When the end of the workday arrived…
Normally, Qi Mu would already have slipped away early, but today he lingered for a long time without leaving.
Although Jiang Shao had looked perfectly calm after the phone call ended at noon, Qi Mu had an inexplicably bad feeling and really did not want to attend the dinner…
But continuing to hide in his office was not a solution.
After struggling and hesitating for a while, Qi Mu finally got up helplessly and headed for the parking lot.
When he arrived…
As expected, Jiang Shao was already waiting for him.
Jiang Shao leaned casually against the car door, his long legs stretched lazily in front of him. When he saw Qi Mu arrive, he raised an eyebrow and said meaningfully, “I was starting to think President Qi had decided not to go.”
Then he opened the door, glanced sideways at Qi Mu, and said blandly, “I’ll drive President Qi there.”
Qi Mu remained silent and conflicted for a moment.
Thinking back over the way he and Jiang Shao had gotten along lately, Qi Mu could tell Jiang Shao was relatively satisfied with the current situation. Since Jiang Shao had promised him, he probably would not cause trouble for Xu Wei Ran again… right?
Long Aotian had plenty of annoying traits.
He was awful and loved tormenting people.
But whether in the dream or in reality, he was someone who kept his word.
He did not go back on promises.
That was one of his rare virtues…
Thinking this, Qi Mu breathed out and got into the car.
Xu Wei Ran had chosen an upscale Japanese restaurant for dinner.
The atmosphere was quiet and spacious.
Thanks to the high price per person, there were few diners. The restaurant had karesansui-style décor, with artificial rock formations separating the private seating areas.
When Qi Mu and Jiang Shao entered…
Xu Wei Ran was already there.
Naturally, Xu Wei Ran had not invited Qi Mu out merely to thank him for supporting her.
After all, she had been the one who put Jiang Shao and Qi Mu together that night.
Although she had done it intending to matchmake the two, she had still deceived Qi Mu, so Xu Wei Ran felt a little guilty. Yet after so many days… forget coming to question her. Qi Mu had not even called once.
That made Xu Wei Ran uncertain.
If she had succeeded, Qi Mu probably would not be angry with her, but given Qi Mu’s personality, there was no way he would show absolutely no reaction.
If she had miscalculated, Qi Mu should have been furious and would very likely have confronted her.
Either way, Qi Mu should not have had no reaction at all!
Xu Wei Ran had hesitated for several days before finally finding an excuse to invite him out, hoping to sound out his attitude.
She desperately wanted to know whether the two of them had actually gotten together!
Xu Wei Ran was still wondering how she could get that tight-lipped man to talk once Qi Mu arrived…
Before she even had the chance to say a word…
She saw Qi Mu and Jiang Shao walk in together.
Xu Wei Ran’s eyes instantly widened in astonishment!
What is this situation?
Did the two of them actually end up together, and now he’s bringing Jiang Shao to meet the family and friends???
Isn’t this progressing way too fast?!
No matter what, Xu Wei Ran had never expected this.
She was so shocked that she completely lost control of her expression, staring blankly as the two men sat down in front of her.
Qi Mu was nowhere near as calm inside as he looked. He was groaning inwardly, with no idea how he was supposed to explain Jiang Shao coming along.
I am absolutely not here to make our relationship public!
Judging from Xu Wei Ran’s expression, Qi Mu was genuinely afraid that by tomorrow everyone would know he had gotten himself a boyfriend…
Qi Mu’s anxious brain spun rapidly. He soon found an excuse and said in a purely businesslike tone, “You asked me here because of the charity donations from last time, right? There’s no need to thank me for something so minor. This is Jiang Shao, my assistant. From now on, if there’s anything regarding the charitable foundation, have your people contact him directly.”
The charitable foundation Xu Wei Ran managed kept transparent accounts. Donors regularly received detailed statements showing what had been done and purchased.
Qi Mu’s meaning was that those statements could simply be sent to Jiang Shao in the future. It gave him an excuse for bringing Jiang Shao along.
Xu Wei Ran did not buy the excuse for a second.
Her eyes sparkled with gossip-fueled curiosity.
Qi Mu might look completely serious and businesslike, but this was a private dinner between old friends! For such a trivial matter, normally he could have simply sent her a message. Why would he personally bring Jiang Shao here and raise it at the dinner table? Besides, she already knew Jiang Shao…
You seriously don’t think this looks strange?
Xu Wei Ran was certain there was something between them. But Qi Mu seemed unwilling to make the relationship public, so of course she would not expose him.
Knowing Qi Mu was thin-skinned, Xu Wei Ran considerately pretended not to notice. She turned to Jiang Shao with a meaningful smile. “Hello. Looks like we’ll be dealing with each other pretty often from now on.”
Jiang Shao merely nodded coolly.
If this had been before, he might already have been unable to stop himself from wanting to kill Xu Wei Ran.
But now that he knew Xu Wei Ran was an ally rather than an enemy and had no romantic interest in Qi Mu, Jiang Shao naturally changed his view of her.
He had not followed Qi Mu here to target Xu Wei Ran. He was simply afraid that Qi Mu might see his first-love white moonlight and rekindle old feelings. Jiang Shao needed to remind him that he was Qi Mu’s boyfriend now…
Xu Wei Ran did not mind Jiang Shao’s arrogant attitude.
She turned back toward Qi Mu.
She had originally planned to probe the situation between them, but now there seemed to be no need. The ambiguity between these two was written all over their faces!
It was just that Jiang Shao was here today.
There were many subjects she could hardly discuss with him sitting beside them…
But she couldn’t let the atmosphere die!
So Xu Wei Ran simply continued talking about charity.
She smiled at Qi Mu. “You spent so much last time. I heard you’ve always done charity work over the years, so I knew I couldn’t go wrong asking you.”
Qi Mu said warmly, “Don’t you do the same? I know the foundation you run has done a lot over the years. I trust you with this. At the very least, I know you won’t cheat me out of my money.”
Xu Wei Ran covered her mouth with a laugh and deliberately lowered her voice. “How do you know I won’t cheat you? Maybe I’ve been cooking the books to fool you.”
Qi Mu laughed. “You obviously wouldn’t.”
Xu Wei Ran sighed with feeling. “You really do understand me best.”
Still smiling, she continued, “Come to think of it, you already loved doing good deeds back in university. I remember you rescuing small animals and helping classmates from poor families. You have no idea how many girls liked you back then. That was how I got charmed by you too.”
Qi Mu was almost speechless at how unfiltered she was.
Normally I wouldn’t care, but please don’t say random things today!
Do you have a death wish?!
Qi Mu quickly interrupted her with a serious expression. “Stop talking nonsense. You get dazzled for days whenever you see a handsome stranger walking past. The number of people you ‘like’ is a little excessive, isn’t it?”
Xu Wei Ran’s eyes lit up.
She had always talked like this. Celebrities, handsome men, random attractive passersby, if there had not been a thousand, there had at least been eight hundred. What could she do? She was simply overflowing with universal love. But Qi Mu had never bothered correcting her before.
He’s this nervous today because Jiang Shao is here, isn’t he?
Okay, okay.
She was shipping them again.
Xu Wei Ran grinned. “Fine, fine. I won’t tease you today. You’ve always been terrible at taking jokes. You were exactly like this in university too, your skin was ridiculously thin…”
Qi Mu relaxed slightly.
He continued chatting with Xu Wei Ran, somewhat absentmindedly.
Jiang Shao sat beside them without saying a word. The longer he listened, the darker his expression became.
It was not because Xu Wei Ran said she had once liked Qi Mu.
Jiang Shao had already investigated Xu Wei Ran. He knew she was fickle about who caught her eye, and that neither her declarations of “liking” someone nor the things she casually said could be taken seriously.
What upset him was…
The moment Qi Mu saw Xu Wei Ran, he anxiously rushed to distance himself from Jiang Shao, terrified she might misunderstand their relationship.
He disliked that Qi Mu and Xu Wei Ran had so many shared subjects and could talk so happily and naturally.
He disliked how completely Qi Mu trusted Xu Wei Ran, a kind of unquestioning trust Jiang Shao himself could not obtain no matter how badly he wanted it.
He disliked that Xu Wei Ran had been part of Qi Mu’s past while Jiang Shao had not existed in it at all.
He disliked…
That he himself felt like an unnecessary third person.
He could not get a single word in.
He could kiss Qi Mu however he pleased, yet somehow it felt as though he had never come even half a step closer to Qi Mu’s heart.
Jiang Shao gripped his teacup tightly, irritation steadily building inside him, but he continued enduring it without speaking.
Cup after cup of tea disappeared.
Yet the other two continued talking without the slightest sign of stopping.
Qi Mu truly had been nervous at first, but once he and Xu Wei Ran started talking, and he saw Jiang Shao remain quietly beside them without appearing likely to lose his temper or cause trouble, he gradually relaxed.
He and Xu Wei Ran were not only university classmates but had known one another since childhood. Apart from being an artist, Xu Wei Ran was passionate about charity work and had traveled all over the world over the years, helping children in many impoverished regions.
Naturally, they had plenty to talk about.
It was precisely because Xu Wei Ran was sincere, kind, and straightforward that they had remained good friends all these years.
As for Xu Wei Ran’s personal romantic life, that was her private affair and had nothing to do with Qi Mu. He did not care.
Halfway through dinner…
Qi Mu stood. “I’m going to the restroom.”
He went there alone.
Even the restaurant restroom was elegantly decorated. The mica-gray marble countertop was spotless, and a diffuser on the counter released a faint fragrance. Since the restaurant had few customers, Qi Mu was the only person inside at the moment.
After relieving himself, Qi Mu prepared to leave.
Suddenly, he heard the door open behind him.
He assumed another customer had entered.
But when he turned…
He saw Jiang Shao walking toward him with dark, brooding eyes.
Qi Mu’s heart immediately leapt into his throat.
Jiang Shao had been quiet all evening. Qi Mu had thought everything would be fine tonight, so why had he suddenly followed him here?
He isn’t here to cause trouble, is he?
No. Maybe Jiang Shao just needs to use the restroom too…
Qi Mu forced himself to remain calm and told himself not to overthink things. He nodded at Jiang Shao and tried to walk past him…
But just as he reached Jiang Shao’s side, a pair of strong arms suddenly swept around him, caught him by the waist, and lifted him directly onto the marble counter!
Qi Mu’s entire mind went blank.
This is the restroom of a restaurant!
Don’t mess around!
Qi Mu was both anxious and furious.
He was a grown man over 1.8 meters tall and was hardly frail. How could Jiang Shao simply lift him whenever he pleased? With that kind of combat ability, why didn’t he go become a Long Aotian in a cultivation novel?
He would probably beat everyone in the world and conquer the realm without difficulty.
What a waste of talent in an urban novel. 🙂
But worse was still to come. Jiang Shao pressed both hands against Qi Mu’s knees, forced his legs apart, then stepped bodily between them.
Qi Mu immediately struggled to evade him.
But Jiang Shao held his lower back firmly, leaving him nowhere to retreat. Qi Mu was forced to sit on the cold marble counter, the insides of his thighs pressed tightly along Jiang Shao’s waist and abdomen. Even with both of them fully dressed, the position made Qi Mu feel completely unsafe.
If he tried closing his legs, he would have to clamp them tightly around Jiang Shao. Jiang Shao’s abdominal muscles were hard and burning hot. The more Qi Mu panicked and tried to avoid him, the farther apart his legs ended up spreading.
Qi Mu was going insane.
The thin fabric of his suit trousers could not block Jiang Shao’s heat.
Qi Mu’s face went pale with tension. His entire body stiffened, and he no longer dared move at all.
Fear, shame, anxiety, unease: every emotion drowned him. What if someone comes in right now…?
Jiang Shao raised his head and looked at him.
Seeing Qi Mu’s face instantly drain of color and the terrified, shimmering light in his eyes, Jiang Shao’s gaze grew even darker.
If Qi Mu trusted Jiang Shao even one-tenth as much as he trusted Xu Wei Ran, he would know Jiang Shao would never truly humiliate him.
He had absolutely no need to be afraid of Jiang Shao.
Viciousness and jealousy churned inside Jiang Shao.
In fact, Jiang Shao had locked the door the moment he entered. Nobody could barge in, but right now he did not want to tell Qi Mu.
Of course… he knew he and Qi Mu had only known each other a few months. He also knew that, considering everything he himself had done, he had no right to demand Qi Mu’s trust. But he still could not stop himself from feeling jealous.
Could not stop himself from being unhappy.
Could not stop himself from wanting to be unreasonable.
Jiang Shao’s lips curved. His cold voice carried a trace of jealousy. “President Qi was having such a wonderful conversation with his first love. Were you about to forget that your boyfriend is still right here?”
Qi Mu: …
Whose boyfriend are you?