Chapter 33: Clinging to the Patron's Coattails

Lin Mo thought she had misheard.

It wasn't until she returned to the top floor of the Jiangshan Garden penthouse that the reality finally began to sink in. What kind of temptation was this? Could it be… the kind where she was about to be trafficked? But would someone like Weisheng Yan really bother trafficking a penniless student with nothing to her name?

He Yue had already prepared a separate meal for her. "Mo Mo, time to eat." She leaned in, adding, "Remember to drink your soup tonight, and you still need to take your medicine."

Once Lin Mo finished her meal, He Yue prepared to clock out. Lin Mo was stunned. "You're leaving already?"

"Of course! I don't work the night shift. I’ll be back tomorrow morning to make your breakfast." He Yue, perfectly embodying the joy of a worker finishing their shift, left without a moment’s hesitation.

Lin Mo stared at the door to the master bedroom. Weisheng Yan had just gone inside to change. Was it really just the two of them alone?

Weisheng Yan walked out. Even in casual clothes, he still possessed those long legs and perfect proportions. He sat down coldly across from her at the dining table. "You’ll stay in the same room as last night."

Lin Mo took a small sip of soup. "Okay." She hesitated for a moment. "Do I need to do your laundry, mop the floors, or cook..."

"Mrs. Zhang will come by during the day to handle the cleaning."

Lin Mo drank her soup in silence. Fine. Perhaps Weisheng Yan was just pitying her. Once he got tired of her in a couple of days, he’d probably kick her out. For now, she might as well settle in—it saved her on rent, at least. She checked her phone and saw the 8,000 yuan in her account, which she promptly used to pay her tuition.

7,850 yuan gone. She was speechless. Now she only had 1,000 left. She still had to pay for her own textbooks. Lin Mo stole a glance at Weisheng Yan with her amber eyes. What a living bodhisattva. If not for him, she would probably be sleeping on the streets by now.

"You’re really kind." She decided to stick close to her benefactor; at the very least, she should make him feel like his money was well spent. Lin Mo’s smile grew even sweeter. She knew how to bend and stretch; there was no point in crossing her patron.

Weisheng Yan paused, the corner of his mouth curving upward in a way that was almost imperceptible. Seeing her smile so obsequiously was actually somewhat amusing. Perhaps keeping a little cat like this at home wouldn't be so bad.

After showering that night, Lin Mo made sure to lock her bedroom door. It wasn't that she didn't trust him; she was just afraid of offending him! She sat on the bed, hugging a pillow, looking out at the incredible view from the window.

She checked her phone, finally finding time to look at WeChat. Qin Lian’s messages had reached 99+, her persistence truly excessive. The other five brothers had also sent their "greetings," all except for Lin Hen. Lin Mo found it strange. "Did Lin Hen block me? He stopped scolding me—it’s actually quite unsettling."

She searched for keywords about the local news, only to find that everything had been scrubbed clean. She lay on the bed, swinging her slender legs, and opened an English learning app to start her online course. She absolutely, under no circumstances, could allow a repeat of that embarrassing incident at the company.

She lay comfortably, pursing her lips. In the past, she would have been so anxious about Lin Wan’s injury that she wouldn't have been able to eat. But being by Weisheng Yan’s side, she seemed to have forgotten those troubles and humiliations, focusing instead on how to carefully coexist with the CEO. She felt as though she had caught a glimpse of a different way of life.

Lin Mo’s eyes curved. In her past and present life, the only man she had ever been involved with was Mu Bai. Yet, these past few days, she hadn't thought of her former fiancé even once.

The next afternoon, Weisheng Yan left A City to go abroad. Mrs. Zhang had thoughtfully left a spare key for Lin Mo. Lin Mo went about her business as usual, but on her way home, she found her path blocked by a car belonging to the Lin family.

She frowned in annoyance. "Can you stop acting like a plaster? Why must you insist on appearing before me?"

"You!" Qin Lian was incensed. Before she could say more, Mu Bai spoke up. "Mo Mo, there are too many eyes here. If you don't want everyone to find out about your little scandal, you’d better get in the car. Let’s go somewhere quiet to talk."

Lin Mo sneered. "I have nothing to discuss with you."

Mu Bai said coldly, "Wan Wan has already reported to the school today."

Lin Mo’s breath hitched, her eyes turning red. "Do you have no shame? If you can't seize it openly, you steal it? Is the world really that easily manipulated by your power?"

Mu Bai sighed. "You aren't powerful enough right now. That is the reality."

Qin Lian also sneered. "I tried to discuss this with you nicely, but you wouldn't listen. Now, look at this—don't even think about getting a single cent in compensation. And as for anything else, don't even bother dreaming about it." She felt no guilt, acting as if it were all perfectly natural. "This is what you owe Wan Wan. If you hadn't been so vicious to her, I wouldn't have had to go to such extremes. Lin Mo, you have no one to blame but yourself for being so ungrateful."

Lin Mo looked at the fifty-year-old woman, who was still so well-preserved. Her eyes were filled with hatred. For the past few days, she had been truly looking forward to the campus life that should have been hers. But now, they were telling her they had replaced her. It was simply too ridiculous.

Lin Mo stepped back, her expression desolate. Her emotions began to crumble. "You are all too much. You’re like bloodsuckers—can’t you just get out of my world? Qin Lian, you’ve never raised me for a single day. I was back home for eight months, and you never gave me a kind look once!"

Lin Mo rebuked them, "What right do you have to treat me this way?" She laughed at herself. "This is a society ruled by law. I don't believe you can do whatever you want." She pulled out her phone, intending to call the police.

Mu Bai quickly stepped out of the car and shoved Lin Mo inside. He pinned her hands down, his gaze terrifying. "Lin Mo, if you keep courting death, I won't be polite to you! Wan Wan has already moved into the dormitory, and it's her photo and information that the school has on record. From today on, don't even think about ruining her future!"

Lin Mo’s elbow was twisted painfully, and tears fell. "Let me go!" Mu Bai hesitated for a moment, and as he loosened his grip, Lin Mo slapped him hard across the face.

Someone came rushing over from outside, pounding on the car door frantically. "What are you doing? Open the door! Mo Mo!" It was Lu Mingzhu, who had happened to see them. She was full of concern. "Open the door! Who are you people? You dare touch someone from President Weisheng’s side? Are you looking for death?!"

Lin Mo, pinned inside the car, heard the voice and the name, and her eyes flickered with a mix of surprise and deepening grievance.

Mu Bai hesitated. "Which president?"

Qin Lian’s eyes shifted guiltily. "That person is talking nonsense. Drive! I’m driving now—ignore them. Keep her locked up this month so she doesn't run off and ruin Wan Wan’s big opportunity."

The car sped away. Lu Mingzhu stumbled, deeply worried. That woman seemed to be Lin Mo’s biological mother. She quickly pulled out her phone to call Sun Wu, but their phones were off as they were on a flight. Lu Mingzhu stomped her feet in anxiety and sent them a message explaining the situation, waiting for them to see it so they would know what to do.

"Although she was taken away by her family, they don't seem to treat her well. Could something happen to her?"