Chapter 17

Chapter 17 An Outsider

Yet, Mu Xia remained emotionless as if she weren't the least bothered.

And that was the truth; she truly couldn't care less about being forgotten by Ye Sijue.

She knew that the Situ family wanted connections with Ye family because of their elite social status. Despite this, that prestige wasn't what she wanted or needed.

So, it didn't matter whether Ye Sijue remembered her at all.

Situ Qingshan scoffed when Mu Xia didn't react to her.

「Liar! Keep acting like you don't care then, Xia. I bet that deep down, you're crying like a big baby who's hurt about the whole thing.

Serves you right!

Young Master Ye would never be interested in a plain countryside bumpkin like you!」

Little did the four Situs know, Ye Sijue's eyes had burned holes in the back of Mu Xia's head for quite some time.

He stayed that way until Mu Xia boarded her flight. Only then did he let out an intrigued chuckle.

Beside him, the secretary's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.

「What's going on?

Young Master Ye never laugh. He's usually unsmiling, and some would even say intimidatingly distant. I can't believe he's chuckling to himself now.

Also, this isn't sneering laughter. No. It's more genuine, like an amused laugh that comes from deep within one's chest.

It's been ages since I last saw Young Master Ye laugh like this.」

While the secretary was deep in thought, Ye Sijue's voice suddenly sounded. He asked, "Did you notice a difference between her and the others?"

「There were three women in that family. Which is he referring to?」

The secretary had worked alongside Ye Sijue for several years now, so he knew better than to ask Ye Sijue outright. He pondered for a while before recalling that Mu Xia had dressed differently from the others.

Then he answered hesitantly, "Indeed. The other three have donned well–known designer brands while that young lady's clothes… Well, they seem like some randomly bought clothes from an unknown stall."

Even with such a sharp observation, Ye Sijue still shook his head.

The secretary instantly stiffened in shock. 「Did I guess wrongly? Was Young Master Ye not referring to that lady?」

Just as the secretary felt flustered, Ye Sijue's voice spoke up once again. "I'm not talking about her clothes."

The secretary heaved a sign of relief since he had at least guessed correctly

Still, he frowned in confusion. "If it's not the clothes, then what is it?"

Within seconds, Ye Sijue's facial expression returned to its usual indifference. "It's nothing. Let's resume."

Then the secretary dropped the topic altogether. He didn't dare to probe any further, so he continued with his report.

On the plane, the four Situs sat in the same row. Situ Hai had been in a foul mood ever since Mu Xia's stunt. Because of this, he ordered Mu Xia to carry out several mindless tasks throughout the flight. She was told to move their luggage to the overhead cabin, then tidy their coats and put them into the luggage, followed by taking out their chargers and so on…

Everyone else on the plane assumed that she was merely their maid.

Mu Xia wasn't bothered with doing all those tasks. All she did was comply with Situ Hai's request without any complaints.

Eventually, Situ Hai couldn't hold it in anymore. He boomed icily, "Enough! Get over here."

Once Mu Xia sat down next to Situ Hai, he interrogated with a sharp tone, "I thought you said that you helped Young Master Ye. So why didn't he remember you at all?"

Mu Xia shook her head candidly. "I only did him a small favor then, so it's normal that he doesn't remember me."

"Then you should have…" Situ Hai faltered as he looked at Mu Xia. 「I guess having a naive daughter isn't always a beneficial thing.

If only it were Qingshan who knew the young master… she would have immediately caught on to my intentions and tried to get closer to him.」

Situ Hai then huffed begrudgingly, "Forget it. We'll talk about this later. There's still much you have to learn."

"Okay," Mu Xia nodded obediently. With eyes rounded and lips parted, she feigned a child–like innocence as if she didn't know what she had done wrong.

Right then, the flight attendant approached them. "Good day, Mr. Situ. According to your flight mileage, we're able to give you a free upgrade to first–class."

Situ Hai deliberately chose economy–class seats not only out of stinginess but also because he knew that they could get a free upgrade.

Pleased, Situ Hai beamed as he bounced onto his feet. "Thank you. Please lead the way."

Situ Qingshan and Mu Xinyue stood as well.

The flight attendant soon noticed Mu Xia, who was the last to stand. Then he immediately explained, "My apologies, sir. You only have enough mileage for three free upgrades. Here, have a look."

"Three?" Situ Hai's temples started to ache. 「Then who will go with us to first–class? Qingshan or Xia?」

Seeing that Situ Hai was conflicted, Mu Xinyue chimed in, "I'm sure you've realized that Xia isn't very quick-witted. She won't be of much help at all. Plus, we're heading to Qingshan's awarding ceremony. So why don't we give the seat to Qingshan this once, hmm?"

Situ Hai's face turned grim before he finally agreed.

He promptly turned to Mu Xia and explained in a matter-of–fact tone, "I can't help that there are only three seats. We'll still see each other once the plane lands. Ergo, it's not all that different."

Mu Xia stared intensely at Situ Hai.

Disappointment shrouded in her chest, but she couldn't show it on her face. She refused to let Mu Xinyue and Situ Qingshan feel triumphant.

Thus, Mu Xia pressed her lips into a tight smile and said, "It's fine."

"Sorry about this," Situ Hai uttered while averting her gaze. He then pranced away with Mu Xinyue and Situ Qingshan for the first–class cabin.

Situ Qingshan intentionally slowed her steps. Once their parents were a good distance away, she taunted in a low voice, "It seems like Dad loves me more. You'll have to work harder to catch up now! I'll be off to the first–class cabin, so you rest up here in economy–class, hmm? There's actually not much difference between the two cabins, save for the bigger seats and better service in mine. But hey, don't let that get to you."

Mu Xia gritted her teeth at how Situ Qingshan was gloating around like some proud peacock.

Face twisting into a mocking smile, Mu Xia motioned towards the first–class cabin. She then provoked, "You'd better hurry over. Dad might change his mind and let me go with them if you keep dilly–dallying."

Situ Qingshan panicked upon seeing Mu Xia's maliciously gleaming eyes.

Then she grabbed her bag and shot straight for first–class, fearing that Mu Xia would somehow end up in the first-class cabin instead.

Soon after, all three Situs plopped down comfortably in their first–class seats. Situ Qingshan had even ordered a glass of the cabin's complimentary red wine.

In economy–class.

Mu Xia could finally shut her eyes to rest now that Situ Hai and the others were gone.

Her chest sank with sorrow at that moment. She was human, after all; she felt sadness like every other person on this planet. However, she was terrified of revealing her emotions and vulnerabilities as anyone could use them against her. So she concealed everything, hiding away under the guise of an unbothered girl.

「Fake it till you make it,」 she reminded herself.

Just as she got comfortable in her newfound peace, a voice suddenly sounded beside her.

"Excuse me… Are you here by yourself, miss? May I sit next to you?"

A man had politely asked Mu Xia that question. He watched her with a set of wide eyes as his throat bobbed, gulping anxiously.

Mu Xia met his gaze with an icy expression. She turned him down, "Sorry, my family will be back soon. These are their seats."

The man didn't need to be told twice. He turned to leave while letting out a wistful sigh. 「Who am I kidding? I'm out of her league. There's no way I can get a gorgeous girl like her.

Although, I wonder what kind of man will be able to reel in such a great catch…」

Not long after the man left, someone else approached Mu Xia. "Excuse me, miss…"

Mu Xia's head flung upward with a pinched expression. Just as she took in the person's face, her mouth fell open.

「Isn't that person who was reporting stuff to Young Master Ye at the airport?」

The man proceeded to introduce himself, "I'm Young Master Ye's personal secretary. He would like to invite you over to his private jet. I've already taken the liberty to clarify things with the attendants on your current flight, so please come with me."

Mu Xia hesitated for a moment, then promptly nodded when she thought about the man who approached her earlier.

There were many people on this flight, and she wasn't keen on being interrupted again.

"Alright," said Mu Xia.

"Follow me then. This way, please." The man gestured towards ahead.

They needed to pass through the first–class cabin to exit the aircraft.

As they walked by, Situ Qingshan immediately took notice.