After speaking, Feng Lin quietly observed the man’s expression.
He noticed that after he called him “brother,” the man’s expression visibly brightened.
Feng Lin then realized that the man was very pleased with his response.
Grandma, Linlin seems to have figured out how to make our benefactor happy.
If that’s the case…
“I’ll follow Miss Sister and call you brother. If you two get married in the future, I’ll change it to brother-in-law.”
After saying this, Feng Lin saw the man couldn’t even suppress the corners of his mouth from curling up.
What Mo Qingyan was thinking at this moment was: If not for what happened five years ago, as long as his physical condition permitted, he would have already married the young girl long ago.
Therefore, he was extremely satisfied with the youth’s response.
The reason he had asked Feng Lin not to call him “sir” earlier was because he had become aware of the age difference between himself and his little girl now.
These five years without the young girl had taken away all his joy.
Coupled with his increasingly deteriorating health, he had become pale and emaciated, living like neither human nor ghost – he must have aged considerably.
The eleven-year age gap indeed gave him anxiety about both his age and appearance now.
Fortunately, the youth’s words pleased him greatly, as he had thought the youth would call him uncle.
If that had really happened, he couldn’t guarantee he wouldn’t have done something to the youth.
“Is there anything else?” In his improved mood, Mo Qingyan’s voice was no longer as indifferent as before, carrying a touch of warmth.
“Nothing for now.”
“From now on, treat Mo Yuan as your own home and don’t be reserved. Think about what you want to do in the future and tell me when you’ve decided. If you feel lost about anything, you can always come to me for advice.”
“Yes! Thank you, brother!”
Feng Lin held deep respect and awe for Mo Qingyan in his heart. Now that he saw the man being so considerate of him, how could the youth not be happy!
“About the poison I was given, do you have any clues?” Mo Qingyan asked.
He had heard of the Feng family that specialized in the Gu Poison Technique, but aside from knowing they had long withdrawn from the world, he hadn’t paid much attention to them.
“The Feng family suffered a disaster many years ago. Now there are only me and my grandmother left,” Feng Lin said simply.
Although the Feng family had long withdrawn from the world, there were still very few people who knew of their existence and could contact them.
The Feng family needed to survive too, so sometimes they would sell some gu poison.
“The poison you were given was likely purchased from the Feng family by someone. As for other matters related to this area, perhaps because I’m still young, my family hasn’t let me get involved yet.”
The Feng family had few members, with him being the only one in his generation. When the time was right, everything of the Feng family would naturally be passed to him.
He just never expected the nightmare to come so suddenly and unexpectedly…
Mo Qingyan rubbed his fingertips: “Do you know who your enemies are?”
The Feng family’s situation wasn’t hard to figure out. The Gu Poison Technique was a coveted treasure – whoever obtained the Feng family would undoubtedly gain tremendous advantage, especially those involved in shady and malicious activities.
Of course, if one couldn’t obtain something for themselves, it was better to completely destroy it rather than let others have it.
So if these people knew that members of the Feng family were still alive, they naturally wouldn’t let matters rest and would definitely hunt them down to the last.
This was why the youth had been hiding in the slums with his grandmother.
Feng Lin was startled, then shook his head: “I don’t know.”
“From now on, you don’t need to live so cautiously. If one day we discover who the enemy is, I’ll be here for you.”
The unspoken meaning: You’re under my protection, Mo Qingyan. Anyone who dares touch you is seeking death.
In these short few days, the young man had received so much warmth that his hardened heart gradually softened, allowing him to reveal his vulnerable side.
Just like now, hearing Mo Qingyan’s protective words, the young man’s eyes immediately reddened. Lowering his gaze, he choked out, “Thank you, brother.”
Afterward, the two—one tall, one small—chatted briefly for a while longer.
Feng Lin, thinking he needed to quickly find Yu Ning to prepare the necessary items, prepared to leave.
“Brother, I’ll head out first then.” Remembering something, the young man looked back at the man, flashing a bright smile as he said, “Brother and Miss Sister are the most perfectly matched couple I’ve ever seen! Absolutely unbeatable!”
Having said this, the young man seemed to feel extremely embarrassed. After quickly finishing his words, he dashed away like the wind.
Though he said it to please his benefactor, the young man genuinely believed it.
Once he cured his benefactor and restored his health, standing together with the short girl would be absolutely perfect!
He needed to work hard!
Because of this interlude, Mo Qingyan temporarily set aside all distracting thoughts in his mind and rested for a while.
The entire Mo Yuan seemed to have been put on pause, completely silent.
Mo Qingyan’s sleep was far from peaceful.
In his dream, he returned to that scene five years ago when Zuo Yang died in his arms.
Feeling the person in his embrace gradually grow cold, his world seemed to plunge into endless darkness at that moment.
She was always so vibrant and full of life, constantly chattering around him to cheer him up, yet now she had become a cold corpse.
He knew that in this world, no one would ever rack their brains to make him happy again, no one would ever love him so deeply again.
Why…
It should have been him who died. After all, he had an incurable disease and would die sooner or later anyway.
Why did the child have to die for him!
Mo Qingyan remained trapped in this nightmare, unable to break free no matter what.
“Mo Qingyan? Mo Qingyan, wake up?” Unable to sleep, Zuo Yang came looking for Mo Qingyan.
But upon entering, she found the man muttering painfully in his sleep, unable to wake him no matter how she called.
“Miss, the CEO’s insomnia has worsened over these five years,” Yu Ning said softly. “After being diagnosed with an incurable disease, the CEO developed severe insomnia. Later, when you appeared, he could sleep peacefully by your side.”
But after Zuo Yang’s death, Mo Qingyan’s insomnia became completely uncontrollable.
“The CEO has never experienced deep sleep. No matter how exhausted, he only allows himself light sleep, and even that requires medication. He says whenever he closes his eyes, all he sees is that moment when you left in his arms…”
No one understood Mo Qingyan’s suffering these past five years better than Yu Ning.
“If not for your dying wish for the CEO to live well back then, even without the incurable disease, the CEO would probably have followed you in death…”
Fortunately, the CEO listened to your words and kept himself alive, though the process was truly agonizing.
But everything is better now—you’ve returned!
Yu Ning wished she could tell Zuo Yang all the pain Mo Qingyan had endured over the past five years. Their CEO had suffered so much—of course the young lady should know, so she would cherish him even more.
Yu Ning talked until her mouth was dry, only stopping when she heard the young girl’s choked sobs.
“Sorry, miss, I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
“I know,” Zuo Yang mumbled nasally, letting out a tearful hiccup. “Yu Ning, thank you for staying by Mo Qingyan’s side all these years.”
That single hiccup instantly jolted the man awake from his nightmares.
Seeing his darling with red-rimmed eyes and a flushed nose, then noticing Yu Ning drenched in sweat, an icy aura immediately enveloped the man. “Yu Ning, it seems you truly have a death wish!”
Yu Ning shuddered, tucking her head down without a word.
Zuo Yang immediately snuggled into the man’s embrace, cooing softly, “Mo Qingyan, don’t be angry. I, I just yawned. You know how I tear up when I yawn, hehehe.”
Yu Ning was deeply moved: Aww, the young lady is so kind.
Mo Qingyan let out a soft sigh, all his anger dissipating.
While gently wiping his darling’s tears, he coldly said to Yu Ning, “Go see Old Baldy tomorrow.”
Zuo Yang: “??”
What was that?
Old Baldy?