Chapter 372: Chapter 335: The Mysterious Neighbor
Gu Qili sat in the living room with the keys in hand, the mover’s words still echoing in her head: "Miss Gu, you keep them. The landlord must know you; otherwise, why would they have us give you the keys?"
But she racked her brains and couldn’t figure out who had moved in across from her. Everyone she knew already had their own property, so there was no need to rent another place.
Unable to figure it out, Gu Qili decided not to dwell on it. After checking the doors and windows, she took her car keys and went downstairs.
After arriving at the winery, Zhu Ping, who had just finished her work, came to find her, still wearing her uniform and sweating: "Qili, the machinery and equipment have arrived."
"Really? That’s great." Gu Qili quickly put aside her work and went with Zhu Ping to welcome the new machines.
The winery’s old wine-making equipment was already worn out, and most of it could no longer be used.
After checking the list, Accountant Wang brought Gu Qili a list of expenses. They had only paid a deposit, with the remaining payment to be made on delivery, as agreed upon in the contract.
"Manager Gu, some of the equipment has been updated during these two months, and the manufacturer has sent us the latest models, which are also priced higher."
"Does that mean there’s not enough money in the budget?" Gu Qili put down the list.
Accountant Wang nodded: "We’re a bit short, but there are three days left for the contract’s final payment period. We can negotiate further with the investment company."
"Understood, I’ll talk to President Li."
It was a funding issue again, and that was what troubled her the most. She really found it difficult to approach Li Jing on this matter.
Gu Qili took a deep breath before calling Li Jing. To her surprise, before she could explain the situation, Li Jing seemed to anticipate her call: "Miss Gu, are you having cash flow problems?"
"Yes, the new equipment is more expensive than the budget allowed."
"Send me the quotation. I’ll transfer the difference in the funds to you as soon as possible." Li Jing’s easygoing response left Gu Qili momentarily at a loss, as she had expected him to put up all sorts of obstacles.
"Thank you, President Li. I will send you the quotation and contract to your email right away." After hanging up the phone, Gu Qili let out a long sigh of relief, not expecting the financial issues to be resolved so smoothly. Now she could devote all her energy to managing the winery.
After a busy day, Gu Qili had not planned to go home, but remembering her promise to pick up Mu Qinian, she changed into clean clothes and drove back to the city.
Mu Qinian was delighted that he was not stood up and cheerfully ran out with his backpack on, "Did you come early?"
"No, just arrived." Gu Qili took his backpack and put it in the back seat, "Get in."
Mu Qinian settled into the child’s car seat, which was previously bought by Mu Shuoqian. After the car came into her possession, she didn’t remove the seat, thinking it would be convenient for picking up and dropping off Mu Qinian in the future.
The little boy noticed a paper bag with a gift box in the back seat as soon as he got in the car. He peeked inside, very curious.
"It’s for you." Gu Qili buckled her seatbelt and winked at him, "Open it and see."
Mu Qinian had not expected the gift to be for him. He felt delighted, and although he tried to look calm on the face, his little hands quickly took the box out of the paper bag.
Upon opening it, he found a blue watch, the kind of popular children’s watch that can make calls.
Mu Qinian exclaimed with joy, "A phone watch."
He saw it on TV ads every day, but Mu Shuoqian would not buy it for him; he said wearing such a useless gadget wasn’t worth it. Despite Mu Shuoqian’s wealth, he didn’t spoil Mu Qinian with spending. The boy wore and used few branded items.
Happy with the watch in his hands, Mu Qinian also took out the manual, but he knew too few words and had trouble understanding it. With Gu Qili driving, she couldn’t help him read, so for now, he just wore the watch proudly for the duration of their trip.
After Gu Qili dropped him off at Jing Mountain, Mu Shuoqian had not yet returned, and Uncle Yu was preparing dinner.
Mu Qinian pulled her to the sofa, asking her to help study the watch manual. Gu Qili read through it carefully and quickly understood how to use it. She set up a few numbers for him and linked the watch with her mobile phone.
"Okay, try calling my phone now." Gu Qili handed the watch back to Mu Qinian.
Mu Qinian, ever intelligent, learned after just one lesson. He immediately dialed Gu Qili’s number. Once connected, he lifted his wrist in imitation of the TV ads: "Hello."
On the phone, Gu Qili watched him with a smile: "Hello, good day, young Mr. Mu Qinian."
Mu Qinian’s cheeks flushed, "Hello."
"You know how to use it now, right?"
"Mm-hmm."
"Give your dad a call."
Mu Qinian hurriedly shook his head: "No, what if he won’t let me use it once he finds out?"
"It’s fine, I’ll vouch for you."
"Really?" Mu Qinian’s eyes sparkled, and she nodded very certainly, "Dad always listens to you."
Gu Qili didn’t stay for dinner. By the time she got back home, it was already seven o’clock. She took a bag of frozen dumplings out of the fridge, planning to eat something simply, but before the water had even boiled, the doorbell rang.
She turned off the stove and went to the door. Outside stood Mu Shuoqian wearing a black coat, his hands in his pockets, and his faint gaze seemed to sense her presence through the door.
Gu Qili hesitated for a moment but still opened the door. However, she didn’t step aside from the door; she just opened a crack to talk to him.
"Why have you come over?"
"I left something at your place." He didn’t seem to want to come in.
"What?" Gu Qili blinked twice, somewhat confused.
Mu Shuoqian extended his hand in front of her, palm facing up in a gesture of asking, "The key."
"A key? What key?"
He looked at her indifferently, his sexy thin lips slightly raised. The light in the hallway hit his sharply contoured face, making him look somewhat cold and ruthless, but Gu Qili knew that once this seemingly indifferent face showed affection, it could shake the world.
Made uncomfortable by his gaze, Gu Qili lowered her eyes to avoid his look, but as she lowered her head, she thought of the set of keys, opened her mouth in surprise, and glanced at the locked door opposite her.
He nodded slightly, confirming her guess.
Gu Qili could never have imagined that the new neighbor moving in opposite her would be Mu Shuoqian. He had his own fine villa to live in, so why come to squeeze into a small apartment of a few tens of square meters? And given his obsession with cleanliness, how could he live in a house someone else had lived in?
"Oh, wait a moment." She had put the key in her bag.
It was as if a fine electric current passed through where they touched, spreading throughout her limbs and body, causing her heart to uncontrollably start racing.
Mu Shuoqian grabbed her wrist, his deep eyes gazing at her slightly angry, pretty eyes, then suddenly his lips crooked up into a charming smile, "Miss Gu, I’ve already pursued you this far, isn’t the meaning clear enough?"
Dazed by his smile, they say that beauty is disastrously enchanting, but this man’s smile was even more lethal than a woman’s. She was nearly drowning in his smile.
In her memory, it seemed she hadn’t seen him smile so genuinely for a long time.
Gu Qili bit her lip, her cheeks reddening as if rouged, was this Mu Shuoqian’s indirect way of confessing to her?
She hung her head, speaking in a voice as soft as a mosquito’s, "I haven’t had dinner yet, take your key and go back."
She bent down to pick up the key, and as she handed it to him,
Gu Qili quickly withdrew her hand and stepped back, "Niannian is still at Jingshan, aren’t you going to go back and keep him company?"
"It’s fine, Uncle Yu is looking after him. It’s closer to the airport from here, I have a business trip tomorrow," Mu Shuoqian answered matter-of-factly, taking the key from her palm, "Haven’t you eaten yet?"
The presence of Mu Shuoqian made Gu Qili nervous, and the clearly confessionary words he had just spoken made her heart flutter like a little deer. She thought that she needed some time to calm down now.
"Yeah, I haven’t eaten yet."
That meant, you should hurry back, I still haven’t eaten.
"It just so happens that I haven’t eaten either, make me a portion as well." He casually sat down on the sofa with the key in hand and turned on the TV with the remote control.
Gu Qili: "...."
"Am I troubling you?" He took off his coat and set it aside, asking seriously.
Gu Qili replied unceremoniously: "Of course."
Cooking one bag of dumplings was enough for her. Now, with an extra person, she had to cook another bag.
Mu Shuoqian made an ’oh’ sound: "I’m sorry for the trouble then."
Knowing it’s an inconvenience yet still staying put; Gu Qili saw him switch to the sports channel and apparently had no intention of leaving. She could only reluctantly go into the kitchen.
Turning on the stove, she took another bag of dumplings out of the fridge.
After the dumplings were cooked, Gu Qili served two bowls and made a simple cucumber salad, then called the man in the living room to come and eat.
Mu Shuoqian stood up, went to the bathroom to wash his hands and seeing the toilet next to it, he glanced outside the door and closed it.
Gu Qili waited for a while before the bathroom door was opened, and Mu Shuoqian, having washed his hands, strode over.
"I thought you were taking a shower," Gu Qili muttered dissatisfiedly. She had been hungry for a long time,