(7 Fresh Coins) Chapter 26 (Part 2) Cruel
Si Qiang's face stiffened, then she smiled gently and lowered her head to kiss his lips, but Xu Qi turned his head away. He paused, then spoke softly, "Qi..."
“Running away isn’t the solution, you know that perfectly well.” Xu Qi looked at him calmly.
Si Qiang pursed her lips and remained silent, her expression wavering slightly. Her brows furrowed slowly, and she lowered her eyelashes as if she were enduring something.
Seeing him like this, Xu Qi couldn't help but feel a little anxious. But he didn't say anything, just stared straight at the other person.
The two remained locked in this stalemate for a while. Finally, Si Qiang took a deep breath, raised her eyes to look at him, and seemed to have flames burning in her eyes: "You want me to leave?"
Xu Qi's pupils contracted as he was stung by the oppressive gaze, and his expression slowly returned to its usual coldness: "You have your responsibilities, and I... have things I must do."
"So you mean, from now on, we must each live for our 'responsibilities'?" The gentleness on Si Qiang's face had vanished, replaced by a calm that seemed to be brewing a storm. Her voice had also returned to its usual cold, metallic quality. "Is this what you call 'liking'?"
He had known all along. A man who had been secretly in love with his younger brother for years, yet could suppress himself for the sake of his family, for morality and ethics—a man who had built himself into a perfect mold… How could he expect this man to give up the perfect eldest son of the Xu family for him? He could disregard everything because his heart had always belonged completely to the other, but the other could never feel the same way. This was the most fatal weakness in their relationship.
"Didn't you already understand this?" Xu Qi said calmly. "Since you're unwilling to say it, then I will." Reality won't change just because you're unwilling to face it, and he's even less willing to indulge in false happiness.
Si Qiang's pupils contracted, her usually beautiful and alluring cat eyes suddenly turned cold and sharp, her face gradually darkened, and she stared intently at Xu Qi without saying a word.
“It doesn’t mean we’ll never see each other again…” Xu Qi softened his tone, a hint of coaxing in his expression, “I’ll be going to California next month…”
Her expression changed, and Si Qiang suddenly flipped over and pressed herself against him, her voice sounding like it was being squeezed out through clenched teeth: "From the very beginning, this is what you've been thinking?"
Xu Qi was taken aback, then gritted his teeth and said coldly, "Didn't you already know that?"
Initially, he hadn't considered any of this. With the possibility of winning her love so slim, how could he possibly think about the future? It was only after they truly fell in love that these thoughts slowly surfaced in his habitually thoughtful mind. Thoughts about reality, about their respective situations. Like two planets with intersecting orbits, meeting at some point, then returning to their own paths. This was the limit between them. He hadn't considered a second possibility. Wasn't this how things were supposed to be? Could they possibly end up like his two willful younger brothers? Xu Yi and Su Xibai's situation was an exception, and the fact that Shao Yang could persuade Shao Xiujun to support his relationship with Lance was truly surprising.
Thinking of Shao Yang's lover, a pang of sadness welled up in his heart again. The youngest son of the Miller family had abandoned his own world, following Shao Yang without hesitation. And what about Xu Qi? He understood his father; he could tolerate his temporary reluctance to marry, but he couldn't tolerate it for long. The expectations he carried as the eldest son had long become a part of him; could he resolutely abandon them? And what about Si Qiang? This person was no longer the orphan he had brought back. As the next leader of the Fuqing Gang, Si Qiang's responsibilities were definitely no less than his. How could these two people share a future?
Looking into the man's unchangingly cold eyes, Si Qiang felt incredibly foolish. The excruciating pain of an ice pick piercing his heart made it hard to breathe. He finally let out a low, beast-like growl, swiftly grabbing the man's neck with one hand, pinning his wrists behind his back, and using his legs to pin him down. Then he raised his head, his gaze filled with an unprecedented chilling malice: "Shut up!"
Yes, he knew all along. He knew! But why say it? Why tell him himself that he wouldn't change anything? Why expose this bloody truth with his own hands? A surge of intense hatred overwhelmed Si Qiang. He abruptly lowered his head and pressed his lips to those mouths, biting and gnawing viciously, the taste of blood quickly filling his mouth. Those warm, soft lips could only utter words that caused his heart to ache even more. He couldn't listen anymore. Si Qiang's mind was reeling, on the verge of exploding. Since this man had destroyed everything, then simply feeling that warm body was enough.
Author's Note:
I've rambled on for so long, I hope you don't find it strange ORZ
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