To be honest, when Chu Ge saw these two people through the peephole, he did feel a bit upset, like he had been tricked, but when he noticed the complexity in Mu Lingshan's eyes, he couldn't stay angry.

It seemed that this surprise visit was unrelated to Mu Lingshan and was entirely the idea of her third granduncle, who was the provincial party secretary.

Oh well, if he's been tricked, so be it. They didn't mean any harm.

Thinking this, Chu Ge found it a bit amusing. Was there really a need for Mu Lingshan to be so nervous? Could he really seem so frightening and unapproachable to her?

After a brief eye contact with Mu Lingshan, Chu Ge shifted his gaze to Mu Chongyi, smiled politely, "Hello, Mr. Mu, I'm Chu Ge. Please come in."

Mu Chongyi was slightly taken aback, then he laughed heartily, nodded at Chu Ge, changed his shoes, and walked into the room, still pondering over Chu Ge's address "Mr. Mu."

Having been called "Secretary Mu" or the slightly more intimate "Secretary Chongyi," this address was quite a novelty for him.

Overall, Mu Chongyi's first impression of Chu Ge was okay; the young man was well-presented and carried himself with confidence.

There was a slight hint of arrogance, but it didn't seem like he was intentionally showing off to get Mu Chongyi's attention. Instead, it seemed to be a natural confidence that unintentionally showed.

After inviting Mu Chongyi and Mu Lingshan into the house, Chu Ge poured them water in disposable paper cups, and the three sat down in the living room and started chatting.

Facing Chu Ge, Mu Chongyi didn't put on any airs, first expressing gratitude for Chu Ge's help in solving a case for Mu Lingshan, and then casually chatting, asking about Chu Ge's life and work.

For most, receiving such cordial concern from a provincial party secretary might be nerve-wracking, feeling both honored and anxious, but for Chu Ge, it was just boring.

However, even just for Mu Lingshan's sake, he couldn't let this boredom show on his face, so he kept a polite smile and answered Mu Chongyi's questions.

Fortunately, after more than half an hour, Mu Chongyi proposed to leave.

Chu Ge finally breathed a sigh of relief, sending Mu Chongyi and Mu Lingshan to the door. After they entered the elevator, he turned back inside, feeling a rare peace and quiet.

By rights, given Mu Chongyi's status, even if Chu Ge had escorted him downstairs, opened his car door, and helped him into the car, it wouldn't have seemed like flattery. But he felt that what he had done was already quite enough.

Is a provincial party secretary really that impressive?

The answer, of course, is yes. Whether for a commoner or a national leader, no one can ignore the significance of a provincial party secretary, who naturally possesses extensive connections and influence.

However, because Chu Ge had no desires or goals, he simply didn't care whether he could establish some connection with Mu Chongyi.

Downstairs from Chu Ge's apartment, in the slowly departing Red Flag sedan, Mu Chongyi sat in the backseat with a serene smile, while Mu Lingshan felt relieved. It was fortunate that nothing unexpected happened during Chu Ge's meeting with her granduncle. On the whole, the atmosphere was amicable and pleasant.

However, just as Mu Lingshan finally relaxed, a question from Mu Chongyi made her tense up again.

"Shanshan, do you like that young man named Chu Ge?"

Mu Chongyi stared straight ahead, as if casually asking, but this question was too abrupt for Mu Lingshan, causing her to stiffen up. Her back, which had been leaning against the seat, immediately straightened, and her heart skipped a beat.

"Grandpa… What, what are you talking about?"

Mu Chongyi turned his head to look at the flustered Mu Lingshan, "I asked if you like that Chu Ge?"

Although Mu Chongyi's expression didn't change, in Mu Lingshan's eyes, he seemed to be smiling teasingly, so she quickly shook her head vigorously, "No, not at all. Grandpa, why would you ask that?"

"No?" Mu Chongyi feigned suspicion and glanced at Mu Lingshan, but couldn't hold back his laughter, shaking his head, "Your face is so red, and you still say no?"

Mu Lingshan became more anxious, "Really, no. I'm just ordinary friends with him."

"Alright, Shanshan, your granduncle's eyes are still sharp. How could he not see something so obvious?"

Seeing that Mu Lingshan still wanted to argue, Mu Chongyi slightly raised his hand, "If you're just ordinary friends, would he talk about sleeping naked on the phone? Would you be so nervous when I was talking to him at his place?"

Mu Lingshan, her face flushed, called out "Grandpa" again, not knowing what to say, and she averted her eyes from Mu Chongyi, her cheeks burning.

Although she had only recently met Mu Chongyi, each time she encountered his gaze, she felt as if all her secrets were exposed under those eyes.

Even though she didn't know what was going on between her and Chu Ge, they were definitely more than just ordinary friends now.

"Shanshan, tell Third Grandpa, are you two dating?"

Mu Lingshan still remained silent, feeling somewhat uncomfortable in her heart. She couldn't help but think of the diamond ring on Chu Ge's left ring finger, turned her gaze to the window, and sighed quietly.

Although Mu Chongyi was very concerned about this matter, because it related to his elder brother's granddaughter's happiness, he was still recalling his brief encounter with Chu Ge at this time.

And since Mu Lingshan turned her face away, preventing him from seeing her expression, he naturally didn't see the loneliness in her eyes, assuming she tacitly agreed and was a bit shy in a girlish manner.

"Shanshan, actually, because of your personality, Third Grandpa was a bit worried about your personal issues before, but now it seems my worries were indeed unnecessary. That young man Chu Ge is really nice, very polite, very gentle, and understanding, speaks with moderation, and most importantly, he did not act fearfully because of my identity. That alone is quite rare."

Mu Lingshan, who was preoccupied with her chaotic thoughts, couldn't help but feel speechless hearing Mu Chongyi's evaluation of Chu Ge.

Very polite? Gentle and understanding? Is he talking about Chu Ge?

Come on, she'd believe a tiger being gentle, but saying Chu Ge is gentle is a joke, right? When he gets violent, the wild side of him is indescribable.

As for understanding? Moderation? That's even more far-fetched, isn't it? The way Chu Ge handles things, just thinking about it gives one a headache.

Unconsciously, Mu Lingshan started spacing out.

"Shanshan, Shanshan?"

It wasn't until her shoulder was patted that Mu Lingshan suddenly snapped back to reality, finally hearing Mu Chongyi's voice, as if she was caught doing something wrong, her heart started to race nervously.

"What's wrong with me? Spacing out in front of Third Grandpa? It's all because of that bastard Chu Ge!"

She took a quick breath, turned her head to meet Mu Chongyi's eyes, "Ah? Grandpa, did you say something?"

Mu Chongyi looked at his elder brother's precious granddaughter with amusement. This girl, talking to him, could space out to such a degree? He called her several times, and she didn't hear.

But, from this, it wasn't hard to see that she really had invested quite deeply in that Chu Ge.

"I asked, how far have you two progressed? Have you brought him home to meet your parents?" Mu Chongyi had to repeat the question he had just asked.

Since the conversation had reached this point, Mu Lingshan had no way to avoid it. She could only force a smile and shake her head, "We... haven't progressed to any stage. He... he's getting married."

"Hmm?" The smile froze on Mu Chongyi's face, and he frowned slightly, "What did you say?"

Mu Lingshan lowered her eyelids, looking at her ten interlaced fingers, "Grandpa, there's really nothing between him and me. Can we not talk about this, okay?"

Mu Chongyi's brow furrowed even tighter, and after a long while, it slowly relaxed. He patted Mu Lingshan's shoulder, "Shanshan, for some things, it's better to regret in the future than to have regrets for not doing them at the time. Do you understand what I mean?"

Mu Lingshan smiled and nodded. Of course, she understood, and she was indeed doing just that, just not in the way Mu Chongyi imagined.

"Alright, Third Grandpa has been out for several days now and is going back to the provincial city."

Mu Chongyi signaled to the driver with a look, and the Hongqi car slowly stopped by the roadside. Mu Lingshan stepped out of the car, "Goodbye, Third Grandpa."

Before the car door closed, Mu Chongyi hesitated, ultimately adding a sentence, "Shanshan, no matter what, as long as you think it's worth it, go for it. If you encounter any difficulties, feel free to call me."

Mu Lingshan smiled and nodded, "Okay."

The Hongqi car drove forward, Mu Chongyi watched Mu Lingshan's figure gradually recede from the rearview mirror, and sighed slightly. Although he had only genuinely interacted with Mu Lingshan for such a short few days, he was quite reluctant at the moment.

Aside from wanting to make up for the guilt in his heart through Mu Lingshan, Mu Chongyi really liked his elder brother's granddaughter too. Unfortunately, being in the political arena, he couldn't help himself. He couldn't stay in Lidu forever and never return.

This girl's personality was so much like his two elder brothers. Could she really fight with other women for a man? Did she really understand what he meant?

As Mu Lingshan's figure disappeared from Mu Chongyi's sight, he was still pondering whether he should, and if it was worthwhile, to take some initiative.

It might be better to start by investigating that Chu Ge, and then make a decision.

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