109: Chapter 109 Jealousy

The phone rang three times before Mu Ruxue answered.

Hearing the long, drawn-out opening from his daughter, Mu Qing immediately sensed something was wrong.

This girl usually answered the phone with a crisp "Dad," but today her tone sounded as if she had a stone in her mouth—heavy and muffled.

"Nannan, what's wrong? Is work not going well?"

Mu Qing pushed his files aside and leaned back in his chair.

There was silence on the other end for two seconds, followed by a quiet "No."

Having been a leader for so many years, if nothing else, Mu Qing's ability to read people was top-notch.

Even across the phone line, he could smell his daughter's mood with his eyes closed.

"Then who bullied you? Tell Dad."

"No one bullied me."

Mu Ruxue's voice was muffled: "Dad, stop guessing blindly."

Mu Qing was anxious; his daughter, Mu Ruxue, had been held in the palm of his hand since she was a child—when had she ever suffered such grievances?

The first person who popped into his mind was that brat, Xu Weidong!

Besides him, who else could make his daughter upset and unwilling to talk about it?

"Did that brat, Xu Weidong, bully you?"

Mu Qing's voice dropped instantly.

"No..."

"You wait, if he dares to bully you, I'll fly to Fengtian immediately and beat him up!"

Mu Qing's anger rose, and he slapped the armrest of his chair with a loud thud.

"And I'll have to bring his dad along and beat him up too!"

Mu Ruxue burst out laughing and said: "Dad, can you beat Uncle Xu?"

"Even if I can't win, I'll still fight!"

Seeing her laugh, Mu Qing softened his tone.

"Nannan, what's really going on? Tell Dad."

Mu Ruxue's laughter stopped, she was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice: "He didn't bully me... It's just that recently, a woman keeps coming to find him."

"She's quite pretty, has a good figure, and dresses..."

She couldn't go on. Mu Qing gripped the phone, feeling furious.

That brat, Xu Weidong, was just like his father—popular with girls even when he was young.

But you can attract others, just not my daughter!

"Who is that woman? What does she do?"

"Dad, don't ask."

Mu Ruxue's voice became even quieter: "I just... I'm just a bit annoyed."

Mu Qing took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

Having been a leader for so many years, what kind of situations hadn't he seen?

Yet, this matter concerning his own daughter made him restless.

"Nannan, listen to Dad."

"If that brat, Xu Weidong, is unreliable, Dad will stand up for you. But you need to get the facts straight before saying anything."

"Have you asked him? Who is that woman? What does she want with him?"

Mu Ruxue didn't speak.

"You didn't ask?"

Mu Qing sighed: "Nannan, when two people are together, they need to communicate. If you don't ask and just sulk by yourself, he won't even know why you're unhappy."

"You've never been able to break this habit since you were a child."

"Dad..."

Mu Ruxue's voice carried a hint of coquettishness: "Why are you lecturing me?"

"How would I dare to lecture you."

Mu Qing laughed: "I'm just concerned for you."

"How about this, find out the situation first."

"If that brat, Xu Weidong, really dares to wrong you, tell me, and I won't let him off."

Mu Ruxue gave a soft "Mm," her voice softening: "Dad, don't worry, and tell Mom too. I'm fine."

"That's good."

Mu Qing paused and then said: "Get some rest early, don't overthink."

After hanging up, Mu Qing sat in the study for a while, feeling more and more unsettled.

His little princess was in a place like Changyuan County, unfamiliar with the people and the land, and Xu Weidong was the only person she could rely on.

Now, this brat was being ambiguous with another woman.

He picked up his phone, scrolled to Xu Tianhua's number, hesitated for two seconds, and pressed call.

The phone rang three times, and Xu Tianhua answered: "Old Mu, it's so late, what's up?"

Mu Qing didn't stand on ceremony, saying bluntly: "Old Xu, can you rein in that brat of yours?"

Xu Tianhua was baffled: "What's wrong? Did Comrade Weidong get into trouble?"

"What's wrong?"

Mu Qing's voice carried anger: "I'm asking you, is your son, Xu Weidong, getting too close to another woman in Changyuan County?"

There was silence on the other end for two seconds.

"Old Mu, what is this about?"

"What is this about?"

Mu Qing stood up and paced in the study, then said: "My daughter just called me, and she sounded full of grievances."

"She said that your brat has been with a woman recently—she's pretty, has a good figure, and dresses fashionably."

"Old Xu, we've known each other for so many years; you understand even if I don't spell it out."

"It's normal for Xu Weidong to struggle with his personal affairs at this age."

"But if he dares to toy with her and then discard her... then don't blame me for being heartless as an uncle."

Xu Tianhua's voice rose an octave: "Old Mu, what are you saying? My son, Xu Tianhua's son, would do something like that?"

"Then tell me what's going on? Would my daughter lie to me about something like this?"

"You wait."

From Xu Tianhua's side came the sound of a chair moving: "I'll get to the bottom of this first."

"If Comrade Weidong really dares to do something to wrong Ruxue, you won't need to do anything; I'll break his legs myself."

Mu Qing's anger subsided slightly, but his tone remained stiff.

"Get to the bottom of it."

"Old Xu, I'll say this upfront: I only have this one daughter."

"I know, I know."

Xu Tianhua's tone also softened: "Old Mu, calm down. I know the boy, Comrade Weidong; he's not that kind of person."

"There must be some misunderstanding here."

"Don't worry, I'll get it cleared up tonight and give you an answer tomorrow."

After hanging up, Mu Qing stood by the window looking at the night outside and lit a cigarette.

His phone rang; it was a message from Tian Xue: "Who were you talking to for so long? Is Ruxue okay?"

Mu Qing replied: "She's fine. Just a child throwing a little tantrum."

After sending it, he felt something was wrong; Ruxue wasn't the type to throw unreasonable tantrums. If she was unhappy, there must be a reason.

He picked up his phone and sent another message to Mu Ruxue: "Nannan, get some sleep early. If anything happens, call Dad; any time is fine."

A few seconds later, Mu Ruxue replied with an "Mm" followed by a smiley face.

Looking at that smiley face, Mu Qing felt a little more at ease.

Meanwhile, in Yancheng, Xu Tianhua paced back and forth in his study after hanging up, feeling more and more that something wasn't right.

He picked up his phone and scrolled to Xu Weidong's number, his thumb hovering over the dial button for two seconds before he put it down.

He still needed to organize his words...

This brat—he was paving the way for him here, while he was causing trouble over there.

Getting close to another woman? What kind of woman? What does she do? Didn't he know that every move he made in Changyuan County was being watched?

He took a deep breath, picked up the phone again, and this time dialed directly. The phone was answered after one ring.

"Dad."

Xu Weidong's voice was calm.

"You're not asleep yet?"

"I'm looking at files. Dad, it's so late, what's the matter?"

Xu Tianhua leaned back in his chair and said in a calm tone: "Nothing much, your Uncle Mu just called me."

Xu Weidong paused: "What did Uncle Mu say?"

"What did he say?"

Xu Tianhua snorted: "He said that you've been getting very close to another woman in Changyuan County, and Ruxue is extremely upset about it."

"Your Uncle Mu asked me if I could rein in my own brat."

There was silence on the other end.

"Speak!"

Xu Tianhua's voice dropped: "Who is that woman? What does she want with you?"

Xu Weidong took a deep breath and explained the whole matter exactly as it happened.

Wei Heng was arrested, Financial Director Wei Xue came to plead for him, and Chen Dong was looking to cause trouble, so he needed someone to keep an eye on the underground movements.

After listening, Xu Tianhua was silent for a long time.

"Comrade Weidong, I generally don't interfere with how you do things. But you need to handle certain boundaries yourself."

"You can use this woman, Financial Director Wei Xue, but be mindful of the optics. You need to give Ruxue an explanation."

Xu Weidong said in a low voice: "I understand, Dad."

"What do you understand?"

Xu Tianhua's tone suddenly became heavy: "Your Uncle Mu said on the phone earlier that it's normal for you to struggle with personal affairs at this age, but if you dare to toy with her and then discard her, don't blame him for being heartless as an uncle!"

"Listen to how harsh that sounds."

Xu Weidong didn't reply.

"I'm not lecturing you."

Xu Tianhua's voice softened: "Your Uncle Mu is also just concerned for his daughter."

"Ruxue has been pampered since she was a child; what is she getting out of following you to a place like Changyuan County?"

"You need to be aware of that."

"I understand."

"Good if you understand."

Xu Tianhua paused and then said: "Call Ruxue tomorrow and talk it out properly."

"Don't let her overthink things alone."

"I'll handle things with your Uncle Mu."

"If you really dare to toy with her and then discard her, your Uncle Mu won't need to fly over—I'll break your legs myself!"

Xu Weidong quickly laughed: "Look at what you're saying. Ruxue gave up superior political conditions in Qiantang Province to come here; how could I dare to fail her?"

"If I, Xu Weidong, were really that kind of person, I'd jump off the County Government building right now."

"Enough! Don't try to be funny with me; think about how to explain it to Ruxue. She's a girl; you, as the older brother, should take more care of her."

"Dad, you don't need to tell me; this time it was indeed my negligence. I'll explain it clearly to Ruxue immediately."

After hanging up, Xu Tianhua sat in the study for a while longer, then picked up his phone and sent a message to Mu Qing: "I got it cleared up; it's a work-related matter."

"That woman is a family member of someone involved in a case and has been assisting the Public Security Bureau in investigating a gang. Comrade Weidong has no other relationship with her."

"I've already scolded him and told him to call Ruxue tomorrow to explain."

Mu Qing replied immediately: "That's good. Old Xu, I spoke too harshly earlier; don't take it to heart."

Xu Tianhua laughed and replied: "Alright, we're both fathers; I understand."

Mu Qing sent a handshake emoji, and Xu Tianhua looked at the phone screen and shook his head.

These fathers—usually, on stage, they are steady and composed, but when it comes to their own children, they all lose their cool.

The next morning, as soon as Mu Ruxue woke up, her phone lit up.

A message from Xu Weidong: "Your dad called my dad last night."

Followed by a helpless emoji.

Mu Ruxue was stunned, and her face slowly turned red.

Immediately followed by a second message: "My dad said he's going to break my legs."

The third message: "Your dad said he's going to beat my dad up too."

Mu Ruxue bit her lip and couldn't help but laugh.

Just as she was about to reply, Xu Weidong's call came through.

"Are you awake?"

"Mm."

She buried her face in the pillow, her voice muffled.

"Were you unhappy last night?"

Mu Ruxue didn't speak.

"Financial Director Wei Xue came to find me because of her brother's case."

Xu Weidong's voice was very calm, as if he were talking about something very ordinary.

"Dongting Club is looking to cause trouble, and I need someone to keep an eye on them. She came to report the situation to me; there is nothing else."

Mu Ruxue lifted her face from the pillow, her voice soft: "I didn't ask you about these things."

"Then why were you unhappy last night?"

"I..."

Mu Ruxue opened her mouth and said: "I just saw that she was quite pretty."

Xu Weidong laughed: "Pretty? I didn't notice."

"Liar."

"I really didn't notice."

"I only noticed you."

Mu Ruxue held the phone against her chest, her heart beating wildly.

After a few seconds, she pressed the phone back to her ear, her voice as soft as a mosquito's hum.

"Then, in the future, can you not let her keep going to the Public Security Bureau to find you?"

Xu Weidong was silent for two seconds, then laughed: "Okay, in the future, if there's anything, I'll have her find Director Li Zhongmin."

"After she reports the situation, I'll have Director Li Zhongmin relay it to me."

Mu Ruxue's mouth curled up, but she still tried to hold it back: "I didn't say you shouldn't see her."

"I know."

Xu Weidong said in a very gentle voice: "But I don't want to make you unhappy."

Mu Ruxue buried her face in the pillow and said in a muffled voice: "Brother Weidong."

"Mm?"

"Nothing."

"Just wanted to call you."

After hanging up, Mu Ruxue lay on the bed, holding the phone before her eyes, looking at the words "Brother Weidong" in the call log, and she couldn't suppress the smile on her lips.

After a while, she sent a message to Mu Qing: "Dad, I was overthinking it last night. There's nothing between him and that woman; it was a work matter."

Mu Qing replied immediately with a "Got it," followed by: "If he dares to bully you, tell Dad."

Mu Ruxue smiled and replied "Okay," then placed the phone by her pillow.

The sun outside the window was just right, shining in and landing on the bedsheets, feeling warm.

She rolled over, pulled the quilt over her head, and giggled secretly under the covers for a long time.