Chapter 7

A tingling scalp was enough to describe Pei Huai's psychological changes. He immediately used an elbow to shake the opponent away to cover up his inner turmoil.

Think about it, Yu Mingrui's suicide coincided with the appearance of the bouquet, and combined with the warning he left on the note, Pei Huai was certain that something unusual must have changed around him - the first person he noticed was Xiang Mingqi.

This strange younger generation whose motives are hard to guess.

"Nothing." He closed the note and hailed a taxi.

"But I saw you sabotaging things, brother. Don't try to hide it from me."

“…What does this have to do with you?”

"Oh, you're being mean to me again. I was just asking, and you must have encountered something unhappy and took it out on me again." Xiang Mingqi pulled the hand that was resting on the car door, drooping his brows and motioning for his senior to take a seat. "Brother, not only did you hide everything from me and not answer my questions, but you were also mean to me. I was so considerate to help you open the car door."

Pei Huai didn't hear a word of this nonsense. After sitting down, he rested his chin on the backs of his clasped hands, his elbows sliding towards his knees - one shouldn't jump to conclusions too quickly.

Details, suspicions, the true meaning behind the warning, and... the identity of the person who gave the flowers. He knew he needed to take the initiative and grasp every detail.

Including this inexplicable younger generation.

Pei Huai looked calmly at the street scenes along the way, and his index finger clasped on his knee shrank slightly - perhaps, it would be better for him to observe him for a while.

He didn't think Yu Mingrui's death would bring relief, nor did he consider him an important family member. The surname "Yu" was like a leech attached to his body.

Pei Huai's biological parents divorced when he was one year old, the ruling based on frequent domestic violence. Simply because he took his mother's surname, he was frequently beaten, threatened, and physically abused by his father. Upon discovering the truth, his mother insisted on taking him back to the city, raising him alone until he was three years old.

When she passed away, Pei Huai was finally sent back to his original home by relatives after many twists and turns. Thus began nine years of constant abuse. During those years, not a single piece of his skin remained intact. Only his stepmother—this delicate, graceful woman—helped him.

She would comfort him, make rice balls for him, and tell him stories before bed.

However, since the birth of the boy named "Yu", he no longer had anything in the world that belonged to him.

Pei Huai accepted it calmly. Whether it was his twelfth birthday, when he was alone, dragging his luggage and munching on long-cooled naan, waiting for the train to arrive, or this family that demanded and drained his blood like a bottomless pit—he never complained.

Even if he was forced to drop out of school and forced to meet all of his father's demands, he would still consider it as repaying his stepmother's kindness.

He has done his best.

However, this relief came too suddenly.

The journey from Coal Valley back to Kensos was less than four hours.

Perhaps because he had spent too much energy on the dilemma, Pei Huai felt sleepy. He leaned his elbows on the window and dozed off with his eyes closed. So much so that he didn't notice the pair of eyes staring at him intently, without blinking.

Xiang Mingqi smiled, moved to the left, and leaned on Pei Huai's shoulder almost obsessively - it was a very shallow, almost imperceptible physical touch.

He leaned slightly closer to the collar of his senior's sweatshirt. There, the clavicle and shoulder line stretched out in a beautiful straight line, making the neckline look particularly beautiful, and the thin muscles of the body were beautiful and sexy.

He moved closer and smelled the faint fragrance emanating from Pei Huai's collar.

"I love you." He mouthed, his eyes full of longing. "I will always, always love you."

It was almost dusk when we returned to the rental house. Dinner would be crucian carp and radish soup: moderately seasoned and sprinkled with a handful of chopped green onions, which elevated its freshness and richness; a pot of stewed beef brisket: even the tendons were stewed until tender, the sauce was thick and melted in the mouth; and finally the rice.

But before dinner started, Pei Huai saw something annoying in front of the door again - a gorgeous red rose.

Is there any connection between it and Yu Mingrui’s suicide?

Pei Huai unwrapped the brown paper that wrapped the flowers and shook a card out from between the tightly packed blossoms—as expected. He was about to bend down to pick it up when a hand suddenly appeared.

Xiang Mingqi suddenly jumped to the ground, reached out to grab the paper, unfolded it, and read out the contents on the paper word by word.

[Brother, I changed the roses to red, a red like fire. Why still won't you accept my feelings? They shouldn't be in the trash can, they should be in the empty space next to your bed...] He was halfway through reading when he sighed in disgust, "Wow, this guy calls you 'brother' and he even goes through the trash can. This wording feels sticky too, isn't it perverted? I haven't used repetitive words since I was eight."

Pei Huai kicked him down and threw the bouquet and the disgusting card into the trash can.

"Isn't this a bit strange? Didn't you receive flowers yesterday afternoon? It feels like a peeping Tom from somewhere." Xiang Mingqi brushed off his dirty trouser legs and stood up nonchalantly. "Have you really not encountered any trouble recently?"

"It's none of your business."

"Wow, brother, you don't trust me at all! We've known each other for almost 24 hours, and you still act like I'm nagging you." He protested loudly from behind, "I can help you with the housework and chat with you. It's not a capital offense to say a few more words."

"...When are you moving out?"

"I can't believe you didn't even listen to what I said just now. I'm so sad." He humbly pointed his finger, as if unable to endure such a pointed question. "Finding an apartment is so difficult these days, and I'm a poor student. Just give me some time, I'll be obedient."

"I'll only give you a week." Pei Huai turned around and looked at him, his eyes as sharp as a knife. "You must leave my house before next Saturday."

"Will you miss me after I move away?"

"Won't."

"Is this really what you're saying?" Xiang Mingqi frowned for a moment, as if he had keenly grasped something. "Brother, have you been hoping for me to leave?"

"Whatever you think... There are a few things to keep in mind when living at my house. Write them down." Pei Huai casually tossed him a pen and a pad as he entered the hallway. Xiang Mingqi signed his name, then nodded and smiled, the air of a resigned student.

Pei Huai looked at his right hand, which was holding the pen, and pondered for a moment. He remembered that when he first received the card, the handwriting had signs of being rubbed to the right. It was very faint, but it was enough to explain one thing.

——The writer is most likely left-handed.

When Xiang Mingqi received something, he used his right hand.

Of course, he wasn't so naive as to dismiss someone based on a single detail. Hand dominance, writing habits—these could all be faked.

If even Yu Mingrui is warning him to "be careful", then he should really be more careful.

"First, keep it clean. Don't let me see any dirt on anything you use," he instructed. "Second, put your used dishes in the sterilizer. Don't mix them with mine, and the same goes for cups. Third, except on rainy days, air your bedding every two days. Fourth, don't play music out loud."

"But this sounds troublesome..."

"If you don't want to comply, you can leave."

"Okay, okay, I get it! I will definitely follow the instructions and never make the same mistake again. Thank you for giving me the chance to start a new life!"

There was no time to listen to his unnecessary nice words. After he finished explaining the matters, Pei Huai sent him to the bathroom in the name of disinfecting the living room, put on rubber gloves, and opened the diary.

Two-thirds of the content was devoted to describing school life, which was quite boring. I figured that since my uncle was willing to give it to me, he must have filtered out some dangerous information.

Roommates, teachers, friends, clubs, student union and various competitions are all daily routines that become more and more boring the more I read.

Pei Huai flipped open a few pages, his gaze passing a blank page from two months before his brother's suicide. There was a business card stuck to the bottom right corner, and nothing else was written.

Jingshan Real Estate Company.

Single gift.

... Shan Li, a familiar name. Pei Huai touched his tightly pursed lips. It was difficult to remember the key parts based on just two words.

He took a photo and sent it to Ruan Yunhao, leaving a message: [Please help me research this person and company: background, information, business scope. The more the better, thank you.] After that, no matter how frantically the message pop-up window rang, Pei Huai didn't even glance at it.

He half-leaned on the sofa, closed his eyes and thought in the aroma of stewed beef brisket - if the primary suspect was indeed Xiang Mingqi, then he should take action.

But he had no idea about this matter. Everything was just speculation and imagination. Suddenly, Pei Huai felt his cheeks getting hot. He opened his eyes and suddenly bumped into an enlarged face.

The eyes, nose tip, eyelashes, and even lips were all close at hand. Some of them were blinking, some were opening and closing, and some were trembling. Even the pulse was beating faster under the skin.

Pei Huai happened to meet the obsession that could not be hidden in his eyes and was stunned.

He didn't notice that as he sank into the sofa, his collar slipped to the right, revealing the tight lines of his shoulders. From the muscles on the side of his neck to the back of his shoulders, Xiang Mingqi was a little dazed and felt a surge of heat in his stomach.

Look at him, look at those eyes that were both strong and cold. The look he gave her was stern, almost commanding, burning deep within her.

Xiang Mingqi originally intended to take a closer look at him, but the more he stared at him, the more confused he became.

Too close—and, it was hot. Pei Huai raised his knee, driving it hard into the offender's abdomen.

Xiang Mingqi was caught off guard by the pain and immediately fell to his knees. In a panic, he tried to find a fulcrum, but his eyes became dizzy and he accidentally grabbed his senior's wrist, pressing him face down into the pillow.

The sofa creaked and shook. They stared at each other, holding their breath, silent, staring at each other like a superior and a subordinate. Pei Huai's legs were pushed apart by his knees, almost nailing them into the sofa.

Xiang Mingqi pressed one of his legs tightly against his senior's pubic bone. His brain went into a state of panic, and he didn't even notice that he was pressing inward, causing Pei Huai to gasp in surprise.

In the long silence, he thought, It's over.