Did My Wife Break Up With Me Today? - Chapter 80

Chapter 80: “The person I have always loved is him.”

Chen Kongqing immediately buried his face back under the covers. “Don’t say another word…”

“Alright, alright. Be good and get up to eat. You didn’t eat a single thing yesterday.” Originally, during a “halftime break” last night, Xu Jingmo had thought about ordering something to feed the rabbit.

But the rabbit slept like a log. No matter how Xu Jingmo rubbed or massaged him, the rabbit’s eyelids didn’t even flicker. Dazed in sleep, his cheeks were crimson, and his lips were red and swollen from being bullied.

Whenever Xu Jingmo brought his face close to those swollen lips, the rabbit would subconsciously unclench his teeth and obediently offer the tip of his pink tongue. It was like a conditioned reflex; even without being conscious, he would open his mouth so obediently.

Thinking of this, the curve of Xu Jingmo’s lips rose even higher.

“What are you laughing at?” Chen Kongqing poked his head out just a bit and caught the smile on Xu Jingmo’s face. Suddenly, he didn’t want to get up anymore.

Xu Jingmo: “I’m happy, so I’m laughing.”

Chen Kongqing pouted, asking in a small voice, “Happy about what?”

“Happy that you’re by my side, Liebling,” Xu Jingmo answered, leaning down to press his forehead against Chen Kongqing’s.

Liebling.

Huddled in the blanket, Chen Kongqing poked his chin out. “Is that German?”

“Yes.” Xu Jingmo stroked the rabbit’s soft cheek with his thumb. “It means ‘darling’ or ‘favorite’.”

A sweetness flickered in the corners of Chen Kongqing’s eyes, but then he thought of something, and the sweetness was quickly retracted.

“What’s wrong?” Xu Jingmo could tell the rabbit’s mood had shifted instantly.

That small face, still flush with the lingering traces of “spring,” held a hint of annoyance, and his cheeks puffed out slightly. “How many Lieblings did you have in Germany?”

“Are you jealous?” Instead of answering, Xu Jingmo playfully poked the puffed-out cheek.

Chen Kongqing swiped the man’s finger away and sat up abruptly in bed. “Who’s jealous? I’m going to eat my buns.”

The problem was… in trying to act cool, his body felt like it was falling apart, as if his bones were ready to scatter on the floor. How could it be this painful… this sore?

Because he had been lying down for so long and hadn’t eaten in ages, standing up so suddenly caused his legs to tremble and his vision to go black. He nearly fell back onto the bed.

Xu Jingmo caught him, the playful look in his eyes replaced by worry. “Is your blood sugar low?”

Chen Kongqing hooked himself onto the man. “No…” He wasn’t about to admit it.

Xu Jingmo supported his thighs and carried him the few steps over to the small dining table. Chen Kongqing swung his legs and commanded, “I want to brush my teeth…”

So Xu Jingmo carried him to brush his teeth. Only after that would Chen Kongqing agree to eat.

He ate his red bean buns while sitting on Xu Jingmo’s lap, but that didn’t stop him from giving Xu Jingmo a cold shoulder. Xu Jingmo dutifully poked the straw into the soy milk for him. The man brought the straw to his lips. “Take a sip. It’s sweet.”

Chen Kongqing didn’t give him the satisfaction, stuffing another bite of bun into his mouth instead.

Xu Jingmo’s palm rested on his waist. For once, he was very well-behaved, simply pressing against him gently. “There was only ever you.”

Chen Kongqing could guess what Xu Jingmo was referring to, but he chose to play dumb, chewing on the bun dough. “What?”

“You are my only Liebling,” Xu Jingmo stated frankly.

Chen Kongqing bit his lip. “You don’t have to say that just to make me happy. I mean… you said you didn’t like me back then, but only liked me later. It’s normal if you dated other people before that.”

Xu Jingmo raised an eyebrow, his tone sounding hurt. “You don’t believe me?”

“It’s not that…” Chen Kongqing didn’t know his own mindset. He just felt that Xu Jingmo was twenty-eight, after all; having dated before would be perfectly reasonable.

“I was very busy abroad. I didn’t have time to think about personal matters,” Xu Jingmo said, kissing the rabbit’s earlobe. “In my free time, I was thinking about returning home, thinking about finding you.”

The rabbit’s earlobe was pink and soft, very nibble-able. Chen Kongqing felt it was itchy but didn’t hide; instead, he tilted his face to look at Xu Jingmo. The hand on his waist suddenly tightened.

“Mph…” His belly felt very sore and bloated to begin with, and Xu Jingmo’s squeeze made it worse. Chen Kongqing instantly went limp, leaning into the man’s chest. “Gentle… my stomach hurts…”

“How does it hurt? Should I rub it for you?” The man’s palm already began kneading the soft belly. The movements were light and quite comfortable.

Chen Kongqing used to be very ticklish, but after last night, he seemed to have gained some immunity. He now accepted the massage with a clear conscience. Lying in such a warm and reliable embrace, a thought suddenly popped into his head: I want to lie here like this until the end of the world.

He didn’t know how much time passed. Xu Jingmo kept holding him while he took occasional sips of the soy milk brought to his lips. Golden sunlight spread across the floor.

“Xu Jingmo,” Chen Kongqing suddenly called out softly, rubbing against the man’s chest.

“Yes?”

“Are you free for the Dragon Boat Festival?”

“I can be.”

“Then accompany me to visit my grandmother’s grave. I miss her so much.” Chen Kongqing looked down at the pool of sunlight on the floor.

The sunlight was beautiful, yet regrets were many. The man holding him pulled him even closer, whispering tenderly, “Okay.”

Chen Kongqing snuggled into Xu Jingmo’s chest, thinking: Fortunately. Fortunately, I have you.

…

The beautiful sunny weather lasted for about three or four days. During that time, the various marks on Chen Kongqing’s body gradually faded.

“Senior, are we going to the cafeteria for dinner tonight?” Chen Kongqing wiped the used equipment and put it back, turning to ask a tired-looking Du Song.

Du Song, looking like he was at death’s door, blinked his weary eyes. He didn’t understand how his junior could be so full of energy every day.

“Is your ‘person’ not delivering dinner to you today?” Du Song teased with a yawn.

“He’s working overtime tonight.” Chen Kongqing had now fully accepted Du Song referring to Xu Jingmo as “his person.”

“You only think of me when he’s working overtime?” Du Song shook his head. “I’m not available. I have a date tonight.”

“A date?” Chen Kongqing actually thought his senior, who seemed to have retired from the world of romance, had finally seen the light. “Are you in a relationship?”

“Yeah. Your ‘sister-in-law’ is named Thesis,” Du Song smiled bitterly. “If I don’t sort out this data tonight, the professor is going to sort me out.”

Chen Kongqing could only express deep sympathy. “Good luck, Senior.”

Du Song sighed and went back to his experiments. Chen Kongqing quietly took off his lab coat and left. It had started to drizzle outside. Fortunately, he had an umbrella in his backpack—Xu Jingmo had tucked it in there last night.

He opened the umbrella and walked into the misty rain. Since it was raining, he didn’t feel like going to the cafeteria, so he bought a rice ball from the convenience store near the lab building instead. He sat by the window, listening to the rain. It was a very quiet moment.

Just as he was relaxing, the chair next to him was suddenly pulled out with a harsh screech. He instinctively turned his head.

Ling Xiao, dressed in sportswear, sat down beside him. He leaned his head on one hand, facing Chen Kongqing.

“…” Chen Kongqing looked away indifferently, staring out the window while eating his rice ball.

Ling Xiao pressed his tongue against the inside of his cheek. “Nothing to say to me?”

Chen Kongqing frowned. “Like what?”

“You’re with Xu Jingmo?” When Ling Xiao first heard the news, he was so angry he wanted to kidnap Chen Kongqing back. But he knew the boy was stubborn; doing that would only push him further away. So he had endured it until now.

“Who I am with—why do I need to explain that to you?” Chen Kongqing felt like laughing.

“You break up with me and then get with my cousin. You tell me if you need to explain,” Ling Xiao said, his jaw tightening. “Chen Kongqing, weren’t you just trying to spite me? Well, you succeeded.”

This time, Chen Kongqing actually laughed. He had been studying the mechanisms of herbal medicine on modern cancer recently. The more he studied, the more he felt cancer could be treated, but some people were beyond cure.

Seeing him silent, Ling Xiao continued his rhetoric: “I know. Xu Jingmo looks like me, that’s why you like him. You have a natural affinity for him, so you were tricked. He isn’t…”

Chen Kongqing couldn’t hold it in anymore. He shook his head while laughing. “Ling Xiao… it’s not like that. I like Xu Jingmo, but it’s not because he looks like you.”

“Then what else could it be?” Ling Xiao’s tone turned cold. “Because he’s older? Or because you think he’s rich? When I graduate, I’ll be…” just as rich.

“No…” Chen Kongqing felt helpless. He didn’t think it was necessary to explain, but to avoid these misunderstandings, he decided to be clear. “The person I have always loved is him.”

Chen Kongqing finally turned his face to look Ling Xiao in the eye.

Ling Xiao felt as if his heart had been hollowed out by a very blunt spoon. It wasn’t bloody, but it hurt. He clenched his teeth. “What nonsense are you talking about, Chen Kongqing?”

“I’m not talking nonsense.” Chen Kongqing looked directly into the man’s reddening eyes and said coldly, “The person I have always loved is Xu Jingmo, including the eyes. I have always loved his eyes. I just mistook your eyes for his.”