Chapter 32

Ever since he fell ill, Bochuan Mu had been confined to his home. The man who was once always impeccably dressed in a tailored suit grew increasingly neglectful of his appearance, living in his pajamas from morning till night.

As he aged, he had developed the temperament of a stubborn child, throwing tantrums and driving the household staff to tears with his refusal to keep a normal sleep schedule.

Shengjun Su had not seen him looking this spirited and radiant in a very long time.

Bochuan looked around cautiously before lowering his voice to ask his daughter-in-law, "That brat Minghong has left, hasn't he?"

Shengjun nodded. "He said there were some matters at the company that required his attention, so he went to the office early this morning."

"Good." Bochuan nodded, his steps growing noticeably lighter.

That son of his was far too controlling. He had zero freedom in his own home and was constantly badgered to do things the younger man's way.

The boy had truly grown up to the point where he forgot who his father was.

Yet everyone in the house yielded to Minghong rather than to him, the head of the family.

A daughter was far better; she was actually taking him on a trip.

He glanced at Shengjun beside him, a profound sense of triumph swelling in his chest.

He would take Minghong's wife away as well, and leave that boy behind to cry by himself!

When Mingshu Mu came downstairs and caught sight of Bochuan, she let out an exclamation of amazement.

"Dad, you look fantastic in this outfit! So full of life!"

"Really? I think so too." Bochuan chuckled happily, striking a pose against the banister.

Mingshu immediately pulled out her phone to take a picture of him. "It really was the right decision to bring you out. You look like a completely different person instantly."

As she spoke, she shot a knowing wink at Shengjun.

"Of course! That rascal Minghong kept locking me up at home. If I wasn't sick before, I would have been driven mad by his confinement!"

The mere mention of his son's name made Bochuan's blood boil.

Mingshu chimed in to appease him. "Exactly. What Dad needs right now is to get out and see the world."

Shengjun checked her watch. "We should get going. The private jet is already waiting for us."

Mingshu nodded and instructed the servants to load the luggage into the car.

"Dad, let's go."

"Alright." Bochuan agreed with a smile, picking up his pace, eager to depart immediately.

Suddenly, he turned back to Shengjun. "My dear, block that boy's number so he can't find his wife and will panic."

The couple shared a deep affection and had always been entirely honest with one another.

Bochuan had merely made the remark in passing, never expecting his daughter-in-law to actually pull out her phone and decisively block all means of contact for Minghong.

Watching from the side, Bochuan was as surprised as he was immensely satisfied. He quickly retrieved his own phone and instructed Mingshu to do the same.

***

Jincheng.

A single-apartment suite in the downtown area.

A faint trace of sandalwood incense drifted through the study as Yiheng Mu unhurriedly boiled a pot of hot water and began to brew tea.

The person on the screen before him clicked their tongue at the sight. "Other domineering CEOs surround themselves with cigars and fine wine. How did your aesthetic take such a sharp turn into tea-brewing?"

Yiheng lifted the pot to pour the tea into an exquisite Yixing purple clay teapot. Wisps of delicate steam curled from the cups as he replied with casual nonchalance, "Any news?"

The person on the other end shook their head. "People from the Ancient Medical Realm aren't so easily reached. You know that better than I do."

Yiheng let out a long, heavy sigh.

Back when his grandfather was first diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, Minghong had personally made a trip to the Ancient Medical Realm.

The practitioners there possessed miraculous medical skills, yet they did not easily bestow their treatments.

Even the Mu family, one of the four great aristocratic clans of the Imperial Capital, could not compel them to come out of seclusion.

The Ancient Medical Realm remained shrouded in mystery, accompanied by countless legends.

The most prominent among them was the tale of someone who once obtained a rare medicinal herb from that realm; upon consuming it, a dying man was brought back from the brink of death and granted five additional years of life.

Yet very few people were privy to these secrets.

Only the most prominent elite families of the Imperial Capital were aware of their existence.

Yiheng pressed his thin lips together, his right hand gently stroking the teacup. His brows furrowed in deep contemplation, unsure of what path to take next.

His cell phone suddenly rang. Glancing at the caller ID, Yiheng declined the call.

"Let's talk later. I'll get in touch with you after this."

Closing his laptop, he answered the incoming call instead.

"Mom, is something the matter?"

A gentle female voice sounded from the receiver.

"Eldest, do you have time? Come to the airport and pick us up."

Yiheng froze for a moment, his voice laced with shock. "You've come to Jincheng?! What about Grandpa?"

Before the words had even faded, an elderly voice chimed in right on cue.

"My good grandson, your grandpa is right here beside her."

Yiheng was completely dumbfounded. "Grandpa? Why did you come along! Does Dad know about this?"

The old man's voice carried a hint of lingering resentment. "Don't even mention your father to me; the mere thought of him makes my blood boil! Hurry up and pick us up from the airport so you can take me sightseeing."

The line went dead with a series of busy tones.

Yiheng: "..."

***

Half an hour later, Yiheng drove to the airport, where Shengjun and the others were waiting for him by the terminal entrance.

The moment he laid eyes on the trio, Yiheng understood the situation instantly, his gaze locking directly onto Mingshu.

"Did you instigate this? Did you talk Mom into bringing Grandpa here?"

Mingshu looked displeased. "Is that any way to speak to your aunt?"

Yiheng stared at his paternal aunt, who was merely two years older than himself, a throbbing headache setting in.

"Don't you know what condition Grandpa is in? How could you bring him out without authorization?"

"Of course I know. Doesn't he look wonderful right now? So full of vitality." Mingshu scolded him back. "The two of you kept my father locked up in that house like a prisoner. Is there something wrong with me taking him out to unwind?"

Yiheng grew frantic. "What if something happens to Grandpa? How are you going to take responsibility?!"

"Ha! You have the nerve to talk to me about responsibility?" Mingshu laughed in exasperation.

Shengjun hurriedly tugged at Mingshu's sleeve, signaling her to say less.

"Eldest, your aunt is right. Remaining cooped up at home does no good for your grandfather's condition. Besides, with us looking after him, nothing is going to go wrong."

"But..." Yiheng remained deeply uneasy.

Shengjun stepped forward and gently patted his hand to reassure him.

Leaning in closer, she tilted her head and lowered her voice to explain, "Your aunt and I couldn't rest easy regarding Xixi."

Yiheng fell silent for a fraction of a second.

He bore a heavy responsibility for the accident that had befell his younger sister.

With a helpless sigh, Yiheng compromised. "Get in the car."

***

The Mu family owned a property in Jincheng—a secluded villa named Leisure Crane.

Situated far from the bustling downtown area, it possessed an elegant and tranquil atmosphere.

Surrounded by lush vegetation, with a winding river flowing a few miles away, the estate was built in traditional Chinese architectural style.

It featured the classic color palette of white walls and dark grey tiles, while the upturned eaves fully captured a timeless aesthetic. The symmetrical layout adhered strictly to traditional design principles, further accentuating the grandeur and dignity of the structure.

This villa had been built by the young lady of the Mu family as a retirement residence for Bochuan.

She had personally participated in its creation, collaborating with numerous renowned architectural designers to bring it to life.

To ensure its perfection, she had even studied landscape architecture, interior design, and environmental psychology to bridge any professional gaps—a testament to the depth of her dedication.

When construction was completed years ago, she had brought Bochuan to tour it specially. The old man had beamed from ear to ear, declaring that upon his retirement, he would live here like a crane floating freely among the clouds.