episode 42

When Mo Shilin received He Xun's message asking to borrow his car, he was on his way to a meeting.

However, he didn't plan to reply to the other party for the time being. After all, He Xun rarely took the initiative to ask him for anything. Once he did, it made him very curious, and it would be a pity not to take the opportunity to tease him in person.

He stopped in the corridor, turned to his assistant, and asked, "What are the meeting arrangements for this afternoon?"

Assistant Li truthfully replied, "Mr. Mo, it's a proposal for a new product. You previously requested that the product director and engineers report to you in person."

Generally speaking, someone who has reached the position of Mo Shilin will not have a face-to-face meeting with someone who is much lower in rank than themselves.

But there are always exceptions. Mo Shilin has a technical background and is very strict and meticulous about this aspect. Moreover, he is young and likes to do everything himself.

Mo Shilin nodded upon hearing this, his expression slightly regretful: "Tsk, it seems I can't skip the morning court session even if I want to." With that, he strode into the conference room.

Li Mu keenly guessed that the person who had just texted President Mo was probably the male servant he had been asked to investigate before. His wife was an editor at an entertainment weekly, and she was lively and trusting. He had gossiped about this matter with his wife at home before, and now he couldn't help but speculate about the progress of their relationship in his heart, but he still maintained his respectful demeanor on the surface.

As soon as Mo Shilin entered the conference room, before anyone could even exchange a few pleasantries, he tapped the table and urged them quickly, "Please get to the point and stop with the nonsense."

So, for the next half hour, the product director, product manager, and all the engineers spoke as if they were speaking at double speed.

One of the software development engineers is a recent addition. He graduated from a prestigious university, returned from abroad, and won the KDD Cup. He is currently mainly responsible for backend development, using Java, Python, and other languages ​​to build server logic and handle high-concurrency architectures. In addition, he is proficient in PyTorch and mathematical modeling, and can definitely be considered a computer talent.

Such people tend to be somewhat arrogant.

At the start of the meeting, he expressed some dissatisfaction with CEO Mo Shilin's nonchalant demeanor.

Having spent most of his time abroad, he wasn't very familiar with the backgrounds of most people in the domestic computer industry. Moreover, in his impression, although Mo Shilin was from a technical background like him, he had already left the technical field when he decided to start his own business. Deep down, he looked down on these money-grubbing managers.

Even if the other party is the founder.

So whenever it was his turn to speak, he would deliberately use some obscure and difficult technical terms in a pretentious and sarcastic tone: "Mr. Mo, do you know what this term means? If not, I can explain it to you in detail."

The sound of this made everyone present break out in a cold sweat from time to time, especially the directors and executives in non-technical positions, who were soaked in cold sweat from head to toe, their hair on their foreheads wet, as if they had just been pulled out of a lake.

The new employees don't know Mo Shilin, but don't they already know him?

Although Mo Shilin comes from a technical background, everyone in the business world knows that the reason he was able to build Yuntu into an internet giant at such a young age is because he has an exceptional talent for business and managing subordinates. Mo Shilin is young, and on the surface he won't put on any CEO airs or say anything harsh or glare at you, but behind the scenes he'll scheme against you, discipline you, and torment you! Can you stand it?!

Sure enough, when the young engineer spoke arrogantly, Mo Shilin did not immediately refute him. Instead, he crossed his legs, leaned back lazily in his chair, and twirled his Montblanc pen between his slender fingers. He listened with a smile the whole time, without even interrupting, generously giving the other person the entire "stage".

Half an hour later, as the meeting was about to conclude, Mo Shilin threw down his pen, which made a loud clanging sound in the meeting room. Everyone was startled and their hearts began to pound.

He suppressed his smile and began to methodically point out the technical flaws, his words hitting the nail on the head, each one aimed directly at the engineer. Besides, he was no fool and was quite adept at using witty and subtle insults. After a few sentences, the engineer, who considered himself a genius, lost his temper, his face turning bright red, feeling as if he were sitting on pins and needles.

They weren't just criticized; they were also impressed by Mo Shilin's abilities.

In just half an hour, dozens of people took turns speaking. The pace was fast and the content was complex. Mo Shilin was able to write down every word and answer each one, which was truly impressive.

Finally, the meeting ended, and another engineer who didn't get along with him deliberately mocked him: "You big sea turtle, do you not know? When our boss Mo was studying abroad, he led a team to win the ACM-ICPC championship. He was only 25 years old that year."

He was startled upon hearing this.

As a science and engineering student, he certainly knew what level of competition the ACM-ICPC was.

This is the highest-level competition in the field of computer science, known as the "Olympics of Programmers". The competition is a three-person team competition, which mainly tests the ability of algorithm design and code optimization. Without exception, the winners will receive offers from the world's top technology companies.

The engineer's unspoken message was: You were just showing off your skills in front of an expert. Compared to Mo Shilin, your honors are nothing.

Just when he wished he could disappear into the ground, the man struck him again, his voice eerie like a ghost: "Oh, I forgot to tell you, our CEO Mo also won first place in the Blue Bridge Cup."

*

On the other hand, Mo Shilin didn't take the matter to heart. It was just a matter of dealing with his subordinates who provoked him, and it didn't even require much thought from him.

He was more concerned about He Xun.

"I won't be at the office this afternoon. If you need anything, send it to my work email. If it's urgent, we can contact you by phone."

After leaving his assistant with this message, Mo Shilin took the private elevator to the underground parking lot, picked out a Bentley, and drove home.

While waiting at a traffic light, he tapped the steering wheel, feeling a little regretful. He shouldn't have talked too much with that self-important engineer at the meeting, which delayed his meeting with He Xun. What if the person got impatient?

—The weather turned gloomy, with dark clouds looming overhead, and there was a faint sign that it would rain.

The wind swept in from the northwest, carrying the fragrance of flowers, and the breeze, with its slight coolness and aroma, brushed against my skin.

He Xun looked up at the dark sky for a few seconds and then gave up the idea of ​​watering the garden.

Of all the flowers and plants, rainwater is still the best.

Thinking this, he casually took out his phone and snapped several pictures of the overcast sky.

He has loved this kind of half-dead, half-alive weather since he was a child.

After the photo was taken, he turned around and saw a tall, familiar figure leaning against the swing in the back garden, watching him with great interest.

After recognizing who it was, He Xun was quite surprised. He put his phone back in his pocket, put down his water bottle, and strode up to Mo Shilin: "Aren't you at work?"

Actually, he wasn't in a hurry; he just felt that Mo Shilin was busy and hadn't had time to check his messages yet.

Mo Shilin casually brushed the fallen leaves off his shoulder: "I'm taking a break."

He Xun scoffed lightly: "Sigh, it's good to be a boss."

Mo Shilin pinched his shoulder and raised an eyebrow at him: "How about the boss gives you half a day off too?"

He Xun refused without hesitation, waving his hand and saying, "How can you do that? Let me finish my work first."

There are so many workers watching at the villa. If he acts like he's special just because he's the boss, people will definitely talk behind his back. He's not that shameless.

“Okay.” Mo Shilin didn’t insist, and said with a meaningful smile, “I’ll wait for you. There’s plenty of time.”

So, after He Xun finished cleaning the third floor, buying fresh fruits and vegetables, and going over the accounts with Aunt Mu, Mo Shilin was finally able to pull He Xun into the room—except this time it was He Xun's room.

He Xun's room was small, but the two of them were both tall, so standing would take up too much space, and they could only sit on the bed in a cramped manner.

As the owner of the villa, Mo Shilin was naturally not polite at all. He crossed his long legs and leaned casually against the headboard.

He glanced up and saw his young male servant carefully locking the door. He smiled maliciously: "Locking the door again? Like having an affair."

He Xun turned around, crossed his arms, and stood by the bed, looking down at her. He said coldly, "You already know, so why ask?"

Isn't that cheating?

Mo Shilin felt hot all over from his gaze, so he took his hand and pulled him onto the bed.

He Xun was forced to lean against him, clutching the fabric of his shirt with both hands, and raised an eyebrow, saying, "What exactly did you come back for? Just to have an affair with your own male servant?"

The dark sky enveloped the small room, making their eyes appear even darker, like cold, austere obsidian.

“...Tsk.” Mo Shilin retorted, “Am I really that unreliable?”

He Xun clicked his tongue and said, "Hard to say."

Just then, it finally started raining outside. The raindrops were neither too big nor too small, and they pattered as they fell to the ground. The window was open, and the scent of earth and grass seeped in.

"Tell me, what do you need my car for?" Mo Shilin asked.

Of course, He Xun wouldn't tell the other person that he was going to put on an act in front of Huo Liang. He just blurted out, "Isn't this a classmate reunion? I'm a bit vain, so I'm borrowing your nice car to drive around."

Mo Shilin scoffed, "Then why didn't you take me? Wouldn't that have been more prestigious?"

"Thank you for your suggestion," He Xun declined, "but I don't want to be in the news."

The CEO of YunTu showed up at the class reunion of XiaoNanYong; if he were a paparazzi, he would definitely be very interested in this kind of news.

“Of course I’m happy to lend it to you, but I’m a businessman, so how should we calculate the payment?” Mo Shilin whispered in his ear, “Darling.”

"You're already calling me 'darling,' and you still want payment?" He Xun was tickled and couldn't help but tease him, then smiled and said seriously, "What do you want? I'll try my best to satisfy you."

"Anything is fine with me?"

I'll try my best.

"I'm not interested in anything else but you." Mo Shilin held up two fingers with an inscrutable expression.

"I really...I'm going to report you."

"Report me for what? Huh?"

He Xun squinted, his mind reeling: "New-era internet CEOs are engaging in power-for-sex transactions."

"Then we'll arrest you first."

"...On what grounds?"

"Because you seduced me first."

After saying that, Mo Shilin took his cold hand, placed it on his shoulder, and then slowly led his hand down.

He Xun didn't struggle much. His chest heaved violently beneath the servant's attire, and he breathed heavily, desire and love intertwined, his dark eyes filled with the other's reflection...

He was willing to be a lamb to be slaughtered by Mo Shilin.

An hour and a half later, the rain stopped, but the small bed was a complete mess.

He Xun pulled his torn shirt over his shoulder, covering the red marks and exposed skin, his voice hoarse: "Get out, I'll change."

"Is there anything about you that I haven't seen before?" Mo Shilin's expression was one of satisfaction. Although he hadn't gone all the way, He Xun had taken the initiative to help him this time. His eyes were both innocent and cunning, and he was unbelievably obedient. When he pulled He Xun out by the hair, people even passed by outside the window... He played with the black bow choker that He Xun had been wearing around his neck. "Can't you just go out wearing this?"

He Xun stared wide-eyed at the damp shirt, incredulously saying, "Going out like this? What kind of fetish do you have?"

In the end, Mo Shilin didn't go out either. He Xun turned his back to him and changed into casual clothes for going out, a sky-blue shirt.

After changing his clothes, Mo Shilin took out a tissue to wipe the blood and white discharge from the corner of his mouth. As he wiped, he said with a little heartache, "I'm sorry, I'll be gentler next time."

He Xun: "......"

Actually, what He Xun wanted to say was, maybe we shouldn't do it again. You really are a terrible person in bed. I grabbed your arm just now and told you to be gentle, but you didn't listen at all. But then he thought about how he still needed to borrow the other person's car, so he held back.

"How did you get that scar on your waist?" Mo Shilin hugged him from behind again, gently stroking his waist through the fabric of his shirt, his voice exceptionally gentle, "Can you tell me now?"

He Xun hesitated for a moment before saying, "It was burned by someone."

"Why?"

"They got bullied."

Mo Shilin smiled, clearly not believing him. He said to He Xun, "Never mind, tell me when you're ready to tell me. There's still plenty of time."

He Xun looked at him for a while, then couldn't help but wrap his arms around his neck and kiss him.

......

The incident just now was an accidental mishap, and there will naturally be proper compensation afterwards.

Given that the other party was the founder of a major internet company and had no shortage of good things, He Xun decided not to give any grand gifts and simply invited Mo Shilin to see a movie.

He said, "I can't just take this afternoon off for nothing, can I?"

Mo Shilin readily agreed and went back to his room to change into a gray sweatshirt and casual pants. When he came out after changing, He Xun's eyes lit up noticeably.

He kissed He Xun's cheek: "Let's go."

Mo Shilin drove, and He Xun booked tickets and selected movies on his mobile phone.

When they arrived at the movie theater, there were many people queuing to buy popcorn. The two exchanged a glance, tacitly bypassed the long line, and headed straight for the freezer to get their drinks.

Mo Shilin casually picked up a grape-flavored one, while He Xun picked up a green apple. The two naturally held hands and walked into the screening room.

It wasn't the weekend, and He Xun had chosen another obscure comedy. There weren't many people in the theater, and He Xun liked to sit in the last row, so Mo Shilin let him sit there.

Halfway through the movie, the two started kissing, and the taste of grapes and green apples mixed together, which was surprisingly sweet and delicious.

Fearing that things might escalate in public, the two restrained themselves and separated after a short while.

After watching the movie, they had dinner together, and then the two of them went to play an escape room game with the theme "Escape from the Computer Freak's Studio". This time it was Mo Shilin's show, and he had even more fun than He Xun. He Xun also found it interesting and gained a lot of computer knowledge that others envied in just a few tens of minutes.

Mo Shilin pressed him onto his lap and taught him how to make simple Flash games on the computer.

Seeing that they were taking too long to proceed to the next step, the staff couldn't help but urge them over the loudspeaker. Mo Shilin replied very seriously, "What's the rush? We're having class here."

It was a really serious expression on his face.

He Xun thought it was so cute, and nestled in his arms, trying not to laugh: "Teacher, don't be angry."

Mo Shilin snapped out of his daze, grabbed his chin, and feigned a fierce look: "You."

Later, He Xun realized that he didn't find it interesting because he was interested in computer knowledge, but simply because the person explaining it was Mo Shilin.

He loves the house and its inhabitants.

Since graduating from university, He Xun has plunged headlong into the vortex of news, always on edge with the pursuit of "truth," living a life fraught with danger, and never having played so freely with anyone before.

Mo Shilin rarely felt so relaxed. Since he founded Yuntu, he could no longer do as he pleased as he did in his student days. He had to calculate everything and proceed cautiously, because in his position, making even one mistake could lead to utter ruin.

But fortunately, He Xun is now there to guide him through this experience again.

After leaving the mall, the two felt reluctant to leave and were unwilling to go home and part ways again.

The two of them were holding hands the whole time.

As night fell, the city lights twinkled in all their variety, and the two stood at the intersection for a while in tacit agreement.

"He Xun, do you like looking at the sea?"

Mo Shilin's eyes were filled with a smile, and He Xun actually saw a hint of deep affection in them. He was tempted by that affection and nodded as if possessed: "Mm."

"Then I'll take you there."

"good."

*

He Xun originally thought that Mo Shilin's idea of ​​going to see the sea was simply to go to the beach, but unexpectedly, Mo Shilin took him on a cruise ship.

This large ship features a diamond-shaped vertical bow, a sleek and beautiful hull, and is constructed from high-grade aluminum alloy, offering excellent corrosion resistance and lightweight design. Its exterior is finished in a striking champagne gold color scheme, exuding luxury and brilliance. It shimmers on the deep sea, resembling a moving castle.

It's clearly a beautiful thing.

For a fleeting second, He Xun thought about how many years it would take ordinary people who work themselves to the bone to live such a life, and how some people might not even know what a cruise ship is.

He is not ashamed.

I just feel sorry for the masses.

"Don't you like watching the sea?" Mo Shilin noticed his absent-mindedness and tugged at his chin. "Hmm?"

"Hmm." He Xun snapped out of his daze, grabbed the hand that was messing with his, and asked, "Is it yours?"

"I bought it when YunTu first went public," Mo Shilin said with a mocking expression, "to fit into their circle."

After saying that, she took He Xun's hand again: "But the scenery is innocent, I'll take you up there."

Once on the cruise ship, people followed them respectfully. Mo Shilin told them they didn't need to follow, and then pulled He Xun straight up to the top deck.

Under the bright moonlight, the sea resembled an endless, sapphire-blue ribbon, undulating gently yet surging.

A gentle sea breeze blew, lifting their hair and causing their clothes to flutter. The starry sky reflected their reflections without restraint.

The two sat side by side on the deck, their long legs bent.

After a while, Mo Shilin grabbed He Xun's hand. He Xun let him hold it for a while, then lowered his head to examine his hand.

Mo Shilin's fingers were long and slender, with distinct knuckles and blue veins bulging on the back of his hands. There was a thin layer of calluses between his fingers from years of coding. When he grasped and stroked them on the bed, it would make people tremble all over, and even when he did nothing, it would make people have all sorts of fantasies.

Very sexy hands, and they're perfect for wearing rings.

He Xun playfully flipped Mo Shilin's hand over again to look at his palm. The lines on it were clear yet complex, which in traditional palmistry meant a life full of hardships.

"What did you see, Master?" Mo Shilin squeezed He Xun's palm.

He Xun said with an air of seriousness, "The complex lines indicate a troubled life." It would be strange if an entrepreneur like Mo Shilin didn't have a troubled life.

But Mo Shilin seemed to interpret it differently: "Oh? Then it seems that palmistry isn't always that accurate."

"How so?"

"Don't you like me now? You haven't made me suffer too much..."

Before Mo Shilin could finish speaking, He Xun suddenly covered his mouth and said in a particularly superstitious tone, "Don't say that. What if something bad happens in the future?"

Mo Shilin's dark eyes flickered as he stared at him, then gently kissed his palm while holding his wrist.

He Xun felt ticklish and couldn't help but laugh as he tried to pull his hand back, but Mo Shilin gripped it even tighter and looked at him, saying, "He Xun, remember this."

Mo Shilin's voice was more affectionate than anyone He Xun had ever heard before: "Even if bad things happen in the future, my love for you will never change."

"If I've changed, then it's definitely not me."

As the night deepened, someone started playing music—an old foreign song—which drifted over on the sea breeze.

Fear that pointless greed will cause you to lose me.

I'm trying hard to suppress my longing for you.

I will love you until death do us part.

I would give my life to long for you

How could I forget you?

Please forgive this damn me.

It made me experience the pain called love.

The beautiful person who made me cry

I'm afraid that sudden anticipation will hurt my heart.

Although I tried to avoid you

I will love you until death do us part.

You are the only thing I can see in my eyes.

Waiting for you, yet unable to express this waiting.

Please forgive this damn me...

The singer's hoarse voice, combined with the melody, surprisingly evoked a sense of pathos.

Mo Shilin actually dared to say the word "love" to him.

From childhood to adulthood, no one has ever dared to say the word "love" to him.

Mo Shilin was the first.

Those people only said they liked and admired him, but in the end they all left him.

So, will the person who tells him they love him also leave in the future?

He Xun was thinking wildly, his heart pounding wildly, and suddenly he pushed Mo Shilin down onto the deck.

This time it was his initiative; he kissed her passionately, as if the scene would vanish like a bubble once the sun rose.

Infected by his emotions, Mo Shilin suddenly wrapped his arms around his waist, passionately regaining the initiative.

"Mo Shilin..." He Xun propped himself up, his long-suppressed emotions finally surging up uncontrollably. His eyes were red, and he unconsciously called Mo Shilin's name, his tone reluctant, lingering, and devout, "Mo Shilin..."

Mo Shilin's heart tightened: "Yes, I'm here."

"You'll stay with me forever." He Xun lost control for a moment, becoming obsessed with love as he said, "Okay?"

Mo Shilin was reluctant to let He Xun's question go unanswered, so he nodded, his eyes surging like the deep sea.

"Okay, I'll only love you for the rest of my life."