After the Reborn Young Master Embraced a Life of Wellness – Chapter 60

The sky hadn’t yet fully darkened, but the oppressive black clouds overhead gave the impression that a storm was imminent. Outside the window of the small-town hotel, the shadows of trees swayed violently in the fierce wind. Inside a room on the third floor, however, the temperature was steadily rising.

Chen Mo felt slightly dizzy.

As someone inexperienced, his attempt to take the initiative didn’t grant him complete control over the situation.

Every pause in breath, every flush of the neck, and every faint frown on the other person’s face stirred up a different kind of emotion in him.

The sheer visual intensity of it all, coupled with the memory of the phone call just half an hour ago, created a dual sense of impact. Because the person who, in a different timeline, was meant to walk down an entirely different future was now here with him, trapped together in this small-town hotel room.

Close, unguarded, and utterly intimate.

The reason behind it all was simple: Chen Mo was no longer the same Chen Mo as before.

This time, they had met at the same point but arrived at a completely different outcome. From strangers to acquaintances, and from acquaintances to intimacy—every detail and flash of memory felt like a wild, almost apocalyptic carnival of emotions when he thought about it now.

Chen Mo began to understand.

Some things could change, while others couldn’t.

Because this wasn’t a trivial choice of youth, nor a reversible fork in the road like choosing a school. This was an inevitable path—just like Chen Mo’s rebirth. There would always be certain decisions that had to be made.

The intimate encounter lasted longer than expected.

Of course, this was partly due to Chen Mo’s complete lack of skill.

Yet, in the vigor of youth, blood boiled easily. Kisses, mingling breaths, and the contact of lips and skin left both Chen Mo and Xi Siyan drenched in sweat.

When it was all over, Chen Mo flopped onto Xi Siyan’s chest without hesitation, their damp bodies sticking together.

Xi Siyan lowered the arm that had been shielding his eyes and attempted to push Chen Mo off.

“So tired?” There was a mix of frustration and amusement in his voice. “Why were you suddenly so reckless? I told you to stop being so troublesome.”

Chen Mo tilted his head to catch his breath, running his fingers over the sweat on Xi Siyan’s chin without responding.

Seeing Chen Mo silent, Xi Siyan sat up, his gaze briefly sweeping over Chen Mo’s lower body. “Need help?” he asked.

“No need,” Chen Mo replied, finally sliding off his chest and getting out of bed. “I don’t bully sick patients.”

He headed to the bathroom for a shower.

When he emerged, freshly cleaned, he announced that he was heading out to buy food for Xi Siyan to eat. Grabbing his phone, he made his way downstairs.

In the lobby, a few people were playing mahjong. The hotel owner spotted Chen Mo and cautioned, “It’s almost dark, and it looks like there’s going to be a heavy storm. Why are you heading out now?”

“I’m just going to the supermarket across the street to grab something quick,” Chen Mo replied casually.

The supermarket was only about fifty meters away, and Chen Mo didn’t bother to bring an umbrella.

When he reached the entrance of the supermarket, his phone buzzed with an email alert. Taking it out, he skimmed through the brief message in English. Translated, it contained only one line:

“His leg is injured, but his life is safe. The news is accurate.”

This was from a private intelligence service Chen Mo had contacted in his previous life. As long as you were willing to pay, they would provide information. Chen Mo had once used it to track the overseas accounts of Yang Zhi’s confidants. Now, it had proven useful again.

Though the old man had implied that the situation was dire, Chen Mo had suspected otherwise. If the Xi family had declared they were giving Xi Jianxing three days, it was unlikely they’d say so if his life were truly in danger.

Scaring a regular high school student? Sure.

But scaring Chen Mo?

That was another matter entirely.

And, as it turned out, Chen Mo had guessed correctly.

This confirmation eased some of his guilt. No matter how confident he was, he wouldn’t have risked that one-in-ten-thousand chance. Especially not when he had personally met Xi Jianxing.

After picking up some bread and milk at the supermarket, Chen Mo went to check out.

Just then, the sound of raindrops hitting the supermarket’s tin roof grew louder and heavier, rapidly escalating into a torrential downpour.

Carrying his bag of groceries, Chen Mo stepped to the store’s entrance but didn’t rush into the rain. Instead, he stood there for a moment, watching as water formed little puddles beneath the eaves.

When he finally looked up, he froze.

Across the street, under an umbrella, stood a figure who seemed to have been waiting for a while.

The small town’s streets were almost deserted at night, with only dim shopfront lights illuminating the surroundings. Through the veil of rain, they locked eyes for what felt like an eternity. Finally, the figure moved first.

It was Xi Siyan.

He walked over, closed his umbrella, shook off the rain, and stood next to Chen Mo without a word or a single prompt to hurry up.

Chen Mo glanced sideways at him.

“When did you figure it out?” he asked abruptly.

“As soon as you stepped out. It wasn’t hard to guess,” Xi Siyan replied calmly. “There’s always a way to find out.”

Chen Mo frowned in mock disbelief. “So, it’s impossible to hide things from you, huh?”

“It’s not that it’s impossible,” Xi Siyan said, his gaze dark and unreadable, “it’s just that I know you too well.”

His eyes seemed to pierce straight through Chen Mo. “I could tell you had something on your mind. I just didn’t expect it to be this.”

Chen Mo froze for a couple of seconds before breaking into a quick smile.

“Xi Siyan, do you know the first life creed I believed in after I was born?” Chen Mo’s voice was calm but firm. “It’s this: if you don’t work for yourself, you’ll be punished by heaven and earth. Whether your second uncle lives or dies, it has nothing to do with me. The Xi family’s agreements? They’re irrelevant to me. I like you, and it’s just about us. This relationship has only just begun. The feeling of being with you isn’t enough yet. I was planning to keep it hidden until the very end.”

Xi Siyan’s gaze froze. “You know that’s not what I care about. Since you didn’t tell me immediately, does that mean you’ve already made a decision in your heart?”

Chen Mo shuffled through the rain pooling around his feet. When he raised his head again, his tone had changed, even his address: “Brother Yan. We both know this was just an accident.”

Xi Siyan pressed a hand to his forehead, his brows furrowing deeply. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly.

Chen Mo tilted his head, puzzled. “What are you apologizing for?”

“For making you deal with the fallout of this incident,” Xi Siyan replied, his voice filled with regret. “I was overconfident, thinking I had enough time, and…”

“Hey.” Chen Mo interrupted him, a faint smile breaking on his face.

He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “If people knew that our almighty Xi Shen was this skilled at self-reflection, no one else would stand a chance.”

Chen Mo’s expression grew serious. He turned and took a step forward, facing Xi Siyan directly.

“You’re amazing,” he said, his tone softening. “You’ve shattered every preconception I had about you. You’re loyal and patient with your friends. You have clear goals in life and work tirelessly to achieve them. And to me…” Chen Mo paused, lowering his gaze as a small, wistful smile appeared on his lips. “To me, you’re even more incredible. When I’m with you, it’s hard to even notice your background. You’ve been so careful, so tolerant, so understanding. You empathize with my past and are willing to stand by me no matter where I am. I don’t think I’ll ever meet anyone like you again.”

He stopped for a moment, as if reminiscing.

Teaching him extra lessons.
Helping him make decisions, stopping him from smoking or drinking.
Always standing behind him, ready to catch him when he needed it.

So many memories, all centered on this person.

Xi Siyan had been the kind of person who amazed everyone during their youth, a figure people would still talk about years later. Even someone like Chen Mo, with all his unique experiences and unconventional life trajectory, hadn’t been immune.

But Xi Siyan didn’t respond. He remained silent from beginning to end.

It was as though he already knew what Chen Mo was going to say next.

His brows furrowed even deeper.

And then, Chen Mo said it.

“But that’s all.”

“Is it because the Xi family said they’d only give you three days?” Xi Siyan asked, his voice strained, as if holding back a storm of emotions.

Chen Mo smiled faintly and shook his head. “It’s not about anyone else. I hate having expectations or attachments to anyone or anything. You might find it hard to understand, but that’s just who I am. I won’t tell you that I’ll wait for you. I can’t make that promise, and it’s even more impossible for me to abandon my own path to follow you. I’ll only ever live for myself.”

Chen Mo’s words were resolute.

Eighty percent of them were true.

But the remaining twenty percent came from his own underestimation of his feelings.

Making this decision had not been easy. Saying it out loud was even harder. As the words left his mouth, he had to glance up at the rain-soaked night sky to suppress the nausea rising in his stomach.

The discomfort that had long left him returned in full force, quietly but painfully.

Xi Siyan’s path was already set.

And Chen Mo? He had just signed a contract with Su Qianran and Lao K.

He had countless other reasons he could’ve used—like the disapproval of the Xi family, his own lack of confidence, or fear—but in the end, he chose the one that was both the most realistic and the cruelest.

He wanted to make it clear from the perspective of an adult:
He simply didn’t want to continue.

The next morning, they booked a car to return to Suicheng.

Just yesterday, they had been chatting casually in the rented house, close friends in the countryside. And now, less than a day later, after one night and a high-speed train ride back, their world had shifted entirely.

When they got off the train and stepped out of the station, two black cars were parked outside—one in front and one behind.

This time, it wasn’t Uncle Lin driving. Instead, a driver Chen Mo had never seen before stood by the car.

Two bodyguards stood beside the vehicle, their expressions serious.

One of them opened the car door respectfully, waiting for their passenger to enter.

Still holding Chen Mo’s suitcase, Xi Siyan said, “I’ll take you home first.”

“There’s no need.” Chen Mo grabbed his suitcase back, glanced at the open car door, and said, “I’ll just get a taxi later. As for… seeing you off, I won’t. You haven’t fully recovered from your cold yet—don’t forget to take your medicine.”

But Xi Siyan didn’t release the suitcase.

“Chen Mo.” His eyes searched Chen Mo’s face, his brows furrowing as he said, “You don’t look well.”

Chen Mo touched his face reflexively. “Really? I just didn’t sleep well last night. You didn’t sleep much either, did you?”

At that moment, a young man in his late twenties leaned out from the passenger seat of the car. There was a hint of mischief in his gaze, and he wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses.

“Si Yan,” the man said, “your grandfather told me to let you know—since you returned early, you’ll be flying abroad tonight. The ticket’s already booked. Don’t worry about your… classmate. Someone will take responsibility for seeing him home.”

Xi Siyan glanced coldly at the man leaning out of the passenger seat.

The man raised an eyebrow, smirked, and sat back inside the car.

Chen Mo, unfamiliar with the man, asked, “Who is that?”

“Han Qian,” Xi Siyan replied with a slight frown. “He was raised under the sponsorship of the Xi family. He’s always been a frivolous person, so don’t pay him any attention.”

Chen Mo nodded, his expression neutral. “Then, have a safe journey.”

The station was bustling with travelers hurrying about.

As Xi Siyan looked at Chen Mo standing before him, he realized just how much the other had transformed in the past year.

He had risen to the top of his class, cut ties with the Yang family, and handled all the trouble brought by Chen Jianli with surprising composure.

Every scenario of misfortune and crisis that Xi Siyan had envisioned for Chen Mo seemed irrelevant now. It was undeniable: Chen Mo was more than capable of thriving on his own.

A bright future lay ahead of him.
Dazzling, full of promise—exactly the kind of future they had once wished for each other.

In the end, Chen Mo declined Han Qian’s offer of a ride.

He stood silently, watching the car carrying Xi Siyan as it drove further and further away.

Xi Siyan didn’t say anything at the end.

No goodbyes. No blessings. No final hug.

He merely paused for a moment before stepping into the car. Once seated, he let the bodyguard close the door behind him.

As the car merged into traffic, Han Qian watched through the rearview mirror and remarked, “He got in the car and left too.”

“Yeah,” Xi Siyan replied quietly, leaning back in his seat with his eyes closed. He didn’t look back.

Han Qian chuckled. “I thought I’d witness some heart-wrenching, melodramatic farewell scene today. Are you two really together? Or did your family’s investigation screw up?”

Xi Siyan opened his eyes, his gaze sharp. “Have you been living too comfortably abroad these past few years?”

“Don’t be so mean,” Han Qian replied, clicking his tongue. “Honestly, at your age, isn’t this the time to have passionate, whirlwind romances? But based on what I saw today, I don’t know whether to call you heartless or to say your boyfriend is even more heartless.”

Xi Siyan frowned and ignored him, steering the conversation elsewhere. “How is Second Uncle?”

Han Qian’s playful expression faded into one of seriousness. He adjusted his glasses, giving him a sly, fox-like air. “He’s awake but needs to rest. We’ve investigated the perpetrators. Their shell company is tied to some local gangs. Your second uncle just got there and wasn’t familiar with the terrain yet.”

At that, Han Qian sighed and rubbed his forehead, looking exasperated. “On the surface, he’s just an educator. Is there really no one better left in your Xi family?”

“Don’t you know how things stand within the Xi family?” Xi Siyan replied, his tone calm yet heavy. “Grandpa’s seriously ill, and the closest relatives are circling like vultures. Many of them have been waiting for this moment for years. There’s no one better suited than Second Uncle to hold things together.”

“Rich families are always full of trouble,” Han Qian concluded with a snort before adding, “So, your willingness to end things completely—is it because you finally realized that the Xi family’s mess can’t be cleaned up in a short time?”

Xi Siyan said nothing, his expression unreadable.

Han Qian clapped his hands, as if coming to a realization. “Ah, I get it now. Only someone young would be this magnanimous when making decisions.”

“Are you done yet?” Xi Siyan’s patience was wearing thin, and he kicked the back of the passenger seat in frustration.

But Han Qian wasn’t finished. “What a pity. Your boyfriend—oh wait, ex-boyfriend now, right? If you were really together, that would make him your ex-boyfriend. Anyway, he’s a college student. Just think about how many high-quality people he’ll meet. Wouldn’t you be jealous?”

He smirked and continued, “He’s good-looking too. I heard he’s got excellent grades. If I were you, I’d have tied him up and thrown him in the car first.”

Xi Siyan tugged at his collar roughly, his fingers accidentally brushing against the faint tooth mark where his shoulder met his neck. For a moment, he froze.

“Han Qian,” he suddenly said.

The man in the passenger seat turned back, curious. “What?”

“From now until we get on the plane, don’t let me hear another word from you.”

Everyone in the car—Han Qian, the driver, and even the bodyguard in the car behind, who had been listening through an earpiece—fell silent.

Something within Xi Siyan was shifting. As he prepared to officially step onto the stage as a representative of the Xi family’s new generation, parts of him seemed to fade away, replaced by something colder, harder, more resolute.

The succession of power in a prominent family always came with a cost.

Han Qian was perhaps the only one who saw it clearly.

The old man had assigned him to shadow the young “prince” of the Xi family. Despite his refined appearance, there was an untouchable line within him—one that even Han Qian dared not cross.

That line was a boy named Chen Mo, someone Xi Siyan had met during his youth.

In the year when Xi Siyan was on the cusp of adulthood, he had chosen to stay behind.

A thousand times over, Xi Siyan had probably imagined tying Chen Mo up and taking him with him.

But he didn’t.

So now, no one else was allowed to touch him either.