Chapter 03
In the Mu Residence, no one had ever dared to defy the family head, Mu Yantao. Even the extended family members who lived off the estate had to treat him with utmost respect.
How did this woman have the audacity!
Smack!
Mu Yantao slammed his palm heavily onto the table, causing the water inside the cups to slosh.
The entire first floor fell into a dead silence; everyone even stifled their breathing.
Mu Yantaoâs intimidating gaze locked onto hers, unleashing a powerful wave of pressure. “Your father said you haven’t been feeling well lately. I will assume you are not clear-headed right now and let it slide. There won’t be a next time, understood?”
His words were laced with a heavy tone of warning.
If this were the old Yun Chu, without her three-year prison experience, she might truly have been intimidated by him. But the current Yun Chu only understood one thing: if you are weak, anyone will step on you; only strength can command equal respect.
Yun Chu pushed her chair back, stood up with a calm, composed face, and bowed slightly toward Mu Yantao.
Mu Yantao tilted his head back slightly, wanting to see what kind of tricks this little girl was trying to play.
Looking at Mu Yantao with a firm and calm gaze, devoid of any fear, she said, “The reason I was comatose until now is because the Yun family drugged me. Since this marriage is not mutually consented to, and given your high status and virtue, you surely wouldn’t force someone against their will. Therefore, I now solemnly propose to the Mu Residence… an annulment of the engagement.”
As soon as she finished speaking, everyone present was utterly dumbfounded. Her courage shocked them once again.
On the second floor, Mu Ze pushed his wheelchair to the top of the stairs. As soon as he arrived, he heard her demanding an annulment. He anxiously intervened, “Yun Chu, stop messing around!”
The sudden voice drew everyoneâs attention, including Yun Chu’s, as they all turned to look toward the second-floor staircase. Seeing this, the butler immediately went upstairs to bring Mu Ze down.
Mu Ze said in a deep voice, “Push me over to Yun Chu.”
“Yes, Second Master.”
Mu Yantao stood up, walked over personally, and stood behind him, carefully pushing the wheelchair. “Ah Ze, why did you come down?”
Ever since Mu Zeâs accident, he rarely came downstairs. He hated others seeing him like this, yet now he was appearing at a family dinner all for the sake of a woman.
If Yun Chu hadn’t known he was faking it, she would have been completely swayed by this man’s acting skills.
Mu Yantao pushed him to Yun Chuâs side and then bypassed him to sit back in his own seat.
Mu Zeâs eyes remained vacant, his amber pupils staring blankly ahead as he slowly raised his right hand. “Yun Chu, give me your hand.”
What on earth was he playing at? Was their relationship even close enough to hold hands?
Yun Chu ignored his gesture. “Just say whatever you have to say.” Cut the crap.
Seeing his precious son being dismissed, Mu Yantao glared fiercely at Yun Chu, then looked up, giving a subtle nod to the nanny behind her.
In the next second, Yun Chuâs hand was suddenly grabbed by someone and placed firmly into Mu Zeâs palm.
“…”
For a split second, a flash of smugness that went unnoticed by others flickered in Mu Ze’s eyes.
Yun Chu looked down, her gaze landing on the back of her hand. The warmth from the man’s palm felt like a gentle current, surprisingly comfortable.
Mu Zeâs grip was very light. “I’m sorry, Yun Chu. It’s my fault for upsetting you. Forgive me, alright? How about going back to the room first?”
Although Mu Ze’s eyes were still blank, the sincerity on his face almost made Yun Chu believe it herself.
She was completely bewildered… What was there to forgive? Anyone who didn’t know better would think they were long-time lovers. It was a waste of talent for this man not to win an Oscar!
Mu Ze turned his head slightly. “Aunt Chen, help me take her back to the room.”
“Understood, Master Mu. Madam, letâs head upstairs.” Aunt Chen bowed slightly beside Yun Chu, waiting for her to move. This madam had made Mr. Mu furious on her very first day; her courage was truly extraordinary.
Yun Chu didn’t know what this man was planning. Yet somehow, as if possessed, she listened to him, walked up the stairs, and her figure gradually disappeared around the corner.
Instantly, the dining room fell into a chilling silence. No one present dared to be the first to break the deadlock.
Mu Yantao knew his son had always been independent and measured in his actions. However, after tonight’s interaction, this Yun Chu proved to have a stubborn temper and was covered in thornsâclearly unsuitable to be a daughter-in-law of the Mu family.
“Ah Ze, are you two really just having a lovers’ quarrel?” Mu Yantao worried that keeping this woman around Mu Ze would eventually bring disaster.
Mu Ze nodded. “Aunt Chen also saw us making up when she went upstairs earlier. I will head back to my room first, Father.”
Mu Yantao said nothing more, signaling the nearby nanny to escort him upstairs. After a moment, he instructed the butler, “Go investigate Yun Chuâs background immediately.”
This Yun Chu could remain calm and unfazed even when facing his intense pressure; even the men in the family might not be able to pull that off. Yet, a twenty-three-year-old girl who was supposed to be naive and inexperienced managed to do it. A little girl couldn’t be this composed without some past experiences.
The Yun family was definitely hiding something from him…
In the second-floor bedroom, Yun Chu was tossing and turning on the bed, feeling incredibly irritated. Hearing the door being pushed open, she saw it was Mu Ze. She quickly got up, walked to the door, closed it, and locked it.
“What exactly do you want from keeping me here! Anyway, whatever your plan is, leave me out of it.”
She was completely baffled. He had already exposed half of his secrets to her, yet he still kept her by his side. Was he not afraid that she might accidentally slip up one day?
Mu Ze raised his eyebrows slightly. His eyes no longer held the vacant, blank look from earlier; instead, his amber pupils carried a trace of casual indifference. He tilted his chin toward the coffee table. “Eat first. Aren’t you hungry?”
Answering a question with another questionâthere was definitely a catch.
Yun Chu touched her stomach; she actually did feel a bit hungry. She had slept all day and hadn’t eaten anything yet. Just now, she was so focused on the annulment that she forgot about food. Her stomach seemed to receive the signal, letting out a very timely growl.
Yun Chu: “…”
Following that was a low chuckle from the man.
With a dark face, Yun Chu walked over to the coffee table, pulled out a chair, and picked up the chopsticks, not letting her status as a dependent affect her appetite.
Seeing her eating so single-mindedly, with her cheeks moving as she chewed like a rabbit, Mu Ze thought she looked quite cute.
What was he thinking? He was actually drawn to a woman with such a sharp tongue. Even when choosing a fiancĂŠe back then, he didn’t know why he insisted on choosing her; he just felt she was the most suitable.
Mu Ze pulled back his thoughts and unconsciously glanced at her. “You sure are obedient when called to eat.” She wasn’t old, but she was as stubborn as a mule.
Yun Chu said casually, “If I don’t eat, I won’t have strength. Without strength, I’ll become a target for bullying. If it were you, what would you choose?”
Her stubbornness had simply been partially ground away during those dark days. It was a reaction born from experience, or perhaps driven by psychological trauma.
Mu Ze was caught off guard by her sudden question. “You always have ten retorts for every word spoken. You’re sharp-tongued, good-looking, and have quite a temper. You just need to play along with me for a while. During this period, I’ll let you do as you please, and it won’t be for too long.”
Yun Chu put down her chopsticks and frowned in interrogation. “Was your first sentence a compliment or an insult? Also, I can’t cooperate with you, nor do I have time to act with you. Please don’t come looking for me.”
This woman was truly unyielding. Cooperating with him was equivalent to having the Mu family as a backing, a privilege so many people desired but were unqualified to have. Now that it was laid out right in front of her, she actually rejected it.
The two of them remained at a standstill for a long time, neither willing to take a step back.
Hurried footsteps echoed from the hallway outside, growing clearer until they stopped firmly at the bedroom door.
The person outside panted out, “Master Mu, Mr. Mu wants you to go downstairs to talk. He is very angry right now.”
The two inside the room looked at each other, utterly bewildered.
After Mu Ze left in his wheelchair, Yun Chu stayed in the room, feeling an unease in her heart. She instinctively felt that their conversation had something to do with her.
In the first-floor living room, only Mu Yantao and the butler were sitting on the sofa. The massive space seemed to be compressed by a heavy, oppressive atmosphere.
Mu Ze frowned slightly. “Father, did something happen?” It had to be something major, otherwise, how could Mu Yantao, who was used to weathering great storms, be this furious?
The elder sitting on the sofa tried to stabilize his emotions, but the thought of the Yun family’s behavior made him increasingly enraged. “You and Yun Chu must call off the engagement immediately. We will settle the score with Yun Hangshan later.”
Mu Ze was caught off guard by this statement. “The reason?”
Mu Yantao snapped, “What other reason do we need? Just the fact that Yun Chu served three years in prison! And she went in for intentional assault; the victim is still comatose in the hospital. You are already in poor health, what if she attacks you? I won’t allow such a threat around you, especially not as a spouse.”
She had actually been in prison?
Mu Ze had never imagined that someone as young as Yun Chu would experience something like that. Although she was sharp-tongued, she wasn’t inherently bad. He was certain of this.
That day in the car, she initiated a kiss, and when she later touched his waist, her naturally pale face blushed all the way to her neck. She was clearly inexperienced, a blank canvas. Why would she commit intentional assault?
Thinking of this, Mu Ze didn’t even notice that his curiosity about Yun Chu had already surpassed normal boundaries. He asked, “When was she released?”
If he hadn’t asked, it would have been fine, but the question made Mu Yantao even angrier. “The day before yesterday! They actually let someone who just got out of prison enter our family! No wonder Yun Hangshan was always vague about Yun Chu’s past. I didn’t think too much of it back then, but thinking about it now, it was all to cover up for her!”
A look of astonishment clearly appeared on Mu Ze’s face. The Yun family actually made someone who had just regained her freedom marry a disabled man on behalf of someone else! What exactly had she gone through?
Mu Yantao’s mood calmed slightly as he said coldly, “You haven’t officially registered the marriage yet anyway. Just call off the engagement, and the cooperation with the Yun family is canceled immediately.”
Standing outside the hallway, Yun Chu’s face grew somber as she overheard their conversation perfectly. She couldn’t help but scoff inwardly. Yun Xiaoxiao was right; someone who had been to prison was practically half-ruined in society. Who would still dare to want her? Who would even accept her?
Forget it, she never expected anyone to be her reliance anyway. She would rely on herself; living alone was just fine. What they were about to say next was obvious, nothing more than the logistics of the annulment, and Yun Chu had no desire to listen further.
She placed her hand on the doorknob and pressed down. Just as she was about to push the door open, Mu Ze’s deep and magnetic voice suddenly drifted into her ears.
