Mu Yanqing carefully smoothed out the document Yi Wulan had thrown at her and handed it back. “I say, Yi Wulan…”
Mu Yanqing straightened her long, messy hair from when she had dodged, cautiously picking up her own contract as if ready to use it as a shield at any moment.
But her words were still provocative. “Isn’t the President of Rongjia a master strategist who has everything under control? How come after all these years, you still can’t win over a little girl?”
Initially, Mu Yanqing had strongly disapproved of this marriage due to Yi Wulan’s car accident injuries. But seeing that Yi Wulan’s legs could recover, and hearing her sister’s string of nonsense, she now felt a sliver of sympathy when facing Yi Wulan.
It was as if she was getting revenge for all the times her romantic prospects had been stolen during their school days.
Yi Wulan said nothing, rising to her feet with a blank expression and taking two steps toward the sofa on the inner side of the room.
Mu Yanqing glanced at her younger sister from a distance. Since she had entered, Mu Yanxi had been glued to her phone, completely oblivious to the commotion over here, her fingers typing away nonstop.
Seeing how engrossed she was in her chat, Mu Yanqing cheerfully followed, intending to give Yi Wulan a chance to get some attention.
Hearing footsteps, Mu Yanxi turned her head, the corners of her mouth still curved in a smile from her chat with Bai Yu’an.
But a single glance made her freeze.
Isn’t this Yi Wulan’s office? When did her sister get here?
It only took Mu Yanxi two seconds to guess the purpose of Mu Yanqing’s visit, based on her sister’s attitude over the years.
Mu Yanqing looked at her sister, who was surrounded by milk tea and desserts, and took a moment to process that this was actually Yi Wulan’s office. She smiled, “You seem to be in a good mood.”
Mu Yanxi stiffened, terrified that her sister would come over and pull her ear the next second.
“Help me…” Mu Yanxi scrambled toward Yi Wulan, who had walked over with her sister, and clung to her arm like a human shield. “Elder Sister Yi, help me.”
She even called her “Elder Sister.” Yi Wulan turned to look at Mu Yanqing and finally understood what was happening.
Yi Wulan glanced down at her own arm, about to say a few words on Mu Yanxi’s behalf, when Mu Yanqing chimed in with a sarcastic, whiny tone, “Help you with what? Didn’t the second Miss Mu eagerly run to the internet to make a fool of herself? What are you hiding from?”
Her gaze shifted downward. She had originally come to watch Yi Wulan’s predicament for entertainment, but seeing this scene, she couldn’t help but sneer. “Didn’t you say you were forced and only half-willingly went along with it? How come it’s only been a few days, and you’re already hiding in her arms?”
Mu Yanxi: …
The last time at Mu Yanqing’s house, she had barely managed to evade this topic. She never expected it to be brought up again right in front of Yi Wulan. To make matters worse, when Mu Yanxi glanced over from the corner of her eye, Yi Wulan was looking at her with a thoughtful expression.
Mu Yanxi was used to misspeaking, and since Mu Yanqing wasn’t an outsider, she hadn’t thought anything of joking around and making things up. But now, for the first time, she felt like she had spun a cocoon only to trap herself.
Seeing the coolness gradually appear in Yi Wulan’s eyes, a chill ran down Mu Yanxi’s back.
It was as if Yi Wulan might hand her over to Mu Yanqing at any moment.
Forced, half-willingly went along with it.
Who would have thought Mu Yanqing’s memory was so good that she would repeat those two phrases verbatim?
Yi Wulan was still looking at her. After shedding her usual indifference, there seemed to be an aggressive intensity to her gaze.
For a moment, Mu Yanxi didn’t know what to say and could only meet Yi Wulan’s gaze with feigned indifference.
After several seconds, she finally found her voice. “But-but over these past few days, I’ve discovered that Yi Wulan is a person of noble character, beautiful and talented, a rare and lofty flower.”
After speaking, Mu Yanxi casually traced two circles on Yi Wulan’s arm with her fingertip, leaning limply against Yi Wulan’s shoulder and asking softly, “Is there anything wrong with me hiding with her?”
Mu Yanqing: …
Mu Yanqing felt like her eyes were about to go blind.
She shouldn’t have come here specifically to criticize her sister, giving this dog Yi Wulan an opportunity.
Immediately after, Mu Yanxi, who had been scared to death just moments ago, relied on the fact that Yi Wulan wouldn’t easily push her away and confidently shifted the blame to Mu Yanqing. “Even if Yi Wulan can’t have me, she’s not as fierce as you are. The reason I’m getting cursed out online is all because you don’t care about me.”
“Is that so?”
“Ye-yes.” Mu Yanxi spouted nonsense, but her mind was in such chaos she was on the verge of collapse.
Xinyu wasn’t involved in the entertainment industry, so even when she embarrassed herself before, she could count on her sister not seeing it.
But who knew that this time, Mu Yanqing would see her being slandered online?
How embarrassing… and also, help!
Mu Yanxi was terrified of Mu Yanqing. Trembling, she was about to speak when she saw Mu Yanqing’s gaze fall on a combination lockbox that didn’t match the office decor at all. “What’s this?”
Mu Yanxi’s pupils contracted. That was the box she had brought from home, the one hiding all of Yi Wulan’s photos. She instinctively jumped out from behind Yi Wulan, intending to snatch it.
But she was farther away than Mu Yanqing. When she lunged for it, she grabbed it with surprising ease, not feeling Mu Yanqing try to take it from her. She slowly turned her head and found Mu Yanqing standing behind her with a smirk.
Completely blocking Yi Wulan behind her.
Mu Yanxi instantly understood. With a dejected expression, she hugged her little box and looked pleadingly at Yi Wulan.
Given Yi Wulan’s usual temperament, she would never get involved in such family matters.
But one of the main characters happened to be her little ancestor.
Feeling the increasingly pitiful, pleading gaze, Yi Wulan walked over, pulled Mu Yanxi onto the sofa, and then sat down between the two sisters, gesturing for Mu Yanqing to take the single armchair nearby.
Mu Yanxi had never enjoyed this kind of treatment before. Her sister doted on her, but every time the entertainment industry came up, she was inevitably scolded, followed by a deduction in her allowance.
She gratefully hooked Yi Wulan’s hand and whispered, “Yi Wulan, I didn’t realize you had so much clout. You can even persuade my sister?”
Yi Wulan: …
Yi Wulan fell silent. Knowing Mu Yanqing, she feared this was only the beginning.
But the carefree Mu Yanxi didn’t consider this at all. She was as happy as if she’d found a powerful backer, sitting obediently beside Yi Wulan for once, trying to curry favor. “Why don’t you work here this afternoon?”
Yi Wulan explained, “You should probably… just talk to her properly.”
Yi Wulan always acted like a parent, just like her sister. Mu Yanxi had long since started treating her words as nonsense, giving a perfunctory reply, “Mhm, got it. You just sit here. I promise I won’t disturb you.”
Mu Yanqing, who had been watching the show from the side for a while, finally couldn’t take it anymore. She tapped her fingertips on the leather sofa twice, making two soft ‘tap, tap’ sounds.
Like a fox seeing a tiger, Mu Yanxi jolted. “I… inside here is just my graduation certificate that I just posted online. It’s not like you haven’t seen it.”
“I’m not asking about that.” Perhaps provoked by the pair’s earlier actions, Mu Yanqing was now in the mood to lecture. She asked lightly, “It seems you plan to stay in that circle?”
“It’s great. The money is good, and the time is flexible.” Mu Yanxi pouted. “Why are you starting this again?”
Although that bit of money wasn’t even enough for her to buy a pretty dress.
Mu Yanqing: “Isn’t it because you’re always stirring up trouble? What do you even like about the entertainment industry? Becoming a top celebrity with massive traffic? Or winning awards and becoming a movie queen?”
Hearing Mu Yanqing’s words, Mu Yanxi was afraid she would say that line again—‘Just tell me what you want, don’t go through all this trouble yourself’—and immediately moved to cover Mu Yanqing’s mouth to show her determination.
But just as she stood up, she heard Mu Yanqing sigh softly. “…You do things so willfully and perversely. After playing around in the entertainment industry for two years, haven’t you realized it’s a place controlled by capital? Do you really like it that much?”
Mu Yanxi was stunned.
Her sister rarely brought up the entertainment industry, and every time she did, it was like she became a different person. This was the first time Mu Yanqing had spoken to her about it in such a tone.
After a while, Mu Yanxi snapped out of it and put on a playful, smiling expression again. “Do you think I’m that easy to bully? Don’t be silly, I’m no little white rabbit.”
Mu Yanqing cleared her throat. “Then why did I hear people talking about you faking your academic credentials on the street right after my meeting this afternoon?”
Only then did Mu Yanxi remember that she had deliberately given Jiang Tong an opportunity to perform, dragging Yi Wulan home to cause a scene with her. She smoothly changed the subject. “Is Xinyu so idle lately that you have time to listen to gossip?”
“I just overheard it.” Mu Yanqing hesitated for a moment before saying softly, “You really don’t need me to buy you an award?”
Mu Yanqing’s thinking was simple. Just give Mu Yanxi whatever she wanted. Once she had it, she wouldn’t be so fixated on that circle anymore.
Mu Yanxi: …
Actually, Mu Yanxi herself felt that her entry into the industry was a bit inexplicable. She had some interest, but not to the point where she would defy Mu Yanqing just to join.
If she were to be truly honest, perhaps she had been slightly brainwashed by the world’s consciousness back then, just as the novel described, so that her miserable failure in the entertainment industry could serve to highlight the protagonist’s brilliant success.
In her past life, when she left the industry, she left behind a pile of scandals. In this life, her reputation had taken a turn for the better in recent months, but Mu Yanxi didn’t really have a strong desire to become a huge star.
Just as those netizens said, she wasn’t professionally trained and didn’t have as much time as other artists. Why use money to take a slice of someone else’s cake?
Besides, she wasn’t like Jiang Tong, who couldn’t find a sense of existence in reality and had to prove himself online. Mu Yanxi’s real life was quite wonderful.
As someone who had died once, she had long since become indifferent to fame. Even in her past life, she had never cared much for titles, nor did she think there was anything shameful about being unpopular.
Take the rumor about her wearing a counterfeit dress, for example. For other artists, gowns were expensive, and wearing one was a must to show off their status. But for Mu Yanxi, she had to clear out a batch of clothes with the tags still on from her closet every season.
The fact that she even wore those clothes to walk the red carpet was giving them enough face. And she was supposed to clarify things with netizens one by one?
Forget it, too much trouble.
Besides, arguing with netizens like that would lower her class, thank you very much.
That’s why Mu Yanxi’s anti-fans were able to hound her for two years. An artist’s fame is built on public opinion, so naturally, they must also bear the negative consequences. No one can reap all the benefits without paying a price.
Whether it was helping the protagonist, Yi Jingming, with his career in her past life, or participating in the Shuilin Fang project in this life, if she were to actually calculate the profits from those projects, it seemed… the rate of return from either was countless times higher than what she earned in the entertainment industry.
She was the beautiful cannon fodder specially created by the novel’s author to enhance Yi Jingming’s protagonist halo. The reason Mu Yanxi didn’t leave the industry after being reborn was purely because she didn’t want to waste her beauty and genuinely believed that the entertainment world would suffer a great loss without her.
But once she was actually in the industry, she couldn’t just do nothing. Although Mu Yanxi was willing to cooperate with her scheduled appearances, she could never muster much interest, so she simply treated the entertainment industry as a lazy retirement job.
However, she could honestly say that she was still very serious about the jobs her manager arranged.
It was just that the feedback she received wasn’t quite proportional to her efforts.
Mu Yanxi picked up a spoon, scooped up some cream, and then leisurely lay back on the sofa. Taking a small bite, she gave Mu Yanqing an affected wink. “If I wanted to buy one, would I need to wait for you to buy it for me?”
Mu Yanqing glanced at Yi Wulan, who had been silent the whole time, and seemed to understand something.
But in the next second, as if reading her mind, Mu Yanxi shook her head, smiled calmly, and spouted more nonsense, “Haven’t you been online today? Don’t you know how many people pine for me, their love for me deeply rooted? Do I need to buy an award to raise my status?”
She had the arrogance of someone who was the dream lover of countless young men and women.
Yi Wulan, who had just been silenced by Mu Yanqing with the very same “pine for me, their love for me deeply rooted”: …
Mu Yanxi didn’t understand the silent exchange between the two. She lazily twirled a strand of hair by her cheek and asked, “Anyway, I’m doing just fine… Hmm, why do you two look so strange?”
Mu Yanqing didn’t care what Yi Wulan was feeling right now. She let out a ‘pfft’ and burst out laughing. Seeing the look on Yi Wulan’s face—wanting to say something but unable to—made her incredibly happy.
Since Mu Yanxi couldn’t understand, she decided not to bother looking. She simply started spouting more lies with a straight face. “The three of us have known each other for so many years, and now we’re all family. A few years have passed, and you’ve both accomplished your careers, each becoming a high and mighty president.”
She sighed. “And what about me?”
Mu Yanqing suppressed her smile, momentarily unsure of what to say. “Xiao Xi…”
“I’ve had a dream since I was little.” Mu Yanxi looked at Mu Yanqing with feigned gravity. “The older I get, the more I feel that if I don’t achieve it, I’ll be letting down the gifts heaven has bestowed upon me.”
At this, even Yi Wulan looked over, waiting with Mu Yanqing for Mu Yanxi to reveal this dream.
Mu Yanxi lazily leaned forward. Facing the other two’s serious expressions, as if they were at a negotiation table, she suddenly gave a light laugh. “Don’t you think it would be a criminal waste for this face of mine to leave the entertainment industry?”
Mu Yanqing: …
Yi Wulan: …
After speaking, the culprit, Mu Yanxi, picked up her full-sugar milk tea and started slurping it, looking completely carefree.
Mu Yanqing and Yi Wulan exchanged a look, both rendered speechless. No one tried to persuade her further.
After all, they were raising a little peacock.
After being thoroughly bamboozled by Mu Yanxi, Mu Yanqing returned to Xinyu.
For the entire afternoon, Mu Yanxi stayed quietly curled up on the sofa. Due to the office’s layout, people coming in from outside couldn’t see her because of a corner, but Mu Yanxi could see Yi Wulan on the other side of the desk.
As she watched Yi Wulan, she recalled the novel in her mind. In her past life, after breaking free from the world’s consciousness, she looked back at all the things she had done for Yi Jingming and felt that the world she lived in was utterly absurd.
But after dying and spending so long alone in that otherdimensional space, Mu Yanxi had figured many things out. Starting over, since this world would no longer add a halo to the original protagonist, she had to seize the opportunity to change all the original injustices.
Yi Jingming and the Yi family were more or less dealt with, and Yi Wulan’s leg injury had healed. It was highly likely she wouldn’t die an early death as described in the book.
As long as Yi Wulan lived, this world could get back on the right track, and the original protagonist would be nothing.
It was just that how long Yi Wulan could live seemed to… depend on the extent of her efforts at night.
Ugh, but that didn’t sound quite right.
Mu Yanxi rubbed her reddening earlobes, her gaze slowly moving from Yi Wulan’s familiar earrings to her red lips.
Then, as if shocked by electricity, she quickly looked away.
She pretended to scroll through Weibo.
Just then, her manager sent her several scripts and endorsement deals. This was the first time so many offers had come knocking before the heat from the trending topic had even faded. Her manager earnestly analyzed the situation for nearly ten minutes, and her WeChat screen was filled with:
【Voice Message 60s】
【Voice Message 60s】
【Voice Message 60s】
…a single glance revealed a long list of long voice messages. Forget listening to them, Mu Yanxi didn’t even have the desire to convert them to text.
She replied directly: 【Mhm, got it】
It was as perfunctory as a reply could be.
Her manager, who had known her for a long time, obviously guessed what Mu Yanxi was thinking and finally started typing properly: 【After struggling for two years, you finally have some heat. I think the high-end route we planned for you before might not be suitable. How about we make an issue out of your diploma?】
Their high-end route wasn’t, of course, the kind of high-end where one peaks at debut, but rather one that reduced low-quality exposure and aimed for excellence.
But that was just a nice way of putting it.
In reality, the manager saw a glimmer of hope and wanted this lazy fish, Mu Yanxi, to flip over and get to work.
So Mu Yanxi rejected it outright: 【No. Nine times out of ten, hyping up a top student persona ends in disaster. Aren’t you afraid I’ll crash and burn too?】
In truth, the manager still found it hard to accept that she had a Yanjing University graduate on her hands. Once upon a time, Yanjing University was a school she wouldn’t have even dared to dream of for her college entrance exams.
Perhaps it was this unattainable gap. The manager knew people from Yanjing University were impressive, but she didn’t know just how impressive they were, and she was even less certain whether Mu Yanxi, after establishing a top student persona, would crash and burn because of some questions from the entertainment circle.
She briefly recalled Mu Yanxi’s achievements over the past two years: loves wearing counterfeits, scores full marks in online fights, stubbornly un-famous despite being pushed, and plagued by scandals… She immediately lost her nerve: 【Then I’ll just turn them all down for you?】
Mu Yanxi was accommodating: 【Just keep two, I guess. Try to pick ones that don’t require leaving Yuncheng.】
The manager looked with great pain at the scripts, none of which were filming in Yuncheng Film and Television City. She tearfully gave up on those scripts, then suddenly thought of something and asked in confusion: 【Why haven’t you posted on Weibo today?】
Mu Yanxi: 【???】
Did posting her academic proof not count as posting on Weibo?
The manager reminded her: 【You finally have this heat again. Shouldn’t you post something to take advantage of it?】
Mu Yanxi looked at her manager’s words strangely, hesitating for a few seconds before tentatively asking: 【Post a selfie?】
The manager replied instantly: 【Yes!】
She even sent a screenshot from Weibo. The picture was full of her anti-fans, who were clamoring for a selfie like hungry chicks waiting to be fed. They were acting as if they had precognitive abilities, even starting a betting pool on whether she would post a selfie.
Mu Yanxi glanced at it. They all thought she would post one, huh?
Well, then she just had to do the opposite.
So she replied with lofty indifference: 【But I don’t feel like it today (soybean smile emoji)】
After switching away from the messaging app, Mu Yanxi rubbed her sore shoulders and happened to meet the gaze of Yi Wulan, who had just finished a segment of her work.
Mu Yanxi paused, then smiled at Yi Wulan. “Finished with work?”
Yi Wulan’s expression faltered for a moment before quickly returning to indifference. She walked over and handed Mu Yanxi her coat. “Get up. We’re going home.”
After dinner, Mu Yanxi agonized between the master bedroom and the side bedroom for a while before her feet unconsciously led her into the master bedroom.
She told herself it was because the bathtub in the master bedroom was bigger, and she didn’t want to inconvenience herself.
Mu Yanxi leisurely turned into the bathroom. Her usual skincare products were on the vanity, and even her favorite bath bombs were by the tub. Mu Yanxi glanced around, feeling a little dazed. It was as if she had been living here for the past half-month.
Perhaps because she had filmed late last night and then caught an early flight today, even though she had taken a nap in the lounge that morning, the familiar scent of the bath bomb made Mu Yanxi drowsy as she rested her head on the edge of the tub.
When she opened her eyes again, she heard footsteps, and the bathroom door was pushed open. “I called you, but you didn’t answer. Did you fall asleep?”
Mu Yanxi squinted, taking a moment to react. She felt a little shy looking at Yi Wulan, who had just walked in.
She still remembered the last time she had brazenly tried to ‘bully’ Yi Wulan in the bathroom, only to be pinned in the tub, unable to move.
Back then, Yi Wulan’s leg hadn’t healed yet, and she had been both embarrassed and afraid to move.
If that incident hadn’t happened, Mu Yanxi would definitely be playfully covering her chest with a towel and splashing water from the tub all over Yi Wulan, getting her clean clothes wet and staining them with the color of the bath bomb.
Then, under Yi Wulan’s displeased gaze, she would haphazardly toss a bath towel over and offer a grinning apology.
And that would be the end of it.
After all, Yi Wulan always seemed to indulge her and wouldn’t get angry over such things.
But at this moment, it seemed…
Perhaps she had been soaking for too long. Steam filled the air from the temperature-controlled tub, and Mu Yanxi’s heartbeat quickened involuntarily. “I…”
Yi Wulan walked toward her with steady steps. The warm light in the bathroom fell on her, stripping away the aloofness and sharpness from her office persona, dyeing her entire being with a touch of softness.
Yi Wulan came closer and closer, and it wasn’t until she was standing in front of the tub that Mu Yanxi finally came to her senses.
She lay lazily on the edge of the tub, her dark eyes narrowing without warning, like two beautiful, brilliant pieces of colored glass, a bewitching smile slowly appearing on her face.
She was like a poppy in full bloom.
Mu Yanxi abandoned what she had originally intended to say and suddenly raised an eyebrow, calling out, “Yi Wulan.”
Her tone carried a provocative arrogance.
To her surprise, Yi Wulan slowly leaned down, the overhead light creating a halo between them.
The light stung Mu Yanxi’s eyes, and she couldn’t see the expression on Yi Wulan’s face.
She wanted to raise her hand to rub her eyes, but as soon as she lifted it, her wrist was caught, and her chin was gently pinched.
A faint, cool fragrance landed softly on her lips, and her crimson lips, beaded with water, trembled under the pressure…
“Ah—”
Mu Yanxi suddenly thrashed in the tub, splashing water in near-mortification. Water from the tub spilled all over the floor.
She took a deep breath and finally snapped out of the dream she’d just had. Pinching the tips of her red ears, she quickly got up and splashed her face a few times with cold water from the sink.
The late autumn water was bitingly cold, quickly cooling her down.
After getting dressed and blow-drying her hair until it was half-dry, Mu Yanxi headed to the study.
Yi Wulan had never asked Mu Yanxi to knock, and after doing it many times, Mu Yanxi had grown accustomed to simply pushing the door open and entering.
Inside the study, Yi Wulan was still reviewing documents, marking them with a pen. Hearing the noise, she looked up, glanced at her clothes, and asked, “Finished your bath?”
“Mhm.” Meeting Yi Wulan’s gaze, the tips of Mu Yanxi’s ears under her long hair began to burn uncontrollably again. She feigned a serious tone. “You still have work?”
“It’s already done. I’m just checking again for any oversights.”
Mu Yanxi stood before the desk, watching Yi Wulan’s serious expression as she worked. Elegant characters flowed from her pen, and the warm light from the side lamp traced her jawline. This gentle aura reminded Mu Yanxi of the dream she just had.
Perhaps Mu Yanxi’s gaze was too intense, as Yi Wulan looked up. “Aren’t you tired of standing?”
Mu Yanxi licked her lips and, as if possessed, walked over and sat on the armrest of Yi Wulan’s chair.
“You…” Yi Wulan dodged to the other side.
Mu Yanxi said matter-of-factly, “Didn’t you tell me to sit down?”
Yi Wulan watched Mu Yanxi’s actions, her lips pressed into a flat line. She tried to hold back but couldn’t, attempting to explain traditional Chinese etiquette to Mu Yanxi.
But just as she was formulating her words, Mu Yanxi leaned over the desk, looked at the open document, and asked, “Is the holographic product going into use?”
Yi Wulan immediately averted her gaze, picked up the heavily annotated document, and said, “We’re just conducting a small-scale trial first. The product was actually mostly debugged before, but we need to build public acceptance for new technology products. Construction at Shuilin Fang still needs time, so we’ll run a trial at Huazhen Shopping first. If it’s successful, we can roll out the holographic butler system.”
Mu Yanxi had been taken to the R&D department by Yi Wulan before and had seen the various applications of a tiny chip that perfectly combined holographic technology and artificial intelligence.
It wasn’t just for holographic scene construction; it could also be applied to various aspects of daily life, shopping, and smart homes. The clumsy computer machines of the past could be replaced by holographic technology. With a simple trigger, one could perform real operations via projections in mid-air.
It could be said that all the electronic screens used in commercial buildings could be replaced by it, which would undoubtedly be a huge shock from an emerging technology to traditional industries.
Mu Yanxi looked at the document in Yi Wulan’s hand and asked, “So this is what you’ve been so busy with lately?”
Yi Wulan’s hand paused as she flipped through the document. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “It’s been alright. This project was costly during R&D, and the subsequent promotion is just as demanding. Your sister came to Rongjia this afternoon to sign the next round of financing.”
Mu Yanxi nodded, turning her eyes to meet Yi Wulan’s for a long moment. She suddenly broke into a smile, her freshly bathed lips looking very moist, which made her complexion look even better.
She said softly, “Yi Wulan, so you’re saying Xinyu is also involved in this project, which means I have a share too?”
When she said Yi Wulan’s name, she used that lazy, constantly teasing tone, as if she were truly being deeply affectionate toward Yi Wulan alone, and not because her eyes were sparkling like a little money-grubber over this collaboration.
Yi Wulan studied her, a slight smile gracing her lips. “You like it that much?”
Mu Yanxi smiled with crescent eyes as if it were a matter of course, leaning her body toward Yi Wulan. “Move it over so I can see too.”
“You’re so demanding.” Yi Wulan suppressed the curve of her lips, but her hand honestly placed the document in front of Mu Yanxi. “Here, look.”
Mu Yanxi leaned closer to Yi Wulan again. The armrest was narrow and uncomfortable, so she simply squeezed in next to Yi Wulan.
Yi Wulan grabbed Mu Yanxi’s waist, wanting to push her forward a little to create some distance from their overly close and intimate position. “If you want to look, then look quickly.”
But Mu Yanxi acted as if she were about to fall, squeezing backward with all her might, forcing her back to press against Yi Wulan’s.
She pretended to be looking at the document, but then she suddenly turned her head, raised an eyebrow, and smiled. “Why do you keep rushing me to look at the document? You’re not trying to avoid me, are you?”
“No, now look.” Yi Wulan looked at Mu Yanxi’s face, which was very close to her own. The corners of her mouth lifted, then quickly flattened. She glanced around before slowly turning her head back.
Seeing Yi Wulan being so fierce, Mu Yanxi remembered the Yi Wulan from her dream. A desire for verification welled up. She deliberately held the document and made a move as if to leave, but just as she was halfway up, her slipper slipped, and her body, like a butterfly with a broken wing, stumbled and fell.
Yi Wulan reacted almost without hesitation, scooping Mu Yanxi back up.
Mu Yanxi leaned against her chest, seemingly having twisted her ankle. She frowned, her face contorted in pain. “Ngh…”
Seeing this, Yi Wulan wanted to check Mu Yanxi’s leg.
Mu Yanxi shook her head and adjusted herself into a more comfortable position nestled against Yi Wulan’s chest.
“Are-are you okay?”
Mu Yanxi let out a soft whimper, opening her mouth as if to say something.
Yi Wulan leaned down to listen.
Mu Yanxi took the opportunity to wrap her arms around Yi Wulan’s neck and whisper in her ear, “I…”
Her voice was so soft it was almost inaudible, as if she were enduring some immense pain. Her scorching breath drew closer.
A smile finally flashed in Mu Yanxi’s beautiful, fox-like eyes. Pressing against Yi Wulan’s neck, she said, “I said… I don’t understand it. Why don’t you explain it to me?”
Yi Wulan’s fingertips curled. Only then did she realize from Mu Yanxi’s tone that she had been tricked again.
Clearly, this wasn’t the first time.
Yi Wulan suppressed her expression and asked, “What part don’t you understand?”
Mu Yanxi squeezed against her again and pointed to a spot. “Here.”
Yi Wulan glanced at it. “Did you go to university for nothing? Listen carefully, I’m only saying this once.”
Mu Yanxi had only done it on a whim, but Yi Wulan ended up explaining things to her until almost dawn.
It wasn’t just about the holographic technology involved, but also the key points of financing related to Mu Yanxi’s field of study. She used recent successful cases from home and abroad as examples, applying them to the domestic economic situation, explaining everything in meticulous detail.
Listening to Yi Wulan’s low, soft voice, Mu Yanxi’s mind would start to wander from time to time. But Yi Wulan, as if she had some peculiar hobby, would stop every few sentences to ask her a question. In the end, Mu Yanxi felt like she was back in her student days, forced by Yi Wulan to attend a nearly three-hour class.
Mu Yanxi, who had originally been thinking about getting intimate and cuddly, really wanted to go back in time and slap the version of herself who had insisted on squeezing in with Yi Wulan.
Even the arrogant crossed leg she’d had at the beginning was now uncrossed. She looked incredibly well-behaved, as if afraid Yi Wulan would ask her more questions.
Yi Wulan closed the document and ruffled Mu Yanxi’s hair. “Alright, you can go to sleep now.”
Mu Yanxi’s eyes were full of accusation as she looked at Yi Wulan. When Yi Wulan tried to push her away again, she angrily bit down on Yi Wulan’s shoulder.
Yi Wulan didn’t know how she had offended this little ancestor. Sucking in a sharp breath, she pushed at Mu Yanxi’s head. “You first, let go with your mouth first, hiss…”
The corners of Mu Yanxi’s eyes were red with anger, but she refused to let go.
“If you have something to say, say it properly.” Yi Wulan remembered that she had been the one to stop the document review, so she assumed Mu Yanxi wanted to hear more. She said helplessly, “If you want me to explain the document, just say so. Don’t resort to biting people. Where did you pick up such a bad temper?”
Mu Yanxi: …
Mu Yanxi hesitated for a moment, only then belatedly realizing that the real-life Yi Wulan was still just as clueless about romance. She could only continue to gently grind her teeth back and forth on Yi Wulan’s shoulder.
Seeing that Mu Yanxi wasn’t biting as hard as she had at first, Yi Wulan breathed a small sigh of relief.
Just as she was about to pull her away, Mu Yanxi moved first, quickly jumping off the chair.
She walked out without looking back.
Yi Wulan looked at Mu Yanxi’s bare feet. “Wait, your slippers?”
As Mu Yanxi passed the doorway, she almost couldn’t resist turning back to glare fiercely at Yi Wulan. “I don’t want them!”
Yi Wulan instinctively sensed something was wrong and immediately chased after her. “Yanxi.”
But Mu Yanxi, ahead of her, only walked faster. When she passed the side bedroom, she turned into it without the slightest hesitation.
And locked the door.
Leaving a bewildered Yi Wulan outside the door.
Yi Wulan knocked on the door. “Yanxi?”
Behind the door, Mu Yanxi covered her ears, which were red enough to bleed, and said irritably, “I’m going to sleep.”
Yi Wulan still didn’t leave. “But you…”
Mu Yanxi’s muffled voice came through. “I’m asleep. We can talk about it tomorrow.”
Yi Wulan opened her mouth, but she didn’t know what to say.
She stood in front of the side bedroom door for a long time before leaving.
No matter how smart and wise she was, she could never have imagined that she had lost to the version of herself from Mu Yanxi’s dream.
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