Mu Tian Heng was lying on the sofa with his eyes slightly closed. It was not until ten minutes later when he heard, from the direction of the corridor, that Mo Di had finished washing up and turned off the light that he sat up slowly.
He did not fall asleep at all. It was just that his head was in a terrible state of dizziness and he also did not know how to deal with the little guy, so he pretended to doze off. Who would have thought that he was able to feel the whole process of the little guy stealing a kiss from him.
Looking at the lukewarm soup on the table, he stood still for a few seconds and in the end, picked it up and drank in one gulp.
He then turned off the lights and went upstairs.
There was a confusion in his head that he had never felt before. He wanted to go to the bathroom to wash up, but before he knew it, he was already sitting in front of the computer in his study. The screen was showing the surveillance footage of the living room thirty minutes ago.
That's right, there were monitors placed in the first floor living room, and, except the second and third floor bedrooms, every other room as well.
Mu Tian Heng dragged the progress bar forward until Mo Di appeared in the living room with his jie jiu soup.
He watched little Mo Di, still wearing his school shirt, placed the soup on the table and then ran out of the frame. He grabbed a blanket from somewhere and attentively covered him with it. Even after that, the little guy did not leave. He squatted in front of the sofa cautiously with his hands curled up on his knees, like a timid chipmunk trying to steal chestnuts. The cute look and obedience could not be described with words.
What's more lovely was that the little guy sat and stared at him for more than ten seconds whilst his cheeks were turning redder at a rate visible to the naked eyes. His body was emitting a shyness that was unique to a naive youth and the tension of having a first love. After a few seconds, his fist tightened as he braced himself, bent down and kissed him lightly on his face. Then he ran away quickly.
As he reached the edge of the living room, he was so nervous that he stumbled and almost tripped.
Mu Tian Heng was sitting in front of the computer, just staring at the screen. He felt his heart pounding uncontrollably over and over again. A trace of warmth was emerging from the depths of his heart and spreading wantonly.
He was filled with an inexplicable feeling he had never felt before. It was light and numbing yet heavy and intense. It surged through his blood and enveloped his nerves. He felt as if he had gone back to his teenage years. Like a youth's first realization that he was in love, his being was flowing with sweet joy, and tension, as well as the turbulent heart rate due to expectations and confusion.
But at the same time, there was also unspeakable guilt and taboo.
He was almost certain now that he had truly …fallen in love with this seventeen-year-old boy.
He really was a beast.
But he did not want to fix it, nor did he want to change.
If such a charming little guy liked him and he also felt the same, then he was willing to be a beast. What's there to it?
Mu Tian Heng suddenly grabbed his hair and several strands fell in a mess.
He was really out of his mind. To think that he had just bear such a thought!
Mu Tian Heng immediately got up to go to the bathroom. Shortly after, the bathroom was shrouded in a hot and humid mist.
At this time, the 'mastermind' Mo Di was already asleep.
Mo Di already knew there were surveillance cameras in the villa since the second day he moved in. After all, in his previous life, he was used to being in hiding for a long time. Hidden cameras and the likes, even if he couldn't discover them at first glance, it still wouldn't take him too long to notice them.
But he knew that Mu Tian Heng was only being vigilant and would not harm him, hence he was indifferent about it.
Yet when he was putting down the soup on the table, a plan hatched in his mind. One that could make up for the 'estrangement' with Mu Tian Heng the past few days, and might also yield something more.
As such, he had planned to let Mu Tian Heng witness the whole process should he check the footage to see if anything's up when he was sleeping in the living room.
But Mo Di speculated that all that would happen in a day or two, yet unbeknownst to him, Mu Tian Heng did not sleep at all that night and saw everything through the camera.
…
The next morning, Mo Di woke up early after having a fulfilling sleep.
When he left the bedroom after washing up, the cook had already finished preparing their breakfast. Mo Di hurried over to help her lay out the dishes.
Lai De Si was not able to wake up and continued to sleep like a log while Mu Tian Heng went downstairs on time, as usual, only looking a little tired.
Mo Di raised his head after finishing his task and saw Mu Tian Heng standing at the stairway. As if remembering the kiss-stealing act from last night, his face was dyed with a little redness, "good.., good morning brother!"
After the greeting, his throat moved and his eyes blinked, trying hard to his guilt, just like a silly kid who had just stolen taro from the landlord.
"Brother, you were drunk yesterday, why…why don't you sleep a little longer?"
In Mu Tian Heng's eyes, this appearance was just lovely no matter how he looked at it.
It was obvious that the little guy couldn't hide his mind and yet, couldn't control his one-sided feelings. His every move was an indescribable seduction. Mu Tian Heng's heart throbbed but at the same time, he wanted to laugh.
Alas, he did not show any unusual reaction, and as always spoke in his gentle but not overly intimate tone: "I'll drive you to the exam today."
"Brother, there's no need. I can get there myself. You should have a rest."
"It's not a problem. I've already rested. Can't sleep anymore even if I want to." Mu Tian Heng sat on the opposite side of the table. He picked up a shrimp dumpling with his chopsticks, "these two days you should just relax, don't get stressed. You should've already learned what you can and know all that you needed to. Your results will be very good."
"En!" Mo Di's eyes bent and he nodded vigorously.
Mu Tian Heng wore a smile on his face but in his heart, he was heaving a sigh for himself.
He had spent the night thinking whether he should just make up his mind to be an old beast.
He couldn't control his heart but he at least had to keep his actions in check and not act irresponsibly.
The little guy was still young, he might not be able to distinguish whether the 'like' in his heart was truly love.
There's a possibility that because no one had ever been nice to him before and that he, Mu Tian Heng, just happened to fill in the role of a reliable and thoughtful adult to him. And the 'like' that he felt was just confusion for adoration, gratitude, and other feelings that gave him a sense of security.
Maybe when the little guy grew up, there would come a day when he realized that he made a mistake, that he did not like him, a man who's eleven years his senior.
Thinking of this, Mu Tian Heng felt a sourness in his heart. He did not know whether he should hope that the little truly liked him, which then he would become a beast, or that the little guy was mistaken and he would be able to keep away from being one.
After breakfast, Mo Di briefly looked through the questions that he got wrong. Then he got in Mu Tian Heng's car and went to the examination hall.
First the inspection, then entering the hall, the bell rang, and the papers were distributed.
The college entrance exam officially started.
…
Examination time always passes quickly. Unconsciously, the exams ended one by one.
On the day Mo Di finished his last exam, the weather was just nice. The sun was bright and warm with puffs of tofu-like golden clouds floating across the sky.
Mo Di was in a better mood than ever. With the swift completion of his college entrance exam, he would officially enter the next phase of his plans, should there be no unwanted surprises.
He held his exam case and quickly coursed through the flow of people and ran towards the school gate. But as he reached the place where Mu Tian Heng had previously parked his car to wait for him, he was quite taken aback.
Lai De Si waved at him, "Little brother, finished with your exams? Congratulations on your liberation."
"Thank you, brother Lai De Si." Mo Di smiled at Lai De Si and asked: "Is brother Mu busy?"
"Something's up and Mu has to go back to America. I think he's about to board the plane at this time." Lai De Si opened the door, buckled up and said: "there's a little problem with head office. He went back to handle it."
Mo Di did not expect Mu Tian Heng to return to America, he was a little shocked, "will he still come back?"
"It depends. Actually the problem there isn't serious. I told him I could go but he insisted on going back in person. Sigh, really…" Lai De Si complained: "I'm not familiar here and there are so many old foxes who are so difficult to deal with! He's not treating me right!"
Mo Di got in the car listlessly and closed the door. The previous excitement and joy completely disappeared.
Lai De Si saw Mo Di's looking like that, not knowing how to comfort, he could only sigh.
He felt that Mu might not be coming back. After all, this was also a good time to leave. He had helped in whichever ways he could and the kid had also finished his college exam, why would he stay and further tease the minor's heart and become a beast?!
When the car arrived at the villa, Mo Di thanked Lai De Si again before getting off and soullessly went to open the door.
Just as he was about to place his finger on the fingerprint reader to unlock, the door opened with a click from inside.
Mu Tian Heng, who was supposed to be at the airport, stood at the door. Looking at him tenderly.
"What's the matter? The exams are done and you're freed little fellow, why are you not happy?"
"!!!" Mo Di was stunned. He looked at Mu Tian Heng with eyes wide open. It took him some time to snap back. His face was washed with unhidden joy and surprise: "brother, you didn't go back to America?!"
Lai De Si got out of the car and was also surprised to see Mu Tian Heng: "What's wrong with you?!"
"I thought about it and believed that the market in Hua Xia is more important than the minor problem in New York. So the matter in New York, it's better for you to handle it. Assistant Gao has already booked the flight for you. You can leave tonight." Mu Tian Heng then gave Lai De Si a very rational look.
Mo Di was looking at Mu Tian Heng with bright eyes.
Only Lai De Si was swearing inside: "Shit!!!"
Before this moment, he would've believed the things that Mu Tian Heng said but now….there's no way in hell!
It was obvious that the old beast changed his mind to come back for the kid at the last minute.
He knew it! The old beast did like the kid a little! Damn that old beast!!!