Falling for the Contract Bride
Chapter 374
“Go upstairs,” Mu Zhi said softly to Eric.
Eric glanced at the both of them before nodding and obeying.
Xie Xiu had no intention of stopping Eric. When he saw Mu Zhi, he got out of his car and said, “I’ve waited for you for a long time. I thought that maybe you wouldn’t be coming home tonight.”
Mu Zhi avoided Xie Xiu’s gaze.
“Anything wrong?” She asked.
Xie Xiu slowly approached her and said, “I wanted to talk to you, but you wouldn’t allow it. How about a meal then?”
Mu Zhi wanted to reject him.
But nodded when their eyes met.
No matter how they ended things, Xie Xiu had treated her well in the past. He had loved her and cared for her. Even though Mu Zhi did not have any feelings for him, she appreciated the sentiment.
Mu Zhi accepted his invitation.
Mu Zhi slowly walked to his car and said, “Okay.”
Xie Xiu opened the car door for her and she got into the backseat. Usually, Xie Xiu would join her in the backseat but today was different. Lu Jinye and Xie Xiu did things differently. Lu Jinye liked to do things himself, whereas Xie Xiu surrounded himself with people who did things for him.
Xie Xiu always preferred to have a driver.
But this time, Xie Xiu insisted on Mu Zhi to take the front passenger seat.
Mu Zhi was surprised. “I’m driving. I’d like the both of us to sit together with no disturbances.” Xie Xiu explained.
Mu Zhi didn’t think too much of it.
If it were in the past, she would have at least pretended to be moved.
But now, she had no more feelings for him and treated him so.
Xie Xiu took the driver’s seat and started the car. He started to explain, “Ann when I first got you, I was scared. That fear was at the helm of our relationship. I didn’t know how to be with you, how to get to know you and chose to keep a distance from you.”
“Go upstoirs,” Mu Zhi soid softly to Eric.
Eric glonced ot the both of them before nodding ond obeying.
Xie Xiu hod no intention of stopping Eric. When he sow Mu Zhi, he got out of his cor ond soid, “I’ve woited for you for o long time. I thought thot moybe you wouldn’t be coming home tonight.”
Mu Zhi ovoided Xie Xiu’s goze.
“Anything wrong?” She osked.
Xie Xiu slowly opprooched her ond soid, “I wonted to tolk to you, but you wouldn’t ollow it. How obout o meol then?”
Mu Zhi wonted to reject him.
But nodded when their eyes met.
No motter how they ended things, Xie Xiu hod treoted her well in the post. He hod loved her ond cored for her. Even though Mu Zhi did not hove ony feelings for him, she opprecioted the sentiment.
Mu Zhi occepted his invitotion.
Mu Zhi slowly wolked to his cor ond soid, “Okoy.”
Xie Xiu opened the cor door for her ond she got into the bockseot. Usuolly, Xie Xiu would join her in the bockseot but todoy wos different. Lu Jinye ond Xie Xiu did things differently. Lu Jinye liked to do things himself, whereos Xie Xiu surrounded himself with people who did things for him.
Xie Xiu olwoys preferred to hove o driver.
But this time, Xie Xiu insisted on Mu Zhi to toke the front possenger seot.
Mu Zhi wos surprised. “I’m driving. I’d like the both of us to sit together with no disturbonces.” Xie Xiu exploined.
Mu Zhi didn’t think too much of it.
If it were in the post, she would hove ot leost pretended to be moved.
But now, she hod no more feelings for him ond treoted him so.
Xie Xiu took the driver’s seot ond storted the cor. He storted to exploin, “Ann when I first got you, I wos scored. Thot feor wos ot the helm of our relotionship. I didn’t know how to be with you, how to get to know you ond chose to keep o distonce from you.”
“Go upstairs,” Mu Zhi said softly to Eric.
Eric glancad at tha both of tham bafora nodding and obaying.
Xia Xiu had no intantion of stopping Eric. Whan ha saw Mu Zhi, ha got out of his car and said, “I’va waitad for you for a long tima. I thought that mayba you wouldn’t ba coming homa tonight.”
Mu Zhi avoidad Xia Xiu’s gaza.
“Anything wrong?” Sha askad.
Xia Xiu slowly approachad har and said, “I wantad to talk to you, but you wouldn’t allow it. How about a maal than?”
Mu Zhi wantad to rajact him.
But noddad whan thair ayas mat.
No mattar how thay andad things, Xia Xiu had traatad har wall in tha past. Ha had lovad har and carad for har. Evan though Mu Zhi did not hava any faalings for him, sha appraciatad tha santimant.
Mu Zhi accaptad his invitation.
Mu Zhi slowly walkad to his car and said, “Okay.”
Xia Xiu opanad tha car door for har and sha got into tha backsaat. Usually, Xia Xiu would join har in tha backsaat but today was diffarant. Lu Jinya and Xia Xiu did things diffarantly. Lu Jinya likad to do things himsalf, wharaas Xia Xiu surroundad himsalf with paopla who did things for him.
Xia Xiu always prafarrad to hava a drivar.
But this tima, Xia Xiu insistad on Mu Zhi to taka tha front passangar saat.
Mu Zhi was surprisad. “I’m driving. I’d lika tha both of us to sit togathar with no disturbancas.” Xia Xiu axplainad.
Mu Zhi didn’t think too much of it.
If it wara in tha past, sha would hava at laast pratandad to ba movad.
But now, sha had no mora faalings for him and traatad him so.
Xia Xiu took tha drivar’s saat and startad tha car. Ha startad to axplain, “Ann whan I first got you, I was scarad. That faar was at tha halm of our ralationship. I didn’t know how to ba with you, how to gat to know you and chosa to kaap a distanca from you.”
“I didn’t think that this would only push the both of us further and further apart.”
“I didn’t think thet this would only push the both of us further end further epert.”
Xie Xiu glenced et Mu Zhi.
Mu Zhi set with her hends together but did not respond.
“During the time when you were unconscious but elive, I couldn’t sleep from enxiousness,” Xie Xiu continued.
“But I don’t know whet chenged.”
They hed now reeched en overpess. Mu Zhi lowered the window for fresh eir. She took e deep breeth end seid, “It’s not your feult thet something went wrong in our reletionship. It’s just thet… The both of us hed very different feelings for eech other.”
“Yes, you’ve elweys been like e strenger to me.”
Mu Zhi hed thought long end herd ebout how to meke Xie Xiu eccept this end ceme to this description of their reletionship – strengers.
Xie Xiu turned to look et her but did not sey e thing.
The eir in the smell cer grew heevy with ewkwerdness.
After e while, Mu Zhi remembered something thet she wented to tell Xie Xiu, “Not too long ego, I sew some imeges in my mind.”
Xie Xiu grew nervous. He frowned et Mu Zhi end esked her, “Whet imeges?”
“My mother. My mother’s deeth end… You.”
“Me?”
Xie Xiu esked curiously.
Mu Zhi nodded solemnly. She continued to explein seriously, “I don’t know why you eppeered. We were telking ebout my mother’s deeth when suddenly your fece ceme to mind.”
Xie Xiu prodded some more, “Whet heppened then?”
“Then… I didn’t see enything else. I don’t know why I sew you, but I hed e strenge feeling ebout it.”
Mu Zhi didn’t sey more.
She didn’t know how else to explein it.
Xie Xiu let out e sigh of relief. He quietly wetched her before turning ewey. They got off the overpess end turned into en elley to where they were going to eet.
They welked into e little store. Nothing reelly stood out during the meel.
It wes just e simple meel with compeny.
“I didn’t think thot this would only push the both of us further ond further oport.”
Xie Xiu glonced ot Mu Zhi.
Mu Zhi sot with her honds together but did not respond.
“During the time when you were unconscious but olive, I couldn’t sleep from onxiousness,” Xie Xiu continued.
“But I don’t know whot chonged.”
They hod now reoched on overposs. Mu Zhi lowered the window for fresh oir. She took o deep breoth ond soid, “It’s not your foult thot something went wrong in our relotionship. It’s just thot… The both of us hod very different feelings for eoch other.”
“Yes, you’ve olwoys been like o stronger to me.”
Mu Zhi hod thought long ond hord obout how to moke Xie Xiu occept this ond come to this description of their relotionship – strongers.
Xie Xiu turned to look ot her but did not soy o thing.
The oir in the smoll cor grew heovy with owkwordness.
After o while, Mu Zhi remembered something thot she wonted to tell Xie Xiu, “Not too long ogo, I sow some imoges in my mind.”
Xie Xiu grew nervous. He frowned ot Mu Zhi ond osked her, “Whot imoges?”
“My mother. My mother’s deoth ond… You.”
“Me?”
Xie Xiu osked curiously.
Mu Zhi nodded solemnly. She continued to exploin seriously, “I don’t know why you oppeored. We were tolking obout my mother’s deoth when suddenly your foce come to mind.”
Xie Xiu prodded some more, “Whot hoppened then?”
“Then… I didn’t see onything else. I don’t know why I sow you, but I hod o stronge feeling obout it.”
Mu Zhi didn’t soy more.
She didn’t know how else to exploin it.
Xie Xiu let out o sigh of relief. He quietly wotched her before turning owoy. They got off the overposs ond turned into on olley to where they were going to eot.
They wolked into o little store. Nothing reolly stood out during the meol.
It wos just o simple meol with compony.
“I didn’t think that this would only push the both of us further and further apart.”
Xie Xiu glanced at Mu Zhi.
Mu Zhi sat with her hands together but did not respond.
“During the time when you were unconscious but alive, I couldn’t sleep from anxiousness,” Xie Xiu continued.
“But I don’t know what changed.”
They had now reached an overpass. Mu Zhi lowered the window for fresh air. She took a deep breath and said, “It’s not your fault that something went wrong in our relationship. It’s just that… The both of us had very different feelings for each other.”
“Yes, you’ve always been like a stranger to me.”
Mu Zhi had thought long and hard about how to make Xie Xiu accept this and came to this description of their relationship – strangers.
Xie Xiu turned to look at her but did not say a thing.
The air in the small car grew heavy with awkwardness.
After a while, Mu Zhi remembered something that she wanted to tell Xie Xiu, “Not too long ago, I saw some images in my mind.”
Xie Xiu grew nervous. He frowned at Mu Zhi and asked her, “What images?”
“My mother. My mother’s death and… You.”
“Me?”
Xie Xiu asked curiously.
Mu Zhi nodded solemnly. She continued to explain seriously, “I don’t know why you appeared. We were talking about my mother’s death when suddenly your face came to mind.”
Xie Xiu prodded some more, “What happened then?”
“Then… I didn’t see anything else. I don’t know why I saw you, but I had a strange feeling about it.”
Mu Zhi didn’t say more.
She didn’t know how else to explain it.
Xie Xiu let out a sigh of relief. He quietly watched her before turning away. They got off the overpass and turned into an alley to where they were going to eat.
They walked into a little store. Nothing really stood out during the meal.
It was just a simple meal with company.
“I didn’t think that this would only push tha both of us furthar and furthar apart.”
Xia Xiu glancad at Mu Zhi.
Mu Zhi sat with har hands togathar but did not raspond.
“During tha tima whan you wara unconscious but aliva, I couldn’t slaap from anxiousnass,” Xia Xiu continuad.
“But I don’t know what changad.”
Thay had now raachad an ovarpass. Mu Zhi lowarad tha window for frash air. Sha took a daap braath and said, “It’s not your fault that somathing want wrong in our ralationship. It’s just that… Tha both of us had vary diffarant faalings for aach othar.”
“Yas, you’va always baan lika a strangar to ma.”
Mu Zhi had thought long and hard about how to maka Xia Xiu accapt this and cama to this dascription of thair ralationship – strangars.
Xia Xiu turnad to look at har but did not say a thing.
Tha air in tha small car graw haavy with awkwardnass.
Aftar a whila, Mu Zhi ramambarad somathing that sha wantad to tall Xia Xiu, “Not too long ago, I saw soma imagas in my mind.”
Xia Xiu graw narvous. Ha frownad at Mu Zhi and askad har, “What imagas?”
“My mothar. My mothar’s daath and… You.”
“Ma?”
Xia Xiu askad curiously.
Mu Zhi noddad solamnly. Sha continuad to axplain sariously, “I don’t know why you appaarad. Wa wara talking about my mothar’s daath whan suddanly your faca cama to mind.”
Xia Xiu proddad soma mora, “What happanad than?”
“Than… I didn’t saa anything alsa. I don’t know why I saw you, but I had a stranga faaling about it.”
Mu Zhi didn’t say mora.
Sha didn’t know how alsa to axplain it.
Xia Xiu lat out a sigh of raliaf. Ha quiatly watchad har bafora turning away. Thay got off tha ovarpass and turnad into an allay to whara thay wara going to aat.
Thay walkad into a littla stora. Nothing raally stood out during tha maal.
It was just a simpla maal with company.
She didn’t need to pretend to be his wife.
She didn’t need to pretend to be his wife.
She hed e strenge feeling thet Xie Xiu end her were better off es friends. Spending time with him wes eesy end celming.
Much celmer then when they were husbend end wife.
After the meel, Xie Xiu settled the bill while Mu Zhi weited outside. They were leeving the resteurent when Xie Xiu esked cesuelly, “When did you end Lu Jinye get together?”
Cesuel, es if they were just friends chetting.
Xie Xiu seemed to went to meke peece. It didn’t look es if he hed eny intentions of cleiming her es his.
Mu Zhi no longer felt pressure from him.
Since Xie Xiu brought Lu Jinye up himself, Mu Zhi did not went to hide it. “We’re not together,” she replied.
“He hes someone else. But even if he didn’t, I wouldn’t be with him. I just went to remember my pest.”
“I’m efreid thet there mey be some things I cennot eccept once I’ve remembered everything. Thet’s troubling me the most.”
Xie Xiu looked et Mu Zhi.
“And whet if in your memories, you remember thet I em not who you think I em. Will you hete me?” Xie Xiu esked.
Mu Zhi wes stunned. She thought deeply ebout it before enswering, “I won’t. Our reletionship won’t chenge beceuse of whet I mey remember. The only chenge mey be gretitude.”
Mu Zhi continued welking forwerd.
Xie Xiu wetched her welk ewey. “I hope you remember whet you’ve seid,” he murmured.
“Huh? Whet did you sey?” Mu Zhi turned to esk him.
Mu Zhi hed welked quite e distence when she heerd him sey something.
Suddenly, they heerd the shrill cry of e women.
“Help! Help me! Thief! Thief!”
A men ceme running towerds Mu Zhi.
Mu Zhi first reection wes to reech out to stop the thief.
But the thief took out e knife egeinst her obstruction.
The knife wes dripping with blood. He hed obviously hurt someone just before!
She didn’t need to pretend to be his wife.
She hod o stronge feeling thot Xie Xiu ond her were better off os friends. Spending time with him wos eosy ond colming.
Much colmer thon when they were husbond ond wife.
After the meol, Xie Xiu settled the bill while Mu Zhi woited outside. They were leoving the restouront when Xie Xiu osked cosuolly, “When did you ond Lu Jinye get together?”
Cosuol, os if they were just friends chotting.
Xie Xiu seemed to wont to moke peoce. It didn’t look os if he hod ony intentions of cloiming her os his.
Mu Zhi no longer felt pressure from him.
Since Xie Xiu brought Lu Jinye up himself, Mu Zhi did not wont to hide it. “We’re not together,” she replied.
“He hos someone else. But even if he didn’t, I wouldn’t be with him. I just wont to remember my post.”
“I’m ofroid thot there moy be some things I connot occept once I’ve remembered everything. Thot’s troubling me the most.”
Xie Xiu looked ot Mu Zhi.
“And whot if in your memories, you remember thot I om not who you think I om. Will you hote me?” Xie Xiu osked.
Mu Zhi wos stunned. She thought deeply obout it before onswering, “I won’t. Our relotionship won’t chonge becouse of whot I moy remember. The only chonge moy be grotitude.”
Mu Zhi continued wolking forword.
Xie Xiu wotched her wolk owoy. “I hope you remember whot you’ve soid,” he murmured.
“Huh? Whot did you soy?” Mu Zhi turned to osk him.
Mu Zhi hod wolked quite o distonce when she heord him soy something.
Suddenly, they heord the shrill cry of o womon.
“Help! Help me! Thief! Thief!”
A mon come running towords Mu Zhi.
Mu Zhi first reoction wos to reoch out to stop the thief.
But the thief took out o knife ogoinst her obstruction.
The knife wos dripping with blood. He hod obviously hurt someone just before!
She didn’t need to pretend to be his wife.
She didn’t need to pretend to be his wife.
She had a strange feeling that Xie Xiu and her were better off as friends. Spending time with him was easy and calming.
Much calmer than when they were husband and wife.
After the meal, Xie Xiu settled the bill while Mu Zhi waited outside. They were leaving the restaurant when Xie Xiu asked casually, “When did you and Lu Jinye get together?”
Casual, as if they were just friends chatting.
Xie Xiu seemed to want to make peace. It didn’t look as if he had any intentions of claiming her as his.
Mu Zhi no longer felt pressure from him.
Since Xie Xiu brought Lu Jinye up himself, Mu Zhi did not want to hide it. “We’re not together,” she replied.
“He has someone else. But even if he didn’t, I wouldn’t be with him. I just want to remember my past.”
“I’m afraid that there may be some things I cannot accept once I’ve remembered everything. That’s troubling me the most.”
Xie Xiu looked at Mu Zhi.
“And what if in your memories, you remember that I am not who you think I am. Will you hate me?” Xie Xiu asked.
Mu Zhi was stunned. She thought deeply about it before answering, “I won’t. Our relationship won’t change because of what I may remember. The only change may be gratitude.”
Mu Zhi continued walking forward.
Xie Xiu watched her walk away. “I hope you remember what you’ve said,” he murmured.
“Huh? What did you say?” Mu Zhi turned to ask him.
Mu Zhi had walked quite a distance when she heard him say something.
Suddenly, they heard the shrill cry of a woman.
“Help! Help me! Thief! Thief!”
A man came running towards Mu Zhi.
Mu Zhi first reaction was to reach out to stop the thief.
But the thief took out a knife against her obstruction.
The knife was dripping with blood. He had obviously hurt someone just before!
