HCILH Ch. 106

Chapter 106: New Year

On the morning of New Year’s Day.

When Sui Houyu opened his eyes, Hou Mo didn’t immediately notice.

Hou Mo seemed to be ready to kneel, though for now, he was merely sitting upright with a serious expression, playing the national competitive game—Dou Dizhu—on his phone.

Sui Houyu looked at him, feeling irritated. The first thing he did upon waking was kick him off the bed.

Hou Mo was startled by the kick but still didn’t forget to play his card in the urgent moment.

He clumsily got up, leaning against the bed and looking at Sui Houyu: “Brother Yu, you’re awake? Want some ice cream?”

Sui Houyu: “…”

If he hadn’t brought it up, Sui Houyu might have let it slide.

But now, that wasn’t the case…

Thus, on the first day of the new year, Hou Mo lost a national-level “competitive” match, and Sui Houyu started a fight with him.

Not daring to fight back, Hou Mo was at the receiving end of a one-sided beating. Still, Sui Houyu ended up being kissed twice on the cheeks by this annoying monkey.

When Sui Houyu was done fighting, he went to the bathroom to wash up.

Hou Mo put down his phone and went to the kitchen to make breakfast for Sui Houyu.

The congee had been cooking for a while so that it would be tastier. Now, he only needed to prepare a few more dishes to complete breakfast, which would be relatively simple.

At that moment, Hou Mo received a message from Deng Yiheng: “Senior Brother, you won’t get the first-place scholarship this time.”

Seeing the message made Hou Mo’s heart sink, but he didn’t bother asking who surpassed him. He simply typed: “How many points short?”

Deng Yiheng: “Two points.”

“Damn…” Hou Mo put down his phone, figuring those two points were probably lost in his Chinese or English essay.

His neat handwriting used to earn him extra marks for presentation, but without that bonus this time, he’d lost his edge.

Who would have thought that Sui Houyu wrote a better essay this time?

Well, it made sense since it was an argumentative piece, which didn’t require emotional writing. Sui Houyu excelled at tasks that didn’t demand emotion.

Although he’d considered the possibility of being surpassed, it still made him uneasy when it actually happened.

Their school’s first-place scholarship was significantly higher than the second-place one, likely as a motivation for students to achieve good grades and boost the rate of admissions to top universities.

The first-place scholarship was awarded to one student, worth 80,000 yuan.

The second-place scholarship was for three students, worth 30,000 yuan each.

The third-place scholarship was for ten students, worth 5,000 yuan each.

Hou Mo had been counting on the first-place scholarship to pay off some debts, so losing out on 50,000 yuan felt like a blow.

After some thought, he came to terms with it. He had been too confident and hadn’t studied seriously. Sui Houyu had humbled his arrogance and taught him a lesson of “Brother Yu teaches you to be a man”.

Besides, being surpassed by Sui Houyu was something he could accept.

With a balanced mindset, he typed back cheerfully: “Our Brother Yu is amazing.”

Deng Yiheng: “I think you need to develop a sense of urgency.”

Hou Mo: “Yeah, true.”

Deng Yiheng: “Brother Yu probably only respects people who are better than him. You’ve only got sports and academics to show off, and now that you’re behind in grades and Brother Yu’s improving fast in sports, it’ll get harder for you to win him over. He’s basically an all-rounder. Is the pressure on? You’re brave to go after him.”

Hou Mo read this and was reminded of the reality.

He’d first caught Sui Houyu’s attention because he was better than him in those two areas, which had piqued Sui Houyu’s competitive nature and led to their rivalry.

If he lost in both aspects, he’d surely become unremarkable in Sui Houyu’s eyes.

A sense of urgency struck him hard.

Just then, Sui Houyu came out of the bathroom, phone in hand, replying to a voice message: “It’s okay, I understand.”

Hou Mo served breakfast and asked: “Ran Shu?”

“No, it was Gege.” After responding, Sui Houyu sat at the dining table, seeming significantly happier and smiling as he looked at Hou Mo.

Hou Mo guessed Sui Houyu already knew about the exam results.

“What did Gege want?” Hou Mo asked as he placed breakfast on the table.

“Gege said that in terms of exam results, we’ve taken turns being first, so it evens out. However, because of your impressive performance in last semester’s competitions, which brought recognition to the school, the first-place scholarship still goes to you, and I’ll get the second-place one.”

Hou Mo was surprised. Their school heavily weighted final exam results, so he hadn’t expected this decision.

Before he could speak, Sui Houyu said: “Don’t mind it. I don’t care about the money. First or second place doesn’t matter to me, as long as I beat you in the exams. Besides, the first-place scholarship winner has to give a speech at the opening ceremony, and I don’t want to do that.”

Given his competitive nature, Sui Houyu did want to win first place.

However, knowing that Hou Mo genuinely needed the scholarship and the school’s decision to consider competition points, there was no need to contest it.

What mattered was that he had put in the effort and surpassed Hou Mo in the exams.

Surpassing Hou Mo made him genuinely happy.

“I need to go pay New Year’s visits later. My sudden departure last night probably worried my grandma.” Hou Mo said, holding his bowl as he ate. He didn’t bring up the scholarship again.

“Yeah, go ahead.” Sui Houyu didn’t mind being alone.

“Will Ran Shu come to keep you company?”

“He said he caught a cold, and his voice sounds hoarse.”

“His small build, always trying to look good but never wearing thermal pants. His legs are thin enough as it is; why worry about his figure?”

Sui Houyu sighed and replied: “His dream was to become an idol, but his stutter held him back. Even now, he maintains his image at school, trying to stay in idol mode. He said that popular celebrities freeze during red carpet events.”

Hou Mo thought seriously for a moment and said: “He actually fits that mold. Big eyes, full lips—photogenic. He’s what they call a ‘high-fashion face’! Most people wouldn’t dare edit their face shape to look like his in photos. His chin could poke someone’s eye out.”

“Why do you make it sound like he’s a snake spirit?”

“He does have a small face and prominent features.”

“He’s different from a surgically altered face.”

“Right, right, Brother Ran is really handsome!” Hou Mo wanted to end the topic.

After breakfast, Hou Mo dressed and prepared to leave.

Sui Houyu stood in the doorway, holding Da Ge, and watched him leave. Just as the door was about to close, Hou Mo opened it again, came back, kissed him on the lips, and said: “I’ll be back tonight. Let’s have dinner at my place. Take care of lunch yourself.”

“Okay…” Sui Houyu watched him go.

Even after the door closed, he stood there for a while, muttering quietly: “Idiot.”

But the corners of his mouth couldn’t help but lift.

*

That evening, Sui Houyu brought Da Ge to Hou Mo’s house.

When they arrived, Hou Mo’s mother and Hou Mo were busy in the kitchen, leaving Sui Houyu alone in the living room, unsure of what to do.

During a break, Hou Mo came out and sat on the coffee table across from Sui Houyu, peeling an orange for him: “I tried to get groceries you’d like. My mom’s a great cook.”

“Okay.”

Hou Mo reached out to feed Sui Houyu the orange, but Sui snatched it and whispered: “Don’t feed me in front of Auntie. She might think I’m bullying you.”

“She already knows!”

“How does she know?”

“I told her the day I started pursuing you.”

Sui Houyu’s eyes widened in surprise. Wouldn’t parents usually find that difficult to accept?

Hou Mo had actually told his family right from the start?

Hou Mo couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of him and said: “My mom really likes you, and she trusts my judgment. Don’t worry, it’s fine.”

“It’s not… so…” Does this mean he just met the parents?

“Don’t be nervous, you haven’t agreed to be with me yet, so you don’t count as my boyfriend.”

“But I…” Sui Houyu couldn’t help feeling anxious.

Because he liked Hou Mo.

Even though they would definitely be together in the future, meeting Hou Mo’s mother made him nervous.

Even though he usually had an excess of confidence, when it came to meeting a friend’s parents, he completely lacked it. And this was the mother of his future boyfriend.

When the three of them sat together for a meal, it was quite harmonious.

Sui Houyu was well-mannered while eating, trying not to let Hou Mo’s mom notice that he was picky.

Hou Mo’s mom was always gentle, and she said nothing about their relationship. She only asked Sui Houyu a few questions about his taste preferences so she could know how to improve meals in the future.

As they were getting ready to head back to the guesthouse, Hou Mo’s mom unexpectedly handed him a red envelope, saying: “It’s your first time celebrating the New Year at our home, take this. When our financial situation improves in a couple of years, I’ll make up for it. Don’t feel embarrassed.”

Sui Houyu hadn’t even thought about receiving a red envelope and hurriedly declined: “That’s not necessary! I’ve already enjoyed a meal here.”

“You still have to take it; it’s tradition.” Hou Mo’s mom insisted. Hou Mo also helped by taking it and pulling him away.

After a moment of hesitation, he said: “Thank you, Auntie.”

Back at the guesthouse, he looked inside the red envelope and found 2,000 yuan, which he didn’t consider much.

Earlier that day, his father had transferred him 500,000 yuan as both New Year’s money and living expenses, telling him to ask for more if needed but not to come over during the holiday since his stepmother’s family was visiting.

His stepmother’s family particularly disliked Sui Houyu. Ever since they had a younger son, they worried that Sui Houyu might go crazy and hurt the child.

Receiving a 2,000-yuan red envelope from Hou Mo’s family, especially since he and Hou Mo weren’t officially dating, showed their sincerity.

But taking that red envelope made him feel a pang of sadness.

Hou Mo, meanwhile, was wandering around the room when he suddenly said: “Brother Yu, can I borrow that app of yours?”

“Yeah, just open it, and it’ll be logged in.” he replied, then suddenly chuckled, “What, getting anxious now?”

“Yes, I can’t keep letting you beat me. It’s my determination to be your husband.”

“Husband?” He sneered.

“Of course, unless you’d prefer I just enjoy five minutes of happiness?”

He was rendered speechless, his fingers tapping the desk irritably, but Hou Mo was too engrossed in his video to hear.

While watching an instructional video, Hou Mo asked: “Brother Yu, what’s your plan for the Spring Festival?”

“I might go to the training school.”

“Even during the holiday?”

“Yeah, there’s a teacher who’s only available during the New Year. He teaches just a few classes each year, and the rest of the time, he’s in other cities. The tutoring center only holds a few classes temporarily, and most students can’t book him.”

Hou Mo was surprised and asked: “Is he that in demand?”

“Yes, have you heard of Du Jingzhi?” Sui Houyu mentioned his teacher’s name.

“No, I know Wang Xizhi, or athletes and the like.”

“He’s very famous now. His illustrations for casual writings start at five figures, and he can finish one in two hours. But even so, many people can’t book him.”

Hou Mo sighed: “Why did I learn tennis? I should have studied art.”

He worked tirelessly, training and competing in all kinds of weather, but he didn’t make as much as people in art did in a month!

“You…” Sui Houyu laughed and shook his head, “No talent.”

“Aren’t there a few abstract art masters?”

“Yeah, but if you want to become an abstract master, you’d need a story-filled death to elevate your artistic achievements. Don’t expect success while alive.”

Hou Mo fell silent, continuing to watch the video, saying nothing for a long time.

Da Ge circled them a few times before stopping behind Hou Mo, flicking its tail deliberately on Hou Mo’s back with each pass.

It was definitely on purpose.

With this feline “grandfather,” Hou Mo dared not get angry.

Sui Houyu leaned over, patted Da Ge’s head, and mouthed to it: “Don’t bully him, I like him.”

Hou Mo, facing away from Sui Houyu, didn’t see this.

After a while, Hou Mo couldn’t help but ask again: “Do you have any other classes?”

“I haven’t gone in a while, but I’ll schedule a few dance classes and sword training.”

“You can use a sword?!” Hou Mo was stunned.

“Yes, Tai Chi sword, and I also do fencing.” Sui Houyu replied calmly, as if mentioning it casually.

After hearing this, Hou Mo took out his phone, found Ouyang Ge’s WeChat, and quickly typed a message:

Financial Blessings: “Gege, is it still possible to start learning sanda with you now? Does your training include catching blades barehanded?”

Gege: “Yes, we can even catch missiles barehanded, but it’s a one-time deal. After the missile is caught, both it and you are gone.”

Financial Blessings: “True, no matter how skilled Brother Yu is, he can only kill me once in his lifetime.”

Gege: [Contact card]

Gege: “Here’s the coach of our school’s track team. You can add him if you want to run fast when you can’t win.”

Financial Blessings: “Thank you. Wishing you wealth in the New Year.”

Gege: Same world, same dream. Let’s work hard together.