However, Mu Jing Chen was still willing to try. He believed that feelings would develop over time, and they would support each other.
As long as he stayed by Yan Xi's side and treated her exceptionally well, Yan Xi would eventually forget Fu Yan Ting and choose him.
The date of Yan Xi and Mu Jing Chen's engagement was drawing nearer. Mu Jing Chen took Yan Xi to try on wedding dresses.
Yan Xi looked at herself in the mirror wearing the wedding dress. She had once thought she would never have the chance to wear a wedding dress in this lifetime. Now that she had it as she wished, she wasn't as happy as she had imagined.
Perhaps this was because the person standing beside her was not Fu Yan Ting.
Mu Jing Chen, seeing Yan Xi's dejected mood, asked with concern, "What's wrong? Do you dislike this wedding dress? Should we go try that custom-made limited edition one?"
Yan Xi gently shook her head and said, "No need, this one is fine."
If she wasn't getting engaged to the person she cared about, what was the point of wearing any particular dress or going through any particular ceremony?
Suddenly, Mu Jing Chen's phone rang. It was his assistant. After Mu Jing Chen answered the call, his expression changed drastically, and he looked at Yan Xi with some difficulty.
Yan Xi said softly, "I know you've been busy lately. You should go. I can go home by myself later."
"I'll take you home first before going to the company," Mu Jing Chen said softly, worried about Yan Xi's safety.
"No need."
"Then I'll have the driver take you home, and I'll take a taxi to the company."
"Really, no need. It's rare to be out shopping. I want to browse a bit more later, have some afternoon tea, and then go home."
Seeing that Yan Xi insisted, and Mu Jing Chen genuinely had an urgent matter to attend to at the company, he didn't press further. Mu Jing Chen nodded and said softly, "Alright then. If you can't get a taxi later, call me, and I'll have the driver pick you up."
Yan Xi nodded gently.
As Mu Jing Chen was about to leave, he suddenly leaned closer to Yan Xi, wanting to kiss her forehead. Yan Xi, however, dodged.
Mu Jing Chen stood awkwardly in place, looking at Yan Xi, stunned for a moment. He then said, "Xi Xi, I truly consider you my closest person. What happened just now was out of my control. If I upset you, I apologize."
Although Yan Xi felt a bit uncomfortable, since Mu Jing Chen had put it this way, she responded, "It's alright, I'm not blaming you."
After Mu Jing Chen left, Yan Xi changed out of the wedding dress and turned to leave.
She thought back to five years ago when she was with Fu Yan Ting. They rarely went shopping or out for meals together. Life was monotonous, yet those were the happiest times for Yan Xi.
Yan Xi walked aimlessly by herself and came to the entrance of a cafe. She saw a man wearing a baseball cap sitting there drinking coffee.
His profile was almost identical to Fu Yan Ting's.
Yan Xi stood outside, lost in thought.
As Yan Xi was distracted, the man in the baseball cap had already stood up and left.
Yan Xi worried that she would never see him again.
Even though she knew it wasn't Fu Yan Ting, Yan Xi still lingered there, gazing at his profile, trying to mourn Fu Yan Ting through his likeness.
Seeing him stand up and leave, Yan Xi didn't care about anything else and rushed in.
But after taking two steps, Yan Xi was blocked by Kong Ya Lan.
Yan Xi frowned and looked coldly at Kong Ya Lan, asking, "What are you doing here?"
"What am I doing? Yan Xi, I told you, I want to avenge my Xiao Xiao. Now that you are no longer the young mistress of the Fu family, without the Fu family's protection, let's see how tough you can be."
Kong Ya Lan looked at Yan Xi, her words filled with gritted teeth.
Yan Xi frowned and said indifferently, "Whether you believe it or not, Yan Xiao's death has nothing to do with me. If you don't move aside, I'll call the police."
But Kong Ya Lan showed no intention of moving.
Yan Xi frowned and turned to leave.
Kong Ya Lan took out a bottle of mineral water from behind her, opened the cap, and poured the liquid all over Yan Xi's body and face.
Kong Ya Lan said through gritted teeth, "You shameless woman, you caused my daughter's tragic death. How dare you live so carefree and happy?"
The liquid splashed onto Yan Xi's face and clothes.
Yan Xi suddenly felt a burning sensation on her face.
She didn't know what Kong Ya Lan had sprayed on her.
However, the burning pain on her face gave her a bad feeling.
Yan Xi looked coldly at Kong Ya Lan and, enduring the pain on her face, asked indifferently, "What did you spray on my face?"
"Of course, it's sulfuric acid," Kong Ya Lan replied, then threw her head back and burst into laughter.
Her laughter was so maniacal that it gave Yan Xi a bad premonition.
Yan Xi couldn't help but frown.
Kong Ya Lan was prepared this time. Her target might not have been just to splash sulfuric acid on her; Kong Ya Lan's intention was to kill her.
"Yan Xi, I know you're quite attractive. First, Fu Yan Ting was devoted to you, and now the young master of the Mu family is willing to marry you despite your past marriage and children. However, I want to see now if Mu Jing Chen will still love you so deeply without that exquisite face."
Yan Xi heard Kong Ya Lan's words and was utterly speechless, angrily cursing, "You're truly sick."
"Yes, I am sick. I've said it before, you caused my Xiao Xiao's death, and I will not let you go. See, isn't your retribution coming now?"
After saying this, Kong Ya Lan burst into laughter again.
The pain on Yan Xi's face intensified, a burning heat accompanying it.
Meanwhile, more and more onlookers gathered.
These people were just watching the show, with some thinking Kong Ya Lan was too wicked for splashing sulfuric acid on a young woman.
Others, however, believed Yan Xi had gone too far, and Kong Ya Lan was pushed to this point by her.
Amidst the murmuring crowd, an ambulance arrived. After getting Yan Xi into the vehicle, she was taken to the hospital for treatment.
Kong Ya Lan, however, remained at the scene, still yelling angrily in the direction the ambulance had disappeared.
Suddenly, a group of men in plain black clothes surrounded Kong Ya Lan. Seeing their fierce and intimidating appearances, Kong Ya Lan began to panic.
Her voice trembling, she asked, "Who are you? What do you want to do to me?"
The men, however, looked at Kong Ya Lan indifferently and distantly, without answering her questions, as if they were deaf and couldn't hear her.
This made Kong Ya Lan even more frightened.