MOGHA Chapter 105

Catherine arrived just a few minutes after Gong Ji.

When she dismounted her horse, her hair was slightly disheveled from the forest’s branches and leaves. But she couldn’t care about her appearance anymore. The moment Catherine saw the scene before her, her face turned deathly pale.

She stumbled forward a couple of steps, and her high heel snapped. Without hesitation, she took off her shoes and ran barefoot. The sharp stones and broken branches on the ground pierced the soles of her feet, drawing blood. Yet, it seemed she felt no pain. Her eyes were fixed solely on the two bloodied figures before her.

Her husband. Her son.

When she was just a few steps away from Gong Ji, she came to a halt, unable to take another step closer. It was as if any further movement would disturb something fragile.

Gong Ji was still sitting in the custom wheelchair she had ordered for him, but there was now a bloody hole in his chest. The pungent smell of blood pierced through her heart like a blade. Gong Ze lay on the ground nearby, his face unrecognizable under the blood, the bullet wounds obscured by the crimson flow that continued to seep out.

Faced with such a sight, she clenched the hem of her dress tightly with trembling hands, instinctively took a small step back, and hunched her shoulders as if trying to shrink into herself. Like a statue, she stood frozen before her entire body began to shake uncontrollably. Wrapping her arms around herself instinctively, her legs gave out, and she collapsed to the ground. Her eyes lost their focus, and after a few seconds, tears streamed down her face in torrents.

“I was wrong… I was wrong…” she murmured, covering her face with her hands. Her once-delicate makeup was completely ruined, and her expensive fur coat was smeared with dirt and broken leaves. Her sobs were mournful and despairing.

Having spent so much time with Gong Ze, how could she not know about the mistresses he had outside? Every child born to those women died shortly after, in terrifying circumstances. Gong Ze also had an inexplicably large amount of money flowing out every year, but she pretended not to see it, feigning ignorance.

Despite consulting countless doctors, she had long suspected that Gong Ji’s illness was not natural. Yet, she dared not dwell on it, instead continuing to search for new doctors and treatments, protecting Gong Ji with every ounce of her strength, hoping that one day he might recover.

Both men were dear to her, and she had no idea how to choose between them. So, she chose to ignore everything, deceiving herself and living in a beautiful fantasy of her own creation.

But unbeknownst to her, Gong Ji had already discovered the truth. Her son no longer trusted her, and her husband had never stopped exploiting their son to the very last drop of his worth.

On her way here, she had watched the video Gong Ji left for her.

In the video, Gong Ji’s pale face was no longer the obedient mask he wore around her. It was filled with pain, despair, and accusation.

“Mom, if I told you Dad wanted to kill me, would you believe me?” Gong Ji’s eyes held a flicker of hope as he spoke, but it quickly dimmed, replaced by a self-mocking murmur. “You love him so much, you’d probably think I was lying, right? Or just deny it outright. But he really wants to kill me. He really does.”

Turning back to the camera, Gong Ji paused for a long time. His lips moved as if to speak, but no sound came out. After a while, tears began to well up in his eyes, though he stubbornly refused to let them fall. When he finally spoke, his voice was choked with emotion.

“Mom, Mom, I’m so sad. I’m really, really sad. I’ve never felt this sad before. I’ve been betrayed by the two people I love most—my father and my mother. Am I not your child?”

In the end, he broke down, crying uncontrollably as he repeated, “Mom… I’m your child, Mom… Mom…”

“You are my child…” Catherine’s fingers dug into the dirt and gravel as she wept uncontrollably, staring at Gong Ji’s peaceful expression. She knew, with heart-wrenching clarity, that her son could no longer hear her answer.

---

Three days later, a funeral was held at the Gong family cemetery.

The official story was that the villa in the forest had caught fire, and neither Gong Ze nor Gong Ji had managed to escape.

Catherine wore a black robe and a veiled hat. Her hands bore small, scattered scars, and her complexion was haggard. She had no makeup on as she spoke hoarsely to Gong Yue.

“I’ve been thinking these past few days… His twenty years of life were filled with so much pain. If I think about it, only the time before he turned six was truly happy.”

Her eyes softened with a trace of joy as she recalled, “When he was five or six, he loved going to the garden to pick the most beautiful rose. He’d bring it back to the house and give it to me, saying, ‘Mom, you’re prettier than the rose, and you smell better too…'”

“But those happy memories were too distant. He probably couldn’t even remember them. In the end, all he had were deepening memories of pain. He was right. As a mother, I betrayed him…”

Lowering her head, Catherine wiped away her tears before handing a box to Ye Shanshan, who stood beside her.

“This is the gift Gong Ji asked me to give you before he passed. It’s his return gift for the record you gave him. He never had any friends before—not a single one. He considered you his first friend, and he hoped you would accept it.”

Taking the box with both hands, Ye Shanshan ran his fingers over its surface. He suddenly remembered the first time he met Gong Ji. Before uncovering the blanket over his legs, Gong Ji had said, “It might be uncomfortable for you, but please don’t let me know if it is.”

After Ye Shanshan covered him with the blanket again, Gong Ji shyly asked, “Can I hold your hand? I haven’t had contact with anyone in a long time.”

A lump formed in Ye Shanshan’s throat. On the surface of the box were five words: “To My Friend.”

Lightly tracing the words with his finger, Ye Shanshan thought silently, It was a pleasure meeting you, my friend.

---

After the Gong matriarch’s car left, Gong Yue and Ye Shanshan got into their own car.

Once the door was closed, Ye Shanshan carefully placed the box on his lap and opened it. Inside were many items: amusement park tickets, a clay pig, a small windmill pieced together from wooden blocks, a hand-drawn dessert coupon, random doodles, a box of crayons, a paper airplane, and a small plastic toy car.

Gong Ji had packed everything he could think of to share with his best friend, as if they had known each other since childhood and shared countless beautiful memories.

Ye Shanshan touched the toy car and paper airplane before picking up the hand-drawn dessert coupon. It read: “Bring your good friend to the shop and enjoy a buy-one-get-one-free deal on our signature dessert!” His nose stung as he read it.

He suddenly recalled his childhood on Mishus Island, where he was treated as an experiment subject. He had no concept of friendship and didn’t know if he would even live to see adulthood.

But compared to Gong Ji, he was far luckier.

At the bottom of the box was a card. When he opened it, he saw neatly written words: “I’m glad I could choose how to die. Thank you.”

Throughout the journey, Ye Shanshan remained quiet. After carefully repacking the items in the box, he leaned against Gong Yue’s leg and guided Gong Yue’s hand to his head, nudging it as if asking for comfort.

Feeling Gong Yue’s gentle caress on his head, slowly moving to the nape of his neck, Ye Shanshan’s emotions finally began to settle.

---

When they arrived home, Ye Shanshan followed Gong Yue into the study. Chris handed a tablet to Gong Yue.

“Three days ago, we captured Durant. However, the person we’ve been monitoring all along wasn’t him but a body double,” Chris explained.

The screen displayed a full-body image of a man who bore only a slight resemblance to Durant but could pass for him with makeup and alterations.

“This body double is a ‘professional impersonator.’ About six months ago, he took on a job to impersonate someone named ‘Durant.’ His tasks were simple: travel according to the client’s arrangements and stay in a house in a small town during downtime. He’s never met the real client or interacted with Gong Ze or Gong Ji. This confirms that the person Gong Ji met was indeed Durant himself. I believe Durant has altered his appearance again and gone into hiding.”

Chris switched to another screen. “Using the information provided by Gong Ji, we found the laboratory. However, all the data has been removed, and the remaining equipment destroyed.”

Additionally, the large sums of money that Gong Ze had been transferring over the years were indeed sent to Durant’s account and quickly moved elsewhere. Just a month ago, Durant requested a huge amount from Gong Ze for an experiment, and now, the funds’ whereabouts are unknown.

Ye Shanshan looked at the various photos and videos of Durant at different times displayed on the screen and said to Gong Yue:

“Ge, Gong Ji mentioned in his organized notes that Durant is a highly arrogant scientist who believes ordinary people cannot comprehend his grand ideals. One major reason he collaborated with Gong Ze was because of the relationship between Youli’s mother and you. So, if I were him, I wouldn’t look for another partner.”

He continued, “Besides, Durant now has substantial research funding and the world’s top-notch equipment provided by Gong Ze. I think he’s likely to find a place to hide. If it were me, that’s what I’d do.”

However, Durant had not yet confirmed Gong Yue’s condition. Based on the logic of a “mad scientist,” he would certainly come back—after all, Durant was obsessed with completing the Alpha Serum and his “god-making” plan, both of which revolved around Gong Yue.

Ye Shanshan observed Gong Yue and knew they were thinking the same thing. He added, “He will probably reappear soon; we just don’t know in what form.”

---

Due to Gong Ze’s unexpected death, the media heavily reported on the impact of his and Gong Ji’s deaths on the Gong family, speculating on who would inherit Gong Ze’s massive fortune as a direct descendant of the Gong family.

Surprisingly, Gong Ze had left no will before his death. According to family traditions, after negotiations, part of the inheritance went to the Gong family matriarch, and the other part to Catherine.

However, the condition was that Catherine could not remarry or have children; she could only retain control over the inheritance while holding the title of “Madam Gong.” Catherine silently signed the documents and agreed to the terms.

Following this, Catherine held control over both her family’s and the Gong family’s wealth, catapulting her to the top five richest women globally. For a time, she became the subject of widespread media coverage, portrayed as the protagonist of a “legacy conspiracy.”

Meanwhile, the power dynamics within the Gong family shifted, and internal factions were reshuffled. Gong Yue’s workload increased significantly.

Ye Shanshan, concerned about Gong Yue’s health, followed him around to help. His skill at mimicking Gong Yue’s signature became so polished that even the pressure of his strokes matched perfectly. He proudly showed off his achievement for days.

It wasn’t until March 20 that Ye Shanshan and Gong Yue returned to the country.

As their car emerged from the underground parking lot, they were stuck in traffic on the loop road in front of the airport. Ye Shanshan cracked open the window slightly, yawning into his hand, clearly still groggy from the flight.

Suddenly, someone called out his name, startling him awake—How could someone recognize me through such a tiny gap in the window?

Following the sound, Ye Shanshan spotted a group of girls nearby looking at an LED screen. They were excitedly discussing something:

“Ahhh, Shanshan looks so handsome! That final shot with the hood was stunning!!”

“Ye Shanshan is so charming. I can’t resist; I’m joining the Stardust Fan Club cult!”

“Join, join, join! Honestly, just for this ad, I bought three bottles of perfume. I already collected a full set for the posters, so Juno is really cunning! But when I think of this being Shanshan’s endorsement, my heart races. If I get a heart attack from watching this ad, will Shanshan visit me in the hospital?”

Curious, Ye Shanshan glanced at the screen and saw Juno’s new perfume advertisement playing on a loop. The first scene was playing again.

On the screen, a figure loosely draped in a poppy-red robe sat up on an ornately carved four-poster bed. As they lifted the blanket and stepped onto the carpet, their bare feet, pale to the point of glowing, were captured in close-up. Their toenails had a faint pink hue, adding to the lazy allure of the morning mood.

The camera slowly panned upward. The rich red of the robe contrasted sharply with the snowy skin, resembling a poppy blooming in a field of snow—cold yet breathtaking. A pair of cold eyes stared at the camera, framed by a tear mole at the corner, exuding a mix of emotion and detachment.

Watching the person in the ad, Ye Shanshan thought the seductive figure couldn’t possibly be him. Furrowing his brows, he turned to Gong Yue and asked:

“Ge, who’s that preening peacock in the ad?”

Gong Yue glanced at the screen and, with a straight face, replied, “Whoever you think it is.”

Satisfied with this answer, Ye Shanshan rested his chin on his hand and finished watching the ad before rolling up the window. Despite the over-the-top allure, he felt the final scene—him in a luxurious robe sitting on a throne—was quite majestic.

—I truly am a man born to be king!

Adding thousands of words to his imaginary autobiography, Ye Shanshan shook off his drowsiness. Not wanting to disturb Gong Yue, who was working, he quietly pulled out his phone and sent a message in the “Mahjong and BBQ” group chat:

“The Emperor has returned!”

The first to reply was the gaming addict, Xu Luoyang: “You still know how to come back?”

Next was Zheng Dong: “Not buying it.”

Finally, Director Zhang chimed in: “What a coincidence—our box office just broke 1.1 billion today.”

Ye Shanshan: “…”

Exiting the chat, he searched for news about The Observer’s box office. The top headline read:

“The Observer hits 1.1 billion in box office earnings, Ye Shanshan eats his words.”

Recalling his earlier bold prediction—‘If the box office doesn’t hit 1.1 billion, I won’t take any payment. If it does, I want double!’—Ye Shanshan glanced at Gong Yue’s still-handsome profile and felt an ocean of sadness swell within him.

—Ge, I’m sorry. I can’t afford to clear your shopping cart now.

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