Chapter 11
Mu Ze could hear that the footsteps outside the door did not belong to Aunt Chen. The only person who would dare knock on his door, aside from Aunt Chen, was the hopelessly reckless Liu Mingwei.
Obediently, Yun Chu wheeled him over to the entrance. The moment she opened the door, that nauseating face she couldn’t escape popped up once more.
Liu Mingwei held an exquisitely wrapped gift boxâclearly a highly expensive luxury item. “Uncle, I forgot to give you the wedding gift I specially bought for you,” he said, shoving the box into Yun Chu’s hands, taking the opportunity to graze the back of her hand as he did so. “Consider it made up now.”
With that, his predatory eyes continuously scanned Yun Chu. Banking on the fact that Mu Ze couldn’t see, Liu Mingwei began sneaking his way into the room, his movements so light they were virtually silent.
Yun Chu anxiously cast a glance down at Mu Ze, then lifted her gaze back to stare at the encroaching Liu Mingwei. Her heart pounded frantically, as if it were about to burst from her chest.
What should she do? She didn’t want to trouble Mu Ze again, nor did she want to spark a scandal about hooking up with his nephew.
Yun Chu looked at the gift box in her hands. In the next split second, a loud Thud! echoed sharply through the hallway.
Down in the first-floor living room, Mu Yantao heard the commotion and looked up. “Ah Ze, what happened up there?”
As the noise escalated, Liu Mingwei froze in his tracks with a sour face, not daring to advance any further.
Mu Ze also realized something was amiss, asking patiently, “What’s wrong?”
“Mu Ze, I don’t like the gift, so I threw it away,” Yun Chu said, her fists clenched tightly as she glared dead at Liu Mingwei.
A faint smile touched the corners of Mu Ze’s lips as he spoke slowly, “As you wish. As long as it makes you happy. Didn’t you hear her? Pick up your thing and get out.” The latter half of his sentence was naturally directed at Liu Mingwei.
Gritting his teeth, Liu Mingwei replied, “Then I won’t disturb Uncle’s rest.”
The door slammed shut once more.
Yun Chu finally let go of the breath she was holding, letting out a long sigh. “Uncle, wait for me a moment. I need to handle something.” As long as her grievance with Liu Mingwei wasn’t resolved, the scene that just happened would play out again sooner or later.
She was rushing out the moment they returned; was she still hung up on her ex-boyfriend? Thinking of this, Mu Ze felt a wave of bitterness coat his throat. “No need to report your schedule to me.” He wheeled himself over to the bedside, his silhouette looking thoroughly dejected.
Yun Chu was bewildered; she could swear he was suddenly in a foul mood.
Stepping out of the room, she quickly caught up to Liu Mingwei, who was just about to head into his own bedroom.
“Oh! So you actually wanted to come to my room to play around,” he sneered.
Yun Chu couldn’t be bothered to waste words with him. “The one who was supposed to marry into the Mu family was originally Yun Xiaoxiao. If Uncle Mu found out that Yun Xiaoxiao just happens to be your girlfriend, and she just happened to refuse to marry Mu Ze, what do you think he would think? Would he think you intentionally tried to humiliate Mu Ze? Or would he believe you genuinely love Yun Xiaoxiao?”
“Are you threatening me?” Enraged, Liu Mingwei grabbed her by the collar.
Yun Chu didn’t fear him in the slightest, driving her knee straight into his lower abdomen.
Liu Mingwei’s mouth gasped open in agony, but he didn’t dare make a single sound, terrified of drawing attention. Clutching his lower stomach with both hands, he couldn’t even straighten his spine. “You!” He pointed a trembling finger at Yun Chu.
She intended to punish him right then and thereâto make him understand that she was no longer the submissive Yun Chu of his memories.
“In the Mu Residence, we stay out of each other’s way. If you don’t provoke me, I won’t bother dealing with you. But if you dare try something like what you just did again, I don’t mind tearing down all pretenses.” With that, Yun Chu turned on her heel and walked away gracefully, giving him no opportunity to speak.
In excruciating pain, Liu Mingwei nearly collapsed onto the floor, his eyes glaring viciously at her retreating back. “Yun Chu, I will make you regret this!”
Back in the bedroom, the sound of running water echoed from the bathroom. Knowing Mu Ze was taking a shower, Yun Chu walked over to sit on the sofa. She opened her phone to find a new unread message: [The buyer absolutely loves the design manuscript. He wants to meet you in person. Going?]
The fewer complications, the better; as long as the money hit her account, she was content. She replied: [Too busy lately. Please decline for me, thanks.]
Mu Ze emerged from the shower wearing nothing but a bath towel wrapped around his waist. His powerful, well-built physique, neatly defined muscle lines, and cold, noble aura combined perfectly. For a split second, Yun Chu stared blankly, completely dazed.
He held a towel to dry his hair, asking casually, “Um, could you do me a favor? My back hasn’t healed yet, so I can’t hold the hair dryer properly.”
At this moment, Mu Ze swallowed nervously. Before Yun Chu had returned, he had called Gao Sheng to ask: “What’s the fastest way to win someone over?” He didn’t want to wait any longer; one moment it was Xiao He, and the next it was Liu Mingwei. The woman hadn’t even fallen for him yet, but his rivals were already lining up!
Without a second thought, Gao Sheng had replied with absolute conviction, “A honey trap, President Mu! Utilize your strengths.” Armed with a devastatingly handsome face and a killer body, it was the ultimate weapon.
Yun Chu agreed readily, “It’s no trouble at all.” Compared to what he had done for her, this was nothing. She immediately retrieved the hair dryer from the bathroom and approached Mu Ze.
He sat by the edge of the bed with his long legs spread wide. Since he was only wearing a towel, aside from his vital area being covered, his thighs were almost completely exposed. Mu Ze set down the towel, his damp hair hanging loose, giving him a trace of vulnerable, fragile charm.
Yun Chu stood in front of him, lifting the hair dryer and clicking the button. The gentle, warm air billowed between his hair and her palms. The hem of her dress brushed against the inner side of his thigh from time to timeâcool, yet sending a slight tingle through him. It felt like a plucked guitar string, tightening and loosening in turns.
Mu Ze rested his hands on either side of his body, gripping the bedsheets tightly. His raspy voice cut through the noise, “Yun Chu, does your arm ache?”
“A little, but it’s fine.” It was her first time drying someone else’s hair, so she wasn’t entirely used to it.
“Why don’t you sit down to do it?”
Sit… Before Yun Chu’s brain could even process the invitation, he had already wrapped his arm around her slender waist and pulled her onto his lap. Coincidentally, as she sat down, her knee bumped into a place it shouldn’t have. Crucially, it had already reacted…
In an instant, Yun Chu’s face flushed a deep crimson.
She was in no frame of mind to dry his hair now, shifting uneasily on his lap. Facing Mu Ze’s handsome, striking face at a distance of less than five centimeters, she could feel his hurried breath drumming heavily against her chest.
“Yun Chu, may I?” He kept his arm anchored around her waist. The paper-thin wall between them was just a single touch away from shattering completely. If the last time had been to help him counter the effects of the medication, what about this time? What excuse could she possibly find?
At this point, her mind was entirely intoxicated, unable to untangle her thoughts, leaving her to rely purely on instinct to respond. Unwittingly, the hair dryer had been turned off. As the distance between them closed, her slender arms drifted up to rest on his broad shoulders, their noses lightly brushing against one another.
“Mm,” she answered softly, her face blushing fiercely.
The moment her consent was given, Mu Ze flipped over with her in his arms, pressing her beneath him. Yun Chu’s gorgeous figure sank into the soft mattress like a pool of inviting spring water. Throughout the night, they tangled together, entirely blending into one.
The next morning.
The moment Yun Chu woke up and opened her eyes, she saw Mu Ze resting his head on his hand, staring down at her. The gauze over his eyes had already been completely removed. Those amber eyes remained breathtakingly handsome.
“Morning,” he murmured lazily, his voice carrying the fatigue of someone who had stayed up late into the night.
Wait a minute! A jolt of adrenaline shot through her, and her eyes snapped wide open. “You! Weren’t you supposed to take that off tomorrow?” Was he no longer afraid of blowing his cover or failing to mislead the others?
Mu Ze reached out, gently smoothing the stray hairs away from her face, his gaze overflowing with tenderness. “I didn’t want to wait anymore. Shen Yan is already on his way over. Yun Chu, let’s get registered for marriage, okay?”
