They hadn’t embraced for a long time. Qin Mu had long stopped voluntarily hugging him when sober, but at that moment, she couldn’t control herself, weakly wanting an embrace, to find solace.

Involuntarily, she hugged tightly.

——

After a phone call with Xiaomei, Qin Mu was sent to the skies headed for Paris on Mu Yichen’s private plane.

The speed was so fast, it felt like the last time when they argued, and in anger, he sent her away, saying harsh words about never going back to find her.

But this time, it was different!

Mu Yichen didn’t get angry, didn’t argue with her, didn’t ask for a reason, nor when she would return, he just sent her onto the plane.

As Qin Mu boarded the plane, she kept wondering, with him and grandpa at home, she wasn’t sure if he could take good care of himself.

To be honest, she wasn’t very worried about grandpa; his self-discipline was quite good, but Mu Yichen...

However, as the plane flew further, she no longer thought about Mu Yichen!

She wanted to solve Xiao Wei’s confusion.

Yes, she thought Xiao Wei was confused!

The first day after she left, Mu Yichen didn’t return home for dinner, but the old man waited for him to come home before sleeping.

So on the second day after she left, Mu Yichen came home early to have dinner with the old man and solemnly said that Qin Mu was on a business trip.

The grandfather and grandson had the same thought to not tell Feng Fanghua about it.

On the third day, Mu Yichen changed his secretary, and Xi Meng’s maternity leave officially began.

Qin Mu went to Jian Yan’s studio, treating it like a regular workday, arriving at nine every morning and leaving at six in the evening.

But it was while Qin Mu sat by the road having a simple lunch that day that she suddenly realized that her mood here was so bad, even the food she once loved tasted bland.

Jian Yan announced his retirement ahead of schedule, handing over the Paris JY Studio directly to Qin Mu. Qin Mu tried to refuse, but after a night’s consideration and Xiao Wei’s persuasion, she completed the handover with Jian Yan on her second day there.

From now on, she wasn’t just Qin Mu from Paris or Rongcheng; she would travel between the two places and work harder.

In the afternoon, Jian Yan came to her office, which used to be his, bringing a stroller with his baby in it. The baby was exceptionally cute but fell asleep as if listening to a foreign language after Jian Yan and Qin Mu chatted for a while.

"How’s the show in Rongcheng?"

Jian Yan asked her thoughtfully, fiddling with a pen while sitting in front of her desk.

"Both sides are in urgent preparation. The show will be held in early September at AM."

Qin Mu lowered her eyes slightly, thought for a moment, and told him.

"In this aspect, I have great confidence in you. But it seems like you’re not too happy this time coming here? Did Mu Yichen not agree to your coming?"

Jian Yan’s way of speaking to her had become like that of a brother or a father.

Qin Mu smiled slightly and then shook her head: "I flew here on his plane!"

So, how could he possibly disagree?

"Then why such a big change since we last met?"

Jian Yan curiously asked her, noticing she seemed much thinner, as if a gust of wind could carry her away.

Qin Mu held a small pair of scissors for trimming threads, not knowing where to look as she kept her head down, unsure for a long time whether she should tell him.

But within these two days, the news of Qin Haiming’s passing would inevitably come out.

"My dad, is gone!"

When Qin Mu said these words, she didn’t know how much internal conflict she had undergone, only that as she tried to speak with a smile, her eyes brimmed with tears.

Jian Yan looked at her with a gentle gaze that gradually turned hesitant and puzzled, then filled with a wave of heartache.

Suddenly, the air seemed to solidify, and both of them fell silent.

Qin Mu then lowered her head and let out a silly laugh: "This matter, we’ve been told not to speak about it, so I hadn’t told you. But probably in the next couple of days, as the new mayor assumes office, they’ll come up with a reasonable explanation for my dad’s situation."

She really was smiling, but the more she did, the more it pained Jian Yan.

After a long while, he took a deep breath and then stood up, his tall figure rounding the desk to gently hug her.

Qin Mu lightly leaned against him, feeling his hand on her shoulder, with long lashes catching heavy teardrops that never quite fell.

She had accepted the fact of her father’s passing.

"Isn’t there a saying, ’A teacher for a day, a father for a lifetime?’ From now on, you can say this to the world!"