“Why do you have time to eat at home today?” Liang Qiuchi saw Mo Xin busy in the kitchen when he came downstairs, immediately grabbed the staircase railing, and slowed down his steps.

Mo Xin put down the ladle and quickly came to the staircase to greet him. “Nothing to do this morning, so I can have lunch with you before going to the company.”

Liang Qiuchi nodded and let Mo Xin lead him to the dining table to sit down.

“Wait a moment, the soup will be ready soon.”

“Mm.”

Liang Qiuchi watched Mo Xin’s busy figure, feeling a surge of emotions in his heart again. He shifted his gaze away and stared blankly at the vase on the table.

“Ge?” Mo Xin brought the food to the table, seeing Liang Qiuchi’s furrowed brows, couldn’t help but worry, “Another headache?”

Liang Qiuchi shook his head, then nodded, and after looking at the steaming bowl of porridge for a few seconds, he suddenly said, “I don’t want to take medicine anymore. Just throw away those pills.”

Mo Xin’s expression stiffened slightly. “How can you get better without taking medicine?”

“Let nature take its course. Whether it’s good or bad, it’s fate.” Liang Qiuchi said calmly.

Mo Xin carefully observed Liang Qiuchi’s expression and, after a long time, held his hand. “The doctor said it’s normal for the condition to fluctuate. Ge, don’t be discouraged, okay? I’m here with you, I’ve always been by your side.”

Liang Qiuchi remained silent for a moment, then withdrew his hand. “Let’s eat.”

Mo Xin sat down beside him, noticing that he still didn’t look very well. He wanted to cheer Liang Qiuchi up, but he wasn’t good at communicating with people in the first place. Liang Qiuchi used to be the talkative one between them, but now Mo Xin couldn’t figure out what to say to comfort him.

Moreover, Liang Qiuchi’s current situation was caused by him in the first place. With the tense situation outside, he was on edge all the time, unable to relax.

During the meal, both of them ate with heavy hearts, feeling gloomy.

In the end, it was Liang Qiuchi who broke the silence between them.

“Where’s the radio? Let’s listen to something,” he said.

“I’ll go get it,” Mo Xin replied.

Mo Xin fetched the radio and tuned it to their usual channel, which was currently airing an advertisement. Liang Qiuchi said, “Switch to the news channel. Is there still trouble going on outside?”

Mo Xin hesitated and looked at Liang Qiuchi. “Why the sudden interest in this?”

Liang Qiuchi calmly took a sip of porridge. “I heard police sirens early this morning, so I wanted to check if there was any news coverage.” He smiled and added, “You won’t let me go out, you don’t like to tell me what’s happening outside, and now you won’t even let me listen to the radio? How domineering.”

“…You can listen,” Mo Xin said, lowering his head and slowly turning the dial to the news segment.

A current affairs commentary program was airing, with the host and invited guests discussing recent conflicts across the federation. Mo Xin silently placed the radio on the table, losing his appetite for food.

After Liang Qiuchi finished eating and went to the kitchen to clean up, he heard the host discussing recent disturbances caused by the Lugo Armed Forces around San Lorenzo. He couldn’t help but pause.

Liang Qiuchi turned to him and asked, pretending to be unaware, “Who are the Lugo Armed Forces? How dare they cause trouble right under the nose of the federation?”

Mo Xin pursed his lips and replied, “They’re a group of bandits who have been rampant for many years, taking advantage of their geographical advantage. This time, they’re stirring up trouble again under the current circumstances, trying to gain benefits from the federation.”

“Oh?” Liang Qiuchi followed up, “The news said they’re demanding autonomy? And it seems to involve one of their leaders…”

“I’m not sure,” Mo Xin interrupted him firmly, pouring a glass of water with a stern face and handing Liang Qiuchi his medication. “You need to take your medicine.”

Liang Qiuchi glanced at the pills in his hand. “I don’t want to take them.”

“You have to,” Mo Xin insisted, waving the pills in front of Liang Qiuchi’s eyes. Seeing no response, he grabbed the radio from the nearby table and threw it on the ground.

After a crackling sound, the broken radio was completely ruined.

Liang Qiuchi raised an eyebrow, pretending not to know what happened. “What’s wrong?”

Mo Xin replied calmly, “Accidentally knocked it over. It’s probably broken.”

Liang Qiuchi looked at him emotionlessly and asked, “What should we do?”

Mo Xin said, “I’ll buy you a new one when I have time. Let’s not listen to it for now.”

Liang Qiuchi shrugged indifferently and took the medicine under Mo Xin’s gaze. Then he said, “It’s okay, we still have the TV. I’ll ask Vincent to tell me the remote control buttons later.”

Not far behind Mo Xin was a projector. Taking advantage of Liang Qiuchi’s poor eyesight, Mo Xin was skilled in weaving lies. “We don’t have a TV at home. If you’re really bored, I’ll have Vincent read the newspaper to you.”

Liang Qiuchi put down his water glass and stood face to face with Mo Xin.

He tried to empty his blurry gaze as much as possible to hide any flaws from Mo Xin, but Mo Xin’s face was too charming, making it difficult for him to remain calm.

He blinked a few times, suppressing the surging emotions, and said softly, “Mo Xin, are you hiding something from me?”

Mo Xin’s eyes showed a hint of guardedness. “What do you mean?”

“Nothing,” Liang Qiuchi sighed. “I just feel like you’ve been keeping me confined, deliberately avoiding letting me know what’s happening outside. Mo Xin, by keeping me here like this, what do you take me for?”

“With your health deteriorating like this, why do you still want to go out? It’s chaotic outside, people are dying every day. What can you do if you go out? I want you to stay at home, and I repeatedly assure you that once you recover, we’ll go to farther and better places together.” Mo Xin’s voice grew almost biting toward the end. “I’m wholeheartedly devoted to you. What do you think I’m treating you as?”

Seeing his eyes reddening, Liang Qiuchi felt even more confused.

He reached out and grabbed Mo Xin’s wrist, pulling him closer. “Don’t be angry. It’s my overthinking.”

Mo Xin couldn’t resist Liang Qiuchi’s gentle apology, and his attitude softened instantly. “There’s been a lot going on recently, and I’ve neglected you. I’ll make sure to spend more time with you in the future.”

Liang Qiuchi didn’t say anything more. Mo Xin’s reactions just now had already revealed everything.

It was impossible to know what’s happening outside anymore; he had to think of another way.

So, he took advantage of Mo Xin’s absence, found an excuse to keep Vincent busy, and stayed alone on the second floor. Then he seized the opportunity to sneak into the study and use the computer to get updates on the outside world.

Regarding the Lugo Armed Forces, negotiations with the federal government had been ongoing due to his disappearance, and they continued to incite small-scale conflicts and demonstrations around the capital, causing widespread panic. There were even rumors online suggesting the possibility of war. However, these recent developments were just both sides testing each other’s limits.

Liang Qiuchi also checked Mo Xin’s background and found that almost all of his experiences were related to war.

Wherever there was danger and tension, he would rush to the scene without regard for his own safety, earning him the nickname “Federal War Machine.” It was these years of outstanding military achievements that had elevated him to the rank of major general at such a young age.

Apart from this, there was very little information available about his current position within the federation, indicating that it had been kept confidential.

The more Liang Qiuchi discovered, the more alarmed he became.

Just how determined and how much risk was Mo Xin willing to take to defy the federation’s orders and save him?

Liang Qiuchi shut down the computer and stared at the photo of Mo Xin receiving his medal for a while before leaving the study to return to the bedroom.

Unexpectedly, as he passed the tea room and took just a few steps, he saw Mo Xin coming upstairs and stopping at the staircase, quietly watching him.