“Chairman, this is the updated itinerary for our inspection of District Sixty-Five today. Based on the original plan, a project to inspect the towns and villages within District Sixty-Five has been added. Please take a look.”
aboard the private aircraft, Secretary Wen held the inspection files and said, “We will arrive at the airport in District Sixty-Five at ten o’clock this morning. The original plan was to go straight to the exhibition hall in the district center, but after communicating with the Executive Official of District Sixty-Five, he mentioned that the town development in District Sixty-Five has been quite rapid over the past few years, the local customs are simple and honest, and with the holidays approaching, there happens to be a large open-air market to check out. He wanted to invite the Chairman to experience it firsthand, so we added this leg to the itinerary.”
“Executive Official Li?” Huo Jingxi accurately captured the keyword he wanted to hear from Secretary Wen’s lengthy remarks.
Secretary Wen: ……
Secretary Wen glanced sideways at Deputy Liu, who was standing by on standby, then bent down and softly reminded Huo Jingxi, “Chairman, that’s not the ‘Li’ you’re thinking of.”
Ignoring him, Huo Jingxi handed the documents back. “Alright, I understand. You can all head out first. I’ll rest for a bit; wake me when we arrive.”
“Yes.” Deputy Liu immediately snapped into a rigid posture and walked toward the exit.
Secretary Wen followed closely behind him. Before pulling the cabin door shut for Huo Jingxi, he gazed at Huo Jingxi’s retreating figure and let out a silent sigh.
After Li Mo’s death, the landscape of the gubernatorial election changed drastically almost overnight. The Huo family collapsed, the Meng family gained power, and public opinion flew wild amidst endless rumors.
Li Mo’s death, if not a devastating blow to the Huo family, at least made any possibility of a comeback for them in this political game virtually non-existent.
Secretary Wen had stood nearby and heard every word of that conversation between Meng Jinze and Huo Jingxi. He had always known that the game of power was fraught with calculations and conspiracies, and that this path was paved with the blood and lives of countless individuals.
Yet he still felt a sense of sorrow, because he could never shake the memory of Li Mo’s smiling face that person who was as gentle as a spring breeze toward everyone and everything.
He remembered when Deputy Liu had received the order to take men and search downstream along the river, combing the area for a full three months. But Li Mo’s corpse seemed to have vanished into thin air; no matter how hard they looked, it could not be found.
Consequently, the incident became an enigma, trapping them in the contradictory limbo of assuming that if Li Mo were dead, his body surely would have been found, yet if he were alive, someone surely would have found him.
That period must have been the most grueling time of their lives. They had to search for people, manage public relations, and handle a series of troublesome issues arising from the shifting political climate. He had been so exhausted that he feared even blinking, terrified he might accidentally fall asleep the moment his eyes closed.
In the end, it was Marshal Huo who issued a command forbidding them from wasting any more human, material, or financial resources on Li Mo, bringing the matter to a close.
Huo Jingxi had flown into a massive rage with Huo Chengbi over the decision. Both sides held their own convictions, neither willing to yield, resulting in a cold war that lasted for many days.
Later on, Huo Jingxi threw himself entirely into his work, rarely returning to the home he had once shared with Li Mo.
Although the public uproar had largely subsided, a considerable portion of the commoners still held Huo Jingxi accountable for Li Mo’s death, demanding an explanation from the Huo family.
Yet the Meng family’s scheme was so airtight that no matter how thoroughly they investigated, they could find no direct link between Li Mo and the Meng family, let alone prove that Li Mo’s death had nothing to do with the Huo family.
As a result, those ignorant of the truth assumed Huo Jingxi must have utterly loathed Li Mo for reducing him to his current state.
Only Secretary Wen knew that Huo Jingxi had actually kept Li Mo locked away in his heart all this time.
Nobody else realized it, because Huo Jingxi only ever acted like he had just done—dropping odd, out-of-context remarks about anything even remotely connected to Li Mo when he was alone with Secretary Wen and Deputy Liu.
The dead could not be pursued. No matter how deep the yearning, life had to move forward. In the blink of an eye, nearly three years had slipped away.
Mentioning Li Mo’s death now, Huo Jingxi remained utterly calm.
Because emotions are difficult to measure with rights and wrongs, and love or the lack of it is, at the end of the day, a personal affair. Yet the instinct to survive is human nature. Over the years, Li Mo’s resolute and sincere gaze had constantly replayed in his mind, echoing the words spoken to him.
“Huo Jingxi, I am going to survive.”
Only after Meng Jinze finished speaking to him that day did he realize how foolish his past questioning of whether Li Mo had ever loved him truly was.
“He just wanted to live.” Gazing out the cabin window at the blindingly white clouds, Huo Jingxi felt the old scar on his chest ache faintly, yet his tone remained remarkably even as he murmured, “He didn’t do anything wrong.”
Meanwhile, little Nuonuo had just woken up. Blinking his drowsy eyes, he climbed up from the bed only to discover he was entirely alone in the room. The initial drowsiness was instantly crushed by the fear of being left by himself. The little fellow blinked twice, and tears welled up and spilled over.
Seconds later, hearing the noise, Li Mo rushed over holding some clothes. Seeing that his mother had arrived, Nuonuo instantly stopped crying, opened his arms for a hug, and sought comfort with soft, whimpering sniffling: “Can Mom give Nuonuo a kiss?”
Amused by this little coward, Li Mo sat down on the edge of the bed, pulled Nuonuo into his embrace, and tenderly leaned in to press a kiss to his cheek. While deftly dressing the little one, he asked, “Nuonuo, how about Mom takes you to the town to play today, okay?”
“Okay!”
Nuonuo rubbed his tear-stained eyes and obediently let himself be “handled” by Li Mo.
Expertly changing his clothes, Li Mo helped the little guy wash up, shoved a pre-prepared bottle of milk into his arms, and led him outside to soak up the morning sun.
“Good morning, Uncle Li!”
Nuonuo politely greeted Li Ye, who was busy mixing animal feed nearby.
“Good morning to Nuonuo, too,” Li Ye replied with a warm smile.
Noticing beads of sweat rolling down Li Ye’s forehead, Nuonuo immediately pulled a tissue out of his little pocket, intending to help wipe the sweat away, but Li Ye stopped him right away. “Can Nuonuo wait a moment before helping Uncle wipe his sweat? It’s a bit dangerous over by Uncle’s side right now.”
Nuonuo halted. Though puzzled, he obediently did as he was told.
Hearing this, Li Mo bent down to scoop Nuonuo up into his arms and asked quizzically, “What’s dangerous about mixing feed?”
“Summer’s right around the corner, and the wild rats and snakes around here are getting out of hand. With all the pest control sprayed lately, they’ve built up a tolerance,” Li Ye explained, raising his arm to wipe his brow. “So I mixed a specialized formula it’s highly toxic and blended into the feed so they eat it themselves, keeping them from sneaking in and biting people.”
“The lab results show it’s harmless to humans, but since Nuonuo is still little, being careful never hurts.”
Not quite understanding, Nuonuo sat blinkingly in Li Mo’s arms and nodded along.
Li Mo looked rather surprised. “I didn’t take you for someone who knows this kind of stuff.”
“I took a minor in biochemistry back in school, just know a few superficial tricks,” Li Ye answered modestly. Glancing at Li Mo, he added, “If you’re taking Nuonuo to the town for supplies today, you should head out early. It’s going to rain by afternoon, and traveling with the kid won’t be convenient then.”
“I know. We’ll leave as soon as Nuonuo finishes his milk.” Gazing at the little one in his arms, Li Mo gently smoothed down the boy’s slightly messy hair, then bent down to hand the child over to Sister Zhang, who was sitting in the courtyard knitting a sweater while catching the sun. “Sister Zhang, hold Nuonuo for a second while I go inside and change my clothes.”
“I’m going too, I’m going too!” A cheerful male voice chimed in with intense excitement.
Recognizing the voice instantly, Li Mo knew who had arrived: Chen Lang, an Omega who had been sold to human traffickers by his parents a year ago. He had endured all sorts of hardships to escape from the traffickers’ vehicle bound for the mountain region before finally arriving here.
Compared to others at the base, Chen Lang was considered fortunate not to have suffered those inhuman tortures. Moreover, at only nineteen years old, Chen Lang retained a youthful innocence and a lively spirit. Though quite talkative, his presence added a vibrant energy to the base.
“Where do you think you’re going? Stay here and help me spread the feed later,” Li Ye feigned an attempt to stop him.
Chen Lang immediately protested, “I literally just finished shoveling the pigsty out back!”
“Alright, alright, let him come with me. At least he can help carry Nuonuo,” Li Mo played peacemaker, grabbing Chen Lang’s hand and pulling him toward the house. “Go change clothes, we’re leaving right away.”
With someone backing him up, Chen Lang followed Li Mo inside while turning around to pull a silly face at Li Ye, drawing hearty laughter from the rest of the courtyard.
When they emerged again, Li Mo was bundled up completely sunglasses, a face mask, a sun-protective jacket, and a sun hat to prevent anyone from recognizing him once they reached the town.
Naturally, this outfit had its drawbacks; for instance, Nuonuo seemed momentarily unable to recognize him.
“Mom?” Nuonuo tilted his head, inquisitively extending a tiny finger to poke the “dark sunglasses” right in front of him.
Chuckling, Li Mo pushed the glasses up onto his forehead. “Ta-da! It’s me.”
He blinked at Nuonuo, and the little tot instantly recognized him. Believing Mom was playing a face-changing game with him, the little fellow beamed with delight.
“Alright, Nuonuo, time to go!” Li Mo placed a yellow flower-trimmed sun hat on Nuonuo’s head, strapped a small backpack across his chest, took him back from Sister Zhang, and set off for the town alongside Chen Lang.
The ring Huo Jingxi had given him back then might have looked understated, but it had fetched a handsome sum. Li Mo used the funds to thoroughly overhaul the base, with plenty left over to purchase a van and add numerous new amenities.
Since the base was built from an abandoned old factory on the outskirts of District Sixty-Five, it sat quite a distance from the town. With the roads being rough, they didn’t arrive at the marketplace until ten-thirty.
It was a bustling open-air market, and the moment they stepped out of the vehicle, the aroma of deep-fried treats and candied hawthorns wafted into their noses.
“Why are there so many people today?” Chen Lang grumbled as he stepped out of the van and relieved Li Mo of the child. “Let me hold Nuonuo. Your arms will get tired if you carry him too long.”
“Probably because the holidays are coming up,” Li Mo murmured. Then, recalling something, he turned to Chen Lang and warned, “No sneaking candy to Nuonuo this time, got it?”
Last time, Chen Lang and Nuonuo had covertly indulged in sweets behind his back. To make matters worse, little dummy Nuonuo had tried to kiss him right after eating candy; the moment he leaned in, a sweet fruity sugar scent gave away whatever “bad deeds” they had been up to.
At that reminder, Chen Lang and Nuonuo exchanged glances before flashing twin, sheepish grins.
Nuonuo scratched his head. “I won’t, Mom, don’t worry!”
Chen Lang hastily chimed in, “Right, right, we won’t, you can totally trust us.”
Without waiting for Li Mo to respond, Chen Lang pointed in the opposite direction. “Looks like there’s some kind of performance over there. I’ll take Nuonuo to check it out and meet back up with you in a bit!”
With that, Chen Lang bolted off without giving Li Mo a chance to reply.
Watching their retreating backs with an indulgent smile, Li Mo adjusted his sunglasses, pulled out his shopping list, and set off to buy supplies.
Meanwhile, Secretary Wen, Deputy Liu, and Huo Jingxi found themselves struggling to inch forward amidst the enthusiastic crowds of District Sixty-Five.
Having heard tales of the local hospitality beforehand, Secretary Wen had prepared himself mentally, but judging by the current spectacle, his preparations were clearly still falling short.
Suddenly, an Omega holding a child in the crowd caught his eye. It wasn’t that they stood out extraordinarily, but rather that the child in the Omega’s arms struck him as vaguely familiar the very second he laid eyes on them.
Yet he hadn’t visited District Sixty-Five previously at least not in the last two years nor did he know that Omega, leaving him utterly clueless as to why the sensation of familiarity arose.
As it happened, that Omega was pushed right in front of him by the shifting crowd.
Noticing Secretary Wen watching them, the Omega promptly raised the hand of the toddler in his arms to wave enthusiastically, greeting brightly, “Hello there, hello!”
Secretary Wen swiftly reined in his observant gaze, offered a polite smile, and responded with decorum: “Hello.”
Before he could stop himself, he added a sincere compliment: “Your child is adorable.”
“Oh, our little Nuonuo is getting praised for being cute again,” Chen Lang chuckled, pinching Nuonuo’s cheek.
Sensing that the stranger was praising him, Nuonuo grew shy. He immediately covered his face, turned around, lowered his head, and buried his face into Chen Lang’s shoulder. “Aww, so shy…”
Amused by the toddler’s reaction, Secretary Wen reached into his pocket, pulled out a piece of candy, and pressed it into Nuonuo’s little palm.
“Nuonuo, say thank you to the uncle.”
“Thank you, uncle.” Still hugging Chen Lang tight, Nuonuo peeked out with eyes full of bashfulness, his voice sweeter than the candy itself.
“Alright, we gotta go now!” Chen Lang smiled at Secretary Wen and bade him farewell.
Initially, seeing so many people gathered, he had thought there was some acrobatics show to watch, only to draw closer and discover it was simply someone briefing high-ranking leadership on the area’s development over the past two years.
Finding it uninteresting, he backed out of the crowd and spotted Li Mo picking out tomatoes.
“We’re back,” Chen Lang announced.
“Boss, help me load two more sacks of potatoes onto the van,” Li Mo said to the vendor. Finishing his sentence, he turned around, and his gaze instantly locked onto the piece of candy clutched in Nuonuo’s hand.
“Someone thought Nuonuo was cute and gave it to him,” Chen Lang mumbled defensively. “We can’t have this either…?”
Nuonuo pouted pitifully, casting a reluctant, lingering gaze at the candy in his small hand.
“Alright,” Li Mo pinched the little fellow’s cheek. “Then Nuonuo, tell Mom: what do you have to do after you eat it?”
“Brush my teeth properly,” Nuonuo replied.
“That’s right, Nuonuo is such a good boy.” Li Mo gave him a thumbs-up, turned back to resume sorting tomatoes, and asked over his shoulder, “What kind of performance did you two go watch over there?”
“No performance. Some high-ranking big shot from the First District came here to inspect, which is why there’s such a huge crowd,” Chen Lang answered. “This candy was given to Nuonuo by the leader’s secretary well, I assume it was his secretary.”
A high-ranking big shot from the First District?
Instantly on high alert, Li Mo felt a profoundly ominous premonition wash over him.
Intent on verifying his suspicion, Li Mo took a step back and glanced toward the distant crowd.
Standing right in the center of the throng was an Alpha towering at nearly one meter ninety, his striking height made him exceptionally conspicuous. Who else could it be but Huo Jingxi?
Worst of all, just as he looked over, it was as if some unseen script had arranged it: without a fraction of deviation, his gaze collided head-on with Huo Jingxi’s eyes.