Thinking of this, Duan Yanxing reluctantly set the little girl in his arms down.
Chi Mu’s body suddenly felt lighter, and she finally let out a sigh of relief.
Her gaze fell on the man’s handsome features.
He really was quite good-looking, especially his brow—sharp and imposing when stern, yet warm as sunlight when he smiled.
Chi Mu could sense the powerful aura this man exuded, but for some reason, he indulged her in every way.
Trying to ignore this strange feeling, she spoke softly, “Mr. Duan… I want to go back.”
She didn’t dare look at his expression, keeping her head lowered as she spoke.
By now, she had shed the initial awkwardness she felt upon meeting Duan Yanxing, but…
She still couldn’t imagine being married to the man before her. It felt too unfamiliar, too strange…
So even though she was still afraid, she wanted to escape this place for now.
Hearing this, Duan Yanxing fell silent for a moment before reluctantly replying, “Mm.”
Chi Mu abruptly turned around, intending to put on her shoes.
But before she could take a step, her wrist was suddenly caught by a slender, pale hand.
Surprised, Chi Mu looked up at Duan Yanxing, who was frowning, seemingly displeased.
“Mr. Duan, what’s wrong?”
“…You plan to go out dressed like this?” he asked in a low voice.
Only then did she look down, her face instantly flushing to the tips of her ears.
She was only wearing a spaghetti-strap nightgown…
The dress was thin, and faintly, she could even see her own fair skin…
Chi Mu hurriedly covered herself with her hands, lowering her head in embarrassment, her heart pounding wildly.
Oh my god! How could she be wearing something like this, and in such an unfamiliar place, and have him see her like this!
Biting her lower lip, she looked at the man before her with some embarrassment, her small hands twisting together.
Duan Yanxing stared at the delicate, pretty little face before him, his heart stirring slightly.
“Go change. I won’t look.”
He spoke hoarsely, then turned his back, trying hard to suppress the wild restlessness within him.
“Th-thank you…”
Chi Mu murmured softly before quickly slipping into the dressing room to change into her own clothes.
Her mind was in chaos, her thoughts still needing sorting, and she had no time to dwell on the many inconsistencies in this situation.
…
A moment later.
Chi Mu, now changed, walked out slowly. Head lowered, she approached Duan Yanxing from behind, looking somewhat uneasy.
“Mr. Duan, may I leave now?”
She asked timidly, her voice soft, her small hands clutching the hem of her clothes, betraying her inner uncertainty and anxiety.
The tall man before her stood like an iceberg, unmoving and silent.
Chi Mu cautiously moved a little closer, reaching out a small hand to tentatively tug at the cuff of his trousers, speaking softly, “Mr. Duan?”
The man faced the floor-to-ceiling window, watching as the rain outside grew heavier, wrestling with himself for a long moment.
Finally, he relented—
“I’ll take you back.”
“N-no, that’s not necessary…”
“The rain is heavy. It’s not safe.”
“But…”
Chi Mu thought about someone of Duan Yanxing’s status taking her back. If anyone saw them, who knew what kind of trouble it might cause…
“Now I can’t even take you back?”Duan Yanxing’s tone was pitiful, without a trace of pretense.
Especially given his tall and fierce appearance, hearing such aggrieved words made it impossible to refuse.
“Then… alright.” She reluctantly agreed.
After all, once they stepped out of this door, there should be no further connection between them.
From the beginning until now, she had firmly believed that he must have mistaken her for someone else. After all, her memory held no recollection of such an extraordinary figure.
In the future, they would only be strangers to each other—just passerby A and passerby B.
Yes, that must be the case.
Thinking this, Chi Mu’s tense emotions finally eased a bit. She took a deep breath and prepared to step forward, only to see the man extend his hand toward her.
“What?” she asked, dumbfounded.
“Hold hands,” he uttered softly, a flicker of something dark passing through his eyes.
At this moment, he thought this was his bottom line.
But when he noticed the hesitation and grievance in Chi Mu’s eyes, he suddenly realized that his limits had long been repeatedly redefined by the little princess before him!
“Forget it, follow me,” he declared, conceding defeat.
Who made him love her so desperately that he couldn’t bear to see her upset?
In truth, as early as three years ago, when Yubei Garden burned down, he had already regretted it—regretted why he had come to his senses so late.
Why hadn’t he returned sooner to protect her, cherish her, and give her everything she wanted?
This time, heaven had taken pity on him and granted him such an opportunity. He had to cherish it, had to tread carefully. He never wanted to experience that bone-deep pain again.
So, he compromised. Even if this time, he could only watch her from afar, it was fine.
Even if he had to pursue her all over again, he would take it slow.
“Thank you, Mr. Duan.” Chi Mu obediently followed behind him, their two figures moving one after the other through the deep, long corridor.
Silence enveloped them along the way, broken only by the rustling of leaves swaying in the wind and rain.
At this moment, Duan Yanxing wished time would slow down, even slower. Just feeling her presence beside him was enough…
Soon, the two arrived at the parking area. Duan Yanxing had no intention of letting her see Chi Yu. He didn’t want her mind to endure too much stimulation in a single day.
Since she had already forgotten everything related to him, then let everything start anew.
His goal was simple: to indulge her in every way and spoil the young lady rotten!
Moreover, he was fully confident he could win her back. He wouldn’t let Chi Yu lose his mother just after finding his father.
As for Chi Yu and Lin Yunxin, he would personally explain things to them.
Even after getting into the car, she kept her head down without a word, tightly clutching the hem of her clothes, even forgetting to fasten her seatbelt.
Noticing her unease and nervousness, Duan Yanxing pressed his thin lips together and suddenly leaned over.
As he bent down, their faces drew extremely close, breaths mingling, noses almost touching, filling the air with a faint, ambiguous tension.
Chi Mu was startled and shrank back in a fluster, her cheeks flushing bright red. “Mr. Duan, don’t…”
Seeing her shy reaction, the man couldn’t help but chuckle. “Just fastening your seatbelt.”
Hearing this, Chi Mu grew even more nervous, tugging at her clothes and avoiding his gaze. “I… I’m sorry…”
Seeing her like this, Duan Yanxing’s gaze softened further, a slight smile curling at the corner of his mouth. “Alright, buckle up.”As he spoke, he reached out to help her adjust the seatbelt before leaning back.
Chi Mu breathed a sigh of relief.
But the next second, she suddenly realized something.
Wait, what was she doing?
He had just helped her fasten the seatbelt, and she had actually started thinking about something else…
“…”
How embarrassing, this is mortifying.