Chapter 252: 252: I want to poach (add more updates, hurry up and give monthly passes)
"Grandmadam..." Yue Youxi muttered these four words, perhaps thinking of something amusing, as a smile appeared at the corner of his lips, "It’s surprising that you look so young yet hold such a high status!"
What he didn’t say was how well Mu Qiuniang had hidden her identity. He had discovered she was supposed to be an orphan, never imagining that she was actually a senior figure in the Mu family. If he hadn’t met her in person, would he ever have known this secret?
"In this world, many things are surprising!" Out of politeness, Mu Qiuniang responded.
And this statement seemed to encourage Yue Youxi, as the smile on his face deepened: "Yes, just like fate led me to meet you!"
Mu Qiuniang realized something and looked at him in surprise.
She was no longer the girl who was completely ignorant of love back in the day. After dealing with Jiang Nuo’s boldness, she was now able to respond to such straightforward expressions of affection.
If you say nothing and just silently treat her well, she would certainly think it’s something you ought to do, at most giving you a somewhat higher reward.
"You like me?" Mu Qiuniang said.
Mu Mingyu wanted to cover his face: Grandmadam is too direct, isn’t she? Even if you have suspicions, can we be a bit more subtle?
"Yes, I like you. That’s why I don’t want to call you Grandmadam and become your junior; I want to call you Qiuniang."
Though surprised by Mu Qiuniang’s directness, Yue Youxi was still very happy, more certain than ever that she was the one he wanted.
It only took a brief encounter for him to see her pure, natural simplicity, and in modern society, these are indeed rare qualities.
Mu Mingyu also wanted to know how grandmadam would respond but remained silent.
Mu Qiuniang seriously contemplated it and said, "Sorry! I’m married and cannot accept your affection!"
"It’s okay! I know you’re married, but I still like you. It doesn’t stop my feelings for you. You just need to accept them slowly; you don’t need to worry about anything else."
Yue Youxi spoke with utmost sincerity.
How could he not know she was married? He had investigated her.
Unfortunately, her happiness with another man was so glaring that he wished he could immediately take his place.
However, he knew he couldn’t rush it; he needed to take it slow.
Only by removing that man’s place in her heart would he have a chance to enter.
Ever since he learned she was Jiang Nuo’s wife, he had assigned someone to keep an eye on Jiang Nuo (since Mu Qiuniang kept such a low profile that tracking her moves was difficult).
Upon hearing that she accompanied Jiang Nuo to shoot an advertisement, he was both jealous and envious. Without a second thought, he got the address and followed along, leading to this ’coincidental’ meeting now.
Mu Qiuniang was a bit puzzled. He already knew she was married, so why still act willing to give without expecting anything in return?
"I don’t quite understand. I’m married, yet can still accept your affection?"
Is she too old-fashioned, or has the world changed too fast, and she can’t keep up?
Mu Mingyu was somewhat shocked: Is Yue Youxi implying he doesn’t plan to let go?
He always knew that his granduncle and grandaunt had many admirers, but now he realized that while there were many, granduncle’s weren’t nearly as remarkable as grandmadam’s — one admirer of hers was worth several of his.
Nevermind anything else, just Yue Youxi himself could give granduncle a headache.
Back in the day, the legends about Yue Youxi were indeed not just rumors!
Yue Youxi smiled with such confidence on his face and said, "An excellent man is never afraid of challenges!"
But what does a challenge have to do with confession?
Mu Qiuniang couldn’t quite grasp Yue Youxi’s thoughts but still said, "Sorry! I have no interest in men other than my husband."
"There’s no rush," Yue Youxi smiled and said, "I never said you must accept me now. Back then, didn’t Qiuniang also start as friends with Jiang Nuo? He just happened to meet you first, but who can truly give you happiness will take time to prove."
Mu Qiuniang was completely at a loss for words and furrowed her brow: "You’re entirely wasting time on this!"
She spoke sincerely, considering the other person. She already had someone in her life and wouldn’t consider anyone else, so there was no need to waste time and energy on her.
Yue Youxi didn’t want to dwell on this topic any longer. He just wanted to let her know his feelings and then proceed with the next step of his plan.
"Qiuniang, you haven’t had lunch yet, have you? Why don’t I treat you, as a celebration of our encounter?"
"There’s no need! I’ll eat with Anuo."
"Are you afraid he’ll get angry? An excellent, confident, and magnanimous man wouldn’t forbid his wife from dining with a friend."
"No, it’s just that he’s more prone to getting jealous, and I don’t want him to feel upset," Mu Qiuniang said honestly.
Moreover, was their first encounter even enough to call them friends?
Yue Youxi felt like he had received a thousand points of damage. Even though he was prepared for their deep feelings, it still hurt when the woman he adored cared for another man right before him.
"Occasionally getting a little jealous adds flavor to life. Qiuniang, you should give a man some leeway. Don’t worry, it’s just a meal with a friend. Why would he get upset over such a small thing? If necessary, you can send him a message, tell him where you are, and if he wants, he can come find you."
Saying this, Yue Youxi paused before continuing, "As you said, you’re here with him for work, and he’s busy; you wouldn’t want him to get distracted because of you, right?"
He hoped Jiang Nuo would get jealous and cause a scene; that way, it would display his pettiness, and Mu Qiuniang could see who was the more suitable choice for her.
Mu Qiuniang felt it seemed reasonable. If she stayed, Jiang Nuo’s focus might frequently shift towards her, causing him to become inattentive during filming.
If she weren’t there, he might actually be more focused on his work, allowing them to go home earlier.
"I’ll send him a message." Mu Qiuniang didn’t mind who she ate with; after all, it was just a meal in her eyes.
So, Mu Mingyu watched with wide eyes as grandmadam was persuaded to send granduncle a message.
When he wanted to remind grandmadam, he noticed Yue Youxi looking up at him with a light smile on his lips.
Despite the charming and elegant smile, for some reason, it sent shivers down his spine.
Mu Mingyu quickly realized that Yue Youxi was warning him not to disrupt his plan.
Should he disrupt it?
As a descendant of the Mu family, Mu Mingyu was quite confident. Even though there were countless legends about Yue Youxi in high society, he was just the rich son of the Yue family, not of the Mu family.
Besides, Mu Qiuniang had given him such a major ’card’!
Most importantly, based on his understanding of grandmadam, it was just a meal, nothing more.
Grandmadam just seemed innocent; she wasn’t truly naive.