"What are you doing here in the middle of the night when you should be sleeping?"
Without saying a word, Mu Junze lifted the quilt, picked her up princess-style, and walked outside.
Meng Nianchu was startled and quickly wrapped her arms around his neck, whispering, "Are you crazy!"
He forcefully carried Meng Nianchu back to their room, placed her on the bed, and closed the door. Then he lay down beside Meng Nianchu and gently hugged her.
He didn't say a single word throughout the whole process. It took less than a minute from the time he got on the bed until then. All Meng Nianchu could hear was his snoring. She turned her head and, with the help of the moonlight, she faintly saw the weariness on Mu Junze's face.
With her delicate hand, she gently stroked Mu Junze's face along his outline. Meng Nianchu snuggled deeper into his embrace.
"Don't move around."
A hoarse voice with a strong nasal tone came from above her head.
Meng Nianchu felt something hard on Mu Junze's body pressing against her thigh. Her face flushed red, and she stayed still, not daring to move.
She didn't know how long she had slept until she heard Mu Junze's voice again. Yawning, Meng Nianchu looked in the direction of the voice. Mu Junze was standing by the window, talking on the phone with someone.
He kept his voice very low, as if he was afraid of waking Meng Nianchu up.
"Mr. Zhang's personal hobbies are very well - hidden from the public. There's not a single bit of information. The only thing we could find out was that he used to like playing video games with his grandson when his grandson was still alive. But after his grandson passed away, there aren't any video - game devices even near the place where he lives alone. Needless to say, this clue is no longer useful."
"Anything else?"
"There's also information about the son of the Mu family. According to the investigated information, this son of the Mu family has a strange personality and is very lazy. He used to be indulged in wine and women all year round. But just when we were trying to get this cooperation with Mr. Zhang, he suddenly changed his character and started seriously talking about cooperation. And the first thing he wants to get his hands on is Mr. Zhang's real - estate project this time."
The room was as quiet as a tomb. You could hear a pin drop. Even though Mu Junze had deliberately covered the phone receiver and lowered his voice, Meng Nianchu still heard their conversation clearly.
Mr. Zhang? The son of the Mu family?
Meng Nianchu carefully searched her memory for information about these two people and even recalled some old, trivial things. After roughly calculating the time she was in and making a backward inference, she was sure it was those two people.
"Tell me about it in person tomorrow."
She heard Mu Junze sigh.
Mu Junze climbed onto the bed gently. Perhaps afraid of waking Meng Nianchu up, he carefully wrapped his arms around Meng Nianchu's waist from behind. He buried his head in the crook of Meng Nianchu's neck, as if seeking some kind of comfort.
Just like before, Mu Junze was still at a loss about this cooperation project.
Once she had something on her mind, Meng Nianchu just couldn't fall asleep. Her small hand slowly held Mu Junze's big hand. With a solemn expression, she seemed to be deep in thought.
What Mr. Zhang is interested in...
Got it!
Meng Nianchu's eyes lit up, and the anxiety in her heart gradually faded away.
Of course, she also couldn't let her guard down against the other person she would meet at Mr. Zhang's party.
Anyway, this time she couldn't let that person harass her life and ruin her marriage with Mu Junze.
While silently weighing how she should deal with the situation, Mu Junze, who was half - asleep and half - awake, held her hand back.
Meng Nianchu turned over and nestled into Mu Junze's arms, freely enjoying the sense of security surrounded by the faint smell of tobacco on Mu Junze's body.
Mu Junze got up earlier than usual because he was worried about work. While having breakfast, he was still busy with work, wishing he could do two things at once. When he dropped Meng Nianchu off at the film set, he said, "I have a party tonight."
"I'll finish work early today. Come and pick me up earlier."
Meng Nianchu understood what he meant and interrupted him before he could finish speaking.
The corner of Mu Junze's mouth twitched slightly. He nodded and rushed to the company in a hurry.
Fortunately, Meng Nianchu didn't have many scenes that day. After finishing her last scene at three o'clock in the afternoon, she was done for the day.
Mu Junze came to pick her up at six in the evening. The two first went to a high - end dress shop to buy dresses. Mu Junze planned to go straight to the party venue, but Meng Nianchu first suggested going to the department store.
Although he was confused, he still complied. Mu Junze sat in the car and waited for her. After a while, Meng Nianchu came back with a chess set in her hand.
"Do you like it?" Mu Junze asked curiously.
Meng Nianchu gave a mysterious smirk and said, "You'll know later."
Mr. Zhang was extremely wealthy. Even for an ordinary small party, he was very generous. The hall was decorated extremely luxuriously. Mu Junze, with Meng Nianchu in a warm - white strapless dress in his arms, slowly walked into the hall. The people who had been looking at the young man surrounded in the hall immediately shifted their gazes to Mu Junze.
People in the business circle who had always wanted to curry favor with Mu Junze rushed forward one after another.
"Mr. Mu, you'll definitely win this project! I heard that it's the son of the Mu family in charge this time. That kid is just a young upstart. He has no real skills and can't compare with you, Mr. Mu."
"That's why I say the young people these days don't know their own limits. They want to get involved in everything."
"Ah, this must be Miss Meng!"
Someone among them mentioned Meng Nianchu, and all those who were talking looked at her.
Meng Nianchu gave a proper smile.
Such a graceful behavior unconsciously won the favor of these people.
The young man surrounded in the hall finally found a chance to push them away.
Mu Junze and Meng Nianchu were standing right in front of the young man. As soon as the people around him dispersed, Meng Nianchu saw his face.
The two looked at each other. The man was stunned for a moment and then walked over at the same time.
Meng Nianchu tightened her grip on Mu Junze's hand.
"Long time no see." Mu Lintian put his right hand in his pocket and unashamedly sized Meng Nianchu up and down.
Mu Junze frowned slightly, took a step forward, and blocked in front of Meng Nianchu, blocking his view.
The man who had just spoken said to his good - friend beside him, "I heard that the son of the Mu family got into trouble in France not long ago and was dragged back to China by his father. Just by looking at him, you can tell he's not a good guy."
Mu Lintian looked meaningfully at Meng Nianchu behind Mu Junze. The smile on his face was strangely hard to read. "I was extremely shocked to hear the news of Mr. Mu and Miss Meng's marriage when I was in France. I wanted to come back to China to attend Mr. Mu's wedding, but I was delayed by all kinds of things. Mr. Mu, please don't take it to heart."
"Of course not." Mu Junze's thin lips parted and closed. His tone was cold.
Mu Lintian walked around Mu Junze and stared at Meng Nianchu with a naked look in his eyes. "Miss Meng has changed a lot. After such a long time, don't you have anything to say to me?"
His words unexpectedly revealed a sense of expectation.
Meng Nianchu was neither overbearing nor humble. She smiled slightly and said, "Is there still anything to say between us?"