Become the Sickly Villain in the Novel - Chapter 44

Before Li Yan could figure out how to start the conversation, Mo Chuan stepped into the office first, warmly inviting Li Nuo to have lunch.

Li Nuo eagerly got up to follow, and Qin Xu, who happened to come out, joined them as well. In the end, Li Yan never managed to voice his intended persuasion.

The four of them headed to the cafeteria under Secretary Yang’s ambiguous yet slightly regretful smile.

It was Li Nuo’s first time here, and everything piqued his curiosity. He looked around and met the gazes of many people. Upon making eye contact, those people hurriedly averted their eyes. Li Nuo blinked and, thanks to a month of training at the café, managed to ignore such reactions with ease.

The cafeteria followed a self-service model. Li Nuo carried his tray while Li Yan followed behind to prevent him from picking foods he couldn’t eat.

The two directors followed behind, and wherever the four of them passed, it was as if Moses parted the sea, with others automatically stepping aside.

They smoothly collected their meals and reached a table. Despite it being a four-person group, where pairs could have sat separately, Li Yan and Mo Chuan insisted on sitting next to Li Nuo.

Qin Xu, having moved too slowly, silently observed the two fools competing for the seat beside Li Nuo. Shaking his head, he took the spot directly across from Li Nuo.

Veins popped on Li Yan’s forehead. “Director Mo! Don’t you think it’s a bit cramped here? How about you sit across the table instead?”

Mo Chuan replied without hesitation, “No. This is a six-person table, it’s not cramped.”

Though sandwiched between them, Li Nuo made no effort to mediate. He was entirely focused on enjoying his meal. The dishes recommended by Li Yan and Secretary Yang were on his plate, and he couldn’t be bothered to waste energy on the childish antics of those two.

Didn’t they see that even Director Qin couldn’t be bothered?

Seeing him start eating, the two stopped their bickering and shifted to exchanging glances in a silent standoff.

The first to admit defeat was Li Yan, who shifted his gaze to observe Li Nuo’s reaction to the meal. Although his portions were small, Li Nuo was eating earnestly, his cheeks puffed with food as he chewed carefully. He nodded occasionally, clearly enjoying the meal.

He had already cast aside Dr. He’s instructions to stick to porridge, but fortunately, with Li Yan keeping an eye on him, he avoided eating anything too hard to digest.

As always, he radiated happiness whenever food was involved.

Mo Chuan found it amusing and pushed his plate slightly toward Li Nuo. “You seem to like this dish. Want some more?”

Li Nuo shook his head. “I shouldn’t eat too much. I’m afraid I’ll get tired of it if I overindulge.”

Biting his chopsticks, he chuckled. “It feels so new, like eating in a school cafeteria.”

“Oh? You remember school now?”

Upon hearing this, Li Nuo didn’t react, but Li Yan immediately tensed up. The hand gripping his spoon clenched so tightly that it bent slightly.

He looked at Li Nuo with a nervous expression.

Both Mo Chuan, who was sitting across from Li Nuo, and Qin Xu, who was farther away, noticed his reaction.

“No, I just saw it in a funny video online.”

Li Nuo’s reply visibly eased Li Yan’s tension, a reaction that sparked a fleeting gleam in Mo Chuan’s eyes.

Li Yan’s current behavior was truly intriguing. When he first learned about his brother’s memory loss, he acted as if the sky had fallen. Now, he seemed worried about Li Nuo regaining his memory.

People were fickle, after all.

However, in this regard, it seemed he himself was not qualified to criticize.

After all, no matter how he thought about it, the current version of Li Nuo was undoubtedly more interesting.

Li Yan withdrew his gaze and mechanically resumed eating.

Regaining his memory should be a good thing, but he couldn’t help but feel worried. No, it wasn’t a recent concern—it had started long ago.

He liked this version of his brother too much. This was what true family felt like. Although Li Nuo had once said he no longer needed memories of the past, what if he suddenly remembered everything?

Li Yan was deeply troubled. On one hand, he despised his selfishness; on the other, he genuinely hoped Li Nuo wouldn’t regain his memory.

Li Nuo had previously asked if there were any old family photos, and Li Yan’s impulsive response still haunted him, “We moved in a hurry, so we didn’t have time to pack them. They’re all gone now.”

In reality, the photos still existed. However, the old Li Nuo had expressed a desire never to see them again, so they were all packed into a box that had been collecting dust in a corner for ages.

While he was distressed by his own greed, Mo Chuan and Li Nuo continued chatting while eating. Occasionally, Qin Xu would chime in with a comment or two.

Unknowingly, Li Nuo had already emptied his plate, while in contrast, Mo Chuan’s plate remained piled with food.

Li Nuo shook his head at the sight. “Director, you haven’t eaten anything.”

“I am eating. Also, there’s no need to use honorifics.”

“It’s better to use honorifics in the company. Do the cafeteria meals not suit your taste?”

“Are you worried I’ll go hungry?”

“No,” Li Nuo decisively denied. “I just think you’re wasting food.”

His straightforward remark didn’t elicit much reaction from the three people at his table, but the employees at nearby tables heard him.

“Did he just urge Director Mo to eat?”

“Doesn’t he know Director Mo almost never comes to the cafeteria?”

“The way he speaks so casually, is he really not the director’s son?”

“Uh—At his age, that’s not exactly plausible.”

Although the employees thought they were whispering, the area was quiet enough for Li Nuo to catch the gist of their conversation.

“So, you usually don’t eat in the cafeteria? Then why are you here… Just to waste food?” Li Nuo lowered his voice, giving Mo Chuan a disdainful look.

Without waiting for him to respond, he turned to the other side and said, “The food in this restaurant is delicious. Li Yan, let’s just eat here from now on.”

“Ah, sure, but there are plenty of good restaurants nearby. I was even planning to take Brother to try some.”

“Ah… Is that so? That sounds great too.”

Mo Chuan objected, “What about me?”

“Director, are you planning to follow us around all the time? I heard you’re about to go on a business trip?”

Mo Chuan was momentarily at a loss for words. Before he could say something about canceling the trip, Qin Xu, who had been silent, spoke up.

“Let’s leave if we’re done eating.”

Except for Mo Chuan, the other three had finished their meals.

He clearly didn’t intend to wait for Mo Chuan and directly stood up. The employees, who had been whispering around them, instantly fell silent upon seeing Qin Xu, as if they were acting in a silent play.

Li Nuo couldn’t help but marvel, Now that’s real authority.

Only a few bold individuals, or those who truly had no other seats to choose, remained nearby, but even they had stopped eating, cautiously stealing glances at the group.

Li Yan took his brother’s plate. “There’s still some time before lunch ends. Didn’t you say you wanted to visit the coffee shop nearby? Shall we go?”

Li Nuo followed behind him. “Yes, let’s check it out.”

Mo Chuan, the last to leave the table, glanced around the cafeteria.

He was known in the company for his good temper and always wore a gentle expression. Combined with Liu Ming’s excellent work, even if there were rumors about him, they quickly dissipated.

Employees only knew of his good nature, but nothing deeper.

Today, his unexpected appearance in the cafeteria, alongside Director Qin, made it hard for people to look away—two renowned handsome men showing up together was quite the spectacle.

Mo Chuan smiled at the employees watching him before following the other three out.

As soon as the four disappeared, the cafeteria erupted into a deafening chatter.

Li Yan caught up with his brother, who was walking ahead. “Even if we’re going to a coffee shop, you can’t have coffee.”

“I know. I’ll just look at other things.”

“I have some recommendations,” Mo Chuan interjected, draping an arm over Li Nuo’s shoulders.

“……”

“Don’t look at me like that. If you want to kill someone, at least consider the occasion.”

Mo Chuan laughed and released his hold. If he kept his arm there any longer, Li Yan might genuinely act on his murderous intent. Sighing, Mo Chuan remarked, “Li Nuo didn’t even say anything about it.”

“How about this, I’ll treat everyone to coffee,” Li Nuo suddenly suggested, clapping his hands together.

“So sudden?” Mo Chuan blinked in surprise. Even Qin Xu turned to look.

“Thank you both for your help all this time. Even though it’s just coffee…” Li Nuo said sheepishly, wondering if his gesture was a bit too insubstantial. “Next time, I’ll treat you to a meal.”

The truth was, he couldn’t currently afford the cost of a meal for these two.

“Forget it, coffee is enough for me,” Mo Chuan teased, “But I’ll remember that promise.”

“Alright.” Li Nuo smiled and responded, then pushed the door open first. A wave of scorching wind swept in, clashing with the cool air of the lobby.

The midsummer sunlight glared off the glass doors, dazzling and harsh. Standing on the threshold, Li Nuo appeared as if he were melting into the light, blurring into a faint, white ephemeral shadow.

At that moment, it was as though he might disappear into the light entirely.

Li Yan’s eyes widened in alarm, and he rushed forward to grab Li Nuo’s wrist. “Brother!”

“…Huh?”

Facing Li Yan’s anxious expression, Li Nuo looked at him in confusion. “What’s wrong?”

Freed from the momentary daze, Li Yan quickly regained his composure and shook his head. “It’s nothing.”

The group entered the coffee shop, and Mo Chuan pointed to one of the seasonal specialty drinks. “That one’s pretty good. You should try it. It’s not tea, it’s milk-based, so you can drink it, right?”

Li Nuo nodded. “What about you two directors? Even though I said coffee, you can get something else. And Li Yan, what about you?”

The other three, as if coordinated, all chose lattes. Li Nuo went with Mo Chuan’s recommendation. After paying, the four of them left the coffee shop.

Li Nuo curiously shook the cup containing the oddly colored drink, took a sip through the straw, and squinted contentedly as the cool beverage dispelled the summer heat. “It does taste pretty good.”

Li Yan frowned with concern. “Brother, isn’t drinking something cold right after a meal bad for you?”

“I know, I’ll drink it slowly. I’ll warm it up in my mouth before swallowing,” Li Nuo replied, speaking unclearly as he bit the straw.

“…That’s not how it works,” Li Yan muttered, but seeing that he couldn’t convince his brother, he gave up.

Li Nuo seemed quite satisfied with the way he drank, sipping slowly on the straw so that the amount of drink he consumed was almost negligible.

Watching him, Mo Chuan couldn’t stop smiling, prompting an annoyed glare from Li Nuo.

“That sharp, thorny look of yours isn’t bad either. I like it,” Mo Chuan said with a teasing tone.

“…I wasn’t looking at you.”

“Liar. You clearly looked at me. I saw your eyes glance over.”

Mo Chuan reached out, his fingertips brushing the corner of Li Nuo’s eye. The light touch tickled slightly, causing Li Nuo to instinctively close his eyes—a natural bodily reaction.

At the moment Li Nuo closed his eyes, Mo Chuan felt like time slowed, and every detail became vividly clear in a cinematic slow-motion.

For that fleeting instant, time seemed to crawl.

Mo Chuan let out a low sigh.

…This is getting a bit dangerous.

It was dangerously tempting—every time he saw Li Nuo, his desire to grow closer became increasingly intense. Just a moment ago, when he closed his eyes, the alarms in his mind reached a deafening crescendo.

Running a hand roughly through his hair, Mo Chuan chuckled self-deprecatingly.

This was truly a moment of slapping oneself in the face.