I Wish To Never Leave Your Side - Chapter 29

Mo Lishen’s grip wasn’t particularly tight, but Qiu Yan, wrapped in a thin blanket, was pale, her sobs growing increasingly rapid and trembling uncontrollably.

Mo Lishen gritted her teeth and released her hold on Qiu Yan’s neck.

Qiu Yan sat curled up at the edge of the sofa, her face buried in her knees, her body shuddering intermittently.

Mo Lishen watched her for a moment before turning and slamming the door shut behind her.

“President Mo,” the bodyguard stationed outside greeted her.

“Has she been like this for the past few days?” Mo Lishen lit a cigarette and took a deep drag.

“Ms. Qiu has been in a poor mood these past few days and has been very resistant to our presence,” the man in the suit reported truthfully.

“Today, at the park, she saw the news about Zhao Qiulin. The gossip from the people around might have reached her ears.”

“What kind of gossip?” Mo Lishen stood in front of the man. Though he was slightly taller than her, his presence was nowhere near as commanding.

The man lowered his head, not daring to say a word.

Mo Lishen extinguished the half-smoked cigarette in her hand. “Forget it.”

She didn’t press him further.

Mo Lishen intended to leave, but the image of Qiu Yan trembling and shrinking back lingered in her mind, rooting her to the spot.

She pulled out her phone and dialed Bai Hua.

“Find a female caregiver to accompany-”

Mo Lishen paused, rubbing her temples wearily with two fingers. “Never mind. Rest early.”

After hanging up, she glanced at the security door, irritably running a hand through her hair before pushing it open and stepping back inside.

Qiu Yan remained in the same position as before, perhaps trembling even more violently now.

The sharpness in Mo Lishen’s eyes softened. She picked up the blanket from the sofa opposite Qiu Yan and walked over slowly.

Qiu Yan’s consciousness was hazy. She felt a chill seeping into her bones but lacked the strength to do anything to warm herself.

Suddenly, a weight settled on her shoulders. The soft, silky texture of the blanket enveloped her arms and shoulders, bringing waves of warmth.

She slowly lifted her head and saw Mo Lishen standing against the light.

Tears welled up in her eyes again, and she averted her gaze.

In the next moment, she felt herself being lifted gently into a fragrant, cool embrace.

Qiu Yan didn’t struggle. The fear of weightlessness made her clutch tightly at Mo Lishen’s clothes, but she tilted her head away, trying to create some distance between them, her heart still filled with trepidation.

Mo Lishen laid her down slowly on the bed and pulled the blanket over her.

Out of habit, she reached out to stroke Qiu Yan’s cheek but withdrew her hand halfway. She stood up and sat on the small sofa nearby.

Qiu Yan lay in bed, wide awake.

She pulled the blanket tighter around herself, feeling the cold air seep into her body.

Mo Lishen had left and returned, and now she was sitting on the sofa, was it to keep her company while she slept?

The thought crossed Qiu Yan’s mind, but she quickly dismissed it. Just moments ago, Mo Lishen had threatened to kill her if she tried to escape. Why would she be concerned about her now?

The irony struck her as almost laughable. Just days ago, she had firmly believed Mo Lishen would never harm her, yet today she feared for her life at her hands.

As these thoughts swirled in her mind, Qiu Yan felt her head grow heavy with confusion. She wanted to escape these reflections, if only temporarily.

Perhaps her subconscious had grown accustomed to Mo Lishen’s presence. Despite her lingering fear, she drifted into a fitful, half-awake slumber.

Since the last incident at the KTV, Qiu Yan had often been plagued by nightmares, waking herself up in the middle of the night more than once.

Tonight, she had another nightmare.

In her dream, she was once again dragged into the KTV, surrounded by a group of menacing faces closing in on her. But this time, no one came to her rescue. She struggled desperately, only to spot Mo Lishen among the encroaching crowd.

Qiu Yan’s heart seemed to sink with a faint trace of anticipation. A tear slid from the corner of her eye as she slowly gave up resisting.

A cool, tickling sensation at the corner of her eye roused her. Qiu Yan slowly opened her eyes, and through the hazy mist of sleep, she saw Mo Lishen.

Mo Lishen wasn’t among the menacing faces; she hadn’t harmed her. Instead, she was sitting by the bed, gently wiping away Qiu Yan’s tears.

Qiu Yan reached out and grasped Mo Lishen’s hand just as she was about to pull away. Her eyes reddened and glistened as she gazed at Mo Lishen.

Mo Lishen returned her gaze indifferently, but the warmth of her hand gradually rose, matching Qiu Yan’s.

“Mo Lishen,” Qiu Yan called her name.

Mo Lishen’s heart gave a heavy thud, her fingers trembling almost imperceptibly.

Bold little bird, Mo Lishen thought to herself, though her expression softened slightly.

She didn’t respond but waited for Qiu Yan to continue.

“Will you kill me?” Qiu Yan frowned slightly, her voice tinged with the nasal tone of someone just waking, sounding both pitiful and delicate.

As she spoke, her cheek brushed lightly against Mo Lishen’s palm, sending a shiver of tingling warmth through her.

Mo Lishen’s earlier threat had been nothing more than a burst of anger. Now, faced with Qiu Yan’s soft, hesitant question, her heart softened instantly.

She curled the hand Qiu Yan was holding and gently stroked Qiu Yan’s cheek, replying in a low, honest voice, “No.”

If Qiu Yan had pressed further, if she had asked about Zhao Qiulin, Mo Lishen would have told her the truth.

But Qiu Yan didn’t ask.

And Mo Lishen didn’t feel the need to explain.

A faint but genuine smile touched the corners of Qiu Yan’s lips.

She gave Mo Lishen’s fingers a gentle tug. “Then sleep on the bed, okay? The floor is cold.”

As she spoke, she continued to warm Mo Lishen’s hand.

Mo Lishen lowered her gaze for a moment, then nodded and lay down beside her.

Qiu Yan moved closer, carefully wrapping her arms around Mo Lishen. The anxiety that had been hanging over her seemed to settle into something solid.

It was as if just one word from Mo Lishen had given Qiu Yan the confidence that she wouldn’t harm her.

Mo Lishen let out a soft sigh and slowly raised her arms to embrace Qiu Yan in return.

Qiu Yan buried her forehead against Mo Lishen’s chest, her fingers tangling in the ends of Mo Lishen’s dark hair, a tightness forming in her chest.

Neither of them spoke another word, and neither could sleep.

But their soft, shallow breaths intertwined, mingling with the comforting scent of each other, gradually weaving a fleeting sense of peace.

The next morning, Qiu Yan opened her eyes to find Mo Lishen, miraculously, still lying beside her.

Qiu Yan was so close she could even see the fine down on Mo Lishen’s skin.

Mo Lishen’s eyelashes were long, her brows slightly furrowed, her expression stern even in sleep.

Qiu Yan smiled faintly, then slowly got up and slipped silently out of the bedroom.

She boiled a portion of fine noodles, dropping two poached eggs into the pot.

When the noodles were about seventy percent cooked, Qiu Yan thought about waking Mo Lishen.

Just as her hand touched the doorknob, the door opened from the inside. Mo Lishen stood before her, fully dressed.

Qiu Yan withdrew her hand and smiled at her. “I made some noodles. Would you like to have some?”

“No, I have things to do. Take your time eating.” Mo Lishen walked straight past her and headed to the entryway to put on her shoes.

“Alright…” Qiu Yan, still wearing her apron, stood where she was, watching Mo Lishen leave.

The door was pushed open, and Qiu Yan gradually lowered her gaze, feeling a pang of disappointment.

Suddenly, Mo Lishen took a few steps back and reappeared in Qiu Yan’s line of sight.

“I’ll take you out for dinner tonight. Wait for me.” After leaving these words, Mo Lishen truly walked out the door.

The smile returned to Qiu Yan’s face. She plated the noodles and devoured two poached eggs in one go.

“President Mo, Miss Mo Lihan called earlier. She said she couldn’t reach you, so she contacted me instead and mentioned she’s already waiting in your office.” Bai Hua handed Mo Lishen a cup of hot soy milk.

“Thank you.” Mo Lishen had muted her phone last night to avoid disturbing Qiu Yan’s sleep.

But when she saw Mo Lihan’s missed calls, she began to regret it.

Mo Lishen’s deep concern for Mo Lihan made her overly cautious, almost to the point of paranoia.

Yet, it wasn’t entirely Mo Lishen’s fault, too many people wished her harm. While she didn’t mind for herself, she absolutely refused to let Mo Lihan get involved.

The driver parked the car at the company building. Just as Mo Lishen was about to enter, she suddenly thought of something and turned into the nearby cake shop.

Twenty-sixth-floor office.

Mo Lihan sat in Mo Lishen’s office chair, casually flipping through a light read from the bookshelf.

Before long, she heard footsteps outside. Peering through the glass door, she confirmed it was Mo Lishen.

Mo Lihan closed the book and placed it on the desk, crossing her arms as she looked toward the door.

Mo Lishen was already smiling at her from the other side of the glass.

“What brings you here?” Mo Lishen’s calm voice finally reached her.

“You didn’t answer my calls. I was so worried! Luckily, I had Assistant Bai’s number and asked her, she said you hadn’t woken up yet.” Mo Lihan pretended to be upset.

The smile in Mo Lishen’s eyes instantly turned serious. “It won’t happen again.”

Seeing her like this, Mo Lihan knew the girl had taken her teasing to heart.

“I’m not scolding you, so why that look?” Mo Lihan reached out and pinched Mo Lishen’s cheek.

This time, Mo Lishen didn’t pull away, instead offering a faint smile.

“Call me ‘sister,’” Mo Lihan urged, seizing the moment to press further.

But Mo Lishen suddenly turned her face away and placed a large paper bag in front of Mo Lihan.

Mo Lishen addressed Mo Boren as “Grandfather” and Mo Yihuai as “Father,” yet she had never once called Mo Lihan “sister.”

Mo Lihan felt a twinge of jealousy, but she understood Mo Lishen well. Though she might feel a little envious, she wouldn’t truly be angry. Mo Lishen’s stubbornness had been a constant since childhood.

As Mo Lishen grew older, she never verbally addressed Mo Lihan as “sister,” but in her heart, Mo Lihan was her only family.

“What’s this?” Mo Lihan opened the paper bag to peek inside.

“Little cakes.” Mo Lishen poured a glass of milk from the fridge and set it aside to warm up.

“So many high-calorie treats! What if I can’t fit into my dresses after eating these?” Mo Lihan complained, even as her hands were already unwrapping the cake box.

“It’s not like you usually eat any less.”

“I work it all off afterward, okay?”

“Hmm, swinging on the swing in the middle of the night counts as exercise, I suppose.” Mo Lishen rolled her eyes and placed the milk in front of her.

“You little rascal, always talking back.” Mo Lihan took a big gulp of milk to vent her frustration.

“Did you come alone, or are you with Lin Yu’an?” Mo Lishen sat opposite Mo Lihan, sipping her soy milk.

“The butler dropped me off, but he left early and I couldn’t get up,” Mo Lihan murmured, head bowed as she focused on eating her cake.

Mo Lishen narrowed his eyes slightly but said nothing.

“I heard about that Zhao Qiulin incident. I don’t know who did it, but framing you for something as serious as a human life, it makes me so angry I couldn’t sleep all night.”

“Weren’t you just saying you couldn’t get up?”

Mo Lihan: “…”

“Did the police give you any trouble? What about his family? Did they take their anger out on you?” The usual laughter in Mo Lihan’s eyes was replaced with deep concern.

“None of that happened,” Mo Lishen replied with a light shake of his head and a smile.

“That’s good.” Mo Lihan let out a relieved sigh and leaned back in Mo Lishen’s office chair.

“What if it really was me?” Mo Lishen joked, taking a sip of soy milk. As she spoke, she unconsciously bit down on the straw.

Mo Lihan suddenly straightened up, her gaze fixed intently on Mo Lishen’s eyes. “You wouldn’t,” she said with utter seriousness.

“I’ve watched you grow up. You wouldn’t do something like that.”

“Something like what?” Mo Lishen gave a bitter smile.

“You wouldn’t kill anyone.”

Mo Lihan’s tone was resolute, leaving no room for doubt.

“What if one day I really did kill someone?” Mo Lishen looked up at her, her hands under the table clenched tightly together.