"Just a friend," Yun Shuning added, a beat later, "A female friend."
"May I see it?" Mu Qi tilted his head slightly, his gaze shifting from Yun Shuning's phone to her face.
"No," Yun Shuning froze, regretting speaking so quickly. Admitting it now would likely make Mu Qi even more unstable.
Yun Shuning's hand, which had been wiping away milk stains, paused before she quickly finished and returned to her seat.
Mu Qi pursed his lips but ultimately said nothing more.
Before long, Auntie Yang and Auntie Zhang came to clear the dining table.
Mu Qi stood up, moved closer to Yun Shuning, and wrapped his arms around her, his chin resting on her head, exuding an air of clinginess.
Yun Shuning rubbed her fingers together, then raised her hand to feel Mu Qi's pulse. "Mu Qi, wait a moment. I'm going downstairs to tell Auntie Yang about today's medicinal cuisine recipe."
With that, she gently pulled away from Mu Qi's embrace, stood up, picked up her phone from the bedside table, and headed downstairs.
Mu Qi's gaze followed Yun Shuning intently, his darkened eyes casting a chilling shadow over the warm master bedroom.
[Boss, check out my voice acting in this segment!]
[Isn't it exceptionally heroic, talented, knowledgeable, and outstanding...]
Yun Shuning frowned as she looked at the nonsensical message filling her phone screen.
After listening to the audio file the other party had sent, Yun Shuning began typing on her phone.
[Your vocal relaxation and control are good, but you need to be more aware of vocal space.
There's a dialogue scene in a hospital room here. While the emotion is there, you also need to pay attention to the setting. How can you speak so loudly in a hospital room...]
Zhang Yang then sent a few more messages, interspersed with flattery and jokes.
...
Meanwhile, with the sound of a heavy object landing, a person appeared on the balcony of the master bedroom.
Mu Qi glanced towards the balcony, his expression indifferent, his eyes slightly cold.
"Young Master," Shan Gong said, bowing as soon as Mu Qi looked his way.
"Come in," Mu Qi said. Only then did Shan Gong dare to rise and enter.
"What are you doing here?" Mu Qi scanned Shan Gong, his eyes devoid of emotion.
"Young Master, we haven't heard from you, and everyone is worried." As he walked in, Shan Gong finally noticed the handcuffs connecting Mu Qi's wrist to the bedside.
Shan Gong's pupils constricted, and he hurried towards Mu Qi. "Young Master, I'll find a way to open this immediately."
"Stop," Mu Qi's voice, sharp and cold, halted Shan Gong.
"Young Master, what is going on? Who did this?"
Shan Gong stopped, then looked at the bandage on Mu Qi's wrist, and involuntarily scratched the back of his head, his tone filled with fierce indignation.
When had their young master ever endured such humiliation?
"Nian Nian prepared it," Mu Qi said, raising his wrist and looking at the handcuffs, his eyes filled with admiration.
Shan Gong, who had been contemplating a fight, froze.
It was both unexpected and, in a way, inevitable.
Besides that little drama queen Yun Shuning, who else could make their young master wear something like this?
"I'm fine. Do you need something?" Mu Qi leaned back, appearing so composed that it seemed nothing could faze him.
"Young Master, everything is as it should be."
When a tree is large, it attracts the wind. The Mu family's wealth was well-known in the capital, attracting envy. Naturally, there were plenty of ruffians and greedy individuals who sought to cause trouble for Mu Qi.
The Mu family, having stood at the pinnacle for over a hundred years, was not one to be easily bullied.
Each generation of Mu family patriarchs was both unique and similar, their methods becoming more ruthless with each succession. Mu Qi, in particular, was such that as long as his brothers knew he was still around, they wouldn't fear even if the sky fell. Sudan Novel Network
"But you..."
Shan Gong looked at Mu Qi's wrist, a hint of bitterness on his face. It wasn't jealousy, but rather an inability to stomach seeing the person who held such a high position in their hearts treated this way by a woman.
"I'm fine. Shan Gong, you should leave." Mu Qi glanced towards the master bedroom door, a touch of impatience in his expression.
Shan Gong had always regarded Mu Qi's words as gospel. Naturally, he obeyed.
Shan Gong bowed to Mu Qi and then returned to the balcony, leaping down once more.
...
Downstairs.
By the time Yun Shuning finished speaking with Zhang Yang, an hour had passed. Yun Shuning looked up at the clock, and a look of shock instantly crossed her face.
Without time to instruct Auntie Yang about the medicinal cuisine, Yun Shuning turned and ran upstairs, stopping only when she saw Mu Qi sitting on the bed, gazing out the window.
Yun Shuning paused for a second or two before climbing onto the bed and hugging him from behind.
"Mu Qi, what are you looking at so intently?" Yun Shuning followed Mu Qi's gaze, seeing only a few pine trees.
"Nian Nian, I wasn't looking at anything."
Mu Qi's hand rested on Yun Shuning's.
"Did it really take Nian Nian this long to go downstairs and explain today's medicinal cuisine recipe to Auntie Yang?" Mu Qi's voice was low.
Mu Qi had almost broken free from the restraints to find Yun Shuning, but seeing the wound she had so carefully bandaged, he had managed to restrain himself.
"Mhm, they were interested in the medicinal ingredients, so I elaborated a bit." Yun Shuning subconsciously lowered her head, feeling guilty.
Yun Shuning didn't want Mu Qi to know what had transpired with Zhang Yang.
Mu Qi was so charming, and Yun Shuning worried that Zhang Yang might defect.
What if she couldn't find Mu Qi then?
"Is that so?" Mu Qi's gaze remained dark, yet he couldn't help but want to believe Yun Shuning.
"Yes."
Yun Shuning replied, then added, "I'll be more mindful in the future and won't talk to them for so long."
"What's that?" As Yun Shuning lowered her head, her gaze inadvertently fell upon the balcony.
Yun Shuning released Mu Qi and stood up, wanting to get a closer look.
Mu Qi grabbed Yun Shuning's slender forearm and pulled her back into his embrace. "You're not wearing shoes."
"Oh," Yun Shuning replied, then got up, intending to move to the other side of the bed to put on her shoes.
To her surprise, as soon as Yun Shuning moved, Mu Qi simply picked her up.
Mu Qi: "I'll take Nian Nian to see."