“President Chen, it’s good you’re here. I was just about to go to your office to find you.”
A sudden voice broke the silence as Liu Yi approached with some documents in hand, looking rather pleased.
Chen Mo snapped out of his thoughts, frowning as he returned to reality. His thin lips parted slightly. “What is it?”
Liu Yi smiled softly. “President Chen, do you remember last week you asked me to reserve a pool villa? You mentioned you wanted to throw a party tonight to reward everyone.”
Chen Mo looked down, a trace of irritation flashing in his eyes. “I’m not in the mood today. Cancel it.”
Liu Yi hesitated. “But I’ve already informed everyone.”
She gestured towards the employees in the office.
Chen Mo glanced over and saw that everyone was smiling brightly. Some were even showing off their swimsuits, and others were whistling, all bursting with excitement.
As the boss, he rarely hosted gatherings, and he didn’t want to dampen their spirits. Since he had already announced it, it wouldn’t be right to go back on his word now. After frowning for a moment, he relented. “Have all the arrangements been made?”
Liu Yi nodded. “Everything’s been coordinated with the vendors. We’ve booked a deluxe buffet, and all the drinks are sorted. They’re even cleaning the pool and filling it with water right now. We’ll be ready to go as soon as you give the word.”
Chen Mo remained silent for a moment before responding coldly, “Alright, let everyone prepare. We’ll head out soon.”
“Got it. I’ll let them know.” Liu Yi smiled and was about to leave.
“Hold on,” Chen Mo called out to her.
“President Chen, is there something else?” Liu Yi asked hesitantly, worried he might change his mind.
Chen Mo slipped one hand into his pocket and nodded towards the break room, his profile sharp and stern.
Liu Yi looked over and saw Ye Mu napping inside.
“That guy is sleeping during work hours. Report it to HR and dock half of his year-end bonus,” Chen Mo said, his face impassive.
Liu Yi, who was on good terms with Ye Mu, tried to plead for him. “Ye Mu’s been running around a lot for several projects lately. He might just be exhausted.”
Chen Mo shot her a sharp look, his lips tightening. “Since when did you start talking back?”
Liu Yi knew how to read the room, realizing her boss was in a bad mood today. She quickly nodded in agreement. “Understood. I’ll notify HR to make a note of it.”
Seeing her compliance, Chen Mo didn’t pursue the matter further and turned to head back to his office.
Liu Yi watched him close the door before she walked over and patted the person inside on the shoulder.
Ye Mu had been sleeping for quite a while, and when he was woken up, his long eyelashes still had a bit of a hazy look. Half-squinting his eyes, he looked at the person who had woken him and hoarsely greeted, “Sister Liu.”
Liu Yi made a motherly expression at him. “Why are you sleeping here? Get up, or you’ll catch a cold.”
Perhaps because of the evening’s event, she didn’t want to mention that Chen Mo planned to dock his pay, fearing it would dampen his spirits for the upcoming party.
Ye Mu lowered his head, rubbing his temples as he muttered, “Maybe it’s because my sleep hasn’t been great lately.”
Liu Yi gave him a sidelong glance. “Alright, I think you’ve slept for a few hours. Get up and move around a bit. Soon it’ll be time for the group dinner.”
Ye Mu, although not present in the department earlier, had heard Chen Mo mention it before and had a rough idea. “Where is it being held?”
Liu Yi replied, “In the suburbs, it’s a bit remote, so I booked several taxis for transportation. But one of the drivers had an emergency, so it’s a bit crowded. If possible, you should ride with President Chen.”
Ye Mu pursed his lips, frowning slightly at this.
Liu Yi knew what he was thinking and tried to persuade him, “The boss might be going through something troublesome lately, so don’t take his harsh words to heart.”
Ye Mu understood and nodded slightly. “Don’t worry, Sister Liu, I know how to handle it.”
Liu Yi hummed in acknowledgment, feeling she’d said enough and prepared to leave. “I have other things to arrange. You wait here for President Chen. Here’s the address, follow it to get there later.”
As she spoke, she handed him a slip of paper.
Ye Mu took it and responded politely.
Liu Yi had always trusted him, so without further delay, she left.
After she left, Ye Mu waited outside his office, standing there for a good half hour.
Chen Mo didn’t expect him to be waiting. When he opened the door, he was a bit startled, frowning deeply. “Why are you standing here?”
Ye Mu gave him a calm look, his expression indifferent, and simply said, “If it’s convenient, could I get a ride?”
Chen Mo’s face darkened at this. Though he was quite unwilling, he couldn’t just refuse outright, so he tossed the car keys over coldly.
“You drive,” he said, not bothering to see Ye Mu’s reaction as he walked ahead.
Ye Mu caught the keys, said nothing, and silently followed.
Chen Mo deliberately kept his distance, making what was usually a ten-minute walk into three minutes.
Ye Mu followed him to the parking lot, opened the car door, and got into the driver’s seat as usual.
The situation was quite similar to their encounter in the elevator earlier that morning—no conversation at all, as if they were strangers, neither initiating any talk.
After half an hour’s drive, they arrived at the villa district. As soon as the car stopped, Chen Mo was already striding swiftly ahead, disappearing into the crowd.
Ye Mu couldn’t quite understand him, staring at where Chen Mo had vanished for a moment before slowly heading inside. Feeling a bit tired, he found a quiet spot to sit down alone.
The party was quite extravagant. Pink balloons were strung up in every corner, inflatable figures were placed all around, and colorful streamers added to the festive atmosphere, giving the place a strong sense of celebration.
Liu Yi, holding a microphone, made some polite thank-you remarks and then quickly turned on the speakers, playing rock music that matched the party’s theme.
The mix of Western rap and TikTok rhythms strangely energized everyone. A group of white-collar workers immediately felt a sense of release, taking off their clothes to show off and playing around the poolside bar.
Some drank, some sang, and others danced—the place was buzzing with excitement.
Ye Mu, not one for noisy environments, refrained from drinking since he knew he’d have to drive later. He simply grabbed a glass of plain water from the buffet table and sat down to check his phone.
As a big boss, Chen Mo found it hard to fit in with the crowd, so he picked a deck chair by the pool and sat down.
The past few days had been busy with work, and combined with earlier annoyances, he was quite tired. He closed his eyes for a quick nap, but barely a few minutes passed before someone came over to provoke him.
“President Chen, I heard you used to win swimming medals. How about a race with me?”
Chen Mo glanced up and saw that it was Zhou Xiao, the manager of the planning department.
Zhou Xiao was a proud person who often clashed with him over work. Today, this sudden challenge was likely an attempt to vent some private grievances.
Chen Mo didn’t like him either, and if this was a chance to put Zhou Xiao in his place, he was all for it.
With a slight smirk, he stood up, his handsome face showing a hint of disdain, his words sharp. “I’m interested, but I’m worried you won’t be able to handle losing.”
That was a harsh remark, and Zhou Xiao glared at him, retorting, “Don’t talk so big. If you embarrass yourself, you’ll regret it.”
Zhou Xiao had trained professionally in the past and had competed on behalf of the district. While not the best, he was confident few in Shanghai could outswim him.
Chen Mo chuckled coldly, not bothering to engage in a verbal spat. He took off his down jacket, lifted his sweater, and pulled it over his head, leaving only a black tank top.
Though not as muscular as Zhou Xiao, Chen Mo’s lean, well-proportioned build was aesthetically pleasing. The black tank top was pulled up to his ribs, revealing toned abdominal muscles and a taut waist that highlighted his athletic, masculine lines.
“Whoo! Whoo!”
A loud whistle suddenly echoed through the party, and the girls began to cheer.
“Wow, President Chen is so handsome!”
“Oh my god, those muscles are perfect.”
Zhou Xiao snorted and stripped down as well.
Chen Mo, in loose shorts, walked to the pool’s edge, casting a sharp, challenging glance at Zhou Xiao, his pale, slender fingers beckoning provocatively.
Zhou Xiao wasn’t one to back down and walked over to accept the challenge.
With the sound of a referee’s whistle, both men dove into the pool simultaneously.
Water splashed everywhere, the clear, cold droplets scattering across the poolside.
In the blink of an eye, Chen Mo moved like a fish through the water, pulling ahead within seconds.
Zhou Xiao, who had once been on a school team, wasn’t to be underestimated. Seeing Chen Mo speed up, he vigorously swam after him, refusing to lag.
The two raced neck and neck, with the cheers and shouts from the poolside intensifying the tension as they put on a thrilling show of competitive swimming.
The pool was 200 meters long, and after eight laps, Zhou Xiao finally ran out of stamina, ending the race.
It had been a while since Chen Mo had exercised like this. Emerging from the pool, he felt exhilarated, his mood instantly lifting with the cheers from the crowd. Someone handed him a drink, and he downed it in one go.
The wine-red liquid trickled down his chin and neck, trailing down to his toned chest, exuding an overwhelming male allure that made the girls around blush and scream.
Some male colleagues joined in, bringing him one drink after another.
Chen Mo graciously accepted a few, but his alcohol tolerance was low. Normally, Ye Mu would shield him during social events, but today, on his own, he couldn’t keep up. After about ten glasses of red wine, his face started to flush.
The music blared, and the party guests, caught up in the fun, kept shouting, “One more! One more!” downing drinks like there was no tomorrow.
Chen Mo, who cares a lot about saving face, didn’t know how to restrain himself. He kept drinking, one glass after another, with no intention of stopping until he was drunk.
Liu Yi couldn’t bear to watch any longer and found an excuse to pull him out of the crowd. She could tell by his staggering walk that he was already struggling to keep it together, so she quickly supported him to the side. She noticed an empty seat near Ye Mu’s table and immediately led him over.
Supporting a grown man was not easy; she began to feel her strength waning after just a few short steps.
Ye Mu noticed and stood up to help, hoisting Chen Mo onto a nearby chair.
Liu Yi wiped the sweat from her forehead and, catching her breath, said, “I’ll go get a towel. You keep an eye on him for now.”
Ye Mu nodded and then returned to his seat, casually glancing at the man beside him.
Because of the alcohol, Chen Mo’s fair face was flushed, and he was exuding a strong scent of wine. He was wearing a black tank top, with a few damp strands of hair clinging to his forehead. His sharp profile was strikingly handsome, and his reclining posture exposed his toned abs, giving him an intensely masculine appearance.
It was the middle of winter, and the cold was biting. Worried that he might catch a chill, Ye Mu draped a coat over him and then returned to his phone.
Even though Chen Mo was drunk, his mind still had some clarity. Feeling uncomfortable on the chair, he propped his chin on one hand and rested his head on the table.
He stared fixedly at Ye Mu for a while, something in his foggy mind swirling around. With a faint, slightly tipsy smile on his face, he murmured, “You know, the more I look at you, the better you look.”
Ye Mu continued to scroll through his phone, barely acknowledging him.
Chen Mo wasn’t offended. He simply kept staring at Ye Mu with a half-dazed, half-amused look, as if he were trying to find some hidden beauty in that cold, indifferent face.
Ye Mu, still looking at his phone, asked calmly, “Is it good to look at?”
Chen Mo, still slightly intoxicated, with his face flushed from the alcohol, smiled handsomely and, maintaining his posture, replied with a slurred and suggestive tone, “Yeah, it is.”
Ye Mu’s throat bobbed slightly as he spoke with a restrained and indifferent tone, “So, President Chen, do you like me?”
Though a bit drunk, Chen Mo instinctively recoiled at the question, his immediate response being, “No, I don’t.”
Ye Mu, expressionless, continued to look at his phone, his voice flat as he said, “Then could you please stop touching my thigh? It’s very uncomfortable.”
Chen Mo’s mind was sluggish, the drunkenness muddling his thoughts. He asked, “What did you say?”
Ye Mu, with his face devoid of emotion, remained silent, his posture unmoving. After a moment, he said again, “I said it’s very uncomfortable.”
“What?” Chen Mo looked at him, bewildered, still asking, clearly not understanding, and obviously very drunk.
Ye Mu lowered his eyes to his phone, staying still. After a pause, he pursed his lips slightly and said nothing more.
The atmosphere suddenly became quiet, the silence was almost suffocating.
The villa was in the western suburbs, and a cold winter wind blew in, clearing away some of Chen Mo’s drunken haze, making him feel less groggy.
The man squinted slightly, his mind a bit clearer now. He followed Ye Mu’s gaze and slowly, mechanically, lowered his head to look at his hand.
As the alcohol-induced fog lifted, the scene before him caused him to freeze in place, his brain temporarily short-circuited.
His hand was on…a certain part of Ye Mu!
It was hot, firm, and slightly…long!!
