Chapter 50

Chapter 50

The house was definitely not rented in the end; Xi Siyan didn't even let the door be opened.

Chen Mo's impression of the environment had significantly diminished due to the sudden appearance of the man, so he agreed to Xi Siyan's request and told the person who had been looking for houses that he wasn't interested.

Two days later, a house was finalized.

Xi Siyan had someone help find it.

It was closer to the school, just five hundred meters away.

It was an old neighborhood with stairway apartments, but the community had excellent greenery and was known for its hard-to-find school district housing near No.1 High School. Most residents were students from No.1 High School and their parents who accompanied them.

"Where did you get this listing? I thought all the available rentals here were booked years in advance," Chen Mo said as he followed Xi Siyan around the house at noon.

The direct sunlight evenly filled the small two-bedroom apartment.

It was evident that the interior had been newly renovated within the past two years, featuring a warm family style with solid wood furniture and complete facilities.

Xi Siyan: "This house was prepared by an elderly couple for their grandson. The whole family emigrated two years ago, but the elderly wanted to keep it for when they return, fearing that renting it out would damage it beyond recognition."

"How did you convince them?" Chen Mo asked, pushing open the bathroom door and then moving towards the bedroom.

Xi Siyan followed behind him, "The husband passed away last week, and his wife decided to sell the house and live abroad permanently."

Chen Mo paused, his hand on the bedroom door.

He turned back, "Passed away?"

"Mm." Xi Siyan stepped forward and pushed the door open for him, "The old man was over eighty, considered a long life. This house has never been lived in. Take a look and let me know if there are any issues."

His sudden closeness made Chen Mo instinctively step back.

But he stopped himself, making the movement less obvious, which led to them being too close. Chen Mo's ear was brushed by Xi Siyan's rolled-up sleeve, causing him to scratch it unconsciously.

Damn.

His heart thumped loudly, so much so that he could hear it himself.

"What's wrong?" Xi Siyan asked, not hearing a response.

Chen Mo turned and took a few steps forward, "Nothing." He explained, "I just feel a bit sorry for them, given how much effort they put into the renovation."

The bedroom Chen Mo pushed open was the larger one in the apartment.

It was likely intended for the grandson from the start.

Compared to the clean and tidy living room, this bedroom had a different style, featuring modern tech desks and chairs, basketball posters on the walls, and a deep blue color scheme, all fitting the tastes of a teenage boy.

Xi Siyan glanced around and said, "If you don't like it, we can change it."

Chen Mo finally realized what had been bothering him.

Frowning, he turned back, "You said the elderly couple was selling the house, right? Then why did you tell me it was for rent, and the rent isn't even that high?"

Xi Siyan looked at him before saying, "Taking advantage of my classmate. I'm not that desperate for money."

Chen Mo understood his implication and was shocked, "… You bought it? In your name, really bought it?"

"Mm, so as your new landlord, I won't take advantage of you. Stay here with peace of mind."

Chen Mo was speechless, hesitating for a moment, "Thank you."

Xi Siyan crossed his arms and looked at him.

Chen Mo added, "What I mean is, you're not short on money; you have more than enough."

Chen Mo didn't pretend nothing happened and knew that Xi Siyan wouldn't buy a house without reason.

According to Chen Mo's understanding, the prices here were ridiculously high, even higher than those in the city center. Although Xi Siyan traveled in a Maybach and came from a top-tier background, before being recommended, Chen Mo only saw him as a student with above-average intelligence. Yet, within two days, he made such a significant move.

While Chen Mo wasn't short on money now, he was far from buying a school district house outright.

Especially since Xi Siyan was only slightly older than him, Chen Mo felt that the gap between them was more than just a chasm after leaving the Yang family.

Seeing Chen Mo silent for a while, Xi Siyan gradually frowned, admitting he hadn't thought it through.

He said, "Don't think too much about it. The Xi family has many properties across the country, and they don't lack this one. Besides, this house is under my name, and even if I didn't rent it to you, it would still appreciate in value."

Chen Mo shook his head, signaling him not to explain further.

Xi Siyan continued, "I thought renting was unsafe, and most landlords would nitpick. Rather than letting it distract you from your studies, helping you settle down permanently isn't difficult for me. If you feel uncomfortable…"

"Stop!" Chen Mo finally raised his hand to interrupt. He found it amusing, looking at Xi Siyan and saying, "I've never seen you talk so much."

"Not angry?" Xi Siyan asked.

Chen Mo laughed, "Why would I be angry?"

Though he had been poor, he wouldn't easily feel hurt in his pride.

While he didn't have much financial resilience now, his mindset remained stable. Plus, the vacant houses he bought in his previous life weren't necessarily cheaper than this one.

What startled him was Xi Siyan's actions and the underlying attitude behind them.

Was a simple "like" worth all this?

Chen Mo walked to the doorway, stepping through the interplay of light and shadow in the bedroom, stopping in front of Xi Siyan.

"Class monitor." Chen Mo called out.

Xi Siyan’s eyes were unreadable. "This isn’t school; don’t call me that."

"How about Brother Yan?" Chen Mo changed his address.

Xi Siyan leaned against the door frame, not responding, just looking at him.

Chen Mo: "Do you always chase people like this?"

Xi Siyan shook his head. "This isn’t chasing someone; it’s just what I want. And I’ve never chased anyone before."

Chen Mo was stumped but took another step forward, their shoes now touching.

Chen Mo moved closer, carefully observing Xi Siyan’s magnified features, marveling at how flawless his face was. Seventeen-year-old Xi Siyan showed no signs of worldliness or depth.

"Chen Mo." Xi Siyan called him in a low voice.

"What?"

Xi Siyan warned, "Don’t come any closer."

Chen Mo had changed a lot recently.

In Xi Siyan’s view, these changes were delightful.

He had cut his hair short in the summer, revealing a face free from laziness, making him look vibrant and energetic. When he wasn’t being aggressive or noisy, he looked younger. This Chen Mo, walking out of the Yang family alone and standing in this small house filled with sunlight, made Xi Siyan feel as if he had finally found his place.

If Chen Mo had grown up in an ordinary family, without wealth or fame, just normally, he would have been like this.

Everything seemed just right.

It was easy to overlook the thorns he had walked through, which could leave one scarred all over.

But Xi Siyan remembered.

So his warning wasn’t without reason; he hoped Chen Mo wouldn’t go too far.

Because the one who couldn’t resist first would be himself.

But Chen Mo didn’t take it seriously, or rather, he didn’t care much about ethics or age boundaries. Chen Mo’s emotional world was blank. His realization of his sexual orientation came from discovering he felt nothing for the opposite sex during social events, leading him to self-discovery.

He publicly declared his orientation simply because the timing was right, and he didn’t care much about societal views or others’ reactions.

But Xi Siyan’s presence and his outward emotions in this space outside school, where only the two of them were present, on a perfect weather day, sparked some curiosity in him.

He genuinely wondered, "When did you realize you liked guys?"

Xi Siyan leaned back, pushing the door fully against the wall, making a sound. It felt absurdly self-inflicted, "I told you, I didn’t know whether I liked men or women before."

Chen Mo laughed at their stance.

"So, how does it work between two guys?" Chen Mo asked straightforwardly.

Xi Siyan suddenly looked at him, "Don’t tell me someone who constantly mentions being gay doesn’t know what happens between two guys?"

"I do know," Chen Mo stepped back, "I’ve seen everything. What I mean is the feeling, the sensation between two men... forget it, asking you is pointless."

Chen Mo had already decided to rent this place.

The conversation ended there, and he went to the kitchen to get a broom to clean up.

But he hadn’t taken two steps when he was pulled back.

"What’s wrong?" Chen Mo turned around.

Xi Siyan stared at him, "Didn’t you ask about the feeling?"

"You know?"

"No, so let’s try." Xi Siyan said, "If you don’t want a relationship, we won’t. Whatever you want to know, start here."

Chen Mo suddenly felt a deep sense of guilt.

At least psychologically, he was an adult, but the other was a genuine teenager. His first love, of the same gender, and a man who asked about feelings while saying he wouldn’t date...

Saying no, not trying, seemed even worse.

Chen Mo found himself in a dilemma, entangling their relationship in a subtle way.

The next day, Chen Mo returned to school and moved out of the dormitory directly.

That night at eleven o'clock.

Chen Mo was in his bedroom telling Su Qianran about his new place when he heard knocking at the door.

Chen Mo thought Xi Siyan had forgotten his key and got up to open it.

Xi Siyan had helped move the dormitory, and his things were temporarily stored here. He was staying in the room next door and had gone out to buy something.

"How come you’re taking so..."

Before Chen Mo could finish, he was drowned out by shouts of "Surprise!" "Surprised, Brother Mo?" "We climbed the wall to celebrate your freedom!" The voices were mainly from the boys in the dormitory, Lao Gou, and a couple of other classmates who lived off-campus and were familiar with him.

They brought plenty of food, drinks, and entertainment.

Chen Mo was stunned for a moment, still in his pajamas, "Come in."

"How could you react like this?" Qi Lin put his arm around Chen Mo's neck and looked around as he entered the room. "This place is nice. You're not surprised to see us. Are you hiding someone?"

Lao Gou punched him. "Hiding your sister! If Chen Mo were hiding anyone, it would be me."

As soon as he said that,

the door was pushed open again.

Everyone in the room stared at the person who walked in carrying plastic bags and opened the door themselves.

The room fell silent.

"Class Monitor?!"

"Aren't you supposed to have moved back home?"

"You actually have Chen Mo's house key!"

Lao Gou reacted the most, jumping and wrapping his arm around Chen Mo's neck angrily. "MoMo, I'm no longer your only one! You even gave away the house key."

Xi Siyan was only stunned for a brief moment.

He casually placed the bag by the entrance, came in, and changed his shoes.

While taking off his watch, he said, "I'm temporarily staying here. Did Lao Xiang know you guys ran out like this?"

An oppressive feeling instantly filled the air.

"Spare us, Class Monitor!"

"We surrender, please pretend you didn't see anything!"

"Brother Mo, save us!"

Chen Mo and Xi Siyan exchanged a glance.

They guiltily looked away.

Even though Xi Siyan hadn't said anything wrong, the shame of being caught red-handed was damn infuriating.