"He wants to meet me?"

Yu Li was tutoring Mu Hehe when the call came in. She had the child continue working independently while she stepped out to answer.

After listening to Mu Chengsi's explanation, she sat on the sofa, tapping her fingers lightly on the armrest. On the other end, Mu Chengsi sounded on the verge of tears, whispering into the phone while covering it: "He said if you don't meet him, he won't approve my resignation request. I can't even leave the premises right now."

Yu Li chuckled darkly: "Now he's resorting to threats. You could always report him for unlawful confinement."

Mu Chengsi glanced nervously at the man seated in the office chair. "The main issue is I can't officially leave the team. If this drags on—"

Before she could finish, a new voice interrupted: "Are you talking to Yu Li right now?"

Mu Chengsi froze mid-motion before turning: "What do you want?"

Rong Fan set down the documents in his hands and approached: "Let me speak with her."

"..."

Mu Chengsi clutched her phone protectively, unmoving.

Yu Li had overheard the exchange and played with the ends of her hair, a smirk forming: "Chengsi, hand it over." She added with amusement: "I'll get your resignation approved for you."

Mu Chengsi: !! For real?!

If you're putting it that way, I'll hand it right over!

Rong Fan took the phone from the reluctant woman. His gaze dropped to the contact name displayed, his Adam's apple bobbing nervously as his palms grew damp with inexplicable tension—though he couldn't understand why he felt this way at all.

Swallowing hard, he slowly raised the phone to his ear, his voice coming out rougher than intended: "Hello... This is Rong Fan from Deva."

A woman's light laughter answered him.

"I suppose introductions aren't necessary. According to Mu Chengsi, you wanted to meet me."

That teasing lilt in her voice, that careless cadence—it struck Rong Fan with unsettling familiarity. His grip tightened around the phone as he gave a terse "Mn."

The woman continued: "Your reason?"

There were many possible reasons he could give—asking what exactly she discussed with Yu Jiao during their meeting, probing her true identity and motives. Yet when he opened his mouth, what came out was a shaky: "Does meeting someone require a reason now?"

Even he didn't understand why he'd said something so absurd.

Predictably, the woman on the other end paused briefly before bursting into amused laughter.

"Obviously? Mr. Rong? You're Deva's lead, I'm with Team X. Meeting privately without cause would raise eyebrows. My boss might think I'm job-hunting."

"But you met with Yu Jiao before," Rong Fan countered, his pocketed hand clenching slowly. "And right after seeing you, she submitted her resignation."

"What does that have to do with me?" Yu Li's tone turned cool. "Did I poach her or something?"

At this, she suddenly made a soft sound of realization, her voice laced with mockery: "Though frankly, Deva probably won't last much longer. Should you consider switching sides, Team X would welcome you anytime."

The woman gave absolutely no quarter. Now Rong Fan understood why Xing Yuan found her so infuriating—she wielded that lazy, mocking tone like a scalpel, effortlessly deflecting his questions about Yu Jiao while twisting the conversation.

Rather than anger him, however, this only deepened his curiosity about her. There was something... familiar about her presence.

Suddenly, an image flashed through his mind:

Moonlight illuminated a woman in a deep blue evening gown leaning casually against a railing, the voluminous skirt swaying gently as she tapped one high heeled foot idly against the ground. Strands of hair fluttered against the pale column of her neck in the evening breeze. Her profile was soft yet striking, with upturned fox eyes that exuded exotic allure.

In the memory, the woman cast him a sidelong glance, crimson lips curling as she murmured:

—"What a coincidence, Dr. Rong."

Rong Fan's pupils contracted sharply, his breath catching as his grip on the phone turned white-knuckled.

Why had he suddenly thought of... Limu?

Before he could process this, the woman's voice snapped him back to reality:

"Well then, since Mr. Rong doesn't seem to have anything urgent to discuss, let's avoid unnecessary meetings for propriety's sake. Wouldn't want you resigning next—then I'd really have no way to explain myself."

"As for Mu Chengsi, she has nothing to do with this. Leave her out of it."

Still dazed, Rong Fan responded automatically: "Understood."

The moment the word left his mouth, his expression stiffened with realization.

Wait—why was he obeying her so readily?

Yu Li checked the time. "I have other matters to attend to. We're done here."

Rong Fan started: "Wait, you—"

"Beep—" The dial tone cut him off.

Staring blankly at the ended call, Rong Fan remained motionless until Mu Chengsi's tentative voice broke through:

"Um... can I have my phone back now?"

She was half-convinced he might smash it in frustration.

(She'd just bought this one toooo!)

Rong Fan looked up slowly before extending the device toward her.

Just as Mu Chengsi reached for it, his hand abruptly retracted.

"Hold on—"

What now?!

Mu Chengsi looked heavenward in despair: "What else do you want?"

Rong Fan's gaze drifted to the resignation form on the desk. "I'll approve your request... on one condition."

Wary, she asked: "Which is?"

His thumb brushed thoughtfully along the phone's edge, eyes glinting.

"Give me Yu Li's contact information."

Mu Chengsi: "..."

You too?!

...

After the call, Yu Li returned to the study.

Mu Hehe sat at the desk, pencil flying across paper with dramatic concentration—though a quick glance revealed he'd barely completed a handful of problems during her entire absence.

Noticing her return, the boy looked up with wide, imploring eyes: "Auntie, too hard."

The assignment was indeed challenging. Yu Li patted his head gently: "Let me explain a few first, then you try the rest yourself, okay?"

"Okay!"

She placed her phone face-down on the table before picking up a pen to demonstrate the problems.

Mu Hehe grasped concepts quickly—after just a few examples, he could solve similar problems independently, even extrapolating to more advanced variations.

His face lit up as he raised his hand eagerly: "Auntie, I can do it myself now!"

Yu Li nodded, licking slightly chapped lips: "Want orange juice? I'll pour you some."

The boy chirped: "Yes please!"

"Then keep working quietly."

Mu Hehe nodded vigorously: "Mhm!"

Taking her phone, Yu Li stepped out and noticed Mu Chengsi's new message:

[Rong Fan wants your contact info. Says he won't let me leave unless I give it (T＿T)]

One eyebrow arched as she ambled to the kitchen and opened the fridge, typing back: [Go ahead. Did your resignation go through?]

Not that Rong Fan couldn't find her details through other means anyway.

Mu Chengsi: [Yes! Heading home now.]

Yu Li: [Good. I'll be back later.]

As she set down her phone and twisted open a juice bottle, the front door lock suddenly clicked.

Peering out from the kitchen, her eyes met Bo Jingmo's just as he entered.