"I don't agree."
Xiao Mo slammed the table even harder than Li Zhenglu had.
All six teacups on the table jumped.
He Rumeng snapped her head up to look at Xiao Mo.
"What gives you the right?" Her voice cracked. "Shanshan agreed herself. Who the hell are you?"
The deal had been settled, only to be ruined by an outsider. She had held herself back and given ground, already making enormous concessions. All her anger surged up at once, filling her chest until she could no longer suppress it.
"Her body doesn't belong to her alone anymore." Xiao Mo leaned back in his chair, his voice dropping instead. "She can't make this decision on her own."
"Then who else does it belong to..." He Rumeng was about to retort when she caught Li Zhenglu glancing at her out of the corner of her eye. She bit back the rest.
"To me."
Those two words carried immense weight.
He Rumeng opened her mouth but made no sound, her eyes turning to Li Zhenglu again.
Xiao Mo offered no explanation. He simply watched her, his fingers resting motionless on the table.
He Rumeng took a breath and tried another approach. "Then we'll compensate you too. We understand how much you suffered raising her. We can put a monetary value on that and give you a share."
Xiao Mo laughed. It wasn't mockery. He genuinely found it funny.
"It's not about money."
"Xiao Mo, I know you're a major internet celebrity now, but you're still a long way from being truly wealthy. Do you understand?" He Rumeng realized she had lost her composure and quickly recovered her usual manner, her voice steady again.
"I told you, it's not about money."
"Then there has to be a reason! Shanshan is an adult, and she's