An afternoon just seemed to pass in the blink of an eye.

In the evening, Chu Ge, Ye Li, Liang Jinjiang, and the three major heads of the orphanage had a meal together at the orphanage. Although the food wasn't exactly sumptuous, it was filled with the taste of home. Except for Ye Li, everyone had a bit to drink.

After the meal, Chu Ge drove Ye Li and Liang Jinjiang away from the orphanage, dropping Ye Li off near Lidu University.

Not dropping her off at the dorm building was to protect her reputation; he didn't want anyone gossiping and making this kind girl feel wronged or embarrassed.

After seeing Ye Li off, it was just Chu Ge and Liang Jinjiang left in the car.

As friends who had grown up together since childhood, Liang Jinjiang couldn't hold back and asked about Situ Ying. When he learned that Chu Ge and Situ Ying had already lost contact, he felt a pang of sympathy.

After comforting Chu Ge a bit about Situ Ying, Liang Jinjiang glanced at Ye Li who was looking back from time to time. Hesitating, he patted Chu Ge on the shoulder.

"Chu Ge, listen to me, a brother's advice: since you and Xiao Ying are not meant to be, don't be too fixated on it. I think that girl named Ye Li is quite nice. She's beautiful and pure. She'll absolutely be a good wife and mother in the future, and I think she's interested in you. Why not consider it?"

"Let's talk about it later; where do you live? I'll give you a ride home, then I need to go pick up our boss after work."

Seeing that Chu Ge clearly didn't want to say much on this topic, Liang Jinjiang couldn't help but sigh slightly and gave Chu Ge his home address.

Given their relationship, he didn't need to be formal with Chu Ge. Plus, despite being a customs section chief, he had never ridden in such a nice car like the Audi A8.

After dropping Liang Jinjiang off at his home, they exchanged phone numbers, chatted for a bit, and then Chu Ge headed to Tianjiao Building.

Since it was rush hour, the road was congested. Although with Chu Ge's driving skills, getting through the blocked traffic wasn't difficult, he didn't find it necessary and just waited patiently.

During this time, his mood also settled quite a bit, just like he had advised Ye Li, no matter what happens, life must go on. If he and Situ Ying are not meant to be, then... there's nothing that can be done.

Looking at the time, Chu Ge realized he definitely couldn't pick up Qin Ruojing on time, so he called her to let her know. Qin Ruojing didn't pressure him on the phone, merely hesitatingly said she understood before hanging up.

Running half an hour later than usual, Chu Ge drove to the Tianjiao Building and contacted Qin Ruojing by phone.

A few minutes later, Qin Ruojing came downstairs, cautiously opening the car door. Only after discovering that He Qing was not in the car did her slightly tense expression return to normal, and then she started to glance up and down at Chu Ge.

The look in her eyes was as if she were examining a monstrous creature.

"What's wrong? Haven't seen me for a day, don't recognize me? Get in!" Being stared at like that by Qin Ruojing, Chu Ge couldn't help but chuckle, speaking helplessly.

Qin Ruojing got into the car, nodding in agreement, "Honestly, I do feel like I don't recognize you a bit. What on earth did you do to He Qing that made her want you to accompany her around Lidu?"

Chu Ge grinned, "I did something to her? I'm not that bored. She insisted I accompany her, okay? If it weren't for her helping you solve a big problem, there's no way I'd sacrifice my free time to hang out with her."

Giving Chu Ge an annoyed glance, Qin Ruojing said, "You're such a weirdo. Most people would jump at the chance to get close to He Qing, and yet you couldn't care less? Don't you want a better life than this? If you could win her favor, that would be a huge opportunity."

Chu Ge shrugged indifferently, "I'm doing fine as I am. I'm quite content. The difficulty level of sucking up to people is too high; it's not something someone like me can learn."

Seeing Chu Ge's carefree demeanor, Qin Ruojing felt a sense of frustration. They say people strive to improve themselves—how come Chu Ge lacks this understanding?

However, Qin Ruojing had to admit that it was precisely this carefree attitude of Chu Ge's that made him so unique, full of a distinct charm and masculine appeal. The longer you spent with him, the more this charm revealed itself.

"Okay, keep up your high standards. But let me tell you in advance: it's fine if you don't cozy up to He Qing, just don't upset her. Where did you two go today? Report to me. You didn't run into any trouble, did you?"

While driving to take Qin Ruojing home, Chu Ge casually recounted his morning itinerary with He Qing but omitted mentioning his impersonation as He Qing's cousin and glossed over the meeting with two online beauties with a few vague words.

Just going out with He Qing was already enough to shock Qin Ruojing. If he mentioned this, she might really be taken aback.

After hearing about He Qing from Chu Ge, Qin Ruojing couldn't help but feel a bit puzzled. She had initially thought Chu Ge was with He Qing all afternoon, which was why she hadn't asked much when she got his call earlier. Turns out, that wasn't the case at all.

As a driver for the chairman of a company, not only did he not arrive on time to pick up the chairman after work, but he also made her wait for an additional half hour. Such a driver, it's safe to say that Chu Ge is one of a kind; there probably aren't many like him in the entire world.

After dropping off Qin Ruojing, Chu Ge went straight home, did some exercise, took a shower, and just as he sat down to browse the internet, someone knocked on his door.

Slipping on a pair of big shorts, Chu Ge opened the door to find Chu Shiyao standing there, wearing an awkward smile, "Brother Chu, um, I'm here for another free meal."

Seeing her injured left hand, Chu Ge shook his head speechlessly, "This time you've got a decent reason to mooch a meal."

If someone else heard Chu Ge say that, they'd probably find it incredibly awkward and it might even affect their relationship. But Chu Shiyao just playfully stuck out her tongue and said pitifully, "Yeah, that's what I thought too. Brother Chu, you're so nice, you wouldn't turn me down, right?"

Knowing that's exactly how Chu Shiyao would react, Chu Ge said it on purpose and couldn't help but smile, "Come in quickly, stop pretending to be pitiful out there, I'll make some food for you."

In no time, Chu Ge had prepared a meal for one and served it to Chu Shiyao at the table, calling out, "Dinner's ready."

Seeing that Chu Ge only brought out one set of utensils, Chu Shiyao was a bit stunned, "Brother Chu, aren't you eating?"

"I've already eaten outside."

Hearing this, Chu Shiyao felt a warmth in her heart. If her coming over for a free meal wasn't too much trouble for Chu Ge, then him cooking specially for her was a whole other matter.

"Brother Chu, you're really great, whoever gets to marry you would be truly blessed for eight lifetimes."

"Stop flattering me like that, we're close, aren't we? Talking like this is no fun. You eat slowly, just leave the dishes there when you're done, I'll head back to my room."

Chu Ge smiled, didn't act distant with Chu Shiyao, and went back to his bedroom, sitting at the computer to browse the internet.

After a short while, Chu Shiyao finished her meal, and despite Chu Ge saying it wasn't necessary, she still washed the dishes with one hand. After chatting with Chu Ge for a bit, she bid farewell.

Just a few minutes after Chu Shiyao left, the door was knocked on again. Chu Ge thought it might be He Qing or Chu Shiyao, but when he opened the door, it was surprisingly Shu Lulu.

Moreover, Shu Lulu wasn't just there with nothing; she was carrying a large backpack, holding a laptop bag in her left hand and a bag of fruit in her right.

Seeing Shu Lulu with this whole travel setup, Chu Ge couldn't help but feel speechless, "Why are you here? Bringing so much stuff, are you going on a trip or something?"

Looking at Chu Ge, who was shirtless and showing off his smooth muscles, Shu Lulu's eyes lit up. If her hands weren't occupied, she would have loved to reach out and touch Chu Ge's abs.

With mischievous and excited eyes, Shu Lulu put on a pitiful look, "Uncle, I... I'm all alone at home, and I'm really scared. Can I stay at your place tonight?"

"No." Chu Ge shook his head firmly without a second thought.

"Uncle, I'm begging you, I'll be really well-behaved, I'll do whatever you say, I promise I won't cause any trouble. I've never stayed home alone before, and when the lights are off, it's totally dark. Even a little noise in the hallway scares me. It's really terrifying."

Chu Ge looked at Shu Lulu with amusement, "Didn't you deny being a little girl? You kept saying you're already an adult, so what's so scary about this? Didn't you sleep alone last night? Go home quickly, stop causing trouble here."

Seeing how adamant Chu Ge was, without any room for negotiation, Shu Lulu had no choice but to pull out her trump card. She raised her hand, which she had deliberately rubbed with chili seeds, and rubbed her eyes.

Under the spicy, burning sensation, Shu Lulu's eyes instantly turned red, and tears started falling down.

"Uncle... boo hoo hoo... I was so scared last night that I couldn't sleep at all. I'm really scared, boo hoo hoo... I'm begging you, please be kind and take me in, boo hoo hoo..."

Originally, Chu Ge intended to send Shu Lulu straight back home, but seeing her crying so pitifully, he felt a bit reluctant.

Moreover, given that there were two female neighbors, He Qing and Chu Shiyao, living on the same floor, if they heard Shu Lulu crying and came out to see this scene, wouldn't they think he was turning into a villain and bullying a little girl?

Chu Ge looked helplessly at Shu Lulu, who was crying even harder, and rubbed his forehead, "Alright, stop crying, let's talk inside."

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