IOLYF Chapter 42

Han Shao Zhou paced up and down the hallway for a long time before finally sneaking back to the door of the apartment. He pressed his ear against the door, straining to hear any sounds from inside.

That idiot was probably sobbing his heart out in the living room.

But inside, it was completely silent…

The soundproofing of this door must be top-notch; he couldn’t hear a thing, not even the sound of crying.

As Han Shao Zhou recalled his parting words, “You’ve really disappointed me,” his expression grew increasingly conflicted.

Those words must have really hurt.

For someone who loved him deeply, those few words were like arrows straight to the heart.

What if Mo Ming… took it too hard?

The thought sent a chill down Han Shao Zhou’s spine, and a sudden wave of panic hit him. With Mo Ming’s soft and introverted nature, it was entirely possible!

A surge of cold swept from his tailbone to his spine, and Han Shao Zhou’s head buzzed. In the next moment, he flung the door open and rushed inside.

But…

Mo Ming was sitting on the sofa, hugging his knees, staring blankly at the floor as if lost in thought. When he heard the door open, he slowly lifted his head.

Their eyes met suddenly, and the urgency that had driven Han Shao Zhou to rush in transformed into intense awkwardness. His gaze quickly swept over Mo Ming, and he casually stuffed his hands into his pockets, striding toward the bedroom with a cold remark, “Just grabbing something.”

Once inside the bedroom, Han Shao Zhou stood there for several seconds before turning back around and walking out, his face expressionless as he headed toward the apartment door.

The door was getting closer and closer, yet that idiot still hadn’t made a sound. Han Shao Zhou was inwardly cursing.

Couldn’t he just call out and stop him?

If Mo Ming would just admit he was wrong, Han Shao Zhou was ready to forget everything that happened tonight… Screw Gao Chen! There was no way a single song could destroy what he had with Mo Ming!

As his hand reached the doorknob, a soft voice finally called out from behind him.

“Shao Zhou…”

His heart bloomed like a spring breeze, and for a moment, everything in him felt renewed. Han Shao Zhou took a deep breath, one hand still in his pants pocket as he turned back to face Mo Ming, his expression cold.

“What is it?” he asked.

Mo Ming was still curled up on the sofa, his voice low and complicated. “Am I… starting to be a burden on your life?”

Han Shao Zhou frowned, not quite understanding what Mo Ming meant.

A burden on his life?

He had just been planning to take this guy to meet his grandfather—how could this be considered a burden?

Han Shao Zhou let out a cold laugh. “You think it’s just a burden?”

Mo Ming’s eyes grew even more troubled… This wasn’t what he wanted.

Seeing Mo Ming fall silent, Han Shao Zhou grew anxious and tried his best to maintain a stern expression. “If you have something to say, say it. I don’t have time to waste with you.”

Mo Ming lowered his head, burying his face in his knees, his arms wrapped tightly around his legs. Seeing him shrink into a ball, looking so dejected and withdrawn, Han Shao Zhou felt a rush of frustration and blurted out, “You’re wasting my time!”

With that, he turned on his heel and slammed the door behind him.

This time, he didn’t linger in the hallway. Han Shao Zhou went straight down to the lobby, got into the car, and told the driver to take him to Zhao Cheng’s bar.

He was going to leave Mo Ming to stew all night!

Let him stew until he was anxious, miserable, and crying his eyes out!

Back at Zhao Cheng’s bar, Zhao Cheng noticed Han Shao Zhou’s sour expression and instinctively asked, “Mo Ming didn’t really cheat on you, did he?”

Han Shao Zhou sat down on the sofa, shooting Zhao Cheng a sidelong glance. “Do you think that’s possible?”

“Of course not. Mo Ming likes you way too much, and I know what kind of person he is,” Zhao Cheng laughed. “Even if you cheated, he wouldn’t.”

That remark actually made Han Shao Zhou feel a little better. “They just bumped into each other. That idiot Gao Chen asked him to listen to his song, and you know how Mo Ming is—kind, soft-hearted, easy to talk to… But I’ve already given him a good scolding.”

“A scolding? If you know Mo Ming is innocent, why bother scolding him? A little reminder would’ve been enough.”

“That fool doesn’t know how to avoid these situations,” Han Shao Zhou said, lighting a cigarette and placing it in his mouth. “If he doesn’t have that much sense while he’s with me, then what’s the point? We haven’t even gone public with our relationship yet, and if we had, imagine how people would be looking at me online right now. Scolding him a little is me being merciful.”

Zhao Cheng clicked his tongue twice. “Old Han, you’re really strict. Mo Ming was just trying to be nice, and you scolded him for something so trivial.”

“My standards are high if he wants to be with me. I’m not forcing him,” Han Shao Zhou said, flicking the ash from his cigarette. “If he can meet them, I’ll keep spoiling him. If he can’t, then he can get lost.”

“I thought you were head over heels for Mo Ming…” Zhao Cheng sighed, feeling a twinge of sympathy for the gentle and pretty young man. “You just left after scolding him—won’t Mo Ming be at home crying by himself?”

“Let him cry. Maybe he’ll learn from it.”

As he spoke, Han Shao Zhou checked his phone again, his brows furrowing briefly.

Still no messages… He hadn’t lasted more than a few minutes last time.

What the hell was that idiot thinking?

As night fell, the world seemed to grow quiet.

After who knows how long of sitting on the sofa, Mo Ming finally got up, looking dazed.

His phone buzzed on the coffee table with an unknown number. Mo Ming glanced at it but didn’t answer.

Slowly, he made his way to the bedroom, feeling around in the nightstand drawer for a pack of Han Shao Zhou’s cigarettes.

The night breeze carried a cold dampness, as if it might rain.

Sitting by the floor-to-ceiling window on the balcony, Mo Ming gazed out at the distant neon lights. A thin cigarette burned between his fingers, the smoke curling up from his rose-colored lips, dissipating silently into the wind.

Flicking off the ash, Mo Ming leaned back against the window and looked up at the night sky. It was a chaotic void of darkness, with only a single lonely star hanging in the distance.

“I’m smoking again…”

Staring at that barely visible star, Mo Ming chuckled softly, his voice hoarse as he murmured, “Why aren’t you here to stop me…”

…

Leaving Zhao Cheng’s bar, Han Shao Zhou stepped out into a night as thick as ink, with rain pouring down in sheets.

The driver drove slowly, while Han Shao Zhou, reeking of alcohol, sat in the backseat. He had drunk quite a bit, but his mind was still clear. He looked down at his phone, which had been clutched in his hand all night.

Still no new messages…

The last conversation he had with Mo Ming was from two days ago. He had finished a morning meeting and, feeling whimsical, sent Mo Ming a red envelope, asking him for a selfie in return. Mo Ming had gleefully accepted the money and immediately sent him a photo.

In the picture, Mo Ming didn’t show his whole face—just his full, luscious lips, a sharp chin, the smooth, pale line of his slender neck, and a long finger tugging lightly at the corner of his sweater’s neckline, revealing a hint of his beautiful collarbones. There were faint traces of Han Shao Zhou’s previous night’s “passion” still visible on his skin…

That night, he hadn’t been able to make it back due to a social obligation, and as he lay in the hotel bed, unable to sleep, he had pulled out that photo and relieved himself twice.

But even after that, he couldn’t stop thinking about it, the ache in his chest growing unbearable.

“Don’t go to the hotel,” Han Shao Zhou suddenly said to the driver. “Take me back to the ** apartment.”

The driver made a U-turn at the next intersection. Han Shao Zhou put away his phone, his brow furrowing as he watched the heavy rain outside the window.

It had been hours now. That idiot should’ve reflected enough by now.

If he left him alone all night, who knew what might happen?

In the pouring rain, Han Shao Zhou finally returned to the apartment…

Standing in front of the door, he adjusted his collar and was about to open it when he suddenly remembered how decisively he had left earlier. Coming back now, soaked from the rain, might look like he was the one making peace first…

That was absolutely unacceptable. He couldn’t let Mo Ming get the idea that he, Han Shao Zhou, couldn’t live without him!

Otherwise, once they were married, wouldn’t Mo Ming walk all over him?

With that thought, Han Shao Zhou’s expression grew stern again, and he resolutely turned to leave.

He made it to the elevator and even watched the doors slowly open before pulling his foot back from the threshold.

The sound of his increasingly heavy breathing echoed like the ticking of a countdown timer…

After standing by the elevator for who knows how long, Han Shao Zhou muttered a curse under his breath and turned back, striding quickly to the apartment door and entering the code.

This apartment was still under his name, so he had every right to spend the night here!

The apartment door opened with a click, and the lights came on one by one.

But…

The living room was empty. The large apartment was eerily quiet, and a sudden sense of unease gripped Han Shao Zhou.

Almost instinctively, Han Shao Zhou quickly made his way to the bedroom door and flung it open.

In the dim light filtering in from the living room, he saw a lump under the covers on the bed, and the heart that had been suspended in his chest finally fell back into place. But then a surge of inexplicable anger filled him.

That idiot was asleep!

How could he sleep at a time like this?!

How could he just go to sleep!

Han Shao Zhou took a deep breath, struggling to suppress his anger, then closed the door, deliberately leaving it slightly ajar.

That idiot better have cried himself to sleep!

Back in the living room, Han Shao Zhou kicked the leg of a chair, then picked up a cup from the tea tray and slammed it down on the table, before shoving a chair so it collided noisily with the table’s edge, creating a series of sharp, grating sounds.

Mo Ming did wake up from the commotion. After a moment, the bedroom door creaked open, and he stood there in his pajamas, his eyes bleary, his whole demeanor radiating exhaustion and dejection. Even an idiot could sense the anger in Han Shao Zhou’s movements…

Han Shao Zhou poured himself a cup of tea, holding it in one hand while the other remained in his pants pocket. His gaze was cold and indifferent as he looked at Mo Ming. “What are you staring at? Surprised that I came back to my own apartment?”

Mo Ming’s gaze dropped to the floor, and he murmured, “I’m sorry…”

Han Shao Zhou was momentarily stunned, a cloud of tension lifting from his mind as he pulled his hand out of his pocket and let out a derisive laugh. “You finall—”

“It’s just that it was raining heavily outside,” Mo Ming added softly, “so I didn’t leave right away.”

“…”

“I thought you wouldn’t come back tonight, so I figured it wouldn’t matter if I stayed one more night…” Mo Ming slowly lifted his gaze, his eyes full of sincere apology. “But don’t worry, I’ll pack up and leave right now.”

With that, Mo Ming turned and went back into the bedroom.

He came back out quickly, now wearing a thick coat over his pajamas, as if afraid Han Shao Zhou might rush him, and said, “I’m sorry, just a few more minutes…”

His apology was heartfelt. He truly didn’t want to upset Han Shao Zhou, especially after how good he’d been to him over the past three years.

Han Shao Zhou stood there like a frozen machine, his mind completely blank.

When he saw Mo Ming dragging out two large suitcases from the storage room, Han Shao Zhou’s pupils visibly shook.

What was happening?

How had things escalated to this point?!

A surge of frustration built in his chest, and Han Shao Zhou opened his mouth, but even his breathing felt off-kilter. His fingers trembled at his sides… Was Mo Ming really going to leave?!

Impossible.

This idiot saw him as his reason for living—there was no way he’d give up on their relationship so easily. At the very least, he should be begging for forgiveness, acting all sweet and clingy, refusing to let go… Just like last time, when he’d tried to appease Han Shao Zhou’s anger by… doing that on the sofa. But now, he was just packing up and leaving without a word. This wasn’t like Mo Ming at all!

Was this guy trying to play some kind of mind game with him?

Did he think that after three years together, Han Shao Zhou would be the one to ask him to stay?

Mo Ming zipped up the suitcases and stood them upright before looking up and giving Han Shao Zhou a deep, lingering glance.

Han Shao Zhou casually slipped his hand back into his pocket, but his chest felt like it was on fire. He took a sip of water and said, “If you have something to say, say it. I’m giving you a chance.”

Mo Ming lowered his head and slowly said, “Back then, you only agreed to transfer me sixty thousand a month, but over the past few years, you’ve given me a house, a car, money, and countless expensive gifts. While you gave them to me willingly, none of them were part of the original deal, so if you want any of them back, I’ll return them to you exactly as they were.”

Han Shao Zhou was stunned for a long moment, his forehead veins bulging as he forced a sneer. “I’m not the kind of man who takes back gifts from his lovers. I’m not that petty.”

“If you don’t mind, then I’ll keep everything…”

Han Shao Zhou clenched his fist, letting out a bitter laugh. “I thought you had more pride than that.”

Mo Ming looked down at the floor. “I’m really just a terrible person…”

“…”

“I’ll drag these two suitcases down to the car first, then I’ll come back up to pack the rest. I’ll be quick…” Mo Ming said, grabbing the handles of the suitcases and backing towards the door.

Seeing that Mo Ming was really about to leave, Han Shao Zhou’s chest felt like it was going to explode. He blurted out, “Stop right there!”

Mo Ming paused, looking up at him in confusion.

Han Shao Zhou’s breathing was uneven.

Despite how lost, sad, and hurt Mo Ming looked, why couldn’t he just say something to make Han Shao Zhou stay?

Just one word…

“You…” Han Shao Zhou’s throat was dry and sore, and it took him a moment to choke out, “I have an important meeting tomorrow morning. All your coming and going—do you think it won’t disturb my rest?”

Mo Ming bit his lip. “I’m sorry. I’ll move everything out to the hallway first, then take it all down bit by bit…”

“…”

Mo Ming started to drag the suitcases toward the door again, and Han Shao Zhou slammed the cup down on the table, the loud noise making Mo Ming jump and look up at him.

Han Shao Zhou was gripping the cup so hard he was about to crush it. He closed his eyes tightly and said, “It’s pouring rain outside. There’s no rush to leave. I don’t want people saying I treated you harshly…”

Mo Ming looked at Han Shao Zhou, his eyes clearly bloodshot, and sincerely said, “It’s okay. I don’t want to upset you…”

“Mo Ming!” Han Shao Zhou finally couldn’t hold it in anymore and roared.

Mo Ming obediently stood still, furrowing his brows as he looked at Han Shao Zhou.

Han Shao Zhou could feel the intense reluctance in Mo Ming’s gaze, the kind of reluctance that would break anyone’s heart. But even so, this idiot wouldn’t say a single soft word.

Was he really trying to outlast him, wear him down, and make him, Han Shao Zhou, back down first? And now, he was even calculating the value of all the gifts he’d given him, dragging those two suitcases to the door like he was really leaving. Han Shao Zhou was convinced those suitcases were empty!

But if he really did leave…

As he shoved his hand into his coat pocket, his fingers brushed against the small box containing the rings, and Han Shao Zhou’s anger flared even hotter. Along with the anger came a sharp, painful ache in his chest.

How dare this guy threaten him like this!

“I’ll leave,” Han Shao Zhou finally said, taking a deep breath. “I still have enough class to do that.”

Han Shao Zhou walked to the door, opened it, and the cold wind from the hallway rushed in, helping him cool down.

Once outside, Han Shao Zhou was ready to slam the door shut, but when he looked up, he saw Mo Ming standing there, looking at him with eyes full of deep affection and attachment, and he froze.

Soon after, Mo Ming lowered his head again…

Han Shao Zhou suddenly had the urge to grab him by the collar and demand to know what was going through his head.

“If we break up, don’t ever show your face in front of me again.” Han Shao Zhou gripped the door handle tightly as he spoke, his voice low and threatening. “I don’t have much patience, so you better think this through.”

With that, he slammed the door shut.

It took every ounce of restraint Han Shao Zhou had to stop himself from punching the door. He turned and left without looking back.