Chapter 312 - Beyond Expectation

Shi Qingxue worriedly looked at Mo Xiangrui.

When they were in the carriage, she had guessed that Qi Zhengdao might be Mo Xiangrui’s illegitimate son.

However, she didn’t think too much then. Now Mo Xiangrui was so nervous, and it was difficult to understand.

Mo Junyang still didn’t care but smiled at Shi Qingxue to comfort her.

Seeing that, Shi Qingxue was relieved and followed them to see Qi Zhengdao.

Qi Zhengdao was feeble as he had just woken up, and a servant was feeding ginseng soup to him.

A doctor in the mansion stood aside. Such a stranger didn’t qualify to be treated by Shen Luo in person. After seeing Mo Xiangrui, he knelt down respectfully at once and greeted, “Your Highness.”

Qi Zhengdao suddenly raised his head and looked at Mo Xiangrui, without hiding the strangeness and excitement in his eyes. His pale face looked more pitiful and weaker.

He trembled and got up slowly, standing beside the bed. He wanted to get close to King Rui seemingly, yet he felt scared.

“Are you King Rui?” Qi Zhengdao licked his lips and asked in a husky voice.

He tried to avoid seeing King Rui as he was in awe of him, but in the end, the awe was replaced with admiration, and he raised his big bright eyes, looking at Mo Xiangrui.

Mo Xiangrui was strong with momentum, yet his forehead was charming, dazzling with clear eyes, which was the unique style of the royal family members.

The teenage boy Qi Zhengdao hadn’t grown up, and he was so weak, while his eyes and brows were similar to Mo Xiangrui’s to a great extent.

Before Mo Xiangrui said anything, the servants guessed secretly after seeing their faces. Then they looked Mo Junyang up and down while making conjectures.

As expected, Mo Xiangrui looked at Qi Zhengdao who was as weak as a chicken and hurriedly strode to him. He supported the boy and rebuked with power, “You haven’t recovered. Why did you get up?”

Although he rebuked, anybody who was sensible could notice Mo Xiangrui’s concern about the boy.

He helped Qi Zhengdao lie on the bed and then replied in a warm voice, “Yes, I am King Rui.”

Then he took out the jade pendant and showed it to Qi Zhengdao, asking, “Where did you get this jade pendant?”

Qi Zhengdao’s eyes fell on the jade pendant, and he answered gloomily, “My mother gave it to me.”

“Where is she now? How is she? What did she say when she gave the jade pendant to you?” Mo Xiangrui couldn’t help but ask three questions in succession anxiously.

However, Qi Zhengdao kept silent and looked sad.

When Mo Xiangrui got impatient after waiting and wanted to ask again, the boy struggled to get up once more. He knelt on the bed and kowtowed to Mo Xiangrui with effort, begging in tears, “Your Highness, my mother told me not to disturb your peaceful life, while I really had no choice but to come to your mansion. I beg you to show mercy and save my mother, Your Highness!”

“What?” Mo Xiangrui got up all of a sudden, too.

He looked at Qi Zhengdao in astonishment and asked anxiously, “What on earth happened? Tell me now.”

Qi Zhengdao didn’t hide anything since he started the subject. He told Mo Xiangrui that his mother was critically ill and there was no effective medicine, and he was exhausted and had nowhere to go.

All his words were sorrowful.

Any listener would feel sad and shed tears.

Moreover, the one who heard these words was Mo Xiangrui.

He was in panic at once and asked hurriedly, “Where is Ruyue? Take me to see her now.”

Qi Zhengdao’s eyes lit up at once. Although he was still weak, he struggled to get up.

It seemed that he was afraid that Mo Xiangrui would run away, and he grabbed King Rui’s hand anxiously, refusing to let him go.

Mo Xiangrui lowered his head and looked at their hands together, then he looked stunned on his dignified face, but in the end, he didn’t say anything unexpectedly, letting Qi Zhengdao grab his hand and walking out of the mansion.

All the servants were good at observing. In the beginning, they noticed that Mo Xiangrui showed unusual concern about this teenage boy from nowhere, and even before asking about this stranger’s identity, he allowed the boy to offend him.

This boy had a high position in King Rui’s heart.

However, because of this, the servants furrowed their brows more tightly.

The reason was simple.

There was an official heir in King Rui’s mansion.

A teenage boy suddenly showed up and might be King Rui’s illegitimate son left in folk.

Only at this thought, they could imagine a drama of fighting for the title of nobility.

However, the heir kept his composure from beginning to end and even unhurriedly followed King Rui out of the mansion.

With this attitude, did he like this boy? Would they side with one of them?

Mo Junyang naturally wouldn’t care about what the servants were worried about. He left carefreely, which made Shi Qingxue happy for a while.

Till they got into the carriage again, Qingxue was still laughing.

Mo Junyang glanced at her repeatedly and finally couldn’t help asking, “Is it so laughable?”

“Of course. Unfortunately, the position of Duke Shi’s heir is vacant all the time, and the second family and third family covet it yet don’t have the nerve. They didn’t dare to show their ambition too obviously. I have never seen that the servants in my family ‘worry about’ something like this. It’s so…” Shi Qingxue grinned from ear to ear.

She finally saw that the emperor didn’t worry but the eunuchs were anxious.

At this thought, Qingxue couldn’t help but gently pull Mo Junyang’s sleeve, which made him glance at her. Then she showed a flattering smile. “Be serious. What on earth are you thinking about?”

Shi Qingxue didn’t have a brother, while the only adopted brother Wenren Chi had never coveted the title of Duke Shi and even might feel disgusted with it, so she really didn’t know what he was thinking about when he had to fight for the title of nobility with his brother.

Would it be like a fight for the title of heir to the throne among the princes?

Mo Junyang didn’t want to ask. He shot a glance at her and then closed his eyes to rest his mind.

Shi Qingxue felt more anxious and curious. She grabbed his sleeve again and showed a sweeter smile. “Good brother, just tell me.”

Her words “good brother” made herself have goose bumps.

Qingxue restrained the urge to withdraw her hand and rub her arm, looking at Mo Junyang with expectancy.

Mo Junyang relaxed before his face was tense for long. Then he opened his eyes again and looked at Qingxue. Although his expression was still indifferent, there was an evident smile in his eyes and brows.

“Do you really want to know?”

It was a sign that he was going to tell her.

Shi Qingxue nodded repeatedly and her eyes were brighter, like a kitten asking for a hug.

So Mo Junyang didn’t hesitate to grab Qingxue’s hand and hold her in his arms.

Before Shi Qingxue reacted, she was sitting on Mo Junyang’s knees.

It felt soft and comfortable.

The man’s warm breath could be felt on the tip of her ear. Before she tried to struggle, he said gently, “If you don’t move, I will tell you.”

Qingxue instantly became dumb like a wooden chicken and just pricked up her ears, trying hard to listen to Mo Junyang’s next words.

Mo Junyang laughed in a deep voice. “You are so lovely.”

Shi Qingxue was speechless.

So she was molested?

However, before she got angry, the man said, “It’s so great that I can hug you like this.”

Shi Qingxue kept silent.

Fine. Even though she didn’t want to admit it, she got soft-hearted indeed.

In fact, she was never the kind of people who would get soft-hearted easily, but since she was reborn, anything Mo Junyang did could make her soft-hearted easily.

Qingxue was relieved at once and leaned against Mo Junyang’s chest.

Her face clung to his, and it seemed that as long as she turned her head, she could kiss his cheek.

She didn’t move or ask anxiously.

It was because she knew that the man wouldn’t hide anything from her as long as she wanted to know it, even if it was a shocking secret.

He did so just because he wanted the intimacy for a moment.

She felt happy in secret. Why not?

As Shi Qingxue guessed, Mo Junyang enjoyed her warmth and fragrance. After a long time, he said slowly, “Qingxue, in fact, I don’t mind.”

“You don’t mind Qi Zhengdao’s identity?” Shi Qingxue had predicted so, so she was not surprised.

Mo Junyang nodded and continued before Qingxue asked, “Right. I don’t care whether he is Father’s illegitimate son or how Father will treat him. I…”

It seemed to remind Mo Junyang of some secrets, and his voice became soft. He whispered, “My identity can be kept as a secret for a period, yet it may not be hidden for a lifetime, so I just hope that Father can be healthy and happy.”

Shi Qingxue noticed Mo Junyang’s hidden meaning and still didn’t turn her head to look at him, as she didn’t need to. She just gently grabbed his hand on her waist.

She didn’t speak but comforted him in silence.

The carriage soon came to the southern suburbs of the capital city. It was a place for refugees to stay. Everything was shabby and desolate, with few people.

There were thatched cottages with frames and sheds on both sides of the road, and several refugees could be seen indistinctly inside.

These structures with air leaks on all sides were built by some people sent by the government to settle the victims of a natural calamity temporarily when there was flood in summer. It was just a place to take shelter.

It was fine in summer. They could stay alive even with the sky as a quilt and the floor as a bed, but in winter, such a cottage couldn’t make the residents take shelter from wind or rain. After they stayed here for only a few days, they might freeze to death.

The carriage stopped. Mo Xiangrui was shocked and remained still after seeing the shabby cottages.

Qi Zhengdao seemed not to have noticed Mo Xiangrui’s unusual expression but grabbed him and walked in while introducing, “Here we are. Mother is inside.”

Mo Xiangrui suddenly stopped and didn’t dare to enter.

Since he saw Qi Zhengdao, he knew that the boy and his mother must not live a good life.

However, he had never expected that the boy’s life was so difficult.

The stronger wind could blow such a cottage away and the heavy snow could make it collapse. He really didn’t dare to imagine what the woman living in this place was like.

“Your Highness, why don’t you go?” Qi Zhengdao looked back at Mo Xiangrui in confusion. It seemed that he didn’t understand why King Rui stopped at the door.

Did he regret it?

At the thought of this possibility, Qi Zhengdao turned pale and trembled. He was going to kneel down while begging, “Your Highness, please save Mother!”

Mo Xiangrui hurriedly supported Qi Zhengdao, with a more complicated expression. He was unable to explain his weird and complex feelings to the boy.

When he was at a loss for words, several coughs from the room could be heard suddenly.

In the place with white snow, the voice was clear.

Mo Xiangrui seemed to be struck by lightning. He thought that he had forgotten this voice, yet he felt that it was so familiar and he had just heard it yesterday seemingly.

Next second, King Rui shook off Qi Zhengdao’s hand and rushed into the room.