Mo Yushen opened his phone's photo album and handed it to her, "There are videos of your grandparents in there. They know you don't remember them, so they won't talk to you in a way you wouldn't understand."
Xi Jia relaxed considerably and took his phone to look at it.
After watching a few videos and scrolling further, a photo of her back as she leaned against the car window caught my eye.
Xi Jia turned her head and asked, "Did you take this secretly?"
She raised her eyebrows slightly.
Mo Yushen didn't discourage her; he simply nodded.
Xi Jia was very satisfied. "So you had a crush on me." She boasted, "You have good taste."
Mo Yushen rested his chin on his hand and looked out the window, letting her entertain herself by herself.
The car drove into the old house courtyard, where several other cars were still parked.
Mo Yushen recognized the car as his father's and Mo Lian's car; he hadn't known they were here today. In previous years, he was the only one who would have a meal with his grandparents on New Year's Day.
Mo Lian was on the phone in the car. He had just hung up when he got out of the car.
Xi Jia also got out of the car, and their eyes met. She was surprised. She had actually run into an acquaintance from many years ago at Mo Yushen's grandfather's house. The world couldn't be that big.
"Long time no see." Xi Jia composed herself and greeted him with a slight smile.
Mo Lian was quite surprised that she still remembered him. He had heard that her memory was failing and that she could forget things that happened the day before. "Long time no see." He didn't look at Mo Yushen's expression.
He hadn't seen Xi Jia for several years. When they were still abroad, they had a mutual circle of friends and had hung out together.
He knew that Xi Jia was going to marry Mo Yushen. Every time she came to the old house, he was not there, so they never met.
Xi Jia only remembered Mo Lian's English name; she had forgotten his Chinese name.
She turned to look at Mo Yushen, seeking his help.
Mo Yushen stared at her intently, his eyes deep and unwavering.
Xi Jia couldn't understand that look either. "Aren't you going to introduce me to someone?"
Mo Yushen walked around the back of the car, grabbed Xi Jia's wrist, and left, completely ignoring Mo Lian.
Mo Lian chuckled, then lit a cigarette instead of going inside.
Xi Jia was stunned. After walking away, she lowered her voice and asked Mo Yushen, "What's wrong with you? You didn't even say hello to your relatives?"
Mo Yushen didn't want to talk about it; it was something he didn't want to mention, a family scandal. But if he didn't explain, Xi Jia wouldn't understand the grievances and disputes between him and Mo Lian.
"Mo Lian is my father's illegitimate son, and he's older than me. After my father divorced my mother, he married his mother."
Xi Jia was stunned, unable to process it for a long time.
It turns out his Chinese name is Mo Lian, and he is Mo Yushen's half-brother.
Xi Jia didn't know how to comfort him for a moment, so she squeezed his hand tightly.
Mo Yushen looked at her, and for some reason, he thought of the first time they met at the hotel in the mountains, of the man with the captivating eyes in her heart.
And then there was that time I went to Mo's Real Estate in Shanghai. In the meeting room, Mo Lian said, "I heard you've been busy applying for R&D funding lately. If you ask me for help, maybe I'll do you a favor if I'm in a good mood."
Mo Lian is a cold-blooded man, especially when it comes to things related to him. It's considered kind of Mo Lian not to kick someone when they're down; he would never be so kind as to help.
He didn't think much of it at the time, but now that he's come to realize it...
Mo Lian wasn't helping him, he was helping Xi Jia.
Seeing that Mo Yushen was staring at her without saying a word, Xi Jia tried to cheer him up: "I'm not close to Mo Lian, so we won't associate with each other anymore."
For some reason, Mo Yushen retorted, "We're not that close, yet you still remember him?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Mo Yushen realized he had lost his composure. How could he have blurted out such a tactless remark?
He shouldn't have treated Xi Jia like that. Whoever she liked was her past.
He had never changed his expression when facing Mo Lian and his mother before.
Today, I fell short of expectations.
Xi Jia blinked, feeling wronged as well: "How was I supposed to know that I would just remember him?"
Neither of them spoke in a gentle tone.
Despite the stalemate, neither of them let go of the other's hand.
Xi Jia always managed to adjust herself quickly. She understood Mo Yushen's feelings at that moment and pinched his thumb: "Jealous?"
Mo Yushen calmed himself down and gave an irrelevant answer, "It was my tone that was off, don't take it to heart."
Xi Jia smiled and said, "I forgive you." She put one hand around his neck and kissed him on the cheek.
Looking into her eyes, Mo Yushen felt much calmer.
This was the first time the two had a minor disagreement, but fortunately, things quickly cleared up.
Grandpa Mo came out leaning on his cane, saw this scene at a glance, and then abruptly retreated. He knew they were in love, but he hadn't expected them to be so affectionate.
He had heard the sound of a car in the yard earlier, but after waiting for a long time and no one came in, he thought Mo Yushen was unhappy and went back.
Mo Lian and his family had just arrived; he had no idea his son would be coming today.
"Why are you back? Where is Yu Shen?" Grandma asked anxiously.
Mrs. Mo glanced at Mr. Mo, who had his eyes lowered as he looked at the tea in his cup. She couldn't fathom what her husband, with whom she had lived for decades, was thinking at that moment.
During his time recuperating in the hospital, he mostly either read or remained silent. When I talked to him, he said he needed some peace and quiet and asked her to stop nagging.
Grandpa sat down next to Grandma and replied, "Talk to Xi Jia outside."
Grandma breathed a sigh of relief, her anxiety subsiding a little.
Mo Yushen and Xi Jia came in. Xi Jia greeted Mo Yushen, but Mo Yushen only looked at his grandparents and ignored everyone else.
"I'm going upstairs to the study with Xi Jia."
He didn't want to spend a single moment with his father.
Grandpa waved his hand, "Go on, I'll call you for dinner later."
Once upstairs, I closed the study door, cutting off all outside noise.
"How come you and Mo Lian are so close?" Mo Yushen felt it was beneath his dignity to ask. But not asking left him feeling uneasy.
Xi Jia couldn't remember the specific details, "I knew Mo Lian when I was in college."
Mo Yushen gazed at her intently.
Xi Jia: "...I don't remember him anymore."
Mo Yushen didn't reply, afraid of sounding harsh. Her memories weren't what she wanted.
There's a tea table in the study; Grandpa still hasn't finished the tea he brewed this morning.
There is cold tea in the cup, and the teapot is insulated.
Mo Yushen drank a cup of cold tea directly.
Xi Jia: "It's cold, and drinking this will upset my stomach."
Mo Yushen: "It's nothing."
He quickly calmed down.
Xi Jia could tell from his expression that he was genuinely jealous, and he was acting all awkward.
She explained, "Mo Lian and I are just ordinary friends. I still remember people I met a few years ago, even if I've forgotten some details. If I had met you a few years earlier, I would definitely remember you too."
Mo Yushen regained his senses. Perhaps the shadow of being treated as a one-night stand was too deep, and coupled with those alluring eyes, he was overly sensitive.
He voiced his doubts, or more accurately, his unresolved issues, directly: "If I hadn't run into Mo Lian today and mentioned his English name to you separately, would you remember what he looks like?"
Xi Jia nodded, "Yes."
However, Mo Lian was such an ordinary friend that they weren't very close, so he was someone they wouldn't even think of unless they saw him.
Mo Yu breathed a sigh of relief and poured herself another cup of warm tea. Since she could remember what Mo Lian looked like, then the man with peach blossom eyes in the notebook whose appearance she couldn't recall wasn't Mo Lian.
As long as it's not Mo Lian, it's fine.
Let's put this unpleasant topic aside for now.
With nothing to do, Xi Jia took out her notebook and wrote down what had just happened.
There was also a Go board on the tea table, and Mo Yushen sat down to play Go by himself.
The situation has reached a stalemate, leaving us in a dilemma.
Mo Yushen was calculating his next move when his phone rang, completely disrupting his thoughts.
It was a call from her mother, Qin Sulan.
Mo Yushen didn't answer; he hung up immediately.
Soon, Qin Sulan sent a message: [Mom isn't busy today, come over for dinner tonight. Mom will cook herself, and you can bring Jiajia along.]
Mo Yushen: [No time, at my grandfather's house.]
A long time passed.
My phone vibrated again.
Qin Sulan: [Are you still resentful that your mother hasn't cared about you all these years? Your mother has her own plans and difficulties. You'll understand when you become a father yourself.]
Mo Yushen did not reply.
Qin Sulan: [Wishing you and Jiajia all the best in the new year. Mom loves you.]
Mo Yushen looked at the last four words and deleted the dialog box.
Looking at the chessboard, Mo Yushen realized that he had made a mistake from the very beginning.
Downstairs, Grandma called them down for dinner.
Mo Yushen put away the chess pieces.
Xi Jia was almost finished writing when Mo Yushen passed by her desk and glanced at her. She was writing, "My little jealous boy is angry today. I'll have to coax him when I get home tonight."
Sensing someone nearby, Xi Jia looked up and saw Mo Yushen staring at her with a complicated expression.
He pointed to the jealous little guy: "Change it."