Chapter 77

After that incident, Pei Huai took a leave of absence from Jingshan Real Estate, saying he needed to rest for a while. During that time, he visited the cat cafe where Zhuangzhuang worked and spoke with the staff and owner. He ultimately rejected their offer to adopt a Ragdoll kitten and chose Zhuangzhuang, who was so clingy that he almost wanted to grow out of him.

After Xiang Mingqi's injury healed and his condition stabilized, he went to meet with Liu Wenxiu in person. Liu Wenxiu wanted to say something to ease the atmosphere, but Pei Huai remained silent. The two sat facing each other in silence for a long time.

"Is this road particularly difficult to walk on?" she asked, looking at the bustling crowd outside the window.

"I don't remember."

"...It must be very difficult. I can't even imagine it. Otherwise, how could both children be gone?" She choked and her breathing sounded like sobbing.

When her emotions had almost calmed down, she gathered herself and asked, "Why did you agree to my request then?"

"When I entered this industry, I was ten years old, two weeks shy of eleven. I had no idea I could choose my own path." The teaspoon slowly dissolved the sugar at the bottom of the cup. "I had no idea I could get more than just sympathy from others."

Before leaving, Pei Huai bent down and solemnly apologized to her. Liu Wenxiu looked at him and shook her head, "There's no need to put all the responsibility on your shoulders. There are some things in this world that, no matter how hard you try, can never have a happy ending."

The next morning, Xiang Mingqi and Pei Huai rushed to a nearby supermarket to stock up on essentials for their trip. They were surprised to discover that Zhuangzhuang, a cat who could wear a harness and go for a walk, looked incredibly chic, his tail wagging. As they entered the supermarket to pick up groceries, Zhuangzhuang remained docile and quiet in the back seat of the car.

In a hurry to leave today, Pei Huai only had time to tie his hair into a loose warrior style, with some fringe shaved off his bangs. A V-neck shirt paired with high-waisted outerwear trousers was refreshing, casual, and cool.

When he walked into the supermarket, not only did he get a lot of attention, but many people also ignored Xiang Mingqi and ran to ask for his WeChat.

After seeing off a few blushing male college students, Pei Huai was surrounded by young people again, asking for his phone number. The brave one's face flushed red. "Brother, hello, do you live nearby?"

"Don't stop."

"Are you far from here? Do you come here often?" Seeing Pei Huai walking past him with a calm expression, the other party hurriedly followed him.

A few young men, new to society and uninformed by etiquette, chased Pei Huai and chattered away. Sometimes they praised which coffee brand tasted better, which one had the most authentic flavor, and sometimes they asked him what his favorite brand was. While Pei Huai was the center of conversation, he leisurely sorted through the coffee powder on the shelf, ignoring everyone who came.

After trying several times to gain their attention, the young people dispersed dejectedly.

Xiang Mingqi was stunned watching from the side: "Oh my god, Brother Pei Huai, you are a male college student killer..."

Xiang Mingqi grabbed the shampoo, body wash, and facial soap he usually used from the shelves, and the rest from the list he'd written down for him. Pushing the cart, Xiang Mingqi slipped two bottles of Coke under the towel while Pei Huai wasn't paying attention. When it came time to check out, he whistled again, saying innocently, "Oh, what's going on? Since it's in the cart, let's buy it." After leaving the supermarket, Xiang Mingqi, still twisting the bottle caps and having no time to do anything else, was punched in the head for no apparent reason.

"What are you doing?" He looked at the visitor angrily, "You made me spill my Coke. My head hurts! My brother allowed me to buy this! I plan to split it over three years. What crime have you committed?"

"Where are you taking him?"

Zhu Zhiyang angrily blocked the door.

"Wow, it's you." Xiang Mingqi stood up and punched him hard, so hard that Zhu Zhiyang lost his balance and bled from the corner of his eye. He smiled happily, grabbed the man's collar and threw him into a deserted alley. "I think there are some accounts I haven't settled with you yet."

He grabbed Zhu Zhiyang's neck tightly and dragged him from the concrete floor to the garbage dump. He turned his head to avoid Zhu Zhiyang's hand that almost dug into his eye socket. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly.

"By the way, I also want to thank you and your Bangkok hotel for saving him. But my desire to kill you and your saving him are two different things, you know that?" His thumb dug deep into his flesh, and he smiled. "It's okay. I'll let you know right now that my love for him absolutely doesn't allow for anyone else." His trachea tightened, and a suffocating feeling instantly filled his throat. Zhu Zhiyang couldn't breathe, and the pain made the veins on his neck bulge.

"Xiang Mingqi." Someone called him from behind.

"Oh, so handsome, so handsome Brother Pei Huai, what's wrong?"

"What are you doing."

"You're repaying kindness with enmity." Though he wore an innocent expression, his hands obeyed Pei Huai's instructions and stopped strangling him. Zhu Zhi raised his hand and pushed him away, stumbling a few steps toward Pei Huai. Xiang Mingqi, ready to lash out again, had just risen from his crouch when he told Pei Huai to carry the cat food into the trunk. He didn't dare complain, so he happily obeyed.

"Where are you going?" Seeing Pei Huai about to leave, Zhu Zhiyang anxiously grabbed his sleeve and said, "I've never hated you, Pei Huai. Those were just angry words. When the Bangkok Hotel and I needed you the most, you weren't here. You would rather work for Shan Li than come back, so, so... really. I've never hated you."

"Coal Valley."

He was stunned: "Why go back there?"

Pei Huai turned around and met Xiang Mingqi's eyes, who was carrying cat food on one shoulder and keeping an eye on the situation. Noticing that his senior was looking at him, Xiang Mingqi immediately put away his sinister expression and gave him a shy smile.

He sighed: "I want to go back and take a look."

"You're with him, right?" Zhu Zhiyang looked down at his gentle profile, his voice dry and weak. He leaned closer, hoping for an answer other than "yes," but he had to stop at his lips. He lowered his voice gently, "I love you."

"I know."

"So you never gave me a chance." Her five fingers slowly dug into Pei Huai's braid, combing and stroking it. The reflection in his eyes wavered. "If I want you to choose me, how much more do I have to do for you?"

The deep black eyes stared straight ahead without evading the viewer. This was a silent answer.

Seeing this, Xiang Mingqi couldn't stand it anymore and threw the cat food down, making Zhuangzhuang run off to scratch the sofa. He walked over a few steps, pulled Pei Huai's shoulder and kissed him, not satisfied with just rubbing his lips, but also developing a French kiss.

He ran his hands down Pei Huai's back in a defiant gesture, tracing a line. He stared at Zhu Zhiyang from the corner of his eye. He waited until Pei Huai grew annoyed and pushed his face aside before stopping.

"I'm afraid that's not possible." Xiang Mingqi licked his lips and said unsatisfiedly, "Brother is mine. And I will never, ever let go."

Back in the car, the grief-stricken Zhuangzhuang pretended to wet Xiang Mingqi's trouser legs, but was slapped on the base of his tail. He was so scared that he shrank to Pei Huai's legs.

"Brother, is that it? Don't you have anything to say goodbye to him?" Xiang Mingqi leaned over the steering wheel and tilted his head to look at him.

Pei Huai fastened his seatbelt and pulled Zhuangzhuang, who was snoring loudly at his feet, into his arms. He didn't answer for a long time. Only after the car drove away, until the silhouette in his memory disappeared at the end of his sight, did he softly answer.

"No. He'll never let it go."

As the night deepened, Pei Huai glanced at his watch. Calculating the time, he knew he should be not far from his destination.

"Wow, I see there's a rest stop ahead. Bro, I want to have some pineapple buns, some fries, and a cup of delicious milk tea." When Xiang Mingqi saw the sign, his voice got louder. "Are you hungry? Are you hungry?"

"Whatever you want." Of course, Xiang Mingqi didn't get the pineapple bun, fries, and milk tea he wanted at the rest stop, but instead sat down at a self-service barbecue restaurant. Pei Huai drank some tea, and the two of them scanned the code to order a few items, then sat by the stove waiting for their food to be served.

Xiang Mingqi held a steak tong in his hand, staring at the sizzling meat on the grill with envy. As the beef was cooked through, dripping with fragrant juices, he couldn't wait to carve up the meat and wrap it in lettuce.

"Brother." He finished the meal in two mouthfuls and put new meat on it. "Try it quickly. It turns out that marinated beef is the best."

Pei Huai took a bite in silence, chewing as slowly as ever, almost requiring urging.

“Is it delicious? Is it delicious?”

Nod and drink tea.

"Brother." He flipped the two chops of beef in turn. The enticing aroma of the meat needed no seasoning. The dripping juices alone were enough to make him drool. "Will you still be with me after we get back to Coal Valley?" He glanced up nervously.

The teacup was placed on his right side. Pei Huai asked him calmly why he said that.

Xiang Mingqi cut off half a piece of beef and grilled it, his palms sweating with nervousness. "I'm not just talking about after we return to Coal Valley. I mean, after that, after that, or even after that, even further and further. Can you choose me?"

The man in front of him beckoned him closer. Xiang Mingqi obeyed, leaning forward with his hands on the table. His tall body blocked out the surrounding light, creating a private space between their foreheads. He nuzzled Pei Huai's cheek: "Please, brother. Choose me."

Pei Huai's lips lightly pressed against his, he glanced at him but didn't kiss him deeply: "Do you want it?"

"Yes. I want it, I want it so much. I want everything my brother can give me." She clutched his shoulders tightly with both hands and whispered longingly, "So when it comes to you, I won't allow anyone to be my opponent..."

"Can."

Xiang Mingqi kissed him on the lower lip as he wished, his chest gradually moving closer. The passion in his chest was heaving and throbbing, pressing against him in waves of contraction.

"Xiang Mingqi." The heat of his breath was beside his ear. "I will choose you. No need to worry."

After eating and drinking, Xiang Mingqi had the motivation to get back on the road - of course, Zhuangzhuang, who was left in the car eating cat food, had no intention of giving these two people a good look.

Driving on a weekday evening, there were few people to be seen. Heavy trucks, vigilant against license plate restrictions, crisscrossed the overpass. Aside from the light show on Binhai Boulevard, the streetscape was otherwise unremarkable. Pei Huai rested his chin on the interior panel, gazing out the window at the dazzling lights.

The phone buzzed a few times. Pei Huai picked it up. There was no name displayed, just a local number. He picked it up without any precautions and without waiting to ask questions -

[Pull over. Stop the car.] Shan Li's voice, suppressed in anger, came through the vibrating receiver. [I won't touch you, but the one next to you will definitely not survive this night.]