Chapter 37#

Qiao Nanqi froze.

He still had his head lowered against the side of Zhao Rong’s neck, pinning Zhao Rong’s hands, covering him in what seemed like an embrace. But the strength in his hands had unknowingly and slowly withdrawn.

They were so close that even their breaths were slightly intertwined, yet they seemed worlds apart.

At this moment, he didn’t even know what to do.

When he didn’t receive any reply to the message he sent Zhao Rong earlier, he had prepared himself for Zhao Rong’s rebuttal.

Zhao Rong thought he was just acting out of habit, just because he had needs.

But he wasn’t.

He had so many words to say to Zhao Rong.

When he told Zhao Rong “I like you,” he was anxious yet hopeful for a reaction or an answer—even a rejection.

But there wasn’t even a rejection; it was as if Zhao Rong hadn’t heard those words at all. Just like the messages he sent, there was no response.

Indifference is more terrifying than rejection.

Zhao Rong’s indifferent words left him at a loss, as if his heart were being heavily struck by a blunt object.

Zhao Rong said he hated the smell of alcohol on him.

He didn’t like drinking, didn’t like the back-and-forth interactions in such glitzy places. He didn’t know how long it had been since he had compromised like this just to achieve a goal.

In return, he only got repulsion.

Irritability and depression surged in his heart, but he feared Zhao Rong would be even more unhappy, so he didn’t dare show it at all.

When Zhao Rong used to return from banquets or nightclubs in the past and faced his words… did he feel this way too?

He took several deep breaths, vaguely catching the scent of soap from Zhao Rong’s clothes, which slightly calmed the racing emotions in his heart.

He said, “You used to…”

Didn’t you use to drink often? Didn’t you like these kinds of places? Why do you hate the smell of alcohol on me now?

Before he could finish the sentence, Zhao Rong knew what he was going to say.

“The past is the past, and now is now.” Zhao Rong’s voice was very soft and low. “People change.”

These words seemed to have a double meaning, pointedly hitting the bullseye.

Qiao Nanqi was instantly left speechless.

Qiao Nanqi didn’t move, and neither did Zhao Rong.

While he had just been pushing Qiao Nanqi with all his strength, he now simply leaned against the wall, head slightly tilted back, his eyes looking elsewhere. He was waiting for Qiao Nanqi to step away on his own.

Qiao Nanqi lifted his head slightly. Looking up from Zhao Rong’s neck, he saw Zhao Rong’s somewhat vacant expression. No specific emotion could be seen, but it made one feel his exhaustion.

Zhao Rong was lean, the line of his jaw outlining his chin, extending into a profile curve like something from a painting. He blinked his eyes one by one, his eyelashes trembling, seemingly tugging at one’s heartstrings.

In the past, when they were this close, Zhao Rong would hold him back and look at him with slightly flushed cheeks.

And…

Zhao Rong suddenly shifted his gaze, meeting his eyes.

“You want to kiss me,” Zhao Rong said.

Qiao Nanqi’s breath hitched.

He had been looked at by Zhao Rong countless times in the past and had long grown used to it, but this time, for some reason, he couldn’t bear Zhao Rong’s gaze and immediately looked away.

The drunkenness mixed with Zhao Rong’s words made his head spin. He suddenly remembered Zhao Rong had just said the smell of alcohol on him was sickening.

He hurriedly let go and stumbled back a step.

“I…”

He paused, not knowing what to say.

Zhao Rong’s words had accurately hit the thought that had just flashed through his mind.

Someone walked into the long corridor, seemingly curious about what they were doing, and glanced their way while passing by.

Zhao Rong still leaned against the wall, saying nothing.

After the person had walked far away, Zhao Rong then said, “You didn’t deny it.”

“You see, we have nothing to do with each other anymore, yet you still blocked me here in a place where people come and go, regardless of my intentions. And after I said being pinned like this makes me very uncomfortable, your first reaction wasn’t to step back, but to want to kiss me.”

As he spoke, he actually let out a chuckle.

Those eyes, naturally carrying a hint of a smile, couldn’t produce any real mirth.

While he was still smiling, the passerby who had just entered the restroom came back out.

When passing them again, the person glanced over curiously once more.

Zhao Rong watched the person walk away. “What if someone had just passed by earlier?”

“I initially thought that after I moved out, we would never have any involvement for the rest of our lives. Your current behavior… is truly surprising to me.”

“Maybe I overgeneralized last time; it’s not just because you have needs. After I left, you really missed me and wanted to see me. But if I kept a dog and didn’t see it for a few days, I would also want to see it and pet its fur. But I’m not a dog. I’m not a pet that runs forward to please others at a wave of a hand, nor am I a lover you summon and dismiss to satisfy your needs. I have my own dignity…”

“Do you understand what I mean?”

Qiao Nanqi’s Adam’s apple moved slightly as he was about to speak, but Zhao Rong suddenly raised his hand, pressing his fingertip against his lips.

Zhao Rong’s fingertip was a bit cold, and the chill meeting the warmth of Qiao Nanqi’s lips instantly made his thoughts collide, causing him to forget what he had wanted to say.

“Shh,” Zhao Rong said, “I don’t want to debate with someone in a place like this.”

“Go back yourself. I’m leaving.”

He let out a long sigh, stopped smiling, stood up straight, and no longer leaned against the wall.

He brushed off the places on his clothes that had touched the wall, seeing that the back of his sleeve had caught some dirt, and a patch of dust had stained his white sweater.

He didn’t say anything, just patted it and turned to walk away.

Qiao Nanqi stood there as if all his strength had vanished.

He watched Zhao Rong’s back and said, “I didn’t come to find you because of those things.”

Zhao Rong didn’t look back; he didn’t even stop his pace.

Losing his strength, Qiao Nanqi leaned against the wall Zhao Rong had just been against.

Whether it was the effect of the alcohol he drank earlier or the conversation that made his head ache, he suddenly felt a wave of dizziness.

His chest felt tight, and his entire body felt out of place, with every part screaming.

Xia Yuantu was right.

He truly deserved it.

After Zhao Rong walked back, he planned to handle the bill for tonight’s expenses for the whole place. Anyway, he had invested a large amount before this bar had fully established itself. Paying the money now would still result in a portion returning to him when dividends were distributed, so it wasn’t as much as Yu Xian thought.

He had kept this move just in case, also feeling that since he couldn’t do anything on the surface, he might as well secretly leave some backup for himself.

This backup could have been discovered by the Chen family at any time, or very likely by Qiao Nanqi, the male lead who wouldn’t let the Chen family go after the plot ended. He hadn’t placed much hope in it.

Unexpectedly, this backup had actually remained safe until now.

Unfortunately, he hadn’t thought this backup had much of a chance before, so the money he left was in investments and such. Even if all of it were turned into liquid capital, it wouldn’t be enough for him to develop an industrial chain in Zhuxi.

It would still be best if he could get that inheritance.

If he couldn’t, he would continue with small investments, which could still ensure Zhao Ming lived the rest of her life without worry.

Either way was better than staying by Qiao Nanqi’s side as an unclear, tail-wagging fool.

Zhao Rong went directly to the manager on duty tonight, but the manager said, “Hasn’t the bill for the whole place already been paid tonight?”

“I haven’t paid yet.”

“Didn’t you have your friend pay for it?” The manager was puzzled. “Just now, he finished swiping the card, took the receipt, and left.”

Zhao Rong was stunned.

He wondered if Liu Shun had actually asked his parents for money. But when the manager led him to find this “friend” who paid, he saw Xia Yuantu at another table near the one they had been sitting at.

Xia Yuantu was sitting there bored, playing with his phone, clearly waiting for Qiao Nanqi.

Zhao Rong thought about Qiao Nanqi’s sudden appearance earlier—not long after Yu Xian and the others left.

Then Xia Yuantu came to pay the bill…

Then these two must have seen the scene with him and Yu Xian.

…Hopefully, it doesn’t lead to any other trouble.

He frowned, didn’t walk up to greet Xia Yuantu, and just said to the manager, “Still take it from my card. Please refund the money he swiped.”

After finishing this, he returned alone to his home in the city center where he lived by himself.

He hadn’t turned on the heater when he left, and the late autumn air was chilly. Coming out after a shower, Zhao Rong shivered.

He wasn’t actually a very strict or fastidious person. Living with Qiao Nanqi for the past year or so, eating and sleeping in an orderly fashion, was only to accommodate Qiao Nanqi. Now living freely on his own, he didn’t care at all, simply wrapping a new quilt around himself and sitting on the carpet in front of the living room’s floor-to-ceiling window, dazing off.

The city center had many more skyscrapers than Qiao Nanqi’s villa area. Even as late night arrived, the sky still reflected faint colorful lights. The lights of the world spilled in along with the moonlight and starlight, vaguely illuminating the living room that Zhao Rong had filled to capacity.

It felt somewhat like a home.

After dazing for a while, his phone lit up.

Liu Shun had dismissed those friends and sent a message asking what on earth happened tonight and where he was now.

Zhao Rong knew Liu Shun would definitely ask. It didn’t matter since he was leaving Yang City, but Liu Shun would still be hanging around here, so it wouldn’t be right if he didn’t provide an explanation.

He sent the address of his current home to Liu Shun and sent a voice message: “I’m at home. Here’s the address. The door isn’t locked; just open it and come in.”

Qiao Nanqi called a driver to take him back to the old house on Changxi Road.

He really had no heart to interact with anyone else right now. He didn’t go back to find Xia Yuantu, but just called him, telling him to head back first.

Perhaps Qiao Nanqi’s tone couldn’t hide his dejection, because even over the phone, Xia Yuantu could hear that things weren’t good.

Xia Yuantu asked him, “Zhao Rong didn’t agree to get back together?”

“…Mm.”

More than just not agreeing.

Zhao Rong didn’t even believe that Qiao Nanqi liked him.

“Then what do you plan to do? To be honest, just now was the first time I knew Zhao Rong had such a side—I always thought he was quite easy to bully.”

“…Is there anything else?”

Knowing Qiao Nanqi didn’t want to say more from his tone, Xia Yuantu said, “I was at the next table and saw you drink a lot. Way more than the night we drank. You okay? Should I have Xiao Wu go over to look after you tonight?”

“No need, let me be alone for a while.”

“Want to call Xingping?”

“No need. Hanging up.”

Qiao Nanqi put down his phone.

He sat in the back seat, the night view of the city outside the windows on both sides rapidly sliding backward. The window near him was cracked open, and the cold wind hissed inside, blowing his hair and dispelling some of his drunkenness.

He lowered his eyes, looking at the tissues and stomach medicine Zhao Rong had given him, unable to bear putting them down.

Even if they were just something given to apologize on behalf of others.

He thought of how Zhao Rong looked in the bar when he raised his voice to say he’d pay the bill.

He seemed to have never seen such a Zhao Rong.

And that young man who clearly wanted to get close to Zhao Rong. Zhao Rong actually hadn’t refused.

Earlier when Zhao Rong answered the phone, he was with a woman he didn’t know at all.

He only discovered now that Zhao Rong seemed to have many things he didn’t know.

In all these years… what exactly had he missed?

Qiao Nanqi looked down, his fingertip lightly rubbing the cap of the stomach medicine.

His movement came to an abrupt halt.

His emotions had finally managed to pull themselves out of the bitterness, and as his reason returned slightly, he looked at the medicine and suddenly noticed something wrong.

The outside of this stomach medicine wasn’t wrapped in new plastic wrap; it didn’t look newly bought. A ring of instructions was pasted on the bottle, with the edges slightly curled up, as if it had been touched by fingers many times.

He unscrewed the cap, and sure enough, saw that the seal of the inner packaging was also torn open, with only a few pills left inside.

Tissues were readily available on the table, or getting a new pack from a waiter was easy.

But this stomach medicine looked like something someone had used and carried with them, and happened to hand to him.