《After Being A Marriage Stand-in, I Disguised As An Ugly Woman》 Chapter 1 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Meanwhile, in Jiang City, the Mo family¡¯s servants quietly did their work in the Mo family¡¯s old residence as usual. If anything was different about the Mo family, it was probably the red double happiness sticker outside Young Master Mo He¡¯s room. That¡¯s right! It was Young Master Mo He¡¯s big day! However, the Mo family seemed to not care for the wedding. Especially the groom, Mo He. The bride-to-be was already at the Mo family residence for about four to five hours, yet no one was around. Xia Yan sat in the bride¡¯s room with a traditional red Chinese wedding veil on her head. Her hands were intertwined as she silently muttered something. The wedding was such a waste of time. Xia Yan woke up early in the morning to freshen up, but no one from the Mo family came to pick her up at noon. It wasn¡¯t until two to three o¡¯clock that a black car with two red letters stuck on its window arrived to take her away. Xia Yan didn¡¯t mind. After all, she never intended to agree to this wedding. If she weren¡¯t worried about her grandmother¡¯s condition, she wouldn¡¯t have let others control her. Xia Yan couldn¡¯t help but sigh at the thought of her unconscious grandmother. Suddenly, someone forcefully pushed open the room door from the outside. With a bang, she shuddered and looked in the direction of the door. Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t see what was happening because of the red veil covering her head and face. However, the other person didn¡¯t make her wait. Xia Yan heard hurried footsteps, and before she could react, the person lifted her veil. She looked up and saw a pair of fierce eyes staring at her. Xia Yan blinked her almond-shaped eyes and stared back. The other person didn¡¯t expect to see such a fierce gaze. The person felt their heart skip a beat when they saw her blinking eyes. However, when the two gazes met, a wave of anger surged through the person. ¡°Who are you?!¡± Mo He glared at the woman who was sitting on the bed. Mo He¡¯s question was somewhat pointless. The next moment, the woman¡¯s fear-filled eyes slowly curved upward. Mo He heard a soft and gentle voice say, ¡°I am your wife!¡± Those words struck hard at Mo He¡¯s heart as he furiously threw the red veil in his hand to the ground. He harshly accused, ¡°You aren¡¯t Xia Rou!¡± Mo He wasn¡¯t angry because he was in love with Xia Rou. It was because the Xia family dared to replace his bride with someone who wasn¡¯t of equal status. If Mo He hadn¡¯t bumped into Xia Rou at the Dawn Manor, he wouldn¡¯t have known who this monster was. Xia Yan blinked her eyes and looked at Mo He. ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m Xia Yan!¡± Mo He tightly clenched his fists. He knew the woman before him was the Xia family¡¯s second daughter, who became disfigured a few years ago. He noticed this because of her signature black mask on her face. Mo He tried his best to calm down by taking a deep breath. He didn¡¯t want to stress his body just for an unimportant marriage. While he tried to remain calm, Xia Yan cautiously looked at the man before her. ¡®Does Xia Rou like this person? Judging from how he stood before me, he didn¡¯t look disabled. Especially his face.¡¯ Xia Yan couldn¡¯t help but praise in her heart, ¡®If Xia Rou knew Mo He was like this, she would have packed her bags and rushed over to marry him! Unfortunately, he¡¯s marrying me now.¡¯ Xia Yan¡¯s gaze made Mo He feel uncomfortable. He glared fiercely at Xia Rou, turned around, and walked away angrily. ¡°Hey, where are you going?¡± Xia Yan got up and tried following Mo He, but he slammed the door shut five centimeters from the tip of her nose. Xia Yan rubbed her nose, turned around, and returned to the bedside to sit down. She wouldn¡¯t have sat there obediently if her future mother-in-law hadn¡¯t ordered her not to leave the room without permission. Mo He quickly walked to the living room and saw his mother, Jiang Qiu, and Qiu Xin sitting together as they stared at him. Qiu Xin stood up and walked toward Mo He as she asked with concern, ¡°Mo He, are you okay? You don¡¯t look too good.¡± Mo He tugged at his tie with annoyance. ¡°Send that woman back to the Xia family!¡± Jiang Qiu was stunned as she glanced at the room upstairs. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Did Xia Rou irritate you?¡± ¡°She¡¯s not Xia Rou!¡± Mo He¡¯s tone became even more vicious as veins appeared on his forehead. ¡°That¡¯s not Xia Rou? Then who is she?¡± Jiang Qiu looked at Mo He in puzzlement. Mo He picked up his phone and called his assistant, Liao Chen. Soon after, Liao Chen brought over a few printed documents and handed them to Mo He. Then Mo He spread the documents across the table. Jiang Qiu and Qiu Xin stuck their heads out to take a look. They couldn¡¯t help but gasp at what they saw. ¡°Is the one on top that ugly person from the Xia family?¡± Qiu Xin made no effort to hide her disgust. Mu He felt even more sullen when he heard that, while Jiang Qiu immediately instructed the butler to call the Xia family. ¡°Hello, who am I speaking to?¡± A scratchy voice echoed from the phone. ¡°This is the Mo family residence. I¡¯m calling to speak to Madam Xia.¡± ¡°U-Um, Madam is¡­¡± The Xia family¡¯s housekeeper stammered. Jiang Qiu frowned and stared at the butler. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The butler was at a loss. He spoke into the phone, ¡°Is Madam Xia busy?¡± ¡°N-No, that¡¯s not it. Madam Xia misses her daughter so much that she fainted,¡± The housekeeper sighed and spoke the truth. Chapter 2 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Jiang Qiu slammed the table and snatched the phone from the butler. ¡°Tell Madam Xia to stop pretending! Her daughter isn¡¯t even married yet!¡± ¡°H-How is that possible?! We have already sent Young Miss Xia off to get married. Please wait a moment while I get Madam Xia right away!¡± The housekeeper cried out in surprise. Jiang Qiu¡¯s eyes narrowed tightly. After a short while, a weak voice echoed from the phone, ¡°Madam Mo, are you there?¡± Jiang Qiu raised her eyebrows and replied, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here. Do you not dare to answer my calls?¡± The voice coming from the other side sounded like the person was crying as she spoke, ¡°What are you talking about, Madam Mo? My daughter is about to get married, and I can¡¯t take it¡­¡± ¡°Stop acting!¡± Jiang Qiu fiercely interrupted. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know what you mean.¡± A startled voice rang from the phone. ¡°Don¡¯t you know who your daughter is marrying?¡±Jiang Qiu¡¯s tone became even more uninviting. She didn¡¯t wait for the other person to reply and hung up the phone. Soon after, the Mo family residence¡¯s phone rang. The butler stood at the sidelines dutifully with his body slightly lowered and said to Jiang Qiu, ¡°Madam Mo, Madam Xia is calling.¡± Jiang Qiu frowned and took the phone from the butler. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Madam Mo, I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s been a misunderstanding between us.¡± Madam Xia¡¯s voice carried a sense of urgency. ¡°What misunderstanding? Does your family dare to trick us?!¡± Jiang Qiu said sneeringly. ¡°I think you need to withdraw from Jiang City¡¯s market as soon as possible!¡± ¡°D-Don¡¯t say that!¡± Yao Qing¡¯s tone became even more humble. ¡°This is what happened, we dressed Xia Rou up in the morning, but we didn¡¯t expect Xia Yan to hire someone to knock Xia Rou unconscious. Xia Yan even took her to the Dawn Manor!¡± ¡°Xia Rou had just gotten home, and we recently found out that the shameless b*tch, Xia Yan wanted to marry Mo He. I know that it¡¯s the Xia family¡¯s fault, but¡­¡± Yao Qing said, trying to sound as pitiful as possible. Jiang Qiu rudely interrupted when she heard this, ¡°That¡¯s enough! My family will do as we see fit!¡± She hung up the phone and rubbed the sides of her head. Seeing this, Qiu Xin approached Jiang Qiu and gently gave her shoulders a massage. ¡°Don¡¯t be so angry, Aunt Mo. You¡¯ll put stress on your body.¡± Jiang Qiu patted Qiu Xin¡¯s hand with relief and sighed, ¡°You¡¯re the most considerate person I know, Qiu Xin.¡± Qiu Xin lowered her head shyly. Then Jiang Qiu looked at Mo He, who sat nearby as he sulked. ¡°What do you plan on doing, Mo He?¡± ¡°Send that woman back to the Xia family!¡± Mo He unkindly said as he glared fiercely at the documents before him. Jiang Qiu glanced at the butler, and the butler immediately accepted the order. He proceeded to go upstairs and help the fake bride pack, but before the butler could reach the stairs, Mo He stood up and said, ¡°Forget it!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Jiang Qiu looked at Mo He worriedly. ¡°I don¡¯t care who the Xia family sends anyway!¡± Mo He gritted his teeth and walked toward the study. ¡°This marriage is just a collaboration with them. Let that woman stay!¡± ¡°B-But Mo He.¡± Qiu Xin quickly got up and chased after him. ¡°Xia Yan is a detestable person. How can you tolerate her stay?¡± Qiu Xin grabbed Mo He¡¯s sleeve, afraid that he would keep Xia Yan at their residence. Qiu Xin was unwilling to let Mo He go through with the wedding when she heard he was to marry Xia Rou of the Xia family. Jiang Qiu had also mentioned that this was a collaboration between their family and the Xia family. Although Mo He and Xia Rou hadn¡¯t interacted much, he was handsome and rugged, while the other was the number one beauty in Jiang City. People would speak highly of this power couple. Qiu Xin tried her best to persuade Jiang Qiu, but she only said that Mo He was highly opinionated. Even if Xia Rou was beautiful, she wasn¡¯t worthy of being the young madam of the Mo family, as they were the number one aristocratic family in Jiang City. However, no one expected Mo Yu not to care who he was marrying, while Jiang Qiu had no objections to this marriage. After all, Mo He never had a woman by his side, especially after the accident. He became even more reluctant to interact with any woman. Since the two families had asked Mo He to get married, he decided to agree and have Xia Yan as a trophy wife. Mo He thought it would be better to marry one of the most beautiful women in Jiang City and add some charm to his family. Qiu Xin failed to persuade Mo He. She could only grit her teeth and watch as her family welcomed the woman in a red wedding dress. But things were different now because the woman wasn¡¯t Xia Rou. Qiu Xin felt that she should seize the opportunity and rid Mo He of Xia Yan as quickly as possible. She blinked her eyes and looked at Mo He pitifully. ¡°My heart ached for you, Mo He. I wonder how much others would laugh and mock us¡­¡± Suddenly, Mo He turned and stared at Qiu Xin when he heard her words. He raised his eyebrows and sneered, ¡°You think others would laugh at me?¡± Qiu Xin realized she had misspoken and quickly defended herself, ¡°N-No, Mo He. I-I didn¡¯t mean that! I only thought that keeping that woman in the Mo family would affect your reputation¡­¡± Mo He frowned as Qiu Xin realized she had misspoken again. She lowered her head and tried to find an excuse when Jiang Qiu stood up and walked toward the two. Jiang Qiu sighed and looked up at her tall son. ¡°Qiu Xin is only worried about you. After all, we can¡¯t trust Xia Yan.¡± ¡°Then she can never leave our family!¡± Mo He said rudely. He shook off Qiu Xin¡¯s hand and stormed out of the living room. Qiu Xin stood in place, her hands clenched into fists. She looked at Mo He as he left and gritted her teeth. ¡°I must get rid of Xia Yan! I¡¯m the only young mistress of the Mo family!¡± Chapter 3 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Meanwhile, Xia Yan stayed in the room for two more hours, getting hungry and thirsty. She searched the room but couldn¡¯t find anything to eat or drink. Xia Yan couldn¡¯t stand it any longer. She pushed the door open and was about to leave when someone appeared at the door. It was a young girl who looked to be in her teens. She had two braids behind her head. ¡°What can I do for you, Young Madam?¡± ¡°I¡¯m getting hungry. Can you bring me something to eat?¡± Xia Yan rubbed her stomach and asked. The young girl looked at Xia Yan embarrassedly and then looked downstairs. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me where the kitchen is? Then I can go and get something to eat myself,¡± Xia Yan continued. After all, she had just entered the Mo family residence and wasn¡¯t familiar with the place. It would be inconvenient for her to search for food independently. However, the little girl hurriedly shook her head as her two braids swayed non-stop. ¡°N-No! Madam Mo has instructed you to stay in this room!¡± Xia Yan was shocked as her eyebrows furrowed. ¡°I can¡¯t leave the room?¡± ¡°Yes! Madam Mo has told me that you are not allowed to leave this room from today onward.¡± The little girl dutifully revised Madam Mo¡¯s orders. Xia Yan became furious when she heard this. ¡°I married into the Mo family! This isn¡¯t a jail sentence!¡± The little girl replied with a serious expression, ¡°Madam Mo said that you¡¯re not allowed to leave!¡± Xia Yan grew angrier by the minute. Then her stomach started rumbling as she decided to solve her hunger before dealing with anything else. ¡°Then can I trouble you to make some food for me?¡± The little girl was hesitant to help. She looked at Xia Yan as if to confirm something. Xia Yan could tell at a glance why the little girl hesitated. She raised a hand and said, ¡°I promise not to leave this room if you go and get me some food, okay?¡± ¡°Do you promise not to leave before I get back?¡± The little girl didn¡¯t trust Xia Yan. The woman sighed and said helplessly, ¡°I¡¯m so hungry that I can barely walk. I can¡¯t go anywhere even if I wanted to.¡± The little girl pondered and then nodded. ¡°Okay then! I¡¯ll be back soon! Please go back into the room and wait, Young Madam!¡± Xia Yan took a deep breath and gave the little girl a thumbs up. She took two steps backward and closed the door. She was worried that the little girl would be skeptical, so she shouted, ¡°See?! I¡¯m already in the room and can¡¯t leave!¡± But there was no response. Soon after, two light knocks sounded from the door. ¡°C-Come in!¡± Xia Yan said weakly. The door opened, and the little girl from before appeared. She placed the plate before Xia Yan and prepared to leave. Xia Yan looked at the plate and became angry. ¡°Is the Mo family so poor that they can only serve their guests this little?¡± There were only a few pieces of stale bread and some discolored sausages on the plate. The little girl looked at Xia Yan and said, ¡°Madam Mo said you shouldn¡¯t overeat since you just got married.¡± ¡°What?! That doesn¡¯t mean you can serve me this kind of food!¡± Xia Yan frowned as her expression turned unsightly. Although she had eaten a lot of stale food when she lived with Xia family, she was now the young madam of the Mo family. The little girl looked at the plate and walked toward Xia Yan. ¡°If you¡¯re not hungry, I will take this away,¡± The little girl said as she picked up the plate and prepared to leave. Xia Yan gritted her teeth and snorted, ¡°All right, fine! Bring me a glass of water!¡± ¡°Mhm,¡± The little girl replied and walked out of the room. Soon after, she returned with a glass of cold water and placed it before Xia Yan. The woman stared at the glass for a while when her stomach growled again. She picked up the glass and downed it in a single gulp. Xia Yan almost got a brain freeze from chugging a glass of cold water. Her anger seemed to lessen after that. She put the cup aside and sized up the little girl before her. ¡°What is your name?¡± The little girl raised her head and looked at Xia Yan disdainfully. ¡°My name is Du Xia.¡± Chapter 4 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Yan didn¡¯t know why Du Xia was so hostile toward her. ¡°Does Madam¡­ I mean, does my mother-in-law have any opinions about me?¡± Xia Yan had a ¡®Take things as they come¡¯ attitude toward life. Since she was already a part of the Mo family, she decided to be a dutiful wife and carry on the family¡¯s legacy. Du Xia looked at the woman with an amusingly stern expression. ¡°Madam Mo said you lied to the Xia and Mo family.¡± ¡°She called me a liar?¡± Xia Yan pointed at her nose and asked in disbelief. ¡°Yes, she did!¡± Du Xia replied without hesitation. Xia Yan sneered, ¡°Okay, then are you also dissatisfied with a liar like me?¡± Du Xia pursed her lips and said, ¡°Since I am a maid, I dare not be dissatisfied with you.¡± Xia Yan shook her head and smiled bitterly. She didn¡¯t know how to respond to such a straightforward little girl. She pondered and asked, ¡°Where is Young Master Mo He? I have something to tell him.¡± ¡°Young Master Mo He is in his study. You are not allowed to leave this room.¡± Xia Yan was helpless. ¡°B-But I need to tell your young master something. I can¡¯t speak to him if he doesn¡¯t come here.¡± Du Xia seemed troubled. However, Xia Yan didn¡¯t rush the little girl. She only said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell Young Master Mo He that I have something to tell him and see how he responds?¡± ¡°Then Young Madam should¡­¡± Du Xia fixed her gaze on Xia Yan, afraid she would trick her. Du Xia¡¯s worry amused Xia Yan. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Du Xia. I will stay in this room obediently.¡± Du Xia pondered and said, ¡°I will relay this to the butler.¡± Xia Yan wanted to say something, but she stopped. She decided to thank Du Xia instead. When the little girl left, Xia Yan got up and looked for her luggage. She searched through her bag and made sure she had everything she needed. Then she stretched and decided to take a shower. ¡®Mo He probably won¡¯t come to this room anytime soon, so I can relax for a bit.¡¯ Xia Yan walked to the bathroom and turned on the tap to wash away her fatigue with hot water. After taking a shower, she looked at her fair and smooth face in the bathroom mirror. The mist didn¡¯t affect her natural beauty. Xia Rou was supposed to marry into the Mo family today. Xia Yan wouldn¡¯t have been here if her grandmother¡¯s life weren¡¯t in danger. Xia Yan and Yao Qing¡¯s lives drastically changed ever since Xia Yan¡¯s mother passed away and her father remarried. Her once loving father had become mean, especially after her stepmother brought Xia Rou home. Xia Rou was one year older than Xia Yan, making her father even more biased toward Xia Rou. Everything that Xia Yan¡¯s mother did for her in the past was futile in her father¡¯s eyes, and the only person that loved Xia Yan was her grandmother. She once thought that she would be free from restrictions and lead her grandmother toward a better life when she finally grew up. However, she didn¡¯t expect her grandmother to fall ill when her beautiful life began. Xia Yan held her grandmother¡¯s critical report and slid to the ground in the hospital corridor, unable to gather her thoughts. It wasn¡¯t easy to find a capable doctor who could treat her grandmother, Fang Yao. However, Xia Rou interfered and used Fang Yao¡¯s life to force her into marrying Mo He. Xia Yan shivered at the thought of Xia Rou¡¯s terrifying yet beautiful face. She raised her head and looked in the mirror, then she reached out and gently touched her fair skin. If it weren¡¯t for Xia Yan¡¯s big brother standing up for her back then, her face would have been filled with scars, just as the rumors suggested. Previously, Xia Rou hired someone to cut Xia Yan¡¯s face because some students thought she wasn¡¯t as beautiful as her younger sister. They were only thirteen or fifteen years old at that time. Since then, Xia Yan decided to wear a black mask, even though her brother saved her. She then bribed the people who wanted to hurt her and told them to spread the news that she was injured. Although Xia Yan spent a lot of money, she managed to get Xia Rou off her back. After that, the Xia family lost a beautiful daughter. Xia Yan looked into the mirror and put her black mask back on. Chapter 5 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Yan tidied herself up and exited the bathroom when she saw Du Xia walking in. ¡°Young Master Mo He said he¡¯s busy and doesn¡¯t have the time to come and see you,¡± Du Xia said expressionlessly. Xia Yan only shrugged as she guessed Mo He would react that way. ¡°Well, since I have nothing to do around here, you can leave and get some rest. I want to get some sleep as well,¡± Xia Yan said as she stretched. ¡°Oh,¡± Du Xia replied as she hesitated before leaving the room. Xia Yan then picked up her phone and contacted her best friend, Jiang Tong. ¡°How¡¯s it going, newlywed? How¡¯s your first day at the Mo family residence?¡± Jiang Tong teased. ¡°Go ahead and make fun of me.¡± Xia Yan leaned lazily against the bed¡¯s headboard and gently tugged at her mask. Then she looked around the room and frowned. ¡°What? Are you disappointed that the groom isn¡¯t there to accompany you on your wedding night?¡± Jiang Tong giggled. ¡°Forget about the groom. I haven¡¯t seen anyone else besides his servants!¡± Xia Yan scolded as she sounded listless. ¡°It¡¯s not like you to say such things, Xia Yan.¡± Jiang Tong was surprised. ¡°Didn¡¯t you try winning your mother-in-law¡¯s favor?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve grounded me in my room. How am I supposed to do that?¡± Xia Yan sighed deeply. ¡°You¡¯re grounded? How is that possible?!¡± Jiang Tong laughed aloud. ¡°No one can ground you!¡± Xia Yan nodded and smiled, ¡°You know me better than anyone else.¡± ¡°Then what are you planning to do?¡± Jiang Tong asked curiously. ¡°I¡¯m going to build a healthy relationship with my new family,¡± Xia Yan replied casually. Jiang Tong laughed heartily and stopped after a while. Then her tone changed as she said excitedly, ¡°By the way, I have some great news for you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Xia Yan blinked and noticed something. ¡°D-Did you pass the trial?¡± ¡°Not just that. It was also well-received!¡± Rustling sounds echoed from the phone as if Jiang Tong was looking for something. The two had waited for nearly half a year for this day. ¡°I¡¯ll take a picture and send it to you, so I¡¯ll hang up for now.¡± Then Jiang Tong immediately hung up the phone without waiting for Xia Yan¡¯s reply. Xia Yan was stunned when she heard the clicking sound from her phone. Immediately after, he got a notification on her phone. She opened the message and saw the approval record of Jiang Tong¡¯s work and evaluation instructions. Xia Yan flipped through the evaluation records and received another notification. She opened the message and saw a congratulations emoji that Jiang Tong made of her profile picture. Xia Yan couldn¡¯t decide if she should laugh or cry when she saw the emoji. After a long while, she sent a voice message, ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble you and Qui Kai to keep me posted. Thank you for all your hard work.¡± Jiang Tong quickly replied, ¡°Ew, why are you so polite to me? Anyway, it¡¯s getting late. You should get some rest. Oh, I wish you a happy marriage too!¡± Xia Yan shook her head when she saw the reply on her screen. She didn¡¯t know if she would be happy in this marriage, but she had to figure out a way to make the best of her situation. Xia Yan put her phone away, changed into her pajamas, and walked toward the door. She gently opened the door, but Du Xia wasn¡¯t there. ¡®Du Xia must¡¯ve gone to sleep, seeing as it¡¯s almost midnight.¡¯ Fortunately, the little girl wasn¡¯t persistent enough to guard Xia Yan¡¯s room for twenty-four hours. Otherwise, it would¡¯ve been harder for Xia Yan to get past her. Xia Yan pushed the door open and walked downstairs. The Mo family residence was quiet at this time, and only a few dim lights lit the way. There would occasionally be flashing lights outside the old residence since the guards walked around at night. Xia Yan fumbled around, looking for the kitchen. She rummaged for something to eat, barely satisfying her hungry stomach. After exiting the kitchen, Xia Yan fixed her eyes on the direction of the stairs and reconfirmed if she was heading to the correct room. It was Xia Yan¡¯s first time in the Mo family residence, so she didn¡¯t know the layout. It was difficult for her to locate her husband, Mo He. Xia Yan heard a flirtatious laugh echoing from a room nearby. When the woman spoke, she wondered who the woman was, ¡°Try some, Mo He. It took me a lot of time and effort to make that chicken soup.¡± Xia Yan raised her eyebrows and thought of the soup she had just drunk. She smacked her lips and shook her head. Chapter 6 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Qiu walked toward the room following the woman¡¯s voice. The door was slightly ajar when she arrived, and a ray of light shone from inside. Xia Yan heard the woman¡¯s sweet voice, ¡°Mo He, I noticed that you haven¡¯t eaten much today. How could you do that?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t put your health aside for someone as ugly as Xia Yan. I¡¯ll feel sorry for you if you do that.¡± Xia Yan wrinkled her nose when she heard those words. It was evident that she wasn¡¯t satisfied with the woman¡¯s deliberate belittling, so she pushed the door open and walked in. Mo He immediately caught sight of Xia Yan as she entered, and his expression turned cold. ¡°Why did you come here?!¡± Qiu Xin, who leaned against Mo He, was startled by the woman¡¯s sudden appearance. After discovering that it was the ugly freak Xia Yan, she intentionally moved closer to Mo He. ¡°Hey, aren¡¯t you the famous ugly second miss of the Xia family?¡± Qiu Xin¡¯s words were painfully straightforward, but Xia Yan didn¡¯t even acknowledge her. She walked to the other side of Mo He and reached for the bowl of chicken soup on the bedside table. Qiu Xin shouted and snatched the bowl away. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Xia Yan sniffed and looked at the bowl of chicken soup. ¡°Isn¡¯t that made for someone to eat? I haven¡¯t eaten much today, and I can¡¯t even have some of my husband¡¯s soup?¡± ¡°What did you say?!¡± Qiu Xin screamed as if a needle had pricked her while Mo He furrowed his eyebrows tightly. It was evident he was irritated by Qiu Xin¡¯s sharp scream. Xia Yan stretched out a finger and dug her ear. ¡°Please stop screaming in the middle of the night. Speaking of the middle of the night, who are you? Why are you so close to my husband?¡± Hearing Xia Yan¡¯s words, Qiu Xin¡¯s face turned red. ¡°Mo He isn¡¯t your husband. He¡¯s my¡­¡± ¡°Your what?¡± Xia Yan asked without hesitation. Qiu Xin was shocked as she didn¡¯t know how to describe her relationship with Mo He. Xia Yan revealed a menacing smile as she walked toward Mo He, forcing Qiu Xin to step backward. ¡°What¡¯s that? You don¡¯t know what to say? You came to my husband¡¯s side in the middle of the night, and if news of this gets out, it wouldn¡¯t sound good no matter what you say.¡± Xia Yan forced Qiu Xin to back paddle, almost bumping into the cabinet behind her. ¡°Or are you doing this on purpose so others would think that you and my husband have some unspeakable secrets?¡± Xia Yan refused to let up and continued to pressure Qiu Xin. Suddenly, Mo He stood up as Xia Yan¡¯s words became increasingly bolder. ¡°That¡¯s enough! Leave here at once!¡± Xia Yan raised her eyebrows and turned to look at Mo He. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, hubby? Is your heart aching?¡± Mo He felt like he would puke after hearing Xia Yan call him hubby. He grabbed Xia Yan¡¯s jaw, causing the black mask to tighten. Mo He noticed the mask and thought of the terrifying face beneath it. Mo He tightened his grip on Xia Yan¡¯s face as she frowned. Xia Yan was dissatisfied with Mo He¡¯s violent behavior. Mo He glared at Xia Yan and sneered, ¡°Since you¡¯ve married into my family, you should be more obedient. You¡¯re not allowed to leave your room without my permission! Didn¡¯t Du Xia tell you that?¡± Xia Yan could only blink as Mo He¡¯s grip on her jaw made it difficult for her to breathe. Mo He looked at the way Xia Yan blinked, and for some reason, he felt like he was in a daze. A woman with an ugly face possessed such alluring eyes. Seeing that Mo He was in a daze, Xia Yan had no intention of letting go of her power over him. She reached out and frantically patted Mo He¡¯s arm. Only then did Mo He come back to his senses and let go of Xia Yan. She was finally able to breathe. Xia Yan panted as her voluptuous curves billowed beneath her pajamas. Mo He¡¯s gaze instinctively fell from Xia Yan¡¯s black mask to her billowing chest as a faint feminine fragrance drifted into his nose, putting him in a trance. Then he heard Qiu Xin anxiously calling out, ¡°Mo He, are you all right?¡± Qiu Xin stared blankly at Mo He as his gaze fixed on Xia Yan. This situation made Qiu Xin¡¯s heart tighten and flustered for some reason. Chapter 7 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Qiu Xin¡¯s call awakened Mo He. He sat on the chair and snorted, ¡°Both of you go back to your rooms at once!¡± Qiu Xin wanted to stay, but she worried Xia Yan would be thick-skinned and follow her lead. She could only nod and put the chicken soup on the table. ¡°Mo He, it¡¯s getting late. You should go to bed early after having some soup.¡± Xia Yan looked at the bowl and then at Qiu Xin. She raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°I¡¯m going back to my room, so I can get some early rest and see you tomorrow.¡± Then she blew a kiss to Mo He through her black mask. Mo He shuddered as his hair stood on end. ¡°Get out!¡± He thundered angrily as Xia Yan turned around and left with a sinister smile. Qiu Xin gritted her teeth and followed Xia Yan out of the study. When the two arrived at the door, Qiu Xin turned back and looked into the room. However, Xia Yan instantly closed the door behind them. Xia Yan crossed her arms and stood by the door. She sarcastically reminded Qiu Xin, ¡°Hubby told us to go to our rooms and sleep.¡± Qiu Xin gritted her teeth and glared at Xia Yan. ¡°You¡¯d better stop acting so smug.¡± Although the black mask covered Xia Yan¡¯s face, one could see from her eyes that she was smiling menacingly. ¡°I¡¯m a newlywed, so I can be smug if I want to.¡± Xia Yan stretched and walked upstairs to her room without waiting for Qiu Xin¡¯s reaction. ¡°I¡¯m going back to my room. Getting married took a lot out of me.¡± Qiu Xin was left at the study¡¯s door as she clenched her fists and glared at Xia Yan¡¯s figure. Xia Yan returned to her room, maintaining her menacing smile. She never thought that bullying a mistress in the middle of the night would be pretty enjoyable. However, that husband of hers was capable of eating anything. If Xia Yan weren¡¯t kind enough to stop him from eating Qiu Xin¡¯s horrible soup, he would¡¯ve had nightmares. Xia Yan couldn¡¯t help but stick out her tongue at the horrible taste of the chicken soup. After cleaning up, it was already past 1 am. She lay on the bed and closed her eyes, but she was picky about where she slept. But she couldn¡¯t get a good night¡¯s rest since she was unfamiliar with her environment. She also didn¡¯t remove her mast for caution¡¯s sake. Just as she was finally getting sleepy, the door opened. Xia Yan was shocked and jumped up from the bed. Mo He was also shocked when he saw Xia Yan jumping from the bed. The woman didn¡¯t expect her husband to return to her room. She sat on the bed and hugged her blanket tightly as she asked, ¡°W-What are you going to do?¡± Mo He frowned and looked at Xia Yan¡¯s guarded expression. ¡°This is my room, so naturally, I came here to sleep.¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re going to sleep here?¡± Xia Yan asked nervously as her voice trembled. Mo He raised his eyebrows and noticed Xia Yan¡¯s nervousness. Then he suddenly felt the need to tease her. Mo He approached the bed and stared into Xia Yan¡¯s alluring eyes. ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask me to come to bed early?¡± He said, deliberately leaning toward Xia Yan. The faint feminine fragrance once again drifted into Mo He¡¯s nose. This time, he was sure that it came from Xia Yan. Mo He¡¯s sudden approach made Xia Yan even more anxious. ¡°I-I just said that for fun!¡± Mo He looked at Xia Yan¡¯s blinking eyes and revealed a playful smile. He reached out and gently touched the woman¡¯s face. Xia Yan instinctively back paddled and avoided Mo He¡¯s hand. However, Mo He wasn¡¯t angry. He only straightened his body and glanced at Xia Yan before turning around. Then he walked toward the wardrobe. ¡°Since this is my room, it¡¯s only natural that I come here to sleep.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. With how you look, I won¡¯t do anything to you. As I said, so long as you don¡¯t leave this room, you will be the young madam of the Mo family. It would be best if I never catch you outside of this room. Do you understand?¡± Mo He picked up his change of clothes as he said this. Mo He looked at Xia Yan profoundly and walked into the bathroom without waiting for her reply. Meanwhile, Xia Yan heard water splashing around in the bathroom, so she nervously grabbed her blanket and gulped her saliva. With how Mo He was, Xia Yan should be safe for the time being. In that case, Xia Yan wrapped herself in the blanket and tightly closed her eyes. Chapter 8 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation When Mo He walked out of the bathroom, he saw Xia Yan wrapped in a blanket like a cocoon, occupying the entire bed. He frowned and looked at the bed and knew it was impossible to share it with Xia Yan. But there was only one bed in the room. Mo He regretted not taking his butler¡¯s advice when he suggested Xia Yan have her own room. He walked toward the bed and looked down at Xia Yan. ¡°Hey, get up!¡± Xia Yan kept her eyes closed and pretended not to hear Mo He. Mo He¡¯s tone became colder as he urged, ¡°Get up. I know you¡¯re not asleep.¡± Xia Yan still kept her eyes tightly shut. She wanted to protect her right to sleep on the bed. Mo He stared at Xia Yan, and after a while, he seemed to have thought of a solution. He reached out and picked Xia Yan up. Xia Yan was stunned. Then she opened her eyes and looked at Mo He, who was just inches away from her. ¡°W-What are you doing?!¡± She cried out in shock. But at that time, she was wrapped in her blanket and had no means of breaking free. She could only remain still as Mo He moved her from the bed to the sofa. Mo He threw Xia Yan onto the sofa with a loud thud. She cried in pain and finally pulled her arms out of the blanket. ¡°You¡¯re not a real man, Mo He!¡± Xia Yan thundered. However, Mo He calmly lay on the bed, closed his eyes, and replied, ¡°Whether or not I am a man is not for you to decide.¡± His words silenced the nervous Xia Yan. Xia Yan wrapped herself in the blanket and lay on the sofa. She muttered under her breath, ¡°You have no class for a man. It serves you right that you don¡¯t have a blanket to cover yourself.¡± After that, Xia Yan turned around and sulkily buried her face on the sofa. Mo He waited for a response, and when he saw Xia Yan remain still, he slowly raised his hands and looked at them in a daze. When he lifted Xia Yan from the bed, he felt her soft skin on his hands. It was his first time being in such close contact with a woman¡¯s body. Xia Yan¡¯s feminine fragrance lingered in his nose, and her soft skin made him unable to sleep for a long while. After some time, Mo He finally fell asleep. Early the following morning, a loud sneeze woke Xia Yan up. She turned her head and looked toward the bed in a daze and saw Mo He curled up as his entire body trembled. Xia Yan was stunned before realizing that Mo He was freezing because he had no blanket to cover him the entire night. ¡°What an idiot,¡± she snorted before covering Mo He with her blanket. Although Mo He had thrown Xia Yan onto the sofa tastelessly, at least she had the warmth of her blanket to protect her from the cold. She opened the door and saw Du Xia already standing guard. ¡°Du Xia, can you pour me a cup of hot water and prepare some cold medicine?¡± Du Xia was puzzled as she asked, ¡°Are you feeling unwell, Young Madam Mo?¡± Xia Yan smiled embarrassedly. ¡°Young Master Mo He seems to have caught a cold.¡± Du Xia looked into the room with surprise when she heard Xia Yan¡¯s words. She saw Mo He wrapped in a blanket as he shivered on the bed. Du Xia then hurriedly ran downstairs and reported the situation to the butler. Soon after, Jiang Qiu and Qiu Xin came to Mo He¡¯s side and brought some hot water and cold medicine with them. Jiang Qiu didn¡¯t waste any time with Xia Yan¡¯s greetings as she rushed to the bedside to check on Mo He¡¯s condition. Mo He remained on the bed and coughed. ¡°Mom, why are you here?¡± ¡°I came to see you, my child. How did you get sick so suddenly?¡± Jiang Qiu asked with worry. ¡°Mo He, did that woman¡­¡± Qiu Xin wanted to ask him what they did last night that caused him to get a cold. But she couldn¡¯t exactly ask him this question. She could only point fingers at Xia Yan. Xia Yan shrugged as she looked at Jiang Qiu and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mother-in-law. He¡¯s probably not used to living with a wife in the same room, so he¡­¡± Hearing Xia Yan¡¯s words, Qiu Xin¡¯s face turned unsightly. ¡°How can you be so shameless?!¡± ¡°Did I say something to offend you?¡± Xia Yan asked with an aggrieved expression. Since the two had only gotten married yesterday, others couldn¡¯t ask much about the fact that they slept together. Jiang Qiu initially thought that Mo He was dissatisfied with his marriage and bride, but just as Jiang Qiu hesitated, Mo He said, ¡°I didn¡¯t cover myself with a blanket last night. You don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡± Chapter 9 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Mo He¡¯s words were equivalent to protecting Xia Yan. It was inappropriate for others to question what the newlyweds were up to in the bedroom, which caused Mo He to catch a cold. But since Mo He was sick, someone had to take care of him. Jiang Qiu didn¡¯t trust Xia Yan, but it wasn¡¯t the right time for her to kick her daughter-in-law out of the room. Jiang Qiu pondered and ordered the servant to boil some ginger soup for Mo He so that it could expel the cold air coursing through his body. ¡°Call Doctor Liang over,¡± Jiang Qiu instructed as she tightly tucked Mo He into the blanket. Meanwhile, Xia Yan stood on the sidelines and watched everything that happened. Although she didn¡¯t know Doctor Liang, they were probably the Mo family¡¯s private doctor, from what Jiang Qiu implied. Qiu Xin stood by the bed and looked at Mo He worriedly as she twisted her hands together. Xia Yan sneered in her heart, ¡®If Jiang Qiu weren¡¯t here, Qiu Xin would have pounced on Mo He and asked how he was feeling.¡¯ The Mo family residence bustled with activities the entire morning. Everyone only calmed down after Doctor Liang arrived and prescribed some medicine to Mo He. Doctor Liang advised that one person should stay with Mo He and take care of him, while the others stay away and not disturb his patient¡¯s rest. Qiu Xin immediately volunteered, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of Mo He since I¡¯ve done it before!¡± Xia Yan revealed a sinister smile. If she didn¡¯t have an appointment today, she wouldn¡¯t have let Qiu Xin take care of Mo He. Just as Xia Yan thought of meeting Jiang Tong, her mother-in-law spoke, ¡°Xia Yan, I want you to stay here and look after Mo He.¡± Xia Yan was stunned, and then she pointed at her nose and asked, ¡°Y-You want me to look after him?¡± Jiang Qiu was dissatisfied with Xia Yan¡¯s words. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You don¡¯t want to do it? He¡¯s your husband!¡± Xia Yan looked at Qiu Xin, and sure enough, she was glaring back with hatred. Xia Yan thought to herself, ¡®This isn¡¯t a job that I was willing to take. I don¡¯t like it either.¡¯ However, Xia Yan took things as they came. At the very least, she was Mo He¡¯s wife, and it was her duty to take care of her sick husband. Fortunately, the Mo family possessed sufficient staffing, so she didn¡¯t need to take care of Mo He personally. Xia Yan only needed to stand by Mo He¡¯s side and not allow anything else to happen. She glanced at the drowsy Mo He, who had recently taken his medicine. Mo He raised his head and looked at Jiang Qiu. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that, Mom. I can¡­ Cough, cough¡­ take care of myself.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do that. Look at yourself!¡± Jiang Qiu¡¯s heart ached when she heard Mo He¡¯s cough. ¡°All right, everyone, get out! Don¡¯t disturb Young Master Mo He¡¯s rest!¡± Jiang Qiu led the others out as she spoke. But before leaving, she reminded Xia Yan, ¡°Take good care of Mo He, or else I¡¯ll hold you responsible for anything bad that happens to him!¡± Xia Yan nodded and said, ¡°All right, Mother-in-law.¡± Although Qiu Xin was unwilling to leave Xia Yan alone with Mo He, she had no choice but to follow Jiang Qiu out of the room. She fiercely glared at Xia Yan as she walked past her. Xia Yan pouted and walked toward the bedside, not acknowledging Qiu Xin¡¯s glare. Qiu Xin clenched her fists as her hatred toward Xia Yan grew stronger. When everyone left, Mo He was already in a daze from the medicine. Xia Yan walked toward him and revealed a smile. ¡°Hubby, rest well, okay? I promise not to use a pillow and suffocate you while you¡¯re asleep.¡± Mo He was already dizzy from the medicine when he heard Xia Yan¡¯s sarcastic promise. Countless curses filled his mind, but he no longer had the strength to speak. He only blinked his eyes and fell into a deep sleep. Since Mo He was sick and asleep, Xia Yan couldn¡¯t leave. She decided to get her phone and contact Jiang Tong. ¡°All right, I got it. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take care of the contract.¡± Jiang Tong¡¯s voice was crisp and clear, as if she was used to this. Xia Yan revealed an emotional smile. ¡°What would I do without you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough. It¡¯s your fault for being a genius designer while I¡¯m just your poor little assistant!¡± Jiang Tong sighed helplessly. ¡°Hey, I dare you to say that again to my face!¡± Xia Yan retorted as she was dissatisfied with Jiang Tong¡¯s evaluation of her. Jiang Tong chirped, ¡°All right, all right. You wouldn¡¯t look down on a lowly assistant like me, right? I¡¯m going to get busy now. Take care of your new husband, and don¡¯t let him work too hard!¡± Jiang Tong teased. ¡°It¡¯s only the first day of our marriage, yet you already can¡¯t get out of bed. You really are something else.¡± Chapter 10 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Mo He slept on the bed while Xia Yan sat on the sofa and grew bored. She searched the entire room, yet she couldn¡¯t find anything to help her pass the time. She opened the door and saw Du Xia standing around. ¡°Du Xia, could you please buy me a few magazines?¡± Xia Yan looked at the little girl pitifully. Although Du Xia didn¡¯t have a good impression of the new young madam, she reluctantly agreed. While waiting, Xia Yan searched the room, trying to find out if Mo He had any dark secrets. After all, he was a non-disabled young man and not the rumored cripple on a wheelchair that everyone thought him to be. After about an hour, Xia Yan began to think that Du Xia had forgotten about the magazines. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and then Du Xia appeared and handed the magazines over. She looked at the magazines and knew that it wasn¡¯t the one she wanted. When Xia Yan saw that it was a health magazine, she felt uneasy. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± Xia Yan coldly asked as she stared at Du Xia¡¯s outstretched hand. ¡°Madam Mo said that you need to take care of Young Master Mo He, so it¡¯d be better if you learned more about medical science, Young Madam,¡± Du Xia replied honestly, ¡°It¡¯s better if you read less of those unpublished magazines.¡± When Xia Yan heard this, her temper flared. ¡°What do you mean ¡®unpublished magazines?''¡± The magazine she had asked for was a famous core work printed by a publishing house that Old Tao had painstakingly founded. It was even a limited edition. Du Xia was taken aback by Xia Yan¡¯s anger. Xia Yan noticed Du Xia¡¯s frightened gaze and took a deep breath before saying, ¡°Take this magazine away. I don¡¯t want to read it.¡± Du Xia quickly put the magazine away and sized up Xia Yan. ¡°Young Madam, do you have any other orders?¡± Xia Yan pursed her lips and said softly, ¡°No, you may go.¡± Du Xia closed the door and left the angry Xia Yan. Xia Yan shook her arms frantically, trying to stop herself from being so angry. After all, she had to continue fighting for her rights in the Mo family residence. She knew she could not let herself be upset over this. However, Du Xia dared to say that Old Tao¡¯s magazine was¡­ Xia Yan whipped around to face Mo He, who was on the bed. He was in a deep sleep and was unaware of the impending danger. Xia Yan rushed toward Mo He and stretched out her hand, pinching Mo He¡¯s upper arm and lower leg. Despite the pain, Mo He only reacted slightly and did not wake up. Xia Yan felt much better after venting her anger. She sat on the sofa, opened WeChat, and sent a message to Jiang Tong. ¡°How¡¯s the progress going?¡± Jiang Tong did not reply immediately. After about half an hour, she replied with an ¡°okay.¡± Xia Yan sighed and threw her phone on the sofa. ¡°This is no longer a marriage or me taking care of a patient. I feel like I¡¯m in prison instead!¡± Xia Yan now realized what it meant to be unresponsive. Fortunately, Jiang Qiu had ordered someone to prepare food for Xia Yan and Mo He to take better care of her son. Although it was just liquified food that was more suitable for a patient, it was better than the chicken soup that Xia Yan had yesterday. Xia Yan tried her best to pull Mo He, hoping that he would wake up as soon as possible. She didn¡¯t know whether Doctor Liang¡¯s dosage was too heavy or Mo He hadn¡¯t slept well last, but he didn¡¯t stir even after calling out to him for a long while. Aunt Xu, the cook who delivered the food, was distraught when she saw this. Just as she was about to report this to Jiang Qiu, Xia Yan slapped Mo He¡¯s chest. Aunt Xu felt as if she heard an ethereal echo from the young master¡¯s chest. The next moment, Mo He woke up. He blinked and looked at Xia Yan beside him.¡±What did you just do?¡± Xia Yan looked at Mo He innocently. ¡°N-Nothing. You must have been dreaming.¡± Mo He frowned, clearly not believing Xia Yan. He looked at Aunt Xu. Aunt Xu looked at Xia Yan timidly but dared not expose her. Xia Yan smiled and said to Mo He, ¡°You¡¯re awake. Do you need me to feed you?¡± Xia Yan pretended to be considerate and gestured to take the food from Aunt Xu. Then Mo He shook his head and refused without hesitation, ¡°No need. I can feed myself.¡± Chapter 11 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Yan shrugged and moved aside. She told Aunt Xu to bring the food over to Mo He while she picked up another bowl and started eating. Mo He glanced at Xia Yan from time to time as he ate. ¡°Weren¡¯t you in the room just now?¡± He put down the spoon and looked at Xia Yan, who focused on eating the side dishes. Xia Yan nodded but didn¡¯t look at Mo He. She only said, ¡°Yes, I was still in here since you guys won¡¯t let me out of the room.¡± Mo He looked at Xia Yan, stuffing her face, and furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Are you starving?¡± Xia Yan glanced at Mo He and replied, ¡°I only managed to find something to eat last midnight since leaving my family. This is my first real meal in the past two days. What do you think?¡± Mo He saw Xia Yan eating so sloppily and couldn¡¯t help but feel disgusted. ¡°Didn¡¯t your family teach you proper dining etiquette?¡± Xia Yan sneered and ignored Mo He as she continued eating. Since she wore a mask, she had to tilt her body while eating to avoid Mo He¡¯s gaze. Mo He could barely see a fraction of Xia Yan¡¯s fair and tender skin under her slightly lifted mask.He fixed his gaze on the woman¡¯s face as if he wanted to see through the mask. Xia Yan noticed Mo He¡¯s prying gaze, so she turned her head and faced Mo He. ¡°What are you doing? Do you want to see what I truly look like under this mask?¡± Mo He immediately thought of the picture he saw of Xia Yan when she asked him this. He frowned and stiffly rejected, ¡°N-No need! I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll lose my appetite.¡± Xia Yan shrugged and put down her hand that had reached her ear to remove the mask. Then she put away her bowl and chopsticks, took them to the door, and handed them to Aunt Xu, who was waiting outside. Mo He didn¡¯t have much of an appetite, and after eating half a bowl of porridge, he was full. Xia Yan muttered, ¡°What a waste of food.¡± Then she took Mo He¡¯s bowl and chopsticks and left. Mo He felt much better after sleeping for a while. Xia Yan sat on the sofa and faced Mo He when they heard a light knock on the door. ¡°Come in!¡± Mo He¡¯s voice sounded nasal. The door opened as Qiu Xin stood outside and looked at Mo He worriedly. ¡°How are you feeling, Mo He? I heard that you woke up, so I rushed over to see if you¡¯re alright!¡± Qiu Xin quickly walked to the bedside as she spoke. Then she reached out to touch Mo He¡¯s head, but he subconsciously avoided Qiu Xin¡¯s hand. The woman¡¯s hand awkwardly stopped in mid-air. Xia Yan remained seated on the sofa and watched what had happened. It was evident she wanted to witness a show even though she wore a mask. Qiu Xin looked at Mo He as if he had wronged her and gently sat by the bedside. ¡°Are you still feeling unwell, Mo He? Did that woman¡­¡± Qiu Xin paused before continuing, ¡°Is she taking care of you properly? Why don¡¯t I stay here and look after you? I¡¯m more experienced than her.¡± Xia Yan instantly perked up when she heard that Qiu Xin wanted to stay. Since she couldn¡¯t leave the room, she had to continue seeing this annoying woman. What Xia Yan hated most was a woman who acted timidly but instead was a scheming b*tch. There was already another scheming woman in the Xia family home, but Xia Yan refused to let Qiu Xin off so quickly. Xia Yan stood up and walked toward Qiu Xin. Then she calmly reached out to grab Qiu Xin¡¯s arm. Qiu Xin didn¡¯t react in time as Xia Yan quickly pulled her away from the bedside. Then Xia Yan sat where Qiu Xin sat. When Mo He saw this, he subconsciously shifted his body further away from his wife. However, Xia Yan didn¡¯t notice this. She only smiled at Mo He and said, ¡°Hubby, I¡¯ve taken care of you for an entire day. Do you have something to give me?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Mo He stared at Xia Yan warily as he sensed her malicious smile. Xia Yan twisted her body slightly, looking shy. Mo He¡¯s hair stood on end as he said coldly, ¡°If you have something to say, you should say it now!¡± Xia Yan laughed in her heart. ¡°I¡¯ve worked so hard to take care of you. Aren¡¯t you going to buy me something as thanks? Maybe something like the necklace that Miss Qiu wanted in your study yesterday?¡± Qiu Xin instantly became enraged when she heard that. She grabbed Xia Yan¡¯s arm and thundered, ¡°What did you say?!¡± When Qiu Xin asked for the necklace, Xia Yan wasn¡¯t in the study. How did she know that Qiu Xin wanted the necklace? Chapter 12 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Xia Yan frowned when she saw Qiu Xin¡¯s angered and anxious expression. She knew that she had struck a nerve with Qiu Xin. However, she had hoped to do so. Qiu Xin wanted to cover Xia Yan¡¯s mouth and suffocate her to death, but Xia Yan didn¡¯t plan on giving Qiu Xin a chance. She grabbed Qiu Xin¡¯s wrist with one hand and exerted force. Qiu Xin fell to the ground, screaming in pain. She grabbed her aching wrist and looked at Mo He accusingly. ¡°Mo He, look at what she did! She¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with what I did? Can¡¯t I defend myself when you were the one who grabbed my arm first?¡± Xia Yan snorted as she showed disdain toward Qiu Xin¡¯s snitching. Mo He frowned and thought it was an eyesore to see Xia Yan¡¯s smug expression. She sneered, ¡°You, apologize to Qiu Xin right now!¡± ¡°On what basis?! Xia Yan didn¡¯t hesitate to question Mo He¡¯s demands. Mo He¡¯s expression became colder. ¡°You hurt her, that¡¯s why!¡± ¡°But she hurt me first!¡± Xia Yan retorted without backing down. Mo He noticed that Xia Yan was disobedient as his expression became unsightly. ¡°Did the Xia family raise such an unruly person?!¡± Xia Yan stood up abruptly. She faced Mo He and said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t speak about my family. We don¡¯t need you to judge us! Besides, how great can your family be?¡± ¡°It seems that any random woman can enter a married man¡¯s room in the middle of the night around here. People that live here might not think much of it, but others would think Qiu Xin is your lover!¡± ¡°How dare you say such things?!¡± Mo He was furious as his glare grew more vicious. ¡°It¡¯s the Xia family¡¯s motto to create such rumors and cause trouble! Your family is a bunch of liars!¡± Hearing this, Xia Yan merely shrugged and scoffed, ¡°You might be right about that. But no matter what happens to my family, I am your wife now. Is it too much for me to ask for a necklace from you?¡± Mo He¡¯s eyebrows furrowed when he heard Xia Yan calling herself his wife. Their constant clamoring attracted Jiang Qiu, who was currently downstairs. Jiang Qiu opened the door and fiercely glared at Xia Yan. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?! Little He hasn¡¯t fully recovered, yet you two are making a racket! Get out of here, both of you!¡± Qiu Xin immediately got up from the ground and ran toward Jiang Qiu. ¡°Aunt Jiang¡­¡± Qiu Xin called out as tears rolled down her face. Jiang Qiu¡¯s heart ached as she asked with concern, ¡°What happened? Did she hurt you?¡± Qiu Xin pursed her lips and looked at Xia Yan. ¡°She scratched my hand!¡± She extended her slightly reddened wrist toward Jiang Qiu as she spoke. Seeing this, Jiang Qiu frowned and glared at Xia Yan. ¡°I asked you to take care of my son. Why did you hurt Qiu Xin?!¡± Xia Yan knew that Madam Mo was someone who would always protect her child. But Xia Yan didn¡¯t expect her to ask such a question indiscriminately. Xia Yan didn¡¯t intend to suppress her anger. ¡°She came into the room last midnight and seduced my husband. Is it wrong of me to retaliate?¡± Even the servants outside couldn¡¯t help but gasp when they heard Xia Yan¡¯s words, let alone Jiang Qiu. The new young madam of the Mo family dares to speak her mind. Even though everyone in the Mo family residence knew of Miss Qiu¡¯s feelings toward Young Master Mo He, Jiang Qiu rarely allowed Qiu Xin to interact with him, making it a half-hidden matter. But Xia Yan exposed Qiu Xin before everyone, making the scene more dramatic for everyone present. Jiang Qiu swept her gaze across the room and locked her eyes on Qiu Xin. Despite feeling guilty, Qiu Xin raised her chin and growled at Xia Yan, ¡°You¡¯re spewing nonsense! I never did such a thing!¡± Xia Yan refuted, ¡°So, did I see a ghost in the study last midnight? I wonder who wanted my husband to give her a necklace!¡± ¡°What necklace?¡± Jiang Qiu furrowed her eyebrows as she looked at Qiu Xin, who shamefully lowered her head. If Xia Yan hadn¡¯t mentioned the necklace, Jiang Qiu might have thought she was spreading rumors. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t ask for it, Aunt Jiang! I only mentioned the necklace to Mo He by accident.¡± Qiu Xin said as she dared not face Jiang Qiu or Mo He. ¡°Is that so?¡± Jiang Qiu looked at Mo He with a questioning gaze. Chapter 13 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Mo He glared at Xia Yan before answering his mother, ¡°Qiu Xin never asked me to give her the necklace.¡± Xia Yan rolled her eyes and scoffed when she heard Mo He¡¯s biased reply as she cursed in her heart. Jiang Qiu would naturally believe her son instead of Xia Yan. Even if Qiu Xin had asked for the necklace, she would never admit it to Jiang Qiu. ¡°All right, fine! Not only did you hurt Qiu Xin, but you¡¯re also full of lies!¡± Jiang Qiu raised her voice and thundered at Xia Yan. Xia Yan knew from that moment on that she couldn¡¯t defend herself as long as she lived in the Mo family residence. She wasn¡¯t bothered to refute and simply said, ¡°Fine! You can believe whoever you want as long as you¡¯re happy!¡± ¡°Since so many of you are around to take care of Mo He, I¡¯ll leave for some fresh air. I won¡¯t stand around and be an eyesore to everyone here.¡± When Xia Yan finished speaking, she exited the room without waiting for anyone to respond. ¡°Stop, Xia Yan!¡± Mo He shouted coldly. Then two servants appeared at the door, blocking Xia Yan¡¯s path. Xia Yan took a deep breath before turning around to face Mo He. ¡°Is there something you need from me, Young Master Mo He?¡± ¡°I told you that you¡¯re not allowed to leave this room without my permission!¡± Xia Yan rolled her eyes yet again. ¡°Have you already forgotten that your mother just told everyone to get out?¡± She used Jiang Qiu as a point of argument, rendering Mo He speechless. Jiang Qiu glanced at Xia Yan before sitting by Mo He¡¯s side. ¡°Let them leave, Son. I have something to talk to you about.¡± Xia Yan quickly left the room when Jiang Qiu finished speaking. Then Jiang Qiu ordered, ¡°Du Xia, follow Young Madam Mo, so she doesn¡¯t get too far.¡± Xia Yan sighed, glanced at Du Xia, and quickly walked downstairs. Then Du Xia nodded at Jiang Qiu and hurriedly followed Xia Yan. Xia Yan went to the dining room and saw that Aunt Xu was busy. ¡°Aunt Xu, is there anything I can eat? I¡¯m hungry.¡± She said as she sat at the dining table and looked into the kitchen. Aunt Xu heard Xia Yan, so she exited the kitchen and saw Xia Yan looking at her expectantly. Although Xia Yan wore a black mask, her eyes looked exceptionally bright and full of expression. Aunt Xu asked blankly, ¡°What do you want to eat, Young Madam Mo? I can make you whatever you need.¡± Du Xia wanted to stop Aunt Xu, but she gave up after thinking about her actions. Meanwhile, Xia Yan didn¡¯t expect much. She looked at Aunt Xu pitifully and said, ¡°Can I have a hot bowl of soup and noodles?¡± Aunt Xu noticed Xia Yan¡¯s teary eyes. She then returned to the kitchen and prepared some food for her. Aunt Xu muttered as she cooked, ¡°Madam Mo and Young Master Mo He are cruel. Xia Yan barely had anything to eat to this day.¡± ¡°The porridge I made is only for Mo He. That won¡¯t be enough for Xia Yan,¡± Aunt Xu said as she added two extra eggs to the bowl of noodles. Initially, Aunt Xu didn¡¯t have a good impression of Xia Yan when she saw how violently she treated Mo He. But looking at how pitiful she was now, Aunt Xu¡¯s heart ached for Xia Yan. Du Xis stood on the sidelines as she fixed her gaze on Xia Yan the entire time. Xia Yan noticed the little girl¡¯s burning gaze and started to feel uncomfortable. She turned around and looked at Du Xia. ¡°I¡¯m not going to run away. You don¡¯t have to keep staring at me.¡± Du Xia didn¡¯t respond to Xia Yan. She only looked at Aunt Xu and said, ¡°Be careful, Aunt Xu. If Madam Mo finds out you¡¯re being kind to her¡­¡± Aunt Xu had already walked out of the kitchen with a bowl of noodles before Du Xia could finish speaking. ¡°It¡¯s all right. I¡¯m aware of Madam Mo¡¯s temper. I only made a bowl of noodles so that Madam Mo won¡¯t be that angry,¡± Aunt Xu chirped as she placed the bowl in front of Xia Yan. Xia Yan looked at Aunt Xu gratefully and began eating without hesitation. After eating just two mouthfuls of noodles, her phone started ringing. Xia Yan looked at the contact information on her screen and immediately answered the call, ¡°Hello, Aunt Cui. Is something the matter? Is Grandma okay?¡± She asked anxiously, afraid that she would hear bad news. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Little Yan. I¡¯m fine.¡± Xia Yan¡¯s grandmother¡¯s voice echoed from the phone. ¡°Oh, hello, Grandma. Why are you calling?¡± Xia Yan¡¯s voice became gentle when she heard her grandmother¡¯s voice. ¡°I miss you, Little Yan! How have you been since moving into the Mo family residence?¡± Grandma asked with concern. Xia Yan never intended to tell Grandma that she had moved into the Mo family residence. However, Xia Rou had gone to Grandma and spilled the beans, causing her to miss Xia Yan even more. ¡°Rest assured, Grandma. The Mos are treating me well,¡± Xia Yan replied softly. Chapter 14 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Du Xia¡¯s expression changed when she heard Xia Yan¡¯s words. Then she stepped away and gave Xia Yan some privacy. Xia Yan chatted with her Grandmother for a while before urging her to hang up and get some rest. Meanwhile, her grandmother was overjoyed when she heard that the Mo family didn¡¯t despise her granddaughter because of her scarred face. ¡°I am relieved to hear that they¡¯re treating you well, Little Yan. As long as you¡¯re happy, everything will be okay.¡± Xia Yan became teary-eyed when she heard her grandmother¡¯s words. She coughed lightly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, Grandma. You need to get some rest, okay? I¡¯ll be truly happy with you around.¡± Her grandmother replied and finally hung up the phone. Xia Yan put her phone away and gazed blankly at the bowl of noodles before her, which had become lumpy. She continued eating without hesitation in big mouthfuls. Du Xia stood by Xia Yan¡¯s side almost the entire time, quietly watching her every move. ¡­ Xia Yan then planned to walk around the Mo family residence after eating. However, Du Xia followed closely behind, making it inconvenient for Xia Yan to do much of anything. Xia Yan couldn¡¯t take it anymore, suddenly stopping in her tracks. She turned to face Du Xia and said, ¡°Can you stop following me so closely? I¡¯m the young madam of the Mo family, not a criminal!¡± Xia Yan sounded highly annoyed. Du Xia only put her hand on her waist and said sassily, ¡°Madam Mo told me to follow you closely.¡± Xia Yan took a deep breath and suppressed her anger. ¡°All right, fine! Then can I go to the garden and sit there?¡± ¡°Yes, you can. I¡¯ll accompany you.¡± Du Xia answered without hesitation. Xia Yan clenched her fists, scoffed, and turned around to walk toward the gate. ¡°Young Madam Mo, the garden is that way.¡± Du Xia stood still and reminded Xia Yan softly. Xia Yan waved her hand impatiently before turning around. Then she walked in the direction of Du Xia¡¯s pointed finger. Xia Yan couldn¡¯t help but sigh when she arrived at the garden. She realized that her family couldn¡¯t compare to the Mo family. The Mo family¡¯s garden was as big as two Xia family homes. There was an assortment of flowers and plants in the garden and a glasshouse especially built for more expensive varieties. Xia Yan wanted to enter the glasshouse to check it out, but Du Xia stopped her. ¡°You can¡¯t enter the glasshouse, Young Madam Mo!¡± The little girl stretched out her arm and blocked Xia Yan. Xia Yan looked at the glasshouse and turned to walk toward a rattan house beside it frustratingly. Then she asked Du Xia with an annoyed tone, ¡°Can I go in here then?¡± Du Xia nodded and replied expressionlessly, ¡°Yes, you may.¡± Xia Yan discreetly gritted her teeth and forced a smile. ¡°Thank you!¡± Then she pushed some vines aside and entered the rattan house. She saw a variety of flowers and plants there as well. The ratton house was much darker compared to the bright sunshine outside. Since vines surrounded the house, the scent of grass and leaves made her feel much calmer. Xia Yan found a place to sit while she was there. Since her mother had passed away, Xia Yan¡¯s father, Xia Qi, soon married a woman named Yao Qing. Xia Yan¡¯s stepmother had a daughter, Xia Rou, and she was one year older than Xia Yan. Nonetheless, Xia Yan didn¡¯t know how to deal with this sudden change. She thought that her stepmother would treat her as her own. However, she never expected her kind father to start treating her so poorly when Yao Qing and Xia Rou entered her home. Xia Yan heard that a father would become a stranger if they remarried, but she thought it was just a rare occurrence. But Xia Qi was a prime example of what Xia Yan had heard. Xia Qi kept all of his late wife¡¯s belongings that she had left for Xia Yan and sent his biological daughter to live with her grandmother. Xia Yan was just a child while her grandmother was already retired during that time. The two were lonely and could only rely on each other. Xia Qi never gave them a living allowance and didn¡¯t allow Xia Yan to return to the Xia family home simply because Yao Qing would get angry. From then on, Xia Yan knew that her father had abandoned her. If it weren¡¯t for Xia Yan¡¯s sick grandmother, she would no longer have a connection to the Xia family anymore. ¡°Young Madam Mo, it¡¯s getting late. We should go back inside.¡± Du Xia reminded Xia Yan promptly. Xia Yan sighed and lamented that she had finally found a comfortable place to sit. Despite that, she had to leave. Just as she was about to stand up, she felt her right leg numb. ¡°Ouch!¡± Xia Yan staggered and fell to the ground. Chapter 15 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Du Xia saw what had happened and quickly reached out to help Xia Yan. The little girl accidentally pulled Xia Yan¡¯s mask to her chin in a flurry. Du Xia was about to scream in fear of seeing Xia Yan¡¯s terrifying face, but her mouth was agape as she became stunned a moment later. Xia Yan realized that her face was exposed, and although she tried putting her mask back on, it was already too late. She held Du Xia¡¯s arm and propped herself up. Meanwhile, Du Xia kept staring at Xia Yan in a daze while Xia Yan smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s keep this a secret, shall we?¡± Xia Yan said as she gently blinked her eyes. Du Xia instinctively nodded as if Xia Yan had bewitched her. ¡°Thank you, Du Xia.¡± After that, Xia Yan walked past the little girl and out of the rattan house. When Xia Yan passed by, a particularly feminine fragrance brushed past the tip of Du Xia¡¯s nose. The little girl knew that it wasn¡¯t the smell of the rattan house. Instead, it was a warm and comforting aroma that she couldn¡¯t describe. Xia Yan abruptly turned back to look at Du Xia after passing her. ¡°Can you lead me back to the house? The garden is enormous, and I seem to have gotten lost.¡± Du Xia hurriedly walked to Xia Yan¡¯s side and bowed. ¡°Please follow me, Young Madam Mo.¡± The little girl was puzzled and wondered why she suddenly became respectful toward Xia Yan. The little girl¡¯s cold and expressionless demeanor disappeared. It probably started when Du Xia saw Xia Yan¡¯s true face. It was fair and delicate, without any scars. Xia Yan looked like a perfect Goddess with exquisite facial features that an artist had carefully sculpted. If Xia Rou were the most beautiful woman in Jiang City, Xia Yan would be the most attractive woman in the universe. Du Xia was puzzled as to why Xia Yan would hide her beauty. Nonetheless, she subconsciously wanted to serve and listen to Xia Yan to the best of her abilities. Xia Yan returned to the living room and couldn¡¯t help but sigh at the sheer size of the Mo family¡¯s residence. Fortunately, Du Xia was with her. Otherwise, she would¡¯ve spent the night lost in the garden. Xia Yan was about to head upstairs when she saw Qiu Xin exiting the guest room downstairs. Qiu Xin looked back at her and quickly rushed over. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you left this house? Go back to your family!¡± Xia Yan raised her eyebrows and looked at Qiu Xin with a faint smile. ¡°Who gave you the right to say that? Why do you want me to leave this house? My mother-in-law said I was not allowed to leave.¡± ¡°Are you saying you are above my mother-in-law? Is that it, or do you only want to occupy my husband? Is that why you want me to leave?¡± ¡°How can you be so shameless?!¡± Qiu Xin glared at Xia Yan with contempt. ¡°You keep mentioning your mother-in-law and husband. Don¡¯t you find that just a little bit disgusting?!¡± Xia Yan looked at Qiu Xin amusingly. ¡°Aren¡¯t I speaking the truth?¡± Qiu Xin was furious when she heard Xia Yan¡¯s words. It made her feel uncomfortable all over. The most infuriating thing about the entire situation to Qiu Xin was that Xia Yin spoke the truth. Qiu Xin started panting heavily, looking p*ssed off. At that moment, someone quickly walked over from outside the door. ¡°Huh? What are you doing here? Why do you look so unhappy, Qiu Xin? I-Is that Sister-in-law?¡± Xia Yan looked at the person and sized them up from head to toe. The person was about 187 centimeters tall and looked energetic with their neatly cut hair. The person had a small head with a lean figure under their jeans and jacket. Xia Yan couldn¡¯t help but nod in satisfaction. The man looked at Xia Yan as if he was examining a commodity. ¡°So, how are you going to repay me, Sister-in-law?¡± He asked teasingly. Xia Yan raised her eyebrows and smiled at the man. Her eyes curved into the shape of a crescent moon. ¡°Since you called me sister-in-law, I can¡¯t offer myself to you no matter the price.¡± The man was delighted when he heard Xia Yan¡¯s words. He stretched a hand toward Xia Yan and introduced himself, ¡°This is our first meeting, Sister-in-law. My name is Mo Pei!¡± Xia Yan then firmly shook Mo Pei¡¯s hand. The two seemed to have gotten off on the right foot, causing Qiu Xin to grit her teeth discreetly. Qiu Xin had been with the Mo family for quite some time, yet she never got along with Mo Pei. Although this person was Mo He¡¯s cousin, his personality significantly differed from Mo He¡¯s. Mo Pei would deliberately hang out with Mo He all day to spite Qiu Xin. Chapter 16 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Mo Pei glanced past Qiu Xin and turned to Xia Yan to ask, ¡°Sister-in-law, I heard my cousin is sick. Is that true?¡± Xia Yan nodded and replied, ¡°Yes, he seems to have a fever.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re¡­¡± Mo Pei became increasingly curious. Xia Yan shrugged. ¡°Mother-in-law seems to think I¡¯m unable to take care of Mo He, so she kicked me out of the room. She was worried that ¡®other people¡¯ wouldn¡¯t properly care for him either, so she took it upon herself to care for my hubby.¡± The ¡°other person¡± was Qiu Xin. Qiu Xin scoffed angrily and didn¡¯t bother wasting time with the other two. She turned around and returned to her room. Since Mo Pei was there, he wanted to visit Mo He. However, Xia Yan didn¡¯t want to follow Mo Pei and decided to visit her husband later. Mo Pei glanced at Qiu Xin as she left. He pursed his lips and smiled at Xia Yan. ¡°Sister-in-law, I¡¯ll head upstairs and see Mo He for now.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Xia Yan didn¡¯t intend to go with Mo Pei. She stood still as Mo Pei left. Meanwhile, Du Xia hadn¡¯t recovered from her shock. She stood behind Xia Yan and looked at her quietly. Xia Yan wanted to ask the little girl if there was a room she could go to, but when Xia Yan turned around, she saw Du Xia looking at her with an enchanted expression. She raised her eyebrows and waved her hand in front of Du Xia. The little girl came back to her senses and lowered her head in embarrassment. Du Xia¡¯s expression amused Xia Yan. ¡°Is there an empty room around here? I need to take care of something.¡± Although Du Xia wanted to help, she was in a difficult position. She hesitated before saying, ¡°I-I¡¯ll go and ask the butler.¡± Xia Yan nodded and watched as Du Xia left. About ten minutes later, Du Xia returned and looked at Xia Yan apologetically. ¡°The butler said that you aren¡¯t allowed to enter other rooms without Madam Mo¡¯s permission.¡± Xia Yan sighed exaggeratedly even though she already knew the answer to her request. She stood up, stretched, and returned to her ¡°wedding room¡± to rest. After Jiang Qiu banished Xia Yan from Mo He¡¯s side for more than half a day, it was time for Xia Yan to return and reclaim her territory. Xia Yan turned and saw a person coldly staring at her halfway through her stretch from the corridor. That person was none other than her mother-in-law. Jiang Qiu glanced at Xia Yan¡¯s overly cheerful demeanor with disgust as her eyebrows furrowed. Xia Yan put her arms down and nodded at Jiang Qiu as a greeting. Jiang Qiu then whispered a few words to Aunt Lin, who stood beside her. Aunt Lin called Xia Yan, ¡°Young Madam Mo, Madam Mo has requested that you go upstairs and take care of Young Master Mo He¡¯s meals.¡± Only then did Xia Yan realize that it was already time for dinner. She walked upstairs and arrived at the door. Then she noticed a pair of bowls and some chopsticks lying around. Xia Yan raised her head and asked Aunt Lin, ¡°Where¡¯s my dinner?¡± ¡°Hmph! You haven¡¯t even done anything yet, but you already want to eat?¡± Jiang Qiu thundered. Xia Yan asked in dissatisfaction, ¡°So, even though I¡¯m married to your son, I have to work before I can eat?¡± ¡°I think you forgot where you came from!¡± Jiang Qiu¡¯s expression became increasingly unsightly. ¡°Your family is rushing our collaboration, as you might be unaware. As for you, you aren¡¯t what we need, yet you dream of becoming the young madam of the Mo family. I want you to take care of Mo He from today onward. Otherwise, there won¡¯t be any food for you to eat!¡± Jiang Qiu immediately headed downstairs without giving Xia Yan the chance to reply. Xia Yan looked at Jiang Qiu in disbelief. ¡°Are we in the Republic of China or what? You¡¯re being ridiculously unreasonable!¡± Jiang Qiu abruptly turned around with unprecedented rage. ¡°What are you waiting for, Du Xia?! Send Young Madam Mo to her room!¡± Du Xia was stunned before walking toward Xia Yan. ¡°Young Madam Mo, please return to your room.¡± Xia Yan was about to retaliate when Mo Pei exited the room. ¡°Mo He is asking what you two argued about.¡± Xia Yan glanced at Mo Pei before shifting her eyes to Mo He, inside the room. Mo He had a livid expression on his face, while Xia Yan wondered if he was angry. Xia Yan provocatively stroked her chin at Mo He. It was apparent that she was displeased. However, Mo He was at a loss. He choked on his saliva and coughed a few times. He felt as though he would cough up a lung. Jiang Qiu ran back to the room worriedly. ¡°Are you all right, son? Do you need Doctor Liang to check on you?¡± Mo He coughed and waved his hand. Chapter 17 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Mo Pei hurried to Jiang Qiu and comforted her, ¡°You should go and get some rest, Second Aunt. Sister-in-law and I will take care of Mo He without a problem!¡± Nonetheless, Jiang Qiu was still worried and wanted to move forward to check on Mo He. Mo Pei immediately shared a look with Xia Yan. Although she was unwilling, it was better than being scolded by Jiang Qiu. Xia Yan quickly walked to the bedside and helped Mo He catch his breath, gently patting his back. With Xia Yan¡¯s help, Mo He¡¯s coughing was no longer as violent as before. Jiang Qiu looked at the three and said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll leave for the time being. If you need anything, please let Aunt Lin know so that she can call for me.¡± Mo He nodded as he caught his breath before saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom. I¡¯m fine.¡± Although Jiang Qiu was hesitant, she forced herself to leave with Aunt Lin. Then Xia Yan heard Jiang Qiu in the corridor ordering Du Xia, ¡°Keep a close watch on Young Madam Mo. Don¡¯t let her run around willingly.¡± Xia Yan¡¯s anger surged as she slapped Mo He¡¯s back. Mo He flinched forward in pain and turned to glare at Xia Yan. Xia Yan clapped her hands and left the bed, and then she returned to the sofa and sat down. Mo Pei looked at the couple curiously. ¡°Second Cousin, you got sick on your wedding night, right? Did Sister-in-law abuse you?¡± ¡°Do you think she can hurt me?¡± Mo He replied without hesitation. ¡°You think too highly of her.¡± Xia Yan crossed her arms and pouted. Although her mask covered her face, disdain filled her eyes. Mo Pei looked at the couple¡¯s interesting interaction and sighed, ¡°I¡¯m relieved to see you and Sister-in-law getting along. My father told me that you have some opinions about this marriage, and Grandmother even called me to check on the situation.¡± ¡°What did Grandmother say?¡± Mo He immediately perked up when he heard Mo Pei mention his grandmother. Mo Pei laughed and said, ¡°I think Grandmother is the only person in our family who can control you.¡± ¡°Cut the crap, Mo Pei! What did Grandmother say?!¡± Mo He¡¯s already tense voice became even more dry and hoarse. ¡°She told me to remind you that she will be returning this week and that she wants to see her granddaughter-in-law,¡± Mo Pei slowly spoke as if he was comforting an angry child. Xia Yan¡¯s eyebrows twitched. She never expected the old madam of the Mo family to take the initiative and ask to see her. After all, everyone in the Mo family and even Jiang City knew that the old madam was a woman of her word. If Xia Yan could win the old madam¡¯s favor, she would have a fortuitous future. But when Mo He heard this, he shifted his gaze in Xia Yan¡¯s direction and saw her eyes darting around. It was evident that she was up to something. Mo He frowned and immediately turned his head around. He said to Mo Pei, ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it!¡± Xia Yan blinked at Mo He when she heard his words. ¡°What? Even an ugly wife such as myself has to meet her in-laws! Since your grandmother has decided to see me, you don¡¯t have a right to stop her.¡± ¡°Oh yeah? Who gave you the right to see my grandmother?¡± Mo He was enraged. ¡°A mirror would crack if you looked into it!¡± Xia Yan instinctively touched her mask when she heard Mo He¡¯s words. ¡°Does it matter how I look? That doesn¡¯t change the fact that I¡¯m your wife!¡± ¡°How dare you?!¡± Mo He was infuriated by Xia Yan¡¯s shameless words while Mo Pei stood on the sidelines and watched as the two went at it. He looked like he was watching a television drama. ¡°Gosh, Second Cousin. I¡¯ve known you for years, but I have never seen you this upset with anyone. I commend you, Sister-in-law!¡± Mo Pei said as he gave Xia Yan a thumbs up. ¡°Thank you for saying that, Mo Pei!¡± Xia Yan impolitely cupped her hands. Mo He took a deep breath before glaring at Mo Pei. ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything better to do? Have you done what I asked of you?¡± Mo Pei¡¯s hair stood on end. ¡°You can¡¯t possibly mean that, Second Cousin! Why are you venting your frustrations on me when you lost to Xia Yan? You can¡¯t be that evil.¡± Mo He couldn¡¯t be bothered with Mo Pei¡¯s coy expression. ¡°Go and get me what I asked for. I want to see it on my desk when I go to the office tomorrow.¡± Mo Pei pouted and looked at Xia Yan aggrievedly. ¡°Let¡¯s meet again someday, Xia Yan.¡± Then he pitifully waved at Xia Yan, opened the door, and left in a comedic fashion. Xia Yan couldn¡¯t help but laugh aloud when she saw Mo Pei leaving. Mo He glared at Xia Yan and thundered, ¡°Why are you laughing?! Bring me some food. Do you want me to starve to death?!¡± Hearing Mo He¡¯s orders, Xia Yan scrunched her nose and secretly ridiculed, ¡®Your family are the ones who are going to starve me to death.¡¯ Chapter 18 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Mo He finally felt much better under Xia Yan¡¯s meticulous care the following day. Xia Yan lay on the sofa, sensing a figure moving in front of her. She hurriedly got up and saw Mo He¡¯s tall and thin figure walking around the room through her hazy eyes. Xia Yan blinked and looked toward the curtains. ¡®It¡¯s still dark outside. What is he doing?¡¯ A moment later, the bedroom¡¯s lights turned on. Xia Yan covered her eyes with her hands and cursed in her heart, ¡®Son of a b*tch!¡¯ ¡°What are you doing? Can¡¯t you tell me that you¡¯re going to turn the lights on?!¡± Xia Yan asked fiercely. Mo He chuckled but didn¡¯t intend to reply. When Xia Yan¡¯s eyes adjusted to the lights, she took out her phone and looked at it. ¡°It¡¯s not even six in the morning yet! Why are you up so early?! Are you rushing to your death?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just used to waking up this early,¡± Mo He answered with compassion. Xia Yan couldn¡¯t help but lean back on the sofa and exclaim in her heart, ¡®I can¡¯t live like this!¡¯ Xia Yan couldn¡¯t go back to sleep since Mo He had already woken up. Mo He opened the bedroom door and saw his assistant, Liao Chen, waiting around. Xia Yan was curious. ¡®Liao Chen couldn¡¯t have been waiting here all night, right? Otherwise, when did he wake up to serve this evil boss of his?¡¯ Xia Yan felt sorry for Liao Chen. Liao Chen stood at the door and glanced at Xia Yan. He quickly bowed and greeted her, ¡°Hello, Young Madam Mo.¡± Xia Yan smiled even though she knew Liao Chen couldn¡¯t see through her mask. She warmly replied, ¡°Hello there. You¡¯re Liao Chen, right?¡± Liao Chen dared not say much and briefly replied, ¡°Y-Yes.¡± Seeing as Liao Chen dared not talk, Xia Yan got bored and turned her attention to Mo He. Her husband was comparable to a male model. However, rumor had it that this big shot was physically disabled. Xia Yan wondered how Mo He managed to maintain his physique. She couldn¡¯t help but recall Xia Rou¡¯s threats when she thought of the rumors. Xia Rou said, ¡°If you refuse to marry that disabled person, you can forget about your grandma¡¯s operation!¡± Xia Yan clenched her fists and gritted her teeth discreetly. Mo He packed his things and prepared to leave when he noticed Xia Yan sitting on the sofa in a daze. Mo He rudely reminded Xia Yan, ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to leave this room without my permission. Do you understand?¡± Mo He¡¯s voice reached Xia Yan, causing her to snap back to reality. She tilted her head and looked at Mo He. ¡°Since I¡¯m such an eyesore to you, can I have my own room, Young Master Mo He?¡± Mo He glanced at Xia Yan¡¯s pitiful expression as his face grew increasingly unsightly. ¡°Don¡¯t act desperate. You¡¯re not allowed to leave until I tell you to. I won¡¯t let you make any requests, nor do you have the right to do so. Do you understand?¡± Mo He didn¡¯t wait for Xia Yan¡¯s reply and left the room as he shut the door with a loud bang. Xia Yan looked at the tightly shut door and sighed helplessly, ¡°Why is he so bad-tempered?¡± She then went to the bathroom and washed up after ridiculing Mo He. When Xia Yan exited the bathroom, Du Xia pushed the door open and walked in. ¡°Young Madam Mo, you¡¯re up already?¡± Xia Yan nodded as she walked toward the dressing table to take off her mask. Since Du Xia had already seen her face, Xia Yan didn¡¯t intend to hide it from the little girl any longer. Du Xia stared blankly at Xia Yan¡¯s face as she was curious and envious. ¡°You¡¯re truly gorgeous, Young Madam Mo.¡± Xia Yan looked at Du Xia through the mirror and smiled. Then she said softly, ¡°But you will keep this a secret, right?¡± Du Xia hurriedly nodded and replied, ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever you say, Young Madam Mo!¡± It was as if Xia Yan had bewitched the little girl. Du Xia¡¯s eyes were fixed on Xia Yan. Xia Yan revealed another smile. ¡°Thank you, Du Xia. Can I trouble you to get me some food? I¡¯m pretty hungry.¡± Du Xia pondered and said, ¡°Madam Mo and the others are eating downstairs. I will bring you some food when they¡¯re done, Young Madam Mo.¡± Xia Yan was grateful. ¡°You¡¯re a good person, Du Xia.¡± Du Xia blushed when Xia Yan praised her. Xia Yan then put her mask back on when she completed her skincare routine. Although Du Xia was curious about Xia Yan, she didn¡¯t ask too many questions. Now that she had decided to do as Xia Yan said, the little girl knew she couldn¡¯t inquire about her master¡¯s matters. Xia Yan walked to the bedside, lamenting that she hadn¡¯t slept on a proper bed for two nights. She would roll around on the bed when she grew bored. Chapter 19 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation While Du Xia made herself some food, Xia Yan opened her laptop and looked through the details of her previous conversation with Jiang Tong. Xia Yan had just checked her email when she received a new contract signing. She thought it was probably the thing that Jiang Tong had mentioned. She opened the email and saw that it was indeed a mysterious customer¡¯s order. The customer would usually place an order every two to three months since Xia Yan became an independent jeweler three years ago. Xia Yan¡¯s jewelry was mainly for women. There were bracelets, necklaces, and rings. Xia Yan was in charge of the designs and had even become the chief designer of a famous jewelry company, Feier. Xia Yan opened the order¡¯s contents and looked at the customer¡¯s requests. The order was particular this time as the customer wanted a wedding ring. Xia Yan couldn¡¯t help but feel curious. ¡®Is this person getting married?¡¯ If it was the customer¡¯s wedding ring, the person¡¯s preferences and deadline were not reasonable. Xia Yan immediately took her phone and contacted Jiang Tong. After discussing some details, Jiang Tong decided to contact the customer and confirm his requests. Although Xia Yan was an independent designer, Jiang Tong was in charge of contacting the clients since she was better at communicating with them. Jiang Tong once complained, saying that if she aged quickly, it would be because she had served Xia Yan for so long. But since Designer Yan had unique designs and styles, she was well-known in the industry. After confirming the order, Xia Yan opened her design book and prepared to complete a new project that she had started two days ago. If she hadn¡¯t married into the Mo family so suddenly, she would have remained in the design studio. Xia Yan was busy drawing her design when someone opened the room door. She was shocked as she held the pen in her hand. She looked at the person who had just barged in. ¡°Xia Yan, I have good news for you!¡± Mo Pei barged in with a smile. Xia Yan remained seated by the bedside in a daze as she held her design book, looking up at Mo Pei. Mo Pei was stunned before scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m just so used to entering this room that I¡­¡± Xia Yan smiled and said, ¡°What¡¯s the good news?¡± Only then did Mo Pei remember why he had entered the room. He squatted beside Xia Yan and said excitedly, ¡°My grandmother will be here next Tuesday, and she mentioned she would host a banquet at the Zhuang family¡¯s restaurant. You have to go with her!¡± Xia Yan blinked and looked at Mo Pei in puzzlement. ¡°She¡¯s hosting a banquet?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I remember you saying that you wanted to see Grandmother. Since that¡¯s the case, you might no longer have to go through the deep mountains and forests!¡± Mo Pei said as he shook his head. Mo Pei referred to the Mo family¡¯s ancestral manor that occupied half of Qingling Mountain when he said ¡°deep mountains and forests.¡± Xia Yan looked at Mo Pei gratefully. ¡°Thank you for thinking of inviting me. But I don¡¯t think your cousin would want to take me there.¡± ¡°Why not? Is it because you¡¯re ugly?¡± Mo Pe frowned and looked at Xia Yan. However, Mo Pei¡¯s unintentionally exact words made the atmosphere awkward. He cleared his throat and said, ¡°T-That¡¯s not what I meant. I-I wanted to say¡­¡± Xia Yan interrupted, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mo Pei. I¡¯m used to it. That¡¯s probably why your cousin isn¡¯t satisfied with me as his wife.¡± Mo Pei frowned and pondered before saying, ¡°My cousin wouldn¡¯t judge others by appearance.¡± Xia Yan raised her eyebrows, indicating that she didn¡¯t believe Mo Pei. But Mo Pei sighed and sat beside his sister-in-law. ¡°At least he wasn¡¯t like this in the past.¡± Xia Yan turned to face Mo Pei. Considering what Mo Pei said, Mo He must¡¯ve gone through a change before meeting Xia Yan. Mo Pei didn¡¯t intend to reveal more details about Mo He. Instead, he turned his head and looked at Xia Yan¡¯s design book. ¡°What were you up to just now? I saw you drawing when I came in.¡± Xia Yan closed her book and narrowed her eyes. ¡°I was just doodling.¡± Mo Pei noticed that Xia Yan wasn¡¯t willing to share what she drew, so he shrugged in disappointment. ¡°Oh right, I wondered what gift I should get for Grandmother when she returns. You¡¯re a woman, Xia Yan. Can you suggest something?¡± Xia Yan looked at Mo Pei and couldn¡¯t decide if she should laugh or cry. ¡°Although I am a woman, there is an age gap between your grandmother and me. Also, I¡¯m not familiar with Grandmother.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right!¡± Mo Pei frowned and pondered. Then he clapped his hands and said, ¡°Grandmother likes Magnolias if that¡¯s something worth mentioning. I remember my uncle planting an entire row of Magnolia¡¯s at the back of the mountain just to please Grandmother!¡± Chapter 20 - The Unique Young Madam Chapter 20 The Unique Young Madam Xia Yan put her pen to her lips and contemplated before saying, ¡°Magnolias are pretty expensive, but they are suitable designs for pendants and pins.¡± ¡°Do you know how to design jewelry?¡± Mo Pei looked at Xia Yan in surprise. Xia Yan realized that she had accidentally revealed something about herself and quickly said, ¡°N-No, I don¡¯t! Weren¡¯t you just asking me what a suitable gift was for your grandmother? I thought she seemed like a graceful and lavish person, so I naturally thought about jewelry.¡± Xia Yan¡¯s frantic explanation made sense, so Mo Pei let it go. ¡°Can you suggest some jewelry, Xia Yan?¡± Mo Pei blinked and looked at Xia Yan with an innocent expression. Mo Pei¡¯s submissive appearance momentarily bewitched Xia Yan, so she took out a business card from her bag and handed it to him. ¡°Contact this person. She will get you what you need.¡± Mo Pei accepted the card and looked at the name printed on it. ¡°Jiang Tong? Isn¡¯t she Designer Yan¡¯s assistant? Do you know who Designer Yan is?¡± Mo Pei looked at Xia Yan in surprise. Xia Yan shook her head and smiled helplessly. ¡°No, how could I know who that is? I had a friend who needed some custom jewelry and just happened to know this assistant.¡± Mo Pei didn¡¯t suspect a thing. He put away the business card and said with a cheerful smile, ¡°You¡¯re amazing, Xia Yan!¡± Xia Yan shrugged and spun her pen before asking, ¡°Have I solved your problem?¡± ¡°Yes, you did!¡± Mo Pei nodded violently, looking satisfied. ¡°Is there anything else I can help you with?¡± Xia Yan asked. ¡°No, I think that¡¯s it.¡± Mo Pei shook his head, not understanding what Xia Yan meant by that question. Suddenly, he quickly stood up and smiled at his sister-in-law. ¡°I have some matters to attend to, Xia Yan. You can continue with your work now.¡± Mo Pei exited the room as Du Xia appeared with food. ¡°Your food is ready, Young Madam Mo.¡± The little girl placed the food on the table as she smiled brightly. Xia Yan approached the table and sat down. ¡°How come no one stopped Mo Pei from entering the room just now?¡± ¡°The butler told Uncle Liu to stand guard at the door. Young Master Mo Pei was rash and afraid of offending Young Madam Mo,¡± Du Xia replied softly. Xia Yan raised her eyebrows and finally understood why no one stopped Mo Pei from entering even though he stayed in the room for a long while. ¡°Didn¡¯t anyone catch you bringing me food?¡± Xia Yan asked curiously. Du Xia smiled and answered, ¡°Before Young Master Mo He left this morning, he told us that he was afraid that you would starve. He then ordered us not to let Young Madam Mo know that we¡¯re making you some food.¡± Xia Yan ate the hot porridge and nodded with satisfaction. ¡°At least he¡¯s somewhat considerate.¡± Meanwhile, Du Xia watched Xia Yan eat and couldn¡¯t help but glance at her mask. Xia Yan sensed the little girl¡¯s gaze and raised her head. The two pairs of eyes met. Du Xia was shocked and immediately retracted her gaze. Xia Yan looked at the little girl and asked, ¡°Are you curious?¡± ¡°N-No, Young Madam Mo. I wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± Du Xua hurriedly lowered her head. ¡°It¡¯s okay to be curious, but you can¡¯t ask too many questions at a time,¡± Xia Yan spoke softly. ¡°There are instances where knowing too much isn¡¯t good.¡± ¡°O-Of course! I won¡¯t pry!¡± Du Xia hurriedly said. ¡°You are now my master since you¡¯re married into the Mo family, Young Madam Mo.¡± Xia Yan nodded in satisfaction and said, ¡°I¡¯ve always been grateful to whoever treats me well. However, if anyone treats me poorly, I¡¯ll make sure to get them back two-folds. I sincerely hope we can get along in the future.¡± Du Xia felt a chill run down her spine when she heard Xia Yan¡¯s words. She quietly took two steps back before leaning forward. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Young Madam Mo. I will be loyal to you no matter what.¡± Xia Yan laughed aloud. Since Du Xia was still a teenager, Xia Yan could easily control her. She patted the chair beside her and told the little girl to sit down. But Du Xia dared not sit. She only stood aside and said timidly, ¡°Do you have any orders for me, Young Madam Mo?¡± Xia Yan noticed Du Xia¡¯s cautious expression and figured she must¡¯ve spoken too harshly before and scared the little girl. She immediately stood up and ushered Du Xia to sit on the chair beside her. ¡°I don¡¯t have rules, so there¡¯s no need for you to be so formal with me.¡± ¡°Of course, we are still master and servant, but you don¡¯t have to be so nervous around o nervous aro me.¡± Du Xia sat on the chair and twisted her hands together anxiously. Ever since the little girl entered the Mo family residence, the housekeeper and Aunt Lin told the servants to abide by the rules as servants no matter what. They weren¡¯t allowed to walk around before their masters and had to speak as gently as possible while obeying their master¡¯s orders. However, this new young madam differed from the rest of the Mo family. Chapter 21 - Lets Go and Pick Grandmother Up Chapter 21 Let¡¯s Go and Pick Grandmother Up Meanwhile, Mo He arrived at his office. When the company¡¯s committee members saw him, they immediately quieted down. Mo He entered the office with a cold expression while Liao Chen followed behind him and closed the office door tightly. The committee members gathered and discussed in whispers. ¡°Did you know that Mr. Mo didn¡¯t come in because he was sick? Now he¡¯s back with an even colder expression,¡± an older employee said lowly. ¡°Mr. Mo probably hasn¡¯t fully recovered yet,¡± a younger employee clicked his tongue and sighed. ¡°I thought Mr. Mo had a healthy body and would never get sick,¡± a new employee, Xiao Yao, said as she curled her lips into a smile. ¡°Considering how Assistant Liao looked just now, I feel this is the calm before the storm.¡± An older employee revealed a worried expression. ¡°But I heard Mr. Mo has some good news.¡± ¡°Oh, please. Does Mr. Mo look like he has good news?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. He looks dissatisfied.¡± Some staff members gathered and chattered, but they didn¡¯t notice someone listening to their conversation in the corridor. The person eavesdropped for a long while before walking forward. Xiao Yao saw the person and immediately stood up. ¡°Miss Qiu!¡± The other two flinched and stood up, not daring to make a sound. Qiu Xin looked at the three with a cold demeanor. ¡°It looks like you three have enough time to badmouth your boss during office hours.¡± ¡°M-Miss Qiu, we weren¡¯t¡­¡± The more experienced employee tried to explain himself. ¡°What are you trying to say? Do you think there¡¯s something wrong with my hearing? Did I misunderstand you?¡± Qiu Xin bluntly interrupted. The employee shut his mouth and retreated as he stood still. Xiao Yao glanced at the two employees and stepped forward. She said, ¡°Let me open the door for you, Miss Qiu.¡± She gently knocked on the office door twice as she spoke. Liao Chen enquired from inside the office, ¡°What is it?¡± Xiao Yao gently opened the door slightly and poked her head between the crack. ¡°Assistant Liao, Miss Qiu is here.¡± Liao Chen glanced at Mo He and approached the office door to open it. Qiu Xin walked past Xiao Yao and Liao Chen toward Mo He¡¯s desk. The office door closed as Xiao Yao patted her chest while heaving a sigh of relief. She looked at the other two employees, and the three shook their heads in unison. Miss Qiu was Mr. Mo¡¯s most frequent visitor at the office. There was no place Miss Qiu couldn¡¯t go at Mo Incorporated, and no one dared to offend her. Since Mr. Mo doted on Miss Qiu so much, everyone thought there would be news of them getting married one day. The employees of Mo Incorporated treated Miss Qiu as Mr. Mo¡¯s wife. Especially the three employees from before. The three employees had special statuses at Mo Incorporated. They were secretariats. Although they would occasionally take advantage of their positions, they kept Mr. Mo¡¯s secrets to themselves. The only person they didn¡¯t know much about was Miss Qiu. Although the trio knew that Miss Qui had gone to the Mo family when Mr. Mo was injured, they were clueless about the relationship between the two. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Mo He looked at Qiu Xin coldly as he sat on his office chair. When Qiu Xin heard Mo He¡¯s icy tone, she immediately revealed a pitiful expression. ¡°Mo He, aren¡¯t you glad that I came looking for you?¡± Mo He discreetly gritted his teeth and switched to a calmer tone when he heard Qiu Xin¡¯s words. ¡°Do you have something to discuss with me?¡± Qiu Xin walked to Mo He¡¯s side, looking like she was about to cry. ¡°I said that I would pick Grandmother up, but she seemed worried about me and told me to wait at home.¡± ¡°Just listen to what Grandmother says,¡± Mo He replied expressionlessly. Qiu Xin bit her lower lip and continued, ¡°B-But Grandmother traveled all this way. How could she not want someone to pick her up from the airport? Maybe you could come with me to pick Grandmother up.¡± Qiu Xin reached out and grabbed Mo He¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Grandmother must have her reasons for telling you to stay home,¡± Mo He gently raised his arm and avoided Qiu Xin¡¯s grasp. Qiu Xin was about to reach for Mo He again when Liao Chen walked over. ¡°Mr. Mo, the video conference is ready.¡± Liao Chen¡¯s voice stopped Qiu Xin from speaking. Qiu Xin secretly gritted her teeth, but she knew she couldn¡¯t delay Mo He¡¯s work. A disappointed expression appeared on her face, then she said to Mo He, ¡°I shall take my leave since you¡¯re busy.¡± ¡°All right,¡± Mo He replied briefly, almost ignoring Qiu Xin entirely. Chapter 22 - Knew That Xia Yan Chapter 22 Knew That Xia Yan Xia Yan continued her work in the bedroom for a long while and finally completed the first design sketch. She contacted Jiang Tong and asked her to follow up on the client¡¯s order. Only then did Xia Yan realize that it was almost afternoon. After massaging her slightly numb thighs, she struggled to stand. Just as she was about to exit the room, someone knocked on the door. Xia Yan pulled the door open, but the person didn¡¯t expect Xia Yan to respond so quickly. The person knocked on Xia Yan¡¯s head because she caught the person off guard. Xia Yan groaned in pain and squatted on the ground to rub her forehead. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Xia Yan! Are you all right?!¡± Mo Pei yelled in surprise and knelt before Xia Yan. Xia Yan slapped Mo Pei¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Why did you knock so hard?!¡± Mo Pei sighed and could only allow Xia Yan to hit him. After recovering from the pain, Xia Yan stood up with Mo Pei¡¯s help. ¡°Why¡¯d you come here this time?¡± Mo Pei chuckled when he heard his sister-in-law¡¯s uninviting tone, ¡°I just contacted Assistant Jiang! She¡¯s such a nice person. She immediately agreed to help me find a gift for my grandmother. I think Grandmother will like my gift the most when we arrive at the banquet,¡± Mo Pei laughed happily. Xia Yan nodded and said, ¡°Congratulations, Brother-in-law!¡± ¡°So, what are you planning to give to my grandmother, Xia Yan?¡± Mo Pei asked curiously. However, his question stumped Xia Yan. Old Madam Mo was the most respected person in the Mo family. Mo He was fearless throughout his life. He wasn¡¯t even afraid of Madam Mo and dared to question her sometimes. But he dared not disobey Old Madam Mo one bit. Hence why Xia Yan wanted to meet Old Madam Mo, she thought if she could gain Old Madam Mo¡¯s favor, she would have a stable future in the Mo family residence. Considering Mo He¡¯s attitude, Xia Yan was afraid that he wouldn¡¯t allow her to attend the banquet even though Mo Pei had mentioned that Old Madam Mo wanted to meet her. Xia Yan sighed and shrugged. ¡°Your cousin won¡¯t allow me to go to the banquet. It would be better if I obediently stayed in this room.¡± Mo Pei was puzzled at Xia Yan¡¯s pitiful words. ¡°Do you suggest my cousin won¡¯t let you see my grandmother because he thinks you¡¯re ugly?¡± Xia Yan couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes when she heard Mo Pei¡¯s unintentional rudeness. She thought Mo Pei was probably the most honest person she had ever met. Despite that, Mo Pei didn¡¯t quite understand Xia Yan¡¯s reaction and asked in puzzlement, ¡°Are there any other reasons?¡± Xia Yan sighed and said, ¡°That¡¯s probably the main reason.¡± Mo Pei nodded as if he agreed with that reasoning. However, he considered it and frowned, ¡°Grandmother has never judged others by their looks! Take Qiu Xin for an example, she¡¯s beautiful, but my grandmother hates her.¡± ¡°Grandma Mo doesn¡¯t like Qiu Xin?¡± Xia Yan became curious. ¡°Of course, she doesn¡¯t! Second Aunt likes Qiu Xin, but Grandmother never did,¡± Mo Pei was in a gossipy mood. ¡°You don¡¯t even know the half of it. Grandmother immediately asked Second Aunt to send her away when she saw Qiu Xin. Not long after Mo He¡¯s accident, our entire family treated Qiu Xin as a savior.¡± aw ¡°But my grandmother said that there were a thousand other ways to repay Qiu Xin instead of allowing her to live in the Mo family residence. She didn¡¯t even want to let Qiu Xin step foot through the door. Although no one impeded Qiu Xin in this old residence, she has never entered the Mo family ancestral manor.¡± Hearing Mo Pei¡¯s words, Xia Yan couldn¡¯t help but feel that Old Madam Mo was indeed an interesting character. However, she wondered what would happen if Old Madam Mo didn¡¯t like her either. ¡®What should I do if she doesn¡¯t like me?¡¯ Xia Yan sighed at the thought of this. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Xia Yan? Are you worried that Grandmother wouldn¡¯t like you?¡± Mo Pei asked curiously. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Xia Yan! She will like you!¡± Mo Pei patted his chest and promised. ¡°What makes you so sure?¡± It was Xia Yan¡¯s turn at curiosity. ¡°I spoke about you to Grandmother. Even she said it would be easy for you to fit into the Mo family. That¡¯s why she wants to meet you!¡± Mo Pei chuckled as if he was asking for praise. Xia Yan, on the other hand, was even more confused. Old Madam Mo had lived abroad for a long time. But considering Mo Pei¡¯s words, Old Madam Mo seemed to know that Xia Yan¡­ ¡®B-But I¡¯m not sure if Old Madam Mo thinks of the same person.¡¯ Mo Pei noticed Xia Yan¡¯s frown, so he quickly explained, ¡°Grandmother is not like others. You will know when you see her. I¡¯m sure that you two will hit it off!¡± Chapter 23 - The Matchmaker Is Marrying Young Madam Mo Chapter 23 The Matchmaker Is Marrying Young Madam Mo Xia Yan and Mo Pei chatted for a long while as Du Xia stood quietly on the sidelines. Then Aunt Lin appeared at the door. ¡°Young Master Mo Pei, Madam Mo wants to see you.¡± Xia Yan glanced at Mo Pei sympathetically as he left. Then Du Xia approached Xia Yan and said, ¡°I think Old Madam Mo will be thrilled if you showed her your true face, Young Madam Mo.¡± Xia Yan glanced at Du Xia and said lowly, ¡°You don¡¯t need to say anything.¡± The little girl was stunned before realizing she had overstepped her boundaries. She quickly lowered her head and said respectfully, ¡°Yes, Young Madam Mo. I know that I¡¯ve overstepped.¡± Xia Yan looked at Du Xia and said in a cold voice, ¡°I¡¯ve already told you what you should and shouldn¡¯t say. Please, keep your mouth shut.¡± The little girl lowered her head and seemed unwilling, yet she nodded and said, ¡°Y-Yes, Young Madam Mo.¡± Xia Yan looked at the sky through the window and asked, ¡°Is Mo He back yet?¡± Du Xia replied, ¡°No, he isn¡¯t. Young Master Mo He said that he won¡¯t be home for dinner.¡± ¡°He won¡¯t be having dinner?!¡± Xia Yan yelled. ¡°So, I¡¯ll have to wait till tomorrow before I can eat again?¡± Aunt Xu had prepared dinner for the two since Mo He was around the last two days. Fortunately, Mo He was merciful that morning and told Du Xia to make Xia Yan some food. Despite that, Aunt Lin kept a close watch on the kitchen and didn¡¯t give Du Xia a chance to make dinner for Xia Yan. Xia Yan patted her stomach in annoyance. ¡°But I¡¯m so hungry!¡± Xia Yan¡¯s actions amused Du Xia. ¡°If you¡¯re hungry, I can discreetly ask Aunt Xu to save you some food.¡± ¡°No need! We¡¯ll talk about this later. I wouldn¡¯t want to get you guys in trouble,¡± Xia Yan sighed and leaned against the sofa, feeling discouraged. The little girl grinned and said softly, ¡°Then I shall take my leave. Please call me if you need anything, Young Madam Mo.¡± Xia Yan picked up her phone and contacted Jiang Tong when Du Xia left. She talked to Jiang Tong about Mo Pei¡¯s order and decided to prepare a gift for Old Madam Mo. Mo Pei mentioned that Old Madam Mo liked Magnolias, so Xia Yan took Mo Pei¡¯s suggestion and designed a Magnolia-shaped brooch for Old Madam Mo. Halfway through the sketch, a soft sound echoed from outside the room. Xia Yan immediately put away her sketchpad, and just as she got up from the sofa, the person outside barged into the room. She glared at Qiu Xin, who barged in, and sneered, ¡°What are you doing in my room?¡¯ Qiu Xin was enraged when she heard Xia Yan¡¯s words. She quickly stepped forward and waved her hand, wanting to slap Xia Yan. Of course, Xia Yan wouldn¡¯t just stand around waiting for Qiu Xin to slap her. She grabbed Qiu Xin¡¯s hand and fiercely pulled it. Then she kicked Qiu Xin¡¯s right foot. Qiu Xin lost her balance and instantly pounced toward Xia Yan. ¡°How dare you?!¡± Qiu Xin glared at Xia Yan with her hatred-filled eyes. ¡°How dare I?! You barged into my room and tried to slap me. Do you expect me not to retaliate?!¡± Xia Yan crossed her arms and looked down on Qiu Xin. The servants outside heard the commotion and went into the room only to see Qiu Xin on the ground. They hurriedly ran to report the scene to Madam Mo. When Jiang Qiu arrived at the room, Qiu Xin was still sitting on the ground. Qiu Xin sensed Jiang Qiu¡¯s figure out of the corner of her eyes. Suddenly, she whimpered and cried. Tears slowly rolled down Qiu Xin¡¯s cheeks, looking as pitiful as she could. Xia Yan watched her performance while standing still. Jiang Qiu ran into the room and helped Qiu Xin get up. She wiped Qiu Xin¡¯s tears away and glared at her daughter-in-law. ¡°What did you do to her this time?!¡± Xia Yan remained calm and composed as she looked at Jiang Qiu. ¡°She was the one who barged into my room. Shouldn¡¯t you be asking her what she did?¡± Qiu Xin revealed an innocent expression as she explained, ¡°I only wanted to ask Miss Xia if she was interested in sharing some snacks with me, but before¡­ She threw me to the ground before I could finish speaking.¡± Du Xia only remained still on the sidelines, not daring to make a peep. Xia Yan looked at Qiu Xin and sneered, ¡°Did you just call me Miss Xia? I think you¡¯ve forgotten that I am Mo He¡¯s wife. You should be calling me Young Madam Mo instead!¡± Qiu Xin¡¯s face turned ashen when she heard Xia Yan¡¯s words. She bit her lower lip and lowered her hatred-filled eyes. ¡°Young Madam Mo, eh?¡± Jiang Qiu snorted coldly. ¡°It would seem that you have forgotten where you came from in the past two days!¡± ¡°What you said is wrong, Mother-in-law. I sat in the Mo family¡¯s car when I came here, and you were the one who brought me to this very room.¡± Xia Yan said with a smile. Madam Mo pointed at Xia Ya, trembling as she thundered, ¡°How dare you speak to me that way?!¡± Chapter 24 - Attracting Mens Eyes Chapter 24 Attracting Men¡¯s Eyes ¡°What is going on here?!¡± A cold voice echoed from the room¡¯s entrance. Mo He stood outside the door and watched as the three women stood in a circle. The room had become livelier than ever since Xia Yan married into the Mo family. Mo He shouted, and the surrounding servants immediately stepped aside, afraid of getting in Mo He¡¯s way. Jiang Qiu turned around and saw her son, ignoring Qiu Xin. Then she quickly walked toward Mo He. ¡°You¡¯re home already? Are you tired from work?¡± Jiang Qiu asked with concern. Mo He shook his head and comforted, ¡°I¡¯m fine, Mom.¡± Then he stared at Xia Yan and sneered, ¡°What did you do this time?¡± Xia Yan couldn¡¯t decide if she should laugh or cry. ¡°Look who showed up. I was staying in the room when that crazy woman barged in and tried to slap me, and now she¡¯s trying to play the victim.¡± ¡°You¡¯re spouting nonsense!¡± Qiu Xin dared not look at Mo He and refused to admit she was wrong. Xia Yan glanced at Du Xia, lowering her head, not daring to look up. Xia Yan knew that Du Xia couldn¡¯t help her this time. However, she had no intention of involving Du Xia in such a situation. After all, she was only a little girl in this vast residence, and it wasn¡¯t easy for her to defend herself. Xia Yan looked at Mo He and raised her eyebrows. ¡°Oh well, I don¡¯t have any proof to back my words. You can think whatever you want of me.¡± Mo He couldn¡¯t help but frown when he saw Xia Yan¡¯s worn-out appearance. Before he could speak, Xia Yan had already sat on the sofa with her arms stretched. ¡°You¡¯ve already trapped and starved me. I¡¯d like to see if you have any other tricks up your sleeves.¡± Mo He¡¯s expression turned unsightly when he heard that. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to have an ounce of remorse or guilt in you.¡± ¡°Why do I have to feel guilty? I can just leave if you think I¡¯m an eyesore,¡± Xia Yan coldly snorted as she prepared to leave. Mo He¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Did I allow you to leave?¡± Xia Yan paused and rolled her eyes. ¡°You and your family are so bizarre. Let¡¯s clear things up, shall we? I¡¯m marrying you, but I need my freedom. You can¡¯t expect me to stay in this room for eternity.¡± ¡°If you think I¡¯m affecting your happiness, I suggest you prepare another room for me. Otherwise, you can allow me to leave you and your home,¡± Xia Yan spoke as she glanced in Qiu Xin¡¯s direction. ¡°It also saves others the hassle of thinking that I¡¯m getting in your way.¡± Mo He¡¯s expression grew even more unsightly as he listened to Xia Yan¡¯s incessant speech. Nonetheless, Xia Yan knew Mo He wouldn¡¯t let her leave. After all, this marriage wasn¡¯t formed from consensual love. Instead, it was a collaboration between the two families with benefits. Mo He looked at Jiang Qiu and said, ¡°Mom, I need to tell Xia Yan something. Would you please leave?¡± Although Jiang Qiu was hesitant to leave, she would accept her son¡¯s requests. She sighed and exited the room with Aunt Lin¡¯s support. When Jiang Qiu left, Mo He shouted, causing everyone present to tremble. ¡°All of you, get out!¡± Although Qiu Xin was unwilling to leave but dared not go against Mo He, she could only reveal an affronted expression. She then helplessly exited the room under Mo He¡¯s disregard. Du Xia gently closed the door behind her as Mo He stared at Xia Yan. Then he grabbed Xia Yan by her jaw, suffocating the woman. However, Xia Yan revealed no signs of weakness. She continued glaring at Mo He and squeezed out a sentence, ¡°What are you going to do? Are you going to kill me to vent your frustrations?¡± Mo He tightened his grip and sneered, ¡°You b*tch. How could you¡­¡± Mo He was at a loss and didn¡¯t know what to say about the detestable woman before him. On the other hand, Xia Yan stared back at Mo He with her big almond-shaped eyes. Mo He¡¯s face reflected in her eyes, but it seemed like he had more to say to Xia Yan. Mo He felt Xia Yan¡¯s eyes sucking his soul away as he subconsciously relaxed his hand. Xia Yan coughed and pushed Mo He away. The man took two steps back and looked at Xia Yan as she lowered her face. He thought that if Xia Yan¡¯s mask wasn¡¯t there, she could attract at least a dozen men with just her eyes. Mo He hated the feeling of other men. Chapter 25 - Going Out Chapter 25 Going Out The two ignored each other for the remainder of the night since they were angry. Xia Yan didn¡¯t ask Du Xia to make her some food even though her stomach rumbled violently. Before urging Mo He to leave for work the following morning, Xia Yan requested, ¡°I want to go out for a while.¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t!¡± Mo He refused without hesitation. ¡°You¡¯re taking my freedom away! I¡¯ll call the police on you if you don¡¯t let me out!¡± Xia Yan raised her chin and threatened. If Xia Rou hadn¡¯t coerced Xia Yan, she wouldn¡¯t have to suffer in the Mo family residence. Xia Yan could only compromise, but she still needed to fight for her rights to freedom. Xia Yan needed her freedom to visit her sick grandma and ensure that her surgery went smoothly. Seeing Xia Yan¡¯s stubborn attitude, Mo He said expressionlessly, ¡°Go ahead and call the police. See if they care.¡± Xia Yan felt like her head was about to start smoking when she heard Mo He¡¯s words. She gritted her teeth and took a deep breath to calm herself down. ¡°I¡¯m not going to discuss our relationship with others when I¡¯m out. I have a lot of things I need to do!¡± Xia Yan took another deep breath and said pleadingly, ¡°Can you let me go out just this once? I promise not to speak to others about us! I won¡¯t embarrass you or your family.¡± Mo He noticed Xia Yan¡¯s pitiful appearance and saw her eyes, which shone with anger from the night before, become teary. His heart instantly softened as he said, ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone that you¡¯re my wife, and don¡¯t speak of your relationship with the Mo family.¡± ¡°Keep your mouth shut about my family¡¯s business, and don¡¯t speak about us if you go home.¡± Xia Yan nodded her head and agreed to Mo He¡¯s series of conditions without hesitation. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. When I leave the house, I no longer have anything to do with you or the Mo family.¡± For some reason, Mo He felt uncomfortable when he heard this. He waved his hand, trying to rid himself of his unhappiness. Then he said, ¡°All right, I got it! Also, my family won¡¯t be providing you with a driver or a car. If you want to leave, you have to find your own means of transport.¡± When Mo He finished speaking, he opened the room door and left without looking back. Xia Yan made a prompt decision with Mo He¡¯s permission. She left in a hurry after packing her things. Xia Yan couldn¡¯t help but sigh when she arrived at the Mo family residence¡¯s entrance. The Mo family was influential across Jiang City with a large business, and their residence was enormous, leaving an uninhabited radius of five kilometers surrounding the house. Xia Yan tugged her backpack. Then she raised her head and puffed out her chest as she walked toward the east side of the door. If Xia Yan hadn¡¯t asked for Du Xia¡¯s help, she would¡¯ve gotten lost within five hundred meters of the door. Xia Yan cursed Mo He as she walked. She would¡¯ve been by her grandma¡¯s side if it weren¡¯t for him, and if the Mo family didn¡¯t live in that d*mned area, she wouldn¡¯t have to walk so far. Xia Yan walked for nearly two kilometers before she saw a car passing by. She tried stopping the car without hesitation. The driver rolled down his window and looked at Xia Yan. Then he asked with a puzzled expression, ¡°Where are you going, Miss?¡± The driver looked around and became even more puzzled. He muttered, ¡°No one else lives around here besides the Mo family.¡± ¡°They wouldn¡¯t walk anywhere. Is this pitiful-looking woman one of their servants they had just fired?¡¯ The man pondered and collected his thoughts. ¡°Get in the car, Miss. I¡¯ll get you to where you need to go.¡± Xia Yan glanced at the man hesitantly. Then she thought of the long road ahead, opened the door, and got into the car. The man glanced at Xia Yan and became curious about her black mask. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel hot with that mask on?¡± Xia Yan shook her head and smiled. ¡°I have a rash on my face. I don¡¯t like the wind on my face either.¡± The man replied with an ¡°oh¡± and ceased prying. The man only stopped the car when they arrived at a bus stop. Xia Yan hurriedly exited the car after thanking the man. Then Xia Yan remembered that she hadn¡¯t even asked for the man¡¯s name while waiting for the bus. But unbeknownst to her, that person was an acquaintance of the Mo family, and the two would eventually meet again sooner or later. When Xia Yan finally arrived at the hospital, she saw her grandma sound asleep on the hospital bed. But Aunt Cui was nowhere around. She put her things away and was about to take some fruits that she had bought on the way to the hospital and wash them when she saw the door to the ward open. Chapter 26 - Aggrieved? Chapter 26 Aggrieved? Xia Yan saw the person who opened the door and couldn¡¯t help but frown. It was evident that Fang Yao didn¡¯t expect to see Xia Yan at the hospital. His body tensed up when he saw Xia Yan. Xia Yan noticed Fang Yao¡¯s uninviting gaze and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Long time no see, Doctor Fang.¡± Fang Yao furrowed his eyebrows and glared at Xia Yan indifferently. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Xia Yan looked at Fang Yao with even more amusement. ¡°I came to visit my grandma. Do I still need your approval before I visit her?¡± Fang Yao¡¯s expression became increasingly unsightly when Xia Yan responded with such a question. ¡°I need to examine my patient now. Can you wait outside, please?¡± Xia Yan adjusted her position and made way for Fang Yao. ¡°Doctor Fang, if you will.¡± Fang Ya walked toward the hospital bed when he realized that Xia Yan didn¡¯t intend to leave. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you leaving?¡± Xia Yan sighed helplessly and said, ¡°Director Jin said that my grandma needs someone to watch over her when she does her checkups. Since Aunt Cui isn¡¯t around, I can¡¯t leave Grandma¡¯s side. Besides, I¡¯m her family member, so why can¡¯t I stay?¡± Xia Yan spoke matter-of-factly, and Fang Yao didn¡¯t know how else to refute her. He gritted his teeth and walked to the bedside. After checking on the old lady¡¯s medicine dosage and records, he left the ward. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to do a system check, Doctor Fang?¡± Xia Yan asked curiously. Fang Yao snorted, ¡°I¡¯m an attending physician! I don¡¯t need you to tell me what to do!¡± Then he exited the room without waiting for Xia Yan¡¯s response. Xia Yan looked at the slow-closing door and gritted her teeth. ¡°If you weren¡¯t the only doctor who could operate on my grandma, I would¡¯ve beat you up to vent my frustrations.¡± Xia Yan waved her fists vigorously as she spoke. Then Aunt Cui pushed the door open and entered the ward. Xia Yan¡¯s fierce expression shocked her. ¡°What happened, Xia Yan?¡± Aunt Cui asked as she stood at the entrance, afraid Xia Yan would pounce and attack her. Xia Yan quickly retracted her hand and smiled. ¡°A-Aunt Cui, you¡¯re back! I Brought some fruits so that we can have some later.¡± Xia Yan walked into the bathroom and washed the fruits immediately. Then her grandma woke up just as she left the bathroom. ¡°Little Yan, you¡¯re here!¡± Grandma smiled when she saw Xia Yan. Xia Yan hurried forward and placed the fruits on the table. She leaned into Grandma¡¯s embrace and felt the warmth of her hug. The past few days at the Mo family residence made Xia Yan feel like she was going crazy. She desperately needed a warm hug from her grandma to recharge her batteries. Grandma patted Xia Yan¡¯s back with heartache. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Little Yan? Did someone hurt you?¡± Xia Yan replied sullenly, ¡°N-No, Grandma. I¡¯m just not used to sleeping on a new bed, that¡¯s all.¡± Grandma could see that Xia Yan was depressed and knew that it wasn¡¯t as simple as her granddaughter said. Since Xia Yan refused to tell the old lady the truth, Grandma knew that she wouldn¡¯t get anything out of her granddaughter no matter how hard she tried. The old lady gently patted Xia Yan¡¯s back and said, ¡°Come and see me if you ever feel tired or uncomfortable with that place. Don¡¯t let anyone force you to do things you don¡¯t like.¡± Xia Yan buried her head in her grandma¡¯s arms when she heard that. ¡°I know, Grandma. You don¡¯t have to worry about me. I won¡¯t let anyone force me to do anything I don¡¯t want to.¡± Grandma sighed and hugged Xia Yan tightly. After a while, Xia Yan finally let go of her grandma. ¡°Grandma, I might be busy soon, so it won¡¯t be convenient for me to visit you so often. If you need anything, please ask Aunt Cui to call me.¡± ¡°I know, Little Yan. You can do whatever you want since I have Aunt Cui by my side,¡± Grandma said with a smile as she looked at Aunt Ciu. Aunt Cui approached Xia Yan and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry, Xia Yan. I¡¯ll take good care of your Grandma.¡± Xia Yan chatted with Grandma for a long while. It wasn¡¯t until the old lady got tired that Xia Yan reluctantly left. It was almost dusk when she left the hospital. Xia Yan took her phone out of her pocket and contacted Jiang Tong Jiang Tong was busy packing up at the studio when she received Xia Yan¡¯s call. She was surprised as she answered the call, ¡°They let you out of that prison?¡± Xia Yan rolled her eyes and replied, ¡°Can we go and get something to eat? I¡¯ve been starving for two days now, and I¡¯m in urgent need of food!¡± Naturally, Jiang Tong wouldn¡¯t refuse. She then cheerfully agreed on a meeting place with Xia Yan. Chapter 27 - Storm Chapter 27 Storm The two arranged to meet at a relatively famous private restaurant, and the owner was one of Xia Yan¡¯s clients. He had asked Xia Yan to design a necklace for his wedding anniversary. His wife was thrilled to receive the custom-made necklace, improving their relationship exponentially. Therefore, the restaurant owner reserved a VIP table for Xia Yan and Jiang Tong. He had also promised Xia Yan a VIP treatment every time she went to his restaurant. As the restaurant grew more popular, Jiang Tong had to call to reserve a seat. Although the owner told them that it was unnecessary, Xia Yan refused to cause trouble for the owner. The two arrived at the restaurant just in time for the dinner crowd. The waiting area outside was already full at that time. Xia Yan and Jiang Tong walked to the door, greeted the doorman, and entered the restaurant. Although Xia Yan and Jiang Tong rarely went to the restaurant, the employees knew how their boss treated Xia Yan and Jiang Tong. The doorman smiled and led the two into the dining hall as he called the manager to welcome them. As Xia Yan and Jiang Tong spoke, they heard a commotion echo nearby. Xia Yan was familiar with the person¡¯s voice. She looked around and saw Qiu Xin. Xia Yan furrowed her eyebrows and pulled Jiang Tong aside, avoiding Qiu Xin. Although Qiu Xin often pretended to be gentle before the Mo family, she was utterly spoiled and overbearing at the restaurant. Qiu Xin slammed the front desk and scolded, ¡°There¡¯s an empty table right there! Why won¡¯t you let me in?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry, Miss. That table is for VIPs only,¡± The receptionist at the front desk said apologetically. ¡°What VIP? I¡¯ve been waiting here for an hour, yet I haven¡¯t seen anyone occupy that table!¡± Qiu Xin thundered, ¡°Just because your food is famous doesn¡¯t mean you can treat your customers poorly!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll expose your restaurant for this! If you don¡¯t let me in, I will¡­¡± Qiu Xin continued to yell when a young man who looked like a manager approached her. The man walked to the front desk and glanced indifferently at the noisy Qiu Xin. Qiu Xin walked toward the manager and pointed at his nose. ¡°You¡¯re the manager, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯ve been waiting here for a long time, yet it took you this long to come out? Do you want to lose your job?¡± The manager only smiled and said, ¡°Miss, you can speak to the person at the front desk if you have any issues.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve spent an hour at the front desk, yet they still couldn¡¯t give me a table! Aren¡¯t you going to do something about it?¡± The manager maintained his professionalism and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss. We have other customers to attend to. You can report your issues to the front desk, and they will help you.¡± The manager no longer indulged in Qiu Xin¡¯s outrageous behavior and quickly approached Xia Yan. ¡°Miss Xia, Miss Jiang, please come in.¡± The manager turned to his side with a smile, ushering Xia Yan and Jiang Tong to their seats. Qiu Xin looked toward the manager and saw Xia Yan and Jiang Tong. She was furious when the manager ignored her just to greet Xia Yan. Qiu Xin walked up to the manager and stood in his way. ¡°How can this ugly freak enter the restaurant, but I can¡¯t?! Does this restaurant only serve unfortunate people?¡± The manager was the first to reveal an affronted expression when he heard Qiu Xin¡¯s insulting words. ¡°Please watch your words, Miss.¡± ¡°What? Did I offend you?¡± Qiu Xin snorted and looked at Xia Yan¡¯s black mask. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault that an ugly freak like her appeared to scare your customers in broad daylight.¡± Jiang Tong wanted to push the manager aside and argue with Qiu Xin when she heard her. But Xia Yan pulled her back and didn¡¯t allow her to do so. After all, it was better if she laid low in public. Qiu Xin thought Xia Yan was afraid, so she became even more unwilling to let her pass. ¡°Even that ugly freak knows that what I said was right! You should leave, just in case your mask slips and you scare the customers away! The owner would cry when that happens.¡± Qiu Xin giggled as the other women with her started laughing aloud. Chapter 28 - Mo Hes Heart Chapter 28 Mo He¡¯s Heart Although Xia Yan didn¡¯t want to cause a scene, she wasn¡¯t someone who would allow others to speak to her rudely. She looked at Qiu Xin and her friends and said to the manager, ¡°Doesn¡¯t your boss hate people who speak rudely?¡± ¡°If I remember correctly, someone said that my mask was ugly, and your boss threw that person out.¡± The manager immediately reacted when Xia Yan said that. He gestured with his eyes, and two security guards walked over. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, ladies, but we can¡¯t afford to serve you. Please leave.¡± The manager leaned toward Qiu Xin and her friends. ¡°What do you mean?!¡± Qiu Xin was furious. ¡°How dare you chase your customers away? Do you want to lose your job? Don¡¯t you know that I¡¯m a member of the Mo family?!¡± The manager¡¯s expression changed when he heard Qiu Xin mentioning the Mo family. Everyone in Jiang City knew of the Mo family and that they owned a large business. The Mos could do anything they wanted to in Jiang City. If the restaurant offended the Mos, could they still operate in the future? Qiu Xin revealed a menacing smile when she noticed the manager¡¯s hesitation. ¡°Oh? Are you afraid now?¡± Xia Yan couldn¡¯t help but laugh when she heard Qiu Xin¡¯s words. Although she had promised Mo He that she wouldn¡¯t speak of her relationship with the Mos, it didn¡¯t stop her from arguing with Qiu Xin. Xia Yan asked softly, ¡°Which member of the Mo family are you, Miss?¡±. Qiu Xin glared at Xia Yan and gritted her teeth, but she didn¡¯t immediately answer. A woman beside Qiu Xin stepped forward, raised her chin, and said, ¡°Here, let me tell you. Qiu Xin is Young Master Mo He¡¯s fianc¨¦e.¡± ¡°Oh really?¡± Xia Yan smiled at the woman. Then she shifted her gaze to Qiu Xin, ¡°But I heard that the Mos held a wedding not too long ago.¡± ¡°S-So what? That was just a collaboration with another family. Young Master Mo He loves Qiu Xin,¡± another woman spoke. ¡°That¡¯s right! Young Master Mo He will get a divorce soon and finally marry Qiu Xin!¡± Xia Yan felt that there was a hole in the woman¡¯s explanation. She raised her hand and interrupted their chattering. ¡°So, Miss Qiu Xin is Young Master Mo He¡¯s fianc¨¦e even though he¡¯s already married?¡± Many people watched the scene unfold in the restaurant. The moment Xia Yan finished speaking, everyone present was in an uproar. Qiu Xin¡¯s expression changed, but she didn¡¯t know how to explain herself. She had always considered herself as Mo He¡¯s fianc¨¦e among the group of snobbish women she hung out with. Since Qiu Xin had frequented the Mo residence and even started living there occasionally, others supported the idea of her being Mo He¡¯s fianc¨¦e. But someone else other than Qiu Xin knew of her actual relationship with Mo He. Qiu Xin clenched her fists, wishing to shut Xia Yan¡¯s mouth. Before Qiu Xin could answer, the woman beside her spoke, ¡°Don¡¯t you understand what true love is?¡± ¡°You¡¯re an ugly freak. It¡¯s apparent that no one wants you! You could never understand true love!¡± ¡°Exactly! You don¡¯t even dare to reveal your true face! I¡¯m afraid that your face would scare others!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Remove your mask if you¡¯re brave enough!¡± The women spoke one after another, igniting Jiang Tong¡¯s fighting spirit. She grabbed Xia Yan¡¯s arm and told her to stand back. ¡°You guys can only call her ugly. Don¡¯t you have a mirror at home, or are you blind?¡± Xia Yan gave Jiang Tong a thumbs up when she heard Jiang Tong¡¯s words. Jiang Tong raised her chin proudly and continued to speak, ¡°No matter how you look at it, hooking up with a married man isn¡¯t true love. You¡¯re just a third party!¡± ¡°Do you understand what I¡¯m saying? You¡¯re welcome to watch some lawyer shows with me if you don¡¯t. But now that I think about it, you idi*ts might not understand those shows anyway.¡± The women were speechless when Jiang Tong berated them. Qiu Xin¡¯s face was red with rage. Xia Yan looked at Qiu Xin and revealed a snide smile. Although Xia Yan wore a mask, her eyes deeply pierced through Qiu Xin¡¯s heart. The other women didn¡¯t know how to react to Jiang Tong¡¯s words when Qiu Xin snorted and walked out of the restaurant. ¡°W-Where are you going, Qiu Xin?¡± ¡°W-Wait for us!¡± Xia Yan ignored the women and held Jiang Tong¡¯s arm. She smiled at the manager and said, ¡°Please take us to our seats.¡± Chapter 29 - Evidence Chapter 29 Evidence Xia Yan happily hitched a ride back to the Mo residence, and when she entered, she saw Jiang Qiu staring at her. She gazed at Qiu Xin, who was crying Xia Yan knew that Qiu Xin had complained about her. She ignored Qiu Xin and lowered her head to Jiang Qiu to greet her, ¡°Hello there, Mother-in-law.¡± Jiang Qiu¡¯s temper flared when she heard Xia Yan¡¯s words. ¡°Where were you? What did you do to Qiu Xin?! Look at how sad she is! Do you know what you did wrong?¡± Xia Yan raised her eyebrows and looked at Jiang Qiu with a strange expression. Seeing that Xia Yan was silent, Jiang Qiu thought she had done something wrong and refused to let her go. ¡°You¡¯ve only just married into my family, yet you¡¯re already so arrogant! You continue to disrespect your elders and bully the weak. You¡¯re such an unruly person!¡± If Jiang Qiu knew how Qiu Xin behaved behind her back, she wouldn¡¯t have called Xia Yan unruly. However, Qiu Xin had always acted well, so she knew how to maintain a pitiful image before Jiang Qiu. Xia Yan stared at Jiang Qiu and replied softly, ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about, Mother-in-law.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand what I said? Are you stupid, or is your entire family uneducated?¡± Xia Yan frowned as her eyes revealed a cold expression. But Jiang Qiu was still in a fit of rage and couldn¡¯t care less about Xia Yan¡¯s attitude. ¡°You need to learn to behave yourself if you want to continue living with us! If you don¡¯t apologize to Qiu Xin, you can forget about living here!¡± Can When Xia Yan heard that, she muttered in her heart, ¡®I always have to apologize, huh? Does the Mo family like people to apologize to them? Does it make them feel superior to others?¡¯ Although Xia Yan was dissatisfied, she appeared calm on the surface. ¡°What do you mean by that, Mother-in-law? Why should I apologize to Qiu Xin?¡± Xia Yan adamantly refused to admit her mistake as Jiang Qiu yelled even louder, ¡°A child like you from a small family doesn¡¯t know how to behave in public! You embarrassed Qiu Xin in front of others! Do you intend to make the Mo family look like idi*ts?!¡± Xia Yan caught a hidden meaning in Jiang Qiu¡¯s words. ¡®She said that I¡¯m a daughter of a small family? Does that mean Qiu Xin is from a big family?¡¯ Xia Yan turned her head and looked at Qiu Xin as she wiped her tears from her face. Then their eyes met. Qiu Xin instinctively avoided eye contact and used her handkerchief to cover the corners of her eyes. Then she cried even more pitifully. Xia Yan chuckled and said to Jiang Qiu, ¡°Mother-in-law, you don¡¯t know what really happened. Shouldn¡¯t we discuss it before pointing fingers?¡± ¡°What is there to discuss?¡± Jiang Qiu snorted, ¡°Qiu Xin told me the truth! Moreover, Miss Wang and Miss Li have also told me what happened. Are you insinuating that they framed you?¡± Jiang Qiu raised her chin proudly as she spoke, expressing her contempt for Xia Yan. When Jiang Qiu mentioned Miss Wang and Miss Li, Xia Yan guessed that they were the women with Qiu Xin. Since the two were with Qiu Xin, they naturally held a grudge against Xia Yan. Then Xia Yan took her phone out and pressed a button. A woman¡¯s voice echoed from the phone, ¡°S-So what? That was just a collaboration with another family. Young Master Mo He loves Qiu Xin!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Young Master Mo He will get a divorce soon and finally marry Qiu Xin!¡± Qiu Xin¡¯s face turned ashen when she heard the voices on the phone. Then Xia Yan¡¯s voice echoed, ¡°So, Miss Qiu Xin is Young Master Mo He¡¯s fianc¨¦e even though he¡¯s already married?¡± Jiang Qiu slowly turned and looked at Qiu Xin when she heard the voice recording. She held the handkerchief that she wiped Qiu Xin¡¯s tears with and revealed a cold expression. Qiu Xin fiddled with her handkerchief in a panic, trying to think of a way to get out of this predicament. Xia Yan turned off the recording and asked Jiang Qiu, ¡°Do you still think I should apologize to Qiu Xin, Mother-in-law?¡± Chapter 30 - Incident Chapter 30 Incident Jiang Qiu¡¯s expression turned unsightly when she heard Xia Yan¡¯s question. She glared at Qiu Xin and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Qiu Xun gritted her teeth and quickly stood up. She sobbed and said, ¡°T-This is all a trick! She was the one who tarnished my reputation!¡± The more Qiu Xin spoke, the angrier she got. Xia Yan had deliberately recorded the entire interaction. When Jiang Qiu heard Qiu Xin¡¯s explanation, she thought it was the most reasonable answer to her question, or she hoped it was. No matter what happened, it would always be Xia Yan¡¯s fault. Jiang Qiu once again pinned it all on Xia Yan. ¡°You planned the whole thing! Obviously, you had a poor upbringing, which is why you¡¯re so cunning! My family could never tolerate a woman like you!¡± Jiang Qiu was about to order the housekeeper to escort Xia Yan out of the house as she spoke, but Xia Yan disagreed. She felt that she had a reason to stay in the Mo family. Just as the housekeeper pulled Xia Yan away, a voice echoed from the main door, ¡°Stop!¡± The housekeeper immediately stopped in his tracks, but he didn¡¯t let go of Xia Yan¡¯s arm. Xia Yan patted the housekeeper¡¯s hand, demanding that he let go since he was hurting her. Mo He entered the house and noticed the housekeeper holding Xia Yan. He looked dissatisfied as he said, ¡°Did you hear what I said?¡± Only then did the housekeeper withdraw his hand. Mo He approached Jiang Qiu and said, ¡°What happened here, Mom?¡± Qiu Xin started sobbing even harder when she saw Mo He. Then Jiang Qiu¡¯s heart ached as she reached out and gently held onto Qiu Xin¡¯s quivering body. ¡°This is all Xia Yan¡¯s fault! She set Qiu Xin up! Xia Yan embarrassed Qiu Xin and our family!¡± Xia Yan couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes at Jiang Qiu¡¯s accusations. Mo He turned to look at Xia Yan and asked, ¡°What do you have to say about this?¡± Xia Yan glanced at Mo He, then looked at Qiu Xin, crying into Jiang Qiu¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Would you even believe me if I told you what happened?¡± Xia Yan chuckled as if she didn¡¯t trust Mo He. Mo He¡¯s expression darkened at Xia Yan¡¯s untrusting attitude. ¡°Have you earned my trust?¡± Xia Yan only shrugged as she said, ¡°No matter what I say, I¡¯ll be the wrong one. You can think whatever you want.¡± Mo He felt the surge of his pent-up anger when he saw Xia Yan¡¯s perfunctory attitude. ¡°Then get the Hell out of my house!¡± Mo He shouted. Why would he give Xia Yan a chance to explain herself if she was unwilling? Qiu Xin¡¯s droopy face revealed a victorious smile when she heard Mo He¡¯s words. Xia Yan looked coldly at Mo He. Then she turned around and prepared to leave. Even though Xia Yan had promised Xia Rou that she would stay in the Mo residence, the Mo family didn¡¯t want her there. She wouldn¡¯t allow others to boss her around. Xia Yan walked toward the door when she bumped into Mo Pei, who rushed inside. ¡°Xia Yan? Where are you going?¡± Mo Pei¡¯s eyes lit up as he greeted her. Xia Yan glanced at Mo Pei and replied, ¡°I¡¯m leaving your family.¡± Mo Pei was stunned. He gazed into the house and saw Mo He and the others looking at him and Xia Yan. Mo Pei understood what had happened when he saw Qiu Xin¡¯s usual scheming demeanor. Mo Pei held Xia Yan¡¯s arm and walked in. ¡°Before you leave, I have something to say.¡± Xia Yan frowned and grabbed Mo Pei¡¯s hand. ¡°Let go of me! I want to leave this godforsaken place!¡± Mo Pei chuckled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be so rash. Just hear me out.¡± Xia Yan realized that she couldn¡¯t break free from Mo Pei¡¯s grasp, so she had no choice but to follow him. Mo Pei felt a chill run down his spine when he approached Mo He. Mo Pei glanced at Mo He and saw that his eyes were staring at his hand, which held Xia Yan. Mo Pei immediately withdrew his hand. Xia Yan thought, ¡®What is going on today?! Everyone is just pulling me around!¡¯ Mo He retracted his gaze and asked indifferently, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Mo He happily grabbed his phone and handed it to Mo He. ¡°It¡¯s a news report. It¡¯s all over the internet.¡± Mo He frowned as he looked at Mo Pei¡¯s phone. The sounds of women arguing echoed from the phone. Chapter 31 - Truth Chapter 31 Truth Mo He stared at the phone screen and saw everything that happened in the restaurant. Qiu Xin listened to the argument as her face darkened. She gripped Jiang Qiu¡¯s sleeve tightly, making herself look less guilty. When Mo He finished watching the video, he glanced at Mo Pei and asked, ¡°Where did this come from?¡± Mo Pei revealed a smile and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. This is the only footage left on the internet. Lu Ping called me and told me someone had recorded something concerning the Mo family.¡± ¡°I just realized that the video had already spread across the internet. In just ten minutes, the number of views exceeded one million. I didn¡¯t ask you about it and let Lu Ping handle it.¡± ¡°But I saved this footage so you can see it for yourself.¡± Mo Pei gazed at Qiu Xin as he spoke. Jiang Qiu didn¡¯t see the video¡¯s contents, but it sounded exactly like the one Xia Yan played. She looked at Mo He and saw that he was tense. Jiang Qiu lowered her head and looked at Qiu Xin, only to see her lowered head. ¡°What happened, Mo He?¡± Jiang Qiu looked at Mo He¡¯s ashen expression and asked worriedly. Mo He restrained his expression and turned to Qiu Xin. ¡°Let¡¯s forget about this and make sure it never happens again.¡± Mo He finished speaking and quickly walked to his study without waiting for the others to react. Xia Yan looked at the departing Mo He in disbelief. She wanted nothing more than to run and bite him. Qiu Xin had wronged her, causing Mo He to chase her out of the Mo residence. Mo Pei brought some evidence involving Qiu Xin, yet Mo He didn¡¯t even reprimand her. Jiang Qiu sighed before prying Qiu Xin¡¯s hand away from her sleeve. She spoke softly, ¡°I¡¯m tired, Aunt Lin. Please follow me to my room.¡± Aunt Lin walked forward hurriedly and supported Jiang Qiu, leaving the hall. Qiu Xin remained still while staring at Mo Pei bitterly. Mo Pei never had a good impression of Qiu Xin, so he looked at Xia Yan instead. ¡°Are you still going to leave us, Xia Yan? How will you ever thank me then?¡± Qiu Xin shifted her gaze when she saw Mo Pei looking at Xia yan fawningly. She knew that she had nothing more to say to them, so she walked around them and headed to her room. Xia Yan watched as Qiu Xin left, mumbling to herself as she recited Quintessence of the Nation. Mo Pei heard Xia Yan mumbling, but he couldn¡¯t make out what she said. ¡°What are you saying, Xia Yan? Mo Pei curiously asked as he approached Xia Yan, blocking her line of sight. Xia Yan sighed and looked at Mo Pei. ¡°What did you say just now?¡± Mo Pei looked at Xia Yan helplessly. Then he smiled and asked, ¡°I helped you just now. How are you going to thank me?¡± Xia Yan looked at Mo Pei and asked, ¡°Are you satisfied with Designer Yan¡¯s work?¡± Hearing Xia Yan¡¯s question, Mo Pei¡¯s eyes lit up as he said excitedly, ¡°It¡¯s what I wanted exactly! Designer Yan is indeed the best jeweler out there!¡± ¡°The best, huh?¡± Xia Yan repeated with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s right! I¡¯ve only heard people say that Designer Yan can grasp the client¡¯s ideas and design a piece of art that is most in line with the client¡¯s imagination! I¡¯ve witnessed it with my very eyes this time,¡± Mo Pei said excitedly. He was utterly satisfied with the design. ¡°As long as you¡¯re satisfied, nothing else matters,¡± Xia Yan softly said as she walked away. Mo Pei saw that Xia Yan was about to leave and hurriedly asked, ¡°Are you still going to leave us?¡± Xia Yan gritted her teeth and replied, ¡°Your cousin told me to leave, didn¡¯t he?¡± Mo Pei blinked before he thought of something. Then he said, ¡°Grandmother said she wants to meet you. You have to meet her at least once before you leave! How can you let the old lady down when she looks forward to seeing you?¡± Xia Yan finally calmed down when Mo Pei mentioned Old Madam Mo. Seeing that Xia Yan was hesitant, Mo Pei persuaded her, ¡°You can stay here for two more days. Then you can leave after meeting my grandmother.¡± Xia Yan nodded and then remembered how Mo Pei had helped her just now. She smiled and said, ¡°I guess I have to thank you for your help just now anyway.¡± Mo Pei laughed happily, ¡°You have gorgeous eyes, Xia Yan.¡± Chapter 32 - Went to Fetch Grandmother Chapter 32 Went to Fetch Grandmother Mo He reappeared in the hall. He stood by the stairs and looked at the two coldly as he thundered, ¡°Go back to your room, Xia Yan!¡± Mo He¡¯s sudden scream scared Xia Yan since she had her back toward him. She turned around and fiercely glared at Mo He. ¡°Why are you so loud?!¡± Mo He¡¯s eyes were frigid as he stared at Xia Yan. ¡°I told you to go back to your room!¡± Xia Yan refuted, ¡°Why should I listen to you! You just told me to leave!¡± Hearing Xia Yan¡¯s words, Mo He¡¯s expression became even more unsightly. ¡°Mo Pei, come with me to the study!¡± Mo Pei hesitated, but he still waved his hand at Xia Yan. ¡°I shall take my leave, Xia Yan. We¡¯ll talk again soon.¡± Mo he¡¯s voice became colder. ¡°What are you dawdling around for?!¡± Mo Pei hastened his footsteps and followed Mo He to the study. As Mo Pei took a few steps forward, Mo He stopped in his tracks. He did not turn his head and said coldly, ¡°Go back to your room!¡± Mo He had already left the hall without waiting for Xia Yan¡¯s response. Xia Yan stood alone in the hall, looking at the room upstairs. ¡°I swear, every member of the Mo family is much weirder than the last. No wonder Xia Rou wanted nothing to do with them. I now know that Mo He isn¡¯t physically disabled, but his mental state is.¡± Although Mo He and Jiang Qiu never spoke of it, they knew what happened that day. ¡®I have my reasons for staying in the Mo family,¡¯ Xia Yan sighed and comforted herself before walking upstairs to her room. Mo Pei sat on the sofa in the study while Mo He sat on his office chair with a serious expression. ¡°Second Cousin, you know that Xia Yan isn¡¯t wrong, so why are you still treating her poorly?¡± Mo He did not look at Mo Pei. He just lowered his head and flipped through the documents on the table. ¡°Grandmother will be back tomorrow. You need to pick her up.¡± Mo Pei looked at Mo He aggrievedly. ¡°You know that Grandmother will ask me ¡®those¡¯ questions when she sees me. Can¡¯t you ask someone else to go?¡± Mo He still didn¡¯t look at Mo Pei as he replied briefly, ¡°You¡¯re her grandson!¡± Mo Pei scolded and grumbled unhappily, ¡°You speak as if you¡¯re not her grandson.¡¯ Mo He finally raised his head and looked at Mo Pei. ¡°You¡¯re not willing to pick Grandmother up?¡± ¡°No, I am not!¡± Mo Pei replied firmly. Even though Old Madam Mo doted on Mo Pei, she always urged him to get married. Especially since Mo He is already married. It was safer for Mo Pei to welcome his grandmother alongside everyone else. Mo He raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°Okay, fine. But you¡¯re going to Hong Kong for a business trip tomorrow.¡± ¡°What? B-But¡­¡± Mo Pei was still unwilling and tried to refuse. ¡°Choose one! Either you pick Grandmother up or go to Hong Kong,¡± Mo He said without allowing Mo Pei to bargain. Mo Pei gritted his teeth and asked, ¡°How many days do I need to be in Hong Kong?¡± ¡°Two days. Then you have to come back and attend Grandmother¡¯s banquet.¡± Mo He¡¯s face was expressionless. Mo Pei sighed, stood up, and walked to the door. ¡°Okay, fine!¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± Mo He saw that Mo Pei had already grabbed the door handle. ¡°You should go and pack your things. I¡¯m not going on that business trip tomorrow.¡± Mo Pei rubbed his nose, pulled the door open, and walked out. Mo He looked at the closing door as his gaze dropped downward. He saw Xia Yan¡¯s documents and her terrifying scarred face. Early the following day, Qiu Xin held Jiang Qiu¡¯s hand and said fawningly, ¡°Madam Mo, can I pick Grandmother up from the airport? Mo He can¡¯t pick her up since he¡¯s too busy. Considering yesterday¡¯s matter, Jiang Qiu was concerned about Qiu Xin. Jiang Qiu thought it would be better if she didn¡¯t see Qiu Xin for the day since she wanted to pick Old Madam Mo up. Jiang Qiu nodded and said, ¡°Then you¡¯ll have to behave before Old Madam Mo.¡± Qiu Xin happily replied, ¡°Okay, I will! I¡¯ll ask the driver to send me to the airport!¡± Hearing that, Jiang Qiu looked at the time and said, ¡°Old Madam Mo¡¯s flight is in the afternoon. Isn¡¯t it a little early to go now?¡± Qiu Xin shook her head and chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll go prepare some welcoming gifts and bring them over. The timing should be just right.¡± Hearing Qiu Xin¡¯s words, Jiang Qiu nodded with satisfaction. ¡°Okay! Give me a call when you see Old Madam Mo!¡± Qiu Xin nodded and called for the driver. Xia Yan carried her bag and was about to go out when she saw Qiu Xin get into a car and leave. Chapter 33 - Chance Encounter Chapter 33 Chance Encounter Xia Yan had arranged for Jiang Tong to meet her and told her to make Grandma something to eat. Although Aunt Cui was familiar with grandma¡¯s taste, she spent most of her time with Xia Yan¡¯s grandma in the hospital. It would be too tiring for Aunt Cui to go home and cook. Since it took Xia Yan a long time to leave the Mo residence last time, Xia Yan had arranged for Jiang Tong to meet her one kilometer away from the Mo residence. ¡°I saw a luxury car pass by just now. I thought you would be in there.¡± Jiang Tong looked at Xia Yan, heavily panting as she entered the car. Xia Yan placed her backpack in the car¡¯s back seat and shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t have the status to ride in the Mo family¡¯s car.¡± Jiang Tong glanced at Xia Yan from the corner of his eyes, chuckled, and stepped on the gas pedal. ¡­ ¡°Hello, Old Madam Mo, you must be tired from your journey.¡± Qiu Xin smiled as she welcomed Old Madam Mo. Old Madam Mo only frowned and asked indifferently, ¡°Where is Mo He?¡± Qiu Xin lowered her head as she smiled, ¡°Mo He asked me to come and pick you up on his behalf.¡± When Old Madam Mo heard this, her face sank. ¡°Why would Mo He send an outsider to pick me up?¡± Qiu Xin bit her lower lip when she heard that. ¡°Let¡¯s get you home, Old Madam Mo. We have prepared everything you need at the manor.¡± Old Madam Mo ignored Qiu Xin. She only said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the old residence, Lian Sao.¡± Qiu Xin¡¯s expression changed when she heard that Old Madam Mo wanted to go to the old residence instead. But she had no right to stop Old Madam Mo since she had already given the order. Old Madam Mo and Lian Sao sat in the back while Qiu Xin sat in the front passenger seat. Meanwhile, the housekeeper rushed into the living room and said anxiously, ¡°Madam Mo, something terrible has happened! Old Madam Mo and Miss Qiu are in serious trouble!¡± Jiang Qiu was preparing to send a gift to the manor when she heard the housekeeper¡¯s words. The gift in her hand fell to the ground with a smack. ¡°What did you say?¡± The housekeeper hurriedly reported the situation. ¡°Old Madam Mo and the others got into an accident! They are being rushed to the hospital as we speak!¡± Jiang Qiu stumbled backward. Fortunately, Aunt Lin was there to catch her. ¡°Aunt Lin, call for a driver. We need to go to the hospital!¡± Aunt Lin nodded and quickly called for a driver. ¡°Housekeeper, contact Young Master Mo and inform him about this!¡± Jiang Qiu ordered. ¡°I¡¯ve already reported it to Young Master Mo!¡± The housekeeper said with his head lowered. ¡°Xiao Yan? Why are you here?¡± Grandma immediately smiled when she saw her granddaughter and Jiang Tong. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to see me, Grandma?¡± Xia Yan approached the bedside and held Grandma¡¯s hand as she said coquettishly. ¡°Nonsense!¡± Grandma gently patted Xia Yan¡¯s hand. ¡°I was afraid that you would be tired from running back and forth! Also, does the Mo family mind that you run around so often?¡± Grandma asked with concern. Xia Yan shook her head and avoided Grandma¡¯s question. ¡°Grandma, Jiang Tong brought her famous fish congee for you. Try some!¡± Xia Yan said as she scooped a bowl of congee and handed it to Grandma. Grandma looked at Jiang Tong and chirped, ¡°Jiang Tong, you¡¯re a good cook. I have to teach Little Yan how to cook someday!¡± Xia Yan said reluctantly, ¡°Grandma, you know that I¡¯m not good at these things. It¡¯s good that Jiang Tong is here!¡± Jiang Tong also walked forward with a smile. ¡°Yes, Grandma. Xia Yan won¡¯t go hungry with me around.¡± Grandma looked at the two of them and revealed a gratified smile. After eating some fish congee, Grandma felt tired. Xia Yan said a few words to Aunt Cui and then prepared to leave with Jiang Tong. As soon as they arrived at the hospital lobby, Xia Yan saw Mo He rushing through the door. Mo He overlooked Xia Yan and rushed toward the elevator. Xia Yan stared blankly at Mo He¡¯s anxious expression and knew something terrible must have happened. Mo He didn¡¯t care if others found out that he wasn¡¯t disabled. One could easily see that he was distraught. ¡°What happened?¡± Jiang Tong saw Xia Yan suddenly stop in her tracks and looked at her in puzzlement. Xia Yan was about to walk over and ask about the situation when she saw the driver who drove Qiu Xin out appear at the elevator. The driver¡¯s forehead was bleeding and covered in gauze as he frantically greeted Mo He, ¡°Young Master Mo He!¡± Xia Yan glanced at the driver, then turned around to leave. Jiang Tong looked at Xia Yan¡¯s sudden change in action with a strange expression. The two exited the hospital and entered Jiang Tong¡¯s car. However, Xia Yan only remained silent. Jiang Tong dared not ask any questions and could only quietly wait for Xia Yan to speak. Chapter 34 - Grandma Was Hospitalized Chapter 34 Grandma Was Hospitalized Throughout the whole journey back to the Mo residence, Xia Yan was sullen and silent. Jiang Tong didn¡¯t say much and just told Xia Yan to call her if she needed anything. Xia Yan nodded and turned around to enter the Mos¡¯ front door. What made Xia Yan feel strange was that the Mo residence was tranquil at this time. Recalling Mo He at the hospital, Xia Yan chided herself, ¡®What are you worrying about?¡¯ Something must have happened to Qiu Xin. Mo He must have gone to the hospital to see her. Thinking of this, Xia Yan shook her hands and quickly walked upstairs to her room. Mo He did not come home that night. Although the two were just roommates now, Xia Yan gradually got used to having another person in the same room after spending the past few days with Mo He. Even though she could have the entire bed to herself today, she felt like something was wrong. It was not even five in the morning when Xia Yan woke up. She had a slight headache as if she had been thinking all night. She got up from the bed, washed up a little, and walked out of the room in a daze. Since Mo He allowed Xia Yan to come and go as she pleases, Du Xia was not obligated to stay by Xia Yan¡¯s side at every waking hour. Xia Yan found that the hall was still empty walking down the stairs. She frowned and was about to call a servant over to ask where everyone was when she saw Mo Pei rushing over from outside. ¡°Xia Yan, you¡¯re home?¡± Mo Pei asked with curiosity as he looked at Xia Yan. ¡°Yes. What are you doing here so early in the morning? Your cousin hasn¡¯t been home since yesterday,¡± Xia Yan said coldly. ¡°I know,¡± Mo Pei nodded, ¡°He¡¯s at the hospital. I¡¯ll bring the documents to him there.¡± Xia Yan frowned. She wanted to ask about it but stopped herself. Just as Xia Yan was hesitating, Mo Pei took the documents and walked out of the study. ¡°Sister-in-law, do you want to go to the hospital with me?¡± ¡°You want me to come along?¡± Xia Yan was even more confused. Was there a need for her to visit Qiu Xin? While Xia Yan was stunned, Mo Pei pulled her hand and dragged her out. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink. Let¡¯s go.¡± Xia Yan was in a daze as Mo Pei stuffed her into the car and drove to the hospital. On the way, Xia Yan found out that Mo He had rushed to the hospital yesterday, not for Qiu Xin, but his grandmother, Old Madam Mo. For some reason, Xia Yan felt relieved when she heard this. The two arrived at the hospital. Mo Pei led Xia Yan to the VIP ward on the top floor. As soon as they stepped out of the elevator, they saw Jiang Qiu. Jiang Qiu saw Xia Yan and asked unkindly, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Mo Pei chuckled at Jiang Qiu. ¡°I brought Sister-in-law here. Grandmother has always wanted to see her.¡± Jiang Qiu snorted coldly. ¡°Grandmother is currently sick. How could she have the time to see her?¡± Xia Yan knew that Jiang Qiu didn¡¯t welcome her, but she undoubtedly wanted to see Old Madam Mo. Xia Yan nodded slightly at Jiang Qiu. ¡°I¡¯m sure you haven¡¯t slept all night, Mother-in-law. Go home and get some rest. I¡¯ll take care of Old Madam Mo. Don¡¯t worry.¡± As Xia Yan spoke, she stepped out of the elevator to make room for Jiang Qiu. Jiang Qiu looked coldly at Xia Yan, snorted, and walked into the elevator. Xia Yan watched the elevator doors close, turned around, and strode forward. Mo Pei looked at Xia Yan¡¯s back and couldn¡¯t help but sigh, ¡°You¡¯re amazing, Xia Yan! My second aunt is known to be stubborn!¡± Xia Yan didn¡¯t care to hear Mo Pei¡¯s praise. She was only concerned with finding Old Madam Mo¡¯s ward. She took a few steps forward and saw Mo He walking out of one of the wards. Mo He looked exhausted. It was evident that he hadn¡¯t slept the whole night. He raised his head and saw Xia Yan and Mo Pei in front of him. Mo He narrowed his eyes and looked at Xia Yan with disdain. Xia Yan knew Mo He did not like her. However, when she saw his gaze, she cursed herself. She felt guilty for monopolizing the big bed last night.Seeing Mo He¡¯s expression, she wanted nothing more than to chase him out of the room. Mo He looked at Xia Yan¡¯s eyes and glared fiercely at her as if she had done something wrong. Mo Pei trotted over to Mo He and said, ¡°Second Cousin, I¡¯ve brought the documents.¡± Mo He took the documents and rifled through them. He nodded and then looked at Xia Yan, who had already walked away. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Mo Pei quickly answered on Xia Yan¡¯s behalf, ¡°I brought Xia Yan along to see Grandmother!¡± Chapter 35 - Love Brain Chapter 35 Love Brain Xia Yan stood rooted to the spot, staring at Mo He. Mo He lowered his eyes, still looking at Xia Yan solemnly as Mo Pei stood on the sidelines, quietly swallowing his saliva. Mo Pei knew that these two were currently husband and wife. But looking at their hostile attitude, they looked like they had been sworn enemies for generations. Mo Pei was about to speak, but Xia Yan suddenly stopped him, ¡°If it¡¯s not convenient for me to see Old Madam Mo, I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± After Xia Yan said that, she turned around and left. Mo Pei was stunned and hurriedly followed her. Mo He watched as the two rushed into the elevator and secretly clenched his fists. When Xia Yan and Mo Pei exited the hospital, Mo Pei had a pleading expression on his face. ¡°Xia Yan, it¡¯s all my fault. Mo He must not have slept the entire night. That¡¯s why he¡¯s so bad-tempered. How about I send you home?¡± Mo Pei looked at Xia Yan¡¯s silent expression and could not help but feel a little worried. Xia Yan turned her head to look at Mo Pei. ¡°There¡¯s no need. I have other matters to attend to. Go ahead without me.¡± After Xia Yan finished speaking, she turned around and walked back into the hospital. Mo Pei¡¯s hand froze in mid-air. After pondering, he sighed and turned around to leave. Xia Yan walked quickly into the hospital and called for the elevator. When she entered, Xia Yan crossed her arms. She was fuming. ¡®Mo He simply doesn¡¯t know what was good for him.¡¯ Xia Yan was worried that Mo He hadn¡¯t slept well last night. Seeing that he was in good spirits, she felt more at ease. ¡®This fellow is being so rude!¡¯ Xia Yan thought and stomped her feet. The elevator shook as Xia Yan jumped in fright and quickly held the railing beside her. She gritted her teeth and blamed Mo He for this scare. Walking out of the elevator, Xia Yan circled the corridor of the fourth-floor inpatient ward and walked to Old Madam Mo¡¯s ward. Mo He stood by the railing, taking a breather, when he saw Xia Yan walking around the hospital. He frowned and thought to himself, ¡®What is this woman up to this time?¡¯ He was about to order Liao Chen to chase Xia Yan out of the hospital when he saw a male doctor standing in front of Xia Yan. She stood where she was and started talking to the doctor. Mo He was upstairs and couldn¡¯t hear what they were talking about. He could only see the doctor¡¯s back and couldn¡¯t recognize the man. Mo He picked up the phone and contacted Liao Chen. ¡°Liao Chen, go find out the doctor¡¯s name who is talking to Xia Yan.¡± After hanging up the phone, Mo He¡¯s gaze lingered on Xia Yan and the doctor before turning around and leaving abruptly. ¡°Doctor Fang, please step aside if there¡¯s nothing else you want to talk to me about.¡± Xia Yan glared at Fang Yao, who was blocking her way. Fang Yao¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°You¡¯ve been coming to the hospital a lot recently. Are you worried about me treating your grandma, or do you have other plans?¡± ¡°Doctor Fang, your words amuse me,¡± Xia Yan sneered and stared at Fang Yao. ¡°My grandma is currently hospitalized. Can¡¯t I come to see her often? Do you think I¡¯m interested in another doctor and here to curry his favor? Or do you think that person is you, Doctor Fang?¡± Hearing Xia Yan¡¯s sarcastic tone, Fang Yao gritted his teeth. ¡°I advise you to behave yourself and not cause trouble for Xia Rou.¡± Upon hearing Fang Yao mention Xia Rou, Xia Yan gritted her teeth. However, she hoped that Fang Yao would continue treating her grandma. Although they hated each other, Xia Yan did not dare offend Fang Yao too much. She chuckled through her mask. ¡°Doctor Fang, this reminder is a little strange. I wonder what your relationship with Xia Rou is like now that you can speak for her.¡± When Fang Yao heard Xia Yan¡¯s words, his expression became even more unsightly. There wasn¡¯t a romantic relationship between him and Xia Rou. He only wanted to speak for Xia Rou. Neither could he act weak in front of Xia Yan. Fang Yao took a deep breath and continued, ¡°I¡¯m giving you advice with good intentions. Don¡¯t cause trouble for your grandma.¡± Hearing Fang Yao mention her grandma, Xia Yan subconsciously became alert. Doctors were like parents, and she didn¡¯t believe that Fang Yao would hurt her grandmother because of Xia Rou. But judging from Fang Yao¡¯s actions, it was likely that he would refuse to treat Grandma again. Right now, Fang Yao was the only person in the country who could treat Xia Yan¡¯s grandma. Even if they took her overseas for treatment, there would be a massive drawback due to the scheduling problem for the surgery. Xia Yan counseled herself. There was no point in being calculative with a man in love. Chapter 36 - The Perfect Couple Chapter 36 The Perfect Couple Seeing that Xia Yan had stopped fighting back, Fang Yao thought she had admitted defeat. He puffed his chest, raised his chin, and looked at Xia Yan with disdain. ¡°You¡¯d better listen to my advice. Otherwise -¡°Fang Yao was about to pressure Yan Xia even further when her phone rang. ¡°Xia Yan, I need you to come to the studio,¡± Jiang Tong¡¯s voice came through the phone. ¡°Okay.¡± Xia Yan put down her phone and smiled at Fang Yao. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Doctor Fang. Something came up and I have to go!¡± Xia Yan turned around and took a few steps forward. Then, she thought of something. She turned around and faced Fang Yao again. ¡°I¡¯ll remember your advice next time, Doctor Fang.¡± After Xia Yan said that, she waved her hand with her back facing Fang Yao and left quickly. Fang Yao stared at Xia Yan¡¯s back and clenched his fists tightly before he turned around and walked in the opposite direction. ¡°Mr. Mo, the information on that doctor you asked for is ready,¡± Liao Chen said as he respectfully handed the information over to §®§à §¯§Ö. Mo He leaned against the table, took the information, and flipped through them. As Mo He read about Fang Yao, his brows furrowed tighter and tighter. ¡°The most capable neurosurgeon of this era.¡± ¡°Medical genius! The next Harvey Cushing.¡± ¡°Jiang City¡¯s Prince Charming.¡± Countless titles and news materials spoke of Fang Yao¡¯s talent. The document was plastered with them. Mo He looked at the photo of the handsome man in his hand. Fang Yao had a long, straight face, and his gentle eyes shined with wisdom. Mo He casually threw the photo aside. ¡°Go and find out what Xia Yan has to do with this man,¡± Mo He said coldly. Liao Chen hesitated and wanted to say something ¡°Speak up!¡± Mo He growled impatiently. Liao Chen gritted his teeth and told Mo He everything he had found. ¡°When I was looking for information on Doctor Fang, I found out that Young Madam Mo often enters and leaves this hospital. Three years ago, she visited the hospital almost every day. That was also when Doctor Fang had just transferred to this hospital.¡± Hearing Liao Chen¡¯s words, Mo He fiercely gripped the papers in his hands. Liao Chen dared not continue. He stood at the side and quietly waited for Mo He¡¯s instructions. After a while, Mo He spoke again, ¡°Go speak to the doctor and ask him if there are any other tests Grandmother needs.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Mo.¡± Liao Chen received his order and quickly turned to leave. Liao Chen took two steps forward when he thought of something. He turned around to face Mo He. ¡°Then what about Miss Qiu¡­¡± Mo He raised his eyes and looked at Liao Chen. His icy gaze caused Liao Chen to tremble involuntarily. Liao Chen immediately lowered his head. ¡°I-I understand!¡± After Liao finished speaking, he quickly fled the scene. Mo He tossed Fang Yao¡¯s information aside in annoyance. His hand rested on the table as he fell into deep thought. Xia Yan sat on the sofa in her room, sulking silently. Mo He had yet to return home after two consecutive days. Although Xia Yan knew Mo He had stayed at the hospital to guard Old Madam Mo, she still felt like something was off. Especially when Jiang Qiu returned home and mentioned that Mo He would go to the hospital to visit Qiu Xin from time to time, Xia Yan knew that Qiu Xin had nothing to do with Mo He and didn¡¯t care whether he was taking care of Qiu Xin or not. But when she heard that Qiu Xin had gotten injured in an accident on her way home from picking up Old Madam Mo, Xia Yan felt a thorn lodge into her heart. Xia Yan knew Qiu Xin¡¯s status in this family. However, she was the one who was the current Young Madam Mo. Even though Xia Yan was Mo He¡¯s wife, everyone treated Qiu Xin as if she was the young master¡¯s wife instead. With this in mind, Xia Yan decided to go to the hospital and visit Old Madam Mo. She wanted to let everyone know that the person lying on the hospital bed was not the real Young Madam Mo. Xia Yan laid down in bed and patted down her blanket twice, trying her best to fall asleep. After a night of restless sleep, Xia Yan left the house with a basket of fruits in her arms. Xia Yan was waiting for the elevator to the top floor in the hospital corridor. Two nurses walked past her, gossiping about what they had just seen. ¡°The young lady on the top floor is sleeping next to her lover. How enviable.¡± ¡°I knew it. They¡¯re such a beautiful couple. How can it not be true love?¡± Chapter 37 - Wasnt Crippled? Chapter 37 Wasn¡¯t Crippled? Xia Yan stood rooted in her spot and listened to the nurses¡¯ conversation. ¡°I heard that the old madam of the Mo family is on the top floor. That handsome man is the young master of the Mo family, right?¡± A nurse said with a face full of anticipation. ¡°I wonder which young master he is!¡± ¡°In any case, that man can¡¯t possibly be the current head of the Mos.¡± ¡°I heard that he got injured and crippled a few years ago, but the man we¡¯re talking about is elegant and handsome. He¡¯s probably another one of the Mos¡¯ young masters.¡± The nurse felt that it was a little strange as she spoke. ¡°But most of the Mos¡¯ young masters have appeared before the media. Except for the disabled Mo He.¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re right¡­ This all seems a little strange.¡± The two nurses chatted as they walked further away from Xia Yan. Xia Yan frowned, and after some consideration, she got into the elevator and walked toward the garden on the top floor. Xia Yan saw Mo He standing beside a wooden chair when she arrived. Meanwhile, Qiu Xin looked up at Mo He aggrievedly. Although Xia Yan didn¡¯t catch them snuggling, the ¡°beautiful couple¡± that the nurse mentioned earlier was probably the people in front of Xia Yan. Xia Yan narrowed her gaze as she saw Qiu Xin stand up and approach Mo He. ¡°Can you stay with me for a while, Mo He?¡± Qiu Xin revealed an aggrieved expression and looked like she was about to cry. However, Mo He remained expressionless. He stood with his back facing Qiu Xin. ¡°Thank you for taking care of Grandmother.¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯s something that I¡¯m obligated to do.¡± Qiu Xin lowered her head slightly. ¡°I-I¡¯m willing¡­¡± Mo He nodded and said, ¡°Get some rest. If you need anything, you can ask Liao Chen for some assistance.¡± Mo He then prepared to leave. Qiu Xin hugged Mo He tightly from behind. ¡°Mo He, can you stay with me for a little longer? Just a little while. I have been getting nightmares ever since the accident. I haven¡¯t been sleeping well. I really want you to stay with me!¡± Mo He furrowed his eyebrows as if trying hard to control his thoughts. After taking two deep breaths, he pried Qiu Xin¡¯s hands away from his chest and said, ¡°You haven¡¯t recovered fully yet. Get some rest.¡± Mo He didn¡¯t wait for Qiu Xin to reply before hurriedly walking out of the garden. Xia Yan was shocked. She looked left and right before locating a hidden partition to hide behind. Mo He left in a hurry as Xia Yan turned around to look at Qiu Xin again. She saw Qiu Xin¡¯s hands suspended in mid-air with a saddened expression, looking resentful. Xia Yan sighed and quickly left the garden on the top floor behind the partition. When she arrived at Old Madam Mo¡¯s ward, she saw two bodyguards standing at the door. Xia Yan was about to go up and greet them when someone grabbed her arm. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Jiang Qiu stared at Xia Yan¡¯s face as she asked sternly. ¡°I heard that Old Madam Mo was in the hospital, so I came to visit her,¡± Xia Yan said in neither a servile nor overbearing manner. ¡°We don¡¯t need you here!¡± Jiang Qiu immediately looked at Aunt Lin. Seeing this, Aunt Lin walked forward and pulled Xia Yan. Xia Yan grabbed Aunt Lin¡¯s wrist and said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk, Mother-in-law. Since I¡¯m careless, I might accidentally break Aunt Lin¡¯s wrist. Then how will she serve you in the future?¡± Jiang Qiu¡¯s expression turned unsightly as she glared at Xia Yan. ¡°Let go of her!¡± Xia Yan didn¡¯t hesitate and immediately let go. Auntie Lin grabbed her wrist with a pained expression. Xia Yan raised her chin and looked at Jiang Qiu. ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave since you don¡¯t want me here.¡± Xia Yan walked around Jiang Qiu, took two steps, and then stopped. ¡°I heard people saying that there¡¯s a young master of the Mo family who is in love with a girl, staying in this hospital. I wonder who that young master and girl are. I also heard that they are a beautiful couple, snuggling and sleeping together¡­¡± Xia Yan turned and smiled at Jiang Qiu as she spoke. ¡°If someone spread this rumor, I wonder if others would talk about the Mo family¡¯s young master¡¯s extramarital affair.¡± When Xia Yan finished speaking, she quickly left without waiting for Jiang Qiu¡¯s reaction. Jiang Qiu stood still as she furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°Go and find out which fool is spreading such ridiculous rumors!¡± Aunt Lin hurriedly bowed and accepted the order. Jiang Qiu walked toward Old Madam Mo¡¯s ward and suddenly stopped. She turned around and walked toward a different ward. ¡°Let¡¯s go see Qiu Xin first.¡± Aunt Lin kept close to Jiang Qiu as they went to Qiu Xin¡¯s ward. Chapter 38 - Goddaughter Chapter 38 Goddaughter Auntie Lin knocked on the door, but there was no response. Just as she was about to open the door, she heard a voice behind her. ¡°Madam Mo?¡± Qiu Xin called out curiously and excitedly. Jiang Qiu turned around and saw Qiu Xin in her hospital gown. ¡°Why are you walking around in that condition?¡± Jiang Qiu then walked forward and held Qiu Xin¡¯s hand. Qiu Xin smiled tiredly. ¡°I¡¯ve been lying on a bed for two days. I wanted to go out for a walk and enjoy the nice weather.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still injured. Why didn¡¯t you get someone to accompany you?¡± Jiang Qiu¡¯s face was full of worry. She held Qiu Xin¡¯s hand and walked into the ward. Qiu Xin¡¯s head drooped slightly, and she didn¡¯t say anything. Jiang Qiu asked Aunt Lin to bring some fruits and snacks to Qiu Xin¡¯s bedside. Jiang Qiu helped Qiu Xin onto the bed. ¡°You saved Grandmother this time. You are her savior!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so polite, Madam Mo. That was just something that I had to do.¡± Qiu Xin hung her head low, looking docile. ¡°Anyone would¡¯ve reacted the same way in such a situation.¡± Jiang Qiu shook her head. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, Grandmother might have already¡­ I hope you know that my family will not mistreat you. How about this, you can be my Goddaughter and Mo He¡¯s Godsister. Does that sound good?¡± Qiu Xin furrowed her brows when she heard Jiang Qiu¡¯s words. She wasn¡¯t interested in becoming Mo He¡¯s Godsister. She only wanted to be his wife. Seeing that Qiu Xin hadn¡¯t responded, Jiang Qiu said, ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking¡­ But I¡¯ve told you before. You and Mo He are¡­ Impossible.¡± Qiu Xin raised her head to look at Jiang Qiu with a bitter smile on her face, ¡°I know, Madam Mo!¡± Jiang Qiu sighed, took Qiu Xin¡¯s hand, and said, ¡°You should rest. I won¡¯t let anyone hurt you! From now on, I will treat you as my daughter!¡± After saying that, Jiang Qiu gestured for Aunt Lin to leave with her. When they left the room, Qiu Xin ruthlessly swept the snacks on the table onto the floor. ¡°Why would you treat me like your daughter?! I don¡¯t care about that!¡± Qiu Xin gnashed her teeth and pounded the table violently as she shouted. When she finally vented her frustrations, Qiu Xin straightened her body as she calmed herself down. Then Qiu Xin picked up her phone and contacted someone. ¡°You did a good job the other day. Don¡¯t forget to clean up the scene and don¡¯t cause me any trouble. There¡¯s one more thing I need you to do¡­¡± Qiu Xin gave her instructions and revealed a menacing smile. She hung up the phone and sat on the hospital bed, muttering, ¡°You¡¯ll be mine sooner or later, Mo He.¡± Xia Yan carried some things in her hands and went to her grandma¡¯s ward. She initially planned to visit her grandma after meeting Old Madam Mo. But it seemed that meeting Old Madam Mo was even more challenging than ascending into the Heavens. ¡®Many people in the hospital already regard Mo He and Qiu Xin as a couple. If this continues and Mo He decides to divorce me one day¡­¡¯ Suddenly, Xia Yan laughed out loud at this thought. When Xia Yan promised Xia Rou that she would marry into the Mo family, she only needed to stay with them for as long as possible. Most importantly, Xia Yan couldn¡¯t let the Mo family marry Xia Rou. Xia Yan walked toward the ward when she saw Fang Yao running over from afar. She frowned, obviously not wanting to face him. However, Fang Yao overlooked Xia Yan and ran past her extremely fast. Xia Yan instinctively turned around, but she saw Xia Rou and Yao Qing in the hallway. Xia Yan furrowed her eyebrows. She knew that the mother and daughter duo weren¡¯t there to visit her grandma. News of Old Madam Mo being in the hospital was still under wraps. The mother and daughter couldn¡¯t have gotten the news so quickly to curry favor with her. But now¡­ As Xia Yan became curious, she saw that Fang Yao had already appeared before Xia Rou. Xia Yan could see Xia Rou smiling gently at Fang Yao from afar. Xia Rou looked flirtatious and tender. Xia Yan couldn¡¯t help but wrinkle her nose as she suddenly felt nauseated. Xia Yan quickly walked toward her grandma¡¯s ward after that. Meanwhile, Mo He had just finished processing the documents Liao Chen brought and rested in the corridor. He looked down and saw Xia Yan in a hurry. Mo He frowned and watched as Xia Yan disappeared around the corner. Chapter 39 - Trio Chapter 39 Trio After Xia Yan visited her grandma, she arranged to meet Jiang Tong at the studio. Xia Yan had been getting a lot of new orders recently, and Jiang Tong started to feel uncertain. The two chatted until the evening when they realized that their stomachs growled with hunger. ¡°I¡¯ll call Qiu Kao and tell him to send us some food,¡± Jiang Tong said as she picked up her phone and dialed his number. Xia Yan watched quietly as Jiang Tong dialed the number. There was a mocking expression on her face. Jiang Tong hung up the phone and saw Xia Yan looking at her. ¡°What are you looking at? Why do you look so weird?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve known Qiu Kai for ages, yet you still haven¡¯t asked him out on a date?¡± Xia Yan couldn¡¯t help but ask. Jiang Tong blushed. ¡°W-What are you talking about?!¡± Xia Yan pursed her lips and chuckled. ¡°Okay, okay! I¡¯ll keep my mouth shut. I won¡¯t interfere with your little romance, all right?¡± Xia Yan¡¯s mocking tone and expression made Jiang Tong¡¯s face even redder. Jiang Tong and Qiu Kai were Xia Yan¡¯s old friends. One was her university classmate, and the other was her primary school classmate. It was fate that brought the trio together. When they first attended university, Jiang Tong and Xia Yan didn¡¯t like each other. Xia Yan couldn¡¯t help but ridicule Jiang Tong whenever someone mentioned her name. Qiu Kai¡¯s parents had always been hard at work ever since he was just a child, and Xia Yan¡¯s grandma cared for him. Since Qiu Kai and Xia Yan were childhood friends, they always saw each other as siblings. Qiu Kai knew that someone in their class didn¡¯t like Xia Yan, so he immediately decided to avenge her. Before Qiu Kai could show his prowess, Jiang Tong had already thrown him to the ground since she was a third ky¨± Judo student. Qiu Kai could also bend and stretch, so he took Jiang Tong as his master. With Qiu Kai as her underling, Jiang Tong and Xia Yan, who had been sworn enemies, became good friends. The trio squandered their youth together back in those days. It was genuinely nostalgic. Xia Yan sat on the ground against a sofa, looking affectionately at Jiang Tong. Jiang Tong gave Xia Yan a strange look. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. You¡¯re starting to scare me!¡± Xia Yan rubbed her nose and pulled down her mask before saying, ¡°I don¡¯t know where I¡¯d be without you two.¡± A smile appeared on Jiang Tong¡¯s face. Then she said, ¡°Qiu Kai and I would be living on borrowed time if it weren¡¯t for you.¡± ¡°We majored in the same subjects, and your results were better than mine. Don¡¯t belittle yourself!¡± Xia Yan looked at Jiang Tong sternly. Jiang Tong waved her hand, got up, and walked to the fridge. She opened the fridge and took some beer. ¡°School results and talent aren¡¯t the same things. You¡¯re a talented person that can design unique jewelry.¡± Jiang Tong was full of admiration as she spoke. She wasn¡¯t jealous at all. ¡°I¡¯m just following you. If I keep doing that, I can truly walk down this path.¡± Xia Yan fixed her gaze on Jiang Tong. She took a can of beer from Jiang Tong and blinked thoughtfully before saying, ¡°Sometimes, your words make me feel your profound love for me.¡± ¡°Yes! I love you to death!¡± Jiang Tong chuckled, picked up her can of beer, and opened it with a spurt. Then she took a deep breath and continued, ¡°You assisted me in getting a big house! You also helped me realize my dream of living in that small town. Of course, I love you!¡± Then the studio door opened, and Qiu Kao walked in bearing food. He looked at the two women holding their beers and asked, ¡°Did I arrive at a bad time? I thought I heard someone confessing their feelings just now.¡± Jiang Tong glared at Qiu Kai before approaching him. Then she took the bags of food from him. ¡°What took you so long? We¡¯re starving over here!¡± Qiu Kai looked at the two innocently. ¡°One of you wanted rice noodles from the city¡¯s west side, while the other wanted preserved meat from the east side. You also wanted me to go to Tianbao Restaurant, which is usually packed, for roast chicken! It¡¯s a miracle that I didn¡¯t arrive later than this!¡± Jiang Tong and Xia Yan looked at each other and laughed when they heard Qiu Kai¡¯s complaints. The trio then gathered and ate the food before reminiscing about their past jobs. Qiu Kai never attended university. He worked at a factory after graduating from high school. He then became Xia Yan¡¯s driver and errand boy when Xia Yan set up her studio. But if Qiu Kai weren¡¯t a part of this trio, Xia Yan and Jiang Tong would be like a horse with no legs, unable to move. Chapter 40 - Youre on the News! Chapter 40 You¡¯re on the News! After the meal, Jiang Tong and Qiu Kai left. It was almost eight in the evening when Xia Yan called the Mo residence, wanting to tell Jiang Qiu that she wouldn¡¯t be going home that night. Xia Yan had a lot of things to take care of, and it would be more convenient for her to stay at the studio. Moreover, Mo He hadn¡¯t been home for the past few days, so she didn¡¯t have to pretend to be a newlywed couple with him. The housekeeper picked up and told Xia Yan that Jiang Qiu hadn¡¯t returned home. Since Jiang Qiu and Mo He weren¡¯t home, no one cared about Xia Yan¡¯s actions when she was away from the Mo residence. Xia Yan hung up the phone and plopped down on the big sofa in her studio. ¡°I can finally have a good rest,¡± Xia Yan chirped as she hugged the pillow in her arms tightly. This time, Xia Yan could finally enjoy her time alone. After washing up, Xia Yan tied up her long hair and sat on the sofa to start working. Most of her recent orders were from overseas clients. It was challenging for her to communicate with them because of the time difference. Since she had some free time today, she discussed some design details with whichever client she could contact through email. It wasn¡¯t until four in the morning that Xia Yan finally felt a little tired. She laid down on the studio¡¯s big bed and fell fast asleep. She slept until ten in the morning when her ringing phone suddenly woke her up. Xia Yan frowned and looked at the number displayed on her phone. It was an unknown number. She answered the phone in a daze, and Mo He¡¯s questioning voice came through, ¡°Are you still sleeping?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Can¡¯t I sleep?¡± Xia Yan retorted without hesitation as she was irritated from being woken up. ¡°Do you know what time it is?¡± Mo He asked again. ¡°Can¡¯t you look at the clock yourself?!¡± Xia Yan¡¯s anger grew. ¡°I want to sleep! Don¡¯t disturb me!¡± With that, Xia Yan hung up the phone and threw it aside. After a while, the phone rang again. Xia Yan tried hard to pretend not to hear it, but the other party clearly did not intend to let her off so quickly. Finally, Xia Yan angrily picked up the phone again. ¡°What on earth do you want?!¡± ¡°Where were you yesterday?¡± Mo He¡¯s voice came again. ¡°I have my own place. All you have to care about is taking care of your sweetheart.¡± Xia Yan recalled the rumors she had heard in the hospital. Mo He seemed stunned before he opened his mouth again, ¡°So it was you who did it.¡± Xia Yan did not understand Mo He¡¯s words and retorted, ¡°What did I do?¡± ¡°Who else would it be? You¡¯re a lawless hooligan,¡± Mo He rebuked sternly. These words immediately shook Xia Yan from her sleepiness. She shot up from the bed. ¡°Mo He! Be clear with what you¡¯re saying. Don¡¯t act all weird so early in the morning.¡± She recalled what the two nurses said about Mo He and Qiu Xin that day. Xia Yan¡¯s anger soared once again. ¡°If you want a divorce, just send me the papers. Me and my family will no longer bother you! I¡¯ve had enough of you and your family!¡± Mo He was even more enraged when he heard Xia Yan¡¯s words. ¡°Don¡¯t you know what you¡¯ve done? Do you still have the nerve to tell me that you want a divorce?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who spread the news everywhere and said that you¡¯re my wife? Have you forgotten what I warned you about? You¡¯d better get back here and explain yourself. Otherwise, I¡¯ll make your family disappear from Jiang City!¡± Xia Yan was stunned when she heard Mo He¡¯s words. ¡°Wait, what did you just say? What did I tell the public? Who said I¡¯m your wife? I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying.¡± Xia Yan was confused by Mo He¡¯s words. She had never told the public about her relationship with Mo He. Then where were Mo He¡¯s words coming from? As Xia Yan was puzzled, Mo He said, ¡°Get back here! i¡¯ll be waiting for you at home.¡± Then, he hung up. Xia Yan stared at the phone and frowned. Suddenly, there was a violent banging sound from outside the door. Xia Yan felt a headache coming ¡®Why is all of this happening so early in the morning?!¡¯ Xia Yan quickly got up to open the door, only to see Jiang Tong rushing in. Jiang Tong grabbed Xia Yan¡¯s hand and gulped her saliva before saying, ¡°This is bad! You¡¯re on the news!¡±