C7 Negotiating With Raw Intimacy

“You look like you’re about to leave at any moment,” he said coldly while staring at her with piercing eyes.

Mu Qingzhu snorted silently in her heart. She had been forcefully dealt this hand. If that hadn’t been the case, why would she step into this place upon her own free will and face this devilish man? Nothing else would have made her show up here. But to solve her father’s murder, she must go through all odds so that her father can rest in peace. A cold light reflected in her eyes. Her head hurt, but she bit down hard on her teeth more driven than ever to get to the bottom of this.

Seeing Mu Qingzhu’s frosty demeanor, the heat in Ruan Hanyu’s heart cooled down by a few degrees. His gloomy face was icy cold. His voice conveyed this excruciating coldness. “Under the deadline of ten days, I want you to completely design five luxury cars. It is of utmost importance that you break into the global market. Among these five designs, one must surpass the modern Adiya. Is this something you can do?”

His gaze was filled with secrets and his lips once they spoke these words were cold and ruthless.

It can’t be! Ten days? And five cars? The goal was impossible. Everyone knew that true creativity only came from bursts of inspiration that is usually rare and far in-between. She did not believe this was something that could be achieved overnight. It could be said that this could not be accomplished even in one person’s entire lifetime.

Under his overbearing and contemptuous gaze, Mu Qingzhu felt trapped. Even though Ruan Hanyu had probably set her up, she knew she would have to agree.

“That I can promise you,” she said, enunciating word after word with gritted teeth. “But on one condition.”

She had another request? A subordinate dared to make a request to the boss? She was asking for too much. Ruan Hanyu shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He leaned forward and fidgeted with his fingers unconsciously tapping on the sofa’s arm. His eyes were expressionless and cold.

Mu Qingzhu avoided his gaze entirely.

Jing Group was Ruan Group’s main competitor for the overseas globalization market. The Jing Group heavily relied on the modern version of Ayida that she designed. Because of her beautiful design the Jing Group was becoming a household name. Its fame had surpassed all expectations, going on to exceed all sales generated from the Ruan family. But the ambitious Ruan family was too driven to back down. They were adamant they would come up with a design that would bypass the Ayida and make Ruan Group world-famous.

At the press conference that was about to be held, Ruan Group was going to challenge Jing Group to see which company could win over the global market. But from what Mu Qingzhu knew, Ruan family had no outstanding car model that could outshine the modern Adiya.

She was just afraid that Ruan Hanyu would see differently!

“From what I know, there are two limited edition luxury cars produced overseas by the Ruan family in A City. It is urgent that you get them to me.” She fixed her eyes on his handsome face and did not relax her gaze. She studied him steadily, unwilling to miss a single thing.

If he had anything to do with her father’s death, he seemed to not show any signs of it. His face was free of any guilt or blame. Nor did his smooth features display a drop of panic.

Ruan Hanyu’s eyes featured a calm expression. His pupils contracted and out from them a light like lightning flashing with intelligence. He leaned forward right then, curled his fingers in his palms, and hid them there. His eyes searched her face for an answer. The muscles on his face gradually relaxed and a smile ever so faint flashed over his face.

His cold face had no residue of panic. His smooth features only carried a calm expression.

Seeing his reaction, Mu Qingzhu did not feel so disappointed. She did not want to believe Ruan Hanyu could be responsible for such crimes. She did not entirely believe that he could be such a heartless person. Even if he didn’t think much of her, she never thought he could be capable of something so vicious.

He lit a cigar and inhaled deeply. His handsome face was veiled secretively behind the haze of smoke. His deep eyes looked impenetrable and his face settled into a deep and unperturbed silence.

Seeing the walls he had put up, Mu Qingzhu began to panic, her breathing becoming more shallow. It seemed especially in this case, she had no understanding of his heart! He was still the mysterious and enigmatic man she had first fallen in love with.

During the tense scene, his low and magnetic voice could be heard calmly sounding out, “This I promise you.”

Out of relief, Mu Qingzhu let out a huge sigh. The smoke from his cigar made her cough slightly. As she choked on the air, she waved her arms around to help clear up the smoke.

“Okay. I hope we can work together harmoniously for greater end results.” With a slight smile on her face, she stood up from her seat. She turned around, signaling that she was about to leave.

To her surprise, she felt an iron arm suddenly wrap itself around her slender waist. It stopped her mobility instantly and she was unable to move.

Rage flashed in her eyes. She turned around to face him.

Ruan Hanyu’s mouth curled into a mysterious smile. He left his hand on her waist and he looked into her eyes with his deep ones.

Mu Qingzhu did not expect to be disrespected in his office like this. As an employee of Ruan Group, she expected better treatment. It is known that he kept a serious attitude in the work environment. It seemed that the rumors were wrong. The transaction left her shocked and she opened her red lips about to tell him off.

His hot lips stopped her words, pressing passionately against hers. Her breath caught in her throat, thrown into the powerful kiss!

The scent that had once deeply fascinated her filled her nostrils. Caught up in the moment, she was becoming breathless. She struggled against him, but to no avail. His grip tightened around her. He greedily absorbed her fragrance and beauty, hungry for more.

Mu Qingzhu’s mind raced. As her breathing became more ragged, she felt like her chest was going to explode and pieces of her would be all over Ruan Hanyu’s spotless office. The intensity of the moment left her breathless. She couldn’t believe that she was still infatuated by his scent. Subconsciously, she did not completely resist him. Even though her mind told her to get away, her heart could not bear to push him away.

“Since your abilities are not lacking, why did you decide to trade with me in exchange for a large sum of money? Or is it because you are a woman who lusts after money? No amount too much or too little?” Once his lips left hers, his words riddled with ridicule cut her to the core.

His words were intentionally laced with poison, and they struck with full force into Mu Qingzhu’s fragile heart. Once the words hit her, her mind instantly cleared. It was obvious that Ruan Hanyu was only playing with her. She began to feel humiliated by the transgression. A trace of cold anger flashed through her eyes. She couldn’t take it anymore and pushed him roughly away.

“Ruan Hanyu, please give greater care to your actions. If you embarrass me again, I will not let you off so easily next time.” As she shouted this out firmly, Mu Qingzhu stepped away from Ruan Hanyu. Her heart was overflowing with pain as she opened the door to escape from his clenches.

“You will hold me responsible? Hehe.” Ruan Hanyu snorted coldly, ever so confident. His mouth curled up into a beautiful curve. This sort of threat was nothing to him. He watched her messy footsteps as she ran out frantically, a teasing smile playing on his lips.

After their confrontation, he crossed his arms over his chest and pondered for a bit. He walked over to his desk and pressed a button on the phone. “Tell Lian Cheng I want to see him.”

Not long after, a tall man with bronze skin and sharp, hawk-like eyes walked in the office.

“Director Ruan,” the man greeted him.

“Lian Cheng, I want you to go to America immediately. Go undercover and investigate the details of Alice’s three years in America and report back to me.” Once he had issued that order, Ruan Hanyu looked in the direction of where Mu Qingzhu had just moments ago stood. The residue from their kiss lingered on his lips.

“Ok, Director Ruan. I will go and book a plane immediately. You leave the mission in capable hands.” Lian Cheng assured him and nodded respectfully at Ruan Hanyu before leaving quickly.

In a daze, Ruan Hanyu sat down on the sofa again. His mind was trying to wrap around the changes he saw in Mu Qingzhu. This woman seemed completely different from the woman he thought he knew. Her time in America after leaving him for three years seemed to have altered her quiet nature. The changes were so great that he could not believe this was the same woman he had married.

Or was this because she had not changed at all? Was it because he had never thought to truly look at her before this?

Was there something he missed?

Mu Qingzhu rushed back to her office, feeling queasy. The confrontation had left her unsure of herself. She ran into the washroom and placed both her hands on the smooth sink. Raising her head, she studied her reflection in the mirror.

Her cheeks were flushed. Her red lips were moist and tender from the kiss. His scent still lingered on them and she could still feel the pressure of his lips on hers.

Darn it! She desperately tried to rinse the residue of the kiss from her lips with water.

How could she let him kiss her? Why didn’t she stop him? Things between them have long since been over.

She would never let him touch her again, she swore fiercely to herself. This was her bottom line. If she let things go any further, her dignity will be on the line. They no longer had a connection and it was best if they kept things professional. The reason for her presence in his office was to find out the murderer who killed her father. Nothing more and nothing less!

His cold eyes that could not contain the ridicule and contempt he felt for her flashed before her eyes once again, and her heart was heavy with pain. How could she act so lowly?

Because of her frayed nerves, the morning proved to be counterproductive. Her eyes stared at the car model on the computer screen, unable to attach meaning to what she was seeing. Her thoughts were all over the place and she could not concentrate. She was assigned to design five models of cars that could impact the world within ten days. She was in a bad mood over the impossible deadline. How could such a feat be possible?

Mu Qingzhu moved her hands over her face. Her cheeks were still burning from the impassioned kiss. She rushed into the bathroom and turned on the faucet. She splashed her face with cold water and afterwards, wiped it dry. Putting on some light makeup, she prepared to go out for lunch.