Be Careful, Scum Dad! Mommy Is Back!
Chapter 413: Operation Number Nine

Chapter 413: Chapter 413: Operation Number Nine

Ji Muye took half a step forward, closing the distance between them directly.

He looked down at the stubborn woman in front of him, his tone questioning her distrustfully, "Lu Xining! I boarded this ship while injured, do you truly not know why?"

The sea breeze couldn’t blow away the fire simmering in his heart.

His eyes were filled entirely with Lu Xining’s figure at this moment, desperately waiting for her to give him a satisfactory response.

But Lu Xining was unmoved.

She wasn’t thrown off by the ambiguous atmosphere Ji Muye had tried to create; she analyzed rationally and logically as ever, "When you deliberately left on a helicopter with your people in grand fashion just as Meng Lai was arriving, wasn’t it to create the illusion that you weren’t here?"

"Then tell me, Ji Muye, what is your next move?"

Earlier, Lu Xining had also thought that he boarded the ship because of her. Though she didn’t agree, she had still prepared for Cheng Cang to arrange protection for him.

But just ten-odd minutes ago.

She saw that file in the bio-laboratory, and a flood of images instantly flashed through her mind.

Even though he clearly didn’t like Zhuang Tian, he still tolerated her within his social circle. And behind the seemingly rejected façade, his one constant companion Ma Sai would occasionally pay attention to Zhuang Tian’s safety.

Secretaries, assistants, drivers, nannies... These people excel at reading the minds they serve.

And the desires of their boss are the sole factor deciding their attention.

That boss was Ji Muye.

The sea breeze lifted the stray hairs on Ji Muye’s forehead. His eyes, locking onto hers, carried too many emotions—but none of them included rebuttal with a simple "no."

"Ji Muye, do you know what I despise most about you men?"

Lu Xining stepped back to put distance between them, her eyes gleaming as she spoke, "You men always seem to have myriad reasons for doing things, yet you love to justify everything by claiming it’s to ’protect a woman’ or ’for a woman.’ If you succeed, you call the woman your lucky star. If you fail, you blame her as a femme fatale. What? Just by existing, by breathing, we women provoke you? Entangle you?"

She thought of that file in the bio-laboratory, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly, releasing the murky air inside her.

Lu Xining continued, "Operation Nine, also known as Royal Operation One, isn’t that right?"

That document detailed every mission Ji Muye had ever been involved in. The latest one, "Operation Nine," was marked by countless nameless heroes who had lost their lives over the past decade, with a dangerously high likelihood of being buried at sea.

She regarded Ji Muye coldly and said indifferently, "Now that the mission has fallen into your hands, execute it properly, and don’t let feelings cloud your judgment."

"Whether it’s success or failure, neither has anything to do with me. Stop harboring thoughts about me. All it does is add another layer of discomforting shackles to my life. It brings me no joy whatsoever. I have nothing more to say. If you have any sense of shame left, stop appearing in front of me repeatedly."

Hearing those merciless words, the warmth in Ji Muye’s eyes dissipated.

His voice turned hoarse as he replied, "I’ve never made any fundamental mistakes toward you. I’ve never crossed the boundary. Why do you insist on clinging to the past? Why not start over? Let me take care of you, make up for it, wouldn’t that be good?"

"Take care? Make up? So even after everything I’ve done to get to where I am now, in your eyes, I’m still just a vine clinging to a towering tree, aren’t I!"

Even their argument was carried out in low voices, as if harboring a silent agreement.

Neither wanted to expose what was happening inside this room.

Inside, Cheng Cang had just finished reviewing the next arrangements with his team. Turning around, he saw Lu Xining and Ji Muye arguing.

The night wind was lifting their hair and clothing, creating a harmonious image at first glance. But their heated arguing, in Cheng Cang’s eyes, resembled a debate carried out in the name of love.

He patted Shang Lvxing’s shoulder beside him and said earnestly, "Brother, you’re excellent too, but Ji Muye has three trump cards."

"As long as he’s alive, he’ll always be the father of three children. That fact alone gives him countless reasons to appear before her time and time again. How can you possibly outmaneuver this sly fox of a man? Did you notice his outfit today? It’s been carefully coordinated to perfectly highlight his height and body shape. Even his hair is styled!"

Thinking of Little Dumpling back in the ZN lab, he sighed inwardly.

Even someone like Cheng Cang, who was naturally resistant to the lively chatter of children, couldn’t help but crumble under her repeated cries of "Uncle."

When she said she wanted strawberry gummies, there was no way he’d buy any other flavor.

Lost in thought, Cheng Cang suddenly recalled Fu Junhang. Wasn’t he also entrusted with being Little Dumpling’s "real" uncle due to his friendship with Lu Xining?

Now that his identity was out in the open.

As someone who had served the Chu Family, could he also possibly become another "real" uncle to Little Dumpling in the future?

Cheng Cang’s thoughts gradually strayed from trying to console Shang Lvxing, drifting into musings about how to become Lu Nuonuo’s uncle. So much so that he didn’t notice the emotional shift of the man beside him.

On the other end of the earpiece, Haozi—having overheard Cheng Cang’s attempt to comfort Shang Lvxing—couldn’t help feeling anxious.

"Bro, if you really like Sister Ning, you need to act quickly."

"Sister Ning doesn’t tolerate deception. Betray her once, and she’ll never use you again. If she ever finds out, she’ll definitely..."

Mid-sentence, Haozi suddenly realized something.

Strictly speaking, weren’t his past actions a betrayal of Lu Xining too?

Haozi fell silent all at once.

Shang Lvxing immediately picked up on his hesitation and reassured him, "Haozi, I’ll fight for it, but... time will give us the best answer."

He had to leave room for possibilities.

Just like Ji Muye did.

Shang Lvxing glanced toward the balcony outside, where the two figures were still standing. Their voices were soft, accompanied only by the sound of the wind, so he couldn’t hear clearly what was being said. But their expressions and eye contact made it clear—Lu Xining was obviously rejecting Ji Muye for something, which was a promising sign for him.

After everything that had transpired today, his mind suddenly came to a realization.

She wasn’t a woman who would stand behind a man for protection.

She was her own person. She was Lu Xining.

She needed only to be pointed in the right direction; she didn’t need Ji Muye, nor him. She could sprint forward on her own.

Just like earlier, when she had shaken off Ji Muye’s hand and quickly followed him, with a pace not one whit slower than when being led by him.

Though ultimately, Ji Muye still managed to grab her wrist as they ran...

Lu Xining had no idea there had been such a conversation inside. After delivering her cutting words, she brushed past Ji Muye and walked back in.

Ji Muye was the only one left standing in the night wind. His carefully styled hair had by now been blown into disarray, covering the dark eyes hidden beneath those stray strands.

Meanwhile, the paper tucked inside Lu Xining’s sleeve had long since been soaked with sweat.