Chu Mu buttoned his suit jacket with one hand, continuing to walk forward without stopping. "I don't need it."
Tao Yunjia hadn't expected Chu Mu to reject her, let alone reject her so decisively. She felt a pang of resentment. "As a professional, this is my job. I hope you can understand."
Chu Mu walked to the conference room door as if he hadn't heard anything, gesturing for the people behind him to go in first, leaving only two people outside. Tao Yunjia was only a few steps away from him, and he said to Tao Yunjia in a deep but clearly audible voice, "Professional? Tao Yunjia, I was the one who tutored you for your TestDAF exam back then, and now you're talking to me about professionalism?"
Tao Yunjia's bright face finally showed some emotion, and she couldn't help but say excitedly, "You're finally willing to admit our past? Chu Mu, I've worked hard step by step, I didn't hesitate to give up our relationship, and now I finally have the chance to stand shoulder to shoulder with you. But what have you done? Besides constantly rejecting me?!"
"Using emotional sacrifice to prove your ability? Miss Tao, you have quite the audacity." Chu Mu glanced at Tao Yunjia without changing his expression, his tone cold, as if he were a complete stranger. "I am your superior. It's very impolite of you to speak to me with such a questioning tone. Also, Miss Tao, I hope you can understand your place and not overstep your boundaries."
Looking at Chu Mu's tall and imposing back, even a shrewd and capable woman like Tao Yunjia couldn't help but burst into tears. Knowing her place... Chu Mu, you really are ruthless. But in the end, it was she who chose to let go...? Looking at the man sitting upright in the center of the conference room, Tao Yunjia suddenly felt a deep sorrow and regret, a mixture of resentment and bitterness for what she had once possessed.
She had once been the undisputed girlfriend of this outstanding man. She had sat with him in the library of the Foreign Affairs College, studying grammar and pronunciation together. She had once taken for granted all the privileges and respect he enjoyed. Yet, she had also personally told this man, "Let's break up." She watched him calmly say to her, "It's a pity I'm already married." She looked at the wedding ring on his wife's ring finger, its clear and dazzling engraving of his name, Chu Mu. She watched him change his cufflinks and shirts every day, but there was no longer a trace of her, Tao Yunjia. She no longer had the right to participate in any step of Chu Mu's life. And all of this was precisely the result of her own actions, Tao Yunjia's own fault.
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The sun had already set by the time the meeting ended, and Chu Mu returned to the hospital at six in the evening. Pushing open the door to the ward, he saw Shu Yi'an and Chu Weiyuan lying side-by-side on the bed, watching a movie together on their laptops. Being young, the two girls, for some reason, hugged each other and laughed, creating a quiet and beautiful atmosphere.
Chu Mu gently placed the two paper bags on the low table and reached out to take away the computer that the two of them were focused on.
"Hey!!" Chu Weiyuan and Shu Yi'an simultaneously looked up at Chu Mu, pouting and clearly displeased. Chu Mu, however, calmly tossed his laptop aside. "Her wound hasn't healed yet. What if she gets sick from laughing?"
Chu Weiyuan made a face at Chu Mu with her back turned, and secretly stuffed her iPad under Shu Yi'an's pillow. She whispered in her ear, "There are still a lot in here, remember to watch them tonight. Oh, and there are also a lot of weird videos of my brother at home."
"Chu Weiyuan." Chu Mu squinted and pulled him off the bed. "Go home tonight. I've already spoken to Mom. If she tells me you haven't come home in an hour, you'll be responsible for the consequences."
Chu Weiyuan bit her lip, glaring at her perpetually cunning brother, seething with hatred. "You're playing dirty tricks!! Chu Mu, you're so mean!! I spent the whole day with my sister-in-law, why am I not going home!!!"
Chu Mu threw her bag, which she had left on the sofa, at him. "If I don't take care of you, you'll be out of control. Go back now and be here at eight o'clock sharp tomorrow morning."
With tears in her eyes, Chu Weiyuan was pushed out of the ward by her brother, who had used her as a tool and then killed her.
Shu Yi'an, still grumbling and immersed in her sister-in-law's miserable experience, watched Chu Mu placing the items from the paper bag onto the table one by one. She quietly defended her adorable sister-in-law, saying, "Why did you have to send Yuanyuan home? If she goes back, will Mom let her off the hook...?"
“If you don’t go back, she’ll stay up all night. Who will take care of you tomorrow? By the time she comes, you’ll probably be able to go home by yourself.”
Shu Yi'an was completely stunned by his bewildered words, and didn't even see the small spoon that Chu Mu put to her lips. "Open your mouth."
Shu Yi'an was fed a spoonful of porridge by Chu Mu, and the smooth and fragrant taste made her eyes crinkle with delight. "Hmm... Jiangnan Temple?" Chu Mu gave a curt "hmm" and handed her the elegantly packaged small bowl, adding a word of caution, "Slow down, the doctor said your stomach can't handle too much right now."
Shu Yi'an obediently leaned against the bedside and ate her porridge spoonful by spoonful. "Jiangnan Temple is so far from here, did you go to buy it specially?" Chu Mu looked at her and thought seriously for a while before answering truthfully. "My secretary bought it."
Jiangnan Temple is a private vegetarian restaurant located in the suburbs. They only serve a limited number of guests each day, never extending the service. The food is also prepared with the unique light flavors of Jiangnan. He had taken Shu Yi'an there before; because she was from Jiangnan, she was delighted after just one bite, her eyes crinkling with joy, just like she had just now. Therefore, he had already instructed his secretary to buy some when he got out of the car. Looking at Shu Yi'an leaning against the bed, her brows furrowed as she earnestly drank her porridge, Chu Mu felt that she sometimes resembled a child, easily satisfied. The slight guilt he felt dissipated somewhat because of her happy expression.
At nine o'clock in the evening, the nurse came again to give Shu Yi'an her medication. Looking at the string of foreign words on the medicine bottle, Shu Yi'an suddenly remembered the scene from that afternoon. It was also the nurse who came to remind her to take her anti-inflammatory medicine. She took the water and, watching the nurse prepare the medication, said aloud, "Excuse me, I'm allergic to cephalosporin antibiotics."
The nurse smiled gently and handed over a small bottle cap. "I know your husband reminded us yesterday. But speaking of which, he's really good to you; he waited outside for you to come out yesterday. Actually, this kind of surgery isn't very risky, and many family members aren't usually that worried."
Shu Yi'an's hand holding the medicine bottle twitched slightly. Yes, he still remembered his drug allergy.
It was shortly after they met when Shu Yi'an caught a viral cold, possibly due to a sudden change in weather. It coincided with her graduation thesis defense, and she was so focused on revising her paper that she neglected her illness and forgot to take her medication. The next morning, before it was her turn to present, her roommate, worried she wouldn't be able to handle it, specially found some antiviral and anti-inflammatory medication for her. Without thinking much of it, she quickly took it and went to the lecture hall for her defense.
Chu Mu, as a specially invited member of the Foreign Affairs College, was entrusted by the Ministry to discover new talent and also participated in this graduation defense review. Shu Yi'an was scheduled to be the first one in the morning. She majored in French, and coupled with her high professional competence and always-friendly personality, the teachers all liked this girl very much, so they didn't make things too difficult for her when asking questions. When it was Chu Mu's turn, he looked up and met the girl's clear eyes on the stage. Suddenly, he asked a question unrelated to the content of her thesis.
"Please tell me what impact Professor Ye's proposed main parts of speech for grammatical reform will have on future French studies."
As soon as the question was asked, the teachers couldn't help but admire the most famous graduate of the Foreign Affairs University. The question was indeed tricky. Professor Ye had only proposed the grammatical reform in April of this year. At that time, students were busy graduating, so naturally no one would pay attention to this major event in the field of grammar. However, this question was just the right test to test the most important quality a student should have: a sense of research with no end to learning.
Shu Yi'an didn't know if it was because of her illness or because she saw Chu Mu, but for a moment her mind was foggy and she couldn't see his face clearly, and even her consciousness was somewhat blurred. Her heart was pounding so fast that she could hardly breathe. But she still suppressed her discomfort and answered with steady breathing. "The modal order of verbs, nouns, and adjectives will affect French studies. In the past, the order was determined based on traditional context. But Professor Ye proposed that... that..." By the end, Shu Yi'an was almost unable to speak, and she was extremely weak. Chu Mu also noticed that something was wrong with Shu Yi'an. Just as he was about to stop asking questions, before he could, Shu Yi'an suddenly fainted backward.
The scene was chaotic.
Chu Mu was the first to go on stage and pick the person up, while several school leaders hurriedly made arrangements. Chu Mu glanced at the person in his arms, pursed his lips, and quickly made a decision. "I'll take her to the hospital. Everyone, please proceed to the next session." Such an incident at this time would indeed affect the students, and Chu Mu's approach was undoubtedly the one with the least impact.
Just like the night before, Chu Mu rushed her to the hospital. After administering first aid, Shu Yi'an was transferred to a ward for intravenous fluids, and Chu Mu learned that she had an allergic reaction to the medication. The doctor said the dosage was already very dangerous; if it had been any later, her life might have been in danger.
When Shu Yi'an woke up, she saw Chu Mu sprawled on the sofa with his long legs outstretched, looking at her with a questioning gaze. "Shu Yi'an, do you know you're allergic to cephalosporin-type drugs?"
Shu Yi'an's voice was a little hoarse because she hadn't drunk water for a long time. "I know."
"You knew and you still ate it? Miss Shu Yi'an, you almost lost your life." In the sunlight, his long, handsome fingers held a glass of clean, clear water, his posture was too dazzling.
Shu Yi'an took the water, then suddenly looked up at him with a serious expression. "I've only answered half of my question..." With the focus and stubbornness of her student days, she looked even more innocent and adorable.
Chu Mu shrugged helplessly, a clear smile in his eyes. "Now the whole school knows that Shu Yi'an from French Class 2 fainted because of my question. If I don't approve your paper, it would be too unreasonable."
That was the first time Shu Yi'an had seen Chu Mu smile so clearly, a smile she carefully kept hidden for a lifetime that afternoon.
As a result, Chu Mu learned about Miss Shu Yi'an's drug allergy, and this became one of the few reminders that Chu Mu kept in mind.
Chapter Eight
After eating and taking her medicine, which likely had a calming effect, Shu Yi'an lay on the bed feeling drowsy. Chu Mu, who had been reading on the sofa by the window, noticed her dazed and confused expression and, after some thought, went over to her.
"What are you doing..." Shu Yi'an was pulled up by Chu Mu, leaning against him to sit up. He carefully placed one hand on her incision, protecting her as she leaned against him. She looked much the same as when he last saw her; her soft, black hair was loosely draped over her shoulders. Chu Mu looked down through the wide collar of her hospital gown and could clearly see Shu Yi'an's slender, defined collarbone and rounded shoulders. It seemed that Shu Yi'an had always been the same, without much joy or sorrow; her gentle, sweet nature would never hurt anyone. Chu Mu looked at the top of her soft hair, reached out and gently stroked her small palm, suddenly feeling a pang of reluctance to say what he was about to say.
"Yi An".
"Hmm?" Shu Yi'an watched Chu Mu rub his long, clean fingers, the scent of Davidoff on him filling her nostrils. A bad feeling suddenly crept into her heart.
Chu Mu uttered a few words in a low but clear voice: "I'm leaving tomorrow."
A long silence filled the room; Shu Yi'an was as still as if she were asleep, making not a sound. Chu Mu rubbed his temples, feeling a bit of a headache; he knew this was Shu Yi'an's low mood.
Whenever she was unhappy or upset, she would stubbornly endure it without making a sound. Chu Mu remembered that not long after they got married, he took her skiing in Switzerland. When they arrived at the hotel that night, she was unusually quiet. When he came out after showering, she was still the same as when he came in, curled up in a corner of the bed with her head down, seemingly lost in thought. When Chu Mu went over, he found that her face was pale and cold sweat was constantly sliding down her forehead. Chu Mu was immediately alarmed and hugged her, asking gently what was wrong. He learned that in order to accompany him on his challenge of high-altitude sprint skiing, she had endured the discomfort of her menstrual period and insisted on hiking up a 500-meter-high snow-covered mountain with him. The nearly one-hour trek in the snow, at minus twenty degrees Celsius, was enough to make Shu Yi'an's lower abdomen hurt so badly that she couldn't speak. After Chu Mu learned about it, looking at Shu Yi'an's slightly furrowed brows as he had coaxed her to sleep, his heart slowly began to ache. It was from that moment that he truly understood this woman named Shu Yi'an.
So every time Shu Yi'an fell silent, Chu Mu felt a surge of guilt welling up inside him. This woman could always easily make the usually proud and reserved Chu Mu bow his head to her. Because Chu Mu knew that every time Shu Yi'an was silent, it represented her greatest grievance and reluctance to part.
The night breeze was particularly gentle, rustling the leaves outside. Chu Mu couldn't help but lower his head and gently rest his chin on her shoulder. "My flight is tomorrow night, no need to see me off. I'll try to come back by the end of next month."