Chapter 349: 349: What do you like about Xiao Bai?
Jiang Nuo looked proud: "Of course she’s impressive. Otherwise, do you think, on what basis could she take on apprentices? Do you really believe the Mu family and the Zhan family are fools, letting their young masters become her disciples willingly?"
Lu Mingchen nodded. He had indeed found it strange before, not understanding why the Mu and Zhan families were so "courteous" and "respectful" towards Sister-in-law Jiang. So that’s why.
"So everyone else knew, but I was clueless!" he sighed.
"That’s not true, many people in Mu Qiuniang’s own Mu family are aware, but as for the Zhan family, they might just have an inkling, but nothing specific. The main reason the Zhan family respects Qiuniang is because she saved Jingshu. If it weren’t for her intervention, Jingshu wouldn’t have lived past eighteen."
"I couldn’t tell at all. Zhan Jingshu looks quite healthy and sunny now, hardly like someone who would’ve been sick."
"What ends someone’s life isn’t always disease or accident; there are things that can’t be explained by science."
The conversation wandered far and wide, with the two men chatting back and forth, an hour quickly passed, and they drank a few more glasses of wine. Yet regarding Mu Bai, aside from the initial question, it seemed to have been forgotten.
Actually, it wasn’t so easily forgotten. Lu Mingchen undeniably liked her, but how deeply he felt, and whether it had to be her, he himself couldn’t say.
"I truly like Xiaobai!" Perhaps, after having some drinks, people tend to become more talkative, and Lu Mingchen was a typical representative of this.
Or maybe, he originally had a lot he wanted to say. Without much worry over Jiang Nuo’s situation, he began to express his own frustrations.
"Honestly, I also don’t really understand why I fell for her? I think, if Miss Yan were a few years younger, I might like women like her more..."
"At first, because you and Sister-in-law Jiang vouched for her, I treated her like a little sister. Anyway, not having a sister myself, having one more made no difference."
"She initially told me she was young and not interested in relationships, preferring to focus on her career for a few years first. But that big liar, just one Qiao Zhichuan almost made her head over heels, she nearly got taken away by someone else..."
"And her big cousin isn’t much better, liking someone but not making it clear, always with the ’cousin this, cousin that,’ it gives people goosebumps."
"I must be out of my mind to like Xiaobai; she’s really not my type!"
...
Jiang Nuo mostly stopped responding. Nonsense! Can anyone control who they fall for?
If someone can even control whom they like, is that still love?
"Brother Lu, weren’t you planning to give up? So don’t be so conflicted. Let go when you should. Hesitation leads only to chaos."
"If letting go of feelings were that easy, would I need you to say it?" Lu Mingchen, a bit drunk, rolled his eyes at him.
Jiang Nuo rolled his eyes: "So, Brother Lu, do you want to give up or continue?"
After a while, Lu Mingchen replied, "Didn’t I say? I don’t know."
But that’s not what you said on the phone! Jiang Nuo said, "Brother Lu, have you ever thought about exactly what you like about Xiaobai?"
"Naivety, innocence..."
Jiang Nuo wanted to say, there are many naive and innocent girls out there these days, haven’t you encountered any?
"Didn’t that little Mili you used to hang out with was quite innocent too? You even scolded her for being silly, brainless!"
"She was indeed silly and brainless. Anyone with a brain wouldn’t just accept any drink offered by a random man, right? Do you really think those men at parties are good people? To put it bluntly, they’re just after women..."
"Ahem! Brother Lu, besides that, what else do you like about Xiaobai?" Jiang Nuo quickly interrupted Lu Mingchen’s words, as there were too many investors at the party, mentioning anyone’s name could be problematic.
"If I knew, would I be so conflicted?"
"True, you don’t even know what you like about her, yet you’ve fallen for her. This must be true love!"
"Didn’t you say before that I wasn’t truly in love?"
Jiang Nuo spread his hands: "That’s what you said, you don’t necessarily need her, so that’s why I said that."
"So, you also don’t know whether I love Xiaobai or not."
"These things, only you understand in your heart. You need to ask yourself, if one day Xiaobai was with someone else, would you be sad? Do you think if you were with Xiaobai, she would be the happiest woman in the world? You..."
Jiang Nuo posed a slew of questions to Lu Mingchen, letting him think and judge for himself whether to be with Xiaobai. After all, it is Lu Mingchen who will live with Mu Bai in the future, and he needs to make the decision himself.
Right now, Lu Mingchen just needs someone to talk to, not a decision-maker.
Besides, Lu Mingchen isn’t a three-year-old child. Does he not understand what he wants? It’s just that he has a common issue many grown men have, thinking that as an adult, he shouldn’t do impulsive things for love like young people do, and if it works out, stay together, if not, separate.
There’s a certain logic to this, but sometimes it’s this "lack of determination" that makes one miss not just the person but possibly true love!
The night was already deep, with stars twinkling.
Mu Qiuniang was still in the house examining the leader’s health, while Gong Leitian came out from inside, standing in the courtyard smoking.
Not long after, Mu Mingyu also walked out, standing beside him.
Gong Leitian blew out a smoke ring, forming a mushroom cloud shape.
"Auntie Granny doesn’t like the smell of smoke," Mu Mingyu said.
"There are many things Master Shishu doesn’t like," Gong Leitian replied, uncaring, continuing to smoke.
Mu Mingyu slightly frowned, not continuing the topic with him, since what he originally wanted to discuss was something else; it was just an excuse to start a conversation.
"You know Auntie Granny dislikes many things, so why do what she doesn’t like?"
"Smoking? I’m not her man, and she hasn’t said anything, so why are you bothering with this?" Gong Leitian glanced at him.
"No, you know that’s not what I’m referring to."
"I’m not a worm in your belly, how would I know what you’re thinking?"
Mu Mingyu felt a sense of helplessness, knowing the other was feigning ignorance but being utterly powerless, could only say, "Just now in the car, your gaze on Auntie Granny was too bold."
"Was it?"
"I was driving and could feel it; you were caught off guard. Auntie Granny looked at you several times." Reflecting on the car’s situation, Mu Mingyu still felt a lingering worry.
Gong Leitian’s gaze on Mu Qiuniang was too intense and fervent; even the dullest person would have sensed it, let alone Auntie Granny. At that time, Auntie Granny must have been puzzled, thinking Gong Leitian was acting strangely, glancing at him several times, seemingly contemplating something.
The atmosphere in the car instantly became tense, like a taut strand of hair, with the slightest pull threatening to snap.
Mu Mingyu was extremely worried at the time, afraid of some "major explosion" happening.
Damn!
He was still driving, okay?
Couldn’t Gong Leitian restrain himself a bit? He used to be quite good at it, cautious and without a hint of a trace. Even Mu Mingyu hadn’t noticed anything wrong initially; it was only later...