Chapter 8
Editor: Jodi
Qin Huanxi let out a small yawn and pulled open the floor-to-ceiling curtains. The sun was already shining brightly outside, and from the tenth floor, he could overlook the entire Qin family estate—it was really a magnificent sight. He raised his arms, interlocking his fingers above his head, stretching out his whole body. He had slept soundly in the latter half of the night, and now he was feeling refreshed and full of energy.
Just then, he heard the soft sound of a door opening behind him. Qin Huanxi turned his head and greeted the person with a smile. “Good morning, Mr. Mo!”
“Morning.” Mo Shaoheng responded in a low voice. Then his brows furrowed slightly, as if a little surprised by the way he was being addressed.
Qin Huanxi didn’t mind and simply walked up to him. “Mr. Mo, are you ready? If you are, let’s head to the main house. Grandpa called early in the morning—he’s waiting for us to have breakfast together.”
Mo Shaoheng looked at Qin Huanxi’s radiant smile, noticing that all traces of weakness from the night before were gone. And as if his energy was contagious, his own lips curved ever so slightly, and his usual cold gaze softened. His tone was much more approachable as he said, “Let’s go.”
Qin Huanxi nodded with a smile, then turned and stepped out of the room. He noticed that guests were moving about in the corridor.
His eyes narrowed. With his sharp senses, he quickly picked out a few individuals among the guests whose presence felt… different. There was a faint but unmistakable air of danger about them, the kind that only came from living through gunfire and bloodshed. They were well-hidden, though—if he weren’t paying close attention, he wouldn’t have noticed at all.
If it weren’t for the fact that he had lived a life of constant vigilance in his previous existence, especially in those last two or three years before his rebirth, when he had almost met an untimely death at the hands of people just like them—he wouldn’t have been able to pick them out so easily now.
Qin Huanxi glanced at the man beside him, and in an instant, he understood. Mo Shaoheng’s background was anything but simple. He led a double life.
In the public eye, Mo Shaoheng was the wealthy and dazzling president of the Mo Group Consortium, a sharp strategist, decisive and formidable. But no one could ever forget his past. No matter how impeccably tailored his suit was or how refined he appeared, he was still “Master Mo”, a name that struck fear in certain circles.
“They won’t make a move in the Qin Estate.” Mo Shaoheng suddenly said.
Qin Huanxi’s head snapped up, and his gaze met a pair of deep, dark eyes, eyes so dark they seemed like they could pull him in. Panicking a little, he quickly turned away and cleared his throat. Of course, he understood what Mo Shaoheng meant. It was just… this man’s eyes were too sharp. Even the smallest flicker of thought in his mind seemed completely exposed under that gaze.
“The Qin family estate isn’t a place where people can act recklessly either.” Qin Huanxi grumbled, his tone a little rough.
Mo Shaoheng let out a sudden chuckle, his voice carrying a teasing lilt. “You sure about that?”
“That was an accident last night!” Qin Huanxi shot back in a low voice, but he didn’t sound too confident. No matter how prestigious or influential the Qin family was, they were still just a family of musicians. For generations, they had lived for the arts, not for the ruthless power struggles of businessmen and politicians.
Qin Huanxi let out a sigh, then his lips curved into a faint smile. “But still, thanks for last night. If you hadn’t informed Grandpa in time, I don’t even want to think about what could’ve happened. Grandpa put a lot of importance on this birthday banquet—even though I didn’t end up getting physically hurt, if word got out, it would still affect both my reputation and the Qin family’s. I don’t want Grandpa to be upset.”
Mo Shaoheng stared into his bright, clear eyes, pausing for a moment before saying, “You really think that? What if this whole thing started because of me?”
“What do you mean?” Qin Huanxi abruptly looked up. He’d considered a lot of suspects for this incident. After all, even a music family had its rivals. But no one would be so brazen as to kidnap someone in the middle of a birthday banquet. He had even wondered if this was all about the black diamond. But the one thing he kept coming back to was that the culprit might be someone from his own family.
Mo Shaoheng hesitated for a moment before giving a rough summary of what had happened last night. Normally, he wouldn’t have bothered explaining much. But for some reason, when it came to the person in front of him, he always felt an inexplicable ripple of emotion—not because of his face, but because of the familiar air he carried.
After listening to Mo Shaoheng’s explanation, the words “absolutely ridiculous” flashed through Qin Huanxi’s mind. He rubbed his forehead, his brows furrowing. Next time the Qin family hosted a banquet, they were going to have to tighten up the guest list. No more letting in just anyone because of some loose connection.
“Who the hell is this Pan Zhijie? He’s got some guts. The banquet guests were all from prestigious families—aside from Grandpa’s musician friends, there were big names from the business and political world, like the Mo Family and the Qi Family. The only other people invited were the highly talented students Grandpa had taken a liking to, even if they didn’t come from prominent backgrounds.”
The Qin family wasn’t rigid or old-fashioned. Old Master Qin never cared about background or family benefits—he valued talent above all else. Of course, there were still some people in the family who thought they were born above others and looked down on people, like his second uncle’s daughter, Qin Siyu. She wasn’t that old, but her personality was… hard to describe. He usually avoided her, not because he was scared, but because dealing with her was just too much of a hassle.
But no matter where this Pan Zhijie came from, trying to kidnap someone right in the middle of the Qin family’s banquet? The guy clearly wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed. Attending the Qin family’s birthday banquet without even knowing who he, the young master of the Qin family was?
He didn’t know whether to laugh or drag the guy out for a beating before throwing him out. Not that he’d even get the chance, because knowing Mo Shaoheng’s usual way of handling things, even if Pan Zhijie didn’t get beaten to death, he’d definitely be skinned alive.
Mo Shaoheng glanced at Qin Huanxi and said slowly, “The second young master of the Pan family. He works under Fengyu.”
Qin Huanxi had a feeling Mo Shaoheng wasn’t done talking. Another messy family, huh? He didn’t expect Mo Shaoheng to give him all the details—getting even this much out of him was already something. Besides, in Mo Shaoheng’s eyes, Pan Zhijie was clearly just some low-level lackey, not even worth mentioning.
Just as he was about to change the subject to break the silence, Mo Shaoheng unexpectedly spoke again.
“Pan Zhijie is Pan Zhenrong’s illegitimate son from his younger days. He was brought back to the Pan family and raised there.”
Qin Huanxi instantly understood. “An illegitimate son? How’d someone like that get tied up with Young Master Qi? Is he actually favored in the Pan family?”
Mo Shaoheng let out a soft chuckle. “In the early years, yes. Pan Zhenrong seemed to prefer his mistress over his wife.”
“Pfft!” Qin Huanxi burst out laughing. “That’s a pretty polite way to put it. What you’re really saying is, the wife was for business, but the mistress was the true love. And of course, the son of true love got spoiled rotten. Too bad, though—this kid was bound to turn out a mess. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have done something as stupid as kidnapping someone.”
Mo Shaoheng could clearly feel that Qin Huanxi was getting more and more relaxed around him, moreover that familiar feeling was growing stronger. That person from the past had also been like this, chatting and laughing in front of him, making him feel at ease. So nodding, he said, “Pan Zhijie knows he’s no longer as valued by Pan Zhenrong as before, so he’s willing to work under Fengyu. It’s just…”
“Just that he’s more of a liability than an asset, right?” Qin Huanxi said with a grin. “Probably got spoiled too much when he was younger, so he ended up this arrogant and reckless. But big families are always full of drama. I’m sure the main wife at home couldn’t stand him either. There’s a way to get rid of someone without lifting a finger—it’s called ‘smothering with indulgence’ and ‘killing with praise.’”
“Oh? You seem to know quite a bit?” Mo Shaoheng raised an eyebrow.
“When you grow up in this kind of environment, you have to understand at least a little. Otherwise, if something ever happens to me and I end up thanking my own enemy, wouldn’t that be a joke?” Qin Huanxi said casually. “The main hall is just ahead, let’s hurry. Grandpa must’ve been waiting for a while.”
Mo Shaoheng looked at Qin Huanxi’s back, his expression turning slightly serious. He thought of that car accident a few months ago—now it seemed like it wasn’t just an “accident” after all. What’s more Qin Huanxi wasn’t clueless; on the contrary, he saw things very clearly and knew how to endure. He had really underestimated this young master.
Qin Huanxi led Mo Shaoheng into the main hall’s reception area. The place was already packed, with people gathered around Old Master Qin, chatting away. The atmosphere seemed lively. He even saw a few relatives he hadn’t seen in ages. The Qin family rarely got together, as everyone was always busy, traveling all over the world.
Only major occasions like Old Master Qin’s birthday banquet or New Year’s would bring back those relatives who were always away. The ones who stayed at home were mostly younger family members like him who were still in school. Unless there was a big competition or a music event, they spent most of their time at home.
“Huanxi, Shaoheng, you’re here! Come, sit down,” Old Master Qin called out as soon as he saw them walk in.
Qin Huanxi glanced back at Mo Shaoheng and saw that he had casually taken a seat nearby. Without thinking too much about it, he withdrew his gaze and sat down next to his grandfather obediently.
“Sorry for intruding,” Mo Shaoheng said politely after sitting down, his tone carrying a hint of respect.
“Shaoheng, there’s no need to be so formal. If anything, I should be thanking you for taking care of Huanxi. And you, Huanxi, you’re too careless! If you weren’t feeling well, why didn’t you tell me? Do you think I wouldn’t understand? A banquet is important, sure, but do you really think, in my heart, a banquet is more important than your health?” Old Master Qin was both worried and a little scolding. “It’s a good thing Shaoheng was there. If something had happened, do you want to break your grandfather’s heart?”
Qin Huanxi lowered his head and admitted his mistake obediently, “Sorry, Grandpa. I was careless and overestimated my alcohol tolerance. I thought I’d just had a little too much to drink and wanted to step outside for some fresh air before going back to the banquet hall. I happened to run into Mr. Mo on the way out, so we chatted for a bit. I didn’t expect my body to suddenly feel unwell. Thankfully, Mr. Mo took care of me.”
“You this child!” Old Master Qin patted Qin Huanxi’s head affectionately. “This time, we really owe Shaoheng a big thanks for looking after you all night. Also, stop calling him ‘Mr. Mo’. Your grandfather and Shaoheng have been friends for years—one could even say we’re old friends despite the age gap. So just call him Uncle Mo.”
“Uh?” Qin Huanxi swallowed hard. Thinking about how he and this guy even had a child together, calling him “Uncle Mo” suddenly felt like a mess in seniority. But then again, Mo Shaoheng was in his thirties—over twelve years older than him—so calling him “Uncle” wasn’t exactly wrong.
“Uncle Mo!” Qin Huanxi called out respectfully. However he wasn’t sure if he was imagining it, but Mo Shaoheng’s expression seemed a little… stifled?
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