Awkward Chapter 98

Shoutout to nyanmaru for the commission!

Three years later.

Lately, Ye Mu had noticed that Chen Mo was acting a bit strange.

For some unknown reason, Chen Mo suddenly started paying attention to his appearance.

From being unkempt, he had become very meticulous about his cleanliness. Before going out, he would carefully check to see if his white shirt was wrinkle-free and if his black pants fit properly.

That might have been fine, but every morning after washing up, he would spend five or six times in front of the mirror, fiddling with his hair.

You know, men’s hair is cut short, and no matter how much you fiddle with it, it’s just a few strands with nothing much to arrange.

But Chen Mo would always tilt his head up slightly, squinting his eyes as he meticulously groomed his hair, occasionally spraying something to keep it in place.

He’d spend about half an hour on this every day. Though it took up time, it certainly made him look more handsome and dashing than before. Paired with his sharp outfit, he looked every bit the part of a heartthrob.

At first, Ye Mu didn’t think much of it. Sometimes, he would lean against the doorframe and watch him preen, finding it pleasing to the eye. Occasionally, he’d even walk over and give him a few kisses. But as time went on, something began to feel off.

Even though there wasn’t much work to handle at the company, Chen Mo was coming home later and later. He was often working late or suddenly going out for gatherings, meals, or social events with friends, and overall, just seemed to be inexplicably busy.

Because of this, even though they lived together, their actual time spent interacting became significantly less.

Ye Mu wanted to talk to him about it, but he hadn’t found the right opportunity.

That night, as usual, Chen Mo came home late. By the time he finished showering, put on his pajamas, and laid down in bed, it was already past midnight.

Although Ye Mu had his eyes closed, he couldn’t sleep due to all the unsaid things on his mind, and he kept tossing and turning.

Chen Mo noticed this and glanced over at him, teasing lightly, “It’s rare to see you have trouble sleeping.”

With a bit of stubble on his chin, he looked down at his phone, giving off a rugged manly charm that was filled with potent pheromones.

Ye Mu looked at him with a cold and indifferent expression, remaining silent. But his heart couldn’t help but race a little faster.

He had to admit, in just a few years, Chen Mo’s features had become even more chiseled, and he had developed a calm, reliable demeanor that made him more handsome and alluring than ever.

Even someone like Ye Mu, who had a strong immunity to such things, had to admit that this man was a rare gem in the gay community, someone who would be hard for anyone to resist.

“Where did you go fooling around tonight?”

His tone was indifferent, as cold as ever.

This had become Ye Mu’s most common opening line this week, though he himself strongly disliked asking it. He couldn’t help but let it slip out.

Chen Mo glanced at his phone with the same expression he’d had for the past few days. His thin lips curved slightly, the angle looking a bit unnatural yet still quite attractive. “Where else could I go? Just had a few drinks with that guy Sun Xiangyang.”

A hint of displeasure flickered across Ye Mu’s jade-like face, but he didn’t show it. He kept his tone as calm as possible and simply remarked, “This week, you’ve had drinks with him five times.”

Chen Mo pressed his lips together, his eyes on his phone showing a hint of nonchalance. “We’ve been hanging out a lot lately.”

His short response made it clear he hadn’t put much thought into his answer.

Ye Mu felt a bit exhausted by Chen Mo’s dismissive tone. After hearing this, he didn’t say much more and just lightly replied, “Oh.”

Chen Mo glanced at him out of the corner of his eye and nudged his slim waist with his elbow. “What, afraid I’m up to something with him?”

Ye Mu’s brow furrowed slightly, his tone indifferent. “I’m not that petty. Go to sleep, it’s late.”

He knew he shouldn’t be quick to doubt, but sometimes he couldn’t help the vague discomfort in his heart.

Chen Mo didn’t take the hint. He continued staring at his phone. “You go ahead. I’ll play on my phone for a bit.”

But he didn’t look like he was playing. The way he focused on the screen seemed more like he was waiting for a message or something.

Ye Mu frowned and turned on his side, unintentionally catching a glimpse. He felt a strange unease but kept his rationality intact, maintaining his silence. He didn’t say anything more, just forced himself to close his eyes.

Thinking Ye Mu had fallen asleep, Chen Mo leaned over and considerately turned off the bedside lamp for him.

The room was suddenly plunged into darkness.

The night felt particularly unbearable.

Ye Mu took a deep breath, trying to calm his emotions and not dwell on those troubling thoughts, but it was like having a thorn in his side—it just wouldn’t go away.

About half an hour passed, and he still hadn’t truly fallen asleep.

“Buzz.”

In the dead silence, the vibration of a text message suddenly sounded from the bedside.

Though it was faint, Ye Mu’s sharp senses picked it up immediately.

He stayed still, but something in him stirred. With a bit of trepidation, he cracked his eyes open just a sliver.

In the darkness, Chen Mo was half-sitting up, his head lowered as he typed something on his phone, focused on reading the message he’d just received.

Even with the poor lighting and angle, Ye Mu could just make out Chen Mo’s thin lips curving into a faint smile. The atmosphere felt both intimate and secretive.

Ye Mu bit his lip, and a wave of unsettling thoughts washed over him.

But he quickly dismissed them, tightening his lips as he mentally listed all the reasons why this couldn’t be the case.

Maybe it was because the trust between them had been so strong over the years that he decisively squashed those thoughts, got up, took a sleeping pill, and finally fell asleep.

But sometimes, the more you try not to think about something, the more it consumes you.

In the days that followed, Ye Mu began to notice more and more signs that Chen Mo was acting strange.

Not only were there more call and text records than usual, but Chen Mo also unexpectedly changed his phone’s lock screen to a fingerprint password.

When Ye Mu asked him about it, he always brushed him off with a few evasive words.

In private, Ye Mu checked Chen Mo’s online banking transactions from the past few weeks and found that his spending had increased by several dozen times compared to before.

His heart skipped a beat, and a terrifying thought suddenly flashed through his mind. The more he dwelled on it, the more alarmed he became.

Just think about it—if someone were dating another person, wouldn’t they need to go to fancy restaurants and buy gifts? How could the expenses not add up?

Considering everything that had happened before, the only conclusion Ye Mu could come to was: Chen Mo was cheating on him.