Volume One, Chapter 62: Mu Qiming's Birthday

Yu Mo withdrew her hand, refusing to look at him again. She turned and took Qi Yancheng’s arm, her concern for him unmistakable in her voice.

“Let’s go.”

Qi Yancheng left with Yu Mo.

He couldn’t help but marvel at his sister’s fearlessness—who else but Yu Mo would dare slap Mu Shaozhou, the notorious prince, right across the face?

“Sis, did you just call him Mu Yu?”

Clearly, his sister didn’t know Mu Shaozhou’s true identity. An idea occurred to him, and a sly curve appeared at the corner of Qi Yancheng’s thin lips.

Mu Yu, Mu Yu—he really is like a wooden fish, beating out a dull and endless rhythm.

“Sis, in a few days, it’s Mu Qiming’s birthday. He’s invited me to attend, but I still need a date. Would you go with me? Just this once—help me out.”

“Mu Qiming?”

Yu Mo recalled that he was Mu Shaozhou’s father.

“Help me, please, Sis.” Qi Yancheng put on a pitiful, pleading look, the redness at the corners of his eyes having faded. His charming, almond-shaped eyes tilted upward just so.

“All right.”

Yu Mo guessed that Qi Yancheng had his reasons, and this was a favor she was willing to do for him.

Qi Yancheng, remembering something else, grew serious.

“Sis, after the birthday banquet, take that hundred-year-old wild purple lingzhi and return to Shanghai. Don’t come back to the capital.”

Yu Mo didn’t answer. She supported him as they left the hospital.

Hotel.

Yu Mo met her mother.

Xiao Lin had been waiting anxiously all afternoon, desperate to know the DNA results.

“Well? Mo’er, is that child really…”

Her eyes reddened as she spoke, tears threatening to spill over.

Yu Mo stepped forward, gently wiping away her mother’s tears, lowering her eyes as she spoke with apology.

“Mom, I’m sorry. Qi Yancheng… he isn’t my brother.”

At those words, Xiao Lin seemed to lose all strength and slumped down.

Yu Mo caught her quickly, her own voice trembling with tears.

“Mom!”

Guilt pressed heavily on her heart; she couldn’t tell her mother the truth. Her mother’s safety had to come first.

She could only hope her mother would forgive her one day.

After some time, Xiao Lin regained her strength and stood up.

Yu Mo helped her to the bed.

Xiao Lin wiped her tears away and managed a smile.

“Mo’er, I’m all right. We’ll find your brother—we will, I promise!”

“Yes, we’ll be reunited with him one day. We will.” Yu Mo hugged her mother tightly.

“Mom, let me take you around the city for the next couple of days. After that, will you return to Shanghai?”

Xiao Lin held her daughter’s hand.

“Mo’er, you’re not coming back with me?”

“No, I still have some things to take care of.”

That evening, Yu Mo returned to her room, but the pretty boy was nowhere to be seen.

She waited until the early hours, but he never returned.

Yu Mo knew then that he wouldn’t be coming back.

Lying on her bed, she still felt angry, knowing that the pretty boy had misunderstood her relationship with Qi Yancheng.

But she wasn’t in the mood to explain things to him just yet.

Let him stew for a few days. She could use the peace and quiet to rest anyway.

The next day.

Yu Mo took her mother shopping to lift her spirits.

They entered a clothing store, and Yu Mo was examining a dress when she spotted Meng Pei. She immediately tried to steer her mother away, but Meng Pei had already noticed and was heading over.

Xiao Lin also saw Meng Pei.

“Meng Pei?”

Xiao Lin hadn’t expected, after twenty years apart, to run into Meng Pei in the capital.

This woman had once been her husband’s ex-girlfriend.

Before marrying Yu Hongxuan, Xiao Lin had dated a man who broke her heart, prompting her to hastily marry Yu Hongxuan. Later, she learned that before marrying her, Yu Hongxuan had just broken up with a girlfriend—Meng Pei.

Yu Mo hadn’t expected her mother to know Meng Pei.

Her brother had just warned her to keep their distance from Meng Pei; clearly, this woman was not as amiable as she appeared.

“Mrs. Qi.”

“Well, Yu Mo, why don’t you call me Auntie Qi anymore? Has just a day apart made us strangers?”

Meng Pei smoothed her sleekly styled hair. It was clear she hadn’t recognized Xiao Lin.

Over the years, Xiao Lin had worn herself out searching for her husband and son, and now looked older than Meng Pei, who was her contemporary. It was understandable that Meng Pei didn’t recognize her at a glance.

After exchanging a few words with Yu Mo, Meng Pei finally looked at Xiao Lin, studying her curiously.

“Yu Mo, this is…?”

“Meng Pei, you…”

“Mrs. Qi, this is my mother,” Yu Mo interrupted, not knowing why her mother recognized Meng Pei, but instinctively unwilling for them to have any contact.

After a few polite words, Yu Mo hastily led her mother away.

When they reached a quieter spot, Xiao Lin asked,

“Mo’er, the Qi household you’ve been staying with—was that Meng Pei’s home? What is Meng Pei to the Qi family? How do you know her?”

Yu Mo realized there was no hiding it, so she explained Meng Pei’s identity.

Xiao Lin frowned deeply as she listened.

Suddenly, a thought struck her and she grabbed Yu Mo’s hand.

“Mo’er, do you think Qi Yancheng could be Meng Pei and your father’s son? After your father broke up with her, is it possible she had his child?”

Yu Mo considered everything she knew.

“Mom, that’s impossible. When Meng Pei married Qi Weicheng, she already had a one-year-old child. By then, she’d been separated from Dad for almost two years.”

“Yes, yes.” Xiao Lin tapped her own head, blaming herself for being so flustered.

“Mo’er, do you think your father’s disappearance is connected to Meng Pei?”

Yu Mo’s expression grew grave.

“Mom, let’s go back. Don’t trouble yourself with these wild suspicions. Tomorrow I’ll take you to the airport—you can go home and rest for a few days. Don’t worry about me; I’ll return soon.”

Yu Mo escorted her mother back to the hotel.

Once she had calmed her mother and returned to her own room, she received a call from Cheng Tai.

“Mr. Zhuang’s condition has improved greatly.”

“That’s good. The Qi family has agreed to give me the hundred-year-old wild purple lingzhi. I’ll return in a few days—please assure Mr. Zhuang.”

Cheng Tai was deeply grateful.

“Miss Yu, however much it costs, I’ll transfer the money to you.”

“That won’t be necessary.”

The Qi family’s willingness to part with the wild purple lingzhi was an act of generosity; Yu Mo would not tarnish their goodwill by profiting from it.

After hanging up, Yu Mo received a call from the pretty boy. She hadn’t wanted to answer, but he persisted.

She picked up, a trace of impatience in her voice.

“What is it?”

On the other end, Mu Shaozhou no longer sounded eager to please her. His tone was cool and distant.

“Yu Mo, today is my mother’s memorial day. Would you… come with me to visit her?”

Yu Mo considered for a moment and glanced at the empty space beside her—the emptiness echoed in her own heart.

“All right. Where are you? I’ll come find you.”

“I’m waiting outside the hotel.”

Yu Mo changed into dark clothing and stepped out.

A stately man emerged from a Cullinan.

He was dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit, the fabric of such quality that it could only be bespoke. His tall frame gave the suit an air of restrained nobility.

Yu Mo paused in her approach.

Why was the pretty boy driving a Cullinan?