Ten days later, Mu Qingyan and Ji Liyun took a private plane back home from the Sheng Island.

After returning home, the two of them dealt with their own coFmpany affairs in a very tacit manner. However, Ji Liyun took the time to visit the public security bureau.

At the monthly meeting of Mu’s Group, Mu Qingyan directly proposed to enter the Polar Plan.

All the senior executives looked at Mu Yuchen, as if asking “Do you know about this?”

In fact, before returning home, Mu Qingyan did mention in a video call with his parents that he wanted to join the Polar Plan, but Mu Yuchen said that it needed to be considered and did not give a positive answer.

The person in charge of the Polar Plan project, Guo Rong, laughed mockingly and said, “The Polar Plan is a large project that we have been preparing for three years. It is not a place where the young master can come and go as he pleases. Do you understand this plan?”

“Of course, I have read all the public information about this project,” Mu Qingyan calmly summarized what he had learned, and spoke each point clearly and accurately, even more so than when Guo Rong reported on the Polar Plan project.

Guo Rong, who was publicly humiliated, became angry and said, “The Polar Plan has been running smoothly and does not lack personnel. Moreover, you have to act in a drama, take care of MU Company, and participate in the management of the group. Where do you have the time to join the Polar Plan?”

After speaking, he gave a signal to another well-connected executive.

That person agreed, “Yes, besides, Xiao Mu already has real estate projects on his hands.”

However, another vice chairman of Mu’s Group, Qiu Congbai, disagreed. He said, “Those who can handle more should take on more. If you have the ability, what’s wrong with holding multiple positions? Since your Polar Plan doesn’t lack personnel, give Mu Qingyan a nominal position so that she can help out when she has time and gain experience, right?”

Other executives of Mu’s Group also began to discuss.

“I think Xiao Mu has performed well during this period and may be able to help the Polar Plan.”

“The Polar Plan is just a research project. It shouldn’t matter if they add more people.”

“Yeah, why does Guo always keep this Polar Plan to himself and only use his own people? Is there a secret?”

“Hey, don’t underestimate this research project. There are many things involved. Otherwise, why would Guo hold onto it so tightly? I heard that he plans to use this project…”

Guo Rong became increasingly distraught by their random speculations, so he interrupted loudly and said to Mu Yuchen, “Mr. Mu, it’s up to you to decide.”

This sentence was like a killer move, and the meeting room immediately became quiet.

Mu Yuchen usually had no expression on his face during meetings, and he was the same now.

He tapped the notebook repeatedly with his pen, lost in thought. After some time, he finally spoke up, “The Polar Plan is a matter of great importance. It’s not as simple as having one more person or one less person. I need to consider it carefully.”

After finishing his sentence, he looked at Mu Qingyan and said, “Come to my office after the meeting and explain why you want to join the Polar Plan“

Mu Qingyan nodded, “Okay.”

After the meeting, he was about to leave the conference room when he was stopped by Qiu Congbai. “Qingyan.”

Mu Qingyan stopped and politely replied, “Uncle Qiu.”

Qiu Congbai exchanged some pleasantries before getting to the point once everyone had left the room. “Why did you suddenly decide to join the Polar Plan Is it because of Xing Hao taking over at the Planet Corporation?”

Mu Qingyan knew that Qiu Congbai had always been on his side, so he didn’t deny it. “Yes, that is one of the reasons.”

“I think the fact that the Planet Corporation is letting Xing Hao take over means they have given up on the project. You know that in Xing Xin’s mind, the only heir is Xing Yi. After Xing Hao divorced you, his status plummeted even further.” Qiu Congbai reminded him.

“I know, but this project has such great potential, yet the Planet Corporation is planning to withdraw. Isn’t that strange?” Mu Qingyan asked.

“That’s just how business works. What you value, others may not. Every company has different strengths, and their expectations and return on investment for a project will also differ,” Qiu Congbai explained.

“Xing Xin joined the Polar Plan at the time because of your engagement to Xing Hao. The Planet Corporation could use this project and other projects with Mu’s Group to gain benefits. Since you two got divorced, Xing Xin lost interest in this time-consuming and costly Polar Plan,” Qiu Congbai added.

Seeing that Mu Qingyan already knew what was going on, Qiu Congbai patted his shoulder and said with a smile, “Having ambition is a good thing.”

However, Mu Qingyan asked, “Does Uncle Guo and Xing Hao have a lot of contact?”

“What about Guo Rong and Xing Hao?” Qiu Congbai didn’t expect him to ask this, but still said, “I haven’t had much contact with them. As you know, Guo Rong is very arrogant and looks down on dealing with people from the Star Company.”

“Before, he gave Xing Xin face because he was the father-in-law of Mu Zong. But after you divorced, as long as you communicate with Xing Xin or Xing Hao, he would send his subordinates instead and even finds it annoying to show up.”

“Okay, thank you Uncle Qiu.”

Qiu Congbai patted his shoulder again and left.

When Mu Qingyan entered his father’s office, Mu Yuchen was lowering his head to revise a document.

“Dad.” He walked into the office, closed the door, and casually sat on the sofa.

Mu Yuchen sat next to him and asked, “You mentioned before that you wanted to join the Polar Plan, and I said I would consider it. Why did you say it directly at the meeting today?”

“Because I know that Guo Rong is in charge of this plan, and I want him to have a bottom line in his heart so that he won’t feel unhappy if I suddenly join.”

“You think a lot, kid.” Mu Yuchen rarely showed a smile in the company, and then said, “Actually, I don’t object to you joining the Polar Plan, but the project is a bit tricky now.”

“Why?” Mu Qingyan asked.

“Old Guo told me that the Star Company was originally planning to completely withdraw, but for some reason, it ended up being handed over to Xing Hao. After Xing Hao took over, he has been doing small things behind the scenes. I hesitated to agree to your participation in this plan because I was afraid that you would be dragged into the muddy water. After all, Old Guo is a shrewd person and can deal with Xing Hao with ease, but you are still young, and you have had an unpleasant experience with him.”

“Dad, are you afraid that Xing Hao will drag me down?”

“I know you’re smart, but…”

Mu Qingyan interrupted him, “Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing. If there are any problems, I will tell you first and ask for your help.”

Mu Yuchen saw that he had made up his mind to join the Polar Plan and had to agree, “Okay. However, you have to get along well with Old Guo in the future.”

“No problem!”

With his father’s approval, Mu Qingyan left the Ji Group building and returned to the MU company.

As soon as he entered his office, Ye Qiqi came in happily and said, “Boss, there’s good news!”

---

That night, Mu Qingyan didn’t know what had happened afterwards. He didn’t know how he had returned to the hotel, either.

When he woke up, he was already lying in the hotel room bed, feeling groggy and holding a soft, warm hand in his right hand.

Based on his previous experiences, Mu Qingyan wasn’t surprised. He just looked at his palm and knew that he must have spent the night holding onto Ji Liyun.

He gently released his right hand and sat up from the bed.

Ji Liyun, who was sleeping on his side with his face on the bed edge, seemed to sense the movement on the bed and his eyelashes trembled slightly.

Mu Qingyan had originally intended to get up directly, but he stopped his movement at this moment. He looked at Ji Liyun’s side face, from his thick sword eyebrows and long eyelashes, to his straight nose bridge and rosy thin lips.

He knew that Ji Liyun was good-looking, coupled with his well-built body and privileged family background, he was the object of many noble ladies’ secret admiration and pursuit.

At this moment, being able to look at him so closely and carefully, Mu Qingyan felt that he was truly the type of person who could move others.

Ji Liyun slowly opened his eyes, as if he felt the gaze on him.

When their eyes met, Mu Qingyan clearly felt his heart beat heavily and a fleeting panic.

He quickly adjusted his expression and pursed his lips slightly, not wanting to appear too concerned. He asked indifferently, “Did you sleep well?”

At the same time, Ji Liyun also asked him, “Did you reincarnate?”

Mu Qingyan: “……”

Reincarnate? Why does he think I reincarnated? Is it because my personality is too different from the original host’s?

Seeing Mu Qingyan’s look of surprise, Ji Liyun smiled and scratched his head. He then said, “Look, I must have been dizzy from sleep and asked such a stupid question.”

He stood up from the bed and said, “It’s still early, go back to sleep for a while. I’ll go to my room to take a shower and make breakfast for you.”

“Ji…” Mu Qingyan was about to say something, but Ji Liyun had already left his room.

Mu Qingyan lay back in bed, but he couldn’t fall asleep. His mind was filled with the words “I like you” that Ji Liyun had said the previous night.

Perhaps it was this kind of liking that made Ji Liyun repeatedly help him.

However, he didn’t remember what he had said or done after hearing those words.

Did he say something inappropriate or do something outrageous, causing Ji Liyun to suspect that he had been reborn?

Mu Qingyan shook his head. He thought that if he had told the truth, it should have been a transmigration, not a rebirth.

Did something else happen between him and Ji Liyun after he got drunk last night, besides holding his hand?

He tossed and turned, and the more he thought about it, the redder his face became. He decided to get up and take a shower.

Taking a shower was always the best time to think. After washing away the smell of alcohol, Mu Qingyan finally decided to subtly ask what happened after he passed out last night.

After washing up and changing into a quick outfit, he went to Ji Liyun’s room.

The open kitchen sizzled with the sound of cooking, and the President of the Ji Group was focused on making scrambled eggs. He didn’t notice Mu Qingyan, who was silent until he turned around and placed the eggs on the coffee table in the living room.

Ji Liyun laughed and said, “You came but didn’t make a sound. What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing, I’m waiting for you to finish so we can have breakfast together.”

Mu Qingyan said this with his mouth, but his mind was filled with Ji Liyun’s words “I like you.”

Ji Liyun smiled and said, “I’ll make two more sandwiches, they’ll be ready soon.” With that, he turned and walked back into the kitchen.

Perhaps due to living abroad for many years, Ji Liyun was quite skilled at making Western-style breakfasts.

Mu Qingyan ate a few bites of the sandwich and casually said with a smile, “I drank too much last night and it seems like I blacked out. I don’t even remember how I got back to the hotel.”

Ji Liyun said, “Yeah, I knew you couldn’t hold your liquor, but I didn’t expect it to be that bad. If you go out drinking without me or Shen Huai, make sure to have a good bodyguard with you, otherwise, you might get sold without even realizing it.”

Mu Qingyan asked, “What time did we come back yesterday?”

Ji Liyun bit into his sandwich and thought for a moment before saying, “It was around 11:30 pm.”

11:30 pm? Mu Qingyan remembered that when the boss gave them cocktails last night, it was already past 10:30 pm, and then there were three or four songs played. His last memory was around 11:00 pm.

So he didn’t black out for long before coming back last night?

He had wanted to see Ji Liyun’s reaction, to guess what he might have said last night, but now it seemed that Ji Liyun was acting as usual, laughing and talking as if that sentence had never been spoken.

Could it be that he was just hallucinating because he had drunk too much? Did Ji Liyun actually say that sentence, and how had he reacted?

Mu Qingyan ate his breakfast without really tasting it because he was weighed down by his thoughts.

He thought that as a man, he should just ask if he had any questions, but he hesitated, afraid that he might have witnessed a couple’s proposal last night, and that his memory might have been affected.

But he didn’t want to be presumptuous.

Ji Liyun noticed Mu Qingyan’s expression changing and tapped his forehead, “It’s early in the morning, why are you so heavy-hearted? Don’t think too much, just eat your breakfast. After you’re done, I’ll take you to the Black Sand Beach.”

The Black Sand Beach was one of the famous attractions on Sheng Island. Mu Qingyan had seen it on his phone yesterday and mentioned it to Ji Liyun, saying he wanted to go and see it.

As expected, Ji Liyun was as efficient as always – whatever Mu Qingyan wanted, he would make it happen, whatever Mu Qingyan wanted to do, he would arrange it.

The Black Sand Beach was on the other side of Sheng Island. When Ji Liyun drove Mu Qingyan to the nearby parking lot, it was already noon.

Perhaps because of the good weather, there were already many men and women sunbathing on the beach, as well as children chasing and playing.

Ji Liyun and Mu Qingyan both had attractive faces, but one had a muscular build and the other was slender. They picked two lounge chairs and as soon as they lay down, there were men and women coming up to strike up a conversation.

Mu Qingyan politely chatted with them for a while, but Ji Liyun always kept a cold face, pretending to sleep and ignoring everyone.

Finally, many people who tried to talk to Ji Liyun were scared away by his icy face.

Mu Qingyan laughed and said, “It seems that someone doesn’t like being approached.”

Ji Liyun opened his eyes and looked at Mu Qingyan. “I only like being approached by someone I like.”

“Maybe if you get approached more, you’ll start to like them,” Mu Qingyan joked.

“That won’t happen,” Ji Liyun wanted to say that he only had one person he liked from beginning to end, the person he loved was right in front of him.

However, those words got stuck in his throat and he didn’t say them in the end.

Ji Liyun got up. “I’ll go buy two drinks.”

“Okay.”

Mu Qingyan put on sunglasses, basked in the sun, and enjoyed this leisurely and comfortable moment.

He vaguely felt that when he returned to the country, there would be a tough battle to fight. Maybe it would last for a few months, maybe it would last for a few years.

Because he had received new information from Ye Qiqi: “Boss, Xing Hao has taken action.”

---

Ye Qiqi sent Mu Qingyan the latest updates on Xing Hao, including some actions he took in Antarctica while hiding them from the Mu Corporation. This information was provided by a high-level executive that Ye Qiqi had planted in Xing Hao’s company at Mu Qingyan’s instruction.

After reading the information, Mu Qingyan replied, “Continue to monitor the situation.” As the sun set and the moon rose, Ji Liyun noticed that Mu Qingyan seemed preoccupied but didn’t ask why. Instead, he patted his shoulder and suggested they go to a popular western-style restaurant about 400 meters away on foot from the hotel where they parked their car.

During their meal, Mu Qingyan confided in Ji Liyun about Xing Hao’s shady actions in the Polar Plan. When Ji Liyun asked what his plan was, Mu Qingyan responded, “Wait and see. I’ve thought about it and don’t want to startle the snake before it bites. I’ll wait until he takes concrete action, then take him down in one fell swoop.”

Ji Liyun agreed, “Not bad. They’re still in the planning stages, so even if we report him to the police, it won’t be enough to send him to hell.” Mu Qingyan was surprised that Ji Liyun felt the same way about Xing Hao.

After months of being around Ji Liyun, Mu Qingyan found himself gradually becoming more comfortable with him. This was what they called “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” While cutting into his Wellington steak, Ji Liyun suggested, “By the way, have you told Uncle Mu about joining the

Polar Plan?”

Mu Qingyan responded with an affirmative “Hmm.”

Mu Qingyan had considered this before, but was afraid that doing so would attract Xing Hao’s attention, making it harder to find out his movements.

He asked, “Why?”

Ji Liyun explained, “After so many things, I don’t think Xing Hao can be considered a meticulous person. Your joining the Polar Plan would only stimulate his desire for revenge.”

Mu Qingyan suddenly realized, “You’re right. Xing Hao always relies on his money, not his brain, to use dirty tricks. His way of thinking is different from ordinary people. If I join the Polar Plan, maybe it will throw him off balance or make him act ahead of schedule.”

Ji Liyun smiled and nodded at him.

Under the dim yellow light, the two ate Western food, drank red wine, and talked about interesting things, completely unaware of the rapid passage of time.

Mu Qingyan was prone to getting drunk easily, and after two glasses of wine, his face was already flushed.

He had fair and smooth skin and was incredibly handsome. After drinking, his face turned red like a ruby, adding another level of attractiveness.

This kind of beauty, this kind of charm, made Ji Liyun unable to take his eyes off of him.

He felt a strong and palpable feeling in his heart, one that he had never experienced before. It was a feeling that emerged only after Mu Qingyan had undergone a personality change after his rebirth.

After three rounds of drinking, Mu Qingyan was already drunk, and although he didn’t wear glasses, his eyes were becoming hazy.

He still wanted to drink, but Ji Liyun stopped him, “You can’t drink anymore because you have a low alcohol tolerance.”

Mu Qingyan didn’t agree and immediately finished the red wine in his glass. Then, he squinted his eyes and said in a muddled voice, “Why can’t I drink? I’m not drunk yet!”

“Okay, okay, you’re not drunk.” Drunk people always say they’re not drunk.

“Hmph,” Mu Qingyan grunted in frustration, then pushed the wine glass towards Ji Liyun, pretending to give an order, “I want more. Bring me another glass.”

Ji Liyun was speechless and shook the empty wine bottle, “You see, this bottle is already empty.”

Mu Qingyan pouted and started acting like a child, “Then open another bottle. Let’s finish it and go back, okay?”

After the divorce, Mu Qingyan acted like a big bad wolf in front of others, fearless and in control, even in front of his good friends Ji Liyun and Shen Huai. He never acted cute or submissive.

Even during the times they went to EVOL bar to drink and have fun, he remained reserved, just watching others play around without participating. He seemed friendly with everyone, but not that close with anyone.

Acting out like this was a first for him.

Ji Liyun was surprised but also pleased. He felt that this meant he was different in Mu Qingyan’s heart compared to his other friends. Even if Mu Qingyan only considered him a friend, he was a special one.

However, he shook his head and had the server take away the two glasses of red wine on the table, comforting Mu Qingyan like a child and saying, “Let’s not drink red wine. How about trying something else? I know this place has a good custom-made drink. Want to try it?”

“Mm…” Mu Qingyan rested his cheek on his hand, thought for a moment, and finally agreed, “Sure.”

Ji Liyun ordered two custom-made drinks: one with a blue-green gradient and a fine layer of salt around the rim, and another with a red-orange gradient and a slice of lemon on the side.

Although Mu Qingyan was already drunk, he could still tell that Ji Liyun’s custom-made drinks were actually non-alcoholic cocktails that looked like cocktails.

“Ji Liyun, this is clearly a drink,” he grumbled.

Ji Liyun didn’t explain, he just asked, “Is it not good?”

Mu Qingyan chuckled, “Don’t say anything, it’s actually really good! Can we have another one?”

“We can.”

At ten o’clock in the late evening, this restaurant transforms into a bar, coincidentally with a band playing. The number of people coming in only increases, with no empty seats to be found.

The female lead singer is singing love songs, while Mu Qingyan rests his chin on his hand, listening quietly.

“I used to play in a band too. I was the lead singer and guitarist, and at that time, many girls liked me,” Mu Qingyan suddenly said.

Ji Liyun thought Mu Qingyan was just talking nonsense because, in his memory, Mu Qingyan didn’t have any particular interest in music, except for being forced to learn piano for a few years when he was a child.

But then he thought that Mu Qingyan had been abroad for so many years, and there were several years when they hardly had any contact. Mu Qingyan might have formed a band during that time, but he just didn’t know.

“What happened afterward?” Ji Liyun asked.

Mu Qingyan shrugged, “The drummer and bassist were dating, then they broke up, and the band disbanded.”

Perhaps it was a special holiday, the bar owner gave each customer a cocktail and a small dish for free.

The alcohol content of these cocktails was not low, and Ji Liyun wanted to stop Mu Qingyan from drinking. But no matter what, Mu Qingyan refused, as if he was afraid of having his snacks taken away, and drank half a glass in one gulp.

Then, as if declaring victory, he made a face at Ji Liyun.

But what he didn’t expect was that the alcohol had a strong after-effect. Now, Mu Qingyan finally realized that he was drunk.

Ji Liyun’s face began to blur in Mu Qingyan’s eyes, and his face became hotter than ever before.

Mu Qingyan wanted to remain calm, but his mouth was out of control, and he unconsciously blurted out a question that he had always wanted to ask but never did, “Why do you always want to help me and spend time with me?”

The spotlight slowly moved around the people, the band was still playing on stage, and the people around were either chatting or discussing business.

At this moment, Mu Qingyan regretted asking such a stupid question.

Ji Liyun did not smile as he had before, and there was no expression on his face.

But Mu Qingyan seemed to hear him say, “Because I like you.”

---

Mu Qingyan thought there was something important, so he walked over with a serious face, only to find that Ji Liyun was just looking at travel guides for people visiting Sheng Island on an app.

Not only that, but Ji Liyun also showed him his collection: “I’ve saved several interesting shops, unique attractions, and highly-rated restaurants. We can try them all.”

It was clear that Ji Liyun wanted to have a good time before returning home.

However, since they had come all this way, Mu Qingyan naturally would not refuse: “It does look good. Let’s go eat lunch first, I’m a bit hungry.”

“I’ll take a look,” Ji Liyun looked through his collection and then chose a restaurant, saying, “Let’s go, we’ll have seafood.”

Mu Qingyan took out his phone to book a taxi, but Ji Liyun said, “No need to call a taxi. I already rented a car from the rental company on Sheng Island this morning.”

“Okay.”

Because there were many mountains on Sheng Island, Ji Liyun rented a Mercedes-Benz G500 off-road vehicle.

However, Mu Qingyan was a little surprised before getting in the car: “The color of this car is a bit flamboyant.”

He thought that according to Ji Liyun’s style, he would rent a black or dark gray car, but he didn’t expect it to be green with long stripes that were either light or dark.

Ji Liyun didn’t care and started the car while setting the navigation: “In China, of course, we have to maintain our image and be more stable, but since we’re abroad, why can’t we be ourselves?”

Oh, the CEO has a restless teenage heart.

Seeing Mu Qingyan trying to hold back his laughter, Ji Liyun pretended to be angry: “No laughing allowed!”

“Okay, okay, I didn’t laugh.”

Perhaps because they arrived at the restaurant after lunchtime, there weren’t many people dining there. Ji Liyun ordered several dishes with the highest ratings, and they also had two glasses of local non-alcoholic drinks.

This seafood restaurant lived up to its reputation, with fresh ingredients and excellent cooking skills. Every dish was to their taste.

While they were eating, Ji Liyun said, “I have some news that’s not good or bad. Do you want to hear it?”

Mu Qingyan was cutting a grilled octopus leg and asked, “About what?”

“When you were filming, the incident where Wei Ya was cut off,” Ji Liyun looked at him and said, “Initially, I thought since we were on vacation, we should put aside unhappy things. But then I thought you might want to know the current progress.”

“Of course,” someone said, not sure who it was, How will Mu Qingyan retaliate in the future? He’s not a saint, he’ll forgive the other party for almost getting killed.

Ji Liyun slowly said, “Wen Ye also told me that the police investigated and found out within a few hours that it was Ma Xiaofen who cut the steel wire.”

“Ma Xiaofen?” Mu Qingyan put down his knife and fork, furrowing his brows as he searched his memory, but he couldn’t remember when he had offended this person.

Ji Liyun saw his confusion and deliberately teased, “You may not know her, but you should have seen her.”

“Oh? When? Where?” Mu Qingyan was very curious.

“At the backstage of <Acting PK Battle> and she even broke into your dressing room. You should have also seen her on the set of <Lost in the Stars>.”

Mu Qingyan connected the dots between the variety show and the movie set and guessed, “She’s Xie Ming’s person?”

Ji Liyun nodded and finally said, “She’s Xie Ming’s assistant, that young girl in her early twenties.”

“Oh, I remember now. When I participated in the variety show, she was slapped by Xie Ming backstage, and even filmed by Xie Ming’s former fan.”

“Yes, Ah Yan has a good memory.” Ji Liyun smiled faintly and placed a large piece of lobster meat that had been shelled into Mu Qingyan’s bowl.

Mu Qingyan asked again, “After the police found out, what did Ma Xiaofen say?”

Ji Liyun continued to shell the lobster and said, “Ma Xiaofen admitted to it and said she did it.”

“Oh?” Mu Qingyan raised his eyebrows, finding it hard to believe. “She actually admitted to it? What was her reason for hurting me? Because I bullied Xie Ming?”

“Yes, she said she couldn’t stand you always targeting Xie Ming and felt that her boss was being bullied, so she wanted to retaliate against you.” Ji Liyun said indifferently.

Mu Qingyan laughed, “She’s always being insulted and slapped by Xie Ming, yet she’s still so loyal? Is she a masochist? I don’t believe it.”

Ji Liyun pointed out, “You don’t believe it, I don’t believe it, but it depends on whether the police believe it or not.”

“What’s the situation now?”

“Ma Xiaofen has been detained in the police station, and Xie Ming has completely distanced himself from the matter, claiming that his assistant made a mistake out of kindness and he was also helpless,” he said.

“Wen Ye’s high school classmate happens to be in charge of this case and wants to hear your thoughts. I told him we were on a business trip and wouldn’t be back for ten days, so let Ma Xiaofen continue to be detained.”

Mu Qingyan ate the lobster meat peeled by Ji Liyun and agreed, “Let’s detain her for a few more days and see if she will tell the truth.”

Ji Liyun said again, “I guess Xie Ming or Xing Hao must have ordered this, and Xing Hao spent a lot of money to keep her quiet.”

“If Xing Hao spent money to keep her quiet, then we’ll spend time to pry her mouth open.”

The two clinked glasses.

After lunch, they strolled leisurely in the busiest and most prosperous town of Shengdao Island. Because of their good figures and extremely high looks, they were approached by many girls for photos and chats along the way.

They saw newlywed couples taking wedding photos by the cliff and blue-roofed white walls, young boys and girls on their graduation trips, and an elderly couple in their seventies or eighties who choose different countries for vacation every year.

Seeing the happy faces of these people, Mu Qingyan couldn’t help but forget about all the annoying and troublesome things and enjoy this leisurely time.

As sunset approached, Ji Liyun took Mu Qingyan to a popular scenic spot according to a famous blogger’s travel guide to watch the sunset.

Perhaps because this scenic spot was really famous, when they arrived, it was already crowded with people, and many tourists had set up their tripods and were waiting to take photos of the sunset.

In the sky, the setting sun was descending, shining a beautiful reddish-golden color.

At this moment, a drone flew over their heads, and many people seemed to be whispering.

Mu Qingyan looked in the direction where the drone was flying and saw a man proposing. When the drone flew over to him, he took out a diamond ring and declared his love loudly.

The man who was proposed to was moved to tears, covering his mouth and nodding repeatedly.

Amid the cheers, the two embraced each other.

Mu Qingyan watched them, and even though they were strangers to him, he couldn’t help but wish them well in this atmosphere.

Beside him, Ji Liyun had been looking at his intently without turning away.

Suddenly, he asked curiously, “If you were proposed to, would you cry?”

Mu Qingyan was puzzled by the question and blurted out, “I’m a man, I should be the one proposing. Even if I were proposed to, I wouldn’t cry.”

“Oh.” Ji Liyun smiled and ruffled his hair.

As they watched the sunset side by side, Mu Qingyan suddenly received a message from Ye Qiqi, “Boss, the Polar Plan is entering its second phase, and Xing Hao has made a move. Shall I report the details to you when you get back?”

Is Xing Hao finally revealing his hand?

Mu Qingyan’s mouth curled up, and he replied, “Tell me the details now.”

---

Upon seeing the message sent by Ji Liyun, Mu Qingyan thought he was joking and continued with the meeting.

As he had been on the set for half a month, many minor issues were handled directly by the two deputy general managers and several department heads.

They were afraid of disturbing Mu Qingyan’s filming, so they didn’t regularly report to him about MU’s recent developments.

Therefore, this meeting alone took two hours for each department to report on their work progress, followed by another two hours to discuss the year-end work plan, including special activities for Christmas and New Year.

Although it had only been three months since he arrived, the MU staff had already adapted to Mu Qingyan’s work pace and were even pleased with it.

This was because Mu Qingyan’s decisions were always very wise and accurate, resulting in a doubling of MU brand sales every month.

This also meant that the year-end bonuses for MU employees would also double, and money and a sense of achievement always complemented each other.

Before the meeting ended, many department heads voluntarily reported on their plans for the following year. As a result, the meeting didn’t end until 8 pm.

Mu Qingyan saw that everyone who attended the meeting was still energetic and seemed to have more things to report, so he joked, “You guys aren’t hungry after six hours of consecutive meetings, but I am.”

Qiao Lengnan, who had been promoted from department head to deputy general manager for successfully completing the autumn product launch, said, “Mr. Mu worked so hard on the set yesterday and was so scared. We should be more considerate of him and let him rest.”

The others nodded in agreement.

Many people asked, “Mr. Mu, have they caught the culprit yet?”

Mu Qingyan shook his head and replied, “Not yet, but the police are investigating.”

Then he said, “Although I have to film in the next two months, I will still attend the biweekly and monthly meetings as usual. Let’s end the meeting for today.”

Mu Qingyan handed over the meeting materials to Ye Qiqi and asked her to organize them.

Ye Qiqi whispered, “Boss, President Ji is here.”

“When did he arrive?” Mu Qingyan asked.

“He arrived around three in the afternoon, but he didn’t want to disturb your meeting, so he told me not to tell you,” Ye Qiqi said as she and Mu Qingyan entered the elevator. After pressing the button for the 16th floor, she continued, “I just went up to get some files for you and saw that he was still here.”

“Okay, I see,” Mu Qingyan replied.

Ding-

The elevator doors opened and a gentle mechanical female voice announced, “16th floor reached.”

Mu Qingyan walked to his office as if nothing had happened and saw Ji Liyun sitting on the sofa with his arms crossed, looking black-faced, waiting for him.

He walked up to him, personally poured some water into his tea cup, and said with a smile, “Who made our Mr. Ji angry?”

“Who else could it be?” Ji Liyun was still angry and took a sip of his tea. “I told you to rest properly, but you didn’t listen. You’ve been in meetings for so long, don’t you care about your health?”

Mu Qingyan knew he was concerned about him and still smiled, “I’m bored at home.”

Ji Liyun clearly didn’t accept this explanation. He said, “I’ll take you out for dinner and send you home.”

“I’ll just ask Ye Qiqi to order takeout for me,” Mu Qingyan opened his computer and said, “I still have work to do. I’ll go home later.”

Ji Liyun was both angry and amused. He thought he was a workaholic, but he had reduced his workload a lot to pursue Mu Qingyan. Now, looking at him, he was crazier than he used to be when he was buried in work.

He directly grabbed Mu Qingyan’s right hand, pulled him up from the leather chair, and said without giving him a chance to refuse, “Work is never finished. Come on, I’ll take you somewhere.”

“What?” Mu Qingyan stared at Ji Liyun with wide eyes.

On weekdays, although Ji Liyun had a domineering image, he was always gentle and polite towards Mu Qingyan, and everything went along with his wishes. This was the first time Ji Liyun had directly dragged him out of the office.

As Mu Qingyan’s personal secretary, Ye Qiqi’s desk was at the door of the general manager’s office. She was stunned to see this scene.

Although Mu Qingyan allowed Ji Liyun to pull him out of the office, he was still very hesitant and hesitant to speak.

Ji Liyun seemed to see through his thoughts and said, “Don’t hesitate anymore. I’ll help you with the work that you can’t finish.”

Mu Qingyan sighed lightly, “Okay, but this won’t happen again.”

Originally, Mu Qingyan thought that Ji Liyun was only taking him out to eat, and then he would be sent back home, just like before.

But this time, after finishing dinner, Ji Liyun didn’t send him back to the villa as usual. Instead, he let the driver drive the Rolls-Royce directly to Ji’s private airport.

The night wind was chilly, and Ji Liyun’s private plane had already started in front of the car.

Mu Qingyan followed Ji Liyun out of the car and walked into his private plane, asking, “You said you were taking me to a place. It won’t be another province, right?”

After the two of them were seated, Ji Liyun said something on the intercom and then said mysteriously to Mu Qingyan, “Guess.”

Ji Liyun’s private plane took off, and Mu Qingyan watched as the city lights outside the window turned into a galaxy of stars. He trusted Ji Liyun very much and knew that he wouldn’t sell him out.

But just because Ji Liyun had arranged everything so clearly for the whole night, he inexplicably felt a little annoyed and pursed his lips, saying, “I won’t guess.”

“If you don’t want to guess, then don’t,” Ji Liyun gently covered Mu Qingyan with a thin blanket and said in a warm voice, “It’s very late now, go to sleep. When you wake up, we’ll be there.”

---

Mu Qingyan was a little bedridden. Even in the extremely luxurious and comfortable private plane, he still couldn’t sleep well and woke up five or six times in the middle of the night.

But seeing Ji Liyun sleeping soundly, he didn’t disturb him and continued to rest his eyes.

By the time the plane landed, it was already past seven in the morning.

This is a very famous island with beautiful scenery and comfortable temperature. Although it is far away from their home country, Country C, it is indeed the preferred destination for overseas leisure vacations.

Ji Liyun noticed that Mu Qingyan’s eyes were tinged with a dark shade, so he knew that he had not slept well last night.

He led Mu Qingyan into the car heading to the hotel and said, “I have already booked two cliffside hotel rooms by the sea, daily necessities and new clothes for changing are also placed in your room. Let’s have breakfast at the hotel and take a nap later.”

Mu Qingyan realized for the first time that Ji Liyun was actually quite thoughtful. He nodded with a heavy head and didn’t say anything, instead taking a nap in the car.

In Ji Liyun’s eyes, since Mu Qingyan’s divorce, he had only focused on work without any leisure activities.

And Mu Qingyan himself felt a little tired of dealing with scumbags and working hard every day since he transmigrated into this world.

After arriving at the hotel, he did not have breakfast but went straight to wash up, change into pajamas, and fell asleep.

When he woke up again, it was already two o’clock in the afternoon.

He rubbed his eyes and instinctively reached for his phone, informing his parents in the family chat about his vacation overseas, then sent a message to Ye Qiqi, stating that he would be on vacation for a few days and that the company could contact him if there were any urgent matters.

Shen Xiaoxiao asked in the group chat, “How did my son suddenly go on vacation to Sheng Island?”

Mu Qingyan replied truthfully, “Ji Liyun brought me here.”

Mu Yuchen, who rarely replied, said, “Take a good rest, don’t worry about the company’s affairs.”

At this point, Ye Qiqi also replied, “Don’t worry, Boss, take a good rest.”

Mu Qingyan thought about it and felt that he definitely couldn’t handle any work in the next few days, so he might as well just enjoy his vacation.

He walked out to the balcony to breathe in the salty sea air and wake up his mind. To his surprise, Ji Liyun was on the next balcony, lying on a sun lounger, drinking juice and enjoying the sun.

What’s more, their balcony doors were actually connected to each other.

Mu Qingyan was infected by Ji Liyun’s carefree attitude and felt more relaxed and in a better mood. He leaned lazily on the balcony railing and asked, “What are you doing?”

Ji Liyun smiled and waved at him, “Come over.”

---

For more than ten consecutive days, Mu Qingyan had been accustomed to the life on the set where days turned into nights.

When he had scenes to shoot, he would focus on acting. And when he had no scenes, he would open his laptop to handle company affairs. He got along very well with the other actors and crew members on the set.

Except for Xie Ming, everyone liked Mu Qingyan a lot. They found him humble, polite, professional, and ambitious.

Lin Shuangshuang was especially fond of him. She called him “brother” both on and off set, not feeling uncomfortable despite him being a few years older. She was innocent and youthful, which added to her charm.

Over time, Mu Qingyan began to see her as a younger sister and taught her some acting techniques he had discovered.

Many people thought that Lin Shuangshuang had developed a crush on Mu Qingyan, but only she knew that she was a big fan of the CPcouple pairing between Mu Qingyan and Ji Liyun.

Since the filming began, Ji Liyun had been coming to the set whenever he had free time, bringing lots of delicious food to reward the hard-working actors and crew members as the producer and financier.

However, Lin Shuangshuang was observant and noticed Ji Liyun’s true intentions. Whenever he greeted the director, he would stay by Mu Qingyan’s side, watching him act, having meals with him, and never taking his eyes off him.

In Lin Shuangshuang’s eyes, Mu Qingyan and Ji Liyun were a talented and good-looking couple pairing, and every interaction between them was exciting to watch.

On this particular afternoon, they were shooting a scene where the male lead was jumping on the surface of another planet. Since it required the actors to simulate zero gravity, they had to be suspended on wires.

Xie Ming didn’t have any scenes that day, but he stayed on set, hoping to learn from Mu Qingyan and Luo Wenzhe’s acting skills to prepare for his own scenes the following day.

In this scene, the male lead’s spacecraft was landing on an unknown planet in outer space. He thought it was a habitable planet, so he was excited and jumped up high, about four to five meters.

Mu Qingyan had acted in many period dramas, martial arts films, and fantasy dramas before, so he was very familiar with wire work. He put on his harness and stood in front of the green screen, waiting for the director’s signal.

“Action!”

Mu Qingyan immediately adjusted to an excited state and looked around, as if he was already imagining the scene of settling down with his sister here in the future.

Taking advantage of his excitement, he jumped up.

Wei Ya hoisted him up, and when he was about four or five meters off the ground, Mu Qingyan clearly heard a strange sound of “click” coming from above.

His heart sank, sensing that something was about to go wrong.

The sharp-eyed photographer noticed Mu Qingyan’s unusual expression and shifted his gaze upward, shouting, “Oh no! The steel cable broke!”

“What?!”

The other actors and staff on the scene all exclaimed, and chaos ensued.

Mu Qingyan looked up and saw that two steel cables had already snapped, and the others would soon follow. He dared not move, afraid that the force of his movements would accelerate the breakage of the cables.

“Bring him down!” Ji Liyun, who was visiting the set, rushed into the scene and stood below Mu Qingyan, wanting to catch him barehanded.

Ji Liyun’s bodyguard brought over a soft cushion from not far outside the set, and other crew members saw what was happening and also went to get cushions, laying three or four layers thick.

Just as they were about to go get more cushions, Mu Qingyan was lowered to a height of two meters off the ground, and all the steel cables on his body broke, causing him to fall straight down.

“Ah–!”

A few fearful cries came from the crowd.

Mu Qingyan fell from the sky, expecting to be injured, but fortunately, the steel cables did not break all at once, giving the bodyguards and staff time to lay down the cushions.

Hopefully, he won’t be too hurt.

I need to cover my face, I can’t afford to be disfigured.

Why is Ji Liyun still standing below? Hasn’t he left yet?

Yes, not only did Ji Liyun not leave, he also opened his arms as if to embrace the angel falling from the sky.

Despite being slender, Mu Qingyan is still a 1.8-meter-tall man. With a “thump,” he fell into Ji Liyun’s arms.

Ji Liyun was thrown onto a soft cushion, feeling a little sore but otherwise unchanged.

He looked at the person in his arms with concern and asked, “Ah Yan, are you okay? Did you get hurt anywhere?”

Several bodyguards rushed over and helped their President and Mu Qingyan up, carefully checking if they had any wounds or bleeding.

Mu Qingyan gritted his teeth through the pain, rubbed his knee which hit the ground, and smiled when he heard Ji Liyun’s inquiry, “I fell from such a height and landed on you. Shouldn’t I be the one asking you if you’re okay?”

Seeing that Mu Qingyan could still joke around, Ji Liyun knew he wasn’t seriously injured but still couldn’t help worrying.

He said to one of the bodyguards, “Call Dr. Yu.”

“Yes.” The bodyguard immediately left the commotion and called Ji Liyun’s personal doctor.

Everyone on the scene rushed over and asked if they were okay. The director called the props team and scolded them directly.

Ji Liyun asked coldly, “Who is responsible for checking the safety of the actor’s wirework?”

A seemingly fresh graduate was so scared that he was about to cry. He trembled uncontrollably and his voice was shaking as he said, “I… but I checked it last night and it was fine…”

Cui Yu cursed, “You checked it yesterday, but didn’t check it before using it today? Who will take responsibility if someone falls and dies? Are you responsible?”

“I’m sorry! I’m really sorry!” The boy apologized to Mu Qingyan with a teary voice, repeatedly bowing.

Ji Liyun picked up the broken end of the steel wire from the ground and examined it for a few seconds before saying in a deep voice, “The cross-sections of these steel wires are half smooth and half irregularly cut. It’s obvious that someone intentionally cut them in half. Someone wanted to deliberately kill Mu Qingyan.”

The boy in charge of Wei Ya turned red with fear and exclaimed, “It wasn’t me! I didn’t do it!”

“I know it wasn’t you who broke Wei Ya because I checked it two hours ago and it was intact. You have been helping with the set and had no time to cut Wei Ya,” Mu Qingyan said calmly.

Upon hearing this, the boy was overjoyed and wiped away his tears, nodding repeatedly, “Thank you, Brother Mu.”

However, Ji Liyun said, “But since you were in charge of Wei Ya, why didn’t you notice anything wrong with the steel wire when you helped Mu Qingyan get dressed? Even if you didn’t do it, you were still derelict in your duties. Go settle your wages with the finance department and don’t come back tomorrow.”

The boy knew he was in the wrong and didn’t argue, only responding with a “Yes.”

Ji Liyun thought that if they hadn’t discovered it in time, and if the steel wire had been cut even deeper, Mu Qingyan might have fallen to his death right in front of him. The thought made him extremely angry, and his face turned cold suddenly, frightening the crew into silence.

Finally, he said, “Call the police. I want to know who did this.”

In the crowd, someone clenched their clothes and began sweating profusely.

Seeing that the assistant director had already called the police, Cui Yu emphasized again, “I said that every scene, no matter what prop it is, must be checked before use. Dangerous props must be checked three times carefully! If another accident happens, the entire props team will be fired and replaced!”

The person in charge of the props team was already sweating profusely, “Mr. Ji, Mr. Cui, I am also responsible for this incident. From now on, I will check everything in the props team again before using it. Please rest assured.”

An infuriated Cui Yu said sternly, “We’re not shooting today! You and your team need to check all the props right now!”

After speaking, he turned to Mu Qingyan and said in a gentle voice, “Regardless of whether you are injured or not, rest for a week. We will continue shooting after the police have investigated.”

Mu Qingyan felt some pain in his knees and ankles. If he forced himself to continue shooting, it would affect his performance, so he didn’t refuse, saying, “Okay, Director Cui.”

Ji Liyun supported Mu Qingyan back to the hotel where they stayed during filming. His personal doctor had already arrived and carefully examined Mu Qingyan’s body.

Doctor Yu: “Mr. Mu is fine, just a minor injury. Rest for a few days and he will be fine.”

“Thank you,” Ji Liyun said.

After Doctor Yu left, Mu Qingyan said, “I want to go home and rest.”

“Okay, I’ll take you home,” Ji Liyun said softly.

He thought Mu Qingyan would obediently stay at home and rest, but when Ji Liyun arrived at Mu Qingyan’s villa the next day, he found that Mu Qingyan was not at home.

Ji Liyun immediately called Mu Qingyan, “Where are you?”

On the other end of the phone, Mu Qingyan’s voice was low, “I’m at a meeting.”

After speaking, he hung up the phone.

Just yesterday, he had been scared and almost lost his life. The doctor had advised him to rest well, but he went to work instead?

Ji Liyun sent a message to Mu Qingyan very unhappily, “Are you trying to work yourself to death?”

Mu Qingyan replied, “?”

Ji Liyun said, “I’m angry.”

---

Author’s Note:

Ji Liyun: I’m very angry, the consequences will be severe, why don’t you come and comfort me?

---

As the male lead, if you were to fall and knock over the sacrificial altar during the opening ceremony, people in the entertainment industry would talk about it for years.

The people around saw Xie Ming fall to the ground, and Mu Qingyan was falling towards the altar, causing them to exclaim in alarm.

Mu Qingyan reached out to grab the person next to him to steady himself, but for a moment, no one could grab him. He closed his eyes and thought to himself that he couldn’t escape this disaster.

At this moment, a sturdy and powerful arm quickly reached out and caught him around the waist.

At that moment, he was only five or six centimeters away from the altar. Fortunately, he didn’t fall and the altar didn’t tip over, and everything was fine.

Mu Qingyan let out a sigh of relief and looked at the person who caught him.

This person looked to be in his twenties, with wheat-colored skin and a well-built body, and was a very standard and handsome type of man.

He was the previous year’s Best Actor, Luo Wenzhe.

After Mu Qingyan stabilized himself, the people around him came over and asked, “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” he straightened his clothes and looked at Luo Wenzhe. “Thank you.”

Luo Wenzhe smiled, with two shallow dimples appearing on his face, adding a touch of cuteness to his already handsome face. He said, “It’s good that you’re okay, it’s just a small matter.”

Although he didn’t say it, Mu Qingyan knew that Xie Ming had deliberately pushed him, almost ruining the opening ceremony. He tilted his head and his sharp gaze pierced Xie Ming, who had just stood up from the ground.

Xie Ming didn’t even dare to look at Mu Qingyan and pretended to be weak, saying, “I’m sorry, I just tripped and accidentally bumped into Brother Mu.”

The various media outlets that had come to the opening ceremony had not yet left and were taking pictures with their cameras flashing.

Mu Qingyan spoke his mind, ‘What a great show.’

If he blamed Xie Ming, the media might say Mu Qingyan was bullying the male supporting actor on set because he was the male lead. If he didn’t blame Xie Ming, he would bear the responsibility for the disruption of the opening ceremony.

However, regardless of how he responded, Xie Ming’s fall during the opening ceremony was already enough to make headlines and generate buzz for him.

Click, click…

Entertainment reporters aimed their cameras at the tense atmosphere between Mu Qingyan and Xie Ming, continuously taking pictures.

Mu Qingyan handled the situation with ease and said, “It’s okay. Mr. Xie may want to watch where he’s walking in the future, so he doesn’t trip over any stones or potholes.”

After speaking, he turned and prepared to head to the next location.

“I…” Xie Ming remained in place, still pretending to be aggrieved as if Mu Qingyan had purposely embarrassed him.

Luo Wenzhe looked at Xie Ming and politely reminded him, “According to the itinerary, your position isn’t supposed to be next to Mu Qingyan. Also, I saw you bump into him…”

Although the leading actor appeared hesitant to speak, Xie Ming had already heard that Luo Wenzhe had noticed him push Mu Qingyan, so he murmured in agreement and quickly moved to his designated location.

The entertainment reporters who had witnessed everything were secretly delighted and immediately stepped aside, opening their laptops. They had already come up with a headline: “New love jealous of old love, Mu Qingyan pushed by love rival.”

Realizing that it was a false alarm, the rest of the opening ceremony continued with the other participants.

To get the filming started as soon as possible, the subsequent ceremony only took twenty minutes. Director Cui Yu didn’t like too many people on set during filming, so he asked the actors who didn’t have scenes that day to return to the nearby hotel to rest.

Since Mu Qingyan had a scene in the first part, he stayed on set and waited for the crew to set up the green screen and props.

A sweet-looking, petite actress walked over and greeted him with a smile.

Mu Qingyan knows her, she is the leading actress of this movie, a former child star who is only 22 years old but has already been in the industry for 18 years, starred in 12 movies and 57 TV dramas.

According to fan statistics, she is currently the most productive actress among the 20 to 25 age group.

He politely responded, “Hello, Lin Shuangshuang.”

“Just call me Shuangshuang!” Lin Shuangshuang waved her hand and said with a smile, “I watched the <Acting PK Battle> you participated in and really liked your sharp critiques. Haha. After you were not on the show for a few episodes, I didn’t have the motivation to keep watching.”

Mu Qingyan could tell that Lin Shuangshuang really liked him, not just being polite, so he said, “I will be a guest again.”

After all, under Ji Liyun’s persistence, he had agreed to be a special guest on the last episode of <Acting PK Battle.>

“Really? That’s great!” Lin Shuangshuang’s eyes lit up, looking forward to it.

The first scene they were filming was the opening part of the movie <Lost in the Stars> which was also the first scene where Mu Qingyan and Lin Shuangshuang had a scene together.

The plot was that they were standing in the ruins of a city, witnessing the first stage of the destruction of their planet, and planning to go to outer space to find a suitable planet as a new home for humanity.

The scene they were about to film was when Lin Shuangshuang, who played the younger sister, saw their parents buried in the ruins and almost collapsed. Mu Qingyan, who played the older brother, comforted and encouraged her to be strong and live on.

Lin Shuangshuang was an experienced professional actress, even though she was in a green screen studio where the scene and atmosphere relied entirely on her imagination, she quickly got into character.

However, she had only acted in modern family dramas and period dramas before, and this was her first time trying a sci-fi genre, so she was a bit unfamiliar.

Except for the director and Mu Qingyan, no one could tell.

Although they only filmed three takes, Lin Shuangshuang’s solo shots passed, but she still felt a bit nervous and worried that she might not be able to control the level of sadness when filming the scene with Mu Qingyan.

Unexpectedly, Mu Qingyan got into character even faster, and when they filmed the scene together, she was immediately infected by his emotions and got into character.

At that moment, Lin Shuangshuang felt like she was ‘her’, and Mu Qingyan was her ‘older brother.’

‘He’s amazing!’ Lin Shuangshuang secretly sighed in her heart.

They only had three or four scenes together, but they managed to get through them smoothly.

Meanwhile, Mu Qingyan’s solo scenes were all done in one take. Even the picky director Cui Yu couldn’t find any faults in his performance.

The on-set director, crew members, and actors, except for Xie Ming, all admired him from the bottom of their hearts.

“The One Take Wonder” nickname is well-deserved.

Lin Shuangshuang went from being impressed by this new “big brother” to admiring him.

She thought to herself that if they weren’t fellow actors, she would definitely be a fan and a little fangirl of Mu Qingyan.

To give the lead actor a break, they filmed a few scenes with supporting actors after completing several scenes of Mu Qingyan and Lin Shuangshuang’s scenes.

Xie Ming was unhappy, so he wasn’t fully focused during filming and kept making mistakes.

Cui Yu, who was known for his strictness, became increasingly angry after ten takes and couldn’t help but say to Xie Ming, “I told you when you were on that variety show that your performance is too one-dimensional. How come your dialogue, which should have ups and downs, is so bland in your mouth?”

Xie Ming was criticized in front of everyone and held back tears as he apologized softly, “I’m sorry.”

“An apology won’t do anything. You need more training,” Cui Yu said as he went down to the set to personally teach Xie Ming how to act in order to keep the filming on schedule.

Even so, it took three or four more takes for them to get it right.

Cui Yu said to the assistant director with indifference, “In the future, actors of this level shouldn’t be allowed on my set.”

Although this sentence seemed simple, it actually destroyed Xie Ming’s dream of becoming famous overnight with this <Lost in Space> and ruined his chances of participating in major commercial films for the next few years.

No investor would want to use an actor that was rejected by a famous director.

Assistant director Luo Yi agreed with Cui Yu’s statement. As the casting director, he naturally bore a great responsibility if the actors didn’t meet expectations.

Xie Ming was never even in Luo Yi’s consideration for the supporting role, but because he brought in money and was recommended by several acquaintances, as well as having acted in more than ten dramas, Luo Yi agreed to give his the last supporting role.

“I didn’t expect Xie Ming to mess up,” said Luo Yi, not pleased.

“There’s no scene for you today, so go back to the hotel and rest. Study your role carefully,” he said to Xie Ming.

Xie Ming pretended to be humble and said he would go back and prepare well, but as soon as he left the scene, he returned to the hotel with a black face.

His assistant, Ma Xiaofen, followed him, trembling and afraid to speak.

After entering the hotel room and putting away Xie Ming’s belongings, Ma Xiaofen wanted to leave, but Xie Ming stopped her with a stern voice, “Where do you think you’re going?”

“I’m going to buy dinner for you…”

Xie Ming closed the curtains to make sure no paparazzi could take pictures, then walked up to his assistant with a sinister look and said, “Do you think I’m in the mood to eat?!”

“I…” Ma Xiaofen was too scared to answer when she saw his terrifying face.

Smack!

Xie Ming slapped her.

Smack! Smack!

Xie Ming slapped her two more times, squinting his eyes and gritting his teeth, “Why does Mu Qingyan get all the good things?! Why is he the male lead and I’m just a supporting actor?! Why does he get it right in one take while I get scolded?!”

Ma Xiaofen covered her face, too scared to breathe, and endured the pain in her cheek.

She knew that no matter what he said, it would only bring more severe and violent beatings. For the sake of her job and salary, she had to endure.

Fortunately, as soon as Xie Ming started to get angry, there was a knock on the door.

“Who is it?” Xie Ming asked.

“It’s me, Xing Hao,” came the reply from outside.

Xie Ming recognized Xing Hao’s voice and whispered to Ma Xiaofen, “Get out,” then adjusted his expression and opened the door.

Xing Hao saw Xie Ming’s assistant quickly walking out with a hand over her face and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing…” Xie Ming sat on the bed with a troubled face, hesitating to speak.

“I heard you fell and came to see you,” Xing Hao said softly, looking at his beloved with tenderness. “Are you okay?”

Xie Ming shook his head with a helpless expression, “I’m fine. But Mu Qingyan is really annoying. He makes it sound like I pushed him on purpose!”

“I know you’re a kind person and wouldn’t do that,” Xing Hao embraced Xie Ming, “I’ve already arranged for something to happen to Mu Qingyan during filming.”

Xie Ming’s eyes lit up with a hint of excitement, “What’s going to happen?”

“Like a mistake in the explosion, or a prop breaking, or a real weapon being used instead of a fake one.”

---

A week later, as the producer and presenter, the Jishi Group announced the cast of <Lost in the Stars>, including the director, screenwriter, three leading actors, ten supporting actors, and several guest stars.

Among them, Mu Qingyan, who played the male lead, received the most attention.

[I didn’t expect the mysterious male lead to be Mu Qingyan!]

[I’ve seen his variety shows and guest roles, his acting is pretty good, we can expect great things from him.]

[The most important thing is that he’s handsome. His face is perfect for the big screen.]

[I’m already super excited just by looking at the poster!]

Netizens and Mu Qingyan’s fans left messages expressing their anticipation for the performance of this new male lead.

But with fame comes envy, and there are always some people who are jealous.

Among them, Xie Ming was the most envious.

He raged at home, throwing everything on the table to the ground and cursing continuously. He felt like he was going crazy with jealousy.

The nanny was so scared that she hid in the corner and called Xing Hao, “Master Xing, you need to come over quickly. Mr. Xie…”

Before she could finish her sentence, Xie Ming snatched the phone from her.

Xie Ming gave her a fierce look, scaring the nanny so much that she covered her mouth and didn’t dare to speak.

“Hello, hello? Zhang Yi? What’s wrong with Mingming?” Xing Hao’s anxious voice came through the phone.

Xie Ming took a deep breath, adjusted his emotions, and then pretended to cry, “It’s nothing. I just saw the cast announcement for <Lost in the Stars> that Jishi Group just released, and I was a bit surprised.”

“Oh…” Xing Hao had also seen it, and he was also surprised that the male lead that many actors and celebrities had been vying for went to Mu Qingyan.

“It’s nothing, I’m just worried that in the future on set, Mu Qingyan will deliberately exclude me and target me, giving me a hard time.” Xie Ming sighed lightly.

Xing Hao was silent for a few seconds and then said, “Don’t worry, I’ll find a way.”

“Well, my darling is always the one who cares the most about me.” Xie Ming said sweetly.

“I’ll come see you when I finish work tonight.”

“Okay.” After hanging up the phone, Xie Ming looked fiercely at the trembling nanny and threatened, “If you dare to report to Xing Hao again, I will tear your mouth apart.”

Although the nanny was hired by Xing Hao, she had always been afraid of Xie Ming, the “two-faced” person, and nodded quickly, “I won’t, Mr. Xie. I won’t do it again.”

Xie Ming rolled his eyes at her, then opened Weibo and logged in to his alternate account.

He left a comment under the official announcement of <Lost in the Stars>: [I heard that President Ji and Mu Qingyan are very close childhood friends. Maybe it’s because of this relationship that Mu Qingyan got this role.]

As expected, within three minutes, there were hundreds of replies.

[Oh, I knew it already. The paparazzi have caught them eating, drinking, and spending the night together more than once.]

[Even if they are good friends, what’s the big deal? As long as they have good acting skills and good looks.]

[Yeah, at most they are helping each other out.]

[I wish my best friend could become a President and make me famous! @someone @someoneelse]

Xie Ming was so angry when he read these comments that he felt dizzy.

Meanwhile, at the Mu family estate, Mu Qingyan was having dinner with his parents.

Perhaps because She knew her son was going to star in a big-budget movie as the male lead, Shen Xiaoxiao couldn’t hide her joy and kept smiling.

Mu Yuchen, on the other hand, remained expressionless as usual. No one knew what he was thinking.

It wasn’t until after dinner, when they were sitting on the couch, watching TV and chatting, that Mu Yuchen finally brought up the topic of Mu Qingyan’s role in <Lost in the Stars>

He took a sip of whiskey and asked, “When did you decide to start acting?”

“Two weekends ago.”

Mu Yuchen’s expression remained unchanged, revealing neither happiness nor anger.

He said, “I’ve always taught you that no matter what you do, you must give it 120% effort and ability.”

“I know, I will handle both the cooperation plan with Jishi Real Estate and MU Company’s affairs well.”

Upon hearing his son’s reply, and seeing his good performance over the past two months, burying himself in work every day and never making mistakes while dealing with MU and the Mu Group’s affairs, Mu Yuchen finally relaxed his expression and nodded. “This is true for learning, for doing business, and for acting. Since you have decided, do it well and don’t let others see through Mu’s true intentions.”

“Okay.”

In the following two weeks, Mu Qingyan handled his work while familiarizing himself with the film script.

Time flew by, and soon it was the day of the start of filming for <Lost in the Stars>

Twenty minutes before the opening ceremony, Mu Qingyan finally finished dealing with the company’s affairs and arrived at the filming location. Unexpectedly, his group of wealthy and multi-generational brothers had already sent several trucks of gifts.

For example, Shen Huai and Song Tao gave various flowers and countless precious tonics to the crew, and also packaged dozens of sets of high-end daily necessities as gifts, which were distributed to the crew and actors.

They said it was to celebrate Mu Qingyan’s first film starting production.

The crew members and other actors were naturally very happy and welcomed them to visit the set.

Xie Ming was very envious when he received the gift given to him by the staff- he also wanted friends who could support him in this way.

Before the opening ceremony, the staff and actors chatted while waiting for the auspicious moment.

Although he has acted in more than a dozen TV dramas and played the lead in several well-received ones, he was almost ignored at this star-studded kick-off ceremony.

Many big names in the entertainment industry were surrounding the director Cui Yu, and Xie Ming also wanted to get close to him, but there was not even a gap that could squeeze him in.

Cui Yu was already used to this situation and politely dealt with it.

Suddenly, he saw Mu Qingyan standing not far away chatting with other actors.

He waved to the group of people around him, asking them to make way, and walked directly to Mu Qingyan, smiling and extending his hand: “Mr. Mu.”

Since the first recording of <Acting PK Battle> this was the first time the two of them had officially met.

Mu Qingyan politely shook hands with Cui Yu and smiled: “Director Cui.”

Cui Yu laughed and said, “I said on the variety show before that I looked forward to working with you, and it was true. I just didn’t expect it to happen so soon.”

“It’s my honor. Please give me more guidance, Director Cui,” Mu Qingyan replied politely.

Cui Yu took the initiative to talk to Mu Qingyan for a long time. His appreciation and favor for Mu Qingyan had turned Xie Ming’s jealousy into resentment.

“Yesterday, when I went to President Ji’s office, I happened to see the script you left there and couldn’t help but flip through a few pages,” Cui Yu looked at Mu Qingyan with interest and praised, “I saw the notes you wrote in the script, and I think you not only have talent in acting, but also are very serious and thoughtful, able to understand the characters in your hands.”

Mu Qingyan wasn’t embarrassed to hear the director praise him in public, because in his mind, this serious attitude and thinking ability were already routine.

However, he still modestly said, “It’s just my little idea.”

The auspicious time for the kickoff ceremony had arrived.

The banner with the words “auspicious start” had been hung up, the camera was covered with a red cloth, and the table was filled with various fruits. Cui Yu and several lead actors stepped forward, holding incense to pay respects.

Various media outlets that had come specially began taking photos, all hoping to obtain firsthand information on the opening of this multi-million dollar film.

According to the procedure, after the ceremony, Cui Yu led the lead actors to the red podium for the opening press conference.

Xie Ming, as a minor supporting role, should have been walking at the back, but in order to get revenge, he deliberately walked next to Mu Qingyan and when Mu Qingyan passed the table, he deliberately tripped and fiercely pushed his hands towards Mu Qingyan!

Mu Qingyan hadn’t noticed Xie Ming, and was suddenly pushed, causing him to lose his balance. He was about to fall towards the table.

Everyone who had worked on a film knew that if there were any abnormalities during the opening ceremony, they would be classified as bad omens.

As Mu Qingyan watched himself uncontrollably falling towards the table, he felt a chill in his heart.

---

After causing a scene while drunk and refusing to let go of Ji Liyun, Mu Qingyan was embarrassed and wanted to hide away. With no work scheduled for Sunday, he had his butler, Li, find a private psychologist to treat his tendency to act recklessly when drunk.

The psychologist explained that this was a subconscious dependency on Ji Liyun. Mu Qingyan wondered if the original owner of the body had also been so reliant on Ji Liyun. He tried to dismiss the idea as irrelevant, but couldn’t help but think about it.

After the psychologist left, Mu Qingyan relaxed on the couch, drinking tea to sober up and reading through documents for his company, MU, and the Mu family’s real estate business that were sent over by Ye Qiqi.

Normally, Sundays were reserved for family dinners at the Mu estate, but with his parents out of the country on business, Mu Qingyan was free for the weekend.

In the afternoon, he worked out at home and had just finished showering when he received a message from Ji Liyun: “Let’s have dinner tonight. I’m already outside your door.”

Mu Qingyan looked out the window and saw a Rolls-Royce parked outside the villa. Ji Liyun, dressed in high-end designer clothing, was leaning against the car door, checking his phone.

When Mu Qingyan had just transmigrated into this world, Ji Liyun would always call or message him to ask for his opinion before making plans. Now, however, he simply showed up unannounced, giving Mu Qingyan no opportunity to refuse.

Feeling guilty for having kept Ji Liyun out all night the previous night, Mu Qingyan replied, “Okay,” and quickly changed into dark workout clothes.

Since transmigrating, Mu Qingyan had been strictly adhering to a healthy lifestyle, and his overall physical and skin condition had improved significantly. His handsome face, paired with his well-fitting workout clothes, made him look even more youthful and energetic.

When Ji Liyun saw him, he couldn’t help but be stunned for a moment before saying, “That outfit suits you well.”

Mu Qingyan was aware of his own good looks and didn’t bother to deny it. He got into the passenger seat of the Rolls-Royce and asked, “Why didn’t you bring your driver today, President Ji?”

Hearing Mu Qingyan call him “President Ji” made Ji Liyun unhappy.

“I want to come pick you up in person,” Ji Liyun started the car and paused for a moment before grumbling, “Can you stop calling me President Ji?”

Mu Qingyan looked at him in surprise, wondering why calling him “President Ji” respectfully would make him unhappy.

He raised his eyebrows and said, “Okay, Old Ji.”

Ji Liyun said, “…”

Seeing that he was still sulking, Mu Qingyan found it amusing and teased him with a grimace, “Ji Liyun? Liyun? Xiao Yunyun?”

Finally, Ji Liyun was amused by him and said, “Okay, okay, call me whatever you want, just not President Ji or something like that.”

“Okay, Xiao Yunyun.”

Ji Liyun shook his head and laughed.

Mu Qingyan opened the food app on his phone and said while browsing, “I delayed you last night, so let me treat you today. How about Japanese food?”

“Sure.”

Mu Qingyan found an expensive newly opened Japanese restaurant in S city, “How about ‘Wheel of the Moon’? The name of this restaurant is quite unique.”

Ji Liyun’s lips curled slightly and he said, “Okay, let’s go there.”

Mu Qingyan caught a glimpse of his ambiguous smile and was confused. Was this restaurant also owned by the Ji Corporation?

He checked and sure enough, it was a catering company under the Ji Corporation.

Ji Liyun’s industry is really big.

It wasn’t until they arrived at the “Wheel of the Moon” on the top floor of the central building that Mu Qingyan learned the origin of the restaurant’s name.

This Japanese restaurant was divided into two parts, a normal restaurant and a rotating Ferris wheel. Each compartment of the Ferris wheel could seat up to four people and had a maximum consumption time of two hours.

But when Ji Liyun arrived, things…

A smiling waiter greeted them and slightly bowed: “Mr. Ji, I have arranged Sky Wheel cabin number 08 for you, with unlimited time.”

Ji Liyun nodded in satisfaction.

Mu Qingyan had a feeling that it was a bit strange for two big men to ride the Sky Wheel, but Ji Liyun didn’t seem to care. He said, “I have never ridden the Sky Wheel before, so today is a good opportunity to try it out.”

“As long as you’re happy,” he replied.

The average cost per person at this Japanese restaurant was extremely high, at least four figures, but the restaurant was still full of people, and there were only two cabins left on the Sky Wheel.

Mu Qingyan and Ji Liyun sat face to face in the Sky Wheel. Since the Sky Wheel was on the top floor of the building, the view outside was the city center of S city.

It was dusk, and the yellowish light spilled over this international metropolis, shimmering.

“This Japanese restaurant is quite interesting,” Mu Qingyan withdrew his gaze from admiring the city view and said to Ji Liyun, “Since it’s your restaurant, you can order the dishes.”

Ji Liyun didn’t refuse, “Okay. I remember you don’t like onions, but other than that, you have no dietary restrictions.”

Mu Qingyan nodded.

The Sky Wheel slowly turned, and it only took Ji Liyun three or four minutes to order the food. The two of them chatted while enjoying the night view.

When one rotation was complete, the waiter was already waiting with a tray of food. When the cabin reached its starting point, the door opened automatically, and the waiter served the dishes they ordered.

The quantity of each dish was not large, but they were very exquisite and beautifully plated.

Mu Qingyan, like the original host, was very picky with his food and had very high standards for taste, presentation, and aroma.

Ji Liyun obviously knew this, so when he heard that Mu Qingyan wanted to have dinner at this restaurant, he thought that he would be satisfied with the Japanese cuisine here.

By the time they finished eating, the sky had turned completely dark, the stars twinkled, and the city lights came on. Looking down from the Sky Wheel, the bustling city at night was quite beautiful.

Ji Liyun poured a cup of sake for Mu Qingyan and said, “Our company is planning to promote a big-budget sci-fi suspense movie called <Lost in the Stars> The director is Cui Yu, and the screenwriter is Luo Sangyu.”

Cui Yu is an internationally renowned director. Being in one of his movies means a continuous stream of resources and a smooth path to stardom, so many actors are eager to get a role in his movies.

Luo Sangyu is also one of the hottest golden screenwriters in recent years. All the scripts he writes have excellent reputations, and they are hard to come by.

Because of Cui Yu and Luo Sangyu, the news conference for the preparation and shooting of <Lost in the Stars> caused a sensation on the entire internet.

Everyone is looking forward to the release of this movie. All the stars and actors are trying their best to get the lead role.

Mu Qingyan asked, “I know this movie, it’s currently the most anticipated movie of next year. Are they going to start filming?”

“Yes, filming will start next month. Our production team and director both intend to have you play the lead role,” Ji Liyun said very seriously.

“Me?” Mu Qingyan, although he was a film emperor before crossing over, he had only participated in variety shows and cameo roles in the world of the book, without any decent works. He asked, “Which character do you want me to play as a guest?”

Unexpectedly, Ji Liyun shook his head and said, “Not a guest role, but the male lead.”

“…”

Mu Qingyan was stunned, but he remained calm on the surface. He remained silent for a long time before saying, “I know that many excellent actors and stars are vying for the male lead role in this film. Why would you give me such a good opportunity?”

He did not want to take advantage of being the President’s childhood friend.

Ji Liyun seemed to have guessed that he would ask this question. He took out his phone and sent a research and analysis report to Mu Qingyan’s email, and then said, “As investors and producers, of course, we hope that this film can achieve high box office and high word-of-mouth, so we have held meetings and done analysis before determining the lead actor.”

He saw that Mu Qingyan had already opened his phone email and was reading the report carefully, and continued to explain, “Through traffic analysis and market research, we found that since your divorce, a series of events have caused your popularity and daily traffic to be significantly higher than that of stars.”

“We are promoting this film with you as the selling point. The heir of Mu’s Group, the head of the high-end luxury brand MU Company, will play the male lead. It sounds quite appealing.”

“I admit that this kind of promotion is indeed appealing,” Mu Qingyan raised his head and said very seriously, “But, as far as I know, you are not making this film for fun, but to compete for the Oscars. Is it really okay for you to have me as the male lead?”

Ji Liyun smiled lightly and asked back, “Don’t you have confidence in yourself?”

“How could I be lacking confidence?” Mu Qingyan thought to himself, After all, I won the Best Actor award based on my real skills. I don’t lack confidence in anything, including my acting skills.

“Well then,” Ji Liyun said, afraid that he still had concerns, and went on to provide a second reason, “Director Cui Yu has seen your acting in <Acting PK Battle> and after watching your guest role, he thinks you have great talent in acting, so he is very interested in you.”

“Most importantly, you’re a recognized ‘one-take‘ actor, so it won’t take up too much time and cost.” Ji Liyun added with a smile.

After reading the story synopsis of <Lost in the Stars> and being deeply attracted to it, and with Ji Liyun’s very persuasive reasons, Mu Qingyan finally put down his phone and said with a smile, “Since you praise me so much and trust me, then I won’t be polite.”

---

On the other side, Xie Ming learned that the hundred million investment film <Lost in the Stars> was about to start filming, with director Cui Yu and screenwriter Luo Sangyu, and even the announced lead and supporting actors were all big names.

He was very tempted.

Although he knew that the male lead role had not yet been announced, perhaps because the production company had not yet reached an agreement with the other party, he still had some self-awareness and just wanted Xing Hao to help him fight for a supporting role.

Because he knew that as long as he could appear in Cui Yu’s production, even as a supporting role, he had a chance to become a big star.

Xing Hao had always felt sorry for Xie Ming and was willing to spend a lot of money to promote him, so he spent a lot of money to make connections and finally got him a small supporting role.

After getting the role, Xie Ming was overjoyed and asked, “I don’t know who will play the male lead in this movie. Could it be one of the recent Best Actor winners like Luo Wenzhe, Jiangnan, or Ouyang Tao?”

“I don’t know, it seems quite mysterious.”

---

The next morning, Mu Qingyan had not yet woken up, but entertainment news related to him was already all over the place.

“Mu Qingyan drinks every night after his divorce, accompanied by a mysterious man,” “A certain man sends the young master of the Mu Group home and doesn’t leave for the night”…

This time, Xing Hao learned his lesson and spent a lot of money to push the hot search rankings, even hiring someone to monitor it. As long as someone wanted to pay to remove the hot search, he would continue to add more money.

He wanted to make Mu Qingyan’s reputation plummet, just like when he was exposed for cheating.

Unexpectedly, the direction of public opinion on the internet was completely opposite to what he had expected.

[I didn’t expect Mu Qingyan to be so sentimental, still drinking after so many months since the divorce.]

[Yes, I feel so sorry for him.]

[It’s really not worth it for someone like Xing Hao, a scumbag!]

Xing Hao: ???

Wait, why am I being criticized again?

Not only that, netizens also began to send their blessings.

[It’s good that someone can accompany him.]

[Yes, I hope he can find happiness.]

[I really want to know who the mysterious man with Mu Mu is and if he really loves him.]

…

Xing Hao scrolled through the comments under these hot searches, feeling bitter.

After receiving this news, he spent a lot of money to push it to the hot search rankings to make netizens hate Mu Qingyan, not to increase his popularity for nothing.

Even less so to make himself a target again.

He had just called to stop pushing the hot search, but found that Ji Liyun’s new Weibo had already become the number one hot search.

Ji Liyun reposted the entertainment news <A certain mysterious man accompanies Mu Qingyan drinking and sends him home> and wrote in the caption, “Hello everyone, I am that mysterious man.”

The whole internet exploded.

[What? The mysterious man is actually the President of the Ji Group?!]

[President Ji must have stayed out all night to take care of the drunken Mr. Mu. He really is a good friend!]

[Such a pure friendship has been exploited!]

Ji Liyun broke out in a sweat on his forehead, thinking, I don’t need to be judged as a good friend, it’s just pure friendship…

As a result, the situation changed to the friendship between Mu Qingyan and Ji Liyun, and fans began to post pictures of them together online, saying that this pair of brothers was really eye-catching.

Upon reaching this point, Xing Hao was completely deflated — it’s really not easy to smear Mu Qingyan online.

It was almost ten o’clock when Mu Qingyan woke up from his sleep, already completely forgetting how he left EVOL bar last night and how he got home to go to bed.

He washed up and walked downstairs, seeing a table filled with an extremely lavish breakfast.

However, this breakfast was completely different from what he usually ate, it seemed to not be made by his hired family chef.

He waved to Li, the housekeeper standing in the living room, and asked, “Did you interview a new breakfast chef and let me taste their food?”

“No, no,” Li hurriedly shook his head. “You didn’t give any orders, how could I interview a new chef without your permission?”

Mu Qingyan thought for a moment and realized that he was right. Now, he was the one in charge of the house, no longer the previous owner who didn’t care about anything.

He murmured, “I guess Sun has learned new breakfast dishes.”

But unexpectedly, Li shook his head again. “No, Master Mu.”

It wasn’t Sun, then who could it be? Did the villa have a new girl selling snails?

Just as he was wondering, he sat down at the table, and saw Ji Liyun come out of the kitchen with iced coffee in his hand. He was wearing an apron around his waist and the clothes he wore last night.

Mu Qingyan looked at him in surprise. “Did you make this breakfast table?”

Ji Liyun handed him the iced milk coffee and said, “As a guest who stayed overnight, it’s only right to make breakfast for the host. I remember you like iced coffee, try the taste of what I made?”

“How can I be so presumptuous?” Mu Qingyan counted roughly, and although the amount of each breakfast wasn’t too much, there were twenty kinds in total, indicating that Ji Liyun spent a lot of effort and time.

He then said, “Come and eat with me.”

“Okay.” Ji Liyun took off his apron and handed it to the maid standing next to him, then sat opposite Mu Qingyan.

The two of them ate breakfast quietly, with Mu Qingyan occasionally complimenting the food.

In his mind, Ji Liyun was just like him, a wealthy young master who never cooked and couldn’t possibly have such good culinary skills.

Ji Liyun seemed to sense his confusion and said with a smile, “Besides work, I don’t have many interests or hobbies. When I was abroad, I was busy with work and socializing, so I hardly had time to make friends. Whenever I had free time, I taught myself how to cook.”

“I started to learn to alleviate boredom, but unexpectedly, my skills improved over time.”

“That’s a great hobby!” Mu Qingyan said with his mouth full, looking like a cute little hamster. Ji Liyun couldn’t help but laugh.

“Don’t laugh,” Mu Qingyan said after swallowing his food. “I’m serious, not just flattering you.”

“I know,” Ji Liyun replied, thinking to himself, as long as you like it, that’s all that matters.

“Oh, by the way, your iced coffee is delicious,” Mu Qingyan complimented after taking a sip. “You have to teach my barista how to make it so I can have it every day.”

Afterward, he asked, “When did I come home last night? Did you take me home? I don’t remember anything.”

As he was speaking, the butler Li gestured with his eyes for him to stop, but Mu Qingyan was too fast and already asked the question.

Li rubbed his forehead, thinking how awkward this was.

Ji Liyun chuckled softly, then regained his composure and said, “You drank too much last night. When I took you home, you were already in a drunken stupor and couldn’t be woken up no matter how hard I tried.”

“I’m sorry about that,” Mu Qingyan said with an embarrassed smile. “Thank you for taking me home.”

He had been about to ask why Ji Liyun stayed overnight at his place if he had already taken him home, but seeing Li still gesturing at him, he decided not to.

“I found out through my contacts that the person who attacked you two nights ago is claiming to have a personal grudge against you, so he broke into the MU company to attack you. He refused to reveal who hired him.”

Mu Qingyan remembered the conversation he had with Ji Liyun two nights ago and raised an eyebrow. “We guessed right.”

“Indeed,” Ji Liyun smiled and said goodbye. “Rest well, I have to go back to the company.”

“Okay.”

Mu Qingyan ate breakfast slowly and asked the butler Li who had been standing next to him, “Why did you keep making eye contact with me and not letting me ask earlier?”

Li the butler didn’t answer directly, just lowered his head and said, “Young Master Mu, it’s better not to ask.”

“Speak, what’s going on?” Mu Qingyan threatened, “Otherwise, I’ll deduct three months of your bonus.”

“I didn’t let you ask why Mr. Ji stayed here overnight because…” Li the butler gritted his teeth for the sake of his three months’ bonus, “…because you kept holding onto him and not letting him go!”

“Oh, not again?”

---

Author’s note:

Ji Liyun: Since my wife is so reluctant to let me go, of course I wouldn’t mind staying. No, I mean, I’ll certainly obey him.

Mu Qingyan: There must be something wrong!

---