Xi Zhengqing made several phone calls in a row.
“Doo…doo. Doo…doo…”
No one answered.
Yangnan Bay was in a secluded location, far from the city center. There were no towering steel-and-concrete buildings to touch the stars, or dazzling neon lights. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the night was a deep blue-black.
The clock showed it was already half past ten.
If it were a normal day, Xin Hexue would have been back long ago, and there was no way he wouldn’t answer any of the calls.
Something must have gone wrong.
The first person Xi Zhengqing thought of was Pei Guangji.
Who knew what that guy might do?
Even if he had lost his memory, the way Pei Guangji looked at Xin Hexue in the restaurant that day was obviously off.
Could he not think about someone else’s fiancé?
Xi Zhengqing took a sip of water and placed the glass on the dining table. He changed out of his loungewear and got dressed.
Compared to Pei Guangji trying to win Xin Hexue back, what Xi Zhengqing worried more about was Xin Hexue rekindling old feelings for Pei Guangji.
Afraid Xin Hexue would forget his jacket and catch a chill on the way, Xi Zhengqing grabbed the trench coat hanging on the coat rack in the hallway as he left and draped it over his elbow.
He kept dialing while turning the doorknob to open the door.
Just then, the familiar ringtone sounded right at the doorway.
Xi Zhengqing stopped abruptly.
He stared at the scene outside the door. When his eyes met Qiu Yuan’s, his gaze was devoid of any emotion.
The young man’s side face was resting on the Alpha’s shoulder, asleep on his back. The jacket he wore had its collar flipped down, revealing a snow white neck. His black hair was probably tousled by the night wind on the way back, and a few soft strands hang messily along the line of his neck.
Qiu Yuan grinned and deliberately lowered his voice, “Good evening. Aren’t you going to invite me in for a glass of water?”
Without a word, Xi Zhengqing took Xin Hexue into his arms. Considering he was still asleep, Xi Zhengqing gave a low warning to Qiu Yuan, “Keep an appropriate distance from someone else’s fiancé.”
Xi Zhengqing emphasized the three words “someone else’s fiancé”.
Qiu Yuan shrugged. “He just got off work late tonight, we had some normal work exchanges. He fell asleep, so I brought him back, you’re overthinking it.”
The door closed right in Qiu Yuan’s face.
It nearly hit Qiu Yuan’s nose.
A while later…
The door opened again, and the light inside spilled out, stretching Xi Zhengqing’s shadow across the floor. His face was dark.
A hunting-style jacket was tossed out. It nearly hit the ground, but Qiu Yuan took two quick steps forward and caught it just in time.
“Careful. That was custom-made just last month.”
Qiu Yuan muttered a complaint, but the door had already slammed shut again.
There was really no way to talk to a jealous husband.
He picked up the collar of the jacket with two fingers and flung it over his back. Thinking about how Xin Hexue had worn his jacket tonight made him feel a small rush of satisfaction, and he walked off humming a tune.
………
Qiu Yuan had peeked at his communicator.
Although he had intentionally disabled the lock screen password and made the communicator look like a deliberate trap, Qiu Yuan didn’t disappoint his expectations.
It seems that octopuses are quite curious.
He was pretending to be asleep at the time, but he saw the other party pick up his communicator and hold it for quite a while. Maybe…
He saw the messages he had previously sent to Pei Guangji, those that Pei Guangji probably hadn’t seen yet.
Who knew how long it would take before Pei Guangji restored the chat history and discovered them? If he missed the engagement banquet, that would be bad.
For an occasion as grand as the heir of the Xi family getting engaged, all the major media outlets would be present, and elites from various circles would be invited. How could Xin Hexue let everyone come for nothing?
So he needed to use Qiu Yuan’s influence to give things a push before the engagement banquet arrived.
Right now, they could be considered temporary partners…or maybe, accomplices?
Qiu Yuan should be able to understand his hint, right?
Otherwise, the eight sub-brains and the main brain on top of this person’s head were all for decoration.
Thinking of this, having brushed up fifteen points of Qiu Yuan’s love value in one night, Xin Hexue was already very sleepy.
According to his biological clock, he should’ve been asleep by ten.
Xi Zhengqing placed him on the bed, bent over to help take off his shoes and socks, and Xin Hexue turned over, slipping under the blanket.
Xi Zhengqing straightened up, placed Xin Hexue’s communicator on the bedside table, and was just about to leave to wash up when he heard a very soft voice, “Guangji…”
Just that name made alarm bells go off in Xi Zhengqing’s head and his whole body tensed up with alertness. He slightly lifted the edge of the blanket, and saw that Xin Hexue was fast asleep, as if that dream talk had only been his imagination.
But it wasn’t an illusion.
Xi Zhengqing’s heart sank.
[Xi Zhengqing’s love value +5]
………
The place Xin Hexue and Pei Guangji agreed to meet was the rooftop garden restaurant where Madam Xi had previously asked to have a meal with him.
The restaurant was relatively close to the film set, so Xin Hexue picked it for convenience.
He chose the restaurant, and the table was reserved by Pei Guangji.
Out on the outer terrace, the greenery was fresh and lively. The sunset glow painted the sky in red, and the small fountain’s clear water sparkled under the light.
When Xin Hexue arrived, he lifted the curtain leading to the terrace, and the soft glow of the setting sun fell across his upper body.
His dark pupils rose and fell in the golden light, reflecting the image of Pei Guangji.
“Good evening.”
Pei Guangji stood up from his seat and pulled out the rattan chair opposite him for Xin Hexue in a polite and gentlemanly manner.
Xin Hexue lowered his eyes and avoided his gaze, then sat down in the chair. “Thanks.”
Pei Guangji parted his lips slightly but still said nothing in the end. Returning to his seat, he pushed the menu toward Xin Hexue. “See if there’s anything you want to eat.”
The waiter stood beside the table, ready to take their order.
Xin Hexue only glanced over it briefly, then lightly pressed his lips together. He closed the menu and said to Pei Guangji, “I need to be back at the set for filming by seven tonight. If you have something to say, just say it now.”
Actually, there was a lot of time to finish the meal.
Xin Hexue said this for only one reason: he didn’t want to have dinner with him.
Pei Guangji’s throat tightened for a moment. He turned his face away evasively and still said to the waiter, “No need to order for now.”
The waiter nodded, brought them a pot of black tea, then left.
Xin Hexue lowered his gaze, his fingers interlocked, elbows resting on the table. The sleeves of his shirt had been slightly pushed up to his forearms, revealing fair wrists.
This was a posture of quietly waiting for the other party to speak.
He asked softly, “What did you want to ask me?”
Pei Guangji realized that from beginning to end, Xin Hexue seemed to be avoiding his gaze.
“I discovered that the memories I lost seem to be related to only you.” Pei Guangji asked with a slightly anxious tone, “Did something happen between us before?”
Xin Hexue lowered his eyes and shook his head, “No, nothing, nothing happened.”
Pei Guangji analyzed, “But, that night on the cruise ship, you recognized me. That means you already knew me, and you were very shocked at the time.”
Xin Hexue turned his face away. The setting sun shone over, his bangs casting a faint shadow that vaguely hid the emotions in his eyes. “You’re Zhengqing’s childhood friend. It’s normal that I know you.”
“And, and…” Xin Hexue seemed to suddenly recall the explanation Xi Zhengqing had given, “Zhengqing asked you for a favor before, letting me live in the villa under your name.”
His reaction looked too flustered, as if he hadn’t answered anything at all, and also didn’t explain why he had looked so shocked when he saw Pei Guangji.
He quickly added, “So I know you. We’re… friends, just ordinary friends.”
Such an attitude instead made it seem like he was trying to cover something up.
It appeared their relationship was anything but ordinary.
Pei Guangji was silent for a moment, then asked in a hoarse voice, “But the villa still has a lot of things that belong to us.”
Those items appeared in pairs, looking full of intimacy and affection.
Pei Guangji only needed to look at them, to touch them, and he would feel a warm and joyful emotion.
“I didn’t get a chance to take everything with me when I left.” Xin Hexue had already withdrawn his hands from the table, seeming restless and uneasy. “You bought those things in the first place. Just throw them all away.”
Throw them away like garbage.
Pei Guangji felt as if his backbone had been ripped out, and his heart was like a bloated balloon that suddenly burst.
Those things… he had bought them all.
Watching the young man’s entire reaction, Pei Guangji finally understood.
When his childhood friend had placed his boyfriend in his villa, he had very likely inserted himself into their relationship.
Otherwise, why would Xin Hexue resist him so much?
Otherwise, if they were the ones in love, how could Xin Hexue treat those paired items like worn-out shoes?
It meant all of those things were bought on his own initiative.
It was him who had forcibly intruded into their relationship.
Pei Guangji knew that during his rut period, he would completely lose his rationality. He had gotten through the most recent rut period using the clothes the young man left in the villa. This made him afraid to think too deeply…had he done something unforgivable to Xin Hexue during a previous rut? Otherwise, why would he develop a dependence on the cold fragrance lingering on those clothes?
And now, all mistakes had been forgotten. Everything should have returned to the right track, and Xin Hexue was going to get engaged to Xi Zhengqing.
[Pei Guangji’s heartbreak value +1]
[Pei Guangji’s heartbreak value +1]
[Pei Guangji’s heartbreak value +1]
……
Xin Hexue didn’t know what Pei Guangji was thinking exactly, but he could guess about fifty percent of it. He was still quite satisfied with the rising trend of Pei Guangji’s heartbreak value.
Only forty more to go.
Very soon, this round of pain would come to an end.
It was bitter.
Xin Hexue looked at Pei Guangji. In his eyes, there was even a trace of barely noticeable gentleness, like the mercy of an executioner.
Xin Hexue stood up. “I’m going back.”
The moment he took a step to leave, Pei Guangji subconsciously rushed forward and grabbed Xin Hexue’s hand, and the strength of it made him involuntarily turn around and meet his gaze. Pei Guangji then put his hands on Xin Hexue’s shoulders, holding them with his big hands, like a shackle.
His voice was hoarse, as if he were a traveler who had been walking in the desert for a long time without seeing a drop of rain. “Is it really… impossible to turn back?”
Xin Hexue looked directly at him, then slowly shook his head.
This was practically a gentle death by a thousand cuts.
“Let me go, Mr. Pei. I want to go back.”
Pei Guangji’s grip loosened. The large hand on the young man’s shoulder was gently brushed off and slid down.
He stood there, lost.
Xin Hexue walked away without even looking back.
Clearly, he had already lost all memories related to the two of them.
But Pei Guangji still felt an uncontrollable sense of depression, and the endless pain poured out from deep within his heart. The intense emotion even affected his stomach, making it churn with sourness and a burning sensation.
The memories in his brain were gone, but his subconscious and body were still reacting instinctively.
In an unnoticed corner, a hidden camera quietly captured several photos.
Just one hour later, they reached the number one hot search on StarNet.
#President Pei’s first love? Suspected breakup#
Pei Guangji had only recently taken power and the public outside the core zone still believed Old Master Pei was in charge. So when they clicked in, they were confused.
[Doesn’t that old man have several mistresses? His kids are running all over the place, and his oldest son is already in his twenties. And now he’s breaking up with a first love?]
[You rich families really play wild.]
[No, why aren’t you looking at the photos that came with the leak? That’s obviously not Old Master Pei, that’s the eldest young master.]
[So? What does the eldest young master of Shennong Pharmaceuticals dating someone have to do with me? @Nuwa Bionic Manufacturing, when are you finally going to release a companion bionic man? How long have you been stringing us along? Are you really going to let me grow old alone?]
[Did no one notice the boy being held is really pretty? Even if it’s just a side profile, he’s probably an Omega, right?]
[Such a stunning side profile, so beautiful…]
[He looks kind of familiar.]
[So they broke up? Who’s the other party? Why is the leak so vague?]
[Aside from the five pics, the rest is all made-up.]
It didn’t matter whether the people on StarNet believed it or not, as long as Pei Guangji and Xi Zhengqing noticed.
[Xi Zhengqing’s heartbreak value +5]
Xin Hexue received a message from Xi Zhengqing.
[Xi Zhengqing: Did you meet with him?]
[Xi Zhengqing: I don’t mean to overthink. I’m just worried you haven’t had dinner yet.]
[Xi Zhengqing: When I finish work tonight, I’ll come pick you up. Let’s get some late-night food, okay?]
Xin Hexue replied briefly: [Okay, I’ll wait for you.]
Then, in a flustered tone, he sent a message to Pei Guangji.
[Mr. Pei, it looks like the photos of us meeting just now were posted online. Could you make a clarification?]
[I don’t want others to speculate about our relationship.]
[Zhengqing will misunderstand if he sees this. Can I ask you to do me this favor?]
Xin Hexue hadn’t received a reply from Pei Guangji yet. He guessed the other party was probably looking at the trending headlines on StarNet.
The messages he sent clearly showed his urgent desire to distance himself from Pei Guangji.
[Pei Guangji heartbreak value +5]
After a while, the other side finally replied.
[Pei Guangji: I’ve already had the marketing accounts take down the random posts. The tag has been locked. No need to worry.]
[Pei Guangji: Sorry for causing you trouble.]
Only thirty-five heartbreak points left to go.
Xin Hexue curled the corners of his lips. He sent the remaining payment to the part-time paparazzi who worked as a private detective. That was the agreed fee for cooperating to take the photos and leaking them.
Of course, it was Xi Zhengqing’s money he spent.
………
Pei Guangji felt like he had lost his footing and shattered the surface of a glacier, falling into an ice hole. The cold seeped into every pore. The heavy, freezing water was dragging him down, pulling his lifeless body and soul deeper and deeper.
The strong scent of alcohol filled the entire living room.
Empty bottles lay scattered in the corners. Ethanol numbed his nerves, yet somehow made his mind even clearer.
Pei Guangji hadn’t cleared away the things Xin Hexue left behind.
If he lost those too, this empty villa would become as cold and lifeless as a hospital morgue.
It felt like a chunk had been carved out of his heart, and every beat churned bloody flesh…wet, dripping, and gory.
It dripped onto the floor.
“Drip, drip.”
He realized he wasn’t actually bleeding. He had slid off the sofa, and the faucet in the kitchen hadn’t been turned off properly, so water was flowing onto the floor.
His communicator lit up, still stuck on a news headline from a while ago.
After he had the leak taken down, the official account of Nuwa Bionic Manufacturing announced that heir Xi Zhengqing would soon be engaged to Mr. Xin Hexue.
Even though Pei Guangji had already known this, his body still instinctively responded with a dull, unending pain.
How long had he lived in such utter darkness?
Pei Guangji didn’t know. He must have gone insane.
Sometimes, he got up and numbed himself with work. Other times, he chose alcohol.
The engagement invitation had been thrown under the carpet.
The robot assistant reminded him of a visitor.
Pei Guangji propped himself up. His genetically modified body couldn’t get alcohol poisoning. He sat on a high stool at the bar in the living room and opened another bottle.
“You’ve got time to drink, huh?”
Qiu Yuan strolled in casually. He was dressed in an elegant suit, with one hand lazily shoved into his pocket.
“I ran into your former assistant at one of my resorts…Jiang Jing, right?”
Jiang Jing, who was following behind him, stepped forward in disbelief. He stared at his former boss’s disheveled state and asked, “Young master?”
“Were you looking for me earlier? I changed communicators after resigning, so I couldn’t get in touch with you right away.”
Qiu Yuan adjusted his sunglasses.
Of course, the real reason they couldn’t reconnect was that Qiu Yuan had hidden Jiang Jing away in a private resort. With the illusion created by a special mutant species, Pei Guangji’s people couldn’t track him down. They could only trace Jiang Jing’s disappearance to when he was vacationing in District 3.
“I specifically instructed the new assistant about the backup server before I left. Things were rushed, so he might not have noticed.”
Jiang Jing stepped forward and handed over the backup server’s access key to Pei Guangji. At the moment of data transmission, the blue light from the communicator reflected on Pei Guangji’s face.
One missed message after another popped up, all from Xin Hexue…
The timestamps were from November of last year.
Pei Guangji’s hand trembled.
The wine bottle rolled off the edge of the bar…
“Bang!”
Fireworks exploded in the night sky, brilliant and grand, devouring the endless darkness. Crimson sparks mirrored the red carpet and the flowers on the ground.
Hundreds of drones glowed, forming the shape of a ring.
The symphony orchestra suddenly played.
Together with the fireworks, they summoned the pale light of dawn at the edge of the sky.
From the moment the golden sun rose, the engagement banquet began.
I caught a cold so updates will be sporadic in the coming days.
