Chapter 25

Chapter 25

That night, when Chen Mo returned to the dormitory, he did not find his underwear in the trash can. Instead, that black cotton pair, which he had worn only once, was neatly placed on his bed.

However, the sight of the entire set of bedding hanging on the balcony made Chen Mo's eyes twitch.

Chen Mo asked Xi Siyan, who was calmly sitting on a stool flipping through a book, somewhat incredulously, "Isn't this a bit too much?"

"Too much?" Xi Siyan didn't even look up but knew exactly what he meant.

Chen Mo: "You're seriously hurting my male pride."

"That's just you overthinking it." Xi Siyan closed the book and looked at him. "The two-week physics competition training is about to start. I washed them early so they would be dry by then. You're just being overly sensitive."

In an instant, Chen Mo's face showed a mix of emotions. "How did you know what I was talking about? Your attempt to cover up your obsessive cleanliness is worse than not trying at all."

Xi Siyan raised an eyebrow.

"Firstly, as soon as you entered, you stared at the things on your bed for a long time, as if afraid someone might have designs on your boxers. I put them there for you; how could I miss that unless I were blind?"

"Secondly, do I ever stop you from sitting on my stool? Do you ever step on my bed when getting into yours? Last week, you fell asleep while studying here, almost drooling on my desk. Did I say anything? Obsessive cleanliness? Paranoid?"

Chen Mo: "…"

Being questioned like this, leaving him speechless, felt quite fresh.

If he didn't know that Xi Siyan was the captain of the debate team, he might have bowed his head in repentance, confessing his sins.

Turning to the others in the dormitory, Chen Mo asked doubtfully, "Is what he said true? I don't remember any of it."

"It... It's true," Qi Lin managed to say after stifling a laugh.

He composed himself and raised his hand to testify. "Not to mention, Brother Mo, with your lifestyle, you seem health-conscious, always carrying a thermos and soaking your feet before bed. But haven't you noticed how careless you can be? Just last night, you used Old Xi's shampoo. When you came out, you smelled just like him."

Upon hearing this, Chen Mo realized he hadn't noticed.

He loved to daydream while showering, a habit formed during busy times when the most relaxing part of his day was taking a bath.

Those moments of solitude allowed him to review his day, assessing what went right and what went wrong.

This habit remained unchanged.

But now, there was less to think about. The biggest concern was usually how many questions he got wrong on exams.

He subconsciously ran his fingers through his hair and brought them to his nose.

He didn't notice any difference from his usual scent.

Before he could say anything, Xi Siyan remarked, "Really sniffing? You're like a dog. Using the wrong shampoo isn't a big deal."

"Indeed," Chen Mo nodded, not taking it to heart. However, he remembered something. "I feel my hair is getting a bit long. Since tomorrow is Friday and we finish classes early, does anyone want to go get a haircut together?"

Jiang Xu: "Why don't we all go? Lao Xiang has mentioned it several times. He said if he sees anyone with unkempt hair again, he'll take a clipper to it."

Everyone agreed except Xue Ping.

Thus, it was settled.

Chen Mo still had one more acupuncture session to attend.

After cutting his hair, he planned to visit the traditional Chinese medicine clinic.

The next day, the weather was fine.

After school, everyone needed to return to the dormitory to collect their things. Knowing about Chen Mo's leg condition, they arranged to meet him at the school gate.

Chen Mo left the school alone.

Every Friday afternoon, the area around the school gate was bustling with parents picking up students and boarding students coming and going. Some didn't even bother with permission slips, blending into the crowd to leave the school.

Standing by the roadside, Chen Mo drew many curious glances.

After all, he was now a high-profile figure.

Just the fact that he publicly came out was enough to make him a topic of discussion among students.

Moreover, the way he casually draped his uniform around his waist, squatted on the curb when tired, and lazily waved to acquaintances, combined with his striking appearance, made him a magnet for attention.

Several girls kept sneaking glances at Chen Mo.

Suddenly, without warning, he darted across the road, disappearing into an alley on the other side.

When the group from the dormitory couldn't find him and he didn't answer his phone, many people kindly provided information.

"Chen Mo? He went to the other side."

"Don't know what he's doing. He ran pretty fast. The drivers honked at him as he crossed the road, but he didn't seem to hear."

"Looks like he's chasing someone."

"Didn't see anyone on the other side."

Hearing these words, Xi Siyan glanced across the road, his brow furrowed.

"What's going on? Did Brother Mo run into someone he knows?" Qi Lin turned to Xi Siyan for advice. "Should we go to the barbershop first and wait for him? Maybe he's just buying something."

Jiang Xu and Bai Cheng nodded in agreement. "Sure, we'll call him again on the way."

"Wait a moment." Xi Siyan called out, shoving the bag he was holding into Qi Lin's arms. "Let's all go find him."

The other three were taken aback for a moment.

Seeing Xi Siyan's serious expression, they exchanged glances and nodded without further words.

*

When Chen Mo cornered the man behind the street barrier, they were already about a kilometer away from the entrance of No. 1 High School. The barrier was roughly twenty meters high, and below it was a small landfill, which extended outward to the largest river crossing Sui City.

The wind from the river blew fiercely, causing the warning banners on the barrier to flutter loudly.

The air was filled with the stench of rotting garbage.

"Run," Chen Mo said, grabbing the man by the collar and slamming him against the barrier, his teeth gritted. "Why didn't you keep running?"

The middle-aged man looked quite disheveled.

His greasy hair hadn't been washed in days, his yellow teeth were visible, and his eyes were bloodshot from years of heavy drinking.

Unable to break free, his face twisted in anger as he cursed, "Little bastard! I raised you for so many years, and this is how you treat your father?"

"How should I treat you?"

Chen Mo asked with a smile, "Give you money to live comfortably?"

"That's exactly what I mean!"

Chen Jianli, no longer thinking of running, pulled back his tattered denim jacket and pointed at Chen Mo. "Don't think I don't know that it's their Yang family who needs me now! It was the Yangs themselves who released the news about the mix-up, even getting Li Yunru off scot-free. Giving me some money is nothing."

Chen Jianli's face flushed with excitement as he grabbed Chen Mo's arm. "Son, I came here to seek justice for you. The Yangs care about their reputation and interests; they never treated you like a person. This is our chance!"

Chen Mo laughed. "I'm not your son. You suddenly showed up because you couldn't get close to your real son, right? Or maybe he told you to get lost."

Chen Jianli's face turned purple for an instant.

He must have remembered his attempts to approach his real son, only to be met with rejection and almost a police call.

He cursed, "That idiot who won't even recognize his own father! And now he has bodyguards around him."

Bodyguards.

Chen Mo thought about the events from his previous life.

Chen Jianli had come around at this time before, with the same spiel.

Back then, he wasn't living on campus yet.

Every day, he rode to school with Yang Shule, and it was then that he learned the Yang family had known about Chen Jianli's arrival in Sui City. The bodyguards were arranged by Zhou Yaoqing, who said, "With bodyguards following you, your mother can feel more at ease. That man is a gambling addict; who knows what he might do."

When Chen Jianli actually appeared, the bodyguards protected Yang Shule and drove away.

Chen Mo heard Chen Jianli's words then.

What did he do back then?

Oh, he fought with Chen Jianli upon meeting him and returned to the Yang family with a bruised face.

The Yang family's reactions varied.

Zhou Yaoqing looked heartbroken. "How could you get hurt like this? Xiao Mo, it's all my fault. I only thought Chen Jianli would cause trouble for Shule since he's his biological son. I didn't expect the bodyguards to misunderstand and leave you behind."

Yang Qizong: "Son, I'm proud of your concern for the family. But the company's situation is still unstable, so we can't let things escalate. Just pretend to agree with him for now and buy some time. I'll find a way to handle this soon."

Yang Zhi coldly remarked, "With your impulsive nature, what good can you accomplish?"

At that time, Chen Mo wasn't doing it for the Yang family.

He simply wanted to confront Chen Jianli.

But he did comply with the Yang family's request, letting Chen Jianli extort them for a long time, gradually increasing the amount from small sums to substantial demands.

This eventually became the last straw when Chen Jianli fled after injuring someone during a robbery, leading to a much longer prison sentence for extortion.

This time, however,

Chen Mo offered, "No need to involve the Yang family. I'll give you the money."

"You'll give me money?" Chen Jianli spat, clearly disbelieving. "You're not even eighteen. How much allowance can the Yangs give you?"

Chen Mo named a sum, and when Chen Jianli's eyes lit up, he continued, "This money isn't free. There are two conditions. First, go to the Yang Corporation building and find someone named Yang Zhi. If he doesn't see you, make a scene. They won't hesitate to give you more hush money. Second, don't come looking for me again. If you insist on involving me, I'll show the transfer records to the police and invite you for tea. The case between the Chens and the Yangs will end up in court, and you know the outcome. Deal?"

Chen Jianli still seemed skeptical. "You're not siding with the Yangs? You're giving me money to extort them?"

"Don't put it so crudely," Chen Mo shrugged, the wind blowing his bangs, revealing an innocent face. "I'm just a high school student. What can I do? Today, I haven't seen you."

"Haven't seen you." Chen Jianli got the answer he wanted and laughed. "Right, haven't seen you."

In the sound of greed, Chen Mo looked up at the distant river.

The river surface looked calm and tranquil.

...

When Chen Mo emerged from the alley, he paused.

Several people rushed up to him.

"Damn it, Chen Mo! Where have you been? We thought you were kidnapped."

"Old Xi! We found him!"

"Over here!"

Chen Mo's gaze swept across the faces of his roommates surrounding him, then he looked up at the person walking towards them from ten meters away.

Chen Mo shook the water off his hands. "It's fine, I just went to the restroom."

"How unreasonable can you be? You ran so far just to use the restroom."

"We were going crazy looking for you, and you didn't even answer your phone."

Chen Mo was taken aback. "Sorry, my phone died."

As Chen Mo finished speaking, Xi Siyan had already approached.

"What happened to your hand?" he asked immediately.

Chen Mo looked down at his hand, nonchalant. "Oh, I touched something dirty."

Qi Lin and the others only then noticed that under Chen Mo's rolled-up sleeves, from elbow to fingertips, his skin was washed red as if he had scrubbed it raw. His pale skin showed faint signs of subcutaneous bleeding in some areas.

Qi Lin: "...If there's any more dirt, I'd start to doubt who has the OCD, you or Old Xi."

Xi Siyan remained silent.

He glanced indifferently at where Chen Mo had come from, then retracted his gaze. "Let's go."

"Let's go, let's go," Chen Mo called out to the others. "First, we'll go to the barbershop."

But as soon as he turned right out of the alley, someone pulled him around 180 degrees.

Xi Siyan spoke calmly, "We're going for acupuncture first."

"I want to get a haircut first." Chen Mo looked at the hand holding his wrist, suspicious. "Old Pang said the last acupuncture session would be unprecedentedly painful. Are you trying to take revenge on me?"

Xi Siyan followed his gaze, then naturally let go.

"What revenge? Revenge for wasting time?" Xi Siyan was cold and unfeeling. "Old Pang has a family gathering today and will leave the clinic by seven. You have to go, no excuses."

Caught in his attempt, Chen Mo gave up. "Fine, I'll go alone. It's the last time anyway."

Chen Mo really didn't want anyone to accompany him.

The clinic's techniques were indeed excellent, but Old Pang's needles got progressively harsher each time.

Though Chen Mo could endure it, he was drenched in cold sweat by the end of the last session. The old doctor himself said the final session would be twice as painful. Chen Mo didn't want to make a fool of himself.

But Xi Siyan glanced at him. "Just cry if you need to; no one's watching."

"Who the hell is going to cry!" Chen Mo snapped, irritated.

The others behind them overheard the exchange.

"Brother Mo, did you cry?"

"Huh? Why would I cry?"

"Old Xi, did you make him cry? Come on, it's just a restroom trip, no need to get worked up."

Chen Mo paused.

He pointed at a barbershop across the street, giving a cold laugh. "Why don't you guys go there first and have the barber fix your brains while he's at it."

The others: "..."

Sorry.

Goodbye.