Li Beinian was wide awake suddenly and her body stiffened.

  Mu Xichen released her and said, “Grandpa just called me twice. We have to go and see him.”

  Li Beinian sat on the bed and looked at Mu Xichen. “I did push her into the pit.”

  Li Beinian looked at Mu Xichen and said, “She set me up and I was just giving her a taste of her own medicine.”

  Mu Xichen kissed her eyelids lightly and his fingers through her hair. “Uh huh.”

  “She wanted to trap me, but I didn’t fall for it. She even came to watch me fall into her trap, so I pushed her into the pit.” Li Beinian grabbed his sleeve. “If she weren’t the one who fell into it, it would have been me……”

  Li Beinian gave an account of the sequence of events calmly.

  From the time she avoided the pit to the time she was pursued by the human traffickers as she ran back to the camp, she told Mu Xichen everything.

  “Mmm.” Mu Xichen stood up and picked up her jacket. “You did right.”

  Throwing the jacket over her, Mu Xichen leaned over and looked at her seriously. “The only thing wrong was that you were too kind-hearted.”

  “What?” Li Beinian was stunned.

  “If you had fallen into that trap, would she have come back to save you?”

  \r \r \r

  “No.”

  “But you went back.” Mu Xichen stared at her. “Why did you go back?”

  “I……” Li Beinian was stunned and mumbled,” I was afraid that she’d freeze to death. It’s such a cold day and it’s raining heavily. If the water level rose……”

  “If you were the one in the pit, would she have gone back for you?”

  Li Beinian fell silent.

  “She wanted to kill you.” Mu Xichen helped her put on her clothes and said firmly, “It’s useless to repay evil with kindness, Ah Nian.”

  Li Beinian’s eyes quivered and she kept silent.

  Mu Xichen sighed and said ambiguously, “Between us, you’re more like the child raised by Grandpa.”

  He seemed to be muttering to himself and quickly said, “Get up. Grandpa is waiting for us.”

  Li Beinian was still in a daze as he handed her a pair of clean socks. She heard him say, “It’s almost eleven.”

  She quickly tidied up, put on her socks and shoes, and the scarf that Mu Xichen had prepared for her. Then, she went out with him.

  The wind was strong and the rain was heavy.

  It was as though winter had come to Guang City without warning.

  The moment the hot days went away, it turned cold.

  Gu Mingye was around today, and seemed to have been waiting for a long time. He sat in the driver’s seat of the Hummer.

  Mu Xichen got into the car with Li Beinian. Out of the storm, it was much warmer.

  Li Beinian shivered in the cold. She lifted his coat and snuggled into his warm embrace.

  Mu Xichen held her tightly, and spoke in a quiet voice, “Turn the heater up.”

  Gu Mingye glanced at the rear view mirror and wrinkled his nose in envy.

  Li Beinian had on a sweater and trench coat, but it couldn’t keep out the cold.

  Mu Xichen wanted to remove his jacket but she stopped him. “I’ll be fine in a bit. I’m more comfortable this way.”

  As she spoke, she lightly touched his abs.

  Her hand was soft and cool. Mu Xichen’s breaths were shallow as he held her hand and glanced at Gu Mingye without saying anything.

  Gu Mingye astutely lowered his head and focused on driving.

  Li Beinian snuggled deeper into the man’s embrace, her mind buzzing.

  Li Xueqing was telling the truth. She was the one who pushed her into the pit.

  Now, Li Xueqing was insisting that she had been framed……

  Even if she told them the truth, the reality was that Li Xueqing had been harmed, whereas she was fine.

  It was human nature to first sympathize with and trust the victim.

  Li Beinian had a hunch that situation – and this trip – wasn’t going to be a stroll in the park.