This time, Du Youling was genuinely escorted out of the Mu Corporation building.
Secretary Chen’s perpetually deadpan, smile-like expression gradually receded into the distance behind her.
Song Shan, who was still waiting outside for Du Youling, spotted her and hastily rolled down the car window, waving frantically in her direction.
Du Youling didn’t notice. She stood in place, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. After a moment of deliberation, she turned and headed toward the underground parking garage.
In the distance, Song Shan, whose waving had failed to catch Du Youling’s attention, froze mid-gesture. “Seriously?! Where’s she going now?!”
The underground garage was spacious and pleasantly cool.
Du Youling circled the conspicuously prominent VVIP parking zone three times before finally locking onto the VIP parking area—because there was only one understatedly luxurious Bentley there.
She casually sent a message to dismiss Song Shan, then removed the obstructive black-rimmed glasses, squatted down beside a pillar with absolutely no regard for her image, propped her cheeks on both hands, and stared intently at that car.
Fortunately, she was wearing loose trousers and flats today, so squatting wasn’t the least bit strenuous.
But that squat lasted from the blazing midday sun all the way until nightfall.
The lighting in the underground garage grew dimmer as time passed.
Early May evenings weren’t scorching, but the lightweight professional suit Du Youling wore offered no protection against the cold. Wind funneled in from the entrance, sending several shivers through her.
She rubbed her chilled arms while her stomach, uncooperatively, let out a few hungry protests.
Just as she was beginning to think she’d be returning empty-handed tonight, the indicator light on the executive elevator not far away let out a soft ding in the darkness.
The elevator doors slid open, and two figures stepped out one after another.
The man in front bore a trace of weariness on his face, yet still exuded that bone-deep aloofness that was impossible to mask.
Secretary Chen, briefcase in hand, followed properly at a slight diagonal behind him.
Du Youling’s eyes suddenly lit up. She sprang up from behind the pillar and charged forward.
“Mu Linjiang!”
Secretary Chen looked up at the commotion, but before he could even get a clear look at Du Youling, he watched helplessly as that figure toppled straight toward them.
Du Youling had overestimated the condition of her legs after squatting in the garage for a full five hours.
The moment she took her second step, her legs gave way—numb and weak.
“Ah!” Another familiar shriek.
Seeing this, Secretary Chen instinctively reached out to steady Du Youling.
But due to the rather awkward distance, compounded by the fact that Du Youling had fallen with such decisive efficiency—
Secretary Chen’s outstretched hand sliced through the faint breeze stirred up by Du Youling’s tumble, catching nothing but air.
Thud!
Times had changed. This time, Du Youling knelt with perfect form and utmost reverence—though the object of her kneeling remained, as always, Mu Linjiang.
Du Youling braced herself with one hand on the concrete floor, her palm stinging from the rough surface.
Head bowed, she stared at the pair of impeccably polished leather shoes before her, and suddenly let out a bitter laugh at herself.
A disgrace of epic proportions.
This was absolutely the most monumental, history-book-worthy humiliation in the entire twenty-four years of her life—one fit to be recorded in the annals of the Du family!
She couldn’t understand it. Why was it that the moment she got in front of this old man, her body automatically triggered these bizarre defeat mechanisms?!
“Get up.”
With those two words, a hand with clearly defined knuckles appeared before her eyes.
Du Youling stared at that hand suspended in front of her, grinding her molars so hard she could’ve shattered them.
She looked up, glaring at the man before her, then abruptly slapped her hand into his large palm.
“I’ve knelt before you twice in just three days—shouldn’t you at least say thank you?!”
Mu Linjiang ignored her. He closed his fingers around hers, applied slight pressure, and pulled her to her feet.
“Can you stand steady?”
Holding his hand, she rose, swaying slightly. At his question, she shot him a venomous glare. “No!”
The man studied her for a few seconds, then said, “Pardon me.”
Before Du Youling could react, a wave of warmth enveloped her.
Mu Linjiang’s expression remained calm as he swept one arm around her and effortlessly lifted her off the ground, cradling her.
A flicker of astonishment passed through Secretary Chen’s eyes once more.
The man’s embrace was firm, mingled with a faint, cool fragrance. Du Youling stared at his sharp jawline, her eyes darting around mischievously, then suddenly spoke up: “Uncle Mu, when a man and a woman touch, propriety demands distance. Now that you’ve carried me, you’ll have to marry me.”
Mu Linjiang never gave second or third responses to things he had already explicitly declined. This time, he continued to ignore Du Youling.
He carried her to the car, where Secretary Chen had already opened the rear door.
The man ducked his head slightly and settled Du Youling into the back seat.
Once she was situated, he walked around to the other side and got in.
“President Mu, the blanket.” Secretary Chen turned around from the front, respectfully handing over a folded blanket.
Mu Linjiang took it and tossed it into Du Youling’s lap, then fixed his cold gaze straight ahead.
“Shall I take you back to the Du residence?”
Du Youling tossed the blanket aside with disdain. At those words, her anger flared up instantly.
“Hey! Mu Linjiang! I stood down there in the freezing wind waiting for you for over five whole hours! I didn’t even eat dinner! And I knelt for you twice! As the old saying goes, even without merit, there’s effort; even without effort, there’s exhaustion! As my elder, shouldn’t you treat me to a meal?”
Hearing this, even Secretary Chen, the ace worker, couldn’t help but twitch at the corners of his mouth.
Mu Linjiang leaned back against the seat, his slightly drooping phoenix eyes sweeping lazily over her hungry, cold little face.
He spoke toward the front compartment: “Go to the nearby Yushanfang and book a private room.”
“That’s more like it.”
Du Youling raised an eyebrow in satisfaction and let out a self-satisfied hum.
The Bentley slowly drove out of the underground garage, merging into the dazzling, dreamlike neon nightscape of Haicheng.
The cabin fell into an overly quiet silence for a moment.
Mu Linjiang leaned to one side, resting with his eyes closed.
Du Youling turned her head and pressed against the car window to look at the night scenery outside, when her stomach let out another clear, audible growl.
In this enclosed space, the sound was rather embarrassing.
Du Youling couldn’t help but urge: “Are we there yet? I’m really about to starve to death.”
Secretary Chen immediately replied: “Almost there, Miss Du.”
With that, he pressed the car audio play button on the center console, trying to ease Du Youling’s hunger.
Immediately after, a light, upbeat melody with a rich retro-electronic texture flowed slowly from the speakers.
Just three bars into the intro, Du Youling, who had been pressed against the car window, whipped her head around, her gaze fixed intently on the center console.
This song was a piece she had performed at the school’s anniversary gala during her sophomore year.
At the time, she and Du Ningyang had once again started a new round of cutthroat competition at various campus events.
Du Ningyang had chosen an elegant, refined classical piano solo, while she, to go against her, had dragged her band onto the stage and performed this obscure indie Korean song with explosive intensity—rebellious and dazzling.
That gala had been a grand affair, with many of Haicheng’s elite and political figures invited to attend, and the front row seats all occupied by big shots.
But what infuriated her was that even that perfect stage performance had lost to Du Ningyang again!
She refused to accept it!
Yet she never expected that this obscure song she had poured everything into to beat Du Ningyang back then would actually appear on Mu Linjiang’s car playlist.
She couldn’t sit still anymore, and couldn’t help but glance at the man beside her resting with his eyes closed.
Light and shadow flickered past in frames outside the window, outlining the man’s striking, sharply defined profile.
“Mu Linjiang, I didn’t expect you to have such good taste!”