CTS 58

“Ji Mingxuan.”

Shen Mo leaned against the window, gazing at the vast ocean view outside as he silently said the name. He applied another layer of ointment to the burn on the back of his hand. Aside from a slight redness, it was no longer serious. He lowered his head and carefully examined his hand, then curled his fingers inward and slowly formed a fist.

He had once held that man’s heart in his palm, but in the end, he still let go.

After falling down the stairs that day, Shen Mo had been taken to the hospital by the building’s security guard. Luckily, his injuries weren’t severe. Aside from a few external wounds, he had only suffered a mild concussion. His head remained foggy for days, and though he remembered being kidnapped, he had no recollection of the past six months.

And Ji Mingxuan had become nothing more than a stranger.

It was the rainy season then. The rain fell nearly every day. Shen Mo would lean on the windowsill and watch the traffic pass below. He noticed that a black car often parked downstairs. Sometimes it stayed only briefly before driving off. Other times it would arrive at night and remain until morning.

No one ever stepped out of the car.

Once, while Shen Mo went downstairs to take out the trash, he saw the car door open from a distance. A man in a suit stepped out of the driver’s seat. It was drizzling. The man didn’t have an umbrella and simply stood there, staring at Shen Mo through the hazy curtain of rain.

Shen Mo paused. That figure felt strangely familiar, but as the rain grew heavier, he hesitated and turned back upstairs.

That night, the rain continued to fall without end. By morning, when Shen Mo looked out again, the car was gone.

And it never came back.

Not long after, his lease ended. Without the money to pay for a new place, Shen Mo was forced out and had to stay in a small roadside motel. His savings dwindled by the day. With his right hand unable to hold a pen, he couldn’t find any work. Just as he was on the verge of sleeping on the streets, the same Mr. Ji who had once visited him at the hospital appeared again.

Ji Mingxuan handed him a contract.

Shen Mo wasn’t completely desperate, but he remembered the man’s kindness. He had paid all his hospital bills. That debt alone was more than he could ever repay. Since Ji Mingxuan wanted to secure his sister’s relationship in this way, Shen Mo had no reason not to cooperate.

After signing the contract, he moved into Ji Mingxuan’s villa. The first time they slept together, Shen Mo was so nervous that he lay there like a lifeless corpse. Ji Mingxuan said nothing. After finishing, he simply left the room. Shen Mo figured a man as experienced as him must have been thoroughly unimpressed.

The next day, Ji Mingxuan had his secretary deliver a pair of couple rings.

Shen Mo stood there in a daze, unsure if he should wear the ring. When Ji Mingxuan returned, he personally slid the ring onto Shen Mo’s finger, his tone casual as he said, “If we’re going to put on a show, we might as well go all the way.”

For the next three years, the two of them wore matching rings. Neither of them ever took them off.

But now, things were different. Shen Mo’s left hand was bare, and Ji Mingxuan… He had a loving wife and son.

If only he had gone to Jinxiu Villa back then. If only he had seen that room full of paintings. Would everything have turned out differently?

Shen Mo let out a long breath and loosened the fist he had unconsciously clenched. Maybe this was just how fate worked. He had always fallen in love with Ji Mingxuan at the wrong time.

The night was quiet. S Island remained warm and beautiful. Shen Mo still had a few days left in his itinerary, but he knew this vacation was over.

The next morning, he got up early to book a flight home. While he was checking flights, there was a knock at the door. Still in his pajamas, he quickly changed clothes and ran to open it.

Standing at the door was Ji Mingxuan.

He was already fully dressed for the day. As soon as he saw Shen Mo, he asked, “Your hand?”

Shen Mo was stunned. By the time he came back to his senses, he had already reached out his hand.

Ji Mingxuan held it, turning it over to inspect from every angle. Once he confirmed there was only a faint redness left on the back of it, he finally said with relief, “Looks like it’s almost healed. Remember to apply the ointment two more times today.”

Shen Mo could only nod and agree.

Ji Mingxuan asked, “What are your plans today?”

Shen Mo assumed he was about to ask him out for a meal and started thinking of an excuse. “I’ll be painting in the room this morning, and maybe take a walk along the beach in the afternoon.”

“Then you’re free,” Ji Mingxuan nodded and said. “Do me a favor.”

He turned and reached behind him, pulling out that same little black-haired, dark-eyed boy and gently pushed him toward Shen Mo.

Ji Ning was dressed in a baseball jacket and shorts today, a red cap on his head. He looked lively and adorable, and the moment he saw Shen Mo, he smiled sweetly. “Good morning, Uncle.”

Shen Mo’s heart melted instantly. He greeted the boy warmly and asked, “How are you up so early?”

Ji Ning tilted his head up, giving his father a pitiful look.

Ji Mingxuan checked his watch and said, “I have a client to meet. I need to leave in ten minutes.”

He paused for a second, then looked at Shen Mo. “Watch Ji Ning for me.”