"Shang Gong, do the words 'Madam Mu' carry no weight with you?" Mu Qi looked down at the prayer beads in his hand, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
Shang Gong felt he had spoken out of turn, yet he also felt he hadn't said anything wrong. That woman had only ever caused the young master pain. The young master should have eradicated Yun Shunnian from his life completely! Or, perhaps, he should have made the young master forget about that woman, Yun Shunnian. The more Shang Gong thought about it, the more it made sense. His spine, usually so pliant, became unusually rigid. He still met Mu Qi's gaze.
"Have I been too kind to you these past few days?" Mu Qi put down the prayer beads, leaning back against the chair. The knuckles of his index and middle fingers tapped the tabletop with a steady rhythm.
The surge of warmth that had just flowed through Shang Gong's heart instantly turned cold.
"You disagree with me?" Mu Qi continued his unhurried narration.
"Young Master, I do not," Shang Gong's voice was no longer as loud, and his gaze dropped a little.
"Then you believe that in my heart, you are more important than my wife?" Mu Qi glanced at Shang Gong, his tone neither heavy nor light.
Shang Gong gritted his teeth, adopting a "go for broke" attitude. "Young Master, the young madam is important, but shouldn't you also consider your empire? This position you hold was hard-won, a matter of life and death!" Shang Gong said to Mu Qi excitedly, like a loyal minister hoping to guide a wayward monarch back to the right path.
However, Mu Qi simply stared at Shang Gong with an indifferent gaze. Without uttering a word, he made Shang Gong, with hindsight, feel an intense pressure. Soon, Shang Gong couldn't bear it any longer and bowed his head to plead for forgiveness.
"Young Master, I have overstepped," a bead of sweat trickled down Shang Gong's chin and onto the floor.
Mu Qi looked at the man before him and let out a scoff. Shang Gong's heart sank even further with that low sound.
"What do you think I wanted this empire for?" Mu Qi withdrew his fingers from the table. The lucky bamboo on the table stood tall, as if mocking Shang Gong's misguided judgment.
"Isn't it for status, position, and glory?" Shang Gong slowly straightened up, not understanding why Mu Qi would ask such a simple question.
"Is that what you think?" Mu Qi's smile seemed to hold a hidden meaning.
Mu Qi: "It's just a pity that I, and not you, am in this position."
"Young Master, I absolutely have no intention of coveting your position." Shang Gong's heart pounded violently, the scene of Mu Qi bringing him into the Mu family replaying in his mind. The young master had shown him great kindness; he would never be like a snake biting the hand that fed it. He simply felt the young master was not getting what he deserved, not for doing so much for one woman.
"The empire you speak of, in my eyes, is merely a toy for Nian Nian to squander. If one day, Nian Nian dislikes this toy, then your so-called empire can be discarded at will. Or even destroyed." As Mu Qi spoke, the prayer beads in his hand shattered on the floor.
Shang Gong's mind replayed Mu Qi's words, as if he could suddenly feel the frigid temperature of the air conditioning in the office, the chill seeping into his very bones.
"Do you know what to do now?" Mu Qi casually tossed the red string that had held the prayer beads onto the table and pushed a box full of tranquilizers towards Shang Gong.
Shang Gong finally snapped out of his shock, dazedly reaching for the box. Then, with a wave of Mu Qi's hand, he bowed and left Mu Qi's office with the box. It was only then that Shang Gong realized that all of Mu Qi's years of tireless effort, day and night, had been nothing but a wedding dress for that woman, Yun Shunnian. From another perspective, without Yun Shunnian, perhaps the status and glory that Shang Gong valued wouldn't even exist. Mu Qi, carrying his suitcase, had a vacant look in his eyes. At this moment, his self-proclaimed beliefs had shattered.
***
Less than half an hour later, Yun Shunnian, who had been sleeping in the master bedroom, also woke up. Her gaze fell upon the white ceiling. For a moment, Yun Shunnian felt a void in her heart. At this instant, she couldn't distinguish whether she was in her past life or her reborn timeline. Or, perhaps, whether she was in heaven or hell. She blinked, tears threatening to fall from the discomfort. Yun Shunnian then got up and rushed out of the room, driven by instinct, towards Mu Qi's study. Seeing Mu Qi at his desk, Yun Shunnian immediately threw herself towards him. However, Yun Shunnian had moved too quickly and didn't notice the prayer beads on the floor, stepping on them. Instantly losing her balance, Yun Shunnian's body uncontrollably tilted backward. Fortunately, Mu Qi's hand shot out, pulling Yun Shunnian into his embrace. Feeling Mu Qi's warm chest, Yun Shunnian slowly emerged from that hollow, panicked feeling.
"What's wrong?" Mu Qi felt Yun Shunnian's unease and gently stroked her head, trying to help her relax. Yun Shunnian pressed herself even closer to Mu Qi.
"Mu Qi, can't you sleep with me?" Yun Shunnian mumbled, expressing her recent sadness. Mu Qi could clearly sense Yun Shunnian's dejection, but... but his own emotions were unstable right now, and he was worried he might hurt Yun Shunnian. Mu Qi hesitated to answer. Yun Shunnian, feeling dissatisfied, pushed him away. However, unexpectedly, Mu Qi immediately pulled her back and held her tightly.
"Don't push me away!" Mu Qi's previously gentle gaze suddenly changed, even the whites of his eyes turning somewhat red.
Yun Shunnian pursed her lips. After a long moment, she finally couldn't help but speak: "Mu Qi, I'm not even allowed to be angry anymore?"
"Don't push me away!" Mu Qi heard Yun Shunnian's words but couldn't focus his attention to comprehend their meaning. Yun Shunnian, who had just managed to escape a profound sense of panic, now felt as if another gaping wound had been torn open in her heart upon hearing Mu Qi's words. Yun Shunnian's emotions, as they arrived, were swift. Soon, her large, curved eyes could no longer contain the tears of grievance.