"I'm fine," Mu Tiantian asked. "Is there something you need?"

"I was just worried about you." Gu Yichen sat in his office, having stayed up all night because of the haunted villa incident that was trending on social media.

Fortunately, it was finally brought under control, but he did it using a different method.

He made the call not only because he cared about her, but also to find out if she had seen the trending topic.

It seems she probably didn't know.

"Thank you," Mu Tiantian said politely, then asked, "How are things on your end?"

Seeing that she cared about him, Gu Yichen was secretly pleased. "I know you still care about me. Can we... give it a try?"

He had barely finished asking the question when the phone went dead.

Gu Yichen put down his phone, his eyes darkening slightly, but he wasn't angry. Instead, he started choosing a wedding venue.

Before Gu Yichen could even speak, the office door was pushed open with a loud bang.

The secretary covered her hands and apologized repeatedly, "I'm sorry, Mr. Gu, I really couldn't stop Miss Jiang."

Jiang Han stood angrily in front of Gu Yichen's desk and found him looking at wedding venues on a tablet. She grabbed the tablet and slammed it to the ground.

The secretary was startled.

Gu Yichen waved to her, signaling her to go out.

However, the secretary still stepped forward and squatted down to pick up the broken tablet. Her hand, red from being scalded by boiling water, was particularly eye-catching and caught Gu Yichen's eye.

Gu Yichen casually asked, "Zhao Qing, what happened to your hand?"

Zhao Qing glanced at Jiang Han and forced a smile. "I didn't see Miss Jiang bump into her and accidentally spilled coffee on her hand. I'll get you another cup right away."

Jiang Han glared at her fiercely, "What do you mean by that? If you want to say I bumped into you, just say so. Don't give me this sarcastic talk. Who are you trying to fool? I didn't even touch you. Don't disgust me like this, you little bitch."

Zhao Qing was so frightened that she didn't say a word, her eyes reddening. Looking at Gu Yichen, she choked up, "Mr. Gu, I..."

"Go check your hand," Gu Yichen said calmly. "I'll handle this."

Zhao Qing nodded and hurriedly left the office. As soon as she stepped out, she held back her tears, stopped, and glanced back disdainfully.

A furious roar came from inside the office, "Jiang Han! If you're having a breakdown, get out of here and go to the hospital! Don't come here and act crazy!"

Zhao Qing smiled smugly upon hearing the sound and stepped into the elevator.

Seeing Gu Yichen lose his temper because of his secretary, Jiang Han went even crazier, screamed, and overturned everything on his desk to the ground.

He's like a madman.

Gu Yichen felt a terrible headache when he heard her voice.

"Gu Yichen, you're the one who's crazy, not me!" Jiang Han demanded frantically. "What did you mean by posting that Weibo? You've only known her for a short time. Do you think your dad would agree to you marrying her?"

"My family affairs are none of your business! Don't think I don't know you exposed the ghost story in the villa district. Let me tell you, even if I don't marry her, I will never be with you!"

"I'll call Uncle Gu right now."

Gu Yichen said coldly, "He has already agreed."

Jiang Han had just typed a number into her phone when she heard his words, stopped, and looked up in disbelief. "How is that possible?"

"You can leave now. I won't pursue the matter of the villa anymore," Gu Yichen said wearily, rubbing his temples. "I'm very tired right now and don't want to argue with you."

Jiang Han gripped her phone tightly, still unwilling to give up, "I wonder if your fiancée is willing to be someone else's substitute."

"It's none of your business."

“That’s true, she’s just a poor, stingy woman.” Jiang Han said sarcastically. “If she can marry into a wealthy family, she certainly won’t mind being a substitute, and she definitely won’t mind being cuckolded while marrying you.”

Gu Yichen's eyes turned cold upon hearing this. "What do you mean?"

"What do you mean? You've already slept with that little slut and you're asking me what I mean? Now you're keeping her around as your secretary. Seriously, does your fiancée know?" Jiang Han retorted.

"If it weren't for you, would I have kept her?" Gu Yichen stood up and warned her, "If you dare to tell anyone, don't blame me for being impolite!"

Seeing that he was getting anxious, Jiang Han knew what was going on. "It seems you care a lot about this, Gu Yichen. I'll be blunt. If you drive Zhao Qing away, I'll kill her. If you don't want her to lose her life because of you and want to keep her by your side, then I'll go have a good talk with your fiancée. Anyway, if I'm not having a good time, neither will you!"

After saying that, Jiang Han turned and left.

"If you tell anyone, I'll reveal the real reason Liu Xuan committed suicide. Don't think I don't know what you've made the artists in your company do," Gu Yichen threatened.

Jiang Han paused for a moment at the door, feeling a little flustered, but still pretended to be calm and said, "You don't have the guts."

What do you think?

Jiang Han clenched her fists tightly, said nothing, and left completely.

Gu Yichen slammed his fist on the desk, furious, his eyes turning cold.

He had to find a way to get rid of Zhao Qing, this woman who made him feel disgusted and nauseous just by looking at her.

...

On the way back to the villa.

Mu Tiantian strung Huo Jixiu's remaining seven Buddhist beads with red thread, then attached several talismans to enhance their effectiveness, and handed them to him, saying, "Alright, don't take them off so easily in the future."

The car was filled with his resentment, and she felt that he was even more resentful than he had been at the hotel.

It seemed that his mood had been off ever since she finished answering Gu Yichen's call.

Yang Han, who was driving, was sweating profusely. It was scorching hot outside, over 30 degrees Celsius, so why was it so cold inside the car?

Moreover, he now has an inexplicable fear of Huo Jixiu.

Huo Jixiu couldn't describe his feelings. Just thinking about her phone call with Gu Yichen and their ambiguous relationship made him feel very uncomfortable.

He had no intention of taking the prayer beads, remaining silent with a cold expression and ignoring her.

Mu Tiantian felt a little uneasy. Had she offended him?

She glanced at his hand resting on his lap; its knuckles were distinct, and the slightly protruding bluish-green veins beneath his fair skin were clearly visible, making his fingers appear even longer and more beautiful.

"Aren't you going to wear it?" Mu Tiantian asked.

Huo Jixiu remained silent, as if he hadn't heard a word.

Mu Tiantian thought for a moment and then asked, "Shall I help you put it on?"

Huo Jixiu remained silent, but his hand seemed to move slightly towards her.

Seeing this, Mu Tiantian grasped his wrist and gently helped him put it on, and he cooperated quite well.

Huo Jixiu's mood improved slightly, and a barely perceptible smile curved his lips.

The next moment, Yang Han felt the chill subside. He noticed Mu Tiantian's actions in the rearview mirror and was slightly surprised, but not too shocked.

After all, on their very first meeting, Huo Jixiu had him investigate her background overnight.

This was the first time he had ever seen Huo Jixiu show such great interest in people or things outside of work.

After Mu Tiantian and Huo Jixiu finished putting on the Buddhist beads, they were about to pull their hands back when Huo Jixiu grabbed their wrists instead.

He asked in a calm voice, "What contract did you sign with Gu Yichen?"

Mu Tiantian was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, "You...how did you know?"

"I heard you."