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In a house in Beijing.
Chu Sinian snapped out of his daze and looked away. "What are you doing?"
Chen Chi's eyes were like a shower of stars, his face firmly imprinted in the eye of the storm. "Chu Sinian, there is no such thing as being even."
His gaze gently fell on the cheek where he had been slapped. "I owe you, and I haven't paid you back."
Chu Sinian pushed him away, sat up straight, and gritted his teeth, "You don't need to pay me back."
He stood up, his face contorted with anger. "If you don't owe me anything, what do you owe me?"
"You gave me freedom, didn't you say so?" Chen Chi's face was extremely gloomy. He simply sat still on the sofa, and the suffocating fear seeped into every nook and cranny.
Chu Sinian frowned, turned away a few steps in frustration, and said, "That's what I owe you, and I should pay it back."
Chen Chi spoke calmly, his heart pounding wildly beneath his expressionless face, "You've never owed me anything. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be alive today."
Because of Chu Sinian's trickery, Chen Xing sensed that there was something to gain and stopped bothering to humiliate him. A medical team was quietly put in his place to keep him alive, fearing that his death would sever the Chu family's lifeline.
Not only did he not die, but he also grew stronger under Chu Sinian's painstaking care.
They even allowed him to start a fight at Kong Bo's birthday party.
Chen Chi never blamed him for being locked up in a mental hospital; in fact, the word "blame" was completely unfounded from the beginning.
Chu Sinian's malice towards him was the most reckless, naive, and twisted he had ever encountered in his childhood.
The coexistence of evil and good plunged him into repeated self-torture, causing him to doubt time and again whether he had lost his mind.
He hated Chu Sinian, he resented Chu Sinian, but there were always more complex and unbearable emotions that overwhelmed all of that.
Long before the cabin, long before the day he walked several kilometers to bring him food regardless of the cold or heat, long before he carefully protected the subtle acts of flattery that seemed to come out of indifference, he had already subconsciously reconciled with hatred and resentment.
What followed the reconciliation was an increasingly intense longing for affection.
He eagerly awaited Chu Sinian's arrival, anticipating seeing him panting as he appeared before him, anticipating Chu Sinian's barely concealed but undeniable worry, and anticipating hearing him say words of compensation.
He attempted to use guilt to hold Chu Sinian hostage for the rest of his life.
I look forward to seeing his eyes, brimming with spring water, fall upon me.
But Chen Chi realized it too late.
Two years apart in the wooden house was too long. It wasn't until the day Chu Sinian returned to China and he found him again that he saw the boy following Chu Sinian under that hot sycamore tree.
He suddenly realized that jealousy and grief had overwhelmed his mind.
"What haven't I owed you?"
Chu Sinian pointed at him angrily, "I think you've really forgotten the pain once the wound has healed. Have you forgotten everything I did to you before? All those accusations you just made, one by one, have you forgotten them all?!"
Chen Chi stared at Chu Sinian so intently he practically burned a hole through him. "How could I possibly forget?"
He stood up and stared intently at the other person, "I hate you, I hate that you didn't settle things with me, I hate that you're different from me."
Chu Sinian was suddenly overcome with a tremendous sense of panic, wanting to escape this space filled with a sour smell. He tried to move his legs, but his feet seemed rooted to the spot, as if the air in his body was being sucked away.
He realized something irreversible was about to burst forth, "Stop talking, stop talking!"
I like you, do you know that?
Chu Sinian was almost stunned.
It felt as if a thousand pounds were pressing down on his neck, making it impossible for him to lift his head.
Chen Chi suddenly laughed, a laugh that seemed to gather all the bitterness in the world and carve it out with a blade, stroke by stroke.
Chu Sinian felt panicked at this moment, as if all his organs had been hollowed out and he had been swept into a huge sandstorm.
Chen Chi's eyes darkened: "Are you satisfied with this answer?"
Chu Sinian slumped onto the sofa.
“I’ve looked for you many times, and I know everyone around you.”
"Kong Bo, Ning Zicheng, Yu Shi, Uncle Huang..."
"Stop talking!" Chu Sinian glared at him, his eyes reddening at some point.
Chen Chi's gaze froze, his throat burning as if it had been set on fire, the pain making him hoarse. "It's always been me who's obsessed with you, Chu Sinian, it's always been me."
“I know I’m abnormal. I think if you get a boyfriend in college, I’ll let you go. Otherwise, I’ll drive myself crazy sooner or later and tie you to my side.”
He said obsessively, "But you didn't. You even came to my university. That day in the classroom, I originally wanted to warn you. I knew we were too close, and I wouldn't be able to hold back. Writing it all off was a reminder to myself that I wanted to let you go."
"But you explained to me that you only see Yu Shi and Ning Zicheng as your younger brothers."
He was the one whose words were relentlessly pressing in, and he was also the one who was driven to the brink of despair.
Chen Chi closed his eyes, his extremely gloomy expression revealing a weariness that seemed to be overwhelmed. The thoughts that had been nagging at him day and night for many years finally burst forth.
"That night, Chu Sinian realized that I had been deceiving myself."
"Even without these, I would never let you go."
Chu Sinian was overwhelmed by a mountain of emotions, his nose filled with tears. He instinctively grabbed the sofa, his fingertips turning white. "No...you, you're wrong, you don't like me."
"I like you."
"No... it's you."
Chen Chi couldn't understand why Chu Sinian was crying, even though it was Chen Chi who had confessed his feelings.
His heart was tightly gripped, bound by chains. Every frown, smile, anger, sorrow, and joy of Chu Sinian controlled his heart.
Chen Chi lowered his eyes, raised his hand, and tried to wipe away the tears on his face. "Why are you crying? Do you feel disgusted?"
He said, "Your tears can't drown out my affection."
Chu Sinian didn't know; he knew nothing.
He felt a sharp pain in his heart, just like the day Chen Chi knocked over his lunchbox, and he couldn't explain why.
He seemed to be wiping away tears helplessly. His expression wasn't one of disgust or anger, but rather one of bewilderment, confusion, and helplessness, with some complex emotions welling up in his eyes.
Chen Chi guessed that it might be a fear that overturned his understanding of things over the years.
Chu Sinian resembled Yu Shi, who had been weeping uncontrollably that night, but his expression was not as uncontrollable as Yu Shi's. Instead, he became increasingly calm and indifferent.
Finally, he wiped away his tears, stood up, and staggered.
He stumbled toward the house, as if his back was bent, his legs were broken, and his path was collapsed by the weight of his overwhelming emotions.
Chen Chi stood in the hall, looked at the outstretched hand, curled it up, and walked to sit down on the floor next to the sofa.
He stared at the tiny, damp spot on the sofa and carefully traced the small circle with his fingertips.
He pressed down slowly and heavily, letting his tears wet his fingertips.
Chen Chi raised his hand, put it to his lips, and licked it; it was bitter.
He pulled his lips straight, and the corners of his straight lips curved into a slight smile.
He bent down, lowered his head, and covered the wet spot with the corner of his eye, feeling the morbid pain and frantic pounding of his heart.
The autumn wind blew past his clothes, stirring up a sour feeling.
—
The lonely autumn sun shines on the spring-like garden, and maple leaves fall to the ground, reflecting the sun with spring.
Chu Sinian woke up early, washed up, and lay in bed for an hour. He listened to the faint sounds from the living room, his breathing slow and his eyes blinking, his thoughts drifting with the light, changing with the times, and moving with the sky.
He got up, put on his shoes, and went outside.
Chen Chi was carrying three plates and two cups as he walked to the dining table.
Chu Sinian sat down slowly, and Chen Chi silently set out the tableware for him.
Despite his discomfort, Chu Sinian ate his breakfast bite by bite.
He didn't spare a single glance for anyone else, but his peripheral vision unconsciously searched for the figure of another person.
It was just an untimely confession. He could just scold him and kick him out. He didn't believe Chen Chi would be willing to swallow his pride and come back to him.
He didn't believe Chen Chi had feelings for him, or...
Thinking of those words, Chu Sinian gripped his chopsticks tightly.
Now that Xiao Yu is involved, we have no choice but to bite the bullet and continue the cooperation, no matter what.
He chewed the soft egg in his mouth, but a slightly bitter taste spread through his mouth, as if the egg had turned bitter and astringent.
Chu Sinian swallowed, then asked coldly, "What are your plans regarding Xiao Yu?"
Chen Chi's indifferent face visibly froze for a moment.
"This afternoon, there will be an auction of chips and other technologies in Kong Bo's auction hall. Xiao Yu will spend a lot of money; he is very interested in the newly developed equipment."
"After the auction, we will unite with other buyers to boycott the auction; I had already made arrangements beforehand."
Chu Sinian nodded; he had done a good job.
However, the police are secretly investigating the Hua Rui case, and given the Xiao family's keen sense of smell, they will probably hear about it soon.
This case is an old one, spanning the entire country, and the investigation will have to be very long.
During this period, do everything you can to cause trouble for the Xiao family.
Chu Sinian racked his brains, thinking of a solution, when suddenly there was a knock on the door.
"Come in."
The assistant, carrying a bag and holding documents, walked over. He paused when he saw someone in the hall, hesitated, and walked to Chu Sinian's side, carefully observing his expression.
The two exchanged glances, and the assistant picked out a document and handed it to him. "Sir, this is the new cooperation agreement from Ruida."
Chu Sinian grunted in agreement, took the contract, and began signing it while giving instructions on work matters.
The assistant acknowledged, put down the backpack, and continued to explain the specific affairs of the Beijing branch to Chu Sinian.
Seeing that Chu Sinian was very focused, and that the tears he had shed yesterday seemed to have disappeared with the night, Chen Chi felt no resentment. Instead, he was somewhat relieved that Chu Sinian had not shed tears in the morning.
He needs to eat breakfast and deal with the day's affairs. He is busy helping those around him get rid of trouble, but he doesn't think about himself.
Chen Chi walked outside.
Chu Sinian kept an eye on the commotion from the side. Only after the door was locked did he put away the documents and ask his assistant, "Has Hua Rui entered the investigation period?"
The assistant said, "It's started, it started overnight."
How is Yi Rou?
"The doctor conducted a psychological evaluation on her. She has some fear of the outside world. If she does not receive treatment, she will probably not be able to integrate into society or attend school normally."
"Postpone it, please hire the best mental health team."
The assistant responded, glancing at his slightly swollen eyelids, "Sir, why don't you rest for a while today? You don't look too well."
Chu Sinian shook his head, picked up the warm milk and took a sip. "Investigate who the Xiao family's rivals are. If you find them, put pressure on them and give them some incentives so they can unite to try to temporarily drive the Xiao family out of the market."
The assistant was somewhat surprised. "Isn't this too risky? What if the Xiao family rises up against us?"
Chu Sinian had a white liquid on his lips. He licked it and put the cup back. "Resistance is the best course of action. No matter how much the Xiao family stirs up trouble, they can't suppress us. If they push us too far, Chu Zhuang will take action."
"It's perfect for the dogs to fight each other. The Xiao family won't have the time or energy to investigate Yi Rou properly. It's killing three birds with one stone."
"No need to hold back," Chu Sinian gave the final order.
The assistant nodded. "I'll take care of it right away." He saw the two phones on the table, took his own, and strode off to do his job.
Perhaps it was fate that brought the Hua Rui case to him at the very beginning of his plan. Had it been any earlier or later, he might not have been able to clear Yi Rou's name.
The former was because he was still young and inexperienced, while the latter was because he had to think about himself. Once the plan entered its later stages, he would no longer be the young master of the Chu family, and the Chu family would be wiped out.
At this moment, the Hua Rui case could stir up the complex web of relationships in Beijing and add fuel to the fire for the demise of the Chu family.
All of this seems like destiny.
Chu Sinian glanced at the phone on the table and picked it up.
This isn't his; his phone is in his bedroom.
It should belong to Chen Chi.
Chu Sinian withdrew his gaze and did not look again. After a while, the door was knocked on again.
He immediately realized who it was, sat there for a few seconds, then went to open the door, tossed the phone to him without even looking, and said, "Let's go, see you at the auction this afternoon."
As Chen Chi watched his figure gradually disappear into the darkness, he stretched out his arm and easily stopped the door from closing.
Chen Chi looked up. "Let's go together this afternoon."
Chu Sinian tried to close the door, but it wouldn't budge.
He closed his eyes, suppressing a thousand thoughts deep within, and replaced them with a mocking smile. "Young Master Chen, I really can't take care of you with your presence. What if you go crazy again and try to strangle me?"
Chen Chi's expression remained unchanged. "I won't. I'm sorry."
Hearing his unwavering apology, Chu Sinian unconsciously knocked on the door, walked back to the dining table, picked up a stack of contracts that needed to be signed and reviewed, and went to the sofa.
Seeing that he didn't stop him, Chen Chi's expression didn't improve, and he silently walked to the dining table and sat down.
Chu Sinian didn't look at him, but propped himself up on his leg and started flipping through the contract page by page.
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