IOLYF Chapter 69

After finishing the song, Mo Ming found himself pushing Han Shao Zhou’s head away three or four times.

Mo Ming had to admit it—trying to avoid a man like Han Shao Zhou was nearly impossible.

He had a lot of things to do and couldn’t just alter his entire life to avoid Han Shao Zhou’s pursuit. Besides… it wasn’t like he couldn’t handle the man.

“Teacher Mo Ming plays so well…” Han Shao Zhou, with one shoulder leaning against Mo Ming’s arm, made a sincere request, “Are you accepting students? We can go by the hour.”

Mo Ming kept his eyes down, still plucking at the guitar strings, and didn’t even look up. “You don’t have the talent.”

Han Shao Zhou chuckled, “That depends on Teacher Mo Ming’s skill.”

Mo Ming glanced over at him. “Do you think you’re funny?”

Han Shao Zhou quickly wiped the smile off his face and looked down. “No.”

Mo Ming handed the guitar back to Han Shao Zhou and patted the sand off his legs.

Han Shao Zhou thought Mo Ming was about to get up and leave, but Mo Ming stayed seated beside him, pulling his legs up and resting his arms on his knees as he looked out at the sea.

“My hometown is a small county town thousands of miles away,” Mo Ming began slowly. “It was hard enough to leave, and now it seems you’re forcing me to move back…”

Han Shao Zhou was startled by Mo Ming’s words. “I’m not forcing you!”

“You followed me thousands of kilometers to Pichu Island. Isn’t that considered forcing?”

“Well, I could give you space in other ways…”

“You mean using your influence to make things easier for me?” Mo Ming cut in. “I haven’t agreed to be with you, nor do I have anything of equal value to exchange. What right do I have to accept your favors?”

“…But I’m doing it voluntarily.”

“You’re just trying to impress yourself.”

Han Shao Zhou’s gaze became a little despondent. Before this, the only person he had ever pursued was Wen Ci. Even though Wen Ci never responded to his feelings, he was still willing to be friends and accept Han Shao Zhou’s various gestures of goodwill… Han Shao Zhou thought this was how normal romantic pursuits worked.

“But I like you. I can’t just do nothing. What if someone else gets to you first?”

Mo Ming’s tone was calm. “How much time do you really have to waste on me? I could travel the world to avoid you. Do you have the time to chase me everywhere?”

Han Shao Zhou looked at Mo Ming and softly said, “Then I’ll listen to you. Just don’t make me let go.”

“If you can go two years without contacting me and still have feelings for me after that,” Mo Ming began, “then maybe we can give it a try…”

Han Shao Zhou gave a bitter smile. “Are you trying to brush me off? Forget about me in two years? You’ll have moved on by then.”

“Do you really think that pestering me for two years will get you what you want?”

“…No.”

“I’m going to be busy with work. I’m not thinking about relationships right now.”

Seeing Han Shao Zhou’s conflicted expression, Mo Ming reached out and grabbed his chin, lifting his face toward him.

Han Shao Zhou was momentarily stunned.

“We can add each other as friends again. I’ll allow you to send me messages online,” Mo Ming said softly as he leaned in closer. “Let’s give each other some time to figure out our feelings.”

Clearly unwilling to agree to this drawn-out two-year deal, Han Shao Zhou’s gaze drifted away from Mo Ming’s face.

Mo Ming then used both hands to hold Han Shao Zhou’s face, squeezing it until it was almost distorted, forcing him to look back at him.

“Han ge, please, agree to this.”

“Two years is too long,” Han Shao Zhou replied earnestly. “How about two weeks, little one?”

“…”

Seeing Mo Ming’s expression darken instantly, Han Shao Zhou quickly revised his offer. “Two months.”

Mo Ming remained expressionless as he stared at him.

Han Shao Zhou felt a pang of discomfort in his chest. He took the opportunity to hug Mo Ming’s waist, pressing him down onto the soft sand.

“Six months, no longer. That’s my limit,” Han Shao Zhou murmured, burying his face in Mo Ming’s neck, his voice muffled and full of grievance. “I promise to disappear from your life for six months, not doing anything you dislike.”

“A year.”

“Six months.”

Mo Ming closed his eyes. “I knew it. You still want to force me to leave Chuanhai.”

Han Shao Zhou couldn’t stand hearing that. It made him feel like a tyrant forcing his will on someone. “Absolutely not.”

“Then you’ve agreed…”

As the sun dipped into the ocean, darkness enveloped the sky.

By the time they returned to the hotel room, Han Shao Zhou had realized he’d been tricked.

This dawned on him belatedly. He had agreed to keep his distance from Mo Ming for a year in exchange for a chance to be considered as a boyfriend.

It was a clear brush-off; Mo Ming intended to use time to cool down their relationship, which was obviously a ploy.

Yet, somehow, he had agreed.

On the beach at dusk, when Mo Ming had looked down, lowered his brows, pursed his lips, and shown that familiar, pitiful expression that Han Shao Zhou couldn’t resist over the past three years, he had given in—completely and utterly.

Han Shao Zhou lit a cigarette, leaning against the balcony as he pondered.

Well, at least it was worth it. Controlling himself for a year to finally bring a spouse home… It was worth it.

Han Shao Zhou sent Mo Ming another friend request on his phone.

True to his word, Mo Ming accepted it.

[Han Shao Zhou]: I’ll head back tomorrow morning.

[Han Shao Zhou]: A year is nothing. It’ll be over before you know it.
[Han Shao Zhou]: You think you’ve outsmarted me, but you’re just digging a hole for yourself.

Mo Ming didn’t reply, but Han Shao Zhou didn’t mind. He knew that Mo Ming was only using the one-year agreement as an excuse, probably thinking that by the time it was over, Han Shao Zhou would have given up on him. But Han Shao Zhou was curious. What would Mo Ming’s reaction be if he was still standing firm a year later?

Early the next morning, Han Shao Zhou really did leave the hotel. He couldn’t wait to start the countdown. Passing by Mo Ming’s suite, he resisted the urge to knock on the door to say goodbye and instead sent two messages.

[Han Shao Zhou]: I’m leaving, little one. In a year, I’ll bring you home to the Han family.

When Mo Ming received the message, he was already up and reading on the balcony. He glanced at it briefly before putting it aside.

He knew that Han Shao Zhou wouldn’t last the year…

But all he had to do was keep showing Han Shao Zhou his “bad” side. With enough brush-offs and deceptions, this man would lose patience sooner or later.

Besides, Han Shao Zhou’s first love would present a challenge he couldn’t easily overcome.

Shortly after Han Shao Zhou left, the hotel front desk delivered a small blue velvet box, saying that Mr. Han had asked them to pass it on before he left.

Inside the box was a ring, a platinum band set with small blue diamonds.

Mo Ming immediately recognized it as the couple’s ring Han Shao Zhou had given him earlier. The other ring was probably still with Han Shao Zhou.

His phone buzzed again with another message from Han Shao Zhou.

[Han Shao Zhou]: Even if you don’t like it, just hold onto it for a year before returning it.

Setting his phone to “Do Not Disturb.” Mo Ming closed the velvet box and tossed it into his suitcase.

The next day, Mo Ming also returned to Chuanhai. That afternoon, he went to Gao Chen’s place to pick up Xiao Han, bringing along some dog food and treats for Gao Chen’s dog, Coffee.

Xiao Han had gotten along well with Gao Chen’s pet, Coffee, during the week, eating and drinking well. He had even grown noticeably rounder. However, there was no sign of attachment to the place, as Xiao Han eagerly burrowed into Mo Ming’s chest when he picked him up.

Gao Chen offered to treat Mo Ming to a meal as thanks for earlier, but Mo Ming politely declined.

“I appreciate you taking care of Xiao Han these past few days, so let’s consider the favor repaid. There’s no need to feel like you owe me anything anymore.”

Mo Ming’s words were courteous, but Gao Chen sensed a hint of distance. It suddenly felt like Mo Ming had placed Xiao Han in his care just to settle the score, as if there was even less trust than when they first met.

Gao Chen looked at Mo Ming, his amber eyes tinged with complexity. “About what happened with Wen Ci, I’m sorry I didn’t step up to help you.”

Although his face was blurred in the photo, it wasn’t hard to guess it was him.

Gao Chen had known Wen Ci could swim. If he had spoken up at the time, it could have easily turned the tide of public opinion in Mo Ming’s favor. But he had remained silent, making him a rather unworthy friend.

Mo Ming only offered a faint smile. “Gao ge, you didn’t have any obligation to help me, so there’s no need to apologize.”

Gao Chen hesitated, wanting to say more, but in the end, he just smiled and nodded.

It was true—there was no obligation. But it was precisely because he did nothing that he had completely lost Mo Ming’s trust.

As Mo Ming put Xiao Han into the pet carrier and prepared to leave, Gao Chen seemed to remember something and asked, “Does anyone else know about you and Zhou Xu?”

Mo Ming’s brows furrowed slightly.

“Someone might be digging into your past,” Gao Chen explained. “Once they find out about your connection with Zhou Xu, Han Shao Zhou is likely to get dragged into it as well. I’m worried…”

“Has someone been asking you questions?” Mo Ming interrupted softly, his gaze as cold as a crescent moon. “Are you trying to hint at something without saying it outright? Is it Wen Ci?”

Gao Chen lowered his long lashes, remaining silent.

He hadn’t mentioned Zhou Xu to Wen Ci, but his offhand comment that “Mo Ming never liked Han Shao Zhou” was enough to give Wen Ci a lead.

“As long as it doesn’t interfere with my work and life, whatever he does has nothing to do with me,” Mo Ming said, gently pulling open the door. “I hope he knows where to draw the line…”

Late at night, Wen Ci finally received a message from Shen Xixi.

[Xixi]: Mo Ming is after Xia Qing because of Zhou Xu, who used to be Gao Chen’s bandmate.
[Xixi]: I got this out of Xia Qing after two bottles of wine, but he was vague and kept saying he deserved it.

Worried that words wouldn’t do the situation justice, Shen Xixi sent a lengthy voice message.

Wen Ci narrowed his eyes.

Over the past few weeks, as he dug into Mo Ming’s background, he used his connections to investigate within Hongyi Media. It turned out that the person who had leaked the information about Xia Qing online was likely Mo Ming. However, those who knew the truth had kept their mouths shut. In the end, he had to bribe Xia Qing’s former assistant to confirm it.

There had always been rumors about this within the industry, but with so much gossip circulating, the truth of this particular story had become blurred over time.

As Wen Ci retraced the steps of Xia Qing’s downfall online, a chill crept up his spine. If everything had been orchestrated by Mo Ming, then this man was certainly not as simple as he appeared.

Zhou Xu…

Wen Ci repeated the name in his mind. He wasn’t unfamiliar with this person.

Back when he was with Gao Chen, he often crossed paths with Zhou Xu. Although they weren’t particularly close, Gao Chen and Zhou Xu shared many mutual friends, so it was natural that Wen Ci knew quite a bit about him. However, he had never heard of someone named Mo Ming among Zhou Xu’s acquaintances.

Was he a fan?

Wen Ci quickly dismissed the idea. A fan’s identity wouldn’t be enough to make Mo Ming go to such lengths for Zhou Xu.

So…