Belated Romance (Mu Tongrui)

Mu Tongrui received Fu Lingye's phone call the minute she stepped into the office.
The man's low magnetic voice came through the receiver.
“Why didn't you return my text yesterday?”
Mu Tongrui bit her lips and replied indifferent, “Oh, I fell asleep. My phone was switched off and I forgot to reply.”
Fu Lingye didn't mull over it but replied, “Come by the hospital after work.”
Mu Tongrui treated it as visiting Old Master Fu and replied quietly, “Ok.”
“If nothing else, I'll hang up first. I got to get back to work.”
“Ok.”
Fu Lingye quietly replied. Just as he was about to hang up, Mu Tongrui suddenly asked, “Right, have... have you taken
breakfast?”
“No.”
“Oh.”
He really didn't take any breakfast. Thinking back on the breakfast she threw away, she suddenly felt guilty.
What should she do if Sweetheart asked her about the breakfast at night?
Throwing away the breakfast was purely an impulsive act to get back at Fu Lingye.
On the other end, Fu Lingye joked, “I thought you were delivering breakfast to me when you asked that question.”
“Who... who would make breakfast for you. I'm hanging up.”
Mu Tongrui hurriedly hung up.
When Xiang Nanqian and the artist were having their meeting, Mu Tongrui suddenly recalled Ya Hua's competition.
She wanted to participate in Ya Hua's competition badly. Other than the attractive prize, it would also be of great help when she
finally became an artist. She had to give it a try.

But Xiang Nanqian clearly wouldn't approve her participation.
Did she really have to go to Fu Lingye for help?
Whether Fu Lingye help her or not, it wouldn't look good.
If he didn't, she would feel bad. If he did, she would be nipped by Xiang Nanqian.
Mu Tongrui was still in a daze when her phone rang.
The caller ID showed “Qi Yanli”.
She was still for a few seconds. She didn't think Qi Yanli would have called her.
She picked up the call.
“Miss Mu, you're being too ceremonious. That car was my gift to you. I'm aware that you are close with Fu Lingye but transferring
his eight hundred thousand to me, that's saddening.”
For some unknown reason, she felt warmth in those sentences. It sounded ambiguous. But Qi Yanli was Ye Guo's boyfriend. Ye
Guo was her best friend. She didn't have any feeling for Qi Yanli and even if she did, she wouldn't do anything with Qi Yanli
behind YeGuo's back.
“Mr. Qi, is Guo aware that you gifted me the car?”
“So, what if she did and so what if she didn't.”
Mu Tongrui replied coldly, “Mr. Qi, Guo likes you a lot. If you really want to be her boyfriend, please cherish her.”
Qi Yanli laughed lightly, “Miss Mu, did you think I was interested in you?”
Mu Tongrui was caught off guard, “That was not what I meant. I just feel that as Guo's boyfriend, you shouldn't be gifting cars to
other girls. Especially when that person is her best friend. Even if you're not interested in me, Guo might misunderstand.”
Qi Yanli didn't take it to heart but changed the topic, “I heard you're working at Fu Corporation? In arts?”
Mu Tongrui had only met Qi Yanli a few times but he had already done such a thorough check on her.

This kind of transparency made Mu Tongrui feel uncomfortable. Her tone did not come off happy, “Mr. Qi, we're not that close.
Aren't you going overboard by looking into someone whom you're not close with?”
“You've wronged me. I heard this from Guo who praised your talent.”
“Not at all. Mr. Qi, if nothing else, I have to get back to work.”
“Miss Mu, goodbye.”
...
When Qi Yanli hung up, he ordered his assistant, “Didn't our company have a collaboration with Fu Corporation on an animation
recently?”
“yes, Mr. Qi.”
“I heard Fu Corporation is having a competition internally. Let them know that their employee Mu Tongrui has to participate in the
competition.”
“Yes, Mr. Qi.”
The assistant couldn't comprehend the rationale. Is Mr. Qi interested in this woman?
...
After her meeting, Xiang Nanqian received a phone call.
Following which, Xiang Nanqian came out of the meeting room with a stony face, “Mu Tongrui, come to my office!”
When they were in the office, Xiang Nanqian stared at her from her black swivel chair, “What relationship do you share with Mr.
Qi from Ya Hua?”
Mr. Qi from Ya Hua?
Mu Tongrui could not make sense of the situation, “I don't know him.”
“You don't know? If you don't, why would he specifically ask for your participation in the competition?”

Ya Hua? Mr. Qi?
Sir name Qi...?
There's a limited number of renowned family in Bei City and Ya Hua was a huge filming company that had risen rapidly in recent
years. Although its value was incomparable to Fu Corporation which was a comprehensive multinational group with many
businesses in various operations, Ya Hua specialized in filming. As such, many filming companies vied to collaborate with Ya
Hua.
There weren't many upperclassmen in Bei City sir-named Qi.
This Mr. Qi can't possibly be Qi Yanli, right?
Mu Tongrui knitted her brows, “I have no idea why Ya Hua would appoint me to participate in this competition.”
“You don't know? You're clearly lying! Mu Tongrui, good going. You're just a derelict woman who has made her way up to Lingye
and is hooking up with Ye Zibo. Now you're sucking up to Ya Hua's Mr. Qi. You claim that people slander you for living an
improper private life but that's the way it seems to me!”
“Xiang Nanqian, even though you're my supervisor, it doesn't mean that you can humiliate me without evidence!”
Xiang Nanqian laughed coldly, hugging her arms she sneered, “Evidence? What evidence do I need? There's already a witness,
why don't you just come clean. How many times have you bedded Ya Hua's Mr. Qi? Why else would he send his assistant to
personally make this phone call for me to look after you?”
“I did not! There's no need for me to explain my innocence! You can think however you like!”
Mu Tongrui was about to leave the office when Xiang Nanqian had a thinking coming. She leaned against her swivel chair and
asked with nonchalance, “Didn't you always want to participate in the competition? Now that the opportunity has presented itself
are you giving up?”
Mu Tongrui curled her fist, “I will be participating in the competition.”
“Don't disappoint me.”
...
To affirm her suspicion, Mu Tongrui sent Ye Guo a text to verify Qi Yanli's identity.

“Guo, I left in a hurry the other day and didn't get to ask you. What does your boyfriend work as?”
Ye Guo, “He's into filming. What's up?”
Mu Tongrui was left speechless. It was indeed Qi Yanli!”
But what exactly was Qi Yanli trying to do!
Nevertheless, she was only able to participate in the competition because of him. Putting aside whatever motive Qi Yanli might
have, she was pleasantly surprised at this turn of events.