The sudden kiss startled Yan Xinxin, causing her to reflexively let out a small cry and take a step back.
Just as she was about to bump against the railing behind her, Mo Chuxi’s arm quickly circled around her slender waist, pulling her firmly into his embrace, preventing her frail back from hitting the cold, hard metal.
There was a lingering scent of orchid in his chest, intoxicatingly enveloping her senses as it tickled her nose.
Yan Xinxin’s body trembled slightly, and she hurriedly reached out to push the man holding her away.
As the warmth retreated, Mo Chuxi inexplicably felt a strange emptiness in his palm.
"Uh, you—you kissed me again? What was that for?"
Yan Xinxin touched her cheek where she’d been kissed, her small face flushed faintly pink under the starlight and moonlight.
Mo Chuxi curled his seductive lips slightly and turned away indifferently.
"I kissed you. Do I need your permission first?"
Does he think that’s completely reasonable?!
Yan Xinxin grumbled inwardly, yet unexpectedly found herself agreeing with him.
After all, he had always been so forceful and domineering, his actions decisive and sharp. If he bothered asking for opinions, then he wouldn’t be Mo Chuxi—the infamous Mo family young master!
Staring at the tall and graceful figure of the man’s silhouette, Yan Xinxin turned away again and lifted her head to gaze at the sky. Her lovely eyes soon grew distant and unfocused, her thoughts far away.
Noticing how quiet Yan Xinxin had become, Mo Chuxi curiously turned his head to look at her.
She tilted her head slightly, the gentle curve of her profile once again reminding him of the joyous face from his childhood memories.
"Turns out, I’ve always been wrong about one thing."
Yan Xinxin suddenly spoke, her soft voice sinking deeply into Mo Chuxi’s heart.
He saw her slowly lower her eyes and let out a faint sigh of sorrow.
"The first time I met Chenxi, I told her that the person who loves us most in the world is our mother. But as it turns out, that’s not true..."
When her words fell, Mo Chuxi saw Yan Xinxin smile bitterly.
"From the moment I can remember, my sister always had better food, better things, better clothes than me. I thought I was the older sister, and it was natural to let her have these things. But now I realize... it wasn’t like that at all."
As she spoke, her voice had already begun to tremble faintly.
"It’s a fact that my mother favored my sister. But no matter how much I tried, I never imagined that she would hurt me in such a way..."
Seeing the petite woman’s tear-filled eyes in front of him, Mo Chuxi felt his heart tighten and stepped closer to her.
"Yes, I was an unwed mother—I gave birth to Xi despite everyone’s objections. But when it happened, it wasn’t voluntary. Other than my father, no one believed the truth I spoke. Why wouldn’t my mother believe me either? Could it be that, in her eyes, I’m just that shameless..."
The tears pooled in her beautiful eyes finally fell.
Yan Xinxin suddenly seemed like a lost child, directionless and devastated, as she began to cry in pain.
Mo Chuxi’s sword-like brows furrowed, and he reached out to pull Yan Xinxin into his arms. His warm palm gently stroked her hair as his voice softened.
"I believe you, Yan Xinxin. I believe you."
The comforting embrace and words brought a sense of warmth to Yan Xinxin’s heart. Mo Chuxi’s simple affirmation of "I believe" made her grievances pour out in torrents of tears.
Yan Xinxin instinctively clung tightly to Mo Chuxi. Her slender fingers gripped the fabric at his back as her distress unleashed without restraint.
Listening to the sounds of the woman sobbing in his arms, Mo Chuxi felt a piercing ache in his heart. He tightened his hold on her even further, though his gaze darkened with a sharp, ominous glint.
Those who made her suffer and cry—he wouldn’t let any of them off. Including the man who hurt her five years ago!