Outside a restaurant, a drunken man wielding a cleaver chased after passersby.
People passing by screamed in panic and fled.
No one dared to step forward and stop the man.
Seeing him about to strike an elderly gentleman, Jiang Nuan ran over at top speed. With a sudden leap, she kicked the man’s arm. The cleaver flew from his grasp, missing the old man by inches.
Clatter! The knife hit the ground, bouncing a few times.
She then kicked the man hard in the knee. He collapsed onto his knees in pain, unable to rise.
The surrounding crowd breathed a collective sigh of relief.
The elderly man, still shaky, sank to the ground.
"Ah… Who hit me? I'll kill him…" the man cursed, struggling to get up.
Jiang Nuan walked over and helped the old man to his feet.
"Sir, are you alright?" This old man was none other than Elder Mu.
He and Steward Hong had been lingering nearby, not having returned yet. As they were about to head back, this incident occurred.
Elder Mu slowly stood up and, upon seeing Jiang Nuan, let out a sigh of relief. "Little girl, thank you for saving me. Just now, I thought I was going to die."
Jiang Nuan also recognized the elder. She helped him to the side. The man kneeling on the ground was still cursing.
The police arrived shortly. After understanding the situation from the onlookers, they took the drunken man away.
Jiang Nuan observed that Elder Mu was visibly shaken, his face pale and his demeanor weak.
She asked, "Sir, wasn't anyone accompanying you?"
She recalled that when she brought them soup that morning, another elder of similar age had been with him.
"Oh! Steward Hong's daughter returned, so I let him go home to be with his daughter. I was just about to catch a ride when this happened." The elder was still shaken. He was old, his reactions slower than a young person's. By the time he reacted, the gleaming, cold blade had already swung towards him.
Jiang Nuan offered, "Perhaps I can take you home."
Elder Mu was delighted. He wanted to get to know her better.
"Of course, little girl. Not only is your soup delicious, but your pastries are great too. And you're beautiful and kind. Do you have a boyfriend? If not, Grandpa will introduce one to you."
Jiang Nuan looked at the elder with amusement, smiling and shaking her head. "Thank you for your kind offer, sir, but I don't need a boyfriend."
Elder Mu persisted, "Little girl, please consider my words. My grandson is very accomplished, truly. You're such a kind young lady, I wouldn't introduce him to you if he wasn't excellent."
Jiang Nuan: "..." This enthusiastic elder was a bit overwhelming.
How desperate was his grandson for a girlfriend to introduce them to every girl he met?
"Sir, let me take you home." Jiang Nuan helped him up and stood by the roadside to flag down a taxi.
Seeing her unyielding expression, the elder felt a pang of regret. It seemed even Mu Xiao Jiu had days when he couldn't be successfully "marketed."
They got into a taxi. The elder became talkative, having endless stories to share with Jiang Nuan.
With nothing else to do, Jiang Nuan chatted with him as well.
Meanwhile, far away in the Kingdom of Qi, in a top-tier luxury private room decorated in a royal Qi style, Mu Jiuchen sat with a grim expression after meeting with his partners.
Even though they were the clients, he showed them no courtesy. The oppressive atmosphere filled the spacious room.
Xiao Fan, observing his master, worried that this sure thing might slip away.
Mu Jiuchen had two beautiful women seated on either side of him. The Kingdom of Qi, with its humid climate, was a land of beauties, with women possessing fair skin, lovely features, and long legs. Currently, two ravishing women sat by his side.
However, Mu Jiuchen didn't even lift his eyelids. He occasionally glanced at his phone, surrounded by an invisible barrier that shut out the outside world.
The two beautiful women dared not make any further moves, and the exquisite dishes on the table became mere decorations.
Finally, his phone screen lit up. Jiang Nuan had sent an emoji.
[Are you there?]
A hint of a smile finally appeared on Mu Jiuchen's cold, emotionless face. He slowly put away his phone. He decided to reply later; he was too excited now and feared saying the wrong thing.
Only then did he turn to his clients with a gentle expression, engaging them in conversation and drinking.
Xiao Fan, seeing that his master's spirit had returned, breathed a sigh of relief.
He, too, relaxed and began chatting with the women beside him.
As Mu Jiuchen spoke eloquently, the atmosphere at the table transformed completely.
Half an hour later, Jiang Nuan escorted Elder Mu to the gates of the Mu family residence. After the elder made a phone call, the gate opened, and the car drove directly to Yunhai Courtyard, where the elder resided.
"Little girl, come in for a cup of tea before you go." The elder invited her.
Jiang Nuan gently shook her head. "Sir, perhaps another time. Please rest tonight."
The elder did not press. Smiling, he offered his phone. "Then please leave your phone number for Grandpa. Grandpa will treat you to a meal later. You saved my life."
Jiang Nuan took the phone and entered her number. Following the elder's preference, she created a new contact, "Nuan Bao."
Seeing these characters, Jiang Nuan looked at the elder in surprise.
The elder chuckled. "Nuan Nuan, you saved Grandpa's life. Grandpa can live a few more years thanks to you. Your skillful hands are a treasure, aren't they?"
This feeling of being cherished warmed Jiang Nuan’s heart.
"Sir, thank you!" Jiang Nuan smiled brilliantly.
"It is Grandpa who should thank you. Call me Grandpa from now on." The elder seized the opportunity to strengthen their relationship. He really liked this potential granddaughter-in-law and absolutely would not let her slip away to someone else.
Now, it was up to Mu Xiao Jiu, that silly boy.
He, an old man, had to intervene to get things done.
Jiang Nuan, obligingly, called him "Grandpa."
The elder's beard almost twitched with joy.
After getting out of the car, the elder watched Jiang Nuan leave before returning home.
Jiang Nuan looked out at the night sky. This was a high-end villa district. The manor villa occupied over a thousand square meters, with a garden so vast one could get lost.
This was Mu Jiuchen's family estate.
Jiang Nuan blinked her beautiful eyes, then blinked again. Tsk tsk, the wealthy truly lived a life of luxury.
Jiang Nuan felt a pang of envy, wishing she could swallow the entire world map. Possessing a world map in her heart brought her immense satisfaction.
She took out her phone and suddenly remembered something. Had she forgotten someone?
She quickly opened her chat with Meng Yuan and saw the message Meng Yuan had sent.
[Nuan Nuan, due to the storm, the flight has been delayed. We don't know when we'll arrive, so you don't need to pick us up.]
Jiang Nuan: "..." How lucky I am!
[Okay, Yuan Yuan.]
Jiang Nuan replied and was about to exit when she saw the message from Mu Jiuchen.
[Nuan Nuan, I was busy just now.]
Jiang Nuan opened the chat box and looked at the emoji she had sent. She froze for a moment.