Once Mu Wan saw that the company had stabilized, she finally put the plan to form a symphony orchestra on the agenda. After all, with an orchestra, she could hold concerts. In the beginning, they wouldn’t even need to rent a venue—just use the company’s small music hall. Tickets could be sold at a lower price, and later, when they grew bigger, they could rent the Grand Hall at the First Music Auditorium.

As soon as the news about forming a symphony orchestra spread, all the musicians at Jian Jia were thrilled.

First, joining the company’s orchestra symbolized being among the top-tier musicians. Second, being part of the orchestra would mean a salary increase, and as the orchestra gained fame, their personal value in the market would also rise. In short, there were many benefits.

Having taken on yet another major project, Mu Wan became incredibly busy, often not even having time to eat. When Kuang Ye found out, he immediately paid the cook at the ST base a sum of money, asking her to deliver meals to Mu Wan three times a day to ensure she wouldn’t harm her health from skipping meals.

The employees at Jian Jia were once again envious when they heard.
– “Our boss is beautiful, talented, comes from a wealthy family, and her boyfriend pampers her to no end. What a true winner in life.”
– “And she’s so kind to her employees! I heard from Finance that the company is hiring a chef and a barista. Soon, employees will be able to eat at work and have unlimited afternoon tea.”
– “You can tell she’s got vision. I found out that renting this villa costs hundreds of thousands a month. Yet, she didn’t hesitate. Without it, the company wouldn’t have expanded so quickly.”
– “I swear loyalty to our boss for life!”
– “I wonder when Wild God will return. I need my dose of CP moments.”

In the villa’s lounge area, Mu Wan stepped out to make a call and happened to overhear the employees gossiping. She didn’t interrupt. After all, it was lunchtime, and even the most approachable boss needed to give employees their space.

As she recalled the call from Yuan Weiwei earlier, guilt crept in. She had promised to accompany her to break off her engagement but had completely forgotten while handling the company’s affairs. Finally, they decided to visit the Yuan family villa the next afternoon.

—

The next day arrived in no time.

Mu Wan drove to the Yuan family villa, where Yuan Weiwei was already waiting. Dressed in a white down jacket, her nose was red from the cold, and she hopped from foot to foot to stay warm.

As a spoiled heiress who had never endured the slightest discomfort even in winter, this was likely her first taste of such hardship.

“You’re so late!” Yuan Weiwei complained as soon as Mu Wan got out of the car. “I’ve been waiting forever!”

Mu Wan turned to get back in her car. “Then I’ll leave.”

Yuan Weiwei quickly grabbed her, pulling her out like uprooting a radish. Despite their past rivalry, she felt awkward being so close to her now.
“I said the wrong thing! I’m sorry, okay? Let’s go. My dad’s home, you go in first.”

Mu Wan snorted coldly. “Only because you’re paying me.”
Yuan Weiwei nodded eagerly. “Yes, yes, because I’m paying you.”

The two walked into the villa, and the warmth inside quickly dispelled the chill. Yuan’s father was sitting on the sofa, reading a financial newspaper. When he saw Mu Wan standing next to his daughter, he thought he was dreaming.

Weren’t these two always at odds?

Nevertheless, as a polite elder, he warmly greeted her.
“Wan wan, what brings you here? Come in and have a seat. Would you like something to drink? I’ll have the servant prepare it.”

Mu Wan greeted him respectfully as “Uncle Yuan” and asked for a simple cup of coffee.

Then the three of them sat in awkward silence. With the lady of the house out shopping, there was no one to ease the tension. Mu Wan kept giving Yuan Weiwei subtle signals.

“You say it!”
Yuan Weiwei kept her head down, sipping her drink.
“I don’t dare!”

Mu Wan: ???

Frustrated, Mu Wan got up, prepared to speak on Yuan Weiwei’s behalf, but the latter mistook her actions as leaving and quickly pushed her back into her seat.

Caught off guard, Mu Wan almost spilled her coffee. Yuan Weiwei apologized hurriedly.
“Sorry! That wasn’t intentional!”

Father Yuan frowned and scolded lightly, “Stop being so careless.” Then, in a more serious tone, he asked, “What’s going on? Don’t think I can’t see you two silently communicating. Wan wan, if you’ve come to the Yuan family, just say what’s on your mind. Did Weiwei cause some trouble again?”

The two girls hadn’t expected their little gestures to be so transparent to Father Yuan. They sat there awkwardly. Yuan Weiwei braced herself to speak when the sound of a car braking echoed outside.

Moments later, Kuang Shuyu walked in. Seeing Yuan Weiwei, his face lit up with delight.
“Weiwei, don’t be mad anymore. I bought us cruise tickets. Let’s go on a trip—”

He stopped mid-sentence when he noticed Mu Wan standing beside her.
“Why are you here?”

Walking up to Yuan Weiwei, he looked hurt.
“Weiwei, I’m your fiancé. How could you trust an outsider over me? I’ve told you before—I will never betray you, and I’ve never had feelings for Mu Wan.”

Yuan Weiwei, emboldened in Kuang Shuyu’s presence, was no longer the timid girl in front of her father. She struck back fiercely.

“Kuang Shuyu, don’t you understand what I’m saying? I told you I want to break off the engagement. Don’t come to my house anymore. We’re done!”

Father Yuan finally sensed that the situation wasn’t as simple as it seemed. His tone grew heavier.
“Weiwei, what’s this about breaking off the engagement?”