Chen Mu gripped the steering wheel tightly.
The fear that Zhou Yushen had unconsciously stirred within him wounded his pride, and that humiliation twisted into hostility that showed plainly on his face, making his expression nearly distorted.
Yet in the end, he said nothing.
He simply stared gloomily at the road ahead.
Shen Nanyue pushed herself up from Zhou Yushen’s arms, glanced at him silently, then turned her head to look out the window, unwilling to speak.
Zhou Yushen frowned.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
Shen Nanyue murmured softly.
She had rarely seen Zhou Yushen angry.
Just now, from such close range, she had witnessed the expression on his face—it was like a dormant volcano.
Once awakened, it erupted with overwhelming force, enough to make anyone uneasy.
She wasn’t afraid.
She simply wasn’t used to it.
Seeing that she didn’t want to talk about it, Zhou Yushen didn’t press further.
The rest of the drive passed in silence.
When they arrived at the restaurant, Shen Nanyue immediately handed Zhou Yushen his coat as soon as she got out of the car.
He accepted it naturally and put it on.
The long trench coat hung down to his knees, accentuating his tall, lean figure.
Chen Mu tried to walk around him and take Shen Nanyue’s hand, but Zhou Yushen shifted sideways and blocked his path.
“What are you doing?”
Chen Mu replied, “Whatever happens between Yueyue and me is none of your business.”
“Oh?”
Zhou Yushen raised an eyebrow.
“What exactly is between the two of you? What kind of relationship?”
“We…”
Chen Mu glanced at Shen Nanyue.
Her indifferent expression made it seem as though everything happening here had nothing to do with her.
His gaze lowered.
Then, gritting his teeth, he said, “We’re childhood friends!”
“If you’re friends, then you should maintain proper boundaries. Especially between a man and a woman—pure friendship is a sensitive issue.”
Chen Mu stared at Zhou Yushen darkly.
“You’re friends with Yueyue too. Shouldn’t you be keeping your distance from her as well?”
“I’m not her friend.”
Zhou Yushen answered calmly.
Shen Nanyue couldn’t help turning to look at him.
Their eyes met.
“I’m her ex-husband.”
He paused.
“We have a history of emotional entanglements.”
Shen Nanyue: …
Chen Mu’s expression became even uglier.
Zhou Yushen looked at him.
“Enough with this. I need to discuss something with you. Have you booked a table? Let’s go inside first.”
As he spoke, he took Shen Nanyue’s hand and led her into the restaurant.
Chen Mu was left standing there alone, his anger steadily rising.
If he needs something from me, why is he acting like I’m the one begging him?
Shen Nanyue was pulled into the restaurant by Zhou Yushen.
She tried to free her hand, but his grip only tightened, making escape impossible.
“What do you need to talk to Chen Mu about?” she asked quietly.
Since Zhou Yushen wanted her present, it meant the matter was either related to her or something she would want to know.
She couldn’t help asking.
Zhou Yushen leaned slightly toward her ear and whispered, “You’ll find out soon enough.”
His warm breath brushed against her ear.
She instinctively leaned away, a faint blush appearing on the tip of her ear.
A smile curved Zhou Yushen’s lips.
Just as sensitive as ever.
Chen Mu could no longer bear watching them.
He strode ahead of the pair and called over a waiter.
“Change the table. I want a four-person booth.”
The three of them were seated by a window on the fourth floor.
It was a private restaurant known for its generous portions and excellent food.
Shen Nanyue had eaten there once before and immediately added it to her list of favorite restaurants.
She sat down casually.
Chen Mu intended to sit beside her, but Zhou Yushen beat him to it.
“Sit down. We need to talk.”
Again.
The same sentence.
Chen Mu clenched both fists and glared at him fiercely.
Zhou Yushen remained completely unfazed.
Shen Nanyue sat against the inside of the booth.
Zhou Yushen occupied the outer seat without hesitation.
His long legs stretched comfortably beneath the table, effectively enclosing Shen Nanyue between himself and the floor-to-ceiling window.
Possessive as ever.
Seeing that Chen Mu’s anger had not subsided throughout the journey, Shen Nanyue remained calm.
She glanced at him briefly before lowering her head to study the menu.
A sharp ache spread through Chen Mu’s chest.
But he couldn’t bring himself to vent his frustration at Shen Nanyue.
In the end, he sat across from her.
After ordering several dishes, Shen Nanyue handed the menu to Chen Mu.
When he noticed that she hadn’t immediately passed it to Zhou Yushen, he felt slightly better.
That feeling lasted only a second.
“Did you order the stir-fried pork with chili peppers that I like?”
Zhou Yushen asked.
Shen Nanyue took a sip of water and nodded calmly.
“What about the steamed sea bass? And the beef bone soup?”
Shen Nanyue turned and shot him a glare.
“I ordered them. Drink your water.”
She placed a glass of water heavily in front of Zhou Yushen.
There was obvious irritation in her voice, yet her actions carried the familiarity of an ordinary married couple—annoyance mixed with intimacy.
Zhou Yushen wasn’t offended by her roughness.
Instead, smiling faintly, he accepted the glass and took a sip.
The contentment in his eyes and brows revealed itself unconsciously.
Chen Mu had already turned to stone.
It felt as though his heart no longer belonged to him, frozen in place as if suspended in another dimension.
Only after a long while did he call over a waiter and finish ordering.
Then, with a dark expression, he looked at Zhou Yushen.
“What exactly do you want?”
Given Huansheng Group’s sudden decline, he could already guess that Zhou Yushen was making his move.
What he hadn’t expected was for Zhou Yushen to come looking for him.
Zhou Yushen looked at Chen Mu calmly.
The warm yellow lighting cast a soft glow over his face, making his usually sharp and intimidating features appear somewhat gentler.
“Chen Mu, do you remember being kidnapped when you were a child and being rescued by a woman?”
At the time, Chen Mu had been seven years old.
He was old enough to remember.
His face darkened as his thoughts drifted back to that year.
He had been taken to an abandoned building by kidnappers.
A woman dressed in a black gown had slipped past the guards, climbed over a wall, and rescued him.
Though more than ten years had passed, the memory remained vivid.
He hadn’t even forgotten what the woman looked like.
Later, he had learned her identity from his family.
She had been Zhou Siyan’s mistress.
And she was also Zhou Yushen’s mother.
He raised his eyes toward Zhou Yushen.
“Are you trying to use the debt I owe your mother to pressure me?”
Zhou Yushen let out a mocking chuckle.
“You’re not important enough for me to bother threatening.”
Shen Nanyue sat quietly beside them.
But a doubt suddenly surfaced in her mind.
Back at the hospital, she had overheard a conversation between Zhou Yushen and Gu Linlang.
According to Gu Linlang, Zhou Yushen’s mother’s death was somehow connected to Chen Mu.
Her fingertips rubbed lightly against each other on her lap as she remained silent, listening carefully to the conversation.
Chen Mu frowned.
“What exactly do you want?”
“I want to find the people responsible for my mother’s death.”
Zhou Yushen spoke calmly.
“If you still remember the kindness she showed when she saved your life, then tell me what you know about that group.”
His eyes remained fixed on Chen Mu’s face, observing every subtle change in expression.
Chen Mu froze.
The anger on his face gradually disappeared, replaced by guilt.
He looked away and avoided Zhou Yushen’s gaze.
“I don’t know.”
“Do you really not know?”
Zhou Yushen pressed relentlessly.
“Or are you afraid to talk?”
He left Chen Mu no room to think.
“Or perhaps this has something to do with someone close to you, so you’d rather keep it hidden?”
Chen Mu turned sharply and glared at him, displeasure evident on his face.
“Zhou Yushen, all I can tell you is this.”
His voice grew heavier.
“If you keep digging into this matter, your ending won’t be any better than your mother’s.”
— The end of the Chapter–
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