From rejecting the beautiful female CEO to becoming extremely powerful

Mu Qingying walked beside Lu Yunzhou, turning her head left and right, her gaze jumping between the shop signs on both sides.

The fumes from the roadside stalls, carrying the aroma of cumin, wafted over. The grilled gluten stall had a new owner, and the milk tea shop had gone from one to three, but the width of the street remained the same. Two people walking side by side would just fill the entire street.

"This street is still so crowded."

Mu Qingying hopped forward two steps on the curb, turned around and smiled at him, "I had my last late-night snack here before I went abroad, stinky tofu and grilled cold noodles."

Lu Yunzhou followed behind her, his hands in his pockets, also looking at the signs that had been changed again and again.

Three years ago, he would pass by this street every day and buy two yuan worth of jianbing guozi (Chinese crepe) for breakfast.

After walking a few steps, a boy with a backpack blocked Mu Qingying's path, his ears bright red, and stammered, "Senior...senior, can I add you on WeChat? You're so pretty."

Mu Qingying tilted her head and generously took out her phone: "Sure, scan me."

The QR code appeared, and the boy scanned it with trembling hands, then ran off with a grin.

Mu Qingying put away her phone and deliberately waved the screen at Lu Yunzhou: "See? Even a freshman dares to ask for my contact information."

She abruptly changed the subject, raising her voice slightly: "Some people, on the other hand, blocked me on WeChat back then without even a word."

Lu Yunzhou coughed, his ears feeling a little hot.

He did indeed do it back then.

The day he confirmed his relationship with Lin Yuxuan, he deleted all the girls he was close to from his contacts, with Mu Qingying being the first one.

"I wasn't thinking straight back then."

Lu Yunzhou took out his phone, opened the scan function, and handed it over, saying, "Add me back now, pin it to the top, and never delete it."

After scanning the QR code, Mu Qingying swiped her phone a couple of times, then looked up at him and asked, "Do you mean what you say?"

"You keep your word."

"snort."

She put her phone back in her skirt pocket, suppressed a smile, and her steps became noticeably lighter.

The grilled fish restaurant is at the corner of the street. Most of the red paint on the signboard that reads "Sichuan-style spicy grilled fish" has peeled off. The iron cutting board for killing fish at the entrance is still the same as before, with blood dripping down the edge of the board into the red bucket below.

The proprietress was squatting down scaling fish when she heard footsteps. She looked up, her apron soaked with water, and asked, "What kind of fish would you two like?"

Mu Qingying turned to look at Lu Yunzhou: "Senior, you choose."

"Blackfish, I'd say. The flesh is firm, and it smells delicious when grilled."

"I want a big one!"

Mu Qingying gestured to the proprietress, "Three catties or more, spicy broth, extra Sichuan peppercorns."

"Alright, feel free to sit anywhere inside, it'll only take about ten minutes!"

There were seven or eight tables in the restaurant, all occupied by students from nearby schools.

A few boys were shirtless, playing drinking games and drinking beer, while two girls in the corner were taking pictures of grilled fish with their phones, muttering "filter, filter."

Mu Qingying chose a spot against the wall, with two plastic stools and a disposable tablecloth on the table.

She sat down, hung her bag on the stool leg, and rested her chin on her hands as she looked at Lu Yunzhou across from her.

"Senior, during my three years in England, the person I contacted the most was my mother."

Her voice softened, "I've gradually stopped talking to my old classmates and friends. The time difference means we can't find common ground. Sometimes I wake up hungry in the middle of the night and want to talk to someone, but I can't find anyone to call even after scrolling through my contacts."

Lu Yunzhou poured her a cup of tea and pushed it to her side.

"Now that you're back, if you want grilled fish, just call me and I'll come pick you up, no matter how late it is."

Mu Qingying picked up her teacup, took a sip, and looked at him from above the rim of the cup.

"You said it."

"I said so."

When the grilled fish is served, the foil plate sizzles with oil, and is covered with a layer of peppercorns and dried chilies. The blackfish underneath is split in half and laid out, with crispy skin and snow-white flesh. The hot steam carries the aroma of numbing spiciness upwards.

Mu Qingying's eyes lit up. She inserted her chopsticks into the tenderest part of the fish's belly, picked up a large piece, and stuffed it into her mouth. She gasped because it was so hot, and mumbled, "This is the taste! The fish they cook in that crappy place in England is all boiled, like eating cotton."

Lu Yunzhou opened a bottle of iced cola for her and placed it beside her, while he picked up a piece of fish and slowly chewed on it.

Mu Qingying ate a few bites, then suddenly put down her chopsticks and wiped the oil from the corners of her mouth with a tissue.

"By the way, senior, that car of yours... a Rolls-Royce, right? What are you doing now? You've made a fortune without saying a word?"

Lu Yunzhou paused for a moment while chewing, swallowed, and then took a swig of cola.

"That car isn't mine."

"Um?"

"My boss is a woman, and I'm her bodyguard and driver. To put it bluntly, I'm her errand girl and do odd jobs. She owns the car, and I'm just responsible for driving it."

Mu Qingying tilted her head to look at him, poking at the plate twice with her chopsticks.

"Bodyguard? With your skills, you think you can just guard a door?"

"I just want to make a living; I don't have any other way."

Lu Yunzhou touched his nose.

Mu Qingying hummed in agreement, then lowered her head and continued eating the fish without asking any further questions.

But she slowed down her movements when picking up food, as if she was thinking about something.

Halfway through the meal, Mu Qingying put down her chopsticks, picked up her bag, and said, "I'm going to the restroom. My makeup is all ruined. I'll eat again when I get back."

"Go."

Lu Yunzhou watched her retreating figure disappear at the end of the corridor after walking past several tables. He then picked up his cola, took a couple more sips, and leaned against the wall to rest.

The restaurant was bustling with activity. The noise from the table playing drinking games grew louder and louder. A guy was so drunk that he was slumped over the table and his roommates were dragging him out.

But before the peace and quiet lasted two minutes, a shrill female voice suddenly came from the doorway.

"The food at this run-down shop is alright, but the people are too mixed, it's like a wet market."

Then another voice rang out, sickeningly sweet: "Honey, didn't you say you wanted to book the whole place? Why don't you ask the owner to clear all these people out? I don't want to squeeze in with them."

"Boss! Come here!"

A man with a gruff voice shouted, "I'm taking this place tonight, 20,000 yuan. Get all these people out of here."

Lu Yunzhou paused for a moment, his hand holding the cola bottle.

He didn't look up.

He knew those two women's voices all too well, so well that it made him feel nauseous.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw three people standing at the door.

The man at the front was in his forties, with a shiny bald head, a thick gold chain around his neck, and a beer belly that strained against his floral shirt. He looked like the kind of guy who had just come from some club.

He had a woman on each arm.

The one on the left has wavy hair, a tight short skirt, and makeup so heavy you could scrape off three layers of putty.

Wei Jiaojiao.

The one on the right has long, flowing hair, wears a tank top and hot pants, and her makeup is much more refined than before. The bag and jewelry she's carrying are all designer brands.

Lin Yuxuan.

The proprietress came up from behind the counter, her face beaming with a smile but also looking troubled: "Sir, if you want to book the whole place, you have to do it in advance. Right now, the customers inside are all eating, and I can't very well take their food away, can I? Why don't you three find a table to sit at first?"

Wei Jiaojiao, hands on her hips and chin held high, said, "Sit? What are you talking about? My boyfriend said he'll book the whole place, so it's booked! 20,000 yuan isn't enough? 30,000! Get everyone out of here right now!"

"This...sister, it's really not about the money..."

Lin Yuxuan leaned on the bald man's arm, scratching his cuff with her nails, and said coquettishly, "Brother, look, this boss lady isn't giving me any face."

The bald man's face darkened: "Believe it or not, I can shut this shop down tomorrow with just one phone call?"

Lu Yunzhou put down the cola bottle, lowered his head, and finished the remaining half-sip of water in his teacup.

I don't want to talk to them.

But his gaze fell on the corridor, where Mu Qingying had not yet returned.