Chapter 1 Entering the Enigma

  The moon is full on the western building

  "Here, take it." A handsome man in his thirties, with a low and mysterious voice, suddenly appeared in the shadows of the trees. His cold and profound eyes added a hint of chill to the dark night. He handed a small packet of medicine powder to a woman beside him, whose face was obscured by the darkness.

  "No, please... just let me... just let me go with you like this!" The woman's sharp voice was slightly out of place in the quiet night, she looked at the man's hand holding the medicine in horror, shaking her head repeatedly, unwilling to take it.

  "What about the child? I can't take her with me!" The man saw that the woman was still hesitating, and his brow furrowed unintentionally, but he continued to persuade her patiently, "Anyway, they don't know anyone here, even if they die, no one will know!"

  The woman heard the man's gnashing teeth and the word "death", she shuddered, "If it weren't for me... he would also die... do we still need to take action?" The only thing the woman couldn't bear to part with was the child, she had to let the child have a way out, "He is seriously ill... and will live for just a few more days..."

  "Alright..." The man looked at the woman and saw her determination in her eyes, knowing it was pointless to say more. "Then hurry up and pack your things, we'll leave right away!"

  "Uh-huh!" The woman responded softly, turned around and walked into a dilapidated house. She hastily packed a few changes of clothes and followed the man to disappear into the darkness.

  The faint moonlight shone on a pair of eyes in the tree shadow, with bright and cold eyes carrying a hint of sorrow. Has she finally left... that woman she called mother?

  The sky gradually brightened, but due to the fog, everything looked extremely hazy, and the small forest could only be seen vaguely.

  In a makeshift shelter made of rain cloth, a extremely thin person was lying down. Passersby wouldn't have noticed that the person's chest was still rising and falling if they hadn't looked closely, or else they would have thought it was just another corpse from starvation. However, people only took one glance before walking away with indifference. Beggars like this were everywhere, so everyone had grown accustomed to ignoring them.

  Mo Mo looked at his father's thin and frail body, and couldn't help but shake his head in his heart. This man who had done all sorts of evil deeds ended up like this, it could only be said that evil deeds will bring evil rewards! The heavens are still just after all.

  Sitting next to him, looking at the trees in front of me. Thinking to myself: Mom must be happy now! No longer forced to be with that person who hurt her. Hehe. How many years has he been searching for mom? Five years? Or ten years? So persistent! All for finding the woman he loves. What about that big brother? Will he come again today? Or did he remember something about himself? Momo's heart feels a little sweet. Unconsciously, she curved the corners of her mouth. Through her clothes, she touched the handkerchief that had been washed until it was pale white "I don't even know what his name is". He should be around here somewhere.

  Recalling that evening several months ago... The first time I saw him...

  That evening was as beautiful as the moonlit night today. There were a few bright stars in the sky, and a few wisps of grayish-white clouds. A full moon, like a jade plate, was embedded in the dark blue gemstone sky. It slowly moved across the blue sky, casting its gentle light on the earth, foreshadowing a wonderful night, and also foreshadowing that Mo would soon meet someone.

  To help his mother fetch water, Mò Mò carried a small, worn-out bucket to the waterfall and arrived at the edge of the pool. Just as he had finished washing the bucket and was about to start fetching water, he heard a muffled sound from not far away near the waterfall. Under the moonlight, a white-clad figure was swimming towards him. Mò Mò was startled and hastily hid behind a clump of trees, holding onto the bucket. The white-clad figure climbed ashore and, seeing no one around, lay down on the dark green grass, panting heavily. Half of his face was covered with a white mask that shone with a silvery glow in the moonlight.

  Mo Mo was about to leave, but she saw the white mask emitting a faint glow. Her eyes were attracted to it. After quietly observing the person for a while, she found that he was lying still and motionless. Driven by curiosity, she slowly crept closer and squatted beside him. The eyes behind the mask were tightly closed, and Mo Mo confirmed that he wouldn't wake up. She quickly removed his mask, intending to study it. But when she saw a face with an indescribable charm, she was stunned. Two strong eyebrows, a straight nose, and pale lips slightly parted, surrounded by scattered black hair on the dark green grass. Everything made Mo Mo stare in amazement.

  "Have you had enough?" Under the handsome eyebrows was a pair of black and slender eyes, shining brightly. When Mo saw these eyes, her first reaction was to run away. Unfortunately, the strong arm under the white shirt held her back. "Want to leave?" Mo's big eyes, with clear black and white pupils, were filled with tears as she turned to look at the person holding her.

  "I... didn't mean to, I just wanted to see that mask, I..."

  "Do you know me?" The grip on his hand tightened, Mo Mo felt pain and struggled hard.

  "I don't know you, let me go!" This time, both of Momo's arms were grabbed by him. "Then why are you beside me?"

  "How did I know! You fell from there! I was just looking...". As Mo looked in the direction of his chin, a waterfall was flowing incessantly. "You didn't lie?!" Suppressing the little person in front of him, "I... don't remember, it seems like I fell from there..." He slightly loosened his hand, and Mo took advantage of the opportunity to escape, but was caught again.

  "What are you doing?" MoMo burst out with the momentum of every time he fought with someone, staring at him with wide eyes.

  "I didn't mean to hurt you, miss," Mo said in surprise. "Nonsense! I'm a man!"

  "I just...can't remember a lot." He slumped down to the grass, his hands hidden in his dark sleeves. Momo felt a pang of sympathy and looked at him from afar, sorrow shrouding his entire being. Momo slowly crept over, crouching beside him, this posture was her years of fighting experience, ready to run at any moment.

  "You... forgot?" Mo Mo asked cautiously. "Uh-huh." He looked up, his eyes defenseless as he gazed at her, making Mo Mo inexplicably feel a pang in her heart for the person in front of her. Patting his shoulder, "Actually, forgetting isn't necessarily a bad thing, sorrow and pain will all leave you. I think it's impossible to forget." His big eyes were filled with mist, he could see Mo Mo's worry... He handed Mo Mo a handkerchief, wanting to wipe away the tears in her eyes.

  Suddenly, the mask flashed a faint light again, and the man fell to the ground, convulsing. His entire body was enveloped in a white glow, which frightened Mo Mo. In the distance, Mo Mo's mother was calling out to her. "Sorry, it seems my father is bullying Mother again, I have to go back first, I'll be right back. I'll bring you some food!"

  Ran away hastily, waited until, when Ink returned again, there was no one in sight. The grassland only left the moon's clear glow.

  Dad slightly raised his arm and touched Momo, making her turn back to look at him. She saw his lips moving, but couldn't hear what he was saying. She picked up the water bowl and put it to his mouth. His eyes opened and closed again, and she knew he meant "no". Then she pointed to the food bag, and he shook his head again, still meaning "no".

  "What do you want?" Mo asked as she leaned in close to her father's withered lips.

  "Run..." Dad only said one word, and his eyes suddenly lit up with excitement.

  "Escape?" Mo sat up straight, looking directly at his face, seeing him nod slightly, "Escape? Hehehe! As long as I escape from here, will I live?"

  She lowered her head, sighed and smiled wryly, but saw that Father's fist, which had been clenched since the escape, seemed to be raised for her to see. However, due to lack of extra strength to lift it up, MoMo helped him hold his hand up, gently opened it, and saw a black thing that couldn't be made out what it was and a paper ball lying in his palm. She looked at Father in confusion, what is this? It seemed like she had seen it somewhere before? Can't remember where I've seen it before, so familiar!

  Dad used his eyes to hint that she picked up the paper ball, which had been pinched in Dad's palm for a long time and had become severely deformed. Under helplessness, she could only put it on the ground, unfold it gently, and smooth it out. A scribbled handwriting immediately caught her eye.

  "Momo, my dear daughter, from the day you were born until now, I haven't done anything for you. I don't deserve to be called 'Dad'. Now that I want to make it up to you, everything is too late."

  I've done something to betray the gang, and they won't let me off. I'm willing to die for it, but you're innocent, and I don't want to drag you into this. This thing seems important to Second Master, so I stole it to save your life. If needed, you can use it to force Second Master to help you, but for now, keep it safe, hide it on yourself, and never show it to anyone!

  After finishing the paper ball, she inadvertently looked up and saw a glimmer in her father's eyes. Her heart suddenly skipped a beat as she softly said, "Thank you!" She couldn't say anything else, only thanks. For 15 years, this man lying on tattered clothes had never taken care of her or her mother, nor had he ever stood up for her against the bullying and beating from others in the village. From young to old, she had always been dressed as a boy and fought with those who lusted after her mother's beauty, making everyone think she was a little madwoman. Yet now, he suddenly gave her something that could save her life, which moved her deeply, for 15 years of never having received paternal love.

  After putting away that black, slippery thing that couldn't be seen clearly, she saw her father suddenly sit up and shout loudly: "Run! Mo Mo! Quick run!" Before she could even react, someone had already grabbed her arm. Then she heard someone asking her father, a woman in a gray-green shirt, "Don't play tricks, Mo Tian, hand over the thing! Otherwise, let your son go see King Yan first!"

  "No!" Father's eyes suddenly widened, and then he fell straight back.

  "MD, return the light!" The tall and sturdy man in gray clothes standing beside him shouted angrily.

  Yes, Father passed away in front of them, but left all the troubles to her. He thought this would save her life, but he didn't know that she didn't want to live like this.

  "This is troublesome, how can I explain to Second Master?" The woman furrowed her brow and handed the child to the man, saying in a cold tone, "Did your father give you or hide anything important?"

  "I don't know." Looking at her father's lifeless eyes, Mo replied indifferently, but was met with a crisp slap.

  "Where did your father put the important thing? Tell me quickly!" The woman was getting impatient.

  "I really don't know!" His eyes no longer looked straight at her, slightly drooping down, with a hint of tears in the corners, trying to make himself look very sad. The woman's eyes flashed, and then she nodded heavily several times, letting the man carry her back.

  High noon on the general platform

  In a magnificent room, an old man sat with a gloomy face looking ahead, and in front of him stood a woman and a child.

  "Second Master, when we arrived, Mo Tian was already dead, and only this child was guarding his side."

  Huh? When others came, Father was still alive, why did they say he's already dead? This woman is lying! Why?

  "Are you certain?" The old man in the upper seat raised an eyebrow and glanced at the woman, seemingly skeptical.

  "It's settled!" the woman said resolutely. "Second Master, Mo Tian has always had a habit of hiding things. This is his son, I think he'll know where the hiding place is."

  "Hmm," Second Master's eyes swept over and said "Where did you hide it?"

  The cold tone of the second master made Momo shiver, and then he was attracted by the blue tear mole on his forehead, which covered his face, and he was stunned.

  Second Master saw her not speaking, slightly angry, "Lian Yue!"

  "Second Master, he's... scared to death... Mo Tian died right in front of him. Hand him over to me and I'll get the truth out of him. Please calm down, Second Master!" The woman hastily knelt on one knee as she saw Second Master getting angry.

  "Hmm... I don't want to waste any more time! Just give it to me quickly!" The Second Master stood up, let out a cold snort, and turned to leave.

  It turned out that this woman was called Lian Yue...

  Lengyuetang Zhangleng

  "What's your name?" Qianyi asked while serving Mo a dish. Since arriving at Lengyuetang in the afternoon, she hadn't paid attention to her, but now she was being warm and polite at the dinner table. "Mo, thank you." She felt that it was still better to mind her own business and focus on eating here!

  It's been a long time since I had a proper meal, Mo Mo ate a bit hastily and choked, coughing violently. In a hurry, she looked around for tea water, saw a cup of tea on the side, grabbed it and gulped it down, and the discomfort was slightly relieved.

  "Thank...cough...thank you!" She knew that the cup of tea was placed beside her by Lian Yue.

  "Sit down beside me," Lian Yue patted the seat next to her, and Mo Mo slowly slid over, after all, she still remembered her cold and unfeeling eyes. "Don't be afraid of me, I'm friends with your dad, we've been since childhood, your dad is a good person, but because of some reasons he became what you see now... actually..." She hesitated, looking at Mo Mo, "You're not little anymore... don't you want to know?"

  "What's up?" Mo Mo put down his rice bowl and looked at her.

  "Your father, your origin and that thing your father hid for you..."

  "I don't know... and I don't want to know..." Mo Mo averted her gaze, to be honest, she was curious to death, but she knew that if she asked now, the consequences would not be something she could bear.

  "But..." she wanted to say something else.

  "May I call you Auntie?" Mo Mo looked at her again, seriously staring at her. "Auntie, I don't know what you want, but can the place where Father hides things tell me? You're one of Father's good friends, so you must know how my mother and I have been living these years. We're just a burden to him, something he can do with or without. He wouldn't possibly tell me his secrets, would he?" Although she didn't like her father, after all, he was the last relative she could reach out to in this world. When Father died, her eyes stung, and when she lifted her head again, everything in front of her was blurry, with something cool sliding down her cheek.

  "I know... kid, it's okay, don't cry." Jianyue hugged MoMo and patted her back.

  Cry? Touching my face, it turns out the cool feeling is tears...

  "Today, so many things have happened, you must be tired too, go to sleep first!" Lian Yue called over a girl who was not much older than her and said to the girl: "She will be your mistress from now on..."

  "Aunt... I... am I not a prisoner you caught? Hearing the word 'master', Mo Mo's heart skipped a beat, wasn't she the one who captured her as a prisoner? How did she become the master? This change is too sudden! There must be a conspiracy!"

  "You are their master here, you're tired today, tomorrow I'll tell you a story, okay, go to sleep!" Lian Yue pushed her towards the maid, looking at Mo Mo's eyes... seemed to be infinitely affectionate.

  Breaking out in cold sweat, why was she staring at her like that? She was so scared that she didn't even dare to lift her head.

  The Clear Moon Building at night

  "Young master, I'm called He Shan. You can call me Xiao He." The girl holding the lantern in front turned to Mo Mo and said, "We're almost there, young master!"

  She raised her head to see a crimson door, and Xiao He smiled as she pushed it open for her to enter. As the light was lit, the gradually brightening glow did not make her feel warm, but instead made her feel cold. Xiao He went out to prepare hot water for bathing, and Mo Mo told her it wasn't necessary, as she rarely bathed before. On one hand, it was because of her gender, and on the other hand, it was because they couldn't afford to go to a public bathhouse at home. Xiao He laughed at Mo Mo and told her that the masters here all bathe before sleeping, so as a master, she should too. And so she waited for her bath.

  When Xiaohua came to call MoMo to take a bath, she was stunned. "This...this...is for bathing?" She didn't dare ask if it wasn't for drinking. Because the wooden bucket was filled with peach blossoms that her mother usually used to make tea for her. Xiaohua reached out to help MoMo undress, but MoMo dodged and said, "Xiaohua, I can do it myself, I'm not used to others helping me take off my clothes."

  "It's alright, just get used to it slowly, Young Master, Xia He is here to serve you."

  Looking at Xiaohua's serious expression, MoMo was speechless.

  "Master, don't hide!"

  "You're no longer needed here, get out!" Seeing that she couldn't avoid it, she could only stiffen her face and glare at her. Xiaohua looked at her expressionlessly, then turned around and left.

  It's been a long time since I've had such a comfortable bath, soaking in this warm water that's just right for my body. All the fatigue in my body disappeared instantly, but loneliness suddenly welled up in my heart. I shook my head, got out of the bathtub, dried myself off, and climbed onto the soft big bed.

  Her sleepless eyes stared at the intricately carved patterns on the ceiling, and she thought of her mother's face. She touched the only dress her mother had made for her, and remembered the scene when her mother left. Her eyes felt a little sour, her body slowly warmed up, and her consciousness gradually became blurred. The only thing left in her mind was her mother's smiling face.

  …………

  In the dead of night, a sudden chill swept over Mo, forcing her to open her eyes. But what she saw was not her mother's face, but a figure in night attire sitting by her bed. She hastily jumped up and retreated to the farthest place from him, asking: "Who are you?" The person before her was a stranger yet somehow felt familiar.

  Watching him play with the pendant that Mother had given to her, it was the only memento she had left behind! Reaching out to grab it back, but seeing him put it into his bosom, "What are you doing? Give it back to me!" Mo Mo became anxious.

  "You have two questions, which one should I answer?" In the darkness, she couldn't see his face, but Mo could sense his ambiguous gaze.

  "Hehe, I won't be able to answer these two questions, but I'll take this thing," the man in black seemed to enjoy seeing Momo's angry face. "By the way, that black thing on your body can't be given to Second Master, and you can't eat it either, remember! Don't eat it! Alright, it's almost dawn, go back to sleep, little girl." With a whooshing sound, he disappeared before Momo's eyes.

  Watching him disappear, Mo was stunned for a while before regaining her composure. Who is he? How did he know she's a girl? How did he know about the black thing? Should I tell Auntie about this?