Because Xi Siyan had a fever, they missed the car they had originally arranged. The uncle and aunt who hosted them were insistent that they stay longer, but by chance, they ran into Maozi and his group. In the end, they hitched a ride on motorcycles back to town.
Before leaving, Chen Mo watched as Xi Siyan discreetly placed a stack of cash under the pillow in the upstairs room.
Chen Mo didn’t stop him. He understood that the money wasn’t given just because they stayed the night and ate a few meals. It was given because of him, for him.
By the time they got back to town, it was around eleven in the morning.
Chen Mo treated Maozi and his group to lunch. Despite still recovering, Xi Siyan joined them. The fever had subsided after taking medicine, leaving him with just a slight cough.
“Drink this tea—it’ll soothe your throat.” Chen Mo handed him a cup of buckwheat tea after pouring from the round table’s teapot.
Xi Siyan pulled out a stool and sat down, removing his mask.
In that moment, Chen Mo could feel the collective shock ripple through everyone at the table. Each person’s expression grew progressively more stunned.
Leaning toward him, Chen Mo whispered, “Brother Yan, you’re dangerous. Your face is too much of a killer, no matter where we go.”
“Brother?” Xi Siyan raised an eyebrow and replied coolly, “Aren’t I supposed to be your younger brother?”
Chen Mo coughed awkwardly and sat back without answering.
Aside from Chen Mo and Xi Siyan, everyone at the table was still a high school student from the county. Their conversation revolved around typical topics for people their age. The county’s high school wasn’t as competitive as Suicheng No. 1 High School. Its college acceptance rate was low, and many students, like Maozi, just wanted to scrape by and start working after graduation.
“Hey, Brother Mo,” Maozi leaned on the table, “aren’t you planning to visit the school? Our high school renovated the teaching building and playground last year. It looks pretty different now.”
“No plans to go back,” Chen Mo replied.
After all, he had only spent a single year there. It wasn’t enough time to develop any attachment or nostalgia.
“That’s a shame. A lot of your old classmates still talk about you,” Maozi said.
“Talk about me?” Chen Mo frowned. “What could they possibly have to say about me?”
What, that he was the guy who’d always disappear to do odd jobs?
Or that he was either fighting or on his way to fight someone?
A boy next to Maozi piped up, “Brother Mo, you’ve got the wrong idea. I’m a year younger than you and started high school after you left, but I used to hear your name all the time.”
Curious, Xi Siyan rinsed Chen Mo’s chopsticks with boiling water, handed them over, and asked on his behalf, “What did they say about him?”
“They said he was super handsome,” the boy said with admiration. “Apparently, there was a senior who got directly admitted to our high school from middle school. Not only were his grades amazing, but he was also undefeated in fights. Girls from the middle school next door—Minnan—would come to our school gates every day to block him. They’d even bet on who’d end up being Brother Mo’s girlfriend.”
Xi Siyan raised his eyebrows, amused.
Chen Mo, on the other hand, looked like a thundercloud, skepticism all over his face. “Wait, is this for real?”
“Absolutely!” Maozi confirmed with great enthusiasm, leaning forward. “But Brother Mo, you were pretty intimidating back then. Not many people dared to talk to you. And you know girls—they love that kind of vibe.”
Maozi turned to the two girls at the table, seeking validation.
Both of them wore thick layers of low-quality makeup, but one, who seemed more outgoing, laughed and said, “It’s true! I’m from Minnan, and back then, everyone thought you were so cool. A friend of mine had the biggest crush on you. She used to say you were nothing like the pretentious boys who only cared about looks.
“But you probably don’t remember her. She told us she’d go to your workplace all the time, trying to get your attention, but the only things you ever said to her were ‘Thank you’ and ‘Excuse me, could you move?’ She almost lost her mind over it. Eventually, she gave up and liked someone else.”
Chen Mo listened without turning to look at Xi Siyan’s face.
It wasn’t embarrassing, exactly.
But listening to all this now felt like hearing a story about someone else’s life.
Though he had lived through over a decade of adulthood since, he could still recognize that some moments of youthful affection were uniquely vivid. Those years, full of suppressed emotions and confusion about life, had left an impression on others even if they’d seemed gray and uncertain to him.
In retrospect, those memories had a strange charm. Recalling his life at sixteen or seventeen now seemed almost therapeutic, as if revisiting his younger self offered some form of resolution.
Everyone needs to keep moving forward, after all.
“Brother Xi,” Maozi turned his attention to Xi Siyan. “Does Brother Mo have a lot of admirers at his current school?”
Placing his chopsticks down with deliberate ease, Xi Siyan nodded. “Yes, quite a few.”
“There you go!” Maozi clapped his hands in triumph. “Brother Mo, do you have a girlfriend now?”
Chen Mo glanced at Xi Siyan instinctively before swallowing his food and replying, “No.”
Though as for a boyfriend…
However, Chen Mo had no intention of coming out or revealing his true relationship with a certain “little brother.”
Perhaps it was a mischievous streak in him, but beneath the table, in the noisy restaurant filled with the warm buzz of midday conversations, Chen Mo gently tapped his knee against Xi Siyan’s. When the latter glanced over, his eyes subtly warning, Chen Mo slyly hooked his ankle around his.
This little act of rebellion was fleeting and quickly forgotten.
After the meal, Chen Mo noticed that Xi Siyan was quieter than usual. Remembering that he was still recovering, Chen Mo quickly ended the gathering and saw Maozi and the others off.
When Xi Siyan asked what was next, Chen Mo reached out and touched his forehead. “Let’s go back to the hotel. You’re still sick.”
Without a word, Xi Siyan extended his hand toward him.
Chen Mo glanced down at it, then casually shook it, a playful grin on his face.
The two of them spent the afternoon resting at the hotel.
Chen Mo had already informed Su Qianran and Lao K in advance, so no one came looking for him. Meanwhile, the group chat run by Lao Gou was lively, filled with everyone sharing stories about their summer plans and travels.
Flipping through the messages, Chen Mo idly chatted with Xi Siyan, who rested beside him. He noticed that Qi Lin had finally reappeared in the chat and was joking around as if nothing had happened, showing no trace of the prior drama.
As Chen Mo scrolled, his phone rang. It was his grandfather.
When he glanced over, he realized that Xi Siyan had fallen into a light sleep, his head tilted against the pillow.
“Grandpa?” Chen Mo answered the call, lowering his voice.
Yang Congxian rarely called him directly. The last time he had, it was when Chen Mo had completely severed ties with the Yang family. Though his grandfather had initially been resistant, he ultimately accepted Chen Mo’s decision and even offered to transfer him a large sum of money through his financial manager.
Chen Mo had refused.
The old man’s voice over the phone was calm and even. “I heard you went back to the Chen family?”
“Yes,” Chen Mo admitted without hesitation. “I had nothing to do during the break, so I thought I’d come and take a look.”
“With the Xi family’s kid?”
Chen Mo glanced at the sleeping Xi Siyan and responded with a quiet hum.
“What’s wrong, Grandpa?”
There was a pause on the other end of the line before the old man spoke again, hesitating. “You two…”
The uncertainty in his grandfather’s voice made Chen Mo go silent, waiting.
The old man shifted the conversation. “Since you’ve chosen to leave the Yang family, I’ve always believed you’d make something of yourself. You’ve always been determined, and I respect that. But, child, no one can stand alone in this world. You’ll face more than just the Yang family—there are colleagues, bosses, old friends, and classmates. You’re a clever boy. You should understand what I mean.”
He didn’t say it outright, but Chen Mo understood.
This was his grandfather giving him an out, a chance to reconsider.
Chen Mo rose from the sofa and walked to the bathroom, his expression unreadable. He glanced at Xi Siyan one more time before closing the door behind him.
Inside, he leaned against the sink, frowning. “Did something happen?”
The old man’s call couldn’t have been prompted by idle gossip or rumors—it had to be something more serious.
“Did you know the Xi family’s child is supposed to go abroad?” His grandfather sighed heavily. “The Xi family isn’t like ours. Even when the Yang family was at its peak, we couldn’t compare to their influence. Friendship is one thing, but your father never understood the stakes clearly. The Xi family places great importance on appearances. And that child… he’s the one Grandfather Xi treasures most. It’s not a good idea for you to get involved with him right now.”
Chen Mo didn’t care about the Xi family’s background.
He also knew that Xi Siyan had said—more than once—that he had no plans to go abroad.
“He won’t go abroad,” Chen Mo explained. “His school application has already been—”
“Xi Jianxing disappeared overseas.”
The sudden statement hit Chen Mo like a thunderbolt. “Disappeared?”
“Missing would be a mild way to put it,” the old man replied grimly. “It’s actually more serious than that. He fell victim to malicious retaliation from competitors abroad. Right now, his life is in danger. On top of that, the Xi family’s overseas businesses have taken a massive hit. They’ve sent people to search for him while keeping everything under wraps.
“Grandfather Xi is gravely ill, the eldest son’s attention is divided, and the family’s internal relations are chaotic. It’ll take years for the Xi family to recover from this blow. That child… his future isn’t in his own hands, and it certainly isn’t in yours. Do you understand?”
Chen Mo gripped the edge of the sink tightly, his knuckles turning white.
His mind was a whirlwind of confusion.
In his previous life, he remembered hearing that Xi Siyan had gone abroad after the Xi family discovered his sexual orientation. But was that the real reason?
The old man hadn’t called to criticize him or reprimand him for his relationship with Xi Siyan. It was simply a reminder—delivered with concern.
And yet, despite the gravity of the situation, Chen Mo noticed something peculiar.
Even though such a major incident had occurred, there hadn’t been a single call or message to notify Xi Siyan. It was clear that the Xi family knew exactly where he was, but they chose not to interfere. Out of respect for the old friendship between their families, they were maintaining a surface-level peace while quietly severing all other ties.
The Xi family’s stance was clear: they wouldn’t intervene directly, but they wouldn’t leave any paths open either.
Chen Mo felt an overwhelming sense of suffocation.
Looking at his reflection in the mirror, he saw a young face staring back at him. But those eyes…
They reminded him of himself in his past life.
The same relentless determination and defiance of reality burned there.
But he wasn’t the same person anymore.
When Chen Mo left the bathroom, his expression was calm again.
His grandfather had given him three days.
That was the timeline set by the Xi family.
Chen Mo decided selfishly that he would extend this brief period of peace until the very last moment.
Outside, the room was quiet. The cold made it easier for Xi Siyan to sleep more deeply than usual.
Chen Mo retrieved a thermometer and took his temperature.
The fever was rising again—38.1°C.
“Xi Siyan,” Chen Mo said, sitting on the edge of the bed with a cup of water in hand. He patted the other boy lightly. “Wake up and take your medicine before you go back to sleep.”
The next second, his wrist was caught in a firm grip.
Sleepy and hoarse, Xi Siyan opened his eyes and asked, “I heard you talking earlier. Who was on the phone?”
Chen Mo hesitated for a moment before answering casually, “My grandfather.”
“Mm.”
That was all. Xi Siyan didn’t press further. Instead, he touched his own forehead and murmured, “When we get back to Suicheng, I’ll go with you to see him.”
Chen Mo hesitated again. For a brief moment, he felt the urge to tell him everything. After all, this was a matter of life and death.
But in his previous life, hadn’t Xi Jianxing survived?
This time wouldn’t be any different.
After weighing his options, Chen Mo chose to keep quiet.
“What are you zoning out for?” Xi Siyan swallowed the pills Chen Mo handed him, then put the glass of water on the bedside table.
Chen Mo snapped out of it. “Nothing. Just thinking about where we should go tomorrow.”
Xi Siyan’s gaze lingered on him, sharp and piercing. “You’re hiding something.”
How perceptive.
Chen Mo pulled the quilt up to cover Xi Siyan’s chin, tucking it snugly around him. “What I’m thinking is, you’ve got a fever again. Just stay bundled up and sweat it out. You look so frail right now.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Xi Siyan threw the quilt aside, grabbed Chen Mo, and dragged him onto the bed. Wrapping him tightly in the blankets, he trapped him.
“Hypocrite,” he teased.
Chen Mo blinked innocently. “Hypocrisy? Me?”
In response, Xi Siyan’s fingers found their way to Chen Mo’s waist, pinching lightly but with unmistakable intent.
Chen Mo jerked slightly, his entire body stiffening, but he didn’t pull away.
Their breaths mingled in the close space between them.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
When Xi Siyan finally lifted the quilt to let him go, Chen Mo reached out and stopped him, pulling him back. One hand gripped his shoulder, and as he leaned in, Chen Mo murmured, “You know, there’s another way to break a sweat. Want me to help?”
The hand on his waist tightened, eliciting a low gasp from Chen Mo.
A dangerous glint flashed in Xi Siyan’s eyes as he lowered his head, his voice rough and low near Chen Mo’s ear. “Are you sure you can handle it?”
Chen Mo didn’t respond.
Instead, his hand trailed down, slipping beneath the hem of his shirt, and stopped just at the edge of his loose black shorts.
When Xi Siyan frowned and lifted his head slightly, Chen Mo leaned in and licked his Adam’s apple, whispering, “Say the word, and I’ll do it.”
