Chapter 65
With the recent phase of work finally wrapped up, Dawn Studio welcomed a half-month break.
Freed from the constant rush of work and proposal writing, the feeling of becoming human again felt strangely unfamiliar.
Waking up at home in the morning, clear-headed and refreshed, Xia Fengsheng still did not plan to idle around during his break. He was going to school today.
It had been a long time since he had gone out without wearing a suit. After rummaging around in the walk-in closet for ages, he dug out an old favorite of his: a polyester-fiber top.
It was better to keep a low profile when going back to school, so he swapped out his expensive wristwatch for an ordinary one. Today, he deliberately did not style his hair with wax. Slinging a backpack over one shoulder, he changed his shoes and headed out.
The keypad lock clicked shut behind him.
Xia Fengsheng’s gaze lingered on the neighboring door for a few seconds.
Compared with the earlier days when they kept running into each other every few days, it had now been a whole week since he had seen Shi Ye anywhere in this apartment building.
Shi Ye’s figure no longer appeared in the elevator during the morning commute or after work. He was no longer going on morning runs, nor night runs. Xia Fengsheng did not even know whether Shi Ye still lived here.
The elevator reached the first floor, and Xia Fengsheng stepped out.
He stopped thinking about it.
None of it had anything to do with him anymore.
Spring had arrived, and Xia Fengsheng’s medical leave from school had ended. Every day, he now had to set aside time according to his class schedule to attend lectures.
Sitting in a classroom again after so long gave him a surreal sense of another lifetime. His laptop continuously recorded the lecture content.
The SCI paper he had written earlier was still saved on that computer. He knew very well Yang Liwan would never give him first authorship.
Fortunately, he could just keep pretending to have amnesia and act as though the paper did not exist at all.
But this could not go on forever. Senior Brother Qin Buming had already been held back from graduation for two whole years. If Xia Fengsheng kept pretending to be amnesiac and dragged things out until next year’s graduation season, his own outcome would not be much better.
And it was not just the paper on his computer. It also contained all kinds of recent industry data, operating figures, and planning materials.
Even while on medical leave, Xia Fengsheng had not slackened in his academics in the slightest.
At noon, after the large lecture ended, Xia Fengsheng prepared to leave campus.
As for lunch… he still had not decided where to eat.
He thought maybe he should contact Jing Changyu, who had just returned to Beijing after finishing a recent landform interview assignment in Turkey. Or maybe Miss Zhao—she had recently opened an art exhibition and given him tickets, though he had never found time to go. Or perhaps…
Xia Fengsheng flipped through the contacts on his phone. Even he himself had not realized that, little by little, the number of friends around him had increased.
Eating was no longer always a lonely thing.
Just as Xia Fengsheng was wondering who to contact, an urgent male voice suddenly came from behind him.
“Student Xia!!!”
Xia Fengsheng turned at the sound and saw a complete stranger striding toward him in a hurry, as if desperate to catch him.
The man looked about twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with a square face and a height of around 170 centimeters. He was dressed head to toe in designer brands, all with loud, glaring logos.
He acted as though he were very familiar with Xia Fengsheng, but Xia Fengsheng had never seen him before.
Zhou Qiong rushed over, stopping in front of him and panting heavily. “Student Xia, long time no see.”
Xia Fengsheng’s expression remained calm, but his narrow eyes briefly narrowed.
He had absolutely no memory of this person. Although the man’s clothes were gaudy and unsubtle, they were all expensive labels. Given the way Xia Fengsheng used to manage his social network, there was no way he would fail to remember someone wealthy or potentially useful.
This man had definitely never shown up before him in the past. Today was their first meeting. Yet the other party was putting on the act of someone who had known him for ages.
Xia Fengsheng immediately thought of Song Yu. Back then, Song Yu—his junior from the same mentor’s group—had assumed he had really lost his memory. On the very second day after he got discharged from the hospital, Song Yu had appeared at his side, stolen his phone, and pretended to be his boyfriend.
The person before him was clearly aiming for something similar to what Song Yu had tried—using his amnesia to get something out of him.
Xia Fengsheng did not yet know what the man wanted, so he did not make any rash moves. But neither was he going to sit passively and wait. He took the initiative and asked, “Were we very close?”
His aloof aura startled Zhou Qiong.
Xia Fengsheng lifted a polite, fake smile. “Sorry. I lost my memory some time ago because of an accident. I still haven’t fully recovered, so I don’t remember who you are.”
Hearing that his memory had not returned, Zhou Qiong secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He immediately put on an even more familiar tone. “Student Xia, it’s me. I’m your senior from the same mentor group.”
A senior from the same group?
Xia Fengsheng did not recall anyone like him among the seniors in their mentor circle.
Zhou Qiong was afraid Xia Fengsheng would turn and leave if he could not get him talking, so he deliberately brought up the one thing that could keep Xia Fengsheng in place—his mentor. “You know Yang Liwan, right? Your advisor. I’m his nephew. My name is Zhou—”
“Oh…” Before Zhou Qiong could finish, Xia Fengsheng suddenly wore a look of realization, as if he had finally remembered him.
A smug little laugh rose in Zhou Qiong’s heart. Sure enough—mention Yang Liwan, and Xia Fengsheng folded instantly. Just now he had been putting on that cold, superior attitude, but now that his mentor had been brought up, all that momentum was gone.
Then the next second—
“I remember you,” Xia Fengsheng said. “Zhou Ke’er, right?”
Zhou Qiong instantly turned into a clown.
…No wonder he had felt this eerie familiarity looking at Zhou Qiong’s face. It looked like the scene of a crime—just like his uncle’s. Same basic shape.
Forcing himself to laugh, Zhou Qiong said, “Junior Brother, my name is Zhou Qiong, not Zhou Ke’er. You remembered wrong.”
Xia Fengsheng replied, “Sorry. The name just slipped out when I saw your face. I honestly thought that was your name.”
Zhou Qiong: …
Fuck.
He swallowed his anger and forced himself not to explode. His eyes darted around as he looked at Xia Fengsheng. Fortunately, Xia Fengsheng had not recovered his memory, which meant he could just make things up as he pleased.
He was due to graduate this summer. It was already late April now, with spring in full bloom and May just around the corner. Yet his graduation thesis was still nowhere in sight.
At first, his uncle Yang Liwan had told him not to worry. He said he would handle the thesis issue.
Under Yang Liwan’s supervision was a student famed for being clever and capable—Xia Fengsheng. He had heard Xia Fengsheng had won quite a few awards and distinctions, and he just so happened to have an SCI paper on hand. Since he was such an accomplished writer, the paper’s content must be first-rate. It would be perfect to use it to gild Zhou Qiong’s own graduation record.
And Zhou Qiong had also heard Xia Fengsheng had a lot of useful data on hand. If he could get his hands on that too, plus use Yang Liwan’s connections, he might even land a place at a research institute after graduation.
He had never worried Xia Fengsheng would refuse to hand it over. Academic circles were full of these kinds of things. As long as you could hold the threat of delayed graduation over their heads—reduce all their years of study to nothing with a single move—then they would obediently fall in line like marionettes.
Before Xia Fengsheng, there had been another student named Qin Buming. He had also entered the program as a standout talent, yet privately he had been forced to write academic articles for junior and senior high school competitions, all to help the academic warlords consolidate their influence.
Everything had been arranged perfectly. Once Yang Liwan got the SCI paper from Xia Fengsheng, they would change the first author to Zhou Qiong’s name, publish it, and his graduation problem would resolve itself smoothly.
Who could have guessed that right at the moment Yang Liwan was pressing for the paper, Xia Fengsheng would have an accident? That day, he apparently had not checked the almanac before going out, fell from upstairs, and lost his memory.
Every time they asked for the paper, he said he did not remember it, did not know anything about it—making it look suspiciously like he was playing dumb just to avoid handing it over.
At first, Yang Liwan had also suspected Xia Fengsheng was faking amnesia, using it as an excuse to dodge giving up first authorship.
It was only after seeing him a few times and being driven to near-stroke fury that Yang Liwan finally became convinced Xia Fengsheng really had lost his memory.
He had become as dumb as a pig. Ask him one thing and he would know nothing; there were even words he no longer recognized. He was nothing like the Xia Fengsheng from before.
Every encounter with Xia Fengsheng left Yang Liwan feeling as if his liver and gallbladder were going to rupture from rage. He no longer wanted to see him, so the matter of the thesis was shelved. When Zhou Qiong brought it up, Yang Liwan had blown up in anger and told Zhou Qiong to go get it himself.
At first Zhou Qiong had worried about how to pry the thesis out of Xia Fengsheng’s hands. He had imagined all kinds of difficulties. What he had not expected was that he would not even be able to find Xia Fengsheng in the first place.
After going on medical leave, Xia Fengsheng had never appeared at school. Zhou Qiong simply had no chance to corner him. Today, he only managed it because someone on the campus forum posted that Xia Fengsheng had returned, so he had rushed straight over.
Luckily, he caught him before he left.
After gathering his words, Zhou Qiong began, “Student Xia, how’s your thesis coming along? My uncle—I mean, the advisor—asked me to come get it from you.”
Xia Fengsheng said, “Come get it from me? Then why didn’t he just message me directly?”
“Uh…” Zhou Qiong said, “He’s been on a business trip recently. He’s too busy with work. Even if you sent it directly to him, he wouldn’t have time to revise it for you. So he thought it’d be easier if you just gave it to me, and I can go over it for you tonight.”
As he spoke, he even pulled out his student ID.
“Student Xia, I’m a PhD. Revising your thesis is more than easy for me.”
The moment Xia Fengsheng saw proof of his academic status, contempt flashed across his face.
A useless parasite who had climbed into the sunlight through connections, showing off in broad daylight. Xia Fengsheng’s gaze drifted lazily over him, and all at once he felt like playing with some water.
He wanted to shove Zhou Qiong’s head into a toilet.
The look in Xia Fengsheng’s eyes darkened, though he kept the false smile on his lips. “Having Senior Brother revise my paper would really be beneath you. It’d also be a waste of your valuable time. I’ll handle my thesis myself, so there’s no need to trouble you.”
So he was refusing to send it over?
Zhou Qiong’s heart skipped. That would not do. What about his graduation, then?
He hurried to block Xia Fengsheng’s path. “Student Xia, don’t go. It’s no trouble, really—none at all. Revising a thesis isn’t any trouble. Just send it to me and I’ll have it polished up in a few days.”
Xia Fengsheng smiled. “And will you also revise the first author’s name for me?”
Without thinking, Zhou Qiong grinned and said, “Of course.”
Then—
Zhou Qiong: …
What the hell had he just said?
He had let the truth slip by accident. His face went pale at once. “No, Student Xia, listen to me—”
Xia Fengsheng’s smile was scarlet and sharp as he leaned right into his face, his snowy-white features looking eerie and beautiful. “At home, the only carbonated thing you’ve got is cola, right?”
Zhou Qiong: …
—
After get rid of Zhou Qiong, Xia Fengsheng walked out through the school gates.
Two minutes earlier—
Xia Fengsheng’s face had gone cold, his pitch-black eyes like the vertical pupils of a venomous snake hiding in darkness, gleaming with a ghostly green light. “If you don’t want your head sawn off right now, then get lost.”
His appearance already leaned toward the damp, eerie sort; when his face went cold, he looked even more like a male ghost. His voice was icy, as if every word he spoke would come true. If Zhou Qiong did not get lost now, then in the next second a hacksaw would appear in Xia Fengsheng’s hand and lop off his head.
Zhou Qiong clutched at his clothes tightly.
So… so scared!
Without waiting for Xia Fengsheng to say anything even more terrifying, Zhou Qiong turned around and ran off, covering his face.
Watching his fleeing back, Xia Fengsheng tossed one word out in his heart.
Idiot.
He had not expected Yang Liwan to actually send Zhou Qiong to come demand the thesis in person. Looks like Yang Liwan did not have any capable beasts of burden left under him lately, so everything had to be handled by himself—and he was probably being run ragged.
Just as Xia Fengsheng was inwardly delighted that Yang Liwan was finally getting his turn, the phone in his trouser pocket began to vibrate.
Caller ID: Chen Jiyan.
Yesterday, Xia Fengsheng had already politely declined Chen Jiyan’s invitation to join the show, leaving the message in his voicemail when the call did not connect. He had not expected Chen Jiyan to contact him again.
Sliding his finger across the screen, Xia Fengsheng answered and said politely, “Hello.”
The voice on the other end was warm and energetic. “Hello, Mr. Xia, it’s me, Chen Jiyan. Do you remember me? The one who gave you my card at the banquet.”
Afraid Xia Fengsheng might not remember him, Chen Jiyan gave him a reminder first, then continued, “Are you free at noon today? Want to have a meal together? I know a restaurant with great food—you’ll definitely like it.”
As it happened, Xia Fengsheng had not eaten lunch yet and still had not decided what to eat.
Since Chen Jiyan had invited him, Xia Fengsheng thought it over and agreed.
Although there was a big gap between Chen Jiyan’s industry and his own, having one more friend meant one more useful connection.
In Xia Fengsheng’s eyes, there was no harm to it on the level of benefits.
Besides, he truly had no idea what to eat for lunch. A problem that occurred every day in the world had been solved for him without him needing to think about it himself.
After adding each other on WeChat and sending over the restaurant address, Chen Jiyan immediately started frantically calling Shi Ye.
“The number you have dialed is temporarily unavailable. Sorry, the number…”
What was going on?
Chen Jiyan pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at Shi Ye’s number on the screen.
Why was he not picking up?
His finger flew across the screen to WeChat, where he sent Shi Ye a message. Shi Ye did not reply. Chen Jiyan could only keep calling the increasingly infuriating Shi Ye, trying to get through.
I already got Xia Fengsheng out for lunch, so answer your damn phone!
Chen Jiyan was out here trying his hardest to write a happy ending, and yet Shi Ye chose this exact moment to drop the chain.
What the hell! This is a critical moment!
If you don’t answer now, then later when you find out you missed a chance to eat with Xia Fengsheng, you can just cry Swarovski crystals out of your eyes.
Before he could get through on this end, Xia Fengsheng had already arrived.
The waiter led Xia Fengsheng over to the booth. Chen Jiyan hurriedly put his phone away and stood up, courteously extending his hand. “Mr. Xia, long time no see.”
Xia Fengsheng shook his hand politely. “Long time no see.”
Now that Xia Fengsheng had arrived, the dishes Chen Jiyan had ordered in advance soon began to arrive as well.
Chen Jiyan introduced them one by one. “These are all this place’s specialties. Mr. Xia, make sure to eat plenty.”
Because he had thought Shi Ye would be coming too, Chen Jiyan had ordered a huge amount of food. Shi Ye had only recently come out of the training base and was in the stage where his appetite was enormous.
He had practically ordered an entire tableful.
Looking at the densely packed spread in front of him, Xia Fengsheng experienced, for the first time, what a pig in a sty might feel like.
A meal with someone else could not fall into awkward silence, and although Chen Jiyan was not particularly close to Xia Fengsheng and did not really understand him, he was usually silver-tongued enough. Before long, he naturally steered the conversation back around to the dating show. “Mr. Xia, have you given any more thought to my reality show invitation?”
Xia Fengsheng raised his eyes, surprise flickering through them as he looked at Chen Jiyan.
Chen Jiyan froze. “What’s wrong, Mr. Xia?”
“Nothing.” Xia Fengsheng shook his head. “I called you earlier to decline the invitation, but since I couldn’t get through, I left the message in your voicemail.”
“Oh.” Chen Jiyan immediately checked his call record. There were quite a few unread voicemails sitting there, including one from Xia Fengsheng’s number.
An apologetic look appeared on his face. “Sorry. I’ve been too busy. Too many people contact me every day, so I didn’t notice your call.”
Xia Fengsheng replied, “It’s fine.”
They continued eating. Xia Fengsheng ate with refined manners and carried himself with elegant poise. His features were striking, his personal charm distinct—especially those eyes. It was rare for a grown man to have eyes as alluring as his: upturned at the ends, thick-lashed, the tail of the eye almost lined as if with eyeliner.
Though alluring, his eyes did not take away from his gentlemanly bearing. Watching him, Chen Jiyan became even more convinced that if Xia Fengsheng appeared on the show, the topic heat would explode.
As he ate, Chen Jiyan kept glancing at Xia Fengsheng from time to time. It was thoroughly pleasing to the eye. At the same time, he kept one eye on his phone, checking whether Shi Ye had responded yet.
Just as Chen Jiyan was considering trying to contact Shi Ye again, another shadow suddenly appeared beside the table.
“Mr. Chen, long time no see. I didn’t expect to run into you here.”
Xia Fengsheng and Chen Jiyan both looked up at the same time, only to see a man in a white shirt and black satin trousers standing beside their table.
After greeting them, Bai Tainian’s eyes first settled on Xia Fengsheng sitting across from Chen Jiyan.
“And this is…?”
Chen Jiyan stood up and made introductions. “This is my friend, Xia Fengsheng.”
“Xia…” Having just said “friend,” calling him Mr. Xia suddenly felt a bit too distant. Chen Jiyan corrected himself midway. “Fengsheng, this is Mr. Bai, one of the guests for my program.”
For some reason, when it came to nicknames, “Fengsheng” and “Xiaosheng” always ended up being the first options.
Xia Fengsheng shook Bai Tainian’s hand.
“Hello, Mr. Xia,” Bai Tainian said. He did not let go right away; instead, he moved naturally into introducing himself. “My name is Bai Tainian. I’m a dancer, and I currently teach dance at a university. I’m twenty-seven this year.”
He was indeed a guest slated to appear on Chen Jiyan’s dating show, and he had met Chen Jiyan during the interview process.
People’s thinking was more open now than before. It was no longer like the past. Dating shows now also had same-sex romance formats.
Ever since he had first realized in childhood that he liked boys, Bai Tainian had known very clearly that he was gay. And the moment he saw Xia Fengsheng, his eyes had been instantly drawn to him.
He did not yet know Xia Fengsheng’s orientation, but no matter what circle you were in, Xia Fengsheng’s type was absolutely top-grade.
Bai Tainian was the proactive type. If he saw someone he liked, he would take the initiative to get close.
Besides, his own conditions were very good. He was not bad-looking, had a good body, always topped, had excellent flexibility from dancing, a strong core, and a deep understanding of how to apply force. In that regard, he was extremely confident. The people who had been with him usually never forgot him.
After the introductions, Chen Jiyan invited Bai Tainian to join them, since there was so much food on the table anyway.
Bai Tainian did not decline. After sending a message to a friend, he stayed.
Over the course of the meal, he kept finding ways to start conversations with Xia Fengsheng.
By the time they were nearly done eating, Bai Tainian said, “Do either of you have time this afternoon? I have stage play rehearsals later. If you’d be willing to honor me, you could come watch me rehearse.”
Dance rehearsals for a stage play were highly watchable, and dancing was exactly the kind of thing that showcased personal charm. Bai Tainian did not want to miss any chance to perform in front of Xia Fengsheng.
He phrased the invitation very politely. He had not invited only Xia Fengsheng, because that would have been too abrupt. He did not want to come on too strong and burden him. Fortunately, Chen Jiyan was also there.
Both men had time that afternoon, so they accepted Bai Tainian’s invitation.
Only when they reached the rehearsal venue did Xia Fengsheng learn that Bai Tainian danced ballet.
Watching the ballet dancers leap and whirl across the stage, Xia Fengsheng suddenly fell into a daze.
It was as if he had returned to the first time he saw Shi Ye perform onstage.
That had been the summer after they broke up the first time. He had taken a bus from Shenzhen to the theater where Shi Ye was performing.
After rehearsing for two hours, Bai Tainian came down from the stage to find Xia Fengsheng. Chen Jiyan had already left early because he had other matters to handle.
Seeing that Xia Fengsheng was still there, Bai Tainian looked pleasantly surprised. After all, dance rehearsals ran long. If Xia Fengsheng had stayed, then either he had patience—or he also had some interest in him.
After all, ballet was indeed the kind of thing that fascinated people at first glance, but if you watched for too long, once the novelty wore off—and if you did not understand the art itself—it was easy to get bored.
“Xia Fengsheng, what did you think of my dancing?” Bai Tainian asked.
Xia Fengsheng gave him an apologetic smile. “Sorry. I don’t understand this kind of thing.”
Deep down, he instinctively did not want to praise another person’s dancing, so he could only apologize and admit he was an outsider to it.
Bai Tainian waved it off, though the smile on his face deepened even more. “That’s alright. If you watch a few more times, Mr. Xia, you’ll understand.”
So Xia Fengsheng was not completely uninterested in him after all.
By the time Bai Tainian got off work, he offered, “By the way, Mr. Xia, how are you getting back? I drove here today, so let me take you home.”
“There’s no need. I can just get a cab.”
But Bai Tainian remained warmly insistent. “No need to stand on ceremony, Mr. Xia. Come on.”
Unable to refuse such enthusiasm, Xia Fengsheng got into Bai Tainian’s car.
After giving him the address, Bai Tainian drove toward Xia Fengsheng’s residence.
—
The beer in the can was gone. Shi Ye rose groggily from the mess around him and walked to the fridge for another one. He opened it, only to find there was no beer left.
He had never been the sort with a drinking problem, but staying sober made his head feel like it was splitting open. Only alcohol could numb him.
The curtains in the room were drawn tightly shut, plunging the apartment into darkness. Shi Ye no longer knew how many days had passed in this muddled state, nor whether it was day or night outside.
He had only been out of the hospital a few days, but thanks to his abnormally strong physical constitution, his body was already mostly fine.
When Shi Ye vomited blood and was sent to the hospital, the doctor had been startled.
They had heard of twenty-year-old grandsons sending seventy-year-old grandfathers to the hospital from anger.
But a seventy-year-old grandfather sending a twenty-year-old grandson to the hospital from anger?
That was a first.
After examining him, the doctor concluded that he had suffered a violent emotional shock from external stimulation, leaving him unable to face reality and causing a surge of rage that attacked his heart.
Shi Ye stayed one day in the hospital and then ran off. He did not want to remain there for a single extra moment.
He threw on a random coat over a pair of gray sweatpants, preparing to head downstairs to the convenience store for more alcohol.
As he stepped out, he caught sight of Xia Fengsheng’s door.
Shi Ye: O.O
Shi Ye’s nose turned sour, and his eyes reddened again. He yanked the hood of his hoodie down hard over his face.
He loved Xia Fengsheng, but his love had only brought Xia Fengsheng pain.
His grandfather had found Xia Fengsheng before the college entrance exam and humiliated him with money. Shi Ye felt like he was no longer even human anymore. He would never have the face to stand before Xia Fengsheng again. What right did he have to appear in front of him?
His tall figure leaned inside the elevator, his hood pulled low over his face, wanting to dissolve into tears.
Xia Fengsheng should not be with him. Xia Fengsheng should choose someone better.
His Xia Fengsheng. Wuwuwuwu, his Xia Fengsheng.
The moment he imagined Xia Fengsheng one day living happily with someone else, Shi Ye’s muddled mind cracked open again.
No matter how much it hurt, he would still bless him silently from a place Xia Fengsheng could not see.
They could not be together anymore, but in the future he would find every possible way to make it up to him. The royalties from his songs, the real estate he owned privately… should he buy Xia Fengsheng a star too? He could call it Xia Fengsheng Star…
Shi Ye walked out of the apartment, thoughts swirling endlessly in his head.
Xia Fengsheng would meet someone better, Xia Fengsheng would meet someone better…
Then the next moment, he looked up and saw a man standing downstairs outside the apartment building, chatting with Xia Fengsheng with a face full of infatuated delight.
Shi Ye’s steps halted.
Bai Tainian was talking to Xia Fengsheng, and for some reason his body swayed when he spoke.
“Mr. Xia, if possible, could we exchange contact information?”
As he spoke, the swaying became too much to bear. Today Xia Fengsheng was dressed casually, without the restriction of a suit, and somehow his body swayed a little too.
The next second, a shadow loomed over both their heads.
“No standing between train cars.”
Xia Fengsheng: …
Bai Tainian: …
The low voice above them came out of nowhere. Xia Fengsheng looked up.
It was Shi Ye.
A week without seeing him, and his condition had clearly deteriorated. His former sunny vitality was gone, though his face had not lost its looks. With the hood over his head, he radiated a heavy low-pressure gloom.
Bai Tainian eyed the sudden intruder warily. “Who are you?”
Standing in front of Xia Fengsheng, Shi Ye’s voice dropped low. “His ex-boyfriend.”
Hearing that he was Xia Fengsheng’s ex-boyfriend, Bai Tainian’s eyes lit up.
Excellent. Xia Fengsheng liked men.
But then Shi Ye fixed him with open hostility. “You like him?”
The words were direct. Bai Tainian froze for a second, then did not deny it. “I do have a good impression of Mr. Xia.”
“No.”
Bai Tainian blinked. “What?”
Shi Ye repeated himself, his face dark and frightening. “I said no.”
Bai Tainian laughed and sneered at him. “This gentleman, you’re only the ex-boyfriend. Don’t you think you’re overstepping a little?”
The phrase ex-boyfriend stabbed straight into Shi Ye.
A second ago he had still been all aggressive energy, but now he instantly deflated like a burst balloon.
Yes. He was the ex-boyfriend.
What right did he have to stand in front of Xia Fengsheng?
Xia Fengsheng had already broken up with him. Shi Ye was the source of Xia Fengsheng’s pain. Xia Fengsheng deserved a better person. Xia Fengsheng should be happier…
But…
But…
Shi Ye’s eyes reddened. But he really did like Xia Fengsheng. He loved Xia Fengsheng. He had loved him all these years.
His peach-blossom eyes were filled with panic and helplessness.
What was he supposed to do? What was he supposed to do? He could not live without Xia Fengsheng.
Just a second ago he had been telling himself Xia Fengsheng should be with someone better, and the next second he realized he could not survive without him.
How could he stop Xia Fengsheng from getting involved with the man in front of him? What was he supposed to do?
What to do, what to do—think of something already.
Bai Tainian crossed his arms. “Since you’re the ex-boyfriend, then stop getting in the way of him meeting someone new.”
“But…” Shi Ye stammered like a foolish dog.
Bai Tainian frowned. “But what?”
Shi Ye’s lips trembled. Then he suddenly grabbed Xia Fengsheng’s leg in a hug, threw away all dignity, and shouted, “But I’m pregnant with your child!!!!”
Xia Fengsheng was dumbfounded.
The shark-hiding windbreaker failed completely.
