Chapter 72

Chapter 72

The wedding was perfect. Throughout the entire ceremony and banquet, Chen Mo thought it was just an ordinary day. He attended as someone with no connection to the Yang family and merely congratulated the hosts before leaving.

But as the guests gradually departed,

Chen Mo didn't see Xi Siyan. Just as he was about to leave at the urging of his colleagues, someone rushed over and whispered in his ear, "Something happened with the old man."

At that moment, Chen Mo thought the "something" meant another blind fool in the Yang family had angered the old man again.

Until he followed the person over.

He saw the elderly man who had fallen down the stairs being urgently taken to the hospital.

In a daze, Chen Mo caught a glimpse of the old man's ashen face and the blood staining his white hair. He stood rooted to the spot, feeling it was all too unreal. Just that morning, the old man had been telling him to find someone to live a good life with.

The scene of the incident was chaotic.

Chen Mo stood on the periphery, not moving for a long time.

When he finally stepped out of the hotel, he immediately saw Yang Shule waiting by the roadside with some people.

It seemed he was specifically waiting for him. He walked straight up to Chen Mo, blocking his path, and smiled, "You severed ties with your family when I was still in the country. I heard you've had little contact these past few years. Chen Mo, there's no need for you to go now, is there?"

"Move aside," Chen Mo said, staring at the dark circles under Yang Shule's eyes that were only visible up close.

Yang Shule maintained his posture, "After so many years, you're still the same. As if the whole world owes you something."

"I'm saying it again, move aside," Chen Mo repeated.

"What can you do if I don't?" Yang Shule sneered.

Two men resembling bodyguards suddenly stepped forward from behind Yang Shule, but they didn't even get a chance to touch Chen Mo's clothes. Because Chen Mo was stopped first, and then pulled back.

Xi Siyan stood beside him, looking coldly at Yang Shule.

"What did Lunaer promise you?"

"Brother Yan, you're well-informed indeed," Yang Shule's eyes fixed tightly on Xi Siyan's face, his expression complex and twisted. He glanced at Chen Mo, then back at Xi Siyan, and returned to normal, "But don't misunderstand. I came back this time just to attend my brother's wedding. As for Lunaer, he doesn't need to promise me anything; he's now my fiancé."

Even Chen Mo frowned at this.

"I was just surprised," Yang Shule continued, addressing Xi Siyan, "You were doing so well abroad, yet after returning, you're still entangled with Chen Mo."

Chen Mo couldn't be bothered to listen to his nonsense any longer.

He tried to walk past him.

"Chen Mo," Yang Shule called out, smiling, "Don't you want to know how the old man fell from upstairs? He has dedicated caretakers around the clock, right? Oh, those caretakers were hired by you, weren't they?"

Chen Mo suddenly turned around, grabbing Yang Shule's shirt, his eyes icy cold, "It was you."

"No, it wasn't," Yang Shule smiled triumphantly, not struggling, "I just told him that I could get the twenty percent shares through Lunaer's channels. They discarded me when I was no longer useful and sent me abroad. Since they didn't help me when I was abroad, I had to come back and take what was mine. Who knew the old man would be so stubborn, saying he'd rather donate them than give them to me, and then... bang! Do you think someone his age could survive that?"

Chen Mo's grip tightened, making a terrifying creaking sound.

His heart churned with turmoil.

This situation was the one Chen Mo found most unbearable.

In the previous life, the old man had passed away earlier but without much suffering, unaware that the Yang family shares had fallen into the hands of someone he didn't want them to.

Even though Yang Zhi eventually transferred the shares to Yang Shule, it wasn't under such circumstances.

Chen Mo would rather the shares had been the result of fair competition between himself and Yang Zhi, rather than becoming a weapon wielded by Yang Shule against the old man.

Chen Mo pulled him closer, word by word, "You better pray that Grandpa is safe."

"You, a half-returnee, pretending to care deeply about grandfather-grandson affection. You... Ah!"

Xi Siyan grabbed Yang Shule's hand, causing him to show pain. At the same time, Xi Siyan's people restrained Yang Shule's companions.

Xi Siyan turned to Chen Mo, "Go to the hospital first. Take my car. I'll handle things here."

"Thanks." Chen Mo took the car keys he offered, not saying anything else at that moment.

Knowing that Yang Shule had somehow connected with Lunaer of UA, Chen Mo realized that it was more appropriate for Xi Siyan to handle the matter.

He headed towards the roadside with the car keys.

He could still hear Yang Shule's voice behind him, devoid of any pitiful tone despite being held by Xi Siyan, sounding somewhat manic.

He said, "Ah Yan, you never replied to any of the emails I sent you from abroad. Do you still think it's all my fault? I only ended up with Lunaer out of necessity. He's already so old, you..."

Chen Mo didn't know how Xi Siyan felt.

But his anger intensified further because of those words. If possible, Chen Mo wanted to turn back and tear Yang Shule away and throw him out.

In the emergency room of Sui City Central Hospital.

It was late afternoon.

The corridor outside the emergency room was crowded with people.

Chen Mo leaned against the wall, watching the old man's four children, including his own father Yang Qi'an, arguing not about the old man's safety but about shirking responsibility and the ownership of his shares.

From initial arguments, their voices grew louder and louder.

"Enough!" Finally, Yang Zhi stepped forward.

He had bloodshot eyes filled with rage: "Is this the time to argue?!"

He had been in power for several years, accumulating authority and respect among the Yang family.

At that moment, accompanied by Su Qianran, he walked through the crowd of Yang family members to stand in front of Chen Mo, his voice hoarse as he said, "I just found out why Grandpa got into trouble. This matter won't be left unresolved."

"You don't need to explain to me," Chen Mo said expressionlessly. "You have your way of handling things, and I have mine."

Yang Zhi rubbed his face, looking somewhat exhausted.

Su Qianran, standing beside him, frowned slightly and supported him.

Considering Su Qianran's presence, Chen Mo kindly reminded him, "Yang Shule is backed by UA’s boss, Lunaer. If you don’t want to be caught off guard, you’d better prepare yourself."

Yang Zhi stared deeply at Chen Mo for a while before saying, "I’m sorry."

"What?" Chen Mo frowned.

Su Qianran patted Yang Zhi, signaling him to go sit down for a bit. She stayed where she was and said to Chen Mo, "Don’t think he’s apologizing because of Yang Shule’s current state. He’s probably been holding that apology inside for a long time. He’s stubborn and never knew how to apologize when we argued. Chen Mo, I just want to say that no one is you; they don’t know what you’ve been through, so it’s normal not to forgive. Don’t feel burdened."

"Indeed, there isn’t," Chen Mo said, pulling at the corner of his mouth. "But if you keep talking, I might start feeling sorry for you."

Su Qianran smiled.

She leaned against him side by side.

After four hours, the emergency room door finally opened.

The elderly man, due to his age and cerebral hemorrhage, had undergone surgery. His life was temporarily saved, but whether he would wake up remained uncertain.

Chen Mo, who had just relaxed a little, felt his tension rise again.

The elderly man needed 24-hour monitoring in the intensive care unit.

Family members couldn’t visit.

By nine o'clock in the evening, Chen Mo, exhausted, left the hospital.

The prolonged mental strain was more exhausting than working overtime for days. He took off his coat and carried it in his hand, walking out of the hospital gates. As he descended the long stone steps, he felt his numb legs begin to ache.

Perhaps it was from the collision during the rush to the hospital, or perhaps from standing for too long.

He allowed himself to sit down on the steps.

Occasionally, a few people still entered and exited the city hospital at night. It could have been three minutes or ten minutes later when Chen Mo noticed someone getting out of a car parked by the roadside. He didn’t immediately get up.

Xi Siyan was still wearing the same formal attire from earlier.

He closed the car door and walked up the steps step by step.

"How did you get here?" Chen Mo looked up at him as he approached.

Xi Siyan squatted down in front of him, "To pick you up. Otherwise, you might end up spending the night on these stairs."

Chen Mo looked at the back of the person squatting in front of him.

It overlapped with the image of the person who had squatted in front of him after almost rolling down the stone steps after playing basketball years ago.

From adolescence to adulthood.

People came and went around him, but only this person returned after leaving.

Without a word, Chen Mo squatted down and climbed onto his back.

Xi Siyan lifted him effortlessly, walking steadily and unhurriedly.

The night wind chilled his neck, but the part of their bodies touching provided Chen Mo with enough warmth.

Xi Siyan carried him down the steps and didn’t head to the car but walked slowly along the roadside instead.

Xiaolin followed in the car behind them.

Chen Mo didn’t say anything.

Near the hospital was a high school, and on weekends, many students came out to eat and shop. They discussed the latest technology and trends. Some of them noticed a tall, handsome man carrying another good-looking young man on his back and chuckled without malice.

"Xi Siyan," Chen Mo said, one hand resting on the other’s wrist, his suit jacket hanging loosely over Xi Siyan’s chest. "I just heard someone say we look like a couple. Why didn’t anyone say that when you carried me in high school?"

Xi Siyan replied, "They did."

"You heard it?" Chen Mo asked curiously.

Xi Siyan nodded.

Chen Mo remembered that during the time his leg injury flared up, their relationship wasn’t particularly close.

He laughed and asked, "Did you curse me in your heart back then, thinking that this guy who claims to be gay is ruining my reputation?"

"No. I was just thinking that this kid doesn’t seem short, yet he’s so light."

Chen Mo was speechless, "Is that all?"

"What else?" Xi Siyan adjusted his hold on him. "You’re still light now. Chen Mo, when I saw you sitting alone on the steps just now, do you know what I was thinking?"

"What were you thinking?"

"I regretted it again."

Xi Siyan continued, "Whenever I meet you, I always end up regretting. Regretting leaving, thinking that you could live well on your own."

Chen Mo indeed lived quite well.

Not only did he think so, but the people around him thought so too.

Graduated from a prestigious school, successful career, with goals, a life, and money.

But Xi Siyan's words made Chen Mo's heart feel like it was being gripped, pricked, and stung, making him frown deeply.

He couldn't bear the atmosphere any longer.

Chen Mo changed the subject, "How did you handle it after I left this afternoon?"

"There was no need for any special handling," Xi Siyan said calmly. "I had someone catch him and throw him back at the door of Lunaer's hotel room."

Chen Mo remembered the words he overheard before leaving that afternoon.

His eyes darkened.

"Ah Yan." He suddenly whispered this into his ear.

Xi Siyan clearly paused, his steps slowing, though his tone remained normal: "Why are you calling me that all of a sudden?"

Chen Mo pressed closer to his ear, "Others can call you that, but I can't?"

His tone carried a sense of malicious dissatisfaction, almost vengeful.

Xi Siyan tried to avoid it, exasperated: "You can call, just don't do it so close to my ear."