A week later, just as Mo Xi was worrying about his tuition fees, a sudden influx of money into his bank account startled him. At first, he thought someone was using his account for money laundering, but after checking the transaction history, he realized that it was from Da Bai.
Then a message from Da Bai appeared on WeChat: "I transferred 300,000 to you, did you receive it?"
Mo Xi could hardly believe it. When did Da Bai become so wealthy? The tone of the message was so calm, as if transferring 300,000 was as casual as transferring 30 bucks.
Mo Xi: Did you rob a bank?? Where did you get so much money?
After a while, Da Bai sent a voice message, sounding nonchalant: "I got a new boyfriend. His dad is a real estate tycoon, and he gave it to me."
As he concocted the lie, Da Bai wiped the sweat off his forehead, feeling nervous on the other end of the phone.
Well, this lie was so unbelievable that even he didn't believe it.
It's as if sons of real estate tycoons are just everywhere, readily giving away 300,000 without batting an eye.
If that was the case, why would he bother working hard day and night?
"Your new boyfriend?" Mo Xi repeated, half believing, half doubting, "Gave it to you?"
"Yeah, he loves me to death." Da Bai neither confirmed nor denied it.
If you're going to lie, you better lie confidently. If you don't believe it, nobody else will.
"No."
"How can I accept your money?"
"What if you two have a fight, and he uses this against you?"
"No, I can't accept."
Mo Xi sent several WeChat messages in a row, emphasizing that he absolutely couldn't accept this money.
"Stop being stubborn. 300,000 is nothing to him. Just take it and pay it back later." Da Bai tried to persuade him gently.
"No, I really can't accept such a large sum of money from you." Mo Xi shook his head vigorously.
"Why do you keep treating me like an outsider? Didn't you often lend me money before?" Knowing Mo Xi's temperament, Da Bai understood that he wouldn't accept favors for no reason. So he played the emotional card, "Do you really consider me your best friend? Why won't you accept money when I lend it to you?"
"It's not that," Mo Xi didn't know how to explain. He was so flustered that even his voice messages became a bit stuttered, "The amount is too much."
"It's not like I'm giving it to you for free. Consider it double the bank interest rate," Da Bai wanted to end this topic sooner rather than later, otherwise, he might be exposed. So he played his last card, "If you don't accept, I'll just call your sister and tell her that you're working three jobs a day."
"..."
Mo Xi remained silent. If his sister found out, she would definitely scrape together money for him. But with her limited salary and mortgage payments, she couldn't possibly have much money. Mo Xi was well aware of that.
"Alright, I really didn't lie to you. Do you think I would rob a bank just to lend you money?" Realizing that Mo Xi was wavering this time, Da Bai seized the opportunity, "If it weren't for my new boyfriend, where would I get the money for you? When you come back, I'll introduce you to him. He's really good to me."
"..."
Mo Xi still didn't agree, but this time, Da Bai was determined to lend him the money.
After ending the call, Mo Xi carefully recalled how since he went abroad, Da Bai had frequently sent him things... and now this money...
In retrospect, it did seem a bit odd. Although their relationship was close, Da Bai was usually so carefree and not the type to send things to friends from far away.
And they were pretty expensive things...
This kind of thing was more in line with Pei Hao's style.
Thinking of Pei Hao, Mo Xi mocked himself inwardly. Since that parting at the graveyard, that person hadn't appeared again for half a year. He must have truly let go by now.
Yet occasionally, Mo Xi would still think of that person. No matter how it was, it felt rather ridiculous.
Upon reflection, he truly couldn't think of anyone, other than a boyfriend, from whom Da Bai could have gotten so much money.
Perhaps he really found the right person, and Mo Xi should be happy for him.
Later, Da Bai called again and persuaded him for a while. After much persuasion, Mo Xi agreed to accept the tuition fees for the next semester but returned the remaining twenty-some thousand to him.
Da Bai finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Initially, he hadn't wanted to do this favor for Pei Hao. What if Mo Xi found out that the money was from Pei Hao? Mo Xi would definitely get angry.
But after thinking about it, if Pei Hao willingly gave the money, why should Mo Xi go through all the hardships? Just consider it as Pei Hao repaying Xiao Xi.
Da Bai had never seen a pair of ex-lovers like them.
One was putting in so much effort to lend money, while the other was trying every possible means to decline.
They had broken up, yet they still threw dog food at each other? What an eye-opener.
One word: impressive!
On Mo Xi's side, he finally had the money to pay for the new semester's tuition. A senior student introduced him to a job as a school librarian. It was a good job—relaxed, decently paid, and left him free time to read.
Their school library was open to the public; the difference was that students of the school could use it for free, while outsiders had to pay.
Shortly after starting the job, Mo Xi noticed that Shane often appeared at their school library.
In casual conversation, Shane mentioned that he used to come often. Mo Xi nodded without saying anything. However, while processing Shane's checkout, he accidentally caught sight of Shane's membership card issue date: last week.
Well...
Did Shane still have feelings for him? Or was he really just here to borrow books?
Seeing Mo Xi lost in thought, Shane waved his hand in front of him, breaking the silence:
"What are your plans for the Chinese New Year? I mean the Chinese one."
"Attending classes?" Mo Xi was so engrossed in earning money and studying that he had completely forgotten that the Chinese New Year was coming up.
"Some of my Chinese friends are having a party that night. If you're willing, you can come with me."
Was this a date? Mo Xi rubbed his head, thinking. Honestly, he was so busy now that he didn't have time for a relationship, and he didn't feel that way about Shane either.
"Thank you, but I might have to work that day." Mo Xi shook his head, feigning a regretful expression.
After all, Shane was quite sincere. When refusing, he had to save face.
"Alright, I understand." Shane left with the books, his face showing no particular emotion.
Americans, well, they were generally casual about relationships. When pursuing someone, they wouldn't make a big deal of it or act like they were indispensable.
So, Mo Xi turned and forgot about the matter.
On the evening of New Year's Eve, his roommates went out to various parties. As Mo Xi had said, he really did have to work that day.
The library closed at 11 pm. When Mo Xi came out, there were hardly any people on campus.
Although the coldest part of the winter had passed, the cold wind still whistled through his clothes on this deep winter night. Mo Xi couldn't help but hug his coat tighter.
"Xiao Xi!" Suddenly, a somewhat slurred Chinese phrase came from behind him.
Mo Xi turned around and saw a figure taller than him blocking the light from the library, casting a shadow.
The person's figure was tall and slender, dressed in a black suit jacket. Backlit and standing, with the dim streetlamp, Mo Xi saw a smile on their face.
"Shane?" Mo Xi looked at the person in astonishment, asking, "What are you doing here?"
"Waiting for you to celebrate the New Year," Shane looked at him, smiling cheerfully, "Happy New Year!"
"Happy New Year." Mo Xi replied, still in shock. He hadn't thought of any other lines.
"Are you free now?" Shane took Mo Xi's hand, leading him in a certain direction, "Come, let's go to my friend's party."
"Huh?" Mo Xi hadn't figured out how to decline when Shane shoved him into a car. In a daze, he spent his first overseas New Year's Eve among a bunch of strangers.
But all in all, it was a joyous night. Shane's friends were very welcoming. They were all students wandering overseas, and they quickly accepted him.
Shane also didn't make any overly forward moves, at most, he just took slightly better care of Mo Xi than others.
This comfortable way of interacting made Mo Xi feel at ease. Although he didn't have any romantic feelings for Shane, at least he didn't dislike him.
If they could become friends, Mo Xi certainly wouldn't object.
In the middle of the night, Shane drove Mo Xi back home. Mo Xi sat on his bed, contentedly rubbing his belly that had been filled with dumplings. He faintly recalled the words Shane had said when leaving: "See you next week."
See you next week? See for what? Why meet?
Oh well, thinking too much about it wouldn't help. He could worry about it next week.
Feeling a bit dizzy, Mo Xi, with a bit of alcohol lingering, fell asleep.
It was the Chinese New Year, and Pei Hao was really eager to catch a glimpse of Mo Xi in the United States.
Their last (one-sided) meeting had been during Christmas, almost two months ago.
A day without seeing each other felt like three years; two months without seeing each other, Pei Hao felt like he had shed a layer of skin, completely uncomfortable, and his soul had flown to the US long ago.
What's more, lately, there was a lunatic showing various attentions to Xiao Xi on Facebook, making Pei Hao even more restless.
However, Pei Yi Xin always used company matters to hold him back, not allowing him to leave.
He couldn't explain why he kept wanting to go to the US. Should he say he was going to chase after a potential partner, and a male partner at that?
If Pei Yi Xin found out, forget letting him go to the US, he wouldn't even let him out of the house.
Thinking it over, Pei Hao realized that it wouldn't work. He really had to find a company to cooperate with in the US.
So, Pei Hao hastily put together a team to research the possibilities of US trade. The leader of the team was the head of the marketing department. He had no idea about Pei Hao's true intentions and earnestly conducted thorough market research with his team, analyzing various pros and cons. The final conclusion was: it was advisable not to engage in foreign trade at the moment due to uncontrollable risks.
Pei Hao completely disregarded this conclusion, pointed at two companies in the proposal, and said, "I'm flying to the US next week to make contact with these two companies..."
Team Leader: ...
While Pei Yi Xin took Song Wanqing out on vacation, Pei Hao blinked and flew to the United States again.
The end of February was Mo Xi's birthday. He had already entrusted Da Bai to send out the gift. Using someone else's hand, he didn't dare to send something too valuable, afraid that Xiao Xi would become suspicious.
There was no choice; he had to be cautious when dealing with someone who had rejected him.
In reality, he just wanted to catch a glimpse of Xiao Xi, especially on his birthday. Although the two of them might not have much overlap, meeting on this special day would give Pei Hao the illusion that he was part of Mo Xi's life.
Pei Hao learned from Da Bai that Mo Xi would be working at the library on his birthday. As Mo Xi was about to finish work, Pei Hao sat in a cafe not far away. It was a position he had carefully chosen, allowing him to see everything at the library entrance through the floor-to-ceiling window.
At the right time, Mo Xi emerged, wearing a down jacket and a hat. The winter sun lightly illuminated his fair complexion, and his fine black hair reflected a subtle glow.
It was as if Pei Hao was seeing the young boy who used to secretly watch him on the basketball court, handsome and cute, smiling like the warm winter sun, making people itch to touch him.
Mo Xi always thought that Pei Hao's agreement to be with him was casual, maybe even Pei Hao himself didn't know that he had already been attracted by this bright young man.
The Mo Xi before him, chopping his feet in the cold air, breathed out a white puff of air, and smiled in Pei Hao's direction. It was like a breeze of spring, a smile that made Pei Hao's heart flutter.
Pei Hao forgot that he was still in the cafe, and couldn't help but want to reach out and touch that haunting face. Suddenly, a dark figure blocked his view.
A tall figure appeared in front of Mo Xi, playfully ruffling his hair. Mo Xi lowered his head and smiled gently. The person turned around and walked side by side with Mo Xi, but their eyes were fixed on him.
Their eyes were full of... affection...
As if struck by lightning, Pei Hao froze in place. A chill enveloped him from head to toe. He felt like his heart had been split in half, and a monster was tearing apart the halves of his broken heart, causing waves of dull pain.
"Are you okay?" someone next to him asked.
Pei Hao completely ignored them, suppressing the surging pain, clenching his fist, and staring straight ahead.
That person was the white man who left messages for Mo Xi every day.