CHAPTER 260: CHAPTER 244 THREE WORDS

Gu Qili checked on the information about the French Restaurant in Aus City during her work break. The hotel in Aus City had been in business for some time, but there had never been a French restaurant. Vice Manager Liu, who had been elusive since she started her job, was busy with this matter. Now that the French restaurant was about to open, he needed someone to help.

A new restaurant, a new beginning, and a new challenge.

Gu Qili believed that this was an opportunity meticulously arranged by Mu Shuoqian for her, so she took out her phone to call him during lunch.

When Mu Shuoqian received the call, he was about to head to a meeting, with the secretary having prepared the materials and waiting by the desk.

The moment the phone rang, he saw the big boss, who had just stood up, turn around and walk to the floor-to-ceiling window, saying "hello" gently; his normally serene face immediately softened.

The secretary tactfully stepped out and continued to wait at the door.

"Mu Shuoqian, thank you." Gu Qili stood in a corner of the corridor, her favorite spot to send messages to Mu Shuoqian.

"Hmm?" Mu Shuoqian did not immediately understand her meaning, a question mark appearing on his handsome face.

"I know that you carefully prepared this opportunity for me. You want me to go to Aus City to train me, right? Your thoughtfulness is impressive. Unlike the routine French restaurant in Aus City, a new environment is more suitable for training newcomers. So, thank you." Gu Qili raised her head, looking at a small light on the ceiling, her face adorned with a sweet smile.

Mu Shuoqian, hearing her sweet laughter from the other end of the phone, tightened his grip on the window frame, veins subtly showing on the back of his hand.

After a while, he calmed his emotions and said calmly, "You’re welcome."

After hanging up, Mu Shuoqian stared out the window at the hotel in front of him, lost in thought. ’You’re welcome’ actually meant ’I’m sorry.’

The secretary waited outside the door for a while, and one of the executives couldn’t help but come over and ask, "Where is the president?"

"Young Master Qian is on a call."

"Oh." The executive glanced at his watch but did not dare to hurry him, so he returned to the meeting room.

About half an hour later, Mu Shuoqian still hadn’t come out, and the executive returned once more. He glanced at the secretary, who reluctantly knocked on the door.

He opened a crack in the door and saw Mu Shuoqian standing in front of the window, like a silhouette frozen in place, too far away and with his back to the door; the secretary couldn’t see the expression on his face, but the man’s figure exuded a sense of loneliness and sadness.

The secretary blinked hard. Such emotions couldn’t possibly belong to the president. He must have been seeing things.

It seemed that Mu Shuoqian heard the door opening, as he slowly turned his head. When he saw the slightly panicked secretary, he walked over, his expression as aloof as ever.

"Young Master Qian, is the meeting continuing, or should we cancel it?"

"Keep it going."

The meeting lasted until the evening. After it ended, Xiao Ran entered the conference room, now left with only Mu Shuoqian who was sitting in the main seat reviewing a document.

"Young Master Qian, the dinner meeting starts at seven tonight, we should head out now," Xiao Ran cautiously reminded from the side.

"Cancel it."

Xiao Ran was stunned for a moment.

"Go pick up the wife from work." Mu Shuoqian handed the document he was holding to Xiao Ran, "Let Yuan Yi get the car ready."

Xiao Ran hurriedly caught the document, looking down to see it was a new report from the French Restaurant in Aus City, the place where the madam was set to go for a business trip. Young Master Qian was getting information on that area.

He carefully sealed the document and called Yuan Yi.

The only two reasons Young Master Qian would cancel a dinner meeting were: one, his wife missed him; two, he missed his wife.

Despite meeting every day, Xiao Ran couldn’t understand the need for such attachment, as he had never been in love.

As soon as Gu Qili got off work, she received a message from Mu Shuoqian: I’m at the entrance.

Gu Qili looked around and indeed saw his Maybach at a nearby street corner.

She hardly worked night shifts now, usually driving to and from work herself, so his sudden appearance to pick her up still thrilled her.

The car was comfortably air-conditioned, and as soon as she settled in, he handed her a bottle of water.

"Why did you suddenly come to pick me up from work today?" Gu Qili took the water,

"How about a buffet? I haven’t had one in a long time." Her eyes gleamed.

"Okay, let’s have a buffet." He always responded readily to her requests.

After eating, Yuan Yi drove them back. On the way back to Jingshan Road, they passed a night market. Gu Qili, leaning on the car window, watched for a while. Suddenly, as if making up her mind, she turned around and suggested, "Shall we get off and take a walk? I heard there are often fireworks by the river there."

She knew he didn’t like crowded and bustling places, but she really missed visiting the night market.

To her surprise, Mu Shuoqian didn’t hesitate at all and immediately instructed Yuan Yi to park.

The night market here was bustling with people, filled with shouts from vendors and the sounds of bargaining.

Gu Qili and Mu Shuoqian walked hand in hand, her curiosity piqued by everything, pausing frequently to watch fun activities, and soon she was holding several skewers of snacks.

Mu Shuoqian had never been to such a place before; he kept dodging other people while making sure she didn’t stray too far away.

"This tastes good." Gu Qili handed a skewer of meat to his mouth, "Try it."

He frowned with disdain, but still took a small bite.

Further along the street, there appeared a reporter-like figure, holding a microphone and interviewing people, with a cameraman following behind.

"Miss, sir, hello, we are journalists from the Aus City Life Channel, can we ask you a question?" The camera inadvertently focused on Gu Qili and Mu Shuoqian, who were eating their skewers.

Mu Shuoqian instinctively put his hand in front of the camera, his handsome face showing displeasure, and his deep dark eyes carried a strong warning.

The reporter flinched at his gaze, realizing this person might be difficult to talk to and was about to switch to another couple to interview, but Gu Qili suddenly pointed at the microphone logo curiously asking, "Are you from the ’Couple’s Challenge’ show? My friend and I really like your program."

"Yes, glad you’ve seen our show. This time our team wants to do a one-sentence interview with random couples and edit it into a segment for VCR."

Gu Qili discreetly tugged on Mu Shuoqian’s sleeve, shaking it lightly.

Ordinarily, even if she begged him, he wouldn’t agree to such childish requests; he wouldn’t even appear on financial news interviews, let alone accept an interview from a local entertainment program.

However, seeing the excitement and anticipation in her eyes, and realizing she would soon be away from him for a while, his heart completely melted, and now he would probably agree without hesitation to whatever she asked.

Mu Shuoqian’s gaze still chilly, withdrew his hand from blocking the camera.

The journalist, seeing they were finally willing to be interviewed, immediately became joyful; it’s rare to encounter a couple with such great looks on a night like this.

Gu Qili politely said, "Ask away."

Gu Qili hadn’t expected such an embarrassingly direct question; she thought it might be a riddle or something.

Gu Qili was somewhat stunned, yet her mind was racing quickly.

The journalist opened her mouth, her corners twitching, overwhelmed by such a domineering response.

By the time the journalist regained her composure, Mu Shuoqian had already pulled Gu Qili far away.

She hurriedly shouted from behind, "Once the VCR is ready, we’ll mail it to you, can we have your phone number please?"

Gu Qili stopped, turned back to tell her number, waved at the journalist, and quickly caught up with Mu Shuoqian’s pace.

"Mu Shuoqian, my mouth still tastes like the skewers."

"It doesn’t matter."

"Mu Shuoqian, your answer was too domineering."

"Just so-so."

"Mu Shuoqian, don’t always speak in three words."

"Not anymore."

"That’s still three words."

He suddenly stopped, his eyes intensely gazing into hers.

Ahead by the riverside, someone set off fireworks, and with a loud bang, the sky was filled with bursting colors.

Gu Qili excitedly watched, about to cheer, when she suddenly heard a low, husky voice near her ear, whispering almost inaudibly, three words.

As fireworks exploded one by one in the sky, she thought she was hallucinating, her face both excited and incredulous as she looked at him: "Mu Shuoqian, did you just say three words?"

He just smiled at her, his refined eyes outshining the brilliance of the fireworks.

"Yeah, I did."

"But I didn’t hear clearly, could you say it again please?"

"Only once." he said, smiling as he turned away.

"Stingy! What harm is there in saying it again? Just say it, say it!" Gu Qili chased after him, pleading as she shook his arm, but no matter how much she begged, he would not speak again.

The splendid fireworks blossomed like beautiful flowers in the air, their figures receding further along the riverbank.

The girl seemed to be pleading for something, constantly looking up, while the man remained silent, his face adorned with a teasing smile.

In numerous nights thereafter, Gu Qili never heard him say those three words again, that night seemed like just a dream, distant and out of reach.