When Yi Wulan saw the mess in the room, her hand on the wheelchair’s control panel paused. She raised an eyebrow slightly, sizing up Mu Yanxi with great interest.
A brief silence fell over the living room.
In the past, Mu Yanxi wouldn’t have batted an eye at spending a few million, let alone attending a fashion show and spending tens of millions. After all, it was her own family’s money.
But this time, since it was the first time Mu Yanxi had spent Yi Wulan’s money, and a few million at that, she started to feel a little embarrassed.
At the same time, she felt uncertain and increasingly guilty.
Yi Wulan was the first to break the silence. She maneuvered her wheelchair closer to the sofa, her gaze falling on several exaggerated, brightly colored lace dresses.
She studied the clothes carefully, then looked at Mu Yanxi, as if considering the compatibility between the two.
She was silent for two seconds before speaking, “So, this is what you like?”
Mu Yanxi followed her gaze to the gaudy dresses, which had somehow been mixed in with one of the piles of clothes. The more she looked, the more horrified she became.
They looked a bit like the style favored by the aunties who line dance in public squares.
Loose and soft, with flamboyant colors and an excessive amount of embellishments piled on as if they were free.
Most importantly, one of them was a dress Chi An had picked out and intended to buy.
It was an absolute eyesore.
Mu Yanxi took a deep breath, feeling the need to explain. “Actually, I didn’t buy these for myself.”
Yi Wulan nodded casually, not taking her words seriously, as if she had already made up her mind about her taste.
“These aren’t for me.” Mu Yanxi casually picked up a dress and repeated herself. Then, holding the dress up against Yi Wulan, she forced herself to say, “These are all for you.”
Yi Wulan froze for a moment, then managed to say with some difficulty, “For me?”
Mu Yanxi nodded quickly, her confidence growing with each thought.
She had rarely even taken the initiative to buy gifts for Mu Yanqing, let alone anyone else.
Buying Yi Wulan something right after they got married… Yi Wulan should feel honored!
“Yes. Giving gifts helps promote affection between a married couple.” Mu Yanxi thought for a moment and added, “This is what people do when they’re in a relationship. Even though you’ve forgotten, I don’t blame you.”
With just a few words, she completely turned the tables, making it seem as if Yi Wulan was the one who had done something wrong and should apologize.
Without giving Yi Wulan time to react, she manually pulled Yi Wulan’s wheelchair over, pushed the pile of luxury goods in Yi Wulan’s direction, and announced with a cool and noble air, “These are all yours now.”
Her tone carried a hint of someone presenting a treasure, awaiting praise.
Yi Wulan didn’t speak, merely sliding her wheelchair back inconspicuously to escape Mu Yanxi’s grasp.
Then, she expressionlessly took out her phone and switched to the bank text messages from the afternoon:
【[Xinyu Bank] Your bank card account ending in 8899 completed a transaction of -270,000 RMB on June 28 at 13:53. Current balance is… RMB】
【[Xinyu Bank] Your bank card account ending in 8899 completed a transaction of -1,782,000 RMB on June 28 at 13:56. Current balance is… RMB】
【[Xinyu Bank] Your bank card account ending in 8899 completed a transaction of -880,000 RMB on June 28 at 14:01. Current balance is… RMB】
【…】
The living room was suddenly so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Mu Yanxi leaned over for a look and finally shut her mouth.
The bank card ending in 8899 was in her possession. It was self-evident where the money had been spent.
The atmosphere remained awkwardly tense for a long time. Unable to bear the other’s gaze any longer, Mu Yanxi finally broke the silence. “You didn’t say I couldn’t use the card when you gave it to me. If you don’t want me to spend it, then I’ll just give it back to you.”
With that, she took the bank card out of her bag and held it out to Yi Wulan.
She looked like someone being exploited, forced to hand over her money.
So pitiful, so wronged.
Like a worker whose fruits of labor were being snatched away by a ruthless capitalist.
For a moment, Yi Wulan didn’t dare to take it.
Yi Wulan looked at the bank card for two seconds, then suddenly let out a low laugh.
Her voice was clear and gentle, and her peach blossom eyes, usually cold and stern, now held a hint of amusement. “I gave it to you, so it’s yours.”
“Then I’ll reluctantly accept it.” Hearing this, Mu Yanxi unhesitatingly took the card back. She even lifted her chin and pushed her luck. “By the way, you haven’t said thank you to me yet.”
Yi Wulan was taken aback, a hint of disbelief in her eyes. “So, I have to thank you for spending my money to buy me gifts?”
“Mhm.” Mu Yanxi’s face was a mask of calm indifference, but behind her back, her hands were twisting nervously. With baseless bravado, she said, “Sh-shouldn’t you?”
Yi Wulan slid her wheelchair forward a bit, her knees touching Mu Yanxi’s, and simply watched her quietly.
A strange silence descended upon the living room.
Mu Yanxi met Yi Wulan’s gaze for a few seconds before silently looking away.
It wasn’t like she did it on purpose.
If she hadn’t seen that photo of Yi Wulan and Chi An, she wouldn’t have been so impulsive.
She was usually very frugal and possessed the fine virtues of her culture.
After comforting herself, Mu Yanxi felt a renewed sense of confidence and a desire to win the argument with Yi Wulan.
Unfortunately, before she could launch into a long-winded speech, she turned her gaze back and saw a smile on Yi Wulan’s usually impassive face.
It had been a long time since Yi Wulan had laughed so genuinely.
She was still young when she took over Rongjia. Forget about the old, cunning shareholders; even a randomly chosen intern was older than she was back then.
Her youth had forced her to learn to hide her joys and sorrows. Over the years, she had become increasingly adept at controlling her emotions, becoming the unapproachable president in others’ eyes, living like a work machine.
But Mu Yanxi was different from those people. Mu Yanxi was real, vibrant. Although a bit delicate and high-maintenance, she had to admit that her occasional little tempers were quite adorable.
As if shedding her usual disguise, Yi Wulan leaned back slightly in her wheelchair, an unconcealable smile in her eyes.
Mu Yanxi felt the gaze on her face, making her extremely uncomfortable. She put down the clothes in her hands, her long-suppressed spoiled temper about to erupt.
But before she could stage a scene of ‘domestic violence between newlyweds,’ her gaze happened to meet Yi Wulan’s peach blossom eyes.
Usually filled with distance and a coldness that kept people a thousand miles away, they were now like melting ice and snow, dotted with amusement that added a touch of gentleness to Yi Wulan.
Mu Yanxi was stunned for several seconds before she came to her senses, nearly bewitched by Yi Wulan’s beauty.
Yi Wulan didn’t stay long and was about to leave in her wheelchair. Mu Yanxi pointed at the pile of things and called out to her, “Wait.”
Yi Wulan turned her head. “Is there something else?”
Mu Yanxi hesitated for a moment, then asked in a small voice, “You… you really didn’t like a single thing?”
Did Yi Wulan really look down on the things she bought that much?
At least there was a pair of earrings in there that she had specifically picked out for Yi Wulan.
Yi Wulan glanced around casually, a smile reappearing on her face. “Since you picked them, why don’t you use them yourself?”
Mu Yanxi: …
“What’s so funny?” Mu Yanxi’s face was about to go stiff from the other’s smiling.
Yi Wulan promptly stopped smiling. “I don’t find it funny.”
Mu Yanxi glanced at her, her face full of disbelief.
If it wasn’t funny, was it a ghost laughing just now?
Yi Wulan composed herself. “I just think you’re a little different from what your sister said. You’re much more sensible than she described.”
Sensible? Was she treating her like a child?
Don’t think she didn’t know that Yi Wulan hadn’t treated her as a wife these past few days.
She was twenty-three and already married to Yi Wulan.
She wanted to treat her like a child, did she?
She wouldn’t let her.
“You really don’t like the things I got you, huh.” Mu Yanxi slumped down along the sofa, as if she had no bones in her body, looking very upset. “Actually, I originally had a better gift I wanted to give you.”
At first, Yi Wulan didn’t respond. But when she looked at Mu Yanxi, the other woman’s head was lowered, her eyes somewhat moist. Under the dazzling chandelier, her eyelashes seemed to glisten with moisture.
As if she was about to cry but hadn’t yet.
Yi Wulan’s fingertips curled slightly as she recalled what she had just said.
Mu Yanxi had been spoiled by Mu Yanqing and was always delicate. Her ability to handle things was probably much weaker than others’.
The other woman had finally bought her a gift for once, and she had just rejected it so mercilessly.
Perhaps she had been a bit too harsh?
Yi Wulan frowned, finally mustering the patience to lean forward. “Did you buy anything else this afternoon? What is it?”
This was the sentence Mu Yanxi had been waiting for, but she maintained the posture of someone deeply hurt by having her gift rejected and sighed.
This prompted Yi Wulan to lean in even closer.
As the distance between them shrank, when Yi Wulan wasn’t paying attention, Mu Yanxi suddenly reached out and grabbed her wheelchair.
Her other hand caressed her own lips as she asked lazily, “The most valuable thing about me is, of course, myself. Do you want me?”
