Chapter 39#
Qi Xu’s Secret.#
“You…” Qi Ran wanted to curse some more, but forced himself to swallow his words back down.
“It’s really fine, Auntie.” Si Jingheng put on an innocent, harmless smile. “Please don’t take it to heart.”
Du Yanxin glared at Qi Ran, then turned to look at Si Jingheng, her face shifting back to an apologetic smile. “Are things not busy at the company lately?”
Si Jingheng retracted his gaze accordingly, his tone sincere. “Things at the company have slowed down a bit recently, so I’m not too busy. At the last birthday banquet, I had a lot on my plate and couldn’t take good care of my elders. I’ve been feeling bad about it, so I came over specially to apologize.” Si Jingheng smiled. “A small token of my appreciation, nothing major.”
“That’s far too polite!” Du Yanxin quickly waved her hand. “We’re all family, there’s no need for such formalities.”
“If I weren’t so busy, I should have visited more often.” Si Jingheng nodded slightly, his tone humble and polite, entirely lacking his usual authoritative demeanor at the company.
Du Yanxin agreed with a smile, “You’re right, you must come over and sit with us more often in the future.”
Only Qi Ran stood to the side, his face dark as iron, staring coldly at Si Jingheng as if looking at an enemy. “Who’s family with you?” He snorted coldly, his voice sharp. “I’m telling you, Si Jingheng, this house doesn’t welcome you. Get out of here right now!”
“Ranran!” Du Yanxin frowned, looking at him with some displeasure. “Why are you being so rude? Jingheng was kind enough to come visit us, how can you speak like that?”
“I am rude!” Qi Ran’s cheeks flushed red with anger, his chest heaving violently. Seeing that Du Yanxin wanted to say more, he simply turned around. “There are still things to do at the company, I’m leaving!”
Before he had even finished speaking, Qi Ran spun around and marched toward the door. The sound of the door slamming shut made the French windows in the living room vibrate slightly.
Just then, a steady sound of footsteps came from the stairs.
Qi Yongchang, dressed in grey loungewear and holding a book, walked down from upstairs. Seeing Si Jingheng in the living room, a warm smile appeared on his face. “Jingheng is here?”
“Uncle Qi,” Si Jingheng quickly stood up and greeted him respectfully.
“Have a seat, no need to be polite.” Qi Yongchang sat down on the sofa and pointed to the seat opposite him.
Du Yanxin said from the side, “We happen to be having a barbecue tonight. Jingheng, why don’t you stay and join us?”
Si Jingheng’s heart stirred. This was exactly what he wanted. He quickly nodded. “Then I’ll trouble Auntie Du and Uncle Qi. Would it be too much of a bother?”
“Not at all, the more the merrier,” Du Yanxin said with a smile, turning to head to the kitchen to get busy.
With only Si Jingheng and Qi Yongchang left in the living room, they naturally started chatting about corporate management. Si Jingheng was clear-headed, decisive, and had unique insights. Qi Yongchang often lamented how wonderful it would be if this were his own son.
But there wasn’t much of a difference now; Qi Xu was always clinging to Si Jingheng’s side. If Qi Xu could even learn half of what Si Jingheng knew, he wouldn’t constantly cry about having no talent.
As Si Jingheng spoke, he calculated in his mind how to bring up Qi Xu.
After chatting for a while, he finally gathered his courage. Taking a sip from the teacup on the table, he asked in a seemingly casual manner, “By the way, Uncle Qi, why haven’t I seen Qi Xu? Is he not at home?”
Qi Yongchang froze for a moment, then glanced toward the kitchen, a flicker of hesitation crossing his eyes.
Qi Xu was afraid of Si Jingheng laughing at him, so should he mention it?
Just then, Du Yanxin walked out carrying a plate of fruit. She sat down next to Qi Yongchang and said softly, “Ah Xu gave himself a vacation recently and went out to clear his head. We don’t know exactly where he went, either.”
Si Jingheng’s fingers gripped the teacup tightly. The warmth from the cup’s surface didn’t reach his fingertips at all; instead, he felt a sudden chill run through his body.
Qi Xu was avoiding him on purpose.
Clearly, in the past, no matter where Qi Xu went, he would tell him, cling to him eagerly, and send him countless messages every day sharing the interesting things he encountered.
But now, he didn’t even know Qi Xu’s whereabouts, and even had to fish for news about him from others.
Si Jingheng lowered his eyes, hiding the disappointment and resentment deep within them, his voice dropping slightly. “Is that so? Then when is he coming back?”
“I don’t know, he didn’t say.” Du Yanxin shook her head, a trace of worry in her eyes as she looked at Si Jingheng. “Ah Xu is a stubborn child. Sometimes when he has things on his mind, he refuses to say them.” She paused, as if weighing her words. “Jingheng, you and Ah Xu have always had a great relationship. Did he say anything to you?”
Si Jingheng’s heart sank instantly, and he quickly shook his head. “No, he didn’t mention anything to me.” He didn’t dare look into Du Yanxin’s eyes, terrified that she would spot any flaws.
How could he tell Qi Xu’s parents that their precious son, whom they cherished like treasure, had chosen to flee because his heart was completely broken by him?
For the rest of the time, Si Jingheng was somewhat distracted. Though he kept chatting with Qi Yongchang, his attention kept drifting involuntarily toward the staircase, imagining if Qi Xu would suddenly come downstairs, smiling and saying to him: “Jingheng? You’re here. Are you staying to keep me company tonight?”
But until dusk, even when the barbecue grill was already set up, Qi Xu still hadn’t appeared.
The atmosphere at dinner was very lively. Du Yanxin and Qi Yongchang were extremely hospitable, constantly piling food onto Si Jingheng’s plate and pouring him drinks.
Si Jingheng forced himself to perk up, eating some with them and drinking quite a bit of alcohol.
The alcohol slid down his throat and into his stomach, bringing a burning sensation, but it didn’t numb his nerves in the slightest. Instead, it made his longing for Qi Xu even clearer.
When the sky turned pitch black, the dinner finally ended. Looking at Si Jingheng’s flushed cheeks, Du Yanxin said worriedly, “Jingheng, you’ve had a lot to drink. It’s too unsafe to drive now. Why don’t you stay here tonight?”
Si Jingheng felt a surge of ecstasy in his heart, but on the surface, he feigned some hesitation. “Would that be too troublesome for you?”
“Not at all, we’re all family,” Du Yanxin said with a smile.
Qi Yongchang waved his hand and looked at Si Jingheng. “Jingheng and Ah Xu have such a good relationship, and he used to stay here often anyway. Just let him sleep in Ah Xu’s room so we don’t have to tidy up another one.”
Si Jingheng’s heart gave a violent thud. He could barely contain his inner excitement as he quickly nodded. “Alright, thank you, Uncle Qi, and thank you, Auntie Du.”
“You’re welcome. Go on up and rest.” Du Yanxin pointed toward the stairs. “Ah Xu’s room is still the same as always. You should still remember it.”
“I remember.” Si Jingheng nodded, turning to walk toward the stairs.
It was a path he knew all too well; this room was a place he could enter blindfolded by climbing over the wall since middle school.
There were no lights on in the room, with only the faint moonlight filtering in through the window. Si Jingheng reached back to lock the door behind him. Only after confirming that no one would disturb him did he grope around to switch on the lights.
Qi Xu’s room was decorated warmly and cozily. The bed was made with soft white sheets, holding a large rabbit plush toy. On the desk were several small pots of succulents with thick, plump leaves, clearly well-cared for. In the corner of the room sat a small beanbag chair draped with a sky-blue blanket—the exact spot where Qi Xu used to love curling up to read.
Si Jingheng slowly walked over to the desk, his gaze landing on its surface. The desk was tidied up very neatly, holding a few open books and a fountain pen Qi Xu frequently used. Right in the center of the desk, a photo album lay face down, catching his attention.
Si Jingheng carefully flipped the photo album over.
What met his eyes was a joint photo that had been torn to pieces and then pieced back together.
The two people in the photo were smiling with curved eyes. Si Jingheng was dressed in a black shirt, standing tall and straight, while Qi Xu wore a white shirt, cuddling close to his side with a shy, sweet smile on his face, looking just like a young couple.
He had thought this photo had long been thrown away by Qi Xu, but he hadn’t expected that Qi Xu had actually pieced it back together shred by shred.
Si Jingheng’s fingertips gently brushed over the cracks on the photo. The traces of glue were still clearly visible; obviously, Qi Xu had been exceptionally careful when putting it together. Even so, the top-right and bottom-left corners of the photo were still missing, likely because it was torn too finely at the start to be fully retrieved.
Looking at this incomplete photo, Si Jingheng’s eyes instantly turned red.
Si Jingheng pulled out his phone and took a photo of the picture, as if trying to treasure this precious memory forever. He sat on the chair in front of the desk, propping his head with both hands, his shoulders trembling slightly as a deep sense of powerlessness washed over him.
How did they ever end up at this point?
He didn’t know how much time had passed before Si Jingheng slowly raised his head. When he stood up, because his mind was wandering, his knee accidentally banged against the corner of the desk, making him groan in pain. As he bent down to rub it, his gaze was drawn to a small cabinet underneath the desk.
That cabinet was built into the underside of the desk; it wasn’t large, and there was a small combination lock on it.
Si Jingheng’s brow furrowed slightly. He was very familiar with Qi Xu’s room, yet he had never known about the existence of this cabinet, let alone that it had a combination lock.
Qi Xu had never kept secrets from him and would tell him absolutely everything. How could he suddenly have a cabinet with a combination lock? What on earth was hidden inside?
Driven by intense curiosity, Si Jingheng squatted down and carefully examined the combination lock.
It was a four-digit combination lock.
He reached out, lightly pressing the buttons of the lock, and began to guess the possible combinations.
The first thing he thought of was Qi Xu’s birthday. He entered the digits of Qi Xu’s birthday, but the lock didn’t open.
Next, he entered his own birthday, but the lock remained completely motionless.
Then he tried Qi Yongchang’s and Du Yanxin’s birthdays, trying them one by one, but the result was the same.
Si Jingheng felt somewhat discouraged. Leaning against the leg of the desk, his brow furrowed deeply. What would Qi Xu use as a password?
Could it be another man’s birthday?
Was it Lu Zhiyan, or someone else?
After thinking for a long time, Si Jingheng simply reached out and grabbed the latch of the combination lock, wanting to rip it open by brute force, but as soon as he applied pressure, he hesitated.
He couldn’t destroy Qi Xu’s things.
Si Jingheng took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He looked up at the joint photo on the desk.
A bold guess rose in his mind, causing his heart rate to surge instantly, his blood rushing straight to his head.
His hand trembling, he reached out and carefully entered four digits according to the date in his memory.
“Click—”
With a soft sound, the combination lock actually popped open.
Si Jingheng’s heart pounded wildly as if it were about to leap out of his chest. His fingertips trembled slightly. He adjusted his breathing a few times before slowly pulling open the small cabinet.
The first thing his hand brushed against was a small black box.
Si Jingheng reached in and tremblingly pulled the box out. It was a wooden box with a smoothly polished surface that carried a faint fragrance. He gently opened the box, and the sight of its contents made him instantly freeze.
The box was lined with a layer of red velvet, upon which lay a bracelet.
It was the very bracelet Qi Xu had given him on the day of the class reunion.
Only now, the transparent crystal had shattered into several pieces. Though they were still barely strung on the chain, it had long lost its original luster.
Si Jingheng’s breathing instantly grew rapid. He reached out and carefully picked up the bracelet. As his fingertips touched the shattered crystal, the icy cold sensation made him shudder all over.
In the corner of the box, there lay a tiny card.
With trembling hands, he pulled the card out. The card was pink, its edges slightly worn—clearly, it had been flipped over and read repeatedly many times.
On the card was Qi Xu’s neat handwriting, every stroke written with earnest care. It read:
“I heard about a very efficacious temple, and I went there specially to pray for this for you. I hope you will be safe and healthy forever, and I hope it can keep you company, just like I do. I know I can be headstrong and clingy sometimes, which might annoy you. But I really, truly love you. I hope we can stay together forever, from black hair to white hair, from youth to old age. Jingheng, I love you, forever.”
The date signed at the bottom was the exact day of Qi Xu’s birthday.
Looking at the words on the card, Si Jingheng’s mind went completely blank.
He had heard of that temple. It was highly efficacious and only open in the winter, and it only accepted the first person at the door each day. But that temple had twenty-eight gates… It tested not only perseverance, but also luck.
He finally understood why he could never find Qi Xu last winter. Back then, he thought Qi Xu must have been unable to bear the loneliness and went out to fool around, but in reality…
He didn’t dare think about how Qi Xu, with such a frail frame, had endured one bitter winter day after another, waiting by the gates just to pray for a bracelet for him.
And this bracelet—at that time, he hadn’t even looked at it before throwing it to the ground and shattering it.
For such a hard-won opportunity, Qi Xu had actually…
Only prayed for his safety and health…
Author’s Note: The bonus updates for this week are over! Starting tomorrow, I will temporarily update three thousand words a day; a few chapters need to be polished up.
What should I do? I can’t help but laugh when I think about what I’m about to write next [laughing out loud][laughing out loud][laughing out loud]