Chapter 57 

Mo Di’s current expression was hard to describe.

The caller was probably ….. Gu Ran Ju?

He had almost forgotten about this person. Why was he still haunting him?

Seeing that Mo Di was unresponsive even after his barrage of words, Gu Ran Ju was agitated again: “Mo Di, did you forget about me?! How dare you—”

Mo Di quickly pulled the receiver away and then hung up.

After hanging up, Mo Di did not put the receiver back in place for fear that Gu Ran Ju would call again.

Seeing Mo Di’s reaction, Xian Yu Chao couldn’t help but ask: “What’s wrong? Who was that?”

“A middle schooler… no, he should be in high school now.” Mo Di went back to the table and sat down. “He wants to have a fight with me.”

“A fight with you?!” Xian Yu Chao was instantly shocked. He quickly went over to Mo Di’s side, “What’s the matter? That guy wants to bully you?!”

“Who, who dares bully our Xiao Di?!” the mountain-like Lin Jun Feng jumped off his bed and pounded his chest: “Whoever dared to touch Xiao Di, this father will crush him to death!”

“It’s nothing.” Mo Di smiled and shook his head, “No one is bullying me. Besides, he can’t beat me.”

“Can’t beat you?” Chen Zhao eyed Mo Di doubtfully, “He must be pretty small.”

Mo Di: “…”

Even if Xian Yu Chao and Chen Zhao attack him at the same time, he could easily overpower them. As for Lin Jun Feng, it would be a little more difficult as he was heavier build. Chen Zhao really shouldn’t underestimate him.

The fighting skills he practiced hard in his previous life were not just for show!

“Honestly, I can take both of you.” Mo Di told Chen Zhao seriously: “Even if all the Mo family’s members come at me, I can still take them all down.”

Chen Zhao was about to deny him but thinking of the last sentence, he stayed quiet.

Since Mo Di could give such an accurate scenario, there must be certain credibility to his statement. 

Mo Di opened a roll of garbage bags and tore one off to clean up the trash.

“I have something to tell you. There’s no class tomorrow so I’ll be leaving at noon and won’t be coming back to the dorm.”

“Where are you going?” Lin Jun Feng asked, “Do you need this father to accompany you?”

Mo Di: “…..no need.”

Chen Zhao asked abruptly: “Xiao Di, are you going to attend Mo Si Lang’s trial?”

“En.” Mo Di responded as he finished gathering up the trash. His phone also rang twice at the same time.

He picked up his phone and saw that Mu Tian Heng had sent him a reply. He stated that it would be a good idea to continue with Xin Wei Dao for the first of the final rounds and bring in the new game for the next round to add an element of surprise for other competitors. However, should he do so, then Xin Wei Dao would need another batch of improvements.

Mu Tian Heng suggested that he focus on the battle system for the next upgrade and try to stray away from the repetitive play modes like other games in the market. There should be some depth to the battle mode but not overly complex, this would make players more engaged in the gameplay. 

Mo Di thought it over and felt that Mu Tian Heng’s suggestion was indeed productive. He texted a reply: “Thank you brother, your advice was very helpful!” Attached was a sticker of a rabbit giving a big hug.

After sending his thanks, Mo Di said to Xian Yu Chao and the others: “Tomorrow, you guys can continue to code in the dorm. This will be hard on you but I have decided to continue with Xin Wei Dao for the next round so there’s a lot of recalibration I have to work on. You should continue working on the new game. After I’m done with Xin Wei Dao, I will join you guys.”

“We’re going to use Xin Wei Dao for the next round?!” Chen Zhao was excited. “Are we going to use it for the finals?” 

Chen Zhao always thought that Xin Wei Dao could actually surpass other games to get through to the championship round.

“We’ll just use it for the next round. And there’s a need to optimize it so I’ll be spending the next week doing that. In the meantime, the progress on Infinite Life will be left to you guys,”

“It’s not heavy work but here’s the problem…. We’re not very proficient with a lot of the programming for Infinite Life.” Xian Yu Chao looked at Mo Di: “Without you, it is unlikely we’ll be able to do it.”

“Exactly. Xiao Di, you know that we can only do some minor coding. We’re absolutely helpless with the more complex parts.” Lin Jun Feng added.

“Don’t worry.” Mo Di smiled: “The tasks I prepared for you aren’t complicated. I’ve also made a template, you just have to work according to it.”

Mo Di turned on his laptop and sorted the encrypted template files. Before he could hit send, there was a sudden banging at the door.

“Mo Di! Get out here! Mo Di, did you hear me?! Come out!”

Mo Di was stunned.

Was he having hallucinations? Why did that sound like Gu Ran Ju?

“Mo Di! Did you hear me?! Get out here!!!”

“Who’s that? Is he mad?” As he was closest to the door, Chen Zhao went to open it with discontent, “Shut up! Are you crazy?!”

Just as he finished his sentence, the wheat-skin boy at the door who was at the same height as him barged into the room. He shouted angrily: “Mo Di! You come out here! You dare to hang up on me! You even made the line busy on purpose! Come out and face me Mo Di!”

“Stop shouting!” Mo Di stood up and stared at Gu Ran Ju with agitation: “How did you get in?”

Lin Jun Feng next to Mo Di also rose from his seat and made a threatening pose: “Who the heck are you? Are you causing trouble for our Xiao Di? Believe it or not, we’ll give you a good beating!”

“How did you manage to find our dorm room? Who gave you this information?!” Xian Yu Chao joined in.

Chen Zhao couldn’t help but gave Xian Yu Chao a reminder: “He already had our landline number, how could he not know which dorm we’re in.” 

Xian Yu Chao was speechless: “…”

Gu Ran Ju ignored Lin Jun Feng and the others, he rushed straight towards Mo Di: “Mo Di, give me an explanation. Why did you hang up on me and blocked me from calling?!”

“Why do I have to explain myself?”

Mo Di was fuming: “Gu Ran Ju, you get this straight, we’re not even friends. I hang up on you simply because I don’t want to talk to you.”

Gu Ran Ju was stumped momentarily. In the next second, his anger exploded and he lashed out his grievances: “Why are we not friends?!!”

He could feel that Mo Di did not seem to like him from the start, but why?!

He never harmed him yet Mo Di avoided him like those people from the Mo family!

Was it because he tried to drag him into a fight or told him to forget about the game competition?

How can Mo Di be this petty?!

Mo Di was laughing with anger: “Why should I treat you as a friend? What have you done to garner my friendship?”

Not to mention the many obstacles Gu Ran Ju put in his life and the businesses that he ruined just to vent for Mo Liu Gui, there was also the constant harassment of him dying to have a go at Mo Di. With all that he did in his previous life, what good had he done in this life?

Some time ago, on top of having to hide from Mo Liu Gui and Mo Wu Hang, he even had to sneak away from Gu Ran Ju who was constantly pursuing him to fight.

The only thing that Gu Ran Ju did that benefited him was probably his slip of the tongue that let him know in advance the ban of minors for the competition. And because of this, he had used it to cancel out all the bad things that Gu Ran Ju did to him in his previous life, wasn’t that magnanimous enough?! 

And Gu Ran Ju wanted to be friends? How ridiculous.

Gu Ran Ju, on the other hand, was stumped by Mo Di’s question.

He indeed…. had not done anything good to Mo Di.

But this was how he got to know his other friends. They fought and then became pals. Of course, he was not friends with everyone that he fought with, just two or three.

Feeling Mo Di’s indifferent and impatient gaze, Gu Ran Ju was perplexed as he blushed.

“You… if you don’t want to fight, why didn’t you say so?!”

“I didn’t say so? Did you lose your memory?” Mo Di answered coldly.

“Oh by the way, if you’re trying to fight me because you like Mo Liu Gui and want to get revenge for her, I advise you to leave it because you can’t beat me.”

“Mo Di what crap are you talking about?! How can I fall for that kind of girl? She’s so hypocritical, there’s no way I like that kind of person.”

Gu Ran was so furious he even dismissed the fact that Mo Di said he couldn’t beat him.

Even the girls in his class are way better than Mo Liu Gui ok? He could fall for anyone but Mo Liu Gui! Mo Di’s words were an insult!

Mo Di felt an itching irony.

He really wanted to grab the Gu Ran Ju from his previous life and pit them against each other.

“Nobody cares who you like or don’t like. Kid, have you finished your homework? Time to scram!” Lin Jun Feng somewhat understood the nature of Mo Di and Gu Ran Ju’s relationship. This hogwash kid was just a troublemaker. He stepped forward and pushed Gu Ran Ju out the dorm room: “Go away! And stop troubling our Xiao Di!”

Chen Zhao also joined in: “Get lost kid! Are you dense? How can you still ask why people don’t want to be friends with you? Who would want a friend who only wants to fight the moment they met?! Go home and finish your homework!”

Gu Ran Ju was frustrated for being kicked out of the room and punched the door several times. He then felt a sense of unfairness and kicked at the door before crouching down.

Pissed!

These goddamn people are a group of nuisance and yet Mo Di treated them as friends instead of himself! What the hell?!

After Gu Ran Ju left, Mo Di went on to send his files to the others and taught them how to use the templates he created, emphasizing what they should pay attention to.

Eventually, the matter with Gu Ran Ju was swiftly forgotten.

…..

The next day, Mo Di left school after his morning class to meet up with Pang Qiang Lang and Han Chao.

Mo Di gave them some minor tasks and added more details for the next chapter of the new game over lunch.

After that, Mo Di put on a mask and took a taxi to the courthouse.

Mo Si Lang’s case was to be trialed in the afternoon.

Mo Si Lang who was locked up for ten days in the cell had long lost his former elegance and spirit. The man was ragged and unshaven, decadent and gloomy. He was sentenced to two years and two months for the attempt to cause harm and abetting minors.

The underage extreme fans who had tried to hurt Mo Di were given a lighter punishment of fifteen days in a correctional facility and their parents had to pay Mo Di some compensation.

The adults who drove them to the venue were also sentenced to three months of jail time.

The rest of the group who were involved in the planning managed to escape punishment but not the condemnation from the public. Those who were underage and still in school received a mark in their record and could never get into a good school. On top of that, they also had to face isolation from their peers as who would want to associate with someone who was willing to use sulfuric acid to harm others.

At the end of the session, Mo Di put his mask back on and was about to leave with the crowd when he was called back by a voice.

“Xiao Di, it’s you, right? I know it’s you. Do you mind… talking with me?”

Mo Liu Gui was wearing a long black dress. She stood behind Mo Di and said: “I really want to talk to you.”

Chapter 56

With the conclusive evidence, Mo Si Lang was officially arrested and detained in a holding cell, awaiting his verdict.

The Eldest Aunt was in hysterics.

Some time ago when Mo San Zhi was jailed, she stood as an onlooker and enjoyed the drama. After all, causing a stain on the family reputation might cause him to lose his inheritance rights. At that time, she was a little contemptuous seeing the once noble second aunt reduced to a state of begging and crying.

But now that her son was arrested, she had to discard her calm and elegance and begged the patriarch to save her son.

But how could the Mo patriarch be bothered?

The Mo enterprise was in a mess. The company’s stock fell sharply. Several major shareholders were demanding an explanation and had already started selling their shares. Without Qin Cheng Yi pumping a large amount of capital into their company and also reacquiring their shares, the Mo family would be destroyed by now.

However, even with Qin Cheng Yi’s help, the market value of the Mo Group was now only half compared to its golden period. Their financial resources were no longer comparable with other second class families and they could barely be considered a part of this circle.

The eldest aunt was crying her heart out only to be returned with the patriarch’s rebuke and the Mo second aunt’s sarcasm.

“You still have the guts to cry in front of me! Look at how you educate your son! The evidence is irrefutable, tell me, what do you want me to do?!” the Mo grandfather slammed his fist on the table twice in anger. “Look at what your son did! Look at the harm he has caused the Mo family!”

“Father, this is not entirely Si Lang’s fault!”

The eldest aunt wept: “Father… the Mo family’s downfall was San Zhi and the second brother’s family’s fault. If they did not try to scam a marriage from other noble families and San Zhi did not try to harm Mo Di, our family would not have fallen to such a state in the first place!”

The moment the second aunt heard this, she exploded into a rage: “Sister-in-law, you’re wrong! Our San Zhi was only seduced by that male vixen! He was not trying to scam anyone into a marriage! You’re just trying to pull my San Zhi into the mud because you can’t stand the truth about your son! You should be careful in case karma falls on your eldest son!”

“What is that supposed to mean? Are you cursing my son?!” The eldest aunt was furious to the point she wanted to rip off the second aunt’s mouth.

Ruan Qing Dan stepped in to mediate: “Sisters-in-law, please stop fighting. Don’t you think the family already had enough troubles?”

“Who do you think you are?!” Before, the eldest aunt would tolerate her considering she was Mo Liu Gui’s mother, but now she was both enraged and devastated, she could no longer maintain her courtesy towards Ruan Qing Dan and pushed her aside without hesitation.

Ruan Qing Dan was appalled that the eldest aunt would be this impolite towards her. She was caught off guard and fell to her knees, hitting the edge of the table. She cried out in pain.

“What right do you have to talk to us that way?! Your husband framed Mo Di and was the first to be locked up! That was the start of our family’s downfall!” The Mo eldest aunt was getting annoyed with Ruan Qing Dan’s waterworks and her trying to look delicate and coquettish. In fact, she had been sick of it for a long time.

“And don’t forget your Xiao Gui stepped on my son to whitewash her image! I doted on her so much and yet she used my son and let him go to jail! How could she do that?!”

“Big sister-in-law, you… how could you say that?!” Ruan Qing Dan stood up. She held her waist and cried bitterly.

“Xiao Gui did not use your son for anything. She has always been kind and loved Mo Di since young. Of course, she will not agree with your son trying to harm him. Her words were from her heart, she wasn’t stepping on your son!”

“And the surveillance was released by Cheng Yi’s own accord. And because of that, she was now having a feud with him! You’re just crazy to slander her like that?! She even called me just now and asked how you were doing. She told me to comfort you and that she was trying to get a lighter sentence for Si Lang. She’s such a kind-hearted girl who only thinks about her family. Sister-in-law, is your conscience hurting when you slander my daughter?!!”

“I slandered your daughter?!” 

The eldest aunt’s eyes were bloodshot with anguish, but at the same time felt that this scene was somewhat familiar.

It seemed when that animal Mo Di was here back then…. this scene has been played out countless times.

No, actually, he had it worse. Every time he was reprimanded or beaten, it was because of Xiao Gui. And by Xiao Gui telling them to stop hitting him or starting to cry, they would immediately feel heartache towards her and try to comfort her. Even when Mo Di was the one hospitalized over and over, it was Xiao Gui that they would praise as the kind-hearted girl.

And if Mo Di so much as whispered a word in dissatisfaction, then he would be labeled as malicious and accused of deliberately trying to slander his sister.

The eldest aunt felt a jolt in her heart. Was she supposed to be happy that her son was not abused time and again because of Mo Liu Gui’s tears and her kind heart?

The eldest then turned her hatred to Mo Di. 

She resented him for leaving and breaking up with the Mo family! If he was still under their roof, these incidents would not befall them and what was happening to her son now should be happening to him instead!

As for showing her animosity towards Mo Liu Gui? No way. Thinking of how the second aunt was kicked by Qin Cheng Yi, she did not have the courage. But nonetheless, the seed of discord had been planted.

….

Meanwhile, Mo Di was not aware that he was once again someone else’s chopping board.

But even if he knew, he would not pay it any heed. Those people from the Mo family had never deserved a place in his heart.

Now Mo Di was fully engaged in making his game and was determined to complete the first chapter by the end of the national holidays.

Xian Yu Chao, Lin Jun Feng, and Chen Zhao were invited to stay in the villa with Mu Tian Heng’s permission.

When they arrived, Xian Yu Chao and Lin Jun Feng ran around to explore the villa in excitement, complaining about the unfairness of life.

After which, Mo Di had to seek them out one by one and forced them to work.

Xian Yu Chao was complaining in silence at Mo Di for being a monster, making them work in such a beautiful place.

And just like that, when the national holidays were over, Mo Di’s team had also completed the first chapter of his new game Infinite Life.

Mo Di was very much reluctant to leave Mu Tian Heng for school but he had to. He and the gang who also did not want to leave stayed till Monday morning.

Before departing, he sneaked off from the group to give Mu Tian Heng a hug.

Mu Tian Heng’s first reaction was to hold his little guy tight and gave his hair a gentle kiss.

Mo Di blushed at the kiss but he still held on to Mu Tian Heng. Only when he heard Xian Yu Chao asking for him that he wiggled out of Mu Tian Heng’s arms reluctantly.

Mu Tian Heng was too busy and had to leave for work. He assigned another driver to send them back to Jing Da in his stead.

Lin Jun Feng was singing Mu Tian Heng’s praises and claimed that Mu Tian Heng was the perfect idol because he was both talented and approachable.

That’s right, after staying in the villa, Lin Jun Feng and the others came to know that Mo Di’s brother was the Mu Tian Heng on Forbes world’s richest list. It took them several days to recover from the shock and thanks to that, they were very well behaved and Mo Di was able to make them code efficiently.

The second night after Mo Di returned to school, the results for the third elimination round were announced.

This time, only thirty of the fifty-six games were left in the competition.

Xin Wei Dao had once again passed the elimination but its ranking had fallen to twelfth place.

Mo Di was satisfied with the results of Xin Wei Dao. Originally, he did not expect it to make it to the final rounds, but now that might be a possibility. However, it would be risky to use it as his trump card for the finals.

Being in the twelfth position, the game had a whole three minutes of introductory time as compared to the rest with only two minutes.

Pang Qiang Lang and Han Chao were screaming and rejoicing again in their group chat and the three roommates also joined in.

Being caught in such an environment, Mo Di praised himself for his ability to work with them.

The TV host went on to announce the next stage of the competition.

After the audition and elimination rounds came the three final rounds.

The first of them was the ‘top nineteen’.

The top nineteen teams with the most points will proceed to the next round.

And for this stage in the competition, the team members’ names were not announced but each team was required to submit an official list of the total number of members in their team, and that number could not exceed twenty.

Because of this rule, many teams were in a sudden state of panic. The main reason was that they had more than twenty members and eliminating anyone will cause much discord within the team. Even if it was for the overall benefit of the group, anyone being withdrawn from the competition would inevitably feel dissatisfied. Losing the members also meant that their workload had to be redistributed, greatly affecting the team’s morale and work efficiency. Not to mention the difficulty of assigning anyone to do this offensive task.

Fortunately, Mo Di did not have to worry about his team exceeding the quota because he alone was worth ten people. Furthermore, his current team only consisted of ten members, they have plenty of room to take in new members.

Considering that several teams would be facing a debacle because of this rule, Mo Di was entangled with whether he should continue with Xin Wei Dao into the first championship round. With the other teams in a mess, they could actually win with Xin Wei Dao for the time being.

Mo Di messaged Mu Tian Heng about this conundrum and asked for his opinion.

Before getting a reply from Mu Tian Heng, a strange phone call came through to the dormitory.

The older dorms of the school were usually installed with landlines like the one Mo Di resided in. It was just that no one really used them.

Xian Yu Chao answered the phone and after two sentences, he called for Mo Di: “Xiao Di, Xiao Di, it’s for you.”

“Me?” Mo Di was surprised. He went to receive the call, “Hello, who is it?”

“Humph!” a cold snort came from the phone.

“…..” Mo Di was slightly irritated. “May I know who is speaking?”

“Tsk!” The other end uttered another unpleasant sound.

“If you’re not going to talk, I’m going to hang up.” Mo Di was getting annoyed after receiving the two weird responses. He went ahead and hung up the phone.

He turned and walked three steps before the phone rang again.

Mo Di picked up the receiver and before he could speak, a furious roar burst into his ears.

“Mo Di you dare to hang up on me! Not only did you fail to recognize my voice but you even hang up on me?!”

“I want to have a one on one match with you! We haven’t settled the scores for our last fight! Don’t you dare hide from me! I was understanding of your unfortunate circumstances and let it drag on but this doesn’t mean I can forgo this matter!”

“I’m so mad you dare to hang up on me!”

“How dare you hang up on me!?”

Chapter 55

Mo Si Lang sat up and completely woke from his dazed state. 

“What nonsense are you talking about?”

“It’s not nonsense! Brother Si Lang, take a look at Weibo. No, not just Weibo, it’s all over the internet!”

“What should we do? Brother Si Lang, what should we do?! Many people are saying that what we did was not just simply making a fake diary, we can go to jail!”

“Shut the f**k up!”

Mo Si Lang became increasingly annoyed with Pang Jing Xuan. He did not hold back and swore at her before hanging up the phone. He then quickly opened his Weibo.

The initial top hot search, ‘Mo Di’s Diary’, had dropped to number ten on the list and in its place was the topic ‘Mo Di’s Diary Was Forged‘.

The next three on the list were ‘Mo Si Lang’s Team Created Mo Di’s Fake Diary’, ‘Mo Si Lang Instigated His Fans to Splash Acid’, and ‘Mo Si Lang Is Sinister’.

Other related topics like ‘Mo Di is too pitiful’, ‘Qin Cheng Yi and Mo Si Lang’, ‘apologies to Mo Di’, and several others were also floating amongst the top twenty spots.

Ironically, the hot search ‘Mo Di’s diary’ that originally bought by Mo Si Lang was side by side with the topic ‘Apologies to Mo Di’.

In the span of a few hours, the public was forced to go back and forth on their opinions in accordance with the exploding news, creating massive responses and internet hype.

Clicking on any of the related topics will yield hundreds of thousands of responses.

My God! The diary is fake?!!!

Mo Si Lang’s level of wickedness is really an eye-opener…

First of all, I want to apologize to Mo Di for scolding him. But it’s not my fault! How was I to know Mo Si Lang actually made that diary?!

Upstairs, even if it’s not fake, even if Mo Di really did write nasty things about them, so what? He was abused by them for so many years and almost had his future ruined when they tried to frame him. Can’t he let out his frustration? The victim has to be perfect?

Mo Si Lang is disgusting, vicious, and poisonous. Damn, I don’t even know the perfect word to describe him. The man is garbage. The Mo family kept calling Mo Di an animal but they are the real animals.

Ok, I’ve read and gathered all the facts and this is what happened: In the beginning, Mo Si Lang cooperated with Qin Cheng Yi (the son of Qin Jie Guang, the richest man in Hua Xia) to find a handwriting expert to forge the diary. Mo Si Lang then leaked the diary to his fans using a different alias. He highlighted the malicious content to incite hatred in his extreme fans. He then created another alias to coerce and guide those people on how they should seek out justice for their idol by hurting Mo Di. Eventually, they were led to the idea of splashing acid and stabbing Mo Di. With this, those violent fans started a search for Mo Di’s current address and then proceeded with the plan, leading to their arrest.

This is sickening me. Mo Si Lang is poisonous. Those crazy fans are already out of control on a regular basis, and now Mo Si Lang has added his toxicity into their heads. This kind of garbage artist should be banned from the industry.

Banned? He should be jailed. Coercing others to harm people is a crime! And more severely is the act of abetting minors! He’s doubly guilty!

…

Crash! Mo Si Lang smashed his phone on the floor and the screen cracked.

Mo Si Lang’s face was now extremely unsightly, filled with both panic and frustration. He quickly got out of the bathroom, changed into some clothes, and rushed downstairs. He wanted Mo Liu Gui to go with him to see Qin Cheng Yi.

It seemed Mo Si Lang was still able to think straight. He knew that without Mo Liu Gui as a medium, Qin Cheng Yi would not be bothered with him.

As for Mo Liu Gui, her complexion was not good at all. When they reached the Mo family’s gate, it was as if she had enough of Mo Si Lang and pulled her hand back. She asked him innocently why he did it.

“Brother, I can’t go to see Cheng Yi with you. What you did was wrong.”

“Xiao Gui, stop making a fuss. There’s no more time. Before it’s too late, come with me to find Qin Cheng Yi. Quickly….”

“Brother!” Mo Liu Gui interrupted Mo Si Lang. Her eyes began to turn red. “Why on earth did you make a fake diary? Why did you make your fans attack Xiao Di?! I don’t understand, I really don’t understand! Why did you have to do that?”

“Xiao Gui, let’s not talk about this for now. Come with me to find Qin Cheng Yi. He has to help. He has to get me out of this mess or I’m done for!”

“Get you out of this mess? Brother, have you seen the evidence online? It’s all solid evidence! Are you trying to make Cheng Yi lie for you? Are you trying to drag him down with you?” Mo Liu Gui’s eyes were red as she said: “Brother, don’t keep doing the wrong thing!”

“Xiao Gui, what are you talking about? What do you mean by doing the wrong thing? I did not do anything wrong!”

“Brother, you’re incorrigible!”

“Xiao Gui…!”

“Brother, don’t talk anymore.”

Mo Liu Gui interrupted Mo Si Lang again. With tears in her eyes, she said: “No one in our family knew what you did. No one will agree with what you did to Xiao Di. We will not forgive you for this.”

“Xiao Gui?!”

Mo Si Lang looked at Mo Liu Gui in shock. He did not understand why Mo Liu Gui was saying all this. It was impossible that anyone in the family would disagree with what he did!

“Xiao Gui, are you refusing to go with me to find Qin Cheng Yi?”

Mo Liu Gui’s eyes were brimming with tears: “Brother, why don’t you turn yourself in…”

“Turn myself in? What are you talking about?!” Mo Si Lang was dumbfounded. He looked at Mo Liu Gui in utter disbelief and for the first time, he questioned her suspiciously: “Xiao Gui, what is wrong with you? Are you trying to get me into trouble?!”

At this time, a car suddenly drove up to them and slowly stopped. Then the door opened. 

“I think you’re the one who’s trying to get the Mo family and Xiao Gui into trouble. Mo Si Lang, I suggest you’d better turn yourself in.”

Qin Cheng Yi got out of the car and looked at Mo Liu Gui with concern. He went to hold her and said: “Don’t be sad, this has nothing to do with you. You didn’t know anything.”

Mo Liu Gui’s tears kept falling.

“But, but Xiao Di was hurt. I’m so upset. Brother might be arrested too. I’m worried about him too. I’m… I’m so sad. What should I do….” Mo Liu Gui cried bitterly, “Cheng Yi, what should we do?”

Qin Cheng Yi’s heart ached badly as he held Mo Liu Gui in his arms. He stared at Mo Si Lang with intense malice. Mo Si Lang who was about to ask him to bail him out was stunned.

“Cheng Yi, you… what’s the meaning of this…”

“You conspired with my subordinate to commit crimes and now you want me to help you?” Qin Cheng Yi’s voice was cold and merciless. “You even told my subordinate to claim that I’m the mastermind behind this to pull me into this mess! That’s just so that I have to help you out when things go south?! Mo Si Lang, you’re very clever and very scheming!”

“You, what do you mean by this? Qin Cheng Yi, your words are just ridiculous!”

Mo Si Lang was suffocating as panic overwhelmed him. He looked at Qin Cheng Yi with scorn: “You’re trying to pin everything on me! You’re going to make me the scapegoat! You’re letting me get arrested?!!”

“I just want to tell you that my subordinate had turned himself in, you should do the same. Do not try to ask me for help. I won’t help you cover this up nor do I have that kind of ability.”

Mo Si Lang finally realized that Qin Cheng Yi was going to use him as a doormat and abandon him. “Qin Cheng Yi!!!”

“I’ll say this one last time.” Qin Cheng Yi’s expression was cold as he gave Mo Si Lang a menacing stare, “Do not try to drag me into this. Do not try to use Xiao Gui’s kindness to get to me. Stop giving the Mo family and Xiao Gui a bad reputation, otherwise, you will deeply regret it.”

…..

What happened at the Mo family gate, Mo Di was completely clueless. Now that the whole truth was revealed on the internet and everyone was criticizing Mo Si Lang and his fans, Mo Di could finally get back to work on his game. 

Mu Tian Heng also had work to do but he had Assistant Gao send the files over.

He was not leaving for the office today. Although the dust on the matter had almost settled, Mu Tian Heng was still restless. He was going to stay home for another day. Besides, there was not much to do at the office.

Mo Di stretched and said to Mu Tian Heng: “Brother, let’s order take out. I’m mentally and physically tired, let’s not cook today.”

“Alright. What do you want to eat?”

“Brother, the roast duck restaurant you brought me to last time was really good, can we eat that?”

“Ok. Let me check if they have started taking orders.” Mu Tian Heng gently rubbed Mo Di’s hair. He then opened a takeout app. Mo Di was sitting next to him and discussing the menu.

At this time, Mo Di’s phone suddenly gave out an alert.

Mo Di frowned.

“What is it?” Mu Tian Heng looked at Mo Di, “Something wrong with the fans?”

“No. This is the alert for Mo Liu Gui. It seems she has another hot search.” Mo Di turned on the phone and as expected, a new topic involving Mo Liu Gui was fifth on the list: Mo Liu Gui cried

Mo Di: “???”

After clicking on the link, a video showed up.

The clip was footage of what happened at the Mo villa’s gate. The gist of it was Mo Liu Gui having no idea regarding what Mo Si Lang had done. She could not accept what he did and cried as she advised him to surrender himself to the police.

And the flow of the comments that followed were mostly manipulated by a large number of water armies. Other than the few negative comments such as ‘This Video is Very Suspicious’, ‘This Seems Scripted’, ‘Isn’t this Mo Liu Gui a Little too Ignorant’, the rest painted her in a positive light.

Mo Liu Gui doesn’t know anything. It’s just pitiful that she gets scolded by so many in the forum. It’s not right, stop swearing at her, she’s innocent ok?

Mo Liu Gui seemed worried about Mo Di. I think she really cares about him.

My goddess, please don’t cry. Your crying makes me sad.

Sympathy for Mo Liu Gui.

Ummmm, thinking back to the clip when Mo Di was with the Mo family, Mo Liu Gui’s words back then and now all sounded very dubious to me.

Why is this so high on the hot search? Are they trying to get rid of Mo Si Lang with this?

Love Mo Liu Gui!

…

Mo Di was quite entertained as he went through the comments.

He smiled and said to Mu Tian Heng: “Qin Cheng Yi and Mo Liu Gui are quite resourceful. Although the public isn’t fully supportive of Mo Liu Gui, her reputation is not completely destroyed. In fact, I think she actually managed to gain some heat.”

Mu Tian Heng glanced at the video and solemnly said: “By doing this they have completely forsaken Mo Si Lang and used him as a stepping stone. Qin Cheng Yi is awfully treacherous, no matter what, Mo Si Lang is still Mo Liu Gui’s cousin.”

Of course he was not sympathizing with Mo Si Lang. He had just come to realize that besides being ruthless and having no regard for the law, Qin Cheng Yi was also merciless even to the people close to him. This kind of person… he had to be extra cautious when dealing with him in the future.

“To be able to trample him like that, they are indeed quite shrewd.”

Mo Di was actually enjoying the dogfight. All in all, it was not realistic to think that they could easily topple Qin Cheng Yi. There was too little evidence that could tie him to this and with his power and resources, it would be strange if he could not get out of this mess.

And if they could not touch Qin Cheng Yi, then don’t even think about dealing with Mo Liu Gui. Nonetheless, although she was able to get some exposure, her popularity with the regular masses was still collapsing.

This time around, he took down Mo Si Lang, one of the hardest people to deal with, and further destroyed Mo Liu Gui’s path to fame. It was quite a satisfying harvest.

After reading Mo Liu Gui’s news, Mo Di went back to check his hot searches and realized that it had stayed on the same spot even after several hours. 

But what surprised him was the netizens’ creativity. In a mere hour or so, various quirky expression stickers were widely distributed and used by a lot of people. Some examples are: “let me pour acid on you or I’ll curse myself’, “Let me stab you or I’ll curse myself”, “Don’t piss me off or I’ll write a diary for you!”, and “F**k you, I’m going write a diary for you!”

….

Mo Di gave the whimsical netizens some support by downloading several sticker packs.

Just as the food arrived, another news about Mo Si Lang was announced. It seemed the police had taken him into custody. 

Mo Si Lang’s fans have already taken off. What remained were very few diehard fans who continued to trash talk on the forums.

They questioned the authenticity of the evidence as it was obtained too quickly. They cursed at the police and even the government, claiming there was a bigger conspiracy in play.

But those comments were not very popular and only forwarded less than a hundred times. The police department then issued a statement clarifying that the evidence was all genuine and this was because of the help from very enthusiastic netizens. They also distributed a sticker pack dedicated to them saying: “With over five hundred forwarded messages, we invite you to a free meal.”

Chapter 54

Soon the event ‘Mo Si Lang’s Deranged Fans Causing Harm with Sulfuric Acid’ spread through the major websites.

The topics Mo Si Lang’s Fangirls Splash Acid, Mo Di Was Attacked With Acid by Mo Si Lang’s Fans, and The Heinous Acts of Brain-damaged Fans quickly reached the top of the hot search list.

Mo Si Lang was an artist involved in many discussions after the Mo family’s scandal. Netizens had dug up his lies before and after the truths were revealed, gaining him many anti-fans. 

However, even without the anti-fans, Mo Si Lang’s popularity was not soaring either.

When the news reported the incident, the public had zealously joined in the discussion. The already denounced deranged fanboys and girls had gained another level of disapproval.

What the hell? Splashing acid?! This is just too cruel!

Did those fans stuff their brain with sh*t?!

These people have no three views, morality, or even logic! Even the law does not matter to them!

The present-day fanatics are the worst. One of my friends joined a group of crazy fans after falling in love with this idol. After hanging out with them, she was like another person. She was tenacious and would argue with anyone over the slightest comment going against her goddess. All she knew was that her goddess was the most innocent and anyone against her does not deserve to live!

The girl screaming at Mo Di is being illogical ok. What did she mean by Mo Di will get retribution? What they did was so horrendous and Mo Si Lang is not a good man either. He used to slander Mo Di for cheating in the exam and being an unfilial child to his family but as it turned out, they are a group of mental retards that abused Mo Di from young. Mo Di will have retribution? I think the ones who will get their retribution are Mo Si Lang and those extreme fans!

Am I alone for thinking that Mo Di must’ve done something to make Mo Si Lang’s fan say that he will have retribution?

Yes, you are alone. *You’re the light, you’re the electricity, you’re the only one…. who has a mental problem. (TN: This is the lyrics to the song Superstar by SHE)

Do not use those fans to judge our brother Si Lang, thank you. We’re taking him away from this.

Who knows if they are even our Si Lang’s fans? They could be anyone and might even be Si Lang’s anti-fans. I don’t accept such fans ok?

….

Driven by the fans, anti-fans, and even passers-by, the topics soon climbed to become the hottest topic on the internet with the title ‘Mo Si Lang’s Fangirls Splash Acid’ claiming the second spot on the hot search.

On the way back to the villa from the police station, Mo Di finally had the leisure to open his Weibo. After browsing through the discussions online, he found that the public opinion had already been fermented and heated arguments were panning out across the forums.

In the comments, there were those that denounced the crazy fans, some admonished Mo Si Lang, and some felt sorry for him. Those who sympathized with Mo Si Lang were saying that he was just a victim in this and he should not be dragged down because of his fans’ insanity.

That was not all. There were even conspiracy theories questioning the reason behind Mo Di’s frequently being victimized. They insisted that there was definitely something wrong with Mo Di, otherwise, why would there be people constantly trying to harm him and not others. Just like the campus violence incident, there were plenty of other students, why was he the only one being bullied?

Mo Di saw the comment and only felt amused. There was no need for him to be roused by such remarks. Besides, there were more novel ones that really intrigued him. There were actually a number of people speaking up for the three girls.

These poor girls, they are just kids. They might not know the harm of sulfuric acid…

I think these kids are actually all innocent. Look at Mo Di hitting the girl’s hand with the shovel. He made the acid spill on their arm and shoulder. It hurts just thinking about it. The poor thing, so young, and not to mention a girl. What’s going to happen to them?

Mo Di is not a gentleman at all! Pei!

….

Another wave of incomprehensible comments. Mo Di could not even get angry at them. 

He was attacked with acid and using the shovel to knock away the bottle was a defensive reflex. And yet he was criticized for not being a gentleman? So did he have to accept the onslaught with open arms and let the acid ruin his body to be considered a gentleman?

Luckily, these thoughtless comments were very unpopular and few in between. Mo Di did not bother to deal with them. Instead, he had decided to move on to the next stage seeing how the topic had been brewing to such an extent.

Mo Di proceeded to promote the fake diary online and pushed it up the hot search list.

Mu Tian Heng was sitting next to him on the sofa. His brows slightly creased looking at Mo Di.

“Brother?” Mo Di saw him facing him with such an expression and couldn’t help but ask: “What is it?”

Mu Tian Heng reached out to pat Mo Di’s head and sighed.

“Although this will arouse a lot of attention and cause a big hit to Mo Si Lang later on, but before the truth is out, you will be under a lot of harsh criticisms. You will be placed in the center of the storm…”

“Brother, I’ll be fine.” Mo Di knew Mu Tian Heng’s reason for being upset and quickly appeased him: “I’m really fine.”

“Even if I’m under fire now, it’ll only be for a while. The more severe their curses are, the more they will regret it later when the truth is revealed.”

Mu Tian Heng gave Mo Di a quick glance and finally gave him a gentle hug.

“I’ll make you something to drink. What would you like? Peach or pear juice?”

“Either is fine. I like them both.”

“Good. Stay here, I’ll come back soon.”

Mo Di had his head rubbed and he could only smile. His eyes followed Mu Tian Heng to the kitchen and felt incomparable happiness. Come what may, he was no longer scared of anything.

After the fake diary was disclosed online, public opinion on the internet had reached an all-time high, making it the most heated current event.

A number of people switched sides and began to sympathize with the Mo family while dissing Mo Di for being a white-eyed wolf with a vicious mind.

But many remained on Mo Di’s side, claiming that after so much abuse, the need to lash out in the diary was understandable. If the Mo family did not mistreat him, there was no need for him to write such things. Furthermore, he did not commit any crime. On the other hand, Mo Si Lang’s fan attacking him for this was plainly unreasonable and malicious.

The netizens’ war between the sides eventually started.

Mo Di is nothing good. How could he write such vicious things in his diary?

Mo Di is trash!!!

I can kinda understand the fans’ actions. They were just too frustrated when they saw the diary, it’s just that their method of venting was a bit too intense.

Yes, I can empathize with the girls. If my idol was cursed like that I would not only pour acid but also poison his food and curse him every day. [baring fangs] 

The fans’ behaviors were over the top but it was excusable. Hope they get a light sentence. They only wanted to protect their idol.

OMG these comments are so ridiculous they deserve my admiration!!!

What? There are people that think it’s acceptable to assault someone with acid and knives?! The fan communities are just too incredible!!!

Please understand, this is intentional malice. It can cause irreversible damages to the victim. How can anyone think that this is justifiable?! You love your idols, fine, but it does not mean your love is above the law. Just because someone was bitching your idol does not mean you have the right to attack them with acid! Your minds are the most vicious! Does the law mean nothing to you people!

The fans are a reflection of their idol. Just look at what kind of person Mo Si Lang is, not surprising his fans are also twisted.

This is a criminal case, I hope the fans realize this.

Those fans who support Mo Si Lang are just like him, treating people with double standards. It was ok when Mo Si Lang abused and framed Mo Di but when Mo Di wrote a few words in his diary, he was worse than a monster? And that he is too evil and deserved to be splashed with acid? F**king wonderful!

Upstairs, it’s not just Mo Si Lang’s fans. This is the same with other celebrities as well. These groupies treat their idols as supreme beings. If they are not extremely biased, then they can’t be considered deranged fans…

…

In no time, the topic ‘Mo Di’s diary’ climbed to the top three spots and eventually to the top spot. Mo Di suspected that someone else was behind this.

He frowned and started tracking the comments.

In the beginning, the public was divided into two roughly even sides. However, as the topic rose higher on the hot search, obvious employment of the water army was introduced to whitewash Mo Si Lang and suppress the support on Mo Di’s side. There were even several insults hurled at him by random passers-by…

What is this? Mo Si Lang had made his move? Or was this Qin Cheng Yi’s hand?

After some time, three hot searches Mo Di did not expect emerged: The Movie Unrequited Love Release Date, Unrequited Love’s Female Lead Mo Liu Gui, The Nation’s Sweetheart Mo Liu Gui.

Each topic was followed with incessant praises like ‘Mo Liu Gui is so beautiful’, ‘I’m an instant fan’, and ‘I’m definitely going to see her movie’.

And each time someone praised Mo Liu Gui, they would go on to curse at Mo Di. This was like those people from the Mo family who would compare and contrast how Mo Di was garbage for bullying the perfect Mo Liu Gui.

Basically, someone was using this as a rare marketing chance for Mo Liu Gui.

Mo Di was actually welcoming this. He was really looking forward to how the people behind this would react after he unleashed the whole truth behind the diary. What a delight it would be to see their swollen ugly faces.

At this time, Mu Tian Heng came back with two glasses of freshly pressed juice. He placed one on the table and the other in Mo Di’s hand.

“How is the public’s opinion?”

“Brother, look at this and you’ll understand. I did not expect that even at a time like this, they could even stir up a hot search. I underestimated Qin Cheng Yi and the Mo family.”

Mu Tian Heng sat and browsed through the comments and his face only grew darker as he read.

Mo Di could clearly feel Mu Tian Heng’s agitation and wanted to appease him. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Mu Tian Heng suppressed his anger and said: “Post the truth now.”

Mo Di was so surprised that he had hiccups: “…?!”

He said: “But brother, it’s only been less than an hour since the fake diary topic rose to the top. Mo Liu Gui’s campaign and Mo Si Lang’s whitewashing had only started, it has not reached the peak yet.”

“Don’t make a fuss. Put out the truth now.” This was the first time Mu Tian Heng was so adamant with Mo Di. Mo Di could tolerate those insults but he couldn’t. How malicious and disgusting those insults were, it just gave him a new insight into the vileness of words.

“Please listen to me this once.”

“Ok…”

“Have you ever thought that these aren’t just slander but a form of brainwashing. Dangerous people might do something to you because of this.”

“But we’ll put out the truth soon.” Mo Di said: “By then, we’ll let the topic hang on the top spot for the whole day. This way, we’re sure to hit them where it hurts and let everyone see Mo Si Lang’s true face. Mo Liu Gui’s news will also become a joke and those who were cursing at me will have to stop.”

Mu Tian Heng was carrying a worried expression when he looked at Mo Di: “But now everything is almost in place and the public opinion is already strong enough. Those dirty words being poured out by the water army are just…”

“Brother, I’m fine. I can take it, really.”

Mo Di looked at Mu Tian Heng earnestly: “Brother, since we decided to face them head-on, we have to make the best out of it. We even risked being thrown acid at, how can we back down now because of a little foul language? I’m not scared, really.”

Mu Tian Heng mulled for several seconds and sighed. He compromised: “At most another hour or I’ll personally hack into Weibo and release the documents.”

“Ha? Isn’t an hour a little short? The topic has only been up for an hour and a half…” Mo Di argued in a soft voice.

“Nope, that’s how long you have, or else I’ll only give you half an hour.”

“Alright, alright. An hour it is.” Mo Di quickly agreed. If Mu Tian Heng really made a move, he would not be able to do anything about it, after all, posting the documents is so much easier then trying to stop it. Plus, Mu Tian Heng had his team of IT nerds to help him.

Mo Di had no choice but to agree.

While Mo Di and Mu Tian Heng were bickering over the time, the Mo family was in a state of joy and celebration over his misfortunes.

Mo Si Lang was playing with his phone in delight. Mo Liu Gui was also delirious with her growing fanbase but after a while, she frowned and said: “It was really wrong of Xiao Di to do this. But even though he cursed at us, we still should make a statement to forgive him. There are so many people swearing at him, I’m worried he won’t be able to take it.”

“Xiao Gui, why do you care about him? He deserves it. This is his punishment. Do you think we should buy a hot search for our family and try to restore our reputation?”

“I don’t know. I… I’m going to take a call.” Mo Liu Gui’s phone suddenly rang. She picked up her phone and answered: “Hello, Cheng Feng?”

“Um, I’m fine. I’m really fine. I don’t blame him, he’s my younger brother….”

“Cheng Feng, don’t say that about him, he’s just a little confused.”

“…”

Mo Si Lang was a little irritated when he saw Mo Liu Gui chatting with Ye Cheng Feng on the phone. He was not very happy with the men around his sister who were not ‘qualified’ in his eyes. But as a perfect brother, he could not stop her from interacting with him.

Seeing Mo Liu Gui was going to take a while, he went back to his room and drew a bath. He had been in a tense mood for the past two days and finally today, he could take a relaxing bubble bath.

As a result, he dozed off with a smile while soaking in the tub, unable to hear his assistant, Pang Jing Xuan’s consecutive calls.

Mo Si Lang was furious when the calls disturbed his sleep. He immediately pressed the reject button but for the first time, his assistant ignored his mood and called again. When Mo Si Lang finally answered the phone, he lashed out in anger: “Pang Jing Xuan are you sick?! Get lost! Don’t bother me!”

“Brother Si Lang, it’s bad! It’s really bad!” Pang Jing Xuan did not mind Mo Si Lang’s rudeness at all and said in a panicked tone.

“Brother Si Lang! Someone found out that the diary is forged and all the evidence was posted on the internet. Now the public opinion has changed entirely. Everyone is thrashing us, all of them! And it’s many times worse than before! It’s too overwhelming, the water army was not able to hold them off!”

“What to do? What should we do?!”

Chapter 53

Mo Di decided that he would take some time to shop for a new set of pajamas in the next few days. He then went to open the door.

When the door was opened and Mo Di was standing there wearing his yellow pajamas, Mu Tian Heng just stood and stared.

… this is bad.

The child was looking all the more green and almost like he was just sixteen. The more he stared, the more he cursed himself for being a beast. 

“Brother?”

Seeing that Mu Tian Heng was gawking at him and not talking, Mo Di asked: “Brother, why aren’t you saying anything?”

“Cough…”

Mu Tian Heng cleared his throat and turned serious: “Now that we have collected all the evidence we need, have you ever thought of going to the police?”

“No.” Mo Di replied firmly. “If we stop him now, he will not receive the highest conviction and most likely get away with some light penalty. We have to make the public see his true face and how poisonous he is. And abetting minors is a heinous crime. This is how I can get him and we could also bring awareness to this and prevent it from happening to anyone else.”

“So… you have decided to risk yourself?”

“Brother, please believe me.” Mo Di gave Mu Tian Heng a determined look and said: “I have seen their plan. They will send several minors to our house and will either splash sulfuric acid or attack with a knife. They have abandoned the car hit plan.”

After hearing this, Mu Tian Heng’s face darkened: “So in your opinion, being splashed with sulfuric acid and attacked with a knife is actually trivial because it’s easier to dodge?”

“It’s not that hard to avoid…” Mo Di was arguing in a soft voice but he still felt inexplicably guilty.

“Brother, you really don’t have to worry. Before they can even do anything, I’ve already taken cover. I’ll be fine.”

Mo Di had a lot of experience with these types of situations in his previous life. Before he was put into the asylum, he had been harassed by Qin Cheng Yi’s croons. There were more creative weapons at play other than the sulfuric and knives. And every time, he had managed to avoid them all. Even when he was locked up in the mental hospital, he still had many chances to practice his evasiveness. So the assault from those untrained minors should not be a problem for him.

Furthermore, he knew of their plans inside out and was totally prepared for it. Nothing would go wrong.

But Mu Tian Heng said: “Give me your phone.”

Mo Di passed Mu Tian Heng his phone obediently.

Mu Tian Heng looked through it and said calmly: “I’ll stay home with you tomorrow.”

“You don’t have to.” Mo Di was reluctant. “I can do this alone…. But of course, I’ll be very happy to have my brother around!” Realizing Mu Tian Heng’s increasingly dangerous expression, Mo Di cleverly changed his tone and showed a pleasing smile.

“That’s a good boy.” Seeing Mo Di’s cute and flattering look, Mu Tian Heng’s face was like the breeze after a rain. He rubbed Mo Di’s hair and said warmly: “It’s not that I don’t trust you nor am I trying to be controlling. It’s just that this is too dangerous. Even if you’re a hundred percent sure you’ll be safe, I will still worry. You understand me, right?”

“Yes, I understand. But I don’t want to put you in harm’s way either. Some of those people are also aiming at you. They are really ruthless, and…”

“It’s ok.” Mu Tian Heng interrupted and held Mo Di’s shoulder, “I’ll be fine. I’ve seen a lot in America. Especially teenage bullying in school, their approach was quite similar to those extreme fans.”

Mo Di was shocked: “Brother you’ve been bullied in school?!”

“They tried to but I got the last laugh. It’s fine now.” Mu Tian Heng rubbed Mo Di’s hair and changed the subject: “When it’s over, let’s decide on where to treat Li Cheng and the others for dinner. Do you have any place in mind?”

“Nope.”

Mo Di knew Mu Tian Heng changed the subject on purpose and was somewhat upset. There was no way for him to force Mu Tian Heng to leave the house tomorrow just like Mu Tian Heng did not force him to go to the police with the evidence.

They could only try their hardest to protect each other when the time comes. After Mo Di had made up his mind, he said: “I’m going to do some research on the expensive restaurants and compare their ratings. Brother, do you have any suggestions?”

Mu Tian Heng: “You don’t have to go to an expensive one. The authentic local cuisine restaurant you took me to is a good choice. It’ll give them a good chance to taste the local food.”

“But I’m worried they aren’t used to the local food.”

“That’s unlikely. The local snacks I told Lai De Si to get for them are all finished in one go. They would really enjoy the local food here. After all, they did mention wanting to try all the delicacies of this city.”

“Besides, it’s not that cheap to dine there. A group of nine plus wine would cost more than two or three thousand. No matter how rich you are, you shouldn’t spend frivolously.”

Mu Tian Heng then looked at Mo Di’s rosy cheeks and bright eyes, then lowered his sight at his neckline and clavicle. His eyes turned dark.

Before his thoughts could get anymore animalistic, his reason and the sight of the tender youth in front of him prevented him from doing anything too stimulating….

Mu Tian Heng cleared his throat: “Alright, quickly get to bed, it’s already two in the morning.”

Lai De Si who had just taken his bath and wanted to get some water happened to witness the scene and said: “A certain beast knows what time it is and still insisted on talking to the kid. I think you did it on purpose, and now you’re acting all gentlemanly? Who are you trying to bluff, you big bad wolf! Awoo!”

Mo Di blushed and was speechless.

Mu Tian Heng ignored Lai De Si and said to Mo Di: “Good boy, go to sleep.”

“En. Goodnight brother.” Mo Di was feeling a little shy. He immediately dug under the blanket after closing the door… 

Afterward, he could faintly hear Lai De Si’s howling to Mu Tian Heng outside.

The next day, Mo Di woke up an hour later than he usually did.

Even so, when he was up, Lai De Si was still asleep. Mu Tian Heng, on the other hand, was already working out and he could hear the beating sounds from the sandbag from upstairs.

At half-past eight, Lai De Si went out, leaving only Mu Tian Heng and Mo Di at home…. Oh, there was also Suan Suan around.

They continued to monitor the activities of the group and by nine-thirty, the group made their move. The group of underage fans was driven to the venue by their adult accomplices.

In the group that was coming for the attack, excluding the adult driver, three were high schoolers. They wanted to make use of the national holidays to avenge their idol. They were roughly fifteen to sixteen years of age. 

Mo Di saw them as immature and violent children but in Mu Tian Heng’s eyes, they were at the same age as Mo Di and should be fully aware of their actions.

After the preparation, there was no more chit chat in the forum so Mo Di hacked into their private accounts and found they had formed a private chat titled ‘Si Lang brother for life’ where they would communicate with each other along the way.

Their plan was to drop something into Mo Di’s yard as a ruse to knock on their door. And when Mo Di opened it, they would attack him with sulfuric acid or knives. Mo Di was just amused at how their brain worked. They were either too ignorant or too arrogant. Did they think that because they were minors that they would not be arrested? Or that they could go scot-free even after the arrest?

Aside from it being a crime, did they know that what they were going to will destroy someone’s life?! 

They used a righteous tone when discussing ways to deal with Mo Di and justified their actions by getting revenge for their aggrieved Si Lang brother whom because the whole world was blinded by Mo Di, had in turn, attacked their talented and pure-hearted brother Si Lang.

Mo Di stopped reading their messages in fear that it would cause his brain to deteriorate. 

These people were just too stubborn or even brainwashed to see Mo Si Lang’s true face even after all the evidence that had circulated the web. They instead felt that their idol was being persecuted by the outside world.

In a sense, Mo Di was quite intrigued by their loyalty.

Mu Tian Heng on the other was not as calm and collected as Mo Di. It took a lot out of him to refrain himself from calling the cops.

With Qin Cheng Yi’s help, the extremist group managed to infiltrate their villa district with ease and accurately found Mo Di and Mu Tian Heng’s door.

The girls then started playing badminton. 

After one or two rounds, a shuttlecock accidentally flew over the fence and into the villa’s yard.

Mo Di did not want to watch their bad acting any second longer. He went out to the yard with a shovel, pretending to clean up Suan Suan’s poo. As he bent down he complained: “Look at what you’ve done. You’ve pooped everywhere again.”

Suan Suan at his side looked at him with wet eyes and let out an innocent awoo, as if asking why he was being reprimanded…

The girls glanced at each other and quickly called out to him: “Hi, can you help us out a bit?”

Mo Di stopped and looked up at the people outside the gate and asked: “What do you want?”

A girl carefully looked at Mo Di and then winked at the others.

A girl with a ponytail turned to Mo Di and said with a smile: “Hi, we dropped our shuttlecock in your yard, can you get it for us?”

Mo Di looked at the three girls: one was empty-handed while the other two were carrying cross-shoulder bags, most likely stored with weapons.

“Ok.” Mo Di nodded. With the shovel in hand, he went to take the shuttlecock for them. Halfway back, the door behind opened with a click and Mu Tian Heng stepped out.

“What’s wrong?”

“Someone hit a shuttlecock into our yard.” Mo Di said.

“Um. Hand it to me, I’ll give it to them.” Mu Tian Heng then quickly took the shuttlecock from Mo Di’s hand without further warning.

Mo Di looked at Mu Tian Heng who had already left to open the door.

In fact at this time, if those fans had an ounce of intelligence and weren’t muddled by their anger, they would have asked why the tall man still had to open the door when he could just throw the shuttlecock back to them over the gate.

But then again, if they were clear-headed, they would not be doing this in the first place.

Seeing that Mo Di was staying put, the three were thrown into chaos. Their anger towards Mo Di surged as they blamed him for thwarting their plan by not coming out and letting them avenge their idol.

Mo Di’s keen observation told him that the girl with the ponytail was reaching into her bag for something. He feared for Mu Tian Heng’s safety and promptly approached them. As he came closer, the girl pulled out a knife and thrust at Mu Tian Heng.

Mu Tian Heng took a step back to evade, then kicked the knife away from her hand. 

The girl cried out in pain.

At the same time, the other two had rushed towards Mo Di and one was armed with a bottle of acid in her hands. She opened the bottle and tried to splash its contents at Mo Di. But before she could aim properly, Mo Di had used the shovel to try and knock the bottle out of her hand. The girl held on to the bottle tightly and tried to have another go at Mo Di. However, her wrist gave in and the bottle slipped out of her grip, causing a small amount of acid to spill out from the opened bottle and splashed onto her arms and the shoulder of the girl next to her.

“AH!”

The anger and resentment on the girls’ faces immediately disappeared as they screamed in agony.

The security department that Mu Tian Heng called three minutes beforehand had now arrived at the scene. They quickly questioned: “What is it? What happened!?”

“Attacking people with acid and knives, you better call the police quickly!”

Mu Tian Heng was in an extremely bad mood. When he was held up by the girl trying to stab him and saw the other two rushed at Mo Di with the bottle of acid, his heart almost stopped.

What if, what if Mo Di had not managed to use his shovel in time?! He could not even imagine what he would do!

So young yet so vicious. These fans had no conscience when it comes to anyone else other than their god, Mo Si Lang.

The two who had sustained injury were crying and swearing intermittently. The unscathed fangirl looked at Mo Di with rage and hatred.

“You will be punished! There will be retribution for trying to harm our brother! You will be punished! I curse you to be hit by a car. I curse you to fall to your death! How dare you harm our brother because of your jealousy! Sooner or later, there will be people who would stand up for us. You will die a horrible death!”

Mo Di could not be bothered with her but hearing her ‘jealousy talk’, he could not help turning conceited and sneered at her face: “Um, there is some truth to this. I was not jealous of your brother before but after this… I quite envy that he soon will be able to have free meals for a long time.”

Chapter 52

Mo Di’s cheeks and earlobes were dyed red, even his slender neck had a pinkish shade.

He was caught in a trance. Mu Tian Heng…. he changed too abruptly!

Mo Di felt his body temperature was rising and his breath was burning. He was at a loss, not knowing what to do or where to go. It seemed apart from his thumping heart, he could not move any other part of his body.

“Good boy.” Mu Tian Heng wrapped Mo Di into an embrace.

This was the first time Mu Tian Heng could openly hold Mo Di instead of having to fantasize about this moment. 

He kissed his hair and with gentle and caring movements, he tightened his embrace. Mo Di in Mu Tian Heng’s arms was feeling dizzy mixed with intense confusion. But he could feel Mu Tian Heng’s passionate feelings for him and how much he was being cherished.

Intense emotions surged in Mo Di’s heart. He extended his arms and firmly hugged Mu Tian Heng, feeling his straight and strong back. He pressed himself against the warm and sturdy chest and felt his cheek scalding but he did not want to let go.

“I like you too. Brother, I really like you…”

Mu Tian Heng did not speak but intensified the kiss on Mo Di’s hair. He then kissed his forehead, eyelids, down to the tip of his nose, and finally lightly on his lips. 

Mo Di’s face was now burning at its hottest: “Brother…”

Mu Tian Heng gave Mo Di one final kiss on the cheek and looked deep into his eyes. The voice which had always been gentle and steady was somewhat hoarse: “Now be good, I’ll wait for you to grow up. I’ll wait till you’re eighteen.”

“But I’m a grown-up.” Mo Di looked at Mu Tian Heng with moist eyes. “I like you. Why can’t we start now?”

“Because…” Mu Tian Heng’s eyes were filled with affection, “Because after this, we will become each other’s most intimate person. This is the last month I get to be a brother to you and not an old beast. Little imp, do you want to turn brother into a perverted old beast?”

Mo Di clearly felt that his face could not get any redder but after Mu Tian Heng’s tease, he felt a wave of embarrassment and averted his eyes away from Mu Tian Heng, “That’s not what I meant…”

“I know.” Mu Tian Heng hugged Mo Di down from the balcony fence and landed a kiss on his head. “Brother likes you the best. This is all you need to remember.”

“Then you also have to remember that I like you the most.” Mo Di raised his head and gave Mu Tian Heng a sudden kiss on his Adam’s apple. “I’ve also planted my seal on you. Brother, from today on, you’re mine. Even though we are not officially dating for now, you have been claimed!”

Mu Tian Heng was instantly numbed by his kiss. He felt as though fireworks were exploding as his eyes fixed on Mo Di. “Little one, you did that on purpose.”

“It was on purpose.” Mo Di looked directly at Mu Tian Heng and his lips curled into a grin, feeling pleased with his tease.

Mu Tian Heng was on fire internally but he refrained from any animal behavior. In the end, he could only kiss Mo Di on the forehead and then gave it a light flick.

“Don’t mess around or I’ll take you straight to the bedroom.”

Mo Di: “!!!”

“Alright, let’s go back inside. It’s too sunny here.”

Mu Tian Heng laughed and returned to his dormant and gentle self, as if the heated scene just now had satiated his passion for the time being. “When we get back, we’ll divide up the work and quickly deal with Mo Si Lang.”

“En.” Mo Di responded then quickly dashed back to the room. It seemed Mu Tian Heng’s bedroom threat had him scared.

Mu Tian Heng was filled with fondness and amazement looking at Mo Di’s back.

…..

When they finally settled down to deal with the issue at hand, Mu Tian Heng contacted Li Cheng’s group to split the tasks: Li Cheng, Meng Te, and Edmund will check on the female assistant. The George brothers and Mu Tian Heng will deal with Qin Cheng Yi. Mo Si Lang was left to Mo Di who was the most familiar with him. 

Lai De Si would join them in the evening when he got off work.

The group investigated for three days and they really did find out a lot.

Mo Di was the first to make a breakthrough. He tracked the aliases that spread the diary in several forums online and found their IP addresses. Although they were pinging all over the place, he managed to trace their routes and ended up with two real IPs that are linked together. These were the accounts Mo Si Lang used to ‘advocate’ his fans and distributed the false diary. 

But the location was quite a distance from the Mo villa, he could not prove Mo Si Lang was behind them. This did not cause Mo Di to lose heart. He persevered and by the following day, he finally found the link that proved Mo Si Lang was the perpetrator. He immediately organized all the information and saved it in a USB stick.

Next was Mu Tian Heng’s turn to shine, and it was also then that Mo Di discovered Mu Tian Heng’s hacking skills could even rival his own. Mu Tian Heng found out that a certain confidant of Qin Cheng Yi’s had used two different numbers to contact a forgery expert and discussed the syntax of the diary. Furthermore, Mu Tian Heng even managed to determine that Mo Si Lang’s female assistant, Pang Jin Xuan, had come into contact with this person and they were responsible for the diary’s contents.

Mo Di was amazed at Mu Tian Heng’s awesomeness. To think he could dig up such useful information in a short time. He gave Mu Tian Heng a quick hug in his excitement then quickly noted down the IP address and continued to track their conversation.

After the hug, Mu Tian Heng wanted to hold on to Mo Di and kiss him on the forehead but before he could even move his hand, Mo Di had already run off with the code. Being left behind, Mu Tian Heng could only smile helplessly and continued his quest on the computer.

With that, Mo Di and Mu Tian Heng, and also Lai De Si who helped whenever he could, managed to compile enough evidence to prove that Qin Cheng Yi’s confidant and Mo Si Lang’s assistant were the ones who created the fake diary.

At the same time, George and Chote also managed to retrieve a message Qin Cheng Yi sent to his confidant instructing him to cooperate with Mo Si Lang and also beware not to make any misstep.

Only Li Cheng’s team was facing difficulties while finding Mo Si Lang’s instructions to his assistant. There was scarcely any exchange of messages between Mo Si Lang and his assistant regarding this topic. This showed the level of trust he had towards her abilities to carry out his dirty work.

In the end, everyone pitched in, and finally, by the end of the third day, they managed to piece together several chat records between the assistant and Mo Si Lang. Written in coded messages, they discussed the details on cursing and staging an accident on the set, which were added to the forged diary.

With all this in hand, the evidence was ironclad. They could finally prove that Mo Si Lang and Qin Cheng Yi conspired together to make the fake diary in order to instigate Mo Si Lang’s extreme fans into taking action against Mo Di. Part of this violent group consisted of a few minors and abetting minors would only raise the severity of their crime!

Mo Di could finally breathe when he knew he had all he needed to take down Mo Si Lang and Qin Cheng Yi. He and Mu Tian Heng chatted with the group about the free meal he had promised them. After sending out ten two hundred yuan red packets and agreeing to treat everyone to dinner somewhere expensive in the capital the following week, Mo Di happily went to take a bath.

Lai De Si was grabbing red packets with joy. He managed to grab one with two hundred and fifty yuan. At least it was a bit higher than the average. Meng Te was the luckiest one with four hundred and sixty yuan. 

Mu Tian Heng also managed to grab quite a decent one and decided to send out another batch of ten. But when he saw Mo Di leaving to take a bath, he stopped. There was no point to send out the red packets if his little one was not there to receive it from him.

Besides, it would also be wise for him to take a shower lest they stayed to chat and he stunk throughout their conversation while his little one was smelling of fragrant soap.

It seemed like after the confession, Mu Tian Heng had begun preparing himself to transition into the unrestrained beastly stage. He automatically assumed that Mo Di would naturally stay up to chat with him after his shower. And whether or not Mo Di would let him enter his room this late did not even cross his mind.

Meanwhile, Mo Di was done with his quick shower.

The bath products in his bathroom were a set and the delicate aroma of grapefruit elevated Mo Di’s already jubilant mood.

Mo Di changed into his pajamas and was wiping his hair when the highest level of alert on his phone sounded. He quickly read through the contents his mood sunk.

A group of Mo Si Lang’s extreme fans had found his address and they had agreed to come together and help their idol ‘get rid of the pests’.

Mo Di was prepared and even somewhat anticipating the assault because this was how he could bring the hammer down on Mo Si Lang. However, seeing how those people not only hurled abuse at him but also badly insulted Mu Tian Heng, he couldn’t help but feel enraged.

What’s with ‘those who take Mo Di in can’t be a good person’ and ‘anyone who can live with such a vicious person must also be vicious as well’. Some even gave the advice that ‘they both should be dealt with, after all, minors under the age of sixteen will not be jailed’!!!

There were even older fans giving out guidance and distribution of labor when they carried out their attack plan!

This irrationality and craziness were just sickening.

At this time, there was a sudden knock on the door followed by Mu Tian Heng’s voice: “Are you sleeping yet?”

“… no brother, not yet.”

Mo Di took a deep breath and suppressed his agitation.

Don’t be mad, there was no need to get angry with these people.

Mo Di calmed down and went to open the door for Mu Tian Heng. But as he got to the door, he stopped.

Since the day they had confessed to each other, there was rarely any chance for them to be idle and alone since they had to deal with Mo Si Lang. There was no lover’s talk or a chance for him to flirt with Mu Tian Heng….

… much less exchange that ambiguous kiss again.

But now…

Mo Di quickly glanced at the mirror and tidied up his hair.

His appearance… should be fine, right?

It’s just the pajama was too childish.

Mo Di tugged at the pale yellow pajamas and felt a slight disappointment. This pajama was making him seem too much of a kid, there was no way Mu Tian Heng would be tempted to do anything.

Chapter 51

Mo Di looked at Rodel’s delighted face and nodded after a few seconds of silence.

“So who did you come with?” Rodel opened his WeChat while talking to Mo Di.

“With my …. Brother, Mu Tian Heng.” 

“You address him as your brother? That’s not right, you should call him uncle. He and my father are of the same generation. And he’s already twenty-eight, you shouldn’t call him brother.” Rodel corrected Mo Di.

Mo Di: “….”

“What month were you born in?”

Mo Di: “October. But we’re not the same age, I’m seventeen and turning eighteen soon.”

Rodel: “??!!”

“Haha. Stop joking. How is it possible that you’re seventeen?” Rodel laughed and did not believe Mo Di.

Mo Di said calmly: “We Hua Xia people are of smaller build compared to Americans. Didn’t you realize that?”

Rodel: “…..”

Rodel: “No way, you’re not even one meter eight.”

Mo Di looked at Rodel’s height and was a little speechless. “I’m one seventy-seven. In another year, I’ll be a meter eight. Moreover, where’s the logic in judging one’s age by looking at their height?”

In his last life, Mo Di grew to be a meter eight in height. In this life, his livelihood was better and he was well-nourished, he might even outgrow that number. Furthermore, he was not planning to be a model so this height was good enough.

With that, Mo Di felt that it was quite immature of him to argue with a kid so he pulled out his Jing Da student card and showed it to Rodel. “See this?”

Rodel looked at the card and nodded in the end: “…fine. I believe you now.”

Mo Di did not want to talk with Rodel anymore. He turned to get something else to eat but Rodel followed him, chatting actively: “Ai, don’t eat this, it’s not good. Take this prawn, it’s delicious.” Rodel picked up a prawn and placed it on Mo Di’s plate. “It’s really good. Try it if you don’t believe me.”

Mo Di: “…”

When Mu Tian Heng came out with the others after their discussion, he happened to see the scene of Rodel being overly familiar with his little one.

Mu Tian Heng frowned unconsciously: “Rodel, what are you doing?”

“Oh? Uncle Mu!” Rodel saw Mu Tian Heng and immediately rushed over to him. “Uncle Mu, I haven’t seen you in a long time. Do you still recognize me?”

“Of course.” Mu Tian Heng was quite taken aback by the tall boy who was only a few centimeters shorter than him. “You’re taller every time I see you. If this continues, you’ll be over two meters tall. Have you thought about joining a basketball team?”

“I don’t like basketball. I’m only interested in games and want to be a programmer.” Rodel said with a wide smile. “Uncle Mu, I was talking about games with Mo Di. He’s also into gaming and even more knowledgeable than me. He’s really amazing. We get along quite well, I want to invite him over to my house and stay for a few days. Is that ok?”

Rodel’s apartment was the place Mu Tian Heng arranged for Edmund, just like everyone else. It was not small, everyone had at least two bedrooms and two living spaces.

Mo Di who had not said anything was also surprised: “….?”

He had declined Rodel’s invitation saying that he was staying with Mu Tian Heng and they would be busy with something, he did not think that Rodel would ask Mu Tian Heng for permission directly.

It was as if Mu Tian Heng was in charge of him.

Mu Tian Heng only smiled and said: “I’m afraid that won’t do. Mo Di and I have a business to attend to. If you really want to hang out with Mo Di, then you’re welcome to come to my place sometime.”

Mo Di glanced at Mu Tian Heng and thought in his heart how even their excuses were the same, could they be connected telepathically?

“You brat! Come here!” Edmund immediately went over and grabbed Rodel who was taller than him by his collar. He pulled him aside and said: “You better behave yourself in Hua Xia. Don’t go around making trouble!”

He understood his son too well. It was because that child was just too good looking that he was going out of his way to get close to. Edmund was baffled. It was true that both he and his wife would ogle at beautiful people but his son not only inherited that, but he also did not mind whether the target was male or female, as long as the person had a pretty face.

This brat of a son, he just wished he could rewire his brains!

“That’s settled for what we discussed earlier. We’ll start this evening. How and where to start, I’ll fill you guys in later.” Mu Tian Heng looked the Li Cheng and the rest, “I’ll have to trouble you with this. After it’s over, I’ll treat everyone to a good bottle of wine.”

Knowing that Mu Tian Heng had persuaded them successfully to help deal with Mo Si Lang, Mo Di quickly expressed his thanks, he bowed and said: “Thank you, uncles, thank you very much.”

“Ai, you don’t have to be courteous with us. We’re really pissed about this as well. Even if you don’t ask us for help, we’ll still do this to send him to where he should be.” George said to Mo Di.

“That’s right. This kind of person should get what he deserves.” Chote added.

“But I did receive your help after all. It’s just appropriate to show my gratitude. When this is over, I hope you’ll let me treat you to dinner.”

“They’ll definitely accept the invitation.” Mu Tian Heng rubbed Mo Di’s hair and placed his hand on his shoulder, “you treat them to good food and I’ll treat them with good wine. None of them are dumb enough to refuse.”

Everyone laughed. Only Rodel was confused and uninformed. He looked at the adults and asked: “What’s going on? What are you talking about?”

…..

Mu Tian Heng exchanged a few more words with them before leaving with Mo Di. After all, he had something important planned for both of them.

Mo Di sat in the copilot seat and looked at Mu Tian Heng. He wanted to say something but kept silent in the end.

Mu Tian Heng saw him fidgeting and smiled, “Little one, did you want to say something?”

“No, it’s nothing.” Mo Di stayed quiet and looked at the trees on the roadside passing by. After a while, he turned on his phone to check for news. 

Mo Di browsed through the messages and grimaced. Someone in the group disclosed that Mo Di was not in school during the holidays and they were now scouting his current address.

A user Mo Di suspected was Mo Si Lang stated that it would be hard to find him but they should check the video when he was arguing with the Mo people and find clues there.

Mo Di put away his phone and said to Mu Tian Heng with panic: “Brother, Mo Si Lang’s fans are trying to find my current address. What should we do? What if they really found it, you and brother Lai De Si will be affected.”

“Don’t worry, they won’t be able to get in. The last time those people from the Mo family were able to get in was because they had Qin Cheng Yi with them. He had an acquaintance in the neighborhood and they had to let him in. These people, they don’t have his kind of connections.”

“But what if… Qin Cheng Yi or someone from the Mo family gets someone to help them? There’s no harm in letting them in, after all, they can claim that they were clueless as to what those people might do.” Mo Di was still restless.

But Mu Tian Heng only smiled and said: “Even if they received help, we’ll still be informed and guarded. You don’t have to worry. Besides, how can they cause Lai De Si and me any harm? Don’t be stressed out over this.” 

Having Mu Tian Heng reassure him, Mo Di did not say anything else, he just hoped that they could quickly get Mo Si Lang and his extreme fans in prison.

Mo Di’s mood was somewhat elevated. 

In fact, there was no need for him to be anxious about this. Everything in this life was going in a favorable direction. He should calmly solve them step by step.

“Brother.”

Mo Di suddenly turned to look at Mu Tian Heng, “Another way to find the evidence against Mo Si Lang is to check on his female assistant and Qin Cheng Yi. His assistant loves him blindly and will do anything for him. Even if Mo Si Lang commits a crime, she will absolutely keep it confidential and might even take the blame for him.”

“As for Qin Cheng Yi, the chances that he is willing to cooperate with Mo Si Lang are very high. We should start with these two people.”

“Alright, I’ll pass this on to Li Cheng and the others.” Mu Tian Heng closed his eyes briefly and said: “Qin Cheng Yi is quite a formidable opponent. The Qin family has always been influential but if Qin Guang Jie does not keep his guard up, I’m afraid Qin Cheng Yi might be able to overthrow him easily. He’s capable and a lot more corrupt than his father. But this is a good thing. Sooner or later, we’ll be able to send him to prison for his crimes.”

Qin Guang Jie was Qin Cheng Yi’s father. Mo Di’s only impression of him was his title as the richest man in Hua Xia. Come to think of it, Qin Guang Jie was definitely not an upright person but he knew his limits.

Back at the villa, Mu Tian Heng told Mo Di to have a break before going to the third floor. When he came back, there was a key in his hand.

Mo Di went to wash his face in the bathroom. He then went to the balcony to water the flowers. Water droplets were dangling on his face and his hair was a little wet. He was holding the watering can when he heard Mu Tian Heng approaching. Mo Di turned his head immediately and smiled: “Brother.”

“Uhm.” Mu Tian Heng gently patted his head. He then held his hand and placed a key in his palm. “This is for you.”

“What is this?” Mo Di raised the odd-looking key and asked: “What does this open?”

“This is the key to my room and study.” Mu Tian Heng looked at Mo Di graciously, “If I ever got drunk, please help me back to my room. Of course, if it’s too troublesome, you can always arrange for me to stay in your room on the first floor.”

“Brother, you…”

Mo Di was breathless. He gazed deep into Mu Tian Heng’s eyes, “Brother, I’m the one you like, right?”

The evening sun was setting and its gentle beam warmed the air around them.

Mu Tian Heng smiled with tenderness and his eyes showed a stronger emotion than before: “This question is very easy to answer but also very hard to do so.”

Mu Tian Heng was admiring Mo Di’s features. The sun rays cover his face with a soft glow, causing his hair to shimmer and highlighting his distinctive visage. Mu Tian Heng just wanted to have a taste of him. He shifted his long legs and closed in their distance, “Actually, I think I’ve been quite obvious.”

Mo Di was momentarily befuddled with Mu Tian Heng’s sudden aggressiveness. He unconsciously took a step back and was leaning against the balcony fence.

Mu Tian Heng was still pressing forward until they were only an arm’s length apart. He placed his hands on the railings on both sides of Mo Di. He leaned over and looked at him.

Mo Di’s face was dyed red and he had difficulty breathing. What’s going on? Mu Tian Heng seemed to have changed. He wasn’t this… this…

“Are you wondering why I’ve changed, why I’m not as gentle as before?” Mu Tian Heng’s eyes carried deep emotions and also a slight sense of danger. He smiled and said: “I’ve been trying to restrain myself because I think you’re still too young. I’m older than you by a lot, and you’re still underage. I’d be too much of a beast if I pursue you aggressively.”

“But little one, you obviously do not understand my dilemma.”

“I… I didn’t… it wasn’t…” Mo Di stuttered. He had never encountered this situation before, much less any experience to handle it. No matter how well he had planned this out before, as soon as it was put into practice, his nerves would refuse to listen.

Mu Tian Heng got even closer that he was able to smell the light fragrance unique to Mo Di. Fearing he would scare his little friend, he maintained the gentleness in his tone.

“I will now answer the question you had this afternoon.”

“Of course I like you. Ever since you came here to live, I’ve already liked you very much. But for several reasons, and also I think I should restrain myself, I couldn’t make it clear to you before.”

“I wanted to wait until you’re an adult to confess to you but… Little one, you just refuse to cooperate.”

Mo Di was still holding his breath. His cheeks were turning crimson and when he finally remembered to breathe, he looked at Mu Tian Heng and said: “So… Br… brother, you’re saying that you like me…. And now …are you confessing to me?”

“Of course I am. But…” Mu Tian Heng suddenly laughed: “now that you’ve broken the beast’s bottom line, do you know what kind of me you’ll face in the future?”

“!” Mo Di widened his eyes and leaned back, “Ha?”

“You should prepare yourself mentally.” Mu Tian Heng looked at the boy who acted tough but turned skittish as soon as they entered the battlefield. His heart melted and he laughed. He grabbed Mo Di and helped him sit on the balcony fence.

The railing was wide but Mo Di was still a little shaky. He reflexively held onto Mu Tian Heng’s shoulders.

Mu Tian Heng gazed endearingly at Mo Di. His hands were by his sides and there was not much distance between them. They could feel the warmth from each other’s breath. The sunlight cast a dazzling light over them and a waft of fragrance from the flowers rose to their noses. Mo Di was feeling a little breathless and lightheaded.

Mu Tian Heng leaned over and gently placed a kiss on his face.

“You don’t have to make wild guesses anymore. Of course the one I like is you. I like you more than you can imagine.”

Hum! There was a sudden buzz in Mo Di’s head. The light touch on his cheek was like an electric current running through his spine, making his whole body paralyzed and his cheeks turning numb.

He could hear his heart beating like a drum exceeding fast and Mu Tian Heng’s magnetic voice further sent a thrill through his ears.

He…. he, he was kissed by Mu Tian Heng?!!!

Mu Tian Heng smiled as he looked at the petrified little quail sitting on the balcony in front of him. He said in an ever doting voice: “You see, now you’ve suffered a great loss. You not only have to be with an old beast who did not even prepare a proper confession but from now on …. you have been claimed by me.”

Chapter 50

Mu Tian Heng looked at Mo Di with a slightly grave expression: “Little one, do you know what you’re talking about?”

“I do.” Mo Di looked straight at Mu Tian Heng without flinching. However, his face and ears were dyed red. It seemed he was only putting up a tough front, his heart was still immensely nervous. 

“Brother, you should know that I’ve always….”

“I will give you an answer but not at this moment.” Mu Tian Heng interrupted when he was aware that Mo Di was going to confess.

Being pursued by the little guy was already bad enough, if his confession was also taken away then he really would become a useless old beast that only knew how to take advantage of the kid.

“Brother!”

“I won’t tell you now but I won’t put it off either. Today, I’ll tell you by the end of the day.” Mu Tian Heng rubbed his hair. When his hand retracted, his fingers brushed over Mo Di’s cheeks.

Mo Di’s head was buzzing and his face turned completely red like a fire was burning inside.

“Be good, I’ll definitely tell you by today.”

Being declined over and over again after gathering all his courage to ask, Mo Di was like a deflated balloon.

He said on the copilot seat with a red face. He dared not look at Mu Tian Heng or talk to him.

Ahhh! Why was he so impulsive just now?!

He even told Mu Tian Heng that he would think that person is himself!

How was he able to say such things?! 

What if that person was not him? How was he going to clean up this mess?!

He did not drink alcohol today, why was he so impulsive. God! This is the end. This is the end.

Mu Tian Heng was laughing in his heart when he saw Mo Di turning into a baby quail. His little friend was really brave and lovely, causing him to feel soft to his bones.

Coming to Hua Xia was the best decision he had ever made in his life.

Mu Tian Heng stepped on the accelerator and steered towards their destination. To help Mo Di elevated his embarrassment, Mu Tian Heng found a topic to chat with him.

“The five members who came to Hua Xia were the first and second batch of programmers who joined me when Impression was first established.”

“En.” Mo Di responded. While the buzz in his head was gone, his face was still scalding hot.

“Brother, how many veteran members do you still have back in your head office?”

“About a dozen. When we started there were nineteen in the team. About a quarter of them came here and the rest stayed to manage the head office in America.”

Mu Tian Heng then suddenly smiled: “I just realized I still have your phone in my pocket. You can take it back.” As soon as he said that, he changed his words immediately, “Forget it, I’ll give it back to you later.”

“…” the air he exhaled was getting hotter.

What were Mu Tian Heng’s true thoughts? Was he worried about them coming into contact because he liked him or because he did not like him?

Mo Di’s mind was in a mess. He regretted asking those questions so impulsively. It was easy to satisfy the momentary urge but the aftermath was just unbearable.

How irritating. Humans really should not get involved with falling in love, it’s a waste of time and energy.

In actuality, Mu Tian Heng was quite flustered from what he said before. His heart was beating faster and he was a little embarrassed. It was just that the mental capabilities of the old beast were tough and he managed to keep a steady expression. Without careful observation, Mo Di would not be able to find out.

After he calmed down, Mu Tian Heng said in a warm tone: “I’ll introduce them to you first and you guys can have a good talk later.”

“Two of them are the same age as me and are also of Chinese origin, Li Cheng and Meng Te. They are both technical nerds. Another two are twins and they are twenty-nine years old, George and Chote. They have a lively personality and love Chinese cuisines, especially hotpot and sweet and sour ribs. They volunteered to be transferred here just for the food.”

“Then they’ll be orally blessed.” Mo Di’s face was changing back to normal as he joined the conversation.

“Uhm, their mouths will be very happy.” As Mu Tian Heng said this, he thought about how his mouth could be happy both literally and….

Stop it! He was becoming more and more ruthless.

Mu Tian Heng restrained and continued: “Regarding the twins, the elder brother, George, is also very much into games. You might get along with him.”

“En.”

“As for Edmund, the last programmer, he’s thirty-three, is married and has two kids. One is a thirteen or fourteen years old boy and a ten years old daughter. His eldest son looks about your age.”

“Then theirs must be a happy family.” Mo Di felt his mood finally calmed and said with a smile.

“Indeed so.” Mu Tian Heng also smiled. “This time he brought his eldest son along. They both are very interested in games and from time to time would make a simple game to amuse themselves. His eldest son is also very gifted in this area, maybe you guys can become good friends.”

“En, I hope so too.”

…

There was heavy traffic on their way to the reception. The distance was short but it took the two of them almost forty minutes to get there.

Lai De Si saw them both and hurried over.

“Why are you guys so late? The reception is half over!”

“That means it’s not over yet. Where are Li Cheng and the rest?” Mu Tian Heng straightened his suit and tie. The white long fingers were a contrast to the dark navy tie.

“They have all loaded their plates and are eating in the hall over there. The two brothers, George and Chote are doing fine but the other geeks are just awful in social situations. But Edmund’s son is quite something. He’s chatty and even made several of the beauties in our company talk non-stop. So capable even at such a young age.”

Mu Tian Heng laughed: “That’s kids these days. Come, let’s go to them.”

The moment Mu Tian Heng entered the vicinity, everyone froze for a while as they laid eyes on him. They then quickly smiled and greeted him.

“President Mu!”, “Good evening Sir!”, “President Mu, you’re finally here…”

Mu Tian Heng smiled at everyone and after a few greetings, he let the guests have fun then led Mo Di to the inner hall.

Li Cheng and the others who were sitting in the inner hall stood up when they saw them coming.

“You’re finally here.”

Mu Tian Heng smiled and greeted them: “With you guys here, I’m completely relieved.”

“Ai, Mu, that’s what you said but we all know you’ve already laid the foundation for us here.” a blonde-haired blue-eyed man said with a grin: “Hey, who’s the little friend next to you?”

“Him? He’s Mo Di, you can call him Xiao Di.”

“Oh~~~” The George brothers burst into a strange laughter, “We already know who he is, Lai De Si had told us everything.”

The other members did not say anything but their eyes were obviously twinkling with anticipation and curiosity.

Mo Di: “…..”

Mu Tian Heng was about to give Lai De Si a piercing stare but he had already scuttered away and vanished into the crowd.

“These few can be quite playful and sometimes even childish, you must not learn from them, got it?” Mu Tian Heng said to Mo Di in a tender voice.

“…” Mo Di nodded and did not know what else to say.

Mu Tian Heng was very satisfied. He smiled and said: “Little one, you can call them all uncles. They’re just a bunch old fellows anyway.” Right after he said that he frowned and corrected: “Forget it, it’s still better to call them brother.”

Li Cheng and the gang could not understand much Chinese and were clueless as to what they were talking about. Chote approached them with a smile and said: “Hey little friend, you’re only seventeen, right?”

“Brother, I’ll be eighteen by the end of this month.”

“Good boy! How nice of you to call me brother!” George turned and boasted to Li Cheng, “Did you see that? He called me brother. It means that I’m not that old. Way younger than you guys!”

“But you look about the same age as Edmund’s son. You Chinese all seem to have baby faces.” George smiled and said to Mo Di.

They all sat down and got acquainted. Mo Di’s EQ was naturally good and left a good impression on everyone. They came to think of him as a little brother.

When Mu Tian Heng saw that it was quite late, he let Mo Di go for lunch and have a look around. He, on the other hand, discussed with the group about Mo Si Lang and what he did. He also informed them of the Mo family’s atrocities coupled with the video evidence he and Mo Di gathered.

Soon the group was visibly shocked and angered by what they saw.

“Shit! How is this humane?!” Chote sipped some champagne to cool down, “they not only continuously tried to harm Mo Di but also came up with such a poisonous trap?”

“Of course I’ll agree to help.” Li Cheng who had been quiet for a while spoke up: “Mu, just tell us what you need and we’ll do what we can.”

“That’s right. We’ll dig up the evidence till it’s found!” Said Meng Te firmly.

“Of course I’m in. I’ll even personally attend the court session!” George chimed in.

“I’m also in. That kid is about the same age as my son and I’m quite fond of him.” Said Edmund.

“Give us three days. We’ll work together to find the writer of this diary and prove how he set the fans up to commit crimes.” Chote smacked the table, “Argh, I’m getting irritated. Where’s my laptop, I’m going to work on it now!”

“Don’t rush. You guys should eat first.” Mu Tian Heng picked up his champagne glass and took a sip.

“If I’m not wrong, there’s a fan group that wants to use sulfuric acid. Several of their members are underage. This is abetting minors. With adequate evidence, we can send him straight to jail.”

…

Meanwhile, Mo Di went to get food by himself.

Mo Di added a piece of steak to his plate. He took a bite and realized that it could not be compared with Mu Tian Heng’s steak at all. He could claim that Mu Tian Heng’s steak was ten thousand times better than this.

“Hey, are you an employee here? Why didn’t I see you before?”

Mo Di was about to get some juice when he heard someone talking from behind. Feeling that it was directed at him, he turned to look.

A towering boy of roughly one point eight five meters tall was talking to him with a bright smile.

“Are you … Rodel?” Mo Di immediately thought Edmund’s eldest son named Rodel.

What a great development. This does not seem like the typical height for a fourteen years old boy at all.

“Oh? You know me?!”

Rodel was excited and immediately approached Mo Di. “You don’t look like an employee. I think you’re about my age. Are you someone’s son? It’s great to have someone of the same age to talk to. Let’s add each other’s WeChat.”

Chapter 49

Seeing Mo Di’s pitiful and repenting manner, Mu Tian Heng was no longer able to stay angry.

“Now you know how to be scared?!” Mu Tian Heng reached out to rub Mo Di’s hair. He was still fuming but did not lose his gentleness. “Show me your phone.”

“Um.” Mo Di obediently passed his phone to Mu Tian Heng. A let out a deep sigh of relief in his heart.

That was close.

But he did not expect this to be over so swiftly.

Mu Tian Heng lowered his sight to read the disgusting and malicious posts on the screen and his face gradually changed until it looked like it was soaked in ink.

“Brother, don’t be mad. It’s under surveillance now and we can take countermeasures in advance. I’ll be fine.” Mo Di tried to calm him.

Mu Tian Heng: “You know that I will get mad?! What kind of people are they? One is more vicious than the next. You still want to keep this to yourself?!”

Mo Di: “…”

Why are they back to this topic?

“And if I’m not mistaken, you’re planning to put yourself at risk, isn’t it?” Mu Tian Heng looked at Mo Di with a stern face: “You think that you because you know their plan in advance and can defend yourself, you’re willing to let those people harm you so you can find evidence against Mo Si Lang and send him to jail, am I right?”

Mo Di did not dare to speak because after Mu Tian Heng had read the messages, he was clearly inconsolable.

“This is very risky! What if you could not avoid their attack? Have you ever thought of how dangerous the things that they were talking about? Acid, knives, hit-and-run! You think you have it covered but nobody can guarantee that you will be completely safe!”

Mu Tian Heng was in an utter rage, “Do you know just how dangerous your plan is?”

Mo Di initially felt guilty but after being reprimanded with so many sentences, he couldn’t help but feel aggrieved and suffocating. What else could he do? Was there a better way?!

Mo Si Lang had a large fan base and most of all, he was vile and scrupulous. He was one of the most difficult people on his revenge list to topple! Now he finally had a good chance so what if he risked a little? In his previous life, what bitter days had he not been through?! What else was there that could scare him?!

As long as he could bring down Mo Si Lang, any risk would be worth it! Even if it’s one of those tortures from his previous life, he was willing to give it a shot!

Mo Di’s eyes were red and he turned away from Mu Tian Heng.

Mu Tian Heng saw his reaction and felt a slight regret and a little hurt.

He should not have been so harsh on him just now.

The more he learned about the Mo family, the more he understood what Mo Di had been through. He could now empathize with Mo Di’s experience of growing up in the Mo family. After being abused and framed over and over again, this was a rare chance that he could use their loophole to retaliate. It was indeed difficult to not take the risk.

This was not as simple as he thought, or rather, he did not consider his little friend’s feelings. He regretted it and also admitted his tunnel vision on this matter.

“Sorry. I was looking at this too simple and wasn’t considerate towards you. My apologies, can you forgive me?”

Mo Di’s eyes turned a shade redder. He wiped the corner of his eyes and said: “I don’t blame you. I’ve never felt that way.”

“Then turn around and look at me. Don’t be sad anymore. And please don’t be angry with me.”

“I know you’re just worried about me, I know.”

Mo Di did not turn around. He did not want Mu Tian Heng to see him with red watery eyes. But he did mean what he said. He knew that Mu Tian Heng was concerned for his safety, and when Mu Tian Heng saw that he was sad, he even took the initiative to apologize. 

Mo Di’s eyes swelled uncontrollably.

He did not think that Mu Tian Heng would be this concerned about him. He also did not expect that he would apologize just because he wasn’t being considerate towards his feelings.

No one had treated him this way, never before.

Back then, even when he did the right thing, he was still beaten and reprimanded, much less being cared for and apologized to.

This feeling, could it be ….could it be that he was spoiled by Mu Tian Heng?

“Then why don’t you turn around and look at me?” Mu Tian Heng looked at Mo Di lowering his head in an aggrieved pose and felt severe heartache. He held his shoulder and said: “If you really have forgiven me, then turn around and talk to me.”

Mu Tian Heng’s voice was very gentle and soothing, it even sounded like a plea. Mo Di’s mood swelled and he sniffed his nose.

He breathed and turned to look at Mu Tian Heng, “I’m sorry brother. I’m also in the wrong.”

“No, my thoughts were too shallow and I didn’t take your feelings into account. I won’t do it again.” Mu Tian Heng was finally relieved. He rubbed Mo Di’s hair gently, “You really forgave me?”

“I didn’t blame you. Really.” Mo Di felt that they were now consoling each other instead. He smiled and said: “Brother, why are you feeling insecure?”

“Everyone’s insecure in front of the person they care about.” Mu Tian Heng looked at Mo Di with an expression that was far more gentle than before, making him blush.

“Brother, …what are you saying?”

Mu Tian Heng came back to his senses after realizing he had accidentally voiced his inner thought. He smiled and hurriedly diverted the subject: “Let’s go. I’ll take you to meet my group of old-time programmers.”

“Brother…” Mo Di was still pondering over his previous sentence.

“What is it?”

“N…nothing.” Mo Di did not have the courage to clarify if that sentence meant that Mu Tian Heng…. liked him. 

“Good.” Mu Tian Heng said: “About Mo Si Lang, you don’t have to worry too much. We’ll investigate together how he was faking it. Let’s see how long he can keep this up.”

“Together?” 

“Yup. Did you forget that I major in computer science? I’m quite familiar with hacking. So are the group of programmers I just transferred here. Don’t worry, it is hard to do this by yourself but it’s different with more people.”

“In three days, I will do my best to find evidence proving Mo Si Lang had forged that diary and instigated his fans to attack you. Do you believe in me?”

“I do, but…” Mo Di frowned, “Isn’t it a little inappropriate to trouble those programmers with this?”

“It’s nothing. They have been with the company for a long time. They wouldn’t mind doing a little favor for me. And I have helped them quite a bit over the years. You don’t have to worry about this aspect.”

Mu Tian Heng smiled: “Moreover, they all have family members about your age, if they know the reason behind this, they’ll definitely be willing to help.”

Since Mu Tian Heng had said so, Mo Di did not refuse anymore. He said: “Thank you, brother. I’ll send my thanks to them too.”

“Don’t mention it. I’ll introduce you guys later at the reception. In fact, a few of them are also interested in gaming, you guys will get along well.”

“Um.” Mo Di looked at Mu Tian Heng’s side features and thought of what Lai De Si said to him before.

With Mu Tian Heng being such a good-natured and excellent person, it would be a big blow to anyone who he broke up with after getting together. Because the person they meet after him could never live up to his standards of being gentle, handsome, thoughtful, and talented.

How could one forget such a perfect lover?

“Brother.” Mo Di suddenly had an urge to ask about Mu Tian Heng’s feelings.

“Hm? What is it?”

“I want to ask you something.”

“Feel free to ask. I’ll definitely give you a reply if I know the answer.”

Mo Di inhaled and picked up his courage: “Brother, is there someone that you like? Right now… right now, do you have anyone in your heart?”

Mu Tian Heng was stunned. He did not expect Mo Di to ask this out of the blue. 

He laughed: “Why did you suddenly ask about this?”

“It just popped into my head. Brother, you just said you would answer anything.”

Mu Tian Heng’s grin broadened, he replied in a gentle tone: “Of course there is.”

Mo Di’s heart skipped a beat. “The person you like… who is it? Do I know him?”

“This I can’t reveal or you’ll be able to guess.” Mu Tian Heng smiled and decided to keep it a secret. One was that he had not decided on how to confess, the other was the little guy had not reached adulthood yet. Now was not a good time to disclose this, not good at all.

“I’ll be able to guess? That means I know that person?!”

Mo Di now regretted that he was so impulsive in asking who Mu Tian Heng liked. Because getting this vague answer only caused him to feel uncontrollably nervous, flustered, and expectant…. and also somewhat worried. How was he going to concentrate on anything else!?

Falling in love really does disrupt a lot of things!

“Brother, since you like him, why haven’t you confessed yet?” Mo Di couldn’t help asking.

“Because… I can’t do that yet. Now is not the right time.” Mu Tian Heng replied in a gentle tone but it was embedded with a tinge of melancholy. God knows how much he wanted to hold Mo Di in his arms and do something animalistic but now was not the right time.

There’s a line that even a beast cannot cross.

Not only was his little friend eleven years younger than him, but he also had not reached adulthood yet. He could not act rashly.

However, Mo Di, on the other hand, was sulking.

Mo Di had always been a firm and resolute person. Since things had come to this, he squinted and asked: “Brother, who exactly is it that you like?”

“Brother, don’t tell me now is not the right time. I’ll keep it a secret and won’t tell anyone. If you still refuse to tell me then I might misunderstand that the one you like is me!”

Chapter 48

Mo Di was smiling in front of the computer.

Why didn’t he know that he has a diary with those things written in it?!

Mo Si Lang was indeed capable. He even managed to produce a diary.

Using extreme fans to do his bidding is a brilliant move. A small group of people with extreme thoughts and no three views blinded by their fanaticism over someone could really do vicious things. But the lies are bound to be found out. The diary was a forgery, there has to be a way to prove it.

To make Mo Si Lang say those things with such confidence, there could only be two possibilities. One was that he wrote the entries himself with no help from anyone else. This way, he could stay certain that no one will know the truth. But the possibility of this happening was small because Mo Si Lang did not have the ability to imitate handwriting. If this got out and the diary was proven to be fake, the Mo family’s reputation will be pulled down the mud before the fans could even find him to ‘revenge.’

Therefore, the handwriting in the diary had to be convincing. When he left the Mo family in a hurry, many of his things were left behind including his notes and books which Mo Si Lang could easily use to forge his handwriting. But the person he sought out must be someone he trusted completely. 

There were only two that could gain Mo Si Lang’s trust other than the Mo family members. One was Qin Cheng Yi, and the other was Mo Si Lang’s assistant.

Qin Cheng Yi loved Mo Liu Gui above all else. He could brutally assault the second aunt just because of Mo Liu Gui’s tears. In the second aunt’s eyes, he was a cruel man but to Mo Si Lang, this proved his love for Mo Liu Gui. If they were to cooperate, with Qin Cheng Yi’s resources, the fake diary could easily be made and even after the crazed fans attack him, Qin Cheng Yi could still find a way to prevent Mo Si Lang from being implemented. All he had to do was find someone to admit to the crime.

As for Mo Si Lang’s assistant, she was also one of his diehard fans who loved him to the point of discarding her three views and sense of self.

In his previous life, Mo Di remembered clearly that after he was admitted to the asylum, Mo Si Lang came to see him. With a gentle and graceful face, the words he spit out were evil and poisonous. At that time, Mo Si Lang’s assistant was right by his side, gazing at him with an intense look of love and worship even after she witnessed his hypocrisy. And when Mo Si Lang satisfied his ego and left, she turned and gave Mo Di a look of disgust like he should not have been born to annoy her idol.

But the female assistant did not have a good ending either. According to the book, Mo Si Lang would later marry a famous mixed-race singer, causing the assistant’s love for him to turn dark and she poured her hatred onto his fiancee. She tried to poison the singer but was discovered in time and sentenced to jail.

As such, both Qin Cheng Yi and the female assistant were equally suspicious. But it would take a lot of work to monitor their footsteps.

Mo Di sighed. It seemed like the first thing to do was to make sure he was well protected. Finding out Mo Si Lang’s misstep was not something he could accomplish in a short time.

For now, he could only monitor Mo Si Lang’s fan base and have his programmes sort out the search terms ‘Mo Di diary cyber hunt’. This way he would be informed if they decided to act and make protective preparations.

At the same time, he also had to investigate the underground activities of Qin Cheng Yi and Mo Si Lang’s female assistant. This was going to cost him time and energy. The Mo family was just the perfect stumbling block to his life and career.

Mo Di closed his eyes and exhaled. He calmed himself and began with the countermeasures.

By the time Mo Di had finished bugging Mo Si Lang’s every fan base, it was already three midnight. Mo Di shut down his computer and went to bed.

The next day, there was no notification from his app. It seemed Mo Si Lang had not made his move.

There was also no movement on the following day.

It was on the Saturday morning which was the start of the holidays that the notifications came in.

Mo Di was packing his things to return to the villa when he received the alert. He boarded a taxi and looked through the post on his trip back.

There were all sorts of responses stirred up by the post. Some were distressed, some were spiteful, some subtly tried to fuel the flame. Only a very small group were rational and asked questions.

All kinds of comments were going back and forth and Mo Di was reading them with a keen sense of interest. 

But so far, there was no talk of locating him for revenge. It was estimated that Mo Si Lang was waiting for things to ferment before sending out his ‘guidance’.

The taxi arrived near the villa. Mo Di turned off his phone, paid and got off.

As he was about to open the gate with a passcode, there was a sudden hoot from a car horn behind him. 

Mo Di turned around to see Mu Tian Heng’s car. He quickly ran towards him in pleasant surprise.

“Brother, why are you back so early?”

Mu Tian Heng lowered the window and smiled at Mo Di: “I just transferred some programmers from the head office here. I have to hold a reception for them. How about you come with me later?”

“A banquet?”

“Something like that. The company has been busy for several months now and we were not able to organize a get-together until now. Coming with me?”

Mo Di recalled the party Mu Tian Heng attended in American where he had attracted the attention of countless good-looking men and women. He promptly nodded: “Ok, I’ll go. But I’m dressed like this, isn’t it inappropriate for the reception?”

Mo Di sat on the co-pilot seat.

Mu Tian Heng looked at Mo Di with gentle eyes: “Of course it’s fine. It’s just a relaxing get-together. There’s no dress code and most of the employees will be in casual clothes. Even if everyone wears formal suits, I’ll accompany you to wear sportswear.”

Mo Di felt soft and warm as he blushed slightly: “You don’t have to do that.”

Mu Tian Heng only smiled in response and said: “After the reception is over, I’ll take you to a place.”

“Where?”

“It’ll be a secret for now.” Mu Tian Heng rubbed Mo Di’s hair and smiled. He then steered the car and left the villa.

The little guy was turning eighteen soon. He had to give him a coming-of-age ceremony no matter what. A formal suit was also essential because he wanted his little one to look just like a little prince, dazzling under everyone’s focus, unlike those days living in the Mo family.

With Mu Tian Heng being tight-lipped, Mo Di did not question him anymore.

He hesitated, then said: “Brother, there’s something I want to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“I want… to establish a game company.” Mo Di looked at Mu Tian Heng’s well-defined side face, “brother, do you think it’s feasible?”

“Of course.”

Mu Tian Heng was not at all surprised. He could not imagine Mo Di who could make such a wonderful game at the age of seventeen would be willing to work under someone else. With such talent and motivation, naturally he would want to create his own empire.

What was a little unexpected was that Mo Di began this phase this early. He thought that Mo Di would wait at least until they entered the finals to upgrade his team into a formal company. 

“But if you want to form a company, there are some permits that you have to get. I heard that the condition to obtain one of them is a capital of at least one million.” After Mo Di passed the first audition round, Mu Tian Heng had particularly looked up the information on establishing a game company.

“So if you don’t have enough, just tell me. Brother has plenty.”

Mo Di was stumped. He looked at Mu Tian Heng’s gentle eyes and swallowed the speech he prepared about borrowing money from him.

He said: “Brother, let’s start a game company together. You put in a million as a shareholder and I promise to help you make a profit. Brother please cooperate with me, we’ll split the profit fifty-fifty, how is that?”

Mu Tian Heng was slightly stunned momentarily before laughing: “Little one, aren’t you silly.”

Mo Di: “…..what?”

Mu Tian Heng: “I only have to invest one million and you’re giving me that many shares? With the quality of games you’re making, in less than a year, your company’s value will grow exponentially. By then my investment would only be a drop in the bucket of what you’ll be earning.”

“And even if you don’t take into account the sizeable future profit, with the present assessment, my one million is just a measly sum compared to the skill and talent that you put into making these games. You alone are worth eighty to ninety percent of the shares. Giving me ten percent is already very generous of you. I suggest you also leave aside a bit for your team members. This will be conducive in motivating them.”

Mo Di pursed his lips.

Mu Tian Heng as always was making considerations for him. Even as a businessman, he refused to take advantage of him and even gave him advice.

Why was Mu Tian Heng this good to him? How could there be such a good person in this world?

Mo Di felt like his heart was submerged in warm water. He was somewhat certain that Mu Tian Heng liked him. Maybe …maybe there was an eighty percent chance that his confession would not be rejected.

“Brother…please accept my proposal.” Mo Di put aside his relationship woes and looked at Mu Tian Heng: “You put in the capital and I’ll put in my skills. When the company is formed, I’ll transfer some of my shares to the team members. Is that alright?”

It was just nice that ahead was a red light. Mu Tian Heng stepped on the brake and the car slowly came to a stop. He turned and looked at Mo Di: “Little one, you’re that insistent on working with me?”

“Um.”

Mu Tian Heng showed a deep smile as he looked at Mo Di and said: “I do understand your thinking and also know that you want to give me a profit but I just can’t take advantage of you. I’m older than you by eleven years, it’s not right of me to profit from your hard work.”

Mu Tian Heng then chuckled, “In fact, according to the age difference, you should be calling me ‘uncle’. By you calling me brother is already a benefit for me.”

Mo Di blushed. He said: “Brother, regarding the company, I’ve already thought it over. I just want to cooperate with you. Brother, are you willing or not?!”

The light turned green and the car began to move slowly.

Mu Tian Heng did not expect Mo Di to be this insistent regarding this matter. He thought and said: “Little one, you should think about this again. You can’t just divide the shares this way. I don’t want you to …”

“I will never regret this. And there will never be an estrangement between us over this. Brother if you don’t promise me then this will become a knot in my heart because it means that you don’t believe in my character, that you still treat me as an outsider.” Mo Di looked straight at Mu Tian Heng: “Brother, I’ve already decided on this a long time ago, really! But at that time I have not earned any achievements so I didn’t dare to mention it to you.”

Mo Di was serious and refused to budge and Mu Tian Heng was at a loss for words. Someone else might have already agreed with Mo Di, and if it wasn’t Mo Di that he was dealing with, Mu Tian Heng would have already agreed to his terms. After all, it was a real bargain. Unless the person was an idiot, he would never give out this large amount of shares.

Mu Tian Heng sighed and finally gave in.

His little one was definitely not an idiot. How could he not see that Mo Di was trying to repay him.

He should just agree to it and then treat the company as part of his career and not just an investment. At least this way, he won’t be taking advantage of his little one and also be a more useful old beast.

The thought of not only taking advantage of Mo Di’s body but also his money and career, Mu Tian Heng felt that he had reached another level of being a beast…..

“Alright, I agree.” Mu Tian Heng gave Mo Di a quick glance and said: “But, how the shares are divided is up to me.”

Mo Di beamed with delight: “Ok!” 

And he quickly added: “But you can’t take less than twenty percent of the shares!”

Mu Tian Heng was about to say that he would take ten percent but was immediately blocked. He said helplessly: “Then I’ll take twenty percent and you’re left with eighty. When the company is established, you can distribute ten to twenty percent to the other members of the team.” 

“Um.” Mo Di smiled and agreed.

He wanted to say something else when his phone sent out an alert. This was the signal when his app detected the mention of ‘cyber hunt’ and ‘do unto others’ within Mo Si Lang’s fan group.

Mo Di’s expression turned heavy.

Mu Tian Heng saw that Mo Di’s mood was not right. He asked: “What’s wrong? Something happened?”

Mo Di unlocked the phone and sifted through the posts that had triggered the alert and his eyes grew cold.

“Brother, I have something important to tell you.”

“What is it?” Mu Tian Heng felt the unrest in Mo Di’s tone and pulled over to the side of the road. He turned to look at him with seriousness: “What happened?”

“Brother, do you remember Mo Si Lang who used to be a very popular singer? Even now he was quite hot.” Mo Di took a deep breath and exhaled the negative emotions rising in his heart. “Some time ago, didn’t I ask Uncle Song to help me place surveillance cameras in the Mo villa? I looked at the recoding a few days ago and saw that Mo Si Lang was planning to use his diehard fans to ‘teach’ me a lesson. He made a fake diary and said that it was mine. Inside were malicious things written about the Mo family and also cursing Mo Si Lang to meet with various mishaps like being parayzed and dying. He wanted to use this to instigate some of his extreme fans to harm me.”

“I’ve been searching for evidence of his forgery these last few days but I still couldn’t find it. And because I had misgivings towards his fans, I set up a program to monitor their activities online. And I just received an alert for a level-three threat which showed them trying to find my location.”

Mo Di then slightly smiled all of a sudden: “Actually it was a good thing that Mo Si Lang made his move so I could track his side account that was so elusive before. Maybe we can find some clues there. Brother, what do you think?”

However, all Mu Tian Heng showed was a severely gloomy face: “Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?”

“I…. I planned to gather a bit more information before telling you.” Mo Di dared not look at Mu Tian Heng as he was somewhat guilty.

And so, he decided to act pitiful instead: “Brother, I’m scared.”