The Down and Out CEO’s Pursuit of Her Wife [GL] - Chapter 8

In front of An Ruoning sat a small double bed, where Mu Shan lay with her eyes closed, her breathing steady and even.

It was her own bedroom and her own bed, yet An Ruoning felt so awkward she didn’t know where to put her hands or where to step.

An Ruoning hadn’t slept well at all the previous night. The hardness of the floor wasn’t something a thin quilt could offset, and more importantly, the situation at the dog shelter had her overwhelmed. During the brief moments she did manage to fall asleep, she was plagued by nightmares of the shelter being trashed and the dogs being beaten.

Having endured until dawn, An Ruoning found herself walking to her bedroom door as if led by some strange impulse. Mu Shan, as if expecting her, hadn’t locked the door at all. And so, it led to this moment.

Mu Shan was lying on her side facing the wall, leaving a large space behind her. An Ruoning tiptoed to the bedside, hesitated for a few seconds, and slowly sat down. However, she only occupied the very edge, keeping most of her body from making contact with the mattress.

Then, An Ruoning fell into an even longer period of hesitation and inner conflict. During this time, she didn’t even dare to let her breathing make a sound. After an unknown amount of time, seeing no movement from Mu Shan’s side, An Ruoning finally dared to turn around and look at her.

Mu Shan had appeared in most of the dreams she’d had over the past five years. Sometimes the dreams were so vivid that it was only upon waking and realizing she wasn’t in that villa that she remembered they had long since parted ways.

An Ruoning’s gaze brushed over Mu Shan’s cheek. She seemed not to have changed much, yet everything about her felt different. Perhaps it was because she could no longer clearly remember the details of her face, after all, she had tried every method possible to forget everything about her.

Her gaze finally rested on Mu Shan’s lips. The clear, sharp definition of her cupid’s bow made the blood surge through An Ruoning’s veins.

An Ruoning fell into self-doubt once more. Had she made a mistake? Was acting that way too selfish, too melodramatic, or too absurd? They weren’t in a romantic relationship to begin with, so what right did she have to demand her total devotion? Besides, society was realistic, finding a transaction where one actually gained something was already a stroke of luck.

“You’re here?” Mu Shan sat up with a mischievous grin, leaning against the headboard.

An Ruoning was startled. After being so cautious for so long, she had still been caught. If she had known Mu Shan would notice, she wouldn’t have come.

Mu Shan reached out and covered An Ruoning’s right hand, which was curled on her lap. “Don’t hide. Just think of it as a few words between old friends.”

An Ruoning nodded in agreement but didn’t dare look up. Her heart was fluttering in waves, and she had no idea if it was showing on her face.

Mu Shan asked, “Have you been doing well?”

An Ruoning responded mechanically, like she was reciting a textbook, “I’m okay. And you?”

“Not well,” Mu Shan replied. “Not well at all.”

The answer, so far removed from a standard polite response, threw An Ruoning into a panic. She lowered her head even further, unable to utter a single word.

Mu Shan gently stroked the back of An Ruoning’s hand. “I missed you very much.”

The tenderness of the touch and the sweet words hit An Ruoning right in the heart. Her heartbeat suddenly became fast and heavy. Only by breathing in and out deeply could she slightly steady her pulse to keep from fainting from the intensity.

However, even more intense than her heartbeat was her physical reaction, a reaction that made An Ruoning flush with deep embarrassment.

It was impossible for Mu Shan not to notice. An Ruoning could feel her own face burning as if it were about to smoke, so she could only imagine how red she looked. Mu Shan was clearly holding onto her on purpose, even varying the pressure of her touch, teasing An Ruoning until she was completely breathless.

An Ruoning’s other hand, the one not held by Mu Shan, was clenched into a tight fist, her four fingernails digging deep into her palm. She was incredibly shocked. Why was it that her sexual apathy, which couldn’t be cured by doctors or medicine before, had swung to the opposite extreme the moment she had the slightest contact with Mu Shan?

Vivid and specific images of their past encounters took turns occupying An Ruoning’s mind. She closed her eyes, trying to temporarily escape this messy reality.

In the world of darkness, images suddenly formed. An Ruoning could no longer suppress the impulses in her heart, and in that virtual world, she began to weave a scene of passion between herself and Mu Shan…

Just as it reached a critical step, An Ruoning shook her head violently and opened her eyes. The image broke, but before her was still Mu Shan’s intoxicating smile. An Ruoning’s chest heaved, and she had to force herself to focus on other things before she finally began to calm down.

Was it because of body memory? Did the touch of the same person awaken her body’s memory of their past intimacy, causing these feelings she hadn’t felt in a long time?

But regardless, this was wrong. It was just a momentary craving. There was no possibility between her and Mu Shan. An Ruoning abruptly pulled her hand away, putting on a cold expression.

Mu Shan only raised an eyebrow at her, blinked, and asked nonchalantly, “Did it feel good?”

An Ruoning’s face instantly turned crimson. She stood up, wanting to flee.

Mu Shan said, “If it’s not hiding, it’s running away. Don’t you find that boring?”

An Ruoning sat back on the bed with a stiff face. “I’m not hiding or running. I have things to do and no time for idle chatter.”

Mu Shan said, “I’ve made all the arrangements for your dog shelter. How about you accompany me to take care of something today? Once we’re done, we can finish what we were just… doing?”

“No way!!” An Ruoning bolted up from the bed, her face turning livid. Once her anger subsided slightly, she remembered the shelter was the priority and asked, “…What did you say about the shelter?”

Mu Shan replied, “A friend has a vacant villa nearby. Four floors plus a courtyard, should be enough, right? Transport vehicles have also been arranged. You and Teacher Ge can decide on the pickup and drop-off times.”

“No need!” An Ruoning rejected Mu Shan’s arrangement without hesitation, her anger even fiercer than when she had rejected the earlier invitation. “We will handle the shelter ourselves. Besides, Teacher Ge has his own ways. You don’t need to worry about it. This can’t wait, I’m leaving.”

As she spoke, An Ruoning fled her bedroom. Without stopping to tidy her clothes or eat breakfast, she ran all the way to the neighborhood entrance and jumped into the first taxi she saw.

On the way, An Ruoning looked back every few seconds. Seeing the empty road behind her, she finally stopped feeling so restless.

When she got off the taxi, she happened to see the shelter’s landlord coming out, holding a stack of A4 papers, likely the lease agreement. His trouser pockets were bulging, presumably from the compensation money he just got from Teacher Ge. The landlord didn’t know An Ruoning, so she lowered her head and walked past, saving herself the headache of having to apologize to him.

Teacher Ge and three male employees were clearing the scattered bricks and stones from the ground. An Ruoning ran forward and picked up a stone just as Teacher Ge was about to bend down for it. After tossing it into an old sack, she stood up and stopped him from working further. “Teacher Ge, go back and rest. We can handle this.”

Teacher Ge pointed toward the edge of the yard and led An Ruoning over. “Ruoning, I have a few things to say to you. This line of work is too hard for a girl. It’s all physical labor and doesn’t make much money. You need to plan for your future. Even among the men, few stay in this past the age of thirty.”

An Ruoning said, “I’m not afraid of hard work.”

Teacher Ge continued, “You have your veterinary license now, and Xiao Feng’s clinic needs people. Being a vet is still much better than being a dog trainer. Besides, if you work together, you won’t have to commute back and forth. Think about it, maybe you should head over to his place.”

An Ruoning replied, “He and I aren’t married yet…”

“It’s only a matter of time,” Teacher Ge said. “Don’t think I’m being nosy, but I see how Xiao Feng treats you. It’s not easy to meet someone who truly treats you well in this life.”

An Ruoning nodded slightly and changed the subject. “There have been a lot of expenses these past two days. I have some savings. If you’re short on funds, I can cover things for a while.”

Teacher Ge sighed and waved his hand. “I’ve worked my whole life, I can afford this much. The most important thing is that the ‘kids’ are all safe.”

An Ruoning sighed along with him. “They trashed the place anyway. If I’d known this would happen, why did we spend all that money on social connections? Now there’s a fine, compensation for the landlord, plus hiring people to clear this mess. It’s costing so much extra.”

Teacher Ge also looked troubled. “If it costs more, it costs more. My old life is dedicated to this place anyway. As long as I’m here, no one is touching those kids.”

An Ruoning remembered how panicked Bei Bei had been yesterday and then looked at the deep wrinkles at the corners of Teacher Ge’s eyes. Her heart felt incredibly bitter. There were so many stray dogs in the world, how many could she and Teacher Ge actually save with their strength alone? “Can we find a place to house them?”

The worry on Teacher Ge’s face faded slightly. “Fortunately, there are still kind people. A fellow in the neighboring village is willing to rent his courtyard to us.”

An Ruoning thought for a moment and asked, “The rent isn’t cheap, is it?”

Teacher Ge said, “Don’t worry about the money, as long as there’s a place.”

“Okay. Then I’ll go over first to check the site and tidy up? I want to make sure they have a place to run around as soon as possible.”

“That’s good. Be careful by yourself.”

“I’ll be fine, don’t worry. I’m heading out.”

An Ruoning turned to leave but was called back by Teacher Ge. “By the way, was that your friend who came to help yesterday?”

At the mention of Mu Shan, An Ruoning’s heart took another heavy hit. “Um… yes… that’s right.”

Teacher Ge said, “Thank her for me. She was a big help!”

An Ruoning replied, “Oh… I already thanked her.”

Support The Down and Out CEO’s Pursuit of Her Wife [GL]