Unexpected Arrival in the Rain

The weather forecast indicated that the rain was likely to persist until tomorrow morning, a fact Li Chunsheng observed as he idly scrolled through his phone, awaiting the imminent lunch break.

“This is troublesome,” he mused, a frown creasing his brow. “I left in such a rush that I forgot my umbrella.” A pang of annoyance struck him. He had firmly resolved to save money for Liuxia, even intending to skip lunch. Now, purchasing an umbrella from a convenience store would undoubtedly render all his careful efforts futile.

Still, Li Chunsheng could not bear the thought of Liuxia displaying the same anxious expression she had worn yesterday, simply because he returned home late.

“Perhaps… I could ask Liuxia to bring it over?” Li Chunsheng murmured, opening his messaging app. His gaze settled on the contact avatar he had only recently added.

The avatar depicted a flowing cloud against a blue sky, a default image, yet it unexpectedly suited Liuxia’s gentle temperament.

Liuxia’s original phone number and various social media accounts had, naturally, become unusable after “that incident.” Consequently, the young woman had utilized Li Chunsheng’s computer to register new accounts for communication.

“Wait!” Li Chunsheng suddenly slapped his forehead, as a crucial, previously overlooked detail surfaced in his mind. “I don’t think… I’ve taken Liuxia to buy a new phone yet?”

Immediately afterward, he realized an even more serious problem: he had seemingly never given Liuxia any pocket money.

In his mind, such a Liuxia gradually coalesced into a hazy image: a bird with clipped wings, confined by him within a cage named “home.” Should she ever leave his protection, she would find herself utterly helpless, able to move not an inch. She could only cling to him, much like a small, dependent bird.

“Yes, she can only rely entirely on me… If I were to…”

A fleeting fantasy, quick as a flash of lightning, streaked through his mind, leaving Li Chunsheng with an undeniable, albeit unsettling, flutter in his heart.

“No, no, what exactly are you thinking of Liuxia as?” He vigorously shook his head, determined to expel the dangerous and utterly disrespectful thought he had just entertained.

Only moments ago, he had shamefully found an ineffable allure in the idea of transforming Liuxia into his exclusive possession.

“Li Chunsheng, oh Li Chunsheng,” he chastised himself, “do not be deceived by Liuxia’s current appearance! At her core, she remains your esteemed senior! This profound connection must never be allowed to sour on its own accord!”

“She has already endured enough hardship; how could you even contemplate actions that might further wound her?”

“Think of something else, anything else!” Li Chunsheng desperately tried to divert his attention from the increasingly perilous and alluring fantasies that threatened to consume him.

Yet, an untimely grumbling protest from his stomach jarringly pulled his thoughts back into the realm of his own imagination.

Li Chunsheng found himself involuntarily recalling the meals Liuxia prepared. From the tantalizing aroma of the food, his mind drifted naturally to Liuxia’s slender figure, bustling in an apron before the stove.

When she sensed his approach, she would turn her head, gracing him with a smile as gentle as water. And then there was that softness, subtly swaying with her every movement, which even her apron could not fully conceal…

“No, why are you thinking about that again?!” Li Chunsheng suddenly slammed his head against the wall, drawing curious glances from his surrounding colleagues.

‘I am truly losing my mind, and quite profoundly so.’

‘This alluring yet dangerous feeling must absolutely remain hidden from Liuxia. It’s fine if I secretly indulge in these thoughts… No, not even secretly!’

“Speaking of which, I’m truly ravenous,” he muttered. The emptiness in his stomach intensified with each passing moment. A long afternoon still stretched before him until quitting time, making every second feel excruciatingly slow.

He simply buried his head on the desk, attempting to numb the gnawing discomfort of hunger with sleep.

As for Mu Shengling’s invitation to lunch, he was absolutely determined not to go.

It wasn’t that Li Chunsheng’s self-esteem was so unyielding as to be unkind. Instead, the societal strictures governing interaction between men and women in this world were far more profound than those of his previous life.

Women in this world did not readily extend kindness to men of the same age and social standing, let alone to those perceived as beneath them.

For such an act of kindness was regarded as a form of ennoblement. Should a man accept it, he would be bound to uphold knightly moral principles, swearing an oath to protect that “princess.”

As a “knight,” he would naturally be burdened with the obligation of loyalty and subjected to a myriad of unwritten restrictions.

While no explicit laws enforced these norms, they were universally accepted by society. To violate this “spirit of knighthood” was to invite widespread condemnation, akin to a public shaming for a man.

In the eyes of others, Li Chunsheng, by accepting the benevolence of Miss Mu Shengling, would undoubtedly be seizing a stroke of good fortune, ascending to a higher social standing. Yet, he personally harbored no desire to be bound by the attendant responsibilities.

Just as he was drifting into a state of semi-consciousness, the surrounding sounds abruptly swelled into a clamor, shattering Li Chunsheng’s fragile peace.

“What’s happening?” He groggily lifted his head, only to find that he himself was the focal point of the sudden commotion.

“Brother Tieshi, Brother Tieshi!” A young security guard, seemingly new to the job, called out to him softly, his face a blend of nervousness and deference.

“My apologies, Brother Tieshi, for disturbing your rest…”

“It’s fine, so what exactly is the matter?” Li Chunsheng asked, a flicker of surprise in his voice. Within this company, it was virtually unheard of for anyone to disturb him during his rest, unless an truly extraordinary event had transpired.

Before the young security guard could utter another word, a nearby colleague, eager to join the commotion, quickly interjected: “This kid just came running up in a panic, claiming that a beautiful maid downstairs is asking for you by name. And she even said… she said you’re her ‘master’?”

Before the words had fully left his lips, a wave of boisterous laughter erupted throughout the office.

“Hahahaha—this kid must have misheard! What a joke! Would a young master, attended by maids at home, come to work as a security guard here?”

“Exactly! What a rookie, can’t even relay a simple message correctly, and he woke Brother Tieshi up. Just wait, he’ll surely chew you out later~” a colleague teased. The young security guard’s cheeks flushed crimson at the jest, and he quickly retorted, “I absolutely did not mishear! That maid lady truly said Brother Tieshi is her master!”

“How could that possibly be? That’s far too fantastical! What kind of family can even afford maids? And how could someone like that possibly work as a security guard?” Despite his protests, no one in the vicinity believed the young security guard’s claims.

Yet, their mocking laughter gradually subsided, replaced by a stunned silence, for they had witnessed a peculiar expression, a mix of shock and bewilderment, bloom across Li Chunsheng’s face.

‘No way…’ This thought simultaneously surfaced in the minds of many onlookers.

Upon hearing the young security guard’s words, Li Chunsheng’s mind erupted in a sudden, thunderous realization.

‘Liuxia… how did she come here by herself?! It’s clearly still pouring rain outside! It’s both cold and damp! Even with an umbrella, she’s bound to get soaked!’

‘And she doesn’t have a single penny on her. Did she… walk all the way here? From home to the company, that distance takes nearly half an hour even by bus!’

Just then, the office door was gently pushed open, and the crisp click of high heels on the floor echoed, growing louder with each step.

Mu Shengling, observing that it was already lunchtime, arrived precisely as scheduled, gracefully approaching to invite Li Chunsheng to join her for lunch.

“Good afternoon, President!” The surrounding colleagues all rose to their feet, offering respectful greetings.

“Chunsheng, are you hungry?” Mu Shengling’s voice was soft and melodious, her face adorned with a gentle, subtle smile, a stark contrast to her usual decisive demeanor. “Shengling ordered a special Central District-style lunch from the Ruijing Grand Hotel. It’s truly delicious…”

Noticing that the gazes of the surrounding crowd were all fixed upon her and Li Chunsheng, Mu Shengling felt a surge of triumph in her heart, a subtle curve forming at the corner of her lips.

Under the scrutiny of so many eyes, she knew that if Li Chunsheng accepted her overture, he would be utterly unable to escape her grasp.

What was this called, again? In the romance novels she’d been reading in her leisure time, she recalled it being termed “Overbearing CEO’s Forced Love.”

Li Chunsheng abruptly rose from his seat, his gaze fixed straight ahead. Mu Shengling, standing before him, responded with an even softer, more radiant smile.

‘Yes, accept my offer…’ she silently urged in her heart. ‘This way, my meticulous preparations won’t have been in vain.’

As she watched Li Chunsheng take a step and walk directly towards her, Mu Shengling felt compelled to be more proactive, so she advanced a few steps to meet him.

The distance between them rapidly diminished.

Mu Shengling’s crimson lips parted slightly as she softly called out, “Chunsheng…”

The next moment, the scene Mu Shengling had so confidently envisioned—Li Chunsheng accepting her invitation—failed to materialize. As he neared her, Li Chunsheng’s steps abruptly accelerated. His form, like a sudden gust of wind, swept past the expectant young lady, rushing headlong towards the elevator bank without a backward glance.

The entire office plummeted into a stunned silence.

Only Mu Shengling remained, her expression rigid and slowly turning ashen, surrounded by a suddenly tense atmosphere and a crowd of colleagues hushed into utter stillness.

At that very moment, Li Chunsheng’s eyes had not even registered Mu Shengling’s presence, despite her proximity. In his heart, from beginning to end, there was only one thought… one person!

‘Liuxia! I’m coming!’