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◎Red Envelope◎
At 1 a.m. on a weekend night, Mu and Qing stood in front of a gloomy manor, waiting for someone to deliver a cell phone to Li Shi.
If she had known, she wouldn't have mentioned chatting; she could have just given Li Shi her phone number directly.
She also wanted to never contact Li Shi again in her life, but she was willing to bet that if she didn't give Li Shi her contact information, he could appear in front of her anytime, anywhere.
She didn't want to find Li Shi sitting in her house when she needed to pee in the middle of the night.
Although the Li family was small, money could bring in more people to do the work. After a while, a brand new cell phone was delivered.
After a lot of trouble at the door, Mu and Qing and Li Shi finally managed to register for Changliao and added each other as friends.
"Tap this for text input, tap this for voice input. This is for voice calls, this is for video calls. Don't call unless it's absolutely necessary, I'm very busy." Mu Heqing felt like he was teaching an old man how to use a mobile phone.
Li Shi nodded repeatedly, marveling at the development of human technology. For the first time, he felt that he had joined the wrong family; he should have joined a technological family instead.
After teaching Li Shi how to use a mobile phone, Mu Heqing took out a crumpled red envelope from her pocket and gave it to Li Shi.
Li Shi opened the red envelope, pulled out a crumpled two hundred yuan note, and asked, "He Qing, what's this for? Is it an offering? Or do you have a wish that you want me to fulfill?"
"What can I do with it? Do you expect me to buy your estate for two hundred?" Mu Heqing retorted.
Li Shi actually nodded and said, "Okay."
"No, no, no, I was just kidding, don't take it seriously." Mu Heqing waved her hands frantically, she definitely couldn't afford this price. "Just consider this two hundred as payment for you to stop harassing me, thank you."
Li Shi held the crumpled two hundred yuan note and said, "That's probably not enough. It would need to start at least at one billion."
"Really?" From now on, Mu and Qing will work hard, hoping to become women with a billion yuan as soon as possible.
"No, even a billion isn't enough." Li Shi looked a little angry.
Mu and Qing took the two hundred back from Li Shi's hand. "Then give it back to me."
She said goodbye to Li Shi, dispelling his idea of going home with her, and rode a shared bicycle to the bus stop.
This time, she really missed the bus.
She forgot it was already past midnight.
If she rides back from here, she might lose half her life.
Mu and Qing squatted by the roadside, filled with deep despair. She looked at the two hundred yuan in her hand; this was the only way she could afford a taxi.
If she had known, she would have asked Li Yu to take her back as well.
No, if I do that, Li Shi will definitely follow, and then she won't be able to shake him off.
Mu Heqing resignedly opened the ride-hailing app and summoned a car late at night. Before her finger even touched the word "ride-hailing" on her phone, a black, sleek car pulled up beside her.
What's going on? Mu Heqing stared at his phone, which was still showing the taxi hailing page.
She hadn't even hailed a taxi yet, and the car had already arrived?
The car window rolled down, revealing a face that was both familiar and unfamiliar. The person feigned surprise and asked, "Is that Mu Heqing? What are you doing alone at the bus stop in the middle of the night?"
With a friendly smile and dressed as if he were going to a fashion show, a man from a completely different world than Mu and Qing appeared.
Mu Heqing thought, "Why is it him again?"
Today is a really good day. I met all the people I thought I would never see in my life.
"President Jiang, what a coincidence!" Mu Heqing said with an awkward smile.
It's really unfortunate; compared to Li Shi, she's even less able to handle someone like Jiang Mu.
"Just call me Jiang Mu." Jiang Mu opened the car door, got out, and asked with concern, "Why are you here alone? Oh, right, I remember now, you went to a wedding? What wedding? It ended so late?"
With so many questions, how is she supposed to answer them?
"An accident, hahaha." Mu and Qing couldn't think of a suitable reason for the time being.
The things she experienced were so bizarre that she couldn't come up with a reason on the spot in a short time.
"It's so late, why are you taking a taxi here? Let me take you home, it's dangerous for you to be alone." Jiang Mu offered to take her home for the second time.
Mu Heqing politely declined: "Uh, no need. I was already very sorry last time, so I won't trouble you this time."
Jiang Mu laughed and said, "This place is very remote, and it's not easy to get a taxi. We're acquaintances, so am I really that scary?"
Mu Heqing shook her head. Jiang Mu didn't seem scary at all; in fact, he seemed overly friendly. Coupled with his handsome face, it was hard for her not to be wary.
Her three years of high school instilled in her a degree of skepticism towards anything that exceeded the bounds.
Jiang Mu was right, this place is very remote. When Jiang Mu got out of the car, Mu and Qing quickly hailed a taxi, but so far no driver has accepted the order.
Unless she waits here for tomorrow's bus, she'll stay here all night.
She could either stay here in the cold wind all night, get in Jiang Mu's car, or call Li Shi and ask him to send someone to take her home.
There was no other choice.
Mu and Qing have friends in this city, but one of them is very busy right now, and the other is probably already asleep. She doesn't want to bother them with this kind of thing.
Most importantly, when they ask, Mu and Qing won't be able to explain.
Mu Heqing knew that his face must be full of struggle right now.
Jiang Mu looked at Mu Heqing's conflicted expression and felt a lack of self-confidence for the first time in his life. What had he done to make her so troubled?
He was both amused and exasperated: "Is this so difficult? Then I'll leave you here, but this place is really remote. You'll have to stay here until tomorrow morning, okay?"
Mu Heqing thought that their first encounter in the "Sea Creature Corridor" was accidental, and their second encounter here could also be considered accidental. Could it be that she had really misunderstood Jiang Mu, and that he was truly a kind and helpful person?
The incident on the bus last time might have been an accident; he didn't seem like someone who knew the last bus time.
"Thank you for your help. I'm sorry, I was overthinking things." Mu Heqing looked a little guilty.
She thought, if she really misunderstood him, wouldn't she be judging a gentleman by her own petty standards?
That wouldn't be right. She couldn't treat Jiang Mu the same way she treated "them." Even if they weren't from the same world in real life, ultimately, they were all just human beings.
Jiang Mu was startled and said, "No, there's no need to feel so guilty. It's good to be vigilant."
He rarely encountered someone as earnest and good-tempered as Mu Heqing. Having seen so many strange and unpredictable people, Mu Heqing was a rare find.
He opened the back door and let Mu and Qing get in. Looking at her quiet profile, he suddenly wondered if she would suffer in society like this.
He suddenly felt a little soft-hearted.
Mu and Qing sat awkwardly in Jiang Mu's car. The seat cushion beneath them was unusually soft, and there was an unknown but pleasant fragrance in the car, all of which made them feel uncomfortable.
She wasn't quite comfortable in the car, so she turned her head to look at the scenery outside the window, her mind wandering through a jumble of thoughts.
Subconsciously, she still didn't want to see Li Shi, nor did she want to stay out in the cold wind all night.
She just wanted to get through tomorrow, Sunday.
They always affectionately called her "He Qing," as if that would bring them closer. Compared to them, Jiang Mu was more on her side; at least he had human emotions, although she wasn't very good at dealing with someone as overly friendly as him.
Perhaps it's because the world is broken that she distrusts such friendly people.
Mu and Qing remained silent, while Jiang Mu drove quietly.
When things are quiet, Mu and Qing think about many things, such as why Cai was able to find her, why she sent her an invitation and wrote the bride's name on it, and who else besides Cai knew her location.
For example, why would Jiang Mu know her name?
The scene of Jiang Mu greeting him just now suddenly flashed through Mu Heqing's mind, and he accurately said her name.
Logically speaking, he shouldn't know her name.
Mu Heqing asked, "President Jiang, how do you know my name?"
A deep noise erupted, the car came to a stop, and Mu and Qing's heads slammed against the soft cushions.
Before they knew it, they had arrived at the building where Mu and Qing lived.
Jiang Mu was silent for a moment, then turned to look at Mu Heqing in the back seat. His expression now showed more sincerity. "An accident."
Mu Heqing said, "You didn't just suddenly appear there."
The sudden braking caused a few strands of Jiang Mu's hair to fall across his face. He lowered his head slightly, the hair obscuring his eyes, making his expression unreadable. In the quiet car, he suddenly chuckled, "So, I'm being treated like a bad guy?"
"Thank you for taking me home, goodbye." Mu Heqing didn't answer his question. She thanked him, opened the car door, and got out.
As Mu Heqing closed the car door, Jiang Mu also got out of the car and said to her, "I've run into some trouble."
Seeing that Mu Heqing remained silent, he continued, "This trouble is somewhat related to the Kyushu Manor. I asked around about the manor, but I couldn't find any information. Until yesterday, or rather the day before yesterday, someone sent an invitation to my phone with your name on it."
"You arranged for me to meet my boss," Mu Heqing said definitively.
At the time, Jiang Mu seemed to recognize her boss, but he didn't. In fact, he had already recognized her boss long ago. His acting skills were superb, and Mu and Qing were almost fooled.
Jiang Mu had a headache. Why was she so perceptive at this moment? He had just thought she would suffer in society.
"How can you be so sure my boss will take me to that restaurant?" Mu Heqing asked.
Jiang Mu looked down into Mu Heqing's eyes and asked, "If I tell you, can you forgive me? Can we wipe the slate clean and be friends from now on?"
Mu Heqing looked up, her smile gentle but distant: "You seem to have many friends, you don't need me. Goodbye."
Jiang Mu leaned against the car, watching Mu and Qing's slowly departing figures. He had used the wrong method.
Even though I know she doesn't seem like that on the surface, I'm still fooled and subconsciously think that a simple approach can bring us closer.
He is too confident.
Mu and Qing must have their own defined relationship. When he showed goodwill for the second time, she put him in the circle of people she could befriend, which is why she was serious, good-tempered, and gentle and polite.
The next moment, she realized he wasn't so innocent, so she kicked him out of the circle. He treated her with falsehood, so she returned the favor with false social etiquette.
Jiang Mu has not only lost all clues, but also feels inexplicably irritable.
He didn't believe it, so he asked directly if Mu and Qing could answer what was in the Kyushu Manor.
Jiang Mu got into the car and sat there for an hour, then couldn't help but wonder how she could reintegrate him into her circle of friends.
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