Mr. Mu appears aloof in public, but secretly proposes marriage and kisses.

"You two, keep your distance from Lu Qianbai from now on."

After pulling the person back, Mu Tingshen gave him a stern warning.

Mu Yunfan was used to being scolded and was very experienced. He immediately stood up straight and nodded obediently.

"Okay, big brother."

Su Muran had no experience and felt confused, as if she were a primary school student encountering her homeroom teacher.

However, considering that Mu Tingshen had just been wronged, she didn't want to make him angry again.

So he followed suit, standing up straight and nodding obediently like Mu Yunfan.

"Okay, honey."

Mu Tingshen: "..."

He thought Mu Yunfan's reaction was normal, but when it came to Su Muran, he couldn't help but laugh in exasperation.

"Are you full? If you are, let's go."

Mu Yunfan and Su Muran nodded at the same time.

However, before getting into the car, Mu Tingshen received a phone call and asked the two of them to get in the car first and wait for him.

Mu Yunfan looked at Mu Tingshen on the phone and whispered to Su Muran, "My brother and my cousin have never gotten along since they were little. I think the main responsibility lies with my cousin. He's not as good as my brother, so he should just admit it, but he just won't. He's always outshone by my brother. Every girl he likes runs away as soon as my brother gives her a look. It's made him have psychological problems, which is why he went to study psychology."

Su Muran: "..."

So, for the past three years, she has been looking for someone with psychological problems to provide her with psychological counseling.

After finishing his phone call, Mu Tingshen got into his car and asked the driver to take Mu Yunfan home first.

"Your mother didn't run away from home this time; she's still here. Go back and comfort her."

"Brother, I don't want to go home."

Mu Yunfan said in a low, frustrated voice.

Mu Tingshen reprimanded her sternly, "She's your mother, and she's upset right now. If you don't go back, who will? Am I supposed to go back? If I go back, she'll only get angrier. Listen to me, go back and comfort her. Actually, what she's most worried about is that this marriage will fall through and affect your future. Tell her it won't, that I'll handle this."

"Brother, are you going to the Meng family to apologize?" Mu Yunfan asked with concern.

Mu Tingshen said, "Of course not. I did nothing wrong, so why should I apologize? In short, I said I would handle it, and I definitely will. It certainly won't implicate you."

Mu Yunfan nodded. In any case, he had no ability to handle this matter, so he could only listen to his brother and go home to comfort his mother.

After getting off the bus, Mu Yunfan said goodbye to Mu Tingshen and Su Muran.

He even said to Su Muran, "Sister-in-law, let my brother take you home sometime."

Su Muran nodded.

Once the car started moving, she asked Mu Tingshen curiously, "Don't you hate his mother?"

Mu Tingshen chuckled and said, "When I was little, I thought she was my biological mother, and I really wanted to be close to her. But she always rejected me, intentionally or unintentionally, and always chose Mu Yunfan. Tell me, don't I hate her?"

Su Muran remained silent.

Mu Tingshen added, "When I first learned the truth, I hated her. If she had told me earlier that she wasn't my biological mother, I wouldn't have suffered for so many years. But not anymore. Seeing her husband's ex-wife's child around every day must be painful for her too."

"But none of this has anything to do with Mu Yunfan. No matter what my relationship with my parents is like, he is still my younger brother. He never changed his mind about me after knowing the truth, so I should protect him."

Are you going to the Meng family's house?

Su Muran was both heartbroken and touched that Mu Tingshen would say such a thing.

Mu Tingshen nodded and said, "I'll take you home first. I have an appointment to meet with Meng Shuyan's father. I'll go back after we talk."

"Given your family's situation, he shouldn't make things difficult for your brother, right?"

Su Muran comforted him.

Mu Tingshen chuckled and said, "I wouldn't dare to do it openly, but there are too many details in the workplace. Any marginalization can ruin a person's life. Take Ms. Zhao, for example. She's never hit me or even scolded me since I was a child. But that subtle distance and indifference can wear down a person's heart even more."

Su Muran couldn't quite empathize with this.

Although she has experienced many hardships, she truly grew up in the love and care of her parents.

She could understand what Mu Tingshen was saying, but she couldn't truly grasp it.

However, Su Muran thought that when he took her home, he meant to take her back to where Grandpa Mu lived.

Unexpectedly, it turned out to be a different villa.

"This is my own house. How old am I? Can I still live with my grandfather forever? I moved out and lived alone when I started my own business at eighteen, and I only go back to visit him occasionally."

As for Mu Huaimin and Zhao Yuan's home, he never went back to stay there.

Even if he needed to go back to discuss something, he would never stay overnight, even if it was the middle of the night.

"Come back soon, I'll be waiting for you."

When Mu Tingshen was about to leave, Su Muran held his hand reluctantly and gave him some advice.

Mu Tingshen's heart melted instantly. He hugged her tightly and said in a low, gentle voice, "What should we do? I don't want to leave."

Su Muran kissed his chin, her eyes crinkling with a smile, and said, "Go quickly! Come back soon."

Mu Tingshen tightened his arms around her, his breath filled with her faint body fragrance. He lingered for a while before letting go, then tidied the stray hairs on her forehead before turning to leave.

Director Meng arranged to meet him at a teahouse.

After Mu Tingshen went inside, he first showed his sincerity.

"This is the lease agreement for the Light and Shadow Gallery. I've already bought the gallery and am leasing it to Meng Shuyan at a low price. She can run her own art exhibition here, or display other people's works. I can guarantee her unlimited financial support for the next ten years."

"Xiao Shen, what are you doing?"

Director Meng looked surprised.

Mu Tingshen said earnestly, "Uncle Meng, I'm sorry the engagement banquet disappointed you. I'll say it again, I really don't like Shuyan. From childhood to adulthood, I've only ever treated her as a younger sister, and I've never been able to develop feelings for her beyond that of a brother and sister. If you want to blame someone, blame me. This has nothing to do with Yunfan, and I hope you won't hold a grudge against him."

"You're making it too serious, child. This isn't your fault. I know you can't force feelings, and I never blamed you."

"So you invited me over today..."

Originally, Mu Tingshen also planned to meet with Director Meng to clarify things and avoid leaving any future trouble for Mu Yunfan.

But to my surprise, I received a call from Director Meng first, and I naturally assumed that he wanted to settle scores with me later.

"Cough cough."

Director Meng coughed twice and said awkwardly, "I wanted to ask you, have you met with your mother? How is she...?"

Mu Tingshen: "..."

I met her once three or four years ago, but she left quickly, and I haven't seen her since.

"Why doesn't she come back? That case has already been solved. She... it must be because your father remarried that she doesn't want to come back. Your father is not good enough for her. If it weren't for the fact that your grandfather and your maternal grandfather were on good terms, how could your father have had the opportunity to marry her?"

"Uncle Meng, you know my mother too?"