Chapter 96: Very Honored

Chapter 96: Chapter 96: Very Honored

As they exited the Maple Forest Leisure Center, Mo Qian Ni was panting heavily from running.

Seeing that Yang Chen still held onto her hand, Mo Qian Ni pretended to cough and her face turned red, whether from shyness or from the exercise, it was unclear.

"What's wrong? Miss Mo, do you have a sore throat?" Yang Chen asked innocently.

Mo Qian Ni glared at him. "Let go of your pig trotter!"

Yang Chen chuckled, unfazed. Though he released her soft, delicate hand, he couldn't help but comment, "Miss Mo, your insult lacks creativity. Pig trotters can't bend to grip your hand."

Knowing that arguing with this guy would lead nowhere, Mo Qian Ni didn't bother to retort and headed straight for the car.

Once they were on the road they came from, Yang Chen glanced behind and, seeing no one following, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Mo Qian Ni teased with a playful smile, "So even thick-skinned people like you have fears. Are you worried that Zhou Dongcheng will chase after us?"

Yang Chen was indeed worried about that effeminate guy catching up. Awkwardly, he chuckled, "Miss Mo, your mind is truly intricate. You can even think of such profound questions."

"Don't worry. Although he comes from a background in the underworld, he's famous in this circle for being modest and courteous. You can't even tell he's one of those young masters. He never forces anyone," Mo Qian Ni explained.

"Listening to you, he sounds quite kind..." Yang Chen muttered.

Mo Qian Ni pressed the volume button on the steering wheel, lowering the music in the car to a minimum. "Of course, he can't always be so kind. If he were truly harmless, people wouldn't fear him. I'm just saying, if you don't provoke him or threaten his interests, Zhou Dongcheng will always treat you with kindness. That's unlike his father."

"Have you met Zhou Guangyuan?" Yang Chen asked.

Mo Qian Ni gave him a look as if he were an idiot. "Of course, Dongxing Group is not a small enterprise. It's not uncommon for us to see Zhou Guangyuan in some public occasions. But to be honest, that old man doesn't seem like a businessman. Despite all the whitewashing over the years, every time I see him, I feel like he's wrapped in darkness, making people feel uneasy."

That's how he could become the underground emperor of the East District. Yang Chen actually thought Zhou Guangyuan looked somewhat normal.

After saying this, Mo Qian Ni fell silent for a moment before saying, "As a return for helping me today, I'll give you the chance to choose the dinner location."

Yang Chen was relieved that he wouldn't have to go to some strange place with Mo Qian Ni. After thinking for a moment, he said, "I want to eat hot pot!"

Mo Qian Ni glanced at him. "It's not winter yet, why eat hot pot? It'll make you break out."

"You said it's my choice, so what do you think we should eat?" Yang Chen asked with a hint of complaint.

"Let's eat at a street food stall."

"Still street food? Big sis, didn't you say it's my choice?" Yang Chen smiled bitterly.

Mo Qian Ni snorted. "You said it. I gave you the chance, not the final say. Your choice got vetoed, now we're going to the street food stall!"

Mo Qianni continued, "My mom eventually got better. I don't know if it was heaven's mercy or if the herbs from the village chief really worked. But that one illness made my mom seem to age several years all at once..."

"But, I was still very afraid. At that time, I thought, if my mom got sick again, but we still didn't have the money to get her treated, what would happen? I couldn't bear to think about it. My only thought at the time was to make sure my mom had money for medical treatment..."

"So, you came to Zhonghai alone?" Yang Chen realized.

Mo Qianni nodded, self-mockingly saying, "Do you think it's absurd, foolish? A girl who wasn't even fourteen, pretending to be mature when she really didn't understand anything, taking a train alone to Zhonghai, wanting to earn money to get her mom treated."

"Not foolish, but you're impressive. I'm curious how you got the money to buy the train ticket," Yang Chen asked.

Mo Qianni's gaze evaded, hesitated for a moment, then said, "I stole someone's wallet at the station..." After speaking, she lowered her voice and asked, "Will you look down on me? Do you think I'm shameless, blatantly admitting to such a despicable act?"

Stealing a wallet? That's nothing. I've even robbed a bank before... Yang Chen thought, but he naturally wouldn't say it out loud. He just nodded honestly, "No, people make mistakes. At least you're much nobler than me. I've been to the police station twice."

Mo Qianni finally smiled and continued, "You might know some of what happened afterward. After I came here alone, I tried to self-study, got help from a few fellow villagers including Xiang Sao, and some assistance from the welfare home, and managed to attend junior high school. Later, because of Ruoxi's grandmother, who is also the CEO of Yulei International, happened to come to our school for a speech, she noticed me and cultivated me. Since then, I've been able to hold my head high in Zhonghai. If it weren't for the CEO, there wouldn't be the Mo Qianni of today... You should understand now why I was so angry when I found out that you, this scoundrel, married Ruoxi."

Yang Chen nodded in understanding.

"The most precious kindness in the world is like sending charcoal in snowy weather." Although Mo Qianni's words sounded light, it was apparent that for a girl who came from a remote mountain village, with no support and even negligible existence, to enter a real school, to experience all this with the upper class society, and to become an elite in Zhonghai's business world, what Lin Ruoxi's grandmother gave Mo Qianni was definitely not just material help. Perhaps more importantly, it was a kind of spiritual support that sustained Mo Qianni. Of course, the efforts Mo Qianni made along the way must have been several times greater than an ordinary person, and the joys and sorrows along the way were probably only understood by herself.

"Eventually, I earned money. I still remember when I sent the first sum of money to my mom, she cried on the phone for a long time, but we were all very happy... My mom knew I had grown up, and I knew I could finally take care of her..."

"However, that was also the beginning of Zhang Fugui's obsession with gambling. He knew I could receive a considerable salary every month, and after settling down in Zhonghai, his gambling got bigger and bigger. From starting with a few cents, to later gambling tens, even twenties with some people, and in the past two years, it's been hundreds up and down," Mo Qianni sighed lightly.

Yang Chen frowned, "Then why didn't you let your mom divorce him, let her leave him and live with you in Zhonghai? With your income, you could easily support yourselves very well. Why bother with that gambler?"

Mo Qianni smiled bitterly, "He might be a shameful gambler to you, an incompetent and shameful stepfather to me... but to my mom, he's the man who took her in when she was most destitute, the man who accompanied her for over a decade. Even if Zhang Fugui is bad, he hasn't done anything outrageous to my mom, he's been by her side all along..."

"So, for your mom, you've been giving money to help Zhang Fugui cover his gambling debts? Even agreeing to let him come to Zhonghai?" Yang Chen understood the situation now, feeling a sense of pity. Every family has its own difficulties. If Mo Qianni hadn't spoken about it herself, who would have known that this glamorous beauty executive had such a dark side?

Mo Qianni nodded. "What else can I do? I can't force my mom to divorce, she can't refuse Zhang Fugui's earnest pleas, and I can't reject the only family member's requests."

"Do you think your mother loves Zhang Fugui?" Yang Chen asked.

Mo Qianni paused for a moment, then said, "If she didn't love him, she wouldn't have stayed with him in that remote and impoverished village for so long. Even though she knows her daughter has a house, a car, and a career in a bustling city, she still silently stays with Zhang Fugui, guarding the old house and the two acres of land."

"How can you be so sure? I speculate that maybe your mother doesn't want your career to be affected because of her. After all, if some people find out about your true background, it might not be favorable for you at work," Yang Chen suggested.

"I don't care!" Mo Qianni was somewhat excited. She hadn't considered this possibility before, but Yang Chen's words made her suddenly more awake. "Do you really think it's possible? My mom isn't staying with Zhang Fugui out of love, but out of concern for my future?"

Yang Chen thought for a moment, then smiled strangely. "If you're willing to trust me, we can conduct an experiment. Afterward, everything will become clear."

"An experiment?" Mo Qianni looked at Yang Chen in confusion, but out of instinctive trust, she nodded slightly.