"Madam Zhang" froze in disbelief.
Yun Shunian had only intended a light peck, but Mu Qi's hand tightened on the back of her head.
As the onlookers watched, they finally began to grasp what was happening.
"How could this be?" Madam Zhang murmured, the mink fur on her shoulders falling unnoticed.
Seeing Mu Qi's aura soften, the onlookers finally relaxed.
Thank goodness the tyrant hadn't lost his temper; otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to leave this place intact.
Those who had been avidly watching the spectacle now found their attention fixed on Madam Zhang.
After an indeterminate amount of time, Yun Shunian was released. Mu Qi's expression was now so soft it seemed one could wring water from it.
Yun Shunian, blushing, clutched Mu Qi's hem, burying her breathless face in his embrace.
Suffocating, she was unable to utter a coherent word.
"Shunian, were you coerced?" Madam Zhang, having recovered, didn't explicitly name the coercer but kept glancing at Mu Qi's face.
"Mr. Mu, you know perfectly well that Shunian likes Zuo Nan. Please, let Shunian go," Madam Zhang implored.
Mu Qi's gaze instantly turned sharp.
She liked Zuo Nan?
No, she hadn't liked Zuo Nan for a long time!
Let her go? Absolutely not.
No, she had stayed by my side willingly, just like this.
Mu Qi repeated this to himself again and again, yet he couldn't suppress the surge of emotion that rose within him.
The crowd's attention shifted back from Mu Qi to Madam Zhang. However, their eyes now held no trace of lingering fascination, only disdain and resentment.
If this woman wanted to court disaster, couldn't she at least consider them?
Just as Yun Shunian, who had been leaning on Mu Qi's chest, recovered and pushed herself up with her hands, Mu Qi abruptly scooped her up with one arm.
In front of so many people, Yun Shunian felt incredibly awkward in this position and struggled to break free from Mu Qi's hold.
Yet, Mu Qi cradled her with one arm and the other seemed to be fused to her waist, tightening its grip.
Yun Shunian looked up at Mu Qi's tightly pressed lips and finally noticed that something was amiss.
She glanced at Madam Zhang, whose mink fur had slipped from her shoulder, and had a strong premonition that it was because of something Madam Zhang had said.
It was unlikely to have been anything good.
"Madam Zhang, what did you just say? Could you repeat that?" If she had to hear it again, Yun Shunian was sure she could make Madam Zhang's head spin.
Yun Shunian's words stunned everyone present.
Had she truly not heard, or was she deliberately pretending not to have heard?
A seed of doubt was sown in everyone's mind regarding Yun Shunian's claim of not hearing.
Mu Qi's gaze softened slightly as he looked at Yun Shunian's pursed lips.
Seeing this, Madam Zhang was about to cross her arms and embellish her words again when Mu Qi spoke first.
"Madam Zhang? Yun Shunian is Madam Mu whether she is alive or dead. Next time, you'd best remember the proper address. Of course, you're welcome to try other appellations."
Mu Qi emphasized the words "Madam Zhang" and "try."
Everyone felt a knot tighten in their chests.
The tyrant's implied threat of "trying" translated to broken limbs, if not worse.
They thought this as they observed the unfolding situation.
Is Madam Zhang refusing to acknowledge my status?
Yun Shunian, seeing the tight set of Mu Qi's lips, wondered how to appease him.
"Of course, if Madam Zhang still harbors any doubts, I can graciously show you our marriage certificate." Yun Shunian's head remained turned toward Mu Qi's lips, not looking at Madam Zhang.
Seeing his lips relax a little, Yun Shunian breathed a sigh of relief.
Madam Zhang's face turned extremely unpleasant. "I... I didn't mean it like that."
"Mu Qi, let's go." Yun Shunian glanced at Madam Zhang, whose mink had fallen to the floor, exposing a sliver of skin. Feeling uncomfortable, she wanted to shield Mu Qi.
"Mm," Mu Qi responded, his voice barely audible. Yun Shunian knew he was still quite displeased.
Mu Qi turned and walked away. The people in the hall breathed a collective sigh of relief.
They hadn't expected this farce to end so anticlimactically. They had anticipated Mu Qi would at least destroy a few businesses, perhaps even spill some blood.
Were the rumors false, or was Mu Qi truly this benevolent by nature?
Everyone scoured their memories, searching for any shred of evidence.
But they had all overlooked one variable.
That was Yun Shunian's attitude...
***
"Mu Qi, where are we going now?"
After getting into the car, Yun Shunian wanted to inquire about the daughter of the chairman of Yao's Group. However, to avoid appearing overly jealous and bothersome, she maintained a facade of composure and didn't immediately confront him.
"Where do you want to go?" Mu Qi's hand on her shoulder tightened.
"To the company," Yun Shunian replied immediately. She needed to go to Mu Qi's office herself to see how many "vixens" were lurking there.
"Mm, to the company."
The driver in front, following Mu Qi's instructions, immediately started the Maybach.
Upon arriving at Mu Qi's company floor, Yun Shunian and Mu Qi, in a rare display, did not cling to each other. Instead, Yun Shunian led the way, with Mu Qi following at a short distance behind her.
Yun Shunian stared at the door of Mu Qi's office, her feet practically flying as if she were about to break into a run.
Behind her, Mu Qi maintained a steady pace, keeping a certain distance from Yun Shunian, as if she might bolt at any moment.
With Mu Qi's long legs, catching up to Yun Shunian would have been no problem at all, but at that moment, he was more curious about what she intended to do.
With a bang, Yun Shunian pushed open the door to the CEO's office.
Yun Shunian's eyes were sharp, her gaze sweeping the office with intense scrutiny.
She examined the mug for lipstick stains, the floor, the sofa, and the desk for stray hairs, observing every detail meticulously.
However, after turning around multiple times, she found nothing. Mu Qi stood quietly at the doorway, watching her.
Suddenly, Yun Shunian turned around and grabbed Mu Qi.