My Lady, To Defeat Scumbags You Must Start Early

Chapter 351: 351: Escalating Conflicts (3) Mu Cidian, you clean up! (Second update)

Jones made it clear, “I hope you can take charge of this project.”

“I might disappoint you, Mr. Jones.” Mu Cidian bluntly replied, “I’ve just undergone surgery for a gastric perforation. The doctor suggested that I need to rest more and significantly cut back on work at present.”

“You had a surgery?”

“Just discharged from the hospital.”

“Did I prevent you from resting properly?” Jones appeared somewhat guilty.

“Not only that, you drank too much that night, Mr. Jones. I was seriously outdrunk by you. Gastric bleeding occurred, and I was immediately rushed to the hospital. I never got out of there from then on.”

“… I’m really sorry.” Jones felt even guiltier.

“Of course, my situation doesn’t have much to do with Mr. Jones. A gastric perforation doesn’t happen overnight. It’s mostly due to my irregular lifestyle. In fact, I should thank you, Mr. Jones, for enabling me to discover the gastric perforation early. If the condition worsened, the damage to my body would be even greater. So, Mr. Jones doesn’t need to feel guilty.”

Jones nodded, “Anyway, you should rest properly.”

“That’s why I deeply regret that I am unable to cooperate with Mr. Jones personally on this project. However, you should have some understanding of our chairman, Miss Xin Zaozao, before coming to Jin City. Though young, she has shown astonishing abilities after taking over the Xin Group just a year ago. She is now fully capable of standing on her own two feet. I hope Mr. Jones can trust her.”

“Of course I trust Chairman Xin. It’s because of our past relationship that I personally hoped to work with you. However, since you are not feeling well, I won’t push you. Your health is the most important thing. Moreover, I would place one hundred percent trust in the person you highly recommend!”

“Thank you, Mr. Jones.”

“No need for formalities.”

Meanwhile.

The two sides signed the cooperation agreement.

It went smoothly.

Smoothly enough that Xin Zaozao can hardly believe it happened so fast.

After sealing the deal, Mu Cidian and Xin Zaozao saw Jones off from Xin Group.

Jones declined their offer to accompany him further due to Mu Cidian’s medical condition and left with his assistant.

After Jones left, Mu Cidian turned to head to his office.

Xin Zaozao watched Mu Cidian’s retreating figure.

In fact, she had considered that the reason Mu Cidian deliberately showed up at the nightclub and purposely drank with Jones was because of this project. So when Jones voluntarily proposed to cooperate with Mu Cidian, she was somewhat bombshelled. She thought that after going such a roundabout way, Mu Cidian was trying to manipulate her.

Anyway, he had been scheming for some time, and his methods have always been quite sophisticated. She was completely able to accept all his tricks and stratagems. But she just couldn’t accept that she fell into Mu Cidian’s traps time and again.

However.

As expected, nothing happened.

Mu Cidian gave the cooperation back to her.

She pursed her lips.

At that moment, she tried to figure out if Mu Cidian was not intending to touch this cooperation project when he stated he didn’t need to look at the content.

She stared at Mu Cidian’s retreating figure.

She watched his spine straightened throughout the process, which portrayed an upright and extraordinary aura.

If she didn’t know that he had actually undergone surgery, she would never have guessed that he was not in the best health.

“Mu Cidian.” Her voice suddenly halted his steps.

Mu Cidian paused slightly.

Though the cooperation negotiation only lasted for an hour, he had already begun to feel some pain from his wound due to the physical strain. He did not want the wound to open again, so he desperately wanted to rush back to his office to rest quietly.

However, he didn’t dare to walk too fast. Step by step, he carefully made sure that nothing was noticeable, treading cautiously.

As Xin Zaozao suddenly called him, he was somewhat… blissfully flabbergasted.

He thought that once the cooperation was finalized, Xin Zaozao wouldn’t even glance at him.

He turned around, looking at her.

Xin Zaozao had already stepped right in front of him.

She was straightforward, “Wipe it off.”

Mu Cidian frowned, then realized in a second what she meant.

He thought he had already wiped it off completely.

At this moment, he rubbed his face a few more times.

Xin Zaozao felt somewhat impatient seeing this.

Mu Cidian did not wipe the right place at all.

She couldn’t stand it any longer. She stood on her tiptoes, reached out her hand, her slender fingers had a somewhat cool touch. She gently brushed his cheek.

Mu Cidian tightly pursed his lips.

He silently watched Xin Zaozao being serious yet somewhat impatient.

He had not seen any of Xin Zaozao’s emotions in a long time, of course, except during arguments with his mother, or perhaps when their interests contradicted. However, this kind of emotion, this non-hostile and less standard coldness towards him, made his heartbeat irregular again.

Xin Zaozao finished wiping Mu Cidian’s face.

As she lowered her head, she met Mu Cidian’s gaze.

At that moment, Xin Zaozao seemed to see something different in Mu Cidian’s eyes.

It reminded her the emotion of affection.

However, it disappeared within a blink of an eye in the next second.

Xin Zaozao bit her lip.

She thought she must have seen wrong.

Or, it was simply one of Mu Cidian’s pretenses.

He was good at disguising himself to achieve his goals.

The atmosphere between the two of them was a bit awkward.

There was a trace of awkwardness.

But also an inexplicable excitement.

Mu Cidian had been restraining his inner emotions all the time, trying hard not to reveal anything.

He thought about what Xin Zaozao would least want to see, which is his feelings for her.

Because she wouldn’t believe them.

He restrained himself, turned around, and was about to leave.

“Mu Cidian, since you’ve just had surgery, you should stay home and rest instead of coming to work.” Xin Zaozao articulated each word.

“Okay.”

Mu Cidian nodded.

He was well aware that Xin Zaozao did not want him to appear in the company for even a second.

But the words that slipped from Xin Zaozao’s mouth at that moment…

Seemed to not be what Mu Cidian thought.

But clearly, no one would admit what the main point of that sentence was!

After returning to his office, Mu Cidian rested a bit before getting up to leave.

The door to the office was knocked open.

He looked towards the door, “Come in.”

Yan Quan walked towards Mu Cidian, still carrying the thermos.

“Manager Mu.” Yan Quan was respectful.

Mu Cidian nodded slightly, “Secretary Yan, do you need something?”

“Manager Mu and Chairman Xin’s relationship is still very bad.” Yan Quan said bluntly.

Mu Cidian did not deny it.

“In fact, I’ve noticed how well you treat Chairman Xin. If you didn’t hold back, she would never have accepted Xin Group so easily. I even feel that General Manager Mu has been secretly helping Chairman Xin.”

Mu Cidian gave a small smile.

Xin Zaozao wouldn’t think so.

“Do you need me to tell Chairman Xin?” Yan Quan asked, at that moment seeming truly unable to stand by anymore, “The breakfast you specially have delivered by your housekeeper every day, if Chairman Xin knew, she might be moved.”

“She wouldn’t. She would only worry that I might poison her!” Mu Cidian was very blunt, knowing Xin Zaozao would really think so.

Yan Quan knew too, “But all the other things you secretly do for her. If she knew, Chairman Xin, being so smart, would surely acknowledge your kindness.”

“You’ve said that Xin Zaozao is very smart, so whatever I do, she might know.” Mu Cidian said casually. “And even if she knows yet still treats me with caution and suspicion, even if you tell her, she might suspect that I’ve bought you over. Then you might not even be able to get close to her.”

Yan Quan was silent.

Indeed, that was a distinct possibility, but he found it unbearable that Chairman Xin harbored such deep hatred for Manager Mu.

He admitted that the previous generation indeed had many disputes tangled within, but this generation, at least on Mu Cidian’s part, he didn’t see Mu Cidian doing anything wrong!

What he saw was only Mu Cidian always yielding and always helping.

And it has to be said, from when Mu Cidian entered the company and developed to his current position, he genuinely admired Mu Cidian’s determined attitude at work. Since he’s been in charge of the Xin Group, if he is determined to do something, he’s always been successful.

“Secretary Yan.” Mu Cidian addressed him, looking very serious, “You are the closest person to Xin Zaozao’s father, and the most trustworthy person for Xin Zaozao is you, I hope you can always accompany Xin Zaozao, and not let other matters affect your feelings. I’m not worth you clearing my name for me. All the unforgivable things I’ve done to Xin Zaozao, all of it was my own fault. Perhaps this is God’s punishment, which I willingly accept.”

In the end, Yan Quan stopped saying more.

With Manager Mu already speaking to such an extent, it was pointless to say more.

And what affected him the most about Manager Mu’s words was that Chairman Xin only has him left as her most trustworthy person. If Chairman Xin started to doubt even him, then what could she rely on in Xin Group? Who could she trust?!

Manager Mu, really considers everything for her.

If in the end, the two still missed each other, he would truly regret it.

He hopes that one day Chairman Xin will be able to let go of her past prejudices. He doesn’t wish to see that after his retirement, Chairman Xin still can’t untangle that too solid knot in her heart!

Yan Quan stood up. “In that case, I won’t disturb Manager Mu anymore.”

Mu Cidian nodded slightly.

He looked at the thermos in front of him.

For a long time, Mu Cidian has had his housekeeper deliver it, every day in the morning, and handed it directly to Yan Quan.

Yan Quan would accept it at the designated time.

He took the thermos, and left with it.

He returned to the Xin family villa.

Now that he was already discharged, he didn’t want to go back.

Carrying the thermos, he entered the living room.

In the living room, Wan Quan sat on the sofa, glaring at him fiercely without saying a word.

Mu Cidian directly placed the thermos on the dining table on one side, knowing that a maid would come to clean it up.

He turned and directly went upstairs.

Watching Mu Cidian’s retreating figure, and looking at her own son, Wan Quan gave a cold smile.

Mu Cidian, I really have warned you, but clearly, you didn’t take my words to heart. Since you really don’t want to acknowledge me as your mother, then I’ll treat you as if I don’t have a son!

I’ll let you know what the taste of despair is!

Her eyes shifted, fixating on the thermos, a malicious smile spreading across her face.

Xin Group.

Chairman’s office.

Xin Zaozao was handling the details of the forthcoming cooperation with Jones.

In fact, such detailed work shouldn’t be done by her if she had dependable subordinates.

She shifted a bit, and at that moment, Mu Cidian suddenly appeared in her mind.

She pursed her lips.

Because she had heard that her father used to sit so leisurely in this position. Previously, everything in the company was managed by Mu Cidian. That’s why her father could be so leisurely.

But because her father took it easy, if he hadn’t suddenly died, Mu Cidian might hold the Xin Group in his hand today.

All of her speculations were instantly shattered. As for her, she would rather work herself to death than let anyone with ulterior motives get close to her again.

She buried herself in work again.

Yan Quan knocked and entered, he had prepared a schedule for the next few days.

“Chairman, this is the schedule for the next few days. I was afraid Yan Zihuan would miss something, so I personally prepared a copy. The next few days are fully scheduled, so Chairman needs to take care of her health. Actually, a lot of the work can be handed over to subordinates.”

Xin Zaozao gave a small smile.

She knew this principle too.

This is why she’d been attending to everything in person throughout the year. She was also somewhat distrustful of the attitudes of the people below.

Apart from the few key positions that were newly recruited, she didn’t dare to trust the rest easily.

“There are so many affairs in the Group. If Chairman insists on doing everything herself, it’s definitely not sustainable. Maybe Chairman can persist for a month, two months, a year, two years, but it’s impossible to keep doing this.” Yan Quan deliberately said.

Although Mu Cidian forbade him from persuading, hinting indirectly was still acceptable.