Did My Wife Break Up With Me Today? - Chapter 40

Chapter 40: The damp itch scratched right at his heart.

Teacher Chen…?

Chen Kongqing froze for two seconds. Was Dr. Xu calling him that? Why the sudden title? Had his hair-drying skills reached such a professional level?

While the “rabbit” was still dazing off, his “paw” was already being guided to rest on a section of hair that was indeed still dripping wet. A layer of soft pink floated up to the tips of the rabbit’s ears as he forced himself to stay calm.

He aimed the hair dryer at the wet patch. The warm air rushed out with a whoosh, blowing against the strands and across their overlapping hands.

Why… hasn’t Dr. Xu let go of me yet?

“Ahem…” The rabbit could only manage two abrupt little coughs as a reminder. But his voice was too soft; Dr. Xu didn’t seem to hear him at all.

Suddenly, the palm pressed against his moved again. The man led his hand to gently stroke and separate the strands against the warm wind. Their fingers became entangled with the damp black hair.

Xu Jingmo spoke slowly: “Teacher Chen, you have to rub it a little so it dries faster.”

The tips of the rabbit’s ears were no longer pink—they had turned a deep, vivid red, like the heavy blush children wear for stage performances.

He didn’t know why, but with every breath, he felt a surge of dampness. It was like being in a small wooden cabin by the sea where the wooden floors were coated in moist sawdust and all the furniture had swollen from years of rain. The room felt humid, sticky, and sweltering. It was the kind of atmosphere that could unknowingly take one’s breath away.

Chen Kongqing felt as if he had stepped into such a cabin; in just a few seconds, his face was flushed from the heat. Somehow, his knuckles became entwined with the man’s fingers. Xu Jingmo’s fingers were thicker and a joint longer than his own; after all, his height dictated a larger frame. It was easy for his fingers to be captured.

Fine, let them be entwined. But from time to time, damp strands of hair would be blown against his hand by the wind. It didn’t hurt; it just plain itchy. Especially since it wasn’t dry hair, but that “half-dry, half-wet” kind. This damp itch was scratching right at his heart.

No, no, no. This might be normal physical contact for Dr. Xu. Or rather, for the general public, this might be considered normal. But… he had lacked such contact for years, so to him, it was a bit too… much. He was worried it would trigger his condition.

Chen Kongqing pursed his lips and swiftly withdrew his hand. He considered the movement fluid enough to leave no room for a reaction.

The man, still leaning down, narrowed his phoenix eyes hidden beneath his wind-moussed hair. He could have easily caught the escaping rabbit again. But he didn’t. He understood the rabbit was timid and a bit slow. It wasn’t suitable to rush.

But he often couldn’t help himself.

Xu Jingmo licked his dry lips and casually rubbed his hair. “That’s enough. Thank you, Teacher Chen.”

The whirring hair dryer was clicked off. Suddenly, the noise in the room vanished, replaced by an intense quiet. Chen Kongqing unplugged the cord and began coiling it.

Xu Jingmo looked at his reflection in the mirror. Because of the erratic wind direction, his hair was a messy “bird’s nest.”

Xu Jingmo: “…”

It’s okay. The rabbit was focused on coiling the wire with his head down, not sparing him a glance.

“Dr. Xu, I’ll go put the dryer away. You go eat, I’ll be right there.” With two loops of the wire left, the rabbit turned and walked away while still looking down at his hands.

“Okay,” Xu Jingmo replied, while quickly closing the bathroom door to fix his hair.

…

Chen Kongqing put the dryer away and stepped out of his bedroom. Black Cat Detective was hopping around at his door. He noticed that while the kitten had inherited the neuroticism of a tuxedo cat, it was quite polite in some ways—for example, it didn’t enter rooms uninvited. If it wanted to see him, it just meowed twice at the threshold.

Actually, he didn’t mind the kitten entering his room; he even wanted to sleep in the same bed with it. But this wasn’t his bedroom. He worried the real owner, Dr. Xu, wouldn’t accept it, so he never brought the cat inside.

“Mimi, are you hungry? I’ll feed you in a bit.” He crouched to stroke the cat’s head. He still felt a sense of debt. He really hoped he could get rich sooner and have a house of his own. Then, he’d let Black Cat Detective run wild.

Suddenly, a man’s voice drifted into his ear: “Come wash your hands and eat. Play with the cat later.”

Chen Kongqing nodded. “Okay.” He gave the cat one last instruction: “I’m going to eat now, wait for me.” The kitten squinted and rubbed against the back of his hand. “Meow~” (I’ll wait.)

Chen Kongqing stood up, washed his hands, and sat at the table. He saw Xu Jingmo sitting opposite him, ladling porridge. “I made some seafood porridge. It should taste okay; give it a try.”

Chen Kongqing blinked, looking at the man with the perfectly styled hair. Was that the hair I just dried? How did it turn into a sleek back-sweep in the blink of an eye? When he was drying it, he was only thinking about getting it dry; he hadn’t noticed the direction…

Am I… a natural-born stylist? The rabbit blinked, momentarily wondering if he should change careers.

“What are you thinking about? Not eating?” Xu Jingmo handed over the bowl.

The rabbit snapped back to reality. “Eating… I’m eating.”

He looked down at the hot seafood porridge. It had squid, black tiger prawns, and scallops, garnished with green onions. It smelled delicious. Before he could even swallow a few spoonfuls, the man opposite him de-shelled a large piece of succulent lobster meat for him. “Flown in today. Very fresh. Tell me if I over-steamed it.”

Chen Kongqing nodded, working hard to swallow the large bite. The texture was firm, the ingredients top-notch; even with simple seasoning, the flavor was mind-blowing. The fed rabbit nodded vigorously in affirmation. “It’s great. You eat too, Dr. Xu.”

Xu Jingmo’s lips curved into a smile. “Okay.”

Chen Kongqing ate quickly, his bowl hitting the bottom in no time. Without needing to be asked, Dr. Xu added another bowl for him and advised, “I washed some fruit in the kitchen. Don’t eat the blood oranges—the anthocyanin content is high. You can eat more of the winter dates and kiwis.”

A wave of softness rose in Chen Kongqing’s heart. Dr. Xu always remembered his allergy to anthocyanins.

He thought of Ling Xiao again. They had been together for nearly half a year. But Ling Xiao… probably didn’t even remember what he was allergic to by the time they broke up.

The rabbit swallowed the warm porridge and smiled. “Okay. Thank you, Dr. Xu.”

Xu Jingmo: “By the way, your vacation should be starting soon.”

Chen Kongqing nodded. “Yeah, next week.”

“What are your plans? Where is your hometown?” the man inquired nonchalantly. “Did you manage to get a train ticket?”

“Uhm, my hometown… is Nancheng, I guess. But I don’t plan on going back, so I didn’t try for a ticket.” The rabbit stirred his porridge with a spoon.

Xu Jingmo paused. “Not going back?”

This was different from his original plan. He had thought that if the rabbit couldn’t get a ticket, he’d have an excuse to drive him home. If he did get one, no matter—he could find a reason to “travel” to the rabbit’s hometown later.

Chen Kongqing continued stirring. It seemed not going home for New Year’s was indeed the exception. His classmates were usually ecstatic, wanting to teleport home the second school ended. But for him…

Maybe it was because his definition of “home” was different from theirs.

“Yeah, I have an experiment to handle, so I’m staying.” The rabbit pursed his lips, shaking off the gloom. “By the way, Dr. Xu… will you be going back to your hometown for the holidays? Can I stay here alone? I can help with the cleaning and stuff…”

“Of course you can,” Xu Jingmo nodded slightly. “I was thinking if you went back, I’d have to charge you more rent for leaving early. Since you’re staying, feel free to live here.”

He knew the rabbit only had his mother left, and she had remarried. The rabbit probably stayed for that reason. So, he didn’t ask further. “Eat more,” he said, placing another piece of lobster in the rabbit’s bowl.

After that day, Chen Kongqing assumed Dr. Xu would be going home for the holiday. He’d likely be spending the Spring Festival alone again. But then he realized—he wouldn’t be alone. He had Black Cat Detective. Thinking this, he felt much happier.

…

Kunming University officially entered winter break twenty days before the New Year. Chen Kongqing didn’t have to pack luggage like others; he just dove back into the lab. During the holidays, his mentor’s pharmacy was also closed, so he was looking for a new part-time job.

On the second day of break, the campus was still full of students lugging suitcases. Chen Kongqing was helping Gao Tianyou pack. Gao’s home was at the northernmost border of the country—a long trek. Yet, he insisted on bringing back unnecessary local specialties.

“Sigh, my sister says she really wants these rose cakes. I’ve got no choice; we don’t have this stuff up north,” Gao Tianyou said, hoisting a large bag of souvenirs.

Chen Kongqing was stuffing a travel bag. “Are you taking your computer? You can leave it with me.”

“I’ll take it. Need it for gaming, hehe,” Gao Tianyou laughed. “Okay, that’s about it. My bus is this afternoon. Let’s go get ramen!”

“Okay.” Chen Kongqing zipped the bag. They locked the dorm door and headed out.

Unexpectedly, they ran into Ling Xiao in the hallway. Gao Tianyou saw him first. His face went cold instantly. “Crap, what are you doing here?”

Chen Kongqing looked up to see Ling Xiao striding toward him.

Ling Xiao: “I have something I need to talk to Chen Kongqing about in private.”

The man looked haggard, unshaven, with heavy dark circles. Indeed, when the rabbit was there, he practically had his bathwater drawn for him. Without the rabbit, life wasn’t so sweet.

Gao Tianyou had a short fuse. “Nothing to talk about. Get lost.”

Ling Xiao was determined. “Chen Kongqing, I need to talk to you.”

“I said—” Gao Tianyou balled his fist.

Chen Kongqing stopped him. “It’s okay, Tianyou. I’ll handle it.”

“Kongqing…” Gao Tianyou suppressed his temper.

“It’s fine, wait for me a moment.” Chen Kongqing didn’t want to talk to Ling Xiao at all, but he worried Gao Tianyou would lose it and a fight would be hard to settle. Gao Tianyou sighed and stepped aside.

Chen Kongqing looked at Ling Xiao blankly. “What is it you want to talk about? Say it.”

“Are you going home for the Spring Festival?” Ling Xiao asked, looking unusually calm.

Chen Kongqing: “Does it have anything to do with you?”

“Didn’t you… mention before that you wanted to spend the festival together?” A flash of obsession rose in the man’s eyes.

Chen Kongqing: “…”

The obsession in Ling Xiao’s eyes was almost overflowing. “I can spend it with you. You told me before that every holiday is cold and lonely because no one is with you. Chen Kongqing, I’ll be with you. You’ll have someone to talk to, someone to spend the holiday with. Okay?”

“Ling Xiao, why don’t you go see a doctor,” Chen Kongqing frowned. “If this is what you wanted to say, then there’s really no point in continuing.”

The youth turned to leave. Predicting a move, he added, “Don’t follow me. This is school; you don’t want to make a scene.”

Ling Xiao stopped in his tracks. He watched the youth walk further and further away.

“People like you deserve to spend the New Year alone!”