By the time Luo Beishi had fallen asleep, Mo Baili had been sitting on the sofa downstairs for who knew how long.
Mo Baili called out to Uncle Chen as he passed by. "Butler, come here."
Uncle Chen stopped in his tracks, turned, and walked over with a professional smile. "Is there something you need?"
The question made Mo Baili choke with irritation. I'm obviously here for something. Why ask when you already know?
"Where's Luo Beishi? Why haven't I seen him? I've been sitting here for so long!" Mo Baili sounded thoroughly displeased, completely at odds with the gentle air of her pale yellow dress.
The butler said, "Our young madam is already asleep at this hour. If there's nothing you need, I suggest you head home. Of course, you can also wait until five or six. Madam should be awake by then."
Mo Baili had spent two whole hours waiting in the living room, and not a single person had told her Luo Beishi went to bed this early! It was only eight in the evening!
"Tell him to stop sleeping and get up! I'd like to see him refuse to come down and meet even his second aunt. Where did all his lessons about respecting his elders go?" Mo Baili was already struggling to contain her temper.
The butler's expression remained unchanged. "Young madam said you were only allowed in because you're the eldest young master's second aunt. He's already shown you courtesy."
Mo Baili laughed in anger. "You call this showing me courtesy? He might as well have refused to see me from the start!"
The butler said, "That wouldn't do. Young madam said it would be inappropriate to turn you away at the door. There are too many paparazzi outside, and he doesn't want his reputation affected."
Mo Baili: "..."
Before Mo Baili could speak, the butler added, "If you have anything important to discuss, you can call me. There's really no need to come in person."
Mo Baili felt she had truly had enough. This was the first time she had been so openly snubbed, while the person snubbing her was asleep. "I don't care! Get him down here. I'd like to see just how important he thinks he is!"
The butler still stood ramrod straight, his expression as respectful as ever. Only now, he had the young madam running the household, so outsiders could no longer bully an old butler like him. "I'm sorry. If there's nothing you need, please head home. Of course, you're also welcome to stay here."
With that, the butler turned and left, paying no attention to the woman shouting behind him.
Before the young master's accident, no one had dared come to the house and act out.
Now more people were showing up, but madam wouldn't pay them any attention anyway, so he didn't need to trouble himself too much. He was Huo Cixiao's butler, not the Huo Family's. Apart from Old Master Huo, he wouldn't take orders from anyone else in the Huo Family.
Mo Baili had originally intended to put Luo Beishi in his place. Who knew Luo Beishi wouldn't even show his face!
At first, she had questioned the dark-skinned maids passing by, but they hadn't dared say a word. After cleaning, they had fled in greater fear than mice spotting a cat, as though terrified something might happen in the house.
Now she couldn't stand it anymore, not for another moment! She had to see this Luo Beishi today!
She left the sofa area and headed for the stairs. Just as she was about to go up, a bodyguard in black appeared from nowhere and blocked her way. "Sorry, ma'am. No one may go upstairs without madam's permission. If you insist, please choose: one, we throw you out; two, we call the police and have you taken away."
Mo Baili finally exploded and shouted, "Who do you think you are! How dare you stop me from going upstairs? I'm going up to find Luo Beishi. Let's see if he's hiding something shameful!"
The bodyguard picked up his radio. "Captain, requesting personnel to remove the lunatic in the living room. Her screaming is about to disturb young madam's sleep. Please respond if you copy. Over."
A gruff voice replied over the radio, "Copy. Over."
Hearing that they actually meant it, Mo Baili's blood pressure shot up, and she unleashed a torrent of abuse. "You lowly dogs dare bark at your master! Who gave you the nerve? When I get home, I'll make Dad fire you all! I'll have you thrown out of Huo Cixiao's house!"
The bodyguard's tone remained cold. "No one can order us around except young master and young madam. Not even Old Master Huo. You're welcome to test that if you don't believe me."
No sooner had the bodyguard finished than two more bodyguards came out. "Ma'am, shall we escort you out, or will you leave on your own?"
Mo Baili had no one with her, because the bodyguards here hadn't allowed her to bring anyone inside.
Now she couldn't even fight back. "Hmph. Just you wait!" Her face alternating between pale and flushed, Mo Baili stormed off in her towering heels.
The two bodyguards "escorted" her out.
The paparazzi had waited so long before Mo Baili finally emerged that everyone in the livestream had assumed she had met Luo Beishi and spent all that time with him. They were all speculating whether the two were exceptionally close.
But the next moment, they heard a bodyguard say loudly, "Ms. Mo, if you'd like to see our young madam in the future, please make an appointment three months in advance. Otherwise, you'll end up waiting for nothing again, just like today."
The viewers in the livestream gloated at the sight:
[I'm so happy, so happy. Knowing other people can't see him either puts my mind at ease.]
[Lmao, so she went in for tea but never got to see him.]
[I thought Luo Beishi was the reason she looked so smug. Turns out she was faking it.]
[She even smiled smugly at us earlier, hahaha.]
[Young Master Beishi is such a badass. I love him.]
Mo Baili's defeat also made the trending searches, complete with before-and-after pictures of her visit, becoming another major joke in elite family circles.
The first thing she did upon getting home was start smashing things like mad to vent her anger.
As it turned out, Luo Beishi alone could turn someone who had spent decades pretending to be a lady into a raging mess.
Meanwhile, Luo Beishi had long since drifted off to dreamland.
The next morning.
Only after Luo Beishi learned what had happened with Mo Baili the night before did he remember the whole thing. Ah, I'd originally planned to go down and meet her.
Unfortunately, time hadn't allowed it. He needed enough sleep to take good care of his money-tree husband. Without his money-tree husband, he felt he wasn't worth shit.
After cheerfully tending to his husband, Luo Beishi ate his own meal. Since the house was so big, he had been having his meals delivered upstairs lately. Sometimes he even ate at Huo Cixiao's bedside. It felt very comfortable, and he wasn't lonely.
Because he had someone in a vegetative state beside him for company.
In the afternoon, he waited until the autumn sun grew stronger before carrying Huo Cixiao downstairs to bask in it. To Strongman Luo Beishi, Huo Cixiao was as light as a feather.
The bodyguards, however, saw things differently.
They all thought the online analysis had been right after all! Madam really was head over heels in love with President Huo. Despite his frail frame, he insisted on carrying him himself, risking broken arms rather than letting anyone else so much as touch his husband.
Watching madam, A Hu's eyes brimmed with tears. Mom! I believe in love again!
Luo Beishi had no idea the bodyguards around him were already crying their hearts out inwardly. After settling Huo Cixiao onto the recliner, he arranged his legs, then deftly took the fluffy blanket the butler handed him.
He tucked it around every edge and corner, keeping him snug and warm.