Chapter 396 Don’t Worry, I’ll Take Care of Everything
Mu Nanyan sat down opposite him, shook her head, rested her elbows on the table, and looked at him with her chin in her hand:
"Try it quickly and see if the taste has changed."
Lu Yiran lowered his head, picked up a piece of noodles with chopsticks, blew on it, and put it into his mouth.
The noodles were just the right amount of firmness and the soup was light yet delicious, exactly the taste that he first and most missed in his memory.
The misty hot air blurred his vision. The moment the familiar taste entered his mouth, time seemed to flow back suddenly, bringing Lu Yiran back to that night several years ago.
At that time, there was still a sense of alienation and cautious testing between the two of them, but because of this simple bowl of hot soup noodles, some of the barriers were quietly melted away, and an indescribable closeness was born.
However, times are different now.
The biggest difference was not the taste of the noodles, but that at this moment, Mu Nanyan was sitting quietly opposite him, looking at him with a smile in her eyes, and she was no longer the one who would put down her bowl and chopsticks and turn away.
She chose to stay and accompany.
For Lu Yiran, this silent companionship is far more precious than any delicious food.
It means that he no longer has to face the long night alone, and no longer has to endure the loneliness of being alone in an empty mansion.
Across from his dining table, there was finally someone waiting for him and accompanying him.
This most ordinary warmth in an ordinary family is a precious gift that he has lost and found again.
He ate quietly, and Mu Nanyan sat opposite him, watching him quietly.
The soft light from the restaurant poured down, enveloping the two of them. The only sounds in the air were the subtle sounds of him eating and the steam rising from the noodle soup. A kind of tacit understanding and warmth that needed no words flowed silently.
Lu Yiran finished his noodles and felt very satisfied.
The two of them simply cleaned up the dishes and washed up one after another.
Lu Yiran was naturally shameless and walked into Mu Nanyan's bedroom again very naturally, with no intention of returning to his own side.
After washing up, Mu Nanyan lay down on the bed refreshed. The next second, Lu Yiran stretched out his long arms, skillfully pulled her into his arms, and hugged her tightly.
To her surprise, this time his hands were neatly wrapped around her waist, without any restless movements. He just rested his chin lightly on the top of her head, enjoying this quiet intimacy.
In the darkness, the two of them snuggled together and chatted quietly.
Lu Yiran's low voice sounded first, mentioning his parents.
"Nan Yan, actually... I'm a little surprised today, but I'm also... a little grateful to you."
He paused, a barely perceptible hint of emotion in his voice.
"Um?"
Mu Nanyan tilted her head slightly in his arms and could only see his well-defined jawline.
"Because of my mother."
Lu Yiran's voice was calm, but it revealed a complex emotion.
"If it weren't for you, because she knew about your existence, knew about Chenchen's existence... she might never have taken the initiative to return to China, let alone sit down like today, even if it was just a formality, and try to... touch my life."
He tightened his arms and held her more firmly:
"So, thank you."
Mu Nanyan could feel the extremely subtle desire and sigh for family affection deep in his words.
She didn't say anything, but just patted him on the back with her backhand, silently conveying comfort and understanding.
The two chatted in low voices about some fragments of his parents' past. The atmosphere was warm and a little sad.
After a while, Lu Yiran changed the subject slightly, his voice becoming gentler and more cautious in the darkness. He brought up another deeper topic:
"Nan Yan, tell me about your family."
He called to her softly, his fingertips unconsciously tangling in her hair.
"My grandma, grandpa, aunt, and cousin, haven't you met them all? They are my family."
"I mean... your childhood... those times I wasn't a part of. I don't think I've ever heard you talk about them in detail."
He paused, his tone carrying a subtle hint of anticipation and solemnity.
"When...will you take me to meet your mother? She probably doesn't know I exist yet, right?"
When Mu Nanyan heard this, her body paused slightly, almost imperceptibly.
Yeah...it seemed like she hadn't been back to visit her mother for a long time.
I was pushed forward by life and work, and almost forgot the most important destination.
She silently calculated the days in her mind. Next Saturday was her mother's death anniversary, so it was time to go back.
"Next week...next week let's go together to pay respect to my mother."
Her voice was soft, with a calm determination.
"good."
Lu Yiran agreed immediately without any hesitation.
He could clearly sense her low mood from her instantly changing breathing and slightly tense body.
A trace of regret suddenly arose in his heart. Did he accidentally touch upon her sad story?
Just when Lu Yiran was thinking about how to comfort her, Mu Nanyan took the initiative to speak.
Her voice was as erratic as the night wind, as if she were lost in distant memories:
"You know what? My mom...she loves tulips."
The corners of her mouth seemed to raise a very faint, nostalgic arc.
"The balcony at home used to be filled with tulips that she carefully cultivated. From early-blooming varieties in spring to those that bloom in winter, she always had a way to make that small balcony bloom with flowers all year round, which was very lively."
"I still remember it very clearly. Before I was six, almost every morning when I woke up, there would be a freshly cut tulip on my bedside table. Sometimes it was a bright yellow, sometimes a soft light pink... The petals were still covered with morning dew, which was so beautiful. Perhaps it was influenced by her that I have always loved tulips."
Her tone gradually took on a deeper warmth, yet also revealed an unconcealable sadness:
"Besides, she's such a life-loving person... She used to run a company with my adoptive father, but after she got pregnant with me, she quit her job and came home to take care of me."
"But she never lost herself in a world of her own, revolving around the kitchen stove and the children. She cultivated flowers, read books, and took me on trips to see the mountains and the sea, teaching me about plants and the stars... Before I was six, I truly felt like the happiest child in the world."
However, at this point, the warm and nostalgic tone of her words took a sharp turn for the worse. Her voice began to tremble slightly, and the pain that had been suppressed for too long finally burst forth:
"But after I was six... everything changed. My adoptive father and his then-lover, now his wife, Lin Wan... they conspired to... kill my mother."
She almost broke down in tears as she spoke the last few words, tears that had been accumulating for years bursting out.
"Just to get the company shares and property from my mother..."
Lu Yiran felt the uncontrollable trembling of the person in his arms and the cold tears on his neck. His heart seemed to be tightly gripped and was in great pain.
He immediately tightened his arms, holding her deeper and tighter in his arms, as if he wanted to use his body temperature to dispel all her sadness and coldness.
He lowered his head, his cheek against her wet temples, his voice low and full of care, gently comforting her over and over again:
"It's okay, Nan Yan, it's okay... It's all in the past... I'm here, I'll always be here..."
He caressed her back clumsily but sincerely, silently conveying support and strength, letting her tears soak his clothes, as if he wanted to take all the grievances and pains that had accumulated over the years into his arms and bear them all.
Lu Yiran didn't want her to indulge in sadness, so he deliberately changed the subject:
"So, all the things that happened to the Mu family recently... were all done by you? Was it to take revenge on them?"
Mu Nanyan was startled when she heard this, and subconsciously raised her head to look at Lu Yiran, with obvious surprise in her eyes:
"How... did you know?"
"Do you still remember Mu Yunshu?"
"Of course I remember. But didn't she disappear after that day? Even the police couldn't find her whereabouts."
"She went to Country H, and later, I met her again in Beijing."
Lu Yiran paused, his voice steady.
"But she had plastic surgery to look like you."
"What?"
Mu Nanyan was completely stunned, almost thinking that she had heard wrongly.
"She had plastic surgery? And...she looked like me?"
She really couldn't understand what Mu Yunshu was thinking.
Lu Yiran explained in a calm tone,
"When I saw her, I thought she was your sister who had been stranded outside. I was suspicious, so I sent someone to investigate. Only then did I know that she was Mu Yunshu."
The shock of this news made Mu Nanyan unable to digest it for a moment. She subconsciously asked:
"So where is she now?"
Frankly speaking, in the past, Mu Nanyan never really regarded Mu Yunshu as an opponent worthy of attention.
Although the other party was spoiled by Lin Wan and became arrogant, willful, and had a bad heart, in the final analysis, he did not touch the bottom line of murder and arson.
"I've already left the country."
Lu Yiran answered concisely.
He deliberately omitted the involvement between Cui Hao and Mu Yunshu.
Now he and Mu Nanyan are attracted to each other and live a happy and stable life. He doesn't want to mention other men in front of her anymore.
What happens to Cui Hao and Mu Yunshu has nothing to do with them anymore.
After hearing this, Mu Nanyan felt a complicated emotion in her heart, but she did not delve into it any further.
To her, Mu Yunshu was just a passer-by in her life after all.
Whether we will meet again in the future is unknown, so it is better to go with the wind.
Lu Yiran's gaze fell on Mu Nanyan's slightly absent-minded profile. After a moment of silence, he led the topic to a deeper level.
His voice was soft, with a hint of subtle temptation:
"Since Mu Feng is not your biological father... Nan Yan, have you ever thought about looking for your biological father?"
Upon hearing this, Mu Nanyan paused almost imperceptibly.
She lowered her eyelashes, her fingertips curled up unconsciously, and her tone was filled with obvious hesitation and a subtle sense of melancholy:
"He...his relationship with mom was actually more like an accident. It was just a one-night stand. He probably doesn't even know that there is such a person as me in this world."
She paused, and lowered her voice, as if trying to convince herself.
"So many years have passed, he may have already had his own family and life. I...my sudden appearance may just be a disturbance."
Lu Yian listened quietly, not missing the subtle struggle and hidden desire in her tone.
The fact that she didn't refuse outright and categorically spoke volumes.
He stretched out his hand, and gently placed his warm palm on the back of her slightly cool hand, his voice steady and reassuring:
"We're not looking for him to disturb him. At the very least, you should know who he is and what kind of person he is. Knowing the root of your problems doesn't mean you need him for anything. Without him, you've still grown up so well, and your life has long been independent and complete. Whether to acknowledge him or not is his choice, but whether to know is your right."
His words were like a stone thrown into a calm lake, gently clearing away the fog in Mu Nanyan's heart.
She raised her head, her eyes flashing with complex lights, confusion, and a hint of heartbeat.
"But...it's been over twenty years. There are so many people out there. Where do I even begin to look?"
There was a sense of powerlessness in her voice.
"As long as you are willing, I will leave the rest to you."
Lu Yiran's tone was extremely certain, with a kind of reassuring power.
"Tell me any clues you know, and I'll figure out the rest."
Mu Nanyan looked at the firm tenderness in his eyes, and the last bit of defense in her heart softened.
She took a deep breath and tried to recall the dusty fragments her mother occasionally mentioned:
"Mom seemed to have mentioned in the USB drive she left behind that it was in Haicheng. Yes, that's Haicheng. Mom is originally from Haicheng. She had sex with that man and only went to Beijing after she found out she was pregnant with me. So, that man is most likely from Haicheng."
"As for the rest...name, appearance, occupation, I really don't know anything."
"The people of Haicheng... that's enough."
Lu Yiran nodded. Although the information was scarce, there were still traces to be found.
He leaned over and placed a soft yet solemn kiss on her smooth forehead, as if it was a silent promise.
"Okay, leave this to me. Don't worry, I'll take care of everything."
The warm touch on her forehead and the power in his words miraculously soothed the anxiety and confusion in Mu Nanyan's heart.
She leaned gently into his arms and nodded.
Lu Yiran looked down at the slightly tired face of the person in his arms, and gently brushed her cheek with his fingertips, coaxing her in a low voice:
"Go to bed, it's getting late."
His voice had a reassuring charm, like a warm feather blanket gently covering you.
"Um."
Mu Nanyan responded vaguely, like a kitten relying on its owner. Not only did she not leave, but she also leaned towards his arms dependently.
She pressed her cheek against his warm chest, and after finding the most familiar and comfortable position, she finally stopped moving with satisfaction.
Not long after, Lu Yiran felt her arms around his waist relax slightly, and his slightly tense shoulders completely relaxed.
He could hear her breathing becoming gradually even and long, gently brushing against his skin. She had fallen into a deep sleep.
The night was deep and everything was silent, only the sound of their intertwined breathing could be heard clearly. He lowered his head and placed a very light kiss on her hair.
"Good night, Nan Yan."
He whispered under his breath and closed his eyes.
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