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◎Clothes◎
Mu Heqing slowly opened her eyes; it seemed she was dreaming of the past again.
Various fragments were clashing in her mind, giving her a terrible headache.
She saw a white ceiling in front of her, and had an IV drip in her hand.
"You're awake. Are you feeling better?" A gentle male voice sounded from beside the bed.
Mu and Qing opened their mouths, only to find their throats dry and hoarse, unable to speak.
"The doctor said you were overworked, under too much stress, and physically exhausted, which is why you fainted. You need to rest now." The doctor looked at Mu Heqing with light-colored eyes.
When Mu Heqing saw that familiar face, he was speechless with emotion.
That's so strange. How could Jiang Mu be here? And he saw the blood on her, yet he acted like nothing had happened.
Mu Heqing watched as Jiang Mu tenderly fed her water. She took a sip, her throat became moist, and she was finally able to speak.
"President Jiang, what are you doing here?"
"I'm here to visit a friend. What a coincidence!" Jiang Mu said with a smile.
So that means it wasn't a coincidence before?
Jiang Mu sat on a chair beside Mu Heqing's bed, checking her IV drip and feeding her water with great enthusiasm.
Mu and Qing really wanted to ask him if they were close.
Jiang Mu stood up and leaned closer to Mu Heqing. The two were very close, and he whispered, "I helped you change your outer clothes, but it seems like your inner clothes are also stained. Do you want me to call someone to help you buy new ones? I don't know your size."
His hair touched Mu and Qing's face as he spoke.
Mu Heqing's face was itchy, but he still couldn't understand what Jiang Mu meant.
What do you mean by outer clothes and inner clothes?
She stretched out the hand that wasn't on an IV drip, and then realized that she wasn't wearing the light green top, but a black silk shirt that was clearly too big.
Mu and Qing's eyes widened instantly.
“You were in such a state then, I wanted to take you to see a doctor, so I had to change your clothes. This is the first time I’ve ever done something like this. Don’t worry, I was in such a rush that I didn’t see much, and I didn’t even change your underwear.” Jiang Mu’s face was a little red.
Mu Heqing noticed the blush on Jiang Mu's ears and thought to himself, "What could have been a simple excuse has become complicated because of his blushing face."
The polite Mu and Qing couldn't even utter the words "thank you."
"I'll take care of your clothes later, don't worry." Jiang Mu's tone was very soft, but his originally relaxed eyebrows furrowed slightly, as if he had conspired with Mu and Qing to do something.
"President Jiang." Mu Heqing stopped Jiang Mu from continuing; the more he spoke, the more terrifying it became.
"I'm still a law-abiding citizen, don't overthink it. I'll return your clothes later, but please return mine as well, thank you."
Jiang Mu sat back in his chair, rested his arm on Mu Heqing's pillow, and nodded. "Okay, I'll return it to you after I'm done washing."
Mu Heqing felt an urge to sigh to the heavens; she really couldn't handle Jiang Mu's overly familiar manner!
“President Jiang, we’ve covered everything we could talk about since our last meeting,” Mu Heqing said.
“Yes, so from now on, we can start as friends.” Jiang Mu’s idea was quite good; his previous offenses could be wiped clean because of this unexpected incident.
He smiled faintly, a hint of excitement in his heart.
"Alright, alright." Mu Heqing completely conceded defeat. "President Jiang, please feel free to give me any instructions."
She knew Jiang Mu was the type of person who would get more excited the more you rejected him, and would leave on his own once he lost interest.
"Jiang Mu," he corrected, "calling him President Jiang sounds too formal."
“Okay, Jiang Mu.” Mu Heqing responded calmly. From now on, she would agree to whatever Jiang Mu said.
Jiang Mu's smile widened. He moved the arm he was using to prop up on the bed a little closer to Mu Heqing. Mu Heqing could even feel his breath. His scent was a bit like dried flowers baked in the sun, a warm fragrance that was very faint and could only be smelled when you got close.
Mu Heqing turned her eyes to the other side. She knew that Jiang Mu must have been wearing perfume. The perfume scent was natural and not overpowering, and almost impossible for anyone to notice.
His smile was gentle and kind, and no one would feel dissatisfied with it. From the first time they met until now, his behavior had crossed the line between Mu and Qing every time, but it never made her unhappy.
Mu Heqing glanced at the facilities in her hospital room, which were quite luxurious, comparable to the high-end suites in hotels under the Guihui Group. There were even doctors and nurses waiting outside the room.
Dongqian Hospital is a large private hospital in Qingcheng, and anyone admitted there must be quite powerful in the city. The fact that he was able to arrange this ward for her in such a short time shows that he himself has considerable influence.
What are the intentions of this man approaching her? Is it still about what happened at the Kyushu Manor?
Ouyang Zhu previously used her aunt's job to threaten her. Is Jiang Mu trying to adopt a conciliatory approach?
She didn't want to suspect Jiang Mu, but he had a criminal record, and anyone with a criminal record in Mu and Qing's eyes deserved to be suspected.
"Are you still suspecting me of having ulterior motives?" Jiang Mu suddenly whispered in Mu Heqing's ear.
Mu Heqing was startled. She bit her lower lip and stared blankly at Jiang Mu.
Jiang Mu couldn't help but laugh and said, "Your expression is too easy to guess."
Mu and Qing forgot that if Jiang Mu was really that capable, then he was a shrewd person, and all her thoughts here would have been guessed by him.
"Haha, you're so funny. I have no other intentions, really." Jiang Mu is now more curious about Mu Heqing; he wants to get into her circle.
For example, friends.
Mu and Qing closed their eyes, trying to calm their expressions.
“I feel that calling you Mu or Qing is too formal. Can I use a different way of addressing you, for example…” Jiang Mu’s mouth still didn’t stop.
"He Qing?"
These words weren't spoken by Jiang Mu, but by someone else, her good high school classmate. She had just used this person as a wish-granting machine, making many wishes, and now this person was coming to collect their payment.
Jiang Mu's smile faded. He walked to the door of the ward and blocked Li Shi, who was about to enter.
His eyes swept over Li Shi from head to toe, and his unrestrained smile turned into a polite one.
What does this man look like?
Even with Jiang Mu's critical eye, she couldn't find any flaws in Li Shi's face.
Too perfect, except for one flaw: too distant, unlike him, who is approachable and likable. Jiang Mu ultimately came to this conclusion.
Jiang Mu asked, "Who are you? She's not feeling well right now and can't be disturbed. Please tell me later if there's anything you need."
Li Shi was always arrogant. He didn't even glance at Jiang Mu, but shoved Jiang Mu aside and walked in.
Jiang Mu's eyes turned cold in an instant, then he pitifully covered his shoulder where he had been bumped, with an expression that said, "I've been wronged, but I won't say anything."
"Jiang Mu".
As soon as Mu Heqing opened her mouth, Jiang Mu shook his head at her and said, "It's okay, it doesn't hurt. Is he your friend? He's a bit rude. Does he usually treat you like this?"
Before she could even ask, she called out her name and started rambling on and on.
Mu Heqing glanced at Li Shi. Even though he was the one who did the work, his clothes weren't dirty at all.
“I’ve sent all those people back.” Li Shi walked straight to Mu Heqing’s bedside, seeking credit.
Mu and Qing nodded: "Thank you, Shi. I will keep my promise."
The meaning of "not allowing Li Shi to leave" is far more complex than it appears on the surface.
Previously at the Kyushu Manor, Mu and Qing had confidently declared that she didn't need Li Shi in her current life, but in the blink of an eye, she summoned him from Ancheng to help her.
Walking back to the past step by step made Mu and Qing feel a little heavy-hearted.
Jiang Mu's smile froze when no one paid him any attention. He caught a name: Shi. Could this person be Li Shi, Mu Heqing's high school classmate, mentioned in the invitation last time?
Seeing that Mu Heqing was unhappy, a smile returned to his eyes.
"Could you be Li Shi, He Qing's high school classmate? He Qing told me last time that she was going to attend a wedding, I didn't expect it to be your wedding." Jiang Mu called He Qing "He Qing" very affectionately.
Mu Heqing scratched at the bed sheet with her toes; she had a bad feeling.
“I think men shouldn’t have too much contact with other women after they get married. What do you think, Qing?” Jiang Mu asked.
How could she possibly answer that? Mu and Qing were now feeling like they were being roasted over a fire.
"Please stay away from He Qing. You're married, and she's not. This isn't good for either of you."
Jiang Mu stepped between Li Shi and Mu Heqing, then turned to Mu Heqing and said, "By the way, I'm single."
Mu Heqing silently buried her face in the blanket. She didn't know what Jiang Mudan's single status had to do with her, since the two of them would never be together.
Jiang Mu wanted to inquire about the Kyushu Manor, but now he didn't need Mu and Qing anymore; the person in question was right in front of him. However, he seemed to have forgotten what he wanted to inquire about and was completely focused on something else.
Li Shi, who usually doesn't look people in the eye, surprisingly defended himself by saying, "I'm not married, I'm single."
Mu and Qing no longer knew what Li Shi was saying, but she was now certain of one thing: Li Shi could hear others talking to him, but he just couldn't be bothered to pay attention.
"But you've already sent all the invitations to He Qing."
"No, she doesn't want to see me, so I have no other choice."
"So, you don't want to get married, but you're going to have a fake marriage just to see He Qing?" Jiang Mu summarized for Li Shi.
"Yes, that's right, only then will she be willing to see me. I haven't heard from her at all since graduating from high school, and all I want is to see her." Li Shi answered Jiang Mu's question honestly at this moment.
“That’s not good. He Qing doesn’t want to see you. If you force her to see you, she’ll be unhappy.” Jiang Mu sat by Mu He Qing’s bed and said with a smile to Li Shi, who was standing there.
It seems that he, Mu, and Qing were together.
"Really? So when Qing doesn't want to see you, you don't want to see her either?" Li Shi's question stumped Jiang Mu.
Jiang Mu recalled his recent meetings with Mu and Qing, where Mu seemed to be relentlessly pursuing him, and fell silent. He had thought Li Shi was just an arrogant, empty-headed fool with only a pretty face, but he hadn't expected him to have some tricks up his sleeve.
He said, "He Qing and I are friends now, and we can see each other whenever we want."
"Really? Qing and I will soon have a different relationship. Although it will only last three months, we will be able to see each other whenever we want at that time."
Li Shi looked at Mu Heqing lying on the bed.
Mu Heqing's face was pale, and she closed her eyes.
"What?" Jiang Mu's voice was a little cold.
Li Shi ignored Jiang Mu.
Jiang Mu gently ground his back teeth. He rarely disliked others, including his useless father and his love-struck mother. In his view, people were divided into those who could be used and those who couldn't, and it was a waste to pour too much emotion into them.
At that moment, for the first time, he genuinely felt disgust for someone—a man he had just met.
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