Chapter 46

Chapter 46

Chen Mo finally couldn't bear it anymore and grabbed Xi Siyan's wrist, stepping closer to see his face clearly under the dim light. He was certain: "You're just drunk."

Xi Siyan didn't pull away, insisting, "No, I'm not."

"Bullshit." Chen Mo cursed, then instinctively lowered his voice, almost gritting his teeth: "Didn't you say you don't like guys? How did you manage to kiss me?"

Xi Siyan looked up: "That's because I've never liked anyone before; my self-awareness is incomplete."

"You..."

Chen Mo scoffed at this explanation but quickly realized there was another layer of meaning in those words, shocked: "Are you saying you like... me?"

Xi Siyan glanced at him: "What else? Do you think I kiss everyone when I drink?"

Chen Mo muttered speechlessly: "At a time like this, can't you be less sarcastic?"

He took a deep breath, feeling he needed a moment to compose himself.

Putting aside the soft touch he felt earlier, he recalled the past year, from strangers to friends, from when Xi Siyan became his desk partner and started tutoring him upon request. The more he thought about it, the more he believed Xi Siyan had lost his mind.

Though he had taken him to the hospital more than once.

He had found him a traditional Chinese doctor, accompanied him for treatment, let him sleep in his bed, brought him meals, gone shopping with him, and witnessed him in a fight.

But what did he see in him?

Did he like his habit of smoking with tea?

His speech under the national flag?

A half-disabled leg and starting from scratch?

Chen Mo confessed: "I was wrong; I shouldn't have been so careless with my words around you."

Saying he was gay, joking about not doing anything to his face in the shower, pretending to be pregnant with his child while gaming.

All these things made Chen Mo conclude that he was the reason Xi Siyan had gone astray.

Seeing Chen Mo still blaming himself even now, Xi Siyan clenched his jaw.

He was actually amused by it.

"You..."

"Wait, don't speak!"

Chen Mo suddenly covered Xi Siyan's mouth and pushed him into the dark corner of the hallway.

He waited until the few people who were negotiating outside went back in from the other side, then sighed in relief. Realizing he hadn't yet removed his hand, he stepped back quickly.

Chen Mo thought for a moment and said directly: "Let's pretend this conversation never happened."

"Can you really pretend nothing happened?" Xi Siyan raised an eyebrow.

Chen Mo was about to say that a kiss didn't mean much, that he wasn't naive enough to think a kiss required responsibility or an explanation. In truth, he just needed a clear reason to redefine their relationship.

Before he could finish, Qi Lin noticed they hadn't come back inside and came out to look for them.

"Did you two have a fight?" Qi Lin asked Xi Siyan quietly as they walked together.

Xi Siyan glanced at him, "Why do you say that?"

"I just feel something's off," Qi Lin said, looking at Chen Mo, who had rejoined Lao Gou and the others. "And when I called him earlier, he ignored me. What's going on tonight, anyway? Was Chen Mo's past really that..."

Qi Lin didn't finish his sentence.

Xi Siyan had already returned to his usual calm demeanor, with one hand in his pocket, and nodded, confirming the rumor.

Qi Lin cursed under his breath.

The gathering ended hours earlier than expected that night.

Chen Mo's phone had already been turned off after receiving several calls from unknown numbers.

He didn't return to school either.

"Go in," Xi Siyan said, pushing open the door to the top-floor suite of the luxury hotel, turning back to Chen Mo behind him.

Chen Mo stood hesitantly at the door: "I can find somewhere else to stay."

"Where?" Xi Siyan didn't take his words seriously, leaning against the door: "You won't go back to the Yang family anytime soon, and you should take a couple of days off from school. This room is reserved by the Xi family here all year round. You can check in with your ID. Stay here and wait for things to settle down."

Chen Mo hesitated for a moment. If it weren't for the impulsive incident at the bar, he might have felt more at ease. But he couldn't be as carefree as before, and he still had reservations.

Xi Siyan looked at him for a moment, "Afraid of me?"

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Chen Mo rolled his eyes, "I just feel like I led you astray."

Xi Siyan placed his hand on the back of Chen Mo's neck and pulled him into the room.

Closing the door, he calmly said: "Then you overestimate yourself. If I don't like someone, no amount of begging will change my mind."

Chen Mo believed this.

He asked: "Can't you like someone else?"

"No," Xi Siyan looked at him, "Even though the cards are on the table, you don't need to worry about me doing anything to you. So, stop saying such things."

Chen Mo was puzzled. "Why didn't I realize you were so difficult before?"

You're impervious to reason and won't even let me speak.

Xi Siyan ignored this complaint.

After circling the suite and confirming there were no issues, he took the room card and said, "Rest here first; I'll go buy some food."

Chen Mo stopped resisting staying here.

After all, he wouldn't be returning to school in the next few days, and he couldn't stay at a proper hotel outside, risking reporters finding him.

Since he didn't use the internet, watch TV, or read newspapers, Chen Mo hadn't been affected by the recent exposure.

When Xi Siyan returned with dinner, Chen Mo had already taken a short nap on the sofa.

He mumbled, half-asleep, when he felt someone cover him with a thin blanket, "Ada, please close the door when you leave."

"Who is Ada?" The deep male voice startled Chen Mo awake.

He had just thought he was living in his past life, where Ada was his secretary and assistant, often coming and going from his home.

But when he opened his eyes and saw Xi Siyan's face up close, he hastily explained, "Ada... was a village cat from my hometown that I used to take care of."

Xi Siyan stepped back, chuckling. "Your cat is quite sophisticated, not only having an English name but also closing doors for you. Quite smart."

However, Xi Siyan didn't press further, saying, "If you're awake, come eat something."

Chen Mo then noticed that Xi Siyan had turned off the main lights in the suite's living room, leaving only a few small yellow nightlights, casting a hazy glow over everything.

Xi Siyan didn't move far away, instead sitting on the floor in front of the sofa where Chen Mo had been sleeping.

Chen Mo watched him open the packaging and asked, "What did you buy?"

"Xiaomi porridge and a few side dishes. It's late, so we should eat something simple."

Chen Mo turned on his side but didn't get up immediately.

With his head resting on his hand, he scrutinized Xi Siyan's appearance under the dim light.

In truth, the seventeen-year-old Xi Siyan wasn't much different from the twenty-seven-year-old Xi Siyan, perhaps with slightly sharper features and a deeper aura.

There might have been other changes, but Chen Mo didn't know, as they weren't very familiar in his previous life.

So when they sat and lay together in the quiet of the night, despite their intimate contact earlier, Chen Mo found it somewhat miraculous that he didn't feel awkward.

Why?

Chen Mo asked himself.

Ultimately, he concluded that his trust in the class monitor exceeded his expectations.

At least subconsciously, he felt this person was safe and reliable, more so than the Yang family, and even more so than Lao Gou, who had been his friend for years in his previous life.

This was a dangerous signal.

For Chen Mo, who had made many choices based on intuition over the years, this was not a good sign.

Relying on anything meant weakness.

The old Chen Mo didn't have the luxury, and the current Chen Mo still held this belief deep down.

"Am I good-looking?" Xi Siyan asked.

Without turning around, he knew Chen Mo had been staring at him.

Chen Mo was honest: "Yes, you are."

"How good-looking?" This time, Xi Siyan turned around.

Chen Mo remained lying on his side, his gaze tracing Xi Siyan's eyes, straight nose, and attractive lips, and said, "Good-looking enough that it's a well-known fact."

Xi Siyan leaned closer, his hand on the sofa, looking directly back, his lowered voice almost hypnotic. "Since I'm good-looking, why don't you keep looking?"

"Class Monitor," Chen Mo glanced at his lips. "Are you considering that your target is still a minor in school?"

Xi Siyan's gaze swept over Chen Mo's exposed collarbone, his lean waist revealed after pulling back the blanket, and his long legs, finally returning to his face.

"Who's seducing whom?" He asked.

Chen Mo suddenly reached out, hooking Xi Siyan's neck, using the leverage to sit up.

Once he found a comfortable position on the sofa, Chen Mo mimicked Xi Siyan's earlier action of touching his earlobe, brushing against his earlobe, and smiled, moving closer. "Brother Yan, people tend to make mistakes at night. Besides, you've had alcohol tonight, so I won't take what you said seriously. But..." Chen Mo paused deliberately, wrapping his arms around Xi Siyan's shoulders, leaning in, and said, "Can you feel it? I don't mind telling anyone I'm gay, nor do I mind getting close to someone I like, but I won't date anyone. Not because I won't date early, but because I simply don't plan to date anyone."

Chen Mo quickly pulled back after speaking.

As if the Chen Mo who had just revealed his deepest thoughts never existed.

At that moment, Chen Mo didn't seem like a teenager. He was cruel, clear-headed, and cold, like those men in bars seeking one-night stands, who deny everything the next day.

Unfortunately, Chen Mo underestimated Xi Siyan.

None of the expected questioning or avoidance appeared.

Xi Siyan calmly handed him a spoon. "I didn't ask you to date me either."

Chen Mo couldn't follow this logic. "Then what do you mean?"

Xi Siyan raised an eyebrow. "Do I need a result just because I say I like you? Must it end in never seeing each other again or being together?"

Chen Mo asked, "So what exactly is going on between us now?"

Xi Siyan said, "It depends on how you define it."

Chen Mo: "A potential future fuck buddy with whom we're currently in an ambiguous relationship?"

Xi Siyan closed his eyes, clearly restraining himself.

"Stop provoking me," he warned.

Chen Mo: "How is this provoking you?"

Xi Siyan's gaze swept over Chen Mo from head to toe, almost stripping him bare. He said sternly, "The prerequisite for being fuck buddies is sexual attraction. Can you handle it?"

Chen Mo had spoken harshly, but it didn't make Xi Siyan back off. However, when it came to actual experience, Chen Mo had to admit that he had none.

In two lifetimes, he hadn't dated, engaged in one-night stands, or had any long-term fuck buddies.

In this life, he had been calm and restrained, with no need to release any emotions or stress. It was only now that he realized he hadn't even used his right hand once, and he had never thought about it before.

He subconsciously glanced down at his crotch.

Wondering if there was something wrong with him.

Xi Siyan noticed his action and said sternly, "What are you looking at?"

"I'm wondering if I've been drinking too much detox tea," Chen Mo blurted out without thinking. "After all, if I want to play, I need to confirm that I'm still functioning properly first."

Xi Siyan: "..."

After dinner, when Xi Siyan suggested leaving, the atmosphere in the room felt strangely tense.

Chen Mo checked the time and saw it was nearly midnight.

He said, "Stay here tonight. The sofa is big enough; you can sleep on it."

After their strange conversation, this invitation seemed somewhat transparent.

But Xi Siyan just looked at him and agreed directly, which made Chen Mo breathe a sigh of relief.

He thought they had completely ruined the conversation for good, possibly never speaking again.

It turned out that not only did Chen Mo, the "adult," have a habit of maintaining appearances; when Xi Siyan woke up the next morning, he acted as if nothing had happened last night, not mentioning anything they had discussed.

"Morning," Xi Siyan greeted Chen Mo after finishing his morning routine in the bathroom.

Chen Mo, still half-asleep, replied, "Morning."

Everything seemed normal.

However, by eight in the morning, Qi Lin and Lao Gou had arrived, bringing the latest developments.

Qi Lin: "I heard the Yang family has been busy with public relations. They must be in a frenzy. They're talking about reopening the lawsuit, but why didn't they do it earlier?"

Lao Gou: "I've already taken care of your school leave. Just follow Brother Yan's instructions, don't worry."

While brushing his teeth, Chen Mo instructed Lao Gou, "I ordered a laptop online. Remember to sign for it when it arrives."

"Sure thing," Lao Gou leaned against the door, watching him.

Curiously, he asked, "I thought you'd be tossing and turning all night, worrying. But you look so radiant, like something good happened."

"Something good?" Chen Mo subconsciously touched his face and looked down.

Was finally caring about his desires considered good news?

Chen Mo turned around.

Just in time to see Xi Siyan sitting at the computer, with Qi Lin on the armrest of the sofa beside him. Xi Siyan looked up, seemingly having heard the conversation.

Chen Mo naturally broke eye contact and replied to Lao Gou, "No good news. How could I be happy when someone exposed my secrets?"

Chen Mo held his newly turned-on phone in his hand.

The messages kept buzzing for a while.

Most were from the Yang family asking where he was.

There were also messages from classmates, old acquaintances, and neighbors.

Even the owner of the restaurant where Chen Mo had washed dishes in junior high sent him a message, saying, "Chen Mo, I'm sorry. I really didn't expect things to blow up like this. The Yang family must have been protecting you before. I'm truly sorry."

Chen Mo smiled sarcastically.

Protection? He replied, "Don't worry, it's fine."

Scrolling further, he found a message from Yang Shule.

It was even a voice message.

Chen Mo placed his phone on the sink and tapped it open, listening while brushing his teeth and looking at himself in the mirror.

Yang Shule: "Chen Mo, where are you? Do you know how frantic Mom and Dad are looking for you?"

The second message played automatically: "I always knew you were unhappy about the family withdrawing the lawsuit for my sake and the company's. Even if you have grievances, you should have discussed them with the family. Now that you've publicly revealed everything, have you considered the trouble it will cause?"

The third message: "Please respond soon. Everyone is waiting for you."

Lao Gou, furious, stepped forward to grab his phone and start yelling.

Chen Mo beat him to it, tapping open the voice message, but before even two seconds had passed, it was taken from him.

It was Xi Siyan, who had approached without anyone noticing.

He replied with two sentences:

"The evidence of you contacting journalists has been sent to your adoptive parents and your older brother."

"Send another message, and don’t blame me for being ruthless."