I Wish To Never Leave Your Side - Chapter 10

Mo Corporation.

Mo Lishen signed the last document and set it aside.

She capped her pen, picked up the coat nearby, put it on, and walked out of the office.

“President Mo.” The employees bowed slightly in greeting when they saw Mo Lishen.

Mo Lishen gave a slight nod.

There were several “President Mo’s” in the company, but no one dared to call Mo Lishen “Young President Mo.” To avoid offending anyone, they simply referred to her as “President Mo.”

“The newly opened boiled fish place next to the company is really good. The spiciness is especially authentic. Let’s go there for lunch tomorrow.” Mo Lishen stood at the elevator entrance, overhearing the women nearby discussing their lunch plans for the next day.

Downstairs, Bai Hua opened the car door for Mo Lishen and handed her the tablet she usually used, making it convenient for her to review documents.

As they passed the boiled fish restaurant, Mo Lishen glanced up briefly before flipping to the next page of the document on her tablet.

The car moved smoothly along the road. Suddenly, Mo Lishen, sitting in the back seat, spoke: “Bai Hua.”

Bai Hua straightened up and turned to her attentively. “President Mo, what is it?”

“How is the boiled fish place next to the company?” Mo Lishen asked without looking up, her tone indifferent.

Bai Hua had tried it just a few days earlier and answered truthfully, “It’s quite spicy, but very authentic.”

“Mm, I see.”

…

Qingshui Bay Apartments.

Qiu Yan lay on her bed, her phone filled with cases of failed brain surgeries.

She had been reading all afternoon and felt a bit dizzy. Resting her wrist on her forehead, she closed her eyes for a moment.

She wouldn’t let anything happen to Yuanyuan. Yuanyuan must be safe.

Just as she was drifting off to sleep, Qiu Yan thought she heard the doorbell. Assuming it was a hallucination, she didn’t get up.

A short while later, the doorbell rang again. Startled, she jumped out of bed and rushed to open the door without even putting on her shoes.

Behind the door stood Mo Lishen’s exquisite face.

Qiu Yan smiled at her, a genuine smile, and softly called out, “President Mo.”

Mo Lishen was holding two bags that looked quite heavy.

Qiu Yan reached out to take them, but Mo Lishen moved them out of her reach.

“Are you feeling unwell?” Mo Lishen shifted both bags to one hand, closed the door, and changed her shoes.

Qiu Yan shook her head. “No, I was just a bit sleepy earlier.”

“Put your shoes on.” Mo Lishen glanced at Qiu Yan’s bare feet and said calmly.

“Ah… okay.” Qiu Yan hurried back to her room to put on her slippers.

“Have you eaten?” Mo Lishen placed the bags on the dining table.

Qiu Yan shook her head.

“Perfect timing, then. I bought some food on the way. Come and try it.” Mo Lishen opened the bags and took out the takeout containers.

Qiu Yan leaned in and saw the boiled fish in the container. Her eyes lit up.

She hadn’t eaten all day and hadn’t felt particularly hungry, but the aroma of the spicy dish made her stomach growl.

“Sit.” Mo Lishen handed Qiu Yan a pair of chopsticks.

“How does it taste?”

Qiu Yan picked up a piece of fish coated in red oil and put it in her mouth.

The fish was tender and springy, bursting with spicy fragrance.

“It’s delicious.”

Qiu Yan smiled as she looked at Mo Lishen.

“Then eat more.” Mo Lishen pulled out a napkin and placed it beside Qiu Yan’s hand.

Qiu Yan ate quietly while Mo Lishen leaned on her elbow, watching her.

“What’s bothering you today?” Mo Lishen reached out and tucked a stray strand of Qiu Yan’s hair behind her ear.

Qiu Yan was momentarily stunned. She glanced at Mo Lishen but quickly averted her gaze. Lowering her head, she took another bite of rice. “Maybe I’m just a bit tired.”

Mo Lishen didn’t press further and continued to watch her eat.

After Qiu Yan finished eating, Mo Lishen rose and settled onto the sofa. Her hand instinctively reached for the cigarette in her pocket, but she withdrew it as if remembering something.

Qiu Yan tidied up the takeout containers, washed her hands, and then sat down beside Mo Lishen.

Mo Lishen tilted her head to look at her, a smile playing on her lips as she opened her arms.

Qiu Yan obediently curled herself into Mo Lishen’s embrace.

She clutched the collar of Mo Lishen’s shirt, her arms tightly wrapped around Mo Lishen’s back.

Like a wronged child who instinctively wants to cry and act spoiled upon seeing her mother.

It was almost laughable, the one person who had ever given Qiu Yan such a comforting hug, from childhood to adulthood, was the very benefactor who kept her.

At this thought, Qiu Yan’s emotions grew even more unstable. She discreetly wiped away the tears at the corner of her eyes with her fingertips, not wanting to stain Mo Lishen’s clothes.

Whether Mo Lishen noticed Qiu Yan’s emotional state or not, she simply lifted Qiu Yan and settled her entirely onto her lap, holding her tightly.

Qiu Yan wrapped her arms around Mo Lishen’s neck, resting her head against Mo Lishen’s shoulder, gently inhaling her scent.

In the quiet room, Qiu Yan could only feel the warmth and faint breath of the person in front of her, which inexplicably brought her a sense of peace.

After an indeterminate amount of time in Mo Lishen’s embrace, Qiu Yan had finally composed herself. Worried that Mo Lishen’s legs might go numb, she moved to get up and tried to massage them for her.

Before her hand could even touch the fabric of Mo Lishen’s clothes, Mo Lishen took her hand and lay down, resting her head on Qiu Yan’s lap.

Qiu Yan wanted to stroke Mo Lishen’s cheek but feared overstepping, so she used her other hand to loosely cradle Mo Lishen’s shoulders, afraid she might fall.

“Do you know how to tell stories?” Mo Lishen turned slightly, pressing her forehead against Qiu Yan’s abdomen.

The sudden closeness made Qiu Yan’s heart tighten with nervousness again.

“Yes.” Qiu Yan replied, doing her best to conceal her emotions. She had told countless stories to Yuanyuan before and had quite a repertoire stored up.

“Once upon a time, in a big forest, there lived three little pigs. One day, the mother pig said to her three little ones, ‘My children, you’ve grown up now and can go out to live on your own…’”

As she spoke, Qiu Yan instinctively began to pat Mo Lishen’s back gently, as if soothing a child to sleep.

Mo Lishen lay on Qiu Yan’s lap, the sound of Qiu Yan’s storytelling above her, her consciousness drifting along with Qiu Yan’s voice.

That day, she had made a promise with Su Peijiu, next time she came home, she would tell her a story.

Su Peijiu had agreed. She even said that next time she came home, she would buy her a pretty little dress.

There was no way she would have taken her own life. Mo Boren must be lying to her. It had to be them, they forced her…

Suddenly, Mo Lishen’s hand tightened around Qiu Yan’s wrist. Beads of sweat formed on Mo Lishen’s forehead.

Qiu Yan pulled a tissue from nearby and gently wiped it away.

Abruptly, Mo Lishen gripped Qiu Yan’s wrist even tighter, opening her eyes to look at her, her gaze bloodshot.

“Why did you become an actress?” Mo Lishen’s voice was hoarse, the words seemingly forced through gritted teeth.

Qiu Yan was startled. The look in Mo Lishen’s eyes frightened her. She opened her mouth but couldn’t utter a word.

The cold intensity in Mo Lishen’s eyes gradually faded. She sat up and went to the kitchen to pour a glass of water.

When she returned, she handed a cup to Qiu Yan. “Moisten your throat.”

Qiu Yan held the cup with both hands, taking small sips.

Neither of them spoke. Mo Lishen was adjusting her emotions, while Qiu Yan was thinking about how to tell Mo Lishen that she needed to accompany Yuanyuan during her surgery.

“Did I scare you?” Mo Lishen broke the silence first, taking Qiu Yan’s hand and gently stroking the back of it with her thumb.

Qiu Yan shook her head. “No.”

“What’s on your mind?” Mo Lishen pulled Qiu Yan back into her embrace.

“My family member needs surgery on Saturday. Can I go a bit earlier to stay with her?” Qiu Yan’s hand at her side unconsciously clenched. She was afraid Mo Lishen would ask who the family member was.

But she was also worried that if she left without permission, Mo Lishen might come over that day and get angry upon finding her gone.

“When are you planning to go?”

“Friday afternoon.” After saying this, Qiu Yan felt a mix of nervousness and aching concern for Yuanyuan.

“Mhm.” Mo Lishen acknowledged with a soft sound, then leaned back against the sofa, seemingly closing her eyes to rest.

With Mo Lishen’s permission, Qiu Yan let out a slight sigh of relief, and the two fell back into a quiet atmosphere.

Conversation between them had always been sparse, and silence seemed to be the norm in their interactions. This quietness didn’t bring awkwardness but rather a sense of gentle companionship, like a softly flowing stream. Both lost in their own thoughts, they sat beside each other, listening to each other’s breathing, neither disturbing the other.

Qiu Yan’s mind was a mess, her chaotic thoughts seemingly forgetting to remind her of the identity of the person beside her, her benefactor.

Slowly, she rested her head on Mo Lishen’s shoulder, closing her eyes and trying to relax her nerves.

But the more she tried to calm down, the more restless she became. Her eyes darted rapidly beneath her closed lids, her brows furrowed tightly, and she let out an unconscious, distressed whimper.

Soon, a slightly cool hand wrapped around her back and rested on her head.

That faint coolness, just a slight difference in temperature, was enough to dispel the anxiety in Qiu Yan’s heart. She gently nuzzled into the palm that had been warmed by her own body heat, finding a comfortable position on Mo Lishen’s shoulder, and gradually relaxed.

The next morning, Qiu Yan was still lying in bed, unaware of when Mo Lishen had left.

She temporarily put aside her plans to join the film crew. Right now, the most important thing was to be with Yuanyuan.

After arriving at the hospital, she first went to the attending physician’s office to ask about the preparations needed before Yuanyuan’s surgery and how her diet should be adjusted.

…

Mo Lishen had just finished a meeting when she received a text from Mo Yihuai:

[Come back to the house for dinner tonight.]

Aside from Mo Lihan, Mo Lishen didn’t have WeChat contacts for anyone else in the Mo family. Mo Lihan had forcibly added herself by snatching Mo Lishen’s phone.

Mo Lishen didn’t reply, locking her phone screen before lowering her head to continue handling documents.

After finishing her work, Mo Lishen stretched her wrists. It was exactly time to leave the office.

She twisted the ring on her right hand, let out a soft sigh, picked up her coat, and walked out of her office.

Mo Lishen’s office was on the 26th floor. She took the executive elevator down. When the display showed the 24th floor, the elevator doors opened.

Outside stood Mo Licheng and the eldest, Mo Lixian. Their offices were on the 24th floor. It was the end of the workday, and they were all heading back to the Mo residence for dinner, so running into each other was natural.

Mo Lishen stood toward the back of the elevator. When the two entered, she didn’t move an inch, merely giving them a faint glance as if they were no different from any other employees in the company.

The two stepped inside, and both Mo Licheng and Mo Lixian stood on the left side of the elevator, facing Mo Lishen.

They dared not turn their backs on Mo Lishen.

The eldest, Mo Lixian, only dared to join forces with Mo Licheng behind the scenes to deal with Mo Lishen, but he never dared to confront his ninth sister openly. Of course, his wife, on the other hand, always seemed eager to provoke Mo Lishen.

Unlike his elder brother, Mo Licheng had long abandoned any pretense with Mo Lishen. They both knew exactly what the other wanted, or so Mo Licheng believed.

Slipping his hands into his suit pants pockets, Mo Licheng glanced at Mo Lishen’s profile and remarked, “Ninth Sister, I heard your latest lover has been keeping you quite pleased. Rumor has it he’s lasted over a week.”

Mo Lishen shot him a sidelong glance and replied indifferently, “You’ve managed to stick around quite a while yourself. Rumor has it you’re already past thirty.”

Mo Licheng shrugged and fell silent.

He wasn’t one to be easily angered by Mo Lishen’s retorts. After all, he was no mere blusterer, he had plenty of ways to make her uncomfortable.