Did My Wife Break Up With Me Today? - Chapter 31

Chapter 31: The Shambles (The Confrontation)

The rain continued to fall.

Pitter-patter.

Drop after drop tapped against the car window.

Chen Kongqing stared outside, his thoughts following the raindrops, falling and spreading. Previously, what had constantly circled in his ears were the words spat from Ling Xiao’s mouth. He knew they were cruel, yet he couldn’t help but feel that perhaps the smell of medicine truly was unpleasant.

But now.

At 5:25 PM this evening, his ears stopped repeating those cutting remarks. They were replaced by a steady, cherished voice:

“It smells very good. I like it very much.”

The heavy stones weighing down Chen Kongqing’s heart fell away, one by one.

Xu Jingmo, sitting in the passenger seat, heard the rabbit beside him let out a long, deep sigh.

“Uncomfortable? Motion sick?” he asked with concern. He remembered that when they were kids, the rabbit got motion sickness quite easily—crying, fussing, and eventually throwing up.

Uncomfortable?

Chen Kongqing shook his head vigorously. It was because he felt so comforted that he finally exhaled the stifling air that had been trapped in his heart for years.

“No motion sickness, I’m not uncomfortable,” he replied.

The man kept his eyes on the road ahead, his foot steady on the accelerator. “That’s good.”

However, a layer of gray gloom flickered in his eyes. The rabbit of the past got motion sick and would say he loved his “brother” most in the world. The rabbit of the present didn’t get motion sick and didn’t remember him at all.

When the car pulled up in front of Tianyue Apartments, the pitter-patter of the rain finally ceased.

Chen Kongqing unbuckled his seatbelt and pushed the door open. “Thank you for the trouble, Dr. Xu. Go back and have dinner. Tomorrow… I’ll definitely treat you to a meal.”

Xu Jingmo turned his head. Those phoenix eyes were still bright and spirited in the dim light. “Alright. Go on up; it’s cold outside.”

The temperature of a rainy night in Kunming was indeed quite low.

Chen Kongqing nodded. “Goodbye, Dr. Xu.”

With that, the rabbit gently closed the door and turned to leave. Outside the rain-blurred window, the rabbit’s figure grew increasingly fuzzy and distant.

Xu Jingmo did not shift into gear to leave. Instead, he turned off the engine.

Chen Kongqing took the elevator, walking the path he had traveled every day for the past six months. Soon, he arrived at the apartment door—that heavy entrance door.

The youth fished the keys out of his pocket and inserted them into the lock. With a “click,” the door swung open smoothly. Just like countless times before.

But he knew. This wasn’t a homecoming; it was a farewell.

Chen Kongqing walked slowly into the living room. In the vast space, Ling Xiao was slumped on the sofa. Likely hearing the movement, his eyes locked onto Chen Kongqing from the start.

“You’re back,” the man said, his tone gentler than ever before. Even he hadn’t expected that one day he would speak to Chen Kongqing like this.

Chen Kongqing’s step faltered slightly. Honestly, this was the scene he used to dream of—coming home to find Ling Xiao speaking to him kindly.

But that was a dream of the past. Now… he only wished he had eight hands so he could pack his remaining belongings quickly and leave.

Before he started packing, he asked, “You said you didn’t know where things were. What things? Clothes? I put all your clothes in the closet for you. Spring, summer, autumn, and winter are organized from left to right. Socks are in the second drawer on the left.”

Ling Xiao’s haggard face grew darker. He didn’t answer the question but instead started talking about something else: “Have you eaten? You haven’t tried the food I made yet.”

Chen Kongqing frowned. “I’m asking you, what things do you not know the location of? I’ll tell you now, then I’m going to pack.”

As he spoke, he remembered the important matter of returning the keys. Standing before the coffee table, he leaned over and pressed the keys onto the glass surface. The metal keys made a sharp clatter against the glass.

The man on the sofa stared at the keys.

Chen Kongqing: “The keys are here. Keep them safe.”

Ling Xiao propped his arms on his legs and leaned forward, his tongue licking his back molars. “No rush. Let’s eat first. Shouldn’t we have a breakup meal?”

The youth found this bizarre. He stepped toward the bedroom. “No need. I’m going to pack my things.”

“Wait.” Ling Xiao’s volume rose. “Why are the Trumpet Creepers on the balcony gone?”

“They died, so I threw them away,” Chen Kongqing replied flatly.

Died. Thrown away.

The man looked at the Chen Kongqing standing right in front of him. He looked the same as before, yet everything seemed different.

He was stunned for a moment. “We bought those together.”

“Yes, and you paid for them. Do you need me to transfer the money back?” Chen Kongqing reached for his phone.

“No… that’s not what I meant.” The man on the sofa looked distressed, running a hand through his hair.

Chen Kongqing didn’t want to waste any more time. He headed straight for the bedroom. “I’m going to pack.”

“Don’t move out, okay?” Ling Xiao stood up abruptly. At over six feet tall and with a gym-honed physique, his shadow loomed over Chen Kongqing as he approached.

Almost instinctively, Chen Kongqing stepped back. “Didn’t you want me to move out as soon as possible?”

He truly didn’t understand Ling Xiao.

“No… I just want you to come back,” the man said, his voice trembling slightly. “Chen Kongqing, why are you avoiding me?”

Chen Kongqing: “…”

He took another step back, then bypassed Ling Xiao to enter the room. Fortunately, he didn’t have much luggage—just a few clothes and shoes. He laid out a large suitcase and began stuffing clothes inside.

Ling Xiao followed him in. “You said you liked me. Do you just stop liking someone that easily?”

The youth knelt on the floor, organizing his things as if he couldn’t hear.

That easily.

If a two-year secret crush and a two-year open relationship were considered “easy,” then what counted as “cherishing”?

But he didn’t plan to argue with Ling Xiao. It was pointless.

Ling Xiao stepped into the room, trying to get closer, but a large suitcase stood between them. “Chen Kongqing, can we try again?”

Try again.

This reminded Chen Kongqing that not long ago, Ling Xiao had said the same thing. Back then, he had been unimaginably happy. Now, it just felt laughable.

He quickly packed his clothes and shoes, closed the suitcase, and began pushing it out. Ling Xiao blocked his path. “Did you hear what I said?”

Chen Kongqing felt like laughing, and he didn’t hide it. He let out a laugh. “Try again? Try to see if you can balance two boats at once?”

“No…” The man was suddenly at a loss for words. His phoenix eyes darted around for a few seconds before landing back on Chen Kongqing’s face. “Believe me, Gu Chengjing and I… we’re really over.”

“I always thought I liked him. I chased him for so long… but I’ve only just realized that maybe I didn’t like him. I might have already fallen for you a long time ago.” He had never felt he needed this “sponge” before. Until the sponge left. Only then did he realize the sponge had permeated every corner of his life.

And the sponge that used to be infinitely accommodating and meticulous now showed an expression of impatience toward him.

His tone grew anxious. “Isn’t your leg check-up coming up? I’ll go with you. Can you wait until then before you decide whether to move out?”

Chen Kongqing gripped his luggage and struggled to bypass Ling Xiao, walking through the narrow hallway. “No need.”

Ignoring the person behind him, he let go of the suitcase, went to the balcony, picked up the two spider plants, and put them in a tote bag. Fortunately, they weren’t large and were easy to carry.

When he walked back into the living room from the balcony, Ling Xiao blocked him again, standing in front of his suitcase.

“Ling Xiao, what exactly do you want?” Chen Kongqing’s voice carried a hint of exhaustion.

The man’s phoenix eyes were bloodshot. “I want you to stay.”

Chen Kongqing stepped forward with his bag, reaching for the suitcase handle. Ling Xiao grabbed the handle first. “Chen Kongqing, you aren’t allowed to leave. Where will you go if you leave? Why are you being so stubborn?”

“Ling Xiao, we are finished.” The youth’s voice was level, his eyes calm. He just looked quietly at the man who was on the verge of losing it.

But his calmness was a stone that rippled the waters. Blood vessels stood out in Ling Xiao’s eyes. In the next instant, he reached out and grabbed Chen Kongqing.

Chen Kongqing was very thin, his wrist bones protruding. Ling Xiao could capture him with one hand…

“Let go!”

In the next second, the man’s hand was flung away.

Ling Xiao: “…”

Chen Kongqing stared at the man with a look of disgust, even hostility. Beyond his shock, Ling Xiao was completely enraged by that look. He forced himself forward and grabbed Chen Kongqing’s wrist again. This time, he used his full strength.

Chen Kongqing was pulled forward by the force, shoved into a suffocating embrace. For the first time, he felt a profound disgust toward human contact. Normally, because of his condition, he had no resistance against holding hands or hugging. But at this moment, he felt like he was going to vomit.

The “sponge” in Ling Xiao’s arms struggled fiercely. He was surprised; how did this person, usually so soft and thin, have so much strength?

“Don’t move… didn’t you want me to hold you before…”

Chen Kongqing pressed his hands against Ling Xiao’s chest, pushing with all his might. “Get lost!”

That word made sparks fly in the man’s eyes again. Ling Xiao grew vicious, attempting to push him down onto the sofa. Chen Kongqing used every ounce of his strength, and the two were locked in a stalemate.

After a while, Chen Kongqing’s stamina began to fade. Ling Xiao, after all, was an athlete. In the next instant, the man lowered his head.

Chen Kongqing abruptly turned his head away. He didn’t scream; he simply uttered a phrase with icy coldness: “Don’t force me to hate you.”

The sponge hadn’t pushed him away physically. Yet, he felt as if he had already been pushed away—pushed into an ice cellar already covered in frost.

As the man paused, he suddenly felt a power so terrifyingly strong seize him by the back of his shoulder. Immediately, his world spun.

Chen Kongqing felt the restriction on him lift. By the time he regained his senses, Ling Xiao was being hauled up by his collar.

The person grabbing him was none other than Xu Jingmo.

Before Ling Xiao could recover, another punch landed on his face. Blood immediately seeped from the corner of his mouth. He spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, his eyes red. “Xu Jingmo, you’ve developed an addiction to hitting me, haven’t you?”

Xu Jingmo, who was significantly taller than him, naturally exuded a powerful, oppressive aura that made Ling Xiao forget to resist for a moment. That is, until he saw the image of Xu Jingmo supporting Chen Kongqing reflected in his pupils.

“Are you hurt?” Xu Jingmo asked with concern, his gaze scanning the rabbit.

The rabbit shook his head, still shaken, but instinctively leaned toward Xu Jingmo in a display of dependency. This scene stabbed deeply into Ling Xiao’s eyes and nerves.

Fury rushed to his head. In the next second, he swung a fist at Xu Jingmo.