Become the Sickly Villain in the Novel - Chapter 45

Li Nuo, unaware of his thoughts, focused on sipping his drink and quickened his pace, eager to enter the building to escape the summer heat.

Li Yan walked ahead of him, pushing the door open.

Mo Chuan trailed a few steps behind, waiting for Qin Xu to catch up.

“Is your mouth glued shut? You haven’t said a word.”

“You’re noisy enough.”

“…You and Secretary Li are both so quiet. If I don’t speak, Li Nuo might feel bored.”

“……”

This was undeniable. Many people had commented that he was a boring person—Yang Wen had said it numerous times before.

With Mo Chuan around, the atmosphere could lighten up. Even Qin Xu admitted to this.

He wasn’t fond of talking, and aside from showing concern for Li Nuo, Li Yan also spoke sparingly.

However…

Qin Xu looked at Mo Chuan with some surprise.

“Since when do you care about others’ feelings?”

“I’ve always cared more than you.”

Mo Chuan responded nonchalantly with a faint smile.

“Qin Xu.”

Qin Xu’s steps halted. Although his name was often used before, since they started working at the company, it was rare to address each other by name directly.

Mo Chuan walked ahead of him. “I’ve been acting strange lately.”

“……”

“I think I’ve started to like him.”

What should I say? That I felt the same way?

Mo Chuan glanced at Qin Xu and could see his hesitation.

Qin Xu furrowed his brows tightly, his face reflecting deep thought, his gaze wandering.

Ha, Mo Chuan chuckled silently. Qin Xu had previously seemed interested in Li Yan, but now he was captivated by someone he used to strongly dislike.

“I’m telling you upfront, it’s true when I say I care more.”

Mo Chuan spoke as if joking, but Qin Xu could see he was serious, issuing a warning.

I have no intention of backing down, even if my rival is you.

This time, Qin Xu suddenly laughed.

“Yeah, I’ve found him quite interesting recently, too.”

Mo Chuan raised an eyebrow. “So you’re determined to get involved, huh?”

“You’re in no position to say that. The outcome is still undecided, after all.”

Qin Xu brushed past him, heading toward the two waiting ahead.

As Mo Chuan felt the lingering tension of his rival passing by, he closed and reopened his eyes.

When he opened them again, he saw Li Nuo ahead, beaming brightly and waving at him to hurry over.

Mo Chuan unconsciously stepped forward, and only when he realized what he was doing did he sigh inwardly. This wasn’t good—if his feelings continued to sway, giving up would no longer be simple.

……………

The entire afternoon, Li Nuo found himself in a state of idleness.

Being at the peak of slacking off meant that even the leaders wouldn’t trust you to handle tasks beyond your capacity.

That was exactly Li Nuo’s current situation.

Work tasks were delegated to the secretaries and assistants of other directors. All he had to do was organize and photocopy documents, and even cleaning was managed by specialized staff, leaving nothing for him to do.

With absolutely no tasks to occupy himself, Li Nuo toyed with the jasmine flower on his desk. Unable to sit still, he got up from his seat and left the office to familiarize himself with the environment.

However, seeing everyone else working diligently made him feel self-conscious, and he decided not to disturb them.

He took the elevator up to the rooftop garden, intending to get some fresh air.

The rooftop garden, designed for employee relaxation, was impressively arranged.

Taking a deep breath, Li Nuo was greeted by the refreshing fragrance of flowers.

It seemed this garden was meticulously maintained. Several long benches and hanging chairs decorated with vines and flowers were scattered around, and there was even a small swing.

Li Nuo glanced around but didn’t see anyone else.

Of course, it was nearing the end of the workday.

Although he had just been discharged from the hospital and hadn’t done anything strenuous today, simply going to work was mentally taxing. He chose a hanging chair and sat down.

At this moment, the sun had begun to set. The magnificent sunset, resembling an ever-changing painting, was perfectly visible from the rooftop.

Li Nuo admired the view. The breeze this time of the month was no longer scorching, and as he inhaled the faint floral fragrance, he couldn’t help but squint and yawn.

His eyelids grew heavier and heavier. Just before he fell asleep, he heard the sound of the rooftop garden door opening. Is someone coming in…?

The person who entered was Mo Chuan. Holding his phone, he opened the door and immediately spotted a familiar figure on a hanging chair.

“Why aren’t you answering your phone?” he asked.

Receiving no response, Mo Chuan approached and chuckled, saying, “Turns out you fell asleep.”

Li Nuo’s head rested against the back of the hanging chair, his entire body nestled comfortably within it, sleeping peacefully and serenely.

The cascading golden light shone on him, casting a radiant glow that left Mo Chuan momentarily dazed.

He reached out, gently brushing his hand against Li Nuo’s cheek and murmured, “No sense of vigilance at all. And with your head tilted like this, aren’t you afraid of waking up with a stiff neck?”

Crouching down, he carefully traced Li Nuo’s face with his fingers—from his forehead to his brows, and finally to his beautifully shaped lips.

Mo Chuan applied only the lightest pressure. Li Nuo, feeling his face itch, assumed it was a mosquito and lazily waved his right hand.

Amused, Mo Chuan pressed slightly harder against Li Nuo’s lips. The soft flesh yielded under his touch, the sensation stirring something within him.

He couldn’t resist leaning closer, so near that he could feel their breaths mingling. But he stopped.

Staring at the long lashes so close to him, his gaze deepened. He wanted to kiss him right then and there but ultimately sighed, diverted his attention, and planted a kiss on Li Nuo’s forehead instead.

It was an exceptionally gentle kiss, light as a feather. To be precise, Mo Chuan merely let his lips brush against Li Nuo’s forehead, carrying an air of deep affection.

Pulling back slightly, he watched the still-sleeping Li Nuo and muttered, “At this point, letting go is no longer an option.”

When he stood up, he noticed the phone on Li Nuo’s lap light up. The caller ID displayed, “Dear Brother.”

Dear? Mo Chuan raised an eyebrow. Why is it so formal? Why not just use his name?

Feeling a twinge of irritation, he ignored the phone, watching the screen go dark again.

Glancing at the time, he saw that work had ended a while ago. No wonder Li Yan, unable to locate his brother, was becoming anxious.

Realizing that if Li Nuo wasn’t found soon, Li Yan might lose his mind, Mo Chuan reached out and picked him up.

The sudden movement startled Li Nuo awake. Seeing Mo Chuan’s chin, he asked in mild exasperation, “What are you doing?”

“Awake, Your Highness?” Mo Chuan chuckled, looking down.

“…Who’s the princess?” Li Nuo squirmed slightly in his arms, clearly uncomfortable with being carried. “I can walk on my own.”

“Alright, alright.” Feeling guilty after the kiss, Mo Chuan set him down. “But you dozed off sitting here. Work must be wearing you out.”

“Not really. There wasn’t much to do. I guess it’s just that I’m not used to working full-time for the first time,” Li Nuo said with an embarrassed smile before pleading, “Don’t tell Li Yan, okay?”

Seeing him clasp his hands together in an adorable gesture, Mo Chuan couldn’t refuse. He nodded in agreement. “Make sure to rest well tonight. If it’s too tiring, you can skip work.”

“No way. It’s rare for me to find something I want to do.” Staying alone in the hospital was out of the question, and being home by himself was equally boring.

“By the way, what time is it now?” Li Nuo asked, pulling out his phone. Upon seeing over a dozen missed calls, he exclaimed, “Oh no, so many calls! Li Yan must be worried sick.”

He hurriedly returned the call, and the line was immediately picked up. Li Yan’s voice came through.

Li Nuo carefully explained that he had just come from the rooftop garden. Li Yan simply told him to stay put before hanging up.

Li Nuo paused, glancing at Mo Chuan, who was smirking. “Couldn’t you have told him I was here?”

Mo Chuan spread his hands. “You were sleeping. It’s better not to disturb you.”

Soon, the sound of leather shoes on the floor echoed as the anxious Li Yan appeared in the distance, phone in hand.

“Brother!”

“Ah, sorry, my phone was on silent and in my pocket, so I didn’t see it,” Li Nuo apologized immediately.

Li Yan shook his head. “I’m not blaming you, but…”

He glanced to the side. “Why is Director Mo here?”

Mo Chuan shrugged. “Just a coincidence.”

Li Yan snorted, wrapping an arm around his brother’s shoulders. “Let’s go. You must be hungry, right?”

The three left the building. Sitting in his car, Mo Chuan waved. “Are you sure you don’t need me to give you a ride?”

Without even looking at him, Li Yan lowered his head and asked, “Brother, what do you want to eat tonight? Nothing spicy, though.”

Li Nuo raised his hand to wave goodbye to Mo Chuan. Fortunately, most people had already left the company, or else the three of them standing there might have attracted a lot of attention.

“See you tomorrow.”

Li Nuo didn’t tell Li Yan about Mo Chuan carrying him earlier. If he did, it would likely make Li Yan even more upset.

The next day, Li Nuo was arranging the fresh flowers on his desk. According to Secretary Yang, Mo Chuan had come early that morning to replace them.

The jasmine from the previous day hadn’t even wilted yet. Li Nuo shook his head. “What a waste.”

The following days passed in a routine; work in the morning, and go out for lunch, with Mo Chuan and Qin Xu always tagging along.

At first, the employees in the company were surprised and whispered among themselves. But as time went on, they grew used to it. Additionally, someone seemed to suppress the chatter about their identities.

One morning, Li Nuo arrived at the office and noticed that the flowers on his desk were still the same as yesterday’s. Feeling a bit puzzled, he turned to ask Li Yan, “Is Director Mo on a business trip?”

Li Yan nodded, looking quite pleased. “Yes, he left last night.”

Secretary Yang, standing nearby, chimed in, “I believe he’ll be gone for about two weeks.”

“Two weeks? Then I probably won’t see him while I’m at the company,” Li Nuo said with a hint of regret in his voice.

Li Yan wanted to ask if he was hoping to see Director Mo but feared hearing an affirmative answer, so he swallowed the question.

Secretary Yang, who had been eavesdropping, smiled mischievously and said, “He might come back earlier than planned. I heard he started working hard as soon as he got off the plane.”

Li Yan cast a sidelong glance at Secretary Yang, silently conveying, Why are you spouting nonsense? Secretary Yang decisively ignored his gaze.

“Actually…” Secretary Yang leaned closer to Li Nuo, lowering his voice. “He might be back in about a week. The employees traveling with him are complaining. They’ve had no time to rest since landing and have been working nonstop.”

“Why? Is it that busy?”

“I heard he’s trying to compress two weeks’ worth of tasks into one.”

Li Nuo’s eyes widened. “That must be incredibly exhausting.”

“It is. It’s rare to see Director Mo so driven. Who knows why,” Secretary Yang replied, glancing meaningfully at Li Nuo. “The people traveling with him are the ones really suffering, though.”

Unable to stand it any longer, Li Yan interjected, “Secretary Yang, you should go report on your work.”

“Oh, right, right. See, I’m gathering the materials right now.”

“……”

“And you have no idea how hard it is for me to cover your work for a whole week, doing two jobs with no overtime pay.”

“……”

Secretary Yang shot him a glare. “I wish someone could appreciate my hard work for once.”

Ah, he’s mad.

Watching Secretary Yang retreat to the private office, Li Yan covered his forehead with his hand in exasperation.

When Secretary Yang was upset, both his and Li Nuo’s ears would suffer. His sarcastic tone would linger in their minds even as they tried to sleep.

Fortunately, the solution was simple; buying him a drink, preferably sake.

Thus, the three of them agreed to go to an izakaya after work.

However, just as they were about to leave, Qin Xu appeared. Seeing their excitement, he raised an eyebrow and decided to join them.