Just as the atmosphere between the two had begun to thaw from the freezing point of the previous night, the hospital room door was suddenly flung open. Chu Weiyuan, wearing a Dior lace little black dress, stormed in, looking like a model who had just finished walking the runway. She looked at Shu Yi'an on the hospital bed with a pained expression, and made a move to hug her. "My dear sister-in-law, how did you end up in the hospital?"
Afraid that she might clumsily touch Shu Yi'an's wound, Chu Mu grabbed Chu Weiyuan's arm and pulled her away from the bedside. "Have you finished what I asked you to do?"
Chu Weiyuan, the youngest daughter of the Chu family and Chu Mu's younger sister, is known as the "Princess of the Capital." A little girl who was pampered by her many older brothers and sisters in the compound since childhood, she always called Shu Yi'an "little sister-in-law" because she was only two months younger than Shu Yi'an.
Chu Weiyuan silently rolled her eyes and nodded respectfully. "It's all done. I asked my sister-in-law for half a month's leave. But when her boss heard she was hospitalized, he gave her an extra week." Saying this, Chu Weiyuan turned to Shu Yi'an and gave her a thumbs-up. "Sister-in-law, the boss is awesome!"
Shu Yi'an frowned upon hearing Chu Weiyuan's words and looked at Chu Mu, "Are you going to ask for leave for me, Yuanyuan?"
"I've already made the biggest concession by not asking her to resign." Chu Mu glanced at Shu Yi'an with a dark look, then reached out and touched her forehead; it was no longer hot. "I have a diplomatic event this afternoon, so I'll go back and change first, and come over tonight."
At the same time, he got up, grabbed his coat from the side, and threatened Chu Weiyuan, "Keep an eye on her. If she dares to run away halfway through like she did with her mother, I'll cut off all your financial support. If you want a new car, you can wait until your next life."
The story of Chu Mu's wife having her gallstones removed three years ago, and Chu Weiyuan, who was supposed to be accompanying her, leaving her own mother at the airport to pick up a purebred Samoyed that had been ordered and flown in, is like a nightmare in Chu Mu's life.
Chapter Six
Xiao Ke sat in his large swivel chair, lost in thought for half an hour, his mind still lingering on the scene of Chu Weiyuan coming to see him that morning. On the table, the information he had ordered someone to investigate was still neatly arranged. Actually, there was no need to put in much effort to investigate; who in the capital didn't know about the Chu family?
That family, which has produced diplomatic luminaries for generations, has created countless news stories and legends in the new China. Almost every member of that family has their glorious past documented online. Chu Mu… Ha! He's far more than someone I can rival… How ironic.
At 8:30, just as he entered his office, his secretary knocked on the door to announce that a young lady was looking for him. Before he could even give his permission, Chu Weiyuan strode in, her high heels clicking with a graceful, elegant gait. Having been in the business world for so many years, Xiao Ke only needed one glance at Chu Weiyuan to know that this girl was someone of considerable importance and had come with ill intentions.
Chu Weiyuan was dressed extremely elegantly today. A black lace dress hugged her curvaceous figure perfectly, and she casually carried a five-compartment Princess Diana bag. Her hands and neck were adorned with the latest Bulgari accessories, and even her makeup was flawless. With a polite smile, she directly stated her purpose. "Hello, Mr. Xiao. I'm Shu Yi'an's sister, here to ask for leave on her behalf."
Shu Yi'an, it's Shu Yi'an again. Xiao Ke pondered for a moment, then nodded in greeting as he sat behind his desk. "Hello, please have a seat." After watching Chu Weiyuan settle down on the sofa, he whispered to his secretary, "Go pour me a cup of tea."
"You are... Shu Yi'an's sister?" Xiao Ke frowned, looking at the luxuriously dressed girl in front of him with some confusion. He didn't remember her having such a sister.
Chu Weiyuan seemed to sense his doubt. She gently thanked the secretary who handed her the water bottle. "To be precise, she's my sister-in-law."
"Well, she suddenly suffered a perforated stomach last night and was rushed to the hospital for surgery. She's probably still unconscious. So I'm here to ask for... at least two weeks of leave for her."
Chu Weiyuan always followed her brother's orders. This morning, she was still half-asleep in bed, having partied wildly at a nightclub until the phone rang half the night before she finally answered it lazily. Chu Mu knew her too well; without any unnecessary words, he got straight to the point. Chu Weiyuan, still drowsy, asked, "Half a month? Usually it's only a week... What if they don't give it to me?"
Then, Chu Mu sneered on the other end of the phone, "It's best if you don't give it to her. Just let her resign."
So while Chu Weiyuan waited for Xiao Ke's reply, she was secretly hoping, "Please reject me quickly! Then I can arrogantly slam my fist on the table and resign!" However, Xiao Ke's reaction surprised her.
"How could there be a perforated stomach? How is she now? Is it serious?" Xiao Ke frowned and searched carefully. She had spent almost the entire day yesterday with the company following up on contract matters. Could it be that something was wrong with the banquet she ate last night?
Chu Weiyuan's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly; the three questions in a row made her feel vaguely uneasy. "The surgery was very successful, don't worry. Now all you need to do is approve this leave. You don't need to worry about anything else."
Chu Weiyuan, being a member of the fashion industry, had long heard of Xiao Ke, one of the city's most eligible bachelors. But upon meeting him today, she inwardly scoffed. "A golden bachelor," she thought... "that's all there is to it." It wasn't that Xiao Ke wasn't outstanding, but rather that the men Chu Weiyuan had been surrounded by since childhood were simply too high-class. Her own brother doted on her, even more than her own father. The third son of the Jiang family in the compound was Chu Weiyuan's mentor, teaching her not only various unorthodox methods but also how to remain calm and composed in the face of adversity. Over a decade, she had been transformed into a veritable enchantress. Then there was Ji Hengdong of the Ji family, who was practically Chu Weiyuan's wallet. Whenever Chu Weiyuan wanted to buy something or go somewhere, and Chu Mu was in a bad mood or had offended him, she would invariably go to Ji Hengdong. Ji Hengdong indulged her, never asking for anything in return, and would simply hand over his money without hesitation. Zhan Cheng, the eldest son of the Zhan family, was surrounded by boys. So this guy was always like a chivalrous protector to the girls in the compound, rushing towards them whenever he saw one. As a result, when Chu Mu was young, she would always pull Chu Weiyuan to her side to avoid Zhan Cheng's advances, saying, "Can you stop pouncing on your little sister every time you see her?" Chu Weiyuan relied on Zhan Cheng's frequent misbehavior outside, so Zhan Cheng would clean up her messes when Chu Mu couldn't get involved.
This back-and-forth led to Chu Weiyuan becoming someone who didn't respect anyone. Therefore, she wasn't exactly polite to Xiao Ke either.
Xiao Ke understood the implication in Chu Weiyuan's words and coughed lightly to hide his unease. "Okay, tell her I'll approve another week so she can focus on recovering."
Chu Weiyuan looked at the tea leaves on the table, which were gradually getting cold, picked up her bag, and was about to leave. "Then I'm sorry to have bothered you. Goodbye, Mr. Xiao."
Looking at Chu Weiyuan's slender back, Xiao Ke suddenly spoke up, stopping Chu Weiyuan in her tracks. "Miss Chu, your Chu family is truly as rumored, worthy of being the aristocracy of this capital city."
Chu Weiyuan paused slightly. She hadn't revealed her name since entering the room, and now Xiao Ke was giving her this advice, undoubtedly to prove to her that he fully understood Shu Yi'an, or rather, their Chu family. As Chu Weiyuan reached the door, she turned gracefully, her beautiful, petite face radiating an unapproachable arrogance and haughtiness. Looking at Xiao Ke, she said, word by word, "Then you should also know that having our Chu family's daughter-in-law work for you is already a step down for you. You absolutely mustn't have any improper thoughts."
"Your tea is good. Goodbye."
Xiao Ke's pent-up frustration almost drove Chu Weiyuan half to death with anger. In all his years in the business world, this was the first time in the Chu family that CEO Xiao had seen through him so ruthlessly and exposed his true feelings.
——————————————————————-————————————
Chu Mu rushed home to shower and change. He was dressed just as the driver arrived at his building. Looking at a whole drawer full of cufflinks, he lowered his eyes, thought for a moment, and then took the obsidian pair. It was the first gift Shu Yi'an had given him.
The secretary scrolled through the itinerary on her phone, and when she saw Chu Mu get into the car, she turned around and handed him a document. "This afternoon is your last organizational meeting in Beijing, at the Intercontinental Conference Center, which will last about two hours."
Chu Mu took the document and glanced at it briefly. "Cancel all activities tonight. I have something to do."
The secretary nodded respectfully. "Okay, by the way, your flight to Germany is at 8 p.m. the day after tomorrow."
Chu Mu paused, his fingers moving through the documents, and frowned. "So fast?"
He probably never realized it, but compared to his other trips back to Beijing, this was one of the longer stays he'd had. Yet, why did it still feel so short? Was it because he hadn't gotten used to living with her yet? Why, when he thought about leaving soon, and of the woman on the hospital bed, her eyes filled with a tender affection, did he suddenly feel a slight pang of reluctance…
The others in the car seemed to sense Chu Mu's deep thought and displeasure, and for a moment no one dared to speak. Fortunately, the buzzing of Chu Mu's phone in his pocket temporarily eased the tense atmosphere in the car. The three large characters "Ji Hengdong" on the screen made Chu Mu's head throb instantly.
"Hello?"
"Hey Director Chu, it's been two days since you got back. When are you going to meet with us? We're all lined up and waiting."
Chu Mu rubbed his temples; jet lag and not having slept all night made him look tired. "Next time, I'll go back the day after tomorrow."
"Hey, hey, hey!" Ji Hengdong shouted to stop Chu Mu from hanging up the phone, quickly interjecting. "Important business! I heard that last night an Audi with black license plates drove straight to the hospital, violating traffic rules all the way. What's wrong? Has your sister Yi'an been abusing you for too long?"
Chu Mu couldn't bear to look at the document anymore, so he slammed it shut and patiently explained to the person on the other end, "Yi An has a stomach problem, so I took her to the hospital. Do you have anything else to say? I'm hanging up."
"Something's wrong, really. I saw your second uncle coming out of your house when I got home today. It's possible that the old lady whispered in his ear again to get you back."
Madam Chu's desire to bring Chu Mu back from Germany, so far away, was nothing new, and Chu Zhoutong was already used to it. Chu Mu was quite aware of this. As long as he didn't submit an application, not even his own father, let alone Sui Qing, could change his mind. He casually replied to Ji Hengdong, "I understand."
The car drove smoothly to the Intercontinental Conference Center, where people were scattered on the steps outside to greet him. Tao Yunjia, wearing a knee-length red suit, stood at the outermost edge, her long black hair loosely draped behind her head, her bright face bearing the confident air of someone who had once been arrogant and domineering. From afar, she resembled a goddess from ancient Greece standing on the sea, high above yet humble and dignified.
Chu Mu looked out the car window and subconsciously asked, "Why is she here?" There were few women present, and Tao Yunjia was particularly conspicuous. The secretary almost immediately realized who Chu Mu was referring to as "she".
"Several ambassadors from that side have also come, and Miss Tao has come specifically to translate for you."
Chapter Seven
Chu Mu was followed by a large entourage of secretaries, translators, copywriters, stenographers, and other professionals as they entered the second floor of the conference center. Tao Yunjia quickly stepped forward and closely followed Chu Mu, her voice formal. "Deputy Director Chu, I will be your translator this time."