(7 Fresh Coins) Chapter 2 (Part 1) The Worst Situation

Intermittent sobbing echoed in his ears through the glass door, making Xu Qi feel like his head was about to explode.

Damn it, this kid is too difficult. He adjusted his expression in front of the mirror, and finally slowly opened the door.

Merlin was sobbing softly, his slender body trembling. Suddenly, the door behind him opened, and his back was suddenly exposed, pressed against the man's long legs. He turned around abruptly, like a startled deer, his tear-filled eyes widening, his tear-streaked face frozen in place. Seeing Xu Qi's helpless expression, he gradually realized how embarrassing his situation was. His youthful pride made him immediately turn around, scramble to his feet, and turn his back to Xu Qi. He hastily wiped the tears from his face with his sleeve, his frail body still trembling slightly, and said in a hoarse voice, "Mr. Xu... I'm sorry..."

Xu Qi sighed softly again, placed his right hand on the top of his head, gently ruffled his soft hair, and calmly said, "Go back."

"No!" the boy cried out, snapping out of his daze and grabbing the man's waist. He buried his tear-streaked, delicate face in the man's broad chest, shaking his head desperately, his tears soaking Xu Qi's chest. "Don't send me away! I love you! Don't do this to me... I love you so much... so much..."

Xu Qi frowned. He didn't understand. He and this boy had only met a few times, and their only intimate encounter was a one-night stand. Judging from the other's appearance, it wasn't his first time, and he should be used to this kind of life. So where did this so-called "liking" come from? He couldn't help but regret not firmly refusing the other's request at the time. He never expected this kind of trouble to follow.

“I’m just an ordinary man, and I’m almost 30. There’s nothing about me that you should like. When you grow up, you’ll find many people who are better than me and more suitable for you,” Xu Qi tried to comfort him.

“No way! Mr. Xu is just so… good…” Merlin immediately raised her head, stared at him with wide eyes, her snow-white face flushed red. Halfway through her sentence, she suddenly realized that she was acting like a lovesick fool, and immediately became shy again. She lowered her head and mumbled softly, “I like Mr. Xu the most.”

Xu Qi felt a headache coming on. She reached out and grabbed his slender shoulders, pushing him away. She hardened her heart and said, "I'm already engaged, I can't..."

"Engaged?" Merlin was startled, all color draining from her face. She tightened her grip on his waist, looked up at him, and frantically tried to pry his left hand away. "It's impossible! You're lying to me! I've never heard of it! And there's no ring!"

Xu Qi knew his words had had an effect, so he immediately reached into his pocket, pulled out a ring, and handed it to the boy: "I didn't lie to you. The engagement was held privately, and we don't plan to make it public for now. That's why I'm not wearing a ring; I've just been carrying it with me."

Merlin was struck dumb, his hands involuntarily loosened, and he shook his head, taking two steps back.

By carrying the secret engagement ring with him, it's easy to see what kind of feelings Xu Qi harbors for that woman.

No, no, he didn't believe it! How could this be? Standing frozen, his fists clenched, Merlin suddenly shouted at the man, "No! You clearly love my brother! How could you love a woman?!"

He knew that his brother and Xu Qi had been together a year ago, but had later broken up. Although he hadn't been able to go to New York that year, he knew that Xu Qi hadn't been with any other man. This filled him with both jealousy and secret joy, because it meant that Xu Qi probably still had feelings for Si Qiang, but he could also use this to get Xu Qi to accept him—he knew he and Si Qiang looked very alike. However, he hadn't expected that Xu Qi would actually get engaged to a woman! Damn it! He should have had someone keep an eye on the women around Xu Qi! In his anger and frustration, he blurted out a question without thinking, forgetting how strange his words sounded.

Upon hearing this, Xu Qi was completely stunned. After a long pause, his face slowly hardened, and he retorted in a low voice, "Don't talk nonsense, it has nothing to do with your brother..."

A sharp "clatter" as a body slammed against the door interrupted his words. The two men reflexively turned to look at the door, only to see two tall men standing there. One had taken a step back, his back hitting the door, while the other stood ramrod straight. Their expressions differed, but both eyes were fixed intently on the two men. This sight felt as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over them, leaving Xu Qi and his companion frozen in place, completely dumbfounded.

Xu Qi's face turned deathly pale instantly. Only one thought kept running through his mind: How could it be such a coincidence that the person who least wanted to hear these words had to listen?

Author's Note:

┐(￣▽￣”)┌ I think everyone was prepared for this, right? Hahaha (This person has gone mad)