Awkward Chapter 49

What the h*ll! He had just done the most disgraceful thing of his life—he had, in his drunken state, made a pass at a gay!

What should he do now? Apologize? Explain? No, neither would work.

Trying to explain would only make things more awkward, and apologizing would just lead to further embarrassment.

Despite the alcohol, Chen Mo’s mind was now extremely clear. After a few seconds of quick thinking, he suddenly closed his eyes and slumped onto Ye Mu’s shoulder, his face tight, trying to appear as cold and sharp as usual.

Ye Mu was silent for a moment, then he glanced at him, his lips pressing together slightly. Without a word, he gently moved Chen Mo’s hand off his lower abdomen and placed him back onto his original chair.

Liu Yi came back with a towel and, seeing Chen Mo slumped over like a pile of mud, couldn’t help but comment, “The boss really overdid it this time. Ye Mu, you don’t seem to be enjoying this party. Why don’t you take off early and give the boss a ride home while you’re at it?”

Ye Mu indeed had no interest in staying, so he agreed without much thought. “Alright.”

Liu Yi nodded in thanks and walked over to wipe the damp hair from Chen Mo’s forehead. She wanted to help dry him off, but since he was a man and she was a woman, she hesitated.

“I’ll do it,” Ye Mu offered politely, taking the towel from her.

Liu Yi didn’t argue and instead helped by retrieving the clothes Chen Mo had worn earlier. Just as she was about to say something, a group of friends grabbed her from behind.

“Sis, we’ve been looking for you! You’re not getting away this time. We’re short one for a game, and you’re coming with us for an all-nighter.”

“Yeah, the boss is out of it. Why are you still worried about him? Come on, let’s have some fun.”

“I just need to—”

“Come on, don’t wait. Let’s go now, everyone’s waiting for you.”

The girls were laughing and joking, not giving her a chance to refuse, as they dragged her into a room, the noise fading as they went.

The cold wind from the western suburbs was biting, and the half-conscious man shivered, sneezing as the chill hit him.

Ye Mu figured he was about to catch a cold and didn’t waste any time. He dried Chen Mo off, dressed him, and carried him to the back seat of the car before starting the engine and driving off.

Chen Mo’s home was in the city center, quite a distance from here. It took Ye Mu nearly an hour to get there.

After some effort, Ye Mu found the keys in Chen Mo’s pants pocket, unlocked the door, and carried him inside.

Ever since Hei Ye had moved into Chen Mo’s house, it had been well-fed and pampered. Seeing Ye Mu, it probably thought he was here to take it away, so it quickly hid behind the curtains.

Ye Mu smiled slightly, not paying it much attention. He found a room and helped Chen Mo onto the bed. After undressing him, he covered him with a thick, warm blanket.

The two of them were very close now, and in the quiet room, he could even hear their breathing.

Chen Mo’s eyes were tightly closed, his lips forming a sharp line. His dark eyelashes trembled slightly, and with the lingering scent of alcohol, it looked like he was having a bad dream.

Ye Mu’s throat moved slightly as he looked at him, his gaze lingering on Chen Mo’s young and handsome face for a long time.

In fact, Chen Mo looked a lot like his brother—same sharp features, the same piercing brows, especially those eyes. Sometimes, if he didn’t look closely, a casual glance from Chen Mo could make him think it was Yan Chen.

Maybe that’s why he could put up with Chen Mo’s bad temper and not quit.

Even though the feelings had faded and he wasn’t as obsessed as before, he still couldn’t help being drawn to faces with those features, those eyes.

Maybe this was just how it would be for him—always indecisive, influenced by past emotional entanglements, making him look weak.

Ye Mu tugged at the corners of his mouth, a self-deprecating smile on his face, as he shook his head. Without lingering any longer, he took one last look at the man on the bed before turning to leave.

Chen Mo laid on the bed for a long time. After making sure Ye Mu had left, he finally sat up, feeling uncomfortable.

The long hours of tension had left him exhausted, and a thin layer of cold sweat covered his forehead. Rubbing his face in frustration, he decided not to think about what had happened tonight and got up to take a hot shower.

Steam filled the entire shower room as water sprayed endlessly. Chen Mo closed his eyes and showered for about ten minutes. When he came out, he stretched comfortably and, with just a simple white bath towel around his waist, headed to the kitchen.

It was nearing ten at night, and he was feeling hungry.

The fridge only had some instant steaks, but Chen Mo wasn’t picky and simply put one in the microwave to heat.

After five minutes on high, the aroma filled the air, making it quite appetizing.

Chen Mo unwrapped the packaging, placed the steak on a plate, and sat down.

“Woof!”

For some reason, Hei Ye suddenly started barking furiously at the window.

The barking was unusually aggressive, as if it had spotted a thief trying to climb in through the window.

Chen Mo grew suspicious, stood up cautiously, and walked out to check.

Outside, it was pitch dark. Apart from the cold wind, there was no sign of any unfamiliar figures.

He frowned slightly and turned back inside, but when he returned to the table, his plate was empty.

After scanning the room, he noticed that both Hei Ye and the steak had disappeared.

His face instantly darkened.

That d*mn dog had actually dared to trick him for a piece of meat.

Feeling annoyed, Chen Mo frowned even more as he looked at the only remaining bag of bread in the fridge.

His phone started buzzing. He glanced at the screen and answered it.

“Hey, Little Boss Chen, what’s up?”

The caller was Sun Xiangyang. Chen Mo didn’t bother with pleasantries and directly asked, “What do you want?”

Sun Xiangyang, pretending to be pitiful, said, “My dad beat me with a cane tonight. About that thing at your company, could you reconsider?”

Chen Mo kept a straight face and didn’t respond.

Sun Xiangyang, on the verge of tears, pleaded, “Come on, man, can’t you help a brother out?” His dad had said that if he didn’t find a job this week, he would cut off his allowance. That would be the end of him.

Chen Mo remained expressionless. Their relationship was close, so refusing at this point felt wrong. After a moment of thought, he gave in slightly, offering a compromise, “You won’t be assigned to a department. I’ll give you a separate office to work in.”

The purpose of this was to avoid spoiling the company culture. Sun Xiangyang was unreliable, and his loose lips might stir up trouble within the company.

“Sure, sure, that’s fine. Don’t worry, I’ll do a good job and won’t embarrass you!” Sun Xiangyang didn’t understand the ins and outs of company dynamics and was just happy to have gotten the nod.

Chen Mo was still somewhat displeased, so he gave a noncommittal “Mmm,” and said, “If there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up.”

Sun Xiangyang quickly stopped him, “Wait, are you free now? Want to grab a late-night snack? I’m parked just outside your building.”

Chen Mo initially wanted to refuse, but his growling stomach convinced him otherwise, so he headed downstairs.

Sun Xiangyang, dressed in a black leather jacket, was sitting in his car. Seeing Chen Mo, he snapped his fingers, “Get in. I’ll take you to a great spot. There’s a new Western restaurant in Sanjiaotun that’s got rave reviews.”

Chen Mo was used to his antics and said nothing, just got into the car.

But their luck was bad. After braving the cold wind for half an hour, they arrived at the restaurant only to find a large sign reading “Closed.”

Chen Mo, already in a foul mood, looked at the sign and his expression turned even more sour.

Sun Xiangyang scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed. To lighten the mood, he chuckled, “This street has a lot of good food. Let’s drive around and we’ll definitely find another good spot.”

He continued driving down the street as he spoke.

Chen Mo had known him long enough to realize how unreliable he was, so he didn’t say much, just sat in the back with a cold, intimidating aura.

He didn’t have many friends, and Sun Xiangyang was the one he had kept in touch with the longest. Despite the differences in their education and personalities, Chen Mo had maintained the friendship. To be honest, if it weren’t for the fact that Sun Xiangyang had helped him out of a tough spot in the past, he would have cut ties long ago.

Sun Xiangyang drove for a while longer but couldn’t find any restaurants that were still open. Frustrated, he changed the subject, “Hey, didn’t you tell me earlier that there’s a guy you can’t stand? Is he one of your employees?”

The mention of this made Chen Mo feel even worse. He didn’t respond for a long time, eventually letting out a cold “Mmm.”

Sun Xiangyang laughed, “That’s simple. Just fire him. Out of sight, out of mind.”

Chen Mo frowned, his long, narrow eyes showing a hint of irritation. “It’s not that simple. The company is in a growth phase. Firing him would be a loss.”

Sun Xiangyang couldn’t understand, “So he’s good at his job? If he’s bringing value to the company, what’s bothering you?”

Chen Mo felt a surge of frustration and simply replied, “I don’t know.”

Sun Xiangyang glanced at him, unable to resist thinking in a certain direction, “Hey, does this guy happen to be really good-looking?”

Chen Mo clicked his tongue and shot him a sharp look, without answering. He frowned as he took a pack of cigarettes from Sun Xiangyang’s pocket.

Sun Xiangyang hadn’t seen him smoke in five years and found it curious, “What’s going on? Didn’t you quit?”

He spoke as he pulled over to the side of the road.

Chen Mo ignored him, lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and held the harsh smoke in his lungs for a long time before exhaling.

Sun Xiangyang glanced at him, then leaned over and snatched the cigarette out of his hand, saying, “Hey, no smoking in the car. It’ll stink.”

Chen Mo scowled, his temper flaring. He swatted Sun Xiangyang’s hand away, “It’s an electric scooter, you idiot.”

Sun Xiangyang chuckled, trying to lighten the mood, and reached over to confiscate the pack of cigarettes, “Still, you should be mindful of the environment.”

Chen Mo ignored him, got out of the car, and lit another cigarette. He leaned against a nearby fence, his sharp profile exuding an intense, unshakable irritability.

Sun Xiangyang knew better than to push him and ended up parking the car and joining him for a smoke.

The smoke swirled in the cold wind, harsh and acrid, but they both kept on smoking.

“If you’ve got something on your mind, just spill it. Don’t bottle it up,” Sun Xiangyang said, nodding toward him.

Chen Mo squinted, his long, deep-set eyes narrowing, “What’s there to say? I’m fine.”

Sun Xiangyang eyed him skeptically and slung an arm around his shoulders, “Come on, you can’t fool me. I knew something was up with you today. If we’re brothers, don’t keep it from me. Spill it.”

Chen Mo didn’t respond, staring straight ahead, his eyes dark and contemplative as he took in the night scene.

Sun Xiangyang sighed and flicked the ash from his cigarette, pointing to a restaurant down the street that was still open, “That place is still open. Let’s grab something to eat.”

Chen Mo looked down, his cigarette burned nearly to the filter. He responded indifferently and was about to agree when he glanced across the street and suddenly froze.

“Hey, what’s up? Are we going or not?” Sun Xiangyang called out when he noticed Chen Mo had stopped moving.

Chen Mo remained motionless, his deep black eyes fixed on the restaurant across the road, saying nothing.

Curious, Sun Xiangyang followed his gaze and saw two men sitting by the window, eating and chatting.

Both were quite handsome, and one of them was Chen Mo’s brother. The other looked familiar—he’d seen him at Chen Mo’s company before, someone named Ye Mu, if he remembered correctly.

Chen Mo had mentioned before that his older brother was gay and had even married another man in a high-profile wedding.

So why were these two out late at night, having an intimate candlelit dinner? Were they having an affair?