Chapter 73 Will there ever come a day when people are willing to share...?
Upon hearing this, Su Cheng immediately leaned closer, her eyes fixed on the blurry figure appearing on the screen.
It was a strange man wearing a plaid shirt, who looked to be in his thirties.
She frowned and tried hard to remember, but she couldn't recall where she had seen that face before.
“I’ve seen this car in Tiancheng’s parking lot.” Jiang Muzhou dragged the image and fixed it on a dent on the right side door of the white SUV. “When this person got out of the driver’s seat, he was wearing an employee badge around his neck, so he should be an employee of Tiancheng.”
He switched to Cheng Muye's chat interface, his fingertips tapping rapidly, succinctly instructing the other party to investigate the matter.
The other end quickly replied with an emoji of a kitten nodding frantically, followed by a PDF file.
"What is this?" Su Cheng tilted her head, her eyes filled with a hint of confusion.
"A lawyer's letter." Jiang Muzhou explained while marking the document and making necessary adjustments. Then he turned the screen to Su Cheng, "Do you see anything else that needs to be changed?"
Looking at the dense text and annotations on the screen, Su Cheng gently shook her head, "I don't understand these legal clauses very well, you can take care of the review."
"Don't you think I'm meddling?" He looked up at her, his eyes filled with a cautious probing. "I prepared these things without consulting you first."
“Of course not,” Su Cheng replied almost immediately.
“I’ve discovered that you and I are not quite the same people.” Her gaze fell on the faint scar beneath his bangs, and she said softly, “I always thought you were a particularly decisive and efficient person, but I didn’t expect that you, like me, are prone to overthinking.”
Jiang Muzhou paused for a moment, then chuckled briefly, a laugh tinged with helplessness and an overwhelming tenderness.
"Because I like you," he said.
His dark eyes were intense, as if he were sorting out the thoughts that had been building up for too long. When he spoke again, his speech slowed down, and every word sounded very serious. "Because I like you, I always put your feelings first. I'm afraid I'm not doing enough so that you won't realize my feelings, and I'm also afraid of doing too much so that you'll find it annoying."
“Actually, this apartment belongs to Wang Yuemeng. I happened to see your message in the owners' group on his phone, and I immediately decided to rent it. Four years later, when I met you downstairs in the apartment building, my heart was pounding so hard, and I really wanted to tell you directly how much I like you.” He raised his hand and gently rubbed his temples, smiling helplessly, “But the way you looked at me was so unfamiliar, like you had never met me before.”
"At that time, I thought, no rush, take it slow. It's better to get to know each other first, at least let you get to know me as a person, and then we can talk about these things when we're not so unfamiliar with each other."
Jiang Muzhou's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed a nameless, bitter taste. "Later, when we became a business couple, I became even more hesitant. I was always worried that if we were to confess, and you didn't like me or didn't want to continue working with me, it would affect the video account you had worked so hard to build."
Her slender fingers tightened slightly, her tone filled with lingering fear, "As a result, we kept delaying, and we almost really missed out on you."
Jiang Muzhou stared at Su Cheng, his eyes deep and dark beneath his long lashes.
Su Cheng listened quietly, feeling as if something soft yet heavy was gently pressing down on her chest, a dull yet warm feeling welling up inside.
Every word he said struck her heart like a clear mirror, allowing her to see herself, equally hesitant in matters of the heart.
In those days, wasn't she the same?
Getting too close might seem presumptuous, while staying too far away might lead to estrangement and unfamiliarity. So, I could only maintain what I considered a safe distance, looking at him from a distance that was neither too close nor too far.
Because of liking someone, I have so many complicated emotions for no reason, and I have been tossing and turning and thinking wildly.
"Jiang Muzhou." She called his name softly, no longer hesitating, and gently placed her hand on the back of his slightly cool hand. "From now on, no matter what you're thinking, you have to tell me right away, okay?"
Jiang Muzhou closed his palm, grasped her hand, and completely enveloped her fingers.
“I’m thinking…” He leaned slightly forward, his gaze gently locking onto her eyes, “When exactly will I be able to win you over, Yuan Yuan?”
The affectionate nickname suddenly came from his mouth, and Su Cheng's ears immediately turned a rosy red. "How do you know this name?"
A sly smile crept into Jiang Muzhou's eyes and brows. "What a coincidence, I also like to eavesdrop."
"I didn't hear that!" Su Cheng retorted gently, taking a step forward with her hands on her hips, her almond-shaped eyes wide open, trying to appear fierce. "We're talking about your problem now, so you'd better give me a honest explanation!"
What was originally a powerful statement sounded like a coquettish tantrum because of the slight nasal tone.
Jiang Muzhou took out a strip of cold capsules and a packet of Banlangen granules from the cabinet, placed them on the table, and gestured with his chin towards her, "Choose one."
He turned around and got another glass of warm water. "Take your medicine, and I'll tell you the answer."
Su Cheng chose the capsules that had almost no bitter taste without hesitation.
Actually, she doesn't usually take medicine when she has a cold. She always relies on her own immunity to tough it out. Anyway, she coughs for seven or eight days and then gets better on her own.
The cold medicines on the market that clear heat and detoxify do not have an immediate effect and are only a psychological comfort to her.
Driven by intense curiosity, she deftly removed two capsules and swallowed them whole with the warm water Jiang Muzhou handed her.
She eagerly tilted her head back, her moist almond-shaped eyes gazing longingly at him.
Jiang Muzhou kept his promise and didn't keep them in suspense any longer. "Back in my first year of high school, I happened to pass by the biology teacher's office and overheard your mother calling you that."
"First year of high school?" Su Cheng's expression faltered slightly.
The events of seven years ago slowly resurfaced.
At that time, she had just entered Linhai No.1 Middle School. Her grades were among the worst, but she was considered well-behaved, sensible, and law-abiding, and never caused trouble.
The only time she was ever called in by her parents was when she encountered a stray animal rescue organization handing out flyers on her way to school one day. Those homeless little lives instantly touched her heart.
She not only listened attentively to the volunteer's explanation, but also asked for a stack of flyers, which she then excitedly distributed to the students around her in the classroom.
Unexpectedly, a classmate folded a paper airplane using a flyer she had given her during biology class and was caught red-handed by the strict biology teacher.
Faced with questioning, the classmate had no choice but to reveal her as the "source of the spread".
Linhai No. 1 Middle School strictly enforces academic discipline, and any behavior unrelated to studies will be severely criticized. Su Cheng was well aware of this and was prepared to sincerely admit his mistakes.
I thought it would just be a simple reminder and education, and that it wouldn't happen again.
But what her biology teacher said next made her lose all patience, and she started arguing with the teacher on the spot.
"We can't even take care of our own people, why bother spending money to take care of these beasts?"
She retorted indignantly, "The Earth doesn't just belong to humans! Every life should be respected and has the right to live!"
Being contradicted in front of the whole class, the biology teacher was furious and immediately called Ms. Lin Wei'an to the school.
In the office, the teacher sternly reprimanded Su Cheng for her poor grades, disrespect for teachers, and constant preoccupation with cats and dogs.
Lin Wei'an maintained a polite smile in front of the teacher and exchanged a few pleasantries. But as soon as she stepped out of the office, she put her arm around Su Cheng's shoulder and gently comforted her, "Yuan Yuan, you did nothing wrong. But Yuan Yuan is still a high school student. You need to study hard first. When Yuan Yuan grows up and becomes stronger, you will be able to better protect those little lives, right?"
Su Cheng sniffed, wiped her face haphazardly with her school uniform sleeve, and clenched her small fists until they turned white at her sides.
"Yes!" She nodded vigorously, her eyes shining with determination again. "When I grow up, I want to be like light, making this world a warmer place."
Jiang Muzhou, who happened to be passing by the door, heard everything that happened in the office clearly.
He stood in the shadows of the corridor and couldn't help but wonder if, since she loved the world so tenderly, there would ever be a day when she would be willing to share a little bit of her love with him.
However, he didn't know that it was because there was a shining figure in this seemingly imperfect world that Su Cheng felt for the first time that this world was also worth loving.
After Su Cheng and Lin Wei'an had walked away, he slowly walked into the office. The biology teacher, who had been glaring at him, immediately beamed when he saw him. "Mu Zhou, we're counting on you to bring glory to the school in this life science competition!"
He glanced in the direction Su Cheng had left, his tone tinged with disdain, "Unlike some students, whose grades aren't great, yet they always waste their energy on unrealistic things."
“Teacher, I don’t think you’re quite suitable to be listed as the instructor for this competition.” Jiang Muzhou calmly met the other person’s gaze, his eyes calm yet carrying an innate sense of pressure.
Under the astonished gaze of the biology teacher, he continued, "The organizers of the competition have always advocated respect for life and harmonious coexistence, and your remarks just now clearly contradict their philosophy."
"How can someone who doesn't value life lead students to explore the true meaning of life?"
After hearing the second half of this story, which she had never heard before, Su Cheng felt that it was even more effective than the cold medicine she had just taken. It cured her ailment instantly, and she felt completely refreshed.
She burst into laughter, "Your attack power is too strong! That Mediterranean guy is definitely going to be furious!"
She tilted her head, blinked her bright almond-shaped eyes, and smiled, "So, that's when you fell in love with me?"
Jiang Muzhou looked at her, his amber eyes sparkling, his nose rosy, and his smiling lips curving into dimples, as radiant as spring blossoms.
Love arises without warning, and deepens with time.
By the time they realized it, it was too late to undo the damage.
Jiang Muzhou stared into those clear eyes, his reflection gradually magnifying.
Suddenly, a fluffy orange tail appeared between the two of them, blocking his view.
Jiang Muzhou frowned, feigning displeasure, and scooped Yuanbao into his arms, gently tapping its wet nose. "You little rascal, did you do that on purpose? You're blocking my view of your mother."
Yuanbao clearly didn't understand that this was being talked about, and instead let out a loud snoring sound.
Su Cheng blushed slightly when she heard this address.
She gently stroked Yuanbao's fluffy head with her fingertips, lost in thought. "So, the name Yuanbao means 'Yuanyuan's baby'?"
Sensing Su Cheng's call, Yuanbao broke free from Jiang Muzhou's embrace and excitedly rushed into her arms, affectionately nuzzling her cheek with his head.
"Yuanyuan is my precious baby."
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