Chapter 90 – The Eldest Young Master of the Mu Family

The man who stepped out had a tall, upright figure. He wore a white shirt, his long legs clad in tailored suit trousers, and his hair fell smoothly down. His features gave off an impression of gentle refinement—cultured, almost scholarly—but the aura emanating from him was far from mild.

Powerful. Commanding. He seemed brimming with a combative energy.

The way he carried himself, every move and nuance, even the force of his presence… He was unmistakably a soldier.

“Mu Jingcheng?”

Gu Beicheng’s lips curled into a smile, his dark eyes glinting with amusement as he watched the man approach.

“Beicheng, bet you didn’t expect it to be me.”

Mu Jingcheng greeted him with a clear, elegant smile, yet the oppressive force radiating from him did not diminish in the slightest.

“Director? Who is this? Is this a surprise cameo?”

Wei Xingran and Lan Yanzhi both turned to look at Mu Jingcheng, then widened their eyes at Gao Minglang.

Gao Minglang squinted, casting a glance at the two extraordinary men, Gu Beicheng and Mu Jingcheng. He nodded, his voice trembling with excitement. “Yes, and it’s all thanks to Teacher Cheng. Major General Mu heard Teacher Cheng was a guest on the show and rushed here without a second thought.”

Everyone caught the admiration in Gao Minglang’s eyes as he looked at Mu Jingcheng.

“Major General Mu?”

Mu Ran murmured, following the others as she turned to gaze at Mu Jingcheng.

Sensing her probing gaze, Mu Jingcheng glanced back, meeting the woman’s eyes with a smile. But when her cold, striking face met his gaze, his pupils contracted, his heart jolting.

Could this woman be the one his third brother had mentioned in the group chat—the one who so closely resembled their mother?

“Beicheng, who is that young lady?” Mu Jingcheng exchanged a few words with Gu Beicheng, then inquired about Mu Ran.

“My girlfriend,” Gu Beicheng replied succinctly.

At these words, everyone present—except Mu Jingcheng and Mu Ran—gasped in shock.

So Mu Ran and the CEO of Chengxing Group really were a couple!

Mu Jingcheng smiled, then turned once more to lock eyes with Mu Ran. This time, his aura flared, cold and imposing, the formidable presence of a soldier surging forth.

Yet Mu Ran showed no fear. She offered a faint smile, the curve of her lips quickly fading as a thousand icy shards flashed in her beautiful eyes.

She despised being tested by others.

“Beicheng, you and Miss Mu truly make a fine pair.”

At this moment, Mu Ran’s cool poise was a perfect match for Gu Beicheng’s usual demeanor.

“You didn’t come just to catch up, did you?”

Gu Beicheng shot an appeasing glance at Mu Ran, and when he saw the chill in her eyes subside, he turned to Mu Jingcheng with a light laugh. “Major General Mu, how do you find the time for a variety show? I wasn’t aware you had a split personality.”

Mu Jingcheng shot back, “You can make time, why can’t I? There’s plenty you don’t know.”

“Hello, everyone. The character Chen Jinsheng in the script is me. I came here for one reason only: to advise you all—if you’re ill, seek treatment. Don’t let it become a mental illness. And I want to urge everyone to cherish the present, to treasure those before you. Don’t wait until she’s truly gone before you know what it means to cherish someone.”

Everyone: “……”

Major General Mu traveled all this way just to say that?

Gu Beicheng thought to himself: This man is just like his third brother, both hopeless romantics.

Mu Jingcheng’s sharp gaze swept the room. When it landed on Mu Ran’s smiling face, he deliberately suppressed the flicker of interest in his eyes. “You guessed right. I came only to say those words.”

The room fell silent.

Mu Jingcheng’s reputation was legendary; all of the capital knew that the eldest of the Mu family had joined the military at thirty, becoming the youngest major general in three years. He had once been a professor of economics at the city’s university, but something drastic must have happened.

Despite his family’s objections, Mu Jingcheng broke off his engagement with the heiress of Chaoyang Pictures, and the very next day, enlisted. Three years later, he was a major general.

Like Gu Beicheng, Mu Jingcheng was a legend in the capital.

“Miss Mu, for a moment you looked just like an old friend of mine.”

Mu Ran frowned. Did she really have such an unremarkable face?

Seeing the shadow fall over her features, Mu Jingcheng explained, “It’s not your looks—it’s your bearing, your character.”

Mu Ran raised an eyebrow. “Jiang Qingyue?”

“Yes.”

In Mu Ran, Mu Jingcheng saw the shadow of that girl.

But in this life, there would never be another “Jiang Qingyue” for him.

“If you’re finished, then please leave. The show is still recording.”

Mu Jingcheng was still lost in Mu Ran’s face when a cold, emotionless voice snapped him out of his trance.

“What’s this? Jealous? Beicheng, is that little woman keeping you on your toes?”

Amusement danced in Mu Jingcheng’s eyes as he clapped Gu Beicheng on the shoulder and spoke in a low voice.

Seeing the jealous glint in the other man’s eyes, Mu Jingcheng felt an inexplicable urge to laugh.

“That’s none of your business. I’m happy to let her.”

Gu Beicheng, unceremonious as ever, began to usher him out.

He couldn’t help but suspect that Mu Jingcheng had come just to see Mu Ran…

But after all these years of friendship, Gu Beicheng had truly never known Mu Jingcheng to have a split personality.

Gu Beicheng met Mu Jingcheng’s gaze, lips pressed tight, his eyes questioning.

The two locked eyes, saying nothing—the understanding between brothers needing no words.

Mu Jingcheng nodded, then flashed a carefree smile. “I’m doing well in the army, busy as ever. With so much on my plate, some things just have to be let go.”

“Why let so many people know your pain?”

Gu Beicheng had never realized that this script was based on his brother, the eldest of the Mu family, and his story.

“The therapist’s orders,” Mu Jingcheng replied, saying no more. He patted Gu Beicheng’s shoulder and nodded to the other guests watching him from the side.

“Let’s just have a bit of fun.”

He gave Mu Ran a meaningful look, then strode away.

“Director? Is that it?” Wei Xingran felt her mind was utterly blank.

What was the point of this roleplay, then?

Lan Yanzhi masked the sorrow in his eyes, slowly turning to Wei Xingran. “If you’ve never had a love that cuts to the bone, how could you possibly relate?”

“But didn’t that Jiang Qingyue die a little too unjustly? She was just accompanying her ex-boyfriend to a doctor’s appointment, and then died in a car crash?”

After watching Mu Jingcheng leave, Gao Minglang sighed. “Life is unpredictable. There’s little meaning in this script, but it’s a true story. Our production team was entrusted by Major General Mu’s therapist—this was to help him let go of his pain.”

“So then, won’t the audience all know who Major General Mu really is…?” Hua Rujin was equally baffled by the surprise ending.

Mu Ran smiled. “The cameras weren’t rolling. The director won’t broadcast any of this.”

Mu Ran was highly sensitive to the cameras; the moment Mu Jingcheng appeared, she noticed they were all off.

“Perhaps Major General Mu used this opportunity to make a confession to someone.”

As she spoke, Mu Ran glanced meaningfully at Gu Beicheng, who stood lost in thought.

Gu Beicheng returned her gaze with a faint smile.

Indeed, there had once been a bitter rift between Gu Beichen and Mu Jingcheng—because Mu Jingcheng had changed, become almost a different person. At the time, Gu Beicheng had never suspected his friend suffered from a split personality.

Mu Jingcheng’s pain was not just in losing the one he loved most, but also in the brotherhood between him and Gu Beicheng.

After the second episode of “Immersive Script Shark” wrapped up, Gu Beicheng and Mu Ran were brought by chief director Gao Minglang to the office where Yan Yimou and Gu Xiao were waiting.

“Beicheng, why are you back on variety shows again? I told you after the last one, stop going on these shows—they’re bad for your image!”

As soon as Gu Beichen entered, Yan Yimou jumped up, sounding like a well-meaning elder.

Gu Beicheng habitually ignored the man’s nagging. He pulled Mu Ran into his arms. “My future wife.”

At those words, the room fell into an unnatural silence.

The peach blossom tattoo at the end of Mu Ran’s brow became more apparent as she gently patted the man’s back.

“Hmph, does she really know you? Have you told her about your dirty secrets?”

Gu Xiao shot a contemptuous glance at the couple by the door, clearly unimpressed.

He couldn’t understand what Mu Ran saw in Gu Beicheng!

Wasn’t he himself better than that cold, ruthless man?

Yan Yimou air-swatted at the sulking Gu Xiao. “Hey! Watch your mouth!”

Yan Yimou always thought Gu Xiao needed to be taken down a peg or two—he knew full well his eldest brother was not to be trifled with, yet he kept asking for trouble!

“Gu Xiao, have you already forgotten the last time you got burned?”

Gu Beicheng, with Mu Ran in tow, sat down on the sofa. Gu Xiao edged further away.

“Miss Mu, your acting is impressive.”

Gu Xiao grinned wickedly, looking past Gu Beicheng at Mu Ran’s impassive face.

“Thank you.”

The woman was cold to the extreme—a perfect match for Gu Beicheng, as if they’d been cut from the same mold.

Yan Yimou wiped a nervous bead of sweat. “You two really are a pair.”

At that, a faint smile finally appeared at the corner of Gu Beicheng’s lips. His gaze, full of tenderness, fell on the woman clinging to his hand.

Gu Beicheng said, “Did you two need something?”

Gu Xiao put down his crossed leg. “I’m short a leading lady for my film. I want Mu Ran to take the part.”