Mu Qi gently brushed Yun Shunnian's cheek with his thumb, his gaze unusually somber.
*My darling, what are you thinking? If it's to make me lower my guard, then congratulations, 'I truly believed you.' But darling, you can only be with me alone.*
Mu Qi placed his hand on Yun Shunnian's waist, pulling her closer. In her sleep, Yun Shunnian didn't feel uncomfortable. Instead, she instinctively wrapped her arms around Mu Qi's waist, snuggling closer to him, adjusting to a comfortable position for ample oxygen. For a moment, Mu Qi seemed pleased by her reaction, but soon his expression turned grim again.
*So, Niannian also fell asleep in that man's arms like this?*
Mu Qi's hand on Yun Shunnian's waist tightened involuntarily, his aura like a baring beast. Suddenly, Yun Shunnian let out a soft moan. Mu Qi snapped back to attention, he lightened the pressure on her waist but drew his body even closer, encircling her possessively, letting his scent fill her.
An hour passed in the blink of an eye. Mu Qi watched the sleeping figure in his arms, unmoving.
*Knock, knock.*
A knock sounded at the door, likely Assistant Li reminding Mu Qi it was time to work. Mu Qi frowned, rose, wrapped Yun Shunnian in the blanket, and then stepped out of the office.
"Did I ask you to wake me up?" he asked Assistant Li, his gaze fierce as he quietly closed the door. Assistant Li's heart skipped a beat, and he lowered his head, inwardly grumbling.
*It's always been like this. The CEO never said anything was wrong. Why today...*
...
*People are always unpredictable. Life, after all, requires a salaryman to make some sacrifices.*
"What about the person I asked you to investigate yesterday?" After a moment of silence, Mu Qi looked back at Assistant Li.
"The information on that person is all compiled, CEO." Mu Qi spoke, and Assistant Li quickly reacted, pulling out a portion from a thick stack of documents. Mu Qi took it and then dismissed Assistant Li. Assistant Li complied, silently placing the remaining documents on Mu Qi's desk, not daring to speak further.
Stage name: Yu Sheng. A "host" at a bar. Reading these words, Mu Qi's heart tightened. He couldn't tell if he should feel relieved that the other person had deceived Yun Shunnian first, or sad that Yun Shunnian preferred a "host" over being with him. His eyelashes fluttered. Few could comprehend Mu Qi's feelings at this moment. For in this era, few would love someone more than their own life.
Regardless of Mu Qi's sorrow, time continued to flow, never stopping. Soon, the hour hand neared the space between two and three. Mu Qi tossed Yu Sheng's information aside and walked to the door of the lounge, leaning against the wall in silence.
*What Niannian wants, I will learn, but I will never let her leave again. If she were just going to a yoga studio, my people would watch her. But if Yun Shunnian wants to take Yu Sheng to escape to a deserted island, then Mu Qi will absolutely not allow it.*
"Why are you standing here?" Yun Shunnian woke up groggily, not seeing Mu Qi. Before her thoughts could clear, her body instinctively began to search for him. Seeing Mu Qi leaning by the door, she collapsed into his arms, following her heart.
Mu Qi remained silent, but his aura softened. He lowered his gaze and protected Yun Shunnian's waist with his hands.
"Hmm? Why are you leaning here?" Not receiving a reply, Yun Shunnian asked again. Mu Qi stayed silent for a long time. Yun Shunnian finally sensed something was wrong and sobered up.
*Right, how could she forget? Mu Qi's heart is no longer with her, so why would he respond to her every word?*
Yun Shunnian only leaned on him for a short while, craving his presence yet also worried about him getting annoyed. Mu Qi kept glancing at the clock, unwilling to lie to Yun Shunnian, yet afraid to voice his true thoughts.
*As long as it's past three o'clock, Niannian won't go to the yoga studio anymore, right?* Mu Qi thought, but even after the hour hand passed three, he couldn't feel at ease.
Thus, Mu Qi sat back in his office chair, distracted, watching Yun Shunnian as if she had truly forgotten about the yoga studio, and instead picked up her phone and went to the sofa. An hour later, Assistant Li received questions from a project collaboration company. After spending some time consolidating them, he went to Mu Qi's office again.
Outside the door, Assistant Li looked at Mu Qi, who was constantly staring in Yun Shunnian's direction, and couldn't help but sigh. While the CEO seemed to have a better temper after having a wife, for Assistant Li, who revolved around Mu Qi as his assistant, his behavior had become even more unfathomable.
"Assistant Li, come in if you have something." Yun Shunnian had been looking at the prices of various deserted islands and examples of their renovation. She had discovered a few issues. The cost of buying a deserted island was enormous, and if she used Mu Qi's card, it would definitely attract his attention. Moreover, considering the renovation time, even with sufficient manpower, due to spatial limitations and the complexity of the renovation, her desired setup would take several days to complete. If Mu Qi were to find out, and she brought him there, his people would likely investigate. Yun Shunnian couldn't find a solution for these two problems, which made her very agitated.
After browsing over a dozen nearby deserted islands, Yun Shunnian, venting her frustration, threw her phone aside with force. She then looked up and saw Assistant Li standing motionless at the doorway.
Assistant Li: Got it. (Head bowed.jpg)
Following Yun Shunnian's gaze to Assistant Li at the door, Mu Qi leaned back instantly, his previous focus gone. Listening to Assistant Li speak about the requirements of the collaborating company, Mu Qi didn't respond directly, only stating Mu Corporation's bottom line and objectives, which Assistant Li understood. After Assistant Li left, Mu Qi recalled Yun Shunnian's action of throwing her phone earlier and subtly activated the office surveillance.