Shoutout to nyanmaru for the commission!
After dropping Chen Mo off, Ye Mu was planning to head home when he received a call.
The number was unfamiliar, not in his contacts, so he declined the call.
But the other party instead sent a text, attaching a set of project data, threatening to meet him at a restaurant in Sanlitun. Otherwise, the data would be leaked, jeopardizing the listing plan.
Ye Mu glanced at the address. Realizing it was a familiar location, he pondered for a moment before agreeing. The project was extremely important to the company; after all the effort, he couldn’t afford any mistakes.
Although he had a hunch about the owner of the unfamiliar number, his expression still turned cold when he arrived and saw the person.
It was Yan Chen.
Ye Mu’s footsteps halted abruptly, his brow furrowing deeply.
The man noticed him, arms crossed, a cigarette between his fingers, his voice low and magnetic, with a hint of a smile. “What a coincidence?”
Ye Mu lowered his gaze, stood there for a while, then walked over and sat down in front of him without further hesitation, his tone icy. “You and I both know it’s no coincidence.”
Yan Chen took out another cigarette and held it between his lips. “No need for that attitude. It’s been a while, just catching up.”
He offered one to Ye Mu as he spoke.
Ye Mu turned his head away, his voice cold. “No need.”
Yan Chen had a server pour him a glass of alcohol. “How have you been lately?”
Ye Mu was fed up with this routine—every time Yan Chen needed a favor, he would start with small talk. “If you have something to say, say it. Don’t waste my time.”
Yan Chen’s thin lips curled slightly, and he dropped the pleasant facade. His sharp, chiseled face took on a hint of coldness. “Spending too much time with that little b*stard, you’ve even picked up swearing. Birds of a feather, I suppose.”
Ye Mu’s lips twitched. “Swearing depends on the person. I wouldn’t need to if it weren’t for you.”
Yan Chen tapped his finger on the table, his eyes narrowing dangerously. “Seems you’ve forgotten the pain. Aren’t you afraid I’ll file another lawsuit?”
Ye Mu met his gaze, his expression calm, not backing down in the slightest. “If you’d said that a few days ago, I might have feared you. But now that I’ve figured out the whole situation, I don’t have to fear you anymore.”
Yan Chen looked up, his sharp profile turning toward Ye Mu, his tone filled with disdain. “What have you figured out? That you were secretly plotting behind my back, claiming you hadn’t seen the data, while secretly saving a copy and handing it over to that little b*stard?”
A cold indifference flickered in Ye Mu’s eyes. “It was purely accidental.”
Yan Chen let out a derisive laugh, his thin lips revealing a trace of scorn. “Do you think I’d believe anything you say?”
Ye Mu had no intention of explaining such trivial matters. His eyes cold and distant, he changed the subject. “So, why did you call me here in the middle of the night? I doubt it’s for anything good.”
Yan Chen’s attitude became arrogant as he tossed a paper bag across the table. “I want my name on that project. I’ll give you some money. Figure out a way to remove that little b*stard’s company from the project.”
Ye Mu didn’t take it, his lips curling into a sarcastic smile. “Just a bit of money. Why would I help you for such a trivial amount?”
He hadn’t accepted even a billion before; this paltry sum was laughable. The idea of buying him off with money was foolish.
Yan Chen took a sip of his drink, a sharp gleam flashing in his lowered eyes. “I suggest you take a look at what’s in the bag before you start arguing.”
Ye Mu lowered his gaze, glanced at Yan Chen from the corner of his eye, and slowly picked up the bag, opening it.
“What’s all this?” The contents were a mess—communication records, some related police movements, and some old, yellowed photographs that seemed aged.
Yan Chen’s thin lips curved nonchalantly. “Seems you’ve completely forgotten.”
Ye Mu stared at him, unsure what Yan Chen was playing at.
Yan Chen wasn’t in a hurry, speaking with a calm indifference. “It’s normal if you don’t remember. Eight years ago, when you were pursuing me, you were so infatuated that you’d do anything I asked—whether it was killing or setting fires, even if it was illegal.”
He paused, observing Ye Mu’s expression, then continued with a smile. “Of course, that includes framing that little b*stard and sending him to prison. The documents in this bag are all ironclad evidence from that time. There’s no denying it.”
Ye Mu’s body stiffened, his lips pressing together as he stared at Yan Chen. “What are you trying to say?”
Yan Chen smiled handsomely, his gaze deep. “I was just thinking that if that little b*stard found out you were the one who framed him and sent him to prison, his reaction would be priceless.”
Ye Mu’s face darkened as he stared at him for a long time before speaking. “After all these years, even if he found out, the most he’d do is fire me. Jobs can be replaced, bosses can be replaced. Do you really think I’d give in to you that easily?”
Yan Chen narrowed his long eyes, his voice low and threatening. “What about your feelings? Aren’t you afraid he’ll dump you and break up with you?”
Ye Mu’s pale, jade-like face remained cold. “We have no relationship. We’re just ordinary colleagues.”
Yan Chen lit a cigarette. “Don’t kid yourself. Last time, at my wedding, you two were all over each other. When I confronted you, you said you’d done everything together. Are you saying all that was fake?”
Ye Mu’s thin lips parted slightly. “Yes, he just wanted to help me out, so he made it up on the spot.”
Yan Chen stared at him, trying to find a flaw in his story. “Don’t play dumb. You’ve turned down offers from countless big foreign companies offering high salaries, yet you insist on staying in his little company. Who would believe there’s nothing going on?”
Ye Mu glanced at him indifferently, silent for a long time before speaking coldly. “After everything with you, do you think I have the energy to start a new relationship?”
He was already too hurt and disillusioned. Love had taught him a lesson too deep and painful. He didn’t want to touch it again, not for years, perhaps not for the rest of his life. To him now, love seemed childish and disgusting, nothing more.
Faced with this retort, Yan Chen hesitated slightly but quickly regained his cold and sharp demeanor. “Don’t play the victim. I told you clearly back then that I only liked Gu Huai. If you stayed with me, it was just for that kind of relationship. You were the one who chose to stick around all these years.”
In the quiet of the night, the small restaurant felt eerily calm, making one inclined to speak their mind.
Ye Mu lowered his eyes, his emotions slowly stabilizing, and he spoke calmly. “Yes, so I’ve never blamed anyone. Fate is a strange thing. Just like how I fell in love with you at first sight in that bar, just as you fell in love with Gu Huai at first sight in that square—it’s destiny, and no one can be blamed.”
Yan Chen’s voice was impatient. “Do you know what I found most annoying about you all these years?”
Ye Mu nodded. “Yes, you couldn’t stand it when I talked about these sentimental things.”
Yan Chen’s eyes flashed with anger. “Then why do you keep saying it?”
Ye Mu’s face, under the light, looked more deeply etched than usual, his tone calm. “Even if you don’t want to hear it, I have to say this: No matter how it ends, I’m grateful to have met you. After all these years, I’ve never found someone who moved me at first sight the way you did. Even though it was a bitter and painful experience, it was a life lesson, and I have no regrets.”
Yan Chen squinted, taking a drag on his cigarette, his eyes deep like an endless ocean. He let Ye Mu speak without interrupting.
Ye Mu’s thin lips tightened, his throat moving slightly as he swallowed. “Maybe it’s because I’ve truly let go, but recently, I’ve realized life without you is pretty good. If we can’t be lovers, we can be friends. There’s no need to force it.”
Yan Chen looked down at his glass of alcohol, feeling inexplicably irritable. “Say what you want.”
“I don’t love you anymore, Yan Chen,” Ye Mu said softly. His voice was gentle, yet it carried a sense of relief from finally letting go.
“Can’t ask for more.” Yan Chen’s handsome face remained indifferent, outwardly appearing gloomy and disdainful. But the fingers holding the cigarette paused slightly. He didn’t know why, but upon hearing those words, his heart inexplicably ached, a pain so sharp it felt suffocating.
The flame in his hand continued to burn as the cigarette butt was almost finished, slowly reaching his fingertips.
The searing sensation grew stronger, but he didn’t notice, simply remaining silent after that.
Ye Mu was used to his coldness, lowering his long eyelashes as he continued, “So I won’t help you with anything like before. You should let me go, and also let go of whatever little connection remains. I don’t want us to end up not even being friends.”
Yan Chen looked down at the ashes, still silent. In fact, what was he upset about? Ye Mu was always someone he despised. If the love was gone, wouldn’t that be exactly what he wanted? He wouldn’t have to deal with this person’s persistence anymore, right?
What’s one Ye Mu to you? Don’t you have Gu Huai now?
Yan Chen kept his head down, the light casting shadows on his handsome, angular profile, making him appear gloomy and oppressive.
It was late. Seeing that Yan Chen still hadn’t spoken, Ye Mu didn’t want to waste time with him any longer. He stood up and said, “Then that’s it. If there’s nothing else, I’ll leave.”
With that, he stood up from the chair.
Yan Chen’s thin eyelids quivered slightly, his deep eyes watching as Ye Mu was about to leave. Instinctively, he said, “Wait.”
Such a simple phrase, yet spoken with such weight, it echoed in the small space.
Ye Mu paused suddenly and turned back.
Yan Chen lowered his eyes, a deep shadow crossing his gaze, his expression unclear as his head was bowed.
Ye Mu stared at him, waiting for him to say more, but Yan Chen remained silent.
After a long moment, Yan Chen pursed his lips, his throat moving slightly. His tightly pressed lips finally revealed a sharp edge as he said, “I’ll take you home.”
Ye Mu frowned, unable to understand him. After a moment, he refused, “No need, I can walk home.”
Yan Chen’s expression darkened a little more, but he quietly suppressed his emotions. He stood up and said in a tone that brooked no refusal, “Don’t be ungrateful.”
Ye Mu was displeased, but he followed Yan Chen out, though heading in the opposite direction.
Noticing this, Yan Chen grabbed his arm.
Ye Mu shook him off, “Let go.”
Yan Chen pressed his lips together and tiredly pinched the space between his eyebrows, “You don’t have a car, and no one to pick you up. How will you get home?”
Ye Mu frowned, about to say something, but a deep voice interrupted from nearby.
“Who said he has no one to pick him up?”
Yan Chen turned his head and saw someone who looked familiar under the light.
Chen Mo’s handsome face was frighteningly cold, his narrow eyes half-closed, and his tightly pressed lips curved into a sharp arc. His straight nose hinted at aggression as he forcefully stepped between the two.
Following him was Sun Xiangyang, who, not understanding the situation, scratched his head and asked, “Bro, what’s going on here?”
Chen Mo ignored him, his sharp gaze fixed on Yan Chen as he continued, “I have a car. I’ll take him.”
Yan Chen raised an eyebrow and glanced at him with a touch of contempt, “Are you sure?”
Chen Mo looked at him, his aura overwhelming, and smirked, “I’m sure.”
With that, he arrogantly patted the back seat of his vehicle and gestured for Ye Mu to get on with a commanding tilt of his handsome chin, “Get in.”
Ye Mu remained indifferent, his eyelids lowered. He stared at the dilapidated pink electric scooter beside him for a while.
After a long silence in the cold wind, he finally turned to Yan Chen, his face expressionless as he said, “I’ll trouble you to take me a little way tonight.”
