Chapter 70 New Life
"Is that so? You're actually not happy at all being with me?"
Mu Yan found it difficult to explain. He knew he would be lying if he said that every moment he spent with Shang Qiyue was unhappy.
There were times when I was happy, times when I felt loved, and times when I felt I was about to fall in love.
But he didn't want to live like this for another day.
He should go.
Seeing that he didn't speak, Shang Qiyue's eyes gradually dimmed.
As he was leaving, he stood up, seemingly wanting to check the wound on Mu Yan's neck one last time. Mu Yan awkwardly turned his head to the side and pressed the bruise onto the pillow, saying, "Don't look at it, it's already healed."
Shang Qiyue could roughly tell that he just didn't want him to touch him. His eyes were complicated, but in the end he didn't expose him.
"Even after it heals, you should apply the medicine for a couple more days." Shang Qiyue's voice was dry.
"I know."
Shang Qiyue left dejectedly, and he didn't reappear for the next few days.
Mu Yan did not stay in that hospital for long, and left as soon as it was time for him to be discharged.
The doctor advised him to rest and observe his condition further, but Mu Yan refused decisively.
He was aware of his own health; he knew that staying here would only make him feel bad and sickly.
On the sunny day of her discharge, Mu Yan pulled the suitcase she had brought back from the capital and boarded the ride-hailing car she had booked in advance.
He will never set foot in this hospital again in his lifetime.
He returned to the Rose Garden temporarily, but did not intend to stay there for long.
After Shang Qiyue promised to end the project early, he started looking at houses. The house in Rose Garden that Shang Qiyue gave him was too luxurious for him, so he planned to rent it out and find another place to live.
He selected three apartments, arranged a time with the landlord, and after viewing all the apartments, chose the one with the middle price and paid six months' rent.
When he first graduated and was renting a place, he didn't have any money. Even if he found a suitable place, if he had to pay six months' rent upfront, he would have to reluctantly look for another one.
Although this apartment is a bit far from the company, it faces south, has excellent natural light, and is on a relatively high floor, so it's not too damp.
Mu Yan has rented several apartments and has gained experience. Sunlight is really important. When you're poor, there's no other way, but now that you're not so tight on money, you still need to find a south-facing apartment with plenty of sunlight.
Mu Yan had no reason to let himself get depressed. He had survived the most difficult days and now that he finally had a new life, he should live it to the fullest.
I go to work, take care of my mother, occasionally eat at my brother's house, and go to the hospital for check-ups. But of course, I don't go to that private hospital.
The doctor at the hospital was fairly accurate; it wasn't a serious illness and could be cured. Even if it didn't fully heal, it wouldn't significantly impact daily life.
The gifts brought back from the capital were loved by everyone in the family, especially Jiajia, who was so happy that she wanted to take the owl to kindergarten. Lin Yi and Xiang Zhuo took turns trying to persuade her, and finally managed to convince the little girl that the owl would be stolen during her afternoon nap.
Lin Yi asked one more question, saying that Mu Yan seemed to have lost weight since returning, and wondered if he couldn't get used to the food there.
Mu Yan felt that his brother was almost aware of his strangeness, but he still brushed it off, saying that after all, it was the north, and he would definitely not be used to the food.
The apartment in Rose Garden is also being offered for rent through an agency, but the price is too high, and there aren't many interested buyers. We can only lower the price slightly and wait.
Mu Yan didn't have much luggage in the Rose Garden apartment to begin with. She spent a few days packing up her own things and moving them all to the newly rented apartment. She also packed up Shang Qiyue's things and called Luo Cheng to come and pick them up.
Mu Yan couldn't get through to Luo Cheng's number for a while, and Luo Cheng finally answered the phone on the third call.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Mu, because of the improper procedures at the hospital, I'm currently under investigation at the police station. I'm very sorry about what happened that day. This is the contact information for the second assistant to President Shang; he should be temporarily in charge right now."
Mu Yan paused for a moment when he heard that he was at the police station. Soon after, a string of numbers came through the phone. The background noise was chaotic, as if someone was urging him.
After a busy signal, the call was disconnected.
Mu Yan was a little unsure what to say. He searched online for sentencing records of people who assisted others in illegal operations at hospitals, but there were very few such cases. The few cases that were posted were almost negligible.
Shang Qiyue had promised to make those who bullied him pay the price, and he seemed to be doing just that, but Mu Yan didn't feel any of the satisfaction of taking advantage of the situation.
He wasn't some ungrateful, overly kind person; he didn't feel that Luo Cheng was wronged at all.
But if someone goes to jail because of your own reasons, you still feel a little uneasy about it.
What about Shang Hongsheng? Would Shang Qiyue treat his biological father, whom he raised with blood ties despite their poor relationship, in the same way? He was clearly the one who started it all.
He is the one who has utterly shattered his own dignity.
Following the number Luo Cheng had just sent, Mu Yan quickly dialed the number. The second assistant answered the phone immediately. Mu Yan said that he was Shang Qiyue's friend and asked him to come over and pack up Shang Qiyue's old things.
The second assistant had kept watch over Mu Yan all night without his knowledge, so how could he not know who he was? He agreed without asking anything and told Mu Yan to wait a moment while he came right away.
Inside the suitcase he brought back from the capital was the owl that Mu Yan had originally intended to give him.
Mu Yan felt there was no use for keeping it, so she packed it into the suitcase she had used to pack clothes for Shang Qiyue.
Half an hour later, the doorbell rang. Mu Yan opened the door and saw Shang Qiyue's pale and haggard face.
Somewhat trying to cover up his misunderstanding, he offered a quick explanation: "I don't have a new personal assistant yet. You called my second assistant, but he only handles work-related matters. It's not good to bother him. I'll come myself. I... won't stay here."
Mu Yan glanced at him, stepped aside, and made way for him to come in.
The single-level apartment, which had already begun to feel somewhat alive, was now cleaned up and left empty. Shang Qiyue glanced at the secondary bedroom where Mu Yan usually stayed, intentionally or unintentionally. The room was even emptier than the master bedroom, with nothing left.
Mu Yan had already sorted out all his belongings, categorizing the clothes by color, and even putting some of the freshly washed and dried items in dust bags.
If nothing unexpected had happened, he could have continued living like this until his twenty-sixth birthday.
Shang Qiyue thought that even if it really ended then, he might still regret it just like he does now. Mu Yan was so good, anyone would fall in love with him.
But if that were the case, he would have had many opportunities to back out.
Mu Yan is more soft-hearted than anyone else. He will pursue him again and start over with him like any ordinary couple. Mu Yan will give him this chance.
Mu Yan wasn't completely indifferent to him; she could just spend more time on him.
But there are no "what ifs".
Mu Yan stood not far from the door of his original bedroom, seemingly wanting to urge him, but for some reason he didn't say it.
Shang Qiyue wanted to talk to him some more, but the open suitcase was blocking his way. When he hurriedly tried to close it, he noticed that the folded clothes seemed to have a bulge, as if something was pressing down underneath.
He quickly lifted his clothes and saw a snow-white owl doll.
Owl feathers are very soft, and they shed a little when touched.
He picked up the owl plush toy and walked over to Mu Yan: "Is this... for me? Did you buy it when you went to the capital? I know this; I've seen the posts on the kids' WeChat Moments in our company. What did you name it...?"
“I didn’t name it,” Mu Yan said calmly. “If you don’t like it, just throw it away, it’s okay. It’s not really a birthday present, I just bought it when I saw it, but there won’t be anything else. Happy birthday in advance.”
It wasn't really a birthday gift... He was originally going to give me something else.
Mu Yan is a very serious person, both to people and to things. When he says he's going on a business trip, he means he's bringing himself a gift, and he won't count it as a birthday present.
Unfortunately, there's nothing left now.
Shang Qiyue's eyes darkened.
"You were just... trying to rush me, were you? Is there something else?" Shang Qiyue glanced at the time. It was not yet six o'clock. Mu Yan's mealtimes had always been regular, so he was probably in a hurry to eat now. "I still want to go eat. Did you order takeout? If not, I'll take you out to eat one last time. It's just a meal, we can eat together as ordinary friends."
"It's a colleague's birthday." Mu Yan avoided his gaze. "Besides, we can't be ordinary friends anymore."
Shang Qiyue was taken aback. Mu Yan's relationship with his colleagues had always been so-so; they were just superficial acquaintances who never contacted each other after work.
He had no idea when he had this colleague with whom he was close enough to invite him to his birthday party.
"She's my boss, she's been married for several years, don't overthink it."
Mu Yan knew what he was thinking. In fact, given his current relationship with Shang Qiyue, he didn't need to explain anything. Explaining would only make it seem like he still cared about Shang Qiyue.
However, the contract between Shang Qiyue and him stipulated that he could not find anyone else during the contract period, and he did not want Shang Qiyue to have any tricks up his sleeve.
Upon hearing this, Shang Qiyue's eyes lit up: "I drove here, I'll take you there."
Mu Yan didn't want to give him any chance: "Shang Qiyue, we're over. You're cured. You can go find a suitable omega to marry. There's no need for you to keep being my driver. I can't afford to pay you."
"If you're not done packing, I'll be leaving now. I was going to help you move a few things, but I'm really busy right now. If you're busy, you can come back tomorrow. I don't live here anymore, so you can pack for as long as you want."
"Then where should I look for you?" Shang Qiyue instinctively wanted to ask.
Mu Yan looked at him quietly, her eyes as calm and gentle as ever, as if to say, "But we're over, why are you coming to find me?"
Shang Qiyue was so upset that he couldn't speak. He held the owl plushie, his throat feeling like it was blocked.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
