Gold Cage - Chapter 34

The Lunar New Year bathed everything in festive cheer. Zhao Mengling returned to Yushi with Mu Zhiye, reuniting the family as Bi Bo Tang glowed with warmth.

Having missed his brothers dearly, Mu Zhiye clung to Mu Hanxiao, who gifted him a red envelope and a new gaming PC, delighting the boy. Mu Yunting, in decent spirits, had long withdrawn from worldly affairs, spending his days in obscure leisure. Zhao Mengling mocked his carefree abandonment of responsibility, sneering, "Must be nice, indulging yourself without a care."

"Just tea and cards with old friends," Mu Yunting chuckled. "Hardly indulgence."

"Keep it that way. Stay away from shady dealings—and money."

"You've grown harsh. With Hanxiao managing everything, what 'dealings' could I possibly touch?"

"Don't play dumb. If I hadn't suppressed the Zhao incident, do you know the damage it would've done? I'm up for nomination in two years—Secretary Long is already finished. Don't sabotage me now."

Mu Yunting only laughed. Their conversation, held by the window, halted when Mu Zhiye bounded over to summon them to dinner.

At the table, the family avoided business, chatting instead about Mu Zhiye's new school and Mu Zeju's perpetually stalled marriage plans. The meal passed warmly, though Mu Hanxiao remained quiet, his thoughts distant. Mu Zhiye, seated beside him, was more clingy than ever.

Mu Zeju teased him: "Xiaoye, how old are you already? Still acting like you can't be without big brother."

Mu Zhiye was strikingly handsome, with an innate air of noble elegance. He said smugly, "No matter how old I am, big brother will always dote on me. Every year, I'm the first to get his red envelope. Second brother, are you jealous?"

"Who would bother competing with you, kid?"

"Big brother, come find me after New Year's, okay? I found this awesome off-road racetrack over there—you'd love it."

Mu Hanxiao said, "You shouldn't be playing with dangerous things like that."

Mu Yunting laughed. "Since when do you care about racing being dangerous? You used to do it all the time, worrying your mother and me sick, afraid something would happen to you."

Mu Zhiye tugged at Mu Hanxiao's sleeve. "Big brother—promise me you'll come visit me."

Mu Hanxiao replied patiently, "I'll come when I have time."

Mu Zhiye pouted, clearly unhappy. Zhao Mengling said, "Xiaoye, didn't we agree you wouldn't pester your brother like this? Come here."

For some reason, Zhao Mengling's tone with Mu Zhiye seemed stricter than before. Reluctantly, Mu Zhiye went to his mother's side, and she led him away from the dining table to talk in the living room. Soon after, Mu Yunting also set down his chopsticks. Having drunk a bit, he went upstairs to rest. Only Mu Hanxiao and Mu Zeju remained at the table, each with a glass of wine in front of them.

"Xiaoye is utterly spoiled by you and Mom," Mu Zeju said helplessly. "He expects everything handed to him. He's no good at studying, can't handle business, and I heard he got into a fight at school just days after arriving—made the other kid's parents come apologize before he'd drop it."

Mu Hanxiao seemed lost in thought as he sipped his wine. Mu Zeju frowned. "Brother, are you just more patient with the younger ones and only strict with me, the middle child?"

Mu Hanxiao casually tossed a red envelope into his lap. "If you wanted a red envelope, you could've just said so."

"...That's not what I meant! I just—"

"I heard your company is working on a new project," Mu Hanxiao said. "Need funding?"

Mu Zeju was taken aback. "Yeah. Are you planning to invest? How much equity do you want?"

Mu Hanxiao replied, "Not under my name. The money will go through your accounts—take however much you need."

Mu Zeju was stunned. Since founding his company, his brother had only given him startup capital and a building for the office, never another cent. Though he had made full use of the Mu family's powerful connections, he had always assumed Mu Hanxiao wasn't interested in his ventures.

"Thought you looked down on my little side projects," Mu Zeju said with a laugh.

"I didn't interfere because you were doing fine," Mu Hanxiao said calmly. "The family will need you to hold things up in the future."

"I'd be lucky if I don't mess things up."

It was rare for Mu Hanxiao to praise him. Mu Hanxiao was six years older, and for as long as Mu Zeju could remember, he had mostly followed in his brother's footsteps, guided by him. Mu Hanxiao was steady and exceptionally sharp in all aspects, sometimes even stricter with Mu Zeju than Zhao Mengling and Mu Yunting were. This had given Mu Zeju a deeper understanding of the saying, "An elder brother is like a father." As a mischievous child, he had often been disciplined by Mu Hanxiao—while other kids feared their parents, he was the one who cowered before his brother.

But whatever happened, it was always Mu Hanxiao who protected him. In high school, Mu Zeju was arrogant and domineering, even looking down on the principal—the only person he feared in the world was his elder brother. Later, when he got into a fight with a group of older troublemakers and ended up covered in injuries, Mu Hanxiao dragged him to the hospital to get patched up. At the time, Mu Yu happened to be out with them too, standing nearby with curious eyes as he stared at Mu Zeju and said he looked ugly—nearly infuriating him to death.

Within days, those troublemakers were sent to detention centers for various reasons, and their entire gang was wiped out. Mu Hanxiao told Mu Zeju there were many ways to solve problems, and he shouldn't resort to the stupidest one.

Mu Hanxiao set down his wine glass and stood up. "I'm leaving."

Mu Zeju rose as well. "Aren't you going to say goodbye to Mom and Dad?"

Mu Hanxiao said it wasn't necessary. Without another word to anyone, he left Bibotang alone.

This year's New Year's Eve, Mu Yu invited Huo Shiyin and Lu Hao to his apartment for hotpot. After being discharged from the hospital, Lan Mo continued living with him. She went for regular check-ups—for the first few months, she was confined to a wheelchair, and only recently had she been able to walk slowly again.

After dinner, Lan Mo said she wanted to set off fireworks, so Lu Hao drove the three of them to buy a trunkful of fireworks and headed to the riverside. Many people were already there setting off fireworks, and Lu Hao found a relatively open spot. Huo Shiyin helped Lan Mo out of the car. The wind by the river was strong, so Lan Mo wore a hat, a thick scarf, and a long down coat that reached her ankles. She looked up at the unusually bright night sky and exhaled a warm puff of white breath.

Lu Hao bought a bunch of sparklers, lighting them and handing them to Lan Mo and Huo Shiyin to play with. Lan Mo smiled happily, waving the sparklers in circles. She seemed to be gradually emerging from the shadows of the car accident and the loss of her child, though she had come to terms with the fact that her injuries made it difficult for her to conceive again. Nowadays, her memory wasn't the best—sometimes she even thought she was still studying in England—but most of the time, she was no different from normal.

Lu Hao and Huo Shiyin stayed with Lan Mo on the riverbank, while Mu Yu took a work call. The signal was poor, so he walked up the embankment while talking on the phone. After hanging up, he sat on a concrete block by the river, watching the three of them setting off fireworks in the distance.

Mu Yu hadn't allowed the Lan family or Liu Shuyan to see Lan Mo. In truth, her mental state wasn't very stable. The doctor had bluntly stated that losing her child had devastated her, and the external pressures made recovery difficult. Mu Yu had witnessed Lan Mo waking up from nightmares multiple times, crying and searching frantically for her baby. Each time, it took considerable effort to calm her down again.

As he pondered how to alleviate Lan Mo's psychological struggles, he suddenly heard someone call his name. Turning around, he was surprised to see Xia Ge standing not far away, looking just as delighted to see him.

Xia Ge waved to his friends behind him before jogging over and sitting beside Mu Yu. He was dressed in a white top and jeans, his hair cut short and dyed a chestnut brown, making him look like an energetic high schooler.

"Long time no see."

Though Mu Yu still remembered their kiss in the castle that day, he had been drunk, and nothing had happened afterward. To avoid awkwardness, he pretended to have forgotten.

Xia Ge still blushed slightly when he saw him. "You're here with friends to set off fireworks too? It's been... a while, Mu Yu. You look well."

For some reason, Mu Yu couldn't resist teasing him the moment they met: "I'm doing great, and you? Why hasn't our little singer been releasing any new songs lately? I've been so bored I've had to listen to old tunes all day."

Xia Ge smiled: "I wanted to... focus on my studies first, to better myself before returning to the stage. But I've been writing songs all along—would you like to see them?"

"Is that really okay?"

"Of course."

Xia Ge took out his phone and showed Mu Yu the lyrics he'd written recently. As Mu Yu leaned in for a closer look, Xia Ge noticed his ears were red from the cold. Without thinking, he unwrapped his own scarf and draped it around Mu Yu's neck. When Mu Yu looked up, their eyes met, and Xia Ge murmured, "Didn't want you to catch cold."

Mu Yu chuckled, took off the scarf, and firmly wrapped it back around Xia Ge, securing it with an extra loop before patting his shoulder. "I'm not cold. You're the one who shouldn't catch a chill."

After reading Xia Ge's lyrics, he said, "These are really good. Are you sure you don't want to turn them into songs?"

"They're not good enough yet. Honestly, my writing skills are pretty weak—I never liked studying as a kid." Xia Ge scratched his head. "President Mu also suggested I complete my studies here before going abroad to a music conservatory."

"That's wise—building a strong foundation." Mu Yu nodded. "I'm looking forward to seeing you back on stage."

Xia Ge stared at him blankly for a moment before murmuring, "Thank you."

Xia Ge's friends called out to him from the riverbank below, forcing him to stand. Mu Yu rose as well. Xia Ge was always a bit flustered around him, but thankfully the scarf hid whether he was blushing.

"Mu Yu, Happy New Year. I'm so lucky to have run into you tonight."

"Me too." Mu Yu tilted his head slightly and said to Xia Ge, "I hope there'll be a seat for me in the audience at your first concert after your comeback. That's not too much to ask for the new year, is it?"

Xia Ge replied earnestly, "Not at all. I'll save you the center seat in the front row. You have to come."

In the distance, laughter and firecrackers echoed along the riverbank. Mu Yu said softly, "Then it's a promise."

Xia Ge nodded firmly. "Yes, a promise."

Xia Ge didn't invite Mu Yu to join his friends. He seemed more composed than during their last meeting. After making their pact, he turned to rejoin his group. Mu Yu descended the riverbank, where Lan Mo spotted him approaching and waved.

"Brother." Lan Mo had grown thinner, her chin now sharply pointed, but she smiled at Mu Yu. "Happy New Year."

Mu Yu adjusted her scarf and playfully tugged the pom-pom on her hat. "How about a trip after the holidays?"

"Sure! Where to?"

"Lake Baihar." Mu Yu said. "My hometown."

Lan Mo nestled against his shoulder, clutching his hand like a child. "Okay, I'd love to go."

Still recovering from her illness, Lan Mo wasn't allowed to stay out too long in the cold. After cleaning up the firework remnants, Huo Shiyin took her back to the car. As Mu Yu was about to get in, something made him pause. He looked up toward the riverbank.

Under the dim yellow streetlights, a familiar car was parked on the embankment. Mu Yu turned away and said to Lu Hao, "Take them home first."

Lu Hao looked puzzled. "What about you?"

"Someone's here to pick me up."

Lu Hao shrugged and drove off. Mu Yu walked alone along the riverbank when the car slowly approached and stopped before him. Mu Hanxiao stepped out—this time, he had come alone.

"How long have you been here?" Mu Yu asked.

"Since you started chatting with Xia Ge," Mu Hanxiao replied.

Mu Yu smiled indifferently. The wind crept into his collar, and he lowered his head to adjust his scarf. Mu Hanxiao stepped forward, his tall frame blocking the cold breeze.

But Mu Yu wasn't grateful. He lifted his cold gaze. "Xia Ge is a singer. Are you trying to ruin him?"

"Did he complain to you?"

"He didn't say a word. But do I need him to spell it out? He was on the rise, but after returning from the U.S., he vanished from the public eye. I thought you were at least a little different from Madam Zhao—that you wouldn't throw your weight around. Seems I was wrong."

Mu Hanxiao looked into his eyes, unruffled. "Then it's your call," he said calmly.

He pulled a red envelope from his pocket and handed it to Mu Yu. "Your share."

Mu Yu glared at him, unsure whether to be furious or baffled. "I don't want it."

"You took it every year before. Why not now?"

Mu Yu wondered if the man had lost his mind. "I haven't accepted your New Year's money for six years. At least be accurate."

"You refusing it doesn't mean I didn't give it."

Mu Yu laughed, as if hearing something absurd. His gaze drifted to the distance, where fireworks bloomed over the river, drawing cheers from the crowd.

"I don't want what everyone else gets," Mu Yu said, turning back to Mu Hanxiao, enunciating each word. "I only want what belongs solely to me."

As his words faded, another firework burst across the sky. The rising tide of voices drew Mu Yu's attention—these fireworks were unusual. He turned to see a white, star-shaped explosion suspended in the night, scattering countless glimmering fragments. As the star faded, a white rose unfurled, its delicate diamond-like petals shimmering against the dark. The light dispersed, and the rose miraculously bloomed before more fireworks shot up, clustering over the river into a bouquet of radiant flowers. The blossoms unfolded like a dreamy dance beneath the night's curtain, their reflections scattering into the waves as the embers fell.

Gasps of awe rose from the riverbank. Mu Yu was mesmerized, the fireworks dancing in his eyes. Mu Hanxiao watched the light flicker in his gaze, and as if sensing it, Mu Yu looked back at him.

"Did you like it?" Mu Hanxiao asked.

He hadn't glanced once at the spectacular fireworks display behind him. This was typical of him—disinterested in most things, even when it came to New Year's gifts for a certain young man. He didn't care how brilliantly those presents manifested.

The mere moment the gift captured Mu Yu's attention was its entire reason for existing.

The man's scorching breath shielded them from the winter night's chill as he gently soothed the lingering tremors of that startled heartbeat. Mu Yu answered quietly, "No."

"Mu Hanxiao, I don't like fireworks. I don't like anything you give me, just like how you once rejected everything about me. Now whatever you try to offer, I don't want it. If you're still clinging to memories of the seventeen-year-old Mu Yu, then live with those memories. The Mu Hanxiao I loved only existed before he turned twenty-nine. The man after that might as well be dead."

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