Mo Tingfeng seemed to notice her discomfort, and he lowered his voice deliberately. “Our motel rooms are not only spacious, but they also come with lots of interesting toys! For example, there’s a round waterbed where kids can bounce around, and while lying down, they can admire the mirrors on the ceiling. There’s even a whirlpool tub where they can splash around, oh, and a rocking horse to ride.”

“Why on earth would you have a rocking horse in a motel room?” she blurted out before she could stop herself.

He raised an eyebrow, finding her question amusing, his eyes gleaming with a sudden hint of playfulness.

Chu Minghuan’s heart skipped a beat as she suddenly understood—so even *that* kind of thing could be done on a rocking horse! This… this insufferable man! He was clearly trying to make her embarrassed, but she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

She cleared her throat, ignoring the warmth on her cheeks. “Thank you, Mr. Mo, for offering the venue, but I don’t think we’ll need it. Let’s end here for today. When you’ve arranged your schedule…”

“I’d like to start working today.” There was no way he’d let the meeting end now, not when he’d finally gained the upper hand. Mo Tingfeng took a leisurely sip of his black coffee.

“You want to start today?” She looked surprised.

“Yes. I’ve already taken leave from my company, so I should put in a few hours before heading back.”

Chu Minghuan eyed his elegant outfit, then smiled sweetly. “Alright then, Mr. Mo. Ai’en Garden would be more than happy to start today.”

A faint shiver ran down Mo Tingfeng’s spine—a bad feeling crept in.

They arrived at an old apartment building in Banqiao. Inside were three rooms—two large ones with four bunk beds and desks each, and a smaller room for the woman who took care of the children. There was also a part-time maid who came daily to cook, clean, and do laundry.

It was near lunchtime, so most of the kids were at school. Only a five- or six-year-old girl sat on the living room floor, playing with a jigsaw puzzle, clutching a worn teddy bear.

“Sister Huanhuan!” The little girl called shyly when she saw Chu Minghuan, nibbling on her fingers bashfully.

Chu Minghuan crouched down and patted her head kindly. “Has Xiaoya been good today?”

“Yes.”

“Where’s Aunt Hui?”

“She went out to buy something.”

“Aunt Hui left you here alone?” Chu Minghuan’s expression shifted.

Xiaoya shook her head. “Aunt Fang is here too. She’s in the kitchen washing vegetables.”

Chu Minghuan sighed with relief and smiled at the girl. “I see. Xiaoya, this is Uncle Mo. Say hello to him.”

Why was she called “sister,” and he was called “uncle”? They were about the same age, after all.

Mo Tingfeng frowned slightly, feeling awkward as the little girl glanced at him with shy eyes.

The girl was adorable, but her pale complexion and frail, slender arms covered in bruises and cigarette burns made for a heart-wrenching sight.

“Uncle Mo,” Xiaoya said softly.

“Uh-huh.” He didn’t know what to say, so he just nodded.

Seeing his unease, Chu Minghuan couldn’t help but smile, and she gently said to Xiaoya, “You keep playing, Xiaoya. Sister Huanhuan is going to take this uncle to do some work.”

After reassuring Xiaoya, Chu Minghuan led Mo Tingfeng to the kitchen to greet the housekeeper Aunt Fang, then took him to the back balcony and handed him a bucket of paint.

“What’s this?” He froze.

“Can’t you see? The railings on the balcony are all rusted. You can start by repainting them!”

Painting? Instinctively, he glanced down at his expensive suit.

“You’re the one who wanted to start working today!” Chu Minghuan’s bright eyes sparkled mischievously as she saw through his hesitation. “Good luck!”

This woman… there was no doubt about it—she was doing this on purpose!

Watching her graceful departure, Mo Tingfeng felt a wave of frustration. But given that his “performance” was entirely in her hands, he had no choice but to accept it.

He removed his jacket, loosened his tie, rolled up his sleeves, and reluctantly dipped the paintbrush into the dark green paint.

Painting the railings dark green? This woman had such poor taste!

He grumbled internally, squatting down and carefully applying the paint.

After a few tries, he started to get the hang of it and began painting with a bit more enthusiasm.

Suddenly, a light ringtone interrupted him. Setting down his brush, he pulled his phone from his jacket pocket.

“Young master, are you alright?” It was Ah Ding’s anxious voice.

Mo Tingfeng hadn’t allowed Ah Ding or Fang Yu to follow him inside, so they had been waiting outside for any updates. Seeing him enter the old apartment and disappear for some time, they had grown worried and couldn’t resist calling.

“I’m fine. Just stay put outside.”

“Young master, what are you doing right now?”

“Painting.”

“What?!” Ah Ding exclaimed in shock, and Fang Yu quickly grabbed the phone. “Young master, what’s going on? What did that woman do to you?”

“Nothing at all. She just asked me to paint.” Mo Tingfeng was starting to lose patience with the two of them. “Enough. I’m hanging up now!”

“Wait! Do you want us to come help?”

“So you’re offering to serve my sentence for me? Feel free to join if you want to get me thrown back in court.” He hung up and tossed the phone aside.

Picking up his paintbrush again, he resumed painting, whistling casually to himself—this wasn’t so bad. He was smart enough to handle a little painting, no problem at all.