Liu Zhenqing expressed his disdain: “No matter how beautiful the night is, how can you help me?”

“Don’t forget that when I pursue a person, I catch them easily.” Song Xingmu raised his head proudly.

Liu Zhenqing remained stubborn, saying: “Why should I pursue someone? I just want him to hurry up and face the facts. I’ve begun to wonder if he only loves the Liu Zhenqing of the past.”

“Why do you care so much? Just be happy while you have the chance, it’s too late to change anything now. There’s no use in using drugs on you, but it’s fine to give them to him and make him unable to control himself.” Song Xingmu said this with a wicked smile.

Liu Zhenqing’s heart palpitated at just the thought, ah, because he was impatient with Huo Fenglie’s restraint.

But he still said decently: “Am I this kind of person?”

Song Xingmu said: “The brave will sate their hunger and the timid will starve. Look over there.”

Liu Zhenqing looked over and saw that at some point, He Lan had placed a hand on Qin Yu’s shoulder. With an extremely enthusiastic attitude, he tried to get Qin Yu to drink wine. This evil intention could be clearly seen across the table.

What surprised Liu Zhenqing was that Qin Yu was very cooperative this time and didn’t kick that person away. Could it be that their relationship had truly made great progress? Or was he already drunk? But the wine He Lan had found really had a lot of stamina.

“Men, ah, as long as they have sex, anything can be figured out. You should have sex first, then fall in love.” Song Xingmu said boldly: “And if there are any problems again, just do it a few more times. Once the body is exhausted, the heart will be happy.”

Hearing these words, even Liu Zhenqing felt a little uncomfortable. This person really deserved to be the Sea King.

Liu Zhenqing poked fun at him, saying: “Are you planning to use this trick on Yi Chuan, ah? He has been by your side for many years, but you’ve never made a move. I thought you kept him at your side because of your attraction to him.”

“It’s because I didn’t think his talent should be wasted, okay?” Song Xingmu was quick to speak resolutely. 

Liu Zhenqing squinted at him.

Song Xingmu felt that he couldn’t hide anything from this brother who knew everything. “Fine, I fell in love with him at first sight. It is no exaggeration to say that my feelings for him are getting deeper and deeper, but he is a person who hates men to the extreme. You also know the reason for that. There is really nothing to be done in such a situation. I can’t force him to think of such a sad thing. So I just can’t pursue him, that’s all. It’s not bad to be together like this for the rest of our lives.”

Liu Zhenqing gave a small sigh. It was unknown if choosing someone unattainable could be considered the Sea King’s retribution. After all, what happened to Yi Chuan’s brother had once dealt a heavy blow to him. This kind of psychological problem was difficult to deal with, and Song Xingmu could only hold back in order to avoid hurting him. As a result, so many years had been wasted.

“Then what if he wants to get married and have children in the future?” Liu Zhenqing asked curiously. After all, Yi Chuan was younger than Song Xingmu.

Song Xingmu stared blankly and said: “Then I will probably find a way to snatch away his fiance and not give him a chance to marry. Just with my face and my ability to coax girls, it would be easy to win against a youngster like him.”

Liu Zhenqing opened his mouth wide in astonishment, but Song Xingmu smiled and said: “I’m just kidding. Naturally, I would send gifts and blessings.”

According to Liu Zhenqing’s understanding of this brother, it hadn’t felt like a joke at all. He even thought that this kind of thing might have happened before, and that anyone who fell in love with Yi Chuan would be lured away by Song Xingmu before he turned around. He was so petty. How could he allow the person he liked to become someone else’s?

While the two of them talked, they were unaware that Yi Chuan was crouched at the foot of the outer wall of the courtyard with a heated bottle of wine. His head was buried in his arms, completely concealing his expression.

When Yi Chuan returned with the wine, Song Xingmu’s conversation topic had evolved to a restricted level.

“Be honest, do you know what goes on between men? It’s not just touching like last time.”

“Nonsense, of course I know.” Liu Zhenqing had drunk a little too much alcohol and was unwilling to be looked down upon.

Song Xingmu instructed: “No matter how you look at it, you are the one who will be the recipient. So you’ll have to be prepared, otherwise you will suffer a lot when the time comes. Just looking at Huo Fenglie’s physique…..”

Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by a bang.

Song Xingmu looked up and saw that a dark-faced Yi Chuan had put the bottle down. Song Xingmu promptly waved his hands and said: “You sit aside and drink. Don’t listen, kid.”

Yi Chuan really didn’t want to listen to this kind of thing, so he might as well sit farther away. But when he thought of what Song Xingmu had said before, he couldn’t help but prick up his ears.

In fact, ever since he completed his studies and descended the mountain to follow Song Xingmu, although Song Xingmu behaved wildly, he really never really did anything with others. So even though it was known that Song Xingmu liked men, it was still not clear whether he was the giver or receiver in a relationship between men.

Yi Chuan glanced at Song Xingmu. After so many years, he felt that the other man could still pass for a man or a woman, so he should be the receiver.

In fact, Yi Chuan often thought that if Song Xingmu was actually a woman, he would have already established a successful career and married him. After all, he was the one who fell in love with Song Xingmu at first sight when he was dressed as a woman.

Over there, Song Xingmu drank too much, talked too much, and continued to disseminate common sense to his good brother.

When he heard that Liu Zhenqing really hadn’t seen Huo Fenglie’s size, the drunk Song Xingmu said that he would take him to go and have a look. So without saying a word, he grabbed Liu Zhenqing’s collar and flew away with him.

Seeing that Song Xingmu was clearly drunk, Yi Chuan was afraid that he would mess with his hand, so he followed after him quickly.

The remaining two people returned to their senses when they saw such commotion.

“What are they doing?” Qin Yu asked.

“They drank too much, so they’re going to use the latrine. Don’t worry about it, let’s keep drinking,” He Lan said enthusiastically.

Qin Yu pushed away his offer to drink: “I won’t.”

After saying this, he stood and went to leave, but he didn’t even take two steps when he began to stumble. He Lan stepped forward and held him: “I told you that your drinking capacity is not as good as mine. Come on, I’ll take you back.” As he spoke, his hands touched Qin Yu’s slender waist from time to time.

Qin Yu gave him a sideways glance, but didn’t stop him, allowing He Lan to carry him back to the room.

He Lan spoke with a smile: “Right, Zhanyuan and the others will be leaving in two days. We might as well go with them. In any case, someone from the capital will naturally handle the rest. We’ve worked so hard all the way, so we should have a good rest.”

“You’re probably afraid to return to the capital,” Qin Yu said in a heavy voice.

He Lan said in an exaggerated manner: “Yes, ah, I’m so afraid. Afraid that I’ll be enslaved when I go back, and I want a vacation, a vacation! So, ah, Qin Zichuan, you can’t go back either. If you go back, you will expose me.”

Qin Yu said nothing. In fact, they both knew that when they returned to the capital, they would no longer be just Qin Yu and He Lan. And they were Dongchang and Jinyiwei. Even if both of those looked good on the outside, nobody knew what they were like on the inside.

He Lan put him on the bed and deliberately didn’t get up, deliberately keeping that position for a while. Then he raised his head with a smile: “What should be done? I seem to be drunk too. I can’t stand up, and I can’t go back. How about you let me sleep here?”

He Lan gave a shameless smile, and Qin Yu looked at him expressionlessly.

He Lan raised an eyebrow, and ambiguity gradually gleamed in his eyes. “Zichuan, do you want to…..”

Suddenly, Qin Yu flipped over and reversed their positions.

He Lan was startled. Thinking that Qin Yu couldn’t resist exploiting an opportunity, he raised his hand to cover his face.

But in the next second, gentle lips descended.

This was the first time Qin Yu had taken the initiative to kiss him. He Lan was very confused for a moment, but when he reacted, he was like an eagle catching prey, never letting go.

But this night, Qin Yu’s behavior was different. The previous times happened due to drugs, and Qin Yu was almost always passive. But this time, without the drugs, Qin Yu’s initiative almost made He Lan want to stay in bed with this person until death.

Looking back afterwards, perhaps it was because Qin Yu thought it would be their last time. Only then could he give up all dignity and only seek satisfaction without leaving behind any regrets.

And that night, that fair, delicate body took control of the situation in bed for almost half the time, yet was still weak and boneless. The image could never be erased from He Lan’s mind.

On the other side, Liu Zhenqing was slightly rejuvenated by the cool breeze on the roof. When he was able to react, he saw Song Xingmu point to the roof tiles and say: “Go down and have a closer look, ah.”

Liu Zhenqing: ……

Before Liu Zhenqing could do anything, Huo Fenglie’s voice came from below. He had great martial arts skills, and could certainly sense it when there were people standing on the roof.

But he couldn’t leave the medicinal bath, so he could only give a warning.

“Who is it?”

As soon as he heard the voice, Song Xingmu looked troubled and said quickly: “Hurry up.”

Liu Zhenqing was still confused when he saw Song Xingmu use his good hand to lift up the tiles and open a skylight in the room. Then he was grabbed, and Liu Zhenqing felt the belt of his robes being ripped off as he was thrown down from the skylight.

Yi Chuan to the side watched everything, dumbfounded. In the blink of an eye, he was dragged away by Song Xingmu. It seemed that he was playing a prank, and he really was drunk.

A cry stunned Huo Fenglie, who was preparing to take action. He instantly knew who was falling, and could only use his internal strength to slow him a bit. Then he heard a splash as Liu Zhenqing completed his previously unfinished goal of bathing together and fell directly into Huo Fenglie’s medicinal bath.

Water splashed everywhere. Liu Zhenqing felt Huo Fenglie reach out to support him, but water had splashed into his eyes and he could only open one of them.

But the moment he opened his eye, Liu Zhenqing seemed to see that a leaf had fallen on Huo Fenglie’s shoulder.

His vision was blurry and he couldn’t see clearly. When he was about to open his eyes and take a closer look, Huo Fenglie suddenly pushed Liu Zhenqing into the water as if startled and slightly frightened. He didn’t give him a chance to see it again.

But at this time, Liu Zhenqing could see everything under the water from a different angle.

Cross-legged, Huo Fenglie sat in the bath with nothing covering him. After Liu Zhenqing was pushed down by Huo Fenglie, he almost had a face-to-face encounter with a certain thing.

This moment of stimulation caused Liu Zhenqing to choke on water.

Huo Fenglie also reacted quickly and fished this person out, pulling the back of Liu Zhenqing’s head with one hand and covering his eyes with the other.

Liu Zhenqing coughed for a while before stopping, but his head was still buzzing. Everything had happened so fast just now. He didn’t even know what was going on, but he had achieved his purpose in coming here tonight. He really saw it.

Although he had vaguely seen it through clothing and had touched it casually, he had never really observed it.

Liu Zhenqing didn’t even care about Huo Fenglie covering his eyes, and muttered to himself: “So…..so big.”

It simply made a man feel inferior after seeing it. Right now it was sleeping, but when it woke up, Liu Zhenqing would truly worry about his future, ah!

And Huo Fenglie was also nervous, because at this moment, the tattoo on his body was completely visible. He was afraid that Liu Zhenqing would see it just now, so he had pushed his head down in a hurry. After he came to his senses, he could only cover Liu Zhenqing’s eyes.

As a result, he was caught off guard when he heard such a sentence. It took him a moment to realize what Liu Zhenqing was talking about, and his face instantly turned red with embarrassment.

“Qing…..Qing-ge? What are you doing here?”

Liu Zhenqing quickly shirked the blame and said: “I had nothing to do with it. Song Xingmu got drunk and acted crazy.”

Huo Fenglie looked at the disheveled Liu Zhenqing before him. His undershirt completely outlined the curves of his body due to being soaked, and his black hair was stuck to his crystal-clear skin. He exuded an aroma of wine that made a person dizzy.

Feeling that he could no longer stay like this, Huo Fenglie said: “Let’s get out…..”

“Wait, you haven’t spent enough time in here yet.”

“Then…..you get out.”

Liu Zhenqing was about to acquiesce, but then realized that his eyes had been covered. Speechless, he tried to push Huo Fenglie’s hand away: “What are you doing, ah?”

Huo Fenglie remained silent and didn’t respond, nor did he remove his hand. With one hand on the other’s head and the second covering his eyes, he guarded against Liu Zhenqing, fearing that he might suddenly see something.

“I just saw it in the water, there’s no need to be shy. You should be proud.” Liu Zhenqing spoke with a smile, wondering if there was a reaction. So he was embarrassed to let him see it. Hehehe, then he certainly had to take a look.

Huo Fenglie became a bit hotter when he was told this. “Qing-ge…..please move to the back of the tub.”

“Okay, ah. Move your hand, I’ll close my eyes. I promise not to look,” Liu Zhenqing said.

Probably because Liu Zhenqing spoke so airily, Huo Fenglie fell silent.

Liu Zhenqing continued to coax, “Qing-ge swears that he will never look. Whoever opens his eyes is a dog.”

Huo Fenglie still didn’t move. Yes, ah, who was the dog in this trick? Every time, Qing-ge was the one who woofed, showing no credibility at all.

But Huo Fenglie was at his wit’s end. He really wanted to cover himself with a bath towel, but then he would have to let go. According to his understanding of Liu Zhenqing, he would certainly take this opportunity to cause trouble.

However, Liu Zhenqing was currently restless. Knowing that Huo Fenglie would not let go, he began to reach out and feel around.

From Huo Fenglie’s face, to his chest, and then farther down. It was obvious that he was trying to intimidate Huo Fenglie.

Huo Fenglie’s body tensed: “Qing-ge!”

“What are you doing? You can block me. Otherwise I’ll continue to touch the beauty blindfolded.” Liu Zhenqing gave an evil smile and used his trump card, stretching out his hand toward a certain place.

Startled, Huo Fenglie suddenly pulled Liu Zhenqing into his arms, hugging him tightly. Or rather, capturing him. This forced Liu Zhenqing’s arms to go over Huo Fenglie’s shoulders and rest outside the tub. Due to being held tightly, Liu Zhenqing’s hands naturally couldn’t mess with Huo Fenglie’s body.

Liu Zhenqing tried to turn his head and look, but Huo Fenglie held his head down with one hand. This way, even without blindfolding him, Liu Zhenqing couldn’t see any of what was on Huo Fenglie. Now Liu Zhenqing was no threat to Huo Fenglie at all, and could only smack him on the head angrily.

Huo Fenglie had just breathed a sigh of relief when he felt the person in his arms move.

His face suddenly tensed. Because this action basically made Liu Zhenqing sit on Huo Fenglie in the most intimate position.

And the place where…..

Liu Zhenqing chuckled in his ear, stirring up waves of heat and embarrassment and making him too ashamed to show his face. Did Qing-ge feel it?

At this time, Liu Zhenqing was also a little slow to react, and Huo Fenglie was able to pull himself up to sit. This was not what he had wanted to cover up before, but the tattoo.

The tattoo was revealed after being exposed to hot water for a time, so Huo Fenglie took his medicinal baths alone.

Liu Zhenqing asked directly: “You don’t want me to see the tattoo? What is the secret, ah?”

“There isn’t one!” Huo Fenglie said quickly.

Liu Zhenqing discovered that this was really a taboo for Huo Fenglie. He didn’t need to dig up the other person’s little secrets to prove his own importance, but he still cared a little bit inside.

“You really can’t show it to me?” Liu Zhenqing lay leisurely in Huo Fenglie’s arms as he said this almost coquettishly.

Huo Fenglie was silent for a moment. “I can’t.”

Such a straightforward statement. What else could Liu Zhenqing say? Everyone had little secrets, and he also had a secret that he dared not tell Huo Fenglie, ah.

So Liu Zhenqing no longer pushed. “Okay, I won’t look at it. However…..”

Liu Zhenqing abruptly turned his head. His lips nearly touched Huo Fenglie’s earlobe like a kiss, and he instantly turned red.

“I really drank too much, and now I’m being tormented like this by you.” Liu Zhenqing twisted like a willow in the water, letting Huo Fenglie feel the changes in his body. “You know we’re both men, Fenglie. Help me like you did before.”

Huo Fenglie was shocked, and said almost dumbly: “Qing-ge, like this…..it isn’t good.”

“You dislike it?”

“N…..no.”

“Then help me. Hurry up.”

---

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Chapter Ninety-Seven << Table of Contents >> Chapter Ninety-Nine

“Why did you say we are just good friends?”

Pei Xi’s unhappy mood did not improve from the moment they left the shopping mall to getting into the car. The corners of his mouth were practically a flat line: “We are clearly married.”

“Can good friends hold hands? Can they kiss? Can they sleep—”

“It was just a more fun way of saying it.”

He Chuzhou hastily interrupted the dirty words that were about to come out of Pei Xi’s mouth and summoned up the courage to explain: “And those clerks actually noticed our relationship.”

Pei Xi was suspicious: “Really?”

He Chuzhou affirmed: “Really.”

Pei Xi: “How could they tell?”

“We’re a well-matched couple, ah.” He Chuzhou’s expression didn’t change: “People who have lived together a long time will gradually grow closer in appearance. Don’t you think we are quite similar?”

Pei Xi stared at his face and examined it.

“……”

Forget it, this question was more subjective. He chose not to answer, and expressed his doubts again: “Then how is it fun to call ourselves good friends?”

He Chuzhou: “It’s just like how many people like to call their significant other their roommate. You can think of it as a sort of teasing fun.”

He was really more and more impressed with himself.

Ever since Pei-calico arrived, his ability to bullshit had been improving at the speed of light.

Considering the authenticity of his words, Pei Xi abruptly thought of something and his displeasure turned into curiosity: “So some girls also call their boyfriends ‘brother-in-law’?”

He Chuzhou: “? ? ?”

He suddenly felt as if his own family’s child had been corrupted by the dirty information in this world: “Where did you hear that?”

“When I came to find you this morning.”

Pei Xi said: “I saw a couple come out of a house. The woman called the man ‘brother-in-law’ and asked him if her sister would be angry that he bought her a bag.”

He Chuzhou: “……”

Pei Xi: “So the ‘sister’ in this sentence is also fictional, and to add fun?”

He Chuzhou: “………”

When faced with Pei Xi’s eyes, which were so rigorous that he seemed to be verifying the entire history of human civilization, although He Chuzhou was in a very complicated mood, he could only submit himself to the hole he had dug: “Right, that’s it.”

Pei Xi nodded slowly. He accepted this explanation and did not ask further questions on the topic.

But He Chuzhou looked at his thoughtful expression and felt uneasy, like something wasn’t right.

There was still work to be done in the afternoon. Based on the experience last time, He Chuzhou took him directly to his office.

When work was over, He Chuzhou followed Pei Xi’s wishes to not eat out for dinner and instead went to the nearest supermarket to buy ingredients to cook at home themselves.

Of course, “themselves” referred specifically to He Chuzhou.

Pei Xi didn’t seem to have an understanding of He Chuzhou’s true level of cooking skills, and was still thinking about making a sumptuous dinner to make up for the meal earlier.

But He Chuzhou’s understanding was already very clear.

So after arriving at home, he decisively took over the responsibility of cooking and refused to let Pei Xi touch a single knife, dish, pot, or bowl in the kitchen.

And he named it euphemistically: An inspection of the results of his teaching.

Pei Xi was very worried about him: “Are you able to do it? Can you recognize sugar and salt? Can you tell the difference between shallots and garlic sprouts?”

“Naturally.” He Chuzhou tied an apron on himself. “I’m your proud disciple, Pei-laoshi. Have more confidence in yourself.”

When he was alone in a foreign country, the people there rarely had hot, freshly-cooked food, and it was so unpalatable that it could ruin a person’s taste buds. He had developed his cooking skills at that time.

He prepared the raw materials, skillfully blanched them in a pot, washed and chopped the vegetables, and handled the complex cooking process with ease.

Pei Xi stood to the side and watched for a while. The initial worry in his eyes gradually faded, and they quietly became dim and lost.

“Chuzhou, you’re so skillful.”

He spoke in a whisper, the volume so low that it was more like he was talking to himself: “You learned so well and so quickly, and you’re even better than me.”

Fortunately, the two of them were very close, and He Chuzhou heard every word he said. Thinking once again of the other’s chaotic cooking skills, he was amused, but responded modestly: “No, no, it is Laoshi who taught me well.”

When he said this, the person next to him went quiet and didn’t say anything for a long while.

He Chuzhou couldn’t get used to it, and turned to look at him, only to realize that Pei Xi was in a low mood.

The few days they had spent together was enough for him to glean a bit of information.

For example, that Pei Xi preferred light colors, he didn’t like to eat fish, and…..and that Pei Xi in pet mode was as fragile as a snail that had lost its shell. He needed to be coaxed, accompanied, cared for, and comforted. He needed someone to hold him with one hand and cover his eyes with the other, creating a new shell for him to protect him from the wind and rain.

So he slowed down and spoke softly, his smile never fading: “Xiao Pei-laoshi, why are you unhappy?”

Pei Xi glanced at him, then lowered his head and continued to stare at the steaming pot: “Why did you want to learn to cook, and why are you so good at it?”

He Chuzhou: “Isn’t it a good thing that I’ve learned?”

“It’s not good.”

Pei Xi spoke, and after a couple of seconds’ pause, he whispered again: “It’s not good.”

How could it be good?

“Now that you’ve learned, you don’t need me anymore.”

The sweet and sour pork ribs were almost ready, and the aroma suffused the kitchen. Pei Xi sniffed it attentively and felt that it was much better than he was capable of.

He could do it himself.

Of course Pei Xi was no longer needed.

His thoughts drifted away with the steam and he lost his center of gravity, swaying as he fell into confusion……

Then the top of his head was stroked, neither lightly nor forceful.

He returned to his senses and raised his head just in time to watch He Chuzhou straighten up. The scattered hair over Pei Xi’s forehead was a little messy after being ruffled.

“My hands aren’t free, so I can only do this.”

He Chuzhou’s voice was helpless, his expression particularly lazy and relaxed when he looked down. 

His eyes were deep and level, with no trace of gloom inside them.

“Don’t think up nonsense. It’s unnecessary.”

“Think about how difficult it is to cook. Since I’ve learned how, you can be liberated from it.”

“Besides, I studied well just so that I could take better care of you, didn’t I?”

Pei Xi was taken aback by his unhurried tone. It was like some desolate place was being carefully filled, and his eyelashes trembled. He didn’t speak again for a long time.

The pork rib sauce was almost ready. He Chuzhou estimated the time, opened the lid, brought over the plate, and got to work.

When he took the last spoonful, there was suddenly a tight grip on his waist, along with a warmth on his back that didn’t belong to him. 

Pei Xi hugged him from behind and buried his head in his shoulders like a clingy koala. The muffled “thank you” sounded childish.

He Chuzhou had never been hugged in such a way before, and wasn’t used to it. He felt a little itchy, and his ears were a bit warm.

Putting the last spoonful of ribs on the plate, he moved his hand to the side and was about to speak, when he heard the koala clinging to his back say in a muffled voice: “Brother-in-law.”

He Chuzhou: “……”

He Chuzhou: “……….”

The heat on his earlobes receded as fast as lightning.

His hand shook, and a piece of ribs rolled to the ground. He Xingxing, who had been squatting there for a long time, excitedly took it back to his kennel.

*

*

“Don’t use ‘Brother-in-law.’”

“That sort of thing is for young people nowadays.”

“Not that you aren’t young……and I’m certainly not old.”

“We are honorable scholars and intellectuals who don’t use such language for lewd fun.”

After dinner, He Chuzhou spent a full five minutes firmly warning Pei Xi to not use words involving proper human relationships so casually, such as “Brother-in-law.”

Pei Xi listened attentively like a good student, and asked: “Then when exactly can it be used?”

He Chuzhou: “Don’t use it at any time! Be obedient.”

“Okay.”

Pei Xi responded calmly, but his tone was somewhat disappointed: “I thought you wanted to have fun with me.”

He Chuzhou: “……”

He had lifted a rock and dropped it on his own foot again. If it could be visualized, he would be partially disabled from the ankles down.

Never mind.

He patted his forehead and stood up: “I’m going to take a shower first.” A cold shower to calm down.

Pei Xi gave a hum and stood up with his pajamas, following him step by step.

He Chuzhou turned back: “What are you doing?”

Pei Xi said in a matter-of-fact tone: “In a normal marital relationship, this shouldn’t be considered lewd fun, right?”

He Chuzhou: “……”

He Chuzhou held his shoulders, turned him around, and gave him a gentle push: “Not really, but it’s unnecessary.” 

“I move around a lot while bathing, and I would end up slamming you into the wall.”

Holding the pajamas in his arms, Pei Xi could only watch as He Chuzhou walked into the bathroom. He turned back to the bed and sat down, in a daze for a while. Then he picked up his phone and started to search for the correct way to peel a tomato.

Before the page loaded, the screen suddenly went black.

It was out of battery.

Looking around, he used the cable on the bedside table to charge it. Then he picked up the black cell phone next to him and asked the person in the bathroom: “Chuzhou, can I use your phone to check something?”

His voice came from the other side of the door: “Go ahead. The unlock password is the same as the payment password.”

Pei Xi entered 049123, and it unlocked successfully. The main page wallpaper was a rolling quantum ball, with a featureless system customization.

Not good-looking.

Why wasn’t there a photo of them together?

Pei Xi frowned slightly and opened the wallpaper settings, only to find that there were no pictures of them together in the album. There were all sorts of photos of He Xingxing, occasionally interspersed with a stuffed toy and a cow-spotted cat.

The furrow on his brow deepened.

He exited the settings, turned on the camera, and took a few shots of himself.

Then he clicked into the settings again and set one of them as the wallpaper.

This was much more pleasing to the eye.

He exited with satisfaction and opened the webpage to continue searching for tomato scrambled egg recipes.

Not long after, a pop-up window suddenly appeared at the top of the screen:

[Laurel came up with a new trick, and I also ordered some spicy duck heads. You’ll definitely like them. Let’s try it together tomorrow night?]

Laurel?

New trick?

Duck heads?

What.

Pei Xi didn’t understand it, but this did not affect his real-time delivery: “Chuzhou, Wu Qing sent you a message.”

He Chuzhou: “Don’t worry about it, I’ll get back to him later when I come out.”

Pei Xi also had no intention to care about it, and dismissed the pop-up window, continuing to study the recipe intently.

One after another, they finished taking their showers, and when Pei Xi came out, He Chuzhou was already reclining in bed as he looked at his phone.

He slipped into bed with ease and buried his head between He Chuzhou’s shoulder and the pillow to avoid the light, looking like he was going to sleep soon.

He Chuzhou: “You’re sleepy already?”

Pei Xi responded vaguely.

He Chuzhou stopped looking at his phone and turned the light off: “Okay, then go to sleep.”

He paused for a moment, then said worriedly: “This won’t work. If I sleep like this, will I get kicked again tomorrow?”

Just as he finished muttering, a head crept into his arms.

Pei Xi hugged him and buried his head into his chest, as if seeking a sense of security: “Chuzhou.”

He Chuzhou: “En?”

Pei Xi: “You’ll stay with me always, right?”

The room wrapped in darkness was dim and unclear, making Pei Xi’s voice particularly distinct and vulnerable.

He Chuzhou gave a quiet sigh, and was once again defeated in a draw.

“Definitely, ah.”

He lifted his hands to hug him back and patted his back comfortingly: “I’ll be there whenever you need me, so go to sleep.”

He could endure as long as he didn’t die.

He was in a good state of mind beforehand, but unfortunately, that did not transmit to him after falling asleep.

Early the next morning, when he was rolled out of bed with the quilt by force again, he was still breathing deeply, half-asleep, with a befuddled look on his face.

Looking at the cold-faced Pei Xi, he got up and quickly changed his clothes. Gradually waking up, he rubbed the bridge of his nose in exhaustion: “You—”

“Shut up.”

Pei Xi’s voice was darker than his expression, practically forming a layer of frost: “Don’t let me hear your voice.”

He Chuzhou: “……?”

With question marks blooming on his head, he watched Pei Xi’s back as he strode away and dazedly stoked the head of the excited dog next to him.

What was going on?

Hadn’t they both adapted to it?

Why was his temper still getting worse?

Was he not a morning person?

Or had he rolled over and crushed him during the night? ? ?

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T/N: Sorry for the sporadic updates, everyone! Me and my cat Willow have both been sick the past week, but we’re improving with meds and rest!

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Chapter 17 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 19

Three years later.

“The road to happiness is strewn with setbacks. Professor Wei’s art exhibition has been successfully held after being postponed for so long. On behalf of my newspaper, I would like to express my congratulations to you, and I would also like to ask, are the rumors that you plan to settle in Russia true? Will you still teach at Beihua University in the future?”

“Teacher, it is said that you intend to adopt a child as a single person. Does this mean you don’t plan to remarry? And do you plan to give your child the surname Wei or Wen in the future?”

“Have you moved on from the car accident four years ago?”

On the day of the exhibition, some reporters from the cultural and art circles come and gather around me when I exit the car.

They ask all kinds of questions, and I choose a few to answer.

“I have no intention of settling in Russia. It’s too cold there, and there are bears. I intend to remain with my family in Yuhua.”

They can’t help but laugh when they hear my words, and they ask me to answer other questions.

I think seriously and say: “I do plan to adopt a child, but because I want to adopt a girl, according to law, I must wait another ten years until I’m forty years old.”

“As for what happened four years ago……” I gained the attention of reporters after the car accident four years ago. They have wanted to interview me one after another in the past few years, and this is the first time I’ve answered this question head-on.

Today is the auspicious day I’ve chosen for my painting exhibition, and everything is going well. Although it is late in the wintery twelfth month, the weather is very good, and the warm winter sun is also bright.

I answer them with a smile: “Yes, I have moved on from it. I moved on from it three years ago.”

. . . . . . . 

Opening an art exhibit requires a lot of work. In order to allow Pi Gao to take charge of his own work as soon as possible, I lead him step by step throughout this exhibition.

Over the years, I have accepted several more students. There are two girls who are very talented and willing to endure hardships. I have high hopes for them, and sent them abroad for a study exchange several years ago.

Pi Gao has mediocre talent, but is willing to strive hard in his studies. He got married to his girlfriend last year, and plans to stay with me in China in the future. I plan to have him study at Beihua.

All in all, my work has gone relatively smoothly these past few years. After being busy with the art exhibit for half a month, it is almost the New Year.

I give my students a vacation and go home alone.

The Wen family business is also prospering with Mingyi’s help. She has become increasingly busy in the past few years, traveling around the country and abroad. She exchanges New Year’s gifts with us every year, but never has time to come back and celebrate it.

The year before last, her parents suddenly divorced. Father Wen suffered a stroke as a result, and has been recuperating abroad.

And it was by chance that I learned that Mingcheng’s mother actually knew Master Mei Yin. She even knew that Mingcheng was by my side.

She was also shocked to learn that Mingcheng was not an evil ghost, and still had memories of his past. I wanted them to meet, but she was hesitant, and refused. She has been worshiping Buddha on the mountain these years.

So I celebrate New Year’s at my own home.

Because I now live in the Wei family house, and my mother is getting older and is particular about going back to her hometown to celebrate the New Year, my eldest brother and the others come home to see me during the holidays, which saves me a trip.

As soon as I walk in, my little nephew rushes toward me in his brand new children’s toy car.

“Little Uncle!”

As he rampages toward me, my sister-in-law takes him out of the car and smacks him on the butt: “How impolite. Let your uncle watch you draw multiplication tables, and don’t pester him to draw Ultraman, do you hear me?”

He is just five years old, with a plump face and a furry bunny hat, like a big, energetic rabbit. Every time he sees me, he pesters me to draw him Ultraman and pretty anime girls.

My mom and elder brother are rushing around the kitchen. My elder brother hears this and corrects his wife: “He doesn’t like Ultraman now, he likes big sisters like Kinimoto Sakura.”

I can’t help but laugh. I have no idea how he can comprehend girls’ cartoons at such a young age.

After being teased and laughed at by the family, he sits on the sofa with a long face and fumes for half an hour, then nuzzles next to me like a dog.

“Little Uncle, I want Sakura.”

Taking a covert look at his parents working in the kitchen, he picks up his small school bag and pulls me into my studio. Then he takes out a bunch of colored paper and anime cards, handing them to me: “You draw her for me.”

He digs out too many things at once, and it is a bit difficult to hold them in his little arms. A decorative anime character item falls to the ground.

The small item rolls twice on the floor, and when he lowers his head to search for it, an unobservable force sends it to my hand.

I calmly look at what has appeared in my hand, glance surreptitiously to my side, and bend down to hand it back to the child. “Next time, don’t take so much. What will you do if they fall?”

He looks at the small item that had appeared in my hand and touches his head in confusion: “Ai? Little Uncle, when did you pick it up? I didn’t see you bend down.”

I smile: “I have magic.”

He gives me an admiring thumbs up and says, “You’re so awesome.”

Then he tells me that he has been very good, having personally wiped his grandfather’s portrait clean, and only came to celebrate the New Year after offering tribute.

“I also put all my tasty snacks in Uncle’s room, the same room where you put his portrait.” When I burn incense for him, he asks to say some good words to Mingcheng. “Asking Uncle to please bless me to be as handsome as him when I grow up.”

I can’t help but laugh: “Okay, he agrees.”

“Really?” He is very surprised. “You can hear him?”

I say: “He also says that if you don’t memorize your multiplication tables, you will be blessed to look like Grandpa.”

He cries out when he hears this and says that he will never like Uncle again.

After coaxing the child away, I glance at the person gradually appearing out of thin air: “Do you like children that much?”

He closes the door and walks to me with long strides, smiling at me with squinted eyes. The upward curve of his lips is gentle and sweet, his features handsome, refined, and incredibly profound. “He looks a lot like you when you were a child.”

I retort at once: “How could I be so fat when I was a child?”

He smiles even brighter. Hugging me from behind, he pinches the flesh on my waist and abdomen with one hand: “You could eat better than me when you were a child, have you forgotten?”

We fool around quietly for a while.

He suppresses his smile as he speaks, and lowers his head from behind me. Pressing his lips to the corner of mine, he says in a low and apologetic voice: “In the period where I had no memory, I was like an evil ghost, haunting you and going crazy. Were you frightened?”

“It’s good that you know. Drinking your own vinegar, you really are something.”

I raise my eyes to look into his, letting him nip my lips.

I had thought a ghost was impersonating him, never expecting it to actually be him. He only remembered our names, and really did seem like an imposter.

In a stroke of luck, I had actually found Master Mei Yin. It was probably the will of the heavens that Mingcheng destroyed the Black Nanjia himself, but resurrected during my spiritual summoning ceremony.

Now that we are reunited, I feel that providence is extremely kind to us, and now I have nothing to be dissatisfied with.

As our lips and tongues intersect, our breathing becomes heavier. His palms move from my waist to my collar, and his fingers touch my buttons……

“Little Uncle, it’s time to eat!” At this moment, the door is pushed open by the young boy.

“Cough, cough…..got it.” I choke myself a bit in my startlement.

While puffing out his cheeks as he chews on something, he looks at me doubtfully. “Little Uncle, why is your face so red? Why is your mouth red too?”

Humiliated into anger, I glare at him: “Why are there so many little children in the house?”

He harrumphs, staring at me: “Huh? Why is it even redder?”

When we eat, my older brother wants to take a family photo first. My mother sits on the couch with the child, and my older brother and sister-in-law stand next to me.

After my little nephew sets up the camera, I take a step to the side. My older brother looks deeply at me, as if aware of something, then embraces his wife and leans to the side to give me space.

And so beside me, a person nobody else can see comes into the shot.

He holds my waist. He’s actually sprayed a bit of cologne on his body.

I whisper: “My older brother seems to have discovered something.”

He kisses the side of my face as if no one else is watching: “It doesn’t matter, Brother-in-law has a good personality.”

As the camera counts down, my older brother claps and gives a congratulatory speech: “Alright, then wishing our elders long lives, our children good health, and for our young people, the end of bitterness and the beginning of sweetness. Love and happiness for all. Say eggplant~”

“Eggplant~”

Kacha! The photo is taken.

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T/N: Thank you to everyone who gave this story a chance! It was such a gem to stumble upon.

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Chapter 36 << Table of Contents

T/N: Thank you so much to FynnGi for the Kofi donation! These last two chapters are for you!

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I knew that I might die, but I didn’t expect death to come so quickly.

We had just returned to China, and I hadn’t even had time to bring A-Zhen home.

A sports car rushed over from the opposite direction. It was dark, and it didn’t have its headlights on. By the time I noticed it, it was already too late, and I barely had time to turn the steering wheel.

The cars collided with an earth-shattering noise. The front of the car was instantly deformed and caught fire. The window glass shattered from the heat and impact, and fragments from the front of the car flew everywhere.

A-Zhen and I turned toward each other at the same time.

He rushed toward me and stretched out those beautiful hands to try to protect me, but didn’t notice the shattered glass spraying toward him.

“A-Zhen—”

Disregarding everything, I pushed him down hard. I was so anxious that I likely used too much force, and his head hit the car door.

I pressed against his body and intended to ask him if it hurt, but as soon as I opened my mouth, I saw blood spurt out of nowhere and splatter all over his face.

His eyes were bewildered, and he looked back at me with almost concrete fear, his eyes going bloodshot from the corners to the tips. He reached out to touch my neck and wept miserably: “Mingcheng! Mingcheng! No – help, help, help.”

I wanted to comfort him, but found that I couldn’t speak.

And in the next moment, I saw myself from his eyes.

A piece of glass as wide as the mouth of a bowl had penetrated into my neck. Blood gushed out whenever I spoke, and half of my body was already dyed red. The half of my face by the window had already been cut and turned into a hideous, bloody mess.

I instantly covered his eyes.

“Don’t look at me…..don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid……”

The deformed roof squeezed us together like the lid of a coffin.

He held my neck and cried heartbreakingly, beating on the roof that was pressing on us with his bloody hands, calling for help.

But how could a person shake a block of iron? Even though he smashed his hands against the roof of the car, it was impossible to make the roof budge, let alone save me, who was about to bleed dry.

His fingers must have been injured. I tried to stop him, but I had no strength left.

I died.

He also knew I was going to die.

When I was alive, I was pathologically obsessed with him. Even when I made a wish to that evil god, I wished that my soul would return to him. But when it was time to die, I suddenly looked away.

I could ask for nothing.

As long as he could live well.

At the beginning of his life, there was no me.

Perhaps Wei Zizhen might have been able to live well without Wen Mincheng.

I used the last of my strength to smile and press my lips to his…..

It’s okay, A-Zhen.

Live healthily and well.

Perhaps someone else will love you after I’m gone. If you want to, go ahead. I won’t blame you.

Thank you for loving me for so many years.

Goodbye, Wei Zizhen.

Don’t be sad about me, and don’t forget me.

I can’t bear to die, I can’t bear to leave you.

I love you.

*

*

I didn’t know who I was or where I was.

It was like I had no body. I couldn’t touch, and I couldn’t feel. I seemed to be in a space composed of light, shadows, and fragmented colors. Sound and consciousness were far from me.

I didn’t know if the world was nothingness or if I was nothingness.

But I felt something in a certain direction. There was a voice in my heart telling me to go quickly in just that direction.

A-Zhen…..

A-Zhen?

I spoke aloud the name of someone I didn’t know, and with indescribable eagerness, I rushed toward the direction in my heart without hesitation.

“Mingcheng?”

“Why didn’t you go to work today?”

Suddenly, there was a man speaking to me.

Just at this moment, I had a body.

Air penetrated my mouth and nose and rushed into my lungs. I felt my torso, my limbs, the cool air touching my skin.

I heard the sound of the wind, the chirping of birds, and smelled the fragrance of flowers.

I also saw the person who had spoken to me.

He stood not far from me. His features were elegant, with a tranquil beauty, and he looked at me with a soft gaze. He called me “Mingcheng.”

I remembered.

I remembered.

My name was Mingcheng, and his was Wei Zhizhen.

He was the one I was looking for.

I liked him at first glance.

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Chapter 35 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 37

“Changing one’s fate is against nature, and heaven’s will is irreversible. It is not so easy.” He sat on a futon, already understanding my purpose.

I had a black leather lockbox brought in. It was not big, but it was heavy, and took four strong bodyguards to carry it in.

Once those people left, I entered the password to open the box and looked at him: “Would it be easier this way?”

The moment the box was opened, a golden light suddenly appeared in the room. The box was neatly packed with gold bars.

Money was the law of the human world.

His expression changed for a moment, and he slowly raised his head to look directly at me. “Mr. Wen, he is a mortal man. There is a saying that when death comes, there is no postponement. There is no way in this world to make a mortal person live longer, unless…..someone dies in his place. If someone gives their life in exchange for his life, he will live. Moreover, the person who dies must be willing, as the slightest resentment will damage his life.”

I slammed down the lid of the lockbox and walked over to him and sat down. Dipping my fingers in some tea, I wrote the password of the lockbox on the table in front of him. “Please give me some advice, Master.”

Soon after, he told me to shower and change my clothes, then sit cross-legged in front of a Buddha statue. The statue was about the height of a person, sitting on a high platform. Its eyes were as terrifying as those of a divine warrior.  It had the majestic aura of Buddha, and under its feet was the date of my birth.

There was a circle of Mei Yin’s disciples around me, lowering their heads to chant Buddhist sutras. Each one held a torch in their hands.

And underneath me was a platform made of dry firewood and straw.

He said that as long as I was burned to death in front of the Buddha statue, A-Zhen would live.

He could gain my destiny of good health and long life.

This act of exchanging a life for a life sounded absurd and evil. In the past, I would have thought that people who believed in this method were crazy, but I didn’t understand this feeling until I got to this point myself.

This was not belief. It was desperation. 

As long as my loved one could be spared from pain and live healthily, I was willing to die.

But unfortunately, I failed.

It was not that my death had no effect, but that it rained when Mei Yin told his disciples to burn me to death.

It was a downpour caused by a typhoon along the coast. It began to rain almost instantly, and it was so intense that people couldn’t breathe or open their eyes. Within minutes, white mist filled the air and turbulent water surged from the ground.

Mei Yin pulled me into the room, looked at the heavy rain in the courtyard, and said: “This is divine providence, ah. Heaven’s will cannot be disobeyed.”

Heaven’s will?

I found it amusing, and couldn’t help but laugh.

He and his disciples looked at me in surprise, but I just couldn’t help it anymore. I leaned against the doorframe and burst into laughter, unable to stop. 

Did Heaven have eyes?

The Wei family harmed no one, but suffered the disaster of being ruined and destitute. The eldest brother of the Wei family was kind and talented, but his right hand was ruined. I was the one who committed evil and deserved retribution, but A-Zhen was the one who suffered the consequences, and it was A-Zhen who would lose his life.

This was Heaven’s will?

If it tormented A-Zhen to make me suffer retribution, then I had to admit that it had succeeded. But I couldn’t stand it, let alone accept it.

I told the bodyguards to surround everyone present. After the rain stopped, I dragged Mei Yin outside and forced him to find a solution for me.

“Master, you are a believer in the gods. If the flames also burn upon you, is Heaven’s will worth it?”

This was actually meant to frighten him. I wouldn’t kill him, because he could at least give me the elixir.

But I really didn’t seem like a good person, and his terror of me was not mild.

Thus, he told me another way. “Mr. Wen, the gods and Buddha are not willing to help you. There is really nothing I can do, except there are not only good gods in this world, but also evil gods…..”

He told me of a country in Southeast Asia, where there were many evil paths. The most powerful was the temple dedicated to the black and golden gods.

“The Golden God had become a true god through hundreds of years of worship. If you take your loved one with you, he may be able to bless you, but the black god is still an evil god. It is about to perish without the worship of believers, so it is very eager for them. If you are willing to become its believer, I think he will be willing to fulfill any wish you have.”

“It is just that asking a person to do something for you requires money, but asking a god to do things may cost you your life…..”

“How can I know you’re not lying to me?” I was somewhat interested, and asked him to tell me about these two gods in detail.

He told me that the black and gold gods were called Nanjia in the local language. They had suddenly come into the world, and were both evil at first.

He talked to me earnestly for a long time. After listening to Mei Yin’s words, I felt that they were most likely ancient sacrificial objects that possessed evil powers after bloody sacrifices. The Gold Nanjia was not so extreme, so it was worshiped by people and actually became a god over time. The Black Nanjia was more powerful and more evil, so it was feared by others, and after a long period of time where no one believed in it, it fell into decline.

I thought I would give it a try.

But there were too many unpredictable factors when worshiping an evil god. I feared that it would get angry if things weren’t done right, so I thought about it for a long time.

During this period, A-Zhen was taking pills. He looked exactly the same as when he wasn’t sick. He had started to gain weight, and had decent energy and complexion.

I continued to lie to him about his gastrointestinal problems, and he believed me, thinking that what he had was an illness not worth mentioning. After he was no longer feeling uncomfortable, we started to prepare for the wedding.

He was busy and brimming with anticipation as he planned where we would go after we got married. He said that we would adopt a couple of children when we were in our thirties, and also said that he would tidy up the old house so that we could move in when we grew old…..

He looked forward to a long and beautiful life, but little did he know that he was relying on sorcery to maintain his life and that death was imminent.

I scheduled our trip to Southeast Asia for our honeymoon after the wedding.

I had to marry him first.

If it failed, I would bury his body with my own hands and carve my name on his tombstone.

If it succeeded, my beloved A-Zhen would put on mourning clothes, hold my portrait, and bury me. He would inscribe on my tombstone, “Late husband Wen Mincheng.”

Even after I died, I would still be his husband and his man.

The wedding went smoothly. It was grand and ceremonious, full of guests. I invited almost everyone I knew, so much so that A-Zhen went on strike and refused to write invitation letters. I even allowed reporters to interview and take photos on the wedding day.

Everyone blessed us, and I didn’t hesitate to show our wedding to the public. If possible, I hoped the whole world could know about it.

I drank a lot that day, and asked him to call me ‘husband’ over and over again. He was very embarrassed at first. When he heard this title, his face grew visibly red, but it became easier after the first time he said it.

He found amusement in it, and asked me to call him that.

I called him that very easily, and he blushed again.

On the wedding night, we made love passionately.

About half a month after the wedding, I bought a lot of the pills I got from Mei Yin to keep A-Zhen alive, so that he could stay as healthy as possible.

At first, the priests in the temple were not willing to receive me after finding out why I had come. Then I contacted the local government and expressed my willingness to donate money to their impoverished areas.

Under pressure from the government, they had no choice but to acquiesce.

That day, we first worshiped the Gold Nanjia. Then I told A-Zhen that I was very interested in the local culture and wanted to have a private chat with the divine attendant, and asked him to wait for me outside. When I saw that he wasn’t suspicious, I went to the Black Nanjia’s pagoda alone with the divine attendant.

There was no one at the pagoda. After leading me to the top floor, the divine attendants seemed to be afraid of something and had me enter the room alone. When they saw me coming in at the door, they left together with expressions of panic on their faces.

That was the most bizarre thing I had experienced.

Unlike the huge statue of the Gold Nanjia, the Black Nanjia was very small, only about twenty centimeters. I couldn’t tell what sort of material it was made out of. The soles of its feet and the top of its head were engraved with sacrificial drawings. The body was densely covered with ancient characters, and the eyes were embedded rubies, which looked strange and exquisite.

It seemed to know that I was there for it, and was also very impatient for my arrival, its last believer.

When I held it in my hands, I felt a jolt that seemed to come from my soul.

It was as if the other being was trying to tell me of its ecstasy.

Maybe Mei Yin was right. Gods were very persistent about having believers, especially gods that were about to fall.

I lowered my head to look at it, and a realization suddenly flashed through my mind.

As long as I believed in it, it could fulfill any wish I had.

This was not my own speculation, but an idea that suddenly came to me, as if someone had spoken these words into my soul.

I understood, and raised it above my head reverently.

“Black Nanjia, I am your most devout believer……”

After I spoke, its ruby eyes suddenly emitted a dark red light. I saw the ancient characters on it seem to come alive, merging into it and emerging out of its body.

And the ancient sacrificial characters on its legs and feet also began to move. The woman presiding over the ceremony was clad in animal skins, and cut off the head of the sacrifice with a butcher’s knife. After peeling off its skin and plastering it to her body, she raised her arms and announced the beginning of a prayer.

I laughed. They were mad with exultation, and so was I.

I said to it: “My devoted god, please grant my wish……”

“I wish for my lover to live a long life.”

“I wish for my soul to return to him.”

“Eternal life. Eternal life.”

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Chapter 34 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 36

What sounded like a grand statement instantly caused Zhao Haicheng to collapse.

They were trivial details in the eyes of those who did great things. Just like Song Xingmu said, how many of those in high positions would consider their lives?

They were mere ants in the eyes of those people, and the only person who cared about their lives…..

Zhao Haicheng rose with sudden violence and pounced on Uncle Hai, who was close to him, and directly bit his throat. Blood-curdling screams and the sound of spurting blood turned the cell into a bloody scene.

It was like Zhao Haicheng had gone insane. No matter how hard the others tried to pull him away, he would not let go until he bit Uncle Hai to death.

In the next second, he looked up toward the sky and roared, then suddenly fell to the ground. Finally, a picture came to his mind.

There was a person standing on the shore. With a beauty that surpassed that of mortals, he gazed calmly at the sea. The warm afterglow of the setting sun could not enter his eyes, which were like the darkness of the deepest seabed where light could not penetrate. He was alone there, seemingly in eternal loneliness and coldness.

Watching secretly, Zhao Haicheng felt at that moment that there should be someone standing next to Liu Zhenqing, holding his hand. He stepped forward impulsively, but in the next second, he saw Liu Zhenqing pick up the jade hanging from his waist. It was a small toy carved from jade, just a two-layered small square. He had seen Liu Zhenqing playing with it often, as if playing with it would make him happier when he was in a bad mood.

This time, Zhao Haicheng had no excuse to step forward, and he never got the chance again.

Unexpectedly, before he died, what he regretted most was this scene…..

When everyone came to their senses and rushed to find a doctor, it was already too late. 

Likely unable to accept the facts in front of him, Zhao Haicheng died of the stimulation.

Huo Fenglie looked silently at Zhao Haicheng’s eyes, which were gradually turning gray, then turned and left.

After he left the cell, his steps grew increasingly fast. He needed to find Qing-ge. When he walked out of the courtyard where the cell was located, Liu Zhenqing appeared in the other courtyard, seemingly about to leave.

Hearing a sound, Liu Zhenqing turned his head just as someone rushed up to embrace him.

Liu Zhenqing was stunned for a moment before he realized that Huo Fenglie had taken the initiative to hug him. This…..situation was a bit strange, ah.

Feeling inexplicably flattered, Liu Zhenqing quickly drew close and hugged him, as if he had gotten a great bargain.

Huo Fenglie hugged him tighter.

Liu Zhenqing finally realized that something was off about his mood and asked in a low voice: “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Why are you here?”

Huo Fenglie said hoarsely: “Qing-ge, I’m fine. I just…..missed you a little.”

In an instant, Liu Zhenqing felt as if his heart had been electrified. Er-gou finally got the idea! That’s right, after having a near-death experience, he finally managed to clear the clouds and see the moonlight!

Liu Zhenqing hugged him happily, and the troubles just now didn’t seem to matter anymore.

And Huo Fenglie couldn’t help but think, why should such a good person bear infamy for eternity? He should be remembered forever. 

Suddenly, Huo Fenglie said: “Qing-ge, shall we find a way to vindicate you?”

Liu Zhenqing stared blankly, a little confused. He had thought Huo Fenglie knew he didn’t care about these things and couldn’t be bothered with them. So before, no matter what Bai Su or He Lan and Qin Yu said, Huo Fenglie didn’t say much and gave Liu Zhenqing’s opinion on it the priority. What had happened today?

Liu Zhenqing said: “I’m perfectly fine. What can be said? I have no objections that need to be rectified. I did what I did, and no matter how others see it, there isn’t much good to say about it.”

Huo Fenglie was silent for a moment, then suddenly said: “I am unwilling to accept it.”

Liu Zhenqing said uncertainly: “Why do you suddenly…..”

Huo Fenglie spoke briefly of Zhao Haicheng, and Liu Zhenqing knew that Song Xingmu just wanted to take this opportunity to let Huo Fenglie know about the truth of that year.

He said with a helpless sigh: “But I did plan to obtain the 30,000 troops, and also injured Yuan Jue. There’s nothing good to say about this, ah.”

Huo Fenglie just repeated: “I am unwilling to accept it.”

Liu Zhenqing realized in an instant that Huo Fenglie had always been unwilling. After all, Er-gou had been in love with him for many years, so how could he be willing to let his sweetheart be slandered by the world? It was reasonable for him to want others to have a clear understanding of his sweetheart. He didn’t take action or say anything in the past, because he was abiding by Liu Zhenqing’s wishes.

And now he finally couldn’t help but speak out, even though he knew that rehabilitating his image meant standing on the opposite side from Yuan Jue. It was equivalent to telling all the people in the world that they were wrong, and that the emperor was wrong. Needless to say, this sort of thing would be very difficult, but Huo Fenglie really wanted to do it.

It seemed like Er-gou had a hard time enduring it, ah.

Liu Zhenqing smiled and couldn’t help but pat Huo Fenglie’s butt. The smacking sound broke the solemn atmosphere, and Huo Fenglie released Liu Zhenqing to look at him speechlessly.

“But I cherish this hard-won happiness even more. The person in front of me is more important than my name. Why waste your time worrying about it?” Liu Zhenqing spoke with a relaxed expression and a raised eyebrow. How could he be willing to let Er-gou get into trouble? It was unnecessary to drag him down just for the sake of reputation.

What he was more concerned about was that Huo Fenglie’s actions just now were intended to comfort him, rather than the beginning of a new sweetness between them. It really made a person depressed.

“Qing-ge, you…..”

Liu Zhenqing suddenly raised an eyebrow and said with a smile: “It’s just right that we met, I have something to ask of you.”

Huo Fenglie stared blankly and could only ask: “What is it?”

Liu Zhenqing’s eyes narrowed slightly and he gave an evil smile.

Soon, there was the sound of splashing water in the room where Liu Zhenqing was temporarily staying. There was a screen between the compartments, and the slender silhouette of a person bathing could be seen.

Huo Fenglie sat stiffly outside, seemingly unable to react.

“Er-gou?”

Huo Fenglie instantly felt uneasy and said: “I’ll go out and wait for you.”

“Go out?” Liu Zhenqing’s voice seemed to carry a bit of disbelief, and he said directly, “What are you going out for? Come in.”

Huo Fenglie’s expression stiffened, and he heard Liu Zhenqing say: “You just said you would help me scrub my back. When I went to the cells, it was so cold and damp that I felt uncomfortable all over.”

Huo Fenglie didn’t know how to refuse. His footsteps were rigid.

“What’s wrong? There’s no part of my body that you haven’t touched, ah. I asked you to rub my back, but why are you resisting and giving me the cold shoulder?” Liu Zhenqing said deliberately.

This voice was as hazy as water vapor, but when it sounded, it burned Huo Fenglie’s face red like a flame.

Huo Fenglie now felt that it was difficult to breathe, and wanted to rush out the door.

Liu Zhenqing said impatiently: “Come in, you’re not a girl!”

It was clear that Liu Zhenqing was unhappy. Huo Fenglie dared not continue to be stubborn, and could only brace himself and walk inside.

He walked cautiously with his head lowered, not even daring to glance inside the tub. Only wafts of steam could be seen.

Suddenly, a jade-white arm covered in water droplets reached out and handed over a small wash cloth. There was a splashing movement, and it seemed that the person in the tub had changed position. 

“Come on, scrub my shoulders first.”

Now Huo Fenglie had to look over. The thin steam didn’t cover anything at all, and the bath towel that should have been covering his body was placed next to the tub. The water was crystal clear, the view unobstructed. His skin was like jade, with beautiful contours. Although he had seen it several times, Huo Fenglie’s blood still surged every time. He could only avert his gaze as much as possible. After determining the position, he was about to take action when he saw his own teeth marks right there. His hand instantly shook, and they began to move with an almost delicate level of force.

“Er-gou, I like it a little harder. How can it be comfortable when it’s that light?”

Huo Fenglie didn’t know if it was just him, but he felt that the final notes of Qing-ge’s words rose at the end, like he was deliberately teasing him.

Huo Fenglie gradually increased his strength. He was accompanied by sighs and calls for him to go harder or softer, or that it felt good.

After his shoulders and arms were scrubbed, Liu Zhenqing deliberately raised a hand to hook Fenglie’s chin, just like teasing a puppy.

“It feels so good, ah. Er-gou, you went to the cells too. Are you really not going to come in and soak together?” Liu Zhenqing extended the invitation again.

Huo Fenglie still refused decisively. “I….I need to take a medicated bath tonight.”

Liu Zhenqing raised his eyes and glanced to the side. Caught off guard, Huo Fenglie met those damp eyes. His movements froze for an instant, and he immediately lowered his head. Changing the topic, he said: “Qing-ge, why did you go to the cells?”

Liu Zhenqing’s eyes narrowed in displeasure, but he didn’t conceal anything, saying to Huo Fenglie: “I went to see the rebels in secret to ask some questions.”

“What questions?” Huo Fenglie asked.

“Who is the martial arts master who rescued He Lan and Qin Yu? And…..if their rebellion was successful, who did they want to be the emperor? Apart from those who were caught, was there anyone else behind them?” Liu Zhenqing said: “It’s a pity that I couldn’t get anything from them.”

“They won’t speak.” Huo Fenglie said directly: “If they don’t speak, they can bet on a chance of survival, but if they speak, they will certainly die. But Qing-ge also feels that there is someone behind them.”

“Of course. Weren’t there killers arranged to assassinate us? Regarding the people we’ve caught so far, I don’t think they have the ability to exploit the tax money and disaster relief funds for their own use. They don’t have such sharp brains, so they must have a leader.” Liu Zhenqing raised his body to allow Huo Fenlgie to continue to scrub downward.

“It’s a pity, they seem to have been used as well. So maybe it’s not that they don’t want to speak, and they are unaware that they’ve become a knife in the hands of others.” Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help but sigh after analyzing this. The rebel case was over on the surface, but the story behind it was growing deeper and deeper, and there were more and more suspicions.

He was even more worried that the situation before him may actually be his fault.

Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but let out a downcast sigh. Suddenly, he heard Huo Fenglie say: “Qing-ge can reach the rest.”

Liu Zhenqing’s attention was diverted. When he took the small wash cloth and saw Huo Fenglie turn around to leave almost immediately, his heart felt itchy. “I’m too lazy to move, I’ll leave it all to you.”

Having said this, he dipped the wash cloth in his hand into the water, wrung it out, and tossed it to Huo Fenglie again.

Huo Fenglie had just caught it when he heard a splash. Looking up, he saw that Liu Zhenqing had stood up with his back to him. Water droplets slid down the back of his fair neck, passing down the flexible contours of his back that were shaded by candlelight. They passed over curves, some dripping while others merged into the water in the tub along his legs, as if experiencing a beautiful journey.

Huo Fenglie gritted his teeth, telling himself that he was just going to help scrub his back.

But in the next second, as if to help facilitate Huo Fenglie’s movements, Liu Zhenqing sat directly on the edge of the tub.

In an instant, the impact of the scene caused Huo Fenglie to suck in a deep breath. He could see a wet beauty sitting on the edge of the tub, as well as the indentation of flesh where he sat. The beautiful shape of his back was perfectly highlighted as his hands supported him at his sides, and the indent of his back revealed beautiful butterfly bones, as if he was about to fly away.

Huo Fenglie felt that his nose was hot, as if something was about to flow out. He quickly held his breath and rubbed it sporadically. Before Liu Zhenqing could stimulate him with his rambling, Huo Fenglie said: “Finish scrubbing, Qing-ge. It’s too hot in here, I’ll go out and get some fresh air first.”

Before Liu Zhenqing could reply, he had already thrown down the wash cloth and run out like the wind.

Liu Zhenqing was left speechless for a while. He showed off his body like this, but Huo Fenglie was still unmoved. Was it really because he wasn’t attractive enough?

When Huo Fenglie went out, he sat in the hall and adjusted his breathing for a long time before it steadied and the nosebleed finally stopped. He was inwardly vexed for a time, and then remembered that Qing-ge hadn’t brought a change of clothes when he went in. After some thought, he went to the room to find clothes for him.

As a result, he found a somewhat damaged scroll.

Huo Fenglie was taken aback, and opened it to take a look. The wedding portrait was still beautiful, but the scroll surrounding it was slightly damaged. It seemed that someone would need to be found to repair it.

Looking at the two moles under Liu Zhenqing’s eye in the portrait, he was inexplicably lost in thought.

“Do you like it that much?”

Suddenly, Liu Zhenqing’s voice sounded with unclear meaning. Huo Fenglie returned to his senses and looked back, only to see Liu Zhenqing wearing a thin inner layer. It was tied loosely, and the simplicity of how he wore it made it seem like it could slip off his shoulders at any time. Leaning against the door like this, with his head tilted and an unclear expression on his face, he looked a bit dangerous.

“Uh…..” Huo Fenglie momentarily didn’t know how to answer.

In a bad mood, Liu Zhenqing stepped forward and approached Huo Fenglie. Passing by the table, he moved his hand and rolled up the scroll. Out of sight and out of mind.

Huo Fenglie was a bit nervous due to Liu Zhenqing’s sudden approach. Just as he was about to retreat, Liu Zhenqing grabbed his collar and pressed him against the table. Liu Zhenqing leaned closer and asked: “Was my appearance in the past so much better than it is now?”

You would rather come out and look at a dead thing instead of the live thing that is readily at your fingertips. Tell me, wouldn’t this make a person angry? Liu Zhenqing now began to wonder if Huo Fenglie solely loved the appearance he used to have.

“They are both Qing-ge,” Huo Fenglie was somewhat discerning, and said quickly, “They are the same.”

Liu Zhenqing narrowed his eyes slightly and said: “I don’t believe you. Prove it to me.”

“How do I prove it?” Huo Fenglie asked.

The corners of Liu Zhenqing’s mouth lifted, and he raised his hand to grasp Huo Fenglie’s chin. Just as he was about to tease him, he heard movement outside the door.

“Ya, you two! Why didn’t you close the door? I’ve been looking for you for half a day, and it turns out you’re here! He still isn’t healed!”

Liu Zhenqing was displeased when his little apprentice interrupted his good deeds, but Huo Fenglie left readily, as if he had been saved.

This caused Han Ye to look at Liu Zhenqing the wrong way, and even wondered if his master was forcing Huo Fenglie into something.

Liu Zhenqing was wronged, ah.

A few days later, people from the Imperial Court finally arrived. Once the prisoners were handed over, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. He Lan found some good wine who knows where and invited everyone to relax together, except Huo Fenglie, who was taking a medicinal bath and couldn’t participate. Even Han Ye was called over to drink.

Seeing Han Ye not looking very poised when holding the wine cup, Liu Zhenqing said with a smile: “People from Medical Valley are not good at drinking. If you can’t drink, don’t force yourself.”

The obstinate bones in Han Ye’s body had probably grown against Liu Zhenqing, and whatever Liu Zhenqing said, he would do the opposite.

As a result, after three cups of wine, Han Ye had already passed out on the table with a thud while the others were just getting started. Everyone laughed extremely hard.

On the side, He Lan kept urging Qin Yu to drink, and Song Xingmu also asked Liu Zhenqing to drink with him. After all, he recalled that Liu Zhenqing wouldn’t get drunk after a thousand cups. But Liu Zhenqing didn’t have this ability now, and refused to fight to the death.

“You should drink less,” Yi Chuan suddenly said to Song Xingmu, gesturing toward his hand.

Recently, Song Xingmu had been receiving treatment from Han Ye. He was originally supposed to go with them to find the master, but the medical skills of the King of Hell many years later were incomparable compared to those of the past, and what he couldn’t treat before, he could treat now. Therefore, he simply used his time here to stabilize Huo Fenglie and treat Song Xingmu’s hand.

The treatment process was still very difficult and painful, and the hand would be completely unusable for a short period of time. Song Xingmu had become one-armed, so Yi Chuan could only follow along to help him. Song Xingmu enjoyed it quite a lot, but it was rather painful to have his food and drink strictly managed by others. 

“Okay, okay, I’ll drink less. Such a housewife.” Song Xingmu deliberately teased him, but only received a glare from Yi Chuan. However, Yi Chuan still helped him warm the wine so that he wouldn’t drink it cold.

Song Xingmu looked at the rear view of Yi Chuan and smiled.

“Stop looking, you’re about to drool like a pervert,” Liu Zhenqing said.

“You have some nerve saying this to me. I heard that you asked a certain someone to wash your back not long ago, but looking at your expression now, you don’t seem happy. Sure enough, you achieved nothing? He didn’t want what was delivered to his door? Does he dislike this cut of meat because it doesn’t taste good, or is there some other reason? Why not take advantage of this beautiful night? Gege will help you…..”

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Chapter Ninety-Six << Table of Contents >> Chapter Ninety-Eight

There was an ATM next to the hospital. Before they departed, He Chuzhou took Pei Xi there and withdrew two thousand in cash.

“This should be enough to take a taxi for emergencies and such. Any more, and you wouldn’t be able to fit it in your pocket.”

He folded the money and put it into Pei Xi’s pocket with a pat: “Okay, let’s go back and find your phone.”

Pei Xi couldn’t help but touch it, then touch it again.

He Chuzhou laughed: “What are you doing?”

Pei Xi: “It seems I haven’t carried cash with me for a long time. It feels……”

He couldn’t think of a suitable word to describe his current mood, and in the end, he could only give a general summary: “It feels very amazing.”

“Just this is amazing? I’ll take you to experience something even more amazing when I have time.”

He Chuzhou smiled, spun the car key around his finger twice, and walked toward the parking lot.

But after taking a few steps, someone grabbed his sleeve from behind.

He turned around, but the person behind him wasn’t looking at him. Instead, his head was lowered as he moved his hand down to find his palm and hold it.

Pei Xi was not as tall as him, and his build was not bigger than his, so of course his hands were not as big either.

His fingers were slender and well-proportioned, with distinct bones and a slightly cool temperature. That hand would certainly not be mistaken for a girl’s, but holding it now, it gave him a different feeling.

When their palms touched, He Chuzhou’s brain suddenly jammed.

He didn’t know how to describe this feeling. After some thought, he could only use the word he had just laughed at: 

Really……amazing.

It was subtle and indescribable.

Unexpectedly good to hold, unexpectedly a perfect fit, and unexpectedly amazing.

Holding his hand, Pei Xi found that this person was not going anywhere, and wondered: “Chuzhou, what’s wrong?”

“Hm? Oh, nothing.”

He Chuzhou rubbed the tip of his nose with his other hand, looking away from their clasped palms: “I was just thinking about what we should have for lunch later.”

He started to walk forward again, only the presence of that hand was so strong that he couldn’t help but looked sideways at the glass windows of the roadside shops.

Two figures with different body shapes, but equally slim and tall, were reflected in the windows. Holding hands tightly, they walked side by side under the blue sky and white clouds.

*

*

“Have you looked under the bed?”

“In the drawers in the study?”

“What about the cracks in the sofa?”

“There’s nothing here, did you leave it in the kitchen?”

“No, I didn’t do anything last night—”

Pei Xi fell silent mid-sentence, then fell into self-doubt with a frown: “Did I cook for myself last night? Why don’t I remember……”

He tried hard to remember what had happened the night before, repeatedly teetering on the edge of dizziness. A big palm descended from the sky in time to grab the crown of his head, pressing down on it with a bit of force: “Stop!”

Pei Xi was like an old radio with the stop button pressed. Once his thoughts were interrupted, he immediately returned to a blank state.

“Stop thinking about it. The more you think about it, the more confused you’ll become.”

He Chuzhou stopped him from recalling memories that were useless and had a high probability of hurting his head: “First, we’ll search everywhere, and if we can’t find it, I’ll buy you a new one. It’s just that there might be some trouble with the card replacement and data retrieval.”

Pei Xi nodded obediently: “Okay.”

Preparing for the worst, He Chuzhou told Pei Xi to find his ID card and get it ready. Then he made his way to the kitchen and rummaged around in a final attempt.

Unexpectedly, it actually bore fruit.

He took the nearly battery-drained phone down from the top cabinet. Not only was he surprised that Pei Xi had put his phone in such a tricky place, but he was also surprised that—

“You can actually cook?”

Hearing this, Pei Xi was silent for a moment: “Chuzhou, that means you think that all the meals I cooked for you before were actually takeaway, right?”

He Chuzhou: “…….”

Damn. He carelessly didn’t keep his mouth shut.

“No, of course not.”

His mind spun rapidly as he tried to salvage the situation: “What I meant is that…..”

“It’s no use quibbling.”

Pei Xi calmly put the ID card he had just found into his hand, pushed him aside, and said word by word: “We’re having lunch at home today. I’ll cook while you watch.”

He Chuzhou touched his nose angrily and stood in the corner in a well-behaved manner, where he wouldn’t get in the way, and to atone for his “indiscriminate words.”

Pei Xi easily found a bright blue apron in the bottom cabinet. He arranged the cooking table, then turned and took the ingredients he needed from the refrigerator.

Everything proceeded in an orderly and convincing manner.

He Chuzhou watched for a while, lamenting his mistake.

But he couldn’t be blamed entirely. After all, Pei Xi seemed like someone who was above the material attractions of the world, and was incompatible with the mundane workings of the kitchen and daily life.

In order to prove himself, Pei Xi did not allow him to step in and help. He Chuzhou had nothing to do, so he took advantage of his penalty period to secretly look at the two revised plans in his email box.

When he was finished reading, he took a look at the ID card Pei Xi had just thrust into his hand—

Twenty-six?

He was actually two years younger than He Chuzhou!

His eyebrows jumped, and his guilty conscience from coaxing a certain someone to call him ‘gege’ also immediately vanished without a trace.

He was only twenty-six, so it was natural for him to call him ‘gege.’

The ID card was valid for ten years, and the photo was still from when Pei Xi was a teenager. His appearance was not much different from now. He was already good-looking enough to leave others in the dust, only at that time, he was more immature and boyish.

……Seventeen-year-old Pei Xi.

He chewed these words over, and the corners of his mouth turned up uncontrollably.

At seventeen, he would have been in high school.

The best high school in Wancheng was the high school affiliated with Wan University. It had capable teachers and a superior teaching environment. Even the school uniforms were famously good-looking.

Pei-calico’s beautiful and refined face, paired with a youthful school uniform. There was no telling what kind of stir he caused at school back then.

It was a pity.

Such a pity that he had already gone abroad at that time.

He took a few more regretful glances, then finally put his phone back into his pocket and looked up—

The person who had caused a stir on campus was calmly throwing two pitted tomatoes he had failed to peel into the trash can.

“?”

His smile paused, and he shifted his gaze to the right.

There were a lot of things on the previously empty cooking table: 

Potatoes cut into various shapes; pieces of broccoli in disarray; green onions chopped into thin pieces; Wagyu beef that had been blanched in boiling water but was still not yet thawed inside…..

“……?”

He was about to say something, but Pei Xi suddenly turned around and stretched out his hand: “Chuzhou, give me my cell phone.”

He reflexively handed over the phone: “What do you need it for?”

Pei Xi’s expression remained unchanged: “I forgot how to do it, so I’m going to look it up.”

“…….”

He hesitated to speak several times, and in the end, he decided to keep his mouth shut.

Pei Xi cooked at his own pace.

Even though he kept making mistakes, and even though he failed to follow the step-by-step tutorial, he still showed extraordinary calmness.

The original plan was to make scrambled eggs with tomato first, but because he failed to peel the tomatoes, the Baidu recipe became egg and three delicacy soup.

But after beating the eggs into the hot water along with their broken eggshells, he discovered that the eggs in three delicacy soup must be stirred and fried first.

Thus, the website page changed from three delicacy soup to boiled poached eggs.

As a result, there were more eggs than water. In addition, he felt uneasy seeing the white foam floating on the water’s surface, so he kept fishing and fishing it out…..

In the end, his query turned from boiled poached eggs to pan-fried poached eggs.

Disregarding the taste, boiled-then-fried eggs were not very elegant or attractive in appearance.

Pei Xi cared about this very much, so after brief consideration, he turned to take a bag of bread from the refrigerator, then put the eggs on the bread along with some greens that he mistook for lettuce leaves.

When a sandwich with a ridiculous production process and an outrageous shape was handed to him, He Chuzhou felt that his brain had shrunk.

He had made a mistake, and spoken too early.

Pei Xi: “Okay, try it.”

He Chuzhou silently adjusted his breathing.

Bear with it. Children needed encouragement when they tried something for the first time.

With this idea in mind, he grabbed the sandwich and took a cautious bite.

Pei Xi tilted his head: “How is it?”

He Chuzhou: “……The taste is very rich.”

Soft yet crispy, charred yet fragrant, with some eggshells for good measure.

Pei Xi was very satisfied. He took the other half and put it into his mouth.

He Chuzhou: “ ! ”

He grabbed it with quick reflexes and took two more hasty bites to show that it was indeed delicious. Then he set his piece aside and took this person straight out of the kitchen.

Pei Xi didn’t understand: “What’s wrong?”

He Chuzhou: “Be good, let’s go out to eat.”

Pei Xi: “Why? Isn’t everything already done?”

He Chuzhou: “I remembered that I made a restaurant reservation this morning. If I don’t go and get my deposit back, I’ll lose money.”

Pei Xi was mystified: “What kind of restaurant requires a deposit?”

He Chuzhou skewed his eyes: “I don’t know, I’ll take you to see and experience it. Let’s go~”

*

*

The restaurant was located in a shopping mall in the city center. It had a nice environment, and the taste was pretty good.

But Pei Xi wasn’t very hungry yet, so he put his fork down without eating much. His attention flickered, falling on the young couple at the table in front of them.

The young couple were taking photos. Wearing clothes of the same style and in similar colors, they made faces and smiled broadly, appearing very intimate.

He watched them thoughtfully for a while, then quickly looked at the person opposite him: “Chuzhou, want to go clothes shopping?”

He Chuzhou didn’t know where this sudden idea had come from, but it happened to be convenient that they were at a shopping mall. After dinner, he took this person to the men’s clothing area on the fourth floor.

Like a lot of men, He Chuzhou had never been interested in shopping.

He always stuck to the same brands aside from custom-made suits, and the rest was all due to Ms. Chu picking up a couple of pieces for him when she went shopping for new clothes.

In the words of Ms. Chu, when it came to food and clothing, He Chuzhou was as easy to handle as his father.

But today was different.

He seemed to have discovered something he had never known before, the fun of shopping that Ms. Chu and He Aiyue were so passionate about.

“This one, this one, this one.”

“This one isn’t bad either.”

“You haven’t tried this color yet, have you? How about you try this one on?”

He turned to pick out a bunch, and Pei Xi didn’t object. He accepted them all and returned to the fitting room to try them on one by one.

“My Pei-calico looks good no matter what he wears.”

He Chuzhou happily paid outside and asked the clerk to pack up all of the things he had just tried on, leaving nothing behind.

Pei Xi quickly changed into the last set and came out.

The inner layer was white, and the casual jacket was light blue with white lines. The light color scheme went with his cool, neither arrogant nor impetuous look, lending a pure, clean aura to his face.

This was very different from his usual suit-and-tie appearance. If he was thrown into a crowd of students at the gate after school, he would definitely not seem out of place.

He Chuzhou’s eyes flickered, and his smile widened.

Every outfit had looked good.

But this was the best one today.

There were quite a few girls choosing men’s clothing in the store. Holding clothes in their hands, they couldn’t stop looking in this direction with bright eyes, and whispered to the clerk accompanying them to ask if he had more in the same style.

He Chuzhou went over to help Pei Xi adjust his collar, and suddenly asked: “Have the uniforms of the university-affiliated high school changed over the years?” 

Pei Xi thought for a moment, then shook his head: “I don’t know, I haven’t been there in a long time.”

Sure enough, it was that secondary school.

Success flashed through He Chuzhou’s eyes, and he retracted his hand: “Just wear this for now. It will be a hassle to change.”

Pei Xi had no objections: “Okay.”

The clerk packed Pei Xi’s original clothes with the others, and while He Chuzhou was leaving his address and delivery time, Pei Xi asked the clerk: “Can you help me pack another set of these same styles?”

The clerk was taken aback: “You mean you want two sets of each style?”

Pei Xi nodded: “The size should be two sizes larger.”

Noticing the confused look from He Chuzhou’s side, he turned around and asked naturally: “Aren’t you going to wear one?”

He Chuzhou looked at these clothes that clearly did not match his style……

It wasn’t impossible.

Thus, he took out his phone and payed the bill again, in good spirits: “Do what he said, please.”

“You brothers have such a good relationship.”

The clerk said with a smile: “The last time someone bought the same style in our store, it was a pair of twins who had just graduated and were inseparable.”

“Brothers?”

When Pei Xi heard this, he frowned and corrected him firmly: “We’re not brothers, we’re husb—mmph!”

He Chuzhou covered his mouth with a quick hand.

Facing the clerk with a question mark on his face, He Chuzhou smiled and explained: “What he means is that we are such good friends it’s like we’re related, but we’re not brothers.”

“En, he is not good with words and occasionally has a bit of an accent.”

---

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Chapter 16 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 18

Pancreatic cancer. I had only heard of it before, but never seen it, and didn’t know that this disease was so cunning. It could impersonate many diseases, most commonly gastrointestinal disease.

Having a loved one be seriously ill was a very common scene in TV dramas. When the protagonist heard the news, they would be sad and devastated, holding their lover and crying until their heart broke. But I actually felt none of those emotions when I heard the news.

My heart was very calm, like an empty world or a placid, dead sea.

I could even clearly feel the spring breeze blowing on my face and the warmth of the sun falling on my body.

There seemed to be a child passing by with his mother, greeting me warmly.

It was too absurd. My brain wouldn’t accept or digest the news, and my heart certainly wouldn’t respond either. “Could it be an error? I take him for a physical exam every year. We just had a physical exam at the beginning of last year.”

But the doctor said: “The chairman is not wrong. It is a very typical pancreatic cancer, almost in the third stage. This is how the disease is, very difficult to detect in the early stages…..”

He told me that this disease was very difficult to detect early. It could imitate many diseases that were not easily taken seriously, and the most common one was gastrointestinal disease. It only took half a year to go from the early stage to the late stage, and life and death were just a matter of seconds.

I could take him for treatment as soon as possible, but the so-called treatment was not to cure the disease and prolong life, but to reduce the pain of the patient in his last days.

It was as if my numb brain was finally starting to connect with the world, gradually understanding and digesting information.

Different from the scenery that would often appear on TV, heaven would not block out the sun with heavy rain because of someone’s tragedy.

On the contrary, the weather that day was very good. Spring was in full bloom, the sun was shining brightly in the sky, and the branches and leaves of the landscape trees beside the road gently swayed with the wind. The light that fell on them was shattered to pieces, and the light and shadow on the ground moved with the wind like the gleaming reflection of a lake.

The spring light also fell on me generously, but nerves and hormones rushed through my body with magma-like signals, burning my body and my soul. I couldn’t feel the world outside of myself.

I took the report out of my bag and looked at it all on the street. A few pieces of wedding candy I had selected in the morning fell to the ground due to my movements, but I had no time to care about them. People coming and going looked at me in bewilderment.

I tried to find evidence of a mis-diagnosis, but I could find nothing.

“Mincheng?”

He called me from behind, and my whole body froze. I heard him, but I didn’t look back.

I spoke to him in a calm voice. I told him I was going to buy something, and notified the driver at home to pick him up. I asked him to wait here for a while, and then ran to the hospital as if running away.

I abandoned him, and didn’t dare to look back.

I was afraid that he would notice something off about me, afraid of seeing his clueless face.

It seemed that if I could escape, he would be hale and healthy out of my sight.

Starting from noon that day, I did not go home for two consecutive days. I found the top experts in the country and invited some heavyweight researchers from abroad. They studied his medical records for a long time and told me tactfully that the five-year survival rate for the advanced stage disease was only 3%. With some hard work, he may be able to prolong his life for a while.

But there was no hope for a cure.

This was the malevolence of heaven, and humans had no way to resist.

After a few days, I finally went home.

It was evening, and there were no lights on at home. He was huddled on the sofa alone, watching TV. The light and shadow of the television flickered on and off his face. He looked desolate and lonely.

The sound of me opening the door caught his attention. He paused. His eyes moved from the TV to me, and he ran to me barefoot in pleasant surprise. “Why are so many things happening in the company suddenly? Have you rested well these days?”

I was like a machine. My body skillfully made various expressions and movements, but my soul was numb and unfeeling.

I stretched out my arms to him. He looked at me for a moment and then took the initiative to hug me. A hand touched my chin, and there was a worried look on his face. “You don’t seem to have shaved, Mingcheng. I don’t think you look right. Is something wrong?”

I shook my head, grabbed the hand that was touching my face, and kissed it. I said with a smile on my face and a helpless expression: “Nothing’s wrong. I was just in such a hurry to come back and see you.”

He continued to watch me when I was changing clothes. I knew that he was worried about me.

In order to keep him from noticing, all of my actions seemed perfectly natural.

I just didn’t know why the cold water splashed on my face made my eyes sting.

“Mingcheng?” Suddenly, he walked to my side.

I took out some face towels and wiped my face, smiling at him normally. After so many years, my smile should be perfect: “What’s wrong? Are you hungry? What do you want to eat in a while?”

I wiped the water off my face while talking to him. There was no smile on his face. I wanted to ask him if he was unhappy, if he was angry because I hadn’t been home in several days, but he suddenly reached out and touched the skin beneath my eyes.

“Mingcheng, you’re crying. Why?”

When these words sounded, my throat suddenly swelled and became blocked. I couldn’t speak for a long time.

Slowly, I turned my eyes to look at myself in the mirror.

The man in the mirror had a gentle smile on his face. Even his eyes were smiling, and the tears seemed to have fallen by mistake. They looked disharmonious on this face, as if a painter had made an error, but they really existed.

A-Zhen took the trouble to wipe away my tears. After a long while, I said calmly: “The water was too cold. It got into my eyes.”

I probably gave myself away, because my speaking voice was very ugly, like it had been scoured by sand hundreds of times, making it tattered and hoarse.

After that, I pretended to work normally and went out every day, coming home after five o’clock in the evening.

He must have thought I was at work, but in fact, I had been going back and forth to various hospitals at home and abroad during the day.

I took him to see many doctors on the pretext of treating gastrointestinal problems, but in the end, I found nothing.

It was too late. Too late. A life could be exchanged for money, but fate could not be changed. No matter how much money was invested, it could only be extended for a short period of time.

This was the answer I received.

I began to despair. Where he couldn’t see me, I became irritable and full of rage, breaking things at every turn. I lost the gentleness he liked and turned into the kind of person he despised.

I really couldn’t figure it out. Why were the heavens so malicious toward me?

Why did they allow him to get this disease?

The doctor told me: “There are many reasons why people get sick. Did he have pancreatitis before? Does he have the habit of smoking or drinking? Does he have any relatives who are sick? There is also emotion. If the patient is in a poor mood for a time, that may be a cause. There is a saying that disease comes from the heart, and of course there is also the saying that fate plays tricks on people……”

He did not have pancreatitis, and did not smoke or drink. Did the disease come from the heart, or was it caused by nature?

He had done no evil, and retribution should not befall him.

That night, I no longer hid my pain, and it could be said that I could no longer hide it anymore. I burst into tears quietly in front of him at the dinner table.

Because I refused to tell him the reason, he gave up questioning me in the end and silently poured me a drink.

He poured white wine into a crystal-clear glass and handed it to me, curving his lips in a faint smile. There were no lights on that day, only a nightlight on the table. His face looked exceptionally white and clear, like all that remained of the light in this world.

“I noticed that something was wrong with you the day you came back. Although you refuse to tell me, I’m very pleased that you are willing to show me your sadness.”

“Mingcheng, I understand your unwillingness to tell me. There were times when I was very sad, but unfortunately, I didn’t tell you at that time. I regret it very much.” He poured himself a glass of wine too.

I subconsciously wanted to stop him, but looking at his calm face, I gave up in the end.

He finished his glass of wine and said to me: “It is very precious to walk out of dark times with a loved one by your side. I should have told you then.”

“Mingcheng, I’m telling you now. Can you tell me your sad things too?”

For a long while, he told me a story in which we were the protagonists.

“You spent seven years with me in Russia. I never told you the reason why I dropped out of school. Now that I think about it, it wasn’t fair to you. Actually, it was because of that incident when we were still young. I couldn’t get out for a while…..”

The records of our room rental and photos were sent to his home. The Wei family parents were very conservative, and he was the most beloved son in the family. The Wei family parents didn’t celebrate the Lantern Festival that night, and he hid in his room for a long time while his parents quarreled fiercely outside.

“It was a long time before I could forget the disappointed look in their eyes when they looked at me. I took those photos back to my room and lit a fire to burn them, but the smell of smoke drew the attention of the auntie at home. I was pulled out and beaten by my dad again. He called me a person with no dignity in front of the whole family and the auntie, and I was so humiliated that I couldn’t face anyone in the family. He was so angry with me that he took heart attack pills in front of me. It was only then that I knew he had a heart disease.”

He smiled bitterly. The smile was fleeting, and he lowered his eyes to fill our two wine glasses again.

“My mother said that he had been ill for a long time, and never told me because he was afraid that I would be worried. My dad loved me very much, but he didn’t speak gently to his children. Every scolding word he gave me made me have nightmares for a long time. Back then, I felt so desperate that I wanted to jump off a building and die, but I really couldn’t bear to let go of you.”

He got up and approached me, sitting down next to me. “I was probably in shock at that time. Young, and without much experience. When I looked at the photos from the school cameras, I felt like everyone at school knew, and they were all mocking and despising us. Now that I think about it, I was actually worrying too much. There weren’t that many people in the world who were paying attention to me.”

“But I’ve never been a lovable person. You know that my classmates in school despised me after playing with me for a while. I was really afraid of seeing other peoples’ disgusted eyes aimed at me. I probably had depression during that time, but I didn’t know what it was back then…..”

He seemed to have really come out to tell the story of his past, but every word shocked me on the spot. One by one, they were like slaps to my face, bundles of arrows piercing my heart, smashing it into bloody pieces. 

This was the first time I understood the harm I had done to him. I really wanted to apologize to him and say that it wasn’t his fault. They didn’t hate you, they liked you. It was all my fault. I was the hateful one, the vicious one.

But I had no way to say it anymore. To this day, I could no longer expose my lies and dared not take off my disguise.

He apologized to me instead, wiping my tears with his hands: “I wanted to flee to a place where no one knew or hated me. I was too immature and weak, so I had to drop out of school. I’m sorry. I know you wouldn’t have dropped out of school if you hadn’t been with me. You should have gone to the best economics and management school, and not gone through so much hardship with me.”

“My father died later, and my brother was injured. I wasn’t with him when he died. I didn’t even see him for the last time, and burned his works with my own hands. Every day, it really was torture.”

At this point, he cried.

I held him in my arms, and we embraced each other with affection, kissing each other with love.

He wiped our tears with his hands and said to me: “Mingcheng, all of them left me over the long years. Only you have accompanied me. I only have you, and you me. We are going to get married and spend the rest of our lives together, so…..let me bear your pain with you. Can you tell me what happened? No matter what it is, I will accompany you to the end.”

When he said these words to me, he showed me his sincerity, but I didn’t dare look him in the eye, so I covered his eyes and kissed his lips.

You can tell me your pain, but I can’t do the same. I don’t deserve it.

In your life, I am the one who caused you the most pain.

I remembered that my dad once told me he regretted not strangling me to death, and I felt the same regret. 

It was Wei Zhizhen’s misfortune to fall in love with me.

. . . . . . .

This disease worsened very quickly. No matter how expensive the injections were, they only relieved him of pain. He was losing weight day by day, vomiting day and night, and even vomited blood and fainted.

Scientific methods had failed, so I began to pray to God and worship Buddha.

No one knew better than me that this was useless, but every time a charlatan was recommended to me, I was still willing to believe. 

In the past few months, I invited the Fox Fairy and the Queen Mother of Xishan, begged for life from the gods, and even went to the ancestral graves at home.

Without any suspense, they all failed.

Then one time, a very capable Confucian scholar in the circle gave A-Zhen boiled talisman water to drink. After he drank it, he vomited violently on the spot. In a fury, I pulled out the Chinese Anzhai knife from the table and pressed it against the scholar’s neck. 

He knelt down and begged for mercy, telling me: “Mr. Wen, I am not deceiving you. I really can do it. Real estate boss Zhao drank my water and lived for another three years. I really didn’t expect Mr. Wei’s situation, but my shifu is very capable. My shifu is better than me. Let me go, let me go and I will take you to see him. He can change fate, it’s true.”

So I met a fake monk. His name was Mei Yin. It was said that the legitimate monk was very talented in his early years, but later practiced evil skills by chance and was kicked out by the other disciples. 

This man wavered between good and evil, but he was mine and A-Zhen’s turning point.

I didn’t believe him at that time, so I tossed him a case of money just as I had those scholars.

He looked at the banknotes in the case and smiled at me: “You are the most generous customer I have ever met.”

He took out a pill and handed it to me, telling me to go back and give it to A-Zhen.

I took it and said to him: “Master, you had better tell your own fortune first. If my lover eats this and something bad happens to him, I will kill you.”

He smiled and nodded: “No problem.”

This elixir gave me hope. 

At that time, A-Zhen had already received so many injections, relying on the million-to-one chance of miracle drugs. But in my opinion, they were actually painkillers to maintain his life. These injections were made by the research team I hired. The injections were given once a week, and as long as they continued, he seemed to regain health and become a normal person within a few days.

Even he himself thought he had a minor illness such as gastroenteritis, which easily relapsed, and it would be fine if he took the injections on time.

I didn’t dare tell him the truth about his pancreatic cancer, and continued to lie to him about his gastrointestinal problems. And he believed me.

But then the medicine began to wear off, and he couldn’t eat for several days.

I felt that he may have begun to doubt his condition as well. 

I was desperate, so when I got home, I pressured him to take the elixir semi-forcefully.

When he swallowed painfully, I expertly placed my hand on his mouth, prepared for him to vomit. But he didn’t.

He slept.

I knelt on one knee beside the bed and gazed at him. I feared that his heartbeat would suddenly stop, so I kept my palm on his chest.

Nearly ten hours passed like this before he woke up.

His face actually looked rosy. The bloodshot eyes caused by the disease had vanished, and he appeared energetic.

Changed from the life-threatening weakness from a few days ago, he blinked and looked at me, smiling as he said: “Mingcheng, it’s so nice to see you when I wake up in the morning.”

He reached out and hugged my neck, ruffling my hair mischievously: “What should we eat this morning? I’m so hungry.”

I made him breakfast doubtfully, a light bowl of vegetable porridge.

However, he no longer had difficulty swallowing like he had in the past few days, and looked very hungry. After a few sips, he asked me for more.

There was nothing to be afraid of now, so I gave him what he wanted, and cooked whatever he wanted to eat.

That day, I watched with my own eyes as he ate three normal meals. He even ate some fruit, and slept normally at night.

He was in this state every day afterward. His cheeks, which had been thin before, began to grow flesh, and even the doctors were shocked speechless by his condition.

Although it was a pity that this situation lasted less than half a month, it gave me great hope.

I found Master Mei Yin, and this time, I intended to change fate.

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Chapter 33 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 35

T/N: Soooo, this story is finished and I’ll be uploading the rest of the chapters as soon as I edit them. And I’ve also picked up another rather niche horror story, which you can look forward to soon! There are just so many great novels out there waiting to be translated that I can’t help myself!

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When I returned home from the Wei family, my father was furious.

He slapped my mother in the face and blamed her for not educating me well. He also called Mingyi and refused to let her return home that night.

Then he dragged me to the office on the first floor and slammed the door.

It was the Lantern Festival, and there was no ban on fireworks at that time. Firecrackers sounded outside, and when the fireworks bloomed, the gorgeous lights fell generously onto my home.

He hadn’t won the fight against me long ago, and today he was put on the spot with the Wei family. Naturally, he was extremely angry and frustrated.

When he beat me with a deer sinew whip, I saw that his eyes were bloodshot and the veins in his forehead and neck were pulsing. The dignity and tranquility that he had always maintained had vanished.

I let him beat me for a while. When he grew tired, I raised my hand and grasped the whip he was using. Wiping the blood from the corners of my lips with the back of my thumb, I smiled at him: “Dad, go to bed early if you’re tired.”

He gave me a dark look and said: “I regret not strangling you to death when you were a child.”

“It’s a pity that there is no medicine for regret in this world.” I stepped forward. At that time, we were about the same height. He and I were eye-level. “Dad, you have put in so much hard work that you shouldn’t have, right? Someone in this family should benefit from it, shouldn’t they?”

“I made Uncle Wei angry. Please try your best to persuade him. If he blows up, I also hope you won’t complain about it. After all, there are so many strange people and things in our family that shouldn’t be heard about by others. Besides, I think what you said is wrong…..”

“Whether they believe me or not is one thing. Whether they’ve heard it or not and what they feel after hearing it is another.”

I took the whip from his hand and tossed it away. Looking at his face brimming with fury, I unexpectedly discovered that he no longer possessed the handsomeness of his youth. A closer look revealed wrinkles, cloudy eyes, and difficulty controlling his emotions.

This suddenly reminded me of two idioms: dancing and singing from morning till night, as if drunk and entranced. 

When he was young, he was a brilliant and promising person who could make good plans and decisions. Later, he spent half his life enjoying himself in a world of drunkenness, wealth, and sex. In middle age, he was obsessed with dirty emotions and desires.

Preoccupied, he became conceited and foolish, so much so that he fell into trouble with his son, who had just grown up.

I walked past him and patted his shoulder. “Thanks for your hard work, Dad. Say goodbye to your son.”

. . . . . .

He was still useful as far as showing his old face and pleading on my behalf. When the vacation was about to end, I could meet with A-Zhen openly.

I had missed him practically day and night, but when I actually saw him, I was not as happy as I imagined.

He had lost a lot of weight and was visibly thinner. The plump flesh on his face had disappeared, his lips were lighter and paler, and his chin was thin and pointed. It was very cold that day, and his body was covered in a large down jacket, making him look very thin and fragile.

When he saw me, his eyes curved as he smiled at me. He had obviously missed me a lot, and when he smiled, his eyes sparkled. “Mingcheng.”

But I couldn’t smile.

My heart seemed to be squeezed, crushed, and torn to pieces. I also discovered for the first time that it was difficult to fake a smile if your heart hurt.

The reason why I was so good at pretending before was that back then, I didn’t have a heart.

A person without a heart would not feel pain. I rarely felt pain, and of course I would not feel sad after being beaten and scolded by my father.

But he should not.

His family was happy and harmonious, and his parents loved him very much. He should go home and enjoy the Mid-Autumn Festival with his family. Eating food cooked by his mother should occupy his mouth every day, his cheeks plump, happy and healthy.

And he shouldn’t spend the holidays in a tense family atmosphere like mine. He shouldn’t be so thin and pale.

Why was this happening?

Why had he become like this?

This wasn’t right.

I seemed to have done something wrong…..

That day, I took him to visit many of his favorite places in the city and to eat his favorite foods. He always had a smile on his face. As before, he would take a few bites of the snacks that he liked, and would secretly touch something else he was interested in.

When he was eating, I paid special attention to his appetite. Perhaps because he had just had snacks, he didn’t eat much, but his appetite seemed to be good and he finished everything I gave him.

At that time, I only felt that the feeling of sadness was the most painful thing in the world, so I was afraid that he would be sad and wanted to make him happy. 

He could eat, drink, and be happy, and I could finally relax some of my worries.

It was in the evening that I realized something was wrong with him.

While waiting for drinks at a coffee shop, we encountered two people, one of whom recognized us and came to say hello.

“Eh? Wei Zizhen? Are you Wei Zizhen?” 

His words drew my attention to him, and I quickly remembered who he was. In high school, this was the classmate who always begged to copy A-Zhen’s homework, and one of the few I didn’t give the time of day.

A-Zhen looked at him for a moment and recognized who he was. “Is it you, Zhan Yan? Long time no see. Where are you studying at university now?”

Zhan Yan walked toward us with a cup of steaming coffee and a smile on his face, but as soon as he took a step, he was yanked by his companion.

It seemed that he had used too much force, and the coffee in his hand was almost spilled.

I saw him turn back in confusion as his companion said to us: “Sorry for the disturbance, he’s studying abroad and I’m in the north. We still have some things to do, so we’ll talk again when there’s time.”

Having said this, he took the other person away.

I recognized the speaker. He was indeed in the same university as us. However, due to business problems some time ago, his family business was suppressed by the Wen family and was forced to withdraw from Yuhua. I couldn’t remember very much.

After they left, our coffee was ready. I went to pick up the food and left with A-Zhen.

On the way back, he kept sipping the cup of hot coffee with his eyes lowered. The steaming heat condensed into small water droplets on his eyelashes. I was afraid he would be burned, and went to blow on his drink to cool it down.

But I had just taken the cup and blown on it a few times when his face, which was still smiling, suddenly changed. After a few steps, he ran to the roadside and vomited while holding onto a tree.

Since he hadn’t eaten yet, he could only spit up the half cup of coffee he drank.

I quickly helped him up and went to buy drinking water for him to rinse his mouth.

He rested on a roadside seat for a long time. I was worried that he had eaten something bad and wanted to take him to the hospital, but he put his arms around me and refused to call a taxi.

“A-Zhen.” I put my chin on his head, stroked his back with my hands, and asked him if he felt uncomfortable.

No matter what I asked, he said no. I noticed his depressed mood, so I took off my outer layer and covered him up, staying with him quietly for a while.

It was getting dark. The street lights came on, and he suddenly said calmly: “Mingcheng, I want to drop out of school.”

I was stunned. “What?”

Beihua University of fine arts was the top in the country, and it was A-Zhen’s dream in high school. He had ultimately gotten into it.

I wanted to see his face, but it was buried in my chest as he held me tightly without letting go.

His voice was muffled, but his tone was very relaxed, as if talking about something insignificant. “It’s just…..I think this is also good. I want to go outside to look around, and I think it would be good to study abroad like Zhan Yan. Russia, for example. Russian oil paintings have always been very amazing…..”

“You will miss home.” I interrupted him with a frown. He had never left home before going to university. It was not like I hadn’t seen all of his discomfort during the first few days of his freshman year. “Let’s go back and think about it, okay? If you like Russian teachers, I can help you find a few. We can also go and play during the holidays, and won’t Auntie and Uncle agree? Your older brother is already involved in the company’s affairs and isn’t at home often. They won’t begrudge you…..”

“They approved,” he said abruptly.

I stroked my hand over his back.

“I told them and they said it’s up to me.”

He spoke in his usual tone, but there was warmth on my chest.

Realizing something, I forcibly lifted his face.

The moment I touched his face, I felt coolness and moisture.

I looked at my hand in shock for a few seconds.

I felt the tears covering his face.

He was crying.

. . . . . . .

He and I dropped out of school together and began our seven years of studying abroad.

So much happened in those seven years.

In the first year of studying abroad, Uncle Wei passed away.

He died unexpectedly. At a cultural exchange meeting, he had an altercation with a new-school calligrapher and suffered a heart attack, dying in anger.

Not long after his death, the eldest brother of the Wei family was injured and great changes occurred within the family.

Uncle Wei’s death truly caught people off guard. At that time, I traveled the most frequently home and abroad, and the person I had the most contact with was my uncle. In order to obtain part of the company’s shares, I went to Norway, and I happened to not be with A-Zhen.

I only found out about this once I returned to China. After that, I found out that the person who had sent someone to injure the eldest brother of the Wei family was a relative who was in decline. That relative was sent to prison, but it was difficult to save the damage suffered by the Wei family and the withering of Wei Shu.

A-Zhen burned all of his father’s works with his bare hands.

A person’s talent will arouse the envy of others. After Uncle Wei’s death, no one could protect them. My father wasn’t trustworthy, and I was only nineteen years old, lacking the power to protect the entire Wei family, so I could completely understand him.

But he didn’t go home to celebrate the New Year for several years after that, nor did he visit his father’s grave. I knew that he was guilty and in pain.

And after Uncle Wei’s funeral, Aunt Wei came to our house and hoped that my parents would agree to our engagement as soon as possible.

It seemed difficult for her to speak at that time, and I saw her embarrassment and reluctance.

I knew why she was so anxious for us to get engaged. Because the Wei family was in danger, and her eldest son was injured, so she had to do this.

Not only could she protect her youngest son, but she could also protect her home.

Before leaving, she held my hand with the intention of saying something to me, but after a long while, she said nothing.

She still liked to wear cheongsams, and when she came to my house to discuss marriage, she dressed up nicely. But when she left, I saw that the diamond earring in her right ear was backwards.

I understood more and more the importance of wealth and power.

In the following years, with the help of my uncle and the company’s shareholders, I obtained 32% of the company’s shares. When I was twenty-four years old, I became the new chairman during a shareholders meeting. The process did not need to be discussed in detail.

Our remaining years studying abroad were very smooth years for us.

By removing and appointing new company executives, as well as reforming some of the issues left behind by my father, I eliminated most of the old guard while acquiring nearly half of the company’s shares.

The eldest brother of the Wei family married after recovering from his injury, and the family property was well-organized under the care of that couple. A-Zhen showed amazing talent at oil painting. After graduating with a master’s degree, he returned to Beihua again, this time as a teacher.

He had made great achievements in oil painting and was well-known in the circle. After one year of employment, he was promoted to associate professor.

When he was twenty-six years old, A-Zhen said that he no longer wanted me to be his boyfriend. He wanted to marry me.

That day, I had bought a few bouquets from the flower shop on my way back from work, intending to put them in his studio as decorations. But when I got home, he snatched away my flowers and said to me: “Let’s get married, Mingcheng. I think we should call each other something else. I wanted to wait for you to say it to me, but you are too patient.”

This took me entirely by surprise. For a moment, it seemed like all the beauty in the world was blooming before my eyes.

That day, I was so impatient that I traveled to several cities overnight. At dawn, I proposed to him with a diamond ring I had bought with difficulty.

He laughed at the size of the diamond being too big and looking nouveau riche, and told me to find a good-looking pair when we married. But despite saying that, he let me put it on him.

His hands were beautiful, his fingers as pale and slender as the whites of onions. There was a bit of sky blue oil paint on his little finger, and the diamond on his finger sparkled, as beautiful as the oil paintings he created.

I could feel his warm flesh and well-proportioned bones at the joints as I held them in my hands.

I couldn’t help but kiss the back of his hand.

After the two families sat together to discuss marriage, our nearly ten-year love affair came to a resolution. 

I was happy for a long time. In those days, I told everyone I met that I was getting married and hoped they could come to my wedding.

When they received my invitations, they all expressed their sincere blessings and spoke some words about wishing me and my lover a happy marriage and that we would grow old together. There were some eloquent people who spoke even more pleasantly.

I knew they flattered me because they wanted something from me, but I loved to hear it.

I had heard those blessings hundreds of times at other peoples’ weddings, and found them particularly pleasant to my ears.

So everything went according to plan, and everything seemed to be developing for the better.

A-Zhen and I bought a house together. We decorated our wedding room together, prepared various things needed for the wedding, tasted various wedding candies, and wrote wedding invitations together.

We had a premarital physical examination together.

This physical examination was conducted at the Wen family hospital. I didn’t care too much, because we had physicals at the beginning of each year and I had a pretty good idea of both of our physical conditions. My health was very good, and so was A-Zhen’s, but he couldn’t help eating casually. He had gastrointestinal discomfort after eating too much cold food some time ago, but after I got him to eat regularly and take medicine on time, he could now eat and drink completely fine.

As expected, the doctor inspected him and asked about A-Zhen’s stomach problems, then handed me the forms: “There are no problems. I wish you both a happy wedding.”

On the way back, A-Zhen wanted to buy tiramisu from a Russian dessert shop in the city. We parked the car in front of the store, and he raised his fair eyebrows and smiled at me: “This store is actually a bit rough, but this rough feeling is truly Russian. Remember that tiramisu in the canteen?”

Of course I remembered. The person who made that dessert was a middle-aged woman. She was tall, with a bold personality, and had short, wild blond hair. She never rounded out her tiramisu.

I couldn’t help but smile when I thought of her. “Let’s go back to school and see her after we get married.”

A-Zhen said: “Okay, ah, we still have a log house in St. Petersburg…..”

He was wearing light-colored clothes and trousers, beaming with joy. There was a circle of light green around the collar of his top, his whole person like a ring of flowers blooming in spring, all of him filled with light and abundant vitality.

As soon as he entered the store, I received a call.

“Hello.”

“Hello, Chairman. It’s me, Doctor Wang. Is your lover still by your side?” His title immediately informed me that he was the doctor who had just examined us.

The sun was very bright that day, but this sentence alone instantly made my heart sink. An ominous premonition came to mind, and my eyelids fluttered uncontrollably.

I pinched the corners of my eyes, glanced at the person selecting snacks inside the store, and took a few steps away with the phone in my hand. “Speak…..”

“It’s not a stomach disease at all, ah, it’s pancreatic cancer!”

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Chapter 32 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 34

The darkness ended abruptly at the moment the horizon turned fish-belly white, and the remaining silence gradually dispersed in the cool morning air.

A thin figure stood barefoot in the center of the room, and there seemed to be some inexplicable confusion on his face.

How did he get here?

Why was he……alone again?

Uncertain, he looked for the bathroom, confirmed that it was empty, then turned around and went out.

“Chuzhou?”

“Chuzhou, are you here?”

The empty, spacious house practically squeezed an echo from his voice, but there was no response.

He was really the only one in the house.

He couldn’t help but frown, and returned to the bedroom again. His gaze swept between the bed and the cabinet, and then he bent down to feel under the pillow.

There was nothing.

How could it not be here?

He flipped over the two pillows, lifted the quilt, and searched the entire bed, including underneath it.

Then there were the sofa and coffee table in the living room, the kitchen counters, the bathroom shelves, the dirty clothes rack, the laundry machine…..

Nothing.

Where was his cell phone?

What should he do if he didn’t have it?

He stood there at a loss. After a while, he returned to his senses and went back to the bedroom to change clothes, then walked out of the house empty-handed.

It was late in the morning for the people of Wancheng, and it was already bright, but there were only a few sporadic breakfast shops along the way. Steam could be seen rising in the distance.

It took Pei Xi nearly an hour to walk from home to the He Group building.

The receptionist noticed his arrival with keen eyes, which lit up. He immediately stood and watched him attentively the whole way. “President Pei, are you looking for President He?”

Pei Xi didn’t know why he had called him ‘President Pei,’ but he still nodded: “En.”

The receptionist: “President He is currently in a morning meeting. Do you think you can wait for a while, or will you go up directly?”

Pei Xi: “He’s in a meeting?”

The receptionist gave a professional smile: “Yes, there is about twenty minutes left.”

Pei Xi considered for a moment, then said: “I’ll wait for him to finish first.”

That said, he turned around and went to the rest area.

The receptionist and the colleague beside him exchanged a mutually understanding look. The latter immediately got up to prepare hot tea, while the former dutifully handed over the news of Pei Xi’s arrival as soon as he could.

Important matters must be prioritized, and this important news could not be delayed.

He Group was rich and imposing, and the hospitality tea prepared in the lobby was all first-class.

Pei Xi had been blown the entire way by the cool autumn breeze, and when he held the cup of hot tea, he felt the temperature of his hands slowly warming up.

He initially thought he would have to wait the full twenty minutes, but unexpectedly, after taking a few sips of tea, the person he wanted to see magically appeared in front of him.

“Chuzhou.”

His eyes brightened slightly, and the end of his tone quietly rose: “Don’t you still have a meeting? Why did you come down so fast?”

“It ended. There wasn’t much content in today’s morning meeting.” As he spoke, He Chuzhou covertly observed his expression.

Sure enough, he was confused again.

It seemed that his preparations were not in vain.

“Have you had breakfast?” He Chuzhou asked as he sent a message to a person he had just added to his contacts the day before.

Pei Xi shook his head: “No.”

He Chuzhou: “Is there anything you want to eat?”

Pei Xi: “Anything is fine.”

“Okay,” He Chuzhou responded. After making an appointment with the person on the other end of the line, he put his phone away and set out: “Let’s go, I’ll take you to eat first.”

Pei Xi set down his teacup and stood obediently.

As the two figures vanished into the elevator, a few heads peeked out from behind the computers at the front desk. They exchanged glances, and there seemed to be some tacit understanding in the crisp sounds of the keyboards:

[Good news! President Pei took the initiative to come to President He!]

[Good news! President Pei had a good attitude toward President He!]

[Good news! President He has hope of pursuing his wife!]

[Good news! The two are going to the Civil Affairs Bureau!]

[Good…..huh? Combining gossip with reality and spreading rumors is prohibited!]

*

*

After breakfast, Pei Xi thought they would go directly back to the company. But unexpectedly, the car drove in the opposite direction before stopping at last in front of a private hospital.

Pei Xi: “……”

Pei Xi pursed his lips: “Chuzhou, even though I ran away from home again, there’s no need for you to send me to the doctor, right? It’s only that I’m untrustworthy, not mentally ill.”

“What are you thinking about?”

He Chuzhou was amused by his train of thought, and unbuckled his seatbelt: “Naturally, I didn’t bring you to the hospital because you ran away from home, but because you—”

He Chuzhou: “…….”

Pei Xi couldn’t wait for the second half of the sentence, and took the initiative to ask: “Because I what?”

“……Because of the appointment for your annual physical.”

He Chuzhou got out of the car and went around to the passenger seat to open the door for him: “Let’s go. It’s arranged for ten o’clock, don’t be late.”

Annual physical?

Pei Xi couldn’t locate the relevant memory in his brain. He asked He Chuzhou as they entered the hospital gates: “A physical? Why don’t I remember making an appointment?”

“You just don’t remember. I made the appointment for you.”

He Chuzhou called the phone at the nurse’s station, and someone quickly took them to the specialist’s office upstairs.

When they pushed open the door and walked in, there was a kindly-faced female doctor around forty years old sitting behind a computer. She was Wu Qing’s distant cousin.

She asked who the patient was and entered the ID number into the computer. After she pressed Enter, her expression revealed a bit of surprise: “Didn’t Mr. Pei come in for a checkup not long ago?”

Pei Xi looked puzzled.

He Chuzhou immediately knew that Pei Xi had come here himself when he was in his right mind, but this was not suitable for Pei-calico to know: “Doctor, doesn’t a physical examination start with measuring blood sugar?”

The doctor had already taken a rough scan of Pei Xi’s examination report. Looking at Pei Xi’s expression again, she made up her mind and cooperatively made a list: “Right, let’s have your blood drawn to test your blood sugar first. The nurse specialist at the door will take you there.”

Pei Xi took the list: “But I’ve already had breakfast. Won’t that affect it?”

The doctor said with a smile: “It’s not a big deal. We’ll do the tests first.”

Once Pei Xi went out, the doctor immediately pulled out the X-rays and results from his last examination and showed them to He Chuzhou in detail.

Some of the terminology was too technical for He Chuzhou to understand, but that didn’t delay his understanding of the key points: “So it’s normal for him to be like this over and over again?”

The doctor: “Of course it isn’t normal. It’s just one of the side effects of brain damage, although it’s a bit more peculiar than others.”

He Chuzhou: “It won’t affect his health?”

“It won’t.” The doctor affirmed: “You can think of it as the disconnected areas of his brain being repaired and reconnected. The connections will occasionally be faulty. You need to give it more time.”

He Chuzhou considered this: “Is there a medication or something that can speed up the healing process?”

The doctor shook her head: “There is no such medication at the moment. Don’t worry, it will slowly heal on its own, but there is one thing you must pay special attention to.”

He Chuzhou: “What is it?”

“The patient’s memories of normal times should not be shared with him when he is confused. If we try to force him into a normal chain of memory at this time, it may be counterproductive.”

“If conditions permit, try to go along with him. The nerves in his brain are currently more fragile than those of ordinary people, so don’t let him be stimulated.”

*

*

The scheduled physical examination ended with a blood draw and blood sugar test, and Pei Xi was still confused as they left the hospital.

“They’re not going to check anything else?”

He asked He Chuzhou: “Or is it that…..hospitals nowadays can draw blood to examine the whole body?”

He Chuzhou had his mind on other things, and gave an absent hum.

Pei Xi frowned: “When did mankind’s modern medical technology advance to this level? Have humans also moved to the moon and I just don’t know about it?”

When He Chuzhou returned to his senses and heard this sentence, he was endlessly delighted: “Don’t worry, I’m still here. I won’t leave you alone on the earth.”

Pei Xi felt a little better at this thought.

The temperature today was cooler than the day before. He was wearing a light-colored jacket over a casual shirt, his hair falling softly over his forehead.

Although there was no expression on his face, with his crystal-clear eyes, he looked particularly innocent and easy to deceive.

He Chuzhou lowered his eyes to look at him and thought about the doctor’s instructions just now. He thought to himself, did this count as going along with him?

Sometimes good and sometimes bad, delicate and finicky, sensitive and clingy.

The most important part was that no matter how good he was to him, he wouldn’t remember it. Perhaps one day he would turn against him and never come back.

Taking care of him was completely thankless.

But besides that, he realized one other thing.

They had remained at the door for a long time, and when Pei Xi was about to ask if he wanted to leave, his vision suddenly dimmed as someone pinched his cheek.

“Last time, you blacklisted me because I made a mistake. In fact, it was you who threw me onto the blacklist yourself after you came to your senses. Pei-calico, you are very capable when it comes to making false accusations.”

Pei Xi didn’t know what he was talking about. 

He Chuzhou didn’t exert any force with his hand, and it didn’t hurt at all, but he still couldn’t stop that one eye from squinting. “Came to my senses? What does that mean?”

“It means, why did you just come here instead of calling me?”

He Chuzhou didn’t actually want to argue with him. He released his grip and saw that his cheek was red from being pinched, so he rubbed it twice more to remedy it: “Then you were content to wait downstairs.”

Pei Xi: “I couldn’t find my phone.”

“Your phone is missing?” He Chuzhou was a little surprised. “Last night, didn’t you……did you search your whole house?”

Pei Xi bobbed his head and lowered his voice: “I looked, but it wasn’t there.”

Hiss—

Not possible, ah.

He Chuzhou bit his cheek. He had received a courier delivery from Pei Xi the night before. It was already quite late at that time, and Pei Xi probably hadn’t gone out again.

Unless something unexpected had happened, the phone should still be at his house. It was just that Pei Xi had put it in some nook or corner, and Pei-calico never found it.

He had seen fathers trick their sons, but this was the first time he had witnessed someone tricking themselves like this.

“It doesn’t matter, I’ll go back and look with you later.”

He Chuzhou consoled him: “Next time you don’t have your phone, tell the front desk to contact me, or just go upstairs—”

As he spoke, he came to a sudden realization and paused before asking again: “Do you have cash on you?”

Pei Xi shook his head.

He Chuzhou: “Then how did you get here?”

Pei Xi: “I walked.”

……He walked here from so far away?

Didn’t his feet hurt?

He Chuzhou’s teeth ached when he heard this: “Come in a taxi, you dummy. Just call me when you get here and I’ll come down and pay for you.”

Pei Xi: “It would disturb your meeting.”

He Chuzhou: “You can ask the front desk or the security guards to pay in advance for you.”

Pei Xi: “No, I’m not familiar with them.”

He Chuzhou: “…….”

“Did……I cause you any trouble?”

Seeing that he was speechless, Pei Xi pursed his lips. There was a hint of dismay in his eyes, the bottom of which could be seen at a glance. “I’m sorry, Chuzhou.”

“Maybe I should have waited until you got off work and came back, but I don’t know what happened at that time. I was alone and just wanted to see you.”

His voice was very soft, very slow. Unaware of his muddled head, he spoke all of his thoughts frankly and honestly.

Like a newborn deer with soft antlers – no, no antlers at all, more like a soft-furred rabbit – he picked the softest part of He Chuzhou’s heart to arch his head against.

In a chain reaction, the surrounding area began to sink into silence.

“You didn’t.” After a long moment, He Chuzhou heard his own voice, which seemed as far away as his ability to breathe. 

After a pause, he repeated again: “You didn’t.”

His blood flow returned to normal, and he regained the long-lost ability to breathe.

“You didn’t cause any trouble.”

Breathing out, he stretched out his hands to cover Pei Xi’s ears and block the cool breeze, and a relaxed smile appeared in his eyes: “And to be honest, I’m not really afraid of trouble.”

It was true that he was delicate and finicky, sensitive and clingy, and that taking care of him was a thankless job.

“So in general, little friends can act coquettishly and have a bad temper here. They don’t have to be too sensible.”

But why did he need to be good?

Being adorable was just fine.

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Chapter 15 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 17