The extravagantly dressed actor on stage sang and performed, their melodious voice possessing a unique charm all its own.
Beneath the stage, only a scattering of spectators were present, among them an elder lying back relaxedly in a pear wood rocking chair carved with pear blossoms, a jade thumb ring on his thumb gleaming with a translucent light.
The old manâs silver hair was combed into a slicked-back style, his wrinkled face an unnatural shade of pale. His eyes were half-closed as his fingertips tapped along with the opera on the armrest of the chair.
The "thud thud" of his tapping was rhythmic.
The soft footsteps were drowned out by the opera, and the middle-aged man standing next to the elder nodded slightly at the newcomerâs approach.
"Miss."
Mo Yu, in a light green cheongsam, moved with a graceful figure, her expressions carrying a hint of sharpness.
Looking towards the elder reclining on the rocking chair, Mo Yu halted, bent at the waist, and greeted respectfully, "Father."
After her words fell, there came no response for a long time.
The elder on the rocking chair seemed as if he heard nothing, remaining unmoved.
Time slowly passed, and the opera performance on stage continued without a break.
After a while, a hoarse voice slowly spoke up.
"Is everything taken care of?"
With her head lowered, Mo Yu didnât dare to act rashly before the elder, "It is done."
"Where is Mo Chen?" The old man still had his eyes closed, the tapping of his fingertips suddenly halted.
"Mo Chen has been at home these past few days. I have arranged for someone to tutor him on some of the company matters," she said.
"Everything is proceeding according to plan, and Mo Chen will also head to the capital after a while."
The elder grunted in acknowledgment, then fell silent again.
Mo Yu looked at his profile, hesitated, and appeared to have something she couldnât quite say, "Father, I..."
"What do you want to say?"
"Father, I can understand why you want Mo Chen to go to Beisen, but after all, Mo Chen is my son. Could you please not harm him?" Mo Yuâs voice weakened slightly.
"Heh."
The old man laughed cryptically, "Mo Chen is also my grandson. Do you think I would harm him?"
"I know of course you wouldnât, Father. However, according to our plan, once Ye Jiuliang catches wind of it, thereâs no guarantee that Mo Chen wonât get hurt," Mo Yu said with worry in her voice.
Mo Chen was too fond of Ye Jiuliang. Once he realized he was being used, it would inevitably cause a fallout between them, and although Mo Chen might seem agreeable, he was intractably stubborn once he made up his mind.
The elder suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze sharp as he looked at her with a hint of coldness, "Whatâs wrong with a man taking some injury? Mo Chen has been spoiled by you."
Mo Yu wouldnât dare to argue and listened to his reprimand with her head lowered.
"Send Mo Chen to me tomorrow. I will have a talk with him," the elder stated in a tone that brooked no argument.
"Yes."
After a moment of silence, the elder asked again, "Have you met that girl Ye Jiuliang?"
"No," Mo Yu shook her head, "Iâve only seen her in photos."
"That girl isnât simple. To be frank, sheâs more capable than Mo Chen and the others. Itâs just that such people, unfortunately, are not of our Mo Familyâs bloodline," the old man stroked his beard, his tone of admiration not hiding his deadly intentions towards Ye Jiuliang.
"Dad, what do you mean by that?" Mo Yuâs expression shifted subtly, as she was determined not to accept that a womanâs child could be more capable than her own.
Her child of the Mo Yu family had to be the most excellent.
The elder knew her hang-up but just glanced at her indifferently, "The Mo Family, as Iâve said before, as members of the Mo Family we must not be swayed by emotions. The fact that you should not underestimate that girl Ye Jiuliang is true. Otherwise, she wouldnât have been able to escape unscathed from you time after time, would she?"
The elderâs words hit home, and Mo Yuâs face became embarrassed.
She spoke in a subdued voice, "I understand."