Chapter 394 Three Nine Four Two Combined
394:
When Zhong Yan heard Ye Qingxi say that Qin Cheng was also going abroad, the roasted meat in her mouth suddenly seemed to lose its flavor.
"Wait, why do they all love going abroad so much?! What's so great about foreign countries anyway?!"
Ye Qingxi: ...
Ye Qingxi felt that his words were not objective at all.
"Universities abroad are indeed quite good."
"I think the ones in China are pretty good too."
"So after he finished his studies in China, he wanted to go abroad."
Zhong Yan: ...
"Don't you understand him quite well?"
Ye Qingxi: ? ? ?
"I didn't say I couldn't understand it."
Zhong Yan took out her phone, turned on the built-in mirror function, and pointed the camera directly at him. "Then look at yourself now."
Ye Qingxi: ...
Ye Qingxi knew exactly what he looked like now.
If he weren't like that, he wouldn't have specifically asked Zhong Yan to have dinner with him today.
“You’re not happy,” Zhong Yan said.
Ye Qingxi: ...
“It’s not that I’m unhappy, it’s just…” Ye Qingxi pondered, “It’s just that I feel a little sad.”
Zhong Yan nodded. "I understand."
Ye Qingxi believed he truly understood, after all, Zhong Yan was also very sad when Pei Liang left back then.
“But I thought you wouldn’t be so obvious,” Zhong Yan said. “You looked fine when Pei Liang left back then.”
“This is different,” Ye Qingxi said.
Zhong Yan nodded again, "It's different. That time in the quick question and answer session, you chose Qin Cheng over Pei Liang and Qin Cheng."
“Not really,” Ye Qingxi said. “After graduating from high school, everyone will definitely go their separate ways. The difference is that some of us go to different schools but are close to each other and can get together often, while others go to places that are too far away and can only get together on holidays.”
So it was a foreseeable separation, and he had already made some mental preparations.
But Qin Cheng is different.
"Qin Cheng... I didn't expect him to choose to pursue a master's degree, let alone study abroad. He started interning at the company after graduating from high school. I always thought he would definitely go to the company after graduating from university, so I never thought we would separate."
Naturally, they weren't mentally prepared.
Especially for the past six months, they have been living together.
When people live together, they develop habits and become dependent on each other.
Now, suddenly telling him that parting is imminent feels like having to tear off a piece of tape that you didn't even know you had stuck to your heart.
It's been stuck on for too long and too tightly, as if it were a part of my heart all along, and tearing it off would only bring pain.
Ye Qingxi could sense that he didn't want to be separated from Qin Cheng.
Although he himself was well aware that when Qin Cheng graduated from university, he would also move out of their current house.
However, moving out is different from going abroad.
Even after moving out, they will still see each other from time to time.
On a weekend afternoon, when Zhou Neiqin came to see him.
As for going abroad, that can only be done during winter and summer vacations.
Ye Qingxi was a little annoyed and took a sip of her carbonated drink.
"Why drink beverages at a time like this? Let's have some wine," Zhong Yan said.
Ye Qingxi quickly shook her head, "You've forgotten how much I can drink."
"...Then you can have fruit beer, okay?"
Ye Qingxi refused, as he didn't like fruit beer.
However, drinking carbonated beverages at this time is indeed not very stimulating.
"Then I'll have a drink," he said to Zhong Yan.
“Okay.” Zhong Yan ordered two bottles of beer and drank with him.
Ye Qingxi drank one cup, but it wasn't enough, so she drank a second one.
Zhong Yan didn't stop him; he was already unhappy, so naturally he could do whatever he wanted.
Ye Qingxi, however, was very self-disciplined and only drank two cups, afraid of getting drunk.
He started drinking beverages again.
Zhong Yan comforted him while drinking a beverage with him.
After finishing the barbecue skewers, Ye Qingxi prepared to go home.
Seeing that he had been drinking, Zhong Yan decided to take him home.
Ye Qingxi: ? ? ?
I only had two drinks.
"What if?" Zhong Yan said, "What if something happens to you?"
"How could that be?" Ye Qingxi felt that he really underestimated her.
However, Zhong Yan insisted, and he had no choice but to let Zhong Yan take him home.
He told Qin Cheng that he had dinner with Zhong Yan that evening, so Qin Cheng wasn't in a hurry to come back and wasn't home at the moment.
Zhong Yan dropped him off before heading back home, relieved.
After leaving Ye Qingxi's residential area, he called Qin Cheng as he walked towards his dormitory.
Qin Cheng heard his phone ring, looked down, saw it was him, and answered it.
"What's wrong?"
"Xiao Xi and I have finished eating," Zhong Yan said.
"Um."
Do you know why we're having dinner today?
"Didn't you arrange to meet him?" Qin Cheng asked.
This was a common occurrence between Ye Qingxi and Zhong Yan. They had a good relationship, and Zhong Yan relied more on Ye Qingxi because Pei Liang and Kang Cong were not around. Therefore, she would invite Ye Qingxi to dinner every few days. At the most frequent time, they ate dinner together four times a week.
The reason she didn't have a fifth meal was because Ye Qingxi had to rush home to eat with Mu Shaoyan.
So, after lunch today, Ye Qingxi told him about it, and Qin Cheng agreed without much thought.
Now it seems that this is not the case.
“Of course not,” Zhong Yan said. “He’s the one who asked me out.”
Qin Cheng was taken aback for a moment, then quickly understood, "It has something to do with my going abroad?"
“Mm,” Zhong Yan replied.
Qin Cheng: ...
Qin Cheng felt that his younger brother was indeed smart and meticulous.
He was clearly not as indifferent to the matter as he appeared, but he didn't want to worry himself, so he deliberately said that Zhong Yan had invited him, so that Zhong Yan would think it was just a normal dinner party and wouldn't suspect anything.
"What...did he say?"
“What do you think he will say?” Zhong Yan said, “Of course he understands and supports you, but understanding is one thing and support is another, he still can’t bear to see you go abroad.”
Qin Cheng: ...
“You weren’t there when we were drinking that day, so you don’t know that we played a quick-fire question and answer game in the middle of the day. Between you and Pei Liang, he chose you without hesitation.”
“At the time, I didn’t think anything of it. I thought he just cared about you a little more than he cared about Pei Liang, but now it seems he cares about you much more than he cares about Pei Liang.”
“He wasn’t this sad when Pei Liang went abroad. Now that you’re leaving, he’s become sad. It’s obvious that he’s more reluctant to part with you than with Pei Liang.”
This was something Qin Cheng hadn't expected.
Although last night, he vaguely sensed that Ye Qingxi was more emotional towards him than Pei Liang when it came to going abroad.
But he didn't think much of it—at that time, he was only focused on comforting his younger brother, and he didn't have the mind to care whether he cared more about him or Pei Liang.
But now, Zhong Yan bluntly told him: he was more reluctant to part with Pei Liang than with Pei Liang.
At this moment, Qin Cheng felt not joy, but heartache.
He wavered once again, a rare occurrence for him.
He thought that he didn't necessarily have to go abroad for graduate studies; sometimes, academic qualifications weren't that important.
"But don't get me wrong, I'm not saying this to keep you from going out." Zhong Yan looked at the red light in front of her, waiting for it to turn green.
He said, "People strive for higher positions, just as water flows downhill. Climbing upwards is human nature, especially for people like you and Pei Liang. You are born smarter than most people, understand what you want, crave the highest point, and know how to obtain the life you want."
"Therefore, you are destined to have an extraordinary life."
"In this world, there are those like me who are content with enjoying life, and there are those like you who are mindful of potential dangers even in times of peace. Only when everyone performs their duties can each person have their own personality and a different future."
"So I'm calling you not to condemn you, nor to hinder you. Xiao Xi is the same; although he's reluctant to let you go, he still hopes you can go out and see more of the scenery he can't see."
"I'm calling you to tell you that your brother misses you very much and cares about you a lot, so don't forget him even after you leave."
“If Pei Liang can stay up every night to chat with me, you, as his older brother, can certainly do the same, right?”
"Of course," Qin Cheng replied without hesitation.
"That's good." Zhong Yan said, "Don't forget him. Come back to see him more often when you have time. Spend more time with him while you're still here. Remember that you are very important to him, and remember to care about him more."
"That's why I'm calling you. As a friend, I wish you a bright future and endless success. But as your brother's good friend, I hope that no matter what, you will always be his best and most reliable older brother, and that you will not let him down."
"I will," Qin Cheng said.
"Okay, I'm hanging up now. You should go back too." After saying that, Zhong Yan saw the green light and walked over.
Qin Cheng hung up the phone and sat in front of the computer, remaining silent for a while.
He didn't remain silent for long. Soon, he stood up, closed his laptop, and left the office.
Ye Qingxi was reading a novel when she heard the door open.
Looking up, he saw Qin Cheng indeed.
“I’m back,” he said.
Qin Cheng nodded.
He was carrying a bag of roasted chestnuts, which were still warm.
He placed the chestnuts in front of Ye Qingxi and said to him, "Wait for me a moment."
Afterwards, Qin Cheng went into the bedroom to change his clothes and then went to the bathroom to wash his hands.
When Ye Qingxi heard him say "Wait for me," she wondered what he was up to, but he didn't stop until he sat down next to her and started peeling chestnuts.
He then realized that Qin Cheng's "wait for me" actually meant waiting for him to change his clothes and wash his hands before peeling chestnuts for him.
Ye Qingxi: ...
Ye Qingxi picked up a chestnut and silently peeled it.
But it was clear that he was far less fast than Qin Cheng in peeling.
So before he could even finish rinsing a chestnut, Qin Cheng had already peeled it and stuffed it into his mouth, then casually took the chestnut that he had just cracked open from his hand.
Ye Qingxi: ...
"You can eat it," Qin Cheng said. "Otherwise, you'll have to wash your hands again later."
"I don't mind the trouble," Ye Qingxi muttered.
No sooner had he finished muttering than Qin Cheng fed him another one.
Ye Qingxi: ...
Ye Qingxi could only silently shut up and eat the chestnuts.
"What did you and Zhong Yan eat?" Qin Cheng asked.
"Barbecued skewers," Ye Qingxi said.
"Is it tasty?"
"It's alright. Do you want to eat it? If so, we can go eat it together another day."
"Okay," Qin Cheng said.
Ye Qingxi brushed her teeth immediately upon returning home, feeling guilty, and ate some other snacks, so she couldn't smell the alcohol from his two glasses of wine.
Qin Cheng lowered his head and quietly peeled chestnuts for him.
He peeled them quickly, and Ye Qingxi couldn't keep up, so she took out a tissue and asked him to peel them and put them on the tissue.
As Qin Cheng placed the food on top, he said, "When I go there in the future, if I come across any delicious food, I'll buy some and send it to you."
Ye Qingxi was taken aback upon hearing this.
He turned to look at Qin Cheng, who also looked up and stared at him.
"I promise to message you and video call you every day, and I'll come back whenever I have a holiday."
Ye Qingxi: ...
Ye Qingxi wanted to ask him if Zhong Yan had said something to him, but she was afraid that Qin Cheng would realize something because these things had nothing to do with Zhong Yan.
“Even if I get there, we can keep in touch every day. Anyway, I’m used to going to bed late and waking up early, so whether you go to bed late and wake up late or go to bed early and wake up late, we’ll have overlapping schedules.”
Qin Cheng placed the peeled chestnuts on the paper and said gently, "There won't be any major changes. I won't disappear from your life. It's just a change of location. It won't affect anything. If you want to see me, I promise you will see me that day, and it will definitely not take more than 24 hours."
Ye Qingxi: ...
Ye Qingxi felt her nose start to sting without her realizing it.
He said, "There's no need to rush there on the same day."
"It's alright," Qin Cheng said with a smile. "Anyway, we have a private jet at home, so it's very convenient."
That makes sense, Ye Qingxi thought.
"Why are you suddenly bringing this up?" he said softly.
"I wanted to say this yesterday, but I forgot for a moment. I just remembered it on the way back." Qin Cheng continued peeling chestnuts for him.
He said, "Xiao Xi, you can come visit me then. I'll take you to see the scenery over there, the street scenes, the manor, the beach, and all the sights you've always wanted to see but haven't yet."
"Perhaps we go to an exhibition hall to look at the paintings on display. I don't understand what's so good about them, but you think their colors are beautiful."
"It's also possible that we'll go to another exhibition hall, look at the sculptures there, find them beautiful, buy them, and use them in your future film."
"We might also go to the amusement park there together. You had a lot of fun and took many photos with me, which you then posted in the family group chat."
"Of course, you don't have to come. I can go for you, write everything down, and send it to you, as if you were here."
Ye Qingxi smiled.
“How can that be the same?” he said. “I have to go myself to truly experience it.”
"It's fine either way," Qin Cheng said. "Anyway, I'll be right there. Whether you come or not, it's up to you. You'll see me anyway."
Ye Qingxi: ...
Ye Qingxi unconsciously reached out and hugged him.
He was still reluctant to leave, but he also felt a sense of anticipation.
He looked forward to the scenery he would see when he visited his place.
Qin Cheng then hugged him back.
Ye Qingxi has a thin back and a slender waist, so he can easily wrap his arms around her without having to hug her very tightly.
"Take good care of yourself," Qin Cheng instructed. "Don't keep anything that makes you unhappy to yourself. Talk to me or your family. Don't bear it all by yourself."
"Um."
"Remember to eat well. Zhong Yan can't even take care of himself. You'll be living together and you'll have to worry about him. So I'll arrange a housekeeper for you. She can cook dinner and clean the house."
"good."
“It has to be the same as it is now,” Qin Cheng said. “Don’t treat me like any other cousin just because I left for three years and am coming back. Don’t treat me like a stranger.”
Ye Qingxi laughed, "What do you mean by 'other cousins'?"
"They are the children of other uncles and elders."
Ye Qingxi: ...
"Okay," he replied.
He moved his head off Qin Cheng's shoulder, looked at him, and then picked up the chestnuts that Qin Cheng had peeled and placed on a piece of paper, and stuffed them into his mouth.
Qin Cheng then picked up one and put it in his mouth.
Ye Qingxi smiled and started eating.
His lips were rosy, his cheeks were plump, his eyebrows were gently curved, and his eyes were bright and tender.
Qin Cheng thought that he might not just want to be Ye Qingxi's brother.
Otherwise, why would he want to kiss him now?
I want to kiss him, hug him, hold him tightly, and I don't even want to be separated from him.
His brother clearly did nothing.
But his greed grew uncontrollably.
He clearly treated him like a younger brother.
But besides his brother, another kind of feeling was spreading and fermenting at a speed that he could not control.
It can't be stopped.
I don't know how to block it.
After Qin Cheng and Ye Qingxi had a good talk, they resumed their previous lives.
But since they were now on the countdown to their separation, they both cherished the time they had together.
Qin Cheng could clearly feel that Ye Qingxi was clinging to him more than before.
Ye Qingxi felt that Qin Cheng was even more attentive to her than before.
And so, a year passed quietly, the last page turned, as the two reluctantly parted.
Qin Cheng graduated from his senior year, and Ye Qingxi also finished her sophomore year.
He watched Qin Cheng pack his luggage from inside the house into a suitcase, and his heart felt as empty as a house being slowly emptied.
“After I leave, you can let Zhong Yan move in,” Qin Cheng said.
Ye Qingxi is a typical person who is very loyal in relationships.
You develop an attachment to a place once you get used to living there.
Qin Cheng knew him well, even too well, so he suggested that Zhong Yan move in instead of Ye Qingxi and Zhong Yan going to the new house.
Ye Qingxi nodded.
Qin Cheng had mentioned this before, so he asked Zhong Yan about it.
Zhong Yan knew him very well, and since they were all in the university town and the house wasn't too far from their school, Zhong Yan agreed without hesitation.
"I'll send you Auntie's WeChat in a bit," Qin Cheng said. "You don't need to worry about it. I'll contact her. Once you add her, just tell her what you want to eat every day."
Ye Qingxi: ...
“I can contact her too,” Ye Qingxi said.
"Let me do it, I'm used to it," Qin Cheng said.
Ye Qingxi: ...
Ye Qingxi did not refuse again.
He looked at his brother, still unable to believe that he was about to leave.
They lived together for two years, spending every day together. He had gotten used to Qin Cheng taking him to school and picking him up from school, and having dinner, watching movies, and playing games with him every night.
I've gotten used to it, and I sleep with Qin Cheng at night.
That weekend, Ye Qingxi went home, and it suddenly started raining that evening.
Lightning flashed and thunder roared.
Ye Qingxi subconsciously nudged the person next to her and mumbled, "Brother, go check if the balcony window is closed."
But he didn't push anything down, and there was nothing around him.
Ye Qingxi groggily opened her eyes and realized she was at home.
He was momentarily at a loss for words, realizing he had truly been asleep.
But now, when Ye Qingxi thinks of this dream again, she feels a little sad for some reason.
He thought that Qin Cheng probably really wouldn't sleep next to him at night anymore.
He graduated.
Whether they go abroad now or come back in the future, they will no longer sleep together at night.
He can no longer habitually push the people around him to help him with this or that.
He's already used to it.
But now, I have to start breaking this habit.
Therefore, Ye Qingxi sometimes really hates change and hates parting.
He watched as Qin Cheng packed his suitcase and accompanied him as they left their rented house.
This house will no longer be their house, Ye Qingxi thought. It belongs to him and Zhong Yan, and is no longer related to Qin Cheng.
He got into the car with Qin Cheng, but instead of agreeing to let Qin Cheng take him first, he took Qin Cheng first.
Ye Qingxi did not go home.
After dropping Qin Cheng off, he had the driver take the car back to their rented cottage.
He took one last look at Qin Cheng's bedroom and study before returning to his own bedroom.
The room was very quiet.
A room for one person is always very quiet.
Ye Qingxi ordered takeout, ate, took a shower, and then lay down on the bed.
During this time, Qin Cheng sent him WeChat messages, but Ye Qingxi did not tell him where he was.
He stayed here alone for one night.
Ye Qingxi was dazed when the rain started.
He instinctively pushed the person next to him, his voice still groggy from sleep, "Brother, go check if I've closed my balcony window."
But there was no response.
Ye Qingxi opened his eyes and found himself in the familiar bedroom of his rented apartment.
However, he was all alone.
His mind was still foggy, and he seemed not to understand why Qin Cheng wasn't by his side.
It took me a while to finally remember.
Qin Cheng left.
He graduated, packed his things, and went home.
He will be leaving the country soon.
The rain was still falling outside the window, making a "patter" sound as it hit the glass.
Ye Qingxi lay on the bed wrapped in a thin blanket, thinking, "It must be turned off, otherwise it wouldn't be making this kind of sound."
But what if the rain hits the window that's fixed in place and can't be opened?
Ye Qingxi felt she still had to get up and go check.
He has some obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Nothing serious.
But I make that mistake occasionally.
Just as he lazily sat up, preparing to turn on the bedside lamp, the bedroom door suddenly opened.
The living room light shone in, and Ye Qingxi turned her head and saw Qin Cheng, who shouldn't be there.
Qin Cheng hadn't expected him to be awake.
He knew as soon as he opened the door and saw the shoes in the shoe cabinet that Ye Qingxi had returned here after sending him back.
So he moved quietly and cautiously.
Unexpectedly, he still woke up.
"Did I disturb you?" he asked.
Ye Qingxi shook her head.
He felt as if he were in a dream. He felt that he was awake, but he also felt that he was not quite awake, otherwise how could he see Qin Cheng appear in front of him?
"Didn't you go home?" he asked.
"It's raining," Qin Cheng said. "I forgot whether your balcony window was closed or not, so I came to check."
At that moment, Ye Qingxi couldn't describe her feelings.
It was as if the rain outside the window was pattering down, or as if sunlight was shining in from some unknown place.
He felt happy, yet also very wronged.
She felt a pang of sadness, yet her heart was overflowing with tenderness.
He looked at the person not far away, his voice filled with a tenderness and coquetry that he himself didn't realize, "Then go and take a look."
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