I Wish To Never Leave Your Side - Chapter 33

“President Mo.” Bai Hua slipped her phone back into her bag. “The reporters will find Fang Ting in two days. The interview will be published two days later, coinciding with your scheduled cocktail party.”

Mo Lishen twisted the cap back onto her fountain pen, pausing in thought.

“Has the evening gown been delivered?”

“Not yet.”

“Send them her measurements. Have them deliver multiple options for selection.”

“Understood.” Bai Hua made a note.

“Also, President Mo, you have quite a few dinner engagements these coming days. Should I reschedule some to free up your evenings?”

“Move them all to dinner time.” Mo Lishen took a sip of coffee.

The coffee had been brewed before the morning meeting and now sat cold, tasting bitter and sour.

“Um… very well.” Bai Hua hesitated briefly but complied.

Mo Lishen suddenly realized that Qiu Yan was occupying too much of her mental space. She wasn’t accustomed to this feeling.

Since she kept finding excuses to visit Qingshui Bay whenever she had free time, she decided to keep herself busier.

“Send her a text saying I won’t be visiting for the next few days. Tell her not to wait for me for dinner.”

“Yes.”

…

Qiu Yan was contemplating what to cook for dinner when Bai Hua’s message arrived. She simply collapsed onto the sofa, too lazy to cook for just herself.

After lying there for an unknown length of time, Qiu Yan suddenly sat up abruptly as if resurrected, shaking her head.

No, she couldn’t allow herself to decay like this.

If she couldn’t change her environment, she had to make the best of it and live as comfortably as possible within it.

She didn’t know where this thought came from, but she rolled off the sofa, suddenly energized as if injected with adrenaline.

She dashed back to her room to change into workout clothes, threw on a down jacket, and swiftly pulled open the door.

The two bodyguards stationed outside jumped in surprise.

“Miss Qiu.”

“I’m going for a run.”

“We’ll accompany you.”

Qiu Yan raised an eyebrow. “Suit yourselves.”

Outside the building entrance, Qiu Yan tightened her shoelaces and started running.

Her daily physical activity was usually intense, handling props and pushing equipment on set was more than enough exercise.

But after several days of inactivity, she could feel her bones growing lazy.

Qiu Yan ran to the park and circled the lake several times.

Since vehicles weren’t allowed in the park, the two bodyguards ran along with her, though they intentionally maintained some distance.

The park was sparsely populated on winter evenings. The cool breeze against her face gradually soothed Qiu Yan’s restless heart.

After leaving the park, Qiu Yan ran all the way back home.

She took off her outerwear, opened the refrigerator, and grabbed a bottle of water, drinking large gulps with her head tilted back.

Sweat trickled down her hairline, glistening droplets tracing a path from her neck to her collarbone and beyond. Her sports bra was completely drenched.

She changed out of her clothes and tossed them into the washing machine.

As she lifted the washing machine lid, Qiu Yan suddenly realized that, at some point, she had grown familiar with everything in this house and had gradually begun using all the appliances.

She poured in the detergent and started the machine.

It seemed she was slowly forgetting what life had been like before Mo Lishen entered it.

Qiu Yan stepped into the bathroom, took a refreshing shower, then threw herself onto the bed, flipping through her acting technique books.

The following days passed in similar fashion, reading during the day, running in the evening, video calling Yuan Yuan afterward, maintaining a highly regular routine.

Once, just as Qiu Yan finished her run and was leaving the park, a sudden inspiration struck, and she quickened her pace.

The bodyguard was already some distance away from her and now had to fetch the car. Although they would eventually catch up, Qiu Yan felt like teasing them a little.

She never listened to music while running; more often, she let her thoughts wander, reflecting on immediate matters.

As she passed a dark alley, Qiu Yan suddenly heard a faint cry.

She gradually slowed her pace and peered into the depths of the alley.

The light was dim, but Qiu Yan could make out the silhouette of a woman being cornered by two men.

Qiu Yan swallowed hard, glanced back at the headlights of the Mercedes, then turned and walked deeper into the alley.

“Xiaoxue, what are you doing here?” Qiu Yan wiped the sweat from her chin, pretending to have run into an acquaintance.

All three turned to look at Qiu Yan. The woman, who had nowhere left to retreat, froze for a moment before quickly sidestepping the two men and linking arms with Qiu Yan.

Her voice trembled slightly, “I got lost by accident. Let’s go back.”

Qiu Yan nodded, took the woman’s hand, and turned to leave.

“Stop right there,” a man with a gold chain sneered, his lips curling into a malicious grin. “Looks like we’ve got another little girl delivering herself to us.”

The two men blocked their path, forcing them to step back.

“Trying to be a hero, huh, little girl? Then I’ll make sure to treat you right,” the bald man said, planting his hands on his hips and reaching out to touch Qiu Yan’s chin. She slapped his hand away.

“Hey, damn it!” Enraged by the slap, the bald man swung back at Qiu Yan.

Qiu Yan didn’t flinch. Instead, she smiled and shook her head at him.

Sure enough, just as the man raised his hand but before he could strike, his wrist was seized by an immense force.

Before he could react, his entire arm was twisted backward with a sharp crack, his wrist locked in a reverse grip.

“Ouch, ouch!” The bald man crouched down, unable to bear the pain, feeling as if his bones had snapped.

Glancing sideways, he saw his companion already pinned to the ground.

“Don’t hit me, don’t hit me! I was wrong, sirs,” the man pleaded from his crouched position.

The bodyguard held him firmly and looked up at Qiu Yan.

Not wanting to cause trouble for Mo Lishen, Qiu Yan said, “That’s enough.”

The bodyguard released his grip. The two men, one clutching his arm and the other dragging his leg, scrambled out of the alley, pulling each other along.

“Are you alright, Miss Qiu?” The man in the suit stepped forward, his forehead beaded with cold sweat, overwhelmed by a wave of fear.

It seemed he couldn’t afford to be even half a step away from Miss Qiu from now on.

Qiu Yan shook her head and turned to the woman beside her. “Are you okay?”

The woman shook her head, releasing Qiu Yan’s arm. “I’m fine. Thank you so much for earlier.”

She bowed slightly to Qiu Yan.

“As long as you’re okay. Where do you live? Do you need us to take you back?” Qiu Yan helped her straighten up.

“It’s alright. I’m not from around here. I’ll just take a taxi to the inn later.”

The woman went on to explain, “I just arrived here. Those two were holding signs near the station, claiming to be from an inn. Their place was the cheapest, so I foolishly followed them here without thinking.”

“Don’t trust people like that so easily.”

Qiu Yan had been tricked before too, though it only cost her a few hundred yuan and hadn’t reached such a dangerous level. Still, the thought sent a chill down her spine.

“Should I call a taxi for you?”

Qiu Yan still felt uneasy.

“No, no need to trouble yourself. I can manage. Thank you so much,” the woman said, bowing to Qiu Yan once more.

“It’s no trouble at all.”

Qiu Yan watched her walk out of the alley. Just as the woman was about to reach the main road, she suddenly turned back.

“May I know your name?”

“Qiu Yan,” she replied, her voice light and pleasant.

“My name is Gao Bing. I’ll find a way to repay you when I have the chance.”

“No need,” Qiu Yan shook her head.

Gao Bing smiled and nodded before leaving.

“Miss Qiu, perhaps you should get in the car and return with us. Running alone isn’t very safe.”

“Mm,” Qiu Yan nodded. Thinking back now, she felt a bit frightened. But if it weren’t for the people Mo Lishen had assigned to her, she might not have had the courage to save that girl.

She had a child. For her, self-preservation was the priority when helping others.

…

Mo Lishen’s office.

“Mr. Mo, the evening gown has been delivered. I’ll take it to Miss Qiu shortly.”

“Mm,” Mo Lishen acknowledged without looking up.

“Oh, and Mr. Mo,” Bai Hua adjusted his glasses, “Miss Qiu saved a girl last night while she was out running.”

Mo Lishen’s pen paused, and he looked up. “What happened?”

Bai Hua relayed the report from the bodyguards exactly as he had received it.

Tap. The nib of Mo Lishen’s fountain pen snapped.

Ink spilled across the entire document.

“This happened last night. Why are you only telling me now?” Mo Lishen’s eyes burned with anger.

“You were in a meeting with Mr. Liu at the time, and since Miss Qiu was unharmed, I thought it would be fine to inform you this morning,” Bai Hua replied, his head lowering further.

Mo Lishen tossed the pen aside, reined in his emotions, and let out a soft sigh.

“Have those two men been investigated? Were they sent by someone?” A cold glint flashed in Mo Lishen’s eyes.

“We’ve looked into it. They were just ordinary thugs,” Bai Hua said, carefully observing Mo Lishen’s mood.

“Which hand did he intend to use to touch Qiu Yan?” Mo Lishen interlaced his fingers, twisting the ring on his right middle finger.

“His right hand? No, it should have been his left.”

“If you’re unsure which hand, you know what to do,” Mo Lishen said, lifting his gaze to him.

“Understood,” Bai Hua nodded.

“I’ll deliver the gown myself later,” Mo Lishen stood and waved a hand. “Clean this up and have them send over another copy of the document.”

“Of course.”

–

Qingshui Bay.

Mo Lishen arrived at the door, carrying the gown.

“Were you the ones following her last night?” he asked, looking at the bodyguards.

“Yes, Mr. Mo.”

“Remember to collect your bonus from Bai Hua.”

“Thank you, Mr. Mo.”

Mo Lishen nodded and pushed the door open.

Inside, Qiu Yan had just finished her workout and was holding a script, rehearsing a scene.

She was trying to imitate a film segment starring Song Suihan, who played a deranged female lawyer. In the scene, the lawyer held a knife to the chin of a girl who had lied to her.

Song Suihan’s performance in this scene was exceptionally relaxed, both morbidly charming and devilish.

Qiu Yan was so immersed in her role that she didn’t hear the sound of the door. Using the TV remote as a prop knife, her nightgown swaying, she leaned one hand on the coffee table and revealed a haunting smile.

“Little girl, you lied to your sister. It breaks my heart,” Qiu Yan’s voice was much lighter and more seductive than usual, yet it carried a hidden edge.

Mo Lishan was captivated. Holding the gown, he stood in the entryway and watched her without interrupting.

“Guess, when this knife pierces your throat, will the blood splatter across this entire wall?” Qiu Yan’s eyes gleamed, as if she were eagerly anticipating the scene.

In her mind, she was acting opposite herself, envisioning the girl’s terrified expression.

“Hahaha.” Qiu Yan retracted the knife, her fingers lightly tracing a circle on the girl’s shoulder. “Even if I killed you today, I wouldn’t be convicted.”

The female lawyer in the scene was highly proficient in the law and knew exactly where its loopholes lay.

“The clever little girl already knows what choice to make now.”

The blade pressed against the girl’s throat.

…

After the entire scene ended, Qiu Yan froze for a few seconds before fully stepping out of character.

She let out a sigh of relief, releasing the tension in her body, and put down the remote control, intending to pour herself a glass of water.

As her gaze swept past the entrance, Qiu Yan suddenly noticed Mo Lishen standing there and was genuinely startled.

“Mo… President Mo.” Qiu Yan nearly jumped. “When did you arrive?”

Mo Lishen seemed to snap out of the trance induced by Qiu Yan’s performance.

“Probably right when you got into character.” Mo Lishen bent down and placed the dress box to the side.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Qiu Yan nervously wrung her hands together, feeling somewhat embarrassed to have performed in front of Mo Lishen.

“I didn’t want to disturb you.” Mo Lishen took Qiu Yan’s hand and enveloped it tightly in her own.

So this little bird was actually a young eagle.