Chapter 408 He Really Hasn’t Remembered
The next morning, Mu Nanyan and Lu Yiran took Chenchen back to Haicheng on a private plane.
After arriving, Mu Nanyan contacted Shangguan Jiuze directly.
Since Shangguan He clearly stated that he only wanted to see Mu Nanyan alone, Lu Yiran considerately did not insist on accompanying her. He and Chenchen sent her to the door of Shangguan's villa and then left first.
"Call me when you're done talking and I'll come pick you up."
Lu Yiran rolled down the car window, his eyes gentle but firm.
"good."
Mu Nanyan nodded in response and watched the car drive away. Then she slowly turned around and looked at the magnificent yet complicated Shangguan family villa in front of her.
She couldn't help but feel a little nervous.
This was not her first time here, but her mood was completely different from the last time.
Last time, she sent the dress she designed for Fuling, which was purely a work relationship; but this time, she came as Shangguan He's savior, and she was standing here as his... long-lost daughter.
It was as if everything was given a new and heavy meaning.
Just as she was standing outside the door, lost in thought, the heavy carved door of the villa suddenly opened from the inside.
Shangguan Jiuze walked out and saw her at a glance.
His tone was familiar and carried a hint of concern:
"I was just calculating the time and thought you should be here by now. I was just about to come out to see you. Why didn't you send me a message when you arrived?"
Mu Nanyan smiled, hiding her trance:
"I just arrived too."
"Then go in, my dad is waiting for you."
Shangguan Jiuze stepped aside to make way, and he led Mu Nanyan into the house.
Two months later, as the New Year was approaching, Shangguan Fuling had returned from abroad and knew that Shangguan He was ill.
As soon as she heard that Mu Nanyan was coming, she waited in the living room early.
At this moment, when she saw Mu Nanyan's figure, the long-accumulated worry, fear and gratitude instantly burst out, and tears flowed out without warning.
She walked past Shangguan Jiuze in a few steps and rushed straight to Mu Nanyan, hugging her tightly.
"Sister Nan Yan..."
Shangguan Fuling's voice was choked with sobs, full of dependence and grievance.
Mu Nanyan was slightly startled by her sudden hug, and a strange and soft warmth surged in her heart. The girl who cried in her arms was her half-sister.
She subconsciously hugged Fuling back, her movements gentle, and her voice unconsciously softened:
"What's wrong? Stop crying, I'm here..."
Shangguan Fuling just buried her head in her shoulder and sobbed, unable to utter a word.
Shangguan Jiuze, who was standing by, saw this and explained to Mu Nanyan in a low voice:
"She just came back two days ago. Seeing how sick Dad was, she still hasn't recovered. She feels bad..."
Mu Nanyan understood.
Fuling is a little girl who is ignorant of the world. She has been well protected since childhood and has almost never experienced any hardships. The sudden collapse of the pillar of the family is undoubtedly a huge shock to her.
The love and affection in her heart due to blood relationship couldn't help but deepen a little.
She patted Fuling's back gently, and soothed her softly, just as she did to comfort Chenchen:
"It's okay. Look, isn't Mr. Shangguan getting better now? Everything will be fine. You have to believe in him, and believe in us, too, okay?"
Shangguan Fuling's excitement gradually subsided under Mu Nanyan's gentle and patient caress and comfort.
Her sobbing gradually stopped, but she still felt a little embarrassed and buried her face in Mu Nanyan's shoulder before raising her head.
Her eyes and nose were red from crying, like a wronged little rabbit, but her eyes were much clearer.
She looked at Mu Nanyan and said in a low voice with some embarrassment:
"I'm sorry, Sister Nan Yan... I couldn't help myself the moment I saw you..."
She paused, her tone becoming extremely serious and sincere.
"Also, thank you so much...thank you so much for saving my dad."
This gratitude was different from the previous gratitude that Shangguan Jiuze had expressed on behalf of the family. It also carried the daughter's deepest concern for her father and her relief at having him back.
Mu Nanyan looked at her well-behaved and sincere appearance, and the softest part of her heart was gently touched.
She raised her hand and gently wiped away the lingering tears on Fuling's cheek with her fingertips, smiling and saying softly:
"You don't have to say sorry to me, and you don't have to be so polite. I'm just happy to see you're doing well."
Her movements were natural and intimate, with a sisterly care.
Shangguan Fuling felt this unreserved tenderness, and the uneasiness and restraint in her heart dissipated. She couldn't help but hold Mu Nanyan's arm again in dependence.
Shangguan Jiuze, who was standing by, breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his sister calm down, and reminded her:
"Fuling, let your sister Nanyan go see Dad first. He's still waiting in the room."
Shangguan Fuling suddenly remembered the important matter and nodded quickly, but she still held Mu Nanyan tightly and refused to let go completely:
"Oh, that's right! Dad is waiting for you, Sister Nanyan, I'll take you there!"
Shangguan Fuling took Mu Nanyan's arm and led her upstairs to the spacious and bright reception area.
Sunlight filled the room through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows. Shangguan He was sitting in a comfortable armchair by the window, covered with a thin blanket, enjoying the warm winter sunshine.
Hearing footsteps, he slowly turned his head and looked towards the stairs.
His eyes first fell on the youngest daughter Fuling, and then he caught sight of her slightly red eyes and nose.
Having experienced life and death, the father's perception of his child's emotions became particularly keen. He immediately frowned, his voice filled with worry that hadn't yet fully recovered, but was clearly audible:
"Fuling, what's wrong? Why are your eyes red again? Did someone bully you?"
His tone was urgent, and he subconsciously wanted to prop himself up, his protectiveness over his child evident in his words.
Shangguan Fuling quickly let go of Mu Nanyan and walked quickly to her father's side. She shook her head a little embarrassedly, her voice still a little soft after crying:
"No, no, Dad, no one bullied me. I just...just saw Sister Nan Yan, and I was so happy that I couldn't help but..."
As she spoke, she turned and looked at Mu Nanyan, her eyes full of dependence and gratitude.
Mu Nanyan stood quietly at the entrance of the reception area, looking at the scene of deep love between father and daughter in front of her.
Shangguan He's undisguised worry, Shangguan Fuling's natural dependence and coquettishness... every word of conversation, every look, was like a tiny needle, gently piercing her heart, causing an indescribable sourness and dull pain.
She felt a little confused about her emotions at the moment.
She knew very well that she would feel distressed when she saw Fuling crying, and would subconsciously comfort and protect her, as if there was an innate force pulling her, making her regard Fuling as a younger sister who needed care.
This feeling is pure and natural.
But why, when she saw that Fuling was so close to her father and could naturally enjoy the unreserved love and protection from Shangguan He that she had never had, the deep-seated injustice and grievance in her heart would still surge up uncontrollably?
She is his daughter too.
Once this thought came to mind, it brought with it a sharp pain.
She quickly lowered her eyelashes, carefully hiding the fleeting sadness and imbalance, not wanting anyone to notice.
She tried hard to keep her facial expression calm, and even managed a decent smile, as if she was just a bystander moved by the heartwarming scene before her.
However, the quietly tightened fingertips revealed that her inner turmoil was far less than what she appeared to be.
Mu Nanyan quickly collected her emotions and suppressed the inappropriate bitterness in her heart.
She raised her eyes, and a decent and gentle smile appeared on the corners of her lips again, as if the momentary distraction just now had never happened.
She walked forward slowly, her voice calm and with due respect for the elderly and those recovering from illness:
"Mr. Shangguan, you look much better."
Shangguan He's gaze followed his daughter's line of sight and truly and seriously fell on Mu Nanyan.
This time's gaze was completely different from the weak and blurry glance outside the ward window and the polite look at the banquet earlier.
His eyes became much more complicated, containing the clarity of having survived the disaster, deep gratitude, and an inexplicable touch that perhaps even he himself was not yet fully aware of.
The sunlight outlined Mu Nanyan's quiet and elegant profile. She just stood there with a calm expression, but as if she had a power that could penetrate time.
When their eyes met, there seemed to be silent electric waves colliding gently in the air.
He spoke, his voice slightly hoarse from recovering from a serious illness, but with unusual solemnity:
"Miss Mu, please take a seat. This time... it's all thanks to you. I, Shangguan He, will never forget your life-saving grace."
He gestured toward the sofa opposite with a sincere attitude.
Shangguan Fuling also quietly wiped the corners of her eyes and sat obediently on the armrest next to her father, still holding her father's arm, looking at Mu Nanyan with dependence and curiosity.
Mu Nanyan sat down as she was told, with an elegant and calm posture.
She shook her head slightly, and said modestly:
"You're too kind. Anyone who encounters this situation will lend a hand as long as they are able. Your recovery is the best outcome."
She downplayed the donation as a general moral obligation, skillfully avoiding any topics that might touch on deeper connections.
The sun shines on the three of them, and the atmosphere seems harmonious and gentle, but there is an unspoken complex undercurrent.
Shangguan He's gratitude is sincere but superficial, Fuling's closeness and dependence are completely unaware of the true situation, and Mu Nanyan's calm and politeness suppresses the storm that only she knows.
She came here today not just to receive a thank you.
After Mu Nanyan exchanged a few pleasantries with Shangguan He about his illness and recovery, she gently turned her gaze to Fuling, who was still clinging to her father, and suggested softly:
"Fuling, when I just came in, I saw that the wintersweet tree in the yard was in full bloom, with a particularly elegant fragrance. Could you help me pick a small branch? I want to take it back and put it in a vase."
Her request was natural and casual, as if it was just a spur-of-the-moment interest.
Shangguan Fuling was just wondering how to express her gratitude, but when she heard that Mu Nanyan needed it, she immediately agreed with a smile on her face:
"Okay! Sister Nanyan, just wait, I'll pick the most beautiful one for you!"
As she spoke, she ran out of the reception area lightly like a happy little bird.
The footsteps gradually faded away until they disappeared.
In the huge reception area, Mu Nanyan and Shangguan He were the only ones left.
The warm sunlight still filled the room, but the liveliness and warmth brought by Poria cocos seemed to have disappeared. The air suddenly became quiet, even carrying a hint of invisible weight and tension.
The gentle, social smile on Mu Nanyan's face slowly faded.
She turned around and looked at Shangguan He again. Her eyes were as calm as water, but with an air of solemnity that was hard to ignore than before.
Shangguan He seemed to have noticed the subtle change in the atmosphere. He adjusted his sitting posture slightly, and there was a barely perceptible hint of inquiry in his eyes.
Mu Nanyan didn't beat around the bush. She took a deep breath, met Shangguan He's gaze, and spoke in a clear and calm voice:
"Mr. Shangguan, I sent Fuling away because I have something to say and I want to talk to you alone."
"These topics may not be suitable for her to hear."
Shangguan He's expression also became more solemn.
Shangguan He leaned forward slightly, pretending to listen attentively, and said in a deep voice:
"Ms. Mu, please tell me. You saved my life. No matter what it is, please tell me."
Mu Nanyan stared into his eyes and clearly uttered the name that had lingered in her heart for more than twenty years:
"Do you still remember...Shen Yi?"
After he finished speaking, Shangguan He's face did not show any expected fluctuations.
He just frowned slightly, his eyes revealing pure confusion and bewilderment, as if he was trying to search deep in his memory for a completely unfamiliar name.
"Shen Yi?"
He repeated it in a low voice, then shook his head, looking at Mu Nanyan with a frank but somewhat apologetic look.
"As far as I can remember, I don't seem to have met such a lady. Miss Mu...why did you suddenly mention her?"
Mu Nanyan's heart sank suddenly at his completely unfamiliar reaction, and she felt disappointed in an instant.
She carefully examined every subtle expression on his face - there was only genuine doubt in it, no trace of pretense.
This discovery, like a basin of ice water, unexpectedly extinguished the last faint flame left in her heart.
He really...has forgotten it.
Yes, a man with such a prominent status and rich past as him must have been surrounded by beautiful women when he was young.
How could a woman who perhaps only had a one-night stand with him leave any trace in his memory?
To her, he was the person who gave her life and shaped the tragic starting point of her mother's life; but to him, he was perhaps just a fragment in his long life that had long been blurred or even unremembered.
A huge sense of absurdity and an indescribable sadness quietly gripped her heart.
After Shangguan He finished speaking, he saw that Mu Nanyan did not respond immediately. Instead, her face suddenly turned pale. The previous decent brilliance in her clear eyes suddenly dimmed, replaced by a kind of almost shattering shock and... deep disappointment?
His heart inexplicably tightened.
After decades of ups and downs in the business world, he believed that he was an excellent judge of people, but at this moment he was completely unable to interpret the complex and drastic emotional changes on the face of his savior.
That was more than just a reaction to a name being forgotten.
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