Their bond was tested

"…."

Lixue didn't say anything more as the occasion had barely begun, she was soon tapped on the shoulder and turned to see a rather frail but charming young lady in front of her.

"Hello, you must be auntie Lixue. My name is Mo Youran. Uncle Ran is my fourth uncle.."

"…"

A smile appeared on Lixue lips at she nodded, she found it rather odd that the girl had a striking resemblance to Mo Ran but then again, she hadn't met the rest of his family so she couldn't judge.

"Nice to meet you miss Mo, blue really suits you…"

Mo Youran blushed as she immediately shook her head "Please don't call me miss, auntie. You can call me Youran or ran'er like everyone else. And thank you but compared to me it seems blue was made because of you."

Lixue chuckled as she shook her head, she could tell Mo Youran was good with her words but what concerned her the most was how frail she looked.

Not far from a corner Mo Ran watched the two ladies converse. He had been dragged to the corner by his second brother Mo Haoran, Mo Youran's father, after being spotted at the bar.

"Ran Ran are you listening to me?!"

"…!!"

"Yes older brother, please continue i can hear you loud and clear.."

Mo Ran sighed conversations with his brother was long and brother as he would want to catch up on lost time. But Mo Ran was the kind of person who valued small and short talks.

"I know you've already been impatient.." Mo Haoran smiled, swirling his wine as the conversation was drawing to its end.

"But you're married now and you have a beautiful wife. I hope you'll learn how to sacrifice your time and attention Ran Ran. You're all grown up now, I can only watch you from the side. Ah to think…you'd finally get married, I thought that was never going to happen or that you had turned gay. Seeing how you and Du Yuan behave.

Hearing Du Yuan's name, Mo Ran smirked "I could be gay for Yuan.."

"…"

Mo Haoran gave Mo Ran a light slap on the shoulder as he chuckled.

"He didn't come today, doesn't he know today is almost like your wedding day again?"

"…."

Mo Ran swirled his own drink and didn't say anything for a while.

"He's busy, he'll come around soon enough.."

Mo Ran's mind wandered to the last time he had seen Du Yuan. The memory felt heavier now, pressing against his chest like a stone. The two of them had grown up together, their friendship forged from the intensity of their elite upbringing. But their bond had been tested when Mo Ran informed Du Yuan about his impending marriage to Lixue.

It was a quiet evening in Mo Ran's office. Du Yuan had arrived unannounced, a familiar bottle of wine in hand. His smile, though faint, carried the usual warmth Mo Ran had come to expect over the years. They settled into their usual routine—small talk, shared glances, and the comfortable silence that came from knowing someone too well.

But tonight, the air between them was different. Heavy.

"I have something to tell you," Mo Ran began, leaning back in his chair.

Du Yuan raised an eyebrow, pouring two glasses of wine. "What's this? You, the ever-serious Mo Ran, making an announcement?"

Mo Ran ignored the tease, meeting Du Yuan's gaze directly. "I'm getting married."

The glass Du Yuan held paused mid-air, the crimson liquid catching the light. He blinked, the smile on his face faltering for the briefest moment. "Married?"

"Yes," Mo Ran said simply, his voice steady, though he could feel the weight of Du Yuan's silence.

Du Yuan set the glass down carefully, his fingers trembling slightly. "To whom?"

"Her name is Yu Lixue," Mo Ran replied, watching for a reaction. "It's a family arrangement. You know how these things are—business, alliances."

Du Yuan let out a soft laugh, though there was no humor in it. "Business. Of course. That's all it ever is with you, isn't it?"

Mo Ran frowned. "Yuan, don't make this—"

"Don't make this what?" Du Yuan snapped, his voice trembling with barely restrained emotion. He stood abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor. "Don't make this about me? About how I've been waiting for years, Mo Ran. Years."

The words hit Mo Ran like a punch, knocking the air from his lungs. "What are you talking about?"

"You're really going to play dumb?" Du Yuan's voice cracked, his eyes glistening. "All these years, Ran. The way you've looked at me, the way you've leaned on me, let me be the person closest to you. You never once thought—never once realized what I felt for you?"

Mo Ran stared at him, speechless.

"I love you, Ran," Du Yuan said, the confession raw and unguarded. "I've loved you for as long as I can remember. And all this time, I thought—" His voice broke, and he laughed bitterly. "I thought you felt something too. But now you're telling me you're marrying someone else, like none of it ever mattered?"

"Yuan…" Mo Ran began, his voice soft, unsure.

"Don't," Du Yuan cut him off, shaking his head. "Don't say anything unless it's the truth. Have you ever felt anything for me? Anything at all?"

Mo Ran opened his mouth, but no words came out. He couldn't lie to him. He couldn't say he felt the same when he didn't.

Du Yuan's shoulders slumped, the weight of his unspoken hopes and dreams crashing down on him. "I see," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "So, I was just a fool waiting for something that was never going to happen."

"Yuan, I didn't mean to hurt you," Mo Ran said, his voice pained.

"But you did," Du Yuan said, his eyes glistening with tears he refused to let fall. "You hurt me more than you'll ever know."

There was nothing more to say. Du Yuan turned and walked out of the office, leaving behind the faint scent of wine and the echo of words that would haunt Mo Ran long after he was gone.

Mo Ran stared at the empty doorway, the silence in the room deafening. For the first time in years, he felt a pang of something unfamiliar—regret, guilt, and an ache he couldn't quite name.

"Ran Ran, are you even listening?" Mo Haoran's voice broke through his thoughts, snapping him back to the present.

"Yes, older brother," Mo Ran said, his tone clipped. "I heard every word."

Mo Haoran studied him for a moment before sighing. "It's that serious, huh? I knew you and Yuan were close, but this…"

"It's nothing," Mo Ran said, forcing a smirk. "He'll come around."

Mo Haoran didn't press further, though his gaze lingered on his younger brother with a knowing glint. "I hope you're right. You don't want to lose him completely."

As the conversation ended, Mo Ran's eyes drifted back to Lixue and Mo Youran. Watching Lixue smile so gently, her laughter soft and genuine, brought an odd sense of calm to his restless mind.

Maybe this new chapter with her could be a step toward something different. Something better.

But Du Yuan's words lingered, like a ghost he couldn't quite exorcise.