Chapter 23

When class ended, the driver didn’t come to pick him up. Mo Yin stood at the school gate, watching explosive news online while waiting for a ride.

A taxi pulled up, and Mo Yin saw it was a young man in a wheelchair. Out of curiosity, he couldn’t help but stare, “Need some help?”

“Please.”

The driver got out and helped him fold the wheelchair and put it in the trunk.

When Mo Yin mentioned the address of the Pei Mansion halfway up the mountain, the driver was first surprised, then exclaimed, “You… Are you that, you know, that one…”

Mo Yin completed his sentence, “829.”

“Yes!”

The driver chatted excitedly with Mo Yin, asking if Mo Yin had seen that You Cheng had gotten into trouble again.

Mo Yin, originally expressionless as he looked at his phone, heard the driver’s gossipy tone and widened his eyes in feigned panic. “What? Youcheng got into trouble again? What happened?!”

The driver quickly turned on the car radio for Mo Yin to listen.

As he said, “Just happened, everyone’s talking about it, stocks are plummeting,” he glanced back and saw Mo Yin smiling at him mischievously.

Startled, the driver nearly slammed on the brakes.

“Master, be careful driving,” Mo Yin smiled, “Don’t get into an accident. It won’t look good.”

Silence filled the journey.

When they arrived, the driver practically tossed the wheelchair on the ground. After Mo Yin settled into it, he immediately left.

Mo Yin wheeled himself towards the Pei Mansion. The security guard at the gate was surprised to see him. “Xiao Yin, you didn’t go to the hospital?”

“To the hospital?”

Mo Yin looked puzzled. “What’s going on? Did something happen?”

“Master had a sudden heart attack and was taken to the hospital.”

“Really?”

Mo Yin frowned. “No one notified me, and the driver didn’t come…”

“Lao Zhang was sent to the airport to pick up an old professor,” the security guard began, intending to say that the young masters didn’t inform him, but realizing it wasn’t his place to comment on their actions, he said, “All the drivers are out, why don’t you come in? Need me to push you?”

“No need, I can manage.”

The Pei Mansion’s main gate was quite a distance from the entrance. Mo Yin leisurely wheeled himself, admiring the scenery he rarely got to see.

It was truly picturesque.

Especially now, with few people around, it was serene and beautiful.

Mo Yin wore a cashmere coat and a scarf, feeling warm and comfortable. Pushing the wheelchair at his own pace, he seemed to be touring and sightseeing. There were no messages on his phone.

Pei Qing probably didn’t want to involve him in this matter, so he hadn’t contacted him.

Pei Mingshu must be busy managing the situation, likely stressed out.

As for Zhang Huachao, he was probably laughing heartily at the moment. They weren’t in a position to contact each other anyway, so not contacting was for the best.

So, everything was going according to his plan.

Mo Yin felt refreshed, though he regretted not being able to witness some important moments firsthand.

That was one of the downsides of hiding behind the scenes.

As the saying goes, you gain some, you lose some, but he preferred to gain both.

The servants, seeing Mo Yin wheeling himself in, rushed to inquire and comfort him. Nervous, Mo Yin asked, “Is it serious?”

Many of the servants had been sent out on errands, leaving mostly young ones behind. “Don’t know, they’re all at the hospital. Do you want to go? Shall I call a car for you?”

“Is it convenient? Wouldn’t it cause trouble?”

The servant hesitated.

“Then I’ll rest for now. Do you have anything to eat? There are people in the kitchen, right?”

“Thank you, just something light. I don’t have much of an appetite right now.”

The servant nodded and quickly brought two dishes and a soup, all fresh and light.

Mo Yin, with his gentle and handsome face, couldn’t hide his worry. He had been at the Pei Mansion for a year, always calm and respectful, even to Pei Qing. Seeing him alone and vulnerable, the servants couldn’t help but console him, saying that it was just an old problem of Master’s and he would be fine soon, telling him to wait at ease at home.

Mo Yin nodded in agreement. After the servant left, his worried expression vanished, replaced by a sense of ease and leisure. He sipped the hot soup leisurely, a faint smile on his face, enjoying the explosive news online.

The mosaic of blurred images in the news articles were highly classified documents, which even Pei Qing’s safe didn’t contain. Only the highest echelons had access to them. It would be extremely difficult to leave behind photographs of them.

Pei Jingyou saw it and immediately felt his heart tighten uncontrollably. He collapsed, but fortunately, Ding Mohai saw the news and rushed over to report. He quickly grabbed some medicine and forced it into Pei Jingyou’s mouth, while simultaneously performing CPR. Then he immediately called Pei Mingshu.

Pei Mingshu couldn’t spare time to deal with the emergency. He promptly made the decision to rush Pei Jingyou to the nearest hospital for emergency treatment.

Pei Jingyou regained consciousness and saw Pei Qing and Pei Mingshu sitting on either side of his hospital bed. He reached out towards Pei Mingshu, who held his hand. “Dad, you’re awake.”

Pei Jingyou weakly nodded, the oxygen mask emitting a thin mist as he spoke softly. Pei Mingshu leaned in to listen, nodding with a solemn expression. “I know, don’t worry.”

With just six words, Pei Jingyou visibly relaxed. He then turned to Pei Qing on the other side.

Pei Qing was staring at him intently. Pei Jingyou had just woken up, so his mind wasn’t clear yet, and his vision was blurry. He couldn’t see Pei Qing’s face clearly, but he reached out his hand toward him. Pei Qing kept his hand down for a while before finally reaching out to grasp his.

Pei Jingyou’s hand was dry and warm, with a slightly rough palm, the touch of age.

When Pei Qing returned to the Pei family, he was in his adolescence. Boys of that age wouldn’t cling to their fathers, especially considering their special status. So, he and Pei Jingyou had never been particularly close. Pei Jingyou was verbally caring towards him, but it rarely translated into actions.

This warm scene of holding hands with his father seemed to have never existed in Pei Qing’s memory.

His expression was calm, and he felt peaceful inside.

The driver brought the eminent cardiac surgeon from the airport. Pei Mingshu quickly arranged for the experts to examine Pei Jingyou’s condition. In the corridor, Ding Mohai paced anxiously. When Pei Mingshu came out, Ding Mo Hai immediately approached. “Young Master, in the company…”

Pei Mingshu raised his hand. “Let’s talk elsewhere.” He took a few steps and asked, “Where’s Pei Qing?”

Amidst the chaos, Ding Mohai didn’t have the presence of mind to notice where Pei Qing had gone. He simply replied, “I don’t know, probably resting somewhere.”

Pei Mingshu didn’t press further. Together with Ding Mohai and a few advisors, he found a hospital room and held a meeting.

The situation was dire. Public opinion was exploding, and the stock prices were plummeting even more severely than during the 829 incident.

The advisors were particularly frustrated and angry. “Young Master, this situation is very suspicious. How could company secrets keep leaking one after another? Could it be that there’s a mole among the higher-ups?”

Ding Mohai didn’t know about Pei Mingshu’s leaked plan. When he heard the phrase “one after another,” his eyebrows raised slightly, and he immediately looked at Pei Mingshu.

Pei Mingshu remained as calm as water and said, “Now is not the time to investigate the source of the leak. Let’s focus on solving the problem first.”

Financial fraud could be a big or small matter. It was hard for any company to claim absolute innocence. The difference lay in how clean the deeds were. Since the incident had already occurred, they had to decide whether to deny and disassociate or to brazen it out. This required a comprehensive assessment of risks, and ultimately, it was Pei Mingshu’s decision.

The group discussed and deliberated in the hospital room. Soon, someone knocked on the door. The experts and professors had reached a conclusion: Pei Jingyou needed immediate surgery.

Pei Mingshu listened quietly. Only then did he realize the severity of Pei Jingyou’s condition.

No wonder he had been eager to hand over power to his two brothers at the age of fifty.

Pei Mingshu felt a tightness in his chest. His face remained calm. “I’ll heed the advice of the experts. Please proceed.”

From afternoon till late at night, it was chaotic. Endless matters entangle Pei Mingshu. It wasn’t until Pei Jingyou was wheeled into the operating room that Pei Mingshu had a moment to catch his breath.

At some point, Pei Qing had sat down outside the operating room again, looking downcast.

The two brothers had been at odds during this time, and they hadn’t had a calm conversation in a long time.

Pei Mingshu sighed lightly in his heart and sat down beside Pei Qing. He looked at the wall opposite and said, “Don’t worry too much. These experts are very skilled, and the surgery will be successful.”

Pei Qing stared straight ahead, his expression extremely gloomy. He had just gone out to make a phone call to Mo Yin. Mo Yin sounded very anxious on the phone, asking what had happened exactly. Perhaps Mo Yin knew that his accumulated anger was about to erupt soon, but he wasn’t sure how far Pei Qing would go. So, he was at a loss for what to do.

“Pei Qing, when are you coming back? Shall I come to find you?”

“You stay at home.”

Pei Qing said decisively, “Nothing will happen.”

He didn’t want to involve Mo Yin in this.

In the end, this was a matter between the three of them – father and son.

But even Pei Qing himself didn’t realize how serious Pei Jingyou’s heart condition was…

At this critical juncture, he seemed to realize that he didn’t actually care as little about the so-called father-son bond as he had imagined. If he truly didn’t care, he wouldn’t have harbored so much anger and resentment inside.

Pei Qing’s throat felt dry as he whispered, “Is it very serious?”

“It’s not as serious as you imagine,” after all, they were blood-related brothers. Pei Mingshu’s tone was gentle. “Professor Chen is the most formidable expert in the country. He’s very confident. Dad will be fine.”

Pei Qing fell silent.

Pei Mingshu was lost in thought as well.

Regarding the financial situation in the company, he had known about it since he entered the company a year ago. Some old holes could be patched, while others had to be left untouched for the time being. Especially during the life-and-death struggle with Heda this summer, they couldn’t afford to show any weakness. They had to burn through the money regardless. He hadn’t expected the thunderstorm to strike after they had reached a cooperation agreement with both parties.

Could it be someone from Heda…?

Pei Mingshu felt that since the sudden reconciliation between the two sides, there seemed to be an invisible hand stirring up the situation. But being in the thick of it, he found it difficult to see through the fog and identify this hand, this force.

“I’ll stay here. You go back to the company. It must be chaotic there right now, and someone needs to oversee the situation.”

Pei Qing glanced at Pei Mingshu.

Despite Pei Mingshu’s recent state not being good, at critical moments, he still appeared reliable and composed, with an authoritative demeanor that brooked no refusal.

Pei Qing’s feelings were exceptionally complex. He crossed his arms and said lightly, “Let’s talk after the surgery is over.”

“Okay.”

The two fell into silence once again.

The lights in the hospital corridor were unusually bright, casting a stark white glow on the walls. Pei Mingshu hugged his arms, leaning against the wall. Suddenly, he said, “Did you inform Mo Yin?”

Pei Qing paused for a moment before replying, “I told him to stay at home.”

“Good, it’s too chaotic here.”

They hadn’t talked about Mo Yin for a long time. Bringing it up now made it seem as if the confrontation from a few months ago had never happened.

After all, they were still brothers.

At this critical moment, personal grievances and emotions had to be set aside.

Pei Mingshu closed his eyes lightly and felt his phone vibrate in his hand. Turning it over, his eyes immediately froze. He glanced discreetly at Pei Qing beside him. Pei Qing was hunched over, head bowed, seemingly lost in thought.

Pei Mingshu stood up and went to the window at the end of the corridor.

“How are you?”

Just four simple words.

For some reason, Pei Mingshu could imagine a hesitant and anxious face repeatedly editing and deleting the message on the phone. After countless struggles, the person finally decided to send it.

In an instant, the long self-imposed avoidance collapsed.

Pei Mingshu felt his chest tighten suddenly. Just moments ago, he had made a rational judgment about “being brothers in the end,” but now another emotion overwhelmed him.

Pei Mingshu clenched the phone tightly in his hand and turned back.

Pei Qing remained in his position, still lost in thought.

Pei Mingshu turned his face to look out the window again.

Outside the window, in the pitch-black darkness, the lights on the hospital floors were sparse, and the dense green of the trees in the darkness seemed to be brushing against the walls like ghostly hands in mid-air, smearing the walls with shadows.

After several hours of meetings and evaluations, Pei Mingshu decided to publicly admit the financial problems with Tong He. It was better to rip off the band-aid quickly. Once they got through this hurdle, Tong He could truly be reborn.

With a decision made in business matters, there naturally came a moment of relaxation in the mind. At this moment, the emotions that had been forcibly suppressed surged up in this high-pressure situation.

The edges of the phone in his hand suddenly felt unusually sharp.

In Pei Mingshu’s mind, the images of Mo Yin crying bitterly and trying to act tough, as well as the heartbroken and resolute expression, flashed back and forth. Despite conveying different emotions, they both carried the same sentiment.

Pei Mingshu picked up the phone and dialed back.

The call rang for a long time, almost reaching the end before it was finally picked up.

They picked up the phone, but no one spoke.

Pei Mingshu heard Mo Yin’s faint breathing, suddenly realizing that they had been avoiding each other for about three or four months.

Pei Mingshu was never one to hesitate, but now he hesitated, unsure of what to say.

Only the sounds of their breathing intertwined quietly in the darkness of the night.

“I’m fine,” Pei Mingshu said briefly.

After a long while, there came a low response from the other end, “Okay.”

Then, the call was disconnected.

Pei Mingshu still held onto his phone, feeling a strange and uncontrollable emotion.

In fact, from childhood to adulthood, he had no shortage of admirers around him. But Pei Mingshu had never felt moved by anyone. Perhaps some people got along well with him, perhaps some had outstanding looks, and perhaps some shared his interests and temperament… But none of them had ever stirred any unusual feelings in Pei Mingshu.

Why was it Mo Yin?

Why was it precisely Mo Yin, someone so stubborn and pitiful, who hadn’t even clarified “liking” to him?

Perhaps it was precisely because Mo Yin had never spoken. Every bit of his suppressed suffering touched Pei Mingshu’s heartstrings, making him feel that his affection was so difficult, yet he couldn’t give it up, couldn’t let go…

Pei Mingshu put down his phone and grasped the railing below the window in his palm.

He recalled the favorite movie of Yue Xiyun, which he had also watched countless times. He remembered every line of dialogue in the whole movie very clearly.

He watched it to reminisce about his mother, trying to figure out what she was thinking before she died.

But his feelings had never been very profound.

Yet tonight, a line from that movie suddenly flashed through his mind.

“There are so many towns in the world, so many taverns in those towns, yet she walked into mine.”