Chapter 213 212: Sleep in My Room

"Xue'Er," Elder Li said, "Mu Lin's medical skills are incredible. Let him give your neck a massage."

"You two are practically an old married couple. You've already slept together, so what's the big deal about him touching your neck?"

Li Xue shuddered. He had really hit a raw nerve.

'Did Grandpa suddenly ask that because he's figured something out?'

Although she was extremely reluctant, she had no choice but to lower her hands and present her neck to Mu Lin.

Mu Lin placed his hands on her slender neck and began a simple, gentle massage.

Then, he let go.

Li Xue immediately felt a wave of relief wash over her, the fog in her mind instantly lifting.

"That feels so much better," she couldn't help but admit.

Elder Li said with a hearty laugh,

"See? I told you Mu Lin's medical skills were amazing, and you didn't believe me."

Now that she was feeling much better, Li Xue's mind began to race. "The more I think about it, the fishier this whole thing seems. Why would this happen out of nowhere?"

Mu Lin said, "Do you have anyone you suspect?"

Li Xue raised her head and stared blankly for a moment before replying, "No."

Mu Lin nodded. "Alright, then. We should probably try to stall for time while we use this opportunity to scramble for other building material suppliers."

'I remember the Li Group's supplier has always been Xiaowang,' he thought. 'He's usually so compliant. Has he gotten bold after just a few days of no contact? Is he looking for trouble?'

'I'll give him a call later and find out.'

Li Xue sighed in frustration. "Our Li Group is the new rising star in the Nanjiang Business Community. Countless people are watching us. If we stumble over something like this, the Li Group's credibility will be shattered!"

"We might have gotten that investment from Zhu Qiyu, and things may look hopeful, but don't forget this is his first foray into the construction industry. If a problem crops up, his first reaction will be to pull his funding. At that point, where would the Li Group find the money to keep operating?"

"Besides, I'm sure the financial media is already watching us like hawks. They'll pounce on and expose the tiniest bit of negative news."

"Dad has been up all night trying to find new suppliers, but ultimately, it's not that simple."

A sigh.

The rest of the meal was quite somber, but Li Xue still assured Elder Li that she would resolve the matter properly.

After dinner, Mu Lin watched some TV with Elder Li and played a game of chess with him. Once he saw Mrs. Li helping Elder Li upstairs, he stepped out into the courtyard to make a phone call.

"Uncle Zhou, someone is targeting the Li Group. Our building material supply has been cut off. Can you help me find out what's going on?"

Zhou Qianfan had been expecting Mu Lin's call. "I've been monitoring the situation. I was just about to call you, actually, but you beat me to it."

Mu Lin pursed his lips. "Okay, Uncle Zhou. Lay it on me."

"Wang Zuguang is the one behind this. Did you have some sort of run-in with him?"

Mu Lin had almost forgotten who Wang Zuguang even was. He wracked his brain for a moment before it finally clicked.

"The richest man in Anhua, right?" Mu Lin said. "We did have a bit of friction, but I was completely restrained from start to finish. If he's going to be that petty, there's nothing I can do."

He quickly recounted what happened. Zhou Qianfan sighed upon hearing the story. It seemed the conflict was indeed unavoidable.

The Ning Family was dead set on killing Mu Lin, so what else could he have done?

The conflict had just escalated with each encounter.

But it was another piece of information from Mu Lin that truly shocked Zhou Qianfan.

"Wang Zuguang is actually working for the Ning Family? He's kept that hidden incredibly well!"

All these years, no one had ever heard anything about his origins; everyone assumed he was a self-made tycoon. Countless people admired him, and many in the business world looked up to him as a mentor.

To think he was just the Ning Family's agent in Anhua.

Then again, that would explain why he was the richest man. The Ning Family was the number one family in Di Yang, so they certainly had the resources to elevate Wang Zuguang to his current position.

"Mu Lin, I'm afraid I can't help you with this. Now that Wang Zuguang has made his move, no one in all of Anhua will dare to cross him."

Mu Lin replied, "Seriously? It's not like he can flip the whole world on its head by himself, can he?"

Zhou Qianfan thought to himself, 'Mu Lin's thinking is too simplistic.' But at the same time, he couldn't help but envy that simple mindset.

'That line of thinking, so pure and untainted... how wonderfully carefree!'

'But he couldn't be like that. He had to face the world's endless intrigues and power plays every single day.'

"Wang Zuguang has his hands in countless sectors—be it healthcare, education, real estate, or building materials, so many industries are tied to him. Our Zhou Family has a similar footprint, so we're constantly crossing paths. I know his personality all too well. He won't rest until he's crushed the Li Group."

"To those suppliers, a sale to the Li Group is the same as a sale to any other company. It makes no difference to them!"

"But if they offend Wang Zuguang, they'll likely be forced to shut down entirely. That's too big a risk for them to take, and they'll never agree to it."

Mu Lin sighed as he listened; what Zhou Qianfan said was indeed true.

"So," Mu Lin asked, "if I could take care of him, give his company a new boss, would the suppliers be willing to talk then?"

Zhou Qianfan practically broke out in a cold sweat. "Mu Lin, don't be ridiculous! You know he's the Ning Family's agent. He definitely has Ning Family bodyguards with him. If you make a scene and this blows up, no one will be able to protect the Li Family."

This was no longer something Mu Lin could shoulder alone. He was part of the Li Family now, a fact that anyone with the right connections already knew.

Moreover, there were certainly people with ulterior motives who would seize the opportunity to turn public opinion against the Li Family.

In the end, Elder Li would probably be absolutely furious.

Zhou Qianfan continued, "Don't be impulsive. Let's take this slow. For now, I'll help the Li Group contact a few temporary, out-of-town suppliers."

Mu Lin was scornful of the idea that he couldn't touch Wang Zuguang, but after hearing Zhou Qianfan's reasoning, he had no choice but to drop it.

He could fight back, but the Li Family couldn't.

This put him on the defensive.

"Okay, Uncle Zhou. I won't make a move for now. I'll wait to hear from you."

Mu Lin turned to head back inside, only to see Li Xue standing in the doorway.

"Stargazing?"

"Stargazing my ass! Grandpa's come back downstairs!"

Huh? Mu Lin's eyes widened, not understanding what she meant.

"Why did Grandpa come back downstairs?"

"I don't know, but I suspect he's checking to see if we're sleeping in the same room."

"I'm going to go watch TV. You go take a shower. When you're done, we'll go upstairs to the room together!" Li Xue ordered forcefully, her tone leaving no room for argument.

Mu Lin rolled his eyes. 'Isn't this exactly what you wanted?' he thought.

'Leaving your door open every day to tempt me, acting like I have no idea what you're up to.'

But he knew Li Xue was thin-skinned. If he said that out loud, she would probably blow up at him.

So he just said, "Got it. You head back first. I'll take a lap around the yard and be right back."

"Just be quick about it! This is too awkward, I can't stand it."

'And I'm not awkward?' Mu Lin thought.

He turned and did a few laps around the courtyard before slowly heading back into the house.

Just as she'd said, Li Xue was watching TV with Elder Li.

Mu Lin went to the bathroom for a shower. When he came out, Li Xue shot him a meaningful glance, signaling for him to head upstairs first while she stayed to watch TV with her grandfather.

Mu Lin walked slowly up the stairs. When he was about halfway, Li Xue said to Elder Li, "Grandpa, I'm going to bed! Please don't worry about the building materials. I promise I'll get it sorted out."

Li Xue slowly caught up to Mu Lin, and they entered her room together, side by side.

Mu Lin crouched down and pulled a set of bedding out of a closet.

It was the same bedding he had used to sleep on the floor on his first night in her room.

Li Xue's brow furrowed. "Are you trying to insult me or what? We're already in the same room, and you're still sleeping on the floor? Am I invisible to you?"

Mu Lin felt a little awkward. "Well, what do you want me to do?"

Li Xue said, simply and directly, "Get in the bed and sleep!"

Mu Lin obediently stuffed the bedding back where he found it and, clutching a blanket, sat on the edge of Li Xue's bed.

The atmosphere was still rather awkward. Li Xue was wearing a simple set of pajamas, but they couldn't conceal her exquisite figure.

Without sparing her a glance, Mu Lin obediently lay down.

'She had steeled herself, fully expecting Mu Lin to pounce on her. And while she would have certainly gotten angry and called him an animal if he had…'

'…the fact that he wouldn't even spare her a glance truly wounded her pride as a woman!'

"You don't even want to touch me, do you?" Li Xue demanded, glaring at Mu Lin.

Mu Lin sighed. "How many times do I have to say it? I'll be returning to the mountains soon enough. When that time comes, you'll still need to get married for real. I can't ruin you."