The little girl nodded, only half-understanding. Beside them, Father Su finally reached his breaking point. His face darkened as he spoke up, “The kids are just playing around. What do you mean by that?”
Mo Junyi didn’t even lift an eyelid. “I’m just joking with the child. You might be overthinking it, Uncle.”
Father Su was so choked by this rebuttal that he couldn’t get a single word out. Beside him, Su Xingtong’s uncle laughed awkwardly to break the tension. “Alright, alright. We’re all one family now. A joke is a joke; let’s not spoil the harmony.”
Su Xingtong sat there with his niece half-cradled in his arms, watching the undercurrents swirling in the room. He suddenly felt like an outsider.
Though he was perfectly happy to be an outsider, he hadn’t expected Mo Junyi to be such a skilled verbal sparring partner.
Mo Junyi acted as if he hadn’t heard what the two men said. Like a magician, he pulled three chocolates from his coat pocket. He stuffed one into the hands of the little girl in Su Xingtong’s arms and handed another to the other little girl standing nearby.
These chocolates were also brought over by Lu Hengyu last month. That kid was obsessed with sweets and always bought the expensive brand-name stuff.
Mo Junyi held the last remaining piece in his hand while Su Yu stood nearby, watching with wide, longing eyes.
However, Mo Junyi treated the boy like thin air. He tore open the wrapper and held the chocolate to Su Xingtong’s lips.
The movement was so practiced and intimate that it took Su Xingtong a moment to find his voice. “…Filming has started. I have to control my weight; I can’t eat it.”
Mo Junyi nodded. Under Su Yu’s hungry gaze, he withdrew his hand and popped the unwrapped chocolate into his own mouth.
Father Su’s temple throbbed. He hurriedly turned to the other little girl. “Xiao Ai, give your chocolate to your brother.”
Xiao Ai looked at Mo Junyi hesitantly. Mo Junyi said in a flat tone, “Either eat it yourself, or give it back to me.”
Upon hearing this, the little girl tore open the wrapper at lightning speed and shoved the chocolate into her mouth within a second.
The little girl in Su Xingtong’s arms was also spooked by those words; she made quick work of her own chocolate as well.
Seeing this, Su Yu couldn’t hold back anymore. He let out a loud “Waaah!” and burst into tears.
Seeing his precious grandson suffer such a “grievance,” Father Su could no longer restrain himself. He stood up, fuming with rage. “You—!”
Halfway through his outburst, the sound of a key turning echoed from the door. Everyone looked over to see a man who shared a slight resemblance to Su Xingtong walk in.
Su Yu immediately ran over with snot and tears streaming down his face, throwing himself at the man’s legs and wailing, “Dad—! Waaah, he won’t let me… hic… won’t let me eat chocolate!”
Su Yuanming had just woken up and was completely dazed by his son’s sudden assault. He froze for a second, then flared up with anger as he picked the boy up. “Who bullied you?!”
Crying, Su Yu pointed a trembling finger at Mo Junyi. Su Yuanming looked over, ready to erupt, but the moment he saw exactly who was sitting there, he froze solid. “Mo… Officer Mo? What a coincidence.”
Mo Junyi swept a glance over him. “Mm. It is quite a coincidence.”
Father Su had just taken a breath to shout, only to be cut off by his son. He looked on with suspicion and uncertainty. “Yuanming, you know him?”
Su Yuanming looked at Mo Junyi, forcing himself to be brave. “Uh… yeah, we know each other. I went to the station for a small matter a while back. Thank you again, Officer Mo.”
As he spoke, he kept shooting meaningful looks at Mo Junyi. Su Xingtong arched an eyebrow and let go of the little girl. “What business would you have at a police station?”
Since childhood, Su Xingtong’s academic performance hadn’t been as good as his brother’s. His family didn’t just dislike him for being a “beautiful useless thing”; they constantly compared him to Su Yuanming. Over time, this led Su Yuanming to believe he surpassed Su Xingtong in every way, resulting in a total lack of respect for his older brother.
Thus, when he heard Su Xingtong’s question, he instinctively took it as a challenge to his character. He frowned and snapped, “What do you mean by that?”
Su Xingtong pursed his lips and turned to look at Mo Junyi.
Mo Junyi said indifferently, “Earlier this year, there was a case regarding illegal fundraising.”
He left it at that, but Father Su couldn’t sit still. “Illegal fundraising?! How did you get mixed up in something like that!”
Su Yuanming hadn’t expected Mo Junyi to give him absolutely no face. For a moment, he was caught in a difficult position. In his arms, Su Yu heard his grandfather roaring at his father and started crying again out of fear.
Overwhelmed and frustrated, Su Yuanming finally lost his temper at the noise. He set his son down on the ground and shouted back with irritation, “Are you seriously suspecting me of a crime? Is that any way to talk to your son!”
The previously stagnant atmosphere suddenly turned chaotic. The two little girls looked on helplessly, and Su Yu’s crying grew louder. Seeing that a full-blown argument was about to break out, Su Xingtong looked over at Mo Junyi.
Mo Junyi arched an eyebrow, his expression saying: You want me to go break them up?
Su Xingtong couldn’t help but laugh. He shook his head and mouthed the words: “Thank you.”
Hearing the commotion outside, the women finally emerged from the kitchen.
“Why the sudden shouting?” Su Luoxia frowned. “Brother, your son is over twenty. Why are you still scolding him like a child?”
Father Su let out a “Hmph” and grumbled, “Why don’t you ask this bastard what he did? Taking his parents’ money to give to some ‘fundraiser’?”
Su Yuanming snapped back unhappily, “I was just trying to make some extra money! Besides, it was only 500,000 yuan total. Captain Mo already helped me get 300,000 back. What are you all so worked up about!”
Father Su was furious at his son’s incompetence, but Su Yuanming just plopped down onto the sofa nonchalantly. “Besides, even if all 500,000 were gone, so what? Our big star here can make that back in a single day, right, Brother?”
The smile vanished from Su Xingtong’s face. He looked at his brother with a cold, unfriendly gaze, but Su Yuanming didn’t take him seriously at all.
How Su Xingtong was viewed by outsiders didn’t matter to them; in this house, he was nothing more than a “money tree” with a sharp tongue.
Furthermore, for Su Yuanming, the worse Su Xingtong’s relationship was with their parents, the better. It was best if the whole family despised him; that way, when the parents eventually passed away, the inheritance would be all his. Su Xingtong wouldn’t get a cent.
At the thought, a smile tugged at the corner of Su Yuanming’s mouth. Su Xingtong wanted to curse at him, but Mo Junyi beat him to the punch: “No matter how much he earns, what does that have to do with you?”
Su Yuanming was stunned by the question. He blurted out, “You guys…”
Su Luoxia’s eyes darted around. she stepped forward and said with a smile, “I forgot to introduce you. This is your brother’s husband.”
Mo Junyi had no reaction to the title, but it made Su Xingtong feel a bit awkward. He didn’t show it on his face, though the tips of his ears turned slightly red.
Su Yuanming was shocked. “What—?”
Su Luoxia continued, “We’re all family now. I’m sure that remaining 200,000 will be back in no time.”
Mo Junyi didn’t give her any face, flatly denying the implication: “I was only helping out the Economic Investigation Division earlier this year because there were no active homicides and I was free. That case has already been handed over to another department.”
The implication was clear: he had no control over it. Su Luoxia laughed awkwardly. “Even if it’s been transferred, don’t you all work in the same place? Surely…”
Before she could finish, Su Yuanming snapped in humiliated rage, “Enough! Our family business is none of your business, you outsider! Go back to your cooking!”
Being barked at by a junior made Su Luoxia’s expression turn sour. But she ultimately endured it, let out a “Hmph,” and turned back into the kitchen.
The atmosphere in the living room was icy, yet Mo Junyi was in a good mood. He watched the tempers of the room with cold detachment. Su Xingtong, however, couldn’t stand being there any longer. He suddenly stood up and said to Mo Junyi, “Come on, let’s go check the kitchen.”
Mo Junyi nodded and followed him.
Su Xingtong’s intention was simply to find a place to breathe. His family had too many grievances, and he felt a lingering sense of apology that Mo Junyi had been dragged back into this mess just to help him.
However, after walking a few steps, he realized Mo Junyi seemed to be in high spirits.
“You seem to be in a very good mood?” Su Xingtong asked.
Mo Junyi replied, “It’s alright.”
Su Xingtong realized that this man’s hobbies and his personality didn’t seem to match at all. He liked keeping fish and listening to crosstalk, and now it seemed he might also enjoy listening to gossip.
He really doesn’t seem like a typical police officer…
Still, Su Xingtong glanced at Mo Junyi; it did make him seem more interesting.
Once they entered the kitchen, the situation softened considerably. Su Luoxia, the only one who usually acted out, had just been shut down by her nephew and looked totally deflated. The remaining women all exuded an air of quiet submission.
Though Mother Su treated Su Xingtong like a stranger, she didn’t try to pick a fight with Mo Junyi like the men outside had.
Su Xingtong’s original goal was just to get some air, but after standing there for a moment, Mo Junyi suddenly washed his hands and began to help out.
The women were startled and hurriedly said, “Oh, please put that down. This isn’t work for you men.”
Mo Junyi frowned. “There’s no such thing as ‘should’ or ‘shouldn’t.’ Just leave it to me.”
Su Xingtong’s eldest sister couldn’t help but sigh with emotion. “Xingtong found a good home.”
Su Xingtong’s heart gave a jolt. “Big Sister, I got married, I didn’t ‘marry out’ into a family.”
His sister laughed apologetically. “Sorry, sorry. Um, Mo… Junyi, right? Is it okay if I call you Junyi?”
As he chopped vegetables, Mo Junyi replied, “As you wish.”
“What do your parents do? To have raised such a fine son.”
Mo Junyi’s hand paused for a split second before he continued with a normal expression. “My parents passed away early. I was raised by my maternal aunt and her husband.”
Su Xingtong’s sister hurriedly apologized. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know…”
“It’s fine,” Mo Junyi said, placing the chopped vegetables onto a plate. “I have no memory of them. There’s no need to feel bad.”
Su Xingtong had no idea about Mo Junyi’s background. Hearing this, he looked at him with a complex expression, seemingly feeling a pang of heartache for him.
Su Xingtong’s sister breathed a sigh of relief but didn’t dare ask more.
Su Luoxia, who had regained her spirit from somewhere, chimed in, “Junyi, your aunt must be different from us housewives then. What does she do?”
Mo Junyi placed the knife on the cutting board. “Criminal investigator. She’s retired to the second line now.”