“When you get out, I’ll make it up to you.”
His voice was still magnetic and low, but now it was tinged with deep guilt.
After saying this, the man seemed to lose his courage, not daring to look at Ye Mu again. He released him and turned to leave, leaving only his back behind.
The door slammed shut, cutting off the light from outside and taking away all hope.
Ye Mu didn’t move, maintaining that position, staring blankly at the floor as tears streamed down his face.
Only at that moment did he realize how truly pathetic he was.
How strong must one be to dare to hold on so desperately?
How ridiculous that for just a moment, he had almost felt reluctant, unwilling to escape that embrace.
He doesn’t love you. From beginning to end, he has never loved you.
The voice in the depths of his mind echoed repeatedly.
Somewhere in his chest, it began to hurt.
Like a wound that was about to heal, only to be torn open again.
The suffocating pain made it hard to even breathe.
Ye Mu gradually found it hard to stand, collapsing weakly onto the floor and curling into a ball.
He didn’t remember if he cried or not, because in the end, his tear ducts had nothing left to give.
In the endless black night, everyone else had gone to sleep, but he remained wide awake.
He shut himself in his room for three whole days, refusing to eat or drink.
Gradually, he stopped thinking about anything, indulgently escaping, and sinking into a state of deep despair and decay, unable to extricate himself.
He grew more and more exhausted, more and more tired.
Clutching his head, he struggled, unsure of where to go or what to do.
A glass of water was knocked over, hitting a bottle of pills on the coffee table.
They weren’t sleeping pills, but taking too many would still lead to death.
Ye Mu stared blankly at the bottle, his expressionless face as pale as a ghost.
An hour passed, two hours passed, three hours passed, and finally, he picked it up.
Suicide.
Maybe death would end the pain, and he wouldn’t have to rot in a sunless prison cell.
Ten years would be too hard to endure.
Perhaps, this was the only way out.
That’s what he thought.
“Ding-dong.”
In the quiet of the night, the piercing sound of the doorbell suddenly rang out.
Ye Mu sat silently on the sofa, his bangs drooping over his eyes, unmoving for a long time.
A minute passed.
The doorbell rang again.
Ye Mu frowned slightly; his days of isolation had made him extremely sensitive and averse to noise.
“Ding-dong, ding-dong.”
The person outside was persistent, repeatedly creating noise.
Ye Mu’s forehead began to throb. He closed his eyes and finally stood up, holding his head in resignation.
The door slowly opened, revealing a handsome, cold face.
Ye Mu stood inside, his short black hair a tangled mess, his delicate and attractive features pale and frightening, with deep dark circles under his eyes and stubble darkening his chin.
Chen Mo frowned at him, his tight lips expressing disgust, “Did you just crawl out of a trash heap?”
Ye Mu lowered his gaze, his lips barely moving as he rasped, “What are you doing here?”
Leaning against the door frame, Chen Mo half-closed his narrow eyes, “Just came to check on you.”
The same words had been said by someone else a few days ago.
Ye Mu inexplicably smiled, but there was bitterness at the corners of his lips.
“Woof, woof.”
Hei Ye emerged from some corner and clung to Chen Mo’s leg.
In his self-torment, Ye Mu had neglected it too, and it was nearly starving.
Chen Mo glanced at him sideways, “You haven’t fed it these past few days?”
Ye Mu showed no emotion. His thin lips moved slightly as he rasped, “Take it with you today.”
Chen Mo ignored him, his face cold as he asked, “And you, you haven’t eaten either?”
Ye Mu slowly lowered his head, tugging at his lips, “I’m not hungry.”
As soon as he spoke, his stomach growled.
Chen Mo frowned, changed into slippers, and walked inside.
Ye Mu glanced at him in confusion.
Chen Mo ignored him and opened the fridge.
Ye Mu usually took care of himself, so the fridge was well-stocked.
Tomatoes, noodles, eggs—Chen Mo picked a few items, rolled up his long sleeves, and within minutes was fully engrossed in cooking, his side profile looking handsome and defined.
Ye Mu slowly approached, his face dark, “I don’t want to go back to the company.”
Chen Mo continued chopping vegetables, his gaze deep, lips barely moving as he said, “Suit yourself.”
Ye Mu nodded silently, saying nothing more.
For a moment, the room was quiet.
Chen Mo busied himself with cooking, boiling the noodles once the water was ready.
Ye Mu leaned against the door, as quiet as a child. After a while, he softly said, “You don’t need to pay back the fifty thousand you owe me.”
Chen Mo’s hand paused, frowning at him, “When did I ever owe you fifty thousand?”
Ye Mu smiled faintly, his expression serene, “I knew you’d forget.”
His lips were so dry that even a slight smile caused the skin to crack, and a trace of blood spread.
Chen Mo, unable to bear seeing him like this, poured a glass of warm water and handed it to him.
Ye Mu didn’t take it.
Chen Mo was displeased and forcibly pried his mouth open to make him drink.
“Cough, cough.”
Ye Mu choked, coughing uncontrollably.
Chen Mo patted his back, only to find his skin burning hot.
He touched Ye Mu’s forehead, frowning, “Eat first, and then I’ll take you to the hospital.”
Ye Mu pushed his hand away, turning his face with a weak, “I’m fine.”
Chen Mo didn’t allow any refusal. He scooped the noodles into a large bowl and slapped it down on the table.
Ye Mu shook his head, “I can’t eat.”
Chen Mo narrowed his eyes, his tone sharp and threatening, “Fine, if you don’t eat, I’ll shove it up your nose one strand at a time.”
Ye Mu really didn’t want to eat, so he made up an excuse, “I don’t like tomato and egg noodles.”
Chen Mo gritted his teeth, “Then what do you want to eat?”
Ye Mu sat there silently, just lowering his head.
Following his gaze, Chen Mo’s eyes fell on Hei Ye, raising his eyebrows slightly, “You want to eat dog meat?”
“Woof, woof, woof!” Hei Ye, as if understanding, leapt up in terror, making a dash for the balcony.
Chen Mo smiled, about to say something when suddenly, the person across from him collapsed to the floor with a thud.
“Hey, Ye Mu!”
