Su Yanran returned to the inn where the three of them were staying, feeling utterly devastated. Mo Tingting was nowhere to be seen, and only Mo Yingying was sitting on the sofa.
Unlike Mo Qingqing's strong, career-woman appearance, Mo Yingying had her hair tied in a ponytail, wore gold-rimmed glasses, and was holding a book on ancient poetry appreciation. Although she and her sister looked similar and were both beautiful, Mo Yingying gave off an impression of being calm and reserved, like a chrysanthemum.
"Yanran, are you okay?" Mo Yingying noticed Su Yanran's dejected expression and the tear stains on her face, and she was a bit surprised. "Did you have a fight with Jinpeng?"
Su Yanran looked blankly at Mo Yingying, her voice hoarse: "Yingying, I ran into Mo Xuan."
Upon hearing Mo Xuan's name, Mo Yingying's expression darkened, and her tone carried a hint of disdain: "He actually has the money to come here? Did you see who he was with? Is he really being kept by some middle-aged rich woman?"
"Yingying, why do you have such strong animosity towards him?" Su Yanran didn't answer but instead asked a question she had been wanting to ask for a long time. "What did Mo Xuan ever do to offend you?"
"He didn't offend me," Mo Yingying closed the book in her hand. "It's my brother. But look at Jinpeng and then look at him. He's so cold-hearted. Last time, he caused such a huge ruckus at home and even knocked out Jinpeng's tooth!"
Su Yanran frowned slightly at this: "But wasn't it because Mo Jinpeng was framing him that he reacted like that?"
Mo Jinpeng and Cheng Jiahao had schemed together, using Cheng Jiahao's birthday as an excuse to invite Mo Xuan to his birthday party. They drugged Mo Xuan's drink, intending to set him up with a prostitute.
However, after drinking the spiked alcohol, Mo Xuan went to the restroom and disappeared. At the time, they were in a club, and no one could find him. The next day, Mo Jinpeng brought the prostitute and Cheng Jiahao to the Mo family home, accusing Mo Xuan of being out of control after drinking and molesting the woman. Cheng Jiahao acted as a witness, and with Mo Jinpeng's instigation, Mo Changshan, without any substantial evidence, firmly believed that Mo Xuan was indiscreet.
How ridiculous. The eldest son had a pile of scandals, yet Mo Changshan turned a blind eye to them, even actively suppressing them. But when it came to the younger son, based on mere rumors, he exploded in anger.
No one expected Mo Xuan to stand his ground and even call the police. The investigation revealed that Mo Xuan had been picked up by a rideshare car.
Mo Xuan demanded to sue Mo Jinpeng and Cheng Jiahao for malicious slander, which ultimately led to Mo Xuan's complete estrangement from the Mo family.
"He's part of the family, yet he had to tear everything apart and even resort to violence!" Mo Yingying thought about it and couldn't help but clench her teeth. "Jinpeng is like a brother to me. It's all Mo Xuan's fault for befriending Cheng Jiahao, dragging Jinpeng into this mess!"
Su Yanran stared at Mo Yingying in disbelief. She never expected that after all this time, Mo Yingying still believed Mo Jinpeng was not at fault.
"Yanran, don't contact him anymore. Mo Xuan's personality has been spoiled by our grandmother!" Mo Yingying couldn't help but sigh. "Ever since he came back, trouble has followed. He's always picking on Jinpeng, relying on his martial arts training and strong physique. Look at him, where does he show any respect for being the younger brother?"
"Yingying, what exactly did he do to bully Mo Jinpeng?" Su Yanran's voice was cold. "I've known him for quite some time, and Mo Xuan is not the kind of person who bullies the weak."
"Jinpeng said it himself. Whenever we weren't around, Mo Xuan, being taller and stronger, would threaten him and even take his money!"
Mo Yingying said this with complete confidence, but Su Yanran couldn't help but laugh coldly: "Did you see it with your own eyes?"
"Do I need to?"
Before Mo Yingying could finish, she stopped herself. Yes, she had never actually seen Mo Xuan bully Mo Jinpeng. In fact, no one had ever witnessed it; it was all based on what Mo Jinpeng had said.
"I have nothing more to say," Su Yanran stood up and picked up her handbag. "Yingying, I have work at the company, so I'll head back first."
Before Mo Yingying could stop her, Su Yanran had already slammed the door and left. Mo Yingying stared at the door in confusion. She didn't understand why just mentioning Mo Xuan had made Su Yanran so upset and leave in a huff.
Back when she believed Mo Xuan had been out of control after drinking and changed the engagement to officially announce her relationship with Mo Jinpeng, didn't she feel the same way?
Sitting in her car, Su Yanran didn't start the engine right away but sat there in a daze. Mo Yingying was so convinced that Mo Xuan was bad-tempered and inferior to Mo Jinpeng. Her attitude was no different from what Su Yanran had once been like.
Thinking about how Mo Xuan had hurriedly tried to explain and distance himself when Luo Shiya and Luo Muqi appeared earlier, Su Yanran felt a sharp pain in her heart, as if it had been pricked by a needle.
Back then, everyone in the Mo family, except for their grandmother, had treated Mo Xuan with almost the same attitude. Even though he had been admitted to Capital University with a scholarship, the Mo family didn't even hold a proper celebration for his academic achievement.
She suddenly remembered the time when she had given her sneakers to Mo Jinpeng, and how her actions then were no different from Mo Yingying's now. The Mo family's estrangement from Mo Xuan could be understood, but she had known him since childhood. How could he possibly do such things?
Su Yanran buried her face in the steering wheel and couldn't help but cry bitterly...
Mo Yingying thought more and more about the situation, and she realized something was off. The past between Mo Xuan and Su Yanran was something all the sisters knew about. Mo Qingqing hadn't directly involved herself, but she had, to some extent, fueled the situation. As for Mo Yingying and Mo Tingting, they had done everything they could to support Mo Jinpeng.
Mo Jinpeng was the brother they all cared about, while Mo Xuan, who had been away from home and grew up distant from them, was naturally seen as dispensable.
She picked up her phone and called Mo Tingting, but it wouldn't connect. Mo Tingting had come here to discuss a collaboration with some celebrities in the entertainment industry.
"This third sister of mine is completely unreliable!" Mo Yingying said irritably as she hung up the phone. "Mo Xuan is actually here? Hmph, looks like he really is being kept by some rich woman!"
Mo Tingting had another reason for disliking Mo Xuan. Before Mo Xuan, she had been the top student in the Mo family. Although she didn't go to Capital University, she attended a prestigious school and even majored in two subjects during college. She had established herself as a talented woman in the upper echelons of society. Even though her abilities weren't as strong as her eldest sister's, she was very confident and believed her talent surpassed even her eldest sister's.
But then Mo Xuan, this prodigy brother, appeared. He was admitted to Capital University with a scholarship. Mo Tingting was the most concerned about Mo Xuan's academic achievements in the Mo family. Even when the rest of the family didn't know that Mo Xuan had started his PhD at the age of 23, she had already found out.
Mo Yingying didn't envy Mo Xuan for being more outstanding than her. In fact, she appreciated his talents.
What made her detest Mo Xuan was an incident where Mo Jinpeng had caused trouble, and she had blindly sided with Mo Jinpeng, accusing Mo Xuan. Mo Xuan had viciously mocked her: "Mo Yingying, do you have bad eyes and a bad brain too?"
"Don't hold that book of ancient poetry and pity yourself, thinking you're Lin Daiyu. You're nothing more than a scheming old woman in Grand View Garden!"
For someone who always prided herself on her talent, this remark was worse than a slap in the face. But she had forgotten how many times she had insulted Mo Xuan before.
"You're good at studying, but you're worthless in every other aspect!"
"Don't think I'm being too harsh. You need to recognize your place. Blood relation doesn't mean we have to accept you!"
From the moment Mo Xuan returned, she had never shown any kindness. Instead, she had repeatedly mocked and ridiculed him, and all Mo Xuan had done in return was retort once, yet she held a grudge to this day!
"Su Yanran is only wavering..."
Mo Yingying didn't admit it out loud, but deep down, she knew how outstanding her youngest brother was. Mo Jinpeng not only wasn't as tall as him but also didn't match up in looks.
"No, I have to find him and teach him a lesson!" Mo Yingying picked up her phone. "I can't let him ruin Jinpeng and Yanran's marriage. This Mo Xuan, coming here at this time to steal his brother's woman, does he even..."
At that moment, Mo Yingying was momentarily stunned, then she pushed the door open and left.
It was only then that she realized Su Yanran had been taken away from Mo Xuan by the entire Mo family...