Early the next morning, Chen Mo hadn't even gotten out of bed when he heard the noise coming from outside.

The Yang family had gone all out for what was supposed to be a small reunion with classmates. Perhaps it was due to Old Master Yang’s visit the day before, but today, Yang Shu Le's parents left the house early, unlike before when they stayed home to emphasize the importance of the occasion.

By nine o’clock, several cars were already parked outside the villa.

Those who could befriend Yang Shu Le weren’t from poor families, but since he was well-liked, he had invited quite a few classmates from more modest backgrounds. As soon as they stepped inside, they couldn’t help but gasp in awe.

The variety of juices and desserts.

The massive crystal chandelier in the living room.

The butler waiting attentively, and the maids busily walking in and out.

“Shu Le, how are you feeling? Are you better now?” A group of five or six young boys surrounded Yang Shu Le, walking alongside him as they warmly expressed their concern. “Don’t worry, we’ve organized all the class notes into two copies, and we’ve brought them for you today.”

“Yeah, you have no idea how boring things have been without you.”

“When you’re back, we’ll plan a movie night together. There’s a new escape room that just opened in the southern part of the city, and since you’re so smart, you’ll have to help us solve it.”

Today, Yang Shu Le was wearing the suit his mother had specially prepared for him.

A suit with a bow tie, and his hair styled just as meticulously as every year on his birthday.

Hearing these words, he finally relaxed from his anxious state and allowed a smile to form on his face.

Before today, he had been afraid that no one would come, that they would look down on him, and worse, that people would gossip behind his back. But reality proved that he wasn’t the Yang family’s son who had grown up in Yuhua Village. All the extracurricular classes and study programs throughout his life weren’t in vain. Even if some wealthy kids befriended him because of his family background, the love his parents had for him was genuine. He still carried the Yang surname, and he still lived here—that was the undeniable truth.

His angry declaration that he didn’t need their charity, made in front of Chen Mo, was nothing more than fear of losing his parents’ affection and the life he had grown used to.

He didn’t even bother to hide his hostility toward Chen Mo.

As for Chen Mo, in a family like the Yangs, what could his reckless behavior possibly earn him? Let him try and fight. If he made any move today, it would surely draw everyone’s attention to him as the target of ridicule.

Yang Shu Le looked around, not seeing Chen Mo, and then withdrew his gaze, nodding as he responded to his classmates, “I’m much better now. I’ll be back at school very soon.”

“That’s great news.” Qi Li, a classmate with a baby face, whose family ran a restaurant, couldn’t compare to the grand wealth of the Yang family. Still, he was known for being close with Yang Shu Le. Looking around at the house, he said enviously, “Shu Le, your parents really treat you well. By the way, should we go say hello to your mom and dad?”

At the mention of his parents, Yang Shu Le’s expression stiffened momentarily.

He couldn’t bring himself to admit that the parents who had promised to help him host his classmates weren’t even home today.

Yang Shu Le kept his face neutral and replied casually, “My parents said they didn’t want to intrude on a kids’ gathering, thinking it would make everyone uncomfortable. They’re busy with business today, so they’re not here.”

“Oh, that’s fine then,” Qi Li shifted the conversation, “What about your older brother?”

Yang Shu Le inwardly looked down on Qi Li for always trying to ask about his brother whenever he visited the Yang family.

His brother’s marriage wasn’t something he could control, and there was already a woman his brother had been steadily seeing. How could he possibly have any connection with a high school boy?

Still, Yang Shu Le kept his expression unchanged and replied, “He’s not home either.”

“Not home, huh,” Qi Li’s face showed a brief flash of disappointment before quickly brightening again. “Well, next time we meet up, you should bring your brother along. Back when we used to hang out, he treated us to so many things just to take care of you. You really can’t find a brother like that anywhere else.”

The others chimed in to agree.

Hearing this, a bit of pride swelled in Yang Shu Le’s heart, and he didn’t refuse their suggestions.

As more people began arriving, Yang Shu Le stubbornly remained standing outside, occasionally glancing toward the entrance as if waiting for someone.

The two or three people with him exchanged knowing smiles.

Qi Li openly teased, “Waiting for the class president?”

“Don’t talk nonsense,” Yang Shu Le said. “The Xi family and ours just have some business dealings. I only met Ah Yan a few times when we were kids. Last year, our parents realized we were in the same class, and you know how I always get sick when the seasons change. So, my parents asked him to look out for me at school.”

“Oh, Ah Yan,” someone chimed in teasingly, asking the others, “Has anyone else heard anyone else at school calling him Ah Yan?”

Yang Shu Le playfully made a move to hit them. “His family calls him that, and I’m not the only one.”

“Yeah, family members call him that.”

“Ah Yan, Ah Yan… but that’s Xi Si Yan, the one who’s so tall I’m too scared to breathe whenever he walks by.”

“Come on, it’s not that bad. The students in the honors class always ask him for help with their studies, and he’s great at basketball and track. Everyone says he’s got a good personality.”

“He’s alright, but you haven’t seen him when he’s serious. It’s like facing a grim reaper—when he sits at the teacher’s desk during self-study, the classroom feels like a graveyard. It’s dead silent.”

“But Shu Le isn’t scared of him, right?”

Yang Shu Le thought to himself that it was still intimidating.

Although Xi Si Yan had never shown him a cold face, their relationship wasn’t as close as the other students imagined. They weren’t particularly special to each other.

Every time Yang Shu Le took an exam, he made sure to take it seriously, never allowing himself to fall below the top three in the grade, just so he could see his name next to Xi Si Yan’s on the honors board. Each time he asked him for help with homework, or the two times he caught a ride with the Xi family after making an excuse about his driver, even the simple holiday greetings Xi Si Yan replied to were enough to make his heart race for a while.

If not for the events of a month ago, he might have had even more chances to see him.

Someone asked, “Will he be coming today?”

“He is,” Yang Shu Le’s smile became more genuine at this point. “When I invited him, he said the homeroom teacher asked him to bring me a form for the competition, so he’ll come.”

“Oh, right. You’re really good at physics, so you’re definitely in for this year’s competition.”

“Does that mean you and the class president will be going to training together?”

The entrance was bustling with activity.

Groups of teenage boys and girls were chatting away, discussing everything from fashion, trends, and pop music to last week's gaming competitions and who in the dorm forgot to wash their stinky socks and got punished by the dorm supervisor.

Everyone here probably had a bit of curiosity in their hearts.

After all, the Yang family had recently experienced something major, and the rumors hadn’t died down yet.

But because one person had yet to appear, everyone tacitly avoided the topic, and no one had the nerve to bring it up in front of the host.

“Why aren’t you going downstairs?” On the second-floor balcony, Chen Mo leaned against the railing and asked the person beside him.

Gou Yiyang, holding a drink, glanced down below and replied, “If the main attraction isn’t going, what’s the point for me?”

Chen Mo clinked his drink against Gou Yiyang’s. “You really are… so blunt that I can’t even hate you for it.”

“Right back at you,” Gou Yiyang said. “Before I met you at the internet café, I didn’t expect you to be this interesting.”

“Interesting?”

“Yeah, interesting.” Gou Yiyang raised an eyebrow. “Some people are just waiting for you to wreak havoc, to tear the Yang family apart. But honestly, you seem way too lazy, with zero motivation, my friend.”

Chen Mo chuckled.

“I used to be driven,” he said.

But it turned out his drive had been misplaced. When he was a teenager, the power of the Yang family had seemed like an immovable mountain, so all he could do was push himself harder. As he grew older, he wanted to make those people look up to him, so he worked himself to the bone.

But being at the top didn’t turn out to be as satisfying as he’d imagined.

Chen Mo turned slightly, leaning his arm on the wooden railing, gazing at the lively scene below. He spoke slowly, “I prefer my life now—lying around with enough money to spend endlessly, without having to work too hard. I won’t starve in the future, and if I ever get bored, well… I can watch others enjoy their youth.”

As he finished speaking, a few more people arrived at the entrance below.

Xi Si Yan entered, wearing a simple black-and-white tracksuit with sneakers. Clean, noticeable, he looked like he was just passing by. As soon as he stepped inside, several boys, who seemed to be on good terms with him, flocked to him. The youthful energy of the teenage boys radiated through the scene.

The crowd of boys and girls in the hall fell silent, all eyes drawn to him.

Chen Mo noticed the figure closely trailing behind Xi Si Yan, watching as that person tugged lightly on his sleeve. Xi Si Yan stopped, looked down to meet their gaze, and exchanged a few quiet words with them.

Chen Mo, growing bored, turned to Gou Yiyang. “I need to wake myself up. I got woken up way too early with all this noise. You coming?”

Five minutes later, Gou Yiyang stood by the massive pool, looking exasperated. “Wouldn’t gaming have been a better way to wake up? You didn’t even ask if a landlubber like me wanted to swim.”

“Gaming hurts the eyes,” Chen Mo said, tossing a yellow rubber duck floaty toward him. “If you don’t start exercising now, by the time you’re thirty, you’ll have a belly, and it won’t be a yellow one—it’ll be flesh-colored.”

“Get lost, I’ll still be a handsome man at thirty.”

Chen Mo snickered, not bothering to argue with him. He casually walked over to the lounge chair where the towels were placed and pulled off his shirt.

Gou Yiyang glanced at him, stunned. “Damn, you’re this pale? And your legs—those proportions are insane. You look normal with clothes on, but when you take them off, I feel like I’m going to start bleeding.”

“Stop acting.” Chen Mo remained unfazed.

The only time Gou Yiyang had ever gotten a nosebleed was after staying up all night for surgery and then going to a bar the next day, where he saw a girl with a particularly stunning figure. For that, he even asked for her number, intending to pursue her, only to find out she had a boyfriend—a total misunderstanding.

Gou Yiyang might not seem like it, but despite his lack of a filter, he was a pure-hearted straight guy.

At sixteen, Chen Mo had been thin, but life hadn’t been easy for him over the years. His body had a thin layer of muscle, making him look toned and well-proportioned. But if you got close, you’d notice the scars scattered across his back, legs, and feet—long, whip-like marks, small burns, cuts of various depths. Some had faded, leaving only faint traces, but they were still enough to catch the eye.

Gou Yiyang opened his mouth, but seeing this, he couldn’t find the words.

Chen Mo, however, casually glanced at the visible scars and said offhandedly, “What’s so strange about it? That man from the Chen family was a gambler. When he drank, he hit people, and beating his son was second nature to him. But he hasn’t dared touch me in a long time since I broke one of his hands.”

“Do your biological parents know?” Gou Yiyang asked.

Chen Mo tossed his shirt onto a chair and started stretching his wrists and ankles. “They’ve heard bits and pieces from the police.”

“That’s inhuman.”

It wasn’t clear if he was cursing the Yangs or the Chens.

Chen Mo didn’t tell Gou Yiyang that scars eventually heal. Those who never saw the fresh blood or endured the itching pain of a wound scabbing over were likely to forget.

For Chen Mo now, it didn’t matter either way.

“Let’s get in the water. I told the servants to make sure no one comes in.”

Since no one would come in, there wouldn’t be any risk of getting thrown into the water.

The peace was real.

Chen Mo dove into the water with a strong push, quickly swimming toward the other side.

His swimming style was precise and flawless, his movements smooth as he glided through the water. Watching from the edge of the pool, even Gou Yiyang couldn’t help but feel a bit tempted to join.

But unfortunately, a landlubber is still a landlubber, and wearing a childish floaty didn’t make it any less embarrassing.

After swimming just under two laps, Chen Mo felt a sharp pain in his knee.

The issue with his knee wasn’t too serious at this point, but he guessed the cold water had triggered it. To be safe, he decided not to push it and swam toward the edge.

At that moment, there was a sudden commotion at the pool entrance.

“Why can’t we go in?”

“Shu Le, is your pool off-limits? It’s so hot today—this weather’s perfect for a swim.”

Next came Yang Shu Le’s voice, questioning the servant.

The servant was in a tight spot.

Everyone knew that Chen Mo wasn’t the same as before, especially after Old Master Yang’s recent visit. The servants were on edge, almost losing their jobs. Chen Mo had explicitly said no one could enter, and the servant was genuinely too afraid to let anyone in.

“Young Master Shu Le, Young Master Mo is inside,” the servant said quietly.

Yang Shu Le’s face darkened immediately, especially with more people starting to gather, drawn by the noise.

“Open the door,” Yang Shu Le ordered.

The servant didn’t move.

Yang Shu Le felt like Chen Mo was deliberately trying to embarrass him. Usually, he rarely lost his temper with the servants, but now his face was flushed with anger. “I said, open the door!”

The servant, trembling with hesitation for a long moment, finally pushed the door open.

The door slowly swung open before everyone’s eyes.

They saw a figure rise from the water with a splash, droplets falling as they emerged from the pool.

Standing by the edge, bending slightly forward, his eyes dark as night, filled with nothing but weariness, he slowly spoke, “Anyone who dares to step through that door today… go ahead, try me.”