Chapter 189 - The Scarf

Perhaps driven by a sense of defiance, Chu Qianqian couldn’t stand the smug expression on the man’s face that seemed to say, “Well, go ahead and explain yourself.” Pressing her lips together, she looked everywhere-at the sky and the ground-just not at Mu Han, treating him as though he were thin air.

Mu Han, already annoyed from the start, felt even more aggravated by Chu Qianqian’s cold attitude. He stood with arms crossed, his gaze fixed on the hem of Chu Qianqian’s coat, as if trying to bore a hole into it.

Here they were, a man and a woman in their twenties, playing a childish staring contest right at the entrance of a busy airport. If anything, it was as shameless as it was ridiculous.

Sandwiched between the two, Qingyi felt utterly miserable-not just because of the tense atmosphere but also due to what Mu Han had said earlier.

Mu Han thought that the idea of picking him up at the airport was Chu Qianqian’s. But in reality, it had been Qingyi who came up with the plan and asked for her help.

Unclear on the exact dispute between the two but sensing there was some kind of tension, Qingyi had asked Chu Qianqian for confirmation. Then, that very night, he relayed the news to Mu Han, spicing up the story just enough to make it seem like Chu Qianqian had volunteered to come on her own initiative.

To be fair, Qingyi knew Mu Han all too well and targeted the man’s weakest spot with precision.

Sure enough, upon hearing the news, Mu Han’s mood improved instantly. Feeling so good, he sent Qingyi a batch of in-game currency and even sponsored a round of ten draws in Qingyi’s mobile game.

But as the saying goes, “The thrill of lying lasts a moment, the fallout lasts forever.” Now, caught between two unpleasant options-explaining the lie and earning double glares of pure disdain or letting the awkward staring contest drag on-Qingyi wrestled with his decision. In the end, he put his faith in the adage, “Honesty brings leniency; resistance brings severity.” Closing his eyes, he spilled the truth.

“Bro, um… about that, I-I lied to you earlier…”

Qingyi’s confession landed like a bombshell, leaving Mu Han dazed and reeling. Instinctively, Mu Han looked up, only to meet Chu Qianqian’s face, which displayed a mix of surprise and amusement. Though she quickly masked her reaction, Mu Han still caught a fleeting trace of laughter in her eyes.

Known for his stoic demeanor, President Mu experienced, for the first time, the sting of both embarrassment and bashfulness. “So… all those things you said-you made them up to trick me?!”

The words were squeezed out from between Mu Han’s clenched teeth. Staring at Qingyi, who bowed his head in sincere repentance, Mu Han momentarily considered giving his younger brother a good thrashing. But remembering that the person in front of him was, after all, his little brother, he managed to suppress his urge after a long internal struggle and refrained from acting on it.

Noticing Mu Han’s slightly reddened earlobes from his embarrassment, Chu Qianqian covered her mouth, holding in her laughter with great difficulty. She placed a hand on her chest and felt a warm sensation spread from within.

In a good mood, Chu Qianqian decided to overlook the earlier spat she’d had with Mu Han. She took a step forward, putting herself between Mu Han and Qingyi, shielding Qingyi from view. “Qingyi just said a couple of words off the cuff. Why is President Mu taking it so seriously?”

“You-” Mu Han’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Chu Qianqian, standing not even half a meter away from him. A peculiar light flickered in his gaze.

Even though she detected some unfavorable emotions in Mu Han’s eyes, Chu Qianqian refused to back down. She stood resolutely in front of Qingyi. After all, he was her artist, and there was no way she would let anyone bully him-family or not.

“Qianqian…” Qingyi’s eyes glistened with tears, touched by the petite figure standing in front of him.

Now emboldened by someone shielding him, Qingyi straightened his small frame, staring at Mu Han with a daring look that practically screamed, “Defiance.” With newfound courage, he said, “Look at Qianqian. She’s already let it go. What are you still obsessing over?”

What was he obsessing over? Of course, it was about losing face in front of her!

Mu Han seriously considered stepping past Chu Qianqian and giving Qingyi’s head a good rub to figure out what on earth was going on in his little brother’s mind. How could someone be so talented at getting their own brother into trouble?

But thoughts were just thoughts. In reality, President Mu found himself outnumbered in this impromptu alliance, and facing joint opposition, he was utterly defeated. Left with no choice, he let out a sigh and shoved the matter aside-begrudgingly.

Taking a step forward, Mu Han snatched the bag out of Chu Qianqian’s hands. Without a word, he strode toward the exit of the airport with his long legs, his pace swift and determined.

Stunned by this sudden turn of events, Chu Qianqian froze for a second. Realizing what had just happened, she quickly ran after him, her voice filled with exasperation and confusion. “Hey! Mu Han, what are you doing?!”

Glancing back at Chu Qianqian, who was now jogging to catch up, Mu Han kept walking, only slightly slowing his steps. His tone remained the same as he replied, “What am I doing? Leaving, of course. Or do you want to stand here and enjoy the wind?”

As he spoke, Mu Han shot a glance at Qingyi, who was still rooted to the spot, and raised an eyebrow. “Qingyi, why are you still standing there? Let’s go home.”

“Oh? Oh!” Stunned by Mu Han’s swift and almost storm-like decisiveness, Qingyi froze for a few seconds. It wasn’t until Mu Han called his name did he snap out of it. Grabbing his tote bag, Qingyi quickly jogged after him.

Thankfully, it wasn’t raining in City B today, and the ground wasn’t slippery. Even in high heels, Chu Qianqian managed to keep up with a few quick steps without tripping. Once alongside Mu Han, she tried keeping pace with his large strides while attempting to grab her bag back. Tilting her head slightly to look at him, she said, “Mu Han, give me my stuff. I can carry it myself.”

Glancing sideways at Chu Qianqian, Mu Han maintained an indifferent expression. His pace slowed ever so slightly, but his tone remained casual and dismissive as he replied, “You already walk too slowly. If you’re dragging along these gift bags, you’ll take even longer. I don’t have time to waste on the road.”

His justification was so matter-of-fact that Chu Qianqian couldn’t immediately come up with a rebuttal. She raised her head, intending to look at Mu Han’s expression to gauge his mood, but the first thing that caught her attention was the blueish-purple tint of his lips.

She glanced down and noticed the same discoloration on his fingers, gripping the gift bags tightly-clearly from the cold.

Without realizing it, she slowed her steps. Pausing in place, her gaze drifted back toward Qingyi for a moment before her fingers lightly brushed the scarf around her neck. Its coffee-colored base was accentuated by red and green checkered patterns, a neutral, unisex design that could be worn by either a man or a woman.

Noticing that Chu Qianqian had stopped behind him, Mu Han turned his head, only to see her unwrapping the scarf from around her neck. His brows furrowed slightly as he asked, “What are you doing?”

“Here,” Chu Qianqian replied, taking two steps forward and extending the scarf toward him. Her gaze awkwardly avoided his as she looked off to the side. “Wear it. You’re practically turning blue from the cold.”