Upon hearing Chu Mu's voice, Shu Yi'an pursed her lips and followed Xiao Ke to Chu Mu's side. It could be said that she subconsciously stood beside him and introduced him, "This is President Xiao, President Xiao, this is my husband, Chu Mu."
Chu Mu looked at Xiao Ke's outstretched hand, then smiled politely and withdrew his own hand from his pocket. "Hello, Chu Mu." Their two equally clean and slender hands shook for only a few seconds. Chu Mu could sense the hostility and competition emanating from Xiao Ke. That was a fundamental lesson he learned as a diplomat: to understand people and their actions, one must be able to win their hearts.
"Now that you're here, Miss Shu is in your care. We're heading back." Xiao Ke looked at the car slowly approaching from the side and prepared to say goodbye.
Chu Mu maintained his previous polite and aloof demeanor, nodding slightly and opening the passenger door to signal Shu Yi'an to get in. "No need for you to trouble yourself."
As the black, top-of-the-line Audi slowly drove out of sight, a large group of employees behind Xiao Ke suddenly erupted into a commotion.
"I didn't realize that. She's usually so ordinary, except for being a little pretty! How did she end up marrying such a good husband?"
“That’s right! That suit must be very expensive, you see? The watch alone costs more than that…” A knowledgeable young woman, who was quite knowledgeable about such things, held up her hand and made a gesture of six.
One of the more experienced male colleagues chimed in at the opportune moment, "Don't be fooled by their clothes, it's the license plate on their car that's truly impressive."
Yes... the license plate. It was a symbol unique to Chu Mu, the most ordinary object yet representing his extraordinary status.
Looking in the direction where Shu Yi'an had long since disappeared, Xiao Ke suddenly felt a little frustrated.
Chapter Five
Chu Mu was in a particularly bad mood, unsure whether it was because of the way Xiao Ke looked at Shu Yi'an or Shu Yi'an's current reaction.
Both remained silent, neither intending to speak first. Chu Mu was always calm and reserved, but that didn't mean he wouldn't get angry. Xiao Ke's actions just now were clearly an act of jealous aggression. Having navigated social circles for so many years, Chu Mu knew that someone's intentions didn't require much explanation. He could tell almost the instant Xiao Ke reached out his hand that this man was coveting or envying something.
In the quiet car, even their breathing could be clearly heard. Shu Yi'an sat in the passenger seat, staring calmly ahead without saying a word. Chu Mu suddenly felt annoyed. "Don't you have anything to say?"
Shu Yi'an had been silently planning to pretend she didn't know what Tao Yunjia had said, but hearing his question suddenly made her angry. "Don't you have anything to say to me?"
Chu Mu was almost amused by his own anger. "What should I tell you? How much my boss cares about me? Or how he bravely offered to drive me out after dinner?"
The two are completely on different wavelengths, so no matter what the other asks, they both want to respond with the most forceful words. Before long, it's starting to sound like an argument.
"You're being ridiculous! We just came out together because it was over, why are you making it sound like this? How can you be so quick to misinterpret things?" Shu Yi'an glared at Chu Mu angrily.
Chu Mu glanced casually at the rearview mirror and uttered a few words: "Yes, my thinking is wrong."
Miss Shu Yi'an clearly didn't want to discuss this topic with him anymore. She calmed herself down and tried to change the subject. "When are you going back to Germany?"
This time, Chu Mu was completely enraged. "What's wrong? Are you in such a hurry to kick me out and make room for someone else?"
Shu Yi'an angrily threw the phone in her hand at Chu Mu. She felt wronged at that moment.
If Tao Yunjia's words were like a knife plunged squarely into Shu Yi'an's heart, then Chu Mu's current attitude towards her was like stabbing that knife even deeper.
"Chu Mu, you bastard!"
Shu Yi'an probably didn't even realize that the emotions she had suppressed all night were suddenly bursting out. Her eyes were filled with tears from anger and grievance.
Chu Mu hadn't expected Shu Yi'an to react so strongly. He caught the phone she threw at him with one hand, then abruptly turned the steering wheel and pulled the car over to the side of the road. Only now did he realize that something was wrong with Shu Yi'an. Because given her usually easygoing and agreeable nature, she would never have acted like this.
Chu Mu felt a headache coming on and casually rolled down the car window to light a cigarette. The two remained locked in a stalemate for a moment. Chu Mu was six years older than Shu Yi'an. Although they sometimes bickered, they had never been in a situation like this before; he always gave in to her. Neither of them was ever unwilling to yield, and they never insisted on a fight to the death.
After a long while, Chu Mu finally looked up and exhaled a puff of smoke. "Okay, it was my fault. I'm sorry."
Shu Yi'an stubbornly turned her head away, ignoring him. It was always the same; he never cared why she acted that way, never bothered to investigate. It was as if all her unhappiness and bad moods were caused by him, and as long as he apologized, he felt it was no big deal. Shu Yi'an suddenly felt a little tired, and her stomach began to ache slightly.
Seeing that Shu Yi'an remained silent, Chu Mu silently stubbed out his cigarette, started the car, and drove away.
When they arrived at the entrance of the Lakeside Villa, the two got out of the car one after the other. However, Chu Mu overlooked Shu Yi'an's pale face and the cold sweat on her forehead as she walked behind.
For the first half of the night, Chu Mu had been working on various documents in his study. As the clock struck two, he finally got up to get a glass of water. Passing by the bedroom, he paused briefly. He had intended to check on her sleep, but upon opening the door, Chu Mu was immediately startled.
Shu Yi'an's slender body was curled up in a ball on the bed, her small face buried deep in her knees. Her five fingers were gripping the corner of the blanket so tightly that her knuckles were white.
Chu Mu felt a sharp pang of pain in his heart when he saw her forehead was soaked with sweat. He rushed forward, grabbed Shu Yi'an, and anxiously asked, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Shu Yi'an, her head resting on Chu Mu's chest, was in so much pain she couldn't speak. When his warm, dry hand touched her forehead, tears instantly streamed down her face. "Chu Mu...it hurts..."
The temperature was frighteningly high, and Chu Mu couldn't immediately pinpoint where she was hurting. He could only judge from her expression that she must be quite ill. Without hesitation, he picked her up and, without time to change her clothes, pulled his own suit jacket over her. It felt like a hole had been drilled into her stomach; Shu Yi'an leaned weakly against the seat, seemingly lifeless. Chu Mu held the car with one hand and gripped her hand with the other, afraid that Shu Yi'an might actually fall asleep.
"Yi'an, we'll be there soon, just bear with it."
If Shu Yi'an were sober at this moment, she would definitely be surprised by Chu Mu's tense expression.
He ran countless lights and crossed numerous solid lines along the way. The journey from home to the hospital should have taken at least forty minutes, but Chu Mu managed to speed it out to twenty minutes.
The doctor only conducted a cursory examination before drawing a conclusion: a perforated stomach. This was a result of the patient's long-term irregular eating habits and weak constitution. Immediate surgery was required.
Upon hearing this, Chu Mu's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down slightly. He grabbed the consent form from the side and hurriedly signed it. The nurse beside him glanced excitedly at the patient relationship section, but her disappointment was palpable. So they were husband and wife... As expected, all the excellent men are already taken.
The surgeon recognized Chu Mu and, while instructing people to prepare for the surgery, reassured him, "Don't worry, there's no danger to your life."
Standing on one side of the corridor next to the operating room, Chu Muli looked at the red light and instructed, "She is allergic to cephalosporin drugs."
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When Shu Yi'an woke up again, it was already noon the next day. Chu Mu was dozing off, one hand supporting his forehead. He was still wearing the gray pajamas he had worn when he ran away from home the night before. He was always a light sleeper, and he quickly opened his eyes when he heard the rustling sounds beside the bed.
Looking at the woman gradually regaining consciousness, he suddenly smiled helplessly. "Shu Yi'an, what did you eat to survive while I was away? How did you manage to get yourself into a stomach perforation?"
The surgical incision was very small, and apart from the lingering effects of the anesthesia, Shu Yi'an was in good spirits. She even had the energy to argue with him. She blinked her long, thick eyelashes and replied in a calm tone, "Eating flowers and plants, and sometimes when you're extremely hungry, you can even eat plastic or wood."
Chu Mu paused, holding the water glass, and almost spilled it.
"No wonder you have a bad stomach. Next time, try eating something soft, like sofa cushions or bed sheets."
He then reached out and brought the water to her lips, gesturing patiently for her to drink it. "Miss Shu, let's start with this."