Hug

In May, the days in the Northern Hemisphere gradually grew longer.

By six in the evening, the sky still held a faint glow, though the streetlights had already flickered on.

The girl had changed into an emerald-green dress at some point, her usual badminton bag now stowed away in the car.

She stood straight, her gaze locked intently on the distant end of the road.

As time ticked by, her heartbeat tightened with each passing second.

Finally, under the glow of the streetlights, the outline of a bus emerged, drawing nearer.

The moment she recognized the vehicle, Jiang Yunlu’s eyes lit up.

She instinctively smoothed her skirt and quickly stepped back behind a pillar near the school building’s entrance, clearing the path.

The bus rolled slowly into the campus, coming to a stop with a dull hiss of released air.

The door opened, and the chaperoning teacher stepped out first, followed by students rubbing their sleepy eyes, stretching wearily.

Jiang Yunlu held her breath, scanning every face that appeared from behind the door.

One, two, three...

But the figure she was waiting for never showed.

As the bus emptied, the light in her eyes dimmed inch by inch.

He didn’t come back?

Her heart sank, and she lowered her head in disappointment.

"Did he... forget?"

Unwilling to accept it, she pulled out her phone, fingers trembling slightly as she unlocked the screen.

QQ and her messages were glaringly empty—no new notifications.

A wave of grievance surged up her nose, and she hastily covered her face, not wanting anyone to see her like this.

Curled up in a corner, Jiang Yunlu buried her head in her knees.

"Who made our young miss unhappy? I offer a ‘Didi Beatdown’ service, you know."

A familiar, teasing voice sounded above her.

Hearing it, Jiang Yunlu jerked her head up, forgetting in that moment to hide her red-rimmed eyes.

The person she’d been waiting for stood right in front of her.

Seeing her on the verge of tears, Lin Mo’s playful expression softened into helplessness.

He reached out, gently ruffling her soft hair.

"What’s wrong? I was just packing my things and got off last. Why the tears?"

His tone was soothing, as if to comfort a child, but it only made Jiang Yunlu's tears spill harder.

Eyes red, she glared at him.

"Jerk!"

Before he could react, she lunged forward, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck and burying her face against him.

Caught off guard by the sudden embrace, Lin Mo instinctively held her trembling frame, patting her back gently.

"I’m here now, aren’t I? When have I ever broken a promise to you?"

Jiang Yunlu didn’t answer, only nuzzled deeper into his chest, muffling a quiet sniffle.

Not far away, Xu Haoming, who had just sent off the last student, turned and caught sight of the overly affectionate scene.

He blinked, then glanced at Director Huang beside him.

The director chuckled, turning away with hands clasped behind his back to admire a thriving rosebush in the flowerbed.

Kids these days...

Well, whatever.

Though I could’ve sworn it was a different girl last time.

Ah, age must be catching up to me.

A night breeze swept across the empty campus, the last rays of sunlight gilding the edges of the school building.

Everyone else had left, but Jiang Yunlu clung to Lin Mo like a koala, refusing to let go.

Her cheek pressed against his chest, savoring his warmth and the clean scent of his clothes, as if she could freeze time like this.

"Not getting down?" Lin Mo’s voice, laced with amusement, broke the silence. "If you don’t, I’ll carry you straight out of the school gates like this."

The threat worked instantly.

Jiang Yunlu stiffened, a vivid image flashing in her mind:

Him carrying her boldly through the gates, while across the street, her father’s assistant sat in a black Bentley, phone raised to snap photos.

Within three minutes, her dad’s furious calls would flood her phone.

"Hmph!" She scrambled down, nearly tripping over her long skirt in her haste.

Face burning, she fussed with the wrinkles in her dress, avoiding his gaze.

"I don’t want to be carried out."

Lin Mo laughed softly at her flustered state.

"Alright, alright. But you must be hungry by now."

The girl nodded earnestly. "Waited too long for you. Starving."

"Then let’s go. Today, I’m taking you to the ‘Sha County of Western cuisine.’"

Jiang Yunlu blinked. "I’ve heard of Sha County, but never tried it."

"Next time, we’ll go for lunch. But tonight, it’s the Western Sha County."

"Is it Austrian dumplings?"

"Austria has dumplings?"

"They do, but they’re terrible."

Side by side, they left the school grounds.

Jiang Yunlu trailed behind Lin Mo, her steps light and cheerful as she watched his tall figure, her skirt swaying happily with each skip.

Across the street, the female assistant in the car raised her phone, capturing the exact moment the girl looked up at the boy’s back—her eyes sparkling, brimming with adoration.

She sent the photo with a note:

"Boss, Miss Jiang has left with Lin Mo."

The reply came swiftly:

"Follow them. Don’t interfere."

In his office, Jiang Chengshan set down his phone, sinking into his plush chair.

He enlarged the photo, studying his daughter’s face—the unguarded, pure joy there left him with a bittersweet ache.

He’d resigned himself to it. As long as she didn’t turn out like her mother...

Since he’d allowed her to spend time with Lin Mo, this kind of smile had become more and more frequent.

But he still worried about that boy crossing lines.

That’s why he’d arranged for discreet escorts.

Dating was fine. Meals together were fine. But staying out overnight? An absolute red line.

He would guard against any possibility of losing control—crush it before it could even take root.

Meanwhile, the assistant watched Jiang Yunlu’s buoyant steps and mused:

"President Jiang, your daughter’s heart—and probably her mind—is about to be stolen by this Lin Mo kid."

To be fair, though, Lin Mo was undeniably exceptional.

His family background might be modest, but in every other aspect—looks, eloquence, that preternatural maturity—he was practically flawless.

Rumor had it even Jiang Chengshan had been outmaneuvered by him in their confrontation.

A high-potential stock, still flying under the radar.

And Miss Jiang? Clearly the first to recognize its value.

The assistant sighed. If I were a few years younger, I’d probably chase after him too.

--System: Here, all is peaceful. Elsewhere, the battlefield rages--