Chapter 39: Who, After All, Is the Real Fool?

As Nan Shiqing spoke, her heart brimmed with pride—how wonderful this was! Mu Yinyin constantly presented her with opportunities, always letting Fu Siyue misunderstand her. Yet, she couldn’t be blamed for sowing discord. After all, over the past few years, Mu Yinyin hadn’t received any money at all. She had left her marriage with nothing, so she was even less worthy of mention—how could she possibly have any money?

Fu Siyue’s face was icy cold, and he said nothing. Still, as the focal point of the gathering, it was inevitable that people would notice him and come over to greet him. Sure enough, a corpulent man, glass of red wine in hand, approached their group. He looked to be about one meter sixty-eight, but his rotund frame made him seem even shorter. Beside him stood a striking woman, tall and alluring, her figure accentuated by high heels that made her appear a full head taller than him. The man, unbothered by the disparity, even had the woman link her arm through his.

The man came to a halt beside Fu Siyue and greeted him obsequiously, “President Fu, what an honor it is for me, Wang, to meet you here.”

“President Wang.” Fu Siyue offered a perfunctory nod, his tone distant, clearly uninterested in conversation.

But President Wang was eager to collaborate with the Fu Group. He had tried several times to cozy up to their people, all to no avail. Now, with Fu Siyue himself present, he was not about to let the opportunity slip by.

Yet, just as he opened his mouth to speak, another man heading in their direction interrupted him. “President Fu, you’re finally here! I’ve been waiting for you for ages. About that partnership we discussed last time—I’d like to go over it with you in more detail. I’ve come up with an even better proposal and would love for you to review it.”

As he spoke, he drew closer. He was of average build for a middle-aged man and was already a confirmed business partner of Fu Siyue. At his words, Fu Siyue’s attention naturally shifted to President Zhu.

Without hesitation, Fu Siyue nodded. “Go ahead.”

His expression was calm and impassive, though his gaze involuntarily drifted to the woman still laughing and chatting among her companions.

President Zhu also glanced in that direction, remarking with some feeling, “It’s quite the coincidence—my inspiration actually struck when I saw the head of Starry Group.”

“Starry Group’s head?” Nan Shiqing had been quiet until now, but she couldn’t help but echo his words in surprise.

President Zhu regarded her with a smile. “Miss Nan, good evening.”

She nodded in acknowledgment. “Good evening, President Zhu.”

Although Nan Shiqing had spent considerable time recuperating in the hospital, her mother, He Xia, was adept at crafting her daughter’s image. As a result, most people were aware of Nan Shiqing’s existence and treated her with a certain respect.

After a pause, she couldn’t help but ask, “President Zhu, what do you mean by the head of Starry Group? Has she come in person?”

President Zhu looked at her in mild surprise. “Miss Nan, you didn’t know?”

Nan Shiqing was bewildered. What was she supposed to know?

Fu Siyue also turned his attention to President Zhu. But before he could respond, President Wang, eager to reclaim the spotlight, cut in anxiously, “She’s here! She’s sitting right now with several of the Starry Group’s executives. Look, she’s the woman in the blue gown.”

In that instant, both Fu Siyue and Nan Shiqing’s gazes froze.

A moment later, Nan Shiqing spoke in disbelief, “What did you say? The woman in the blue gown is the head of Starry Group? Are you sure you’re not mistaken?”

Nan Shiqing could hardly maintain her composure. She felt as if she’d misheard—she simply couldn’t believe it, nor could she accept it! How could Mu Yinyin be the head of Starry Group?

After all, Starry Group was an even greater force than the Mu family. She could not accept Mu Yinyin being more formidable than her. And not only that—Mu Yinyin was the very head of Starry Group! What did that even mean? She, for all her status as the Mu family’s heiress, had no real say in anything!

The feeling was unbearable—so unbearable she felt she might break.

Fu Siyue’s expression darkened further, his lips pressed into a tight line. He said not a word.

No wonder.

No wonder Mu Yinyin had been drinking with Jiang Ling in the private room that day; no wonder she arrived together with Jiang Ling and the others, chatting and laughing so amiably—they had always been on the same side.

Unlike Nan Shiqing, he was not incredulous. Instead, everything suddenly made sense.

President Zhu, having had his words stolen by Wang earlier, was still stewing. Now he couldn’t hold back. “No mistake at all! She admitted it herself just now. At the entrance, President Lu and the others from Starry Group greeted her, and when they asked how to address her, she said they could call her President Mu. The whole scene was shocking—no one expected the head of Starry Group to be a woman!”

Nan Shiqing’s lips parted wordlessly, her face ashen. Impossible!

How could Mu Yinyin possibly be the head of Starry Group? She couldn’t accept it! But Mu Yinyin would never lie about something like this, especially in front of so many people and the other executives of Starry Group. It couldn’t possibly be a ruse.

But she still couldn’t accept it—she simply couldn’t!

President Wang added, “It really is unexpected. There are more and more powerful women these days. President Mu is young, beautiful, and so capable. I’ve heard that even though she rarely shows her face or appears at the company, many things are orchestrated by her behind the scenes. Her approval is necessary for most decisions. The four founders are said to be very close, never in disagreement, and their unity has propelled their success.”

Nan Shiqing was at a loss, her mind a tangled mess, unsure what to say.

Fu Siyue, meanwhile, suddenly remembered an evening when he’d come home to find Mu Yinyin on the phone. He’d overheard the word "proposal." When she saw him enter, she’d hung up at once. He hadn’t thought much of it at the time, dismissing her as a clown—what could she possibly understand about business proposals?

But now…

Who was the real clown?

Damn that woman! Mu Yinyin was truly skilled—deceiving him time and again. Was this what she meant by being unable to live without him, by loving him deeply?

He had always thought Mu Yinyin was merely dabbling, playing childish games, and had never imagined she was behind Starry Group.

Mu Yinyin was impressive, truly impressive.

Suppressing the irritation churning inside him, Fu Siyue addressed President Zhu in a deep voice, “Weren’t you going to discuss the proposal? Let’s talk over there.”