Anyone who has doubts shall withdraw from the competition.
Racetrack Office
Si Nan and Si Bei were not at all surprised by Si Qingchen’s repeated changes of mind. After all, that “fifth child of the Mu family” was still here.
Si Qingchen himself might not have realized it yet, but the two men who had been at his side all along had seen it perfectly clearly—their boss’s gaze had never once left Mu Qingcheng since it first landed on her. Except for his “oblivion” during the meal, he had followed her almost everywhere she went.
At the moment—
“Settle that person first. I’ll deal with it later,” Si Qingchen ordered.
“Understood, boss,” Si Nan replied respectfully, bowing before turning to leave and take care of the person they’d found in the warehouse. As he exited, he shot a series of meaningful glances at Si Bei, who was standing at the doorway.
The message was obvious: Keep an eye out for anything happening between the boss and Miss Mu.
Si Bei said nothing.
On this side of the room, Si Qingchen stood up. He turned and walked to the floor-to-ceiling glass window, lifting his hand to undo the top two buttons at his collar. His eyes, deep and intense, watched the young woman slowly approaching from a distance, narrowing slightly.
Even from afar, he could see perfectly well how the black attire suited Mu Qingcheng, how naturally it belonged on her.
Indeed, my judgment was not wrong.
From the very first moment he saw Mu Qingcheng, Si Qingchen had keenly sensed that this girl was hiding a part of her true self.
He didn’t know the reason, but he was certain—Mu Qingcheng was far from as simple and unremarkable as she appeared. She was like a glimmer of starlight, shrouded beneath heavy clouds.
At this moment, Si Qingchen suddenly realized that he was irresistibly drawn, compelled to peel back those layers of mist and glimpse the truth beneath.
Almost at the same time, another figure surfaced in his mind—along with a fatal, mesmerizing cinnabar mark glowing under the moonlight, as enchanting as a demon’s charm. Like a brand, it was etched deep into his memory.
Could it be...?
His long fingers, hidden in his pocket, rubbed together thoughtfully. After a moment, he suddenly turned his head and gave an order:
“Si Bei, prepare for Miss Mu to borrow Caesar for the competition.”
“That... isn’t following the rules, boss.”
Watching the small figure hesitating before the stables, Si Qingchen’s usually stern lips curved in a faint, imperious smile as he spoke, brooking no argument.
“If anyone objects, they can simply withdraw from the competition.”
“...Yes, understood. I’ll take care of it right away.”
Si Bei no longer hesitated, nodded, and left the room. He hadn’t expected that once his usually clueless boss started making a move, he could be so effortlessly captivating—without even realizing it!
Meanwhile, elsewhere—
At the competition grounds
Mu Qingcheng stood before the stables, carefully selecting a horse for the upcoming competition. Yet the remaining horses were all lacking; for a moment, she was truly at a loss.
At that moment, Qin Beichu appeared by her side, speaking softly.
“Mu Qingcheng, I can lend you my horse if you’d like.”
“No need,” Mu Qingcheng declined instantly, without giving it a second thought.
Even without turning around, she could already feel a piercing gaze—one that had grown particularly fierce since Qin Beichu appeared—fixed intently upon her.
Shifting her eyes ever so slightly, she spotted Ran Siya standing some distance away, blatantly glaring in her direction.
“You and Ran Siya...” Mu Qingcheng looked helplessly at Qin Beichu.
He waved his hand dismissively and answered with easy candor, “We’re just ordinary classmates. Siya is a very kind girl.”
“Kind? Are you sure?”
“Mm, she’s a good, well-behaved junior. Why?”
“Ha—nothing.” Mu Qingcheng was left utterly speechless, turning away to ignore this naive and clueless campus heartthrob.
Just as Qin Beichu was about to speak again, a familiar male voice cut in ahead of him.
“Miss Mu, my boss says you may borrow Caesar for the competition.”