Chapter 19#

It was quite a while later before my mind truly cleared. Even when I breathed, I could feel a lingering chill.

Last night, I had indeed fallen asleep with my head pillowed on Third Master Ren’s arm.

Because of this, Third Master Ren’s complexion wasn’t very good; there were faint shadows under his eyes. Even when the aunts and uncles from the branch families came to pay their respects, Uncle Jing turned them away.

At any rate, Third Master Ren’s status currently carried more weight than even Old Madam Ren’s.

I had heard Mother Zhang mention earlier that, going by Third Master Ren’s routine, he wouldn’t wake up before noon. He only headed to the company around three in the afternoon, and only for a few days a week, appearing early only for urgent matters or meetings. In my previous life, I had heard people discuss that besides his talent for planning and strategy, Third Master Ren’s other great strength lay in his ability to identify and utilize talent.

Therefore, as far as new hires went, anyone whom Third Master Ren had personally pointed out or praised was usually a rare talent in the industry.

At the time, I thought that was quite magical, as if Third Master Ren also possessed a talent for appraisal.

However, seeing the toiletries and change of clothes prepared on the side, coupled with the piping hot Chinese breakfast waiting afterward, I couldn’t help but sigh with deep emotion.

The experts did not deceive me.

Uncle Jing’s thoughtfulness and efficiency were things one would be hard-pressed to find even with a lantern.

I hastily ate breakfast in Third Master Ren’s room, though I didn’t really have an appetite while facing him from start to finish.

“Eat more slowly,” Third Master Ren said again. “Don’t choke.”

I swallowed hard, “I… I still have classes…”

“Today…” Third Master Ren seemed to be thinking of something, his eyes drifting slightly, his tone as light as always: “Don’t go. Stay home and rest.”

“N-no, I can’t!” I hurriedly waved my hands, only to meet Third Master Ren’s somewhat dark, heavy gaze. My heart instantly skipped a beat—and the description was accurate; I was indeed terrified.

“That…” I carefully observed his expression. “The current lessons are quite difficult, and I’m afraid of falling behind. Besides, I have big exams in the second half of the year—”

I looked at him, feeling a bit guilty.

Third Master Ren gave a non-committal “Hm,” and I instantly felt as if I had been granted a new lease on life.

I wiped my mouth, said “I’m off to school,” and turned to leave. Third Master Ren called out from behind, “Qi Ri.”

I froze, seeing him beckon to me.

I walked over to him and leaned down slightly, but he reached out, his fingertips brushing through my hair. “Your hair isn’t combed properly.” He paused, as if he wanted to say more, but eventually said: “Let Ah Jing take you.”

I nodded mindlessly, then shook my head.

“N-no need… I’ll call Little He—”

Third Master Ren lowered his gaze. “I’m not at ease.” Compared to before, although Third Master Ren was still reasonably fluent in conversation, his breath was weak; he would cough if he exerted himself even slightly, a condition that seemed impossible to fully cure.

He turned his head and coughed a few times, then waved his hand—that gesture from the old man meant he was dismissing his guest.

I had no idea what I had said or done to offend Third Master Ren again.

The only consolation was that the outcome was satisfactory.

By the time I arrived at school, I had already missed the first two morning classes. Before I got out of the car, Uncle Jing instructed from the front: “The Third Master asked me to convey to the Young Master, don’t overwork yourself too much.”

I nodded in agreement, and just before I closed the car door, Uncle Jing called out, “Young Master.”

“Young Master, this next part is something I, Uncle Jing, am saying on my own.”

“If you don’t find it an inconvenience, please consider returning to the main residence to live for a while. The Third Master hasn’t been in high spirits lately; consider it a gesture of keeping the Third Master company…”

I was stunned.

“There are some things, Young Master—” Uncle Jing sighed lightly, his tone filled with helplessness. “The Third Master has endured a lot of hardship for your sake.”

Through the car window, I watched Uncle Jing take off his glasses and rub the bridge of his nose, then pull out a handkerchief to wipe the lenses. In that moment, he looked several years older.

The following few days were exceptionally smooth.

Bai Junrui came by a few times, never mentioning that day’s events. For the past two days, Bai Junrui had just been wandering around the campus, and when I took him to the school cafeteria to eat, I saw Wang Zheng from a distance.

Wang Zheng was sitting across from Fang Wei, saying something. Fang Wei’s complexion was terrible; her willow-leaf eyebrows were tightly knitted together, and her eyes were even slightly red, as if she had just been crying.

Wang Zheng’s expression, however, was unexpectedly cold.

Bai Junrui didn’t seem to get along with Wang Zheng; the two didn’t seem to have any private interaction. It was just that Shu Yuan was very clingy toward Wang Zheng, coming to the school every few days with high-profile displays of affection. The fact that Wang Zheng had a beautiful American girlfriend had spread across the entire campus during this time, and one could hear people whispering about it everywhere, often with a mix of jealousy and admiration.

Fang Wei was likely making a scene with Wang Zheng over this. Come to think of it, Wang Zheng had been… less than disciplined in this regard ever since my previous life. I had tried to advise him kindly once, only to be shut down with, “If you’re impotent toward women, stop meddling in my business.”

Now, I wasn’t in a position to say anything.

Bai Junrui looked in that direction with interest. We had originally chosen a seat by the window, but Bai Junrui walked straight toward Wang Zheng.

Wait… Hey, hey, hey—!

“Wang Zheng, so you’re here too.” Wang Zheng and the others were sitting quite far inside, but Bai Junrui pulled me over without the slightest hint of awkwardness.

When Wang Zheng saw us, there was clear surprise in his eyes. Bai Junrui looked at Fang Wei and greeted her in a friendly manner.

“Young Master Bai is here too?”

Wang Zheng’s expression toward Bai Junrui seemed displeased. His gaze swept over me, then he stared intently at something elsewhere.

The waiter brought two more chairs, and Bai Junrui pulled me down to sit beside him.

“I’ve been wandering around with Qi Ri these past few days. Singapore isn’t that big, and I’ve grown a bit bored. Afterward, I thought I’d learn more about where Qi Ri studies, so I came to have a look.”

“Is that so?” Wang Zheng curled his lips and glanced at me.

“And this is—” Bai Junrui looked at Fang Wei. Fang Wei bowed her head in embarrassment, subconsciously moving closer to Wang Zheng, her cheeks flushed with color.

Bai Junrui’s smile was somewhat ambiguous; he arched his eyebrows as if in realization.

Wang Zheng tapped his finger on the table indifferently, saying with a cold look in his eyes: “Just a junior, handling some troublesome matters.”

Fang Wei shuddered violently, biting her lower lip.

I forced a smile. Faced with this bizarre scene, I stiffly tried to smooth things over: “I see… Well, Brother Bai, we won’t disturb you anymore. You two have a good talk—”

Wang Zheng stood up abruptly, shot me a fierce look, grabbed his jacket, and walked out.

Fang Wei was startled, mumbled a tearful apology, and hurried after him, almost falling to the ground.

I sighed helplessly. The culprit, Young Master Bai, shrugged his shoulders as if nothing had happened.

“Qi Ri, are you… angry?”

Bai Junrui chuckled and said: “Actually, this isn’t a big deal. Homosexuality is quite normal in the United States.”

“What do you think?”

I nodded; it was indeed true.

However, in this part of Asia, it was still not exactly an honorable thing.

I myself had a knot in my stomach regarding that term. After all, in my previous life, my name had occupied the headlines of major newspapers, right next to a row of shining, bold characters: “HOMOSEXUAL.”

Come to think of it, there was nothing to hide about this kind of thing.

If one came out for the sake of the person they loved, it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

However, back then…

When that incident occurred, I didn’t know who to blame. Everything pointed to the fact that it was all designed by Wang Zheng. Afterward, he righteously condemned me, and because of this scandal, the Ren Corporation’s stock plummeted. In the end, it even left me feeling cold-hearted.

I just didn’t know what kind of personal grudge Bai Junrui held against Wang Zheng, to make him so intent on stepping on his peacock tail.

Come to think of it, Bai Junrui was indeed quite handsome, the kind of person who got a lot of looks walking down the street.

It was said that his trip to Singapore was ostensibly for leisure, but in reality, he had intentions to develop business here. In my memory, Shu Yuan’s father was a man with a sharp eye; for him to entrust this matter to Bai Junrui, he likely had the intention of handing over the business to him. No wonder Old Madam Ren was so fond of him.

Bai Junrui’s teasing this time had truly angered Wang Zheng, and the innocent bystanders—of which I was that pitiful fish—suffered as a result.

Ever since Wang Zheng started high school, his attitude toward me had been hit or miss. I didn’t know if his rebellious phase had arrived late or what.

When I returned to the dormitory, I really did see the Great Peacock Wang standing outside my room. Although he hadn’t kept as close a watch on me as he did in earlier years, his temper remained as reckless as ever once it flared up.

Once inside the room, he opened by asking: “Are you and that guy surnamed Bai very close?”

Wang Zheng was arrogant and had a possessive streak. He probably felt that since he wasn’t informed of my friendship with Bai Junrui, he felt kept in the dark, and his temper flared.

“Yeah, we’re pretty good.”

I sighed lightly and added: “Look at you. Brother Bai is just like that. He’s actually quite a decent person; you should try to communicate with him.” To be honest, given Wang Zheng’s personality, he should have been trying to win over someone like Bai Junrui, not making an enemy of him.

“He’s decent?” Wang Zheng snorted and said: “He’s only decent to you. Only you look at him as a good person.”

I frowned. Wang Zheng gritted his teeth and said hatefully: “Qi Ri, what kind of reputation does Bai Junrui have outside? Don’t you know what his intentions are in approaching you?”

“Wang Zheng, don’t view everyone as being driven purely by profit.”

“Then do you know! What kind of designs Bai Junrui has on you!” Wang Zheng’s tone rose. “He’s a homosexual! Everyone knows it—Bai Junrui has damn well got some filthy ideas about you!”

I paused and looked up at Wang Zheng.

He probably realized he had said the wrong thing and raised his hand to cover his mouth.

Sigh.

I took off my glasses and rubbed my eyes wearily. “I’m a bit tired. You should go back to your room too.”

The sky had darkened, and I couldn’t see very clearly, so I turned around to switch on the light.

I only felt something surge from behind. Wang Zheng had grown taller over these years and was now at least a head taller than me. The arm that wrapped around my waist from behind was lean and powerful.

He said: “Qi Ri, I… said the wrong thing.”

“I was just anxious. Bai Junrui, he—don’t get so close to him.”

I sighed.

I struggled with some effort, but Wang Zheng held me tight.

“Wang Zheng, let me tell you something, too.”

“Don’t disregard other people’s feelings. If you like them, fine, treat them well. But if you truly don’t like them, you must make it clear.”

Whether it was Shu Yuan or Fang Wei.

Don’t let people foolishly pour out their feelings, believing there is still hope, only to turn around and tell them—stop being so self-absorbed.

“Bai Junrui and I are just friends, he doesn’t have any designs on me… I—”

At this moment, Wang Zheng proactively let go of me.

I breathed a sigh of relief, gave him a smile, and said: “I know you’re worried…”

“You… you clearly saw it that day.”

Hm?

Wang Zheng suddenly grabbed my hand and shoved me against the door panel with great force.

“You clearly saw it that day!”

That day? Which day? Saw what—?

I looked at him in confusion. The sky had completely darkened, and I couldn’t clearly make out his expression. But the air was filled with an unsettling atmosphere.

That day…

I seemed to recall it.

Wang Zheng’s strength was immense; I felt as if he were pressing any harder, he could snap my wrist. Wang Zheng suddenly leaned in close. The phrase “killing to keep a secret” flashed across my mind, and I squeezed my eyes shut, feeling quite stifled.

Something crashed into me fiercely, making my teeth ache and my ears ring—I struggled to turn my head away, but my hair was yanked forcefully, and that unfamiliar sensation engulfed me again.

What is this…

What is going on!!!

I pushed against Wang Zheng with all my might. With only a small distance between us, he lunged again as if he had exploded, pushing so hard it felt like he wanted to twist me apart.

My head was pressed hard against the door panel, and I felt a sharp pain, tasting blood in my mouth. Wang Zheng was biting my lips; I assumed he had drawn blood.

You—!

I don’t know where I found the strength, but before he could lunge again, I raised my leg and kicked him hard in the stomach.

Wang Zheng did indeed let go in pain. I stood up shakily, banged the door open, and roared at him in a frenzy: “Get the hell out of here—!!”

The light from outside streamed in, and I watched his pale face as he slowly climbed up from the floor.

That leopard-like gaze finally settled into a slow calm.

His hand slowly covered his lips.

Wang Zheng said: “It was you…”

“It was you… who forced me into this.”

“Did you think you could just stay out of it! Ren Qi Ri! It was you who forced me into this—!!”

He pushed me away forcefully and left in a rage.

I closed the door, stroked my forehead, and a wave of exhaustion washed over me as I slowly slid down to the floor.

This sentence, it sounded familiar.

Yet, I still couldn’t fathom it.

Just as I was lost in my thoughts, someone pounded on the door again.

I was startled and jumped up.

A few urgent calls came from outside.

“Fatty! Fatty—!!”

Luckily…

It was Cheng Chen.

I patted my face; my lips still stung painfully.

When I opened the door, Cheng Chen snuck in, hurriedly closed the door, and didn’t forget to check if there was anyone else outside. “Fatty! Thank goodness you’re here!” His tone was extremely flustered, and faintly, I seemed to catch the scent of blood.

After I turned on the lights, I was genuinely shocked.

Cheng Chen was covered in mud, a piece of his shirt was torn, and his trousers seemed to be stained with dark blood.

He bit his lip, his expression anxious as he said: “Fatty! Don’t ask! I’ll tell you later! Hurry!”

“Hurry to do what—?”

Cheng Chen grabbed my shoulders and said in a tense, low voice: “Quick! Fatty, lend me whatever money you have! I have to take Xin Jie away from Singapore tonight!”

My eyelid twitched, and I exclaimed: “Cheng Chen, what kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into?!”