Chapter 138: Underground Romance

This was the most direct threat Elder Shen had uttered since the call began.

If Mo Qi wanted to make a name for herself, she needed a stage and opportunities. Yet such things could be easily granted by Elder Shen, and just as easily crushed out of existence.

Faced with such overwhelming power, what could a completely backgroundless Mo Qi possibly do? Even resistance would likely be viewed as a mere joke in the eyes of others.

Though rage boiled within her chest, Mo Qi smiled on the surface.

Had their conversation not been laced with hidden barbs, Guan Min, standing right beside her, might have mistaken their exchange for a most pleasant chat just by observing Mo Qi's expression.

The angrier Mo Qi felt, the more serene her tone became. "Elder Shen, might I ask for the reason behind your decision? Nothing more, I am simply curious about how you view anyone other than yourself."

"Mo Qi, you are an intelligent person; you should know that fairy tales exist merely to satisfy the imaginations of a select few," Elder Shen said. "I have no desire to make things difficult for an ambitious young person like you. On the contrary, if there were no conflict between us, I would be more than happy to provide you with opportunities."

"Thank you for your kind intentions," Mo Qi replied. "However, I must decline. There is one more point I wish to clarify. King Shen and I have established no formal relationship whatsoever; you really need not damage the bond between grandfather and grandson over some nonexistent matter. I shall leave it at that, I know you are busy. Goodbye."

Mo Qi ended the call and handed the phone back to Guan Min. "Thank you."

Taking the phone, Guan Min asked with a hint of mockery, "You're just going to accept defeat and give up so easily?"

Mo Qi shook her head. "From start to finish, the only sentence in that call I actually meant was the very first one. Everything else was just meant to lull the enemy."

Guan Min looked at her, and Mo Qi smiled. "There is a saying: 'Build planks in the open while secretly crossing Chencang.' Elder Shen needs only a minor directive to have me completely blacklisted. Given that, why would I confront him head-on? To play the heroic martyr marching to a glorious death? In the end, the predicament Shen Yijue and I are facing stems simply from the fact that I am far too insignificant."

"I told you long ago, you being with Yijue was never as simple as just the two of you," Guan Min said, rubbing his temples with a headache. "Regardless of all that, I am undoubtedly on Yijue's side."

"Thank you," Mo Qi said sincerely. "Let's go back and eat."

Returning to the hospital room together, they found Shen Yijue had finished eating and was leaning against the headboard, reviewing the documents Xiao Zhang had brought.

Xiao Zhang was sitting on a stool to the side, playing on his phone and monitoring the latest news online.

Shen Yijue looked up at Guan Min, and seeing the latter's innocent shrug, he understood that Mo Qi must already know everything.

"Have both of you eaten?" Mo Qi asked nonchalantly as she walked over and opened the re-covered food containers, where meals had been specially set aside for them.

Putting down his phone, Xiao Zhang said, "Mo Qi, those two containers in there were left for you and Brother Guan."

"It's stir-fried pork with green bamboo shoots, just the way I like it. Thank you, Brother Xiao Zhang." Mo Qi picked up her lunchbox and began to eat with relish.

Shen Yijue looked at Guan Min again.

Under that gaze, Guan Min managed two bites from his lunchbox before losing his appetite entirely.

"It's getting late, Xiao Zhang and I still need to find a hotel," Guan Min said, putting down his container. "Mo Qi, will you be all right staying here by yourself?"

"I'll be fine," Mo Qi said with a smile, setting her own food aside.

"Very well, call us if anything comes up." Guan Min picked up the briefcase he had left nearby. "Xiao Zhang, let's go."

"Huh?" Xiao Zhang blinked in confusion. Didn't Brother Guan tell him to book the hotel earlier when he went out to buy clothes?

Though puzzled, Xiao Zhang quickly grabbed his bag, hurried after Guan Min who had already strode out of the ward, and left with him.

Mo Qi continued to bury herself in her meal, while Shen Yijue did not rush her, lowering his gaze once more to the documents in his hands.

She spent over forty minutes finishing the food in the small container, whereupon Shen Yijue handed her a bottle of mineral water from the bedside cabinet.

Mo Qi took it and took a sip.

The sun outside the window had begun its descent to the west, casting slanted golden rays through the glass where dust motes could be seen floating in the air.

Mo Qi stared blankly for a long moment before finally speaking up. "I spoke with Elder Shen on the phone."

A nearly imperceptible frown crossed Shen Yijue's brow. He had assumed Mo Qi merely knew the old man's intentions to blacklist her; he had not expected the two of them to have actually spoken.

Directly, Mo Qi said, "Elder Shen looks down upon my background and is deeply pessimistic about the two of us being together."

"Focus on doing what you want to do; I will handle the rest." Shen Yijue shifted slightly inward and patted the edge of the bed. "Come here."

Obediently, Mo Qi walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. Looking straight into Shen Yijue's eyes, she said earnestly, "What he said is actually quite true. Our backgrounds and social status are different; the people, things, and education we've been exposed to since childhood are different, too. To a large extent, this shapes our hobbies and even our personalities, which are completely dissimilar. To put it simply, you are accustomed to champagne and red wine, but if given the choice, I would rather drink a two-or-three-yuan canned beer from the roadside. That is the gap between us."

Shen Yijue frowned slightly, listening quietly without interrupting. Though his face remained expressionless, his heart was in turmoil. Could Mo Qi be planning to let go so easily?

Noticing the shift in Shen Yijue's emotions, Mo Qi smiled softly, reached out to take his hand, and said, "I was merely stating a fact just now. While Elder Shen is right in a sense, I have no intention of agreeing with his conclusion. Everyone has their own philosophy and values; even if one cannot agree, one should at least respect them."

"What are your plans?" Shen Yijue was far less calm than he appeared.

Hearing this, Mo Qi let out a soft huff, curled her lip, and said, "The more he looks down on me, the more I'll make his jaw drop. Let's see what he has to say for himself then."

Shen Yijue abruptly tightened his grip on Mo Qi's hand. The fleeting despair in his heart was instantly replaced by joy, and a faint smile touched his eyes. "I support you."

"You must support me! And unconditionally, at that!" Mo Qi declared righteously.

The smile in Shen Yijue's eyes deepened. "Very well."

Holding her hand, he gently stroked her fingers one by one. Though he knew Mo Qi wasn't the type to surrender easily, there had been a moment just now when he feared she might buckle under the pressure and let go.

The deeper one cared, the easier it was to be consumed by fear of loss.

"You promised, and a gentleman's word is hard to take back." With a sudden movement, Mo Qi drew her legs up and knelt on the bed, saying seriously, "If we meet in the future, let's meet in secret."

The smile in Shen Yijue's eyes faded slightly. "Are you planning to have an underground relationship with me?"

"You just said you would support me unconditionally!" Mo Qi glared at him, though her own heart wavered a little.

Given Shen Yijue's strong-willed nature, asking him to sneak around in a relationship was indeed a bit much to ask.