From rejecting the beautiful female CEO to becoming extremely powerful

Mu Qingying raised her hand to tighten her collar, then looked at the closed door on the second floor.

The living room fell silent for a few seconds.

She stared at Lu Yunzhou, her voice tense: "You didn't leave last night?"

Lu Yunzhou lowered his head, unbuttoned the wrong buttons, and then buttoned them up again.

"I came back last night to get some project documents, and it was so late that I slept in the guest room downstairs."

He smoothed his collar, speaking naturally.

Mu Qingying stood at the top of the stairs, her gaze still fixed on his neck.

That red mark doesn't look like it was made by sleeping on the floor.

She slept soundly last night and didn't even know when Lu Yunzhou came back.

Asking questions now would only make it seem like you care.

"Where is Aunt Qingwan?"

Mu Qingying pulled her pajamas collar tighter.

"She's still resting. She doesn't like to be disturbed when she's sleeping."

Lu Yunzhou picked up the car keys from the sofa. "Go change your clothes, I'll take you out."

Mu Qingying did not go upstairs immediately.

She walked up to Lu Yunzhou, reached out and grabbed his collar, then unbuttoned the top button.

As the two drew closer, Lu Yunzhou smelled the shampoo in her hair.

Mu Qingying fastened his buttons, her hand brushing against his chest.

"Boss Lu, next time before you lie, at least put your clothes on properly."

She looked up and stared at him.

Lu Yunzhou's Adam's apple bobbed, but he didn't dare to reply.

Mu Qingying loosened her collar, turned around, and went upstairs.

Her oversized pajamas swayed with her steps, revealing her snow-white calves beneath the hem, before quickly disappearing around the corner of the stairs.

Lu Yunzhou let out a long breath.

What happened last night can't be kept secret for long.

Mu Qingying was smart; she had only been saving face for him earlier.

Ten minutes later, she came down in a white dress.

Her skirt was gathered at her waist, her long hair was tied into a low ponytail, and she wore a light-colored sun hat.

She didn't mention the second floor again, and Lu Yunzhou didn't explain either.

We've already missed the old port survey time; the on-site surveying team has long since finished work.

After listening, Mu Qingying changed the venue on the spot and suggested going back to the old campus of Sheng'an Medical College for a walk.

As the car left the manor, the curtains in Su Qingwan's bedroom remained drawn.

Lu Yunzhou glanced at the second floor and felt a tightness in his chest.

He's going to No. 9 Beishan Courtyard in three days, and nobody knows if he'll be able to come back.

Half an hour later, the two arrived at the old campus.

After the new campus opened, only a few teaching buildings and laboratory buildings remained here.

The security guard recognized the school badge on Mu Qingying's graduation certificate, registered her ID card, and then let her pass.

The tree-lined path was covered with ginkgo leaves, which made a soft crunching sound when you stepped on them.

Mu Qingying did not walk fast.

As she passed the pharmacology building, she stopped at the bottom of the steps and pointed to the classroom on the east side of the third floor.

She always sat in the second row back then, while Lu Yunzhou often took naps in the last row.

Lu Yunzhou remembers those days.

Mu Qingying is a well-known good student in the academy, and her grades are consistently among the top.

The men who pursued her could line up from the classroom to the cafeteria, and the breakfasts they sent often filled her drawers.

Lu Yunzhou was poor back then, so he attended classes during the day and worked part-time at night.

Their lives were separated by a layer, and he never imagined that the only daughter of the Mu family in Kyoto would secretly pay for his experimental materials.

He only learned about that incident from his counselor after graduation.

The steps in front of the old auditorium have just been painted, and photos of past student performances are still on the walls.

Mu Qingying found herself in one of the group photos and reached out to wipe the dust off the glass.

In the photo, she is wearing an evening gown and standing in the center of the crowd.

Lu Yunzhou took out his phone and pointed it at her and the old photos on the wall.

"Don't take pictures, I'm not wearing makeup today."

Mu Qingying raised her hand to cover her face.

Despite saying that, she didn't dodge.

Lu Yunzhou took several photos and handed her his phone.

In the photo, Mu Qingying stands sideways in front of the old auditorium, her hat brim covering her forehead, and her white dress falling to her knees.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves and fell on her snow-white shoulders and neck.

Mu Qingying flipped through a few pages, her eyes crinkling into a smile.

"I didn't realize you were so good at taking pictures of girls."

She held her phone behind her back.

Lu Yunzhou's heart skipped a beat.

That's a difficult question to answer.

Admitting it won't work, and denying it will easily lead to her pressing you for answers.

He simply took her to the ginkgo tree and let her walk along the path.

Mu Qingying initially maintained a composed demeanor, but relaxed after taking a dozen or so steps.

She turned around as she stepped on fallen leaves, her skirt billowing up to her legs in the wind.

Lu Yunzhou seized the opportunity to take a photo.

When she reached the tree, Mu Qingying bent down and picked up a whole leaf, placing it next to the brim of her hat to compare it.

The usually decisive and outspoken young lady of the Mu family stepped back, her face now showing a more lively, student-like expression.

Lu Yunzhou took more than twenty photos.

Mu Qingying sat on the bench, flipping through the pages one by one, unable to suppress the smile on her face.

She picked one out and set it as her phone wallpaper, then sent the rest to herself.

Lu Yunzhou sat down next to her.

He temporarily put Xiao Sihai, the Mu family's project, and Beishan No. 9 Courtyard out of his mind.

Mu Qingying held up her phone and leaned towards him.

Their shoulders were touching, and she pressed the selfie button, capturing Lu Yunzhou in the frame as well.

In the photo, Lu Yunzhou hadn't had time to compose his expression.

Mu Qingying leaned against him, a smile on her fair face, the distance between them closer than that between ordinary classmates.

She looked at it for a few seconds and then saved the photo separately.

The words that Lu Yunzhou was holding back were on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed them back down.

Xiao Sihai wanted him to take advantage of this relationship.

He was determined to protect Mu Qingying and not let anyone touch her.

The two left the tree-lined path, walked around the old cafeteria, and heard the sound of a basketball hitting the ground ahead.

On the basketball court, a dozen boys are training in groups.

A tall man in a black jersey stood on the sidelines, whistling, and corrected the players' movements.

As soon as Mu Qingying stepped outside the iron fence, the man stopped training.

He stared at Mu Qingying for two seconds, then tossed the basketball to his teammates and strode over.

"Qingying, is that really you?"

Han Zheng took off his wristband, his face full of surprise.

Mu Qingying recognized him as well.

Han Zheng was her classmate in college and a key player on the school basketball team.

I pursued her for two years back then, but I never received a reply until graduation.

After several years, Han Zheng has joined the Sheng'an Youth Basketball Team.

During the off-season, he would come back to help the school team train, and also serve as an assistant coach.

Mu Qingying asked a few simple questions about his recent situation, and Han Zheng spoke much faster when talking about the team.

He just received a contract extension and will be participating in the provincial league next month.

During the conversation, Han Zheng's gaze fell on Lu Yunzhou several times.

Lu Yunzhou was holding Mu Qingying's sun hat, and the two were standing close together.

When Mu Qingying went up the steps, she grabbed his arm.

The smile on Han Zheng's face faded.

He stepped forward and shook hands with Lu Yunzhou.

As soon as his palms closed, he increased the force.

Lu Yunzhou's expression remained unchanged, and his arm did not move.

The veins on the back of Han Zheng's hand bulged.

He gritted his teeth and pulled his hand back.

Mu Qingying frowned.

Han Zheng shook his numb hands a couple of times, his hostility already written all over his face.

"Qingying, is this person your friend, bodyguard, or temporary driver?"