The Third Year After The Breakup, He Knelt and Begged to Get Back Together - Chapter 31

Chapter 31: He Xian, Are You Out of Your Mind?!

Meng Ying smiled and refilled his glass with water. “In the blink of an eye, I’ve known Teacher Qi for so many years. I still remember when we first met; you and President He were truly a devoted couple. You stayed by his side during his toughest times, and he was very devoted to you. Whenever he saw something nice on a business trip, he’d always think of you and buy it without batting an eye.”

Qi Mingfeng didn’t know why Meng Ying was bringing up these old stories, but out of politeness, he let Meng Ying continue.

Meng Ying poured himself a full glass and took a sip.

“You know President He—he’s the typical ‘knife mouth, tofu heart’ (harsh words, soft heart). Even though he often scolds us, he’s good to all of us; otherwise, we wouldn’t follow him so loyally.

“There are some misunderstandings and quarrels between you and President He, but what family lives without arguing? My wife blamed me just yesterday for buying her an ugly bracelet. Arguments are arguments, but after all these years, the feelings are definitely still there.

“You see, when you and President He are on good terms, you’re happy, he’s happy, and those of us working under him are happy too.”

Seeing that Meng Ying’s talk was drifting far afield, Qi Mingfeng couldn’t help but say, “Assistant Meng, if you have something to say, just say it directly.”

Meng Ying let out a “hai”: “In life, taking a step back makes the world wider. President He must have given it serious thought before registering the marriage with Teacher Qi. He must value you very much to marry you. You surely haven’t forgotten those happy days from the past, so why insist on holding a grudge?”

No matter how foolish he might be, Qi Mingfeng understood: Meng Ying was here to act as a mediator.

He Xian had somehow had a change of heart. After being “deceived,” instead of tearing him apart, he had actually started reminiscing about the “good old days.” Unable to humble himself, he had sent Meng Ying to talk to him.

But were those past days truly “good”?

On the surface, they were blooming with flowers, but in reality, they were completely unstable. He Xian would tease him when happy and do all sorts of terrible things when unhappy. In the past, he could make him miserable through Ruan Zhiyan over groundless jealousy, and he could directly cut off his career. Now, he was repeatedly trying to use force regardless of his will.

This was what was called “valuing him very much”?

Qi Mingfeng asked a question he had been curious about for a long time with a fake smile: “Assistant Meng, exactly how much salary does He Xian pay you that you have to be responsible for this kind of thing and are even able to say these kinds of words?”

Meng Ying also felt he was lacking a bit of a conscience, but he was just an employee: “I’m also thinking of your best interests. Your health isn’t great right now, and your brother just got out of the ICU. Newcomers are popping up in the entertainment industry one after another. If you have President He supporting you, the road ahead will be easier to walk.”

Qi Mingfeng: “No thanks. I’d be grateful if your President He just stopped digging pits for me on my path.”

More than half of the pits on his path were dug by He Xian.

If it weren’t for He Xian, why would he have left the industry? Why would Qi Huan’s treatment have been delayed again and again? How would he have gotten sick and even ended his professional career?

Did He Xian and Meng Ying take him for a fool?

Meng Ying’s gaze shifted uncomfortably. He wanted to look in a certain direction but forced himself to endure it, gritting his teeth: “Teacher Qi, who doesn’t make wrong decisions in a lifetime? You know President He’s temper; you only need to take a step back…”

Qi Mingfeng raised his hand in a “stop” gesture: “I know it’s hard for you, having to deal with even He Xian’s emotional messes. But it’s impossible. He Xian and I—there is no going back.”

Meng Ying’s smile was strained: “Teacher Qi, if you have a knot in your heart, you might as well say it. President He will surely be willing to solve whatever can be solved.”

Qi Mingfeng stood up. The high spirits of youth from years ago had vanished unnoticed, extinguished along with those fiery emotions. Only his eyes remained clear and cold. “If he has the ability, then find a way to make everything go back to the past. If it could go back to the very beginning, I would choose not to meet him.”

He turned to leave, only to hear a sharp clatter from behind the private room partition. Immediately after, He Xian came into the outer room with a dark face, glaring at him almost hatefully: “Qi Mingfeng, don’t you know what’s good for you?”

He Xian felt that by having Meng Ying look for Qi Mingfeng, he had already taken a step back. If Qi Mingfeng were at all sensible, he would bow his head, promise to treat him like before, and he could choose not to hold the deception against him.

But Qi Mingfeng truly lived up to being as stubborn as a donkey, and he had no heart at all! What did he mean by “choose not to even meet”?! In Qi Mingfeng’s heart, did he not have a single redeeming quality?

Qi Mingfeng looked at He Xian’s anger calmly: “I don’t know what’s good for me, I have a bad temper, I don’t know how to talk, and I’m nothing at all. But President He, since we’ve known each other, if you still have even a shred of affection left, please treat me like a human being.”

“I don’t treat you like a human? Who exactly is the one not treating you like a human!” The shame and resentment of having his peace offering rejected made He Xian’s anger flare up. “I held you up and provided for you, giving you the best of everything. But what about you? It’s hard to go from luxury to poverty, isn’t it? You have hands and feet—was there nothing else you could do? For that little bit of medical fees for Qi Huan, you actually went to sell yourself! If I hadn’t gone there in time…”

Qi Mingfeng thought He Xian’s actions over the years had already wounded him deeply enough; he hadn’t expected He Xian could still hold a knife and twist it in his heart.

How could such a person have the thick skin to ask him to take a step back, to bow his head, and to return to that hell that destroyed him?!

Qi Mingfeng couldn’t listen any longer. He picked up the water glass and splashed a face full of water onto He Xian.

He Xian’s entire face was drenched, water streaming down his features in lines. Yet, it was unclear whether he simply didn’t have time to get angry or if all his rage vanished upon seeing Qi Mingfeng’s state.

The hand Qi Mingfeng used to hold the glass was still trembling, his lips were turning white, and the pain bursting from his eyes almost threatened to swallow He Xian whole.

“I… I didn’t mean it that way…”

The water glass fell heavily back onto the table. Qi Mingfeng squeezed every word out from between his teeth: “Be-yond. Re-demp-tion.”

He didn’t look at He Xian again, enduring the buzzing in his ears as he strode away.

He Xian quickly chased after him and grabbed him: “Where are you going?”

Qi Mingfeng didn’t look back: “None of your business.”

Qi Mingfeng felt like a balloon filled to the limit; if he didn’t vent, he might explode the next second.

He hailed a taxi at the roadside and went straight to the villa on Nanxiang Road.

The door lock had been replaced with a brand-new fingerprint lock. Qi Mingfeng entered the password for He Xian’s house, and as expected, he successfully got in.

He went straight to the second floor, flipped open the piano, and began to play chaotically.

He wished he could shatter his own finger bones and drag his soul out from the gaps to wash it with acid, corroding away every trace He Xian had left in his life.

By the time Qi Mingfeng felt his breath finally smoothing out, an hour had passed.

He went to drink a glass of hot water and leaned against a chair exhaustedly.

He stayed at the villa all afternoon. During that time, he had another headache. Fortunately, the villa was quiet, so the pain wasn’t very severe.

As the sun sank in the west, the sound of a car engine came from outside.

He Xian got out of the car. He had somehow gotten a key to the villa and was walking inside after opening the door.

He didn’t want to see He Xian and planned to go lock the door from the inside, but He Xian opened the room door first.

After entering, He Xian flipped on the main light at the entrance: “It’s getting dark. It’s too dim; it’s bad for the eyes.”

Qi Mingfeng said coldly: “What are you doing here?”

He Xian looked away, his gaze falling on a certain ornament: “I was just angry at noon; I didn’t actually mean that…”

Qi Mingfeng: “President He wasn’t wrong.”

“Why hasn’t your anger subsided after a whole afternoon? I’ve explained to you and even came to pick you up,” He Xian said irritably. “Come home with me first.”

Truly worthy of being the high-and-mighty President He; even a peace offering was made righteously, as if everyone else was at fault.

Qi Mingfeng: “This is my home.”

He Xian’s temper flared up, but thinking that he shouldn’t argue with Qi Mingfeng, he forced it back down.

He curled his finger and knocked on the doorframe: “Qi Mingfeng, don’t forget Qi Huan is still in the hospital.”

Qi Mingfeng was about to close the door, but hearing this, he wished he could slam the door into He Xian’s face: “Can you stop being so shameless!”

He Xian: “You won’t listen when I talk to you nicely. Hurry up. Aunt Sun is almost done with dinner. You still have to take your medicine after eating.”

With that, He Xian pulled him into the car.

If Qi Mingfeng’s feeling toward He Xian was once disgust, it had now upgraded to hatred.

How could there be someone like He Xian in the world—shameless, base, self-righteous, and unscrupulous.

In the evening, after eating and taking his medicine, Qi Mingfeng went straight to the study.

Since they had already reached an open confrontation, he couldn’t possibly take his laptop to accompany He Xian at work like before.

He Xian might threaten him, but before the threat arrived, every minute he could spend alone was precious.

Fortunately, He Xian didn’t insist this time.

He spent a peaceful post-dinner period.

Although most of the XB courses were theoretical, the teacher taught them in a very interesting way. Every time he attended a class, he could temporarily forget the external turmoil and place himself in a musical “Peach Blossom Spring.”

The class lasted until 10:00 PM. Usually, Qi Mingfeng would spend some time organizing his notes, finishing around 10:30 PM.

But today there was more content, and he intentionally dragged it out, dallying until 11:00 PM before leaving.

He crossed through the rooms and went straight to the door of the guest bedroom, pressing down the handle.

The handle made a tiny crisp sound, but Qi Mingfeng couldn’t move it.

Confused, he tried again.

It still wouldn’t go down.

He Xian had locked the guest bedroom door.

Qi Mingfeng felt angry but also wanted to laugh.

He went to the study, found a thin blanket, and carried it to the living room to lie down on the sofa.

The weather hadn’t turned cold yet; the living room was a fine place to sleep.

Time passed minute by minute. Just as Qi Mingfeng was about to sink into a dream, he heard footsteps.

He Xian, wearing pajamas and with a dark face, came down from upstairs: “Qi Mingfeng, are you ever going to stop?”

Qi Mingfeng: “I’m just thinking of my safety and President He’s reputation. If a homicide really happens, it would probably be very troublesome for President He.”

He Xian truly wasn’t in the right regarding last night’s events. He ran a hand through his hair: “How was I to know you… Get up, come upstairs and sleep with me. Don’t worry, I won’t touch you. If you have another episode in my bed, I’m afraid I won’t be able to get an erection for the rest of my life.”

Qi Mingfeng turned over and didn’t respond.

He Xian hated this dismissive attitude of Qi Mingfeng’s most. He simply picked him up and started walking upstairs.

Caught off guard, Qi Mingfeng was about to struggle when He Xian had already carried him onto the stairs. He didn’t dare move too much; a fall on the stairs could be serious, and with bad luck, hitting his head might actually lead to a homicide case.

And his luck had always been very poor.

“He Xian, are you out of your mind?!”

He Xian threw him onto the bed in the master bedroom and forcibly pulled the quilt over him: “Sleep!”

He flipped it open to get off, but He Xian pinned him down.

Qi Mingfeng said impatiently: “What exactly do you want to do?”