Teasing the Icy President

Time flew by, and more than a month had passed. Mu Qingtian had become quite familiar with her job. Compared to her former self a month ago, she had matured significantly. Out of the three daily meals, two were work-related, and her face had become plumper, rosy, and tender, as if it could squeeze out water.

Nie Shuangshuang had been teasing Mu Qingtian lately, saying that since she started working under Mr. Ye, she had become more radiant. She often joked about when Mu Qingtian would be promoted to the position of the official Mrs. Ye… Over-the-top jokes frequently escaped her lips.

Early on a weekend morning, Nie Shuangshuang’s call came through.

“Mu Qingtian, payday is here, treat me to a meal!” Nie Shuangshuang shouted over the phone.

Mu Qingtian, who had finally managed to get some weekend rest, was reluctant to have her sweet dreams interrupted by the phone call.

Working as a housekeeper at Ye Mansion and being employed at Ye Ziqian’s company had become the highlights of her day. She truly felt her brain was in overdrive every day, leaving no time to attend to daily matters. For instance, when her lotion and toner ran out, she simply used whatever was left at home and hurried off to work. On weekends, she would at most accompany Nie Shuangshuang for a meal.

“Darling, come over, I’ll spend the whole day with you,” Mu Qingtian said with a smile. She quickly got up and started getting ready. While combing her hair, she noticed a lot of hair had fallen to the ground. She crouched down, feeling distressed. Oh no, with all this brainwork causing so much hair loss, will I become a very fat and bald person?

Last month’s salary totaled thirty thousand yuan. Mu Qingtian sent twenty thousand back home and kept ten thousand for herself. While she felt like a machine in constant motion, she thought it was important to treat herself well. Today, she planned to eat, drink, and shop with Nie Shuangshuang, expecting to spend around five thousand yuan!

Mu Qingtian made her plans happily, tidying up while waiting for Nie Shuangshuang.

“Open the door, open the door, I forgot to bring our keys!” Nie Shuangshuang banged on Mu Qingtian’s door loudly.

“Sister, can we not make such a racket?” Mu Qingtian chided her with a smile.

“Mu Qingtian, you’ve gained weight!” Nie Shuangshuang said, pinching Mu Qingtian’s chubby cheek hard with her fingers.

Mu Qingtian held her face with her fleshy palms, almost in tears: “Can we not be so violent? This is human flesh! I hate you, Shuangshuang!”

“It doesn’t matter if you hate me or love me. I don’t hate you, nor do I love you, I just enjoy being with you,” Nie Shuangshuang said playfully with a smile.

“Shuangshuang, I think you’ve gotten prettier, your skin looks so much better!”

“Really? It’s that skincare product I’ve been using. Oh, by the way, Mu Qingtian, didn’t you say you ran out of cosmetics? You used to buy so many different types and mix them up, which is the worst thing for your skin. Why don’t I take you to buy the set I’m using now, and then you can treat me to a meal. How’s that?” Nie Shuangshuang asked.

“Today was supposed to be about spending time with you anyway. Since you’re offering to accompany me, I won’t say no. I was actually planning to take care of my own errands while hanging out with you,” Mu Qingtian replied with a smile.

“You make it sound like I’m heartless, inconsiderate, and don’t care about my friends. Do you realize that?” Nie Shuangshuang said, pinching Mu Qingtian’s chubby arm repeatedly as she spoke.

“Is this fun for you?” Mu Qingtian asked helplessly.

“Fun? Absolutely. I’ve gotten used to it. It’s way more fun than playing with clay,” Nie Shuangshuang answered cheerfully.

“I give up. Oh, my poor flesh-” Mu Qingtian dragged out her words in a theatrical tone, mimicking the exit pose of a Peking Opera character.

Nie Shuangshuang burst into laughter at her antics. “Hey, girl, if you were to act in a play, what role would you play… hahahaha… an old woman! You wouldn’t even need makeup to play an old woman!”

“An old woman is also one of the Dan roles¹. Every old woman was once a young girl who grew into an old woman!” Mu Qingtian said with a straight face.

In the dazzling shopping mall, two lively young girls could be heard chatting loudly from a distance.

“Mu Qingtian, walk faster! Why are you so slow? Waiting for your man?” Nie Shuangshuang called out to Mu Qingtian from ahead.

Sweat was already starting to bead on Mu Qingtian’s plump face. She was too heavy to walk as briskly as Nie Shuangshuang. Yet, out of concern for her friend, she willingly took on the responsibility of carrying their shopping bags.

“Shuangshuang, I’m exhausted. If you keep this up, I’m not walking with you anymore. We’re here to shop, not to suffer. What are you doing, acting like the whole world is rushing you to show off your speed?” Mu Qingtian panted heavily.

Nie Shuangshuang turned around and took a couple of steps toward Mu Qingtian, only to notice her friend’s stunned expression. Following her gaze, she saw Ye Ziqian again. What a coincidence!

“Hehe, it’s your man! Go say hi,” Nie Shuangshuang teased, laughing as she nudged Mu Qingtian forward. But this time, Mu Qingtian stood her ground, unmoving. The trick of pushing her and then running away, which had worked last time, failed now.

“He’s yours!” Mu Qingtian muttered through gritted teeth, forcing a wide grin across her chubby face, her mouth curving into an arc. It was a perfect smile, albeit a forced one.

Ye Ziqian was surrounded by six bodyguards in sunglasses, two more than the last time Mu Qingtian had accidentally spilled coffee on him. Working at Ye Mansion, Mu Qingtian knew something had been going on recently, though she wasn’t sure what exactly. But the high salary she earned there had taught her one thing: there were some people and some topics you absolutely never discussed.

Ye Ziqian glanced at her briefly before walking away. Lu Zizhong, however, gave her a warm smile.

Mu Qingtian was growing fonder of Uncle Zhong by the day. He treated her like a beloved niece, patiently guiding her through tasks and pointing out her mistakes without ever losing his temper.

Exhausted, Mu Qingtian pulled Nie Shuangshuang to sit on a bench in the shopping mall. She really couldn’t walk any further. After resting for a while, Nie Shuangshuang got up and bought two Haagen-Dazs ice creams. The two of them devoured the treats greedily before finally leaving the mall.

Outside, the sky was clear and bright, but in a flash, dark clouds obscured the blazing sun. As Mu Qingtian and Nie Shuangshuang stepped out of the shopping mall, Mu Qingtian looked up at the sky just in time to see Ye Ziqian and his entourage emerging from the building. She wanted to glance at the sun and then leave, disliking Ye Ziqian’s reputation as a playboy who often surrounded himself with beautiful women. Still, he was her boss, and at least in terms of salary, he treated her well.

As she looked up, she noticed a large flowerpot hurtling down from the rooftop, heading straight for Ye Ziqian’s head. In a split second, Mu Qingtian dashed forward and shoved Ye Ziqian to the ground. The flowerpot struck her arm instead, and the force of her push sent both of them tumbling to the ground.

Panic erupted among the onlookers. Two of the six bodyguards rushed into the shopping mall to investigate, while the remaining four stayed to protect President Ye.

Lu Zizhong helped Ye Ziqian to his feet, but he didn’t reach out to Mu Qingtian, who was still on the ground, beads of sweat forming on her forehead. “President, her arm… it might be broken,” he said gravely.

Ye Ziqian, still shaken but with a furrowed brow, looked down at Mu Qingtian, who was lying on the ground, biting her lower lip hard.

If she hadn’t pushed him out of the way, the outcome would have been unthinkable. This chubby girl, in such a short moment, had reacted with a speed that defied her size. At that moment, Ye Ziqian felt a surge of gratitude toward the little girl who had just saved his life.

“Girl, you’re fierce! That was incredible-your reflexes are lightning fast. You’re a hero! Tomorrow, you’ll be on the front page of the newspaper. I’ve even got the headline ready: ‘Chubby Heroine Saves Business Tycoon Ye Ziqian!'” Nie Shuangshuang’s words trailed off as she noticed the pained expression on Mu Qingtian’s face. She realized her joke was inappropriate. Mu Qingtian’s arm must have been in excruciating pain.

Nie Shuangshuang was at a loss. She crouched down and gently touched Mu Qingtian’s arm. “Does it hurt? It really hurts, doesn’t it?”

Tears streamed down Mu Qingtian’s face, and beads of sweat dotted her forehead. She gave a slight nod to her best friend, confirming that the pain was unbearable.

Ye Ziqian’s expression was hidden behind his sunglasses, but the slight downturn of his lips suggested he wasn’t in the best mood.

The ambulance arrived quickly, and Mu Qingtian was lifted onto a stretcher.

“I’ll go to the hospital with her. You and the bodyguards follow,” Ye Ziqian said to Lu Zizhong.

“President, is that safe? Shouldn’t you take the car, and I’ll go to the hospital instead?” Lu Zizhong suggested.

Ye Ziqian shot him a look, and Lu Zizhong fell silent. The look in his boss’s eyes told him there was no point in arguing further.

Mu Qingtian was already drenched in sweat from the pain. Inside the ambulance, Ye Ziqian and Nie Shuangshuang accompanied her.

“Mr. Ye, it seems like every time we see you, something happens. The only safe time is when we’re eating together, and even then, you often manage to make her furious,” Nie Shuangshuang said, laughing as she spoke.

Ye Ziqian remained silent, his face cold and expressionless. His eyes were fixed on Mu Qingtian, who lay on the stretcher. She seemed to have passed out from the pain, her teeth clenched so tightly on her lower lip that it lifted her double chin.

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