Did My Wife Break Up With Me Today? - Chapter 14

Chapter 14: “Break up.”

Chen Kongqing stood at the entrance of the bar.

The cold wind sliced into his bones like a frigid blade. A notification popped up on his phone: [Today is the Start of Winter (Lidong). Remember to wear extra layers.]

So, today was already the Start of Winter. No wonder it was this cold. His phone should have reminded him earlier; then he wouldn’t have stepped out wearing only this thin knitted sweater coat.

The wind was relentless, blowing in wave after wave, lifting the chestnut-colored strands of hair atop the youth’s head. His face was numb from the biting cold, but he didn’t feel the pain. His exposed hands were gradually turning icy.

Chen Kongqing stood before the stone steps, making no move to leave. Was he waiting for something? He didn’t know. He didn’t know what he was waiting for. He just found himself thinking: At least it isn’t snowing yet. Otherwise, he would surely feel like the most pathetic person in the world.

“Chen Kongqing.”

Suddenly, a familiar male voice called from behind. He could recognize the voice. In any case, it wasn’t Ling Xiao’s.

The youth silently lowered his gaze and turned around. Xu Jingmo was still wearing that grey overcoat, his steps carrying a rare trace of urgency. Chen Kongqing stood still and gave him a smile—a very forced one.

Xu Jingmo slowed his pace as he approached. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” The youth nodded like a little robot. Although he knew the probability of Ling Xiao chasing after him was incredibly low, he had still hoped for it.

“Chen Kongqing, are you still unwilling to consider my suggestion?” Xu Jingmo spoke, his ink-dark phoenix eyes locked onto the youth’s bloodless face and thin, fragile frame.

“What?” Chen Kongqing didn’t react immediately.

Xu Jingmo’s gaze fell squarely on those misty willow-leaf eyes. “Break up.”

Just two words. Yet they felt as heavy as a thousand pounds as they crashed into Chen Kongqing’s ears.

Break up. Yes. If it was this painful… he might as well break up.

Xu Jingmo didn’t receive an answer, but he saw a downpour reflected in those willow-leaf eyes. But why? Why did it feel like he was the one getting drenched by this rain?

The cold wind surged again, as if time itself were about to freeze.

“It’s too cold. Get in my car; I’ll take you back.” Xu Jingmo pursed his lips, looking at the “rabbit” whose clothes were pitifully thin and whose nose was red from the frost.

“No need. I’ll just take the subway back in a bit,” Chen Kongqing shook his head with a smile.

Xu Jingmo: “The subway station is two kilometers away. Your leg isn’t suited for that much walking.”

Chen Kongqing could hear the determination in the man’s voice. One of the main reasons he was refusing was that he didn’t know where to go. He didn’t want to go back to the apartment. After all, it wasn’t really his apartment.

During his moment of hesitation, a weight suddenly settled on his shoulders. “Ugh…” Chen Kongqing snapped back to his senses.

The man’s overcoat was now draped over him. It carried the scent of Earl Grey tea mixed with the sharp, slight tang of tobacco. The soft inner lining was still suffused with a lingering body heat.

Chen Kongqing looked up, his lashes still damp.

Xu Jingmo: “You just recovered from a cold. Don’t let yourself get chilled again.”

After taking off his coat, the man was left wearing a black turtleneck sweater that didn’t look particularly thick either. Embarrassed, Chen Kongqing tried to take the coat off to return it.

The man saw through his intention. “If we go to the car, neither of us has to freeze, right?”

Chen Kongqing’s eyes widened, and he gave a small nod. He was led away and placed into that pure black S-Class Mercedes.

The interior was clean, free of pungent car perfumes, smelling only of a very faint Earl Grey scent. Chen Kongqing sat in the passenger seat and buckled his seatbelt. After a moment’s hesitation, he said, “Dr. Xu, I shouldn’t go back to the Tianyue complex.”

Xu Jingmo was adjusting the heater to concentrate on the passenger side. His movements paused slightly. He didn’t ask why; he could probably guess.

“Then where do you want to go? I’ll drive you.” The man’s tone was as steady as usual, but a flicker of hard-to-catch joy passed through his eyes.

“I… I’ll go to the lab.” He had the keys to the lab and intended to catch up tonight on the progress he’d lost while his sense of smell was gone. He planned to make do for the night and go straight to his classes in the morning.

Xu Jingmo turned the steering wheel, and the car merged into the main road. “Resting in the lab?”

“Mm, it’s fine. There’s a recliner there. If I get tired from the experiments, I can rest.” Chen Kongqing spoke in a casual tone.

The man’s brow, however, was gradually furrowing. This rabbit used to hide in his arms and cry at age ten because he didn’t get a piece of radish cake. Yet at twenty, he was forcing a smile while being essentially homeless.

He gripped the steering wheel tighter, turning the car in the opposite direction of Kun University. Chen Kongqing didn’t realize at first, only noticing later that this wasn’t the way. “Dr. Xu, did you take a wrong turn?”

“I didn’t,” the man replied unhurriedly. “I have a guest room at my place. Stay there for the night.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Kongqing’s pupils experienced a magnitude-three earthquake. “No… there’s no need to go to such trouble. I… I’ll be fine at the lab.”

Xu Jingmo: “I’m on call tonight. I won’t be home.”

Chen Kongqing’s ears, which had been numb from the wind, now burned with heat—perhaps from the car heater, or perhaps because of Xu Jingmo’s explanation. This… this wasn’t really a question of whether Dr. Xu was home or not.

Chen Kongqing lowered his head, his tone resolute. “Really, no need! Dr. Xu, you don’t have to go this far.”

“Ling Xiao has wronged you. As his cousin, and as your attending physician, I feel this is what I should do.” Xu Jingmo looked straight at the windshield, his voice calm, as if he were simply handling a routine matter.

Chen Kongqing froze. He froze at the phrase: “Ling Xiao has wronged you.”

Actually, he also felt that Ling Xiao had wronged him. Not because of his leg. But because of his heart.

“It has nothing to do with you, Dr. Xu.” He stared somewhat blankly at the neon-lit boulevard outside the window.

“But don’t you always call me ‘Cousin’?” Xu Jingmo smiled. “Then just consider it staying at your cousin’s place for a night.”

As the man smiled, his heart clenched. He actually had to rely on this identity to get close to Chen Kongqing.

Chen Kongqing felt his heart, which had been hollow and cold, being filled with a warm light. But soon, he felt a sense of unease. If he truly broke up with Ling Xiao, Dr. Xu wouldn’t be his “cousin” anymore. Would he… stop looking after him like this then?

“Alright, it’s settled.” The car stopped at a red light. Xu Jingmo turned his head with a gentle smile. The “rabbit” huddled in the passenger seat nodded, his eyes still shimmering with moisture.

Suddenly, the phone in his pocket rang out. Chen Kongqing slowly reached into his pocket. When the caller ID appeared on the screen, the youth paused, answering with a slight delay.

Xu Jingmo gripped the steering wheel again. The countdown for the red light began, but for some reason, he pressed the brake even harder.

A few seconds later.

“Ling Xiao said… he’s coming to pick me up.”

The green light turned on as scheduled.

On what grounds?

But he couldn’t stop it.