Did My Wife Break Up With Me Today? - Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Chen Kongqing Reached Out to Hook His Neck.

Xu Jingmo caught the swaying body, his trailing foot kicking the door shut.

With a heavy thud, the boxes of local specialties that Ling Xiao’s parents had asked him to bring were tossed into the corner. The person in his arms was thin and light, like a drifting cloud.

“Chen Kongqing.” Xu Jingmo furrowed his brows, calling the youth’s name softly. He locked one arm around the youth’s slender waist, his palm partially shielded by the fabric.

Chen Kongqing was clearly dazed by the fever and couldn’t respond. His breathing was ragged, and his flushed face brushed unconsciously against Xu Jingmo’s neck, seeking a way to cool down—or perhaps, craving something more.

Xu Jingmo’s eyes darkened. He gripped the thin fabric at the youth’s waist and shifted his posture, bracing Chen Kongqing as they walked into the half-open second bedroom.

…

Chen Kongqing felt his head and eyelids were heavy. The gears in his mind seemed to have gone on strike, or perhaps they were rusted, turning once before stalling.

He could only sense warmth and comfort nearby, as if he were wrapped in a steaming hot spring. He didn’t want to leave. His parched cells were clamoring, one after another, louder and louder.

When that warmth tried to pull away, his body trembled. Exhausting all his remaining strength, he reached out with his arms to hook and stop it.

Xu Jingmo had intended to settle him down before deciding what to do next. But as soon as he pulled back a few centimeters, his neck was hooked by a slender arm. The touch was soft, and the temperature was slightly cool.

The man’s palms braced against the soft mattress. He paused for several seconds as a faint, bitter herbal scent flooded his senses. “Chen Kongqing.”

The moment he spoke, he realized his own voice had become incredibly husky.

“Don’t… don’t go.”

Chen Kongqing, lying on the bed, seemed to be talking in his sleep. His brows were knit tight, his whole face pinched in discomfort. It looked like he was in pain—or truly terrified of the man leaving.

“I won’t go,” Xu Jingmo responded softly. The mental walls he had fortified countless times seemed, as always, pathetically easy to breach.

Since Chen Kongqing was hooking his neck, he had no choice but to lean down. The man lowered his eyes; everything was within reach.

His gaze traveled from the youth’s brow to those closed eyes. Likely due to the pain, the long, soft black lashes were trembling slightly. Next was the delicate nose; there was a tiny mole on the bridge of Chen Kongqing’s nose, so small it could only be seen up close. It was like a single drop of autumn rain in Kun City.

He remembered that when they were children, Chen Kongqing didn’t have that mole.

His gaze lingered there for a long time, not daring to go further. He stopped there, content with just that. The bedroom was dark, the lights off. Everything seemed still, save for their tangled breaths.

But soon, logic caught up. This was his younger cousin’s home. This bed belonged to Chen Kongqing and Ling Xiao.

At that thought, the man shut his eyes tightly. “Chen Kongqing, you’re sick. You need someone to look after you.”

The person beneath him didn’t answer, only furrowing his brow further before letting out two soft, puppy-like whimpers.

“Where is Ling Xiao?” Xu Jingmo felt a bitterness in his mouth.

Chen Kongqing was still in a daze. He didn’t hear what the man said, or rather, he didn’t understand, so he didn’t know how to answer. He parted his lips, but not a single syllable came out. He only wanted more touch, a tighter and more substantial embrace.

The youth flailed slightly, trying to press himself closer to the man.

Xu Jingmo could not allow himself to become someone who took advantage of another’s vulnerability. He understood that Chen Kongqing was behaving this way because of his condition. The youth’s arms were slender and, in his illness, quite weak; they could have been shaken off easily.

Yet, it felt like it took a massive amount of effort for the man to finally break free from that hold.

When Chen Kongqing was forced to let go, he felt empty and pained—he couldn’t say where it hurt, but it felt as if his entire body were being scorched. He desperately grabbed the carrot pillow by the bed. Cotton didn’t have human warmth or a unique scent, but at least it provided a physical touch.

Like a drowning man clutching a piece of driftwood, Chen Kongqing took a few heavy breaths and buried his face deeper into the pillow.

Xu Jingmo couldn’t bear to watch any longer and went to the living room. The first-aid kit was still on the coffee table. Seeing the messy aftermath, he knew Chen Kongqing had already taken some medicine. He grabbed a thermometer and a cooling patch and returned to the bedroom to apply them.

The youth finally began to quiet down. Xu Jingmo looked at the weak, haggard youth with pale lips. His back teeth clenched. He tucked the youth in and stepped quietly into the living room to call Ling Xiao.

Half a minute later, the call connected. “Jingmo-ge, what is it?”

The man’s voice was exceptionally cold. “Where are you?”

Ling Xiao paused, letting out a couple of awkward coughs. “I’m training. Is this about the specialties my parents sent? Just leave them at the door, Ge.”

Xu Jingmo walked to the balcony. “Chen Kongqing is sick. A fever, quite severe. Come back and take care of him.”

“Are you kidding?” Ling Xiao blurted out instantly. “How can I come back? I have a ton of stuff to do myself.”

Xu Jingmo said sternly, “Do you think I’m joking?”

“I…” Ling Xiao had always been a bit intimidated by this older cousin. Sensing the change in the man’s tone, his attitude softened. “I really can’t leave. We’re in closed-off training. Ge, how about you help me look after him? If you don’t have time, just drop him off at the hospital. I gotta go, things to do, sorry for the trouble, Ge…”

Then came the busy signal.

The man held the phone, his gaze falling on the flower stand on the balcony. There were several Trumpet Vines. He knew nothing about plants; he recognized them only because the shape of one pot was identical to Chen Kongqing’s WeChat profile picture.

The call had long been disconnected, but Xu Jingmo didn’t put his phone down for a while. Ling Xiao himself had asked for help.

He was just “helping.”

A flicker of something strange appeared in the man’s eyes. He suddenly pulled the balcony sunshade shut with a sharp shing. He couldn’t see the Trumpet Vines anymore.

…

In the bedroom, Chen Kongqing was still hugging the carrot. As the fever reducer began to work, he started to sweat. The soft hair at his temples was soaked and stuck to his cheeks.

Xu Jingmo used warm water to wipe the youth’s face and hands, then checked his temperature again. It was starting to drop, and the tension in the man’s heart finally relaxed slightly.

Chen Kongqing still looked poor; his lips were pale and slightly cracked. The man mixed a cup of honey water and fed it to the sleeping youth bit by bit.

While feeding him, he noticed the carrot Chen Kongqing was hugging. The style was old and wrinkled. It had clearly been used for a long time; the stuffing was no longer fluffy, making the carrot look a bit wilted.

This wasn’t the first time he had seen this “carrot.”

[“Big brother, is this for me?”] [“It’s a big carrot! I love eating carrots~~”] [“Thank you, big brother.”]

Yes, many years ago, a little rabbit had said that to him.

He placed the warm water cup on the nightstand. He couldn’t help himself; he let his hand gently touch that jade-white face. When he saw Chen Kongqing last week, there was still a bit of “meat” on his cheeks. Now, it was gone.

The youth’s face had just been wiped, so it was still slightly damp. Xu Jingmo’s rough, dry thumb rubbed lightly over the skin. Warmth was being transmitted through his fingertips.

Two seconds later, the man slowly tried to withdraw his hand. In the next instant, his hand was suddenly caught. His palm and the gaps between his fingers were wrapped in a warmth that didn’t belong to him.

Chen Kongqing held his hand, pressing it tightly against his cheek.

The man had many chances to pull away. He looked down, his gaze brushing over the youth like a soft feather.

…

Chen Kongqing had a very long dream. When he opened his eyes, the details of the dream were instantly blurred by the daylight. The first thing he saw was the familiar ceiling. He turned his neck slightly, shifting his gaze to the side of the bed.

His long-dormant brain finally started working again. After realizing who was leaning against the edge of the bed, his pupils shook.

Why… why is it Dr. Xu? Why was Dr. Xu in the apartment, and at his bedside? He had absolutely no memory of it.

Hearing a slight movement, the man leaning against the chair opened his eyes. Those deep phoenix eyes were bloodshot. “You’re awake. How do you feel?”

“I…” He opened his mouth but found his throat so dry it felt like it was smoking. Speaking was difficult.

“Drink some water.” The man handed him the cup from the nightstand. It had been thoughtfully equipped with a straw. Chen Kongqing took two sips, finally regaining a bit of strength.

“I came over yesterday, and you fainted as soon as you opened the door. Ling Xiao said he was in training and couldn’t get away, so he asked me to help look after you.” Without being asked, Xu Jingmo explained everything.

The amount of information in those few sentences was overwhelming. So he had fainted… and Ling Xiao knew. But Ling Xiao didn’t come back. He asked Dr. Xu to help.

The youth’s long lashes trembled. He looked at the tired man by the bed, feeling incredibly embarrassed. “Thank you… Cou… Cousin. You should go back and rest. I’m okay, you don’t need to stay with me.”

“Okay.” The man nodded. His gaze lowered politely, and a polite smile curved his lips. “But if you do this, I can’t leave.”

Chen Kongqing followed his gaze downward. He saw that his own hand was tightly gripping the man’s large hand.