Chapter 407 406: Heart Stirred

After breakfast, Mu Lin said, "Let's go, Miss He."

He Zheng asked, "Oh, you're taking me? Does that mean you're driving?"

Mu Lin shrugged. "I don't know how. That's why I had to borrow Uncle Qiao's car and driver."

Qiao Canhua smiled. "Take it, it's no problem!"

He Zheng pouted but didn't say anything. She waited until she and Mu Lin were in the car before complaining in a low voice,

"Mu Lin, I'm begging you. You said you were taking me home, couldn't you just drive? What is this supposed to be? It's more like you're just accompanying me home."

Mu Lin chuckled. "Now that's not right. I'm from the mountains. Cars are useless there. The most important thing is your own two feet. If you can walk fast enough, you'll always be on time."

"To be honest, cars are too slow. If I really get moving, I'm faster than a car."

He Zheng couldn't even be bothered to call him out on his bragging.

Soon, they arrived at He Zheng's home, which was also in a very high-end villa district.

The area had been developed by Qiao Canhua's company, and as relatives, they naturally supported his business.

After the car was parked, He Zheng excitedly shouted, "Mom! Dad! I'm home!"

It was as if she wanted to announce to the whole world that she had arrived.

A moment later, a woman in loungewear who bore some resemblance to Madam Qiao came down the stairs.

When she saw Mu Lin following behind, the atmosphere became slightly awkward. However, she gracefully pointed downstairs, gave an apologetic smile, and then turned to go back up.

A little while later, He Zheng's mother, Liu Ye Zhen, came back down and invited Mu Lin and He Zheng to sit on the sofa.

He Zheng said, "Mom, this is Mu Lin! He's the one who cured my aunt's infertility. Now that she's pregnant, she's over the moon!"

Liu Ye Zhen was taken aback for a moment, then said, "Hello, Mu Lin! Thank you for bringing He Zheng home!"

Mu Lin smiled faintly and made a placating gesture with his hand. "You're too kind, ma'am."

Liu Ye Zhen looked Mu Lin up and down, her expression unreadable.

In truth, she had been part of the plan to send He Zheng to the Qiao Family Villa to spend time with Mu Lin, so she had been observing him from the shadows all along.

So far, Mu Lin's performance had been satisfactory to her.

After scrutinizing him for a while, Liu Ye Zhen asked, "Mu Lin, where do you work?"

Mu Lin replied, "The Li Group in Anhua."

Liu Ye Zhen thought hard for a moment, then her expression turned to surprise. "The Li Group? You mean the famous Li Group that pulled off that underdog victory and acquired the Yuelong Group?"

"The entire real estate industry in Nanjiang Province has been watching that development closely!"

The He Family's business was in interior decorating, so real estate news rarely escaped Liu Ye Zhen's notice.

"So what kind of work do you do at the Li Group?"

Mu Lin said, "I'm a team leader in the project department."

"I see!"

Liu Ye Zhen thought for a moment and said, "Mu Lin, would you be willing to come live in Lanyang? As for work, you could work for your Uncle Qiao. There are plenty of opportunities at all levels within the Shengding Group."

Mu Lin was taken aback. 'I really don't get what she's implying.'

He had already refused repeatedly in the past; Qiao Canhua should have given up on the idea by now.

'So why is Liu Ye Zhen bringing it up again?'

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but I don't plan on settling in Lanyang. In fact, I'm not even that keen on settling in any city."

"I'm definitely going back to my village. My master says city life is too complicated and refuses to move here, so I have to go back and take care of him."

"The village?" Liu Ye Zhen never expected Mu Lin to say such a thing. 'I thought he might use Jushan Hall as an excuse, and I had prepared counterarguments for that.'

'But why won't this work?'

Liu Ye Zhen pursed her lips. She had always raised He Zheng in the lap of luxury. 'If He Zheng went to a mountain village, she would be absolutely miserable.'

In her mind, her score for Mu Lin dropped several points.

'But my sister said Mu Lin is a once-in-a-century talent. I should probably give him one more chance, if only for my sister's sake.'

"You could also bring your master to the city. Wouldn't it be more convenient to take care of him here?"

Mu Lin naturally understood what Liu Ye Zhen was getting at, but he felt helpless. He couldn't just come right out and refuse her.

'That would make things too awkward for He Zheng.'

Mu Lin said, "My master has spent more than seventy percent of his life in the village. I don't think he would get used to life in the city."

Liu Ye Zhen was very disappointed. She was actually quite satisfied with Mu Lin's demeanor and appearance, but the issue with his master left no room for negotiation, which was a great letdown.

'Filial piety is one thing, but revolving your entire life around an old man is just ridiculous.'

'This kid isn't very sharp, is he? Too simple-minded.'

'Mu Lin cannot become the He Family's prized son-in-law, no matter how capable he is.'

'How could the precious daughter of the He Family go suffer in some poor, remote backwater?'

'If anyone else found out, we'd be the laughingstock for years.'

He Zheng sighed. Sitting on the side, she understood every word her mother said, and she knew even more clearly how ridiculous her mother's thoughts were.

She was also well aware that in her mother's eyes, Mu Lin was now a lost cause.

"Mu Lin, thank you for taking me home!"

Mu Lin stood up. "Since there's nothing else, I'll be going."

With that, Mu Lin turned and walked toward the door. He Zheng followed behind him, while Liu Ye Zhen trailed at the very back, looking somewhat awkward.

She really didn't want to bother with someone who no longer held any value to her.

He Zheng whispered, "Please don't take anything my mom said to heart. I don't feel that way at all!"

Mu Lin laughed. "I get it. Since I left my village, countless people have tried to find me a wife. I know they all mean well, and your mother is just looking out for you."

Mu Lin left. He Zheng stood at the door for a while, only hurrying back inside when the sun made her face feel oily.

When Liu Ye Zhen saw He Zheng come back in, she waved her over. "He Zheng, come here!"

He Zheng was just about to look for her mother anyway. "Mom, how could you say those things to Mu Lin! It was so awkward!"

Liu Ye Zhen said, "You are not to go out with him again! Do you understand? You're my only daughter, and I won't let you throw your life away! That's the countryside we're talking about. Heaven knows how much you would suffer."

He Zheng retorted, "You're something else, Mom. I don't even like him. Wasn't I just keeping him company because you all wanted me to? And now suddenly it's my fault?"

Liu Ye Zhen looked at He Zheng. "Do you really have no feelings for him at all? I'm your mother; I know you best. No matter how you fool around outside, this is the first time you've ever brought a man home."

He Zheng said, "That's because my aunt asked Mu Lin to take me back. How could he not bring me all the way home?"

"And once you were here, why did you bring him inside so casually? I thought you were alone, so I came out in my loungewear. Did you really think I couldn't tell what you were thinking?"

"I... I..." He Zheng was at a loss for words.

Liu Ye Zhen was very forceful, her tone extremely serious. "I was dating people before you were even born. That Mu Lin has no future. If you marry him, you'll be stuck in a life of hardship. A woman's beauty is precious. Don't waste it, and certainly don't waste it on a loser like Mu Lin."

He Zheng argued, "Who's a loser? Mu Lin is incredibly powerful! Even He Zongshan is completely respectful around him, and the Patrol Captain bows and scrapes whenever he sees him. What kind of loser is that?"

Hearing this, Liu Ye Zhen's scalp tingled. 'Mu Lin's influence is actually that great?' she thought.

But her composure returned in an instant. "He Zongshan is a gangster. Don't even mention people like that. If Mu Lin hangs around with him, he's probably no good either. Besides, a Patrol Captain is just small fry. What's he worth? Doesn't our family dine with Mayor Li from time to time?"

He Zheng was furious. She pointed at her mother and said, "Mom, I think you're so blinded by money you can't see straight! I can't even be bothered to talk to you anymore!"

With that, she ran upstairs and slammed her door shut.

Liu Ye Zhen's brow furrowed. 'He Zheng has always been so obedient. How could she yell at me like that?'

'She's really fallen for him, and after just a short time, too.'

'He Zheng is so naive and simple-minded. Mu Lin has completely bewitched her.'

Liu Ye Zhen was truly filled with regret now. 'Why did I listen to my sister and send my precious daughter to him...'

'It was like tossing a meat bun to a dog—a one-way trip.'