Did we sound intimate? Well, it might have sounded intimate when Little Bean and I were chatting. No, I think I sounded affectionate, more than anything else. He’s my son after all. Who else would I be affectionate with, if not him?
Looking at Han Muzi’s pale face, Ye Moxuan figured he guessed correctly. The hospital was especially quiet in the middle of the night, so Ye Moxuan had heard a child’s voice from the other end of the line when Han Muzi was on the phone. He pursed his lips into a thin line while gazing at Han Muzi.
“Who is that?” His voice was stone-cold, as though he was interrogating her.
Han Muzi regained her composure after several seconds, and she snapped back at him, “What gives you the right to question me?”
Ye Moxuan was astounded. “What gives me the right?”
“Exactly. What gives you the right?” Han Muzi felt bolder since she blurted her thoughts. She then smirked at him while asking him scathingly, “How is it any of your business whom I phone or whom I’m affectionate with?
Do you consider me your full-time nanny just because I came all the way to send you your meal in the middle of the night? Do you think that your wish is my command? This is my personal life. I don’t think I’m obligated to report my life to you, am I?” With that, Han Muzi shoved him to the side hard and marched out of the bathroom.
Anger clouded Ye Moxuan’s face upon listening to her reply. Seeing her leave the bathroom, he immediately turned around to follow her. “Who was that child in the restaurant previously?”
Han Muzi stopped dead in her tracks. Her face became stark white, and she felt as if she suffered a huge blow against the back of her head. She was stunned to silence for a very long time.
A single thought whizzed through her mind. Did he see him? Did Ye Moxuan see him in the restaurant previously? In that case, why hasn’t he said anything all along? Why didn’t he expose me if he had seen Little Bean? Was he waiting for the right time?
Han Muzi felt chills running down her spine when she considered the possibilities. She did not turn around to face him; instead, she bit her lower lip hard.
Ye Moxuan stared at the back of her head with a cold and detached expression. “Is he your child?”
Han Muzi did not answer him.
“Is he?”
Han Muzi remained silent.
“Who is the father?” Ye Moxuan’s gaze turned steely, and it bored into the back of Han Muzi’s head.
The temperature of the surrounding atmosphere dropped rapidly due to Ye Moxuan’s aura. Han Muzi felt numb at first, and soon enough, she felt dumbfounded. She then turned around slowly to look at Ye Moxuan.
Why is he asking me that question? If he did see Little Bean, wouldn’t he assume that the child… Why is he still questioning me? Is he probing or does he have an ulterior motive?
Han Muzi’s bewildered expression angered Ye Moxuan. He took a large step forward and grabbed her shoulders tightly. “I’m asking you a question,” he hissed.
I don’t know. My mind is in a mess. I thought I hid everything well. How did Ye Moxuan find out so long ago? Why did he take so long to ask me about it?
Han Muzi couldn’t figure what his motives were, and so she couldn’t risk answering him rashly.
After a few moments, Ye Moxuan gradually started to calm down since she wouldn’t speak. He asked her in a quiet voice, “Were you speaking with the child from the restaurant the other day over the phone just now?”
Han Muzi did not admit to it, nor did she deny it.
Ye Moxuan let out a mirthless chuckle. “It seems I’m right. Who is he? Muzi, what have you done behind my back throughout these five years?”
His eyes burned with fury, but he also wore a conflicted and agonized expression.
“I saw the side profile of that child in the restaurant the other day. I thought he might be Yan’s child. However, on the phone earlier, I heard him calling you… Muzi, who have you been with for the past few years? If he is your son, who is the father?”
His series of questions made Han Muzi lightheaded. What does he mean? Judging by what he said, does it mean he didn’t get a good look at Little Bean’s face? Was he not suspicious after the incident in the restaurant that day? Has he not launched an investigation into my past?
Is he angry because he heard Little Bean address me as Mommy?
“Let go of me first. My thoughts are all over the place…” Han Muzi shoved his hands away, and she staggered backward.
Seeing her like this somehow further convinced Ye Moxuan that she was feeling guilty.
He gritted his teeth before going after her and grabbing her wrist. “Have you been with another man?”
“I…”
“Answer my question. Who is the father of that child?”
Han Muzi’s mind snapped like a thunderclap, and she pushed Ye Moxuan’s hands away viciously. “Let go of me! What gives you the right to interrogate me?”
Just when the two of them were at a stalemate, a nurse came knocking on the door of his room. She opened the door and sternly warned them, “Excuse me, but this is a hospital. It’s already very late at night. The two of you should keep it down.”
The nurse’s warning calmed them both significantly. Ye Moxuan loosened his grip, whereas Han Muzi grabbed the chance and shoved him away before turning around to leave.
“Eh? What happened?” Before the nurse regained her composure, Han Muzi already brushed by her and ran away without another backward glance.
The nurse stared at her back until she was out of sight before turning back to look at Ye Moxuan.
He stood alone in the hospital room looking faint; he didn’t seem to be doing too well. Despite these circumstances, this man was still undeniably handsome. The nurse was smitten with his good looks, so she asked softly, “Sir, a-are you alright?”
Ye Moxuan looked up with an icy gaze. The nurse was shocked, but she quickly cleared her throat before reminding him that he should keep it down. Then, she closed the room door and left.
…
After Han Muzi left the ward, she ran to the hospital entrance swiftly. It so happened that a passenger got out of a cab at the hospital entrance. Han Muzi slipped into the cab immediately and gave the driver her address.
Once she got into the car, she phoned Yan. “I’m on the way home. I should be back in around twenty minutes. Please meet me at the entrance of the residential community.”
Yan was woken up by Han Muzi’s phone call. However, she was confused by her request. “Are you in your right mind? Why are you coming back home after going to the hospital in the middle of the night? And now you’re asking me to pick you up from the entrance of the residential community? It’s the middle of the night, my dear; I’m sleeping.”
Han Muzi glanced at the cab driver while nodding. “Hmm, it’s fine if you don’t want to. Get my brother to pick me up; I’m already in the cab now.” With that, Han Muzi asked the cab driver, “Sir, what is the car registration plate? I need to inform my brother; it’ll be easier for him to spot us.”
Han Muzi sighed in relief after the driver gave her the car registration plate. I should be more cautious since I’m taking a cab so late at night.
Soon, she arrived at the entrance of her residential community. When Han Muzi got out of the car, she saw Yan trembling in the chilly night wind despite having a jacket on. She had dark circles beneath both her eyes. Yan charged at Han Muzi the moment she got out of the car and started scolding her, “Damn it! Do you even have a conscience?
How could you let me wait outside for you in the middle of the night? Your son woke me up in the middle of the night, and now it’s your turn to wake me up! Both of you, mother and son, are now my nemeses!”
