C17 I Don't Care if You're Ugly

It had taken Moo Nuannuan a longer time to register what was happening. She stared at the bodyguard standing right in front of her, wondering if she was actually dreaming. Mu Tingxiao wanted to see her? Her fingers twitched. An unsettled feeling stirred in her stomach as she stared at the corridor up ahead. She had always wondered how true the rumors were–if he was as cold as they had said, and now, she was going to find out.

Even as she knocked on the door to the study, it still felt surreal. The door swung open, and the dim lights greeted her inside the room.

"Shi Ye, who is it?" The voice sounded hoarse, like a man who had gone a week without water.

There was a suited man standing right beside the desk, and he was staring at her. "It's Young Madame."

It was then when Moo Nuannuan took the time to observe her surroundings. Aside from the shelves that decorated the entire study, the room was pretty empty. There was a large desk placed in the center of the room, right below the dangling chandeliers. And sitting on the chair was a broad man, who had his back turned towards her. No matter how hard she squinted, she couldn't see even a dash of his face.

All she could make out was the long arm sitting on the armrest.

He was tall and broad.

Was he the infamous Mu Tingxiao?

"Young Madame," Shi Ye greeted, motioning her to come closer.

"Your name is Shi Ye?"

He simply nodded in response.

Neither of them seemed to be talkative.

While Mu Qingfeng was kind and amiable, Mu Tingxiao was the complete opposite. Even his presence was enough to scare her. There was something about the silence that delivered a more ominous feeling, and she couldn't help but lower her head. It was silent for a couple more minutes until he finally spoke up,

"You've met Mu Qingfeng?"

"I..." She blinked, surprised by the remoteness of his voice.

Although she had theorized that the two didn't have the best relationships, she didn't expect him to call him by name. After all, shouldn't he have at least an ounce of respect for his father? The old man did raise him, and he didn't seem like the type to be cruel to his son. It seemed that she had underestimated the anger and resentment buried in Mu Tingxiao's heart, and she couldn't help but wonder what had happened to cause it.

"I have seen him," she admitted.

"What did he say?"

"We chatted a little about this and that, and he also mentioned you." She bit her lips. "He misses you."

She knew that Mu Qingfeng had his own reasons for contacting and bringing her out for dinner, but she knew that those reasons stemmed from good intentions. It was obvious that the old man was concerned for his son and would do everything to reconnect with him again, despite their differences. His words echoed at the back of her mind as an unfamiliar feeling stirred in her chest.

She actually envied Mu Tingxiao for having a father who actually loved him unlike her whose father wanted nothing to do with her.

Mu Tingxiao sneered in response. "I heard from Jiachen that you've gotten along?"

Jiachen...As soon as Moo Nuannuan heard the bastard's name, her entire body stiffened. A dull flush soared up to her cheeks, and she hurriedly shook her head. The last thing she needed was to make him think that they were affiliated with each other. Sweat beaded down her forehead. "Oh, him." She paused for a bit before saying, "We only see each other around the villa."

Realizing that his back was facing her and that he wouldn't see her shaking her head, she added, "We aren't familiar with each other."

She didn't know why, but she deliberately hid the fact that Mu Jiachen had stayed in her apartment for the night. It wasn't like anything happened. And if she told Mu Tingxiao that, he'd be curious as to why she was in such a rotten part of the city in the first place. It would just lead to more explanations–one that she wasn't willing to divulge just yet. Steadying her trembling figure, she took a deep breath.

"Is that it?"

Moo Nuannuan remained silent and impassive, but her mind was already rushing with various thoughts.

What the hell did Mu Jiachen say to him?

"You may leave," he ordered, as if annoyed by her lack of response.

Although Moo Nuannuan couldn't see Mu Tingxiao's face given the shadows that overlapped the corners of his head, she could still feel the chilly atmosphere from a distance. It seemed that they weren't lying when they said that being near the man was like being near a beast–lifeless and cruel. She shuffled her feet, still feeling a bit dazed with the entire situation. The man may seem dangerous, but her expression showed no signs of fear.

The reason why she had married into the Mu family was that Xiao Chuhee had forced her into this marriage to save Moo Wanqi. However, that wasn't the only reason why she had agreed to be the sacrificial lamb. The other reason was that she had wanted to grab the chance to get out of that damned house. It was out of despair and recklessness that she was encouraged to partake in the union. And she understood the consequences that went with this.

Divorce was off the tables–that she understood enough. Even from the day when she had walked out of the Moo estate, she planned to be Mu Tingxiao's wife for the rest of her life–not just because she had no other choice, but it was also her only way out of that abusive house. She wasn't going back there, not again. No matter how scary her husband was, or how ugly he'd come to be, she could learn to stand him–bit by bit.

Biting her lips, she took two steps closer. "Mu Tingxiao," she said tentatively. "Do you mind turning around?"

If he turned, just a bit, then she might be able to see his face. Maybe then, the weight could be lifted off her shoulders.

However, as soon as she had suggested such a thing, the pressure in the room had dropped even more. The dim lights started to flicker. Even the heater wasn't enough to warm the chilly atmosphere. She held her breath, and her arms stayed frozen to her sides. That obviously wasn't the right thing to say. Mu Tingxiao still hadn't said a word, and she immediately said in reassurance,

"Please don't get me wrong." Moo Nuannuan waved her hands. "I just felt that...we'll be together for the rest of our lives, so we'll be bound to meet at one point or the other. I really don't mind if you have any scars or if you're disabled..."

Mu Tingxiao blinked. This was the first time he had ever heard anyone say this to him.

"You may not care if I'm ugly, but I care if you are." His voice was filled with malice and disgust.