Become the Sickly Villain in the Novel - Chapter 99

Li Nuo informed Aunt Zheng that he and Mo Chuan would not be coming home for dinner that evening. Aunt Zheng nodded in acknowledgment, and after dropping Li Nuo off at the designated restaurant, she drove home.

The atmosphere in the private room was very quiet. Li Nuo entered with things in hand and greeted softly.

“Ah, you’re here.”

The first to greet him was Secretary Yang, still wearing his bright, cheerful smile.

Mo Chuan didn’t say anything, but naturally stood up and pulled him to the seat beside him.

Li Yan, who was just about to speak, could only purse his lips and fall silent.

Although Li Nuo was a bit puzzled by this sudden gathering, his attention was quickly captured by the scenery outside after sitting down.

A broad expanse of clear glass allowed guests to take in the stunning view. Outside, the sun was setting, casting vivid streaks of sunset across the sky, and the river winding through the city stretched out below.

The view from above was breathtaking and left him deeply satisfied, especially as someone who hadn’t traveled much in either his past or current life.

He decisively shifted his attention away from the stifling atmosphere and kept gazing outside.

Mo Chuan, under the table, was playing with Li Nuo’s hand, without saying a word.

Even with Secretary Yang trying hard to liven up the mood, it was completely ineffective, and he eventually gave up and fell silent.

The food was served at a moderate pace, so the meal lasted a long time, and the silence did as well.

Secretary Yang found the food dull and the atmosphere oppressive. He kept wondering why they had brought him along in the first place.

Eating this meal felt like being in prison. Seriously, can’t they give me a break?

The only ones who seemed to enjoy the meal were probably Li Nuo and Mo Chuan.

Honestly, Director Mo was just showing off.

Watching Mo Chuan pick food for Li Nuo, Secretary Yang’s thoughts spiraled uncontrollably.

Then he looked at his own boss. Tsk tsk, with that sullen personality, no wonder you lost.

He thought dinner would mark the end, but it turned out they simply moved to another location.

Fortunately, it was an open venue, so the atmosphere became less awkward.

Li Nuo stared regretfully at the cocktail in front of him.

Mo Chuan took the glass away. “You can’t drink this.”

“…I was just looking,” Li Nuo puffed out his cheeks. Then he noticed Mo Chuan also had a drink in front of him, a crystalline jade-green cocktail. He suddenly looked up and met Mo Chuan’s eyes. “They look alike.”

“What?”

“I mean the drink looks like your eyes,” Li Nuo said, tracing around Mo Chuan’s eyelids with his fingers. “The first time I saw you up close, I noticed your eyes right away.”

Mo Chuan caught his hand and kissed it lightly. “Then you should thank my grandmother.”

Something occurred to him suddenly. “So, you agreed to date me because you like my eyes?”

Li Nuo waved his hand. “Of course not. That’s just a bonus, a bonus.”

Yes, a big bonus. He had liked them since noticing them at the hospital.

At the time, he just thought it was a pity such beautiful eyes were on that kind of person.

The two of them were at the bar, while Secretary Yang, Li Yan, and Qin Xu sat at a booth.

Secretary Yang was enjoying his drink. “It’s been a while. I should relax a bit.”

Li Yan, in a gloomy mood, followed along, pouring and drinking whatever he had.

Li Nuo, in high spirits, took a photo of the cocktail and then looked around. It was an open-air lounge bar, a place that felt quite novel to him.

After Mo Chuan went to the restroom, Li Nuo stood up, planning to step out and look at the night view.

He walked onto the balcony, and the night breeze immediately cleared his head, which had been clouded with the scent of alcohol.

He discreetly glanced downward. Even with the glass barrier in place, human instinct still triggered some fear of the height.

If I fall, I’d probably be in pieces, scattered here and there.

Just as he was about to step back, a hand grabbed the back of his neck and tugged him.

“What are you doing standing so close?”

Li Nuo turned his head and saw that Qin Xu had come over at some point without him noticing.

Feeling uncomfortable from the tightness of his collar, he tugged at it and muttered, “There’s glass blocking the edge.”

This kind of glass was custom-made, the kind with extremely high load-bearing capacity.

He felt a bit uneasy. Reading messages on his phone hadn’t affected him, but facing Qin Xu in person always brought a sense of awkwardness.

Qin Xu looked at him adjusting his collar and suddenly said, “I should apologize, but I don’t want to.”

Li Nuo paused his movements. “Then I won’t accept it either.”

After a moment, he continued, “What I said that day was sincere. I’m truly grateful to you.”

In the novel, it was Li Yan who had met Qin Xu while working at a bar.

While working, Li Yan had been troubled by a customer, and his silent endurance reminded Qin Xu of his younger self.

That’s when he asked, “Do you want to quit and come work for me instead?”

That question had set everything in motion.

But now, this was reality.

Without Qin Xu’s support, he might have already died long ago.

Qin Xu raised an eyebrow. “In the end, it’s only gratitude?”

Li Nuo gave a soft smile. “One day, you’ll find happiness.”

Covering his face, Qin Xu gave a rare smile, the kind that was hard to read. He had never really intended to give up. If given another chance, he didn’t think he would let it slip by.

“That Mo Chuan guy… He’s just like a dog blindly following his master.”

Qin Xu’s murmur set Li Nuo’s imagination running wild.

If Mo Chuan were a dog, he would definitely be a large breed, the kind that seeks affection and wants to be petted while baring his teeth to threaten anyone who comes close.

It made him want to raise a pet.

“But if he’s just a dog, and you don’t want it anymore, then just throw it away. Come to me instead. As I’ve said before, my home is always open to you.”

Li Nuo wanted to argue that he wasn’t that kind of person but felt Qin Xu wouldn’t listen, so he remained silent.

“Can you smile at me? A genuinely happy one.”

A hand landed gently on his head, interrupting his thoughts. Li Nuo felt puzzled but still tried to lift the corners of his mouth.

Though he didn’t understand why Qin Xu would make such a request, his instinct told him it would be the last time.

The sudden request left Li Nuo unable to smile naturally. He tried to think of happy things to make the expression more sincere.

“Just stay like that. Don’t move.”

Qin Xu took out his phone and snapped a few photos.

It might have been his first time doing something like this. After taking the pictures, he frowned in dissatisfaction and muttered, “Looks like I’m terrible at photography.”

That reaction made Li Nuo genuinely laugh.

Taking advantage of the moment, Qin Xu quickly took a few more shots.

From afar, the two of them looked as if they were happily chatting.

But soon after, Li Nuo was gently pulled into an embrace from behind.

This scene felt very familiar.

“What are you two doing?”

As expected, it was Mo Chuan.

Qin Xu glanced at his phone and completely ignored him.

Helpless, Li Nuo could only offer reassurance, “We just talked for a bit. I came out to enjoy the night view.”

Mo Chuan ran his fingers through Li Nuo’s tousled hair, all the while eyeing Qin Xu suspiciously.

“Hmph, the night breeze is still a bit chilly. Let’s go back inside.”

Mo Chuan wrapped his arm around Li Nuo and led him back into the bar, leaving Qin Xu alone on the balcony.

“Clearly, both of us are bad people, but only one of us got redemption.”

The voice, filled with bitterness and unwillingness, was carried away by the night wind, unheard by anyone.

……………

“We really were just talking, we didn’t do anything. If you still don’t believe me, go check the surveillance footage, like you used to.”

Facing Mo Chuan’s suspicious gaze, Li Nuo remained calm.

“No, no, I believe you,” Mo Chuan said quickly. “I won’t do that. I’ve already promised I won’t do anything you dislike.”

Li Nuo sighed. “I know you’re jealous. But I truly just wanted to thank him for all the care he’s given me over the years. I think he deserves that.”

He pressed his palm against Mo Chuan’s mouth.

“No objections allowed. Otherwise, I’ll dig up all your past misdeeds and settle them one by one.”

Mo Chuan instantly fell silent, blinking desperately to show his sincerity.

He had done plenty of stupid things in the past. Li Nuo had even called him a playboy.

He absolutely didn’t want any of that to come back up again.

Some things were best left in the past.

Seeing him behaving obediently, Li Nuo finally lowered his hand.

“Don’t use the past to threaten me. Use something else. If it’s you, I might even get excited.”

“…Are you a pervert? Why would you get excited over threats?”

“I’ll tell you later.”

Mo Chuan chuckled, resting his head in the crook of Li Nuo’s neck, rubbing gently against his cheek.

“Stop that, it tickles.”

The two of them seemed to have forgotten they were in public.

Secretary Yang clicked his tongue in amazement. He didn’t expect to be force-fed dog food by Mo Chuan.

He nudged Li Yan with his elbow. “Aren’t you going to stop them? You used to do that all the time.”

Li Yan gave a wry smile. “If I went over now, I’d just be in the way.”

Even now, he had no choice but to admit that his older brother had truly fallen for Mo Chuan.

Although he still felt deeply unbalanced in his heart.

Secretary Yang patted him on the shoulder. “Your brother wants you to have your own life. That’s why he’s keeping some distance.”

“I know. That’s why I’m trying to adjust.”

“He’s completely turned into the innocent type. But that’s not a bad thing. Director Mo is wealthy, and Li Nuo will be well taken care of.”

That was a sincere remark. Given Li Nuo’s health condition, a life of comfort was the best for him.

Li Yan let out a weary sigh, and Secretary Yang patted his back.

Across from them, Qin Xu returned and sat down, downing the entire glass of alcohol in front of him in one go.

Secretary Yang raised an eyebrow. That was a large-sized glass, while he and Li Yan had only been sipping from tiny ones.

He examined Qin Xu closely. His brows were tightly furrowed, the top button of his shirt was undone, and a sharp aura radiated from him.

It was rare to see Qin Xu in such an emotional state. Even Li Yan found it unusual.

But he could more or less understand what Qin Xu was feeling.

The three of them continued drinking.

In the end, the only ones who didn’t drink were Li Nuo and Mo Chuan.

“Hah, how are we getting back now?”

Secretary Yang waved his hand. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll call a taxi myself. But someone should call a substitute driver for the chairman. Otherwise, it’ll be hard to get the car back. What about you, Li Yan?”

Li Nuo answered first, “I’ll take him home.”

He still hadn’t given Li Yan the things he’d bought for him.