Chapter 1647: Every Sprout Grew on Chu Yao

“Sometimes, when I can’t pay attention to her, she’ll quietly wait not far from me, waiting for me to take her home.”

“Since childhood, I’ve learned social skills and business from my dad. When I was twelve, one of my dad’s partners got drunk and insisted I drink with him. Unable to refuse, I took a few sips. That man was a pedophile, and he started to tell dirty jokes. Just as he spoke a couple of sentences, while I was still trying to placate him with laughter, Chu Yao somehow appeared out of nowhere and smashed a bottle on his head.”

“Things got chaotic at that moment, and amidst the turmoil, I grabbed Chu Yao and fled.”

Mo Tingshen sat down and chuckled softly, “At that age, young and reckless, I couldn’t stand being humiliated, but I endured. Yet, Chu Yao wouldn’t let me endure; she got back at him for everything I suffered. My dad frantically called us, but she turned off both our phones. Unable to drive, she had a driver take us to the wilderness. We shivered in the haystacks at night, and that was the first time I hugged her. She asked me if I liked her.”

Qiao Man’s eyelid twitched, speaking hoarsely, “Telling me this is like stabbing me with a knife, isn’t it?”

Mo Tingshen looked at her gently and continued, “She was only eight at the time. What could she know? I always treated her like a sister. I said I liked her because she’s my sister, how could I not like her? But she stared into my eyes and saw through me, then told me she liked me. Until another man appeared whom she could like, she only liked me; I was hers.”

“I was terrified, thinking how could a little kid say something like that.”

“That night, after we were found and brought back, I took all the beatings. She sneaked into my room at night to apply medicine on me, then crawled under the blanket to lie with me.”

“I knew this was wrong.”

“But I found myself unable to refuse her or push her away.”

“Being clear-headed is one thing; the heart is another. At that age, I was just beginning to experience the stirrings of passion; those budding feelings all grew towards Chu Yao. The more time passed, I found my possessiveness over Chu Yao far exceeded hers over me. Even when she met more people and broadened her view of the world, slowly distancing herself from me, I opened a company for her, enclosed her in a dazzling cage. But she was never truly trapped; whether the cage had a door or not depended on whether she wanted to fly away.”

“I was despicable, selfish, wanting her to initiate. I used every trick I knew about love on her, yet still wanted to be in control.”

“I thought getting married would sever ties with her, but in reality, just a beckon of her finger, and I’d be back to her.”

“So, Manman—”

Mo Tingshen chuckled softly, his tone so gentle, “A person like me is truly unworthy of you. You’re still young and shouldn’t waste your life on me. It’s not Chu Yao that’s dirty; it’s me. All my thoughts laid bare are all filthy. I’ve already wasted one girl’s life; I can’t waste yours too. Fortunately, we’ve never crossed any boundaries, so you’re still pure. Any rumors afterward, I’ll handle them cleanly so they won’t harm you in the slightest.”

“Let’s part gracefully, leaving each other with dignity. I have nothing else to lay bare. I can compensate you with anything except feelings.”

Qiao Man’s fingers clutched the cup tightly, knuckles paler than her face, she suddenly laughed bitterly, “You blame everything on yourself for Chu Yao’s sake, quite amazing. You’re really in such a rush to push me away?”