Lin Xiaxia was dragged out, both angry and afraid. "No! Mu Beiyin, you bitch, I hope you die a horrible death..."
Unfortunately, no matter how loudly she shouted, she was still shoved into the car moments later.
Inside the store, the guests couldn't help but whisper among themselves.
"That man clearly isn't ordinary. Lin Ru said Miss Mu would be unmarriageable without Song Lingqian. Look now—looks like the mistress's scheme fell apart."
"The Mu family's really lost face this time. First, it was exposed that Lin Ru tried to sell off Miss Mu, and now Lin Xiaxia's been caught coveting the inheritance. Who knows how the Mu family will handle this…"
Mu Beiyin withdrew her gaze. "Alright, let's go—"
Before she could finish her sentence, her wrist was suddenly grasped by a man.
Huo Shiqing frowned slightly. "Didn't you say your hand hurt? Let's put on some medicine."
Mu Beiyin turned around in shock and nearly stumbled. She had only said her hand hurt to spite Lin Xiaxia—did Huo Shiqing really take it seriously?
She swallowed hard. "I'm not that delicate. It's fine, really…"
But Huo Shiqing had already brought over some ointment. "I allow you to be delicate. Give me your hand."
Mu Beiyin dazedly extended her hand. It felt like no one had ever treated her this kindly. Huo Shiqing was the first man who actually cared whether she was hurting or not.
While she was still lost in thought, he had already finished applying the ointment. "Let's get in the car."
The driver raised the partition, turning the back seat into an enclosed space.
Mu Beiyin had just sat down when she suddenly heard a faint click—as if the zipper of her dress had snagged on something.
She tried to reach back to fix it, but her hands were covered in ointment, so she turned to Huo Shiqing. "Can you take a look—"
Just then, the zipper behind her abruptly gave out under pressure and burst open!
Her dress slipped downward, revealing large portions of her pale skin before the man's eyes. Mu Beiyin's mind went blank as she hastily grabbed a few pieces of fabric and instinctively looked up—
Only to meet Huo Shiqing's gaze.
His eyes grew darker, and his voice husky as he asked, "Help you with what?"
Mu Beiyin dazedly finished her sentence, "Help me check the zipper…"
Huo Shiqing's Adam's apple bobbed. "Turn around."
"Huh?" Mu Beiyin, flustered and panicked, instinctively obeyed and turned her back to him.
Cool fingertips touched the skin of her back—it was both tingling and numbing. She trembled all over.
Those hands seemed to be studying something, intentionally or not trailing along her back, stirring up strange sensations.
Mu Beiyin bit her lip hard, her pupils gradually dilating.
What… was he doing…
Although they had done everything before during the Mu family banquet, that time was because she had been drugged and had no choice.
Now, was he really planning to do it… in the car?
Mu Beiyin immediately shuddered and snapped back to her senses. She couldn't help raising her voice, "Huo Shiqing, not here… the space in the car is too small!"
The hands fiddling with her zipper paused. Huo Shiqing raised an eyebrow slightly. "You're saying it's too small?"
Mu Beiyin's face turned crimson in an instant, flushed with shame. Her body was tinged with pink as she forced out a few words—
"There's a driver in the front… Anyway, this place is not okay!"
The car fell silent.
Huo Shiqing suddenly realized what she meant—how did her train of thought jump to that?
He calmly adjusted the zipper, his demeanor serious and restrained.
"Mrs. Huo, I think you misunderstood. I have no interest in forcing anyone in a place like this."
The next second, Mu Beiyin heard the zipper being pulled up. Her mind went blank.
She stiffly turned her head, cheeks flushed, and felt like dying from embarrassment. "You… you were really just fixing my zipper?"
Huo Shiqing smiled gently. "Mrs. Huo asked me to check the zipper, so of course I helped. What did you think I was doing?"
Mu Beiyin: "…"
Her face changed color several times within a single minute.
Huo Shiqing had been sincerely helping her with the zipper, while her own thoughts had been full of nonsense!
Would he misunderstand?
Just as Mu Beiyin was anxiously about to explain herself, she heard the man speak nonchalantly:
"However, if Mrs. Huo does prefer doing it here, I wouldn't mind."
Mu Beiyin choked, shut her eyes tight, and leaned against the car window pretending to be asleep.
Fortunately, it wasn't long before the driver respectfully announced they had arrived at Yujing Garden. Mu Beiyin bolted out of the car and dashed upstairs like a fleeing rabbit.
Huo Shiqing's lips curled slightly. He turned to Uncle Zhang. "How's the garden design coming along?"
Uncle Zhang brightened at the mention. "Sir, Madam did an excellent job. Just take a look!"
Huo Shiqing raised an eyebrow as he looked at the design draft, surprised—he hadn't expected her to have talent in this area.
"Xie Lin has returned to the country. If she's interested, he can give her some guidance."
Uncle Zhang was stunned. Xie Lin was a world-renowned landscape designer. Usually, having him design the layout for a villa cost tens of millions.
If Madam could receive Xie Lin's guidance…
Uncle Zhang hesitated. Was Sir becoming too invested in Mu Beiyin?
—
Mu Beiyin's cheeks were still flushed when she got back to her room. She decided to distract herself with something else.
Just in time—the garden layout was finished. She opened her laptop and prepared to refine the draft using design software.
That was when she saw a message: Genius designer Xie Lin has returned to the country.
Xie Lin…
She remembered the Mu family had a major project and wanted Xie Lin as the chief designer. They'd sent people multiple times to invite him, but he had refused every time.
Coincidentally, she had some personal connection with him.
Mu Beiyin's eyes sparkled with an idea forming in her mind.
—
At the Mu residence.
Lin Xiaxia was dragged in crying and wailing. "Aunt, save me!"
The disturbance immediately stirred the household. Old Master Mu hurried downstairs, while Lin Ru rushed over and wrapped her arms around Lin Xiaxia. "What are you doing! She's just a girl!"
The lead bodyguard sneered. "Miss Lin spent five million yuan at the Luosen Women's Boutique on Century Avenue and refused to pay. We've been ordered to collect the money."
The room fell silent. Lin Ru's expression froze.
Old Master Mu frowned. "What five million?"
The bodyguard mockingly handed over the invoice.
Lin Ru's face turned pale as soon as she saw it. Old Master Mu bellowed, "This has nothing to do with the Mu family!"
The bodyguard replied calmly, "Miss Lin Xiaxia personally claimed she was Miss Lin Ru's niece, a cousin of the Mu family. She also said the Mu family is very wealthy and told the store owner to collect the money from you. These statements were clear and loud—every guest present heard her say it."
"What, a prestigious family like the Mu family wants to renege on a debt?"
"You…" Old Master Mu choked. So many people had heard—it would ruin the Mu family's reputation if he refused to pay.
Besides, Lin Xiaxia was Lin Ru's niece. That fact couldn't be denied.
"Sir, will you be paying the amount, or should we take Miss Lin to jail?"
The bodyguard paused, then added, "Five million is no small amount. If Old Master Mu refuses to pay, the boutique owner will be forced to sue."
"Letting Miss Lin do some time isn't a big deal. But with what she said earlier, if the public starts to think the Mu family is cold and heartless, I'm afraid that won't be our responsibility."
Now that things had reached this point, what else could Old Master Mu do?