Gold Cage - Chapter 22

After being confined by Zhao Mengling for three days, Mu Yu never set foot in Bibo Hall again, nor did anyone bring Mu Zhiye to Yunhai.

Mu Hanxiao kept Mu Yu at Yunhai, distancing him from the heart of the Mu family. Even Mu Zeju was no longer allowed frequent visits. Comforting a heartbroken teenager wasn't difficult for Mu Hanxiao. With business requiring him to stay abroad for months, he took Mu Yu along.

Mu Yu would wake up in the morning to have breakfast with his brother before Mu Hanxiao left for work. Then, he would study at home with private tutors arranged by Mu Hanxiao. In the evenings, if Mu Hanxiao wasn't occupied, Mu Yu would drag him to watch movies, stroll in the garden, or play sports and swim together. On holidays, Mu Hanxiao would take him to nearby scenic spots, though Mu Yu preferred more thrilling activities—skiing, racing, bungee jumping, and skydiving.

Mu Hanxiao only occasionally indulged him in such extreme sports. Mu Yu's physical and mental condition weren't suited for frequent high-intensity activities. Even a single skiing session would leave the boy too exhilarated to sleep, needing Mu Hanxiao's embrace to finally calm down.

Back then, Mu Yu was happier than a celestial being. He quickly forgot the unpleasantness of the Mu household. Mu Hanxiao's tenderness and patience were so disarming that one couldn't help but fall into them without questioning their sincerity.

Especially since, at that time, Mu Yu's eyes saw only Mu Hanxiao.

On his seventeenth birthday, after a gathering with classmates, Mu Yu was driven back to Yunhai by the chauffeur. Night had already fallen, and the estate glowed quietly under the lights. Carrying his bag, Mu Yu climbed the steps to the front door, where a bouquet of white snow mountain roses and blue hydrangeas sat on the flower stand. The fresh blossoms glistened with dewdrops, their fragrance lingering in the air.

Mu Yu grabbed the bouquet and dashed inside, kicking off his shoes in the entryway. There, on the floor, lay a beautifully wrapped rectangular gift box.

He set the flowers down and unwrapped the gift box to reveal a small ivory carving of a crescent moon boat. The polished ivory gleamed snow-white and translucent, its exquisite craftsmanship creating a dreamlike crescent vessel. It was a piece they had admired together at an art exhibition not long ago when Mu Yu accompanied Mu Hanxiao.

Mu Yu marveled as he traced the delicate details of the moon boat, carefully returning it to its box before gathering both the package and flowers to continue inside. Only a few warm lights illuminated corners of the villa, their glow faint as floral scenery and tree shadows from the floor-to-ceiling windows danced across the empty floors. Approaching the staircase, he encountered a plush bear taller than himself waiting on the ground. The stuffed animal wore a gentleman's necktie and suit, its doll legs comically longer than its torso.

Mu Yu couldn't help laughing—how old did his brother think he was, still giving him stuffed animals?

As he climbed the stairs, gift boxes appeared every few steps. Overwhelmed by the abundance, he finally gathered an armful and dashed into the study where the man sat working behind the desk, lifting his gaze to meet his.

Mu Yu threw himself into his embrace. Mu Hanxiao pushed aside his work to catch him as the younger exclaimed, "Brother! Why did you get me so—so many presents?"

"Like them?" Mu Hanxiao asked.

"Love them!"

The man stood, Mu Yu clinging to him persistently. Mu Hanxiao naturally brushed back the hair at his temples, summoning staff to collect the young master's gifts for his bedroom. Dinner stood ready, their regular pastry chef having prepared Mu Yu's favorite strawberry cream cake.

On impulse, Mu Yu insisted on photographing himself with each gift individually. Mu Hanxiao contacted a photographer—a sought-after professional in Yu City whose schedule typically booked half a year in advance. The man had been dining with his family when the call came, immediately setting down his chopsticks to respond. A small team arrived with ring lights and tripods. Requiring no makeup or styling, Mu Yu simply chose a few favorite outfits, using the mountain of birthday gifts as props while the entire Yunhai estate became his photoshoot location.

Mu Hanxiao arranged refreshments for the photographers and assistants. Mu Yu demanded shots in the living room, on the spiral staircase, by the windows, throughout the garden, beside the pool, on the villa rooftop—dragging along the oversized plush bear that required a cart for transport as staff scrambled after him with props.

The man stood on the terrace. Occasionally lighting a cigarette, he gazed down at the lively scene in the garden. Mu Yu loved flowers, so they employed gardeners to tend the grounds. At peak bloom season, the vibrant floral sea provided perfect backdrop as Mu Yu—still wearing his high school uniform of shirt and light-colored trousers—leaned against the crescent boat gift, laughing. The soft, bright lighting illuminated his fresh, animated cheeks, his radiant vitality impossible to look away from.

Mu Hanxiao's cigarette burned to its end. Withdrawing his gaze, he turned back inside.

Mu Yu played until nearly midnight before being personally retrieved from the garden by Mu Hanxiao. After courteously arranging transportation for the photography team and overseeing cleanup, the young master who had stirred up half the night finally retired upstairs.

When Mu Hanxiao returned to his room, the bedroom door stood slightly ajar, faint light revealing a small mound under the covers. He proceeded with his usual routine—showering, changing into sleepwear, the last traces of tobacco scent dissipating completely.

He sat on the edge of the bed. "Go back to your own room to sleep."

A pale arm reached out from under the blankets and wrapped around Mu Hanxiao's waist. Mu Yu peeked out from the covers. "It's been so, so long since we last slept together."

The night was quiet, and a faint fragrance lingered in the room.

Mu Hanxiao lowered his voice. "You're grown up now."

"I'm not." Mu Yu clung to the man's hand, intertwining their fingers gently. "Tonight, you have to talk to me and lull me to sleep. It's my birthday wish."

He looked at Mu Hanxiao expectantly, his gaze tinged with a naive caution. It really had been a long time since they last shared a bed. When Mu Yu was much younger, he had been afraid of the dark, of ghosts, unable to sleep during thunderstorms, startling awake at the slightest gust of wind.

At first, he had always asked for his mother, wanting to go home. He fell ill frequently, trembling before unfamiliar doctors and nurses, unable to understand the language or recognize anyone. At night, he refused to sleep on the large bed in the bedroom, instead curling up in a corner with a blanket, lost in thought—so much so that the maids almost couldn't find him when they came in.

Initially, Mu Yu's language teacher had to relay his words, but Mu Hanxiao, finding the process inefficient, learned some of the common language from Mu Yu's hometown. Gradually, he could speak with the boy. Perhaps it was the power of language that bridged the distance, but the child slowly began to listen to Mu Hanxiao, no longer shying away from others.

Then, on a stormy night, Mu Hanxiao found Mu Yu burrowing into his bed.

It was fortunate that Mu Yu had been so young then, and Mu Hanxiao, barely in his twenties, had not yet become as cold and unreasonable as he would later be. With thunder and heavy rain as his excuse, the sleep-deprived Mu Hanxiao reluctantly allowed the frightened little rabbit of a boy to nestle into his arms.

That temporary arrangement lasted for years.

At some point, Mu Hanxiao stopped allowing Mu Yu to climb into his bed at will, no longer holding him close and murmuring him to sleep. But tonight, Mu Yu refused to leave no matter what, clutching his pillow and hiding under the blankets. After a while, he heard the bedside lamp click off, and Mu Hanxiao lay down beside him.

Mu Yu scooted closer, calling out softly, "Gege." Mu Hanxiao let him snuggle in, his voice deep. "Still acting spoiled."

Mu Yu nestled into his warm embrace and finally settled down. In a small voice, he said, "You come home less and less these days, and you always reply to my messages so late."

"I'm busy."

"Ge, what if I study business later and help you with work?"

Mu Hanxiao chuckled lowly. Mu Yu pouted, and Mu Hanxiao said, "Study whatever you want. The company isn't your concern."

"I just want to spend more time with you, to help you with your work."

"Just stay put and don't cause trouble—that's help enough."

"Where would I even go?" Mu Yu mumbled. "Nowhere, ge..."

Gradually, drowsiness overtook him, and he fell asleep nestled against Mu Hanxiao. He had played too much earlier, his clothes carrying the scent of flowers, the fragrance still faintly clinging even after his bath. His warm, soft body pressed close, his heartbeat a quiet thrum—so fragile it seemed it could be crushed with a single hand.

Mu Hanxiao had had several partners over the years, men and women alike. His frequent romantic engagements often provoked Mu Yu's tantrums. Mu Yu made no secret of his possessiveness—he despised every so-called "partner" around Mu Hanxiao, even deliberately sabotaging his dates on multiple occasions.

This kind of extremely willful behavior was once indulged by Mu Hanxiao. The man never explained his actions, but he also never lost his temper with Mu Yu—he simply stopped letting Mu Yu know about them. It seemed that rather than being understood, he preferred to let Mu Yu remain quiet.

"Brother, are you going out this late?"

"Mn. Just stay home and behave."

Mu Yu listened to his brother, obediently staying at Yunhai and never wandering off. When Mu Hanxiao left, he would wait at home until the moon hung high in the sky and all sounds faded into silence before Mu Hanxiao returned. Sometimes, when the man didn't come back all night, Mu Yu would lie awake, curled up alone in the vast bed, lost in thought.

He couldn't stand Mu Hanxiao always being away from him. The older he grew, the worse his tantrums became—even the faintest trace of women's perfume on Mu Hanxiao would send him into a rage, refusing to eat or sleep until Mu Hanxiao personally came to coax him. Once, Mu Zeju came to Yunhai to see his eldest brother and happened to witness Mu Yu angrily questioning Mu Hanxiao about his absence the previous night. Mu Yu was so upset he was nearly in tears before turning and storming upstairs to his room, slamming the door behind him.

If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, Mu Zeju would never have believed this was how the two of them interacted. Their eldest brother was always busy with work—business trips and social engagements were commonplace, and sometimes the family wouldn't see him for months. How was it that with Mu Yu, even something like staying out overnight could spark an argument?

In reality, from his perspective, it was Mu Yu's one-sided anger—Mu Hanxiao hadn't even gotten upset. To Mu Zeju, this was unimaginable. Since childhood, he had never dared to challenge Mu Hanxiao's authority. Losing his temper or acting out in front of him was simply unthinkable the same went for the other juniors and peers in the family.

After becoming a company owner, Mu Zeju occasionally sought his eldest brother's advice when facing difficulties. Mu Hanxiao almost never interfered with his work but was generous in teaching him everything he knew. Once, while discussing business in the study, Mu Hanxiao glanced at the time mid-conversation.

He paused the discussion and left the study. Mu Zeju watched as he entered Mu Yu's room, staying inside for a long while before finally emerging and casually closing the door behind him.

When he returned to the study, Mu Zeju tentatively asked, "Brother, did something happen?"

Mu Hanxiao replied indifferently, "Just coaxing a child."

Mu Zeju didn't press further. Later, when he left Yunhai, he took one last look at the solitary villa nestled between the mountain light and lake scenery.

A certain thought grew stronger in Mu Zeju's heart—perhaps the biggest mistake they had all made was not driving Mu Yu away completely, but instead letting him take root and grow up in a corner of their home.

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