Chapter 13 Their pasts are so similar

Shen Mofei understood Huo Mingze's intention when she heard him call her "wife." She immediately cooperated, putting on an angry expression and questioning, "What are you doing?" 

Yao Yutong frowned upon hearing the word "wife" and gave Shen Mofei a hostile look before letting go of Huo Mingze. Shen Mofei turned around and walked off, looking angry. 

"Wife!" Huo Mingze called out again, chasing after her.

"Mingze…" Yao Yutong felt a pang of unwillingness as she watched him leave. Huo Mingze paused. Yao Yutong felt a sudden joy in her heart. She knew it; how could Huo Mingze bear to leave her? He had loved her for six years, during which time he had pampered her, been devoted to her, and didn't even have a female assistant by his side. However, the next moment, she saw Huo Mingze take off his jacket and, without hesitation, throw it into a nearby trash can.

"Huo Mingze!" Yao Yutong stomped her foot in anger, gritting her teeth as she called out his full name. How could he humiliate her like this? How could he bear it?

Huo Mingze, now in just his shirt, walked out of the club without looking back. Shen Mofei was waiting for him by the roadside. Seeing him in just a shirt, she was a bit surprised. "Your clothes?"

"They were touched by another woman, got dirty, so I threw them away," Huo Mingze replied.

Shen Mofei gave Huo Mingze a complex look. He thought she wanted to ask about his relationship with Yao Yutong, so he naturally took her hand and said, "She's my ex-girlfriend."

"It's okay, you don't need to explain," Shen Mofei immediately said. Everyone has a past, right?

Huo Mingze continued holding Shen Mofei's hand as they walked past the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Qingya Club. As they walked, he said, "I'm 28 this year. I met her when I was 22. I liked her the moment I saw her."

Hearing this, Shen Mofei felt a bit sad, thinking about how Gu Tianxi had said the same thing when he confessed to her back then. Is it that the people you like at first sight are the ones you end up saying goodbye to?

Huo Mingze continued, "When I first saw her, she smiled at me. That smile was sweet and charming. Later, we smoothly became a couple. I tried hard to fit into her circle and paid attention to her likes and dislikes. I also introduced her to my circle. She liked seeing me work hard, so I worked hard. She didn't like my friends, so I respected her wishes. She had many admirable qualities—she was beautiful, had a great figure, a charming smile, loved to read, had good taste, was romantic, could be coquettish, understood current affairs, and was good at managing finances. She had all the qualities other girls had, and even those they didn't."

"She also had her flaws. She was unwilling to interact with people she deemed inferior, considering it a waste of time."

There's nothing wrong with that. Life is short, and it's understandable not to want to waste time on people you don't like. We broke up because she wanted to pursue her dreams, and I wanted to get married."

Shen Mofei felt sorry for them, "Can't you have both, dreams and marriage?"

"Yes, it's possible to have both. But for her and me, it wasn't," Huo Mingze said.

"Why?"

"I told her that after we got married, I would support all her dreams. After the wedding, she would be free to do whatever she wanted. She said that if she got married, she would have to reschedule her flight the next day, and that resting poorly would affect the outcome of the competition." Huo Mingze turned his head and gave Shen Mofei a bitter smile.

Shen Mofei fell silent, unsure of how to comfort him. She couldn't lie and say maybe she really was worried about the competition results because it was too obvious that she just didn't want to get married.

Huo Mingze said, "I was devoted to her, but the moment we broke up, everything ended. Don't worry, I will be loyal to our marriage and dedicated to you. I wasn't lying to you today. I really did have a client meeting at noon, and I just happened to run into her."

"You don't have to explain."

"I do. Now that I have a family, I should report everything to my wife," Huo Mingze said.

Shen Mofei felt touched. His situation was very similar to hers. His thoughts aligned with hers. She also believed that once a relationship ended, everything should be left behind. No matter how painful, you have to move forward.

She looked at Huo Mingze and said, "I will also report my schedule to you in the future."

Huo Mingze smiled, reached out, and touched her head. "Okay."

Suddenly, a gust of wind picked up. Shen Mofei felt cold even with her coat on. She looked at Huo Mingze in just his shirt and asked, "Aren't you cold?" She then started to take off her sweater.

Huo Mingze looked at her actions and laughed, "What are you doing?"

Shen Mofei said, "This sweater is unisex and quite large. You can drape it over yourself." It would be a bit small to wear, but fine to drape.

Huo Mingze's smile widened. He reached out to stop her, "If I wear it, you'll be cold."

"My base layer is pretty thick. I'm not cold," Shen Mofei said. Though they had only known each other for three days, he had already helped her a lot.

Huo Mingze touched her head again, "We got married, but you don't know where I live. It's just up ahead at Lanting Garden. I'll take you home now to get a coat, and then we'll go to the hospital."

"Okay," Shen Mofei agreed. She knew Lanting Garden, it was less than a kilometer away.

"I'll carry you," Huo Mingze said.

"No, no need," Shen Mofei quickly waved her hand.

"I'm a bit cold, but carrying you will warm me up," Huo Mingze said.

They had only known each other for three days. He didn't feel the same instant attraction and heart-fluttering excitement for her as he had for Yao Yutong. But he knew she was a good person. She was attentive, kind-hearted, and resilient. Even after just three days, he could tell that even if he were to go bankrupt and hit rock bottom, she would stay by his side. Because, no matter how tough or difficult things got, she never gave up on her brother and father. In her world, feelings mattered more than benefits. She and Yao Yutong were from two different worlds.

"I'll give you my coat," Shen Mofei said.

"I'll carry you," Huo Mingze insisted.

"I'm heavy."

"You're so thin and weak, how heavy can you be? Get on!" Huo Mingze squatted slightly.

Shen Mofei felt a bit embarrassed.

"Get on, or I'll freeze," Huo Mingze said.

"Okay." Shen Mofei climbed onto Huo Mingze's back.

Huo Mingze lifted her legs, hoisting her up, and then started walking. Shen Mofei lay on his back, her nose tingling with emotion. She remembered a time during her second year of university when she had a fever. Gu Tianxi had carried her all the way to the clinic, concernedly asking her, "Mofei, are you feeling very bad?"

She reached out and wrapped her arms around Huo Mingze's neck, hoping that this time, she wouldn't be abandoned again.

At the Qingya Clubhouse, the scene of Huo Mingze holding Shen Mofei's hand and passing by the floor-to-ceiling windows fell into Gu Tianxi's eyes. Gu Tianxi squinted involuntarily. He couldn't hear a word Song Keying was saying to him. 

Seeing that Gu Tianxi's gaze was following Shen Mofei, Song Keying almost crushed her coffee spoon. She had to call his name: "Tianxi, Tianxi, are you listening?"

Gu Tianxi withdrew his gaze and asked indifferently, "Which hospital is Shen Mofei's father in?"