Yi Ming realized he truly didn't understand Shu Lanzhou at all. "Let me walk you out?"
"No need. Senior Mu is waiting for me outside. Go on back!" Shu Lanzhou waved at him, then hurried off without a backward glance.
Still uneasy, Yi Ming followed her anyway—after all, Han Weicheng's people were all over the institute now.
Especially that Lin Muyao, who had been particularly arrogant lately!
But as he stepped outside, he was greeted by the sight of Shu Lanzhou bounding toward Mu Side like a cheerful bird, throwing herself into his arms.
Mu Side opened his arms and caught her in a full embrace.
The two hugged as if no one else existed. Mu Side even tilted his head and placed a kiss on her cheek.
Yi Ming stood frozen as if struck by lightning, completely stunned, unmoving for a long time.
Until Mu Side glanced up and met his eyes.
Yi Ming stared blankly back at him.
Mu Side gave him a polite nod, as if greeting an acquaintance, then opened the car door for Shu Lanzhou.
And just like that, Yi Ming could only watch helplessly as the car drove away.
Until it disappeared from sight.
Yi Ming felt his breath catch in his throat, his face flushed red—When did this happen? How had he not noticed anything?
He had kept telling himself not to rush things, to wait until the experiment succeeded before confessing. But in the end… Mu Side got there first?
Why? How could this happen? What did his year of emotional turmoil mean now?
Devastated, Yi Ming turned around and rushed back to his office.
He looked completely deflated, like a balloon that had lost all its air…
"I thought you went to see Shu Lanzhou off—what happened?" Shen Mo entered and glanced at him.
Yi Ming shook his head, then looked up in frustration. "Shu Lanzhou… she and Mu Side…"
He couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence.
"She told you?" Shen Mo gave him a look. "I heard it happened a year ago. The day she officially became a disciple of the Mu family, Mu Side confessed. And you didn't notice a thing?"
"You—" Yi Ming jumped up, livid.
"How was I supposed to know? Are you even my friend? Something this big and you didn't tell me ahead of time? You traitor!"
"How am I a traitor?!" Shen Mo looked exasperated.
"You think I didn't want to tell you? Look at the way you've been this past year—so focused on your experiments. I didn't dare tell you!"
If he had told Yi Ming, it could've crushed him. He might have fallen out with Shu Lanzhou, quit the project, and they wouldn't have achieved what they did.
Then he'd have lost both love and career—that would've been worse.
At least now, he still had one of the two.
"You are a traitor! Don't think I don't know about you chasing He Sixin. You were obviously siding with them from the start!" Yi Ming's eyes turned red with rage.
Wu Cheng entered from outside. "Enough. Stop yelling. This isn't Shen Mo's fault. I didn't agree with him telling you either. It's been so long—didn't you notice anything?"
"That girl's heart was never with you. She never really saw you."
Yi Ming refused to accept it.
"That's not true! She told me she noticed me a long time ago—even read my old papers. If she didn't care, why would she let me lead this experiment?"
"Think again." Wu Cheng had only started to realize the truth himself over time. "She chose you simply because you were the best fit."
"Just like she gave her initial concept to Ding Yuejiao because she thought our team was the right choice. Then later, she brought in Team Leader Ni, and gave suggestions to other team members too."
"She always assigns the right task to the right person. I only started seeing this clearly after something Team Leader Ni said."
"Honestly, Shu Lanzhou is incredibly sharp. Her own technical ability may not be the strongest, but she's a genius at spotting potential."
"We're lucky to be on a team with her. If she'd stayed under Han Weicheng, her talents would've been wrung dry."
The room fell silent.
Shen Mo stepped forward and patted Yi Ming on the shoulder.
"Bro, believe me. Shu Lanzhou isn't the right person for you. She may look gentle and sweet, but she's got a core of steel—not someone just anyone can handle."
"And after everything she's been through, she needs someone who's sensitive, considerate, and can care for her in every way. Can you really be that person?"
"Screw off!" Yi Ming shoved Shen Mo's hand away. "Why wouldn't I be? Once I win her over, I'll cherish her, protect her, love her—never let her suffer again!"
Shen Mo clicked his tongue. "Even if you can do that, what about your family? Don't forget—Shu Lanzhou is an orphan. Can you guarantee your family would treat her with full acceptance and love?"
"You can't. But Mu Side can. His family accepted Shu Lanzhou first. The entire Mu family welcomes her and adores her!"
"She's happy with them. You've seen the change in her over the past year—don't you get it yet?"
No one could be more suited to Shu Lanzhou than Mu Side.
Only someone like him—only a family like the Mu family—could help her soar and pursue her dreams with nothing holding her back.
Yi Ming was bitterly unwilling, but he couldn't deny that Shen Mo was telling the truth.
Neither he nor the Yi family could give Shu Lanzhou everything she deserved.
That girl was worthy of all the beauty the world had to offer.
"I don't want to talk about it. Leave me alone." Yi Ming stood and headed for the door.
Shen Mo tried to stop him.
"Let him go. He needs time to cool off," Wu Cheng said.
"Yi Ming, think of it this way—so you didn't get her love. But she gave you a career."
"If you can't be her husband, why not be her brother? A brother who supports her and grows with her professionally. Just like the bond we all share."
"…"
It made a lot of sense. But it still hurt. His chest ached so badly it was hard to breathe.
Yi Ming pushed open the door and left the office, heading to the rooftop for a smoke.
But just as he stepped out, he ran right into Lin Muyao.
"Yi Ming, my celebration party is this Friday. Here's the address—make sure you come, okay?" Lin Muyao beamed at him, all sweetness and flattery.
Yi Ming was already in a foul mood. The sight of Lin Muyao made his stomach turn.
"You're not even worth a single strand of Shu Lanzhou's hair. And you dare talk to me? Get lost!"
After lashing out, he felt a whole lot better and brushed past her, heading to the rooftop on his own.
Lin Muyao, used to strutting around smugly, was stunned to be insulted like that. It took her a moment to process what just happened. But by the time she did, Yi Ming was long gone.
Furious, she screamed, "You bastard! Who the hell do you think you are, talking to me like that?! I'll kill you!"
She shredded the invitation in her hands, seething with rage.
If Han Weicheng hadn't said Yi Ming was a talent worth poaching, she wouldn't have gone out of her way to invite him.
She thought he knew how to recognize opportunity—turns out he was just another arrogant fool.
Fine. Let's see what you accomplish by staying in He Xin's team!
Yi Ming, just you wait. Once I win that award, once I become an official researcher at the institute—I'll make you regret this!!