I WON'T LET HIM HURT YOU

Ever since the day she lost her parents, she became a rootless wildflower, destined to drift into the unknown. Her fate was never entwined with Mo Xiao's; everything between them was something she forced.

"I went for a check-up yesterday, and I've shown the test results to Mo Xiao," Bai Qing said, avoiding the dish that triggered her nausea, opting for something else.

An Mi'er frowned. If Mo Xiao knew Bai Qing was pregnant, he wouldn't be so calm, would he? Could they have misunderstood everything?

"Qing Bao, don't worry. We're all on your side," Shen Wan gently patted Bai Qing's head. "It's getting late; your Aunt An and I will head back now. I'll come and get you when you're discharged tomorrow."

"Mom, it's fine. I'll discharge myself tomorrow," Bai Qing didn't want to trouble Shen Wan.

"It's no trouble. I'll bring you to the old house for a few days to help you recover," Shen Wan insisted. "I'll call the maid and have her prepare things to send over."

Bai Qing pressed her lips together, looking resigned. Now, Mo Xiao would be even angrier with her.

Not long after Shen Wan and An Mi'er left, Mo Xiao arrived, carrying a late-night snack. Seeing the table already laden with dishes, he frowned. "Did Aunt An make all this?"

Bai Qing nodded.

"How did she find out you were in the hospital?" Mo Xiao's voice was laced with displeasure.

"Not just Aunt An—Mom knows too," Bai Qing's tone was indifferent. "She even said she'd take me to the old house for a while."

She had expected Mo Xiao to fly into a rage, but to her surprise, he merely responded coldly, "Hmm."

Bai Qing pressed her lips together. "Will you stay at the old house?"

"The old house is far from the company. I probably won't," Mo Xiao replied, equally cold.

Bai Qing smiled faintly, her face pale. "You could've just said staying at the old house interferes with your care for Yun Qiqi. Why find another excuse? When we weren't married, you still left for work from there."

Mo Xiao knew she was mocking him. "As long as you understand."

A dull ache spread through Bai Qing's heart.

"I've looked into it. The people who attacked you weren't sent by Qiqi," Mo Xiao explained. "Yu Jun provoked someone, and they mistook you for his girlfriend."

Bai Qing didn't believe a word of it. She and Yu Jun had only reunited less than 24 hours ago, without any affectionate or intimate gestures between them. There was no way they could assume she was his girlfriend. Mo Xiao was just making excuses for Yun Qiqi.

"Have you contacted your uncle?" Mo Xiao's voice was cold.

"Mo Xiao, I told you, threatening me with my uncle won't work," Bai Qing's soft voice now had an icy edge. "I was nearly killed—how can I protect anyone? If Yu Jun dies, I'll be even more to blame. I'm just a mere mortal; I can't decide the fate of others. Do whatever you want—kill my uncle or drive me to death. It's up to you."

Mo Xiao's expression darkened. "Do you think I'm threatening you?"

"What else could it be? Do you actually care about me?" Bai Qing's words dripped with sarcasm. "Who knew the great Mo Xiao had such a unique way of showing concern. I'm truly enlightened."

"Stop being so passive-aggressive," Mo Xiao snapped, clearly irritated.

"Am I?" Bai Qing's gaze was devoid of warmth. 

Once, her eyes sparkled like a clear spring, but now the light in them had vanished entirely. This infuriated Mo Xiao.

"Don't push me," Bai Qing said softly, her long lashes casting shadows over her eyes. "I really will destroy everything, so let's divorce as soon as possible."

Mo Xiao's voice turned frigid. "And if I refuse?"

"Have you fallen in love with me?" Bai Qing asked coldly. "If you admit it, I might consider not divorcing."

"I don't like you. I won't now, and I won't ever," Mo Xiao's words were ice-cold.

Bai Qing's face turned pale.

Mo Xiao turned and left.

Plop.

Bai Qing's tears fell onto the table.

She wiped them away.

Plop, plop.

But the tears kept coming, unstoppable.

In the end, Bai Qing buried her head in her arms and wept softly, her heart aching.

She desperately wanted to ask Mo Xiao, what exactly did he want from her? She had agreed to the divorce. So why wouldn't he?

Yet, Mo Xiao couldn't understand it himself. Bai Qing had agreed to divorce, but he felt unsettled. He knew she was obedient and kind, and that she loved him deeply. He had expected her to struggle, to be hysterical. But in the end, her hysteria wasn't about begging him to stay. It was about urging him to leave. 

Why? He didn't understand.

——

The next day, Bai Qing prepared to leave the hospital.

She waited, but Shen Wan didn't come. Instead, Lin Mo arrived.

Lin Mo looked at her gently. "Aunt suddenly had something urgent come up, so she sent me."

"I could've come by myself," Bai Qing felt embarrassed. "Thank you, cousin."

Lin Mo hesitated. "Bai Qing, can I make a request?"

"Sure," Bai Qing hesitated for a moment. "As long as it's not too much."

Lin Mo chuckled. "I'm not sure if it's too much. I was hoping you could stop calling me cousin."

Bai Qing was surprised. "Then what should I call you?"

"You see, Mo Xiao and I are real cousins, but he still calls me by my name. You can just call me Lin Mo."

"But that feels impolite," Bai Qing objected.

"Then call me Brother Lin Mo. Is that alright?" Lin Mo's tone carried a deeper meaning. "Do you think that's too much?"

"No, it's not too much," Bai Qing shook her head. "I'll call you Brother Lin Mo from now on."

"Good," Lin Mo was satisfied.

"Brother Lin Mo, before I leave, I'd like to visit Yu Jun," Bai Qing said.

"Of course. After all, he saved you," Lin Mo explained. "Aunt also asked me to tell the hospital that the Mo family will cover Yu Jun's medical expenses."

Bai Qing nodded. "I'll find a way to repay the Mo family."

Lin Mo was stunned. "What are you talking about? Isn't everything the Mo family's also yours?"

Bai Qing shook her head. "What belongs to the Mo family will always belong to the Mo family."

Lin Mo's gaze grew serious. "Bai Qing, is there trouble in your marriage with Mo Xiao?"

Bai Qing felt that Lin Mo could see right through her.

"I had a feeling that day at the dinner table," Lin Mo's voice was low. "Did you two have a fight? Or is it a misunderstanding? You can tell me."

Bai Qing pressed her lips together. "There's really only one issue between us, and you already know what it is."

"Yun Qiqi?" Lin Mo asked gravely.

Bai Qing nodded. "She's back. She's even in this hospital, and she has leukemia."

Lin Mo frowned. "Leukemia?"

"Yes. And what's worse, my bone marrow matches hers," Bai Qing's lips trembled. "Mo Xiao not only wants a divorce, but he also wants me to donate my bone marrow to her."

"What?!" Lin Mo's face darkened, his once-gentle eyes now sharp. "I won't let him hurt you!"