Chapter 1 (Part 2) - Trip to California
The person inside paused for a moment before opening the door: "Welcome, Mr. Xu."
Xu Qi looked up, his handsome brows furrowing instantly. Standing before him was a young white man, very young, with striking good looks. A sudden tightness gripped his chest, a feeling of unease creeping in inexplicably.
He lowered his eyes and nodded politely: "Hello, I am Xu Qi, here to visit Mr. Si Qiang."
Leander looked him up and down, then gave a hearty smile and stepped aside to make way for him: "Hello, I'm his friend, Leander Miller, nice to meet you. He's inside, I'll take you to see him."
Miller? A glint flashed in Xu Qi's eyes. He stepped into the room and extended his hand to the other person: "Nice to meet you, Mr. Miller."
Leander naturally shook the other person's hand: "Nice to meet you." Then he turned and walked inside.
Xu Qi followed silently behind the other person, his brows furrowing even more as he watched the other's tall figure. The surname Miller unconsciously evoked certain associations within him, but he had no time to dwell on such things now. The thought of seeing the person he hadn't seen for so long filled him with a strange mix of nervousness and anticipation, but even more so with a heavy weight placed on the matter at hand.
"Leander, who is it?" Si Qiang asked without turning her head, her back to the door.
“It’s Mr. Xu Qi.” Leander answered casually, then turned to Xu Qi and explained, “Calvin is busy, so he can’t get away right now.”
Si Qiang shuddered, and the carving knife in his hand instantly cut his fingertip. He watched the bright red blood slowly seep out and sighed almost imperceptibly.
Leander noticed the unusual condition of his finger and quickly went over to him. He took out a silk handkerchief from his pocket and wrapped it around his fingertip, scolding him, "How could you be so careless?"
Upon seeing the exquisitely crafted silk handkerchief, Si Qiang asked somewhat speechlessly, "Iris's handkerchief?"
Leander smiled wryly and said, "She insisted that I bring it with me; I never expected it would come in handy."
"Mr. Xu, I'm sorry, you must have found this amusing." Si Qiang stood up and turned to Xu Qi, subtly slipping a puppet into her pocket with her right hand.
Xu Qi stared at the two men, unaware that his gaze betrayed his current mood: extreme displeasure. This feeling was actually very familiar, very similar to the displeasure he felt every time he saw Antonio. He desperately wanted to rush over and separate the two men, but ultimately, he couldn't do it.
“Mr. Si, I have something I'd like to discuss with you privately.” Xu Qi emphasized the word “privately,” his meaning clear. Since he couldn't take action, he could only utilize his status as a “guest.”
Si Qiang lowered his brows, appearing quite calm. Only Leander, standing beside him, could notice his body trembling slightly. Leander frowned as he looked at Mr. Xu's expression. He wasn't stupid, and immediately spoke tactfully, "OK, Calvin, I'll head back now. Call me if anything comes up."
His words were perfectly ordinary, but they took on a different meaning in Xu Qi's ears. Xu Qi clenched his fists, his heart aching with a bitter feeling. What...what was the relationship between these two? Why did they seem so intimate?
After Leander left, Si Qiang slowly stepped forward and calmly said, "Mr. Xu, please sit down."
Xu Qi nodded, slowly walked to the sofa, and sat down.
Si Qiang picked up the teapot, poured a cup of tea, and handed it to him: "This is a new Yangxian tea that I brought back from my trip back to China recently. I hope it suits your taste."
Xu Qi drinks tea, but he's not an expert in tea ceremony. Si Qiang was responsible for arranging and purchasing the tea Xu Qi used to drink, so he actually knew Xu Qi's tastes very well. He knew he was deliberately making things unclear by saying these things. However, based on his understanding of Xu Qi, the other wouldn't notice—Xu Qi never inquired about such things and probably didn't even know what kind of tea he used to drink.
"Thank you." Xu Qi took the teacup, took a sip, and said, "It tastes good." Being alone with Si Qiang, he found himself unusually nervous. He couldn't even taste the food, let alone know what he was drinking! He probably wouldn't even notice if it was his least favorite carbonated beverage.
After saying this, both of them fell silent. The atmosphere became incredibly awkward, and Xu Qi pinched himself in frustration. Where was his confidence? Hadn't he come prepared to ask questions? But... actually seeing this person, coupled with witnessing Si Qiang's intimacy with another man, made him realize, while angry, that he really had no right to question anything.
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Chapter 1 might need some revisions, please bear with it for now. LOL
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