Su Yuxin

“Old Li!”

A burly man jogged over to Old Li, his excitement evident as he hugged him tightly.

“Hey, hey, Old Su, don’t go overboard. There are so many people here; it’s not appropriate.”

“Hehe, we’re old comrades, after all. This is just pure camaraderie.”

“You never know what unscrupulous media might spin out of this, so it’s better to be cautious.”

“They dare?!”

Su Wanli’s brow suddenly furrowed, his expression shifting from that of a benevolent arhat to a menacing demon.

“Old Su! Don’t act rashly. We still need to maintain appearances and give face to those in power.”

Li Jing shot a glare at Su Wanli to calm him down. His old comrade was good in every way, but his temper remained as impulsive as ever.

“Alright, Old Su, did you come alone today? Where are your daughter and wife?”

Su Wanli, who had been like an angry Vajra (a fierce deity), softened instantly when Li Jing mentioned his wife and daughter, returning to his initially kind demeanor.

“My wife went to play mahjong with the other ladies. Yu Xin is at the party eating cake. She said she’ll be over soon. She apparently has something to tell you.”

“Something to tell me? It’s probably about Mu Cheng.”

“Is Mu Cheng still mad at you? Have you explained to her?”

“No, not yet. That day when I couldn’t see Qianqian for the last time has always been a pain in my heart.”

As Li Jing spoke, his eyelids drooped, and he seemed to age a decade in an instant.

“Oh, that’s not your fault. We had a mission back then...”

“Old Su! You’ve had too much to drink.”

“Oh, right, right! I’ve had too much to drink.”

Su Wanli quickly nodded in agreement, as if they had touched on a sensitive topic.

“Father!”

At that moment, a soft, sweet voice called out from behind them. Turning around, they saw a blonde girl standing nearby.

“Yu Xin, you’re here. This is your Uncle Li Jing. No need for me to introduce him, right?”

Su Yuxin nodded obediently, lifting the hem of her light blue dress and curtsying elegantly to Li Jing: "Good evening, Uncle Li."

“Good evening, Yu Xin. I didn’t expect you to come to the party today.”

Upon closer inspection, Su Yuxin’s short hair just reached her nape, and she wore a hat that matched her dress. Inside, she wore a white blouse. Her adorable and well-behaved appearance would melt anyone’s heart.

“Actually, I wanted to see if Mu Cheng was here, but I didn’t see her...”

The lively Su Yuxin’s mood instantly dipped when she mentioned Li Mucheng, her pitiful eyes resembling those of a helpless little animal.

Seeing his daughter like this, Su Wanli, who was always a doting father, couldn’t stand still. He quickly nudged Li Jing with his elbow.

“Yu Xin, don’t be sad. Uncle Li is right here, isn’t he? Just tell him what’s on your mind.”

“But... I have class tomorrow.”

“Who said you have class? There’s no class tomorrow. Your teacher just called tonight to say she’s not feeling well and told you to arrange your time freely.”

“Really? Father, you’re the best!”

Su Yuxin wiped her wet eyes and slowly revealed a sweet smile.

This scene melted Su Wanli's heart. Over the years, he and his wife had carefully cherished their precious daughter. No matter what she asked for, they would fulfill her wishes. However, Su Yuxin was very sensible and had always been a good girl, which had eased Su Wanli's worries considerably.

“Uncle Li, can I visit Mu Cheng tomorrow?”

Looking into Su Yuxin’s big, expressive eyes, Li Jing could only agree.

“Of course, I’ll inform your teacher.”

“Yay! Thank you, Uncle Li. Yu Xin remembers she has something to do, so Father, you and Uncle Li can chat. I’ll take my leave now~”

Seeing her plan succeed, Su Yuxin skipped out of the venue. It had been so long since she saw Li Mucheng; she had to go home and dress up nicely.

“......”

“Hey, Old Li, how’s Mu Cheng’s mood lately? After all, she just went through something like that.”

“Ah Fu told me Mu Cheng is doing well, even more cheerful than before.”

“What? How is that possible? The real kidnappers haven’t been found yet. I’m worried that the child might have some issues. We’ve already mobilized the entire underground network to search without any blind spots.”

“It’s not because of that. It’s because of a private tutor that Mu Cheng has become better.”

“A private tutor? Isn’t Mu Cheng very against you arranging things for her?”

“I thought so too at first, but that young man is quite capable. Now Mu Cheng is studying with him and doesn’t seem impatient at all.”

“That’s incredible! Could you lend him to Yu Xin? Anyone who can get Mu Cheng to study is practically a divine teacher.”

“That young man has already signed a contract with our family. You’re out of luck.”

“What? You said he’s quite young, right?”

“Yes, he’s only twenty. His family background isn’t great, and his parents seem to have passed away early.”

“Do you trust this guy with your daughter? Aren’t you worried about... you know...”

Su Wanli, seeing Li Jing’s serious expression, immediately stopped talking.

“Ah Fu said the young man is very focused on his career. From the start, he’s only viewed himself as a teacher.”

“Does this guy have such good character? You know, Mu Cheng’s beauty has made several families fight to forge alliances with you.”

“I don’t know. We’ll just have to take it one step at a time. For now, he’s the only cure to help Mu Cheng.”

......

“Achoo!”

Ye Feng sneezed again while eating.

“Huh, why is this happening again? Could I be catching a cold? But it’s not the season for that...”

“Oh well, I’ll take some cold medicine later just in case.”

......

The next morning, Li Mucheng finished breakfast and was about to head to the study as usual when Ah Fu called out to her.

“Miss, please wait. The teacher said there’s no class today, and someone is here to see you.”

“Someone to see me?”

Li Mucheng blinked, recalling her conversation with Ye Feng the previous day. As soon as she returned to her room, she realized she was wrong. She shouldn’t have said those things to Ye Feng, but her emotions had just spilled out uncontrollably...

Could it be that he really came?

Li Mucheng walked briskly out of the dining room and, sure enough, heard voices in her room.

This guy is so rude! How dare he enter my room without permission! Wait... the book is still on the table!

Panicking at the thought, Li Mucheng pushed open the door and rushed in, shouting, “Who allowed you to enter my room? Get out now, Ye...”

Huh?

When Li Mucheng saw who was inside, she was momentarily stunned. The person in the room was none other than her best friend, Su Yuxin.