After all the drama downstairs, Xia Ruyan returned to the solitude of her room. She moved like clockwork, mechanically preparing for bed. She took a shower, went through her skincare routine, dried her hair, turned off the lights, and slipped under the covers.
When the lights finally went out, the room wasn't dark enough to hide the ache. She curled into herself, arms wrapped tightly around her ribs, as if trying to hold together all the pieces she wouldn't let fall apart.
It was a longing… an illusion of being held.
Back when she was a child, whenever someone tried to bully her, she would be pulled into a fierce, protective embrace. She would clutch the fabric of that jacket with her tiny, pale fists and feel the world shielding her.
But the little girl had grown up.
There were no more warm jackets, no protective arms, no world that wrapped around her like a fortress. She was alone now.
So, she learned to help herself. She had stopped trusting others… stopped believing in promises that were always broken. That kind of innocence had been stripped away long ago. A shudder ran through her. Her throat tightened, and she squeezed her eyes shut.
She wouldn't cry.
On the other side, Mo Yize paid a visit to his twin brother, just to tease him after the dramatic events earlier. He opened the door slowly and peeked in, only to find Mo Yiran furiously punching a bag suspended in the corner of his room.
A low chuckle escaped Yize's throat. "Oh, what a scene," he remarked, stepping inside and pulling out his phone to record.
"Mo Yize, get lost," Yiran snapped, not even turning to look. Yize only laughed in response and threw himself onto the bean bag on the floor.
"Man, you really got a lesson today. But honestly, you deserved it."
"I deserved that?" Yiran turned, incredulous.
"Well, yeah. You raised your hand to a woman."
"Yutong was crying—I got angry and—"
"What does her crying have to do with anything?" Yize cut in sharply. "That manipulative woman was playing you. Couldn't you see that? Or were you part of her pathetic drama, too?"
"I wasn't," Yiran muttered defensively. "She said Xia Ruyan tried to hurt her… but Zheng Lili stepped in and got injured. And Lili is her close friend. I know her too, she has an important performance coming up. I just… lost it, thinking someone tried to hurt her."
"But it was a lie," Yize said bluntly.
"I know," Yiran admitted, sighing. "But Yutong… she's not a bad person. She's just spoiled. What happened yesterday made her hold a grudge. She's not vicious, Yize."
"Not vicious?" Yize raised a brow. "She started the whole scene yesterday. And what does any of that have to do with sister-in-law?"
Yiran's expression darkened. "Yutong… likes elder brother."
"And you like her," Yize stated, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"I—"
"Yiran," Yize said, his tone losing its usual mischief. "Do you even know what you're chasing?"
He leaned forward, eyes unusually sharp. "You think it's her you want, but maybe it's just the comfort of being needed. Of being the hero. That's not love. That's loneliness disguised in pretty packaging."
"If you like her, pursue her honestly. But ask yourself, do you actually like her? Or do you just like the idea of liking her?" He reached out and placed a firm hand on Yiran's shoulder.
Despite being the youngest of the three Mo brothers, Yize had always had an uncanny ability to read people. Their eldest brother was cold and calculated, almost mechanical. Yiran, on the other hand, is driven by emotion.
Yize was different. In a family where business was everything, he had chosen to study psychology, not out of necessity, but pure passion. Understanding the minds of the most complex beings intrigued him. He might come off goofy, even a man-child at times, but beneath that facade, Mo Yize was deeply intuitive.
Yiran sat in silence, staring at the floor, lost in thought. Whether he would take his brother's words to heart or ignore them completely remained to be seen.
The next day, the Mo family gathered in the back garden for a late brunch arranged by Grandfather Mo. The cherry blossoms were in full bloom, their petals dancing in the spring breeze and floating like pink confetti over the pond nearby. The scene was picturesque, a slice of serenity nestled within their stormy household.
Since it was the weekend, everyone was home. Grandfather Mo wanted to clear the air that had soured over the past two days, largely because of that Ye woman. He had never liked her much, but even he hadn't expected her to be so conniving.
"Old Master, everything is arranged," Butler Yang said with a small bow.
"Good. Ask everyone to join," Grandfather Mo replied, steadying himself with the help of a house servant.
Within minutes, the family arrived one by one.... Master and Madam Mo, the three grandsons, Mo Yichen, the quiet and brooding eldest; Mo Yiran, the stern middle one; and Mo Yize, the youngest troublemaker, and finally, Xia Ruyan.
She took her seat with a soft greeting, her demeanor composed, as though nothing had happened the day before.
"Today is a holiday," Grandfather Mo announced, smiling. "I'm happy everyone's home so we can spend some proper family time together. I'm getting older, and I'll be leaving soon, so act like decent juniors and keep me company more often."
"Of course, Grandpa. You know I'm the most filial one," Mo Yize chimed in cheekily. "Want me to take you clubbing?"
The old man rolled his eyes and smacked him lightly on the head, eliciting laughter. The tension in the air eased slightly.
Master Mo cleared his throat, then turned to Xia Ruyan. "Ruyan, I heard what happened yesterday. It was Yiran's fault. Please excuse him this once." His voice was sincere, shame, even. After all, his own son had raised a hand against a woman. That shame wasn't easy to bear.
Xia Ruyan gave a quiet nod, graceful and calm as ever. "I understand." Master Mo exhaled, visibly relieved.
A few servants began serving light dishes, flaky pastries, fruit platters, congee with condiments, and warm tea. The air was sweet with the fragrance of cherry blossoms, but despite the cheerful setting, tension lingered just beneath the surface.
Mo Yiran sat quietly across from Xia Ruyan, eyes lowered, expression unreadable. No one brought him up directly again. Mo Yichen sat beside his grandfather, silent and brooding, stirring his tea without drinking it. He was thinking how she hadn't asked for his help yesterday, hadn't acknowledged his presence, not even a glance. Damn it, she wouldn't even complain about his family to him.
What was she made of…?
As everyone enjoyed the rare moment of family peace, Mo Yize's phone buzzed. He, who had been devouring everything on the table without pause, glanced at the screen and suddenly froze. His expression changed, and then he cursed aloud.
Before anyone could scold him, he blurted out, "Zhang Lili had her left foot amputated."
"What?" Madam Mo blinked, as if she'd misheard.
"Last night, Zhang Lili, the daughter of the Zhang family, met with an accident near Abode, the famous dance club. Her left leg was badly crushed. The doctors had to amputate it to save her life." He stared at his phone in disbelief.
A few members of the Mo family gasped. Madam Mo covered her mouth. Even Grandfather Mo looked up sharply. For some reason, Mo Yichen turned to look at Xia Ruyan. His mind flashed back to her chilling, calm words yesterday:
"Which foot?"
Today, Zhang Lili has lost her left foot. His gaze dropped to her now, seated elegantly, eating from her fruit bowl with absolute composure, as if none of this concerned her. He couldn't explain why, but he felt it; she was connected to this somehow.
She looked up, and their eyes met. Mo Yichen forgot to breathe.
In the sunlight, her amber eyes gleamed like molten gold… deep and dangerous. He had always known she was beautiful, but this wasn't just beauty. It was something else. Something vast. Something terrifying. His grip tightened on his fork. Knuckles whitened.
A storm brewed behind his still face. He didn't need to say it, everything screamed in silence: What are you? What have you done? And why, despite everything, can't I look away?
Before he could gather his thoughts, chaos returned. There were loud voices as the servants tried to stop the intruders before the people at the table asked. Madam Ye and Miss Ye stumbled in, their faces pale, eyes red-rimmed and exhausted. They looked like they hadn't slept all night.
"What are you doing here?" Mo Yize scowled. "You're really shameless… coming here again and again. Even I'm embarrassed on your behalf." Then he turned back to his plate, unconcerned.
Mo Yiran had stood up but didn't move toward them; his father's stern glare kept him frozen. Madam Ye flushed in embarrassment but forced herself to speak. She had no choice. They needed help.
"Ye girl, did I not tell you not to come here again?" Grandpa Mo thundered. "Do I have no authority left in this house?"
"I'm really sorry, Elder Mo," Madam Ye pleaded, voice trembling. "Please… I need your help. Our family is in trouble…" Mo Yize gagged dramatically and was promptly smacked by his father. Madam Mo had already risen to support Madam Ye, helping her sit and asking the servants to bring water. Then Ye Yutong stepped forward.
"Brother Yichen, please… save my father, okay?" she cried as she clutched Mo Yichen's sleeve.
"What happened?" Master Mo asked, frowning.
"We… we don't know exactly. The police came last night and took him away. At first, we thought it was just some misunderstanding. They said it was for some investigation, but today... his candidacy for mayorship has been canceled. He is still in detention." She collapsed against Mo Yichen's arm, sobbing.
But Mo Yichen didn't look at her. His eyes were fixed on Xia Ruyan.
Would she be jealous? Angry? Hurt?
But no. Nothing.
She simply lifted her juice glass, took a final sip, and gently wiped her lips with a napkin. Then she stood, graceful as ever. Her chair didn't make a sound.
"Please enjoy your meal," she said politely, not with coldness, but with the eerie grace of someone who had already turned the page. Her chair made no sound as she stood. She didn't glance at anyone.
Not at Ye Yutong. Not at Mo Yichen. And walked away.
Mo Yichen's jaw clenched. Even if it's just on paper, I'm still her husband. Can't she show that it matters? That I matter?
His chest ached not because Ye Yutong was crying into his sleeve.
But the woman whose attention he was craving… didn't even glance back.