"That's all. Or do you have something else for me to do?" Shu Yi'an looked up at Chu Mu. As she spoke, the dark blue tie had already been neatly and exquisitely made in Miss Shu's hands.
Shu Yi-an's skill in tying ties dates back to when the two had just gotten married.
It was the morning of their wedding first day. Chu Mu was going to attend a diplomatic event, a very serious occasion, and his secretary had specifically reminded him that his attire should not only be formal but also solemn. As a diplomat, Chu Mu was well aware of these rules. So he got up early to prepare.
Who knew that problems would arise when it came to tying the tie? It was as if something was deliberately working against him; no matter how Chu Mu tried, it just wouldn't look neat.
Shu Yi'an couldn't stand his rustling sounds any longer, so she went barefoot to the inner bathroom and peeked out her little head, asking timidly, "Do you need any help?"
Chu Mu raised an eyebrow at the woman at the door with a hint of skepticism, "Are you sure you can do it?"
Chu Mu has an almost obsessive passion for brands; the luxury menswear brands Hugo Boss and Ermenegildo Zegna occupy almost half of his wardrobe.
Shu Yi'an looked at the inconspicuous logo on the side of the tie and suddenly started tying an extremely complicated knot.
Chu Mu could see her bare, white, and rounded feet just by looking down slightly. Perhaps the bathroom floor tiles were cold, because all ten of her toes were slightly curled up. Shu Yi'an looked quite different from before in the morning. Unlike her usual calm and gentle demeanor, she was wearing a knee-length white nightgown and even had a touch of innocence and girlish coquettishness.
At that moment, Chu Mu was looking at Shu Yi'an's soft hair when he suddenly reached out and hugged her, lifting her up. Her bare feet landed right on Chu Mu's feet, replaced by a warm sensation beneath them.
Shu Yi'an was momentarily at a loss, her hands gripping Chu Mu's shoulders, her round eyes wide with surprise. "Hey, I'm heavy..."
But Chu Mu seemed not to hear her and pulled her closer to him, making her more stable. "Don't catch a cold."
Shu Yi'an had known Chu Mu for some time, and this wasn't the first time she had felt his care for her. However, on the first morning of their marriage, Shu Yi'an was completely captivated by one particular gesture from him.
It was a very nice bow tie. Looking at the black pointed silk tie against the white shirt in the mirror, Chu Mu almost instinctively uttered, "Eldridge, you know how to do this?"
The Eldredge knot is a very beautiful but also very complex tie knot. It perfectly embodies the tie's perfection, fullness, triangle shape, and layering. The previous steps involve tying a half Windsor knot. After completing the first layer of the tie knot, another layer is wrapped around it. Finally, the extra section of tie is tucked behind the knot. It's a knot that extremely tests one's intelligence and skill. Chu Weiyuan had previously tried to tie it herself, digging out a few ties from her closet, but she gave up because it was too complicated. Yet now, in Shu Yi'an's hands, it had become unbelievably perfect.
Shu Yi'an lowered her head somewhat awkwardly and explained, "I took a dress etiquette elective at school before, so I know a little bit..."
It was from that bow tie that Chu Mu began to rely on her almost completely in this matter. Sometimes, he would wake her up even when she was still asleep, and she would wake up with sleepy eyes.
Chu Mu straightened his collar one last time, picked up his suit jacket hanging by the door, and prepared to leave. Before leaving, he still reminded Shu Yi'an with a word of concern, "If you feel bored, go for a walk, but remember to take your phone with you so you don't get lost."
"Also, you must write a resignation letter."
Shu Yi'an stared at the closed apartment door and couldn't help but make a huge face. What a nutcase! Was she really that stupid? How could she get lost just by going out for a walk?
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On his way to work, Chu Mu suddenly received a video call invitation from Jiang Beichen.
Jiang Beichen on the other end of the video call was clearly at home, his hair disheveled, and he was dangling a baby bottle in his hand. Chu Mu disdainfully moved the tablet away from himself, looking at Jiang Beichen's pink shirt covered in cartoon pig prints, and said sarcastically, "Mr. Jiang, are you planning to switch careers to infant care? What is that thing you're wearing?"
Jiang Beichen looked at Chu Mu's refreshed appearance on the other end of the camera and sighed smugly. "You simply don't understand. Someone like you who's never been a father can't comprehend the love of a son. My son likes this, and as his father, I have to fulfill his wishes! Fatherly love, do you understand?"
“If you’re here so early in the morning just to talk to me about fatherly love, I suggest you take your son back to the compound to see your old man.”
Just as Chu Mu was about to turn the screen around, Jiang Beichen got down to business. "No, no, I'm getting married next month. If you have time off, remember to come back."
Chu Mu was amused by Jiang Beichen's expression. "You're the only one in Beijing who would come up with something like getting married when our son is a month old. Okay, I know. I'll definitely go back next month. What? Chu Han agreed too?"
Jiang Beichen subconsciously put his son's pacifier in his mouth and nodded with a lovesick look on his face. "Agreed."
Chu Mu felt disgusted and slammed the screen shut.
Chu Mu still remembers that just a few days before her wedding, Jiang Beichen and Chu Han were in the middle of a cold war, which was also the most difficult time for both of them. Now, her marriage is still the same as it was a year ago, but in the blink of an eye, Jiang Beichen and Chu Han already have a child.
How wonderful it is... Chu Mu thought to himself as he looked out the window at the people coming and going.
The content of the routine meetings was always the same: summarizing the past and planning for the future. Chu Mu's administrative assistant placed another cup of tea beside him; the top-grade Zhengshan Xiaozhong tea shone with a pure and clear color in the clean glass.
"Deputy Director, the Third Division said they want to borrow a translator from us; they have an event there today."
Chu Mu glanced at the documents submitted today and casually hummed in agreement. "Aren't there any freelancers in the translation team? Can I borrow one?"
"The key is... they need a female translator, and right now only Team Leader Tao is left, what do you think?" Just as the administrative assistant finished speaking, there was a knock on the door of Chu Mu's office.
Tao Yunjia was dressed in a black business suit, with her hair styled in a neat ponytail.
Chu Mu looked up at the person who came in, and gestured with his chin to his assistant. "Perfect timing. The Third Division is short of someone and needs to borrow you as a temporary translator. Get ready to leave in a bit."
Tao Yunjia was taken aback by the immediate order to be sent abroad, and her expression darkened. She straightened her back slightly and pulled out a card from a stack of documents she had been carrying. Her voice was formal: "This is an invitation from the association. Mr. Harland initiated it tonight in his personal capacity, hoping to further strengthen diplomatic relations."
Mr. Harland was an extremely prestigious figure in German diplomatic circles. Over forty years old, his sophisticated methods often drew admiration and discussion behind his back. Chu Mu had also clashed with him several times, and the two were considered friends.
Holding a gathering under the guise of diplomacy was something Chu Mu most wanted to refuse; he'd turned it down countless times before. Looking at Harland's flamboyant signature at the end of the card, he felt a headache coming on.
Tao Yunjia glanced at Chu Mu's expression and added, "Mr. Harland said it would be best to bring family members or female companions, as there's a ball tonight. I—am also among those invited."
Upon hearing this, even the administrative assistant standing nearby shuddered.
Everyone says Team Leader Tao is efficient and direct, and seems particularly aggressive, and that's certainly true. However… this girl's ambition is way too much!! Few people know about Chu Mu's marriage, and even those close to him understand that the couple has always lived apart. Therefore, Chu Mu always declines invitations to private gatherings. Tao Yunjia's words are essentially telling Chu Mu, "You're here alone, and since you're asking for a female companion, you can bring me along too."
After listening to Tao Yunjia's words, Chu Mu raised his head and looked at her expressionlessly, his dark eyes revealing no emotion. "Please tell Mr. Harland that I will be there with my wife tonight." Chu Mu spoke the word "wife" with a gentle yet serious tone.
Chapter Fifteen
As Shu Yi'an typed her name on the computer for the last time, the phone next to her started buzzing.
"I'll have someone pick you up at six o'clock. There's a social gathering organized by the locals tonight."
Shu Yi'an frowned slightly upon hearing this. "Is it very formal?"
Chu Mu took the card, glanced at it briefly, and thought about it for a moment. "I guess so."
"But I don't have any clothes. I only have work clothes, which aren't really suitable for this kind of occasion."