Chapter 15

Lu Tingchao sensed a change in Mo Lingnan.

During their first encounter, he had been stern and rigid. Now, he could feign seriousness without a flicker of emotion, even when addressed as "Uncle Mo."

A man of many facets.

Even if Mo Lingnan hadn’t called him, Lu Tingchao had already planned to go—after all, Lu Doudou was still with him, and he wanted to play with the child.

Lu Tingchao slid out of bed, stumbled painfully, and instinctively clutched a post installed beside the large bed.

He couldn’t recall when that post had been installed. It stretched from floor to ceiling, wrapped in a soft material, and even bore several deep, un-rebounded indentations from fingerprints.

Lu Tingchao: "..."

Lu Tingchao gritted his teeth and instantly withdrew his hand.

Zhuang Ji was no good either!

Men were all villains!

Lu Tingchao sat on the bench at the foot of the bed, slowly dressing. After a moment’s thought, he shed his original T-shirt and shorts, opting instead for a mid-to-high-collar shirt and long trousers.

Chao Chao went downstairs.

Chao Chao went out.

Chao Chao found the door locked from the outside.

Lu Tingchao: "..."

Zhuang Ji, that absolute trash.

Weary, Lu Tingchao slumped by the door. First, he called property management, then a locksmith. Soon, both arrived.

The locksmith requested, "Please show me your ID."

Lu Tingchao replied weakly, "The property management can confirm my identity."

The property manager stated, "Sir, I can only confirm that you reside here with Mr. Zhuang, not any other relationship."

Lu Tingchao: "..."

Furious, Lu Tingchao retreated to the bedroom and spent a laborious half-hour searching—but his own marriage certificate was nowhere to be found.

Lu Tingchao had no choice but to target Zhuang Ji’s possessions. He rummaged through the nightstand, then the study, and finally, without a shred of hesitation, used his own birthday to unlock Zhuang Ji’s safe.

Their marriage certificates lay neatly on the top shelf, Zhuang Ji having even encased them in a protective cover.

Lu Tingchao presented the marriage certificates to the property management and the locksmith: "Will this suffice now?"

The door finally opened.

Aching all over, Lu Tingchao ascended the stairs once more. Just before returning the red booklet to the safe, he paused for a second and, unable to resist, mischievously opened the first page of the marriage certificate.

—There they were: his eighteen-year-old self and twenty-four-year-old Zhuang Ji.

At eighteen, Lu Tingchao’s face was still tender, his eyes still holding the terror of the Lu family’s complete downfall. He instinctively hid behind Zhuang Ji’s shoulder, radiating a nervous, bristly unease.

At twenty-four, Zhuang Ji had already returned from a prestigious university, refined and gentle, resolute and exceptional.

Lu Tingchao stared blankly for a while.

Then, as if burned, he shoved the marriage certificate back into the safe and slammed the door shut with a "snap."

*

The late night in City B was finally free from the torment of traffic jams.

Lu Tingchao parked his car at the entrance of Mo Lingnan’s underground garage. Just as he was about to report to the security guard, the barrier arm automatically lifted.

Lu Tingchao: "???"

Puzzled, Lu Tingchao drove in. Then, taking the elevator upstairs, he discovered that even the door to Mo Lingnan’s home seemed to have his information pre-recorded, allowing him completely unobstructed access.

And so, Lu Tingchao, dressed in somewhat out-of-season attire, appeared fresh and vibrant before Mo Lingnan.

It was almost five in the morning.

Yet Mo Lingnan seemed utterly sleepless. His room was a stark, minimalist palette of black, white, and gray. A massive floor-to-ceiling reception area merged seamlessly with the desk beside it, forming one continuous space.

When Lu Tingchao entered, Mo Lingnan was still seated at his desk.

The rich aroma of black coffee permeated the room.

Mo Lingnan looked up as if it were routine, his gaze resting impassively on Lu Tingchao for a long moment. "Come here."

"Oh."

The entryway on both sides was lined with display cabinets filled with various badges and epaulets, likely for the owner’s convenience in coordinating outfits. There were also several model firearms, which, combined with the gray-tinted tempered glass cabinet doors, intensified the oppressive atmosphere.

Lu Tingchao, feeling particularly mischievous, kicked off his shoes—one to the left, one to the right—successfully disrupting the entryway’s pristine order. Then, barefoot, he padded across the dark gray marble floor and stopped in front of the man: "Hey, Mo Lingnan, where’s my big Doudou?"

The screen of the computer in front of Mo Lingnan was still lit, displaying lengthy PDF documents. He was flipping through a reference book, using a pen to highlight a few key paragraphs.

The man closed the book, tilted his head slightly, and his gaze settled on Lu Tingchao’s fair, delicate feet.

Lu Tingchao: "..."

Lu Tingchao curled his toes.

"He’s asleep."

Mo Lingnan pushed his chair back, turned to face Lu Tingchao fully, and said in a low voice, "Lu Doudou is a diligent and clever child. He’ll achieve great things in the future."

Who wouldn’t be delighted to hear their child praised?

Lu Tingchao instantly brightened, stepped forward, and pointed at his own nose: "What about me? I’m only twenty-five!"

Mo Lingnan: "..."

Mo Lingnan looked up at Lu Tingchao, then, after a long moment, rubbed the space between his brows.

Lu Tingchao was displeased. "Even if twenty-five isn’t a budding flower of the nation, I can still be a beautifully blooming—"

His gesturing wrist was suddenly seized by a strong, large hand.

Then his waist was forcefully pulled forward.

Lu Tingchao lost his balance and tumbled completely into Mo Lingnan’s embrace.

The chair was broad and sturdy.

Lu Tingchao instinctively sought balance, his knees bending and settling astride the man's legs from the momentum, his arms naturally resting on Mo Lingnan's shoulders.

It was a somewhat awkward position.

Because of it, he was essentially straddling Mo Lingnan, and Mo Lingnan's hand, which had been holding his waist, slid downward.

His waist pressed down, and his loose shirt drooped with gravity.

From the man's angle, everything inside was visible from the collar.

"Slap."

Mo Lingnan gave Lu Tingchao's butt a light slap.

Lu Tingchao instantly bristled like a cat: "What are you doing?!"

Mo Lingnan's hand lingered on the spot he had just struck.

His voice had grown completely hoarse; his Adam's apple bobbed for a long moment before he spoke: "Shouldn't I be asking you? Chao Chao, what were you doing at home?"

Lu Tingchao froze.

Mo Lingnan, however, touched a spot on his neck with his finger: "Lu Tingchao, you were enjoying yourself at home. Only then did you think of Lu Doudou and me?"

Lu Tingchao understood and immediately wanted to explain: "No! It's because—"

Mo Lingnan cut him off, moving to another spot: "How did this happen?"

Lu Tingchao: "..."

Mo Lingnan's hand had a distinct, thin layer of calluses; as it brushed over the skin, it sent a subtle shiver through him.

Lu Tingchao reached to grab his hand, but their strength was too mismatched; instead, he was led to another mark.

"Here, then."

Mo Lingnan's voice was cold and low, "Did he kiss here? No—more like bit you."

Lu Tingchao: "Mo Lingnan, I... Mmh—"

The repeated friction from the fingers made the already tender spots hurt even more. Lu Tingchao struggled a couple of times but couldn't break free; instead, overly afraid of the pain, he instinctively recoiled, seeking shelter in his tormentor's arms.

Begging for mercy.

Lu Tingchao wanted to push Mo Lingnan away but was afraid of being bitten even harder. Torn between choices, his hand waved futilely in the air before being caught in a firm grip.

The pain flared sharply.

Mo Lingnan drew back from Lu Tingchao's shoulder, his tone low and intense: "He has so many marks on you, yet I only have this one."

Lu Tingchao: "!!!"

Lu Tingchao wanted to bolt; his whole body stiffened: "I don't want to! It's too painful!!"

"You can make me feel pain too."

Mo Lingnan said.

Lu Tingchao: "???"

Lu Tingchao was stunned.

Mo Lingnan supported his lower back, allowing the person in his arms to sit more comfortably and with less pressure: "What I mean is, I'm not like Zhuang Ji, Chao Chao. You can cause me pain too."

Lu Tingchao: "?"

Mo Lingnan: "If it's too much, bite me, kick me, swear at me..."

Lu Tingchao: "..."

Those were things Chao Chao had done.

Lu Tingchao guiltily rubbed his nose and hung his head: "I'm not some puppy..."

Mo Lingnan: "Then kiss me."

Lu Tingchao looked up: "Huh?"

Mo Lingnan: "You gave Zhuang Ji so many indulgences, then came to me covered in his marks. Did you really come to me for help getting a divorce, Chao Chao?"

Mo Lingnan asked: "So what are you prepared to give me?"

Lu Tingchao: "..."

You... you expect payment too?

Can't Chao Chao just reap the benefits without suffering? QAQ

Lu Tingchao fidgeted uneasily in Mo Lingnan's embrace a few times, when he suddenly noticed the man's expression growing darker and more dangerous, which immediately froze him in place.

Lu Tingchao tentatively said, his voice dry: "Uncle Mo, I... I don't have any money..."

"Mm."

Mo Lingnan said, "I don't want your money."

Lu Tingchao looked around, dodging the question: "Mo Lingnan, I have a question, it's important!"

Mo Lingnan looked at him.

Lu Tingchao's mind scrambled, and he finally came up with a question to ask now: "Being a police officer is so great, and you're even the bureau chief, so prestigious. Why did you leave the force back then?"

The night was very quiet.

Moonlight streamed into the room through the floor-to-ceiling window. Lu Tingchao saw the scar on his chest that still showed visible marks to this day.

The wound was nearly penetrating, running from the left shoulder down to the waist, grazing the heart, savage and frightening.

Further ahead was the display cabinet in the entryway.

Inside were the medals Mo Lingnan had once risked his life to win, shining brilliantly.

Lu Tingchao stared at the wound, pondering: "Was it because it was too dangerous, and the pay was too low..."

"No."

Mo Lingnan said.

He looked up at Lu Tingchao, a faint layer of amusement seemed to pass through his eyes: "Because I didn’t want to tarnish this profession."

Lu Tingchao: "...Huh?"

Mo Lingnan’s hand reached past Lu Tingchao’s shoulder and neck, touched his hair: "Because perhaps it was destined—I was meant to be a morally corrupt person."

Lu Tingchao froze: "...What?"

"It’s alright if you don’t understand."

Mo Lingnan twisted his lips slightly, "But once Lu Doudou is added to my household registration, and you become my legitimate spouse, I’ll explain it to you slowly over time."

Lu Tingchao: "..."

Lu Tingchao grew nervous and grabbed Mo Lingnan’s clothes: "But my household registration is tied to Zhuang Ji..."

Remembering that he had already brought this up with Mo Lingnan before, he eased up a bit and whispered: "I told you last time, and you said you knew. Mo Lingnan, you... you do know, right?"

"I forgot."

Mo Lingnan said coldly.

Lu Tingchao: "!!!"

Lu Tingchao was stunned: "Wh-what?!"

"Chao Chao, I have a lot on my plate."

Mo Lingnan reached out to brush the stray hairs on Lu Tingchao’s forehead, "I don’t remember everything. You were the one who asked me to register Lu Doudou under my household. Now you’ve committed bigamy—it seems illegal. What should we do?"

Lu Tingchao, both legally ignorant and academically challenged, froze.

Almost instantly, his eyes reddened, tears welled up, making him look pitiful and innocent: "Then... what do we do? I... I didn’t do it on purpose, Mo Lingnan."

Mo Lingnan held him securely and asked gently: "Do you want me to help you solve it?"

Lu Tingchao nodded with a sob.

Mo Lingnan: "First, kiss me."

Lu Tingchao pressed his lips together hesitantly.

Mo Lingnan added: "A proper kiss."

Lu Tingchao was reluctant. He rubbed his eyes: "But..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Mo Lingnan’s hand pressed against the back of his head, drawing him closer and holding him in place.

It was a long, gentle kiss, tinged with the saltiness of tears.

Mo Lingnan said with a near sigh: "Forget it, Chao Chao, I don’t want to wait anymore."

"I’ll help myself."

Lu Tingchao was startled by the sudden movement, not even noticing the teardrops rolling from his eyes.

Mo Lingnan’s lips still carried the moisture from Lu Tingchao’s tears, yet the man’s expression was satisfied and greedy: "Chao Chao, I really like Doudou."

Lu Tingchao was still sniffling: "Doudou is... very, very smart. He loves studying too, much better than me."

"Mhm."

A calloused thumb brushed away the tears at the corner of Lu Tingchao’s eyes.

Mo Lingnan said: "I have regrets."

Lu Tingchao: "Ah..."

"What you said to me before. I have regrets."

Mo Lingnan continued, "Chao Chao, bear me a child as well."