Chapter 33: Running Away from Home

After returning to the rented apartment, Mo Ran tossed his phone aside to charge and started boiling water for a bath, paying no mind to anything else. He failed to notice the incessant chimes of his phone, echoing through the room.

Only after he finished everything did he realize that Su Qingxue, his former sister-in-law, had sent him a barrage of messages.

“Huh? That girl,” Mo Ran muttered as he scrolled through his phone, puzzled. What could his ex-sister-in-law possibly want?

He skimmed through more than a dozen text messages in one breath before losing patience. He thought it was something serious, but it was only about the troubles plaguing the Su family; Su Corporation’s business had been affected, and Su Dashan hoped Su Qingcheng would step in, win him back, and stabilize the situation with Xiao Xiao’s father. As long as the authorities’ attitude shifted, Su Corporation’s operations would resume smoothly.

“Only a fool would believe Su Qingcheng’s nonsense,” Mo Ran scoffed, recalling the project at Shanghai Port, feeling utterly disdainful. Did they really take him for an idiot?

(Thank you, Qingxue. Don’t worry, a divorce is a divorce. I won’t be taken in by your sister’s schemes.) Mo Ran quickly tapped out a reply.

(I’m relieved then.) Su Qingxue, still reading under the lamp, received Mo Ran’s reply, exhaled softly, and responded swiftly. She stood up, intending to sleep, but a fleeting thought crossed her mind. Stepping out of her room, she walked to the third floor, stopping outside Su Qingcheng’s door.

Knock, knock, knock.

Su Qingxue gently tapped the door. Soon, it opened, and Su Qingcheng appeared in the doorway, her face full of confusion as she looked at her younger sister.

In the next moment, Su Qingxue was stunned. Beneath the lamplight, she saw the once dazzling beauty now haggard and worn, her delicate face pale as paper, worry etched between her brows, making Su Qingxue’s heart ache.

“Sis, are you still troubled by the company’s affairs?” Su Qingxue glanced at her sister, speaking cautiously.

“I’ll handle it. Why aren’t you asleep so late?” Su Qingcheng replied, not answering directly, instead asking in return while pinching the space between her brows. Clearly, Su Dashan’s words from the afternoon had left her deeply conflicted.

“Sis, I—I just contacted brother-in-law.” Seeing her sister’s weary state, Su Qingxue couldn’t help but say it, her voice tinged with guilt.

At this moment, a wave of regret surged in Su Qingxue’s heart. She suddenly felt that her act of passing information was a betrayal, since a portion of her sister’s earnings supported her as well.

“What?” Hearing this, Su Qingcheng’s muddled mind snapped to attention, her eyes wide with shock, her voice rising several octaves.

“I—I told brother-in-law what I heard this afternoon,” Su Qingxue stammered, startled by the sudden outburst.

“Su Qingxue! Where did all those years of study go? How could you share family matters with outsiders?” Su Qingcheng’s blood pressure spiked as she scolded loudly.

“Sis, I—I don’t want you to deceive brother-in-law for money. He’s really a good person.” So many years had passed since Su Qingxue was last scolded; she couldn’t bear it. Her large, watery eyes brimmed with tears that threatened to fall, but she held them back, pouting.

“Money is just a worldly possession?” Su Qingcheng murmured, swaying as she spoke. She staggered back several steps, barely catching herself on the doorframe.

“Sis, are you alright?” Su Qingxue, seeing Su Qingcheng’s state, was flustered.

“Su Qingxue, you’re so exceptional, so pure—always the good person. Mom and Dad drift through life, careless and idle, and I’m exhausted from supporting this family alone. I hoped you’d strive for more, and we’d work together someday. But now you tell me money is just a worldly thing—how disappointing.” Su Qingcheng’s gaze was heavy with disappointment.

Her voice trembled as she spoke, as if she were lost in a labyrinth, battling inner conflict and anxiety. Emotions twined around her heart, suffocating her.

“Sis, I…” Su Qingxue stood frozen at the doorway, listening as Su Qingcheng finished. Every word was a stabbing blade, piercing Su Qingxue’s heart, leaving her speechless.

“Enough, you don’t need to say anything. I want some peace.” Su Qingcheng, now cold and distant, waved her hand dismissively, issuing a silent command for Su Qingxue to leave.

“Sis…” Su Qingxue gathered her courage, stepping forward, intending to bury her head in her sister’s arms as she had in the past. But in the next moment, Su Qingcheng’s sudden action startled her.

A sharp slap rang out in the quiet villa, clear as crystal under the warm white light. The scene seemed to freeze in that instant.

“Sis, you hit me.” Su Qingxue covered her left cheek, staring at her sister in disbelief, tears streaming as she choked out the words.

“Go back to bed.” Su Qingcheng glanced at her sister’s face, surprised by her own raised hand. She pointed toward the stairs, her voice icy.

“I—I won’t talk to you anymore.” Feeling utterly wronged, Su Qingxue sobbed and retreated to her room.

She wasn’t the one who did wrong—why should she be hit? She meant well, after all. Even if she told Mo Ran about the afternoon’s events, it wasn’t a mistake.

Back in her room, Su Qingxue lay on the bed, crying for a long, long time, until her tears dried and her throat was hoarse.

“If I made a mistake, I’ll make it right—just like a failed exam, I can make up for it with another subject.” Gradually calming down, Su Qingxue believed she had found a brilliant solution. Muttering to herself, she stood and began changing clothes, determined to seek out Mo Ran and persuade him to return. She naively thought if she brought him back, her sister’s troubles would disappear.

No sooner said than done. Under the cover of night, Su Qingxue changed, grabbed her phone and some cash, wiped her face, and slipped out quietly.

Meanwhile, Mo Ran had already sunk into a deep sleep, oblivious to the trouble quietly approaching him…