"Why did you co over? Weren’t we supposed to watch a movie tonight?"
"I didn’t want you driving all the way there again!"
Mu Yichen said as he turned around, leaning half-seated on the edge of the table.
Qin Mu tilted her head, still gazing at him: "Oh!"
"But the plan has changed last-minute!"
"Hmm?"
"I’ve got sothing I want to do, but of course, I need your support."
Mu Yichen spoke with a slightly serious tone, glancing down at her.
Qin Mu sensed that this might actually be sothing serious, so she lifted her eyes slightly: "Tell !"
"Tonight, I want to set up a little sche—invite Zhiyuan and Zhao Huai to drink together!"
"So we’re skipping the movie for this boys-only drinking party?"
Qin Mu looked confused; what did this have to do with her?
"No, it’s not just that! You need to call Secretary Xi and get her to co over too, and you need to be present as well."
Mu Yichen said with seriousness.
Qin Mu...
Later, Mu Yichen gathered everyone except for Qiao Yi and Secretary Xi at the office first. The n were quick to agree and exclaid that they’d been wanting to do this for ages.
However, An Nan and Qin Mu didn’t appear to be very supportive, furrowing their brows at the n as they cooked up these sleazy plans.
"This isn’t fair to Secretary Xi."
An Nan couldn’t just let them go through with it like this—soone needed to persuade her to willingly take part in the setup.
"If she’s unwilling later, just prepare an electric baton for Xi ng. One hit, and he’ll be done for!"
Jing Feng and Helian Hao arrived after work to join in the fun, coincidentally walking in as An Nan raised objections. Jing Feng casually dropped this comnt as he entered.
An Nan: "..."
Helian Hao: "I think Jing Feng’s idea is spot on. They’ve been at each other like this for so long, and it’s getting nowhere. If Xi ng really marries soone else out of spite, she’d regret it in the future, and Qiao Yi would regret it to the point of heartbreak. So tonight, why don’t we ss with them properly? Later, if they end up together, we’ll all have played a major part, and they won’t hold this against us."
Qin Mu was stunned. As Helian Hao approached her, she was dumbstruck, thinking: Is this really the Helian Hao I know?
Helian Hao gracefully smiled at her: "What’s wrong, little sister? Did I scare you?"
"Certainly!"
Qin Mu felt a little guilty but admitted it.
She couldn’t help but think: won’t there co a day when you sche against like this?
No wonder people always say never to underestimate won who usually seem so soft and gentle—they can be ruthless when they rebel!
Sure enough, ruthless is an understatent!
"Alright then, it’s decided! Xiaomu, hurry up and call Secretary Xi; only you can convince her to co."
"Actually, Mu can do it too!"
Qin Mu thought it over. Carrying this burden was truly exhausting!
So she wanted Mu Yichen to handle it. As the boss, a single call from him would get Secretary Xi to jump through hoops, and imdiately at that.
"Mrs. Mu, please take this seriously—it’s a dinner invitation, not a work order."
Mu Yichen gave her a look, one that seed to ask, "You really think it’s appropriate for to do this?"
Qin Mu thought it was perfectly appropriate but still fished out her phone.
Indeed, among everyone in the room, she was undoubtedly the closest to Xi ng, though she still believed this whole setup was more than a little unethical.
"Pairing Xi ng with Qiao Yi is unequivocally a loss!"
She said before dialing.
"Why don’t we thoroughly interrogate Mr. Qiao for Secretary Xi’s sake?"
An Nan agreed, even though she’d only t Xi ng once.
Thus, the room full of people spent the entire evening scheming.
Qiao Yi parked his car directly in the hotel underground garage, while Secretary Xi, knowing there would be drinking involved, opted to take a cab.
Yet when Xi ng got into the elevator from the first floor, she imdiately saw Qiao Yi upon entering.
The sight left Qiao Yi montarily stunned, his piercing glare fixed on her as though silently asking: "Why are you here too? This ti, it wasn’t seeking you out."
Xi ng, on the other hand, seed entirely indifferent. She rely turned her head away, now facing the elevator door, quietly waiting.
When she noticed that Qiao Yi was headed to the sa floor as her, she couldn’t help but feel slightly strained in her breathing.
Qin Mu’s invitation to dinner had puzzled her—while they were friends, their bond hadn’t seed close enough to warrant such a casual dinner plan.
After stepping out of the elevator, Xi ng instinctively stepped aside. When Qiao Yi erged from behind her, she simply said: "You go first!"
Qiao Yi glanced at her. Though he felt her thoughts ran deep, he held his tongue and lowered his head, walking ahead.
Lately, both of their expressions often carried traces of exhaustion.
Each ti they t, there was so much to be said, but each encounter left their words lodged in their throats, the only thing that surfaced being their mutual frustration.
This wasn’t what love ought to be.
Xi ng watched as he walked ahead, avoiding following him toward the sa destination. She remained in place until he stopped in front of a private room.
Xi ng held her breath and hesitated.
Qiao Yi stood at the doorway and turned back to look at the woman still lingering at the elevator entrance. Xi ng stared back briefly before turning away, heading in an entirely different direction.
She wanted to act as though her destination wasn’t the sa one as his. Qiao Yi felt a hint of disappointnt but still pushed open the door and went inside.
"Xi ng!"
Xi ng had walked far enough away but heard a voice calling her from behind—soone was shouting her na from farther away.
She turned to see Qin Mu at the door of the room that Qiao Yi had entered.
"Co over! Where do you think you’re going?"
Xi ng: "..."
Xi ng had never felt such a short distance could feel like she had taken centuries to traverse.
Qin Mu stood by the door waiting for her. As Xi ng approached, looking slightly nervous, she confessed: "I just saw Qiao Yi walk into that room!"
"He did go in!"
Qin Mu replied with a serious tone, her expression equally solemn.
Just as An Nan said earlier, they couldn’t make decisions for Xi ng or Qiao Yi—they could only assist.
"Then I..."
Xi ng lowered her head, rembering the argunt earlier that afternoon.
"Whether or not you go in is entirely up to you! All I can say is there’s quite a performance waiting inside, about you and Qiao Yi. If you’re willing, take that step... "
Qin Mu finished with a faint sigh of resignation, then looked intensely at Xi ng.
"Although we’re not sisters, I truly believe that you and Qiao Yi being together ans he prayed good karma in a past life. So if you decide to turn back now, that’s OK too!"
Qin Mu smirked a little, but her gaze remained utterly focused on Xi ng.
Xi ng looked back at her while faint noise from inside seed to prod her to enter.
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