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Chapter 16
Editor: Princess
Qin Huanxi carried Mo Siyuan into the living room, and as soon as he stepped inside, he saw Mo Shaoheng sitting on the sofa, reading a newspaper.
“Little Uncle, Huanxi is here.” Mo Shanshan sounded extra cheerful. Then she turned to Qin Huanxi and said, “Huanxi, have a seat first.”
“Uncle Mo, morning.” Qin Huanxi put Mo Siyuan down on the floor, then watched as his baby ran toward Mo Shaoheng happily, calling out, “Daddy, big brother Huanxi is here!” His gaze softened unconsciously.
He had thought he would resist seeing his son with Mo Shaoheng, but now that he was actually witnessing the moment, all those past concerns suddenly felt like pointless overthinking. When it came down to it, what he was truly afraid of was Mo Shaoheng learning the truth. After all, a man giving birth to a child was straight out of a fantasy—something not everyone could accept.
“Morning.” Mo Shaoheng set the newspaper aside and caught the little one who had pounced on him. The child’s face was full of excitement. With a faint smile, Mo Shaoheng patted Mo Siyuan’s head, then gently patted his back to signal him to stand up. Rising to his feet, he looked at Qin Huanxi and said, “Let’s go to the dining room first.”
Hearing this, Mo Siyuan immediately ran over and grabbed Qin Huanxi’s hand. “Big brother Huanxi, let’s go have breakfast!”
“Alright, then Xiao Yuan can lead the way for big brother Huanxi.” Qin Huanxi chuckled at the tiny troublemaker, and hearing his baby stifle a giggle behind his hands, his mood lifted as well, and he couldn’t help but laugh along.
Mo Shanshan watched the scene with a smile, then instinctively turned to glance at Mo Shaoheng. Seeing the faint curve at the corner of his lips, she finally let go of the last bit of worry in her heart. Although her little uncle had a good relationship with Old Master Qin, he wasn’t particularly close to Qin Huanxi, so she had been worried that they wouldn’t get along.
When Qin Huanxi saw the breakfast spread—both Chinese and Western dishes, filling the entire table—he finally understood what Mo Siyuan had meant earlier, and for some reason, he felt a little embarrassed. According to his baby, Mo Shaoheng had specially instructed the kitchen to prepare this meal for him, simply because he didn’t know what he liked to eat.
He massaged his temples. Old Master Qin was already meticulous and picky enough, but Mo Shaoheng was on a whole other level.
Mo Shanshan noticed his expression and found it amusing. Inviting him to sit down, she said, “Little Uncle didn’t know what you liked, so he asked the kitchen to prepare a little of everything. In the future, Xiao Yuan will be relying on you to take care of him.”
“Xiao Yuan is so well-behaved and adorable—I really like him too. I used to practice the violin all by myself, but if Xiao Yuan can keep me company, it’ll definitely be lively. I won’t have to worry about feeling lonely anymore.” Qin Huanxi stroked Mo Siyuan’s head, his gaze filled with warmth and affection.
Mo Shanshan deeply resonated with that sentiment. She could hear the subtle loneliness in Qin Huanxi’s voice, and she understood it well. Hadn’t she grown up the same way? She had been taught from a young age to embody the grace and etiquette expected of a lady from a prestigious family. There were so many rules—what she could and couldn’t do, what she could and couldn’t play with. She had always been alone, silently learning and accepting the things imposed upon her.
But Qin Huanxi was probably even lonelier than she was. Their situations were similar yet different. She had always loved painting, but her parents never wanted her to fully devote herself to it. Meanwhile, Qin Huanxi had always been passionate about the violin, but he carried the weight of the entire Qin family on his shoulders.
She liked the way Qin Huanxi was now. Although they had known each other for a long time, they had rarely interacted in the past. Back then, Qin Huanxi had always carried a distant air, making it hard for others to get close to him. But now, his personality had brightened up—he smiled more often and had become much more approachable.
Then again, sometimes, a person had to go through great hardships, even brush past death, to really see their own heart clearly. Qin Huanxi had once walked on the edge of life and death, and perhaps that was what allowed him to let go of his burdens and change for the better. In a way, it was a good thing.
Qi Fengyu walked into the dining room, yawning, and the moment he saw the extravagant breakfast spread, his eyes lit up, and he dove forward to grab a piece of toast, stuffing it into his mouth. “What’s the occasion? The breakfast spread is insane. I’m starving—cough, cough, cough!”
He suddenly choked. He pounded his chest, staring in disbelief at Qin Huanxi, who was calmly watching him with an easy smile. “Qin, Qin, Qin…”
“Move aside!” He Jingyi shot him a glance like he was an idiot, then elegantly pulled out a chair and sat down with composure. “Morning.”
“Morning, big brother Jing Yi, big brother Feng Yu.” Mo Shanshan grinned at Qi Fengyu’s crushed expression before explaining, “Starting today, Huanxi will be Xiao Yuan’s private tutor, teaching him the violin. Little Uncle specially invited Huanxi to breakfast today, and later, he’ll also be taking Xiao Yuan to school.”
Qi Fengyu took the glass of water handed to him by a maid, chugged half of it, then finally managed to swallow his toast. Returning the glass, he asked, “Since when? Why didn’t I know about this?”
Mo Shaoheng cast him a cool glance. “Why would you need to know?”
“What the hell!” Qi Fengyu almost jumped out of his chair. “I’m Xiao Yuan’s godfather! How could I not know about something this big? What kind of nonsense is this?”
Qin Huanxi couldn’t help but laugh as he continued eating his breakfast at a relaxed pace. He suddenly realized that it had been a long time since he had eaten such a lively breakfast.
Old Master Qin was very strict about rules. No talking during meals, and no idle chatter before bed—unless it was a formal banquet with guests, then every Qin family member had to follow the etiquette.
He had heard a little about Qi Fengyu and He Jingyi before. They were Mo Shaoheng’s most trusted right-hand men. One managed the underground world, while the other handled legitimate business. Qi Fengyu might seem carefree and unreliable on the surface, but people like him were often the most dangerous. The title “Master Qi” wasn’t just for show.
Seeing that Qi Fengyu was still ranting, Qin Huanxi kindly offered an explanation. “Xiao Yuan wanted to learn the violin, so Shanshan recommended me to Uncle Mo. It’s an honor to be his tutor.”
“Young Master Qin, you’re too modest. With you teaching Xiao Yuan, he’s bound to have a bright future.” Qi Fengyu scratched his head, feeling that even though they were sitting at the same table, he and Qin Huanxi seemed to belong to completely different worlds. He was used to messing around, while Qin Huanxi was the picture of discipline—the classic well-mannered young master.
Qin Huanxi just smiled without saying anything. He calmly continued his breakfast while keeping an eye on Mo Siyuan.
*
Breakfast was a lively affair. Mo Siyuan kept cracking innocent little jokes, and with Qi Fengyu chiming in, both Qin Huanxi and Mo Shanshan ended up laughing nonstop. Even Mo Shaoheng, who was usually serious, couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle, surprising everyone at the table. He had always been a man of few words, and for him to laugh so easily, it was clear he was in a great mood.
After breakfast, Mo Shanshan had to rush off to her morning classes. Normally, she was the one who dropped Mo Siyuan off at school, and if she couldn’t make it, the butler would step in. But today, with Qin Huanxi around, she decided to leave them some alone time instead.
After helping Mo Siyuan check his schoolbag, Qin Huanxi slung it over his baby’s back, and watching him bounce around with excitement, he suddenly felt a warmth spread through his chest—a sense of pride, just like a parent seeing their child grow up.
He patted Mo Siyuan’s head and reminded him gently, “Remember, from now on, check your schoolbag every morning before heading out. Make sure you don’t forget anything. You don’t want to develop bad habits of being forgetful, right? Otherwise, Daddy and big brother Huanxi will be upset. Understood, Student Mo Siyuan?”
“Understood!” Mo Siyuan nodded seriously, his little face full of determination.
“Good boy.” Qin Huanxi smiled in satisfaction, taking the little one’s hand. “Alright, let’s go.”
Mo Shaoheng stood nearby, quietly watching the warm interaction between the two. His lips curved slightly, and before he even realized it, he found himself walking up to them and saying, “Let’s go.”
Qin Huanxi turned back in surprise. “Uncle Mo is coming too?”
Mo Siyuan’s eyes instantly lit up. He threw his arms around Mo Shaoheng’s leg and asked in pure excitement, “Daddy, you’re taking me to school?”
Mo Shaoheng bent down and picked him up. “Mm, today Daddy and big brother Huanxi will take you to school together.”
“Yay! Daddy’s the best!” Mo Siyuan happily wrapped his arms around Mo Shaoheng’s neck, rubbing his little face against his shoulder.
At that moment, Mo Shaoheng felt he had made the right decision. Seeing how close Mo Siyuan was with Qin Huanxi—and how Qin Huanxi’s attention was solely on the little one—he had felt strangely left out. But now, with both of them focused on him, he finally felt included.
As they walked side by side, Qin Huanxi glanced at Mo Shaoheng from the corner of his eye. Mo Shaoheng was actually a pretty good father. Even though his busy schedule didn’t always allow him to be around, he made sure every aspect of Mo Siyuan’s life was taken care of. He never let anything slip through the cracks.
Given his special status, Mo Shaoheng had always been extremely careful with Mo Siyuan’s safety, making sure his baby was protected at all times, and for that, he was grateful. He often thought about that night seven years ago—if it had been anyone else instead of Mo Shaoheng, would Mo Siyuan have been raised so well? If someone else had taken him in, would he have been this happy?
Even after “dying”, he had always known that Mo Siyuan would be safe under Mo Shaoheng’s care.
Throughout the ride to school, Mo Siyuan remained in high spirits. Not only was big brother Huanxi taking him to school today, even his daddy had come along. He knew his father was always busy, and though Mo Shaoheng did take him to school occasionally, he never wanted to trouble him too much. He didn’t want his father to overwork himself.
“Big brother Huanxi, will you keep taking me to school in the future?” Mo Siyuan sat between Qin Huanxi and Mo Shaoheng, giggling nonstop. After a while, he looked up expectantly at Qin Huanxi.
“Of course, as long as Xiao Yuan wants me to.” Qin Huanxi wished nothing more than to spend more time with his little treasure. Then he added with a smile, “I already talked to big sister Shanshan. Today, I’ll be picking you up after school too.”
Mo Siyuan’s little hands flew to his cheeks, his face lighting up like a crescent moon.
Qin Huanxi chuckled and gave his baby’s cheek a light pinch. Then, as if on instinct, he turned to glance at Mo Shaoheng, only to find the man silently watching them. His expression was unreadable, but he didn’t say a word.
Qin Huanxi let out a quiet breath. He had been worried Mo Shaoheng might start questioning things. But at the same time, he also knew he could never really distance himself from Mo Siyuan. This child was his everything. No matter what, he wouldn’t give him up.
And if he really wanted to bring Mo Siyuan back to his side, there was only one way—to tell the truth. To let Mo Shaoheng know that he was Ning Xue.
When they arrived at the school gates, Mo Siyuan clung tightly to Qin Huanxi’s hand, reluctant to go in. “Big brother Huanxi, you have to come early to pick me up!”
Qin Huanxi couldn’t hold back a smile. He patted his baby’s head and promised, “Alright, I’ll be here before school ends, waiting for you.”
“Pinkie promise!” Mo Siyuan held out his tiny pinky finger.
“Our Xiao Yuan is getting smarter. You even know idioms now?” Qin Huanxi teased before hooking his pinky around Mo Siyuan’s. “Okay, hurry up, or you’ll be late for class!”
Mo Siyuan gasped dramatically and quickly let go, waving his little hand as he ran off. “Bye-bye, Daddy! Bye-bye, big brother Huanxi!”
Qin Huanxi watched as the little figure disappeared into the school, a mix of emotions swelling in his chest—pride, tenderness, and an ache that he couldn’t quite describe.
He sighed softly. “Xiao Yuan is really mature for his age. You’ve raised him well.”
“Mm, he’s always been a good child.” Mo Shaoheng paused, then suddenly added, “But I’m not the one who raised him well.”
Qin Huanxi froze. His eyes widened slightly as he turned to look at Mo Shaoheng, speechless for a moment.
Their gazes locked.
Then after a long moment, Mo Shaoheng spoke again, his voice calm. “Take a walk with me?”
Qin Huanxi’s mind was still processing his words, but he nodded subconsciously. “Alright…”