This year, the Chinese New Year at the Mo family was especially lively.

He Yan didn't go with Mo Yitao to meet the Mo family at all. During this time, he was well aware of the various means the Mo family used to investigate him. He didn't have the mood to deal with those hostile people, so he simply stayed on the second floor eating snacks and playing on his phone, continuing to be a couch potato.

It's just that the Mo family's New Year greeting time was a bit long, and it wouldn't end until after lunch at noon.

He Yan held his phone, finished browsing celebrity gossip and read a novel for a while, gradually feeling a bit bored. He didn't know if it was because he ate breakfast in the morning and went straight back to his room without digesting properly, but he strangely had no appetite for the lunch sent up by the butler.

He only ate a couple bites before putting down his chopsticks.

"Young master, are you feeling unwell?" The butler immediately asked with concern. Regardless of the family head's attitude, he himself was very fond of this young guest who was well-behaved and lovable at first sight, at least much more likable than the young masters and misses downstairs who looked down on people with their chins up. "Why did you eat so little?"

He Yan shook his head, "No, I ate too much in the morning and have no appetite now. Uncle Zhang, please go back to your work."

The butler caringly said a few more gentle words to him before going back downstairs to serve the master.

After eating, He Yan rolled around on the wide, soft sofa out of boredom. Finally, his eyes lit up as if he thought of some mischievous idea. He took out his phone, opened WeChat, and started sending messages to someone.

Downstairs living room.

Although the Mo family's direct bloodline had dwindled, with only the nearly-dead Old Master Mo and the still-single family head left, the collateral branches could be said to be flourishing. Even though only the more important people from the collateral branches came to the New Year's family banquet, they still filled seven or eight tables, occupying a large part of the living room space.

A meticulously made-up young miss from a collateral branch was leisurely sipping a drink, her eyes wandering around aimlessly. Suddenly, as if seeing something, a strange expression appeared on her face. She pulled her mother beside her and said in a low voice, "Mom, I just saw Butler Zhang taking food upstairs."

Originally, everyone at the dining table was busy flattering and currying favor with Old Master Mo and the family head, and not many people had the energy to pay attention to a butler's movements.

However, their family was more distantly related to the main bloodline, and no one at home could gain the family head's special favor, so they were arranged to sit in a more remote position that happened to be closer to the staircase, allowing her to notice Butler Zhang carrying a plate of food upstairs.

Although Butler Zhang was just a butler and should be classified as a servant, the actual situation was that Butler Zhang had served the Mo family for more than a decade and was highly trusted by the two generations of family heads. He had long surpassed the status of an ordinary servant.

To put it bluntly, in the eyes of the current family head, this butler's importance was probably greater than most of the people present. So even though Butler Zhang was just a servant, they, the collateral branches, had to be polite to him.

But just now? She actually saw Butler Zhang personally carrying food upstairs?

Could it be for that boy named Mo Qi who was personally brought to the main residence by the family head... It was said that he was the orphan of a collateral branch and had a very pitiful background.

She couldn't help but recall the rumor that had been circulating within the Mo family recently, making most people restless. Her expression was a bit strange as she blanked out for a moment.

The things she could think of, the noble lady sitting beside her naturally couldn't fail to think of either. But her reaction was much calmer than her daughter's. After a brief moment of surprise, she immediately gently nudged her daughter's waist with her arm, smiling at the inquiring gazes from others at the table. In an extremely low voice, she said to her daughter, "Don't mind so much, these things are not what we should meddle in."

The girl came back to her senses and quickly reined in the look of shock on her face. She exchanged a brief but meaningful glance with her mother and turned back into that exquisite and elegant rich girl.

Mother was right, their family was just an insignificant branch among the countless branches of the Mo family. The possibility of her becoming the Mo family head's wife was not high. Besides, she admitted that she was indeed not worthy of Mo Yitao. As for the matter of the family head taking a boy as a lover, it was better to let those people who dreamed of becoming the mistress of the Mo family's old residence worry about it themselves.

She was a smart person and could see from Butler Zhang's actions that the boy's importance in the family head's eyes was not low, at least much higher than some people imagined.

Thinking of those women in the family who dreamed of marrying Mo Yitao every day and had even started "competing" on their own, she couldn't help feeling a bit of secret schadenfreude. If those arrogant ladies knew that their status in the family head's eyes was not even as good as a man's, they would probably be so angry that their noses would go crooked, right?

Thinking this way, she suddenly had some subtle goodwill towards that boy she had never met.

Apart from her, who was looking around aimlessly out of boredom, it seemed that no one else at their table noticed Butler Zhang's actions. The girl casually glanced around at the people, using a napkin to cover her upturned mouth corners, feeling many times happier than when she arrived.

However, compared to her happiness, some people's moods were not so pleasant.

For example, a certain Miss Mo who squeezed onto the main table with her family because this branch of theirs was developing quite well.

Because they stood on the right side when Mo Yitao took power and did not trip up the new family head like those short-sighted people, their family could now be said to be the collateral branch most favored by Mo Yitao. Moreover, because her father's work ability was also very outstanding and highly valued by Mo Yitao, she had long believed in her heart that if someone from the Mo family could sit in the position of the family head's wife, it must be none other than her.

She was originally secretly proud of being able to sit at the main table, suppressing those despicable people who were always jealous of her and took every opportunity to mock her. However, very quickly, this pride was completely washed away by Mo Yitao's indifferent attitude.

At the dinner table, her mother tried several times to steer the conversation towards her, and Old Master Mo also seemed quite pleased with her, echoing the compliments.

However, Mo Yitao remained as indifferent as ever, showing no intention of joining the conversation amidst the laughter and chatter. He ate his meal with an air of detachment, not even sparing her a glance.

Thinking about the recent rumors of the Mo family head taking in a young boy from a collateral branch to the old mansion, her heart tightened.

It's okay... Mo Yitao treats everyone with the same demeanor; she had long grown accustomed to it. After all, no one else in the family was qualified to take that position besides her. His current dalliance with the young boy was only temporary.

In the end, she believed that someone as astute as the Mo family head would make the choice most beneficial to himself.

Consoling herself with these thoughts, her mood quickly settled. However, within a few minutes, she heard the notification sound of Mo Yitao's phone. Uncharacteristically, the family head swiftly took out his phone and started typing, a faint smile appearing on his face.

A surge of anger mixed with embarrassment welled up inside her. In an instant, she lost her grip on the glass in her hand. The glass toppled on the table, and the bright red wine spilled over the edge, staining her exquisite dress.

"Oh my..." The people at the table stirred slightly due to this mishap, casting various glances at her. Only the Mo family head, seated at the head of the table, seemed oblivious to the small commotion happening beside him, not even raising his head as he replied to someone's message.

"Brother, I'm so bored alone."

"Be good, it will be over soon. I'll come accompany you as soon as it ends. Do you want to go out and build a snowman later?"

"Sure, mwah~"

Mo family head: !