RMM -Chapter 333 Mo Qi Extra (Part 2)

From that time on, Duan Wei grew even more silent. She no longer liked to smile all the time, carrying a faint air of melancholy. Even in front of Mo Qi, she began to force a smile. She started to space out, to grow sad, her eyes turning hollow, as if something had quietly drained away from her.

Mo Qi watched her with aching pity—real pity, a dull, throbbing pain. Yet inexplicably, there was also a strange sense of pleasure mixed into it.

He knew none of Duan Wei’s friends liked him. From their very first meeting, the looks in their eyes had already given him the answer. He also knew they definitely didn’t approve of Duan Wei being with him. But so what if they were her childhood friends? Duan Wei still stood on his side. If he disliked someone, Duan Wei would immediately react; whenever there was conflict, she always spoke up for him. Those people could be angry, but there was nothing they could do.

And now—if they found out that Duan Wei had been rejected by him, that the control of this “game” was no longer in her hands, that he could choose to walk away at any time—

The thought thrilled Mo Qi. He felt as if he had finally won back a round. See? You rich people aren’t omnipotent either. Some things, no matter how desperately you want them, still depend on whether the other person is willing.

So in the days that followed, he spent more and more time with Zhao Nuanxun. She fussed over him, cared for him attentively, so much so that some people jokingly called him the “best boyfriend of the new century.” As long as Zhao Nuanxun pouted or stomped her feet and acted cute, he would smile and agree without hesitation—and genuinely enjoy it. This was a feeling he had never experienced with Duan Wei. It was fresh, novel.

He even began to harbor a mistaken belief: perhaps what he felt for Duan Wei was merely affection born naturally from long familiarity. Maybe it had nothing to do with love at all. Perhaps it was just friendship?

Maybe the one he truly liked was Zhao Nuanxun, who had come later. Yes—Duan Wei had never acted coquettish in front of him like Zhao Nuanxun did. Whenever something happened, Duan Wei always discussed it with him, and sometimes even made decisions for him. Although time proved that her decisions were always right and beneficial to him, he still felt that it wounded his pride. He even thought Duan Wei had the flaws of a pampered young lady—overbearing, fond of making decisions on her own.

Why wouldn’t she ever act like Zhao Nuanxun in front of him? Holding his hand, gently shaking it, speaking in a soft, spoiled voice? Why did she always discuss things instead of simply listening? Why would Duan Wei never give him even a little of that confidence that belonged to a man?

Duan Wei would never know how uncomfortable he felt standing beside her—so elegant, so refined. He felt that every gaze cast their way was filled with scrutiny, that every look sweeping over him was laced with disdain.

Perhaps Duan Wei didn’t truly love him after all. Or maybe, deep down, she looked down on him, thinking he was incompetent. Had she chosen him because he had no background, no power—so he’d be easier to control in the future? Did she want to mold him into an obedient puppet?

Every time he thought this, after the initial shock, he would sink into endless self-reproach. Weiwei liked him so much, had given so much for him—how could he think of her like that? If she knew, how heartbroken she would be…

Yet this faint guilt couldn’t stop Mo Qi from drifting farther and farther away from Duan Wei. On one hand, he grew closer to Zhao Nuanxun, indulging in the unprecedented, secret sense of satisfaction she gave him. On the other, he personally pushed Duan Wei farther from his side.

At the beginning, when Zhao Nuanxun first appeared, Duan Wei still came to see him as she always had—simply dressed, plainly made up, wearing a warm smile. She ate with him, chatted with him, strolled through parks together, speaking freely of their imagined future. But as Mo Qi and Zhao Nuanxun grew closer and closer, and after he even lashed out at Duan Wei without caring about right or wrong for Zhao Nuanxun’s sake, Duan Wei began to reduce the time she appeared before him.

Still, they would see each other once a day, and there was still one phone call every day.

Mo Qi would tell Duan Wei about how Xiao Nuan was feeling today, where they had gone, what Xiao Nuan wanted to do. Every other sentence was about Xiao Nuan. He even asked Duan Wei for advice on how to make Duan Wei herself happy.

Several times, Duan Wei nearly couldn’t keep smiling. More than once, Mo Qi clearly saw the loneliness in her eyes—but he couldn’t stop himself. He deliberately showed off his affection with Zhao Nuanxun in front of Duan Wei, endlessly talking about how considerate Xiao Nuan was, how relaxed and happy she made him.

Eventually, he began to brush Duan Wei off. When she called, he’d say he was eating with Xiao Nuan. When she suggested meeting because they hadn’t seen each other in a while, he’d say he had to go shopping with Xiao Nuan. A few times he did go—but he brought Zhao Nuanxun with him. Then, right in front of Duan Wei, he and Zhao Nuanxun would cling to each other, eyes only for one another, as if they’d forgotten Duan Wei was even standing there.

With Mo Qi’s deliberate indulgence, Zhao Nuanxun grew increasingly arrogant. Of course, by Mo Qi’s side she remained obedient, gentle, and dependent. But in front of Duan Wei, she began to provoke her subtly—pretending to speak carelessly while stabbing her with words, her gaze full of challenge and disdain.

Duan Wei saw it clearly, but she didn’t want to start a conflict. She didn’t want to make Mo Qi uncomfortable—not even a little. She couldn’t bear it.

From their very first meeting, Mo Qi had already been the most important presence in Duan Wei’s heart, long surpassing herself. So she would rather wrong herself than ever put him in a difficult position.

Duan Wei’s tolerance only fueled Zhao Nuanxun’s recklessness, and in Mo Qi’s mind, it confirmed the idea that Duan Wei didn’t care all that deeply after all. There was nothing profound there—he must have been overthinking it. Feelings were nothing more than a pastime for the rich when they were bored.

This made Mo Qi even more resentful. What exactly did Duan Wei take him for?

Thus, in conflicts deliberately stirred up by Zhao Nuanxun, Mo Qi always defended the aggrieved-looking Zhao Nuanxun, scolding Duan Wei and ignoring the growing coldness in her eyes.

Many times, Mo Qi could see clearly that it was Duan Wei who was suffering the injustice—but he never cared. He thought: Xiao Nuan’s family background was average, unlike Duan Wei’s. Duan Wei had grown up pampered, clothed in luxury; suffering a little now was no big deal. Besides, Duan Wei was always so strong, as if nothing could knock her down. Xiao Nuan was different—she wasn’t as strong. She craved his attention. That was why she behaved that way in front of Duan Wei.

Xiao Nuan cried so easily—she was fragile. She brought him so much happiness and never once defied him. So what was there not to accept about her little bit of mischief?

Duan Wei was older than Xiao Nuan—like an older sister—so letting her have her way a little was only right. Xiao Nuan had suffered more than Duan Wei ever had. Duan Wei should just endure a bit more.

So Duan Wei began, very consciously, to distance herself. She no longer called him, no longer went to see him, and never once spoke ill of Zhao Nuanxun in front of him. Even when Zhao Nuanxun secretly came to provoke her and mock her—

Duan Wei’s heart was already cold.

Mo Qi had made it clear he intended to protect Zhao Nuanxun. What more could she say? Confess her unwavering devotion? Lay bare her despair? Or expose the truth—that Zhao Nuanxun had been pretending all along, that her so-called pitifulness was merely an act for Mo Qi’s benefit?

Would he believe her? He would probably only accuse her of being petty and narrow-minded, then cherish Xiao Nuan even more.

From their first meeting, Duan Wei had known that Zhao Nuanxun was no simple character—someone who would stop at nothing to achieve her goals. To Duan Wei, it was clumsy acting, a disguise that could be seen through at a glance. Yet Mo Qi believed it completely, relished it, and even humiliated Duan Wei again and again just to please Zhao Nuanxun.

Duan Wei was at a loss. She truly didn’t know what else to do. From the very beginning, she had known how resistant Mo Qi was toward her. She thought time would heal everything—that she could slowly erase his psychological barriers.

But reality was cruel.

Duan Wei was tired. Truly tired. She had spent so many years, yet still couldn’t move this man’s heart. Her deep devotion, her self-sacrifice—it all amounted to nothing more than a foolish illusion, shattered at the first touch of reality.

Mo Qi—since you want me to leave, I will. I’m willing to wrong myself one last time, to let all these years of effort go to waste, and then quietly disappear, never to disturb you again. You already have someone you’re willing to love. I can finally give up.

Mo Qi sensed Duan Wei’s withdrawal. He thought he should be happy. And yes, he did feel a little happy—but more than that, he felt a helpless confusion.

After that, everything went smoothly. He and Zhao Nuanxun naturally ended up together, becoming an enviable couple in everyone’s eyes. Later, they had a child. It was time to get married.

This was exactly how things should go—at least, how he thought they should. Find a well-matched, obedient, considerate girlfriend, then marry and have children.

Yet he gradually began to feel empty.

Sometimes, passing certain places, he would unconsciously stop and stare into space. Only when he came back to himself would he hurry away, never daring to look back even once. Those were the places Duan Wei loved most to visit with him.

At last, he admitted it—he had begun to miss Duan Wei.

Many times, people asked him where Duan Wei had gone, why she was nowhere to be seen. Then they would joke, “So you’re with someone else now? We all thought you and Duan Wei were already a couple.”

Once, after smiling through such teasing, he rushed to a secluded place, squatted down, and spent a long time forcing back the sob that had already risen to his throat.

That was the first time he realized that Duan Wei’s departure was not a good thing for him at all. At the very least, he had already begun to regret it.

But he was already preparing to marry Zhao Nuanxun. He hadn’t seen Duan Wei in a very long time—so long that he’d forgotten exactly how long it had been.

Some things, once started, never seem to end—like his regret.

The last time he saw Duan Wei during that period was at the hospital. At the time, he was immersed in the joy of becoming a father for the first time. He still instinctively blamed everything on Duan Wei, still habitually scolded her.

After failing to see Duan Wei again, Mo Qi’s regret gnawed at him even more. Duan Wei was living well. Duan Wei had someone whose eyes held only her.

Duan Wei had finally turned him into the past.

Mo Qi let the cigarette butt burn his fingers, crying uncontrollably. In that moment, he understood with painful clarity just how terribly wrong he had been, how deeply he had hurt Duan Wei.

Not long after the wedding, Zhao Nuanxun finally tore away her disguise. Her increasingly willful, unreasonable behavior made his self-righteousness crash to the ground in the most brutal way, shattering into fragments.

He regretted it.

He looked at Duan Wei and said, “Weiwei, I regret it. Can you come back? Let’s start over.”

Duan Wei said, “I’m sorry. I already have a new beginning. I don’t need you anymore.”

She also said, “Mo Qi, you don’t actually need to feel that you owe me anything. You don’t. You just taught me how to grow.”

“Weiwei… I really regret it…”