Mo Ming, carrying the tea set, stopped eating the red bean pie and quickened his pace. Even after he turned the corner and disappeared from view, Han Shao Zhou waited in vain for Mo Ming to look back. Realizing this, he hurried to follow, only to see Mo Ming getting into the same white car he had driven earlier. The car slowly pulled out of its parking spot and merged onto the road, vanishing down the street within moments.
Han Shao Zhou remained standing there, utterly confused. If he hadn’t known that Mo Ming had prepared a birthday gift for him, he would have almost convinced himself that Mo Ming was merely throwing a tantrum. Those eyes that had always looked at him with such deep affection were now calm and distant, as if Mo Ming were looking at a mere acquaintance—polite, kind, but distant.
Back in his car, Han Shao Zhou took out the small red leather box from his pocket and glanced at the pair of exquisite platinum diamond rings inside. The taste of bitterness rose on his tongue. Over the past few days, his emotions had been all over the place. He wasn’t sure if Mo Ming had learned any lesson from this, but he himself felt like he had been dragged through an emotional rollercoaster, leaving him both physically and mentally exhausted, with a head full of unanswered questions.
Maybe it was time to stop. Perhaps it was best to stop fighting and just focus on living a good life with the little guy.
The lingering unease and confusion continued to cloud his mind until the evening of his birthday.
Han Shao Zhou had booked Zhao Cheng’s venue for a birthday party, and a good number of his wealthy acquaintances showed up. The place was bustling with activity.
Due to work, Han Shao Zhou hadn’t celebrated his birthday properly in years, and now he found that he no longer enjoyed these loud, boisterous parties as much as he used to. He had gone through all the wild times in his younger years, but after a few years of hard work and having someone special by his side, he realized he preferred simpler, more intimate gatherings.
As the night went on and he had greeted many of his friends, Han Shao Zhou began glancing more frequently toward the entrance of the hall.
He had specifically instructed the security at the door to let Mo Ming through if he arrived.
But it had been quite a while already…
“Hey, Han, where’s Mo Ming? We’re about to bring out the cake.” Zhao Cheng asked as he approached Han Shao Zhou.
Earlier in the evening, Han Shao Zhou had mentioned to Zhao Cheng that Mo Ming would be arriving late due to work.
“He should be here soon.” Han Shao Zhou said, getting up and heading toward the hallway. “I’ll give him a call to check.”
He intended to call the driver for an update, but before he could, the driver called him first.
The driver informed Han Shao Zhou that Mo Ming was unwilling to come to the party and preferred to pick up the items at a nearby intersection instead.
“Mr. Mo said he’s already at the intersection.” the driver reported. “I tried to persuade him to come, but he refused.”
Just yesterday afternoon, worried that Mo Ming might have trouble finding him, Han Shao Zhou had instructed the driver to arrange for Mo Ming to meet him at Zhao Cheng’s bar that night, where he would personally hand over the items Mo Ming had supposedly left behind when moving. The driver had also casually mentioned that Han Shao Zhou would be having a party at the bar that night.
Han Shao Zhou was even more puzzled now. “Are you sure you told him I’m here?”
“Yes, Mr. Han. I reminded Mr. Mo again during our call, but Mr. Mo said… he said that it was precisely because you were at the bar that he didn’t want to come.”
“… Damn it.” Han Shao Zhou muttered. “Tell him to wait at the intersection. I’ll go meet him.”
As he was about to leave, Wen Ci called out to him from behind.
“Han Ge, are you heading out?” Wen Ci asked softly, noticing the urgency in Han Shao Zhou’s eyes.
“Yeah, Mo Ming’s here.” Han Shao Zhou replied naturally. “I’m going to pick him up.”
“Mo Ming is coming?” Wen Ci asked in surprise. “Are you planning to introduce him to everyone?”
“Yeah, since everyone’s here today, it’s a good opportunity to make things official with Mo Ming. That way, people will stop teasing me about you.”
“… I see.” Wen Ci forced a smile and added, “About the incident with the safety harness, I never had a chance to talk to you about it. If Mo Ming doesn’t want to apologize, let it go. It’s not worth letting something so small affect your relationship with him.”
Han Shao Zhou nodded. “Consider this a favor I owe you.”
Wen Ci smiled. “Alright, then. You should go pick up Mo Ming. Don’t keep him waiting.”
“Yeah. Let Zhao Cheng and the others know I’ll be back soon.” Han Shao Zhou said, turning to leave. But after taking just a few steps, he stopped and turned back to look at Wen Ci.
Wen Ci was caught off guard by the scrutinizing look in Han Shao Zhou’s eyes. “What is it, Han Ge?”
“Did the safety harness really come undone because of Mo Ming’s negligence?” Han Shao Zhou asked.
Wen Ci froze, his hand clenching at his side. “What do you think? Do you believe Mo Ming when he says I carelessly unbuckled it myself?”
Han Shao Zhou frowned slightly, his gaze thoughtful as he stared at the ground.
“Even if you’ve moved on to someone else, there’s no need to think so poorly of me.” Wen Ci said, his breath hitching with suppressed emotion, his eyes reddening with humiliation. “I thought my understanding could earn Mo Ming’s goodwill, but I was wrong…”
This was the first time Han Shao Zhou had seen Wen Ci react this way, and it caught him off guard. He quickly said, “I wasn’t doubting you. Don’t overthink it.”
“I’ll head out then.” Wen Ci said flatly. “I’m not feeling well. It’s better if I leave before you and Mo Ming get back. I don’t want to make things uncomfortable for anyone.”
Wen Ci turned and left, bumping into Shen Xixi, who had been eavesdropping by the door.
“Gege, are you really leaving…?” Shen Xixi asked with a conflicted expression.
Wen Ci didn’t look back.
When Shen Xixi turned to peek at Han Shao Zhou through the doorway, she saw him standing still for barely two seconds before rushing down the hallway toward another door.
It was clear to Shen Xixi that, at that moment, fetching Mo Ming was far more important to Han Shao Zhou than keeping Wen Ci around.
Back in T City’s hospital, discovering that Han Shao Zhou hadn’t broken up with Mo Ming had been shocking enough, but what had shaken her even more was hearing that Han Shao Zhou intended to make his relationship with Mo Ming public.
“How could this happen…”
How could Han Shao Zhou fall for Mo Ming? Wasn’t he supposed to be her cousin’s stand-in?
If Han Shao Zhou ended up with Mo Ming, then what would happen to her in the entertainment industry?
After a moment of indecision, Shen Xixi pulled out her phone and made a call.
“Hey, Xiao Qian, I need you to do something for me…”
.
Mo Ming waited at the intersection, just a few minutes’ walk from Zhao Cheng’s bar.
To save time, Han Shao Zhou didn’t wait for the driver to bring the car around. Instead, he walked quickly along the pathway beside the flowerbeds, heading toward the intersection less than a kilometer away.
The cold wind in his face sobered him up considerably. Han Shao Zhou quickened his pace until he was nearly jogging.
At the intersection, the massive advertisement lightboxes on the side of the mall illuminated the parking spaces, making it easy for Han Shao Zhou to spot Mo Ming’s car. He had seen it just yesterday, so he recognized it instantly.
A domestic car worth around a hundred thousand yuan, it looked like it had been recently purchased.
Han Shao Zhou had no doubt that Mo Ming had sold the luxury cars he had gifted him.
Taking deep breaths to steady himself, Han Shao Zhou shoved his hand into his pocket and slowly approached the car.
It was his birthday today… so he wouldn’t lose his temper.
With so many friends waiting, he’d first get Mo Ming to the party, go through the necessary formalities, and then take him back to Champagne Mountain afterward to have a serious talk.
The car window was only half-rolled up, and Mo Ming sat in the driver’s seat with his head slightly exposed. A few strands of hair fluttered over his delicate brows and eyes, giving him that same well-behaved look. He was quietly eating orange slices, his gaze wandering as he took in his surroundings.
Han Shao Zhou’s heart stirred, and he quickened his pace.
When Mo Ming turned and saw Han Shao Zhou walking directly toward him, he nearly choked on an orange slice. Instinctively, he ducked his head and quickly pressed the button to roll up the window.
However…
A hand suddenly pressed down on the rising window, forcibly pushing the glass back down.
Mo Ming stared at the hand clutching the window frame, veins bulging with the pressure, the fingers pale from exertion.
“What are you hiding for? Can’t face me?” Han Shao Zhou snapped.
Mo Ming looked up at Han Shao Zhou’s livid face outside the car, his expression complicated as he slowly straightened up.
This wasn’t him deliberately appearing in front of Han Shao Zhou…
Just as Mo Ming was about to speak, Han Shao Zhou walked around to the other side, opened the passenger door, and got in.
Mo Ming looked at him, bewildered.
Without meeting Mo Ming’s gaze, Han Shao Zhou buckled his seatbelt and said, “I don’t have time to argue with you right now. Make a U-turn and head to Zhao Cheng’s bar—you know where it is.”
Mo Ming blinked. “Mr Han, you…”
“I don’t want to hear you call me Mr Han again.” Han Shao Zhou interrupted sternly. “Stop with the act.”
Mo Ming paused for two seconds. “Are you asking me to give you a ride?”
Han Shao Zhou squeezed his eyes shut, taking a deep breath before speaking in a firm tone. “I don’t want to get angry with you tonight. We’ll talk when we get back to Champagne Mountain. For now, just drive. My friends are all waiting.”
Mo Ming finally seemed to understand. “Mr Han, we’ve broken up.”
Han Shao Zhou froze, turning to look at Mo Ming.
“We have no relationship now.” Mo Ming continued calmly. “So I don’t understand what you mean by going back to Champagne Mountain. Of course, if you’re in a hurry to get to your friend’s bar, I don’t mind giving you a lift.”
Han Shao Zhou’s gaze turned icy. “What the hell are you saying?”
Mo Ming hadn’t expected Han Shao Zhou to curse, his eyes reflecting a hint of displeasure, but he remained patient. “You asked for a breakup five days ago, and I’ve kept your words in mind. After the breakup, I’ve made sure not to appear in front of you, and if I did, I’d avoid you immediately.”
Han Shao Zhou’s pupils contracted, his eyes locked onto Mo Ming. When he spoke, his voice was rough, almost hoarse.
“What… did you say?”
“I have no relationship with Mr Han now.” Mo Ming repeated. “I’ve already planned out my work and life moving forward, and we won’t be interfering with each other in the future.”
Mo Ming turned his head to look straight ahead, avoiding eye contact with Han Shao Zhou. There was something about those eyes—suddenly void of any warmth—that sent a chill down his spine.
Han Shao Zhou sat frozen for a long moment. “You’re saying… you want to break up with me?”
