HCILH Ch. 111

Chapter 111: Buying a Car

Yang Xiangyu was so enraged by Hou Mo’s seemingly polite words that her whole body trembled. She had to grip her knees to maintain her composure.

As Sui Houyu had mentioned before, Yang Xiangyu was irritable and short-tempered, prone to exploding over the slightest issue.

In the workplace, she was known for being decisive and swift in action. However, living with such a fiery-tempered person day and night was a form of torment.

She had a degree of contempt and dislike for Hou Mo, so her tone was even more scathing: “How dare you speak to me like that?”

“Is there anything you’ve done that warrants respect? I’m being polite only because you’re older and the mother of my boyfriend.” Hou Mo continued to smile, though his eyes were devoid of warmth.

Smiling was part of his cultivated demeanor.

Yang Xiangyu was furious, her face contorted with rage as she shouted at Hou Mo, calling him ill-mannered and a disgusting homosexual without any courtesy.

“You brat! Do you think you’re important? Is that how you talk? I don’t deserve respect? Do you even know how much I earn in a year? How many people never achieve what I have in a lifetime, and you dare say I don’t deserve respect? Who do you think you are? You’re just living off your family! You’re nothing to me!”

She then turned to scold Sui Houyu: “Do you have any conscience, Sui Houyu?! Huh? Do you know how much your illness has burdened me? You still cause trouble! Fighting all the time! Now you’re involved in this gay nonsense! You think it’s trendy and cool? Do you think it’s fun? You’ll catch all sorts of diseases—mental illness, AIDS, and other STDs! Why does the world even have people like you? So filthy!”

Hou Mo just watched her, picturing how Sui Houyu must have endured life with such a mother over the years.

He reached out, grasping Sui Houyu’s hand and slowly prying open his clenched fist, slipping his fingers into his palm to soothe him and calm his aggression.

When Yang Xiangyu had finally worn herself out from yelling, Hou Mo pushed the glass of water toward her again and asked: “Can I speak now?”

Yang Xiangyu gritted her teeth and sneered: “What do you want to say?”

“Manic disorder is not a mental illness, nor is it voluntary. Whether inherited or developed later, his disorder was caused by you and his father. Not only do you lack guilt, but you think of him as a burden. I haven’t seen him blame you for causing his condition, yet you resent him. Why?”

Hou Mo’s words were firm and precise, and his tone remained calm and collected, unaffected by Yang Xiangyu’s earlier tirade.

Yang Xiangyu was momentarily speechless.

Hou Mo continued: “After you remarried, I don’t know what that uncle of yours said to brainwash you into distrusting your own son. Do you even know what kind of person he is? When you saw him with me, did you feel relieved, thinking he was lying? Unfortunately, he wasn’t. You’ve met someone who marries for deceit, whether gay or bisexual. What you should be doing now is not venting your anger at your son but being cautious and protecting your assets. After all, many people can’t earn what you have in a lifetime.”

“Are you trying to distract me with stories so I don’t interfere with you two?” Yang Xiangyu retorted.

“You’ve already started to doubt, haven’t you? Why deny it so strongly? Is it because you don’t want to admit you’ve had two failed marriages or that you don’t want to admit your own failures?”

“Failure?!” Yang Xiangyu pointed to herself, eyes wide in disbelief.

“Yes, failure. You’re an unqualified mother with no real familial love or a meaningful romantic relationship. Perhaps your career is successful, but… I’m seventeen, and between competition winnings and scholarships, I earn over 200,000 a year. What were you at seventeen? Nothing to brag about. Oh, I apologize for my harsh words; I’m setting a poor example. I’ll make sure not to let my temper affect his standards.”

The veiled barbs and faux apologies implied that Yang Xiangyu’s own cruel words made her a negative role model.

Infuriated, Yang Xiangyu picked up an ashtray to throw at Hou Mo, but he caught her wrist.

He took the ashtray from her and said: “One disagreement, and you resort to violence. You really are like him. But he’s luckier—he found someone who truly cares about him.”

“What, are you going to tell me how great your love is now?” 

Hou Mo responded sincerely: “Yes. We needed more psychological preparation than most people. The diseases you mentioned come from promiscuity, but we are committed to each other, so there won’t be any problems. However, you reminded me—you should get checked at the hospital. I’m not sure how faithful that uncle has been.”

“He’s not like that!” Yang Xiangyu shouted.

“Hire a private investigator to check, for peace of mind. If you do find evidence, you can take precautions early. If not, it doesn’t matter; just ensure you’re careful with your own safety.”

Yang Xiangyu was so angry that she was on the verge of tears. Discussing personal matters with her son’s boyfriend left her head buzzing. Speechless with rage, she glared at Sui Houyu.

Sui Houyu, drinking water, noticed her stare and asked: “Are we done?”

“What do you mean by that?” Yang Xiangyu asked.

“I don’t really want to talk to you, so if you’re done, I’ll leave.” Sui Houyu said, tugging at Hou Mo’s shirt. “Let’s go.”

“Sui Houyu!” she shouted again.

“Let me go. You’ll be free too. I won’t burden you anymore, okay?” Sui Houyu’s voice even carried a pleading tone.

His desire to separate himself from her had long been evident, and each time he said something like this, it caused her heart to ache sharply.

Yet, when they met, she couldn’t control her temper.

Watching them leave, the door closed with a thud, making her body tremble.

After a long pause, she covered her face and started crying, breaking down more and more.

*

Sui Houyu sat in the locker room, staring blankly at the fluorescent light, his expression vacant and unreadable.

Hou Mo stood beside him, poking his cheek with a finger: “Don’t frown, be good. Don’t be mad.”

He gently turned Sui Houyu’s head away from the light—it was bad for the eyes if stared at too long.

Looking up at Hou Mo, Sui Houyu asked: “Do you think she’s terrifying too?”

“Living with a mother like that must be suffocating, right?”

“Yeah. After she scolded me so much, I’d often stand on the balcony, looking down and thinking it’d be easier if I just ended it. I wouldn’t be a burden, and I’d be free.”

Hearing this, Hou Mo panicked, quickly grabbing his hand to reassure him: “That’s crazy. Don’t ever think that way. You’ve done nothing wrong.”

“Yeah… I managed to hang on. I think I’m strong now. But seeing her again, I still feel suffocated. How do I describe it…”

He let out a deep breath as if trying to expel all the darkness and toxic feelings along with it.

He continued: “Seeing her, my head feels like it’s swelling, even ringing. Just being near her makes me hear her yelling at me. Her control is like a thick cocoon. She doesn’t just want to tear off my wings—she wants to cut off all my limbs and bind me inside so I can only look at her and obey.”

Hou Mo reached out and held Sui Houyu tightly: “It’s okay. I’m here for you. I’ll always be with you. Whatever happens, we’ll face it together.”

“Okay.” Sui Houyu rested his chin on Hou Mo’s shoulder, his voice soft and tinged with vulnerability.

“Alright, back to the topic.”

“Yeah.”

“What do you want to eat?”

Sui Houyu finally cracked a smile, pushed Hou Mo away, and thought for a moment: “Braised chicken and rice.”

“I can make it for you. Shall we go home now?”

“Forget it, let’s have it for dinner. We can grab something simple for lunch. I still have a class this afternoon, and I want to shop for something later.”

“Sure. I need to pick up some clothes, too.”

“Alright.”

Hou Mo went shopping with Sui Houyu for the first time, and throughout the trip, they didn’t hold hands, only walking side by side.

Even so, the sight of two tall, handsome young men walking together drew attention, with many passersby taking a second look at them.

On this day, Hou Mo bought three shirts and a pair of pants.

It was quite a feat to find suitable pants that fit him; due to his long legs, pants that fit in length often had overly loose waistbands. Finding a pair that fit was rare.

Sui Houyu, on the other hand, bought a car.

Yes… a car.

When Hou Mo saw Sui Houyu heading toward a car dealership, he instinctively reached out to stop him: “Brother Yu, you don’t even have a driver’s license. What are you doing here?”

“Can’t I buy one without a license?”

“Are you planning to get a driver’s license?” Hou Mo’s heart was racing. In theory, Sui Houyu would turn 18 in just over a month and could take the driving test, but Sui Houyu driving? That was a worrisome thought.

Sui Houyu looked at him and asked: “Why wouldn’t I be able to?”

“If you actually drive on the road, won’t it be chaos? Can you handle seeing cars in front of you without chasing them down? And if someone overtakes you, won’t you race them? Brother Yu, don’t even think about it. If you really need a driver, I’ll learn to drive for you. I’ll be your personal chauffeur, always on call.”

“Can your mom drive?” Sui Houyu asked offhandedly.

“My mom? Yeah, she can.”

“Then I’ll buy it for her to use.”

“Wait, you’re not planning to buy a car for my mom, are you?”

“She probably wouldn’t accept it if I gave it to her, so you could just tell her that I don’t use it while I’m at school, so it’s sitting idle. It’d be better for her to use it than to ride an electric bike in the winter. Plus, having a car makes grocery shopping more convenient—no more lugging bags back home, and the distance is quite far.”

Hou Mo was stunned as he watched Sui Houyu enter the dealership. He hurried after him, exclaiming: “Brother Yu, are you serious? This is too much!”

“What’s the problem? I can’t buy a car in advance?”

“If you’re thinking of buying a gift, you could go with a scarf or a pair of earrings. A car, though?!”

“Then I’ll add a scarf and a pair of earrings.”

“…” Hou Mo could only stay silent.

After hesitating for a moment, Sui Houyu asked: “Should I get a Beetle or a MINI? I’m not too familiar with cars that suit women.”

“Leave yourself some flexibility and get a car you could drive too. Otherwise, it really will become my mom’s car.”

“Exactly. That way, if she tries to return it, I can just say I don’t like it anymore and give it to her.”

“Don’t. That’s too obvious.”

“Alright then.”

When Sui Houyu swiped his card to pay, Hou Mo regretted it so much he wanted to knock his head against the wall.

The cars they initially discussed were reasonably priced, but Sui Houyu ended up buying an Audi A5 convertible, which cost nearly double.

While eating the complimentary lunch provided at the dealership, Hou Mo couldn’t help but ask: “You just cut ties with your mom. She might stop your allowance. Can you afford to spend like this?”

“It’s fine.”

After some thought, Hou Mo spoke seriously: “Forget it. Your habit of spending lavishly won’t change overnight. If you run out of money, ask me. I still have some saved up. Don’t worry in the future; I can take care of you.”

Sui Houyu took out his phone and sent a voice message to his father: “I went to a tutoring class today. Has her family left?”

After a short pause, Sui Lin replied, “They haven’t left yet. Don’t come back for now.”

Sui Houyu replied: “Then I’ll stay at a hotel.”

“Do you have enough money?”

“Yes, Mom gave me 800,000 yuan for the New Year.”

While eating, Hou Mo glanced over at Sui Houyu. Moments later, Sui Lin’s angry voice message came through: “Oh, she’s so capable, huh? Always showing off how much she earns? I’ll transfer you another 500,000 in a moment. When your birthday comes around, I’ll get you an apartment. You shouldn’t have to live with her. What a mess!”

Sui Houyu didn’t react at first, but soon received three text notifications in succession.

Sui Lin’s transfer limit was maxed out, so he sent the money from three different cards.

Pointing at his phone, Sui Houyu said to Hou Mo: “Don’t worry. I have another dad.”

Important notes from the author: 

Brother Yu’s other dad is a straight man, a scoundrel, somewhat foolish, rich, and with a strong competitive streak.

This father figure raised Brother Yu with a laissez-faire approach and wasn’t particularly kind to him. However, thanks to Hou Mo’s father… he’s extremely kind to Hou Mo.