169 Until She Completely Blooms

The night was cool as water, brushed by a gentle breeze.

The deep blue night sky resembled expensive silk, draping over the canopy above and shimmering with watery ripples of light.

Yet at this moment, all of that paled beside every smile and frown of the person before him.

Her body, soft and tender like a lazy cat's, only revealed this vulnerable side when she was completely alone, making it all the more precious.

Right now, Mu Qingcheng was nestled comfortably inside Si Qingchen's overly broad embrace, which wrapped around her like swaddling clothes and gave her an indescribable sense of security.

His fingers stroked back and forth across the upper part of her back, his chin resting against the crown of her head, while his nostrils were filled entirely with the crisp, refreshing scent of her recent bath.

Just before this, Mu Qingcheng had told him about how her poison had been cleared.

Though it sounded utterly unbelievable, it had truly, undeniably happened.

Especially those purple eyes—they were particularly unforgettable.

"Purple eyes are indeed an extremely useful clue. In other words, if we conduct a blanket search based on this, it should be quite easy to find this person."

"No,"

Mu Qingcheng suddenly sat up from Si Qingchen's embrace. Supporting herself with her upper body, she shook her head and continued, "I don't think you can find this person in real life."

"You mean—"

"After all, purple eyes are too distinctive. That person will definitely keep them concealed."

Si Qingchen looked at her with a smile, one hand lingering continuously in her hair while the other, hidden beneath the quilt, gently kneaded the soft flesh at her waist.

"Be serious."

Mu Qingcheng pushed at his arm, but he seized the opportunity to catch her hand and pull her firmly against him.

She slumped instantly onto his chest, her wispy strands of hair brushing against the man's brows and eyes, as if taking revenge on his behalf.

"Serves you right, you old rascal~"

Mu Qingcheng laughed and scolded, her charm growing richer and more alluring by the moment.

Si Qingchen thought to himself: when she finally blossomed entirely, what kind of breathtaking scenery would that be?

A feast for the eyes... was probably not even enough to describe it.

At present, however, the little one continued to lie lazily upon him, asking, "When you had Xu Maoyan captured, didn't you notice anyone suspicious around him?"

"Suspicious?"

Si Qingchen pondered carefully for a long while, but only a single candidate came to mind.

He nodded and said, "There was someone, though she wouldn't exactly count as a suspicious character."

"Who?"

"Your second brother also asked me to help look for her. Her name is Xia Wan, and she's a classmate of yours."

"Xia Wan?!!"

Mu Qingcheng sat up abruptly once more, a multitude of encounters with Xia Wan flashing through her mind.

A lingering intuition told her that she had missed some crucial clue, but right now... she damn well couldn't remember it.

"I checked her background. She is one of the many students funded by Xu Maoyan. Because of her exceptional grades, she came to my institution as an exchange student."

"Wait—"

Saying this, Mu Qingcheng suddenly grabbed Si Qingchen's arm, cutting him off.

Yet she fell silent for quite a while herself, seemingly deep in thought.

A short moment later, she spoke again, "You just said my second brother is also looking for her?"

"..."

Si Qingchen's brows knitted slightly, momentarily stunned by Mu Qingcheng's words.

Suddenly, a wave of excitement washed over Mu Qingcheng. She gripped Si Qingchen's arm tighter and continued, "I saw her outside my second brother's hospital room... and Xu Maoyan's medical skills are subpar, yet he has won several major awards..."

"...... You mean......"

The man looked slightly startled. After a moment, he suddenly pulled the little figure before him back into his arms.

Sighing with a mixture of self-reproach and immense pride, he said, "You crafty little imp, truly clever. I understand. I'll send people to investigate the answers you want by daybreak. Now... let's sleep first."

Mu Qingcheng, "......"