Qin Tian rolled his eyes dramatically. "Ever heard of Liu Bei's three visits to Zhuge Liang? I'm not just coming tonight—I'll be back tomorrow night and the night after too!"
"What's it to you? Is tailing people your idea of fun?"
Mu Yuyan's face turned icy. "Am I not allowed even to know where my boyfriend's going? You're out there fooling around, and I can't even ask a single question?"
Huh!?
Qin Tian raised an eyebrow. This wasn't sarcastic banter—it sounded exactly like a wife catching her husband cheating!
Clearly, Mu Yuyan was already in full "wife mode."
Not wanting to rile her up further, he spoke in an even tone: "I'm here on business. Bai Ruyu is the key to our new company—a real leader is exactly what we need, and she's perfect for the job."
"Another company? So you blew through that billion yuan startup capital your Qin family gave you and now you're cooking up another scam?" Mu Yuyan scoffed as if she'd seen it all before.
She wasn't being conceited—Qin Tian's old self had really been a shameless playboy.
"Don't be ridiculous," he countered, stepping closer. With one swift move, he pressed her against the wall in a classic kabedon, his eyes blazing with determination.
Mu Yuyan's heart pounded as she tried to push him away, but no matter how hard she struggled, he wouldn't budge.
"Does it matter if I'm serious?" she snarled. "You really think running a business is as simple as you make it out to be?"
Even if Qin Tian had once pretended to be a carefree scoundrel, turning over a new leaf wasn't so easy. If launching a company were that simple, everyone would be a mogul by now. Who would be left to fill the office cubicles or work the construction sites?
Qin Tian unbuttoned his suit jacket, keeping his grip firm.
"What are you trying to do?" Mu Yuyan demanded, anxiety mixed with anger. "Qin Tian, if you dare act without my consent, I swear I'll bite you!"
She clung to his arm, her lips hovering over his wrist as if ready to attack at the slightest misstep.
With a calm expression, Qin Tian retrieved a slip of paper from his pocket. "Could you stop letting your thoughts wander so filthy? What exactly is going on in that head of yours?"
"Qin Tian! I'm gonna kill you!" Mu Yuyan roared, launching a knee strike at his lower body.
But compared to Qin Tian, her efforts were laughably futile. In just two swift moves, he had her completely pinned—her legs trapped as if she were a frog on an operating table, only now the table was a wall and she was suspended in midair.
"Let me go! Let me go!" she shrieked, embarrassment flooding her face and turning her flawless complexion a deep, furious red.
Her anger and frustration peaked as she struggled, but Qin Tian was unfazed. Instead, he handed her the slip of paper.
"What's this?" she asked breathlessly.
"A beauty formula," he explained coolly. "Your company isn't all about skincare products, is it?"
He wasn't interested in meddling with the potent beauty pill formula himself—this was Mu Yuyan's arena. With her established channels and production lines, she could work her magic for free. Wasn't that the perfect setup?
Mu Yuyan glanced at the formula and snorted. "What a joke. Who gave you this recipe? Do you really think throwing in a few pricey herbs makes a miracle beauty pill? If it were that simple, why even have R&D teams?"
"You idiot," he retorted with a smirk, "you don't even know when you're being duped! And you seriously expect to start a company with this flimsy excuse? Dream on! Oh, and let me down—my knees are killing me!"
Qin Tian shot a glance at the slight redness on her knees before gently releasing his hold.
He resumed in a serious tone, "Whether you believe me or not, the formula is right here. Try it out—but be warned, the pill's effect is insanely powerful. Don't use the formula as it is; dilute it at least tenfold."
The slip wasn't the original—he'd already toned it down a hundredfold. In its pure form, injuries would vanish in a flash, but even after dilution, it was too fierce for a standard beauty product. Mu Yuyan, with her expertise, would have to adjust it further.
She held the paper, eyes narrowing. "So you're serious? The company, hiring Bai Ruyu—everything's for real?"
She'd thought Qin Tian had come out tonight just to flirt. Now it was clear she'd been mistaken.
"Truth or not, just follow my lead and handle the rest," Qin Tian said, adjusting his suit. "And don't forget—our relationship is just a contract. Once that contract's off, so am I. And no more tailing me!"
This wasn't a simple love game anymore—Mu Yuyan was clearly falling hard. Whether she was faking ignorance or not, Qin Tian had to set the record straight.
Just as Mu Yuyan began to get lost in the moment, Qin Tian's slap of reality hit hard. No more playing coy or hiding behind a contract—if she thought torturing him was fun, she'd soon learn the real price of chasing him.