Chapter 54 – Exclusive Sweet Romance: The Battle to Save the Campus Heartthrob (16)
While Huo Wen was being condemned by everyone, Bai Mo’s information was also compiled into a file and placed on Jian Haoqing’s desk.
“Oh~ Cute boy.” The woman casually flipped through a few pages, her slender fingers tracing the face in Bai Mo’s photo. Her eyes gleamed with interest. Anyone who could capture Haocang’s attention couldn’t possibly be as simple as the file suggested.
“Find a time in my schedule. I want to meet him,” Jian Haoqing instructed her assistant.
Just like Butler Liu, Jian Haoqing wouldn’t be at ease without meeting Bai Mo in person. After all, she and Butler Liu had practically raised Jian Haocang. Their parents had been focused on expanding the family’s business empire, leaving Haocang in their care. They cherished him deeply and feared he might be deceived.
As for the scandals surrounding Huo Wen, there seemed to be a new one every day. Just as one piece of gossip started to settle, another explosive revelation would surface—spreading like a tornado, swift and overwhelming, yet not entirely unexpected.
Even the news of Bai Mo cross-dressing barely caused a stir.
“Oh, he wears skirts? If he likes it, let him wear them. What’s that? He tricked someone? Who did Bai Mo deceive—Jian Haocang? Please, Jian Haocang knew all along. It’s just a little couple’s fun; it doesn’t concern anyone else. People should focus on Huo Wen’s crimes instead—who knows how many more victims have yet to be uncovered?”
And there were plenty. Huo Wen had done many shady things in the past—mostly petty schemes. The worst incident was the exchange student scandal. After that, she had stayed quiet for nearly a year. But ever since Bai Mo appeared, she had started acting out again, failing every time and slowly ruining her own reputation.
This realization made people turn their attention back to Bai Mo. They began speculating—did he have some powerful force backing him? What kind of grudge did Huo Wen have against him that she kept targeting him?
When asked directly, Bai Mo simply shook his head innocently, his soft voice saying he didn’t know.
And he truly didn’t.
At this point, Huo Wen had already done so much, yet the hidden storyline still hadn’t been triggered. It was honestly ridiculous.
The one who was most frustrated was Xiao Bobao. Listing out Huo Wen’s many misdeeds, she was furious that the heavens hadn’t even granted a single bit of divine retribution, angrily declaring that Huo Wen was truly worthless.
Time passed as Bai Mo counted down the days until Jian Haocang’s return. Meanwhile, as Huo Wen’s scandal continued to spiral out of control, she was forced to take a leave of absence and return home.
One day, Bai Mo was buying a jianbing guozi (savory Chinese crepe) from a street vendor. Just as he received his food and turned around, a Lamborghini suddenly screeched to a halt in front of him.
The car window rolled down, revealing a stunningly beautiful woman in the driver’s seat. Her red lips parted slightly.
“Get in.”
“We should talk about Jian Haocang.”
Bai Mo and Jian Haoqing shared the same thoughts—when it came to Haocang, nothing was a small matter.
He hesitated for a moment, but after Xiao Bobao revealed the woman’s identity, he decisively opened the car door and sat in the front passenger seat.
The woman raised an eyebrow, neither affirming nor denying.
Under the watchful eyes of many, the luxury car sped away.
In an elegant café, a woman in a red dress sat at the piano. The melodious music flowed like a gentle stream. When the song ended, a young boy clapped in amazement.
“Sister, you’re amazing! Even better than Brother Haocang at playing.”
Having lived two lifetimes, Bai Mo still didn’t fully understand human musical appreciation, but to him, as long as the music was pleasant and soothing, it was good music.
Jian Haoqing accepted Bai Mo’s praise with grace and sat down across from him.
“Sweet talker! No wonder you’ve charmed Haocang so much.” Compliments were always nice to hear, especially when they came from a boy who spoke with such sincerity and had eyes only for you—his credibility skyrocketed.
“I’m telling the truth! The piano pieces Brother Haocang plays are all nursery rhymes.” He even recorded them for Bai Mo to listen to before bed, calling them lullabies.
Did he think Bai Mo was a child? But honestly, listening to his dear lover play the piano helped him fall asleep faster and improved his sleep quality significantly.
Jian Haoqing chuckled—wasn’t Mo Mo just like a child? Energetic, curious about everything, and completely unguarded with people…
After spending time with him, Jian Haoqing couldn’t help but grow fond of this sweet and soft boy who kept calling her sister so naturally.
“Careful, or I’ll send your complaints straight to Brother Haocang,” Jian Haoqing teased, ruffling the boy’s hair, her smile deepening.
“Go ahead, Sister! I’m not afraid of him. But wait a few days before sending it—Brother Haocang is in a competition right now, so we shouldn’t disturb him.”
Though every word seemed to contradict Jian Haoqing, every word also revealed Bai Mo’s care and concern for Jian Haocang—making it impossible to be mad at him.
She simply said that her younger brother had good taste—whoever he set his sights on wouldn’t be bad. As for the young upstart’s family background, in Jian Haoqing’s view, it wasn’t a major issue.
Bai’s father and mother were not illiterate; on the contrary, they were educated and had a long-term vision. According to the available information, after stabilizing their current technology, they planned to develop new projects instead of sticking to old ways. They were people who could keep up with the times.
It’s not poverty that’s frightening, but rather the inability to communicate due to different mindsets. With the Jian Corporation’s backing, the Bai family’s rise into high society would only be a matter of time.
While she was lost in thought, a sudden commotion erupted outside. Today, Jian Haoqing had booked the entire café, and without her orders, no one was allowed to enter—including the waitstaff, who had left after serving the coffee.
Frowning, Jian Haoqing looked toward the entrance. Her assistant apologized, “President Jian, I couldn’t stop them.”
The intruders were from a foreign-funded company that was hostile toward the Jian Corporation. The middle-aged man leading them stopped in his tracks when he saw Jian Haoqing, clearly stunned by her appearance, which was much less businesslike than usual.
“President Jian, you’re really hard to get a meeting with. Didn’t you say you were swamped with work? Yet here you are, on a date with a little pretty boy, and you couldn’t even spare a moment for me…” The middle-aged man’s gaze shifted to Bai Mo. Upon seeing the boy’s face clearly, he was momentarily struck by his stunning beauty.
Bai Mo had delicate, androgynous features—so much so that he could pass as a girl without looking out of place, yet in men’s clothing, he didn’t appear feminine either. His clear, refined features, rosy lips, and pearly white teeth made him exceptionally good-looking.
“And this is…?” The middle-aged man’s eyes roved over Bai Mo with a lewd expression.
This kind of look wasn’t unfamiliar to Bai Mo. The last person who had looked at him this way had already been arrested for harassment.
Jian Haoqing stepped sideways, shielding her younger brother-in-law while raising her coffee cup with a smile. “I could never be as busy as you, President Li. Someone as insignificant as me can only afford the time to sip coffee.”
“Hahaha! President Jian, you’re as witty as ever.”
“Oh, not at all. I still have matters to attend to, so I won’t be entertaining you today. Let’s have dinner another time when you’re free.” With that, Jian Haoqing lifted her cup in a subtle gesture to see him off.
However, President Li had come for Jian Haoqing specifically—there was no way he would be brushed off so easily with just a few words.
President Li pulled out a chair and sat down uninvited. One of his subordinates ordered his usual favorite coffee for him. “The coffee here is excellent. President Jian, you really know where to find the best.”
“He’s not here with good intentions. Be careful, Mo Mo.”
Xiao Bobao quickly scanned President Li’s identity. In the original storyline, he was an insignificant character, just a minor supporting role. But the real issue was the man standing behind him—it was Huo Wen’s father. He originally had no affiliation with this company. However, after Jian Haocang orchestrated Huo Wen’s downfall, both Huo’s father and mother had left their former company.
How did they end up entangled with each other?
Xiao Bobao detected the scent of a conspiracy. The best course of action was to stay far away from these people.
Bai Mo tugged at Jian Haoqing’s sleeve and whispered, “Since President Li went out of his way to enter a privately booked venue, he must really like the coffee here. Sister, why don’t we be generous and let him have the place? We can go somewhere else—it’s all the same to us.”
The two exchanged a look, and Jian Haoqing immediately understood. She nodded and said, “Take your time with your coffee, President Li. I won’t disturb you any further.”
Mo Mo was right—if they couldn’t drive him away, then they should simply leave. Now wasn’t the time for a direct confrontation. They could yield for now; there would be plenty of opportunities to settle things later.
“Oh? Why leave just because I arrived?” President Li said, feigning innocence. “Could it be that I’m unwelcome? Or does President Jian look down on me? I was actually hoping to discuss the South City land parcel with you…”
Just as Bai Mo and Jian Haoqing were about to step away, President Li’s bodyguards blocked their path.
Then, in a casual tone, President Li spoke a number.
Jian Haoqing’s expression darkened instantly. She forcefully shook off Bai Mo’s hand, her anger flaring, and sat down across from President Li.
“What do you want?” she asked, her beautiful face now tinged with fury. Using her brother to threaten her—how despicable.
With a wave of his hand, President Li signaled to Huo’s father, who retrieved a laptop from his briefcase. Plugging in a USB drive, he opened a document—Jian Corporation’s upcoming bid proposal.
Huo’s father scrolled through the pages one by one, letting Jian Haoqing see everything. At the very end of the document was the highest bid amount Jian Corporation was willing to offer. The final signature? Jian Haocang’s name.
Though Jian Haoqing had always granted her younger brother great freedom to do as he pleased, as a son and a brother, he couldn’t simply live under the protective wings of his family forever. He had been involved in company affairs for some time, and due to his exceptional performance, he had been entrusted with leading this bid.
If this confidential proposal were leaked, the consequences would be catastrophic…
Technically, Jian Haoqing could choose to ignore President Li. The worst outcome would be a significant financial loss for the company and the complete end of Jian Haocang’s corporate career. The board of directors wouldn’t give him another chance.
However, as someone who deeply cherished her younger brother, how could she bear to cut off his future?
Once someone was “blacklisted” by Jian Corporation, no other company in the industry would dare to hire them.
Bai Mo carefully examined the so-called document, his gaze fixed on the bold, sweeping strokes of the name “Jian Haocang”. His sharp eyes quickly caught a flaw.
This wasn’t his husband’s handwriting. The brushwork was off. While the surface imitation was quite convincing, it lacked the essence of the original. Jian Haoqing was probably too anxious to notice this discrepancy.
Xiao Bobao had been monitoring Jian Haocang’s situation closely. If anything unusual had happened, the system would have issued an alert. But so far, there had been no such notification—meaning this document was a fake.
“Mo Mo, should we…?”
Xiao Bobao produced a can of pepper spray. Jian Haoqing hadn’t brought any bodyguards—only a frail-looking assistant. If things turned ugly, handling these people would fall to Bai Mo.
“Not yet. Let’s wait and see what they’re really up to.” Bai Mo responded telepathically. To outsiders, however, his silence made it seem as though he was too frightened to react.
Huo’s father scoffed inwardly. Bai Mo had seemed promising as a child, but now that he had grown up, he had turned out to be an utter fool—so terrified that he couldn’t even handle such a minor situation. Tsk.
“Mo Mo, come here.”
Jian Haoqing, noticing the disdain in Huo’s father’s eyes, waved Bai Mo over and pulled him protectively behind her.