OFCC – Chapter 102

The guests who had come to offer their congratulations were flown back to the mainland on several luxurious private jets after attending the evening banquet.

Only a few close friends and relatives remained to stay the night at Shallow Islet Bay.

Yi Wulan didn’t have the remaining guests stay in the main villa at the heart of the island, instead arranging for them to stay in the adjacent houses.

Mu Yanxi watched Yi Wulan’s methodical arrangements with a teasing gaze. Once the crowd had dispersed, she hooked an arm around Yi Wulan and joked, “President Yi, why did you send everyone so far away?”

Yi Wulan led her into the entryway, bent down to take off both their high heels, and their legs, which had been standing all day, were finally liberated.

Mu Yanxi relentlessly pestered Yi Wulan for an explanation, clinging to her again. “I can understand the others, but making my sister stay next door is too much, isn’t it? Aren’t you afraid she’ll disown you tomorrow and cut off all of Rongjia’s funding?”

As Mu Yanxi’s elder sister, the eldest Miss Mu was extremely particular when she traveled. Mu Yanxi could already imagine Mu Yanqing holding this against them for the next few months with sarcastic remarks and veiled criticisms.

Yi Wulan was unfazed by the threat. “She won’t. I have you.”

The little peacock was very pleased and couldn’t help but praise herself, “So I’m that valuable, huh?”

“Mhm.” Yi Wulan pinched Mu Yanxi’s bright, exquisite face and finally said what Mu Yanxi wanted to hear. “Besides, it would be inconvenient if she stayed here.”

Taking advantage of the fact that it was their wedding day, Mu Yanxi pressed her luck. “Why would it be inconvenient?”

Yi Wulan: …

Yi Wulan didn’t respond further, simply taking Mu Yanxi’s hand and leading her upstairs.

Mu Yanxi kept chattering away. By the time they reached the master bedroom door, the light from the overhead hallway lamp revealed the tips of Yi Wulan’s ears, hidden deep within her hair.

They had already turned a shade of red.

Why would it be inconvenient? Naturally, it was because she was afraid their activities would disturb others.

On their wedding night, the farther away from everyone else, the better.

By the time they had both showered, it was late at night.

Mu Yanxi lay limply on the bed, letting Yi Wulan dry her hair. Her eyelids drooped again and again, as if she could fall asleep at any moment.

Yi Wulan had already dried the roots of Mu Yanxi’s hair. Noticing the sleepiness in her eyes, she moved the hand that was combing through her hair to gently pat her back. “If you’re sleepy, go ahead and sleep.”

Every time Mu Yanxi got a taste of something sweet, she would enter a state of satisfied emptiness. She vaguely remembered there was something she needed to discuss with Yi Wulan but couldn’t recall what it was. She shook her head and refused, “No.”

While her thoughts were wandering, Yi Wulan patiently threaded her fingers through her hair again. “Then what are you thinking about?”

Mu Yanxi came back to her senses, her gaze falling on the hand combing through her hair. She stared blankly at the pink diamond on it.

On her own left ring finger was a matching blue diamond. In truth, Mu Yanxi preferred the pink one, but lately, she had been feeling indignant about the lopsided gong-shou discussions in her and Yi Wulan’s CP Super Topic.

So, when Mu Yanqing had presented the rings, she had deliberately snatched the pink one and put it on Yi Wulan.

But this wasn’t what Mu Yanxi was struggling with. She said in a tiny voice, “…Mhm.”

Yi Wulan turned off the hairdryer. “Just say what’s on your mind.”

“Yi Wulan, I think we can discuss something.” Mu Yanxi watched Yi Wulan’s expression as she finished her sentence. “Should we… not wear our wedding rings normally? I… I feel like it’s a bit inconvenient.”

A pair of diamonds bought at auction for six hundred million—how could they not be extravagant?

Moreover, Mu Yanxi couldn’t understand why she’d had a rush of blood to the head and had the diamonds made into rings. Wouldn’t a necklace or earrings have been better?

They had to be worn on her hand. She wasn’t going to pretend she hadn’t seen Yi Wulan secretly take off her ring in the bathroom earlier. But if Yi Wulan hadn’t taken it off, she probably would have been done for tonight.

“But don’t all married people wear their rings?” Yi Wulan stroked Mu Yanxi’s delicate chin. “Those fans of yours will start saying our marriage is on the rocks again.”

“They’re not my fans, don’t insult people.” Mu Yanxi frowned, looking somewhat pitiful. “So, do you agree or not?”

Yi Wulan sighed softly but still refused. “We should still wear our wedding rings.”

Mu Yanxi’s long lashes trembled. She thought sadly: It’s over. Yi Wulan has changed after getting married.

On the first night after her wedding with Yi Wulan, she wanted a divorce.

New Year’s Eve.

Yuncheng was decorated with lanterns and colored banners, filled with a festive atmosphere.

In the president’s office of Rongjia Group, Yi Wulan, who had just taken control of the company, sat at her desk. Even though it was the twenty-ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, the files needing her attention were still piled high, showing no sign of a break.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the evening sun gradually set. Yi Wulan put down her pen and rubbed the bridge of her nose, her face showing unconcealable fatigue.

Someone had placed a vase of blooming daisies on the serious-looking desk, deliberately putting it on the side where the heater couldn’t reach. Even though the desk was overflowing with documents, a small space had still been cleared for it.

If one paid attention to the president’s office, they would notice that a florist delivered a new bouquet of small daisies every three days. Their faint fragrance was refreshing and heart-lifting.

There was a knock on the office door. It was Gu Yan, Yi Wulan’s most capable right-hand man. In his two years at Rongjia, he had stood firmly by Yi Wulan’s side. As Yi Wulan seized power at Rongjia, his status had naturally risen with the tide.

“President Yi, President Mu from Xinyu is outside. She doesn’t have an appointment, but…”

Before he could finish, Yi Wulan spoke. “Let her in.”

Mu Yanqing didn’t wait for Gu Yan to go out and inform her; she barged right in as if Rongjia was her own home.

To outsiders, it might seem like Mu Yanqing was flexing her power over Rongjia’s funding to put Yi Wulan in her place. But only Yi Wulan knew why Mu Yanqing was deliberately giving her the cold shoulder.

It was simply because of that night six months ago, before Mu Yanxi left for Yancheng, when she had lost control. Yi Wulan looked at Mu Yanqing and just gave a faint nod. “Sit.”

Mu Yanqing tossed the file in her hand onto Yi Wulan’s desk. “The next round of funding for the holographic project. Are you really going to research this technology?”

Yi Wulan acknowledged it without much explanation, only saying, “Rongjia needs to transform.”

Mu Yanqing sneered. “This technology doesn’t even exist in the country, and it’s only just starting to show results abroad. I must be crazy to be here burning money with you.”

“You can follow Xinyu’s interest rates. I won’t let you lose money.”

For so many years, what Mu Yanqing disliked most was Yi Wulan’s demeanor of having everything under control. Rongjia had just been torn apart by the previous generation of the Yi family; it wasn’t as easy as Yi Wulan made it sound.

She pushed the contract in front of Yi Wulan. “Cut the crap. Xinyu doesn’t need this little bit of money from you. If you really go bankrupt, who’s going to support Xiao Xi?”

At the mention of Mu Yanxi, Yi Wulan fell silent. Even the composure on her face vanished completely, replaced by a rare trace of bewilderment in her eyes.

She was silent for two seconds before asking, “Is she home?”

“No.” Mu Yanqing yawned. “Anyway, the child is grown, and I can’t control her anymore. Xiao Xi is interning at the Yancheng branch. She has to fly to the US tomorrow.”

Working overtime during the New Year was actually quite common for people of their status, but she hadn’t expected Mu Yanxi to be going through this so soon after starting university.

“Don’t put too much pressure on her.”

Mu Yanqing found this strange. “What do you mean, I shouldn’t put too much pressure on her? What has she ever wanted that I haven’t given her? She’s the one who insists on being busy, okay?”

She paused, sizing up Yi Wulan. “I think you might be the one putting pressure on her.”

Mu Yanqing always felt that her sister, after all these years since returning home, still held some small resentments in her heart. Perhaps because of Yi Wulan’s status as a president, she felt she wasn’t good enough again.

Yi Wulan was suddenly at a loss for words.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to speak, but that she didn’t know what to say.

Ever since Mu Yanxi went to Yancheng for university, their contact had become less and less frequent. The first two months of freshman year were indeed hectic, and Yi Wulan could understand that.

But even last month, when she had used a business trip as an excuse to see Mu Yanxi, Mu Yanxi had only met her briefly before leaving in a hurry, citing a busy academic schedule. The distance in her eyes already said more than enough.

Thinking of this, Yi Wulan grew even more silent.

“What are your plans for New Year’s tomorrow?” Mu Yanqing propped her head on her hand. “If Xiao Xi isn’t coming back, why don’t we spend it together?”

Yi Wulan ignored her.

Mu Yanqing found Yi Wulan boring. Especially in the last six months, the person who had finally started showing some emotion seemed to have reverted to her old self.

She put down the file and left.

Yi Wulan stared at the bouquet on her desk, silent for a long time.

When Mu Yanxi opened her eyes, she was at Yancheng International Airport, holding a plane ticket for an imminent flight. The assistant beside her was urging, “Young President Mu, the boarding time is almost over.”

The three o’clock afternoon sun streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, so bright that Mu Yanxi couldn’t open her eyes. The bustling noise of the airport finally pulled her chaotic mind back to reality.

Mu Yanxi squinted, feeling that this scene was somewhat familiar. It wasn’t until she looked at the long-obsolete phone and saw the date on the screen that she understood.

She had returned to six years ago, to the winter break of her freshman year.

Her night of passion with Yi Wulan before the start of the semester had seriously deviated from the novel’s plotline, and she had begun to be influenced by the world’s consciousness, or rather, Mu Yanche’s system.

Every time Mu Yanche’s fame grew, his system could erase a part of her memory. That year, Mu Yanche had already debuted, so after just a few short months in Yancheng, she had forgotten most of her past with Yi Wulan.

In her memory, Yi Wulan was just her sister’s friend. Even their communication records had completely vanished, leaving no trace.

Mu Yanxi didn’t know why she was here. When it was her turn to go through security, she suddenly apologized to the security officer, turned around, and ran back.

Her assistant chased after her frantically. “Young President Mu, where are you going?”

Mu Yanxi stopped. “Book me a ticket back to Yuncheng. Right now.”

While the assistant was booking the ticket, she managed to recall the work she needed to do, bundled it all up, and threw it at Mu Yanqing, asking her to arrange for someone else to finish it. As expected, no matter which timeline it was, Mu Yanqing would always spoil her.

Three hours later, the plane landed in Yuncheng.

Mu Yanxi had always wanted to make up for the past four years, but every time she thought about bringing it up, she didn’t know how to say it. But now that she was really back, she felt a kind of timidness, like a traveler returning home with apprehension.

The driver arranged by Mu Yanqing was already waiting at the airport. After she got into the car, the hand holding her phone was trembling. The phone rang again and again, and her heart beat faster with each ring.

In the end, however, as the ringing stopped, her heart sank.

On the way, Mu Yanxi tried to recall her interactions with Yi Wulan over the past six months, searching for any connection between them on her phone. Yi Wulan was always a woman of few words, and her attitude had been cold. Their chat history was as frigid as the ice and snow of Antarctica.

Mu Yanxi was out of options, so she opened her dialer and called Gu Yan. In the six months since Yi Wulan’s recovery, her entertainment industry affairs had been handled by Rongjia Entertainment, but she always contacted Gu Yan. After contacting him so many times, she had memorized his number.

Fortunately, the Gu Yan of this time also used the same phone number.

After learning that Yi Wulan was working overtime at Rongjia, Mu Yanxi immediately had the driver turn the car around.

Yi Wulan leaned on her desk for a while. When she woke up, the sky was completely dark.

Through her blurry vision, she saw a familiar figure slumped across the desk from her. She furrowed her brow, thinking to herself that she must have been so busy lately that she was starting to hallucinate.

After sitting on a plane for several hours, Mu Yanxi was so sleepy she couldn’t stop yawning. Seeing Yi Wulan wake up, she quickly stood up and went over to her.

Yi Wulan had just woken up and her face was expressionless. But the current Mu Yanxi knew her so well; how could she not see the coldness and distance in Yi Wulan’s peach blossom eyes?

“You… didn’t you go to the US?” Yi Wulan’s feelings upon seeing Mu Yanxi were extremely complicated. She even had the absurd thought that Mu Yanxi was here to say a final goodbye.

After all, there was still a marriage contract between them.

The Yi Wulan from when they first got married was much colder than this one. Mu Yanxi had long since developed a thick skin like a fortress wall. Hearing this, she moved closer, squatted down, and draped herself over the armrest of Yi Wulan’s chair, trying to curry favor like a pitiful little puppy. “It’s New Year’s tomorrow, you know. Can’t I just suddenly decide not to go?”

Yi Wulan’s attitude was still faint, clearly on guard. “Your sister is waiting for you at home.”

Mu Yanxi blinked. “If I wanted to see her, why would I come here?”

Yi Wulan frowned. “So?”

Mu Yanxi choked for a moment, then said dryly, “So I came to find you. It’s the New Year, shouldn’t… shouldn’t we celebrate?”

Yi Wulan acknowledged her but still insisted, “Your sister is waiting for you to come home.”

If it had been anyone else deliberately misinterpreting her meaning like this, Mu Yanxi probably would have just stormed off and gone home to spend the New Year with her sister.

But when she noticed the fatigue in Yi Wulan’s eyes and the unspoken words in her gaze, she hesitated for a moment, then simply leaned over and rested on Yi Wulan’s lap, calling out, “Yi Wulan.”

Mu Yanxi boldly hooked her fingers with Yi Wulan’s and sighed almost inaudibly. “Whether you believe it or not, I came here specifically for you.”

Perhaps because she heard those words, Yi Wulan’s eyelashes trembled slightly. She suddenly tightened her fingers, and the distant aura that kept people a thousand miles away began to fade.

The office was silent. For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Mu Yanxi quietly met Yi Wulan’s gaze. If she weren’t worried about scaring her, she really wanted to just drag Yi Wulan to the adjacent break room to explain. What couldn’t be solved by a trip to the break room?

And if there was, couldn’t they just go in again?

Yi Wulan had many questions for Mu Yanxi but was cautiously formulating them. Her brow tightened slightly. “The night before we parted for summer break, were you angry?”

Mu Yanxi immediately shook her head like a rattle drum. “Not angry, not angry.”

Seeing that Yi Wulan didn’t believe her, she muttered under her breath, “Or we could go up now… Mmph?”

Yi Wulan’s eyes flickered, but she didn’t release the hand covering Mu Yanxi’s lips. She continued to ask, “Then why were you…”

Mu Yanxi forcibly broke free from Yi Wulan’s hand and quickly answered, “Because I had a fever.”

Some lies, the first time you tell them, you’re a bit awkward. The second time, you’re already a master, with no flaws in your expression.

She could even coax the twenty-nine-year-old Yi Wulan, let alone the current one who had only been neglected by her for half a year. Mu Yanxi took Yi Wulan’s hand and rubbed her head against it again and again.

“The doctor said my constitution isn’t very good, and many of my memories are a bit jumbled. If you don’t believe me, you can take me to the hospital to check my medical records. I really didn’t mean to neglect you.”

After speaking, she didn’t dare disturb Yi Wulan’s thoughts, so she kept letting her gaze drift towards Yi Wulan, wanting to see her reaction so she could adapt accordingly.

This wasn’t entirely fabricated by Mu Yanxi. The system’s memory-deleting actions had indeed caused her to have a high fever several times. At the time, she thought it was because she couldn’t acclimate to Yancheng, and later she thought it was due to her busy schedule with her studies and the Xinyu branch, so she didn’t think much of it.

Yi Wulan: …

Mu Yanxi presented all sorts of evidence. It took Yi Wulan a full half hour to finally accept the reason for Mu Yanxi’s previous cold attitude.

But she asked seriously one more time, “So you really weren’t angry about that night during summer break?”

Whether it was the Yi Wulan of this time or the Yi Wulan from their reunion years later, she was always the one who took the blame on herself and never blamed her.

Mu Yanxi’s heart trembled, but her face remained expressionless. “I was furious, okay?”

She hated that damned world consciousness more than anyone. If not for it, how could she and Yi Wulan have missed out on so many years?

Yi Wulan’s brows, which had just relaxed, furrowed together again. She lowered her gaze to Mu Yanxi, who was resting on her lap, and said solemnly, “I’m sorry.”

Hearing those two words, Mu Yanxi felt uncomfortable all over. She had been acting for so long, and her patience was running out. She didn’t plan to continue this calm and collected explanation drama. Her mouth started rattling off complaints:

“Do you know that because I changed my flight at the last minute, I could only get an economy class seat? It was near the bathroom, and there was an uncle next to me who snored the whole way. I went through all this trouble to rush back to see you, and you ignore me? I’m angry!”

The kind that can’t be coaxed.

The former Mu Yanxi had a very obedient personality, especially in front of Yi Wulan, like a little kitten. This sudden tirade left Yi Wulan at a loss. “Then… then what should I do?”

Mu Yanxi held back a laugh and continued to tempt her. “Do you really want to make me happy?”

Yi Wulan nodded.

“Then…” Before the words had even left her mouth, Mu Yanxi forcefully pulled Yi Wulan’s neck down and expertly pressed her lips against hers.

The softness on her lips made Yi Wulan lose focus for a second. Her tense heart suddenly trembled, a bittersweet feeling filling her chest.

Mu Yanxi didn’t care what Yi Wulan was thinking and kissed her willfully. Gradually, Yi Wulan went from being passive to taking the lead.

Mu Yanxi was lost in Yi Wulan’s embrace. Yi Wulan’s body carried its familiar, clear, cool fragrance, but unlike before, it was mixed with a faint floral scent.

Mu Yanxi belatedly realized the familiar scent that had been lingering in her nose since she entered the office was a fragrant aroma.

She gently pushed Yi Wulan away and looked back in a daze. “Daisies?”

Yi Wulan’s office had always been lifeless. When did she start putting fresh flowers in it? And if she remembered correctly, winter wasn’t the season for daisies to bloom, was it?

Yi Wulan reached out and pulled her into an embrace, holding her tightly as if afraid she would leave again. “Mhm, I had someone fly them in.”

Mu Yanxi’s brain couldn’t quite process it. She never expected the usually teasing, young President Yi to be so extravagant and luxurious. She was immersed in surprise. “I-I see.”

Yi Wulan rested her chin on Mu Yanxi’s shoulder. “But this bouquet has been here for two days. If you like them, I’ll have someone send a fresh one.”

The Yi Wulan that Mu Yanxi met after her rebirth no longer kept such flowers in her office. It was clear that after waiting for so long, she had given up the hope in her heart. She snuggled into Yi Wulan’s embrace and said lazily, “What if I don’t want flowers?”

Yi Wulan thought for two seconds. “Then what do you want?”

Mu Yanxi’s smile suddenly vanished, and she said very seriously, “I want you to remember me. If my amnesia gets worse, don’t give up on me.”

Yi Wulan’s thin lips parted slightly. “But if you really don’t want to…”

“No buts.” Mu Yanxi immediately interrupted Yi Wulan, a smile reappearing on her face. “Besides that, I also want…”

“Want what?”

Mu Yanxi had dangled the carrot long enough. She leaned close to Yi Wulan’s ear, breathed softly, and uttered two words.

Yi Wulan’s ears visibly turned red, and her tone carried a hint of sternness born from embarrassment. “No, this is the company.”

Mu Yanxi persistently placed her hand on her, hooking a finger under the button of Yi Wulan’s collar and flicking it gently. She said with a grin, “I locked the door to the president’s office when I came in.”

Yi Wulan’s eyelashes trembled, the look in her eyes deepening. She suddenly pushed Mu Yanxi back onto the desk. Several documents fluttered in the air before slowly landing on the floor. “Then you be a little quieter.”

Mu Yanxi’s messy hair concealed the blush on her face. She provoked arrogantly, “Shouldn’t you be the one to be quieter… Mmph…”

“Mmm…” Mu Yanxi slowly woke up, stunned for a moment as she scanned her surroundings. A few rays of sunlight streamed in through a gap in the not-quite-closed curtains. It was their wedding suite at Shallow Islet Bay.

Yi Wulan was also woken by her movement. She stroked her long hair, her voice carrying the unique gentleness of someone who had just woken up. “It’s still early. Sleep a little longer.”

Mu Yanxi snuggled into Yi Wulan’s embrace. “Yi Wulan, I had a dream.”

“What did you dream about?”

“I dreamed about you.” Mu Yanxi’s tone was very excited. “I dreamed that I went back to my freshman year, and I went to find you.”

Yi Wulan smiled, letting Mu Yanxi spin her tale as she turned and took a small velvet box from the nightstand.

With a ‘click’, she opened it.

Mu Yanxi stopped talking and mumbled, turning her head to the side. “What was that sound?”

Yi Wulan leaned over slightly, took her hand, and suddenly slipped the wedding ring off her ring finger.

The cool touch of metal slid over her fingertip. Mu Yanxi flinched. “What is it?”

Yi Wulan put away the diamond ring she had removed. “Don’t move.”

Mu Yanxi was too lazy to move; even though she could see what was happening just by turning her head, she didn’t want to budge an inch. She trusted Yi Wulan unconditionally, letting her slide another cool piece of metal onto her ring finger.

Mu Yanxi blinked in surprise. She finally pulled her hand back, looking at the simple band on it with curiosity.

Before bed, Yi Wulan had rejected her suggestion not to wear the wedding rings, but she hadn’t expected that Yi Wulan had already made preparations.

Yi Wulan asked, “Is this one convenient?”

“Mhm.” Mu Yanxi nodded, looking at the ring with novelty. “When did you buy this ring?”

Yi Wulan didn’t answer, simply placing their hands together, a very pleasing sight.

“Hey?” Mu Yanxi seemed to have noticed something and raised an eyebrow. “Have I seen the pattern on this ring somewhere before? Was it in your study?”

Yi Wulan was silent for a long while before saying, “Mhm, I consulted a few designers about it before.”

Everyone has their own talents, but Mu Yanxi never knew Yi Wulan had this kind of artistic side. She asked in surprise, “How long did you spend drawing it?”

“Half a year.”

Half a year. That meant she started right after she got out of surgery.

Mu Yanxi froze, then covered her face with her hands, feeling it burn.

For half a year, Yi Wulan had been secretly drawing design sketches in her study every night, and when she saw, Yi Wulan had just pretended and fobbed her off?

Damn it, that’s kind of cute.

Mu Yanxi thought back carefully. She seemed to have never heard passionate expressions like ‘like’ or ‘love’ from Yi Wulan’s mouth. Yi Wulan was always trying to change in these small details, striking right at the heart.

Because she knew the wedding ring Mu Yanxi chose would definitely be flashy and inconvenient for daily wear, she had started preparing this special accessory many months in advance.

Mu Yanxi threaded her fingers through Yi Wulan’s palm, interlocking them. The two simple bands rested against each other, shimmering together in the slivers of sunlight.

Mu Yanxi leaned against Yi Wulan and started talking about her dream again, urging, “Yi Wulan, you still haven’t asked me what happened after I went to find you.”

“Did you force her?”

Mu Yanxi: …

Very good. Yi Wulan really did know her well.

After being with her for so long, she was almost being assimilated by her.

But that wasn’t the point.

Mu Yanxi turned her head to meet Yi Wulan’s gaze, and just as she had told that other Yi Wulan, she said the words again: “I told that you that I care about you a lot, and that you shouldn’t give up on me.”

Yi Wulan’s hand, intertwined with Mu Yanxi’s, tightened slightly. After a moment, she pulled Mu Yanxi closer and lowered her head to place a kiss on her lips.

“She would have.”

That Yi Wulan would remember your words.

Yi Wulan would not leave Mu Yanxi. They would definitely be together and be happy.

They would no longer have those years of separation. From now on, there would only be good times.