every kind of grueling and heavy labor.
That pair of hands had grown rough and unsightly; a woman in her early thirties had hands that looked like those of a sixty-year-old.
Thinking of how she would often massage his completely numb legs, never showing any disgust even when they withered and looked repulsive, Mu Tingxiao could not help bringing her hand to his lips and kissing it, causing Jiang Beibei to shrink back with a blushing face.
Meise bar was at its busiest after ten o'clock. Being in a second-floor private booth, the few of them could not hear the noise from the dance floor outside, so aside from the clinking of Qin Kai and Fang Cheng's wine glasses, there was not a sound in the room.
Jiang Beibei felt a little dizzy, whether from the alcohol or something else. She shook her head, trying to clear her mind.
"What is it?" Mu Tingxiao's gaze had been fixed on her the whole time. Noticing her strange behavior, he asked with concern.
Jiang Beibei yawned and said in a sleepy voice, "I'm sleepy."
"Sleep in my arms, I'll take you home."
With her mind in a fog and her eyelids drooping, Jiang Beibei completely failed to hear that Mu Tingxiao said he was taking her home, rather than back to school.
Mu Tingxiao checked the time—it was half-past eleven.
"Akai, let's head back." Mu Tingxiao called out to Qin Kai, and without waiting for a reply, he scooped up Jiang Beibei, who was sleeping against his chest, and walked out of the private booth.
Qin Kai and Fang Cheng hurriedly stood up and followed. As soon as the four of them stepped out of Meise, they stood on the street in the night wind waiting for a taxi.
Qin Kai moved closer to Mu Tingxiao, glancing at Jiang Beibei, who was sleeping soundly. "Xiao, what's going on between you and her? When did you two get together?"
"Keep your voice down," Mu Tingxiao warned, frowning at Qin Kai.
Qin Kai was left speechless. His voice was already as quiet as it could possibly be; was she really that delicate?
Mu Tingxiao had no desire to explain, knowing no one would believe him anyway. In his past life, Qin Kai had gone abroad because of family matters, and when the accident happened to him, he had no idea if Qin Kai even knew.
Though he probably didn't, or else how could he have let him fall to such a state, with his company seized by others?
"Akai, things between Bei and me can't be explained in a few words. You just need to know that she is my life."
Mu Tingxiao's words were delivered with such absolute finality that they gave Qin Kai a jolt. Not just him—even Fang Cheng was utterly shocked.
Qin Kai thought of that woman from the Fang family and frowned. "What about Fang Rou, then? Didn't you..."
"Don't mention her to me." Hearing the name Fang Rou made Mu Tingxiao feel sick. The hatred in his heart surged forth like a gushing spring, so intense that even Jiang Beibei, sleeping soundly in his arms, stirred and felt it.
Sensing the girl's unease, Mu Tingxiao reined in his hatred.
"Akai, just remember that Fang Rou has nothing to do with me." Without saying anything more, Mu Tingxiao saw a taxi approaching, scooped up Jiang Beibei, and got into the car.
Qin Kai stood frozen on the spot, unable to understand what had happened between Mu Tingxiao and Fang Rou. Clearly... didn't he like Fang Rou? He used to yield to her in everything. How could such a change happen overnight?
It just didn't make sense...