Ou Yunchen, who was about to leave work, received a WeChat message from Mo Qingyun.
— WeChat between Ou Yunchen and Mo Qingyun —
Little Mute: "Can you get in touch with A Ming?"
Ou Yunchen: "What's wrong? Aren't you at the hospital?"
Little Mute: "I'm here, but there's no one in the ward. Did you get the room number wrong?"
Ou Yunchen: "No way, it's room 404. Did you message Apple?"
Little Mute: "I did, but she hasn't replied for a long time."
Ou Yunchen: "Then wait for me at the hospital. I'll call A Ming now and then come pick you up."
Little Mute: "Okay."
— End of WeChat between Ou Yunchen and Mo Qingyun —
By the time Ou Yunchen drove to the hospital, Mo Qingyun had been waiting anxiously for a long time.
Mo Qingyun's sign language: "Did you contact them?"
Ou Yunchen: "A Ming's phone has been turned off. Did you ask the nurses here?"
Mo Qingyun's sign language: "I did. They said the child who was in room 404 a week ago has been discharged."
Ou Yunchen: "I'll make another call."
Ou Yunchen quickly contacted the doctor who operated on A Ming's child.
After a thorough inquiry, he learned that A Ming had taken the child out of the hospital privately without the hospital's permission. Even the hospital couldn't reach A Ming.
This news terrified Ou Yunchen. How could A Ming do something so foolish!
Although the child's surgery was successful, how could the post-operative recovery be so abruptly stopped!
Mo Qingyun's sign language: "Could something have happened?"
Ou Yunchen couldn't figure it out. The surgery was done, so what could make him panic so much that he fled the hospital with his child in the middle of the night?!
Was it fear that he would ask for the ten percent share he was owed?
A Ming, you idiot! When has Ou Yunchen ever pressured his brothers for money!?
Ou Yunchen grabbed Mo Qingyun's hand and said, "Let's go to their place and see."
As expected, Ou Yunchen and Mo Qingyun knocked on the door for a long time, but no one opened it. They pressed their ears to the door and heard only silence from inside.
Just then, the neighbor from next door peeked out.
Neighbor: "Are you here to see the house?"
Ou Yunchen: "Hello, are the people who live in this unit not home?"
Neighbor: "They moved out."
Ou Yunchen was shocked: "Moved out? When?"
Neighbor: "A few days ago. And you are?"
Ou Yunchen: "I'm his friend. I couldn't reach him, so I came to check."
The neighbor sized up Ou Yunchen and then looked at Mo Qingyun, who had been silent all along.
Neighbor: "They left in quite a hurry."
Ou Yunchen: "Ma'am, do you know why they moved?"
Neighbor: "They said they were going back to their hometown. Oh, right, what's your last name?"
Ou Yunchen: "Ou."
Neighbor: "Please wait a moment."
The neighbor half-closed the door and rummaged in her house for a photo, comparing it carefully.
Neighbor: "Here's the key. When they left, they said if the person in the photo came looking for him, we should give him the key. See, this man in the photo is you, right? And this girl is her?"
Ou Yunchen took it. The photo was from when they were all four in the room celebrating A Ming's child's birthday.
Mo Qingyun and Ou Yunchen were even wearing matching couple outfits from A Ming and Apple, saying that their godparents would come to celebrate the child's birthday every year!
Ou Yunchen didn't hesitate. He took the key and unlocked the door.
The room was empty, and it was hard to tell that a happy family of three had once lived there.
Mo Qingyun patted Ou Yunchen's shoulder and pointed to a letter on top of the shoe cabinet. It was addressed, "To Ou Yunchen."
— A Ming's Letter —
"Brother, by the time you read this letter, Apple, the child, and I will have already left this city.
I am very grateful for your help over the years. I know I can never repay your kindness.
You are the child's savior, and I will definitely teach her and tell her to be filial to her godfather in the future!
Brother, I know I've caused you trouble. I was indeed selfish, using our brotherly bond to force you to give your shares to your opponent.
But at that time, Yan Shizong suddenly came to me, and I really had no other choice. I don't dare to ask for your forgiveness, so I ran away.
Brother, consider this house as my repayment to you. Please accept it, and I'll feel a little better.
Brother, don't look for me anymore. It's enough for me that I could be your friend for a while."
— End of A Ming's Letter —
Mo Qingyun held Ou Yunchen's hand. She could tell that Ou Yunchen was a little sad.
Mo Qingyun's sign language: "Are you okay?"
Ou Yunchen: "I'm fine."
Mo Qingyun's sign language: "What did the letter say?"
Ou Yunchen refolded the letter and put it back in the envelope, then placed it back on the shoe cabinet as it was.
Ou Yunchen: "A Ming said there was an urgent matter back home, so they went back together. He told us not to worry."
Mo Qingyun's sign language: "They're not coming back?"
Ou Yunchen: "Probably not."
Mo Qingyun's sign language: "What a shame. We didn't get to say a proper goodbye. I even bought lots of new clothes for my goddaughter, but I didn't get a chance to give them to Apple."
Ou Yunchen looked at the shopping bags in Mo Qingyun's hand, then kissed her forehead.
Ou Yunchen: "Leave them here, just in case they come back someday."
Mo Qingyun nodded. She placed the bags next to the shoe cabinet, linked her arm with Ou Yunchen's, and they took one last look at the house before leaving.
***
On the way back, Ou Yunchen deliberately asked Mo Qingyun about her new job, but Mo Qingyun seemed to be deliberately hiding something.
Ou Yunchen: "Is that so? What do you mainly do at the company?"
Mo Qingyun's sign language: "Just some reception work, communicating with people who need help using sign language."
Ou Yunchen: "Is it tiring?"
Mo Qingyun's sign language: "Not tiring, I quite like it."
Ou Yunchen: "Then I'll come visit your workplace when I have time."
Mo Qingyun's sign language: "No, I can't!"
Ou Yunchen: "Can't? Why?"
Mo Qingyun's sign language: "It will affect me if you come. You'd better not go."
Ou Yunchen: "Okay, then I can pick you up after work, is that alright?"
Mo Qingyun's sign language: "No need. My workplace is very far away. By the time I get back, it will be dark, plus traffic jams, it's too much trouble!"
Ou Yunchen: "Then your commute must be very hard."
Mo Qingyun's sign language: "There's a shuttle bus!"
Ou Yunchen: "That's good then."
Ou Yunchen smiled. Did Mo Qingyun really think she could hide it from him?
Ever since Mo Qingyun met Xie Youlin in private again, he knew that the new job must have been arranged by Xie Youlin.
He didn't know if Xie Youlin was using the information about Mo Qingyun's brother as bait to keep her by his side, but Mo Qingyun genuinely enjoyed helping others.
However, Xie Youlin was indeed capable. After inheriting his family business, he donated all his assets and established the Hongtian Foundation.
Under the guise of helping more people in the world, he actually manipulated funds to satisfy his selfish desires. Only the poor would believe that rich people could truly make the world a better place!
And now Mo Qingyun was working diligently for Xie Youlin again, saying that the foundation was allocating funds to support deaf and mute people in starting businesses, so they set up a foundation entrepreneurship department, and Mo Qingyun was working there.
Perhaps, as Mo Qingyun said, she could reasonably use the foundation's donations to help those in need.
However, Ou Yunchen felt that Xie Youlin was doing this kind of thing to get close to Mo Qingyun and keep her under his watch, not to prevent Ou Yunchen from getting close to her?
He didn't believe this man was a philanthropist!
Mo Qingyun's sign language: "Are you sure your house has an induction cooker?"
Ou Yunchen: "Definitely. I remember seeing one somewhere. The cleaning lady must have put it away. I'll look for it when we get back."
After getting off the elevator and turning a corner, Ou Yunchen saw a familiar girl standing at his doorstep.
Su Ruiyi was dressed rather thinly and was leaning against the door, shivering. When she looked up and saw the two of them getting off the elevator at the same time, the smile on her face immediately froze.
When Su Ruiyi stared at Mo Qingyun, her eyes were far from friendly. Her intuition immediately told her that this mute girl and Ou Yunchen had gotten even closer!
Otherwise, why would they be buying things together and bringing them home!!!
Ou Yunchen sighed. He said nothing, used his fingerprint to unlock the door, and as it opened, no one moved.
Su Ruiyi looked up at Ou Yunchen with a wronged expression, while Mo Qingyun stood slightly behind Ou Yunchen.
Ou Yunchen: "Come in."
Ou Yunchen entered first, followed closely by Su Ruiyi, and then Mo Qingyun.
After entering, Mo Qingyun proactively took the things from Ou Yunchen's hands. She lowered her head and quietly walked to the kitchen.
Ou Yunchen took off his suit jacket, threw it on the sofa, and then pointed to the sofa next to him, gesturing for Su Ruiyi to sit down.
But Su Ruiyi's eyes were fixed on Mo Qingyun. She skillfully put away the purchased items in the kitchen, then took drinks out of the refrigerator and placed them on the coffee table.
Su Ruiyi couldn't believe that this mute girl was acting as if she had already become the mistress of the house!
She had her own dedicated slippers, and a pink apron. Even these cute water cups were something Su Ruiyi had never seen before when she came here!
One question echoed in Su Ruiyi's mind: How long has this mute girl been by Ou Yunchen's side?!
Su Ruiyi: "Can she leave first?"