The Third Year After The Breakup, He Knelt and Begged to Get Back Together - Chapter 25

Chapter 25

“I feel nauseous just looking at you, seeing this…”

Meng Ying was reliable in his work. When He Xian put him in charge of ensuring the engagement ceremony proceeded smoothly, Meng Ying didn’t overlook any details. Noticing Qi Mingfeng coming out of a coffee shop, he took the initiative to check the surveillance and discovered the meeting between Qi Mingfeng and Ruan Zhiyan.

He Xian knew that the person Qi Mingfeng hated most was Ruan Zhiyan, so why would he have an appointment with him?

In order to free up time to go abroad for the engagement, He Xian had been busy to the point where his feet barely touched the ground. Yet, he managed to squeeze out some time to find Ruan Zhiyan. First, he wanted to see what was going on; second, he felt that since Qi Mingfeng was returning to the Ruan family, Qi Mingfeng naturally deserved a share of the family’s stocks. Fearing the Ruan parents wouldn’t give them up, he went to give them a “reminder.”

As it turned out, Ruan Zhiyan was a coward—or perhaps he never intended to hide it. With just a little intimidation, he poured out the whole story.

Fearing He Xian wouldn’t believe him, he even produced a secret recording made in the coffee shop.

Every word of that recording was like a steel needle, stabbing directly into He Xian’s heart.

If it weren’t for Ruan Zhiyan’s deep scheming, He Xian never would have imagined that the person who nestled in his arms every day was harboring such thoughts.

No wonder Qi Mingfeng no longer clung to him to chat about everything under the sun whenever he was free, as he used to. It wasn’t that there was nothing new to share; it was that he had no desire to share anything with him at all.

He also stopped getting angry or arguing with him, and stopped caring about what he did. The man spent all day thinking about when to run away; he never spared a thought for the long term.

It was all an act.

“I feel nauseous just looking at you all.”

Nauseous.

Every single day Qi Mingfeng stayed by his side, he felt nauseous.

He Xian couldn’t listen to the recording anymore. He locked the tablet and threw it violently to the ground; the screen instantly shattered into pieces.

He looked down at Qi Mingfeng from a height, his tone chillingly cold: “It must have been hard for you, Teacher Qi. With acting skills like that, why bother with the music scene? I should have sent you into acting from the start.”

Qi Mingfeng hung his head and remained silent.

He had considered what the outcome would be if He Xian found out. Now that the moment had arrived, he still felt fear.

A fear even greater than when he was in the private booth before.

At the same time, there was a faint sense of relief. He truly wasn’t good at, nor suited for, lying.

He didn’t even need to think about the source of the recording.

Two years ago, Ruan Zhiyan gave him a recording. Two years later, Ruan Zhiyan gave He Xian a recording.

In the coffee shop, he had watched Ruan Zhiyan’s movements and confirmed that Ruan Zhiyan hadn’t touched his phone or any recording equipment the whole time. Looking back now, the recording must have started before he even entered.

And Meng Ying was indeed He Xian’s most capable assistant; he wouldn’t let even the smallest detail slide.

Seeing him like this, He Xian couldn’t help but snap: “Speak!”

Qi Mingfeng said hoarsely: “I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry?”

He Xian was triggered into an even greater rage. He gripped Qi Mingfeng’s face with five fingers, pinning him against the sofa, the veins on the back of his hand bulging.

“Qi Mingfeng, I thought you were different from the others. If you wanted money, couldn’t you have just told me directly? For the sake of the four years I’ve f*cked you, just name a price, and I’d give you however much.

“Why bother with all these fancy tricks? Signing some damn contract with me—I thought you were just holding a grudge and playing a little roleplay with me. Turns out you were treating me like a f*cking idiot.”

Qi Mingfeng felt both shamed and humiliated. He opened his mouth to speak, but He Xian’s grip was so tight it made his expression one of great pain.

Seeing this, He Xian let go of him but still blocked his path.

Qi Mingfeng coughed twice and shook his head: “He Xian, I didn’t think like that. At the bar, I thought you held a grudge for me bringing up the breakup two years ago and wanted to humiliate me. I thought I’d just leave when the contract expired. I didn’t expect that later you would…”

He Xian laughed out of extreme anger: “Didn’t expect I’d be so cheap as to want to get engaged to you? If you weren’t willing, couldn’t you have said so?”

Qi Mingfeng: “You didn’t give me a chance to refuse…”

He Xian had almost irrationally forced the ring onto his finger, leaving him no room for rejection.

He Xian pressed on: “Are you saying I was the one rushing to be engaged to you? Qi Mingfeng, who the hell do you think you are?”

It wasn’t the first time he had heard similar words from He Xian’s mouth, yet Qi Mingfeng’s face still turned deathly pale: “I am nothing. I was blinded by money and deceived President He’s feelings. Now that the matter has been exposed, I am at President He’s disposal.”

“How many lives do you have to be at my disposal!” He Xian roared. “Qi Mingfeng, tell me the truth. Was your agreement to come back with me, and your agreement to the engagement, entirely forced?”

Qi Mingfeng pursed his lips and didn’t respond.

Seeing his silence, there was nothing He Xian didn’t understand. His speech became even faster: “Every day I worried about how you weren’t putting on any weight no matter how I fed you. Turns out you were nauseated by the sight of me! Was I ruining your ‘good thing’ at the bar that day? Would you have been willing to go with anyone, as long as they gave you money?!”

The buzzing sound that had become increasingly frequent lately rang out again, accompanying a fire in Qi Mingfeng’s heart that spread like a prairie blaze.

It was his own uselessness that brought him to this point today. But if it weren’t for He Xian, he would have just returned from studying abroad. If it weren’t for He Xian, he wouldn’t have been involved with the Ruan family and hated so much by Ruan Zhiyan. If it weren’t for He Xian, Ruan Zhiyan wouldn’t have been able to use someone else’s power to push him and Qi Huan into such a miserable state.

If they had truly been in a real relationship and broke up due to incompatibility, he would have accepted it.

But they weren’t.

He Xian just wanted to steal his eldest brother’s things, yet the internal grievances of the He family had dragged him, an outsider, into it. For four years, in He Xian’s eyes, he was just something given for free to be f*cked—a music player kept at home because he sang well.

Even two years later, He Xian still did whatever he wanted, never considering his feelings. He never once thought that Qi Mingfeng was a human being too!

Qi Mingfeng suddenly stood up, pushed He Xian away, and shouted at him.

“That’s right! You did ruin my ‘good thing’! If it weren’t for your immense power, He Xian—if you hadn’t made such a scene so that no one would ever help me again—why would I have gone with you?

“Those four years were my own stupidity, and now it’s your turn to be a fool! What makes you think that after everything you’ve done, I would still like you as I did before?!

“I feel nauseous just looking at you. I want to smash this house to pieces just looking at it. Every minute and every second here makes me feel like vomiting!”

He Xian was so angry he raised his fist high, but seeing the red marks he had pinched onto Qi Mingfeng’s face, and the mist of water welling in his eyes—whether from the pinch or from some unspeakable reason—he couldn’t bring himself to strike.

He turned and kicked the coffee table with all his might. This strike used ten-tenths of his strength; the marble top was kicked over, and it shattered along with the floor tiles.

“Get out! Don’t let me see you ever again!”

Qi Mingfeng said word for word: “Nothing… would… please… me… more.”

Qi Mingfeng struggled to stand straight to appear composed. With a brain that felt like it was about to explode, he walked forward across the wreckage.

Various emotions enveloped him: anger, shame, and a very secret sadness that flashed by, finally turning into the joy of having survived a disaster—but that bit of joy couldn’t seem to find a place to settle.

When he was about three or four meters from the door, something crashed at his feet with a bang.

It was the phone he had left on the sofa.

It was the one He Xian had bought for him, specifically choosing the color he liked. He had only used it for a little over a month, and now it was smashed in half by He Xian.

He subconsciously looked back. He Xian was glaring at him with bloodshot eyes and said something. The voice was too low, muffled by the buzzing in his head; Qi Mingfeng didn’t hear it clearly.

“What?”

He Xian mistook it for a provocation and raised his volume: “If you dare to leave, expect to fish Qi Huan out of the river tomorrow!”

Qi Mingfeng immediately became anxious: “He Xian, our business has nothing to do with others.”

He Xian spoke sarcastically: “Has nothing to do with others? Do you know how many people I’ve invited? Forget the money I’ve spent—do you know how much face I’ll lose because of you?”

Qi Mingfeng: “Ruan Zhi—”

“Don’t mention that f*cking idiot to me!” He Xian opened his phone. “Which hospital was Qi Huan in again? Meng Ying sent people over. I’ll call and ask.”

Qi Mingfeng rushed in front of He Xian in two or three steps, grabbed He Xian’s hand holding the phone, and said sharply: “He Xian, he is innocent. If you dare touch him, I won’t let you go even if I become a ghost in the next life!”

He Xian: “Fine. If you become a ghost, I’ll find someone to nail you down right here. I’d like to see how you won’t let me go.”

Qi Mingfeng gritted his teeth: “What exactly do you want?”

Outside the window, dark clouds gathered, and there was faint lightning on the horizon.

The living room, which should have been warm, bright, and insulated from all storms, was filled with molecules more intense and dangerous than the world outside.

He Xian’s bloodshot eyes stared at him without blinking, something dancing frantically within them: “Go to Island F with me.”

Qi Mingfeng said in disbelief: “What did you say?”

He Xian: “Otherwise, what? Let the whole world know the person I chose fled the wedding? I can’t afford to lose that kind of face.”

The sudden increase in pressure made Qi Mingfeng subconsciously take a few steps back. He struggled to convince himself to stay steady: “Impossible, He Xian. We can’t keep making mistake after mistake. Marriage isn’t as simple as you think. It should be an endless journey for two people who love each other. And you… you don’t even know what liking someone is.”

“I don’t give a damn if you love each other or like each other…” He Xian, like a wild beast refusing to let go of its prey, caught up to him and leaned in extremely close, their noses only centimeters apart. “Don’t you feel nauseous just looking at me? Then I’ll make sure to nauseate you every single day.”

Without waiting for Qi Mingfeng to refuse again, He Xian grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the house, pulling him all the way into the underground garage and stuffing him into the back seat of the car.

Blown by the cold wind of the garage, Qi Mingfeng’s headache improved a lot. He struggled to sit up and wanted to get out, but the car had already started.

There was no place suitable for a private plane to land near He Xian’s current duplex; they had to drive there.

Qi Mingfeng pounded He Xian’s seat from behind: “He Xian, what the hell are you trying to do!”

He Xian glanced at the rearview mirror, his smile cold and grim: “I want you to pay me back, but you can’t afford it. I can’t just take this loss lying down. I said, I’m going to nauseate you every single day.”

Being deceived like this would put fire in anyone’s heart, let alone the proud and arrogant He Xian.

Qi Mingfeng: “Don’t you feel nauseous too?!”

He Xian said coldly: “That’s none of your business.”

Despite Qi Mingfeng’s utter reluctance, the car sped toward their destination.

He sat there thinking about what to do next, especially regarding Qi Huan. If Qi Huan found out…

Qi Mingfeng didn’t even dare to think about it.

He Xian getting engaged to him was a case of “harming the enemy by a thousand while losing three thousand of one’s own.” He didn’t have a social standing equal to He Xian’s, and now even the fig leaf of affection had been torn away. What was the point of being a resentful couple who saw each other every day? Had He Xian lost his mind in anger!

Amidst his wandering thoughts, a familiar melody rang out in the car.

Qi Mingfeng recognized it as the demo he had given He Xian for his birthday.

And He Xian had set that demo as his ringtone.

The car was still moving, so it wasn’t convenient for He Xian to take his phone; he just tapped the speakerphone to answer.

Meng Ying’s voice rang out in the enclosed cabin: “President He, something happened at the hospital.”

He Xian: “What happened?”

Meng Ying: “I just got the news. Teacher Qi’s younger brother has had a sudden relapse. He is currently in the operating room for emergency treatment.”

A bolt from the blue.

Qi Mingfeng immediately leaned forward into the gap between the front seats and said urgently: “What happened?”

Meng Ying heard his voice and politely said “Teacher Qi,” but didn’t continue.

Qi Mingfeng: “What on earth happened?!”

“Sit back, it’s dangerous,” He Xian said to Qi Mingfeng, then to Meng Ying: “What happened?”

Only then did Meng Ying speak: “I’m not clear on the specific situation yet. I just got in touch with President Zhang of the hospital to ask about Teacher Qi’s brother. President Zhang was checking the departments while on the phone with me and found out he had a relapse. I am on Island F, but our people can reach the hospital in about ten minutes.”

He Xian: “I understand. Continue handling the engagement ceremony matters.”

Meng Ying: “Understood, President He.”

Why did Qi Huan have a relapse and get sent for emergency treatment?!

Wasn’t he fine when they spoke on the phone an hour ago?!

Qi Mingfeng lost his composure: “Go to the hospital, He Xian, go to the hospital quickly.”

He Xian said calmly: “What use is you going there? Their president knows Qi Huan is the person I’m looking for. They’ll use the best medical team and resources. Just put your heart in your stomach. There’s still a lot to do on Island F.”

Qi Mingfeng: “Look at what time it is!”

He Xian: “Yes, look at what time it is. If we don’t go now, we’ll really miss the engagement. Sit properly. I’ll have someone send you there after the ceremony.”

How could Qi Mingfeng still care about an engagement, let alone wait until the ceremony was over?

Seeing that He Xian wouldn’t budge no matter what, in his desperation, he grabbed the door handle of the back seat. Fortunately, the car door wasn’t locked.

There were basically no people on the road they were taking. Qi Mingfeng gritted his teeth and pushed the door open. Wind instantly flooded the car, blowing so hard he couldn’t open his eyes.

“Are you crazy!” He Xian roared. “Qi Mingfeng, don’t you dare jump!”

Fearing Qi Mingfeng really would jump, He Xian had to pull the car over and stop. He took off his seatbelt, leaned over, and cursed: “Do you know how fast the car was going? Do you want to die!”

Ignoring He Xian, Qi Mingfeng got out of the car.

But he suddenly remembered his phone had been smashed by He Xian and he hadn’t brought it. He didn’t have any cash on him either.

He could only see if he could meet a kind person to give him a ride.

He Xian had been badly frightened by Qi Mingfeng. He smashed the steering wheel hard, got out of the car in a fury, and shouted at Qi Mingfeng: “Come back! I’ll take you to the hospital.”

Qi Mingfeng looked at He Xian hesitantly.

He Xian walked over quickly, grabbed him, and pulled him back: “This area is remote. By the time you flag down a car willing to take you, if something really happens to Qi Huan, he’ll already be cold!”

Qi Mingfeng was already anxious and worried; hearing He Xian say this, he said angrily: “Do you even know how to talk?!”

He Xian knew he had misspoke. He cursed, stuffed the man into the passenger seat, slammed the door hard, turned around, and drove toward D City.

For the first time, Qi Mingfeng felt time passing so slowly. Even though He Xian was already driving very fast, he still felt it was an ordeal.

From Meng Ying’s phone call, he knew He Xian’s people were already heading to the hospital. He wanted to ask He Xian for that person’s contact information and searched his body for a phone. Only after a while did he remember he hadn’t brought it.

He Xian gave a “tsk,” got the contact information from Meng Ying, and threw his phone to him.

The person at the hospital was an assistant under Meng Ying. Seeing it was He Xian’s number, his attitude was fearful and reverent. The call stayed connected the whole way so they could be informed of Qi Huan’s specific condition in real-time.

When they finally arrived at the hospital, before the car had even come to a full stop, Qi Mingfeng tried to pull the door handle.

But He Xian had learned his lesson; the door was locked.

Qi Mingfeng pulled it twice without it opening, thinking He Xian was trying to make things difficult for him. He Xian’s anger had been half-worn away on the road; right now he just said grumpily: “No matter how much of a hurry you’re in, you have to let me turn off the engine first, my ancestor.”

The little assistant had been waiting outside for a while. Seeing them come out, he said respectfully: “President He, Teacher Qi.”

President Zhang was right next to the little assistant and came forward to shake hands with He Xian.

He Xian gave a perfunctory handshake, skipped the polite small talk, reached out to pull Qi Mingfeng closer, and said with a mocking expression: “Let’s go see my brother-in-law first.”

Hearing this, President Zhang led them toward the operating room: “I didn’t expect him to be President He’s brother-in-law. If we had known, we would have definitely made arrangements earlier.”

Qi Mingfeng was in no mood to listen to their pleasantries, nor in the mood to care about He Xian’s choice of words. His heart was entirely on Qi Huan.

The light of the operating room was still on, a bright red color.

Everything that needed to be asked had already been asked on the phone. All Qi Mingfeng could do now was wait.

He didn’t know which part had gone wrong. How could a perfectly fine person end up in the operating room just like that?

Was it because he was angry at hearing Ruan Zhiyan was causing trouble again?

Perhaps he should have just obediently gotten engaged to He Xian first and stopped causing trouble for Qi Huan, who was just recovering from a serious illness.

Or perhaps he shouldn’t have gone to He Xian at all. Holding out for one more day at the bar might have led to a new turn of events.

Why did it have to be him and Qi Huan who were so ill-fated? Had they done anything heinous?!

Qi Huan was still young; nothing must happen to him.

Although they weren’t related by blood, they were much closer than that group in the Ruan family who were. If he didn’t have Qi Huan, then he truly would have no more family in this world.

He Xian sent President Zhang away, not letting the hospital staff accompany them, and stayed in the hallway with Qi Mingfeng himself.

He should still be angry. No one in the world dared treat him the way Qi Mingfeng did, and no one could treat him that way. If anyone else dared harbor such intentions, he would have broken their legs and thrown them into the sea to feed the fish.

But seeing Qi Mingfeng sitting there all alone, with no one to hold him or support him, only able to hunch his back and hold his head in anxiety—he felt Qi Mingfeng was pitiful again.

Qi Mingfeng wasn’t one to talk much about the hardships he had suffered, but in those four years, Qi Mingfeng truly liked him. He knew more or less about Qi Mingfeng’s past.

What kind of good life could one have growing up in an orphanage? Being adopted only to meet a scumbag who enjoyed abusing children—perhaps the abuse was too severe, because Qi Mingfeng ran away with Qi Huan and began wandering, before luckily being taken in by a kind person.

He Xian guessed that “kind person” wasn’t anything good either—taking in two good-looking underage boys, and then giving away a house worth tens of millions after the adoption ended. He had tried to investigate the identity of that kind person, but unfortunately, the person’s background and power were immense; even he couldn’t dig up anything.

It was only because Qi Mingfeng guaranteed him that nothing had ever happened that he didn’t dig three feet into the earth to strip that person’s skin off.

It was just that even now he couldn’t figure it out. If that so-called kind person was stingy, they gave away a tens-of-millions house just like that; if they were generous, Qi Mingfeng still had to work odd jobs in university.

Qi Huan, on the other hand, was less trouble. Except for that one depressive episode, he basically didn’t cause trouble for Qi Mingfeng. He was also hardworking in his studies—skipping grades in middle and high school, and continuing to skip grades while studying medicine in university.

Qi Mingfeng was probably born under an unlucky star. He finally struggled through, his career was stable, and Qi Huan was able to come out to earn money and show filial piety—then he broke up with him. He didn’t know how Qi Mingfeng had lived for two years; the money he earned disappeared in an instant, and Qi Huan fell seriously ill.

He finally managed to trick some money out of He Xian to cure Qi Huan, thinking they could finally get on the right track, only for He Xian to discover the truth and for Qi Huan’s illness to relapse.

Even the heavens didn’t pity Qi Mingfeng. If He Xian didn’t pity him either, who else would?

How could there be someone like Qi Mingfeng in the world, who made him feel pity while also making him grit his teeth in hatred?

The phone in his pocket rang abruptly. He Xian took it out and saw it was a call from Meng Ying.

He went to the stairwell to answer: “What is it?”

Meng Ying: “President He, is it confirmed that the engagement ceremony will not be held? How should I phrase it on my end?”

He Xian said annoyedly: “Held what? Just say my brother-in-law is seriously ill and neither I nor his brother are in the mood to care about the engagement.”

Meng Ying: “Understood, President He. Then Teacher Qi’s identity…”

In order to escape the engagement, Qi Mingfeng had intentionally said during the promotion that He Xian was going to enter a marriage alliance with the Ruan family. Now the plan had backfired, leaving a mess.

He Xian didn’t want to be involved with Ruan Zhiyan. He was just about to go public with the matter of Qi Mingfeng and the Ruan family when, for once, he thought of Qi Huan’s health. He had heard Qi Mingfeng’s phone consultation with the doctor on the way very clearly and knew this illness couldn’t handle stimulation. If they finally managed to save the boy, only for him to be sent back in by anger, Qi Mingfeng really would dare to risk his life against him.

He rubbed his temples: “Forget it. Just say it was a misunderstanding.”

Meng Ying was surprised: “A misunderstanding?”

For the head of the grand He Corporation to have even the identity of his engagement partner be a “misunderstanding”—what would that look like if it got out?

He Xian felt a headache: “Then what else? Anger Qi Huan to death and then find ten bodyguards to watch over me even while I sleep to prevent Qi Mingfeng from stabbing me to death?”

Meng Ying: “…I understand, President He. I’ll get right on it.”

He Xian hung up the phone and returned to the hallway. Qi Mingfeng was exactly as he was when he left—sitting there motionless like a statue.

His head hurt even more.

After they got past this current hurdle, he would have to give Qi Mingfeng a good lesson.

Seeing from a distance that Qi Mingfeng’s lips were pale and dry, He Xian felt a bit thirsty himself.

He had a huge fight with Qi Mingfeng at home, drove for several hours, and then put off President Zhang—he hadn’t had a drop of water for half a day.

Walking toward the water dispenser, he gestured to the little assistant following him: “Go buy two portions of food—one without chili—then go find President Zhang to talk about the equipment.”

The little assistant’s professional ability clearly couldn’t match Meng Ying’s. Hearing the latter part, he was stunned for a moment: “President He, am I to talk to President Zhang directly?”

He Xian frowned: “Are you going to stay here and keep my person company?”

The little assistant didn’t dare speak further and scrambled off to work.

The water in the dispenser wasn’t hot yet. While waiting for it to heat up, He Xian opened his phone’s browser intending to search for Qi Huan’s illness. Although the hospital had told him about it, he still wanted to take another look.

As it turned out, before he could even type into the search bar, the hot search list below jumped into his eyes.

“Zhou Zhixi Returns to the Country”

He Xian silently cursed. No longer waiting for the water to boil, he set off for the president’s office.

…

Qi Mingfeng had lost track of time until a glass of warm water was handed to him.

He looked over and saw it was He Xian.

“Thank you.”

Only when he spoke did he realize his throat was terribly dry and his voice was raspy.

He drank half the glass and felt much better.

He Xian handed him a takeout container: “Eat something.”

Qi Mingfeng took it and set it aside: “I’ll leave it for now. I can’t eat.”

He Xian: “Starve yourself into a faint so the doctor can save you after they’re done with Qi Huan?”

Qi Mingfeng: “…”

He Xian continued: “The hospital has assigned the best team and resources, and the medicine used is also the best. Besides, there truly is a certain probability of post-operative relapse for Qi Huan’s illness, but the survival rate is very high.”

Qi Mingfeng: “Thank you. Do you know their president?”

He Xian: “Giving a few sets of equipment makes us acquainted.”

Qi Mingfeng: “…”

He hadn’t previously thought of relying on He Xian’s money and connections to solve Qi Huan’s problems.

On the one hand, he was afraid Qi Huan would find out; on the other hand, he didn’t want Ruan Zhiyan to discover he had returned to He Xian’s side. Ruan Zhiyan still held something over him, and he couldn’t bear the consequences if those things were released.

But now, nothing was important anymore. He would plan for the future later; right now, he only hoped Qi Huan could survive this ordeal.

Qi Mingfeng was forced to pick at a few bites of the takeout, but he truly had no appetite and put it back.

Beside him, He Xian was still eating. This man didn’t have those stereotypical “bad CEO habits”; he firmly believed that only with a well-maintained body could one work better.

When He Xian finished eating, Qi Mingfeng said: “You must have many things to do. I’ll be fine here by myself.”

He Xian looked like he wanted to roll his eyes upon hearing this, but he restrained himself for the sake of his image: “Where would I go? Run off to Island F by myself to get engaged to the island?”

Qi Mingfeng knew his plan would have a negative impact on He Xian, but he couldn’t do anything at the moment. He said dryly: “I’m sorry.”

He Xian waved his hand: “When have I not cleaned up your messes? This one more time won’t hurt. Besides, if I don’t watch you and let you run away, who am I supposed to take my anger out on?”

He Xian was telling the truth.

Qi Mingfeng had his own persistence regarding music and wasn’t good at socializing. In the early years, he had indeed offended some people in the industry, all of whom He Xian had stepped in to settle.

He didn’t expect that at the moment of Qi Huan’s life and death, the person staying by his side to comfort and help him would still be He Xian.

But if he hadn’t met He Xian, he wouldn’t have discovered he was a child of the Ruan family, nor would he have been hated by Ruan Zhiyan.

His adult life seemed to revolve around He Xian no matter which way it turned.

Liking, happiness, pain, hurt—all of it came from this man.

When the morning light became faint, the door of the operating room finally pushed open from the inside.

Qi Mingfeng had stayed up the whole night anxiously, not sleeping at all, and rushed over immediately.

“Doctor, how is the patient?”

The doctor pulled down his mask: “It was very successful. But just to be safe, he still needs to stay in the ICU for a few more days.”

As if a taut string had finally snapped, Qi Mingfeng’s body went limp. He almost couldn’t stand and thanked the doctor repeatedly: “Thank you, thank you. I’ll have to trouble you with the follow-up as well.”

The doctor: “It’s my duty.”

Staff pushed Qi Huan toward the ICU. Qi Mingfeng wanted to follow, but an older nurse waiting nearby came over and said to him: “Sir, we need you to pay the emergency treatment fee here. It would be best to pay the subsequent ICU fees as well.”

Qi Mingfeng: “Alright.”

Qi Mingfeng’s new phone was smashed, and his old phone was still at He Xian’s home in C City; he had packed his bags to leave, and the phone was inside his luggage.

Both the surgery fee and the ICU were money-burners. What was in his card might not be enough.

Fortunately, he had gotten his teacher’s house back. As long as he sold the house, the money problem would be solved.

The prerequisite was that he had to return to C City first to get his old phone back.

And right now, he was penniless.

Qi Mingfeng could only turn to He Xian for help.

He turned around, and He Xian was standing right behind him.

Qi Mingfeng: “Could you take me back to your house once, or lend me some money for the fare?”

He Xian twirled his car keys: “Let’s go.”

Qi Mingfeng said gratefully: “Thank you.”

A few more of He Xian’s subordinates had arrived during the night, including a driver. Qi Mingfeng caught up on some sleep in the car and felt much more energetic when he got out.

The wreckage He Xian had made yesterday had vanished without a trace; both the floor and the coffee table had been replaced with the same models, making one feel as if that argument had been an ill-omened dream.

—If one ignored the SIM card and the unopened phone box sitting on the coffee table.

He Xian pointed his chin at the phone box: “Put it on.”

Qi Mingfeng said: “The old phone still works.”

Since the plan had already been exposed anyway, Qi Mingfeng fished out the luggage he had placed in the maid’s room, found his old phone, and swapped the card.

He changed his clothes and considered whether he should take his luggage away.

By this time, He Xian had also changed his clothes. One hand was adjusting his collar while the other held another set of clothes, which he tossed onto the sofa. He said to him: “Is the money enough?”

Qi Mingfeng: “It depends on how long he needs to stay in the ICU, but I can scrape together some more.”

He Xian approached: “You won’t be able to.”

Qi Mingfeng: “I still have a house on Nanxiang Road. If I sell it, it’ll definitely be enough.”

He Xian looked at him with a half-smile: “I said, you won’t be able to.”

Realizing late, Qi Mingfeng felt a chill over his body: “What do you mean?”

He Xian: “As long as I don’t give the nod, forget selling a house—you won’t even be able to sell a soda can.”

While at the hospital, Qi Mingfeng had actually harbored a secret doubt—how was it that as soon as Qi Huan came out, someone came to urge him to pay?

He Xian had donated equipment to the hospital; he didn’t know if the hospital would waive the treatment fees directly, but based on He Xian’s way of doing things, the treatment fees would usually be deposited together.

However, he didn’t intend to keep leeching off He Xian, so he hadn’t cared about the matter.

But with He Xian beside him, the hospital shouldn’t have been in such a hurry to urge him.

Looking back now, it was all He Xian’s intention.

Qi Mingfeng gripped his old phone and asked: “What do you want…”

He Xian used two fingers to tug at the ten-yuan T-shirt on him, then pointed at the clothes on the sofa, his gaze deep: “Change your clothes, take your ID card, and go to the Civil Affairs Bureau with me.”

Qi Mingfeng thought he had misheard: “Go to the Civil Affairs Bureau?”

He Xian nodded: “Go to the Civil Affairs Bureau and register for marriage with me.”

Qi Mingfeng felt he couldn’t keep up with He Xian’s logic.

After yesterday’s argument that tore away the pretense, He Xian not skinning him alive was already a great mercy. Why skip the engagement and go straight to registering the marriage?!

Qi Mingfeng said in near shock: “Register? Us?”

“Register, us,” He Xian stood with arms crossed, looking at him. “This way, I can tell the outside world that the engagement fell through because my brother-in-law had a relapse and needed emergency treatment, forcing me to cancel it. Registering the marriage can also cover up the fact that my engagement partner tried to flee the wedding, sparing me from becoming a laughingstock in the circle.”

Qi Mingfeng wasn’t led astray by He Xian: “That’s not right. If you wanted to cover this up, you’d surely have countless ways.”

He Xian pinched his chin and pressed him against the wall, laughing cruelly.

“But I just like this one.

“Qi Mingfeng, does marrying me nauseate you enough to make you want to vomit on the spot? I’m telling you, since you provoked me, you won’t be able to just pat your butt and walk away until I’m tired of playing.

“I want you to bear my brand forever. Every piece of clothing you wear, every album you release, every cent you spend—all of it will be related to me.

“You wanted to hide our relationship and not let people know; well, I’m going to make sure everyone knows you’re mine. Even the law will have to recognize me as your lover.”

With that, He Xian kissed him fiercely, as if he wanted to plunder him entirely.

Qi Mingfeng wanted to push him away, but his wrists were grabbed and twisted behind his back, so much so that his chest arched forward, making it look as if he were leaning in to meet the kiss.

He wasn’t as strong as He Xian; no matter how he resisted, it was useless. Even though he bit He Xian’s lip until it bled, He Xian didn’t let go.

Only when he felt he was about to suffocate did he regain the freedom to breathe.

He Xian unconcernedly wiped the blood from his lip, raising an eyebrow: “Nauseous?”

Qi Mingfeng spat and met He Xian’s gaze with loathing: “What do you think.”

Even knowing the answer, He Xian couldn’t help but feel his heart tighten when he saw Qi Mingfeng’s gaze.

This was more like it.

Qi Mingfeng’s tenderness and submissiveness over the past two months had all been an act. This loathing for him now was Qi Mingfeng’s most genuine emotion.

He had finally seen the real Qi Mingfeng after two years apart.

He Xian suppressed his emotions. His blood-free hand patted Qi Mingfeng’s face: “It’s good that you’re nauseated. This is the retribution for you provoking me.”

Qi Mingfeng raised his arm to swing at He Xian, but He Xian grabbed it, leaving him only able to curse: “You bastard!”

He Xian: “Pity you’re about to marry this bastard. Hurry up; Qi Huan is still waiting for you at the hospital.”

Qi Mingfeng never would have thought in his wildest dreams that coming back with He Xian would have such a consequence.

He Xian was actually using Qi Huan to threaten him into marriage!

Can human life be used to threaten someone at will!

He glared at He Xian with hatred. The little warmth from the hospital had vanished like last night’s wreckage.

Why.

Why did these people have to disrupt his life over and over again?!

Qi Mingfeng pulled back his arm.

He wanted to smash everything in this house to pieces, tell He Xian to get out of his world, and return to the simple, happy days before he met He Xian.

But he couldn’t.

Qi Mingfeng resented his own incompetence—easily tricked by He Xian in the first place, and now powerless to move him, only able to be toyed with at will.

He constantly told himself to stay calm; now was not the time for impulse.

A moment later, Qi Mingfeng accepted reality.

He spoke: “Fine. But it can’t be made public. You can tell people in your circle, as long as it isn’t spread outside.”

“Fine. Go change.” He Xian didn’t care about outside rumors; as long as his goal was achieved, it was enough.

Qi Mingfeng looked at the clothes on the sofa—they were a size larger than what he usually wore; they were He Xian’s own.

He Xian truly knew how to find ways to nauseate him.

He said through gritted teeth: “I’m not changing. Take it or leave it.”

He Xian spread his hands: “Then we won’t register. It’s not my brother lying in the hospital anyway.”