After dinner, the family sat on the sofa and chatted for a while before heading back to their own rooms.
Mu Xu Ye came out of the bathroom after washing up, climbed into bed, and hugged Qi Shu Yu from behind. Qi Shu Yu turned over to face him.
Mu Xu Ye kissed Qi Shu Yu's forehead, then the tip of his nose, then his lips.
Mu Xu Ye stopped when he noticed that Qi Shu Yu was upset. He smoothed the hair of the man in his arms. "What's wrong?"
Qi Shu Yu buried his face in his chest. "This was supposed to be my own family's problem, but I've dragged all of you into it, especially Xiao Wen. I..."
Mu Xu Ye reassured him, "Mom and Dad have already accepted you as my partner. You're part of the Mu Family too. How could helping you through a problem count as trouble?"
"But Xiao Wen is still so young. I don't want him getting involved. Seeing him running around worrying about me makes me feel awful."
"Don't worry. I'm here. I won't let my little brother get hurt. Besides, Xiao Wen has Mo Chengzhou by his side. With him around, no one can lay a finger on Xiao Wen."
The guilt in Qi Shu Yu's heart finally eased. "All right. Um, did you want to..."
Mu Xu Ye sighed. "Not tonight. Let's just get some sleep."
In Mo Chengzhou's room, the curtains were tightly drawn, and a warm yellow light filled the space. Mo Chengzhou sat on the edge of the bed, talking on the phone.
"Dad, I need a few Mercenary."
Mo Bei asked, "What do you need Mercenary for? Have you gotten on someone's bad side over there?"
Mo Chengzhou explained, "No. It's for Yan Wen. I'm