My Childhood Friend is Secretly in Love with Me - Chapter 21

From now on, we go our separate ways, and never again.

Before heading out, Ding Wenxiao chased Zuo Yi to the door and asked helplessly, “Should we notify our parents to come?”

Zuo Yi turned back to look at Qi Yan sitting on the sofa, shook his head, and said, “Let it be. Auntie Chen liked peace and quiet.”

In the elevator, he looked at Auntie Chen’s identification photo. She had become thin and haggard in the picture, clearly taken specifically for this day after she fell ill. Zuo Yi let out a heavy sigh.

After successfully de-registering her residency at the police station, Zuo Yi remembered to contact the funeral service to arrange the upcoming arrangements. They were still young, after all, and had never personally handled the passing of a loved one.

Once everything was settled, Zuo Yi was about to buy some food to take back to the apartment when he suddenly received a message from Senior Liang Yi.

[Liang Yi: Junior, why did you not come to training today?] [Liang Yi: Secretly telling you, Old Huang’s face turned green with anger because of you.]

Zuo Yi slapped his forehead. He had forgotten to ask Coach Huang for a leave of absence!

[Zorro: Sorry, Senior. Something happened at home, and I forgot to ask for leave. I will call Coach Huang right now to explain.]

With a nervous heart, Zuo Yi dialed Coach Huang’s number and, unsurprisingly, received a furious scolding.

“Coach Huang, I am truly sorry. Something happened at home, and I might not be able to attend training for the next few days. Once things are handled, I will come and apologize to you in person.”

“I cannot control you. Suit yourself!” Coach Huang hung up the phone angrily.

Zuo Yi had no choice. Compared to Qi Yan’s situation, he knew exactly which carried more weight in his heart.

Three Days Later

They did not invite anyone else to Chen Xin’s funeral, so the hall was very quiet. In the middle of the vast hall sat a crystal coffin. Chen Xin lay there with a faint smile. The words read by the master of ceremonies should have moved people to tears, but none of them cried; they only wanted to burn the image of Auntie Chen’s final appearance into their hearts.

Suddenly, a commotion broke out outside the hall, as if someone were arguing to get in. Zuo Yi frowned and went to the door to check. To his surprise, the visitors were Qi Feng, whom he had not seen in years, and a young woman.

The young woman looked to be in her thirties, wearing a black trench coat and striking red high heels. She tilted her head and sized up Zuo Yi with a look of reluctance.

“Who told you to come?” Zuo Yi asked Qi Feng bluntly.

Qi Feng did not even look at him. He walked past him straight to the crystal coffin and began wailing without a second thought.

“Xin er, how could you leave so young!”

Qi Feng’s actions interrupted the funeral ceremony. The master of ceremonies held the microphone, unsure whether to continue or pause.

“Xin er, you are so cruel. In just one year, I lost my own flesh and blood, and now even you have left. How am I and Xiao Yan supposed to live from now on?”

Qi Yan’s face instantly turned ashen. He had not spoken for three days and had eaten very little. He was only standing there today by sheer willpower out of his attachment to his mother.

“Old Qi, do not be sad. We will live well as a family from now on. Sister Chen will protect us from heaven.” The young woman followed him to the coffin, supporting Qi Feng as he collapsed in tears.

Ding Wenxiao supported the unsteady Qi Yan. The two of them stood to the side, coldly watching the pair put on a show.

“Bullshit! Who the hell is a family with you?” Zuo Yi clenched his fists and barked at the woman. “Is it your place to speak here? Who the hell do you think you are?”

The woman grumbled coquettishly to Qi Feng, “I told you I did not want to come. Look at how this kid treats me. Honestly.” She then gave a massive roll of her eyes.

Qi Feng’s face changed like a magic trick, instantly stopping his wailing. “Xiao Yi, I will not lower myself to argue with a child on this occasion. Watch your mouth; an aunt is still your elder.”

Zuo Yi knew that strange things happened in this world, but it was rare to see a pair as shameless and self-righteous as these two. A man bringing his mistress to his wife’s funeral to cause a scene, it was utterly irrational.

“Elder? Heh,” Zuo Yi sneered.

Zuo Yi was more than a head taller than Qi Feng. He crossed his arms and looked down at him. “Uncle, the only reason I call you ‘Uncle’ is out of respect for the remaining blood relation between you and Brother Yan. I wonder if you remember when Qi Yan first moved into our courtyard; those kids mocked him for having no father. When an eight year old boy was isolated and helpless, where were you? His wish growing up was for you to reunite with them, to have a complete home. What is most common for other families became an unattainable wish for him. You personally gave up on this home and gave up on him. What are you playing at now? And who is this woman?”

“Auntie Chen was such an excellent woman. For you and for this home, she is about to turn into a handful of ashes. You bring this woman here? Are you intentionally trying to disturb Auntie Chen’s peace?”

Zuo Yi’s words were piercing and aggressive, giving Qi Feng no chance to counter.

“Even I, an outsider, believe Auntie Chen was a person of integrity who would not stoop to anything unseemly. Yet you, her husband of over ten years, only listened to the pillow talk of a petty person. What do you mean by bringing up the ‘child’ today? The truth of that matter is not hard to find. You just need to ask this ‘aunt’ who destroyed another’s family what tricks she played to climb up. Do not blame innocent people. But regardless,” Zuo Yi glanced disdainfully at the young woman, “she won, but you lost. You lost a happy family and such an excellent son.”

“So, Uncle Qi, please keep a bit of dignity for yourself at the end. Do not come looking for Qi Yan again; he no longer needs you. I do not want to say anything too harsh to kick you out, so just leave.”

Zuo Yi issued a direct order to leave. Qi Feng, his hypocritical mask stripped away, grew furious. He pushed the woman aside. “You ungrateful brat, are you in a position to lecture me?” Qi Feng stepped forward, grabbed Zuo Yi’s collar, and raised a fist to strike.

Zuo Yi was prepared to take the hit. As long as Qi Yan’s future could be peaceful, it did not matter how many punches he took. He almost wished Qi Feng would beat him to death; otherwise, even with half a breath left, he would demand justice for Qi Yan.

But the punch did not land as expected. It was firmly caught by Qi Yan.

“This is my mother’s funeral, not a place for mad dogs to run wild. If you dare touch him, I will never let you off. Take this woman and get out now.” Qi Yan’s tone was fiercer than it had ever been.

Taking advantage of Qi Feng’s shock, Qi Yan flung his fist aside. He took out a bank card, snapped it, and threw it disdainfully at him, as if discarding something filthy and burning.

“This is the money you transferred over the years. Mom and I did not touch a cent. Now it is all returned to you. I called you here today to settle things once and for all in front of my mother. From now on, we go our separate ways and have nothing to do with each other.”

“Xiao Yan,” Qi Feng was in disbelief. His own son wanted to break ties with his father; how could this be possible?

“Get out,” Qi Yan said.

“Old Qi, let us go. We are not welcome here. Do not make a fool of yourself.” The young woman pulled Qi Feng away.

After the farce ended, silence finally returned to the hall.

When Chen Xin was buried and the tombstone was erected, a light rain began to fall, as if the heavens were weeping for her passing. After the funeral, Ding Wenxiao insisted on accompanying them back to the apartment. She had been busy and had not rested well for days. With school starting the next day, Zuo Yi told her to go back and get some rest.

Back at the apartment, Zuo Yi forced Qi Yan to drink some white porridge, then helped him to bed to sleep. Before long, Zuo Yi himself fell asleep from exhaustion.

When Zuo Yi woke up, it was completely dark. His hand instinctively reached out beside him, but it was empty. He woke up instantly and went to the living room. The lights were off, but by the faint moonlight, he saw Qi Yan sitting by the floor to ceiling window, his shoulders trembling slightly.

Zuo Yi walked over silently and sat down beside him.

“I have no home. This time, I truly have no home,” Qi Yan’s voice was incredibly hoarse.

Zuo Yi did not turn to look at his vulnerable state. He sat up straight and gently guided Qi Yan’s head to rest on his right shoulder.

“You still have me.”

From now on, I will be your family. Where there is family, there is a home.

Zuo Yi felt a deep ache in his heart. He wanted so badly to give Qi Yan a home right now, an eternal, warm home that belonged to them. But how could he take advantage of someone in their time of need? To offer an olive branch when Qi Yan was at his most pained and lost, if he made a choice swayed by grief, the pain would only be worse when he cleared his head.

He had often heard adults say that it only takes a moment for a boy to become a man. Zuo Yi finally understood. Love is selfish, but it is also selfless. It can be possessive, but it can also step back. As long as the loved one is well, a specific “result” does not matter.

“Brother Yan, come back to Jiangcheng with me for the New Year. The Moon Bay courtyard will always be your home.”

Qi Yan was silent for a long while. Finally, he gave a soft, “Mm.”

In the dark living room, by the balcony window, the two young men sat side by side bathed in moonlight. No one spoke for the rest of the night.

At dawn, Zuo Yi went out to buy breakfast. Because he was worried about Qi Yan’s state, he did not plan to go to training today. Last night, Qi Yan had let his emotions out in a way Zuo Yi had never seen before; it felt like a sharp blade was being drawn back and forth across Zuo Yi’s heart.

While he was lost in thought, Qi Yan emerged from the room fully dressed. Aside from slightly swollen eyes, he looked relatively composed.

“Are you going out?” Zuo Yi asked.

Qi Yan looked at the buns and soy milk on the table, hesitated, and replied, “I have not been to the restaurant for several days during the holiday. The manager was angry; I cannot miss it today.”

Zuo Yi knew Qi Yan was not so strapped for cash that he had to work at the restaurant. Back in middle and high school, Auntie Chen made a lot of money trading stocks, so their family never needed Qi Feng’s civil servant salary to make ends meet. He remembered that during holidays, when he was not in training, he loved to laze around Qi Yan’s house; even then, he saw Qi Yan learning stock trading from Auntie Chen.

Zuo Yi understood that Qi Yan was rushing back to the restaurant just to keep himself busy, to avoid sinking into depression in an environment that reminded him of his mother.

But he simply could not let Qi Yan go out alone.

“Um, does your restaurant still need people?”

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