Chapter Thirty-Five: Supervising the Medication

With a look of curiosity, she tilted her head and asked, "Uncle Tingye, why haven't you gone to work yet?"

Mu Tingye looked down at the girl who stood a head shorter than himself—delicate and lovely, like a little animal that makes one want to reach out and ruffle her hair.

And indeed, that was what he did.

His large hand rested atop her dark head, gently stroking her soft hair. He didn't answer her question but instead asked, "Why are you out of bed? Are you feeling better?"

The cool scent from the man wafted into her nose, filling her lungs—a fragrance so enticing it was almost intoxicating. She lifted her bright, clear eyes, long lashes brushing against his broad palm. "I'm all better now. If you don't believe me, Uncle Tingye, you can feel for yourself."

Before Mu Tingye could react, she grabbed the hand on her head and pressed it to her forehead, holding it there as if to let him confirm she was no longer feverish.

Mu Tingye was uncharacteristically stunned, unsure how to respond.

Her actions were innocent, yet laced with an unintentional allure—a deadly attraction, like a drug one can never quit after a single taste, drawing him deeper and deeper, irresistibly fascinated by her.

He recalled just moments ago, her small hand wrapping around his thumb, soft and boneless, guiding his hand to her forehead before letting go and looking up at him with an innocent smile.

He had navigated the business world for years, priding himself on seeing through all manner of deception at a glance, yet this girl before him was pure and guileless, innocent and charming. She didn't intend to seduce, but her every move unwittingly tugged at his heart, drawing him in without his consent.

Most importantly... he was willing to be drawn in.

He closed his eyes briefly, withdrew his hand, and said in a low voice, "Come on, let's have breakfast."

"Alright," she replied obediently, following him.

In fact, when Mu Tingye's palm had been pressed to her forehead just now, it was cool yet tinged with warmth, so comforting her toes curled with pleasure.

Once they sat down, Aunt He and the other servants set breakfast on the table. In front of her were millet porridge, eggs, milk—all light fare—while Mu Tingye's place was laid with a much richer spread: sandwiches, fried eggs, pasta...

Immediately, the porridge in her mouth tasted bland. She looked plaintively at the food before Mu Tingye, her eyes fixed without blinking.

She complained inwardly to her system, "I've eaten porridge for days—I can't stand it anymore."

The system replied helplessly, "Well, you should have taken better care of yourself."

"I..." She had nothing to say. It was her own doing, but she regretted it now—she wanted something tasty.

Her expression amused Mu Tingye, the corners of his lips lifting in a smile. "Once your cold is gone, tell Aunt He what you want to eat, and she'll make it for you."

The girl looked up in surprise. In her gaze, the elegant, handsome man held a knife and fork, smiling at her. Aside from his innate nobility, there was also a touch of gentleness—something she had never seen before.

A glimmer of astonishment flashed in her eyes. Why was Mu Tingye being so gentle with her?

She didn't quite understand, so she could only nod obediently. "Alright, I understand, Uncle Tingye."

After that, she fell silent. The man, too, returned to his usual indifferent and aloof demeanor, eating his breakfast elegantly. Seeing this, the girl quietly finished her porridge.

When they finally finished breakfast, the girl thought he would leave right away, but half an hour passed and he still hadn't gone.

Perplexed, she scampered over and softly asked, "Uncle Tingye, don't you have to go to the office?"

Mu Tingye looked at the bright-eyed girl, pondering how to explain that he wanted to make sure she took her medicine before heading to work.

After thinking for a while, he simply said, "Go take your medicine. It's on the table."

She had expected to hear "I can work from home" or "There's nothing urgent at the office," but instead heard this. She looked at Mu Tingye, momentarily stunned.

So, he had stayed home on purpose, waiting to make sure she took her medicine before leaving for work?

Goodness, her heart thumped wildly, as if it might leap out of her chest.

Uncle Tingye was so thoughtful and gentle. What a pity that in her past life he had loved that wretched Lin Yuexin. Her eyes grew cold, and she made a decision:

In this life, she would claim this devoted, steadfast man for herself.

"It's time for your medicine," Mu Tingye said, seeing her dazed, thinking she hadn't heard him. He repeated himself, lips barely moving.

She finally snapped out of it, biting her lip, looking innocent. "Uncle Tingye, can't I skip the medicine?"

"You need to take your cold medicine," he replied in an icy, commanding tone.

She instinctively wanted to back away—she hated taking medicine.

He narrowed his eyes, casting a light glance her way, and she immediately dared not move.

"Okay, I'll take it," she said, swallowing the bitter medicine with a small, aggrieved pout, about to play up her misery for sympathy—when suddenly, a hand appeared before her, holding out a piece of candy.

Huh?

She looked up in surprise to see the expressionless man offering her a pink-wrapped candy. No matter how she looked at it, it seemed odd.

But it was adorable—the candy was cute, and so was the man holding it!

"Thank you, Uncle Tingye, you're so nice~" she chirped, taking the candy and popping it into her mouth.

Her soft fingers inadvertently brushed his palm, sending a jolt of electricity through him, coursing through his body.

His fingertips curled slightly as he said in a low voice, "I'm leaving now. Get some rest." He turned decisively and left without a moment's hesitation.

"Okay, goodbye, Uncle Tingye~"

She watched his tall, straight figure until his car started and drove away.

Turning back, she went upstairs to her room, planning to check the group chat and get closer to Lin Yuexin.

What she didn't know was that as she watched Mu Tingye leave, he too was gazing at her through the rear-view mirror, a complex look on his face, until he could no longer see her silhouette.

Back in her room, she flopped carelessly onto the bed and unlocked her phone. As expected, there were over ninety-nine new messages in the group chat. She couldn't help but marvel at how much everyone could talk.

As soon as she clicked in, a new message popped up:

Xinxin: Wow, I'm so happy—just a few more days and we'll all meet in person!

—We're excited too, can't wait!

—Wonder what the university is like...

—It's Zhuoguang University—how bad could it be?

—You missed my point, I'm talking about the abundance of handsome guys.

Little Know-It-All: Now you're asking the right person. I’m Zhuoguang’s resident know-it-all—there’s nothing I don’t know. Want to hear who the campus heartthrob is?

—We don’t know! Tell us, tell us!

—We want to know, so much!

—Come on, you’re killing us with suspense!

Little Know-It-All: Alright, I won’t tease you anymore. Have you heard of Gu Chengyan?

—Wow, that's a nice name. What does he look like?

—Why does that name sound so familiar? I feel like I’ve heard it somewhere before...

—Is he the heartthrob of our school?

...

A legendary figure was bound to stir up everyone’s curiosity, and the group was soon flooded with questions. When they grew impatient, the most important part was finally revealed.