Day quickly passed, and night arrived as scheduled.
In Li Mohan's private apartment.
After a simple dinner, Ye Huohuo, Li Mohan, A Cheng, and Qin Chu sat on the living room sofa. On a nearby table, a large mynah bird was preening its feathers.
"Will Senior Brother's divine sense recover tonight?" Ye Huohuo reached out to stroke the mynah's smooth feathers.
"I'm not sure. It inhaled too much Yin energy. I had a lot of trouble finding it today. I'll protect it later," Qin Chu's eyes flickered with a hint of worry, but he blinked and suppressed it.
He knew Ye Huohuo had enough to worry about and didn't want her to be distracted.
Li Moyan had been sent back to the Li family villa by Li Mohan, with two guards assigned to watch him, ensuring he wouldn't leave the villa all night.
After all, this older brother knew his third brother's personality best. Ye Huohuo's warning was useless. If necessary, he wouldn't hesitate to tie Li Moyan up.
Ye Huohuo recounted the incident with the video she saw at the Rumeng Bar to everyone. Qin Chu's brow furrowed after listening.
"Is someone really playing a grand game?"
Ye Huohuo's fingertip traced circles on the rim of her coffee cup, her gaze lowered, watching the ripples in the coffee caused by vibrations.
"We've only seen the tip of the iceberg. Without the full picture, we can't comment. But whatever this person's goal is, using such methods to achieve it means they are not a good person.
Moreover, this person is definitely a master. Could it be the one behind the scheme against the Li family?" Ye Huohuo looked up at Li Mohan.
Li Mohan took out some documents from his bag. "I've already screened all competitors who had business dealings with the Li Group in the past ten years. Others had no significant grudges, just business conflicts that shouldn't necessitate the Li family's demise.
Only in these few bids did we offend the Cui family from Longcheng. They are not only prominent figures in the business world but also have some influence in the underworld. Back then..."
Li Mohan paused, as if suppressing surging emotions.
A Cheng seemed to know what he was about to say. Seeing his state, he poured him a cup of warm water. Li Mohan held the cup, and after a long moment, as if making a great decision, he downed the water in one gulp.
It was as if he wasn't drinking plain water but a glass of strong liquor.
His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed with difficulty.
He closed his eyes for a moment to calm himself before slowly speaking, "Ten years ago, to expand the Li Group's business, I went to a bidding conference in Longcheng. At that time, the Li Group was in dire straits. If we could win the bid, it would help the Li Group overcome that difficult period.
So, I was determined. I spent several days preparing the bid proposal and brought... brought..."
Li Mohan took several deep breaths before he could utter the name he had been holding back, the one he dared not touch.
"Brought Yingxue to Longcheng. Our biggest competitor in that bid was the Cui family from Longcheng. I didn't know that the Cui family had already bribed and threatened local Longcheng businesses to the point where they dared not bid.
They were also determined to win this bid. To help the Li Group overcome the crisis, our two families fiercely competed at the venue. Their offered price already yielded no profit.
Just as the organizers were about to finalize the bid with the Cui family, a friend of mine in Longcheng learned that several of their previous projects had encountered issues due to shoddy workmanship.
It was only because of the Cui family's power that the matter was suppressed.
At that time, I was young and impetuous, and the Li Group truly needed to succeed in that bid. So, I informed the organizers about this.
The organizers weren't fools; how could they believe someone would act without profit? Weighing the various factors, they chose our proposal.
But I never expected that while I won the bid, I also lost the love of my life."
When Ye Huohuo heard Li Mohan say "the love of my life," her heart felt as if it were being cut by a knife, the pain causing her breath to catch.
Her fists clenched tightly at her sides.
Although she had heard about that woman from Li Moyan, hearing it directly from Li Mohan's mouth, and as "the love of my life," her heart still ached unbearably.
Indeed, she could only be a passerby in his life, never the one he loved most.
She even envied the woman who died for Li Mohan. Mei Yingxue, such a beautiful name. The golden couple of the university...
The person who died was unbeatable. No matter how much she stayed by Li Mohan's side now, she couldn't replace Mei Yingxue in his heart.
She unnaturally picked up her coffee cup and took a large sip of the now-cold coffee. Her vision suddenly blurred, and the coffee was so bitter, she could barely swallow it.
Li Mohan, lost in his memories, didn't notice Ye Huohuo's change.
On the contrary, Qin Chu subtly grasped Ye Huohuo's hand, frowning slightly. Her hand was so cold, her fingertips icy.
Ye Huohuo felt her second senior brother's warm hand holding her fingertips, but the warmth only reached her fingertips and couldn't penetrate her heart at all.
Ye Huohuo didn't want to hear Li Mohan speak further. When he paused, she added the detail about the car accident that followed.
Li Mohan looked surprised. "How do you know about this?"
Ye Huohuo tugged at the corner of her lips, forcing a smile. "I heard your third brother talking about it this morning at breakfast."
Li Mohan's face darkened. "Third Brother, you big mouth! I'll deal with him when we get back."
It was then that he noticed Qin Chu's hand holding Ye Huohuo's fingertips in his palm.
His face darkened further, and his gaze on Ye Huohuo's hand was like a knife, almost severing Qin Chu's hand.
Qin Chu, however, maintained his nonchalant demeanor, unfazed, and met Li Mohan's icy gaze without flinching.
"Huohuo's hands are always cold. As her husband, you don't warm them, so I, as her senior brother, have to step in."
Ye Huohuo, still caught in her sorrow, had not dared to look at Li Mohan. Only now did she belatedly notice Li Mohan frowning at her hand held by Qin Chu.
Although she felt there was nothing shameful about it, as her second senior brother was like her own brother, Li Mohan's gaze made her feel like she was caught in the act of an affair.
She instinctively retracted her hand.
This action, however, made Li Mohan feel even more strongly that there was something between her and Qin Chu.
The usually rational head of the Li family felt a surge of blood rush to his head.
He grabbed Ye Huohuo's other hand. "Ye Huohuo, if you're going to cheat, at least do it discreetly. After all, you're my wife now, and we're legally married. Am I not satisfying you? You're holding hands with your second senior brother in front of me!"
Ye Huohuo was stunned by his demeanor. She had never imagined that the usually calm and collected Li Mohan would have such an unreasonable side.
Her own temper flared up, and she bit her lip. "Mr. Li, please don't attribute your own malicious thoughts to others. Senior brother was just warming my hand. As you said, if we were really doing something, would we do it in front of you?"
Qin Chu, unafraid, chimed in, "You're just Huohuo's nominal husband for a year. I'm the childhood sweetheart who grew up with Huohuo. And you're allowed to have an unforgettable 'white moonlight' in your heart, but Huohuo isn't allowed to have a senior brother?"
From the moment Li Mohan saw Qin Chu, he felt a sense of rivalry. For some reason, he couldn't stand the sight of him.
Now, seeing him hold Ye Huohuo's hand and claim they were childhood sweethearts, the emotions he had been suppressing finally erupted like a volcano.
"If you are her suitable match, then why did she marry me?"
Qin Chu glanced at him from the corner of his eye. "Don't you know the reason yourself? Your relationship is one of mutual exploitation. She borrows your luck, and you let her help solve the problems the Li family is facing.
After a year, this relationship will automatically dissolve. Don't tell me you've become serious!"
Li Mohan opened his mouth, looked at the pale-faced Ye Huohuo, and sneered, "Me, serious? I'm afraid it's your junior sister who's serious. Otherwise, why was she so proactive in bed last night..."
"Slap!" A slap landed on Li Mohan's face.
Ye Huohuo's face turned white, then red, then green. She was so angry her lips trembled, and the hand that had just struck Li Mohan shook even more violently.