Did My Wife Break Up With Me Today? - Chapter 5

Chapter 5: “You lied last time.”

When Chen Kongqing got out of the ride-hail car, he was met with a strong evening breeze.

Carrying bags large and small, he walked into the neighborhood. Honestly, they didn’t feel heavy to him; they were much lighter than the medicine cabinets and heavy sacks of herbs he used to haul at the pharmacy. The apartment complex had an elevator, making things even easier.

Stepping through the door, he methodically arranged the gifts on the carpet in the living room. Then, he moved his plants indoors to prevent them from being withered by the gale outside. Once everything was settled, he remembered he hadn’t messaged Dr. Xu yet.

He picked up his phone and opened WeChat. A system notification popped up:

[Lnk has accepted your friend request. You can now start chatting.]

The man’s profile picture was simple: a photo of a starry sky, featuring a close-up of a full moon against a pitch-black background. He tapped into their chat box.

Azurite: [I’m home.] Azurite: [Thank you, Cousin. /[(^-^)] ]

He didn’t receive an immediate reply, but he didn’t take it to heart. He had an assignment to finish; he wanted to get it done before Ling Xiao returned so he could cook him some late-night a snack. Sometimes, when Ling Xiao came home late, he’d crave a bowl of noodles made by Chen Kongqing.

…

“Should we go grab a bowl of noodles? I’m getting hungry. Old Fu is something else—showing up so suddenly just to give me a lecture.” Zhou Mujun rubbed his stomach, glancing at Xu Jingmo, who was looking down at his phone.

Fu Zhenshan was their mentor and a leading figure in domestic psychology. He had been invited to Kun City to give a lecture, so naturally, the two of them had gone to the airport to pick him up. They had just dropped the old gentleman off at his hotel, finally completing their mission.

Seeing that Xu Jingmo was staring at his phone and ignoring him, Zhou Mujun pouted. “Dr. Xu, stop looking at your phone for a second. Can you pay some attention to your old classmate’s stomach distress and mental well-being?”

The man finally lifted an eyelid. “Your stomach hurts?”

Zhou Mujun: “Yeah, I’m starving. I haven’t had dinner.”

Regardless of whether Xu Jingmo wanted to eat, Zhou Mujun picked a roadside noodle shop at random. “What kind of noodles do you want?”

Sitting opposite him, the man was still looking at his phone. “Anything.”

Zhou Mujun went inside to order. When he came back out, Xu Jingmo had finally put his phone away and was holding a cigarette between his fingers.

“Didn’t you quit?” Zhou Mujun sat back down and asked casually.

White mist with a sharp herbal scent melted into the hollow black night. Xu Jingmo stared at the glowing red tip of the cigarette and nodded. “Yeah.”

Faced with an answer that was basically a non-answer, Zhou Mujun clicked his tongue. “What’s up with you? Did that research paper you wrote get rejected?”

“No, it passed,” the man replied. A gust of wind passed by, causing the cigarette ember to brighten. “Do you know what this is?”

As he spoke, he tapped on a contact’s profile picture and zoomed in. It was a hand-drawn illustration of a lush green plant with several vibrant red flowers in full bloom.

Zhou Mujun said solemnly, “That’s grass. No, wait, flowers.”

Xu Jingmo: “…”

“Look, I’m not a rabbit, I don’t eat grass. How should I know…” Zhou Mujun muttered. Then, a thought struck him; he took a photo of the picture with his own phone. “I’ve got it. It’s a Trumpet Vine (Ling Xiao flower).”

The fingertips holding Xu Jingmo’s cigarette trembled uncontrollably. “Are you sure?”

“Here, the ‘Absolute Wisdom AI’ analyzed it.” Zhou Mujun handed over his phone.

The AI gave a definitive answer: Based on the leaf and petal characteristics, the plant in the drawing is likely a Campsis grandiflora, commonly known as a Trumpet Vine.

Ling Xiao.

The answer was expected. And yet, the warmth in the man’s eyes plummeted to freezing point. He took a silent drag of his cigarette. He didn’t want to be a morally bankrupt voyeur, yet here he was, interrogating an AI over a hand-drawn photo.

This is enough, he told himself.

Until 2:30 AM. A search bar was lit up with a single English word: [Azurite].

He vaguely remembered the word but wasn’t sure if he was right. Then the search results popped up: Azurite / A blue copper carbonate mineral.

In Chinese, Kongqing (Chen’s name) is a form of basic copper carbonate—a type of Azurite. After finding the answer, he turned off the screen. In the dark room, even the air felt thin.

He told himself over and over again: This is enough.

…

“Not enough, not enough. Add a bit more weight.”

It was another busy week. Chen Kongqing had just left the lab and rushed to the market. Ling Xiao had been training hard lately, leaving early and returning late. Chen planned to stew a fish to nourish him.

He returned to the apartment with a bag of vegetables and a large black carp that had been lively moments ago but was now cleaned by the vendor. Ling Xiao wasn’t home yet. Chen didn’t rush him, thinking that by the time the fish soup was ready, the timing would be perfect.

However, the soup was heated and cooled, then heated again until nearly half the liquid had simmered away before Ling Xiao finally arrived.

“I just finished training. My phone died.” The man changed his shoes and walked in, scratching the back of his head. The rich aroma of fish soup instantly hit his nose, and the table was set with several of his favorite vegetable dishes.

“I was almost about to call Tianyou to ask where you were.” Chen Kongqing, curled up on the sofa, let out an obvious sigh of relief and put on his slippers. “I’ll heat the food up. I made fish soup.”

The youth was draped in a solid-colored blanket, making his frame look even thinner. He took the blanket off, folded it neatly, and placed it at the end of the sofa. Underneath his loose pajamas, his slender waist—which looked like it could be circled by a single hand—was faintly outlined.

It was very thin. Likely much thinner than Gu Chengjing’s waist.

Ling Xiao had never liked Chen Kongqing’s type. He looked fragile, and he was like a sponge—no temper, and always eager to do laundry and cook. Ling Xiao thought he would never like it. But seeing him today, he thought it wasn’t half bad.

Chen Kongqing turned around just then and met the man’s gaze. “What is it?” he asked, his eyes bright and tone gentle.

Those eyes were like a forest spirit’s. Ling Xiao quickly looked down and tossed a bag of fruit he’d bought on the table. “I was late. I bought you some grapes.”

Hearing that they were for him, Chen Kongqing beamed. But then he realized—it was grapes. His smile stiffened. He figured Ling Xiao simply didn’t know about the anthocyanins.

“Ling Xiao… didn’t I tell you before? I’m allergic to anthocyanins. Grapes have a very high concentration of them.”

Ling Xiao froze. “Is that so?”

“Yeah,” the youth nodded.

The man didn’t seem to care much. “Eating a few should be fine, right?”

“I’ll get itchy. I’ll wash them for you to eat.” Chen picked up the bag and went to the kitchen.

After dinner, the man sat on the sofa snacking on the grapes while his phone chimed with a message from Gu Chengjing.

Gu Chengjing: [Where are you?] Ling Xiao: [Apartment.] Gu Chengjing: [Then you still have time to text me?] Ling Xiao: [Why, are you jealous?] Gu Chengjing: [Get lost.] Ling Xiao: [Would you really let me?]

Chen Kongqing finished the dishes and took off his light-colored apron with a carrot print. Coming out of the kitchen, he saw Ling Xiao in his loungewear. The man had clearly just showered; his hair was still damp.

Chen’s condition had been stable lately, with the frequency of episodes decreasing thanks to the medicine. But seeing Ling Xiao sitting there, an uncontrollable urge to be near him surged up. He didn’t want much—just to be close, to hold his hand, to have a hug.

The man looked up from his phone and saw Chen Kongqing standing across from him. His brows furrowed. He quickly turned off his screen and spoke with sudden irritation: “What are you standing there for?”

“Ah… I…” Chen Kongqing was dazed by the sudden accusation. He hadn’t appeared “suddenly”; he wasn’t a ghost. He had just walked over normally.

He felt a bit wronged. Just as he was about to say something, Ling Xiao stood up and brushed past him. “I’m going to sleep. Don’t bother me.”

After the man’s sudden outburst, the youth’s condition worsened during the night. It really was a psychological issue, he realized. He hugged his carrot pillow tightly and forced himself to sleep.

…

Soon, it was time for his follow-up appointment. He hadn’t forgotten that he had lied to Dr. Xu. Although the man hadn’t said anything that night and had even called a car for him, the fact remained that he had hidden the truth. And now, Dr. Xu was his boyfriend’s cousin.

He stood before the consultation room door with a racing heart.

Inside, the man was sitting upright. Under his white coat, he wore a shirt and a dark tie. His hair was styled, looking even more formal and refined than their first meeting. Those phoenix eyes lifted slightly.

Chen Kongqing didn’t dare meet his gaze. Dr. Xu looked like he was there to demand a confession.

“Have a seat. Don’t be nervous,” the man said slowly.

His racing heart calmed a fraction. Chen Kongqing moved to the chair and sat down. He looked up, his mouth opening. “Dr… Cou…” He stammered, unsure of what to call him.

“Call me Dr. Xu while in the hospital.” The man gave a slight, gentle smile.

Chen Kongqing licked his dry lips. “Dr. Xu.”

The man nodded, his gaze fixed on the youth’s pale, delicate face. It looked even smaller than last week, and his complexion was poor. He looked “crumpled.”

The man looked down and asked a question he already knew the answer to just by looking: “How has your condition been lately?”

Chen Kongqing pinched the fabric of his trousers. “It’s… it’s okay.”

“You lied last time,” the man said suddenly.

At that moment, Chen Kongqing let go of his trousers and nodded in confession. “I’m sorry… I won’t do it again.”

The man’s gaze was like a penetrating weapon, pinning him in place. “Good. Now, answer my question again.”