Returning from the Immortal World

Facing this particular question made Mu Wanying flustered. She didn’t just like Tang Xiu. It was far more than that, and it couldn’t just be described by the only word “love”. She wanted to reveal what was inside her heart to Tang Xiu’s grandmother, yet she restrained herself and reserved the embarrassment and pride inside her, causing her face to blush.

“I…” She opened her mouth, but the words seemed to be blocked inside her throat.

Qin Changyue’s expression, in particular, was very serious, and she looked at Mu Wanying’s expression before saying with all seriousness, “Wanying, behaving with restraint is all good and the correct thing to do, but if your lifelong important matter were to be delayed because of it, then it’s not worth gain for the losses you’ll have. If you do like our family’s Xiu’er, then tell it seriously to Grandma, since Grandma believes that he’s not a child without a heart.”

Mu Wanying recalled the many female friends Tang Xiu had. She was conscious that she had a lot of love rivals out there, and courage suddenly sprung up inside her heart as she gently nodded and said, “I do like him.”

The serious expression on Qin Changyue’s face melted, as a smile climbed up on her apparently young face. Then, she held Mu Wanying’s hand and said with a satisfied expression, “It’s good that you like him, therefore Grandma will take care of you well. I will not spare that brat if he dares to bully you.”

Despite feeling touched inside, yet Mu Wanying still said, “Thank you, Grandma, but I don’t want to force him. Besides, he just began his studies this year, so it’s still too early. Let us get along well slowly first, then I will rely on myself to fight for it. Please don’t give him pressure, Grandma.”

Qin Changyue’s lit up, she really appreciated Mu Wanying now. Then, she nodded and said, “Don’t worry! Grandma won’t pressure him, but I can’t just stand by doing nothing. Besides, Grandma has a clear idea of what should be done.”

As dusk came, Tang Xiu returned to the Tang Family’s ancestral home. What he didn’t expect was that nearly all members of the Tang Family in Beijing were there. Even his uncle, Tang Yunpeng, who just happened to return to the capital, was sitting on the sofa in the living room hall, all smiling.

“You are…” Tang Xiu looked as Mu Wanying hurriedly stood up from the sofa. There was restless and uneasy expression on her face. He also looked at the rest of his family members with smiling faces, and a bad feeling suddenly appeared in his heart.

With a blossoming smile on her face, Qin Changyue waved at Tang Xiu and said, “Good Grandson, come to Grandma.”

Tang Xiu walked to her and asked, “Did some accident happen in our family? How come so many people are here today?”

“Grandson, Grandma heard that the matter regarding your relationship with Mu Wanying was exposed in the club today, is that right?”

What…?

Though he could guess that everyone coming here was probably related to Mu Wanying, yet how could he lay it bare like that?! It was evident that the address Mu Wanying used to call him finally made everyone misunderstood it. He wanted to explain, but he was afraid that Mu Wanying would be embarrassed, so he could only smile wryly and replied, “Grandma, there shouldn’t be a need to make everyone gather and open a meeting just because of an issue regarding young people’s relationship, right?”

“Silly brat, we, as the elders of the family, must pay attention to the relashionships of our younger generation, to begin with! The face of the Tang Family as a whole will be directly affected by the wife you will marry in the future. This child, Wanying, is very good and remarkably outstanding. Grandma really likes her and so does everyone,” said Qin Changyue.

I… AM… FUCKED! Finally, Tang Xiu exploded inside.

“Xiu’er, Grandma wouldn’t call everybody here if the relationship between the two of you was not exposed to others. But the hard fact is that you can be sure that it won’t take long for all the social circles in the capital to know the news that Wanying is your girlfriend. Even if you don’t care about yourself, don’t you have to consider her innocence as a girl and her family?” said Qin Changyue.

“Grandma isn’t what you said is too… too exaggerated?” Tang Xiu forced a wry smile. “How come it will affect toward the innocence of a woman?”

“What you said is just the way it is, Xiu’er,” said Qin Changyue with all seriousness. “With our family’s background, all the family members treat sentiments and feelings between lovers as something important. If the news that the Little Princess of the Mu House is your girlfriend has been exposed to outsiders, then she will be labeled as being tied to our Tang Family and everyone else will regard and treat her as someone from the Tang Family. Now, you tell me, who will marry her if she doesn’t marry you in the future? Isn’t it possible for you to find a new lower and then wouldn’t everyone think that you dumped her? And at that time, will she even be capable of facing others?”

“I…”

Tang Xiu was struck dumb. This problem was out of his consideration before, and he suddenly realized that what his grandmother said was correct.

But… they were, after all, only a fake couple! If this was a set up arranged to force the two of them to be together and, granted he himself didn’t think that it matters, how could Mu Wanying’s family still be willing to accept it?

Tang Guosheng stoop up with a happy expression, as he waved his hand and said, “Who among the descendants of the Tang Family is fickle and irresponsible? Since Xiu’er and Wanying are lovers, they shall never be separated in the future as well. Besides, younger generations will do all right on their own. Let them develop slowly first and, after everything ripen or so they think, then this old man will personally visit the Mu Family to propose marriage and hold a wedding. All right, dinner should’ve been prepared, so let us all have a meal first.”

Proposing marriage? Hold a wedding?

Cold sweat streamed down all over Tang Xiu’s body. He looked at Mu Wanying, who was blushing and had her head lowered. If he didn’t hesitate and care about Mu Wanying’s face, drowned by discomfiture and distress as he was now, he really wanted to shout loudly to everyone: WE ARE FAKE LOVERS!

As dinner commenced, the dishes were sumptuous, and yet Tang Xiu didn’t have any appetite. On the contrary, Mu Wanying, who became a distinguished guest of the family, ate a lot, being cared and cherished by everyone. It was so much so that Tang Ying, who was also at the table, felt sour inside, as she occasionally raised her head and rolled her eyes at Tang Xiu.

It’s none of my goddamn business, to begin with. You eat what you sow.

Tang Xiu also glared back to retaliate at her once in a while as well as suppressed his temper and forced himself to finish the meal. After seeing that his Grandma was about to pull Mu Wanying to chat again, he hurriedly made an excuse and said that Mu Wanying still had things to tend to this evening, and took her quickly to leave the Tang Family’s residence.

Huff… Tang Xiu heaved a deep sigh of relief the moment they stepped out of the residence’s entrance.

“I’m sorry!” Mu Wanying’s expression was a bit complex as she softly spoke with her head down.

Tang Xiu looked at her face and secretly sighed inside. He couldn’t blame Mu Wanying at all. Let alone that today’s incident was in fact not her fault, but everything was because of Tang Ying.

“Forget it, you don’t need to worry.” Tang Xiu waved his hand and then spoke after they got in the car. “It’s getting late. I’ll send you back home.”

“All right.” Mu Wanying nodded gently.

Oriental Rose Garden, a high-class residential complex in Beijing.

Following Mu Wanying’s guidance, Tang Xiu stopped the car in the underground garage. Instead of rushing to talk, he opened the window and lit a cigarette. He took two deep puffs before speaking, “Wanying, my situation is quite complicated, for I was once badly scarred and wounded by this very sentiment in the past. I never thought neither do I have the intention to start a new relationship until this scar is healed completely. What occurred between us is just a strange combination of circumstances that happened to turn into this situation, and I’m sorry if this matter has an impact on your reputation.”

Mu Wanying was shaken inside. Despite having suspected that Tang Xiu had been plagued by sentimental problems in the past, to think that he was really that hurt was out of her imagination. She really couldn’t figure out what blind woman had the heart to hurt such an outstanding man.

“Tang Xiu, it’s I who must say sorry. If it wasn’t because of me, today won’t be…”

Tang Xiu waved his hand and said, “It’s all right. What you did back then is nothing to be said against. It’s understandable since we are a couple, albeit a fake one. Since they have misconstrued it, then let them misunderstand it. If anything, I haven’t considered to ever involve myself in feelings, affections, and sentiments for the next few years. In case that you also don’t want to fall in love for the time being, then let us continue act this way. Don’t let others’ misunderstanding disturb us.”

Mu Wanying’s was bit loss as she replied, “Okay.”

Her expression wasn’t noticed by Tang Xiu as he continued, “What happened today is bound to be spread out and be heard by your family. If they ask you and you want to explain it, then please do. If you don’t want to, then call me. I know that the news that we are lovers will inevitably affect your reputation. If you still haven’t found the right man a few years later while you and I are also still single, then we’ll carry on to tie the marriage, and that’s it.”

Gazing at Tang Xiu for a long while without speaking, Mu Wanying then firmly said, “Then I’ll marry you if you haven’t yet married at that time.”

“What?” Tang Xiu was taken aback.

“Despite knowing nothing about who hurt you so deeply, I’m willing to heal the wound in your heart with the love I have for you. And I believe I can do it,” said Mu Wanying softly.

“You…” Tang Xiu was struck dumb and tongue-tied.

Mu Wanying forced out a bitter smile and said, “I couldn’t do anything about it since I feel that I’ve already fallen in love with you. I originally wanted to act with restraint and reserve it as much as possible and let you speak out what you have in your heart first. But I’m afraid… I’m afraid that I’ll never be able to wait, since waiting is not even an option. You’re too outstanding, and there are so many remarkable girls around you as well. As a matter of fact, I have already explained to your grandmother that us being a couple is nothing but a fake relationship. But she…”

Tang Xiu was silent.

If only Xue Qingcheng didn’t exist, if only he didn’t experience the life in the Immortal World for 10,000 years, he would have been attracted by Mu Wanying and even fall in love with her. But now, the wound in his heart made him afraid, constraining him to not to want to pour out his feeling too prematurely. He had never thought about feelings and affections so seriously in the past, yet at present, it was a must.

However, just as he began to think about it, he felt somewhat depressed. First of all, it went without saying that there was Han Qingwu, Xue Qingcheng from his previous life, and Ouyang Lulu, who was trying to pursue him desperately. And then there was Kang Xia, whom he had given his body to. He was already at his wit’s end, and now Mu Wanying was added to the line. For a moment, Tang Xiu’s mind was disconcerted as his thoughts whirled about.

“Anyways, I’m going back. I need to rest early.”

As the second cigarette was burned through, he then turned to look at Mu Wanying.

Mu Wanying hesitated for a moment before speaking, “Would you like to go up? I live alone here!”

“No.” Tang Xiu shook his head. “I’m going back to Star City tonight since there are some things in the Magnificent Tang Corporation I need to tend to.”

“All right. Pay attention to your safety on the way there.” Mu Wanying nodded silently, yet her face was dark and gloomy.