Chapter 64: Is This Still Not Enough to Repay the Kindness?

"Mm." Fu Siyen uttered just that one word, unwilling to say more.

Old Master Fu, however, frowned, scrutinizing him as he spoke again, "What did she come to see you about?"

His opinion of Mu Yinyin had changed, if only slightly. Once, he’d thought Mu Yinyin had nothing to offer, not worthy of being Fu Siyen’s woman in the least. But now...

She had, after all, become the leader of Starlight.

Though both Starlight and the Mu family were far from being on par with the Fus, after Mu Yinyin’s father’s passing, the Mu Corporation had been on the decline, while Starlight was flourishing. In a few more years, it might just stand shoulder to shoulder with the Fus and Lus—a dark horse, growing at a remarkable pace.

It was impossible not to take notice.

"She came to discuss a collaboration." A trace of irritation flickered in Fu Siyen’s eyes. Thinking back to how, moments earlier, Mu Yinyin had spoken of nothing but business, her words devoid of anything else, emphasizing again and again that they had nothing to do with one another—at that moment, he’d wanted nothing more than to cut open Mu Yinyin’s heart to see whether she spoke the truth.

"A collaboration? What kind of collaboration?" The old master’s eyes were full of doubt.

Fu Siyen frowned, passing the file Mu Yinyin had just placed before him to the old man without a word.

Old Master Fu took it, suspicion written all over his face, and opened it.

He had no idea that Fu Siyen himself hadn’t yet looked at the proposal. He, in fact, was the first to lay eyes on it.

Without a word, the old master read through the document with utmost seriousness, his eyes growing brighter the further he went.

Fu Siyen could tell that his grandfather was extremely pleased with the proposal.

"Wonderful! Amazing!" The old man couldn’t help but exclaim even before he’d finished reading, his eyes still sweeping eagerly down the page.

Fu Siyen only frowned, silent.

When he’d heard Mu Yinyin mention the western suburbs, his expression had already shifted. And when she spoke of creating something entirely unprecedented, that had been bait impossible to ignore.

At last, when the old master finished reading the proposal, he looked directly at Fu Siyen, his gaze excited as he asked, "What did she say to you just now? What do you think?"

Fu Siyen’s face remained impassive.

He said nothing.

The old man’s frown deepened. "Speak. What are you thinking?"

Fu Siyen pressed his thin lips together and said coolly, "I haven’t read the proposal yet."

The old man stared at him, displeased. "If you haven’t read it, what were you doing? Whispering sweet nothings with Nan Shiqing?"

Fu Siyen’s frown became more pronounced, but before he could respond, the old man tossed the proposal onto the table before him. "Read it first. We’ll talk after you’ve gone through it."

Fu Siyen’s eyes darkened with impatience, but since his grandfather had spoken, he picked up the file.

Though his reaction wasn’t as immediate as the old man’s, by the time he was halfway through, a flicker of astonishment crossed his eyes.

Such a bold idea.

He had no idea that Jiang Ling and the others had already planned to propose this collaboration to the Fus. After Mu Yinyin read it, she’d made several amendments, transforming an already impressive plan into something truly brilliant.

"So? Finished reading?" By now, the old master had settled himself on the sofa, boiling a kettle of water and preparing a pot of tea for himself.

Fu Siyen pressed his lips together, not rushing to speak.

The old man blew on his tea, took a sip, and said, "This proposal is bold, but it promises immense wealth in the future. There’s nothing like it in society today. It’ll require significant investment on our part, but within two or three months of completion, we’ll recoup our costs. After that, it’s pure profit, and the returns will multiply at a rate that’s almost impossible to track with the naked eye."

The pace would be so swift, one might not even see it clearly.

Fu Siyen put down the file, his gaze growing colder and sharper.

Mu Yinyin.

Mu Yinyin.

This damned woman—just how much longer did she intend to keep deceiving him?

From the way she’d conducted herself in their earlier business discussion, she hadn’t seemed like someone coming to negotiate, but rather someone who knew with certainty that the proposal would win him over, that profit would override everything.

She could grasp the intricacies of human nature, master every detail, and control the situation from every angle.

Since she’d revealed her true self, he’d felt he never truly knew her. She seemed like someone who could wander the world at will—fearless, in control of everything.

The confidence radiating from her was infectious, making others want to trust her without even realizing it.

Fu Siyen’s brow creased even deeper.

"Siyen?" The old man, noticing his increasingly dark expression, called his name in reminder.

Fu Siyen came back to himself and looked calmly at his grandfather. "The proposal is excellent."

His voice was flat, without a ripple of emotion.

The old master nodded in satisfaction. "Indeed, it’s a rare opportunity. At present, partnering with Starlight is all gain for us. Mu Yinyin has set aside past grievances to seek us out for cooperation—if she wanted, she could have gone to the Lus for a share of the profits. After all, most women hold grudges."

As he spoke, a hint of admiration crept into his tone. After a pause, he looked at Fu Siyen with a touch of suspicion. "Do you think she still has feelings for you, and that’s why she wants to get close to you through business?"

No sooner had he spoken than Fu Siyen recalled Mu Yinyin’s words from earlier.

Her every remark had emphasized that they were already divorced—not enemies, but with no reason to be friends either. Her attitude had been consistently distant, strictly businesslike.

He let out a cold, derisive laugh, not bothering to reply.

The old man looked at him, puzzled. "And what’s that supposed to mean?"

Fu Siyen didn’t answer, instead saying coolly, "Before she left, she set a condition."

"What condition?"

"To work with her, we must sever all ties with the Mu Corporation."

The old master’s mouth twitched, but he replied carelessly, "Is that all? That’s simple enough. The company hasn’t been working with the Mu family anyway, has it? As for those two projects we were about to support for them—put them on hold. Focus on Starlight for now."

He sipped his tea again and couldn’t help but remark, "This new batch tastes quite good."

Fu Siyen frowned, looking at his grandfather as if to emphasize, "Nan Shiqing is the one who saved my life."

"So everything must revolve around her because she’s your savior?" The old man looked at Fu Siyen with exasperated disappointment, his tone stern. "Think of how much you’ve already done for her over the years. After Mu Yinyin’s father died, the Mu family’s business was clearly in decline. If you hadn’t been supporting them all this time, the company would have gone under. How much money have you poured in? Isn’t that enough to repay a debt of gratitude?"