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.

Chapter 83

Editor & Proofreader: KitKat

Fearing that Mu Tian Heng was taking this too lightly, Mo Di warned him, “Brother, something’s up with Qin Guang Jie wanting to meet you. I don’t think you should see him. If you really have to meet him, you have to be extra careful. He’s a vicious old fox who’s not afraid to mess with the law.” 

“It’ll be fine. I am aware of who he is.”

Mu Tian Heng was smiling at Mo Di, thinking how cute he was, worrying for his sake. “Don’t you trust me? Your brother is also an old fox.”

 “You’re not a fox, you’re a tiger.” Mo Di’s ears turned red after saying that. Why did it feel like they were flirting instead…

“Cough,” Mo Di cleared his throat, “Brother, do you know why Qin Guang Jie wanted to meet you?”

Of course, he could think of two reasons. One was because he had recently poached several of the Qin Group’s businesses, and the other, Qin Guang Jie had probably heard that he had assisted in the casino case. One way or another, Qin Guang Jie was bound to hold a grudge.

But Mu Tian Heng did not tell Mo Di about this. “I’m not sure. Maybe because I chose to do business here and this makes him feel threatened. Although he is the richest man in Hua Xia, his business has not been smooth sailing lately and his throne is at stake.”

“You really don’t know anything else?” Mo Di was sure Mu Tian Heng must’ve known something.

“I can garner a guess but it’s hard to say. If I can confirm anything, you’ll be the first to know,” Mu Tian Heng replied then tried to shift the subject, “Spring Festival is only a few days away, did the staff give you the holiday schedule yet?”

Mo Di was immediately smitten when Mu Tian Heng mentioned this, “Yes, we have three days off and I can go home in two days.”

“Only three days?” Unlike Mo Di, Mu Tian Heng was displeased. “What about those who live far away? Wouldn’t that mean they won’t be able to visit their families?”

“Yes, but to them, this is just a holiday, they never meant for the participants to go home. And they allowed for those that stayed to have their own party to celebrate the Lunar New Year.”

“It’s too short.”

Mu Tian Heng was quite upset. The days that Mo Di’s room stayed empty were too many compared to when he was at home.

“It is short…” Although Mo Di was not as disappointed as Mu Tian Heng, he also wanted to spend more time with him. Ever since he moved to the base, they did not have much time to be alone. It’d been over half a month since he could nestle in Mu Tian Heng’s arms and receive kisses that caused him to feel bubbly all over.

Mo Di was blushing harder the more he thought.

“So what time are you allowed to leave? Can I go pick you up?” Mu Tian Heng’s voice ran through his head and Mo Di was heating up.

“Ah… ok. We’re allowed to leave at 8:30 pm. Brother, you can wait at the east gate. Call me before you leave.”

“Alright. I’ll give you a call.” Mu Tian Heng was filled with bliss.

In fact, Mu Tian Heng had celebrated the Lunar New Year many times because his grandparents were Chinese. It had always been a tradition in his family to celebrate both Christmas and the Spring Festival. Since he was a child, these were the two festivals his family would not miss.

But after his grandparents passed away in a car accident twelve years ago, the New Year would only remind the family of them and no one would be in the mood to celebrate. Since then, the New Year was spent just like any other day.

So many years had passed and he was once again looking forward to the Spring Festival. He believed that with Mo Di by his side, this Spring Festival would be the same as when he was a kid– warm and unforgettable.

Because they only had a few days of break, the participants were not the only ones enduring the long journey to visit their family, Mo Er Qian also decided to come back for a short vacation.

The confidential project he was involved in had finally ended and he immediately applied for a weekend leave to go home.

And it was only half an hour before his boarding time that his superior received his email requesting for a transfer.

If it was approved, Mo Er Qian would be hired as a professor back at his Alma Mater and not have to be cooped up in a place where it took eighty years for any news of the Mo family to reach him. 

Especially when his sister was hurt and he was not there to protect her. This was what he could not tolerate.

Mo Er Qian returning home was something everyone in the Mo family was looking forward to, except those in jail of course.

Second Aunt Mo waited at the airport with tears in her eyes. Her second son was locked up, her husband was an idiot who doted on his niece more than their sons and her youngest son was no better off, taking Mo Liu Gui’s side whenever he could. Mo Er Qian was the only one she could depend on, her only hope.

Her Er Qian was the most promising out of all the grandchildren in the Mo family. No one could match up to his intelligence. Once he came back, everything would be better, definitely better!

Maybe with his diplomatic connections, he could get San Zhi out of jail early. After all, he was a renowned expert and scholar, his home country should at least give him some face, shouldn’t they? If they couldn’t even do this for her family, she would let Er Qian serve foreign nations and make them regret it!

Mo Liu Gui was also rushing to the airport. She left the set in a hurry and still had her makeup on.

With the debut of the movie Silence, she had managed to gain some popularity and was invited to take part in several TV dramas and variety shows.

From a showbiz standpoint, any form of popularity, whether good or bad, was worthy of publicity! In the entertainment industry, what should be feared wasn’t a bad reputation but having no reputation at all. This was also the reason why many artists deliberately spread their own scandals to promote themselves. Once they were popular, they could slowly wash white their reputation.

Mo Liu Gui had not only received the role of a second female lead in an ancient costume series but also a live variety show. Both of which would be arranged after the New Year.

The moment Mo Er Qian came out, everyone from the Mo family saw him. How could they not when he was surrounded by macho foreign bodyguards in suits?

Mo Liu Gui jumped up and waved a white scarf at him. Her eyes were slightly red and she called to him, “Second brother, second brother!!!”

Mo Er Qian spotted her immediately. He had on a gentle smile and sped straight towards her, ignoring his tearful mother who was about to pounce on him. When he was within her reach, Mo Liu Gui ran to him and gave him a hug.

“Second brother, I missed you, I missed you so much!” Mo Liu Gui said with a slight choke in her voice. She held onto Mo Er Qian’s waist and buried her face into his cashmere coat. “I missed you so much, did you miss me? It’s been so long since you came to visit Xiao Gui.”

“Of course I miss my Xiao Gui. Brother misses you the most.” Mo Er Qian patted her head. The heartache in his eyes was unconcealable.

As soon as she heard what Mo Er Qian said, the second aunt felt a stab to her heart which distorted her face.

‘He misses Mo Liu Gui the most? What about me, his mother?!’

‘Every single one of them, why do they care so much about this girl? My husband, my second son, my youngest son, and now even my eldest son who has been abroad for so long!’

What was her position in their hearts? 

In fact, the second aunt was not oblivious to her status in the family. But back then, the Mo family was in harmony and none of her sons were in trouble. If there was any discord, Mo Di would be the one to bear the brunt. Nobody could affect her mood or her livelihood. Even if her husband and sons only cared for Mo Liu Gui, she could accept it entirely because there were no bad consequences for her to face.

But now that Mo Di was gone, she and her sons had to bear the consequences of every bad thing that had happened. She refused to accept this. Why, why should her sons be treated this way? Why was it that despite what had happened, everyone still devoted themselves to Mo Liu Gui?!

What was this?!!!

The second aunt was furious to the point of almost having a heart attack. She wanted to tear Mo Liu Gui away and give a son a good talking to but now was not the time. They were in public and with the Patriarch and her two pretentious sisters-in-law around, no one would take her side. 

She knew that her eldest son was now the most prominent figure in the Mo family, she could not let him turn against her. He was her only hope.

Tears fell uncontrollably the more she thought of her fate.

When Mo Er Qian and Mo Liu Gui stopped talking, he turned to everyone else to greet them one by one. The second aunt happened to be the first in this group Mo Er Qian referred to as ‘everyone else’.

“Mom, why are you crying?”

Seeing his mom’s tearful face, Mo Er Qian frowned.

“I… I, I miss your brother. It’s almost New Year and I don’t even know how he’s doing in prison.” The more she said, the more hurt she felt. Her eyes were now completely red, “Er Qian can you find someone to get your brother out? He’s being mistreated and suffering in there!”

Mo Er Qian’s frown deepened as he showed an ambiguous expression.

“Er Qian, your mother is right. Prison life is very hard. Can you find a way to save everyone that was put in there and restore our family to what it used to be?” The eldest aunt said as she stared at Mo Er Qian with expectant eyes. Her son, Mo Si Lang, was also in prison and his sentence was even worse than Mo San Zhi’s.

Mo San Zhi only had three more months of his sentence while her son had to stay inside for another year and a half. Even if he got a shortened sentence, it would still take at least another year. Her heart ached thinking of how he had to spend the next Spring Festival in prison!

Even the Patriarch chimed in, “If you know someone who can help, give them a call. Our family is facing a predicament. Help us if you can. We’re all family here. Your two brothers and third uncle are in prison because of that beast. You should look into this.”

Mo Er Qian initially wanted to express that he was just a researcher and had been holed up in America for research. He almost had no contact with the Hua Xia government or the police. There wasn’t anything he could do. But his grandfather happened to mention his third uncle who was the father of his dearest sister, and this kept him from saying anything discouraging.

“….I’ll try,” Mo Er Qian reluctantly agreed, “But I can’t promise anything.”

“Good, good, as long as you’re helping,” The eldest aunt said.

The second aunt looked at her and twitched her lips. She turned to Mo Er Qian and said, “Er Qian, how long can you stay this time? Can you stay longer? Mom hasn’t seen you in a long time.”

“A week.”

Even if his transfer was approved, he still had to return to America to handle the formalities and hence, could only stay for a week at most. But after his transfer, he would be able to come back here for a month or two before his new job began. 

“A week is almost twice as long as the last time you were back! That’s great!” Mo Liu Gui cheered happily but her mood sank as she thought of something. 

“It’s too bad, too bad third brother and fourth brother won’t be here. Dad’s not here either. So is Xiao Di… if not, we would’ve had a very happy New Year.”

“Xiao Gui, why did you mention that animal?” Mo Wu Hang flared up the moment he heard her words, “If it wasn’t for him, nothing would’ve happened to uncle and our brothers. He not only framed them, he even spread rumors and gave our family a bad name. He even affected your reputation. You should stop thinking about that garbage. Xiao Gui, stop being so silly!”

“Fifth brother! Xiao Di didn’t mean to do those things. Even if he did, I’m sure he was misguided by someone else!” Mo Liu Gui looked sadly at Mo Wu Hang, “He’s still my brother. The New Year is coming, there’s no way I won’t miss him…”

“Although, although he did that to my dad and our brothers, and I can’t really forgive him, I still care for him sometimes…”

“How silly are you?” Mo Er Qian saw Mo Liu Gui’s mournful look and felt his heart hurting as well.

“Xiao Gui, you’ve loved that white-eyed wolf since you were little but has he done anything good? He’s been scheming against you and mistreating you. Xiao Gui, you’re an adult now, you should know that I’m right. You have to stop being soft on him or I can’t help but worry for you.”

“Second brother, it’s different. Something’s really different. Xiao Di was a good kid before. You’ve all misunderstood him. It was only after he was hospitalized six months ago that something was not right with him,” Mo Liu Gui continued, “Second brother, I wanted to ask you, can a severe allergic reaction affect the brain and change someone’s personality? Could it be that Xiao Di had some pathological problems after that incident that we don’t know about? He changed a lot after that hospital stay.”

“Really? It’s hard to say.” Mo Er Qian frowned, “I’d have to look into it.”

“If he really had nerve damage, shouldn’t it be treated as soon as possible?” Mo Liu Gui asked with concern.

“Alright alright, stop talking about that animal.” Mo Wu Hang’s agitation was rising the longer he listened. He interrupted impatiently, “No matter how much you care about him, he would still think that you’re out to get him. Don’t mention him anymore, he has nothing to do with us now. Besides, there’s no way we’ll be taking him for a checkup.”

Mo Liu Gui disapproved, “Fifth brother, don’t be like this.”

“That’s enough. My good granddaughter, let’s stop talking about him and go home,” The Mo Patriarch interjected, “We’ll have a prosperous New Year. Don’t talk about Mo Di anymore.”

…..

Mo Di was not aware that he had once again become the Mo family’s topic of discussion. Even if he knew, he would not be bothered by it.

As for Mo Er Qian’s return, he was immediately notified. He had been doubly careful but still could not help feeling jittery.

Fortunately, Mo Er Qian probably wouldn’t be able to stay for long or create trouble during the Spring Festival.

So Mo Di poured his time and thoughts into his game making. The next deadline was on the 6th of the New Year and there was not much time for him to take it slow.

It was on the 29th that Mo Di was able to finish his work coding the second half of chapter eleven and a new gameplay function. He could finally take a breather knowing that the team would be able to finalize the other details ahead of the deadline.

This time he would be able to please that judge who kept threatening them with a bad review for not having enough chapters to play with.

Mo Di was beaming with satisfaction.

Xian Yu Chao passed by and happened to see Mo Di smiling at the screen. He sighed and said, “I can tell how much you want to go home just from that smile. How could you abandon us?!”

Mo Di looked up at Xian Yu Chao and said with a helpless smile, “I did not abandon you guys. I told you you can come to play for a day or two but you guys refused.”

“We don’t want to go at this time. Although big boss Mu is very sociable, his presence is just overwhelming. Not something I want to see during the New Year, it could cause bad luck for the whole of next year. I might as well go have Hotpot with fatso. We’re planning to book a karaoke box where we can sing and get drunk!”

Lin Jun Feng added, “That’s right! But there are only the two of us and Han Chao, the others will be going home.”

At this time, Xian Yu Chao rubbed his hands together, “If only we can get a few of the sisters downstairs to join us!”

Mo Di: “…”

Chen Zhao was passing by and seeing that Mo Di had stopped working, he rushed over and tapped him on the shoulder, “Xiao Di, my uncle is coming to pick me up today, why don’t we go for dinner together? He kept wanting to have a meal with you but never got the chance.”

“I can’t tonight, my brother is also coming to pick me up,” Mo Di thought for a moment and said, “Why don’t we meet on the 2nd?”

“Ai, something might come up again by then. Let’s do it tonight, it’s fine if boss Mu wants to tag along. My uncle already knows that he’s the brother you mentioned. But you should ask boss Mu first. It’s fine if he doesn’t want to but if he’s ok with it, let’s all have dinner together.”

Chen Zhao stared unblinkingly at Mo Di, “My uncle really misses you, Xiao Diiii.”

“I’ll give my brother a call,” Mo Di smiled. “I also miss Uncle Song.”

Chapter 82

Editor & Proofreader: KitKat

Mo Di swept the room and said, “I want to bring a team member with me, this should be fine, right?”

“That…”

The staff hesitated, “The investor did not mention anyone else, but … I suppose it’s fine.”

“Alright,” Mo Di said to Lin Jun Feng who just happened to be looking at him, “Can you come with me?”

“Of course! No problem!” Lin Jun Feng stood up and patted his stomach. “You can count on me!”

The staff was somewhat intimidated by Lin Jun Feng’s height and stature. He swallowed his saliva and thought, ‘This guy seems tough.’

Mo Di and Lin Jun Feng followed the staff out of the villa and towards a further part of the base. 

“Isn’t this where we were gathered when we first came?” Mo Di asked.

“Yes, it’s easier to hold a conference here,” The staff explained as he guided them. “And there’s a difference between the conference rooms on different floors. Your meeting is held on the top floor.” 

“I see,” Mo Di responded. 

That was understandable because if it really was a bigshot investor, they would have to give him differential treatment.

On the top floor, the staff led them to a large door at the end of the corridor. He knocked twice before pushing it open. 

“Manager, Captain Mo is here.”

“He’s here? Please come in,” From inside the conference room came a woman’s voice, “Mr. Qin, since Captain Mo is already here, we’ll take our leave. You two can take your time to discuss.”

Mr. Qin?!

Mo Di’s eyelids jumped and he had an adverse feeling.

A middle-aged woman in high-heels came out of the room. She was the manager who was attending to the guest inside. She immediately flashed Mo Di a smile and said, “Captain Mo, go in quickly, Mr. Qin is waiting for you.”

She winked at the staff member who brought them over. “Come, don’t disturb our guest. You can go to make some coffee.”

Mo Di stalled in front of the door for a moment but he eventually stepped in.

Sure enough, the big investor sitting in the room was none other than Hua Xia’s top businessman — Qin Guang Jie, Qin Cheng Yi’s father.

Mo Di was skeptical that Qin Guang Jie came to see him personally just so he could invest in his game. Even if Qin Guang Jie believed that this game would be the next big thing in the gaming industry, he would only need to send a subordinate to negotiate. Mo Di had his own company before and he had dealt with these sly old foxes multiple times. A new and unripe project like his would not be able to get their attention.

So Qin Guang Jie coming to see him just to talk about investing in his game was highly suspicious.

The thoughts ran through Mo Di’s head but there was no change in his expression. He pretended to be surprised and said, “Hello, you are… Chairman of the Qin Group, Qin Guang Jie? Am I right?”

Lin Jun Feng was similarly shocked by the name but having interacted with the superhuman Mu Tian Heng regularly, he managed to keep his cool and steadily followed Mo Di’s lead.

Qin Guang Jie stood up and went to greet them. He laughed and said to Mo Di, “What a promising young man. You’re so successful at such a young age that it puts me to shame. ‘Heroes are cultivated from young’ is most likely referring to you here.” 

Mo Di shook his head modestly. “I’m just an ordinary student who loves to play games. You are too flattering.”

Qun Guang Jie laughed loudly. “I saw your new game! It’s very well done! Great job! It’s not a stretch to say it could set off a new trend in the gaming world! It’s still a fairly new project but I’m sure it has great potential.”

“I’m not going to beat around the bush anymore. I would like to invest in your game, what do you think? I will try to meet whatever prepositions you have. I believe we’ll be able to work well together!” 

Lin Jun Feng was shaking with excitement! Qin Guang Jie came to them personally and wanted to invest in their team!!!

He was already screaming in his head!

They’re gonna be rich! They’re gonna be rich!!!

Mo Di did not show any joy. Instead, he had a slightly guilty look and said, “Mr. Qin, I’m honored that you think so highly of our games but… But I’m sorry, I can’t accept this offer. I’ve already made a deal with someone else.”

Lin Jun Feng was dumbfounded. ‘What?!! Xiao Di actually turned down the offer?!!!’

And not only that, he said that he already had a deal with someone else. Who? Why don’t they know anything?

“You’ve accepted someone else’s offer?” Qin Guang Jie had an unwilling and slightly unhappy look. “To think someone beat me to it.” 

“I’m sorry,” Mo Di apologized. “We’re honored that you reached out to us but I’m truly regretful we can’t cooperate this time.”

Qin Guang Jie was quite displeased. He sighed with regret and said, “Ai… You really can’t cooperate with me? If you only agreed to their investment, it doesn’t mean we can’t work together.”

Mo Di, “I’m really sorry.”

“You really won’t change your mind?” Hearing Mo Di’s adamant refusal, Qin Guang Jie’s mood sank but he did not show his anger. “So you’ve reached an agreement with the other party and formed a partnership?”

“Yes,” Mo Di nodded. “I’m really sorry.”

“Can you tell me who the other person you’re working with is?” Qin Guang Jie looked at Mo Di, “If it’s possible, I’d love to meet him and discuss! Actually, the three of us can work on this together.”

Mo Di’s heart thumped as he finally had a hint. He looked at Qin Guang Jie maintaining a good temperament in front of him and smiled, “I think Mr. Qin should be able to guess who that person is.”

The rumor of him having a good relationship with Mu Tian Heng had not been thoroughly spread among the upper circles but the Mo and Qin family should have long been aware of it.

Surely Qin Guang Jie could guess that this person was Mu Tian Heng.

To a certain point, Mo Di knew that before he even came, he’d probably assumed that Mu Tian Heng was an investor in this project.

So what was Qin Guang Jie doing here if it wasn’t for Mu Tian Heng?!

Mo Di suddenly thought of something and clenched his fingers.

Qin Guang Jie did not show any obvious change after hearing Mo Di’s response. “Now that you’ve said that, I think I can strongly believe that you’re talking about Mu Tian Heng. I heard that you two are quite close?”

“Yes, it is Director Mu and we do have a good relationship. He invested in my game a few days ago and the contract is being drafted. I have to keep my word, after all, trust is the foundation of any business, don’t you think so Mr. Qin?”

“Of course, trust is very important but I still think there’s a chance for us to work together. I can be your second investor, it’s just like being another shareholder in the company. We’ll split the risk and profit while you can produce the game with sufficient capital. It’s a win-win situation.”

“But I’ve already settled the terms with Director Mu, it’s inappropriate to take it back. It is a good offer but the timing is not right.”

“I understand. Young man, you want to be trusted, that’s a very good quality but you also have to be flexible. How about this, you can talk to Director Mu about this and tell him I’m available to discuss further plans if he’s willing,” Qin Guang Jie flashed Mo Di a smile and continued, “I’ll talk to him and if we can’t reach a consensus, I won’t bring this up again.”

Lin Jun Feng lightly tugged Mo Di’s clothes. He was shaking in his boots! How could Mo Di be this calm?!

He thought they should just go with it lest they offend a powerful figure like Qin Guang Jie! As a matter of fact, he felt that Mo Di was a little too unrelenting towards Qin Guang Jie. Good thing Qin Guang Jie did not seem bothered by it.

“This.. I’ll find a chance to talk to Director Mu. My apologies for making you come here for nothing. I’ll treat you to dinner sometime,” Mo Di said apologetically.

“Ai, there’s no need. Not every business deal goes through,” Qin Guang Jie smiled brightly and the wrinkles on his face creased together. “Don’t forget to mention this to Director Mu. I’m sure he’ll understand the prospect of us working together.”

…..

Mo Di exchanged pleasantries with Qin Guang Jie for a few more minutes before exiting the room with Lin Jun Feng.

The two staff members saw him coming out and were curious.

“We’re in a hurry, we’ll be going back to the villa now,” Mo Di said before the staff could say anything else.

When he reached their common area, Mo Di went straight to the bathroom and gave Mu Tian Heng a call.

He told him everything that had happened between him and Qin Guang Jie.

That’s right, Qin Guang Jie’s purpose had always been Mu Tian Heng. Mo Di did not know the reason but he was certain of this.

Mu Tian Heng’s eyes darkened after having been informed of this. He gently said to Mo Di, “It’s alright, I’ll meet with him this once. We do need a good talk. After all, I can’t just ignore the richest man in Hua Xia.”

His little one could guess that Qin Guang Jie was using him to get through to himself but he was probably unaware of the reason behind this. However, Mu Tian Heng was very clear.

To think that just because Qin Guang Jie failed to reach him, he went to his little friend instead.

Alright then, Qin Guang Jie, if you want to meet me so badly, let’s meet. But this wouldn’t change a thing. 

The plans he had made for the Qin Group were already in motion and he would not stop.

Chapter 81

Editor & Proofreader: KitKat

That night, Ye Guosheng was taken away and the Ye Patriarch was invited to have tea at the police station.

Everyone in the system knew that the Ye family was done for.

Madame Ye cried till she fainted and had to be hospitalized.

Ye Guosheng’s sister was all over the place trying to transfer properties and reaching out to anyone who would help them.

As for Ye Cheng Feng…

There was no one left in the family to take care of him.

His aunt had hired a caretaker to look after him. Unfortunately, she was a noisy sleeper and Ye Cheng Feng was woken up at dawn.

As soon as he left his ward, he could hear the enthusiastic chatter from everywhere discussing the hot topic ‘Ye Cheng Feng is crippled’ and ‘the whole network shocked by the truth’.

Ye Cheng Feng turned pale.

One should know that the Ye family had been hiding his disability from him as they were worried that he could not accept it, and also on the off-chance that it could be cured. And at the time, Ye Cheng Feng was still woozy under the influence of the drug and allowed his mother to keep all his electronic devices away. 

That was how he had spent his days recuperating without knowing anything.

As soon as he was hit with the ugly truth, his head buzzed with piercing pain. His sight faded for a moment and he had to support himself against the wall. 

He could not accept this at all. For the several days he had stayed here, he had felt a slight discomfort there but he just attributed it to the side effect of the medicine; he never imagined it to be this serious!!!

Ye Cheng Feng could no longer maintain his gentle and elegant demeanor. There was a distorted look on his face and he just wanted to give the nurses gossiping on the stairway a kick. 

How could this happen?!!

He refused to believe it! He refused to believe it!

Ye Cheng Feng forced himself to calm down. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath… He returned to his room and then, as though venting his anger, he slammed his fist violently on the calling bell. 

Almost immediately, a young nurse came running in. There was no unusual expression on her face. She asked, “Are you feeling uncomfortable?”

With all the sudden noises, the caretaker, who was supposed to look after Ye Cheng Feng, woke up as well. She quickly rose and attended to Ye Cheng Feng. “Young master, you’re awake. Please tell me if you need anything. Do you want breakfast? I’ll go buy you something to eat.”

Ye Cheng Feng could not care for anything else. He even had the urge to strangle her. To keep her from being a sore sight, he nodded and said, “Go! And buy me several different kinds.”

“Yes, I’ll go now,” The caretaker answered with a smile. “Is there anything else you want to eat?”

“Whatever. Make sure to buy more varieties,” Ye Cheng Feng closed his eyes. He just wanted her to leave.

When she finally left the room, Ye Cheng Feng said to the nurse, “I can’t find my phone and my family is not here. Can you lend me your phone so I can give them a call?”

He knew that it was useless for him to ask for his medical chart because once his father gave the order, the doctors would not dare to disobey.

This was what he hated about the Ye family.

He hated his father’s tyranny, hated the way people kissed up to him but would ultimately only obey his father!

The nurse looked at Ye Cheng Feng and hesitated. She said, “This is against the rules…”

Ye Cheng Feng frowned. “I’ll make it quick. I’ll even call in front of you.”

“This…” The nurse was still reluctant. She averted the question, “Are you feeling any discomfort?”

Ye Cheng Feng turned grim at the nurse’s refusal. He took a breath and said, “No. I just want to make a phone call. If you’re not happy about it, I can borrow it from someone else.”

Ye Cheng Feng was currently staying in a luxury ward of a private hospital because two days ago, Madame Ye cried hysterically and demanded him to be transferred here from a public hospital. There were only six rooms on one floor and each was almost like a hotel suite. There was comfortable furnishing, separate bathrooms and a large balcony. But at the same time, the other inpatients also demanded a certain level of privacy. Most of the time, these wards’ doors would be closed. It was unlikely for Ye Cheng Feng to be able to get what he wanted.

Considering this aspect, the nurse answered, “Then… please borrow from someone else. I dare not disobey the rules here. I’m sorry. Since you’re feeling fine, I’ll take my leave then.”

Ye Cheng Feng was very eye-catching but the nurse had already labeled him as scum. The evidence online was conclusive of his crimes and there was no way she would risk anything, no matter how small, for him. 

Ye Cheng Feng clenched his fist. 

The nurse left and Ye Cheng Feng stayed in the room, suppressing his anger. He then got out of bed and went to ask for a phone. Sadly, none of the nurses or doctors were willing to lend it to him. And when he went to knock on the door of other wards, he would only receive an awkward stare followed by a polite refusal. 

After all, patients who could afford to stay in this hospital were all from the upper class. The media did not state that the Ye family was in deep water but within their circle, everyone was already aware that they were under investigation. Now was a bad time to associate with them.

Ye Cheng Feng was both mystified and furious with the treatment he had received. From the time he was a little boy, he had never faced such disrespect!

Having to repeatedly suppress his anger, Ye Cheng Feng had reached his limit. His eyes were red and he punched at the wall.

“Xiao Feng?!”

A woman’s voice called out to him and footsteps were heard running towards him. “Xiao Feng, what are you doing here?”

Ye Cheng Feng turned around and saw his mother in the same hospital gown hurrying over. She anxiously took his hand and sobbed, “What are you doing? Silly boy, why did you hit the wall like that, you’re only hurting yourself.”

Ye Cheng Feng did not speak. 

Madame Ye saw Ye Cheng Feng’s reluctance to speak just as he had been ever since this happened. She thought he was still depressed and wanting to cheer him up, she mentioned Mo Liu Gui.

“Xiao Feng, you like that Mo Liu Gui girl, don’t you? Yesterday, she said that she would come to visit you today. Now look at what you’ve done with your hand, it’s all bloody. Are you trying to scare her off?”

Hearing that Mo Liu Gui was coming to visit him, Ye Cheng Feng felt his heart ache. He was deeply moved but at the same time, he thought of his disability and was filled with shame and humiliation. 

He shut his eyes and lowered his head. He leaned back and tightly clenched his fist.

Xiao Gui must have known what had happened to him. It was impossible for them to be together now…

Impossible.

No one would be willing to marry an impotent man. Even if Xiao Gui agreed, her brothers, father, grandfather… they would never approve.

Besides, Xiao Gui had never lacked a suitor!

Ye Cheng Feng was burning with hatred. It was even more intense than when he decided to avenge Mo Liu Gui. 

This was all Mo Di’s fault!

He was cunning enough to swap the wine and caused him to end up like this! Not only did he not avenge Xiao Gui, but now he had also lost any chance of being with her!

“I’ll go get some bandages and medicine for your hand. You should go back to your room.” Ye Cheng Feng’s mother was heartbroken to see him this way. She slowly helped him back to the ward. “I’m going to get the nurse. You should lie down and rest.”

Ye Cheng Feng did not move. He stood at the door and stared at the room listlessly until a voice brought him back.

“Young master… are you ok?”

Ye Cheng Feng inhaled sharply and put aside his budding plans for revenge. He turned and saw the caretaker carrying several take-out bags from different breakfast stores. Behind her were two people in police uniform. 

The caretaker shrunk her neck and said timidly, “Young master, I only saw them when I came back. I did not bring them here…”

She did not commit any crime and was not afraid of the police but she was still intimidated by the esteemed Ye family!

“What is the meaning of this?” Ye Cheng Feng’s face darkened by the minute. “Are you officers here for me?” 

The caretaker went straight into the room and placed the bags on the table. She quietly remained inside.

Sister Meng pushed the door wide open. She looked at the room and said, “Nice place,” She then turned to Ye Cheng Feng, “And it seems you’ve recovered nicely, unlike what your parents claimed. They said you were too weak and wanted us to postpone your interrogation.”

Ye Cheng Feng’s eyelids twitched as a bad feeling emerged. “What is that supposed to mean?!”

“It means you’re under arrest.” Sister Meng flashed him an arrest warrant then proceeded to handcuff him.

“Ye Cheng Feng, you’re obliged to come with us for investigation.”

“What are you doing?!” Ye Cheng Feng’s heart was racing. He was enraged and started to struggle. “What crime have I committed? You’re abusing the law!” 

“Behave yourself!” The male policeman grabbed him by the neck and pushed him down. He cuffed his hands behind his back. “If it wasn’t for your father’s crooked means when he tried to cover for you, you would’ve been caught a long time ago!”

…

Half an hour later, news of Ye Cheng Feng’s arrest was broadcasted on major media websites.

Mo Di saw it at breakfast and an uncontrollable smile sprung across his face.

The police were indeed diligent, working this early in the morning.

Mo Di put his phone aside after browsing through the news. The news did make him happy but he would be more interested in Ye Cheng Feng’s sentence and the Ye family’s fate.

Now, it was time he got back to working a hundred percent on his game and studying. And so, after breakfast, Mo Di went back to his workplace and continued coding.

He did not manage to get much done when a staff member informed him that an investor came and wanted to meet him in the conference room.

Mo Di ceased his work and looked at the staff, “Thank you. Can you tell me the name of the investor?”

“About this… the investor wanted to keep it a secret for now,” The staff smiled and continued, “But don’t worry. He’s a prominent figure. Our screening criteria is very reliable, you can rest assured that you will not be scammed.”

“Of course I’m not worried about that,” Mo Di said in an easygoing yet serious tone. “I just wanted to know who it is so I can better prepare myself.”

“You’ll know once you get to the conference room. This person’s identity is incredible and he has a good temper too. You don’t have to worry about anything,” The staff explained attentively, “But he likes to keep a low profile and rarely appears publicly. Captain Mo, please do not make things difficult for me. You’ll know who he is once you see him. Let’s go.”

Chapter 80

Editor & Proofreader: KitKat

Guo Dejiang was astounded by the document Sister Meng showed him.

Sun Qinghu witnessed this in the next room and quietly left the police station. He immediately reported it to Ye Guosheng.

The policeman who came with Sister Meng spotted Sun Qinghu slipping away. Feeling suspicious, he leaned in to whisper to her: “Sister Meng, a man just came out from the next room. He doesn’t look like a police officer.”

“Hmm.” Sister Meng nodded. She turned to Bai Wenwen, “Are you alright?”

“I want to use the bathroom…” Bai Wenwen used the last of her willpower to squeeze out the words.

“Xiao Tian, take her to the bathroom,” Sister Meng said to the policeman behind her.

“Yes, Sister Meng,” The policeman called Xiao Tian quickly uncuffed Bai Wenwen.

…..

In the meantime, the Ye family was in turmoil once again.

Ye Cheng Feng’s ‘tragic end’ was no longer a secret and because someone in the base had confirmed the news’ authenticity, the internet was bustling over this topic.

In a short time, Ye Cheng Feng’s family background, educational background, photos, etc were all dug up and raised a lot of lively discussions.

Some sympathized with Ye Cheng Feng, some berated Bai Wenwen for being vicious, and many believed that Bai Wenwen must have drugged him. After all, with Ye Cheng Feng’s superior qualities, he could have had anyone he wanted. 

Although rare, there were a few that called him disgusting. Madame Ye read these comments and cried her eyes out. Ye Guosheng’s face also turned ink-black. Uncle Zhang then advised that they get a water army to control public opinion. 

Ye Guosheng was not familiar with such things and thus, ordered Uncle Zhang to handle it. Uncle Zhang immediately reached out to a reliable contact and hired a large water army. 

Needless to say, the direction in which the water army should focus on had to be approved by Ye Guosheng. 

Once Ye Guosheng had planned out what he wanted to publicize, the water army began their work.

Soon, a new wave of comments emerged. Some were praising Ye Cheng Feng for being a kind-hearted gentleman, some were claiming that injustice had been done to him, and some were about the Ye family and how it had served the country.

Gradually, everyone was swayed to believe that Ye Cheng Feng was set up as there was no need for him to force anyone. And those who said otherwise were accused of being the water army of the competitors trying to sabotage Ye Cheng Feng’s team.

Finally, a small testimony popped up about how Bai Wenwen was infatuated with Ye Cheng Feng followed by the speculation of her drugging him to have a handle on him. The commenter even stated that he had evidence to back his claims…

Although spreading this was not the water army’s main focus, the netizens’ urge to spread gossip should never be underestimated. This comment was forwarded with great enthusiasm and turned many against Bai Wenwen. Only a few demanded the evidence.

Uncle Zhang was surprised when he saw the unexpected phenomenon. Since Sun Qinghu had already been sent to the police station and the witnesses were under their control, it was only a matter of time before Bai Wenwen confessed to the crime.

Just as Uncle Zhang was feeling positive about the situation, he heard Ye Guosheng angrily smashing a cup in the living room.

Uncle Zhang was anxious and fearful. He quickly rushed to Ye Guosheng’s side.

“Sir, what’s the matter? Who angered you?”

“Those imbeciles! Useless!”

Ye Guosheng was erratic. He turned around and broke another cup. 

“Guo Dejiang that trash! He was replaced by some girl before he could get anything done.”

“Sir, how could this happen?”

“It’s some policewoman called Meng Jie. She took over the case and Guo Dejiang was not able to do anything about it…” Madame Ye’s eyes were swollen from crying. “Someone is definitely trying to ruin my son. Someone has a grudge against the Ye family!”

“Meng Jie?!”

Uncle Zhang had a bad feeling. Meng Jie was the officer who worked on the Qin family casino case. She was very diligent and impossible to bribe!

Since even Uncle Zhang realized this, how could Ye Guosheng not feel the same? He had on a dreary look while dialing an old friend to see if he could get Meng Jie removed from the case.

However, his friend indicated that since it was Commissioner Wang who gave the order, there was nothing he could do since they were both equal in rank.

Ye Guosheng almost smashed his phone.

“Wang De En! You bastard!”

As Ye Guosheng was reaching out to all his contacts, Uncle Zhang remembered the viral comments spread by the water army. Since they could not get Bai Wenwen’s confession, spreading that news would only bring trouble. He went out to the corridor and called for the water army to delete all articles on Bai Wenwen’s alleged crime. 

Unfortunately, the person in charge replied, “It’s already on top of the hot search, we can’t pull it down anymore. I thought you guys were the ones who bought the hot search. You didn’t?”

Uncle Zhang’s heart was thumping fast with sweat dripping off his forehead. He had a bad feeling.

With his hands shivering, he opened Weibo and found that at the top of the hot search was indeed the topic created by the water army: ‘Bai Wenwen Dosed Ye Cheng Feng.’

The topic accused Bai Wenwen of spiking Ye Cheng Feng’s drink and then brutally kicking him which in turn caused his impotence. Below it were comments criticizing her which he had asked the water army to post.

…

[This Bai Wenwen is making me sick. How could she drug someone to sleep with her? Even her name makes her seem low.]

[Ye Cheng Feng is just pitiful. He’s so handsome and gentle. Like the male god from a manga. Why did he have to fall for her tricks?!]

[Ye Cheng Feng was a great student. He was my senior and one time, I boarded the bus without my wallet and he paid for me. He is such a gentleman, there is no way he is short of suitors. If he wanted to sleep with anyone, there would be a line of women queuing up! It’s a joke to say that he tried to rape someone! This type of woman, no one is willing to sleep with her even if she offered herself!]

[Let me tell you something, Ye Cheng Feng is from a family of high-ranking officials. His father and grandfather both had positions in the government. He grew up under strict teachings and has high moral values. It’s impossible for him to break the law. Bai Wenwen must have drugged him. Ye Cheng Feng is just pitiful.]

[Such a pity!! A perfect male god is ruined just like that!]

[Hey wait a minute, there is no evidence yet! Stop abusing the girl. Unbelievable.]

[I’m just a passer-by but I do feel bad for Ye Cheng Feng…]

[Ah, I think I know his father and grandfather. I’ve seen them on TV. They look super righteous. Someone who grew up under them must have excellent virtues!]

…

Although the general consensus was supportive of the Ye family, Uncle Zhang could not help but feel a chill in his heart.

He did not buy this hot search and neither did the Ye family. The reason why they hired the water army was to protect Ye Cheng Feng’s reputation by swaying public opinion; they had no intention for this scandal to spread nationwide!

Furthermore, the comments were obviously dissing Bai Wenwen but they also discussed the Ye family in detail. The sweat on Uncle Zhang’s forehead disappeared as he felt a cold wind blowing. He staggered back to the room to inform Ye Guosheng of the situation.

Having heard Uncle Zhang’s report, Ye Guosheng had another bout of anger but this time, he was also worried. His blood pressure rose and there was a faint moment of darkness before his eyes.

“Sir, Sir?!” Uncle Zhang saw him staggering back and hurried over to support him. “Sir, are you alright?!!”

…..

What the Ye family discovered, Mo Di also soon found out.

He was quite curious. He did not buy the hot search and he also knew that the Ye family was even more out of the question.

Even if they intended to slander Bai Wenwen to protect Ye Cheng Feng, they would not want the news of him being crippled to be publicly known and much less on the top of the hot search.

Mo Di thought it over and gave Mu Tian Heng a call.

“Cough … Brother, do you know that Ye Cheng Feng and Bai Wenwen’s case is on the hot search?”

“I do,” Mu Tian Heng was very calm.

“… Was that your doing?”

“That’s about right,” Mu Tian Heng was gentle as ever. “Do you think I went a little overboard?”

“Of course not!” Mo Di was not ignorant and he would never think badly of Mu Tian Heng over this.

Mu Tian Heng smiled and said, “That was somewhat my doing. I want to teach Ye Cheng Feng a lesson about harming others and how it will come back to bite him.”

If his Mo Di had let his guard down, the one being fooled would not have been Ye Cheng Feng. And if Mo Di did all that under the influence of the medicine, Ye Cheng Feng would surely have had this scandal spread nationwide, ruining him for life. All he did was pay for a hot search which he felt was already too lenient.

Mo Di caught something interesting in Mu Tian Heng’s words. He asked, “Brother, what do you mean by ‘somewhat’?”

“Because Commissioner Wang was part of this plan.”

“Ha?” Mo Di was briefly stunned but he quickly understood something. “So the higher-ups are ready to deal with the Ye family?”

“That’s right. They have been eyeing the Ye family for a long time now. This family… they’ve been steeped in corruption for many years. They colluded with people of all kinds and there’s nothing they dare not do. It’s just that their standing in the government is too strong and with the many years that they had to spread their roots within the system, it wouldn’t have been easy to bring them down.”

“So this case… It’s like an opening?” Mo Di finally understood. “When the truth behind this case is exposed, everyone will know what they did to Bai Wenwen which will ruin their reputation. And with them reaching out to their ‘acquaintances’ in the judicial and police departments, we can lure out the mice and catch them red-handed!”

“That’s right. Including the evidence from the crimes they’ve committed before, I’m sure the Ye family will be uprooted.”

“That would be worth celebrating,” Mo Di sneered.

If the Ye family falls… Ye Cheng Feng, is also finished.

By then, would Mo Liu Gui still be interested in playing the love game with him?

“But I think the public opinion is already ripe, you should put out the truth soon,” Mo Di added.

“Soon the police will issue a statement. Little one, be patient,” Mu Tian Heng gently continued,“The weekend is coming in a few days, will you be coming back?”

“I…” Mo Di’s eyes softened and he smiled. In an enticing voice, he said, “Brother, do you miss me? If you miss me then I’ll go back.” 

“Of course I miss you every day. I keep wishing the weekends would come sooner,” Mu Tian Heng’s voice was deep and gentle. “Then… I’ll pick you up on Sunday?”

“Ok!” Mo Di’s could feel his cheeks heating up as he pressed it against the phone.

…

Two hours later, when the whole network was sympathizing with the Ye family and particularly Ye Cheng Feng, the Public Security Department’s official Weibo released a statement:

After a thorough investigation, the rumors being spread on the net are proven to be false. We have definitive evidence that Bai Wenwen was sexually assaulted and her attacking Ye Cheng Feng was justified self-defense. Furthermore, the drug in question was found to be under Ye Cheng Feng’s possession and not Bai Wenwen’s. We hope the netizens will stop spreading false information and rest assured that the guilty party will be brought to justice.

The revelation was a big slap to the whole network. It brought about a complete reversal of public opinion.

The Ye family was at the end of its rope. They were helpless when the police came to the Ye house not just for questioning…

They came to take Ye Guosheng away. 

The Ye family’s downfall was impending.

Chapter 79

Editor & proofreader: KitKat

Bai Wenwen was handcuffed and mercilessly dragged to the police car. She couldn’t help but feel distressed and shouted out a few words in her defense.

The policemen immediately shut her up and shoved her into the car but it was too late, many had heard what she said.

There was a lot to digest and everyone was shocked after hearing it.

Ye Cheng Feng attempted rape but was kicked and might become ‘useless’?!!

There was also the piece that Bai Wenwen attacked him because of self-defense or was it as the Ye family said, she intentionally caused harm to Ye Cheng Feng? Regarding this, the public had no definite evidence but one thing they were certain about: Ye Cheng Feng had most likely turned impotent!

Impotent!!!

The men held their breaths and flinched at an imaginary pain somewhere.

The competition committee put up a regulation restricting everyone from spreading this news but there was no airtight wall in this world and gossips were always quick to spread. There were so many who had witnessed what had happened and it wasn’t just the competition’s participants, there were also the cleaning staff and ordinary employees of the villa.

Zhu Chenglang immediately reported everything to the Ye family.

…..

Meanwhile, another one of Ye Guosheng’s confidants, Sun Qinghu, had now arrived at the police station.

For two generations, the Ye family’s heads had been high-ranking officials in the government. Whether it was the court or the police, there would always be people trying to butter up to them. Even if that wasn’t the case, most would not dare to refuse their request.

And so, in the lawsuit against Bai Wenwen, it was not difficult for them to manipulate things in their favor.

From the start, it had already been determined that Bai Wenwen deliberately caused Ye Cheng Feng serious harm and she had no evidence to prove that it was self-defense. The three witnesses had also been intimidated into silence. They would probably state that they did not know or worse, lie that Bai Wenwen attacked Ye Cheng Feng on purpose.

This was how the world operated since ancient times. People with power and wealth could easily trample on those below them. It was best if you didn’t get on their wrong side, but if you did, surviving it would all depend on karma. 

Fortunately for Bai Wenwen, she probably had done good deeds in her previous life because right after she was locked inside the police station…

Mu Tian Heng had already contacted Commissioner Wang.

Nonetheless, Bai Wenwen did not know that someone was helping her from afar. Her fingers trembled and her strength was sinking fast. She only felt fear and anger. She did not understand how the Ye family could do this to her.

The crime they were accusing her of was serious, and if convicted, she would be jailed for a long time and her reputation sullied. She refused to admit to these charges but she couldn’t help herself from feeling hopeless. 

The police presented her with a medical certificate stating the severity of Ye Cheng Feng’s injury. If she wanted to clear her name and claim self-defense, she needed evidence…

But she had none.

She could not prove that Ye Cheng Feng was sexually assaulting her in public and in a panic, she had to kick him away. Her chances of fighting this case were slim unless the three witnesses stood up for her.

But thinking back, Zhuang He and the others just stood and watched her being taken away without stepping in to say anything. They probably would not be willing to be her witness on the stand. 

Bai Wenwen was deeply afraid.

The interrogation room she was in was oppressive and cold. It was nearly the end of the Lunar Year and the Spring Festival was just a week away. She did not want to spend the New Year in a cell.

Bai Wenwen had been locked in the interrogation for three hours and even when night fell, no one came to question her. Her hands turned purple under the cold temperature and the helplessness in her heart was increasing gradually. Bai Wenwen wanted to cry but she held back her tears.

In another room, Sun Qinghu stood with two police officers, observing Bai Wenwen through the one-way mirror.

“Captain Guo, why haven’t you interrogated her?” Sun Qinghu looked at the potbellied middle-aged policeman standing next to him. 

“Brother Sun, you don’t understand. It gets cold in the evening, so the longer we leave her hanging, the easier we’ll get the results we want,” He then asked a policewoman: “Has she been to the toilet since her arrival?”

“Not yet.”

“Go get her a large glass of warm water. Don’t let her suffer from the cold. We’re officers of the law, it’s not right to abuse our prisoner.”

“Yes Sir.”

Observing his interrogation tactics, Sun Qinghu was very pleased. Guo Dejiang was indeed good at his job.

When her body could no longer take it, her resolve would break. At that point, making her confess was just a matter of time.

Bai Wenwen did not know that the big glass of warm water was the catalyst to accelerate her confession. The cold was causing soreness in her knuckles. Now that she was offered that nice cup of warm water, she held the cup tightly and poured it down her throat without second thoughts.

The policewoman frowned when she saw her gulp down the whole glass.

No matter how bad she felt for her, she was just a low-ranking officer. Bai Wenwen was not of money nor power, and most importantly, she had no evidence to turn this case around. There was nothing she could do to help her.

Therefore, Bai Wenwen had better not blame her.

After she drank the water, it only took ten minutes for her to require the bathroom.

It had been three hours from when she was apprehended, and during this time, she had not been allowed to leave the room. Adding in the time she was still in the villa, it was over four hours since she had last used a toilet.

Bai Wenwen’s wrist was cuffed to the chair. She could not knock on the door and hence, had to use her voice for attention. But even after calling out several times, no one answered her.

Bai Wenwen was in agony. The water just now only elevated the cold briefly. Now that it was gone, she was feeling even worse than before. Her ears were numb and her hands were shivering. She could feel the chills spreading all over her body. 

With the tormenting need to use the bathroom coupled with the depressing air of the interrogation room, Bai Wenwen felt that she had never been this miserable. Her resolve was collapsing fast.

She raised her voice into a scream, shouting for someone to come but it was futile.

Just when she was about to drag the chair towards the door, it suddenly opened. A fat policeman came in with the policewoman who had given her the water.

Bai Wenwen quickly appealed to the policewoman: “I need to use the bathroom. Sister, please, can you take off the cuffs? I can’t hold on much longer.”

The policewoman looked at the fat man and asked: “Sir, what do you think?”

“We’re starting the interrogation now. You can take her to the bathroom after,” Guo Dejiang went to sit opposite Bai Wenwen. He widened his eyes and started questioning her: “Tell me your name and how old are you?”

“Bai Wenwen, 24. Officers, I beg you, please let me go to the bathroom first. I can’t take it anymore. I really have to go,” Bai Wenwen clamped her legs and leaned forward. She was about to go mad. “I need the bathroom, I really need to go now…”

Guo Dejiang looked at Bai Wenwen emotionlessly. He took out a pen and wrote down a few words. “Tell me, what is your motive for attacking Ye Cheng Feng?”

“There’s no motive! I didn’t do it on purpose! It was self-defense!” Bai Wenwen had her hands on her knees, she was at her limit. “Can’t you do this later? I can’t hold back anymore!”

Desperate as she was, Guo Dejiang continued without hesitation: “I advise you to stop denying and quickly tell the truth. What is your motive for harming Ye Cheng Feng? Was it because someone gave you the orders? Or did you drug him because you liked him but the drug was too strong and things got out of hand? When you realized that people were coming, you panicked and attacked him instead.”

“I didn’t!” Bai Wenwen was baffled by the accusation. “That’s not true! I did not drug the captain!”

With that exclamation, she almost had a leak. She grit her teeth and wiggled down, “You did this on purpose. You’re refusing to let me use the bathroom on purpose.” 

“Still not willing to confess?”

Guo Dejiang coldly ignored her words: “According to the other members of the team, you have a crush on Ye Cheng Feng but he already had someone else in mind. You didn’t stand a chance so you drugged him to sleep with you, I’m right, ain’t I?”

“But you did not expect the drug to be this powerful. You failed to prevent Ye Cheng Feng from doing it outside and when you knew someone was coming, you had to act as though he was the one attacking you. You acted as the victim and ruined him to claim self-defense. This was what happened, wasn’t it?”

“No! I told you– I, did, not, do, it!”

Bai Wenwen’s eyes turned red. She was losing her grip and about to explode!

“If you still refuse to confess, we’ll just have to grind it out of you. We have plenty of time,” Guo Dejiang snorted and put his pen down. “We’ve dealt with tougher heads than yours. You’re not even worth mentioning.”

The facts finally sunk in. The two police officers did not allow her to use the bathroom because they wanted to force a confession out of her!

“You did this on purpose! You’re torturing me to get a confession to something I didn’t do!” Bai Wenwen stared at the person in front of her with bloodshot eyes.

“Careful with your mouth. We didn’t even touch you! How dare you slander an officer of the law!” the policewoman slammed her palm on the table and said: “Stop with your tricks. You want to delay the interrogation by going to the bathroom.”

“Quickly come clean,” Guo Dejiang chimed in: “Tell me, where did you get the medicine. And after drugging Ye Cheng Feng, why did you kick him? Is anyone giving you instructions from behind?!”

“No! That’s not what happened!”

Bai Wenwen had now surpassed her limits. Suppressing the thought of just letting it go directly in front of these two officers was getting excruciatingly difficult. 

“What you’re doing is forcing a confession. I didn’t do it! I didn’t do it!”

A voice spoke through Guo Dejiang’s earpiece and he turned to question Bai Wenwen immediately: “What is your relationship with Mo Di?” 

Bai Wenwen did not answer. Her entirety was only focused on one thing, blocking out her other senses. She hunched over and gnawed her teeth as her tears fell. 

She was losing it.

There would be no dignity left…

Guo Dejiang knew that interrogating a simple girl like Bai Wenwen was a piece of cake. In three days, he would be able to get everything he wanted from her.

In fact, it might not even take three days. With the rate at which she was collapsing, two days were sufficient.

Guo Dejiang was all set to report back to Sun Qinghu that he would have everything done in two days and at the same time, exchange a little benefit for himself. Just recently, a Deputy Commissioner position had opened up and he wanted that job. He had been a low-ranking captain for too long. He hoped that with the Ye family’s help, the position would surely be his.

Guo Dejiang did not hide his greedy smile as it stretched across his face, adding more wrinkles to it.

“Still not talking?” the policewoman said.

Bai Wenwen’s psyche was becoming unstable.

Guo Dejiang, on the other hand, was leisurely sipping tea as the thought of exchanging favors with the Ye family filled his head. 

Too bad for him, in the next second, the interrogation door was sprung open again.

Guo Dejiang’s mood sank the moment he saw Sister Meng at the door. He stood up and yelled: “Captain Meng, what are you doing?!”

Sister Meng walked in and glanced at the state of the interrogation room.

“Captain Meng! You can’t just enter an interrogation like this! It’s against the rules!” Guo Dejiang quickly approached Sister Meng. “What are you doing here? You’re not in charge of this place.”

“What’s going on?” Sister Meng ignored Guo Dejiang. She looked directly at Bai Wenwen and sternly reprimanded: “Captain Guo, are you torturing the suspect under the guise of an interrogation? I remember that that’s against the law.”

“Captain Meng, you’ve misunderstood. We’ve never tortured our suspects. Furthermore, this is not your precinct, you have no authority here.”

“Is that so?”

Sister Meng squinted at Guo Dejiang and the policewoman behind him. She flashed them a document: “This is a document issued by Commissioner Wang. I am now in charge of this case.”

Chapter 78

Editor & proofreader: KitKat

“You fool!”

Uncle Zhang kicked Zhu Chenglang who was kneeling on the ground: “What good are you if the young master was this easily harmed?!”

Zhu Chenglang dared not get up. He laid on the ground and continued to beg: “Sir, Sir, I didn’t mean to leave the young master alone. It’s Mo Di and Bai Wenwen. They are too cunning. The young master and I did not expect them to be this treacherous. And Bai Wenwen is just heartless, how could she…”

“Shut up!”

Ye Guosheng’s veins were popping out the moment he heard Bai Wenwen’s name. He smashed a cup at Zhu Chenglang: “Other than Bai Wenwen, who else knows about this?!!”

“Say it! Was there anyone else?” Uncle Zhang gave Zhu Chenglang another kick, “Give me a complete account of what happened. Do not leave anything out!”

“There were three more who saw what happened,” Zhu Chenglang knelt on the ground; A hatred for Uncle Zhang flashed through his eyes, “When I heard what happened, I immediately ran back. At that time, the young master was already… he was already attacked by Bai Wenwen. He was brought into the villa to get clothed by someone named Zhuang He. He was also the one who called the ambulance…”

“The other two are female members of the team, Sun Qiyu and Wang Shuiqing. They were there when the young master… when he was holding Bai Wenwen. They also witnessed her kicking him. I’m sure it was only three of them because I came as fast as I could afterward.”

“Think carefully, is there anything else you want to add?” Uncle Zhang saw Ye Guosheng’s sinking expression and continued to interrogate Zhu Chenglang.

“I … I can’t think of anything else. I don’t remember anyone … Wait. There’s one more thing,” Zhu Chenglang raised his head and looked at Ye Guosheng, “When I accompanied the young master to the ambulance, many people gathered around to look and Mo Di was there! He was in the very front!”

“I think there’s definitely something wrong with him! Sir, Uncle Zhang, this definitely has something to do with Mo Di!”

Uncle Zhang saw Zhu Chenglang’s determined expression and turned to Ye Guosheng: “Sir, about this, do you think we should do something about this Mo Di…”

“I won’t let those who harmed my son escape,” Ye Guosheng was turning grim. He stared coldly at Zhu Chenglang: “But for now, we should leave Mo Di aside.” 

Uncle Zhang: “Sir, you mean…”

“We cannot touch Mo Di at the moment. One, we don’t have evidence. Two, he has powerful backing.”

“Someone’s supporting him from behind?”

“If he did not have anyone, do you think the Mo family would sink to its current state?” Ye Guosheng sat back and looked at the two men in front of him: “The Mo family back then could have easily destroyed an unfilial son like him but now, look at them!”

Uncle Zhang was alarmed: “But Sir, wasn’t all the evidence against the Mo family discovered by the police?”

“Don’t you think that everything just went too well? The police got all the evidence they needed in one go. Not to mention how the scandal managed to spread on the internet almost instantly,” Ye Guosheng sneered: “Old Zhang, you can’t be that naive. How could you not see this?”

Uncle Zhang tensed up: “I… I’m not too familiar with this matter. Sir, you know I’m old and not too familiar with the internet.”

“Hmph…” Ye Gusheng snorted: “You’re not as old as me, are you?”

“Sir, I…”

“That’s enough. We’ll drop the matter with Mo Di for now. He has a good relationship with someone called Mu Tian Heng who’s a powerful young talent in America. His financial strength cannot be underestimated. Most importantly, he seems to be very close to Mo Di. Such a person, we cannot afford to offend. Let’s just deal with Bai Wenwen and the other three first.”

“Yes Sir, you are indeed wise.”

“What the hell do I know? All this information came from my son. He used to tell me everything but lately, he doesn’t talk to me anymore. Instead, he consulted you and you let this happen! Old Zhang, my son was wrong to trust you.”

Uncle Zhang was sweating profusely: “Sir, I, actually I…”

“Enough! What matters now is Bai Wenwen. And the other three witnesses should also be dealt with.” Ye Guosheng did not give Uncle Zhang another look. He closed his eyes and asked: “You two should also start to think about what you can do!”

“Sir, I think… I, I can lure all of them out of the base,” Zhu Chenglang said: “Once they are outside, you can do whatever you want to them!” 

“Idiot!” Not waiting for Ye Guosheng to speak, Uncle Zhang got to him first: “With so many eyes on us, do you want to cause trouble for the Ye family?!”

“Sir, I think we should have a talk with the witnesses first and let them testify for the young master. If they refuse, we have to at least keep them from siding with Bai Wenwen. Only then can we ensure that she will be jailed. And when she’s in jail, we can avenge the young master.”

“And… And since Bai Wenwen hurt the young master on purpose, we have to get this out to the media and make sure that the public knows that he is the victim. If any wrong information was to get out, it would be troublesome for the young master. We can’t have those people and Bai Wenwen disclose what they shouldn’t.”

“The young master has an impeccable reputation, everyone will support him. Even if Bai Wenwen tries to accuse him, without evidence and the statement of the three witnesses, no one will believe her…”

Uncle Zhang was indeed Ye Guosheng’s long-time confidant. He knew what his boss wanted to hear and provided the appropriate solutions at the right time.

Knowing that he had to publicize this matter, Ye Guosheng was very much unwilling. But with the way things were, he had to give it some consideration.

Although he could manipulate the case against Bai Wenwen and make sure she got a swift and heavy sentence, he couldn’t completely shut her up. If she told her nonsense to someone and it happened to get out, it would not be a good thing.

Seeing that Ye Guosheng was contemplating his words, Uncle Zhang continued: “Sir, if we want those three to keep their mouths in check, should we offer them benefits or threa…” Uncle Zhang paused and decided to change his word, “Or should we give them a warning?”

“Offer them both,” Ye Guosheng narrowed his eyes and looked at Uncle Zhang and Zhu Chenglang, he said: “Tomorrow, Zhu Chenglang will bring those three out and have a word with them. As for old Zhang, you will work with old Sun to give me a background check on them. I want to see the results by tomorrow.”

…..

Mo Di did not know what happened back at the Ye family but he knew they would not let Bai Wenwen off and would most certainly try to get the three other team members under them.

Therefore, Mo Di not only paid special attention to Bai Wenwen’s movements but to the other three as well.

However, he was alone and could not fully monitor everyone’s whereabouts. An hour after the big man and two female members were brought out by Zhu Chenglang, Mo Di saw them coming back with a complete change in mood.

Mo Di tried to approach them and have a chat but he was shunned like a plague. Their attitude towards him was obviously different from before.

Mo Di felt ominous. Things were not looking good for neither him nor Bai Wenwen.

Sure enough, two days later, just as Bai Wenwen was requesting her withdrawal from the competition, she received a court summon.

The Ye family was suing her for intentional assault. 

Bai Wenwen was anxious and furious. How could the Ye family sue her when all she did was self-defense? It was self-defense!!

Bai Wenwen did not have time to take the news in, while the Ye family had already called the police and they would be arriving in thirty minutes to take her away.

Mo Di saw the police arriving and immediately ran to villa #3. He wanted to give Bai Wenwen the USB key but he noticed that Zhu Chenglang was keeping a close eye on her and the big man. Furthermore, the police officers that came were behaving very suspiciously. They were too rough on Bai Wenwen.

Mo Di changed his mind.

He left the crowd and ran back to call Mu Tian Heng.

“Brother, do you remember the incident I told you about the other day? The Ye family made their move on Bai Wenwen today. I have evidence that can help her, should I give it to the police? But I feel like those policemen that came just now are not reliable.”

Of course Mu Tian Heng remembered. If it wasn’t for his little friend’s vigilance, he did not even want to think of the consequences. 

“Do not give it to them. The Ye family must have everything already set up within the police force and the courtroom,” Mu Tian Heng pondered and said: “Send me the file. I’ll give it to Commissioner Wang and let him have someone supervise this case.”

TN: Just wanted to say I’m super thrilled to have an editor and proofreader now! YAY! And a big thanks to Ketki for offering her help!