Chapter Fifty-Four: Bewildered by Love

The police strictly sealed off all information regarding last night's events, leaving outsiders completely in the dark.

After Nie Yunyang returned to Golden Ke Jiuqu River, Xiang Tao sent him a text message containing only two words: "Thank you."

Autumn in Chongqing is always drizzly and damp, especially on such dreary days, which easily evoke a sense of melancholy and sorrow.

Grand View Garden, shrouded in the curtain of rain, gave people a feeling of stepping back into the Republic of China era. If a young lady in a cheongsam holding an oiled-paper umbrella were to walk past the bluestone path at this moment, what a breathtaking sight it would have been!

Hou Feipeng had been waiting for Nie Yunyang in the courtyard all along. His complexion was deathly pale, his figure emaciated, and the dark circles under his eyes were becoming increasingly severe.

Seeing Nie Yunyang approach, he sneered and said, "Nie Yunyang, step aside with me for a moment. I have something to say."

Nie Yunyang did not refuse. Instead, he followed Hou Feipeng into the garden gazebo.

Hou Feipeng handed Nie Yunyang a cigarette. Originally from Chengdu, he was fond of "Tianzi" brand cigarettes.

Nie Yunyang produced a lighter, lit it for him, and asked, "Brother Hou, is there something you need me for?"

"It's nothing much. As the deputy manager of the security department, I'm just checking in on a new employee. You've been here a few days now—do you have any thoughts?"

With this opening, the atmosphere remained relatively relaxed.

Nie Yunyang smiled faintly and replied, "Brother Hou, I'm here to learn. I really don't have any particular thoughts."

"Are you getting used to the working environment at Grand View Garden?" Hou Feipeng asked.

Nie Yunyang nodded and said, "Brother Hou, I'm doing very well here. No other workplace compares to Grand View Garden; the benefits and compensation are at the very top of the industry."

"That's good," Hou Feipeng said.

He kept beating around the bush simply because he didn't know how to bring up that matter.

Nie Yunyang remained silent, making the atmosphere somewhat awkward.

Finally, unable to hold back any longer, Hou Feipeng said, "Nie Yunyang, I won't beat around the bush. President Dai asked me to find you. Yesterday, when President Dai and I were talking in the parking lot, company secrets were involved. Did you overhear anything?"

As his voice fell, he stared fixedly at Nie Yunyang without blinking.

"Oh? Brother Hou, are you talking about last night when I was seeing Young Master Xiang out and happened to run into you and President Dai?" Nie Yunyang asked.

"Yes."

"At the time, I was discussing what to eat for dinner with Young Master Xiang, so I really didn't pay any attention to your conversation."

"You honestly didn't hear anything?" Hou Feipeng asked, half-convinced and half-doubtful.

Nie Yunyang's expression remained calm and composed as he answered, "I truly didn't hear a thing."

"Nie Yunyang, I don't know if you're telling the truth or not, but let me give you a piece of advice: no matter what you might have heard, forget about it as soon as possible, or you'll bring endless trouble upon yourself," Hou Feipeng warned.

"Come on, Brother Hou, we were standing so far away at the time, how could we possibly have heard anything?"

"Alright, go back to your work," Hou Feipeng said impatiently, waving his hand.

Nie Yunyang felt a great sense of relief and quickly walked away, thinking to himself that someone like Hou Feipeng was bound to ruin himself sooner or later.

A gambler like that was completely undeserving of sympathy.

As for Hou Feipeng claiming that Dai Zhenxhen had sent him, it was sheer self-deception. Did he really think Nie Yunyang couldn't see through that?

Gambling was like a meat grinder; no matter what kind of person you were, once you fell into it, not even your bones would be left in the end.

Nie Yunyang changed his clothes, preparing to go to the reception department to work. On his way out, he ran into He Lei, who today was wearing a pink maxi dress that made her look immensely enchanting.

"Yunyang, you scared me to death last night. I thought something major had happened," He Lei said, gently patting Nie Yunyang's chest with a coquettish pout.

Nie Yunyang took a deep breath and asked, "What did Manager He hear about it?"

"President Dai has already told me the whole story from beginning to end. And you wouldn't even answer your phone—seriously, don't ever do that again," He Lei said.

Nie Yunyang nodded and replied, "From now on, Manager He's orders will be obeyed immediately."

"That's more like it. You've got pretty good martial arts skills, taking on seven men at once. I think you should join the security department; you might even land a deputy manager position," He Lei remarked.

Nie Yunyang flexed his eight-pack abs and joked with a smile, "Manager He, surely you wouldn't bear to let me leave?"

"If your skills in bed are just as impressive, big sister definitely wouldn't bear to let you go," He Lei said, leaning forward to showcase her ample bosom while exhaling a breath as sweet as orchids, completely unconcerned about outsiders.

Nie Yunyang instantly lost his nerve; this woman was too deep in her ways, so it was best to keep a safe distance.

"Manager He, I have to go tend to my work."

With that, Nie Yunyang fled in a fluster.

Over the next few days, Nie Yunyang followed Miao Ye to learn the ropes, and given his aptitude, he progressed very quickly.

Furthermore, Nie Yunyang already understood feng shui and geomancy, giving him a natural advantage in spatial arrangement, which frequently earned him praise from the members.

On Sunday, Nie Yunyang had a day off. First, he helped Mu Qingyao move back to Longhu Huamanting, and then he packed his own luggage and moved into his new home.

Located in the Hengda Dijing residential complex, it was a spacious three-bedroom, two-living-room flat with an exceptional location and an expansive view.

Whether heading to Vision Media or Grand View Garden, it was extremely convenient, yet the rent was only three thousand.

Since Mu Qingyao happened to have free time, she helped them clean up. With the four of them dividing the labor efficiently, the entire apartment became spotless in just an hour.

Immediately afterward, Chen Jiong and Tan Weibo ran to a nearby supermarket and purchased a large stash of daily necessities. By the time they finished, dusk was approaching.

Mu Qingyao originally wanted to treat the three men to dinner outside to celebrate their housewarming, but Nie Yunyang proactively offered to cook.

Mu Qingyao wanted to help, but Nie Yunyang insisted on keeping her out of the kitchen as the three grown men crowded inside to hash out dinner.

Left with no other choice, Mu Qingyao could only sit on the living room sofa and watch television.

Inside the kitchen, Chen Jiong glanced sideways at Mu Qingyao, who was dressed in sportswear that accentuated her curvaceous figure, and lowered his voice. "Yunyang, the boss lady is deeply infatuated with you. Why don't you just yield to her? Then we'll all be able to live the good life following your lead."

"Get lost. I sell my skills, not my body," Nie Yunyang retorted.

Chen Jiong beat his chest in exasperation and said, "You guy, you're the full man who doesn't know the pain of the starving. Finding a girl like Miss Mu is like searching with a lantern at night. Just take a look at yourself in the mirror—with your shabby appearance, you should be thanking your lucky stars that she doesn't despise you."

"Chen Jiong is right. The boss is a good girl, and you need to know how to cherish that. Don't look at what's in the bowl while thinking about what's in the pot," Tan Weibo chimed in.

Nie Yunyang shook his head and gave a bitter smile. "Brother Tan, my career has only just begun; where would I find the time for romance? Let's talk about this later."

Sighing inwardly, Nie Yunyang stole a glance at Mu Qingyao. Ever since he had once mentioned that he liked women with flowing long hair, Mu Qingyao had stopped cutting hers.

At that moment, sensing something, Mu Qingyao looked toward the kitchen. Their eyes met, and both of them felt a tinge of awkwardness.

Two hours later, Nie Yunyang and the others finally finished their preparations: seven dishes and one soup, appealing in color, aroma, and taste.

"Wow, your culinary skills are quite impressive!" Mu Qingyao said with a pleasant surprise.

Chen Jiong beamed with pride. "Of course. Whenever you have free time in the future, you can come over for a free meal since Nie Yunyang has nothing to do after work anyway."

"Are you guys welcoming me?" Mu Qingyao asked, intentionally staring right at Nie Yunyang.

Tan Weibo joked, "Around here, we only welcome the boss lady. No other women are allowed through the door."

The subtext was that he would help Mu Qingyao keep an eye on Nie Yunyang and prevent him from straying.

During the meal, since Nie Yunyang had to drive Mu Qingyao back later, he drank only orange juice.

Mu Qingyao, on the other hand, kept Chen Jiong and Tan Weibo company by drinking beer.

Opening a can of beer, Mu Qingyao raised her glass and said, "Congratulations on your housewarming. May everyone have a bright future and better days ahead. Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

Everyone ate and chatted merrily. Mu Qingyao deeply enjoyed this atmosphere; she regarded Nie Yunyang and the others as confidants and felt entirely at ease in their company.

Ever since her father passed away, Mu Qingyao's former friends had gradually drifted away, which made her see through the warmth and coldness of human relationships, yet she had never felt truly defeated by it.

After all, a person's life is not just about rainbows; there will also be storms, and perhaps even falling snow.

Once everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, Chen Jiong and Tan Weibo took the initiative to clear the table, both dashing into the kitchen to wash the pots and dishes so as to deliberately leave Nie Yunyang and Mu Qingyao alone together.

After a few bottles of beer, Mu Qingyao's face was flushed, her gaze misty and hypnotic as she stared straight at Nie Yunyang, making the atmosphere somewhat ambiguous.

Unable to sit still any longer, Nie Yunyang told Mu Qingyao to rest for a moment and retreated to his bedroom to sort out the pillows, duvet covers, and sheets.

Instead of just sitting there, Mu Qingyao followed Nie Yunyang into the bedroom, reached out her arms, and hugged him tightly from behind.

Nie Yunyang was so startled he froze in place instantly...