Chapter 55 "Actually, he likes you..."
The person on the other end didn't say anything.
The silence was brief.
But Lin Chaoyue, who was initially a little confused, gradually became nervous after guessing what Mu Fenglin was doing.
Yes. Nervous.
The moment the call connected, her upper body tensed up, and her breathing involuntarily slowed down.
"unnecessary."
A cold reply, and the call ended.
Lin Chaoyue blinked, still standing in the same spot.
Mu Fenglin gave her a smug wink, feeling a surge of satisfaction.
"Did you hear that?"
Lin Chaoyue nodded, then slowly moved next to Mu Fenglin and asked in a low voice, "But when we checked in, the hotel really didn't have any rooms available. Pei Shuwen, he probably just thought it was too much trouble, since we're going to Nancheng tomorrow."
Mu Fenglin: "Manager Chen, show her the bill."
Lin Chaoyue felt like she was being audited today. Pei Shuwen had just shown her the bills, and now Mu Fenglin was showing them to her as well.
Go ahead and watch.
She took it, then glanced at it, blinking even faster this time.
"What? They booked all the empty rooms in the hotel? That's incredibly extravagant." Seeing the name at the end, Lin Chaoyue pointed a puzzled finger at the still-dry ink: "You'll have to pay the bill."
Mu Fenglin coughed lightly.
Suddenly I realized that this rich and beautiful girl who has been pampered since childhood isn't stupid after all.
Her eyes darted around, and her smug expression vanished when she met Lin Chaoyue's probing gaze.
"So your boss is Pei the Skinflint!"
"We spent so much money on him to pay for his relationship, and he just gave us Zhao Huai'an and called us a day! What are we called again? Right! We lost everything! My life is so miserable!"
Seeing Mu Fenglin pull this stunt, Lin Chaoyue got goosebumps all over.
He took two steps back before saying, "A publicly funded relationship? With whom? We're not dating."
"Besides, don't you like Pei Shuwen? Why are you helping him like this, even treating him to dinner tonight? Isn't that taking advantage of him?"
“She doesn’t like my type. You can’t force a relationship, so I gave up.” After saying that, Mu Fenglin leaned closer and said, “Actually, he likes your style. Insider information, guaranteed.”
Lin Chaoyue thought Mu Fenglin's words were even more ridiculous. She and Pei Shuwen had been living in the same building for the past month, one floor above the other. How could she possibly have inside information?
Mu Fenglin is far away in Yuntai, how could she even know what style Pei Shuwen likes? She didn't quite believe it.
But as far as it was concerned, she found what he said to be somewhat agreeable.
Lin Chaoyue asked, "So what are you planning to do now?"
Mu Fenglin's eyes darted around, and her mind turned to Lin Chaoyue: "Considering how pitiful my sister is, could you put in a good word for her later?"
Once you've vented your anger, you still have important business to attend to.
After all, her life motto is: whatever she wants, she will not give up until she gets it.
Lin Chaoyue thought about it carefully and felt that Mu Fenglin's request was too difficult for her. Although she was Pei Shuwen's special assistant in name, she was actually just a errand girl. Usually, she was the one who listened to Pei Shuwen, not the other way around.
Moreover, this kind of work-related matter.
It wasn't convenient for her to get involved; Pei Shuwen must have her own reasons.
Lin Chaoyue politely declined, saying, "He won't listen to me."
"Who said that? Let me reassure you, he doesn't listen to others, but he'll definitely consider your advice. How about this, if you agree to help, I'll tell you everything I know about Pei Shuwen in the future, I swear!"
The three fingers that Mu Fenglin solemnly held up were simply too tempting.
Lin Chaoyue spoke haltingly, nodding rapidly: "Then... then okay."
"Then how do you want me to help you? I'm not good at improvising; at most, I can just repeat what you want me to say."
"No rush, come with me to order food, we can talk about this later."
Lin Chaoyue then remembered that Mu Fenglin had used ordering food as an excuse to come out.
Lin Chaoyue had managed to escape, and since Mu Fenglin wasn't going back, she certainly didn't want to go back either.
"Let's go then."
Mu Fenglin had already decided that since Pei Shuwen was difficult to deal with, she would start with Lin Chaoyue. Convincing people would take more time, and ordering food would definitely take longer. She also thoughtfully asked the manager to inform Pei Shuwen.
"If you ask, just say we're still choosing our main course for tonight. We're going downstairs to a private room for tea. Don't call us until the sky falls."
"And what about tonight's meal..."
Mu Fenglin waved her hand, interrupting the hotel manager: "Same as always, remember, don't call us unless the sky falls down."
"Will this work? If we both leave, what if Pei Shuwen leaves later? Wouldn't you be at a huge loss?"
Lin Chaoyue didn't know about other things, but she had experienced Pei Shuwen's dislike of waiting for others a few times.
Mu Fenglin put her arm around Lin Chaoyue's shoulder tightly: "Did you bring your phone?"
"I didn't bring it." She had left in a hurry and had left her phone on the table.
"That's fine then." Mu Fenglin didn't let go, humming a little tune as she led her away: "The 'hostage' is in my hands, I'm not afraid Pei Shuwen will run away."
--
Lin Chaoyue was led by Mu Fenglin to the elegant room downstairs.
There is a room here specifically reserved for her to receive guests.
Mu Fenglin was both familiar with and at ease here, and didn't even leave any waiters.
You can tell from her appearance that she's a regular here.
"Is this hotel an investment of your Mu family?"
"I guess so. The land for this hotel belongs to our family, and we were the ones who built it. We have a stake in it, but we don't participate in its operation."
“No wonder.” Lin Chaoyue shrugged.
Mu Fenglin fiddled with her phone, logging into an old account on a social media app. But the password kept being wrong, making her frown in frustration.
Mu Fenglin simply sent the account information to a friend privately, asking him to handle it.
"What's so strange?"
Lin Chaoyue was a little sleepy and had already slumped on the sofa in the private room: "Wasn't your sister's engagement banquet also held here before?"
"You mean her?" Mu Fenglin was clearly very proud when she mentioned her unlucky younger sister.
"She's probably busy right now. She made such a big blunder at her own engagement party, and now she's the laughing stock of the entire Yuntai."
Lin Chaoyue already knew that the aftermath of the engagement banquet that day was extremely tragic, and that Mu Fenglin and Pei Shuwen were behind it all.
I never imagined that sisters could have such a falling out.
"You're an only child, so you don't understand. The struggle for succession has always been like this."
Lin Chaoyue became curious and leaned forward: "Aren't you afraid your sister will retaliate?"
"That little brat has been out of school for years longer than me, she's still too green. She wants revenge, but even if she has the will, she doesn't have the brains. And even if she did, I wouldn't let her have any leverage over me, after all, not everyone is as stupid as her."
Lin Chaoyue: "I heard that your Mu family's company has been split in two. If that's the case, why doesn't your old lady hand over all the family assets to you?"
"The old lady is getting on in years, why would she still be so concerned about brotherly love and respect? Otherwise, if it were a fair competition, how would she have gotten her turn?"
Mu Fenglin clearly looked down on her younger sister: "Alright, let's not talk about her anymore. Let's talk about how to fool Pei Shuwen later."
"A hoax?"
"Persuade, persuade, it's all the same. I've had someone restore the messages on my account. I'll forward them to you once I get them. I assure you again, it's absolutely exclusive insider information."
Lin Chaoyue wasn't that curious at first.
But seeing Mu Fenglin's repeated assurances, I actually started to look forward to it.
"Okay, I'll talk to Pei Shuwen for you, but I don't know if I can get through to him."
"Just do as I tell you, it'll definitely work..."
Mu Fenglin sat down next to Lin Chaoyue this time, and the two of them whispered to each other in the tea room for a while.
The door to the tea room was suddenly pushed open with great force.
"Damn, what's going on?"
The loud crash startled Mu Fenglin, who nearly fell off the sofa armrest.
Lin Chaoyue was also startled, but since she was already half-leaning on the sofa, her surprise only lasted for a moment before her eyes widened.
Once they could see who it was, their pupils, which had been constricted, finally relaxed.
Lin Chaoyue sat up a little: "Manager Chen, why are you in such a hurry? Is the sky falling?"
“Miss Mu, you should go back and check on things. Your sister is causing trouble. Our people tried to stop her but couldn't. She's using her shareholder status to try and occupy the private room you booked, and she's arguing with Mr. Pei. She's saying… saying…”
"What are you going to say? Hurry up and say it!"
"To say that Mr. Pei and you are adulterers, and that you are helping outsiders to harm your own family, is outrageous and inhumane."
The sky really did fall.
Lin Chaoyue never expected that her and Mu Fenglin's short absence would cause such a huge mess.
She and Mu Fenglin exchanged a glance, then got up and went back without further hesitation.
When we got to the private room, the situation was far worse than the hotel manager had described.
Half of the dishes that were served earlier were smashed on the ground. Mu Fengyue's people were also carrying a large camera. If you didn't know better, you'd think they were there to cause trouble, but if you didn't, you'd think they were there to shoot a photo magazine.
Fortunately, Pei Shuwen was still sitting in her seat and didn't look too disheveled.
But his complexion was definitely not good either; his calm gaze carried a chill, and just looking at him made one feel a little uneasy.
Lin Chaoyue quickly walked to Pei Shuwen's side and asked somewhat guiltily, "Are you alright?"
“Not now.” Pei Shuwen paused for a moment, then said, “If you talk a little longer, you might have one.”
Lin Chaoyue wanted to refute.
But knowing that Pei Shuwen must be angry right now, he silently lowered his head and didn't say anything more, trying to minimize his presence.
Looking at the mess on the floor, Pei Shuwen clearly had lost the appetite to finish her meal.
Although he doesn't have the habit of arguing with women, he also really dislikes women bothering him.
Especially women who are inherently foolish and unlikable.
"Since Miss Mu is so unwelcoming to me, I'll take my leave now. Mr. Mu, please excuse me."
Seeing that there was no way to eat today, Lin Chaoyue followed Pei Shuwen and said, "Then I'll be going too."
"Wait a moment."
"etc!"
The Mu sisters stood on either side of the filth on the ground, very consciously dividing themselves into 'camps'.
But the exports were surprisingly coordinated.
Mu Fengyue glared at Mu Fenglin, then strode forward, her brows furrowed. "What do you mean? You and she are together?"
His gaze swept directly over Lin Chaoyue, scrutinizing her from head to toe. His expression clearly showed disbelief.
His gaze toward Mu Fenglin hardened even more.
"You booked the entire hotel to have an affair with this man. Knowing I was coming, you brought in an outsider to cover for you? Since when have all the people at Junyue become your dogs, Mu Fenglin? Does Grandma know how far your influence extends? You're really something else."
Even if I didn't understand just now.
Lin Chaoyue understood now.
This is the younger sister catching her older sister cheating, wanting to get revenge for what happened before.
She just didn't expect that booking the entire hotel and reserving such a private place for dinner wouldn't result in a date between a man and a woman alone, nor would it be as sensual and exciting as she had imagined.
Even when the door was opened, there was only Pei Shuwen there.
Mu Fenglin laughed: "Oh, I wondered what you came here for. Turns out you came to catch your lover cheating. That's a pity. I don't have any of your lovers here. And even if I did, we don't have your fiancé—oh no, I mean ex-fiancé—who's so promiscuous that he can do it anywhere, from the woods to the underground parking lot."
Mu Fengyue felt like she was about to explode with anger.
But in order not to lose face in front of her older sister, she gritted her teeth and pretended to be calm.
"Don't think that just because you won this time, you can keep winning."
"You think you're the only one with connections at the Grand Hyatt?" She rummaged through her bag, pulled out a bill, and flung it out: "You booked the entire hotel for this man. One room wasn't enough for you two to play around with? You dare say you, Mu Fenglin, are completely innocent?"
Mu Fenglin thought to herself that she really was innocent.
Not only Pei Shuwen knew the whole story.
Even Lin Chaoyue, she just blurted everything out in a fit of anger.
Lin Chaoyue blinked, intending to express her 'surprise' and pretend that it was also the first time she had ever heard of it.
But considering that Pei Shuwen had her back to her and couldn't see her expression, she stopped acting and just continued to watch the show with interest.
Mu Fenglin shrugged: "I'm innocent. I'm pure and untainted. What? That's not allowed. Grandma said that I've been doing a good job lately, and she's considering letting me take charge of the Mu family in the future."
Mu Fengyue completely lost her temper this time: "If you're so capable, call Grandma over to argue with us. You embezzled public funds for personal matters, and we'll see if Grandma will still be on your side then."
The two sisters were 'standing up', but Pei Shuwen clearly didn't have the patience to be a spectator.
“If you need someone to be the audience, I suggest that the photographer point the lens directly at the two of you.”
The 'photographer' was a paparazzo hired by Mu Fenglin from the entertainment industry at great expense.
Before they even arrived, knowing they were there to take photos at the hotel, the paparazzi were already eager to try. After all, in their industry, being able to photograph male and female celebrities holding hands is major news.
Upon arriving, he became even more excited to see Mu Fengyue leading him directly to the restaurant's private dining area.
I thought to myself, the entertainment industry is nothing compared to the big shots behind the scenes. They don't stay in nice hotels, but they make a big fuss about where they eat.
But when I pushed open the door...
I saw nothing of vibrant life or passionate struggle.
I saw a man with an aura comparable to a male celebrity, sitting there quietly enjoying his tea.
Tonight's plot development was not exactly the same as I imagined; in fact, it was completely unrelated.
There's really no need to record anymore.
However, Mu Fengyue, as the client, remained silent.
He didn't dare to move.
Pei Shuwen didn't like to make things difficult for his subordinates.
But after Mu Fengyue looked over, his voice was low and forceful.
“Ms. Mu, according to the Civil Code, creating, using, or publicly displaying another person’s image without their permission may constitute an infringement. If you do not want to be a defendant in court, I suggest you delete all images of me and Ms. Lin.”
Mu Fengyue's face flushed red and then turned pale.
But she still forced herself to say, "Don't think you're safe just because I can't catch you. Sooner or later, I'll find something to use against you. I don't believe that you two can be completely innocent while this woman is seducing you every day!"
She knew that Mu Fenglin was much more reckless than her in private.
She also knew that Pei Shuwen was the savior her sister had invited.
She also knew that Mu Fenglin had been pursuing Pei Shuwen for many years without success. How could Mu Fenglin not take advantage of such a golden opportunity? She didn't believe it.
Every time I think about those scandals that made me lose face, I realize they were all caused by those two.
She wanted to tear them to pieces.
I just can't believe that these two people are simply in a business relationship.
Upon hearing this, Pei Shuwen chuckled lightly, his eyes filled with disdain: "Miss Mu, I think you should be glad we have no relationship. If we did, I wouldn't be playing house with you here. Instead, I would be collecting evidence of your illegal company operations immediately, including but not limited to using bribery to win bids, using substandard building materials, and illegal subcontracting."
"You should know this. Any one of these things could make you lose your threat forever, or even your freedom."
"You dare! You think this is Ningcheng? Look carefully, this is Yuntai, our Mu family's territory!"
He really dares.
The fact that Pei Shuwen usually uses such a serious and earnest tone shows that he is serious.
Lin Chaoyue silently shed a tear of sympathy for Mu Fengyue.
Pei Shuwen's voice was chilling: "Of course I dare, but the Mu family isn't worth my time. The Mu Group appears prosperous, but many of its businesses are being gradually eroded by emerging companies. The collateral branches of the Mu family are all harboring ulterior motives. Currently, only the main construction company is still alive."
"That's why the old lady of the Mu family urgently needs you to form a marriage alliance. However, the business environment in Yuntai is limited, and you have a monopoly in the construction industry, making it difficult to find a suitable candidate. Therefore, the old lady of the Mu family has opted for a second-best option: to have someone marry into the family and raise more direct descendants of the Mu family, so that at least the family business of several decades will not end up falling into the hands of others."
"But even if it's a marriage into the family, finding the right person isn't easy. People of equal strength and status won't choose to marry into the family; even wealthy families who are less well-off will keep their distance after hearing that the Mu family's woman is in charge. That's why you took a risky approach and chose a handsome young man who doesn't hold real power, a man you thought was easy to control."
"What do you mean by all this? Do you think I, Mu Fengyue, am worth half of the Mu family's wealth and can't find a man? If I want to get married today, eight hundred men will be lining up outside for me to choose from tomorrow!"
She's an incorrigibly stupid woman.
Pei Shuwen's patience was completely exhausted.
"Of course, I just wanted to tell you that you should be glad that your sister and I are just business partners."
A cooperative relationship?
If it really is just a cooperative relationship, then...
Mu Fengyue couldn't help but shriek, "Mu Fenglin, are you out of your mind?! You two aren't a couple, and you just watch him get the Ningcheng Jincong Bay project? Are you out of your mind?!"
"Sis! I'd love to!"
"And do you really think that if he can't win, it'll be your turn?"
"But speaking of which, you know the Jin Cong Bay project ended up in his pocket, yet you still think he's my kept man?"
Mu Fengyue finally came to her senses and remained silent for a long time. Her hands clenched and unclenched. The paparazzi holding the camera heard this and silently snapped to attention.
But Mu Fengyue was still unwilling to give up and stared at Pei Shuwen for a long time.
Finally, he blurted out, "Since you're so rich, you probably wouldn't want to marry into our family, right?"
Lin Chaoyue thought this woman's thought process was truly peculiar.
Even at a time like this, you're still thinking about this.
But she quietly moved to a different spot, wanting to hear what Pei Shuwen would have to say.
Pei Shuwen glanced at Lin Chaoyue out of the corner of his eye, pondering the word 'marrying into the family,' and replied casually, "It's not something I can't consider."
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