Directly ignoring Mu Lingshan, Chu Ge turned his gaze to Ye Li, smiled, and said, "You've waited for me until now, it must have been tiring for you. How about not going back tonight?"

By saying this, it was undoubtedly a veiled eviction notice to Mu Lingshan. The underlying message was something like, I and Ye Li are about to rest now, I really don't welcome you at all, so maybe stop standing there like a high-wattage light bulb?

Yet, even with Chu Ge saying that, Mu Lingshan remained standing where she was, not uttering a word, nor showing any intention to leave.

If it were usual times, Ye Li naturally wouldn't hesitate. After all, staying with Chu Ge wasn't something new for her, and not to mention, Chu Ge had never done anything to her. Even if he wanted her, she wouldn't mind.

But today was obviously not like usual days, as there was Mu Lingshan in the room. Even though the lady cop hadn't said a word since she entered, how could Ye Li not know? Mu Lingshan was the one who should be having a talk with Chu Ge.

Even though it wasn't hard to see from Chu Ge's face that he didn't want to see Mu Lingshan now, Ye Li herself also felt that what Mu Lingshan did today wasn't quite appropriate. But with her personality, she just couldn't stand seeing others in a tough spot.

Moreover, Ye Li believed there was a need for Chu Ge and Mu Lingshan to have a conversation.

With her face slightly flushed, Ye Li hesitated for two seconds, then shook her head and said, "Brother Chu, I should go back, you're also tired, get some rest early."

Hearing Ye Li say this, Chu Ge felt somewhat speechless inside. This girl was just so kind, always thinking about others.

Chu Ge nodded, "Alright, then I'll walk you out."

Saying that, Chu Ge turned and left the room directly. He hadn't taken off his shoes, so it was convenient. However, he still didn't cast a glance at Mu Lingshan, as if she simply didn't exist in the room.

Ye Li looked at Mu Lingshan at the side, seeing that her expression wasn't good. She felt a bit soft-hearted again, picked up her small bag, and walked over to Chu Ge by the door in a few steps.

"Brother Chu, I live not far, I can go back on my own, you..."

"Let's go." Chu Ge interrupted Ye Li's unfinished words and directly turned around to stride forward.

His tone was not different from usual, but just these short two words rendered Ye Li silent. The words she was about to use to persuade Chu Ge remained unsaid. She turned back to take another look at Mu Lingshan who remained in the room, then followed Chu Ge's steps.

Chu Ge's mood wasn't particularly bad right now, but it certainly wasn't great. From leaving the house until they reached the building where Mu Lingshan rented, he hadn't spoken a word.

He remained silent, and Ye Li didn't disturb him. Though she had many things on her mind, she quietly followed beside Chu Ge, cautiously observing his expressions from time to time.

"Ye Li." Chu Ge finally broke the silence.

"Mm."

Seeing Ye Li startled, responding in a flustered manner, Chu Ge felt a bit apologetic. It was Mu Lingshan and Qin Ruojing who were giving him a headache, yet he hadn't spoken a word to Ye Li throughout, making her feel unsettled, which was truly not right.

"Why haven't you said anything all along?"

"I…I'm a bit tired, don't feel like talking."

Ye Li avoided his gaze, speaking with a lack of conviction, her delicate face showing a hint of timidity, almost pitifully aggrieved. It wasn't that she didn't want to speak; she just didn't know where to start and was more afraid that her words might displease Chu Ge.

Of course, Chu Ge could immediately see through Ye Li's thoughts. Suddenly feeling a bit of indifference, he couldn't help but think of Qin Ruojing.

If it were her, what would she do in such a situation?

Unknowingly, Chu Ge got a little distracted.

"Brother Chu, I've reached home, you should get back and rest early too?" While Chu Ge was pondering this inexplicably emerging question, Ye Li's voice sounded beside his ear.

Chu Ge snapped back to reality, then found it somewhat amusing in his heart. Had he been too full and idle to start mulling over such nonsense?

"Tonight, I don't feel like going back, how about you put me up for a night?"

"I…" Seeing Chu Ge with a gentle smile on his face, Ye Li almost agreed immediately. But after hesitating slightly, she shook her head instead.

"Brother Chu, my place…it's quite messy, maybe another day, okay?"

Chu Ge was slightly taken aback. In his impression, Ye Li would almost never refuse his requests. But he immediately understood her meaning from her eyes.

She was obviously considering Mu Lingshan, not wanting her to make a wasted trip. However, worried about making herself unhappy, she didn't say it directly.

What a kind girl she is. Ye Li's consideration for others, in a sense, rivals Mu Lingshan's foolish righteousness.

Silently sighing, Chu Ge raised the corners of his mouth, "Alright, it's already late, so just go to sleep when you get back. Goodnight."

After speaking, Chu Ge turned to leave. When he heard Ye Li's voice saying "Goodnight" behind him, he raised his right hand and waved.

In the silent night, only Chu Ge's footsteps echoed along the way, and the streetlights stretched his shadow long and lonely.

Chu Ge returned home once again, where Mu Lingshan was still standing in the same place, with her lips tightly pressed together as before. Despite her long legs being pleasing to the eye, Chu Ge had no mood for admiration.

As for those long legs, her feet were not wearing slippers, just always standing on the floor, surely very cold, and Chu Ge had even less mood to show tenderness.

He went straight to the bathroom, brushed his teeth, washed his face, then filled a basin with hot water to soak his feet. Chu Ge turned off the light, took off his clothes, and went to bed, completely treating Mu Lingshan as if she were invisible.

Chu Ge, in doing so, was already giving Mu Lingshan a lot of face. If not for the fact that she was a woman, and a beauty at that, no matter what reason she had for today's issue, just for going back on her promise to clear him from this matter, she would've been thrown out long ago.

It was unclear how much time had passed when the sound of footsteps echoed in the quiet room. Since Mu Lingshan wasn't wearing slippers, the sound was a bit muffled.

But the direction of the footsteps was not towards the door as Chu Ge had expected, but towards his bedroom, coming closer and closer.

Chu Ge certainly wasn't asleep, because he didn't know what would happen next, or if his peaceful life would be disrupted. So, even though he had had a drink, he was far more alert than usual.

However, he had no intention of responding to the sound, not even opening his eyes, just waiting for Mu Lingshan to get bored and leave on her own accord.

"Chu Ge, I know you're awake. I want to talk to you." Mu Lingshan stopped at Chu Ge's bedside. In the pitch-black room, her tone was very earnest, and her eyes were as bright as the stars in the night sky.

Of course, Chu Ge wouldn't respond. The only thing that answered her was silence, and because the previous quiet had been disturbed, this silence seemed even more profound.

"I admit, regarding today's matter, I indeed acted without consideration. Not only did I break the promise I made to you, but it might also bring you some trouble. But if I hadn't done it, my conscience would be plagued by guilt. Moreover, I've already gone against my principles by lying about the amount of the bet. Do you know how difficult that is for me?"

This time, although Chu Ge didn't speak, he at least gave Mu Lingshan a little bit of a response. He let out a vibrating sound from his nose, which, to be precise, was a snort, as if to say, "Am I supposed to thank you for that?"

Finally, hearing a sound from Chu Ge, although it wasn't what Mu Lingshan wanted, it was much better than nothing. She immediately said earnestly again, "Chu Ge, I'm officially apologizing to you. I'm sorry. Can we talk, please?"

The fact that Mu Lingshan was able to say these three words was already quite commendable, but it was still not enough to move Chu Ge, to make him get up and talk to her, to forgive her for going back on her word.

Faced with Chu Ge, who had once again fallen silent and wasn't even bothering to snort, Mu Lingshan waited a long time and finally pushed Chu Ge in frustration, "What do you actually want?"

If Mu Lingshan had only spoken, Chu Ge naturally wouldn't have given her any response. But since Mu Lingshan pushed him, and pushed him quite hard, Chu Ge, who was already in a bad mood, immediately sat up.

"What do I want?"

Chu Ge squinted his eyes, looking at Mu Lingshan by the bed, a cold smile appearing on his face, "Before I lose my temper, get out. I have no time to waste words with someone like you. From now on, your life or death has nothing to do with me."

Mu Lingshan stared back at Chu Ge, forcibly suppressing the surge of anger in her heart, "I came here today to sincerely thank and apologize to you. Can you not be so unreasonable? Can't we have a proper conversation?"

It was as if Chu Ge had heard an incredibly funny joke and immediately burst into loud laughter.

In the midst of the piercing laughter, Chu Ge suddenly jerked his head up, facing Mu Lingshan with his face, leaving only a very close distance between them. In a voice filled with coldness, he said, "Unreasonable? You think this counts as unreasonable? If you don't get out now, do you believe I can't be even more unreasonable?"

Being stared at by Chu Ge like this, Mu Lingshan didn't feel weak at all. She narrowed her eyes, just like Chu Ge had before, and snorted from her nose.

Chu Ge's eyes narrowed even further, a wicked curve appearing at the corners of his mouth, "Are you trying to provoke me, questioning my words, challenging my limits?"

"Provoke you?" Mu Lingshan scoffed disdainfully, "So what if I am?"

Chu Ge took a deep breath, slowly pulling away the distance between him and Mu Lingshan, "I'll give you one last chance, leave me now, otherwise I can't guarantee that I won't do something to you."

Mu Lingshan sneered, suddenly, just like Chu Ge before, she approached Chu Ge's face, her expression filled with provocation, her lips curling up challengingly from a superior position.

"Do you dare?"

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