Chapter 22 "Be good, come out with me."
Cheng Yingzhi's birthday party was held in a private rooftop clubhouse. Without the media buzz, the gathering was filled with familiar friends, creating a relaxed and informal atmosphere. Soft lighting, soothing jazz music, and the aroma of wine and food filled the air.
Chu Yi arrived a little later. He had just finished an emergency operation and there was still a trace of fatigue between his brows.
He handed the gift he brought to Cheng Yingzhi and simply said "Happy Birthday".
Cheng Yingzhi took it with a smile and patted his shoulder: "I thought you wouldn't come today."
Chu Yi smiled and didn't respond, his eyes casually scanning the room, trying to find Qi Yuan. Before he even left the hospital, hundreds of messages about Qi Yuan had already bombarded him.
But when I looked over, I didn't see Qi Yuan's figure, but only saw the figure that could easily attract everyone's attention even in the crowd.
Zhou Ai was sitting on the sofa by the window, still with her signature short silver-gray hair. She was wearing a silky black shirt with two buttons undone at the collar. She was tilting her head to listen to what Shen Yu beside her was saying, with a lazy smile on her lips.
He seemed to sense Chu Yi's gaze and suddenly turned his head, and their eyes met briefly in the air.
Zhou Ai's eyes were deep, filled with an indescribable inquiry. Chu Yi was the first to look away, walking towards the long table where the drinks were placed.
After a while, Qi Yuan noisily gathered a group of people to the sofa area, clamoring to play a dice game.
"It's more fun when there are more people! If you lose the truth or dare game, don't cheat!"
Besides Cheng Yingzhi, Chen Yu, and Zhou Ai, two other familiar friends were also brought in. Qi Yuan naturally didn't let Chu Yi go, and forced him to sit in the empty seat next to him.
"Come on, let's begin! It's simple. Do you know how to brag? Just guess the number..." Qi Yuan explained the rules enthusiastically.
Chu Yi listened quietly. After Qi Yuan finished speaking, he shook his head slightly and said in a flat tone: "You guys play it, I don't know how to do it." He indeed rarely participated in this kind of game and felt a little out of place.
"Oh, it's very simple! You'll learn it in no time!" Qi Yuan obviously didn't want to let him go. He immediately put his arm around Chu Yi's shoulders, leaned close to his ear, and whispered in a low voice, "Really, it's really fun. Don't be afraid of losing. I'll help you choose the big adventure, and I promise I won't cheat you! I'll teach you, and you'll be able to get the hang of it soon..."
Qi Yuan leaned very close, almost speaking into Chu Yi's ear, with a natural and intimate gesture. It was obvious that this was how the two of them usually got along.
Chu Yi did not show any disgust, but just tilted his head slightly, as if considering Qi Yuan's proposal. The lines of his profile appeared softer in the hazy light.
This scene fell into the eyes of Zhou Ai opposite him without any error.
Zhou Ai, who was originally leaning lazily on the sofa, sat up straighter almost imperceptibly, and the fingertips holding the wine glass tightened slightly.
He looked at Qi Yuan almost hanging on Chu Yi, and saw Chu Yi's attitude of acquiescence and even complacency, and a slight discomfort inexplicably arose in his heart.
The feeling came suddenly and strangely, like a small thorn that pricked you lightly. It didn't hurt, but it was impossible to ignore.
Zhou Ai picked up the wine glass, tilted his head back and took a big sip. The cold liquid slid down his throat, but failed to suppress the strange feeling.
"Okay Qi Yuan, if Chu Yi doesn't want to play, don't force him." Cheng Yingzhi came out to smooth things over. He could see that Chu Yi really had no interest.
"Then Ayi, you just watch from the side and see us play!" Qi Yuan then let go of Chu Yi, but still sat next to him and threw himself into the battle with great interest.
The game begins.
The clatter of the dice cup shaking, the shouts of guessing the numbers, and the booing when the results were announced instantly filled the corner.
Zhou Ai seemed to have quickly put the unpleasantness behind him. He was very familiar with playing this kind of game, with a lazy posture but a sense of control.
He would make some accurate guesses and occasionally do bad things on purpose, causing widespread complaints, while he would smile like a cunning fox.
Chen Yu and Cheng Yingzhi were also veterans, setting traps for each other without mercy. Qi Yuanze was the most aggressive and noisy, losing the most, and was forced to drink several glasses of wine, his face red.
The atmosphere was lively and boisterous.
Chu Yi sat quietly beside Qi Yuan, watching them play. He didn't participate, but he didn't leave either. Occasionally, when Qi Yuan lost badly, he would push the glass in front of him away, signaling him to drink less.
Most of the time, his eyes were on the jumping dice or the juice cup in front of him, and he tried his best to avoid contact with the strong gaze from the opposite side that occasionally cast a strong presence at him.
Although Zhou Ai was playing, his attention always unconsciously drifted towards that quiet figure.
He saw the shadow cast by Chu Yi's long eyelashes when he lowered his eyes, saw his skin, slightly pale due to fatigue, almost transparent under the light, and saw how he would occasionally curl the corners of his mouth very slightly because of Qi Yuan's stupid words.
Zhou Ai found himself a little absent-minded. This thought flashed through his mind, and he was stunned for a moment.
He then sneered in a disguised manner and joined the next more intense "battle", shaking the dice loudly, as if to completely cover up those inexplicable thoughts.
The noise was theirs, and Chu Yi was like a quiet bystander, staying out of it, yet strangely blending into this lively background.
Only occasionally, when he felt the burning and complex gaze from Zhou Ai, his fingertips would curl up unconsciously.
The game was reaching its climax when Qi Yuan called the wrong number again. He wailed as Shen Yu, with a smile on his face, forced him to drink. Cheng Yingzhi gloated and cheered on the side.
Chu Yi's attention was also attracted by the excitement. A rare, barely perceptible curve appeared at the corner of his lips as he watched Qi Yuan drinking with a sad face.
At this moment, a bony hand suddenly reached out and accurately grasped Chu Yi's wrist.
Chu Yi was stunned, and before he could react, he was pulled up from the sofa.
"Be good, come out with me." A deep and familiar voice sounded in Chu Yi's ears.
Chu Yi didn't even have time to see the face of the person who came. He was almost subconsciously pulled and stumbled a step. Amid the noise, he was led away from the sofa area in a daze and walked towards the terrace.
This incident happened too quickly. When the other people at the table reacted, they only saw the back of a tall man in a neat suit pulling Chu Yi away, and Chu Yi's slightly passive and dazed profile.
The dice cup was still in Cheng Yingzhi's hand. Just as he was about to shake it for the next round, his movement stopped in mid-air.
Qi Yuan was sobered up a little by the shock, and stared blankly with his mouth open as Chu Yi was taken away.
Shen Yu also raised his eyebrows, revealing a slightly surprised look.
Zhou Ai's reaction was the most obvious.
The lazy smile on his face froze instantly, and his eyes suddenly became sharp, staring at the place where the strange man held Chu Yi's wrist.
That extremely intimate "good boy" was like a thin needle, clearly drilling into his eardrum and making him extremely uncomfortable.
"Just now...who was that?" Zhou Ai's voice sank, his eyes still locked on the direction where the two people disappeared.
Cheng Yingzhi finally came to his senses and glanced at Zhou Ai's unhappy expression, thinking he was just curious. He was so engrossed in the game that he didn't pay much attention to this little incident. He reached out and patted Zhou Ai's arm, urging him, "Hey, it's your turn. Roll the dice! Don't worry about it."
He paused, remembering the identity of the man just now, and added casually, intending to stop Zhou Ai from asking more questions, "Don't meddle in other people's family affairs."
Housework?
These two words were like a heavy hammer, hitting Zhou Ai's heart.
What household chores require yelling "good boy?"
The most important thing is that Chu Yi did not object and let the strange man take him away.
Cheng Yingzhi's words "Don't meddle in other people's business" sounded a little harsh to him, as if implying that he, Zhou Ai, was just an outsider and had no right to ask about Chu Yi's more private matters.
Zhou Ai's expression darkened completely. He suddenly felt this noisy game was boring, even a little irritating. He suddenly placed the dice cup on the table with a soft clang.
"You guys go ahead and have fun." He stood up suddenly, his movements a bit abrupt and impatient. "I'm going to the bathroom."
After saying this, without waiting for others to react, he turned around and walked in the opposite direction of Chu Yi.
But his steps did not seem like he was really going to the bathroom. Instead, he seemed absent-minded. His eyes subconsciously swept towards the terrace, his brows furrowed. The words "good boy" and "housework" kept circling in his mind, making him uneasy.
———
On the terrace, Cheng Yanqing released his grip on Chu Yi's wrist, but his eyes were still fixed on him.
"Why haven't you contacted me recently?" Cheng Yanqing's voice was softer than before, but the question went straight to the point.
Chu Yi rubbed his wrist, which had turned red from being gripped, lowered his eyes, avoiding his gaze, and said in a flat tone: "Busy."
Cheng Yanqing looked at his stubborn expression and sighed, feeling helpless and distressed.
He habitually stretched out his hand, and like when he was a child, used his fingertips to gently brush away the messy hair on Chu Yi's forehead. His movements were natural and intimate.
"I heard from Yingzhi," Cheng Yanqing paused, carefully observing his brother's expression, "that you're going to participate in that... medical observation variety show? Why would you even think of participating in a show like that? It's not like you."
Chu Yi's body stiffened slightly when he touched her hair, and she subconsciously took a step back, widening the overly intimate distance.
He raised his eyes and pulled up a very faint smile, "Brother, what kind of personality can I have? I just... do whatever I want." His tone was light and there was a sense of indifference and alienation.
Cheng Yanqing's brows furrowed even more. He understood Chu Yi. Behind such seemingly carefree words, there were often other emotions hidden.
He was silent for a few seconds, then changed the subject, his voice lowering: "So...why haven't you called Mom recently? She doesn't say it, but she actually misses you a lot."
Speaking of Chu Ruoyin, Chu Yi turned his head to look at the flashing neon lights in the distance, his voice so soft it almost disappeared in the wind: "Brother, you know this too. Mom... doesn't really want to receive my call."
Chu Yi's words made Cheng Yanqing's heart clench. He looked at his brother's thin silhouette, which looked particularly lonely under the night and neon lights.
Cheng Yanqing didn't ask any more questions. He took a step forward, stretched out his arms, and took Chu Yi into his arms, hugging him tightly.
"Silly boy." Cheng Yanqing's voice was low and gentle, with a soothing tone.
Zhou Ai stood stiffly in the shadow of the terrace entrance.
He was upset and wanted to find a place to breathe, but he walked to the terrace. Unexpectedly, he saw two people hugging each other.
The strange man held Chu Yi tightly in his arms. Chu Yi offered no resistance, even appearing submissive and... dependent. The man lowered his head, seemingly whispering something in his ear, his gesture extremely intimate.
Zhou Ai felt a surge of inexplicable anger rising up, making his eardrums buzz.
So the "family affairs" that Cheng Yingzhi mentioned were such "family affairs"?
It turns out that the word "good boy" is such an intimate call?
His chest felt like it was being blocked by something, stuffy and painful. A sharp, bitter and angry feeling he had never felt before was gnawing at his sanity.
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