"You don't need to know. I won't pass the blame onto another woman for the fault of a man. It is unbecoming of me to do that." She slid into the car with panache and honked at the reporters who now surrounded it. The revving of the engine forced them to scurry away and Qian Meng was gone. Just like that.
Li Jun looked at Qian Meng's shrouded form and remained stoic. The reporters hadn't turned to him, so he slipped away, barely noticed.
His cellphone pinged and he saw the information about the other party's lawyer. He saw the position they were in and laughed out loud.
Good thing he had connections; this game just got more interesting.
- - - - -
She arrived at Mo Qingchen's house around four in the afternoon. The guard, of course, gave her a stink-eye, but Qian Meng ignored that as she drove the car back into the garage.
Xiong Hua greeted her into the house.
"Miss Yun, I'm sure you haven't had lunch yet. I have a portion set aside for you," she said. The sweet woman. One could see that she had been trained well to take orders and follow protocol even when no one was around to see what she was doing.
"I'll just check up on Mo Qingchen before I eat," Qian Meng replied shortly before venturing towards his room. She washed her hand thoroughly before glancing at his sleeping form.
She returned to the dining area within fifteen minutes, curious to get answers. As the plate of food was placed in front of her, Qian Meng smiled.
"Do you mind sitting with me?" she asked sweetly. The older woman looked hesitant but seeing the look on Qian Meng's face, sat down across from her. "Thank you."
She ate in silence until she thought enough time had passed to ask questions.
"What did the doctor say?" she asked finally, ridding herself of the image of politeness.
Xiong Hua hid her smile behind her palm and cared to look surprised by the question. "The doctor examined him and told us that the high temperature was brought on by several factors, stress, and exhaustion being the most dominant."
It hadn't helped that he had followed her in the rain, Qian Meng added in her head.
"And the doctor is aware that Mo Qingchen works long hours?" Qian Meng pressed.
Xiong Hua nodded. "Mr. Mo has a hard time sleeping and skips breakfast."
"And he grumbles about me skipping meals," she scoffed. "Pot calling the kettle black."
Xiong Hua frowned. "Neither of you should be skipping meals and working like you don't care about anything else!" she chided.
Qian Meng looked at the woman in surprise and then went back to take a bite of the food. She looked down in surprise.
Huh, so this was what Mo Qingchen ate on a regular basis. The food was delicious. She could see why he had such high standards.
"You like the food, I presume?" Xiong Hua asked.
"Of course," Qian Meng said quickly. "What else? Why didn't the doctor give him something to help him sleep?"
Xiong Hua pressed her lips together. "I can't reveal that because I don't know. Mr. Mo is very confidential about these things."
Yes, his empire rested on his health and if word got out that he was medicated, all sorts of stories could be spun. But this was too much. He couldn't even take medicine!
"The doctor asked me to give him a call if the fever goes up. So far no other symptoms have appeared."
"We'll have to ensure he gets plenty of rest, then." Xiong Hua didn't seem very optimistic that Qian Meng would succeed.
"Clearly, you don't know how persuasive I am," she said.
"And Mr. Mo is… stubborn." The older woman couldn't find a better word.
"More like a brat with a stick up his ass. He thinks he can never be wrong." Qian Meng huffed.
Qian Meng took her laptop and sat beside Mo Qingchen for the rest of the evening, working and keeping an eye on him at the same time. Sometime around nightfall, Mo Qingchen's eyes fluttered open.
His sleepy gaze swept over the room to land on her.
"What are you doing here?" he asked in confusion.
"Just making sure your fever didn't return. Xiong Hua is busy with work and I was the only one who can stand your stiff ass for more than five minutes." Suddenly, she felt like a stalker. Which was absurd.
"Why would you do that?" He was genuinely baffled.
"Because I was worried about you." The look on his face made her feel more like a freak. "We just talked about getting married. I wouldn't have you frying your brain from the fever and leaving me at a disadvantage, would I?"
He furrowed his brow slightly at the information. "I have a fever?" She nodded slightly. "A little cold and fever never hurt anyone."
Stubborn as ever.
"How are you feeling?" She fought the urge to check his forehead again.
"I'm fine," he cleared his throat. "What time is it?"
She looked at her laptop screen. "Around eight," she said.
His eyes widened. "In the morning?"
"No, evening. Why?"
He sat up and reached for the control panel beside the bed. He pressed Xiong Hua's name.
"Yes, Mr. Mo?" her voice came from across the speaker.
"Is Miss Li here yet?" Mo Qingchen seethed.
"She is in the hall outside your office," was the response.
"Is the door locked?" he asked impatiently. They heard a click.
"No, it's open."
Silence.
"Tell Miss Li to go inside and wait for me." His tone was harsh. But Qian Meng could see that it wasn't directed towards Xiong Hua or her.
"Yes, Mr. Mo." Came the casual reply. They could hear nervous rambling in the background before Mo Qingchen cut the connection.
Mo Qingchen faltered slightly as he tried to stand. He was still weak and didn't like it at all.