IOLYF Chapter 95

After spending two days in Country N, Mo Ming had managed to gather significant information about Li He.

Li He appeared to be just an ordinary company executive now. From what Mo Ming had learned, Li He was a straightforward person with no apparent vices. He followed a routine life—going to work and coming home with little to no socializing. Nothing seemed unusual about him on the surface.

Finding a breakthrough with someone like Li He would require some effort and investigation.

Mo Ming didn’t plan to reveal himself to Li He just yet. He still didn’t fully trust Xia Qing and wanted to proceed with caution until he had absolute certainty.

One evening, after having dinner at a restaurant near his hotel, Mo Ming was walking back with a bag of desserts when he unexpectedly ran into Han Shao Zhou.

Han Shao Zhou had his hands in his pockets and seemed to be waiting for him on the street. His expression was calm, but for a moment, Mo Ming felt disoriented, as if he were back in Chuanhai.

“Taking risks on your own again—doing whatever comes to mind, even abandoning your so-called teammates,” Han Shao Zhou said, his tone one of mild reproach.

“…”

Seeing Han Shao Zhou in this foreign city was nothing short of shocking for Mo Ming. Amid the unfamiliar surroundings, the sight of this familiar figure was a grounding presence.

“I have a plan,” Mo Ming replied, his gaze shifting to the traffic on the road. “And I don’t start work until after the New Year. I have plenty of time to take care of things without rushing into anything dangerous.”

“Is this plan of yours just like before? Where you handle everything by yourself? Like you did with Qian Zhi, Sun Chao, Xia Qing, and those people connected to Shen Qian?”

Mo Ming froze for a moment. “You… you know about all that?”

“Yes,” Han Shao Zhou responded, his voice steady. “I know everything.”

Han Shao Zhou looked at Mo Ming, his cold eyes seemingly suppressing something deep inside. After a moment, he added, “When we were lovers, you never treated me as a real partner. Now, even as friends—despite our so-called cooperation—you still consider me dispensable. Is that how it is? No matter what role I play, I don’t even count as a passerby to you.”

“There are some things I can handle on my own, and you’ve already helped me a lot,” Mo Ming replied.

“I thought that after working together these past few days, you might trust me a little,” Han Shao Zhou said, his voice tinged with frustration.

Mo Ming looked down, unwilling to admit that he had been aware of Han Shao Zhou staying up late that night at Xiangbinshan, smoking on the balcony for a long time. He didn’t understand what it meant, but something told him it was related to him.

“There are some things I know you’ve had to struggle with for a long time,” Mo Ming took a deep breath. “You’ve just managed to return to normal, and to avoid any risks, we…”

“Avoid what risks?” Han Shao Zhou interrupted.

“…”

“Are you afraid I’ll hold onto the fact that you used me as a substitute? Or are you afraid I’ll continue to have feelings for you?”

Mo Ming remained silent, his head slightly bowed.

Han Shao Zhou stepped closer, his gaze intense as he looked down at Mo Ming. “What makes you think I’ve moved on from that? What makes you think I’m back to normal?”

“You’ve been very…” Mo Ming began.

“Very calm? Very composed?” Han Shao Zhou let out a short, bitter laugh. “Tell me, what does it look like when someone hasn’t moved on? You’re supposed to be smart. You know how much I hate being your stand-in for Zhou Xu, yet I still can’t help wanting to be close to you. Don’t you know why that is? Or do you just not care?”

“…”

Han Shao Zhou stared at Mo Ming’s face, his lips trembling as he struggled to get the words out. “If I told you that I’m crazily obsessed with you, would you believe me?”

Mo Ming stared at Han Shao Zhou, his thick lashes trembling just like his dark eyes. After a brief moment of shock, he took a step back, lowered his gaze to the ground, and said in a detached tone, “That’s all the more reason I should stay away from you. If we’re to remain friends, I don’t want you to waste your efforts.”

“Waste my efforts?”

Han Shao Zhou let out a strained laugh, his eyes misting over. Perhaps this was why he had been reluctant to reveal his feelings—he knew that the moment he let even a hint of his emotions slip, Mo Ming would decisively cut off any hope he might have had, without a moment’s hesitation. Only when he acted like a purely platonic friend, free of any desires, did he have a chance to stay close to this man.

It felt like everything was back to square one. The fragile fantasy of harmony they had shared over the past few days had just been shattered into pieces.

“Go back home, Han Ge. You’re not like other people—you don’t even have a bodyguard with you right now, it’s not safe,” Mo Ming said. “There’s no need for both of us to be stuck here. If anything comes up that involves Pang Yuanqing, I’ll contact you immediately.”

Han Shao Zhou watched Mo Ming speak so earnestly and suddenly felt a hollow emptiness in his chest.

Mo Ming was rational, clear-headed—he had always been. Han Shao Zhou regretted saying those things. If he hadn’t gotten so emotional, at least now he could have pretended to be casual, invited Mo Ming to dinner, walked with him, talked to him.

He had flown all the way here without any plans, just knowing that Mo Ming was here, driven by an inexplicable urge to see him. That was all—he just wanted to see him.

Han Shao Zhou closed his eyes tightly and said, “You shouldn’t be here alone. If this really involves Pang Yuanqing, continuing your investigation could be dangerous. I know you’re smart, but I don’t think you can outmatch Pang Yuanqing. Come back to Chuanhai with me, and I’ll have someone handle things here.”

“I…”

“I won’t be shameless enough to ask for anything in return. You don’t have to worry about that. You don’t owe me anything. You helped me with my grandpa and my uncle, so let this be my way of repaying you. I…”

“I don’t want to see you take unnecessary risks…” Han Shao Zhou almost said it but held back, fearing that any more emotional pleas would only push Mo Ming further away.

Mo Ming was silent for a moment before he quietly said, “I’m going back to the hotel.”

“You still insist on doing this alone?” Han Shao Zhou’s patience snapped. “Can’t you at least treat me as a tool? I don’t want anything from you in return. I’m not asking for anything—just use me for once, why can’t you?”

Mo Ming remained silent for a long time before finally saying in a low voice, “You don’t deserve to be treated like that.”

Han Shao Zhou froze, and for a fleeting moment, he thought he saw a soft, almost imperceptible warmth in Mo Ming’s ink-black eyes—something like a thin veil of gentleness—but it disappeared in an instant.

“If I truly need help…” Mo Ming offered a faint smile. “I’ll ask for yours, Han Ge.”

Han Shao Zhou’s eyes filled with a sense of loss, as if those words were just a polite brush-off, an attempt at comfort.

Mo Ming turned and walked away. A short while later, he glanced back and saw Han Shao Zhou following behind him.

Han Shao Zhou’s eyes were still slightly red from where he had wiped them, and his expression in the night was dispirited. He spoke weakly, “I’m staying at the same hotel as you, so we’re heading the same way…”

Mo Ming turned back and continued walking.

It took two blocks to get back to the hotel. Under the neon lights, the two walked in silence, one behind the other, neither speaking, but neither widening the gap between them.