Chapter 55

Chapter 55

Xi Siyan dropped this bombshell, leaving everyone stunned. Chen Mo had originally thought that when these people came to their senses, he would face some questioning or probing.

In fact, apart from Lao Gou cursing him out, no one seemed overly surprised.

And Lao Gou's insults were refreshingly unique.

He even accused him of being insincere.

With a sarcastic tone: "I remember someone telling me, 'Just because I'm gay, does it mean I have to date a guy?' I really thought you were different. How mundane."

Chen Mo was annoyed by him, "Get lost."

"Seriously," Lao Gou ignored him, "how does it feel?"

"How does what feel?" Chen Mo asked, confused.

"How does dating the class president feel?"

"Haven't started yet, just said we'd try."

"You're such a player, Mo Mo."

Chen Mo was exasperated, "Can you please go away?"

"Nope."

Chen Mo had already finished his shower and come out.

The rain outside showed no signs of letting up. He sat cross-legged on the sofa, bantering with Lao Gou while Xi Siyan was in the room making a call.

Chen Mo checked the group chat again and found that the topic had veered off somewhere else entirely.

Chen Mo was a bit surprised and asked Lao Gou, "Didn't you guys have any other reactions to the news?"

"What kind of reactions?" Lao Gou asked instinctively. But he quickly understood Chen Mo's point and, with a serious tone, said, "Jokes aside, but everyone has treated you like a brother this year. You know how the class president is; he seems the same to everyone, but there are very few people he truly opens up to. Social status creates distance, that's reality. He treats you differently, and we're not blind. Maybe at first, no one dared to think about this possibility, but since he admitted it himself, I guess others feel like everything makes sense now. Besides, whether you two are dating or break up, it doesn't change the fact that we're all friends, right?"

Chen Mo was silent for a moment before saying, "Don't jinx it."

Chen Mo responded casually to Lao Gou, but deep down, he was touched by his words.

People say that friendships among young people are the simplest and most precious.

Chen Mo thought that this time, he truly experienced it.

But Lao Gou reverted to his unserious self, saying, "I'm not wishing bad luck on you. Being with someone like Xi God comes with a price."

"What kind of person is Xi Siyan?" Chen Mo asked.

Lao Gou hesitated for a moment, "Well... didn't we say it before? Someone who seems born with a halo, destined to be on a different level than us common folk."

Chen Mo smirked, "I, Chen Mo, made my choice. I don't care who he is."

Lao Gou: "Got it, true love. Don't talk! If you do, I'll take it as your defense, hypocritical man."

Here we go again.

Lao Gou couldn't let go of the fact that he had been kept in the dark.

At this moment, Xi Siyan came out of the room, "What are you talking about?"

"Just chatting," Chen Mo stopped bantering with Lao Gou and turned to ask, "Who called?"

"Qi Lin."

When Qi Lin was mentioned, Chen Mo remembered that he hadn't appeared in the group chat earlier.

He usually loves to stir things up, so this was unusual.

Chen Mo asked, "What did he want?"

Xi Siyan rubbed his temples and frowned, "Had an argument with his family. Said he's going to find his girlfriend."

Chen Mo slowly opened his mouth, "Huh?"

Xi Siyan looked at him.

Chen Mo hesitated, "It's pouring outside, isn't the traffic paralyzed? How can he go anywhere?"

"He's almost an adult, not eight. It's ridiculous if he needs others to worry about such things." Xi Siyan concluded, "But his emotional state is terrible. I have a feeling he chose a bad time."

Chen Mo looked at him, "Is it really okay to be so harsh? When someone feels down, seeking comfort from a girlfriend is normal."

Qi Lin didn't show up for the next couple of days.

The day Sui City's weather cleared up coincided with Liao Tingting's celebration of her new relationship, announcing it to the entire second-generation circle in Sui City, inviting many people.

Back then, Sun Xiaoya fought with Yang Shule quite a bit over her.

As the central figure in this complex relationship, and someone Liao Tingting had long harbored feelings for, Xi Siyan was specially invited.

Regardless of whether the girl wanted to move on or show off in front of her old flame, she at least appeared gracious. Xi Siyan declined, which was his usual decision. Unexpectedly, Sun Xiaoya invited Chen Mo to the dinner party, which turned out to be this celebration, and Chen Mo agreed.

He only realized it upon arriving.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner??" Chen Mo appeared in a black hoodie and jeans, looking around at the well-dressed crowd, and said to Sun Xiaoya, "I thought it was a class reunion. I don't know many people here. Why invite me?"

This was a high-end restaurant.

He was eating premium steak.

Apart from Sun Xiaoya, Chen Mo recognized a few faces, all of them rich second-generation heirs from Sui City.

Sun Xiaoya rolled her eyes, grabbed his arm to stop him, and said, "Aren't you also a rich heir? Come on, it's Xi Siyan's loss for not showing up. Tingting's current boyfriend is someone her family introduced her to. He's filthy rich and pretty... handsome, I guess. They might get engaged in a year or two, and then it won't have anything to do with Xi Siyan!"

Chen Mo couldn't break free from her grip and couldn't tell Sun Xiaoya that he had no connection with the Yang family.

So he followed her into the main hall.

There were indeed many people, all young.

Chen Mo had never met Liao Tingting in person. When Sun Xiaoya dragged him over, he couldn't help but admit that she was indeed very beautiful.

She had long hair down to her waist, fair skin, and the gentle demeanor of a wealthy heiress.

Sun Xiaoya introduced them, "Chen Mo, he's in the same class as Xi Siyan and me. Liao Tingting, my friend. You must have heard of her, Chen Mo."

Chen Mo nodded in greeting, and the other person smiled slightly.

The man standing next to Liao Tingting suddenly spoke, "Chen Mo? Are you the Chen Mo from the Yang family?"

Chen Mo looked over.

The man was in his early twenties, reasonably good-looking, with slicked-back hair, giving off an air of forced seriousness. Based on Chen Mo's intuition from both lifetimes, he didn't like this guy.

Sure enough, before Chen Mo could speak, the man smiled meaningfully and said, "I've met your elder brother. I also know another little brother from your family, right? His name is Shule, isn't it? I heard the Yang family has been going through a rough patch lately. It's impressive that you can remain unaffected during such times."

This was clearly a veiled criticism of Chen Mo causing chaos within the Yang family and then distancing himself from it.

Liao Tingting's expression changed, and she tugged at her boyfriend's sleeve, "Qin Kai."

So his name was Qin Kai.

The Qin family had some status in Sui City, comparable to the Xi family. But Chen Mo couldn't recall which specific person Qin Kai was, as he hadn't played any significant role in the later rise of Sui City's second-generation heirs.

Chen Mo smiled at Liao Tingting, indicating it was fine, then turned to Qin Kai and responded, "Is that so? I don't believe in hearsay. My grandfather often mentions that the Qin family is run by women, and every leader has been a remarkable figure. I assume you're referring to Miss Qin Shuhua, the current board member?"

Indeed, Qin Kai's face changed immediately.

Chen Mo rarely interacted with the so-called second-generation circle; that was Yang Shule's domain in his previous life. But this didn't mean Chen Mo knew nothing. On the contrary, during his years with the Yang family, he had done extensive research.

Qin Kai's sister wasn't his full sibling and was around forty years old.

Qin Kai was likely an illegitimate son of Qin's father.

But he was raised under the name of the original wife, claiming he was a late child.

These were private matters of the wealthy, and Chen Mo wasn't entirely sure.

His slight probing confirmed his suspicions.

Even if Sun Xiaoya was straightforward, she should have noticed the tension.

She pulled Chen Mo aside and said, "Let's go over there."

But Qin Kai felt humiliated and didn't want to let it go.

He suddenly raised his hand and called out, "Everyone!"

People gathered around to look.

Qin Kai stepped forward, put his hand on Chen Mo's neck, and said, "This is the second son of the Yang family! Everyone, come meet him. You must have heard about the Yang family, right? Chen Mo has been in Sui City for a year now, and we've never seen him at our gatherings. Clearly, we haven't been welcoming enough. I'll accept all the blessings today, and now, let's raise a toast to Chen Mo's joining us!"

His call received unanimous agreement.

Chen Mo remained expressionless, "I don't drink."

"How ungrateful, Young Master Mo," Qin Kai sneered.

Liao Tingting's face paled.

Sun Xiaoya didn't expect things to turn out this way but remembered she had invited Chen Mo. She said, "Qin Kai, Chen Mo really doesn't drink. He has stomach problems, and even at our class parties, he doesn't drink."

"Oh," Qin Kai drawled, "stomach problems, how pitiful. Then he should drink more; it's called fighting fire with fire. Once he builds up his tolerance, ten glasses won't be a problem, so what's one glass?"

"One glass indeed isn't much."

Chen Mo removed the man's hand, brushing his shoulder as if in disgust.

He looked up, "But I've been living healthily for too long, and it's become a habit."

"Habit of what?" Qin Kai frowned, asking.

Chen Mo replied, "Habit of not associating with trash."

Chen Mo didn't want to ruin the atmosphere, especially on such an occasion.

But Qin Kai seemed to target him from the start for some reason.

He quickly revealed his motive, enraged, saying, "Chen Mo! You, who grew up in the countryside, pushed Yang Shule to the brink of exile just because of a bit of blood relation. Do you think you're born superior? Let me tell you, it's all fate."

No one spoke in the room.

No one echoed his words.

Anyone with ears could hear how absurd Qin Kai's statement was.

But Chen Mo understood completely.

Qin Kai must have projected his own illegitimate son identity onto Yang Shule.

He empathized with him, pitied him, and deep down, he felt that Chen Mo should never have been found, and even if found, should not dare to struggle. Because in their mindset, once they possess something, it is rightfully theirs, and if they lose it, it is taken by someone who shouldn't have it.

Qin Kai still didn't stop there.

Staring at Chen Mo with a false smile: "Just a joke, don't take it seriously. How about this, drink this glass, and consider it a celebration for me and Tingting today."

As he spoke, he fetched a large glass of red wine from the side.

Chen Mo looked at Liao Tingting's desperate pleading gaze and thought of Su Qianran. One was pure white, the other like a raging fire, but both were trapped by arranged marriages, unable to break free.

Chen Mo did not reach out to take it or pour it on Qin Kai's face directly.

"Drink it." Qin Kai pushed the glass forward again.

In the next moment, his hand was grabbed.

Chen Mo looked at the sudden arrival and was stunned. The newcomer firmly held Qin Kai's forearm, while the other hand reached over to take the glass, tilting it back to drain it in one go.

"You..." Qin Kai looked over angrily, his expression changing when he saw who it was, his mouth twitching: "Xi Siyan."

Compared to Qin Kai, who always gave off an oily vibe,

Xi Siyan appeared much fresher. His calm maturity came naturally, without any need for pretense. He also possessed the clean, clear aura of a young man.

The moment he appeared, Liao Tingting couldn't take her eyes off him.

And when Xi Siyan put down the glass, his congratulations were directed at the girl.

Liao Tingting's eyes instantly welled up, and Qin Kai's expression turned grim, though it was unclear whether he knew the details.

Xi Siyan was even more familiar in the second-generation circle.

His rare appearances did not mean he was unknown; on the contrary, his presence quickly drew the crowd away from Qin Kai and toward him.

Xi Siyan responded briefly: "I'm just here to pick someone up, I'll be leaving soon."

"Picking someone up? Sun Xiaoya?" someone guessed. After all, they had been close since childhood.

But Xi Siyan nodded toward another direction.

Everyone looked over and realized he meant Chen Mo.

The young man in a casual black hoodie stood out in this setting, seemingly pondering which drink to choose from the long table.

Someone commented: "Qin Kai must have lost his mind today, targeting him so aggressively."

"Chen Mo is unlucky, but he really is easy to bully. All he does is take a few jabs without retaliating."

Xi Siyan smiled.

"He's lucky," Xi Siyan said.

Others: "Ah? This is luck?"

Xi Siyan laughed coldly: "I mean Qin Kai is lucky."

The others were even more confused.

Xi Siyan's gaze on Chen Mo seemed to envelop him, with a subtle softness: "He respects others' territory and understands and tolerates their predicaments."

Otherwise, he might have already resorted to violence.

Xi Siyan had seen him fight before, and when enraged, no one would dare to provoke him a second time.

When Chen Mo and Xi Siyan left, it was about half an hour later.

Their side-by-side departure sparked many speculations.

Someone asked Sun Xiaoya: "Sister Ya, is Brother Yan very close to that Chen Mo?"

Sun Xiaoya was in a terrible mood.

She snapped back: "How would I know? Do I live under their bed? Ask me that!"

The person asking was silenced immediately.

A few minutes later, Sun Xiaoya found her good friend Liao Tingting in the rest room.

The girl was in tears.

Looking up, she said: "I'll never have another chance with him."

"I..." Sun Xiaoya was stunned for a moment, hesitating: "I thought you still liked Qin Kai."

Liao Tingting shook her head.

"My parents forced me. We need the power of the Qin family. Xiaoya, why do we have to grow up?" The girl sobbed into her best friend's shoulder.

Sun Xiaoya turned to leave: "I'll go get him back for you."

"No need," Liao Tingting choked back a sob, "His visit today was the best answer. He has someone he likes now."

Sun Xiaoya was taken aback: "Who?!"

Liao Tingting managed a tearful smile: "You're the best, Xiaoya. In fact, you're the simplest and most innocent among us."

Sun Xiaoya couldn't follow her train of thought at all.

She glanced downstairs inadvertently and saw Xi Siyan grabbing Chen Mo's hoodie hood and pushing him into the car.

She felt that her friends around her were changing, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what exactly was different.

But there was one person she thought she had noticed.

Like Xi Siyan.

That bastard never sat in the back with anyone. From childhood, whether it was her or Qi Lin, they were only allowed to sit in the passenger seat next to the driver when going to school with him. If there was an extra person, tough luck, you had to take another cab.

Just now, she clearly saw Chen Mo trying to get into the front passenger seat, but Xi Siyan yanked him back and shoved him into the backseat.

This two-faced dog!