Chapter 92 Were these all lies to her?

Mu Nanyan went downstairs around four o'clock to start preparing her dinner. She was wearing a simple cotton and linen apron, and her hair was casually tied into a low ponytail. A few strands of hair hung unruly in front of her forehead, adding a bit of homely gentleness to her.

In the kitchen, various cooking utensils and ingredients were neatly arranged, as if awaiting her inspection. Mu Nanyan took a deep breath and began her culinary journey. She first pulled a fresh sea bass from the refrigerator. Its body was silvery white, its scales gleaming. She handled the fish with care, each movement a skillful and focused expression, as if she were handling a precious work of art. When she was done, she sprinkled the fish with chopped green onions and shredded ginger, drizzled it with soy sauce and cooking wine, marinated it, and prepared to steam it.

Then, she began to process the other ingredients. She cut the eggplant into even strips, each one gleaming with an alluring sheen. She picked the broccoli florets one by one, washing them to enhance their vibrant green. She also meticulously chopped the peppers and pork, preparing them for stir-frying. Her movements were fluid and graceful, like a silent dance.

While cooking, Mu Nanyan looked up at the clock on the wall from time to time. It was seven o'clock, she thought to herself. According to the previous time, Lu Yiran would be back soon. A complex emotion surged in her heart, both expectant and shy. The sweetness and lingering feelings of that night seemed to be still in front of her eyes. She didn't know how to face Lu Yiran.

She sighed softly, withdrawing her thoughts and returning to the dish in her hands. The water in the soup pot had already boiled, and she quickly poured the beaten eggs into the pot, adding the chopped tomatoes. The sour and sweet tomato flavor and the fragrant egg flavor intertwined in the pot, creating a delicious tomato and egg soup.

Finally, all the dishes were ready. Mu Nanyan placed them one by one on the table. Four dishes and one soup, all beautiful, fragrant, and delicious. She looked at her work with satisfaction, a sense of accomplishment welling up in her heart. However, when she glanced at the clock again, she found that the time had quietly slipped past 7:30.

Lu Yiran hadn't returned yet. A faint sense of loss welled up in Mu Nanyan's heart. She sat at the dining table, her hands folded on the table, her eyes drifting to the door from time to time. She imagined Lu Yiran pushing the door open and his expression when he saw the dinner she had carefully prepared. However, time passed, and there was still no movement at the door.

Mu Nanyan's mood became a little complicated. She began to worry that something had happened to Lu Yiran, but then she thought that he might have been delayed by something unexpected. She sighed softly and decided to wait a little longer. After all, she believed that he would definitely come back. In the past, Lu Yiran would send her a message in advance if he was not coming back due to something.

While waiting, Mu Nanyan would periodically get up and go to the kitchen to check if the food was still warm. She didn't want him to have cold food when he returned. However, every time she checked, her sense of loss deepened. Time seemed to slow to a crawl, and every passing second seemed to test her patience and determination.

Finally, when the clock on the wall struck half past nine, footsteps were heard at the door. Mu Nanyan stood up suddenly, her heart pounding as if it was about to jump out of her chest. She clasped her hands tightly, anticipating the moment to come. The door opened, and it was the housekeeper who walked in. The housekeeper naturally noticed Mu Nanyan's expression. His face was full of anticipation, but when he saw it was him, his eyes were filled with desolation.

"Madam, the eldest master might have been delayed by something. Why don't you eat first?"

"It's okay, I'll wait."

Mu Nanyan forced a smile at the housekeeper. The housekeeper couldn't bear to see Mu Nanyan like this, so he kindly suggested:

"Young Madam, why don't you call the eldest young master and ask him? Maybe he was busy and couldn't come back for dinner and forgot to tell you, so as not to make you wait any longer."

Mu Nanyan actually thought about calling Lu Yiran. After all, they were both fine last night, and she still remembered what Lu Yiran said.

"Don't be afraid, I will protect you."

"Don't worry, I will never let this happen again."

Lu Yiran was serious when he said these words, and the worry in his eyes could not be lied to, but why did he leave without a word after that night? Was it all a lie to her?

But what kind of woman can't Lu Yiran sleep with if he wants? He wouldn't say such hypocritical words just to get her, right?

Mu Nanyan couldn't figure it out. She thought she was overthinking it. Lu Yiran might have had something to do in the morning, so he left early. So she wanted to cook a meal for Lu Yiran and sit down to have a good chat in the evening, but Lu Yiran still chose to avoid her.

Perhaps this is Lu Yiran's attitude. He may not have taken the incident to heart, thinking that it was just a one-night stand, and it was Mu Nanyan herself who didn't want to go to the hospital at that time, so Lu Yiran couldn't be blamed.

After Mu Nanyan figured it out, she didn't want to call again and humiliate herself. She smiled at the housekeeper and said:

"Butler, could you please ask someone to clear the food off the table? I'm a little tired, so I'll go upstairs and rest first."

After Mu Nanyan finished speaking, she went straight upstairs. The housekeeper looked at Mu Nanyan's lonely back with heartache in his eyes. He didn't know what had happened between the eldest young master and the eldest young mistress. Everything was fine before, and the young mistress was even thinking about cooking for the eldest young master. How could it turn out like this in the end?

.......

After that night, Lu Yiran never returned to Yujing Tiancheng, and Mu Nanyan went to get off work and back home as usual. Time seemed to have gone back to the month when Mu Nanyan and Lu Yiran had just gotten married. The two had no contact again, and no one mentioned what happened that night, as if it was just a dream, and when they woke up, nothing was left.

Fanghai Construction Co., Ltd. was investigated for selling inferior goods as high-quality ones, and faced bankruptcy due to a broken capital chain.

This news caused quite a stir on the Internet, but Mu Nanyan knew nothing about it.

The starry sky evening dress she designed previously passed the preliminary round successfully. Today is the day when Mu Nanyan will participate in the semi-finals of the "Oriental Cup" Chinese Women's Wear Design Competition. The semi-finals test the designer's on-site performance. The organizer arranged each contestant in a separate room.

The room was decorated in a professional yet welcoming atmosphere. Various design sketches hung on the walls, and a variety of design tools were neatly arranged on the desks—everything needed was readily available. A live surveillance camera, installed in one corner, silently recorded each designer's creative journey, conveying the tense and exciting atmosphere to the audience and judges in front of the screens.