Chapter 19

Pei Mingshu apologized and explained it to Mo Yin.

“Xiao Yin, my words weren’t meant to belittle you.”

Pei Mingshu grabbed Mo Yin’s arm and spoke in a deep voice.

Mo Yin remained silent, his expression indifferent. No matter how Pei Mingshu explained it, he vented all his emotions like an emotionless statue, not listening or looking. After Pei Mingshu finished speaking, Mo Yin whispered softly, “I’m tired and want to go back.”

Pei Mingshu lowered his head in silence for a moment. Eventually, he complied with Mo Yin’s wishes, settled him in a chair, checked his wheelchair, and then lifted Mo Yin back into it. This time, as soon as Mo Yin was in the wheelchair, he immediately pushed it away without looking back.

Pei Mingshu stayed where he was, waiting until Mo Yin had completely disappeared from his sight before lowering his head to glance at his own shirt. It was stained with large patches of water, and his dark pants were covered in dirt and dust. Upon closer inspection, he noticed stains all over the sleeves, and one button was missing from the cuff.

Normally, the dirt on his appearance wouldn’t affect Pei Mingshu’s mood, but at this moment, he couldn’t calm down. It was because of the things Mo Yin had said at the end and the heartbreaking despair in Mo Yin’s eyes that kept flashing before him.

No wonder, no wonder Mo Yin had been avoiding him for some time, treating him so unfamiliarly and coldly, deliberately avoiding him. He remembered they hadn’t spoken for months during that time, and it seemed like during that period, Mo Yin and Pei Qing had become closer and closer.

Pei Mingshu’s face darkened completely.

During their conversation, Pei Qing deliberately arranged for Mo Yin to eavesdrop behind the door, even provoking him intentionally at the time, perhaps to provoke him into saying something hurtful to Mo Yin, further damaging his pride…

He had always thought Pei Qing was just cold and overly arrogant, leading him to act without considering anyone’s feelings. But now, it seemed his judgment of Pei Qing was at least partially mistaken.

Pei Mingshu furrowed his brows, looking out the window.

Outside, pale flowers stretched endlessly, yet they couldn’t calm his heart.

Pei Mingshu’s chest rose and fell slightly. Thinking of Mo Yin hiding behind the door, listening silently to their conversation with such a sad expression, his brows furrowed tighter and tighter.

He could tolerate Pei Qing’s personal offenses, but he should never have involved an innocent Mo Yin.

—

In the evening, Pei Qing returned home later than Pei Jingyou. The servants prepared supper for him, but Pei Qing waved it away, saying, “I’ve eaten.” He walked in the direction of Mo Yin’s room in his suit, intending to massage Mo Yin first and then attend to his own affairs. A servant followed him, saying, “Young Master said to go to his study after you get home.”

Pei Qing stopped in his tracks, his gaze shifting to the servant.

The servant was startled by his sharp eyes and repeated softly, “It’s Young Master’s special instructions.”

Between the two half-brothers, the servants had a clear hierarchy in their minds. Pei Mingshu’s mother was the true Madam Pei, a noblewoman. Compared to Pei Qing, Pei Mingshu’s status was legitimate. Even though Pei Mingshu had spent very little time in the Pei household recently, his authority was still incomparable to that of Pei Qing, the illegitimate son who had only come to the Pei household at the age of thirteen.

The usual difference in their statuses wasn’t too obvious, as Pei Mingshu was amiable and didn’t like to assert his authority as the eldest son. In fact, even the servants who had come in the past two years quickly recognized where their loyalty should lie.

Pei Qing’s expression remained unchanged. “I’ll go after I finish what I’m doing.”

The servant had no choice but to go upstairs to inform Pei Mingshu.

Pei Mingshu didn’t make it difficult for him. “I understand, go rest.”

The servant nodded and hurried downstairs.

Downstairs, Pei Qing was giving Mo Yin a massage.

Since the night Pei Qing said he would take Mo Yin away after they finished their collaborative project, Pei Qing had returned to his usual indifferent demeanor. He seemed even colder to people than before, only showing a hint of tenderness to Mo Yin.

“Why do your eyes look a bit swollen?” Pei Qing asked.

Mo Yin replied, “Do they? Maybe I slept too long during my nap.” He smiled and added, “Why are you so busy until late? Don’t tire yourself out too much.”

“I’m not tired,” Pei Qing lowered his head, pressing Mo Yin’s legs carefully, “The sooner we finish, the sooner it will end.”

Mo Yin made a sound of agreement, then couldn’t help but ask, “Will we be able to leave smoothly when the time comes?”

Pei Qing looked up at him.

Mo Yin’s eyes held a hint of worry.

“Why wouldn’t it go smoothly?”

Mo Yin lowered his head gently. “What if President Pei disagrees…”

“What authority does he have to disagree?” Pei Qing’s tone was cold.

Mo Yin fell silent, then reached out to Pei Qing. Pei Qing leaned over, allowing Mo Yin to embrace him.

Mo Yin rested his face on Pei Qing’s shoulder and whispered, “Pei Qing, do you know, I really want to be with you.”

Pei Qing remained silent for a moment before emitting a low “mm” from his throat.

Mo Yin smiled and kissed Pei Qing’s cheek, his eyes filled with indescribable tenderness and affection, a tenderness that could melt all the hardness in Pei Qing.

Pei Qing’s eyes softened too, and he lightly touched Mo Yin’s lips with his own, saying, “Don’t worry, everything will go smoothly.”

Pei Qing helped Mo Yin take a bath, dried him off from head to toe, tucked him into bed, straightened his hair with his fingers, kissed his forehead, said “goodnight,” and then left Mo Yin’s room calmly.

Outside the door, a servant on night duty was waiting. As soon as he saw Pei Qing come out, he approached. “Second Young Master, the Elder Young Master is still waiting for you upstairs.”

Pei Qing’s expression immediately turned cold.

Ignoring the servant, Pei Qing walked upstairs with the servant following closely behind, as if monitoring him. They went up to the third floor before the servant felt reassured enough to close the elevator and go back down.

Pei Qing rarely came to the third floor.

Except for Pei Jingyou’s study on the second floor and the fifth floor where he resided, Pei Qing rarely set foot in other parts of the Pei residence. This place was just a temporary refuge for him. Since Mo Yin had arrived, he had gained another place to go, and Mo Yin had entered his closed-off world.

Perhaps because he had already decided to take Mo Yin away with him, Pei Qing’s mood had been unusually calm these past few days. He handled affairs in the company with ease. Pei Mingshu, for some psychological reason, had rarely come to the company these past few days. The team under Pei Qing’s command was being used by Pei Qing, and he didn’t mind. They were indeed efficient and capable in implementing the collaborative project.

The third floor was extremely quiet. The narrow corridor led to a spacious and well-defined layout. The door to the study was half-open, with a faint orange light emanating from inside, casting shadows on the floor.

Pei Qing approached, intending to push the door open directly, but instead, he knocked on the door lightly before pushing it open. As he did so, he heard a voice from inside saying, “Please come in.”

Pei Mingshu was wearing a light brown striped shirt, with his sleeves rolled up, sitting at his desk with a stack of papers in one hand and a lit cigarette between his fingers. When Pei Qing entered, Pei Mingshu raised his eyelids. It was late, and his eyes looked a bit tired. He had put on a pair of protective glasses. At this moment, he put down the documents, took off his glasses, and placed them gently on the table before saying in a calm tone, “You’re done?”

Pei Qing had neither the mood nor the time to banter with Pei Mingshu. He asked directly, “What’s the matter?”

Pei Mingshu scrutinized Pei Qing, his gaze traveling from top to bottom as if he were seeing Pei Qing for the first time. Although he was sitting and looking up, his eyes were filled with a sense of superiority. Pei Qing felt uncomfortable under his gaze, furrowing his brows slightly. “If there’s nothing, I’ll leave.”

“You should take a look at this first.” Pei Mingshu pushed the documents on the table forward.

It looked like work-related matters. Pei Qing walked over with a cold expression, picked up the papers, and quickly noticed something amiss. His expression grew slightly more serious as he looked up at Pei Mingshu.

Pei Mingshu turned slightly, smoking quietly.

“What does this mean?” Pei Qing asked.

Pei Mingshu flicked his cigarette into the ashtray beside him. Instead of answering Pei Qing’s question, he turned his face, raised an eyebrow, and asked lightly, “What is your relationship with Mo Yin now?”

The topic suddenly shifted from business to personal matters. Pei Qing’s face turned even uglier. He tossed the documents back onto the table, saying coldly, “Our affairs have nothing to do with you, and you have no right to interfere.”

Pei Mingshu repeated slowly, “I have no authority?”

As Pei Qing scanned through the pages of the documents, he quickly noticed that they were similar to the proposal Mo Yin had submitted to him. However, seeing something similar in Pei Mingshu’s possession raised suspicion.

Pei Qing instinctively wanted to conceal the part about Mo Yin from Pei Mingshu. He remained composed, his face frosty. “It’s late, and I don’t have time to satisfy your idle curiosity here. If there’s nothing else, I’ll leave.”

Pei Mingshu smiled. “Really? I thought you enjoyed letting people eavesdrop on your privacy. Rest assured, there are no hidden corners here for anyone to hide. If there’s anything, as brothers, we can talk openly.”

There was an underlying meaning in his words, and Pei Qing wasn’t foolish. His gaze sharpened immediately.

Pei Mingshu scrutinized him, and the smile on his face gradually faded. “Pei Qing, do you still have any bottom line in how you conduct yourself?”

Pei Qing remained expressionless, slightly curling his palms. “Pei Mingshu, what gives you the right to lecture me?”

“If you think I’m willing to discipline you, you’re wrong,” Pei Mingshu slowly stood up. He was almost the same height as Pei Qing, and both of them exuded a similar sharpness in their eyes. They confronted each other without backing down. “Pei Qing, I can tell you that I don’t care if you use any unscrupulous means in your public affairs, but I will never allow you to harm innocent people.”

As Pei Mingshu finished speaking, he pointed his finger at the table, his tone oppressive.

The study fell into silence.

Pei Mingshu had never spoken such harsh words to Pei Qing before. Their relationship as brothers had always been polite and distant, but that was due to his upbringing and tolerance.

However, Pei Qing had now crossed his bottom line.

Pei Qing looked at him coldly, his fist clenched. He sneered, “Harm him? You better figure out who truly hurt him. Weren’t those your true words?”

Pei Mingshu’s face instantly turned cold, devoid of any smile.

A tense atmosphere filled the room between the two.

Although the brothers had peacefully coexisted for nearly ten years, at this moment, animosity surged between them, and anger rose.

Public and private matters were intertwined, and the façade of peace finally collapsed.

Pei Qing looked at Pei Mingshu deeply, finally allowing his disdain and sarcasm to show in his eyes. His expression was indifferent and arrogant. “I can give him everything he wants. What about you, esteemed Elder Young Master?”

With that, he turned and left, the hem of his suit flipping out with a crisp sound.

Pei Mingshu stood in place, surrounded by the strong smell of tobacco. After a long while, he pressed his palm on the table, his breathing slightly rapid, his expression more unsightly than ever before.

His excessively superior memory made him recall every word, action, and expression of Mo Yin’s after that day.

Stiff, evasive, carefully hiding the hurt he had endured.

But when he cared for him, Mo Yin was unable to resist approaching him again, with affection and reluctance, pretending not to care yet unable to let go.

Every little detail felt like a corrosive liquid spreading in Pei Mingshu’s chest.

Since the day he brought Mo Yin back, he has always wanted to protect him. But in the end, he realized that the person who hurt Mo Yin the most was himself…

Even Pei Qing’s questioning left him unable to answer.

…What could he really give Mo Yin?

—

In the darkness, hurried footsteps approached, sounding somewhat disordered. The person on the bed was still asleep. The footsteps stopped at the bedside, hesitated for a moment, then gently touched the sleeping person’s face.

“Mo Yin.”

The low call didn’t wake the sleeping person.

Pei Qing pressed his palm slightly against Mo Yin’s nose, and the stifled breath finally woke the sleeping person.

Mo Yin woke up in a panic, raising his hand to hit the intruder. But upon sensing the familiar scent, he struggled to turn his head and exclaimed in surprise, “Pei Qing—”

Pei Qing’s breath was slightly rapid.

The room was pitch black, and neither could see the other clearly. They confronted each other openly in the darkness.

Pei Qing couldn’t wait any longer. He pressed his nose against Mo Yin’s, urgency in his voice. “I’m asking you, where did you get that proposal you gave me?”

Mo Yin’s breathing momentarily paused, then became rapid. Although he hadn’t answered yet, Pei Qing already had an answer in his heart.

“Why?” Pei Qing suppressed his voice. Only by using all his willpower could he stop himself from shouting. His hand, uncontrollably, gripped Mo Yin’s neck. “Why did you do this?!”

The evil flame ignited in Pei Mingshu’s study had already burned all over his body.

He did win, indeed.

But he did it in such a clownish way.

No wonder Pei Mingshu chose to abstain that day. What did Pei Mingshu think of him back then?!

The documents Pei Mingshu slapped in front of him today felt like a slap on his face.

What a joke. Everything about him was a joke, even the victory he thought was fair, just this once, was also a joke!

And the person who made him a joke happened to be the one he loved!

His eyes had gradually adjusted to the darkness, and Mo Yin could clearly see Pei Qing’s eyes, where there was a glint of anger, even more than before.

Pei Qing’s background was not clean, so he was particularly proud and arrogant, treating people so coldly that it bordered on cruelty, just because he didn’t want others to look down on him.

But now, even the thing he was most proud of was gone…

When he himself didn’t even know it, Mo Yin destroyed it with his own hands.

A tingling sensation crept out of his bones, making Mo Yin so excited that he trembled slightly. He had to bite his lip tightly to keep from revealing the intense pleasure.

Mo Yin bit his own lips until they bled, with tiny traces of blood staining his lips. He looked at Pei Qing with the gaze he often used on him, tender as if holding a pool of water, infinitely lingering and fond. He believed Pei Qing could see it because Pei Qing’s gaze had begun to waver.

Mo Yin reached out his hand, like tendrils, clinging to the wrist of Pei Qing’s hand that was holding his neck, gently resting on Pei Qing’s pulse, his eyes firmly locked on Pei Qing’s, exhaling warm breath.

“Because, I love you.”