HCILH Ch. 86

Chapter 86: The Forced Kiss

At the most inappropriate time, in the least expected place, he encountered the person he most didn’t want to see at that moment.

Tears were still clinging to Hou Mo’s eyes as he stared blankly at Sui Houyu, who had taken out his phone and was filming his face. Panic surged within him, and he quickly tried to move away, wiping his tears hastily: “Why are you here?” 

Sui Houyu responded with righteous confidence: “Can’t I be here?”

Hou Mo was particularly puzzled: “But didn’t you quit the team?”

More confused than him, Sui Houyu replied: “I never quit.”

Surprised, Hou Mo looked up at him, with tears still hanging from his lashes. He asked nervously: “Then why are you wearing that uniform?”

“My sportswear got spilled with soy milk this morning, so I changed and washed it.”

Hou Mo pressed on: “I noticed Ran Shu wasn’t wearing his either.”

“We bumped into each other and both ended up with dirty uniforms.”

“And you missed morning exercises.”

“I couldn’t sleep last night and stayed in the dorm trying to catch up on rest, but it didn’t work.”

Hou Mo hurriedly wiped at his eyes again: “Then why didn’t you come in the afternoon?”

“My heart was racing too fast, I felt unwell, so Ran Shu accompanied me to the infirmary, and I ended up napping there.”

“Oh…” Hou Mo suddenly ran out of words.

“Is that why you were crying?”

“Not entirely…” After responding, Hou Mo hesitated. “Did you hear what I was muttering?”

“No.” After waking up, Sui Houyu had heard where Hou Mo was and came straight over. The moment he opened the door, Hou Mo had fallen silent.

Feeling a sliver of relief, Hou Mo thought he might still have a chance. If Sui Houyu had heard him, he might just have wanted to find Ouyang Ge for a showdown and end it all.

Finally, Sui Houyu put away his phone and asked: “Need a tissue?”

“Just one, please.”

Hou Mo took the tissue, moved to the side awkwardly, and blew his nose. He realized Sui Houyu was following him the whole time and, after a moment of eye contact, Sui Houyu hesitantly asked: “Are you crying because of me?”

“Uh…” The question left Hou Mo speechless.

Sui Houyu explained in a muffled voice: “I never planned on quitting the team. Plus, I’ll be competing in next year’s national tournament, and as for college entrance exams, it’s too soon to worry about that.”

Hou Mo nodded in understanding: “Oh…”

“Mm.”

An awkward silence fell between them again.

Hou Mo finally eased some of the embarrassment over his tough-guy tears and added: “Yesterday, I let my temper get the best of me. I overreacted and turned something small into a big deal, ruining the mood for both of us. It was stupid of me.”

“What you said wasn’t entirely wrong.” Sui Houyu admitted, then added, “though the extra nonsense was baffling.”

“Yeah, I was wrong. Go ahead, hit me. I won’t fight back.” Hou Mo extended his hand in invitation.

“Too lazy to bother.”

Sui Houyu walked over to the vaulting box and leapt up, sitting on it. He shot Hou Mo a glance and asked: “Did you go to Sang Xian’s place yesterday?”

“Yeah, Sang Xian wasn’t in a good state, so I took him home. I left in such a rush that I forgot my phone in the locker room and couldn’t tell you.”

Sui Houyu cautiously asked: “Oh… what was wrong with him?”

Hou Mo looked away slightly, still reluctant to explain: “Nothing major.”

Sui Houyu pouted, expressing dissatisfaction: “It feels like everyone knows what’s going on between you two except me. I’m your doubles partner! Am I just a stand-in? You paired with me to sever ties with Sang Xian, is that it?”

“Why would you think that?” Hou Mo looked puzzled, stepping closer to observe Sui Houyu’s expression, searching for clues.

Discussing this made Sui Houyu sour again: “He’s always so good to you, and your bond is unique. You seem to accept his care so naturally. Your connection with him is clearly more seamless than ours. If you’re so entangled with him, why pair with me?”

Hou Mo stared at Sui Houyu for a long moment, and Sang Xian’s words from yesterday echoed in his mind, making his chest ache. He barely managed to keep himself composed.

Feigning calmness, he asked: “Does my relationship with him bother you so much?”

“It’s just that…” Sui Houyu didn’t know how to explain without arousing Huo Mo’s suspicion. He closed his mouth, thinking hard before speaking again. “You all are strange. Is he… is he gay? Has he ever liked you?”

“Huh?!”

“The way you two interact is ambiguous, sometimes even a single glance… feels so intense!”

Sui Houyu cared, so he was sensitive.

He always felt that the way Sang Xian looked at Huo Mo was different from how he looked at others, making it impossible for him not to care.

Huo Mo did not answer immediately but instead leaped up to sit next to him and said softly: “There’s nothing ambiguous between us. If I had the choice, I’d even prefer not to know him.”

He turned to look at Huo Mo, confused. Was it because he didn’t want to be pursued by a guy?

Huo Mo looked at Sui Houyu frankly and said: “I don’t think I’ve ever told you how my dad died. He… passed away while saving Sang Xian.”

This was an answer Sui Houyu hadn’t anticipated at all. He instinctively widened his eyes upon hearing it.

Huo Mo was smiling, trying to appear strong through the smile.

However, that smile carried a hint of sorrow, making it more heartrending than crying.

“That year, my dad took a special leave to celebrate my birthday. Our family of three went on a cruise trip. On the evening of August 30th, it rained, and the tide rose. Someone mentioned that a small yacht nearby had an accident, so our cruise ship changed course to rescue them. The yacht that got into trouble was Sang Xian’s.”

“Uncle An went to help too?” Sui Houyu’s voice was a bit tense when he asked, as if he had posed an obvious question in his nervousness.

Huo Mo nodded: “Yes, he was a soldier, so he definitely went to help. There were six people on the yacht. They had been playing on a private island for a few days, got bored, and decided to return when they encountered a big wave. The yacht took on a lot of water and malfunctioned. My dad and two lifeguards from the cruise ship went to save them. One of the lifeguards was older and could only stay on the ship to pull the rope. My dad and another person went into the water to rescue.”

Huo Mo paused for a long time at this point, as if just mentioning it exhausted him.

After a moment, he continued: “The weather that day was awful. The other lifeguard saved two people before becoming exhausted, leaving only my dad. Sang Xian was the last person he saved. The sixth person on the yacht and my dad were both pulled from the water later. When their deaths were confirmed, it was just over an hour before my birthday…”

Sui Houyu instinctively grasped Huo Mo’s hand, but Huo Mo pulled away: “Don’t hold it. What if you fall asleep? I’m not done yet.”

This time, the roles were reversed, with Huo Mo talking and Sui Houyu listening quietly.

Sui Houyu understood and nodded.

Huo Mo continued: “Maybe it was because Sang Xian saw how devastated my mom and I were with his own eyes that he developed psychological issues out of guilt. He regretted it deeply because when my dad asked if there was anyone else left to save, Sang Xian saw how exhausted my dad was but still answered that there was one more. If he hadn’t answered, maybe my dad wouldn’t have been in danger.”

Huo Mo lowered his head slightly, his hands constantly fiddling with the hem of his sportswear, twisting and twisting, clearly agitated and wanting to do something to distract himself and relieve his restless mood.

Because this was the last thing he wanted to talk about.

Sui Houyu asked: “So he stayed with you afterward to make up for it?”

Huo Mo’s voice sounded like a sigh as he answered: “Yes, he developed a strange disorder where he always stayed close to me, trying his best to help and compensate me to ease his guilt. But at first, I really didn’t want to see him! My dad volunteered to save them, but this compensation wasn’t what I wanted. I always felt it was something my dad exchanged his life for. If he hadn’t had the accident, I would still be happy. My family wasn’t wealthy, but we had a decent life, full of happiness.”

Sui Houyu finally understood the entanglement between Huo Mo and Sang Xian.

He didn’t know what to say, so after thinking for a while, he asked: “Did you make it clear to him? Just tell him directly that you don’t like it.”

Huo Mo continued, speaking intermittently for a long time: “I did that, and he did disappear for a while. During that time, my mom’s grief led to a heart condition relapse, and she was admitted to the ICU. Relatives on my dad’s side said I was too young, so they helped manage my mom’s company, which ended in chaos, damaged its reputation, and led investors to withdraw and demand compensation. The company went bankrupt. My mom, being the company’s legal representative, saw our house auctioned off by the court.”

“When Sang Xian found out, he felt he had ruined my life. Despite my difficulties, I hadn’t turned to him, which he took as a sign that I hated him. His guilt became so overwhelming that he started self-harming, even attempting suicide by slashing his wrists. Sang Xian’s parents begged me, crying, to visit him in the hospital. Otherwise, he’d seize every chance to pull out his oxygen tube.

At that time, my mom was critically ill, our assets were seized, and my father’s relatives were still trying to take money from us. Despite all that, I still had to visit him in the hospital. If I didn’t, I’d look heartless… I was truly overwhelmed then. I kept wondering, why did I have to endure all this? I had already borne so much, so why should I care about him?”

Sui Houyu finally spoke up again: “You still went, didn’t you?”

Huo Mo gave a bitter smile: “Yeah, I relented and went. I felt that since he was the life my dad had saved, if he died, my dad’s sacrifice would be in vain. But once I went, Sang Xian clung to me again. When I practiced tennis to win a prize, he learned tennis too and even gave up studying abroad, choosing to repeat a year and attend a regular school with me, just so he could be in my class. He said that way, if anything happened to me, he’d know right away.”

After hearing this, Sui Houyu couldn’t help but frown: “That would be really suffocating.”

“Yeah, after being followed like that for a few years, I actually got used to it, and Sang Xian gradually improved. I tried to shake him off again. This school term, I deliberately went to Class Seventeen to avoid him, but he guessed my plan and followed me by intentionally doing poorly on his tests to end up in Class Seventeen.”

Sui Houyu finally understood; all the oddities before became clear: “Now I get it.”

Talking about these things made Huo Mo feel distressed again. He smiled bitterly: “Everyone keeps telling me I should move on. Actually, I could move on; my mom and I have been doing quite well lately. But with Sang Xian always by my side, I never really move on. He’s my shadow. When he’s there, I feel suffocated.”

“Is there no cure for him? Maybe try electroconvulsive therapy; it actually works well.”

Huo Mo shook his head: “His family has looked for all kinds of treatments and experts around the world, but nothing has worked.”

Sui Houyu asked again, “Then, do you hate him?”

“I actually know that what Sang Xian said at that time was not wrong. They didn’t want any accidents either. But I can’t help but resent him! Resent that they knew the weather was bad yet still took a small yacht out to sea; resent that this group of idle, privileged rich kids only knew how to run around seeking thrills! But what’s done is done, and after letting go of the stubbornness in my heart, I came to terms with it. I don’t hate or resent anymore. I comfort myself by thinking that my dad was still amazing—he saved three lives.”

Sui Houyu noticed Huo Mo’s eyes reddening and the deep sorrow etched on his face. Feeling anxious, he quickly consoled: “It’s okay. Even if Uncle An is gone, you can treat me like your dad from now on!”

Huo Mo was on the verge of tears, but at that moment, all his emotions were pushed back in shock. He turned his head to look at Sui Houyu with a stunned expression.

The most baffling thing was that Sui Houyu said this with utter sincerity, his expression so earnest.

Huo Mo looked at him and, for some reason, started laughing.

This time, it wasn’t a bitter smile.

Huo Mo brought up Sang Xian again: “You don’t have to worry about him. He stays around me for a sense of redemption. Being kind to me helps ease his guilt; it’s not because he likes me. I’ve come to consider him a friend now. After all, he’s actually a good person. Wanting distance from him is also because I hope he’ll feel better when he’s not so close to me. He shouldn’t live just for me.”

“Yeah, such a friendship is unhealthy—it’s exhausting for both of you.”

“Exactly…”

The story was finally told, and physical contact was no longer off-limits.

Huo Mo lowered his head, resting it on Sui Houyu’s shoulder, and with a hint of playfulness, said: “Brother Yu, I want comfort.”

Sui Houyu immediately raised his hand and gently patted Huo Mo’s head.

His palm was warm, the gesture soft yet slightly clumsy, but it was enough to soothe.

Even just a head pat felt immensely comforting.

They sat in silence for a while before Huo Mo suddenly said: “Yesterday, when Sang Xian and I talked, he mentioned something, which I denied at the time. Today, I realized—you really do mind his presence.”

Sui Houyu quickly explained: “I just felt things between you two were strange, and it made me feel unjustified as your partner.”

Huo Mo dragged out his response: “Oh—so you weren’t jealous?”

Suddenly confronted, Sui Houyu straightened up in an instant.

Then, shaking his shoulder to push Huo Mo away, he stood up and said: “Jealous? Ridiculous!”

Huo Mo’s eyes were like hooks, staring at him, making him feel uneasy.

At that moment, Huo Mo reached out and pinched the tip of his flushed ear. Reflexively, he slapped Huo Mo’s hand away but dared not meet his gaze.

Huo Mo’s eyes lit up, excitement sparking like a flame in them, making him even more uncomfortable.

Feigning calm, Sui Houyu began to walk out and said: “Alright, now that it’s all clear, I’m leaving.”

Huo Mo teased: “Weren’t you here to see me? Not going to wait for me?”

“I just remembered I am on duty today. I came to check if everything’s cleaned up!” he denied again, spotting a basket of tennis balls and pushing it toward its designated place.

Huo Mo followed closely behind, trying to grab his wrist, but he flinched away as if shocked.

The exaggerated motion knocked over the basket, scattering the tennis balls. Off balance, he stepped on one and fell backward, hitting the wall with the back of his head and shoulder before sliding down to the floor.

Huo Mo’s heart skipped a beat as he rushed over, asking: “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine…” Sui Houyu replied, rubbing the back of his head.

“Let me see.” Huo Mo worriedly tried to check if he’d hurt himself, but Sui Houyu kept struggling, wanting Huo Mo to back off.

Frustrated, Huo Mo held down his hands, saying firmly: “Be good, let me check if you’re hurt!”

Suddenly shouted at, Sui Houyu quieted down, nervously locking eyes with Huo Mo.

Huo Mo, who was about to inspect his injury, found himself staring back, captivated and unable to move.

In the other’s eyes seemed to be a wildfire, hot enough to make both of them uneasy.

Sui Houyu broke eye contact, afraid Huo Mo would see through him. But his heart pounded wildly like a mischievous child, making his eyelashes quiver with each heartbeat.

Then, Huo Mo asked again: “So… you were jealous, weren’t you?”

“No!” he denied urgently, his voice beyond control, almost shouting.

“Brother Yu, look at me. You’re not straight, right? You feel something for me too, don’t you?”

“…” Overwhelmed with nerves, Sui Houyu’s mind blanked, missing the nuance in the word “too.”

He only thought about how to deny it, but when he opened his mouth, no sound came out. Instead, he swallowed nervously, panic clear as day.

Afraid of more probing, he tried to push Huo Mo away and escape this nerve-racking space.

He wasn’t ready yet, never expecting Huo Mo to discover his feelings so soon. Did he like him this recklessly?

If Huo Mo didn’t let go, he’s going to hit someone! 

And he could hit hard, really hard!

But Huo Mo didn’t relent; he grabbed his tie, pulling him closer.

Then came the sudden kiss.

The spacious equipment room felt cramped due to the stacks of sports gear.

The quiet room was unlit, and the night fell early in the winter season. Dusk’s deep red light filling it in the late autumn evening. Soon, it would be shrouded in darkness.

Initially, the sound of fabric rustling as he struggled echoed. But soon, the room grew silent.

The owner of the clothes no longer resisted.

Huo Mo’s lips were even hotter than his gaze, a forceful kiss that seemed intent on consuming him whole, setting his body aflame.

The heat coursed through him like molten lava, scorching his mouth and throat yet laced with an inexplicable sweetness.

Their breaths mingled, chaotic and hurried.

He never imagined that after the burning, a sweet fragrance would fill his nose, making him crave more of that taste.