Chapter 93

Edited and Proofread by KitKat

The group was rambunctious about their on-screen appearance but when they got to the comments section, they quietened down. 

The room suddenly sank into dejection.

“… Xiao Di, the comments are from those who don’t know the truth. You don’t have to take it seriously.”

Zhao Chun spoke first and tried to suppress her anger, “They don’t know anything or understand you. They only listened to Mo Liu Gui’s words and came here to attack you. A bunch of brain dead idiots, don’t be bothered by them.”

“Exactly. They all acted on Mo Liu Gui’s words and without evidence they came here to mess with you!” Even Zhang Jie Meng who had always been a tolerable person was enraged.

“They must’ve hired the water army.” Han Chao was also irritated, “Otherwise, how could there be so many of them?”

“It’s time our country has some sort of regulations against these water armies. They just don’t have a conscience.” Lin Jun Feng puffed his chest in anger.

“Just because Mo Liu Gui showed them a piece of medical record, they unconditionally believed everything else she said! Isn’t that a little strange?!”

“…..”

Mo Di was touched looking at his friends whose thoughts were only on how he was being bullied instead of how his reputation would affect the team.

He smiled and comforted them back, “I’m really fine, you guys are the ones who shouldn’t be paying too much attention to the comments online.”

“Xiao Di, you don’t have to hide it if you’re really upset. None of us here will laugh at you.” Xian Yu Chao said with a wrinkled smile.

“That’s right Xiao Di. You’re the youngest here so don’t try to be an adult. You can tell us anything and we’ll figure out a solution.”

Zhao Chun looked at Mo Di and said, “Mo Liu Gui presented the medical record and had the water army behind her, all of these don’t look good for you. We have to do something. No… We should hire a water army too! We should get them to condemn the Mo family as well!”

“Yes, yes, yes, that’s a good idea!” Xian Yu Chao agreed loudly.

Mo Di shook his head, “There’s no need. Hiring the water army now won’t restore my reputation, it’ll only make a mess.”

“Then what should we do?”

Everyone was worried.

“I have a plan. It’ll be implemented tomorrow, you guys rest assured.” Mo Di smiled at them, “And I have my brother helping me. Even if you don’t have confidence in me, you should know how trustworthy my brother is.”

“That’s right, we have boss Mu on our side! Surely he won’t allow Xiao Di to be slandered and bullied!” Lin Jun Feng hammered his right fist into his palm.

“Really?” Han Chao was still unsure. Of course he trusted Mu Tian Heng but now that things have gone too far, could he still turn this around?

“Really.” Mo Di patted his shoulder and said, “Haven’t you noticed that I’ve been totally chilled? You should know me by now, if I was truly bothered, I would’ve been working on a solution instead of chatting here with you guys.”

“So now that I’m this relaxed, it proves that I really have a plan.”

“What’s the plan?” Xian Yu Chao asked.

“This… I have to keep it a secret for now because my brother is not done with the preparation yet. But you all can rest assured that I’ll be fine and so will our team.”

“So…” Mo Di smiled, “You should instead be thinking about what you’ll be wearing on stage tomorrow.”

…..

The next day, the group continued their work as usual.

Mo Di continued to browse the malicious comments during their break with indifference even when he knew that the Mo family was trying to use this opportunity to whitewash themselves as a victimized family wrongly accused by the public. Mo Wu Hang finally showed his face online and posted several hateful comments.

As for Mo Liu Gui… feeling that she had won the battle, posted several long pretentious statements on Weibo: 

‘I hope everyone will stop abusing Xiao Di. Because I have been misunderstood, slandered, and insulted before I really understand what a terrible feeling it is to have thousands of people scolding you. I hope you won’t use this treatment against him, after all, Xiao Di is my brother, I don’t blame him at all.

My relationship with Xiao Di is not as bad as what has been stated on the internet. Xiao Di had some misunderstandings towards me but he still respected me. I believed that once our misunderstandings are resolved, we will become a family again. I miss the time when my family was still whole. That was the happiest point in my life. I wish that by the time of the next Spring Festival, my family will return to those happy days.

I hope that everyone will stop this attack on Xiao Di. He is my brother and he always will be. I can never be angry with him and will always forgive him. Because I am his sister, it is my responsibility to care for him and that will never change. Therefore, I will be upset if you keep attacking him. I hope everyone will forget about this matter.’

‘….’

Mo Liu Gui’s post was the catalyst that pushed this matter to its climax and effectively made the public’s condemnation of Mo Di reach its peak.

Of course, there were still clear-minded people who stood on Mo Di’s side. Those who had seen the conclusive evidence that Mo Di was the one victimized by the whole Mo family would not blindly believe everything that Mo Liu Gui said. The problem was that even though they said something on the forum, their posts would  inevitably be drowned out by a lot of harsh criticisms from the fans and water army.

From the start, as Mo Di monitored the uproar on the internet, he simultaneously created a little program to help analyze the statistics. Where things stood at the moment, it seemed that the hype had reached a standstill. After Mo Liu Gui’s fans rose to ten million, it had stopped rising. 

Now… 

It was time to change the lead role in this play of flipping black and white.

Mo Di smirked and took out his phone to call Mu Tian Heng.

The quarter-finals of the competition would officially commence at 8pm but there would be a rehearsal process first. And so, after dinner at five-thirty, the team gathered in the recording room.

The group finally stopped mentioning the online debacle with Mo Di because they were all too nervous.

Lin Jun Feng slapped Xian Yu Chao on the shoulder and stammered, “Look… Look at your unpresentable appearance. Why, why are you shaking?”

“Shoo, I wasn’t shaking! You better worry about yourself, why are you stammering?”

“Look at how awkward the two of them are,” Pang Qiang Lang hiccuped as he talked to Han Chao.

Han Chao: “…” Don’t think that I don’t know that whenever you’re nervous, you would have hiccups!

Apart from Mo Di, the only ones who managed to keep their cool were unexpectedly Zhao Chun and the introverted Zhang Jie Meng.

“I’ve spent half an hour with the new beauty products I just bought. How is it? Does my face look smaller?” Zhao Chun turned her face left and right for Mo Di to see, “Xiao Di, what do you think?”

“…..” Mo Di really could not tell the difference but he still complimented her, “It does look a little smaller and prettier.”

“Haha, I’m so happy.” Zhao Chun laughed heartily.

‘Girls are quite easy to please,’ Mo Di thought silently to himself.

After the makeup artist was done with everyone, the rehearsal began. However, certain parts at the end could not be rehearsed in advance so the session did not take very long.

After the rehearsal, it was half-past seven and the audience had slowly filled up the seats.

Before their phones had been confiscated, Mo Di had called Mu Tian Heng.

Mu Tian Heng first asked about his rehearsal. He then said, “Everything has been arranged. Commissioner Wang had already sent someone to Qin Cheng Yi’s place. After he’s in custody, the truth will be revealed. You don’t have to worry about anything, just focus on the ceremony.”

“Ok.” Mo Di was not worried at all because this time, Qin Cheng Yi had been caught red-handed.

Mo Di said gleefully, “Brother, remember to tune in. It’s my first time on TV, you have to tell me if I look bad in front of the camera.”

Mu Tian Heng’s voice was as gentle as ever, “You’ll definitely look good. My family’s Mo Di is always the best looking.”

Mo Di smiled and his dimples deepened.

Soon it was eight in the evening.

The quarter-final round was not only broadcast live on television but also on various streaming websites. So once it started, countless netizens began to bombard the message board.

Some were there to show their support, some to guess the results but… Many others were there to make trouble.

‘As long as Mo Di doesn’t withdraw, I’ll continue to boycott the game competition.’

‘The game committee is dead. How could they let someone with such a bad character participate? Stop watching this kind of show!!!’

‘Mo Di, apologize to Mo Liu Gui!’

‘Go to hell Mo Di!’

‘Mo Di is really not a good person. He maliciously bullied his sister while his sister continued to be kind to him. He’s so disgusting it makes me nauseous!’

‘That’s right. Little Rose is too benevolent. Even when she was the victim, she still encouraged everyone to stop targeting Mo Di and she said she would always forgive him. She really touched my heart.’

‘That’s why Mo Di is so hateful and disgusting. If Mo Liu Gui was any weaker, she would’ve committed suicide. Mo Di should die die die!’

‘Compared to the angel Mo Liu Gui, Mo Di’s character is extremely bad.’

‘…..’

Out of the blue, a post worded in bold and bright red font cut off the incoming comments that were about to denounce Mo Di.

‘Hahahahaha! Those who posted before and those who’re about to post, you should go check the hot search first before coming back here to save yourself the embarrassment!’

‘What a phenomenal face slapping scene! I can’t believe I actually get to live in one! I’m going to PrintScreen this to capture the names of all you idiots who blindly follow Mo Liu Gui!’

‘Mo Liu Gui is just incredible! First she deliberately revealed that she had depression to show how kind and caring she was and also to discredit Mo Di, creating an online trend to revile Mo Di.’

‘When questioned about the authenticity of her illness, she actually produced a medical report and showed the world how she had been a victim of misunderstanding and had the netizens eating out of her hands. And most importantly, she pretended to be all-forgiving while making Mo Di look like the bad person.’

‘And now finally, her phony depression has been exposed by the police, and even the doctor who fabricated the report has been arrested. Mo Liu Gui is really a poisonous white lotus.’

‘F**k! I just came back from reading the hotsearch! My whole family and I were shocked thinking back to every gesture of kindness she showed before! She’s too vicious!’

‘OMG! Mo Liu Gui is shameless and despicable! She completely disrespected the actual patients with depression and stepped on her own brother at the same time. Unbelievable!’

‘Ai, Mo Liu Gui is so beautiful but she’s poisonous on the inside. It’s true that we can’t judge a book by its cover.’

‘Where are you? Those who scolded Mo Di so enthusiastically before? Are you hiding because your face is swollen or that your tongue fell off and you can’t speak?’

‘Upstairs, maybe because that slap was too powerful it caused their teeth to fall off as well.’

‘Hahaha this is just too exciting!’

‘…’

Chapter 92

Edited and Proofread by KitKat

After Mo Di was done with his lunch, he went back to his room and called Mu Tian Heng.

The others thought that Mo Di was upset having read those comments so he went back to his room to be alone.

Zhao Chun nudged Xian Yu Chao while arguing with the netizens online, “Aren’t you boys going to talk to Xiao Di and cheer him up?”

“I’m dumb and not good with words. What if I say something stupid and make things worst?” Xian Yu Chao scratched his head, “Shouldn’t you and sister Meng do it since girls are more thoughtful and sensitive?”

“But now Xiao Di is in his room, we girls can’t just barge in. Why don’t you guys call him out and we’ll talk to him?”

Zhang Jie Meng nodded. 

“Alright. Fatso, come with me,” Xian Yun Chao looked at Lin Jun Feng and said.

“I think we better not,” Han Chao stopped them, “I’m sure Xiao Di doesn’t want to talk about this matter with us. Let him be alone for a while, after all, he had been in the Mo family since he was a child, it’s hard for him to not feel upset. Maybe letting him calm down will help him think of a way to deal with this. Let’s not make trouble.”

“…..”

Mo Di did not know that his teammates were busy outside his room trying to fight off the negative remarks on the internet and make him feel better.

He was currently on the phone with Mu Tian Heng.

Following Mo Di’s leads, Mu Tian Heng had his men monitor Yang Qi Quan and Sun Cheng Xing while also having their backgrounds checked. In fact, it was quite easily done as both men’s recent activities could easily be found through their internet history.

And yesterday, at lunch break, Yang Qi Quan had sneaked out to a cafe three streets away from his hospital to meet a mysterious man.

That man was none other than Qin Cheng Yi in disguise.

When Mu Tian Heng saw the photo of Qin Cheng Yi in a hat and mask that his subordinate sent over, he was quite surprised that Qin Cheng Yi would do this personally. But considering the significance of this matter, he could understand why Qin Cheng Yi chose to trust no one but himself.

The fabrication of this medical report not only determined Mo Liu Gui’s future endeavors but also whether or not she could whitewash everything that had happened before. 

Additionally, it would also allow the Mo family to rise back up, though Mu Tian Heng knew Qin Cheng Yi could care less about them. If he couldn’t, he would not have mercilessly pinned everything onto Mo Si Lang for their previous crime. What he really cared about was how the Mo family’s image would directly affect Mo Liu Gui’s career in the entertainment industry, and so, it was inevitable that he helped revive them.

And hence, this task of obtaining the fake medical report was of grave importance, so much so that he could not entrust it to his remaining two confidants and had to take care of it himself. This was all well as he could also personally judge who he was dealing with.

Mu Tian Heng immediately ordered his men to steer clear of the cafe and observe from a distance in case Qin Cheng Yi discovered them. He then told Li Cheng to trace any online interactions between Yang Qi Quan and Qin Cheng Yi.

But this time, there was nothing to be found.

It seemed Qin Cheng Yi had learned his lesson. The previous few incidents with the Mo, Ye, and Qin families, they were all brought down due to the traces they had left behind on the web. This time he was cautious and decided to meet face to face for the exchange, with no chance of leaving behind any evidence online.

After Qin Cheng Yi contacted Yang Qi Quan on a burner cell, they agreed on a secret code and venue. In order to not attract attention, Qin Cheng Yi did not choose a high-end place lest someone noticed them.

And so, at the appointed time, they met up at an inconspicuous place like that small cafe near Yang Qi Quan’s hospital. Ironically, it was a place Qin Cheng Yi would have previously considered a ‘peasant’s hangout’ and would never have stepped foot in it.

Despite being as meticulous as he could be, Qin Cheng Yi could not completely control Yang Qi Quan’s behavior.

The truth was, Yang Qi Quan had followed Qin Cheng Yi’s instructions to the t and had even kept this matter from his wife. The most he did was boast a little anonymously on an online forum. If Mo Di hadn’t not come into contact with him in his previous life, that little post would not have rung any bells.

But after Mo Di had identified him as a possible suspect, these little actions could be used to prove a lot.

And so, by putting a trace on Yang Qi Quan, any interaction he had with Qin Cheng Yi would ultimately be exposed. 

The same went for when he had secretly sneaked into the hospital’s archives to steal a medical file. And also when he had illegally changed the information on a medical report – everything had been recorded by Mu Tian Heng’s men.

With that, they already had the conclusive evidence.

What’s left, was to wait for the right time…

And that would be when Mo Liu Gui and Qin Cheng Yi personally delivered their own fate.

Looking at the rave that they had orchestrated, wasn’t this a perfect time to upheave them when they were on their high horses?

Mo Di and Mu Tian Heng exchanged the information they had gathered over the past two days and decided to wait some more. When the time came, they would present everything to Commissioner Wang and he would finally have something against Qin Cheng Yi.

After all, Yang Qi Quan was no honorable thief. Under threat, he would surely give up Qin Cheng Yi to save his own skin.

In fact, Mu Tian Heng did not want to push this back any longer. The more they delayed, the more his Mo Di would have to be abused online. There were no limits to how malicious those comments were. But considering their opponent this time was Qin Cheng Yi, who dangerously lacked a sense of morals, Mu Tian Heng grit his teeth and agreed to Mo Di’s request of postponing their retaliation by one day.

At the same time, he had also gotten in touch with Commissioner Wang and let him personally handle this case so Qin Cheng Yi would not be able to escape justice this time.

…..

After having made the arrangements, Mo Di was in an unshakable bliss thinking that Qin Cheng Yi would finally be out of the way. He hummed happily to the tunes of the New Year song on television.

Not knowing Mu Tian Heng and Mo Di’s plan, Xian Yu Chao and the others were growing increasingly worried. 

This ain’t right! Even if Xiao Di wasn’t angry, he shouldn’t be this …Happy!

“Xiao Di, are you…” Zhao Chun hesitated.

“I’m fine. You really don’t have to worry about me.” Seeing them eying him with concern, Mo Di smiled sincerely and said, “I believe that the truth will always come out. You should have some optimism.”

“We do but thinking positively is useless. The public opinion online is messed up. They’re all aimed at you and…”

“Just let them say whatever they want. Sooner or later they will be hit by the truth. They’re announcing the top eight for the quarter-finals tomorrow, why don’t you shift your thoughts to this instead?” Mo Di interrupted Zhao Chun, “An awards ceremony would be conducted and the top eight teams would be presented to the public, aren’t you guys nervous?”

“Yes but this is nothing compared to your problem,” Chen Zhao hugged his stomach, “I’m so worried and nervous that my stomach hurts. Now that you mentioned it, didn’t the staff say that they would be posting the edited video of the ten teams on Weibo tonight? Is it up yet?”

“Dunno, let me check.” Xian Yu Chao took his phone and opened Weibo. He entered the competition website and was stumped, “Huh?! It’s been posted for half an hour. The videos are being uploaded one by one and our team’s video is the second to be posted. Now it’s on to the fifth team.”

Xian Yu Chao then screeched, “Why am I so dark and skinny in the video?! I’m like a monkey! So ugly!”

The others began to check their phones as well.

Zhao Chun: “I’m not that fat! Why did the camera turn me so fat?!”

Chen Zhao: “I look so short! I’m 1.83 meters tall! Why did they have to shoot me standing next to Lin Jun Feng? Now I look like 1.7 meters! Damn!”

Han Chao: “I look even paler on camera, like I’m coated with a layer of flour.”

Zhang Jie Meng: “I… I was filmed next to Xiao Di, and it made my face look so big compared to his. I don’t want to be in the same frame as him next time…”

Mo Di also clicked on the video and took a look. He thought he looked quite presentable with a little style. 

But the comment section below was filled with insults and curses.

‘What?!!! The captain of this team is Mo Di?! That selfish ingrate who bullied his sister into depression?!’

‘F*ck! Why is my favorite game Infinite Life made by such a scumbag?! Damn it! I want to die! I feel pity for myself…’

‘Snub the games made by Mo Di! Snub Infinity Life and ban this team!!!’

‘I just wanted to say that I really sympathize with Little Rose. Mo Di, do you remember the sister who suffered from depression and still cared for you while you mistreated her? You even heartlessly cut off all ties with your family!’

‘Mo Liu Gui’s brain-dead fans are here again. Shameless and idiotic. Have you forgotten how Mo Di was abused by the Mo family when he was young?! I can’t believe some people still take their side!’

‘Boycott the games made by Mo Di! Remove him from the competition! Ban him and his team!’

‘Heartache for Mo Liu Gui. Heartache for Mo Liu Gui. Heartache for Mo Liu Gui’

‘Mo Di, apologize to Mo Liu Gui!’

‘…..’

Chapter 91

Edited and Proofread by KitKat

 Yang Qi Quan, who had dabbled in the frivolous society for many years, was not only a weathercock but also a greedy and selfish man. He could be described as someone who would go to any lengths for self-preservation. His personal motto was ‘every man for himself’ and he had never strayed from it.

At least he was neither a rapist or murderer nor was he aiding someone to curb their sentence. He was acquainted with others who were willing to help a killer or convicted rapist go scot-free, so in retrospect, what was faking a medical record for depression? It was nothing serious. 

And even if someone else were to suffer because of this fake report, it was not his direct doing and hence, there was no need for him to have any guilt over it. He knew this twisted moral compass of his would be reviled so he had always kept it to himself and only associated with like-minded people.

And the man who came to have him fabricate a medical report for depression was very much to his liking, but not as much as the rewards he promised. 

Yang Qi Quan’s pay as a physician was high but it was not enough for him to afford a big house in the capital. His wife with her head nurse salary and his own salary saved up over a decade only amounted to four million yuan. It was with their parents’ help that they could afford the six million yuan down payment for the well-located house in an expensive school district.

He had two children who were about to start elementary school and he couldn’t have them live in a small house and go to a regular school. He had a reputation to uphold. But to repay the remaining loans, it would have taken him another twenty to thirty years and by then he would have already been sixty!

Now that he could be rid of this debt by faking a little medical report, how perfect was that?!

What’s more…

From what he could tell, the man had every intention to hire him as his family’s doctor; even the contract had been prepared in advance. To be able to work for such a generous and like-minded ‘thigh’, what more could he have asked for? 

…..

The topic regarding Mo Liu Gui’s depression had been on the Internet for two whole days.

From the beginning, the news erupted to the top three places, then to the top ten, and currently, it stood within the top forty places. 

However, this was not because her supporters were diminishing or the water army not doing their job but because her popularity was dwindling fast amongst the regular masses.

But that did not stay long…

On the morning of the third day, two new hot-searches about Mo Liu Gui shot straight to the top and second spot. 

‘Mo Liu Gui’s Depression Was Real’

‘Everyone Owes Mo Liu Gui an Apology’

Several websites began posting essays about the whole event from whence she claimed to have depression to her having had to endure the accusations from the public in the past two days, and finally having the truth come out. They sighed for her fate and praised her to the moon.

And of course, these articles were accompanied with the decisive photo – 

Mo Liu Gui’s medical record.

The sudden reversal started a whole new wave of comments. Mo Liu Gui’s fans and water army began their dance on the major online platforms to blow this matter to the sky.

‘Just as I thought, it’s not like you can just casually claim to have depression without any proof.’

‘Oh I’m feeling heartache for Mo Liu Gui, to think that she actually had depression.’

‘I’m feeling so bad for her. Those who had slandered her should all die, die, die! Such a poor innocent girl was abused by your thoughtless and jealous words. She’s from a prestigious family ok?!’

‘Upstairs, are you actually praising the Mo family as prestigious? Aren’t a bunch of them sitting in prison now and the rest are just as twisted. What’s there to boast about? Their poor morals?’

‘Sour grapes! You’re just jealous because the Mo family is rich.’

‘So it’s true? Mo Liu Gui really had depression? As a passerby, I’d like to say a word of justice. Mo Liu Gui is indeed kind and sensible, understanding and soft-hearted. She was sick and yet she still had to care for her selfish brother and think for her family.’

‘Damn, this reversal is … Too powerful.’

‘Those who berated out Little Rose before, come out and make sure you apologize to her!’

‘That’s right, those who dared to accuse her of fraud come out and apologize, you thrash!!!’

‘…..’

Public opinion was raging and Mo Liu Gui’s popularity was raised sky-high. People flocked to her Weibo to comfort her and sent her their wishes and love. Her number of fans surged through the roof and in an hour, it had reached eight million!

Mo Liu Gui’s camp was already blowing their victory trumpet!!

Everyone in the Mo family had been paying close attention to this. They all had a smile on their face having received the news. Even the bad-tempered Mo Wu Hang couldn’t help but laugh and scoff when he read the comments regarding Mo Di.

“Go on, scold that animal to death!”

…..

Of course Mo Di was aware of this ‘reversal’.

After he had finished his work for the morning, Mo Di opened Weibo during lunch break and read the curses people were throwing at him online.

“Xiao Di, don’t read anymore.” Xian Yu Chao and the others were rarely this quiet. They were worried about accidentally making Mo Di upset so none of them dared to say much.

“Those people don’t know the truth. You’ll only get angrier the more you read, so it’s better to ignore it.”

“That’s right Xiao Di, don’t read that,” Zhao Chun was furious but she still comforted Mo Di with patience, “Xiao Di, you really shouldn’t pay attention to what they wrote on the internet.”

However, Mo Di was cool as a cucumber and continued to browse the comments while stuffing his mouth with rice.

‘Mo Liu Gui’s younger brother is just disgusting and selfish!’

‘So this is the reason Mo Di is so hated! Disgusting! Previously, Little Rose’s reputation was tarnished because of the video, I suspect there’s something wrong with that video!’

‘Exactly! Maybe Mo Di really did cheat at that time! How could someone improve so much in such a short time?!’

‘In other words, could the Mo family be wrongly blamed as well? If what Mo Liu Gui said was true then Mo Di is just selfish and ignorant of his sister’s kindness. And the claim that he mistreated his sister could totally be true!’

‘That’s right, maybe what the people from the Mo family said was all true. Mo Di was jealous of his sister since young and had always schemed against her. This was why they all hated him!’

‘OMG, so does that mean that everyone was fooled all this time and that Mo Di was really the rotten one?!’

Even when there were some that spoke up for Mo Di, their voices were just drowned out by the fans and water army.

‘Mo Di’s fans, stop trying to whitewash him. Mo Di is selfish and disgusting. He tried to harm such a pure and kind sister, what a rotten personality!’

‘He didn’t even know that his sister had depression and even intentionally created conflict! He’s rotten to the core! Be careful of retribution!!!’

‘Die Mo Di! Let’s all curse him to have a horrible death with his limbs ripped off and tongue cut out!’

‘…..’

Ding 

A notification chimed in and a message popped up on WeChat.

Mo Di opened it and found that it was from Mu Tian Heng:

[Don’t worry about the news on the internet. Yang Qi Quan’s account has been traced and the evidence is mostly in hand. Don’t bother yourself with what they posted online either. Call me back whenever you’re free, let’s discuss how to play out the final step beautifully.]

[I know, brother, I’m fine.] Mo Di immediately sent him a reply with a smile pasted on his face.

Zhao Chun saw his expression and eyed Xian Yu Chao anxiously. She whispered, “What to do? Did Xiao Di read those nasty comments online and.. And go bonkers? Why is he still smiling?”

Xian Yu Chao, “No, no, that can’t be…”

Chapter 90

Edited and Proofread by KitKat

“Ok.” Mo Di responded casually. 

They both conversed for over an hour before hanging up.

Mo Di put away his dormant phone and went to brush his teeth.

From the start, Mo Di had not been too concerned about this. Mo Liu Gui’s main focus had been to whitewash herself and discrediting him was deemed secondary. Compared to the others in the Mo family and Qin Cheng Yi, this had been a lot more ‘gentle’ and hadn’t posed a threat to others. And having discussed a complete plan with Mu Tian Heng, Mo Di could now put his mind to rest.

By the time Mo Di tucked into bed, it was twelve midnight. 

He turned off the light and the moment he opened his phone, he saw that the group chat had been flooded with messages. 

Those guys… Were they planning to skip sleep over this?

“Stop chatting, go to sleep.”

The moment he sent the text, Zhao Chun had also sent over several lines of gossip: [Ahhhh let me say this– Mo Liu Gui claiming depression is sucking the blood from other patients with actual depression. Despicable! But then it seems her plan is failing. I didn’t expect someone to actually attack her claim so swiftly. Nicely done!]

Zhang Jie Meng: [I saw her fans insisting that the person is her rival and had wanted to slander her. Many were viciously attacking the poster.] 

Xian Yu Chao: [I saw that too! The words were really harsh! This is just playing out as Sister Chun said. And there’s a bunch of words I don’t understand. It’s not pinyin… Is that some kind of secret code?]

Zhao Chun: [Let your sister explain it to you. NMSL (你妈死了ni ma si le) means your mom is dead and QJSQ (全家死光 quan jia si guang) is your whole family is dead. There are some others even I can’t decipher and I’m not too familiar with this group. These terms are quite popular, there’s a whole word base for them.]

Han Chao: [Is cursing someone else’s parents the new trend in scolding?]

Zhao Chun: [Who knows? Most of them have moral problems anyway.]

…

Mo Di swept through the last few messages before switching over to Weibo.

And sure enough, a new topic had climbed into the top five spots and was only below Mo Liu Gui’s by two places.

‘Mo Liu Gui’s depression is fake’

The post directly aimed at Mo Liu Gui, leaving no room for second-guessing.

It was so straightforward, Mo Di was somewhat surprised.

This rival company was quite brazen.

But this was a good move. Only by going straight for her would it break the momentum she had created and force her to cover up her lies with more lies.

Mo Di entered the link to briefly survey the public opinion.

Currently, the netizens were clearly divided into two camps and were arguing all-out…

‘Her depression is fake? Mo Liu Gui got slapped so soon? This is exciting!’

‘Who’s Mo Liu Gui? Any outstanding work?’

‘There are a lot of people with depression and it’s sad. Using them to gain hype is disgusting! Are you happy now?’

‘The trolls sent by our Little Rose’s rivals, you listen well, how dare you accept money to slander our Liu Gui?!! Have your parents bought their coffins yet?’

‘Looks like our Little Rose has stepped on some bigshot’s tail that they were so quick to blacken her. Aren’t you afraid of retribution? I curse those bad-mouthing Little Rose to have your whole family dead!’

‘Can’t afford to provoke brain-dead fans or they will curse your family to hell. I think the ones who should be worried about retribution are you guys.’

‘If her depression is fake then everything else she said also needs to be overturned. She deliberately mentioned Mo Di, saying how her illness caused her to neglect him and made him leave their family. She was very sad and guilty etc… And since all those are lies, then her intentions are insidious and selfish. She just poured dirty water onto Mo Di so she could show what a kind and wonderful person she is. Turns out, it’s all fake! What a white lotus. Hats off to her!’

‘Damn! If things are as you analyzed… She’s very cunning!!!’

‘It is because of ruthless haters like you that people get depression! You’re jealous of our Little Rose who is born with virtue and grace as well as having talent and wealth! You’re trying to get her depression to relapse!’

‘You claim that Little Rose’s depression is fake, do you have any proof? Anti-fans die die die!’

‘Then is there evidence to prove that she has had depression? She just said she had it so it must be real? The white lotus was just trying to get some hype and slander Mo Di at the same time.’

‘…..’

The debate had gotten lively. Even at 12am the internet world seemed to have reached its highest traffic compared to the last few days.

Since depression was on the rise, people tended to be sensitive with the term and many would not delve deeper into such claims. But with the right cause and reasonable doubt, this hole could be dug and it would only get bigger.

…..

When even the internet was actively discussing this matter, how could the Mo family members not have been aware?

At the wee hours, the whole Mo family, except Mo Er Qian who had departed earlier that day, was gathered into the living room by the patriarch.

Mo Liu Gui’s eyes were red as she dabbed a piece of tissue drenched with tears over her eyes.

Ruan Qing Dan hugged her caringly.

“My silly girl, why didn’t you tell us about this before? Do you want to break my heart?! This is not a minor illness. How could you bear it alone? What if something had gone wrong?!”

“Xiao Gui, are you sure you’ve completely recovered? Do you want grandpa to get you a more qualified doctor?” The Mo Patriarch was heartbroken. He clutched his cane and said, “Don’t think about hiding this matter anymore. If something happens to you, I won’t be able to live with myself.”

The second aunt listened and rolled her eyes.

‘Your son and grandsons were sent to jail and you were fine. Mo Liu Gui only revealed that she used to have depression and you can’t live with yourself? What kind of bias was this?!’

Besides, whether this depression was real nor not, it had yet to be revealed.

“I really did not want to tell you but the host suddenly mentioned about the past, and I … I don’t know what came over me, I just told him everything.” Mo Liu Gui’s eyes flickered with tears. She bit her lower lips and sobbed, “Maybe it was because I couldn’t forgive myself for ignoring Xiao Di. This caused so many misunderstandings between him and everyone, turning our family into this state.”

“Sorry, it was all my fault…” Mo Liu Gui tried to explain while holding in her sobs, “I’m sorry, if I didn’t ignore Xiao Di, he wouldn’t have changed like that. Father, third and fourth brother would still be fine. I’m sorry…”

The eldest aunt twitched her lips but said nothing.

The Mo Patriarch and the other men in the family were distressed upon hearing this. Ruan Qing Dan hugged Mo Liu Gui and cried with her.

“It’s not your fault. My dear daughter, this is really not your fault. You were sick, you shouldn’t have had to care about anything else. He was born selfish, shameless, and unfilial. This is the reason he broke away from us. It was his malicious nature that caused the Mo family to fall apart. This has nothing to do with you not caring about him. And how could you even say that you did not care for him? You’ve always been kind to him and treated him right!”

“If someone has to be blamed, it should be me. I shouldn’t have given birth to him. I should have gotten rid of him the moment he was born.” Ruan Qing Dan broke down and cried softly- a split image of a middle-aged Mo Liu Gui. “It’s my fault, I’m to blame…”

“In the beginning, your father wanted to throw him away because he robbed you of nutrients even before you were born. It was an omen that he was a bad seed. I didn’t agree at the time and now, I’ve helped to raise a rotten being. Grandpa is to be blamed.”

The Mo Patriarch sighed, “Xiao Gui, don’t blame yourself. This is not your fault at all. If you’re depressed because of this then it’s all my fault. I’ve sinned!”

“That’s right Xiao Gui. You were sick, why should you even care about that Mo Di?” Mo Wu Hang punched the sofa in anger.

Lately, nothing had been going his way and he had been holding in a lot of anger. The company he signed with was determined to shelve him, leaving him with no work for two months. When he went to ask the upper management to give him justice, they said that he breached the contract first by sullying his reputation. Currently, no company would want to hire him!

Whenever he saw his own face in the reflection, he couldn’t help but feel resentment. There were times when he remembered that he had ended up this way because of Xiao Gui and a certain sense of dislike sprouted in his heart. This had further caused him to feel guilty for blaming his kind and beautiful sister!

But the feeling kept surging whenever he thought of his ruined future. Going back and forth with his guilt became a heavy burden on his psyche. He was a bomb waiting to explode.

“That animal is a scourge. We should’ve killed him a long time ago. Burned him and thrown his ashes in the dump. Mu Tian Heng is the same! They’re all trash! And all those people on the internet! They should go to hell!”

Mo Wu Hang cursed to elevate the built-up frustration in his heart.

“Those people dared to question Xiao Gui’s depression. A bunch of black-hearted lowlives. Wretched bunch of people!”

Mo Wu Hang then smashed the cup in his hand and it made a loud shattering noise.

“Xiao Hang?!” Seeing Mo Wu Hang’s depraved expression, the second aunt skittishly asked, “Xiao Hang, are you alright? Don’t scare me like that!”

“… I, I’m fine!”

“Fifth brother… Don’t be angry. I’m fine, I’m really fine,” Mo Liu Gui sobbed while raising her hand to wipe her eyes brimming with tears.

Suddenly, a ringing tone disturbed their interaction. 

It was Mo Liu Gui’s phone. 

She looked at it and shed more tears but did not answer.

Ruan Qing Dan saw the caller ID and said, “Xiao Gui, why didn’t you answer Cheng Yi’s call? He’s a good person and treats you well. Did you guys have a fight?”

“No, we’re not fighting. It’s just … it’s just I don’t want to talk to him at the moment. I don’t know what to say to him.” Mo Liu Gui started choking up again, “Cheng Yi must’ve seen what they were saying on the internet. I don’t know how to explain to him because I really don’t have the medical record. I didn’t think too much at that time and also, I was afraid that everyone would be worried if you happened to find it, so I kept it in my school locker. Later when I got well, I just threw it out. What if Cheng Yi also thinks that I …”

“How’s that possible, silly girl. Cheng Yi that boy had always liked you very much and he always dotes on you, how could he not trust you?” Ruan Qing Dan picked up the phone, “Go on, talk to him.”

“I don’t want to. I don’t know what to say and I don’t want to get him involved in this.” Mo Liu Gui grabbed the phone from Ruan Qing Dan but ended up accepting the call instead.

“Xiao Gui,” Qin Cheng Yi’s voice was heard over the phone.

Mo Liu Gui was startled and seemed to be at a loss for words. She stood up and ran out of the living room crying.

“Xiao Gui, Xiao Gui?!!” Ruan Qing Dan saw her baby girl run out of the room and called after her but to no avail. She could only answer the phone on her behalf, “Oh Cheng Yi, Xiao Gui already left.”

“Auntie?” Qin Cheng Yi changed his tone, “What happened to Xiao Gui? Did she refuse to talk to me?”

“No, no, of course not. Xiao Gui, she’s just…” Ruan Qing Dan sighed, “Xiao Gui, she doesn’t know how to face you. This child is just too simple and proud, she doesn’t want to ask anyone for favors. Have you seen how they slandered her on the internet?”

“I’ve seen it,” Qin Cheng Yi replied in a low voice. He was obviously suppressing his anger.

“Ai, Xiao Gui, she always thinks of others first. She wholeheartedly dedicated herself to her family members. She did not want us to worry so she hid her illness from us. And fearing that we would find out, she threw away her medical record. She always put her family and that Mo Di first and now she was being ostracized for it.”

Ruan Qing Dan partly sobbed and said, “Xiao Gui, she doesn’t know how to face you so she ran away. Cheng Yi, don’t blame her, she’s too naive and not good with words. Seeing her having to endure that harsh slandering on the internet, I, as her mother couldn’t help but feel distressed…”

“Auntie, how could I blame her? I’m fully aware of Xiao Gui’s personality. You don’t have to worry about those accusations on the internet either. I will find a way to solve it. Those who dare harm Xiao Gui- from Mo Di to those internet peasants, I won’t let them off.”

“Ai, that’s good. With your help, I can rest assured. Xiao Gui is just too forgiving and kind, I’m just worried that she was going to have to bear the brunt without fighting back.” Ruan Qing Dan sighed with relief, “She also said that she did not want to drag you into this.”

“Auntie, in the future, you can call me if anything happens to Xiao Gui,” Qin Cheng Yi said gravely, “Xiao Gui is too kind, she refuses to deal with those scums but I’m not, I will teach them a lesson on her behalf.”

“…”

The internet was still discussing heatedly. Mo Di observed it for a while before going to bed.

The next day, Mo Di continued to code according to the work schedule. At noon break, he took some time off to sneak into the dark web.

He had discussed this with Mu Tian Heng– they would split up the work monitoring Qin Cheng Yi and Mo Liu Gui for higher efficiency.

Mo Di first checked on Qin Cheng Yi’s confidants, especially the family doctors he knew who had been working for them in his previous life.

There were three doctors who would eventually gain the Qin family’s trust in several years.

If Qin Cheng Yi wanted to produce a fake medical report for Mo Liu Gui, the doctor he would choose had to be an expert in the field, and most importantly, someone he could control. Additionally, the person wouldn’t have to be under the Qin family’s employment, otherwise, when this matter was dug up, they could be charged with fraud.

So the perfect candidate had to be someone not currently working for the Qin family but had some sort of affiliation with them and a weakness Qin Cheng Yi could take advantage of.

In his previous life, the three people who certified him as a mental case were Mo Er Qian and two other doctors, Yang Qi Quan and Sun Cheng Xing.

And according to his investigation today, both these doctors were not currently employed by the Qin family. One was working in The First Hospital and the other in Harmony Hospital. Qin Cheng Yi would most likely select one of them to do his bidding.

Mo Di sent what he found to Mu Tian Heng but only told him that he thought they were suspicious due to their connections with the Qin family.

Mu Tian Heng then immediately ordered someone to tail them. At the same time, he also had Li Cheng and the others do a thorough background check on those two.

A day later, Mu Tian Heng received an important tip from one of his subordinates monitoring Yang Qi Quan– The Qin family had sent someone to meet with Yang Qi Quan and after that, Yang Qi Quan had posted anonymously on an online forum boasting that the four bedrooms and two living rooms house that he had been paying the loan for for the past two years had already been paid off.

Chapter 89

Edited and Proofread by KitKat

“Xiao Di, what plan do you have in mind?” Zhao Chun was the most enthusiastic. She pulled off the dried face mask and said, “This is very difficult to disprove. Why do you think all those celebrities kept claiming to have depression whenever their scandals were leaked?”

“That’s right. Depression is a difficult illness to refute…” Zhang Jie Meng advised him with care, “And if you don’t have ironclad proof when discrediting her claim, it could come back to bite you. Even if there are those who believe you, the majority will still side with her. Depression is quite controversial and claiming to have it is almost equivalent to winning.”

The others also cast Mo Di a worried look.

They were not very smart and all they could do was show some concern.

“It’ll be ok. Don’t worry. Although I don’t have a plan in mind yet, I still believe that the truth will always prevail.” Mo Di smiled, “Alright, if there’s nothing else, you all should wash up and get some rest. It’s late and we’ll officially be resuming work again tomorrow.”

They looked at each other and said nothing. 

Mo Di waved at them then retreated back to his room and locked the door.

Turning around, his face completely changed. 

Mo Liu Gui’s move this time was indeed troublesome and to be frank, it was quite distasteful.

It seemed Mo Liu Gui was prepared to deal with him head-on.

Before, when she approached Ye Cheng Feng to have the rules of the game competition changed, Mo Di suspected that she was also reborn. And later when she accidentally let slip a few more clues, his suspicion only grew. But then she was inadequate in dealing with a lot of things for someone with the knowledge of rebirth, and so Mo Di conjectured that Mo Liu Gui was not reborn but for some reason, she was gradually getting back the memories of their previous life.

But regardless of whether she was reborn or was getting her memories back, it was unquestionable that she knew he had taken a different path in this life.

Mo Liu Gui probably deduced that he was the same as her, either reborn or was remembering things from their previous life.

And her response to this? 

There was no guilt, no intent to compensate nor seek peace but to once again stigmatize him and make him suffer?

He really wanted to know what she was thinking.

Was she unhappy that he dared to go against his original fate? Or, that by doing so, he changed the trajectory of the world, sending her goons to prison and gravely altering her perfect life? Was this why she resented him and decided to destroy him after all?

But what did she expect? Him to stay as her brother so she can display her kindness while letting her admirers destroy him? Was he supposed to obediently wait and relive everything that happened? Did he have to be ignored, abused, tortured, and eventually die in a place where no one cared just so she could use him as the stepping stone to perfect her life?

What a joke. Mo Di sneered.

He went to turn on the faucet and washed his face.

Truthfully, this was actually nothing. In his previous life, even when she did not directly jab at him, he would still be abused. So now that she had shown her true colors, he could easily accept it.

After washing his face, he was more clear-headed. He took out his phone to call Mu Tian Heng.

Beep beep

The line was engaged.

Mo Di hung up and dialed again after waiting for a minute.

Beep beep

It was still busy.

Mo Di sulked. He put the phone aside and decided to wash up first but as soon as he reached for the toothbrush, the phone rang.

It was from Mu Tian Heng.

“Hello?” Mo Di immediately answered the call, “Brother.”

Mu Tian Heng’s voice was heard through the phone, “I just called you but the phone was busy. Who were you talking to this late?” 

“I wasn’t talking to anyone. I was calling you earlier but your line was also busy so I hung up.”

Mu Tian Heng’s voice warmed up but his tone was somewhat tense, “You’re calling me for a reason, right?”

“En… You’re right.” Mo Di hesitated slightly, not knowing what to say.

Before he could say anything else, Mu Tian Heng started, “Is it regarding the interview with Mo Liu Gui?”

“Brother, you know about that?!” Mo Di was genuinely surprised.

“I do. I have a solution for this, you don’t have to worry.”

Mu Tian Heng’s voice was soothing as he comforted him but Mo Di could still hear that he was unhappy. He considered his words and said, “Brother, this matter currently has no effect on me. There’s nothing they can do to me offline either so you don’t have to worry about me.”

“And I believe that the truth will always surface eventually. Mo Liu Gui dared to claim that she had depression; I’m sure there are those who would dare to question her.” Mo Di calmly deduced, “This would then force her to find ways to counter their accusations. And the more she lies, the more likely her lies would eventually fall apart.”

Mo Di spoke as he exited the bathroom and pulled down the window curtain.

Mo Di could tell Mu Tian Heng not to worry about him but he would never say that he was ok with this; even more unlikely so that he would forgive Mo Liu Gui. 

He was not a saint. In fact, he was someone that would bear a grudge. He believed in ‘an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.’ As long as Mo Liu Gui and her followers tried to cause him harm, he would retaliate mercilessly, and many times more brutal than they would have been.

Since his rebirth, the words ‘innocent and forgiving’ were long lost to him. His ultimate goal was to make sure that those people got what they deserved.

His only concern was Mu Tian Heng’s opinion of him. He once feared that Mu Tian Heng would find him too heartless but now, he could tell that Mu Tian Heng was obviously not that kind of person. And so, he had cast this thought aside and concentrated on being his true self.

…..

Sure enough, Mu Tian Heng never felt that Mo Di was being heartless for wanting to exact revenge on those who harmed him. 

The term ‘repaying grievances with virtues’ had always been a remote concept to him. He had never shown mercy to those who dared to harm the ones he cared for.

In fact, before calling Mo Di, he had already ordered Assistant Gao to make certain arrangements.

“You’re absolutely right. The crucial first step is to have someone question the authenticity of her claim.” Mu Tian Heng began to discuss with Mo Di, “But this question has to be done at the right time and in an irrefutable manner. It also has to be loud enough to break off Mo Liu Gui’s momentum.”

“…En, is that so?” Mo Di unknowingly nodded to the phone, “That means it would be unreliable to wait for public opinion to turn by itself. I’m considering contacting Mo Liu Gui’s rival anonymously or personally ‘manipulate’ the public opinion…”

“You don’t have to worry about this,” Mu Tian Heng said, “I’ve asked Assistant Gao to contact Pang Shi Entertainment Group. They are rivals with Mo Liu Gui’s current management company. A few of their newcomers debuted at the same time as Mo Liu Gui. They won’t hold back once they get wind of Mo Liu Gui’s made up depression.”

“You’ve done that?!” Mo Di did not expect Mu Tian Heng to move so promptly.

“En, we’ll be able to see the results soon enough.” Mu Tian Heng deepened his voice and asked, “Little one, what do you think they will do next?”

“They? You mean Mo Liu Gui and Qin Cheng Yi?” Mo Di analyzed and said, “According to Mo Liu Gui’s character, she would cry first, then act all miserable. When those two routines do not work, she would then run to the Mo family and Qin Cheng Yi for help. So the person we’ll actually be dealing with next would be Qin Cheng Yi… As for Mo Liu Gui, she would sit back and watch them solve the problem for her while she continues to manipulate them and act innocent.”

“And with Qin Cheng Yi’s rotten personality…” Mo Di snorted unfeelingly, “I’m eighty percent certain he will find a way to produce a medical report for her. And to further strengthen her lie, he would bribe a few of her high school classmates to be her witnesses, all while having the water army control public opinion from the shadows.”

“If this is how he plans to play it out, Qin Cheng Yi will have to find a doctor he has control over to prove Mo Liu Gui’s depression.” Mu Tian Heng raised his eyebrows delightfully and said, “Let me handle the Qin family. I’ll have someone monitor their movements.”

Chapter 88

Edited and Proofread by KitKat

“Nothing! Really! We weren’t doing anything! Really!” Chen Zhao swallowed his saliva and laughed, “Haha, what can just the few of us do?”

“They were probably watching some internet videos.” Zhao Chun was leaning against the door and massaging her face. She put a facial mask on and continued, “I just happened to hear something about a variety show and the mention of a certain Mo family.”

Mo Di’s eyes slightly changed. He asked with a firm expression, “Tell me what’s going on?”

“I, I…. I have nothing to do with it!”

Xian Yu Chao snuck behind Lin Jun Feng and stammered, “I, I, I don’t know anything! I’m innocent!”

Pang Qiang Lang glanced at Lin Jun Feng and realized he would not be able to fit behind him anymore and looked around for another spot to hide.

Lin Jun Feng was turning green. He grabbed both Chen Zhao and Xian Yu Chao and pushed them to the front, “Shoo, shoo, shoo, how the heck are you two innocent?!”

Han Chao, who was the most mature amongst them decided to be their spokesperson to clear up the air, “Xiao Di, about this, let me explain.”

The others stayed as quiet and still as a statue.

Mo Di frowned, “Go ahead.”

Han Chao fidgeted and said with a little hesitation, “It started when we went for a stroll this morning and overheard a couple talking. The man was saying something about a special online interview that would feature a well-received new actress. He even said the actress was so popular that she might help boost the program’s ratings.”

“En. And?”

“The person also said that there will be a lucky draw event and the winner will be able to get the actress’s signed photograph, and it’s a never before shown photo.”

Han Chao was becoming increasingly embarrassed. 

Wanting to save Han Chao from his predicament, Pang Qiang Lang stepped in, “It’s Xian Yu Chao who wanted the photo! He’s the one who went over to ask about the show.”

“Who said I wanted the photo?! It was curiosity! I was just curious!” Xian Yu Chao stuck out his neck.

Pang Qiang Lang ignored him. “The man told us the name of the program but no one knew who the guest would be. This was to give the audience and fans a surprise. Her name would only be announced two hours before the broadcast.”

“Yes, it was the Salted Fish who went to ask about the show! After coming back, he camped in front of the computer until eight-thirty when they revealed the name of the special guest… Turns out, that person was Mo Liu Gui!”

“Xian Yu Chao told us about this and we had a discussion… We decided to watch it for a bit…” Chen Zhao continued timidly, “That’s what happened.”

“En, the interview lasted thirty minutes. We watched it till the end and that’s when you came back,” Han Chao added.

“So… That’s all there is to this?”

Mo Di was at a loss for words. Although he hated that the people around him were blindly addicted to Mo Liu Gui in his previous life, he had absolute trust in his friends in this life. He believed that they would not be smitten with Mo Liu Gui and stab him in the back. It was just watching an interview, did they have to be so scared of him knowing?

“You were all trying to hide this? Am I such a tyrant? It was just watching a video, you guys acted like you just committed a crime.”

“But… But we really did not want you to see or know about this interview.” Han Chao sighed and decided to be frank, “Because this interview is a little troubling. We did not want you to be unhappy that’s why we were all flustered and tried to hide it from you.”

“What’s wrong with it? She couldn’t possibly have mentioned me in her interview, could she?”

Mo Di had his doubts and asked calmly, “What did she say in the interview?”

“The whole interview was focused on promoting her movie and TV series but at the end, there was a short interaction between her and the host,” Han Chao paused, licked his lips then continued, “When she was asked what gave her the deepest impression during childhood, she said it was you. And…” 

“And also that she had suffered from depression before.”

Chen Zhao couldn’t help but say, “She must’ve done it on purpose! She’s trying to make you look bad and gain sympathy from the public.”

“Depression?”

Mo Di only thought that it was a ridiculous claim. How did she even think to come up with that?

“Mo Liu Gui said that she had depression before?”

“She said that it was last year during her third year of high school that she had severe depression. She had also kept quiet because she did not want her family to worry and had been determined to overcome it alone. It was because of that that she could not look after you better. That in turn caused the misunderstandings between you and everyone else in the family to reach an irreconcilable stage. She blamed herself for this, for not being able to take care of you and caused you to turn away from family…”

Zhao Chun who was standing at the door scoffed loudly. 

“Gosh, she obviously just wanted to use Xiao Di as a scapegoat. The host asked her about her childhood and she talked about last year? Wasn’t she already sixteen or seventeen last year? The hell that’s called childhood.”

Zhao Chun was so irritated that she had to fan herself with her hand, “Isn’t she a little drama queen? Claiming to have depression, is there even a medical certificate?”

Han Chao: “Not at the moment.”

“En, without a medical certificate, and yet she claimed to have severe depression. She even tried to show how considerate she was for not telling her family and decided to go through the pain alone. Ok, what a considerate girl but at the same time she had to mention Xiao Di? By saying that she could not care for him during her times of hardship which caused those misunderstandings was simply implying that Xiao Di was ignorant of her illness. Just because she did not care for him, he became insensitive and difficult which eventually caused everything that happened. Was she trying to flip what they did to him just because of some stupid claim like this? Hmph! I’m so mad!”

“Of course I know that’s not what happened, I’m just analyzing here.” Zhao Chun saw Mo Di looking at her attentively and immediately stated her allegiance, “I’m one hundred percent on your side! Sister Chun can clearly see her little tricks. She’s nothing… Ah my mask!”

Zhao Chun’s facial mask dropped on the floor, causing her to suddenly scream.

Zhang Jie Meng came from behind her and casually said, “You’ve had it on for twenty minutes already, it’s about time to take it off.”

“But this one’s super expensive! I have to use it for thirty minutes to get my money’s worth!” Zhao Chun bent down and picked up the mask, “It’s under seven seconds, it’s fine, it’s fine, bacteria haven’t gotten to it yet.”

Zhang Jie Meng: “…”

“Sister Chun is right!” Xian Yu Chao slammed his palm on the table.

He felt something odd about Mo Liu Gui’s speech before but he did not understand what it was, only that it made him feel uneasy. Now that Zhao Chun had analyzed things for him, his mind was finally unclogged.

Han Chao had a worried look, “Xiao Di, what should we do about this?”

There was not much change in Mo Di’s expression. He took out his phone and looked at the hot search.

Sure enough, the topic ‘Mo Liu Gui Severe Depression’ was in the fortieth position but after a refresh, it had jumped to the twentieth place. 

At this pace, it would not take long for it to reach the top five.

Mo Di entered the thread that currently only had a little over ten comments. 

Some of the comments praised her while discrediting him. The tone sounded neutral but the context was very persuasive and consistent. Clearly, this was done by a very experienced group of water armies.

‘My heart goes out to her. Such a kind and beautiful girl being blamed by everyone for so long. There is too much malice in this world and it’s always aimed at good people.’

‘Such heartache! My Liu Gui is so kind-hearted and sensible. She had severe depression and yet she still cared for others. I feel so distressed for her. Little Rose, can you stop worrying about others and take better care of yourself? Don’t always put others first, some people are not worth it. Heartache, heartache!’

‘Little Rose is just too perfect, understanding, and kind. She’s the most perfect girl I’ve ever known. That younger brother of hers is a bit disgusting and selfish.’

‘My heart aches!’

‘I’m too sad for her! Little sister, don’t be scared, I’ll protect you!’

‘Isn’t Mo Liu Gui the white lotus from before who’s very good with pretending? What now? Trying to whitewash? Does she think that no one would remember this?’

‘Upstairs is a troll! Your mom is dead!’

‘She’s not a white lotus. Get lost troll!’

‘I didn’t know that Mo Liu Gui is such a beauty with a big heart, I’m a passerby turning into a fan.’

‘Where is the medical report? People can’t just casually claim to have depression to gain publicity ok? This is stepping on patients with real depression just to get some sort of hype!’

‘The anti-fans are back. How could you so mean to a girl that suffered from severe depression? Heartless! Beware of retribution!’

‘In comparison, Mo Di is quite selfish and disgusting…’

‘It’s depression, poor thing, hug hug. Things will get better, we support you.’

‘….’

“Xiao Di?” Seeing Mo Di still engrossed with his phone, Han Chao called out to him, “Are you ok? You don’t have to think too much about this. She’s just trying to whitewash, everyone who has eyes can see that. The internet has memories.”

“No no no, Brother Han, you can’t underestimate the power of these publicity stunts and the ability of the water army. Once they have enough funding and a manuscript, the internet is their home ground. Things on the internet may be eternal but people’s memories aren’t. You’ve heard of Xu Chen Rong?” Zhao Chun babbled away.

“I know,” Chen Zhao nodded, “The renowned goddess who’s still captivating even in her forties. She’s super elegant.”

“That’s her. Did you know that she once hit someone while driving drunk? When she was caught by the traffic police, she attacked them and later accused them of sexually harassing her.”

“!!!” Chen Zhao: “I did not know that!”

“See, you didn’t even know about that,” Zhai Chun sighed, “So what if it stayed on the internet? It’s the netizens’ memories that move on too easily. If Mo Liu Gui wanted to whitewash herself by pulling Xiao Di down, we have to retaliate in time or she will win this one.”

Mo Di finally logged off his Weibo.

He looked at the group and said, “Yes, the netizens do tend to forget things quickly. Even the water army and the ignorant passersby who are scolding me would probably have forgotten about me in a month or so.”

“Xiao Di?”

Chen Zhao frowned, “That won’t do. Don’t you want to clarify? You’re too magnanimous, you shouldn’t be made to play the scapegoat!”

“I never said that I was going to sit still.”

Mo Di had a smirk on his face, “A face slap should be done at the right time, otherwise, it won’t hurt where it counts.”

Chapter 87

Edited and Proofread by KitKat

This past year was the happiest Mo Di had ever felt in two lifetimes.

There was no abuse, insult or isolation. Every minute and every second could make him smile unconditionally.

“Brother, I want to pitch in.”

Mo Di and Mu Tian Heng had been idle until the evening when they decided to roll up their sleeves and prepare a New Year’s Eve dinner.

Mu Tian Heng looked at Mo Di who had been following behind him like a tail and smiled. He gently pinched the soft cheek that was too enticing to the touch.

“Alright, but I don’t think we should make too much. Six dishes for the three of us should be ok.”

“Will that be enough? Let’s add two more.” Mo Di had always wanted to have a New Year’s Eve dinner with a tableful of food for everyone, he would get a little sense of happiness from seeing the array of different dishes. “Two appetizers, six main dishes, and a soup, how’s that?”

“Alright.” Mu Tian Heng rubbed Mo Di’s hair lovingly, “But let’s not make it too complicated. Let’s make something that we both can finish within an hour.”

“En!” Mo Di nodded excitedly.

At this time, Lai De Si popped his head up and said with a sly smile, “I won’t disturb you guys in your own personal world of two. I’ll bring Suan Suan out for a walk and wait for you to finish…”

“Come here and wash the vegetables.” Mu Tian Heng cut him off and gave him a commanding stare, “Don’t even try to skip work, or else you’ll also be dining with Suan Suan for dinner while looking at us eat.”

“Ai!” Lai De Si howled, “I just wanted to give you two some alone time!”

“Cut your excuses and get to work. We’ll be eating in an hour’s time.” Mu Tian Heng threw a bag of potatoes at him, “My Mo Di is eleven years your junior, how could you have the decency to sit around while he cooks for you?” 

Lai De Si did not argue anymore, “…” Fine, that does sound reasonable.

Their New Year dinner was rich in flavors and variety. Mo Di showed off his skills with a few high-level dishes. There was a roiled spicy fish head, boiled fish fillet, grilled ribs with garlic, baked shrimps with cheese, fried lettuce, to name a few.

Lai De Si was drooling at the wide selection of dishes with attractive colors and fragrances.

“This smells too good!” Lai De Si swallowed his saliva but did not dig in. Instead, he separated the dishes and snapped a photo for each of them.

Even when Mo Di reached out to pour himself a bowl of soup, he was stopped by Lai De Si. “Wait, Xiao Di, don’t stick your hand out. Let me finish taking photos then you can eat.”

Mo Di: “…”

Mu Tian Heng came up from behind him and snatched the phone from his hand. He then threw it directly on the sofa behind.

“AH!!!”

Lai De Si wailed and ran to save his phone. 

“Mu Tian Heng you animal! I’m not done yet!!!”

Mu Tian Heng ignored him and went straight to Mo Di. “You wanted some soup? I’ll get it for you. Eat something else first.”

Mo Di looked at Lai De Si and couldn’t help whispering to Mu Tian Heng, “Brother, I think something is wrong with Lai De Si. Usually, he would be the first to move his chopsticks…”

“He’s pretending to be courteous. Don’t mind him.” Mu Tian Heng rubbed Mo Di’s hair and placed a bowl of soup in front of him.

The minute Mu Tian Heng stopped talking, they both heard Lai De Si’s polite and mellowed voice from behind, “En, that’s right, Xiao Di cooked most of the dishes. That Mu guy only made two. I also helped. The cleaning and cutting vegetables were all me… Hehehe, if you want you can come to eat with us, you’re always welcome here… Oh your favorite dish is broiled spicy fish head? Mine too, it’s my favorite dish as well. I’m preparing to learn it from Xiao Di, hehehe…”

Mo Di: “…”

So this was all for uncle Song to see.

He should have known that Lai De Si would be different since uncle Song had agreed to add him to his friends list. It was obviously still winter but it was as though spring had come for Lai De Si.

“If you’re not eating then we’ll be starting without you,” Mu Tian Heng looked at Lai De Si’s radiant face and said.

“Eat, of course I’m eating.” Lai De Si put his phone away and came over, “Xiao Yu has gone to eat so I’ll be eating too.”

Mo Di was speechless. If uncle Song was not going to eat, was Lai De Si going to starve himself?

Mu Tian Heng took out a bottle of champagne and poured Mo Di half a glass. The crystal clear golden liquid rippled in the wine glass. 

“The alcohol content is very low.” Mu Tian Heng handed Mo Di the glass, “You should have a sip but take some vegetables first.”

Mo Di took a small sip and blinked with satisfaction, “It’s sweet.”

Mu Tian Heng gleefully pinched his cheek. It seemed that after their little intimate episode in the morning, the ‘beast in sheep’s clothing’ Mu Tian Heng had gained another interest– to pinch the cheek of his little one.

Lai De Si said bitterly, “Beast.” 

Mu Tian Heng cast him a smile and said, “This is something you can only dream of as a single dog. I don’t think you’ll have a chance to do this anytime soon.”

“!” Lai De Si received a critical hit.

“Ha ha. Brother, have some vegetables.” Mo Di picked some vegetables for Mu Tian Heng. At the same time, he gave Lai De Si a comforting pat on the back.

After which, Mo Di went to the living room and tuned in to the Spring Festival Gala on the television.

Soon, they were entertained by the festive music and performances on screen. In an era when the New Year had gradually lost its traditional flair, the Spring Gala had yet remained the most extravagant event.

From a neutral standpoint, Mo Di thought that many of the performances were pretty outstanding, much unlike the general criticisms from the audience. 

This time was enjoyed with good food, conversation, and entertainment. It took the three of them two hours to empty every dish on the table. 

Lai De Si was dissatisfied as he could still eat a lot more.

Mu Tian Heng also felt barely full. Maybe because Mo Di’s craftsmanship was so delectable, he could consume any amount and still be left wanting more.

And Mo Di felt a sense of accomplishment that the eight dishes were cleanly devoured. He walked to Mu Tian Heng and grabbed his arm, “Brother, shall we make dumplings later?”

“Dumplings?!” Lai De Si’s ears stretched and he immediately jumped towards Mo Di, “Great! I want some too!”

Mu Tian Heng had finished putting the dirty dishes into the dishwasher and looked at the time while washing his hands, “It’s already eleven, will it be too late by the time we finish? Let’s do it tomorrow.” 

In fact, Mu Tian Heng just did not want to tire Mo Di.

“It won’t be that late.” Mo Di took out the meat from the refrigerator that the housekeeper had prepared for them yesterday and said, “Let’s grind this with the mixer and add in the seasoning in the process as well. We have a noodle machine which can help us make the dumpling wrappers easily.”

“The mixer can grind meat?” Mu Tian Heng did not know this.

“If we change the blade.” Mo Di opened the kitchen cabinet and said, “I saw the housekeeper do it before. Once the stuffing and dough are done, all we have to do is wrap the dumplings, it shouldn’t take too long. Since it’s a custom to observe the countdown on New Year’s eve, we can eat the dumplings while welcoming the New Year. This is also the sign of an auspicious year.”

“Then you have to teach me as well. I want to be able to make it for my family back in America.”

Mu Tian Heng wanted an excuse to help because he did not want Mo Di to do this alone.

“Great! I’ll teach you!” Mo Di did not think much. He only knew that he wanted to spend more time with Mu Tian Heng. Even if all they did was add the seasoning and wrap the dumplings, it was still a treasurable moment!

Lai De Si was the happiest.

‘Hehehe… More good food is coming!’ And he could even learn to make it for Xiao Yu next time!

After the dumplings were cooked, the three had a wonderful meal while watching the Spring Gala come to an end.

“This is the last act.” Mo Di looked at the clock on the table and said, “Brother, it’s almost one, time to go to bed.”

“Let Lai De Si deal with dishes. Don’t go easy on him.” Mu Tian Heng grabbed Mo Di and lifted him up.

“Ah!” Mo Di was taken by surprise. When he settled down, he was already riding on Mu Tian Heng’s abs. He bent down and kissed Mu Tian Heng on the cheek.

Mu Tian Heng’s chest quivered with pleasure. He shifted Mo Di to one side and looked at him with tender affections. “It’s bedtime, I’ll send you back to your room.”

Mo Di’s ears were all red but he still nodded, “Hmm!”

Lai De Si watched them with a sour look. He bitterly took the dirty dishes and brought them to the dishwasher in the kitchen, then quickly opened his phone to text Song Yu.

He also had someone ok!

Although … Although that person still had not accepted him.

The next day, Mo Di slept till eight in the morning. Afterwhich, Mu Tian Heng brought him out to play. They climbed the Great Wall, visited the Forbidden City and Fragrant Hills, had a big meal, went to the movies– they spent the whole day sweetly entangled together.

On the second day of the New Year, Mu Tian Heng once again brought Mo Di out to have fun in the morning but they returned by noon. The two then spent some quiet time chatting and reading on the large marbled terrace.

The heating in the room was perfectly comfortable and on the thick cashmere carpets Mo Di laid in Mu Tian Heng’s embrace while they talked and kissed.

The sunshine was vibrant.

As was the happiness that could melt his heart.

….

But the good times were always destined to be short.

The three days of break were over in the blink of an eye and Mo Di had to return to the base that night.

Mu Tian Heng personally drove Mo Di who was sighing with a dull look.

Mu Tian Heng was just as reluctant to part with him. He pinched Mo Di’s cheek and comforted him, “Cheer up. You have the semi-finals coming and after that, everything should be over in less than two months. Think about the championship and benefits you’re going to get from it. Your company can definitely get a boost from winning this competition. Just concentrate on this and you’ll be happy.”

“Hmm, the thought does make me feel happy.” Mo Di nodded.

Mu Tian Heng gently patted his head then rested his hand on Mo Di’s neck, “Good boy.”

When Mo Di got back, he found that the group had gathered in front of the computer screen watching and discussing something.

Having heard the sound of footsteps, Chen Zhao turned and the moment he saw Mo Di, his face changed and he almost jumped up from his seat.

“Ah! Xiao, Xiao Di, you’re back!”

“What are you guys up to?” Mo Di frowned. Chen Zhao’s reaction was clearly spelled that something was up.

The others heard Chen Zhao’s words and they all stood up in a hurry. They said while fumbling with their words, “Xiao Di, you… You’re back already.”

Mo Di’s suspicion increased. He walked towards them and inquired, “What exactly are you guys doing?”

“Haha, that, we, we’re just watching a variety show.” Xian Yu Chao forced a smile while turning off his computer.

“What variety show?”

Pang Qian Lang: “Just, just a short documentary?”

“Right… That’s right, a documentary!” Lin Jun Feng echoed.

Han Chao couldn’t bear to look at the two bumbling idiots and covered his face.

“Why are you watching a documentary at this time?” Mo Di became serious and looked at them sternly, “Quickly tell me the truth! What were you doing just now?”

Chapter 86

Proofread and Edited by KitKat

Back home, Mo Di took a bath and had a good night’s sleep all the way to the morning of New Year’s Eve.

Early that morning, Mo Di heard the festive sound of firecrackers and felt nostalgic for the long-forgotten New Year atmosphere. He was about to open his curtain and look outside when he was struck with a thought – weren’t firecrackers banned a long time ago?!

He got out of bed, put on his slippers and left his room. Right outside his door, he saw Mu Tian Heng standing by the living room table with a plate of freshly baked butter toast in his hand.

The rich aroma and the steam made him feel like he had just entered a bakery.

Mo Di was deeply entranced. He smiled sweetly and a little dimple appeared on his cheek.

Mu Tian Heng saw him and smiled back. He placed the toast on the table and went to him, “It’s still early, why don’t you sleep some more?”

“It’s already half-past seven.” Mo Di looked around and asked, “Brother, did you set off firecrackers?”

“No. A friend heard I was celebrating the Lunar New Year here and sent me an audio file which I did not expect to be so loud.” Mu Tian Heng rubbed Mo Di’s hair, “Did I wake you?”

“No, I was already up,” Mo Di replied. He grabbed Mu Tian Heng’s hand off his head and said softly, “Brother, don’t rub anymore, it’s already messy.”

Mu Tian Heng only laughed at his little complaint. He lifted Mo Di and positioned him on his waist.

“How about I let you mess with my hair as well?”

Mo Di was startled when he was suddenly lifted off his feet, but when he realized that he was being carried by Mu Tian Heng, his face turned red instantly.

“Brother!”

“How’s the view from a higher vantage?”

Mu Tian Heng gently bumped Mo Di up and Mo Di wrapped his legs around those strong abdominal muscles. With one hand on Mo Di’s thigh and the other supporting his waist, he looked at him and said, “This is a good chance for you to take your revenge, are you sure you don’t want to do it?”

Mo Di wrapped his hands around Mu Tian Heng’s shoulders and lowered his head. He gazed deep into those eyes that seemed to be sucking him in and his ears turned red.

“I… I never said I wanted to mess up your hair.” Mo Di’s heart was pounding. In Mu Tian Heng’s eyes he saw a brilliance that was filled with tenderness and affection. He averted his eyes and avoided Mu Tian Heng’s gaze.

“You’re being soft on me?” Mu Tian Heng’s eyes were getting darker. He went over to the dining table and gently placed Mo Di on it. With his hands on both sides of Mo Di, he looked into his eyes and said, “Did you miss me the past few days?”

“Yes,” Mo Di answered without even having to think. “I miss you every day.”

“I miss my little Mo Di too,” Mu Tian Heng’s left hand slid over Mo Di’s hand and his right hand delicately stroked the back of Mo Di’s head. He leaned in and kissed him on the lips.

“Brother misses you every day. I miss having dinner with you. I miss being able to hold you whenever I want. I miss having you in my arms.”

In between his words, Mu Tian Heng kissed Mo Di’s forehead, eyes, cheeks, nose tip, and finally landed on his lips. “Good thing that you’re on vacation and that game competition can’t take you away from me.”

“Brother…”

Mu Tian Heng’s alluring and magnetic voice rang through his head, giving Mo Di a fever that would not come down. All of a sudden, Mo Di found great courage and put his arms around Mu Tian Heng’s neck. He whispered softly, “I miss you too” then tilted his head and planted a kiss on Mu Tian Heng’s Adam’s apple.

… He even lingered the tip of his tongue over the most prominent part of the node.

“I missed you very much.”

“!” Mu Tian Heng was too stunned to move but his eyes turned a shade darker.

“… Little one, after today, you’ll be nineteen in nominal years.”

“…Ha?”

Mo Di was bewildered as to why Mu Tian Heng would say this all of a sudden. He looked up but was immediately pulled into Mu Tian Heng’s muscular chest. 

Mu Tian Heng held Mo Di down and locked him in place. Mo Di could even feel the defined shape of his abs.

“Brother? Brother… Uhm!”

Mo Di’s mouth was blocked as Mu Tian Heng’s tongue entered and pried his jaws apart. Instantly, Mo Di felt a strange sensation as excitement took over his body, making him numb to the spine. His hands on Mu Tian Heng’s shoulders involuntarily tightened. 

“Brother! Brother, um…”

Mo Di’s voice was once again muffled by Mu Tian Heng.

Mu Tian Heng’s kiss this time was obviously different from before. Mo Di felt he was being swallowed up by him. His breathing was turning into gasps and his face was blood red. While his thoughts ran amok, his nerves only seemed to register the sensation of being kissed by Mu Tian Heng.

“Good boy…”

Mu Tian Heng reclined towards Mo Di and leaned on him, savoring the sweetness in his mouth. His shirt collar was slightly opened and with a hand around Mo Di, he pressed him into his chest and clasped his other hand with Mo Di’s. 

Their interaction was filled with intensity and Mu Tian Heng was obviously swelling with a heat that was ready to explode but with that well-groomed appearance of his, no one would have guessed that… 

Worthy of being called a beast in sheep’s clothing.

Mu Tian Heng took in the warmth and sweetness that lingered in his mouth as their chests were plastered onto each other. The intimate kisses and touches were barely enough to sustain his desires as he sought to plunder for more.

Mo Di was kissed until he was almost out of breath and his body had lost all its strength that he gave Mu Tian Heng a slight push and murmured, “Brother stop….. Stop…”

But Mu Tian Heng did not restrain himself and continued to invade and lifted Mo Di up.

“Ah!” Mo Di exclaimed in surprise but his mouth was soon sealed again.

“Hmm…” 

“Ummm… Brother, I’m suffocating.”

A yawning voice suddenly came from beyond the living room. 

Lai De Si was stretching as he walked groggily into the living room. Turning around the corner, he saw Mo Di and Mu Tian Heng in the room and asked, “You guys are up early. What are you two playing? Lifting?” 

Mo Di’s face was beet red; he could’ve easily cosplayed as a tomato without makeup.

Luckily they managed to separate in time before Lai De Si could see anything else…

If not, it would have been awkward!

Mo Di was struggling to get down but Mu Tian Heng did not loosen his grip. He held him to one side and used one hand to rub his hair then gently pinched his cheeks.

The desire and passion in his eyes could not be doused but he still had to let go. Reluctantly, he used his thumb and gently kneaded Mo Di’s lip and whispered to him, “There’s a little saliva here, be still.”

“!!!” Mo Di’s head buzzed loudly as his eyes widened.

“Alright, alright, I won’t tease you anymore.”

Seeing Mo Di staring at him with bewilderment, Mu Tian Heng couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh. His eyes returned to its usual tenderness and his smile was calm as ever. It was as though the hungry beast from a moment ago was just an illusion.

Mu Tian Heng released Mo Di and gave him a light kiss on his forehead.

“It’s my fault, I was a little impulsive just now. Don’t be angry with me, alright?”

Of course, Mo Di was not angry with him but he was still unable to talk to him. If there was a valve on his head, it would’ve let out a cloud of steam by now!

He now could understand why Lai De Si would always call Mu Tian Heng a beast.

“… I have to go back and change,” Mo Di turned and walked briskly back to his room.

As soon as he closed the door behind him, Mo Di jumped into bed and buried his steaming head into his pillow. His heart was thumping and his stomach was filled with butterflies.

He had now seen a whole new side of Mu Tian Heng that he did not know how to describe! How could Mu Tian Heng… How could he still restore his graceful appearance even after doing that?!

……

When Mo Di finally came out of his room twenty minutes later he found Lai De Si, who had clearly woken up before, lying asleep on the sofa.

Mu Tian Heng saw his confused look and said, “After you went back to your room, he took a spin around the living room and fell asleep on the sofa.

Mo Di was speechless. What was the point of him even waking up? Was he trying to break up their little tryst…

“Come have breakfast. I’ll reheat this toast for you. Have some milk first.”

Mu Tian Heng placed two plates of fried eggs and salad on the table and said to Mo Di, “It’s rare that I have the time to make you breakfast. Have a taste and tell me what I need to improve.”

“I think it’s perfect, you don’t have to change anything.” Mo Di ignored Lai De Si and strode quickly towards Mu Tian Heng but slowed down when he remembered the scene from before and blushed.

Mo Di hid his embarrassment and calmly ate his toast. The rich cheese and fragrant butter satisfied his taste buds immensely. The bread was soft yet crispy on the surface. It was toasted to perfection. 

Only, it was a little cold.

“It’s delicious,” Mo Di said earnestly.

When he did not hear Mu Tian Heng’s response, Mo Di looked up and saw Mu Tian Heng staring intently at him with a smile on his face.

“?” Mo Di tilted his head, “Brother, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Drink your milk first.” Mu Tian Heng took away the basket of toast and put a cup of milk in Mo Di’s hand. 

Mu Tian Heng turned and left. He laughed at how Mo Di pretended to be calm but was still flustered inside. He had even forgotten that the toast had yet to be reheated and had just stuffed it into his mouth.

That’s just… too adorable!

Chapter 85

Proofread and Edited by KitKat

Song Yu chose a restaurant he had been visiting for over ten years. He could remember that from a young age his parents had been taking him and his sister there to dine. The boss was not only a skillful chef, but was also a delightful host. Having been a regular there for so many years, Song Yu was practically friends with the family.

Because he rarely came back during the years he was stationed in the States, he had not visited them for several years. The first thing he did when he came back was to pay them a visit. The owner was still around but most of the time, he would let his son and daughter-in-law tend the restaurant and they had preserved the same quality and taste of the dishes that he remembered.

Seeing that Song Yu had brought his friends, a grey-haired elderly man came from behind the counter and greeted them with a smile. He tucked a cigarette behind his ear and said, “The little doll from the Song family is here. I’ve reserved the private room for you.”

“I’ve brought my friends to have a taste of your craftsmanship. Good food is meant to be shared.” Song Yu stepped forward and held the old man’s arm saying, “Uncle, don’t smoke anymore, it’s bad for your health.

“Your uncle is still in good health.” The old man was obviously stubborn but he did not argue much with Song Yu, “A guest offered me this one. I only keep it to have a whiff. Besides, how could I smoke in the restaurant?” 

Song Yu smiled at him, “You shouldn’t smoke outside either.”

“Ai, you’re still young, why are you so naggy? I’m not talking to you anymore. I’m going in to whip up a few dishes for you and your friends.” The old man hid his cigarette in his pocket and left for the kitchen in a hurry.

Mo Di felt funny at how the old man tried to get away from Song Yu in order to protect his cigarette. 

Lai De Si stood behind Mo Di and Mu Tian Heng, staring at Song Yu in a daze. The tall lean figure, the gentle smile, those kind eyes– all of which combined could cause his head to spout steam.

The unforgettable person who had stayed in his heart for all these years was still as charming as ever. Seeing him again had only intensified his feelings; Like a gust of wind blowing away everything else, leaving only this person to occupy his mind completely.

There were traces of obsession and a little disappointment in his eyes.

Song Yu had not recognized him at all. It seemed he had not left much of an impression in Song Yu’s mind ten years ago. 

To be honest, back then he was not good-looking. He was fat and crude, and worst of all, he had dyed his hair red because of a singer he liked. At the time, he thought he was cool and handsome which gave him the courage to ask for Song Yu’s number.

After which he went home to visit his parents for the holidays and when he came back, Song Yu was already gone. The secret feelings that he had harbored failed to bloom just like that. He was heartbroken and went on a diet. It was just that after the weight was lost and his original hair color was back, Song Yu was already gone.

And even when his new makeover had turned him handsome, nobody would notice because standing next to Mu Tian Heng, that beast, everyone else paled in comparison.

But he felt that his Song Yu was not a face-con. He was standing next to Mu Tian Heng today and Song Yu had looked at both of them in the same way, maybe his eyes even stayed on him a little longer than when he had looked at Mu Tian Heng!

This was a sign that he still had a chance to pursue him, wasn’t it?

As the positive thoughts filled his head, his eyes began to sparkle like a big dog that had just found a mountain of sweet, delicious bones.

Mu Tian Heng saw Lai De Si’s moronic look and shook his head. This fool still had the exact same reaction he did ten years ago.

Mo Di also saw Lai De Si’s silly face and felt he should at least bring him back to reality. He tugged at his sleeve and coughed lightly. Lai De Si snapped out of his daze and seeing Mo Di winking at him, he adjusted his face but his mind was still fuddled.

Mo Di: “…” Hopefully uncle Song wouldn’t think that Lai De Si was mentally challenged.

The dishes Song Yu ordered were the restaurant’s classic dishes and the taste was nothing to be displeased about. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the food.

Mo Di not only loved the food, but also had a great time chatting with Song Yu. After all, this meal happened so that Song Yu could catch up with the kid who had helped him a great deal. 

Mu Tian Heng did not mind their familiarity. He listened to their conversation patiently while making sure that Mo Di’s bowl was always filled.

Chen Zhao also chimed in from time to time while stuffing his mouth with food.

As for Lai De Si…..

There was no need for him to eat, just letting him sit and stare at Song Yu all night and his heart and stomach would both be content.

Therefore, the meal, on the whole, was very satisfying to everyone.

By the time they left the restaurant, it was 11PM. The freezing wind was wafting by and there was a layer of ice on the ground. Once they exited the restaurant, even the thick down jacket Mo Di had on and the scarf he had wrapped several layers of over his neck and face were not enough to keep him warm. 

Mu Tian Heng knew Mo Di had always been susceptive to the cold. He put his hand around Mo Di and used his body to block the wind for him.

Song Yu was quite surprised by their intimacy. His eyes lingered on them but he did not speak.

Mu Tian Heng… He had no intention of being discrete even in front of a stranger like him.

Although all his little caring actions could be interpreted as an elder caring for his junior, to someone who understood the feelings between two men, Mu Tian Heng was plainly revealing that he and Mo Di were a couple.

Song Yu took a glance at Mo Di, who he sincerely cared for and saw how his eyes shone when he was talking to Mu Tian Heng. His body language proved the attachment and trust he had for him.

Song Yu sighed helplessly. If Mu Tian Heng was serious about Mo Di and truly cared for him and Mo Di also felt the same, he had nothing to object to. 

But he couldn’t help being skeptical that Mu Tian Heng was deliberately hinting this for him to see. After all, it was easy if he wanted to hide their relationship.

Song Yu eased his brows. Mu Tian Heng was very firm through his attitude. It seemed that Mo Di was in good hands.

“Uncle Song,” Mo Di had noticed Song Yu observing them and could guess his thoughts. He did not mind nor had he ever thought of hiding this relationship.

Mo Di said to him, “Uncle Song, the meal was delicious. Thank you so much.”

“I’m glad you like it. After the New Year, I’d like to treat you to another eight or ten meals. It’s the least I can do,” Song Yu smiled. Not only was he very fond of Mo Di, but he also felt they had a special bond. Furthermore, what he owed Mo Di was worth more than a few meals.

“I would like to have dinner with you too but this time it’s my treat. You have your treasured restaurant, I also have mine. Let me bring you there some time.” Mo Di pulled down his scarf and smiled at him.

“Alright, I’ll be waiting. Make sure you don’t forget about me.” Song Yu was in an extremely good mood that he wanted to give Mo Di a pat on his head. But as he was about to reach out, he saw Mu Tian Heng closing in. Song Yu retracted his hand and sighed.

Mu Tian Heng was good company but he hoped to dine alone with Mo Di the next time they met. When he was conversing with Mo Di earlier, he felt that they had a lot in common. If it wasn’t this late, he hoped that they could hang out a little longer.

“I won’t forget. But I’m afraid by that time uncle Song would be too busy to hang out with me.”

“No matter how busy I am, I will always have time to eat with you,” Song Yu said kindly to Mo Di, “Alright, it’s late, you guys should be on your way. Children shouldn’t stay up late.”

As soon as Chen Zhao heard this, he immediately told on Mo Di to his uncle, “Uncle, you know, Xiao Di is an expert when it comes to staying up late. There was once he used to sleep at three in the morning. If it wasn’t for boss Mu’s prohibition and us monitoring him, he’d probably still be doing it! You have to give him a stern talking to.”

Mo Di: “…!”

“Well, he has fixed this habit. A good child is one who knows his mistakes and corrects them.” Mu Tian Heng rubbed his hair with a smile.

“That’s good. Don’t stay up late again,” Song Yu advised.

Mo Di nodded obediently then turned to flash Chen Zhao a smile. ‘We’ll be seeing each other in three days.’

Chen Zhao saw Mo Di’s sinister ‘friendly’ smile and shivered.

Mu Tian Heng asked Song Yu and Chen Zhao, “Do you need a valet? It was snowing outside when we were eating. The road could be slippery.”

“It’s ok, we’ll manage.”

Song Yu wanted to say something to Mo Di but he thought otherwise. Maybe he should do it the next time they spoke in private. 

After they had said their final goodbyes and went into their separate vehicle, Lai De Si watched as Song Yu drove off and banged his forehead against the window.

He wanted his contact information but he was too scared!!!

He had been preparing for the whole night but he still failed to muster up his courage.

AHHHHHH!!!

Lai De Si just wanted to scream!

One look at Lai De Si and Mo Di knew of the war that was happening in his head. He coughed and said, “Brother Lai De Si, if you want Uncle Song’s number, I have it here.”

“!!!” Lai De Si twisted his neck and looked at Mo Di with shining eyes.

Oh that right, his family’s Mo Di had Song Yu’s number all along. How could he have forgotten this?!!!

“But…” Mo Di shifted a little further from Lai De Si, “I can’t give it to you. I have to get Uncle Song’s approval first or else I’d be betraying his trust.”

“Xiao Di, Little Mo Di, my dearest little Xiao Di, you’re not betraying anyone’s trust. You’re the bridge that connects me to Song Yu!” Lai De Si grabbed Mo Di’s sleeve, “Bringing people together has more merit than building a seven storey pagoda. Please have pity on me! Just give me the number! My life is in your hands! Xiao Di, Xiao Di…” 

(TN: The correct proverb is ‘Saving a life has more merit than building a seven storey pagoda’)

“Let go.” Mu Tian Heng suddenly grabbed his hand and gave it a merciless twist. “Who do you think you had your hand on?”

Lai De Si howled in pain. “Mu Tian Heng, I only touched Xiao Di a little. You should know that I only want Xiao Yu. What kind of friend are you?! I don’t want to hang out with you anymore!”

Mu Tian Heng ignored him and said to Mo Di, “You have to ask for Song Yu’s permission first. If he doesn’t agree, never give it to Lai De Si.”

“En,” Mo Di nodded, “That’s for sure.” Otherwise, he would be doing something quite unethical. If Uncle Song did not want to give and he gave it to Lai De Si anyway, Unce Song would be disappointed and this would also ruin Lai De Si’s chance with him.

Ignoring Lai De Si’s incessant pleading by his ear, Mo Di turned on his phone to send Song Yu a text. Before he could finish typing, he was notified of certain news.

Mo Di squinted as he read.

“What’s wrong?” Mu Tian Heng realized his change and asked him gently.

“Nothing.”

Mo Di raised his head and said calmly, “Ye Guo Sheng was dismissed and is currently being detained for crimes including bribery and corruption among others. His trial will be held after the Spring Festival. Ye Cheng Feng’s case has also been concluded. He will be tried on the 7th, half a month earlier than his father.”

Chapter 84

Editor & Proofreader: KitKat

Mo Di called Mu Tian Heng and the latter said he didn’t mind.

Mo Di relayed the message to Chen Zhao who gleefully said, “Alright, I’ll call my uncle and have him book a table for four to five people.”

“En, It might really be five,” Mo Di thought of Lai De Si and smiled, “My brother’s good friend might be coming as well, but it’s not certain.”

“Good friend? Is it Lai De Si?” Chen Zhao and the gang all knew Lai De Si and this group of jokesters got along really well, almost as though the age gap was non-existent.

Mo Di nodded.

Chen Zhao said, “No problem. I’m sure my uncle won’t mind. Brother Lai De Si has a great personality, I’m sure he can liven up the atmosphere.”

Mo Di thought about Lai De Si’s personality and agreed that he was a jolly person.

That being the case, he was not sure if Uncle Song, who had a more mellowed nature, would get along with a jester like Lai De Si.

And Mo Di never had to worry about his family’s Mu Tian Heng. His dear brother had the highest EQ of all! The way he socialized would make anyone feel comfortable. Uncle Song would definitely not have a problem with him.

At 8:30pm that night, the big gate was opened, allowing Mo Di and those who were heading home to leave the base. Mo Di and Chen Zhao bid farewell to Xian Yu Chao, Lin Jun Feng, and Han Chao who were staying behind.

As they had agreed in advance to meet at the east gate, Uncle Song was also waiting for them there. 

As soon as they exited the premises, Mo Di could see Mu Tian Heng’s Maybach parked on the side of the road. He was about to run to it when Chen Zhao grabbed his arm.

“Uncle! My uncle’s car is over there!” 

Mo Di was pulled by Chen Zhao towards a Mercedes parked right across from the Maybach. His body was forced to move in one direction but his head kept looking back at the Maybach. 

Mu Tian Heng clearly saw the scene illuminated under the streetlight and his heart melted. He immediately got out of the car.

Mo Di was a few steps away from the Mercedes when Mu Tian Heng caught up and his long arm grabbed hold of Mo Di.

“Where are you taking my family’s child?”

“!” Chen Zhao was about to reach for the car’s door when he turned around and saw Mu Tian Heng. His joyous expression turned to shock, “B, big boss…”

He was so happy seeing his uncle that he forgot about Mu Tian Heng!

Mo Di looked up at Mu Tian Heng, whose arm was wrapped around him and his eyes sparkled. The warm chest he was leaning on gave him immeasurable comfort.

He smiled and said to Mu Tian Heng, “Brother, this is Uncle Song’s car. We’re here to greet him.”

Just then, the car’s window was lowered and Song Yu peeked out from it. He had just hung up his phone when he saw them coming. “Sorry, I was on the phone just now.”

Song Yu opened the door and stepped out of the car. He pushed his glasses up and nodded at Mu Tian Heng whom he had heard so much about from Chen Zhao. He was the one who had been helping Mo Di and at the same time, was also the most talented and capable entrepreneur of this century.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Song Yu.”

There was an undetectable change in Mu Tian Heng’s expression the moment he laid eyes on Song Yu. He held out his hand and greeted him with a smile, “Hello, I’m Mu Tian Heng.”

Song Yu shook hands with Mu Tian Heng and said, “I did not think I’d be able to get acquainted with CEO Mu. It’s an honor.”

“Dr. Song is too humble. You can call me by my name. We’re friends now, there’s no need to be so formal,” Mu Tian Heng continued, “In fact, Dr. Song did an operation for an elder of a friend and he’s recovering perfectly well. Your medical skill is miraculous.”

“What a coincidence! I’m glad to hear that. It’s my duty to treat patients. I’m happy as long as they’re fine.”

“Ai, when will you guys finish talking? It’s time to go for dinner.”

Lai De Si’s voice suddenly came from behind them. 

They all turned and saw him dressed in a fluffy red down jacket, walking slowly towards them with his hands tucked into his pockets. Under the streetlight, his brown curly hair bounced with each step. “Aren’t you all hungry? I’m already…!”

Lai De Si suddenly choked back his words as though something was lodged in his throat. His eyes widened and his face turned red as he stood frozen in place.

Song Yu saw him and greeted him with a smile, “Hello. It’s my fault for holding everyone up, my apologies. Shall we go now?”

Upon hearing Song Yu’s voice, Lai De Si had an even more dramatic reaction. His heart thumped harder and there was a buzzing sound in his ears.

Song Yu was curious about his strange reaction. He looked at Lai De Si then turned back to Mo Di and jested, “Xiao Di, I seem to have frightened your friend.”

“That’s not it. Uncle Song, you’ve misunderstood. I think he’s just nervous,” Mo Di said. He too was curious about Lai De Si’s reaction but he knew it was by no means a frightened look.

“Brother, what’s wrong with Lai De Si?” Mo Di decided to ask the ‘high EQ’ Mu Tian Heng who definitely would know what was going on.

Mu Tian Heng was also eyeing Lai De Si with great interest but he would never admit that he was just being nosy.

Who would have thought that this Song Yu was… 

Lai De Si’s secret crush for n years which ended up fizzling out even before it started.

Mu Tian Heng only knew that the doctor his friend mentioned was named Song Yu but they had never actually met. This was why he did not know that it was this Dr. Song who Lai De Si was crazy about all these years. Had he known, this meeting would have happened long ago.

Seeing Song Yu for the first time, even he was surprised, let alone Lai De Si. 

In fact, he was not even sure that Song Yu was the Song of that year. After all, his only impression of this Song was through Lai De Si’s endless banter about him and the framed picture he hung on his bedroom wall which he would ask about every now and then if the person in the photo was handsome. Having been indoctrinated for so long, there was no way he wouldn’t remember this existence.

But what he had was only a vague impression and an outdated photo; He could not ascertain whether Song Yu was “the one” or not. But seeing how Lai De Si reacted, he was a hundred percent sure that Song Yu was the one Lai De Si had secretly been in love with all these years.

“About this…” Mu Tian Heng said, “It’s probably because…”

“Mu!!!” Lai De Si snapped out of his daze and howled at Mu Tian Heng. He came running and exclaimed, “You, you, you, shut up!”

Lai De Si’s shout startled everyone except Mu Tian Heng.

Song Yu took a closer look at Lai De Si and was slightly excited, “Sorry but… Have we met?”

Song Yu actually wanted to ask if he had somehow offended Lai De Si to make him react this way. 

Lai De Si heard Song Yu talking to him and he turned dumb. His eyes were popping out and he unconsciously began to stutter, “I, I, I… I!”

Song Yu was very patient. He kept smiling and asked, “We’ve met before, haven’t we?”

“!!!” Lai De Si’s heart was beating so fast he almost had a heart attack.

What should he say? What should he say?!

His brain was too messed up to think!!!

Mu Tian Heng shook his head helplessly at the stupefied Lai De Si. He broke the tension and said lightly, “Let’s get moving first. How about we talk at the restaurant? It’s already quite late.”

Mo Di seemed to have figured out something and gave Lai De Si a meaningful glance. “Brother is right, let’s go to the restaurant first. Uncle Song, which restaurant did you book? We’ll be going in two cars.”

“It’s an old family restaurant at the end of an alley near the eastern suburbs. It’s not easy to find so I’ll show you the way. Just follow my car,” Song Yu smiled and continued, “I’ve wanted to treat you to dinner for so long, let’s not delay it any longer.”

“Great! Let’s go let’s go!” Chen Zhao cheered and pushed Song Yu into the car then hurried to the passenger seat.

Mo Di followed Mu Tian Heng back to the Maybach. As he passed by Lai De Si, he gave him a pat which made him jump.

“Brother Lai De Si, come back to us.” Mo Di was also speechless with Lai De Si’s performance. He could not even talk right, how was he to confess?

Mo Di was able to figure out that Song Yu was probably the person Lai De Si mentioned when he was giving him love advice regarding Mu Tian Heng. 

What an unexpected turn of events! The world is so big yet so small.

Mo Di hoped that Lai De Si would man up and pursue Song Yu since he had been in love with him for so long. He also hoped that Song Yu would have someone who treated him well.

After all, they had missed the chance to meet each other in their previous lives.

Not only that, they were actually separated by death.

Since they were able to meet in this life, none of them should have to live with regrets.

Seeing Lai De Si sitting next to him as though he had lost his soul, Mo Di decided to help him. 

He cleared his throat and said, “Brother Lai De Si, do you … like Uncle Song?”

“?!!” Lai De Si shot up and almost hit the roof of the car. “You, you … you little imp, what are you talking about? What do you know? D, d, don’t speak nonsense.”

His first impression just now was so disastrous, and on top of that, he had dressed badly today! He absolutely couldn’t let his secret thoughts be exposed lest he fails to confess once again!!!

He ran a plan through his head. ‘Why don’t I wait for two weeks?…. No, one week, no no, let’s make it three days. After three days, this bad image of mine would be cleanly forgotten. And then, I would dress handsomely and once again appear in front of Song Yu. After that we could… we could become friends.’

That’s right, his name is Song Yu, what a beautiful name!

Before this, he only knew him by Song.

While mulling over this, Lai De Si had an idiotic look on his face. He leaned his head against the window and looked longingly at the Mercedes that had not moved yet.

Mo Di shook his head and sighed for his sake. He felt that his mission of trying to bring them together might be more difficult than he thought.

Mu Tian Heng looked at the little busybody and felt like laughing. He reached out and rubbed Mo Di’s hair, “Don’t worry about him.”

Mo Di looked at Mu Tian Heng and whispered, “Brother, did you know that Lai De Si likes Uncle Song?”

“Of course, little one, how did you know?”

“His actions were too transparent just now. Plus, I also know he has someone he likes.”

“Oh?” this was new to Mu Tian Heng, “You guys talk about this stuff?”

“Cough … en, it came up when we were having a casual talk,” Mo Di cleared his throat and continued, “Brother, do you think Uncle Song could also see that Lai De Si likes him?”

“Maybe, maybe not,” Mu Tian Heng laughed, “His stupid look and weird behavior might be obvious to us but to Song Yu, he might think that there’s something wrong with Lai De Si. He might even assume that his inability to speak was because of some hidden psychological illness instead of him just being shy.”

“I heard that!” Lai De Si’s loud voice cut through their conversation, “How dare you speak ill of me when I’m right here! I dare you to do it behind my back!”

“Fine.” Mu Tian Heng answered casually.

Lai De Si: “…..” He knew he looked stupid just now ok!

Mo Di snickered softly but seeing how Lai De Si was beating himself up, he decided to comfort him, “Brother Lai De Si, I don’t think it was that bad. When Uncle Song knows that you had feelings for him way before you two met, he would look back at this moment and think that you’re cute. After all, one would only behave like that if they faced someone they like.”

Lai De Si was still in a depressed state, “I just want him to forget the image of me looking like a fool…”

Eight years! It’s been eight years! He was so lucky to be able to meet with his dream lover again and that was how he acted!

He just wants to kill himself!

Mo Di said with some sympathy, “Of course, I can understand that.”

Lai De Si glared at him.

Mu Tian Heng cut in, “Keep staring at my Mo Di and I’ll make you get out of the car. If Dr. Song asks, I’ll be telling him that you needed the toilet and exited the car in a hurry but ended up falling on your butt and had to be hospitalized.”

Lai De Si choked up, “Mu Tian Heng, you sure have a poisonous tongue!”

“That so? Thank you for the compliment,” Mu Tian Heng smiled back at him.

Lai De Si grit his teeth in anger.

On the other hand, Chen Zhao was also talking to Song Yu about Lai De Si.

“Uncle, I feel like Brother Lai De Si has feelings for you…” Chen Zhao had a complicated look, “His behavior was just too weird.”

Song Yu did not have a big reaction, “Nonsense.”

When they first met, he thought that Lai De Si had something against him. After which, he thought that he might have a social barrier. It was only near the end that he actually wondered if Lai De Si liked him.

But he never believed in love at first sight and even so, his reaction was too big for that to be the case.

Song Yu was not looking for a casual relationship, he wanted something that would last. Especially after Mo San Zhi, he wanted someone whose feelings for him could stand the test of time.

However, in this impetuous society, it was not easy to find a trustworthy partner. And the impulse of falling in love at first sight was also something that he could not wrap his head around.

Speaking of which, Lai De Si reminded him of a student from another school that he had met in his sophomore year. The boy was just like Lai De Si. He was taller and bigger than him but would always blush at the sight of him. Every day for a year, he would sit at the basketball court he frequented and watched him play with a foolish smile. 

But that kid had red hair and was overweight, and he was not as handsome as Lai De Si.

Back then he was too focused on his studies. Even when he knew that that boy liked him and that he himself was into men, he still refused to give him his contact info after the boy finally had the courage to ask him for it.

This was something he had left behind a long time ago. He hadn’t seen nor thought of the boy ever since. Looking back, the big fool was not that bad, at least, his feelings were sincere.