The night had grown deep. In the center of the spacious double bed, the boy had already fallen into a deep sleep.
Sometimes, Mo Hanzhou marveled at his excellent sleep quality a skill many middle-aged people dreamed of. Watching his peaceful, sleeping face, Mo Hanzhou couldn’t help but recall what Fang Zhongbai had said on the phone.
Han Chongming’s behavior wasn’t surprising; the world was never short of people who bullied the weak and feared the strong. What he hadn’t expected was that his little wife possessed such decisiveness.
This small body seemed to hold boundless strength.
Hmm, truly worthy of being Mo Hanzhou’s wife.
Mo Hanzhou kissed the boy’s smooth forehead, turned to his side, and switched off the light.
The next day, as usual, after the morning departmental reports concluded, Mo Hanzhou returned to his office and dialed a number using the company landline.
“President Wang, this is Hanzhou.”
His tone was gentle, his voice carrying a hint of a smile, as soothing as a spring breeze:
“Regarding what your wife mentioned to me the other day about my wife although the child has a bit of a temper, this matter really wasn’t his fault. I’d appreciate it if you could convey this to your wife and ask her to look after my child a bit more in the future.”
On the other end, President Wang hung up the phone, and the smile on his face instantly vanished. His expression darkened as he called his wife.
“What did you say to Mo Hanzhou! What matter did you have that needed to be conveyed to his wife through Mo Hanzhou? Don’t think everyone is a fool!”
Mrs. Sheng was startled. In truth, she had felt uneasy ever since she complained to Mo Hanzhou the previous night, vaguely sensing she had done something wrong. Now, with her husband calling, she dared not hide anything.
After she explained the situation to her husband, President Wang was so angry his heart ached:
“What do you take Mo Hanzhou for? No matter who he married, that person is the legitimate mistress of the Mo family. Did you really think Mo Hanzhou wouldn’t see through your little tricks?”
Scolded by her husband, Mrs. Sheng panicked and hurriedly asked:
“What should I do then?”
“What should you do? Find a time to make amends with Mrs. Mo! You, you!”
After hanging up, Mrs. Sheng busied herself with figuring out how to reconcile with Lu Qiao. Meanwhile, Han Chongming waited at home for two days but never received a call of apology from Lu Qiao. Growing anxious and unable to wait any longer, he called Mrs. Sheng again.
Mrs. Sheng, already furious and blaming him for her troubles, immediately unleashed a torrent of scolding before promptly blocking his number.
Han Chongming was left dazed by the berating, his face flushed red with humiliation, yet he dared not talk back to Mrs. Sheng. After making several more calls without any response, he finally realized he had been abandoned.
On the other end, after resolving the matter with Mrs. Sheng, Mo Hanzhou called Lu Qiao.
His tone was as if coaxing a child: “Ah Qiao, I noticed your gallery has too few staff, especially security personnel. What if someone tries to steal the paintings someday? How about I arrange two more security guards for you?”
Lu Qiao’s tone was equally childlike: “Okay, okay.”
“Good then.”
Mo Hanzhou immediately had his assistant arrange for two experienced security guards to be sent over. Later, when Han Chongming went to the gallery to cause trouble, he was stopped by the guards before even entering but that’s a story for another time.
One weekend after that.
The afternoon sun was splendid, with dappled light dancing on the fiery red maple leaves in the villa courtyard. The silvery glimmer on the lake was scattered by the wind, and fish swayed their tails freely within the rippling folds.
On the rooftop terrace, Lu Qiao lay sprawled on a sofa chair, his feet flipping up and down like a mermaid’s. The warm sunlight generously bathed his feet, revealing a creamy, lotion-like complexion he had applied after his evening bath.
At that moment, he was staring intently at an invitation card in his hand white with black lettering and gilded on both sides his clear eyes filled with curiosity.
“Sir.”
With a swift, graceful turn, he handed the invitation to the man beside him, who was elegantly sipping coffee while reviewing reports.
“May I attend this tea party?”
Mo Hanzhou took the invitation and glanced at it.
“Invited by Mrs. Sheng?”
“Yes.”
Still unaware of the reason behind Mo Hanzhou’s question, Lu Qiao widened his eyes, his expression full of longing.
“May I go?”
“You want to?”
“Yes, I’ve never attended a private invitation like this before. May I go?”
Mo Hanzhou recalled Lu Qiao’s family situation. Though he lived at home, he had always been treated as an outsider, never enjoying the life befitting a young master of a wealthy family. A pang of pity stirred in Mo Hanzhou’s heart, and his gaze softened as he looked at Lu Qiao.
“Of course you can go. You can go anywhere you want.”
After all, Mrs. Sheng had received his “warning” and should know better now.
And so, on this bright and sunny day, Lu Qiao was invited to a tea party hosted by Mrs. Sheng, attended by several other wealthy ladies and their daughters.
The tea party was held at a teahouse called “Duoyu Minglou,” which was owned by one of the attendees. The teahouse was decorated in a classical style, with even the smallest wall ornaments being of considerable value likely comparable to the price of a lesser-known painting from Lu Qiao’s gallery.
Lu Qiao arrived at “Duoyu Minglou” ten minutes before the scheduled time. The teahouse owner had already instructed the staff, so as soon as he gave his name, someone escorted him inside. The teahouse was divided into an outer hall and an inner hall. The outer hall was mostly for ordinary guests to enjoy tea and conversation, while the inner hall was reserved for distinguished guests, offering a more refined and tranquil atmosphere.
As Lu Qiao approached the door, he heard a burst of cheerful laughter, mostly from women, with only the occasional male voice mixed in. When he pushed the door open and entered, the people inside were momentarily taken aback. It was Mrs. Sheng who reacted first, immediately standing up and calling out warmly:
“Lu Qiao, you’re here.”
Last time, Mrs. Sheng had addressed him as “Mrs. Mo,” but now she was using his name. Lu Qiao gave her a curious glance before stepping into the room. His petite face, round and fair with a hint of baby fat, and his large, glass-like eyes blinked as he spoke with a blend of innocence and poise:
“Hello, everyone. I’m Lu Qiao.”
“So this is Young Master Lu.”
“It’s Mrs. Mo! Please come in!”
The others quickly rose to their feet as well. Mo Hanzhou held an extraordinary status in Pingcheng, and as his spouse, Lu Qiao naturally shared in that prestige. Even Mrs. Sheng, who had initially looked down on him, could only make veiled remarks, not daring to say anything outright offensive. Today, the attendees had all been briefed by Mrs. Sheng beforehand and were particularly mindful of their manners.
“You must be the Lu family’s young master. We only met briefly at the wedding last time, but you truly are as elegant and handsome as they say.”
“You flatter me, madam.”
“Come, come, Lu Qiao, let me introduce you to everyone. This is Mrs. Chen from Chen Real Estate, Mrs. Gao from Vanke Electronics, Miss Zhu from Bada Logistics.”
Mrs. Sheng introduced each of the ladies and young ladies present, all from well-known families, most of whom had been invited to the wedding banquet. Finally, she pointed to a man with peach blossom eyes and said:
“This is Shen Zhuohé, the son of Bai’an Furniture. He also runs his own company and is quite the successful entrepreneur.”
Shen Zhuohé extended his hand to shake Lu Qiao’s, smiling as he said, “Mrs. Sheng is teasing me again. My little company is nothing compared to the families here. I’m just grateful everyone thought of me and invited me to join the fun.”
With a playful glint in his peach blossom eyes, Shen Zhuohé added, “Pleasure to meet you, Young Master Lu.”
“The pleasure is mine.”
“Come, come, everyone, don’t just stand there. Let’s sit and chat.”
At Mrs. Sheng’s urging, the group settled back into their seats.
The teahouse owner had already prepared exquisite pastries. In anticipation of the afternoon invitation, Lu Qiao hadn’t eaten much for lunch, so he was feeling a bit peckish.
Accompanied by the rich aroma of black tea and the sweet tang of lemon mousse, the day’s tea party officially began.
Whether in his past life or this one, this was Lu Qiao’s first time participating in such an event, filled with the scent of sweet honey and lingering perfumes. The ladies’ conversations revolved around the latest trends in fashion and various current business affairs topics well outside Lu Qiao’s knowledge. Yet, he proved to be an excellent listener.
He would only blink his large, watery eyes while others spoke, focusing intently on the speaker, making them feel as though he was genuinely listening to every word.
Thus, although Lu Qiao rarely interjected, the atmosphere remained quite harmonious.
As Lu Qiao finished his first slice of cake and reached for a second, he suddenly felt a gaze directed at him from the side. Turning toward the source, he saw a man raising his cup in a subtle toast.
The delicate and beautiful boy’s slightly pursed lips relaxed, parting to reveal a glimpse of pearly teeth. His eyes curved into a gentle smile, shimmering with what seemed like boundless tenderness and joy.