I Wish To Never Leave Your Side - Chapter 30

“What if I really kill someone one day?”

Mo Lihan gazed into Mo Lishen’s deep, dark eyes, smiled gently, and picked up a fork from the table to scoop a piece of cake, feeding it to Mo Lishen.

“Then you have to tell your sister in advance. Don’t face it alone.”

Mo Lihan’s smiling peach blossom eyes seemed to surge with an invisible strength, soft and rippling where visible, yet turbulent and powerful where unseen.

Mo Lishen opened her mouth and ate the cake she was offered.

She looked at Mo Lihan, her nose tingling with emotion, and quickly picked up the entire cake plate, trying to hide her feelings.

“Slow down, no one’s competing with you.” Mo Lihan pulled out a tissue from the side. “I thought you didn’t like sweets, silly girl.”

Only after suppressing the lump in her throat did Mo Lishen set down the cake and take a big gulp of Mo Lihan’s milk to wash down the sweetness.

“Are you happy with your life now?” Mo Lishen lowered her head, playing with her fingers as if asking casually.

“Of course. Seeing my little Shen always makes me happy.” Mo Lihan propped her chin on the office desk, beaming at her.

Mo Lishen didn’t want to expose her.

“If you’re not happy, you have to tell me.” Mo Lishen’s expression was serious, but her eyes were full of tenderness.

“Don’t worry.” Mo Lihan reached out and pinched Mo Lishen’s cheek. “Alright, I should go back to swing. A few new dresses arrived yesterday, I’ll wear them for you next time.”

As she spoke, Mo Lihan tied up the bag of cakes Mo Lishen had brought, not even sparing the leftover piece, and packed everything to take with her.

Mo Lihan walked out carrying the bag, with Mo Lishen following behind to see her off.

“By the way, where’s the little rabbit I gave you last time?” Mo Lihan suddenly turned around to ask.

“Here.” Mo Lishen raised her keys, the wooden rabbit keychain standing out distinctly, adding a touch of warmth to the black-and-silver keys.

“Such a good girl. That was the very first one I made, even Xiao Ci wanted it, but I didn’t give it to her.”

“Was the cut on your hand from making this?” Mo Lishen took the bag from her and walked her to the private elevator.

“How did you…” Mo Lihan looked surprised.

“The day I received the rabbit, I saw it when you were on the swing. I just didn’t mention it then.”

“You’re so sharp, why don’t you try guessing what I had for breakfast this morning?” Mo Lihan pouted.

Mo Lishen suspected she hadn’t eaten, but to keep Mo Lihan happy, she made a random guess: “A fried egg?”

“Hehe, you’ll never guess. I was in a hurry to get here and skipped breakfast.” Mo Lihan clasped her hands behind her little skirt, smiling triumphantly.

When the elevator reached the first floor, Mo Lihan reached out and patted Mo Lishen’s shoulder. “Youngster, you’ve still got a long way to go.”

With that, she stepped out of the elevator.

Mo Lishen chuckled softly, shaking her head, and followed.

“The weather’s getting colder. Don’t wear so little anymore.” Mo Lishen opened the car door for Mo Lihan and reminded her.

“Your sister here believes in ‘beauty knows no cold.’ Call me if you need anything.” Mo Lihan took the bag of cakes. “Hurry back now.”

“Okay.” Mo Lishen closed the car door and watched Mo Lihan’s car until it merged into the traffic and disappeared from sight.

Mo Lishen let out a soft sigh, her eyes frosting over once again as she turned and headed back into the company.

At five in the afternoon, Mo Lishen left work on time and returned to Qingshui Bay to pick up Qiu Yan.

Qiu Yan was wearing the white scarf Mo Lishen had given her earlier, paired with a dark blue trench coat. She was already tall, and with a pair of high-heeled boots, she looked even more slender and graceful as she stepped out of the building.

Mo Lishen watched her through the window, her gaze softening gradually, a gentle curve forming at the corners of her lips.

By chance, she glanced sideways and noticed Bai Hua stealing a sidelong glance at her through the gap between the seat and the car door. Mo Lishen immediately suppressed her smile and cleared her throat lightly.

As Qiu Yan approached, Mo Lishen shifted inward to make room for her and casually opened the door for her.

Only when Qiu Yan sat down did Mo Lishen notice she was wearing light makeup today.

It had been a while since she last saw her wear makeup.

“You look beautiful today,” Mo Lishen complimented her again.

Qiu Yan lowered her head shyly, lightly pinching the scarf as she murmured, “Maybe it’s just the scarf that looks nice.”

“The scarf is just an accessory. What truly matters is the person wearing it.”

“Maybe it’s because I’m wearing makeup.”

“You look beautiful even without makeup.”

Bai Hua and Qiu Yan: “??!!”

Both of them stared at Mo Lishen in stunned silence, one in disbelief, the other overjoyed.

Mo Lishen frowned slightly, puzzled. “What’s wrong?”

She had merely spoken the truth. Why were their reactions so exaggerated?

Bai Hua quickly shook her head, pretending to focus intently on the road ahead, though her ears seemed to strain toward the conversation between Mo Lishen and Qiu Yan.

“You’re even more beautiful,” Qiu Yan muttered under her breath, clutching her jeans nervously.

“What?” Mo Lishen asked calmly, having not quite caught what she said.

Bai Hua, who had heard it clearly: “!!!”

Have these two already progressed to this stage? As expected of Miss Qiu!

“N-nothing,” Qiu Yan shook her head, her cheeks flushed.

Mo Lishen didn’t press further. Instead, she gently pulled Qiu Yan closer. A faint, pleasant scent of laundry detergent lingered around her.

“What did you use to wash your clothes? It smells nice,” Mo Lishen asked, her nostrils twitching slightly as she took another whiff.

“It was on sale at the supermarket downstairs, ten yuan for a bucket,” Qiu Yan replied truthfully, pursing her lips.

Bai Hua couldn’t hold back a snort from the front seat.

Miss Qiu, truly the queen of ruining the moment.

Mo Lishen shot Bai Hua a glance, and Bai Hua promptly mimed zipping her lips, effectively turning herself into thin air.

Since when had her assistant become so bold?

Mo Lishen decided not to dwell on it and turned back to Qiu Yan. “If you’re short on money, just ask me. There’s no need to compromise.”

Qiu Yan quickly realized her earlier remark might have been inappropriate and hurriedly explained, “I have enough, plenty enough. That detergent is actually really good, it just happened to be on sale.”

Mo Lishen gave a faint hum in response, her expression unreadable.

Qiu Yan couldn’t quite gauge her mood again. She tentatively reached out to touch the back of Mo Lishen’s hand. It wasn’t too cold, probably not angry.

She had noticed at some point that Mo Lishen’s emotions were unpredictable, especially when she was angry, her hands would grow colder than usual.

Just as Qiu Yan was about to withdraw her hand, she found she couldn’t.

Mo Lishen held her hand, idly toying with it as if it were a small trinket.

Qiu Yan smiled and let her be.

That evening, Mo Lishen had reserved a table at a Western restaurant. The place was notoriously expensive. Qiu Yan had passed by it before but never dared to even glance inside.

The shame of having no money in one’s pocket instinctively makes one feel inferior to others, as if belonging to a lower class.

“Good evening, Ms. Mo. Please come in.” A waiter in a white shirt held the door open for Mo Lishen, inviting them inside.

Pulled along by Mo Lishen, Qiu Yan received a bow from the waiter. She felt like the rubber band used to tie up hairy crabs, merely by being close to something precious, her own value seemed inflated.

Mo Lishen led Qiu Yan to a secluded booth. Though it was just a booth, it offered excellent privacy. Next to it was a floor-to-ceiling window with a clear view of the city’s iconic nighttime skyline.

As usual, Mo Lishen handed the menu to Qiu Yan, letting her order.

Qiu Yan hesitated timidly, feeling somewhat embarrassed. “I’m not very good at ordering.”

Mo Lishen’s expression remained unchanged as she naturally took the menu back and placed the order with the waiter. “Two glasses of champagne. For appetizers, two servings of amberjack crêpes and two tuna tartares.”

“For the main course, razor clams with caviar, scallops with black truffle, grilled lamb chops, and two portions of Diana steak.”

Mo Lishen returned the menu to the waiter and nodded politely.

Qiu Yan watched Mo Lishen closely. Her demeanor never made Qiu Yan feel embarrassed or awkward about her lack of experience, as if helping her order was a perfectly natural and habitual act.

Gradually, Qiu Yan began to shed the sensitivity she had felt during their first meeting.

When the chilled champagne arrived, Mo Lishen reminded Qiu Yan, “It might taste a bit sour at first, you might need some time to get used to it.”

After that, no matter what dish was served, Mo Lishen would first show Qiu Yan how to eat it, without a hint of impatience or any other negative emotion.

The meal passed in a relaxed atmosphere.

On the way back, Qiu Yan leaned against Mo Lishen’s shoulder and began chattering excitedly. “That seafood was so delicious, especially sweet.”

“And that steak had such a firm, satisfying chew…”

Mo Lishen didn’t speak, but as she listened to Qiu Yan’s endless chatter, a certain emptiness within her began to fill, little by little.

As the car passed through a narrow alley, Mo Lishen glanced out the window and seemed to notice something.

Qiu Yan, holding Mo Lishen’s hand, was in the middle of an animated story when she felt Mo Lishen’s hand turn cold abruptly. She immediately fell silent.

“What’s wrong?” She looked up at Mo Lishen.

“Turn around, go back to that alley,” Mo Lishen said, her brows furrowed sharply as if a sword were hidden between them, fierce and imposing.

“High beams, now,” Mo Lishen urged.

The driver turned the car around, and the high beams swept across the alley. Mo Lishen clearly saw two people surrounded by a group, it was indeed Zhao Qiulin’s wife and daughter.

“Honk the horn,” Mo Lishen said urgently.

The debt collectors, seeing a van approaching with high beams and honking incessantly, cursed under their breath. The leader spat on the ground and led his men away.

Fang Ting, Zhao Qiulin’s wife, pulled her daughter Qingqing out from behind her and held her tightly in her arms.

The van stopped, and Mo Lishen got out and walked toward them.

Blinded by the high beams, Fang Ting couldn’t see who was approaching. Resigned to her fate, she crouched down, shielding her daughter protectively.

“It’s that older sister,” Zhao Jiaoqing recognized Mo Lishen first. “Mom, it’s Dad’s former colleague, the sister who picked me up from school last time.”

Mo Lishen took a few steps closer, and Fang Ting finally recognized her.

She stood up and lunged at Mo Lishen like a madwoman, wildly flailing her hands to strike her.

“You lunatic! Give me back my man! You murderer! I hope you die a horrible death!” Fang Ting cried as she hit her.

Seeing this, Bai Hua quickly stepped forward to intervene.

But someone moved even faster, rushing forward to pull Fang Ting away and shielding Mo Lishen.

“How can you hit someone like this?”