Awkward Chapter 89

Shoutout to nyanmaru for the commission!

In the following months, he exhausted every contact and method he could, but didn’t find a single trace of Ye Mu.

He asked everyone—family, friends, colleagues—but they all had the same answer: they didn’t know.

Where had he gone, what was he doing, and who was he with?

Chen Mo’s mind was a tangled mess, consumed daily by these questions.

As the days passed, he became increasingly irritable and depressed. He neglected his company’s business, spending all his time glued to his phone, waiting for messages from the private investigator, barely present in his own life.

Sun Xiangyang had known Chen Mo for over ten years and had never seen his friend like this. He couldn’t help but be surprised.

“Hey, what’s wrong with you? So what about that gay? If he left, just find someone else. Why act like you’re heartbroken?”

Chen Mo had lost weight, with stubble growing on his chin. His once stylish hair was now a mess, and even his tie was crooked. He looked utterly defeated.

He didn’t respond to the question, just continued sitting silently at his desk, staring at the screen with bloodshot eyes.

Sun Xiangyang felt like tossing him into a trash heap to match his disheveled appearance.

“Enough already! You’re acting like you can’t live without that guy. Pull yourself together! If you keep this up, the company will go under, you know?”

Chen Mo didn’t react much, his dry, cracked lips moving slightly as he rasped, “Let it go under, it has nothing to do with me.”

Sun Xiangyang gasped in shock. “What nonsense are you talking about? Have you forgotten how much effort it took to build this company? You’re acting crazy.”

Chen Mo licked his parched lips. “I haven’t forgotten, but right now I can’t think about anything else.” Open or closed, all he could see was Ye Mu’s face. He was on the brink of losing his mind.

He hadn’t realized it before, but after Ye Mu left, he discovered that everything around him was filled with traces of him, making it impossible not to think about him constantly. Sometimes he wondered if he was addicted, unable to control himself.

Sun Xiangyang glanced at him, bewildered and horrified. “You’re not seriously going gay, are you?”

Chen Mo’s lips curled into a faint, indifferent smile.

Sun Xiangyang couldn’t stand it. “Fine, they say a drink can cure all ills. Don’t go home tonight, come to the bar with me for a drink.”

But Chen Mo declined. “I have plans tonight, maybe next time.”

He started gathering up his documents as he spoke.

Sun Xiangyang quickly blocked his way. “Come on, it’s been ages since the guys got together. It’s a rare chance. I’ll help you get over this, alright?”

Chen Mo pushed his hand away. “I’m going to the Yan family.”

Sun Xiangyang frowned. “Why go there? Are you looking for trouble?”

Chen Mo splashed water on his face in the bathroom, trying to look less haggard. “That’s none of your business.”

Sun Xiangyang was clearly irritated. “Fine, I won’t get involved. Just don’t let the company fall apart. You know I had to beg for this job, and if it goes under because of bad management, I’ll get chewed out by my old man again. You know how it is…”

He continued to ramble on, but Chen Mo didn’t listen. He simply put on a suit and walked out of the office.

By the time he drove to the old house in the suburbs, it was already six in the evening, and the family was having dinner together in harmony.

Chen Mo didn’t join them. Instead, he sat expressionlessly in the living room, waiting like an outsider.

Yan Henan glanced at him coolly as he used his knife and fork to cut a piece of meat, his voice low, “Why didn’t you give us a heads-up before coming?”

Chen Mo didn’t respond, his handsome face turned slightly away as he kept his head down, scrolling on his phone with a cold attitude.

Li Wen smiled sharply, her tone both acidic and cutting, “Is there even a need to ask? Obviously, he’s here because of that withdrawal of funds. I heard his company is on the brink of collapse due to cash flow issues.”

Yan Henan shot her a harsh look, “Stop with the sarcastic comments.”

Li Wen snorted, “What, I can’t say anything? Isn’t it the truth? If you ask me, he might need the money, but his attitude could at least be respectful. Just look at him, sitting there with a face like someone owes him.”

Yan Henan frowned tightly and turned to Chen Mo, “Speak directly—why are you here?” Though they didn’t interact much, he knew this son of his was far too proud to come begging for money.

Chen Mo’s face remained stiff, his bangs hanging down as he continued to silently swipe his fingers across the screen, opting for the cold shoulder.

Li Wen sneered, deliberately mocking him, “Look at him—he’s just like that wretched woman who died, annoying as h*ll. If I had known he was gay, I never would have taken him in.”

The remark was undeniably cruel, and Yan Henan’s face darkened instantly. He slammed his hand on the table, glaring at Li Wen, “Enough, go upstairs right now!”

Li Wen, who used to act submissive, had recently grown more assertive after making money in the stock market. She muttered a few complaints but didn’t move.

Seeing he couldn’t intimidate her, Yan Henan grew even angrier and was about to say something harsh, but was interrupted by Yan Chen.

“He’s here to see me.”

That deep, magnetic voice casually broke the tension.

Yan Chen set down his knife and fork, wiped his hands with a white napkin, and shot a cold, piercing look at Chen Mo before slowly getting up and walking towards the North Courtyard.

Chen Mo squinted his eyes, pocketed his phone, and followed him.

The night was deep, and Yan Chen stood quietly in the corridor, his broad shoulders draped in a dark black coat. His tall, straight figure exuded a cold, solemn aura, like a towering mountain that pressured those around him.

“I don’t know where he is either. You’re asking in vain.”

Chen Mo’s gaze was firm, his handsome face sharp as a blade, “Don’t try to play games with me. You’ve been eyeing my company recently, haven’t you? If you tell me, I’ll give it to you unconditionally.”

Yan Chen laughed, his expression indifferent, “You’re as arrogant as ever. Do you think a worthless company gives you the right to negotiate with me?”

The cold wind howled in their ears, and Chen Mo’s face hardened, his features etched with a fierce intensity, “It’s just a mutually beneficial deal. Don’t put yourself on a pedestal.”

Yan Chen’s smile was cold, his eyes inscrutable as he looked at him, “Are you sure that’s the tone you want to use with me? Even if I knew where he was, with your disgusting attitude, I wouldn’t tell you.”

Chen Mo clenched his fist, suppressing his anger, and said, “Then I’m asking you now, please tell me where he is.”

Yan Chen’s eyes were cold and detached, “If I’m not mistaken, you’ve never called me ‘big brother’ since you came into this family.”

Chen Mo’s eyes were dark and stormy, his chest filled with disgust, but he gritted his teeth and said it.

“Big brother.”

The two simple words were spoken with a mix of defiance and obedience, like a soldier following orders.

Yan Chen smiled nonchalantly but then showed a look of disdain and disgust, “How revolting.”

Chen Mo ground his teeth, but he didn’t argue. He simply stood there calmly, looking directly at him.

In the cold winter night, the sky suddenly opened up, pouring rain that made the chill seep deep into the bones.

Yan Chen’s deep, narrow eyes squinted as he looked into the distance, then suddenly turned and punched Chen Mo hard.

The strike was brutal and fierce, slicing through the air and making Chen Mo cough up blood.

Even though he was prepared, the sheer force of the blow knocked Chen Mo to the ground. But he didn’t fight back. He wiped the blood from his mouth indifferently, “Insult me or hit me, I don’t care. Vent however you want, as long as you tell me where Ye Mu is in the end, you can do whatever you like.”

Yan Chen looked down at him from above, pressing his foot on Chen Mo’s hand, his eyes filled with murderous rage, “It’s not just insults and punches. If murder wasn’t illegal, I’d carve you up.”

This was the man who stole Ye Mu from him, who took away the person he loved most in this life. He wished him dead—he wished him dead!

Chen Mo gritted his teeth against the pain, his expression hard as he stood in the rain, his wet hair making his sharp features even more defined. “I can die, as long as you let me see him.”

Yan Chen laughed coldly, grabbing him by the collar and slapping him several times, “I think you’re out of your mind, driven mad by longing, hmm?”

Chen Mo’s ears rang, his face burning with pain, but he just bowed his head and didn’t respond.

Yan Chen sneered at him and shoved him away like trash, “Get lost. I’ll never tell you where he is.”

The shove was forceful, sending Chen Mo tumbling down several steps, hitting his back and cutting his forehead, making him groan in pain.

Yan Chen sneered, ignoring him as he looked at him coldly, then turned to leave.

“Don’t forget I have leverage on you.”

Chen Mo stood up shakily in the mud, his steps unsteady as he fell again. His eyes gleamed with a wild, obsessive glint that could pierce through anyone’s defenses.

If the evidence was handled correctly, it could land Yan Chen in prison for life.

Yan Chen paused, and after a brief hesitation, his dark eyes grew even deeper. His voice was low and threatening, “Go ahead and try. We’ll see who goes down with whom.”

Seeing Yan Chen was about to leave, Chen Mo’s gaze flickered. He clenched his frozen, numb fingers and said, “Let’s make a deal. I’ll give you the evidence, and you pass a message to him for me.”

Yan Chen’s expression was dark, “What message?”

Chen Mo struggled to move, his slender body stumbling as he climbed back up and handed him a note.

Yan Chen glanced down indifferently, taking the note from him.

Chen Mo bit his lip, staring intently into his eyes, “Just get him to sign it, and I’ll send you the original documents.”

Yan Chen’s eyes were as black as night. He silently slipped the note into his coat pocket and turned to leave.

Chen Mo stood there, drenched and despondent, his head hanging low. He stayed like that for a long time until the door to the Yan family home was completely closed, then finally disappeared into the night.

Yan Chen watched him go, his expression cold as he casually pulled out the note and tore it to shreds.

Though the ink had been smeared by water, the contents were still somewhat legible.

The handwriting was strong and bold, the Chinese characters neatly arranged, expressing sentiments like “I like you”—words that were sappy and sentimental.

Yan Chen’s eyes darkened, and with a cold expression, he pulled out his phone and quickly sent a message.

—Hurry up and find him in the next few days.

Chen Mo wasn’t the only one; even Yan Chen didn’t know where Ye Mu had gone! This time, Ye Mu was determined to disappear for good!