Chapter 15: A Restless Mind

After dinner, the two rested for a while before going to take their baths separately.

Yang Qingyan finished first. She casually wiped her hair, letting it fall loosely over her shoulders. The damp ends occasionally dripped, staining small patches of moisture on her sleepwear. The slightly open neckline revealed a glimpse of her fair neck, and under the lingering steam, she looked even more delicate and soft.

Just as she finished drying her hair and lifted her head, she saw Mu Nanhe stepping out of the bathroom. He wore only a pair of army-green shorts, his toned upper body completely exposed. Under the warm light, his bronzed skin gleamed faintly, and the eight neatly arranged abdominal muscles were like a masterpiece of sculpted art—sharp, smooth, and exuding a powerful masculinity. Yang Qingyan’s gaze was instantly drawn to him.

Mu Nanhe appeared calm on the surface, but inside, his emotions were anything but steady. The moment he stepped out of the bathroom, his eyes were naturally drawn to Yang Qingyan. From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the damp patch on her chest where her dripping hair had soaked her sleepwear. His heart trembled slightly, as if brushed by a feather. A stray thought flashed through his mind—hadn’t Yang Qingyan’s figure filled out a little recently? He hurriedly averted his gaze, pretending to dry his hair with a towel, though a faint blush crept up his ears. Luckily, the dim lighting concealed it.

Yang Qingyan felt her face heat up, her heartbeat inexplicably speeding up. Her gaze lingered on those well-defined abs a little too long, and a sudden urge rose within her—to reach out and touch them. Her fingers curled slightly before she caught herself. Quickly, she looked away, feigning composure, but the redness creeping up her ears betrayed her nervousness.

Mu Nanhe acted as if he hadn’t noticed anything. While rubbing his hair with a towel, he walked toward her and casually asked, “Tired today?” His voice carried the slight laziness of someone fresh from a shower, laced with concern.

Yang Qingyan cleared her throat to steady herself. “Not too bad. You were busy all day too,” she replied, though her gaze couldn’t help but steal another glance at him.

Mu Nanhe sat down beside her, and their arms brushed against each other. Yang Qingyan jolted as if shocked by electricity, her body giving a slight tremor. Mu Nanhe glanced at her, a trace of confusion in his eyes, but he didn’t press the matter. Instead, he chatted with her idly for a while before getting up to pour himself a glass of water in the kitchen.

As she watched him walk away, Yang Qingyan lightly patted her cheeks, scolding herself in her heart, “It’s just some abs, get a grip.” But no matter how she tried, the strange, lingering sensation wouldn’t fade. It spread quietly in the stillness of the night, impossible to ignore.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Mu Nanhe leaned against the counter, holding the water glass but making no move to drink. He took a deep breath, trying to calm the restless stirrings in his chest. His mind kept replaying Yang Qingyan’s slightly flushed face, her flustered gaze, and the soft allure she unknowingly exuded. It was like a pebble tossed into a still lake, rippling through his thoughts in endless waves.

With a wry smile, he sighed inwardly. He never thought he would one day be so distracted by such thoughts. Yet, at the same time, he couldn’t help but look forward to their time together, even if it was just sitting in silence. The air between them felt subtly different now—charged with an inexplicable energy.

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The next day, the investigation results came in quickly.

As it turned out, when Goudan woke up, he was initially afraid of being scolded. After all, it was his own mischief that caused the accident—he had seen fish in the water, got excited, and tried to catch them, only to lose his footing and fall in. In his fear, he lied to Li Zhaodi, claiming he didn’t know who had pushed him.

Upon learning this, Mu Nanhe immediately sent his guards to conduct a thorough investigation. The soldiers took their task seriously, splitting up to question potential witnesses around the riverbank.

From dawn until midday, they went from house to house, patiently describing the scene and asking if anyone had seen how Goudan fell. Finally, an elderly man who had been working early in the morning recalled something—he had seen a child jumping around by the riverbank, then suddenly leaning forward as if reaching for something, before toppling into the water. Though the man had been too far away to see the child’s face clearly, the time and location he provided matched Goudan’s accident perfectly.

By sheer coincidence, another soldier patrolling nearby happened to be at a vantage point where he saw everything unfold. He watched as Goudan excitedly ran back and forth along the riverbank, his eyes fixed on the fish in the water. Then, in his eagerness, he leaned forward too far, lost his footing, and tumbled into the river. By the time the soldier rushed over, Yang Qingyan had already jumped in to rescue him, pulling him ashore shortly after.

With the testimonies of both the elderly man and the soldier, along with the footprints of children and the scattered water stains found by the guards during their inspection of the riverbank, all evidence pointed conclusively to Goudan falling in by accident. The truth gradually emerged.

Upon learning the truth, Li Zhaodi was overcome with shame and guilt. She pulled Goudan along, wanting to personally thank and apologize to Yang Qingyan. However, Mu Nanhe waved a hand dismissively, saying there were still matters to be handled.

Wasting no time, Mu Nanhe summoned Wei Lan’s brother-in-law, Liu Jianjun, and together they went to the art troupe. He reported Wei Lan’s malicious false accusations against Yang Qingyan in full detail to the troupe’s leaders, demanding strict disciplinary action.

The leadership, recognizing the gravity of the matter, convened for discussions. In the end, they issued Wei Lan a major demerit and required her to publicly apologize to Yang Qingyan in the family compound, setting the record straight and restoring her reputation.

On the day of the public apology, the open space in the family compound was packed with onlookers.

Wei Lan stood there with her head lowered, her face as pale as a sheet. She dragged her feet as she walked to the center of the crowd.

She bit her lower lip tightly, her hands nervously twisting the hem of her clothes, her body trembling slightly. Though she was full of regret and shame, it wasn’t the regret of someone who had truly repented—it was the resentment of someone unwilling to accept punishment. Deep down, her hatred for Yang Qingyan hadn’t lessened. If anything, the humiliation only fueled it further. Clenching her teeth, she swore to herself that one day, she would find a way to take revenge for the disgrace she suffered today.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, she slowly lifted her head, avoiding eye contact with everyone. Her voice was so small it was barely louder than a mosquito’s buzz. “Dear neighbors, I… I’m here today to apologize to Comrade Yang Qingyan. I falsely accused her of pushing Goudan because I let my jealousy get the better of me. I acted rashly and made a terrible mistake…”

As she spoke, her voice choked with emotion, and her eyes turned red. However, the redness in her eyes wasn’t from genuine remorse—it was the frustration of being forced into submission.

Yang Qingyan stood to the side, taking in every trace of unwillingness and hatred in Wei Lan’s expression. She was never one to be easily bullied. Seeing Wei Lan’s half-hearted apology, her expression immediately turned cold, and she spoke in a firm tone, “That’s how you apologize? Speak up so that everyone can hear you!”

Wei Lan hadn’t expected Yang Qingyan to humiliate her in public like this. Her hatred deepened, but with no choice, she clenched her teeth and raised her voice slightly. “I… I know my actions hurt her and troubled everyone. I truly regret what I did… Comrade Yang Qingyan, I’m sorry. Please forgive me…” The last few words were squeezed out between her teeth.

Yang Qingyan let out a cold snort, her gaze fixed on Wei Lan. After a brief silence, she slowly said, “For the sake of our neighborhood, I forgive you. But you’d better remember what happened today—stay away from me from now on and don’t provoke me again. Otherwise…”

She left the sentence unfinished, but the warning in her words was crystal clear.

Wei Lan’s body stiffened slightly at those words. Though her heart was filled with resentment, she had no choice but to nod in agreement.