I Became the Darling of the Wealthy Through Gossip - Chapter 17

Qi Beichen: I am a cockroach that cannot be beaten to death, surviving for hundreds of millions of years, just to fight to regain my throne!

When Bai Muxuan saw Qi Beichen’s message, his mouth twitched, and he typed a line of text only to delete it again, repeating this over and over again.

In his impression, in the two-plus months since Qi Beichen was recognized and brought back, he had been like a social butterfly, shifting through various banquets. He didn’t know if it was his natural charm or something else, but there were always some suggestive rumors spreading about him, though nothing had ever been confirmed.

Qi Beichen stared dead at the chat box; at the very top of their conversation, it said “typing…” but after typing for a long time, not a single word popped out. It was as if the person on the other end was hesitating over what to say.

Qi Beichen: Brother Muxuan, you wouldn’t know, right? Hundreds of millions of years ago, they were the overlords of the Earth, and one could be two or three meters long. Now, because of climate change and genetic mutation, they’ve become the weak-looking creatures they are today. Don’t underestimate them; they can even survive at minus thirty degrees without dying. Bai Muxuan: Let’s end the topic about this species here. I haven’t seen you on the overpass for the last two days. Why aren’t you setting up your stall? Did you give up? Qi Beichen: Brother Muxuan, there are thousands of ways to make money. I’ve thought of something else now. The overpass stall can wait until later. I don’t know when the orthopedic director will be back from his academic study either. Plus, I sent him a message, but it sank like a stone into the sea—he didn’t even reply. Bai Muxuan: Probably two or three months. Departments take turns going out for exchanges. We’ve all rotated through, so it’s his turn. Qi Beichen: Oh… so that’s how it is…

Rumble…

A massive sound echoed outside, followed by a lightning bolt that tore across the clouds, as if wanting to shred the entire sky to pieces.

Qi Beichen looked outside; the wind had grown stronger, blowing the door frame until it made a “creak, creak” sound.

Clang, clang…

The wooden window was also being blown until it was wobbling precariously. With a bang, clang, clang, clang…

[This broken weather, it’s like it’s seen a ghost!] [Indeed. In previous years at this time, it would be bright and sunny; where did all this nonsense come from?] [The weather is changing. There’s a yellow alert for heavy rain today, and this area is a low-lying spot. We’d better shut the doors and windows tight; it’s easy for the water to back up.]

This broken place really had no soundproofing.

Suddenly, he remembered that Bai Muxuan had reminded him to wear a raincoat a few days ago. Bai Muxuan was so busy would he have brought a raincoat or an umbrella?

Qi Beichen looked at the umbrella discarded in the corner, and a wave of unease flooded his heart. The thunder never stopped; instead, it became louder and louder, one burst after another.

Rumble… Another round of thunder. He directly grabbed the umbrella from the wall corner. The wind outside was too strong. Just as he stood at the hotel entrance, the umbrella lost its frame, snapping in half with a snap-crack, and the broken black cloth was torn by the wind and fluttered away.

The umbrella was ruined, but he still had his raincoat.

Rumble! Bang!

A thunderclap accompanied the lightning, Splash!

Raindrops hit the ground, splashing up a curtain of water; the dust turned into muddy water.

[What month is this? To have weather like this, I’ve lived long enough to see everything.] [Indeed. The wind and rain, I heard a typhoon made landfall. Oh, right, it’s the one called ‘Mangkhut’.] [Didn’t the Meteorological Bureau say it was just a tropical cyclone? And we’re on the outer edge of the clouds. Logically, summer typhoons are common, but autumn typhoons are rare, let alone now when it’s almost the beginning of winter. The climate is completely abnormal.]

Qi Beichen rushed into the curtain of rain against the gale. More than half of his pant legs were dyed a deep color, and mud splatters splashed onto the raincoat behind him, running down in streaks along with the rainwater.

It really might have been the “glow before the sunset” the sunlight earlier had been beautiful, the sunset glow a kaleidoscopic purple, and it had even become a bit hot. Cold and hot hitting each other that was exactly the precursor to a heavy rainstorm.

The wind blew even more violently, and the fierce, cold rain poured into his thin clothes, leaving his neck feeling icy.

The hotel was right next to Jiangcheng People’s Hospital, so it wasn’t far. The entrance to the hospital was crowded, not having grown quiet despite the heavy rain.

The moment he opened his umbrella, just like before, it fell apart directly. Being light in weight, he was dragged forward a few steps by the wind, falling slantwise next to a stone pier. Covered in mud and water, he kicked the stone pier and disappeared into the curtain of rain.

Qi Beichen felt a wave of chilliness in his body, wondering if it was because he’d been caught in the rain for a short while.

Autumn rain usually came in a continuous drizzle, which should have been gentle, but this year was different. Qi Beichen’s shoes were already soaked through.

“What are you doing here?”

Bai Muxuan’s voice came from behind him. Qi Beichen turned his head mechanically.

“Um, the rain is too heavy today, so I came to check if you had an umbrella.”

Bai Muxuan held a black umbrella in his hand, which had been blown to pieces.

“What if I hadn’t finished work?” “I checked the hospital’s official website; today’s shift hours are 8 AM to 6 PM.” “You really do care about me, being able to check even that.”

Of course, Qi Beichen muttered silently to himself; everything about his “big shot” had to be kept in mind at all times.

“I came out a little late today. My car isn’t in the hospital garage; it’s in the open-air parking lot outside.”

The voice sounded shredded in the wind, fluttering past his ears.

Thump!

A thunderclap came from afar, and the lightning struck straight down at the ground. He could see a mass of pitch-black smoke rising in the distance; it had likely struck a tree.

Bai Muxuan opened the umbrella. The wind was a bit calmer than before. He tucked Qi Beichen’s shoulder under the umbrella. “You’re all soaked, even though you were wearing a raincoat. What happened?”

Bai Muxuan held Qi Beichen tightly and ran toward the open-air parking lot, stepping deep and shallow, occasionally stepping into puddles. His already soaked shoes and socks were filled with water, making a squelch, squelch sound.

Beep-beep-beep…

Bai Muxuan took out his car keys. “This counts as ‘touch-porcelain’ (blackmailing someone by faking an accident).”

“I’m just concerned about you. After all, you bailed me out a few days ago, and I was thinking of repaying you.” “Give it a rest. Look at my car it’s full of mud and water.”

Qi Beichen looked down a pool of water beneath his feet. No, he only needed to escort his “big shot” to the parking lot. Why was he getting into the car? Damn body, damn feet, why are you so disobedient?

“Um, Brother Muxuan, the place I’m staying is right over there. Actually, I can go back by myself.”

Bai Muxuan looked Qi Beichen up and down. Water dripped from the tips of his hair, sliding down his fair cheeks to his chin. His eyelashes were soaked by the rain, stained with a thin mist of water, making his eyes look even larger watery and wide with the tip of his nose slightly flushed red.

Earlier, through the curtain of rain, they hadn’t interacted much. Up close, Qi Beichen’s appearance possessed an indescribable beauty that deeply stirred the desire to protect buried deep in Bai Muxuan’s heart.

“There aren’t any good places to stay around the hospital, and no good apartments for rent. The prices are high, and the facilities are average. Come home with me.”

Qi Beichen blinked hard, his eyelashes fluttering like little black fans. His body was a bit cold, trembling, and water droplets were dripping all over the car seat. He was stunned into silence.

Complex emotions flickered in Bai Muxuan’s eyes.

The hospital wasn’t far from Bai Muxuan’s house. The heater in the car was turned up high, and it was warm and cozy, bringing a feeling of contentment and making him want to sleep in a daze.

Beep-beep!

The car in front stopped abruptly. Fortunately, the distance was quite far, so there was no rear-end collision, but his head slammed into the car window to the side, rubbing a heart shape into the condensation.

Qi Beichen rubbed his hair in a daze, his eyes half-open, and let out a yawn.

“Are you okay? This road is prone to traffic jams, and with the rain today, it’ll probably take a while.”

Qi Beichen shook his head, but his body was alternating between hot and cold, and even Bai Muxuan’s words sounded like they were drifting.

“I’m fine…”

Qi Beichen looked at the heart shape rubbed out by his hair and reached out to trace the edges on the car window.

A perfect heart shape appeared on the window, but he was dizzy, his nose felt a bit stuffed, and he wanted to sneeze.

Qi Beichen shook his hair, and the rainwater scattered, splashing directly onto Bai Muxuan’s face; even the dashboard was covered in a thin layer of mist.

“Beichen, are you part dog?” “No, I’m a snake. It’s my zodiac year, and I’m offending the Grand Duke of Jupiter, so my luck isn’t very good.” “The way you shake your head is just like my Himi.” “What’s Himi?” “A dog a German Shepherd.” “…”

In the gap of the traffic jam, Bai Muxuan casually grabbed a blanket from the back of the car and threw it into Qi Beichen’s lap. “Use this to wipe off first. The weather is hot and cold, so it’s easy to catch a cold. We’ll take a hot shower when we get home.”

Qi Beichen took the blanket and inhaled deeply. The fragrance of Bai Muxuan’s perfume instantly filled his nose and mouth. Like a satisfied little beast, he kept rubbing his cheeks against the blanket.

“I say, Qi Beichen, what kind of habit is this? Why do you rub against everything you catch?” “I’m rubbing against the ‘European aura’ (good luck).”

The small blanket smelled faint and soft. It was pure cotton, feeling soft and comfortable against his skin.

“This is very comfortable.”

Bai Muxuan glanced at him. “Mm, you like it? It’s yours.”

Qi Beichen’s pupils dilated in shock. His “big shot” had gifted him a blanket! What kind of heaven-sent miracle was this? Could it be that he’d really managed to “hug the big shot’s thigh” so easily?

The rain outside was drizzling, and the traffic jam didn’t hinder them for long it only took half an hour to reach the gate of Bai Muxuan’s villa.

It really was it was just one street away from the Qi family villa, very close.

“I bought this recently. It hasn’t been long since it was renovated. I have another villa that’s a neighbor to the Qi family, but this one is closer to the hospital, so I’ll be staying here often from now on.”

Qi Beichen unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the car door. A blast of cold wind rushed into his nose and mouth; it was chilly, and he couldn’t help but shiver.

“The house here isn’t big. On the way just now, I told the kitchen to boil some ginger soup to warm your body.”

What kind of heaven-selected male lead was this? Gentle, rich, and considerate!

Following Bai Muxuan inside.

He had to admit, the decoration style of Bai Muxuan’s home was different from the Qi family’s. Entering the door, the overall tone was light gray. Outside the giant floor-to-ceiling windows, he could see a meticulously cared-for small garden. The sofa was in low-saturation Morandi colors, complemented by a cream-white cashmere blanket.

The spiral staircase wound its way up; the railing was simple black wrought iron, and in the center was a huge crystal chandelier.

“The guest room is on the first floor, but it hasn’t been tidied up. Come upstairs to the second floor with me.”

Qi Beichen hadn’t seen enough yet; as he walked up the stairs, he took a few peeks down.

In the second-floor corridor, both sides were lined with famous paintings, and the soft carpet was fluffy and cottony beneath his feet.

“This is my room. You can make do for now and stay in the room opposite. Go take a shower first.”

Qi Beichen had already been feeling dizzy. Standing at the doorway, he nodded toward Bai Muxuan and turned, thump! hitting the door clumsily. He rubbed his head.

“Watch where you’re walking, you reckless thing.”

Qi Beichen tugged shyly at his soaked clothes. “I was looking, I was looking at Brother Muxuan’s beauty, and I couldn’t help myself…”

“…” “Go shower quickly, and come out to drink ginger soup later.”

He turned and pushed the door open.

The interior was simple, the space was large enough, with a simple black-and-white color scheme, a double bed, and a small balcony connected to the outside, with a bathroom.

Qi Beichen was floating with happiness. He didn’t know why Bai Muxuan had suddenly brought him home.

He stood in front of the bathroom mirror, still in a daze, not knowing what kind of good luck this was. Could it be just because he had shown concern for Bai Muxuan, he’d managed to enter the inner sanctum so smoothly?

No, “entering the inner sanctum” wasn’t a good word, but he couldn’t think of anything more appropriate.

His body was tinted with a faint pink from the rise in body temperature. His cheeks, originally fair, now looked even more like small water peaches. The steam had dried, but his body felt strange, and even his fingers were trembling.

He hurriedly turned on the water, lifted his foot to test the temperature—just right—and climbed directly into the water. Warm, balmy—the chill all over his body was washed away. Vaguely, he could hear the sound of the wind and rain outside, pitter-patter, drumming against the outer glass.

He squeezed out some shower gel. The white foam—the scent was almost the same as Bai Muxuan’s. The dense bubbles dyed his body, fine and comfortable. The warm water steamed into a thin layer of mist. It was overly comfortable; his eyelids seemed to stop obeying him, growing heavy.

His brain was murky, his eyelids drooped, and his throat was itchy. “Achoo…”

The foam around his cheeks scattered directly into the tub, causing ripples in layers of circles.

He dozed off. “Just sleep for a little while, get up in a little while…”