Compared to Wen Ran's nervousness, Mo Xiuchen remained calm and composed.
Now that her period had arrived, the fleeting thoughts of desire in his mind dissipated. Holding her in his arms, however, felt undeniably pleasant.
With her head nestled against his chest, her breath brushed over his heart, warm and fragrant. The subtle scent of her hair and her natural fragrance seeped into his lungs with every inhale. The cold loneliness that had resided in his heart for so long slowly unraveled, as gentle warmth seeped into the cracks, spreading through him like ripples in still water.
At that moment, he suddenly understood why he had felt so restless during his business trip—why he had cut it short and returned ahead of schedule.
A faint, knowing smile tugged at his lips. His grip around her waist tightened slightly as he murmured above her head, his voice deep yet soothing, "Relax, I don't bite."
"I'm not used to this," Wen Ran's muffled voice came from his chest, stiff with discomfort.
"Then get used to it from now on. If you don't sleep, you won't be going to work tomorrow."
Mo Xiuchen suppressed a chuckle. His last sentence carried a subtle warning, making Wen Ran frown. But unable to refute him, she could only protest in silence.
The Mo Residence
Mo Zixuan strode into the living room, his steps unsteady from intoxication. He didn't even bother changing his shoes before heading straight toward the staircase. His gaze flickered over Xiao Wenqing, who was waiting on the sofa, but he chose to ignore her entirely.
"Zixuan, didn't I tell you to come home early? Why did you go drinking again?"
Xiao Wenqing frowned and hurried after him, catching up at the staircase. Her tone was filled with displeasure.
Mo Zixuan turned, shaking off her supporting hand with a sneer. "What else am I supposed to do besides drink?"
Xiao Wenqing's face darkened momentarily, but she quickly swallowed her frustration. Lowering her voice, she said, "Did you call Zhou Lin like I asked? Zixuan, you can't ruin your whole life over Wen Ran. She's already Mo Xiuchen's wife…"
"Don't mention Mo Xiuchen to me!"
Mo Zixuan snapped, his drunken eyes flashing with resentment. "He doesn't even count as a real man! He stole Wen Ran from me just to get back at me. He knew I loved her, so he took her on purpose. I will get her back…"
His voice was filled with pain that Xiao Wenqing could never fully understand.
"Keep your voice down!" she scolded in a hushed tone. "It's lucky your father isn't home yet. If he saw you like this, he'd start scolding you again."
She glanced toward the entrance—it was already eleven o'clock, and Mo Jingteng was due home soon.
Helping Mo Zixuan upstairs, she waited until they were inside his room before speaking again. "I used to believe Mo Xiuchen was really sick, but now… I suddenly think he might have been deceiving everyone all along. Maybe… he was never sick at all."
Mo Zixuan's legs gave out, and he stumbled against the door with a loud thud. Xiao Wenqing quickly reached out to steady him, whispering, "Be careful."
His face turned deathly pale as the events of the afternoon replayed in his mind. He had seen Mo Xiuchen and Wen Ran together—he wasn't sure if Mo Xiuchen had been putting on a show for him or if he was truly affectionate toward her. But the image of him kissing Wen Ran, pressing her beneath him, burned vividly in his mind. A surge of jealousy flared like an uncontrollable fire, and he suddenly shouted in panic, "Impossible! Mo Xiuchen can't be healthy!"
There was no way.
Back then, even a panel of experts had diagnosed him. Mo Zixuan himself had spiraled into despair for two whole years because of it…
Seeing his agitation, Xiao Wenqing hurried to calm him down. "Zixuan, don't get worked up. It's just a suspicion—I haven't confirmed anything yet."