No One Else Will Do But You - Chapter 17

The man wore a custom-made suit that best complemented his status, an expensive watch, and other luxurious accessories. To Jiang Mu, this just made him different from others.

He had the deep, chiseled features of a Westerner, handsome and mature, and his blue eyes were particularly charming. Perhaps it was the charismatic bachelor aura of a mature man, combined with his foreignness, that attracted the attention of many women in the cafe.

Jiang Mu didn’t resemble him much; he looked more like his mother. His eyes were black, not blue. But he was Caucasian, and his mother was Asian but with fair skin, so Jiang Mu was very pale. His facial features, being a mixed-race child, were a blend of Western characteristics and weren’t as prominent.

However, with good genes from both parents, the child was naturally even better.

(The following is in French)

“Do you still remember your last name, Nelson?” the man’s voice was very magnetic.

“It’s Jiang.”

The man took a sip of his coffee and continued, “Nelson, don’t you miss your father? We haven’t seen each other in almost two years.”

“My name is Jiang Mu.”

The man smiled helplessly. To others, this looked like the charm of a gentle man and the tolerance of a father towards his child.

“I know the hurt I caused your mother is indelible, but I hope to make it up to you.”

Jiang Mu stirred his coffee. He didn’t understand why this man had come to China. Was he that bored?

The man smiled. “Nelson, you know how stubborn your mother is. She divorced me and left France with you, which makes me a little sad.”

“You’re sad? Did you think about how sad Mom was when she found another woman in the bed that was supposed to be yours and hers?” Jiang Mu met the man’s eyes.

The man was a little surprised. This child’s eyes had become so sharp.

“You talk about your so-called ‘romanticism,’ you treat love like a game and marriage as transparent. The name Rochas sickens me. How can you be my father? How could my mother marry someone like you? How could you make that kind woman so sad?”

The series of questions made the man observe the changes in his child. Without the protection of his father, this child had become more perfect. His features were more defined, and he had grown much taller. Even now, he still only wanted this child. The nature of French men is to love freedom and romance and not to be bound by family. He had loved Nelson’s mother, but over time, she had become like a relative to him. The desire for freedom in his bones took over, and the beautiful women he had in his arms had probably swayed him.

He hadn’t wanted this outcome either. His family elders were very unhappy with his decision. Losing the heir to the Rochas family was very detrimental to their current family business.

But he couldn’t reason with the stubborn woman. He hadn’t wanted the divorce to happen. So, after two years of fighting for custody, it was ultimately awarded to the mother because she had been with the child more, and the child was more inclined to be with her.

And his affair was indeed unforgivable.

Jiang Mu looked at the man in front of him. He was indeed very young, three years younger than his mother. He had been a top student in school, even his mother’s senior. In the end, the French man’s romantic words won over the woman in love, and she entered a life of deep-sea luxury.

Rochas was a French noble family.

In his memory, home was a manor with many servants, a butler, and bodyguards. There was no love, no warmth, just like a hotel. His mom only read books at home every day or went for a walk under the protection of bodyguards. As for him, everything he had to learn, except for going to the Chinese school, which he chose himself, was called a “responsibility” by this man. These terrifying responsibilities always made him wonder why he had to do these things. His so-called father would always say, “You’re the heir. You have to do this. You have to be better than others. The Rochas family won’t fall into the hands of an outsider. That person has to be you.”

The man’s elegant posture was indeed charming. Jiang Mu sneered inwardly. It was this very appearance that charmed his mom.

“Nelson, you are the heir of the Rochas family. I’ve told you since you were a child that aristocratic blood flows through your veins. There are many things you can’t decide, including your family. Your mother can leave me, and I do regret it. But you can’t. No matter how long you stay here or what you do, in the end, you will inherit the title of Count Rochas. My dear, do you understand?”

Count. Yes, his father is a Count.

Looking at Jiang Mu’s casual demeanor, the man couldn’t help but shake his head. “Nelson, look at you. I almost forgot about the little prince who used to ride a horse in a suit. What’s wrong? Did staying in China make you forget all your manners? Or… did being with this boy named Shu Luo change you?”

Jiang Mu was stunned and looked at him in surprise. What does he mean? Is he investigating me?

“Are you investigating me?”

The man said, “I’ve been in China for over a month, watching you. I’m curious what kind of magic this boy has that makes you treat him so well.”

Jiang Mu felt a sense of crisis, as if his precious treasure was being coveted, and a powerlessness he had never felt before. The man in front of him looked gentle and gentlemanly, but the blood flowing through his veins was cold and merciless.

He could accept a divorce without hesitation when his mother found out about his mistress. He could turn around and treat his former wife like a friend. He could openly bring his mistress home and introduce her to him. He could kill all his hobbies… He could do things that others found unacceptable, things he considered to be absolutely correct.

He could tolerate everything, but Shu Luo, he could not let him touch!

The man saw Jiang Mu’s eyes become sharp. The teenage boy had an uncharacteristic sternness for his father. Hehe, how interesting. That little boy is truly amazing.

“You can’t touch him. He’s very important to me.” Jiang Mu frowned, his tone firm. His hand, clenched into a fist on the table, was trembling slightly.

“Of course. Am I that kind of person? It’s just that if you’re not strong, how can you protect the people you want to protect? My dear, you’re still very weak, you know? When the day comes that you can’t give him what he wants, when the day comes that he can no longer find a reason to depend on you, it only means you’re not strong enough.” The man stood up, straightened his clothes, and smiled. “I look forward to your answer. Goodbye, Nelson, my dear child.”

In the cafe, the side profile of the boy by the window made passersby stop and look. What a handsome profile, with a unique temperament, and a hint of sadness. What’s wrong?

Yeah, what’s wrong?

He was thinking about how to protect the person he cherished, and how to make this person he wanted to protect always depend on him and never want to leave him.

So, he likes him?

This is liking someone. It turns out what he had been thinking about for so long was true.

He really likes this boy.

So, he has to become strong to protect the person he likes, right?

I will succeed. I don’t need the title of the Count’s son or a prominent background. I can succeed on my own. Cassel Rochas, don’t you worry.

I will bet my life. If I fail, I’ll come back and inherit the Rochas legacy. If I can surpass the family’s prestige, I’ll be strong enough. I’ll be worthy, won’t I?