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A long time ago, Lin Mumu mentioned that she wasn’t single, but she never clearly stated whether she had a boyfriend or a girlfriend.
Now, the truth was finally revealed.
But this raised another crucial question—did Lin Mumu have anything to do with Wen Zhihan?
Guan Yan was Lin Mumu’s girlfriend, so the two of them may have known each other much earlier than Shao Cixin anticipated.
And Guan Yan’s boss happened to be Wen Zhihan, which led Shao Cixin to subconsciously connect Lin Mumu to Wen Zhihan.
Lin Mumu appeared after her former assistant was transferred.
At the time, Rong Ya said that the company had personally made the arrangements to select a capable new assistant for her.
There was no problem with this process. It was actually very common in the industry.
But once Wen Zhihan’s name became involved, the situation developed an air of subtlety. Was this really the company’s arrangement, unrelated to anything else?
Did Wen Zhihan really not play a role in any of this?
Was Lin Mumu someone sent by Wen Zhihan?
If so, why did Wen Zhihan do this? Did she start paying attention to Shao Cixin before their marriage?
Questions kept coming, one after another, and Shao Cixin’s mind gradually became a mess, making her more and more confused.
She couldn’t be 100% sure.
As a human being, she was afraid of overthinking it. What if the whole situation had nothing to do with Wen Zhihan from beginning to end? What if Lin Mumu got together with Guan Yan after Shao Cixin broke up with Wen Yu?
The facts were too delicate and sudden, making her want to stay on her toes.
Shao Cixin frowned as she glanced at the two people hugging in the distance.
This location was relatively remote. If Shao Cixin hadn’t been playing with her phone and not paying attention to where she was going, she wouldn’t have walked up in a daze, let alone accidentally bumped into this scene.
The surroundings were secluded and there were few people around. It seemed like Lin Mumu and Guan Yan didn’t want to be discovered.
Thinking of this, Shao Cixin narrowed her beautiful eyes, quietly looked at the two of them, then turned around and walked in the other direction without bothering them.
She didn’t want to disturb other people’s good things, but she couldn’t let this situation go either.
She decided that she would talk to Lin Mumu about it later.
She took out her phone and sent a message: [Mumu, today’s filming ended early. It’s cold, and I’m heading back to the hotel first. Come up and see me when you’re free. I have to talk to you about something.]
After sending the message and putting away her phone, Shao Cixin looked up at the warm afternoon sun and continued to walk forward on the snowy path.
She hoped that she could find a satisfactory answer.
Lin Mumu reluctantly said goodbye to Guan Yan.
Guan Yan had been on a business trip these last few days and happened to be passing by the city where Shao Cixin was filming, so she made a special trip to see her girlfriend.
They rarely had the chance to see each other and were separated often. But absence only made the heart grow fonder.
“Be careful on your way back.” Lin Mumu held her lover’s hand, reluctant to let go. “When you get home, remember to video call me so I know you arrived safely.”
Guan Yan typically had a cold-faced and a reticent personality, but after meeting her cute girlfriend whom she was always thinking about, she unconsciously wanted to talk a little more. She wanted to tell Lin Mumu how much she loved her and how she couldn’t bear to leave her.
She started giving Lin Mumu a bunch of small instructions, thoughtful comments like putting on more clothes and staying warm during the winter. Then, she finally said, “I will send you a message as soon as I get to the hotel. Don’t worry.”
“Okay.”
“Go back, it’s cold.”
“Okay…”
Lin Mumu responded like a stubborn child who refused to obey, still unwilling to let go.
When Guan Yu saw this, the coldness in her eyes suddenly dissipated like a gentle spring in winter.
She leaned forward and kissed her lover on the lips.
“Mumu, I will miss you very much.”
“Me too.”
Lin Mumu returned the kiss, then slowly let go of Guan Yu’s hands. She gazed longingly at Guan Yu’s figure as the other woman walked towards the parking lot.
Then she saw Guan Yu turn back.
Guan Yu ran back to her and hugged her tightly, unwilling to let go.
Lin Mumu loved seeing Guan Yu’s special affection for her the most. When Guan Yu was like this, it was very cute and charming, making Lin Mumu feel twice as happy.
“Alright, you have to go. It’s okay. I will be back in Fengcheng in a few days. Sister Rong wants to give Cixin a holiday, and then I’ll have some leisure time to visit,” Lin Mumu soothed. “It just so happens that Guanglan also has the New Year’s Day weekend off, right? I’ll stay with you for those three days.”
She asked, “President Wen won’t ask you to work during the holidays, right?”
“No, she isn’t willing to save her work for vacations.” Guan Yan kissed Lin Mumu’s forehead and said confidently, “These days, she’s even busier than us.”
Lin Mumu nodded her head empathetically. “Go back and tell President Wen that I will take good care of Cixin and fulfill my duties as an assistant, so there’s no need to worry.”
Guan Yan replied, “Okay.”
Lin Mumu and Guan Yan hugged each other for a while before finally saying their goodbyes.
After sending her girlfriend away, Lin Mumu turned to find Shao Cixin.
She walked through the hotel doors and into the elevator. Then she pressed the correct floor button and waited patiently.
A few minutes later, she found herself standing in front of Shao Cixin’s hotel room door.
Knock knock.
She knocked on the door twice and said, “Cixin, it’s me. Mumu.”
The door opened from the inside, revealing Shao Cixin’s beautiful features.
Shao Cixin had just finished washing her face with warm water, and her eyelashes were still stained with shiny water drops. While casually wiping herself, she smiled and said, “You’re here. Come in, come in.”
Then she turned around and walked further into the room. “Close the door for me.”
Lin Mumu entered the room and closed the door behind her as Shao Cixin instructed.
As she followed Shao Cixin into the hotel room, she heard Shao Cixin say, “Mumu, I have a question for you. You must answer it truthfully.”
Lin Mumu said without any precautions, “Of course. Ask away.”
Shao Cixin put down her towel. Then she turned around and looked at Lin Mumu with a smile as bright as a flower.
“What is your relationship with Wen Zhihan’s assistant Guan Yan?”
The sound of Guan Yan’s familiar name dropped into Lin Mumu’s heart like a huge stone, causing it to tremble. Her eyes couldn’t help but widen.
She was stunned. She forced herself to calm down.
“Cixin, what are you talking about? What kind of relationship could we have?”
As she took in Lin Mumu’s expression, Shao Cixin slowly sat down on her sofa. She had a vague idea about the answer. As she thought, this situation must not be simple. Otherwise, there was no need for Lin Mumu to deny it so intensely.
Shao Cixin didn’t want to beat around the bush anymore.
“Mumu,” she said softly, tapping her eyes, “I just saw it, so there’s no need to lie to me.”
Lin Mumu: “…”
She was caught red-handed[1]!
Shao Cixin motioned for Lin Mumu to sit down and relax. Then she looked at her while she cupped her chin in her hand.
“Don’t be nervous. It’s okay, you are free to love. I won’t blame you for falling in love with Assistant Guan. If you two get married, I will still attend your wedding and give you your wedding gifts.
“I’m just curious about one thing right now.
“Tell me, were you sent by Wen Zhihan?”
Lin Mumu: “…”
Unexpectedly, Shao Cixin guessed in this direction.
Lin Mumu rubbed her knee helplessly, her expression conflicted. She couldn’t make up her mind about this situation.
Wen Zhihan had repeatedly told Lin Mumu not to let Shao Cixin know that she was actually working for her—that is, Wen Zhihan herself.
Yet not only did Shao Cixin coincidentally bump into her and Guan Yan, but she was even able to put everything together so quickly!
At this moment, Shao Cixin was gazing at Lin Mumu with a burning gaze.
“Mumu, I will be lenient if you confess and stern if you resist,” she said.
“I can tell if you are lying to me.”
“…”
Lin Mumu was speechless.
After thinking about it, she decided to take one last stand—let President Wen herself decide whether to confess or not!
“Cixin, since you already suspect that I have a connection to President Wen, then why don’t you go ahead and…ask President Wen yourself?”
This was Lin Mumu’s way of giving Wen Zhihan a message.
At the very least, Lin Mumu needed to let Wen Zhihan know that she had been exposed, so Wen Zhihan could make a judgment on how to face Shao Cixin later.
If Wen Zhihan denied it, Lin Mumu would also deny it.
If Wen Zhihan admitted it, then the matter would naturally be handled by Wen Zhihan.
This was the best way to deal with the situation at the moment.
Shao Cixin raised her eyebrows slightly.
In reality, she already knew from Lin Mumu’s previous reaction that her guess had been correct, but since Lin Mumu wanted her to go to Wen Zhihan, she would satisfy her this once.
Shao Cixin also wanted to hear what Wen Zhihan would say.
So she got up, found her phone, and called Wen Zhihan in front of Lin Mumu.
The call did not connect as quickly as she expected, and the owner of the number didn’t seem to be free.
But two minutes later, a familiar voice finally came from the receiver.
“Cixin,” Wen Zhihan asked softly, “What’s wrong”
Shao Cixin parted her lips slightly and said, “Wen Zhihan.”
When Lin Mumu knew that the call was connected, she couldn’t help but pray in her heart.
She hoped that Wen Zhihan wouldn’t blame her after knowing the truth.
She never could’ve expected that Shao Cixin would finish work early, nor could she have predicted that Shao Cixin would bump into them by mistake.
If you asked her, they had really met in a very secluded place!
Shao Cixin observed Lin Mumu’s reaction, then looked away and said without changing her expression, “Wen Zhihan, I have a question that I need you to answer. Can you answer it?”
She spoke in a very normal tone of voice, neither too high nor too low.
But this aura of calmness coming from the usually airy Shao Cixin made Wen Zhihan uneasy, as if she could sense an element of danger in the air.
“I can. Go ahead,” Wen Zhihan replied anyway.
Shao Cixin pursed her lips and gently touched the phone with her cold white jade fingers. She heard herself say, “Tell me the truth. Was Mumu sent by you?”
After the question left her mouth, she became nervous herself.
She didn’t know how Wen Zhihan would answer, so she began to anxiously anticipate Wen Zhihan’s answer.
But her first response was Wen Zhihan’s silence, as if Wen Zhihan didn’t know how to answer Shao Cixin’s question.
On the other side of the phone, Wen Zhihan’s heart suddenly seized.
She didn’t expect this day to come so quickly. The day when she finally couldn’t find a way to cover fire with paper.[2]
While she had mentally prepared for this eventuality, she still found herself consumed by worry and unease. Now that the day had arrived, her heart thundered at the thoughts of the consequences. She could lose everything.
She wanted to deny it, but she also didn’t want to deny it. At the same time, she was already in a position where she was unable to play pretend.
Shao Cixin’s tone sounded very determined, and she would not believe any excuses.
By coincidence, Lin Mumu had accidentally exposed her, as if the heavens didn’t want her to keep it a secret anymore.
Then let’s not hide it. She couldn’t keep it hidden for a lifetime. It just so happened that this was also an opportunity to see how much Shao Cixin would tolerate her.
But there was no time now.
Wen Zhihan glanced at her watch, then looked in the direction of the conference room. Her thoughts changed, and she said, “Cixin, you will be back in a few days. Let’s discuss this when you come back, okay?
“We can talk face to face.”
She was not denying or evading it, so her response could be considered an indirect admission.
Hearing that Wen Zhihan had no intention of escaping, Shao Cixin felt relieved. She said, “You’re out of time right now?”
Wen Zhihan said, “Yes, I’m in a meeting. I’ve been very busy lately.”
Shao Cixin seized the opportunity to ask, “Then when I return, will you tell me everything I want to know?”
Wen Zhihan promised, “Yes, I will tell you everything[3].”
Shao Cixin was satisfied. “Then I won’t disturb you any longer. You should return to what you were doing.”
“Okay.”
The call ended.
Wen Zhihan looked down at her phone, her eyebrows gradually relaxing.
…It didn’t sound like Shao Cixin was angry?
Shao Cixin put down her phone. She turned her gaze to Lin Mumu. She crossed her hands across her chest and said with a light laugh, “She admitted it.”
Shao Cixin set down her phone and looked at Lin Mumu, a shine in her eyes. She crossed her arms and said with a light laugh, “She admitted it.”
Then Shao Cixin asked tentatively, “Mumu, did she send you to monitor me? To report everything I say and do to her?”
Lin Mumu waved her hands hurriedly. “How could that be possible? President Wen really just asked me to be your assistant and help you. Her conscience was as clean as the heaven and earth[4]!”
Shao Cixin seized the opportunity to ask, “Then why did she ask you to help me?
“—Does she like me?”
—Please say yes!
As long as Lin Mumu dared to say “yes,” Shao Cixin dared to dial Wen Zhihan right away and call her “wife!”
But Lin Mumu blinked and responded earnestly, “I don’t know.”
“?”
“President Wen didn’t tell me the reason. She said I didn’t need to know too much, and that I was being paid to do work, not ask questions.”
“…”
“She hadn’t said the answer herself, so I can’t answer for her.”
“…”
In the end, Shao Cixin still had to ask Wen Zhihan.
Shao Cixin lowered her eyes and touched her chin, her mind turning.
Shao Cixin didn’t really believe that Wen Zhihan was a saint who did things without any selfish motives, so discovering her involvement with Lin Mumu gave her great motivation and confidence.
She didn’t want to hide it anymore.
When she returned to Fengcheng, she would directly confront Wen Zhihan. Not only to clarify Lin Mumu’s situation but also to determine if Wen Zhihan had feelings for her or not!
Shao Cixin’s heart rate rose.
With one swing, let’s see if they could last three years or a lifetime!
The author (热到昏厥) has something to say:
She’s rushing in, she’s rushing in!
[1] Here, Lin Mumu actually says “百密一疏” (bǎi mì yī shū), which roughly translates into something like “one hundred secrets, one negligence.” It’s a Chinese idiom that refers to the idea that “even the most careful can still make mistakes” or that “something was missed even in the most sophisticated plan.” But I thought the English idiom “being caught red-handed” is a fun twist which flows better within the text in translation.
[2] “纸包不住火” (zhǐ bāo bù zhù huǒ) or “Paper cannot contain fire” is a proverb which means that the facts could no longer be concealed.
[3] Here, Wen Zhihan says “知无不言” (zhī wú bù yán), which can be literally translated as “saying all that [you] know.” It’s a Chinese idiom that means that a person will speak freely and without reservation.
[4] 天地良心 (tiān dì liáng xīn) is a Chinese idiom that you could literally translate as “Heaven and Earth conscience.” It describes someone who has a clear conscience and refers to a upright and moral character.
