Chapter 16: That Fateful Connection
The night had grown deep, and the noisy city finally began to quiet down.
Of course, under this calm night, many people’s nightlife was just getting started.
But Mu Le, exhausted from everything, had already fallen asleep.
Xiao Yuze sat beside her, watching her slowly relax and finally exhaled in relief.
Looking at the girl’s extremely cute sleeping face, his own long-held tension strangely began to ease.
Unable to resist, he reached out and gently touched her face.
“Mm…”
As if sensing something, Mu Le’s body shifted slightly in her sleep and then settled into a more comfortable position.
Xiao Yuze smiled softly, adjusted the air conditioner to a suitable temperature, and then turned off the light, ready to leave.
In the dark, he took a long, careful look at the faint outline of her body on the bed before finally turning away.
He quietly closed the door and remembered that the files his father had given him were not yet handled. So he sent a quick text to his assistant.
Because Mu Le had called him in such a rush, he hadn’t brought those materials with him.
In the end, he just asked the assistant to back them up and hurried over.
Luckily, it was the information age, sending the work emails to the assistant should get a fast response.
Sure enough, as soon as the message was sent, a reply came back, letting him know the tasks would be handled immediately.
Xiao Yuze rubbed his forehead, a little tired, before taking a deep breath in front of his computer.
Before he could even start on the files, he got a phone call.
Seeing the number on the screen, his eyebrows raised slightly.
“Hello, Dad. Still awake this late? Why are you calling me? Aren’t you supposed to be with Mom?”
Before Xiao Shuheng could respond, the phone was snatched by his wife.
“San’er, is that little girl Mu Le okay?”
Xiao Yuze’s mouth twitched slightly. “Mom, don’t keep grabbing Dad’s phone… and… didn’t we agree not to call me San’er? It makes it sound like I have two older brothers or something. Anyway, what could possibly be wrong with Mu Le?”
“Hmph. Today your dad said you rushed off in the middle of work. Who else would make you care this much besides Mu Le?”
His mother snorted lightly and gave Xiao Shuheng a glance, stopping him from saying anything.
Xiao Shuheng let out a wry smile, feeling a bit helpless at his still somewhat childish wife.
But honestly, her personality had been shaped over years of marriage.
Even after so many years of marriage, and with their son grown up, their relationship style hadn’t changed.
Sometimes, even Xiao Yuze himself couldn’t help but feel exasperated.
“Mom, Mu Le and I are just…”
Xiao Yuze shook his head helplessly. He wanted to explain, but his words stalled in his throat.
Right… just… what?
“Look, look! San’er, you’re speechless now. You say no with your mouth, but your body is… Hey! Xiao Shuheng, don’t grab my phone! Don’t worry, son. As your mother, I fully support you!”
Xiao Yuze: “……”
Listening to the chaotic noise from the phone, Xiao Yuze couldn’t help but feel a bit of regret for letting his mother know about Mu Le.
Come to think of it, the Xiao family and the Mu family were actually deeply entwined by fate.
That’s because Xiao Yuze’s mother had been Mu Cheng’s first love!
Yes, and naturally, there’s a long, messy story behind that, but there’s no need to go into all of it here.
In life, you might meet two people. One who astonishes your time, and one who soothes your years.
Xiao Yuze’s mother had never ended up with Mu Cheng.
Xiao Shuheng, on the other hand, had been Mu Cheng’s classmate in college and they were extremely close.
After graduation, they went their separate ways and gradually lost contact.
It was only after both had built their businesses that they unexpectedly met again at a banquet.
Even they themselves were surprised to recognize each other after so many years.
Old friends meeting after more than twenty years, neither of them was young and impulsive anymore.
But looking back, that time had been truly beautiful.
Of course, this thought only lasted when Mu Cheng saw Xiao Yuze’s mother.
Regarding this “first love,” Mu Cheng had a very deep impression.
Especially after his family fell apart, she was the only piece of light in his heart.
Well, joking aside, Mu Cheng didn’t feel anything strange.
Time is merciless, it can blur any feeling.
Seeing her finally end up with Xiao Shuheng, he felt nothing but pure, untainted happiness.
Yes, they were no longer young enough to act recklessly.
Having lived through so much, having seen so much, the only thing truly important to Mu Cheng now was his precious daughter, Mu Le.
Mu Le thought becoming Xiao Yuze’s roommate was just a coincidence, but she had no idea it was actually Mu Cheng who had subtly pushed things along.
As a father, Mu Cheng naturally knew Mu Le’s personality very well.
If she lived alone, she’d probably starve herself before long.
When he learned that Xiao Yuze was at the same school as Mu Le, even though it felt a bit strange considering his “first love son” identity, Xiao Yuze was undoubtedly the best choice.
Besides, Mu Cheng had met Xiao Yuze before. In both appearance and personality, he was indeed a good young man.
Of course, if you think Mu Cheng wanted to match them together, you’d be completely wrong!
Xiao Yuze could actually understand Mu Cheng’s feelings at that moment. After all, Mu Cheng’s first love had been “taken” by Xiao Shuheng. And now his son was “taking” his daughter? No wonder he wasn’t happy!
But the truth was, Xiao Yuze’s behavior so far had been quite good.
At least, it satisfied Mu Cheng.
And the way Mu Cheng interacted with Xiao Yuze was always in a friendly, relaxed manner.
He probably just thought Xiao Yuze saw Mu Le as a little sister. That’s what Mu Cheng assumed at first.
After secretly observing them for a while, he finally relaxed completely.
However, life is full of surprises, completely unpredictable!
Mu Le had unknowingly begun to rely on Xiao Yuze more and more.
When Mu Cheng realized this inconvenient truth, he fell silent for a long time.
He had originally thought that using arranged dates might push Mu Le a little, maybe she’d finally click with someone.
But in the end, everything turned “miserable” because Xiao Yuze was involved.
The first time, he was just a shield. This time, it was a kiss. What’s next?
Thinking of the possible future outcomes, Mu Cheng couldn’t help but feel a bit frustrated…