The Down and Out CEO’s Pursuit of Her Wife [GL] - Chapter 11

The day after submitting her resignation, Mu Shan found herself worn down by Mr. Wei’s relentless pestering and reluctantly made another trip to Baguo Entertainment. Don’t be fooled by Mr. Wei’s usual timid and shrinking demeanor, when he actually wanted something, his ability to nag was world-class.

On the phone, Mr. Wei didn’t breathe a word about her resignation. Instead, he showered her with “brotherly” affection, offering a heart-to-heart that sounded so sincere it was almost visceral. He warmly invited Mu Shan to tour Baguo Entertainment’s newly moved office space, suggesting they could chat and catch up while they were at it, and, conveniently, he could hand over last month’s bonus.

With those three reasons laid out, Mu Shan felt that declining would be a bit too disrespectful. Although she had no intention of staying in this industry and wasn’t afraid of offending people, given the choice between a quick trip to the office or making an active enemy, she naturally chose the former.

The new office was located in a cultural and creative park at the northernmost tip of the city. It was several ring roads further away from An Ruoning, and just thinking about the distance made Mu Shan feel a heavy weight in her chest. Thinking further about that dilapidated yard An Ruoning’s kennel had rented made her even angrier.

Yesterday, after An Ruoning stormed out of the yard, Mu Shan had waited for an hour without seeing her return. It was only then that she realized An Ruoning had truly abandoned her. Setting aside the logistics of how to get back, what shocked Mu Shan most was that An Ruoning was actually capable of doing such a thing to her.

At that moment, it wasn’t an exaggeration to say Mu Shan felt physically ill. It proved that the thread she thought she held, the one that could tether An Ruoning, actually couldn’t hold anything at all. Her earnest apology and confession had yielded negligible results. While she wasn’t one to lose heart over a single failure, doing something with high investment and low output was truly maddening.

As for how she actually got back to the kennel yesterday, Mu Shan estimated she would never mention it to a soul as long as she lived.

An Ruoning’s remark that “no one would come pick you up even for money” turned out to be a prophecy. Mu Shan tried countless ride-hailing apps, but no one accepted the request. Calling a friend was unnecessary and would have been embarrassing, and her attempts to hitch a ride with local villagers failed five times because she hadn’t brought her wallet and couldn’t offer a tip.

By the time she finally flagged down an electric tricycle, Mu Shan felt the kind of excitement one might feel being rescued in a desert. Sitting on a small wooden stool in the cargo bed, stepping over chicken droppings, covered in a few stray feathers, and smelling the pungent odor of the vehicle, she actually felt… joyful.

When she reached the kennel, Mu Shan “excitedly” jumped off the truck, grabbed her wallet from her car, and stuffed several large bills into the driver’s hand.

The driver looked at the sports car, then at the money, and beamed. He tucked the cash into his inner pocket, fished out an old cigarette pack, scribbled his phone number on it, and presented it to her with both hands. Before leaving, he insisted she call him the next time she needed a ride.

Mu Shan thanked him repeatedly, waving frantically with tears in her eyes as she watched him drive away.

As the tricycle sputtered out of sight, Mu Shan’s waving hand suddenly froze in mid-air. A second later, she cautiously scanned her surroundings. Seeing no one, she swiftly retracted her hand, straightened her collar, and ducked back into her car.

What was she just doing?! Had she lost her mind?! Mu Shan looked down at her trouser cuffs and the edges of her shoes. The yellow, white, and black stains made her look even more ridiculous and foolish. Fine! Everything was fine! Perfectly, flawlessly fine!

“An Ruoning,” Mu Shan muttered the name darkly, her eyes flashing with fire.

First deal with Mr. Wei, then deal with that tough nut An Ruoning. Mu Shan had laid out her schedule, her fighting spirit reignited.

Mr. Wei was also full of energy, having waited cheerfully for Mu Shan outside the newly rented four-story office building of Baguo Entertainment long ago.

Once Mu Shan arrived, her mood seemed to lighten a bit. Mr. Wei had somehow found a decent designer who had painted the exterior walls of the building a sky blue. The warm blue tone, accented by white lettering and pink-and-white floral patterns, was indeed pleasant to look at.

The renovation wouldn’t fool an insider, but it certainly succeeded in catching a layman’s eye. Mu Shan met Mr. Wei as he walked toward her and nodded. “Mr. Wei, this decor is quite interesting.”

Mr. Wei chuckled, leading her into the building. “Just playing around, really. Young people like this sort of thing nowadays. If they’re happy at work, it saves us some trouble, right?”

Inside, they were greeted by the HR manager, who bowed respectfully. “Mr. Wei, Director Mu.”

The greeting felt heavily staged. To find someone to call her “Director Mu” even after she’d resigned—Mr. Wei’s tactics were a bit too obvious.

Mr. Wei probably sensed the awkwardness as well, so he didn’t linger. He led Mu Shan directly into his office and pointed at the wall. “How about this one? The muralist was just a student, so it was cheap, but the effect is alright, isn’t it?”

Mu Shan sat down in the guest chair. “Not bad.”

Before her seat was even warm, Mr. Wei closed the blinds, sat down beside her, and his features scrunched together. “Director Mu, be a good person and help me out. Save me!”

Seeing a chubby middle-aged man on the verge of tears asking for help, it would have been impolite to refuse immediately. However, no matter how much he sugarcoated it, Mu Shan was very clear about the position and the risks.

The mysterious, large investment intent from the Veblen Fund always felt off to her. If negative consequences arose in the future, Mu Shan, as the Vice President in charge of legal affairs, would inevitably have to shoulder the responsibility. She had resigned decisively to avoid this risk. Rather than worrying about it day and night, she’d rather spend her time playing around with An Ruoning and enjoying life.

After finishing his plea, Mr. Wei pulled a contract from his briefcase and flipped to the compensation page. “Director Mu, I’ve left the annual salary column blank. You can fill in whatever number you want. I’ve already signed and stamped it, so whatever you write stands. As long as I keep the majority share, you can decide your own equity stake. If there are any other conditions, just ask. I’ll do whatever is within my power. Don’t be a stranger, we’re on the same side.”

Mu Shan pushed the contract back toward him. “I appreciate your kindness and confidence, Mr. Wei. However…”

Mr. Wei interrupted her urgently. “Director Mu, please don’t use the word ‘however’! If you turn me down, the whole company and I will go under! The investment might be coming any second, and I truly need people, especially you. You know a small company like ours can’t attract talent. The day I knew you were willing to join, I went to the temple specifically to thank the Buddha. You are my benefactor. If you leave, my lifelong dream will be shattered…”

Mr. Wei’s dramatic performance was designed to make one too embarrassed to refuse. Mu Shan didn’t want to waste time and spoke seriously, “Mr. Wei, by taking this job and coming back to this city, I happened to fulfill a long-held wish. So, frankly, I am very grateful to the company for this opportunity. If you consider me a friend, I am happy to look over the Veblen Fund project for you. I will tell you every single issue I find, without holding anything back.”

Mu Shan paused, looked at Mr. Wei, and stood up. “As for the job offer, I will consider it for a few more days. I hope that when I make my decision, you will respect a friend’s choice.”

Mr. Wei held his breath for a long time before finally uttering a single word. “Fine!”

“Thank you for your support, Mr. Wei.” Having said that, Mu Shan could have just walked away. But seeing as Mr. Wei had been somewhat reasonable about her resignation, she added one more thing. “Mr. Wei, it’s not really my place to speak, but take this as an informal suggestion from a friend: if the company intends to attract investment, it’s best to establish a proper legal department as soon as possible.”

Mr. Wei nodded. “Yes, you’re right! HR has had the job postings out for a while, and interviews have been going on. If you ever decide to come back, I promise to provide you with a full team.”

Mu Shan said no more, bowed slightly, and left Mr. Wei’s office.

Once out of the building, she drove her car to a quiet, shaded spot outside the park. She took out her phone and dialed An Ruoning’s number. The first call went unanswered, as did the second, and the third… the twenty-first call finally connected.

An Ruoning: “Hello.”

An Ruoning’s voice was very low, and the background was noisy. It felt as if her voice could vanish at any moment. That sense of being unable to grasp her made Mu Shan feel miserable. “I suppose I should thank you for not blocking me?”

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