C23 It Was the First Time Director Ye Had Received Flowers

Ye Junhao didn't immediately accept the bouquet. He gazed intently at her, searching her face for any hint of ulterior motives. Finding none, he finally reached out and accepted the flowers.

"Thank you."

He embraced the bouquet, inhaling the scent of the flowers before placing them on his desk.

This was the first time he had received flowers, and they were from Mu Chuchen.

Mu Chuchen took a seat next to her brother, extending her arms to embrace her son, only to be rebuffed by the little one.

"I don't want Mommy."

Ye Mu clung tightly to Mu Zhiyuan's neck, vehemently rejecting his mother's touch.

"Chuchen, don't frighten Mu. You're not usually affectionate, and now you suddenly want to hug him? Not happening! You can't treat a child like a toy, picking him up when you feel like it and discarding him when you don't," Mu Zhiyuan rebuked his sister sternly.

"Brother, I..."

"Do you even remember I'm your brother? When you jumped into the river, why didn't you think of me then? It would be better if you were dead, to join our mother sooner."

Mu Zhiyuan was relentless.

"Brother, it won't happen again."

"How many times you do it is your concern. It's your life; live if you want to, die if you don't. After all, this isn't your first suicide attempt."

Mu Chuchen hung her head, absorbing her brother's harsh words.

"So, that mother and daughter came looking for you. What, not going to put on a show of maternal and filial devotion with them today? No more acting the dutiful sister?" Mu Zhiyuan's tone dripped with irony.

He couldn't fathom how his sister could so readily align herself with Su Shu, their father's mistress of twenty years, and maintain such a close relationship with them. It made Mu Zhiyuan want to crack open her head to see if it was filled with water.

Mu Chuchen silently pulled out her phone.

She played a recording.

"Chuchen, did Jun Hao ever mention the reserve price for the land at the base of Phoenix Mountain in the Eastern District?"

"I'm not involved with the company's affairs, nor am I informed about them."

"Sister, you're the CEO's wife at Jun's. How can you be so out of touch? You should visit the company more often and learn from my brother-in-law about managing it. That plot of land in the Eastern District is highly valuable, and many major companies are vying for it. I'm sure brother-in-law will secure it with ease, though the cost remains to be seen."

"You all just want me to coax information out of Jun Hao and find out the minimum bid for that land, don't you?"

"Sister, we're just making conversation, that's all."

The playback of the recording ended.

Ye Junhao's expression was grave, while Mu Zhiyuan glared at his sister in anger, berating her, "Did you come here today just to pry information from Jun Hao? Mu Chuchen, how can you be so naive? That mother and daughter duo are up to no good."

"Jun Hao," Chuchen said, foregoing the term 'husband' in her seriousness. She locked eyes with Ye Junhao. "Mu's Group seldom ventures into real estate. It's unlikely that Su Shu and her daughter are snooping for Mu's. They've probably been paid handsomely by someone else to suss out the competitive base price for us. If Jun's loses the bid, our initial investment will be wasted."

"Have someone discreetly monitor that mother and daughter pair to uncover who's pulling the strings."

Ye Junhao and Mu Zhiyuan exchanged glances.

Mu Chuchen picked up her phone and forwarded the recording to her brother.

"Brother, take this recording and play it for dad."

"Just a recording isn't enough to convict her," Mu Zhiyuan remarked coolly.

"They're inquiring about the base price, but that's common knowledge at this point. Everyone knows the land's worth and that several key players in real estate are competing for it. Dad won't be swayed by their words."

A look of dejection washed over Mu Chuchen's face.

Ye Junhao felt a pang of sympathy, wanting to embrace and comfort her.

Ultimately, he restrained himself and did nothing.

Even if the ice between the husband and wife had thawed, he still needed to be cautious and observe further. If it turned out to be another deep pit, he might not be able to climb out again.