Become the Sickly Villain in the Novel - Chapter 79

“Li Nuo?”

“……”

“With you like this, my heart is pounding with anxiety.”

Li Nuo bit his lip, his mind overwhelmed with countless thoughts.

If he truly disliked it, all he had to do was firmly reject Mo Chuan when he asked, “Can I continue?” Yet, he couldn’t bring himself to say no.

No way… right?

The feeling he had when he saw Qin Xu, where his loneliness was momentarily alleviated, was completely different.

Mo Chuan’s gaze made his heart race to the point where he wanted to avoid it. Was it because he was overwhelmed with shyness?

Mo Chuan always called him his lover, and they were in contact almost every day. Around him, Li Nuo would unconsciously lose his temper. Had he already grown so accustomed to his presence?

He even felt a sense of regret. Why couldn’t he be certain that he could stay in this world?

Thinking this, a sudden sadness welled up inside him.

Noticing the shift in his emotions, Mo Chuan became flustered. “I’m sorry, was I being too forward…?”

Li Nuo shook his head. “It’s not because of you.”

Mo Chuan reached out and gently brushed the corner of Li Nuo’s eye with his fingertips, feeling a slight dampness. “Then why are you crying?”

He stammered as he spoke. After all, the reality was that Li Nuo started crying after he kissed him.

Li Nuo shook his head again. It wasn’t because of the kiss, but because he had finally recognized his own emotions. Yet the uncertainty of the future made him feel sorrowful.

Lowering his head, his voice was muffled. “Why do you like me?”

If Mo Chuan didn’t like him, then he wouldn’t feel this deep regret.

Mo Chuan, who had been in a panic just moments ago, suddenly calmed down when he heard the question. “At first, it was out of curiosity. I kept watching you, and before I knew it, I had fallen for you.”

“…Because of my face?”

“Are you saying that I like you just for your looks?”

“Isn’t that a possibility?”

Mo Chuan smiled helplessly.

Indeed, Li Nuo was exceptionally good-looking, but that wasn’t the deciding factor. If he were only after appearances, he would have made a move the moment he first saw him.

“I know you’re beautiful, but I’ve long since outgrown the phase of judging people by their looks. Besides, there are plenty of beautiful people in this world.”

Li Nuo’s sadness was interrupted, and his gaze sharpened.

Mo Chuan continued, “Besides, I’m quite handsome myself. What’s the issue?”

“…Are you picking a fight?”

“No, I just think you’ve misunderstood my feelings, so I’m explaining.” Mo Chuan was very serious. “I’m not like those people who approach you just because of your face.”

Only then did Li Nuo realize that his question might have been a bit offensive to Mo Chuan’s sincerity. “Mmm—”

“I understand your concerns. You’ve met many people like that in the past. But if you have doubts, I’ll prove my feelings to you as many times as it takes.”

“…That’s not necessary.”

Just looking at Mo Chuan, he could already see that his heart was utterly sincere.

“You’re really not crying because I kissed you?”

“No.”

“Then why?” Mo Chuan was genuinely puzzled. “Could it be… you hate me?”

Li Nuo hesitated, and Mo Chuan seemed deeply hurt. “Is that true?”

“……”

He didn’t hate him. If anything, it was the opposite. But…

Li Nuo stared at Mo Chuan’s slightly saddened face and wondered if he was being too much of a coward. The other person had already taken ninety-nine steps toward him, yet he was too afraid to even take one.

His hesitation only made things more painful.

He straightened up on the bed, knelt upright, and wrapped his hands around Mo Chuan’s head, forcing him to look at him.

“I don’t hate you. I don’t hate you at all.”

He pulled Mo Chuan closer, pressing his lips against his.

Lacking any experience, he crashed into him forcefully, making both of their lips sting.

Li Nuo didn’t pull away, but he also had no idea what to do next. He didn’t even close his eyes, allowing him to clearly see Mo Chuan’s pupils contract in shock.

Feeling a bit shy, he averted his gaze but still didn’t push away, as if trying to prove the truth of his words.

Mo Chuan finally processed what had just happened. His heart overflowed with uncontrollable joy, his eyes curved in delight, and the corners of his lips lifted into a smile. Yet, he was the one who took the initiative to pull away first.

“I understand now. So, let me ask the same question again. Can I continue?”

“…Mm.”

Almost the moment the word left Li Nuo’s lips, Mo Chuan lowered his head and kissed him again.

His movements were light at first, lingering on Li Nuo’s lips for a second as if allowing him time to react. But the passion that followed revealed his urgency. This was no mere brush of lips; this was a real kiss.

The kiss lasted for a long time. Though Mo Chuan knew he should take it slow since it was their first time, he simply couldn’t bring himself to stop.

It wasn’t until Li Nuo, unable to endure any longer, pounded on his chest that Mo Chuan reluctantly pulled away.

Seeing Li Nuo’s lips, now flushed an even deeper red and glistening with moisture, Mo Chuan couldn’t resist planting a few more kisses.

Li Nuo, unaccustomed to such prolonged kissing, felt his entire face burning as if it might explode. Mo Chuan gazed at him, utterly captivated, until the sharp beeping of his watch interrupted the moment.

“Do you need to go to the hospital?”

“…No.”

“But the warning alarm—”

“I said no!”

Li Nuo snapped, burying his face in Mo Chuan’s shoulder, refusing to lift his head. The sensation of the kiss still lingered, and his mind was in chaos, echoing with the thought, What the hell did I just do?!

Mo Chuan laughed in amusement. “If it hurts, just say so.”

“I told you, that’s not it.”

He was embarrassed to the point that even his ears and neck turned red. He was so adorable that, for a fleeting moment, Mo Chuan didn’t want to let go.

But the reality was cruel. The moment he glanced at the time on his watch, he seriously considered whether he should just ask his family for help to get rid of Wen Dong and the opposition once and for all.

Forget it, that’s unrealistic. I’d feel bad dragging them into this. I’d better wrap things up quickly.

As long as Qin Xu secured the chairman position, he could resign immediately and take Li Nuo around the world.

Though Li Nuo hadn’t explicitly agreed to be with him, the fact that he didn’t push him away and even took the initiative to kiss him gave Mo Chuan tremendous confidence.

At least in the realm of love, he was in the lead.

……………

Even when it was time to leave, Mo Chuan was reluctant to go, clinging to Li Nuo and refusing to let go. No matter how much Li Nuo tried to persuade him, he dragged things out until the last possible moment.

Their time together hadn’t even lasted a full night, yet it felt like a whirlwind had swept through. Even now, Li Nuo couldn’t calm his heart.

“I can’t sleep.”

Hugging his plush cat, he rolled around on the bed. He had been so sleepy before, yet now he was wide awake.

Every time he closed his eyes, the memory of their kiss replayed in his mind like a looping film, making it impossible for him to fall asleep.

What am I supposed to do now?

He had made up his mind before—until he was certain he could stay in this world, he wouldn’t allow himself to fall in love.

Let alone with Mo Chuan.

If the original soul of this body returned, given his personality, he would probably be even more reckless upon realizing Mo Chuan liked him.

And yet, the moment he saw Mo Chuan’s sad expression, he acted on impulse and kissed him.

Looking back now, he had been so reckless. But…

I’m in a surprisingly good mood.

Li Nuo reached up to touch his lips. Mo Chuan’s kiss had left such a deep impression, as if he was about to devour him, that his lips still felt a tingling numbness.

What should I do from now on? Just go with the flow?

No, that would be too irresponsible.

He thought over everything, and along with his previous unresolved concerns, a flood of questions surged into his mind. It felt as though his thoughts were like a malfunctioning compass, spinning chaotically with no clear direction.

Amidst his restless pondering, morning arrived.

At the breakfast table, the two sat across from each other. Qin Xu scrutinized Li Nuo, who looked noticeably exhausted. “You didn’t sleep well? Was Mo Chuan bothering you?”

“Mm… More or less.”

“Finish eating and go catch up on sleep.”

“I’ll sleep in the greenhouse for a bit.” During the day, that was the best place for rest.

Lost in thought, Li Nuo numbly finished his meal and headed straight for the greenhouse.

Only after stepping into his familiar environment did he finally breathe a little easier. After greeting the gardener, he lay down on the recliner as usual. The warm sunlight made him feel drowsy. As soon as he closed his eyes, however, almost mockingly, Mo Chuan’s figure appeared in his mind.

Pull yourself together. It was just a kiss. Nothing to make a big deal about. Just take it one step at a time.

He forced himself to empty his mind and let go of everything. With the help of the gentle sunshine, he turned onto his side and quickly drifted into sleep.

Meanwhile—

Back at the company, Mo Chuan headed straight for the secret room.

The moment he opened the door, he was met with stacks of documents scattered all over the place. There hadn’t been any time to organize them.

Seeing him enter, Secretary Yang was overjoyed. “Quick, quick! These files all need your review.”

He gestured towards a pile of documents beside him.

Fortunately, Mo Chuan was in an exceptionally good mood today. Instead of rejecting the task, he even hummed a tune as he sat down to begin reviewing the paperwork.

Secretary Yang eyed him suspiciously. “What’s with you?”

“Nothing at all~”

Seeing that Mo Chuan had no intention of explaining and given how much work there was, Secretary Yang chose not to press further.

Once he had finished reviewing the stack of documents, Mo Chuan stretched and turned to Li Yan, who was busy at his computer. “Secretary Li, what do you know about your father and Zhang Wanhui?”

“What?” Li Yan was somewhat confused. He wasn’t surprised that Mo Chuan knew about Zhang Wanhui. This man had definitely been investigating behind the scenes.

“I recently received intel that Director Wen’s secretary was seen having a conversation with your father and Zhang Wanhui.”

Li Yan’s brows immediately furrowed. Those three were meeting together?

“I’m really curious how they even got acquainted. It’s unlikely that Director Wen’s secretary would have any interest in small-time figures like them, so…”

“You’re saying… you suspect they’re being used as bait?”

Li Yan quickly caught on.

“Mm-hmm. Wasn’t Li Nuo frequently meeting with Zhang Wanhui before? It seems like they took notice of that.”

A chill ran down Li Yan’s spine. Thankfully, he had sent Li Nuo away in advance.

“However, their initial target shouldn’t have been Li Nuo. It should have been you. Based on my findings, their first contact was over a year ago. So, I wanted to ask if you have any insights into this.”

Li Yan thought for a moment before shaking his head. “You must have already done a thorough investigation. I don’t have any additional information.”

Back then, he had been living like a walking corpse, completely oblivious to anything happening around him.

Mo Chuan nodded, indicating his understanding. “Zhang Wanhui has a prior record of hiring hitmen. I believe the real target was you, but for some reason, the client has been holding back on taking action. That said, you don’t need to worry. I’m already handling the client, and Zhang Wanhui is also under surveillance.”

“Thank you.”

Li Yan remained unfazed by this revelation. After all, there were plenty of people keeping an eye on him these days. Given that he had been the one managing the ledgers, it was only natural.

“Alright, let’s get back to work. This is the final stretch.”