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Chapter 14
Editor: Princess
After dinner, Qin Huanxi went to take a bath first, changed into some comfortable loungewear, and when he came downstairs, he called for Auntie Li to make him a cup of tea. Then he sat down on the sofa, turned on the TV, and randomly picked a movie to watch while resting.
He had just sat down when the butler hurried in, seemingly with someone following behind him.
Qin Huanxi took the cup of tea that Auntie Li handed him, looked up in confusion, and asked, “Uncle Zhao, what’s wrong?”
The butler glanced at Qin Huanxi without showing much emotion, but there was a hint of hesitation in his eyes. “Little young master, Master Mo is here.”
Qin Huanxi almost choked on his tea. He could hardly believe it and asked, “Uncle Mo?”
“Yes!” The butler smiled and said, “Master Mo came with Young Master Xiao Yuan. He said he has something to discuss with you.”
Qin Huanxi’s whole body stiffened, and he almost lost his grip on the teacup. He hurriedly handed it back to Auntie Li, stood up, and tried to act calm. “Uncle Zhao, quickly invite Uncle Mo and… Young Master Xiao Yuan in.”
As he spoke, he turned back to Auntie Li and said, “Auntie Li, prepare another cup of tea, a cup of warm milk, and some snacks.”
“Yes, little young master.” Auntie Li placed the teacup on the coffee table, gave Qin Huanxi a worried glance, but in the end, said nothing. She turned and went into the kitchen. She had a feeling that something was off about the little young master’s mood. It had been a long time since she’d seen him this unsettled.
Qin Huanxi’s heart was racing uncontrollably, as if he was getting impatient. He followed the butler toward the entrance hall, telling himself over and over again to stay calm. The person outside was Mo Shaoheng. Even the slightest change in his emotions wouldn’t escape Mo Shaoheng’s sharp eyes.
But the closer he got to the entrance, the more he realized that no matter how much he tried to stay calm, he couldn’t stop his hands from trembling. He had even lost the courage to take another step forward. Outside that door stood someone he could never afford to lose, no matter how many times he was reborn. But in those eyes, he was now just a complete stranger.
“Master Mo, Young Master Xiao Yuan, please come in.” The butler said warmly and respectfully, inviting Mo Shaoheng inside.
Mo Shaoheng nodded slightly to the butler, holding the hand of Mo Siyuan, who was curiously looking around, and led him up the steps. He said in a low voice, “Be careful of the steps.”
Mo Siyuan snapped back to reality, looked down at the steps under his feet, and subconsciously moved closer to Mo Shaoheng.
Qin Huanxi took a deep breath, steadied himself, and put on his usual smile as he quickly stepped forward.
“Uncle Mo.” Qin Huanxi smiled at Mo Shaoheng, then quickly shifted his expression to a softer one. With a touch of warmth in his eyes, he looked at the little boy Mo Shaoheng was holding. Taking a step forward, he gently ruffled the boy’s hair and said, “So you must be the Xiao Yuan Uncle Zhao mentioned. You’re so cute.”
“Sorry for disturbing you.” Mo Shaoheng said, his gaze locked onto Qin Huanxi. Even though Qin Huanxi appeared calm, he didn’t miss the way he was desperately trying to suppress his emotions. His hand, as he touched Mo Siyuan, had the faintest trace of a tremble. That strange, unsettling feeling in his heart only grew clearer.
“How could it be a bother? I’m really happy that Uncle Mo is here.” But even as he said this, Qin Huanxi’s gaze had already fallen on the child. He crouched down to meet his eyes, gently holding his arms, and said in an extremely soft tone, “Xiao Yuan is so good. Do you want big brother Huanxi to take you to eat some snacks?”
Mo Siyuan blinked his bright, round eyes, both curious and a little shy as he looked at the little big brother crouching in front of him. This was the first time he hadn’t been afraid of a stranger. In fact, he even felt a little excited and nervous.
The person in front of him… wasn’t he the little big brother he had seen on TV? He looked even better than he did on the screen in real life!
More than that, he felt like there was something comforting about this little big brother, something that made him feel warm and safe. He couldn’t help but want to get closer. When big brother Huanxi said he would take him to eat snacks, he instinctively reached out and hugged his neck, completely forgetting to ask his father’s permission first.
Qin Huanxi was overwhelmed as he held the soft little body in his arms, his emotions surging uncontrollably.
“Little big brother, what’s wrong?” Mo Siyuan suddenly noticed that big brother Huanxi’s body was shaking. He didn’t know what to do, but he didn’t want to leave his embrace either. He just felt that when this little big brother held him, it was really comfortable, different from when other people held him. He really liked being held by this little big brother.
“It’s nothing. Big brother Huanxi is just really happy to see you.” Qin Huanxi loosened his grip a little and lifted the little one into his arms. He was much heavier than he remembered. He had almost lost the chance to feel this weight again. But now, being able to hold him, knowing that he was doing well, made him feel like there was nothing in the world that could make him happier than this moment.
“Uncle Mo, come in and have a seat.” Qin Huanxi hadn’t forgotten about Mo Shaoheng. After all, his presence was too strong to ignore. However after saying this, he immediately turned his full attention back to the little one in his arms. “Xiao Yuan, big brother Huanxi is going to take you to eat some snacks.”
Mo Shaoheng followed behind Qin Huanxi in silence, watching as he gently placed Mo Siyuan on the sofa and leaned over to pick out a few pieces of pastry from the coffee table for him. His gaze darkened slightly when he noticed something—every piece Qin Huanxi chose was exactly the flavor Mo Siyuan liked best.
He sat down on the sofa nearby, took the teacup the maid handed him, thanked her, and quietly observed the interaction between Qin Huanxi and Mo Siyuan. The little one’s clear laughter kept ringing in his ears, and the way he kept calling out “big brother Huanxi” was unbelievably affectionate.
It had only been a few minutes, yet the usually timid Mo Siyuan, who was afraid of unfamiliar places and people, had already climbed onto Qin Huanxi’s lap, happily accepting the snacks and milk he was being fed. What’s more he was grinning from ear to ear and hadn’t spared him, his father—Mo Shaoheng—a single glance since stepping through the door.
Mo Shaoheng cleared his throat softly, and it worked, because both Qin Huanxi and Mo Siyuan turned to look at him at the same time, wearing the exact same confused expression. The resemblance was so uncanny that it was almost funny. Without realizing it, the corners of his lips lifted slightly as he said, “Xiao Yuan really likes you. That puts me at ease.”
Hearing this, Qin Huanxi was extremely happy. He lowered his head and kissed the little one’s forehead, unable to hide the joy in his voice. “I really like Xiao Yuan too, and we get along so well.” Then, turning his gaze back to Mo Shaoheng, he asked, “Uncle Mo, you must have had a reason for bringing Xiao Yuan here today, right?”
Mo Shaoheng nodded. “Xiao Yuan saw you playing the violin on TV before. He wants to learn.”
Qin Huanxi’s eyes widened in surprise as he looked at Mo Siyuan in disbelief. “Xiao Yuan has seen me before?”
Mo Siyuan lifted his head and looked at Qin Huanxi. “Mm, a long, long time ago, I saw big brother Huanxi playing the violin on TV. Later, when Daddy took me to visit Grandpa Qin, I saw your pictures there too. I want to be just as amazing at playing the violin as big brother Huanxi.”
Qin Huanxi chuckled. The little one’s words were a bit jumbled, but they still filled him with warmth and pride. Worthy of being my baby, he thought to himself. Even his interests were exactly the same.
When he was about this age in his previous life, he had also fallen in love with the violin, and had pestered his parents nonstop until they found a highly respected violinist to teach him.
If it hadn’t been for the burden of family responsibilities, forcing him to give up performing, his talent with the violin wouldn’t have been any worse than the original body’s. He had won countless awards, nearly reaching the same level of success as the original body had had before. Even his former violin teacher had sighed in regret when he had to quit.
Qin Huanxi looked deeply at the little one’s innocent, happy smile. He absolutely wouldn’t let his child go through what he did. If Xiao Yuan really loved the violin, then no matter what, he wouldn’t let family obligations take that away from him. He would never let him live a life full of regret.
He couldn’t help but glance at Mo Shaoheng before lowering his gaze to the little one sitting on his lap. From what he could tell, Mo Shaoheng wasn’t the type to force a child into anything against their will.
Whatever reason Mo Shaoheng had for adopting Xiao Yuan, he had to admit that he was touched by the effort he put into raising him. If he didn’t genuinely love the child, he wouldn’t have come all the way here just because Xiao Yuan wanted to learn the violin.
He cupped the little one’s face, his expression serious. “Xiao Yuan, do you really want to learn the violin?”
Mo Siyuan blinked, then nodded seriously. “I do!”
“What if big brother Huanxi is really strict?” Qin Huanxi deliberately put on a stern face. “What if you don’t listen, don’t practice properly, and I get mad and scold you? Would you be scared?”
Mo Siyuan shrank back subconsciously and turned to look at Mo Shaoheng. “Daddy…”
Mo Shaoheng had been sitting there leisurely sipping his tea, watching their little conversation unfold. The atmosphere was so harmonious that he was in no rush to interrupt. When he heard Xiao Yuan’s small, cautious voice, he finally glanced up. After a brief pause, he said, “You have to listen to your teacher.”
Qin Huanxi couldn’t help but laugh. “So this is how Uncle Mo usually teaches Xiao Yuan?”
Mo Shaoheng ignored his teasing and replied seriously, “Mm. From now on, I’ll leave Xiao Yuan’s violin lessons to you.”
This really made Qin Huanxi laugh out loud. He couldn’t help but imagine Mo Shaoheng trying to educate a child—his stiff expression, his serious tone, and a teary-eyed little Xiao Yuan looking up at him. The mental image was oddly amusing. Blood ties really were mysterious.
Seeing that his little one looked a bit nervous, he ruffled his hair and sighed helplessly. “Silly, how could big brother Huanxi ever bring himself to scold you? I was just messing with you. But since you’re the one who wants to learn the violin, and Daddy specifically brought you here to learn from me, you have to take responsibility for your own decision. That means you have to work hard and practice properly. Otherwise, both Daddy and big brother Huanxi will be unhappy. Do you understand?”
Mo Siyuan didn’t fully understand, but he still nodded obediently. “Xiao Yuan will listen to big brother Huanxi and Daddy.”
“Good boy. Here, have another bite of cake.” Qin Huanxi was very pleased and happily fed him another piece. Then, he turned to Mo Shaoheng and said, “I thought Xiao Yuan might take an interest in painting, considering how talented Mo Shanshan is in that field.”
Mo Shaoheng, for once, was patient enough to explain. “Shanshan tried teaching him, but he wasn’t very interested. She didn’t want to force him.”
Qin Huanxi nodded. “Hobbies should be about personal enjoyment, after all. Since Xiao Yuan didn’t like it, then there’s no point in making him learn. No matter what he chooses to pursue in the future, his achievements will depend on his own efforts. But I trust Xiao Yuan’s choices, because our little Xiao Yuan is the smartest.”
Mo Siyuan blushed when he was praised and lowered his head shyly, his small hands fidgeting with Qin Huanxi’s fingers.
Hearing Qin Huanxi say “our little Xiao Yuan”, Mo Shaoheng felt something stir in his chest. He didn’t let it show, though. Keeping his expression neutral, he said, “Xiao Yuan has school during the day, and I heard from Old Master Qin that you’ll be going back to school in a few days as well. I’ll bring Xiao Yuan over every evening… or, if you prefer, you could come to my place.”
“That works. If Uncle Mo gets busy, I can also pick Xiao Yuan up from school.” The thought of spending time with his child every day—helping him with homework, eating together, practicing the violin—was something Qin Huanxi had longed for. He had lost three years with Xiao Yuan because of fate’s cruelty, but now, he would make up for it.