unusual
"Hello Mr. Qi, I am the police officer in charge of Ms. Qi Xi's bombing case. We have found a new surveillance video that shows a man in a white shirt entering and leaving your building on the day of the incident. We would like to ask you to identify him."
The man stood quietly in the cramped laundry room, holding a still-noisy phone in one hand and a metal object in the other.
That was the key to Wen Xu's house that he found in Wen Xu's white clothes.
······
Splash—
Dark clouds gathered on the horizon, and the once sunny sky was suddenly filled with rolling black clouds. Accompanied by thunder, heavy rain poured down.
"Tap-tap—" The sound of something falling landed on the French windows behind him. Wen Xubai had just finished giving instructions to his secretary when he turned around and was taken aback.
It was sunny and clear just a short while ago, how could it suddenly turn rainy?
"Mr. Bai, would you like me to arrange a car for you?" Ying Cheng asked at the opportune moment.
Just as he was about to agree, Wen Xubai inadvertently noticed a familiar figure downstairs.
The man stood in the pouring rain, holding a black umbrella. From the high-rise building, his face was not visible, but Wen Xubai still recognized him from the black watch on his wrist—it was Qi Zui.
That watch was a pair with the one on his wrist; Qi bought it when he came home from work one day, saying it was a couple's watch.
A watch costing a few thousand yuan isn't from any famous brand, and most people wouldn't even bother to look at it. But for Qi Zui, it's definitely the price he can afford.
Wen Xubai didn't know how long Qi had saved up the money, nor did he know when Qi had secretly gone out to take a part-time job behind his back, but the moment he received the money, all the blame turned into heartache.
Startled, Ying Cheng instinctively stood up, thinking he had said something wrong. He quickly asked, "What's wrong, Mr. Bai? Is there anything I can do for you?"
"No need." Wen Xubai had no intention of talking to him anymore and waved his hand dismissively. "I can go back by myself."
"Okay." Ying Cheng bowed slightly respectfully, then turned and left.
one two three--
The moment Wen Xubai was sure Ying Cheng was far away, he pushed open the door and rushed out. Along the way, many subordinates and colleagues greeted him, and he pretended to be calm and nodded in response to each one, but his steps were getting faster and faster uncontrollably!
Standing at the entrance of the company lobby, Wen Xubai finally saw that familiar figure.
The heavy rain blurred the man's outline and obscured his expression. He stood quietly not far away, calmly watching him.
For some reason, Wen Xubai suddenly felt a little flustered.
Ignoring the weather, he instinctively took one leg and jogged over!
He only realized what was happening when the cold rain hit his face, but he didn't stop walking and continued towards the person he longed for.
Qi Zui seemed to finally realize what was happening, and strode over through the puddles, tilting his umbrella towards Wen Xubai first.
Without the umbrella's protection, Qi Zui's body was instantly covered in raindrops.
Their steps stopped the moment they touched. Qi's largest hand grabbed Wen Xubai's unsteady body, his brows furrowing slightly: "Why did you come out?"
Wen Xubai raised an eyebrow at Qi Zui and smiled slightly, "Then why did you come here?"
The man's face, like his own, was covered in water droplets, from when he hurriedly shielded him from the rain. So, as if possessed, Wen Xubai reached out and wiped away the single raindrop that looked like a tear from his eye.
The man he touched shuddered, but grabbed his hand.
Wen Xubai was suddenly stunned, somewhat at a loss for what to do.
For some reason, he felt that Qi Zui was acting strangely today.
"What's wrong? What happened?" Wen Xubai asked, puzzled.
He slowly tightened and loosened his grip on Qi Zui's hand, his gaze filled with complex emotions, as if he were struggling with something.
Looking at his expression, Wen Xubai's heart sank to the bottom... After a while, the man suddenly smiled, took his hand and pulled him into his arms, and his clear voice, as always, rang in his ears, accompanied by the man's soft laughter.
"You were scared, weren't you? Don't worry, what could possibly happen?"
The weight lifted from Wen Xubai's heart instantly. He lightly punched Qi Zui and said angrily, "Qi Zui!"
"Hahaha—" Qi's triumphant laughter instantly resounded through the sky. He let Wen Xubai lightly punch and scold him. After Wen Xubai calmed down, he suddenly kissed the tip of his nose and laughed, "Alright, I saw that you didn't bring an umbrella when you went out, and the rain is getting heavier and heavier, so I came to pick you up."
“But… well, that’s good now…” Qi Zui glanced meaningfully at the two men’s soaked clothes.
It would have been better if he hadn't looked; once he did, Qi Zui's gaze instantly darkened.
Wen Xubai was in a hurry to go downstairs and forgot to put on a coat. He was only wearing a thin shirt, and when the rain soaked him, his underwear was suddenly exposed.
After staring at the white shirt for a while, Wen Xubai still hadn't reacted when Qi Zui shoved the umbrella handle into his hand, then deftly took off his coat and covered Wen Xubai with it.
Wen Xubai was puzzled, but his whole body was instantly covered in warmth, and his clothes were still covered with Qi Zui's scent, which kept wafting into his nostrils.
Qi Zui laughed and said, "Don't catch a cold."
Whether it was Wen Xubai's imagination or not, he felt that Qi Zui's smile carried a hint of bitterness...
Reaching out to grasp the other's hand, Wen Xubai smiled and said, "Qi Zui, let's go home."
Upon hearing this, Qi Zui was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "Okay, let's go home."
Their fingers went from clasped to intertwined, and the two looked at each other. Amidst the clamor, it seemed as if only their corner of peace remained.
As soon as he took a step out, he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure walking out of the building. Wen Xubai was startled and quickly pushed Qi Zui behind the wall to the side!
"What's wrong???" The man didn't react for a moment and almost stumbled from the push.
Seeing that Qi Zui was about to ask again, Wen Xubai didn't have time to explain. He grabbed Qi Zui's shoulder, shoved him against the wall, and then stood on tiptoe to cover him, blocking his question.
Qi Zui felt his head explode in an instant, his mind went completely blank, and the soft touch on his lips made him unable to think of anything...
His once clear vision slowly became clouded, and the hand that had been hovering beside Wen Xubai gradually fell, pressing down on the back of his head, sinking into a deep, lingering state.
Then don't think about anything anymore...
After a long time, so long that Wen Xubai felt he could hardly breathe, he finally saw the white figure gradually walk away, get into a car, and drive off.
This is a suitable narrative.
As the car horns faded into the distance, Wen Xubai finally breathed a sigh of relief and pushed Qi Zui away.
Qi seemed dissatisfied, but when he felt Wen Xubai's trembling body, he exclaimed, "What's wrong, A-Che? What did you see?"
The man peeked out and looked around, but saw nothing.
But he could clearly hear Wen Xubai's wildly beating heartbeat.
"Ache, what did you see? Why are you so scared?" Qi Zui asked with concern, even reaching out to feel the temperature of Xu Bai's forehead.
Wen Xubai's knuckles, which were gripping Qi Zui's shoulders, were turning white. He felt cold all over and could no longer tell whether the water on his body was rain or cold sweat. He slowly curled up on the ground and hugged himself.
Are you scared?
He felt dizzy and suddenly felt nauseous upon hearing Xu Bai's words.
Qi Zui had already squatted down beside him. Seeing his appearance, he was clearly terrified, and his voice trembled, "A-Che, are you feeling unwell? A-Che, can you hear me? A-Che? Chen Che?!"
"Chen Che?!"
Wen Xubai suddenly came to his senses and, looking at the anxious face so close to his, his consciousness finally cleared a bit.
Qi Zui was already frantically taking out his phone to call 120, but Wen Xubai stopped him.
"I'm fine..." He forced a smile and reassured them, "It's just a bit of a stomachache..."
"Why does my stomach hurt?" Qi Zui was a little confused, then seemed to realize something, and his expression became a little unhappy.
"Have you been too busy working and not eating properly again?" Qi Zui's eyes immediately darkened. "Man is made of iron, food is made of steel. Can work be more important than your health? You know you have a bad stomach, yet you still don't eat properly. Without me supervising you, do you think you'll...?"
The man's anxious words rang incessantly in Wen Xubai's ears like a barrage of cannon fire. In the past, Qi Zui would have annoyed him halfway through his sentences, but now, strangely, he felt a sense of peace...
The burning sensation in his stomach lessened considerably, and the panic in his heart gradually subsided, allowing him to finally catch his breath.
Qi Zui's nagging continued, and Wen Xubai weakly tugged at the man's sleeve, saying feebly, "I'm sorry, I won't do it again..."
Qi Zui, who was used to being scolded by Wen Xubai, was speechless when he heard Wen Xubai's apology. He didn't know what to say for a long time.
Looking into those eyes filled with heartache, Wen Xubai suddenly smiled, slowly reaching out to smooth the furrowed brow, and said, word by word, "I'm sorry, I won't make you worry anymore..."
He will protect Qi Zui, hide him away safely, and won't let "those people" take him away from him...
Qi Zui silently stayed with him for a long time. When he was able to straighten up with difficulty, he picked him up horizontally and carried him home without caring about the strange looks from passersby.
Lying in bed, Qi Zui rested his head on his lap and muttered, "Why don't you just quit your job? What a terrible job! You're so busy you don't even have time to eat. What if you suddenly have another attack like today?"
Wen Xubai chuckled, "Then what about the rent and utilities?"
Qi Zui choked for a moment, but his expression became serious. "At worst, I won't study anymore. I'll find several jobs, anything will do, as long as I can earn money, I can support both of us..."
Wen Xubai patted his head and gently leaned his own head against it, "That will be very tiring..."
"I'm not afraid of hard work..." Qi Zui muttered.
Wen Xubai shook his head.
"No, I can't bear to."
The man was taken aback by his words, then gently cupped his face in his hands, nuzzling it tenderly. After a long while, he whispered, "I can't bear to part with him either..."
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