Morning.
Sheng Mumu was still fast asleep, tossing and turning restlessly.
Her feet kicked out, sending the already loosely tucked-in blanket sliding down.
Qi Mo woke up right on time due to his biological clock.
By reflex, he reached out with his long arm to pull the blanket back up and tidy it.
Next, he got up, washed up, and changed clothes.
Stepping out of the walk-in closet, Qi Mo braced his wrist to leisurely buckle his watch strap.
His gaze inadvertently swept over the bed and a hint of helplessness flashed across his handsome face as he let out an amused sigh.
The blanket he had just tucked Sheng Mumu in was now bunched down around her lower back again.
He walked over.
The soft mattress sank down a little as he sat at the edge of the bed.
He tucked her in properly again.
Sheng Mumu's breathing was light and steady. She must have been dreaming about something pleasant, because the corners of her lips curved up slightly.
Her eyes were closed, long lashes quivering lightly with each breath.
Her long hair was loose and messy on the pillow, looking like a disheveled little cat after a good head scratching.
Qi Mo's intent gaze lingered on her, the endearing tenderness in his eyes seeping out strand by strand.
Unconsciously, he raised his hand and reached out,
his long, tapered fingers bending as they neared her fair, smooth cheek.
Just as the back of his hand was about to make contact, Sheng Mumu's lashes fluttered and her brows furrowed lightly as she mumbled something in her sleep,
"Hmm...blah blah..."
The pale hand hovering in midair froze abruptly.
Confirming that she was still asleep and just restless, the handsome hand moved up along the contours of her face instead.
His fingertips hooked a loose strand of hair bothering her face and gently brushed it back.
Perhaps it was this unruly lock that had disturbed her sleep.
The phone on the nightstand vibrated.
Dong Assistant sent the scheduled itinerary for the day as usual, at eight in the morning every day.
Qi Mo picked up his phone.
Dong Assistant: "Chairman Qi, the morning meeting at nine has been notified to all departments. At two in the afternoon, you have a meeting scheduled with Chief Ji of the Yahong Group at Dianyun Teahouse..."
Qi Mo scanned it briefly without reading it all.
His fingertip lightly tapped the screen as he typed back:
"Postpone the meeting."
He put his phone down.
Qi Mo's gaze fell on Sheng Mumu again.
Her brows were still lightly knitted and her breathing alternated between slow and rapid.
The shadows cast by her long lashes were light and wispy beneath her eyes.
Qi Mo leaned in closer, shifting his broad palm to rest on her back.
Gently patting her, one after another.
After about a minute, when her breathing had evened out, he finally got up to leave.
But just as he was about to head out the door, her sudden mumbled words in her sleep stopped him in his tracks.
Lying curled on her side, cheek smushed against the pillow, Sheng Mumu murmured softly:
"Yacht..."
Qi Mo paused, raising a puzzled brow.
Yacht?
She was dreaming about a yacht?
She likes that?
The next second -
Sheng Mumu's blurred voice came again:
"...fried dough sticks."
Confusion spread across the man's face.
Yacht or fried dough sticks?
Still feeling puzzled, he left for work.
It was half an hour later before Sheng Mumu finally woke up.
She jolted up abruptly from the bed.
Rubbing her bleary eyes, she vaguely recalled the dream she just had and tilted her head, scratching her messy hair.
Muttering softly:
"Bizarre, so bizarre."
She had dreamed about Qi Mo.
In the dream, they were high school students.
Together they rode bikes to school, went to the breakfast stall to buy pancakes with eggs, and the bookstore to buy study guides...
All the scenes she had described yesterday played out vividly in her mind.
Dreams often deviate from reality.
In the dream, they looked like their adult selves.
Yet they were wearing high school uniforms, and the uniforms were even a gaudy pink color.
So...weird.
The last scene she dreamed of before waking was P.E. class.
Qi Mo was drenched in sweat as he twisted open a bottle of mineral water and handed it to her.
Perhaps her dream-self had also sensed something amiss, because she teased him with a laugh:
"Old fried dough stick, why are you wearing something so flashy and pink?"
In the dream, Qi Mo was stunned, raising his brows as he repeated her words, "Old fried dough stick?"
She nodded affirmatively in response:
"Mm-hmm, old fried dough stick."
Sheng Mumu flipped off the blanket cover and shook her head.
No point dwelling on such a fantastical, absurd dream.
After washing up, she went to the dining room.
Accepting the hot milk handed to her by a servant, she took a big gulp.
Just as she was about to ask what was for breakfast today, she didn't see Housekeeper Zhang around.
Soon, she saw Housekeeper Zhang emerge from the kitchen carrying a tray. He set the plate down on the dining table.
Lifting the cover, he respectfully said:
"Mistress, your breakfast."
Sheng Mumu jerked her head up in surprise, choking abruptly.
Because inside was...
Fried dough sticks???
Say fried dough sticks and fried dough sticks appear?
Housekeeper Zhang smiled and said, "Madam, the Master ordered the kitchen to prepare these fried dough sticks for you before he left this morning."
Sheng Mumu: "......"
Unable to decipher Sheng Mumu's bewildered expression, Housekeeper Zhang relied on his many years of experience as a butler to analyze for himself.
Soon, a thought flashed in his mind.
He turned and instructed the servant behind him:
"Have the kitchen bring out the freshly ground soybean milk."
"To go with the fried dough sticks."
Sheng Mumu: "......"
After breakfast, she headed to work.
Her mind was still on the fried dough sticks.
What a coincidence.
Could Qi Mo possibly have telepathy?
After all, transmigration itself has occurred, so telepathy wouldn't be anything strange either.
"Knock knock-"
Just as she was pondering this, her train of thought was interrupted by two knocks on the door.
Sheng Mumu looked up.
Cheng Zhuo was standing at the open office door with a cheerful grin.
Cheng Zhuo came in and placed the company's quarterly sales report on her desk. But instead of leaving immediately, he curiously asked:
"Sis, something on your mind?"
He had noticed her leaning on her hand looking pensive at the door just now.
The corners of Sheng Mumu's lips curved up lightly as she shook her head with a smile. "Nope."
Just idle thinking.
And in fact, with just a little more thought, she would know it wasn't possible.
Seeing her response, Cheng Zhuo still didn't leave. Instead, he pulled up a chair and sat down, an expression of great curiosity on his face as he said:
"Oh right, Sis, do you still remember what I told you last time?"
Sheng Mumu blinked blankly, not knowing what he meant. "What thing?"
Cheng Zhuo: "I said I have an older sister about your age who also has 'Mumu' in her name."
"Oh-" Sheng Mumu recalled it now.
They got interrupted halfway through the conversation last time when Cheng Zhuo's phone rang.
Recalling how panicked and terrified he looked back then, Sheng Mumu's gossip radar was immediately activated.
"What happened anyway? Who called you last time that you were so afraid to answer the phone?"
Cheng Zhuo's eyes lit up.
Sensing this was the perfect chance, he deliberately replied in Cantonese:
"My big bro called."
He said it this way on purpose to test if Sheng Mumu had any childhood memories.
When they were young, he and his sister would address their elder brother this way.
Sheng Mumu froze.
Die lao?
After a few seconds, she understood he meant "big bro".
Suddenly, her brows knitted together.
Two images flashed in her mind.
A long time ago, she had once caught a glimpse of Cheng Zhuo driving a Maserati into a luxury residential complex.
And during the movie premiere, Cheng Zhuo had also arrived in that car.
She had been curious before about how Cheng Zhuo could afford such an expensive car and home while working at her flower shop.
Now, it suddenly dawned on her.
Combining it with what she saw last time - Cheng Zhuo receiving a call from "Big Bro" and looking absolutely terrified.
Sheng Mumu tapped her chin in serious, meticulous analysis.
Growing increasingly convinced of her guess.
Across from her, Cheng Zhuo sat nervously with his hands on his thighs.
His eyes brimmed with anticipation, fervently hoping Sheng Mumu would make some connection to confirm his suspicions.
"Cheng Zhuo, oh Cheng Zhuo-"
Sheng Mumu suddenly spoke up with a profoundly mysterious expression.
"Turns out your family is involved in shady underground activities and you work for Big Bro!"
Cheng Zhuo: "Huhhhhh???"
Sheng Mumu continued imagining: "In order to launder your background, you came to work at the flower shop to create a good, law-abiding citizen image, right?!"
"No, Sis, listen to me." Cheng Zhuo stood up, hands braced on the desk, desperate to explain this huge misunderstanding. "Actually, Big Bro is-"
"Don't tell me!" Sheng Mumu cut him off loudly. "I've seen it in TV dramas, the less I know the better! You absolutely must not tell me!"
She didn't want to know the identity of the mafia boss behind Cheng Zhuo.
Hurriedly covered her ears.
Cheng Zhuo's expression grew increasingly pained and anguished. He desperately wanted to grab Sheng Mumu's shoulders and roar, "Sis, please just listen to my explanation!"
But Sheng Mumu didn't give him the chance. She hustled him out of the office, coaxing and pushing.
Shutting the office door.
Sheng Mumu patted her chest and heaved a long sigh of relief.
"Phew- that was close."
She wanted to be a good, law-abiding citizen and didn't want anything to do with illegal activities.
Just then, her phone on the desk buzzed a few times.
It was a WeChat message from Qi Mo.
Opening it, there was a photo.
The photo showed a luxury yacht docked at the seaside.
Just as Sheng Mumu was about to send a question mark back, her phone vibrated again.
A new message came through.
Qi Mo: "Something you like, for you."
