There was a hint of melancholy.
"Alright, head back and rest early."
Xu Musen looked at her pale face with a hint of blush, unable to resist the urge to pinch it, thinking of turning around to leave.
But An Nuannuan suddenly tugged at his sleeve, "Xu Musen..."
"Alright, alright, I promise you, I'll give you a heads up before I look for a girlfriend, okay?"
Xu Musen coaxed her, "Head back early, see you tomorrow."
After Xu Musen finished speaking, he turned to leave.
But just as he took a step, he heard the sound of footsteps crushing leaves behind him, and the sound of a wheelchair dragging on the ground.
Creak... accompanied by the sound of labored breathing.
Xu Musen's ears twitched, and he turned around.
This girl, who had always been in a wheelchair, was now standing up with great effort under the night lights.
She looked like a white swan about to spread its wings for the first time, her legs trembling slightly, merely standing up already exhausts all her strength.
She was a bit wobbly, her silly little face reddened, now also carrying a hint of joy.
As her steps faltered, the wheelchair wasn't pushed steadily, and she staggered.
Xu Musen hurriedly stepped forward, holding An Nuannuan's arm, as the girl's tender body leaned against Xu Musen's shoulder.
"Why did you suddenly stand up? It's so dangerous."
Xu Musen planned to help her sit back down properly.
But An Nuannuan showed a rare silly smile.
Under the night lights, she looked exceptionally pure and charming.
She called out softly again, the two of them leaning on each other for support, as An Nuannuan lifted her head to look at Xu Musen from such a close distance.
"When I can truly stand up and walk by myself, can I give you a surprise then?"
The two were so close; they could smell the faint milky scent on the girl and the sweet aroma similar to fruit.
Xu Musen swallowed, looking at the pretty face that was so close to him; her tender lips were even gleaming under the light.
"If I say it, it won't come true."
An Nuannuan quietly shifted her gaze, otherwise her heart felt like it was pounding thunderously with the rush of blood.
Xu Musen paused for a moment, chuckled, and nodded.
He gently placed An Nuannuan back in the wheelchair.
It always felt like An Nuannuan, who had drunk a bit of wine, seemed more cheerful than usual.
There was a kind of naive cuteness mixed with a bit of wits about her.
Xu Musen couldn't resist stretching out his hand to stroke her head; the girl's soft hair was as gentle as a kitten's.
An Nuannuan also really liked being stroked, squinting her eyes to look at him.
"I suddenly feel like I'm petting a cat," Xu Musen couldn't help but laugh.
"Cats are very cute though, I like fluffy animals the most," An Nuannuan fluttered her eyelashes, "but what does petting a cat mean?"
"It means... to rub and knead."
An Nuannuan looked like she learned something new, lifting her pale little face expectantly towards Xu Musen.
Those little eyes seemed just like a kitten insinuating crazily for a stroke in exchange for a treat.
Xu Musen reached out and pinched her soft cheek.
Yao Mingyue and Liu Rushuang were holding wine glasses, still looking at the night view over the Bund.
Yao Mingyue had already drunk two glasses, her cool and aloof face now showing a bit of flush, but her eyes were somewhat vacant.
"Mom, why did you bring up that matter today..."
She was naturally referring to her mother bringing up the arranged marriage and asking if he was dating An Nuannuan.
As soon as she said this, it gave Xu Musen a reason to retort.
If Xu Musen really didn't care about saving face, perhaps they wouldn't be able to meet again after this meal.
Liu Rushuang put down her wine glass and sighed softly at her daughter's face, "Even if I didn't say it, your current relationship is like a frog being boiled in warm water; it is merely a slow suicide. It might be better to just come out with something shocking, as nothing will change unless it is broken. Maybe then there would still be a chance."
"I've tried being nice to him too... but he never appreciates it!"
Yao Mingyue bit her lip, the more she thought about it, the more wronged and angry she became.
"How have you been nice to him?" Liu Rushuang asked.
Yao Mingyue recounted how she prepared the bed, washed clothes, and brought water and breakfast for Xu Musen.
Liu Rushuang listened, thinking that if these things were done for a boy, he would definitely be touched to tears.
But the problem lies precisely there.
"Ming Yue, you really shouldn't have done that."
"Is it wrong for me to be good to him too?"
"Being good to him isn't wrong, but the way you're doing it is."
Liu Rushuang analyzed, "Were you trying to show the people around him your relationship with him through these methods?"
Yao Mingyue nodded silently.
Ever since Xu Musen became increasingly cold to her, she could only use these methods to warn off those little vixens who wanted to get close to him.
"I don't know exactly what happened between you two, but I can feel that Musen seems particularly averse to the feeling of being controlled.
The more you press on, the more he will resent it."
Liu Rushuang hit the nail on the head.
Indeed, Yao Mingyue had also felt it, but she was a complete novice in matters of the heart.
Moreover, An Nuannuan's appearance disrupted all her original plans, and she could only proceed in this manner.
"Actually, what you've done isn't meaningless. When you peeled the crab for Musen today, I saw a change in the way Musen looked at you."