Awkward Chapter 77

Shoutout to nyanmaru for the commission!

Ye Mu’s injury healed quite quickly, and he was discharged from the hospital at the beginning of the month.

As they packed up and got ready to leave, Chen Mo walked over to the balcony, squinting as he looked at the surrounding buildings. He seemed somewhat reluctant to leave. To be honest, he had really enjoyed taking care of Ye Mu—it was a warm and comforting experience.

The warm winter sunlight reflected off his body, casting faint shadows on his broad, strong back, adding a touch of masculinity to his young and handsome face.

Ye Mu glanced sideways at him for a moment and casually said, “You seem to have gotten taller recently.”

Chen Mo raised an eyebrow and walked over to embrace him, measuring the distance between the top of Ye Mu’s head and his own nose. He smiled slightly and said, “It seems so, maybe a second growth spurt?”

Ye Mu nodded slightly. “You’re still young; it’s expected.”

Chen Mo gently held Ye Mu’s chin and kissed him. “It’s good to be taller; I can shield you from any storms that come our way.”

Ye Mu turned to look at him. “What if it’s a storm that pulls you in too?”

Chen Mo stroked his back, closed his eyes, and smirked. “Then we’ll just have to run away.”

Ye Mu responded coldly, “I never expected much from you.”

Chen Mo chuckled. “Are you silly, taking my words seriously?”

Ye Mu remained expressionless. “I don’t have the energy to argue with you. Let’s finish packing and leave; it’s about time for dinner.”

Chen Mo nuzzled Ye Mu’s soft hair with his chin. “What do you want to eat? I’ll cook for you tonight.”

Ye Mu thought for a moment. “Nothing specific. Just make one of your specialties.”

Chen Mo nodded, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly. “Shall we go grocery shopping together?”

Ye Mu frowned. “Two men?”

Chen Mo lowered his gaze, his messy bangs covering his forehead. He hesitated, “Or you could wait in the car?”

Ye Mu was silent for a moment, then said, “It’s fine. It’s a rare occasion. I’ll go with you and see if there’s anything I want to eat.”

Chen Mo nodded, not refusing. “Alright.”

Ye Mu grabbed a white down jacket from the side and headed for the door. “Let’s go.”

Chen Mo responded, grabbed a bag, and followed him, not forgetting to bring along the fake flowers he had bought on Valentine’s Day.

Ye Mu noticed and was silent for a moment before rolling his eyes. “Just throw it away.”

Chen Mo frowned. “Stop talking nonsense.”

Ye Mu couldn’t understand what he was so insistent on. “I don’t care.”

Chen Mo, with a dark expression, couldn’t help but retort, “Flowers are flowers, whether real or fake. I don’t know why you’re so picky.”

Ye Mu glanced at him disdainfully. “Now I understand why so many women have dumped you.”

Chen Mo’s lips twitched slightly. “It was only three or four, don’t exaggerate.”

Ye Mu raised an eyebrow. “Three or four isn’t many? Do you want to get dumped seventeen or eighteen times?”

Chen Mo’s eyes flashed with irritation. “You’re asking for a beating.”

Ye Mu smiled, deciding to drop the matter and not push any further. They took the elevator together to the underground parking lot.

Chen Mo opened the trunk, put their things inside, and then sat in the driver’s seat and drove off.

He circled around the area for a while before finally stopping at a large shopping market.

Ye Mu got out of the car with him, and they walked up the escalator, soon arriving at the vegetable section.

Both of them were tall and stood out in the crowd. As they selected a few items, they inevitably attracted some attention.

Ye Mu kept his distance from Chen Mo, worried about gossip. It was like they were just two colleagues shopping together, his attitude indifferent.

In contrast, Chen Mo didn’t seem to care about the looks from others. He carefully selected the vegetables. “How about steak?”

Ye Mu, somewhat distracted, asked, “Can you cook it?”

Chen Mo glanced at the price tags. “I can, but it’s been a while, so I might be a bit rusty. If you don’t want it, that’s fine.”

Ye Mu replied without much emotion, “Get one.”

Chen Mo turned to him and pulled him closer. “Do you want it well-done or rare?”

Ye Mu frowned and stepped back a bit. “Whatever.”

Chen Mo gave him a slight glance, noticing his discomfort, and said with a smirk, “You’ve been gay for so long, and you’re still worried about people finding out?”

Ye Mu’s expression was complicated, and he hesitated before saying, “I don’t care; I’m just worried about you.”

Chen Mo raised an eyebrow, his jawline sharp. “Worried about what?”

Ye Mu’s calm eyes rested on his face. “Aren’t you uncomfortable when people look at you like that?”

Chen Mo’s thin lips pressed slightly. “It doesn’t matter. They’re just strangers, and besides, you’re standing so far from me that no one would suspect anything.”

Ye Mu lowered his gaze, looking troubled. “In public, we should still be cautious.”

For some reason, the conversation with Yan Chen that day had left him unsettled.

“Excuse me,” a college girl suddenly approached Chen Mo.

Chen Mo showed no expression, looking at her coldly without saying a word.

He was wearing a thin jacket, his tall, lean figure and handsome, fair face exuding a cold, intimidating aura that made him seem unapproachable.

The girl had seen him speaking softly to someone just now and hadn’t expected him to give her the cold shoulder, which made her regret approaching. Still, she mustered the courage to ask, “Can I, can I have your phone number?”

Her voice grew quieter, almost inaudible by the end, and she looked down, not daring to meet Chen Mo’s gaze.

It wasn’t her fault; he was just too handsome. She really wanted to get to know him.

Ye Mu coughed lightly and looked away, pretending not to be involved.

Chen Mo narrowed his eyes and looked down at the girl in silence.

She was so nervous she didn’t know what to do. “I didn’t mean anything by it, I just wanted to know if you’re single.”

Chen Mo stood straight, his face impassive, not responding.

The girl felt embarrassed and started to back away, wanting to leave.

But Chen Mo suddenly spoke, his voice deep, “Sorry, I have a boyfriend.”

The simple, casual sentence carried a lot of weight.

The girl was stunned as if struck by lightning, standing there frozen, until she finally stammered, “You’re… you’re gay?”

Chen Mo looked at her without hesitation, his Adam’s apple moving. “Yes.”

The girl was shocked, staring at him in disbelief, saying nothing more.

Chen Mo lowered his gaze, locking eyes with her. This moment felt oddly similar to the time with Song Jia, but this time, he was openly admitting that he liked men, and the feeling was complicated.

The girl stood there, finding it hard to believe, making the atmosphere awkward.

“Sorry, we need to go.” The girl’s friend, unable to watch any longer, dragged her away.

Ye Mu felt a mix of emotions as he looked at Chen Mo, not saying a word.

Chen Mo took a deep breath, turned to look at Ye Mu, and forced a smile. “It’s nothing.”

Ye Mu looked back at him, catching the subtle embarrassment in his eyes, and took the basket from him. “This should be enough. Let’s pay and go home.”

He had been through this before, so he understood the feeling but didn’t want to dwell on it.

Chen Mo frowned slightly and followed him.

Because it was the weekend, the supermarket was crowded, and the checkout line was long.

Ye Mu lined up at the end of the line.

Chen Mo stood behind him and asked, “Ye Mu, how did you get used to this at first?”

Ye Mu’s dark eyes stared ahead. “Nothing special. It goes from feeling lost to getting used to it, then becoming numb.”

Chen Mo looked at his deep, sculpted face, his eyes downcast. “Give me some time.”

Ye Mu smiled faintly, his expression unchanging. “Don’t worry about it. If we need to, we can keep things private, and no one will know about us.”

Chen Mo’s lips tightened into a straight line. “Doesn’t sneaking around bother you?”

Ye Mu looked away from him. “As long as we know what’s going on, that’s enough. Keeping it private is also a way to protect you.”

Chen Mo frowned, his expression sincere. “I don’t need that. If I can’t even overcome this, I’ll end up despising myself.”

Ye Mu lowered his eyes, surprised. “There’s no need to push yourself. We have plenty of time.”

Chen Mo was silent for a moment, then slowly walked over to stand beside him.

Ye Mu looked at him but said nothing.

Chen Mo swallowed, his flawless neck skin slightly tense. After standing there for a long time, he silently took Ye Mu’s hand.

Ye Mu was stunned, and his heart began to race.

It was such a simple gesture between a couple, but it made him feel nervous.

Chen Mo’s long eyelashes cast shadows as he looked determined. He didn’t say anything but showed his attitude with his actions.

Ye Mu bit his lip, glancing at the curious eyes around them, then at Chen Mo’s strong profile. After a moment of struggle, he decided to pull his hand away. “Don’t.”

But Chen Mo held on tightly, his deep eyes like the ocean. “Ye Mu, there are some things I want us to face together.”

Ye Mu frowned. “You’re just making trouble for yourself.”

Chen Mo’s lips curved slightly, his sharp face softening a bit. His voice was magnetic. “Maybe, but I want to spend my life with you, so I want to face everything head-on, not hide.”

Ye Mu was silent, his usually calm face showing a hint of discomfort. “I didn’t expect you to say that. It’s not like you.”

Chen Mo laughed softly, his long eyelashes fluttering. “I think so too. Maybe I’ve really matured a bit recently.”

Ye Mu looked at him briefly, his eyes deep with emotion. After a moment, he said, “In some ways, you’re still pretty immature, like those fake roses.”

Chen Mo looked down at him. “Do you know the meaning of those twenty roses?”

Ye Mu asked, “What?”

Chen Mo held his hand tightly and, after a moment of thought, replied, “Eternal love.”

Ye Mu turned his head, his face showing disdain as he remarked, “So cheesy.”

Though he said that, his long fingers quietly tightened around Chen Mo’s hand.

Chen Mo smiled, a rare softness in the curve of his lips.

From behind, their silhouettes matched perfectly, exuding warmth and affection, making them look enviable.

“Click.”

A sudden, abrupt sound.

In a secluded corner, the unfamiliar click of a camera went off, capturing the scene without anyone noticing.