Chapter 488: Yellowing Picture (2)

Wang Qin's eyes started to shift upon hearing Yang Sheng's words. She thought about it for a while before saying softly, "Mu Yuchen is impossible to predict. Even Qi Qiming himself is quite careful around him. However, if we were to talk about these grudges, Qi Qiming should probably hate him more. The main reason for the car accident years ago was his heartlessness. Otherwise..."

"Forget it. If possible, let's minimize contact with him. He makes me feel uneasy. See how Qi Qiming's been acting first. Investigate the matter on Gu Lingsha properly. We must find Qi Feng! I've always suspected that Qi Feng definitely must still be alive. Otherwise, Qi Qiming, that old bastard, wouldn't have given even a bit of authority to Xiao Lei, and he never mentioned about him inheriting the company. If this bastard has really been paving the way for Qi Feng, he'd still need me to agree to it!" Wang Qin's tone was cold and determined.

Qi Kai belonged to Qi Lei, and no one was allowed to steal it from him!

"Yes, VP Wang! I got it!"

"Qi Qiming has been living a more secluded life ever since the car accident. I initially thought that he was declining because of Qi Feng, but who would've thought... All these years, many of the seniors in the company have been on his side. We have to pay more attention to that. Especially after he acquired Yueying, things made me think that something's fishy. Yueying is just an empty shell. Could it be because of his relationship with Yue Hai? No matter how I think about it, I still find it strange!"

Yang Sheng hesitated for a moment, before he answered, "VP Wang, don't forget that the Yues have people controlling the movie industry. Perhaps CEO Qi was considering those factors."

"Forget it. Since it's already done, we'll just go with the flow. Just make sure to pay close attention. Also, do not let Xiao Lei know any news with regard to Gu Lingsha. Things haven't been peaceful lately. I just hope that he'll put his heart into work, and win the board members' recognition as soon as possible. That way, he can take over Qi Kai sooner."

...

When they returned to the old Mu residence, Wang Hui was not home and Mu Yinan was alone. Mu Yangchuan and Zhuang Shurong were busy with work too. They left early and returned late.

Mu Yuchen received a call the moment he reached home, so he then went to the study room. Xi Xiaye knew that he was not in the best of moods, so she did not disturb him. Instead, she went to the backyard and bumped into Mu Yinan.

Xi Xiaye had just sat down on the slightly cool stone stool when Mu Yinan closed his newspaper and looked at her. "I heard them say that you and Chen Er went to see Lingtian today."

She was momentarily startled. Her calm gaze settled quietly on the blooming flowerbed at the bottom of the staircase before she nodded. "Mmm, he said that it's Mu Lingtian's birthday today, so he wanted to pay a visit."

"It's been so many years, yet it continues to bother him." Mu Yinan sighed softly.

Since Mu Lingtian was already mentioned, Xi Xiaye very frankly asked, "Grandfather, could you tell me a little bit about Mu Lingtian? Every time Lingtian is brought up, he looks so pained. I..."

"This incident happened a while ago. I'm sure you should know that Lingtian and Lingshi were siblings and not biological children of your father and mother-in-law. They only had Chen Er as their only son. Lingtian and Lingshi should be my grandchildren."

When recalling this past, a sorrow colored the space between his brows. He set aside the newspaper and picked up his tea to take a sip before he slowly continued, "Your grandmother and I gave birth to two children. Apart from your father-in-law, we have another daughter who's only a few years younger than your father-in-law. I wonder if you've ever heard of a once famous superstar, Mu Zi?"

Xi XIaye nodded gently. "I know about this. He told me a little about her. I know that Mu Zi is Aunty Mu Zixi."

"That's right. Mu Zi is indeed Mu Zixi, as in your aunt. Back then, she had joined the entertainment industry at a rather young age, and she did have her glory days. She was hugely popular once. But when she first joined this industry, your grandmother and I were largely against it. Showbiz is mixed with many types of people. Everyone schemes against each other and there are many unspoken rules. Because your aunt is an upright person, this industry doesn't suit her.

"Nevertheless, she insisted on joining showbiz, so your grandmother and I couldn't stop her. She had dreams that she wanted to achieve, so as parents, we couldn't clip her wings to fly. Not too long after she debuted, she was recognized very quickly for her outstanding looks and naturally melodious voice. In just a few years, she became one of the most substantial superstars with numerous fans. After that, she became even busier with promotions, acting, and going all over to prepare and plan her concert tour. She rarely kept in touch with us, and rarely came home every year. Your grandmother and I were very worried. The more she was famous, the more we worried..."

When Mu Yinan reached this part of the story, his throat felt vaguely raw and his aged voice sounded quite calm, yet you could hear the concealed bitterness. "Finally, after that, all of the things we were worried about happened in the end... Sigh, it's embarrassing and it does make the Mu family look bad.

"That day, after not having been home for more than half a year, she suddenly returned home. She looked defeated and was in a bad state. She was not herself. Once she reached home, she locked herself in her room. Your grandmother and I were very worried, thus we just crashed through the door and realized that she had already fainted. When we called a doctor over, we found out that she was already more than three months pregnant."

"That child was Mu Lingtian, wasn't it?" Xi Xiaye softly said.

Mu Yinan nodded. "Mmm, that's right. It was Lingtian. Initially, we wanted her to get an abortion, but she insisted on keeping it. In fact, she wouldn't tell us who the child's father was. Your grandmother was very angry back then. In a rage, she put her under house arrest to make her reflect on her actions, but unexpectedly, she escaped. When we found her again, it was already too late."

"After giving birth to Lingtian, your aunt's mood would improve at times and took a turn for the worse at others. Back then, she had already fallen into depression. So as not to let outsiders know that she had a child out of wedlock, your grandmother and I racked our brains, and your mother-in-law even agreed to let Lingtian be recorded under your father-in-law's name, so the child's surname is Mu, the same as Ah Chen. He called them 'Father' and 'Mother', and us 'Grandfather' and 'Grandmother'."

"Then, back then, did you guys ever think of finding the child's father?" Xi Xiaye frowned and looked at Mu Yinan, slightly puzzled.

"Of course, we did investigate. Because of this, your father and mother-in-law put in a lot of effort too, but because your aunt intentionally kept it a secret, we had no leads to begin with. In a fit of rage, your grandmother swore to kick her out and as you know your grandmother's temper..."