“Why not?” Vicky pouted in frustration. “He’s good-looking! Even I can’t help but get flustered whenever I see him—ugh, it’s infuriating!”

“Not everyone is as smitten by a handsome face as you are,” Chu Minghuan teased.

“Fine, you’re the strong one, unmoved by charm. But don’t tell me you’re never tempted by a good-looking guy.”

Was she? Chu Minghuan remembered Mo Tingfeng’s fragile, almost dazed expression that night at the nightclub bathroom… She swallowed, unwilling to admit her heartbeat had sped up a little.

“I look at a man’s character, not his appearance,” she emphasized.

“Sure, you’re so rational. No wonder you’re almost 29 and still haven’t… you know… with a man.”

Talk about hitting a sore spot!

Chu Minghuan glared at Vicky, trying to keep a straight face. “So what if I’m a virgin? At least I have a boyfriend.”

“Yeah, one who’s been in the U.S. since he left three years ago and only comes back once a year for the holidays.”

“We talk regularly, and we video call too.”

“Oh? When’s the last time you two connected?”

“Uh…” Chu Minghuan hesitated, mumbling reluctantly, “Over a month ago.”

“Once a month? Please, who calls that a relationship!”

“He’s writing his Ph.D. dissertation; he doesn’t have time.”

“If he really cared, he’d find the time to call, no matter how busy he was.”

Chu Minghuan frowned, continuing to defend him. “He promised that once he finishes his degree, he’ll come back and propose to me.”

“So you’re just going to wait around?”

She bit her lip, staying silent.

Seeing her downcast, Vicky softened. She gave her shoulder a comforting pat before heading back to her desk.

Chu Minghuan stared at her computer, her thoughts drifting. How had a simple conversation about Mo Tingfeng’s report veered off to her still being a virgin and her boyfriend’s long absence?

It was all that infuriating man’s fault!

Mentally tallying another grievance against Mo Tingfeng, she returned to her small apartment after work. She cooked a bowl of noodles, cracked an egg, added a few slices of meat, sprinkled some scallions, and took a beer from the fridge—her typical dinner.

Single life was plain and a bit lonely, but she was used to it. After finishing her noodles, she sat on the couch for a while, glancing at the phone. She finally picked up the receiver and dialed her boyfriend in the U.S.

The dial tone echoed, empty and steady, in her heart. She counted twelve rings before hanging up.

No answer.

She sighed. It was daytime in the U.S., so maybe he was in the library working on his paper, or perhaps in a meeting with his advisor.

She knew if Vicky heard this excuse, she’d call her naive. Her friends believed her long-distance boyfriend’s promises were unreliable, but she preferred to trust him.

She set herself a deadline: if her boyfriend didn’t follow through by the time she turned thirty, she’d go to the U.S. herself and demand answers.

Until then, she’d wait. What’s another year after three?

Plus, a year gave her time to prepare herself to face the intimacy she’d have to confront someday…

With that thought, Chu Minghuan felt a pang of sadness. She forced a smile, taking a deep breath to lift her spirits.

Just as she picked up the remote to watch a Korean drama, her phone rang sharply. It was Sister Hui, who looked after the children.

“Minghuan! Something’s wrong! Xiaoya is missing!”

“What?!”

—

“Young Master, there’s a situation.”

Mo Tingfeng was lifting weights at the gym when he got the call from Ding.

“What’s up?”

“I was keeping an eye on Miss Chu’s apartment building when I saw her run out in workout clothes!”

Miss Chu? Chu Minghuan? Mo Tingfeng frowned. “Who told you to monitor her?”

“Uh… it was Brother Yu’s idea,” Ding stammered, realizing they’d acted on their own. “Brother Yu said she’s… not a simple woman. We need to know our enemy to, uh, win.”

This wasn’t a battle! What nonsense!

Mo Tingfeng scowled. “So what if she went out? There’s no rule that says she can’t leave her apartment.”

“True, but she went straight to the kids’ dorm at Aienyuan.”

“And?”

“I followed her there. Apparently, a girl named Xiaoya is missing!”

Xiaoya!

Remembering the timid girl with bruised hands, Mo Tingfeng’s chest tightened. “Got it. I’ll be right there!”

In his urgency, he skipped his shower, threw on a suit, and jumped into the luxury car he’d bought for his twenty-fifth birthday.

Tiancheng and Xiao Huang, who were on guard duty, quickly followed him into the car.

“Young Master, what’s going on?”

“A kid from Aienyuan is missing!”

“What?” The two looked at each other, puzzled. “Young Master, what does that have to do with you?”

Mo Tingfeng paused. Right. Why did it concern him? He was only there for community service, not as staff or a caregiver.

But the thought of the little girl calling him “Uncle Mo” made him restless.

“Quit yapping!” he snapped. “I just want to check it out!”

He sped all the way to the scene and immediately spotted Chu Minghuan searching anxiously along the nearby streets. Getting out of the car, he saw her dazedly step onto the road, narrowly missing an oncoming vehicle. With a quick move, he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her into his embrace and spinning her out of harm’s way.

“You foolish woman! Don’t you know to watch for cars?!”

In his arms, she looked up, her tear-filled eyes shimmering.

He froze.