Did My Wife Break Up With Me Today? - Chapter 62

Chapter 62: “If We Kiss.”

By the time Gao Tianyou realized what he had just heard, his jaw was nearly on the floor. “No way… you’re for real?”

Chen Kongqing blinked. “What do you mean ‘for real’? I… I’m serious.”

Gao Tianyou was so stunned he had to manually push his jaw shut. “But isn’t he Ling Xiao’s cousin? That’s…”

“But he’s not like Ling Xiao, is he?”

They were two completely different people. Chen Kongqing stared at Xu Jingmo’s silhouette in the distance. He didn’t know exactly when it started, but he found himself able to say these words with absolute certainty.

Listening to him, Gao Tianyou couldn’t deny it. “That’s true.”

Whether it was looks, physique, character, or behavior, he couldn’t find a single flaw in the man in the trench coat. He could only nod. “But… you still have to be careful.”

After saying that, Gao Tianyou began sizing up Chen Kongqing and Xu Jingmo again. A sudden grin broke across his face. “But Kongqing, you two actually look really good together. The height difference is massive. If you guys get together in the future, when it comes to kissing and stuff… Dr. Xu is going to have to double over.”

“…” The rabbit only caught the words “get together” and “kissing,” and his face instantly turned a deep crimson. “Your attitude changed too fast!”

Gao Tianyou laughed. “Can’t help it, I’m a sucker for good looks… hahaha.”

…

Xu Jingmo had hung up the phone by now and hurried back. “Sorry about that, a call from the hospital. It took a bit longer than expected.”

“No worries…” Gao Tianyou waved it off. The smile hadn’t left his face; he just stood there beaming at the two of them.

During lunch, Gao Tianyou still couldn’t resist casting those knowing glances at the “new couple” with the significant size difference. It wasn’t until Gao Tianyou went to the restroom that Xu Jingmo finally asked, feeling a bit puzzled, “Why is your roommate constantly smiling?”

Chen Kongqing, who was sipping pork rib soup, choked and coughed twice.

“Cough…”

“Drink slowly.” Xu Jingmo reached out and placed a hand on the rabbit’s back, patting him gently.

The rabbit covered his mouth, taking a moment to recover. “He… he just usually… likes to smile.”

Chen Kongqing was wearing an oversized hooded sweatshirt. Although the fit was loose, it didn’t stop Xu Jingmo from feeling the protruding vertebrae of his spine. “Have you been eating properly lately?”

The topic shifted so fast that Chen Kongqing paused before blinking. “Um… yes, I have.”

Over the past few days at the lab, Xu Jingmo had been ordering delivery for him almost every day. He didn’t even need to look at the time; the moment the delivery driver called, he knew it was noon. He hadn’t had a single chance to skip a meal.

Xu Jingmo’s palm rested over those vertebrae. “Too thin.”

A wave of warmth traveled from the palm, and Chen Kongqing couldn’t help but glance sideways. Xu Jingmo was so close; with just a slight turn of his head, the man’s sharp profile was right there.

Such a straight nose, such beautiful lips.

Chen Kongqing realized a beat too late that he was staring. When he finally caught himself, he abruptly looked away. Gao Tianyou’s words drifted back into his mind: “If you guys get together, when it comes to kissing, Dr. Xu will have to double over…”

Aaaah. Why did that sentence keep coming back?

Chen Kongqing closed his eyes tight, trying to regain his cool. Gao Tianyou happened to return at that moment, and Xu Jingmo silently withdrew his hand from the rabbit’s back.

“Sigh, the Northeast food here isn’t authentic. When you guys are free, come to my hometown. I’ll take you for the real deal.” Gao Tianyou sighed as he looked at the subpar Guobaorou (Sweet and Sour Pork), failing to notice Xu Jingmo’s hand had just been on Chen Kongqing.

The rabbit, however, was relieved he hadn’t seen it; otherwise, the guy would definitely have made more weird laughing noises, making things even harder to explain.

Fortunately, Gao Tianyou didn’t display any more strange smiles for the rest of the meal. They finished lunch peacefully. When it came time to pay, Gao Tianyou realized Xu Jingmo had already settled the bill.

“I feel so bad about this. You helped me move and then treated me to lunch…”

Xu Jingmo looked down at the mechanical watch on his wrist and smiled faintly. “I’d feel worse letting students treat me.”

Then, the man looked at Chen Kongqing. The distance in his gaze vanished, replaced by warmth. “I have a seminar at two o’clock, so I have to head out now… should I come pick you up when it’s over?”

“It’s okay, I can go back by myself,” Chen Kongqing shook his head.

“We’ll talk later. I’ll message you; remember to check,” Xu Jingmo instructed. He turned to bid Gao Tianyou a polite farewell. “I’m off. See you next time.”

Gao Tianyou: “O-okay. Bye, Dr. Xu.” Chen Kongqing: “Hurry on, then.”

Watching the man’s retreating back, Gao Tianyou couldn’t help but tsk. “A mature man with resources is really something else. I wonder when I’ll ever have that kind of status.”

“You definitely have the status to afford one lunch.” Chen Kongqing thought Gao Tianyou was being dramatic.

Gao Tianyou: “Of course I can afford a lunch! I’m talking about the vibe! And that watch on his wrist!”

Chen Kongqing: “What watch?”

“That watch…” Gao Tianyou paused for effect, then held up his hand, making a gesture for the number eight. “This many digits.”

“Eighty thousand?” Chen Kongqing thought that was reasonable. After all, Dr. Xu had been working for years; buying a watch for several tens of thousands was normal.

Gao Tianyou pursed his lips and shook his head, still holding up the gesture. “Guess again.”

The rabbit froze. It wasn’t eighty thousand.

“Eight… hundred thousand?” The number came to mind, but he barely dared to say it out loud.

“Yup.” Gao Tianyou finally retracted his hand and nodded solemnly. “And it’s a limited edition. It’s the first time I’ve seen one in person. It really does look expensive at a glance…”

Chen Kongqing could no longer hear Gao Tianyou’s rambling. His mind was filled with one thought: 800,000.

He knew the watch was valuable, but he never imagined it was that valuable. 800,000 for a watch. In some small cities, that could buy an entire apartment. Dr. Xu was literally wearing an apartment on his wrist.

And he was just a poor student.

Suddenly, scenes from the cheesy idol dramas he’d watched as a kid began to play in his head. Did such ridiculous things actually happen in real life? But those were idol dramas; real life wasn’t a show.

“What are you thinking about, Kongqing?” Gao Tianyou waved a hand in front of his spacing-out friend.

Chen Kongqing snapped back. “No… nothing. I’m heading out too, Tianyou.”

“Hey! Didn’t we say we’d play ball this afternoon?” Gao Tianyou couldn’t catch Chen Kongqing, who was as slippery as an eel.

Walking away, Chen Kongqing called back, “I’m going to the lab to process data…”

He had to work hard. Otherwise, when would he ever make enough to reach 700,000?

With that conviction, the rabbit stood in front of his instruments all afternoon. His efficiency was high, and he completed several missing data points from the new round.

Before he knew it, the sky outside had darkened. A full moon hung in the ink-like night sky. Stretching his neck, the rabbit stood by the window to catch his breath. He planned to input the data into the report tonight, refine the analysis and abstract… and then he’d basically be finished.

He checked the time on his phone and realized it was already 7:00 PM. There were several unread messages.

Lnk (4:30 PM): 【The meeting just ended, but I have to wait a bit longer before I can leave.】 Lnk: 【Still at school?】 Lnk: 【I’ll come pick you up later.】 Lnk (6:05 PM): 【I’m ready.】 Lnk: 【Are you still at school?】 Lnk: 【Why are you ignoring me?】 Lnk: 【Small Bunny Heartbreak.jpg】

That bunny sticker was one Chen Kongqing used sometimes.

Azurite: 【I didn’t see my phone just now.】

Xu Jingmo had messaged at six; over an hour had passed. He figured Xu Jingmo must have gone to eat. After checking that all instruments and lights in the lab were off, he headed downstairs. He planned to grab a quick bite at the convenience store outside and then head home. Luckily, he’d left food for Black Cat Sheriff, or the cat would be scratching the walls by now.

The moonlight was hazy, and only a few dim yellow streetlights cast a foggy glow outside the building. Chen Kongqing looked at the stone steps beneath his feet, descending one by one. His brain was still in a daze after the high-intensity mental work.

Consequently, he didn’t notice the person standing at the bottom of the steps.

Xu Jingmo watched the exhausted rabbit walk down step by step, his head drooping. As Chen Kongqing reached the bottom, a shadow suddenly appeared before him—a long shadow cast by the streetlight.

The rabbit’s gaze slowly traveled upward. There stood Xu Jingmo, still in his trench coat, under the streetlight. A breeze caught the hem of his coat, making it flutter slightly.

“Dr. Xu, why are you here?” Chen Kongqing trotted over.

Xu Jingmo walked toward him. “Waiting for you.”

“How did you know I was here?” Chen Kongqing looked up at the man, suddenly feeling like he had too many questions.

“When you didn’t reply, I guessed you were in the lab,” Xu Jingmo answered. He naturally took the backpack off the youth’s shoulder. “Hungry? I bought some groceries. Let’s go back and cook; eating out all the time isn’t healthy.”

Chen Kongqing pursed his lips, thinking Dr. Xu had forgotten. He whispered a reminder, “The pot at my place is a bit small. It’s hard to cook in.”

Xu Jingmo: “Come to my place. I’ll drive you back after we eat.”

Chen Kongqing: “But that’s so much trouble.”

Xu Jingmo: “It’s no trouble. I’m more than happy to.”

Chen Kongqing looked at the man under the streetlight. He was carrying his backpack, leaning down slightly to speak to him. His profile was deep and sharp, his lips parted slightly as he asked, “What are you looking at?”

Chen Kongqing didn’t know what came over him, but the thought in his heart slipped right out of his mouth:

“If we kiss… it really seems like you’ll have to bend over.”