Chapter 3: A Reunion

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◎Finally Revealing the True Appearance◎

“If you’re not willing, then forget it. It was presumptuous of me—sorry.” Hearing no response on the other end of the call, Xu Xudong felt awkward and hastily tried to make amends.

“I’m not unwilling; I was just lost in thought earlier.” Cen Mo snapped back to reality, already having made her decision, so she didn’t mince words: “Just send me the address.”

“Okay, I’ll send it to you shortly.” Xu Xudong sounded relieved, then suddenly remembered something: “Oh, by the way, you’ll need to buy the ingredients for the porridge.”

“Alright, anything else?”

Xu Xudong’s tone grew slightly awkward: “Well, uh, you might also need to buy a pot and bowls… just any supermarket nearby will do. Is there one close to you?”

Cen Mo didn’t respond immediately: “Can I just buy porridge directly from a restaurant and bring it over?”

“He’s very picky about food, so probably not.” Xu Xudong felt guilty as he said this, quickly apologizing: “Sorry, Cen Mo, am I making things difficult for you?”

“It’s fine, I’ll find a supermarket.” Cen Mo took a deep breath, thinking for a moment: “I’ll buy everything first, then take a taxi over. Is that alright?”

“Okay, okay, thanks so much.” Xu Xudong agreed repeatedly.

After hanging up, within a minute, Xu Xudong had already sent the address and money, with a clear note: purchasing fee plus labor fee.

The total was six hundred yuan. After deducting the cost of the items, the pay was quite generous.

The address was in a wealthy neighborhood not far from Xu Xudong’s residence, and it was signed by a man’s name.

Su Xingzhi.

…

Since basic items like pots and bowls were missing, there was no need to mention other things. To avoid forgetting anything, Cen Mo first made a list on her phone before setting off with her shopping cart.

She was always meticulous in her work, and when selecting ingredients, she showed no carelessness. By the time she finished buying everything, an hour had passed.

After checking out, she took the elevator down with her cart. The taxi she had pre-booked was waiting outside, and the driver was polite, helping her load three large shopping bags into the trunk.

The villa district nestled by mountains and water was picturesque.

Perhaps because Xu Xudong had notified them in advance, security allowed Cen Mo in after a quick registration, but vehicles were not permitted inside, so she had to carry the items herself.

Cen Mo borrowed a trolley from the security office, transferred the bags onto it, and placed everything on the stone steps by the entrance before ringing the doorbell.

After about a minute, the door clicked open—but there was no one inside.

Cen Mo placed her hand against the doorframe, hesitant to enter: “Hello? Is anyone here?”

Seeing no reply, she didn’t ask further. She carried the bags inside, closed the door, and changed into disposable slippers by the entrance.

The house was impeccably clean—so clean it seemed uninhabited. Not a speck of dust anywhere, and the furniture shimmered in the sunlight.

It was just about sunset. The afterglow streamed through the large floor-to-ceiling windows, casting the wooden floor in golden hues, creating a paradoxical feeling of opulence and purity.

Apart from the rustling leaves outside, the villa was deathly quiet, as if the faintest sound, even a falling pin, could be heard.

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Cen Mo glanced at the staircase leading upstairs, then carried the ingredients to the kitchen island and turned on the tap to wash her hands.

The open kitchen lacked even a range hood; it seemed the owner never intended to cook here, confirming Xu Xudong’s words that no cookware was provided.

Along the wall stood a row of wine cabinets, brimming with various spirits, and the cupboards gleamed with sparkling wine glasses, like a dazzling display.

Earlier, Cen Mo had wondered if this picky eater survived on mere dew, but now it was clear—he had wine.

She tested the stove; luckily, the gas was still connected.

New cookware always needed washing first. Fortunately, she had bought dish soap too. Rolling up her sleeves, she washed everything thoroughly and efficiently.

After rinsing the rice and putting it on a low simmer, the fragrant aroma soon wafted from the pot’s edge, bringing a hint of earthly warmth to the cold, empty house.

When she finished, Cen Mo tidied the kitchen island, restoring everything to its original state and carefully wiped away the water spots.

Glancing at her phone, over an hour had passed, and darkness had fallen.

At some point, the villa lights had turned on. Cen Mo glanced again at the stairs—the second-floor lights were also illuminated.

Having completed her task, she could have left, but leaving without a word felt rude. She should at least greet the owner.

So the question remained—where was the owner?

“Hello? Is anyone here? The porridge is ready; you can come down to eat.” Her fingers gripped the polished wooden banister as she called out again.

This time, there were sounds from upstairs, as if someone was there.

Frowning, Cen Mo listened, recalling Xu’s words and worrying it might be an emergency—someone fainting or having a medical episode. She quickly ascended the stairs.

She found no one on the second floor, so she continued to the third.

There she discovered an indoor swimming pool.

The water shimmered blue under the lights, enclosed by transparent glass walls, offering a view of the deep blue night sky above.

When entering earlier, Cen Mo had noticed only the blue glass walls at the topmost level, not expecting such a scene inside—apparently, the glass was treated with special coating.

No one was in the pool, but turning her head, she spotted a tall figure beneath a showerhead.

The man wore black swim trunks, eyes closed. Water cascaded over him, tracing the contours of his toned muscles and pooling at his feet.

An ordinary post-swim rinse, yet somehow entirely different on him.

Cen Mo narrowed her eyes, letting out a soft “tsk” internally, now understanding why filming male leads showering was so popular in movies.

With his head tilted back, his jawline was even more defined, stretching down to a slender neck and a beautifully shaped Adam’s apple.

Her gaze swept upward and caught sight of a jade ring on his finger, its dark green hue contrasting with his pale complexion.

Memories flooded back—it turned out they had met once before he had burst in to rescue her and the child.

Under the tranquil tea house, beneath the misty moonlight, it was this tall man wearing a jade ring who had bought flowers and invited her to admire them together.

The shimmering pool water reflected light onto her cheeks, stirring ripples within her heart.

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But soon, she composed herself.

Such a distinguished figure surely wouldn’t remember trivial things from a month ago.

Thinking this, she turned her gaze and spoke, “Hello, are you Mr. Su?”

The water stopped, followed by slow, deliberate footsteps.

Cen Mo looked up to see him step away from the shower, glancing at her briefly but saying nothing, walking straight toward her with long, confident strides.

Initially, she thought staring at someone in this situation was rude, but seeing his unreserved demeanor, she didn’t shy away, meeting his gaze silently to see what he intended.

She had to admit, he had striking eyes.

Classic almond-shaped eyes—sharp and deep at the corners, slightly upturned at the tails. The contrast between whites and irises was subtle, giving a languid, half-drunk look, but his gaze was too cold, emotionless, detached.

That must be why he wore a hat—to avoid drawing too much attention.

Cen Mo tilted her head aside, watching as the man stopped two steps away, then suddenly leaned forward, lowering his head so that his sharply defined cheek nearly touched the top of her head.

Given their height difference, that was the only possibility.

A chill from the misty water seemed to cling to her skin, and instinctively she stepped back. From the corner of her eye, she saw an arm reaching to grab a towel from the pool railing beside her.

Something furry brushed against her legs. She glanced back just once, then suddenly recoiled with a surge of buried fear spreading icy cold through her body.

It was just a small black kitten, fluffy and adorable—but it made her tremble, clutching her arms tightly around herself in a defensive posture.

“Meiqiu, go downstairs.” She felt herself bump into the man behind her; his low voice reached her ears.

But the kitten was mischievous, twitching its little ears and crouching low, letting out a soft growl as if stalking prey, then pounced forward.

Such a familiar move—so familiar that her forearm and calf began to ache faintly. Cen Mo couldn’t hold back any longer and opened her mouth to scream.

But the pain didn’t come. Instead, she suddenly found herself lifted off the ground, head spinning as she was hoisted onto the man’s solid shoulders. His strides were long and quick as he carried her downstairs.

Looking down dizzily, the little black furball followed closely, its gem-like eyes watching her with interest. Cen Mo’s heart tightened and she quickly closed her eyes again.

When she opened them, the villa’s exterior was in view. The bluish-gray stone steps were right before her. Like setting down a bundle, she was gently placed on the open space outside the villa. The large door had already closed behind her.

Her stomach ached painfully from the pressure, and nausea rose. She closed her eyes and rubbed her abdomen, then leaned against a nearby tree to rest a while.

Once she felt better, she left to wait at the bus stop.

Sitting on the shaky last bus, her head against the glass, watching the street scenes pass by, she belatedly realized—

Had she just been tossed out like a bundle?