The Third Year After The Breakup, He Knelt and Begged to Get Back Together - Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Where Did Qi Mingfeng Go? What Was He Planning…?

The roar was so loud that it actually pierced through the thunder and was successfully processed by the brain.

Qi Mingfeng’s movements stiffened. The image of Qi Huan with curving, smiling eyes flashed through his mind.

That’s right.

The reason he was willing to come back was because he had been backed into a dead end; he wanted to get Qi Huan’s medical fees from He Xian.

What was he still acting so “principled” for? Since he had made the decision, he had to bear the corresponding consequences, didn’t he?

He Xian wanted to put his feelings on a scale—sincerity was to be exchanged for sincerity. He couldn’t give that, but he could give He Xian the things that money could buy.

He stopped struggling. His blood-stained fingers brushed against the corner of He Xian’s eye; it was hard to tell if the corner of He Xian’s eye was redder, or if the color of the blood was.

Amidst a blurred, vivid crimson, the buzzing in his ears began to subside, and he found his voice: “I like you, He Xian. I like you.”

He Xian: “Then why didn’t you care…”

Qi Mingfeng: “Because I like you. We used to argue all the time because of Ruan Zhiyan, and we even broke up because of his instigations. I was afraid that if I made you unhappy over his matters again, you wouldn’t want me anymore. He Xian, I can’t be without you…”

The lies he could never learn in the past now flowed naturally.

And the lies that pierced directly into a person’s weakness were the most pleasant to hear.

Qi Mingfeng gave He Xian a saturated, overly sweet answer—artificial, hypocritical, like low-quality candy sold wholesale on a street corner.

But this was also the answer He Xian wanted. Only an answer like this could soothe his insecurity and fill the void that even he himself found difficult to understand.

Qi Mingfeng smeared that touch of red away: “I originally intended to tell you about the livestream incident, but then I saw the trending search about you and Ruan Zhiyan first, so I didn’t say anything out of spite. What about you? Can you tell me where you’ve been these past few days?”

He Xian’s expression gradually softened. He unconsciously rubbed against Qi Mingfeng’s hand, then, realizing it, gave an awkward explanation: “At a hotel, just by myself. Meng Ying bought the clothes and sent them over.”

Qi Mingfeng showed a perfectly timed look of satisfaction and happiness: “That’s good then. Our misunderstanding is cleared up. Finish up quickly; if you still want more, we’ll continue when we get home. It smells bad here.”

The dim light in the private box shook violently, refracting scenes of fantastic and magnificent splendor, only to be quickly shattered.

During those few years, Qi Mingfeng had truly and deeply loved He Xian, walking through thousands of days and nights together.

Seeing He Xian again after being apart for two years, how could there be no ripple at all?

But now, as they embraced in the most intimate way, with pulses racing and even their sweat mingling, his heart was exceptionally calm.

He was so certain—he no longer liked He Xian.

Even as they reached the peak, and He Xian’s embrace felt as if he wanted to rub him into his very bones and blood, there was only pure emptiness in Qi Mingfeng’s mind.

In this moment, he thought of what his teacher had said.

Among the children of the He family, He Xian is the most capable. Doing business with He Xian is fine; if you want to fall in love, just playing around is also fine.

He could only “play around,” and should extricate himself in time once he had played enough.

But at that time, he didn’t understand. He had fallen in, heart and soul.

If it weren’t for He Xian, he would have followed the path his teacher arranged for him step-by-step. Even if he didn’t achieve both wealth and fame, he could at least use the name “Qi Mingfeng” openly to do the things he loved.

Those dark past events wouldn’t have been dug up to be used as blackmail. He wouldn’t have to live in constant fear, unable to even sleep well.

He would have many friends and the freedom to choose whom to collaborate with.

At this very moment, in the deep of the night, he might have been in the studio with Zhou Zhiqi making final adjustments to an album, or perhaps wearing a hat and sitting on the roadside eating skewers with Qi Huan.

Instead of being like this—pinned under someone else for money.

But the one who chose to return to C City and return to He Xian’s side was himself. He had long ceased to be the glamorous Qi Mingfeng on the screen, and he was no longer He Xian’s lover.

He gradually gave up resistance, feeling himself sink into a pool of mud, becoming the mud itself.

It didn’t matter.

The sun would always rise. When the time came, he would crawl into the sunlight and let it dry all the filth. He would continue to move forward.

There was no obstacle that couldn’t be overcome.

As long as he walked far enough and long enough, he would eventually be able to shake off all the mud.

In the end, He Xian carried Qi Mingfeng out.

As the first light of dawn broke, Qi Mingfeng would usually be asleep, but he had been tossed about by He Xian. He Xian himself had been drinking, so he simply let a waiter from the club drive them back.

The waiter was observant; after asking for the location, he didn’t say another word.

On the road, the sound of Qi Mingfeng talking to him grew softer until finally his eyes closed and he fell fast asleep.

He Xian couldn’t help but chuckle. He pulled Qi Mingfeng over, letting him lean against his shoulder to sleep more comfortably.

The enclosed space was silent for a while. He Xian’s nose was filled with the lingering scent of alcohol—his own, and the scent on Qi Mingfeng that he had rubbed off on him.

Even at business dinners, he didn’t drink often. Today he was truly frustrated, and he wanted an excuse to have Qi Mingfeng pick him up, so he had a few glasses.

He’d have to give Qi Mingfeng a bath when they got back; this person loved being clean.

The hand holding him tightened slightly. It was strange—Qi Mingfeng had been eating the food Auntie Sun cooked properly, but he just wouldn’t gain weight. Aside from being a bit fairer from staying indoors every day, his spirit seemed even worse.

He had told Qi Mingfeng not to be so busy; it wasn’t like they lacked food or clothes. In the future, if he wanted to sing, he could go sing a few songs; otherwise, staying at home was fine. Why get involved in those messy livestreams and not even know how to complain when being bullied?

The more He Xian thought about it, the angrier he got. He pulled out his phone to look at the progress report sent by his assistant.

What kind of idiot livestreamer dared to bully Qi Mingfeng? And what kind of person was the financial backer behind it? If they could ever show their face in front of Qi Mingfeng again, he would write his surname backward!

After reviewing the progress, He Xian added a few instructions. By the time he put his phone away, the waiter had just driven into the underground garage.

He took the keys and got out first, then carried Qi Mingfeng out.

Qi Mingfeng opened his eyes dazed in his arms: “Time to get up?”

He Xian remembered that in the past, Qi Mingfeng wasn’t this easy to wake.

His brow furrowed slightly as he carried the man into the elevator.

In just a few seconds, Qi Mingfeng remembered what was going on and kicked his legs, wanting to get down.

He Xian bounced the man in his arms twice: “Go back to sleep.”

Qi Mingfeng paused for a moment, then cooperatively wrapped his arms around He Xian’s neck.

The dependence following their reconciliation was very pleasing to He Xian. He hummed a few lines of Qi Mingfeng’s most popular song and walked home with light steps, even while carrying a 1.8-meter-tall man.

It was already six in the morning. Auntie Sun was walking toward the kitchen with freshly bought groceries. Seeing the two of them, she greeted: “President He, Mingfeng, you’re back.”

Qi Mingfeng felt embarrassed to be carried by He Xian in front of an elder. He Xian also knew his partner was thin-skinned, so he set him down.

Qi Mingfeng greeted Auntie Sun, left a message saying he was going to shower, and returned to the bedroom.

He Xian was still thinking about Qi Mingfeng getting thinner despite eating. He walked into the kitchen with Auntie Sun.

“Should we change the menu? If he gets any thinner, his cheekbones are going to start sticking out.”

Auntie Sun shook the bag in her hand: “I’ve been researching these past two days. These are all nutritional meals designed according to both your tastes.”

He Xian gave an “um”: “How did he like the new dishes yesterday?”

Auntie Sun was confused: “Yesterday? Didn’t Mingfeng go to find you?”

He Xian: “Find me?”

Auntie Sun: “Yesterday afternoon, Mingfeng said I didn’t need to come over. Seeing you two come back together this morning, I thought he went to find you.”

As soon as Auntie Sun said this, He Xian suddenly realized that when he asked Qi Mingfeng to pick him up in the early hours, Qi Mingfeng had arrived too quickly—so quickly that it didn’t seem like he had started from home. Moreover, his voice hadn’t sounded like someone being woken from a dream.

Every time he asked Qi Mingfeng to go out with him, Qi Mingfeng wouldn’t go. Yet, when he wasn’t home, Qi Mingfeng didn’t even come home in the middle of the night?

Where did Qi Mingfeng go? What was he planning? Why didn’t he tell him?

He Xian’s tone turned flat: “During these few days I wasn’t home, did he often not eat at home?”

Auntie Sun had worked at He Xian’s house for several years and had seen more or less how this couple was. Catching a glimpse of He Xian’s expression, she hurriedly smiled and said: “It was only yesterday he wasn’t in. President He, isn’t your birthday coming up? Which year doesn’t Mingfeng go out to prepare for you at this time?”

He Xian celebrated the traditional lunar birthday. The date corresponding to the lunar calendar was different every year and needed to be calculated for the current year. Since Qi Mingfeng’s birthday was still far off, he hadn’t paid attention to his own.

Hearing Auntie Sun’s words, the corners of He Xian’s mouth unconsciously curled up. He believed Qi Mingfeng’s words from the night even more.

As expected, Qi Mingfeng still liked him.

He had just been throwing a tantrum these past two days. No wonder he usually didn’t make a fuss; he was saving up for a big one.

“Alright, Auntie Sun, please put some effort into it. For every pound Mingfeng gains, I’ll give you a bonus.”