Chapter 45

Chapter 45

Before the second half of the sophomore year had even concluded, the school received news that Xi Siyan had led his team to win first place in the group and individual categories at the Olympic Physics Competition. He also received offers from prestigious universities both domestically and abroad.

This happened nearly half a year earlier than in his previous life.

The top spot in the grade finally changed hands.

Chen Mo's name now stood firmly at the top.

On the day Xi Siyan returned to school, the school even went so far as to hang a banner at the gate—Warmly Welcome Our Outstanding Student, Xi Siyan, Back with Honors!

The principal and other school leaders personally came to greet him.

"Have you memorized your lines?" Director Lai tugged on the sleeve of the student beside him.

The current top student in the grade was standing without any decorum, wearing his uniform loosely, which made Director Lai frown. He slapped him and continued, "What were you doing last night?"

"Studying," Chen Mo said casually, holding a bouquet of sunflowers. "Do you think it's easy being the top student? I have to work tirelessly day and night."

"Nonsense." Director Lai didn't believe a word. Irritated, he said, "I heard from your dorm mates that you're still learning programming, right? Chen Mo, you need to understand that you're facing your senior year. If you exhaust yourself, everything will be for nothing."

Chen Mo chuckled, looking at the balding middle-aged man beside him.

He decided not to tease him further and said, "You're overthinking it. Last night, someone dragged me into playing games until two in the morning." Seeing Director Lai's face darken, he added, "Don't you know geniuses don't need much effort; they're already ahead of most people."

Director Lai kicked him.

If not for the presence of other school leaders, Chen Mo would have been reprimanded.

Chen Mo glanced at the crowd gathered at the intersection and continued, "Actually, this welcome ceremony is unnecessary. Regardless of whether Xi Siyan likes it or not, it's sweltering out here. Why put on a show at the school gate?"

"Only you would say that!"

Director Lai accused him, "I think you're jealous that Xi Siyan got first place."

Chen Mo knew that good students were treasures to teachers, especially someone like Xi Siyan. Teachers couldn't bear hearing any criticism about them. He said, "Really, he's very particular. This simple welcome ceremony would make anyone feel awkward."

Director Lai doubted, "Are you close with him?"

"Um... kind of?"

In fact, they hadn't been in touch for some time.

Due to their different statuses and circumstances, communication was inconvenient. More importantly, there wasn't much to talk about.

If he spent all day texting about Qi Lin eating stinky tofu in the dorm, Lao Gou falling off his bike on the weekend, or who did what in class, it would seem strange.

Chen Mo had never formed deep connections with anyone, and he didn't have that habit.

But as he watched the specially marked bus slowly approach, when Xi Siyan stepped down from the vehicle, Chen Mo felt as if he had seen him just yesterday.

He looked the same.

Wearing casual clothes, a black baseball cap on his head, and carrying a single-strap bag, he appeared simple and relaxed.

However, the school leaders swarmed around him, asking if the journey was smooth and if the competition was stressful.

Finally, it felt like a hero's return.

Chen Mo originally had a part where he would present flowers and say a few official welcome words.

But when the moment arrived, he realized he had no role to play.

Xi Siyan had noticed him early on.

After all, only Director Lai could make Chen Mo appear here reluctantly.

After briefly answering the questions, Xi Siyan walked up to Chen Mo.

"For me?" Xi Siyan asked.

Standing closer, Chen Mo noticed that Xi Siyan had lost a bit of weight, and his skin seemed slightly darker.

Chen Mo handed him the flowers, having forgotten any prepared lines.

"Congratulations," he said.

"Thanks," Xi Siyan replied with a smile, taking the flowers while Director Lai glared at him.

After Director Lai was called away by others, Xi Siyan looked closely at the faint dark circles under Chen Mo's eyes and asked softly, "Didn't get enough rest?"

Chen Mo glanced at him and complained, "Last night, a guy from the neighboring dorm had a conflict and insisted on bunking with Jiang Xu. His snoring kept me awake all night—it sounded like thunder."

Chen Mo finally revealed the real reason.

Then he joked, "The only thing keeping me standing here to welcome you is our deep friendship as desk partners. Are you touched, Brother Yan?"

"Touched," Xi Siyan agreed, then suddenly said, "Don't move."

Chen Mo grunted in response, showing confusion.

Xi Siyan leaned in, examined him for a moment, and then reached out to remove a tiny piece of glitter from the bouquet's wrapping paper stuck under Chen Mo's eye.

Showing it to him, Xi Siyan straightened up and laughed, "I thought you were moved to tears after not seeing me for a couple of months."

"Get lost," Chen Mo cursed.

The school bully has now become a top student.

At least that's how it seemed to others. So when the two of them walked through the school during the break, passing by the tree-lined path, the library, and the edge of the sports field, all the way to the second-year building, they received various looks and inquiries. These were so friendly that Chen Mo, who had been too busy to care about his reputation in recent months, was shocked.

For example, Chen Mo heard many people whispering.

"Damn, that's the god from second year who got early admission. The seniors taking the college entrance exam this year must be envious."

"Xi Siyan, not surprising."

"The one walking next to him is Chen Mo, right? Seems like the geniuses hang out together."

"Isn't Chen Mo the one who got reprimanded?"

"That was ages ago. Go check the school honor board; the photo there isn't bad."

"He looks pretty good in person, too."

"I heard he has a great temper."

"Yeah, just too low-key."

Chen Mo: "…"

He asked suspiciously, "Are they talking about me?"

Xi Siyan chuckled, "Looks like Brother Mo has been doing well recently."

In the past two months, Old K had been busy with bidding for projects. Based on his past experiences, Chen Mo gave him some advice. Unexpectedly, a week before the bidding, the bottom price was maliciously leaked, and their creative ideas were stolen and put into production by a company called "Zhi Cheng."

All their hard work went up in smoke.

Chen Mo suddenly had a lot on his plate.

Apart from his studies, he also had to come up with emergency plans and countermeasures for the situation. Since he couldn't personally handle these matters, he mostly communicated through Su Qianran.

Su Qianran was quite remarkable.

She never questioned why Chen Mo knew so much or why he had such a sharp eye for the future market.

She suggested that Chen Mo rent a house near the school if it wouldn't affect his studies.

Chen Mo actually considered it. On the afternoon Xi Siyan returned, he had scheduled a house viewing. However, since everyone had organized a celebration party for Xi Siyan that evening, he postponed the viewing.

That night, a bar in Sui City was booked out.

It was owned by a cousin of Sun Xiaoya, and they only used the venue. Sun Xiaoya assured the owner that they wouldn't drink, which is why the place was chosen.

At eight o'clock that night.

People brought more people, familiar and unfamiliar, at least thirty or forty individuals.

The dazzling lights and deafening music in the bar, coupled with underage teenagers behaving wildly, made it seem like a crime scene.

Compared to the girls who had specially dressed up and applied makeup, the boys were more casual.

"Are you sure this is okay?" Chen Mo accidentally glanced at a couple kissing in a corner of the sofa and asked Sun Xiaoya, who had several small braids, "There are quite a few people here who aren't even from our school. What did you tell your relative?"

Sun Xiaoya looked at him in surprise and laughed, "Chen Mo, I didn't realize you have the highest moral standards among everyone here."

Chen Mo glanced at the group next door, where Xi Siyan and Qi Lin were.

No one wore school uniforms, especially the main character today, who was wearing a black shirt and leaning against the sofa. In the dim light, he looked perfectly suited to this place, far removed from the proud genius at school.

Chen Mo thought about it and realized that they were truly rich kids for whom such places were child's play.

Someone asked Xi Siyan, "Young Master Yan, since you've been admitted early, do you plan to report to a university directly, or will you enjoy the last year first?"

Everyone present was curious about this question.

Xi Siyan held a transparent glass, "Not sure yet."

"Haven't decided on a university either?"

"Mm, no rush."

The people around them sighed, "Money talks."

"Or is it intelligence?"

"Both, I guess. After all, there's a billion-dollar inheritance waiting even if you don't study."

Everyone burst into laughter.

Chen Mo didn't join in.

He actually disliked entertainment venues due to the disgusting transactions and scenes he had witnessed in similar places in his previous life. He could maintain a facade and even pretend, but he would vomit once back at his apartment.

So when a girl from another school approached him alone and offered him a bottle of beer, he instinctively refused.

"It's just beer." The heavily made-up girl looked at him as if he were a rare species and teased, "Not many guys don't drink these days. Come on, who cares about underage drinking?"

Chen Mo rested his forehead in his hand and smiled helplessly. Just as he was about to take the beer, someone intercepted it.

"He has a stomach problem." Xi Siyan took the beer away and sat down beside him.

The girl called out, "Brother Yan," looking apologetic and left without saying anything else.

Chen Mo turned to look at the person beside him, "Did you drink?"

"Unavoidable," Xi Siyan said.

Apart from the faint smell of alcohol on him, Chen Mo indeed couldn't detect any other signs on his face.

Chen Mo leaned forward and handed him a glass of untouched water.

Xi Siyan took it and suddenly asked, "What have you been busy with lately?"

"What do I have to be busy with?" Chen Mo replied.

Xi Siyan showed no emotion, merely taking a sip of water before casually saying, "I heard you're planning to move out of the dormitory?"

"Mm." Since Chen Mo was actively looking for a place, there was no point in hiding it; the others in the dorm already knew.

He didn’t mention the specific reasons but explained, "I've recently found something I want to do. You know, next semester is our final year of high school. Everyone in the dorm needs plenty of rest. After thinking about it, I decided to move out."

Xi Siyan remained silent.

Chen Mo countered, "What about you? When do you plan to leave school?"

"Soon," Xi Siyan paused for two seconds before responding.

Chen Mo had a feeling that his initial answer wasn't this, as if he had changed it on the spot.

Chen Mo didn't press further.

The surroundings were too noisy.

In such an atmosphere, even without drinking, it was hard to stay completely sober.

Chen Mo's arm brushed against Xi Siyan's, separated by only thin layers of clothing, clearly sensing the warmth of the other.

People kept coming over to talk to Xi Siyan, congratulating him, joking, teasing.

Chen Mo watched the comings and goings, listening to him chat casually with everyone, drinking quite a bit.

In that moment, a faint sense of regret arose within him.

He thought that if he hadn't lived two lifetimes but had seen things clearly much earlier in his previous life, they might have become familiar much sooner. That familiarity wouldn't have been hindered by many things, like time and temperament. Then perhaps Xi Siyan would have had the chance to meet a pure and passionate young Chen Mo.

That was a side of Chen Mo he himself had never seen.

Now, no matter how impulsive or how far he joked, he could not change the inherent calmness and maturity in his mind.

So when Lao Gou rushed over with his phone,

"S**t! The Yang family is in trouble!"

The incident started with Yang Shule.

Several times, the platform that filmed him captured him together with Chen Jianli. The reporters probably thought that digging into his original family background would uncover deeper stories. They didn't realize what they would find until they dug deeper.

The news about the "mistaken identity" was brought up again.

The new headlines were particularly sensational.

"Abused Child Suffers, Wealthy Family Conceals Truth"

"Revealing Seventeen Years of Suffering in the Mountains"

While it was said that the Yang family was in trouble, the one truly at the center of the storm was Chen Mo.

Due to the Yang family's plummeting stock prices, although still better than before, all the news focused on digging into every aspect of Chen Mo's life.

News reports included neighbors from Yuhuai Village,

his former teachers and classmates,

and the restaurant owners where he had worked.

Their descriptions were similar: "That child is hardworking and can endure hardship, but he has a stubborn personality and doesn't easily yield. His childhood was quite pitiful."

The pleasant gathering was suddenly ruined.

More and more people picked up their phones to read the news, and the atmosphere grew increasingly strange.

The experiences described by those interviewed were hard to reconcile with the Chen Mo standing before them. Yet, this did not stop them from sympathizing with him, some girls even quietly tearing up, exclaiming in disbelief.

Chen Mo had long prepared himself mentally.

So he pressed his forehead, only feeling a headache at being exposed at this time and place.

He told Lao Gou and Qi Lin to continue entertaining everyone.

He got up to find Xi Siyan, who had gone out with a dark expression on his face and his phone in hand.

This bar was hidden away, at the end of the entertainment street, and required descending a few steps to see its entrance.

At that moment, Xi Siyan was leaning against the wall near the entrance, revealing only a third of his body.

Chen Mo took a few steps forward and heard his voice colder than ever.

Xi Siyan: "Right now, I don't need explanations, I need solutions! What did the media we dealt with before say... What do you mean official media won't confront us directly? If I sue them for invading a minor's privacy, do you think they'd dare to say anything else?... Bullshit, don't give me excuses. I'll explain this to my grandfather myself..."

Chen Mo stood behind, listening for a while without rushing forward.

Until Xi Siyan turned around and saw him.

Frowning, he asked, "Why did you come out here?"

"Everyone looks at me as if I were their parents, and it's really unbearable." Chen Mo stepped forward and asked, "I mentioned earlier that after Chen Jianli approached me, the media guidance went surprisingly smoothly. Turns out you helped. Why didn't you say anything? Thanks."

Xi Siyan put away his phone, his expression not lightening. "There was only so much I could do."

"Brother Yan," Chen Mo smiled. "Don’t forget, you’re still a few months away from eighteen."

This didn’t make Xi Siyan smile.

Instead, his face turned even grimmer.

At this moment, Xi Siyan’s heart was filled with anger.

Not just because of the countless details from the interview subjects he hadn’t had time to examine thoroughly, but more so because when he discovered Chen Mo being exposed in such a manner to the public, he couldn’t prevent it or handle it effectively afterward.

He clearly perceived the limits of his abilities.

The stark truth was that seventeen-year-old Xi Siyan was powerless, a bleak and undeniable fact. Even though moments ago, he had been receiving congratulations for winning the world youth competition.

And the individual who instilled in him a sense of guilt and, from the outset, caused him heartache, was also unexpectedly thrust into the media's crosshairs tonight.

That child who trudged through the snow in winter to buy medicine for his foster mother.

Little Chen Mo, who was tied by the well and froze all night.

That teenager who later worked in a restaurant.

And fought with his foster father, now appearing in the media as a fallen scion of a wealthy family.

That ache, piercing his heart and lungs.

It made Xi Siyan realize, upon seeing Chen Mo before him, that his emotions had surpassed a certain threshold, teetering on the brink.

Not far away, some students from the same school, unaware of the two by the door, were whispering about it.

"I never would have thought Chen Mo had it so bad."

"The Yangs must be crazy. If it were me, I’d sue that couple until they rot in jail. They did nothing and even lied to the media. Why?"

"I think it’s for Yang Shule. Look how quickly the news broke, and Yang Shule is nowhere to be seen. And he’s so pampered by the Yangs. There were rumors before that they didn’t get along."

"That’s true. Plus, there’s Xi Siyan. It’s been rumored that Chen Mo stole Yang Shule’s boyfriend."

"You mean Chen Mo and Xi Siyan..."

"It’s not simple. Chen Mo has said he likes guys, and didn’t you notice how cold Xi Siyan looked when the news broke? I was scared just looking at him."

...

Chen Mo, who accidentally overheard everything: "..."

He glanced at Xi Siyan, who had leaned against the wall again and was looking back at him.

"Should I explain it for you?" Chen Mo tentatively suggested.

Xi Siyan: "Explain what?"

Chen Mo decisively: "You, Xi Siyan, will have nothing to do with me, Chen Mo, in this life, the next, or the one after that."

Xi Siyan’s eyes turned cold, and he suddenly pulled Chen Mo closer. As Chen Mo instinctively tilted his head up, Xi Siyan kissed him.

Though brief, Chen Mo was stunned.

Xi Siyan, coldly: "Now we do."

Chen Mo’s first reaction was to look around to see if anyone had noticed.

Finding no one had, he turned back.

In that moment, he felt a jumble of emotions, unable to sort them out. The surroundings were dim, and a faint scent of alcohol lingered in his nose, along with Xi Siyan’s presence. He didn’t know what to say, and in his confusion, he blurted out, "Are you drunk?"

Although Xi Siyan’s face remained cold, his fingers slowly caressed Chen Mo’s earlobe, a gesture both soothing and acknowledging his emotional turmoil and the effects of alcohol.

In a hoarse voice, he replied: "No."