Brian was overjoyed to hear that Shu Yi'an had been sent from the Greater China region. He went to great lengths to schedule the meeting at 9 PM in a three-star hotel. This invincible Frenchman was confident that he could easily win over the woman he had longed for, just as he had done many times before.
Just like right now.
Shu Yi'an stared blankly at the man in the bathrobe in front of her, her hand unconsciously tightening its grip on her briefcase, and she subconsciously took a step back. "Excuse me, Mr. Brian, perhaps I've come at the wrong time?"
Brian leaned against the doorframe with one hand, his attitude completely casual. "Of course not, Shu, I've been waiting for you for a long time."
The moment the words left her mouth, Shu Yi'an felt a chill run down her spine. So this guy really was as she suspected—harboring ulterior motives. Although Miss Shu had the nature of a lamb, she wasn't one to be easily slaughtered when danger struck, and alarm bells began to ring incessantly in her mind. "I'm sorry, Mr. Brian, it's so late and I'm afraid we'll disturb your rest. Perhaps we could do it another day?"
However, Shu Yi'an misjudged the difference in regional culture. What was considered the most serious rejection by the Chinese was seen by Brian as more like a coy refusal.
Brian took a step forward, grabbed Shu Yi'an's arm, and pulled her into the room. "Come in first, let's discuss the contract."
Shu Yi'an took a deep breath and looked at the door Brian had closed. Only then did she realize the danger that lay ahead that night.
Brian had drawn thick curtains over the original floor-to-ceiling windows, all the permanent lights were off, and only warm yellow ambient lights were on for nighttime illumination. On the long wooden dining table sat an opened bottle of red wine, and even the music playing was the sentimental "sexual healing" by Marvingaye.
As Shu Yi'an cautiously surveyed the room's furnishings, Brian appeared behind her at some point, brushing aside the hair she had tied behind her head. The tall, blond, blue-eyed man now seemed to exude a strong, urgent anxiety. "Can we begin?"
A strange, scorching breath brushed against Shu Yi'an's neck, instantly igniting her fury. Even her usually gentle eyes now held undisguised anger. Taking a few steps back, Shu Yi'an tried to create distance between them.
“I’ve made myself very clear, Mr. Brian. I’m here to discuss a contract. But it’s quite obvious that I don’t think you have the right attitude for business. I’m representing Greater China now, and I hope you can respect each other and come up with a suitable environment and the right approach.”
Brian stared at Shu Yi'an a few steps away. Her small, unmade-up face held an undeniable determination. Underneath a well-tailored shirt were a pair of brightly colored jeans that covered her completely.
Seeing this, Brian simply shrugged and his tone became anything but polite. "Shu, you were sent by President Xiao, but as for why I sent you, I thought you already knew with your intelligence. I asked Xiao Ke for you three years ago, but he didn't give it to me. Now that I've sent you to negotiate this contract again, I thought you had agreed. Are you putting on an act for me?"
After speaking, Brian's gaze fell on the bottle of medicine beside the large bed in the bedroom, and he became even bolder. He loosened the belt of his bathrobe and walked towards Shu Yi'an.
Shu Yi'an then realized that Xiao Ke and he had long treated her as a transaction. Without any hesitation, Miss Shu threw the documents in her hand in almost all her anger and turned to run towards the door.
Brian panicked at her movements, muttering curses in a mix of English and French as he rushed toward Shu Yi'an, who was running toward the door.
"Ah!" Shu Yi'an screamed as she looked at Brian, who was holding her tightly. In the struggle, Brian ripped open the collar of her shirt. The exposed skin instantly gave Shu Yi'an a surge of courage, and she grabbed something and smashed it at Brian's head.
Taking advantage of the moment he covered his head, Shu Yi'an broke free from his grasp and ran out of the room.
“putainmerde!”
Brian stared in astonishment at the blood slowly trickling down his forehead, then looked at the open door and cursed under his breath.
Shu Yi'an ran out of the elevator, fighting back tears. She was still clutching her torn collar tightly with one hand. Her vision was so blurry that she couldn't see the people around her. She hurriedly ignored the polite inquiries from the lobby staff when they asked her if she needed help.
Amidst the chaotic footsteps, Shu Yi'an felt herself bump into someone.
Underneath her gaze lay a pristine white shirt beneath a pure black suit. When she looked up and met the man's eyes, Shu Yi'an suddenly hugged his neck and burst into tears.
Chapter Eleven
Chu Mu was a little confused as he looked at the person who had buried their head in the crook of his neck and was crying.
First, Chu Mu assumed that the woman who was currently nestled against him and crying was fast asleep at home in Beijing. Second, he couldn't quite understand what was going on with the large tear in her collar.
However, Mr. Chu Mu's years of work had honed his ability to remain calm in the face of anything. Even though he was terrified, he still instinctively held her in his arms with one hand and gently coaxed her, trying to calm her down.
"Yi'an?"
Hearing Chu Mu's deep, reassuring voice, Shu Yi'an felt even more aggrieved, and the fear in her heart burst forth. She hugged Chu Mu tightly with both hands and buried her head even deeper into his body.
Chu Mu's secretary, who was also with him, was stunned by the scene. For a moment, she could only stand there dumbfounded, holding Chu Mu's coat.
The warm, damp sensation in the nape of his neck made Chu Mu realize the seriousness of the situation. He immediately turned his head and gave the secretary a sharp look, and she instantly understood.
She stepped forward and handed the coat to Chu Mu, asking softly, "Shall I go in first?"
Today was the day that one of Chu Mu's French friends was returning from an overseas assignment. They had arranged to meet tonight, and Chu Mu had only brought a secretary with him. However, just as the two were about to enter the hotel lobby, they encountered Shu Yi'an running out with her head down.
Chu Mu took the coat from his secretary and gently wrapped it around Shu Yi'an, stroking her soft hair to soothe her. "It's alright now, come out with me?"
With Chu Mu's comforting words, Shu Yi'an gradually stopped crying. This refined and distinguished man stood patiently in the bustling lobby, embracing the emotionally distraught woman, trying to offer her the greatest reassurance and solace.
Shu Yi'an was very thin, possessing the physique typical of people from Jiangnan—small frame and a delicate appearance. Therefore, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Chu Mu's coat draped over her was an impenetrable covering. Chu Mu, seeing her lower her head slightly, didn't say much, but simply held her hand firmly and walked towards the hotel parking lot.
At around 10 p.m., the uniquely beautiful city of Amiens was just beginning its night. Unlike the usual official cars, Chu Mu was driving a Mercedes SUV with a strong German influence; its black body stood out as understated and dignified among the many vehicles on the road.
Chu Mu opened the passenger door, pushed the person inside, and glanced at his watch. There should be enough time.
The car was stuffy. Shu Yi'an remained silent, head bowed, as before. After a few minutes, Chu Mu sighed softly and reached out to pull her closer, his voice tinged with helplessness. "So, how did you end up here?"
Looking at the person so close to her, Shu Yi'an gradually recovered from Brian's shadow. Her ten slender, white fingers, like delicate onions, cautiously touched Chu Mu's face before she truly felt safe. She relaxed and leaned on his shoulder. Sobbing, she said, "The company sent me on a business trip, and they scheduled it for tonight so I could come here to discuss the contract with their manager."
"Let's talk about the contract tonight?" Chu Mu was incredibly clever; he immediately guessed what was going on. Looking at the few tears clinging to Shu Yi'an's eyelashes and her red nose, he continued with a somewhat ambiguous expression, "And then?"
Shu Yi'an blinked, and with a somewhat aggrieved expression, told Chu Mu what had happened, "Su Ying warned me... but I never thought he really was that kind of person. Chu Mu... I'm sorry."
In fact, Shu Yi'an didn't understand why she was apologizing. She just felt that after what happened tonight, especially when she met him outside the hotel, she had caused him trouble.
However, Chu Mu clearly didn't take Miss Shu's apology to heart, and instead said something else in a rather unfriendly tone, "So if you hadn't run into me tonight, you weren't planning to tell me? Also, why didn't you tell me you were coming to France?"
Perhaps sensing Chu Mu's displeasure, Miss Shu shrank back like a shrimp, her voice extremely soft, "There are three extra days of leave. I originally wanted to go directly to Germany to see you, but last time you said you didn't have enough clothes here and the weather was hot, so I was planning to bring you some lighter clothes..."
Shu Yi'an looked like a primary school student who had made a mistake, and even though Chu Mu wanted to give her a stern lecture, he couldn't bring himself to say it. It's said that men's thinking is always more rational than women's, so after listening to Shu Yi'an's explanation, he quickly grasped the crux of the problem. However, Chu Mu didn't want her to know. He gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind Shu Yi'an's ear and calmly told her, "Wait for me in the car, I'll be back soon."
As Shu Yi'an watched Chu Mu's tall figure walk into the hotel, she suddenly remembered something she had read a long time ago: They are calm and composed, able to remain calm in the face of danger. They are not easily offended, yet they can easily bring people a sense of security and reliability. They are used to generously helping others, and they never defend themselves because they know who they are.
Undoubtedly, Chu Mu played such a role in Shu Yi'an's life. No matter how much panic and hardship she experienced, Chu Mu always appeared by her side without warning and led her away from that situation. It was just like long ago, in that torrential rain, he stood in front of her with one hand holding a black umbrella, and asked softly with a noble and aloof air that she had never seen before, "Shu Yi'an, will you marry me?"
Chu Mu got out of the car and hurriedly walked out of Shu Yi'an's sight. As he turned and entered the hotel lobby, he took out his phone and dialed a few numbers. After a few rings, a very formal and warm male voice came from the other end of the line, "Hello, this is Fu Heng."