Mu Qi brushed a stray strand of hair from Yun Shu Nian's forehead. "What's wrong?"
He looked at Yun Shu Nian's tense, stiff posture, confusion clouding his features.
"N-nothing," Mu Qi's fingertips lightly grazed the back of Yun Shu Nian's ear, sending a shiver through her.
Suddenly, Mu Qi raised Yun Shu Nian's chin.
Yun Shu Nian's eyelashes fluttered, then her eyes squeezed shut, anticipating Mu Qi's advance.
However, Mu Qi merely cupped Yun Shu Nian's face with one hand, gently wiped her cheek with the other, and then released her.
Yun Shu Nian:?
The crisp scent vanished abruptly. Yun Shu Nian opened her eyes and looked at Mu Qi, bewildered.
"Why aren't you continuing?"
Yun Shu Nian's innocent gaze made Mu Qi's heart flutter.
Mu Qi: "Hmm?"
...
So that's not what Mu Qi meant!
Yun Shu Nian's face instantly flushed crimson. At that moment, she wished she could disappear into the ground.
Seeing Yun Shu Nian's flushed cheeks, Mu Qi assumed she was feverish again and immediately stepped forward, worried.
But Yun Shu Nian was startled and quickly dodged back.
Why was he so close! Didn't he know she would overthink things!
"Are you feeling unwell?" Mu Qi frowned, looking at Yun Shu Nian with concern.
Of course, she felt unwell. How could she not when she could only look but not touch?
"I'm fine." The shy girl's voice was a mere whisper.
Mu Qi, hearing this, grew even more worried. "I'll call Dao Guan over."
"I told you, I'm fine." Seeing Mu Qi reach for his phone, Yun Shu Nian quickly stepped forward and snatched it away.
Mu Qi watched Yun Shu Nian dash away and followed close behind.
Only after sitting down in the living room did Yun Shu Nian slowly relax, the heat on her face subsiding.
Suddenly, a hand rested on her forehead, and Yun Shu Nian's heart leaped again.
"Taking your temperature," Mu Qi's voice reached Yun Shu Nian's ears, and it was as if a switch had been flipped. The heat on her face surged again.
"Mu Qi, I don't have a fever." Yun Shu Nian pushed Mu Qi's hand away.
But she couldn't outmaneuver Mu Qi and let him point the thermometer at her forehead.
"Satisfied now?" Yun Shu Nian glanced at her temperature reading and said to Mu Qi.
"I'll get a mercury thermometer."
Yun Shu Nian: ...
Fortunately, after saying that, Mu Qi turned to get the thermometer, giving the extremely embarrassed Yun Shu Nian a moment to breathe.
Sitting alone on the sofa, Yun Shu Nian engaged in "deep" thought.
Did Mu Qi really have some kind of problem? It seemed she needed to put her special remedy for Mu Qi into effect sooner rather than later.
As she was thinking, a cool thermometer suddenly slipped inside her collar.
Yun Shu Nian gasped and shot Mu Qi a chiding glance.
"Good girl," Mu Qi stroked Yun Shu Nian's head.
Yun Shu Nian met his deep phoenix eyes for a moment before quickly looking away.
She could only look, not touch, yet he insisted on seducing her with those eyes.
Hmph, how unfair!
Then, a blanket was draped over Yun Shu Nian.
Yun Shu Nian turned to look at Mu Qi carefully tucking her in, forcing herself to avert her gaze.
Mu Qi was like catnip to Yun Shu Nian now – addictive, yet forbidden.
She suspected that Mu Qi's excuse of her fever for refusing her last night was just a pretext.
Or perhaps, she was no longer attractive to Mu Qi? No, that was impossible, absolutely impossible. Yun Shu Nian thought, touching her curvaceous figure.
Yun Shu Nian's brow furrowed with the torment of this question.
Finally, after ten minutes, the thermometer was removed.
"You can relax now, right?" Yun Shu Nian said to Mu Qi, who was diligently examining the thermometer.
"Then where is the baby hurting? Can you tell me?" Mu Qi put down the thermometer and asked earnestly.
"I... I..." Her Mu Qi had never been with any other woman besides her. Case closed.
"President, the bidding conference is about to begin." Suddenly, Assistant Li appeared before them. Yun Shu Nian breathed a sigh of relief at his arrival.
Assistant Li, however, was not so fortunate. Mu Qi's phoenix eyes fixed on him, and Assistant Li felt an intense pressure.
"Baby, are you really alright?" Mu Qi turned Yun Shu Nian around, his phoenix eyes filled with concern.
"I'm really fine." Yun Shu Nian emphasized heavily.
"President, the bidding conference starts at 10 AM." Assistant Li raised his left wrist, checked the time, and, enduring the pressure, interrupted Mu Qi and Yun Shu Nian.
Both of them turned to look at Assistant Li, who felt the pressure mounting.
Fortunately, Yun Shu Nian's next words diverted Mu Qi's attention: "Mu Qi, let's go together."
Together? Zuo Nan would be there. Did she want to see him?
Mu Qi's expression shifted slightly. The hand on Yun Shu Nian's shoulder suddenly tightened its grip.
"Mu Qi, Zuo Nan would never expect that land to end up in our hands. I just want to see Zuo Nan's disappointed expression." Feeling the slight pain in her shoulder, Yun Shu Nian knew Mu Qi had misunderstood.
Why?
Looking at Yun Shu Nian's bright, crescent-shaped eyes, Mu Qi still didn't voice his question. He instinctively recoiled from anything related to Zuo Nan.
Mu Qi averted his gaze from Yun Shu Nian. "I'll have Shan Gong film it for you."
Shan Gong, who had just gotten out of bed, was speechless. He was one of the most important people in the Mu family, yet he was expected to film something to please Yun Shu Nian.
"This kind of thing is only satisfying when you're there. Mu Qi, please let me go~" Yun Shu Nian grabbed Mu Qi's wrists and swayed them.
"Besides, Shan Gong has heatstroke and needs to rest. You don't need him to accompany you today, let me accompany you."
Her crescent eyes looked at Mu Qi with anticipation.
"No need, young master. I'm fine now." Shan Gong immediately walked in front of them.
Yun Shu Nian looked at the suddenly appearing Shan Gong with displeasure. If she had known, she wouldn't have saved him. Couldn't this guy tell she wanted to go with Mu Qi?
Mu Qi, remembering Yun Shu Nian had seen Shan Gong's clothes pulled open earlier, irritably asked Shan Gong, "Is the corporal punishment complete?"
Shan Gong: "Not yet, young master. Tomorrow..."
Mu Qi interrupted him, "Continue now."
Shan Gong turned and ran towards the training grounds. "Yes."
"Wait." Suddenly, Shan Gong heard Yun Shu Nian's voice and paused, then turned back.
Shan Gong: "What are your orders?"
Yun Shu Nian raised an eyebrow in surprise. Shan Gong's attitude just now in the training grounds was completely different from his current one.
"Will you do whatever I command?"
Shan Gong hesitated for a moment, then finally responded, "Yes."
Shan Gong had no right to refuse someone whom Mu Qi acknowledged.