Mo Xin was indeed not very happy.

He had grown accustomed to taking care of Liang Qiuchi’s life, and compared to the past, he preferred the current Liang Qiuchi, who was fragile and vulnerable after being injured. It could even be said that he was enjoying Liang Qiuchi’s dependence on him.

The feeling of being needed at all times fascinated him.

If possible, he hoped Liang Qiuchi would never recover, freezing time in this state.

Although he knew this mindset was extremely selfish, he couldn’t help it. Deep down, he was a despicable villain.

“What are you thinking about so seriously?” Mo Xin came back to his senses, seeing Liang Qiuchi standing in front of him, his dark eyes containing a faint smile.

Before, he wished Liang Qiuchi would see him, but now he hoped Liang Qiuchi would never remember who he was.

Mo Xin blinked, grasped Liang Qiuchi’s hand, and said, “Since you’re recovering well, we should celebrate. What would you like for lunch?”

Liang Qiuchi deliberately asked, “Which restaurant did we used to frequent?”

“Are you saying my cooking isn’t good?” Mo Xin retorted.

“You’re being petty,” Liang Qiuchi pinched Mo Xin’s hand, “I just want to go out for a romantic meal.”

“I know you’ve been cooped up at home,” Mo Xin said seriously, “but recently, it’s not safe outside. There are armed groups causing trouble in some places.”

This wasn’t a lie. Ever since Liang Qiuchi went missing during transport and the news spread, negotiations between the Lugo armed group and the federal government had failed multiple times, leading to escalated conflicts and ongoing friction. There were also protests from the public demanding detailed explanations from the government.

Not to mention there were some people who were just waiting for an opportunity to commit crimes.

To maintain stability and curb the breeding of crime, a curfew had been implemented in the federal capital of San Lorenzo since the day before yesterday, and soldiers would patrol near the squares in the downtown area during the day.

“In that case, I’ll have to continue to trouble you,” Liang Qiuchi stopped to avoid arousing Mo Xin’s suspicion.

Mo Xin placed a reclining chair by the large window on the ground floor, with the open-plan kitchen a few meters away. He could cook porridge while chatting with Liang Qiuchi sitting by the window listening to the radio.

That day, it started snowing again outside. Liang Qiuchi sat in the faint light with his eyes closed, the radio resting on his knees, while the host on the broadcast narrated an urban emotional story with great emotion.

Mo Xin stood behind the kitchen island, feeling that this scene was unrealistically warm.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Liang Qiuchi suddenly asked, still leaning back in the recliner with his eyes closed.

Mo Xin was taken aback, “How did you know I was looking at you?”

“I didn’t hear any noise from the kitchen, so I guessed you were slacking off and watching me,” Liang Qiuchi said.

Mo Xin casually picked up a knife and said as he cut carrots, “You guessed wrong.”

Liang Qiuchi smiled and reached for the tuning knob of the radio, switching to another channel.

After a burst of noisy radio waves, the radio station switched to a current affairs news channel, where the host and guests were discussing the current federal security situation.

Mo Xin paused with the knife, “Why aren’t we listening to the previous one?”

Liang Qiuchi said, “It’s too melodramatic, let’s listen to some news instead.”

“But I haven’t finished listening,” Mo Xin said, “Turn it back.”

Liang Qiuchi turned his head with a smile, “I didn’t expect you to like those cliché stories of unrequited love.”

Mo Xin fell silent for a moment before saying, “I just want to know the ending.”

Liang Qiuchi raised an eyebrow and switched the channel back.

Mo Xin tightened his grip on the knife handle and stared at the man sitting in the recliner not far away for a long time before continuing to chop vegetables.

In the afternoon, when the two of them wanted to be intimate, Mo Xin’s phone rang at an inconvenient time.

He ignored it and passionately kissed Liang Qiuchi’s face, but the caller was persistent, continuously disrupting the mood with repeated calls.

“Maybe you should answer it, in case it’s urgent,” Liang Qiuchi said, holding Mo Xin’s hand and planting a comforting kiss on his lips.

Reluctantly withdrawing his hand from Liang Qiuchi’s pants, Mo Xin pulled him into another deep kiss before reluctantly diverting his gaze to the insistent phone.

Unknown number, probably an internal call from the Security Bureau.

Mo Xin got off Liang Qiuchi, picked up his phone, and walked outside before answering the call, “What’s the matter?”

Although his tone was still as cold and arrogant as usual, the lingering desire that hadn’t completely faded made his voice sound hoarse and sexy. The person on the other end of the phone paused slightly before explaining the purpose of the call.

The more Mo Xin listened, the colder his gaze became. He simply said, “Got it,” and hung up the phone.

He didn’t immediately go back inside but stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, looking into the room through the glass. Liang Qiuchi was still sitting on the sofa in the same disheveled state as before, lazily gazing back at him through the window.

Mo Xin waved his hand, but seeing Liang Qiuchi’s unchanged expression, he felt a contradictory mix of disappointment and relief.

After a moment, he collected his thoughts and walked back into the room.

He said to Liang Qiuchi, “There’s an urgent matter at the company, I need to go there now.”

Liang Qiuchi nodded, “You go ahead.”

Mo Xin went upstairs to change into his military uniform. When he came downstairs, he saw Liang Qiuchi standing at the staircase, nervously adjusting his military cap. He quickly walked up to Liang Qiuchi and observed his expression.

Liang Qiuchi still didn’t react much, just asked him with concern if the matter was difficult.

“It’s just a meeting, I’ll be back soon,” Mo Xin hooked his arm around Liang Qiuchi’s neck, kissed his lips, then quickly left, driving straight to the Federal Parliament. Vincent stayed at the villa in case anything happened.

The emergency parliamentary session this time was mainly about the escalating conflict between the federal government and the Lugo armed forces.

Because Lugo refused to admit responsibility for the armed robbery incident and didn’t accept Liang Qiuchi’s disappearance, they demanded an explanation from the federal government. Otherwise, they threatened to retaliate with larger-scale attacks. Hence, the emergency meeting.

“The top priority now is to find Liang Qiuchi. I don’t believe such a big person can disappear without a trace, especially since our experts have confirmed he was injured,” the Vice President, who also served as the Speaker, proposed, “The previous accident investigation team will officially become a tracking team, fully responsible for finding Liang Qiuchi’s whereabouts. General Reinis will serve as the team leader.”

“No problem,” Reinis seemed confident, “No matter where that kid is hiding, I’ll definitely find him.”

Chellensee, who didn’t get along with him, never missed a chance to pour cold water, “Don’t speak too confidently. Liang Qiuchi is not like those petty criminals. It took us a whole eight years to catch him last time. Lugo won’t wait that long this time.”

Reinis snorted disdainfully, “Liang Qiuchi is not made of steel. With his injury, he can’t run far. He must be in San Lorenzo. How long do you think it’ll take me to turn this city upside down?”

“Are you planning to conduct door-to-door searches? Such a massive operation, are you trying to make San Lorenzo even more chaotic?” Chellensee retorted.

“That’s exactly what I’m worried about,” the Vice President took over, “We must be careful in our approach, not too aggressive or conspicuous. We can’t let the federation become a laughingstock just for Liang Qiuchi.”

Reinis frowned tightly, his wrinkles deepening. Eventually, he just grunted and remained silent.

The Vice President then turned to Mo Xin, “General Mo, since the previous investigation has concluded, you don’t need to avoid it anymore. Many personnel from the Bureau of Security have been reassigned to chase Liang Qiuchi. You should return to the Bureau of Security as soon as possible to handle counter-terrorism and security matters in the surrounding areas.”

Mo Xin had been considering resigning, but now was clearly not a good time.

Reinis, that old man, harbored deep hatred for Liang Qiuchi and definitely wouldn’t let it go.

For a long time to come, the security forces in San Lorenzo would absolutely not relax. If he resigned now, it would definitely attract Reinis’ attention. So the best course of action for now was to stay put, and his villa was also the safest place for Liang Qiuchi.

But…

As Liang Qiuchi continued to recover, if there really came a day when he healed, with his personality, how could he willingly stay as his caged bird?

After the parliamentary session ended, Mo Xin didn’t rush home.

He sat silently in the car and smoked half a pack of cigarettes, finally making up his mind—Liang Qiuchi must be his, even if he was a broken Liang Qiuchi.