Chapter 48
“Of course not,” Sheng Mumu answered decisively, almost blurting it out.
“You’ve already done very well.”
No one is born knowing how to be a father.
Moreover, he was just a fifteen-year-old boy back then.
Being able to earn a huge fortune through his own efforts that was enough to support Qi Shaobai for a lifetime, that was already not easy.
Sheng Mumu's eyes glanced at Gu Wan's tombstone.
In the photo, Gu Wan smiled gently with a faint hint of sorrow between her brows. Qi Shaobai really resembled her a lot.
Sheng Mumu now completely understood why their "father-son" relationship was so awkward.
Seeing Qi Shaobai's face, she couldn't help but think of her sister.
Qi Mo loved Qi Shaobai, but also hated him.
He hated why his sister insisted on giving birth even at the cost of her life.
He wanted to take good care of Qi Shaobai, but couldn't break through the barrier in his heart.
He didn't know how to be a father, and there was always estrangement and caution between them.
"He has always looked up to you as a role model," Sheng Mumu said gently with a smile like water, "Even if he doesn't say it out loud, it shows through his eyes and brows that he is proud to have you as a father."
Qi Mo's voice was hoarse, and his speech paused for a moment: "Is that so?"
"Yes, I'm not lying to you," Sheng Mumu said firmly with a soft and pleasing voice.
At that moment, her bright eyes shone like autumn water, and her smile was like the first thaw of a snowfield.
Like the most refreshing wind, the warmest spring water, it seemed to be able to soothe all unrest.
Qi Mo was lost in thought for a moment, feeling an unfamiliar and abrupt impact in the left side of his chest.
Although the cold wind was still blowing around them, it felt as if he had fallen into early spring.
"Why was she buried in Shen City?" Sheng Mumu changed the topic when she saw him lost in thought.
Qi Mo lowered his eyes to conceal his emotions and answered, "Because that man's name contained 'snow', and her dying wish was to be buried in a place that snows."
Sheng Mumu's beautiful eyebrows furrowed fiercely: "......"
She heard Qi Mo let out a mocking, low laugh and say, "Qi Shaobai's name was also given by her, meaning a young and white as snow boy."
Sheng Mumu frowned even tighter and couldn't help but ask, "That man deceived her and left her like that, so why..."
"Why was she so foolish," Qi Mo said coldly, "I can't understand it either."
Not only could he not understand it.
Seeing with his own eyes that his sister was still pining for a completely undeserving man until the end of her life buried a seed of disbelief in feelings and distrust in long-term intimate relationships in his young heart.
Until later when he became successful in business, he didn't have the slightest thought of starting a family.
He believed that feelings only consumed people's rationality and made them make incorrect judgments, useless and harmful.
But in recent times, this view seemed to have changed.
Her appearance was like a ray of light.
It pried open the darkness and squeezed into his originally dull life.
It made him feel concretely that the word "home" could be warm.
Sheng Mumu clasped her fair hands together and said indignantly, "So unfair!"
"It was clearly that scumbag's fault. He deceived both sides, but the one who suffered the tragic consequences in the end was your sister. She could have had a great future, but it was all ruined by that scumbag."
She paused, clenching her fists even tighter, and her long lashes trembled slightly from anger:
"That saying online really makes sense."
Qi Mo stared at her unwaveringly: "What saying?"
Sheng Mumu: "Don't get close to men, you'll become unhappy."
After she finished speaking, the man's eyes tightened imperceptibly.
Sheng Mumu: "Women should make money and love themselves, that's the hard truth. All that lovey-dovey stuff are just stumbling blocks. After hearing about your sister, I'm even more convinced that wise people don't fall in love."
A fleeting gloom flashed across the man's eyes. He lightly hmm-ed and didn't say anything more.
The corners of his mouth curled up in a faintly self-deprecating smile as his gaze fell on the distance with ambiguous meaning.
After a while, noticing that the person beside her didn't respond, Sheng Mumu glanced over.
She felt that the perpetual coldness and aloofness in his eyes finally found an explanation.
Before today, she would never have imagined that this man, who was always elegant and composed, unflappable, and doted on by everyone outside, actually had such hidden, gloomy, and heavy memories.
Her heart felt like it was being squeezed by a lemon, sour and swollen.
The way she looked at Qi Mo unconsciously also held more sympathy.
Sensing her gaze, the heavy-spirited man suddenly turned his face towards her:
"Don't look at me like that."
The next second, he stood up from the bench.
He reached out his hand over her head and ruffled her hair, the corners of his lips quirked up, the loss in his eyes having just dispersed:
"It'll make me misunderstand."
Misunderstand that she cared about him.
Misunderstand that her impassioned earlier words of "not falling in love" were just big talk.
The subtle touch on the top of her head prompted Sheng Mumu to raise her eyes.
Her bright eyes were even more dazzling and charming under the snowy backdrop, like a helpless little deer.
Before she could ponder the meaning behind his words, he had already retracted his hand and strode away.
"Let's go, back home."
...
After getting in the car, Sheng Mumu thought the atmosphere would be very heavy.
But unexpectedly, Qi Mo recovered his composure much faster than she imagined.
He slowly took off his coat, turned on the heater, and started the car.
Sheng Mumu took a piece of candy out of her pocket and handed it to him, "Want it?"
Qi Mo turned his face to look at her, his voice concealed laughter, "Are you trying to pacify me like a child?"
Sheng Mumu smiled, "There are no 1.9 meter tall kids like you."
Qi Mo's eyes filled with more laughter as he jokingly said something out of character, "You eat it, I won't snatch candy from a child to eat."
Sheng Mumu was stunned: "......"
Her phone dinged with a WeChat message.
Qi Shaobai finally couldn't stand it and sent Sheng Mumu a message asking where they were and complaining that when he woke up from his nap, he was the only one left in the villa.
Under normal circumstances, Sheng Mumu would definitely fire back with a retort or two.
But today, after finding out about his background, she did a complete 180 and gently replied:
"We're coming back now, have you eaten breakfast? Good boy, what do you want to eat? I'll bring it back for you. Kindly aunt emoji"
Qi Shaobai's heart lurched, feeling that something was off.
The next second, she called.
Sheng Mumu picked up with a caring look on her face.
On the other end of the phone: "Don't say anything, listen, if I've been kidnapped, cough once. "
Sheng Mumu was speechless: "............"
He thought she was sending strange messages as a cry for help????
Sheng Mumu raised her voice: "I'm perfectly fine, I haven't been kidnapped!"
After speaking, she turned her head to look at Qi Mo who was driving, and couldn't help but complain:
"I don't know what's in this kid's head, I asked if he wanted breakfast and he actually thought I was kidnapped???"
Qi Mo's lips curved up, his handsome face breaking into a smile.
Sheng Mumu: "It's just absurd."
Over the receiver came Qi Shaobai's voice:
"Your reply was so weird, it's normal that I would think that way, you need to be vigilant, even elementary schoolers know that."
Sheng Mumu was rendered speechless: "......That's called caring, I advise you to be grateful."
Qi Shaobai scoffed and ridiculed: "I advise you to watch your words."
Sheng Mumu took a deep breath: "......"
Ok, fine.
Don't get angry, don't get angry.
Don't quarrel with a brat.