Mo Yiran found Ye Yutong in the garden, where she sat silently, tears slipping down her cheeks. The moonlight filtered through the trees, casting a gentle glow around her. His heart clenched at the sight.
"Yutong," he said softly.
Though known for his Casanova ways, Mo Yiran's feelings for Ye Yutong ran deep. He had loved her quietly, always from a distance, ever since he realized her heart belonged to his older brother. So, he chose to support her, even if it meant watching her break over someone else.
"Please don't cry," he said, kneeling beside her.
"I was only trying to be kind," she whispered brokenly, burying her face in his shoulder. "I don't know why she hates me so much."
Mo Yiran held her close, his hand gently rubbing her back. "Don't worry. She doesn't deserve your kindness. I'll make sure she regrets it."
Just then, Mo Yize strolled into the garden, holding a small dessert bowl in his hand, the osmanthus jelly he'd begged from Xia Ruyan. She had asked Marie to prepare a portion especially for him. His mouth was stuffed with the fragrant, translucent treat as he approached the scene.
"Oh, you're still crying?" he said, eyebrows raised. "How much water can one person produce?"
Mo Yiran shot him a glare. Mo Yize shrugged carelessly. Of all the brothers, he feared only the eldest, Mo Yichen. The second brother, Yiran? As far as he was concerned, Yiran had water in his brain, too soft-hearted for idiots, to be taken seriously.
Ye Yutong looked up, wounded. "Yize… you think I was acting too?"
Mo Yize snorted dryly. "Please. Everyone in this house knows my sister-in-law is mysophobic. You, as an outsider, clearly don't. All she asked was for her utensils to be replaced. You're the one who started crying, looking for sympathy from my mom, and now from this brain-dead simp."
Yutong stiffened.
Yize continued with the casual cruelty only the brutally honest youngest sibling could wield. "When you realized she wasn't someone you could suppress with crocodile tears, you ran off to sulk. Honestly, it's embarrassing."
Among the Mo family, the youngest was the most unfiltered. He wore his opinions openly, cared little for diplomacy, and wasn't a fan of Ye Yutong to begin with. This 24-year-old man-child had long been praying that his eldest brother, whom he idolized, would be saved from Miss Ye.
And now, he likes Xia Ruyan, watching her dismantle his mother's theatrics with a calm voice and razor-sharp words. It only sealed the deal. Even their father wouldn't dare talk back like that to their mother.
"Mo Yize, get lost!" Mo Yiran shouted, voice tight with anger.
Yize stuck out his tongue, completely unfazed. "Yes, yes, Mr. Simp. I'm going."
He sauntered off, still chewing contentedly on his dessert, utterly satisfied with the chaos he'd left behind.
Inside the house, Mo Yichen found himself once again drawn to Ruyan's room.
She was on the balcony, wrapped in a soft blanket, a thick book open in her lap, and a cup of tea steaming beside her. The evening breeze gently stirred the loose strands of her hair. She looked utterly composed, detached from the chaos of the house.
He knocked once on the doorframe before stepping in. She looked up, calmly placed a finger between the pages to mark her spot before closing the book.
"President Mo," she said coolly, her tone polite yet unmistakably distant, like a hostess questioning an uninvited guest.
"You didn't eat properly," he said after a pause, attempting to start a conversation. Her expression didn't soften. An eyebrow arched in quiet mockery, unimpressed by his sudden concern.
"You should try being more cordial with the rest of the family," he added, voice edged with a trace of irritation. "How do you expect to live like this… with that kind of personality, for a lifetime?"
He hadn't meant it to come out that way. He wanted to talk to her, truly, but his pride was a bitter root, and it twisted his words before they reached his lips. Ruyan looked up again, and this time her eyes locked with his. Amber and burning, like molten lava sealed under a layer of ice. The kind of gaze that saw through armor and touched the raw places underneath.
"There's no need," she said, each word delivered with quiet precision. "I'm not here for life."
And just like that, the silence that followed was heavier than anger, denser than any argument. He stood frozen, a thousand unsaid things caught between his chest and his pride, while she calmly reopened her book, as if the conversation had already ended.
The next day was lazy. It was the weekend, and Xia Ruyan was free, so she spent her time reading. The evening plan to meet Mo Yichen's friends was cancelled, he said he had an important meeting.
But the truth was different. He was actually avoiding her. Her words, though true, had stirred something painful in him. Something he had buried deep. So, he decided to plan his revenge, without any real reason, another day.
At noon, Ruyan took her car out for a spin. She drove aimlessly around the city, lost in thought, until she stopped in front of a small, dusty shop. It was an old bookstore. She parked her car and walked in.
The shop was old, yes, but clean. An old man sat behind the counter, peering at her through his glasses. His gaze lingered, clearly impressed by her elegance and striking beauty. She gave him a polite nod and walked past him into the maze of bookshelves. From rack to rack, shelf to shelf, she explored the store.
There's a different kind of romance in old books. Forgotten novels, abandoned by someone long ago. The little marks on pages, the folded corners, the words highlighted in anger or circled in sadness, books held those emotions like silent witnesses.
She pulled out a worn copy of a Shakespearean tragedy. She had read it before, but still, she flipped through the yellowed pages. Her eyes skimmed until they landed on the final act, where the male lead sobbed in regret after murdering his beloved. She read it slowly.
Then sighed. She didn't feel sorrow. Only pity, for a moment. Then, she put the book back in its place and left the shop without buying anything. Her mood turned off a bit.
By the time she returned to Mo Mansion, it was already 6 p.m. Grandfather Mo, sitting alone in the living hall, invited her for a game of chess, and she agreed. After freshening up, she joined him in the drawing room. A cup of mint lemon tea was served to her, the fragrance gently swirled in the air.
The game was intense. Xia Ruyan had Grandfather Mo on the defensive, leaving him with no room to counterattack. The board stood at a stalemate. While both were consumed in the game, Mo Yiran suddenly stormed in, bringing with him Miss Ye and Miss Zhang, Ye Yutong's so-called friend.
"XIA RUYAN!" Mo Yiran bellowed, stepping forward with his hand raised, ready to slap her.
But before he could strike, Marie appeared out of nowhere, caught his wrist mid-air, and shoved him back with force. Ruyan didn't even flinch. She just looked at him. Calmly and coldly.
Grandfather Mo stood up in rage. "What are you doing?! How dare you?!" he shouted, his booming voice echoing through the house. His shouts drew everyone in Madam Mo, Mo Yichen, Mo Yize, the butler, and several servants all gathered in the hall.
"Grandpa, ask this vicious woman why she pushed Zhang Lili! Her foot is badly injured!" Mo Yiran yelled.
"What nonsense are you spouting?" Grandfather Mo growled.
Mo Yichen stepped forward too, about to intervene...…but then something in him paused. A voice whispered inside him: Don't help her. Let her suffer. Make her uncomfortable. Make her beg you.
So, he stopped.
"Miss Xia, I don't even know you... Why would you hurt me?" Zhang Lili sobbed dramatically.
"How about we forget this, Lili?" Ye Yutong said, acting as though she was trying to calm the situation. "Miss Xia probably didn't mean it… Miss Xia, please apologize so we can settle this."
Her tone was polite, but her words were sharp, clearly blaming Ruyan.
"She's just vicious. Don't waste your kindness, Tongtong," Madam Mo sneered.
Ruyan finally spoke. "When and where?"
Her gaze locked onto Zhang Lili, whose neck was now damp with sweat. The air seemed to grow colder around her. The woman sitting before her, dressed in all white, was stunning. The most beautiful woman Lili had ever seen. But something about her… made her skin crawl in fear.
"W-what?" Lili stammered.
"Mam is asking when and where she hurt you?" Marie translated; her smile gone, replaced by a sharp, stony expression.
"In the back garden… about half an hour ago…" Lili answered, voice trembling.
"You saw me?" Ruyan asked again. Her voice was soft, but it demanded attention. No one dared interrupt.
"Y-yes…" Lili swallowed.
"What was I wearing?" Ruyan asked, casually sipping her tea. The calmness was maddening.
"Miss Xia, you're scaring Lili!" Ye Yutong interrupted.
Ruyan looked at her. "Are you her mother?" Ye Yutong was speechless.
"Or is she just brainless?" Ruyan added.
"You were… You were wearing a pink dress…" Lili answered, trying to keep her composure.
Marie scoffed. "Are you playing a fool? Who even are you? Miss Xia has been playing chess with Elder Mo for the past 40 minutes. And she never wears pink."
"Marie, retrieve the CCTV footage," Ruyan ordered.
"Yes, Ma'am." Marie complied instantly. Ye Yutong and Zhang Lili turned pale.
"I think we can just forget this," Yutong said quickly.
"Yes, no need to make a scene," Madam Mo added, realizing that Yutong's little scheme had failed. She understood, after all, Yutong had been spoiled since childhood. How could someone like her bear a loss? The humiliation she suffered yesterday must have been unbearable. Of course, she wouldn't let it slide. In Madam Mo's eyes, Ye Yutong was not vicious, just a naive and pampered girl.
But they were ignored. The footage came. It clearly showed Zhang Lili faking the injury, bandaging a perfectly fine foot while she and Yutong laughed like it was a joke.
Grandfather Mo exploded. "You, Ye girl, how dare you try to frame my granddaughter-in-law? Are you looking down on the Mo family?! You bring this random woman here and think you can treat us like fools?!"
"Father… Yutong was just confused for a moment. She's kind… It was just an impulse. Please don't be angry," Madam Mo said anxiously.
"Grandpa, Yutong is just gullible. Let's not escalate things," Mo Yichen added calmly. He didn't want to provoke the Ye family too much, at least not for now. For the sake of the bigger picture, it was wiser to let this matter slide. His words alone seemed to carry enough weight to make everyone forget the incident altogether. Both Mo Yiran and Ye Yutong breathed a sigh of relief.
But Xia Ruyan had other plans. As everyone turned to leave and pacify grandfather, her voice cut through the air.
"Stop." The command was soft, but sharp enough to freeze the room.
She extended her hand, and Marie stepped forward, placing a pair of black leather gloves into her delicate palms. Ruyan wore them slowly, deliberately, as if she had all the time in the world.
Then she walked toward Mo Yiran. Disgust was plain on her face.
"Didn't your parents teach you to apologize?" she asked, her voice dangerously calm.
"Apologize to YOU? Know your....."
SLAP.
A crisp, heavy slap echoed through the grand hall. Mo Yiran stumbled back, clutching his cheek. Everyone froze. Madam Mo gasped, a hand flying to her mouth. Zhang Lili let out a low whimper, her knees buckling slightly.
Ye Yutong visibly flinched, her fake composure slipping as her eyes darted toward the exit like a cornered rat. Mo Yize blinked and straightened, clearly surprised. He hurriedly started recording.
Grandfather Mo's eyebrows raised, but not in disapproval. Instead, a faint smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. He leaned back in his chair, watching with quiet satisfaction. Someone must teach this waste grandson a lesson.
Mo Yichen's jaw tensed. His fists clenched at his sides. His first instinct was to step in, but he didn't. He stood rooted, conflicted. He told himself he should be angry, but deep down, he felt something else: awe. Pride. Even… attraction.
Before Mo Yiran could stand straight.....
SLAP.
Another brutal hit landed, cracking the silence again. Blood welled up at the corner of his lip. His eyes widened with disbelief, the sting worse than anything he'd ever felt....not just on his face, but on his ego. This time Zhang Lili fell to the ground, and the air was so cold that she found it hard to breathe. Ruyan didn't even blink. Her expression remained ice-cold. Dead calm.
No one had ever treated Mo Yiran like this. Especially not a woman. Marie stepped forward, calm as ever, and gently removed the gloves from Ruyan's hands.
"What foot is injured?" Ruyan asked, her tone casual as she walked back to the chessboard.
"Left foot, Mam," Marie replied, a smirk playing on her lips. Ruyan made her final move on the board.
Checkmate.
She stood tall, her gaze sweeping across everyone in the room. Then she spoke:
"I don't ask for acceptance. But I demand respect."
...As Xia Ruyan took a seat, her presence overwhelming, her calmness more terrifying than fury.
"If you dare raise your hand again....." Ruyan's voice was glacial, laced with an authority no one had granted her, yet everyone felt, "—I'll make sure it's the last time you ever lift it."