Chapter 3: Is it Worth it Over a Meal?

Seeing Ji Ze's reluctant demeanor, Lu Xining felt a pang in her heart and wanted to leave with her daughter.

Behind her, Ji Chao's eyes were full of reluctance. This little girl would tenderly call him brother and give him candies, and he truly adored this little sister.

He sneakily glanced at Lu Xining, wanting to speak but not daring to, then hung his head in disappointment, thinking to himself: Could it be that mom doesn't want me and my brother because she has a well-behaved sister now?

But… he and his brother were also well-behaved.

Ji Muye saw the reluctance in his eldest son's eyes and called out to Lu Xining.

"Lu Xining, let's talk."

Lu Xining shook her head in refusal, "There's nothing to discuss. My husband will be back soon. Please leave as soon as possible."

Ji Muye's handsome eyebrows tightened, his expression turning ugly in an instant, staring at her cold demeanor. His handsome side profile's jawline was tense, and his words came out like a sharpened sword.

"Lu Xining, you really have no grace period!"

"In the past, you married me immediately after breaking up with your first love, and remarried right after our divorce, and now you even have a daughter. Truly a master of time management!"

Lu Xining felt a surge of anger upon hearing his words, suppressing her fluctuating emotions, "So what?"

Not wanting to argue further with him and fearing the spread of her inner emotions, Lu Xining urged, "We agreed last night to stay only one night. Please keep your promise and take your son away from my home."

Ji Muye clenched his back teeth, "Lu Xining, Ji Chao and Ji Ze are also your children. Just because you have a daughter now, you don't want your sons?"

Seeing the situation getting more serious, the secretary quickly stepped forward to explain. There were no houses available, and the road was flooded, making it impossible for them to leave the village.

"This is your problem, not mine."

"Secretary Yan, take your boss and leave, or I will call the police."

Just then, her friend called, and the indifference in her brows instantly dispersed, her voice softening as she inquired about the return date.

"Baby, when are you coming back?"

"Of course, I miss you, Nuonuo misses you too, alright, I'll have someone pick you up when it's time."

Lu Xining conversed tenderly with the person on the other end, a stark contrast to her previous domineering and aggressive demeanor.

Hatred and pain swept through his brain, Ji Muye's body swayed slightly, and his world momentarily went black.

"President Ji!" the secretary exclaimed!

Ji Muye fainted from a high fever!

"Recently, because of the issues at Redwood Resort, President Ji has been non-stop busy. He started having health issues a few days ago, and last night he stayed up due to the young masters' fever…"

Upon hearing the words "Redwood Resort," a sharp light flashed through her eyes.

The rival business they mentioned was him.

A few moments later, Ji Muye, dressed in the pajamas the secretary had just changed him into, lay on the guest room bed looking pale and frail—a sight Lu Xining had never seen before.

After the check-up, the secretary fed him medicine. Seeing his pale face, she ultimately couldn't bear to send them away on this rainy night.

She sighed, "Stay then."

The secretary's eyes lit up, nodding repeatedly.

Ji Muye slept straight through till midnight. When he woke up and realized he was still in the guest room, he furrowed his brow.

Hearing the noise, the secretary hurriedly climbed out of the foldable bed to check.

"Boss, you're finally awake!"

"Where are Ji Chao and Ji Ze?"

"The two young masters are sleeping in the second-floor children's room."

"…And her?"

"The lady is resting with her daughter."

"Don't call her 'lady' anymore. She doesn't deserve it."

Ji Muye felt utterly weak, unable to think further, and felt an overwhelming weakness as if his body was hollowed out.

The secretary hurriedly helped him up, "Boss, there's warm millet porridge in the kitchen, shall I get you a bowl?"

He hadn't eaten anything all day except for breakfast, so he really was hungry.

After he ate, he went upstairs to see Ji Chao and Ji Ze. The door to their room was not tightly closed, and he could see the two little ones lying on the bed by the dim light in the hallway.

The two were sleeping in a children's room that Lu Xining had prepared for her daughter. The space was large and the beds were comfortable; they each clutched a giant toy and slept soundly.

Across from the children's room was Lu Xining's room.

Her door was also not fully closed.

Thinking that Lu Xining had remarried and even had a daughter, Ji Muye clenched his fist at his side and left with a somber face.

As the shadow at the doorway left, Lu Xining opened her eyes and slowly relaxed her stiff body.

The next morning,

Lu Nuonuo had not yet woken up, and Lu Xining, who had not slept well the night before, thought about going downstairs to make coffee first.

She turned on the master bedroom monitor on her phone to keep an eye on Lu Nuonuo in bed.

After spending two days with Lu Nuonuo, Ji Chao had grown increasingly fond of this little sister, and although Ji Ze felt awkward, he was charmed by her cuteness.

They sneaked into Lu Xining's room and obediently waited by the bed for her to wake up.

Secretary Yan was already awake.

As soon as he stepped out of the room, he smelled the coffee filling the house and saw Lu Xining making coffee, so he shamelessly asked for a cup as well.

Ji Muye, having changed his clothes, came out and saw the two drinking coffee. Secretary Yan chuckled, "Boss, the coffee the madam made is really the best I've ever tasted. It's both fragrant and mellow."

He glanced at the two and said calmly, "Is that so, what's so great about it?"

Secretary Yan felt a jolt in his heart and quickly finished the rest of his coffee, "Boss, I'm going out to check on things today."

The rain today was much lighter than the previous days, but the weather forecast showed it would be raining for the next week.

As long as the stone bridge was still flooded, they couldn't leave the village.

The man's devilishly handsome features carried a hint of pallor, his back was straight and slender, and he had the aura of nobility like a bamboo, each step like a walking pictorial.

Ji Muye walked up to Lu Xining and looking at the coffee cup in her hand, he sarcastically remarked, "Five years of marriage, I didn't know you had this skill."

Lu Xining was looking down at the monitor on her phone and noticed that her daughter had woken up.

Her chubby little hands grabbed one finger of each of her twin sons, giggling and even enthusiastically inviting them to join her in bed.

Hearing Ji Muye's words, she turned and scoffed, "It seems I don't need you to know that."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the scene on the phone monitor. Without the elder around, Ji Ze also didn't dislike Lu Nuonuo as much, and even brought his favorite Transformers toy to share with her.

Lu Xining put down her coffee and was about to go upstairs when Ji Muye grabbed her wrist. His body temperature was still a bit high after his fever.

"Lu Xining, don't you feel guilty when you see your two sons?"

"You disappeared for more than two years. When you hold your daughter, do you remember you are also mother to Ji Chao and Ji Ze!"

"They are just six-year-old kids too, haven't you thought that they need a mother's love as well!"

The Lu family was also a wealthy family over twenty years ago, and they were old friends with the Ji family. A child marriage arrangement was set for Lu Xining and Ji Muye shortly after Lu Xining was born.

Later, when the Lu family went bankrupt and moved out of the neighborhood, their marriage arrangement was also delayed.

It wasn't until Lu Xining turned eighteen that Mr. Ji, while she was still studying at university in Jingzhou, brought the marriage certificate to her, and they got engaged, marrying after her graduation and soon had children.

Lu Xining originally thought they would lead a peaceful life together, even if there was no love, they would respect the marriage and each other.

But the marriage, hidden from public view, didn't even last five years before Ji Muye failed to live up to it.

"Guilty, why should I feel guilty? The person who should feel guilty is you! Ji Muye, when you were having a good time with your mistress, did you ever think about you're also a father to two children?"

"You're absolutely unreasonable! It was just one meal, was it necessary?"

She repressed the urge to roll her eyes. Even now, the first thing he defended was the white moonlight.

Ji Muye's eyes darkened, "Lu Xining, Xixi is not the kind of woman you think she is. It's one thing for you to misunderstand me, but don't slander others."