Chapter 53

Chapter 53

The event that Chen Mo unilaterally summed up as an argument didn't last long. The end of the second year of high school coincided with July, when the entire Sui City felt like it was trapped in a steamer, scorching under the sun, making people feel uneasy.

Although Chen Mo claimed he had severed ties with the Yang family,

as soon as summer vacation began, he received several packages from them. Perhaps it was out of a sense of compensation or a desire to reconcile. On the morning Chen Mo arranged for the courier to return the items, Yang Zhi unexpectedly called him.

At that moment, Chen Mo was hesitating whether to send a message to Xi Siyan.

After that day, they weren't completely avoiding each other, but Chen Mo always felt something was off.

He typed on his phone:

"Your things are still here..."

Then deleted it. It sounded not just callous, but like kicking someone while they were down.

He tried again:

"Have you chosen your school yet?"

Deleted again. Too direct.

"What are your plans for this holiday?"

Should he send it?

Just as Chen Mo was struggling, Yang Zhi's call came in.

After leaving the Yang family, Chen Mo hadn't changed his number. After all, his decision to leave was based solely on his own needs. To prevent the Yang family from finding out about his whereabouts, he would have had to live deep in the mountains.

But he had deleted all related contacts and initially thought it was a delivery call.

He answered: "Hello, has the package not arrived yet?"

There was a two-second silence on the other end.

"Chen Mo, are you really set on this?"

"Yang Zhi," Chen Mo's face turned cold, not even calling him 'big brother,' and said, "I think I made myself clear that day. We settled the accounts. Do you need something?"

The phone speaker transmitted two deep breaths before Yang Zhi's voice, calm as ever, spoke words that Chen Mo found somewhat nonsensical.

"I'm officially becoming the general manager of the Yang Group next week."

Chen Mo: "Congratulations?"

Yang Zhi: "Mom and Dad decided to send Shule abroad after he finishes high school."

Chen Mo: "Oh, I don't care about his plans."

Yang Zhi: "Chen Jianli was sentenced to three years, and Li Yunru got six years and eight months."

Chen Mo sat on the sofa, silent.

It was ten in the morning.

The sun hadn't reached its zenith, and the indoor temperature was twenty-eight degrees. Sunlight slanted through the glass windows into the living room, allowing Chen Mo to see tiny dust particles floating in the air.

It felt like an old dream, carrying the rumbling sound of memories, sweeping over him.

In his previous life, Li Yunru hadn't gone to prison, and when Chen Mo sent Chen Jianli to jail, it was because he had committed a major crime and was sentenced to life.

Two different outcomes, but the same feeling.

After all, he no longer cared.

If his past life was about retribution coming too late, this life was his decision to let go.

Sitting on the sofa, with a cup of cooled water beside him, Chen Mo took a sip before responding to Yang Zhi: "Got it. Anything else?"

Yang Zhi was silent for a moment.

After a few seconds, "How have you been? Recently."

"Not bad." Chen Mo added, "If you want to chat, there's no need."

Yang Zhi: "Chen Mo... can't you tolerate any mistakes?"

Chen Mo instantly gripped his phone tighter.

And laughed, his voice low: "Yes, I can't."

Then he hung up.

He felt annoyed.

Not for anything else, but because he knew Yang Zhi had always been above everyone, fundamentally selfish. That's why in his past life, Chen Mo had the chance to be on equal footing with him, and eventually, when Chen Mo died unexpectedly, his company likely couldn't survive either.

Chen Mo was angry because even after leaving, he still had to endure the mental torment from this rich kid.

It disgusted him.

He finished the water in one gulp.

Getting up from the sofa, he walked around the house.

A pack of cigarettes wedged in the windowsill caught his eye, left behind by Lao Gou and the others during their late-night hotpot session. He couldn't remember who had smoked them.

Chen Mo's sharp eyes caught sight of something, and his craving for a cigarette kicked in.

He could handle not smoking, and indeed, he hadn't touched a cigarette for a long time. But whenever he felt down, he would habitually reach for one to calm himself. This was a lingering addiction from his past life, hard to shake off.

Without hesitation, he pulled out a pack of cigarettes. Looking around, he couldn't find a lighter, so he went to the kitchen to light it with the gas stove.

He took a drag.

It had been too long since he last smoked, and it made him feel a bit dizzy. He coughed, just as his phone beeped with a notification.

The screen still showed the chat with Xi Siyan.

Their last conversation was actually yesterday, when Xi Siyan asked Chen Mo to bring in the T-shirt hanging on the balcony. After Chen Mo replied with an "OK," there was no further exchange.

Now, looking at it, the conversation seemed particularly stiff.

Chen Mo frowned, thinking that relationships were indeed troublesome. Even a small matter could leave one feeling unsettled. If this was how things were now, who knew what would happen if something serious occurred.

Not knowing what else to say, Chen Mo exited the chat and replied to Su Qianran's message.

Su Qianran had asked about the project involving Old K.

Chen Mo briefly explained what he knew, covering the essentials.

Suddenly, Chen Mo asked Su Qianran, "Why haven't you dumped Yang Zhi yet?"

Su Qianran: "...What did he do to you?"

Chen Mo took the cigarette out of his mouth, tapped the ash into the trash can, and typed, "He didn't do anything to me; I just find him annoying. A relationship based on mutual benefit won't bring happiness. Don't jump into that pit."

Su Qianran sent him several exasperated emoji stickers.

Then she said, "Little brother, breaking up isn't as easy as you think. But you seem to have some experience? Are you dating someone?"

Chen Mo paused.

He replied with a "No" and ended the conversation.

Chen Mo came out of the kitchen with a cigarette between his lips, heading to the dining table to tidy up the waste paper he had packed for the courier.

Just then, he heard the sound of keys turning in the front door lock.

Chen Mo looked up.

And there he was, face-to-face with Xi Siyan entering the door.

Chen Mo watched as Xi Siyan's expression darkened instantly.

After all, Xi Siyan saw Chen Mo wearing slippers, shorts, and a white shirt, with messy hair from waking up early, a cigarette in his mouth, and a pile of garbage on the table.

That image wasn't exactly debauched, but it certainly looked unkempt.

Chen Mo felt a bit self-conscious, especially compared to Xi Siyan's neat and clean appearance. The contrast highlighted his holiday-induced slovenliness.

Feeling awkward, Chen Mo blurted out, "Why are you here??"

"Can't I come?" Xi Siyan entered, taking off his shoes.

He stepped forward, reached out to take the cigarette from Chen Mo's mouth, and stared at him. "Smoking again."

His tone was calm, but Chen Mo felt inexplicably guilty.

He tried to take the cigarette back, but Xi Siyan moved his hand away, using his other hand to grip Chen Mo's chin, pushing him back slightly.

"Did you buy these yourself?" Xi Siyan asked.

Chen Mo admitted, "No, really. They were left over from the last gathering. I don't know who left them here."

A few minutes later.

In the group chat with over a dozen people created by Lao Gou, Xi Siyan suddenly posted: "From now on, wherever Chen Mo is, if anyone smokes, I'll buy ten packs and smoke them all at once."

The group responded with a series of ellipsis marks.

Chen Mo also sent a "..." emoji.

Lao Gou: "What are you two doing? Brother Yan, your method of quitting smoking is just like Lao Xiang's freakish approach."

Jiang Xu: "Chen Mo, did you upset Old Xi again? He has OCD. Not hitting you after you smoked in his face is already merciful."

Bai Cheng: "Are you two making up?"

Xi Siyan: "When did we fight?"

Seeing this message in the group, Chen Mo looked at Xi Siyan coming out of the bathroom.

"Weren't we in a cold war?" Chen Mo asked.

Xi Siyan glanced at him, "You sent me a message to test me for five minutes and then went silent. Is that how you conduct a cold war?"

Chen Mo froze, "You saw it?"

Xi Siyan nodded.

Chen Mo ran his hand through his hair, abandoning the topic.

Then he suddenly thought of something and looked at Xi Siyan, saying, "Did you come here because you saw me preparing to send you a message?"

"I'm here to move some things," Xi Siyan stood behind the sofa. "Staff will be arriving soon."

Chen Mo realized then that Xi Siyan wasn’t joking.

He immediately got up from the sofa, knelt on it, and grabbed Xi Siyan’s sleeve. "Alright, I apologize for what happened that day. I admit, I spoke without thinking in a moment of impulsiveness. Please don’t move out; you know I didn’t mean it."

Xi Siyan raised an eyebrow. "Are you begging me?"

"Yes, I’m begging you." Once he started, it seemed easier to continue. Chen Mo analyzed, "I’m a coward, thinking that choosing a school is crucial for my future. But if I think about it carefully, why not just give it a try? If you dare, why should I be afraid? At worst, we’ll grow old separately..."

"Shut up." Xi Siyan interrupted him.

At the same time, he reached out and wrapped his arm around Chen Mo’s waist, tilting his head to kiss him.

Chen Mo’s position made him completely unsteady.

He stumbled forward, half of his body falling onto Xi Siyan over the sofa, unable to struggle even with his hands raised.

Xi Siyan’s kiss was initially sudden but soon turned into a long, sweet embrace.

Softly, gently, cautiously, and solemnly.

Chen Mo finally found his balance, wrapping his hands around Xi Siyan’s neck. Young bodies ignite easily, and soon the air around them grew tense.

Chen Mo took the initiative, only remembering when he was pressed onto the sofa.

"Aren’t you expecting someone to come over later?"

Xi Siyan slightly pulled back during a break, smoothing Chen Mo’s hair to reveal his smooth forehead, kissing it lightly. He remained calm. "I lied. You’re such a fool."

"Xi Siyan!" Chen Mo angrily tried to get up. "You bastard!"

But he got stuck halfway.

Because Xi Siyan’s hand slid down from the top of his head, grabbing Chen Mo’s hair, forcing him to tilt his head back.

His upper body, which had risen, was held in place by Xi Siyan’s other hand.

Xi Siyan, kneeling on one knee on the sofa, kissed him again.

This position made Chen Mo even more uncomfortable.

His elongated neck struggled to move, unable to push away, he could only mumble, "Xi Siyan."

Xi Siyan responded with a hum but kissed him deeper.