Chapter 133: Chapter 133

Suddenly, an idea popped into her head.

"Zhou Xiyang, I think we can subtly influence him. First, we’ll turn him into a convincing cross-dresser, then take him to a bar. If we do it step by step... it should have the desired effect..." Hua Xiaomo said with a laugh, her eyes hiding a wisp of mischievous, cold calculation.

Hmph, Qi Longbing, let’s see how proud you can be after I’ve turned you gay! You’ll be nothing more than a dog at another man’s feet! Nothing remarkable!

"Wow, Xiao Mo, you’re brilliant!" Zhou Xiyang exclaimed, suddenly stepping forward and beaming at her.

But then, BANG! The door was suddenly flung open.

A tall, slender man with long hair and a refined, jade-like appearance rushed in. When he saw Hua Xiaomo on the sofa, seemingly being held by the foreigner, his brow furrowed sharply. However, noticing Hua Xiaomo’s obvious discomfort, he quickly assessed the situation.

Without a word, Mo Rutian grabbed Zhou Xiyang by the back of his collar and delivered a fierce punch to his abdomen.

"You bastard! How dare you hit on her? I’ll kill you!" Mo Rutian roared, landing two more punches on Zhou Xiyang.

Hua Xiaomo stared, stunned. She didn’t have time to wonder why Mo Rutian was there. Hearing Zhou Xiyang’s cries of pain, she quickly scrambled off the sofa and grabbed Mo Rutian’s arm.

"Hey, Mo Rutian, stop hitting him! We can talk about this!" Hua Xiaomo exclaimed, quickly moving to shield Zhou Xiyang behind her.

"Xiao Mo, don’t stop me! I’m going to kill this pervert who molested you today!" Mo Rutian’s handsome face darkened.

"Pervert? Molested me?" Hua Xiaomo paused, then, realizing what he meant, couldn’t help but smile. "Hey, don’t be so paranoid. He didn’t molest me."

"What are you saying, Hua Xiaomo?" Mo Rutian frowned, his gaze fixed on her eyes. How can she be so nonchalant?

Ignoring Mo Rutian’s skeptical expression, Hua Xiaomo quickly turned to Zhou Xiyang and said, "I’m sorry, Zhou Xiyang. This is my friend. Please don’t be angry; he didn’t mean any harm."

"I’m fine." Zhou Xiyang managed a smile, though he was still clutching his stomach. "He must be... your boyfriend, right?" He seemed to understand such situations.

Well, who could he blame? He had gotten a bit carried away laughing with her earlier.

"Hehe, you’re quite the guesser, but unfortunately, you’re completely wrong," Hua Xiaomo replied with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. She then swiftly grabbed the disc from the sofa, stuffed it into her bag, and said, "Alright, I’m leaving now. We’ll be in touch."

Then, without allowing for any argument, she immediately dragged Mo Rutian out of the office. They found a quiet corner in a McDonald’s and sat down.

Hua Xiaomo looked at him, studying him for a moment before speaking. "Mo Rutian, you have my phone, don’t you?" Indeed, she was looking for him specifically to get her phone back.

Her phone had accidentally ended up with him, and of course, she needed it back.

"Yes," Mo Rutian answered, though he made no move to produce it.

"Give it to me," Hua Xiaomo said, left with no other option but to ask directly. This guy really has no self-awareness, does he? Why wouldn’t he just give me my phone? It’s mine, not his!

"I don’t have it with me; I left it at home," Mo Rutian replied after a moment’s thought. His long hair fell on either side of his face, making his bright, handsome features look particularly captivating.

This was a heart-stirringly beautiful young man. Both his appearance and physique were so perfect and harmonious.

Especially his beautiful, brown, star-like eyes; they shone like celestial stars, so dazzling that one couldn’t help but be captivated.

If it weren’t for the fact that Hua Xiaomo had been his middle school classmate, she might have been unwittingly attracted to him as well.

Hua Xiaomo smiled, her gaze fixed on him again. She got straight to the point, "Mo Rutian, you’re not expecting me to go to your house to get it, are you?"

A meaningful smile touched Mo Rutian’s handsome face. "If you’re willing, I can buy you a newer, high-end phone."

Hua Xiaomo frowned, her impatience growing. "What do you mean by that? I just want my phone. Name a time. When will you give it back to me?"

Sometimes her patience was very good, but at other times it was terrible, especially with the man in front of her.

For some reason, just seeing him made her remember how outstanding he had been in school, and how utterly despised and scorned she was by the entire class!

And of course, she had Mo Rutian to thank for all of it. It was because she hadn’t fawned over him, because she had been disdainful of such behavior and had insisted on being her own person, that she had suffered all those unpleasant consequences.

Whenever she thought of these things, she found it impossible to be at peace with him.

"Hua Xiaomo, how can you be with Qi Longbing? Do you even know what kind of person he is?" Mo Rutian looked at her, deliberately changing the subject. A trace of hidden melancholy and concern flickered in his narrow eyes.

"..." Hua Xiaomo was rather speechless. She wasn’t sure if he had come to return her phone or specifically to badmouth Qi Longbing. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭⚫𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦⚫𝘯𝘦𝘵

But honestly, did she really need someone else to tell her about all of that bastard Qi Longbing’s shortcomings? Hua Xiaomo scoffed inwardly.

After listening for a moment, Hua Xiaomo lowered her gaze and said coolly, "Mo Rutian, I know all that. Why don’t you tell me something I *don’t* know?"

Seeing her apparent indifference, Mo Rutian felt a pang of disappointment and a twinge of pain in his heart. His gaze remained fixed on her as he lightly bit his lip. "Hua Xiaomo, are you... are you with him because you need money?"

Hua Xiaomo looked at him, silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Mo Rutian, whether or not I’m with him for money doesn’t seem to be any of your business, does it?"

She really couldn’t understand it. Since they’d met again, he seemed so different from the lofty, unapproachable prince he’d been during their school days—that noble figure who seemed to dwell in the clouds, admired by all from afar, seemingly invincible.

And yet, she didn’t feel she knew him well at all. In their entire three years of middle school, she doubted they had exchanged more than ten sentences.

Could a relationship like that even be considered ’knowing’ someone? It was laughable.

Mo Rutian’s fists clenched slightly. He hesitated, wondering if he should say what was on his mind, but he couldn’t stop himself. "If that’s the case, then... you could choose to be with me. I can give you everything he can. I can support you. And more importantly, I would treat you well."

Having finally managed to get the words out, Mo Rutian felt a surge of nervousness, his bright face tinged with unease. He was unsure how she would react.

But why should Qi Longbing get to have her? That cynical playboy! Is it just because he’s the president of the Qi Imperial Court? Because he has money?

Well, Qi Longbing isn’t the only rich person in this world!