CHAPTER 394: CHAPTER 394: THE WHEREABOUTS OF THE BIOLOGICAL FATHER

Cheng Lie responded with a soft "Mm" again.

Yun Shifei felt that she really ought to admire Cheng Lie; she had completely failed to notice any problem in the past!

Who would have thought he had been thinking about her so early on, and even... teasing her?

She wanted to be angry, but all those feelings of fury had long since vanished without a trace.

After a moment, the man reached out and pulled Yun Shifei closer into his arms.

Yun Shifei’s body was soft and pliant as if boneless, her sweetness and warmth causing Cheng Lie to tighten his embrace.

"Feifei, don’t you want to relive that moment again?"

His low voice brushed against her earlobe, making her body involuntarily tremble.

Her exaggerated response made Cheng Lie chuckle.

He found her rather sensitive.

Yun Shifei, held tightly in Cheng Lie’s arms, managed to muster a weak protest: "It’s too late. Let’s just head back."

She gave him a gentle shove.

So timid.

Now that the prize was right in front of him, there was no way Cheng Lie would release her so easily. Naturally, he leaned in and kissed her lips.

...

Yun Shifei’s lips felt a little swollen from Cheng Lie’s kisses when she finally returned home.

After greeting Yun Tiancheng and Xu Ya briefly, she hurried upstairs.

She couldn’t let them see her lips in such a state—God only knows what Yun Tiancheng would say.

Back in her room, after freshening up, Yun Shifei chatted with Cheng Lie for a while over the phone, only to receive a text message.

"Did you see Cheng Lie today?" It was sent by Mu Chengzhu.

Yun Shifei stared at the text. He was always like this, full of ill intentions and trying to drive a wedge between her and Cheng Lie.

She looked at the message for a moment, then decided to ignore it, tossing the phone aside.

She couldn’t understand—he was about to marry Yun Sisi, so why did he still concern himself with her affairs?

Surely he wasn’t secretly fantasizing about having multiple wives, marrying one and still dreaming of another?

Over on the other end, Mu Chengzhu waited for ages without getting a reply from Yun Shifei, perhaps realizing that even if she had seen such a side of Cheng Lie, she couldn’t let go of him.

Just like how she had loved him all those years ago.

Her love seemed so ardent and consuming—when she liked someone, she could forgive every part of them, no matter how flawed, and still adore them.

These thoughts made Mu Chengzhu feel as if a weight was pressing against his chest.

Soon, he would be marrying Yun Sisi.

The word "marriage," which he once thought far removed from himself, now loomed close, unavoidable.

Actually, regarding the matter of marriage, there had been a certain stubbornness to his decision. It wasn’t as if he couldn’t avoid it; not marrying wouldn’t have been a big deal—it was the bad reputation that would follow which he feared.

Especially now, at such a pivotal moment, if he acquired a poor reputation, it would impact his future prospects.

His starting point had already been much lower than Cheng Lie’s; if he sank any lower, what could he use to compete with him?

Cheng Lie must have been counting on this, and that’s why he set him up so expertly.

Thinking of this, Mu Chengzhu couldn’t help but close his eyes. Cheng Lie had been the one to play dirty first, so he couldn’t blame him now for responding in kind.

Meanwhile, Yun Shifei overheard Xu Ya and Yun Tiancheng discussing Mu Chengzhu’s wedding, which was set to take place in half a month at a central city hotel.

Given the mediocre relationship between the families, they weren’t too keen to attend the wedding.

The Mu Family hadn’t insisted either, expressing their understanding.

Yun Shifei had absolutely no interest in what would become of Mu Chengzhu and Yun Sisi. They had been so deeply in love in their past lives, so likely this lifetime wouldn’t be much different.

If only they would stop bothering her, she’d actually thank them.

Initially, Yun Shifei had planned to take Cheng Lie to meet her grandmother and explore Nantian Town together, but a week later...

Cheng Lie unexpectedly received news from the Southwest Mountain Area about his biological father.

He decided that he would go see for himself.

When Cheng Lie shared the news with Yun Shifei, she felt reluctant to let him go and clung to his arm. "I want to go with you."

"Stay in South City and wait for me to bring back good news," Cheng Lie said, gently running his hand over Yun Shifei’s head.

He knew that the area was remote and underdeveloped. Yun Shifei would undoubtedly endure hardships if she went.

Thus, he refused her request to tag along.

Yun Shifei felt unwilling to part, holding onto Cheng Lie tightly. "You must come back safe and sound."

Cheng Lie smiled. "I’ll definitely be safe."

To him, the situation there was under control. The idea of safety wasn’t a concern.

Yet little did he know, his words would become prophetic.

Before he departed, Yun Shifei, worried he might neglect to eat properly, bought an assortment of snacks and instant noodles, even made some preserved meat for Cheng Lie to take with him.

She understood the conditions in the mountainous area—poor transportation and a lack of shops. If Cheng Lie wanted something, he’d struggle to get it.

Thus, she escorted Cheng Lie all the way to the airport.

Before he left, they shared an embrace.

She couldn’t be blamed for her worries—she was naturally a pessimist prone to overthinking. This time, with Cheng Lie leaving, an inexplicable unease gripped her.

Still, she didn’t dare voice her concerns to Cheng Lie, fearing she’d only add to his burdens. Instead, she simply urged him to be careful.

She even handed him a little rabbit plushie, telling him to look at it if he missed her.

Her demeanor resembled an anxious mother sending her child off on a journey, which Cheng Lie found endearingly exasperating.

"I’m only going for a few days. I’ll call you every day, okay?"

"Don’t lie to me. There’s definitely no signal in the mountains."

During those years, signal coverage was far from future standards. At that time, even owning a telephone meant you were considered wealthy. Having a landline at home marked you as middle-class.

It was nothing like the future, when every person had a smartphone worth thousands.

Caught by Yun Shifei’s words, Cheng Lie sighed helplessly, rubbing her head before leaning in and placing a kiss on her forehead.

"Be good and wait for me."

...

Yun Shifei returned to the community and found the neighborhood bustling with activity. She suddenly remembered—Mu Chengzhu’s wedding to Yun Sisi was happening in a week.

Upon arriving home, she saw the dining table piled high with red wedding candies. The festive colors only deepened her sense of melancholy.

She hadn’t even told Cheng Lie yet that Mu Chengzhu was marrying Yun Sisi, while she herself hadn’t even broached the topic of engagement or marriage with Cheng Lie. All she wanted was to take him to visit her grandmother.

Originally, she’d thought there would be plenty of time during the summer break, and that once Cheng Lie was less busy, they’d spend a few days in Nantian Town together.

But who could have anticipated that he’d suddenly discover news about his father?

Yun Shifei, of course, wouldn’t stop him from searching for his father. Considering the life Cheng Lie had endured growing up, finding his father would undoubtedly be a blessing.

He’d already lost his mother; it was best if his father was still alive. Though such hopes seemed faint.

That evening, when Yun Shifei finished dinner and took her dog, Baobei, out for a walk, she ran into Mu Chengzhu walking his husky.

After being disciplined a few times by Yun Shifei, Baobei wasn’t as enthusiastic as before when seeing Mu Chengzhu. But the dog still wagged its tail gently in greeting.

Secretly, Yun Shifei cursed Baobei as a sycophant.

Mu Chengzhu glanced at Yun Shifei and greeted Baobei.

Baobei, seeing Mu Chengzhu greet it, wagged its tail even more excitedly.