Novel - Summer's Desire Chapter 2 & 3

Chapter 2
Xiao Cheng’s painting hangs prominently on Luo Xi’s wall now, much to Xiao Cheng’s delight. However, Luo Xi continues to test Xia Mo’s patience. Knowing that Xia Mo was planning on using the award money that Xiao Cheng won to buy him new art supplies, Luo Xi asks Xia Mo’s dad for a new guitar. Luo Xi then proceeds to incessantly play his guitar everywhere in the house.

“Hate me yet?” Luo Xi asks cockily.
“You’re not worth it.” Xia Mo responds coolly.

At school, Luo Xi continues to weave his magic on everyone – the students and all the teachers forget to breathe whenever he’s around them. Until one day, his spell on them shatters with the arrival of Young Master Ou Chen.

Young Master’s prideful airs and carefully blank expressions. People crown around him but yet scatter to part a pathway for him; no one has the courage to speak directly to him. All watch silently as he purposefully makes his way through the crowd, only stopping once he has reached Xia Mo. Taking her right hand in his, Ou Chen places a gentle kiss on the back and Xia Mo gifts him with a beauteous smile in return.

Luo Xi continues to play his guitar and sing softly in the background but if anyone were to look at him right now, they would notice that his perfection now had a tinge of evilness to it.

Ou Chen goes to Xia Mo’s house for dinner, eating his meal silently while the others scrambled to accommodate his every move. The awkwardness of the meal is not lost on Xia Mo. When she is later alone with Ou Chen, she asks him to not come over anymore – they can hang out somewhere else and his presence puts too much pressure on her family.

Ou Chen changes the subject though and asks who is Luo Xi. Xia Mo responds simply that he is now their older brother and will be living with them; is that why Ou Chen decided to cut his studying abroad short in America? Because he was feeling threatened? When the dark expression continues to stay on Ou Chen’s face, Xia Mo flirtatiously asks for her present.

Handing her a gift-wrapped box, Xia Mo opens it to find a beautiful green silk scarf. Silently taking it, Ou Chen gently ties Xia Mo’s hair back.

“Wear this every day. Only wear your hair down in front of me.”
“You’re so bossy. You make me take your calls regardless of how late it is, you sic your chauffeur on me and now you’re even telling me how to wear my hair?”
“You are mine.”

As Xia Mo stares back at Ou Chen in frustration, he hesitatingly asks, “Unless, you really do like that Luo Xi…?”
“The one I like is you.”

Ou Chen’s heart calms down. Holding his hand out to Xia Mo, he pulls her into his embrace.

The next day, Ou Chen’s followers have retaliated against the short-haired girl for daring to bother the Young Master’s girlfriend. When her own friends dare not save her and publicly go against Ou Chen, Xia Mo steps in and saves her. However, the short-haired girl again promises payback for the humiliation that she has suffered today. Xia Mo looks at her in puzzlement; shouldn’t she be grateful? Her own friends refused to save her, choosing to watch her get beaten instead. On the other hand, she now is saving her; is it not reasonable for her to thank her?

Ou Chen’s arrival has more or less affected Luo Xi’s reputation at school. However, while Ou Chen is the unattainable dream – except to Yin Xia Mo – Luo Xi is the more realistic of the two. Even if they can never reach Young Master Ou Chen, they can still reach Luo Xi.

Until the day comes when someone from his previous foster family walks up to Luo Xi and asks him when he was released from prison.


Chapter 3
With this new information, Luo Xi’s reputation is completely destroyed and the fact that he is from an orphanage is released. People judge him to be a thief and trash. In his anger, Luo Xi starts a fight with some classmates who called his mom a prostitute. He is taken to the principal’s where he also stands “trial” before the faculty. In desperation, Xia Mo’s dad rushes to the school, gasping out apology after another for Luo Xi’s behavior and taking all responsibility upon himself.

Xia Mo arrives with an anxious Xiao Cheng and quickly takes charge – she will handle everything from here now; why don’t you take Xiao Cheng back home first? Faced with a determined Xia Mo, Xia Mo’s dad leaves with Xiao Cheng.

When Xia Mo is sure that they both have left, she turns and grasps Luo Xi’s hand, walking out of the room with him, all traces of her trademark smile gone. When the faculty members attempt to stop her, Xia Mo questions their unprofessionalism in handling the situation. Surely they cannot be so quick to judge a student based on rumors alone? Where is the proof stating otherwise that Luo Xi is a thief or is a delinquent? She will figure out what the situation is and if she proves them wrong, she fully expects an apology.

Xia Mo seeks out Ou Chen at his mansion where he is still smarting from the fact that she had earlier brushed him off to save Luo Xi. Although he is aware of her waiting for him, he continues to finish his swimming laps, leisurely climbing out of the pool. Xia Mo is clearly aware of his temper and grabs a towel, efficiently drying him in quick strokes. However, when she gets to his head, she purposely roughens his hair, drying it every which way.

Xia Mo admonishes Ou Chen for throwing a tantrum on her. When he continues to glare mutinously back, she asks him whether he will help her with Luo Xi or not. Again, Ou Chen asks what exact relationship Luo Xi has with Xia Mo, and she again says that Luo Xi is Xiao Cheng’s favored brother.

“You held his hand.”
Xia Mo laughs and then uses Ou Chen’s towel to jokingly scrub clean her hands. “Is that all? Will this make up for it then?” Cocking her head and smiling up at him, “Are you going to help me then?”

Ou Chen knows that he is no match for Xia Mo and had already contacted the foster family; she can meet with the mom tomorrow. Ou Chen scolds Xia Mo for taking on something that she couldn’t handle herself; what if he had refused to help her? Then how was she going to take care of things? But Xia Mo is confident that Ou Chen will always help her and he just grimaces back at her.

“Don’t get so close to that Luo Xi.” Xia Mo stares blankly back. “You are mine.”

Xia Mo’s meeting with Mrs. Song proves fruitful, who breaks down and admits that given the choice between Luo Xi and her own biological son, she had chosen her actual son. She had lied about turning Luo Xi into the cops to appease her own jealous son but then had retracted those statements later. Secretly recording the conversation, she turns the tape over to Luo Xi for his discretion. Luo Xi had previously questioned Xia Mo’s motives for helping him; does she just pity him? If so, then she can save it. However, Xia Mo asks what right does he have to expect pity from people? She too, came from an orphanage; she too, was called a thief by the other kids. While her own dad seems to the think the world of his biological mom, her own biological mom was truly a prostitute – so what right does he have to expect any pity at all?

A few days later, Song Ya Min issues a public apology for accusing Luo Xi; suffering from a guilty conscience, he had gone to the police station to investigate himself and found out that Luo Xi had never stolen anything. Much to Xia Mo’s delight, the two young men seem to reconcile and even Mrs. Song appears that moment, rushing up to hug them both.

Back at the Yin household, Xia Mo is impressed by Luo Xi withholding the tape; had he done so, Song Ya Min would have hated him even more. However, now he is just too ashamed to ever bother Luo Xi again. When Luo Xi questions how Xia Ma could have been so sure that he would not publicize the tape, Xia Mo only laughs and walks away. She pauses at Luo Xi’s voice though.

Using the most devil-may-care voice he can muster, Luo Xi thanks Xia Mo but the slight tremor gives him away. And Xia Mo feels something move deep within her own cold heart.