Elder Mo, who had just received the walking stick, suddenly fell backwards onto the ground and then rolled several meters away.

He scolded with a face full of rage. “Your old man is already so old! After soaking in the hot spring for so long, my legs are all numb, and my hands are weak! What are you still looking for! The more I walk in, the stuffier and more uncomfortable it is! Support me out now!”

The elder had actually fallen on the ground; he was really taking this act seriously.

Mo Shaoze’s expression was ugly. He clearly knew what was happening but was unable to investigate further. He picked up the walking stick with a dark expression, supporting the elder out. As they left, the elder intentionally made ‘aiyo, aiyo’ noises.

When the two were a distance away, Ji Nuan finally relaxed and leaned on Mo Jingshen.

Mo Jingshen sighed with a smile. “What are you hiding for? Did you think he wouldn’t know?”

“He definitely knows. It’s so obvious it would be weird if he didn’t. But it’s still better than being caught red-handed, isn’t it? At least we won’t have to see him rolling his eyes, don’t you think?” Ji Nuan carefully poked her head out, and after confirming they had already left, she lamented, “I never expected grandfather to be so good at acting!”

“I also didn’t expect you were so good at hiding; hiding in such a place.” Mo Jingshen brought her out of the cave, his tone obviously mocking how that gap was completely useless when it came to hiding.

Ji Nuan refuted, “Isn’t it exciting?”

The man glanced at her and chuckled.

“All right, all right, let’s go out now. Otherwise, if Director Mo comes charging over, we would really waste grandfather’s Oscar-worthy acting!” Ji Nuan held his arm as they walked out.

On the mountain behind the Mo home, Mo Shaoze supported Elder Mo out of the hot spring entrance. When he saw An Shuyan standing outside, he asked, “Shu Yan, how long have you been out? Did you see Jing Shen?”

An Shuyan’s expression was calm, but her gaze shifted to the hot spring’s entrance as she said, “I didn’t see him.”

Mo Shaoze did not miss the look she tossed inside. His stern brows knitted, but because the elder kept making noises about his pain, he could not go in to catch them. He supported the elder away with a steely expression.

When Mo Jingshen and Ji Nuan came out, An Shuyan was still standing there.

Ji Nuan’s gaze landed on An Shuyan, but An Shuyan only smiled mildly at her before turning to look at Mo Jingshen.

Mo Jingshen calmly spoke, “What time is your flight tomorrow?”

An Shuyan’s expression was no longer as evident as it had been earlier. “It’s early. I’ll have to head to the airport before the sky turns bright.”

Mo Jingshen indifferently nodded. His arm was wrapped around Ji Nuan’s waist the whole time, and he did not speak further as he brought her away.

In the evening, every path in the Mo home, be it in the front yard or the backyard, had an ancient charm. Even though it was already mid-autumn, the small winding path on the side led them through a beautiful garden accompanied by the woody scent of the forest. They walked through a cobblestone path to see a small lake in the backyard gleaming with the reflection of the moonlight.

The entire world was dark, but with the warm lights, the atmosphere was tranquil.

Ji Nuan could not recall walking quietly with Mo Jingshen in both her first and second life. At this moment, much of the wariness and loneliness, as well as the pressure from being rejected by Father Mo, seemed to dissipate.

The wind brushed past her ears. Ji Nuan suddenly returned the grip around Mo Jingshen’s hand very tightly.

The man sensed her change and paused his footsteps. He lowered his head to look at her.

At the same moment, Ji Nuan tilted her head up to smile at him.

The little woman’s smile made her eyes curve as well. Mo Jingshen looked at her. “What’s wrong?”

Ji Nuan had on a secretive appearance as she shook her head.

Women were often emotional creatures. Even after living more than one life, it did not make her an exception.

She was simply recalling the words he had said.

They would be together forever.

Never divorce .

Ji Nuan tightened her grip around his hand.

—-

Late evening. Although the medical hot spring was good for her body, after soaking in it, she kept feeling thirsty.

Ji Nuan had yet to sleep at 11:00 p.m. Mo Jingshen was by her side, half leaning on a pillow as he scanned through his emails on his phone.

Ji Nuan did not disturb him and lifted the blankets to move off the bed. She only said she was, “going to ask someone to boil some water for me,” before wearing a robe to gently walk out of the room.

She was not especially familiar with the Mo home. There was a helper who was supposed to come by occasionally to check if they needed anything, but coincidentally the helper was not around.

Ji Nuan walked out and noticed the lights in the living room were still on. She thought the helper would be there and walked over.

In the end, she did not see the helper but Mo Shaoze sitting on the sofa with a poor complexion. His brows were slightly knitted.

“Father.” Ji Nuan saw his poor expression and that he seemed to be feeling ill. Even though she did not wish to suffer his glare, she still approached him.

Mo Shaoze heard Ji Nuan’s voice and immediately turned to her coldly. “Why are you here?”

“I was going to look for a helper to boil some water to drink, but I couldn’t find anyone. I saw the lights were turned on, so I came.” Ji Nuan moved closer. “Are you feeling unwell?”

Mo Shaoze impatiently frowned, raising a hand to press against his forehead as he said indifferently, “I’m getting on in years. I can’t take an environment that’s too warm. After soaking in the hot spring for too long, I’ve been having a headache for the whole night.”

Ji Nuan scanned the surroundings but still did not see any helpers around. She asked, “Are you the only one here? Is anyone bringing medicine? Is the pain severe? Do you need to see a doctor?”

“It’s an old problem, there’s no need to take medicine.” Mo Shaoze placed his hand down and glanced at her unkindly. “Don’t pretend to shed crocodile tears. If you want water, then go elsewhere to look for it. Don’t stand here to be an eyesore!”

If it was not because he was Mo Jingshen’s father, Ji Nuan definitely would not have endured his explosive temper and would have raged back.

“If your head hurts so badly that you can’t sleep, shall I try giving you a massage?” Ji Nuan’s tone was unhurried and carried the patience and respect for an elder.

Mo Shaoze’s brows raised as he coldly sneered. “You know how?”

“I’ll try.” Ji Nuan did not say more and walked around the sofa to stand behind him. She did not wait for Mo Shaoze to reject her coldly and gently rubbed his head. After finding the right acupuncture point, she increased her strength.

Mo Shaoze was quiet for a moment. He did not speak, nor did he ask her to leave. He only sat there like an ice cube. After a while, he narrowed his eyes. “You know how to do this?”

“My father has headaches too. I learned a bit previously but never had the opportunity to do it for him.”

“Don’t they say Hai Cheng’s Ji family’s eldest daughter is extremely pampered? You actually have the filial heart to do this?”

Ji Nuan’s smiled slightly. “How can I stop people from saying things they wish to say? I admit that in the past, I was spoiled by my father. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t have any redeeming qualities. As someone with status, you should be similarly aware that when you step into high society, the only thing visible is your reputation. They’ll blow up any of your flaws they can find, desperate to tear apart your radiance and crush it into the ground. Who cares about your actual character?”

Mo Shaoze closed his eyes and allowed Ji Nuan to massage his head as she pleased. He did not speak any further.

After ten minutes, Ji Nuan’s hand was slightly sore, but she maintained the same amount of strength. Although she was not a professional, she was still able to find all of the acupuncture spots; every squeeze was accurate.

“Earlier in the hot springs, you were inside with Jing Shen.” All of a sudden, Mo Shaoze spoke up with a cold and heavy voice.

Ji Nuan did not pause her movements as she replied openly, “Yes.”

“You sure are straightforward. Weren’t you hiding earlier?” he coldly reprimanded.

“I knew you would find out and had no intention of offending you. It’s just I didn’t wish for any more conflict and subconsciously chose to hide.” Ji Nuan saw his attitude was not as distant and took the opportunity to say. “You should be able to tell my marriage with Jing Shen is very harmonious. Our feelings for each other is strong as well. We were indeed together in the hot springs today, but isn’t that the way things should be?”

“Who gave you the courage to say that it’s ‘the way things should be’ to my face? I haven’t agreed to it; how can it be the way things should be!” Mo Shaoze still refused to put his face down, maintaining a poor speaking tone.

Ji Nuan smiled, gradually lightening the force she was applying as she said, “I know you have your own thoughts. An Shuyan and I are also truly different types of people. She’s used to living strictly by the book, while I’m much more of a laid-back person. I do things the way they should be done, and I say the things that should be said. Although the way I live is simpler, it doesn’t mean I’m blindly stupid.”

“There’s no use even if you use your words to make it sound better. Jing Shen is someone who similarly lives by the book. Since young, he has been the most favored heir in the Mo family.” Mo Shaoze coldly sneered.

Ji Nuan curved her lips. “From beginning to end, you’ve never made an actual comparison of An Shuyan and I. You’ve only insisted that she and Jing Shen belong to the same world.”

“Isn’t this something anyone can see for themselves? How can you possibly compare to Shu Yan?” The massage had helped to ease the pain and relax him. Yet, Mo Shaoze seemed ever more ready to have a face-off with her.

“Comparing An Shuyan’s merits to the so-called Ji Nuan you’ve heard from other people’s words, is that fair?” Ji Nuan’s attitude was calm. Her eyes contained a smile, and her tone was light.

“Indeed, it’s not fair.”

A voice clear as spring water suddenly came from the back door of the living room. Ji Nuan turned back to see Mo Jingshen had come out; she wondered how long he had been standing there and how much he had heard.

Hearing Mo Jingshen’s voice, Mo Shaoze abruptly looked back.

Mo Jingshen only wore a set of comfortable and soft loungewear. Although he did not appear as strict or as noble as he usually did, this made him resemble the laid-back image Ji Nuan had described much more closely.

It was clear that after realizing Ji Nuan had yet to return, he did not even put on outerwear before heading down to look for her.

“Ah, at the end of the day, if it wasn’t for Jing Shen’s support, would you be able to stand firmly?” When Mo Shaoze saw Mo Jingshen, his unrivaled authority was thoroughly provoked, and his face immediately turned cold.

Mo Jingshen unhurriedly stepped in, indifferently saying, “From start to finish, I’m the one who chose to protect her. I didn’t wish to see her undergo any difficulties or sufferings. I’m her husband. Isn’t supporting her what I should be doing?”

“Just for this woman, even though I’ve asked you to return to America to take over Shine countless times, you’ve never agreed. What future can you have by protecting your own Mo Corporation in Hai Cheng? The Mo family’s foundation is in Shine. Your future also belongs to Shine!” Mo Shaoze was angered by Mo Jingshen’s indifferent attitude and furiously scolded.

Mo Jingshen did not reply. His gaze was mild.

“What kind of attitude is that! Is that the attitude you should be showing to your father? Until now, I still don’t understand why you suddenly chose to leave America! You established your own business with your own power; you have the ability, fine, I won’t say anything! But you suddenly married Ji Nuan without even informing me, did you even take this father of yours into consideration!”

Mo Shaoze met Mo Jingshen’s indifferent expression, and in his anger, he picked up the teacup on the table and flung it at Mo Jingshen.

Almost instinctively, Ji Nuan ran over and stood in front of Mo Jingshen. The flung cup heavily smashed against her calf.

Mo Shaoze had thrown the cup with all of his might. In an instant, Ji Nuan’s leg had turned numb from the pain. He really did not hold back for his son.

Mo Jingshen did not move to avoid because Ji Nuan had rushed over too abruptly, the cup had smashed against her in a blink of an eye.

He abruptly pulled her over, frowning at her as he turned to scan her leg. Ji Nuan did not feel it was a big deal. She resisted the numbing pain to meet his gaze, shaking her head and softly saying, “It’s all right, it’s all right…”

“You sure dare to go and block!” Mo Shaoze narrowed his eyes to sneer coldly.

Mo Jingshen’s ink-colored eyes appeared to have been swept by a hurricane into the boundless darkness. His handsome face was cold as he glanced at Mo Shaoze, tugging Ji Nuan behind him as he spoke without much warmth. “You’re not clear as to why I left America?”

Mo Shaoze coldly met his gaze, clearly filled with rage yet still restraining his temper.

“Aside from An Shuyan, have you put in any less interference around me? That year when I was recuperating in Los Angeles after being heavily injured, what did you do?”

Mo Jingshen’s tone was heavy and cold. Ji Nuan had never seen his eyes this cold.

Mo Jingshen was once in Los Angeles, heavily injured?

Los Angeles?

She had been to that place as well. In the years she was studying abroad in America, the city that she had stayed in for the longest was Los Angeles.

It felt like a blurred image had flashed past her mind. Before she could grasp hold of it, her attention was grabbed by Mo Shaoze’s sudden angered words.

“What does that incident have to do with you staying in Hai Cheng?” Mo Shaoze raged.

Yet, the moment he finished speaking, Mo Shaoze suddenly fell into silence. His gaze flew to Ji Nuan, who was pressed behind Mo Jingshen. He coldly stared at her for a long while before narrowing his eyes. As though having thought of something, he coldly asked, “It’s her?”

Ji Nuan’s eyelids twitched.

What was her?

She was about to step out to ask but was pulled back by Mo Jingshen. He tightly gripped her wrist, preventing her from moving.