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Chapter 13
Editor: Princess
As soon as Mo Siyuan heard that his father had arrived, he immediately turned his head. And seeing Mo Shaoheng already walking into the hall, his tightly pressed little lips began to quiver. His big, bright eyes were filled with grievance, and tears welled up, looking like they were about to spill out at any second.
“Ai-ya, what’s wrong with our Young Master Mo? Aren’t you happy to see your daddy and your uncles? Or did that walking coffin face over there scare you?” Qi Fengyu said dramatically, glaring at He Jingyi before striding over to Mo Siyuan. He reached out, about to pinch the little guy’s chubby cheeks.
But Mo Shaoheng reacted fast, slapping his hand away with a cold voice, “Dirty.”
“Hey now…” Qi Fengyu shook his hand and looked at Mo Shaoheng in disbelief. “You think I’m dirty? Do you even remember who’s been taking care of your precious son while you were too busy running around? Feeding him, bathing him, putting him to bed, watching TV with him, helping with his homework and treating him like a little ancestor?”
Mo Shaoheng shot him a calm glance. “Wasn’t that Shanshan?”
“Cough, cough…” Qi Fengyu nearly choked on his own spit. “You ungrateful—”
Chuckling softly, Mo Shanshan picked Mo Siyuan up from his chair.
“Heh.” He Jingyi adjusted his glasses, his expression blank but with a hint of a smirk. “Idiot.”
“What did you say?! You damn walking coffin face—” Qi Fengyu jumped up, a sore spot clearly having been hit.
Ignoring them, Mo Shaoheng strode over to Mo Siyuan. The little boy was still looking at him pitifully, his eyes red as if he was about to cry. He reached out, lifted him into his arms, and patted his back. “Be good. Daddy’s here.”
“Daddy…” Mo Siyuan immediately wrapped his arms around Mo Shaoheng’s neck and buried his face in his dad’s shoulder, his little nose sniffing the familiar scent on him. Only then did he feel sure that his father was really back. He pulled away slightly, looking up cautiously. “Daddy, are you leaving again today?”
Hearing this, the coldness on Mo Shaoheng’s face melted just a little. In a soft voice, he said, “Daddy’s not leaving today.”
Mo Siyuan’s face lit up with a big, happy smile, and he threw his arms around Mo Shaoheng’s neck again, acting all clingy and calling “Daddy” over and over.
Listening to his soft, sweet little voice calling him, Mo Shaoheng’s expression turned gentler. He glanced at Qi Fengyu and He Jingyi, saying, “You two go to the study first. I’ll come over in a bit.”
“Yes, boss.” He Jingyi nodded and headed upstairs.
Qi Fengyu, on the other hand, shot a glare at He Jingyi’s back before turning back to Mo Siyuan with a goofy grin. He played around with the little guy for a while, and after getting a cheerful “Uncle Fengyu” from him, he finally ran off quickly under Mo Shaoheng’s increasingly impatient gaze.
Mo Shanshan couldn’t help but laugh. Stepping forward, she patted Mo Siyuan’s back. “Xiao Yuan, you’re happy now, right? Daddy’s going to stay with you tonight. Don’t you have something you wanted to show him? Hurry and go get it for Daddy.”
Mo Siyuan’s little body stiffened for a moment before he started wriggling to get down. “Daddy, put me down quick!”
Mo Shaoheng bent down and set him on the ground, watching as the little boy happily ran over to the table. Then he turned to Mo Shanshan. “What is it?”
Mo Shanshan smiled. “Xiao Yuan’s been practicing his handwriting ever since he got home from school today. He wanted to practice a little more so he could show you when you got back. Little Uncle, you’ve been gone for a few days, and Xiao Yuan really missed you. He even thought about calling you, but then you came back today.”
Mo Shaoheng nodded. “Mm. Business is settled now.”
Mo Siyuan came running back, holding a little notebook. He almost tripped over his own feet in his excitement, but he quickly steadied himself. Then standing on tiptoes, he shoved the notebook into Mo Shaoheng’s hands, his little face full of anticipation. “Daddy, these are the words I practiced today! Look, Daddy, did I do a good job?”
Mo Shaoheng took the notebook and lowered his head to examine it seriously.
Mo Siyuan suddenly started feeling nervous. His small hands were clenched together so tightly they turned white. He was afraid his handwriting wasn’t good enough, that his father wouldn’t be happy when he saw it. He lowered his head, not daring to look at Mo Shaoheng’s expression, until he felt a warm touch on top of his head. Only then did he lift his eyes cautiously.
“You did great!” Mo Shaoheng handed the notebook to Mo Shanshan, then bent down and scooped him up onto the couch.
Mo Shanshan followed with the notebook, sitting down beside them. Leaning over, she patted the head of the little boy who was now grinning from ear to ear playfully. “See? There’s nothing to worry about. Look at you, frowning so hard your forehead’s all scrunched up. If you keep that up, you’ll turn into a little old man.”
“I’m not a little old man! Sister Shanshan, you’re mean!” Mo Siyuan pouted and hid in Mo Shaoheng’s arms, embarrassed.
Mo Shanshan chuckled, teasing him a little more before suddenly remembering something. She turned to Mo Shaoheng. “Little Uncle, should we find a private tutor for Xiao Yuan? I noticed he doesn’t seem too interested in drawing. Maybe we can let him try something else.”
“A private tutor?” Mo Shaoheng frowned slightly. He looked down at the little boy sitting obediently on his lap. A fleeting image flashed through his mind—someone with their head slightly tilted, eyes half-lowered, fully immersed in the elegant melody of a violin. After a brief moment of thought, he said, “If he’s not interested in drawing, then we’ll switch to something else.”
Mo Shanshan let out a small sigh of relief. Whether it was drawing or any other form of art, talent was important, but passion mattered even more. If he didn’t like it, then there was no point forcing him. She had loved drawing ever since she was little, and despite her family’s objections, had stuck to her path without regrets.
She looked at Mo Siyuan, who was looking up at Mo Shaoheng, eyes full of trust and admiration. Letting him choose for himself would be ideal, but he was still too young to know what he wanted. She glanced at Mo Shaoheng. He was good to Xiao Yuan, but he wasn’t the most attentive when it came to small details.
Sighing lightly, she held the little boy’s hands and asked gently, “Xiao Yuan, do you not like drawing? Tell Sister Shanshan, okay?”
Mo Siyuan stiffened slightly. He hesitated for a moment, then his first reaction was to look up at Mo Shaoheng.
Mo Shanshan turned his little face back toward her and softened her voice. “Xiao Yuan, be good. Just tell Sister Shanshan the truth. Do you really not like drawing? I promise, even if you don’t, Daddy won’t be mad at you. You just need to tell us what you think, okay?”
The little boy’s hands clenched together again. He bit his lip and hesitated for a long while before mumbling in a small voice, “I’m dumb. No matter how much Sister Shanshan teaches me, I just can’t draw well… Daddy, am I really stupid?”
Mo Shaoheng stroked his face gently and said in a steady voice, “It’s okay. If you don’t want to learn drawing, we don’t have to.”
Mo Siyuan lowered his head in disappointment. So many kids in his class had special talents. Some could draw really well, some could sing and dance, and some even played the violin or the piano. But he… he didn’t know how to do anything. He really was dumb.
“What’s this little dummy thinking about now?” Mo Shanshan saw his expression and couldn’t help but feel both amused and distressed. “It’s okay, sweetheart. If you don’t want to learn drawing, we won’t force it. But can you tell Sister Shanshan and Daddy, is there something else you’d like to learn?”
Mo Siyuan sniffled and quickly wiped away his almost-falling tears. His big eyes blinked up at her as he tilted his head in thought. “Hmm… Last time, I saw a really pretty big brother playing the violin on TV. Can I learn the violin too? There are kids in my class who can play it, and I want to learn too.”
Mo Shaoheng’s arm around him tightened slightly, his deep voice turning a little hoarse. “Xiao Yuan wants to learn the violin?”
The little boy nodded enthusiastically. “Daddy, can I?”
Mo Shaoheng patted his head. “Mm. Daddy will arrange a tutor for you tomorrow.”
“Thank you, Daddy! I’ll practice really hard!” Mo Siyuan grinned, eyes crinkling in joy.
Mo Shanshan was suddenly curious. Who exactly was this “pretty big brother” that Mo Siyuan saw playing the violin? She rarely let him watch TV, only putting on cartoons occasionally to help him relax, so she asked, “Xiao Yuan, do you know the name of the big brother who was playing the violin?”
Mo Siyuan blinked, looking a little dazed as he thought hard. After a moment, he said, “It’s the big brother from Grandpa Qin’s house! The one in the TV! Grandpa Qin said he’s amazing at playing the violin. I want to learn too, so I can be as good as him one day!”
It turns out it was Qin Huanxi.
Mo Shaoheng had taken Mo Siyuan to the Qin family estate a few times before, and in the main hall of the Qin residence, there was a massive portrait of Qin Huanxi playing the violin. That must have left an impression on the little boy, which was why he immediately recognized him when he saw him on TV.
Mo Shanshan suddenly recalled the encounter she had with Qin Huanxi that morning. His expression at the time had been… off.
“What is it?” Mo Shaoheng, noticing her hesitation, asked.
Mo Shanshan thought for a moment before saying, “This morning, after I took Xiao Yuan to breakfast, we ran into Qin Huanxi. He didn’t look like he was in a good state. When he saw Xiao Yuan… I don’t know how to describe it, but he looked like he was overwhelmed, like he couldn’t control himself. Or maybe… his expression was more like someone finding something they thought they had lost forever.”
She wasn’t entirely sure how to put it into words, but Mo Shaoheng had already taken in what she said. Every time he interacted with Qin Huanxi, there was always something slightly off about him. Even though their encounters had been brief, he had a decent read on his personality—Qin Huanxi wasn’t the type to show his emotions so openly.
Mo Shanshan shook her head. “Maybe I was overthinking it. After all he did just recover from a car accident, so maybe he was just feeling unwell. Oh, right, Little Uncle, since Xiao Yuan wants to learn the violin, should we ask Qin Huanxi if he’d be willing to teach him? If Xiao Yuan learns from him, he’s bound to become really skilled.”
Mo Shaoheng looked down at the little boy sitting in his lap. Xiao Yuan’s big, round eyes were focused on them as he listened to their conversation quietly. He wasn’t interrupting, nor did he seem impatient.
A wave of warmth and sadness passed through Mo Shaoheng’s heart. Because of his past experiences, Xiao Yuan had grown much more sensitive than other children his age. He wasn’t as carefree or playful as he should be. More than once, his teachers had mentioned it to Mo Shaoheng, saying he was incredibly serious in class but a little too reserved.
But Mo Shaoheng knew they were just putting it nicely. He understood better than anyone—his child was quiet, withdrawn, and afraid of speaking too much. At home, he was at least somewhat open with them, but around the rest of the Mo family and strangers, he barely spoke at all. He followed orders precisely, like he was afraid of making a mistake.
Maybe Mo Shanshan was right. Getting Xiao Yuan a tutor might be a good idea. It would help him meet new people and also help him develop an interest in something. And when it came to teaching the violin, Qin Huanxi was definitely the best option.
After a moment of thought, Mo Shaoheng decided, “Tomorrow, I’ll take Xiao Yuan to the Qin family estate and talk to him in person.”
Mo Shanshan was thrilled. Taking Xiao Yuan’s little hands in hers, she told him, “Xiao Yuan! Daddy’s going to find the pretty big brother from TV to teach you the violin! The one from Grandpa Qin’s house! Are you excited?”
The little boy’s dark eyes widened in surprise, then turned bright with excitement. His cheeks flushed as he asked, “Really? Daddy, are we really going to ask that little big brother to teach me the violin?”
Chuckling, Mo Shanshan gave his cheek a gentle pinch. “Daddy will take you to see him tomorrow. Are you happy?”
“I’m happy!” Mo Siyuan covered his face with his hands shyly, too overwhelmed to handle it.
Mo Shanshan laughed at his reaction, and out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Mo Shaoheng’s lips curving ever so slightly.
She froze for a second before smiling softly. Ever since her little uncle learned of Ning Xue’s death, his mood had been heavy. But whenever he was with Ning Xue’s child, he seemed to relax, even if it was just a little.
She didn’t know what had happened between Mo Shaoheng and Ning Xue in the past, but one thing was clear, Ning Xue held a special place in his heart. It wasn’t about the person himself, but rather what he represented to Mo Shaoheng.
Obrigada pela tradução ❣️💕