Chapter 154: The Mohist School Stands Empty (Part II)

Qianyin had visited many places, yet none truly satisfied her. When she first arrived, she had assumed Nanjing would be an ideal place for seclusion. Now, it seemed that was not the case; these properties had too many flaws and were far from perfect.

It was impossible to find perfection. Whether in terms of terrain or layout, the options were quite peculiar, and some areas felt inherently unsafe. Nothing was truly refined. While they possessed an antique charm, their shortcomings were too numerous to compare with modern standards.

"Is Miss Qianyin planning to buy a property?" Boss Jin, who had been following at a distance, finally spoke. He had kept his presence unobtrusive, like a passerby merely walking in the same direction.

Qianyin, deep in thought, turned abruptly at the sound of his voice. Upon seeing Boss Jin, she offered a smile and nodded. "I was considering finding a place for seclusion, but these houses are too ancient and lack security. It seems it isn't meant to be."

"The properties around here are indeed not quite suitable. When you have time, I will take you to a place that is absolutely perfect for seclusion—a place with both mountains and water." Boss Jin wore a faint smile. With Leng Xue gone, everyone felt an obligation to treat Qianyin better, as if looking after her on his behalf.

Qianyin nodded and prepared to head back. The two walked side by side, trailed by their bodyguards. It was time to return and see how Molan and the others were faring.

Upon reaching the Mo family estate, they were informed by a servant that Miss Molan had already rushed back. Old Master Mo had collapsed, and several physicians were at a loss as to the cause.

Boss Jin and Qianyin were taken aback. Though they had intended to go straight to the Mo residence, Boss Jin insisted on returning to his antique shop first to retrieve some thousand-year-old lingzhi mushrooms for the Old Master.

When they finally arrived at the Mo residence, Immortal Lao had already prepared everything and was feeding medicine to the Old Master. Molan and An Feng had not slept for the entire night, yet they insisted on tending to him themselves.

Master Mo truly lived up to the title of an "unfilial son." Upon hearing that his father had fallen ill, he had not once come to check on him, let alone send anyone to inquire after his condition.

Qianyin and Boss Jin entered the Old Master’s room, sensing the heavy, restless atmosphere, and felt deeply worried.

"Is the Old Master alright?" Qianyin stepped forward to sit beside Molan. Molan was focused entirely on feeding the medicine, her thoughts seemingly drifting far away; she didn't hear Qianyin’s question.

"He is fine, he will just be asleep for a while," An Feng replied quickly. With no one currently managing the Mo family's affairs, if word spread that the estate was unguarded, many of the Mo family's industries and companies would surely face challenges from opportunistic rivals.

Qianyin nodded, half-doubting, but chose not to press the issue to avoid distressing Molan.

Boss Jin stepped forward, opened a mahogany box, and handed it to Immortal Lao with a smile. "A businessman once gifted me these thousand-year-old lingzhi mushrooms. I believe they are excellent for the elderly, so I went back to fetch them. Please, brew them for the Old Master."

Immortal Lao, usually quite stingy, accepted them graciously, nodding. After all, the Old Master's life was far more precious than a few rare mushrooms.

As Immortal Lao took the mushrooms to the kitchen, the room fell into a heavy, inexplicable silence. An Feng spoke up, "We must ensure that news of the recent events at the Mo residence does not spread, or it will be detrimental to the family. You understand, don't you?"

Qianyin froze and nodded; this was a point she hadn't considered. With the pillars of the Mo family falling one by one and no one left to speak for them, and given that Molan had never been involved in the company's business, the staff would likely be restless. It was indeed crucial that the news be contained.

"Keep the servants in check. Do not let them spread a word," Qianyin instructed the four bodyguards, Dong, Nan, Xi, and Bei, with stern authority.

The four sharp youths nodded and immediately went to manage the staff.

Boss Jin, feeling that his presence was no longer necessary, turned to find Immortal Lao to play chess. His bodyguards followed, though their minds were heavy with concern. It seemed that the crisis Boss Jin had encountered was also plaguing the Mo family; someone was clearly targeting these major powers.

Seeing that An Feng and Molan were occupied, Qianyin felt there was no need for her to stay and headed out to clear her head, having not rested properly herself.

With only the two of them left in the room, Molan finished feeding the medicine and set the bowl down. Suddenly dizzy, she swayed as if to collapse, but An Feng caught her just in time.

"Are you alright? You must be exhausted. Let me take you back to rest." An Feng held her, his heart aching. Molan was, after all, only human, and not as iron-willed as they had imagined.

"I'm fine." Held in his arms, Molan quickly regained her senses. She struggled out of An Feng's embrace and slumped against the side of the bed to rest, ignoring him.

An Feng didn't mind, sitting at the table nearby and watching her quietly. Time drifted by, and both of them, already deprived of sleep, soon drifted off.

The room became deathly quiet, to the point where the drop of a needle could be heard. No one dared to disturb them; anyone who stood at the door and saw the scene inside dared not enter.

While the Mo family's internal staff was controlled, the physicians had been less discreet. News of the Old Master's collapse quickly spread. With the young master absent from school, Master Mo avoiding the office, and the Old Master ill, rumors swirled: was the Mo family losing its grip on power?

The company's veteran executives grew restless, flooding the Mo residence with phone calls. The servants, left in a panic, paced back and forth, unsure of what to do.

One servant tried to approach Master Mo, but he refused to take the calls, citing poor health, and berated the servant for bothering him. Uncertain whether to seek help from Miss Qianyin, the servants finally decided to knock on the Old Master’s door.

An Feng heard the knocking and glared at the servant, who trembled under his gaze and lowered his head, whispering, "Young Master An Feng, could you let Miss Molan take a call? The company executives are calling incessantly, claiming it is urgent, and the Master refuses to answer."

Molan, already awake, had been listening to their conversation. She stood up, walked over to the servant, and took the phone.

"Hello? What is it?"

"Is this Miss Molan? We need to speak with the Old Master. We hear there is no one managing the company's affairs at the moment, but there is an urgent matter—we hope the Master and the Old Master can return." The voice sounded like that of an old man, his tone laden with a desire to test whether anyone of authority remained in the Mo family.