Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Staring at the reply on her phone screen, Wen Yinong was a bit confused, yet her heartbeat quickened uncontrollably.

She widened her eyes, reading the line over and over.

The meaning of this message was ambiguous, and she couldn’t tell exactly what he meant. Did he mean that her act of sending him a message itself made him happy? Or was it the content of her message that pleased him?

Wen Yinong furrowed her brow slightly.

This man’s words were always unclear, ambiguous, and always managed to unsettle her.

Her palms were slightly damp from nervousness, and her cheeks were flushing. Turning it over in her mind, Wen Yinong’s fingertips hovered over the phone screen for a moment before she ultimately refrained from asking him *why* he was happy.

After hesitating for a few seconds, she replied cautiously: “As long as I didn’t disturb you… It’s late, good night.”

The reply came quickly: “Good night”

Wen Yinong looked at those two words and let out a long sigh, feeling drained, as if she had just finished a silent battle. She shoved her phone under her pillow to block out the troubling thoughts and forced herself to close her eyes.

*

Late at night, the study light was still on.

The computer screen was frozen on the interface after the international video conference had been abruptly ended.

Mo Shaoshang sat alone at the desk, turned off his phone screen, then casually removed his gold-rimmed glasses and set them aside. He closed his eyes slightly, pressing his fingers to his brow.

That evening, an urgent matter had arisen at the European branch. Starting at eight o’clock, he had been sitting in this chair, having a video conference with senior executives on the other end of the screen.

In the meeting window, a group of elites sat upright, one after another reciting their reports as if from a script, their faces filled with tension and reverence, their words careful. The lengthy reports and blame-shifting rhetoric were just the same old routines. Mo Shaoshang listened with a blank expression throughout. When the European executives finally provided a solution, he didn’t say a single unnecessary word, directly ended the video call, and ended the meeting.

After the meeting, Mo Shaoshang wasn’t in a particularly good mood—in fact, he felt rather disinterested. He picked up his phone and turned on his phone screen.

A new WeChat message happened to appear on his screen.

The sender’s WeChat profile picture was a hand-drawn cartoon, vivid and lively, clashing with the cold, rigid style of the study. The nickname “Cheese Sweet Moon” had a soft, childlike sweetness.

At that moment, upon reading the message from “Cheese Sweet Moon,” Mo Shaoshang raised an eyebrow slightly. His first instinct was that this young lady had most likely sent the message by mistake.

But, even though he was aware that this was probably just an error, his mood still brightened, as if a ray of sunlight had pierced through the haze.

How could there be such an amazing person in this world?

Everything about her seemed novel and endearing, effortlessly stirring a person’s heartstrings.

Even if she had made a huge mistake, one couldn’t bear to blame her.

After exchanging a couple of messages, the young lady quickly ended the conversation.

Mo Shaoshang lowered his gaze, sitting alone in the empty study. He unconsciously traced the edge of his phone before finally turning the screen off.

Silence settled around him again.

From childhood to adulthood, his life was like a script that had already been written, proceeding step by step with precision, never deviating from the trajectory set by his family.

Born, receiving the finest education, returning from abroad, and smoothly taking over the vast Mo Empire.

Such a life, in the eyes of outsiders, was illustrious and dazzling, lofty and unattainable. But to him, it was merely a performance with a foregone conclusion—tedious and dull.

Sometimes, Mo Shaoshang would numbly think that he might not even be a real person.

He was more like a precise machine, programmed with all the operating data from the very first second he entered this world, destined to be flawless, unable to deviate from the programmed path.

Or perhaps, he was merely an illusion that existed in this world.

A magnificent yet hollow illusion.

Impeccably dressed, elegant and refined, playing the part of a competent Mo family ruler in the eyes of the world.

As for whether he was truly human or a demon, it didn’t matter.

The nights of high society were always ablaze with lights, like an altar that devoured every soul.

Having seen too much filth and ugliness covered up cleanly and decently, Mo Shaoshang sometimes thought he might no longer deserve to be called “human.”

He was a monster, a beast, a sacrifice.

The past thirty years had been like this, and the future would continue the same way.

Until the end.

However, just a few days ago, on an afternoon with fairly pleasant sunshine, the young rehabilitation therapist with sparkling eyes pushed open the heavy, oppressive study door.

Like an unexpected ray of light breaking into stagnant water, stirring up unprecedented ripples.

After sitting at the desk for a while longer, Mo Shaoshang lifted his gaze and glanced at the pitch-black sky outside the window. There were no stars, only endless ink. After a long moment, he stood up and walked toward a temperature-controlled glass tank in the corner of the study.

He reached out and switched on the light.

Under the cold, stark white light, an albino banded krait was lazily coiled around a piece of driftwood. Its cold, reptilian vertical pupils gleamed like glass beads as it stared menacingly at its owner outside the tank. A crimson forked tongue flicked out occasionally, its body moving slowly and eerily.

Mo Shaoshang expressionlessly took out a pair of white sterile gloves and pulled them on with deliberate slowness, his long fingers moving elegantly inside the white gloves. Then, he opened the feeding port on the tank’s lid, his expression showing a near-cruel calm and indifference.

In an instant, a primal drama of predator and prey unfolded inside the glass tank.

The banded krait struck with lightning speed, its cold body wrapping around the small, warm life like a rope of death. The mouse struggled in vain, letting out faint, dying squeaks before suffocating under the powerful constriction, its bones cracking audibly. Then, the krait unhinged its jaw, enveloped the lifeless delicacy, and swallowed it…

Mo Shaoshang quietly watched the scene. There was no emotion in his dark blue-black eyes—only an empty calm, as if he were watching a nature documentary that had nothing to do with him.

Who would believe it?

To the outside world, the Mo family heir, known for his self-discipline and strict upbringing, actually had the most violent and morbid blood flowing in his veins, with a beast caged in his heart.

That beast was tightly locked away by the strict family rules and traditions, roaring and howling in agony in the depths of his soul every day, frantically trying to break free from all invisible shackles.

He wanted to conquer, to possess, to plunder all the purity and beauty that caught his eye.

He wanted to taint that holy white that had accidentally intruded with his own obsessive, intense black.

Soon, the krait finished its meal, forming a noticeable bulge in the middle of its slender body. It seemed satisfied, coiling back around the driftwood, coiling gracefully with its vertical pupils half-closed, as if resting after a meal. Only the occasional flick of its tongue revealed its nature as a cold-blooded predator.

Mo Shaoshang removed the gloves, tossed them into the trash, turned off the light, and the venomous snake instantly vanished into the darkness, just like the hidden cravings and the ever-growing desires within him.

He then left the room and headed straight for the underground wine cellar.

*

The next day, as usual, Mo Shaoshang went to the company early in the morning. The estate seemed to have returned to its usual order.

At around four in the afternoon, Wen Yinong was in the playroom giving Ari a language and cognitive lesson when her phone suddenly

On the other end of the phone, Shen Yulan's voice carried obvious anxiety and panic, speaking rapidly: "Nongnong! Your grandma just called. She said your grandpa... your grandpa suddenly fainted and has been rushed to the First People's Hospital of Jinghai City!"

Wen Yinong's heart sank, as if an invisible hand had suddenly clenched it. But she quickly forced herself to calm down, trying her best to calm her mother down over the phone: "Mom, don't panic. Take it slow. Where are you and Dad now?"

"We're on our way to the hospital!" Shen Yulan's voice was tearful. "Your grandma was terrified on the phone, talking incoherently..."

"Mom, listen to me." Wen Yinong took a deep breath, making her voice as steady as possible. "You and Dad get to the hospital first, find Grandma and Grandpa, and keep them calm. Grandma is easily frightened and has never seen this kind of situation. The more you panic, the more scared she'll be, understand?"

"Alright, alright, I get it." Reassured by her daughter, Shen Yulan seemed to calm down a bit. She agreed, then paused and asked, "And Nongnong, can you take time off today to come to the hospital?"

"I think so." Wen Yinong thought for a moment. "I'll go ask for leave now. Once things are settled, I'll head over right away."

After hanging up, Wen Yinong's heart was still racing, worry creeping up like vines. Staying professional, she pushed aside her anxiety and focused intently on finishing the second half of the lesson with Ari.

When the lesson ended, Wen Yinong handed Ari over to the nanny, making sure he was taken care of. Then she hurried downstairs and found Uncle Heng in a first-floor side hall checking a shopping list.

"Uncle Heng," Wen Yinong said, unable to hide the urgency in her voice. "Can I ask where Mr. Mo is?"

Uncle Heng looked up, noticing the rare look of panic on the young woman's face. He frowned slightly and said gently, "Mr. Mo went to the office early this morning and hasn't returned yet. What's wrong, Teacher Wen? Take your time—has something happened?"

Wen Yinong took a deep breath and explained the situation as concisely as possible: "I'd like to ask Mr. Mo for a few hours off to go to the hospital."

Uncle Heng: "Are you unwell?"

"Not me, it's my grandpa." Wen Yinong explained. "He fainted at home just now and is at the hospital for tests. We don't yet know why he fainted."

Upon hearing this, Uncle Heng showed a look of understanding and immediately said, "So it's your grandpa who's ill. This is serious. Go to the hospital right away. Don't worry about Mr. Mo—I'll let him know."

Wen Yinong was immensely grateful and quickly said, "Thank you, Uncle Heng! I really appreciate it!"

Then Uncle Heng hesitated, looking troubled: "But since this happened suddenly, Chen Jin left with Mr. Mo this morning, and Old Yang, who drives the other car, is off today... We might not be able to arrange a car for you right now."

"That's okay, Uncle Heng." Wen Yinong immediately said. "I'll take a taxi. Thank you!" Without another word, she turned and hurried away.

*

The First People's Hospital of Jinghai City was located on the bustling West Second Ring Road. Coming from the southern suburbs' estate, it meant crossing almost the entire city. It was just before evening rush hour, and traffic in the city center was starting to show signs of congestion. The ride-hailing car Wen Yinong took kept stopping and starting, hitting red lights endlessly. Her heart raced with anxiety as the car crawled along.

It wasn't until 5:30 PM that the car finally pulled up to the hospital entrance.

After quickly paying the fare, Wen Yinong pushed open the car door and almost ran into the hospital lobby. Walking briskly, she called her mother again.

After asking for the specific ward, she headed straight to the Cardiology and Neurology department of the inpatient building.

The air in the inpatient hallway of Cardiology and Neurology was thick with the pungent smell of disinfectant. The corridor was dimly lit, and nurses pushing medicine carts hurried by.

Wen Yinong's heart tightened even more, and she broke into a jog. Finding Room 12 by the door number, she stopped, took a deep breath to compose herself, and then strode in.

The room was a three-bed ward, somewhat cramped. She immediately spotted her grandpa on the bed by the window.

The old man, usually rosy-cheeked, now looked unusually pale and haggard, his lips dry and cracked. He had an oxygen tube in his nose and an IV drip on the back of his hand, making him appear very weak.

Her grandma and her mother, Shen Yulan, sat on either side of the bed, both with red-rimmed eyes and worried expressions.

"Grandpa." Wen Yinong walked straight to the bedside, bent down, gently took her grandpa's wrinkled hand, leaned close, and said softly, "Grandpa? How are you feeling?"

Hearing the familiar voice, her grandpa drowsily opened his eyes. Seeing his granddaughter's pretty, worried face, the old man forced a smile on his pale face and said weakly, but with his usual kindness: "Nongnong is here. You're so busy with work, why did you go to the trouble of coming..."

Then he couldn't help turning his head and looking at his wife with a hint of reproach, chiding: "I told you, I'm just old. A little dizziness from time to time—nothing serious. Lying down for a bit is enough. You didn't have to make a big fuss and bother the kids. But no, you called our daughter and son-in-law, and even Nongnong. Just causing trouble for nothing."

Hearing this, Grandma immediately muttered meekly: "I didn't..."

"Alright, Dad, don't blame Mom." Shen Yulan said, her tone slightly stern. "You fainting was a big deal. Could you keep it from us? Mom said at first you were stubborn and refused to come to the hospital, saying you'd just lie on the sofa. That's nonsense! If something really happened, it would be too late to regret!"

After hearing her mother's words, Wen Yinong was shocked and filled with a sense of dread. She blurted out: "Yes, Grandpa! Luckily Grandma told Mom, and Mom insisted on bringing you to the hospital. If we had listened to you and just toughed it out at home, what if something happened? Do you want to scare us to death?"

Being ganged up on by his daughter and granddaughter, Grandpa felt a bit embarrassed. He coughed dryly, waved his hand stubbornly, and said again: "Oh, you're all making a mountain out of a molehill. I know my own body. What could happen? I just lost my balance. It's nothing."

Seeing her grandpa's stubbornness, Wen Yinong felt both distressed and helpless. She knew it was useless to reason with the old man, so she sighed and turned her attention to her mother, Shen Yulan.

She stood up, walked over to her mother, and said in a low voice: "Mom, what did the doctor say exactly? Have the tests been done? Why did Grandpa faint suddenly?"

Shen Yulan's face was clouded with worry. She shook her head: "He wasn't fully conscious when they brought him in. After waking up, he said he was dizzy. The doctor ordered a bunch of tests—EKG, brain CT, blood work—most of the results aren't back yet. The doctor said we have to wait for the results to know the specific cause."

Wen Yinong nodded, then looked around and asked: "Where's Dad? Isn't he with you?"

"Your dad just got Grandpa admitted to the ward. Then the nurse's station said they needed some additional documents, so he went to handle that." As she spoke, Shen Yulan took out a few washed apples from the bag she brought. "Take a break and have an apple."

Wen Yinong took the apple, went to the bathroom to wash it thoroughly, found a fruit knife, sat on a chair by the bedside, patiently peeled it, cut it into small pieces, and carefully fed them to her grandpa.

Three generations gathered around the bedside, chatting idly about family matters, and the tense atmosphere in the room eased a bit.

By early evening, Wen Yinong's father, Wen Zhenhua, returned with dinner bought from the hospital cafeteria. The family ate some simple food.

After dinner, while packing up, Grandma realized that in the rush to get to the hospital that afternoon, she had forgotten to bring Grandpa's usual toothbrush and washbasin. So Wen Yinong volunteered: "Grandma, you stay here with Mom and Dad to keep Grandpa company. I'll go to the gift shop downstairs to buy them. I'll also check if Grandpa's CT report is out and pick it up on the way."

Grandma nodded, her eyes full of relief and love. "Good."

*

The gift shop on the basement level of the hospital wasn't very crowded. Wen Yinong quickly found the toothbrush, washbasin, and towel. Then, carrying the plastic bag, she walked to the self-service printer for radiology reports on the first floor.

She took the barcode from the bag holding the report, held the barcode up to the scanner.

Two beeps sounded. The scan was successful, and the screen showed that the report was being printed.

Wen Yinong stood in front of the machine waiting. Just then, a pleasant, magnetic voice came from behind: "Hello."

Surprised, Wen Yinong turned around instinctively.

Standing behind her was a young man in a white doctor's coat.

He was tall, with a well-proportioned and upright figure. The white uniform set off his broad shoulders and long legs, giving him a refined and elegant aura. He appeared to be around thirty, with handsome features and a striking bone structure that made one think of a line from an ancient poem: "A man as fine as jade, a gentleman without equal in the world."

Wen Yinong's eyes showed a flash of admiration, then she tentatively responded: "Hello. Can I help you?"

A polite smile played at the corner of the man's mouth. He extended a hand, palm up, and said: "You dropped this."

Wen Yinong looked closely and saw a small cat plushie resting quietly in his clean palm. It was her keychain charm.

"Oh, thank you." Wen Yinong was a bit embarrassed, quickly taking it back. "I didn't even know when I dropped it... Thanks for your trouble."

"You're welcome. It was nothing." The man replied, his smile warm. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the patient's name displayed on the self-service printer's screen. He paused and asked, "Are you a family member of Shen Ruiqing?"

Wen Yinong blinked, a little surprised, and nodded: "Yes, Shen Ruiqing is my grandpa. Do you know him?"

The man still wore a gentle, pleasant smile, like a gentle breeze on a clear day. He said: "I'm your grandpa's attending physician. My name is Pei Xizhou."

"So you're Dr. Pei." Hearing this, Wen Yinong was pleasantly surprised, as if she had found someone she could rely on. She quickly asked further, "Dr. Pei, how is my grandpa doing? Have the test results come out? It shouldn't be serious, right?"

Dr. Pei's tone remained gentle as he explained: "Based on initial assessments and the symptoms after the old man woke up, he appears to have vertigo. This is a fairly common condition among the elderly, usually related to dysfunction of the inner ear vestibular system or insufficient blood supply to the brain. So far, it doesn't seem too serious; his vital signs are stable. However..."

At this point, Dr. Pei paused, with professional caution. "The final diagnosis will have to wait until all test reports are back and a comprehensive assessment is made. We can't rule out other underlying conditions."

Upon hearing the words "not serious," Wen Yinong felt the knot in her stomach finally loosen. She let out a long sigh of relief: "I understand, thank you, Dr. Pei."

At that moment, the CT report finished printing, slowly emerging from the output slot. Just as Wen Yinong was about to reach for it, Pei Xizhou beat her to it, naturally taking both the report and the accompanying imaging films, lowering his eyes to examine them carefully.

Wen Yinong had no choice but to stand there and wait quietly.

After a moment, Pei Xizhou quickly scanned the report, placed both the report sheet and films into a dedicated bag, and then said to Wen Yinong, "Let me take this directly—I'll file it with the medical chart."

Wen Yinong nodded: "Oh, okay."

Pei Xizhou, still holding the bag, his eyes sweeping over the plastic bag in Wen Yinong's hand, asked politely, "Is it heavy? Want me to help you carry it to the ward?"

"No, no," Wen Yinong quickly waved her hand to decline, shifting the bag behind her. "It's just some toiletries, very light. I can handle it myself."

Seeing that she insisted, Pei Xizhou did not press further.

Wen Yinong then added, "Well, Dr. Pei, I'll let you get back to work. I'll head back to the inpatient building."

Pei Xizhou replied, "As it happens, I'm going to the inpatient building too."

Wen Yinong looked surprised: "At this hour, aren't you off work yet?"

Pei Xizhou gave a slight smile, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness and self-deprecation, speaking slowly, "Well, I'm on call today. I still have a few patients in the inpatient building to check on."

*

The inpatient building of the First People's Hospital was not connected to the outpatient building where the CT department was located. After stepping out of the CT area, Wen Yinong walked side by side with Pei Xizhou along the corridor connecting the two buildings.

Worried about her grandfather's condition and follow-up care, Wen Yinong took this opportunity to ask Pei Xizhou about a few things to keep in mind during hospitalization, such as dietary restrictions and precautions for daily activities.

Pei Xizhou patiently answered each question.

The two chatted casually about her grandfather's condition, the atmosphere relaxed and pleasant. Suddenly, a cell phone rang, breaking the silence of the corridor.

Wen Yinong pulled out her phone, glanced at the caller ID, and was caught off guard.

After hesitating for a few seconds, she swiped to answer.

"Hello..." Her voice tightened, and she instinctively grew tense, with a hint of wariness, "Mr. Mo?"

A low voice came through the receiver, his tone flat and unreadable: "Uncle Heng said your grandfather is ill."

"Yes," Wen Yinong quickly explained, "I'm sorry, Mr. Mo. It happened very suddenly, and I didn't have time to ask for leave in person. I hope you—"

Before she could finish, the other side gently interrupted: "How is the old man doing?"

Wen Yinong was taken aback by the question, caught off guard that he would care. Subconsciously, she answered honestly, her tone softening a bit: "I just asked the attending doctor. The preliminary diagnosis is vertigo. The doctor says it doesn't seem serious for now, but we'll need to wait for all the test results to come in for a full assessment."

"Mm," the voice on the other end acknowledged. Then, after a brief pause, as if asking casually yet with an undeniable sense of pressure, he said, "Where are you?"

Wen Yinong continued walking alongside Pei Xizhou and answered honestly, "At the hospital. I just picked up the CT report and am now heading back to the inpatient building."

"Do you need my help?" His tone was calm, measured, and perfectly appropriate.

Wen Yinong didn't quite catch on and instinctively made a questioning sound: "Huh?"

"Regarding your grandfather—do you need my help?" Mo Shaoshang spoke again, offering specifics. "For example, putting you in touch with a better specialist or providing other resources."

This time, Wen Yinong understood. A strange feeling flickered within her, and she quickly said, "No, thank you, Mr. Mo. The doctor has already taken care of it. Once my grandfather stabilizes later, if nothing major happens, I'll be back. Please rest assured, it won't interfere with tomorrow's lesson with Ari."

Two seconds of silence passed on the line, then he replied calmly, "The car is in the parking lot next to the inpatient building. When you're done, get in touch with Chen Jin."

Wen Yinong instinctively wanted to refuse, saying she could take a taxi. But thinking about it, by the time she left the hospital, it would be very late, and the route from downtown to the southern suburb estate grew increasingly remote and sparsely populated. As a young woman, taking a taxi alone late at night did pose safety risks.

After weighing her options, Wen Yinong had no choice but to accept his kind offer: "Alright. Thank you, Mr. Mo."

"Goodbye." Mo Shaoshang said.

"Goodbye." Wen Yinong replied politely.

The call ended, leaving only the busy tone.

Wen Yinong slowly lowered her arm, put her phone back in her pocket, her expression complex—part relief, part fluster, and at a loss due to this sudden concern.

Beside her, Pei Xizhou's gaze subtly swept over that direction, a thoughtful glint emerging in his eyes.

In the shadows of the parking lot beside the inpatient building, a black Rolls-Royce sat like a lurking beast, perfectly still.

The interior of the car was dark, with no lights on.

The driver, Chen Jin, sat silently in the driver's seat, staring straight ahead, not saying a word and never looking aside. He could clearly feel the cold, oppressive atmosphere in the car.

Chen Jin lifted his eyelids slightly and quickly glanced at the central rearview mirror.

He saw the man in the back seat—a figure in a sharp black suit, almost blending into the surrounding darkness.

He leaned back lazily in his seat, a half-smoked cigarette between his fingers, the red ember glowing and dimming in the dimness. His cold, perfect profile was caught at the boundary of light and shadow, adding an indescribable sense of chill and danger.

From tens of meters away, Mo Shaoshang's blue-black eyes clearly reflected the young girl on the corridor.

He saw her put down her phone, saw her expression of relief, saw her quickly compose herself and turn with a bright smile toward the person beside her.

His gaze lingered on her face for a moment.

Then, his eyes shifted slightly, landing on the young doctor beside her.

In just a few seconds.

Mo Shaoshang's expression darkened, the softness in his eyes instantly cooling.

A wave of inexplicable irritability swept over him.

The venomous snake named jealousy flicked its tongue and coiled around his heart.

He felt unease—a wild, uncontrollable restlessness. And the dark, suppressed desire, now so intense it was on the verge of breaking through all cages of reason, was threatening to burst forth...

After a moment, Mo Shaoshang stubbed out the cigarette between his fingers expressionlessly and rolled up his window.