I Wish To Never Leave Your Side - Chapter 14

Mo Lishen had signed a contract with a business partner tonight, successfully securing the project under her purview.

This project should have been finalized much earlier, but Mo Licheng had repeatedly interfered. Fortunately, Mo Lishen had previously collaborated with the other party, giving them some established rapport.

She had treated the client to dinner tonight and had a few drinks.

In the car, Bai Hua handed her a bottle of water, but Mo Lishen shook her head.

“Head to Qingshui Bay,” Mo Lishen said, closing her eyes and leaning her head against the backrest.

It had been nearly half a month since she last visited. As she thought about it, Qiu Yan’s image gradually surfaced in her mind.

Bai Hua watched Mo Lishen through the rearview mirror, initially concerned that the alcohol might upset her stomach. But to her surprise, she noticed Mo Lishen smiling.

She quickly averted her gaze, afraid of disturbing Mo Lishen. Calculating the time, Miss Qiu had been by Mo Lishen’s side for a month now, and Mo Lishen had yet to ask her to find another lover. It seemed Mo Lishen genuinely liked Miss Qiu. Bai Hua adjusted her glasses, lost in thought.

After her shower, Qiu Yan sat on the sofa to review her script. Two hours passed, and she hadn’t absorbed a single word.

Suddenly, the sound of the lock turning echoed. As if conditioned by reflex, Qiu Yan hurried to the entrance.

As expected, when the door opened, Mo Lishen’s striking face appeared. Qiu Yan’s heart skipped a beat, but the corners of her lips, which had been about to lift, felt weighed down and never quite rose.

“President Mo,” Qiu Yan lowered her eyes and greeted respectfully.

Mo Lishen didn’t notice the other’s mood and responded softly, changing her shoes before heading to the dining area.

“Have you eaten?”

“Yes,” Qiu Yan nodded.

“I haven’t,” Mo Lishen said. She was already half a head taller than Qiu Yan, and with Qiu Yan’s head bowed, she could only see the top of her hair.

Qiu Yan was taken aback for a moment but quickly recovered. “I’ll make something for you. What would you like to eat?”

“Anything is fine. Just make a bowl of noodles,” Mo Lishen replied, sitting on the sofa with a slight frown, as if she were uncomfortable.

Qiu Yan turned to retrieve ingredients from the refrigerator and went to the kitchen to start cooking.

While waiting for the water to boil, she stood at the counter washing vegetables. Suddenly, warmth enveloped her from behind, and she found herself in a familiar embrace filled with a cool, soothing fragrance.

Mo Lishen closed her eyes, resting her chin on Qiu Yan’s shoulder, inhaling her scent. She whispered in her ear, “How is your family’s recovery going?”

Qiu Yan’s hands, busy washing the vegetables, paused. “They’re almost fully recovered.”

Why was Mo Lishen suddenly asking about her family? Did she know something? Qiu Yan began calculating her next move.

“Mm,” Mo Lishen responded casually, still with her eyes closed, showing no intention to probe further.

Observing Mo Lishen’s reaction, Qiu Yan breathed a sigh of relief and finished washing the vegetables.

“President Mo, the water is boiling. I should…” Qiu Yan held the still-dripping vegetables, feeling slightly flustered as she glanced at the arms encircling her waist.

“Alright,” Mo Lishen released her and went to wait at the dining table.

Before long, Qiu Yan brought out a steaming bowl of noodles and placed it in front of Mo Lishen, handing her a pair of chopsticks.

The noodles were neatly arranged with greens, accompanied by a perfectly round and plump poached egg. Fragrant broth was sprinkled with finely chopped scallions. From the first time she cooked for Mo Lishen, Qiu Yan had known that Mo Lishen didn’t mind scallions.

Mo Lishen took the chopsticks and thanked her.

She picked up a few noodles and put them in her mouth. The noodles, mixed with the broth, warmed her all the way from her mouth down to her stomach, instantly soothing the burning pain she had felt earlier. The soup contained very little oil and salt, and when eaten with the greens, it wasn’t greasy at all, perfectly suiting Mo Lishen’s taste.

Mo Lishen hadn’t eaten anything that evening and had filled her stomach with alcohol. The aroma of the noodles stirred her appetite, and she felt an impulse to devour them immediately.

But mindful of Qiu Yan’s presence, Mo Lishen wanted to maintain her composure, so she ate at her usual pace.

Qiu Yan sat nearby, watching Mo Lishen. Her hands, holding the chopsticks, were slender and fair, with faint blue veins visible when she exerted a little force. Her face was small, but her nose bridge was high, not in an exotic way, but with a refined, jade-like, porcelain-delicate Chinese beauty. The silver ring on her right hand complemented her temperament, giving off a cold, elusive aura like white mist, making her hard to read.

After finishing the bowl of noodles, Mo Lishen felt warmth spread throughout her body. Just as she was about to get up to wash the bowl, Qiu Yan took it from her hands.

“I’ll do it.”

Mo Lishen felt a bit embarrassed and nodded. “Thank you.”

Qiu Yan slowly washed the bowl and turned around to find the living room lights already turned off. In the darkness, Mo Lishen was sitting against the sofa. She knew Mo Lishen was waiting for her to come over.

Qiu Yan took a deep breath and, guided by the faint light from the kitchen, sat down beside Mo Lishen. As expected, she was met with an embrace.

Mo Lishen held Qiu Yan in her arms, gently nuzzling her ear with the tip of her nose. “Thank you for the noodles. I really liked them.”

Qiu Yan’s throat tightened. She bit her lip and, after hesitating for a long time, finally asked the question that had been lingering in her heart: “Why are you so good to me, President Mo?”

Mo Lishen opened her eyes, a trace of displeasure flickering in her indifferent gaze, though it vanished almost instantly.

“Why do you ask?” Her tone was noticeably colder than before.

Qiu Yan felt Mo Lishen’s hands gradually turning icy. Her throat tightened as she clenched the hem of her clothes, mustering the courage to look up at Mo Lishen.

“Is it because I resemble someone from your past?” Qiu Yan didn’t dare say “mother” and, after a brief hesitation, chose a different word.

As soon as the words left her mouth, Qiu Yan was shoved away with great force. She stumbled back a few steps, barely steadying herself after hitting the edge of the TV cabinet, pain shooting through her shoulder and calf.

“Who told you that?” Mo Lishen stood up, her expression dark and menacing. Her eyes quickly reddened, emitting a fierce, cold glare as she advanced step by step toward Qiu Yan.

Qiu Yan’s back pressed against the TV wall, cold sweat beading on her forehead. It had been a long time since Mo Lishen had shown such an expression in front of her, making her forget Mo Lishen’s true nature.

She lowered her head, breathing rapidly, and said nothing.

The next moment, Mo Lishen grabbed her by the neck, forcing her to look up and meet her gaze.

Qiu Yan immediately felt suffocated. Her survival instinct made her try to pry Mo Lishen’s hands away, but the strength disparity was too great. With her arteries compressed, she could barely muster any strength, and her face quickly turned as red as blood.

She could barely hear what Mo Lishen was saying anymore. The ringing in her ears grew overwhelming, her vision darkened, and Mo Lishen’s face gradually blurred.

Just as Qiu Yan thought she was about to meet her end, the pressure on her neck suddenly vanished. Fresh air rushed into her lungs, and she opened her mouth, gasping for breath in ragged heaves. The violent coughing that followed did nothing to restore the color to her face.

Mo Lishen gripped her jaw with brutal force, her voice hoarse and menacing, her eyes as venomous as a serpent’s. “I could have treated you well, but you don’t know your place.”

“You’re nothing but a pet, a dog begging for scraps. I could kill you right now.”

A slender blade slid from its sheath, bringing with it a chilling gust of wind that sent a shiver through Qiu Yan’s entire body.

Whether it was the humiliation or the physical pain, Qiu Yan couldn’t hold back her tears.

Mo Lishen gritted her teeth, her gaze fixed fiercely on the person before her. Yet, the strength in her hand gradually eased.

Before the pain in Qiu Yan’s jaw could subside, a sharp slap landed across her face. Caught completely off guard, her head snapped to the side, her foot caught on something, and she fell to the ground, bracing herself with her wrist.

Excruciating pain radiated through her body. Her hair fell over her eyes, obscuring her vision, and all she heard was the heavy slam of a door.

Qiu Yan couldn’t hold herself up any longer and collapsed to the floor, her breathing trembling.

Mo Lishen was right, she was nothing but a stray pet someone had picked up. The moment her benefactor showed her a little kindness, she had overstepped, forgetting her true place, coveting unrealistic fantasies.

She was like a dog stealing meat, clutching something that didn’t belong to her, yet still wanting more. In the end, she was left with nothing, tail tucked between her legs, letting out pitiful yet contemptible howls before being kicked into some unknown trash heap.