0060 67 Reality without Name
It was noon when Zhou Xiye and Ye Lifeng left the Xishan Villa and returned to Ye Lifeng's house.
"There's a family dinner at noon today, would you like to join us?" Ye Lifeng suddenly asked as they walked back to the door of the Ye family study.
Zhou Xiye naturally declined, saying, "I'm having a family dinner at noon, so I won't bother you."
"You..." Ye Lifeng paused, originally wanting to ask if she still had any family? One was in prison, and the other two were in a mental hospital, but since it was the New Year, he had to be careful with his words, so he could only nod, "Okay, then I'll send someone to take you."
"No need, thank you, Minister, I drove here."
Ye Lifeng nodded, and as he turned to push open the study door, he called out to Zhou Xiye, "By the way... about Ling Xingzhi's sister getting married, they just sent out the invitations yesterday. I might not be able to go, so you can go in my place."
Zhou Xiye raised an eyebrow. So fast? He knew that the Song family would curry favor with the Ling family when he last met with Song Yunshen to discuss matters, but he did not expect the marriage to happen so quickly.
“Okay, I’ll arrange a time to go. As for the gift, what are you planning to give?” Zhou Xiye asked in detail.
Ye Lifeng thought for a moment, "You can prepare everything. Keep the invoices and everything, and I'll reimburse you." After saying that, Ye Lifeng beckoned Zhou Xiye to go into the study with him to get the invitations. "These are the wedding invitations. The engagement banquet is tonight, and it's very private, so you don't need to go."
Zhou Xiye put away the invitation and left Ye Lifeng's house.
Just as Zhou Xiye reached the car, his phone rang. It was an unknown number. He answered, "Hello..."
How come you don't even know my phone number?
It was Yi Chenling. Zhou Xiye got into the car. "What do you need?"
"You haven't wished me a Happy New Year yet."
"Wishing Yi Chenling and Young Master Yi a Happy New Year, all the best, and peace year after year," Zhou Xiye fastened his seatbelt. "All done?"
"Where are you? Was the person who went back last time your brother? Wasn't your brother already in jail? Where did you get a brother? Is he your lover?"
Zhou Xiye turned on the hands-free mode, placed the phone on the passenger seat, turned the steering wheel, and drove off.
"Are you done talking? I'm hanging up now."
"You haven't answered my question yet."
Zhou Xiye lost his patience and was about to hang up the phone when he heard the other end say, "If you dare hang up, I'll come to your house! Is your little lover still there? I saw you two hugging while watching TV last time!"
Zhou Xiye was annoyed by Yi Chenling's unreasonable behavior and hung up the phone. While waiting at a red light, Zhou Xiye called Zhou Pei, "Why don't you come out at noon? Let's go to the supermarket to buy some food first?"
"good."
Unfortunately, as soon as Zhou Pei opened the door, he saw Yi Chenling standing at the door, about to ring the doorbell.
"Who are you looking for?" Zhou Pei asked.
Yi Chenling put away his phone and sized up Zhou Pei. He was a good-looking man, and didn't seem to resemble Zhou Xiye. Was he her brother? Yi Chenling chuckled inwardly. "I'm looking for Zhou Xiye. I'm her boyfriend. Who are you?"
Zhou Pei frowned. Zhou Xiye only admitted to having one boyfriend, Ye Rouxin. If someone could say that, then Ye Rouxin must be a man Zhou Xiye had played around with.
"I'm her younger brother, Zhou Pei. She's not here. Would you like to come in and wait?"
Yi Chenling was taken aback, then nodded, "Okay..." He was puzzled by Zhou Pei's reaction. After entering the house, Zhou Pei poured him a glass of water, glanced at her watch, and said, "I have something to do, so I'll leave first. You can wait for her here."
After saying that, he picked up the cloth bag next to him, pushed open the door and went out.
Yi Chenling instinctively felt that something was wrong. If Zhou Pei was Zhou Xiye's lover, why would he introduce himself as Zhou Xiye's younger brother? Then how could the two of them be watching TV together? If he wasn't her lover, how could Zhou Xiye suddenly have a younger brother?
Are they going to trap us like turtles in a jar?
Yi Chenling came to see Zhou Xiye purely out of boredom. His good friends' parties were all about drinking, picking up girls, and bragging, which he found utterly uninteresting. Zhou Xiye was much more interesting. However, the Yi family had to attend the Ling family's engagement banquet that evening, so he just needed her to amuse himself and not let it interfere with important matters.
Just as he feared it, the door lock clicked as soon as it was closed. Yi Chenling jumped up, walked to the door, and tried to turn the handle, but couldn't open it no matter how many times he tried. He kicked the door angrily, then walked back to the sofa and sat down.
Yi Chenling dared not drink the water Zhou Pei poured for him; it was drugged, and he wouldn't even know where he was when he woke up. Lying calmly on the sofa, Yi Chenling stared at the ceiling, pondering Zhou Xiye and Zhou Pei's affair—suddenly, he remembered Zhou Xiye's room next door, a room he had never visited during his stay there.
He stood up and walked over, pushing the door, but it wouldn't open. It must be that adulterer's room! Yi Chenling's forehead broke out in a cold sweat. He felt used, had been slept with for so many days for nothing, and he had even come to comfort Zhou Xiye out of kindness, only to find out this woman had more than one man.
Enraged, he picked up the phone and called Zhou Xiye.
"Hello, the number you dialed is currently busy..."
Yi Chenling hung up the phone and cursed, "You bitch!"
Zhou Xiye was indeed on the phone. It was with her usual gift supplier, preparing a wedding gift for Ling Xingzhi's younger sister, Ling Xingxi. It couldn't be too cheap, nor too expensive. Besides the ministers, the Emperor would also be attending the wedding and sending gifts. According to rank, Ye Lifeng's gift couldn't be among the top ten in terms of price.
After Zhou Xiye finished discussing things, Zhou Pei also arrived at the supermarket.
The two went inside. "Sis, someone who said he was your boyfriend came to the house earlier. I told him to wait for you at home."
Zhou Xiye frowned. "Yi Chenling, you know him, right?"
Zhou Pei nodded, and unintentionally took Zhou Xiye's hand. The two walked side by side, with Zhou Pei looking ahead.
"Sister, did you really sleep with him?"
Such a calm tone made Zhou Xiye suddenly feel guilty, and he tightened his grip on Zhou Pei's hand, "You know, these men are all just passing through..."
Zhou Pei stopped and turned to look at her. "Really? Are they really just passing through, sister?"
Beneath his calm exterior lay immense anger. Zhou Xiye looked into Zhou Pei's eyes and saw his own reflection there.
The lyrics of a song swirling overhead in the supermarket were lively: "Chinese New Year - Happy New Year—"
Zhou Xiye opened his mouth, but aside from the unhappiness in Zhou Pei's eyes, the background behind him was all festive red, and everyone was smiling. "Zhou Pei, what are we doing... Today is New Year's Eve, let's not fight, okay? It's all my fault... I shouldn't have..."
Zhou Xiye licked his lips, unsure how to continue.
Zhou Pei looked at Zhou Xiye, his eyes filled with unpredictable emotions. Finally, he seemed to have figured it out, and his lips twitched briefly. "Sister, did he seduce you?"
Zhou Xiye had absolutely no idea how to answer.
Zhou Pei asked again, "He seduced you, didn't he?"
Under his gaze, Zhou Xiye nodded involuntarily. Zhou Pei seemed relieved and reached out to pull her into his arms. "I really hope that all these men who covet you will die, and that the two of us will be the only ones left in this world."
After he finished speaking, he touched Zhou Xiye's back repeatedly.
The two of them pushed their shopping cart out after shopping. Zhou Xiye checked the time and realized it would be too late to cook dinner at home, so they decided to eat out. They arrived at a restaurant that Zhou Xiye frequented. The restaurant was packed, but the lobby manager, seeing Zhou Xiye, still arranged a private room for them.
"Sister, after we finish eating, shall we go see a movie this afternoon? Or should we go tomorrow?"
Zhou Xiye neatly arranged the menu and handed it to the waiter. "Everyone's off today, let's go see it tomorrow. I also want to see the new movie by the Imperial Director."
Zhou Pei looked at his phone. "His movie release has been delayed due to some unforeseen circumstances."
What factors?
Zhou Pei chuckled and took Zhou Xiye's hand, which was resting on the table. "Sister, it seems you haven't been doing well lately... I heard from people in the industry that the movie 'National Director' was shown at Secretary Ling's family banquet a couple of days ago, and then, for some reason, it was pulled from theaters overnight."
Zhou Xiye nodded and didn't say anything more. This Lunar New Year film season is supposed to be a time for everyone to enjoy themselves. Why did you, Ling Xingzhi, stop everyone else from watching the movie after you've already seen it? Perhaps there are hidden reasons, but Ling Xingzhi's sycophantic face made it impossible for Zhou Xiye to have any good feelings towards him.
The waiter brought in the food, and the two ate their meal, completely forgetting that Yi Chenling was locked in the house.
He opened the refrigerator and looked inside. There were indeed quite a few good things inside, including the fruit he wanted and some cooked food. Yi Chenling took out a box of cherries, rinsed them with water, and ate them. But after a short while, he got hungry. Eating fruit wouldn't fill him up, so he rummaged through the refrigerator for cooked food. He looked at the pig's feet and pig's knuckles and was momentarily at a loss.
It tastes good... but, is this even edible?
Should I just bite into it, or cut it first? Yi Chenling took the pizza out of the refrigerator. It was raw. How am I supposed to eat this?
He doesn't know how to heat up food either.
His good upbringing reminded him not to behave inappropriately in someone else's home, but his stomach was growling with hunger. He called Zhou Xiye, but that bitch wouldn't answer. He couldn't get out... and she wasn't coming back.
Thinking of this, Yi Chenling turned to look at the balcony. Did he have to climb out again?
Well, Yi Chenling took out all the edible food that didn't need to be heated from the refrigerator, put it on the coffee table, and ate it all at once. After filling his stomach, the clock had already struck two o'clock, and he felt a little tired. He closed his eyes and fell asleep on the sofa.
When the car arrived at the building, it was already in the garage and the seatbelts were unbuckled. When Zhou Xiye pushed open the car door, Zhou Pei didn't move.
"Is there anything else?"
Zhou Pei looked at Zhou Xiye and smiled. "Hmm, I just remembered, Jiang Yunpeng asked me to bring him some Beijing specialties. I haven't bought them yet. Sister, you go upstairs first, I'll come back as soon as I've bought them."
Zhou Xiye jumped out of the car. "Okay."
Watching Zhou Pei's car drive away, Zhou Xiye turned around and went upstairs, taking out his phone to find many missed calls and messages from Yi Chenling.
"Zhou Xiye, is this edible? [Picture of pig's feet]"
"Zhou Xiye, you vicious woman, are you trying to starve me to death?"
"..."
Zhou Xiye took out his key and opened the door. Yi Chenling was there, hugging a pillow, head down, asleep.
There were many fruit scraps on the coffee table in front of him, and Zhou Xiye gently closed the door.
He walked up to him, glanced at the swirling clouds on the coffee table, then at the seemingly harmless sleeping Yi Chenling, and, lacking patience, slapped him.
With a start, Yi Chenling woke up. He looked up at Zhou Xiye, his eyes filled with confusion. After a few seconds, he finally understood what was going on.
"Zhou Xiye, you..."
Zhou Xiye placed his hand on his head and twirled it around. "Look at you! You're supposed to be a rich young master, and this is how you eat? This is how you ruin other people's homes! Clean up this garbage and get out of here!"
Yi Chenling suddenly felt wronged, "If Zhou Pei hadn't locked me here, would I have been able to eat so much of your food?"
Zhou Xiye looked at her with his arms crossed, his weight on one leg, standing with his legs apart. "Did I send you to find me?"
Yi Chenling was taken aback, but the next second he laughed and nodded, "Okay, I guess I was being a jerk." Then he stood up, bent over, and cleaned up all the trash on the coffee table, throwing it into the trash can.
Zhou Xiye nudged the trash can with his toe. "Throw it away. There's a custom: you can't throw away trash from the first to the fifth day of the Lunar New Year."
Yi Chenling took a deep breath and looked at Zhou Xiye. "Do you know that I didn't come to you to clean your house?"
"Then why are you eating my food?"
Unable to argue his point, Yi Chenling nodded fiercely, picked up the trash bag (preferably with just one finger), and after taking a few steps, he seemed to calm down. "You wait, I'll make sure you regret this. But since it's the New Year, I'll let you off the hook this time..."
"Don't come here again."
Yi Chenling froze for a few seconds, then turned to look at her. "What do you mean?"
"Literal meaning."
"Zhou Xiye, do you think I'm some Tom, Dick, or Harry that you can sleep with whenever you want and kick out whenever you don't?"
Zhou Xiye looked at Yi Chenling without saying a word. At this moment, Yi Chenling's expression was serious and earnest. "If I were that kind of person, I would never get entangled with you."
"Aren't you doing this for your father?"
Yi Chenling chuckled, "Yes and no. You don't need to think so highly of yourself, that you can only achieve your goal by sleeping with me."
"Okay, then we..."
"You're doing this for your little lover, aren't you? On the surface, you're like siblings, but in reality, he's already in your bed, and you two are living a marriage in name only," Yi Chenling said as he approached Zhou Xiye. "You're really lucky. When your brother isn't around, you sleep with me, and when he comes back, you kick me aside and enjoy the bliss of having two wives, don't you?"
Few people knew anything about Zhou Pei's relationship with her, or rather, no one knew what kind of relationship they had. Even if Jiang Yunpeng felt that Zhou Pei liked him, as long as Zhou Xiye didn't show obvious affection, they would all think it was just a younger brother liking an older sister.
It's understandable; the younger brother was rescued by his older sister.
"What about your boyfriend? Does Ye Rouxin know?" Yi Chenling's smile was laced with malice. "Asexual? He can't really be, can he? I thought he was just pretending and that he actually liked men."
Zhou Xiye glared at him. "Do you have any evidence? Did you see it? Do you have a video or an audio recording?"
Yi Chenling shrugged. "So what if there's a video? You won't admit it anyway."
"So, you better behave yourself and don't say things you shouldn't, or your tongue might not stay in your mouth."
Yi Chenling laughed, bending over and pressing his face against Zhou Xiye's. "Not in my mouth? Looks like you know my tongue feels best inside your pussy..."
Zhou Xiye didn't react to his teasing. "If you want to play games with me, you have to abide by my rules. Otherwise, I don't know what I might do."
Yi Chenling looked at her and said, word by word, "It seems your Achilles' heel is Zhou Pei, isn't it?"
Zhou Xiye sneered, "My parents are locked up in a mental hospital by me, their lives are in my hands. I even sent my brother to prison. Yi Chenling, what do you think you are, daring to threaten me with Zhou Pei?"
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