Joyce Wu was watching a TV series at home when her phone rang. Without even looking at the caller ID, she answered it.
“Hello, Ms. Wu, this is Victor Mo. ”
Joyce Wu paused in her act of stuffing fries into her mouth, swallowed hard, and stammered, “Mr. Mo, hello.”
Without a doubt, this man must be here to gather information because he can’t find Serena Li .
In the evening, Serena Li sent a message in their WeChat group of three, saying that her charger was broken, her phone was almost out of battery, and if anyone needed to contact her, they should call her home landline in G city.
A deep, magnetic male voice came through again, ” Serena’s phone is off. Do you know her home phone number?”
Joyce Wu was so nervous. This man had such a strong presence that even over the phone, she didn’t dare not reply. After hesitating for two seconds, she organized her thoughts and said, “Serena went back to G City to sweep the tombs this week. She probably won’t be back in Pengcheng until after the weekend. Um, Mr. Mo, I have something to attend to, so I’ll hang up now.”
Joyce Wu hung up the phone quickly after speaking. Victor Mo had a strong presence and was good at getting information out of people, and she was afraid that she would say something wrong when he questioned her.
Tomb sweeping?
Victor Mo rolled down the car window and lit a cigarette.
Serena Li mention her mother before . Was he going back to visit her mother’s grave? But what did that have to do with turning off the phone?
White smoke swirled between his fingers as he squinted and gazed ahead, lost in thought.
***
On Sunday night, Victor Mo was drinking in a VIP box at SOHO, his long, well-defined fingers gripping his phone screen as if he were deep in thought.
Victor Mo frowned, and just as he was about to get up and leave, Jason Qin sat down opposite him, opened a bottle of wine for himself, raised his glass to Victor Mo , and said with a smile, “Hey, old Mo, aren’t you bored drinking here all by yourself?”
Victor Mo raised his glass and clinked it against his, saying, “Well, here you are!”
Jason Qin took a sip of his drink, raised an eyebrow, and asked, “How’s it going with that female teacher?”
Victor Mo put down his glass, took out his cigarette case, lit one, put it in his mouth, took out a lighter, lit it, and smoked without saying a word.
Jason Qin , a longtime friend, could tell from his expression that he hadn’t succeeded yet. He laughed and said, “In the past, when you, Boss Mo, made your move, every woman would be eager to give you her heart! This teacher is quite interesting; it’s amazing that you haven’t won her over yet! But, you know how women are, they always like to play hard to get. Do you think she’s keeping you hanging on like that?”
After blowing a smoke ring, Victor Mo said, “She isn’t.”
Jason Qin fiddled with the lighter in his hand, then casually said, “The best way to conquer her is to win her over quickly, make her unable to leave you, and she will give you her heart.”
Victor Mo glanced at him but remained silent.
“That’s all there is to it between men and women.”
Jason Qin glanced at his face again, then said half-jokingly, “Since you haven’t gotten her yet, how about I call a girl in to keep you company? Otherwise, you’re all so lonely!”
Victor Mo stubbed out his cigarette and frowned at him: “You know I’ve never liked fast food!”
Jason Qin chuckled awkwardly, “It’s just that I was worried you’d be lonely! I haven’t seen you with a woman in over a year, so some needs have to be met!”
Victor Mo listened to his friend’s teasing, raised his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, and remained silent.
Jason Qin ‘s phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID, downed his drink, and stood up. As he left, he patted Victor Mo on the shoulder and said, “Sometimes you have to be forceful with women!” Then he left.
Victor Mo sat quietly in the private room for a while, then picked up the car keys on the table and left.
Victor Mo told his driver to go directly to Four Seasons Garden.
Serena Li’s phone was off for two days and two nights, and when he called Joyce Wu tonight , she didn’t answer. This made him feel that Serena Li was avoiding him. Wasn’t she fine last Sunday? Could it be that she ran into someone she shouldn’t have met when she went back to G City?
Thinking of this, Victor Mo ‘s expression grew increasingly obscure.
***
Serena Li had just returned to Pengcheng on Sunday night. After her BMW drove into the underground garage of the Four Seasons Garden, she had just parked her car when she saw Victor Mo get out of a Land Rover.
Under the lamplight, his features were deep and profound.
She turned off her phone for two days and two nights, hoping for some peace and quiet at home in G City. She never expected him to show up at her door as soon as she returned to Pengcheng. But some things needed to be clarified, so after a moment’s hesitation, she got out of the car.
Victor Mo approached her, squinting as he sizing her up without restraint.
His gaze was deep, but he said nothing. Serena Li felt a little intimidated. After a moment, she organized her thoughts and then spoke: “Mo—”
, Victor Mo leaned over and sealed her lips with his, which reeked of smoke and alcohol, preventing her from saying anything.
He gently pinched her pointed chin and subtly lifted it, making her face tilt upwards, so that it would be easier for him to kiss her.
He skillfully nibbled at her pink lips, and Serena Li instinctively resisted with a soft “Mmm.” His kissing suddenly became fierce, and he grabbed her slender waist and lifted her up, kissing her with increasing passion.
Serena Li was no match for his various tricks, and for a moment she felt her breathing become rapid and her breath became disordered.
When he finally released his grip, Serena Li, her hands braced against the hood of the car behind her, glared at him, her face flushed and slightly breathless, “You—”
Victor Mo narrowed his deep, captivating eyes and gazed at Serena Li , his hands resting on either side of her, his voice low and magnetic, “Why are you avoiding me?”
Serena Li was terrified by his recklessness. She had been kissed by him a few times, but never so fiercely as today. She hurriedly raised her hand to push him away, her voice trembling, “What are you doing? You said you wouldn’t touch me without my permission.”
Victor Mo certainly remembered what he had said, but he underestimated his self-control. When he said those words, he really wanted to stop doing such intimate things to her and causing her to feel disgusted. But he couldn’t control himself. Once he kissed her, he couldn’t quit. Every time he saw her soft red lips in front of him, he wanted to hold her in his arms and kiss her.
They hadn’t seen each other for a week, and she had been avoiding him, so as soon as they met, he couldn’t help but hug and kiss her.
Serena Li was both scared and nervous. They were in a corner of the parking lot. Victor Mo had been drinking again, and she was practically lying on the hood of the car, with him bracing himself on either side of her. It was a dangerous and ambiguous situation; if he made the slightest move, she would have absolutely no chance of escape…
Victor Mo didn’t back away; instead, he pressed his forehead against hers. “Serena, you’ve been avoiding me for days. Tell me why.”
Serena Li turned her face away and continued to push him, “Get up!”
As he struggled and wouldn’t let go, Serena Li could feel the stubble on his chin, short and hard, pricking her soft lips.
Victor Mo lifted Serena Li by the waist with one hand and stroked her cheek with the other, caressing her lips and staring at her beautiful, fluttering eyelashes. He spoke, “Serena, when I kissed you just now, you kissed me back, you know that?”
Serena Li ‘s mind went completely blank. Did she return the kiss?
Victor Mo stared at her surprised, slightly parted red lips, and, overcome with emotion, leaned closer again.
After a long while, Victor Mo finally released her. When it ended, his heavy breathing was on her ear, his voice restrained yet hoarse, “Serena, did you feel it? You didn’t mind me kissing you.”
Serena Li opened her eyes, forcefully shook off his large hand, pushed him away, and raised her head without mincing words, saying, “I don’t mind you kissing me, but so what?! I only don’t mind you as a person, but everything else about you is unacceptable to me!”
He looked at her.
Serena Li told herself she had to be decisive, looking him in the eye and saying, ” Victor Mo , I’ve thought this through these past few days, and we’re not right for each other. Last Monday night, I was also having dinner at that restaurant in the CBD. I saw you flirting with that woman on the terrace.”
Victor Mo frowned, wanting to say something, but seeing her biting her lip and meeting his gaze, he swallowed the words he was about to say and waited for her to finish speaking.
Serena Li clenched her fingers in her palms, afraid of his gaze but forcing herself to meet his eyes. She made her point clear: “Men who do great things inevitably have to play the field. Many women may turn a blind eye, but I can’t. If I’m in a relationship, my most basic principle is mutual loyalty. I don’t know if you’ve ever loved a woman over the years. If you have, you’ll understand that you can’t openly share someone you deeply love. But if you haven’t had that experience and have always had a playful attitude, then our values are completely incompatible, and there’s no possibility of a future together.”
Victor Mo stared at her face in silence for a long time.
He still stood within arm’s reach of hers, but the allure between them had long since vanished, and the atmosphere had plummeted to freezing point after Serena Li ‘s words.
Victor Mo put his hands into his trouser pockets, took out his cigarette case, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it.
He looked up, frowned, reached out and remotely rolled down the car window. Standing still, he tossed the cigarette and lighter into the car, then smiled and leaned closer to her. He raised his beautiful, slender finger and touched her lower lip, his eyes fixed on her small mouth. He couldn’t help but sigh, “Your mouth is about to bite me to death.”
Serena Li didn’t move, understanding that he felt her words were too aggressive and left him no room to maneuver.
Victor Mo frowned, took a drag of his cigarette, and looked at her, saying, “You might not believe me if I said I didn’t flirt with that woman and that I don’t like playing games. As for whether I’ve loved anyone over the years, I don’t think that matters. Serena, I’ll say it again: how will you know we’re not right for each other if you don’t try!”
After a moment, Serena Li turned her head away, but finally spoke up: “I’m sorry, I really can’t date you. I’m not that strong, and I can’t afford to mess with a man like you.”
After saying that, he took two steps back, turned around and left.