Chapter 497 Is there some misunderstanding between you?

Cui Xiao's position in the company became increasingly important, and through several collaborations, the president valued her more and more.

That noon, Xiao Hong from the finance department took her to a nearby restaurant.

Inside the private room, Xiao Hong poured Cui Xiao a cup of tea, her face full of gratitude. "I must treat you to a good meal today. This morning, the lawyer informed me that the probability of winning the case is 80%, and we're just waiting for the court hearing."

Xiao Hong paused for a moment, then said, "My case went so smoothly thanks to you. If it weren't for you, Attorney Zhou would never have broken his contract with my ex-husband. If he had been my defense attorney, my chances of winning would have been almost zero."

Cui Xiao paused, her fingertips slightly cool as she held the teacup. Of course, she knew Zhou Mubin's abilities; after all these years, he was still a legend.

Seeing Cui Xiao remain silent, Xiao Hong suddenly changed the subject, her eyes filled with a hint of inquiry, "Vice President Cui, is Attorney Zhou Xiao Nuomi's biological father?"

Cui Xiao suddenly looked up, her eyes filled with surprise, clearly not expecting Xiao Hong to see through this relationship.

Seeing that she didn't deny it, Xiao Hong smiled and patted her hand, "I knew I was right. Last time he came to the company, he stared at you with wide eyes. The love in his eyes was impossible to hide."

Yeah?

How come she didn't notice?

"Zhou Mubin is so outstanding, is there some misunderstanding between you two?"

Xiao Hong took a sip of tea and said sincerely, "Judging from his attitude towards you, he doesn't seem to have no feelings for you at all. Vice President Cui, you must clear up any misunderstandings. Don't let a moment of stubbornness cause you to miss the right person for you in your life."

As Cui Xiao gazed at the tea foam rising in her cup, Zhou Mubin's many sacrifices over the years flashed through her mind. Her heart felt as if it had been gently bumped by something, and a subtle pain rose within her.

After separating from Xiao Hong, Cui Xiao's heart was like a stone thrown into it, causing ripples.

She sat at her desk and flipped through two pages of case files, but couldn't concentrate on a single word. Her mind kept replaying Zhou Mubin's back as he watched them leave at the airport, and the way he served her wide rice noodles at the hot pot restaurant.

I simply shut down my computer and ended my work early.

I had already made a promise with Xiao Nuomi that we would go eat the durian pizza she had been talking about for a whole week.

After packing her things, Cui Xiao headed to her daughter's kindergarten.

The setting sun hung obliquely on the horizon, turning the kindergarten's iron gate into a warm, golden-orange hue.

The entrance was already crowded with parents picking up their children.

As Cui Xiaogang walked to the edge of the crowd, his gaze was immediately drawn to a particularly striking figure.

It's Zhou Mubin.

He wore a finely textured light gray knit sweater, the collar casually rolled up to reveal his well-defined wrists. He stood tall and straight among the parents, a stark contrast to the parents around him who were dressed in casual sportswear.

What's even more eye-catching is that he's holding a white rabbit doll that's almost half his height. The fluffy rabbit ears are tied with pink and purple bows and dangle on his shoulders. The cool and aloof temperament and the soft and cute doll create a wonderfully adorable contrast.

Many parents around him were secretly observing him. Several young mothers huddled together and whispered among themselves, their voices not loud but clearly audible: "Whose parent is this? He's so handsome, even more good-looking than a celebrity."

"It's such a contrast to holding such a big doll. He looks so gentle. No wonder the child is so attached to him."

"I've never seen him before. Is he a new transfer student?"

Cui Xiao's heart skipped a beat for no reason. Just as she was about to push through the crowd to step forward, a woman in an apricot-colored silk dress quickly squeezed past her. She had a carefully made-up smile on her face, and her exquisite makeup was full of enthusiasm. "Hello, may I ask which child's father you are? I come to pick up my child every day, but I've never seen you before."

Zhou Mubin subconsciously turned to the side to avoid the other person's shoulder touching the rabbit doll in his arms.

His gaze swept over the female parent's shoulder toward the kindergarten building, and his tone, though polite, betrayed a clear distance: "I am Xiao Nuomi's father."

The woman's eyes lit up instantly, her tone becoming even warmer. She unconsciously took another half step closer to Zhou Mubin, her perfume wafting over. "So you're Xiao Nuomi's dad! What a coincidence! My daughter Duoduo and Xiao Nuomi are in the same class, and she always comes home saying that Xiao Nuomi is her best friend. But I've always seen the nanny pick up Xiao Nuomi; this is the first time I've seen you here."

As she spoke, she raised her hand to brush a stray hair behind her ear and casually asked, "By the way, what's your surname? What do you do for work? A few parents in our class are thinking of creating a parent group to organize camping and strawberry picking trips with their kids on weekends. It'll be more fun with more people."

Zhou Mubin frowned almost imperceptibly, tightened his grip on the rabbit doll slightly, and gently brushed his knuckles against the soft rabbit fur, clearly impatient with this overly direct probing.

He glanced at the female parent, his tone still polite but with a hint of coldness, "Your surname is Zhou. You're quite busy with work, so I'm afraid you won't have time to participate in group activities."

The female parent, however, did not notice the distance in his tone at all; instead, she seemed to feel encouraged.

She took out her phone from her elegant leather handbag, tapped the screen a few times, and handed the lit WeChat QR code to Zhou Mubin. "It's alright, it's alright. Adding contact information won't hurt, right? If anything happens to the kids at school, we parents can communicate in time. I'll call you a week in advance for the next camping trip, maybe you'll be available then."

Her hand almost touched Zhou Mubin's arm, her eyes filled with undisguised passion.

Zhou Mubin's face darkened noticeably, and the warmth in his eyes faded considerably. Just as he was about to refuse directly, he heard a familiar and clear voice behind him, carrying a hint of unwavering certainty.

"Excuse me."

Cui Xiao walked quickly through the crowd and naturally stood half a step to Zhou Mubin's side. The distance between the two was neither too close nor too far, but it revealed a kind of inexplicable tacit understanding.

She took out her phone, quickly tapped the screen a few times, opened WeChat QR code, and handed it to the female parent. Her tone was calm but carried an undeniable certainty: "I am Xiao Nuomi's mother. I mainly take care of Xiao Nuomi's studies and daily life, and I also handle the school's parent group. If there are any parent activities in the future that you would like to arrange to play together, you can contact me directly."

The smile on the woman's face froze instantly, as if a pause button had been pressed.

She looked at Cui Xiao, then at Zhou Mubin.

At this moment, Zhou Mubin's originally cold gaze softened, and he turned his head to look at Cui Xiao, his eyes filled with undisguised doting affection.

The woman belatedly realized what was happening, her cheeks instantly turning bright red, like ripe tomatoes. She awkwardly withdrew her hand from her phone, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her skirt.