Mu Linjiang opened his eyes, his long lashes fluttering slightly. His calm, unruffled gaze paused—a rare occurrence—when it met her pretty face so close to his.
“Mm, I listen occasionally.”
“Let me tell you, this song has quite a story for me!”
Du Youling immediately launched into an animated retelling of her glorious achievement of singing this song at her university’s anniversary celebration.
“Our school’s sound equipment back then was absolutely terrible, but I and the musicians managed to rearrange the song into something absolutely explosive. The moment the intro started, those guys below the stage—who usually only knew how to do experiments in the lab—went completely wild, jumping and dancing to the beat. The atmosphere was incredibly lit!”
As she spoke, she gestured proudly with her hands.
“You have no idea—for that stage, I went half a month without a single good night’s sleep. Every day after class, I’d be holed up in the rehearsal room until my voice was nearly shot. I even skipped my favorite social psychology lectures, all just to outshine Du Ningyang’s piano piece in front of the whole school!”
At this point, Du Youling vented in frustration: “And guess what happened in the end? I still lost to Du Ningyang! It came down to that one crucial vote from the student council president! It infuriates me—just because that president had a crush on Du Ningyang! There was absolutely no fairness to it!”
“Also, Du Ningyang’s Mozart sounded like a smart speaker announcing the time on the hour. Mu Linjiang, tell me—are those judges just too old and deaf?”
The more Du Youling talked, the angrier she got, clenching her fists until her knuckles cracked, her mind full of the resentment from that long-ago defeat.
Mu Linjiang listened quietly to her complaints.
What Du Youling didn’t know was that Du Ningyang’s landslide victory came through the unspoken favor-trading among children of high-ranking officials.
Sometimes, talent is worthless in the face of connections.
“It was just a school event. Winning or losing isn’t that important.”
“How can it not be important?! It’s about dignity!” Du Youling bristled instantly. “Do I care about the trophy? No! I care about that one breath of pride! If you’d never once beaten someone your whole life, I’m sure you’d feel the same way!”
Mu Linjiang slowly turned his head to look at her. “So you’re taking a shortcut to catch up with her on the progress bar? I don’t think that’s a wise decision.”
“What do you mean ‘shortcut’… that sounds so harsh. I call it rationally utilizing limited resources for a dimensionality-reduction strike. If at next week’s family dinner, Du Ningyang suddenly discovers I’ve become her little aunt-in-law, guess what expression she’ll have?”
At the thought of Du Ningyang having to greet her with proper respect, the frustration from reminiscing instantly evaporated, and the corners of her mouth couldn’t help but curl up wildly.
After finishing her daydream, Du Youling hadn’t yet wiped the smile from her face when she looked at Mu Linjiang: “Hey, Mu Linjiang, I’m serious.”
“Look—you’ve already seen my professional competence during the day. I definitely won’t embarrass you. Sure, you’re ten years older than me, but you’re handsome with a great body, and there’s not a single flaw in any of your qualities. You’re perfectly matched with me. So I’ve decided—starting right now, I’m going to court you properly!”
She raised her chin, declaring it with grand, heroic flair.
Secretary Chen in the front seat kept his expression unchanged, but inwardly he was sweating for Du Youling. Even though he could tell Mu Linjiang treated Du Youling differently, he couldn’t be sure whether that was a blessing or a curse.
“Becoming my person is far more difficult than you imagine getting into the Mu Corporation president’s office.”
Before Du Youling could ponder the deeper meaning of his words, the car gradually slowed down.
“President Mu, Miss Du, we’ve arrived at Royal Kitchen.”
The car stopped in front of an ancient, elegant Chinese-style courtyard.
Red lanterns hung high, casting a warm glow into the night.
The door was opened from outside by a waiter, and the early summer evening breeze dispersed the slightly tense atmosphere inside the car.
Mu Linjiang stepped out first.
“President Mu, Miss Du, please come in.”
Royal Kitchen was one of Haicheng’s most exclusive high-end private restaurants, serving only familiar distinguished guests on a daily basis.
Inside the courtyard, water meandered through winding channels, and rockeries cast flickering shadows under the warm yellow lights.
Du Youling, draped in Mu Linjiang’s suit jacket, followed him into the private dining room.
“Sit.”
Mu Linjiang pulled out a chair, his expression composed.
Having been on the go all day, Du Youling was starving. The faint aroma of food wafting through the air made her stomach betray her with an embarrassing growl.
Secretary Chen didn’t follow into the private room, instead standing guard dutifully outside the door.
The waiter presented a gold-embossed menu, but Mu Linjiang didn’t take it. “No need to look. Bring a few of your head chef’s signature light dishes. Also, send in a bowl of warm walnut paste first.”
“Very well, President Mu.”
After the waiter withdrew, the private room fell instantly silent, leaving only the rustling sound of bamboo leaves in the wind outside the window.
Du Youling propped her cheeks on both hands, her bright, sparkling eyes staring unabashedly at the man sitting across from her.
Mu Linjiang lowered his eyelids, leisurely rinsing the teacup with hot water.
Every movement he made carried a quiet elegance honed by years of experience.
Mu Linjiang slid the warmed teacup toward her.
The emerald tea rippled with fine glimmers in the porcelain cup, wisps of steam curling upward.
Only then did the man slowly lift his gaze, his calm, restrained eyes settling on her face.
“Since you’ve been fasting for a while, have some warm tea first.”
“Oh.”
Du Youling reached out with both hands to cup the teacup, taking small, careful sips.
She set the cup down and rolled her eyes thoughtfully. “Mu Linjiang, are you always this serious when you eat out? How boring. I just told you in the car that I’m going to pursue you, and you haven’t even given me an official answer. Don’t you have anything to say to your admirer?”
Mu Linjiang set the teapot back in its place, leaned against the back of his chair, and folded his hands on his knees. “Miss Du, in the adult world, verbal declarations are the least binding thing of all.”
“Moreover, a momentary impulse usually can’t sustain a long-term relationship.”
“I’m not being impulsive.” Du Youling pouted in defiance.
Just as she was racking her brains to prove she wasn’t all talk, a knock came at the private room door.
A waiter entered carrying a small porcelain bowl, setting it before Du Youling with a deferential bow of his head. “Miss Du, your walnut paste. It’s at the right temperature—perfect to enjoy now.”
“Oh, thank you.”
Du Youling’s attention was instantly captured by the bowl of walnut paste before her, its sweet aroma rising with the steam.
She had nearly starved to death.
She eagerly scooped up a heaping spoonful and shoved it into her mouth without a moment’s hesitation.
The rich, silky depth of the walnuts hit her palate, and Du Youling savored it, her eyes unconsciously narrowing in delight.
“Mmm! So good!”
It wasn’t until she’d devoured most of the bowl that Du Youling’s pace gradually slowed.
She belatedly realized the entire private room had fallen silent, with only the sound of her own eating filling the space.
As for the man sitting across from her—he hadn’t even touched his chopsticks, let alone the teacup at his side.
Du Youling held the small spoon in her mouth and blinked. “Mu Linjiang, why aren’t you drinking your tea? Can you get full just watching me eat?”