Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Lu Huainan, knowing Shen Muyun shouldn't stay in the water too long, was the first to emerge. He extended a hand. "Brother Yun, come on up. Let's get some food. What do you fancy? I'll tell them in advance to prepare your favorites. And we need to be careful..."

Shen Muyun instinctively took Lu Huainan's hand. The warmth of his palm, mingled with a pleasant floral scent, instantly brought him comfort. "Oh, I'm fine with anything. The guest defers to the host."

Lu Huainan noticed Shen Muyun's unusual demeanor and immediately released his hand. Playing hard to get was always the best strategy for pursuit. *Tsk*, how did he end up falling for him?

Shen Muyun coughed lightly, grabbed a nearby towel, and scurried into the bathroom, his heart pounding.

Lu Huainan followed, smiling faintly to himself, then gently tapped on the bathroom door. "Brother Yun, I'll be waiting for you in the banquet hall. Make sure your wounds don't soak too long. After drying, you still need to apply medicine. If anything's inconvenient, just text me, and I'll be right back."

"Got it. You go ahead. I'll be there in a moment."

Shen Muyun stood before the mirror, gazing at his flushed cheeks. Something was off. Just now, a strange sensation had welled up. No, these thoughts were wrong. They shouldn't be happening.

"System, get out here!"

The system fluttered its wings, and upon seeing Shen Muyun, immediately covered its eyes.

"Host Master, you're showering? *Sheesh*... at least put something on!"

Shen Muyun hastily grabbed a nearby bathrobe and tied it on.

"Oh, right, I'm showering. Is the favorability system working now? Aren't you a system? Can you even see what I'm wearing?"

The system sheepishly shook its head. "Well, Host Master, the favorability system was upgraded during maintenance a few days ago. It's being refined. What's wrong? Do you have any thoughts? Although I'm a system, I also have emotions. *Ahem*, Host Master..."

"Just now, when Lu Huainan pulled me, my heart suddenly... it was that kind of flutter. And my face, look, my face is red too."

The system flew a circle before moving its wings away from the screen. "Well, respected Host Master, favorability is mutual. Don't forget, there's also your favorability toward each male lead."

*Damn it*, what kind of setup is this? Favorability for *each* male lead?

"System, you'd better explain clearly what 'favorability for each male lead' means. I'm not some character from a weird novel. I refuse this kind of setting."

The system blinked its big, watery eyes. "Host Master, you've misunderstood. Aren't there many kinds of human emotions? Brotherly affection, father-son love, romantic love, or even hatred. Hmm, let me think, what else..."

Shen Muyun composed himself. It seemed he had jumped to conclusions. Good, that's good.

"Regarding your question, the system has actually never been in love and is perpetually single. So, after consulting relevant data, it indicates that this is called 'fondness.' Perhaps, Host Master, you've unconsciously developed feelings for the male lead of this story, Lu Huainan. It's that simple."

Shen Muyun recalled the earlier scene. No, impossible. How could he have feelings for Lu Huainan? It must be fake.

"System, what's the next task?"

"Next is Lu Huainan's birthday party. Host Master, do you have any ideas?"

Shen Muyun shook his head. "What does he like?"

"According to relevant data, Lu Huainan grew up in the United States. The situation there requires deeper investigation by the system, so I can't give you an answer right away."

"I mean, what good are you as a system? Forget it, go do your thing. I still have to have dinner with him."

"Oh, so it's a candlelight dinner. Then I won't disturb you. This is your main mission—you absolutely must succeed in winning him over."

Seeing the system vanish, Shen Muyun casually grabbed a piece of clothing and draped it over himself.

Upon reaching the banquet hall, he saw Lu Huainan already seated in a corner by the window, his white suit strikingly formal against Shen Muyun's casual attire. *Tsk*, when did he manage to change into that outfit?

Lu Huainan, sharp-eyed, spotted Shen Muyun and waved vigorously. "Brother Yun, over here."

Shen Muyun walked towards Lu Huainan.

"Huainan, why are you dressed so formally?"

Lu Huainan called over a waiter and gave a few instructions.

"On my way here, I accidentally bumped into someone. The clothes I wore today got dirty, so I changed into this temporarily. Brother Yun, please don't worry about it."

Shen Muyun nodded. That sounded like a reasonable explanation.

"I've ordered some dishes. No alcohol—Brother Yun has injuries and shouldn't drink. I also didn't order anything spicy or stimulating. If you want anything else, we can add it later when the dishes are served."

Shen Muyun looked out the window. The scenery outside was quite pleasant, with a direct view of North Mountain. It was getting late, and the mountain seemed shrouded in a layer of mist, faintly visible and beautiful.

"Brother Yun, do you like North Mountain? In a few days, we'll be here for an inspection. There are a few small villages on North Mountain. I've been there before—they've preserved many old artifacts. You might like them."

Shen Muyun nodded, collecting his thoughts and gaze, then looked at Lu Huainan with a slight apology.

"Huainan, I must say, I really should thank you for everything these past few days. If it weren't for you... and originally, it should have been my treat..."

"Hey, Brother Yun, this is making up for the celebration banquet. Let's keep things separate. As for thanks, I haven't thought about what I want yet. That's a tough one."

Shen Muyun smiled. "Since you can't think of anything, take your time. Anyway, I'm not going anywhere."

Lu Huainan pursed his lips, deep in thought. "Hmm, you're not going anywhere."

"Excuse me, gentlemen."

Shen Muyun glanced up. It was the waiter from earlier, holding a plate and dressed in an elegant pure black suit. *Wasn't this a club? Why was it so high-end?*

The waiter set down the plate—an exquisite pre-meal dessert, mango mousse cake. *Tsk*, had Lu Huainan done his research?

"Brother Yun, try it. I specifically ordered this."

Shen Muyun nodded, scooped a spoonful, and found it melted in his mouth—sweet but not greasy, with the refreshing taste of mango stimulating his taste buds.

"It's pretty good."

Shen Muyun took a napkin and carefully wiped the corner of his mouth.

"I knew Brother Yun would like it. This is also a specialty here. I specifically asked Liu Yun about your preferences. Luckily, well, it was in time."

Shen Muyun paused for a moment, then said, "Actually, you didn't have to go to all this trouble."

Lu Huainan propped his chin with one hand, watching Shen Muyun with great interest, paying more attention to the details of how he ate. Lu Huainan, however, didn't eat much.

"Huainan, why are you staring at me? Is my eating style unattractive, or is there something on my face?"

"Neither. It's just that you look good, and I want to watch you, Brother Yun."

Shen Muyun stopped what he was doing. This... isn't right. How could Lu Huainan say something like that?

"Um, Huainan, it's just dinner. You should eat more too."

Shen Muyun casually picked up some food and put it in Lu Huainan's bowl. Lu Huainan, however, didn't touch his chopsticks, instead watching Shen Muyun with keen interest.

Shen Muyun, feeling embarrassed under his gaze, felt the blush that had just faded return. He lowered his head, looked at the food in his bowl, and swallowed it without chewing, causing him to choke. He couldn't stop patting his chest.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

Lu Huainan immediately grabbed the lemon water nearby and gently patted Shen Muyun's back. "Brother Yun, there's no need to rush. We have plenty of time."

Shen Muyun truly couldn't fathom the Lu Huainan before him—stern and formal at the auction, ruthless and decisive in the warehouse, yet here he was exuding a gentle aura. Which one was the real him?

Noticing Shen Muyun zoning out, Lu Huainan waved a hand in front of his eyes and smiled with narrowed eyes.

"Brother Yun, what are you thinking about?"

"Ahem, nothing much. Just thinking about our contract."

"It's time off now, don't overthink it. In a few days, aren't we... coming to check things out? Brother Yun, I always feel like you're quite different from the rumors outside. They say you're a madman..."

A madman—*hiss*. Isn't that just part of my public image? Gotta stay in character, huh? So that means I have to keep up the madness, always being disliked by everyone.

"Well, Huainan, that might just be a stereotype. Besides, we're familiar with each other. I don't think I need to keep wearing a mask all the time."

"True, people have many sides. Getting to see Brother Yun's gentle side must mean I'm special to you."

Shen Muyun, who had been drinking lemon water, suddenly spat it out in a "pfft," getting some on his clothes.

Lu Huainan quickly grabbed a napkin to help wipe off the water. "Brother Yun, what's wrong?"

Shen Muyun shook his head. "It's nothing, just couldn't hold it in for a moment."

"Oh, I see. I thought Brother Yun got suddenly excited because of what I said. Seems I was being a bit full of myself."

The atmosphere between the two was somewhat ambiguous and strange, but overall, it was still quite comfortable.

"Brother Yun, I'll walk you home. In a few days, for the inspection, your body should have mostly recovered. I'll send some documents to you. Also, we'll need permits to enter the mountains, so we should get those taken care of in the next few days."

Shen Muyun nodded, taking note of Lu Huainan's words. "We said we wouldn't talk about work, but it seems Huainan is quite the workaholic."

"Well, I'm just looking forward to working together. If Liu Yun hadn't assigned you as his assistant, I would've wanted you to come to Lu Corporation. There are more opportunities here."

Shen Muyun smiled. "Alright, it's getting late. We should head back. Besides, as you said, we've got all the time in the world."