Mu Ci snapped back to reality, nearly losing her composure as she almost burst out laughing. The corners of her mouth twitched upward before she forcefully suppressed them, struggling hard to hold back her amusement.
What the hell kind of design consultant was that!
She truly admired Ku Nan’s ability to improvise on the spot.
Qin Qiqi took a moment longer to catch on. Turning around, she gripped the armrest of her chair, doing her best not to let out a laugh.
But her shoulders still trembled violently in silent laughter.
Shi Na’s face turned ashen, her expression darkening to the extreme. Raising her voice, she demanded, “Director, how come I’ve never heard of any design consultant?”
“Do I need your approval to hire someone for my studio?”
Ku Nan shot her a cold, piercing look, radiating overwhelming pressure.
Shi Na was momentarily speechless.
Qin Qiqi dredged up every sad moment she’d experienced over the past twenty-plus years and even pinched her arm hard, barely managing to stifle her laughter.
She turned around, her lips tightly pressed, and said, “Director Ku, since we’re at a stalemate, you must have surveillance footage here, right? Why not pull it up and listen? Then we’ll know.”
Ku Nan nodded to the security guard at the door, who understood and turned to leave.
When he returned, his hands were empty, and his expression was somewhat complicated.
“Director, today’s surveillance system malfunctioned. The maintenance department hasn’t arrived yet, so we can’t retrieve the footage.”
Could it really be such a coincidence?
Ku Nan’s peach-blossom eyes darkened, but he remained silent.
Shi Na curled her lips in a mocking smirk, though it vanished in an instant as she put on an aggrieved expression.
“Director, I’ve been with you since the studio’s early days. Over the years, even if I haven’t made great contributions, I’ve at least worked hard. Surely you wouldn’t trust them over me, would you? If you do this, you’ll truly break the hearts of your colleagues.”
After seizing the opportunity to make her point, she began resorting to emotional blackmail.
Mu Ci rested her chin on one hand and sighed softly. “Ku Nan, your studio is truly rotten from top to bottom.”
Shi Na reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, bristling with anger. “Miss Mu, everything requires evidence. Even if you’re the director’s friend, you can’t just trample on people based on personal preference!”
“Want evidence? Listen.”
Mu Ci pulled out her phone from behind her waist and tossed it onto the table with a soft thud. Immediately, Shi Na’s voice rang out loud and clear—
“The director has handed the project entirely over to me. As long as I’m in this studio, you’ll never succeed. Unless you kneel down and beg me, maybe I’ll be generous enough to let you have your way.”
“…”
Shi Na’s face paled drastically, her heart sinking uncontrollably.
She thought destroying the surveillance footage would solve everything, never expecting that bitch Mu Ci had been sitting in the chair from the moment she entered just to record the conversation.
It’s over. Her design career is finished!
“Qiqi, let’s go first. Director Ku probably has a lot to deal with today.”
Mu Ci stood up, retrieved her phone, and patted Ku Nan’s shoulder sympathetically as she passed by.
“Your receptionist isn’t up to par either. I’ll send you the video later. Hang in there, Director Ku. Make sure to clean house properly!”
Ku Nan stood there, his peach-blossom eyes tinged with weariness, dark and brooding.
It wasn’t that he felt particularly troubled about firing so many people at once, but rather—
He’d flown over ten hours on a plane, barely catching his breath before Mu Ci dragged him to the studio.
Then she stirred up chaos and just walked away…
At the very least, she could’ve stayed to help him out!
Forget it. Heartless woman!
Frustration welled up in Ku Nan’s chest, and he naturally directed his anger toward Shi Na, whose face had turned ashen. “Notify everyone. We’re having a meeting in five minutes. Anyone late gets fired on the spot!”
Mu Ci’s driver was still at the Qin Corporation.
Qin Qiqi parked the car in the underground garage, feeling refreshed all over, and sighed, “That feels great!”
Mu Ci pushed the car door open and got out. “People like that are used to being immoral. If we don’t clear them out for you once and for all, they’ll keep giving you trouble in the future.”
Qin Qiqi walked over and couldn’t resist pinching her best friend’s cheek. “Sweetie, how are you so wonderful? Ah, I can’t help but sigh again—my little uncle really hit the jackpot with you!”
“Who are you calling a pig?”
The man’s voice was cool and sharp. As soon as it rang out, the already bone-chillingly cold garage felt even colder.
Qin Qiqi stiffened, her survival instincts kicking into high gear. “I’m the pig! I’m the pig! I’m a big, stupid pig!”
After saying that, she didn’t dare look back, charging forward as if chased by a ghost.
She didn’t even wait for the elevator, instead running straight into the stairwell and vanishing without a trace in an instant.
Mu Ci couldn’t help but laugh. “Did you bully Qiqi when she was little? Why does she act like a mouse seeing a cat every time she sees you?”
Mu Ci’s beauty was bold and striking, but when she smiled, her fox-like eyes curved, blending allure and innocence in a way that made one’s heart itch.
Qin Yan trapped her between his arm and the car, looking down at her with a low gaze. “She’s naturally timid. How am I scary?”
The distance was close, so close that when Mu Ci looked up, she could see the seductive movement of his Adam’s apple.
“…You’re pretty scary right now.”
She pressed a finger against his chest, which felt hard and unyielding. “Qin Yan, you’re too close.”
“This isn’t close. This is.”
With those words, he leaned in, his thin lips hovering near her delicate ear, his breath brushing against it, sending tingles and stirring sensations. “Xiao Ci, have you forgotten what I said yesterday?”
“…”
“I can’t keep my distance from you. We’re husband and wife.”
Ke Chao stood on the other side of the car. He had turned his back, trying not to eavesdrop on his boss’s conversation with his young wife, but the voices still reached him.
“Qin Yan, be serious.”
“How am I not serious, hmm?”
“We’re outside… Don’t lick my ear.”
“Oh, then I’ll just kiss you instead, okay?”
Ke Chao, a stoic and tough man standing at 190 cm tall, listened to these shameless words, a faint blush slowly spreading across his wheat-colored cheeks.
Alongside his embarrassment, he felt even more shock.
He never expected his usually dignified and aloof boss to be so…
Shameless in private.
Afraid that Qin Yan would continue his shameless behavior, Mu Ci took the chance to push him away and slipped into the car.
When they arrived at Yulan Court, after dinner, she felt extremely tired and went to bed early.
She slept until 2 a.m., waking up in the dim light. Staring at the empty ceiling, an inexplicable sense of emptiness welled up in her heart.
She got out of bed, slipping her feet into her slippers, and noticed folic acid and water placed on the bedside table, along with a note:
[Remember to take the folic acid when you wake up.]
The handwriting was sharp and decisive, the strokes free and unrestrained.
Mu Ci stared at the note for a long while before slowly picking up the folic acid and taking it.
She had grown accustomed to Qin Yan reminding her to take her folic acid every day and patting her head to lull her to sleep before bed. Today, without those steps, she felt like something was missing.
Habits were truly terrifying things.
Mu Ci shook her head, trying to dispel the thought.
She got up and walked to the balcony. The night breeze was as gentle as water, and as she stretched out her hand, she could feel the cool wind softly passing through her fingers.
She gazed at her right hand, and Shi Na’s words suddenly echoed in her ears.
“Miss Mu is just lucky, relying either on her parents or her friends’ connections.”
“Nothing but a burden clinging to others. I don’t know what she has to be so arrogant about all day.”
She gazed at the lines on her palm and suddenly let out a self-mocking laugh.
Come to think of it, it seemed she had never experienced any real hardships in this life.
Born into a privileged family, blessed with outstanding looks, everything had gone smoothly for her. Even her hobbies and talents far surpassed those of others.
Who wouldn’t envy such a life?
But only she knew how truly useless she felt.
In her twenties, she had achieved nothing remarkable and couldn’t even help her family.
Before meeting Qin Yan, her parents, afraid she might run short of money, would transfer a generous monthly allowance into her account without fail.
Even when the family company faced difficulties, they never breathed a word to her. It was only through Qin Yan that she learned about the company’s struggles and precarious situation in recent years.
For over twenty years, her parents had cradled her in their hands, shielding her from every storm, nurturing her like a delicate rose.
What they didn’t know was that even a little rose could feel guilt and self-blame.
While protecting her, they must have also believed she lacked the ability or capability to share their burdens.
How melodramatic.
Mu Ci once again criticized herself.
With no worries about food or clothing, she still found herself sinking into late-night melancholy. It was true—people really shouldn’t have it too easy.
She turned and walked deeper inside, but instead of returning to bed, she left her room and headed straight for Qin Yan’s door.
For some reason, she suddenly felt a strong urge to hear the voice of her so-called “plastic husband.”