The cocktail party had ended, and Mo Xuan arrived early at the underground parking lot, ready to get into the car and wait for Luo Shiya and Luo Muqi. After all, they still had to accompany Luo Tian and his wife to deal with some guests, and his presence there would have been rather inconvenient.
"Mo Xuan?"
A familiar voice called out from behind. Mo Xuan turned around to see Mo Qingqing looking at him in surprise. Clearly, his presence here was unexpected for her.
"What are you doing here?" Mo Qingqing took a few steps forward, then smiled knowingly. "What, did that sugar mommy of yours attend today's party too?"
Mo Xuan glanced at her but didn’t answer. Instead, he countered, "You still have the mood to attend parties at a time like this?"
Ye Ning was still upstairs and hadn’t come down yet, so Mo Qingqing wasn’t in a hurry. She lit a cigarette, her bright red nails holding the slender lady’s cigarette as she exhaled a puff of smoke. She chuckled and said, "Why wouldn’t I have the mood? To be honest, from now on, I might only care about protecting Yingying and Tingting. As for the rest, it’s none of my business."
Mo Xuan sighed. Sometimes he didn’t know whether his biological parents should feel fortunate or sorrowful. At the very least, they had successfully raised a viper like Mo Qingqing.
In a way, Mo Xuan admired his elder sister. The Mo Family was in chaos after the old man’s passing, yet she could still calmly attend a cocktail party.
When it came to ruthlessness and cold-heartedness, even Mo Changshan and Qin Ni would pale in comparison. But then again, they deserved it.
"Speaking of which, why don’t you introduce me to that sugar mommy of yours?" Mo Qingqing teased, a hint of mockery in her tone. "I even ran into Yanran earlier, and for a moment, I thought you were here for her…"
Seeing Mo Xuan’s expression turn cold, Mo Qingqing quickly added, "Looks like you really don’t care about her anymore. So, who did you come with?"
"Qingqing, who is he…"
Ye Ning’s voice suddenly interrupted. The question died on his lips as he approached and clearly saw Mo Xuan’s face, replaced instead by a look of fury.
"It’s you!"
Ye Ning took two quick steps forward, sizing up Mo Xuan before sneering, "Did you come with the Luo Family? Ha, even being a pretty boy isn’t enough, huh? You’ve already had a child, yet now you can’t even get into the party and have to wait here as a driver?"
"What child?" Mo Qingqing was momentarily stunned but quickly recalled what Ye Ning had told her at the party. "You… you saw him at the Luo Family?"
"That’s right, it was him!"
Ye Ning thought back to the slap he had received that day, as well as the humiliation Luo Shiya and Luo Muqi had heaped on him. At this moment, he wished he could devour Mo Xuan alive.
But Mo Qingqing’s mind was anything but calm. Ye Ning seemed convinced that Mo Xuan was the father of Luo Shiya or Luo Muqi’s child.
For the first time, Mo Qingqing felt she had miscalculated. She had considered investigating who was behind Mo Xuan, but she had been too preoccupied with her own plans. Besides, she had always assumed Mo Xuan was just a pretty face being kept by some wealthy woman, possibly even a married one.
Just as Mo Xuan couldn’t believe Luo Shiya and Luo Muqi would scheme against him, Mo Qingqing couldn’t fathom that Mo Xuan could have caught the eye of the Luo Family’s daughters, let alone possibly fathered a child!
In truth, Mo Xuan and Luo Muqi hadn’t been particularly discreet at Capital University. Their conflict with the Second Young Master of the Xiao Family in the cafeteria had been smoothed over by the Luo Family, but anyone who asked around at the university could have found out.
However, at the time, Mo Qingqing had been too busy dealing with the Ye Family to think of investigating at Capital University.
Now, as she looked at Mo Xuan, her expression turned extremely complicated. If she had known earlier that Mo Xuan had connected with the Luo Family, maintaining a good relationship with him could have brought her even greater benefits.
But now, her relationship with Mo Xuan had become extremely delicate. Even though they were technically partners, she knew very well that their relationship was far from good.
The fact that Mo Xuan could freely enter and leave the Luo Family estate proved that the Luo Family had already accepted him, regardless of which of the two Luo daughters he was involved with.
If Mo Xuan ever decided to go after her, even the Ye Family wouldn’t be able to help. The Ye Family wouldn’t risk offending the Luo Family’s future son-in-law for her sake.
However, Ye Ning, standing beside her, clearly lacked Mo Qingqing’s awareness. Fearless of offending Mo Xuan further, he continued to taunt, "You should take advantage of the fact that they’re still interested in you and milk it for all it’s worth. Oh, and since you’re the father of the child, maybe you can follow the example of those Hong Kong actresses and demand a breakup fee, some property…"
"Shut up!" Mo Qingqing yanked him sharply. "He’s my biological brother. What nonsense are you spouting?"
Ye Ning’s expression froze for a moment, but then he shrugged it off. "So, he’s my future brother-in-law? I’m just giving him some well-meaning advice. Speaking of which, isn’t this the brother you mentioned who cut ties with the family and left? No wonder he was so quick to leave—he’s climbed up the Luo Family’s ladder and abandoned his own parents and relatives, huh?"
Mo Xuan couldn’t help but think that even being born into a wealthy family couldn’t save someone from being a natural fool.
He had interacted with Cheng Wenxin before. Although the man seemed a bit off, at least his abilities were recognized externally. The Second Young Master of the Xiao Family, though overly confident, still lived up to the resources his family had provided.
But as for Ye Ning… his reputation matched Mo Xuan’s impression perfectly: oily, pretentious, and utterly incompetent, even bordering on… brain-dead.
No wonder the Old Lady of the Ye Family had taken a liking to Mo Qingqing. Without a wife who had brains, this fool would surely squander the family fortune. Mo Xuan suddenly wondered how the Ye Family had managed to raise such a child.
But then he thought of his own family and let it go. After all, not everyone knew how to raise their children properly.
"Don’t try to claim any relationship. Since I’ve already cut ties with the family, I’m not worthy of such noble relatives," Mo Xuan said coolly. "If there’s nothing else, you two can leave now."
Ye Ning wanted to say more, but Mo Qingqing pulled him away. She regretted being with him now, as he clearly couldn’t read the situation.
What use was the Ye Family’s immense wealth with such an idiot around?
"What’s going on?"
Luo Shiya, dressed in a pure black long coat, walked over leisurely and wrapped her arms around Mo Xuan as if no one else was there.
"Xuan, it’s cold…"
Ye Ning’s eyes widened at the sight. The usually aloof and proud Luo Shiya seemed like a completely different person in front of Mo Xuan, acting like a young girl, coquettish and irresistibly charming.
Mo Xuan felt a bit awkward and wanted to remind Luo Shiya that there were others present, but she didn’t care. She unzipped Mo Xuan’s down jacket, slipped her hands inside to wrap around his waist, and pressed her face against his chest.
When she turned to look at Mo Qingqing and Ye Ning, her gaze turned icy, and her tone became cold and firm. "Had enough? Get lost."
At that moment, Mo Qingqing felt an overwhelming sense of regret. She had seen Luo Shiya at various business events and parties before, always maintaining an untouchable aura. Few dared to approach her, and those who did were usually met with rejection.
But seeing her with Mo Xuan, the sheer intimacy of their interaction spoke volumes.
For once, Ye Ning seemed to grasp the situation and didn’t dare say another word. He pulled Mo Qingqing and quickly turned to leave. But Luo Shiya suddenly spoke up, "Miss Mo, can I have a word with you in private?"
Mo Qingqing awkwardly glanced back at Luo Shiya, then turned to Ye Ning and said, "Wait for me in the car."
She couldn’t count on him to be of any help. It was better for her to handle this herself.
"Xuan, wait for me in the car."
Luo Shiya looked at Mo Xuan tenderly, her voice softening. Mo Xuan glanced at Mo Qingqing, nodded to Luo Shiya, and then got into the car.
Watching Ye Ning leave, Luo Shiya said softly, "Miss Mo, are you feeling regretful now?"
"Haha, there’s nothing to regret."
Mo Qingqing truly felt regret, but she knew she couldn’t voice it at this moment. Luo Shiya, however, didn’t seem to mind and instead smiled, saying, “With your capabilities, you could investigate Mo Changshan and Qin Ni’s matters, yet when it came to Mo Xuan, you didn’t bother. I understand, though. After all, in your eyes, he’s already out of the game, isn’t he?”
“Don’t worry. Even though your intentions aren’t genuine, you did cooperate with Mo Xuan to some extent. While you may no longer be siblings, you’re still allies in a way. So, I won’t go after you.”
Of course, she didn’t need to target Mo Qingqing, because from the moment Mo Qingqing chose the Ye Family, her fate was sealed.
She still didn’t fully understand the Old Lady of the Ye Family. Ye Ning might be useless, but the Old Lady had plenty of ways to clip Mo Qingqing’s wings, ensuring she could never escape the Ye Family’s cage…