Xu Wanting had never dwelled much on these matters before, but now, the sudden recollection made her feel a terrifying sense of suffocation.

She immediately turned to Zhao Ma and said, “Zhao Ma, come here; I have something to ask you!”

“Oh, okay!” Zhao Ma hurriedly followed her.

Perhaps in Xu Mo’s mind, the Xu family was a terrifying cage.

Not only were there no family members who liked him, but he was also frequently punished.

Previously, Xu Wanting had heard that he liked sneaking into Xie Bingyan’s room, behaving sneakily. He had even been found secretly sleeping on Xie Bingyan’s bed, which was extremely disturbing. When his sisters discovered this, they would then report it to Xie Bingyan.

Upon Xie Bingyan finding out, she became furious and punished him several times.

It’s unclear whether one of these punishments was particularly harsh, leading him to stop sneaking into Mom’s room to sleep.

Over the past year, such incidents have not recurred.

As for whether Xu Mo might still sneak into Mom’s room, that remains a possibility!

Xu Wanting recalled a video from half a year ago posted by Third Sister, capturing Xu Mo once again sneaking into Mom’s room.

Whether he was stealing something remains uncertain.

Xie Bingyan also did not mention any valuable items being missing.

Now, Xu Wanting is determined to clarify things by speaking with Zhao Ma!

From what she knows, Zhao Ma has a good relationship with Xu Mo, considered the kindest person to him in the entire Xu household.

It is ironic how, despite being his family and sisters by blood, they still fall short compared to the kindness shown by an outsider.

Zhao Ma was unsure of what Xu Wanting wanted to discuss with her, feeling a bit anxious, she hurriedly followed Xu Wanting to the living room on the third floor.

In this room, there is another living room, and Xu Wanting’s room is located here.

“Zhao Ma, after Xu Mo lost his phone, did he ask the family for a new one?” Xu Wanting inquired, motioning for Zhao Ma to sit down.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ma shook her head and sighed, “Young Master Mo never mentioned that, but he bought a new phone!”

“He bought one? Do you happen to know his phone number?” Xu Wanting pressed Zhao Ma urgently.

Zhao Ma shook her head, “Young Master Mo rarely calls home and doesn’t often contact me either! He’s been busy this past year, preparing for his college entrance exams!”

Frowning, Xu Wanting asked, “When did he start attending No. 27 High School? Did Mom and Dad ever visit him there?”

“Madam and Master were also busy and never went there! Young Master Mo got into No. 27 High School three years ago. Madam should have known he was studying there, but upon hearing that No. 27 High School was considered mediocre, she didn’t want to visit. She had Mr. Li take Young Master Mo to enroll, and then she forgot that Young Master Mo was studying there!” Zhao Ma explained.

Xu Wanting’s heart skipped a beat, her breathing quickened.

It felt like her heart had been abruptly squeezed.

After a moment, she continued, “Zhao Ma, does Xu Mo… often go to my mom’s room? And does he frequently visit the rooms of my other siblings?”

“Well…” Zhao Ma sighed and nodded.

It was because of this behavior that the Xu family harbored strong aversion towards Xu Mo.

Particularly the act of sneaking into Xie Bingyan’s room and sleeping on her bed greatly infuriated Xie Bingyan.

Xie Bingyan has always been fond of cleanliness, tidiness, and quite particular; she never allowed anyone to touch her belongings. Xu Mo’s actions directly clashed with Xie Bingyan’s standards.

“Did he steal anything?” Xu Wanting, upon seeing Zhao Ma nod, asked urgently once more.

“Well, that’s hard to say!” Zhao Ma seemed hesitant to comment and quickly added, “Miss, for such matters, it’s best to ask Young Master Mo or Madam! I’m not very knowledgeable about these things!”

Xu Wanting furrowed her brow, staring intently at her.

After a moment of silence, Zhao Ma spoke, “Young Master Mo… did take Madam’s clothes once, it seems. He was caught by Second Miss, who made him return the clothes and informed Madam! Madam made him stand outside all night as a punishment!”

Xu Wanting was taken aback.

She recalled that incident as well.

It happened three years ago when Xu Mo sneaked into Xie Bingyan’s room, took her clothes from the wardrobe, got caught by Second Sister Xu Xuehui, who then reported it to Xie Bingyan. Xie Bingyan was furious, not only punishing him by slapping his hands but also making him stand and refusing him food.

Xu Wanting still remembered how Xie Bingyan threw the clothes into the trash after retrieving them.

Xu Wanting furrowed her brow.

Did Xu Mo really steal things?

After pondering for a moment, she asked Zhao Ma again, “Zhao Ma, why do you think Xu Mo would steal things? Especially Mom’s clothes!”

“Well…” Zhao Ma paused, remaining silent.

“What’s wrong? Does Zhao Ma know something?” Xu Wanting, noticing her silence, found Xu Mo’s habit of stealing particularly intolerable.

Especially for someone like Xie Bingyan, who was meticulous, clean, and organized, it was even harder to bear.

It wasn’t surprising that Mom had thrown the clothes in the trash after retrieving them.

“Miss, why are you asking these questions? Young Master Mo should come back!” Zhao Ma looked at her, appearing worried.

“Is that so? Do you really think so?” Xu Wanting stared at her.

“Because Young Master Mo doesn’t have much money! Madam and Master haven’t given him any money! Even when Grandpa and Grandma come for the New Year, they never give him money! If Young Master Mo is broke, he will definitely come back!” Zhao Ma explained.

Xu Wanting furrowed her brow, “That’s not a valid reason! Mom and Dad are extremely angry now; even if he comes back, it won’t help. He’ll probably be thoroughly disciplined!”

Zhao Ma fell silent.

Xu Wanting looked at her and said, “I remember he seemed to have stolen Mom’s clothes three times and got caught each time! This time, he even damaged Mom’s formal dress. Xu Mo really does have some strange tendencies, doesn’t he?”

Xu Wanting suddenly realized she had no real understanding of her younger brother and wanted to figure out if he was truly as she had imagined him to be.

If he turned out to be exactly as her sisters had described, then there would be little to say—old habits die hard, requiring strict supervision.

However, if not… Xu Wanting found herself pondering. Why would Xu Mo steal something? And why specifically target Mom’s clothes?

Seeing Xu Wanting fall into a brief silence, Zhao Ma glanced at the living room downstairs, hesitated for a moment, then said, “Miss, please don’t tell anyone what I’m about to say, or they’ll blame me!”

“Oh? What is it?” Xu Wanting was surprised, observing Zhao Ma’s cautious expression and quickly added, “Zhao Ma, rest assured, I won’t tell anyone!”

“Ah, Miss, the truth about Young Master Mo, you all already know deep down! You all actually understand, but just haven’t come to terms with it!” Zhao Ma expressed.

“Hmm?” Xu Wanting was puzzled.

“Miss, Young Master Mo… before…” Zhao Ma paused, looking at Xu Wanting with difficulty, “He was an orphan, Miss! Young Master Mo was an orphan before!”

“Well…” Xu Wanting furrowed her brow, “We know that!”

“No! Miss, you don’t know! Orphans are different from regular people! I don’t fully understand orphans myself, but orphans are indeed very different from others. When Young Master Mo first arrived at the Xu household, he was timid and fearful. I don’t know the reason behind it. If you want to understand how Young Master Mo truly feels, I think you should visit the orphanage where he stayed before!” Zhao Ma suggested.

Xu Wanting was taken aback.

“Orphans… are different?” She pondered over those words.