Mo Xiuchen was doing it on purpose.
If he had no special feelings for Wen Ran, and if Wen Jin had nothing to do with her, he wouldn't waste his time talking to him.
And he certainly wouldn't be acting so polite.
Even though his words earlier had been rather blunt, his demeanor remained calm and gentle—only, Wen Jin didn't appreciate this kind of warmth.
Wen Jin smiled faintly and returned Mo Xiuchen's "concern" with equal sharpness. "I heard that Mo Shao is… incapable. That there has never been a woman by your side. So why, all of a sudden, did you decide to marry my sister? Could it be that you couldn't stand the rumors anymore and are using marriage to cover things up?"
Mo Xiuchen's narrow eyes sharpened. Wen Jin was indeed worthy of being Wen Hongrui's chosen successor—his words were as sharp as knives, all hidden beneath a seemingly polite smile.
"You think I needed to wait until now to use marriage as a cover?"
As he spoke, he leaned back against the chair, his tall frame relaxed, legs casually crossed, showing not a hint of discomfort at the mention of his supposed "condition." There was no sign of insecurity or shame.
Wen Jin's gaze narrowed slightly, and his heart sank just a little.
Mo Xiuchen's expression suggested something—something that led Wen Jin to a startling realization:
He might not be sick at all.
Those rumors spreading across G City… were they just that? Rumors? And if he recalled correctly, he himself might have played a small role in spreading them.
"It's admirable how calmly Mo Shao can face his… condition," Wen Jin sneered. He remembered Wen Ran telling him that nothing had happened between her and Mo Xiuchen. If Mo Xiuchen wasn't sick, then why?
Mo Xiuchen smirked indifferently. "Even if I weren't calm, what could I do? Die over it? Wen Shao, if your right leg was permanently crippled, would you consider ending your life?"
The battle of words between these two was truly unmatched.
Wen Jin's smile stiffened for a moment, and a flash of anger passed through his gaze. This man was infuriating.
Did he really want him to be crippled that badly?
"My situation is different from yours. Even if I lose a leg, I'm still a man."
Wen Jin's expression remained composed, his tone light.
Mo Xiuchen raised an eyebrow. "So, you're hoping your brother-in-law isn't a real man? Wishing for your sister to be a widow for life?"
"Brother-in-law?"
Wen Jin's brows furrowed at the word, as if questioning it. Mo Xiuchen nodded smoothly, even responding with a casual "Mm."
"Mo Shao, my sister is young and naïve. She married you for the sake of the company. I've heard all the details—how you lent her fifty million yuan and helped her through tough times. For that, I'm truly grateful."
Wen Jin's expression grew serious, his tone sincere.
Mo Xiuchen pretended not to notice the hidden message behind his words and simply said, "Since I married Wen Ran, I won't let anyone bully her. If she wants, I can even find someone to help her manage Wen Pharmaceuticals."
"I appreciate your kindness, but that fifty million—I will repay it. As for the marriage between you and Wen Ran, I want it to end."
When Wen Jin spoke those last few words, his tone was firm and unyielding.
The atmosphere in the hospital room turned tense.
Two men locked eyes.
One, serious and resolute.
The other, sharp-eyed and arrogant.
"You're quite the joker, Wen Shao. Our marriage is legally binding. It's not something you can just end because you say so."
Mo Xiuchen's lips curled into a mocking smile. The woman he had chosen—no one could take her away from him. Not Mo Zixuan, not Wen Jin.
Wen Jin's brows knitted together, his expression darkening. He spoke coldly. "Mo Shao, as the heir of MS Group, do you really have to make things difficult for a simple girl? Even if Wen Ran once dated Mo Zixuan, they have nothing to do with each other now."
Mo Xiuchen let out a low, mocking laugh. "Do you really think I married Wen Ran to get back at Mo Zixuan? I have better things to do than play games with my own marriage. I married Wen Ran because I like being with her."
"If I remember correctly, you and my sister didn't even know each other before this. Where does this so-called 'liking' come from?"
Wen Jin's words were cutting, his sharp gaze fixed on Mo Xiuchen. He had planned to have a reasonable conversation. If Mo Xiuchen agreed to let go, he would have owed him a favor.
But he hadn't expected Mo Xiuchen to spout such nonsense.
He knew his sister well—he had protected her his whole life. There was no way Mo Xiuchen knew her before.
Seeing Wen Jin's "agitation," Mo Xiuchen, on the contrary, remained calm. He reined in his aura and spoke unhurriedly. "Three months ago, Wen Ran and I met at a banquet. We even spoke…"
Before he could finish, his phone suddenly rang.
Wen Jin's face darkened as the sharp ringtone interrupted the conversation.
Mo Xiuchen pulled out his phone, and when he saw the caller ID, a flicker of light passed through his eyes. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at Wen Jin before answering, "Hello, A Mu?"
"Xiuchen, we found it."
Over the phone, Qin Mu's voice held a trace of excitement. Mo Xiuchen's gaze flickered. His voice remained calm. "What did you find?"
"Wen Ran is not Wen Hongrui's biological daughter. That's confirmed."
Mo Xiuchen's grip on his phone subtly tightened. He stood up from his chair and walked to the window, turning his back slightly to Wen Jin. "Tell me more."
He had already suspected this when Qin Mu called the first time. But back then, the results weren't certain yet.
"Wen Hongrui did have a daughter named Wen Ran—the one who fell seriously ill at age six. That was the same year Wen Hongrui moved his entire family."
"The truth is, the real Wen Ran died from that illness at six years old. That's why the old neighbor didn't recognize the girl in the photo—it wasn't the same child. The current Wen Ran was adopted after Wen Hongrui's biological daughter passed away."
Mo Xiuchen's eyes narrowed sharply.
If Wen Hongrui had simply adopted a child, why would he relocate his entire family and keep it a secret from the world?
And how was it that Wen Ran just so happened to have lost her memory at the age of six?
There had to be something more to this!
"Anything else?"
After a brief silence, he asked again, his deep voice laced with intrigue.
On the other end, Qin Mu sounded frustrated. "That's all for now. Wen Ran's past, her true identity—there's no trace. It'll take time to uncover the truth."