Chapter 47 Adopted Brother [VIP]
Pei Xuhui was speechless.
If He Anzhou asked him, he could easily come up with some reasons about personal development or entrepreneurial prospects, but he didn't want to use these excuses to deceive Qingran.
"It's just asking why I went abroad. Is it that difficult to explain?" He Anzhou sensed something was amiss and changed the subject.
"Did you listen to some irrelevant analysis from your teacher? Well, the academic atmosphere at home and abroad is indeed different..."
He beckoned the two of them to come inside: "Let's not talk about this anymore, let's go, let's go play ball."
Seeing that Qingran didn't press for details, it seemed she had accepted the reason.
Pei Xu replied, "You only invited us?"
He Anzhou: "Yeah, that's why you guys are here. Everyone else is developing their careers in other places and is too lazy to make the trip back and forth."
He Anzhou also studied at a university in another city, but he was a homebody, so he passed the teacher qualification exam and came back to teach.
He had visited this club twice at someone's invitation. It had many facilities, including spa, fitness, entertainment, beauty, and dining, offering everything one could want for eating, drinking, and having fun.
You could say that as long as you have money and free time, this place can make you so happy you won't want to leave.
The private room in the entertainment area was already booked, so the three of them went to play billiards first.
"You guys play first, I'm going out to get some drinks."
He Anzhou stood at the door and spoke, then turned off the extra lights in the room for the two of them, leaving only the lighting hanging above the pool table.
The surrounding space suddenly became dark, quiet, and secluded.
"You go first?" The man at the table handed over a cue stick that had been used to break up chocolate.
Qingran gently stroked the smooth edge of the table as she walked to the man's side: "I'm not very good at it, why don't you teach me?"
Upon hearing this, Pei Xuhui explained the rules and precautions while demonstrating them to him.
"Give it a try?"
After demonstrating, I handed him the cue stick.
Qingran took the position the man had vacated, and following the example she saw, bent down, then looked back to confirm that her posture was correct.
"so?"
With his long limbs and well-proportioned figure, as he bent over, his limbs naturally stretched out, making his waist appear even slimmer and his legs even longer, like a beautiful serpent with its tongue out.
Pei Xu glanced back, his eyes dark, and in a moment he concealed all his emotions, then stepped forward and gently touched the hand holding the stick.
"Relax, use moderate pressure, don't grip too tightly."
Then gently adjust the position and distance between his head and the club, and bend down to check for him.
"Your head should be directly above the club, about 5 to 10 centimeters away."
The two were now very close. The man leaned forward and stood behind Qingran, his voice ringing in her ears.
However, apart from pointing, there is no physical contact between the two bodies.
Pei Xuhui continued to help Qingran adjust her bridge hand, which is the hand that supports the cue stick.
"Spread your fingers as far apart as possible, press the second joint of your index finger and thumb together, and keep your fingers taut."
Qingran did as instructed, but despite his perfect coordination before, he couldn't manage a standard hand bridge this time.
His handsome brows furrowed, clearly showing frustration and impatience.
"Don't worry." Pei Xuhui noticed his emotions and spoke up to comfort him, while extending his left hand.
A man's palms are warmer, and when placed on the slightly cool back of his hand, the sensation of skin against skin becomes exceptionally pronounced.
Both of them were slightly lost in thought as they noticed the temperature, which was different from their own body temperature.
Pei Xu hesitated for a moment.
"Then what?"
Qingran turned her head to look at him, and upon closer inspection, the figure of another person was clearly visible in his eyes.
Pei Xuhui silently continued his actions.
Index finger, middle finger, ring finger... one by one, they overlapped and adjusted with the young man's fingers, showing him how to bend them, how to make them fit together, and how to apply force.
The skin beneath his hands was smooth as porcelain, and a familiar, light fragrance wafted into his nostrils, acting like a catalyst to gradually heat his breath.
The one-minute adjustment felt like an hour.
After making the adjustment, the man stood up straight and stepped back, saying in a low voice, "Try it."
Qingran aimed and struck, the target ball landing precisely in the hole. He then took a few more shots, each one landing perfectly.
"Coming, coming, help yourself to whatever you want to eat," He Anzhou said, pushing open the door.
He pushed in a mini food cart with several kinds of alcoholic beverages and snacks, parked it against the wall, and walked over to take a look at the situation on the table.
"So, whose turn is it now?"
"It's your turn." Qingran handed him the cue stick.
He Anzhou wiped his hands and chuckled, "Alright, let me show you a thing or two." He took the cue stick and ran to the table to observe which ball to hit.
Qingran and Pei Xuhui went to the food cart to choose their drinks.
Pei Xuhui picked up a glass of pomegranate juice and asked, "Juice?"
Qingran smiled and said meaningfully, "I've grown up now, brother."
As if to prove his point, he picked out a wine from several drinks and took a sip, his posture natural and relaxed.
Pei Xu recalled the ten years he had been absent from.
A hint of sadness crossed the man's face, his Adam's apple bobbed, and he tilted his head back to take a big gulp of pomegranate juice.
It's very astringent, probably because there are too many pomegranate seeds.
"You played really well just now." You played so well that it didn't seem like a beginner's play.
Qingran was indeed no novice, a fact that became clear to both of them after his shots went into the hole in the next few rounds.
It's just that one doesn't expose it, and the other doesn't admit it.
"It's because my brother taught me well."
Pei Xu shook his head.
He didn't know why Qingran lied and said she didn't know, and he didn't want to ask or dare to ask.
The edges of the space away from the pool table are dimly lit.
The two watched He Anzhou play ball from the shadows, neither of them speaking. One drank alcohol as if it were juice, while the other drank juice as if it were alcohol.
Qingran gently rested her head on the man's shoulder.
A faint aroma of wine lingers in the air, intoxicating who knows who it may have intoxicated.
...
After playing billiards, the three went on to play other games.
Qingran said she wanted to soak in a hot spring, and He Anzhou readily agreed, but Pei Xuhui dragged her to the gym instead.
Around 4 p.m., the three of them, having finished playing separately, met up in the food area.
All three had taken a bath by now. Qingran's skin was rosy, Pei Xuhui's complexion was normal, but He Anzhou looked like he had lost his parents.
Help! Who comes to a leisure club to work out?!
At this moment, Qingran said that his friend had called him earlier and he had to leave.
Pei Xuhui stood up with his car keys in hand: "I'll give you a ride."
He Anzhou: "Bye-bye."
He leaned on the table and waved, signaling Pei Xu to come back: "You're free, come back and chat after you drop people off."
The person who was supposed to dye Qingran's hair was Linxi.
Pei Xu took her back to a pet store, where Qing Ran waited for a while before seeing the people who had come from the subway.
Lin Xi ran up, panting, and asked, "You didn't have to wait too long, did you?"
Qingran: "You've only been here a little while. Why did you suddenly decide to get a pet? Aren't you busy with work?"
Lin Xi: "I raised it to help my mom pass the time. My dad and I work during the day, so having a pet makes it easier for my mom to go out for a walk and chat with people."
The reason he asked Qingran to accompany him in choosing animals was because, although Qingran was not well-liked by cats and dogs, she had a very good eye for animals.
In college, a senior student at their school, who had a cat, suddenly became unresponsive, which Qingran noticed was because he was sick.
Qingran: "Ningning isn't coming? Isn't she the one who loves cats and dogs the most?"
Lin Xi put her arm around his shoulder and laughed mischievously: "Good luck with women, he's on a date with someone, so I didn't tell her."
Qingran: "Are you in love?"
Lin Xi: "In a state of ambiguity."
Qingran: "Do you believe that she would choose the puppy over her ambiguous relationship...?"
In the car's rearview mirror, the two figures disappeared side by side at the entrance of the pet store.
The man quietly looked away from the car parked on the side of the street.
The two seemed to have a good relationship and were having a pleasant conversation, but he didn't know who the person was that made Qingran feel so relaxed and happy.
"What's wrong with you? You seem so distracted after you went out for a while?"
It was the same coffee shop. He Anzhou asked the person who sat across from him without saying a word.
"Come on, have some coffee. I guessed when you got back, so it was just served and the temperature should be just right."
"Thank you." Pei Xuhui picked up his coffee.
Seeing how calm he looked after finishing his drink, He Anzhou also picked up his glass and took a sip. He frowned repeatedly at the bitter taste and quickly added a few sugar cubes.
"You've changed so much since then. No wonder you started your own business and became a CEO. You've become so calm and composed." He said while adding sugar.
Pei Xuhui used to be quite flamboyant. He came from a good family, was good at studying, and had good interpersonal relationships. He could be described with two idioms: young and vigorous, full of ambition and high spirits.
Now.
Glancing at the expressionless face, He Anzhou recalled the incident from their first meeting. Since Yu Qingran wasn't there, he decided to ask directly.
Why did you go abroad in the first place?
The man stirred his coffee slowly, lost in thought. The murky liquid in the cup mirrored his mood—a heavy, bitter taste.
The reply was very calm: "It's for the reason you're thinking of."
He Anzhou was stunned for a moment, and felt a little guilty. Could it be because he reminded him...?
"So what are you doing now...?"
This time, the man chose to remain silent.
Although He Anzhou had anticipated the answer when he asked the question, he still felt incredulous when he saw Pei Xu actually admit it.
How long has it been?
Not ten days, not ten months, but a full ten years!
Although he and his girlfriend had been dating since college and had been talking about marriage for seven or eight years, Pei Xuhui was still considered a reincarnation of a love saint!
Touching his shocked heart, He Anzhou asked, "Does Yu Qingran know that you like him?"
Pei Xu replied, "I don't know."
He Anzhou: "Aren't you going to tell him?"
Pei Xu replied, "...Hmm."
He Anzhou: "So the reason you're so depressed is?"
Pei Xuhui fell silent.
All human suffering stems from dissatisfaction, both in the past and now.
He was the same.
He was not content with just being an older brother.
"I think you're a bit stuck in your brotherly relationship."
He Anzhou said, and began to analyze the situation for Pei Xuhui in a serious manner.
“I understand why you chose to go abroad back then. After all, you and Yu Qingran were both too young. Young people’s ideas change every day, so it’s normal for you to have concerns.”
"But now you're in your twenties, mature enough to understand what you like and dislike. You're not related by blood, how will you know it won't work if you don't try?"
Pei Xuhui gave a self-deprecating laugh.
Some things are easier said than done; the problem is that he doesn't even know if Qingran can accept men.
Even if Qingran can accept it, how can he guarantee that the person will definitely be him?
"I have no cost to make mistakes."
The man's tone was calm, but it conveyed a sense of numbness and dejection.
How could he not be numb? He had imagined these words from He Anzhou countless times over the past decade. But as long as the outcome remained the same, he would never dare to take a step forward.
He couldn't bear the thought of losing Qingran.
He Anzhou was at a loss for words. His words just now were a bit like someone who was talking without understanding the situation.
Alas, I never expected that Pei Xuhui, who is usually decisive in his actions, would be so cautious and tread on thin ice when it comes to Yu Qingran.
"Yu Qingran hasn't been in a relationship yet, has she?" He Anzhou asked.
He stroked his chin and speculated, "Back then, you two were so close, and you even liked him. Could it be that he also developed feelings for you?"
Pei Xuhui suddenly looked up.
A note from the author:
Thanks for watering! *kissing*
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