Chapter 15: A Day of Mischief and Mayhem

The villa’s grand gate creaked open as a woman quietly stepped inside.

Xiao Yu and Mu Qingwu stifled their laughter, forced to act as if they hadn’t noticed, their composure strained.

And then…

The woman, careful not to disturb them, circled quietly to hide a short distance behind.

Xiao Yu and Mu Qingwu were both exasperated and amused.

Should they pretend to notice her or not?

The answer was clear.

The woman simply wanted to catch a glimpse of their intimate moments.

And so, both regretted their earlier act.

When the woman first entered, they had pretended to notice her.

Now, what could they do?

With a look of helpless resignation, Mu Qingwu raised her flawless face; her ruby lips gently pressed against Xiao Yu’s cheek.

Equally resigned, Xiao Yu lowered his head to kiss Mu Qingwu’s fair forehead, nestling his face into her silky hair.

Wasn’t that intimate enough?

Inside, both silently pleaded, ‘Please, just come out already!’

And then…

The mischievous woman stubbornly stayed hidden, content to watch the scene unfold.

Is this really acceptable?

Xiao Yu and Mu Qingwu were nearly in tears.

Luckily, both were clever by nature.

“I’m hungry,” the woman remarked.

Inspiration struck as Xiao Yu softly suggested, “Sister, why don’t you cook me something?”

“I…don’t know how,” she admitted.

Mu Qingwu gave Xiao Yu a reproachful glance.

It was true—she hadn’t learned since their mother used to cook when they were little.

Barely out of college and already managing their father’s company, who had time to learn cooking?

“But I can! Let me teach you,” Xiao Yu offered.

He smiled gently and lifted Mu Qingwu into his arms.

Hand in hand, they headed towards the kitchen in the dining area, pretending not to notice the woman lurking nearby.

The kitchen was semi-open, a space that once offered some privacy.

Yet the woman stealthily darted to the far end of the villa’s hall to continue her voyeuristic watch.

They were on the verge of losing it!

“Now what do we do?”

Almost in tears, Mu Qingwu whispered her dismay.

“How would I know?”

Xiao Yu, nearly losing his mind, murmured, “It’s almost noon. Auntie must be hungry too. Forget it—I’ll show you how to cook.”

Though he claimed to teach, it was more a frantic session as Mu Qingwu fumbled while Xiao Yu chopped and cooked.

In the midst of it all, he did manage to impart a few lessons.

In an effort to appear extra affectionate, Xiao Yu wrapped his arms around Mu Qingwu from behind and clasped her delicate hands.

He demonstrated how to chop vegetables, adjust the slicing technique, and even knead dough for scallion pancakes.

Before long, playful banter took over.

Xiao Yu mischievously smeared dough on Mu Qingwu’s face.

Mu Qingwu shrieked and retaliated by flinging a blob of dough at him.

Their frolic resembled that of lovey-dovey couples, brimming with laughter.

Finally, Xiao Yu embraced Mu Qingwu tightly.

Mu Qingwu bit playfully at his neck.

In an instant, the moment froze, leaving both utterly entranced…

“Ahem, ahem, ahem!”

A series of feigned coughs echoed from outside the kitchen.

Like a sudden jolt, Xiao Yu and Mu Qingwu broke apart, their expressions momentarily awkward.

For that fleeting moment, they had completely lost themselves in the fun.

They had even forgotten about the woman! Can you believe it?!

“Mom, why didn’t you warn us before coming over?”

Feigning surprise, Mu Qingwu glanced toward the hall where the woman now stood.

Xiao Yu also scrutinized her.

About 1.65 meters tall, she was neither overweight nor slim.

Though in her middle age, her refined features and lingering charm stood out.

After all, only someone as lovely as Mu Qingwu could have a mother as stunning as her.

“Hmph,” she muttered.

Zhou Xuelan paid no mind to her daughter, her eyes fixed warmly on Xiao Yu as her smile widened.

She exuded the proud glow of a mother-in-law who was clearly pleased with her son-in-law.

Admittedly, Xiao Yu’s looks were quite impressive.

After a bit of careful grooming, calling him handsome would not even be an exaggeration…

“Auntie, I’m Xiao Yu. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he said confidently, his smile as bright as the sun.

“Sister Qingwu always said you were beautiful, but I never imagined you’d be so stunning. You and Sister Qingwu look just like sisters,” he added.

I’ve spent twenty-two years mastering the art of currying favor with my own mother—can you really resist that?

“Haha, what a sweet talker you are!” Zhou Xuelan burst into laughter.

Her delighted expression nearly burst as she grabbed Xiao Yu’s hand and led him to the sofa, chattering, “Come on, tell me—how did you and Qingwu meet?”

Off to the side, Mu Qingwu rolled her eyes dramatically.

She felt almost invisible, a surge of jealousy prompting her to glare fiercely at Xiao Yu’s back before following after him.

Xiao Yu’s words were always so charming.

He had perfected that art since childhood, coaxing his mom with sweet words.

And he’d picked up a few tricks from his father as well.

After all, their family roles were well defined.

His mother could be temperamental, and failing to placate her often resulted in a beating.

Just as Mu Qingwu and he had planned.

Under Zhou Xuelan’s relentless, record-like questioning, Xiao Yu talked effortlessly, leaving nothing unaddressed.

Everything he said was spot on—except that when he mentioned he was a police officer, her approval wavered. Otherwise, Zhou Xuelan was thoroughly pleased.

Especially during lunch, after tasting his cooking, even his profession as a police officer was forgotten.

After the meal, Zhou Xuelan’s gaze towards Xiao Yu took on the tender, approving look of a future mother-in-law.

Meanwhile, Mu Qingwu couldn’t help rolling her eyes countless times.

Originally, she had worried about being caught, yet her own mother was inexplicably delighted with Xiao Yu.

That overt affection stirred a bit of jealousy in her.

It was almost as if Xiao Yu were her own child while she was merely adopted.

After chatting for a while longer, Xiao Yu took his leave.

With both mother and daughter bidding him farewell, Xiao Yu left the villa and hailed a taxi back to the Criminal Investigation Team.

The system-assigned task deadline had already passed by a day, with less than two days remaining.

Whether it was to secure the post-task skill or to keep his abilities from being retracted by the system…

The case had to be cracked!