After a night of passion, Xin Yu finally drifted off to sleep as dawn broke.
She didn't know how long she slept when Mu Yichuan's wicked voice rang out again, "Wife, get up and eat something."
"I don't want to...eat," Xin Yu mumbled. She was having a sweet dream; don't disturb her!
"If you don't get up, I'm going to start lending money." Mu Yichuan nibbled on Xin Yu's neck, his voice laced with laughter.
Lending money?
She had been self-reliant since high school. Although she had done several jobs, none of them were the kind that would make her a lot of money. She had always wanted to make a lot of money so she could fulfill her dream...
She had even considered starting a business, but it couldn't take off due to a lack of funds. Could it be that someone was willing to invest now?
"Ayu..."
"How much are you planning to lend?" Xin Yu murmured, dodging the tickling sensation on her neck.
Mu Yichuan paused, looking up at the dazed Xin Yu. Was this little girl dreaming? "Otherwise, when have I ever taken the initiative?"
"How much do you want me to pay?" His dark eyes were fixed on Xin Yu. "There's still four times the reward from last night."
Xin Yu shook her head. How could that be enough? "Isn't it too little..."
Mu Yichuan's smile widened. He slipped into Xin Yu's blanket and began to lend money...
Disturbed by the man's actions, Xin Yu slowly opened her eyes. Seeing their extremely intimate posture, she immediately came to her senses. Wasn't she just dreaming about starting a business?
"Mu Yichuan, what... what are you doing?"
"You said the remaining four times the reward was too little, and you want forty times!" Mu Yichuan grabbed Xin Yu's hand above her head and leaned down, pressing her down. "I have to pay it all back this month, otherwise I'm afraid my wife will complain it's not enough again."
Damn it! Complains it's not enough...
Xin Yu struggled. This bastard Mu Yichuan, hadn't she been tormented enough last night?
"No more, I feel terrible, I feel terrible... I'm exhausted!"
Despite Xin Yu's resistance, the man still couldn't resist and took another bite. "Really tired?"
Mu Yichuan looked at Xin Yu, limp on top of him, and his heart softened involuntarily. He didn't know why, but he always couldn't control his desire for her.
"Bastard," Xin Yu muttered. He had so much stamina, as if no one else ever got tired.
"Get up, eat, and you won't be tired anymore."
Xin Yu ignored him, rolling off him onto the bed, looking at the pitch-black outside. "It's not even dawn yet!"
How could it not be dawn?
Staying next to Mu Yichuan in the middle of the night was practically suicide! "Sleepy cat, you slept all day!" Mu Yichuan sat up and looked down at Xin Yu. "Still not full?"
"Tomorrow's Friday?" Xin Yu exclaimed in surprise. Good heavens! She reached for her phone; it was true. "Why didn't you wake me? I have an art elective class today!"
"You could teach traditional Chinese painting now, why bother with an elective?"
Looking at Mu Yichuan's nonchalant attitude, Xin Yu felt a surge of anger. "You're so tall and big now, why are you still eating!"
"To have the strength to satisfy my wife."
"..." Xin Yu forced a smile. This guy was getting more and more shameless!
"Unhappy?" Mu Yichuan rolled over and lay down, pulling Xin Yu into his arms, stroking her dark hair. "Then I'll have Nan Zhe give you a make-up class this weekend."
Make-up class?!
How could he say that so casually and matter-of-factly?!
Besides, did he know the head of the art department? "You also studied at Dongdu University?" Xin Yu looked up at Mu Yichuan's strong jawline, thinking of his near-perfect looks; he must have been a prominent figure back then.
"No."
Xin Yu thought he would elaborate, but after half a minute, he showed no sign of continuing the conversation, and a strange sense of disappointment crept in.
While thinking about how to escape Mu Yichuan after dinner, he suddenly received a phone call and had to go out!
Going out? So late?
Xin Yu subconsciously glanced at the clock; it was almost ten o'clock at night…
"Reluctant to leave me?" Mu Yichuan's dark eyes narrowed, seemingly tinged with starlight, as if trying to draw her in.
Xin Yu quickly shook her head; she was truly terrified of him. If he came again tonight, she probably wouldn't be able to go to school tomorrow!
"Reluctant?" His expression turned sinister, his tone languid and wicked. "Then I'd better not go out."
What?! "Mr. Jiu, how could I bear to let you go?" Xin Yu took his arm, a hint of shyness in her voice, even if it was an act. "But I know Mr. Jiu is a man of great importance; going out tonight must mean he has something important to do."
"Performing so well?" Mu Yichuan pinched Xin Yu's nose, knowing she was about to change her expression again. His deep, mellow voice teased, "Then I have to report to my wife. I'm going to see Mu Yi'ai—get beaten up."
Beat up…Mu Yi'ai?!
Xin Yu blinked, processing Mu Yichuan's words. Wasn't she taken to the hospital yesterday and left alone?
"I let her go, but that doesn't mean the old man will let her go!" Mu Yichuan smoothed Xin Yu's surprised eyes. This girl was truly kind; she actually felt pity for that woman, Mu Yi'ai! Xin Yu didn't say anything more, lying quietly on the bed, imagining all sorts of scenes of parents hitting their children…
Knock, knock, knock. The butler knocked and entered. "Madam, it's time to apply your medicine."
"What medicine?" Xin Yu lazily turned her head, not getting up.
"The master said your hands, arms, and knees are all scraped, and you need to apply medicine for three days." The butler came over and skillfully and gently applied the medicine.
"It's nothing, just a minor injury." Xin Yu said this, but a warm feeling welled up inside her. She tilted her head to look at the medicine bottle; it was written in S country. She picked it up and examined it…
"Madam, this medicine was specially purchased from S country by the master."
"Oh…" Xin Yu gave a faint "oh." The writing reminded her of someone. After the housekeeper finished applying the medicine and left, she immediately called Cheng Yuan. "Yuanzi, I want to go to Beishi this weekend. Do you have time?"
"Ayu, I was just about to call you!" Cheng Yuan panted on the other end. "Could you reduce the amount of exercise you gave me?"
"No! Think of your crush, think of the long line of suitors behind you—"
"…" Cheng Yuan could only continue her yoga session on the mat. "Ayu, what are you going to Beishi for?"
"I want to see someone." Xin Yu said mysteriously, "A chance to make big money has arrived…"
She arranged a time and place to meet with Cheng Yuan, but Mu Yichuan didn't return until the next evening.
Was Mu Yi'ai badly injured?
Xin Yu hesitated, wondering if she should call to ask, and also mention her trip to Beishi tomorrow. Otherwise, given Mu Yichuan's unpredictable temper, if he wanted to cause trouble, she'd be in big trouble!
"Hello? Madam?" The call connected, but it wasn't Mu Yichuan who answered.
"Mu Feng?"
"Yes, Madam, is something wrong?" Mu Feng's voice was low, and he didn't mention Mu Yichuan's current situation at all, which surprised Xin Yu.
"Oh, nothing serious. Is Ninth Master... busy?"
"Yes, Eldest Master is back."
Mu Feng answered, but Xin Yu could sense a few seconds of hesitation in his voice. Eldest Master was Old Master Mu's eldest son? Mu Yichuan's older brother?
Xin Yu hung up the phone, pursing her lips. She didn't delve into it, but her intuition told her that a prestigious family like the Mu family must have very complicated family relationships! The next day, after boarding the train to Taipei with Cheng Yuan, Xin Yu hesitated but still sent a text message to Mu Yichuan.
"Yu, are you thinking about you and Mu Yichuan?" Cheng Yuan asked, noticing Xin Yu's nervousness. She shook her head. "I'm going to Nanshi next week for my ex-boyfriend's wedding. I'll ask around then."
"Pfft..." Cheng Yuan, who was drinking water, spat it out. "You...you...you have an ex-boyfriend?"
"Just nominally. I was pressured into it. There's nothing between us."
"Then why are you going to his wedding?" Cheng Yuan patted Xin Yu's head. "Are you really my A Yu? When did our A Yu become so magnanimous?"
"Sigh, I was forced by Mu Yichuan." Xin Yu sighed. She wouldn't go to Nanshi again; besides A, almost everyone there was someone she didn't want to see. "He must have something to do there."
"To brag to your ex-boyfriend that he got you?"
"..." Xin Yu was speechless for a moment, then shook her head vigorously. "Do you think he's that kind of boring person?"
"That's true." Cheng Yuan agreed. "Hey, Ayu, who are you going to see in Taipei? You said you were going to make big money yesterday?"
"Do you still remember Liu Hen?"
"Ah!" Cheng Yuan's eyes widened instantly, staring at Xin Yu as if she were a monster. "You're going to see her?!"
Seeing her friend suddenly so agitated, Xin Yu naturally guessed what was going on. "What's wrong? What happened between you two after I transferred schools?"
"I'm not going!" Cheng Yuan jumped up, wishing she could just get off the train. "I don't want to see her!"
"Yuanzi, what's wrong?" Xin Yu grabbed her, seeing Cheng Yuan trembling slightly from her heightened emotions, completely bewildered. "Did she bully you?"
After asking, Xin Yu felt a little incredulous. In her memory, Liu Hen was a very dull girl, her mind filled with computer code…
"Anyway, I'm not seeing her!" Cheng Yuan's already thinner face puffed up again.
"Yuanzi, darling Yuanzi," Xin Yu clung to Cheng Yuan, pouting sweetly. "Look, our train will be arriving in half an hour. Don't get off. You can wait for me, I'll go see her myself."
"Really?"
"Mmm." Xin Yu's big eyes sparkled, making one want to get closer. She took Cheng Yuan's hand. "But feel my heart, it's pounding so hard, I'm so curious about what happened between you two!"
"…" Cheng Yuan hummed, unable to speak for a long time.
"So hard to say?" Xin Yu was quite surprised. Knowing Cheng Yuan as she did, she had always been an extremely optimistic girl, never holding grudges. Now…
"If she's a bad person to Cheng Yuan, then I won't go. Let's just treat today as a sightseeing trip to Taipei." Xin Yu took Cheng Yuan's arm. Well, since Cheng Yuan was destined to be so reluctant, she'd have to think of another way.
"Ayu?" Cheng Yuan looked at Xin Yu seriously, scratched his head, and after a long while, managed to squeeze out a sentence, "She...she's not a bad person, I'm just too ashamed to see her...that's all, I let her down..."