"Brother…Do you believe that there can be someone who can be reborn in this world?"
"Do you believe that there's a person who had been despised and hated by his family from the day he was born and had to live through abuse and torture? When he grew up and was finally able to leave that house, he was forced into a mental hospital because his sister accidentally fell down while she was pulling him?"
"Do you believe… That when he was confined in the mental hospital, he was beaten, tortured, electrocuted… Injected with drugs… Locked up with violent lunatics? The tortures were repeated until the day he was killed by a madman. Even in his final moments, he was trampled on and no longer resembled a human being…"
"Then he was reborn and wanted revenge, brother…"
"Do you believe it?"
Can you believe it?
Mo Di's every sentence, every word sank deep into Mu Tian Heng's heart.
After the initial shock, there was never a doubt. Only surging anger and a pain that almost choked him.
And there was something else. Something familiar but forgotten was coursing through his heart, making it ache and causing him to shed tears.
"Of course I believe you." Mu Tian Heng looked at Mo Di and pulled him in, locking him tightly in his arms.
"As long as it's your words, I will believe them."
Mo Di's eyes were red. He kept wiping away the tears with his hand but could not stop them from flowing.
Deep down, Mu Tian Heng was brimming with anguish and sadness, and also a familiar sense of emptiness. He had a feeling that he had forgotten something of extreme importance.
"What you said…Was everything that had happened to you, wasn't it?"
As though the orange sunset had reflected its light into Mu Tian Heng's eyes, turning it into a deep shade of red.
"Yes."
Mo Di raised his head and showed a resolute expression.
"That is why, whether it was the Mo, Qin, or Ye family, I have no favorable impression of them. I want to pay them back a hundred times of what I had suffered! Brother, do you think I'm a terrible person? Am I too vicious?"
"I don't think a hundred times is enough."
Mu Tian Heng gently rubbed away the tears on Mo Di's eyes.
"We should return those scums and animals the torment you've suffered by thousands of times."
Mu Tian Heng could not control his anger and heartache at the thought of Mo Di's suffering since childhood and the tortures he had to go through after being sent to the asylum.
At the same time, he also wanted to know if they had met in their previous lives. Did he not manage to help him in any way?
"In the previous life, did we know each other?"
"No…" Mo Di shook his head, "In my last life, I only knew that you were on the world's richest list and an outstanding entrepreneur, and…"
Mo Di paused.
"And?" Mu Tian Heng looked at him.
"And when you came to Hua Xia during the period of the College Entrance Exam, you met with an accident here and your right leg was disabled."
"So…" Mu Tian Heng smiled, "That time at the construction site, you tried to save me, didn't you?"
"Yes. But I also had other motives at that time. I was hoping you would protect me. At least let me get through the exams safely." Even after he had confessed, Mo Di was still embarrassed by his calculations.
"So you had come to save me and helped me to avoid an accident. You're my precious lucky star." Mu Tian Heng kissed Mo Di on the cheek and then on his eyelid. "I'm glad you came to me. I'm very sorry I could not protect you in our previous lives."
Mo Di's eyes turned red again.
"So tell me as much as you can about what happened, alright?" Mu Tian Heng gently stroked the back of Mo Di's head.
"Ok…" Mo Di agreed but he was not going to tell Mu Tian Heng everything that had happened to him. Let him be the only one who knew of those dark and horrendous days. There was no need to torment Mu Tian Heng with it.
But even when Mo Di left out a lot of details and events, Mu Tian Heng still knew of the things that had happened….
Because that night, Mu Tian Heng dreamt about his past life.
He dreamt of meeting Mo Di, who had already been turned into a fool, near a garbage dump. He dreamt that he had wanted to send him to a welfare home but had been captivated by him and had decided to keep him by his side. He dreamt of the beautiful days they had spent together and although his little fool would act up sometimes, he had been very dependent and obedient towards him. And he dreamt that when he had finally found him again, all that had been left of him was an urn of ashes…
The moment he touched the cold, black urn, Mu Tian Heng abruptly woke up from his dream.
A chill was spreading from his spine and he was sweating cold sweat from every pore on his body.
Everything in his dream had been too fast and real that none of it had resembled a dream.
Mu Tian Heng was still feeling the destructive anger, hatred, and despair…
Then he felt the warmth within his embrace.
Mu Tian Heng lowered his head and looked at Mo Di, sleeping in his arms. Tufts of hair were getting messy around the slumbering face.
Mu Tian Heng's eyes turned red. He began kissing every part of Mo Di's face as if to make sure that this person was truly safe by his side.
Mo Di was awakened by his movements but he was still half-asleep. After all, yesterday had been a long day for him and Mu Tian Heng. He was still very sleepy.
"Brother… What is it?"
Hearing Mo Di's sticky voice, Mu Tian Heng's arms held him tighter. Then it occurred to him that several events that had happened to Mo Di in his dream hadn't been mentioned prior.
Mu Tian Heng said softly, "When you were in junior high, you could not attend the graduation party and were sent to the hospital due to a severe allergic reaction. Mo Liu Gui attended and brought back for you a portion of seafood soup and a dessert. Did that happen?"
Mo Di was too sleepy to remember that he hadn't talked about this event with Mu Tian Heng. He responded dully, "En, but I didn't eat them. And then…"
And then he was reprimanded by the Mo family members, something along the lines of being a white-eyed wolf. But Mo Di did not tell Mu Tian Heng this.
"Brother… What is it?"
Mo Di's head was beginning to clear and he was thinking back if he had already told Mu Tian Heng all this.
"It's nothing. I love you." Mu Tian Heng placed a kiss on top of Mo Di's head.
Mo Di closed his eyes and snuggled into Mu Tian Heng's arms. He said in a sweet and mushy voice, "I love you too, brother."
Mu Tian Heng felt sore in his heart as he thought of a scene in his dream. He asked unconsciously, "Where is it that loves brother?"
"Everywhere…"
Mo Di thought that Mu Tian Heng was playing with him. Although he was still sleepy, he went along and put his hand on his chest, "Here loves brother."
"… Anywhere else?" Mu Tian Heng felt his heart ache.
"Hm?" Mo Di opened his eyes and saw that Mu Tian Heng was also looking at him. He thought of the common interactions between parents and children that he had seen and couldn't help smiling. He tilted his head and said, "Tummy also loves brother?"
"Any more?" Mu Tian Heng's voice was a little hoarse.
Mo Di did not know why Mu Tian Heng had those strange questions. Could he have some strange fetishes that had been hidden until now?
"Here too." Mo Di stretched out his hand and coaxed, "Hands and legs too. Everywhere loves you. Love brother the most."
Mu Tian Heng dragged Mo Di into his arms and locked him in a death grip until Mo Di was getting a little suffocated.
Mo Di moved his head and had to push Mu Tian Heng away, "Brother, brother, what's wrong?"
"Nothing. Go to sleep." Mu Tian Heng suppressed his emotions and rubbed his lips on Mo Di's hair.
"Good boy, go to sleep, go to sleep…"
The next day, after he woke up, Mo Di was fed with Mu Tian Heng's ultra-loving breakfast.
After eating, Mu Tian Heng wrapped a scarf around his neck and seeing that he was having difficulties bending down, Mu Tian Heng bent and tied his shoelaces for him. Mo Di was then ready to be driven back to the competition grounds.
Lai De Si was feeling sour standing at the side of the scene.
"Enough you two. It's not like you've just started dating, do you have to stick to each other like glue? Unbearable…"
Mo Di was also embarrassed. He did not want Mu Tian Heng to tie his shoelaces for him but Mu Tian Heng's gentle tone when he said 'be still' was too irresistible to disobey.
He felt that after the complete confession yesterday, his family's Mu Tian Heng was particularly sweet on him, almost treating him like a glass doll.
Mo Di was smitten in his heart but also a little embarrassed and self-spurning.
Ai, letting your boyfriend tie your shoelaces, aren't you being too spoiled?
But being spoiled by someone was indeed a happy feeling.
Mu Tian Heng held Mo Di's hand and opened the door for him.
He turned to Lai De Si and said, "Too bad you don't have anyone for you to be sticky to."
"What the!" Lai De Si jumped out of his chair. He grabbed a sandwich and followed behind Mu Tian Heng, "You're a beast and I'm a good man. Don't you compare with me using your animalistic standards!" He then looked at Mo Di and thought how could such a good child fall for that beast?
Mo Di coughed and told Lai De Si what Song Yu said before, "Brother Lai De Si, Uncle Song said that he would meet me for a meal in the next few days."
"Xiao Yu is coming?! When?!" Lai De Si's eyes lit up and he completely cast Mu Tian Heng aside.
"I don't know. You can ask him yourself. And please tell him on my behalf that I would like to invite him home for dinner."
"Ok, ok! I'll ask him!" Lai De Si immediately put back the sandwich and picked up his cell phone instead.
Mo Di took the chance and locked the door. He looked at Mu Tian Heng and gave him a smile.
"Smart." Mu Tian Heng smiled back and gave his hair a rub.
Mu Tian Heng then led Mo Di away by the hand and Mo Di followed behind him in big strides. When they got to the car, Mo Di's phone in his pocket rang.
Mo Di opened the car door and at the same time, answered the phone, "Hello?"
There was no sound coming from the other end.
Mo Di got into the car and said 'hello' again.
It was still soundless.
Mo Di frowned and took the phone away from his ear. He looked at the screen and saw that the caller ID was an unfamiliar number. Thinking over, he went ahead and hung up.
"What is it?" Mu Tian Heng saw Mo Di frowning and asked, "Is it a prank call?"
"No. It's from an unfamiliar number. I picked up but there was no response so I hung up."
"An unfamiliar number?" Mu Tian Heng's vigilance was now at an all-time high. His eyes were alert and he said, "Show me the number."
"En." Mo Di passed him the phone without much thought. He then heard Mu Tian Heng say, "This number belongs to someone in the Mo family."