Her view was blocked by the strands of hair on her forehead, tousled by Chu Nantian. As she brushed them aside, images of her first meeting with Yun Mo filled her mind. That man, with his aloof gaze, chiseled features, and deep, insightful eyes. Whether it was his kind deed of sheltering her while she was drunk or the way he patiently waited for her during their marriage registration, the thought of him always conjured up warm feelings, bringing a genuine smile to her face. "Yes, I am married. Chu Nantian, you... you should give up."
"Impossible, An'an, it's impossible," Chu Nantian groaned, disregarding the pain felt from being knocked over by Xiao'an. His burning palm grabbed hold of her wrist, trying his best to corner her. "An'an, tell me it's a fluke, tell me it's not true."
Just as Xiao'an was about to shake him off, a chilly yet unmistakably clear voice echoed in their ears, "Let go of her."
Turning to the voice, it was exactly who she had expected: Yun Mo. His tall, handsome figure appeared before them. He still retained that icy demeanor, his brows furrowed as though he was displeased. But with just a few leisure steps, he was standing right in front of them.
Before she could get a clear grasp of his movements, her small, pale hand was taken away from Chu Nantian's grasp and was being held in Yun Mo's larger one. "She is my wife."
This voice, delivering a declaration and warning, struck Chu Nantian like a collapsing world. He almost crumpled at the utterance, barely holding himself together for the sake of maintaining some dignity in front of his "rival".
The silent staring contest between the two men was filled with provocation and warnings. Yun Mo's gaze was as chilling as a sword. His grip on Xiao'an's hand remained gentle and he moved from around her waist and to her shoulder, making them quite an affectionate sight.
"Mr. Chu, whatever your past relationship with Xiao'an was, she is now my wife, so stay away from her." Smoothly patting Xiao'an's head, Yun Mo's gaze landed on her. It was not icy as before, but rather gentle. "Xiao'an, I came to pick you up. Let's go home."
Such tender movements and words shocked Xiao'an, she couldn't believe that this usually cold man was now caressing her head with warm fingers. Was he on medication or something?
"Yun Mo, why is it you?" Chu Nantian said.
Only then did Xiao'an shift her surprised gaze to the equally stupefied Chu Nantian. He knew Yun Mo? Ah, right, the Yun Family was wealthy, so it wasn't surprising that high-society individuals knew each other.
"Yes, it's me. As Xiao'an's husband, I suggest you keep a distance from her from now on. Excuse us."
It was only when Yun Mo's hand let go of her hand that she came back to her senses. He adjusted his pace for hers. It wasn't until they'd reached the corner leading to the HR department and he let her go that she fully understood that his previous tenderness was all pretend.
Nevertheless, she was grateful. He had saved her from an awkward situation. A smile decorated her cheeks as she expressed her gratitude, "Thank you, Young Master Yun."
They both entered the elevator together.
It felt cold in there, was it due to Yun Mo's stern expression?
Muttering to herself, "What a strange day."
Rubbing her arms for warmth, she remembered she had left her white Valentino dress at her desk. The idea that Chu Nantian could have gifted it to her made her lose interest in retrieving it. So, she simply stood next to Yun Mo until the elevator dinged to indicate they had reached the ground floor.
"Thanks for helping me out earlier, Young Master Yun."
"..."
"Yun Mo, I'm talking to you."
"..."
"What's with you?"
"..."
She followed him from the elevator, all the way out of the building, with not a word or even glance back from Yun Mo. It only occurred to her as they left the Tongyu Group building that Yun Mo was possibly upset because she had not called him as promised when she finished work. Plus, everyone else in the Tongyu Group had already left except her, prompting him to come upstairs only to encounter Chu Nantian. From their conversation, he had learned that the young heir to the Chu family was her ex-boyfriend.
He wasn't sure why he was so uncomfortable seeing Chu Nantian holding her hand and kissing her. He wanted to intervene but he held himself back. He was, after all, the cool and restrained Yun Mo. While silently watching, he had clenched his fists.
He himself couldn't understand why he was feeling this unsettling discomfort.
And so, he remained quiet throughout the walk.
But it turns out Xiao'an wasn't one to give up easily, so she quickened her pace catch up with him and started to babble:
"Yun Mo?"
"Young Master Yun?"
"Yun Mutou [Log]?"
"Can't you at least say something? What was your reason for coming to my office? We haven't announced our marriage yet."
"Hey, Yun Mutou..."
No matter how much she called out or what she said, Yun Mo did not utter a word. He only stopped at the entrance of the Tongyu building in front of his 'Phantom'. Xiao'an, rushing to catch up, accidently bumped into his back. Rubbing her forehead where it hurt, she said, "Wooden man, if you ignore me, I'll ignore you."
Hmph!
At that moment, Ade came out of the driver's side and opened the back door. "Master Yun, Madam, please get in."
Stooping wasn't necessary to get into the lofty designed 'Phantom'. After Yun Mo boarded, he took the inside seat. As soon as Xiao'an had also seated, he addressed Ade on the driver's side, "Ade, drive."
Sitting in the roomy car, the atmosphere was quite strange typically, when Yun Mo is not talking, no one dared to speak, yet Xiao'an abruptly broke the silence. "Ade, in the future don't call me Madam. My name is Qiao Xiao'an, you can call me Xiao'an or use my full name." Then she turned to Yun Mo with a sigh, "And, Yun Mutou, where are you taking me?"
"Yun Mutou"?
Ade, who had started the engine and started driving in the front, glanced at the two in the rearview mirror. The color on his face changed slightly, but he didn't dare to make a sound.
"If you don't say something soon, Yun Mutou, I really will make that your new name."
"..." Yun Mo remained silent, finally breaking his silence after a quick cold glance at Ade. "Ade, play 'Never Grow Old.'
When the soothing music started playing, Yun Mo finally answered Xiao'an's question, still without looking at her, "Since we're married now, you'll be living in the Oriental Pearl. As for your parents, I've already informed them."
No wonder, her mother had not contacted her regarding this issue. Was her mother believing that she'd finally clung onto Yun Family's leg securely? That's when Ade told her that her parents had already placed her clothes and belongings in the back of the car. Her heart sank. What was her mother playing at, ousting her from the family home?