Chapter 29

Yang Qindong laughed instead of getting angry. "Very pretty diplomatic phrasing. Should I be relieved that you finally remembered my good points at a time like this?"

"Of course. I've always felt that the two of us worked well together." Chen Mo nodded with a smile. "By the way, when you put out the press release, make sure you don't portray me as the one who got bullied. Something that embarrassing could never happen to me. I was just thinking, what do you think of a headline like 'King Ji Ze Furiously Provokes a Newcomer, Only to Be Crushed by the Newcomer in Every Aspect'? Or perhaps, 'King Ji Ze Crushed by Newcomer, Left Ashen-Faced and Unable to Hold His Head Up'? In short, I'd rather be the one doing the bullying than the one getting bullied! You must pay special attention to that when you release the statement."

"You brat—" Yang Qindong was left speechless. After giving Chen Mo a thorough once-over, he said with a laugh, "What an willful little brat."

"Who?" Chen Mo asked reflexively.

"You!" Seeing Chen Mo's expression suddenly turn disdainful, Yang Qindong deliberately rubbed salt in the wound. "A brat who's competitive, headstrong, and reckless. And you dare say you're different from Ji Ze? Look at the things you two have done. How are you any different?"

"Are you blind? How could the two of us be the same?" Chen Mo immediately bristled. "There's a fundamental difference between us, okay?"

Yang Qindong chuckled, spread his hands, and shook his head without saying a word.

That seemingly conciliatory gesture only provoked Chen Mo again. Stamping his foot in irritation, Chen Mo demanded, "What kind of expression is that? You don't believe me? I clearly won today. I won at dancing, I won at piano, and even when we played games, I won. How could we possibly be the same? He admitted that I'm more handsome than him too, didn't he..."

Just then, Chen Mo's phone suddenly rang. He took it out and saw that it was an unfamiliar number, so he decisively declined the call. Less than two minutes later, the number called again, and Chen Mo hung up once more. Then the person called again...

Chen Mo answered in exasperation. His movement was so forceful that he accidentally turned on the speakerphone. "Who are you?"

"I'm Mu Yu. I heard you're recording a program in Hunan Province. I happen to be here on a business trip too, and I'm staying at the same hotel as you... I was wondering, would you be interested in coming out for a drink?"

Chen Mo was about to ask, "Who's Mu Yu?" when he saw Yang Qindong's stunned expression. A flash of realization struck him, and he raised an eyebrow. "You're... President Mu?"

Mu Yu chuckled softly from the other end of the line. "Yes, I am."

His low, magnetic voice came through the receiver, carrying an indescribable texture.

At nine in the evening, night had blanketed the earth. In some remote rural wilderness, the phrase "all was silent" might have applied by then. But for an international metropolis still in the midst of development, this hour meant that nightlife had only just begun.

Chen Mo took the elevator from the guest room floor directly down to the first floor. With light steps, he crossed the dazzlingly lavish lobby and headed straight into the bar.

Compared with the hotel lobby, which was magnificent and bright as day, the bar's lighting was softer and dimmer. Small groups of guests sat drinking and chatting. A beautiful singer in a black strapless evening gown sang softly onstage, her languid, slightly husky voice drifting through the bar and creating an intimate, soothing atmosphere.

Chen Mo casually swept his gaze around the bar and spotted Mu Yu seated in an armchair, his long fingers writing and drawing across a tablet. He was still wearing that classic custom-made black suit and black calfskin shoes. The matching black suit jacket had been folded neatly and draped over the arm of a brown single-seater chair. He wore no tie, and the top two buttons of his pure white shirt were undone, revealing the faint curve of perfectly shaped collarbones. Half of his deeply sculpted, handsome face was hidden in the bar's hazy lighting, giving him an air of serious, restrained allure.

Slightly dazzled, Chen Mo gave a soft whistle and silently praised him. No wonder people said that the meticulous charm of an outstanding man was second only to the temptation of a beautiful woman.

As if they had some telepathic connection, Mu Yu, who had been immersed in his work, looked up the instant Chen Mo whistled. His eyes found Chen Mo with unerring accuracy. Their gazes met in midair. Chen Mo smiled and raised a hand before walking over. Mu Yu stood as well, shaking Chen Mo's hand as he explained, "I still had some work to finish, so I had no choice but to work overtime tonight."

Chen Mo smiled. "What unfortunate news."

After saying that, Chen Mo sat down casually, and Mu Yu naturally took the seat opposite him. The dark brown wooden round table was only about eighty centimeters across, which was hardly enough space for two men taller than 1.8 meters. As soon as they sat down, they immediately felt that the distance between them had become much smaller.

Chen Mo unconsciously glanced at the items on the little table: a glass of whiskey with ice, an A4-sized document, a phone, and a tablet. There were rather a lot of things, making the tabletop look very crowded.

The corner of Chen Mo's lips curved up. Handling work in a spot like this really wouldn't be enjoyable.

Noticing Chen Mo studying the tabletop, Mu Yu packed the tablet and documents into his briefcase as he asked, "What would you like to drink?"

Resting his chin on one hand, Chen Mo replied listlessly, "A cup of hot cocoa."

Mu Yu looked up at Chen Mo, then waved over a waiter. "Two cups of hot cocoa."

Chen Mo raised an eyebrow and looked at Mu Yu.

Seeing this, Mu Yu explained with a serious expression, "I'm just curious what the hot cocoa you drink tastes like."

Chen Mo looked at Mu Yu with a smile and replied equally seriously, "Then I'm also curious—how am I supposed to taste 'my hot cocoa' from 'your cup'?"

Mu Yu froze at that, apparently not expecting Chen Mo to say something like that.

With one leg crossed over the other, Chen Mo leaned back in his armchair in a relaxed pose and laughed. "So, someone who drinks whiskey even while working overtime at night really doesn't need to accommodate me. Order whatever you want. I may be craving it too, but as an artist, I have to mind my image. I wouldn't do something like snatch alcohol from your hand and drink it in public."

At that, Mu Yu's lips curved almost imperceptibly. He gave Chen Mo a deep look, then really did signal for the bartender to replace his hot cocoa with whiskey.

That seemingly obedient gesture successfully pleased Chen Mo. He had not forgotten how, during their last meeting, Mu Yu had unknowingly led him around by the nose the entire time. For someone as competitive as Chen Mo, being passive meant being at a disadvantage. It always left him feeling frustrated. It did not affect the bigger picture, but it was still unpleasant.

Things were much better now. Everything ought to go both ways.

Mu Yu seemed not to notice Chen Mo's smug mood. Amid Chen Mo's wandering, cheerful gaze, he pressed a hand to his stomach. A pained expression appeared on his face, and a trace of exhaustion flashed quickly between his brows.

Seeing that, Chen Mo frowned. "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

"It's nothing," Mu Yu replied. "I probably didn't eat dinner, so my stomach hurts a little."

"You didn't eat dinner?" Chen Mo raised his brows in surprise. Thinking of the parents from his previous life, who had often been so busy with work that they forgot to eat, he immediately said, "Don't drink alcohol. I remember there's a congee place across from the hotel. Brother Mao said their seafood congee is good. Since your stomach hurts, go have some congee."

A faint smile appeared on Mu Yu's pale face, looking especially gentle under the dim bar lights. He gazed at Chen Mo with dark, clear eyes and said, "Wouldn't that be too troublesome for you? I only meant to ask you down for a drink. Now I have to make you accompany me to a congee shop instead. If your manager finds out, he won't be happy, will he? He probably doesn't like you getting too close to me."

"It's fine. There's a full meter between us," Chen Mo casually cracked a bad joke, then got to his feet and urged him, "Hurry up. I don't want to have a drink with you and end up having to take you to the hospital afterward."

Mu Yu smiled at that and obediently rose to leave with Chen Mo.

Hunan Province was cold and damp at night. The night wind swept past as if it wanted to cut straight through one's bones.

Chen Mo shivered in the biting wind and walked side by side with Mu Yu across the road, entering a congee shop opposite the hotel.

It was already past nine o'clock at night, but the congee shop still had quite a few customers. Chen Mo got a private room on the second floor, then ordered a bowl of the seafood congee Mao Li had highly recommended, a bowl of millet congee said to be good for the stomach, two baskets of soup dumplings, and several small side dishes. Only after ordering did he remember to ask Mu Yu, "Is there anything you don't eat?"

Mu Yu shook his head. Chen Mo turned to urge the waiter, "Bring the food quickly. Serve the congee first. We haven't eaten dinner yet."

The uniformed waitress nodded. Then she asked in a quiet voice, "Excuse me, are you Chen Mo? I really like you. Could you give me an autograph?"

Chen Mo paused, then nodded. "Bring the food first. Once you've brought it, I'll sign for you."

Perhaps Chen Mo's response was too odd, because the waitress visibly froze. Once she came back to herself, she nodded excitedly and drifted away with the ordering device and menu in her arms.

Less than five minutes later, the young waitress indeed brought over two bowls of congee in clay pots along with several side dishes. After moving the congee and dishes from the tray onto the table, she said, "Please enjoy," with a bright smile, then looked at Chen Mo expectantly.

Chen Mo asked Mu Yu, "Did you bring a pen?"

Mu Yu smiled and handed Chen Mo his fountain pen. Chen Mo casually pulled a tissue from the napkin box. Before he could start writing, the young waitress carefully took a notebook from her pocket and handed it over, asking softly, "Could you sign it in this?"

Chen Mo smiled. "Of course."

He took the notebook and asked the waitress's name before writing on the page, "Wishing xx success in your career, happiness, and joy."

Naturally, he signed it "Chen Mo."

Mu Yu glanced at Chen Mo's handwriting. His strokes flowed like dragons and hooks like iron, possessing both pride and unyielding strength. Mu Yu immediately lifted a brow in understanding.

The young waitress left with her face flushed, clutching the notebook with a dazed expression.

Chen Mo returned the fountain pen to Mu Yu and said with a smile, "Hurry up and eat. So you could get this congee sooner, I nearly had to sell my looks."

It was obviously a joke. Yet Mu Yu still seriously drank down the entire bowl of millet congee, one mouthful at a time. Chen Mo sat opposite him, idly eating his own bowl of seafood congee.

Mu Yu was somewhat surprised to discover that Chen Mo's movements while eating were beautiful—so beautiful that they could only be described as pleasing to the eye. The unintentional elegance and leisurely old-world charm that showed in every gesture made him seem like a young nobleman raised under strict etiquette—not that, in truth, Chen Mo's movements were even smoother and more relaxed than those of the people Mu Yu had met from old aristocratic families.

The feeling was... as though a rigidly proper Song or Ming scholar-official and a free-spirited Han or Tang recluse were sharing the same room. Even if the former followed every rule, he would still pale beside the latter's effortless ease.

Halfway through dinner, Mu Yu's assistant called. Chen Mo had no idea what was said on the other end, but after Mu Yu answered "Mm" several times in succession, his brows gradually furrowed.

Chen Mo had seen such scenes countless times in his previous life. Looking at Mu Yu after he put down the phone, Chen Mo stood up and said, "Let's go."