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Chapter 17
Editor: Princess
Qin Huanxi walked alongside Mo Shaoheng, the initial shock fading little by little. At first, he had only wanted to test the waters, looking for a chance to ask about how Mo Shaoheng had come to adopt Mo Siyuan. But to his surprise, Mo Shaoheng had brought it up on his own, saving him the trouble of beating around the bush.
What he wanted to know the most was where Mo Shaoheng had adopted Mo Siyuan, and more importantly, how his baby had been before that—had he suffered, had he been mistreated? The people in the Ning Family hated their whole family so much. After he and his parents died, they definitely wouldn’t have been kind to his son. Just imagining it made his heart ache so much it was hard to breathe.
“What’s wrong?” Mo Shaoheng noticed the sudden paleness in Qin Huanxi’s face. He placed a steadying hand on his shoulder, looking slightly concerned. “Not feeling well?”
Qin Huanxi shook his head apologetically. “I’m fine.”
Mo Shaoheng let go but kept his eyes on him. “If you’re unwell, you should head back and rest.”
Qin Huanxi gave a small smile. “Thanks, Uncle Mo, but I really am fine. If I wasn’t, I’d definitely tell you. It’s just that… I was thinking about Xiao Yuan. Grandpa mentioned before that you brought him back from the Ning Family in S City. With everything that happened to them… Xiao Yuan must have suffered a lot.”
A flicker of something passed through Mo Shaoheng’s eyes. He was silent for a moment before finally saying, “No. When I went… he had just passed away.”
There was a hint of something heavy in Mo Shaoheng’s tone, almost distant. He didn’t even remember exactly how he had felt when he first learned of Ning Xue’s death. He only recalled his mind being a mess, not wanting to see anyone. Even Qi Fengyu and He Jing Yi had been sent away. He had locked himself in his office for an entire day.
His feelings for Ning Xue had always been complicated, but he couldn’t deny that he had been drawn to the man. By that time, both of them had already passed the age of reckless love. That night seven years ago, he had been drinking, but not enough to lose his senses. What happened, he had let it happen. He hadn’t wanted to resist.
He had thought it wouldn’t just end like that. The beginning had been a little absurd, a little awkward, but it wasn’t beyond salvaging.
After Ning Xue graduated, he returned to S City. Mo Shaoheng had known about his background—people born into powerful families always carried heavy burdens. He didn’t want to add more problems to Ning Xue’s life at that time, so he chose to wait. He had the patience. He had believed that there would be time.
But fate never gave him that chance.
Back then, he had only just secured his position as head of the Mo Family, and there were still plenty of people unwilling to accept him, waiting for a chance to strike. Even the enemies in the underworld thought he was struggling, just biding their time, waiting to move in for the kill. Some of them had even joined forces, thinking they could get rid of him for good.
Mo Shaoheng had always been proud, but he understood the concept of weakness, especially when it came to emotions. Which was why he couldn’t afford to let anyone know he cared about Ning Xue. Before either of them had a firm foothold, he cut off all ties. Four years passed like that. And then, it was too late.
The year the Ning Family fell, he had been abroad. He had already been planning to return—things in the country had settled down, and once he wrapped up his business overseas, he was going to find Ning Xue. After all these years, the once spirited young man would have grown into a mature, steady heir.
But by the time he heard the news, the Ning Family was already gone. Ning Xue’s parents had committed suicide a year prior. Ning Xue had been living alone with their child. And then he, too, had died in a car accident.
That was the first time Mo Shaoheng had ever felt regret. He regretted being too rational. He regretted hesitating.
Born into a powerful family, he should have known better than anyone how ruthless they could be. Power struggles were one thing, but for the sake of interests, people didn’t even hesitate to destroy even their own blood relatives. Just like what happened to his own parents—if he hadn’t known that their deaths weren’t accidents, he wouldn’t have returned to the Mo Family, wouldn’t have taken control with an iron grip, wouldn’t have watched those who had forced his parents to their deaths struggle and wither in his grasp.
If he hadn’t let fear of weakness control him, if he had held onto Ning Xue instead of cutting him off, maybe Ning Xue wouldn’t have died. Maybe things between them would have been different. At the very least… they wouldn’t be separated by life and death.
“Uncle Mo…” Qin Huanxi stopped walking, reaching up to cover Mo Shaoheng’s cold hand with his own. The chill startled him. He hesitated for just a second before his words tumbled out, “You don’t need to blame yourself. I don’t think you made the wrong choice back then. So many years have passed, and I can’t claim to understand what you were facing at the time. But if I had been in your place… I think I would have done the same. Not just for myself, but also for the people I care about.”
No matter how ridiculous that one night had been, he had never resented Mo Shaoheng for it. But hearing him say all this now—learning about everything that had happened after his own death—it would be a lie to say he wasn’t affected.
In the end, neither of them owed the other anything. Mo Shaoheng had spoken of it lightly, but he could hear the regret in his words, a hint of some deeper emotion buried beneath. He didn’t know exactly how much Mo Shaoheng had cared for him back then, and he didn’t want to overthink it. But one thing was certain—Mo Shaoheng had, at least, felt something.
Not love, but something.
It was a little unbelievable, but he didn’t find himself rejecting the idea. Mo Shaoheng was the kind of man who carried an aura of authority. If he ever really liked someone, it would be hard for that person to resist him. Qin Huanxi had already proven that himself. After all, they had shared a night together. And they had a child.
He could completely understand Mo Shaoheng’s choices back then, because he had lived that kind of life too. It was like a bottomless swamp—one wrong step, and there was no turning back. Even his own survival had been uncertain, so how could he have protected someone else?
And Mo Shaoheng’s situation had been even more dangerous. If his enemies had known just how much he cared for Ning Xue, then his already precarious position would have been even worse. He would have been backed into a corner, and Ning Xue… Ning Xue would have become nothing more than a bargaining chip to threaten him.
Mo Shaoheng could feel the warmth of the smooth hand covering his own. The memory of holding Ning Xue so tightly in his arms all those years ago became crystal clear again. He craved that warmth, that feeling of fullness. Even after so many years, he still couldn’t forget it. No matter how self-indulgent it sounded, it was the truth—what he had lost had become the untouchable, unreachable light in his heart. No matter how far apart they were, that feeling would never fade.
Qin Huanxi noticed that Mo Shaoheng’s gaze was fixed on their hands. That was when he realized that right in the middle of the street, in broad daylight, his gesture was way too intimate. He pulled his hand back quickly, feeling a bit embarrassed. “Sometimes, people just don’t have a choice. No one can do everything perfectly, no matter how powerful they are. And besides, Uncle Mo, you’ve already done more than enough. I think… I think Senior Ning Xue would be grateful for everything you’ve done for him.”
Mo Shaoheng looked at him strangely for a second. Hearing the words “Senior Ning Xue” come from Qin Huanxi’s mouth felt… off. And every time Qin Huanxi mentioned Ning Xue, there was always a strange, almost unreadable emotion in his eyes. Like he wasn’t just talking about someone else’s past, but his own.
“Hm.” Mo Shaoheng let out a quiet hum. He didn’t even know why, but whenever he looked at Qin Huanxi, he had this uncontrollable urge to open up. These thoughts—things he hadn’t told anyone for the past seven years—just came spilling out. Somehow, talking to Qin Huanxi made it easy.
Seeing Mo Shaoheng relax slightly, Qin Huanxi finally smiled, the heavy atmosphere lifting a little. He walked ahead a few steps before turning back as if casually remembering something. “Oh, right. Uncle Mo, earlier you said you found Xiao Yuan right after Senior Ning Xue passed away. Where exactly did you find him?”
“When I arrived, the funeral had just ended. Old Man Ning had hired a nanny to take care of him.” Mo Shaoheng kept his tone flat. What he didn’t say was that, even with a nanny, Mo Siyuan hadn’t been living well. It wasn’t that the nanny was neglectful—she had done her job. But the problem was, the rest of the Ning Family never wanted Mo Siyuan there in the first place.
Qin Huanxi’s heart clenched at the thought of how helpless and alone his son must have felt. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm before quietly asking, “Was he okay? Uncle Mo, it must’ve been hard for you to adopt him.”
After all, the Ning Family and the Mo Family had no ties. If Mo Shaoheng suddenly wanted to take in his son, it would’ve caused a huge uproar. Grandpa did love Xiao Yuan, but he also had to be fair to everyone. Even if he wanted to protect Xiao Yuan, there was only so much he could do.
And if Mo Shaoheng wanted to take Xiao Yuan away, the rest of the Ning Family definitely wouldn’t have liked it. Mo Shaoheng wasn’t just anyone. If Xiao Yuan grew up under his wing, one day he’d realize exactly how those so-called “relatives” had treated him. If that day ever came, Xiao Yuan wouldn’t hesitate to strike back. He’d tear down the entire Ning Family with his own hands.
Qin Huanxi smirked a little. Just picturing the panic on their faces back then made him feel good. But what could they do? They didn’t have the guts or the power to go against Mo Shaoheng. Those people were nothing but opportunists—if they even got a chance to cozy up to him, they’d trip over themselves to do it. They wouldn’t dare to stop him.
Mo Shaoheng could sense just how deeply Qin Huanxi cared about Mo Siyuan. He didn’t want him to worry, so he simply said, “There weren’t any problems.”
And he wasn’t lying. There hadn’t been any obstacles, because before he officially adopted Mo Siyuan, he had already done his research. He had only met with Old Man Ning privately. The old man had lost his son, his daughter-in-law, and his grandson all in the span of a year. He felt guilty for what had happened to Mo Siyuan. He knew the child wouldn’t have a good life if he stayed in the Ning Family. So in the end, he hadn’t opposed the adoption.
As for the rest of the Ning Family?
They had never been a factor in Mo Shaoheng’s decision-making. Whether they agreed or not didn’t matter. Because after seeing how they treated Mo Siyuan, he would’ve taken him away by any means necessary.
Mo Siyuan was the only thing Ning Xue had left in this world. He couldn’t change the past, but at the very least, he could make sure Ning Xue’s child was safe. Maybe then, he’d feel a little less regret.
Because sometimes, death wasn’t the end. Some people—some memories—didn’t seem all that important when they were alive. But once they were gone, you’d suddenly realize how deeply they had been carved into your bones. The more you tried to forget, the clearer they became. And no matter how much time passed, that emptiness in your heart would never go away.
Qin Huanxi didn’t disturb Mo Shaoheng’s thoughts. He simply walked beside him in silence. They passed another intersection, and when they stopped at the traffic light, Qin Huanxi glanced back at the bodyguards following them. Then he turned to Mo Shaoheng and asked, “Uncle Mo, don’t you need to go to the office today?”
Mo Shaoheng paused. “Do you need something?”
Qin Huanxi chuckled. “If you’re not in a hurry, then I’m even less busy. I don’t have competitions, concerts, or classes. It’s been a long time since I’ve gone for a casual walk like this. If possible, I’d rather not go back just yet.”
For the first time today, Mo Shaoheng’s lips curved into a faint smile. His voice was softer when he replied, “Then let’s keep walking. Jing Yi and Feng Yu are handling things at the company.”
“Great, I won’t hold back then. Anyway, if the big boss is skipping work, his subordinates definitely won’t dare to complain.” Qin Huanxi scanned the bustling streets around them, suddenly feeling excited. “Let’s check out some violins! Xiao Yuan still doesn’t have one. I have plenty of my old ones, but I want to get him a brand-new one. And once he gets really good, I’ll buy him a collector’s piece.”
“Alright.” Mo Shaoheng agreed without hesitation. “Whatever you decide.”
There was something different about him now—his sharp edges seemed softer, as if Qin Huanxi’s good mood was rubbing off on him.