Mu Sijue knew very well it was not on that day that Xu Youning had found out the debris.
It had been about three months since they had gone to the collapse site for the first time.
During the past three months, there had been hard rains and heavy snows in City A. However, the debris did not seem to have been eroded by the rain or snow, and it was likely that Xu Youning had smeared the dust on its surface.
Although Xu Youning made a mistake, Mu Sijue admired the way she was putting on a show.
She acted as if she had just found it, and all her expressions were proper, without any slightest flaws to be picked out.
If he continued asking her, Xu Youning would notice his playing along.
Mu Sijue looked at the debris in the zip-lock bag and said, “If the police say it is explosive, Boyan and Jianan will be grateful to you.”
Xu Youning breathed a sigh of relief when Mu Sijue finished his words and turned back to his room. Otherwise, she would be wondering whether she looked rigid.
Throughout her life, she was the sorriest for Su Jianan. Handing over the evidence was just the way she could redeem herself.
If Su Jianan and Lu Boyan said thanks to her, she would probably be ashamed to death.
Mu Sijue took a suit out of the closet, then he turned around and asked Xu Youning, “Did you bring any gowns? I’ll take you out tonight.”
“A gown?”
Xu Youning widened her eyes as if she had heard the Arabian Nights—”I have no skirts or dresses let alone a gown. Are you kidding me?” She thought.
With a look on his face showing that he had guessed it, Mu Sijue said, “Just stay here in the afternoon, I’ll call you at any time.”
Xu Youning said “Oh”. Then she went into the kitchen to fill her empty stomach. Afterward, she went back to her room to catch up on her sleep.
After a time, she heard an impatient knock at the door.
Xu Youning covered her head with the quilt to isolate herself from the annoying noise.
The noise did disappear, then she heard the sounds of the door being pushed open and the approaching steps toward her.
Realizing it was Mu Sijue, Xu Youning murmured under her quilt. Within a second, it was rudely yanked off her, then came Mu Sijue’s cold voice, “Get up.”
Xu Youning opened her eyes, only to find that the sun had set and the room with no lights on was dim.
Mu Sijue’s face was immersed in the dusk and it became more chiseled, while his eyes looked mysterious and seemed to be enchanting her.
He was wearing a well-tailored suit, which outlined his perfect figure. If he had not been that rude to her, Xu Youning would have thought he was a gentleman.
“You’ve got five minutes left.” Mu Sijue looked at his watch and began to time. “I want you to meet me downstairs in five minutes. Or else, you’re not walking out of here the following days.”
Xu Youning knew that Mu Sijue was not joking. Although she didn’t know where he was going to take her, she quickly kicked the covers and rushed into the bathroom.
Mu Sijue was quite satisfied with her response. Not long after he went downstairs, he saw Xu Youning rush before him, out of breath. She asked, “What a nice suit. Are you going to a reception?”
Mu Sijue did not admit nor deny it and he walked straight toward the gate while saying, “Follow me.”
“Hey, are you taking me with you?” Xu Youning was not surprised but frightened. She said, “I, I, I have no experience as a female companion, maybe you could get someone else. The lady who visited you this morning would be just fine and you two can go directly to the hotel after the reception… Mr. Mu… Mr. Mu, are you listening?”
Seeing Mu Sijue and Xu Youning walk out of the house, the driver got off and opened the door for them. Mu Sijue pushed Xu Youning into the car and slammed the door.
Realizing that she was doomed, Xu Youning sighed in despair with her hands covering her face.
Mu Sijue stared at her, with a smile on his face.
Purposely making difficulties for Xu Youning had flavored his daily life.
He thought, “In the future, maybe I’ll be missing the desperate look on her face when she has to compromise.”
After a time, the car stopped in front of a clothing store. Mu Sijue spoke to Xu Youning in a tone of command, “Get off.”
Xu Youning followed him into the store. The manager, as well as two young ladies, walked toward them at once. Before the manager could greet him, Mu Sijue pushed Xu Youning before him and said, “I’m taking her to a reception. Is 30 minutes enough?”
“Yes!” The manager looked Xu Youning up and down and said, “She has good skin, so she only needs a light make-up! She will be charming with her hair tucked since she has nice features!”
Xu Youning was taken to the makeup counter, then several young ladies bustled around her. Five minutes later, the manager took two dresses to her and asked, “Miss, which one do you prefer?”
One dress was black and white with a simple, elegant style; the other was a lake-blue tube with a sexy style.
Xu Youning chose the first one because she did not think the other one would suit her well.
“I also think this one suits you better.” The manager smiled and said, “Wait a moment, please. I’ll bring you a pair of high heels.”
In order to work more efficiently, Xu Youning was used to wear boots and sneakers. When she saw the manager walking toward her with a pair of 7-centimeter high heels in hand, she wished she could just pass out.
At that moment, however, she could do nothing but to obediently put on the high heels and the dress.
The manager made it within 30 minutes, then she took Xu Youning to the sitting area and said, “Sir, it’s done.”
Mu Sijue was flipping through a magazine. Hearing the manager’s voice, he looked up and stared at Xu Youning as if he had not seen her before.
Xu Youning had a pretty face and the light make-up made it nearly perfect. Below her delicate nose were her chubby cherry-pink lips, which were so attractive that when you saw them you would want to kiss them. Her tucked black long hair, which accentuated her cute face, fine neck, and beautiful shoulders, as well as the dress and the high heels, had reshaped her.
Mu Sijue closed the magazine calmly and said, “Well, the makeup artists have done their best.” With that, he stood up to walk out of the store.
It took Xu Youning a few seconds to understand his words, then she rushed out of the store and shouted, “Mu Sijue, what are you talking about!?”
Mu Sijue opened the car door, motioning for Xu Youning to get into it and said, “You’ve debased my female companion. So, don’t waste my time.”
Xu Youning was more than angry, as if her lungs were about to completely explode. Since she couldn’t match Mu Sijue in either strength or tongue, she just got into the car with grievance.
When they arrived at the hotel, Xu Youning found that the reception was a gathering of business celebrities in City A, and Su Yicheng was there.
Xu Youning thought, “Mu Sijue isn’t that well-known in the business circle of City A, why did he come? Meanwhile, Lu Boyan should be here but I don’t see him.”
“There are too many people here, Boyan worries about any accidents so he and Jianan are absent,” Mu Sijue said as if he had seen through Xu Youning.
Xu Youning said, “Oh”. As soon as her voice died down, she saw Su Yicheng and Luo Xiaoxi walking toward her.
Su Yicheng’s proposal to Luo Xiaoxi had gotten national attention, which Xu Youning knew from the newspapers. The first thing she should do when she met them was to praise him, so she said “Yicheng, congratulations.”
“Thank you.” Su Yicheng smiled and introduced Xu Youning to Luo Xiaoxi. At that very moment, Shen Yuechuan had just arrived.
Shen Yuechuan was present on behalf of Lu Boyan, alone.
Luo Xiaoxi wanted to tease Shen Yuechuan and said, “You didn’t dare invite my dear Yunyun here with you? Since you helped her a lot that day, I think she will agree on it if you ask her to be your female companion.”
“Nonsense,” Shen Yuechuan said, knowing that Luo Xiaoxi was just kidding. Then he took a glass of wine from the waiter’s tray and said, “I’m here for business.”
Shen Yuechuan’s work that day was to introduce Mu Sijue to the business predators present. Of course, he would just tell them that Mu Sijue was the president of MJ Technology instead of stating that he was exactly the horrific Mu Qi from City G.
As for MJ Technology… nobody was unaware of the fast-growing technology start-up, even if they didn’t know who Mu Sijue was.
That day, Shen Yuechuan was there on Lu Boyan’s behalf. That he introduced Mu Sijue to everyone meant that Lu Boyan was introducing Mu Sijue to them, and that they should know: Lu Boyan and Mu Sijue were close to each other.
For Lu Boyan’s sake, they were supposed to be friendly with Mu Sijue.
Mu Sijue, who used to be cold and hard to get along with, was elegant that night. Xu Youning could see that with his incisive but not harsh words, as well as his gorgeous look, he had become the focus at the reception.
That was what was confusing Xu Youning. Mu Sijue had always kept a low profile; for that reason she hadn’t thought he would like such occasion.
Besides, they had gone to City A to find out the truth about the collapse of Fanting Garden and to meet Mike for a business cooperation. All that made it seem that Mu Sijue was trying to gain a footing in the business circle of City A, instead of visiting Mike.
“What on earth does he and Lu Boyan plan to do?” Xu Youning thought.
Toward the end of the reception, Shen Yuechuan finally found an opportunity to talk with Mu Sijue alone.
He clinked his glass against Mu Sijue’s and said, “After tonight, your name will be known by all in the business circle of City A.”
Mu Sijue calmly said, “I want you to visit Mike again and I’ll have him come to me himself.”
“Trust me, it won’t take long.” Shen Yuechuan smiled and said, “Since Kang Ruicheng recently has done nothing and you are making no moves, Mike can’t wait anymore. Within one week, he will come to you. But… will Xu Youning upset your plan?”
“Cooperating with Mike will help Kang Ruicheng gain a foothold at home. To assist Kang Ruicheng, Xu Youning will find a way.” With a bloodthirsty longing look on his face, Mu Sijue said, “I would like to see if she could make it.”
However, Mu Sijue had never expected that Xu Youning’s way would have caught him by surprise.
His worst scenario was that Kang Ruicheng would ask Xu Youning to assassinate him, and she would do so before he could notice it.
He had never thought about what Xu Youning would do for him.