Chapter 43 The peacock spreading its tail feathers—is it trying to lock me up? Dress nicely…
On the way back, Mo Ningzhi didn't say much. He was too tired and his mind was in turmoil.
Zhou Yaozheng's words had no effect on him; Mo Ningzhi had never cared about this person. His mind was preoccupied with Qin Weijin.
Some things are easier to say when the moment is right, but once the opportunity has passed, bringing them up again feels abrupt. Mo Ningzhi had been interrupted twice by Li Yan and Zhou Yaozheng, and now, wanting to continue, she couldn't find the right opening.
Qin Weijin seemed to be the same as him; he didn't say anything else along the way except ask if he was thirsty.
Back home, Mo Ningzhi tossed the keys back into the drawer. Li Yan was already asleep; a light was still on in the living room, and the dining table in the kitchen had been cleaned. Mo Ningzhi leaned against the wall and bent down to change her shoes.
As soon as his hand touched the wall, the scene from just now began to flash before his eyes endlessly...
Right here, right against this wall, he was pinned against the wall by Qin Weijin and interrogated. What was his reaction then? What did he say? Where were his hands and feet? Mo Ningzhi couldn't remember any of it. The only clear images in his mind were him lying on the sofa throwing a tantrum and telling Qin Weijin to stay away from him.
"..."
Qin Weijin turned around and saw Mo Ningzhi standing stiffly by the wall, her slippers barely touching the ground, her face strange, turning red and white, her thoughts a jumble of emotions.
"What's wrong? Are your shoes broken?" he asked.
Mo Ningzhi put on her shoes listlessly, then drifted away like a ghost, saying, "It's nothing, I just need to calm down."
Qin Weijin followed up: "What's there to calm down about?"
Mo Ningzhi said with a blank face, "On how to effectively regulate one's behavior when one is in a state of mental confusion."
"..."
What's going on?
Qin Weijin had no idea where Mo Ningzhi's mind had wandered off to again, but he was a patient, so it was normal for his thoughts to be a little confused.
He followed him into the living room, where two loose medicine boxes lay on the coffee table, which Qin Weijin put away. Mo Ningzhi had taken his medicine twice before bed and couldn't take any more now. Qin Weijin poured him a glass of warm water and then urged him to go to sleep.
"You fell asleep?" Mo Ningzhi paused slightly, holding the cup.
Qin Weijin looked at him, "Otherwise?"
"It's okay, I'm going to sleep now." Mo Ningzhi put down the cup and walked into the room, taking large strides.
"Get some rest, goodnight," Qin Weijin said from behind.
Mo Ningzhi stopped at the door of the master bedroom, hesitated for a few seconds, and then said, "Good night."
...
Mo Ningzhi was woken up by the ringing of the phone in the morning. When he opened his eyes, it was already 10:30 in the morning. After saying goodnight to Qin Weijin last night, he did not fall asleep immediately after returning to his room. He tossed and turned until almost dawn before finally closing his eyes. Even when he fell asleep, his mind was a mess. He was very tired after this sleep.
The number on the screen was familiar. Mo Ningzhi answered, turned over, placed the phone next to her pillow, and closed her eyes again. "Hello."
"...Son?" Hearing his half-asleep voice, Old Mo immediately lowered his voice considerably. "Still asleep?"
"Hmm. What do you want?" Mo Ningzhi had just woken up and was still recovering from her illness. Her voice was nasal, sounding soft and harmless.
Mo Tingzhou hadn't heard Mo Ningzhi act so calmly and obediently in many years. He couldn't help but lower his voice even further, as if afraid of disturbing something. "Your Aunt Zhou and I are back and at the hospital now. Xiao Zheng said you came to see him last night and he thought you seemed sick. Are you alright?"
"Just a minor cold," Mo Ningzhi said.
"Did you take your medicine? If you feel unwell, tell your dad and I'll come pick you up."
Mo Ningzhi hadn't heard such gentle admonitions and nagging in a long time. He seemed very patient, curled up in the blanket, and felt a softness in his heart. "No need, it's almost done. How is Zhou Yaozheng?"
Mo Tingzhou was surprised that he would bring up Zhou Yaozheng. He paused for a moment, then said happily, "The abrasions aren't serious. His arm will need to be in a cast for a month, so he can't go to work for the time being. He'll be hospitalized for a week first, and then your Aunt Zhou will take him home to recuperate."
Mo Ningzhi, half asleep and half awake, uttered an "oh".
His peaceful demeanor stirred a complex mix of emotions in Old Man Mo, who kept him chatting for a while longer, until Mo Ningzhi grew tired of hearing the same old tales and finally frowned, saying he had to hang up.
"Okay, that's all for now. I'll go check on things in the ward. Zhizhi, you get some rest."
Mo Ningzhi's eyes snapped open: "Don't call me that."
"What's wrong? That's what I called you when you were little."
"..."
Mo Ningzhi hung up the phone.
The rare father-son bond softened Mo Tingzhou's heart. Even after Mo Ningzhi hung up on him, he still smiled as he put away his phone and went into the ward.
Zhou Yaozheng was helped to sit up by the caregiver, and his first reaction was to look at Mo's father, "Uncle Mo, what does Ning Zhi have to say?"
“He didn’t say anything,” Mo Tingzhou said with a smile. “He seems to have figured it out. He didn’t yell or lose his temper on the phone just now, and he was actually quite well-behaved.”
Mo Tingzhou was overjoyed that his own son had been defiant for so many years, and that this new little family had finally gained his approval. Mo Ningzhi's tone on the phone reminded him of how well-behaved and obedient he was when he was a child. If it weren't for the father-son conflict and the need to avoid being too hasty, he would have even wanted to run over and pat his son's head.
Zhou Suiyin took out the nutritional supplements she had brought, and smiled happily upon hearing this: "Really?"
"Of course." Old Mo patted her shoulder. "It's good that he's come to his senses. After all these years, that ungrateful little brat has finally let go. He won't have to be caught in the middle between his two sons anymore."
Zhou Suiyin nudged him with her elbow, her relaxed expression barely concealing her reaction: "How can you talk about your own son like that? Ning Zhi is a good person; he has never raised his voice at me."
Mo Tingzhou laughed heartily.
Zhou Suiyin opened the food box: "Here, Xiao Zheng, have some pig's trotter and mushroom soup to nourish yourself. I had Auntie stew it last night, and the temperature is just right now."
Zhou Yaozheng took it and continued, "Thank you, Mom. By the way, Uncle Mo, it seems Ning Zhi has guests staying at her house, did you know?"
"A guest?" Mo Tingzhou remembered Qin Weijin, whom he had seen last time, and realized, "Oh, I know, that's Ning Zhi's colleague, staying temporarily. He should be leaving in a few days."
“It doesn’t seem like it.” Zhou Yaozheng scooped up a spoonful of soup and drank it, saying, “Ning Zhi brought him here last night. Their relationship doesn’t seem like that of ordinary colleagues. Ning Zhi listens to him a lot.”
Zhou Suiyin was also surprised: "Then they must be very good friends."
"Really? Then they seem quite close." Mo Tingzhou waved his hand, not taking it to heart. "I'll ask about it when I have the chance."
Zhou Suiyin disagreed, saying, "The child is growing up, and he will be unhappy if you interfere too much. Ningzhi is a smart child and won't make friends randomly, so don't always try to meddle."
"Alright, alright, I'll do as you say, Madam." Mo Tingzhou said, "Then you two chat first, I'll go back to the company first."
"Be careful on the road. I'll have Xiao Li pick you up," Zhou Suiyin said.
"knew."
After Mo Tingzhou left, Zhou Yaozheng lost his appetite and put down his bowl. Zhou Suiyin asked worriedly, "Why aren't you eating? Is your wound hurting again?"
Zhou Yaozheng stared at his mother without moving, his eyes deep: "Mom, I want to ask you for a favor."
"you say."
"Go and see Mo Ningzhi."
Zhou Suiyin's expression changed: "Why?"
She finally noticed that Zhou Yaozheng was acting strangely. "Son, what's wrong with you?" It seemed like he had been urging them to go find Mo Ningzhi ever since.
"Tell me the truth, is Ning Zhi still angry with us? Saying he accepted us is just a lie, isn't it?"
“No.” Zhou Yaozheng closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again, regaining his usual composure: “Recently, there have been too many personnel changes in the company, and many people are getting restless. Some are even secretly buying up shares. I’m worried that Ning Zhi might be scammed. If you go and check, everyone will feel at ease.”
Ever since Zhou Suiyin witnessed Zhou Yaozheng's persistent nagging outside Mo Ningzhi's house, she has never mentioned going to see Mo Ningzhi again, and the same is true now.
"You're saying things that Mom doesn't understand, but Mom believes Ningzhi won't be taken advantage of. Your main task now is to recover from your injury. Don't worry about anything else. Besides, Ningzhi doesn't like us bothering him."
“But he won’t refuse you,” Zhou Yaozheng said.
Zhou Suiyin was taken aback: "What?"
Zhou Yaozheng frowned and said stubbornly, "Mom, just do me a favor and go to his house to see him, okay?"
...
Mo Ningzhi took another nap and didn't get up until almost midnight.
Having been working overtime day and night for a while, it was a rare treat to have such a comfortable time to sleep in. Pulling back the curtains and seeing the beautiful scenery of the lake and mountains below, Mo Ningzhi felt that her illness had been mostly cured.
After washing up, he went out the door and went straight to the kitchen.
Qin was indeed part of Jin.
Mo Ning wondered how he could time things so perfectly, that the food would be ready shortly after he got up.
After days of heavy rain, the sky over the city was once again cloudless.
Qin Weijin was bathed in light, making him appear warm and inviting. Mo Ningzhi recalled that he used to enjoy watching Qin Weijin cook. Back then, he simply found Qin Weijin inexplicably attractive. Now, he realized that perhaps he had been drawn to him without even realizing it.
Mo Ningzhi leaned against the wall for a while and said, "Good morning, Brother Jin."
Qin Weijin turned around and looked at him. Half of his face was white from the sunlight, and even the smile on his lips looked stunning. "Good morning."
Mo Ning felt a jolt in her heart and abruptly looked away.
"Oh no!" he thought to himself. Originally, Mo Ningzhi had planned to suppress his impulse because Qin Weijin was a public figure and it was not good for him to get involved in a romantic scandal.
But now it seems that won't work. He can't control it.
That day, his eye contact with Qin Weijin through the viewfinder had already opened a breach, and his suppressed emotions surged forth, now completely out of his control.
As Qin Weijin took the buns out of the steamer, he glanced at him and asked, "Did you take your temperature this morning?"
"without."
Qin Weijin's eyebrows twitched upwards: "Go measure it."
The medicines and thermometer that she usually took were placed on the low table in the living room. Mo Ningzhi picked them up and shot herself, then ran back to the kitchen door and said in a boastful tone, "38.3."
Mo Ningzhi dislikes being interfered with and never proactively reports his schedule. It was the same when he was an assistant; he would disappear when he got angry. But today, he even reported his temperature. Qin Weijin noticed the change and smiled, "You're fine. You don't need to take your medicine today."
Mo Ningzhi followed behind him with chopsticks in hand, saying, "I wasn't planning on eating anyway."
He is in good health and rarely takes medicine when he has a cold or fever. He only takes a few pills when he is really feeling unwell. Perhaps because of this, his body does not have much drug resistance, and he usually gets better after taking medicine twice for a common cold.
Breakfast was very simple, but after drinking two meals of bland white porridge, Mo Ningzhi found everything delicious.
The thought that I had no work today made the food taste even better.
Noticing that Qin Weijin was dressed rather formally and his hair seemed to have been carefully styled, Mo Ningzhi, with a steamed bun in her mouth, asked vaguely, "Are you going out?"
Qin Wei Jin replied frankly, "No."
"Then you should wear this..."
Qin Weijin wore a silk shirt with gold threads hidden in the fabric, which shimmered in the sunlight. It didn't look like ordinary clothes at all, and it was much more presentable than the oversized T-shirt that Mo Ningzhi had just grabbed and put on.
"I wore it for you to see."
"..."
Mo Ningzhi was stunned, not expecting Qin Weijin to say such a thing so calmly. She was speechless for a long time, and finally stammered, "I thought you were going out..."
"Didn't you want to lock me up?" Qin Weijin looked up and met Mo Ningzhi's gaze: "If I dress nicely, you'll be happier locking me up."
"..."
This is incredible!
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Author's note: Bug fixes.
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