Chapter 53: Can a Gloomy Extra Be Locked in a Dark Room? [19]

Chapter 53: Do Gloomy Cannon Fodders Get Sent to the Doghouse Too? "19"

Mu Jin, for some reason, with Ji Fengyan staring at him like that, instinctively wanted to shove Ye Luochen away from him.

But Ye Luochen was holding him too tightly, and he didn't want to hurt him, so he couldn't actually push him away.

However, Ye Luochen noticed Mu Jin's attempt to pull back. He held on even tighter, whispering softly in Mu Jin's ear,

"Brother Mu, don't push me away. Let me hold you a little longer... I'm leaving soon. Just let me hold you for a bit. That's all I ask. Please don't push me away."

Ji Fengyan smiled, said a few words to the people around him, then grabbed a glass of wine and walked toward them.

The man was smiling, alright, but Mu Jin could tell he was angry—really, really angry.

Mu Jin stared at the glass of wine in Ji Fengyan's hand, his eyelids twitching as a bad feeling rose in his chest.

Off to the side, Wen Yihe watched them with a smile, swirling the wine in his glass. He took a light sip, the amused look in his eyes growing deeper.

Mu Jin looked at the clearly pissed-off Ji Fengyan, then glanced at Wen Yihe who looked like he was enjoying the show, and the bad feeling in his gut grew stronger.

At that point, he stopped caring whether Ye Luochen might get hurt. He shoved the guy away.

Then he quickly grabbed Ji Fengyan's wrist just as he was tilting his glass, lowering his voice to hiss in his ear:

"Ji Fengyan, calm down."

Mu Jin was genuinely scared Ji Fengyan would splash that wine all over Ye Luochen.

Today was Wen Yihe's birthday party. Ji Fengyan wasn't just here to celebrate—he was here for the people at this party.

He had no idea why Ji Fengyan was so angry.

But he knew that if Ji Fengyan did something crazy here, giving everyone a show or a laugh, it would do Ji Fengyan no favors.

Mu Jin's eyes darted to the people looking their way.

Those curious stares landed on him and Ji Fengyan, but luckily, Ji Fengyan had already calmed down.

Ji Fengyan said quietly: "He hugged you just now."

Mu Jin: "??"

So Ji Fengyan was mad because Ye Luochen hugged him?

But what was there to get mad about?

Mu Jin hesitated, glancing at Ye Luochen beside him. The guy he'd just shoved was looking at them with pain and hurt in his eyes.

"Brother Mu..."

Mu Jin: "..."

Why did the atmosphere feel weird, but he couldn't quite figure out why?

Ji Fengyan watched Ye Luochen warily, then pulled Mu Jin behind him, blocking Ye Luochen's view.

"A Jin, there's some fruit over there. Go grab a bite."

Ji Fengyan spoke to Mu Jin gently, but his eyes never left Ye Luochen, full of warning.

He hid Mu Jin completely behind him, not letting Ye Luochen get even a glimpse.

Mu Jin said "Oh" and, before leaving, still reminded him: "Be careful. So many people are watching you. Don't do anything stupid."

Wen Yihe watched the scene and couldn't help sighing.

What a shame. Ji Fengyan was rarely pushed to lose his cool, but now he'd calmed down again. The show he wanted to see was over.

But that was fine—there was still someone else he could use...

Wen Yihe thought of what was coming next, his eyes flickering. He looked up toward the second floor.

Mu Yu stood on the second floor, also holding a glass of red wine, but his face was extremely grim. Clearly, he'd seen everything that just happened.

His eyes met Wen Yihe's across the room. Mu Yu curled his lip and raised his glass in a silent toast from across the room.

He downed his wine in one gulp, shot Ji Fengyan a cold glare, then snorted and turned to leave.

Wen Yihe smiled, took a sip of his wine, then walked over to Mu Jin.

"A Jin, why are you eating fruit all alone over here? What's going on with Feng Yan?"

Wen Yihe asked, sounding puzzled, with a hint of concern in his voice: "It feels like they might be arguing?"

Mu Jin had been quietly eating watermelon when Wen Yihe suddenly appeared, scaring the hell out of him. He nearly dropped the watermelon in his hand.

He turned to see Wen Yihe almost pressed up against him and silently stepped back to put some space between them.

His eyes swept over Wen Yihe's chest and paused when he noticed the gemstone brooch he'd prepared for him was already pinned on.

Mu Jin figured Wen Yihe must really like the gift. After finishing the watermelon, he said:

"Oh, they're probably having some kind of spat. Why don't you go check on them?"

Mu Jin said seriously: "After all, one's your good friend and the other's your little brother. They'll probably listen to you."

But Wen Yihe stared at Mu Jin's lips, still wet from the watermelon, a dark, predatory gleam hidden in his eyes.

He said slowly: "Luo Chen's going abroad tomorrow. He's probably in a bad mood today."

"But Feng Yan's not a kid anymore. He knows what kind of event this is. He won't throw a tantrum with him."

Mu Jin looked at Wen Yihe, confused.

"If you know they'll be fine, then why'd you come find me?"

Wen Yihe was caught off guard for a second, but quickly recovered and said with a light laugh:

"Well, today's my birthday party and there are a lot of guests to look after. I was worried you might not like what I had prepared, so I set up something else for you in advance. Want to come try it?"

Mu Jin listened to Wen Yihe and silently swallowed the words "I actually like it a lot."

He snuck another glance and saw Ji Fengyan surrounded by a group of people again in the middle of the room.

Meanwhile, Ye Luochen sat alone in the corner, drinking glass after glass of wine, his eyes slightly red—lonely and miserable.

Well, looked like they wouldn't be fighting anymore.

Mu Jin thought about this and quickly withdrew his gaze, his eyes sparkling as he looked at Wen Yihe: "Alright! Let's go now!"

Lately, Wen Yihe no longer invited him out to eat every day like before, but he'd recommend snacks and restaurants for him.

So when it came to Wen Yihe's food, Mu Jin trusted it completely and followed him without a second thought.

Mu Jin ate to his heart's content in the small hall, his eyes crinkling into a smile as he looked at Wen Yihe, "Wen Yihe, thank you."

But then, Wen Yihe placed a cake on the table—a delicate cake with "Happy Birthday" written on it.

Mu Jin was confused. When he'd come over earlier, he'd seen another twelve-tier cake. If he wasn't mistaken, Wen Yihe was supposed to be outside later, cutting that cake with everyone.

Wen Yihe walked over and sat down beside Mu Jin. Under Mu Jin's confused gaze, he calmly stuck the candles in,

"A Jin, most of them are my business partners. Our relationship is purely transactional. Not many people here actually came just to celebrate my birthday."

"Even Feng Yan—he came for my birthday, but he's also here to work with them, to talk projects and business..."

Wen Yihe's voice sounded a little down as he spoke, a helpless, bitter smile crossing his face. Then he looked back up at Mu Jin,

"A Jin, only you are different."

"You're not tied to them by interest. You're my friend. You came to my birthday party for me."

"You're the only one who can give me a genuine blessing."

Wen Yihe spoke slowly, each word deliberate, his voice soft but sincere. He looked at Mu Jin, a faint light flickering in his eyes:

"So, as my only true friend, A Jin, would you celebrate a birthday with me, just the two of us?"

Mu Jin didn't hesitate at all and nodded right away: "Alright."

After all, he'd just eaten the meal Wen Yihe had specially made for him, and Wen Yihe just wanted to celebrate his birthday alone—he couldn't really find a reason to say no.

Wen Yihe's eyes lit up with a smile. "Then, A Jin, light the candles for me."

Mu Jin lit the candles for Wen Yihe, watched him close his eyes to make a wish, then blow them out.

Maybe caught up in Wen Yihe's mood, a hint of a smile crept into Mu Jin's eyes too.

But when Wen Yihe cut the cake and set it in front of him, Mu Jin's smile faded.

648 came online in a panic, speaking urgently: "Host! Host!"

"Drop the birthday cake and go! Find Ji Fengyan—he's in trouble!"

[What?!]

Mu Jin shot up, and his sudden movement knocked the piece of cake Wen Yihe had just set in front of him to the floor.

Wen Yihe's smile froze a little, but Mu Jin, his mind completely on "Ji Fengyan's in trouble," didn't notice his change in expression at all.

Sensing 648's urgency, Mu Jin headed out, speaking calmly:

[Xiao Liu, calm down. Tell me exactly what happened to Ji Fengyan. What do I do now?]

Seeing Mu Jin getting ready to leave, Wen Yihe stood up too: "A Jin, where are you going?"

Mu Jin stopped mid-step, realizing he'd been ignoring Wen Yihe. He turned back, saw the cake on the floor, and a flicker of guilt crossed his eyes.

That cake did look pretty good.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to... but I've got something to handle right now. I'll come back later to eat cake with you."

Mu Jin opened his mouth, but that was all he said before turning and walking away.

In the storyline he'd been given, Wen Yihe and Ji Fengyan were supposed to be best friends, and what he'd seen lately had confirmed it.

Yet for some reason, now that 648 had told him Ji Fengyan was in trouble, he didn't want to tell Wen Yihe.

Maybe because, in the original plot, Ji Fengyan wasn't supposed to run into trouble at Wen Yihe's party.

Mu Jin rushed off, still checking with 648 about Ji Fengyan's condition and whereabouts.

He didn't notice at all that Wen Yihe, watching him walk away, had eyes as dark as ink—no trace of that gentle smile left, only endless madness.

"A Jin..."