No One Else Will Do But You - Chapter 83

Shu Luo hadn’t seen much of Jiang Mu for a few days, but he enjoyed the peace. His cast was finally off, and his minor scratches had healed. He felt truly blessed; between the thick grass and the sturdy tree that broke his fall, he’d managed to survive his “leap” without much permanent damage.

With Jiang Mu away, Zhang Feiyang and Zhong Qing dropped by—not to counsel him, but to drop a “dog food” bomb of their own: they were getting engaged.

“Congratulations to the happy couple!” Shu Luo said, cupping his hands in a traditional bow.

Zhang Feiyang leaned back, legs crossed. “No need to be too jealous, little brother.”

Shu Luo rolled his eyes at him, then looked at Zhong Qing. “Are you really sure about this? You want to spend your life with this ‘all brawn, no brains’ brute?”

“Brute? Who are you calling a brute?” Zhang Feiyang smirked mischievously. “The only person who knows just how ‘brute’ I can be is Qingqing, right?”

Zhong Qing immediately punched him in the head.

Shu Luo shook his head in mock disgust. “I’m calling the police. We have someone spreading obscenities here. A few days in jail might help you repent.”

“Hey! Don’t think I won’t touch you just because you’re an invalid!”

“Try me,” Shu Luo challenged, sticking his leg out.

Zhang Feiyang’s expression turned serious. “No jokes—how are things really going with you two?”

He knew this path wasn’t easy. Ever since he found out about Shu Luo and Jiang Mu, he hadn’t felt any disgust, only concern. He figured there would be a “mixed doubles” beating from the parents at some point.

Shu Luo propped his chin on his hand. “Hard to say. My mom’s attitude is blurry. My dad found out two years ago; he tried to stop us, but he uses a ‘soft’ approach. But my mom? The day she found out, she slapped me so hard my head spun. Then she grounded me and took my phone. I had to write notes on a stick to communicate with Jiang Mu. The day I fell, I had just finished a love letter and was trying to pass it over when the kid scared me.”

Zhong Qing looked at him with envy. “Wow, you actually write love letters! Someone has never written me one…” She punctuated this by pinching Zhang Feiyang’s arm.

“Ow! Gentle! That’s my actual flesh!” Zhang yelped.

Shu Luo suddenly froze. My love letter! He had completely forgotten about it in the chaos of the last week. He stood up abruptly, forgetting his injured leg, turned pale, and collapsed back into his seat.

“What’s wrong?” his friends shouted.

“My letter fell that day. I have to find it.”

They drove back to the villa. When they entered, they found Shu Luo’s mother holding a piece of paper. Her eyes were red.

The nanny had found the letter while cleaning the garden. It had no name on it, but the moment Mrs. Shu opened it, she recognized her son’s handwriting. It was a long letter, written from the heart. It detailed every moment since they met—every instance of Jiang Mu’s care and protection. The level of devotion Jiang Mu showed went beyond even what she, as a mother, provided.

Jiang Mu had always been mature and successful; she had been happy for her son to follow such a role model. She never dreamed they were following each other into a romance.

Shu Luo saw the letter and his ears turned crimson. Oh god, there’s some really sappy stuff in there. I can’t believe she read it.

“Mom.”

She turned around, flustered, and tried to hide the paper. “Luo Luo! And Feiyang, Qingqing. What are you doing here?” She tried to smile, but it was stiff.

“I came for my letter,” Shu Luo said plainly. “I see you’ve already read it.”

His mother’s expression turned awkward. “Luo Luo, I didn’t…”

“It’s fine. You know everything now anyway. I know you don’t agree. No matter how well I write, I probably can’t change your mind.”

His mother’s eyes filled with tears. “Luo Luo, why can’t you understand? Every parent wants their child to have a traditional family, to be successful… I don’t want you to be foolish.”

Shu Luo leaned against a chair for support, his smile bitter yet firm. “Jiang Mu is my happiness.”

Zhang Feiyang and Zhong Qing: “…” The goosebumps are real. They quietly slipped out to “look at the flowers” in the garden.

“Luo Luo,” his mother sighed, “I want you to be happy too. Fine… let me think about it.”

Shu Luo was stunned. This was the biggest concession possible. If his mom agreed, his dad wouldn’t stand a chance. He hopped over on one foot and hugged her from behind. “Thank you, Mom.”

“Alright, alright! Look at you, hopping around on one leg. Stop it!”

That Jiang Mu stole my precious boy, she thought. As his mother-in-law, I won’t let him off easy. (The fact that she thought of herself as the “mother-in-law” meant she already knew exactly how the dynamics of their relationship worked.)

Excited, Shu Luo treated his friends to a meal. “My treat! Pick anywhere!”

“Yue Gui Fang!” Zhang and Zhong shouted in unison.

Shu Luo’s smile twitched. A high-end Chinese restaurant? Minimum spend of 3,000? Are you kidding me?

Zhang Feiyang laughed as he drove. “I know you’ve been saving up. If we don’t eat your money now, you’ll probably skip out on our wedding red envelope!”

Shu Luo groaned. My savings! My secret stash!

Suddenly, his phone vibrated. He pulled it out and saw the caller ID: Husband.

Wait, when did Jiang Mu change his name in my phone?!

Zhong Qing caught a glimpse of the screen. “Ooh~ Who is ‘Husband’?”

Shu Luo wanted to die of embarrassment. He answered the phone with a sharp tone. “Hello! What do you want?”

Zhong Qing snatched the phone and hit the speakerbutton.

“What’s wrong? Did I make you angry?”

Jiang Mu’s voice was incredibly indulgent, sounding like pure melted sugar. Zhang Feiyang shook his head, trying to focus on the road.

“Do you miss me? Are you acting spoiled?”

Shu Luo was frozen, his ears burning. Please stop talking! Jiang Mu, unaware he was on speaker, assumed Shu Luo was just being pouting.

“I’ll be back soon. Be good, and I’ll give you a reward. We can play in whatever ‘position’ you like.”

“!” Shu Luo used every ounce of strength to snatch the phone back, accidentally bumping his head and his leg in the process. “Play your head! Who wants to play with you?!” He slammed the phone shut, his heart hammering. Jiang Mu’s skin is thicker than a castle wall!

“Oh~” Zhong Qing teased. “I didn’t realize Jiang Mu was such a ‘player.’ Shu Luo, can you even handle it?”

Zhang Feiyang sighed. “Zhong Qing, you know way too much.”

Shu Luo rubbed his bumped head and sighed. “Yeah. She really knows too much.”

In Canada, Jiang Mu’s lips curved into a smile. Better get back soon.