Volume One, Chapter 65: The True Face of the Crown Prince

“So now you want to trade your ‘sincerity’ for my forgiveness? Just because you failed to bear a son for the Qi family, and now that you realize you’ll have no one to rely on in the future, you suddenly remember me, your ‘son’? Hahaha…”

With a dull thud, Meng Pei fell to her knees before Qi Yancheng, tears streaming down her face as she clung tightly to his hand.

“I was wrong, please forgive me! I'll do anything you ask! Yancheng, I truly know my mistakes! If you’re still angry, you can hit me, as long as you can forgive me…”

Qi Yancheng’s expression was distant, his jaw sharp and cold. He let out a contemptuous laugh.

He bent down, seized Meng Pei’s collar, and stared straight into her eyes, speaking each word with icy clarity.

“Then tell me where Yu Hongxuan is. Where exactly is he?”

Meng Pei’s eyes widened in sudden shock.

“Y-you… how do you know about Yu Hongxuan? Yancheng, do you… do you know something?”

Her face twisted in terror, as if she had just heard the most dreadful news.

No—impossible!

Her son would never leave her.

Aside from Qi Yancheng, she had no one else to depend on.

Qi Yancheng curled his lips in a cold sneer, his tone as frigid and merciless as water in a pond in late autumn.

“Meng Pei, did you really think the things you did would remain hidden forever? My people are already on their way to Country F. If you truly care about my feelings, tell me exactly where Yu Hongxuan is, or else—”

He flung her collar aside, watching her collapse onto the carpet.

Retracting his icy gaze, Qi Yancheng turned and climbed the stairs to the second floor.

Behind the main hall door, Yu Mo stood in silence, biting her lip to keep herself from making a sound.

She had heard every word of the exchange between Qi Yancheng and Meng Pei.

What had Meng Pei done to him to make him hate her so?

So Meng Pei, who seemed so kind to Qi Yancheng on the surface, had actually abused him behind closed doors.

Yu Mo pressed her hand tightly to her mouth, her body trembling.

What kind of childhood had Qi Yancheng endured, to wear such a look of bitter resentment now?

The thought of his suffering made her heart ache.

If only her mother knew…

Yu Mo dared not pursue that thought.

And her father—he wasn’t dead, but alive in Country F. Qi Yancheng was searching for him.

After calming herself, Yu Mo appeared before Meng Pei.

By now, Meng Pei was still sprawled on the carpet, reduced to a weeping mess.

Yu Mo walked quietly past her, completely ignoring her as she went straight up to the second floor.

She approached Qi Yancheng’s room and knocked on the door.

Qi Yancheng opened it. His emotions had settled, and his narrow eyes were no longer bloodshot.

“Yu Mo, I’ll take you to get the Purple Lingzhi now.”

With that, he led her up to the third floor.

Qi Yancheng unlocked a cabinet in a storage room, revealing a wooden box inside.

He handed the box to Yu Mo.

“Take it. Actually, Dad agreed long ago to give you the Purple Lingzhi. I just wanted you to stay a few more days in the capital, so I kept delaying. Sorry.”

Yu Mo accepted the box, her long lashes casting shadows over her eyes.

“It’s all right.”

They prepared to leave the storage room.

Suddenly, Yu Mo called out to Qi Yancheng, who was walking ahead.

“Qi Yancheng.”

He turned, his deep gaze fixed on her.

Yu Mo’s voice choked as a bitter taste rose in her mouth; her tone was softer than usual.

“Can you tell me how much you’ve suffered all these years?”

Even as she spoke, the taste of unshed tears spread across her lips.

Qi Yancheng’s eyes dimmed.

“You heard?”

Their voices had been loud earlier, and since Yu Mo had doubled back, it was likely she’d overheard them—hence her question now.

His lips pressed together in a show of nonchalance.

“It’s nothing. I just went hungry a few days as a child, not as miserable as you imagine.”

Yu Mo could barely hold back her tears. She raised a hand to wipe her face, then reached out and grabbed his wrist, attempting to lift his shirt.

She wanted to check for scars. If that woman Meng Pei had truly hurt him, she would never forgive her.

Qi Yancheng’s expression changed instantly. He shoved Yu Mo away, quickly putting distance between them.

“Sis, what are you doing? I don’t have any scars. Meng Pei only used needles…”

He broke off abruptly, jerking his head to one side, unable to meet Yu Mo’s gaze.

With a bang, Yu Mo slammed her fist onto a nearby table, the sharp sound echoing through the room.

Qi Yancheng was stunned. By the time he came to, Yu Mo had already left the storage room.

Meng Pei had been helped up from the floor by a servant and now sat on the sofa, the servant gently rubbing her back to calm her breath.

Yu Mo came down the stairs, her gaze landing on Meng Pei.

Meng Pei suddenly sensed a sharp, blade-like presence. She turned her face, looking at Yu Mo with a mix of alarm and fear.

Yu Mo’s expression was terrifying, as though her eyes alone could devour Meng Pei whole.

“Yu Mo…” Meng Pei’s voice trembled.

“Yu Mo!” Qi Yancheng rushed down the stairs and grabbed Yu Mo by the hand, pulling her away.

It was not until they reached the back garden that he finally let go of her.

Yu Mo turned, intent on confronting Meng Pei again, but Qi Yancheng caught her.

“Sis, don’t be impulsive. Now is not the time to go after Meng Pei.”

Yu Mo turned away once more. Tears rarely came to her eyes, but today they had flowed too often.

Just thinking about the abuse Qi Yancheng had suffered at Meng Pei’s hands made her want to tear that woman apart.

Two faint tear stains dried on her cheeks; only her eyes still showed a trace of redness, fierce and unyielding.

She would not let Meng Pei off.

If not now, then someday, Meng Pei would pay the price.

Yu Mo stepped forward and embraced Qi Yancheng with aching tenderness.

“Take care of yourself. I’ll be leaving now.”

“Wait, Sis.”

Qi Yancheng stopped her. “Don’t tell Mom what happened today. Take care of her for me, please.”

He feared his mother would react as Yu Mo had—or worse, fall ill.

“I promise,” Yu Mo replied, understanding his reasons.

She watched him until he was out of sight and only then did Qi Yancheng regain his composure and quietly return to his room.

He made a call.

“Victoria, notify me the moment you find Yu Hongxuan, and bring him back safely.”

—

Yu Mo first went to the hospital to show Zhuang Zhizhi the authentic, century-old wild Purple Lingzhi.

Then she returned to her hotel, cut off a small piece of the Purple Lingzhi, and prepared to brew it into medicine at a pharmacy.

Suddenly, Xiao Lin began coughing violently. Yu Mo hurried over to pat her on the back.

“Mom, are you all right?”

Xiao Lin waved her hand weakly. “I’m fine.”

Her voice was barely more than a whisper.

Yu Mo took her mother’s wrist to check her pulse.

After a moment, Yu Mo released her, helped her to lie down, and tucked the blanket around her.

“Mom, you’re fine. You’ve just been worrying too much. Don’t overthink things. Rest for a couple of days, and I’ll take you to the airport. You should go home.”

Xiao Lin nodded, not wanting her daughter to worry.

Two days later, Yu Mo saw her mother off at the airport, sending her back to Shanghai.

No sooner had she returned to the hotel than Qi Yancheng called.

“Sis, I’ll pick you up soon. Let’s attend Mu Qiming’s birthday banquet together. I hear that at this party, the young prince Mu Shaozhou will finally take off his mask and reveal his true face. Interested?”