The next morning…

Qin Shu woke up very early. She changed into a man’s outfit – a casual black zipper style that made her look taller than she was.

She did not pack much by way of luggage.

Ye Luo followed her with President Ba curled in his arms, fast asleep.

Fu Tingyu looked at his wife. It felt like she was going on a long trip again despite returning only recently. He could not bear the thought of parting with his wife so soon.

“Call me when you get there. I’ll head over when I’m done with my work.”

“I will; don’t worry. You should get some rest. I know you’ve been working late,” Qin Shu responded knowingly as she got into the car.

Ye Luo followed suit with President Ba in his arms.

Fu Tingyu stood at the door and watched as the car disappeared out the gates of Bright Garden, his heart filled with worry.

Qin Shu was willful and fiercely independent, perhaps too much for comfort. She flew as and where she pleased, going wherever she wanted without him accompanying her. It was frustrating.

Standing not far away, Shi Yan glanced at the Fourth Young Master. He knew the Young Master’s character better than anyone. There was no doubt in his mind that the Fourth Young Master wanted to go with the Young Madam, and his inability to do so was bothering him.

He was, for lack of a better term, clingy.

When Fu Tingyu turned around, he noted Shi Yan’s presence, a silent statue waiting for further instructions. It made him think of the movie he watched the previous day, and he shook his thinking how much of a fool Shi Yan was.

Fu Tingyu recalled how he married Qin Shu, how he wanted to hold her as she shook in fear, and how he hoped to seal the promise of his love with a kiss. Yet, it was not meant to be. Perhaps it was his fault for being too aggressive then… Maybe if he had taken a gentler approach, their love could have been as sweet as now.

Shi Yan, who the Fourth Young Master was sizing up, felt guilty. He had a strong desire to live, so he amended his thoughts on the matter, “The Fourth Young Master is not a clingy person. He just cares a lot for the Young Madam.”

“Shi Yan,” Fu Tingyu called.

Shi Yan bowed in deference and asked, “Fourth Young Master, what are your orders?”

Fu Tingyu took two steps forward, standing face to face with Shi Yan. “Where did you go last night?”

Shi Yan was 187 cm tall, two centimetres shorter than Fu Tingyu. At this moment, he felt a lot shorter than he was, and the difference in their height added to the pressure. If the Fourth Young Master wanted the truth, then it was the truth he would give. “Mo Cheng and I watched a movie yesterday after work.”

Fu Tingyu pressed, “And then?”

Shi Yan met the Young Master’s eyes. He did not understand the Fourth Young Master’s sudden interest in his affairs, but he answered honestly, “Then I sent her home.”

“You didn’t go to her house?” Fu Tingyu clarified.

“Mo Cheng is an unmarried woman living in a rented apartment. It isn’t appropriate for a bachelor like me to intrude or overstay my welcome. After all, it was quite late when we reached her place.” Cold sweat began forming on Shi Yan’s forehead. Did the Fourth Young Master think he had an interest in Mo Cheng?

Fu Tingyu felt that his wife was right. There was a reason why Shi Yan was still single.

“Aren’t the two of you in a relationship? What’s wrong with you staying overnight?”

Shi Yan hurriedly explained, “Young Master, you’ve misunderstood. Mo Cheng and I are just friends. I’ve been in contact with her because the Young Master invested in her company dealing with children’s clothing.”

Fu Tingyu heaved an inward sigh. “She’s right.”

Shi Yan asked in puzzlement, “What did the Fourth Young Master say?”

Fu Tingyu did not answer. Instead, he asked, “Then who suggested the movie?”

“Mo Cheng,” Shi Yan replied dutifully.

The corners of Fu Tingyu’s mouth curled up. “You’re right again.”

Shi Yan asked in puzzlement, “Huh?”

Fu Tingyu ignored the quizzical look Shi Yan trained towards him, redirecting the attention with another question, “So… a woman takes the initiative to invite you out for a movie… What do you make of it?”

Shi Yan answered, “She arrived at the company around lunch, a little past noon. I brought her to the staff canteen for a meal, and that was when she asked if I was free later that night to watch a movie together. I checked my schedule, and I happened to have some spare time, so I agreed.”

Hearing this, Fu Tingyu rubbed his forehead, which was rare. “You’re hopeless.”

Shi Yan tilted his head in confusion. “Young Master, is something wrong? Why do you say I am hopeless?”

At this moment, Lizhi walked over with Nan Nan and asked Ye Qing to send the Young Miss to school.

Fu Tingyu stopped her. “Lizhi, come over here.”

Lizhi jogged over and politely inquired, “Young Master, is there anything you need?”

“Under what circumstances do you think a woman would invite a man to watch a movie?” Fu Tingyu asked.

“Young Master, I think you’ve gotten it mixed up. Usually, the man invites a woman out to watch a movie on a date. Though… it is not unheard of for the opposite to occur. In such a case, the woman likely possesses a good relationship with the man, perhaps as friends or relatives.”

“However, these two situations are very easy to distinguish. If the woman likes the man, the frequency with which she might contact the man for such events may increase. It could be anything – meals, movies, shopping, etc.”

Lizhi’s explanation was logical, but she secretly rejoiced in her heart. Romance novels were her greatest source of inspiration, and it seemed her time had been well spent.

Fu Tingyu turned to Shi Yan and asked, “Do you understand?” He did not give Shi Yan any time to react before stepping into the living room.

Shi Yan stood rooted to the spot as if struck by a bolt from the blue. He could vaguely sense the reason behind the Fourth Young Master’s line of questioning.

He carefully reconstructed the matter between him and Mo Cheng.

Whether it was eating or going to the movies, Mo Cheng had always taken the initiative to ask him out.

A woman had gone to his house to cook and arrive at the company to give Ye Chen something.

She even asked him what kind of woman he liked.

When the Fourth Young Master was out of earshot, Lizhi sidled up to Shi Yan curiously. “Special Assistant Shi, did someone invites you to watch a movie?”

Shi Yan locked eyes with Lizhi, wondering how a girl of her youth and marital status could know the subtleties of human relationships.

He side-stepped the question with one of his own, “Does a woman who takes the initiative to invite a man out for a movie mean she has feelings for him?”

“Not necessarily. It depends on the situation. It’ll be quite obvious if the woman is the type to chase a man. It wouldn’t be as simple as inviting her love interest to a movie,” Lizhi said. Her words caused Shi Yan’s eyes to light up.

Shi Yan laughed. “Are you sure you’re single?”

“Although I don’t have a boyfriend, I’ve read many romance novels where the female lead chases after male idols like this. Almost all female leads I’ve read about seem to share this trait,” Lizhi said, her tone brooking no room for argument.

“…”

“Alright, you win,” Shi Yan shook his head helplessly.

“Shi Yan, you’re not young anymore. It’s time for you to start a family,” Lizhi emphasised, throwing him a wink as she left to complete her other duties.

Shi Yan heaved a long sigh. Of course, he knew that he was not young anymore.

When he thought of Mo Cheng, her youthful face, he would smile almost, and an inexplicable emotion would flutter in his chest. Yet, his smile dimmed.

Did Mo Cheng like him?

That was unlikely.

As Shi Yan walked up the stairs, doubt clouding his eyes, he received a call from Ye Chen.

“What’s the matter?”

“Do you think Mo Cheng has a boyfriend?” Ye Chen chattered excitedly.

“No, I don’t think. Why do you ask?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. It’s good to know that she does not have a boyfriend. I’m hoping to catch up with her. Do you think you could be my wingman? I’ll treat you to a meal!”

Before Shi Yan could ask any more questions, he realised Ye Chen had already hung up. He gripped his phone and considered dialling Mo Cheng’s number. Eventually, he gave in to temptation.

While he was busy organising his thoughts, Mo Cheng answered the phone, “What can I do for you, Mr Shi?”

Shi Yan’s voice failed him, his words dying in his throat. He settled for the first thing that came to mind, “Oh, it’s nothing much. I was just wondering how you and Ye Chen are doing.”

“It’s been the usual. Did he say something to you?” A hint of disappointment tinged Mo Cheng’s words. She thought that Shi Yan called because he had something important he wanted to say to her.

“Nothing. Did you…” Shi Yan felt it would be quite abrupt for him to pop such a sensitive question out of the blue.