Chapter 32
Editor: Princess
During lunch break, the secretary carried freshly brewed coffee into the office while Mo Shaoheng reclined against the sofa with his eyes closed, resting.
She tiptoed carefully and placed the coffee on the tea table. However just at that moment, the phone on the tea table began ringing, and she jumped slightly before quickly straightening her posture and standing respectfully to the side, cautiously observing Mo Shaoheng’s expression.
Mo Shaoheng opened his eyes and sat up straight, looking at the phone screen. After seeing the caller ID clearly, his cold expression immediately melted away, and his gaze quickly softened as he picked up the phone hurriedly and answered, his voice deep yet warm: “Huanxi?”
The secretary watched Mo Shaoheng’s rapid change of expression with surprise. Although she was very curious about who could make Mo Shaoheng show such an expression, could this “Huanxi” be the person she was thinking of? The famous genius violinist from the renowned musical Qin family, Qin Huanxi?
However, professional ethics told her that she needed to leave the office quickly since Mo Shaoheng’s private matters were not something she could inquire about.
As Mo Shaoheng’s secretary for many years, she understood her boss’s temperament well enough. She collected herself immediately, withdrew from the office quietly, then closed the door behind her.
“Uncle Mo, I didn’t disturb you, did I?” On the other end of the phone, Qin Huanxi had wandered around the campus and finally found a place where he could get some sunlight while avoiding the cold wind. He sat down and immediately called Mo Shaoheng with urgency, having something on his mind that made him act almost instinctively.
Mo Shaoheng seemed to detect an unusual emotion in his tone and asked with concern: “What’s wrong?”
Qin Huanxi paused before saying: “While eating lunch earlier, I received a call from Aunt Li saying that Fu Zecheng had sent me an invitation. Shanshan and Su Yang also received theirs. I think Fu Zecheng wouldn’t forget to send Uncle Mo an invitation, right? The banquet is scheduled for this Saturday evening.”
Mo Shaoheng frowned immediately the moment he heard this. He turned to glance at the invitation that He Jingyi had brought over in the morning, which was now carelessly thrown on his wide office desk. Originally, he had not planned to attend this banquet, and He Jingyi would attend in his place. But now it seemed that Fu Zecheng had other plans.
“Uncle Mo?” Qin Huanxi didn’t hear Mo Shaoheng’s response for a long while, however the slightly hurried breathing on the other end of the phone let him know that Mo Shaoheng was still listening to him speak.
He couldn’t quite figure out Mo Shaoheng’s thoughts, but Mo Shaoheng’s suddenly heavy breathing seemed to suggest he was worried about him? Or perhaps angry?
Mo Shaoheng said gently: “I’m here, don’t worry. I’ll accompany you to the banquet on Saturday evening.”
Qin Huanxi couldn’t help but smile, his smile filled with contentment.
After a moment, he composed his expression and said: “Uncle Mo, what do you think Fu Zecheng’s purpose is in suddenly hosting this banquet? I’m not being overly sentimental or suspicious, but it hasn’t been long since the incident with Su Yang and Guan Yi, and now he’s inexplicably hosting this banquet without any reason, even inviting Su Yang to participate. I always feel that the purpose of his banquet is… me!”
Mo Shaoheng fell silent for a moment before suddenly changing the subject: “What time are your afternoon classes?”
Qin Huanxi was stunned, however although he didn’t understand, he still answered Mo Shaoheng’s question obediently: “I only have two elective courses this afternoon, starting at three o’clock. I was just about to finish calling Uncle Mo, then rest for a while and go to the library to study.”
“Alright, wait twenty minutes for me. I’ll come find you.” Mo Shaoheng said while walking outside.
“You’re coming over?” Qin Huanxi almost jumped up from the bench in surprise, his movement attracting sideways glances from other students who looked at him with puzzled expressions.
Only then did he realize he had been too startled. He quickly turned around and walked while saying: “Uncle Mo, don’t you need to rest?”
Mo Shaoheng chuckled softly: “It’s lunch break, and I’ve just finished eating. Consider it a post-meal stroll for digestion.”
Qin Huanxi didn’t know what to say. He just felt his heart racing slightly, and the smile on his face could no longer be hidden.
In the end, he softly urged a few words about “being careful on the road” before hanging up, his tone carrying a gentleness he hadn’t even noticed himself. His mood, which had been disturbed and irritated by Fu Zecheng’s unconventional moves, was miraculously soothed.
Qin Huanxi thought about how the Mo Corporation’s headquarters wasn’t far from T University, and since it wasn’t rush hour, it would take Mo Shaoheng about twenty minutes to drive over, so he admired the campus scenery while walking toward the school gate. Mo Shaoheng was right. It could be considered a post-meal walk, and besides, T University had pleasant scenery.
Mo Shaoheng’s timing was very precise, because just as Qin Huanxi walked out of the school gate leisurely, his car arrived.
Mo Shaoheng pushed open the car door but didn’t get out. Instead, he patted the seat beside him, signaling for Qin Huanxi to get in the car.
Qin Huanxi smiled and didn’t refuse. It wasn’t even one o’clock yet, still early before his elective class, so there was time for a drive around. After he got in the car, the vehicle drove away from the campus. He didn’t ask Mo Shaoheng where they were going, like treating a friend he’d known for years, possessing the most basic trust.
The car finally stopped in front of an elegant, traditional-style tea house. After getting out, Qin Huanxi surveyed the tea house curiously. Unlike other tea houses’ understated, simple luxury, this tea house’s exterior looked more like a grand mansion. Stepping through the entrance archway and walking along the corridor, one could see pavilions, towers, artificial hills, and flowing water.
Qin Huanxi looked back at Mo Shaoheng beside him and sighed: “What a tranquil and elegant tea house.”
Mo Shaoheng smiled faintly: “You have afternoon classes, so I can only bring you here to sit for a while today.”
Qin Huanxi raised an eyebrow: “I naturally trust Uncle Mo’s taste.”
Mo Shaoheng chuckled softly and remained silent, gently placing his arm around Qin Huanxi’s shoulders and leading him into a small courtyard.
Qin Huanxi only smelled the fresh, natural fragrance emitted by the flowers, grass, and trees in the courtyard. Different from the hustle and bustle of the busy downtown area, the tranquility was mixed with the gentle sound of flowing water. After taking a seat, he turned his head to admire the small pond in the courtyard.
The pond, paved with pebbles, had green bamboo swaying in the wind, emitting a faint bamboo fragrance. Water flowed slowly down the artificial hill, and a bamboo water feature tapped against stones, producing clear “dong dong” sounds that made one’s mind particularly peaceful.
Qin Huanxi took a breath. Sitting here really made one feel refreshed and happy.
“Feeling better?” Mo Shaoheng noticed the smile at the corners of his lips, and a trace of satisfaction passed through his heart.
Qin Huanxi turned his head and stared at Mo Shaoheng steadily. This person always made his heart flutter without him realizing it. That feeling wasn’t an instant ignition of all his emotions, making him so moved that tears welled up. Rather, it was like the gentle delicacy unique to a steady stream. A subtle gesture, a soft word of care, gently and softly touching his heart.
He said softly: “Actually, I just don’t like the feeling of being manipulated by others. That feeling of having things out of my control is absolutely terrible, not knowing what will happen next. Knowing that the other party has ill intentions, yet having to deal with them anyway, while worrying that things will get worse. If I don’t face it, I don’t know what the other party actually wants to do. Rather than waiting for them to catch me off guard, it’s better to venture into the tiger’s den myself to have a chance at grasping the initiative.”
Qin Huanxi didn’t give Mo Shaoheng a chance to speak and continued: “Perhaps my past life was too self-centered. I always felt that as long as I did my own things well and moved forward courageously on the life path that had already been laid out, then I didn’t need to consider or care about anything else. But since that car accident happened, I suddenly discovered that the people around me had all become very strange. The place that should be called ‘home’ wasn’t as warm as I had imagined, and those so-called relatives were actually enemies who tried every means to put me to death.”
He looked up at Mo Shaoheng’s eyes. And seeing that he was just looking at him gently, with eyes that seemed to contain a kind of gentle comfort, he suddenly felt that his mood wasn’t so tense anymore. He smiled faintly and said: “But life is naturally full of ups and downs, great rises and falls. It’ll be fine once it passes.”
“Mm.” Mo Shaoheng responded softly, looking at Qin Huanxi silently, seeming to want to say something but hesitating, as if pondering how to offer comfort. After a moment, he said: “If I hadn’t known that my parents’ accidental death was orchestrated by so-called close relatives, I would have also thought that ‘home’, even if not warm, would ultimately be the final refuge.”
Qin Huanxi suddenly looked up. This was the first time he had heard Mo Shaoheng mention past events. He put down his teacup and pondered how to inquire tactfully: “I once heard Grandfather mention that the Mo family used to be controlled by the Old Madam Mo, and originally she didn’t plan to hand over the inheritance rights to Uncle Mo.”
One could imagine that after Old Madam Mo had finally grasped the Mo family’s power firmly in her own hands, even if she were to give it up, it should go to her own biological children. So what exactly happened in the Mo family back then? Mo Shaoheng’s parents died accidentally, and the inheritance rights that belonged to them instantly fell into his brother’s hands. Actually, without deep investigation, one could know it was another case of fraternal killing caused by inheritance rights.
Mo Shaoheng suddenly laughed lowly, his tone somewhat mocking: “I was just taking back what belonged to me.”
Qin Huanxi smiled, unable to help but sigh. Compared to Mo Shaoheng, he ultimately lacked a certain presence and determination. He didn’t know when he would be able to take back what belonged to him. Be it for himself or for his parents, he had to do this.
“What about your uncle? After your parents passed away back then, the inheritance rights should have fallen to your uncle. How did it end up with Old Madam Mo controlling the Mo family?” Qin Huanxi was very curious. Before Mo Shaoheng returned to the Mo family, Old Madam Mo was the figure representing the entire Mo family, yet he had never heard anyone mention the old master.
Mo Shaoheng frowned: “Not long after the Mo family came into his hands, he passed away.”
Qin Huanxi was surprised. Actually, he wasn’t completely ignorant. When Mo Shaoheng had returned to the Mo family with great fanfare, the Mo family’s change of heir had caused a citywide sensation. The grudges of the previous generation would inevitably be dug up again, and people all said that Mo Shaoheng had left the Mo family in his early years, established his own power outside, and returned to the Mo family certainly for revenge.
Actually, compared to Mo Shaoheng’s uncle, Mo Shaoheng’s father was clearly superior. It was just that Mo Shaoheng’s uncle had a ruthless and cunning wife by his side. Mo Shaoheng’s uncle was originally a weak, incompetent, and indecisive person who also lacked the fortune to enjoy blessings, which ultimately led to the current Old Madam Mo’s success.
With this explanation, Qin Huanxi became even more confused. He could understand Mo Shaoheng and Old Madam Mo being incompatible. After all, the other party was the enemy who killed Mo Shaoheng’s parents. Mo Shaoheng keeping her alive until now was just to watch her struggle desperately in his palm. Sometimes, taking revenge on a person by letting them watch their original wealth, honor, reputation, and status slip away bit by bit was much more painful than directly killing them.
Even Old Madam Mo’s hatred for Mo Siyuan could be understood by Qin Huanxi.
Mo Shaoheng hadn’t married or had children to this day, yet suddenly adopted a child. Then watching him spoil this “adopted son” to the heavens, she would naturally be anxious, because Mo Shaoheng was going to hand over the entire Mo family to an “outsider”!
What Qin Huanxi didn’t understand was that logically, Mo Shanshan should be Old Madam Mo’s biological granddaughter, so why did she dislike her own granddaughter so much?
He had secretly asked Su Yang about this, but Su Yang wasn’t very clear either. She only said that Mo Shanshan had been with Mo Shaoheng since she was very young. Old Madam Mo had always been domineering, causing Mo Shanshan’s parents to be submissive and obedient to the old madam. When the old madam disliked Mo Shanshan, her parents didn’t dare to voice a single complaint.
More importantly, Mo Shanshan’s parents only had this one daughter, yet they watched helplessly as Mo Shanshan left the Mo family and stayed by Mo Shaoheng’s side. Even when Mo Shaoheng was struggling in the underworld, Mo Shanshan would rather stay by Mo Shaoheng’s side, facing life-threatening danger at any time, than return to the main residence.
However, seeing Mo Shaoheng protect the granddaughter she disliked so thoroughly that even during Mo Shaoheng’s most vulnerable period, Mo Shanshan didn’t suffer the slightest harm, Old Madam Mo probably hated Mo Shaoheng even more, perhaps even thinking that Mo Shaoheng was born to oppose her.
Of course, Mo Shaoheng wasn’t keeping the granddaughter Old Madam Mo disliked the most by his side just to take revenge and torment her. Qin Huanxi could see that Mo Shaoheng really loved his niece. Regardless of how great the grudges and hatred were in the previous generation, Mo Shanshan, as a member of the younger generation, was innocent.