Chapter 16 Jealousy
The Maybach was engulfed in flames, acrid smoke and crackling noises mingling with the raging flames. Metal fragments, glass shards, and parts flew everywhere, leaving a mess on the ground.
First, his mother was hospitalized, then the brakes failed, nearly causing a crash, and then there was the explosion. Having experienced so much in one night, Chen Yuanchuan was a bit mentally unstable. On the cold mountain road, the warmth of Xi Qing's body enveloped him, and his heart, which was about to burst, finally calmed down.
Feeling ashamed after realizing it belatedly, his body froze. Chen Yuanchuan sat up straight, thinking Xi Qing would laugh at him. Unexpectedly, Xi Qing also stood up, his eyes filled with autumn water, as if containing thousands of stars.
Xi Qing's eyes were focused as he gradually approached him. Chen Yuanchuan instinctively avoided his gaze and interrupted him with a barrage of words: "Call the police first. Then go to the hospital and get the glass shards removed."
Xi Qing paused, discontinuing his previous actions. He pulled out the phone from his trouser pocket and explained the situation to the police. Meanwhile, Chen Yuanchuan was stealing glances at Xi Qing, his heart pounding, and he felt lost.
Ever since he knew Xi Qing was most likely in love with him, Chen Yuanchuan had a feeling that Xi Qing's every frown and smile was a subtle seduction. But he would never accept the covetousness of someone of the same sex!
Xi Qing and Chen Yuanchuan walked to a patch of grass away from the road and sat down. Both were lightly dressed, and a mountain breeze carrying a biting chill blew over them. Chen Yuanchuan shivered with cold. His clothes and luggage had all burned in the car. Fortunately, he hadn't brought any valuables with him, but Xi Qing suffered the most, having lost a multi-million dollar luxury car.
As Chen Yuanchuan was thinking this, Xi Qing quietly approached and pulled up his right sleeve.
"What are you doing? Hiss..." Chen Yuanchuan couldn't help but let out a muffled groan.
"Your hand is swollen." Xi Qing turned to Chen Yuanchuan's side and bent down to observe.
When forcing the car to stop, Xi Qing noticed that the steering wheel twisted suddenly and Chen Yuanchuan's expression was wrong. However, the situation was urgent at the time, so Xi Qing did not ask. It was not until now that he decided to check it out that he did not expect that Chen Yuanchuan's elbow joint was so swollen.
Chen Yuanchuan moved his arm slightly, figuring out the situation. "No fractures, probably soft tissue contusion, nothing serious." He pulled out his phone again, turned on the flashlight, and gestured for him to bend his knees slightly. "First, worry about whether your face is disfigured."
Using the flashlight, Chen Yuanchuan moved closer to Xi Qing. A few pieces of glass had sunk shallowly into the skin. Although it had caused bleeding, it didn't appear to have damaged the dermis, so it wouldn't leave a scar.
Chen Yuanchuan breathed a sigh of relief, and then noticed that Xi Qing's face was shrouded in a halo. Her intact skin was delicate and white, and even fine hairs could be seen. Her beautiful eyes were looking at him in confusion.
In all fairness, Chen Yuanchuan had to admit that Xi Qing was the most beautiful person he knew. Even Xi Qian pales in comparison. An unrealistic fantasy inexplicably sprouted in his heart: If only Xi Qing were a woman.
Seeing Chen Yuanchuan's expression changing constantly and not speaking for a long time, Xi Qing asked, "What's wrong?"
Chen Yuanchuan shook off his strange thoughts and coughed lightly, "The wound is not deep, it won't leave a scar."
Xi Qing responded, looked at his hand, and still found it funny: "Yuanchuan, we are really destined to be together. My hand hasn't healed yet, and you've injured it again."
"What kind of fate is this? Even if it is, it's a bad fate." Chen Yuanchuan admired Xi Qing's way of thinking and complained unhappily.
…
An hour later, a police car arrived at the scene with its lights on. After collecting evidence, the police took Xi Qing and Chen Yuanchuan to a local hospital to bandage their wounds while they took their statements.
Everything was done and it was almost dawn. Xi Qing hailed a taxi at the hospital gate.
After getting in the taxi, the driver would occasionally glance at Xi Qing and Chen Yuanchuan in the rearview mirror. After all, one of them had several patches of gauze on his face, and the other had his right arm bandaged, making for a rather odd sight.
Seeing this, Chen Yuanchuan narrowed his eyes slightly and made eye contact with the driver in the mirror. The driver smiled awkwardly and stopped glancing at him.
Xi Qing said to Chen Yuanchuan, "I contacted the assistant and had Auntie transferred to Chunzhi Hospital. The doctor said it's nothing serious, don't worry."
Chen Yuanchuan expressed his gratitude, and Xi Qing continued, "Since I'm in this state now, I'd better not go visit Auntie. I'll waive all of Chunzhi's expenses. Just consider it as compensation for this unexpected disaster."
"I'll give you a break during this time so you can recover from your injuries and prepare for your certification exams. After all, Chinese medicine is extensive and profound, so you still need to learn a lot."
Chen Yuanchuan nodded, then thought of something and asked hesitantly, "When will you have acupuncture on your hand?"
"Let's talk about it after you finish your vacation."
When they arrived near Chunzhi Hospital, the two got out of the car and Chen Yuanchuan went to Chen's mother's ward.
After consulting the attending doctor and understanding Chen's mother's condition, Chen Yuanchuan felt relieved. He found a random excuse to explain the injury on his hand. Seeing that Chen Yuanchuan was exhausted, Chen's mother urged him to go home to take a shower and go to bed.
Chen Yuanchuan had just walked out of the door of Chunzhi when he ran into Xi Qing who had changed into new clothes. Opposite him was a hot beauty in a black long skirt. She smiled charmingly and parted her red lips: "I will do it." After she finished speaking, she walked forward and hugged Xi Qing.
Xi Qing patted her on the back, and the beautiful woman turned and got into a white car. She blew a kiss to Xi Qing and drove away. The two looked very well matched.
Chen Yuanchuan's mind raced. What was their relationship? Boyfriend and girlfriend?
It was clearly proven that Xi Qing was a straight man, and he should have been relieved, but Chen Yuanchuan felt a surge of jealousy in his heart for no reason. He did not walk out of the hospital until Xi Qing left.
A few days later, Chen's mother was discharged from the hospital and returned to work. Chen Yuanchuan's arm was still weak and needed time to recover. In his bedroom, Chen Yuanchuan was carefully reading the Traditional Chinese Medicine manual he had redeemed through the system. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Thinking his mother had forgotten her keys, Chen Yuanchuan hurried out to open the door.
It was actually Xi Qing! He was holding some gifts.
Chen Yuanchuan invited Xi Qing in, suppressed his secret joy, and pretended to be calm and asked, "Why are you here?"
Xi Qing smiled and said, "I came to visit you."
Xi Qing looked around. The room was not large, but warm and tidy. He was soon attracted by a photo placed on the TV cabinet.
Chen Yuanchuan's eyes widened, and he took a step forward, just as he was about to snatch it away, but Xi Qing quickly picked it up -
The background of the photo is in this home. A little boy, about five or six years old, is standing in front of the door. He has big, round eyes and makes a scissors hand gesture. Even though he is missing a front tooth, he still smiles brightly and looks very proud.
Xi Qing compared the picture with Chen Yuanchuan's current appearance and said with a smile, "Yuanchuan, you looked like this when you were a child. Very cute."
Under Xi Qing's gaze, Chen Yuanchuan's face flushed and he muttered, "Just an ordinary child." Chen Yuanchuan has been naughty since he was a child. He is sure that Xi Qing must have been much cuter than himself when he was a child. He must have been a delicate and exquisite little boy... Chen Yuanchuan suddenly imagined it in his mind and felt very cute.
Xi Qing shook his head upon hearing this, raised his eyes and looked at Chen Yuanchuan, his expression unclear, "Not ordinary."
Chen Yuanchuan didn't quite understand what Xi Qing said. He scratched his head and asked Xi Qing to sit on the sofa in the living room. "Just give me a call next time you come. If I'm not home today, you've come here in vain."
Xi Qing raised his eyebrows, "Then... add me as a friend?"
"Huh?...That's fine." Chen Yuanchuan took out his mobile phone and opened the QR code.
After adding Xi Qing as a friend, Chen Yuanchuan saw that Xi Qing's profile picture was a binary image of white text on a black background. He couldn't help but feel surprised. "Is this, computer language? You're interested in this?"
"Isn't it interesting that the world can be made up of only 0 and 1?" An inorganic light flashed in Xi Qing's eyes.
Chen Yuanchuan nodded as if he understood. It was a little hard to understand. Xi Qing wasn't a computer science major after all...
Xi Qing also saw Chen Yuanchuan's portrait at this time. It was an oil painting with lively brushstrokes, depicting several vibrant sunflowers with brilliant colors.
"Do you like sunflowers?" Xi Qing asked.
Chen Yuanchuan nodded, and suddenly felt the urge to show off, "I drew the avatar myself."
Xi Qing was deeply surprised. The original novel never mentioned Chen Yuanchuan's ability to paint... Perhaps after his career became successful, he no longer needed to pick up a brush. This showed that the original novel's description wasn't the whole story. Xi Qing pondered.
Back to reality, seeing Chen Yuanchuan pretending to be unconcerned but actually looking like a peacock spreading its feathers, Xi Qing snorted and praised him, "That's amazing! So, great painter Yuanchuan, can you paint a picture for me? After you recover from your injury."
Chen Yuanchuan hadn't expected Xi Qing to say that. He actually considered himself quite good at portraiture, but he'd lost interest in the last few years. He glanced up at Xi Qing again, suddenly feeling a surge of inspiration. Sure enough, beautiful things can inspire creativity.
"Okay, I'll draw it for you then, and you're not allowed to object."
"I definitely don't mind."
When Chen Yuanchuan heard this, he looked quite satisfied. He took out a booklet from the bedroom and showed it to Xi Qing. The booklet contained all of Chen Yuanchuan's previous paintings.
Xi Qing could sense the agility and vitality in Chen Yuanchuan's paintings, his passion for painting clearly evident in his brushstrokes. He couldn't help but glance sideways, seeing Chen Yuanchuan's eyes gleaming.
"Then why did you choose to be a doctor?" Xi Qing asked softly.
"...My mother wants me to be a doctor. After all, I can't make much money from painting." Chen Yuanchuan smiled slightly and said casually.
Everything was Chen Yuanchuan's personal choice. Furthermore, through his medical practice, he had truly become a worldly winner. Xi Qing didn't actually understand the importance of hobbies to humans; he simply patted Chen Yuanchuan on the shoulder, expressing his understanding.
After admiring Chen Yuanchuan's portfolio, Xi Qing saw that it was getting late and was about to leave. At the door, he encouraged Chen Yuanchuan: "Do well in the exam. Keep going."
Chen Yuanchuan leaned against the doorframe and nodded. Just then, footsteps sounded from downstairs. Xi Qing turned around and saw a woman with short, curly hair who bore a passing resemblance to Chen Yuanchuan. She was carrying large and small bags of food.
"Mom, you're off work. This, uh, is my boss. He came to see me." Chen Yuanchuan didn't expect Xi Qing to run into Chen's mother who had left work early.
Xi Qing nodded politely, acting like a respectful junior, and said softly, "Hello, Auntie. I'm Yuanchuan's boss and friend. I'm here to visit Yuanchuan. Sorry to bother you."
Mother Chen had never seen such a handsome and noble person, and he was so humble. She was stunned for a moment and instinctively said, "Oh, then why don't you have a simple meal here?"
Xi Qing shook her head. "No, Auntie, thank you for your kindness." Then she gestured to Chen Yuanchuan to leave. Chen Yuanchuan waved his hand casually.
After Chen's mother put down her things in the kitchen, she was still a little shaken. Even though Xi Qing was trying to be more reserved, ordinary people, especially someone as timid as Chen's mother, could still sense his majesty. She quickly asked, "Yuanchuan, that person... is your boss?"
Chen Yuanchuan said quietly, "Actually... he is the boss of Chunzhi."
Chen's mother's eyes widened, a look of astonishment on her face. Her lips parted slightly, but she couldn't utter a word for a long time. Boss Chunzhi actually came to visit her son?!
"Son, you are not kidding, are you? He also said that he is your friend... Are you friends with Boss Chunzhi?" Chen's mother covered her mouth in surprise.
Not only that, he even slept with your son, Chen Yuanchuan muttered speechlessly. But he definitely couldn't tell this to Chen's mother.
"It's just a coincidence. Okay, Mom, don't you want to cook? I'll help you pick the vegetables." Chen Yuanchuan pulled his mother into the kitchen. His mother wanted to say something but stopped herself. Seeing that Chen Yuanchuan didn't want to talk about this topic anymore, she had to give up.
…
In the following days, Xi Qing came to visit Chen Yuanchuan's house from time to time. For some reason, Chen Yuanchuan looked at Xi Qing's sincere face and couldn't say anything to refuse, so he let him "disturb" him every now and then.
Chen's mother was initially frightened, but later she was moved by Xi Qing's friendly attitude, and occasionally she would enthusiastically invite Xi Qing to her home for dinner.
The day before the Chinese Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine's assessment, Chen Yuanchuan called Xi Qing to come home for the first time.
In the afternoon, as soon as Xi Qing came up, Chen Yuanchuan took Xi Qing to the bedroom. After entering the room, Xi Qing's eyes flashed with surprise.
In front of him was an easel, and next to it was a desk filled with painting tools, while original medical textbooks were piled on the bed.
"I'm now fulfilling my promise to you. You sit... here." Chen Yuanchuan looked around, ran to the living room, picked up a chair, and moved it to the window of the bedroom. Xi Qing sat down according to Chen Yuanchuan's instructions.
Sunlight streamed through the window, spilling onto a corner of the bedroom, casting a golden glow on Xi Qing's handsome face. Xi Qing sat on a chair, one foot hooked on the crossbar, his posture casual, as he met Chen Yuanchuan's gaze.
Chen Yuanchuan stood before the easel, observing Xi Qing's outline. His gentle eyes gave him the illusion that he was painting for Xi Qing, like his lover...
Chen Yuanchuan came back to his senses, a chill running down his spine at his own thoughts. He shook his head sharply, took a deep breath, and his expression suddenly changed, revealing the focus and enthusiasm of an artist.
Whenever he caught a glimpse of Xi Qing's subtle expression, Chen Yuanchuan would quickly sketch a few strokes on the canvas, fearing to miss even a single detail. Sometimes, Chen Yuanchuan would step back, narrowing his eyes to survey the entire painting before approaching the canvas again and continuing his work. Throughout this process, Xi Qing maintained the same posture, his gaze piercing.
As time goes by, Xi Qing in the painting gradually becomes vivid and three-dimensional, as if he has his own soul.
As the afterglow of the setting sun filled the bedroom, Chen Yuanchuan gently raised his hand and dipped his paintbrush into a touch of light blue, adding a touch of depth to Xi Qing's eyes. "Alright." Chen Yuanchuan breathed a sigh of relief, scanning the entire space, leaving nothing out.
Upon hearing this, Xi Qing stretched his stiff limbs and walked over to the easel to examine it. His own face came vividly to life on the canvas. Chen Yuanchuan skillfully used color, perfectly incorporating Xi Qing's unique temperament into the painting. Warm tones intertwined with delicate brushstrokes, while only the coolness in his eyes quietly revealed Xi Qing's aloof nature.
Xi Qing's ardent gaze lingered on the canvas, "Yuanchuan, you paint so well."
"It's okay, hahaha." After finishing this painting which showed all his skills, Chen Yuanchuan returned to his usual carefree state, speaking modest words but with a big smile on his face.
Xi Qing's eyes flickered as he turned to Chen Yuanchuan and said, "Moments like this must be recorded."
"Um?"
Xi Qing took out his cell phone and turned on the front camera. The screen immediately showed Xi Qing's smile and Chen Yuanchuan's stunned look.
"...I'm not as good-looking as you." Chen Yuanchuan reacted and looked at the two people in front of the camera. Their temperaments were very different. Xi Qing was a nobleman, while he was just a scoundrel. He muttered to himself.
"It looks good, I like it." Xi Qing said these earth-shattering words in the most ordinary tone.
Chen Yuanchuan was startled when he heard this and looked sideways at Xi Qing.
"Click." The scene was perfectly captured by the phone. Xi Qing's fingers flew, and the video was transmitted to Chen Yuanchuan's phone. He raised his lips and said, "Gift exchange."
"What... do you mean?" Chen Yuanchuan licked his dry lips. Is Xi Qing going to confess his love? How can I decline politely without hurting his feelings? Waiting online, urgent.
Xi Qing smiled, "I like your looks. If I had a fierce look like you, I wouldn't need to wear glasses to enhance my aura."
What? Chen Yuanchuan hadn't expected this. A tiny hint of disappointment flashed through his heart, but he himself hadn't noticed it yet.
…
That evening, Chen Yuanchuan sat in a rocking chair on the balcony and picked up his phone. On it was a photo of the two of them. Xi Qing was beaming, while he looked like a dull idiot in the photo, his face flushed...
Chen's mother came over from behind and saw the photo. Her eyes curved into crescents as she chatted to Chen Yuanchuan, "Xi Qing is so handsome and polite. I wonder which girl would be lucky enough to marry him."
Chen Yuanchuan couldn't help but recall Xi Qing's wedding scene. In a grand church, Xi Qing put a wedding ring on another woman, smiling tenderly... Thinking of this, his heart ached.
What happened to me? Chen Yuanchuan sat up straight.
The author has something to say:
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I typed nearly 5,000 words in anger, and my body was exhausted...
Qingqing and Chuanchuan are starting to be sweet, hehehe
(300 words were added to the previous chapter, you can go and check to see if it has been added)
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