IJLHTW - 55

In the biting chill of an early spring cold snap, the man standing in the corridor wore only a short-sleeved shirt and shorts, his lips already turning blue from the cold.

“Let’s go home,” Yi Zhecheng said coldly, his tone laced with impatience.

Xu Siyang had been standing there for ten minutes, refusing to budge. Yi Zhecheng was about to order the bodyguards to drag him away when Siyang clung desperately to the doorknob, his hands bleeding from the effort. It was Huo Ci who finally intervened, telling the guards to let go.

“Xu Siyang, staying here will only make her more anxious. Let’s leave first. Once Mo Xingchen calms down, we can figure things out,” Huo Ci reasoned, siding with her friend.

She didn’t need much imagination to guess what Xu Siyang had lied about.

Siyang looked at her pitifully, mumbling, “I really didn’t mean to deceive her.”

“Let’s go,” Huo Ci urged, frowning.

Just then, the elevator arrived, delivering the food delivery guy.

The deliveryman froze upon seeing the group of people in the hallway, especially the burly men in black suits. Approaching Mo Xingchen’s door, he cautiously asked, “Is this where the order was placed?”

Siyang quickly stepped forward. “Give it to me.”

Before the deliveryman could hand it over, the door suddenly swung open. Mo Xingchen glared at them, snatching the food from the deliveryman’s hands. “This is my money. You don’t get any of it.”

“Xingchen, Xingchen!” Siyang brightened momentarily, but before he could say more, the door slammed shut again, nearly hitting his nose.

This time, Mo Xingchen wasn’t opening the door again. Siyang stood outside, looking like a stray dog abandoned at the doorstep.

“What should I do?” he turned to Yi Zhecheng and Huo Ci.

Even Yi Zhecheng softened slightly. He removed his coat, walked over, and draped it over Siyang’s shoulders. Looking at him sternly, he said, “You made this mess; you fix it. For now, let’s go home. Have you thought about how your family feels after you’ve been gone for so long?”

Siyang hung his head. “I’m sorry.”

Finally, they managed to persuade him to leave. As Huo Ci saw them off downstairs, she told Yi Zhecheng, “I’ll go check on Mo Xingchen. You take Xu Siyang home first.”

At the mention of her name, Siyang’s eyes lit up.

Huo Ci glanced at him and said to Yi Zhecheng, “Don’t let him off easily.”

“How can you talk to your uncle like that, Huo Ci?” Siyang immediately protested.

Yi Zhecheng shot him a look. “Shut up.”

Siyang was genuinely afraid of him. Though he was technically Yi Zhecheng’s uncle, he’d grown up trailing behind him and had always been subject to his discipline. Whether it was his father or his sister, no one ever reprimanded Yi Zhecheng for scolding Siyang—instead, they blamed Siyang for being immature.

Where was the justice?

As Yi Zhecheng led Siyang away, Huo Ci watched them leave. Siyang was wrapped in Yi Zhecheng’s coat, wearing shorts and slippers. Meanwhile, Yi Zhecheng stood tall in his thin cashmere sweater and shirt, unfazed by the cold.

Huo Ci returned upstairs, leaned against the doorframe, and knocked. There was no response from inside.

She pulled out her phone and called. No answer on the first ring, no answer on the second. Finally, she pounded on the door. “Mo Xingchen, open the door. They’re all gone. It’s just me.”

Still no response.

“If you don’t open the door, I’ll wait right here. You know I mean it,” Huo Ci said calmly.

She leaned against the wall, unwrapped a candy, popped it into her mouth, and stopped knocking, settling in to wait quietly.

After about ten minutes, the door cracked open.

Seeing the sliver of light, Huo Ci smiled, slipped off her shoes, and entered. She wasn’t the type to visit often, so even though she and Mo Xingchen were close friends, she’d only been to her apartment once when Mo had first bought it.

Mo Xingchen sat at the dining table, a takeout meal in front of her—clearly meant for two.

Her head was bowed. Huo Ci sat across from her, neither speaking. Then, as the other woman began to quietly sob, Huo Ci softly called, “Mo Xingchen.”

“Don’t say anything. I know I’m an idiot,” Mo Xingchen said through tears, her voice trembling.

Tears dripped onto the rice in front of her, yet she continued eating bite by bite.

Watching her, Huo Ci felt a pang of genuine frustration.

She stood up, snatched the bowl of rice away, and pulled Mo Xingchen to her feet. “We’re going back now. They probably haven’t gone far.”

With that, she dragged Mo Xingchen toward the door.

“Where are we going?” Mo Xingchen asked, her voice thick with sobs.

“Obviously, to beat him up,” Huo Ci replied.

“It’s my fault for being stupid,” Mo Xingchen muttered, leaning against the cabinet behind her.

She had thought she’d found someone she liked, only to discover that everything about him was a lie.

“It’s not your stupidity—it’s because he’s a bastard,” Huo Ci said, her voice sharp and dangerous.

At those words, Mo Xingchen burst into fresh tears. Seeing this, Huo Ci could only drag her back to the couch to sit. Once seated, Mo Xingchen cried freely. Neither of them spoke until she had cried herself out. Then Huo Ci said calmly, “Now tell Daddy Huo what happened so I can settle the score for you.”

Mo Xingchen, clutching a cushion, looked up blankly. After a moment, she realized she was being teased and complained weakly, “How dare you bully me like this.”

“You calling me ‘Daddy’ now means nothing. Who knows, maybe I’ll end up calling you ‘Little Aunt’ for the rest of my life,” Huo Ci said, looking at her.

They stared at each other wide-eyed until Mo Xingchen finally asked curiously, “He’s really Mr. Yi’s uncle?”

“Real as it gets,” Huo Ci confirmed.

Mo Xingchen still couldn’t believe it. “But he’s younger than Mr. Yi.”

“He’s Yi Zhecheng’s mother’s half-brother,” Huo Ci explained, pinching the bridge of her nose. Damn fate.

Mo Xingchen lowered her head and murmured, “He told me his name was Siyang.”

“That fool is indeed named Siyang, but his surname is Xu,” Huo Ci muttered, annoyed. She regretted letting Xu Siyang leave so easily earlier—he deserved a beating.

Mo Xingchen gave a soft “Oh” and fell silent.

Neither knew what to say next until Mo Xingchen finally spoke after a long pause. “It’s not entirely his fault. It’s mine too.”

A hopeless romantic, picking up random strangers from the street and bringing them home.

Though, admittedly, that particular stranger was a handsome fool.

Huo Ci shook her head, unable to suppress a smile. Only Mo Xingchen would defend Xu Siyang even now.

“You’re both fools,” she said, reaching out to ruffle Mo Xingchen’s hair.

________________________________________

When Xu Siyang was brought back, Xu Di happened to be at home. The old master had gone to Hong Kong, so only Xu Di discovered Siyang’s disappearance.

At the Xu family villa, Xu Di breathed a sigh of relief when she saw them enter.

She immediately went up to Xu Siyang and hit him lightly. “You scared me half to death! If you ever pull this kind of stunt again, I’ll have your brother-in-law whip you with a belt.”

Xu Di was genuinely frightened. After all, kidnappings of wealthy heirs weren’t unheard of. If it weren’t for the Yi family’s low profile, she would have insisted they travel with bodyguards.

Siyang hung his head. “I’m sorry, Big Sister.”

Seeing his pitiful state, Xu Di softened instantly. That’s when she noticed he was still wearing only a short-sleeved shirt and shorts, his legs exposed to the cold. Concerned, she exclaimed, “What happened? Why aren’t you dressed properly? Did someone threaten you?”

Yi Zhecheng, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke. “Why don’t you have dinner prepared? None of us have eaten yet.”

Xu Di grew even more worried and hurriedly instructed the housekeeper and chef to prepare a meal.

“I’m going upstairs to change. It’s freezing,” Siyang said.

Seeing his lips turning purple from the cold, Xu Di waved her hand dismissively. “Go ahead, take a bath first. I’ll have someone brew some ginger tea for you to prevent catching a cold.”

Siyang’s room was on the third floor, occupying the entire floor. It included a walk-in closet, a game room, a study, and a bedroom that took up half the floor.

When he emerged from the bathroom, he found Yi Zhecheng sitting quietly on the sofa in his room, reading a book.

Siyang, now dressed in pajamas, approached nervously. Yi Zhecheng glanced up and gestured to the seat opposite him. “Sit.”

Siyang obeyed silently. Yi Zhecheng sat with his legs crossed, the book resting on his lap. His demeanor was calm and composed, his posture elegant and gentle.

He didn’t seem ready to lecture anyone.

“What do you plan to do in the future?” Yi Zhecheng asked.

Siyang remained silent. Yi Zhecheng rested his elbow on the armrest, propping his chin on his hand, appearing unusually relaxed. This laid-back attitude made Siyang feel less tense.

In truth, Siyang was quite intelligent. His education in the UK hadn’t relied on family connections—he had earned his place at university and graduated with first-class honors.

Throwing caution to the wind, Siyang admitted, “I just don’t want to work for the company.”

“Not working for the company is fine,” Yi Zhecheng said indifferently. A flicker of hope appeared on Siyang’s face, but Yi Zhecheng added, “But you still need to earn a living. Are you planning to rely on some girl to support you?”

Siyang was sharp enough to understand what Yi Zhecheng was implying.

He was living off her and eating her food.

“Or were you just playing around?” Yi Zhecheng asked coolly.

Siyang immediately panicked. “Of course not!”

“She’s really great,” he said earnestly, emphasizing, “I didn’t mean to deceive her.”

At first, it was curiosity. He found it amusing that she mistook him for a poor guy dumped by a woman—though he had indeed been cheated on. But later, she treated him genuinely well. He could tell when someone was sincere.

Born into the Xu family, he could see through others’ intentions easily.

________________________________________

When they came downstairs, Xu Di had just finished a phone call.

Seeing them, she smiled. “I was about to call you down for dinner.”

Siyang walked over and draped his arm around her shoulder playfully. “Who called to make you so happy?”

Xu Di glanced at Yi Zhecheng beside her and said softly, “It was Hai Lian. Such a thoughtful girl—she just got back from the U.S. and invited me to a concert. It’s one of my favorites.”

Siyang heard the name of a girl and noticed Xu Di glancing repeatedly at Yi Zhecheng, leaving him momentarily stunned.

Once they were seated at the dining table, Yi Zhecheng looked at her calmly and said, “Did she not tell you that I already have a girlfriend?”

Xu Di, who had been asking the housekeeper to bring ginger tea, turned sharply. “Girlfriend?”

Then, with a mix of surprise and delight, she exclaimed, “Zecheng, when did you get a girlfriend? Why didn’t you bring her to meet me? You’re such a naughty boy.”

Siyang burst into laughter, teasing, “I feel sorry for this Miss Hai Lian. Looks like those concert tickets won’t do her any good.”

Realizing she was being teased, Xu Di playfully swatted him. “Don’t ruin my plans.”

“Do you have a picture? Let me see,” Xu Di said eagerly.

She had been hoping Yi Zhecheng would find a girlfriend for so long that she had almost forgotten about Hai Lian the moment she heard her son was taken. After all, whoever her son liked must be exceptional.

Siyang finished his ginger tea and said, “She’s stunning—fair skin, beautiful features, and long legs.”

“You’ve seen her?” Xu Di asked, surprised.

He nodded. “We’re pretty familiar.”

Xu Di hesitated. “Is she really that beautiful?”

Though Siyang harbored no romantic feelings for Huo Ci, he couldn’t deny her beauty. She possessed all the qualities of a classic beauty: a delicate face, exquisite features, and a perfect figure. In a crowd, she naturally stood out.

He nodded emphatically. “Big Sister, trust me. She’s more than enough for our nephew.”

Siyang’s confidence returned as he basked in Xu Di’s indulgence.

However, Xu Di wasn’t paying attention to him anymore. Touching her face, she said earnestly, “Yangyang, accompany me to the beauty salon tomorrow.”

“I’ve been feeling a bit worn out lately. I need to take better care of myself,” Xu Di declared seriously.

Siyang laughed. “Big Sister, are you trying to compete in beauty?”

“I don’t want Zecheng to be embarrassed. If his girlfriend is a stunning beauty, then the mother obviously has to match,” Xu Di retorted, glaring at him.

Siyang chuckled mischievously. “Doesn’t matter what our nephew says—it’s up to your husband to decide.”

“Our husband fought hard to win me over back in the day,” Xu Di reminisced, smiling at the memory.

Yi Zhecheng’s father had once climbed through her window in the middle of the night, nearly getting bitten by her father’s Tibetan mastiff.

“Looks like our nephew inherited his father’s excellent taste,” Siyang flattered, making Xu Di beam.

Until Yi Zhecheng interrupted coolly, “Are you planning to starve me through this dinner?”

Siyang jumped up immediately. “I’m going to tell my brother-in-law to punish you.”

“What’s there to complain about?” Just as he finished speaking, a deep voice echoed through the room. A man in military uniform walked in.

None of them expected Yi Huaize to show up. Xu Di stood up as he removed his military coat and handed it to her. “I happened to be attending a conference nearby. Knowing you were all here, I decided to drop by.”

Siyang immediately found his biggest ally and wasted no time lodging complaints. Once he finished, Yi Huaize sat down.

Glancing at his son, Yi Huaize listened as Siyang asked him, “Brother-in-law, do you think Big Sister is still a beauty?”

Xu Di, usually confident, blushed under Siyang’s teasing. She quickly scolded him, “Don’t joke around with your brother-in-law.” She knew her husband’s temperament—he wouldn’t indulge in such banter with the young.

After a long pause, Yi Huaize finally spoke. “Of course she’s beautiful. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have fought so hard to marry her.”

Xu Di looked up at him. Even after all these years, the tenderness in his eyes remained unchanged.