I’m Face-Blind, But I Devoted Myself To Three Guys - Chapter 19

Chapter 19: From One “Read Without Reply” Into Another…

“Are you coming again tomorrow?” Qi Xu repeated.

Jiang Yingshen gazed into Qi Xu’s eyes, finding the question somewhat abrupt. At the very least, it shouldn’t be the focus of attention right now.

He didn’t answer. Instead, he lowered his eyelashes and cast a light glance at Qi Xu’s hand resting on his knee. The water stain on the back of the hand had dried quickly; there was no trace of what that hand had done half a minute ago.

Qi Xu blinked, waiting for an answer. He had moved his hand unconsciously earlier—a touch that could be considered intimate. While Jiang Yingshen wouldn’t get angry or scold him directly, he was the type to silently start avoiding people.

Qi Xu’s first thought was: Oh no—Jiang Yingshen is definitely going to quit.

Qi Xu stared at the man’s profile, puffing out his cheeks. He contemplated whether he should ask his sister to step in and help convince him to stay.

Jiang Yingshen took Qi Xu’s injured hand, carefully straightening the fingers that had curled up unconsciously, and finished wrapping the final bandage. He stood up.

The response finally came: “I checked your records from the hospital. Your psychological state is very healthy. I will explain everything clearly to your family.”

Jiang Yingshen suspected that Qi Xu’s family was simply overprotective, which is why they hired someone for daily observation. If it were anyone else, Qi Xu would likely be grateful for the explanation. But for Qi Xu, this meant a hard-earned opportunity for interaction was slipping away.

He didn’t want that.

“So, you’re not coming starting tomorrow?” His voice was laced with grievance, his pretty face a mask of reluctance.

Seeing the undisguised disappointment, Jiang Yingshen pursed his lips. Almost without thinking, he blurted out, “Do you want me to come?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted it and turned his head away in slight annoyance.

Qi Xu, being a good boy who always answered questions, nodded immediately: “I do.” He even reached out to tug at the hem of Jiang Yingshen’s clothes, a silent plea for him to stay. His sincerity was undeniable.

Jiang Yingshen glanced at his slightly deformed shirt hem, then back at Qi Xu’s spirited eyes. He decided to press further: “Why? You…”

He hesitated for two seconds, swallowing the second half of the sentence. He had wanted to say: Don’t you already have new targets? That celebrity, and the neighbor across the hall.

Jiang Yingshen lacked emotional needs, but he wasn’t emotionally stunted. He could clearly see Qi Xu’s intentions toward him. Moreover, Qi Xu didn’t seem to have any intention of hiding them.

Qi Xu ignored the break in the sentence and threw out a baffling reason: “Because I have a mission.”

“What?” Jiang Yingshen thought he had misheard.

Qi Xu sat with his hands on his thighs, looking obedient and upright, then proceeded to talk nonsense with a face full of sincerity.

“Do you remember the auditory hallucinations I mentioned at the hospital? They’re all real. Those voices are a ‘System.’ They keep giving me missions to please you, otherwise, I’ll die.”

Even though it sounded completely unbelievable, it was the truth, and Qi Xu said it without any burden of guilt.

However, after hearing this, Jiang Yingshen: “…”

He frowned, staring at Qi Xu’s face, trying to find evidence that the boy was lying just to make him stay. But Qi Xu looked him in the eye the whole time; there was no guilty flickering, only the occasional downward glance indicating he was recalling information. His expression was relaxed and natural.

These micro-expressions suggested that Qi Xu, in all probability, was telling the truth. After this objective analysis, Jiang Yingshen felt even more overwhelmed.

“Have these hallucinations been present this whole time?” he asked after a few seconds of silence.

Qi Xu nodded. “Yes. I lied to you last time. I can even talk to them. If you’re curious, you can ask questions, and I can relay them.”

Jiang Yingshen recalled Qi Xu’s unnatural expression in front of the library when he asked if the voices had disappeared. So, he really had been lying that day.

“…No thanks.” Jiang Yingshen felt a headache coming on.

Just as he wanted to ask for more details, his phone rang. He had to take the call. After hanging up, Jiang Yingshen looked at Qi Xu with a firm expression. “I have something I need to take care of. Let’s stop here for today.”

Seeing his serious expression, Qi Xu didn’t push. “Alright. Go ahead and get busy, Senior.”

Leading him to the door, Qi Xu couldn’t help but confirm: “Senior, you’re coming tomorrow, right?”

Jiang Yingshen looked up from his screen and paused. “Not tomorrow.”

Qi Xu began picking at his nails, but before he could feel disappointed, the man added: “I have to go to the hospital tomorrow. If you’re free the day after, I’ll come over.”

Qi Xu’s drooping eyes instantly lit up. “I’m free!” Most of his classes were over; he had plenty of time.

At that moment, the door across the hall opened, and Xie Chengyan walked out. Seeing the two at the door, he paused visibly. He shot an unreadable glance at Qi Xu before heading toward the elevator.

Jiang Yingshen noticed the look and instinctively watched for Qi Xu’s reaction. But Qi Xu’s focus was entirely on him; he only gave the neighbor a brief glance before looking back.

A subtle, inexplicable emotion rose within Jiang Yingshen. Suppressing it, he said softly, “Then I’m leaving.”

Qi Xu waved. “See you the day after tomorrow, Senior!”

Jiang Yingshen nodded. The elevator doors opened, and he stepped in with Xie Chengyan. Just as the doors were about to close, they suddenly slid back open.

Qi Xu stood outside, smiling at Jiang Yingshen. “Since we’re going to see each other often, take me out of your block list, Senior.”

Jiang Yingshen: “…Understood.”

But Qi Xu didn’t leave. He stared at Jiang Yingshen’s phone, seemingly waiting to witness the unblocking with his own eyes.

“…” Jiang Yingshen helplessly opened Qi Xu’s contact info and removed him from the blacklist.

Watching the successful delivery of a sticker, Qi Xu curled his lips in satisfaction. He then shifted his gaze to the silent Xie Chengyan, looking at him expectantly.

“Let’s add each other too…”

During the exchange between Qi Xu and Jiang Yingshen, Xie Chengyan had been standing with his arms crossed, observing Qi Xu. Now that the spearhead was pointed at him, he quirked an eyebrow in surprise.

Seeing he didn’t refuse, Qi Xu brought up his QR code and pushed it toward him. “You can just scan me.”

Jiang Yingshen’s temple throbbed as he watched this. It felt strangely familiar.

Xie Chengyan stared into Qi Xu’s eyes for a few seconds before slowly taking out his phone and scanning the code. Only after seeing the “Friend Added” notification did Qi Xu take a step back and move his foot away from the elevator door.

The doors closed slowly. Qi Xu waved at the two inside, his eyes curving happily. As the elevator descended, the atmosphere inside the small space became even more awkward because of Qi Xu.

Fortunately, it reached the first floor quickly. Jiang Yingshen stepped out first. Xie Chengyan rubbed his wrist, narrowing his eyes at the departing back. When Jiang Yingshen had reached out to press the elevator button, Xie Chengyan noticed a mole on his wrist.

Coincidentally, its position and size were identical to the one on his own wrist.

…

Back in his room, the systems in Qi Xu’s head immediately jumped out.

• Host, this is against regulations!

• You cannot reveal the existence of the System during a mission!

• You are making things very difficult for us, Host~

Qi Xu realized the accountability phase had begun.

• [But he won’t believe it anyway,] Qi Xu argued, feeling his logic was sound. Looking at Jiang Yingshen’s speechless expression, it was clear that even if the man suspected he was misdiagnosed, he would never believe a “System” actually existed.

He only used that method to keep Jiang Yingshen around. If he appeared perfectly normal, the man wouldn’t come back. The results proved the method worked.

• Host, don’t do it again!

Qi Xu blinked. Oh. Then stop me sooner next time.

Systems 1, 2, and 3, suffering from lag: … They felt as if a non-existent throat had been choked.

After dismissing the systems, Qi Xu lay on his bed eating the pudding left by the housekeeper. He boredly sent a message to Jiang Yingshen: “Do you like pudding, Senior?”

Jiang Yingshen didn’t reply, but he didn’t block him this time. Qi Xu pushed his luck and sent a cat sticker. Two minutes later, a reply actually came: “Remember to take some anti-inflammatory medicine.”

It was a short sentence, but to Qi Xu, it was a symbol of massive progress. He had finally moved past the “Read Without Reply” stage.

He jumped off the bed happily, found the medicine, and swallowed a pill. His gaze snagged on a box of fever reducers. He paused. Xie Chengyan seemed to have a fever; he might need this.

Qi Xu opened his phone and messaged Xie Chengyan: “When are you coming back?”

An hour passed. No reply.

Qi Xu pursed his lips. “…” He seemed to have stepped out of one “Read Without Reply” and right into another.

Undaunted, he sat by the foyer with two boxes of fever medicine, watching for movement outside. He waited until 10:00 PM, but Xie Chengyan still hadn’t returned. Exhausted, he couldn’t hold on any longer. He wrote a small note and left it with the medicine at Xie Chengyan’s door.

When Xie Chengyan returned, carrying the chill of the night, he saw a “little brown bear” (Qi Xu in his loungewear) sitting by his door. In its place (as Qi Xu had gone inside) were two boxes of medicine and a small card.

“You didn’t reply to my message. This is fever medicine; I hope it helps. Thank you for your help today.”

The words “You didn’t reply to my message” were underlined twice for emphasis. It was clear the writer cared deeply.

Xie Chengyan checked his phone and realized it had died at some point. He stared at the elegant handwriting and couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh. The fatigue and gloom surrounding him dissipated significantly.

…

That night, perhaps due to the medicine, Qi Xu slept very deeply. He didn’t wake up at his usual time and was eventually startled awake by a phone call.

“Mr. Qi Xu, you are involved in a recent case regarding illegal transactions and invasion of privacy. Please come in for an investigation.”

With his hair standing up in messy tufts, Qi Xu blinked. Huh?