Chapter 63: Chapter 63
8 hours later,
It was already dark out, and everyone had gone back home. The wedding was canceled before it even began.
Lin Xu had just arrived from visiting Yan Mei along with Zu Shi. Though she wasn’t sad since she never liked Song Lan in the first place. her marriage being called off like that had already affected her reputation. The mentality of people in this era was way different. She just hoped Lin Xu finding another man wouldn’t be a problem.
Upon arriving, she and the kids looked around, but Mo Ying and Fuhan still hadn’t come back home.
"Mama, Papa Ying isn’t here... is he alright?" Mo Yuen asked, concerned.
"He’s fine. He will probably be back late. You kids should go and play. I’ll get dinner started."
Lin Xu turned around and went straight into the kitchen. Thankfully, she was paid before the prosecutor arrived. Now she had enough money to open her own shop. She would start her own food restaurant where she could sell with other restaurants and cater for events. It was a big dream, but she was ready to work for it.
As she was chopping some vegetables, she immediately started thinking of everything that had happened today.
"Mo Ying, who the heck are you?" she whispered to herself, and just then, she heard Yiling’s voice from outside.
"Papa Ying! You’re back!"
"Yes, dear... how are you!" He bent down and patted her head as Bao Bao and Yen surrounded him.
"Papa Ying, where is brother Fuhan?" Yuen asked.
"He will be back a little late today. He has some important things to do."
Stepping out of the kitchen, Lin Xu’s face changed immediately. Without a word, she walked straight to him, grabbed his wrist, and pulled him toward their room. The children blinked in confusion as the door slammed shut behind them.
Inside the room, Lin Xu let go of his hand and folded her arms tightly. Her face was cold, her voice low and shaky.
"Why?" she started. "Why did you and Fuhan steal that ledger from the Song family, Mo Ying?"
He didn’t say anything.
"Do you even realize what you’ve done?" she continued, her voice rising. "Because of you, Yan Mei’s marriage was destroyed! Her name is ruined! People will talk and laugh at her for the rest of her life all because of you!"
Her voice broke. "Who are you really, Mo Ying? You act like some normal man, but you’re not. First, the Song family guards came looking for a man in a mask who was you, and now you stole something from them, and they happened to be arrested because of it? Why are you involved in all this mess with the court? Who the heck are you?"
Her hands were trembling. "I’m tired, Mo Ying. I’m tired of guessing and all these lies. I want the truth. I want to know who the man I’m sleeping with every single day is. I want to know who the heck you are, do you understand?"
Mo Ying stayed silent. His eyes were on her, dark and calm like deep water.
Then finally, he spoke. "Why?"
She frowned. "What?"
"Why do you even care who I am, Lin Xu?" his voice rose, his calm slowly cracking. "You said this marriage was fake! You said we were nothing to each other! Then why are you trying to dig into my life? Why do you want to know about me? How does it concern you?"
Lin Xu’s eyes widened, surprised at his raised voice. This was the first time he was shouting at her.
He took a step closer, his tone sharper. "You wanted distance, didn’t you? Then why are you the one trying to cross it now?"
Her chest tightened. He had a point. This marriage was all fake, but why was she so concerned? Why exactly did she care? Deep down, she knew why, yet she just couldn’t bring herself to admit it.
"Because I care!" she shouted suddenly, her voice breaking.
Mo Ying froze, his eyes widening.
"If anyone is crossing the line, it’s you, Mo Ying!" she cried. "You keep helping me, helping my children. You’re always there when I need someone. Why?" Her voice trembled. "Why did you save me in the rain that day even when Yan Mei and the others, who I’ve known so long, stayed behind? Why did you, huh? Why did you get hurt for me? You let the snake bite you instead of me, why? Why do you act like a husband when you keep saying this marriage isn’t real?"
She sniffed, trying to stop the tears that kept falling. "Why do you do all that, Mo Ying? Tell me... why?"
The room went silent. Her words hung in the air, heavy and raw.
Mo Ying stood there for a long moment, his eyes fixed on her tear-streaked face. Then, slowly, he moved closer.
"Mo Ying..." she whispered, her voice small.
Before she could say anything more, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward him.
Her breath caught, and then his lips crashed onto hers.
It wasn’t soft or gentle. It was hard and desperate, filled with all the feelings he’d been holding back.
Lin Xu’s heart pounded as his arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer. She tried to push him away, but her body wouldn’t listen.
Soon she found herself melting to his kisses as she closed her eyes shut. At that moment, her mind and thoughts were completely blank.
When he finally pulled back, his breathing was heavy, his voice low and rough.
"Does that answer your question?"
He whispered, his voice low. Mo Ying looked at her one last time, his eyes unreadable, then turned and walked out of the room, leaving her standing there in shock, her heart aching and her mind spinning.
She slowly raised her hand to feel the lip which he had just kissed, still surprised.
"What the heck just happened?"