When Gu Kai and Wen Ran arrived at the hospital room, Cheng Jia was curled up on the bed, clutching her head in agony, her face twisted in pain.
The attending nurse stood pale and flustered beside her.
Gu Kai strode swiftly to the bedside, calling out, "Cheng Jia."
At the sound of his voice, Cheng Jia raised her head and met Gu Kai's sharp gaze. Her hands tightened around her head as she trembled, her voice quivering, "Dr. Gu, my head hurts terribly. Am I going to die like this? Please… call Mr. Mo for me. I want to see him…"
Perhaps Gu Kai's tall and imposing figure had blocked Wen Ran from view, or perhaps Cheng Jia was truly too overcome by pain to notice anything else, for her tear-filled eyes remained fixed solely on Gu Kai.
"Brother Gu, you go ahead and examine her. I'll call Xiuchen."
Wen Ran, her slender figure paused a few steps away, gazed calmly at Cheng Jia. Though she was a patient, the suffering she displayed seemed no graver than the nurse's pallid expression.
Catching Wen Ran's voice off guard, Cheng Jia abruptly turned her head and met Wen Ran's cool and distant gaze. A flicker of irritation flashed through her heart, yet in front of Gu Kai, she maintained her carefully crafted fragility. "Miss Wen, then please call Mr. Mo now. I fear I won't get another chance to see him."
"Ranran is right. You should get examined first. Xiuchen will be here soon," Gu Kai said, giving the nurse a discreet signal.
The nurse promptly stepped forward and reached out. "Miss Cheng, let me help you."
Supported by the nurse, Cheng Jia left for her examination. Gu Kai deliberately lagged behind a step, and as he passed Wen Ran, he lowered his voice and said, "She might be faking it."
Wen Ran's eyes flickered with quiet understanding.
Cheng Jia had been hospitalized for days. Mo Xiuchen had only accompanied her on the second day—and never returned since. Though she was hospitalized because of him, he had not appeared again. It was no surprise she had grown restless. If feigning a severe headache might compel him to visit her, she clearly believed it worth the act.
After a moment of thought, Wen Ran took out her phone and dialed Mo Xiuchen.
MS Group
The décor of Mo Xiuchen's office was dominated by black and white tones—elegant yet understated, much like the man himself.
At present, the air in the room was heavy.
Three men were present—Mo Xiuchen, seated alone on a leather sofa, and Luo Haofeng and Qin Mu on the couch opposite.
In front of the solid wood coffee table stood a man in his forties. His legs trembled slightly, and though his dark complexion masked any paleness, sweat beaded heavily upon his forehead.
Mo Xiuchen rested one hand on the arm of the sofa, the other gently tracing the rim of his teacup. His long, deep eyes narrowed coldly as he looked at the man before him. "So, have you decided? Will you go to prison for ten thousand yuan, letting your son carry the shame forever, or will you tell me who put you up to this?"
The middle-aged man shivered. A bead of cold sweat rolled down his brow. He bit his lip hard and stammered, "I'll talk… but I have one request."
"What is it?"
Mo Xiuchen's languid tone carried a chill that made the man stammer, "Please don't tell my family—especially my son. I don't want him to know."
"Alright."
Mo Xiuchen straightened, his gaze intensifying.
Luo Haofeng and Qin Mu also sat up, their eyes fixed intently on the man.
"It was a young woman who approached me. She said her surname was Wen. I don't know her full name."
"Surname Wen?"
Before Mo Xiuchen could respond, Luo Haofeng let out a sardonic chuckle, leaning forward, his gaze sharp with a hint of amusement.
Interesting.
A young woman surnamed Wen—it was hard not to think of Wen Ran.
Mo Xiuchen remained silent, but a glint of frost flickered deep in his eyes, the temperature in the room dropping almost perceptibly.
Qin Mu's brows furrowed tightly. Either the man was lying—or he was deliberately misled.
Judging by his demeanor, the latter seemed more likely.
"Did you speak to her in person?" Qin Mu asked after a pause.
"No, it was over the phone. She sounded quite young. I saved the number from the public phone she used. Maybe you can trace it."
Sensing the tense atmosphere, the man grew more uneasy. With shaking hands, he took out his phone and showed the number to Mo Xiuchen.
"An F City number?"
Mo Xiuchen's eyes narrowed.
"What date?" Luo Haofeng and Qin Mu asked simultaneously.
Mo Xiuchen's face darkened as he stared at the screen, his voice cold and sharp. "It was during Wen Ran's business trip."
"I think I heard someone call her 'Wen Ran' on the phone," the man added, unaware that this was Mo Xiuchen's wife. "Yes, that's the name—Wen Ran."
A cold, ironic smile tugged at the corner of Mo Xiuchen's lips. His phone buzzed in his pocket. Glancing at the screen, his expression shifted slightly. He stood and walked toward the window, answering in a low, magnetic voice, "Hello?"
Qin Mu and Luo Haofeng exchanged glances—it had to be Wen Ran on the line.
"Mo Xiuchen, Cheng Jia suddenly started complaining about a headache. She wants to see you. Are you free right now?"
Wen Ran's soft voice reached his ears. Mo Xiuchen frowned slightly, puzzled. "When did this happen? Ranran, why are you at the hospital?"
He remembered she had gone to lunch with Luo Haofeng earlier. According to him, she had returned to the company afterward. Why was she at the hospital now?
"Oh, something came up and I asked my brother, so I stopped by. I just happened to run into Cheng Jia."
She lied. She didn't mention that it was Mo Xiuchen's father who had called her. No matter how much she resented Mo Jingteng's arrogance, she didn't want to be the reason for discord between father and son.
"If it's not urgent, wait for me there. I'll head over now," Mo Xiuchen said thoughtfully.
"Alright, I'll wait for you."
She hesitated before softly agreeing.
After hanging up, Mo Xiuchen returned to the sofa, tall and commanding. The middle-aged man immediately felt a powerful pressure bearing down on him.
"You may go. If that woman contacts you again, record the conversation."
Relieved, the man nodded quickly and left in haste.
"You're letting him go just like that?" Luo Haofeng asked, visibly disappointed. He'd been expecting some drama.
Qin Mu caught the look in Mo Xiuchen's eyes and said, "It's no use pressing him further. We should trace the location of that public phone. I'll ask Uncle Ming to help identify the caller. Once we do, things will be easier."
"Didn't you suspect Cheng Jia of staging this? Could she have made the call from F City?"
"She never left G City during that time. It couldn't have been her," Qin Mu replied. But then, his expression changed as he added, "Unless the number was tampered with—just like that time Wen Ran received a call that seemed to come from your number."
The two exchanged thoughts, neither suspecting Wen Ran. That gave Mo Xiuchen a sense of quiet reassurance. Even if someone tried to frame her, no one would believe it.
He cut their discussion short. "Cheng Jia's in the hospital with a headache. I'm going to check on her. You two can call it a day."
"You're going to see Cheng Jia? Aren't you worried Wen Ran will be jealous?" Luo Haofeng teased.
Qin Mu mused aloud, "I heard from Xiao Liu that Cheng Jia acts like a shrew when speaking to Wen Ran—none of the gentle grace she usually shows."
Xiao Liu knew because Mo Xiuchen had wanted to understand Cheng Jia's behavior behind his back but didn't want to watch the footage himself. So, the task fell to Xiao Liu.
In truth, Xiao Liu didn't need the video. Cheng Jia only acted demure and considerate in front of Mo Xiuchen. To everyone else, she was the cold and arrogant heiress, completely forgetting her place.
"I have nothing urgent. I might as well go too. Who knows, maybe she'll fall in love with me at first sight. That'll help you out," Luo Haofeng said, clearly just looking for entertainment.
Qin Mu rolled his eyes. "You two go. I'll head to the construction site. If Xiao Wenqing finds out the chairman wants to pass the company to you, she'll try to stir up trouble. We can't afford issues with the project."
Mo Xiuchen nodded. "Alright. Go."
While waiting for Mo Xiuchen, Wen Ran visited her brother.
Wen Jin's leg was healing well. At his current pace, he'd return to work in two months.
"Ranran, have you still been having nightmares lately?" he asked, studying her from his bed.
She looked much better than when he first woke up—no longer pale and exhausted. The softness of her girlhood had given way to a feminine charm.
All thanks to Mo Xiuchen.
His kindness to his sister wasn't just something she spoke of—others had noticed too. Even Auntie Li had said that if their parents were still alive, they'd be glad to see Ranran with such a good man.
Wen Ran's smile was gentle. "I haven't had any nightmares for a while."
It surprised even her. The nightmares that had plagued her since childhood had seemingly vanished. Except for a single dream during her trip to F City, she hadn't had any whenever she slept beside Mo Xiuchen.
If mere company were the key, her mother had slept beside her too. Even Bai Xiaoxiao had, during that trip. Yet nothing worked—except him.
Wen Jin's gaze softened, and he smiled fondly. "That's good. You look healthy now. If our parents knew the nightmares had left you, they'd be at peace."
Mentioning their parents stirred a twinge of sadness in Wen Ran's heart. Her smile faded. "Ge, do you think those dreams… could be memories from my past?"
Wen Jin shook his head with a chuckle. "What past? You've been the apple of our eyes since birth. How could you possibly look like the ragged child from your dreams? You've never endured such things."
Wen Ran pouted. That was the part she couldn't understand. In her dreams, she was like a little beggar. Sometimes, she wished the dream would become clearer—more complete—but it always came in scattered, terrifying fragments.
A sudden ringtone interrupted them. Wen Ran glanced at her phone. Her eyes softened.
"It's Mo Xiuchen. He must be at the hospital. I'll go check on Cheng Jia."
Wen Jin saw the happiness she didn't even try to hide. He should have been happy, yet couldn't help feeling a hint of bitterness. The sister he'd cherished for so long had been "taken" by another man.
"Go. But if Cheng Jia bullies you, don't take it lying down."
Wen Jin's voice was gentle but firm.
Their parents were gone—but she still had him. She was still the Wen family's precious jewel, not someone Cheng Jia could push around.
Wen Ran arched a playful brow. "Don't worry, Ge. Whether it's Cheng Jia or anyone else, if someone dares to cross me, I'll fight back twice as hard. I won't embarrass you."
"That's my girl."
He waved her off with a smile.
As Mo Xiuchen entered the hospital lobby, he immediately dialed Wen Ran. The call rang twice and was cut off. Beside him, Luo Haofeng whistled mischievously. "She jealous? Not picking up?"
Mo Xiuchen shot him a look and stepped into the elevator—pressing the button for Wen Jin's floor, not Cheng Jia's.
When he stepped out, Wen Ran happened to be walking out of the ward. His cold, stern features softened instantly.
Beside him, Luo Haofeng narrowed his eyes and grinned. "You two really are in sync. How did you know exactly where she was?"
Mo Xiuchen withdrew his gaze and turned to him. "You go see Cheng Jia first. I'll be there shortly."