The meal ended on bad terms. The Yang couple also left for the company, leaving only Chen Mo and Yang Shule at home.
Yang Shule had made a scene that morning, so the servants brought his lunch up to his room. He didn’t even show his face.
The midday sun hung high overhead. Chen Mo was dozing in the outdoor lounge area downstairs.
On the lawn around a distant corner, several servants were taking advantage of their lunch break to water the flower beds. Their occasional snippets of conversation drifted over.
“How’s the young master doing today?”
“Which young master are you asking about?”
“Come on, naturally, I’m talking about Young Master Shule. He’s been sick for so long that he’s lost a whole lot of weight, and he hasn’t even gone to school. Actually, tomorrow’s class gathering was suggested by Mr. and Mrs. Yang some time ago. They wanted to help him change his mood.”
“If it were me, I wouldn’t be able to feel happy either. Aside from being sick, part of the reason he hasn’t gone to school is probably that he doesn’t know how to face his old classmates. He used to be surrounded by friends, always shining so brightly. Now he has to face all those rumors and gossip.”
“As long as that one doesn’t cause trouble, I think everything will be fine.”
At this point, their voices grew quieter, as though they were being careful not to be overheard.
“Come to think of it, it’s strange. When he used to make a huge scene at the Yang family home, I didn’t think much of it. But after what happened this morning, now that he’s stopped making trouble, I actually find him a little frightening.”
“I’m genuinely afraid he’ll cause trouble tomorrow.”
What had happened tomorrow?
With a book of miscellaneous reading material covering his face, Chen Mo gave it some serious thought.
Something like this had indeed happened in his previous life.
Back then, Chen Mo hadn’t known that the Yang family would withdraw the lawsuit one moment and tell him to be magnanimous, only to turn around and happily organize a class gathering for Yang Shule. What was that kind of contrast, if not the equivalent of slapping him right across the face?
What’s more, among the people attending that day were several members of Yang Shule’s close-knit little clique. They were particularly nasty with their words.
In the end, things had turned ugly.
Because Chen Mo had thrown every single one of them into the swimming pool at home. Even Yang Shule hadn’t been spared.
In the sweltering September heat, Yang Shule had climbed out shivering as though someone had tossed him into ice water.
The condemning looks from everyone around him.
The questioning from his parents and Yang Zhi.
And the increasingly difficult situation he later faced at school.
Looking back now, all of it seemed so vague and distant.
Not to mention the maturity he’d gained through years of workplace experience. Just the fact that he’d died once was enough to make him realize that his former self, who had thought all of this was so hurtful, had been making far too much of it.
The conversation continued.
They had now moved on to the incident at the lunch table, when Yang Zhi had angrily gotten up and left.
Then an elderly person’s cough sounded from behind them, accompanied by Butler Xu’s sharp reprimand.
“Don’t you people have anything better to do?!”
Chen Mo took the book off his face and looked up at the old man standing behind him. Dressed in a white, traditional Chinese-style shirt with cloth buttons and leaning on a cane, the old man made him pause in surprise.
Yang Zongxian was being supported by Butler Xu, both hands resting on his cane. His expression was difficult to read.
The few servants were already scared stiff.
Not only because they hadn’t noticed that the person they’d been discussing all along was sitting just a short distance away.
It was also because the old man who had appeared was the former head of the Yang family.
Yang Zongxian’s rise to success was something of a legend. He was nearly eighty, yet still remarkably vigorous.
There was no doubt that he was the backbone of the entire Yang family.
In his previous life, Chen Mo had found him too stern and hadn’t been close to him. It wasn’t until three years later, when the old man’s health took a sharp turn for the worse and he eventually passed away, that Chen Mo realized this elderly man had been the only person in the Yang family who supported him.
He had supported the very actions that others saw as nothing more than a desperate struggle for power.
He understood Chen Mo’s desire for revenge and tolerated every indiscriminate attack he made against the Yang family.
He had been the first person to tell Chen Mo, “You haven’t done anything wrong.”
Chen Mo rose from the lounge chair.
The parasol overhead cast dark lines across the stone slabs beneath his feet. Meeting the old man’s gaze, Chen Mo looked directly at him for two or three seconds before speaking.
“Grandpa.”
“Mm.” Only then did Yang Zongxian move.
He walked over to Chen Mo and sat down in the wicker chair that went with the small round table.
His eyes had already developed a cloudy film, yet they didn’t look muddled. He glanced at the few servants standing in a row and asked, “What do you think?”
“Hm?” Chen Mo was confused. “What about?”
Yang Zongxian raised his eyes.
“What do you think about dismissing them?”
The servants immediately tensed up. One of the younger ones even turned red-eyed on the spot, looking as though she was about to cry.
Only then did Chen Mo understand what the old man meant. He smiled.
“Why make such a big fuss, Grandpa? It was only a couple of casual remarks. Gossiping is human nature, after all.”
“Your father is a man who cares a great deal about appearances.” Yang Zongxian swept his gaze around the surroundings. “He puts on quite a show of authority every day, yet he can’t even find decent people to work in his own home. Speaking ill of one’s employer behind their back—people like that would have been dismissed long ago if they were working at the main residence.”
Unfortunately, this wasn’t the main residence, Chen Mo thought.
The two who had been the most enthusiastic about gossiping and had made the nastiest remarks were both usually responsible for looking after Yang Shule. They constantly fawned over and coaxed the young master, while Yang Shule sweetly called them “Older Sister” at every turn. Naturally, they weren’t going to be dismissed so easily.
Seeing Chen Mo lost in thought, Yang Zongxian tapped his cane.
“You’re part of this family, too. You have the right to decide whether these people stay or go.” As though afraid Chen Mo wouldn’t dare speak up, he continued, “I’ve made this decision for you today. Your parents won’t dare say anything.”
Chen Mo stood before the old man.
“Thank you.”
“But there’s no need.”
The old man was puzzled.
“You’re not angry?”
Chen Mo smiled. “Getting angry is bad for the liver.”
That afternoon, Chen Mo accompanied the old man on a walk around the villa.
The old man had died of a heart attack, so emotional fluctuations were something he needed to avoid at all costs. Chen Mo deliberately tried to put him at ease, finding some inconsequential topics to chat about.
That day, all the servants in the villa could hear the old man’s laughter every now and then.
It surprised quite a few people.
After all, although Yang Zongxian had four children, each of whom had several children of their own, the old man was simply too stern. He had handed the company over to Yang Qian’an, but whenever he saw this son, he always seemed displeased with him. As for his grandchildren, there wasn’t a single one he particularly favored. Before Chen Mo was brought back, even Yang Shule, whom so many people adored, had never managed to win his affection.
Yang Shule, who was upstairs, apparently learned from the servants that the old man had arrived. He finally came out of his room to pay his respects.
At that moment, Chen Mo was telling the old man about planting rice in the countryside. If you went barefoot into the paddy fields, it wouldn’t even take half an hour before there was a good chance you’d have leeches crawling up your legs.
The old man chimed in, saying that when he’d gone to the countryside in his youth, he’d seen leeches as big as his little finger.
Yang Shule greeted him. After receiving a lukewarm response from the old man, he lowered his eyes and stood quietly to one side.
Yang Shule knew perfectly well that the old man didn’t like him. In the past, he’d tried to win the old man’s favor at his parents’ urging, but by now he’d long since given up.
He looked toward Chen Mo.
Seeing that Chen Mo hadn’t spared him a glance from beginning to end, he couldn’t help feeling somewhat disdainful.
So what if he’d managed to win the old man’s favor?
The old man was already old. How many more years could he possibly have any say in things?
That evening, the others returned home.
Yang Qian’an followed the old man into the study to discuss business matters, with Yang Zhi accompanying them. Zhou Yaoqiong busied herself in the kitchen, making arrangements for dinner.
Chen Mo could clearly sense that everyone was being extremely cautious.
The old man was like the compass guiding the Yang family mountain. As long as he was alive, his sons and grandsons all treated him with respect. It went without saying that Yang Qian’an, who had even gone so far as to conceal the baby switch to protect the company from trouble and rumors, would naturally go along with the old man in everything. After all, Yang Qian’an wasn’t his only son. The internal power struggles within the group were fierce, and he couldn’t afford to give anyone the slightest opening to make a big deal out of things. There were still many matters for which he needed his father to mediate.
Who would have expected that he’d be subjected to a thorough scolding that very night?
The old man’s cane pounded against the floor with loud thuds. He was so frustrated with his son that he practically wanted to shake some sense into him.
“Just look at what you’ve done! A baby mix-up? That woman stole your son! Your own flesh and blood! All you can see is money and profit! Your wife is confused, and you just follow along with her confusion? I’ve told you long ago that she spoils that child to an unreasonable degree. It’s understandable that she can’t let go of the one she raised herself, but what exactly have you two done to that child, Chen Mo?”
Yang Qian’an rubbed his face and frowned.
“Did Chen Mo complain to you?”
“Complain? I wish he’d complain!”
Yang Zhi hurried forward and gently patted the old man’s back.
“Grandpa,” Yang Zhi said. “Please calm down. Dad’s decision wasn’t entirely because of the company. Shule has been suffering from recurring high fevers for the past half month. Dad and Mom didn’t want to upset him any further. They only postponed the lawsuit. They didn’t actually withdraw it for good.”
The old man snorted coldly.
“When all’s said and done, it’s still for Yang Shule.”
“Dad,” Yang Qian’an said, “I’ve raised that child as my own son for more than ten years.”
“And what about Chen Mo?” The old man settled into his chair, sighing and shaking his head. “It’s been so long already. Have you ever thought about changing his surname? One child is sick, and because his condition keeps recurring, you can’t even see that the other one is sick too?”
“Sick?” Yang Qian’an froze. “He didn’t say anything.”
“If he doesn’t say anything, you can’t use your eyes? His complexion is terrible, and there’s not a bit of color in his lips.” The old man grew even angrier, sighing deeply. “He probably took some medicine that made him drowsy. He spent the entire afternoon forcing himself to stay awake and keep me company, an old man like me, and he didn’t let a single word slip. You, you, you! How did my Yang family end up producing such a bunch of blind, heartless fools like you?”
Yang Qian’an lowered his head, taking the scolding like a grandson. He didn’t offer a single word in his own defense.
Yang Zhi, standing beside him, remained silent for a long time.
Once again, he thought of that needle mark and the casual, unconcerned tone Chen Mo had used.
When Chen Mo had first been brought back, he’d been like a steel rod that couldn’t be bent. He was guarded around others, refused to suffer any losses, and held his back so straight that he easily kept everyone at a distance.
Now, it was as though something had been pulled out of him and disappeared.
Certain details had become especially glaring, and some of his words had taken on a weight that made them difficult to argue against.
Was this Chen Mo’s new tactic?
The old man really was an excellent target.
Chen Mo had no idea what was happening in the study.
On the living room sofa, he sat with his legs crossed, looking at the messages on his phone. The fruit on the plate beside him had been cut into evenly sized pieces, perfect for someone too lazy to peel fruit himself.
When he opened his phone, he discovered that someone with a husky-dog profile picture had added him that afternoon.
Chen Mo didn’t even need to guess. It had to be Gou Yiyang.
After all, even ten years later, that guy would still be using the same profile picture.
Chen Mo had barely accepted the friend request when a message popped up.
What’s up, Young Master Mo?
Why are you making such a fuss? Call me Chen Mo.
Fine, Brother Mo. Call someone “brother” when you meet them, and you’ll save yourself ten miles of uphill climbing.
Chen Mo shook his head and replied, You’re going to regret that.
He remembered how, during those years, Gou Yiyang had often complained that if he hadn’t spent all those years carrying the burden for Chen Mo, Chen Mo would probably have died of some illness in some forgotten corner of the world long ago.
The Old Gou of today was still young and innocent.
Didn’t you say you had more money than you knew what to do with? Someone like you is exactly the kind of person who should be friends with me.
Cut the nonsense. Did you need something?
Well, I felt bad about leaving you alone last night, so I thought I’d check in.
Chen Mo reminded him, I wasn’t alone.
Gou Yiyang replied, That’s exactly why I’m worried! You probably don’t know this since you only transferred here recently, but our class monitor Xi and that Yang Shule are known as the twin stars of No. 1 High School. Some of the people on the school forums are obsessed with shipping them. They secretly fantasize about them as the crown prince and the pampered young master he holds dear. Think about it. Really think about that relationship. When I remembered that I sent you straight into the tiger’s den last night, I started trembling.
Chen Mo suddenly burst out laughing. Gou Yiyang’s habit of gossiping like anything but a straight guy had apparently already shown signs of emerging back in high school.
Chen Mo replied, Isn’t it a little late to be warning me now?
Gou Yiyang said, I honestly didn’t think of that at the time. The main thing is, with someone like Xi Siyan, once you see him, it’s hard to pay attention to anyone else. He’s the dream guy of countless girls at our school. That’s no exaggeration.
Gou Yiyang asked again, Allow me to ask one thing. You weren’t assassinated last night, were you?
Chen Mo replied, I’m already dead. Remember to burn some paper offerings for me.
Gou Yiyang said, Then I’ll definitely have to come and witness your family’s class gathering tomorrow. I want to see your remains with my own eyes.
Chen Mo raised an eyebrow.
You’re coming too?
Gou Yiyang replied instantly.
I swear to heaven, I’m just here to watch the drama.