IOLYF Chapter 71

It was late at night, and after finishing a movie, Mo Ming noticed a message from Cheng Jing. Just as he was about to open it, Han Shao Zhou’s message popped up at the top of the list, and he accidentally clicked on it.

A flood of unread messages filled his screen. Mo Ming’s finger instinctively moved to tap the exit button, but just then, a new message from the bottom caught his eye.

[Han Shao Zhou]: Little one, it’s snowing.

Mo Ming paused for a moment, then instinctively turned his head to look out the window.

It was past 10 PM, and the night was deep. Through the neon-lit haze, he could see the faint outlines of snowflakes drifting down from the sky. Mo Ming got out of bed, walked to the window, and pulled it open.

The cold wind carried the light snow with it, and as Mo Ming held out his hand to catch the falling flakes, a subtle smile flickered in his eyes…

[Han Shao Zhou]: If things go well, maybe next year I can watch the snow with you.
[Han Shao Zhou]: And the fireworks too.

Mo Ming’s eyes lowered slightly… Despite the time that had passed, this man’s enthusiasm hadn’t waned one bit.

His fingers unknowingly scrolled through the chat history, and Mo Ming realized that many of Han Shao Zhou’s previous messages felt like he was talking to himself.

[Han Shao Zhou]: I want to send you a love poem, but I know you’d just laugh at my lack of poetic talent…
[Han Shao Zhou]: But if you think I’m not smart enough, don’t worry. A famous author once said, ‘Love and wisdom cannot coexist…’ [Han Shao Zhou]: I’ve been watching your old dramas. I’m really trying to understand you better…
[Han Shao Zhou]: I know you hate the smell of smoke, so I’ve decided to quit smoking.
[Han Shao Zhou]: You could tell me what else you dislike, and I’ll quit that too.
[Han Shao Zhou]: Anything, as long as it’s not loving you. [smiley face]

Mo Ming put away his phone and continued gazing out the window.

“Childish…”

…

The snow in Chuanhai fell intermittently for several days.

When Han Shao Zhou returned from a business trip, his grandfather came to find him, and the two had a meal together at the villa in Champagne Hill.

“Your grandpa contacted me and mentioned his will,” Han Changzong said gravely. “It’s quite a substantial amount.”

Han Shao Zhou nodded calmly.

With Pang Mingshun’s worsening health and the inevitable power shift in the Pang family, Han Shao Zhou, as Pang Mingshun’s favored grandson, would inevitably be drawn into the fray, and there would be some maneuvering involved.

Han Changzong even assigned his own bodyguard, Ade, to Han Shao Zhou’s side.

The project in the new district kept Han Shao Zhou extremely busy, but every night, once he stopped working, he still had enough energy to search the web for the latest updates on Mo Ming.

Online, he discovered different facets of Mo Ming—drama stills, magazine covers, interviews, and the way fans described him as an angelic beauty…

He saw rumors circulating that Mo Ming had auditioned for a role in Liu Hekun’s new film.

His little one was really putting in the effort.

Han Shao Zhou created a new account with the username [Salty Porridge] and retweeted a post from one of Mo Ming’s fans.

[Sweet Orange Flavored Momo]: You are the stars and the sea, the entire sky is filled with your brilliance #Mo Ming#

This was such a good line. He should remember it and send it to his little one someday.

Han Shao Zhou browsed through the posts in Mo Ming’s fan forum, feeling like every word of praise was aimed at him. It was like they were complimenting him personally.

Soon, one fan’s comment caught his attention.

[Brother Must Work Hard]: Brother’s birthday is next month. I hope we’ll hear good news about him joining a new production.

Han Shao Zhou stared at the comment for a long time.

Birthday?

Next month?

Didn’t Mo Ming’s birthday already pass? He remembered it clearly—it was the day he had wanted to formally introduce Mo Ming to his friends, but then he had a minor accident and ended up in the hospital.

So how did it suddenly become next month?

For any moderately popular celebrity, their birth date is easy to find online. Han Shao Zhou quickly found that Mo Ming’s birthday was indeed listed as the 19th of next month.

…So what was the deal with the birthday two months ago?

After thinking about it for a moment, he dismissed it. Celebrities often modified their birthdates online, so it was best to trust what the person said themselves.

Late at night, Han Shao Zhou looked out at the snow through his window. He snapped a picture and sent it to Mo Ming.

[Han Shao Zhou]: Next year, I can watch the snow with you. [Han Shao Zhou]: I’ve learned all of Zhou Xu’s songs. If you can’t sleep, you can ask me to sing one for you.

Han Shao Zhou didn’t expect a reply from Mo Ming. But when his message was sent, he noticed the words “typing…” appear on the screen.

A jolt of excitement ran through him, and he held his breath. But after nearly ten minutes of waiting, there was still no response.

So…did he accidentally tap the input field, or did he want to reply but changed his mind at the last minute?

Regardless, one thing was clear: Mo Ming had seen his message.

Without thinking, Han Shao Zhou quickly sent another message.

[Han Shao Zhou]: Do you prefer a Chinese or Western-style wedding?

He couldn’t shake the feeling that Mo Ming was on the other side of the screen watching him. Despite not getting a reply, he felt no disappointment.

Later that night, Han Shao Zhou was sound asleep when a call from Zhao Cheng suddenly woke him.

“Han, get online, quick.” Zhao Cheng’s voice was urgent.

Han Shao Zhou glanced at the clock—it was only 2 AM. Annoyed, he grumbled, “It’s the middle of the night, Zhao. Not all of us are nocturnal like you.”

“It’s important, Han. Your little one is trending.”

Han Shao Zhou shot up in bed. “What happened to Mo Ming?”

There was a brief pause before Zhao Cheng replied, his tone complicated. “It’s not him—it’s you who might be in trouble.”

Confused, Han Shao Zhou quickly opened his phone and checked online.

Just as Zhao Cheng had said, Mo Ming’s name was right there on the trending list, but alongside it was another name—Zhou Xu.

[Mo Ming x Zhou Xu Relationship]

Staring at the headline, Han Shao Zhou was utterly baffled.

When he clicked on the trending topic, the photos that appeared shocked him wide awake.

A marketing account had posted two photos of Mo Ming and Zhou Xu.

One showed the two of them sitting at what seemed to be a dining table in an apartment, smiling at the camera, with Mo Ming making a peace sign. The other showed them standing with their backs to a sky full of fireworks. Mo Ming was tilting his head, almost leaning on Zhou Xu’s shoulder… Both of them were smiling, brighter than the fireworks in the night sky.

Han Shao Zhou stared at the photos, momentarily stunned… He had never seen Mo Ming smile so happily.

The marketing account’s caption read: Anonymous submission claims to have heard from a former employee of Zhou Xu that Mo Ming and the once-popular singer Zhou Xu had a secret relationship, which ended when Zhou Xu passed away. What are your thoughts?

Han Shao Zhou found it absurd, but the photos couldn’t be fake.

Yet, in the past three years, Mo Ming had never mentioned Zhou Xu to him. He only knew that Mo Ming liked listening to Zhou Xu’s songs, thinking Zhou Xu was just an idol to him—like any other celebrity with a devoted fanbase.

But now, looking at these photos, the reality was undeniable: Mo Ming not only knew Zhou Xu, but their relationship was far from ordinary.

At least, Mo Ming had never smiled like that in his presence, even in the past three years. The way his eyes curved, it was as if they were sparkling with starlight.

The comment section had already exploded.

[I’m stunned. Mo Ming actually knew Zhou Xu?!]
[They look so close!]
[Wait, something’s clicking. Mo Ming was with Zhou Xu three years ago, but it’s rumored that Mo Ming was with Young Master Han for the past three years. So after Zhou Xu passed away, Mo Ming got with Young Master Han?]
[Has no one noticed how similar Young Master Han and Zhou Xu look…?]
[Holy crap, the comment above nailed it! I remember people discussing this back in the day, but since there wasn’t much connection between the two, the topic died quickly.]
[Back then, everyone was focused on Wen Ci and Han Shao Zhou’s rivalry with Gao Chen. Who would think to link Han Shao Zhou and Zhou Xu?]
[OMG!! So was Mo Ming with Young Master Han because he looked like Zhou Xu or just because of similar taste in men?]
[I don’t dare to think about this further. If I do, I might start feeling sorry for Young Master Han.]
[Why feel sorry for him? You think Han Shao Zhou was with Mo Ming for true love when they started? I’m gonna say it loud—Mo Ming did great!]
[Zhou Xu isn’t around anymore. Can these sleazy marketing accounts stop using him for clicks?]

Han Shao Zhou scrolled through the comments before calmly exiting and sending a message to his assistant, instructing them to arrange for the trending topic to be removed.

His phone was still connected to Zhao Cheng, who, knowing that Han Shao Zhou must be reading the online chatter, waited for a while before speaking again. “Han, maybe you should ask Mo Ming about this?”

Han Shao Zhou laid back down, the phone resting against his ear. He said quietly, “Who Mo Ming knows is his business. There’s nothing to ask.”

“The internet is saying they were in a relationship.”

“Two photos and they’re calling it a relationship? By that logic, Mo Ming and I should’ve been married for three years.”

“But the internet also says…”

“The internet is full of bored people with nothing better to do than spout nonsense. Are you one of them now?” Han Shao Zhou snapped. “Zhao, if you keep me up all night, you’d better watch out when I come to your shop tomorrow.”

Having recently gone through his own romantic troubles, Zhao Cheng was particularly sensitive to situations like this. And he could sense that Han Shao Zhou, on the other end of the line, was starting to lose his composure.

It was clear that Han Shao Zhou had some suspicions of his own, but he was keeping them tightly bottled up.

Before Zhao Cheng could say anything else, Han Shao Zhou hung up.

He tossed his phone aside, pulled the covers over himself, and tried to go back to sleep. But half an hour later, he suddenly turned on the bedside lamp and sat up abruptly.

Grabbing his phone, he searched for information on Zhou Xu.

He wasn’t very familiar with Zhou Xu, knowing only that he was Gao Chen’s teammate. Back when he and Gao Chen were at odds, he had met Zhou Xu a few times, but they had barely interacted.

He only vaguely recalled Wen Ci joking that Zhou Xu bore some resemblance to him, especially around the eyes.

At the time, he hadn’t paid much attention—people resembling each other wasn’t exactly rare…

The information he found on Zhou Xu was nothing out of the ordinary. Apart from the two photos posted by the marketing account, there was no trace of any connection between Zhou Xu and Mo Ming.

Han Shao Zhou almost found himself laughing at how he had let some baseless online chatter get under his skin.

Three years ago, Mo Ming was only nineteen…

Han Shao Zhou was about to put away his phone when something in Zhou Xu’s personal information caught his eye.

His birthdate.

Staring at the date, Han Shao Zhou’s eyes narrowed… It was the same day Mo Ming had celebrated his birthday two months ago.

He remembered that day clearly. It was also Chuanhai’s fireworks festival…

Fireworks…

Han Shao Zhou quickly pulled up the marketing account’s photos again… One of them showed Mo Ming and Zhou Xu together under the fireworks.

The room was warm and comfortable, with the air conditioning on, but Han Shao Zhou felt a chill creeping up his spine.

He suddenly recalled how, on that day, Mo Ming had bought a small paper cup cake for him…

And said to him, “Happy birthday…”