The atmosphere among the young people was lively. For a moment, Chen Mo suddenly felt that life wasn't so bad after all, and that there was no need to live so clearly.
Chen Mo stood up from the wall. "Let's go, it's on me. I'm just worried about having too much money to spend."
"Damn, that's a really rude thing to say."
"You're actually like this, Chen Mo."
"Young Master Mo is magnanimous."
Amidst a chorus of harmless jeers, Chen Mo had just stood up when he felt a wave of dizziness.
Old Gou, who was standing next to him, grabbed his wrist and exclaimed in surprise, "Holy crap! Don't you feel how hot it is?"
Chen Mo used the support to steady himself and looked at Lao Gou's face, which still had collagen. "You're so jumpy, you'll scare even healthy patients to death."
"Let me see you die."
"Sorry, I'm not going to die anytime soon."
"Neuropathy."
Chen Mo laughed so hard his shoulders shrugged.
The young Lao Gou looked embarrassed: "Shut up, what's so funny?"
It's hard to get a taxi here.
There was another grade head blocking the front gate.
Old Gou had no choice but to use his limited classmate kindness to have someone else support Chen Mo while he called someone to come and pick him up.
Ten minutes later.
A car discreetly glided into the alleyway, the rear door opened, and a long leg stepped out first.
The group of people all spoke up.
"Brother Yan, over here!"
"Squad leader, you're pretty fast."
"Wow, that's awesome, bro. Driving around in a Maybach like that, are you afraid that Baldy Lai won't be able to catch us?"
The newcomer wore a baseball cap, his dark eyes sweeping over everyone present. His voice was deep and pleasant as he asked, "Where is that sick kid in our class who can't walk?"
Chen Mo, standing in the shadows, cursed under his breath when he saw the tall figure.
Old Gou is so unreliable; he tricked me the very first time we met after he came back.
He lured the class monitor of the experimental class, who was also the top student in the grade and Yang Shule's childhood sweetheart whom she had liked for many years.
Chapter 3
Xi Siyan is the only son of the Xi family for three generations. His father was highly respected in the political arena, and the entire Xi family, including those in business and politics, had achieved considerable success.
Chen Mo and he didn't have much interaction.
The first time we met in my past life was in Yuhuai Village.
The Xi and Yang families had been on good terms for many years. It was through the Xi family's connections that the Yang family was able to quickly ascertain Chen Mo's identity. Therefore, on the day the Yang family came looking for him, he was also there to accompany Yang Shule.
On the muddy road where the rain was pouring down, he sat in the open back seat of the car, wearing a white shirt, and never got out.
Even the young girls in the village would blush when they looked at him.
The second time.
He witnessed a boy confessing his feelings to him in the school restroom.
He readily admitted that he did indeed like men, yet rejected the other person without hesitation. Only after sending the person away did he wash his hands and say, "Have you seen enough? If you have, get out here."
Chen Mo, who was smoking in a cubicle, pushed open the door and met his gaze with a cold stare.
There were many more such scenes later on.
The playground, the classroom, at the Yang family's house, or at the two families' New Year's gatherings.
We always meet, but never truly get to know each other.
Chen Mo had a preconceived notion about this person. He was the man others described as the crown prince of the Xi family, born noble, and never bothering to hide his likes and dislikes. He was always surrounded by a large group of people, and among those around him, Yang Shule stood out the most.
Their childhood friendship meant that Xi Siyan's dislike for him needed no other reason.
Later information about this person was all revealed by Yang Shule.
Mentioning the surname Xi, the young man's eyes lit up with a bright light.
"Mom, I'm going to the Xi family's house! It's Ayan's birthday today, and I haven't picked up my gift from the store yet!"
“He’s going abroad, and then no one will be there to help me with my studies.”
"Ayan, can I fly to see you during the summer vacation?"
When will you be back?
"Brother! He's not leaving again this time, right?! You drive me to pick him up at the airport, please!"
"I'm not going to work at the company. I've already agreed to go to Ayan's place so I won't starve."
"Chen Mo, this project was personally handled by A Yan, how did it end up with you?"
...
Chen Mo handled many projects that year.
Faced with Yang Shule's questioning gaze, Chen Mo was genuinely taken aback for a moment before sneering, "What are you doubting? All I know is that one project can support my entire team. Just because the other party's boss's surname is Xi, do you think I have to back down for you, Yang Shule? Who do you think you are?"
Those were the two years when Chen Mo was most aggressive in his actions; his temper was almost always on the verge of exploding.
Yang Shule's face turned deathly pale on the spot.
Chen Mo was already prepared for Yang Shule to whisper in Xi's ear that the project would be canceled.
As a result, the project went surprisingly smoothly until its conclusion.
At the subsequent celebratory banquet, the two parties dined together.
When the wine was halfway through, the banquet master arrived late.
He was no longer the young man Chen Mo remembered from their school days. The young man was broad-shouldered and had a mature demeanor that suggested his superior status. The only thing that remained unchanged was that he was still the center of attention, the focus of everyone's gaze wherever he went.
He sat down to Chen Mo's left.
So many people in the private room came over one by one to toast him, and he drank every single one without changing his expression.
In the end, only Chen Mo was left.
Chen Mo, who was already quite drunk, leaned back in his chair amidst the cheers and raised his glass to Xi Siyan: "President Xi, I'll drink first as a sign of respect."
He tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp.
After finishing his drink, he looked at the glass in front of him and raised an eyebrow: "Mr. Xi, aren't you going to drink?"
“You’re drunk,” said Xi Siyan.
To put on airs.
Chen Mo cursed under his breath.
Guessing that he looked down on her current ability to please everyone, and recalling Yang Shule's suspicious look at the beginning of the project, most of her celebratory joy dissipated.