Turmoil in the Quiet Life

Ye Rufeng came around very frequently, so frequently that he volunteered to carry things for Mo even when they went out on holidays. Holding Mo's hand, Ziye's hostility towards Ye Rufeng was so obvious that everyone could notice.

Bihua was extremely headache - ridden by the possessive thoughts of this clearly precocious child. And Mo, the person involved, made things even worse by spoiling the child to an extreme extent.

Regarding Ye Rufeng's following, Mo adopted an attitude of neither encouragement nor rejection. After all, the public security was a bit chaotic at present, and it was good to have one more person to protect Ziye.

"The police have been patrolling quite frequently recently." Bihua whispered to Mo.

As far as the eye could see, on the bustling streets, the police were constantly checking people.

The homeless people who could sometimes be seen in the past had now been completely cleared away.

"They're in the process of handover these days. The central government is extremely busy." Ye Rufeng said.

"I just hope they don't bother us law - abiding citizens." Bihua straightened her collar.

"Well, do I look like a decent woman now?"

"Yes." Mo smiled slightly.

"Don't worry. I'm here." Ziye murmured while sipping his drink. He seemed to have a particular fondness for fruit juices. Now, in Mo's backpack, there were two or three cans of juice waiting for the favor of this little master.

"That's right. With this little angel here, we're very safe." Ye Rufeng smiled gently.

Don't think flattering me will work. I'm not falling for that. Ziye made a face at Ye Rufeng.

Ye Rufeng sighed.

Bihua shook her head.

Mo, on the other hand, lowered his head and wiped Ziye's face.

It seemed that to invite Mo out, one had to first get Ziye's consent. Bihua reported this to Ye Rufeng.

Therefore, Ye Rufeng brought a large box of expensive chocolates to Mo's home.

Tomorrow was Mo's birthday. Ye Rufeng came today to invite Mo to have dinner at a restaurant.

"I don't want to go." Ziye said, while eating the chocolates that were brought to bribe him.

"There will be delicious ice cream."

"I don't want to go." Ziye said, taking the drink handed to him by the person who ran errands for him.

Rather indignantly, the dignified Ye Rufeng squatted down and resorted to threats and inducements with this little kid, but this little devil was completely unmoved.

"Well? Is he going?" Mo came out of the bathroom and smiled, asking the two.

"He's still considering."

"I don't want to go."

"...I see." Mo smiled gently. "It seems he has finished considering."

Mo's smile was very tender, and Ye Rufeng was stunned for a while.

Old lecher. Ziye glared at Ye Rufeng subtly and then stretched out his hands, asking Mo to hold him.

Hehe, this is my ultimate move.

Sure enough, Mo's attention was no longer on Ye Rufeng. He picked up Ziye and walked towards the refrigerator.

"Do you want to eat some fruit? Shall I cut you some apples?"

"Does Little Mo want to go for a big meal?" Ziye asked in a childish voice that even made himself feel goose - bumps.

"What about Ziye? Does Ziye want to eat?" Mo held Ziye with one hand and used the other to open the refrigerator.

"Little Mo said he would bake a cake for me." Ziye said, gently rubbing his cheek against Mo's clothes.

"Okay, then we'll celebrate at home." Mo took out the apples and carried Ziye into the kitchen.

Behind Mo, Ziye made a victory gesture towards Ye Rufeng.

I really hate Rufeng now.

What happened?

You don't know. He's still trying to get his hands on my Little Mo!

Ahem... Ours, thank you.

Hmph, you still have the nerve to say that. I've been so busy protecting Little Mo that I'm at my wits' end.

I haven't been idle either.

Oh, I'm almost going crazy. If I see him one more time, I'll punch him.

Don't use violence. Fighting is the behavior of barbarians. I'll provide the poison, and you can administer it.

No way! You do it!

...Well, let's just wait for him to die of old age.

...Maybe he'll run into a car by himself.

No, my performance evaluation will be ruined.

If he crashes in another urban district, it won't affect you.

That's true.

...Forget it. Let's not talk about this disappointing thing. How's it going on your side?

It's okay. However, recently they've been checking very strictly, and I've been implicated a lot.

Dare they touch you?

Pfft, how could that be possible? It's just that they're not as submissive as before.

It's really different without him.

Yeah... By the way, do you feel unwell anywhere?

No, I'm in great shape. It's just that Little Mo has been feeding me so much that I seem to have gained a little weight...

Haha, that's good. By the way, he hasn't come to see me recently. What's he been up to?

He said he didn't like the person we sent.

...That's too bad.

Yeah, that's too bad...

He was the best one we could find.

Little Mo has a very strong intuition.

That's true.

What should we do?

Count on you to put in a good word.

I'll do my best.

Okay, I'm going to get busy. Take care of yourself and don't push yourself too hard.

You too.

Don't take advantage of Little Mo, you know?

How am I supposed to do that?

Well, that's true.

Switching to the game screen, Ziye played the boring "shoot - the - plane" game while waiting for Mo to finish taking a bath.

"Really, such a stingy person."

I heard that.

A line of words appeared on the screen.

"Go get busy. Don't let Little Mo see this." Ziye punched the screen.

Okay, okay, got it.

The next evening, Ye Rufeng came over with champagne.

"Are you the only one here? Where's Bihua?" Mo, wearing an apron, welcomed Ye Rufeng into the living room.

Ziye was helping Mo set the tableware. When he saw Ye Rufeng come in, he made a face at him.

"The central government asked her to go for a meeting. She probably won't come tonight." Ye Rufeng smiled helplessly.

"That's right. Bihua works for the central government. She must be very busy." Mo's words carried a hint of desolation.

"It doesn't matter if one person is missing. We're still three people today, right?"

Mo nodded slightly.

"Wait a minute. I have something to tell you. Can we find a place to talk alone?" Ye Rufeng whispered in Mo's ear.

"Is there something I'm not allowed to hear?" Ziye protested.

"...It's okay. Just say what you have to say. Ziye is not an outsider." Mo said.

"...Little Mo, I really need to talk to you alone."

"...Let's talk after dinner."

Sensing an extremely strong sense of crisis, Ziye never let go of Mo's hand, following him closely.

Ye Rufeng waited with great patience.

If you think I go to bed early, you're wrong. Ziye was also very patient.

However, after cleaning up, Mo took the initiative to ask Ziye to stay in the living room and watch TV.

"I'm going to talk to your Brother Ye in the study. You wait for me here, okay?"

"No."

"Ziye..."

Ziye observed Mo's expression and found that he seemed serious.

Sometimes, if Mo made a decision, constantly arguing against him would only make him sad.

Ziye struggled in his heart.

"Ten minutes. We haven't cut the cake yet." Ziye compromised.

"Okay." Mo smiled gently.

"When the time is up, I'll come find you."

"Okay, no problem." Mo gently stroked Ziye's head.

Ye Rufeng walked in first. Mo stood at the door, leaning against it, quietly looking at him.

Ye Rufeng turned around and looked at Mo.

"What's so important that we have to talk alone?" Mo asked.

"...Little Mo, let's leave together."

"...Leave?" Mo raised his eyebrows. "Where to?"

"The company I work for has received information. We can't stay in the Qingye Urban District any longer. We plan to move out before the end of this month... Mo, come with me." Ye Rufeng reached out his hand, but Mo just stared.

"I want to stay here." Mo said.

"Staying here, you won't be able to wait for Chen to come back either." Ye Rufeng said, speaking carefully. "Bihua and I have checked. We just couldn't bear to tell you. Over the past few years, hundreds of scientists have disappeared just like Chen, and none of them have ever come back."

"So what?" Mo looked at Ye Rufeng.

"I'm not doubting you... It's just that..." Ye Rufeng frowned. "Little Mo, aren't you lonely here all by yourself?"

"I have Ziye to accompany me, I have work, and I have students. How could I be lonely?" Mo said, with a somewhat cold tone.

"...I'm serious." Ye Rufeng lowered his head. "Marry me and come with me, if you're willing." Ye Rufeng raised his head.

"I've already said it." Mo said, a bit impatiently. "Brother Ye, you have excellent conditions. Don't do this for my sake. I can live well on my own. I don't need anyone to pity me."

"No, Little Mo, it's not like that." Ye Rufeng grabbed Mo's hand. Mo gently struggled but couldn't break free.

So, he quietly let Ye Rufeng hold his hand.

"That day, Chen was drunk, and you stayed by his side all night. Remember?"

"...Yes."

"I also didn't sleep all night. But I was watching you. Do you know that?"

"...No, I didn't know, and I'm not interested in knowing." Mo turned his head away.

"Why? Just because he met you earlier than I did? Little Mo, am I not good enough?"

"No." Mo struggled again, and Ye Rufeng held on even tighter.

"I even brought the ring. At least consider it, okay?" Ye Rufeng took out a box from his pocket, let go of Mo's hand, and opened the box with a trembling hand. Inside was a shiny diamond ring.

"I've been waiting, waiting for you. You've waited for three years, but I've waited for nearly thirteen years! At least look at me!"

"Please take it back." Mo turned his head away.

"Little Mo!" Ye Rufeng shouted.

"Go back." Mo pushed Ye Rufeng's hand away. The ring in the box, shining brightly, fell out.

Ye Rufeng looked at Mo, and Mo looked at the fallen ring.

Finally, Ye Rufeng pressed Mo against the door. Mo's back hit the door panel heavily.

Ye Rufeng's lips pressed tightly against Mo's. Mo closed his eyes.

"Remember? Remember? It was the same that night." Ye Rufeng gently stroked Mo's lips. Mo just clenched his teeth.

"Anything he can do, I can do too, right? And I can be with you, be with you every day, unlike him. He's been gone for three years without a word."

Mo didn't say anything. He just pushed Ye Rufeng, but Ye Rufeng showed no sign of leaving.

"I don't believe you've forgotten. That day, we had such a good connection, didn't we?... Little Mo, you were so comfortable that you cried. Do you really have no impression?" Mo increased the force of pushing Ye Rufeng, but Ye Rufeng still didn't budge.

"I won't make you as lonely as he did. Little Mo, come with me."

Mo's tears welled up in his eyes, and he pushed desperately.

"Can you forget me, Little Mo? Can you? I don't believe you have no impression of that night. Weren't you calling my name? When we were together, you called my name! Not his, not his! Little Mo, wake up! What you're yearning for is just his name. It's no longer him! Look clearly. The one with you now is me, not him! Look clearly, look clearly!"

"Let me go!" Mo suddenly bumped forward. Ye Rufeng let out a low growl and fell heavily to the ground.

Ye Rufeng's lips were bleeding, and so were Mo's.

Mo wiped his lips and walked out of the door without looking back.

Lowering his head, he was about to enter the bathroom to clean up when he found Ziye standing beside the study door.

"...Don't worry. We didn't quarrel. We just bumped into each other." Mo forced a smile.

Ziye just looked at him, with an anger that made Mo feel cold.

"Sorry. Did I make you wait for a long time?" Mo was a bit surprised. He quickly walked back to Ziye's side.

"Liar." Ziye said coldly.

"...Sorry. We got carried away while talking and forgot the time. Let's cut the cake right away, okay?" Mo rushed to the refrigerator in a panic, and in a flurry, he placed the cake he baked in the afternoon on the table.

"I'll cut it. You can eat it right away. Wait for me. It'll be done in a minute." Mo ran into the kitchen, took a knife, and quickly ran out again.

Ziye was still standing there. However, in the eyes looking at Mo, there were already glistening tears.

It was a more brilliant light than the ring in Ye Rufeng's hand. Just a single tear.

Ziye closed his eyes, but still couldn't stop the tears from streaming down the corners of his eyes.

"Yes... I should have known... should have known... There's no such thing as true love. Distance always wears away love..."

"...Ziye? What are you saying, Ziye?" Mo quickly put the knife on the table and walked closer to Ziye.

"Since that's the case, why am I doing all this!" Ziye pushed Mo away and ran towards the door with small steps.

However, no matter how hard he jumped, he could only just reach the doorknob.

"Open the door! Open it! Damn it! Open the door!" Ziye kicked and pounded on the door, scaring Mo so much that he broke out in a cold sweat.

"Ziye? Ziye, don't do this." Mo quickly picked up Ziye. Ziye waved his small hands and feet and screamed.

"What's going on?" Ye Rufeng came out of the study, wiping his lips and looking at this absurd farce.

Ziye kept hitting Mo. Mo just gritted his teeth and quietly let the small fists land on his back.

"Stop! Don't hit anymore! Do you know who you're hitting!" Ye Rufeng pulled Ziye's hands away. Ziye let out a cry of pain.

"Let go! Ye Rufeng!" Turning around, Mo quickly shouted.

"Sorry." Ye Rufeng realized his mistake and quickly let go of Ziye's hands.

There was a circle of red and swollen marks on the wrist. Ziye gritted his teeth, enduring the intense pain, and refused to cry out loud.

"Let me see. Brother Ye is so mean, isn't he? He hurt Ziye, didn't he?" Mo quickly placed Ziye on the sofa. While coaxing Ziye, he flusteredly tried to roll up his sleeve.

Ziye just glared at Ye Rufeng. The look in his eyes made Ye Rufeng feel a bit uncomfortable, so he quietly turned his head away.

Mo gasped. Looking at Ziye's arm, there were thousands of small black dots on the fair skin. If it weren't for seeing that he was healthy now, perhaps he would have thought they were the marks of needle - pricks...

"...It's okay. It's just a bruise. I'll take Ziye to the hospital for a check - up later, okay?"

Mo said nervously.

However, Ziye was still glaring at Ye Rufeng, as if he was about to pop his eyes out.

"...Ziye?" Mo called softly, trying to get Ziye's attention back.

"I'll kill you!" Ziye suddenly screamed and lunged at Ye Rufeng.

"Ziye!" Mo quickly hugged him, breaking out in a cold sweat.

"Let me go! I'll kill him! And then kill you! Let go!" Ziye screamed and shouted. Ye Rufeng was so scared that he took several steps back.

"I'll call an ambulance. He's not right. Hold him tight." Ye Rufeng said and quickly ran to make a call.

"You two are colluding to deceive me! Deceive me! I'll tell him the truth! Let's all perish together! Perish together!"

"Is this the Citizen's Hospital? There's an emergency patient here. Come quickly. Yes, this is 6 - 4, 9 Shaling Street. Hurry up!" Ye Rufeng's voice was a bit shaky.

"Ziye?...Ziye?" Mo called anxiously.

Ziye's unconsciously screaming voice suddenly stopped. He stared straight ahead, like a broken doll.

"Ziye? Don't scare me. Say something. Blink your eyes at least... Ziye?"

Mo shook him vigorously. Ziye's head nodded and swayed, but he still didn't come to his senses.

Then, Ziye's eyes rolled around out of control. Mo let out a wail, hugged Ziye, and burst into tears in fear. In the midst of the chaos, Ye Rufeng shouted his citizen number into the phone, almost as if he was about to start an argument. "I don't care if it's the central government or the autonomous government now. Send an ambulance over here! Otherwise, I'll go to your hospital myself and kill someone! Do you hear me!"

"Ziye!" Mo hugged the small body tightly, holding on for dear life, because Ziye's hands and feet had started to twitch slightly.

Later, it turned into uncontrolled flailing and shaking. Mo