Chapter 24: The Enigma of Mo Qiu

Hmm? What did that mean?

For a fleeting moment, Bai Chen thought he must have misheard.

Had Mo Qiu really just asked about her own appearance? And it came from Mo Qiu of all people?!

In Bai Chen’s impression, this young woman was typically more concerned with others than with herself, rarely paying much attention to her own affairs.

Hearing such a question from her lips made Bai Chen wonder if he had perhaps misjudged her.

‘Could it be another prank? The possibility wasn’t small; though Mo Qiu always wore a poker face, she was far from lacking in subtle intentions.’

Yet, this time, her gaze was unwavering as she spoke, quickly dispelling Bai Chen’s suspicion.

If asked whether Mo Qiu was beautiful, Bai Chen’s answer would, of course, be: ‘Beautiful, incredibly beautiful!’

Mo Qiu seemed to have no habit of tying her hair; her black tresses always cascaded freely, sometimes almost obscuring her profile.

Bai Chen believed that if Mo Qiu were to properly doll herself up, she would undoubtedly astound everyone.

Her figure was also quite good, as Bai Chen had personally witnessed her slender waist and ample bosom.

However, what he liked most were Mo Qiu’s eyes, devoid of highlights, lacking a soul, bottomless in their depth, and utterly captivating!

Naturally, Bai Chen felt too awkward to voice these thoughts aloud, so he merely scratched his head, saying, “How should I put it…”

‘What kind of answer was that?’

Mo Qiu’s pupils trembled ever so slightly.

‘Was it because she was truly unappealing, making him unable to respond? The situation was worse than I imagined.’

Completely oblivious to the young woman’s inner turmoil, Bai Chen was still organizing his thoughts when a sudden idea sparked in his mind:

‘Could something have happened at her home?’

Considering she had recently mentioned not wanting to go home, the more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.

‘Had she argued with her parents? Or had some accident occurred at home?’

This would also explain why she had rushed out in her loungewear; she must have had a loud argument with her parents, and in a fit of pique, simply fled.

She was probably still fuming, preferring to sit alone at the Midsummer Night restaurant rather than return.

As for the question she had asked… it was highly probable that during the argument, her parents had uttered harsh words, striking a blow to her self-esteem.

Bai Chen couldn’t imagine Mo Qiu being hysterical, but what was intriguing was that she turned out to be someone who cared deeply about her self-esteem, a stark contrast to her outward demeanor.

Having learned another unknown facet of the young woman, Bai Chen’s mood lightened considerably.

His gaze returned to her, finding Mo Qiu with her head bowed, relentlessly mutilating the mousse cake before her with a fork.

Bits of shattered cream even splattered onto the tabletop, yet she showed no sign of stopping.

Faintly imagining the cake’s tortured cries, Bai Chen swallowed hard and quickly spoke:

“How about I take you home first?”

“Home?” Mo Qiu looked up, her voice a low murmur. “You still haven’t answered my question.”

“Then you tell me first, did someone say something about your appearance?”

Upon hearing this, Mo Qiu didn’t immediately reply, but after a moment of thought, she nodded.

‘Saluk is a demon, and demons aren’t considered people… but he certainly said something offensive.’

‘Just as I thought.’

Bai Chen was secretly pleased, though his expression remained unchanged. “Brooding like this won’t help. How about I take you home first?”

“Must we do that?”

“Do you want to stay a while longer?”

Bai Chen thought his tone had been gentle enough, yet Mo Qiu still furrowed her brow.

‘What was this guy talking about? What wasn’t a solution?’

Mo Qiu had a distinct feeling Bai Chen had misunderstood something, but given his peculiar way of thinking, she decided not to dwell on it for now.

If going along with his wishes could help her conquer his heart, Mo Qiu was willing to be obedient.

‘Since I can’t rely on my looks, I’ll rely on my actions.’

In her previous life, she had encountered many such individuals; the second-in-command beside the leaders of certain illicit organizations often gained their recognition through capability, not merely a beautiful face.

Looks and figure were only effective for battles in bed; once out of it, people turning cold and disowning others was all too common.

“Alright.”

Bai Chen’s lips curved into a smile as he picked up the keys to his electric scooter. “Then let’s go.”

Riding his beloved electric scooter once more, with Mo Qiu directing him from the back, it didn’t take long to reach her doorstep.

Gazing at the residential building before him, Bai Chen still felt a touch of surprise.

‘She and her parents lived in a place like this?’

In recent years, many new residential complexes had been built in Fengling City, and those who chose to live in such old buildings were mostly single individuals or the elderly.

‘It seemed her family’s circumstances weren’t very good.’

After dismounting, just as Mo Qiu was about to invite him inside, Bai Chen spoke first.

“Regarding your earlier question.”

Mo Qiu: ‘?’

“You asked me if you were beautiful…”

Even though he had prepared himself, Bai Chen still felt his cheeks flush with heat.

Especially under Mo Qiu’s steady gaze, he found himself unable to meet her eyes.

“I think you’re very beautiful. At least to me, you are an exceptionally stunning woman.”

The world seemed to fall silent as Mo Qiu’s lips parted slightly:

“Is that your honest opinion?”

“Ah, yes.” Having said it, a weight lifted, and Bai Chen found the courage to meet her gaze.

The moment he looked up, he saw her lean her face closer.

“Wha—what are you doing?” Bai Chen nearly knocked over the electric scooter.

“If you like it, then look a while longer.”

Mo Qiu’s dark, gem-like eyes reflected his face.

“That way, you won’t feel so much pressure from life.”

After a long moment of stunned silence, Bai Chen let out a wry chuckle:

“Thank you, I feel much better.”

This was no lie; he genuinely felt a warmth emanating from Mo Qiu.

Mo Qiu’s expression remained unchanged; with a slight nod, she turned and walked away.

Had it been any other young woman, Bai Chen’s timely comfort, even if it didn’t make her blush bashfully, would at least have caused a flutter in her heart.

Her reaction truly was like that of a doll, making it no wonder others would call her uninteresting.

Watching the young woman’s retreating figure, Bai Chen mused to himself.

Only when she vanished into the stairwell did he don his helmet once more and ride off on his electric scooter.

****

By the time Bai Chen returned to the shop, business had visibly quieted down, and he could easily spot idle employees gathered together, chatting.

The moment Bai Chen stepped through the door, everyone’s eyes converged on him simultaneously, sending a shiver down his spine.

“Wha—what’s wrong?”

“Oh, look, our little Casanova is back~”

It was Manager Cheng Xuan who appeared, her voice soft and languid, as she slightly raised an almond-shaped eye.

“Exactly one hour. If you had come back any later, I would have docked your pay.”

“What did you just call me?” Bai Chen’s face was uglier than if he had just eaten a cockroach.

“Little Casanova, of course,” Cheng Xuan replied with a childlike, innocent expression. “I never expected you to actually offer to take a girl home. You must have already won her heart, haven’t you? You’re even better at this game than I thought.”

“Get lost, get lost, who’s playing games?” Bai Chen rolled his eyes at her. “I was very seriously helping Mo Qiu with her troubles, as a friend.”

“You’re so enthusiastic; be careful your friendship doesn’t change its nature.”

“Impossible, absolutely impossible.”

Bai Chen said, flashing a mischievous grin.

“You should focus on getting yourself married first. If you drag it out any longer, you’ll become an unwanted old auntie.”

“What auntie? I’m only thirty-two this year, a big sister in the prime of her youth!”

“Your definition of youth is quite broad.”

“Hmph, it’s not that I can’t get married; it’s that I, your elder, have high standards and look down on common folk.”

Whenever the topic of marriage came up, Cheng Xuan would open her floodgates, and everyone around would scatter far away.

Any poor soul caught by her would be forced to listen for at least an hour or two before she was done.

Bai Chen had long since slipped away when she wasn’t looking, pretending to be diligently working elsewhere.

With the manager’s incessant chatter ringing in his ears, Bai Chen felt his eardrums were about to grow calluses.

‘She talks too much, unlike Mo Qiu.’

‘Speaking of which, what kind of family situation would raise a girl with such a personality?’

Recalling the young woman’s indifferent reaction after receiving his compliment, Bai Chen’s movements halted.

He realized he still didn’t know enough about Mo Qiu.

He was very curious about how a doll-like young woman like her typically lived her life.

Perhaps if he had more opportunities to talk with her in the future, he could help her open up and become more cheerful.

‘She’s still too aloof now; even if I complimented her appearance, she’ll probably forget it quickly once she gets home, won’t she?’

****

Meanwhile, in the young woman’s room.

“Bai Chen said I am an exceptionally stunning woman?”

Mo Qiu sat before her computer, murmuring to herself as she looked at a few lines on a piece of paper.

“How many layers of meaning does this truly hold?”

‘Was it flattery? Comfort? Or the truth?’

If it were the former two reasons, his attitude was far too earnest.

If it were the latter, then why did he add that particular phrase?

A ballpoint pen spun gracefully between her slender fingers as the young woman recalled Bai Chen’s expression when they parted.

‘So brilliant, almost like the sun.’

‘The light it emitted warmed everyone equally, even a transparent person like her, hidden in a corner, could feel it.’

‘It must have been his honest opinion.’

‘Am I considered beautiful in Bai Chen’s eyes?’

Mo Qiu took a deep breath, her complexion considerably rosier than before.

‘Though being praised by a man in such a way was somewhat nauseating, I knew my beauty wasn’t bad!’

Mo Qiu had considered many possibilities: if Bai Chen didn’t like the appearance she had crafted for herself, she would have to change her battle plan.

‘If her outward appearance failed to win his affection, she would serve him like a dog, making him understand that she was an invaluable tool.’

‘Since he likes my current appearance, things will be much simpler.’

She could fully continue with her previous plan, step by step infiltrating Bai Chen’s heart and grasping it firmly in her palm.

Seizing the moment while her thoughts were active, Mo Qiu quickly planned her next move, intending to set her trap the following week.

Monday, lunchtime.

“I heard you went to KTV over the weekend, Old Zhu?”

“It’s a shame you didn’t come, Old Bai. We had a blast.”

“You had a blast, alright. Do you know your mother called me because you didn’t go home?”

“Libelle invited me herself, please don’t tell anyone.”

Watching Old Zhu, who had his hands pressed together and was pleading incessantly, Bai Chen could barely be bothered to waste words.

“Don’t be so resentful; your luck with romance isn’t that bad.”

“Oh, please.”

‘At most, I might get a WeChat add or a bottle of water while playing basketball. Will a girl really just walk up and ask me to her house?’

‘Even in my dreams, something like that wouldn’t happen.’

“Bai Chen.”

Mo Qiu, whose footsteps were always silent, had appeared before him at some unknown moment.

“Can you come to my house this weekend?”

“Huh?”

‘Am I dreaming right now?’

Looking at the utterly bewildered Bai Chen, Mo Qiu’s tone remained level, as if stating something perfectly ordinary:

“Thank you for last time. I’d like to repay you somehow, so I’m inviting you to my house again.”

‘Again?’

“Old Bai, you really know how to play the game. I concede defeat,” Old Zhu said, clasping his hands together in a gesture of respect, his face filled with admiration.