Chapter 60#

Inside the house.

Zhao Rong had indeed come to Lu Xingping’s house.

After buying the wedding rings, he had come to Lu Xingping’s house with the catalog containing the information on that pair of wedding rings and everything prepared over the past few days to finalize the wedding details with Lu Xingping.

Many things could be resolved by hiring people; they only needed to choose the appropriate method according to the wedding specifications Old Madam Chen had originally required.

Zhao Rong had also prepared sufficiently for the overall control over the past few days. After the two sat down, things were finalized quickly, with almost no trouble. As for the timing, the wedding was just a formality. Zhao Rong and Lu Xingping had no pursuit of ceremony or meaning, so they simply chose the weekend half a month later, which happened to be when they started sending out invitations these two days.

In just one afternoon, everything was decided, only waiting for implementation.

After dinner, Zhao Rong originally intended to leave, but Lu Xiaoyue pulled Zhao Rong and Lu Xingping to play games with her.

Lu Xingping raised an eyebrow: “Childish. Win against Zhao Rong first before talking.”

So Lu Xiaoyue pulled Zhao Rong to play first.

As they played, they chatted about Yu Xian.

“Looking back now, I feel like a fool,” Lu Xiaoyue shrugged, “actually believing those lies so easily.”

Zhao Rong smiled gently and played a card. He said: “Not sad anymore? I was a bit worried before…” He himself was someone who only turned back after hitting a dead end.

“At first it was very sad, of course,” Lu Xiaoyue’s face fell, and she also played a card following Zhao Rong’s. “Then the day before Brother and I went on vacation, he came to find me and kept saying sorry. I softened for a moment then, remembering Brother told me that if you can’t bear to let go of someone, you won’t want to let go if you hold them…” Lu Xiaoyue propped her chin on one hand. Although her expression was still somewhat displeased, her tone was already very calm. “How should I put it, I didn’t reject his embrace, but when he held me, I didn’t have that past expectation of wishing to stick with him and stay together every day.”

Zhao Rong’s eyes curved slightly, and he understood immediately: “Then you pushed him away.”

He didn’t ask why, since that was the case, Lu Xiaoyue was still a bit unhappy now.

Because he was very clear that a decision is only for a moment, but action takes time.

He raised his hand and played several more cards.

But this time, Lu Xiaoyue placed the cards in her hand on the table all at once: “I’ve played them all!”

He said: “I lost.”

According to the agreement just now, he would stay today to play board games with Lu Xiaoyue.

Lu Xiaoyue went upstairs high-spiritedly to pull Lu Xingping down. Seeing her look like she wanted to play until late at night, Zhao Rong knew he should probably spend the night here tonight.

In a short while, Lu Xingping came down. He was wearing glasses and loungewear, clearly already relaxing. Seeing Zhao Rong, he pointed out Zhao Rong’s little thought without any tact, saying: “Why did you let her win?”

“Ah, Zhao Rong, did you let me win on purpose?”

Zhao Rong smiled: “The result is decided anyway.”

Once Lu Xiaoyue brought the cards, the three of them sat in a circle and began to play. Before one round ended, Zhao Rong realized that while playing with Lu Xiaoyue could clearly help her relieve boredom, Lu Xingping wouldn’t do it at first.

He glanced at the card Lu Xingping had just played: “Senior, you can’t play this; it’s giving an opportunity…”

Lu Xiaoyue had already been successfully fed cards by Lu Xingping. She put down the remaining few in her hand and said happily: “I won again!”

Zhao Rong looked at Lu Xingping’s dark face and said guiltily: “Senior is truly a good brother, really letting Miss Lu win.”

“If you didn’t say that to save face for me,” Lu Xingping smiled insincerely, “it might be a bit better.”

Zhao Rong: “.”

“…”

The wind rose, and the catkins that hadn’t had time to fall completely during the day fell again from the misty sky.

Snowflakes covered the world, and night slowly arrived.

Cold air filled the world, people on the road were few, and at a glance, all was a vast expanse. The lights of ten thousand homes reflected the white light, and the lights of Lu Xingping’s house were bright until late at night.

Qiao Nanqi watched from outside, watched the whole time.

He didn’t know what was happening inside, nor did he know how long Zhao Rong intended to stay, or even if Zhao Rong intended to come out at all.

If he didn’t come out…

What would Zhao Rong do with Lu Xingping?

Would Zhao Rong… show those expressions that only he had seen alone before, those looks that only he knew, to Lu Xingping?

These thoughts simply couldn’t be allowed to spread. Just a little bit of them emerged, and Qiao Nanqi wished he could rush in right now and pull Zhao Rong away.

He watched the lights in the house stay on for a long time, until the surrounding houses turned off their lights, until the snow came and went, and another layer of white covered the ground…

Qiao Nanqi sat down on the steps in front of the door.

Sitting for a whole night until dawn. [1]

Early morning.

Zhao Rong was used to waking up early. Although he slept late, he still woke up after the sun rose.

When he woke, he was lying on the sofa wrapped in a blanket. Lu Xingping had woken up even earlier than him and was already holding a cup of coffee, processing something in another spot, seemingly work materials.

When they rested last night, Lu Xiaoyue’s intention was to have him sleep in the guest room. But Lu Xingping’s house hadn’t had guests for too long, and the guest room needed tidying. Whether Lu Xingping handled it in the middle of the night or called a housekeeper, it would be a disturbance. Zhao Rong wasn’t picky and simply slept on the sofa.

“Morning, Senior.” He stretched, got up, and went to wash.

Afterward, he said goodbye to Lu Xingping, put on his coat, and walked out.

But as soon as he stepped out, he suddenly braked in his tracks.

On the steps in front of the door, a man was sitting there dejectedly, his back to him. There were some scattered dark spots on the man’s outer garment, like water stains left after snow fell on him and was melted by body temperature.

It was unknown how long Qiao Nanqi had been here. He seemed almost asleep from exhaustion, only suddenly waking up when he heard the sound of Zhao Rong opening the door.

Zhao Rong stood at the door, watching as Qiao Nanqi suddenly stood up and turned to look at him.

Only then did he discover that this man’s face was haggard, with some bloodshot in his eyes. His lips, perhaps from the cold, had much less color than usual. Even the gaze he used to look at him was full of desolation.

Zhao Rong was momentarily shocked by Qiao Nanqi’s expression.

He hadn’t expected this person to appear here. After the surprise, his confusion was mixed with a bit of complexity.

This was the entrance to Lu Xingping’s house.

He contained his expression and said: “Are you waiting for Senior? He’s home; you can just knock.”

After speaking, he lifted his foot, intending to bypass Qiao Nanqi and leave.

But just as he passed by Qiao Nanqi, the man suddenly grabbed his hand with great force, pulled him sharply, pressed his shoulders, and pinned him against the wall, fixing him as if surrounding him.

Caught off guard, Zhao Rong only heard the man say to him in a low, hoarse, and sobbing voice: “I’m waiting for you.”

Qiao Nanqi’s sudden firmness instantly ignited Zhao Rong’s temper. He wanted to push him away, but the other party didn’t loosen his grip at all, instead using more force. The hands gripping his shoulders gradually increased their pressure, as if wishing to pin him there like that. With red eyes, the man asked him: “You’re going to marry Lu Xingping? Why didn’t you tell me anything?”

Zhao Rong was stunned: “…You know?” His intention was naturally to let Qiao Nanqi know after the event happened.

Qiao Nanqi’s eyes became even redder in an instant.

Zhao Rong was actually being hurt by the other’s grip, but he only frowned and said: “Sorry, I know you… towards Senior… although I seem to have snatched him away and gotten there first, this is between Senior and me. It’s not like I have to notify you, right?”

Qiao Nanqi looked at him in disbelief, his voice deepening further: “Me towards Lu Xingping? …Snatched away? What are you talking about?”

Zhao Rong’s brows furrowed tightly, and a daze flashed through his eyes: “…What are YOU talking about?”

Qiao Nanqi didn’t listen to him, and the sob in his voice became even heavier as he spoke: “The one I’ve loved has always been you. What does it have to do with Lu Xingping? Can you… can you please not marry him? How could you love him—”

“Do you not have feelings for Lu Xingping?” Zhao Rong asked him.

“How could I have feelings for him? He’s my friend, my brother, my psycho—” He paused, not finishing whatever word he had retracted. “I’ve always…” Qiao Nanqi’s tone had been tinged with a bit of urgency, “only wanted to be with you. How could you love him? Haven’t you always loved me? Zhao Rong, say something, say something…”

Zhao Rong was in a daze for a while. The cold wind blew past them chillily, but it didn’t blow back his thoughts.

He had held this perception for a long time. Over this past year or so, he had even come to Lu Xingping’s house to pick up Qiao Nanqi many times, or seen Qiao Nanqi bring Lu Xingping home, where the two would stay alone in the study for a long time.

When others mentioned it, they always said that Young Master Qiao was always a bit special towards the one from the Lu family, but after so long, he still hadn’t gotten the person.

Although this was a line that never existed in the original work, Zhao Rong saw it with his own eyes and firmly believed it until now.

As it turned out, this person chose this moment, when he had already stepped over the thicket of thorns and waded through the cold river water, already arriving at another place, to explain to him that there was no such relationship.

This had once been the last straw that broke the camel’s back.

Looking at Qiao Nanqi’s red eyes, Zhao Rong, for some reason, also felt some bitterness in his heart.

He knew Qiao Nanqi’s character.

Since this person said it out loud, it wouldn’t be a lie.

Was all of this… a misunderstanding?

How could it be like this?

How ironic.

That past of contempt was real.

And he had already reached this step.

Seeing him silent, Qiao Nanqi’s grip on his hands unconsciously tightened further. Yet the one blocked in this square inch was Zhao Rong, while the one trembling with tension and fear was him.

He noticed Zhao Rong’s tightened brow and hurriedly released the force in his hands, suddenly softening his tone. Using a coaxing tone, suppressing madness, he said: “The one I’ve been waiting for has always been you. Come back with me, okay? Zhao Rong, I’m waiting for you. I can wait for you for a lifetime.”

Zhao Rong’s heart was a mix of emotions.

Perhaps it was because it was too cold outside, but his nose twitched.

Since he left Qiao Nanqi until this moment, he felt that dull feeling in his heart once again.

He lowered his head, containing any potential flinching, and then looked up at Qiao Nanqi again, looking bit by bit and carefully at this man’s currently extremely haggard face for a while.

He thought of what Lu Xiaoyue told him last night.

He raised his hand and slowly climbed onto Qiao Nanqi’s shoulder, embracing him.

The other person’s body tensed up because of his movement, as if even his breathing was held.

They hadn’t had such contact for a long time.

Back when they were still in one bed just a few months ago, he would still hold the other from behind, waiting for Qiao Nanqi, who had woken up from a nightmare, to fall back asleep.

At this moment, the man who had been outside for an unknown amount of time was cold all over. He carried the temperature from having just walked out of the house, as if warming the other.

But he didn’t bear not to let go.

He used to live with tied hands and feet, loving recklessly. But Qiao Nanqi taught him fear, worry, and hesitation. He learned to wrap himself up to prevent being hurt again.

Perhaps there were all sorts of past misunderstandings; although regrettable, they were also the years truly lived through.

Zhao Rong sighed.

Qiao Nanqi seemed confused by his sudden closeness. At first he was stunned in place, and then, with a trace of subtle joy, he carefully raised his hand, wanting to return the embrace.

But the next moment, Zhao Rong suddenly released him and stepped back without any lingering attachment.

He actually really wanted to hysterically question Qiao Nanqi, like an unreasonable young person, why he loved him for over a year yet treated him like that.

He also really wanted to have a good cry in front of this man and ask the person before him, since he loved him, why could he let him endure those misunderstandings for so long?

He always told himself that it was just a past of unrequited love, and it was all his own fault.

But he was now aggrieved.

But he had long passed the time of going crazy regardless of everything.

In the end.

Zhao Rong’s expression paused. From an angle Qiao Nanqi couldn’t see, he suddenly retracted all those bits of bitterness.

He smiled.

His eyes curved slightly, the vast white world behind Qiao Nanqi reflected in them, delivering the final judgment on the last trace of hope in the bottom of Qiao Nanqi’s heart.

“You say the one you’ve been waiting for has always been me…”

“But I’m not waiting for you anymore.”

Author’s Note: [1] Waiting for someone on a snowy day is a plot device for the novel. In reality, it can range from a cold and fever to being life-threatening. Temperatures on snowy days vary in different regions, and the consequences can be serious or mild. This is a character behavior in a novel; please do not imitate it or be misled.