Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Qi Chengzhi a.s.sured them that the situation was being investigated. He then turned to Qi Chengyue and said, "You and Cheng Dongge will be going on a business trip to Li City the day after tomorrow. This is regarding the movie-themed amus.e.m.e.nt park that Qilin will build in Li City. As the finance manager, you"ll have to find out the budget of each party as well as other related things."

"Why so sudden?" Qi Chengyue asked in shock. Qi Chengzhi had never brought it up before then.

"You were busy with your divorce so I didn"t tell you about it. At the same time, I also asked Cheng Dongge to try and find a backup candidate to replace you. But since your problem with Jian Yi is completely settled, you can set your mind at ease and work without worrying too much. As the first-choice candidate, it"s best if you go." Qi Chengzhi tossed a pine nut into his mouth. "You"ll go with Cheng Dongge the day after tomorrow."

Qi Chengyue"s expression showed signs of unease. She held her cup and was about to take a sip of tea, but placed it down due to her anxiety. Her face felt hot and she directed her gaze downward. She s.h.i.+ed away from looking directly at Qi Chengzhi because she was afraid that he might notice something off about her. "Why am I the one who has to go there with Cheng Dongge? Isn"t this something my elder brother is in charge of all this time?"

Qi Chenglin stared at Qi Youxuan"s plate of de-sh.e.l.led pine nuts and pecans, then reached in and took away about half, saying, "My hands are full, so I can"t go."

The little boy stared at his half-empty plate and took it away immediately. His tubby hands clung tight to it, but after thinking about it for a moment, he was still worried. He lifted the plate up and poured all the nuts into his mouth, filling his cheeks to the brim. Speaking was nearly impossible and it was equally as hard for him to chew.

"Oh dear, this boy! What are you doing! Who is going to take all of it away from you?" The old lady spotted his actions and poured a gla.s.s of water for him. She was worried about how dangerous it would be if those nuts got stuck in his throat and he would choke as a result.

Qi Youxuan was busy chewing and therefore could not speak due to his puffed-up cheeks. His fair little hands pointed at Qi Chenglin, and his expression was incredibly wrathful.

The one thing he could never stand was when someone else took his food!

Following the direction of his finger, the old lady noticed Qi Chenglin"s fistful of nuts. He was savoring them leisurely, since there was no need to desh.e.l.l them. Elegant and carefree was his action of eating them.

The old lady smacked Qi Chenglin"s hand and chastised him. "You little! Why are you taking food from your own son! Put them back now!"

She then took the empty plate from Qi Youxuan so Qi Chenglin could put back all those nuts and return them to the boy.

"Spit it out now." The old lady told Qi Youxuan to open his mouth for fear that he would choke. "Your dad already put the nuts back."

Qi Youxuan was reluctant to spit out the nuts that he was already in the process of eating. He chewed those nuts as fast as he could and swallowed them all up.

"Oh dear!" the old lady exclaimed helplessly. "You"ve been very well-fed since you were young, and we let you eat anything that you wanted to eat. You"ve tried all the good food before, including delicacies from all around the world. Why are you acting like you"ve never eaten anything good?"

The old lady hurriedly gave Qi Youxuan some water and made sure that nothing was stuck in the boy"s throat.

Qi Youxuan looked at the nuts that his father had placed back into the plate. The boy blinked a few times and wondered whether he should devour them all in one go.

He was heartbroken because a third of those nuts had disappeared into Qi Chenglin"s stomach.

The old lady read his thoughts immediately and s.n.a.t.c.hed the plate from him right away. She placed it on the coffee table and said, "Eat them slowly. No one"s going to steal them from you. You"re not allowed to eat them all in one go, or else I won"t allow you to eat them at all."

Qi Youxuan pouted and decided to give up his earlier intention. Nevertheless, he looked at Qi Chenglin warily. He covered the plate with his hand to defend the nuts against his father. Then, he chomped rapidly on those nuts.

The old lady did not have the heart to look at the sight in front of her, for it was a scene that she deemed pitiful.

Once Qi Youxuan calmed down, Qi Chengzhi continued, "Li City is Cheng Dongge"s hometown. He"s familiar with the place and it"s only fitting that he goes. You both seem to be okay with each other. Is there any problem?"

"No," Qi Chengyue looked down and said. "Then I"ll go home and prepare. What time will we be leaving?"

"It"s a morning flight," Qi Chengzhi said. "I"ll let Cheng Dongge book the flight and then contact you."

Noon came and Aunt Liu called everyone to have lunch. When Qi Chengyue went to the toilet, Song Yu leaned over to Qi Chengzhi and whispered, "You say I"m always trying to play matchmaker, but aren"t you becoming the matchmaker for Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge?"

Qi Chengzhi shot her a glance and maintained his composure. "Work matters require it."

Having said that, he looked askance at her and said in all seriousness, "Stop thinking about indecent stuff all day."

Song Yu, "…"

"How was that indecent!"

On Monday, Song Yu gave Ruan Danchen a call and set up a time with her. She also made sure to confirm the time with Mu Huaisheng. Once that was done, Qi Chengzhi drove the Jaguar and brought Song Yu to fetch Ruan Danchen from Chengs.h.i.+.

The Range Rover needed a week to repair.

Mu Huaisheng had already bought an apartment because it was bothersome to keep staying at Dynasty.

Worried that Mu Sisi might cause trouble to Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu, he had no choice but to also stay with Mu Sisi.

He booked a room in advance at Shengyue. Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu tagged along as well.

Ruan Danchen looked at them and felt that the atmosphere was more like a blind date than a business meeting about interior designing!

It was only when Mu Huaisheng took out the floor plan that she breathed a sigh of relief. She put on her game face and showed her professional side when discussing it with him.

She listened as Mu Huaisheng expounded on his concept and requests, the idea that he wished to achieve, the style he envisioned it to have, and various other things.

Ruan Danchen noted them down diligently.

"Miss Ruan, are you free this afternoon? If you are, follow me to the site to take a look," Mu Huaisheng enquired.

"That won"t be a problem," she replied. "I"ll just give the company a call."

Mu Huaisheng nodded, seemingly satisfied.

After lunch, Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi did not continue to stay there with them. Song Yu had only one worry—that Mu Huaisheng did not hold Ruan Danchan in high esteem. That was why she and Qi Chengzhi came to give Ruan Danchen some backing.

Besides, she wanted to introduce Ruan Danchen to Mu Huaisheng in the capacity of a friend. In that scenario, the lines between client and contractor would be blurred, and that would give them the s.p.a.ce to get acquainted with each other.

Mu Huaisheng did not seem to mind Ruan Danchen"s lack of reputation, but the key would lie in Ruan Danchen"s proposed design. As for whether something might happen between the two of them, that would depend highly on their chemistry.

Song Yu recalled how Mu Huaisheng opened the car door for Ruan Danchen when they were in front of the restaurant. A smile came over Song Yu when she thought of the scene where he helped her into the car. Song Yu turned to Qi Chengzhi and said, "I didn"t expect Mu Huaisheng to be such a gentleman."

"Are you still not giving up on being a matchmaker?" Qi Chengzhi took a jibe at her.

"There"s no harm in trying right?" Song Yu looked at him suspiciously. "I have no idea why you"re so confident that she and Mu Huaisheng can never be an item."

Qi Chengzhi simply smiled at looked her without saying a word.

Mu Huaisheng drove the BMV 7 Series that he had just acquired from a 4S automobile shop. He brought Ruan Danchen to the location where MU"s flags.h.i.+p store was going to be opened.

The street was filled with flags.h.i.+p stores that carried various luxury brand names. Ruan Danchen"s sources told her that an empty shop lot was not easy to find because the place was in high demand. Established brands were usually the only ones that could snag a spot there, and Ruan Danchen was truly in awe at how Mu Huaisheng could manage to grab a shop lot.

Ruan Danchen never went there because the prices were too exorbitant. She did not know what brand originally occupied the shop lot, as the store sign was taken down and the décor was completely taken out. The only thing left was a plain empty s.p.a.ce surrounded by clean walls.

She entered the shop and observed it before taking a few snapshots of the empty store. From her bag, she took out a pen and paper and went through her usual habit of sketching the plan and elevation. She then took out a measuring tape and began measuring the dimensions. A few more pictures were taken as well.

There was a ladder that had been left by the previous workers, so Ruan Danchen tossed her bag onto the floor and set the ladder up. "Mr. Mu, can you please help me lay the tip of the measuring tape on the floor?"

Ruan Danchen gave him the measuring tape and climbed up the ladder to measure the height.

After making the necessary measurements, she used her teeth to remove the cap from her pen. With the cap between her teeth, one handheld the pen while the other held the paper. She was writing down the numbers.

Mu Huaisheng made sure to keep an eye on her as she was in a precarious position.

Once she was done, she began making her way down the stairs. She was easily over-focused when she was in work mode, and those were the times she was inattentive of her surroundings.

She lost her footing and began sliding down. Her knee knocked against one of the steps and she let out a gasp. Just as she was going to tumble down, Mu Huaisheng ran up and caught her from behind.

Ruan Danchen"s back was pressed against Mu Huaisheng"s chest. He was practically embracing her and hugging her from behind.

Embarra.s.sed, Ruan Danchen hastily stood up. Someone then came into the shop.

Mu Huaisheng noticed the other person as well, and when they went to the entrance to see who it was, they saw that it was Qi Chenglin.

For a brief moment, Mu Huaisheng forgot to let go of Ruan Danchen. The latter was stunned for quite some time, but she soon regained her senses and scrambled off of Mu Huaisheng"s embrace.

Mu Huaisheng"s hands were empty, and he, too, snapped back to reality. He straightened his posture, but remained slightly embarra.s.sed nonetheless.

"Did I bother you both?" Qi Chenglin c.o.c.ked a brow somewhat tauntingly. His gaze was particularly cynical when he looked at Ruan Danchen.

Mu Huaisheng did not try to explain the situation too much. All he said was, "I asked Miss Ruan to design the interior for the store. Why are you here?"

"I was in the area to discuss some things. I dropped by to take a look," Qi Chenglin"s expressionless gaze drifted past her body and landed on the exact spot that Mu Huaisheng touched. He nodded and said, "I won"t bother you two."

He left as soon as he finished his words.

Ruan Danchen, "…"

"Why in the world is he here?"

After Qi Chenglin left, there was an awkwardness between Ruan Danchen and Mu Huaisheng.

Having taken down all the necessary measurements, she said, "I"ll finish the design as soon as I can and show it to you."

"Sure." Mu Huaisheng offered to drive Ruan Danchen back to the company. She initially refused, but Mu Huaisheng was more persuasive than her, and in the end, he still sent her back.

Early the next morning, Cheng Dongge came to Jade Villa Residence to pick Qi Chengyue up.

He parked his Touareg at the villa entrance, and not long later, Qi Chengyue came out with a twenty-inch luggage bag.

It was only a one-night stay in Li City, so Qi Chengyue did not bring much stuff.

Cheng Dongge got down and opened the boot. When Qi Chengyue came over, he took the luggage bag from her without a word.

His clean and warm palm came into contact with her hand. It was unintentional. She trembled slightly and retracted her hand immediately. Cheng Dongge looked at her for a moment but remained silent as he placed the luggage bag into the boot.

Qi Chengyue was already in the car by the time he went over to the driver"s seat.

Ever since the divorce, Qi Chengyue did not contact him anymore. Coincidentally, they never b.u.mped into each other in the company, as if one was avoiding the other on purpose.

Qi Chengyue could not help but look at him. As she expected, the only reason he had given the interview was to help her. His sole purpose for saying that he liked her was to lift her out of her own embarra.s.sment.

Her long lashes obscured her eyes, but just as she was retracting her gaze, Cheng Dongge looked at her and caught her sneaking a glance at him.

Qi Chengyue"s face reddened and she felt completely embarra.s.sed.

"Why is your face so red?" Cheng Dongge acted as if he knew nothing.

Qi Chengyue felt that he was asking a question he obviously knew the answer to, since he had caught her staring at him.

She kept quiet, but all of a sudden, Cheng Dongge stretched his hand and placed his palm on her reddened cheek. Just like that, his hand remained there.

His hand was virtually covering half of her face, and she could feel his warmth as well as the slight coa.r.s.eness of his palm. That coa.r.s.eness, when rubbed against her face, sent little currents of electricity that flowed into her entire cheek.

Qi Chengyue"s face turned completely scarlet, and she felt so feverishly-hot that she might just go up in smoke.

"Are you feeling hot?" Cheng Dongge frowned slightly.

Qi Chengyue"s mouth was agape, but she could not say a single word. His hand still remained on her face.

His face, however, seemed completely normal, as if he was oblivious to the intimacy of his actions. It all seemed normal to him, and there were no hidden messages behind his way of thinking.

He seemed to have stroked her cheek, but Qi Chengyue could not know for sure since he already removed his hand from her face. Subsequently, he placed his hand behind the headrest of her seat. If she tilted her head slightly, she would come in contact with his arm. She did not dare to move an inch, and she had no idea what he was about to do.

All of a sudden, Cheng Dongge leaned in closer. His handsome face was fast approaching, and Qi Chengyue opened her eyes wide. Anxious, she inhaled sharply, with her lips parting open ever so slightly as well.

Just as his lips were about to come into contact with hers, he retracted himself and resumed his straight posture. His other arm went past her in order for him to press the b.u.t.ton to lower her window slightly. He then faced her, and between them there was only an inch"s worth of distance. Their breaths melded together and her heartbeat quickened after she breathed them in.

His scent was rich, like the richest of hard liquor. It warmed up her body and made her feel as though she was already drunk.

Qi Chengyue"s lips were dry, but she struggled hard to stop herself from licking her own lips. Cheng Dongge"s stance seemed to suggest that he would kiss her at any given moment.

A smile, however, was the only thing that came out of his actions. He told her softly, "Open the windows a bit if you"re feeling hot."

Then he sat back down on his seat, looking all prim and proper.

"…" Qi Chengyue stared at him for a moment. "He can control all the windows from his side, right? Why did he have to lean over?"

Qi Chengyue turned away and looked outside to face the scenery. The wind blew on her face when the car was speeding, thus causing the heat on her face to dissipate.

The two of them took an early flight to Li City. Cheng Dongge did not immediately pay his parents a visit, as his first agenda was to head to Qilin"s Li City subsidiary company with Qi Chengyue. They met with the person-in-charge and after that, they were stuck in a meeting. They even had lunch in the meeting room, with takeout being delivered to them.

In the evening, they went to have a look at the site. By the time the day"s itinerary was completed, it was already six.

The weather was getting warmer and the days were getting longer. By virtue of Li City"s position down south, the days were longer than B City. Therefore, it was still bright at that hour.

"Mr. Cheng, Miss Qi, my a.s.sistant made a restaurant reservation. Please join us for dinner," the general manager of Qilin"s subsidiary company offered.

Cheng Dongge did not answer immediately, but turned to Qi Chengyue instead. "Would you like to try some of Li City"s authentic food?"

Qi Chengyue did not want to get too close with the subsidiary company"s higher-ups. She was a member of the Qi family after all, and it would not be good for her to get too close with them.

There would be an abundance of flattery and praise directed at her if she followed them to dinner. The general manager and his other managers might even try to enquire about the parent company"s affairs. Most importantly, they would try and seize the opportunity to get close with the Qi family in order to get a promotion or be transferred to Qilin"s headquarters.

As someone who spoke frankly and candidly, she was least accustomed to dealing with such events. Cheng Dongge was likely aware of that, which was why he asked her before answering the general manager.

Since Cheng Dongge had already given her a silver lining, Qi Chengyue immediately responded, "Yes!"

Cheng Dongge then turned to the general manager and smiled. "My apologies. I"m from Li City, so since I"m back, I"ll visit my parents. I told them I"d be coming home for dinner."

Qi Chengyue, "…"

In that case, Qi Chengyue would rather go to dinner with the general manager!

Regretting was no use, for she had already agreed to Cheng Dongge.

After hearing that, the general manager looked at the both of them in a different light. Something seemed to be going on between them, and upon recalling the earlier news, the two of them seemed to be on really good terms with each other. The general manager could not help but admire Cheng Dongge for being able to rise so meteorically in such a short span of time.

Of course, he would never think of offending the two of them. Even if there was nothing between Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengyue, the former was still Qi Chengzhi"s right-hand man. The general manager would not dare to be disrespectful toward him.

As a result, the general manager was not angry at all. He was all smiles even though they declined the invitation. "Ah, I didn"t know that. It"s alright, we"ll have another chance next time."

Although Qi Chengyue regretted it, she had no choice but to summon up the courage to go ahead with it. A car was provided for their convenience, and she sat in it while going home with Cheng Dongge.

She felt like she was going to meet her in-laws.

She shook her head as soon as that thought occurred. "What nonsense am I thinking about!"

Upon gathering her thoughts, she carefully sneaked a glance at him. He seemed to be so focused on driving that he did not notice she was looking at him.

Since they were there on official business, he was dressed in a well-fitted suit. His face was handsome and gentle, which she regarded as being similar to a gla.s.s of warm water. A gla.s.s of water was neither sweet nor nauseating, but incredibly refres.h.i.+ng. It may not be the most delicious drink out there, but it was the only one that stood the test of time and was indispensable.

His masculine cologne was emanating profusely from his body. It was light and not too overpowering, but it made her want to savor each and every breath of that delectable scent.

Her gaze then landed on the steering wheel, specifically the hand that was on it. His long fingers were well-groomed, while his skin was fair and his bones were distinct. The joints closest to his palm had a small number of soft hairs, adding another layer of masculinity to him.