Mo Ran sighed, all that coaxing and he still couldn't get anything out of her.
"Sigh, women really are the best players.."
He thought to himself inwardly as he pushed Lixue away. Gripping her waist, he knew he wasn't going to get anything out of her and he wasn't willing to force her. He'll just continue to watch her movement until she spilled the tea on what she was doing.
"Alright, its obvious I can't keep you locked up. I do wish you'll take the car. It's for your safety, my driver is skilled. I won't ask him to report your movements to me.."
"…"
Lixue's ears perked up as she looked at Mo Ran, wanting to confirm if he was serious.
"You mean, I can go out without being spied on?"
"…"
"Yes." Mo Ran lied smoothly, he wouldn't get reports of her movements from his driver, that was the only truth in his words.
"Thank you and I'm not doing anything dangerous or cheating.."
"..!!!"
"What man in this country can be compared to me Mrs Mo?" Mo Ran replied distastefully.
"None Mr Mo, no one reaches your caliber.."
Lixue figured buttering him up with some sweet words would grant her freewill, she knew it wasn't easy to throw off a man like Mo Ran.
Mo Ran smiled, he guessed it was his turn to be coaxed and he liked it.
"My eyes are on you, don't think you're completely off the hook…" Mo Ran stood up as he grabbed his jacket, wanting to go on a night stroll. He turned back to Lixue who had also gotten out of the bed. "And remember, be home before 7pm, you can go to wherever you like but be home by 7pm, that's my only condition.."
Lixue nodded, she only spent the mornings and afternoons at dream entertainment. But she didn't know how long she'll be able to keep it up after her debut.
"Then where are you going to?"
Mo Ran grabbed his keys before turning to Lixue, he paused and walked up to her.
"Grabbing a drink with some friends. Don't wait up and don't skip dinner. Auntie Zhang will notify me if you do.."
Lixue nodded his dealings weren't her business and she hoped he wouldnt meddle into her's too much.
"I don't skip dinner, I need to grow.."
Mo Ran chuckled and raised her chin, stroking it gently, he uttered "it would be nice if you fatten up, a good stamina is an added bonus in bed..."
"!!"
Lixue blushed as she took a step back "Mr Mo please be on your way.."
Mo Ran chuckled as he headed to the door, he turned back again with a smile Lixue had never seen in her past life "It would be nice if we go sleep together tonight…i meant cuddle if you thought otherwise..Mrs Mo.."
"!!"
"I did not!"
Mo Ran chuckled and walked out of the room, waving goodbye. Lixue made sure Mo Ran had left the house completely before leaving the room.
Heading out, she meet auntie Zhang at the start of the hallway, auntie Zhang had a smile on her face, she had a feeling Mo Ran had told her something before he left.
"Young Madam," Auntie Zhang greeted, bowing slightly. "Stepping out at this hour?" She asked seeing the robe wrapped tightly around her.
Lixue stopped, smoothing the hem of her nightear to steady herself. "Yes. Just for some fresh air." She kept her tone light, trying to hide any nervousness. "I won't be long."
Auntie Zhang's eyes twinkled with a knowing gleam, the kind only someone as experienced as her could possess. "Young Master told me to remind you—be home before seven tomorrow," she said, pausing for emphasis. "And… to make sure you don't skip any meals."
Lixue swallowed hard, recalling his parting words about stamina and "fattening up." Her cheeks heated, and she quickly waved a hand. "Of course. I wouldn't dare disappoint him."
Auntie Zhang chuckled softly, her voice laced with amusement. "Young Master seemed in high spirits tonight. It's been a long time since I've seen him smile like that."
Lixue feigned indifference, hoping to steer the conversation away. "He's always teasing. Nothing new."
The older woman tilted her head, her smile deepening. "Perhaps. But there was something different about tonight… And he did mention how lovely it would be if you two could sleep together—just to cuddle, of course."
"!!!"
Lixue's face flared bright red. "I-I'm sure he was just joking!"
Auntie Zhang nodded thoughtfully, stepping aside to let her pass. "Maybe. Maybe not. Either way, it warms my heart to see the Young Master this relaxed."
Feeling trapped in the conversation, Lixue forced a tight smile. "Goodnight, Auntie Zhang."
"Goodnight, Young Madam," Auntie Zhang replied, her tone gentle but laced with amusement. "Be careful."
Lixue walked briskly down the hallway, each step echoing louder than her pounding heart. The night air greeted her as she stepped outside, cool and crisp, finally calming her racing thoughts. She drew a deep breath, lifting her gaze to the star-studded sky.
"Mo Ran…" she muttered, shaking her head. "Impossible man."
But as much as she wanted to push his words aside, they clung to her—those tender, teasing words that made her chest ache. She couldn't let her guard down. Not yet.
Lixue strolled quietly through the estate grounds, the cool night air wrapping around her like a cloak. The path was dimly lit by the faint glow of garden lanterns, their soft light guiding her steps. She didn't know where she was headed at first, only that she needed to be somewhere away from the house, away from Mo Ran's lingering presence.
After a few minutes, she found herself standing before a small, hidden garden tucked between towering trees. It was serene, almost forgotten, with wildflowers growing untamed and a wooden bench nestled beneath a sprawling willow. The faint scent of jasmine and earth hung in the air, and above her, the stars twinkled like scattered diamonds in the inky sky.
Lixue took a deep breath and sat on the bench, letting the quiet embrace her. She tilted her head back, gazing at the stars, and for the first time in what felt like forever, she allowed her thoughts to wander freely.
Her mother's face came to mind—soft, kind, and blurred at the edges by time. The memories were faint, like wisps of smoke, but they were warm and comforting. She remembered sitting in her mother's lap as a child, listening to the gentle hum of a lullaby, her tiny hands clasped in her mother's as they pointed at the stars together.
"See that one, Xue'er?" her mother's voice echoed in her mind, delicate and soothing. "That's your star, the one that watches over you."
She clenched her hands in her lap, the bittersweet ache of longing tightening her chest. Her mother had been her only source of warmth in a cold, demanding world, and losing her had been like losing the last piece of her heart that felt whole.
"I wish you were still here, where are you mother?" she whispered, her voice trembling as she stared up at the vast sky.
Mo Ran sat alone in the dimly lit bar, the amber glow from the overhead lights casting soft shadows across his sharp features. A half-empty glass of whiskey rested in his hand, the ice clinking softly as he swirled the liquid. The bar was quiet—just the low hum of jazz music in the background and the faint murmur of other patrons—but to him, it felt oppressively loud.
He had told Lixue he was meeting friends, but the truth was, there were no friends left to meet.
His gaze dropped to his phone, the screen lighting up as he thumbed through his contacts until it stopped on one name: Du Yuan. His jaw clenched. It had been months since they last spoke, since everything had shattered between them. The fallout had been brutal, and every attempt to reach out since had been ignored.
But tonight, the whiskey dulled his pride, and before he could stop himself, he pressed the call button. He brought the phone to his ear, heart pounding with a mixture of anger and something far more complicated.
The line rang once. Twice.
By the third ring, he knew what was coming.
"The number you have dialed is unreachable."
A bitter laugh escaped him, low and humorless. He slammed the phone down on the bar, ignoring the curious glance from the bartender. "Of course it is," he muttered under his breath, taking another long drink.
Du Yuan had been more than a friend—he had been a constant presence in Mo Ran's life, the only person who dared to challenge him, who understood the cold exterior he wore wasn't all there was. And then, he had married Lixue.
Mo Ran exhaled sharply, the memory of that confrontation still fresh.
"You still married her." Du Yuan's voice had been raw, trembling with emotions Mo Ran hadn't wanted to acknowledge. "You knew—"
"I knew what?" Mo Ran had interrupted, cold and defensive. "You knew I couldn't give you what you wanted."
And that was how it had ended. Months of silence. And tonight, Mo Ran was still the villain in Du Yuan's story. But hadn't it always been that way?
He downed the rest of the whiskey in one go, the burn in his throat nowhere near as painful as the ache in his chest. His fingers tightened around the glass until his knuckles turned white. "To hell with this," he muttered, shoving himself to his feet.
The drive to Du Yuan's place was reckless. The alcohol coursing through his veins dulled his sense of reason, but the sharp edge of anger kept him focused. He needed answers. Closure. Something. Anything to put an end to this gnawing emptiness.
When he arrived, the house loomed dark and silent. He stumbled to the front door, pounding on it with his fist.
"Du Yuan!" he called, his voice hoarse with frustration. "Open the door!"
Nothing.
He pounded again, harder this time. "I know you're in there! Stop pretending you're unreachable."
Still, no answer.
His breath came in ragged gasps, the cold night air biting at his skin. He pressed his forehead against the door, his anger dissolving into something closer to despair. "Why won't you talk to me?"
The only response was the echo of his own words, swallowed by the quiet.
And for the first time in years, Mo Ran felt truly alone.
Mo Ran stood there for a moment, his breath misting in the air as he leaned against the door, his fist still resting against the wood. The silence of the night seemed to close in on him, suffocating in its stillness. He had never felt more detached from everything he once knew.
There was a time when he and Du Yuan had been inseparable, partners in everything. They had understood each other without needing to speak, and in Du Yuan's eyes, Mo Ran had always been something more than just friendship. But that bond had shattered the moment Mo Ran had chosen to marry Lixue.
He had been blind to the consequences, too focused on his own complicated feelings for his family to realize what he was throwing away.
But he couldn't give Du Yuan what he wanted, he didn't see him in that light.
Now, standing outside Du Yuan's house, Mo Ran was left with nothing but the echo of his own choices and the growing realization that he might have lost the only person who truly understood him.
He sighed, his shoulders slumping as he stepped back from the door. He had come here for answers, for some kind of resolution, but it was clear that Du Yuan wasn't going to give him that. Not tonight. Maybe not ever.
"You're making a mistake, Du Yuan…" he muttered to himself, his voice barely audible. "But I'm not sure if I can fix it anymore."
With a final look at the darkened windows, Mo Ran turned and stumbled back to his car, the anger that had fueled him earlier now a dull ache in his chest. He didn't have the energy to keep fighting it. He didn't have the energy to keep pretending everything was fine.
The drive back to his house was slow, the roads almost empty in the late hour. His mind was foggy, the alcohol clouding his thoughts, but there was something else there too—something deeper, something he didn't want to acknowledge.
Lixue.
He hadn't meant to hurt her. He hadn't wanted to drag her into all this mess, but he had. And now, he couldn't stop thinking about her. The way she looked at him, the way she always held herself back, hiding behind that stubborn wall she'd built. She was as complicated as he was, and maybe that's why he couldn't stop himself from getting tangled up in her.
The car pulled into the driveway, and Mo Ran sat for a moment, staring at the house in front of him. The house that was supposed to be their home now. His and Lixue's.
But as he stepped out and made his way to the door, he realized that things would never be simple between them. The tension between them was palpable, like an unspoken agreement to keep their distance, even as they were bound together by something neither of them could fully understand.
He entered quietly, hoping to avoid waking anyone, but as he opening the room door, he saw a familiar figure sitting on the bed, staring at her phone.
Lixue.
Her gaze met his, and for a split second, Mo Ran thought he saw something soft in her eyes—a vulnerability that mirrored his own. But it was gone before he could be sure.
"You're back late," Lixue said, her voice calm but with an edge he couldn't quite place.
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