Xi Nanfeng realized he had misspoken and quickly jumped a few steps back.
Old Mo’s reaction was simply a testament to how deeply he loved Ji Wei—he couldn’t tolerate the slightest doubt about their marriage.
"I said something wrong, my bad..."
Xi Nanfeng apologized awkwardly, "But seriously, bro, I just don’t get it. You clearly love Ji Wei, so why did you drag Zhu Jianian into this? Two tigers can’t share one mountain, let alone two tigresses. Your harem’s bound to erupt in chaos..."
Xi Nanfeng suddenly shut his mouth.
Because Gu Moqian abruptly stood up and walked toward him, exuding an oppressive and dangerous aura, his presence sharp and cold.
Xi Nanfeng’s heart skipped a beat, his body shuddered, and sensing danger, he darted behind Ye Cheng in a flash.
Meanwhile, Ye Cheng remained expressionless, passively watching the scene unfold.
Xi Nanfeng gave Ye Cheng a shove. "Old Ye, say something for me! Old Mo looks like he’s about to eat me alive."
"You brought this on yourself."
Ye Cheng replied coolly, offering him no sympathy.
As Gu Moqian got closer and closer, and with Ye Cheng showing no intention of helping, Xi Nanfeng lost hope. Deciding not to stick around, he bolted out the door in a flash.
The office door swung open and then closed, leaving the spacious room in sudden silence.
Gu Moqian’s lips twitched slightly as he reined in the sharp edge of his demeanor and walked over to sit next to Ye Cheng.
He leaned back against the sofa, crossed his legs, and interlaced his fingers on his lap. His deep, ocean-like black eyes observed the man beside him for a moment before he calmly asked, "About Zimei—I didn’t show any mercy. You’re not holding that against me, are you?"
Hearing Zimei’s name, Ye Cheng’s hand, which was holding a teacup, paused briefly. He replied faintly, "No."
Of course, he knew full well that, given Gu Moqian’s nature, sparing Zimei—someone who’d dared to harm Ji Wei—by merely shutting down her venue for six months, was already doing him a favor and an act of great fairness.
After speaking, Ye Cheng raised the teacup and took another sip.
But this time, for some reason, the tea tasted unbearably bitter.
Ye Cheng didn’t say anything further, and neither did Gu Moqian. For a moment, the spacious office lapsed into silence once again.
Gu Moqian understood very well that the past involving Zimei was likely Ye Cheng’s most painful memory, one he would rather forget. Naturally, he wouldn’t press him on it.
In the end, it was Ye Cheng who broke the silence first. "There’s something I don’t quite understand."
He turned to the refined man sitting beside him, whom he had known for nearly a decade. "You knew very well that the person who orchestrated Ji Wei’s confinement in the wine cellar was Zhu Jianian, yet you still allowed her to join the Gu Family. Do you have your reasons?"
Gu Moqian lazily played with his index fingers, his demeanor relaxed as he replied, "Anyone who’s hurt my woman and thinks they can walk away unscathed?" A cold, shallow smile crept onto his lips, not reaching his eyes. "I’m just giving the prey a bit more time to struggle before the hunt begins."
Ye Cheng showed no surprise at this response. It was entirely consistent with Gu Moqian’s usual cunning and dark nature.
It seemed that, as far as Gu Moqian was concerned, Zhu Jianian’s character was utterly irredeemable.
Just then, a crisp ringtone echoed through the space.
Gu Moqian glanced toward his desk before getting up, walking over, and picking up his phone.
The call was from Ji Wei.
The coolness in Gu Moqian’s expression softened instantly, his lips curving into a smile as he answered the phone. "Miss me?"
Ji Wei choked slightly on his straightforward words and took a moment before saying, "Moqian, could you give me Ye Cheng’s number? I need to talk to him about something."
Gu Moqian glanced back at Ye Cheng, who sat on the sofa with a distant expression, and teased, "Asking your husband for another man’s phone number—have you considered my feelings at all?"