Chapter 444 I was just confused for a moment
The voice was filled with terror, trembling as if it were about to burst into tears, making one's heart tighten.
Cui Xiao's heart tightened, and disregarding her physical discomfort, she struggled to lift the covers and get out of bed.
But as soon as she propped herself up, Zhou Mubin strode into the bedroom. He reached out and gently pressed her shoulder, the warmth of his palm carrying a soothing power.
"Don't move, stay here, I'll be right back when I'm done." His voice was soft, yet it carried a powerful impact.
After saying that, he turned and walked quickly towards the living room. Cui Xiao couldn't help but peek out through the crack in the bedroom door. Sure enough, Xu Chenghao was standing in the entryway. He was wearing a sharp suit and stood to the side with a serious expression.
A woman was kneeling at his feet, her hair disheveled and plastered to her face, her exquisite makeup ruined, her dress wrinkled, and her whole body trembling like fallen leaves in the autumn wind.
Cui Xiao recognized her at a glance; she was Miao Miao, who had appeared at the Zhou Group's banquet the previous night.
Zhou Mubin never glanced at the woman kneeling on the ground, as if she were just a speck of dust on the ground.
He walked straight to the sofa in the living room and sat down with unhurried movements. He took out a cigarette case and a lighter from his pocket, and with a soft "click," a blue flame shot up, illuminating his cold and aloof eyes.
He lowered his eyes slightly, his long eyelashes casting a shadow under his eyelids, concealing the turbulent emotions surging within them.
Zhou Mubin slowly took a drag of his cigarette, the smoke slowly spilling from his lips and weaving a thin layer of mist in front of him, blurring the expression on his face, but making the chill around him even more intense. It was a kind of intimidating oppressive feeling that only those who have long been in a position of power possess, making the air in the entire living room seem to freeze.
"Brother Zhou, I really didn't mean it, I was just confused for a moment..."
Miao Miao cried so hard her whole body was convulsing, and her words were broken and intermittent. She shuffled her knees on the cold floor, trying to move forward a couple of steps to get closer to the sofa, but she was frightened by a cold look from Xu Chenghao and could only shrink back in place, her hands tightly gripping the hem of her skirt.
"I know I was wrong, Brother Zhou. Please give me another chance. I promise it won't happen again."
Zhou Mubin tapped the sofa armrest lightly with his fingers holding a cigarette. The "tap, tap" sound was particularly clear in the quiet living room, each tap seeming to strike Miao Miao's heart.
He finally looked up, his gaze falling on Miao Miao. His eyes were devoid of any warmth, as if he were looking at a lifeless object. His voice was as cold as ice shards. "Drug me? Miao Miao, how dare you, huh?"
Cui Xiao, in the bedroom, held her breath; she had never seen Zhou Mubin like this before.
He is usually gentle and considerate towards women, and his occasional domineering and assertive behavior is just the kind of thing women like.
All of that vanished without a trace, replaced by a bone-chilling coldness and majesty, as if the person had become a different one.
Miao Miao's cries drifted intermittently into the living room, chilling the heart.
It was only at this moment that Cui Xiao realized that the person who drugged Zhou Mubin last night was Miao Miao.
In this scheme, she was the most direct victim.
Cui Xiao is not a saint; she cannot remain indifferent to those who harm her.
She took a deep breath and threw off the thin blanket covering her. A sudden ache shot through a certain area, making her gasp.
She bit her lower lip and propped herself up, her bare feet stepping on the cold floor. The chill shot up from her feet, clearing her muddled mind somewhat.
She leaned against the bedroom wall and slowly walked towards the living room, her waist stiffening slightly with each step.
The three people in the living room looked over at the same time upon hearing the sound. Xu Chenghao looked somewhat surprised, and Miao Miao on the ground stopped crying.
When Zhou Mubin saw her, his brows furrowed sharply. He almost immediately got up from the sofa and strode towards her, his tone clearly anxious, "Why did you come out?"
He reached out to help her arm, but Cui Xiao slightly turned her body and gently pulled her hand away. Her fingertips brushed against his palm, and she felt the warmth of his palm before quickly moving away.
She looked up at Zhou Mubin, a hint of composure in her eyes, and said, "Come out and take a look."
Cui Xiao walked straight to the sofa and sat down in the empty seat where he had just been sitting. His body heat still lingered on the sofa cushion.
She had barely settled down and hadn't even had time to adjust her posture when Miao Miao, as if suddenly grasping at a last straw, scrambled over, her knees scraping the floor with a screeching sound.
Miao Miao gripped her trouser leg tightly with both hands, her knuckles turning white from the force. She sobbed uncontrollably, tears mingling with her smudged makeup and staining her trouser leg. "Miss Cui, please help me. I really know I was wrong. I shouldn't have drugged Zhou Fa in a moment of impulse. I swear, I'll never do it again. Please, have mercy on me this time."
Miao Miao's fingernails almost dug into Cui Xiao's cotton pants. Her tear-streaked cheeks were pressed tightly against her ankles. The sticky sensation, mixed with the smell of cheap perfume and tears, made Cui Xiao frown subconsciously.
Xu Chenghao, who was standing to the side, frowned and stepped forward, obviously wanting to pull away this woman who had lost her sense of propriety, but was stopped by Zhou Mubin raising his hand.
Zhou Mubin sat back down next to Cui Xiao, turning his body slightly to the side. He seemed to be casually adjusting his posture, but he did so to keep Cui Xiao within his line of sight.
He didn't speak, but gestured to Xu Chenghao with his eyes to calm down.
He just wanted to see how Cui Xiao would react in this situation—whether she would soften and compromise, or remain as clear-headed and decisive as he expected.
Cui Xiao lowered her eyes, looking down at Miao Miao who was crying bitterly at her feet. Her face remained unmoved, not even her eyebrows twitched.
She slowly lifted her foot, used a little force, and effortlessly broke free from Miao Miao's grasp, her trouser leg slightly deformed from being gripped.
Cui Xiao raised her hand to straighten her clothes, her voice calm and utterly emotionless, "Spare you?"
She repeated those three words softly, her tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible sarcasm, "I remember you telling me in the lounge that you had absolutely no improper thoughts about Zhou Mubin. How come you turned around and did something as shameful as drugging him?"
Miao Miao hesitated, unable to utter a complete sentence, "I, I..."
Cui Xiao didn't back down an inch and continued, "You can drug me if you want, but what you really shouldn't have done was fail."
Miao Miao suddenly looked up, her face full of confusion.
Xu Chenghao's eyes widened.
Even Zhou Mubin, who was sitting to the side, looked at Cui Xiao in shock.
So, she wasn't angry that Miao Miao had drugged him, but that the drug hadn't worked.
Instantly, Zhou Mubin's face darkened considerably.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com