Rebirth, but baby, where are you?

Chapter 41

Editor: Princess

In the deep of the night, a fire suddenly erupted in the small alley, quickly blazing into a roaring inferno that illuminated the darkness.

*

Qi Fengyu finished reading the newspaper, his frown deepening.

He looked back at Mo Shaoheng on the sofa and tossed the newspaper back onto the table: “This morning’s news coverage was overwhelming. The fire broke out at two to three in the morning when everyone was asleep. The flames spread rapidly. None of Brother Shui’s people escaped, but my people reported back that Brother Shui wasn’t among the dead.”

Mo Shaoheng rose and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, remaining silent for a long while before asking: “What about the cause of the fire?”

Qi Fengyu suddenly snorted: “They caught a madman.”

Mo Shaoheng glanced at him calmly, seemingly unsurprised by this answer.

Qi Fengyu shrugged indifferently: “You also know that area has always been a mixed bag of people. Don’t be fooled by someone’s shabby, tattered appearance. They might actually be a top-tier assassin. I’m not joking, that place might really have such people. Back then, Su Wentian found Guan Yi in that very alley, although at the time Guan Yi was just an orphan who had lost his parents. But thinking about it from another angle, why would Su Wentian go to that alley in the first place? So that alley is full of people with complex backgrounds.”

Mo Shaoheng had no interest in his rambling and said flatly: “And then?”

Qi Fengyu noticed that Mo Shaoheng’s gaze remained fixed on the window and followed his line of sight, which pointed directly at the Mo residence’s main gate. As expected, Mo Shaoheng was waiting for someone to appear. He grinned, realizing that before long, Mo Siyuan’s wish would be fulfilled.

However, while Qi Fengyu thought this way, he naturally dared not tease Mo Shaoheng about it. He composed himself and said seriously: “According to the ordinary residents living in that alley, that madman was just a lazy drunkard who gambled whenever he had money and came back to drink and cause drunken scenes when he lost. He’d previously had disputes with Brother Shui’s people and was severely beaten by them. Yesterday he lost money again, bought alcohol, and got completely drunk. Some people heard him cursing Brother Shui’s people in the alley, and then the fire broke out.”

“Did he admit to setting the fire?” Mo Shaoheng asked with a frown.

Qi Fengyu shrugged again: “That place was already a broken-down courtyard filled with lots of debris, so it would have been too easy to start a fire. What’s more the alley was full of garbage everywhere, so one could easily light something and throw it in and with the dry weather, it would quickly catch fire. Moreover, the police found his lighter and a gasoline can he’d retrieved from the garbage dump. Combined with his existing conflict with Brother Shui’s people, even the motive was established.”

“A gasoline can?” Mo Shaoheng looked at Qi Fengyu questioningly.

Qi Fengyu nodded: “I was suspicious too, but that kind of place is inherently dirty and chaotic. The garbage dump could contain anything, so having a few discarded gasoline cans would be normal. Besides, that kind of place is a gathering spot for thugs and hooligans. What janitor would dare clean that alley? The ordinary residents living there are all laborers from the bottom of society. If they had any money or better options, they wouldn’t live in such a place.”

As Qi Fengyu said this, he also sighed. Behind every city’s prosperity, there were always dark places that ordinary people couldn’t see.

“However, this is only the police’s preliminary investigation. After the man sobered up, his memory was hazy. He only remembered that he indeed wanted to burn them to death but couldn’t remember how he lit the fire or poured the gasoline.” Qi Fengyu looked at Mo Shaoheng: “There are still many unexplained aspects to this case. The police couldn’t possibly reach a conclusion so quickly. I’ll have people continue monitoring the situation. The person who took Brother Shui away hasn’t been found yet.”

Mo Shaoheng nodded: “It’s unlikely to be Su Wentian’s or Fu Zecheng’s people.”

Qi Fengyu shared this sentiment. To Su Wentian, Brother Shui was just small-time trouble. Su Wentian was inherently arrogant and wouldn’t bother with a small-time thug. As for Fu Zecheng, since he had driven away Brother Shui and his people, it was to demonstrate his attitude to Mo Shaoheng and Qin Huanxi. He couldn’t possibly have eliminated them before they could act.

“By the way, regarding the investigation into Ning Shen that you requested, I’ve found some leads.” Qi Fengyu spoke while giving Mo Shaoheng a strange look. “Ning Shen is very vigilant. We can’t investigate him openly, or it might alert him and cause unnecessary trouble.”

Mo Shaoheng nodded, involuntarily thinking of the way Ning Shen had looked at Qin Huanxi, and displeasure arose spontaneously.

Qi Fengyu didn’t notice his momentary distraction. His expression was somewhat grave. If Mo Shaoheng hadn’t suddenly asked him to investigate Ning Shen, he really wouldn’t have wanted to get involved with the Ning family’s affairs. He understood Mo Shaoheng’s feelings for Ning Xue better than anyone. However now that there was finally Qin Huanxi, he really didn’t want Mo Shaoheng to continue dwelling on a deceased person and miss out on someone worthy beside him.

But since it was Mo Shaoheng’s order, he had to comply. This investigation had indeed revealed many secrets that the Ning family desperately tried to hide. Now he was in a difficult position again, as these secrets not only concerned the Ning family’s reputation but were also related to Ning Xue’s death, which would essentially tear Mo Shaoheng’s barely healed wounds open.

“What is it?” Seeing Qi Fengyu’s hesitation, Mo Shaoheng’s lips curved slightly: “Speak.”

Qi Fengyu hesitated for a moment, then answered indirectly: “Boss, before I tell you about Ning Shen, may I confirm something?”

Mo Shaoheng looked at him: “Ask!”

“You…” Qi Fengyu seemed to throw caution to the wind as he said seriously: “Have you already let go of your feelings for Ning Xue? What about Qin Huanxi?”

Mo Shaoheng seemed to have anticipated this question, his expression remaining calm: “He will be Xiao Yuan’s other father.”

Qi Fengyu breathed a sigh of relief. He quite admired Qin Huanxi. Although comparing Qin Huanxi to a deceased person was somewhat inappropriate and immoral, this concerned Mo Shaoheng’s entire life, so he had to care more. In his view, compared to the late Ning Xue, Qin Huanxi was even better, or perhaps Qin Huanxi was more suitable for Mo Shaoheng.

“Honestly, Shaoheng, Ning Xue was indeed wonderful, but he’s gone. He Jingyi, Shanshan, Xiao Yuan, and I all hope you won’t be trapped in the past and miss someone more suitable for you. Xiao Yuan likes Huanxi very much. He once told me he wanted Huanxi to be his mother. If you’ve truly let go of Ning Xue, I think Qin Huanxi is very suitable for you.”

Mo Shaoheng was his superior but also his most important friend. As a friend, he naturally hoped Mo Shaoheng would consider his lifelong happiness more. He couldn’t spend his entire life alone with memories of the past. Not only would their group of adults worry, even Mo Siyuan, just a child, knew to find a mother for his father.

Qi Fengyu expected Mo Shaoheng to maintain his usual cold expression but suddenly saw him smile.

“I know. I said he will be Xiao Yuan’s other father.” Mo Shaoheng’s tone was extremely firm, mixed with an lingering tenderness. The joy in his heart was more prideful than receiving others’ approval. The person he had chosen remained dazzling and captivating regardless of what form he took.

“Since you can think this way, I’m relieved.” Seeing the tenderness in Mo Shaoheng’s eyes when he mentioned Qin Huanxi, Qi Fengyu believed Mo Shaoheng really liked Qin Huanxi and said with relief: “Regarding Ning Shen, even Ning Xue probably didn’t know this. He’s not Old Master Ning’s biological son.”

This result was indeed unexpected for Mo Shaoheng. He frowned and asked: “What about the other Ning family members?”

Qi Fengyu shook his head: “I can’t be certain whether they know.”

The grudges and grievances of great families couldn’t be sorted out in just a few words. Old Master Ning had married two wives in his lifetime. Ning Xue’s father and his elder and second uncles were all born to the first wife, but this wife died not long after giving birth to Ning Xue’s father when she wasn’t yet thirty.

About five years later, Old Master Ning married his current wife, reportedly his junior from university. A goddess-level figure whom Old Master Ning had been quite infatuated with. However, his dream goddess had married someone else, later divorced, and shortly after her divorce, married Old Master Ning. She gave birth to Ning Shen and later bore two daughters for the Ning family.

However, one point particularly concerned Qi Fengyu: Ning Shen’s mother’s divorce was because her ex-husband’s company went bankrupt, leaving her ex-husband dispirited and violent, even hitting her when drunk. Just when she was trapped in life’s mire, she met Old Master Ning. And comparing Old Master Ning’s gentle care, she quickly chose divorce and successfully married into the Ning family.

“Ning Shen is her son with her ex-husband?” Mo Shaoheng asked. “Was her ex-husband’s company bankruptcy the Ning family’s doing?”

Qi Fengyu inexplicably felt quite unaccomplished. He rubbed his face: “Indeed so. As for whether she knew the inside story, any woman who has experienced so much in life, even if she was naive back then, would have become battle-hardened by now. In fact, to put it bluntly, although her ex-husband became scum after going bankrupt, she was essentially committing adultery during marriage, having already been with Old Master Ning before divorcing.”

Qi Fengyu looked at Mo Shaoheng: “Ning Shen is unpredictable. I think he knows many things. Now the Ning family has essentially fallen into an outsider’s hands. Moreover… I always feel that although Ning Shen isn’t Old Master Ning’s biological son, having been raised by him from childhood, they’re essentially cut from the same cloth.”

Back then, Old Master Ning had destroyed a company and a family for his dream goddess. Ning Shen had been lurking in the Ning family for so long, biding his time. Naturally, revenge was out of the question since he had always been the Ning family’s high and mighty young master. Ning Shen’s actions were probably for his obsessive and twisted secret love, but his methods were too fierce. Not only did he fail to obtain the person he wanted, but he also caused that person’s destruction.

Qi Fengyu couldn’t understand this perverted love. Using any means necessary to possess someone, preferring to break their wings and attempt to cage them in a place only he could see, making that person’s entire life revolve around him alone.

Wasn’t everything Ning Shen did aimed at cutting off all of Ning Xue’s escape routes, forcing Ning Xue to live forever under his protection? Unfortunately, Ning Xue wasn’t a woman, so Ning Shen couldn’t use Old Master Ning’s past approach of marrying the person home.

Ning Xue’s life was already brilliant, as the Ning family’s future heir. In Ning Shen’s view, he could only make Ning Xue lose all his radiance to completely confine Ning Xue by his side. Otherwise, he would never possess this person.

Qi Fengyu even wondered if Ning Shen’s sudden madness back then was because he learned about Ning Xue and Mo Shaoheng’s one night together. The white moonlight and cinnabar mole he had carefully treasured was suddenly possessed by a stranger. The unwillingness from unrequited love immediately transformed into extreme obsession.

Ning Xue was extraordinarily intelligent. Anyone who could become Mo Shaoheng’s friend couldn’t be ordinary. Even if Ning Shen hid his feelings for Ning Xue deeply, Ning Xue had already sensed them and was gradually, imperceptibly distancing himself from Ning Shen. Even in his most desperate moments, Ning Xue never accepted Ning Shen’s help or moved into the luxurious prison Ning Shen had built for him.

However, one thing puzzled Qi Fengyu: given Ning Shen’s obsessive feelings for Ning Xue, how could he allow another woman to bear Ning Xue’s child? But he was a normal person and naturally couldn’t understand Ning Shen’s perverted emotional mindset.

“By the way, Ning Shen seems to have been searching for someone recently. After Ning Xue’s death, Ning Shen completely fell into madness and found many lovers. These lovers, whether in appearance or behavior, always resembled Ning Xue in some way. Reportedly, Ning Shen met a violinist abroad last year whose temperament was very similar to Ning Xue’s, but he recently disappeared. Ning Shen is probably looking for him.”

As soon as Qi Fengyu finished speaking, he suddenly felt the surrounding air freeze instantly. He looked suspiciously at Mo Shaoheng, whose expression had turned cold. After a moment of stunned realization, he couldn’t help but curse internally: Damn it, what happened to letting go of feelings for his white moonlight? Why was he jealous again?

“Keep an eye on Ning Shen!” Mo Shaoheng said expressionlessly, then added after a pause: “Don’t let him get close to Huanxi, and don’t let Huanxi know about this.”

Qi Fengyu was confused: “You don’t suspect that Brother Shui is in Ning Shen’s hands, do you? And what does this have to do with Qin Huanxi?”

Mo Shaoheng gave him a meaningful look, turned around, and left!

Qi Fengyu was even more confused.

Then suddenly remembering something, he turned to look out the floor-to-ceiling window.

Sure enough, the car sent to pick up Qin Huanxi had arrived.

A crude thought immediately popped into his mind: I have a “motherfucking” comment but don’t know if I should say it. One second he was jealous about his white moonlight, the next second he was cheerfully and excitedly rushing toward his current love.