Chapter 27

2:00 PM (1)

The rain was coming down heavily; even trees ten meters away were blurred in the thick, cool mist. No one was thinking about going out to pick mushrooms anymore.

The common area on the first floor was very quiet, with only Xia Xia busy working on the computer, occasionally making the crisp sounds of clicking the mouse or flipping through papers.

Xu Muzi glanced at Deng Yun outside the door, feeling a bit dispirited as she withdrew her gaze, not having the energy to stay and decided to go back to her room.

Before leaving, she picked a book from the bookshelf.

The thick bathrobe she was wearing was a bit oversized, and when she stood up holding the book, the corner of her robe brushed against a pine cone that was on the coffee table, causing one to roll off into the gap of the side table.

The side table had a more artistic design with elongated structures. To ensure stability, its base was made of heavy fish-belly gray marble.

Xu Muzi tried to reach for the pine cone but couldn’t touch it even when she stretched out her arm. She initially wanted to push the side table with one hand but found it impossible to move. So, she put her phone down, stood up, and decided to use both hands to lift it.

The sky was overcast, and it was clear that Xing Pengjie was tired, slumped on the sofa, looking at Xu Muzi as she rolled up her sleeves and questioning from a bystander’s perspective, “Is it really that heavy?”

Xu Muzi rolled up her sleeves and nodded perfunctorily.

“Is it that ring on your hand… uh, the one that looks like a big spring, getting in the way?”

Xu Muzi had tenosynovitis, which could be considered a professional ailment. On rainy days, her wrist felt a bit more uncomfortable than usual.
—-
At first, when she exerted force, she could already feel a sharp pain in her bones, so she frowned and set the book down, planning to take a short break before continuing.

The door to the inn was pushed open from the outside, letting in a rush of cold, damp air.

Deng Yun walked into the inn, holding his phone to his ear, calmly responding to the person on the other end.

“You can just send it to my email,” he said, moving next to Xu Muzi. He lifted the side table with one hand, moving it enough for her to reach the pine cone, and continued, “I’ll handle this part; you go update the code…”

Throughout the entire process, Deng Yun didn’t stop talking on the phone or look at Xu Muzi.

He merely brushed past her in the narrow gap, his arm inadvertently brushing against her shoulder.

This person had a strong presence on his own.

And he always seemed to pop up and disturb her peace.

Xu Muzi squatted down to pick up the pine cone, and when she stood up, Deng Yun was already at the front desk.

He was still on the phone, having borrowed sticky notes and a carbon pen from Xia Xia, seemingly jotting down something.

When she turned back, Xu Muzi found Xing Pengjie staring at her with a dazed expression.

Xing Pengjie said, “He just looked at me.”

The shock in Xing Pengjie’s eyes was like someone had responded to his life’s principle of “love at first sight.”

Xu Muzi suppressed a certain emotion stirred by Deng Yun and absentmindedly asked, “Who?”

Xing Pengjie tilted his head toward the front desk. “That guy. When he looked at me just now, it felt like he was blaming me for not helping you move the table. Was that an intimidation?”

Xu Muzi didn’t say anything.

The actions of that unfamiliar Mr. Deng had already stirred her emotions enough, and now Xing Pengjie continued to plant ideas in her head, lowering his voice as he said, “I always feel like that guy has some…”

Xu Muzi took a deep breath, holding the book and pine cone, shaking her head, and ran off with one hand covering her ear.

She desperately needed peace and distraction, so she found some trivial tasks to occupy herself:

She went to the laundry room to get her clothes that had been dried earlier and tidied up other items when she returned to her room.

Previously, when she went mushroom picking, the cuffs of her thick bathrobe had brushed against the dirt. However, the dryer in the laundry room took too long, and she was worried that frequently using the machine would affect other guests. So, Xu Muzi squeezed some detergent in the laundry room and washed the cuffs clean in her bathroom.

While blow-drying her hair, the hairdryer suddenly stopped working for some reason, and repeated attempts didn’t help.

She thought she might have broken it, sighed, “When it rains, it pours,” grabbed the hairdryer, and headed out to apologize to Xia Xia.

Before she reached the elevator, she ran into Deng Yun, who was coming back with a laptop tucked under his arm.

Deng Yun asked, “What’s wrong?”

Xu Muzi tried to keep her tone calm, looking at the wall as if talking to the air. “It seems like I broke the hairdryer. I’m going to check with Xia Xia…”

Deng Yun took the hairdryer, checked it, and said, “It’s overheating. If you need it urgently, I have one in my room.”

It wasn’t urgent, actually.

But when Deng Yun talked to her, she always felt an illusion that nothing had changed between them.

She must be overthinking it.

Deng Yun opened his room door and glanced at Xu Muzi.

She pointed in the direction of her room, “I… I’m going to get my bathrobe.”

Xu Muzi returned with her clean bathrobe. Deng Yun’s door was open, and he was sitting at his desk, on the phone with the speaker on.

They were discussing things Xu Muzi didn’t understand—talking about programs and APIs…

Even the rows of code displayed on the computer screen looked dense and incomprehensible to her, like an alien language.

Xu Muzi tapped on the open door panel, and Deng Yun briefly looked back, pointing toward the bathroom before returning to his work.

Deng Yun’s room was clearly larger than Xu Muzi’s, and even the bathroom was double the size of hers.

On a rainy day, it was damp, and even with the exhaust system running, the bathroom floor, which Deng Yun had used earlier, was still not completely dry.

Puddles of water on the tiles reflected the light, and not wanting to disturb Deng Yun’s work, Xu Muzi voluntarily closed the bathroom door.

The familiar smell of tomato vines lingered around her, warmed by the hairdryer, reminiscent of the scent she had noticed on him when he leaned in to kiss her, making her feel even more flustered.

On the washstand lay Deng Yun’s razor and facial cleanser. Xu Muzi stood in front of the mirror, lost in thought about the time when her family went bankrupt—

Initially, Xu Muzi learned about her family’s business problems from Deng Yun.

During that time, she sensed something was off; her parents contacted her less frequently, but she was busy preparing for a competition in June, so she didn’t pay much attention to it.

Moreover, at that time, since Deng Yun had mentioned the topic of “birthday gifts,” Xu Muzi felt a subtle hope.

She sensed he wouldn’t joke about it and had a premonition that she would receive a special birthday gift.

By June 8th, Xu Muzi’s phone was off as she entered the venue with other contestants.

Before the competition, she only experienced some insomnia and didn’t have any symptoms of nerve pain. The day of the competition went relatively smoothly.

After Xu Muzi finished her performance and got her phone back, she long-pressed the power button to check the few unread messages, feeling extremely confused.

The domestic time was twelve hours earlier than the city she was in, and she should have already received birthday wishes from various sources.

But there were none, not even from Deng Yun.

It was normal that relatives from those nouveau riche families hadn’t sent messages, but why had her parents and other relatives forgotten her birthday too?

Xu Muzi was feeling anxious.

She first called her mom, but there was no answer; then she called her dad, and the busy tone lasted so long that she almost hung up automatically. Finally, someone picked up the phone.

Her dad’s voice had a strange tenderness: “It’s Mu Mu, right? Why do you have time to call your dad? Don’t you have many classes today?”

Mu Mu?

Since Xu Muzi started middle school, her dad hadn’t called her Mu Mu anymore, saying she was a big girl now, and he had always called her Muzi, just like her mom did…

The background noise on the phone was very noisy, like a market, chaotic.

Xu Muzi mentioned that she had called her mom but no one answered. Her dad said they were out, busy with business negotiations, and her mom probably had her phone on silent, which was why she didn’t hear it.

“Is everything okay at home?”

“What can a kid like you have? Just focus on your classes. Dad needs to go discuss business; I’ll contact you when I have time.”

The call ended, and Xu Muzi’s dad didn’t mention her birthday or ask about her competition.

This was too strange.

Long ago, Xu Muzi had planned to return home for half a month after the competition.

There was a direct flight back home on the same day as the competition, with no need for a transfer. She had stored her suitcase and could go directly to the airport after leaving the exam hall.

On the way to the airport, Xu Muzi found it hard to feel at ease; she always felt that her parents were hiding something from her.

It was only when she was checking in her luggage at the airport that she suddenly remembered something.

She opened an app to check her bank card’s transaction details and discovered that her parents hadn’t sent her any living expenses last month.

Before boarding, Xu Muzi called some relatives she was close to, but no one answered, so she had to call Deng Yun.

At this point, she didn’t even care to ask Deng Yun why he hadn’t said a word about her birthday.

When Deng Yun answered the phone, Xu Muzi felt like she had finally found her anchor, sighing with relief as she poured out her concerns to him.

“Deng Yun, I feel like something’s wrong at home. I’m really worried. I’m already in line to board; are you home? Can you help me ask Uncle Deng and the others if my parents are sick?”

Deng Yun’s voice was still steady: “Don’t worry; they aren’t sick.”

That night, Xu Muzi landed at the domestic airport.

After nearly sixteen hours of travel, she felt a bit tired. She pushed two large suitcases out of the exit and unexpectedly saw Deng Yun waiting for her in the crowd. In her fluster, she hurriedly pulled off her fluffy, large-eyed headband.

Deng Yun didn’t tease Xu Muzi about her green headband.

He looked a bit tired, leaning his arms on the railing, putting his phone back in his pants pocket, and slightly raised his hand to her.

“How did you know what time I was arriving?”

“I checked your flight information online.”

That day, Xu Muzi got into Deng Yun’s car.

After waiting for a full half-minute, he still hadn’t buckled his seatbelt or started the car.

She tilted her head in confusion to look at him: “Aren’t we going?”

Deng Yun licked his lips and said seriously: “There have been some issues with our parents’ investments. I think you should know some things first to prepare yourself before I take you home.”

That year, Xu Muzi’s parents had been very high-profile. During the New Year, they even boasted to relatives about their photos with several well-known actors.

Xu Muzi had heard that her parents dreamed of trading their small villa for a luxurious one with a large garden, so she had never thought that their family would suddenly be in debt.

“How could this happen…”

“Do you remember that Aunt Chen?”

Deng Yun explained that Aunt Chen was in real estate and had initially shown her parents and grandmother villas.

At first, Deng Yun thought the elders were getting prices and selling their house to earn money, intending to switch houses.

But things always felt off.

After school started, Deng Yun returned home every weekend and finally discovered that his parents had mortgaged their house for a loan.

Several elders, not knowing what prompted them, had gotten involved in film industry investments. Their business alliance pooled together money to invest tens of millions in a television drama.

The producers, under the pretext of various expenses, made a fortune in the middle while the resulting trash couldn’t be sold anywhere, ultimately selling it for less than five million.

Xu Muzi cried for a long time and asked Deng Yun: “How much do my parents owe?”

“I’m not sure; you might need to ask yourself. It should be less than what my family owes.”

“What about your family?”

“Eight figures, but I haven’t confirmed the specifics yet.”

The sudden blow almost crushed Xu Muzi. She had previously saved over a hundred thousand from competition prizes and was even referred to as a little rich girl by her cousin.

Now?

Her money was merely a drop in the bucket; it probably wouldn’t even cover her tuition.

At around one in the morning that day, Xu Muzi returned home to find the lights blazing.

Aunt Chen, whom she had seen before, was in the living room filled with various items, holding her phone and introducing some arrogant upstart on video: “Look at these home furnishings; they are all Western antiques, very hard to find on the market…”

Xu Muzi saw her mother, her eyes swollen from crying.

Her mother brought out a set of ceramic dishes and lightly tapped Aunt Chen on the back, her actions cautious and ingratiating.

Aunt Chen hung up the video call, shaking her head: “No, sister, the person won’t add more money. You know that businesspeople come to buy villas like yours. In business, Feng Shui matters. Knowing your family situation, it’s already good that they’re willing to spend money to buy…”

Xu Muzi couldn’t imagine what would have happened if she had returned home alone without knowing anything and encountered this scene; would she have collapsed on the spot?

Fortunately, there was Deng Yun.

At that moment, he was in a more difficult situation than she was, yet he helped her wipe away her tears and comfortingly ruffled her hair: “It’s a blessing that they didn’t do anything drastic. Money can be earned back; there’s always a way.”

Deng Yun’s tone was so assured that she wanted to believe him, that his words “there’s always a way” were true.
—-
The hairdryer made the sleeves of her bathrobe feel scorching hot, and Xu Muzi was startled when her fingertips got burned.

She walked out of the bathroom

Outside, dark clouds loomed over the city; even though it was just after two in the afternoon, the sky was as gloomy and dark as midnight.

The wind blew the plants on the terrace into parallel lines, and the rain beat down fiercely against the glass windows.

The main lights in the room weren’t on; next to the sliding glass door to the balcony stood a floor lamp in a vintage style.

Deng Yun sat in front of the computer, no longer on a call, but still typing away at the code that Xu Muzi couldn’t understand.

The door to the room was open, and someone walked past in slippers in the hallway.

Xu Muzi glanced back; it was a stranger.

Deng Yun was frowning slightly as he worked, completely oblivious to the movement at the door.

The sight of Deng Yun frowning reminded Xu Muzi of that night when she heard the bad news.

Just before the car entered the villa area, she finally dried her tears and asked, “Deng Yun, did you forget my birthday because of all these changes?”

At that time, Deng Yun had furrowed his brow, looking as if he was deep in thought.

But in the end, he had said nothing.

Xu Muzi didn’t leave Deng Yun’s room.

She still decided to say something to him, not sitting on his bed but taking a seat on the shoe-changing stool by the door, wanting to wait for him to finish his work.

It was more than half an hour later that Deng Yun finally moved, rubbing his neck and making a phone call. He briefly explained a few things to the person on the other end, then tore off a sticky note from his laptop, crumpled it up, and tossed it into the wastebasket by his feet, hanging up the phone and shutting down the computer at the same time.

He stood up and was slightly surprised to see Xu Muzi.

Xu Muzi also stood up: “I want… to talk to you.”

“What about?”

She wanted to thank him for that dress, but she couldn’t bring herself to mention it directly.

After all, they both knew the context in which he had given her that gift.

Xu Muzi danced around the topic, listing many ways Deng Yun had helped her in the past.

For example, she thanked Deng Yun for being willing to accompany her in her rebellious moments, for visiting her abroad, and for the comforting words he had said when he picked her up from the airport…

They had never exchanged “thank yous” between them.

Saying these words felt like giving a speech after a competition to Deng Yun, almost like a farewell.

Outside, a low rumble of thunder echoed, making the whole guesthouse seem to shake.

The sudden noise interrupted Xu Muzi’s speech, and at that moment, Deng Yun pinched the bridge of his nose and asked her, “Did you come to talk to me about this?”

“Yeah, and there’s one more thing I want to thank you for…”

The sound of the elevator echoed in the hallway, and Deng Yun, with his back to the blinding light of the lightning, called out to her in a deep voice: “Xu Muzi.”

Xu Muzi, holding her thick bathrobe, paused mid-sentence.

He glanced at the open door: “I’m not in the mood right now; I don’t want to continue talking.”

Xu Muzi sensed that Deng Yun was in a bad mood and that he really wanted her to leave.

But she hadn’t gotten to the main point yet. If she missed this opportunity, she didn’t know if she would have the courage to try again, so she stubbornly continued: “Just wait for me a minute; I just need two minutes. I’ll leave as soon as I finish this.”

Deng Yun stared at Xu Muzi: “So you’re not leaving? You insist on talking about it now, right?”

Without waiting for her response, he shut the door to the room.

With a loud bang, the light from the hallway disappeared, leaving only the dim light from the floor lamp by the window.

Deng Yun walked up to Xu Muzi, suddenly raising his hand to hold the back of her neck and leaned down to kiss her.