As Far As Yuan Xuan Was Concerned, He Never Loved Her

The words that followed made her heart turn ice cold.

"It's not necessary for Little Xuan to investigate this matter! Nonetheless, Mu Chenyan is already in such a pitiful state. She'd have no place to hide if she left the Yuan household now - I'm only being kind to her because she's so pitiful.

The public perspective of the matters regarding both the Yuan Family and the Mu Family has always been undesirable. Thus, letting her stay with the Yuan Family could be considered a means of making up for the Yuan Family's reputation."

Old Mistress Yuan was clearly surprised when she said this. "You're saying that you have a goal behind why you're keeping her?"

"The Yuan Family is prosperous in many ways and lacking in nothing, but it just so happens that Little Xuan lacks a bedmate. Grandmother, please treat her a little better for my sake." When she heard Yuan Xuan saying these things, Mu Chenyan looked like she blew a blood vessel.

He only treated her well as a way to mentally redeem himself. Was he staying with without feeling any sort affection toward her?

She laughed at herself.

She had expected too much from him!

Had she not had mixed feelings for Yuan Xuan since a long time ago?

She had been fatally attracted to his determined spirit during her youth. As her deep love for him persisted for over a decade, it would also commonly override any resentment she felt toward him. Every time she indulged him, that temporary happiness would drown her and make her forget the fact that she had fallen so far from grace because of the Yuan Family.

After she sobered up, she would realize that she deeply resented this man.

He played an undeniable part in her father's death, her mother's injuries, the two years she lost, and the circumstances that befell her brother whom she did not know the state of.

She had initially planned to leave him once she had made all the necessary preparations,

but she looked at their relationship now, she laughed. Those amorous nights were ironic because Yuan Xuan had similarly merely wanted a bedmate to keep him warm.

Yuan Xuan's words had awakened her from her nightmare.

Mu Chenyan suddenly understood that as far as Yuan Xuan was concerned, he had never loved her.

Mu Chenyan's entire body shivered while her beautiful face turned pale. She wanted to step forward and leave but her legs were as heavy as lead, making it impossible for her to budge.

She only heard Old Mistress sneer before replying, "Then am I supposed to treat Mu Chenyan the same way I treat you?

I'm afraid that she hasn't learned to be grateful yet because she's already provoked you into coming and seek revenge today. No matter how well I treat her in the future, it'll already be ingrained in her heart that I was determined to hurt her. How is she supposed to become close to me then?

"You don't have to get worked up just because you want that foxy woman as your bedmate. When you get bored of her in the future, I'll find you a good girl to call a Mistress of the Yuan Family..." 

"You're imagining things, grandmother. Chenyan never said anything like that. Your grandson just came here today on impulse, so she doesn't even know about me being here. As for the future, we'll talk about it when the time comes." Although Yuan Xuan lowered his voice, it could still be distinctly heard outside.

Mu Chenyan felt as if she had heard something that she was not supposed to.

Some truths were far better off remaining unsaid.

Despite already being a lost cause, she still had to suffer in this household. Just how badly did she have to humiliate herself?

Mu Chenyan shut her eyes and was barely able to calm her breathing before she turned around and began to leave.

Suddenly, a crisp female voice called out to her, "Is that you, Chenyan? Why don't you come in since you're already here? Grandmother and Brother Xuan are chatting inside."

As Zhao Ruoxin walked in, she coincidentally bumped into Mu Chenyan who was standing there looking very stunned.

Mu Chenyan had neglected the greater threat when she was focusing on the less important issue. (TN: Original text was a Chinese idiom that depicts a mantis that is unaware of a bigger threat, the bird, while it is stalking a cicada.)

When she saw the desolate expression on Mu Chenyan's face, the corners of Zhao Ruoxin's mouth curled upward before they stretched into a mysterious smile.

Zhao Ruoxin had not heard what the pair had discussed, but she now knew that the things that Yuan Xuan said about having a bedmate were true.

She had initially assumed that the Third Young Mistress' position had already been secured, but had never imagined that Yuan Xuan would admit his heart's true desires in front of his grandmother.

Apparently, the position as the Third Young Mistress was still very much vacant.

Her bright eyes narrowed as Zhao Ruoxin struggled to suppress her delight upon making this discovery...

There was no reason for Zhao Ruoxin to let Mu Chenyan leave. It would be best if could make her give up now - Brother Yuan Xuan should not have married this woman in the first place.