You must pay this money back someday

Xu Qingyan wrapped both arms around Mu Xu Xi, shielding her.

Lu Shengjun was furious that Xu Qingyan had suddenly rushed over. "Xu Qingyan, get out of the way."

Xu Qingyan took two steps back with Mu Xu Xi. "No. You promised you wouldn't do anything if Xi Xi turned you down. That was the only reason I agreed to ask her out here."

Lu Shengjun pointed at Xu Qingyan. "Fine. Just great. Have you forgotten about your mother, lying in a hospital bed waiting for you to save her life?"

Xu Qingyan lowered her eyes, at a loss for what to do.

Mu Xu Xi asked, "Do you really think of me as your best friend?"

Xu Qingyan met Mu Xu Xi's eyes and slowly nodded.

"But I can't help being jealous of you. You can buy whatever you want. Your monthly allowance is more than my family could save in years without spending a single cent. My mother needs treatment, but we can't even scrape together a hundred thousand yuan. I... I... I'm sorry. I thought all Senior Lu wanted to do was confess his feelings. That was why I asked you to come."

"If you think of me as your best friend, why didn't you come to me when you needed help? We've known each other for seven years. Do you really think I'm the kind of person who would leave someone to die?"

Xu Qingyan said nothing, only shaking her head desperately.

Yan Wen sighed and interrupted the three of them. "Senior Lu, my third sister doesn't like you. She's turned you down, so you can leave now."

Lu Shengjun turned on Xu Qingyan. "So you don't want that hundred thousand yuan anymore? Don't forget your mother is waiting for you to save her life."

Yan Wen waved a hand. "You don't need to worry about that. We'll handle it ourselves."

Lu Shengjun stormed off, making sure to leave a few threats behind.

Xiao Qi asked, Host, what should we do with that video?

Yan Wen chuckled. Keep it for now. If he dares to go too far, it'll come in handy. Right now, we need to deal with the problem in front of us.

Mu Xu Xi asked Xu Qingyan, "What illness does your mother have?"

Xu Qingyan choked back tears. "It's a liver problem, but they caught it early. The doctor said it isn't too serious and surgery will fix it. But we can't put it off for too long. The sooner, the better."

Mu Xu Xi nodded. "I understand. Didn't you say it made you feel uneasy when I lent you money before and wouldn't let you pay it back? Then write me an IOU this time. I'll lend you the hundred thousand yuan, and you must pay it back someday."

Xu Qingyan nodded desperately, full of gratitude. "Okay, okay. I will. I'll definitely pay you back. Xi Xi, thank you, thank you... I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."

Yan Wen was feeling moved by their friendship when Xiao Qi suddenly spoke. Host, Xu Qingyan's life has changed.

What changed?

Mu Xu Xi and Xu Qingyan will graduate without a hitch in three months. Xu Qingyan will also join a Fortune 500 company. Her solid knowledge and skills, along with her hardworking attitude, will earn her bosses' appreciation. Her base salary will be five hundred thousand yuan every six months!

Really?! Things were already looking up for her family, and this makes them even better. You can actually see other people's futures directly now?

After all the juicy gossip I've enjoyed with you lately, the system upgraded again.

Excellent. Let's go home. This mountain is a pain to climb.

Mu Xu Xi said, "Let's visit your mother at the hospital in a few days. We need to spend the next three months preparing properly for graduation. We can't let anything go wrong."

It was already nine in the evening when the two of them got home.

Mu Huai'an happened to be coming downstairs. Seeing them, he deliberately remarked, “You're only getting back now? Xiao Wen, you're a boy, so it's fine for you to stay out late. But our third sister is a girl. Isn't it inappropriate to have her out having fun with you this late? What if something happened?”

Yan Wen inwardly rolled his eyes. Isn't it inappropriate? What if something happened? If your brain doesn't work, don't come out and embarrass yourself.

Mu Xu Xi frowned. “Xiao Wen came out to keep me company today. Why are you making it sound like he dragged me out to mess around?”

Mu Huai'an forced a smile. “Well, I forgot. Xiao Wen, I'm sorry.”

Yan Wen ignored him. After saying good night to Mu Xu Xi, he went to his room to rest.

The Gao Family residence, Hai City.

Gao Zhen was kicked to the floor by the man standing before him. "You ungrateful son! You've ruined the Gao Family!"

Enduring the dull pain in his chest, Gao Zhen got up and knelt again. "Dad, my plan should have been foolproof. I don't know how Mu Xu Ci found out."

"You still have the nerve to say that! You bastard! You offended the Mu Family, and Chairman Mu has ordered all cooperation with us canceled. The company has lost nearly two billion yuan! You... you useless bastard, all you ever do is make things worse! I'll beat you to death!"

Gao Jianwei snatched the whip from the servant standing nearby and lashed Gao Zhen without mercy.

After only a few lashes, Gao Zhen could no longer bear it and cried for help. "Mom! Mom, I was wrong! Please talk Dad out of this, or he'll beat me to death!"

Zhao Zhi could not bear to watch her son being beaten and stopped her husband. "Enough. Even if you beat him to death, it won't change anything. We should find a way to solve the problem."

Gao Jianwei threw down the whip. "Solve it? How? The company has lost nearly two billion yuan, and even our stock is starting to fall. How are we supposed to recover?"

"We should apologize to the Mu Family and minimize our losses. That's our best option right now. After all our years of working together, they should show us some consideration."

Gao Jianwei rubbed his brow. "That's our only option. In a couple of days, I'll take this bastard over to apologize."

Zhao Zhi told the servant to help Gao Zhen up. "Stay home and behave yourself for the next two days. Then go with your father to apologize to the Mu Family. As long as you apologize sincerely, Second Young Master Mu will forgive you for the sake of your years of friendship."

"Understood, Mom, Dad. I'll go back to my room now."

Once Gao Zhen returned to his room, several messages arrived on his phone in quick succession.

They were from Bai Qianqian.

[We're in this together now. Don't think you can wash your hands of it.]

[Don't forget, you came up with this plan. If anyone goes to prison, it'll be you!]

[You have to cover my hospital bills, too.]

Gao Zhen hurled his phone onto the bed. The movement pulled at the wounds on his back, making him grimace in pain.

Gao Zhen ordered a servant to summon the doctor. Only after the doctor had applied medicine and left did he pick up his phone again. "Bai Qianqian, you're asking for death!"

Yan Wen had slept well the night before, without a single dream.

Mu Huai'an, however, looked as though he had barely slept. He sat distracted at the breakfast table, all because of the dream he had had the night before.

In the dream, Mu Xingfeng, Xie Yunshu, and the rest of the family had all stood by Yan Wen and turned around to throw him out of the Mu Family. Their disgusted expressions and words had felt so real.

I can't let that happen. Yan Wen should be the one thrown out of the Mu Family!

Mu Xu Xi asked with concern, "Huai'an, what's wrong? You don't look well."

Mu Huai'an came back to his senses. "I'm fine, Third Sister. I just didn't sleep well last night."

Mu Xingfeng asked, "Yan Wen, would you like to come take a look around the company with Dad today?"

Yan Wen was puzzled. "What would I go there for?"

"What's wrong with taking a look at your own family's company? We can use the opportunity to introduce you to everyone there."

"All right, then."

Xiao Qi grew excited. Host, there's some seriously juicy gossip at the company! I guarantee it'll be exciting!

Really?! Then I definitely have to go!

Mu Xu Xi hurriedly said, "Dad, I want to visit the company, too. I haven't been there in ages."

Mu Xu Ci chimed in, "I'd like to take a look, too."

Xie Yunshu said, "If all of you go and I don't, I'll feel left out. I'll come, too."

Mu Xingfeng was speechless. If they wanted to go enjoy the gossip, they could just say so. Why make so many excuses?

"All right, all right. Everyone can come. Huai'an, are you coming with us or staying home?"

Mu Huai'an smiled. "I'll come, too. If everyone else is going, I don't want to stay home alone."

Yan Wen had been back for less than a month, yet he had already won over the entire Mu Family. Mu Huai'an knew that if he did not start taking action, that dream would become reality sooner or later.