After Mo Qingqing and Mo Yichen left, only Bai Nanxing and Mo Leyang remained.
Even the accompanying bodyguards were dismissed by Mo Leyang, leaving the two of them completely alone.
“Did you do it on purpose?” Bai Nanxing asked again.
Mo Leyang spread his hands and smiled helplessly. “I said from the beginning that I did it on purpose, but you just wouldn’t believe me. What can I do?”
Indeed, Mo Leyang hadn’t lied to him; it was he who had refused to believe it.
Bai Nanxing was left speechless.
“Is there any point in playing tricks on me like this?”
Mo Leyang took a large step forward until he was right in front of him. He lowered his head and whispered into his ear, word by word, “It is extremely entertaining.”
Bai Nanxing didn’t actually believe that there were truly evil people in this world; he felt that even if someone turned bad one day, there had to be a reason behind it. But hearing Mo Leyang’s words today, Bai Nanxing realized how naive his thoughts were.
In this world, some people are born monsters—like him—and some are born of a base nature, like Mo Leyang.
So, his initial instinct had been right: Mo Leyang was dangerous.
Extremely dangerous.
At the very least, as far as he was concerned, Mo Leyang would be a stumbling block in his path.
Bai Nanxing instinctively backed away to create some distance. “I am not your toy.”
After learning Mo Leyang’s identity, Bai Nanxing had more or less figured out why he was doing this. It was obvious that Mo Leyang didn’t view him as a marriage partner for the Mo family, but rather as a toy to be toyed with.
Having his true thoughts exposed didn’t cause Mo Leyang any emotional distress. Instead, his expression suddenly turned cold. “I say, aren’t you overestimating yourself a bit? My toys are at least not boring. Someone as worthless as you—I can find a whole handful of them if I wanted to. Don’t tell me you thought what I did at school was because I was interested in you? You’re certainly good at flattering yourself.”
So, I’m “worthless,” am I—
Bai Nanxing looked down with a bitter smile. He saw disdain in Mo Leyang’s eyes—no, it was loathing, as if he were a piece of unwanted trash, rotting and stinking.
Although he had grown up with such looks since childhood, this was the first time he had seen it so bluntly.
Should he be sad?
No.
He wouldn’t be sad anymore.
Even if he were sad, no one would feel sorry for him; instead, they would only double down on making fun of him.
Bai Yi was like this, Bai Ruoning was like this, and Mo Leyang was the same.
Everyone was like this.
Mo Leyang didn’t know what Bai Nanxing was thinking. He assumed Bai Nanxing was heartbroken because he had hit a nerve, and he felt strangely excited. “If you want to be my toy, it’s not impossible. For the sake of this face of yours, if you beg me, I might consider it.”
Bai Nanxing looked up, his gaze incredibly resolute as he replied, “Third Young Master, perhaps you are very rich, very powerful, and very handsome, but not everyone is willing to be a slave to those things. At least, I am not.”
Mo Leyang was amused by this statement and sneered, “You think you’re an exception? Don’t be ridiculous. I’ve seen plenty of people like you—they talk a big game, but in reality, they spread their legs faster than anyone.”
Bai Nanxing didn’t get angry. It was normal for Mo Leyang to think this way; they weren’t in the same circle, and they didn’t live in the same world. He didn’t know what “people like them” were like in Mo Leyang’s eyes, and similarly, Mo Leyang would never understand what “people like them” were like in his own true reality.
There was no point in arguing.
It was a waste of time.
“If the Third Young Master thinks I’m being arrogant, then please refrain from harassing me in the future. Otherwise, getting slapped in the face will be very painful.”
Mo Leyang could tell he was forcing a change of subject and didn’t bother to call him out. He had thought Bai Nanxing was boring enough at school, but now it seemed there was no “boring enough,” only “more boring.”
He turned around with his hands in his pockets and walked away.
This was Bai Nanxing’s first time at the Mo residence, and he had no idea where anything was. Adding to that the sheer size of the Mo estate and the fact that every path looked the same, he was completely lost. “Wait!”
Mo Leyang turned his head impatiently. “What else is it?”
Bai Nanxing said, “The Eldest Young Master just said for you to take me for a walk. You can’t leave yet!”
Mo Leyang laughed. “Oh, I forgot to tell you. The Mo family isn’t under Mo Yichen’s control yet. Even if he one day manages to take over the entire Mo inheritance, he has no right to order me to do anything. The reason I gave him face just now was because I wanted to give him face. Do you understand?”
With that, Mo Leyang walked away without looking back.
Leaving Bai Nanxing standing there alone.
The Mo family’s old residence usually had very few visitors. Even Mo Yuncheng rarely returned, usually leaving the management to the butler. Only during important banquets or when there was something significant to discuss—like today—would all the important members of the Mo family be called back.
Now that Mo Leyang was gone and the staff weren’t in this area, Bai Nanxing had to find his own way around.
He walked aimlessly along the stone-paved path.
After walking for a while and passing through a long corridor, Bai Nanxing saw a plaque with a calligraphic inscription. It seemed to be written in seal script; he didn’t recognize the first few characters, but the last two were obvious: “Study.”
He should have turned back the way he came, as this wasn’t his home, but for some reason today, Bai Nanxing pushed the door open as if possessed.
There was no one inside.
The entire room smelled of ink. Several brush calligraphy paintings hung on the walls; the person who created them must have been quite an expert, as the strokes were powerful, yet incredibly smooth and elegant.
There was also an oil painting hanging nearby.
It seemed to be of a very beautiful woman, and she looked somewhat familiar.
However, before Bai Nanxing could investigate further, someone suddenly pushed the door open and entered.
“Which family are you from? Didn’t your family teach you not to enter other people’s rooms without permission?”
At that moment, Bai Nanxing felt like a thief who had sneaked in at midnight and been caught red-handed.
He immediately turned around and bowed his head in apology. “I’m—I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to come in!”
Bai Nanxing expected to be scolded, but when he looked up, he saw that the other man was looking at him with utter astonishment.
The man stared at him for a long time before finally looking away.
“Which family brought you?” he repeated the question.
But his tone was noticeably softer than a moment ago.
Wasn’t it just him and Bai Yi who came today? Could there be others?
Bai Nanxing didn’t bother thinking about it further because he realized the man’s gaze was terrifying, though he wasn’t exactly afraid.
“I am a son of the Bai family.” Bai Nanxing bowed with a proper sense of propriety. “I am truly sorry for intruding into your study. But I haven’t touched anything inside; I just thought the calligraphy was very beautiful.”
His looks were extremely deceptive; as long as he managed his expressions slightly, he looked no different from an innocent white rabbit.
The man believed him.
Without a shred of doubt.
“You are Bai Nanxing.” The man studied him carefully and then asked, “Then do you know who I am?”
With a face so similar to Mo Yichen’s, Bai Nanxing could more or less guess. However, he chose to shake his head. “I don’t know. This is my first time here, and I ended up here because I got lost.”
Mo Yuncheng walked up to him and introduced himself with the tone of an ordinary elder. “I am Mo Yuncheng.”
To be honest, this was different from the Mo Yuncheng Bai Nanxing had imagined. He had imagined Mo Yuncheng as someone with sharp, fierce eyes whose mere glare could frighten someone to death—not like this, where his features actually looked somewhat kind.
Just like an old father.
Oh, no.
Mo Yuncheng was a father, and he would be his future father-in-law, so saying that wasn’t wrong.
“You are…”
Mo Yuncheng interrupted him and asked, “Didn’t I arrange for someone specific to guide you? Why are you alone?”
It’s all thanks to that ‘good son’ of yours.
But Bai Nanxing certainly couldn’t say that. If he told the truth, according to the rumors, Mo Yuncheng might very well destroy Mo Leyang. When people are driven to the brink, they are capable of anything.
“I requested it myself. I’m sorry for causing you trouble.”
Mo Yuncheng took off his coat and hung it on a rack. He didn’t say anything upon hearing the answer, but instead asked, “Can you help me grind some ink?”
Bai Nanxing was a bit overwhelmed and stood there, unsure if he should step forward. He worried that if he didn’t, Mo Yuncheng would be angry, but if he did and did a poor job, Mo Yuncheng might be even angrier.
Those “four treasures of the study” looked incredibly expensive.
Seeing that he was still standing there motionless, Mo Yuncheng wondered if he had scared the boy. He softened his tone again. “Is there something urgent making it inconvenient for you?”
Bai Nanxing immediately shook his head. “No, not at all.”
Mo Yuncheng put down his brush and waved him over. “Come here.”
Bai Nanxing felt that Mo Yuncheng surely couldn’t have designs on his future daughter-in-law—though he knew people in wealthy families played fast and loose, it didn’t mean he could accept some kind of “twilight romance.”
He liked men, but he didn’t like all men.
Especially not an old man.
Therefore, even as Mo Yuncheng called him again, he didn’t move an inch.
Mo Yuncheng didn’t blame him. He picked up the ink stick on the table and began grinding it himself, asking as he did, “Do you like this calligraphy?”
Seeing that Mo Yuncheng wasn’t forcing the issue, Bai Nanxing finally breathed a sigh of relief. “The writing is very beautiful.”
Thinking of the plaque on the door, Bai Nanxing couldn’t help but ask, “The characters outside—did you write those as well?”
Mo Yuncheng’s hand, which was grinding the ink, suddenly stopped. He knew Bai Nanxing meant no harm, so he didn’t get angry. “No.”
This was unexpected to Bai Nanxing.
However, seeing that the look in Mo Yuncheng’s eyes wasn’t quite right, he figured that plaque must have some special story behind it and didn’t pursue the question further.
“An old friend wrote it,” Mo Yuncheng said flatly.
Bai Nanxing hadn’t expected him to volunteer that information, but he still said, “I’m sorry.”