Chapter 23: Unintended Blessings

Fu Jianzhi watched with interest as Mu Ruo took a big bite of her sandwich, only to be left red-faced and choking.

Butler Li, suppressing a laugh, moved to get Mu Ruo a glass of water. Mu Ruo, however, grabbed the nearby milk and took a sip.

After a while, she managed to recover.

For some reason, Fu Jianzhi thought this woman was a bit foolish, but in a way, it was somewhat endearing.

For example, it made him smile.

Fu Jianzhi did smile, but Mu Ruo was left feeling tearful and frustrated.

She knew her luck was bad.

Stuck in a poorly written novel, playing the role of a tragic villainess, she even managed to choke on a bite of food.

While eating, Mu Ruo’s phone rang.

The screen displayed “Zhou Jian,” and Mu Ruo answered the call.

In the quiet dining room, Zhou Jian’s loud voice came through the phone, clear enough for everyone to hear.

“Ruo Ruo, Beichen’s birthday is in a few days. What are you planning to get him as a gift?”

Mu Ruo glanced at Fu Jianzhi’s expression.

Regarding the matter of “his new wife being infatuated with another man,” Fu Jianzhi had always shown no reaction.

As long as it wasn’t obsession like Zhou Niannian’s twisted schemes against him, Fu Jianzhi was perfectly fine with it.

Mu Ruo suppressed the urge to respond with “a coffin” and said, “Hmm, I’m still thinking about it.”

“What are you thinking about? The longer you think, the more secure that b**ch Xia Wanwan’s position becomes,” Zhou Jian said loudly. “I’ve found out Xia Wanwan’s recent schedule. Should we kidnap her and make her miss Beichen’s birthday?”

Mu Ruo: “Huh?”

In the original text, the white moonlight and her two sidekicks indeed engaged in many illegal activities.

On the eve of Lu Beichen’s birthday, Mu Ruo and Zhou Jian bribed people to kidnap Xia Wanwan and leave her in an abandoned warehouse for a day and a night, making her miss Lu Beichen’s birthday party.

When Lu Beichen’s birthday arrived, Mu Ruo would stir up trouble, claiming Xia Wanwan didn’t care about him and even forgot his birthday.

Lu Beichen would get angry, and once Xia Wanwan was released, no matter how she explained, he wouldn’t believe her.

Afterward, Mu Ruo would stay by Lu Beichen’s side, acting as a gentle and understanding partner, almost getting into his good graces.

Zhou Jian, seeing Mu Ruo’s silence, added, “Or we could just deal with her permanently?”

Mu Ruo: “…”

Dude, in real life, doing that would land you in prison.

Although Zhou Jian indeed ended up in prison in the novel.

For a malicious supporting character walking the line of criminality, Mu Ruo, sharing a sense of sympathy, chose to offer a helping hand if she could.

In front of her legally married husband Fu Jianzhi, Mu Ruo couldn’t directly say she had lost interest in Lu Beichen.

If Fu Jianzhi discovered she no longer loved Lu Beichen, his paranoid and narcissistic nature might lead him to suspect she had fallen for him, which could result in him reducing her allowance.

Mu Ruo hesitated for a moment: “Zhou Jian, I’ve always been seen as a pure and kind goddess in Beichen’s eyes. It wouldn’t be good to do that… I’m afraid he would get angry with me if he found out.”

Upon hearing Mu Ruo describe herself as “pure and kind,” Fu Jianzhi’s eyes showed a hint of amusement.

On the other end of the line, Zhou Jian was stunned.

Mu Ruo continued, “Beichen’s birthday is a major event. I will prepare a surprise for him that will definitely be better than Xia Wanwan’s. I’ll make sure to touch his heart. Don’t worry.”

Zhou Jian remained silent and quietly hung up the phone.

Mu Ruo looked at her phone and sighed with relief.

Fu Jianzhi put down his coffee cup, his voice laced with a smile: “Seeing others troubled by love is really…”

Fu Jianzhi considered his words carefully, trying not to say anything too harsh to a lady.

“—It’s truly an interesting matter.”

Mu Ruo couldn’t help but clench her fists at the man’s mockery.

She clenched them for a moment before letting go.

Never mind.

It wasn’t surprising that the big boss was mocking her.

She found her own situation rather amusing as well.

Mu Ruo said, “Mr. Fu might have never loved anyone or been loved by anyone, so he resorts to mockery.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Mu Ruo noticed that Fu Jianzhi’s gaze had turned back to how it was last night.

His entire demeanor had changed.

Butler Li, noticing this, quickly spoke up: “Sir, it’s time for you to head to the company. The driver is waiting outside.”

Fu Jianzhi turned and left.

Butler Li, unsure of what to say to Mu Ruo, was at a loss.

He knew that Mu Ruo’s earlier comment was unintentional and even had a joking tone.

Sometimes, unintentional remarks can bear unexpected truths.

The next day, Mu Ruo met with Haili’s aunt.

Haili’s aunt was an executive in the entertainment industry and had recently shared that a renowned director was casting for a role but couldn’t find a suitable actor.

Mu Ruo, now in the novel, didn’t want to spend her days aimlessly, making trouble for Xia Wanwan as her main occupation, as per the original plot.

She still wanted to do something.

Having her own pursuits meant less focus on others.

In case the big boss suddenly decided to kick her out, she wouldn’t be left without a path forward.

So when Haili’s aunt mentioned this opportunity, Mu Ruo expressed her interest in trying.

When Du Yue arrived, Mu Ruo had already been waiting in the café for more than ten minutes.

Initially, Du Yue didn’t like Mu Ruo much.

She knew her niece got along well with Mu Ruo, but Mu Ruo seemed to treat Haili more like a subordinate.

A few days ago, Du Yue saw Haili and Mu Ruo together and realized she didn’t quite understand Haili’s friends. Compared to those Haili had been with before, Mu Ruo seemed to be genuinely caring.

Today, Du Yue deliberately arrived a bit late and noticed the young woman quietly sitting by the window, showing no signs of impatience.

Du Yue’s opinion of her improved.

She approached and sat down: “Ruo Ruo, sorry I’m late; I was delayed on the road.”

Du Yue talked about the director she knew, the script, and the character requirements.

Finally, Du Yue said: “Ruo Ruo, your appearance is very suitable. However, you lack acting experience and are not from a professional school. The director has very high standards for acting, and it might be difficult for a newcomer to catch his eye. If you really want to pursue this, I suggest you explore other avenues.”

Mu Ruo responded, “Aunt Du, I’d like to give it a try first.”

She approached it as if applying for a job, just like before, quietly filming and keeping to her own affairs without engaging in excessive activities.

Mu Ruo had acted for many years and was quite confident in her skills.

Du Yue smiled: “Alright then, give it a try. I wish you success.”

Though she said this, Du Yue didn’t really believe Mu Ruo could pass the director’s scrutiny.

Sometimes, a pretty face alone isn’t enough to make it in this business.