Chapter 43 [VIP]
The system voice sounded alarmed: [How did F2 remember this?]
No matter what, it should have been Zhong Wan who remembered the saved game first!
When has Xie Chenbi, that cunning old fox, ever had any positive emotional fluctuations? Does fantasizing about his host's humble, unrequited love for him and his inability to live without him constitute a positive emotion for Xie Chenbi?
Holy crap, what a despicable thought process.
Tan Quelu recalled Xie Chenbi's gaze just now.
A sinister rage, tinged with pain and terror—that was Xie Chenbi's gaze when he stabbed Xie Chenbi through his carotid artery.
However, compared to the life-or-death situation, his gaze wasn't as intense just now.
"It could be a temporary flashback, like in Formula 1."
Tan Quelu picked up the F2, casually tossed it into the back seat, and nimbly straddled the driver's seat.
He didn't close the window, his bangs were blown by the wind, and he continued driving with a normal expression: "Go check the save data for each character."
[Okay! By the way, host, you don't have a driver's license yet, so remember not to get caught on camera!]
The system has been given a strong heart by its ruthless host. This time it won't break down, and it even remembers to remind the host not to be recorded or filmed.
A moment later, it rolled back smoothly to report: [Host is fine, all characters are normal, only F2 is acting strangely!]
The F3 members have vastly different personalities.
Zhong Wan's emotions fluctuated frequently, so it was only after she had been moved many times that she remembered something.
Xie Chenbi was inherently emotionally detached, and years of suppression resulted in his becoming distorted. For him, a few moments of emotional stirring could trigger flashbacks to memories from his second timeline.
This is such a hassle.
The system frowned: [A bunch of lunatics. They all say they look down on the host, but what do they actually do? They fall in love faster than anyone else. These kinds of people are the best at being simps!]
Tan Quelu smiled, said nothing, drove the car to the cross-sea bridge not far away, and parked it in a secluded, shady spot on the bridge.
Only a dim light illuminated the car, making the boy's face appear almost holy in the interplay of light and shadow. He turned his head to look at the surging, roaring waves below the bridge, his fingertips lightly tapping the steering wheel.
Seeing that he was deep in thought, the system, fearing that its host might have a breakdown, quickly said: "Host, please don't try to solve this yourself anymore. We can't kill anyone else."
[Here's what we'll do: if Xie Chenbi remembers your face, we'll call the big boss to deal with him! Didn't the big boss say the other day that he'll always be on your side?]
—Wei Guan wields immense power; shouldn't he be the one to commit murder?
In this world, the deepest bond between people is not love, nor trust, but complicity.
As long as they are in the same boat and hold each other's lives in their hands, they will never turn against each other.
Tan Quelu shook her head, rested her chin on her hand, and leisurely looked at the night view: "I want to live towards the sun."
"I will never kill anyone with my own hands again."
The boy seemed to be in a good mood.
Ever since the day he parted ways with Wei Guan, he's been in a great mood. This is reflected in his eating more delicious food, wearing warmer clothes, and watching more good cartoons.
It felt as if we were standing on a frozen surface of water that had stopped flowing.
All the vivid emotions that were previously ignored were gently dusted off by Wei Guan, held in his palm, and pieced together to reveal their original form.
And so the river that had stopped flowing in childhood slowly melted away and began to be reborn once again.
He then opened his eyes and began to perceive and witness the world anew.
The system doesn't understand.
It gave a blank "oh," looking confused and bewildered: "So, what do we do with F2 now?"
Tan Quelu remained unfazed: "Let's see how much he remembers when he wakes up."
This determines whether Tan Quelu will thrive today or be rendered a vegetable and then thrive tomorrow.
[...]
The system twitched its lips.
The area in the shadow of the bridge was silent.
Xie Chenbi felt like he was having a dream.
In his dream, the coldest being silently pressed down on his head and plunged a knife into his right eye, but there was no blood, only a lifeless whiteness in his eye.
Cold white fingertips, porcelain white neck, and a translucent white nose.
It gently covered my face, and although it was warm and holy, it felt like a demon crawling out from the cracks of the Guanyin statue, imitating the movements of a living person, learning their expressions, and simulating their body temperature.
It is unusually strange and dangerous.
Yet it was exceptionally white and beautiful.
Xie Chenbi felt himself losing his life force continuously, and he could hardly breathe through his mouth and nose.
Suddenly.
The boy suddenly opened his eyes, his chest heaving as he breathed heavily, his right hand unconsciously gripping the leather chair, the veins on the back of his hand standing out prominently.
The surroundings were dim and quiet, and the furnishings were familiar.
Everything was shrouded in flickering light and shadow, bringing a sense of security.
Xie Chenbi opened his eyes, and after a long while, he suddenly relaxed and exhaled.
His consciousness finally returned, and he realized he was lying awkwardly in the back seat of the carriage. He felt some pain in the back of his neck, and all the memories before he lost consciousness were like ripples on the surface of water, filled with an ambiguous, hazy, and unreal feeling.
What is he doing?
What is he going to do?
Oh right.
He was in the car; he was going to take his boyfriend out to eat.
Boy friend.
Talk about peacock green.
Xie Chenbi recalled a pure and innocent face, and subconsciously looked up, trying to find the other person.
Without warning, he met a pair of clear, dark eyes.
In the shadow of less than half a meter.
Someone sat in the driver's seat, their body obscured by the backrest and shadows, tilting their head, silently watching Xie Chenbi for an unknown period of time.
He was very close to him.
Even though they were so close, they couldn't hear the other person breathing at all.
Xie Chenbi's heart skipped a beat, and his pupils suddenly contracted.
The other person blinked, and after a few seconds, seemed to have confirmed something.
Xie Chenbi saw him frown and breathed a sigh of relief, saying worriedly, "Chenbi, you're finally awake!"
"You just suddenly fainted without any warning, and we almost got hit by a car!"
Are you alright? Why aren't you saying anything?
"Is there anything else that's bothering you?"
My neck hurts so much.
Xie Chenbi's mind was still immersed in the dizzying, swaying water.
Upon seeing this, the boy hurriedly got out of the car and went to the back seat. He reached out and touched Xie Chenbi's forehead with his fingertips, bringing a warm touch.
His face was obscured by the dim light, making him appear flustered and anxious in the backlight.
...Is it just a hallucination caused by a nightmare?
The boy looked strangely human.
It's like a ghost awkwardly imitating a living person.
...It must be a hallucination from just waking up.
Xie Chenbi closed his eyes, and after a while, he finally felt the dizziness in the back of his head gradually disappear.
Tan Quelu lowered her eyes, blinked, and looked down at F2.
F2 is acting strangely; he's considering whether to turn the other person into a vegetable.
Fortunately, it took less than ten minutes.
Xie Chenbi opened his eyes, his mind finally fully clear.
All the emotions I felt earlier have vanished.
His expression hardened, his dark eyes fixed on the green sparrow, and he frowned indifferently: "Who told you to move me here?"
Tan Quelu threw him roughly. When Xie Chenbi woke up, his long limbs were stuck in the back seat in a strange position, looking both cramped and unsightly.
The pain in the back of my neck is probably due to the hard object I was pressing against.
Xie Chenbi had never been so disheveled since birth.
Tan Quelu exclaimed in surprise, then explained somewhat helplessly, "You suddenly fainted, so I had to risk stopping the car just now."
"I'm not very familiar with this car. It's very bumpy to drive, it must be shaking like this."
"I'm sorry, Shen Bi."
The boy unconsciously clenched the hem of his clothes.
Xie Chenbi paused, looked away, and said in a calm voice, "I didn't ask you to apologize."
He got up, returned to the driver's seat, and frowned slightly: "What was I doing before I passed out?"
This is so strange; my memories are so hazy.
Sitting in the passenger seat, Tan Quelu lowered her eyes to distract him: "You seem to be in a bad mood tonight."
"Just as we crossed the green light, you suddenly asked me if I had any Weibo side accounts."
Xie Chenbi paused.
He finally remembered Tan Quelu's Weibo side account, as well as those disgusting "aggressive onlookers" accounts and nauseating comments.
I recall the strange, unfamiliar jealousy that lingers in my heart, a feeling I've never experienced before.
—So I was so impatient that I actually asked Tan Quelu?
The black-haired boy had dark eyes. After a long pause, he hummed in agreement: "So, do you have it?"
"No."
Tan Quelu answered quickly, as if she was extremely guilty, and immediately added, "You know, I don't use social media much, and I don't like posting on Weibo."
The lights were dim, and the boy would unconsciously bite his lip when he lied, not daring to look at Xie Chenbi.
With such a low level of disguise, you still expect to fool him.
How much does he love himself, and how afraid is he of knowing about his humble, secret crush?
But why is it that Xia Xing can?
Xie Chenbi's eyes were cold as he stepped on the gas and drove towards the Xie family's private hospital.
In less than half an hour, the two arrived at their destination.
Tashan Group truly lives up to its reputation as a company that started in the medical field.
The Xie family's private hospital is located in the southwest corner, covering an area twice the size of the Zhong family's hospital, and the physical examination process is also nearly an hour more complicated than that of the Zhong family's hospital.
Xie Chenbi changed his clothes, his expression indifferent, and let the nurses around him carefully scan his body.
Outside the glass window.
Tan Quelu stood there, looking at him expectantly, her innocent eyes revealing obvious worry.
Xie Chenbi ordered dinner for him, the hospital's highest-class private cuisine, but Tan Quelu didn't touch it, silently staying by his side, extremely anxious.
She would even smile at him when their eyes met.
The cold jealousy in Xie Chenbi's chest dissipated somewhat.
Tan Quelu's behavior at this moment shows far more concern than when Zhong Wan fainted.
He was truly head over heels in love with him.
After completing the physical examination process.
Tan Quelu stepped forward and asked, "Chen Bi, are you alright?"
"It's nothing," Xie Chenbi said calmly. "The doctor is experienced; I'm probably just experiencing hallucinatory muscle pain."
"No need for medication, you can recover after resting for half a month."
"That's good!" Tan Quelu smiled instantly, hugged him tightly, and pulled him to sit down at the table: "Let's eat! This sauerkraut fish looks delicious, you should try it first!"
The boy, with his eyes crinkling, picked up a slice of fish in a coquettish manner, wanting to feed him.
Xie Chenbi lowered her eyes, feeling physically nauseous, but still stiffly waited for him to put the food in her mouth.
...If I don't eat Tan Que Lu, I'll definitely start to doubt myself again.
But Tan Quelu suddenly turned around, ate the fish slice in one bite, and looked at him triumphantly: "I won't give it to you, Xie Chenbi, how old are you? If you want to eat, get it yourself."
Under the lamplight, the boy interacted with him so vividly for the first time, as if he trusted him completely.
So this is what it's like to be in a relationship with Elk Green.
No wonder Zhong Wan can't help but show off every day.
He stole so many moments that belonged to him, how dare he compete with himself?
The black-haired boy looked up, then suddenly raised his hand and expressionlessly picked up a shrimp.
Tan Quelu blinked, and after a moment, smiled and bit into the shrimp, mumbling her thanks: "Thank you, boyfriend."
Xie Chenbi hummed in agreement, lowered his eyes, and looked at the dishes on the table.
Not far away.
The Xie family nurse was shocked to see her young master begin feeding the baby with a blank expression.
They looked at each other in bewilderment and frantically typed in the group chat.
[Holy crap? Holy crap! I'm working as a nurse at the Zhong family's house, and isn't that Zhong Wan's ex-boyfriend?!]
[The young master has really gone mad. Not only did he steal his brother's boyfriend, but he's also feeding him here. Doesn't he have severe mysophobia?]
[I don't even want to think about the consequences if Zhong Wan finds out!]
[This little classmate is so pretty and has such a great personality. She just called me "sister," hehehe]
[...Big sister, you...?]
[Shh, they're coming over after they finish eating, stop playing on your phone!]
The nurses instantly regained their expressionless faces.
Xie Chenbi led Tan Quelu into the elevator and back to the car.
The black Land Rover slowly drove out of the garage and stopped on the cross-sea bridge. The two strolled around the sidewalk, their clothes fluttering in the wind.
Tan Quelu looked up, intently taking pictures of the beautiful night scene.
My phone suddenly ran out of battery and shut down.
Xie Chenbi raised his hand, unlocked his phone, and handed it over, his voice calm: "Use mine."
"Okay." Tan Quelu took it, and as if remembering something, her eyes crinkled with a smile: "Thank you, young master."
"Do you remember? The first time we argued in the private room was because I broke your phone."
Tan Quelu walked along the railing and snorted, "Young Master is so precious that he wouldn't even look at me. How come he's willing to be with me now?"
He was taking pictures of the night view with his phone, not looking at Xie Chenbi, but with a slight upturn at the corner of his mouth, clearly wanting to hear Xie Chenbi say again that he liked him.
Why are we together?
Because he wanted to play a trick on him.
In the midst of a life filled with utter boredom, a clumsy bird appears, thinking it has hidden itself well, secretly harboring feelings for Xie Chenbi.
Driven by a certain mentality, Xie Chenbi wanted to instantly plunge Que Lu from heaven to hell after he had obtained everything.
Tell him it was all a joke.
I know all your humble pain, struggles, and doubts.
But these are just things I do for fun.
Tan Chuanlu must have looked beautiful at that moment.
Long ago, Xie Chenbi began to be fascinated by the fleeting moments of life.
From the cat that was tied up and thrown to its death, to the illegitimate child who died lying in a hospital bed.
His world, from birth, was like a gray-white film, devoid of any color. Emotions were foreign to him; joy, sadness, and anger were things he could never perceive.
When he was kicked out of the Xie family home by his parents and slunk into an apartment, he wasn't very angry.
When my parents took me back, I didn't feel much joy seeing their stiff faces trying to reconcile.
Only death, that instant when you approach the threshold.
His world only had color for a second.
Psychology books describe this as emotional detachment and a distorted mind. The patient may unconsciously cling to something or someone in their daily life as a subconscious form of self-preservation.
The boy in front of me, his eyes shining, pretended to be taking pictures of the scenery.
Xie Chenbi should have told him the truth the very night he successfully confessed his feelings.
But he didn't.
He gripped the kitten like he had when it was young, unconsciously tightening his grip. He thought he didn't care, but when he looked down, he realized that his hand had gripped so tightly that he had lost all feeling.
The cat is dead.
Will talking about peacock green kill you?
The dazzling lights illuminated the cross-sea bridge.
Xie Chenbi looked at Tan Quelu's profile for a long time before coldly saying, "Because I like you."
Tan Quelu's lips instantly curled up.
His smile was vivid; the light reflected in his eyes, and his eyelashes blinked rapidly, like the short, soft fur on a cat's face.
The night before it was thrown to its death, it nestled quietly on Xie Chenbi's head, its wet nose rubbing against his forehead, cool and hard.
Xie Chenbi immediately chased it to the cat room, and then took a bath and washed his face with a livid expression, his obsessive cleanliness causing his skin to turn red.
Looking at Tan Quelu smiled, it was like returning to that night, when I was once again brushed against the cool tip of my nose.
Xie Chenbi shifted his gaze, his dark eyes fixed on the bustling traffic.
My phone vibrated.
Tan Quelu glanced at the screen subconsciously, and accidentally switched pages, seeing the background processes that the other party hadn't had time to clear.
On the electronic screen.
A familiar Weibo account appeared openly, filled with his words and bittersweet thoughts.
The air was quiet, with only the noise of traffic in the background.
Xie Chenbi sensed something was wrong and turned to look.
The boy looked down, staring blankly at his phone, his fingertips slowly sliding across the screen.
The page on the screen made Xie Chenbi's pupils shrink.
He immediately stepped forward and reached for the phone. Tan Quelu reacted quickly, taking several steps back and staring blankly at him with her clear, dark eyes.
"...You know that."
He remained silent for a long time before saying softly, "Xie Chenbi, you know."
The night breeze rustled the hems of their clothes.
Xie Chenbi's heart sank slowly, but his face remained indifferent as he looked at him coldly: "Yes, I know."
"So what if I know?"
"It's just an account."
"You don't need to overreact like that."
Tan Quelu didn't speak, but looked at him as if he were a stranger, her joyful expression clearly fragmented.
The clumsy bird finally fell into the cage, was pierced by the animal trap, had its throat bitten, and showed a dying expression.
Xie Chenbi stepped forward instinctively, his voice icy: "Tan Quelu, come here."
They stood on the edge of the bridge; Xie Chenbi walked on the side of the traffic, while Tan Quelu was closer to the sea.
Behind the boy were roaring, magnificent waves. If he fell in, he would be swallowed up instantly.
Xie Chenbi looked at him, his expression sinister as he repeated, "Come here."
Tan Quelu's eyes turned cold, and she took two steps back, distancing herself from him: "Xie Chenbi, you're disgusting."
No wonder you always look at me like that.
No wonder you always talk to me on purpose.
"You already knew, didn't you?"
"When you see me panicking, don't you find it ridiculous and pathetic?"
The more the boy spoke, the more agitated he became. The light shone on his face, highlighting the crimson outline of his eyes, and tears welled up in his eyes.
Xie Chenbi's breathing almost stopped.
He let out a breath and, unusually, lowered his head: "Green Sparrow, come here first, okay?"
"What?" Tan Quelu laughed, and said sarcastically, "Are you worried I'll die?"
"Talking about peacock green."
"Shut up!"
Tan Quelu suddenly broke down and slammed her phone hard into Xie Chenbi's face. The surroundings were quiet, and passersby had already moved far away from the arguing couple.
Tan Quelu raised her hand, rubbed her eyes hard, and suddenly turned around and climbed onto the bridge railing.
The boy jumped without hesitation.
"Talk about malachite green!!"
Xie Chenbi's pupils dilated, and a sharp roar instantly rang in his ears.
His mind went blank, and he instinctively lunged forward, grabbing the boy's waist and hands tightly, disregarding the fact that he was also on the edge of the bridge, his whole body trembling with the force.
The waves roared and crashed against the rocks beneath me.
"Let me go!"
Tan Quelu struggled and, in a fit of emotional breakdown, slapped him several times.
Xie Chenbi was breathing rapidly.
He held onto Tan Quelu tightly, like he was holding onto a kitten, with all his might, refusing to let go.
I used to think I didn't care.
But only now did I realize that the hand that was gripping him so tightly had lost all feeling and was already numb.
"I was wrong."
Xie Chenbi held the slender boy in his arms, away from the bridge, his eyes no longer showing the indifference of before.
He lowered his head, tightened his arms with all his might, ignoring Tan Quelu's struggles, and repeated in a hoarse voice: "I was wrong."
"Green Peacock, I was wrong."
The cat died, leaving him to watch its corpse from afar with indifference.
And Tan Quelu was in his arms.
He often puts himself in the position of manipulating the world, detaching himself from all emotions, because he has no emotions to begin with.
The fallen beard in the room, the scent left on the pillow, the lint stuck in the closet.
After two hours of diligent cleaning by the maid, there was no trace left.
The father, who had been anxiously watching over his son day and night outside the ward, was still able to frequent different clubs as usual the day after his illegitimate son's death.
Life is so fragile, but forgetting is more terrifying than death.
He could no longer remember what the cat looked like, nor its fur color.
Occasionally, when I recall it, I can only vaguely remember the warmth of its downy fur and the slightly cool touch of its nose brushing against my forehead.
Over the years, Xie Chenbi only remembers Tan Quelu when he sees her smiling.
Because in his life, apart from this cat, there was nothing else that could be considered soft.
Bright green eyes, warm fingertips, and a smiling face.
More than anything else, it tugged at Xie Chenbi's heartstrings.
"sorry."
I know all your humble pain, struggles, and doubts.
But I can't understand any of this; all I can do is feel smug.
The black-haired boy held the green peacock in his arms, breathing slowly. After a long while, his voice was hoarse: "Green peacock."
"I love you."
The boy in her arms suddenly stopped struggling.
In the dead of night, the noise of traffic on the cross-sea bridge is a distant background sound.
Two tall, slender boys stood by the roadside, one tightly embracing the other. After a moment of silence, the other reached out and gently hugged him back.
Somewhere in the traffic a few steps away.
Inside the car while waiting at a red light.
The boy, bored after finishing his game, turned his head, then suddenly straightened up, his eyes wide: "Holy crap?!"
"Holy crap! You two, get over here—aren't those two Xie Chenbi and Tan Quelu???"
"Holy crap?!"
"Holy crap!!"
After a series of shocking "Holy crap!" sounds that stunned the whole family.
The swishing sound of the camera shutter quickly rang out.
A night breeze blew by.
Tan Quelu lowered her eyes, pondering how to speed up the mission, and asked the system idly: "Which direction are the students of St. Weston in?"
[10 o'clock direction!]
The system excitedly instructed: "Host, you can tilt your head slightly to reveal your golden right cheek and fine eyelashes! That will make you look adorable!"
I look adorable from every angle, okay?
Tan Quelu chuckled, looked up, and made sure the other person could capture his and Xie Chenbi's faces in full.
The boy blinked, instinctively taking a picture.
Here's a picture with a melancholy expression.
Here's a happy face.
Here's a picture with a surprised expression.
Scrub scrub scrub.
Xie Chenbi was completely oblivious, still immersed in the illusion of holding the other person, tightly embracing the boy in his arms.
The following morning.
Having finally convinced her grandfather to allow her to return to St. Weston for classes, Zhong Wan rode her bicycle with a roar to the foot of the Wenhua Building.
The blond boy looked expectant, wearing a pink helmet given to him by Tan Quelu and holding a red parasol also given to him by Tan Quelu.
He opened his phone, wanting to tell Que Lu that he was now free to not marry into another family, and beg him to reunite with him.
However, they discovered that the campus forum had exploded, with posts being refreshed at an alarming rate and every title filled with exclamation marks.
Every single one is related to the green peacock green.
[Pictures don't lie—Tan Chui-lu seamlessly transitioned from dumping Zhong Wan to hooking up with his good friend Xie Chen-bi! The two were spotted on a late-night date on the cross-sea bridge—stunning! Absolutely gorgeous!]
[Holy crap, I can't believe it! Tan Quelu's secret Weibo account has been exposed! It's full of bittersweet stories from the perspective of a secret admirer—he's had a crush on someone from the F3 group for three years!!]
[Breaking news! Just now, Wei Zhiyan and Zhong Wan returned to school, and Wei Zhiyan happened to see them holding hands during class—all three of them were carrying parasols, one in mustard yellow, one in bright red, and one in leopard purple! A showdown between the three is on the horizon!]
[Hehehe, don't make your Xing-ge laugh—Xia Xing-tang is here! He also gets out in the Xie family's private car, holding a parasol. My Xing-ge's signature color is: red plaid! His declaration is: Requesting to fight!!]
A note from the author:
Green Peacock: I'm so confused, just staring blankly at the world like this.
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