Chapter 121：The Traitor (5)

"When it all comes down to it, it is either you or her, one of you has to take the fall, and when it comes to you, I am more than willing to become the most selfish person in the world," proclaimed Zao Ming with a firm conviction.

After a few seconds of meaningful silence, Lee Mu shook his head with a heavy sigh. Then he turned his head to the window. Looking at the familiar cityscape that flew by against the darkening sky, Lee Mu mumbled under his breath, "But are you sure that is what I want…"

…

"I'm sorry but the number you're calling is currently unavailable, please try again…" Joann was still unable to reach either Lee Mu or Zao Ming. It was as if the two was purposely trying to avoid her. It only heightened Joann's feeling that something was amiss.

If Lee Mu really hated her that much, there should be nothing stopping him from answering her call. They could work their differences out on the phone or in person but if the difference was simply too big, they could go their separate ways. There was no reason for Lee Mu to hide from her like this unless the man was facing some kind of unspeakable difficulty. Lee Mu's failure to answer the phone only added to Joann's suspicion.

Joann threw her phone on the table with frustration and it landed with a thud. She then leaned back on the couch, exhaling a long sigh.

What was up with her friend? Why did he do something like this? Why wouldn't he explain the situation to her? Is the friendship really over? What was she going to do?

She had plenty of questions but no answer. Right then, the door to the bedroom creaked open and in walked her husband, Xu Jing.

"Honey, are you alright?" Xu Jing had heard about the news at work and he immediately rushed home to accompany Joann. Joann appreciated his concern.

"I'm fine…" Joann breathed out softly.

Xu Jing went to take the seat beside her on the couch and Joann very naturally snuggled into his embrace. Xu Jing used his hands to massage his wife's back and his touch gave Joann some semblance of comfort.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Xu Jing asked.

Joann did not answer but Xu Jing could feel his wife shake her head in his chest. Xu Jing hated seeing his wife like this, he had half a mind to hire a private investigator to pin down Lee Mu's location and drag him over here to give his explanation. However, he knew things were not as simple as that.

Plus, he remembered what happened last time when he physically assaulted Lee Mu. Things were icy between him and Joann for quite a prolonged period of time. Xu Jing did not think he could relive that experience again. So this time he would consult his wife's opinion first.

"Do you want me to reach out to that man?" Xu Jing asked.

Even though Xu Jing did not name 'that man', Joann knew he was referring to Lee Mu. Afraid that her husband might do something stupid, she shook her head and said, "It's alright. I'm sure he'll come around soon enough."

"But he has dealt such a huge blow to your name. It might even ruin your career from here on out. Why are you still sparing him?" Xu Jing demanded.

Joann did not answer because she too had no concrete response to that question. All she had was faith that Lee Mu was not acting himself that day. Something was pulling the strings behind the scene, forcing him into making these slanderous statements. Joann did not want to make things worse than it already was. What if the man was completely innocent?

Xu Jing had less faith in Lee Mu. If not for his wife stopping him, he would have gone out to teach the man a harsh lesson already.

In any case, as petty as this was, Xu Jing had to admit that it felt nice realizing his wife did not jump to the man's rescue at the drop of a hat like she used to do. For once, his wife cared more about him than her friend, the feeling of victory was quite nice.

However, when Xu Jing saw the sadness on his wife's face, that joy quickly dwindled. His attitude softened and he said, "Perhaps we should give the man the benefit of a doubt. Maybe he didn't mean what he said."

Xu Jing was merely going along with what he assumed his wife was thinking, he himself did not have much belief in what he just said.

Joann nodded. They stayed in that hugging position in a long time before Xu Jing suddenly said, "You know what, now I do not regret punching the man in his face that much anymore."

…

The progress on both ends for Xiu Ling and Joann was unravelling.

Joann was unable to move forward because Lee Mu refused to communicate. She tried reaching out to him but it was to no avail. Joann felt helpless from the one-sided communication. She wondered how long could she hold on; Xiu Ling had a hard time coming to terms with what Lin Kang had done. The fact that he dared to ask Joann to join his harem had truly crossed the line.

Xiu Ling and Joann's problem might seem unrelated but in the end, it was one individual who resolved both issues at the same time. The person used one method to tie all loose ends together.

This was once again proof that help often came from the most unexpected places because neither Xiu Ling nor Joann could ever envision the aid to their problem would come in the form of this elderly person.

No wonder the Chinese have the saying that having an elder at home is similar to owning a hoard of treasure. Their impressive life experience would be invaluable in solving difficult problems.