H University was in the city neighboring City C, only an hour away by car.
So Qi Mu did not take a plane this time. Instead, he asked Driver Zhou to drive them there.
Jiang Shao sat in the front and chatted with Driver Zhou. Of course, Driver Zhou did most of the talking, while Jiang Shao occasionally answered with a sentence or two.
Driver Zhou said, “Xiao Jiang, I heard you took leave recently because something happened at home?”
Jiang Shao replied, “Mm.”
“Let me tell you, President Qi is a very good person. Whenever anyone at the company has trouble at home, he always approves their leave. There was a young man here whose relative fell ill. He took an entire month off to go home and care for them, and the company continued paying his salary as usual.”
Jiang Shao obligingly replied, “That really is very generous.”
After circling around the subject for a while, Driver Zhou finally said what he had been trying to say. “You young people are thin-skinned and always like to keep things bottled up. But as long as you speak up, President Qi will help however he can.”
He had heard that Jiang Shao had even asked the Finance Department for a salary advance. Combined with his previous leave, perhaps something really had happened to his family.
Although rumor had it that Jiang Shao was President Qi’s relative, he apparently was not a wealthy one.
Jiang Shao understood Driver Zhou’s implication. He turned and gave Qi Mu a meaningful look. “Thank you, Driver Zhou. If I ever run into any real difficulty, I’ll be sure to tell President Qi.”
Qi Mu: “…”
Qi Mu truly could not listen any longer. He raised his head, pushed up his glasses, and said with rare sternness, “Driver Zhou, concentrate on driving.”
Driver Zhou laughed awkwardly, winked at Jiang Shao, and closed his mouth.
The car finally fell quiet.
Qi Mu turned his head and privately reflected on whether he was usually too approachable, causing Driver Zhou to say whatever came into his head.
He closed his eyes, preparing to take a short nap.
His phone suddenly vibrated.
Qi Mu habitually opened it and took a look.
It was a message from Jiang Shao: Thank you, President Qi.
A second message followed immediately: For advancing my salary.
Then came a third: Without that money, I wouldn’t even have been able to afford food.
No more messages came for quite some time after that.
Qi Mu stared at the three lines and nearly laughed from sheer exasperation.
He had already forgotten about the whole thing, yet this formidable ancestor still dared to bring it up. Had he become addicted to putting on this act?
Qi Mu turned off his phone screen.
He maintained a cool, aloof silence and did not reply.
…
Driver Zhou stopped the car outside H University’s main gate.
Qi Mu got out with his briefcase, showing no intention whatsoever of paying attention to Jiang Shao.
Jiang Shao was not angry. With one long stride, he caught up beside Qi Mu, a smile on his lips. “President Qi, let me carry that for you.”
As he spoke, he naturally reached for the briefcase in Qi Mu’s hand.
Qi Mu had not expected Jiang Shao to move so suddenly. Jiang Shao’s fingers brushed his hand, and those familiar rough fingertips pressed against his skin. Qi Mu’s fingers instinctively trembled, and Jiang Shao took the briefcase from him before he could react.
The tall man held the bag in one hand and smiled at him, looking every bit like a conscientious assistant.
Qi Mu: “…”
Fine. Carry it if you want.
He turned and walked away.
Jiang Shao followed half a step behind, watching Qi Mu’s profile.
Although Qi Mu had kept a cold, displeased expression and had not replied to his messages, Jiang Shao did not feel angry in the slightest today. Instead, seeing Qi Mu like this made the corners of his mouth rise despite himself.
When he had said that he enjoyed going to work, part of it had been intended to infuriate Jiang Zong Chao. But now that Jiang Shao thought about it, the words had not been entirely insincere.
Perhaps it was because he was with Qi Mu.
Even something as dull and tedious as going to work had begun to feel interesting.
Qi Mu had contacted Professor Lai before coming, and Professor Lai had told him where the laboratory building was. Qi Mu walked silently across the campus, but he was unfamiliar with the roads and somewhat distracted. After wandering for quite a while, he still had not found the place.
Just as he was preparing to ask a student for directions—
A delighted voice suddenly came from nearby. “Brother Qi Mu?”
Qi Mu turned in surprise.
He saw a young woman in a white T-shirt and jeans, her hair simply pinned up. Although she was dressed plainly, her youthful beauty was impossible to conceal.
Qi Mu smiled as well. “Xiao Ke.”
He remembered that Yu Yue Ke was pursuing her doctorate at H University. He had not expected to run into her by such a coincidence.
He had grown up alongside the Yu siblings. Yu Yue Ning was his closest friend, while Yu Yue Ke was like a younger sister to him. Seeing her here made him feel both affectionate and delighted.
Yu Yue Ke jogged over and smiled brightly. “Brother Qi Mu, what are you doing here? Did you come to see me?”
Qi Mu coughed lightly. “I’m here to discuss work.”
Yu Yue Ke pretended to look heartbroken. “So you didn’t come to see me…”
Qi Mu hurriedly said, “I’ll treat you to dinner tonight.”
Only then did Yu Yue Ke look satisfied. She winked mischievously. “That’s more like it.”
Her eyes shifted, and she noticed the tall, cool-looking handsome man beside Qi Mu. Curious, she asked, “Who is this?”
The moment Qi Mu saw the curiosity in Yu Yue Ke’s eyes, warning bells began blaring inside his head!
He suddenly remembered something extremely serious!
In that dream, Yu Yue Ke had also encountered Jiang Shao by chance and fallen in love with him at first sight. Like Qi Mu himself, it was as though someone had placed a curse on her. A normally intelligent, capable, and independent young woman had suddenly become completely love-addled and begun pursuing Jiang Shao relentlessly.
Yu Yue Ke had fallen hopelessly in love with Jiang Shao, disregarding even her parents and brother for his sake. Yet in the end, she had not even managed to become his official wife. Although the Yu family’s pharmaceutical company was fairly large, its status still could not compare with that of Jiang Shao’s official wife, who was, after all, a young lady from a powerful and equally matched family in the capital. Yu Yue Ke could only settle for being a concubine.
Come to think of it, every woman in Jiang Shao’s harem had thrown herself at him with her family fortune in tow, and they had even been ranked according to the value of their assets. It could only be described as utterly absurd and laughable…
But Qi Mu could not laugh now.
He had watched this girl grow up. She was no different from his own younger sister. He absolutely could not allow Yu Yue Ke to go down that road of no return. What happiness could possibly await her there?
But he could not directly tell her about the dream. Besides, Jiang Shao was standing right beside him, making many things impossible to say.
In his urgency, Qi Mu caught Yu Yue Ke by the wrist and pulled her aside. Without making it too obvious, he positioned his body between her and Jiang Shao, then changed the subject. “Do you know where Laboratory Building No. 5 is? Can you take me there?”
Yu Yue Ke stared at Qi Mu in complete bewilderment.
She had merely asked who the handsome man was. Why had Brother Qi Mu’s expression suddenly changed? Why was he pulling her aside so nervously?
Yu Yue Ke was thoroughly confused, but since Qi Mu clearly did not want to introduce them, she tactfully stopped asking. “I know where it is. I’ll take you there.”
Because Qi Mu had something weighing on his mind, he did not realize that he was behaving far too nervously. When Yu Yue Ke turned around, he followed her with his expression still tense.
Jiang Shao stood behind them.
The smile on his face was like a cloud scattered by a gust of wind.
It vanished in the blink of an eye.
He stared at the backs of Qi Mu and Yu Yue Ke ahead of him.
Remembering the sudden tension on Qi Mu’s face when Yu Yue Ke had asked about him, as well as the way Qi Mu had grabbed her wrist, Jiang Shao’s expression grew even colder.
Could this woman be Qi Mu’s sweetheart?
He had not expected Qi Mu to have a sweetheart even at the university. It certainly suited his reputation as a romantic playboy.
However, although Qi Mu had previously had many ambiguous entanglements and even a blind date, he had chosen Jiang Shao every time. Clearly, the others had merely been casual performances, without any genuine feelings involved. Yet Jiang Shao keenly sensed that this time was different.
This woman must be extremely, extraordinarily important to Qi Mu.
So important that Qi Mu nervously intervened merely because she had looked at Jiang Shao.
As though Jiang Shao were some kind of ravenous monster.
Jiang Shao’s fingers tightened around the briefcase, pressing deep impressions into the leather handle.
With Yu Yue Ke leading the way—
They quickly reached Professor Lai’s laboratory building.
Yu Yue Ke smiled and waved at Qi Mu. “Brother Qi Mu, you go ahead. I still have something to do, so I’ll leave first.”
Qi Mu nodded without saying much.
He did not want Yu Yue Ke spending time with Jiang Shao and could not have been more eager for her to leave. It would be better to say certain things to her that evening.
Qi Mu entered the building.
Once he became absorbed in work, he focused completely, so he did not notice that anything was wrong with Jiang Shao.
When Professor Lai heard that Qi Mu had arrived, he hurried out to greet him and apologized, “I’m sorry, President Qi. We have a very important experiment today, so I couldn’t go outside to welcome you.”
Qi Mu smiled. “That’s all right. May I have a look around the laboratory?”
Professor Lai said, “Of course.”
Professor Lai led the way and brought Qi Mu into the laboratory.
There were many researchers inside, all members of Professor Lai’s team.
As Professor Lai showed Qi Mu around, he explained their work to him. Qi Mu listened attentively and occasionally used several technical terms, making Professor Lai regard him with new respect. He said meaningfully, “President Qi came well prepared.”
Qi Mu replied, “I sincerely want to work with you. Naturally, I needed to prepare.”
Professor Lai looked thoughtful.
He had received other potential investors before, but most of them would never speak with such certainty. They preferred to remain vague so that they would have room to bargain with him, and few were this direct during their very first meeting. Qi Mu was the first to approach him with such sincerity, which naturally improved Professor Lai’s impression of him.
After touring the laboratory, they went to Professor Lai’s office.
The two exchanged polite conversation for a while longer.
Qi Mu took out the contract documents and said sincerely, “This is my preliminary draft. You may look it over. The patents and research results will all remain yours. Our company only requires the right to use the patents.”
Professor Lai took the contract and read through it. The terms were extremely generous, making it a highly attractive offer.
This was only their first meeting, yet Qi Mu’s attitude had already surprised him and left him somewhat tempted. However, Professor Lai was not an expert in business matters, so he would still need to have a lawyer examine the contract.
He therefore said tactfully, “I’m deeply moved by your sincerity, President Qi. I will consider it carefully.”
Qi Mu had not expected an immediate answer. He smiled. “All right. I’ll be staying here for another two days, and I look forward to hearing your decision.”
Once they had finished discussing business—
Professor Lai walked Qi Mu out and asked, “President Qi, are you certain you won’t stay for a meal?”
Qi Mu smiled politely. “I’m sorry. I really have plans with a friend today.”
Professor Lai tried to persuade him a little longer, but seeing that Qi Mu genuinely had something else to do, he did not insist.
He also had plenty of work waiting for him.
After saying goodbye to Professor Lai, Qi Mu considered matters for a moment before telling Jiang Shao, “You should return to the hotel first.”
Jiang Shao laughed coldly inside. Qi Mu had even rejected Professor Lai’s invitation and was now sending Jiang Shao away, all so he could go have dinner with that woman.
His right hand clenched inside his pocket, but his face remained careless and unconcerned. “Sure.”
With that, he turned and left without hesitation.
Once Qi Mu saw Jiang Shao disappear into the distance, his expression turned serious, and he began calling Yu Yue Ke.
…
Dinner was arranged at a modern creative-cuisine restaurant outside the university.
Yu Yue Ke still had an experiment that afternoon, so Qi Mu arrived first. He looked through the menu, ordered several dishes she liked, then sat there working while he waited.
Yu Yue Ke arrived a little after seven. She waved at him from a distance. “Brother Qi Mu, how long have you been waiting?”
Qi Mu smiled. “Not long.”
Yu Yue Ke sat opposite him and collapsed forward like a sloth, without the slightest concern for appearances. “I’m exhausted today.”
Qi Mu asked with concern, “Are your studies keeping you busy?”
Yu Yue Ke took a vicious bite of bread. “My adviser is working me like a mule.”
Qi Mu knew that Yu Yue Ke was pursuing a doctorate under a leading expert in the pharmaceutical field, so her work was bound to be difficult. He offered a few words of comfort. “Aren’t you graduating soon?”
Yu Yue Ke said, “Graduating won’t make me any less busy.”
She still had the family business to inherit.
They could hardly count on that unreliable Yu Yue Ning, could they?
Although Yu Yue Ke complained about how exhausting everything was, her eyes shone brightly. She clearly did not dislike any of it. After all, building her career was what motivated her.
Qi Mu asked several questions about her studies and daily life, then changed the subject and seemingly casually voiced the question he had been preparing for some time. “Have you been dating anyone at university?”
Yu Yue Ke said, “When would I have the time?”
Qi Mu appeared quite satisfied and said earnestly, “You’re still young. Your studies are the most important thing right now. There’s no hurry to date.”
Yu Yue Ke had only answered casually, but those words immediately energized her. Deeply moved, she exclaimed, “My parents and my brother only know how to nag me! They keep saying I’m already so old and still haven’t dated anyone, and they ask when I’m going to bring a boyfriend home. They make me not even want to go back! Only you would never do that, Brother Qi Mu. Boohoo, you’re my real brother! You’re the only one who understands me!”
Qi Mu felt slightly embarrassed. That had not actually been his motive. He was merely afraid that Yu Yue Ke would choose the wrong man and meet the same fate as she had in the dream.
Although she had misunderstood him, Qi Mu decided to go along with it. “Mm. There are too many bad people out there now. You’re still studying and haven’t entered society yet, so you don’t know how treacherous people can be. I’m worried that someone might deceive you.”
Qi Mu paused, then added, “If you ever meet someone you like, remember to tell me. I’ll help you judge whether he’s trustworthy.”
Yu Yue Ke waved her hand dismissively. “That won’t happen. My heart has room only for studying, not men.”
Men would only slow the speed at which she drew her blade. She was a woman destined to inherit the family business—who had time for romance?
She only wanted to admire handsome men, not possess them.
Seeing that Yu Yue Ke truly had no interest in romance and did not seem attracted to Jiang Shao, Qi Mu finally relaxed a little. Still, he could not lower his guard entirely. The two of them had already met today.
To be safe, Qi Mu gave her several more warnings and told her a few stories about women who had met miserable ends after encountering scumbags, hoping she would remember them well.
Especially men with entire harems who maintained ambiguous relationships with countless women.
Those men were absolutely unacceptable!
Yu Yue Ke initially listened patiently, responding with repeated mm-hm, mm-hm, mm-hm. Later, however, she began to find Qi Mu rather long-winded. Why was he acting like an anxious old mother worried that her daughter would be carried off by a scumbag today? She caught Qi Mu’s hand and swung it from side to side.
She smiled sweetly and coaxed him, “I know, I know. When I start dating, you’ll be the first person I tell, Brother Qi Mu. I won’t even tell my real brother!”
Qi Mu laughed and pulled his hand away. “Eat properly. Look at the way you’re behaving.”
Yu Yue Ke stuck out her tongue.
…
Outside the restaurant, dense tree shadows layered over one another in the night, making the area resemble the hunting ground of some unknown monster.
Jiang Shao stood within the darkness, staring at the brightly lit restaurant.
He watched the two figures in the distance tugging playfully at one another.
Crack.
It sounded as though something had shattered.
He lowered his head.
It turned out that he had accidentally stepped on a dry branch.
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