Chapter 2: The Past Already Shattered

Page 1/3

[Divine Geometry: Your fifth enlightenment trial, inferno-level challenge, is scheduled to begin in approximately eight hours. Please prepare accordingly.]

The Divine Geometry prompt reflected on the car window.

Mo Xuanyu was somewhat surprised; Divine Geometry actually notified him of the trial’s start time. Usually, it just threw him directly into the instance.

This sudden kindness felt like the calm before a storm—never to be underestimated.

Returning home, Mo Xuanyu opened the door. Hearing the familiar sounds early, the Alaskan Malamute waiting at the door immediately pounced on him.

“You did well today,” Mo Xuanyu smiled gently, rubbing under the dog’s chin.

“Awwooo~”

Haer eagerly burrowed into his arms. Today, the dog was unusually obedient, refraining from tearing up the house or biting the sofa.

Mo Xuanyu didn’t bother changing shoes. Instead, he took out a leash and collar from a nearby cabinet, fitted them on Haer, and softly said, “Let’s go for a walk.”

“Woof woof!” Haer was ecstatic, bounding along like a playful gas canister.

Holding the leash, Mo Xuanyu strolled with Haer until they reached a park near the villa district. Sitting on a bench, he pulled out his phone to send a message.

Soon, a handsome, spirited young man dashed into the park. Upon seeing Mo Xuanyu, he waved enthusiastically.

This youth was Rong Qin, Mo Xuanyu’s high school classmate. An outstanding student, they had maintained a good friendship even after entering university.

“Haer, good to see you again!” Rong Qin immediately grabbed the dog’s head, rubbing it until Haer growled and dodged, clearly annoyed.

Satisfied, Rong Qin withdrew his hands and gave Mo Xuanyu an apologetic smile before asking with concern, “Xuanyu, are you really going to give Haer away? Won’t he be heartbroken?”

Knowing Haer had been raised by Mo Xuanyu since a puppy, Rong Qin understood their deep bond. How could he just give him up?

“Sorry, I forgot to tell you,” Mo Xuanyu said with a faint smile, recalling that Rong Qin was usually busy with work-study and unaware of gossip.

“I might be getting married.”

Rong Qin always thought Mo Xuanyu’s voice was especially pleasant. When he spoke softly nearby, it was like a gentle spring stream, soothing every worry away.

But this statement stunned him, leaving him frozen and shaken.

“Married?! To whom?”

Mo Xuanyu tapped his phone and showed Rong Qin the engagement announcement jointly published by the Yan and Mo families. Since this would affect the stock prices of their two conglomerates, it had to be made public.

Smart as he was, Rong Qin immediately grasped the situation but struggled to accept it, sinking down on the bench.

“You turned down Yan Geng more than a dozen times before! And now he’s using this to harass you...”

“That guy’s disgusting!” Rong Qin said indignantly.

Truth be told, Rong Qin harbored some feelings for Mo Xuanyu. At school, Mo was the unrequited first love of many.

Every Valentine’s Day, chocolates and confession letters would fill an entire dormitory.

Of course, Rong Qin also knew Mo Xuanyu couldn’t resist his family’s and the conglomerate’s decisions, which only fueled his frustration and anger.

The helplessness of watching without being able to intervene was unbearable.

Mo Xuanyu remained calm. “So, if I entrust Haer to you, I’d feel much more at ease.”

Since realizing he was tied to the Divine Geometry’s perilous trial, Mo Xuanyu worried about dying inside with no one to care for Haer.

After all, his family clearly didn’t care about a dog’s life or death. Haer wasn’t even a prized breed—just a stray he had found at school.

Thus, he had long pondered arrangements for Haer, screening several potential caretakers before finally choosing Rong Qin, who was both responsible and good-natured.

Page 2/3

Today was the day they had agreed to transfer Haer, while Mo Xuanyu himself would enter the inferno-level trial of Divine Geometry.

Whether he would return alive was uncertain.

“Alright... I understand, Xuanyu.”

Rong Qin nodded, suppressing his anger with all his might and promising to take good care of Haer.

“I trust you,” Mo Xuanyu said, handing over the leash with a smile.

Bathed in the late afternoon sunset, Rong Qin would never forget that profoundly gentle smile—dreamlike and haunting, like a thorn forever embedded in his heart.

Mo Xuanyu crouched down to stroke Haer’s head, warning softly, “Behave at your new home, or you won’t get fed.”

Haer seemed to understand his predicament, whining sorrowfully twice and licking the back of Mo Xuanyu’s hand, unwilling to leave. His head pressed stubbornly against Mo’s chest.

Fortunately, Haer didn’t make a fuss. After a few comforting words, his tail drooped, and he followed his new owner, Rong Qin, slowly leaving the park with frequent backward glances, reluctant to part.

It was clear that both man and dog were deeply saddened.

Mo Xuanyu stood beneath the shade, watching their figures vanish into the street, his faint smile fading.

Nine o’clock.

At a luxurious continental hotel owned by the Yan Corporation, an unprecedented grand banquet was underway, with countless merchants and politicians drinking and mingling.

Mo Xuanyu entered the hall via a side door. As the guest of honor and a famed soothing presence within the empire’s elite circle, he naturally attracted attention despite his efforts to stay low-key.

“Why isn’t he wearing formal attire? Is he making a joke of himself?” Mo Xuanyu’s father frowned slightly, questioning the butler beside him.

The butler replied nervously, “I delivered the custom-made suit to Xuanyu yesterday.”

Today, Mo Xuanyu wore a dark brown trench coat—suitable for dates or casual outings but decidedly out of place here, as if he didn’t care about the engagement at all.

In truth, he hadn’t come for the engagement.

He was here to ask Yan Geng one question.

Before his father could glare and reprimand him, Mo Xuanyu turned and left the main hall, heading deeper inside.

He declined many attempts at conversation along the way, finally reaching a hallway at the back. He knocked gently on a door.

The door opened to reveal the young master of the Yan family, still in high school. Upon seeing Mo Xuanyu, he beamed.

“Brother Xuanyu! You finally came. We’ve been waiting a long time.”

Inside the lavish private room, six people sat on sofas and chairs.

They were the young heirs of the Yan and Mo families, and at the center, like a star surrounded by planets, was the handsome Yan Geng.

Holding a black jewelry box, Yan Geng said lightly to the others upon Mo Xuanyu’s arrival:

“Everyone else, please leave.”

The others stood and left at his cue. One man patted Mo Xuanyu’s shoulder as he passed and warned:

“Be careful not to anger Yan Geng. The fate of the conglomerate depends on him.”

Yan Geng was the eldest son of the Mo family and the future heir to the largest share of the Mo Corporation. If the company went bankrupt, no one would be more panicked than him.

After all, no one can bear to see their business empire crumble.

Mo Xuanyu ignored the comment. He had no emotional connection with this half-brother.

Yan Geng suddenly rose. Tall, with black hair and brown eyes, his features were deep and handsome.

He came beside Mo Xuanyu, closed the door behind him, then opened the jewelry box and held it out.

Page 3/3

“I brought this back from Hilt City. Maybe you’ll like it.”

“For our engagement rings.”

Inside lay a pair of exquisite sapphire rings, from the world-renowned gem city of Hilt.

Yan Geng had chosen these gems precisely because their clarity and beauty matched Mo Xuanyu’s eyes, paying a fortune to acquire them.

His devotion to Mo Xuanyu was famous among the younger generation.

He had pursued him relentlessly from middle school through university, facing rejection every time, yet never giving up—always giving gifts and flowers on every holiday.

Such heartfelt affection might move heaven and earth, but it could never move Mo Xuanyu.

Mo Xuanyu didn’t even glance at the rings. Instead, he looked Yan Geng in the eyes and calmly asked,

“You anticipated the problems in the Mo Corporation long ago, didn’t you?”

Silence fell briefly.

When the Mo Corporation first suffered a small-scale crisis in a tourist city, few took it seriously.

Including Mo Xuanyu’s father and elder brother, everyone thought it was a minor issue that would soon be resolved.

Only Mo Xuanyu, upon hearing the news, had rummaged through the archives.

He found a huge hidden risk in a merger document led by the Yan family from three years prior. The matter was complex, but essentially a massive trap had been planted inside Mo Corporation.

He reported this to the board, but the matter disappeared without a trace; clearly, they did not trust his judgment.

Though Mo Xuanyu’s soothing ability had brought prosperity to the family and corporation, due to his youth, he only officially joined the board during university.

“How did you come to this conclusion?” Yan Geng asked after a moment’s silence, closing the jewelry box.

Mo Xuanyu took out the acquisition document from his pocket. Yan Geng glanced at it briefly before tossing it to the floor.

He stepped closer to Mo Xuanyu.

“I was indeed involved in this, but it was your father’s decision in the end. No one forced him to sign.”

Yan Geng was right. He had merely seen future trends and set a seemingly high-yield pitfall for Mo Corporation, guiding them to fall in.

The real decision-makers were still the Mo family.

If blame were to be laid, it was on the Mo family’s ineptitude.

They had become a giant enterprise relying on Mo Xuanyu’s abilities but lacked the capability to lead, becoming bloated and corrupt—falling into a pit they could never climb out of.

“There’s a saying: when one’s abilities don’t match their wealth, that wealth soon returns to the market in another way.”

“To save the corporation, they didn’t hesitate to sell you out, never treating you as family.”

“So, in my opinion, they don’t deserve you.”

Yan Geng’s voice was low. He leaned close, eyes filled with deep affection mixed with overwhelming possessiveness.

“Sorry, Xuanyu. I know you don’t love me, so this is the only way I can keep you by my side.”

“I swear, I will take care of you.”

“You won’t have to use your abilities for those worthless people anymore.”