Li Chuntao supposed Ying wanted to experience some thrill of not being recognized in public so she agreed on Mu Jianyu's plan, but none of these telltales amused Li Chuntao and Mu Jianyu was painfully aware that he wasn't doing a good job convincing Ying. 

This was already their third date this week and Li Chuntao was having a hard time not to yawn at his boring recollection. Urgh, Mu Jianyu was worse at storytelling. It was better to listen to a song on repeat than to hear him pretend. 

Her thoughts were disturbed when her phone vibrated in her purse. Pulling it out, she wasn't surprised to see another message from Shen Zichen asking her where she was and what time she would go home. 

If Mu Jianyu sounded like an old uncle narrating unbelievable tales, Li Chuntao thought that Shen Zichen was acting like a housewife waiting for her husband to come home. She rubbed her temple and counted from ten to one, trying to calm herself from irritation. 

"Mr. Mu, I'm curious. Why haven't you told me how we met in the first place?" She asked, stopping Mu Jianyu from another boring story he was about to narrate. 

Mu Jianyu was momentarily stunned by her question, his eyes watching her as she rested her chin on her fingers, blinking curiously at him. Although he was disappointed that she wasn't calling him using his given name like she did at the banquet, he was glad that Ying never declined his invitation to go out with him. 

"Ah, that…" he placed down his cutleries on his plate and laughed awkwardly. "Actually, even before you met me, I've been seeing you around for some time." 

At those words, Li Chuntao arched a brow, surprised at his confession. So he knew who Ying was but he didn't make a move on her? Now, that is interesting. 

It was either he was planning how to approach Ying or he didn't know how to strike up a conversation with her. 

Close to Li Chuntao's a.s.sumptions, Ying falling in love with Mu Jianyu was an accident. He had never thought it would be possible, but for him, it was an opportune accident that he couldn't let slip from his hand. 

He wanted her, wanted Li Xiuying to be his no matter what. Such a woman with beguiling beauty, she wasn't even aware she had, how can he not desire to attain her? 

Mu Jianyu was aware though that there was a Shen Zichen beside her and since he equally hated the man, s.n.a.t.c.hing the woman Shen Zichen couldn't get himself right under his nose was Mu Jianyu's way to spite him. 

Not only did he manage to win Ying's heart during Shen Zichen's short absence but he also cemented his influence on Ying to never see Shen Zichen beyond being her childhood friend. 

So what if he was the Young Master of the Shen family? In Li Xiuying's heart, he was nothing but a friend. Moreover, Mu Jianyu also knew that Shen Zichen wouldn't make a move to trouble Li Xiuying which added to his advantage over the man. 

It was a pity though that although Shen Zichen might know his real intention towards Li Xiuying, he wouldn't be able to do anything but look after her from afar. Furthermore, if Shen Zichen really caused trouble in their relations.h.i.+p, Ying might think that he was sowing discord between them. 

Wasn't it ironic that Shen Zichen managed to beat him at all aspects but lost to him because of a woman? 

However, this time, Mu Jianyu couldn't say the same as there was no a.s.surance that he would be able to win Ying's heart this time. Just being with her tonight made him feel like he was was.h.i.+ng his own neck to be sliced up by an executioner's blade. 

Meanwhile, Li Chuntao was seeing a better picture now. No wonder Shen Zichen lost to this man. Mu Jianyu had waited patiently before striking a chance to gain Ying's affection without Shen Zichen noticing about it. 

Ying had told her once that she had a hard time dealing with men as she was somewhat naive to believe that she wasn't that attractive to the opposite s.e.x. It also didn't help that Shen Zichen was constantly guarding her, not giving other men a chance to pursue her. 

Li Chuntao understood this well. Ying wasn't able to date anyone before Mu Jianyu came into the picture because she wasn't able to meet them! Even if men wanted to ask her for a date, Shen Zichen's mere presence was enough to drive them away. 

"Actually, I first saw you when you were visiting a local orphanage that the Li family had been funding for years. It's a n.o.ble cause, and the moment I saw you, I felt like I've seen an angel," Mu Jianyu started and Li Chuntao had an urge to vomit her dinner at his face at that moment. 

How disgusting. She thought. Couldn't he come up with something more original than that? Even a guy as inexperienced as Shen Zichen could come up with a better cheesy pickup line than him.

Anyway, the orphanage he was talking about… as far as Li Chuntao knew, her sister had only started representing the Li family after her departure. Give or take, Mu Jianyu must have been eyeing her sister for a year or a bit more than a year before he eventually succeeded in wooing and eventually marrying Ying. 

Li Chuntao continued to play with her food using her fork. Her appet.i.te was completely gone as Mu Jianyu continued to narrate his first encounter with Ying and how he planned to ask her out for a date. 

Looking at his face, Li Chuntao wondered how her twin sister endured seeing his pathetic lying a.s.s for months after discovering his affair. If she was in Ying's shoes, she would've kicked him out and let his face meet her fists the hard way. 

Finally, Mu Jianyu stopped talking, much to Li Chuntao's relief. Her ears were starting to hurt and she didn't know how long she could endure watching her brother-in-law pretend like a lovesick fool for her dead twin sister. 

"I know you wouldn't be able to remember even if I tell you everything," he sighed, disappointed that he barely made any progress to make her believe that they were meant to be together from the start. "How about we visit the orphanage together? Maybe seeing the place that brought us together would help you remember," he suggested. 

Li Chuntao hummed as she sipped her third gla.s.s of wine for the night. Ying should have been tipsy by now but this idiot failed to notice the difference once again. 

"Alright. That sounds like a great idea. I'll have to ask Hou Chen first to see which day we could go and visit together,"