Upon entering, Yan Xi held Fu Yan Ting's arm continuously, not to show off their affection to the Mu family, but because the mourning hall gave Yan Xi an eerie atmosphere, a feeling she couldn't quite articulate.
To feel more secure, Yan Xi clung tightly to Fu Yan Ting.
Fu Yan Ting glanced down, remained silent, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Liu Yuan, upon seeing Yan Xi, hurried over, her gaze coldly appraising Yan Xi with a sneer.
Yan Xi hadn't interacted much with Liu Yuan, but she knew this woman was Mu Jing Chen's birth mother.
Regardless of the bad deeds she had done, regardless of how terrible she had been to Mu Jing Chen, she was still Mu Jing Chen's mother. That fact couldn't be changed.
At that moment, seeing Liu Yuan, Yan Xi merely gave a slight nod, acknowledging her greeting.
Yan Xi didn't want any further interaction with Liu Yuan. After the greeting, Yan Xi turned to leave.
However, Liu Yuan had no intention of letting Yan Xi go so easily.
She looked at Yan Xi and sneered, "Yan Xi, what are you afraid of?"
Yan Xi didn't understand Liu Yuan's words. She looked at Liu Yuan with confusion.
Liu Yuan paused, then spoke again, "Yan Xi, do you really know nothing, or are you deliberately acting innocent in front of me?"
"Madam Mu, I don't know what you're talking about."
Yan Xi knew Liu Yuan was a difficult person and didn't want to bicker with her here.
Liu Yuan said coldly, "Yan Xi, Mu Jing Chen died saving you. If it weren't for you, my son wouldn't have met with this misfortune."
Yan Xi had been in Kyoto all along, while Mu Jing Chen was in Yan Cheng.
Although Yan Xi knew in her heart that Elder Mr. Yao had caused Mu Jing Chen's death,
Liu Yuan's claim that Mu Jing Chen died because of her was something Yan Xi couldn't accept.
Yan Xi looked at Liu Yuan in confusion. Liu Yuan paused, then spoke again, "Yan Xi, let me tell you the truth. Those people's target was actually you. They just didn't expect you to not be in Yan Cheng, so they found my son, wanting him to tell them your whereabouts. But I didn't expect my son to protect you so much, willing to sacrifice himself rather than reveal your location."
Hearing Liu Yuan's words, Yan Xi's heart grew clear about what had happened.
Elder Mr. Yao had deliberately said this to frame Yan Xi.
Because Yan Xi had been in Kyoto, living in the Yao family's residence during this time, Elder Mr. Yao couldn't possibly not know that.
Yan Xi's expression turned extremely grim.
Liu Yuan, however, paid no mind, appraising Yan Xi. Liu Yuan paused, then spoke again, "Yan Xi, you're quite something. You're already with another man, yet you can still make my son so devoted to you, so protective."
"Thank you for your compliment, Madam Mu."
Yan Xi didn't want to waste more words with Liu Yuan. After thanking her, she left.
Liu Yuan hadn't said all that just for Yan Xi to thank her; that wasn't her intention at all.
At this moment, Yan Xi's words infuriated Liu Yuan to the point of speechlessness.
Yan Xi glanced at Fu Yan Ting, receiving the signal from her gaze.
He, who had remained silent, finally spoke indifferently, "Madam Mu, we'll go in and pay our respects to Mu Jing Chen. You won't stop us, will you?"
Liu Yuan actually didn't want Yan Xi to see Mu Jing Chen one last time.
But the man before her was Fu Yan Ting. Living in Yan Cheng, Liu Yuan knew how terrifying this man could be.
Liu Yuan dared not oppose Fu Yan Ting.
Upon hearing Fu Yan Ting's words, Liu Yuan could only step aside, allowing them to enter the mourning hall.
At the entrance of the mourning hall, Yan Xi suddenly stopped. Looking at Fu Yan Ting, Yan Xi asked, "Husband, do you feel anything is not right?"
"Hmm? Is there? What's not right?"
Fu Yan Ting wasn't particularly concerned with Mu Jing Chen's affairs. If Yan Xi hadn't wanted to pay her respects, Fu Yan Ting wouldn't have appeared here at all.
At this moment, Fu Yan Ting was still absent-minded. Hearing Yan Xi's question, he did sense a hint of unease, but he couldn't pinpoint what felt wrong.
"I don't know, it's just a feeling."
Yan Xi couldn't articulate the feeling.
Perhaps it was because Yan Xi had never attended a funeral before, so her reaction was overly sensitive.
Fu Yan Ting glanced at Yan Xi and didn't speak.
He rarely attended funerals, so Fu Yan Ting was completely unfamiliar with the details of such ceremonies.
"Perhaps I'm just being too sensitive, overthinking it."
Yan Xi didn't want to put everyone in a difficult situation because of her. After speaking, she let go of Fu Yan Ting's arm and went in to pay her respects alone.
Fu Yan Ting frowned, clearly displeased with Yan Xi's action.
Yan Xi sensed it and turned back to explain to Fu Yan Ting, "I know you never attend funerals. You didn't even attend Aunt Zhang's funeral. I won't make things difficult for you. You can just wait here. I'll go in, pay my respects, and come right out."
She was considerate enough to know that Fu Yan Ting didn't attend other people's funerals.
Fu Yan Ting raised an eyebrow, looking at Yan Xi, and said indifferently, "Let's go. We'll go together. I came all this way with you; it wouldn't be right not to go in with you."
The two entered, took a look at Mu Jing Chen, and offered a stick of incense before rising to leave.
Yan Xi knew that Fu Yan Ting and Mu Jing Chen didn't have a good relationship.
Yan Xi also knew that Fu Yan Ting never attended funerals. Today, to prevent Yan Xi from being bullied by the Mu family, Fu Yan Ting had made an exception and brought Yan Xi to attend.
Yan Xi remembered everything Fu Yan Ting had done for her.
Yan Xi knew that Fu Yan Ting had done so much, all for her.
It would be a lie to say Yan Xi wasn't moved.
As they left the mourning hall, Yan Xi suddenly tiptoed, brought her lips close to Fu Yan Ting's ear, and whispered, "Husband, thank you for doing all this for me."
After speaking, Yan Xi prepared to leave.
Suddenly, Fu Yan Ting's broad and strong hand encircled Yan Xi's waist, pulling her closer to him once more.
Fu Yan Ting raised an eyebrow, a devilish smile on his lips, and said to Yan Xi, "Mrs. Fu, I've done so much for you, and you're just going to dismiss it with a simple thank you?"
Yan Xi tried to break free, but Fu Yan Ting's strength was immense. With just one hand around her waist, Yan Xi couldn't break free.
Yan Xi's face flushed red, and she whispered into Fu Yan Ting's ear, "Husband, stop messing around. This is a mourning hall. It wouldn't be good if someone saw."
"If someone saw?"
Fu Yan Ting mulled over these words.
Then, his broad hand began to wander indiscreetly on Yan Xi's waist. He didn't restrain himself; instead, he became even more audacious. Since it could be seen, Fu Yan Ting wanted to do it even more. He wanted to use this method to announce to the world that Yan Xi was his woman, Fu Yan Ting's woman.