Chapter 65

Chapter 65

Xi Siyan's identity was bound to be exposed; it wasn't hard to recognize the young president of CM Group. However, that night, when the newcomers looked at Chen Mo, they all had a hint of curiosity. Chen Mo only mentioned "old classmate" and showed no interest in explaining his relationship with Xi Siyan. He sat in the KTV private room for the latter part of the evening, draped in an unfamiliar suit that exuded an imposing presence, and no one dared to ask him directly.

Who gives someone their coat upon meeting an old classmate?

Later, Su Qianran arrived midway.

She had been absent from many company affairs recently and apologized as soon as she entered.

Then, carrying her elegant handbag, she turned and sat next to Chen Mo, saying, "Did you hear that Ah Yan is back?"

"Yeah, I've seen him," Chen Mo nodded.

He pretended not to notice the pricked ears around him.

Su Qianran said in surprise, "You've seen him? So soon. Didn't he just land this morning?"

"Just a coincidence," Old K, holding a wine glass, feigned nonchalance: "We were eating outside when we happened to bump into him entertaining Huanshang's boss." He added, "He came up to greet us, well, specifically Chen Mo."

Chen Mo felt speechless towards Old K.

Unlike Su Qianran, Old K knew only bits and pieces about Chen Mo's past. Now, he realized that his business partner was acquainted with the big shot from the investment group, and not just an acquaintance.

His curiosity, tinged with a hint of sarcasm, grew more intense.

Su Qianran hadn't experienced what happened after dinner.

Chen Mo knew that given her background, she must have known some insider information when Xi Siyan left the country.

But she was always a smart person.

After sensing the subtle atmosphere, she quickly changed the subject.

Ten minutes later, in the corridor outside the private room.

Su Qianran lit a lady's cigarette, her slender fingers holding the slim cigarette, exuding a certain charm. She smiled and asked Chen Mo, "Did I mess things up for you just now?"

"You're overthinking it," Chen Mo leaned against the wall opposite her.

The suit jacket was a bit too large for him, almost covering his shoulders entirely.

With one foot propped against the wall behind him, he flipped his black phone in his hand and asked, "How much do you know?"

"Not much," Su Qianran admitted honestly: "The Xis can keep secrets if they want to. The only thing I know is that when he left for abroad, something happened to the Xis, and Old Man Xi warned the Yangs."

Chen Mo frowned, "Warned the Yangs?"

"More like warned your father," Su Qianran said calmly, "Your father tried to send Yang Shule abroad shortly after Xi Siyan left. But because Yang Zhi took over the family business during your senior year, he didn't agree, so your father had to let go of control."

Chen Mo thought that the warning from the Xis to the Yangs was because of him.

Hearing the reason, he was momentarily stunned.

Su Qianran continued, "But I guess..."

She deliberately left her sentence hanging, waiting for Chen Mo to come back to his senses before smiling and saying, "The Xis seemed so afraid of letting Yang Shule get involved with Xi Siyan. But the one who truly has a connection with him is actually you, isn't it?"

"What's your evidence?" Chen Mo raised an eyebrow.

Su Qianran took a puff of her cigarette, "No evidence, just a guess. Chen Mo, you probably didn't realize it, but your state during your senior year wasn't good. I don't know about other areas, but every time you interacted with me, you deliberately avoided talking about Xi Siyan. You were afraid."

Chen Mo paused in flipping his phone.

Afraid?

He had never really thought about these words or associated them with himself.

Su Qianran said, "You weren't afraid of the Xis or being discovered. You were afraid of yourself. You were suppressing something. You could say it was the pressure of senior year, but I've never seen anyone stressed enough to exhibit symptoms of a breakup."

"I think I'm fine," Chen Mo denied.

"I minored in psychology during my graduate studies," Su Qianran didn't argue forcefully, just said calmly: "Insomnia, loss of appetite, irregular heartbeat. Don't tell me you didn't experience any of these."

Chen Mo gave a helpless smile, rubbing his nose and said, "President Su, don't hit where it hurts. We did have a real relationship, and having no reaction would be abnormal. I'm not made of stone."

Su Qianran: "What President Su? Call me Sister."

"Alright," Chen Mo nodded, "Sister Su."

Su Qianran stood up and walked to Chen Mo, patting his shoulder, "Don't misunderstand, I'm on your side. I'm just worried. People need to be a bit selfish. Xi Siyan is not the same as before, and you shouldn't let yourself suffer."

Chen Mo smiled, "We're adults now, not that immature."

"That's good," Su Qianran said, taking out an invitation from her small handbag and handing it to him, "Will you come?"

Chen Mo flipped through the gold-embossed red invitation, "Of course. But are you sure you won't regret it?"

"I never allow myself to regret decisions I make," Su Qianran still had the decisive personality Chen Mo remembered. But when mentioning Yang Zhi, she wasn't as indifferent as Chen Mo had seen in the past. She smiled, "Besides, everyone changes, not just us. But since you're not interested, I won't say more."

Chen Mo nodded, "Okay, congratulations on your marriage."

"Thank you."

At the same time, at the Hejin Club.

Apart from Xi Siyan, there were several CEOs and industry celebrities present, including Huanshang's boss.

It wasn't a formal occasion, and the inherent flaws of powerful men were hard to conceal. Therefore, besides the club's hostesses, some even brought along second or third-tier entertainment stars.

Xi Siyan's expression remained unchanged.

Chen Mo was the focus of the night, as his cold demeanor and refusal to let the club's server pour him a drink at the beginning made the atmosphere appear luxurious yet orderly.

The servers mainly poured drinks and occasionally chatted.

The conversation around Xi Siyan never ceased.

"President Xi is indeed young and accomplished."

"I heard that Chen Mo has long planned to enter the domestic market. President Xi must be here to stay this time, right?"

Amidst the crowd, Xi Siyan seemed unfazed by such gatherings. He sat on the sofa, picked up a glass filled with ice from the coffee table, and casually replied, "Yeah, I'm not leaving."

"In that case, we'll surely rely on you more in the future. How about a toast to President Xi?"

Xi Siyan leaned forward and clinked glasses with the slightly overweight boss, "Pleasure."

Too many flattering words made people feel nauseous in such social settings.

Xi Siyan appeared to respond to each one, but he was somewhat distracted.

After an hour of toasts and exchanges, he finally had some free space around him. At this moment, Han Qian approached him and whispered, "Tonight, your distraction is too obvious. This concerns whether Chen Mo can land smoothly without trouble. I don't want to work overtime every day for the next two months again."

Resting his elbow on his knee, Xi Siyan turned his head, "Shall I tell the old man that you don't want to do this anymore?"

"...You win." Han Qian choked, then sighed, "I wonder who made a bet with the old man to escape family constraints. I've been working hard with you for five whole years, finally clearing all issues and making Chen Mo completely independent. And now you're threatening me after letting me come back with you?"

Xi Siyan raised his glass and clinked it with Han Qian's.

"Thanks."

Han Qian choked again, then muttered, "Forget it, I don't regret it anyway."

For five whole years, what they went through and how they reached this point today—no one knew better than Han Qian.

It was true that the Xi family had done him favors, but it was far from enough to make him willingly spend five years with someone he didn't fully trust. Moreover, Xi Siyan was just an adult back then, hardly experienced. Yet, his continued presence proved everything.

At this moment, a young girl in a tight skirt suddenly walked over.

"President Xi," her voice was crisp and charming. Even with heavy makeup, her good features were evident. She naturally sat down beside Xi Siyan, placed her hand on his shoulder, and smiled, "How about I have a drink with President Xi?"

Han Qian watched from the side, amused.

He whispered, "In China, they still love these tricks. Be careful. This woman, though the lead actress in a low-budget web series, has Ren Xiansen backing her. If I recall correctly, when Ren was abroad, he was like a drowned dog. Now that he's back and in Chuanxing Technology, we can't touch him for a while. Don't refuse her yet; see what she wants."

As Han Qian spoke, Xi Siyan had already pushed away the girl's hand.

"Sorry."

Han Qian chimed in, "Sorry, lady, President Xi has a bit of OCD. It's best not to touch him."

"Oh, I see." The beauty showed understanding, but her gaze remained intense, "I wonder what hobbies President Xi has? You seem interested in sports, given your fitness routine. Or do you prefer leisure activities?"

The girl was very enthusiastic.

She seemed to simply want to use Xi Siyan as a shortcut.

After all, as the young owner of Chen Mo, he had excellent physique and looks. Throughout the night, he hadn't interacted with any special women, earning him a reputation for being clean-living.

From the moment he entered, he became the target of many women.

A minor web series actress getting into this place meant she couldn't be naive.

Especially when she occasionally flicked her hair, subtly flaunting her figure.

Unfortunately, the person being seduced remained unmoved.

The girl grew increasingly awkward.

Soon, someone else took her place. Xi Siyan, recalling Han Qian's words, asked, "Has Chuanxing Technology started recruiting for their new project?"

Han Qian criticized his rejection of the girl, "Can't you play along a little?"

Then he added, "Yes, they have. Imagine if Ren Xiansen knew his current arch-nemesis, the one who terrifies him, is your ex-boyfriend. Wouldn't he be furious?"

The term "ex-boyfriend" made Xi Siyan frown slightly.

Han Qian continued teasingly, "But I have to admit that you and Chen Mo are indeed destined. Your taste in rivals is consistent."

Xi Siyan put down his glass, "Clearly, Lu Yi's downfall hasn't made him wiser."

Han Qian shrugged, "He was Lu Yi's former lover. Now that you've dealt a fatal blow to her upon returning, Ren will only think you're warning him, never suspecting it's related to New Edge."

Unnoticed by anyone,

the girl who had been pushed aside earlier flashed a look of frustration.

But she quickly relaxed, noticing the phone on the table before her, seemingly the same one Xi Siyan had been holding.

With a glance, she noticed the busy crowd around him.

Boldly, she picked up the phone.

As soon as she did, the screen lit up.

She jumped, noticing a sleeping profile on the screen.

The person in the photo seemed to be a boy, wearing a school uniform, lying on the desk with somewhat long hair messily covering his forehead.

Before she could take a closer look, another call came in.

The note was simple, just an A, but it was precisely because of this A that the number appeared first in the address book.

The girl fumbled and tapped to end the call.

Soon, the screen lit up again.

Above the photo, there was an unread message.

"Busy? Give me an address, I'll send you the clothes."

The girl took out her phone and aimed it at the photo, her heart pounding. Before she could snap a picture, a hand with slender fingers reached out and took the phone.

And then came the words, "Han Qian, escort this young lady out politely, don't scare her."

This seemingly ordinary statement caused everyone present to be taken aback.

Tonight, President Xi had been courteous and composed throughout, and no one knew why he suddenly turned hostile. The girl, already pale, remained seated on the sofa, while those around her felt a chill.

Still in shock, the girl sat on the sofa.

In her extreme guilt and panic, she needed something to stop this from happening. Quickly, she thought she had a valid reason and shouted, "Is President Xi so afraid of being known as a homosexual?!"

No matter how wealthy and influential, he was enraged because someone discovered his orientation.

Because of keeping a high school student's photo in his phone, he feared being seen as abnormal.

The girl's eyes showed desperation.

Xi Siyan, who paused slightly at these words, glanced back at her, "Since Ren Xiansen is UA's lapdog, his methods of dealing with people are still so unoriginal. Tell him if he's so eager to catch me off guard, he should at least find out what he can't touch."

The girl's face turned completely white.

The atmosphere in the room froze slightly.

Han Qian gave her a sympathetic look.

With a strange smile, he said, "Ren Xiansen didn't tell you what happened to the men he hired to attack President Xi three years ago, did he? Why provoke him?"

At this moment, Xi Siyan was already walking towards the door with his phone.

Everyone heard him speaking into the phone, devoid of the earlier underlying hostility, softly asking, "Back already? Yeah, just busy."