Chapter 33: This Is No Place for You

Another day began as he opened his eyes. He stretched and looked out the window. The sun was dazzling, suggesting the weather was quite pleasant.

The name Yan Kuan, mentioned by Hai Yan the day before, surfaced in Li Mu’s mind again. The Yan family was a prominent and influential household, yet Li Mu deeply disliked their methods and habits, especially Yan Kuan’s tendency to stop at nothing to achieve his goals. Recent reports suggested that Yan Kuan had managed to cozy up to Wu Qiming. Li Mu decided he needed to question Wu about this. After all, the Yan family’s reputation was poor, and it wouldn't do to let such a man leverage Wu’s influence. Moreover, given Hai Yan’s words from yesterday, it was perfectly reasonable for Li Mu to deal with Yan Kuan. How dare a minor family reach out to his woman? Where did they get the audacity?

Just then, Li Mu’s phone rang.

"Gatekeeper, the matter you asked me to investigate has some leads. Should I bring the information to your residence, or..."

Li Mu coughed twice. He could not let too many people know his true identity—especially his parents and sister—as it would put them in danger.

"Wait for me at your office," Li Mu said, hanging up.

After washing up and preparing a simple breakfast for his family, he headed out. Upon arriving at the building housing Wu Qiming’s company, he was surprised by the sheer size of the office tower, though he reminded himself that all of it was his own asset. Seeing the scale of his wealth, his mood improved significantly.

However, as he walked into the lobby, he spotted an unpleasant figure. Ahead of him was a beautiful woman in crystal high heels and a white gauze dress, adorned with a string of pearl hairpins. From behind, she was a sight to behold, drawing lingering gazes from men nearby. Unfortunately, her character left much to be desired; she was none other than Bai Weiwei.

Bai Weiwei noticed Li Mu, her face filled with surprise. "Li Mu? Why are you here?"

He had no intention of interacting with her, but as the saying went, enemies often cross paths. Li Mu rolled his eyes and cleared his throat.

"None of your business!"

Bai Weiwei was stunned. Who did this man think he was, speaking to her like that?

"You... you can't expect anything decent to come out of a dog's mouth!"

"That's still better than hearing you squeal like a pig!"

Bai Weiwei’s face flushed with alternating shades of red and white. She had decided just yesterday to improve her relationship with him, but seeing him now, she realized it was entirely unnecessary. This stubborn, insensitive man wasn't worth the effort. She didn't know what had gotten into her father, insisting she keep in touch with him, but this time, even if the heavens intervened, she wouldn't budge.

Bai Weiwei sneered. "Say what you want. A beggar like you probably only knows how to wag your tail and beg for pity. I’m different. Once I sign the trade agreement with Mr. Wu today, it’ll be enough to keep you begging for the rest of your life!"

Li Mu gave her a cold look. "Very nice. You want to sign a trade agreement with Wu Qiming? I’ll bet you won't even get to see him today!"

Feeling uncomfortable under his gaze, she spat toward him. "Who do you think you are? I’ve already scheduled an appointment with Mr. Wu; it’s not up to you whether I see him or not! To tell you the truth, I..."

Just then, the elevator doors opened. Li Mu stepped inside and glanced at her coldly. "Are you coming?"

Bai Weiwei turned her head away. Who would want to share an elevator with a beggar? Without waiting for her, Li Mu closed the doors. As they slid shut, Bai Weiwei was already fuming.

"Wu Qiming," Li Mu said into his phone, "do not see the Bai family today. Also, their eldest daughter just spat at the elevator entrance. Is my office building a place where any stray cat or dog can come and throw a tantrum?"

On the other end, Wu Qiming broke into a cold sweat, stammering his agreement before hanging up.

Bai Weiwei was stamping her feet in anger when two security guards rushed in from the lobby. "Miss Bai, spitting at our elevator entrance violates our company policy. Mr. Wu has instructed that you are not to enter our company for the next month. Please leave!"

Bai Weiwei was shocked. Li Mu’s words echoed in her mind. Could it really be him behind this? Impossible! He was just a beggar; how could he possibly be connected to the richest man in the city? It must have been the security cameras catching her spitting at Li Mu. She cursed him as her jinx. She had spent months trying to secure this meeting, only to have it ruined at the last second. She pulled out her phone to call Wu Qiming, only to find he had blocked her.

A sense of grievance and helplessness surged within her, and her eyes welled with tears. As she turned to leave, she was stopped by the guards again.

"Miss Bai, you have violated our policy and must pay a fine of ten thousand yuan."

Ten thousand yuan? Ten thousand for a spit? Even if her saliva were made of gold, it wouldn't be worth that much! People around her were staring, and she paid the fine with a dark expression. She felt like she had been cursed—not only did she miss the meeting, but she had lost money for nothing. While it wasn't a significant sum for the Bai family, she felt as if a dog had snatched away her hard-earned meal.

At that moment, Li Mu’s phone chimed with a notification of a ten-thousand-yuan deposit. He lit a cigarette and looked at his screen. If a minor family dared to defy him, he would teach them a lesson and deflate their arrogance.

Wu Qiming stood to the side, not daring to breathe.

"Wu Qiming, has our company become so dependent on these minor families lately?"

A bead of cold sweat rolled down Wu Qiming’s forehead. He gave a sheepish smile. "Gatekeeper, I was only doing it for your sister’s recovery. The medicinal herbs you asked for are almost ready; I’m only missing a few stalks of Dragon Whisker Grass and some Black Snow Lotus..."

Li Mu nodded and handed a sandalwood box to Wu Qiming. To Wu’s utter shock, the Black Snow Lotus—which he had been searching for to no avail—was already in the Gatekeeper's possession. He had scoured every major family without finding such a treasure, yet the Gatekeeper had obtained it so easily. Beyond surprise, he looked at Li Mu with newfound worship.

"The Dragon Whisker Grass is with... the Bai family. That is the only reason I agreed to cooperate with them."

Li Mu rubbed his nose, feeling slightly awkward. "Never mind that. Tell me about my sister first."