Chapter 21:

On New Year’s Day, Pei Yu came back on an early morning flight to Beijing.

Before dawn, Mu Jinpei rushed to the airport.

He had thought his mother, who hadn’t been home for more than half a year, would take advantage of the Christmas holiday to spend more time with his father. But to his surprise, she stayed for less than two weeks. Considering the two days spent traveling, two-thirds of the remaining time was spent with her parents. She also visited her good friend, Cory.

Doing the math, his mother only spent two or three days with his father. And during those few days, she was mostly in her studio during the daytime.

He didn’t even dare imagine how many words his father had spoken to his mother during the entire holiday — and how many she had replied.

When he got to the arrival hall, his mother came out.

Mu Jinpei sent his father a message: [Dad, I’ve picked Mom up.]

Soon, Mu Wenhuai replied: [Take good care of your mother.]

After a pause, Mu Jinpei asked: [Dad, do you resent Mom for being too busy to spend time with you?]

Mu Wenhuai: [As long as she’s happy. If she’s happy, then you and I still have a home.]

Pei Yu approached, and Mu Jinpei put his phone away. He gently hugged his mother. “Tired?”

“Not tired. It was night time, and there were stars to look at.”

“……”

Mu Jinpei pretended not to know the entanglement of love and hate between his mother, father, and Xie Junyi. He asked casually, yet his real intention was to figure out how his mother was feeling — for his father’s sake.

“Mom, why were you in such a rush to come back?” he asked. “The gallery isn’t that busy.”

Pei Yu glanced at her son out of the corner of her eye. “When did you start siding with your dad?”

Instead of answering, Mu Jinpei asked, “Did you have a fight with him, or did he do something that upset you? Mom, you didn’t come home even once in the second half of last year.”

Pei Yu fell silent for a moment, then brushed him off, “Would your dad dare do anything to upset me?” Then she changed the subject. “But yes, we did have a disagreement. I want you to get married soon. Your dad thinks I’m meddling too much.”

This kind of conversation couldn’t go far. Mu Jinpei sensibly fell quiet.

From the moment she got in the car, Pei Yu kept staring at her son without saying anything, a teasing look on her face.

Mu Jinpei pretended not to notice and kept his head down, flipping through financial news emailed by his assistant.

“Ahem.” Pei Yu coughed lightly, still not breaking the silence outright.

Unable to take her gossipy gaze anymore, Mu Jinpei finally looked up helplessly. “Mom, if you have something to say, just say it.”

“Oh no, I wouldn’t dare. I might interrupt the great Mr. Mu at work.”

“……”

Seeing her son’s resigned expression, Pei Yu couldn’t resist teasing: “Who was the one who said signing Xingyao’s agency contract was to honor me?”

“Mom, you—” Before Mu Jinpei could finish, Pei Yu cut him off, “No need to explain, I understand. Being with Xingyao is also part of honoring your mom. After all, I like Xingyao, and you’re just catering to my tastes.”

That phrase — catering to my tastes — was biting and sarcastic.

Mu Jinpei exited the email app after reading the news. “Mom, can you cut me some slack?”

Pei Yu stopped joking and got back to the point. “You skipped the M.K. Group’s New Year’s partner gala this year. I was puzzled. You and Chu Zheng are always cautious — it’s not like you to make such a rookie mistake as scheduling an important business meeting during the gala. Turns out you rushed back to be with Xingyao. Little Mr. Mu, you’re falling for her.”

Mu Jinpei lowered his gaze slightly and didn’t respond.

Pei Yu asked, “How’s the agency contract split?”

Mu Jinpei: “70/30.”

Pei Yu smiled and shook her head, but she was clearly pleased. Her son had fallen for someone and was willing to make compromises. That wasn’t easy.

Mu Jinpei didn’t continue the topic. Instead, he told her about his upcoming schedule — after New Year’s, he would return to New York and stay there for a while.

Pei Yu asked, “For the company?”

Mu Jinpei responded vaguely, not giving specifics. He didn’t want to worry his mother about the grudge between him and Ji Changsheng — her life hadn’t been any easier than his all these years.

Pei Yu reminded him, “Make sure to visit your grandparents more. You barely stayed during Christmas before rushing off to Beijing.”

Mu Jinpei replied, “Mm.”

Pei Yu said, “The love your grandparents have for you… is no less than what they had for Xie Yuncheng. But people of their generation aren’t good at expressing it.”

The mood turned heavy. The Mu family — Mu Wenya, Xie Junyi, and even his adoptive father Mu Wenhuai — were all taboo topics for Pei Yu, and the ones Mu Jinpei least wanted to touch.

At the villa, the butler and staff came to get the luggage. Mu Jinpei reminded them, “Don’t take down the silver tote bag.”

Pei Yu asked, “What treasure is that? A gift for Xingyao?”

Mu Jinpei replied, “Mm. A New Year’s gift. I haven’t had a chance to give it to her yet.”

Curious about what kind of gift her straightforward son would pick, Pei Yu asked, “Can Mom take a look?”

Mu Jinpei walked over. “Nothing you can’t see. Just two throw pillows.”

Pei Yu: “……” She sighed and looked helplessly at her son. “Throw pillows for a New Year’s gift? Do you think Xingyao is short on throw pillows? Couldn’t you be a little more surprising?”

She thought about what she had that might interest Ji Xingyao. “You can’t just brush her off with pillows. I once did a photoshoot for a gemstone necklace.”

She joked, “Tell you what, I’ll sell it to you at a discount.”

Mu Jinpei pulled the tote bag from the trunk. “These throw pillows are different — I designed them myself.” He had spent two full days designing them, had them handcrafted overnight.

Pei Yu’s eyes lit up when she saw them. Luxurious and elegant, made from top-quality silk — even she liked them. “Very nice, very nice. The diamonds on these could buy a few apartments.”

She turned the pillows over and over, impressed. “Men really do have an innate talent for this kind of thing. I used to worry that with this being your first relationship, you wouldn’t know how to make a girl happy.”

Mu Jinpei: “I was influenced by Dad over the years.”

Most of the gifts Mu Wenhuai gave Pei Yu were custom-made, many of them designed by him personally.

His father always said: A handmade gift carries more sentimental value.

At the mention of Mu Wenhuai’s gifts, Pei Yu froze for a moment.

This past Christmas, the gift Mu Wenhuai gave her was also handmade. Since she was rushing back to Beijing and wouldn’t be home for New Year’s, he gave her the New Year’s gift early — again, a custom design.

Pei Yu packed up the pillows. “Wait a bit before you leave. Mom has a New Year’s gift for you too.” She quickly walked into the villa and came back in less than two minutes with a storage bag.

Mu Jinpei: “What is it?”

Pei Yu: “You’re in a relationship now, you need your own place. Otherwise, dating will be inconvenient. Happy New Year.”

Mu Jinpei opened it to find a keycard and a property deed.

It was a high-end apartment — top floor, complete with an indoor swimming pool.

After leaving the villa, Mu Jinpei called Tang Jialai and told her to bring the contract to Ji Xingyao’s studio and wait downstairs.

Tang Jialai was still en route to the gallery, stuck in a massive New Year’s Day traffic jam. She replied to Mu Jinpei: [Okay, Mr. Mu, I’ll get the contract and be at Xingyao’s studio before nine.]

She checked the time — it was already 7:30.

While waiting at a red light, she glanced at the chat in the alumni group. Someone had brought up Xie Yuncheng, saying he might be coming back to Beijing this Spring Festival — not sure if it was true.

She pulled up his contact and started typing a message to ask, but deleted it all before sending.

At 9:15, Tang Jialai finally arrived downstairs at the studio. She had accounted for traffic but hadn’t expected it to be even worse.

“Sorry, Mr. Mu, sorry for keeping you waiting.”

Mu Jinpei: “I just got here too.”

Tang Jialai caught sight of the silver tote bag in Mu Jinpei’s hand out of the corner of her eye. It was probably a gift for Xingyao, and choosing to sign the contract today was likely also part of her New Year’s gift.

The elevator arrived, and the two went upstairs.

Since Mu Jinpei had sounded in a good mood earlier—and considering he was now Ji Xingyao’s boyfriend—Tang Jialai had a momentary lapse in judgment and asked something unrelated to work: “I heard President Xie is coming back to Beijing soon?”

Mu Jinpei paused for a few seconds. In that brief moment, he already understood the implication behind her words. He turned to look at Tang Jialai. “You like Xie Yuncheng?”

Tang Jialai: “……”

She hadn’t expected Mu Jinpei to ask so directly and sharply, and she was instantly at a loss for words.

Her silence was as good as a yes. Mu Jinpei stared straight at the elevator doors. “You and he are impossible.”

The words hit like a bucket of cold water poured right over her head.

Tang Jialai’s fingers curled slightly, and a sharp sting pricked at her heart. She wasn’t sure why Mu Jinpei was being so discouraging—maybe he knew that Xie Yuncheng already liked someone?

Either way, ever since he said that, she hadn’t felt right.

“Does he have a girlfriend?” she blurted out, biting the bullet.

Mu Jinpei replied coolly, “Not sure.”

Tang Jialai guessed he probably thought her background wasn’t good enough for someone like Xie Yuncheng. Even though Xie didn’t carry the Mu surname, the old master of the Mu family had only one grandson and one grandson-in-law and had long treated Xie Yuncheng as a real grandson. Xie Yuncheng also held a significant number of shares in M.K.

The elevator reached the 52nd floor, ending the conversation.

Ji Xingyao heard the doorbell, put down what she was working on, and went to open the door.

As soon as the door opened, she hugged Mu Jinpei tightly. Just like before, she stood on tiptoe and leaned her lips close to his—but didn’t kiss him herself. Mu Jinpei placed a soft kiss on her lips, wrapped one arm around her waist, and then said, “Tang Jialai’s here too, to sign the contract.”

Ji Xingyao: “……”

She shot him a look—Why didn’t you say so earlier?

She’d been too focused on kissing him to notice if anyone else had been behind him.

Tang Jialai stood at the doorway, raising her eyebrows at Ji Xingyao with a teasing smirk.

Ji Xingyao grabbed some shoe covers for her. “Why didn’t you call ahead? I didn’t even prepare your favorite coffee.”

Tang Jialai handed her the file folder. “I’m here for work today. I’ll drink whatever you’ve got. Save the fancy coffee for next time when I visit for fun.”

Ji Xingyao opened the file and began carefully reviewing the contract, reading every clause, even the formatting ones, with great attention.

She had already seen the digital version, but she still wanted to review the printed one from the start.

Tang Jialai didn’t act like a guest—she poured herself a glass of warm water and said, “If anything’s off, let me know.”

Ji Xingyao replied, “As long as the price is good, I’m good.”

Tang Jialai playfully pinched her cheek and gave her a thumbs-up. She whispered, “I need to learn from you—no falling head over heels. Otherwise, the hole in my brain will just keep getting deeper.”

Ji Xingyao finished reading and was satisfied with the terms. “No revisions needed.”

Tang Jialai pulled a camera from her bag and asked Ji Xingyao, “For the signing photos, should I call my assistant up or ask Uncle Zhang to help us take a few?”

Before Ji Xingyao could answer, Mu Jinpei reached out his hand. “Give it to me.” He was playing the assistant today and took photos while Ji Xingyao and Tang Jialai signed the documents.

He chose his angles carefully, avoiding the antique shelf in the work area.

The contract was prepared in triplicate. M.K. Gallery had already stamped them—all that was left was the artist’s signature.

After signing, Ji Xingyao kept one copy and gave the other two to Tang Jialai.

Formalities were still necessary. Tang Jialai and Ji Xingyao stood up and shook hands, and Mu Jinpei snapped a few photos of them together.

Tang Jialai packed up the camera and the contracts and finished her water. She stood up to say goodbye, “I’ll come by when I have time. Gotta work overtime today.”

Ji Xingyao put on her coat and walked her downstairs.

Meanwhile, Mu Jinpei was making coffee in the studio when Chu Zheng called, “Mr. Mu, the itinerary for Xie Junyi’s family has been confirmed. They’re staying for half a month, about ten days in Beijing.”

“Xie Yuncheng and Mu Wenya are coming too?”

“Yes, that’s the current information.”

There was a moment of silence on the line. Mu Jinpei loosened a shirt button. His face remained calm, but his eyes deepened. After some thought, he said, “I’ll go back the night after tomorrow.”

He hung up. The coffee was ready, and its aroma filled the room.

He heard the door—Ji Xingyao had returned from walking Tang Jialai out.

“Xingyao.”

“I’m back.”

Mu Jinpei poured the coffee and brought it to the table. He pointed toward the side table next to the couch.

Only then did Ji Xingyao notice a beautifully wrapped large tote bag, stuffed full. She opened it.

She had inherited her father’s personality—rarely did she show her emotions. But the surprise and joy from the gift lit up her entire face.

“Where did you find such unique throw pillows?”

“I designed them myself,” Mu Jinpei sat beside her. “The one on the left is your New Year’s gift, and the one in your right hand is to make up for the Christmas gift I didn’t get a chance to give you.”

They were star-shaped throw pillows, sewn with silver fabric. Each was studded with diamonds that formed shapes resembling letters or constellations—visually stunning.

The diamond cuts were also to her liking. So many of them arranged together sparkled brilliantly under the light, as if actual stars.

Attached below the star-shaped pillows was a soft crescent moon in a warm yellow tone.

The symbolism: Xingyao accompanies the moon.

Ji Xingyao kissed the pillows, then planted a kiss on his cheek. That wasn’t enough to express her happiness—she kissed his lips several more times.

She kept looking at the pillows, unable to put them down. “I’m the brightest star beside the moon, right?”

Mu Jinpei nodded. “Mm.”

When he first designed them, he’d thought of stars and moonlight, and of her dazzling, star-like eyes.

Ji Xingyao decided to keep one pillow in the studio and the other at home. She compared them side by side. “The patterns are so different, but both are beautiful.”

Mu Jinpei didn’t tell her that the diamond arrangements weren’t just visually pleasing—they spelled out words in Spanish. The two pillows had different meanings.

He talked about his post-New Year schedule. “I’m flying back to New York the evening of the third.”

Still caught up in the joy of receiving the pillows, Ji Xingyao was slower to react than usual. “Then I’ll take you to the airport.” But as soon as she said it, something didn’t feel right.

She set the pillows aside, brain catching up now. “You’re flying private again?”

Mu Jinpei: “Mm, the schedule allowed us to get the flight path approved.”

“I’ve never been on a private jet before,” Ji Xingyao held his hand. “Is it really that luxurious?”

Mu Jinpei looked at her. “Didn’t Uncle Ji have a Gulfstream G550?”

Ji Xingyao put on a blank face: “…My family’s that rich?” Then she couldn’t help it—she leaned into his arms and laughed out loud.

Mu Jinpei got what she meant—she wanted to go to New York with him. But this trip was packed with matters to resolve, all involving Ji Changsheng. There wouldn’t be time to relax or take her sightseeing.

He looked down at her, seeing her nestled lazily in his arms, content and affectionate.

After a brief hesitation, the words “You can’t come” turned into:
“Then come with me. Don’t you like red wine? My family’s estate has a wine cellar—pick a few bottles when we get there.”