Lu Xixue's tears streamed down instantly. "Brother Shiqing, how can you be so heartless? We grew up together as childhood sweethearts. Didn't you promise my sister that you would definitely marry me?"
"Now I just made a small mistake, and you break off the engagement to marry this woman who is inferior to me in every way!"
Mu Beiyin's expression flickered—Lu Xixue's words meant… that Huo Shiqing promised to marry her because of her sister?
Before she could fully grasp it, Bai Ji beside her spoke up:
"Miss Lu, your so-called 'small mistake' was secretly giving the master's business secrets to his archrival?"
Lu Xixue's face suddenly stiffened.
"I, I…"
Huo Shiqing didn't want to listen any further. "See them out."
Bai Ji didn't hesitate, firmly pushing Lu Xixue out the door.
In an instant, only Mu Beiyin and Huo Shiqing remained in the living room.
Mu Beiyin was still in shock. No wonder she had heard rumors a few days ago that there was a mole in the Huo Group—turns out it was Huo Shiqing's fiancée who stole the business secrets!
And they called that a 'small mistake'?
"Miss Mu."
At that moment, Huo Shiqing glanced back calmly. "What did you just say to Lu Xixue?"
What had she just said to Lu Xixue?
Mu Beiyin recalled the conversation, and her face suddenly changed drastically!
Damn! She had just exposed Huo Shiqing's problem in front of everyone to shut Lu Xixue up!
Huo Shiqing's smile deepened. "Looks like Miss Mu remembers."
He paused, then chuckled lightly, asking back, "I'm not capable?"
Hearing those words felt like a knife was held to her throat—if she answered poorly, she'd be cut down immediately.
She swallowed hard and racked her brain to defend herself. "If… if I say I did it for your own good?"
Huo Shiqing raised an eyebrow and bent down gently. "Oh? Do tell."
Mu Beiyin felt like she was dancing on a minefield—jumping would kill her, but standing still was death too.
She straightened her face, trying to sound convincing.
"There are too many people who like you. For the stability of our marriage, I had no choice but to take this drastic step. Otherwise, if Lu Xixue claims she's pregnant with your child, how could you prove the child isn't yours?"
"This is me helping you avoid trouble, so she won't go around making a scene."
Huo Shiqing nodded. "So, I should thank you then."
"No need, no need. As long as you understand my intentions, that's enough."
Mu Beiyin glanced at him cautiously, then couldn't help but look down. "You've been at the hospital for a while… what did the doctor say?"
Huo Shiqing suddenly chuckled lightly. "You think I went to see some illness?"
Mu Beiyin immediately felt conflicted—how could she say something like that to his face?
She lowered her head. "Mr. Huo, don't worry. No matter what secret illness you have, I'll keep it confidential for you."
"Seems like Miss Mu still has some misunderstandings about me."
Huo Shiqing clicked his tongue, suddenly stepped forward, and cornered her against the wall. He lifted a strand of her hair slowly and deliberately said,
"I need to correct your misunderstanding."
Mu Beiyin had a bad feeling—masculine hormones hit her like a wave, and her legs suddenly went weak. "Ah!"
A hand abruptly covered her waist, the burning heat penetrating through her clothes, then slowly moving upward.
Where his palm brushed, it felt like fire had been ignited. She had never known Huo Shiqing had this kind of skill—her body seemed no longer under her own control.
Mu Beiyin's eyes began to glaze over, her lips parted slightly. "Huo... Huo Shiqing..."
"Now, Miss Mu, do you still think I'm incapable?"
Mu Beiyin didn't dare say yes. Her mind was fuzzy and she could barely hear clearly. Driven by instinct to survive, she shook her head repeatedly. "N-no."
Huo Shiqing smiled faintly, bending down. Mu Beiyin suddenly shut her eyes—
"Shiqing, I heard Lu Xixue came. She still has the nerve to look for you?"
...
A voice came from outside the door, and time seemed to freeze.
Mu Beiyin's heart raced. She hurriedly pushed Huo Shiqing away and scrambled up the stairs.
Chu Xiao barged in carelessly, sensing the tense atmosphere. "What are you guys doing?"
Huo Shiqing narrowed his eyes. "Something wrong?"
Suddenly, Chu Xiao felt a killing intent. He swallowed hard.
"Nothing. I just wanted to warn you—Lu Xixue will definitely go back and complain. That Lady Lu is trouble too. Sometimes I wonder if Miss Lu really came from the Lu family. How can two sisters be so different?"
Mu Beiyin perked up—Miss Lu must be the 'sister' Lu Xixue mentioned? She's close with Huo Shiqing and the others?
But Huo Shiqing didn't answer. Instead, he glanced meaningfully upstairs.
Mu Beiyin shuddered all over. The warmth of a man's hand still lingered on her waist. She hurried to take a shower.
...
Downstairs.
Huo Shiqing looked at Chu Xiao leisurely. "I remember you have a cooperation with the Mu Group?"
Chu Xiao nodded. "One of Chu family's sub-brands is indeed cooperating with Mu Group. Why?"
Huo Shiqing said lightly, "Cancel it."
Chu Xiao raised an eyebrow. If he decided to break off cooperation with Mu Group, others would know it was Huo Shiqing's order.
Is Huo Shiqing trying to vent his anger on Miss Mu?
...
Late at night, at the Mu residence.
Mu Yaohui answered a phone call, hastily got out of bed, his face full of panic.
Two business deals they had agreed on were suddenly canceled. After asking around anxiously, he was vaguely told that his daughter had offended someone at the award ceremony at Andah University today.
When Mu Qianrou arrived, the living room was brightly lit. She covered her mouth, crying uncontrollably, then knelt in front of Mu Yaohui with a thud.
"Qianrou, what are you doing?"
"Dad, I know two companies canceled their deals. It's my fault. Dad, maybe I should move out."
Mu Yaohui panicked immediately. "What happened? Why talk about moving out when everything's fine?"
Lin Ru shook her head tearfully. "Yaohui, you don't know. Today Qianrou went to be an award presenter. But Beiyin plotted against her. She was humiliated in front of everyone and even got scolded by Old Master Song."
"Those companies probably heard about this and were afraid to offend Old Master Song, so they rushed to cut ties with us."
Mu Qianrou choked on her words. "It's all my fault. If I had just gone along with my sister, maybe none of this would've happened…"
"Dad, please let Mom and me leave. Sister can't tolerate me. I don't want to stay and cause you more trouble."
Mu Yaohui looked at his wife and daughter crying in a heap, his heart aching. Without thinking, he vented his anger on Mu Beiyin.
"What nonsense about leaving? The trouble was caused by Mu Beiyin, so of course she should take responsibility! Just an award presenter, and Qianrou likes her but isn't allowed to appear? Now she's making a big deal out of it. Bad luck!"
Mu Yaohui's voice turned cold. "If Mu Beiyin can't cover the company's losses, I'll skin her alive!"
Lin Ru suppressed a trace of calculation in her eyes and suddenly said, "Yaohui, Beiyin is just a girl. How could she cover tens of millions in losses? Why don't we look for another partner?"
Mu Yaohui frowned. "But which partner would want to join halfway through and hand tens of millions to Mu Group for free?"
Lin Ru gave a sinister smile. "If other ways don't work, we can try a marriage alliance."
"Ling Qian doesn't want Beiyin anymore. What good man can she marry now? Won't it all be arranged by you as her father?"