Chapter 38
Qin Huanxi’s consciousness remained murky and drowsy, yet amid his confused state, he felt a soft small hand stroking his hair and face gently. A tender yet utterly familiar voice echoed in his ears. This voice held extraordinary importance to him, more precious than his life and everything else combined.
His heart clenched tightly as he struggled to think. Then finally, he remembered. This was his treasure that he could never lose in his entire life.
“Xiao Jing, Xiao Jing…”
Mo Siyuan stretched his small body while lying prone on the bed, his little brows completely furrowed. His tender white face showed complete worry as he raised his small hand to gently and softly touch Qin Huanxi’s face and hair. Big Brother Huanxi must be suffering terribly. Daddy had explained that Big Brother Huanxi had been fed medicine by bad people, causing him to frown even while sleeping.
Suddenly hearing Qin Huanxi’s unclear murmuring voice, he pressed his small ear close to Qin Huanxi’s mouth to listen carefully. However the more he listened, the more confused he became. He raised his head questioningly toward Mo Shaoheng: “Daddy, who is Xiao Jing? Why does Big Brother Huanxi keep calling for Xiao Jing?”
Mo Shaoheng had already heard Qin Huanxi’s nightmare clearly, his pupils suddenly contracting as his hand supporting Mo Siyuan’s shoulder tightened continuously.
“Daddy, what’s wrong with you?” Mo Siyuan’s eyes that were looking at Mo Shaoheng widened. “Daddy doesn’t know Xiao Jing either?”
Mo Shaoheng bent down to lift him onto his lap, stroking his head while speaking: “Does Xiao Yuan still remember having another name before becoming Daddy’s son? Xiao Yuan’s previous name was Ning Jing, so the Xiao Jing that Big Brother Huanxi is calling is just Xiao Yuan’s other name.”
Hearing this, Mo Siyuan cupped his face excitedly, revealing a happy smile: “So Big Brother Huanxi is dreaming about Xiao Yuan!”
Mo Shaoheng lowered his head to nuzzle Mo Siyuan’s hair with his face, saying softly: “Mm, Xiao Yuan just needs to remember that Big Brother Huanxi is the most important person in this world besides Daddy. You can treat Big Brother Huanxi as another daddy, or even consider him as important as Daddy.”
Mo Siyuan’s small mouth pouted immediately: “Why can’t he be mommy? I already have Daddy, I want Big Brother Huanxi to be my mommy! Doesn’t Daddy like Big Brother Huanxi being Xiao Yuan’s mommy? But in Xiao Yuan’s heart, he has already considered Big Brother Huanxi as Xiao Yuan’s mommy.”
Mo Shaoheng stroked Mo Siyuan’s back gently, amusement appearing in his eyes. In a certain sense, Ning Xue was indeed Mo Siyuan’s “mother”. Therefore, no matter what Ning Xue became or how many years of time and space he traversed, the bond between Mo Siyuan and Ning Xue could never be severed.
“Alright, he will be your mommy.” Mo Shaoheng’s tone was light yet concealed undeniable determination.
Qin Huanxi’s hand hidden under the blanket moved slightly, yet his eyelids felt too heavy to open. He only sensed another voice joining the one around his ears, and this additional voice also felt very familiar: low, rich, magnetic, and extremely attractive. This voice brought him immense trust and security.
**
Qin Huanxi’s eyes suddenly opened and what he saw was a luxurious sparkling crystal chandelier. Before he could process his body’s condition, a small figure carrying a milky fragrance threw itself into his chest. The corners of his lips curved, and he wanted to raise his hand to embrace the small figure against his chest, however the moment his hand moved, he felt a sharp pain.
Mo Shaoheng quickly pressed Qin Huanxi’s arm down with swift reflexes, speaking softly: “Don’t move.”
Qin Huanxi turned his head to discover an IV drip attached to his hand. He opened his mouth, speaking with a somewhat hoarse voice: “Xiao Yuan, be good. Big Brother Huanxi is fine now.”
Mo Siyuan nuzzled against Qin Huanxi’s chest: “Big Brother Huanxi, you finally woke up. Xiao Yuan waited for you for a very long time.”
Qin Huanxi’s gaze appeared particularly gentle as he looked up toward Mo Shaoheng: “How long did I sleep?”
Mo Shaoheng released his hand, lifting Mo Siyuan from Qin Huanxi’s body while adjusting Qin Huanxi’s blanket: “You have already slept for a day and a night. How do you feel now?”
Qin Huanxi turned his head toward the pitch-black night outside the window. This meant that after Mo Shaoheng brought him back from the banquet last night, he had slept through the entire night, then slept through the entire day today, and now it was already the evening of the second day. From this perspective, whoever drugged him really had an iron determination to take him away.
He raised his head, attempting to sit up from the bed. Mo Shaoheng immediately placed Mo Siyuan aside, then returned to extremely gently lift him from the bed with considerate movements. He thoughtfully pulled up pillows to cushion behind him, then placed his IV-attached hand on top of the blanket carefully to avoid bumping or knocking it.
After completing this series of actions, he picked up a cup of warm water, bringing it to Qin Huanxi’s mouth.
“Thank you, Uncle Mo.” Qin Huanxi drank several sips of water following Mo Shaoheng’s feeding gesture, smiling at him. “I feel much better. It’s just my head still feels a bit dizzy, and I lack strength.”
Mo Shaoheng responded softly, lowering his head to speak to Mo Siyuan: “Xiao Yuan, go tell Sister Shanshan and Sister Su Yang that Big Brother Huanxi has woken up, and to have the butler bring up the porridge that the kitchen has been keeping ready for Big Brother Huanxi.”
“Okay…” Mo Siyuan drew out his tone, running out of the room happily.
Qin Huanxi watched Mo Siyuan’s small bouncing figure running out with a smile, sighing: “Xiao Yuan is really very sensible. By the way, Uncle Mo, about last night… I remember there was another person in the restroom at that time. I thought I would be taken away by him, but fortunately Uncle Mo arrived in time.”
Mo Shaoheng looked at Qin Huanxi with some unusual emotion in his eyes. He paused briefly in silence before speaking with a heavy voice: “The person in the restroom at that time was Ning Shen.”
Qin Huanxi lowered his head. Actually, he still retained some consciousness at that time. Although his vision had become very blurred, it was sufficient enough for him to see Ning Shen’s face clearly. Previously, his feelings toward his little uncle Ning Shen had always been complex. He wanted to avoid him from afar, yet the other party was still his little uncle, so he could only try to maintain an appropriate distance from Ning Shen.
He wondered whether his consciousness had been too muddled, because he kept on feeling that after three years’ time, Ning Shen had changed considerably, with increasingly heavy hostility about him. He used his desperately maintained final second of clarity to see Ning Shen’s face clearly, however his body’s instinct made him want to avoid this person even more.
“Don’t worry, he didn’t do anything to you. When I arrived, you two hadn’t left the restroom yet.” Mo Shaoheng covered Qin Huanxi’s hand with his own gently, grasping it in his palm slowly. “Ning Shen has become somewhat unpredictable in recent years, but since you are strangers to each other, he wouldn’t harm you without reason.”
Qin Huanxi felt that Mo Shaoheng’s words carried hidden meaning. He looked at Mo Shaoheng with some suspicion, deliberating briefly before saying: “Mm, I know what kind of person he is. He is Xiao Yuan’s father, Senior Ning Xue’s little uncle, right? After Senior Ning Xue and his parents passed away, the current head of the Ning family is Ning Shen. However, what does Uncle Mo mean by ‘unpredictable’?”
As soon as Qin Huanxi finished speaking, he felt Mo Shaoheng’s gaze toward him becoming increasingly strange, leaving him completely puzzled.
“Did I say something wrong?” Qin Huanxi finally couldn’t help but ask.
Mo Shaoheng said lightly: “No, I have never cooperated with Ning Shen and don’t understand this person very well. I have only heard rumors about him. Today was also the first time meeting him. Why, do you have suspicions about him?”
Qin Huanxi shook his head hurriedly: “No, I think last night’s incident has nothing to do with him.”
“Mm.” Mo Shaoheng responded lowly. “He just happened to appear in the restroom. The person who administered the drug was one of Brother Shui’s subordinates. During this period, they have been following Fu Zecheng in their work. Last night, Fu Zecheng had them disguise themselves as waiters responsible for maintaining the banquet’s security, so they took this opportunity to make their move against you.”
When Qin Huanxi felt his body showing abnormal symptoms last night, he hadn’t immediately suspected Fu Zecheng, because although Fu Zecheng acted quite outrageously sometimes, he wouldn’t lose his sense of propriety to this extent, nor would he act so recklessly as to ruin his own banquet scene. Fu Zecheng hadn’t reached such a level of stupidity.
Therefore, the first person he suspected at that time was Brother Shui. Previously, the people Mo Shaoheng had sent had been following Brother Shui and his gang of brothers. On the day Qi Fengyu released Brother Shui, Fu Zecheng sent people to that small alley to treat Brother Shui’s arm injury. Mo Shaoheng had told him about this incident. Then not long after, Brother Shui began working for Fu Zecheng.
“Was this Brother Shui’s idea? I don’t think he’s stupid enough to make a move at Fu Zecheng’s banquet, right?” Qin Huanxi asked.
Mo Shaoheng chuckled lightly, raising his hand to stroke Qin Huanxi’s face: “It was his subordinate acting without authorization.”
Qin Huanxi ignored the subtle thrill from Mo Shaoheng’s light touch, nodding with feigned composure. He had long observed that although Brother Shui was ruthless and merciless, he was not an impulsive person. On the contrary, he could endure hardship and swallow grievances very well. However, he was more curious about Fu Zecheng’s reaction after learning the truth of the matter.
He asked: “What about Fu Zecheng?”
Mo Shaoheng said in a heavy tone: “Before the banquet ended, Brother Shui left the Fu residence with his subordinates. Fu Zecheng said he would visit Old Master Qin today himself.”
Qin Huanxi laughed lightly with indifference. This Fu Zecheng was indeed not to be underestimated. His decision to act this way was certainly calculated on his and Mo Shaoheng’s ability to understand his meaning. Regardless of whether Brother Shui had actually participated in plotting and scheming for this matter, those two people were ultimately Brother Shui’s subordinates. Now that Brother Shui had become Fu Zecheng’s discarded piece, the meaning was to tell him and Mo Shaoheng that they could handle him as they pleased.
However…
Qin Huanxi suddenly raised his head: “You said Fu Zecheng would visit Grandfather today himself?”
Mo Shaoheng smiled lightly, patting his shoulder soothingly: “Mm, Old Master Qin already came to see you during the day.”
Qin Huanxi leaned against the comfortable pillow gently, the expression on his face somewhat complex.
Mo Shaoheng raised his hand to brush the hair from his forehead aside gently, saying softly: “I’ll send you back tomorrow.”
Actually, the old man had originally wanted to take Qin Huanxi back to care for him when he came to see Qin Huanxi today, however he had refused on the grounds that Qin Huanxi’s condition made him unsuitable for moving. Additionally, when Mo Siyuan saw the Qin Huanxi unconscious, he had been worried and cried noisily, absolutely refusing to allow anyone to take him away, so the old man had had no choice but to give up.
How could Mo Shaoheng not guess Qin Huanxi’s thoughts? Since Qin Huanxi had an incident at Fu Zecheng’s banquet last night, the matter of shooting and injuring Brother Shui that day naturally couldn’t be hidden from Old Master Qin. Rather than letting Qin Huanxi face Old Master Qin alone, he would prefer to accompany Qin Huanxi together, especially since he had already made up his mind.