Chapter 199: Scandal Crisis (1)
When she returned to the car, the man was still leaning comfortably in the seat with his eyes closed to rest. He faintly felt that there was a stifling air after she got in, so he slowly opened his eyes to look at her.
Her beautiful, fair face had a faint blush while her gaze looked a little cold and indifferent. He could tell that she seemed down and rather enraged.
"Did she make you angry? Why do you look so angry?" The soft voice came through and before she could calm down, he had already handed her the Thermos of water prepared in the car. His dark eyes were intertwined with a faint gentleness.
Xi Xiaye just took it to open it and drink a few gulps before handing the bottle back to him. As she started the car, she frowned. "I'm fine. It's about the orphanage. I have an idea that I want to share with you, but I'm not sure if you'd be interested."
"Let's hear it," Mu Yuchen set the Thermos aside and answered calmly.
Xi Xiaye slowly drove the car out of the parking and then said, "Riding on the rumors at this moment, how about we set up a charity foundation? With our company's influence, it shouldn't be a problem for us to raise funds for the foundation. The collected donations will be used for aiding places like orphanages. This should bring quite a lot of benefits to our company's image..."
"Are you saying you want to set up a Glory World Foundation?" Mu Yuchen immediately saw through her.
She nodded gently. "Mmm, actually setting up the Glory World Foundation would bring us quite a lot of benefits. In fact, I'm sure you know this yourself. I remember previously before you returned to the country, Grandfather did mention such an idea at a higher management meeting. However, because everyone was quite busy with the projects then, it was set aside. Now, if we can seize the opportunity and pass the agenda, it should turn out pretty well."
"I'll mention it to Director Wen. Since you're in charge of the South River project, you don't have to worry about these things. Aren't you planning on letting me know what just happened?" He watched her clear, unsympathetic, little face and asked softly.
Xi Xiaye frowned and pondered momentarily, then she could not help but sigh. She looked calmly at the road ahead. "It's about the orphanage. Han Yifeng bought the land where the orphanage is. Previously, the government planned to demolish and rebuild that place. Initially, Chief Wang was planning to fight for it again..."
"Then, did they use this land to make an exchange with you and make you hand over the document for Yueying's shares?"
She did not need to continue. Being the wise and profound man who could see through everything, he had caught onto the heart of the matter. A dim light appeared in his dark eyes, yet his handsome face was calm as usual.
Xi Xiaye was startled for a moment. She inhaled slightly and nodded as she lamented, "I don't know how else to handle this. I keep thinking about this matter. In the end, I could only call Time Magazine, hoping that this time through the storm of public opinion, I can make them give it up on their own..."
Mu Yuchen looked at her in shock. Then, there was instantly a flash of admiration in his eyes. He agreed with her actions gladly. Noticing an endurance of melancholy in between her brows, he fell silent for a moment. His long and slightly chilly hands reached out, gently holding onto her hand that was on the gear.
His low yet sensitive voice slowly entered her ears. "Okay, it's not too huge of an issue. They weren't courteous with you, so there's no need for you to be kind and think twice. You've already done it anyway, so is there any use regretting now? Isn't it better this way?"
Listening to his low and gentle voice carry a hint of consolation, she suddenly felt worse. Again, she breathed in and blinked her slightly heated eyes. Then, her beautiful face suddenly flashed with a faint smile. She sounded like she was sighing as she asked, "Do you think that I'm quite mean and malicious?"
As she said this, she turned to look at him, yet he did not answer. He only looked at her with quiet and calm eyes.
Seeing that he did not answer, she quietly looked away and turned towards the alternately flickering traffic light ahead, and casually said, "I heard Grandpa say that when Mother was young, Grandma always liked to talk about intellectual elegance. She said that an intellectually elegant woman mustn't lack four things — the confidence on her face, the kindness deep in her heart, the guts in her blood, and the resilience that is carved into her life. I suddenly realize that I haven't been able to do a single one of these things. I'm quite terrible."
When she finished, he instantly chuckled softly. His hand reached up and could not help but gently hug her shoulders. "Nobody's perfect, so what's the point of mulling over it too much?"
Xi Xiaye looked at the traffic light that turned green ahead. She stepped on the accelerator as the corner of her indifferent lips flashed with a faint smile of self-mockery. "I don't want it to be like this either. I wanted to study properly and get good grades. I wanted to be an obedient, kind, and likable child too, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't perform in my studies. No matter how I tried to get close and blend in with them, I was just that uninteresting. They all didn't like me..."
Her voice suddenly dropped and she quietly blinked at the road ahead. She tightened her grip on the steering wheel and did not continue.
Witnessing her vulnerability like this, something suddenly shifted in Mu Yuchen's eyes. There was a pity that could not be concealed as the hand around her shoulder tightened a little, and he chuckled softly, "Okay now. How old are you already, still sadly asking about why people don't like you as if you're a little girl? Just think of them as people with terribly low EQ and IQ that it raises people's hackles. Their aesthetic point of view is a little weird, and their standards of distinguishing people didn't evolve well, that's why they didn't realize the splendor of the pearl that you are..."
Hearing him say this, the sad spell in Xiaye's heart broke. She suddenly could not help but shoot him a side look and ask a little gloomily, "Do people really console others like that?"
He laughed out loud, the smile on his handsome face entering her sight and making her heart feel warm all of a sudden. She shot him a side look, then forced herself to avert her gaze, not forgetting that she was still driving at the moment.
The place that Mu Yuchen mentioned was a luxury hot spring center. It was local in the secluded outskirts of the north of the city and was in the same direction as the Grand Waves Villa area.
Xi Xiaye followed Mu Yuchen's directions and they soon steadily stopped the car outside the center.
They had just stepped into the center when someone walked out to receive them.
"Master Mu!"
Mu Yuchen nodded slightly, indicating for him to lead the way.
The husband and wife quickly followed him to a private changing room.
A bath, a change of clothes, and they got into the hanjeungmak [1] ...
When Xi Xiaye walked out of the sauna sweating all over with her moist hair, she noticed that he was reading a magazine on the sofa in the corner.
The husband and wife were both wearing bathrobes.
"Master Mu, I'll look for two of our..."
When she saw Xi Xiaye come out, the attendant was about to suggest getting two skilled masseurs, yet before she could finish her sentence, Mu Yuchen, who was reading the magazine with his head bowed, spoke up, "Just get one for her."