"Mu Qi, I can do it myself."
Yun Shunnian saw Mu Qi holding her hand as they strolled unhurriedly through the dessert section. The people who wanted to strike up a conversation with Mu Qi were watching them from a distance.
She felt a little overwhelmed.
"Don't you want to be with me?" Mu Qi shifted his gaze from the various desserts and turned to look at Yun Shunnian's profile.
"Of course not!" Yun Shunnian squeezed Mu Qi's hand, afraid he might misunderstand.
"Don't you get bored being with me every day?"
Yun Shunnian scratched the palm of Mu Qi's hand. Mu Qi watched her with unblinking eyes, and Yun Shunnian was truly worried about what might happen this afternoon.
"You find it boring to be with me?" Mu Qi retorted, his voice deepening slightly.
"Mu Qi, how can you turn it around on me?" Was Mu Qi too sensitive?
As Yun Shunnian pondered this, a warmth around her waist pulled her back to the present.
It was Mu Qi holding her waist.
Yun Shunnian had been speaking to Mu Qi with her tiptoes, leaning close to his ear, out of consideration for the people behind them.
And while Yun Shunnian was lost in thought, she hadn't noticed that her heels had suddenly dropped.
If Mu Qi hadn't held onto her waist, she would have likely fallen to the ground on the slippery floor with her slender high heels.
Yun Shunnian patted her chest, her heart still racing.
"What do you want to eat?" Mu Qi kept one hand protectively around Yun Shunnian's waist and returned his gaze to the desserts.
"Eat what?" Yun Shunnian murmured softly, her gaze following his to the desserts.
After all, if Mu Qi didn't want to deal with those people, it was perfectly fine to be by her side. It saved her from worrying about any "wildflowers" surrounding him in her absence.
And those who felt uncomfortable were the ones constantly looking for opportunities to talk to Mu Qi. What did it have to do with her?
With that thought, Yun Shunnian followed her heart and leaned against Mu Qi as if she had no bones.
"Husband, I want to eat that one." Yun Shunnian spoke in a soft, affected voice, deliberately acting spoiled towards Mu Qi.
She had been thinking of pushing him away just moments ago, but now she was suddenly acting cute. Mu Qi felt a tremor deep within his soul.
An overwhelming desire to fulfill her every wish, coupled with the fear of not giving her enough, surged within him.
"I'll get it." Mu Qi straightened Yun Shunnian and immediately got up, picked up a plate and tongs, and retrieved the dessert Yun Shunnian wanted.
Yun Shunnian, who had just been straightened by Mu Qi, was still a bit dazed.
"Sir, I can do that. What would your lady want? I can help you pick it out."
A server nearby, tasked with serving desserts to the wealthy ladies at the banquet, saw Mu Qi personally pick up a plate and immediately stepped forward to take it from him.
"No need, I'll do it myself." Mu Qi gave the server a glance before turning away, a flicker of impatience in his eyes.
Mu Qi did not want to entrust anything related to Yun Shunnian to strangers.
Seeing this, Yun Shunnian understood that Mu Qi wanted to do it himself. The bewilderment in her eyes vanished, replaced by a growing admiration and the blissful feeling of being cherished.
At this moment, Yun Shunnian was lost in watching Mu Qi's back, unaware that someone else, someone familiar, was also watching her profile with a sinister gaze.
"Miss Yao has quite the connections." Zuo Nan and Yao Zhen were standing behind a curtain on a raised platform.
Zuo Nan was covertly surveying the situation inside the mansion, while Yao Zhen was wary of Zuo Nan doing anything detrimental to her.
"This doesn't seem to concern you, does it?" Yao Zhen stared intently at Zuo Nan's profile, her words sharp, but her heart was filled with anxiety, worried that Zuo Nan might notice something.
"Naturally, it has nothing to do with me." Zuo Nan's tone was light, but her gaze towards Yun Shunnian grew increasingly fierce.
Yao Zhen didn't see the look in Zuo Nan's eyes, only preparing herself for defense at any moment.
"When is your grandfather arriving?" Zuo Nan's gaze remained fixed on Yun Shunnian, her eyes filled with not only ferocity but also a hint of possessiveness.
"Around twelve noon." Yao Zhen's brows furrowed, her emotions bordering on loss of control.
"Oh, that's still quite a while," Zuo Nan said meaningfully. Yao Zhen pursed her lips and also looked in Yun Shunnian's direction.
However, to Yao Zhen's surprise, Zuo Nan walked right up to Yun Shunnian in the blink of an eye.
They were working together!
As this thought occurred, Yao Zhen's last lifeline seemed to slip through her fingers, transforming into a sharp blade in the hands of her enemy.
Fortunately, Yao Zhen felt as if she had come back to life the next second. Sudangnovel.com
Yun Shunnian casually picked up a glass of wine and unhesitatingly splashed it onto Zuo Nan.
"Niannian, it's really been a long time." Just as Yun Shunnian was captivated by Mu Qi's broad shoulders, narrow waist, and long legs, a voice that made Yun Shunnian want to clench her fist and punch it entered her ears.
Yun Shunnian's expression changed. She didn't want to deal with Zuo Nan, let alone take her eyes off Mu Qi's perfect physique.
So, she pretended not to hear and mentally warned Zuo Nan to be sensible and leave quickly.
But Zuo Nan, for some reason, didn't appreciate Yun Shunnian's "generosity" and walked directly in front of her.
"Niannian, long time no see." Zuo Nan smiled slightly at Yun Shunnian.
Yun Shunnian looked at this face and fell into thought. How could she have ever fallen for someone like this?
Look at that smile, it wasn't even a tenth as captivating as Mu Qi's.
It was simply hideous. How had she ever thought Zuo Nan's smile was gentle and refined?
Yun Shunnian was secretly lamenting the years she had wasted on Zuo Nan.
Unbeknownst to her, Mu Qi had already turned around, his lips pressed into a straight line, and a trickle of blood even seeped out.
"Niannian, didn't we agree to leave this place together?" Zuo Nan's gaze suddenly became deeply affectionate, even containing a hint of tears.
However, Yun Shunnian was still lost in her thoughts until Zuo Nan suddenly stepped closer. Instinctively, Yun Shunnian picked up a glass of wine and splashed it onto Zuo Nan.
A flicker of darkness passed over Zuo Nan's face.
What surprised Yun Shunnian even more was that at the same moment she splashed wine on Zuo Nan, Mu Qi grabbed Zuo Nan's collar from behind.