MLMD -Chapter 423 Laying Bare One’s Feelings

Zhang Xiaoxiao hugged a file folder to her chest as she walked down the corridor of the office building. Her steps were unusually light, as if she were about to float off the ground. The reason was simple: her boss had spent the entire day sitting quietly in his office reading—a whole day! She could hardly remember how long it had been since the company’s biggest boss had actually come to work, let alone stayed in his office for an entire day.

She knocked softly. After hearing a “Come in” from inside, Zhang Xiaoxiao pushed the door open and walked in. At first glance, she saw Yue Yang sitting in his wide executive chair, frowning deeply as he stared at a pile of books, grinding his teeth. Yes—grinding his teeth. That was exactly the impression she got.

Seeing her enter, Yue Yang casually set the book down on the desk, then rubbed both temples for a while. As he did, he asked, “Xiaoxiao, what’s the matter?”

Seeing her boss looking so troubled, Zhang Xiaoxiao felt both amused and exasperated. “Boss, it’s time to get off work,” she said, glancing at the book on the desk. On its cover, written in gilded traditional characters, were the words Modern Naval Tactics and Classic Battle Cases.

My boss is getting stranger and stranger, she thought. Buying cheap, outdated antiques all these years was one thing. Now he’s studying naval tactics—and in traditional Chinese, no less. Is he trying to revert to some ancient ancestor? She felt she was understanding her boss less and less.

“Off work already?” Yue Yang froze for a moment, then smiled helplessly. He couldn’t even remember how long it had been since he’d worked a full day. He never expected to stay at the company all day today—no wonder his stomach felt strange. It was dinner time.

With that thought, he slapped his forehead and laughed. “Alright, since it’s dinner time, let me treat you to a meal.”

“Treat me to dinner?” Zhang Xiaoxiao was slightly stunned. The last time her boss had treated her seemed to be last year. Why today, all of a sudden? Could it be…? Her small face flushed, and she became shy and awkward.

“What… you don’t want to honor me with your presence?” Yue Yang paused, then seemed to think of something. Somewhat embarrassed, he said, “Look at me, how careless. I forgot to invite Shengnan too. You two are inseparable—like scale and weight. Go call her over.”

Hearing that, Zhang Xiaoxiao felt like slapping herself. How had she not realized that earlier? What could have been a perfect dinner for two had turned into a threesome.

“What… is there something else?” Yue Yang asked, puzzled by her reaction.

Her face turned even redder. Zhang Xiaoxiao hurriedly shook her head. “N-no… nothing. I’ll go call Shengnan right away!” With that, she bolted out the door like a startled little rabbit.

Watching her flustered retreat, Yue Yang shook his head helplessly. “She’s been out of college for years now—why is she still so shy? No wonder Liu Shengnan always looks out for her. If she were my girlfriend, I wouldn’t feel at ease letting her face the world alone either. Good thing I’m a gentleman—otherwise…”

Feeling rather pleased with himself, he packed up and headed out.

---

At the restaurant of the five-star Milai Hotel, gentle piano music drifted through the hall. Yue Yang, Liu Shengnan, and Zhang Xiaoxiao sat at a table, enjoying dinner together.

Zhang Xiaoxiao wore a lake-green dress with light green high heels. Paired with her pure, pretty face, she looked both cute and bashful—like a girl next door who inspired affection. Sitting opposite Yue Yang, Liu Shengnan was dressed as always like a strong career woman. Her hair was tied back neatly, revealing a smooth, fair forehead. Her oval face was framed by gold-rimmed glasses, and her sapphire-blue professional suit made her look both capable and beautiful.

The meal was already halfway through. Zhang Xiaoxiao, who ate little, had long since set down her utensils. She sat quietly to the side, watching Yue Yang devour his food, a softness in her eyes that even she herself didn’t notice. She thought she was hiding it well—but how could she fool Liu Shengnan, her best friend and closest confidante?

Liu Shengnan sighed inwardly, set down her knife and fork, and casually asked, “Boss, why do you have time to treat us to dinner tonight? Don’t you need to accompany your girlfriend?”

Yue Yang, busy with his steak, didn’t even look up. “Oh… they’re rushing to film these past few days. They won’t be back until very late, so no need to wait for them.”

You womanizing radish, Liu Shengnan cursed inwardly. He even used ‘they’. Though she’d long known he was keeping two female celebrities, hearing him admit it so casually still made her curse him a dozen times in her heart.

Feeling stifled, Liu Shengnan turned aside and saw a faint trace of grievance on Zhang Xiaoxiao’s pretty face. She felt indignant on behalf of her friend. Does this guy even have eyes? There’s such a fresh, tender cabbage right in his own field, yet he runs outside to pick wild flowers. What on earth is he thinking? Is it really true that the grass is greener elsewhere?

Yue Yang, buried in his steak, had no idea the beauty across from him was silently drawing little circles to curse him. Ever since shuttling between two worlds, he always felt especially hungry afterward, with an unusually good appetite.

Clenching her teeth, Liu Shengnan forced a smile. “Boss, since you’ve admitted you have a girlfriend, doesn’t that mean we’ll soon be drinking your wedding wine?”

“That’s impossible. I won’t be getting married anytime soon.” Yue Yang shook his head, though he smiled bitterly inwardly. Truth is, I already have a family—and more than one wife. And soon I’ll have to marry again. If you knew, you’d curse me to death.

Then Liu Shengnan’s voice came again. “Boss, are you planning to live your whole life without getting married?”

Yue Yang shook his head. “I don’t know yet. We’ll see how things go.”

He then looked up at her, puzzled. “Hey… Shengnan, you seem very concerned about my private life. What, are you planning to volunteer yourself?”

“Bah—!” Liu Shengnan’s face flushed. She hurriedly scolded him with a laugh. “Who’s volunteering? I’m just concerned on behalf of the company. You’re not young anymore and still single. I say one thing and you start puffing up.” She shot him a big eye roll. The sudden, girlish coyness from the usually dominant career woman caught Yue Yang off guard, leaving him momentarily stunned.

After a moment, Yue Yang said thoughtfully, “As for marriage, I really haven’t thought about it. It’s a major decision and needs caution. No rush—I’m not even thirty yet.”

Liu Shengnan sighed softly. “Men are all the same. But have you ever thought about this? A woman’s youth isn’t like a man’s—it’s extremely limited. Once she hits thirty, she starts to wither.”

“Uh…” Her words were subtle yet pointed. Yue Yang coughed awkwardly and didn’t respond.

Seeing him play dumb again, Liu Shengnan gritted her teeth in frustration. She glanced at her silent friend, then clenched her small fist under the table. “Boss, there are plenty of unmarried, beautiful girls in our company. Have you ever thought about finding one to be the boss’s wife?”

Yue Yang’s eyes widened. “No way! Office romance is strictly forbidden in most companies, and you’re actually encouraging me to do that? Miss Liu… you’re not a spy sent by a rival company, are you?”

“You—!” Liu Shengnan’s face darkened with anger. She stood up, eyes blazing, ready to explode—but Zhang Xiaoxiao quickly stopped her.

“Shengnan… don’t do this. It looks bad,” Zhang Xiaoxiao whispered, holding her hand. “He’s our boss. You can’t talk to him like that.”

“I—” Liu Shengnan sat back down angrily. She knew she was being unreasonable. She wasn’t Yue Yang’s mother—what right did she have to meddle? If it were another boss, she’d probably have been fired already.

After a moment of silence, Yue Yang sighed. “Shengnan, I know you mean well. But marriage is too big a matter for a rash answer. And you know what I’m like—I’m kind of a playboy. I even have two girlfriends. The girls in our company are good girls. I won’t ruin them—otherwise you’d scold me again.”

Liu Shengnan fell silent. His words seemed to carry an implication, sending ripples through her heart. Did he hear what I meant earlier?

The rest of the meal passed in heavy silence. Even after Yue Yang drove them home, Liu Shengnan didn’t say another word.

Once inside, Zhang Xiaoxiao’s first action was to pull open the curtains and watch the black Aston Martin slowly leave the complex. Her eyes were filled with complicated emotions.

“Xiaoxiao,” Liu Shengnan said again, “are you really going to keep this up forever—never confessing to him?”

Zhang Xiaoxiao forced a smile. “This is fine. Didn’t I say it before? I never plan to force things like this. As long as I can see him from time to time and talk with him, I’m satisfied. Maybe in a few years I’ll find a man and get married. But for now, let me quietly watch over him a little longer.”

Hearing her calm yet resolute words, Liu Shengnan felt bitterness rise in her throat. That bastard…

Suddenly, she felt she had to do something for her friend. She glanced at Zhang Xiaoxiao standing by the window, then quietly left the room…

---

Yue Yang was driving along the Huangpu River when his phone rang. He put on his earpiece and answered. “Hello… this is Yue Yang. Who’s speaking? Hello… hello?”

There was no sound—only rapid breathing. After a long while, a voice finally came through.
“Yue Yang, you bastard!”

Yue Yang smiled bitterly. “Miss Liu, I don’t think I’ve offended you, have I? And I am your boss, you know.”

“Boss my ass!” Liu Shengnan’s furious voice rang out. “If you’re unhappy with me, just fire me! I don’t care to serve you!”

Yue Yang shook his head helplessly. “Hey… what happened? You have to let me understand.”

“I’m asking you—do you know Xiaoxiao likes you? All these years, while you played absentee boss, do you know how much she’s given to the company? She’s always been quietly paying attention to you. Even though you rarely come back, the company is still run perfectly—why do you think that is? Can’t you think about it? If you were already married, fine. But you’d rather mess around with female celebrities than accept a good girl like Xiaoxiao—why? Do you know a girl just stood by the window, silently watching your car drive away…!”

Liu Shengnan was practically hysterical, her words tumbling out in disorder.

Yue Yang was silent for a long time before saying, “Shengnan, I haven’t figured this out yet. Give me some time to think, okay?”

“Then think fast! I’ll give you three days. If you still won’t accept Xiaoxiao, I’ll take her and leave this city—forever. She’s my best friend. I won’t let anyone hurt her!”

With that, the call ended in a series of beeps.

“Sigh…”

Yue Yang put down the earpiece, a bitter smile on his lips. How could he not know Zhang Xiaoxiao’s feelings? But he knew he was destined never to live like a normal modern person, forever bound to this world. He didn’t want to hurt a girl as pure and lovely as a neighbor’s little sister. That was why he had always pretended not to hear, hoping time would dilute everything. He just hadn’t expected a righteous best friend to suddenly step in. He truly didn’t know what to do.

---

A bright moon hung on the treetops outside the villa. The soft autumn wind rustled gently, but none of it reached inside, thanks to the soundproofed walls and windows.

On a soft, luxurious bed lay Xiao Lu, famous these past two years for her glamorous, tall, and valiant female-soldier image. Now she was wrapped around a man, her strong yet smooth, pale legs hooked tightly around his waist as she moaned freely, responding to his wild thrusts. Beside her, petite Xiao Dan lay limp like melted clay, her watery eyes hazy as she watched her sister being taken by their lover, her apple-like cheeks flushed red.

The man was well-built—not overly muscular, but balanced and powerful, with smooth lines. As he moved, the defined muscles of his chest and abdomen flexed sensually. His thrusts were firm and forceful. Though Xiao Lu tried to resist, under his fierce assault her defenses quickly crumbled. With a sharp cry, her body trembled, and her long legs finally fell weakly onto the bed.

The man was, of course, Yue Yang. Looking at Xiao Lu, now unable to move even a finger, he smiled wryly and lay back between the two women, wrapping his arms around their soft bodies, listening to their rapid breathing.

After a while, Xiao Dan’s timid voice sounded. “Brother Yang… I’m sorry.”

Yue Yang chuckled softly. “Oh? Why do you say that?”

“Brother Yang… am I useless? Did I fail to satisfy you?” Xiao Dan asked anxiously.

Looking at her tired little face, Yue Yang said gently, “Silly girl. You both did very well. This is my problem—you don’t need to worry.”

“But…” Xiao Dan tried to say more, only to be interrupted by Xiao Lu.

“Ah Yang has something on his mind.”

“Something on his mind?” Xiao Dan looked at their lover in confusion.

Yue Yang lightly flicked Xiao Lu’s pert nose and sighed. “I didn’t think you’d notice. Nothing escapes you.”

Xiao Lu showed a rare, girlish expression, a little smug. “Hmph. I’ve been with you this long—how could I not tell? You’re usually gentle with us, never as rough as today. If I couldn’t tell, I’d be an idiot.”

“Yeah…” Yue Yang sighed bitterly and fell silent. Tonight’s events really had weighed on him.

Seeing him quiet, Xiao Lu leaned closer, practically pressing herself against his chest, her full breasts squashed against him without restraint. She asked softly, “Is it about another woman?”

Yue Yang was surprised. “You guessed that too?”

Xiao Lu said resentfully, “Hmph. What else could make you worry?”

Yue Yang rubbed his nose sheepishly. “Alright, you got it right.”

Xiao Lu rolled her eyes. “If you like her, just bring her back. There are plenty of rooms here—one more won’t hurt.”

Yue Yang sighed. “But she’s a proper girl. She won’t follow a man with several women.”
The moment he said it, he knew he’d made a mistake.

Sure enough, it sparked instant outrage. “So you’re saying Xiao Dan and I aren’t proper girls? Xiao Dan—come help me tickle him!”

In an instant, the room descended into chaos once again.