"Okay, I'll help you." Mu Qi placed his hands on Yun Shu Nian's shoulders, helping her sit up. He then leaned down to pick up the clothes scattered on the bed.
Yun Shu Nian squinted, appearing drowsy and adorably dazed.
Mu Qi, fully awake, felt quite uncomfortable. He used two fingers to lift the pink strap of her bra, his phoenix eyes darkening as his gaze rose slightly.
Mu Qi: "Lift your arm."
Yun Shu Nian raised her arm. Mu Qi seized the opportunity to slip the bra straps over her shoulders.
Then, Mu Qi placed his hands on Yun Shu Nian's back, reaching around to fasten the bra clasp for her.
Time ticked by, and after a long while, Mu Qi finally managed to fasten one clasp.
Yun Shu Nian seemed not to have slept enough. She rubbed her eyes and leaned back onto Mu Qi's shoulder.
Mu Qi immediately stopped what he was doing, daring not to move.
"Mu Qi, you're so clumsy!" Yun Shu Nian's voice was soft, sounding more like a pout than a scolding.
"Sorry." Mu Qi, known as a genius in the outside world, accepted the criticism humbly.
"Yun Shu Nian: Pat pat."
Mu Qi: "Mmm." Mu Qi raised his hand and gently stroked Yun Shu Nian's head.
"Continue." Yun Shu Nian's two words were clearly tinged with sleepiness.
"Mmm." Mu Qi continued his struggle with the bra clasp at Yun Shu Nian's back.
Thinking that this was not Qi Yuan, Yun Shu Nian, despite her drowsiness, remained vigilant.
Just as Mu Qi's sweat dripped into the hollow of Yun Shu Nian's neck, the only fastened clasp also completely came undone.
Yun Shu Nian was thoroughly jolted awake, her mind racing. She then realized she was completely naked and acting spoiled with Mu Qi.
"Ah!" As soon as Yun Shu Nian understood the situation, she clutched her head and screamed in a high-pitched voice.
Immediately, hurried footsteps sounded from outside the door, followed by frantic knocking.
"What's going on? Mu Qi, have you been bullying my little Nian again?"
Mu Qi locked the door, while the old man paced anxiously outside.
Mu Qi, frowning, picked up the quilt and wrapped Yun Shu Nian tightly in it.
She was too, too muddled!
She wanted to shut herself away, to become a cave dweller!
"I'm fine." Yun Shu Nian called out to the old man outside, but her voice was hoarse from her earlier scream.
The old man, hearing her voice, couldn't shake off his worry. He cursed Mu Qi in his heart. However, since Yun Shu Nian said she was fine, he couldn't barge in.
"Mu Qi, why didn't you remind me the quilt fell?" Yun Shu Nian stared at his deep phoenix eyes, her gaze full of accusation.
His phoenix eyes seemed to avoid her gaze sheepishly. "I was changing your clothes. The quilt was bound to fall. I thought you knew."
Yun Shu Nian pursed her lips, feeling deeply wronged.
"Little Nian, how are you? Did Mu Qi do anything more beastly?" the old man anxiously called from outside.
Mu Qi’s brow furrowed in impatience.
Yun Shu Nian quickly called out to the old man, "I'm fine, just a moment, I'll be ready soon."
Hearing Yun Shu Nian's increasingly hoarse voice, the old man felt increasingly uneasy.
"Mu Qi, turn around." Mu Qi glanced at the chain tightly bound around Yun Shu Nian's wrist, then turned away.
Yun Shu Nian seized the opportunity to quickly fasten the clasps, putting on her clothes piece by piece.
However, Yun Shu Nian soon realized she couldn't put on her clothes with the chain on her wrist. After struggling for a long time, she finally removed the chain from her body.
Then, after getting dressed, she quickly reattached it to her wrist.
Mu Qi heard the clanking of the chain behind him, his long eyelashes trembling uncontrollably.
"I'm done, Mu Qi."
"Mmm." Mu Qi slowly turned around. He first looked at the chain on Yun Shu Nian's wrist, then raised his eyes to her crescent-shaped eyes.
Under Mu Qi's gaze, Yun Shu Nian's face instantly flushed. She stepped forward and buried her face in the hollow of his neck. "Mu Qi, what did you see just now?"
Mu Qi hesitated for a long time before truthfully answering, "Everything."
Yun Shu Nian pouted, her face reddening further. "It's not fair. I haven't seen you."
"Mmm?"
"Do you want to see now?" Mu Qi asked uncertainly.
"Hate to hear you say that~ What are you talking about?" Yun Shu Nian's voice was deliberately soft and coquettish to the extreme.
Mu Qi remained silent and immediately began to unbutton his shirt.
Yun Shu Nian was startled by this and immediately placed her hands on Mu Qi's to stop him.
However, when Yun Shu Nian saw what lay beneath his shirt, the words of protest caught in her throat.
Soon, all of Mu Qi's buttons were undone.
"Do you want to continue?" Mu Qi asked earnestly, as if he would immediately do as Yun Shu Nian wished if she said yes.
Yun Shu Nian, however, pursed her lips and remained silent, appearing conflicted.
Her small hand slowly moved away from his, then fell onto Mu Qi's abs. Her entire palm and hand pressed against his abs, and as if that weren't enough, she slid her hand up and down his abs.
This feeling... amazing... truly amazing!
Yun Shu Nian became more entranced, completely unaware of Mu Qi's increasingly unsteady breathing.
It wasn't until Mu Qi suddenly wrapped his arms around Yun Shu Nian's waist and pulled her into his embrace that Yun Shu Nian felt a pang of shyness.
Mu Qi: "Baby, stop playing with me."
Playing with him?
What a shameful thing to say…
"Mu Qi, you smell so good." The scent was becoming more captivating to her, and Yun Shu Nian buried her face deeper into the hollow of Mu Qi's neck.
Mu Qi felt her increasingly close embrace, a sense of satisfaction welling up in his heart, but it was quickly followed by a feeling that it was not enough, far from enough.
"Mu Qi, can I bite you? Just a little bite." Yun Shu Nian asked softly, as if she knew how absurd her request was.
Mu Qi, who had always indulged Yun Shu Nian, now seemed to be struggling. "...Mmm."
...
Just as the ambiguous atmosphere reached a boiling point, the room door was suddenly flung open from the outside by the old man.
"Little Nian, are you alright?"
Hearing the old man's voice, Yun Shu Nian immediately pushed Mu Qi away and sat obediently on the bed.
"Is something wrong?" Yun Shu Nian clasped her hands in front of her abdomen, appearing more like a refined young lady than ever before.
"Of course there's something wrong! Little Nian, do you know how long I've been calling you from outside?!" The old man scrutinized Yun Shu Nian carefully, forgetting his role as a teacher.
"Sorry, I didn't hear you just now." Yun Shu Nian looked a little flustered as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
It was her fault. After she put on her clothes, her attention was completely captivated by Mu Qi.
"Little Nian, you don't need to cover for him. Did this brat bully you again?" Seeing that Yun Shu Nian was unharmed, the old man shifted his gaze to Mu Qi, his expression furious.
Before Yun Shu Nian could deny it, the old man walked up to Mu Qi, clenched his fist, and was about to strike.
At this moment, Mu Qi was calmly buttoning his shirt.
At the critical moment, the old man's fist stopped short.
"Little Nian, don't get in my way." The old man hastily withdrew his fist, which was about to hit Yun Shu Nian's face, and placed his hand over his heart, stroking it repeatedly.
"It's not his fault, it was all me."
"Tsk~" The old man pursed his lips, about to retort sarcastically at Mu Qi, but his mouth snapped shut when he inadvertently noticed the marks on Mu Qi's neck.
"And Mu Qi, why didn't you dodge!" Yun Shu Nian turned her head, her eyes wide with anger.
Mu Qi: "He's very good to you."
Good to me? Mu Qi, when will you ever put yourself first?
"You need to dodge next time, understand?" Yun Shu Nian stroked Mu Qi's cheek, admonishing him earnestly.
Mu Qi nodded.
"Hmph…" The old man couldn't stand it any longer, stroked his beard, and walked out.
"What time is it, Mu Qi? How long have I slept?" Yun Shu Nian stretched and sat back on the bed.
Mu Qi remained silent.
Yun Shu Nian gradually realized she had asked the wrong question.
On this small mountain, in this small cabin, there was no clock. This meant Mu Qi's phone was the only way to know the accurate time.
Thinking this, Yun Shu Nian immediately took her phone out of her pocket.
It was half-past five in the afternoon.
After learning the time, Yun Shu Nian still felt uneasy.
"Mu Qi, while I was sleeping, did you secretly take my phone to contact anyone?" Yun Shu Nian's gaze was intense, like a sharp blade, yet also as gentle as an unfathomable abyss.
Mu Qi's expression was calm. "I have no reason to do so."
"How can there be no reason? You've been gone for so long, aren't you worried someone at Mu Corporation might take advantage?" Yun Shu Nian's face was stern, appearing somewhat aggressive.
"These are trivial matters. You are more important."
Mu Qi's unhesitating response stunned Yun Shu Nian for a moment.
She then slowly processed his words.
Yes, as Mu Qi had said, nothing was more important than her.
Otherwise, in her past life, Mu Qi wouldn't have handed over Mu Corporation to Zuo Nan for her sake.
And now that she had asked him to forget Shan Gong, she was naturally more important to Mu Qi than Mu Corporation.
Thinking this, Yun Shu Nian didn't know whether to cry or laugh for a moment.
Should she tell Mu Qi that he was more important than her? No, she couldn't bring herself to say it. It felt like scraping her heart against scales, causing immense pain.
Should she tell Mu Qi that he was right to think that? If she said that, she would despise herself.
"Baby, what are you worried about?" Mu Qi cupped Yun Shu Nian's face, forcing her to look up.
"I…"
"Come, Little Nian, quickly try this old hen soup I specially stewed for you."
Yun Shu Nian was suddenly interrupted by the old man and felt a sense of relief.
It was good this way, as she hadn't figured out how to talk to Mu Qi.
The old man brought the clay pot over and then used a spoon to ladle out soup and meat.
Yun Shu Nian took it and drank it in small sips. She noticed that both the old man and Mu Qi were just staring at her, not serving themselves any more.
Without hesitation, Yun Shu Nian used her own spoon to scoop out a chicken leg and offered it to Mu Qi's lips.