Chapter 83 N - Jealousy

Chu Beiling looked up, completely bewildered. She didn't know how Xing Yu had linked her to Zhu Qing'an, and there was no way to compare them.

After a brief silence, he said, "Of course it's you. Zhu Qing'an is different."

In winter in Jiangnan, with the underfloor heating on indoors, it's stuffy and dry, so dry it seems to suck all the moisture out of the body, making people feel bloated and unable to breathe properly.

Xing Yu's Adam's apple bobbed, a faint bitterness rising in his mouth. He smiled faintly and said, "What's different?"

Every place is different. Xing Yu represents his youth and is the boyfriend he can never forget. Zhu Qing'an is his partner in solving crises and difficulties and a friend who has been with him all these years.

Chu Beiling has no way of measuring the relationship between the two, and if someone insists that he give up one of them, he will find it difficult to do so.

But one thing will never change—Xing Yu will always be the most special person in his heart.

No one can compare.

The thought that I wasn't there for Xing Yu when he encountered difficulties in his studies and entrepreneurship over the years is just too painful.

It felt like a dull knife was slowly stabbing at his heart, causing him excruciating pain.

Before Chu Beiling could respond, Xing Yu interrupted him, saying, "Never mind, you don't need to tell me."

"Mm," Chu Beiling replied, her eyes lowered.

Xing Yu asked, "If you're not going back to Singapore, what are your plans for the Spring Festival?"

Chu Beiling really wanted to stay and celebrate the New Year with Xing Yu, but he wasn't sure if Xing Yu would let him stay: "If I don't go back to Singapore, I'll be homeless and can only stay in my rented room eating instant noodles."

Xing Yu lifted his eyelids: "President Chu still needs to eat instant noodles!?"

Chu Beiling stared at him intently: "The aunt who cooked for me during the Spring Festival went back to her hometown for the holiday, so there was no one to cook for me. I don't know how to cook, so what else can I eat if I don't eat instant noodles?" He said it quite pitifully.

Xing Yu said quietly, "China is not Singapore, where you can order takeout during the Spring Festival."

Chu Beiling went abroad ten years ago, and his understanding of the current level of technology and convenience in China is still stuck ten years ago. Now that he has returned to China, he is a complete country bumpkin.

I know nothing.

When he first returned to China, he went to a restaurant and asked the waiter for a menu. The waiter told him to scan a QR code on the corner of the table to order. He was so shocked that he almost packed his bags and left.

Fortunately, he remained calm enough.

Chu Beiling raised her eyes: "Is that so? During the Spring Festival, you can order... takeout in China?!"

“Okay,” Xing Yu said.

Chu Beiling nodded, understanding, followed by a faint sense of disappointment.

"Even if it's not possible..." Xing Yu said angrily, "How could I, a grown man, let you go hungry and eat instant noodles during the Spring Festival?!"

Chu Beiling pouted, but her mood was much better than before: "Aww."

He used this as an excuse to linger: "If you're going to provide meals, will you be responsible for delivering them? My apartment is a bit far from here."

Being so close, Chu Beiling could smell the faint lemon scent wafting from Xing Yu, even though the two had already agreed to make up.

But with a decade separating them, he didn't know if staying like this was the right thing to do.

Even though we were in close contact yesterday, it's still different.

Without a decade of companionship, it's ultimately too difficult to overcome.

I dare not ask, dare not care, dare not be sure, and even when I try to probe, I am cautious and speak in a roundabout way.

A sour taste rose in Chu Beiling's mouth. He blinked, a hint of anticipation in his eyes.

Xing Yu: "I don't have the time or inclination to deliver food. If you want to freeload, shouldn't you take the initiative to order?"

Chu Beiling asked, "Can I stay?"

Xing Yu glanced at him: "Otherwise, where else do you want to go?"

The dark clouds above Chu Beiling's head suddenly dispersed, and the rain stopped and the sky cleared.

The two of them snuggled up on the sofa again, each engrossed in their own tasks.

As evening approached, Xing Yu accompanied Chu Beiling back to his new apartment to pack his clothes and basic necessities.

With only two days left until Lunar New Year's Eve, the view is ablaze with red, the festive atmosphere is strong, and even the number of cars on the elevated roads is half that of usual.

Inside the car, an excerpt from the Yue Opera "The West Chamber: The Heart of the Zither" was playing: "His thoughts are endless, my understanding is clear; before his music ends, my feelings deepen..."

Compared to the increasingly intense and passionate singing that echoed in the car, the two were much quieter. Xing Yu focused on driving, while Chu Beiling idly scrolled through her phone, creating a relatively relaxed atmosphere.

It wasn't that Chu Beiling was afraid of being awkward by not speaking, but she felt that she should say something at this moment.

Just like the lyrics from the previous song, perhaps... he should have asked or expressed his thoughts more directly.

Xing Yu raised his hand to mute the sound, and spoke first: "How is the preliminary preparation work for 'Sword Song Beyond the Clouds' going?"

Chu Beiling pressed the power button to turn off the screen and stuffed the phone into his coat pocket: "The script was a complete mess, so I sent it back for rewriting. The new script hasn't been submitted yet."

The thought of screenwriter Lin, who was so engrossed in his artistic creations, gave him a headache.

"Why not just buy domestic comic adaptations? Popular comics come with their own IP traffic and a fixed audience, which would greatly reduce the production cycle and potential losses."

“If it’s just to save trouble and reduce losses, we don’t have to go through all this trouble.” Chu Beiling continued, “This is not what I want either.” Xing Yu said back then that he wanted to add a sense of pride to domestic animation and lead it back to its peak.

Chu Beiling was in the same situation, but now he was unable to do it himself.

If he could, he would actually like to be one of the cogs in Xing Yu’s machine in helping him achieve this goal.

When they agree, they say they are truly in sync; when they disagree, they argue and then come up with a more suitable solution.

He glanced at Xing Yu's profile and said lazily, "If it's not done well, whether it's an adaptation or an original work, it's only right to be criticized."

Moreover, Chu Beiling believed that as long as one paid enough attention, one could tell the difference; the audience was much smarter than them.

Xing Yu said, "Original works must retain their artistic value while also being commercially viable; otherwise, you and your shareholders will have no way to explain yourselves."

"Of course, it's not like I'm seventeen or eighteen and can destroy the world. When I was the boss, I wanted both ideals and a livelihood." Chu Beiling smiled and said, "We've invested so much money, but it's not to lose everything."

Xing Yu smiled faintly, his sense of loss vanishing in an instant.

His Chu Beiling has truly grown up.

Chu Beiling joked, "If the audience says that the creators have no vision, and the creators say that the audience doesn't know how to appreciate, then what kind of mutual love is this? With such genuine feelings, we don't need to work hard to make animations anymore; we can just watch others act."

Xing Yu couldn't help but laugh out loud, and freed one hand to pinch his chin: "Your little mouth is getting more and more venomous."

Chu Beiling laughed as well: "That's exactly right."

Xing Yu nodded: "Yes, keep it up, and don't go around harming others."

Chu Beiling raised an eyebrow: "You think I can cause you trouble?"

"Give it a try!" Xing Yu said lazily.

They exchanged a few words, laughed and joked around for a while—

Xing Yu asked casually, "It will take at least two years for 'Sword Song Beyond the Clouds' to be completed and released. Once it's finished, you should go back to Singapore, right?"

Chu Beiling's smile froze on his face, but fortunately Xing Yu was looking at the road conditions and didn't have time to look at him, so he wasn't made to look too bad.

He really couldn't understand why Xing Yu had clearly shown that she still liked him a little and had even agreed to make up with him.

But his words implied that he wanted to send him back to Singapore as soon as possible.

Because of his choice back then, she not only deleted him, but still holds a grudge against him to this day.

But Xing Yu had clearly agreed.

Even if they were somewhat unwilling back then, what about their reconciliation now? Is it also out of reluctance?

Chu Beiling was filled with grievances and unable to control her anger.

He opened his mouth, wanting to ask, but his courage gradually faded. Chu Beiling was afraid that if he spoke, he would hear an answer he didn't want to hear, so he simply didn't ask.

As long as he didn't hear anything specific, Chu Beiling could bury his head in the sand and pretend he didn't know anything.

She would just stay by Xing Yu's side and see how long she stayed.

Chu Beiling gave a bitter smile. He guessed he deserved this situation.

It's his own fault for ignoring Xing Yu for several months back then because he was 'worried about homosexuality,' and he should bear the consequences.

Chu Beiling chuckled in relief, subtly changing the subject: "President Xing wants to inquire about our company's trade secrets?"

Xing Yu took a moment to glance at him, then looked at the road ahead: "President Chu's itinerary is also one of your company's trade secrets. My apologies."

Chu Beiling's throat felt dry and burning, a pain that surged up from his heart.

He's never had a good temper, and it's been even worse these past few years. If Xing Yu is unhappy, he's unhappy too!

At this moment, he didn't want to see Xing Yu, that annoying guy, at all, and wanted to get out of the car immediately.

But Chu Beiling knew clearly that she couldn't do that. If she did, their already precarious relationship would break down again.

This relationship is so fragile, it could explode at any moment, and he can't afford to take the risk.

Chu Beiling took out his phone from his pocket, unlocked it, and started scrolling.

He hasn't replied to Zhu Qing'an yet.

Zhu Qing'an, who loves gossip, certainly wouldn't give up so easily. If Chu Beiling didn't reply, he would keep sending messages until Chu Beiling responded.

Chu Beiling didn't know how to define his relationship with Xing Yu, and he found Zhu Qing'an even more nagging, so he dismissed him with a single sentence: "We'll talk about it when you get back; it can't be explained in a short time."

As Xing Yu glanced over, he happened to see the line of chat bubbles that Chu Beiling had sent to Zhu Qing'an.

His hands gripped the steering wheel with unconscious force, the bulging veins on the back of his hands standing out prominently in the dim, flickering light.

It's so sour, so incredibly sour, it's making my heart ache.

Not only was he heartbroken, but he was also jealous. He was jealous of Zhu Qing'an, and even more jealous that Chu Beiling still had the leisure to comfort him.

And during the ten years without him, Zhu Qing'an was by his side, while he remained completely unaware.

Those were the best ten years of adolescence to adulthood.

He compares and exchanges things as he sees fit.

Jealousy spread like wildfire, growing ever stronger with each passing day.

Chu Beiling, standing beside him, leaned against the car window with his eyes closed, looking completely unconcerned. Xing Yu really wanted to strangle him, or simply crash the car into a bridge pier and die together.

That way we can be together forever.

Despite his thoughts, he managed to restrain himself and suppress the dangerous idea.

A dozen minutes later, the car arrived at Chu Beiling's apartment.

When they came out, they were driving Chu Beiling's car. The access control system scanned them directly, and they drove into the garage.

Xing Yu called out to him, "Where's the parking space?"

Chu Beiling opened his eyes and gave a number.

Xing Yu drove straight over, parked the car, and the two got out of the car at about the same time.

They had just had a disagreement in the car, and neither of them was in a good mood. Neither of them spoke first, and they got out of the car quietly and took the elevator.

It's not that I can't bring myself to say it, but every time I speak, I step on a landmine and am forced to face reality.

In this situation, I really don't know how to bring it up.

Chu Beiling entered the smart lock password, which wasn't a special date, just a few simple zeros, the kind that a thief could easily crack with a simple password.

Xing Yu glanced at it: "Such a simple password is not secure."

"The security here is alright," Chu Beiling asked. "If we were to change it, what password would be most suitable?"

"You're asking me?"

"Um."

Without a second thought, Xing Yu recited a string of numbers—the date they broke up.

Chu Beiling was taken aback.

Xing Yu's gaze was calm and deep: "Is there a problem?"

"No." Chu Beiling changed the password directly.

The two walked into the house together, and this time it was Xing Yu's turn to be stunned.

Whether it was because he had just moved in or because he didn't plan to stay long, the huge house felt cold and empty, even more so than his previous home in Zhanlongkou.

He looked like he might leave at any moment.

Xing Yu chuckled self-deprecatingly: "Looks like you really don't plan to stay long."

Chu Beiling used to like to fill her home to the brim, and if a piece was missing, she would have an obsessive-compulsive disorder and have to fill it back, making it messy yet orderly.

The house is now deserted and doesn't look like Chu Beiling's home at all.

Chu Beiling smiled casually: "Too busy, no time to manage. Do whatever is convenient for you."

Xing Yu did not respond.

Chu Beiling didn't have much luggage, and she packed it in less than an hour.

Xing Yu reached out and took his luggage. Before leaving, he gripped the doorknob and didn't move.

Chu Beiling: "What's wrong?"

Xing Yu suddenly turned around and met his gaze: "Chu Beiling, are you really going to move into my house?"

Chu Beiling's Adam's apple bobbed, and she looked at him uneasily: "Hmm?"

"Once you move into my house, it won't be so easy to move out."

Xing Yu pressed the tip of his tongue against the roof of his mouth: "You won't be able to come and go as you please. I will also manage and control you, and I won't let you contact other people at will. So, you will have to move there."