Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The next morning, before Chen Mo could get out of bed, he heard the commotion outside.

For such a small gathering, the Yang family had gone all out. Perhaps it was because of Grandpa's visit yesterday that Mr. and Mrs. Yang left early this morning, unlike their usual practice of staying home to show their importance.

By nine o'clock, there were already many cars parked outside the villa.

Those who were friends with Yang Shule came from decent backgrounds. However, despite his good relationships, he had invited quite a few ordinary classmates as well, who couldn't help but marvel upon entering.

The dazzling array of juices and desserts.

The enormous crystal chandelier in the living room.

The butler standing by, and the busy servants coming and going.

"Shule, how are you feeling?" Five or six young men surrounded Yang Shule, showing concern as they walked: "Don't worry, we've divided up the task of taking notes for you during your absence. We brought them today."

"Yeah, you have no idea how boring it's been without you."

"When you come back, let's go watch a movie together. There's a new escape room that just opened downtown. With your intelligence, you'll definitely help us solve it."

Today, Yang Shule had deliberately put on the suit his mother had prepared for him.

Wearing a suit and bow tie, his hair neatly styled, it felt as grand as his birthday celebrations every year.

Hearing these words, he finally relaxed from his unease, a smile appearing on his face.

Before today, he feared no one would come, that they would look down on him, and that they would gossip about him. But the truth was, he wasn't the son of the Chen family in Yuhuai Village. All those interest classes and study sessions he had taken since childhood weren't for nothing. Even if some wealthy kids befriended him only because of his family background, his parents' love was genuine. He still bore the Yang name and lived here, which was the reality.

His threats to leave and his claims of not needing charity in front of Chen Mo were merely fears of losing his parents' affection and everything else.

He didn't even bother hiding his hostility towards Chen Mo.

What could Chen Mo achieve with his reckless behavior in a family like the Yangs? If he tried to compete or take over, he would become the target of everyone's scorn in an event like today.

Yang Shule glanced around but couldn't see where Chen Mo was, so he turned his attention back to his classmates and nodded, saying, "I'm almost fully recovered and will be returning to school soon."

"That's great." Qi Li, whose family was in the catering business and couldn't compare to the Yangs' wealth, seemed envious as he looked around the entrance and said, "Shule, your parents really care about you. By the way, should we greet Uncle and Aunt?"

At this, Yang Shule's expression stiffened slightly.

He couldn't admit that his parents, who had promised to host the gathering at home, weren't actually there today.

Yang Shule kept his composure and casually replied, "My parents said they wouldn't join our little gathering to avoid making everyone uncomfortable. They're busy with the family business and aren't here today."

"Oh, okay," Qi Li changed the subject, asking, "What about your older brother?"

Yang Shule secretly looked down on Qi Li's behavior.

Every time he visited the Yangs, Qi Li would subtly inquire about his older brother.

His older brother's marriage was not something he could decide himself, and he already had a fixed romantic partner. How could he possibly have any connection with a male high school student?

But Yang Shule's expression remained neutral as he said, "My older brother isn't here either."

"Not here?" Qi Li's disappointment was evident, but he quickly smiled again, "Then maybe next time we can invite your brother to join us. He has spent a lot of money treating us to meals in the past, specifically to take care of you. A brother like that is hard to find."

The others chimed in agreement.

Yang Shule felt a sense of pride hearing this and didn't refuse.

More guests arrived steadily.

Yang Shule stood outside, occasionally glancing towards the entrance, as if waiting for someone.

The two or three people accompanying him laughed knowingly.

Qi Li spoke bluntly, "Waiting for the class president?"

"Don't talk nonsense," Yang Shule said, "The Xi family and our family only have some business dealings. I met Xi Siyan a few times when we were younger. Last New Year, both families discovered we were in the same class. You know I tend to catch colds easily during seasonal changes, so my parents asked him to look after me at school."

"Oh, Xi Siyan," someone teased, turning to the others, "Has anyone heard other students call him 'A-Yan'?"

Yang Shule pretended to hit them, "His family calls him that, not just me."

"Yeah, only family members call him that."

"A-Yan, A-Yan, A-Yan, that's Xi Siyan! He's so tall that I barely dare breathe when he walks by."

"It's not that bad, right? The students in the experimental class often ask him for help with problems. Plus, he plays basketball and track, and both boys and girls say he has a nice personality."

"He's okay, but you haven't seen him when he's cold. He sits on the podium during self-study periods, and the classroom becomes as quiet as a graveyard."

"Shule doesn't fear him, does he?"

Yang Shule thought to himself that there was still some pressure.

Although Xi Siyan had never been cold to him, their relationship wasn't as close as others made it seem, nor was it particularly special.

Yang Shule took every exam seriously, never allowing himself to fall below third place in the grade, just to have his name appear alongside Xi Siyan's on the honor roll. Every time he asked him questions, or the few times he hitched a ride in the Xi family car after school due to his driver being unavailable, and the brief replies to holiday greetings, all made his heart race.

If not for the incident a month ago, he would have had more chances to see him.

Someone asked, "Is he coming today?"

"Yes," Yang Shule's smile seemed genuine, "When I sent him the invitation, he said his teacher asked him to bring me a competition form to fill out, so he will come."

"Right, you excel in physics. You're definitely on the list for this year's competition."

"Then won't you and the class monitor have to go out for training alone?"

The entrance was bustling with activity.

Teenagers, boys and girls, gathered in their own groups, chatting animatedally. Girls discussed trendy manicures, fashion, pop songs, and idol dramas, while boys talked about various esports and ball games, recounting how someone's stinky socks went unwashed last week, leading to a dorm supervisor's punishment of cleaning the toilets.

Everyone who came here today must have been filled with curiosity.

After all, something major had happened at the Yang family, and the buzz hadn't died down yet.

But because a certain person hadn't shown up, everyone tacitly avoided the topic, and no one wanted to be so tactless as to bring it up in front of the host of the gathering.

"Why don't you go downstairs?" On the second-floor balcony, Chen Mo leaned against the railing and asked the person beside him.

Gou Yiyang, holding the same drink, glanced downstairs and said, "If you, the center of attention, aren't going, what fun would there be for me?"

Chen Mo's can of drink clinked against Gou Yiyang's. "You really are... straightforward in a way that makes you hard to dislike."

"Likewise," Gou Yiyang replied. "Before I met you at the internet cafe, I didn't think you'd be this interesting."

"Interesting?"

"Not interesting?" Gou Yiyang raised an eyebrow. "Some people described you like a village bully, saying you'd come back to turn the Yang family upside down. But I see you as too lazy, lazy to the point of having no fighting spirit, friend."

Chen Mo laughed.

"I've been diligent before," he said.

Just not in the right direction. When he was a teenager, the Yang family's power seemed like an insurmountable giant, so he could only demand more from himself. Later, when he grew up, he thought he needed to make those people look down on him, so he struggled to climb higher.

In reality, being at the top wasn't necessarily any better.

Chen Mo turned slightly, resting his arm on the wooden railing, looking down at the lively scene below. He said slowly, "I still prefer my current life. Lying around with endless money, not having to work too hard, and never starving. If it gets boring, well... I can watch others' vibrant youth."

As he spoke, a few more people arrived at the entrance downstairs.

When Xi Siyan entered, he was wearing a simple black-and-white tracksuit with sneakers, clean and eye-catching, as if he were just passing by. As he entered, several boys who seemed to be close friends surrounded him, and the vibrant energy typical of teenage boys filled the air.

All the boys and girls in the hall stopped and were drawn to him.

Chen Mo noticed the figure closely following Xi Siyan, gently tugging on his sleeve. Xi Siyan paused, looked down, and engaged in a brief conversation.

Bored, Chen Mo turned to Gou Yiyang. "I need to wake up. It's too early, and I was woken up. Want to join me?"

Five minutes later, Gou Yiyang stood by the large swimming pool, looking pale. "Why can't we play games to wake up? Why did you drag me to swim without asking a non-swimmer's opinion?"

"Playing games is bad for your eyes." Chen Mo grabbed a small yellow duck floatie and tossed it to him. "If you don't exercise now, you'll really have a belly by thirty, a flesh-colored one."

"Go away, I'll still be a handsome young man at thirty."

Chen Mo chuckled, not wanting to discourage him. He walked over to the lounge chair with towels and casually took off his shirt.

Gou Yiyang glanced at him, shocked. "Holy crap, you're so pale? And your legs are insane. With clothes on, it's not noticeable, but without them, the proportions... I'm going to bleed."

"Keep acting," Chen Mo said indifferently.

Gou Yiyang's only nosebleed was due to staying up late for surgery and then seeing a girl with a very hot body at a bar the next day. He even tried to get her number, but she had a boyfriend, causing a misunderstanding.

Gou Yiyang was a pure straight guy, just with a loose mouth.

Although Chen Mo was thin in his teens, his life hadn't been easy. He had a layer of lean muscle that looked very well-proportioned. But when Gou Yiyang got closer, he noticed the varying scars on his back, legs, and feet—long cuts, burns the size of a thumbnail, and slashes, some faded but still visible.

Gou Yiyang opened his mouth, unable to speak.

Chen Mo, however, casually glanced at the visible scars and said, "What's strange about it? The man from the Chen family was a gambler who drank and beat people, especially his son. To him, beating his son was natural. But he doesn't dare anymore because I broke his hand."

"Do your parents know?" Gou Yiyang asked.

Chen Mo threw his clothes onto a chair and started stretching his wrists and ankles. "I heard a bit from the police."

"Damn, bastard."

He wasn't sure whether he was cursing the Yangs or the Chens.

Chen Mo didn't tell Gou Yiyang that scars heal, and those who haven't seen the blood or experienced the pain of healing tend to forget easily.

Whether it's because they don't care enough or because they can't face it, Chen Mo didn't care anymore.

"Let's get in the water. I specifically told the servants not to let anyone else in."

With no one allowed in, no one would come to disturb them.

It was truly peaceful.

Chen Mo dove into the water and swam quickly towards the other side.

His extremely standard swimming form made the water ripple beautifully, catching Gou Yiyang's interest.

Unfortunately, a non-swimmer with a childish floatie was embarrassing.

Chen Mo swam less than two laps before feeling a dull ache in his knee.

This year, the problem with his knee wasn't obvious, but he guessed it was due to the sudden cold water. For safety, he stopped and headed towards the edge.

At that moment, the entrance to the pool became noisy.

"What do you mean we can't enter?"

"Shule, can't you use your family's pool? The weather is so hot; it would be perfect for playing in the water."

Next came Yang Shule's strange inquiry to the servant.

The servant was extremely embarrassed.

Everyone knew that Chen Mo had been different these past two days, and Old Master Yang had just visited, almost costing them their jobs. When Chen Mo said not to let anyone in, the servant truly dared not let anyone enter.

"Master Shule, Young Master Mo is inside," the servant whispered.

Yang Shule's face turned grim on the spot, especially with many people gathering around, drawn by the commotion.

Yang Shule: "Open the door."

The servant didn't move.

Yang Shule felt that Chen Mo was deliberately embarrassing him. He rarely lost his temper with the servants, but now he was so angry that his face turned red. "I said open it!"

The servant trembled, hesitating for a long time before finally pushing the door open.

The door slowly opened before everyone's eyes.

A figure emerged from the water with a splash, stepping out of the pool, dripping wet.

The person standing on the shore, bending over and looking up, had dark eyes filled with utter disgust, and slowly spoke, "Whoever dares to step through this door today, give it a try."