Chapter 25: The Tug-of-War

Jiang Mugui stared at him, motionless, completely at a loss for words.

After he finished speaking, he finally looked at her, seemingly awaiting a reply. She bit her lip and lowered her gaze. Restrained by the reality of money, she couldn't find a retort and merely muttered, "You win."

Mu Anyan’s deep, warm gaze rested on her face. Just as he was about to speak again, the doorbell rang twice.

Jiang Mugui looked up. "What did you order for me this time?"

Mu Anyan didn't answer; he went to open the door.

A fresh, lovely face suddenly appeared in the darkness. Wearing a lake-blue dress, she beamed. "Surprise!"

Seeing who it was, Mu Anyan’s calm voice held little surprise. "Why are you here?"

Fang Muqing stepped forward and stood on her tiptoes to hug him. "I missed you, so I came."

Mu Anyan remained silent for a few seconds before pushing her away. Before he could speak, she walked past him into the house on her own. But upon seeing a girl on the sofa, the smile froze on her face.

The girl seemed to notice the commotion and slowly looked up.

It was a beautiful face—soft, pure, and clean—yet her eyes held an inexplicable, captivating allure. The moment Fang Muqing recognized her, she was filled with astonishment. "Why are you here?"

This girl had slapped her last time. Fang had reported it, but Mu Anyan hadn't reacted at all. She was furious but helpless; after all, the girl was his daughter. However, having learned recently that he had divorced and moved to Haicheng, she decided to seek him out, even if he hadn't reached out to her.

She had never expected Jiang Mugui to be here.

The girl didn't answer her. She simply gripped the edge of the sofa to stand up, lifted her eyelids, and looked at Mu Anyan with a meaningful gaze. "I think you two have a lot to talk about. I’ll go upstairs and take a shower first."

The remark was loaded with implications. Was she planning to stay the night?

Fang Muqing felt an inexplicable discomfort. Almost subconsciously, she looked at Mu Anyan, but he merely glanced at her and said, "You should head back. I have work to finish and can’t keep you company."

He then stepped forward to support Jiang Mugui.

The girl seemed to have trouble with her foot and walked with a limp. The moment Mu Anyan reached out to steady her, she tried to pull away. But the man had no intention of letting go, and she couldn't break free.

Jiang Mugui stopped in her tracks.

Mu Anyan frowned at her. "What is it now?"

Jiang Mugui looked at the long staircase. "I don't think I can make it up. What should I do?"

Mu Anyan’s deep gaze seemed to see through her ruse, yet he played along. "What do you want to do?"

"I don't know," Jiang Mugui replied.

Her voice was soft and sweet, the upward inflection at the end sounding like a tease. Seeing the man close the distance, wrap his arms around her waist, and prepare to lift her, Fang Muqing felt like a clown standing in the distance.

In an instant, she realized she had underestimated Mu Anyan’s feelings for Jiang Mugui.

Still, she took comfort in the thought that it wasn't Jiang Wei; she attributed the scene entirely to a man’s sense of duty.

Biting her lip hard for a few seconds, she turned and left to avoid further humiliation.

The moment Mu Anyan lifted her, he heard the door shut. He chuckled darkly. "Are you satisfied now?"

Jiang Mugui felt a pang of guilt at being exposed. She looked up at him, and the two held a quiet, steady gaze for a moment.

He wasn't carrying her bridal-style, but rather holding her upright like a child. Once she was gone, he attempted to set her down.

However, Jiang Mugui tightened her arms around the back of his neck.

Mu Anyan naturally noticed and frowned slightly. The girl was very close to him. Her eyes, which seemed devoid of any impurity, held hidden, swirling undercurrents when looked at closely. Her breath, warm and slightly damp against his face, felt strange—yet not entirely unfamiliar.

Suddenly feeling restless, he placed her on the stairs, but the girl’s hands remained locked around him. The discomfort in his heart grew stronger. He almost forcibly pried her hands from his body and said in a cold tone, "Go up by yourself. Be careful."

Without giving her a chance to argue, he turned and walked away.

Jiang Mugui watched him return to the living room and resume his work at the computer. She bit her lip, lost in thought, before limping her way upstairs.

Mu Anyan rubbed his temples, but no matter how he tried, he couldn't focus.

He simply shut down the computer and cleared the food off the table. Upon going upstairs, he found Jiang Mugui, who had just finished showering, sitting on his bed wearing his shirt and holding something in her hand.

Seeing what it was, Mu Anyan’s expression darkened. He took a few strides over and reached out. "Give it to me."

Jiang Mugui looked up, her beautiful eyes seemingly holding a new sense of clarity. "I thought you had just bought this place. Seeing how familiar she was with the layout, you must have owned it for a long time..."

The girl’s voice remained soft, but her eyes held a turbulent sea. "Do you two do it here often?"