Deadly Trap.

Chapter 13. The Goose's Nest
Bathed in the winter afternoon sun, a sorrowful light flickered in Su Li's eyes. She took a deep breath and gazed at the apartment building before her, a building she knew all too well.

She would never want to come back unless absolutely necessary.

This unassuming suburban area is very close to Su Li's university. From the time she moved here with her parents as a child until she moved out to live at school, twelve years have passed in the blink of an eye. But this "nest" remains unchanged from twelve years ago.

Su Li understood that the pride of the middle class had long since vanished.

A bitter, almond-like self-pity welled up inside her. Su Li kicked aside the broken paving stones with her high heels and focused on moving forward.

Right now, what's even more unsettling for Su Li is... Gu Mufeng. The latter is just three steps behind her. The light footsteps of his custom-made leather shoes are audible, leisurely keeping a rhythm amidst the noise of his luggage bouncing.

Su Li barely dared to turn around, fearing that if she wasn't careful, he might discover the vulnerability she had been desperately trying to hide.

Lowering her head, Su Li quickened her pace as if trying to shake him off.

She had assumed that, given his cold-hearted nature, he would at most send a subordinate to hastily dismiss her, his new mistress.

But it took a full hour to drive from the city center, and Gu Mufeng not only drove himself but also insisted on carrying her luggage and escorting her all the way home. Moreover, it was rare to see him in such a good mood.

Didn't he say he was very busy? Doesn't he have anything more important to him than her?

Lost in these wild thoughts, Su Li yanked the key out of the rusty lock and then barely managed to pull open the apartment door. The door made an awkward "click."

Suddenly, it felt like the snow globe music box from my childhood had shattered at my feet.

Glass was still shards flying everywhere. Su Li couldn't help but jump back in surprise. The angry curses, the slaps, and the phantom pain of shards cutting her feet rushed towards her as she shrank back.

The cold air seeped into her bones, and Su Li's foot twitched in pain as she landed. Gu Mufeng stepped forward and immediately caught her from behind as she nearly fell.

Just then, the melodious sound of a piano flowed out from behind the open door. It seemed to be Chopin's famous "Impromptu Fantasy Op. 66." Gu Mufeng frowned slightly.

However, Su Li steadied herself, striving to remain completely unmoved by the music. Taking advantage of Gu Mufeng's momentary distraction, she gently removed his hand from her waist. Her breathing was slightly erratic, as if she had been suddenly stung by his warmth.

Knowing the way well, she opened the security door at the end of the corridor from a distance.

"Welcome to my humble abode." Her tone was indifferent, yet Su Li spoke with a cold sarcasm, "Please come in."

Almost the instant he stepped inside, out of habit, Gu Mufeng's sharp eyes swept across the entire apartment, taking in its entirety:

The walls were empty—like a snow cave.

Clearly, the homeowner was once well-off. Whether the calligraphy and paintings were used to pay off debts or pawned, the white marks on the yellowed walls still reveal an unyielding and aloof spirit.

This house was designed at least ten years ago. Opening the door is like suddenly prying open a fossil of time. Yet the entire house remains solemn and orderly.

As the piano music drew closer, Gu Mufeng's gaze turned to the right. From the entrance hall to the right, the antique wooden upright piano stood out prominently in the small room.

On the harp, the Steinway logo gleamed brightly; before it sat a girl of twelve or thirteen. She was intently playing the final, most difficult third of the Fantasy.

Further back from the zither, an old chair cover hung from an antique Ming-style armchair. A woman sat upright in it, listening intently to the music.

The lamplight cast a dim, yellowish glow against her back, obscuring her face. Her profile was soft and serene; even just her outline exuded a composed beauty. It seemed this woman was completely unaware of Su Li and Gu Mufeng's arrival.

But on the bench to the left of the two, a glamorous middle-aged woman carrying a designer handbag stood up awkwardly first.

"Hello. Please have a seat." Su Li smiled warmly and was very poised. She gestured for the lady to sit down again.

"Oh my, I was just saying, who is this beautiful girl? Isn't this Xiao Li? I didn't recognize you at first. You are truly outstanding."

The elegant lady spoke politely and friendly, automatically lowering her voice as the piano music played. With just a glance, Gu Mufeng deduced that she likely lived in a high-end apartment in Lanpu Beach, and that her husband probably worked in IT, earning at least half a million a year.

The woman smiled amicably at Su Li until her eyes, which were smiling, accidentally fell on Gu Mufeng's handsome and otherworldly face in the shadows.

Immediately, the woman's eyes lit up: "Xiao Li, oh my! Is this your boyfriend?"

In an instant, Su Li's face turned pale.

Gu Mufeng's lips curled into a faint smug smile: Su Li's little brain was practically transparent at that moment. The two sarcastic remarks, "being a mistress" and "this guy is really eye-catching," stuck in Su Li's head like pebbles.

“Auntie, you’ve misunderstood. He’s just my college classmate, here to help me move things.” Su Li said mysteriously, deliberately drawing out her words. “He… well, he’s married.”

Despite her still pale face, Su Li quickly cleaned herself up. Ignoring the lingering tingling from his kisses on the back of her neck the night before, she seized the opportunity to retaliate against Gu Mufeng for following her without permission.

As if sensing Gu Mufeng's sudden, piercing gaze, Su Li remained unfazed and quickly changed the subject: "You brought Tiantian to class today?"

"Yeah yeah."

Like any mother, the elegant lady smiled spontaneously and became more talkative when speaking of her child: "The city's music academy is recruiting for the spring semester. I'll have to trouble your mother to put in a lot of effort. It's hard to find a better private piano teacher these days: a former professor at the music academy, who studied in New York, it's just a pity—"

"Ah, I mean, our Sweetie is just average, what a waste of the teacher's good qualities."

"No, not at all." Su Li quickly replied with a forced smile.

Gu Mufeng, who was standing to the side, had closed his eyes to rest, but he caught the woman's hesitant words.

"It's a pity."

Gu Mufeng had seen countless women like this in Minzhou. She was clearly adept at social etiquette. This wasn't the kind of slip of the tongue someone like her would make hastily. Could there be some unspeakable secret?
Just then, the music stopped at the perfect moment. Gu Mufei slightly raised his thin eyelids: In front of the zither, the girl put away the sheet music, listened to the figure in the armchair speaking, and then reluctantly returned to her expectant mother's arms.

The figure in the armchair remained unresponsive to the students' departure. She stubbornly sat facing the piano, her head slightly raised, her face indistinct in the lamplight.

Slowly, she spoke softly, "Barely, but still not enough. Chopin needs to be poured into his art; he can only intensify his practice every day."

This summary is almost harsh. But a woman's voice couldn't be more compassionate. This contrasts sharply with the teacher's unresponsive and arrogant demeanor.

"Thank you so much." The student's parent clearly didn't care about the teacher's attitude. "Then, we'll come back next week. Thank you for your help. I'll bring the tuition in cash as well. Sweetie, say goodbye to the teacher and your older siblings."

Goodbye, teacher. Goodbye, older brothers and sisters.

"Goodbye." With a smile that hadn't faded since the initial greeting, Su Li said goodbye gracefully and kindly saw the mother and daughter out the door.

With a creak, Su Li closed the door again. The entire apartment fell silent.

Facing the door, Su Li hesitated to let go.

She seemed to be gritting her teeth secretly, so tightly that the muscles of her long neck and jaw, adorned with hickeys, were tense. Even Gu Mufeng couldn't fathom what Su Li was truly feeling.

After what seemed like a long struggle, Su Li finally turned around. She opened her mouth timidly, but no sound came out.

She secretly clenched her left wrist, which was hidden behind her back. Then she uttered a soft "Mom."

"Little Pear is back."

Beside the zither, a woman in a round-backed chair responded softly, her voice and tone resembling that of the mother who had just passed away: when she talked about her own children, she seemed exceptionally loving, warm, and approachable.

"Do we have guests over today? Xiao Li, please invite them to sit down. Please forgive my poor hospitality."

As she spoke, she turned around to face the entryway.

Finally, no longer backlit, she revealed her full head of gray hair, meticulously styled into an elegant and simple bun at the back of her head.

With her meticulously combed hairline, her oval face is small and delicate, looking just like Su Li's. Even with fine lines and wrinkles, she still exudes elegance.

It's easy to imagine that if she were young, she would be just like Su Li now, an outstanding beauty among ordinary people, not one of the many cookie-cutter beauties.

Now, inevitably, youthful beauty fades, flowers wither, but time has exchanged its mark, leaving her with the natural and tranquil temperament of a reliable elder.

But only those eyes—

"Gu Mufeng, this... is my mother."

Gu Mufeng's hands tightened, and he held his breath. His gaze slowly fell on the woman, and a look of shock, as if he had finally reached his goal, flashed in his phoenix eyes: It was her.

Su Li lowered her head, as if she were using all her strength to finally squeeze out those chilling words:
"She... is blind."

>>>>>
Next Chapter: Breaking Down the Door (President Gu Wants to Meet the Parents!)

[Author's Note | Chapter Thirteen]

Su Li didn't want to come back.

But when President Gu took Su Li home, she unexpectedly "claimed" her husband, which was truly unexpected (the author couldn't help but chuckle).

Gu Mufeng has a direct encounter with Su Li's mother. The next chapter will be available for purchase; we'll meet the parents and head straight for the highway!
Leave your thoughts on Su Li's mother and your expectations for meeting the parents in the comments section. The author is very chatty, so come on over!

Thank you to everyone who added this to their favorites, read it, and voted! The author will definitely live up to expectations once it's released – a recommendation guarantees lots of sweet and rewarding chapters!

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(End of this chapter)