The consequence of Yi Wulan’s momentary weakness was being held by Mu Yanxi for the entire night.
When she woke up the next day, Mu Yanxi, who had been observing her for a while, propped up her chin, lazily twirled a strand of hair, and spoke in a drawn-out tone:
“President Yi is truly a ‘gentleman’ who abides by the rules. Last night before bed, you still kept your distance from me, even getting fierce if I got a little too close. I didn’t expect you to secretly hold me in the middle of the night. If I hadn’t woken up early, would you have denied it again?”
Yi Wulan’s hands felt as if they’d been scalded. She wanted to pull them back but couldn’t because Mu Yanxi was pinning them down. She said urgently, “It was clearly you…”
Mu Yanxi didn’t give her a chance to explain, cutting her off to continue the teasing: “Yi Wulan, we’ve long been in a legal relationship. If you want to sleep while holding me, you just have to say so. Why would I ever refuse you?”
As she spoke, she let out a soft ‘tsk,’ the smile in her foxy eyes carrying a hint of wicked charm: “You had to wait until I was asleep to make a move. So you like to do things secretly, huh?”
Yi Wulan: …
Yi Wulan immediately wanted to push Mu Yanxi away.
But she couldn’t exert much strength in her lower body, and her upper body had been entangled with Mu Yanxi all night. The arm that was pinned down had long gone numb, and when she suddenly moved, she couldn’t control her strength. She failed to pull her hand back and instead pulled Mu Yanxi’s back forward.
Mu Yanxi ended up half-pressed against Yi Wulan’s body, bringing the two of them even closer.
Mu Yanxi simply maintained this position, not moving an inch. Then she slowly raised her head, her tone carrying a hint of meaningful ambiguity: “You really do like it this way.”
Yi Wulan averted her gaze, her expression freezing in an instant: “I do not.”
Mu Yanxi raised an eyebrow.
She didn’t care whether Yi Wulan liked it or not; in any case, she herself was thoroughly pleased.
A few minutes later, after washing up, the two went down to the dining room on the first floor.
The auntie was preparing breakfast. Mu Yanxi drank her milk, casually spread some mayonnaise on her toast, and turned to look at Yi Wulan, who hadn’t said a word to her since getting up. She said thoughtfully, “Yi Wulan, are you avoiding me?”
Yi Wulan hadn’t been close to her before either, but she felt that Yi Wulan’s attitude had become increasingly strange since she came home yesterday.
Yi Wulan’s hand, which was flipping through the financial news, paused. She turned her head and said coldly, “What nonsense are you spouting so early in the morning?”
“I once filmed a psychological drama, and there was a scene with an analysis in it.” Mu Yanxi sized up Yi Wulan and said unhurriedly, “Leaning back, turning your head to avoid eye contact, and deliberately refusing in a cold tone are all subconscious behaviors a person exhibits when they are trying to escape.”
After speaking, she repeated, “You are avoiding me.”
Yi Wulan’s movements stiffened, and her expression immediately tensed.
She leaned her body forward again, meeting Mu Yanxi’s gaze head-on: “Can’t even eating shut your mouth? Turn off your phone and stop looking at that nonsense.”
Mu Yanxi obediently turned off her phone screen, took a bite of her sandwich, and reminded her faintly, “Changing the subject is also a form of avoidance.”
Yi Wulan: …
Yi Wulan’s fingertips touched the control panel of her wheelchair, wanting to leave.
Mu Yanxi glanced over, relentless: “Oh, so when you can’t change the subject, you want to run away?”
Yi Wulan moved her hand back from the control panel and scolded with a frown, “A lot of the professional knowledge in TV shows is wrong. All that talk about avoidance and changing the subject is just to cater to the audience’s taste. Eat quietly.”
Mu Yanxi raised an eyebrow, a thought popping into her head: Scolding is also a sign of being angry out of embarrassment.
But she didn’t say it out loud.
Just then, the auntie brought over the freshly fried meat slices. Mu Yanxi took two more slices of bread and proactively made a sandwich for Yi Wulan.
Yi Wulan hesitated for two seconds before accepting it.
Mu Yanxi was finally quiet for a while, but she ate rather quickly. Before long, she couldn’t help but start chattering about the Yi family:
“By the way, last time I saw the other members of your Yi family were so curious about the Shuilin Fang project. Have you investigated who might be meddling since then?”
Yi Wulan’s attitude remained cold: “Why bother with them? Just take care of yourself. They won’t come after you.”
“That won’t do. What if next time they’re not just curious but take direct action? That would affect you, and you in turn would affect me. So, for me to live a peaceful life, I have to ask.”
Yi Wulan pulled out a napkin to wipe her hands: “Stop overthinking. Even if it affects me, it won’t affect you.”
Mu Yanxi said ‘Oh,’ her tone sarcastic: “Right, of course it won’t affect me. After all, we’re just in a cooperative relationship through a commercial marriage, right, President Yi?”
Yi Wulan neither confirmed nor denied it, simply lowering her head to eat her breakfast.
Mu Yanxi shifted her seat closer to Yi Wulan, then propped her chin on her hand and looked at her sideways: “But Yi Wulan, if that happens, there will be no one to support me. What do you think I should do?”
Her tone was dejected, as if she were a helpless, homeless stray puppy who could only survive by relying on Yi Wulan.
“…” Yi Wulan could no longer maintain her cold facade. She looked at Mu Yanxi and said helplessly, “Stop talking while you’re eating.”
Mu Yanxi let out a soft ‘tsk’ in her heart and simply pushed the plate with the fried egg toward Yi Wulan.
This time, Yi Wulan didn’t accept it, instead pushing the plate back.
Mu Yanxi chuckled, stood up, and headed upstairs: “I’m full. Take your time.”
Mu Yanxi’s figure gradually disappeared around the corner of the stairs, and the room returned to silence.
Yi Wulan’s hand, resting on the armrest, slowly relaxed.
After a long while, she finally drank the milk in her glass in one gulp and left for the company.
Rongjia Group, top floor, President’s Office.
Yi Wulan scrolled through the flashy selfies on Mu Yanxi’s Moments, repeatedly opening and closing the photos.
Her eyes were half-lowered, as if she were scrutinizing rigorous financial data or pondering an important project plan.
Just then, a knock sounded on the office door. Assistant Gu Yan walked in to report, “President Yi, the people from Su Ming have arrived. The project department is handling the handover, and the meeting can begin at any time.”
Yi Wulan nodded and called out, “Gu Yan.”
Gu Yan took two more steps forward and stood still in front of the desk: “President Yi, do you have any other instructions?”
Yi Wulan asked abruptly, “Do you think Mu Yanxi is good-looking?”
Gu Yan looked at Yi Wulan’s expressionless face, carefully trying to guess his boss’s thoughts, and answered honestly, “Even in the entertainment industry, Miss Mu’s looks are top-tier.”
Yi Wulan looked at one of the photos. Mu Yanxi was wearing a cream-white chiffon blouse, with a spread of delicious desserts in front of her, looking incredibly sweet.
“She is indeed very good-looking, and so young.” Yi Wulan’s gaze fell on the largest commercial LED screen in Yuncheng, visible outside the floor-to-ceiling window. “In a few more years, perhaps she’ll even be up there.”
Gu Yan agreed, “Miss Mu is still young. She will definitely have the chance in the future.”
The future.
Yi Wulan placed her phone face down on the desk, looking at her own reflection in the computer screen.
Twenty-three years old, right in the prime of her youth.
But she didn’t know how much longer she had to live. Even if that future came, she might not be there to see it.
Yi Wulan rubbed the bridge of her nose, “Have Yi Hongwei and the others made any moves at Rongjia recently?”
Gu Yan reported in a business-like manner, “Same as always. We have people watching them, so you can rest assured. It’s just that they’ve been busy carving up Yi Jingming’s authority these past few days and haven’t had time for anything else.”
Yi Wulan gave a scornful laugh: “That’s just the sort of thing they would do.”
Even Yi Jingming, who was originally on the same side as them, was being eagerly carved up the moment he lost power.
If one day she couldn’t hold on anymore, Rongjia would probably descend into complete chaos.
Yi Wulan’s fingertips tapped lightly on a document as she asked, “If something happened to me, what do you think they would do?”
Gu Yan was very cautious, only replying, “President Yi, you know better than I do.”
Yi Wulan fell into deep thought and said no more.
That clingy little ancestor of hers clearly had a personality that refused to suffer losses, yet she insisted on hiding her family background to squeeze into the messy entertainment industry. She loved the limelight and spending money recklessly but didn’t know how to properly protect her own rights.
Yi Wulan had thought she could calmly accept the countdown to her death, but now… she didn’t know what to do anymore.
Even though she knew Mu Yanqing would take good care of Mu Yanxi when the time came.
But Yi Wulan still felt a little uneasy.
She was afraid Mu Yanxi would be bullied by the people from the Yi family, by the people on the internet. She was afraid Mu Yanxi would have to bear too much gossip and slander.
Especially when she remembered what Mu Yanxi had asked her this morning: ‘if that happens, there will be no one to support me. What do you think I should do?’
Mu Yanxi clearly had many options, but she chose to marry her back then, and had repeatedly flirted with and tested her limits.
Now, she was putting herself in such a humble position, as if she couldn’t possibly go on without her.
Little liar.
But this little liar had been dragged into the Yi family’s affairs from the moment they registered their marriage.
As her legal wife, she would be the first-in-line heir to her estate, and thus the largest shareholder of Rongjia.
The little ancestor was so delicate she would even hide when it was time to apply medicine, and she couldn’t stay serious for more than a few minutes when discussing business.
If the injury in her brain really acted up…
Yi Wulan closed her eyes, “Gu Yan, reschedule my non-essential work and contact the medical team. I need to have another comprehensive check-up.”
Gu Yan’s head snapped up, his voice tinged with suppressed excitement: “Yes, President Yi. I’ll arrange it right away.”
Yi Wulan looked at her reflection in the computer screen again, shook her head helplessly, and picked up the documents for the meeting.
In the evening, Mu Yanxi received a WeChat message from Yi Wulan: 【Something came up unexpectedly. I’ll be on a business trip for a week.】
Mu Yanxi was a bit baffled. Thinking of Yi Wulan’s behavior that morning, she assumed Yi Wulan was avoiding her again.
She immediately called her: “Yi Wulan, when are you leaving? Do you want me to see you off?”
Yi Wulan: “In half an hour. It was a last-minute ticket.”
Mu Yanxi asked with a laugh: “So soon? Why don’t you take me with you? A later flight would be fine for me.”
“No need.” The sound of wind could be heard on Yi Wulan’s end, and her voice seemed to drift away. “…Let’s talk when I get back.”
“Talk about wh— Hey?” Just as Mu Yanxi asked, the call was disconnected from the other end.
When she tried calling again, Yi Wulan’s phone was already off.
Very strange.
Yi Wulan’s condition had finally started to improve a little. What if it worsened after a week of no contact?
Mu Yanxi was worried and threw her phone onto the bed.
Forget it.
If Yi Wulan, the patient herself, didn’t care, why should she?
Whether Yi Wulan’s business was real or fake, it had nothing to do with her.
She wasn’t worried at all.
Ever since Mu Yanxi exposed Yi Jingming for Bai Yu’an at the Yi family home, the two had added each other on WeChat.
Bai Yu’an wasn’t from Yuncheng. Having just returned from studying abroad, she was full of curiosity about the city. Now that she was single, she let herself go even more. Her private life was rich and colorful, and she and Mu Yanxi shared similar interests, so the two had stayed in touch.
With Yi Wulan out of Yuncheng for a few days and her manager not having arranged any jobs for her, Mu Yanxi made plans with Bai Yu’an to meet at a private spa club. The membership requirements for this spa were extremely strict, attracting Yuncheng’s upper class.
With her high-level VVVVIP card in hand, Mu Yanxi was showered with praise by the technician during her massage: “Miss Mu, your skin is just too good. Even cosmetic procedures can’t achieve results like this.”
Although this was a compliment, it wasn’t a complete exaggeration.
Mu Yanxi’s skin was naturally fair and flawless. After the essential oil was applied, her entire back was practically poreless, even reflecting light under the lamps.
Mu Yanxi was feeling a bit giddy from the praise. When she looked at the variety show on TV, her ego swelled, and she couldn’t help but start sharing gossip with Bai Yu’an beside her.
Pointing at the people on the screen, she dished on how this one had nothing real on their entire body, and that one had so many backers they were busy 24/7… She was a natural when it came to all sorts of gossip.
While enjoying the gossip, Bai Yu’an casually remarked, “Babe, you’d better not participate in this kind of low-class variety show. It really doesn’t look like it has much of a future.”
Mu Yanxi’s body stiffened. Her previous smugness vanished in an instant, and she mumbled, “This show is alright, I guess?”
It was as if Bai Yu’an’s memory suddenly returned. She remembered that Mu Yanxi had once participated in an episode and quickly tried to salvage the situation: “That’s what I’m saying! The show is nothing without you.”
She added righteously: “Without our noble princess, the trashy production team can only invite these flops, right?”
Even though Mu Yanxi had barely gotten any screen time in the episode she participated in, it had to be said that these words successfully soothed her vanity.
She felt that she could continue being friends with Bai Yu’an.
Since they had finally come out, Mu Yanxi, as a special VIP client of major luxury brands and various private clubs, naturally had to take her new friend Bai Yu’an out for a spin.
After their spa session, their evening plans were set: they were going to an auction.
The auction was originally supposed to be held in the next city, but due to a problem with the venue—rumor had it the original location wasn’t luxurious enough to meet the organizer’s standards—it was moved to Yuncheng at the last minute.
Mu Yanxi’s desire to splurge had been ignited when she saw the promotional brochure before, but since the auction didn’t support online bidding, she had to give up the idea.
Now, the auction organizers had directly chartered a luxury cruise ship in Yuncheng Harbor and sent out invitations throughout Yuncheng’s high society.
Especially for Mu Yanxi, a representative of the organizers had even personally delivered the invitation twice.
Mu Yanxi was famous in Yuncheng’s second-generation circles for being spoiled, willful, and temperamental, as well as for spending money like water. Her past track record was not hard to find out.
As long as they could get her to attend, to drive up prices and compete for items, the auction would not be dull. It was an easy feat for sales from Mu Yanxi alone to reach eight figures.
After their spa, Mu Yanxi and Bai Yu’an booked a styling team to come to their private room. After nearly two hours of fussing, their looks were finally complete, and they even took a ceremonial group photo.
After the group photo, Mu Yanxi asked Bai Yu’an to take a solo picture of her, claiming it was to send to her family. Bai Yu’an was unexpectedly fed a mouthful of dog food, but she was still diligent when taking the photo.
Mu Yanxi was bathed in warm light, her skin fair, her waist slim, and her legs long. She looked both gentle and noble.
Today’s makeup artist had also specially blended a touch of light red at the outer corners of Mu Yanxi’s eyes. Her already slightly upturned foxy eyes now had their beautiful lethality raised by several degrees thanks to this eye makeup.
Just a slight glance from her was full of flirtatious charm.
Mu Yanxi was clearly very satisfied and forwarded it to Yi Wulan.
Yi Wulan had been out of contact since this afternoon and, unsurprisingly, hadn’t replied now either. It was as if she treated her work as her dearest wife.
However, Mu Yanxi didn’t mind.
After all, she was just reminding Yi Wulan that she was attending an event today.
So, she hoped Yi Wulan wouldn’t be too surprised later if she saw the bank card had been maxed out.
She had given her advance notice; it was Yi Wulan who had ignored her.
This couldn’t be blamed on her.
An occasion like an auction demanded a certain level of prestige. After spending so long on their makeup and hair, Mu Yanxi and Bai Yu’an certainly couldn’t drive themselves. So, Mu Yanxi specially had the family driver bring a black Maybach, putting on a full display of extravagance.
In the car, Bai Yu’an flipped through the electronic auction catalog and teased, “Babe, you’re an eighteenth-tier, obscure little celebrity. If you run into someone from the industry who snuck in, how are you going to explain yourself?”
Mu Yanxi glanced over, not hesitating to slander herself: “How else can I explain it? Doesn’t everyone know I love to ride the coattails of these banquets for clout and show off stolen photos?”
“Pfft…” Bai Yu’an burst out laughing. “No wonder you can go to so many places and still keep your secret identity under wraps.”
Mu Yanxi lifted her chin: “That’s because they’re blind.”
Besides auctions, events like jewelry exhibitions and fashion shows were also beloved by internet celebrities and minor starlets, with an endless stream of people trying to gain clout.
The group of rich second-generation kids they hung out with wouldn’t go out of their way to expose Mu Yanxi’s identity. After all, this ancestor’s temper was unpredictable, and there was no need to disturb her dream of conquering the entertainment world.
As for the internet celebrities, they had seen so much news about Mu Yanxi wearing fakes and mooching photos that, never mind them, after two years, the entire internet was thoroughly convinced of Mu Yanxi’s status as an obscure celebrity with no backing.
The car soon arrived at the port. Several attendants very enthusiastically and respectfully welcomed the two, who had their invitations, onto the ship.
Every specification on the yacht was taken to the extreme. Even dishes from Michelin-starred restaurants, which normally required advance reservations, were readily available on the yacht.
There was still some time before the auction began. Except for a few main event pieces, the rest were displayed in the main hall. On one counter after another, transparent glass cases covered the exhibits, while surveillance cameras and rows of black-suited bodyguards protected the safety of the collection.
Mu Yanxi saw a necklace that would suit Bai Yu’an perfectly. When she turned to pull her over, she saw that Bai Yu’an had been blocked by another man and woman.
She walked over in confusion: “What’s wrong?”
The man and woman were stuck together like conjoined twins. When the woman saw Mu Yanxi, she flashed an exaggerated smile at Bai Yu’an and said mockingly:
“Well, if it isn’t our Eldest Miss Bai? I heard you had your heart broken recently? Oh my, I was wondering why I hadn’t seen you around. So you were at home washing your face with tears.”
Mu Yanxi had heard this kind of tone plenty of times in the entertainment industry; she knew at once that they were looking for trouble.
Seeing that Bai Yu’an didn’t respond, the person became even more aggressive: “Oh, come on, you just got dumped once. Don’t stop socializing, okay?”
This was clearly not their first encounter. Bai Yu’an looked over with a blank expression: “How I am is none of your business. Mind your own, Li Yan.”
Neither Bai Yu’an nor Li Yan were from Yuncheng. The Bai family had come to Yuncheng long ago, while the Li family had just arrived. Before coming to Yuncheng, Li Yan had always been outshone by Bai Yu’an in every aspect. Now, having just arrived in Yuncheng and hearing that Bai Yu’an had been dumped, she was naturally gloating.
“We grew up together, after all. What’s wrong with me showing a little concern?” Li Yan persisted. “I have to say, your taste in partners is really terrible. And now you’re hanging out with this kind of eighteenth-tier celebrity. Bai Yu’an, have you really run out of people to use as window dressing?”
After speaking, she even snuggled up to the man beside her: “Honey, my judgment of character is much better. You’re the best.”
Before she could figure out the situation, Mu Yanxi, who had been acting as a melon-eating bystander, was suddenly dragged into it.
But on second thought, wasn’t she an eighteenth-tier celebrity?
Since she’d been recognized, she couldn’t very well refuse their ‘kindness,’ could she?
Mu Yanxi suddenly stepped forward to stand beside Bai Yu’an and linked her arm with hers: “An’an, I have to say, your friend’s taste in jewelry is really terrible. To come to an event like this and still wear a fake watch on her wrist… why is she so reluctant to spend money?”
After saying that, she deliberately rotated her own wrist, revealing a watch that was dazzling enough to blind someone under the lights, making her point perfectly clear.
When Li Yan had first come in, she had noticed the very attractive Bai Yu’an and Mu Yanxi. A sense of rivalry compelled her to come forward and provoke them.
Especially after getting closer and discovering that the person Bai Yu’an had brought was just some phony eighteenth-tier celebrity from the internet. Li Yan instantly became arrogant, which gave her the confidence to confront Bai Yu’an.
At this moment, Li Yan only felt that Mu Yanxi was deliberately provoking her.
What right did an eighteenth-tier celebrity who perennially wore fakes have to judge the authenticity of her things?
So she reached out and gave her a shove: “Open your dog eyes and take a good look.”
Bai Yu’an was closer and blocked the shove for Mu Yanxi.
Fortunately, Mu Yanxi had already noticed Li Yan’s movement and steadily supported Bai Yu’an, “How are you? Are you okay?”
Bai Yu’an shook her head: “I’m fine. There are a lot of people here, you’d better not start a conflict.”
The invitations for this auction were all targeted; there weren’t any people from the entertainment industry present. Just in case, Bai Yu’an didn’t want Mu Yanxi to attract too much attention here.
But Mu Yanxi had come to this kind of auction to spend money in the first place. Even if she didn’t cause a scene now, she would still attract attention later.
Mu Yanxi’s face turned cold, “Apologize.”
Li Yan said perfunctorily to Bai Yu’an, “It’s not like I asked you to shield your little lover.”
After she finished, a hint of disdain appeared in her eyes. She clearly looked down on Bai Yu’an for bringing this kind of person to the event, and then she prepared to leave.
Who knew that she would be blocked after taking just one step.
Mu Yanxi’s tone had grown completely cold: “I told you to apologize. Didn’t you hear me?”
The man beside Li Yan put his arm around her and sized Mu Yanxi up for a few moments. It was as if encountering an eighteenth-tier celebrity like Mu Yanxi at an auction lowered his own status. He laughed mockingly:
“Who do you think you are? Since when can a phony eighteenth-tier internet celebrity like you attend an auction?”
Listening from the side, Bai Yu’an was furious. She was about to step forward and argue with the man, but to her surprise, Mu Yanxi was faster.
As the man brushed past, she took advantage of his unsteady footing and gave him a hard shove, causing both him and Li Yan beside him to crash into a nearby glass display case.
With a loud “CRASH—” the glass display case was knocked over.
The diamond necklace inside fell to the ground along with the shattered display case.
Li Yan fell on top of the man and was fine, but the man took a heavy fall. Although he didn’t land on the glass, he couldn’t get up for a long time.
After getting up, Li Yan struggled to pull her dear boyfriend up from the floor. She immediately pointed at Mu Yanxi and cursed, “What are you doing? Do you know who we are?”
“I’m pushing someone,” Mu Yanxi said, linking arms with Bai Yu’an and lifting her chin. “Weren’t you unwilling to apologize to An’an? So if I push back, we’re even, right?”
She then gave a cold laugh: “I reminded you twice and you still wouldn’t apologize. It’s not too much to collect a little interest, is it? Besides, who you are has nothing to do with me. Do I have to ask who your father is before I push someone?”
Her words were quite arrogant, carrying a sense that pushing back made them even.
The man’s suit was a wrinkled mess, and he looked utterly disheveled. He started shouting, “Where’s your person in charge? Get your person in charge over here right now! How dare a phony internet celebrity like her cause a scene at an auction? Aren’t you going to give me an explanation?”
His words drew more and more people over, who watched the spectacle and exchanged glances.
Most of the attendees at the auction were older and didn’t know Mu Yanxi. Like the man, they exuded a sense of superiority. Even though the man was embarrassing himself, they subconsciously looked down on Mu Yanxi and didn’t want to associate with a shady character who had snuck in, lest it lower their own status.
Putting other things aside, just the diamond necklace on the floor—even if Mu Yanxi sold herself, she probably couldn’t afford to pay for it, right?
The person in charge quickly rushed over, followed by several very tall bodyguards.
Seeing this, the man beside Li Yan became even more puffed up with arrogance, waiting for the person in charge to throw Mu Yanxi out.
Who would have known that when the auction’s person in charge, who had arrived looking imposing, saw Mu Yanxi, the sharp look on his face suddenly vanished.
Even his face turned a few shades paler.
Of all the people to provoke, it had to be Mu Yanxi?
This was the God of Wealth he had made two special trips and gone to great lengths to persuade to come!
Huge thanks to Mikash, Avadan and Karashin for the support!
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