Chapter 26
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Ye Mu glanced over, lowered his head and lightly coughed, tugging on the dog leash.
He lifted his foot to leave, but was stopped. “Where are you going?” Chen Mo glanced at him askance, coldly asking.
Ye Mu pursed his lips and said, “Taking the dog home.”
Chen Mo raised his sharp chin and said, “Clean up the floor first.”
Ye Mu’s face was displeased. “It’s your dog; clean it up yourself.”
Chen Mo snorted coldly, sharply saying, “It’s mine, but now it’s been entrusted to you.”
“You said it’s entrusted, so nominally, it’s still yours.”
Chen Mo’s eyes narrowed slightly. “I’ll give you an extra 10,000 in salary after you clean it up.”
Ye Mu’s face was expressionless as he indifferently said, “Do you think I’m the kind of person who would easily submit for money?”
The corners of Chen Mo’s thin lips curled up slightly as his fair, slender fingers slowly raised. “20,000.”
Ye Mu looked at him, his handsome face calm, without much expression. Chen Mo lightly tapped the table. “30,000.”
Ye Mu stood straight, lowering his eyes, while Hei Ye circled around him a few times.
Chen Mo glanced at him askance. “Ahem,” he coughed. “50,000.”
Ye Mu pressed his lips together, his fingers slightly moving.
Chen Mo raised his eyebrows. “100,000.”
Ye Mu gritted his teeth, submitting to his instincts, silently taking out a tissue and squatting down.
Chen Mo teased him with a smile, “Where did the person who said he wouldn’t easily submit for money just now go?”
Ye Mu lowered his head, his bangs covering his expression. His voice was low, cold, and muffled. “This isn’t submission; it’s an appropriate concession.”
Chen Mo couldn’t stop the corners of his lips from curling up as he unruly said, “You sure can talk.”
Ye Mu minded his own business, ignoring him.
Chen Mo looked at him and slowly said, “Speaking of which, you must quite dislike me now, right?”
Ye Mu wiped the floor, displeased as he lowered his voice and responded, “Mm, I quite dislike you.”
Chen Mo scoffed and cleared his throat. “Very well, then from now on, discard all the ideas in your heart that you should and shouldn’t have.”
Ye Mu lightly frowned. “What do you mean?”
Chen Mo lifted his thin eyelids and glanced at him. “You know what I mean.”
Ye Mu stood up, his gaze colliding with Chen Mo’s. “I don’t know.”
For some reason, Chen Mo averted his gaze, uncomfortably twirling his pen.
“Something similar to the human body’s instincts, arising from the need for certain hormones, with an uncertain depth and persistence.”
Ye Mu’s brows furrowed even more tightly. “What exactly are you trying to say?”
Chen Mo glanced at him carelessly, casually stating his ultimate purpose. “Both professionally and personally, I don’t want you to have any unnecessary thoughts about me.”
Ye Mu felt that he indeed had a bias against Chen Mo in his heart. He stared at him for a moment and said indifferently, “Okay, I’ll try to adjust.”
Hearing this, Chen Mo’s fair and handsome face was expressionless. “Mm, alright, once you’re done cleaning the floor, take the dog out.”
Ye Mu nodded, knowing this person’s temperament. Without probing further, he directly took the dog and turned to leave. Chen Mo stared at his back, watching for a long time before finally shifting his gaze. …
In June, it rains a lot in Shanghai. When getting off work in the evening, a torrential rainstorm suddenly started. Ye Mu had no car or umbrella. At that time, he couldn’t get a taxi either, so he could only wait with Hei Ye at the company entrance for the rain to let up.
A few colleagues from the company who couldn’t wait any longer directly ran into the rain towards the bus stop. Ye Mu also wanted to, but he was afraid Hei Ye would catch a cold in the rain, so he didn’t follow along.
As the boss’s pet, Ye Mu felt that this husky was much more noble than himself.
Before understanding its position in his boss’s heart, he didn’t dare take the risk of letting it get sick. Chen Mo’s salary increase today made his income quite considerable. He didn’t want to lose this job. The previous turmoil had already put the Ye family on the brink of bankruptcy, at risk of mortgaging their property.
Now that things had finally improved a bit, thanks to the money from selling the villa before, he didn’t want to become a burden to the family again.
The rain continued, the sky covered by a dark cloud, accompanied by lightning and thunder, inexplicably giving people an uncomfortable feeling of humidity and oppression.
Hei Ye seemed to feel it too, lying listlessly on the ground without much energy.
Amidst the heavy downpour, music wafted out from the coffee shop. It was a song called “After Breaking Up.”
I always think after, after
Hoping you can look at me
But when you really turn around
We’ve already broken up
I don’t love you anymore
You don’t love me anymore
Is it sincere or a lie Is it intentional or unintentional?
Don’t know, we both don’t know
Wandering, lost, endless …
The male singer’s low, magnetic voice sang slowly.
The bits and pieces held heartache and affection, making people feel inexplicably melancholic when listening.
Ye Mu lowered his head, quietly looking at the wet tiles on the ground, his eyes filled with gloom.
Just like that song, recently, he always felt very lost, going around in circles alone, repeating the routine of going to and from work every day.
He no longer needed to wait for someone’s words like before, no longer needed to fawn over someone like before, but he always felt like something was missing.
He didn’t really like dogs, even to the point of aversion and dislike.
Perhaps the reason he could calmly accept it today was because he wanted to find a companion.
On the day he quit smoking, he felt lonely and solitary.
The heavy rain continued.
Amidst the pitter-patter of raindrops, a black Lamborghini stopped in front of the company. Ye Mu raised his eyes and glanced over, his face turning cold.
The window slowly opened.
The man’s side profile in the car was deep and handsome, his deep eyes staring straight ahead.
His voice was low. “Get in the car.”
Just a few short words, concise yet imposing, rippling with strong masculine charm.
Ye Mu looked at him without moving. After a long time, his thin lips parted slightly. “Why are you here?”
Yan Chen remained silent, not making a sound.
Ye Mu slightly frowned, his attitude indifferent. “I don’t need your blind kindness. Drive the car away.”
Yan Chen turned the key to turn off the car.
He leaned back, smoking, his expression calm. “Ye Mu, don’t blame me for not warning you. Gu Huai has been investigating the matter of you misappropriating company funds half a year ago.”
Ye Mu’s face immediately darkened. “What trick are you playing? That money was withdrawn by me at the time to save you in an emergency. It doesn’t count as misappropriation at all.”
Yan Chen scoffed. “You’re right, but who can prove it now?” Ye Mu gritted his teeth, his face tense. “What do you mean?”
Yan Chen narrowed his eyes and took a deep drag of his cigarette. “Nothing, I just want to make a deal with you.”
Ye Mu’s eyes held impatience. “We have nothing to discuss.”
Yan Chen took another drag and exhaled contentedly. “Then you can only wait for the notice from the police station and court.”
Ye Mu clenched his fists tightly, staring at him without speaking.
Yan Chen snuffed out his cigarette, his tone low. “Actually, it’s not difficult to get me to testify. As long as…”
“As long as what?”
Yan Chen glanced at him and continued, “As long as you obediently listen.”
Ye Mu’s handsome face was cold. “And what exactly does ‘obediently listen’ mean?”
Yan Chen lifted his thin eyelids and glanced down at Ye Mu’s lower body, smiling ambiguously. “What do you think?”
Ye Mu’s teeth gritted with a creaking sound. After a long time, he spit out the word. “Shameless!”
The corners of Yan Chen’s lips curled into a wicked smile. “Call me whatever you want. The choice is yours. Of course, you can also choose not to be shameless with me.”
Ye Mu looked at him, his tone vicious. “You’ve already driven the Ye family to bankruptcy. At this juncture, if you slander me for misappropriating funds together with Gu Huai, you’re forcing me into a dead end!”
Yan Chen laughed. “A dead end? Aren’t I giving you a way out?” Ye Mu looked at him indifferently.
“Is it a way out or a path to doom?” The corners of Yan Chen’s lips held nonchalance.
“No need to play word games with me. If I were you, before defending your pitiful dignity, I would think more about your aged and helpless parents. Having to chase after their son’s debts in their old age must be the most unfortunate thing.”
Ye Mu bit his lip, lowering his eyes to look at the ground. He was silent, his heart filled with bitterness beyond words. Yan Chen raised his sharp chin and repeated, “Get in the car.”
This time, Ye Mu didn’t say anything. He just wearily closed his eyes and opened the car door, getting in with the dog as if he had accepted his fate.
Yan Chen glanced at him with curled lips. He stepped on the gas pedal and drove off.
For nearly an hour, Ye Mu didn’t speak. He just maintained a lowered head posture, his bangs covering his facial features, making it impossible to see his expression.
Yan Chen didn’t speak either. The atmosphere in the car was completely silent. The rain continued. The car wheels rolled over puddles, splashing water and making a mess of the streets.
Half an hour passed. Yan Chen stopped the car at the bottom of Ye Mu’s apartment building.
He tapped the steering wheel and spoke indifferently, “We’re here. Get out.”
Ye Mu didn’t move. Yan Chen frowned but didn’t urge further. He lowered his head and started smoking in the car. The two of them were in a small space. Although close, there wasn’t the slightest hint of warmth between them. A few minutes later, a call came in.
Yan Chen glanced at it and answered.
“Where are you?” The voice belonged to Gu Huai.
Yan Chen pursed his lips, his face unchanged. “There’s something at the company today. I’ll be back very late.” Gu Huai’s voice on the other end paused for a moment but quickly returned to normal.
“It’s okay. No matter how late, I’ll wait for you.” Yan Chen held the phone, silent.
Gu Huai also fell silent for a while.
After a moment of quietness, the person on the other end spoke first. “By the way, did you sign the court document for that matter I mentioned before?”
Yan Chen lowered his eyes, a hint of gloom in his long, dark pupils, his voice also turning low. “I already told you, this matter is completely fabricated.”
Gu Huai frowned. “I understand you’re sympathizing with him, but this time, the evidence is conclusive. He indeed embezzled company funds. I can’t be lenient. I also ask that you set aside personal feelings.”
Yan Chen’s face grew even more gloomy. “Why do you have to keep going after him?”
Gu Huai’s emotions became a bit unstable. “I should be the one asking you. Why are you protecting him?”
Yan Chen took a deep drag of his cigarette. “You’re making me very tired like this.”
Gu Huai’s eyes gradually reddened. “And you think I’m not? Yan Chen, don’t think I don’t know who you’re with right now. If you still want to be with me, go home now and sign the document. Otherwise, let’s get a divorce!”
Yan Chen rubbed his forehead, deep wrinkles on his handsome face. “Don’t make a scene.”
But Gu Huai was unusually serious. “I don’t have time to make a scene with you. The court document and the divorce agreement, you choose one to sign.”
Yan Chen’s eyes gradually revealed annoyance. He abruptly hung up the phone and tossed it aside. Ye Mu raised his eyes to look at him, the corners of his lips curling into a sarcastic arc. “Looks like you haven’t been doing well lately either.”
Yan Chen laughed in spite of himself. He lit a cigarette and started smoking without responding.
Ye Mu glanced at him with a distant expression, his tone extremely cold. “So, the conditions just now were complete nonsense, right? You’ll still sign that court document and then tell me I’m bankrupt along with your Gu Huai?”
Yan Chen smoked, his brows tightly furrowed, his voice low. “Yes, compared to you, Gu Huai is more important to me.”
Ye Mu laughed, extremely coldly. “For the sake of your beloved, you can even sell out your conscience and morals. I swear I’ve never admired you so much, Yan Chen.”
Yan Chen ignored him and continued smoking with his head lowered. “Don’t blame heaven and complain about others. Blame yourself for not being as good as him.”
Ye Mu wiped his face and nodded in agreement. “You’re right, I can’t blame anyone. It’s better this way. Continuing to be with you for the sake of those so-called conditions would be even more torturous for me.”
Yan Chen held his cigarette between his lips, his face stern as he started the car. “Get out and scram.”
Ye Mu looked at him deeply, opened the car door, and walked out with the husky.
Yan Chen didn’t linger and directly drove away.
Ye Mu quietly watched him leave, his heart suddenly aching. He swore he had never hated someone as much as he did now in his entire life.
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