Mo Shenbai’s expression darkened immediately. He did not give the other party a chance to react before he grabbed the other party’s shoulder in just a flash. He turned around and executed a beautiful shoulder throw.

“Ah!” Mo Zhiyun, who was thrown to the ground, cried out. She was still holding the black toy gun. Her small face was scrunched in pain.

Xu Youyou, who was about to get out of the car, saw this scene. Her mouth was wide open in shock, and she forgot to get out of the car. She felt pain just looking at Mo Zhiyun. Mo Shenbai was really too ruthless. She made a note not to play a prank like this on him in the future.

After Mo Zhiyun stood up, she placed her hands on her hips and said angrily, “Brother! Why is your strength getting stronger when you hit me?!”

Mo Shenbai’s expression was calm. He said in a cold and unapologetic voice, “Since you know that, don’t keep playing such silly tricks.”

Mo Zhiyun rubbed her waist and glared at him resentfully.

Mo Shenbai ignored her anger and asked coldly, “Why did you come back?”

“The new year is almost here. I was afraid you’d be alone,” Mo Zhiyun said as she patted the snow off her body. Then, her eyes shone with expectation as she asked, “Or, do you plan to bring Sister-in-law there to celebrate the new year?”

“I’m not going to that place,” Mo Shenbai said as his expression turned dark.

Mo Zhiyun’s eyes dimmed as she asked again, “Then, are you going to Sister-in-law’s house to celebrate the new year? If so, can you bring me there?”

Mo Shenbai looked at Mo Zhiyun with a hint of impatience as he said, “Go back to the old residence to celebrate the new year.”

Mo Zhiyun’s expression fell immediately. “Ah, I specially came back to accompany you, not those old geezers. Every year, I have to listen to them say the same thing over and over again. My ears are getting calluses just from listening to them…”

No emotions could be seen in Mo Shenbai’s eyes as he stared at his sister.

Upon seeing this, Mo Zhiyun lowered her head and said, crestfallen, “Alright, I’ll go back to the old residence…”

Mo Zhiyun could feel someone’s gaze from the car even if she could not see through the tinted window. She waved her hand immediately.

Xu Youyou saw Mo Zhiyun waving at her and knew she could no longer hide in the car. She opened the car door and called out, “Miss Mo…”

“Sister-in-law, don’t call me Miss Mo. You can call me Zhiyun,” Mo Zhiyun said warmly and cheerfully.

Xu Youyou’s face heated up again when addressed as ‘sister-in-law’. She stole a glance at Mo Shenbai and smiled when she saw there were no changes in his expression.

Mo Shenbai said coldly, “Cang Ming, send the Young Miss back to the old residence.”

“Ah?” Mo Zhiyun complained as she pointed at the house, “Why are you sending me back to the old residence? I want to live here!”

“Either you return to the old residence or I’ll send you back to H City. There’s no third choice,” Mo Shenbai said ruthlessly.

Upon hearing the words ‘H City’, Mo Zhiyin lowered her head and said obediently, “Fine. I’ll return to the old residence?” Then, she turned to ask Xu Youyou, “Sister-in-law, it’s so late now. I’ll come and visit you another day!”

Xu Youyou nodded with a smile. “Okay.”

After Mo Zhiyun got into the car, Cang Ming put her luggage in the trunk before he drove off into the snowy night.

Xu Youyou looked at Mo Shenbai and asked curiously, “Why didn’t you allow her to stay here?”

Mo Shenbai saw the snowflakes in her hair and gently brushed them away as he said calmly, “The Moon Pavilion is my private residence… No one can come here…”

Xu Youyou: “?”

“Then, my brother and Bo Qi…”

Mo Shenbai held her hand and pulled her into the house as he said, “This rule is only applicable to the members of the Mo family.”

Xu Youyou lowered her gaze. Her lips opened and closed a few times before she finally swallowed the words in her mouth.

The butler stepped forward and collected their coats before he handed them hot towels to wipe their hands.

“I’ll go up first. Good night,” Xu Youyou said before she lifted the hem of her dress and went upstairs.

Mo Shenbai stared at her slender back. Although the dress was conservative, a small part of her upper back was exposed. Her skin was fair and supple, causing him to gulp. Although she did not ask any questions, he knew she was curious. He had not thought about how to tell her about him and the Mo family.

…

After taking a shower, Xu Youyou sat on the couch and dried her hair. She looked at the dress hanging on the clothes rack, lost in her thoughts.

She had seen Mo Shenbai and Mo Zhiyun talking when she was in the car. Although she did not hear the conversation, she had seen the slight changes in his expression. His gaze was a little sad and conflicted. She could not help but wonder why he was sad and unhappy.

Xu Youyou, who was lost in her thoughts, forgot to dry her hair, and she did not even hear the knocking on the door.

When Mo Shenbai opened the door, he saw her sitting on the couch in a daze as her damp hair hung limply around her face. He cleared his throat slightly.

Xu Youyou returned to her senses and smiled at him. “You haven’t rested yet?”

Mo Shenbai walked in and handed her a glass of warm milk. “What were you thinking about? You didn’t even hear me knocking on the door.”

Xu Youyou shook her head, clearing the thoughts in her mind before she said, “It’s nothing. I was just spacing out…”

Whenever Xu Youyou lied, she would avert her gaze, too afraid to meet his eye.

Mo Shenbai grabbed the towel in her hand and sat next to her before he helped her dry her hair. Then, he said, “It’s the new year in a few days.”

“Hmm,” Xu Youyou said faintly after taking a sip of the warm milk.

“You should go back and celebrate with your family,” Mo Shenbai continued to say, “Grandma’s health isn’t good so you should spend more time with her. It’ll be busy during the new year at the old residence so I won’t go back with you.”

Xu Youyou was relieved and disappointed at the same time. “Okay.”

They were only husband and wife in name even if they were in a relationship now. It was normal for them to spend the new year apart; there was no need to stick to each other all the time. It should not be difficult to come up with an excuse if her grandmother asked.

“Youyou…” Mo Shenbai suddenly stopped moving.

Xu Youyou turned to look at him.

Mo Shenbai’s Adam’s apple rolled a few times, and his eyes flashed as he said, “My parents divorced a long time ago. My mother quickly remarried, and my father died of an illness a few years ago…”

A hint of shock flashed in Xu Youyou’s eyes. She opened her mouth, wanting to comfort him, but she did not know what to say.

As though he knew what she was thinking, Mo Shenbai smiled faintly and said, “I’m fine. It’s just that there are quite a number of relatives in the Mo family. The tradition is to spend the new year in the old residence. I don’t want you to meet them so quickly to avoid upsetting you.”

The Mo family members were aware of his marriage, but he had been secretly stopping them from approaching Xu Youyou. He did not want to make things difficult for her, and he also wanted to protect her.

Xu Youyou knew that big families had many rules, and they liked scheming against each other. She frowned and asked, “Are they very scary?”