Did My Wife Break Up With Me Today? - Chapter 86

Chapter 86: “No matter where you go, you are not alone.”

Chen Kongqing couldn’t be bothered to deal with Xu Jingmo.

He maintained his silent treatment all the way to the highway service area. It wasn’t until Xu Jingmo bought him a double-scoop ice cream that his anger finally dissipated.

However, after meeting the parents, things felt very different. He couldn’t quite describe what had changed—it was just… different.

The moment Xu Jingmo hung that Ping’an Kou (safety buckle) around his neck, Chen Kongqing felt a sense of grounding. It was a feeling that he finally had a home again. He hadn’t felt this way since his grandmother was still alive.

Later, when his grandmother fell ill and he fell ill too, his body seemed unable to cope with the pain of being “homeless,” causing him to forget many things—even the feeling of what a home felt like.

Chen Kongqing lowered his head, gazing at the pendant. The white jade was warm to the touch, perfectly clear without a single impurity. As he stared blankly, his senior pushed him gently. “I haven’t congratulated you yet, Junior Brother!”

“Mhm? For what?” Chen Kongqing snapped back to reality.

“You don’t know? That international competition you entered—you won first prize for our college. Didn’t the professor tell you?” Du Song looked surprised, slinging an arm over his dazed junior’s shoulder. “Go see the professor for your reward! With this merit, you can definitely fight for a government-sponsored study abroad slot. I remember you passed your English exams too. Go talk to the professor! You’ll be off to London to watch the rain soon.”

Before Chen Kongqing could process this, his phone rang. It was indeed the professor, calling to share the news of his award.

“I remember you wanted a government sponsorship before,” the professor mentioned. “I know some botany mentors abroad and will help look into placements for you. As for the college quota, don’t worry; just follow the application process.”

“Thank you… thank you, Teacher.” Chen Kongqing was still in a daze.

“You should thank yourself. You found this stepping stone on your own, Kongqing,” the old professor chuckled.

After a few more words of thanks, Chen Kongqing hung up. His senior was still celebrating for him, and indeed, he should be happy. Since starting university, he had worked toward this—classes, activities, competitions, GPA, labs… even that difficult English.

But now, he didn’t feel as happy as he expected. He looked down at the jade buckle again.

Xu Jingmo had been away on a business trip for nearly a week. He was very busy lately, so the two only had time for video calls at night. On the screen, the “rabbit” seemed to be spacing out, looking a bit gloomy.

“What’s wrong?” Xu Jingmo furrowed his brows. “Why the long face? Did Black Cat Sheriff step on you in the middle of the night again?”

Chen Kongqing shook his head slightly. “No.”

“Then what is it?”

Looking at that deep-featured, handsome face on the screen, the words Chen Kongqing had prepared died on his lips. Finally, he only said: “It’s nothing. When are you coming back?”

“So, you just miss me?” Xu Jingmo smiled tenderly. “Soon. The morning after tomorrow.”

Chen Kongqing nodded obediently. “Okay, I’ll wait for you.”

“Good. Have you been eating well?” Chen Kongqing leaned against the edge of the bed.

He had recently learned that Xu Jingmo had a chronic stomach condition; he had thought it was a minor issue before. It wasn’t until a few days ago, when Xu Jingmo looked terrible picking him up and reached for painkillers while driving, that he realized how serious it was.

“Does your stomach still hurt? You must eat on time. When you get back, I’ll brew some medicine for you to drink after every meal,” Chen Kongqing nagged. “It’s better to go to the hospital for a check-up.”

Xu Jingmo comforted him: “I’ve seen a doctor. It’s a small issue. The hospital has been busy and my meals were irregular; that’s why it flared up.”

“That’s exactly why you need to eat on time. Even if I’m not watching you… you have to eat.” Chen Kongqing’s eyes turned red with worry.

Xu Jingmo thought he was just being affectionate and smiled. “You care about me that much?”

Chen Kongqing stared with reddened eyes. “Of course I care about you.”

Xu Jingmo wanted to say more but had to stop. “Baby, I have a call coming in. I have to hang up.”

The call ended with a beep. The phone vibrated twice.

Mein Mann [Pink Heart]: I have a report to finish up here. Mein Mann [Pink Heart]: Go to sleep first. Mein Mann [Pink Heart]: I’ll be back the morning after tomorrow, baby.

Chen Kongqing looked at the messages and paused. [Okay].

His finger traced the profile picture and the contact name. Mein Mann was German for “My Husband.” As for the pink heart, Xu Jingmo had seen a pink heart on Ling Xiao’s contact info before and insisted he have one too.

Thinking of this, Chen Kongqing smiled. But after smiling, his eyes were still red.

…

Xu Jingmo arrived back in Kun City exactly as promised. He went straight to Chen Kongqing’s rental.

Chen Kongqing had just finished showering. Hearing the lock turn, he startled and wrapped a towel around his waist. A familiar figure appeared at the door. Xu Jingmo, in fresh summer clothes, walked in. “Überraschen (Surprise).”

Seeing it was him, Chen Kongqing relaxed completely. “You… why didn’t you tell me you were here?”

“Wanted to give you a surprise,” Xu Jingmo said, kicking the door shut. “Just showered?”

Chen Kongqing nodded and walked over. Xu Jingmo picked the “rabbit” up by the waist and “transported” him to the hair dryer. Chen Kongqing let himself be handled, looking at Xu Jingmo in the misty mirror. The man stood behind him, drying every strand of hair with gentle movements.

When the hair was dry and fluffy, Xu Jingmo put the dryer down. He rubbed the boy’s head. “Done.”

Chen Kongqing didn’t care about his hair; his eyes remained on the man in the mirror. Xu Jingmo was wearing a simple business-casual polo shirt, but on him, it looked steady and incredibly handsome.

Chen Kongqing turned around and buried himself in the man’s arms. “Xu Jingmo, I missed you so much.”

“I hear you.” Xu Jingmo felt a warmth in his chest. “I missed you too, Xiaoman.”

The rabbit in his arms looked up. His face was flushed. Suddenly, Chen Kongqing stood on his tiptoes and pressed his lips to Xu Jingmo’s. It was a chaste touch. Then, with a face turning even redder, he whispered into Xu Jingmo’s ear.

“Love me.”

Xu Jingmo’s eyes flashed with unmasked intensity. He tightened his grip on the boy’s waist and lifted him off the ground. Chen Kongqing felt all his emotions—good and bad—drowned by a surging tide of love.

…

The next morning, sunlight crawled onto the bed. The rabbit shifted uncomfortably and hid in Xu Jingmo’s arms.

“Don’t go…”

“I’m just closing the curtains, baby. I’m not leaving.”

“No.”

Xu Jingmo gave in, hugging him tighter. “Fine, then bury your face so the sun won’t hit you.”

Chen Kongqing had planned to talk about the study abroad program, but somehow things turned into… this. He found it harder and harder to bring up. Even when the scholarship money hit his account, he didn’t know how to share the joy. Would Xu Jingmo be happy? Or would he be secretly heartbroken?

On Friday, Chen Kongqing was in the lab. Xu Jingmo called on speakerphone to ask about dinner.

Du Song walked in, unaware of the call. “Kongqing, you can go to California! The botany programs there are famous. I’m so jealous…”

Chen Kongqing’s breath hitched. Silence fell over the phone.

Du Song felt the awkwardness. “Kongqing? Why aren’t you saying anything?”

Instead of Kongqing, a cold male voice came from the speaker: “Chen Kongqing.”

Chen Kongqing grabbed his phone and ran outside. “I… I’ll tell you when I get home.”

“When are you coming back?” The voice was stern.

“Soon…”

“I’ll be downstairs in a moment.”

The call ended. Chen Kongqing packed his things in a panic. The black sedan arrived almost immediately. He sat inside nervously. Xu Jingmo didn’t say a word. There was no anger on his face—just an oppressive silence.

Once back at the apartment, Xu Jingmo sat on the sofa. “You said you’d talk to me. Go ahead.”

Chen Kongqing stood before him like a child facing punishment. “I won that competition… I can go abroad for my Master’s on a government scholarship.”

“When did you find out?” Xu Jingmo pulled him down to sit beside him.

“While you were away on business…”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Xu Jingmo pressed his lips together. “If I hadn’t heard it today, how long were you going to hide it?”

“I… I didn’t mean to.” Chen Kongqing’s nose began to sting. “I just didn’t know how to tell you. I got so mad at you before for ‘leaving me’ to go abroad… and we promised to be together. I didn’t want to be apart from you.”

“A government slot is hard to get. I know you passed your English,” Xu Jingmo’s voice softened. Seeing the tears in Chen Kongqing’s eyes, he wiped a tear away. “Why are you crying?”

“I don’t know what to do…” Chen Kongqing sobbed, throwing himself into Xu Jingmo’s arms. “I don’t want to be apart… I finally have a home again, but it feels like I’m going to be alone again.”

Xu Jingmo held him tight. “You won’t be alone.”

“But I can’t lie to you. I really want to study botany abroad. It’s always been my dream.”

“Then go. I know you will.”

Chen Kongqing sobbed into his chest. “But you… it’s so unfair to you. Xu Jingmo… I’m sorry. If you want to break up… I will—”

The last word was swallowed by Xu Jingmo’s kiss. It was forceful and non-negotiable.

“Don’t you dare say those words,” Xu Jingmo said sternly. “We are never breaking up. It’s just studying. We have phones, video calls. I can fly to see you. This isn’t a problem. If you try to break up over this, I will never agree.”

“But it’s for two years,” Chen Kongqing cried.

“Then I’ll wait two years,” Xu Jingmo said firmly. “Chen Kongqing, you waited for me all those years. For me to wait just two years is a bargain.”

Chen Kongqing’s tears flowed uncontrollably, washing away the weeks of anxiety. Xu Jingmo just held him, kissing his face.

“Chen Kongqing, no matter where you go in the future, you aren’t alone. I will always be with you.”

“Thank you, Xu Jingmo,” Chen Kongqing whispered.

“I don’t want to hear that.”

“Then what do you want to hear?”

Xu Jingmo leaned into his ear. “Say: Husband, I love you.”

Chen Kongqing bit his lip, then looked into those deep eyes. “Husband, I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Through the years and across the distance, I will still love you.

…

Since the confession, Chen Kongqing felt a weight lifted. He moved into the master bedroom of Tinglan Mansion, bringing Black Cat Sheriff with him. They fell into a domestic routine: school, work, cooking together, and studying in the library on weekends.

One rainy afternoon, a year later, Chen Kongqing realized he had forgotten to feed the cat while cooking. After tending to the cat, he noticed the rain had turned into a downpour. Xu Jingmo had left without an umbrella.

Chen Kongqing grabbed an umbrella and headed to the hospital. Xu Jingmo was standing at the entrance, stranded by the storm.

Suddenly, a clear voice came from behind: “The rain is quite heavy, Dr. Xu. Shall I give you a lift?”

Xu Jingmo turned around. It was Chen Kongqing.

Just like their reunion a year ago. The youth was dressed like a student, but the sorrow and brokenness in his eyes from a year ago were gone.

“How did you get here?”

“It’s raining! I came to pick up Dr. Xu.” Chen Kongqing stepped to his side.

“Did you get wet?” Xu Jingmo took the large umbrella.

“No.”

They walked into the rain arm-in-arm.

“Do you remember the first time we met last year?” Chen Kongqing asked. “Back then, you said giving me a ride was ‘on the way.’ Was it really on the way?”

Xu Jingmo shook his head honestly. “It was a ten-kilometer detour.”

Chen Kongqing laughed. “Some ‘detour’ that was.”

“To drive you, anywhere is on the way.” Xu Jingmo smiled.

Amidst the sound of rain, Chen Kongqing looked at his lover. “Is it on the way for a lifetime?”

Xu Jingmo looked down at him. “For a lifetime.”

— END OF MAIN STORY —