Did My Wife Break Up With Me Today? - Chapter 61

Chapter 61: Boyfriend-in-Reserve

After hearing those words, the once high-spirited “rabbit” felt a layer of crimson bloom across his chubby earlobes. He suddenly had no idea how to organize his thoughts.

What did he mean by “you’ll have to ask him”?

That kind of talk… was way too much.

Especially… since Dr. Xu was looking at him with that kind of look. A look that said nothing yet seemed to say everything at once.

Chen Kongqing didn’t dare meet such an ambiguous gaze and hurriedly averted his eyes, only to lock sights with the boy holding the phone.

The boy stared at him with eyes full of confusion and curiosity. Seeing no answer, he even prompted: “Is it okay?”

The rabbit really didn’t know how to respond: “Uh… anything… anything is fine, I guess.”

The boy’s eyes lit up. Although he didn’t quite understand their relationship, he decided it wasn’t the point. He happily opened his QR code and said to Xu Jingmo: “You scan me, that way I won’t have to wait for you to accept the request.”

Listening to the boy, Chen Kongqing suddenly felt a wave of envy. So one can be this much of a “straight ball” (direct)?

He slightly regretted saying “anything is fine.” In truth… what he had wanted to say was “No.”

At that moment, he saw Dr. Xu move his arm. Was he reaching for his phone?

Chen Kongqing’s shoulders slumped and his neck bowed; his fingers instinctively gripped the hem of his shirt. Maybe he should just walk away. Standing here felt incredibly awkward.

Xu Jingmo did indeed move his arm, but it was to wave a hand in refusal: “I’m sorry, it’s not very convenient.”

The young boy didn’t give up, digging deeper: “Why? Aren’t you single?”

Xu Jingmo smiled slightly, his tone and posture remaining polite: “I am single… but I am currently pursuing him, so…”

As he reached the second half of the sentence, the man’s gaze fell—neither too heavy nor too light—once again on the slumped head of Chen Kongqing.

Chen Kongqing could feel the weight of that gaze on his head, and Dr. Xu’s words echoed in his ears. It was over. His heart was beating so fast it felt like it intended to retire after this final burst. His earlobes were so hot his cheeks felt numb.

“Oh~” The boy realized the situation. He wasn’t upset or offended; instead, he raised an eyebrow and said, “Well, sounds like you’ll be pursuing him for a long time. Good luck with that. Bye!”

The boy simply walked away.

On the vast athletic field, many students were passing by, but for some reason, Chen Kongqing felt as if the entire world contained only him and Xu Jingmo.

“Um…” Chen Kongqing started walking forward with his head buried, yet he could feel those scorching eyes circling the crown of his head. He decided to say something to break the tension. “Tianyou has arrived. We can go to the dormitory building to wait for him. The dorm doesn’t have an elevator—it’s on the fifth floor… it’ll be quite strenuous.”

To his surprise, Xu Jingmo said nothing extra, only answering warmly: “Okay.”

Chen Kongqing pursed his lips and breathed a secret sigh of relief.

Along the way, Xu Jingmo was very quiet, following him silently and only asking normal questions, like which building his classes were usually in.

They met Gao Tianyou at the bottom of the dorm building, who was laden with bags and suitcases.

“Oh man, Kongqing, I’m exhausted!” Although Gao Tianyou was from the Northeast, he didn’t fit the “tough guy” stereotype. Though tall, he was very thin, which made the suitcase and the giant woven sack in his hands look massive.

Gao Tianyou was huffing and puffing, wiping sweat from his forehead, when he noticed the tall man in the trench coat standing next to Chen Kongqing. He didn’t notice at first, but upon closer inspection, the man looked more and more familiar. “Hey… isn’t this… Cousin?”

Chen Kongqing had mentioned he found a friend to help, but he hadn’t specified who. Gao Tianyou had never imagined this friend would be “Cousin.”

At the mention of the word “Cousin,” the expressions of both men shifted.

Chen Kongqing pursed his lips: “Um… Dr. Xu came to help too.”

Gao Tianyou paused, his mouth agape as he fell into thought. He remembered that “Cousin” was Ling Xiao’s cousin. Ling Xiao was Kongqing’s ex. So why was Kongqing still hanging out with the cousin? They seemed quite close, too.

Unable to make head or tail of it, Gao Tianyou could only rub his hands and greet him with a smile: “Hello, Cousin! Sorry to trouble you with my luggage.”

“It’s nothing,” Xu Jingmo said calmly, adding subtly, “You can call me Dr. Xu or Xu Jingmo. Either is fine.”

Gao Tianyou dithered again, even more confused now, and could only nod foolishly.

Chen Kongqing reached for the large suitcase: “I’ll take this one.”

“I’ll do it. You take the small one.” Xu Jingmo reached out naturally, his hand covering the rabbit’s fair skin. His warm palm gripped him boldly.

Chen Kongqing froze. His fingers twitched, but he didn’t immediately pull away. There was an overlap that lasted about a second or two before he withdrew his hand.

“He has an injury on his leg, so he shouldn’t carry anything too heavy. This big bag can stay down here for now; I’ll come back for a second trip,” Xu Jingmo said to Gao Tianyou in a consultative tone.

Clutching his woven sack, Gao Tianyou blinked his large eyes: “It’s fine, I can take this up myself. Kongqing, you take the small case. We can get it done in one go.”

Yes, Gao Tianyou wasn’t just thin; he had “moe” eyes, but the moment he spoke, it was a pure Northeast accent.

Chen Kongqing took the small case, feeling as though the back of his hand was still burning. “Um, okay.”

The black suitcase Xu Jingmo claimed was truly enormous—at least 30 inches— and looked ready to burst. It was clearly “tonnage” level.

The group reached the stairs. Chen Kongqing was about to suggest: “How about…” we carry the big suitcase up together?

He only got two words out before his suggestion was cut off by Xu Jingmo lifting the 30-inch suitcase with one hand. How could someone carry that up the stairs with one hand while keeping his back straight and his steps so effortless?

Gao Tianyou, who hadn’t even managed to lift his sack and was dragging it along, leaned into the rabbit’s ear and whispered: “Is he really a doctor? He’s more like… Astro Boy with iron arms.”

Xu Jingmo carried the suitcase all the way to the fifth floor in one breath. Despite having the heaviest load, he was the fastest climber.

One by one, they entered the dorm. Gao Tianyou opened the suitcase filled with local specialties and snacks, handing two giant pancakes (jianbing) to them. “Go out on the balcony and try these. I’ll organize my stuff for a bit; it’s quite dusty in here…”

The two, clutching their pancakes, were pushed out onto the balcony. Gao Tianyou shut the balcony door with a loud thud.

Chen Kongqing stood facing the closed door, holding his giant pancake. A cool breeze blew past. Beside him, Xu Jingmo seemed uncomfortable, stretching his right arm.

“Does your hand hurt? That luggage was too heavy.” Chen Kongqing turned to stare at the arm, his voice laced with worry. “I should have helped you carry it.”

“Just a little sore. It’ll be fine with a rub,” Xu Jingmo said seemingly offhandedly. “It’s just that when I rub it myself, I can’t quite get the right angle.”

“Where is it sore? I’ll help you.” The rabbit was always kind-hearted and helpful. He reached out and squeezed the section of the arm hidden beneath the trench coat.

He knew Xu Jingmo had developed muscles; sometimes when the man wore tight shirts, the lines of his arms were clearly outlined. But he had never felt them for real.

The texture was so solid… hard as a rock, with ridges and valleys between each muscle group. All of this was hidden by the sleeve, so he couldn’t see a thing.

Wait… why was he feeling disappointed?

The blush and numbness that had finally faded from the rabbit’s face flared up again.

Xu Jingmo’s Adam’s apple bobbed, his voice remaining serious: “Yeah, right here…”

Chen Kongqing forced himself back into a professional state, telling himself: I am helping. This is a serious massage! His fingers began pressing into the protruding muscle, trying to be thorough. “I should have helped you.”

“I just wanted to make a good impression,” Xu Jingmo turned his face, bowing his head close to the rabbit’s cheek. “Even the other students can see that ‘Student Chen’ is hard to get. I naturally have to work harder.”

Chen Kongqing, focused on the massage, felt the rhythm of his fingers falter for a beat at those words. After a few seconds, the rabbit pouted: “It’s okay, you don’t have to pursue me. It’s not like there aren’t plenty of people pursuing Dr. Xu anyway.”

As soon as he said it, he regretted it. Why did he say that? It sounded so petty/jealous.

Hearing this, the corners of Xu Jingmo’s mouth curved uncontrollably. “Well, I still have to pursue you.”

The rabbit buried his face even lower, trying to hide the blush on his cheeks. But even with his head down and his gaze averted, he could still feel a certain aggressive gaze on him.

The intensity of the gaze only grew stronger. The rabbit instinctively buried his head lower and lower…

Until the balcony door was suddenly flung open again.

Gao Tianyou stood there cheerfully: “So… how is it?” Does it taste good?

He saw the giant pancakes still untouched in their bags. Chen Kongqing’s hand was still resting on Xu Jingmo’s arm. And Chen Kongqing’s face was so red it looked like he was wearing heavy blush.

Gao Tianyou froze, instinctively taking a half-step back. “Uh… it’s lunchtime. Let me treat you guys to a meal.”

Xu Jingmo only looked at Chen Kongqing, as if waiting for a command. Chen Kongqing hadn’t quite recovered and hurriedly agreed with a red face.

The three walked toward the restaurant together. On the way, Xu Jingmo stepped away to take a work call.

Unable to contain himself, Gao Tianyou leaned in and whispered to Chen Kongqing: “What’s going on? This vibe… is Dr. Xu still ‘Cousin’? Is he a boyfriend now?”

The rabbit’s face flushed, then faded, then flushed again. It was burning now. He shook his head.

Gao Tianyou had just breathed a sigh of relief when Chen Kongqing softly gave the final answer:

“He’s more like a boyfriend-in-reserve.”