No debts owed to each other
In the following days, Qi Shuo indeed did not go to Tan Huaiyu's house again. It wasn't that he was deliberately avoiding her, but rather that he was genuinely busy.
Hospital, restaurant, home—a monotonous routine, her time fragmented. Fortunately, Qingran's condition improved day by day; she could walk longer on her own, and her dependence on Xiao Jue and him became increasingly apparent.
Sister Jin, Qin Zhou, and Song Yungui also visited her at the hospital from time to time, relieving a lot of her burden. The dark circles under Xiao Jue's eyes finally faded a bit, and he could occasionally even show a genuine smile.
That afternoon, Qi Shuo had just left the hospital when his phone rang. The name displayed on the screen made him pause for a moment—Tan Huaiyu. They hadn't been in contact for several days.
He answered the phone: "Hello?"
"Brother Qi Shuo." Tan Huaiyu's voice came through the receiver, carrying a hint of nervousness and anticipation. "I... I've improved my cooking skills recently, and I'd like to invite you to try some. Are you... free?"
Qi Shuo was silent for a few seconds. A soft breathing sound came from the other end of the phone, as if Tan Huaiyu was holding his breath, waiting for his reply.
He looked up at the sky; the sun was setting, and dusk was deepening. There was indeed nothing much to do today; Qingran had Xiao Jue with her, and she had also taken the day off from the restaurant.
"Okay." He finally responded, "Send me the address."
A small, suppressed cheer came from the other end of the phone, followed by Tan Huaiyu's voice, which he tried to keep calm: "Okay! I'll wait for you!"
After hanging up the phone, Qi Shuo started the car and drove towards "Yucaiyuan". On the way, he recalled what he had said to Tan Huaiyu when he left last time: "We'll see how things go." Now it seemed that "things" were not so bad.
The car was parked at the entrance of the residential area. Qi Shuo went upstairs as if he knew the way well, stood in front of the door, and raised his hand to knock.
Almost instantly, the door was pulled open. Tan Huaiyu stood in the doorway, dressed in a simple white T-shirt and jeans. His hair, seemingly freshly washed, was still damp and shimmered softly under the light. His eyes sparkled, and a smile he couldn't hide played on his lips.
"Brother Qi Shuo!" He stepped aside, "Come in quickly."
Qi Shuo walked in and glanced around the living room. It was tidier than when he last came. There was a small vase of wildflowers on the coffee table, probably picked by Tan Huaiyu from outside, adding a touch of life to the simple space.
On the dining table, three dishes and a soup were steaming hot—scrambled eggs with tomatoes, stir-fried pork with chili peppers, cola chicken wings, and a pot of chestnut stewed chicken soup.
Qi Shuo was taken aback. He had never taught Tan Huaiyu how to cook meat dishes. Cola chicken wings and chestnut stewed chicken soup were both dishes that required certain skills.
He pursed his lips, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside him.
That's true, Tan Huaiyu is so smart, he learns everything quickly. He still subconsciously regarded Tan Huaiyu as the little kid who followed behind him back then, who knew nothing.
"Brother Qi Shuo, please sit down first. I'll get you some rice." Tan Huaiyu said, turning and going into the kitchen.
Qi Shuo sat down at the dining table, looking at the dishes. The scrambled eggs with tomatoes were vibrant in color, the stir-fried pork with chili peppers smelled delicious, the cola chicken wings were enticingly colored, and the chicken soup was rich and flavorful. It looked...very good.
Tan Huaiyu quickly brought out two bowls of rice and sat down opposite him. He looked at Qi Shuo nervously, his fingers unconsciously twisting together: "Brother Qi Shuo, would you... like some?"
Qi Shuo picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of cola chicken wing, and put it in his mouth. The sweet and salty flavors were just right, the meat was tender, and the cooking time was perfect. He then tried the stir-fried pork with chili peppers and the scrambled eggs with tomatoes; both tasted very good, even better than what he could make himself.
"How was it?" Tan Huaiyu looked at him with bright eyes and blinked expectantly.
"Hmm." Qi Shuo nodded, his voice carrying a rare hint of appreciation. "Not bad."
Tan Huaiyu's eyes instantly curved into crescents, and she couldn't hide the smile on her lips: "That's good! I... I looked at a lot of recipes and tried several times before I succeeded."
Looking at him like this, Qi Shuo felt a surge of mixed emotions welling up inside him again.
Tan Huaiyu must have prepared for this meal for a long time, right? He recalled the look in Tan Huaiyu's eyes when she asked him, "Will you come again tomorrow?" and his heart softened for no reason.
The two ate their meal quietly. Tan Huaiyu would occasionally put food on Qi Shuo's plate, her movements careful, as if afraid he wouldn't like it.
Qi Shuo didn't refuse and ate everything. The room was quiet, with only the occasional soft sound of chopsticks hitting the rim of the bowl and the cicadas chirping outside the window.
After finishing their meal, Tan Huaiyu took the initiative to clear the dishes. Qi Shuo sat on the sofa, watching his busy figure, his thoughts drifting away. He remembered many things—Tan Huaiyu's first appearance at the library, the silent bowl of noodles on the rainy night, the figure curled up in a ball in the hospital, and that night when Tan Huaiyu asked him, "Where do you want to go in the future?" with a mixture of probing and anticipation.
He suddenly realized that a subtle, indescribable relationship seemed to have formed between him and Tan Huaiyu. They were not friends, not enemies, and not strangers.
Rather, it is a vague and complex existence that lies between all relationships.
After washing the dishes, Tan Huaiyu dried his hands and came out, sitting down on the single sofa next to him. There was an arm's length between them, and neither spoke.
After a moment of silence, Qi Shuo suddenly spoke up: "Thank you for Qi Shan's matter."
Tan Huaiyu suddenly raised his head, his eyes wide, as if he had heard something unbelievable. His lips trembled slightly, and his voice was a little dry: "You...you know?"
"Hmm." Qi Shuo nodded, his gaze falling on the book "Tender Night" on the coffee table. "Xiao Jue told me."
Eight years ago, on that rainy night, after he was taken away by the police, it was Tan Huaiyu who protected the dying Qi Shan. If Tan Huaiyu hadn't held her tightly, Qi Shan might have died at Tan Zhong's hands long ago, instead of waiting for Xiao Jue to arrive and take her to the hospital.
Xiao Jue said that when he arrived, he saw Tan Huaiyu holding Qi Shan tightly, kneeling behind the sofa.
Tan Huaiyu thought Qi Shan was dead, but he still refused to let go, wanting only to protect Qi Shuo's sister, even if... she was just a corpse.
When Xiao Jue discovered that Qi Shan still had a faint breath, he immediately took her to the hospital, leaving Tan Huaiyu alone, kneeling in the mess and blood, his eyes empty, indifferent to everything around him.
"How is she...?" Tan Huaiyu asked softly, his voice trembling slightly.
"At the hospital." Qi Shuo's voice was calm. "His condition is not bad."
"That's good." Tan Huaiyu lowered his head, his fingers gripping the hem of his clothes tightly, his knuckles turning white.
Silence fell in the room once more. Outside the window, night had completely enveloped the city, streetlights were coming on one by one, and dim yellow light shone through the gaps in the curtains, casting dappled shadows on the floor.
Qi Shuo looked at Tan Huaiyu's lowered head and his prominent shoulder blades due to his thinness, and a mix of emotions welled up in his heart again.
He recalled Tan Huaiyu's words that day, "I want to go to Beijing," the look in his eyes when he asked him "Where do you want to go in the future," and Tan Huaiyu's cautious approach and expectations towards him over the past few days.
"Tan Huaiyu." Qi Shuo suddenly spoke, his voice soft but carrying an undeniable firmness, "You don't owe me anything."
Tan Huaiyu suddenly raised his head.
"Live a good life," Qi Shuo continued, looking directly at him. "Get into a good university and live the life you want."
Tan Huaiyu's lips trembled, and his voice was so low it was almost inaudible: "Mmm."
Qi Shuo stood up and walked towards the door. Tan Huaiyu sat on the sofa, neither moving nor trying to stop him, but simply looking down at his hands.
As Qi Shuo reached the door, he stopped and looked back. Tan Huaiyu was still sitting there, his back to him, his slender figure appearing particularly lonely in the dim light.
"Tan Huaiyu." He called out again.
Tan Huaiyu's shoulders trembled slightly, but he did not turn around.
"Eat properly," Qi Shuo said.
After saying that, he pushed open the door and went out.
He stood outside the door, took a deep breath, and looked up at the dark night sky. There were few stars, the moon was obscured by clouds, and only the streetlights shone lonely.
Tan Huaiyu owes him nothing.
They should have settled things long ago.
Qi Shuo had just left Tan Huaiyu's house and reached the bottom of the stairs when his phone rang. The screen displayed Xiao Jue's name.
Xiao Jue has been in good condition lately. Qing Ran's recovery is progressing smoothly, and the case at the law firm has come to an end. The dark circles under his eyes have faded considerably, and he looks much more energetic.
"Hello? Xiao Jue, what's up?" Qi Shuo answered the phone, his voice still carrying a hint of fatigue from his conversation with Tan Huaiyu.
On the other end of the phone, Xiao Jue's voice was unusually panicked and helpless, even carrying a hint of collapse that Qi Shuo had never heard before: "Qi Shuo, where are you? Come out and keep me company."
Qi Shuo was taken aback, his brows furrowing instantly: "What's wrong? What happened?"
"It can't be explained in a sentence or two." Xiao Jue's voice was muffled, as if he was speaking while covering his face. "I'll send you an address. Come quickly, let's go to a hotel."
"?" Qi Shuo asked in confusion, "You have a home but stay in a hotel? Do you have too much money to burn?"
"Are we brothers?" Xiao Jue's voice suddenly rose, carrying an almost desperate question, "Are you coming or not?"
Qi Shuo was stunned by his tone.
Xiao Jue was always calm and rarely lost control like this. He paused for a second, then said decisively, "Come on, wait."
He hung up the phone, and the address was quickly sent over. Qi Shuo glanced at it; it was a hotel in the city center. He frowned, started the car, and drove towards his destination. Along the way, countless possibilities flashed through his mind—had Qing Ran gotten into trouble? Was the law firm in trouble? Or…was it related to the Tan family?
The car stopped at the hotel entrance, and Qi Shuo strode into the lobby and took the elevator upstairs.
Finding the room number, he raised his hand and knocked on the door. The door was quickly opened, and Xiao Jue's usually gentle and composed face was now filled with despair. His hair was messy, his shirt collar was open, and he exuded an aura of decadence.
Qi Shuo's gaze swept past him and across the room—several empty beer cans lay scattered on the floor, and a whole case of unopened beer sat beside the bed.
Peanut shells and snack wrappers were scattered on the coffee table. The TV was on but muted, playing an unknown variety show.
"Drinking so much?" Qi Shuo grabbed Xiao Jue's arm, threw him onto the bed, closed the door behind him, sat on the edge of the bed, picked up a bottle of beer, opened it, and took a big gulp. "You better be in trouble."
Xiao Jue lay sprawled on the bed, staring at the ceiling, and said softly, "Lin Ye confessed his feelings to me."
"?"
Qi Shuo nearly choked, spitting out a mouthful of wine, and looked at Xiao Jue with a shocked expression: "What?"
"He kissed me too," Xiao Jue added, his voice as calm as if he were simply stating that the weather was nice today.
"?!!"
Qi Shuo was utterly shocked. He put down the wine bottle and stared at Xiao Jue as if he were a stranger: "Say that again?"
Xiao Jue finally sat up in bed, scratched his hair, and looked utterly devastated: "This afternoon, I noticed he'd been in a bad mood lately, so I thought I'd take him out to eat. Then, on the way home, we passed the park next to my house, you know? He suddenly said he wanted to take a walk, so I went with him. But as soon as we got to the grove, he suddenly... he..."
He made a gesture indicating "kissed".
Qi Shuo: "..."
“I was completely stunned.” Xiao Jue continued, his voice growing increasingly distraught. “After kissing me, he told me he liked me, that he’d liked me since high school, and asked if I could be with him. What the hell could I say? I said, ‘Lin Ye, I’m your brother!’ He said, ‘We’re not blood-related!’ I said, ‘I’m eight years older than you!’ He said, ‘I don’t care!’ I said, ‘I’m a guy!’ He said, ‘I know!’”
Qi Shuo: "..."
"Then I ran away!" Xiao Jue frantically grabbed his hair. "He couldn't catch me! What could I do? I didn't even dare answer his calls... I swear..."
Qi Shuo: "...?"
He couldn't continue, so he grabbed a bottle of beer, tilted his head back, and chugged it down.
Qi Shuo sat on the edge of the bed, processing this explosive news.
Lin Ye? That boy who always quietly followed behind Xiao Jue? That Lin Ye who seemed well-behaved, sensible, and academically excellent? He...liked Xiao Jue? And even kissed him?
"You..." Qi Shuo carefully chose his words, "...to him...?"
"What could I possibly do to him?!" Xiao Jue suddenly looked up, his eyes red. "I've always treated him like a younger brother! I watched him grow up! His parents didn't care about him, nobody looked after him, so I took care of him like my own brother! And then he... he..."
He couldn't continue, so he took another swig of wine.
Qi Shuo was silent for a moment, then picked up his wine bottle and clinked it against his: "So you ran away and stayed in a hotel? To avoid him?"
"Otherwise what?!" Xiao Jue said in despair, "When I see him now, I don't even know what to say! I...I..."
He couldn't continue speaking, so he tilted his head back and drank the rest of the wine in one gulp.
Qi Shuo looked at him like this and suddenly found it a little funny.
Xiao Jue, who is usually calm and reliable, panicked and ran to a hotel because of a kiss and a confession, and got himself half drunk.
"So what do you plan to do?" Qi Shuo asked.
"How the hell should I know?!" Xiao Jue said frantically, "I just want to crawl into a hole and disappear!"
Qi Shuo couldn't help but laugh: "Xiao Jue, you've finally met your match."
"You're still laughing?" Xiao Jue glared at him. "I'm going crazy!"
"Alright." Qi Shuo patted his shoulder. "I watched Lin Ye grow up. He's stubborn and won't give up easily once he's made up his mind. Hiding isn't a solution."
"Then what should I do?!" Xiao Jue asked in despair.
Qi Shuo thought for a moment and said seriously, "You need to talk to him. Make things clear. If he really likes you, and you... also have feelings for him, then give it a try. If not, then clearly reject him and don't let him have unrealistic hopes."
Xiao Jue fell silent. He lowered his head, looking at the wine bottle in his hand, and his voice trailed off: "I...I don't know."
"Don't know what?"
"I don't know how I feel about him..." Xiao Jue's voice was very soft. "I've always treated him like a younger brother, and I've never thought of anything else. But... when he kissed me today, I... I..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but Qi Shuo understood.
Silence fell in the room again. Only the silent image on the television flickered, and the occasional noise from the distant street could be heard.
After a long while, Xiao Jue suddenly spoke up: "Qi Shuo, what about you?"
"What?"
"You and Tan Huaiyu." Xiao Jue looked at him, his eyes much clearer. "What...how do you feel about him?"
Qi Shuo was taken aback, then looked away: "It's different, I don't feel anything."
"Come on." Xiao Jue scoffed. "Do you think I'm blind? You've been going to his house so often lately, teaching him to cook and buying him things. Qi Shuo, when have you ever been so attentive to anyone?"
Qi Shuo was silent for a while, then picked up the bottle and took a sip. His voice was a little hoarse: "I just... feel that it's not easy for him all by himself."
"Heh." Xiao Jue sneered, "Do you even believe that yourself?"
Qi Shuo remained silent.
“Qi Shuo.” Xiao Jue suddenly said seriously, “We’ve known each other for so many years, I know your personality. Your feelings for Tan Huaiyu are definitely not just ‘sympathy’.”
Qi Shuo remained silent.
"Think about it carefully yourself." Xiao Jue sighed. "Don't end up like me, regretting it only after things have gotten out of control."
Qi Shuo looked at him and suddenly laughed: "Are you teaching me how to date now?"
"Get out!" Xiao Jue grabbed a pillow and threw it at him. "I'm a complete mess myself!"
Qi Shuo laughed and dodged, then opened another bottle of beer and clinked it against his: "Alright, don't think too much about it. I'll drink with you tonight, we'll talk about tomorrow... tomorrow."
Xiao Jue nodded and clinked glasses with him: "Let's talk about it tomorrow."
The two of them sat in the hotel room, drinking bottle after bottle of wine, talking about the past, the future, and those inexplicable feelings.
The night outside the window grew deeper and deeper, and the city lights gradually went out, leaving only the streetlights shining alone, like two stars watching over each other in the darkness.
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