Chapter 43#
He saw, Qi Xu with another ma…#
At five in the morning, Wujiang City was still bathed in a thin mist. The cool breeze, carrying the dampness of vegetation, brushed against Si Jingheng’s face with a trace of biting chill.
Si Jingheng had barely closed his eyes last night. When his flight landed, the sky was just beginning to brighten. A taxi outside the airport carried him straight to that Western restaurant, but after the car circled the street where the restaurant was located three times, he got out and walked for nearly two hours. He searched every nearby alley, shop, and park, yet he couldn’t find even the slightest trace of Qi Xu.
Si Jingheng leaned against a plane tree by the roadside, an unlit cigarette pinched between his fingers, his thumb brushing against its rough paper body. His custom suit was flecked with dust, sleeves rolled up casually to reveal the prominent veins on his wrists. Exquisitely dressed as he was, he looked completely out of place in this city that had yet to wake up.
He had wanted to meet Qi Xu looking his absolute best, but he hadn’t expected that he wouldn’t even be able to find his shadow.
Misfortunes never come singly; the phone in his pocket vibrated once, then went completely black—out of battery.
This sudden predicament made Si Jingheng curl his lips in self-deprecation.
In his over twenty years of life, he had always been a master of strategy, in total control of everything. But ever since Qi Xu left, he had become like a fool who had lost his backbone, unable to make even basic travel preparations. Si Jingheng raised his hand to rub his brow as a wave of exhaustion suddenly washed over him like a tide.
Walking a few hundred meters down the street, a building with blue bricks and dark tiles came into view at a corner. A wooden plaque reading “Wujiang City Library” hung over the lintel, and the electronic screen at the entrance glowed with the words “Open to the Public.”
Si Jingheng hesitated for a moment but stepped inside anyway. He needed to charge his phone now. Even if there was only a glimmer of hope, he could not afford to stand still here.
The first floor of the library was a leisure area, furnished with many sofas, tables, and chairs. A few backpackers were talking in low voices, and someone was taking photos of the calligraphy and paintings on the wall with a camera.
As soon as he entered, a server wearing a light blue uniform approached him with a warm smile: “Hello, how can I help you?”
Si Jingheng asked, “Is there a place to charge phones here?”
The server turned around to look left and right, whispered a few words to a colleague, and then showed an apologetic expression, shaking their head slightly: “I’m very sorry, sir. It’s the tourist season right now, so all the power banks have been rented out, and we don’t have charging cables to provide either. I’m truly sorry.”
“It’s fine,” Si Jingheng replied flatly, his heart untroubled by any major wave of emotion.
If it had been a few days ago, he might have felt some hostility over this kind of out-of-control situation. But now, he had grown accustomed to this streak of bad luck where he hit a wall at every turn, finding it almost laughable.
Even Heaven was obstructing him from finding Qi Xu. Was it punishing him for what he had done back then?
He turned around, wanting to find a corner to sit down. He had only taken two steps when he felt two pairs of eyes land on him.
Si Jingheng’s looks and temperament were already striking, and having dressed up meticulously today, wearing a stylishly designed overcoat over his casual suit, he looked exceptionally tall and straight.
Soon, two girls in casual clothes carrying canvas bags nudged each other as they walked over, shy smiles on their faces. The one with her hair in a ponytail spoke first, her voice thin and soft: “Um, excuse me, sir. We have an extra power bank. You can borrow it.”
Si Jingheng was taken aback for a moment, then managed a faint smile: “Thank you.”
The two girls’ cheeks flushed slightly, and they quickly handed over a pink power bank: “No problem at all. Sit and charge for a bit, there are sofas over there.”
Si Jingheng thanked them, took the power bank, and walked over to sit on a sofa by the side. Once he plugged in the charging cable, the phone screen lit up, and the familiar interface allowed his tense nerves to relax slightly.
“Hey handsome, where are you headed?” the girl next to him couldn’t help but strike up a conversation, her eyes sizing him up curiously.
Si Jingheng looked up, shook his head, his voice still raspy: “I don’t know.”
The girl with the ponytail immediately wore an “I get it” expression and said with a smile, “I bet you’re doing one of those spontaneous solo trips, right? Going to a city first and then looking for a destination. We are too!”
Si Jingheng didn’t know how to respond, so he could only maintain his polite smile. He wasn’t good at interacting with strangers. The ease and confidence he once had in the business world turned rather awkward in such everyday settings.
The other girl, who wore glasses, opened up the conversation, enthusiastically recommending: “Did you know that the Wishing Homestay in Wujiang City is super popular lately? I heard it’s really effective for bringing in romance. A lot of young people go there to check it out. Want to go take a look?”
The two words “Wishing” hit Si Jingheng’s nerves like a clap of thunder. His body froze instantly, and his fingertips holding the phone tightened immediately.
Wishing… Qi Xu… These two names swirled in his mind. Could there be a connection? Qi Xu had always liked quiet, stylish places like this. Could he be hiding there?
“A homestay?” Si Jingheng’s eyes lit up instantly.
The girl with glasses nodded, quickly took out her phone, opened her photo album, and pulled up a picture: “Yes, yes, look! The environment of this homestay is incredibly beautiful, and the owner is also a huge hunk!”
Si Jingheng almost instinctively took the phone, his gaze locking onto the screen.
The photo showed the courtyard of the homestay, planted with many flowers and plants. A young man in a white shirt stood smiling under the veranda, his side profile soft. And not far behind him, there was a blurry figure leaning against the doorframe, wearing a light gray knit sweater. The figure was slender, and the silhouette of that profile was so familiar that Si Jingheng’s heart clenched violently, and his breathing grew rapid.
It was Qi Xu!
Even if it was just a blurry back and profile, he could recognize him at a single glance. That was the appearance carved into his very marrow, the figure that repeatedly appeared in his mind as he tossed and turned in countless late nights.
Si Jingheng’s fingers trembled slightly, his fingertip tracing the figure on the screen. Burning moisture welled up in his eyes instantly, nearly blurring his vision.
He found him… He found him…
A massive wave of ecstasy engulfed him like a tide, making him tremble almost uncontrollably. All the anxiety, pain, and regret of the past few months seemed to find their resting place at this very moment.
He stared intently at the photo, terrified that he might have misidentified him, only slowly letting out a breath of relief once he confirmed that every detail of that figure matched Qi Xu perfectly.
The two girls didn’t notice his odd behavior. The girl with glasses said regretfully, “But this homestay is just too popular. Bookings are scheduled a month out, so you can’t book it at all right now.”
Si Jingheng snapped out of it, quickly grabbed his own phone, and rapidly opened his booking app to search for “Wishing Homestay.” Sure enough, the page displayed: “Fully booked for the next month,” and there wasn’t even a waitlist spot left. His heart sank instantly, and a bucket of cold water was poured over the hope that had just been kindled.
No, he couldn’t wait another month.
One step too late, and Qi Xu might disappear again.
Si Jingheng looked up, his eyes burning as he stared at the two girls, speaking in an urgent tone, “Will anyone give up their room? Like, transferring their booking reservation?”
The girl with the ponytail shook her head, saying helplessly, “Probably not. We also spent days trying to snag one. Everyone is coming here on purpose, so no one would give it up easily.”
Si Jingheng pondered for a brief moment, then looked up at the two girls: “I saw on the app that the original price is 460 yuan a night. I’ll give you a hundred thousand yuan to transfer the room to me. This money should be enough for you to play here for a month. You can book a room for next month, or travel somewhere else.”
The two girls’ eyes instantly widened, their faces written with disbelief. They looked at each other, both seeing the shock in the other’s eyes.
A hundred thousand yuan? Just for a room in a homestay? This was way too generous!
They were college students who usually pinched pennies. A hundred thousand yuan was practically an astronomical sum to them, enough to cover their living expenses for more than half a year.
“Th-this… this is too much, isn’t it?” the girl with the ponytail stuttered, unable to quite believe it.
Si Jingheng had already opened the transfer interface, directly inputting an amount of two hundred thousand yuan, and tapped transfer.
The moment the phone notified them of a successful transfer, the two girls were completely dumbfounded. Once the girl with glasses snapped out of it, she hurriedly said, “Sir, you transferred too much! We can’t take this much!”
Si Jingheng smiled. The anxiety in his eyes faded slightly, replaced by a bit of relief. “It’s fine. Think of it as my thank-you gift for telling me about this homestay, and for lending me the power bank.”
A mere two hundred thousand was nothing compared to the upfront payments he usually threw around; to his assets, it didn’t even scratch the surface.
The two girls exchanged a glance. They both felt that this handsome guy in front of them was not only good-looking but also extremely kind-hearted and generous, practically like a male lead in a novel. Thus, they quickly nodded: “Hehe, deal! But this reservation was booked with our ID cards. If we cancel it, someone else might snatch it. Let’s go to the homestay together and ask if we can change the guest information. If not, we’ll just check you in using our IDs!”
“Sorry for the trouble,” Si Jingheng said as he stood up, the fatigue on his body seemingly dispersed quite a bit by this sudden hope. He instinctively straightened his clothes, trying to make himself look a bit more energetic.
Following the two girls out of the library, they said the homestay was at the foot of a mountain on the outskirts, and taking the path through the back of the mountain was closer.
The mist had already dispersed, and the sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
After walking for about half an hour, a dense forest appeared ahead. In the distance, they could see the outline of a courtyard, which must be the Wishing Homestay. Suddenly, the two girls stopped walking. The one with the ponytail said rather self-consciously, “Sir, we need to go to a nearby restroom first. Please wait for us for a moment, we’ll be right back!”
Si Jingheng nodded: “Sure.”
Si Jingheng turned his head, his gaze drawn to a massive ginkgo tree not far away. The ginkgo tree grew lush and leafy, with a trunk so thick it would take several people to encircle it. The golden leaves shimmered in the sunlight, looking as though they were hung with stars.
He walked toward the ginkgo tree involuntarily.
A faint sound of voices floated over with the wind.
The voices came from behind a fence next to the ginkgo tree. The fence was very narrow, only waist-high, and covered with green vines, making it almost unnoticeable if one didn’t look closely. Si Jingheng softened his steps, slowly moved to the edge of the fence, carefully parted the vines, and peered inside.
Qi Xu was sitting right on a branch of the ginkgo tree. Si Jingheng’s heart instantly pounded wildly, as if it were about to leap out of his chest. He stared fixedly at Qi Xu’s profile, his gaze greedily tracing every detail of his face. Qi Xu seemed to have lost some weight; the line of his chin was sharper, and his hair was slightly longer, softly falling over his forehead, obscuring his eyes a bit. He was bowing his head, talking to someone unknown, looking completely like a picture of peaceful, quiet years.
——
Looking at He Qingshi beneath the tree, Qi Xu cautiously extended one foot, then pulled it back.
Ugh, he didn’t dare.
“Come on, Brother Xu! It only looks high from up there, but it’s really not high at all. I promise to catch you.” He Qingshi stretched his arms out even wider. “If you fall, it’s on me! I’ll work for you for free! As your caregiver!”
“Who wants a caregiver!” Qi Xu laughed. “Can’t I just not get hurt?”
“I! PRO! MISE!”
After confirming He Qingshi’s position, Qi Xu closed his eyes, mustered his courage, and jumped down.
He could feel the air rushing past his ears, his body weightless for a split second, before falling into a warm embrace. He Qingshi caught him securely, even bouncing him slightly.
“Brother Xu, have you really gained weight recently?” He Qingshi asked in confusion.
Qi Xu ate very little and needed someone to watch over him to get a few extra bites down. When he first arrived, he suffered a bit from being unaccustomed to the local climate, even vomiting at night whatever he ate. It was only recently that he got slightly better.
Thus, every time he was watched while eating, Qi Xu would say he had gotten fat and couldn’t eat more. He Qingshi didn’t think so at all; he thought Qi Xu would look better if he gained a bit more weight.
He knew that the person in Brother Xu’s heart had caused him a lot of pain, which was why his health was so poor. But now that so much time had passed, Qi Xu’s personality had clearly become much more cheerful than before.
He felt deeply gratified.
“I have, I have. I’ve really gained weight.” Unaccustomed to being held like this, Qi Xu patted He Qingshi’s shoulder. “Hurry and put me down, it’s almost time to get busy.”
“I won’t.” It was hard enough for He Qingshi to get to hold Qi Xu once, so he didn’t want to let go no matter what. He really didn’t know how Qi Xu could be so magical; they clearly bought the exact same brand of body wash, yet on Qi Xu, it smelled incredibly good. To him, it was like catnip… an addictive scent.
“It would be bad if someone saw us.” Qi Xu always felt that he wasn’t exactly young anymore; actions like this should be exclusive to young people.
He Qingshi refuted, “You’re not old at all. You’re in your prime.”
Unlike the immaturity of someone his age, and without the greasiness of many middle-aged men, Qi Xu in his twenties was mature, gentle, possessed the depth of lived years, yet still had a youthful side. He was simply perfect.
He Qingshi held Qi Xu tightly, supporting Qi Xu’s thighs to make him hold on close, and looked up, saying, “Brother Xu, you’re so beautiful.”
The afternoon sunlight was bright, filtering through the gaps in the leaves, illuminating Qi Xu like a deity.
Qi Xu’s face flushed: “What are you talking about.”
He Qingshi tilted his neck back a bit more, his gaze burning: “Brother Xu, you said you wanted to start a new life.”
“Yes, why?”
“Do you know what the first step of a new life is?”
“What?”
“Forgetting the past,” He Qingshi said. “Forgetting everything from before is the new life. If you can’t forget it, then you need a new person to overwrite it.”
Qi Xu knew what He Qingshi meant, but he still couldn’t get past the hurdle in his heart. Sometimes he wondered if he hadn’t come here, would this young man have his own life instead of spinning around him?
“Brother Xu,” He Qingshi said seriously. “You should give yourself a chance.”
The atmosphere grew ambiguous, and Qi Xu felt his cheeks burn. He once had this kind of passionate love too, but it had slowly worn away to nothing. Now… it felt as though that tiny spark had the urge to flare up from the ashes again.
“Even if we don’t make it, wouldn’t it be nice to give me a memory, Brother Xu?” He Qingshi settled for the next best thing.
Qi Xu looked down at him, his eyelashes fluttering slightly as if in thought.
A beautiful memory?
“Brother Xu~” He Qingshi said cloyingly.
Qi Xu wrapped his arms around He Qingshi’s neck and murmured, “I can only say I’ll try my best, okay?”
“Of course,” He Qingshi replied with a smile.
Qi Xu lowered his head, maintaining this posture as he gently leaned closer to He Qingshi’s lips.
Outside the fence, Si Jingheng stood like a stone statue, watching the scene before his eyes in disbelief.
He had racked his brains, cast all caution to the wind, resorted to every possible means, and now traveled over land and water to get here, only to see what?
Qi Xu was… kissing another man?
Author’s Note: The road to chasing his wife back is about to take off~ [Go!][Go!][Go!]
Also, Merry Christmas, babies!
(Don’t know about this chapter… hehe, this is my first time asking for nutrient solution. Hope you guys won’t make it look too bad for me, ying ying ying.)