Chapter Two: Truths Revealed in Wine

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“Qingxue? What are you doing here?” Mo Ran opened the door and looked at Su Qingxue, who was Su Qingcheng’s younger sister, feeling a bit puzzled.

“Brother-in-law, my mom and my sister both got drunk today. Don’t take it to heart,” Su Qingxue stood at the door and spoke softly, her tone rather cautious. Clearly, she disdained her mother’s and sister’s behavior but was powerless to do anything about it.

“It’s alright. What they said is true,” Mo Ran smiled. In this whole villa, the only person who treated him as a human being was his little sister-in-law, Su Qingxue. Her innate kindness was the second light in Mo Ran’s otherwise bleak life; the first, naturally, was the orphanage where he grew up.

“That’s good. Get some rest early. The driver took leave, so you’ll have to get up early tomorrow to take me to school,” Su Qingxue said, patting her modest chest in relief.

“Don’t worry, I’ll definitely be up before you,” Mo Ran nodded. As the most superfluous member of this family, he often lived like a brick—moved wherever he was needed.

“Alright, same routine tomorrow,” Su Qingxue replied with a smile...

The next morning, Mo Ran rose early. He had to collect his clothes drying outside before the Su family woke up, lest they see them and toss them in the trash.

“Mo Ran, time’s up. Drive Qingxue to school,” Su Qingcheng, browsing financial news in the dining room while eating breakfast, called out to the stairs leading to the basement as soon as her sister finished breakfast.

Mo Ran, waiting in his room, heard the call and finally opened the door to step out.

“Mom, Dad, and I won’t be at the company today. You don’t need to bring lunch,” Su Qingcheng said as she placed the car keys on the table, not even raising her head. She might as well have had the word “contempt” engraved on her forehead.

“Alright, I understand,” Mo Ran replied. After three years of this, he was long used to his “legal wife’s” indifference.

Taking the car keys, Mo Ran followed Su Qingxue out of the villa and drove away.

“Here, brother-in-law. I hid a sandwich in my bag. I asked the auntie to add an extra egg—eat it while it’s hot,” Su Qingxue took out the sandwich she’d stowed away and handed it to Mo Ran as he drove.

“Thank you, Qingxue.” This was one of Mo Ran’s few joys—every time the driver was on leave, Su Qingxue would secretly stash an egg sandwich for him.

“Brother-in-law, have you ever thought about leaving my sister? You know she only agreed to marry you because of the shares Grandpa gave her and the CEO position, right?” Watching Mo Ran devour the sandwich, Su Qingxue felt a pang of pity. She bit her lip and took a bottle of water from her bag, placing it in the cup holder as she tentatively asked.

“Qingxue, do you think I even have the right to ask that? Three years ago, because of a single word from that person, your grandpa offered your sister an irresistible deal—and gave me one I couldn’t refuse either,” Mo Ran replied after swallowing his food and taking a sip of water at a red light.

“I heard from my parents that Grandpa offered a million yuan. If you agreed to become the Su family’s son-in-law, he’d donate the million to the orphanage, right?” Su Qingxue replied; it was the first time in three years she’d brought up the topic. A million wasn’t much—she could just save it and return it to Grandpa.

“Yes, Qingxue. You’re different. You were born into luxury, with multiple nannies. Me? I had to fight just to survive. Three years ago, if not for that million, I would have left Shanghai rather than agree,” Mo Ran explained simply, knowing from her tone that this girl, born with a silver spoon, had never truly known hardship, despite her kindness.

“Alright then. Brother-in-law, hang on for a few more months. After my college entrance exams, my sister will let me manage all my New Year’s money from over the years. I’ll figure out a way to get a million for you, so you can pay Grandpa back and regain your freedom,” Su Qingxue said cheerfully, not catching the subtext in Mo Ran’s words.

“We’ll see when the time comes,” Mo Ran replied with a smile, not holding out much hope. He knew well that after three years as CEO, Su Qingcheng was no longer the simple heiress she once was—she was now a true business queen.

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Perhaps Mo Ran really did possess the “great fortune” so often spoken of in novels. Ever since he became the Su family’s son-in-law, Su Qingcheng had led the family through project after project, each a resounding success. The projects she didn’t want, no one else could manage. As for opposition within the Su Group? There was some, but rarely—unless they wanted to sever ties with the mighty Su family.

The two chatted as the car moved forward, quickly arriving at Shanghai High School. Su Qingxue got out, said goodbye, and walked into the school, while Mo Ran drove back to the villa.

Because of his sensitive status, Su Qingcheng forbade him from working at Su Group, ordering him to stay at the villa, though his salary and insurance remained unchanged.

When he returned home, Su Qingcheng and her parents had already left, leaving only a few servants who chatted idly as they worked.

Seeing Mo Ran enter, none of the servants bothered to stand and greet him, merely glancing at him before continuing their conversation.

Mo Ran was used to this. In this so-called “home,” his status was likely lower than the dog Su Qingcheng kept.

He ignored them and returned to his room to rest.

After lunch, with nothing to do and about to nap, Mo Ran received a message from Su Qingcheng instructing him to drive to the hotel to pick her up.

“Alright, I’ll be there soon,” Mo Ran replied, grabbing his car keys and heading out, unaware he had just become fodder for the servants’ gossip.

“Ladies, look at this loser. As soon as Miss calls, he runs over wagging his tail—just like a dog, isn’t he?” one servant laughed.

“I know, I know. That’s what you call a bootlicker,” another chimed in.

“Be careful, though. If Master or Madam overhear, we’ll be in serious trouble,” a younger, smarter servant whispered.

“What’s there to fear? That loser, dreaming of marrying up, should take a long hard look at himself. Did he really think Old Master pairing him with Miss would let him get a taste of her beauty and have her bear him a child? In the end, he’s still living in that cold, damp basement, treated like a servant, always getting scolded by Master and Madam,” the first servant sneered.

Obviously, the long-serving staff had no respect for Mo Ran, the so-called son-in-law.

Meanwhile, Mo Ran had arrived at the hotel, waiting downstairs for Su Qingcheng and her parents to finish their engagement.

About half an hour later, he saw three familiar figures. Su’s father, dead drunk, was helped out by hotel staff; Su’s mother, Li Lan, drove him home, leaving only Su Qingcheng behind.

“Are you here yet?” Standing at the hotel entrance, Su Qingcheng, not seeing Mo Ran’s car, made another call.

She wore a light pink cashmere coat, a cream-colored hat atop her head, her wavy hair cascading over her shoulders. With her stunning beauty and the slight frown caused by Mo Ran’s late arrival, she seemed even more breathtaking.

“On my way,” Mo Ran replied, snapping out of his reverie. He’d been staring at his beautiful “wife,” lost in thought, and hadn’t pulled up in time.

“Are we going home?” After Su Qingcheng got in, Mo Ran glanced at her in the rearview mirror, his eyes full of admiration and longing, though he kept his voice calm.

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“No, let’s go to the park. There’s nothing at the office this afternoon. I want to get some air,” Su Qingcheng leaned her head against the car door, her eyes half-closed.

Perhaps it was the alcohol—her cheeks were slightly flushed, and though she was sober, she exuded a languid aura, quite unlike her usual icy, untouchable CEO persona.

“Alright,” Mo Ran replied, subtly adjusting the side mirror, the infatuation in his eyes growing. It wasn’t until the car behind honked impatiently that he snapped out of it and hurriedly drove off.

After half an hour’s drive, Mo Ran brought Su Qingcheng to a quiet park on the outskirts of Shanghai. At this hour, the park was nearly deserted.

Mo Ran parked in a paid spot inside the park and was about to undo his seatbelt when Su Qingcheng stopped him.

“Qingcheng, is something wrong?” Mo Ran didn’t turn around, leaning back in the driver’s seat, his gaze fixed outside, his voice calm.

“Mo Ran, I really look down on you. Did you know that?” Su Qingcheng leaned against the rear door, her eyes complicated.

“I know,” Mo Ran’s body trembled slightly, but his reply was steady. “We were never from the same world. But neither of us had a choice, did we?”

His words seemed to say nothing, yet reminded her that three years ago, had it not been for Su Dashan, the Su family patriarch, offering 10% of Su Group shares and the CEO position, would Su Qingcheng have agreed to marry him? Even if only in name.

“Ha, and you? Didn’t you covet Grandpa’s money? He gave you a million, didn’t he? Did you really use it to fix up the orphanage?” Su Qingcheng sneered. “You’re honest about your intentions—I respect that. But whether you’re human or something else, only you know.”

Mo Ran listened quietly, then shook his head with a wry smile. He was disappointed but not surprised. That heart of Su Qingcheng’s, cold for three years—what else could he do?

“Mo Ran, you’re such a coward, you know?” Su Qingcheng continued after a pause. “When I first married you, I thought about making a real life together, even gave you opportunities to get involved in the company and achieve something. But tell me, what did you do during that time?”

Mo Ran was silent. He didn’t want to explain the events of two years ago. If insisting on justice was wrong, then he’d rather not bother.

“Can’t answer, can you? You’re just a loser,” Su Qingcheng sneered. “Once things settle down, I’ll talk to Grandpa about our divorce.”

“Qingcheng, is this your drunken confession?” Mo Ran endured her reproach and asked in return.

“You could say so,” Su Qingcheng nodded, admitting it.