Mu Cheng only opened the door a crack.
She saw Qi Heng standing there, his cheeks flushed with shyness.
"Did you need something?"
Qi Heng raised an eyebrow as he stared at Mu Cheng's flustered face through the crack, thinking she was being coy and bashful.
Earlier at the Zhang residence, while helping Zhang Qingguo clear the dishes, Zhang Qingqing had told him—Mu Cheng had no parents, she was just passing through the provincial capital on her way to Beijing, hoping to settle there and marry a good man. If she could find a suitable match in the provincial capital, she'd be willing to stay.
Qi Heng had asked a few more questions about Mu Cheng.
Meanwhile, Zhang Qingqing recalled Bai Lin's words—cook the raw rice until it's done.
She smiled at Qi Heng, "Brother Qi, you're not interested in Sister Mu Cheng, are you?"
Qi Heng just smiled, though his cheeks reddened slightly.
"Sister Mu Cheng was raised in the countryside. She doesn't have a household registration. Her birthplace is listed as Beijing, but if her records could be found, she wouldn't need to settle with the Gu family. Given her situation, do you think your mother would approve of her?"
Qi Heng's mother was famously sharp-tongued and formidable.
She would never approve of Mu Cheng—not just because she lacked household registration, but simply because she grew up in the countryside. His mother would never agree to him dating Mu Cheng.
Zhang Qingqing left with her bowl, muttering almost inaudibly.
"Brother Qi, don't worry too much. Like my aunt's daughter and her husband—their reputation wasn't great, but now they have two children, and everyone praises their happy marriage. Who even remembers what happened before?"
That cousin and her husband had been together before marriage. Though his family initially objected, when she got pregnant, his family wanted the grandson and accepted her.
Now the couple was happily married, and those who knew about the past didn't think much of it anymore.
Qi Heng seemed encouraged by this, and a plan began forming in his mind.
Even a fake act could be staged—he would still respect Mu Cheng.
Remembering this, Qi Heng pushed the door open.
He carried canned goods and pastries.
"Let's talk inside!"
Mu Cheng found Qi Heng baffling.
She stopped him from closing the door, "Whatever you have to say, you can say it with the door open."
Qi Heng scratched his head.
He felt a bit embarrassed, "How can we talk about dating with the door open?"
With that, he closed the door.
Mu Cheng had learned self-defense techniques. She was highly vigilant, especially around unfamiliar men, always staying alert.
She leaned against the door and asked Qi Heng, "I didn't understand what you said earlier. What do you mean by 'dating'? Who do you want to date?"
Mu Cheng frowned, her smiling face tense with caution. Her delicate eyes sharpened, and when she fell silent, her entire demeanor turned icy.
Qi Heng paused before speaking, "Comrade Mu, I like you. I want to date you."
Mu Cheng was momentarily stunned. After thinking for a while, she frowned slightly.
"Qi Heng, I don't want to date you, and I don't want to marry so young. You have such good qualities—you'll definitely find a girl who suits you, but that person absolutely isn't me!"
Mu Cheng's words were sincere and tactful.
But Qi Heng thought she was being overly proud. Aside from her good looks, she had no outstanding qualities.
She had no education or skills, she couldn't even get a job. If she didn't rely on a man to support her, how would she survive? By drinking the northwest wind?
With that thought, he stood up and walked toward her.
Mu Cheng pressed down on the door handle and shouted sharply, "Don't come any closer!"
Qi Heng walked over, placing a hand on her shoulder as he continued to persuade her.
"Comrade Mu, I'll treat you well. I'll give you all my monthly salary, and I'll buy you all the major appliances like a washing machine and a television. If you're with me, all you'll need to do is cook at home."
Such a comfortable life would have been tempting to Mu Guiying in the past, but it held no appeal for Mu Cheng.
Mu Cheng brushed off Qi Heng's hand from her shoulder.
"Comrade Qi Heng, I don't like you, and I can't be in a relationship with you. I'm sorry, it's too late. Please leave!"
A man and a woman alone in a room was improper, especially in this era, where even friendships between men and women required careful boundaries. She pulled the door open but was yanked back by Qi Heng.
Watching Mu Cheng's plump, rosy lips move, he couldn't restrain his desire. He leaned in closer, "Little Mu, just say yes. I'll treat you well."
Trapped, Mu Cheng thought of two moves: either Black Tiger Strikes the Groin or Electric Cannon Flying Kick.
Mu Cheng had always detested workplace harassment. After crossing over, she was misunderstood by Gu Yunche and nearly bullied by the Liu family's foolish son. Now, Qi Heng was trying to take advantage of her. She gritted her teeth in anger.
Mu Cheng not only wanted to crush Qi Heng's hopes, she also wanted to make sure he could never have children.
She raised her knee, about to kick, when the door was suddenly kicked open. A man in a white striped shirt rushed in, pulled Qi Heng away, and punched him.
Qi Heng was knocked to the ground by the punch and struggled to get up.
Gu Yunche turned to check on Mu Cheng. Her nose and cheeks were flushed red, and she looked both aggrieved and resentful. His calm expression momentarily shifted, his heart wrestling with anger and sorrow.
He asked softly, "Did he hurt you?"
"He didn't succeed. I wanted to…"
Mu Cheng couldn't exactly say she wanted to use Black Tiger Strikes the Groin or Electric Cannon Flying Kick, could she?
Staying silent was the wisest choice now.
Tears of frustration streamed down her cheeks. His hand gradually tightened, clenched into a fist, and he turned to drag Qi Heng up again.
Mu Cheng grabbed Gu Yunche's arm. "Eldest Brother Gu, don't hit him again. If you accidentally hurt him, I'm afraid it'll cause trouble for you."
Hearing the commotion, Zhang Qingguo, who was on duty, rushed over with a flashlight and immediately saw the chaotic scene—Gu Yunche shielding Mu Cheng, while Qi Heng, blood at the corner of his mouth, was sprawled on the ground, staggering to his feet.
Qi Heng pointed at Mu Cheng and shouted, "What are you pretending for? Didn't you write me a note asking me to come?"
Everyone fell silent.
Under the light, Gu Yunche's features grew even more striking, his eyes icy cold.
He curled his lips into a cold, mocking smile. "Mu Cheng doesn't know how to read or write. How could she have written you a note?"
Qi Heng froze for a moment, then pulled a note from his pocket and unfolded it for Gu Yunche and Zhang Qingguo to see.
The handwriting was messy and crooked, but still legible, with some words awkwardly spelled out in pinyin.
Mu Cheng bit her lip as she looked at the words.
"I didn't write this, and I can't read it. Qi Heng, who gave you this note?"
Qi Heng stammered for a moment before realizing he had been tricked.
"It was… Zhang Qingqing who gave it to me. You really can't write?"
Mu Cheng thought to herself, of course, what are you going to do about it?
She nodded. "I can't."
Zhang Qingguo was greatly shocked. "Impossible, how could my Qingqing write such ugly characters? She's still young, she wouldn't do something like this."
One shouldn't speak like that. Does being young mean one cannot be evil?
Some people possess beastly traits from a tender age, taking advantage of their youth to act recklessly. Just thinking about the explosive news she had seen on the trending searches earlier made her tremble with anger.
At this moment, her heart, liver, spleen, stomach, and kidneys were all trembling along.
"Director Zhang, don't use youth as an excuse. Being young doesn't mean having good character. At the very least, your Qingqing's moral character isn't exactly praiseworthy!"
Zhang Qingqing, who had chased after them from the hospital, saw many people gathered upstairs as soon as she arrived. Had the plan succeeded?
She hurried over, only to see Mu Cheng standing there with her clothes intact, looking right at her.
Mu Cheng smiled knowingly.
"Well, well, Sister Zhang, have you come right on time to collect the fruits of victory? Sorry to disappoint you."
Mu Cheng gently pushed Gu Yunche aside and walked up to Zhang Qingqing.
"Your victory is gone, but I can give you a taste of something good!"
As soon as the words fell, Mu Cheng raised her hand and slapped Zhang Qingqing across the face…