I’m Face-Blind, But I Devoted Myself To Three Guys - Chapter 25

Chapter 25: “I Don’t Want Compensation, I Just Want You to Promise…”

“Since that’s the case, you two should settle this privately.”

Qi Xu nodded obediently, watching the officer leave before turning to his side.

“Mr. Xie… huh?”

To his surprise, in the blink of an eye, the person who had been standing beside him was gone. Qi Xu scanned the room blankly and finally spotted a tall figure in a far corner. The man had his back to Qi Xu and appeared to be on the phone.

Qi Xu glanced toward the exit; Jiang Yingshen was likely still waiting for him. Thus, he decided to head straight toward the man on the phone.

However, when he got within two meters, he realized something was off—the man was wearing a mask. To be sure, Qi Xu took another step forward. Finally, hearing the man’s deliberately lowered voice, he confirmed it: this wasn’t Xie Chengyan, but Chi Hui.

Qi Xu stared at Chi Hui’s clothes for a moment, feeling helpless. By some stroke of luck today, all three protagonists were wearing simple black jackets, and since they were similar in height and build, Qi Xu—who already struggled to distinguish their faces—found it nearly impossible to tell them apart when they dressed like a matching set.

Chi Hui, sensing someone behind him, slowly turned around. Whatever was being said on the phone seemed to displease him; his brow was furrowed, and when he saw Qi Xu, his sharp gaze darkened significantly.

Under Chi Hui’s scrutinizing stare, Qi Xu didn’t know what to do with his hands or feet. He fidgeted with the hem of his jacket and gave a small, awkward smile. But Chi Hui seemed to be in a foul mood; seeing the smile only made him scowl deeper.

Qi Xu sensed it wasn’t a good time to farm “Simp Points,” so he awkwardly stepped aside, pretending he was just passing by. He changed direction, resuming the hunt for his actual target.

Seeing him looking for someone, Chi Hui curiously followed his gaze around the room. Xu Changshu was still nagging him over the phone to be careful; Chi Hui gave a brief, impatient grunt of acknowledgement and hung up. Although the misunderstanding had been cleared and he knew Qi Xu wasn’t part of the sasaeng group, he still had questions for him.

He began walking straight toward Qi Xu. Seeing Chi Hui approaching, Qi Xu’s eyes flickered with confusion. I didn’t provoke him again, did I?

Just as he was wondering, a crisp sound echoed near his ear. Someone had snapped their fingers right beside him. Startled, Qi Xu’s long eyelashes fluttered in panic.

“Are you looking for me?” The owner of the fingers leaned down over his other shoulder, asking with a light chuckle. The man leaned in so close that his shadow almost entirely enveloped Qi Xu.

Qi Xu turned his head instinctively. He stared at the person who had suddenly appeared behind him, blinking slowly as his brain took a few seconds to process.

Xie Chengyan watched the confusion in Qi Xu’s eyes transition into realization, confirming his suspicion. Since the second time Qi Xu had mistaken him for someone else, Xie Chengyan suspected the boy had some vision issues. He had intentionally walked away to test this theory.

Sure enough, he had watched Qi Xu stand there lost, scanning the room for ages before walking toward a man who shared a similar silhouette. He had been standing not far behind Qi Xu the whole time.

Qi Xu didn’t recognize him.

He had stood aside, watching Qi Xu approach someone else, seeing the hesitation only when the boy got close. It confirmed his hypothesis.

Because they were so close, Xie Chengyan’s breath brushed against Qi Xu’s eyelashes. It tickled, and Qi Xu looked down, rubbing his eyes. Meanwhile, Chi Hui, who had been walking toward him, stopped a few steps away. He watched the two of them, his brow furrowing unconsciously.

Xie Chengyan laughed softly at Qi Xu’s red-rimmed eyes. Then, as if remembering something, he glanced up at Chi Hui. His eyes darkened. It was interesting—this man gave him a feeling similar to the “Senior” Qi Xu mentioned. Even though it was their first meeting, he felt a faint sense of repulsion.

He had originally intended to use this man with a similar build to test Qi Xu, but seeing Qi Xu give that person a harmless, flattering smile made him feel an uncontrollable surge of irritation. He couldn’t even tell if he was annoyed because Qi Xu had mistaken the stranger for him, or simply because he hated seeing Qi Xu release his goodwill indiscriminately toward others.

While Xie Chengyan watched Chi Hui, Chi Hui was watching him back. The two men stared at each other from a distance—or rather, they were in a standoff. Their gazes were filled with mutual scrutiny and wariness.

Qi Xu, focused on rubbing his eyes, didn’t notice the tension until his thick lashes were clumped together. He let go and instinctively looked toward Chi Hui. But before he could meet Chi Hui’s eyes, the man behind him stepped forward, blocking his view.

Occupied by the tall figure, Qi Xu’s attention was naturally drawn away. He looked up at Xie Chengyan’s face, tilting his head. “Hmm?”

Xie Chengyan acted as if nothing was wrong, a smile playing on his lips. “Weren’t we going to negotiate the compensation?”

Qi Xu finally remembered his actual business. “Oh, right.”

Watching the boy whose attention was so easily diverted, Xie Chengyan cocked an eyebrow playfully. He placed a hand on Qi Xu’s arm, turning him around. “Let’s talk, then.”

Qi Xu followed the movement by instinct. Xie Chengyan shielded him under his arm and cast an unreadable glance back at Chi Hui.

Once they had walked a distance, Chi Hui ran a hand through his hair, sounding baffled. “Tch, what the hell was that?” That man’s look had made him extremely uncomfortable.

…

Qi Xu, being led away, finally remembered Chi Hui. He realized the star had been walking toward him for a reason. He glanced back, but Chi Hui was gone. It was a pity; he wanted to ask if what he said in the alley—about “getting the assistant job”—was actually true.

Xie Chengyan watched him silently, not missing the flash of disappointment in his eyes. His hand on Qi Xu’s shoulder tightened slightly.

However, Qi Xu soon put Chi Hui out of his mind to focus on the car accident. He blinked rapidly, oblivious to the heavy gaze of the man beside him. “Do I need to call the insurance company? My scooter is broken too, so I need to call the rental place… Is your car a limited edition? I think I’ve seen something similar in my brother’s garage…”

Xie Chengyan stared at Qi Xu’s moving lips, his Adam’s apple bobbing. An idea he himself found absurd began to form. Qi Xu, noticing the silence, looked up and collided with a burning gaze. He unconsciously licked his lips.

“How should I compensate you? Bank transfer or cash?”

Xie Chengyan stared at those moist, full lips for a few seconds before slowly moving his gaze up to Qi Xu’s clear, innocent eyes.

“I don’t need compensation,” Xie Chengyan said, his eyes fixed on Qi Xu. “As long as you agree to one request.”

Qi Xu stared back without blinking, noting that the man used the word “request” rather than “demand.”

“Is it difficult? If it’s something I can do…” He scratched his cheek, uncertain.

Recalling their encounter in the banquet lounge and Qi Xu’s attitude back then, Xie Chengyan’s lips curled into a smile. “No. You can do it.”

Qi Xu didn’t worry about being scammed; he simply nodded. “Okay then.” However, Xie Chengyan didn’t reveal the details, only saying he would find him later to redeem the promise.

Xie Chengyan walked him out of the lobby, where Jiang Yingshen had been waiting for a long time. Jiang Yingshen’s peripheral vision caught them coming out; his eyes flickered to their touching arms before pulling away. He and Xie Chengyan exchanged a brief, sharp look.

“Qi Xu.” Jiang Yingshen called out.

The boy immediately brightened. After mistaking so many people today, he had been almost afraid to approach anyone. He was grateful Jiang Yingshen had “claimed” him. Feeling guilty for making him wait so long, Qi Xu bypassed Xie Chengyan and ran toward Jiang Yingshen.

Watching the boy run off as happily as a puppy greeting its family, Xie Chengyan suddenly felt a surge of reluctance and reached out. Qi Xu was caught by the wrist just a step away.

He looked back, surprised. “?”

Xie Chengyan let out a soft, low laugh. He looked past Qi Xu at the man ahead. Under Jiang Yingshen’s watch, he said to Qi Xu: “Don’t forget our agreement.”

Qi Xu thought the man was just worried he’d break his word. “I will!”

After Qi Xu left with Jiang Yingshen, Xie Chengyan rubbed his fingertips, where the lingering sensation of Qi Xu’s skin remained. His eyes grew deeper.

…

Finally free of the mess, Qi Xu followed Jiang Yingshen and checked his phone. There was a new email: an acceptance letter for the position of Chi Hui’s temporary assistant. Just as Chi Hui had said, he was the one who got it.

With things progressing smoothly, Qi Xu was in a much better mood. He caught up to Jiang Yingshen and walked beside him. “Senior, let me treat you to dinner,” Qi Xu said, his hands behind his back.

Jiang Yingshen glanced at him. Thinking of the look Xie Chengyan had given him, he frowned. “Why don’t you treat that man instead?”

Qi Xu was stunned. He hadn’t realized Jiang Yingshen cared about other people’s dinners. “He didn’t have time. He said he had to stay and handle the remaining matters.”

“…” Jiang Yingshen bit his lip. So Qi Xu had asked the other man, but he was busy. Suddenly, Jiang Yingshen’s pace quickened significantly. Qi Xu had to jog to keep up.

“Senior, are you really hungry?” He seems in a hurry.

Jiang Yingshen remained completely silent this time, not even giving him a look. They ended up finding a random place to eat. Afterward, Qi Xu finally brought Jiang Yingshen home to complete his “Main Mission.”

He handed over the paper bag with the shirt. “Senior, your clothes are all cleaned.”

Jiang Yingshen took it. “Then I’ll head out.”

“Don’t rush! Have some water and rest for a bit.”

Jiang Yingshen recalled that at the restaurant, he had finished a bottle of water under Qi Xu’s intense gaze, and the empty bottle was still in the boy’s hand. But Qi Xu blinked, his lashes fluttering hopefully. Jiang Yingshen’s lips moved slightly, but he ultimately didn’t refuse. He sat back down on the sofa.

Satisfied, Qi Xu happily scurried off to prepare tea. While he was gone, Jiang Yingshen opened the bag and pulled out the white hoodie. It smelled faintly of lavender scent-packets. He ignored the fragrance and checked the fabric. It was indeed very clean—even the pen marks on the cuff were gone. It looked brand new.

Then, he unfolded the garment. There, on the side label inside the hoodie, was the anti-tamper security tag still attached.

Jiang Yingshen: “…”

It wasn’t just “like” new. This was brand new.