The private booth in the rooftop restaurant near the Mo Conglomerate offered a panoramic view of the city below — lights flickering like distant stars, traffic weaving along silent roads. It was the kind of place meant for powerful men to speak in hushed tones. But there was nothing hushed about the tension tonight.
Mo Tianyi stepped into the booth, his coat still damp from the fine drizzle outside. He didn't bother with pleasantries.
Leng Xuanmo was already seated, flanked by Li Zeyan, ever composed and quiet. A glass of untouched wine sat in front of him. His gaze rose the moment Tianyi entered — unreadable as always, cold as stone.
"Tianyi," Xuanmo greeted with the barest nod.
"You asked me to meet," Mo Tianyi said flatly, taking a seat across from him. "I assume this isn't about old times."
"It never was." Leng Xuanmo's voice was low, composed. "But I figured you'd rather speak here than in the manor."
Li Zeyan remained silent, folding his arms, eyes flicking between the two men. He knew better than to step in now.
"I have one question," Tianyi said, fingers interlocked on the table. "Why her?"
Leng Xuanmo didn't reply immediately. His eyes drifted past Tianyi's shoulder to the misted glass window beyond. "I had my reasons."
"Reasons," Tianyi echoed with a dry scoff. "You call destroying someone's entire family a reason?"
"She was never the target," Xuanmo said.
"But she was the casualty." Tianyi leaned forward slightly. "Do you even realize what she went through? Watching her world collapse, not knowing who or why? You left her in the dark like she didn't matter."
For a moment, silence lingered.
Leng Xuanmo's jaw tightened. "I didn't expect it to unfold the way it did. Things spiraled."
"No," Tianyi cut in, tone sharper now. "Things don't spiral unless someone pushes them. You pushed."
Li Zeyan finally spoke, his voice measured. "It was an order, Tianyi. I followed it. And the fallout wasn't intentional."
"I'm not blaming you," Tianyi said, eyes still locked on Xuanmo. "But this man knew exactly what pulling strings meant. And you buried her entire name for what? A schoolyard complaint?"
Xuanmo's hands rested on the table, fingers interlaced. "She was hurt. And I acted to protect my sister."
Tianyi let out a bitter laugh. "You protected your sister by destroying another's entire bloodline? Do you even hear yourself?"
"She was harassed by someone from the Lu family," Xuanmo said, voice low. "I didn't ask questions. I just—acted."
"That's the problem," Tianyi muttered. "You always act. No thought. No pause. Just action."
There was a silence again — heavier this time.
Xuanmo finally spoke, quieter. "I didn't know it would hit her."
"But it did," Tianyi replied. "And now she's picking up the broken pieces while you sit in this glass tower watching from afar."
Xuanmo leaned back, letting out a slow breath. "I haven't once stopped watching."
"That doesn't mean anything," Tianyi replied sharply. "If guilt was enough, she wouldn't have walked away."
Xuanmo's lips parted slightly, as if to reply, but then closed again.
"You still love her?" Tianyi asked bluntly.
Li Zeyan shifted, but Xuanmo didn't flinch.
"Yes."
Tianyi nodded once. "Then fix it."
"She won't forgive me."
"Maybe not. But you owe her the truth."
The server came by, but none of them touched the food. The tension in the room was far too thick to eat.
"Don't come near her unless you're ready to admit everything," Tianyi continued, rising from his seat. "Not just what you did. But why."
"I already did," Xuanmo said.
"Not to her." Tianyi's eyes narrowed. "Don't hide behind your silence anymore, Xuanmo. If you want her back, you fight. Not from the shadows. Not with your secretary. You."
Leng Xuanmo's fingers tightened around the edge of the table.
Tianyi turned without another word, disappearing through the door.
Li Zeyan sighed. "You knew he'd react like that."
"I did," Xuanmo murmured.
"But you still wanted to hear it."
Xuanmo nodded once, eyes fixed on the dark skyline. "Because hearing it doesn't make it easier. But it makes it real."