Chapter Forty-Nine: The Scheming Chu Muyun

Bai Chenxi hugged Caesar happily, while Caesar whimpered in protest at Chu Muyun. Chu Muyun shifted his gaze with practiced indifference: Hmm, he saw nothing.

[I don’t know who to feel sorry for right now]
[Bai Chenxi has it rough—she finally got to hug him]
[Didn’t you see the doting look in Chu Muyun’s eyes?]
[He gazes at Caesar with just as much affection, thanks!]
[Ha, even when our male god looks at a dog, it’s with deep emotion]

Lin Yue noticed the commotion and put away his phone, calling out, “Caesar.”

Hearing someone call him, Caesar dashed toward Lin Yue as though he’d found a savior.

Bai Chenxi glared at Lin Yue, gritting her teeth. “Lin Yue!”

Sensing trouble, Lin Yue quickly slipped away, explaining as he went, “I just called him over! You can’t blame me if animals don’t take to you!”

Bai Chenxi ignored his excuses and ran after him, while Caesar barked on the side. The scene was lively and chaotic.

No one noticed Chu Muyun, who had been silent since earlier. His expression was so dark it seemed almost ink-black. However, his face was always inscrutable; it was hard for anyone to read his mood from his expression.

“Caesar, come here.” Chu Muyun beckoned, and Caesar immediately turned toward him.

Watching Bai Chenxi still bickering with Lin Yue, Chu Muyun furrowed his brow and called out, “Bai Chenxi, come here.”

At his words, Bai Chenxi let go of Lin Yue, muttering, “I won’t stoop to your level,” and walked over to Chu Muyun.

Lin Yue rubbed his arm and mumbled under his breath, “She really listens, huh.”

Caesar lay obediently at Chu Muyun’s feet, while Bai Chenxi kept sneaking glances at his hand. Chu Muyun pulled Bai Chenxi to sit next to him, not letting go of her hand—whether intentionally or not.

Bai Chenxi glanced over, but Chu Muyun looked perfectly at ease. He spoke to Caesar, “Caesar, you can’t do that again, understood?”

Seeing Caesar still unmoving, Chu Muyun commanded, “Go shake hands. Go on.”

Reluctantly, Caesar got up and haughtily extended a paw. Chu Muyun took Bai Chenxi’s hand and guided it to Caesar’s paw, then naturally let go.

For a moment, Bai Chenxi thought she’d been imagining things and blushed. The viewers all assumed her excitement was because of Caesar.

Only Lin Yue muttered quietly from the corner, “So spineless.”

Soon, Bai Chenxi’s attention was drawn back to Caesar. If she’d been overthinking, she decided to stop. Caesar was much more fun. The more Caesar ignored her, the more Bai Chenxi wanted to tease him until he bristled.

After a while, Lin Yue started complaining about being hungry and asked when the rice dumplings would be ready.

“It’ll be a while yet!” Bai Chenxi hadn’t forgotten Lin Yue’s earlier words. “Why don’t you go buy something from the supermarket? With your appetite, you’ll be fine.”

Lin Yue echoed her words, “No way, supermarket food has no soul. After all the trouble I went to, I ought to taste the fruits of my labor.”

Watching the two of them banter so naturally, Chu Muyun felt a faint discomfort, though he concealed it well.

“Bai Chenxi.” Without thinking, Chu Muyun called her name.

Bai Chenxi turned to look at him, questioning him with her eyes; even Lin Yue looked over.

Chu Muyun cleared his throat. “Um, I’m hungry.”

Bai Chenxi immediately asked with concern, “Did you have breakfast?”

Chu Muyun shook his head.

Bai Chenxi looked at him with exasperation. “Why didn’t you say something sooner?”

She sighed, “All right, I’ll make you something.”

“No porridge,” Chu Muyun replied quickly this time.

“If you keep skipping breakfast, all you’ll get here is porridge from now on.”

Bai Chenxi tried to make her expression stern, but to Chu Muyun she looked like a harmless kitten showing her claws.

With a smile in his eyes, Chu Muyun gave Bai Chenxi a slight nod.

The onlookers, who had been watching for a while, protested, “Bai Chenxi, you’re too much! He says he’s hungry and you rush to cook, but when I’m hungry you don’t even react. Am I not even worthy of a bowl of porridge?”

He finished with a theatrically heartbroken look. Bai Chenxi remained unmoved by his complaints.

“Congratulations, you guessed right.”

With that, Bai Chenxi headed for the kitchen, leaving Lin Yue gnashing his teeth at her back.

Displaying rare hostly manners, Chu Muyun poured Lin Yue a glass of water. “Here, drink this.”

Lin Yue sat down and downed the water in one gulp. Glancing at Chu Muyun, who was smiling with satisfaction, he thought, What an old fox.

Twirling the glass in his hand, Lin Yue remarked, “I didn’t expect you and Bai Chenxi to know each other. She’s never mentioned you to me.”

He set the glass down with a thud, huffing, hoping to provoke him.

Unfortunately for him, Chu Muyun didn’t take the bait.

“Mmm. She thought I didn’t want her to talk about it, so she’s always avoided bringing up our relationship.”

Chu Muyun’s words were ambiguous and left much open to interpretation. He implied that Bai Chenxi avoided mentioning their connection because she thought he preferred it that way, thus taking all the responsibility himself. This way, no one could blame Bai Chenxi, and as for the nature of their relationship, he left it for others to guess—he hadn’t said anything concrete.

Lin Yue felt a surge of frustration at Chu Muyun’s evasive answers.

“She’s just too naive. Anyone who’s kind to her gets her whole heart in return,” Lin Yue said meaningfully, eyeing Chu Muyun. “With a mind like hers, she’s bound to be deceived someday.”

Chu Muyun nodded thoughtfully. “Yes, she does worry me. I have to keep an eye on her.”

Lin Yue was thoroughly defeated. This man was shrewd to the core—no wonder someone as simple as Bai Chenxi had fallen so quickly.

[Friends, I sense a coming storm.]
[This round goes to Chu Muyun!]
[Oh my god, who do I root for?]
[Who doesn’t feel the same!]

Soon the busy cook emerged from the kitchen. Seeing Bai Chenxi carrying out the food, Lin Yue headed straight for the dining table—no way he’d be left out.

Chu Muyun noticed the pumpkin porridge on the table and looked up at Bai Chenxi.

She read his gaze and said, “People who don’t behave only get porridge.”

Chu Muyun’s eyes filled with resignation, but he said nothing. Still, he looked rather pitiable.

Bai Chenxi spoke awkwardly, “Well, the dumplings will be done soon. Just have some porridge for now—I won’t make it next time.”

Chu Muyun said nothing, picking up a bowl and serving himself porridge.

Lin Yue had already helped himself and was eagerly spooning porridge into his mouth, eyeing the silent exchange between the other two.

When he finished, Lin Yue called out, “Bai Chenxi!”

She looked over, but he just stared at her in silence.

“Lin Yue, what’s wrong with you now?”

“Guess what I’m thinking.”

Bai Chenxi gave him a look that screamed you’re hopeless. “How should I know what you’re thinking?”

“Then how come you always know what Chu Muyun’s thinking?”

Lin Yue’s words made Bai Chenxi choke on her porridge. Chu Muyun calmly reached out and patted her back.

His tone was full of gentle indulgence: “Drink slowly.”

Bai Chenxi kept coughing, her cheeks flushed, but she still shot Lin Yue a glare: All your fault!

This time, Lin Yue understood her look perfectly—it was the glare of someone who wanted to strangle him.

[Little Theater]
With Chu Muyun’s intentional or unintentional hints, everyone inside and outside their circle had accepted that Bai Chenxi was his. Only Bai Chenxi herself remained unaware, and by the time she realized it, she was already caught in his web.

Bai Chenxi looked at Chu Muyun in exasperation. “You did this on purpose! No wonder everyone thinks we’re together!”

Chu Muyun wrapped his arms around the pouting Bai Chenxi. “It doesn’t matter—sooner or later, you’re mine.”