After School.

The whole day, Xu Musen and Yao Mingyue seemed to be in a cold war. Since the incident at the restaurant, both had started to ignore each other.

Xu Musen was obviously more than happy with this arrangement.

After school, Yao Mingyue left the school gate and immediately got into a car, not even bothering to give Xu Musen a chance to apologize. She simply had the driver take off.

“Heh, I heard about what happened at the restaurant earlier. You really said some harsh things. Looks like making up between you two won’t be easy,” He Qiang said with a teasing tone.

Xu Musen smiled casually, “Right now, all I care about is making money. After all, I still owe you a huge sum.”

He Qiang waved him off, “Take your time, I’m not rushing you to pay me back.”

The two were chatting when a girl in a wheelchair appeared at the school gate.

“Whoa, isn’t that the flower girl from the other day?” He Qiang suddenly tapped Xu Musen’s shoulder.

“I know, I’ve met her before,” Xu Musen smiled and walked over to greet her. “An Nuan Nuan, right?”

The girl looked up and nodded.

There was a gap in the automatic doors of the school gate, making it difficult for the wheelchair to pass through. An Nuan Nuan struggled to push it forward.

Xu Musen stepped forward and gently held the wheelchair’s push handle, helping her out.

“Thank you.”

“We’re partners now, it’s nothing,” Xu Musen responded with a grin.

“Partners?” An Nuan Nuan repeated the word, tilting her head slightly. “So, that means we’re friends now?”

“Of course,” Xu Musen nodded, then glanced at the road outside. “Are you going home alone?”

An Nuan Nuan’s clear eyes shifted, and she nodded slightly. “Yeah.”

“Is it far from school? It might be better to take the bus in this weather.”

“It’s fine, I’ll be home soon…” An Nuan Nuan bit her lip, a hint of hesitation showing in her expression as she nervously fidgeted with the hem of her clothes.

Xu Musen sighed quietly to himself. It seemed that this girl couldn’t even afford a bus ticket.

Not saying anything more, he slipped his hand into his pocket. When no one was looking, he pulled out a hundred yuan and handed it to her.

“Why… are you giving me money?” An Nuan Nuan blinked in confusion.

Xu Musen hushed her gently, moving closer. “Didn’t we agree to work together? This is a deposit for your work. I look forward to seeing your pieces tomorrow.”

They were standing a little too close now, and both could smell the other’s fragrance. An Nuan Nuan lowered her head and looked at his large hand covering hers as he placed the money in her palm. Suddenly, her face felt warm.

“Ah…” She nodded quietly.

Xu Musen quickly stepped back and waved his hand. “Alright, I’m off. See you tomorrow.”

“Yeah, see you tomorrow.”

As Xu Musen walked away, An Nuan Nuan watched his waving hand, a spark of light in her innocent eyes.

She pushed the wheelchair around a corner near the school, where there was a quiet little path. A black luxury car was waiting there.

As soon as she appeared, a woman, almost like a butler, came down to greet her.

“Nuan Nuan.”

The woman pressed a button on the car, and the side seat slowly extended outward. She helped An Nuan Nuan into the car.

Inside, the woman glanced at her through the rearview mirror and smiled. “You seem happy today. Did something good happen?”

An Nuan Nuan nodded and then spoke up. “I found another job today.”

“Did you pick up some more flowers?” The woman laughed lightly, shaking her head in slight exasperation. “Your grandparents were worried about you again last night.”

“No, someone wants to buy a painting from me!”

“Oh?” The woman raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “How much?”

“He said fifty per piece,” An Nuan Nuan held up the hundred yuan Xu Musen had given her. “He even gave me a deposit.”

The woman looked at the bill in her hand, her mind briefly freezing.

“Not fifty thousand… just fifty?” Five yuan for a piece of art… It was decent for an average middle schooler, but for An Nuan Nuan, who had been painting since childhood and had a small reputation in the industry, fifty yuan barely covered the cost of the paint.

But seeing the happiness on An Nuan Nuan’s face, the woman couldn’t bring herself to say anything negative. Her family had sent her to school here to help her integrate into society, supporting her creative endeavors, even if it meant earning small amounts of money.

As for the boy who had been rejected every time he confessed—she had seen him a few times when picking up Nuan Nuan. His behavior seemed harmless.

After a moment, the woman simply smiled and drove off.

…

Meanwhile, Xu Musen noticed that many students at school had started playing “Sheep’s Game.” The game itself was enticing, but the real draw was the hundred yuan red envelope for getting people to join—a temptation that even Xu Musen couldn’t ignore.

Checking his phone, he saw multiple withdrawal notifications. He sighed in frustration, realizing some of his money had already been drawn out.

Arriving home, his parents weren’t around, but there was a note on the table along with twenty yuan.

“We’re working late today. Get yourself something to eat.”

Xu Musen retreated to his room to continue optimizing the game code. The number of users had already reached over two thousand, and the partnership was on track to secure the top spot. A few more days, and he would have his first major earnings.

Later, he went out to grab some snacks—chicken legs and stir-fried noodles.

Just as he arrived at the entrance of the community, a red Bentley drove up.

“Hey, Xiaosen?”

The window rolled down, and a refined, elegant voice called out.

Xu Musen turned to find himself staring into a pair of eyes almost identical to Yao Mingyue’s—except these eyes were softer, with a touch of grace.

The woman had a refined, oval face. Despite being older, her features hadn’t aged a day, her skin flawless, and her red lips as radiant as roses.

“Mom… Liu Aunty?” Xu Musen almost called her “Mom” out of habit before quickly correcting himself.

Liu Rushi smiled, her eyes shining with amusement. “I just spoke to your mom. Come to my place for dinner. It’s been too long since we last ate together.”

“I’ve already bought food…” Xu Musen hesitated. He liked Liu Rushi but the memories of her family had left him with some psychological scars.

“Come on, you haven’t eaten yet, right? Just stay and keep me company,” Liu Rushi coaxed, her smile gentle and full of charm.

Xu Musen was taken aback by her charm but agreed. He got into the car with her.

At the villa, Liu Rushi got out to grab something from the trunk, and Xu Musen helped her without hesitation.

“Ah, you’ve grown up. You even know how to care for people now,” Liu Rushi smiled, ruffling his hair playfully.

She was wearing a light blue cheongsam, and despite being a mother, she didn’t have an ounce of excess weight. Her skin was as fair as a young girl’s, and her curves were elegant and mature.

As the villa door opened, Yao Mingyue appeared behind it. Her eyes, sharp and dangerous, locked on the sight of her mother affectionately ruffling Xu Musen’s hair.

Xu Musen sighed internally. This girl… can she stop being so possessive?