"Shut up!"
Mo Tingyan's emotions collapsed in an instant.
He shoved her to the ground—
Stepping forward, his eyes blazing red with a bloodthirsty fury, he stared down at Xu Wan from above.
His voice was colder than ice, sharp enough to cut flesh.
"You have no right to mention her.
Keep your filthy mouth shut—or I won't mind killing you with my own hands."
Xu Wan stared at the man before her—
no longer the fragile, timid boy she once controlled, but a grown man stripped of all innocence.
A chill crawled up her spine like venomous insects.
For the first time, she was truly afraid.
She shut her mouth.
After a moment, she scrambled to her feet, brushed the dirt off her clothes, and clicked her tongue.
"Fine, fine. I won't mention her.
Why such a temper? You almost scared your mother to death."
Mo Tingyan forced himself to suppress the madness surging in his chest.
His voice was low and cold.
"Answer me.
Who let you come back?"
Xu Wan snorted. "What do I get if I tell you?"
"What did they give you?"
"Two hundred thousand," she replied casually.
"They told me to stir things up, make you break up with that little seductress upstairs.
If I succeeded, I'd get another five hundred thousand."
Mo Tingyan didn't bother arguing.
He took out his phone and transferred one million to her immediately.
Xu Wan froze when she saw the number.
"You poor bastard—where did you get this much money?"
Mo Tingyan's eyes darkened.
"Speak."
Xu Wan raised her brows.
"Isn't it obvious? Did you forget that lunatic Gu Nian locked me in a mental hospital?
Other than her, who else could get me out?"
So it really was her.
Mo Tingyan's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Take the money and disappear.
Never show your face in front of me again."
"Alright, alright. You're rich, you win."
Xu Wan turned to leave, then paused, softening her tone falsely.
"But son… Mom really missed you all these years—"
Mo Tingyan shot her a freezing glance.
Xu Wan immediately shut up.
With a satisfied smile, she strutted away on her stilettos.
Only after the sound of her heels vanished completely did Mo Tingyan seem to lose all strength.
He dropped down onto the curb beside the hedge, crouching there silently.
In his ears echoed the insults, curses, and humiliation from his childhood—
like a nightmare that refused to fade.
—
Wen Zhi waited upstairs for more than half an hour.
When Mo Tingyan still hadn't returned, unease crept into her heart.
She went downstairs.
The moment she stepped out of the building, she saw him.
Under the dark hedges, Mo Tingyan sat motionless, swallowed by shadows.
That helpless, lost silhouette made her chest ache for no reason at all.
She hesitated, then walked over and stopped in front of him.
Mo Tingyan sensed the last sliver of moonlight being blocked and slowly looked up.
Under the moon's glow, Wen Zhi bent slightly toward him.
Her eyes were warm—
like they held an entire sky full of stars.
His heart tightened.
She smiled softly.
"We're waiting for you to eat. Why didn't you come home?"
Suddenly—
He grabbed her arm and pulled her hard into his embrace.
He held her tightly, desperately—
like a drowning man clutching the only piece of driftwood left in the world.
His arms tightened more and more.
Wen Zhi knelt on the ground with him, feeling the sorrow trembling through his body.
She didn't push him away.
She wasn't good at comforting people.
All she could do was gently pat his back, again and again.
Mo Tingyan buried his face in her shoulder.
His hoarse voice brushed against her neck.
"Zhizhi…
Can you… not leave me?"
She hesitated.
Then, quietly, she nodded.
"Okay."
Something hollow inside him finally settled.
After a moment, he asked cautiously,
"Did she scare you… when she showed up?"
Wen Zhi shook her head, deliberately lightening the mood.
"To me, she's just a stranger. What's there to be afraid of?
Though I was surprised—she's quite pretty.
At first, I thought she was one of your old lovers."
She paused, then added with a smile,
"No wonder you're more handsome than Mo Tingjue."
She genuinely couldn't see any resemblance between them—
so her misunderstanding was natural.
Mo Tingyan finally relaxed and let out a soft laugh.
But he still leaned against her shoulder, voice low.
"I really… wish I didn't have this face."
Wen Zhi didn't reply.
Based on that woman's behavior, she could easily imagine what kind of childhood he'd endured.
That he hadn't grown crooked—
Really was a miracle.
After a long silence, Wen Zhi was sweating slightly from being held so tightly.
She whispered,
"Mo Tingyan, aren't you hot? It's stuffy here.
How about… I walk with you? Let's get some air."
He nodded.
In his current state, going home would only ruin her appetite.
They stood up together and slowly walked along the winding paths of the neighborhood.
After a while, Wen Zhi hesitated—
then reached out and took his hand.
She'd been through too much.
She knew that right now, he needed something to hold onto.
Mo Tingyan froze and turned to look at her.
But Wen Zhi had already looked away, gazing up at the night sky.
His heart tightened—bit by bit.
The warm summer breeze brushed past them.
Crickets chirped softly.
Under the moonlight, their footsteps were slow and quiet.
That night carved a gentle memory deep into Mo Tingyan's heart.
A memory called—
Peaceful Years.
So much so that many years later, when they truly parted ways,
thinking back to this night would still make his heart tremble—
followed by unbearable regret.
—
The next morning, Wen Zhi and Mo Tingyan left together.
As usual, she got out of the car near the airline company and walked in alone.
Before she could even enter—
Someone suddenly blocked her path.
Mo Tingjue.
In just a few days, he looked thinner and haggard.
Wen Zhi didn't comment.
She only said coolly, "Move."
Mo Tingjue shook his head weakly.
"Zhizhi… I've thought it through.
I was wrong. I had your love—and still acted like a fool, messing around with Wen Xue.
I betrayed you. Hurt you.
I convinced myself you wouldn't find out, and when I was caught, I still forced you to forgive me…"
"If you know that, then move. I have work."
"But I don't know what to do anymore," he cried.
"I realized all this because I discovered—I love you.
So much that I can't pull myself out."
He looked at her desperately.
"I don't care that you've been with my brother.
Give me another chance, okay?
Don't abandon me. I was wrong.
"I'll spend my entire life making it up to you.
From now on, I'll listen to you about everything.
Please… come back to me."
"Mo Tingjue," Wen Zhi said calmly,
"it's too late."
He shook his head wildly.
"It's not—if you just give me a chance—"
"I don't want to," she replied, her voice hard as steel.
"You have no chance."
"Why?!" he sobbed in despair.
"You've already met his mother, haven't you?
Aren't you afraid?
Aren't you afraid that kind of woman will haunt you for the rest of your life?"
Wen Zhi froze.
Then she lifted her gaze sharply, staring straight at him.
"How do you know… I've met her?"
Mo Tingjue didn't answer.
Hatred twisted his face as he said bitterly—
"Do you know how vile that woman really is?
Do you know what she's done?!"