The meeting was arranged at the golf course, so Mo Yichen and Xia Ruyan rode together with Secretary Lee driving.
She sat quietly, looking out the window. The clouds drifted aimlessly across a deep blue sky, soft and lazy like cotton candy. The sun peeked out gently, casting a warm light that made everything feel… intimate.
He kept glancing at her. A strange sense of déjà vu washed over him. She looked the same as she had on their wedding day, elegant and distant. If he remembered correctly, this was only the second time she'd been in his car.
Why was he keeping track? Why did it matter? Was he really that desperate, for a look, a word, a flicker of her attention?
"I told you to tone it down," he said finally, his voice low but not harsh. "Mother… she has a soft heart. Maybe give her some space."
Ruyan turned her gaze calmly to him.
"The marriage was against her wishes. Just give her time, she'll understand," he added, almost like he was trying to convince himself. He couldn't blame Xia Ruyan for the farce that unfolded this morning. She was right in her place, restrained and dignified. What he couldn't understand was how her mother, a woman as delicate as a pearl, could spit such venom with such ease.
Xia Ruyan had always respected the boundaries he'd drawn. She never crossed into his world, never laid claim to what was his, never tried to force closeness where it didn't exist. She remained distantly polite, minding her affairs. And while her cold civility irritated him, pricked at some unnamed part of him, it also invalidated any reason for his mother to speak to her so cruelly.
His mother's obsession with the Ye family had long since crossed the line from admiration into fixation. That obsession was now chipping away at the grace she once carried as the matriarch of an aristocratic household. She was becoming more of a shrew than the dignified woman the world once admired.
This morning, he saw through her, the way she cloaked her insecurities in sharp words, losing all composure in the process. It wasn't a strength. It was fear. And that fear was making her reckless. He needed to talk to her. Not as her son, but as the head of the Mo family, lest there would be unaffordable consequences to bear.
"President Mo," she said quietly, her voice smooth as silk, "if words are used like blades, there's no point pretending there's a soft heart behind them."
"What do you mean?" He asked, not sure how to comprehend her words. "If someone abuses the person they love all their life, only to build a monument after her death… what use is such love?" Her tone was level, almost too calm. "Don't you think that's cheap?"
The message was clear if his mother's idea of affection was cruelty dressed in silk, Ruyan wanted no part of it. "And also," she continued, turning her gaze back to the window, "I'm not obliged to entertain her tantrums."
Mo Yichen's jaw tensed. "I told you, we are husband and wife. At least on paper. So fulfill your duties."
She didn't even glance at him. But he saw it, the faintest flinch, so slight it would've gone unnoticed if he hadn't been watching her so intently.
He caught the subtle clench of her pale fists, the way the muscles in her jaw tightened ever so slightly. And in that moment, he realized just how carefully she hid herself behind silence, behind distance, behind indifference.
What had triggered it? What words of his had caused that reaction?
That she was his wife? Was that so unbearable to her? This thought ignited something unnamed in him.
"Secretary Xia."
Silence.
"Xia Ruyan," he snapped.
She finally turned to face him, eyes cool and unreadable. It was the first time he had ever called her by her name. And for a brief moment, just a heartbeat, they both felt it. The shift. Something undeniable but fragile changed.
Mo Yichen said nothing more. He couldn't.
Her name had slipped from his lips like honey, fluid, sweet, and far too intimate for a relationship built on cold negotiations. And yet, it felt natural. As if he had every right to call her that… as if her name belonged to him.
He reminded himself: She's a deal. Nothing more. Just a deal.
Then her phone rang. He had never seen her take calls before. She slowly opened her bag and retrieved the phone unhurriedly.
"Ma," she said softly, that gentleness she reserved only for her parents, no exceptions. It pricked at him. He couldn't hear what Mrs. Xia was saying, but Ruyan sighed, a slow, delicate breath, and he felt a strange ache. He wanted that softness directed at him.
"I'm fine. Nothing happened," she said, her voice calm, comforting. "You're overthinking. I'm heading into a meeting, everything's going well, don't worry.......... um, I'll visit this weekend, okay? Please relax," she added, her tone full of patience.
It stung. The patience, the warmth, all of it freely given to her mother, never once to him. He wanted to scoff, but restrained himself. The call lasted barely five minutes. She tucked her phone back into her bag and returned her gaze to the window, as if nothing had happened.
He kept watching her. Maybe she'd offer an explanation, some clue as to why she was comforting her mother. But none came. And his pride, too large, kept him from asking. He bit the inside of his cheek in frustration.
This woman really knew how to get under his skin.
The rest of the ride was spent in silence. Neither of them spoke, yet both felt it; something was shifting between them. A subtle change in their dynamic, unspoken but undeniable. And neither of them was ready to accept it.
The meeting went far better than expected. It concerned one of the major upcoming projects Mo Corporation was spearheading in collaboration with Jin Constructions. The Ye family was also a silent investor, and their influence mattered.
Ye Shu, the elusive young master of the Ye family, currently away from the capital, had practically insisted on investing. He and Yichen had known each other for years, their mothers were friends, and by extension, they were expected to get along. Their relationship was mostly transactional, but Yichen owed Ye Shu a personal debt, one he'd been repaying in quiet ways for a while now.
"It will be a pleasure to collaborate, CEO Mo," Director Jin said with a wide smile. "My father has nothing but praise for you."
Yichen gave a polite nod, lips barely twitching in acknowledgment.
"Now that business is settled," Director Jin continued, "let's enjoy an early lunch." He hoped to nurture ties with the Mo family, alliances that would serve the Jins well in future developments.
The dining room was refined and sunlit. Large windows allowed golden rays to spill in, casting a soft glow on the polished interior. Dust motes swirled in the warm air, sparkling like quiet reminders of time passing. The room was bright, yet cool. Just the right ambiance.
As everyone settled into their seats, Director Jin's gaze finally turned to Xia Ruyan.
"Secretary Xia," he said, voice dripping admiration, "it's truly a pleasure to meet you. You've become the talk of the town after the flawless conference you organized. I must say, you're as beautiful as they say. Almost unreal… like a dream."
Mo Yichen coughed lightly as he reached for his water.
"Thank you," Ruyan replied flatly, her tone as sharp as it was minimal. The air grew awkward. Yichen smirked behind his glass. A waiter approached with menus. The men quickly made their selections.
When it was her turn, Xia Ruyan glanced once at the page, then handed it back with graceful ease.
"I'll have the avocado corn salad," she said calmly, her voice neutral, neither seeking approval nor rejecting attention. Just like her. Self-contained. As the waiter took their menus, Director Jin raised his glass.
"To future partnerships," he said cheerfully.
The glasses clinked politely, but Mo Yichen barely touched his drink. His eyes flicked toward Ruyan, who sipped her water without sparing him or anyone else a glance.
She was always like this. Polished and detached.
But today… the way Director Jin had looked at her, that gleam in his eyes, like she was a trophy to be won, made something stir in him. Something unfamiliar and unwelcome.
Ruyan placed her glass down gently.
"Director Jin," she said, "your team will receive the finalized logistics file by this evening. I trust you won't be delaying approvals further."
There was a pause. Even Mo Yichen blinked. She had just reminded him that she was not just someone's secretary. She was the reason this project hadn't collapsed this quarter.
Director Jin chuckled awkwardly, "Of course. I wouldn't dare. I'm sure your schedule is as tight as your efficiency."
She gave a polite nod in response, neither cold nor warm, just professional.
"We'll visit the field site after lunch," Mo Yichen added, adjusting his cufflinks.
"Hm, if there's nothing else on schedule, that works," Director Jin agreed.
Xia Ruyan said nothing. She didn't need to. It was working hours, and work was what she did, flawlessly, without complaint or comment. The field site was an hour's drive from the restaurant. The visit went smoothly, productive by every metric. Discussions were sharp, decisions were efficient. Everyone was pleased.
Almost everyone.
By late afternoon, only one task remained: a formal meeting with the local magistrate to finalize land-use permissions. But Director Jin excused himself with a rushed apology, citing another urgent commitment. That left only Mo Yichen and Xia Ruyan to continue.
On the drive to the magistrate's office, Mo Yichen's phone rang.
"Yes," he answered, his voice clipped. Something urgent. His tone changed.
"I can't go right now, I'm away...." he paused, listened, his expression tightening. "Fine. I'm going," he said through gritted teeth. The call ended. He turned to Xia Ruyan without meeting her gaze.
"Secretary Xia, I have to attend to something urgent. Handle the meeting here. Report back to the office once you're done," he said. She was already opening the car door.
She stepped out without hesitation, adjusting the file in her hands as she made her way up the path to the magistrate's office.
No complaint. No glance back.
Mo Yichen sat frozen for a moment.
Couldn't she at least protest? Couldn't she at least pretend she didn't want to be left alone?
Damn it.
Lee Jian was in the front seat, silent. Mo Yichen could've asked him to stay behind and bring Xia Ruyan back later.
But he didn't.
He drove off.
And he didn't realize, couldn't have realized, that he would regret this moment for the rest of his life.
Because this was the day his decisions would finally come back to him.
This was the day that would redefine everything he believed he had under control.
Later that night, when Xia Ruyan's mother's voice would tremble, with tears in her eyes, he would finally understand why she had asked him to protect her.
And by then, it might already be too late.