Xi Siyan was the only direct heir of the Xi family in three generations. His father had a formidable reputation in political circles, and members of the Xi family who were involved in either business or politics had all achieved considerable success.
Chen Mo hadn’t had much contact with him.
The first time they met in his previous life was in Yuhuai Village.
The Xi and Yang families had been close for many years. Back then, the Yang family had relied on the Xi family’s connections to confirm Chen Mo’s identity so quickly. So on the day the Yang family came looking for him, Xi Siyan had been there too, accompanying Yang Shule.
On a muddy village road beneath torrential rain, he sat in the back seat of an open car wearing a white shirt. From beginning to end, he never stepped out.
Even the young girls in the village would secretly blush when they looked at him.
The second time…
Chen Mo had run into a boy confessing his feelings to Xi Siyan in the school restroom.
Xi Siyan readily admitted that he did indeed like men, then rejected the other boy without the slightest mercy. Only after sending him away did he speak while washing his hands.
“Have you seen enough? If you have, get out.”
Chen Mo, who had been smoking in a stall, pushed the door open and met his cold gaze.
There were many more encounters like that afterward.
On the sports field, in the classroom, at the Yang family home, or during New Year’s gatherings between the two families.
They kept running into each other, but never became acquainted.
Chen Mo had formed a fixed impression of this person. He was the young master of the Xi family, someone others regarded as practically a crown prince. Born into privilege, he never bothered to conceal his likes or dislikes. He was always surrounded by a large crowd, and among those people, Yang Shule stood out as the most conspicuous and special.
They had grown up together. That alone was more than enough reason for Xi Siyan to dislike Chen Mo. He didn’t need any other excuse.
Later, all the news Chen Mo heard about this person came from Yang Shule.
Whenever the young man mentioned the Xi surname, his face would light up with particular brilliance.
“Mom, I’m going to the Xi family’s place! It’s A-Yan’s birthday today, and I still haven’t picked up his present from the store!”
“He’s going abroad. After that, there won’t be anyone to help me with my homework anymore.”
“A-Yan, can I fly over to see you during summer vacation?”
“When will you be coming back?”
“Big Brother! He’s not leaving again after he comes back this time, right?! Drive me to the airport to pick him up. Come on!”
“I’m not going to work at the company. I’ve already arranged to go work at A-Yan’s place. At least I won’t starve to death there.”
“Chen Mo, this project was personally handled by A-Yan. How did it end up in your hands?”
…
Back then, Chen Mo had handled many projects.
When he met Yang Shule’s questioning expression, he was genuinely taken aback for a moment. Then he sneered.
“What exactly are you suspecting? All I know is that one project can keep my entire team employed. So just because the boss on the other side happens to be surnamed Xi, I’m supposed to back off for your sake, Yang Shule? Who do you think you are?”
Those were the two most aggressive years of Chen Mo’s career. His temper was practically a powder keg, ready to explode at the slightest provocation.
Yang Shule’s face turned deathly pale on the spot.
Chen Mo had already prepared himself for Yang Shule to whisper something into that Xi guy’s ear and make the project fall through.
But, unexpectedly, the project went remarkably smoothly right up until its completion.
Later, at the celebratory banquet, both parties involved in the cooperation gathered for dinner.
The meal was already half over when Xi Siyan finally arrived.
He was no longer the young man Chen Mo remembered from their school days. The adult had broad shoulders and a wide back, and every movement carried the maturity of someone accustomed to being in a position of power. The only thing that hadn’t changed was that he remained the center of attention. Wherever he went, all eyes followed him.
He took the seat to Chen Mo’s left.
One by one, the many people in the private dining room came over to toast him. He drank every single glass without changing his expression.
In the end, only Chen Mo remained.
Alcohol made Chen Mo’s face flush easily, and he was already about eighty percent drunk. Amid the good-natured jeering, he leaned back against his chair and raised his glass toward Xi Siyan.
“President Xi, I’ll drink first.”
He tipped his head back and downed it in one go.
Afterward, he looked at the wineglass in front of Xi Siyan and raised an eyebrow.
“President Xi, aren’t you going to drink?”
“You’re drunk,” Xi Siyan stated.
What a hypocrite.
Chen Mo cursed him twice in his mind.
He guessed that Xi Siyan looked down on the way he now ingratiated himself with everyone, and then remembered Yang Shule’s suspicious expression at the beginning of the project. Most of the joy he had felt at the successful celebration immediately faded.
Under the influence of alcohol, he pushed himself up from the table.
He rested one hand on Xi Siyan’s shoulder and lifted his wineglass with the other, bringing it close to the man’s lips. In a low voice, he said, “Class monitor, it’s been so long since we last met. You’re really not going to drink? Or do you want everyone here to know that you and I have known each other for a long time?”
Chen Mo couldn’t remember whether Xi Siyan had eventually raised his hand to help with that last glass of wine. All he remembered was the gaze that swept over him. Refracted through the transparent glass, it seemed particularly indifferent and cold.
The next day, he woke up with a hangover in the apartment he had bought for himself.
The moment he opened his eyes, he was greeted by Gou Yiyang’s enormous face.
“Why are you here?” Chen Mo asked.
Gou Yiyang replied irritably, “Have you completely blacked out? I’ve told you to quit drinking, but you never listen. One of these days, you’re going to drink yourself to death!”
Then he asked on his own initiative, “When did Xi Siyan return to the country?”
Chen Mo was puzzled. “Why are you asking me? Didn’t you say you two got along pretty well in high school?”
Gou Yiyang poured him a glass of water as he spoke. “We lost touch a long time ago. After he went abroad, he pretty much cut off contact with everyone back home. Sure, we got along okay when we were studying together, but you know how it is. Once people grow up, the differences between them become more and more obvious. His social circle isn’t one people like us can get into.”
Chen Mo took the glass and drank a little.
Then he heard Gou Yiyang speak in a gossipy tone.
“But I’ve heard another version of the story. Apparently, his family had some objections to his sexual orientation, and that’s why he cut off contact with people back home.”
Chen Mo wasn’t surprised. During those two years, Yang Shule had seemed constantly unhappy because he couldn’t get in touch with Xi Siyan.
What a pair of star-crossed lovers.
Chen Mo gave a cold laugh.
He put down his glass. “Thanks for going through all that trouble to come pick me up last night.”
Gou Yiyang looked at him. “I didn’t pick you up. Xi Siyan brought you home.”
Chen Mo abruptly turned his head.
Gou Yiyang studied his expression. “You really don’t remember?”
“What am I supposed to remember?”
Gou Yiyang kindly helped refresh his memory.
“Basically, I suddenly got a call from him and was pretty surprised. By the time I arrived, your jacket was lying on the main road outside the residential complex, and you had both arms wrapped around Xi Siyan’s neck, acting like a shameless flirt.”
After saying that, he didn’t forget to lecture him.
“You know what you’re like when you’re drunk. You keep yourself repressed way too much normally, and once you get drunk, you stop behaving like a human being. How the hell did you dare do that?”
Chen Mo’s hangover was giving him a headache, and his complexion was terrible. He spoke slowly. “That wasn’t all.”
He told Gou Yiyang about how he’d taken advantage of being drunk to force the man to drink last night.
Gou Yiyang looked at him as though he were beyond saving.
“Why did you have to go looking for trouble with him? No wonder Xi Siyan looked so unhappy when I saw him.”
Chen Mo really wasn’t good at holding his liquor. He knew that himself, which was why he had always kept himself under control at business dinners and never allowed himself to drink too much.
That night, however, the alcohol had simply gone to his head.
He guessed Xi Siyan had probably wanted to kill him.
Fortunately, the man hadn’t actually had to do it himself.
After all, by the time Chen Mo died, at the age of twenty-eight, he certainly qualified as someone who had died far too young.
Who would have thought that the very first day he opened his eyes in this life, he’d run into this man?
It was probably karma.
Even in high school, Xi Siyan had already reached his full height. At approximately 188 centimeters, he could exert enough pressure on people just by walking toward them through the night.
He had sharp, angular eyes, a high nose bridge, and well-defined facial features. His looks were undeniably striking.
Although he was the class monitor of the experimental class, he clearly wasn’t the kind of good student who would report others to the teachers. The group of people hanging around with Gou Yiyang seemed to regard him as their backbone, and they immediately gathered around him.
Someone even took the initiative to answer his question, Where is he?
“He’s here!”
Someone waved. “His fever’s pretty serious.”
Chen Mo had already retreated to his previous spot, leaning against the wall. His entire figure was concealed in the shadows beyond the reach of the light.
When Xi Siyan followed the voice and looked over, their eyes met. Chen Mo could clearly see the momentary surprise in the other man’s eyes, as though he hadn’t expected the person hanging around with this group to be Chen Mo.
But Xi Siyan quickly composed himself and walked over.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
They were standing very close, close enough for Chen Mo to catch the faint fragrance on his body. It was crisp and clean, and distinctive enough to leave an impression.
The shirt he wore underneath looked ordinary at first glance, but the golden patterns hidden along the rolled-up cuffs hinted at something far from ordinary.
“I’m fine.”
With the back of his head resting against the wall, Chen Mo met Xi Siyan’s eyes, trying to find some evidence of hypocrisy in them.
Unfortunately…
This man played the part of a perfectly respectable class monitor exceptionally well.
He even raised a hand to touch Chen Mo’s forehead, his brows drawing together slightly.
“Your temperature is indeed a little high.”
Without waiting for anyone else to say anything, he took the initiative to make arrangements.
“I’ll take him to the hospital.”
Then he asked, “Where are you guys going after this?”
After hearing their answer, he added, “Keep yourselves in check. If Director Lai catches you, even I won’t be able to save you…”
“Risking your life to save us? Do you think I’m not human or something?…”
“What’s wrong with being the class monitor? The class monitor still has to suffer through the nightmare of being scolded by the homeroom teacher. It’s enough to scare me into solving two physics competition problems in my dreams.”
He was even able to joke around. His entire demeanor was relaxed, and he seemed to be in a good mood.
“Old Gou, come give me a hand.”
Chen Mo didn’t even get a chance to refuse.
The two of them helped him out of the alley.
Standing beside the car door, Gou Yiyang patted his shoulder. “What’s with you? Has the fever fried your brain?”
“Let go first.”
Chen Mo glanced at the arm Gou Yiyang was still gripping. His expression was somewhat indescribable.
“I just have a fever. I’m not having some kind of episode. What are you doing, holding me like a prisoner?”
“You’re really ungrateful.”
Gou Yiyang obediently let go. Then he reached into his trouser pocket, pulled out a pack of Xinxinxiangyin tissues that cost two yuan, and handed him one.
“Wipe yourself off. You’re making quite a scene just from having a fever. You’re sweating like there’s no tomorrow.”
Chen Mo took it and crumpled the tissue into a ball in his palm.
The paper absorbed the sweat from his hand. It felt warm and damp. His body temperature continued to rise, leaving him increasingly irritable.
Just then, Xi Siyan, who had finished speaking with the driver, turned and walked back.
He asked Gou Yiyang, “Are you coming with us?”
“I can’t.” Gou Yiyang said apologetically, “My grandma just called. She’s insisting that I go back home for a bit.”
Chen Mo knew that Gou Yiyang’s grandmother was a very important person in his life.
His grandmother was in poor health and passed away before he had even graduated from high school.
Later, whenever they drank together late at night, Gou Yiyang would say that the thing he regretted most in his life was not spending more time with his grandmother while she was still alive. He had even complained that she nagged too much.
Chen Mo immediately said, “There’s no need for you to come with us.”
Although he knew his words might sound a little strange, he still insisted on saying them.
“Spend more time with the elderly during your holidays. As people get older, they might become a little more talkative.”
He hesitated for a moment, then added, “Don’t be so impatient with her.”
As soon as he finished speaking, he could feel two gazes turning toward him.
Chen Mo remained expressionless.
Gou Yiyang was stunned for a moment before saying, “I know. Thanks… bro.”
Then he turned around and patted Xi Siyan on the arm.
“Class monitor, I’ll leave the important task of looking after our classmate to you. Give me a call if anything comes up.”
“Okay.”
Ten minutes later.
The understated Maybach made its way through the night market, where the city lights had just begun to shine.
The windows were tightly closed, creating a separate world inside the car. It was exceptionally quiet.
Chen Mo sat in the back seat, leaning his head back. One raised arm rested over his eyes. The other person sitting beside him had remained quiet the entire time, almost as though he didn’t exist.
Chen Mo soon spoke.
“Just find somewhere along the road and drop me off.”
The gaze that turned toward him felt almost tangible. Chen Mo heard him ask, “And then?”
“Then I’ll get a taxi myself. Anything will do.”
The other man seemed confused.
“Is there any point in going through all this trouble?”
“No point?” Chen Mo lowered his arm and looked over. His forearm had left creases on his eyelids, making him look even more exhausted. But his words were direct enough.
“There’s no one else here. Gou Yiyang is just too scatterbrained for his own good, which is why he called you over. Now that you’ve found out the person who needs help is me, does the class monitor still feel like playing the Good Samaritan?”
Xi Siyan laughed in disbelief.
It was obvious.
His smile did not make him look gentler. Instead, it only made his presence more intimidating.
“Do you think I was putting on an act just now?”
Chen Mo raised an eyebrow. “Wasn’t that what you were doing?”
“Chen Mo.” Xi Siyan called his name, his tone gradually turning cold. “I may not like sticking my nose into other people’s business, but if I do choose to get involved, I don’t appreciate being accused to my face. Especially when you use this excuse about the Yang brothers fighting over the family. If you’re unhappy, then compete for what you want through your own abilities.”
Chen Mo laughed.
“Compete with whom? Your childhood sweetheart?”
Seeing the veins at Xi Siyan’s temples begin to throb, Chen Mo still didn’t think he’d gone far enough. He leaned a little closer to him and said, slowly and deliberately, “Is he even worthy?”
Before the other man could react, Chen Mo leaned back again.
He curled his lips. “Or should I compete with the rest of the Yang family? What a waste of time.”
In the end, Xi Siyan still didn’t throw him out of the car.
The car drove all the way to the hospital entrance.
Chen Mo stood by the roadside and watched the taillights disappear around the corner before turning and walking into the hospital.
Meanwhile, inside the car that had just turned the corner…
Uncle Lin, the driver, glanced at the rearview mirror and carefully began to speak.
“Siyan, are we really just leaving him like that? That kid looked pretty seriously ill to me.”
Xi Siyan replied, “With a mouth as sharp as his, why should I help him?”
“I don’t think he was necessarily targeting you.” Uncle Lin tried to smooth things over. “When all is said and done, the Yang couple really have gone too far. Even if they can’t treat both children equally, they shouldn’t favor one so blatantly. He’s sick to this extent, and they still only seem to care about…”
Uncle Lin had worked for the Xi family for many years and naturally knew Yang Shule. In the end, he didn’t say the boy’s name aloud.
After all, it wasn’t his place to criticize him.
Uncle Lin continued, “Anyone would feel unhappy in a situation like this. Although that child, Shule, can’t be blamed for being switched at birth, you and he grew up together, so I can understand why you would take his side. But I still think it’s wrong to be so biased.”
Xi Siyan made no comment about the baby mix-up.
He merely said, “Uncle Lin, since when have you started believing the rumors going around outside?”
“Am I wrong?” Uncle Lin burst out laughing. “You’ve always been the type to side with your own people rather than what’s right. Since when have you ever bothered reasoning things out with anyone?”
The car fell silent for a while.
“Have someone inform the hospital.”
“Don’t let him die of a fever.”