“Be good, Chi Yu. Auntie promises she’ll think about it, but for now, let Auntie go out and handle some work matters, okay?”
Chi Mu had no choice but to compromise—after all, she couldn’t bring herself to harshly reject this little rascal.
“Oh.”
Seeing Chi Mu relent, Chi Yu could only let it go for now.
Oh well, there’s plenty of time ahead. He had plenty of tricks up his sleeve.
Meanwhile, Duan Yanxing’s gaze fell on Chi Mu’s face, a flicker of amusement passing through his eyes.
“Wanwan, does that mean you’re giving me a chance to pursue you?”
Hearing this, Chi Mu’s face instantly flushed crimson. Looking at Xiao Chiyu’s expectant expression, she paused, then nodded before quickly fleeing the awkward situation.
As she passed by the man, her dance skirt fluttered in the wind like a graceful fairy.
Watching her retreating figure, Duan Yanxing curved his thin lips into a satisfied smile.
At that moment, Chi Yu glanced up at him, a smug look on his childish face. “Dad, it looks like you still need me to help you win Mom over. If you still can’t get her after this, I’ll really look down on you.”
Hearing this, Duan Yanxing raised an eyebrow and ruffled Chi Yu’s short hair. “You little rascal, at least you’re good for something!”
Chi Yu blinked, a look of confusion crossing his small face, as if he understood but not quite.
…
A moment later, Chi Mu arrived backstage, panting heavily, her forehead dotted with fine beads of sweat, her chest rising and falling slightly.
Xia Lin quickly handed her a glass of ice water. “Mumu, where did you go? Why are you breathing so hard? Yun Xin has been looking everywhere for you.”
“Yeah, Yun Xin even had to go on stage for you just now,” Xia Fei chimed in from the side.
Chi Mu took two big gulps of the ice water to soothe her throat before slowly regaining her composure. “Don’t even ask. The dressing room was somehow locked, and there were several… huge rats. So scary. I was just about to ask Uncle Chen and the others to clean it up.”
Hearing this, both of them couldn’t help but shudder. Xia Fei exclaimed in horror, “Oh my gosh, Mumu, are you okay? You’re terrified of rats.”
“Exactly! Last time you fainted and ended up in the hospital, you scared me half to death. Are we going through that again?”
Everyone at Mugui Theater knew about Chi Mu’s fear of rats. When she first arrived, the place was still a rundown factory area.
That time, Chi Mu had been so frightened she ended up in the hospital.
It was because of her fainting spell that everyone realized a person could genuinely be scared to death.
And Chi Mu wasn’t just being dramatic—she was genuinely terrified, down to her bones.
After all, it was a trauma etched deep into her heart.
“Don’t worry, I’m fine. Luckily, Mr. Duan saved me. It was just a bit embarrassing. You know how I am—when I see those things, my legs go weak, my mind goes haywire, and when it goes haywire, I tend to… well…” Chi Mu trailed off, too embarrassed to continue.
“Well, what happened?” Xia Fei and Xia Lin asked with mischievous grins. “Did you two…?”
Chi Mu shot them a glare, cutting them off. “Stop it, nothing happened. Don’t look so hopeful.”
“Pfft—” The two couldn’t help but cover their mouths and giggle. “Does this mean we might have an amazing brother-in-law in the future? The Duan Family! If you have the Duan Family backing you in Country M, you can practically walk sideways. Mumu, congratulations in advance~””Go away, go away, stop teasing me. Hurry up and get back to your own work. No more gossip, or I’ll dock your pay.”
Upon hearing the threat of a pay cut, Xia Fei and the others immediately dropped their playful attitudes and began tidying up with serious expressions.
…
Meanwhile, the stage play had already ended. The audience was gradually filing out, and it wasn’t until the entire theater was empty that the lights inside were completely turned off.
It was still early in the evening, and for young people, nightlife was just beginning.
Everyone was about to head to Huacheng’s largest nightclub, ‘Fifth Season,’ to celebrate.
Chi Mu originally didn’t want to go to such a place, but she couldn’t resist the enthusiasm of everyone from Mugui Theater.
After all, Cloud Dream Splendid Years had been such a success, and as the boss, she had to indulge them appropriately.
…
At Fifth Season, the atmosphere was lively and bustling, with deafening music. The tables and chairs around the dance floor were packed with young people, and all kinds of drinks covered one table after another, painting a picture of indulgence and extravagance.
Xia Lin and Xia Fei were extremely excited, pulling Lin Yunxin and the other female dancers into the center of the dance floor.
Chi Mu didn’t like joining in the excitement, so she didn’t follow them.
Instead, she sat in a corner, quietly sipping her sparkling water.
“Sister, aren’t you going to dance with them?” At that moment, a cool voice reached her ears.
Chi Mu followed the sound and saw a young man not far away, holding a glass and walking toward her.
The young man was dressed in black, his head lowered, with stray bangs covering his eyebrows and obscuring the expression in his eyes, making it impossible to guess what he was thinking.
Yet, he still radiated the youthful energy characteristic of his age.
“Lin Xi, why aren’t you joining them either?” Chi Mu stood up.
“Can I buy you a drink, sister?” The young man spoke indifferently, answering her question with one of his own.
At Mugui Theater, everyone called Chi Mu “Sister Mumu,” but Lin Xi had always addressed her this way, a habit that had never changed.
“Mm.”
Chi Mu nodded and walked side by side with Lin Xi toward the bar.
She had always taken good care of this younger brother who had just graduated.
Lin Xi was usually quiet and reserved, with a somewhat solitary personality. Apart from his work as a playwright, he rarely participated in the theater troupe’s gatherings, but he was very fond of sticking close to Chi Mu.
Lin Xi handed the drink to Chi Mu, and the two sat down at the bar.
“Sister, I heard from them that Mr. Duan is pursuing you?” The young man lowered his head, his tone carrying a hint of inquiry.
His eyes seemed to hold a wildness that didn’t belong to someone his age.
Hearing this, Chi Mu’s fingers trembled slightly around the glass. Then, she stammered, “Probably… no, not really.”
For some reason, whenever Duan Yanxing was mentioned, Chi Mu always felt uneasy, as if she had done something wrong.
She clearly had no relationship with him.
Why, then, did she feel uncontrollably flustered whenever his name came up?
“Then… does sister like him?” The young man seemed unwilling to let it go and pressed further, handing Chi Mu another drink.
Chi Mu was taken aback for a moment before shaking her head. “No, I’m actually not too sure…”
Did she like Duan Yanxing?
She didn’t know…
Or perhaps, these feelings were too vague, so vague that they even felt illusory to her.
Seeing Chi Mu’s expression, Lin Xi said nothing more.”Sister, I’m going to the restroom.”
As the young man left, a servant passed by him and whispered, “Mr. Lin, everything is ready upstairs.”
The young man nodded and headed toward the restroom nearby.