Chapter 87: I Can Only Like You, Right?

Li Mushi's sudden appearance made Jing Ge unable to stop smiling.

The customer was a straightforward person: "I started out in this field halfway through my career, and now during the busy farming season I have to go home to help my elderly mother dig the fields and harvest corn. I really can't play this game; it's more comfortable to go home and dig the fields."

“Hmm,” Li Mushi poured him a glass of water, “I would love to experience it if I had the chance.”

"Mr. Li, it would be great if you could do me the honor," the client slapped his thigh and laughed, "but I really wouldn't dare to ask you to do anything, the fields are full of organic fertilizer."

Jingge cupped her face and smiled.

Li Mushi glanced at her; the young girl seemed to have forgotten that this was her client, not his.

The client started out in the industry halfway through his career and probably faced a lot of ridicule after entering it, but Li Mushi gave people a very comfortable feeling, and there was a sense of equality between him and animals.

The customer insisted on leaving his contact information, saying that he must be invited to visit the countryside when the scenery becomes more beautiful.

Li Mushi did not refuse him.

After seeing the client off, Li Mushi put one hand in his pocket, his gaze shifting slightly to the girl grinning foolishly beside him: "My client?"

"..." Jing Ge's grin immediately disappeared.

I forgot.

“You’ve already talked to them for me,” she mumbled weakly. “If you don’t talk to them, I will.”

But he naturally took it from her, and she naturally waited to pick the fruits of his labor.

At this point, the cheerful client's banter faded, and the earlier, affectionate hug returned to his mind. Jing Ge's ears burned, and he belatedly felt embarrassed and awkward: "Yesterday I asked you when you were coming back, and you said next month."

Li Mushi replied frankly, "You asked me that at noon."

This was the answer he gave at noon.

Jing Ge, unlike him, was not as calm and blurted out, "I asked you last night too, but you didn't..."

The man glanced at her sideways.

Jing Ge weakly shut up. She had asked that evening, but immediately withdrew the message. He was so busy, he probably hadn't even seen it.

It was perfectly reasonable not to tell her.

“Okay,” Jingge put the matter aside, “I forgive you.”

"......"

fine.

He was forgiven.

Jingge's eyes sparkled like washed glass beads under the azure sky, and a smile played on her lips: "You're back."

Li Mushi's gaze lingered on her face for a moment before he said, "I still need to meet a friend. Shall I take you back to your dorm?"

Jingge: "Who are you seeing?"

Li Mushi could have used his name, mentioned his relationship, or simply brushed it off, but he did none of those things. Instead, he uttered three words:

"A big star."

"...It's not that big star from your company's annual party, is it?" Jing Ge was dumbfounded. "Your spokesperson?"

"Um."

"Then I'll go back to my dorm."

"......"

But having finally seen him, Jingge's feelings of attachment were so strong that she couldn't shake them off. After hesitating for a few seconds in the face of his complicated gaze, she made up her mind: "I'll still go with you."

She can just put up with it.

Li Mushi's expression was indescribable.

I had no idea how unconventional a young girl's thinking could be.

Last time she was clearly excited to see a big star, but this time she looks like she's having a terrible time.

The big star's real name is Feng Xinghe, which is quite different from his stage name. Jing Ge sat obediently, afraid that he would misinterpret her words and actions.

The two men chatted about their recent work.

“Hey, niece,” Feng Xinghe suddenly called out, “I got my nose done last month. How do you think it is? Who’s more handsome, me or your uncle?”

Jing Ge: "".

Li Mushi lifted his eyelids slightly: "You're handsome."

Feng Xinghe clicked his tongue lightly: "Really?"

Li Mushi: "Not upright, not straight, just right for your deformed face."

Feng Xinghe: "......"

Jing Ge wanted to laugh a little, and couldn't help but snuggle closer to Li Mushi, his arm almost touching Li Mushi's arm.

The man glanced at her, then looked across at the other side: "Is there anything else?"

“I’m too lazy to argue with you,” Feng Xinghe said, clearly defeated. “I have both love and career success, so I, the happy one, will step aside.”

Li Mushi chuckled: "Really?"

Feng Xinghe: "I never lie."

Li Mushi: "What's your bank card password?"

Feng Xinghe: "......"

Jing Ge could barely contain his laughter. He grabbed Li Mushi's clothes and tugged at them gently, whispering, "I want to go grab that doll outside."

The club is private, and Feng Xinghe's whereabouts are kept highly confidential. Even if the group sits in an indoor space with glass walls on all four sides, there is no need to worry about outsiders seeing them.

Outside the house is a nursery garden, and several claw machines are placed under the porch.

Colorful and vibrant.

Li Mushi handed her the phone: "Go play."

Jing Ge declined, saying, "I'll buy it myself."

Li Mushi hummed in agreement, did not insist, and placed his phone on the table.

Watching Jingge leave, through the transparent glass wall, I could see her carrying a basket full of game coins as she headed to the claw machine.

Feng Xinghe chuckled: "My eldest niece..."

Before he could finish speaking, Li Mushi's piercing gaze swept over him without any politeness.

Feng Xinghe raised his hands in surrender: "Okay, okay, Jing Ge, Jing Ge, alright?"

"Weren't you supposed to be busy? Why did you suddenly come back?" he asked curiously. "It couldn't be because of me, could it?"

He dared not presume to be romantic.

The man opposite me always keeps his public and private affairs separate; I've never seen him change his schedule for anyone.

Li Mushi ignored him and added more water to make tea.

Feng Xinghe sized him up for a while: "Brother, you've taken a liking to a kid?"

“…” Li Mushi paused in his hand holding the clips. “Watch your mouth.”

“How did I disrespect her?” Feng Xinghe said speechlessly. “You’re not married and she’s not married, yet this little girl’s eyes light up when she sees you. I’ve never seen you give your employee ID to anyone else, and you always bring her with you when you come out to see me…”

At this point, Feng Xinghe said solemnly, "Brother, if you care about the age difference, 18 and 10 years apart is definitely not an option, but 28 and 20 are perfectly fine, especially since you're already 30."

Li Mushi put the clip back in its original place: "Just turned 29."

Feng Xinghe: "".

Is this the key point?

“You said she’s young,” Li Mushi said calmly. “Her temperament is still developing. She may not be able to distinguish between dependence and liking. I don’t want to take advantage of her.”

Feng Xinghe seemed to understand but not quite: "Are you afraid she'll regret it?"

Li Mushi: "I'm afraid of myself."

Feng Xinghe: "?"

“Give her time to think it through,” Li Mushi leaned back in his chair. “Give her a chance to back down, and once she moves forward, it will be difficult for her to retreat.”

He had lent a helping hand to Jingge many times when she was in trouble, but she herself didn't know if it was gratitude, dependence, or even liking.

Can she even tell the difference herself?

She's young now, and being young means she's not mature enough and doesn't have a clear understanding of herself. Right now, she thinks she likes him and flirts with him. One day, when she's in a bad mood, she'll tell him that it wasn't love, but just mistaken gratitude for love.

Whose life is this going to take?

"..." Feng Xinghe's mouth opened and closed, "What if it's dependence?"

Li Mushi: "It's not suitable for you to rely on me."

She will have her own lover. What does it matter if she depends on him? They are strangers, without any connection or status.

Feng Xinghe blurted out, "I can only like you, right?"

The man lowered his eyelashes, his handsome hands carrying the kettle slowly and deliberately.

"Um."