Su Shiyue didn't lie after all, Qin Nianwan really was going to return, and Fu Shinian had already re-established contact with Qin Nianwan. She was the only one left in the dark.
When Fu Shinian emerged from the bathroom, Su Mu had already packed up her clothes and was preparing to go to the outer bathroom to wash up. Fu Shinian called out to stop her:
"Starting today, I'll be sleeping in the guest room. Have Auntie Lin move my things over tomorrow."
Su Mu looked at him, dazed:
"Why?"
Fu Shinian paused in drying his hair at Su Mu's question, his eyes coolly peering at her through strands of damp hair:
"Why? Su Mu, you shouldn't have forgotten your recent miscarriage, right? Or are you saying that, even during your confinement, you still want to maintain marital relations?"
Su Mu looked down:
"I haven't."
"Is that so? Today, in the private kitchen, you exuded 'flirtatiousness' from head to toe. Even as your husband, I have never seen you like that before."
"I was just..."
"I'm not interested in your affairs," Fu Shinian interrupted her, "Do whatever you like outside, I won't interfere. But the moment you climb into another man's bed, don't step foot in the Fu family's door again. I find it disgusting."
Having said that, Fu Shinian showed no intention of continuing the conversation. He picked up his phone from the sofa, glanced at it as he walked toward the door. Su Mu had been watching his expression the whole time, so she caught the momentary stiffness that came over him when he saw that message. Two years had passed, and he still cared about her.
Su Mu tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep. She didn't dare ponder the true reason Fu Shinian moved out of the master bedroom. Was it really because of her physical condition, or was it because of Qin Nianwan's return?
Maybe the marriage she had stolen for two years was about to draw to a close soon.
Waking up at 7 a.m. the next day to her biological clock, Su Mu hadn't expected to see Fu Shinian, an early riser, just coming out of the guest room. But from his attire, he didn't seem to be going for exercise, but to the company instead. Fu Shinian glanced at her coolly and went downstairs without saying a word. Su Mu followed him and asked:
"So early, is there something at the company?"
Fu Shinian stopped and turned to look at her, his tone mocking:
"What's the meaning of this? Have you started to use Mrs. Fu's identity to inquire about my whereabouts?"
"No, that's not what I meant, I was just asking."
Fu Shinian huffed lightly and left.
Auntie Lin had prepared breakfast and saw them come down together, greeting them with a slight smile:
"Sir, Madam, good morning."
Su Mu pulled out a chair for Fu Shinian, who glanced at her:
"Don't bother, I'm not eating at home."
"It's still early..."
Before Su Mu could finish her sentence, Fu Shinian had already left the house, leaving her to watch his retreating figure in disappointment alone.
Auntie Lin, carrying the breakfast from the kitchen, saw Su Mu looking dejected and couldn't help but comfort her:
"Madam, come and have something to eat. Perhaps the master really did have urgent matters today."
Su Mu forced a smile and sat down at the dining table. But gazing at the delicate and delicious breakfast in front of her, she had completely lost her appetite. If Qin Nianwan had asked him to stay for breakfast today, would he still have left? Su Mu didn't want to contemplate the answer because she knew it would be something she wouldn't want to see.
For a whole week, Su Mu hadn't seen Fu Shinian. Every time she got a break, he hadn't returned yet, and by the time she woke up, he had long gone. Ever since he moved to the guest room, Su Mu felt it wasn't just the loss of a companion in bed, but as if he had disappeared entirely from her life.
The day after the inspection team left, just as Su Mu entered her office, Li Cong knocked on the door and came in with a smile:
"This time, securing the hotel's star rating is almost guaranteed. You played an indispensable part."
Su Mu knew Li Cong was referring to Ji Nanfeng's words having had an effect on the inspection team. She smiled, "Manager Li, our hotel has already met the five-star standard, and the rating was sure to happen. I've just done my job."
Li Cong gave her a meaningful look and chuckled:
"Alright then, we still need to be aware of the secret inspectors, and I'll leave that to you."
"You can count on me."
Li Cong glanced at his watch, "It's about time. Come with me to the meeting. The chairman has handed over the management of the domestic hotels to his son, Junior President Wei. Today is his first day in charge."
Su Mu was supposed to go to the meeting room with Li Cong, but a last-minute emergency came up in the guest rooms. By the time she handled it and took the elevator to the meeting room, there were only 3 minutes left until the meeting started.
There was one other person in the elevator, going to the same floor as her. Su Mu couldn't help but take a second glance at him—a man whose features were so refined that they bordered on androgynous, causing one to think of the word 'breathtaking.' He was leaning comfortably against the elevator wall, toying with car keys in his hand, dressed in a custom-made suit without a tie, the top two buttons of his shirt undone, conveying both indolence and sex appeal.
Su Mu withdrew her gaze, not speculating too much on his identity, but he was the one to break the silence:
"I didn't expect to find such beauty here. The old man didn't do me wrong by sending me here after all."
As the elevator reached the floor, Su Mu disregarded his frivolous comment and left first. However, she hadn't gone far before the man behind her caught her wrist:
"Why are you running? Didn't you hear me talking to you?"
Su Mu turned around to look at him:
"Junior President Wei, this is the company, please show some respect."
"So what you're saying is that as long as we're not at the company, I can do as I please with you?" Wei Shaoqin looked at her with ill intentions, "Now that you know who I am, I'll be straightforward. I'm interested in you, so how about being with me?"
Su Mu gently withdrew her hand from his palm and smiled faintly:
"Thank you for your high regard, Junior President Wei, but regretfully, I'm not interested in you."
Wei Shaoqin narrowed his eyes slightly, about to say something, but Su Mu cut him off, "The meeting time has come, I'll take my leave first."
After saying that, she turned around and left. Wei Shaoqin watched Su Mu's graceful figure, lightly curling up the corners of his lips: the woman he took an interest in couldn't escape the palm of his hand, there was plenty of time ahead, just wait and see!
When Wei Shaoqin entered the meeting room, Su Mu could clearly hear many surprised voices, especially some of the female supervisors who seemed to be even more excited:
"So Junior President Wei is this young."
"Is youth the main point? With that face, even 20 years older, he'd still be extraordinarily handsome."
"I can't handle it anymore, I think I'm about to fall for him. I wonder if our Junior President Wei has a girlfriend, or if he is married."
Wei Shaoqin seemed to have heard the discussions about him and smiled while standing at the chairman's position:
"I'm not married, don't have a girlfriend, I'm a single dog, and welcome any unmarried ladies to hit on me anytime."
With that one sentence, the atmosphere peaked, and all the ladies present became restless, but it was Li Cong who eventually regained control of the situation, first having everyone briefly introduce themselves. Wei Shaoqin sat in the main seat, listening indifferently, until Su Mu finished introducing herself and was about to sit down when he suddenly spoke up:
"Just now, a few female colleagues introduced whether they are single or not. Did Manager Su forget to clarify?"
Su Mu looked at Wei Shaoqin:
"That's my private matter and unrelated to work."
"Really? The company has an obligation to understand the family situation of every employee. This way we can more humanely look out for everyone's welfare, like with overtime, for instance. Singles should take on more to allow those with significant others to not neglect their personal lives due to work."
"Junior President Wei, I still believe there is no need for me to explain my personal life to the company."
For a moment, all eyes were on the exchange between Wei Shaoqin and Su Mu – meaningful and ambiguous. Fortunately, Wei Shaoqin did not linger on this issue and with a faint smile, gestured for the next person to continue.
Fu Shinian had arranged to have lunch with Ji Nanfeng at noon, and as soon as he sat down, he got straight to the point:
"Help me look into Qin Nianwan's life in the United States for the past two years."
Ji Nanfeng's tea-drinking paused for a second, then he calmly sipped his tea, smiling faintly:
"What does that mean?"
"Exactly what it sounds like."
"It's been 2 years. You've never inquired about how Qin Nianwan has been living, as if you two had no relationship after breaking up. I honestly thought you didn't care about her at all. But now that she's coming back, you want to look into her past. Are you thinking about picking up from where you left off?"
Fu Shinian lit a cigarette, carelessly tossed the lighter onto the table, and said with faint smoke swirling around him:
"It's not as complicated as you think; just suddenly felt like checking."
Ji Nanfeng raised his eyebrows slightly:
"Fine, I'll look into it for you."
Fu Shinian's silence tempted Ji Nanfeng to tease him, saying:
"What if the results show that she hasn't been doing well in the past years? What will you do then? Divorce Su Mu to make up for what you owe her?"
Ji Nanfeng did not have a particularly good relationship with either Qin Nianwan or Su Mu. His greater ties were with Fu Shinian, so he didn't favor one over the other. He had witnessed Fu Shinian's good times with Qin Nianwan, but even after marrying Su Mu, he never did anything to wrong Su Mu. Both he and Qiao Yu had once thought he would spend his life with Su Mu.
But life is unpredictable, who would have thought Qin Nianwan would return?
Fu Shinian looked up at him, his gaze slightly cold:
"Are you and Qiao Yu both hoping that I'll divorce Su Mu?"
"Am I sick? Hoping for your divorce?"
"You've always been crazy." Fu Shinian was merciless, "Watching my married life for two years, are you so envious that, unable to find a woman to marry yourself, you maliciously hope I get divorced so you can be a single dog like you?"
Ji Nanfeng: "..."
"If you are talking about those women who would come running at the wave of a check from you, then disregard what I just said."
Ji Nanfeng: "..."
He shouldn't have engaged in a war of words with Fu Shinian; after almost 30 years of losing more times than he could count, he never seemed to learn his lesson.