Please come to my house for dinner.

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Lu Family Villa

The sky had already darkened. Lu Jin lay on the bed, idly scrolling through his phone. The room was unlit, and the faint orange glow from outside cast light across his profile—stern, yet elegant.

His mind was blank as his fingers unconsciously tapped on Su Ran’s chat window, then exited, then opened it again, repeating this over a dozen times. When he finally snapped out of it, he felt a bit crazy.

In truth, he regretted agreeing to that invitation. Now, having gone, he brought back thoughts he shouldn’t have.

He was different from his sister. She was raised by their parents and had gone abroad for school since elementary. He, on the other hand, grew up under his grandfather’s strict, old-fashioned care. His education was rigid and severe.

Everything he did had a bottom line—a warning and a constraint. But now, that line was being pulled and stretched by Su Ran.

Su Ran’s hand brushed his neck, her face flushed before him. Her drenched clothes clung to her form, her body faintly visible. He remembered the rapid, uneven breaths, the brief, hurried embrace in the room; the scent and warmth she exuded imprinted vividly in his mind...

He picked up his phone again—and then, unknowingly, he had “patted” Su Ran on WeChat…

Damn this WeChat!

The next moment, Su Ran sent a cat emoji greeting, followed by a message, “Craving something sweet? Delivery’s here.”

Lu Jin took a deep breath, waited about ten seconds, then replied, “Okay.”

An hour later, Butler Zhang called his bedroom line, saying the pastries had arrived.

Lu Jin immediately rose from bed. As he strode out, he deliberately slowed his pace to appear indifferent.

After taking the elevator down and passing a large decorative vase, he saw Butler Zhang and a figure in a pastry shop uniform. His steps faltered—that person was not Su Ran.

His expression, originally unreadable, grew colder. The staff member turned and saw Lu Jin, immediately smiling, “Hello, Mr. Lu. Our manager asked me to deliver these pastries. Hope you’ll like them.”

Lu Jin replied faintly. After the delivery was done, the staff left. Butler Zhang, holding the pastry box, smiled, “Mr. Su Ran is quite thoughtful.”

Lu Jin took a pastry from the box, unwrapped it, and brought it to his nose. He remembered the taste when Su Ran had made it for him that day, and now he detected subtle differences—it wasn’t made by her.

“Forget it,” he said, placing the pastry back in the box, saying nothing more as he turned and went upstairs.

Butler Zhang, still holding the box, looked puzzled.

*

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Early morning, Su Ran left after breakfast with Jiang Yi. He wore a beige hoodie and jeans, casual and unthreatening.

Their neighborhood was full of children, and during kindergarten dismissal, the sounds of kids chattering filled the air. Whenever he encountered these children, they all seemed fond of him.

Sometimes, when a child cried, he would tease them lightly until they smiled. Some little girls would shyly hide behind their mothers. Not only children, but cats and dogs on the street also showed affection toward him—allowing him to pet and hold them, even following him around.

Of course, he liked children and small animals too; he had little resistance to anything cute.

The car quickly arrived at the company. Jiang Yi led him inside. Along the way, many greeted him, their glances making Su Ran uneasy.

He wondered how Jiang Yi would introduce him if asked. It was easy to guess, because as soon as the elevator doors opened, Zhou Luo approached, wearing his signature professional smile.

“General Manager Jiang,” he greeted, then glanced at Su Ran, “Hey, little babysitter.”

No matter his temper, Su Ran chose to ignore it.

“Has President He arrived yet?” Jiang Yi asked.

“Not yet. He has a morning meeting but should be here soon,” Zhou Luo replied.

Jiang Yi turned to Su Ran, “Come, I’ll take you to his office to wait.”

Su Ran nodded. It was his first time entering such a high-end office building. The floor tiles were immaculately clean with a slight reflection. The surroundings were sleek, cold lines. Everyone wore professional attire and moved with purpose. The atmosphere made Su Ran inexplicably nervous.

They reached the office door, and the secretary ushered them in. The office was large, with clean, sharp lines in black, white, and gray tones—stern and cold.

Jiang Yi seemed to sense Su Ran’s tension and comforted him, “Don’t worry, President He is quite approachable. Have a seat on the sofa.”

In front of the large floor-to-ceiling window was a black leather sofa. Obediently, Su Ran sat down. The secretary thoughtfully brought a pot of tea and cups. When he sipped the warm tea, his nerves eased a bit.

He wasn’t here to work; there was no reason to be tense. It was just that the environment was too professional and serious, which he disliked.

Just then, he heard footsteps and a child’s crying, the shrill voice pleading, “I don’t like uncle! I want mom, I want mom, wah wah wah.”

Su Ran looked toward the door. The next moment, a snotty, tear-streaked child struggled to push the door open and walked inside.

After taking a few short steps, the child noticed others in the room. Seeing Su Ran, he froze, momentarily forgetting to cry, staring blankly at him.

Jiang Yi bent down to greet him, “Good morning, little Zhao Mingzhe.”

Zhao Mingzhe seemed not to hear, then slowly walked toward Su Ran. Upon reaching the sofa, he looked shy and hid behind one side, peeking at Su Ran.

Su Ran looked at the chubby kid—so adorable, with a fair complexion, big black eyes, and rosy cheeks. Just looking at him made Su Ran’s heart melt.

Su Ran smiled gently and leaned on the sofa, softening his voice, “Mingzhe, uncle will wipe your nose, okay?”

Shy, Mingzhe hid himself until Su Ran crouched beside him with a tissue. Mingzhe slowly looked at him and obediently let him wipe.

Afterward, Su Ran picked him up and sat back on the sofa, letting Mingzhe sit on his lap. The child didn’t resist the contact and kept looking at him trustingly.

“Have you eaten breakfast, Mingzhe?” Su Ran asked.

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Zhao Mingzhe shook his head. Su Ran took out two round little buns from his bag—fortunately, he had brought snacks to appease kids that morning.

Mingzhe grabbed a bun and ate obediently, likely really hungry, as he ate without any coaxing.

Jiang Yi watched in amazement. He knew how difficult this kid could be—not letting anyone touch him, crying whenever things went wrong, screaming all day, making it seem like the CEO’s office was haunted.

Jiang Yi glanced toward the door, curious why President He had not arrived yet. As he stepped outside, he saw He Zhiwen just finishing a phone call, his expression grim.

He Zhiwen had just scolded his cousin for her irresponsible behavior. When the divorce was messy, his cousin often threatened suicide, and the case ended up in court. He had helped a lot then. Ultimately, Zhao Mingzhe’s custody was awarded to her, but now she had abandoned him and gone abroad.

Zhao Mingzhe’s sensitivity was inseparable from these unreliable parents. Such a good child had become deeply insecure.

“President He,” Jiang Yi smiled, “Now you can rest assured.”

He Zhiwen exhaled deeply, puzzled, “Rest assured about what?”

Jiang Yi opened the office door and gestured for He Zhiwen to enter. At the doorway, He Zhiwen froze. Zhao Mingzhe was quiet and calm, leaning against an unfamiliar young man’s chest.

The morning sunlight made the scene look like a movie clip—warm and tender. The young man’s every movement was gentle. He Zhiwen’s gaze fixed on Su Ran, captivated.

He had never believed in love at first sight, but now, the ideal partner seemed to have taken shape. How could someone cause such a flutter of the heart upon first meeting?

It was inexplicable, without reason.

It was clear Zhao Mingzhe liked him. The scene was harmonious—no wonder some talked about a “male mommy.” One could almost smell the softness about him.

“President He, look how obedient Mingzhe is now,” Jiang Yi said with a smile.

“Truly amazing,” He Zhiwen’s gaze remained on Su Ran, a smile gradually spreading, “Then again, I think any child would like him.”

“What’s his name?” He Zhiwen asked. “Where did you find him?”

“Su Ran,” Jiang Yi replied, then hesitated, “He’s our family’s nanny.”

He Zhiwen was momentarily surprised, “Such a young nanny? He’s living with you now?”

“Uh… yes, he’s from a nearby town. New to the city and staying at my place for now,” Jiang Yi said.

He Zhiwen frowned slightly, a strange feeling flickering inside. Then he patted Jiang Yi’s shoulder and smiled, “Jiang Yi, you’ve really helped me a lot finding such a good person.”

“It’s my duty, President He. Don’t mention it.”