I Wish To Never Leave Your Side - Chapter 20

Yuanyuan tugged hard on Qiu Yan’s clothes, pulling her toward the exit.

Qiu Yan felt as if her heart were being yanked painfully with each tug. She crouched down and gently pulled Yuanyuan back.

“Sweetheart, listen to Mommy.”

Tears streaked Yuanyuan’s face. She was already a very sensible child, but emotions had piled up, and there comes a point when the grievances become too much to bear.

She looked at Qiu Yan between sobs, her small hands vigorously wiping the tears from her face.

Qiu Yan’s heart ached intensely. She softly brushed away the tears at the corners of Yuanyuan’s eyes with her fingers.

“Do you remember that this little yellow duck cup was a gift from one of Mommy’s friends?” Qiu Yan pointed to the cup hanging from Yuanyuan’s chest.

Yuanyuan nodded and hugged her cup tightly.

“That friend recently helped Mommy with something very important, but now she’s going through a tough time.”

Qiu Yan didn’t mention that the help was for raising surgery funds, afraid that Yuanyuan might feel guilty about it.

“What’s wrong with her?” Yuanyuan asked, still sniffling, her lips trembling.

“She… she’s being bullied. Her friends don’t like her very much, and she’s feeling sad.” Qiu Yan deliberately made a pitiful expression.

Yuanyuan’s little eyebrows furrowed in concern, mirroring her mother’s expression.

“So, do you think Mommy should stay with her and comfort her?”

Yuanyuan lowered her head, stroking the little yellow duck cup as she thought. “Well… of course you should…”

She didn’t want to part with her mother either, but she felt that, in principle, Mommy should go and be with that aunt.

“Then, Mommy, you have to comfort her properly and make sure she doesn’t feel too sad.” After another moment of thought, Yuanyuan reflected that all her own friends liked her, and it must be really hard to be disliked by friends. She felt that the aunt was worse off than she was, and Mommy really should help her.

“You’re such a good girl, Yuanyuan. Mommy thanks you on behalf of the aunt.” Qiu Yan’s heart felt heavy as she hugged Yuanyuan tightly.

“But Mommy, don’t forget to come see me,” Yuanyuan murmured, her voice muffled as she wrapped her arms around Qiu Yan’s neck.

“Okay,” Qiu Yan replied, her throat too tight to speak audibly, the words coming out as a breath.

Qiu Yan stayed with Yuanyuan until evening, leaving a key with Aunt Liu before returning to Qingshui Bay.

…

That afternoon, Mo Lishen went to Jin Su Entertainment to sign the contract. Deng Jin’s assistant met her at the company entrance and escorted her upstairs via the elevator.

Deng Jin’s office was on the sixteenth floor. The group took a dedicated elevator up, and the assistant led Mo Lishen to the office door, knocking lightly.

A response came quickly from inside, and the assistant opened the door, ushering Mo Lishen in.

The room was filled with personal touches: a prominent snack cabinet, hand cream on the desk, and photo frames of various sizes. By the window stood a pink infant seat, giving the space a lived-in, cozy feel.

“Please have a seat, President Mo.” Deng Jin brewed a cup of coffee for Mo Lishen and placed it on the coffee table.

Mo Lishen nodded and sat on the sofa opposite Deng Jin, spreading out the documents.

“Here is the contract we’ve drafted. Please take a look, President Deng.”

Deng Jin, however, was in no hurry to sign. She took a sip of her own coffee and looked up at Mo Lishen across from her.

“May I ask, President Mo, what your reason is?” Deng Jin set her cup down on the coffee table with a soft, distinct clink.

“For what?”

“For willingly conceding three points to me just to take this project from your brother.”

Mo Lishen didn’t respond, merely lifting her gaze to look at Deng Jin calmly.

“Don’t overthink it. I have no interest in meddling in other people’s family affairs.” Deng Jin raised her hand slightly, the diamond wedding ring on her left ring finger particularly dazzling. “I just want to confirm whether President Mo’s domestic matters will affect our cooperation.”

“Of course not.” Mo Lishen stood with her back to the window, the ring on her right middle finger gleaming with a cold metallic sheen. “Business is business, personal matters are personal. You can rest assured about that. Offering you a three percent discount was merely to secure the project. The profits Jin Su stands to gain will be no less, if not more.”

Deng Jin was a smart person, and Mo Lishen saw no need to beat around the bush with her.

“I admit, I do intend to use Jin Su to weaken Mo Licheng’s influence, but I will handle my responsibilities properly. Otherwise, after all these years, I wouldn’t be sitting here discussing cooperation with you, President Deng.” Mo Lishen leaned back on the sofa, looking at Deng Jin with confidence.

“So, you deliberately sought out an acquaintance of my wife to approach us?” Deng Jin raised an eyebrow.

“Not at all.”

Mo Lishen truly had no intention of using Qiu Yan. It was simply that she needed a compliant female companion, and as luck would have it, she had a suitable lover by her side, so she brought her along.

“I had no idea she knew Teacher Luo.” Mo Lishen smiled faintly. “Perhaps I’m just lucky, lucky enough to collaborate with Jin Su.”

Deng Jin laughed heartily. “Not entirely. I enjoy dealing with smart people. You’re much sharper than your brother.”

She picked up the document, skimmed through it, and signed her name.

“Pleasure working with you.” Deng Jin stood up and extended her hand to Mo Lishen.

“Thank you for your trust, President Deng.” Mo Lishen gave her hand a light shake and nodded.

As she escorted Mo Lishen out of the office, Deng Jin’s phone rang.

The previously solemn Deng Jin immediately broke character, raising her voice: “What? Miaomu got into another argument with another child at kindergarten? This kid…”

Mo Lishen only caught that one sentence. He gave a self-deprecating smirk, picked up the blue folder, and left Jin Su.

“President Mo, Miss Yu called. She said you owe her a meal and asked when you can make it up.” Bai Hua took the folder from Mo Lishen and placed it in her bag.

Mo Lishen got into the car and rubbed his temples. “Then check my schedule and arrange something.”

“Tomorrow afternoon or next Tuesday afternoon.” Bai Hua glanced at the schedule on her tablet.

“Schedule it for tomorrow afternoon, then.” Mo Lishen let out a sigh.

Yu Xiamu was the daughter of one of Mo Lishen’s business partners. She had met him during a collaboration, exchanged contact information, and had since repeatedly invited her to meals.

However, each time, she brought along a new business opportunity, giving Mo Lishen little reason to refuse.

“Head to Qingshui Bay.”

…

Bai Hua waited downstairs while Mo Lishen went up alone.

After unlocking the door, the living room was pitch black. Mo Lishen raised an eyebrow in surprise, changed her shoes, and stepped into the entryway.

She didn’t turn on the lights, relying on the natural light from the window to make her way to the bedroom door.

No light seeped from under the door. Mo Lishen narrowed her eyes, her gaze turning cold.

She placed her hand on the doorknob, pausing for a moment as if in thought, then gently turned it.

She rarely turned on the lights in her own residence, so her eyes were well-accustomed to the dark. As soon as the door opened, she spotted a small lump under the blankets.

Only then did a trace of warmth return to Mo Lishen’s eyes as she walked softly to the edge of the bed and sat down.

Qiu Yan was sleeping deeply, cocooned in the blankets, her brows furrowed as if trapped in a nightmare.

Mo Lishen watched her quietly, much like how she would gaze at intact documents about to be fed into the shredder.

Qiu Yan was a restless sleeper, occasionally smacking her lips and letting out soft murmurs.

Mo Lishen propped her chin on her hand, her gaze softening imperceptibly. The corners of her lips lifted slightly in an unconscious smile she herself didn’t notice.

Qiu Yan’s brows furrowed again, her breathing growing rapid. A glimmer of moisture gathered at the corners of her eyes, and she mumbled something unintelligible.

Suddenly, she flung an arm out from under the covers.

Mo Lishen glanced down at the exposed hand, hesitated for a moment, then took hold of her wrist, intending to tuck it back under the blankets.

But just as her fingers brushed the edge of the quilt, Qiu Yan suddenly grasped her hand in return.

Qiu Yan was dreaming. In her dream, she was walking down a dark, cold street, holding her sick cat Yuanyuan in her arms. The kitten’s lips had turned pale from the cold. Weeping, she knocked on door after door, but no one would take them in.

Just as she was about to knock on the next door, it swung open on its own. A person stood there with an outstretched hand adorned with a ring, their voice clear and faint: “Come in.”

As Qiu Yan lifted her head to see who it was, she woke from the dream.

Yet she had seen the person in her dream clearly.

Before Mo Lishen could withdraw her hand, someone threw themselves into her arms.

Tears streaked Qiu Yan’s face as she clung to Mo Lishen.

In that moment, she forgot this was her patron, she only knew this was the person who had opened the door for her in the darkness.

Mo Lishen’s hands hovered in the air, momentarily forgetting to push her away.

She could hear Qiu Yan’s sobs against her shoulder, feel the warmth of the person in her arms slowly seeping through. It made her uncomfortable, though she couldn’t pinpoint why.

She tried to push Qiu Yan away, but the other woman held on too tightly. Applying more force might hurt her.

Mo Lishen let her hands fall to her sides, not touching Qiu Yan, waiting for her to calm down on her own.

When Qiu Yan had cried herself out, she withdrew from Mo Lishen’s embrace and looked up at her.

Mo Lishen lowered her gaze briefly, avoiding eye contact. She stood up first and moved to sit on the small sofa nearby.

“Have you eaten?” Mo Lishen’s voice remained as cold and detached as her ring.

Qiu Yan wiped the dried tear stains from her face and shook her head somewhat sheepishly. “Not yet.”

But thinking Mo Lishen might be hungry, she immediately moved to get out of bed. “What would you like to eat, President Mo? I’ll-”

“No need.” Mo Lishen cut her off, pulling out her phone to make a call. “Have some food brought up.”

After making the call, Mo Lishen walked out of the bedroom.

Qiu Yan straightened her sleep-rumpled clothes, patted her cheeks lightly to wake herself up, and followed her to the living room.

Mo Lishen rarely turned on lights, so Qiu Yan felt her way through the dimness to sit beside her. Neither spoke, each quietly occupying their own corner of the sofa.

Soon, there was a knock at the door.

Seeing that Mo Lishen showed no intention of getting up, Qiu Yan rose to answer it.

“Sister Bai Hua.” Qiu Yan nodded in greeting.

“Miss Qiu.” Bai Hua barely glanced at her before looking past her toward Mo Lishen.

“Come in.” Only when Mo Lishen’s faint voice carried over did Bai Hua step across the threshold.

Bai Hua placed the purchased items on the dining table, and Qiu Yan stepped forward to help.

Bai Hua had brought back six dishes, two of which were quite spicy. Qiu Yan had shared many meals with Mo Lishen and knew that Mo Lishen wasn’t particularly fond of spicy food.

So… Qiu Yan couldn’t help but wonder, had Bai Hua intentionally ordered these dishes for her?

Bai Hua worked for Mo Lishen, which meant Mo Lishen had specifically ordered these for her? The boiled fish from last time was also spicy, and Mo Lishen had brought it back for her as well. At this thought, warmth blossomed in Qiu Yan’s heart.

Only then did Mo Lishen rise and walk over to glance at the food on the table, offering no comment.

Bai Hua finally breathed a sigh of relief. She knew her boss didn’t like spicy food, but since her boss had sent her to deliver the meal, she assumed Qiu Yan hadn’t eaten either and had taken the liberty of ordering two spicy dishes.

With her task completed, Bai Hua retreated to stand by the sofa, as Mo Lishen hadn’t dismissed her.

At the dining table, Mo Lishen was even quieter than usual. While she would often tell Qiu Yan to “eat more,” today she simply ate her meal in silence.

Qiu Yan seemed accustomed to this behavior. After all, she knew this meal had been specially ordered for her by Mo Lishen, and that alone was enough to make her happy for a while.

The quiet room was suddenly disrupted by a ringing phone. Bai Hua quickly silenced her phone and checked the caller ID.

Recognizing the caller, Bai Hua stepped forward and handed the phone over. “President Mo, it’s Ms. Yu.”

Mo Lishen finished chewing the food in her mouth unhurriedly before taking the phone, her tone as indifferent as ever. “Hello.”

“President Mo, I heard you brought your lover to the banquet the other day?” Yu Xiamu’s coquettish voice came from the other end.

“What about it?”

Mo Lishen’s expression remained unchanged.

“Then bring her along tomorrow for dinner so I can take a look. I’ll push through Manager Wang’s project for you.” Yu Xiamu knew that with that last sentence, Mo Lishen would agree to almost any request.

Sure enough, Mo Lishen didn’t refuse.

“Anything else?”

“No, that’s all. Same place tomorrow afternoon.” Yu Xiamu’s voice lifted with satisfaction before she hung up.

Mo Lishen returned the phone to Bai Hua and continued eating her meal.

Only when the two were almost finished did Mo Lishen speak. “Do you want to come along for dinner tomorrow afternoon?”

Upon hearing this, Qiu Yan’s face immediately lit up with a smile, and she nodded repeatedly. “Sure.”

“I’ll pick you up tomorrow afternoon.”

With those words, Mo Lishen left again.

She enjoyed destroying things that were whole and beautiful, relishing the process, especially watching others suffer. This was the main reason she had kept lovers over the years.

But for now, she had no intention of tossing this piece of paper into the shredder.