Guests at Home

At dusk, the sky above the city turned red, like a beautiful painting bestowed upon its people by heaven.

On the roof of a two-story house in Bo City lay a boy of five or six.

The boy was fast asleep, though his brow furrowed now and then as if he were having a nightmare.

His eyelashes fluttered, and he opened his eyes.

His eyes were beautiful, but exhaustion showed in them now.

"That dream again..." Mo Xie murmured.

Mo Xie had been in this world for almost six years. He had more or less accepted that he had been reborn, but it still felt unreal.

After living here for years, Mo Xie had learned that Magic reigned supreme in this world.

People no longer placed their faith in science. They believed in Magic instead.

As Mo Xie searched through his memories of the past few years, a thought struck him. Wasn't this Versatile Mage?

During the four years Mo Xie had spent in a hospital bed, he had read novels and listened to music to pass the time.

Besides, Mo Xie had possessed an extraordinary memory since childhood.

He had long since built his own Memory Palace. Anything he had memorized could be brought back simply by searching his mind.

Mo Xie could accept being reborn, but why had he been reborn inside a novel? He couldn't make sense of it.

The protagonist of Versatile Mage was Mo Fan, and Mo Xie had become his older brother.

Mo Xie had lived an uneventful five or six years, except for one terrible event: his mother had died.

His mother had always been frail. After giving birth to Mo Xie and Mo Fan, her health had worsened day by day. She had left their family when Mo Xie was one year old.

A good memory could be a blessing, but sometimes it was a curse.

Some things remained painfully vivid. Mo Xie would never forget what his mother had said to him before she died, just as he could never forget the dream he had just had.

"Little Evil, you're the older brother. When you grow up, you must protect your little brother and look after your dad. This family may have to depend on you.

"Mom has to go first. I can't stay with you anymore, so you two must be good.

"But don't worry. From now on, Mom will be a star in the night sky, always watching you grow up.

"Remember this: Mom will always love you..."

Her tears had fallen one by one onto Mo Xie's face. His cheeks had felt hot. It had hurt more than he could bear.

Mo Xie wished he couldn't remember. That dream often left him exhausted when he slept.

After being reborn, did I really have to suffer the pain of losing family all over again?

Mo Xie clenched his fists. Irritation and fury slowly took over his eyes.

"Brother! Brother! Dad says to come down for dinner!"

A young voice called from downstairs, and the feelings raging inside Mo Xie vanished in an instant.

Mo Xie would never forget his mother's words. His father and little brother were the people closest to him, and he would give them his whole heart.

In his previous life, he had been too sensible for his age and had missed out on the love a child should receive from his parents. Though his mother had died early in this life, he still had his father and brother.

"Coming!"

Mo Xie answered and climbed down the wooden ladder.

Mo Fan, also five or six years old, stood beside it waiting for him.

"Brother, I want to climb up there and play!"

Mo Fan cried excitedly when he saw Mo Xie come down.

"You can't, Xiao Fan. It's too dangerous up there."

Mo Xie rubbed Mo Fan's head and spoke gently.

"Then why can you go up there?" Mo Fan protested.

"Because I'm older than you. I'm your big brother." Mo Xie smiled.

"Hmph! Don't touch my head! I won't grow tall!"

Mo Fan shook his head to keep Mo Xie from touching it.

"Haha! I can't help it. Xiao Fan is too cute!"

Mo Xie pinched Mo Fan's cheek and went inside first.

Mo Fan puffed out his cheeks and followed close behind.

Mo Jiaxing came out of the kitchen carrying food. Seeing Mo Xie and Mo Fan, he smiled. "Go wash your hands. Dinner's almost ready. We have guests coming soon, and I'll introduce you."

Mo Xie gave Mo Jiaxing a puzzled look, then glanced at the generous spread on the table.

No wonder dinner was so lavish tonight. We're having guests. But who?

Before Mo Xie could ask, Mo Fan asked for him.

"Dad, who's coming?"

Knock, knock!

A knock came from the front door.

"Coming, coming!"

Mo Jiaxing hurried to open the door, then ushered in a woman and a girl.

The woman looked a little younger than Mo Jiaxing. She was tall and seemed somewhat delicate, with a gentle air that brought to mind the women of Jiangnan.

Beside her was a girl in a wheelchair. She kept her head down, avoiding everyone's eyes as though she were terribly shy.

Mo Fan recognized her and excitedly pointed her out to Mo Xie.

"Brother, it's the little girl from next door!"

At Mo Fan's words, the girl ducked her head even lower.

Mo Xie didn't react to Mo Fan. He only stared straight at the woman.

Mo Xie's pupils contracted. Cold sweat broke out on his skin, and his breathing quickened. A voice inside him screamed, This woman is dangerous!

Mo Xie had always trusted his instincts. They were rarely wrong.

And now every instinct Mo Xie had was telling him to flee. This woman was terrifying.

Seeing his brother act strangely, Mo Fan tugged at Mo Xie's sleeve and spoke softly.

"Brother? Brother..."

Realizing he had lost his composure, Mo Xie quickly steadied himself and shook his head to show Mo Fan he was fine.

The woman narrowed her eyes slightly. She had clearly noticed something strange about Mo Xie.

The corners of her mouth lifted almost imperceptibly, and a faint glint flashed in her beautiful eyes.

Interesting. This boy is actually afraid of me.

Mo Jiaxing hadn't noticed anything unusual about Mo Xie. He went on speaking.

"Little Evil, Xiao Fan, let me introduce you. This is Aunt Ye Chang, and this little girl is Ye Xinxia. They'll be living with us from now on."

Mo Xie's instincts had been right. If this woman was Ye Chang, then she was also Salang, one of the Black Vatican's seven Red Cardinals!

"Hello, Little Evil, Xiao Fan. You can call me Aunt Ye from now on."

Ye Chang greeted Mo Xie and Mo Fan with a gentle smile.

Her smile was beautiful and warm, but to Mo Xie, there was something sinister about it.

"H-hello... I'm Ye Xinxia..."

Ye Xinxia had kept her head down the whole time. Only now did she raise it slightly and speak in a soft voice.

Mo Fan greeted them both. He didn't understand much about the situation; he only knew that two more people would be living in their home.

Mo Xie said nothing. Instead, he frowned, his expression turning grave.

As if he had forgotten his earlier fear, Mo Xie stepped forward and challenged him,

"Dad, does that mean this woman is going to be our stepmother?"

Seeing how serious Mo Xie was, Mo Jiaxing hurriedly waved his hands and explained.

"She's a woman on her own, with a daughter in a wheelchair. I thought that if we made one family together, we could look after each other."

"So that's enough for you to bring a stranger into our home? Have you forgotten Mom?!"

Mo Xie's voice rose. His eyes turned bloodshot as he shouted at Mo Jiaxing.

"Little Evil, that's not what Dad was thinking," Mo Jiaxing said, shaking his head.

"In any case, I can't accept this!" Mo Xie's face turned cold. "I need some time to calm down."

With that, Mo Xie went back to his room.

Mo Jiaxing looked at the closed door. He knew why Mo Xie was so angry, and he understood.

His eldest son had been sensible and obedient since he was little. Mo Jiaxing had always been proud of him.

But Mo Xie had grown up without his mother. She meant too much to him for him to accept anyone taking her place.

Mo Jiaxing turned to Ye Chang, his voice apologetic.

"I'm sorry. Little Evil is just like that. Please don't take it to heart."

"It's all right. I like Little Evil," Ye Chang said with a smile.

Ye Chang could tell Mo Xie was unlike other children. She had seen how fiercely he had confronted his father.

Ye Xinxia clenched her small hands and stole cautious glances at the bedroom door.

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