《Silent Confession》 CH 1 PUBLISHED ON 18 March 2022 Xin Yi dug out a divorce agreement in a drawer at home. On the paper, one name was already signed, he was very familiar with the handwriting, it belonged to the husband he was married to for two years, Zhou MuHui. Xin Yi dumbly looked at that sheet of paper, didn¡¯t return to his senses for a long time, he didn¡¯t quite understand it, he was thinking, did something happen between him and Zhou MuHui? But they were chatting just fine a while ago, there was still a trace of the exhort of the other party on his cellphone. ¡°Eat well, don¡¯t run around.¡± The man¡¯s tone was just as brief as usual, but Xin Yi trembled inexplicably. The paper in his hand was bewilderedly crumpled, making an effort to restrain his eyesight, but it still landed on that name written on it, Xin Yi didn¡¯t even dare to breathe too loudly, and could only think about it carefully. Zhou MuHui wants to divorce him? Or else, this thing¡­wouldn¡¯t appear in their home¡­ ¡°Ding¡ª¡± The phone made a small sound, Xin Yi was stunned, he turned his head and saw that it was a text coming from Zhou MuHui. ¡°I will come back in the afternoon.¡± Xin Yi unconsciously nodded, and in the next second, he dumbly came to his senses and in a hurry, took the phone to reply. He said ok, but his next sentence was not fluent, it took him a long time before sending it out. ¡°Are you going to the auditorium?¡± He asked Zhou MuHui with uncertainty. Zhou MuHui replied very quickly, seemed to wait for him on purpose, Xin Yi saw that small ¡°go¡±, and pursed his lips, and did not speak for a long time. The auditorium they were talking about was in Xin Yi school, but because Zhou MuHui¡¯s identity was peculiar, he never goes inside. There was nothing more important than his job, was thinking Xin Yi, Zhou MuHui kept his time and energy for his job, and forgot about Xin Yi who was waiting at home for him. He didn¡¯t reply to Zhou MuHui, even put back that sheet of paper in the drawer, the moment the drawer closed up, he felt like he was violently knocked on the head by someone, slowly feeling pain. Read it on milkteatranslations.wordpress.com At 2:30 in the afternoon, Xin Yi arrived at the auditorium from his classroom. Outside of the auditorium were countless people, he found a space in a corner and crouched there, looking at the flock of people not far away, silently lowering his head. He actually shouldn¡¯t be coming here, to wait for Zhou MuHui to go back home, he asked for a vacation a few days ago, contrary to expectations for Zhou MuHui to return, he could only endure it, and like a persistent follower to following him here. Who let Xin Yi to be useless, always can¡¯t help but miss him. Advertisements ¡°Walk faster, walk faster, the auditorium opens at 3:30, Qi Fang is about to come!¡± Beside him was the smell of fragrance, girls that passed through nearby, Xin Yi stepped back a little, thinking in heart, he won¡¯t. It will at least take him another small half-hour before arriving, Xin Yi went to a lot of his events, Xin Yi knew everything. The surrounding people gradually approached in the direction of the auditorium, the air became more silent, Xin Yi also moved two steps, only for someone to lowly shout in the next second. ¡°Where did that little kid come from?¡± Xin Yi lifted his head at a loss. The person that came had very large sunglasses, lowered his head while raising his brows, that face was as familiar as on the screen, it happens to be Qi Fang, the young man that was a hot topic and had some site traffic. Also, the person he was waiting for, the person that was coming to the auditorium today. Hence Xin Yi held his breath, his eyes aimlessly searching for someone behind him. The sun of the afternoon was thick, making shadows even darker, it was hard to have the full view of the silhouette enveloped in the dark, only the long and narrow scar on the side of his face could tell who it was. That scar ran from the cheekbone to the nose, it didn¡¯t look like a normal scratch, it looked like it was made by something that fiercely stabbed him during some kind of struggle. Xin Yi almost couldn¡¯t control his breathing, his eye rims couldn¡¯t help but turn red, he hurriedly stood up and wanted to stretch out his hand to hold that person. ¡°Zhou¡­¡± But his hand only stretched out halfway when it was hurriedly stopped by someone. ¡°Why are you hiding here, want a sign?¡± The person in front of him exaggeratedly stepped back, blocking right between them, Xin Yi was stunned, he looked at the other party with red eyes, and reacted in the next second, tears rapidly falling. The one standing behind Qi Fang is Xin Yi¡¯s husband Zhou MuHui, also the person who Xin Yi eagerly wanted to see by running to the school. Zhou MuHui is Qi Fang¡¯s manager, he was on a business trip for some time and was gone for more than a month, Xin Yi looking forwards to the stars and the moon waiting for his return, but the moment the other party returned he said that he was going to the auditorium because Qi Fang was holding an event here today. Zhou MuYi always put his job first, Xin Yi also knew it, but he still couldn¡¯t help, sneakily followed him there. ¡°Hey, why are you crying?¡± Qi Fang who was standing in front of him was having a headache, seeing that little kid crying so hard all of sudden, couldn¡¯t help but speak out, ¡°Stop, stop crying.¡± He couldn¡¯t understand, all he did was just ask a question, why is this kid crying like this, but he felt awkward so he compromised. ¡°Then¡­alright¡­¡± He stiffly shook his head, drily said, ¡°I¡¯ll sign it for you, a photo together is also fine, quickly stop crying.¡± Then Zhou MuHui was called out, and before any of them reacted, Qi Fang took the camera from his assistant¡¯s hand and handed it to Zhou MuHui. ¡°Brother Zhou, quickly help, randomly take two photos.¡± He avoided Xin Yi who was crying, spoke to Zhou MuHui in a low voice Zhou MuHui was a bit rigid, but Qi Fang didn¡¯t notice it, he signed an autograph under Xin Yi¡¯s tears, pulled him to take a photo, even called his assistant and told him to give the photo to the kid later. Xin Yi didn¡¯t say a word the whole time, but his tears didn¡¯t stop, Qi Fang was thinking that maybe he saw him and was excited? But this thought only went through his mind for an instant that it stopped. Because for some reason, Xin Yi suddenly grabbed Zhou MuHui¡¯s wrist. Leaving a confused Qi Fang, looking at the two of them suddenly holding hands, didn¡¯t understand what happened. ¡°Qi Fang, you go first.¡± Zhou MuHui took a step forward, pulled Xin Yi behind him, said to Qi Fang who had a blank face. Qi Fang let out an oh, and by reflex was going to go, but he took a step and felt that something was wrong. Wasn¡¯t this kid his fan, why did he have to go? Moreover, Zhou MuHui¡¯s face didn¡¯t look good, Qi Fang paused his footsteps, quietly looking behind him. The nose of that little fan of him turned red from crying, a red circle even appeared on the wrist that was being gripped, Qi Fang was stunned, hurriedly said, ¡°Out of the question!¡± Thinking that Zhou MuHui would bully him. Advertisements His out of question was too abrupt, Xin Yi who was wiping his tears stretched out his head, finally opened his mouth. ¡°What are you doing¡­¡± he asked with a tearful voice. Qi Fang faltered and couldn¡¯t speak out, he couldn¡¯t possibly say that the man who is gripping you is so fierce, he probably wants to cause you trouble by wanting to stay with you alone. When he thought about Zhou MuHui¡¯s peculiar identity, he couldn¡¯t help but be worried, moreover the scar on brother¡¯s Zhou face¡­ Qi Fang remembered that the first time he saw Zhou MuHui, Zhou MuHui¡¯s fierce expression when he was hitting people in the underground parking of the company, couldn¡¯t help but shiver. His brother Zhou has never been someone who easily gets along with others, he looked cold, he was even colder when getting along with him, if one really provoked him or made him angry, the consequences were not something a kid could handle. He tactfully opened his mouth, told Xin Yi to quickly go back, then timidly pulled Zhou MuHui back, said that they were almost late, and cannot delay it anymore. Zhou MuHui did not even move, only telling him once again with a cold face, ¡°Go in.¡± The little kid behind doesn¡¯t seem to be afraid either, instead, was obediently staying behind his brother Zhou, he sneakily called him, ¡°You, leave quickly, brother Zhou is really fierce.¡± He was afraid that the little kid wouldn¡¯t believe him, added fuel to the fire, ¡°It¡¯s real, he also hit people!¡± In the beginning, Xin Yi didn¡¯t clearly hear what he said, till the other party repeated it again, he then stupidly shook his head, telling him that it was not it. But Qi Fang did not pay attention to him, he only wanted Xin Yi to quickly leave, however, Xin Yi just had to be stubborn as hell on this matter, halted the tears, and very seriously explained to him, ¡°Zhou MuHui wouldn¡¯t hit people.¡± Xin Yi was used to be fiercely protective of his child, he disliked the most when people talked badly of Zhou MuHui, especially when they made things up, both people oddly were unable to move on this matter, even started to argue like a chicken talking to a duck. At the end of it, Xin Yi wasn¡¯t even crying anymore, he stood in front of Zhou MuHui blocking him like he was protecting his cub, pursing his lips in anger, telling Qi Fang to go. ¡°¡­¡± the other party also got angry, glared at him, ¡°forget it if you don¡¯t want to listen!¡± The two of them looked like little kids arguing in kindergarten, in the end, they were separated by force by Zhou MuHui. Zhou MuHui first told the assistant to take him away, warned him to stir up troubles outside, then when they were gone, he picked Xin Yi up, put him aside under the flower stand, and reasoned with him. ¡°But he said you¡­¡± Xin Yi¡¯s cheeks were full of tears stains, said sadly, ¡°I explained but he won¡¯t even listen.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± His family¡¯s little kid is right no matter what he says, not to mention if it was for his sake, therefore Zhou MuHui let out a sigh, ¡°I¡¯ll scold him once we get back.¡± And held the back of his neck, coaxing him, ¡°No crying.¡± Xin Yi in his embrace shook his head, evaded his hand, his pair of arms carefully wrapped around him, tightly hugged him. ¡°Forget it.¡± He silently let his tears fall, spoke in a small voice, ¡°Don¡¯t scold him.¡± He buried his face in Zhou MuHui¡¯s clothes wiping dry with tears on it, begging Zhou MuHui with a stuffy throat, ¡°I want to go home with you¡­¡± Cicadas cries were coming from the trees¡¯ shadows on the side of the road, the group of people no far away also gradually went inside, Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t speak for a long time, after a good long while, he then caressed Xin Yin¡¯s hair, said, ¡°Then wait for me.¡± CH 2 PUBLISHED ON 26 March 2022 Xin Yi was taken inside the auditorium, placed on the right side of the aisle, Zhou MuHui was wearing a baseball cap and slightly bent his waist in front of him, telling him that once it had ended, to go to the side door, to wait for him to go home together. Xin Yi silently nodded, said ok in a small voice, Zhou MuHui originally wanted to go, but for an unknown reason he paused, Xin Yi confusedly asked him what was wrong, he didn¡¯t respond, but on the next second he took off his cap. ¡°I¡¯ll be quick.¡± Zhou MuHui put the cap on his head, used it to shelter them, and kissed him. Xin Yi then felt like he was sleepwalking, Qi Fang was staring at him from the stage, Xin Yi saw it, and grinned at him, the other party widened his eyes as if he saw a ghost, but Xin Yi didn¡¯t pay attention to it. His whole heart was about to flutter out, hoping that this speech could finish soon, so he could go home earlier with Zhou MuHui. When the crowd dispersed, he ran faster than anyone else, the narrow back door was hidden, on both sides were two towering giant trees, Xin Yi made use of the trees¡¯ shadow to move there, squatted in the corner eagerly looking at the door. But he didn¡¯t see the person he was waiting for. The noise in the lobby has been gone for a long time, but no one pushed open the door in front of him, Xin Yi switched from various positions, squatted down then stood up, stoop up then squatted down, but he didn¡¯t see Zhou MuHui who he was waiting for. He then had some doubts about it, but when his hand reached inside his pocket, wanting to call and ask Zhou MuHui, he panicked. He came hastily and was absent-minded, he was tossing and turning at school, and he actually had forgotten his phone in the classroom. Xin Yi paused for a moment, not knowing if he should go inside to find him, or stay still, just waiting there. Read it on milkteatranslations.wordpress.com A minute then a second passed, the sky was also getting darker, not a sound came from the empty lobby, Xin Yi also suppressed the idea of going to the classroom to find his phone. He didn¡¯t dare to leave, he was afraid that once he left, Zhou MuHui would come. Xin Yi squatted down again, looking like a kid that had been abandoned by adults, hugging his legs and lowering his head, watching the ants on the ground that were running here and there. The lamps on the street beside had already changed two rounds of colors, and the school security came to patrol on the street. ¡°Kid, don¡¯t be playful.¡± The flashlight flashed Xin Yi¡¯s face, and the other party called him, ¡°It¡¯s already ten o¡¯clock, hurry, go back.¡± Xin Yi didn¡¯t expect that it was this late already, he was stunned for a moment, then explained in a small voice to the other party, ¡°I am waiting for someone, I am going to leave in a while.¡± ¡°Then hurry up ok, it¡¯s late already, it¡¯s not safe.¡± Xin Yi nodded, his chaotic heart slowly calmed down. He let out a long and anxious breath, in the quiet dark night, he was slowly thinking. Zhou MuHui said that he was going home together with him, so¡­ There was no need to be in a hurry. Zhou MuHui will eventually come. Advertisements When Zhou MuHui came back, Xin Yi was about to fall asleep, he was leaning against the tree confusedly, and was woken up with a startle by a set of footsteps in disarray. The dim moonlight was broken by silence, Xin Yi rubbed his eyes, looked at the man who was catching his breath, slowly woke up, raised his head, and smiled. ¡°Hug.¡± He opened his arms, looked at Zhou MuHui naively. ¡°¡­what about your phone.¡± Zhou MuHui regained his breath, the back of his hand brushed the clothes on his back, lowered his head, and asked him. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I forgot it in the classroom.¡± Xin Yi put his arms down, and was slowly feeling a bit restless, ¡°I was afraid that you wouldn¡¯t be able to find me, so didn¡¯t dare to leave.¡± He sneaked a glance at Zhou MuHui, Zhou MuHui was looking at him without expression, Xin Yi was stunned, raised his head at a loss, ¡°Are you angry?¡± His gaze was fidgety, but Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t answer him. The man closed his eyes, the hand behind his back was slightly trembling, even though he tried to calm it, it didn¡¯t stop even after a long time. Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t dare to move, he was afraid that Xin Yi would discover it, he was scared. ¡°Can you not be angry¡­¡± Xin Yi saw that he didn¡¯t move even after a long time, carefully getting close, held the corner of his clothes, ¡°I was always afraid that you would come out in the next second, so I didn¡¯t dare to move, I didn¡¯t deliberately did not reply to you.¡± And also didn¡¯t deliberately stay there for so long. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhou MuHui squatted down in front of him, caressed his soft hair, only opened his mouth after a long while. ¡°I know.¡± He was piggyback carried by Zhou MuHui, the man¡¯s back was broad, but the back of his neck was soaked with sweat, Xin Yi¡¯s heart softened, slowly laid down on his back, and wrapped his arms around his neck. ¡°Legs are still numb?¡± After a while, Zhou MuHui asked him. ¡°Not numb anymore.¡± Xin Yi said in a small voice. Zhou MuHui wanted to pull him up back then, but Xin Yi didn¡¯t straighten up even after half a day, the man¡¯s frown didn¡¯t straighten down, Xin Yi was awkward and embarrassed, finally murmured, ¡°cannot get up anymore.¡± The man sighed but still carried him on his back. They were going home together, the road was quiet and nobody spoke, Xin Yi was lying on his back obediently, like a chick that has returned to its nest, but his eyes slowly became wet. ¡°¡­what is wrong?¡± Zhou MuHui could perceive that he was slightly getting choked up, asked him. ¡°No, nothing¡­¡± Xin Yi shook his head in a hurry, and did his best to hold back his tears. He just thought about the divorce agreement again. It was another long while during which no one spoke, Xin Yi was gripping on his clothes, holding back his sadness, but heard him say in the next second. ¡°¡­not angry at you.¡± The man¡¯s voice had an astringent tone to it and paused his footsteps. He seriously tried to elaborate. But Xin Yi almost could not hold back, randomly nodding, but no matter how he couldn¡¯t persevere. ¡°I know¡­it¡¯s just¡­it¡¯s just..how can you be so good¡­¡± Making Xin Yi like him so much, but also knowing that he was about to throw away Xin Yi. Zhou MuHui was silent, only carrying him and walking forward, the wind carried away the choked-up emotions that Xin Yi hid in his heart, Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t get it, but sensitively could sense that he was in low spirits. ¡°A newbie, that a colleague is in charge of, got into a bit of trouble, we kept dealing with it.¡± Zhou MuHui said, ¡°I didn¡¯t intend to come back so late.¡± Zhou MuHui was very stupid, and couldn¡¯t only slowly mention things that could¡¯ve made Xin Yi sad. ¡°I know¡­ I saw the news.¡± ¡°Qi Fang changed route at the last moment, they did not stop him.¡± Zhou MuHui lifted him a bit, said in a low voice, ¡°He got bumped into by the fans, I was just about to walk toward the back when I got called up.¡± So he could only send a text to Xin Yi, telling him to go home first. Xin Yi knew that he certainly got held up by something, that¡¯s why he didn¡¯t come to find him, he leaned on Zhou MuHui¡¯s back, asked, ¡°Then is he ok?¡± ¡°A few bruises.¡± Zhou MuHui paused for a little, then talked again, ¡°I didn¡¯t find you when I got home, I circled around.¡± That¡¯s why he came so late. The text he sent didn¡¯t get a reply after half a day, only after he got free that he noticed Xin Yi disappeared, Zhou MuHui¡¯s heart missed half a beat, held his phone and rushed outside. ¡°I know¡­ I know¡­¡± Xin Yi almost couldn¡¯t hold up his tears, he tightly held onto Zhou MuHui, his cheeks nestled into the back of the other party¡¯s neck, his voice was very light, ¡°You won¡¯t abandon me, you will come back to find me.¡± So¡­so, why do you want to divorce me. Advertisements It was already late at night when they returned home, Xin Yi¡¯s school was very far, it takes almost two hours to get to the city center, he woke up with a startle once again when Zhou MuHui put him down, he confusedly hugged Zhou MuHui, ¡°I¡¯ll accompany you.¡± Zhou MuHui got delayed by things, a four or five days business trip got extended to more than a month, the things he took back haven¡¯t been tidied up. He rubbed his eyes, got up from the bed, he pulled Zhou MuHui to tidy it together. ¡°If you are tired just go to sleep.¡± Zhou MuHui saw him let out a yawn, frowned. Xin Yi shook his head, leaned on his arm, touched the scar on his face, said in a small voice, ¡°not tired.¡± The scar on the man¡¯s face was long and narrow, it was a wound left when he was young, people who knew about him were afraid of him, people who didn¡¯t know about it used this scar to exclude him, just like Qi Fang did in the morning, making up things as he would randomly hit people. Xin Yi didn¡¯t like it when people talked nonsense, because Zhou MuHui was obviously very good, but Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t care about it, even if sometimes people point and criticize him in his face, he could also turn a blind eye. ¡°Do you have class tomorrow?¡± Zhou MuHui asked him, pausing his hand movement. Xin Yi nodded, followed the posture of it, it fell on his knees(*), he then held his fingers, playing with them. Zhou MuHui saw the little remnants of things left in his eyes, the hand that was held moved, gently got out of the hold. ¡°Sleep first.¡± He carried Xin Yi up, not caring about these things anymore, ¡°we¡¯ll do that tomorrow.¡± Xin Yi was stunned, suddenly asked, ¡°We¡¯ll do that together tomorrow?¡± Zhou MuHui lowered his head to look at him, his eyes gradually carried a smile, he then put Xin Yi who looked at him with embarrassment on the bed, ¡°we¡¯ll do that together.¡± Xin Yi couldn¡¯t hold his smile, Zhou MuHui wrapped him in the quilt, brushed aside the hair on disarray on his face, told him, ¡°Don¡¯t come to this kind of event in the future, it¡¯s not safe.¡± The crazy actions of the fans during the daytime were still fresh in his mind, Zhou MuHui was only rejoicing that at that time Xin Yi already left, otherwise, in a crowd surge, he would really be worried. Half of Xin Yi¡¯s face was buried into the quilt, nodding, obediently saying alright. He did not dare to say that actually, he had already gone a lot of times, when the man was awfully busy, Xin Yi could only do that in order to not disturb him, but sneakily get to see him. ¡°Chasing stars1 is also not ok, if you like someone, just tell me.¡± The man added. Xin Yi is ten years younger than him, he knows that kids at that age all like to chase stars, Xin Yi wasn¡¯t an exception. Last time, he found at home some handheld concert props of some star. But Xin Yi made his way out of the quilt, blinked, and looked at Zhou MuHui, spoke in a small voice. His voice was really small, Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t hear it clearly, asked, ¡°what?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t chase stars¡­¡± Xin Yi was embarrassed by his gaze and captured Zhou MuHui¡¯s hand to cover his own face as if he was telling a secret. ¡°I chase my husband¡­¡± Notes: (*) I read that sentence many times before understanding it: ZMH¡¯s hand stopped, he must have dropped his hand along his body (meaning it was near his tight/knee) and Xin Yi just followed the movement of his hand before catching his fingers. CH 3 PUBLISHED ON 2 April 2022 Zhou MuHui was caught unprepared by his direct hit, Xi Yi was too blunt, he wore his bright heart on his sleeve, he cannot hide his likes and loves. Zhou MuHui often thought that it wasn¡¯t good that he was being too obedient, but each time that side of him made him soft-hearted and surrendered. The little kid then fell asleep like this, Zhou MuHui looked at his face and was distracted, only moved after a while, and pulled down the quilt that tightly covered his face, and switched off the lights. The next day, Xin Yi woke up early, the sky wasn¡¯t even bright yet when he crawled up, he leaned on the side of the bed to look at Zhou MuHui, he carefully raised his finger, hooked it onto the collar of his clothes, sneakily sniffed at the fresh smell on his body. At this moment, one place on the side of the bed was sunken, as if there was something heavy that suddenly jumped on, Xin Yi shook, he quickly retreated his hand, turned his head, and shouted in fear, ¡°Mao Mao¡­¡± ¡°Miao¡ª-¡± The orange cat that was lying on top of the bed replied with a sound, lifted his head stretching towards his palm and randomly rubbing against it, forcibly occupying him as a matter of course, affectionately meowed at him. ¡°Don¡¯t call out, don¡¯t call out.¡± Xin Yi panicked, hissed at him in a hurry, afraid that he would wake up Zhou MuHui. The cat was enveloped in Xin Yi¡¯s arms, stop making sounds in a blink of an eye, its body was soft, he imitated Xin Yi¡¯s position and laid on his stomach next to Zhou MuHui¡¯s neck, one human, one cat, foolishly looking at the other party. ¡°Thank you¡­Mao Mao.¡± Xin Yi inclined his head to look at him, using his tone to earnestly express his thanks. The cat shook his head, his tail wrapped around his arm, just like when he was little when he relied on rubbing him, as if saying it didn¡¯t matter. Xin Yi let out a relieved sigh, sticking closer to his Mao Mao and Zhou MuHui, so the two humans and one cat were closely forming a tight circle, one hand hooked on each, then fell asleep again in this position. Read it on milkteatranslations.wordpress.com His cat is called Mao Mao*, he is a playmate that Xin Yi picked up near his house when he was a kid, he was already seventeen years old this year, it is a thoroughly old cat, that¡¯s why Xin Yi was very worried about its health, afraid that someday it would really leave him. * litt. ¡®cat cat/kitty kitty¡¯ When Zhou MuHui woke up, Xin Yi already slept for a good while, his position was widely different, he hugged the cat while leaning on Zhou MuHui¡¯s neck, Zhou MuHui looked at him for half a day, then couldn¡¯t help but rubbed his messy hair, letting out a sigh. The cat on one side wasn¡¯t asleep, looked at Zhou MuHui with its round eyes, swaying back and forth with its soft tail, then stepped on Xin Yi¡¯s back, letting out a meow. Zhou MuHui knew that it was reminding himself, he caressed the cat¡¯s chin, then carefully carried Xin Yi who curled him into a ball and put him on the bed, only walking out after that. Xin Yi finally woke up an hour later, Zhou MuHui pushed the door and saw him sitting on the bed, motionlessly hugging the cat in a daze. Zhou MuHui did not bat an eyelid, walked up to him and carried down the cat who was pressing down on him, and lifted the quilt. ¡°¡­How come you haven¡¯t left yet?¡± Xin Yi was stunned, and asked him in a daze. He knew Zhou MuHui was very busy, since he joined the showbusiness industry a few years ago, then became Qi Fang¡¯s manager, he rarely had any idle time. Usually, when Xin Yi wakes up, he basically has already left home. Zhou Mu Hui bent his head, dressed him, paused after hearing what he said, said, ¡°Waiting for you.¡± Indeed, he was waiting for him, Xin Yi¡¯s phone was forgotten at school, and had no way of leaving by himself. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Xin Yi nodded, obediently lifted his arms so Zhou MuHui could put the clothes on him, after it was done, he slowly got out of the bed, scuffed towards the bathroom in his slippers, his pace getting faster and faster. ¡°I will be done in a moment!¡± He seemed to have finally returned to his senses, and felt some urgency, then pulled open the frosted glass door that he had just closed, poked out and said in a small voice, ¡°Wait for me.¡± Zhou MuHui replied with a hum, ¡°Go.¡± The cat that had been left on the bed was meowing, Zhou MuHui turned around, also carried it off the bed. Their house¡¯s cat is old, wasn¡¯t as agile as before when walking, and also developed a heap of ailments, Zhou MuHui looked at him slowly opened the door of the bathroom, laying by Xin Yi¡¯s feet, and couldn¡¯t help but wrinkle his brows. Humans go through birth, aging, illness, and death, cats are the same, Zhou MuHui looked at the one human and one cat snuggled together, and was only hoping that day would come slower. Advertisements Xin Yi showered in a tearing hurry, even the meal was shoved down in a hurry, he only reacted after the car had driven halfway, Zhou MuHui wanted to send him to school. He gripped the seat belt and pursed his lips uneasily, sneaked a glance at Zhou MuHui every now and then, only opening his mouth after a long while like a quail, asking him, ¡°You don¡¯t work?¡± Zhou MuHui already thought about his line a long time ago, ¡°Not in the morning.¡± Xin Yi let out an oh, lowered his head smiling like a fool. His happiness always seemed to be that simple, Zhou MuHui looked at him, during the interval of the red light, suddenly used his hand to pinch the back of his neck. Xin Yi was dumbfounded, turned his head to look at him, ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± Zhou MuHui retracted his hand as if nothing happened, the residual breath on his fingertips was pressed against the steering wheel by him, his sight looking at the front, said, ¡°nothing.¡± Xin Yi blinked, for the rest of the trip he kept stealing glances at Zhou MuHui, when the car was about to come to a stop, he really couldn¡¯t resist anymore, he pounced and kissed him. ¡°¡­ me too, also nothing¡¯s wrong with me1.¡± Zhou MuHui¡¯s eyes carried some astonishment, but it looked like he was embarrassed, his fingers inadvertently caught the other party¡¯s clothes¡¯ hem, curled up and rubbing it. ¡°¡­don¡¯t do that next time.¡± The man was startled, but he still taught him, ¡°It¡¯s dangerous when driving.¡± Xin Yi isn¡¯t little, but Zhou MuHui always felt like he was a little kid that hasn¡¯t grown up, chirping and revolving around him every day, even when he bumped himself he wouldn¡¯t cry out of pain, only rubbing on his wounds and smiling foolishly. It was also the same when he asked for love, he didn¡¯t care about anything else, he would throw his heart to Zhou MuHui, forcing Zhou MuHui¡¯s eyes to stop over and be different from his usual self. ¡°¡­ en!¡± Xin Yi stammeringly nodded, and hurriedly let go of Zhou MuHui¡¯s clothes, his pair of hands resting on his knees, sat obediently. He also knew he was in the wrong after giving that kiss, but at that moment, he also didn¡¯t know what happened, it was just like he was captivated, he was looking at Zhou MuHui and just wanted to move closer to him. There are a lot of traffic lights near the school, at the next intersection, Zhou MuHui paused, out of the corner of his eyes he could see that Xin Yi kept his head lowered. On the slightly exposed profile of the young man, the smooth and round cheek was bulged up, Zhou MuHui frowned, quite hesitantly retracting his sight. Is it because he wasn¡¯t happy? The man¡¯s hands that were gripping the steering wheel stiffened, he thought in his heart, was it because the tone he used was a bit too serious and a bit too rigid, and it made the little kid unhappy that he didn¡¯t speak on the rest of the way. When Xin Yi was about to get off the car, Zhou MuHui called him, Xin Yi confusedly turned around, climbed over the co-pilot, asked in a whisper, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Zhou MuHui looked at his confused face, a strange taste of sourness surged up in his heart, he lowered his voice and said, ¡°Nothing.¡± But in the next second, he pressed down the back of his neck, their lips met, and he kissed him. Xin Yi was muddled head for the whole while, till the man retreated from his mouth, he then abruptly pulled back, knelt on the seat, and looked at Zhou MuHui with his eyes wide open. ¡°(compared) with yours, which one is better?¡± Zhou MuHui asked him. Xin Yi¡¯s ears tips turned red, he looked serious, yet also looked like the usual Zhou MuHui who would ask him questions, stammered and said, ¡°this, this one¡­¡± Zhou MuHui made a sound in acquiescence and said, ¡°Understood.¡± This time, even Xin Yi¡¯s face turned red, not sure what mean the understood he was referring to, and what he wanted to do. ¡°Do you want me to accompany you?¡± The car was parked in front of the school¡¯s entrance, Zhou MuHui tilted his head to look at his family¡¯s little friend who was still embarrassed. ¡°No need no need.¡± Xin Yi promptly shook his head in refusal, gripped his backpack, and moved back, ¡°I am going by my own.¡± And didn¡¯t even react to the fact that Zhou MuHui wanted to accompany him inside unlike usual. Advertisements Zhou MuHui watched him walk to the entrance and only then, did he retract his sight, he sat there unmoving, raised his hand after a while, and touched his own lips that were still warm and wet, lowered his head, and smiled. Xin Yi dizzily walked towards the teaching buildings, then only got the notice that there was no need to come to class today, the person that had come was his friend, put an arm around his shoulders and handed him his phone. ¡°You left too quickly yesterday and did not even take your phone, I guessed that you would also come today, so I brought it.¡± Xin Yi smiled in embarrassment, he was too muddled head yesterday, so he has forgotten everything.¡± He thanked the other party, but the other party waved his hand, and moved closer to him harboring bad intentions. ¡°Xin Yi! Why are your lips so red?¡± He gave him a surreptitious wink, Xin Yi whole body was about to burn up, he thought about that wet and warm kiss back then, pushed the other party in a flustered manner, and stammeringly said, ¡°got, got bitten by an insect.¡± ¡°Oh¡ª¡ª that insect sure was powerful.¡± ¡°¡­ Fang YiHe!¡± Xin Yi was bashful after being told off by him, and shouted at him in false bravado. Fang YiHe was his best friend, at this time, couldn¡¯t resist and pinched his face. ¡°And you think you¡¯re in the right, you¡¯re secretly in a relationship and haven¡¯t even told me!¡± Xin Yi¡¯s character is gentle, and also younger than him, Fang YiHe usually treated him like a kid, now, seeing that he is in a relationship, he felt both happy and grieved. It was like, he raised with difficulty a pig, and his memory was still stopped at the moment when this pig was still little, but as a result, it actually ventured to someone else¡¯s yard and dug someone else¡¯s cabbage.2 ¡°¡­¡­¡± Xin Yi felt sorry, but he also didn¡¯t dare to talk about it. Zhou MuHui¡¯s identity was peculiar, and it happens that Fang YiHe was someone who knew a bit about his matters, if Xin Yi really talked about him, Fang YiHe surely would be the first one to know who Zhou MuHui was. ¡°Alright, alright, let¡¯s not talk about it.¡± Fang YiHe glared at him, ¡°A son who has married is like water that has been spilled3, be good to the young girl ok.¡± Xin Yi hurriedly nodded, then reacted in the next second. ¡°It¡¯s not a youn-¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I say it already, there is no class today, you can also hurry to leave!¡± He left just as fast as he came, didn¡¯t wait for Xin Yi¡¯s words, he hastily waved his hand at him, ¡°I am going back to play games, bye-bye!¡± He left too quickly, leaving a Xin Yi looking at him at a loss, after a while, Xin Yi blinked, disheartened. ¡°It¡¯s not a young girl¡­¡± He said in a muffle. Notes: CH 4 PUBLISHED ON 9 April 2022 When Xin Yin went back, he didn¡¯t expect Zhou MuHui to still be there, he jogged and rushed over, bent down to knock on the car¡¯s windows, and called out to him, ¡°Open the door.¡± Zhou MuHui was stunned, let him come in. ¡°Class was cancelled.¡± Xin Yi gripped his phone, explained to him in a well-behaved manner, then asked again, ¡°How come you didn¡¯t leave?¡± Zhou MuHui paused, said, ¡°Took a phone call, got delayed.¡± Xin Yi just let out an oh, and did not think too much about it. So he did not notice how a person as taciturn as Zhou MuHui would have such a long phone conversation. ¡°You can drop me off once you are near home.¡± Xin Yi put on the security belt, and said. His cheeks were a bit red, fingerprints were vaguely visible, Zhou MuHui paused for a moment, and did not answer him, only asked: ¡°What happened to your face?¡± Xin Yi¡¯s skin was delicate, if it was pinched hard it would leave some traces, Xin Yi hadn¡¯t reacted, touched his own face, and asked him, ¡°what?¡± Zhou MuHui stretched his hand, held his thin and long finger, and reached toward his cheek, ¡°here.¡± The man¡¯s fingertips¡¯ temperature was a bit scalding, causing Xin Yi to be quite confused, he looked at that man who was expressionless, and slowly remembered that a moment ago, he seemed to have been pinched. ¡°Fang YiHe did it.¡± His voice was a little unclear because the man was holding his face while he was speaking, Xin Yi inexplicably messed up his thoughts, just like a cat, he reached forward and rubbed against his palm. But Zhou MuHui retreated his hand right at this moment, the man¡¯s eyes were dark, let out a hum, then told him, ¡°Sit well.¡± Xin Yi was a little ashamed, so he didn¡¯t react when the man suddenly turned that cold, only quickly retreating back, obediently closing his eyes and pretending to be asleep, as if saying yes. But very quickly, pretending to be sleeping turned into really sleeping, taking advantage of the red light, Zhou MuHui pulled down the sun visor in front of him, then paused again, looked at the faint redness on his cheek, silently dropped his gaze. When Xin Yi woke up, he didn¡¯t return to his senses for a long time, he looked at the man in the driver¡¯s seat, said in a small voice, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call me.¡± Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t reply to him, he only closed the laptop and put it in the backseat, asking, ¡°Still tired or not?¡± The man parked the car in front of the house, Xin Yi took a glance outside, the sky was a little gray, and looked like it was about to rain. ¡°¡­ Tired.¡± He couldn¡¯t help it and let out a yawn, then took a look at the car¡¯s weather forecast, and said, ¡°It looks like it¡¯s about to rain.¡± Zhou MuHui let out a hum, got up, and went to open the car¡¯s door on his side. ¡°Tonight I might come back late, there are still some dishes in the fridge, heat them up yourself, don¡¯t eat indiscriminately things from outside.¡± Xin Yi reached out his arm and was about to encircle his neck, couldn¡¯t help but put it down. ¡°It¡¯s about to rain¡­ it will be a big rain.¡± ¡°En, windows should also be closed.¡± Zhou MuHui lowered his head and looked at him, seeing him tightly shrunk into himself, then resisted by extracting himself from his embrace.* ¡°¡­¡± Xin Yi gripped the security belt without letting it go, and whispered, ¡°I also want to go.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have class today, I¡¯m going to wait for you in the car¡­¡± Zhou MuHui got up slightly, ¡°Xin Yi?¡± Xin Yi took a glance at him, then quickly lowered his head, as if the air leaked, and pursed his lips tightly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be alone at home.¡± He said in a low voice. The rain was heavy, the man will come back later than what he said, Xin Yi will be worried, and will call him to tell him to not come back. But Xin Yi didn¡¯t want to stay at home alone. Advertisements Zhou MuHui¡¯s indifference seemed to vary from person to person, because it seemed that he didn¡¯t have a bottom line when it came to Xin Yi. Just like when he came back from his business trip, he couldn¡¯t even endure it for half a day, and followed Qi Fang to the auditorium, just because Xin Yi was also at school. And just like not having a handphone wasn¡¯t such a big deal, but he purposely ignored it, and postponed his work early in the morning, sending Xin Yi to school. Uniquely because the little kid wasn¡¯t happy yesterday night. ¡°Alright.¡± He nodded, and put the security belt on Xin Yi once again, then closed the car¡¯s door. He was too easy to talk to, as Xin Yi hadn¡¯t even reacted, he dully looked at Zhou MuHui as he started the car, and as if he abruptly regained consciousness, he let out a shudder. ¡°I will listen to you, and not cause you any trouble.¡± He tried his best to contain his happiness, promised Zhou MuHui in a small voice. Zhou MuHui tilted his head to look at him, his gaze was calm, ¡°No need.¡± Zhou MuHui¡¯s work changed in these two last years, he didn¡¯t need to deal with artists all the time, Xin Yi could mostly guess that he wanted to change into working behind the scenes, but didn¡¯t know it would be that fast. He was led by the man from the underground parking to upstairs, Xin Yi tilted his head to look at him, carefully using an aspirated tone to ask him, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter?¡± Xin Yi because of Zhou MuHui, paid a lot of attention to this circle, and also knew that their line of business was a little complicated, before, when Zhou MuHui had just started to work, Xin Yi would come to fetch him, and would squat near the flower bed at the entrance waiting for him, but the man got angry at him, and did not allow him to go again. The other party seldom had been so fierce, Xin Yi was scared by him, he held his hands and looked at him dumbfounded. Zhou MuHui had a hard time calming down, in the end, he took him into his embrace, and said that it was really messy here, and that it wasn¡¯t good for Xin Yi. Xin Yi grabbed the corner of his clothes and stupidly nodded, but he slowly come to a realization, Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t like him coming here. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Zhou MuHui tightly held him, and brought him upstairs. The elevator was non-stop, because it was lunchtime, it didn¡¯t even stop once at one of the 32 floors, after Xin Yi reacted, his Zhou MuHui had already walked further, and didn¡¯t have that down-and-out look he had on their first encounter anymore. Although he also thought that Zhou MuHui was also very good. ¡°It¡¯s so nice¡­¡± Xin Yi softly mumbled behind him, Zhou MuHui heard it, then inclined toward him to hold him even tighter, said in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t get distracted.¡± Xin Yi let out an oh, and promptly followed him closely. Zhou MuHui was very busy, and had started to organize his work right after he have stepped into the office, Xin Yi was lying on the couch and doing his homework, at noon, someone knocked on the door and came in, holding a pile of lunch boxes, and walked toward Zhou MuHui. Xin Yi got flustered, hurriedly sat up properly, and hugged his books like a little kid. ¡°Zhou¡­¡± The person who came was a girl, she widened her eyes in surprise after seeing him, Xin Yi saw her straightforward gaze and was a bit embarrassed, and evaded it by lowering his head. ¡°Put it here.¡± Zhou MuHui interrupted them, the girl was stunned, and immediately put down the things in her hands on the table. ¡°Brother Zhou, I¡¯ll go out first, this evening¡¯s social activities have already been postponed, it¡¯s been shifted to Tuesday.¡± Xin Yi¡¯s attention had been drawn over, he saw Zhou MuHui slightly frown, and looked at him, then nodded. ¡°En.¡± The door was gently closed, Xin Yi looked at the other party. ¡°Come to eat.¡± This time, Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t look at him, but Xin Yi couldn¡¯t help but smile, closed his book, and jogged over. The meal was eaten to a half when Zhou MuHui got a call, Xin Yi saw that he still hadn¡¯t hung up, so he took the water cup in front of him and went to fetch water. Advertisements This floor was very quiet, there was almost no one, so when the girl appeared behind him, Xin Yi got a scare. ¡°Hello.¡± Xin Yi¡¯s eyebrows slightly trembled, spoke out softly. The girl blinked, looked at his empty water cup, and asked, ¡°Are you looking for the tea room?¡± Xin Yi was stunned and embarrassedly nodded. This morning, Zhou MuHui poured a cup of water for him, because he was afraid that he could catch a cold on this rainy day, so he mixed it with medicine granules, Xin Yi was uncomfortable after drinking it, so he also finished drinking Zhou MuHui¡¯s cup. ¡°Our tea room isn¡¯t easy to find, I¡¯ll take you there.¡± Xin Yi thanked her, and the other party hurriedly waved her hand, and said, ¡°No need no need.¡± The tea room was indeed very hard to find, it was at the back of an empty meeting room, and the door also needed to be pushed to go in. ¡°There is usually no one here, it¡¯s weirdly designed.¡± The girl explained to him, looking at Xin Yi pouring water, then sneakily asked him, ¡°Are you a newbie? A new trainee?¡± Xin Yi didn¡¯t react, after he finished pouring water and blankly lifted his head. ¡°You are so good-looking, your temperament is also good, if you debut you sure will have a lot of mom-fans.¡± Xin Yi finally reacted, and hurriedly shook his head negatively, spoke in a small voice, ¡°I am not.¡± He didn¡¯t know why the other party had to suppress their voice, as if it was something that couldn¡¯t be known by others, but Xin Yi has always been very well-behaved and was willing to show understanding for behaviors that he couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You are really well-behaved.¡± The girl was surprised, then smiled and complimented him. Xin Yi got embarrassed after being told by her, and smiled at her holding his water cup. ¡°It¡¯s regrettable, back then I kept looking at you, your base is really too good, if it¡¯s brother Zhou who takes you then you sure will be very popular.¡± ¡°He is very amazing.¡± Xin Yi¡¯s ears moved, said, ¡°I don¡¯t know anything.¡± Then in the next second, couldn¡¯t resist and asked, ¡°Is he really amazing?¡± The girl eagerly nodded, ¡°Yes! He is the type that, is naturally gifted and that also goes all out! We are very impressed by him!¡± ¡°He is a monster, he can skip sleep for a long time, keep working and working, and can still negotiate some amazing contracts.¡± The other party couldn¡¯t stop, and in the end, let out a sigh, ¡°It¡¯s regrettable that he¡¯s going to stop.¡± Xin Yi didn¡¯t understand, dumbly looking at her. ¡°He is changing to working behind the scenes, at the end of the year he will completely stop managing people, last time I even ran into him having a meal with another person, it was the boss1 of another company, I suppose it was to poach him, I heard something like inviting him over, brother Zhou even nodded.¡± ¡°That company was also very amazing, just that it¡¯s a little far, it¡¯s in B city.¡± Xin Yi was confused, he only knew that Zhou MuHui switched to behind the scenes, the other party never mentioned to him about resigning, or even¡­ leaving here. ¡°So back then when I saw you, I was very happy, I thought that brother Zhou will continue to stay here.¡± ¡°But it also doesn¡¯t matter, this kind of person will shine no matter where they go, this kind of person that is diligent and skilled are the scariest, it¡¯s simply terminating the existence of normal people like us. The girl grinned and joked. Xin Yi was holding the water cup, after a long while, nodded, and said, ¡°Yeah.¡± Notes: *I am kinda confused because there wasn¡¯t anything indicating that they hugged in the first place¡­ But the author had edited a lot of the chapters, maybe it¡¯s an oversight? CH 5 PUBLISHED ON 16 April 2022 When Xin Yi went back he bumped into Zhou MuHui who had just come out, Zhou MuHui looked like he was in a hurry, and let out a sigh of relief after seeing him. ¡°I went to get water.¡± The water cup in Xin Yi¡¯s hand was taken over, Zhou MuHui held the door to let him in, let out a hum. They were eating, Xin Yi and he sat facing each other, but he actually didn¡¯t have an appetite, during this one meal he took many glances at Zhou MuHui, the meal was barely eaten. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± When Xin Yi took another glance at him, Zhou MuHui paused his chopsticks and caught him. Xin Yi¡¯s hand was caught by him, yet couldn¡¯t help but be distracted. He was still thinking about what the girl told him back then, Xin Yi couldn¡¯t really understand, the confusion swept over him like a roar of dust. He didn¡¯t understand why Zhou MuHui wanted to divorce him. And also didn¡¯t understand why Zhou MuHui wanted to leave. Furthermore, didn¡¯t know¡­ Why Zhou MuHui never told him anything, it was as if Xin Yi was an outsider, who only deserved to accept the outcome in the end without having any choice. At this moment, the rain outside fell down with a loud bang, Xin Yi turned his head to look at it and was thinking, the weather forecast was right, it is really heavy rain. The sky turned gray in an instant, he didn¡¯t pay attention when the lightning struck down, the turbulent rain poured in the half-opened window, Xin Yi was dumbfounded, in the next second, someone walked toward him, then took him in an embrace. Zhou MuHui hugged him and used his hand to cover his eyes, telling him, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Xin Yi wasn¡¯t actually afraid, if they really wanted to talk about being afraid then it would be when he was a kid, because of his parents¡¯ divorce, in S city, the most unendurable for Xin Yi was the rainy season, and for a very short time, he went through a period of a sad childhood. But that period of time was very short, so short that it can be omitted, but Zhou MuHui seemed to take that to heart, and will always do his best to rush back home on rainy days. Xin Yi could have explained it, but he had a feeling of dependence, so he said nothing on purpose, just like an ignorant kid, using a lie to get an adult¡¯s love. Maybe the rain was too heavy, maybe because he couldn¡¯t see anything, so Xin Yi mustered his courage, under the man¡¯s generous hand palm, called him. ¡°Zhou MuHui¡­¡± The man let out a hum, and thought that he was still scared, outside, the rumbling sounds were not coming to a stop, the floor was wet with rainwater, Zhou MuHui carried him to the side of the window, made sure to block him well, and slowly closed the window. The sound was cut off a little bit, even the rumblings became dull, Xin Yi was leaning in Zhou MuHui¡¯s embrace, pulled off his hand, and hugged his neck. ¡°I really love you.¡± He pressed close to Zhou MuHui¡¯s ear and said in a small voice. ¡°Zhou MuHui, do you love me?¡± If you love me, does that mean that everything I know is fake, then I can ask you one more time. Why do you want to divorce me. The lightning was very aware and didn¡¯t strike down, Xin Yi unscrupulously looked at him in the dark, looked at his calm face under the weak light, and his heart was more and more restless. Because until the end Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t answer him, only carried him to the sofa, lowered his head, and kissed the middle of his forehead, Xin Yi¡¯s eyes were a little red when the light got switched on, but he didn¡¯t hide it, and just silently looked at Zhou MuHui. Xin Yi wasn¡¯t a coward, he just lived in an ivory tower for too long, he was well-protected by his parents, so he was naive and warm just like a little kid. All the bitterness and setback suffered were on Zhou MuHui¡¯s, but Xin Yi still liked him, and was willing to take his own warm and bright love and offer it all to him without reservation. Advertisements Xin Yi never doubted his love, because it wasn¡¯t easy for them to get together, although his Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t like to speak but was always very good to him. But now, he is a little afraid. Xin Yi didn¡¯t know if his love was real, he believed that they didn¡¯t have emotional issues, was that also real. ¡°¡­¡± Xin Yi truly felt sad, this kind of feeling was slow, silent, a silent dull knife. Cutting him apart, making him so hurt that he almost couldn¡¯t hold it. ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡± Zhou MuHui stiffened for a moment, crouched in front of him to catch his tears, his fingertips pressed to the corner of Xin Yi¡¯s eyes, as if he could stop the other party¡¯s tears just with his fingers, Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t understand why he was suddenly so sad, was it because he didn¡¯t reply him, but Zhou MuHui kissed him, if he didn¡¯t like him why would he kiss him. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I am not crying.¡± Xin Yi sniffed, pushed him, and picked up the bowl in front of him. ¡°I am not a kid, I won¡¯t easily cry.¡± But his tears still fell down, big drops and big drops of it fell into the rice, Xin Yi stirred and stuffed the rice in his mouth, swallowing big mouthfuls of it, and leaned on one side to avoid Zhou MuHui. ¡°¡­¡± The lightning struck through the dark veil one after another, the dull sound of the rain hastily hitting the windows, made the light in the room, every now and then, look brighter in contrast, so Zhou MuHui could clearly see the glistening tears on Xin Yi¡¯s face. His body stiffened and moved after a long while. The rice in his hand was taken by someone, Zhou MuHui held his breath and pressed his shoulder, Xin Yi had his head lowered and said nothing, and after a while, choked up and said, ¡°Sorry¡­¡± He didn¡¯t want to be useless like this, weeping endlessly like a kid, but he couldn¡¯t hold it. He liked Zhou MuHui very very much, liked him from when he was seventeen years old to twenty-two years old, Xin Yi only had him in his eyes over these five long years, Xin Yi couldn¡¯t accept his departure and his unlove. His tears were like a plea, and Xin Yi suffered a crushing defeat. ¡°Why are you crying.¡± Zhou MuHui pressed him in his embrace, his voice was hoarse, ¡°It¡¯s raining, how come you¡¯re also crying.¡± The skin contact gave him some sense of comfort, Xin Yi grabbed his collar and let out a whimper, gritting his teeth, and said, ¡°Because you, because you bullied me.¡± Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t know what he was talking about, was it because he was not good at expressing himself, or was it because he wasn¡¯t by the other party¡¯s side for a long time, but Xin Yi didn¡¯t continue to speak, Zhou MuHui was stiffly hugging him, he thought for a long time, and said, ¡°love, alright?¡± The person in his embrace did not move, Zhou MuHui loosened one hand, and lowered his head to look at him. His Xin Yi¡¯s face was full of traces of tears and quietly fell asleep. Advertisements It was probably the effects of the medicine granules, the kid was a bit drowsy since this morning, Zhou MuHui carefully looked at him, then washed a hand towel to wipe his tears, after that, Zhou MuHui crouched beside him and kissed his wrist, whispered, ¡°(I) do love (you).¡± Nobody accepted the repeating expression of love, the sound of Zhou MuHui¡¯s voice died away, the scar on his cheek seemed to have lost its color, all alone across his face, after a long while, he gently lifted the kid¡¯s hand, and just like Mao Mao at home, gently rubbing against him. Read it on milkteatranslations.wordpress.com He was already at home when he woke up once again, on one side, Mao Mao was silently lying beside him, its belly slightly going up and down. Some light passed through the half-opened curtain, it was obviously already a second day, Xin Yi rubbed him, scuffed out in his slippers. It was nine o¡¯clock, but Xin Yi saw Zhou MuHui at home, he was dumbfounded, he stood at the entrance of the kitchen and didn¡¯t make a move for half a day. Zhou MuHui heard the sound of his footsteps, carrying out a bowl, and unnaturally explained, ¡°I¡¯ll send you later.¡± His voice was a bit stiff, but Xin Yi hadn¡¯t noticed it, he saw the man going to the living room, slowly following behind, and said, ¡°I¡¯ve gotten my handphone back.¡± I can go by myself. Zhou MuHui let out a hum and didn¡¯t say anything else, then after Xin Yi finished eating, he stood up as a matter of course and took his (XY) backpack in his hand, and waited for him at the door. Xin Yi pursed his lips and stretched his hand toward him. ¡°Aren¡¯t you busy, I¡¯ll go by myself.¡± He pulled his backpack, but couldn¡¯t make it budge, Zhou MuHui did not utter a word, and his hand hasn¡¯t loosened any bit. As a result, Xin Yi was also stunned, he then opened his mouth in the next second, and repeated himself. ¡°I¡¯ll send you.¡± Xin Yi didn¡¯t say anything else, his mind was still stuck on last night and the answer he hasn¡¯t gotten after the rain, Xin Yi was a little sad, but he didn¡¯t want to display it anymore. The rain has stopped, and so has Xin Yi¡¯s rain. Zhou MuHui followed behind Xin Yi and left home, the smooth elevator door reflected the silhouettes of two people, obviously, one was before and the other behind, but the shadows were distorted and refracted the both of them pressed together. Xin Yi looked at it for a while, then looked away. He used to think that he and Zhou MuHui were a match made in heaven, now that he paid attention to it, he noticed that it wasn¡¯t necessarily the case. Except for the outstanding family background, he was just an ordinary student, his grades were ordinary, his capabilities were also ordinary, all he was thinking about dating, he also loved to cry, both squeamish and crybaby, sometimes Zhou MuHui cannot even coax him happy. Who would like an idiot who was also childish, it¡¯s not like Zhou MuHui was stupid. ¡°You are not going to work?¡± Xin Yi lowered his hand and asked in low spirits. Zhou MuHui had to go, had to deal with a lot of work, and had also to accompany Qi Fang who was getting popular, how could he also have the time to be around Xin Yi all day long. It was obviously also like this before. Zhou MuHui shook his head negatively, ¡°Not busy.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Xin Yi let out a dull oh, and was hurt by his ¡®not busy¡¯. Zhou MuHui never stayed with him for two consecutive days, the man had an endless amount of work to do every day, Xin Yi didn¡¯t want to take a wild guess, but the other party actually took the time to accompany him, was it because¡­he wanted to compensate a bit him before leaving. It seemed like something had silently changed, the elevator¡¯s door opened, Xin Yi walked in first, he became the one to look back at Zhou MuHui. He met Zhou MuHui when was seventeen, bystanders said that he was very fierce and did not dare to get close to him, the group of people was like shriveled up fake tigers, they were terrified like cats in front of the scarred man. Only Xin Yi was not afraid and went to find him again and again, rotating around him like a fartknocker, pestering him, sticking him, sneakily looking at him, and in the end, approached him while trembling, pulled the hem of his clothes, and said that he liked him. He still remembers the other party¡¯s expression, it showed some astonishment then his brows furrowed, and told him, ¡°Don¡¯t mess around.¡± But Xin Yi still messed around for five years, asked for love, and confessed with difficulty, still throwing himself on after being rejected, like a fool who wouldn¡¯t get hurt, offering his love again and again. CH 6 PUBLISHED ON 22 April 2022 ¡°Don¡¯t you¡­ have something that you wanted to tell me?¡± Xin Yi asked him before getting out of the car. Because he wanted to know last night¡¯s answer, and also wanted to give it another chance to Zhou MuHui and him. Zhou MuHui was stunned and shook his head. ¡°¡­¡± Thus Xin Yi looked at him for a while, then got out of the car. But Zhou MuHui followed him, Xin Yi pulled on the backpack¡¯s strap and did not understand what he wanted. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Zhou MuHui told him. He took a step, following behind Xin Yi, Xin Yi was muddled and felt a bit dizzy because of him, he finally reacted when they walked through the school¡¯s gate and curled up his hand. Around noon, the sun was strong, even the school¡¯s corridor couldn¡¯t shield them from the heatwave, Xin Yi walked forward with his head lowered, then paused in the next second, and turned to look at Zhou MuHui. ¡°You can go back.¡± S University was special for Zhou MuHui, and Zhou MuHui would rarely take a step in because of personal reasons, although Xin Yi thought that it wasn¡¯t a big deal, Zhou MuHui always persisted. So Xin Yi didn¡¯t want to make it difficult for him. ¡°The sun is strong, I¡¯ll send you.¡± Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t move and stood behind him. ¡°¡­What are you doing.¡± Xin Yi couldn¡¯t help but ask him. Yesterday, he was the one who didn¡¯t want to speak, and now, he was also the one who didn¡¯t go, even if it was some sort of compensation, Xin Yi didn¡¯t want that at all. ¡°¡­Send you.¡± Zhou MuHui licked his dry lips, and gave the essentials in simple language. Xin Yi looked at him again, his eyes turned redder and redder, and fiercely turned around with his back facing him. ¡°Do as you want!¡± He said with a muffled voice. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Xin Yi.¡± Zhou MuHui caught up to him, followed behind, and said in a low voice, ¡°The weather is hot, be slower.¡± Xin Yi didn¡¯t answer him, but he felt bad in his heart, because Xin Yi didn¡¯t understand what following him had to do with the hot weather, he didn¡¯t even have an umbrella, could it be that by following him like this the sun would not be so strong and the weather won¡¯t be hot anymore? It was an excuse that the other party had found, even Xin Yi could understand that. He didn¡¯t want to pay attention to Zhou MuHui anymore, because he didn¡¯t want Zhou MuHui¡¯s ¡°compensation¡±. He only wanted Zhou MuHui to love him. Advertisements ¡°Xin Yi, are you angry?¡± Zhou MuHui pulled him, and didn¡¯t let him go. His palm was stuck to Xin Yi¡¯s skin, it didn¡¯t feel as dry as it used to be, Xin Yi made a move, and couldn¡¯t free himself, only to rub until his hand was wet from sweat. Xin Yi didn¡¯t want to reply, nor wanted to see Zhou MuHui, because he was very weak, he was afraid that after seeing Zhou MuHui, he would be softhearted once again and then easily forget about this matter, and allow Zhou MuHui to lie to him. Only kids would feel this way, but Xin Yi didn¡¯t want to be a kid. ¡°Xin Yi, don¡¯t be angry.¡± Zhou MuHui lowered his voice. ¡°¡­¡± The two of them were bickering, no one was willing to speak properly, Xin Yi lowered his head, his heart was a bit stuffy. ¡°Yesterday I¡­¡± ¡°Do you want to make up with me?¡± The both of them spoke at the same time, Xin Yi¡¯s heart trembled, he was about to ask him about yesterday, when he heard him let out a hum, said, ¡°Want.¡± The tips of Xin Yi¡¯s ears flushed red, sneakily looking at him with his hand clasped behind his back. Xin Yi was really useless, and couldn¡¯t stand it when Zhou MuHui teased him like this, he was stumped, he opened his mouth for a long while but didn¡¯t know what to say, Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t seem to pay attention to it, only got closer to him, and pulled the hand his hide behind his back. ¡°Want to make up with you, Xin Yi.¡± Zhou MuHui admitted defeat and begged him in a small voice. He didn¡¯t know why Xin Yi was so angry, just like yesterday¡¯s evening, Xin Yi fell asleep in his embrace, but he still didn¡¯t understand. Did he do something wrong? Can Xin Yi tell him, he could change. Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t want to make him sad. ¡°Just now, you want¡­¡± ¡°Xin Yi!¡± A clear and resounding voice interrupted them, Xin Yi turned his head, Zhou MuHui saw the profile of his face paused for a while, then his sight quietly became sharp. ¡°It¡¯s almost time for class, what are you still doing here?¡± The young man didn¡¯t pay attention to the expression in Zhou MuHui¡¯s eyes, walked forward, and pulled him. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s your brother?¡± Fang YiHe felt cold afterward, and let out a shiver. But Xin Yi was frightened by him and didn¡¯t say anything for a long time. ¡°En.¡± Zhou MuHui recovered his indifference, and didn¡¯t seem to want to clarify this appellation, nodded to acquiesce. Hence, Fang YiHe then hurriedly greeted Zhou MuHui, on one side, Xin Yi looked at them for a good while, after confirming that he really hadn¡¯t recognized Zhou MuHui, let out a sigh in relief. ¡°Xin Yi, how come I¡¯ve never heard you mention it.¡± Fang YiHe stood beside him for a while and asked with a smile. Xin Yi made a perfunctory nod, and changed the topic, ¡°Isn¡¯t class going to start, you should quickly go.¡± Seeming to be fiercely protecting and was afraid that Fang YiHe would react, hastily wanted to drive him away. ¡°En En.¡± But Fang QiHe didn¡¯t move, pulled on his arm, and wanted to go with him. ¡°I still haven¡¯t figured out last time¡¯s question, explain it to me again.¡± Xin Yi¡¯s initial reaction was to refuse, he didn¡¯t even know how to do it, what could he explain to Fang YiHe, furthermore¡­ He wasn¡¯t done talking to Zhou MuHui. Zhou MuHui stayed silent, looking at them chatting, even if Fang YiHe talked to him, he would just nod, during the whole time, Xin Yi didn¡¯t turn his head, but from Zhou MuHui¡¯s perspective, he could see the bent corners of his mouth.¡± Hence, he spoke up and told them, ¡°Go ahead.¡± Xin Yi was stunned, and uneasily lifted his head, but after seeing Zhou MuHui¡¯s expression, he felt that he was thinking too much. ¡°Ok¡­ Then we¡¯ll get going.¡± He pushed Fang YiHe, back facing Zhou MuHui. Xin Yi took great care in Zhou MuHui¡¯s matters, even if he was hurt by Zhou MuHui just now, he still pulled Fang YiHe forward, not letting him turn back. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard you mention that you have a brother, right, aren¡¯t you a single child? I¡¯ve never heard that Professor Xin has other children?¡± Fang YiHe said while smiling. Xin Yi ambiguously didn¡¯t say anything and did not want to explain it further. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be an elder cousin from your mother¡¯s side or father¡¯s side1 right, you don¡¯t look alike.¡± Fang YiHe slowed down his pace, looked at Xin Yi who was rushing straight forward, and pulled him, ¡°Xin Yi, he is not your elder brother right.¡± Advertisements The other party abruptly paused, Xin Yi didn¡¯t return to his senses and bumped into his chest. ¡°What?¡± Xin Yi covered his head with his hand and took a step back, and avoided his light of sight, ¡°We¡¯re going to be late, Fang YiHe, let¡¯s go quickly.¡± Fang YiHe¡¯s expression was weird, however, he started talking about another matter, ¡°Right, do you still remember the case the professor talked about last semester?¡± ¡°The one who was given an eight-year sentence, that person has a scar on his face.¡± He awkwardly laughed, ¡°What a coincidence.¡± Xin Yi was immediately stunned and anxiously looked at him. Fang YiHe had a hard time maintaining the smile on his face, the corners of his mouth stiffly twitched, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that¡­¡± Xin Yi said nothing and took a step back, his eyes were alert. ¡°Xin Yi.¡± Fang YiHe¡¯s face had completely turned cold, ¡°Don¡¯t play the fool.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not it¡­¡± Xin Yi wanted to explain, but Fang Yi He¡¯s reaction was too big, he dragged him and walked forward, ¡°You muddled head thing, I think you¡¯ve gone crazy.¡± But in the next second, he was vigorously pulled by someone. Zhou MuHui caught up, and pulled Xin Yi behind him. ¡°You¡¯re ok?¡± Zhou MuHui looked at the red print on his wrist and asked him. Then turned around, looking at Fang YiHe, ¡°You can go ahead, I¡¯ll send him myself.¡± ¡°Xin Yi!¡± The vein of Fang YiHe¡¯s forehead throbbed and snapped at him. The atmosphere turned sharply, Xin Yi¡¯s hair stood on end, he grabbed the hem of Zhou MuHui¡¯s clothes, stretched out his head from behind the man, and hurriedly said, ¡°Fang YiHe, you don¡¯t have to care about it, I will tell you¡­¡± ¡°Is he your brother?!¡± But Fang YiHe only asked him. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°No.¡± Zhou MuHui pushed Xin Yi back, looking at the young man before him, his voice cold, ¡°It¡¯s boyfriend.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The words that have come out couldn¡¯t possibly be taken back, Fang QiHe was almost angered to death by him, ¡°Xin Yi! You, come over here for me!¡± Xin Yi didn¡¯t want the least Zhou MuHui to admit it at this moment, he didn¡¯t have the time to be happy or worry about why the other party had to say this, he was only afraid, because he knew what Fang YiHe was about to say. ¡°Fang YiHe, you go first.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go my ass!¡± Fang YiHe went over to drag him and pushed Zhou MuHui who was in front of him. ¡°Get out of the way!¡± ¡°¡­¡± The hair on Xin Yi¡¯s back stood up, like a cat in a defensive posture, ¡°Don¡¯t touch him!¡± ¡°Xin Yi?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t concern you!¡± Xin Yi snapped at him. Xin Yi never had this kind of one side, Fang YiHe was nervous, and felt that he was bewitched by Zhou MuHui. The both of them were in a stalemate, even their gaze was burning up, Zhou MuHui frowned, and turned around to pacify Xin Yi who had his hair stood on. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I think you¡¯ve gone crazy.¡± Fang YiHe scolded him, ¡°Don¡¯t you know what kind of person he is?¡± Xin Yi was pressed in ZhouMuHui¡¯s arms, the man was kneading the back of his neck and pacifying him, tilting his head to talk to Fang YiHe, telling him to go first. But he was confronted with Fang YiHe¡¯s harsh words. ¡°Get the f*ck off!¡± Xin Yi¡¯s expression became fierce, and made grunting noises, and struggled free from Zhou MuHui¡¯s arms, glared viciously at the other party, ¡°Don¡¯t poke around in others¡¯ business.¡± Fang YiHe was in disbelief, snapped, ¡°F*ck! He is a murderer!¡± Notes: CH 7 PUBLISHED ON 1 May 2022 Fortunately, everybody was in class, only the three of them were left in the corridor usually busy with people coming and going, Xin Yi¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, shouted with anger, ¡°Fang YiHe!¡± Xin Yi¡¯s character was habitually soft, usually speaking with people with a smile, this time he was furiously looking at the other party, Zhou MuHui¡¯s expression was heavy, but used force to hold him, not letting him move. ¡°How would you dare to be like this if you knew it?¡± Fang YiHe also got angry and was shouting along with Xin Yi. Just then, he felt that Zhou MuHui looked familiar, and only remembered who he was when he got closer. Last semester, their professor casually told them about this case, Fang YiHe would have never thought that he would meet the real person one day, and unexpectedly was related to Xin Yi. He couldn¡¯t calm down at all, and there was no way that he could turn around and walk away. He considered Xin Yi as a little brother, even if he was faced with a ferocious attitude, he could not leave him alone. ¡°Xin Yi, come back.¡± Zhou MuHui was pressing firmly on his shoulders, coaxing him with a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s time for class, let¡¯s go to the classroom.¡± ¡°Xin Yi!¡± Fang YiHe hurriedly called him, as if behind him was some kind of beast that eat humans, Xin Yi gritted his teeth, tightly gritted the hem of Zhou MuHui¡¯s clothes, said with red eyes, ¡°You are not allowed, not allowed to speak to him like this.¡± ¡°What not allowed, he has killed someone after all! He is different from us!¡± ¡°So what!¡± Xin Yi¡¯s body kept shaking, from a close distance one could even hear his teeth chatter, Zhou MuHui¡¯s breathing paused, used force to hold him, and called him, ¡°Xiao Yi1.¡± Advertisements Nobody spoke for a long time. There was only the sound of the violent pants of the two people that were rising and falling in succession, Xin Yi¡¯s eyes corners were wet, gripping the hem of Zhou MuHui¡¯s clothes, he swallowed hard the lump in his throat. ¡°Fang YiHe, you went too far.¡± ¡°Before that¡­ you sympathized with him, felt sorry for him, you said that people who insulted him were simply blind, but when he really appeared in front of you, you still looked at him with different eyes, and discriminate against him.¡± ¡°Even if you know that it simply wasn¡¯t his fault.¡± ¡°¡­Xin Yi!¡± ¡°The professor said¡­¡± Xin Yi exerted his utmost strength to hold his tears back, ¡°each person¡¯s kindness has a limit, if you are unable to give some kindness to someone like this, then you have to stay silent, and not be someone who wallows in the mire with others.¡± Fang YiHe was stunned, he opened his mouth, but couldn¡¯t say anything after a long while. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that¡­¡± After a long while, he said that while looking at Xin Yi. He wasn¡¯t worried for himself, it was just because Xin Yi and the other party¡¯s relationship was too intimate, even if he knew that he should be understanding, he was still afraid that Xin Yi would get hurt. Xin Yi¡¯s tears fell down, used the back of his hand to wipe his cheeks hard, his other hand was still gripping Zhou MuHui, and did not answer him. ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± Xin Yi turned around, looked up at Zhou MuHui, said with a hoarse voice, ¡°I¡¯ll request a day off for today, ok?¡± Zhou MuHui looked down at him, wiped his face, and let out a hum. Halfway, Zhou MuHui carried him on his back, because the hand Xin Yi used to hold him kept shaking, Xin Yi leaned against his back, nestled close to his ear, and apologized to him. ¡°Sorry¡­ I didn¡¯t protect you.¡± Zhou MuHui shook his head, said in a low voice, ¡°no.¡± ¡°No need to be like this.¡± Xin Yi didn¡¯t say anything, the hand that was holding him just tightened, Zhou MuHui could feel his hot breath, and he paused, and said, ¡°It¡¯s my fault, I shouldn¡¯t have followed.¡± Zhou MuHui thought, no matter if it was that time when he and Qi Fang went to the auditorium or followed Xin Yi to school, he shouldn¡¯t have come, Xin Yi¡¯s world was too pure, Zhou MuHui shouldn¡¯t always want to get closer to him and bring him troubles. He was a ticking bomb and should keep his distance from Xin Yi. Just like in the past. ¡°It¡¯s not¡­¡± Xin Yi¡¯s chest tighten, buried in his neck, said sadly, ¡°Don¡¯t speak nonsense¡­¡± This had nothing to do with Zhou MuHui coming or not, he was just angry with the fact that he was too useless, and couldn¡¯t protect Zhou MuHui. ¡°Zhou MuHui, would you feel that I am useless?¡± Xin Yi couldn¡¯t help but ask. His voice carried some sadness, after saying that, he deeply buried his face in Zhou MuHui¡¯s neck with his tears dripping. ¡°I always love to cry, not stable like you, and not generous like Fang YiHe, I also cannot protect you properly so others cannot bully you, I am not really good¡­¡± And also sensitive, and very cowardly, often childish and silly like a little kid. Just like now, even when arguing he couldn¡¯t resist but feel broken-hearted and cry, and couldn¡¯t be Zhou MuHui¡¯s protective umbrella at all. ¡°It isn¡¯t the case.¡± Zhou MuHui replied very quickly, ¡°It¡¯s good the way it is.¡± ¡°Xin Yi, you are very good.¡± He added that in a very serious way. This is the more sincere and warm Xin Yi, and also the brightest one, a Xin Yi who is just like the sun, with no need to feel remorse, nor to change. Xin Yi was dazed for a while, then wiped clean his tears on his (ZMH) body, then hurriedly let out an oh, and grinned. ¡°Xiao Yi.¡± Xin Yi nodded, moved closer to his ear, and said in a sticky manner, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Zhou MuHui hardly ever calls him like that, but Xin Yi liked it very much. ¡°Other people¡¯s opinions are not important, we are, ok?¡± So there is no need to feel that you are not good, and I won¡¯t let others¡¯ opinions influence me. Because we are not living for them. Advertisements Xin Yi was stunned, then blankly nodded, his fingers uneasily climbed on Zhou MuHui¡¯s shoulders, stammered, ¡°but, but I don¡¯t I am unwilling¡­¡± His voice became a bit hoarse at the end, Zhou MuHui was also stunned, because he could feel the scalding tears on the back of his neck, big drops and big drops of them fell down as if they were to fill up his heart. ¡°I don¡¯t want them to criticize you¡­¡± ¡°¡­ I know.¡± Zhou MuHui then regretted what he said, causing Xin Yi to cry again. Xin Yi silently shredded tears, ¡°Fang YiHe previously said that you were good, but changed today, how can he be as mean as Qi Fang.¡± They left the school¡¯s gate, Zhou MuHui did not put it on the shotgun but on the backseat, and lightly carried him in. ¡°Not mean.¡± Zhou MuHui closed the car¡¯s door, squeezed with him in the camped car, his heart sour, ¡°Everybody can feel afraid, he is also about the same age as you are, Xiao Yi, if you had a friend like me, I would also be worried.¡± ¡°¡­You will be worried about me?¡± Xin Yi lifted his head, and did not focus on the main point. ¡°Will.¡± Zhou MuHui earnestly nodded, held his face, and wiped his tears, ¡°There is no one who wouldn¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°He is just well-intentioned.¡± Xin Yi blinked, pulled on his sleeve, and couldn¡¯t resist but rub against him, then said in a small voice, ¡°but you are not the same.¡± Zhou MuHui was silent, Xin Yi looked at him, and did not say anything else, after a while, he said in a whisper, ¡°I will apologize to him.¡± Xin Yi¡¯s voice was very low, said in a depressed manner, ¡°My temper was too bad today, I shouldn¡¯t have spoken to him in that way.¡± Fang YiHe was his best friend, Xin Yi knew that he was just anxious that¡¯s why he said that, they were really mean, and said a lot of things they are not supposed to say. ¡°But I will carefully explain it to him, and tell him not to talk like that to you.¡± Talking about that, he was a bit indignant, and mumbled, ¡°He clearly knows about your matter.¡± Zhou MuHui paused, caressed his head, sighed, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Zhou MuHui asked for a day off for both of them, and stayed at home with him for the whole day, Xin Yi woke up in the evening and was a bit dazed, hugging the cat in his arms, he sat on the bed for a while then remembered what he had forgotten. The bedroom was empty, Zhou MuHui should be working in the study, Xin Yi scratched his head, took out his handphone with some apprehension, and called Fang YiHe. The call was picked up very quickly, but nobody spoke for a moment, Xi Yi hugged the cat and called out, after he heard the other party breathing calmly, then did he speak out, ¡°Fang YiHe?¡± ¡°En.¡± Fang YiHe answered with a muffled voice, he did not wait for him to speak, then opened his mouth, ¡°Sorry, Xin Yi, I shouldn¡¯t have spoken like this morning.¡± ¡°You are right, I shouldn¡¯t carelessly speculate about him, I obviously don¡¯t know him, I shouldn¡¯t be this subjective, it¡¯s my fault.¡± Xin Yi was stunned, only nodded after a long moment, and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°I am calling to apologize too¡­ Fang YiHe, sorry, I went overboard today, I hope you can forgive me.¡± The other party was silent for a moment, then a dull voice could be heard, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s also fine.¡± Read it on milkteatranslations.wordpress.com Advertisements The two of them were stiff for a while, the cat in Xin Yi¡¯s arms mewed, and helped them to break the ice. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you like this, I was scared to death.¡± Fang YiHe let out a breath in relief. His little brother from the old days showed off his courage, the soft and waxy little cat has changed into a mighty big lion. ¡°¡­It¡¯s my temper that was too big.¡± Xin Yi touched his nose, awkwardly admitted it, and said, ¡°but in the future, you can¡¯t talk like this about him, or else I would be very angry.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want him to hear these things, if you have any queries, you can ask me personally.¡± Fang YiHe let out a hum, and sighed, ¡°Xin Yi, you really scared me to death.¡± Not only his partner was a man, and to one¡¯s surprise, had such an identity. Xin Yi let out a laugh in embarrassment, said, ¡°He is actually very good, not scary at all.¡± ¡°Furthermore¡­¡± Xin Yi paused for a while, and said in a small voice, ¡°It wasn¡¯t his fault, he shouldn¡¯t have gone to jail.¡± Fang YiHe could hear his meaning, and also paused for a while. ¡°The boundary between legitimate defense and overkill has always been vague, not to mention the situation back then, Xin Yi, we¡¯ve all seen the court hearing. He said in a low voice, ¡°A lot of matters don¡¯t feel reasonable once when we encounter them, Xin Yi, but they indeed happened.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I know¡­¡± Xin Yi lowered his head, his voice hoarse. It is because he knew it, that¡¯s why he felt powerless. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of time, I just want¡­want to go back to the past.¡± To when Zhou MuHui was still a teenager, to find him, to drive away the bad people around him, become robust, then more robust, and stay by his side to protect him well, and not let him get hurt again. So these things in the future wouldn¡¯t have happened. ¡°But you are already very good.¡± Fang YiHe softened his voice, and comforted him, ¡°Xin Yi, you did better than any of us.¡± Before hanging up, Fang YiHe said to him, ¡°Xin Yi, you are really great.¡± ¡°I actually never seen him, it¡¯s only because I was curious that I pulled you with me to watch the video of the court hearing, I know¡­that later, maybe other people will also recognize him, maybe they will be stupid just like me, and say things that will hurt you, but you¡­¡± ¡°But you don¡¯t have to care¡­¡± Fang YiHe paused, and said softly, ¡°Xin Yi, you guys are very brave, don¡¯t mind others, is that alright.¡± Xin Yi¡¯s eyes were a bit itchy as if a lash fell in his eye, he rubbed it, but the lash didn¡¯t get out, his eye felt more and more uncomfortable until a drop of tear fell out. ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°Xin Yi looked at the drop of water that fell on his handphone, and nodded very seriously.¡± ¡°I will be able to do that.¡± His tone must be a little odd, because even the cat in his arms lifted his head and gave him a strange look. ¡°Thank you, Fang YiHe.¡± He said with a breathy voice. There seemed to be a slight movement at the door, the cat¡¯s ears twitched but didn¡¯t turn his head, so Xin Yi was still hugging him. ¡°I¡¯m hanging up!¡± Xin Yi buried his head in his body (cat), and said with a stuffy voice, ¡°I slept for a long time, I have to get out of bed.¡± Fang YiHe just hummed, and nodded, ¡°Then see you tomorrow!¡± Xin Yi carelessly said ok, even after a du-du-du sound came from the phone, he still maintained the same posture and did not lift his head. Notes: CH 8 When Zhou MuHui opened the door, Xin Yi had already stopped crying, he was lying on the bed and doing his homework, after seeing Zhou MuHui enter, he raised a finger on his lips to tell him to be quiet. Zhou MuHui was carrying the plate of food and gently walked toward him, carefully bypassing the cat that was sleeping on the bed next to Xin Yi. ¡°I am getting up soon, I am almost done.¡± Xin Yi helped him and took over the thing, and said in a soft voice. Zhou MuHui uttered an answer and lowered his head to look at him do his homework. ¡°It¡¯s an assignment given by the tutor, we have to hand it in two days.¡± Xin Yi was a bit embarrassed, because he delayed it for a long time, and he was only about to finish it now. Zhou MuHui nodded, he put down the things but did not leave, Xin Yi hurriedly wrote down the remaining few sentences, got off the bed, and told him, ¡°Let¡¯s go out.¡± He was afraid that they would wake up Mao Mao if they were in the bedroom. Until they went to the living room and discovered that it was already late and the sky was already dark, Xin Yi went to the bathroom to wash his hands, Zhou MuHui was in the kitchen to take the bowls and chopsticks, the sound of porcelain falling was clear and crispy, Xin Yi heard that from aside, and couldn¡¯t help to stretch his head to take a look. And was caught red-handed by the man who had just come out of the kitchen, Zhou MuHui¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, only telling him, ¡°come out if you¡¯ve finished washing.¡± Xin Yi busily jogged out but there was no food on the table. ¡°Come here.¡± Zhou MuHui sat on the sofa and called to him, in front of him was a basin of water. Xin Yi confusedly walked over, and was pulled on his lap. ¡°The soup is being reheated, apply a hot compress first.¡± Zhou MuHui applied the hot towel to his eyes, and rubbed his temple with some kind of medicine ointment. The swollen eyes because of crying got appropriate care, Xin Yi couldn¡¯t help but let out a shiver. ¡°Does it still hurt?¡± Zhou MuHui stopped and asked him with a low voice. ¡°Doesn¡¯t hurt¡­¡± Xin Yi exerted restraint against the growing numbness and said with a small voice. After applying it for five minutes, the water was changed again, Xin Yi didn¡¯t open his eyes during the whole time, he heard the sound of swaying water on one side, and felt that Zhou MuHui¡¯s hand went over his cheeks and stirred the water in the basin. He pursed his lips in silence, then quietly grabbed the corner of Zhou MuHui¡¯s clothes. The towel was changed thrice, but they did not say a single word. As if there was still remaining awkwardness from this morning, no one mentioned those things first. ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Xiao Yi.¡± They talked at the same time, Xin Yi licked his lips in the dark, and let out a soft reply. He couldn¡¯t let it go, because Xin Yi wanted to know his unfinished sentence from this morning. And also¡­ Keeping a little bit of hope, he wanted Zhou MuHui to say he loves him. ¡°¡­ Do you have something to say?¡± Zhou MuHui asked. Xin Yi whispered shaking his head, pulled at the hem of his clothes and pursed his lips, ¡°You speak first.¡± There was not a sound for a long time in the darkness, Xin Yi couldn¡¯t hold back his impatience, but did not wait for him to inquire about it, Zhou MuHui called him once again, and carefully took off the towel on his eyes. ¡°Xin Yi.¡± Zhou MuHui¡¯s expression was imposing, lowered his head and looked at him seriously. Xin Yi¡¯s heart tightened, looking at him with anxiety and fear. Zhou MuHui gathered the hair that got wet because of the towel and tucked it behind his ear, whispered, ¡°I do not know what I did wrong, Xiao Yi, can you tell me?¡± Xin Yi was in a daze, and stared at him blankly, he didn¡¯t think that Zhou MuHui would ask him this question, he thought that¡­he was going to say what he hadn¡¯t said this morning. ¡°Xiao Yi, I want to reconcile with you.¡± He pursed his lips, and said seriously. ¡°¡­¡± That was what he had said this morning, but Xin Yi did not really get it. The one who was sad was obviously him, why did Zhou MuHui look this sad. His eyes unexpectedly got red again, and the eyes that got relieved just now started to hurt again, Xin Yi rested his head on his lap and looked at him, and thought. What did Zhou MuHui want to do. Why did he want to leave him on one hand, and on the other hand¡­ asked Xin Yi these questions. Why did he get angry. Because¡­ ¡°You bullied me, you did not pay attention to me¡­¡± Xin Yi spoke, carefully hiding his sadness and tears behind these words. Because you bullied me, did not say you love me, and even put at home a divorce agreement paper that made me scared¡­ You even want to leave me. ¡°Did not¡ª ¡ª¡± Zhou MuHui grasped his hand, and swallowed the rest of his words, ¡°Then is it too late if I change now?¡± He said that so seriously that Xin Yi almost took it seriously. Xin Yi thought, he never gets Zhou MuHui, before that he did not get what he was thinking, and now he did not get what he wanted to do. Just like the fact that he wanted to divorce Xin Yi, but now he wanted to reconcile with him, even send him to school, and said that he was his boyfriend. Moreover¡­ he also didn¡¯t want to say he likes, did not want to say he loves him. Obviously, when Xin Yi pestered him before, he did say it, but these last days Xin Yi thought about it carefully, between them, it has been a long time since they¡¯ve said it. Does Zhou MuHui still like him, still love him? Xin Yi did not dare to ask. ¡°Xiao Yi.¡± Zhou MuHui called him again. Xin Yi¡¯s nose twitched, and made a sound in acquiescence, he took over the towel in Zhou MuHui¡¯s hands, covered his own face, and nodded randomly. ¡°Alright.¡± He said and did his best to hide his hurt. ¡°Then¡­ let¡¯s reconcile.¡± In the end, he did not ask the question that was hidden in his heart, because he was afraid that the reply he would obtain would be different from what he expected, he was afraid of Zhou MuHui¡¯s¡­.acts that Xin Yi couldn¡¯t understand, was even willing to spend time and energy that he was willing to do before in order to accompany Xin Yi¡¯s activities. It was only the compensation that Zhou MuHui was giving him. That¡¯s why he would let it go first, and let him have a brief time to heal his wounds, if it¡¯s until when he is better, or until he has a bit more courage, wait until he can accept any outcome from Zhou MuHui, then Xin Yi would ask him. Zhou MuHui breathed a sigh of relief and lowered his head to kiss him. ¡°What did you just want to ask?¡± Xin Yi shook his head. ¡°Nothing, just want to ask you when the food is going to be ready.¡± He used the towel to wipe his tears, looked up and hugged Zhou MuHui. Before Xin Yi fell asleep, he told Zhou MuHui that he already apologized to Fang YiHe. ¡°But he knows that he was wrong, told me to apologize to you, and hope that you can forgive him.¡± Zhou MuHui was stunned, and caressed his head, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± When he went to wake Xin Yi up, he accidentally heard their conversation. Xin Yi said nothing, buried in his embrace but the hand that was holding the hem of his clothes gripped it so tightly that it turned white. ¡°I know, but I don¡¯t want you to be unhappy.¡± His voice was very small, but very serious, as if even a normal apology could hurt Zhou MuHui. Zhou MuHui lowered his head, looked at the small part of his head that was protruding, and called him in a whisper, ¡°Xiao Yi.¡± The timid quail that was cuddling in his embrace finally lifted his head, and used a pair of moist eyes to look at Zhou MuHui. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°All these matters aren¡¯t important.¡± Zhou MuHui turned around, and lowered his forehead to lean on his, ¡°Xiao Yi, you know that, don¡¯t you.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t be influenced by those things.¡± He kissed Xin Yi¡¯s ears which were still red and puffy. ¡°¡­¡± Xin was lying under him and said nothing even after half a day, only stretching his hands after a while and tightly hugging Zho MuHui, and nodding hard. ¡°I know, I know¡­¡± ¡°Zhou MuHui, you are very very brave.¡± Xin Yi lifted his head and kissed him, ¡°You protected aunty, you¡¯re very great.¡± There were often people who would wonder why Zhou MuHui would be together with Xin Yi, they looked vastly different, no matter if it was their age or their identities, no matter how one looked at it they were not the most perfect pair. Not to mention that Xin Yi was much younger than him. Even when the two of them started to be in a relationship, it looked like they were playing house, as if Xin Yi was just a kid making a fuss, saying that he wanted to be together with him, then Zhou MuHui, under people¡¯s strange glance, silently nodded. They were never thought highly of, for so many years, only Xin Yi relentlessly said he loved him, said that Zhou MuHui was great, just like a small beast protecting his calf, standing in front of him to block any violent storm and gale-driven rain from him. From seventeen years old to twenty-two years old, it has never changed. ¡°En.¡± Zhou MuHui gently looked at him, then grabbed the back of his neck and pressed him into his embrace, and switched off the light behind. ¡°It¡¯s late.¡± He said, ¡°Sleep.¡± CH 9 PUBLISHED ON 15 May 2022 Xin Yi couldn¡¯t meet with Fang YiHe on the next day, because he got a fever the night before, the heat was very aggressive, he was bed-ridden at home for half a week but it didn¡¯t get any better, even Zhou MuHui had to go out late and come back early, and every day he would get home before five. Xin Yi felt some joy that he shouldn¡¯t feel because it¡¯s been a long time since he would get to see Zhou MuHui at this time of the day. He was like a highly sticky fartknocker, and would follow behind Zhou MuHui every day and couldn¡¯t even be shaken by thunder, no matter where Zhou MuHui went, he would also go, and would not even let go of the kitchen. Zhou MuHui accepted it in resignation, could only carry him to the sofa, wrap him with the blanket, and tell him not to move. Xin Yi nodded obediently, and said yes just as obedient as the cat in his arms, and when Zhou MuHui carried back the bowl of medicine, looked at him anxiously, and said that he didn¡¯t want to drink it. Xin Yi was a bit greedy, he didn¡¯t want to get well so quickly yet. ¡°Out of the question.¡± Zhou MuHui refused, and stuffed the bowl in his hands, ¡°There will be exams in half a month.¡± Xin Yi was stunned, lifted his head to look at him, said, ¡°How do you know?¡± After saying this, he found that odd, during that period of time, Zhou MuHui did pick him up and sent him off more often, and Xin Yi never told him when he had to go to class, but the man seemed to know his whole schedule, no matter how big or trivial. Zhou MuHui was weirdly silent for a moment and turned his back to him. ¡°Quickly drink it all, it¡¯s going to be time to eat.¡± He walked toward the kitchen, and looked a bit flustered by the silhouette of his back. Xin Yi looked at his back dumbfounded, till the frosted door of the kitchen was closed by the man, did he slowly blink, and lowered his head to look at the cat in his arms. ¡°Mao Mao¡­¡± ¡°What did he mean¡­¡± Advertisements There was a wild guess that emerged in his heart that kept crossing the line, Xin Yi always never understood, why Zhou MuHui would want to divorce him. He initially thought that Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t like him anymore, but if he didn¡¯t like him, would he even pay attention to these small things? Xin Yi caressed the cat¡¯s paws, and was thinking about it quite confused. The next day was Sunday, but when Xin Yi woke up, he couldn¡¯t see anyone, he was stunned, he didn¡¯t even wear his slippers and hurriedly ran outside. The cat on the end of the bed was startled by him, and bounced on the bed, then reacted abruptly in the next second, and hurriedly followed after him. Their house wasn¡¯t big, each inch of land was an inch of gold in S city that made it jaw-drop, it was Xin Yi who gathered it from left and right before their wedding, and bought it by spending all his pocket money and lucky money1. But the big house was turned upside down by him, yet he hadn¡¯t seen Zhou MuHui¡¯s shadow, Xin Yi was surprised and scared, but in the next second, he heard some movement coming from the tightly closed study room. When the study room¡¯s door was pulled open, the man inside was stunned for a moment, lifted his head from behind the computer¡¯s screen to look at him, his face carried some frost, and even his beautiful brows have frowned, but it calmed down after seeing Xin Yi. Xin Yi was gripping the door and looking at him dumbfounded, Zhou MuHui¡¯s eyes carried a smile, but he didn¡¯t get to speak that Xin Yi had already loosened his grip, it took him two steps to cover the length of three and rushed into his embrace. Zhou MuHui was surprised, but his conditioned reflex made him embrace him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°¡­¡± An earthshaking gasp came from behind him, then a familiar voice abruptly smashed down. ¡°Shit!!!¡± Xin Yi in Zhou MuHui¡¯s embrace was struck dumb by shock, then turned around to look at the computer. ¡°¡­¡± Xin Yi was flabbergasted, even his four limbs turned stiff, and his sight turned black in the next second. Zhou MuHui used his hands to cover his face. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it again later.¡± Zhou MuHui pressed him into his arms, holding him like that, and carried him, got up, and walked toward outside. ¡°Brother Zhou!!! And you are still saying that you did not mess around!!!¡± ¡°You even flirt with my fan!!¡± A flustered and exasperated roar came from behind him, Xin Yi grabbed the corners of Zhou MuHui¡¯s clothes and lifted his head, Zhou MuHui paused his footsteps, looked at the blank expression on the face of the little kid in his arms, patted his shoulders, and comforted him with a low voice. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, ignore him.¡± Turned around and closed the laptop that was noisy, carrying Xin Yi out. But his face thoroughly sank. Advertisements Xin Yi only returned to his senses after a long time, at that time Zhou MuHui was heating up the breakfast for him, and the cat in his arms was nibbling his fingers, and slightly mewing, but Xin Yi wasn¡¯t aware of it. He sat stiffly and looked at Zhou MuHui dumbstruck. ¡°Xin Yi?¡± Zhou MuHui walked toward him carrying a bowl. It was as if someone pushed Xin Yi¡¯s reset button, and suddenly woke up from the fright he has gotten just now. ¡°I didn¡¯t know¡­you were in a meeting¡­¡± Xin Yi was scared silly, even his explanations were incoherent and confused. ¡°I thought you already left, but today is Sunday, you said last night that you were not leaving, I looked for you for half a day but did not see you. Zhou MuHui put the bowl in front of him, and held down him who was still panicking, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, eat.¡± Xin Yi didn¡¯t have any appetite, he couldn¡¯t even calm his look, Zhou MuHui let out a sigh in his heart, sat down beside him, and touched his soft hair. ¡°Eat, alright, don¡¯t be afraid.¡± ¡°Did I¡­ cause you trouble.¡± Xin Yi looked at the half-opened door, and asked him at a loss. Because he actually knew that¡­ Zhou MuHui did not like him to be mixed with his work. That¡¯s why during all these years, besides at the beginning when he went to pick Zhou MuHui up for a few days, and that time when he bumped into him at the auditorium, he never took the initiative to search for him. But when he pulled open the door, he just wanted to make sure that Zhou MuHui was still there, because he was extremely scared, there was no one in the living room, no one in the kitchen, and he didn¡¯t have the time to think carefully about it, he was afraid that Zhou MuHui would really suddenly leave. Zhou MuHui looked along his line of sight, then turned his head back. ¡°Did not.¡± Zhou MuHui lowered his head to look at him, ¡°Xin Yi, this is nothing.¡± Xin Yi nodded in a daze, and dropped his head along with his hand. Zhou MuHui¡¯s culinary skills were very good, probably because he had helped his mom cook since he was a kid, Xin Yi took bite after another bite, but suddenly put down his chopsticks after a while, and buried himself in Zhou MuHui¡¯s arms. His eye sockets were a little wet, because he was afraid, Zhou MuHui asked him what was wrong, the heartbeats coming from that man¡¯s chest were calm and moderate, and Xin Yi sniffed hard, and whispered while shaking his head. ¡°It¡¯s so embarrassing¡­¡± He found an excuse, he pasted his cheek closer to Zhou MuHui, hiding himself in his chest, hiding just like a quail. At this instant, Xin Yi hated that he couldn¡¯t become smaller, and hid inside Zhou MuHui¡¯s collar, inside his pocket, or inside his ears, he was willing, even if he could never turn back. Zhou Mu Hui sat next to him, caught off guard by his hug, the man lowered his head to look at the hair crown on top of Xin Yi¡¯s head, the whorl was circular, cute, and appealing. He tried hard to restrain the desire from touching it, kneading the back of the neck of the young man. ¡°Not embarrassing.¡± Zhou MuHui said unskillfully, ¡°You are very good.¡± ¡°Next time I will tell you no matter where I go, alright, don¡¯t be scared.¡± The man kissed his forehead, then wiped away the tears at the corner of his eyes, Xin Yi let him act freely, then after a while, finally smiled at him. He can never resist Zhou MuHui¡¯s coaxing, a few words are enough to dissipate his worries. Xin Yi then sniffed and leaned on Zhou MuHui, listening to Zhou MuHui¡¯s not fully proficient coaxing, saying that his messy hair was cute, then saying that it would be a waste for others to see this kind of Xin Yi, and it was not embarrassing at all. Toward the end, Xin Yi finally remembered that he had to work, hastily pulling him to the study room. Still, Zhou MuHui wasn¡¯t in a hurry, accompanied him to finish his meal, looked at him finish drinking his medicine, and waited until Xin Yi took out his homework and was about to do them that he caressed his head, stood up to leave. ¡°If you haven¡¯t finished writing them then you can accompany me this afternoon.¡± Before closing the door, Zhou MuHui turned around to look at him, the thick and dense eyelashes just like a crow¡¯s wings cast a small shadow on the skin, Xin Yi was stunned, after he realized what he had just said, then repeatedly nodded. ¡°I will.¡± He picked up Mao Mao who was eating on the side, and said, ¡°Mao Mao will supervise me!¡± Advertisements Xin Yi didn¡¯t know that he could be so scheming. In order to stay with Zhou MuHui, he dawdled here and there, when Zhou MuHui came back from his meeting, he innocently spread out his homework, and complained to Zhou MuHui. ¡°Mao Mao kept wanting to eat, and I had to continuously feed him, so I haven¡¯t finished writing it.¡± Mao Mao¡¯s paws were grabbed and held in his arms, exposing his white as snow butt, after Zhou MuHui¡¯s sight fell on him, he then stared at him with his big round eyes, and innocently let out a meow. Zhou MuHui paused for a while, his line of vision went between the one man and one cat, in the end, it landed on the half-written homework, and said, ¡°continue after eating.¡± Xin Yi nodded and obediently said yes. Lowered his head and smiled foolishly at the cat in his arms. Xin Yi got to go to the study room in the afternoon, just as he wished, Zhou MuHui was busy dealing with his work, and he just lay down to write his homework. After a while, Zhou MuHui¡¯s phone vibrated like crazy, Xin Yi sneaked out his head from behind his book, and saw Zhou MuHui frowning, staring coldly at the phone in his hand, as if something happened again. Then Xin Yi was caught red-handed. Zhou MuHui perceived his stare, adjusted the volume, got up, and was about to walk outside. ¡°I finished writing it¡­¡± Xin Yi saw that he was about to go out to take the call, and hurriedly got up, ¡°I have written half of it, I am going to get a glass of water.¡± He hurriedly jogged there, also went to get Zhou MuHui¡¯s half-empty glass of water, and fled through the half-opened door, the man paused, not knowing what he was thinking about, then sat after a while back. Xin Yi purposely stayed in the living room for a while, fed some snacks to the cat, gave him a massage, and when he thought that it was about time, then gently opened the study room¡¯s door. But Zhou MuHui hadn¡¯t hung up yet, Xin Yi didn¡¯t think that he would be still busy, he was stunned for a while and was going to go out, but heard the man pause, and said, ¡°En, then that¡¯s it, I¡¯m hanging up.¡± Xin Yi slowly blinked, watched Zhou MuHui put the phone on the table, and called him, ¡°Come here, write your homework.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The smile that was on Xin Yi¡¯s face withered, let out a grieved oh, carried the water, and walked to him. Just when the water was put on the table Zhou MuHui¡¯s phone rang again, Xin Yi was startled, and hastily retrieved his hand, his wrist unintentionally brushed the accept button on the screen, he hadn¡¯t reacted yet when he heard the other party¡¯s yell. ¡°Shit what¡¯s all that shining white flakes! Brother Zhou! There¡¯s a gale-driven rain on my side and you are at home fooling around with your wife aren¡¯t you?!¡± CH 10 PUBLISHED ON 27 May 2022 Zhou MuHui¡¯s face became ashen, and scolded him in a low voice, ¡°Shut up.¡± Xin Yi was confused by what he said, stammeringly refuting, ¡°It¡¯s not, it¡¯s not the case!¡± But the hand that was hanging down on one side flushed red. Qi Fang let out an oh, said with suspicion, ¡°It is really not it? Then what¡¯s the parcel of white skin that I saw just now?¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s my hand.¡± Xin Yi did not refute him in an imposing manner, then in the next second, he remembered that he should be angry. ¡°¡­Why do you always speak nonsense.¡± Xin Yi wrinkled his brows and refuted him in a very serious manner. Xin Yi looks very good and is different from the prevalent elegant and refined normal people, perhaps it is the simple and natural stupidness that comes from him and made him look like he was really easy to bully yet reluctant to bully. Otherwise, Qi Fang wouldn¡¯t have accepted to take a photo with him when he saw his eyes turn red. ¡°Ah¡­¡± From Qi Fang¡¯s angle, he could only see half of the neat pajama he was wearing and the half of the cheek that was exposed, he got stuck, then was a little wronged. ¡°Then sorry, I was in a hurry and saw it in a blur.¡± Zhou MuHui picked up the handphone, and Qi Fang¡¯s familiar face appeared on the screen, Xin Yi moved back a little, from the corner of his eyes he saw the other party¡¯s worried look, then calmed down a bit. ¡°Alright, then don¡¯t be like this next time.¡± Qi Fang nodded repeatedly but got anxious in the next second, probably because he saw Zhou MuHui¡¯s ashen face, and felt that Zhou MuHui was about to hang up the call, hurriedly said, ¡°Ok ok I know I was wrong, brother Zhou brother Zhou, don¡¯t hang up.¡± ¡°¡­¡± His voice was desperate, Xin Yi couldn¡¯t help but laugh, he turned around and pulled on the hem of Zhou MuHui¡¯s clothes, and whispered, ¡°Forget it, don¡¯t be angry.¡± Advertisements Hence the phone was put down again, but the video call was turned into a voice call, Xin Yi was about to leave, yet Zhou MuHui paused for a moment, and pulled him. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Zhou MuHui said. ¡°It¡¯s good if it¡¯s fine, it¡¯s good if it¡¯s fine, I knew that brother Zhou was someone beautiful and kind, and won¡¯t haggle with someone like me.¡± Qi Fang exaggeratedly let out a sigh in relief, even his intonation became slower. ¡°¡­¡± Xin Yi lowered his head to look at the hand on his wrist, then lifted his head to look at Zhou MuHui, Zhou MuHui was directly looking at him, and pulled him to sit next to him. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± He repeated himself one more time. Xin Yi slowly nodded, and also let out an oh. He had a hard time understanding Zhou MuHui, didn¡¯t Zhou MuHui dislike it when he was in contact with his colleagues, why did he want him to stay now. ¡°Ah? I¡¯ve heard it.¡± A confused sound came from the other party, Xin Yi tardily returned to his senses and turned around to look at him. ¡°Wasn¡¯t talking to you.¡± Xin Yi explained to him, ¡°Zhou MuHui was talking to me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The other party weirdly paused for a while, Xin Yi blinked, tilted his head and looked at Zhou MuHui with a puzzled look, and didn¡¯t understand what was wrong with the other party. ¡°En¡± Zhou MuHui did not explain, instead, he nodded at him, and looked like he acknowledged it. The breathing of the other party became heavier and called them out in a flustered and exasperated manner. ¡°¡­You two, you two!¡± Qi Fang nearly didn¡¯t catch his breath and was angered by them to half-death. ¡°And you said that you are my fan!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Xin Yi finally understood that Qi Fang was angry, but the other party¡¯s reaction was really amusing, he couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud. ¡°Little kid! You still dare to laugh!¡± Xin Yi covered his mouth, and looked at him innocently, Zhou MuHui looked back at him, and gently covered up the smile on the corner of his mouth. Qi Fang was unwilling to admit defeat, Xin Yi didn¡¯t cause any trouble anymore, they started to talk about serious matters, after Xin Yi finished writing his homework and carefully listened to a section of it, and only then did he understand what they were talking about. Before Qi Fang was caught in a scandal with someone of the same sex, causing a big fuss, it calmed down a few days ago with difficulty, as a result yesterday both of them were photographed going to a hotel together, and they still did not come out until now. It skyrocketed in the hot topics, it already stayed on the list for a whole day, and now he was blocked inside of the hotel by the journalists, unable to go anywhere. ¡°I did not do that on purpose, how could I know that they would also be there, you say, it caused such a big fuss before, I already went over all my friend¡¯s houses, I really don¡¯t have anywhere else to go.¡± He said dejectedly, ¡°Ah*, brother Zhou, how about I go over to your house, no one would know it anyway.¡± *sound of a sigh Xin Yi turned around, rested his head on his arms, and looked at him. ¡°Go find sister Chen.¡± Sister Chen was Qi Fang¡¯s new manager, Qi Fang begged for mercy, ¡°I won¡¯t, sister Chen is crazy, she wanted me to seize the opportunity to become a CP1 with him, but I am a straight guy!¡± After all, is said and done, he still begged for mercy, he said that he couldn¡¯t stay in the hotel anymore, that person and he was living across from each other, and he didn¡¯t know what would happen if he continued to stay like that. Then begged Zhou MuHui not to turn away from a dying man, saying that they worked together for so many years, and has done hard work even if he has not performed meritorious deeds, it made Xin Yi laugh, and he sneakily moved closer while listening to his wail, and asked, ¡°Then the thing on the internet about a recording of you confessing to him, is it true?¡± The other party heard his question and choked, stalled for half a day, and did not make a sound, Zhou MuHui touched his forehead, and whispered, ¡°It has already been deleted by me.¡± Xin Yi widened his eyes, and looked at his handphone in astonishment, ¡°So it was true.¡± ¡°That was a misunderstanding¡­¡± The person on the other end of the phone spitted out that sentence as if one was squeezing toothpaste, but gave up explaining, and try to treat a dead horse as if it was still alive2, and wanted Zhou MuHui and him to pick him up and take him back with them. Zhou MuHui bluntly refused, Xin Yi felt his heart soften, but didn¡¯t say anything, he just pursed his lips and calmly lay down, occasionally looking at Zhou MuHui. ¡°¡­¡± The other side was still pestering relentlessly, Zhou MuHui could perceive his stage, the man paused for a while, clicked on the mute button on the phone, and looked at Xin Yi. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Suddenly looking at him with these kinds of eyes. Xin Yi blinked, and said, ¡°Nothing.¡± Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t believe him, he lowered his head and moved closer, his breath was close to Xin Yi¡¯s lips, asked him in a low voice while looking at him, ¡°Want him to come?¡± The man was leaning so closely, Xin Yi was a bit anxious, and couldn¡¯t help but nod, then suddenly reacted in the next second, and asked, ¡°Is it ok?¡± His eyes were too soft, and made Zhou MuHui unconsciously indulge himself in them, and instantly let his standpoint collapse. ¡°En.¡± Read it on milkteatranslations.wordpress.com Qi Fang came very quickly, but Xin Yi inadvertently fell asleep. After hanging up the call, Zhou MuHui was very busy, probably dealing with Qi Fang¡¯s matters, Xin Yi finished writing his homework with difficulty, and slouched on the table and was looking at him, but his eyelids felt heavier and heavier. But before he got to fall asleep, the doorbell rang, Xin Yi was startled awake, rubbed his eyes, and was about to get up to open the door. But Zhou MuHui stopped him. ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± Xin Yi didn¡¯t even know why he was so tired, he was leaning against the table and nodded in a daze, and told him, ¡°Ok.¡± At the same time that there were movements outside, he couldn¡¯t help but slouch on the table again and fell asleep while listening to the sounds. When Zhou MuHui returned, he was already deeply asleep, the man paused for a while, and carried him to the sofa, then extinguished the lights before carefully leaving. Advertisements It was already nighttime when Xin Yi woke up, the floor lamp in the study room was switched up and emitting dim yellow light, he climbed off the sofa in a daze, and his foot landed on something soft. The soft thing called out, and appeared to feel wronged. ¡°¡­ Mao Mao.¡± Xin Yi lowered his head, and hurriedly picked him up. ¡°How come you are here.¡± He looked at the cat in his arms and asked him, and tilted his head to look out of the window into the pitch-black night. And tardily remembered what he did. He fell asleep when Qi Fang came over, and he left people outside for half a day, Xin Yi almost bit his tongue, he carried the cat, and hurriedly walked out. When the poor were pushed, Qi Fang happened to turn around, looked at him and mischievously greeted him, and called him, ¡°Little kid, come over.¡± Xin Yi was a bit embarrassed, then paused stiffly halfway, then looked around in a loss. ¡°Oh, looking for brother Zhou? He went grocery shopping, and said that you were probably going to wake up.¡± Qi Fang explained, then looked at him with a smile, ¡°He really gets you, he left less than ten minutes before you woke up.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Xin Yi¡¯s disappointed spirit returned to its place, pursed his lips into a smile, a bit shy. He wasn¡¯t wide awake yet, his mind still remained in the dizziness of dream, and didn¡¯t know how to answer that question.¡± ¡°You want to drink or not.¡± Xin Yi put the cat down and asked him. The cat got on the floor and jumped on the sofa, and peacefully lay down next to Qi Fang. Qi Fang let out a surprised sound, ¡°What a fat tabby cat.¡± Xin Yi happened to come back with the water, and explained, ¡°He is old, so his body is also big.¡± ¡°Oh oh*.¡± *¡±oh¡± that shows understanding Qi Fang took the water, and told him, ¡°Little kid, brother Zhou said that you¡¯re taking me in, thank you.¡± He smiled candidly, differently from when they first met, Xin Yi blinked and told him he was welcomed. Qi Fang stared at him without looking away, Xin Yi felt weird being stared at by him like that but he didn¡¯t say anything, and the other party let out a long sigh. ¡°Are you not my fan? How come you got together with brother Zhou?¡± He said that everyone was stunned that day, watching the two of them, and didn¡¯t return to their senses, and also said that Zhou MuHui was very cool, especially the scar on his face, he once thought that his brother Zhou wouldn¡¯t be able to find a wife. ¡°Let him go get a laser but he won¡¯t go, he insisted on keeping it.¡± Qi Fang scratched his head, ¡°He is originally already special, but with a scar, who would want¡­¡± The words were halfway spoken and he urgently stopped, Qi Fang hurriedly closed his mouth, ¡°I cannot say this.¡± His talk was very long, Xin Yi was originally almost dizzy from his talking, he sensitively could perceive what the half-spoken words were about. Xin Yi paused for a while, holding the cup of water, and shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s fine, I know.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Qi Fang looked at him in a shock, ¡°Ah, you know.¡± ¡°Then I won¡¯t talk about it, it¡¯s all the past, don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t make you feel sad once again.¡± He smiled proudly, ¡°Look, I didn¡¯t say anything wrong this time,.¡± Xin Yi felt like he was the grass on the top of a wall that sways with every wind, during this short period he came in contact with Qi Fang made him think that person was not bad, and involuntarily pulled him out from his black list. ¡°En.¡± Xin Yi nodded, ¡°You did not.¡± ¡°But you count as someone of his family, I have to seriously explain this matter to you, after all, brother Zhou was my manager at the beginning, these things that everyone knows, especially in this industry, and are quite sensitive towards these things, or else by the time it¡¯s exposed out, it will be another foul wind and a rain of blood.¡± ¡°And some of my fans aren¡¯t very reasonable, although brother Zhou¡¯s matter is a bit special¡­ but you also know, a lot of people won¡¯t really care about the cause.¡± ¡°¡­ en.¡± ¡°Aiya, don¡¯t be like this.¡± Qi Fang looked at his anxious face, and hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯ve already covered these pieces of information about him, and already deleted those I could delete, don¡¯t worry.¡± Xin Yi loosened his hand that was clenched the whole time, exerced strength, and nodded, then sat up straight, and thanked Qi Fang. ¡°Thank you.¡± Qi Fang was startled by his serious expression of thanks, and said quite embarrassed, ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine, this is nothing.¡± ¡°Brother Zhou also helped me a lot.¡± He spoke to a half before reacting, ¡°It¡¯s not right, last time I went to your school was only half a month ago, not only you guys are living together, you even know about that matter? Brother Zhou doesn¡¯t seem like someone who would move so fast.¡± After all, he has been working with Zhou MuHui for three years, and knew his character quite well, so he reacted tardily, and turned around to look at Xin Yi. ¡°¡­ Do you guys know each other from long ago?¡± Xin Yi didn¡¯t think that the misunderstanding would be unraveled here, he looked at Qi Fang who had a blank expression, and immediately felt quite tongue-tied. ¡°¡­En.¡± ¡°Then the other day, then the other day you went there to find¡­?¡± ¡°Zhou MuHui.¡± He spoke in a quiet voice, afraid that it would make Qi Fang sad. ¡°¡­¡± Qi Fang was stunned, leaned against the sofa in a daze, and said after a while, ¡°Fudge, you are actually not my fan¡­¡± Advertisements It took half a day to understand that it was a misunderstanding, Qi Fang lost the arrogance he had just now, and leaned on the sofa as if life was devoid of meaning.¡± ¡°I am your fan from today on.¡± Xin Yi said in a hurry, ¡°I also have your fan slogan banners, don¡¯t be sad.¡± To console Qi Fang, he took out the props he used to follow Zhou MuHui and showed them to Qi Fang. ¡°Look, I¡¯ve always been your¡­¡± Xin Yi was stuck midway, he thought for a while but couldn¡¯t think of any term for that, Qi Fang looked at him, and said in despair, ¡°Passerby fan?¡± ¡°All in all, not a real fan.¡± Xin Yi nodded promptly, ¡°I will do my best to become a real fan in the future.¡± Qi Fang took the slogan banner, let out a long sigh, and said in a self-defeating voice, ¡°Little kid, the other day went in the auditorium, was it also brother Zhou who brought you in?¡± Xin Yi looked at him, and moved back a little. ¡°Yes.¡± Qi Fang held his face, ¡°Fudge, I thought you liked me too much, it scared me into taking the front door to leave¡­¡± Only did Xin Yi understand why Qi Fang changed his route at the last moment that day, he pinched his fingers awkwardly, and said, ¡°I only like Zhou MuHui.¡± ¡°I know that already, don¡¯t say anything.¡± The banner blocked the light, and cut off a bit the sounds, Xin Yi listened to his muffled beg for mercy, ignorantly comforted him, ¡°It¡¯s ok.¡± Qi Fang exposed half of his face from behind the banner, and said with complex feelings, ¡°Forget it¡­¡± He spread out the things on his thighs and looked at Xin Yi¡¯s apologetic face, and had another thought. ¡°Then can you help me to beg for mercy, so even if brother Zhou resigns in the future, he will give me a hand if I have something, is it ok?¡± He winked and made signs to him, ¡°Little kid, is it ok?¡± Xin Yi was stunned, that was the first time he was officially hearing from others about the matter of Zhou MuHui resigning, he looked at Qi Fang¡¯s face full of smiles, and slowly nodded, ¡°Oh.¡± Qi Fang was elated, but Xin Yi seemed like he only returned to his senses, looked at Qi Fang in a daze, and asked, ¡°Why¡­ How come he, he wants to resign?¡± His face carried a confused expression, but Qi Fang didn¡¯t notice it. ¡°Probably earned enough money.¡± Qi Fang was carefree, and didn¡¯t pay attention to his weird behavior, ¡°He originally joined this line of job to pay off his debt, or else, why would he go all out during all these years.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s also his fault for refusing to be a star, or he would have to pay it off eight hundred years ago, and would need to go as far as to almost drink to death for one million.¡± Xin Yi widened his eyes, shocked by who knows what, Qi Fang looked at him, and hurriedly corrected, ¡°That was before! After that, I would tell people to stay with him, and he did not drink that fiercely ever again!¡± Notes: CH 11 PUBLISHED ON 5 June 2022 After that Xin Yi¡¯s whole body became stiff, Qi Fang still noticed something wrong no matter how silly he was, so he carefully poked Xin Yi, and nervously asked him, ¡°Little kid, did I say something wrong again?¡± Xin Yi¡¯s eyelashes fluttered, ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°I will help you.¡± He said in a trance, ¡°Zhou MuHui is easy to talk to.¡± Qi Fang secretly let out a sigh of relief, and sat next to him petting the cat, ¡°It depends on people, anyway he had never said anything to us.¡± The words he threw out haven¡¯t gotten a reply after a long moment, Qi Fang turned around in wonder, and saw that he was sitting there lost in his thoughts, for a moment he felt a bit panicked, he was afraid that just now he really said something he shouldn¡¯t have said. ¡°Little kid, are you worried about brother Zhou.¡± Qi Fang guessed blindly and thought that he felt distressed because of Zhou MuHui¡¯s drinking. The more he thought about it, the more he thought he was right, he hastily sat up straight to explain to Xin Yi. ¡°He just drank very fiercely when he first came to the company, there¡¯s no other solution, he was still a newbie at that time, if he doesn¡¯t try hard a bit how can he stand out among others.¡± Xin Yi came out of his emotional state, looked at him dull-witted and foolishly, and said after half a day, ¡°He never told me¡­¡± At that time, he only thought that the man was very busy, and had to do work he hadn¡¯t finished dealing with, he also returned very late, often coming back home only after Xin Yi had been asleep for a long time, and when Xin Yi woke up, he had already left early. Or sometimes he got so busy that he couldn¡¯t come back for days. He thought that he was really too much, it seemed like he never really paid attention to Zhou MuHui, or even¡­ even to the extent that he thought that Zhou MuHui paid more attention to his work than to him. Advertisements ¡°If it was me, I wouldn¡¯t say it either.¡± Qi Fang comforted him, ¡°Isn¡¯t it because he was afraid that you¡¯d be worried, little kid, it¡¯s like this once you¡¯ve entered society.¡± Opportunities are never offered to someone without any reason. ¡°Moreover, you also know he is more special than other people, he definitely needs to exert his utmost strength, so he can break away from the influence of the past, this is something that can¡¯t be helped.¡± The cat that was on the sofa got up, wobbled his way, and laid in Xin Yi¡¯s arms, licking Xin Yi¡¯s finger and then slightly biting it, Xin Yi felt pain but did not move. ¡°I know¡­¡± He pursed his lips, he whispered. Most of the time, Xin Yi understands that it is necessary, Zhou MuHui had to be more hardworking and exert his utmost strength compared to other people, everybody can understand that principle, but Xin Yi was still reluctant. Those countless nights Zhou MuHui couldn¡¯t come back home, he was putting up with it. It was on the narrow couch in the office, or in the empty hospital, was he hurt, did he also need Xin Yi, just like the way Xin Yi needed him. But Xin Yi was too stupid, he never sought deeply about his difficulties, he only knew to wait for him obediently every day. Thus, during Zhou MuHui¡¯s difficult days, Xin Yi did not even stay by his side. ¡°He is good, he is very¡­ very¡­¡± Xin Yi held the cat tight in his arms, and lowered his head deeply. He didn¡¯t continue to speak, because he was submerged with remorse and regret, the turmoil in his heart gave way to him, but Xin Yi couldn¡¯t say a single thing. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have said anything!¡± Qi Fang was upset, and called him, ¡°Don¡¯t be sad anymore.¡± He made one wrong move that made all moves wrong, pulling on the hem of Xin Yi¡¯s clothes, having trouble begging him, ¡°Little kid, little ancestor, don¡¯t ever cry, or else brother Zhou will hit me to death.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all the past.¡± He held himself back to the point his whole face was red, and in the end, comforted Xin Yi in a dry manner. The cat on Xin Yi¡¯s legs seemed to have noticed his upset, and kept rubbing himself against him in his arms, Xin Yi sniffled at an angle others couldn¡¯t see him, and secretly shed a tear for Zhou MuHui. ¡°Oh.¡± He buried his face in the cat¡¯s arms, and used his soft fur to cover and wipe off the tear on his face, then lifted his head. ¡°Didn¡¯t cry, don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Xin Yi smiled at him, ¡°I was just sad, it¡¯s nothing.¡± The hand he hid underneath the cat was clenched up, the short nails that were pressing against his palm hurt a little, but Xin Yi didn¡¯t want to unclench it. Qi Fang, that person was a bit careless, as long as the other person said they were fine, he would really think that they were fine. ¡°You made me almost want to run away.¡± Qi Fang let out a breath of relief, and said while looking at him, ¡°I for sure don¡¯t want brother Zhou to take revenge on me, I still hope that in the future I can find him to help me.¡± Their banners have fallen on the ground, Qi Fang sighed, and bent down to pick them up. ¡°There, take it, do you want me to sign it?¡± He was cleaning on one hand and saying on the other hand, ¡°So many, where did you get them.¡± Xin Yi, with his back facing him, nodded, and went to the study room to take a pen, concealing his sadness. ¡°Bought them from scalpers.¡± He said. In order to sneak in to take a few glances, or even, not able to see Zhou MuHui at all. ¡°You passer-by a fan, you even dare to use me as a tool man.¡± Qi Fang let out another sigh, took the pen that Xin Yi handed him, and pulled a sad face. ¡°You are chasing brother Zhou, and only chasing me in passing.¡± Advertisements He didn¡¯t even finish signing them all, Zhou MuHui has already returned home. The sound of the electronic code door lock was crisp, Xin Yi lifted his head distractedly, and before Qi Fang had even reacted, he pulled on his sleeves. ¡°Don¡¯t tell him.¡± When Zhou MuHui came back, he looked like he was punished by standing, standing next to the sofa without moving, Qi Fang was sitting on the sofa holding the banners and signing them, and the cat on the floor was wobbling his way toward Zhou MuHui, and dragged him by the hem of his pants toward Xin Yi. ¡°¡­ what¡¯s wrong?¡± Zhou MuHui¡¯s brow furrowed and he took a first glance at Qi Fang. Qi Fang kept silent and signed, and didn¡¯t notice the approaching danger. ¡°What what¡¯s wrong, nothing¡­¡± He lifted his head, and abruptly swallowed on emptiness. Zhou MuHui¡¯s glare was too scary as if it was about to freeze him to death. Qi Fang hurriedly shrank toward the back, and looked at Xin Yi. Xin Yi was standing still there, looking the same way he did before when he came out and saw him, besides the fact that he stupidly said two sentences that made him sad¡­ But Xin Yi did not even cry ah? ¡°¡­Nothing.¡± Qi Fang said while quivering, and did not dare to admit what he did wrong just then. Xin Yi didn¡¯t know that Zhou MuHui would be so sharp, he hastily nodded, and went to pull Zhou MuHui¡¯s hand. ¡°Nothing nothing, I just woke up, I¡¯m still a bit muddled head. Every time Xin Yi got up, he always need a moment before being wide awake, Zhou MuHui knew that habit of his, the man frowned, his glare still didn¡¯t left Qi Fang, Qi Fang shivered, and hurriedly used his eyes to ask Xin Yi for help. ¡°You bought a lot.¡± Xin Yi received his signal, rubbing his eyes, and faking a yawn, carefully hiding his sadness, and did not dare to let Zhou MuHui notice. ¡°Let¡¯s do it together, I¡¯m very hungry.¡± Xin Yi stood before Qi Fang, and pulled Zhou MuHui into the kitchen. He was afraid that Qi Fang couldn¡¯t stand the agitation and would confess, he didn¡¯t want Zhou MuHui to know that he already knew all those things. Whether it was the fact that Zhou MuHui wanted to leave, or what he hid from him before. Zhou MuHui only let out a sound in agreement after a long while, his eyes seemed to take a glimpse at the things between Qi Fang¡¯s arms, and pursed his lips without expression. Xin Yi doesn¡¯t know how to cook, he could act as an assistant to help Zhou MuHui, but he got nothing to do after the vegetables were washed, Zhou MuHui told him to go out, but he wasn¡¯t willing. ¡°I¡¯ll accompany you.¡± He stood beside the sink and said, ¡°Qi Fang wouldn¡¯t mind it.¡± Although leaving Qi Fang alone in the living room was not good, Xin Yi didn¡¯t want to leave. Hence, Zhou MuHui did not say anything else, and only fed Xin Yi a piece of spare ribs, to quench his cravings. ¡°Still hungry or not?¡± Zhou MuHui wiped clean his hand, and stretched it open next to his mouth. Xin Yi vaguely shook his head, and spit out the whole bone, and said, ¡°Too hungry.¡± He didn¡¯t really eat for the whole day, he just broke his fever, and basically only drank porridge during the whole week, so no matter he wasn¡¯t full no matter what he ate. Zhou MuHui¡¯s eyes carried a smile, and knew that he was complaining to him that he only got to drink porridge during those last days. ¡°Won¡¯t be drinking porridge today.¡± He coaxed Xin Yi, even his tone was softer. Xin Yi looked at him without turning away, and nodded obediently, but went to cause trouble when Zhou MuHui was washing his hands, and stretched a hand to pull him. ¡°¡­ Xin Yi.¡± Zhou MuHui was helpless, and looked at the hand under the faucet that was causing trouble. ¡°Zhou MuHui.¡± Xin Yi called him in a whisper, his fingers were scratching his palm, quietly pasting it against it, intertwining their ten fingers. Zhou MuHui let out a hum, and asked, ¡°What?¡± They were quietly intertwined under the water, Xin Yi¡¯s soft fingertips crossed over the back of Zhou muHui¡¯s hand. He actually wanted to say a lot, he wanted to ask Zhou MuHui you really want to give your resignation? Before on the nights when you said that you had something to do and didn¡¯t come back, was it because you couldn¡¯t come back, and what Qi Fang said¡­ You only entered this industry because you wanted to pay off your debt, and it¡¯s because you are lacking money that you are going all out¡­ is all of this true. If¡­ If you are really working for this reason, resign. Then was it earlier than that¡­that you have already decided to divorce me¡­ Then after everything was done, to throw me away. Advertisements Xin Yi maintained this posture and didn¡¯t move, till Zhou MuHui called him again, and he returned to his senses. ¡°No.¡± He said in a small voice, ¡°it¡¯s just¡­¡± ¡°I want to get well a bit slower.¡± Xin Yi leaned over and looked at Zhou MuHui with a soft look. If that could be counted as bare my bosom, then I hope that I would have the courage to ask you before, before I prepare myself for you leaving, can you always stay with me. Zhou MuHui understood, he was stunned and looked at Xin Yi¡¯s moist eyes, and said in a low voice, ¡°Cannot.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not good to be sick.¡± Xin Yi actually doesn¡¯t want to be sick, but he didn¡¯t explain, thus he looked at Zhou MuHui, smiled, and nodded. ¡°Alright, I was just saying.¡± He took his hand back, but Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t let go. ¡°Xiao Yi, I¡ª¡ª¡± The voice came to an abrupt end, Zhou MuHui lowered his head. Xin Yi¡¯s palm was stretched open by him, and the man¡¯s rough finger pulps rubbed Xin Yi¡¯s palm little by little, Xin Yi didn¡¯t react, until Zhou MuHui stroked a certain place, and Xin Yi hissed, and his hand shrank backward by reflex. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± The air pressure around Zhou MuHui suddenly dropped, Xin Yi was stunned, and saw that his face suddenly sank, turned around to go out. Outside Qi Fang was calling him, but the man seemed to not want to speak, only gave a curt hum, Xin Yi tardily blinked and looked at the wound in his palms that were soaked until mushy by the water, and slowly shut the faucet on the side. Just then he clenched it too hard, he actually didn¡¯t notice this whole time. ¡°The vegetables can¡¯t be eaten anymore¡­¡± When Zhou MuHui came back, Xin Yi said in a whisper. The man didn¡¯t say a word, his fingers pressed around the wound and helped him disinfect it. ¡°Sorry.¡± Xin Yi lowered his head admitting his mistake, ¡°It was I who didn¡¯t pay¡­sss¡­¡± Dealing with the wounds was very painful, Xin Yi shivered, but Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t stop, and quickly applied the ointment on them for him. He didn¡¯t say anything during the whole process, Xin Yi was a bit anxious, and asked him, ¡°Are you angry?¡± ¡°It¡¯s actually not deep, it doesn¡¯t really hurt.¡± He pursed his lips after saying that, lowering his head. Xin Yi felt that he did something wrong again, he obviously wanted to get along with Zhou MuHui a bit longer, to make up for the time he missed. Even if Zhou MuHui maybe didn¡¯t need him anymore. ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± Zhou MuHui returned to his senses, but his face didn¡¯t look very good. He was just angry at himself that for half a day he didn¡¯t even notice the wounds on Xin Yi¡¯s hands. Notes: When Xin Yi said the vegetables couldn¡¯t be eaten anymore I think he is referring to the fact that he washed them while having wounds on his hands thus making them dirty. A lot of time the author isn¡¯t very clear in the sentences, there¡¯s a lot of ¡®he and he¡¯ and in the end I am not even sure who they are talking about¡­ That chapter was really long¡­ My pace is getting slower and slower. I am very busy during the week and during the weekend I just want to relax. CH 12 PUBLISHED ON 13 June 2022 Zhou MuHui was angry, Xin Yi could distinctly feel that. His wrist was held very tightly, the man lead him out of the kitchen without an expression, Qi Fang was spread out on the sofa and playing a game, hearing them, he thought that it was time to eat, he didn¡¯t even lift his head and told them to wait a little more, and said that he was going to finish this round before getting up. ¡°It¡¯s not done yet.¡± Xin Yi obediently explained and tried to extricate his hand from Zhou MuHui¡¯s hold. The man¡¯s hand held him very tightly, Xin Yi was a bit scared, but he didn¡¯t know why he was angry. ¡°Then you come here, I¡¯ll teach you, let¡¯s play together.¡± Xin Yi hadn¡¯t said anything yet, their cat jumped on the sofa, slapped Qi Fang¡¯s hand, and made his game console fall, Xin Yi let out a hey, and hurriedly called him, ¡°Mao Mao, come down.¡± Qi Fang was caught off guard and his face got covered, letting out a frightened cry, when he lifted his head he saw Zhou MuHui give him a cold-eyes glare, then did he tardily react and saw that Zhou MuHui was also there. ¡°What¡¯s, What¡¯s wrong¡­?¡± Qi Fang scooted back in a conditioned reflex and looked at Xin Yi. Xin Yi was blushing, and did not get free of Zhou MuHui¡¯s grip, Qi Fang was relying on the cat and looked at their left and right, then slowly shrank further into the sofa. ¡°Nothing.¡± Xin Yi comforted him, put their intertwined hands behind his back, then used his other hand to drag Zhou MuHui. Zhou MuHui looked at Qi Fang for a long while before loosening his grip, ¡°Little kid, what happened to your hand?¡± He made a fuss for nothing, Xin Yi was stunned, he hastily hid it behind him, and shushed him. Zhou MuHui was already very angry, Xin Yi didn¡¯t dare to add fuel to the fire. Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t say anything, he only quietly gave Qi Fang another glance, Qi Fang¡¯s back felt cold, and saw him turn away to leave, he pulled Xin Yi and anxiously asked him, ¡°Little kid¡­ Did I do something wrong?¡± Why did he stare at him in such a scary way? Xin Yi lowered his head, rubbed his wrist, then gently closed his hand again. ¡°¡­No.¡± He was immersed in his own feelings, and said in a small voice, ¡°He is angry at me.¡± Qi Fang let out an ah, his eyes moved back and forth between his hands, and saw the small piece of gauze on Xin Yi¡¯s palms, and was silent for a moment, then he suddenly moved over and asked sneakily, ¡°You guys had an argument?¡± Xin Yi shook his head, and said honestly, ¡°No¡­I hurt my hand before, and only noticed it when I was washing the vegetables.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Little kid, how did you and brother Zhou get together?¡± Qi Fang changed his position, and looked at Xin Yi with a strange look, ¡°You just scratched your hand and he is already this anxious? Back then when I got into a car accident, my mom didn¡¯t even shed a tear.¡± Xin Yi was silent, for a while he didn¡¯t know if he should go along with what he said and nod, or said that he was really pitiful. The quieter he was, the more interested Qi Fang was, he simply stopped playing his game and squeezed himself next to Xin Yi. ¡°Little kid, speak, I still have never heard about brother Zhou¡¯s gossip.¡± He gave him a surreptitious wink now and then, Xin Yi paused, and suddenly lifted his head. ¡°Do you think¡­he likes me?¡± He looked at Zhou MuHui behind the frosted door, and asked Qi Fang in a whisper. Advertisements Xin Yi¡¯s confusion started when he fell sick, and gradually overthrew his initial process of thoughts. Zhou MuHui liked him? Or else, why would he take his matters to heart no matter how big or little, even accompanying him like this every day, it doesn¡¯t seem like what Xin Yi thought was compensation. But Xin Yi didn¡¯t dare to believe it, because if he likes him, then why would Zhou MuHui not say it, and even signed a divorce agreement, wanting to leave Xin Yi. And even in the beginning, his hard-working, it was all in order to pay him back. Xin Yi thought about it some more, he still didn¡¯t understand what Zhou MuHui meant. Qi Fang scratched his head, he didn¡¯t understand what he meant. ¡°Probably like, I also have a brother*, I wasn¡¯t careful and offended my sister-in-law, he would also use his eyes to chop me up.¡± *a good friend Xin Yi¡¯s fingers dug in his wounded palm, a bit dazed. He glared at me just now because he thought that you hurting your hand was because of me, I am really miserable, I came here to hide from the journalists and became your guys¡¯ third wheel.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°He isn¡¯t angry at me?¡± Xin Yi was stunned, he even thought that¡­ Zhou MuHui was angry because of him.¡± Qi Fang smiled narrowly, as if he understood something, sat up in a serious manner, and said, ¡°Little kid, you are really stupid.¡± ¡°Tell me the gossip, then I¡¯ll tell you what brother Zhou is thinking.¡± The cat jumped down from Qi Fang¡¯s knees into Xin Yi¡¯s arms, and bit his uninjured finger, Xin Yi didn¡¯t pay attention to it, looking up stunned, and looking at him with some doubt. Qi Fang could see his perplexed eyes, and smiled enigmatically. ¡°I¡¯ve debuted for so many years, I¡¯ve caused unnumbered troubles for brother Zhou, I¡¯m the most familiar with his expressions, little kid, trust me.¡± Qi Fang was strangely confident on this matter and lied to him with some nonsense. Xin Yi believed it, he slow wittily nodded, let the cat in his arms to bite him freely, and tardily said, ¡°¡­Ok.¡± Xin Yi got to know Zhou MuHui, that was because of his mom Xin Shao. At that time, it was almost Xin Shao¡¯s birthday, Xin Yi had just finished selecting the gift with difficulty, not long ago, a piece of Xin Shao¡¯s ink stone at home got knocked off, Xin Yi kept it in his mind, he left home and was running around the streets, to buy his mom a new ink stone. Xin Yi didn¡¯t know a thing about it, he only knew that his dad would often go to auctions, he didn¡¯t even know where the door of it was, less mentioning to go there to buy. After that, he entrusted someone to find one, but in the end, his deskmate at school saw that, and solemnly told him that was a fake one, it was a counterfeit. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me then go to Wen Miao to find someone to look at it, tomorrow is Sunday anyway!¡± His deskmate was a clever and mischievous person, he grew up in a heap of books, and knew a lot of things that Xin Yi didn¡¯t know, Xin Yi foolishly nodded, holding that piece of ink stone, he went to Wen Miao the next day. Wen Miao is an antique market in their city, Xin Yi was impatient, early in the morning, he was carrying his back and waiting at the door, the moment the big door was unlocked, the uncle next to him ran even faster than him, Xin Yi was bumped silly, hurriedly hugged his backpack in his arms, and pressed himself in a corner waiting for them to go first. He was an unfamiliar face, and also small, someone got their eyes on him since he was crouching at the entrance, Xin Yi hadn¡¯t even taken the thing out, the other party already moved closer and tried to be friendly with him, Xin Yi got scared, he hurriedly said something then ran away in a fast pace. Xin Yi didn¡¯t really get it, but he was lectured by his deskmate before coming there, the other party told him not to believe those glib tongues, and told him to find someone who looks like they won¡¯t pay attention to him, that was someone experimented. Advertisements Then Zhou MuHui appeared at this moment. In the beginning, Xin Yi actually didn¡¯t notice him, because Zhou MuHui was wearing a mask, he is also tall, so he didn¡¯t see his face at all when he walked past him, until he circle half of the antique market and collide with head first in the other¡¯s party arms. At that moment, Zhou MuHui was carrying merchandise and was still carrying a solid wooden box, Xin Yi stood there and was watching others inspect objects, got squeezed by someone on the side of the path, then with a blank mind, he got knocked on the box in Zhou MuHui¡¯s arms. He was knocked silly, he didn¡¯t even get to cry out in pain when his butt landed on the ground, Zhou MuHui was also confused, when he finally lowered his head, the little kid¡¯s eyes were full of tears, hugging his backpack and was crying for a while already. ¡°¡­¡­¡± The people carrying the delivery nearby were calling him, Zhou MuHui furrowed his brow, and handed the object to the other party, saying, ¡°You go first.¡± Then bent down to drag Xin Yi up. ¡°Can you still walk?¡± Zhou MuHui asked him. Xin Yi¡¯s eyelashes were wet, seeing that he was a bit familiar, then only did he tardily reacted, just now when he came in, Xin Yi met him accidentally. ¡°¡­Can.¡± Xin Yi rubbed his eyes and nodded while hugging his backpack. His forehead was feeling hot and stinging with pain, it seemed like a part of it was swollen, but it also felt like the skin was broken, the weather in October wasn¡¯t warm, but in the antique market that was in full swing, it was really felt a bit stuffy, it pickled the wound and made it feel like it was about to burst. ¡°Follow me.¡± Zhou MuHui let go of him. Xin Yi paused, stared at his back for a while, then returned to his senses, and hurriedly followed after him. After that, he felt like he wasn¡¯t precautious enough, others tell him to follow them and he would follow, but then Xin Yi thought about it and felt that couldn¡¯t be blamed on him, after all, at that time he was knocked silly, and Zhou MuHui¡¯s half-exposed eyes looked really good, he muddleheadedly nodded, and followed the other party. Advertisements Zhou MuHui led him to disinfect it, Xin Yi obediently stood in the shop waiting for him, just now he entered in a hurry, only now did he notice that this shop was a bit different from the other shops he just visited, he hugged his backpack and look at it with curiosity, but didn¡¯t expected that someone inside would suddenly call him, ¡°Little kid, what are you doing?¡± Xin Yi got scared, hastily took a step back, and explained to the other party. ¡°I, I am waiting for someone.¡± An old man came out from behind the door curtain, he was skinny as a bamboo pole, wearing an undershirt and waving a bamboo hand fan, and gave him a careless glance, ¡°Waiting for who, I am the only one in this shop.¡± Xin Yi swallowed his saliva, tightly hugged his backpack, and said in a quiet voice, ¡°That person who is wearing a mask¡­ who is very tall.¡± And also very good looking. Zhou MuHui coincidently came back at that time, iodophor and gauze in his hands, and told Xin Yi to go over. It was as if Xin Yi saw his saving star, and hurriedly hid behind him. ¡°Xiao Zhou1, didn¡¯t you go to deliver the merchandise?¡± ¡°Knocked on a little kid on the road, already handed the merchandise to Du Jia.¡± His mask hasn¡¯t been taken off yet, he used the alcohol to wash his hands, then did he help Xin Yi to deal with his wounds. Xin Yi kept his head lowered and glanced at him from the corner of his eyes, not daring to say anything, he and Zhou MuHui were really close, from that angle, he could see the other party¡¯s high nose bridge, and the shadow cast by the dense eyelashes. It was the first time that Xin Yi was curious about someone, his heart wasn¡¯t listening to him and was pounding nonstop. This feeling was too unfamiliar so he didn¡¯t react even when the old man behind him called him for half a day. ¡°Little kid.¡± The skin on his forehead seemed to be really broken, the other party applied some ointment for him and used the gauze to wrap it, Xin Yi was dizzy during the whole process, he felt like he was swimming in clouds, fortunately, the person in front of him didn¡¯t like to speak, and didn¡¯t ask him anything, Xin Yi blinked, and saw him tie a knot, and lowered his head while packing up the things. ¡°Little kid, what are you hugging in your arms?¡± Xin Yi¡¯s shoulder was slapped, and he blankly lifted his head, the person who called him just now was standing before him, and was stretching his neck to see the object in his arms. ¡°¡­Inkstone.¡± He said in a small voice but didn¡¯t want to take it out. Because that person didn¡¯t seem like an experimented person like his deskmate has said. ¡°Want to sell? Or is it to find someone to look at it?¡± Xin Yi said nothing, and unconsciously rested his sight on Zhou MuHui. ¡°Go to the hospital if it¡¯s inflamed, this is my number, tell me the expense.¡± He handed him a piece of paper, Xin Yi raised his head and looked at him in confusion. ¡°¡­It¡¯s not you who bumped on me.¡± But his hand was very honest, and tightly curled up the piece of paper in his palm. Zhou MuHui looked at him, and did not argue with him. ¡°I¡¯ll take you out.¡± He tidied up the things, turned sideways and told Xin Yi to follow him. ¡°Little kid, take it out for me to see, I¡¯ll help you take a look at it.¡± The old man saw that he was about to go, and waved his bamboo hand fan to urge him, Xin Yi was stunned for a moment, and hurriedly shook his head, ¡°No need, no need.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to sell it, then you¡¯re not short of me taking a glance, or else, if you randomly find someone on the street, they will fool you with a few unreliable sentences. He raised his head, and said, ¡°I happened to have made it on time today, if you miss it, you won¡¯t have any other occasions.¡± He shook his fan and walked back, sat down behind the counter, and drank a few mouthfuls of tea, Xin Yi¡¯s hands that were hugging the backpack tightened, and slowly stopped his footsteps. ¡°¡­ Is he reliable?¡± Xin Yi didn¡¯t believe him, he pulled the hem of Zhou MuHui who was next to him, and sneakily asked. Zhou MuHui was stunned, and said, ¡°He¡¯s ok.¡± Advertisements ¡°¡­ Then help me to look at it.¡± Xin Yi turned around and took the inkstone out of his backpack. The day after tomorrow is his mom¡¯s birthday, he didn¡¯t have much time. The old man behind the counter moved the cup of tea, showing a wide-eyed smile, he hurriedly said, ¡°Zhou MuHui, you wait for a while before leaving! Bring me the things from the back!¡± Xin Yi stopped without a word, and looked at him from the corner of his eyes, when the man went into the room, he then asked in a small voice. ¡°Is he here every day?¡± The old man did not even lift his head, ¡°Here on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, I don¡¯t open on other days, today is an exception, only opening for a while.¡± Xin Yi let out an ¡°oh¡±, and secretly smoothed the piece of paper in his palm, and carefully put it in his pocket. Notes: CH 13 PUBLISHED ON 19 June 2022 There wasn¡¯t anything wrong with Xin Yi¡¯s ink stone, the old man held it with both hands and looked at it for half an hour, gave it back to him in the end, and said, ¡°It¡¯s actually not bad.¡± Xin Yi sat on a stool at the counter, foolishly lifted his head, and asked stammeringly, ¡°Then, then is it a good one?¡± The old man had a reluctant expression on his face, looked right and left at the ink stone in his arms, and still said, ¡°Can be considered as one.¡± Xin Yi looked at him confused, he didn¡¯t understand if the can be considered as one meant it was good. ¡°Little kid, you want to sell it ?¡± The old man sat down to drink tea and asked him in an unhurried manner. Xin Yi shook his head in a hurry, and said in a small voice, ¡°Not selling¡­ This is a gift for my mom.¡± The old man was stunned, ¡°Ah it¡¯s a gift.¡± Xin Yi nodded, and let out a hm. ¡°My mom¡¯s ink stone was damaged, the day after tomorrow is his birthday, I want to gift him one.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t really know anything about it¡­¡± He pursed his lips and smiled sheepishly, and whispered, ¡°I want to give my mom the best.¡± He said that and secretly tilted his head, and looked at Zhou MuHui who was putting the merchandise in order. Just now, the man went back and forth and carried four-five times the goods, the clothes on his back were drenched, it was obviously very hot, but he still did not take off his face mask. Read it on milkteatranslations.wordpress.com Xin Yi was worried, and couldn¡¯t help but sneak a glance at him. ¡°It¡¯s quite good.¡± The old man knocked on the table, Xin Yi was startled, and hurriedly returned to his senses. ¡°Ah?¡± The old man coughed, said, ¡°The ink stone is a good one, no need to find another one.¡± Xin Yi nodded blankly, looked at the ink stone in his arms, and carefully touched it, ¡°So this is already a very good one?¡± The old man was a bit awkward, because he just lied to the little kid, and teased him with the fact that the ink stone was just an average one. ¡°Very good, very good.¡± He waved his bamboo hand fan, raised his voice, ¡°Your mom sure will like it!¡± Xin Yi let out an oh, and couldn¡¯t help but smile, carrying the ink stone in his arms and kept looking at it, in the end, he carefully put it back into his backpack. Zhou MuHui who was on one side climbed down from the ladder and looked at him without making a sound, Xin Yi could feel his eyes on him, and hurriedly sat up straight, not daring to turn around to look at him. He was a bit embarrassed, and also felt a bit at loss, his clenched hands were full of sweat, he squirmed on the stool, and very quickly something else appeared. Xin Yi was in a hurry, even the tips of his ears became red. ¡°Still need to go to the warehouse?¡± The man¡¯s low voice came from behind, Xin Yi¡¯s body turned stiff, and did not even dare to move his hands. ¡°Not going anymore, after tidying up we¡¯ll be done.¡± The old man stretched his waist, and got up to walk, ¡°Little kid, if you want to sell something in the future, I won¡¯t pit you.¡± Xin Yi hurriedly nodded, followed up with him, and also got up. The ink stone was appraised, he didn¡¯t have another reason to stay there. Advertisements After expressing his thanks, he hugged his backpack and went out, Xin Yi walked very slowly, and he also couldn¡¯t stop himself but turned his head to look behind, it was near noon, and there were also fewer people in the antique market than in the morning, his head was wrapped in gauze, and was more eye catching than others. Xin Yi was embarrassed by the stares, and turned onto a narrow path aside, and walked down from the lobby door, but he only walked for a section that he couldn¡¯t walk anymore, carefully sticking his fingers in his pocket, and touching the slip of paper that Zhou MuHui gave him. Then turned around in the next instant and hurriedly ran back. Zhou MuHui was stunned when the door was pulled open, Xin Yi could see that pair of pretty brows slightly frowning, Xin Yi was tongue-tied, his fingers gripped the door edge on one side, and said stammeringly, ¡°I, I don¡¯t know the way¡­¡± He said with a quivering voice, looking up at the man who was still wearing a mask. ¡°Can you lead me outside?¡± It seemed to be the day Xin Yi was the most courageous, although he kept trembling. Xin Yi was anxiously waiting for Zhou MuHui¡¯s answer, the fingers of his other hand were gripping his pants and wiping off more sweat on them than before. ¡°Can.¡± Zhou MuHui put down the thing in his hands, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Xin Yi was dizzy the whole way, it was as if he lost the capacity to speak, only knowing how to sneak glances at the other party, Zhou MuHui stopped when they were almost at the door of the antique market, and said while pointing before him, ¡°It¡¯s there.¡± Xin Yi dizzily nodded, his eyes followed Zhou MuHui¡¯s finger, then secretly moved back on him. He still couldn¡¯t help it, although he kept telling himself to not look at Zhou MuHui. ¡°Is there something else?¡± Zhou MuHui paused and asked him. ¡°No¡­¡± Xin Yi hastily shook his head, pinched his palm with force, and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± After saying that, he didn¡¯t dare to look at Zhou MuHui, he grabbed the backpack¡¯s straps and ran forward, waving his hand with his back facing Zhou MuHui, ¡°You can go back, ¡®ll get going too!¡± Xin Yi stopped once he was at the gate, he didn¡¯t dare to look back for half a day, taking advantage of the flux of people to hide for many minutes, then carefully turned around. Zhou MuHui wasn¡¯t there anymore, Xin Yi couldn¡¯t even find his shadow, but he was still very happy, he turned the backpack around, hugged it tightly in front of him, pursed his lips, and secretly smiled. Xin Yi saw Zhou MuHui three days after that, he ran to Wen Miao right after getting out of class, but he was still late, Wen Miao closed its door at five, it was almost six and a half when he got there, Xin Yi gripped his handphone, and squatted down in front of the gate at a loss, not knowing what to do. Xin Yi originally wanted to come on the second day, but a few days ago when he got home he got caught by his father, Xin Yi wanted to avoid them, but as a result, just when he went to the courtyard, he saw his father standing at the end of the corridor, looking at him with his arms crossed and told him to get over there. Xin Yi disappeared early in the morning, the nanny at home called him to eat and knocked on the door for half a day but didn¡¯t get an answer, only then did she realize that he slipped out a long time ago, Xin Yi knew he was in the wrong, and hurriedly walked over there and obediently admitted his wrongs. But he did not even get to finish speaking when his father¡¯s face turned cold, dragged him over, and asked him what happened to his head. Advertisements Xin Yi¡¯s family was special, not only his dad and mom were both men, but he also had two fathers, the one who dragged him was the one who doted on Xin Yi the most, and also the one Xin Yi was the least scared of, Yu TingYun. Xin Yi carefully smiled, holding his head and spouting nonsense, and said that he wasn¡¯t careful and bumped it himself. He didn¡¯t know whether Yu TingYun believed him, but Xin Yi was reprimanded for a long time, the doctor in his house came in a rush, unwove the gauze that Zhou MuHui wrapped, and cleaned it up once again, Xin Yi anxiously look at his father throwing these things in the trash can, and pinched his fingertips while feeling wronged. And later in the evening when Xin Shao and they all came back home, Xin Yi was caught and reprimanded again, Xin Yi trembled with fear and gave the same explanation, afraid that his other father on one side, Yu NanShan, would suspect him, fortunately, after that, they only look at him stricter, and did not ask anything else. Thus, before his mom¡¯s birthday was over, Xin Yi did not successfully get away from home. Xin Yi gripped his handphone and waited until eight o¡¯clock, the curtain of the night had also fallen, he lowered his head and looked at Zhou MuHui¡¯s number on his phone, only swiping it down after a long time, and turned off the screen. He was a bit upset, maybe it was because he came too late, or because he got Zhou MuHui¡¯s phone number for three days, but didn¡¯t have the courage to give the other party a call. He felt disheartened, squatting on the ground low in spirits, Wen Miao has already closed, but the nearby alleys were still bustling with noise, the fireworks noise there keep coming to Xin Yi¡¯s side, Xin Yi eagerly lifted his head to take a look, feeling even more depressed. But in the next second, his sight suddenly stopped. Not far away was a thin and tall silhouette, his side profile facing him was hidden behind a blue mask, Xin Yi paused, till the other party was about to leave did he abruptly return to his senses, and took to his heels and chased him. Xin Yi ran very fast, when he stopped in front of Zhou MuHui even Zhou MuHui was stunned, his eyebrows frowned, and said nothing for a long time, ¡°How come you are here?¡± He must have been buying dinner, Xin Yi saw that he was holding a plastic bag, he was stunned, he was twisting his hands hesitantly, not knowing how to explain for a moment. He was only focused on coming to see Zhou MuHui, and had forgotten to find himself an excuse. ¡°I, I came here to find master Bai¡­¡± Xi Yi stammeringly lied, and finally remembered his excuse. ¡°I wanted him to look at something.¡± ¡°He closes at four o¡¯clock.¡± Zhou MuHui looked at the time, and said, ¡°It¡¯s too late now.¡± Xin Yi hastily nodded, the wound on his forehead hasn¡¯t healed yet, the people in his family considered him as precious as gold, a small injury was like confronting a mortal enemy, Zhou MuHui saw that his forehead was still wrapped in gauze, paused, ¡°Is it better?¡± Xin Yi let out an ¡®ah¡¯ and saw that his sight was on himself, the tips of his ears were about to burn up. ¡°Almost, almost.¡± He held his forehead and took a step back, and didn¡¯t dare to look Zhou MuHui in the eyes. Zhou MuHui did not move, but it seemed that he didn¡¯t get what he meant by it, only nodded, and said, ¡°En, you can come to find me if there¡¯s anything.¡± He was about to leave after saying that, and Xin Yi also forgot to stop him, until the other party walked to the opposite alley corner did he remember what he came to do, and hurriedly went to catch him up. ¡°Zhou MuHui.¡± He spat out the name that was on his mind for three days, it made Xin Yi dizzy as if he was in a state of weightlessness, the man turned his head around, even Xin Yi¡¯s train of thought was in a disorder, smashing down on him like a bunch of mess, and made him speak nonsense. ¡°Oh, I tomorrow, I will also come tomorrow.¡± Zhou MuHui frowned, not knowing why he was telling himself all this. ¡°Then be earlier, I will tell him.¡± Xin Yi put his hands behind his body, carefully held his breath, looked up at him, ¡°I don¡¯t know the way, I am afraid I¡¯ll go the wrong way.¡± Zhou MuHui hummed, ¡°Number B127, ask people once you¡¯re there.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The shop¡¯s number, follow the road.¡± Zhou MuHui said, ¡°If you don¡¯t know the way just ask people.¡± Xin Yi was even more confused, Zhou MuHui paused, and said, ¡°Call me once you have arrived.¡± Xin Yi widened his eyes, his hands that were twisted together unconsciously pressed tighter, and the nails hooked his palms. ¡°En!¡± He couldn¡¯t care less about the pain, and hastily nodded, ¡°I will come early for sure.¡± He almost couldn¡¯t suppress the smile at the corner of his mouth, Zhou MuHui gave him a cold glance, Xin Yi could feel it as if he could see the man¡¯s poker face through the mask, he restrained his feelings in a hurry, and spun around Zhou MuHui. ¡°What are your name¡¯s two characters, I want to make a note.¡± He lifted his hand and said in a small voice, ¡°Is it ok?¡± Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t say anything, Xin Yi didn¡¯t know if he should continue to ask, the other day he heard people call him this way, but he didn¡¯t know which characters it was. ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine, I was just afraid of making a mistake.¡± Xin Yi saw that he was still silent, hurriedly put back the phone that he had just taken out, hiding it behind him, and carefully smiled at him, ¡°I am not very smart, I won¡¯t be able to remember.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The ¡®Mu¡¯ (night) as in morning and night, ¡®Hui¡¯ (return) as in turn back.¡±1 Xin Yi only nodded randomly after a while, maybe the moon was too dazzling, or maybe the cooking smoke not far ago made him dizzy, Xin Yi couldn¡¯t help but smile, exaggeratedly took two steps back, looked up, and told him, ¡°Alright.¡± Advertisements Zhou MuHui was very tall, Xin Yi felt that it was almost the same as his father, but Zhou MuHui was a bit different because Xin Yi couldn¡¯t help but look at him. Although he has never seen Zhou MuHui¡¯s face without his mask on. ¡°Then I¡¯ll get going.¡± Xin Yi waved at him, and bid him goodbye like the last him, Zhou MuHui let out a hum, and nodded at him. Xin Yi saw it, and also heard it, it felt like his heart was suddenly hit by something, the numbness went from the crown of his head to his heart, Xin Yi panicked, and turned around in a mad rush, his back facing him. ¡°Oh!¡± He said in a loud voice, and quietly lowered his head. It was really strange, it was as if his body got an electric shock for an instant, he looked at his chest dumbly, and tardily said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡± His voice was very small, maybe Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t hear it, because he heard the person behind him move, and asked, ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow¡­¡± Xin Yi anxiously said, ¡°Zhou MuHui, see you tomorrow!¡± After saying that he ran forward in a quick trot, not daring to turn around to take a look, the crowd of people beside him was quickly thrown behind him, until he couldn¡¯t run anymore, stopped gasping for air, then leaned next to the dim street light, drawing back the corners of his mouth in a grin. He sneaked into his room at night, taking advantage of the dark night as a camouflage, as a result, just when he pushed open the door, he saw Xin Shao sitting on his bed, flipping a book waiting for him. ¡°How come you¡¯re so late?¡± Xin Yi panicked for a moment, not knowing where to put his hands and feet, but Xin Shao didn¡¯t say anything else, only beckoned to him, and told him to get over there. ¡°Did you eat, your head is full of sweat.¡± The scattered hair wet by the sweat on his forehead was carefully moved aside by Xin shao, Xin Yi blinked, looking at the gentle mom in front of him, and suddenly stretched his hand to grab the hem of his sleeve. ¡°Mom.¡± Xin Yi called him in a whisper. Xin Shao hummed, and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Xin Yi was a bit shy, and also a bit embarrassed, he carefully swallowed down his saliva, as if he was going to tell a secret, looking at Xin Shao with a pair of shining eyes. ¡°Mom, I think I am in love.¡± Notes: CH 14 PUBLISHED ON 28 June 2022 When Zhou MuHui came out, Qi Fang was staring at him, Xin Yi didn¡¯t totally return to his senses, hugging his cat and sitting on the dining table, lowering his head distractedly. He was a bit absent-minded, maybe it was because he was reminded of before, those days when he and Zhou MuHui just met, he told his mom he was in love, then every now and then he would run to find Zhou MuHui. But Zhou MuHui was not always there, just like when he made an appointment with Zhou MuHui to find him at Wen Miao, but as a result, Zhou MuHui took him to the store, and turned around to leave. Xin Yi didn¡¯t react at first, until Zhou MuHui hadn¡¯t returned after half an hour that he slowly lifted his head, and asked the master, where was Zhou MuHui. He brought an ornament from home, it was a little rock that was left in a corner of the living room, Xin Yi remembered to find himself an excuse this time, but just as he handed out his excuse, the person he came to see wasn¡¯t there. ¡°Went to his next job.¡± Old man Bai looked at the rock with concentration, without even lifting his head, ¡°Today is Thursday, I¡¯m not even open, he went to do something else.¡± Xin Yi then remembered what the other party told him, he was stunned, his eyes stared at the empty entrance, and was driven to distraction and curled up his hand. He was in his third year this year, because Wen Miao closed at five o¡¯clock, he didn¡¯t even have lunch then he hurried his way there, he only had three hours, it was almost time to go back, but Zhou MuHui just showed his face for a while, he only saw the other party for ten or so minutes. ¡°Why, looking for him?¡± Old man Bai asked. Xin Yi lowered his head and dug his palms, and just hummed disappointed. He was a bit upset, because he was looking forward to it last night, and wanted to come to see Zhou MuHui. ¡°Turned left after going out, the car wash station at the intersection of the street, he will stay there until night o¡¯clock in the night.¡± Old man Bai changed his posture and casually said. Xin Yi was in a trance, staring at him blankly, then hurriedly turned to look at the entrance, and gripped the backpack in his arms tightly. He hastily nodded, and couldn¡¯t help but smile. Advertisements Xin Yi discovered Zhou MuHui¡¯s new secret base, he sneakily went to find him after finishing appraising the rock, at that moment, Zhou MuHui was repairing someone¡¯s car, the sun was very strong that day, and the man¡¯s whole body went under the car, leaving only a pair of slim and long feet, Xin Yi looked at him without even blinking, until someone pushed him hard. Xin Yi wasn¡¯t standing steadily and fell to the ground in a daze. Their movements weren¡¯t small, Xin Yi heard the noises at that side suddenly stopped, then turned to look at him. But Xin Yi hadn¡¯t returned to his senses, because in the next second the person who pushed him squatted in front of him, then stretched his hand to pinch his face, sneered, and asked him, ¡°Where does that kid come from?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Xin Yi was scared silly, sitting on the ground and looking at him blankly. ¡°And quite good looking.¡± The other party got closer to look at him, and almost half of his body drew closer, Xin Yi heard the people behind him burst into laughter, he was a bit confused, his cheeks were pinched until it was very painful, but he couldn¡¯t push away the other party. Then Zhou MuHui appeared. ¡°Zhou MuHui!¡± The person on top of him was shoved away, that person stumbled, and called Zhou MuHui¡¯s name fiercely, Xin Yi slowly felt scared, he hastily climbed up and stood behind Zhou MuHui, and gripped tightly the hem of the other party¡¯s clothes. ¡°Get lost.¡± Zhou MuHui said. Xin Yi¡¯s wrist was gripped by him, Zhou MuHui¡¯s palm was very slippery, and there was also a heavy pungent smell, maybe it was machine oil, but Xin Yi oddly felt at ease. ¡°F*cking thing that was raised by a dog mother, who are you dragging.¡± That person behind them insulted, Xin Yi¡¯s wrist was held very tightly in an instant, but Xin Yi didn¡¯t dare to cry out of pain, because Zhou MuHui¡¯s eyes were really too cold, although he wore a mask, it didn¡¯t hide the overwhelming chill that came from his body. ¡°Zhou MuHui¡­¡± Xin Yi called him in a whisper, Zhou MuHui let out a hum but didn¡¯t turn around. When they walked to another alley, Zhou MuHui let go of him, there was an obvious red print on Xin Yi¡¯s face, a big patch of red that was very obvious, Zhou MuHui frowned, staring at him, ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Xin Yi was a bit hurt, but he didn¡¯t say it. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± Xin Yi put the wrist that was gripped by him behind his body, and carefully looked at him. He felt that he caused trouble for Zhou MuHui, if he wasn¡¯t there, they didn¡¯t need to get into an argument. ¡°Put something on it when you get back.¡± Zhou MuHui said while looking at him, ¡°Did you have some business with me?¡± Xin Yi¡¯s other half face became red, he was hesitant and couldn¡¯t say anything, because he really couldn¡¯t think of any other excuse. ¡°Go back, don¡¯t come here again.¡± But Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t ask anymore, he only took a look at his handphone, and turned around to walk away. His phone was very old, it seemed to be a flip cover style from many years ago, Xin Yi sneakily took a few looks at it, because he kinda wants Zhou MuHui¡¯s WeChat. ¡°Oh¡­¡± But he didn¡¯t dare to open his mouth, only obediently nodded, and bid goodbye to Zhou MuHui. Xin Yi was nearly eaten alive by his deskmate because he came too late, his deskmate found him another excuse, and let him skip another period, but if he still didn¡¯t return, the teacher would have surely called his parents. Xin Yi apologized in a small voice, and sprawled on his desk in a daze, the other party asked him what was wrong, he quietly shook his head, and stared at his books without even blinking, and was concentrated on thinking about Zhou MuHui. Advertisements Xin Yi always thought that he was an obedient kid, but he lied that night, he called Yu TingYun and told him that he was going to eat with his deskmate, his deskmate hated that iron couldn¡¯t become steel, but was shielding him on one side. Yu TingYun didn¡¯t think too much about it, and just said that he was going to get him when he was done, Xin Yi hurriedly shook his head, and said that he was going back by himself. Both of them let out a sigh of relief when the call was hung up, but Xin Yi didn¡¯t wait for the other party to ask him, and just put on his backpack and ran out. ¡°Xin Yi!¡± Xin Yi turned around while running, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you tomorrow!¡± He didn¡¯t have much time and only wanted to leave it for Zhou MuHui. At that time, it wasn¡¯t like Xin Yi was not curious about what Zhou MuHui looked like, he secretly thought about it in his heart, was it because Zhou MuHui wasn¡¯t very good-looking, or maybe disfigured, that he was always wearing a mask. Xin Yi saw him so many times, but never saw him take it off. But Xin Yi seemed to not really care, he schemed for many days, and found out that he could accept it no matter what Zhou MuHui looked like, Xin Yi thought about it embarrassedly, maybe he was what other people called a brainless romantic, the one he likes would be the most good looking. Read it on milkteatranslations.wordpress.com But when he saw Zhou MuHui¡¯s face without his mask, it took a long time before he reacted, he made a lot of guesses about how Zhou MuHui could be not good-looking, but he didn¡¯t think that he could be that good-looking. Xin Yi¡¯s eyes were stuck, squatting in a corner and looking at him in a daze, he was frightened by what happened at noon, wandered a long time at the intersection of the alley but didn¡¯t dare to go over, and was only waiting for Zhou MuHui to come out. Maybe his gaze was too searing and too fascinated, so Zhou MuHui looked over there, Xin Yi had forgotten to hide, until the man furrowed his brows, turned sideways, and put his mask back. But it was already too late, Xin Yi had already seen the scar on his face. ¡°¡­¡± Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t walk over like usual, but guarded against him, looking at Xin Yi with a cold glance, and even took a step back. Xin Yi was sensitively aware that something was wrong, he didn¡¯t know where that courage came from, staggeringly ran toward Zhou MuHui, grabbing him with force. ¡°Zhou, Zhou MuHui.¡± He looked up with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ve come to see you.¡± ¡°Little kid! It¡¯s time to eat!¡± The table in front of him was suddenly knocked on by someone, Xin Yi suddenly returned to his senses, and lifted his head to look at the other party blankly. He still hasn¡¯t woken up from his old memories, even the shadows became illusory, and the other party¡¯s mouth opened and closed, Xin Yi thought in his mind about that cold, precautions, and familiar face. Told him, ¡°Get lost.¡± ¡°Xin Yi.¡± A hand landed on his shoulder, that hand¡¯s owner bent down to look at him, his face carried a constant alienation, but his eyes were soft. The cat in his arms quietly slipped away, Xin Yi slowly blinked, then suddenly trembled, and hurriedly hugged the other party. ¡°Zhou MuHui!¡± Xin Yi suddenly cried. Big teardrops fell one after another, crying inexplicably and turbulently, Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t even get the time to react, his natural reaction was to catch him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Zhou MuHui¡¯s voice was nervous, hurriedly lowered his head and comforted him. The suppressed fear suddenly collapsed with the memory of the past, Xin Yi cried until he couldn¡¯t breathe, buried himself in his embrace with flurry and uneasiness. Xin Yi was afraid, afraid that he would really leave, afraid that it would really be just as he thought, when they weren¡¯t married yet, he already planned to leave Xin Yi, then the like that Qi Fang has analyzed, does Zhou MuHui really loved him in those situations. All these messy feelings were about to crush him till he collapsed, along with Zhou MuHui from the past who fiercely told him to get lost, and the numbers of it burst out.* ¡°Don¡¯t be fierce with me¡­¡± Xin Yi hugged him tightly, choked, and said, ¡°I like you, don¡¯t be fierce with me.¡± Don¡¯t leave me. CH 15 Qi Fang was hiding far away, he only wanted to gossip, but he didn¡¯t want to cause Xin Yi to cry. Furthermore, just then, he had helped the kid to carefully analyze it once already, and the little kid nodded in acknowledgment, Zhou MuHui was angry because he was injured but didn¡¯t notice it, why did the little kid still have to cry. Qi Fang hugged his head while trembling and stretched out his head from behind the sofa, saw that Xin Yi was hugging Zhou MuHui, it was his first time seeing Zhou MuHui this helpless, even the cold air around him when he came out of the kitchen has disappeared, only leaving panic. But after a few seconds, Zhou MuHui took a look at him, the man¡¯s glare was menacing, Qi Fang withdrew his head in a hurry, took out his handphone, and started looking for his brothers. He was thinking in his heart that this wasn¡¯t good, this place wasn¡¯t safe, he can¡¯t stay there any longer. Or else, before the journalists get to tear him, his brother was going to chop him first. But he didn¡¯t get to leave, because Xin Yi called him. The little kid¡¯s face was full of traces of tears, he probably cried for half a day and then was reminded that there was a third wheel in the house, dumbly lifted his head from Zhou MuHui¡¯s arms, wiping his tears on one hand, and calling him on the other hand, and told him to quickly come and eat. Qi Fang saw that he cried too fiercely, and tactfully said there was no need, just as his voice dropped, an icy glare came from behind Xin Yi, Qi Fang quivered, hastily shut his mouth, and hurriedly got down from the sofa. Advertisements Read it on milkteatranslations.wordpress.com That one meal was very hard to eat, the two people facing each other didn¡¯t speak, and Qi Fang couldn¡¯t help but look at Zhou MuHui. He really wasn¡¯t aware that this kid could be so oversensitive, he was only seventeen at that time, and he didn¡¯t even know what his brother looked like, imposing himself head first, even eagerly going to find him every day. He also didn¡¯t know where his brother got so much charm from. When Xin Yi put down his chopsticks, Qi Fang finally let out a sigh of relief, the three of them scattered on their own, but when Qi Fang just turned around, Xin Yi followed in his direction. ¡°¡­..¡± It was as if Qi Fang was faced with a great enemy, even the hair on his arm was about to rise, he also didn¡¯t dare to make eye contact with Zhou MuHui who was behind Xin Yi, and asked him while trembling, ¡°What, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Xin Yi¡¯s eyes were still a bit red, smiled at him with his hoarse voice, and said embarrassingly, ¡°I¡¯ll bring you a blanket.¡± He was also embarrassed, others came to be guests at his house, he was either sleeping or crying, and left others hanging on the side for half a day. Qi Fang¡¯s scalp was tingling, he opened his mouth and wanted to refuse, but just as he was halfway through saying no need, the glare that was on him intensified, Qi Fang looked at the disappointed Xin Yi, and he stiffly stopped the falling tone of his sentence and turned it around. ¡°¡­ Ok.¡± The corner of Xin Yi¡¯s lips raised into a smile again, hastily nodded and quickly ran into the guest room on one side. Qi Fang didn¡¯t dare to turn his head around, he could only stiffly follow behind, wait until Xin Yi got him a blanket and a set of toiletries, finally felt relieved, took over the things, and pulled him out. ¡°I¡¯ll do the rest myself, you can quickly go back!¡± If you still don¡¯t go out, Zhou MuHui was going to swallow him whole alive! Xin Yi¡¯s pace going out was a bit slow, but Qi Fang didn¡¯t care, and promptly closed the door. He felt that Xin Yi was like Qi who was haunted by the fear of the sky might fall, he didn¡¯t know why he would doubt the fact that Zhou MuHui liked him, Qi Fang just took a vow, that if his brother Zhou didn¡¯t like the little kid, he would immediately become bent1, and be openly gay with that guy who was squatting in the hotel. Xin Yi was pulled back by Zhou MuHui, he was just standing there dumbly after he got out, Zhou MuHui called him but he acted like he couldn¡¯t hear it, in the end, the man frowned, and directly took him back to the room. ¡°Why are you not speaking?¡± Zhou MuHui half kneeled in front of him, and asked in a low voice. Xin Yi lowered his head, staying quiet like when he was a little kid and did something wrong. He actually regrets it a little, because Xin Yi isn¡¯t actually someone who likes to cry, but lately has been crying over and over again, just like a child, seeming like never growing up. He dislikes this kind of himself. ¡°Xin Yi.¡± Zhou MuHui called him again, Xin Yi could feel the texture of his palm on his face, but was unable to bear it, rubbing against it. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhou MuHui was laughing, even if his voice was very light, Xin Yi heard that. It caused him to be red-faced, making him even less willing to raise his head, shrink away like a quail, flip his body around, and was going to climb on the bed. But Zhou MuHui pressed him down. ¡°Xiao Yi.¡± His breathing was very close, it was pressed next to his ear, which made Xin Yi feel a bit itchy, he couldn¡¯t bear it and shrank back his neck, his hand stretching behind wanting to push him away. ¡°Not fierce with you.¡± Zhou MuHui held his hand, drawing his whole person into his embrace, and said in a low voice, ¡°Not being angry at you.¡± He gently stroked Xin Yi¡¯s palm, it was slightly bulging, and the touch felt a bit rough, it was the gauze he just helped Xin Yi wrap on. Xin Yi was still not speaking, but Zhou MuHui wasn¡¯t anxious anymore. He rested his head on Xin Yi¡¯s shoulders and caressed his hand, not letting go of a single inch of skin, then with the silence between both of them, fitting tightly against him. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­ I didn¡¯t want to cry.¡± Xin Yi¡¯s voice was a bit hoarse, and also a bit soft, his head was lowered, and he only spoke after a long time. ¡°I also didn¡¯t like to cry back then, did I.¡± Zhou MuHui paused for a moment, and said, ¡°Yes.¡± Xin Yi actually is a bit squeamish, picky with food, likes to make trouble, and surrounds people while chattering nonstop, his temperament was also a bit big, but rarely cry. Sometimes even if he holds it until his eyes turn red, he would also quickly wipe the tears that fell down, but in these late years the few times his tears fell down, it was all for Zhou MuHui. ¡°Zhou MuHui.¡± Xin Yi didn¡¯t turn around, just held his hand in this position, he was actually very sad, he knew that he shouldn¡¯t be such a coward, crying and evading it wasn¡¯t a solution, he shouldn¡¯t always stay silent, and holding back all the doubts in his heart, then hiding away and secretly feel sad. Even if he was really afraid. ¡°You can¡¯t be fierce with me in the future, alright.¡± His voice carried a bit of a crying tone, because he was trying to contain his own cowardice. Xin Yi wanted to be brave, fear neither Heaven nor Earth, and muster the courage to ask him, if he didn¡¯t dare to do it today, then it will be tomorrow, if he still couldn¡¯t do it tomorrow, then the day after it. Xin Yi has to accumulate all the courage and power, to ask Zhou MuHui for once. Because he didn¡¯t want Zhou MuHui to leave him. Advertisements ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhou MuHui furrowed his brows, ¡°Wasn¡¯t fierce with you.¡± He thought that he didn¡¯t explain himself clearly, but Xin Yi cut him off. ¡°You were fierce with me before, you even told me to get lost.¡± Xin Yi¡¯s tears fell down, but didn¡¯t let Zhou MuHui notice, he drew out his trembling hand, curled it up tightly on his chest, and asked in a hoarse voice. ¡°You don¡¯t remember anymore?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t speak for a long time, after a while, he dropped his eyes, and sighed. ¡°Remember.¡± How could he not remember, that the first time he learned about Xin Yi¡¯s obstination was on that day. A kid who was only a teenager, got a scare at noon, then got another scare in the evening, even his eyes sockets were red, Zhou MuHui could even see the glint of tears in his eyes, he thought Xin Yi would leave, or would shout abuse to fight back, but he did not. Xin Yi grabbed his hand and looked up at him, whispering that he wouldn¡¯t get lost. ¡°Zhou MuHui, you are so good-looking, why are you always wearing a mask.¡± His hand wasn¡¯t well-behaved, or maybe it was because he was containing his fear, because Zhou MuHui couldn¡¯t remember well that day, it¡¯s just that Xin Yi¡¯s fingers were scorching hot, when he poked him through the mask, there was a shiver that ran through his bone marrow. ¡°Is it because of the scar?¡± He asked using a breathy voice, standing on his tippy toes and very close to him, as if he was telling a secret. ¡°But I think that it looks very good, very cool.¡± He kept looking at Zhou MuHui, his eyes staring at him, but even if he mustered the courage to say all these words, Zhou MuHui still ignored him, only forcefully struggling free of his grip, then told him to get lost. His face looked even worse than before. Xin Yi never cried when Zhou MuHui thought he was going to cry, he was so fierce with him yet he didn¡¯t let out his tears, on the contrary, obediently looked at him for a moment, then turned around to leave. Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t understand what he wanted to do, his conditioned reflex was to refuse others¡¯ approaches, he didn¡¯t know why that little was so interested in him, he obviously got scolded by him the day before, obviously suffered from an injustice here the day before, but the next day he still appeared in front of him. Cutting him off before he even gets to open his mouth. He really seems like an obedient little kid, it only takes a glance to see that he has never done anything rebellious since he was a kid, looking at him with his hand behind his back, and telling him feeling wronged, ¡°I won¡¯t get lost, I¡¯ve come again.¡± Zhou MuHui did not get rid of him ever since, Xin Yi was like a piece of sticky dogskin plaster2, every time he came he was afraid to death, but he would still come every time. The car wash station he was working at wasn¡¯t some kind of decent shop, those people were like the three religions and nine systems of philosophy3, they would always point fingers when Xin Yi came, and laugh obscenely. Zhou MuHui never cared about it, he only sat and watched coldly, during the evening when Xin Yi carried his schoolbag and came over, he would just ignore him. Xin Yi usually stayed until eight o¡¯clock and leave, Zhou MuHui guessed that was because he had school the next day, but on a certain day, it was about to be nine, and he still didn¡¯t move, carrying his backpack squatted in the corner and rubbing his eyes, Zhou MuHui was thinking that he was probably sleepy, a little kid, generally not really able to endure it4. But he didn¡¯t tell Xin Yi to go back, and even when he got off work he did not tell him. Zhou MuHui couldn¡¯t understand why a kid like this would follow him, every day enjoying talking with him, teasing him, while being apprehensive and scared, his hands obviously shaking every time he talked with him. But he was very busy, he got off work at nine o¡¯clock and has to go to his other job, he doesn¡¯t have the time to fool around with the kid, but he went through two alleys and Xin Yi still hasn¡¯t caught up, Zhou MuHui¡¯s pace gradually became slower, then stiffly stopped, and closed his eyes heavily. He knew that those from the car wash stations were not good people, or else they wouldn¡¯t have kept him, but when he heard Xin Yi¡¯s heartbreaking cry calling his name, anxiety still rushed to his head, and his arms green veins were raised and rushed over with a terrifying expression. Zhou MuHui already rarely raises his hands, he was always restraining himself, no matter what it was, but when Xin Yi bumped into him ashen-faced, he was angrier than what he imagined. ¡°I, I hit someone.¡± Xin Yi fell in his arms, gulped his saliva with fear, and said, ¡°Zhou MuHui, this is the first time I hit someone¡­¡± Zhou MuHui saw that there was a mottled red print on his hand, and the torn clothes that were swaying, his breathing stopped a beat, then pulled him forcefully behind him. ¡°Wait here for me.¡± Advertisements No one liked him, Zhou MuHui was a different species at the car wash station, he was ostracized and isolated, but Zhou MuHui never let it bother him. He seldom cared about what others thought about him, or treated him. But Xin Yi was different, he was only a little kid, he shouldn¡¯t be here, or even more be bullied by these vulgar people. When Zhou MuHui came back wounded, Xin Yi got a scare, his mask got torn during the fight, Xin Yi hastily ran toward him, wanting to help him. But Zhou MuHui pushed him away, he was very annoyed, because of that group of bastards, and also because of Xin Yi. ¡°He, he pinched my waist¡­¡± Xin Yi saw that his expression was ugly, and explained while stumbling on his words, ¡°I just pushed him¡­¡± Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t say anything, only stayed quiet, looking at him calmly. ¡°Don¡¯t come again.¡± Zhou MuHui said, ¡°Don¡¯t follow me again.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Xin Yi widened his eyes, looking at him at a loss, ¡°Is it because I hit someone¡­?¡± That pair of eyes were too pure, he never went through anything, would his life have things such as crime, violence, and indecency? No, he would even think that what just happened was just pulling and pushing, because others could see that he was little, that¡¯s why they bullied him on purpose. Xin Yi was too young, he was only a very curious little kid. Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t say anything, turning around to leave. ¡°Zhou MuHui!¡± But Xin Yi followed him again, surrounding him anxiously, ¡°Then next time I won¡¯t hit people won¡¯t it be fine then?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t cause you troubles, I¡­¡± ¡°I killed someone, do you understand?¡± Zhou MuHui was annoyed, pressed him against the wall, snapped, and got closer to him. The scar on his face was very long, it was the only trace that was left of that act of sin, Xin Yi stared at him dumbly, his eyes were too clean, Zhou MuHui thought, he shouldn¡¯t have met him. ¡°I¡¯ve killed someone, I went to jail, I am not a good person.¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t follow me.¡± Zhou MuHui¡¯s voice was vicious, but his palm was covering his face (XY¡¯s ?). His was a sin, Xin Yi should stay away from sin. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Xin Yi was struck dumb, and didn¡¯t return to his senses for a long time, when Zhou MuHui was going to leave, he suddenly hugged his arm. ¡°Oh¡­¡± He nodded confusedly, then tilted up his head to ask him, ¡°Then was it your fault?¡± One shouldn¡¯t ask right or wrong when committing a crime, Zhou MuHui was thinking, no matter what the reason was, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to answer this question. ¡°Yes.¡± After a long time, Zhou MuHui said. Hence, Xin Yi loosened his grip, Zhou MuHui couldn¡¯t find the words to describe what he felt at that moment, it¡¯s just that his chest suddenly shook, but he didn¡¯t say anything else, only quietly turned around, took his things, and left. He probably can¡¯t stay at the car wash station anymore, he had to take advantage of tonight, to find another job. But footsteps slowly resonated behind him, it was the kid who almost followed him for a month, Zhou MuHui could hear it. ¡°Get lost.¡± Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t turn his head. ¡°.. Not getting lost.¡± Xin Yi¡¯s voice was very small, as if mumbling, ¡°I¡¯m not even afraid of you.¡± Zhou MuHui stopped his steps, the little kid behind him probably didn¡¯t notice, bumping head first, Zhou MuHui heard his small cry, seemingly to hold his forehead and cry out of pain, he paused, and turned around looking at him coldly. ¡°Why are you following me?¡± Xin Yi¡¯s face suddenly became red, Zho MuHui furrowed his eyebrows, heard him open his mouth but was stunned for an instant. ¡°¡­ What?¡± Xin Yi was embarrassed by his stare, quietly put his hands behind his back, pulled at the straps of his backpack, and said feeling wronged. ¡°Like you ah¡­¡± CH 16 PUBLISHED ON 18 July 2022 ¡°I really like you.¡± The memories from the past and the present were gradually overlapping together, Xin Yi randomly wiped off his tears, desperately mustering up the courage, and turned around. He took a long breath in and smiled at Zhou MuHui. ¡°Xin Yi?¡± Zhou MuHui saw that the corners of his eyes were red, and got stunned, ¡°How come you¡¯ve cried?¡± Xin Yi shook his head, held the hand he stretched out, and called him softly, ¡°Zhou MuHui¡­¡± He was afraid he was being too obvious, Zhou MuHui furrowed his brows, hugged him to sit in his embrace, lowered his head, and approached him. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Lately¡­ I am being a coward, this isn¡¯t good.¡± ¡°¡­ Xiao Yi?¡± Xin Yi pursed his lips, doing his best to hide his timidity, ¡°I have something¡­ very very important, that I cannot understand no matter what, but I am a bit afraid.¡± ¡°¡­ Is it very serious?¡± Xin Yi paused for a while, then looked at him very seriously, and nodded. ¡°Very serious.¡± Zhou MuHui frowned, ¡°Is it related to me¡­¡± ¡°Zhou MuHui.¡± Xin Yi cut him off, ¡°Can you wait for me?¡± He carefully moved over, nestled up next to the man¡¯s ear, and said with a hoarse voice, ¡°Wait until I become a bit more courageous, I will come to ask you, is it ok?¡± Xin Yi knew, he cannot always avoid it, no matter if Zhou MuHui wanted to leave, or wanted to divorce him, Xin Yi wanted the reason for it. Because¡­ Xin Yi did not want to let him go, Xin Yi still wanted to be together with him. ¡°You still have to go to work tomorrow.¡± Xin Yi used that same position to pull him down, and nestle in his arms, ¡°I will be waiting at home for you, I won¡¯t go anywhere.¡± He didn¡¯t speak anymore, seemingly not willing to mention that serious matter, Zhou MuHui lowered his head to look at him, he thought about his anxious confession the other day, then thought about his serious expression just now, but in the end, he also didn¡¯t speak, only hugging him closer, and made a sound in agreement. ¡°I will come back early.¡± Advertisements When Xin Yi woke up, there was only a cat left at home, Qi Fang left a long note in the living room, saying that he will go first, Xin Yi picked up the note to take a look, then quietly took out his phone. Qi Fang was probably afraid that he couldn¡¯t find him, below the note was also a string of phone numbers written in small, Xin Yi added it, Qi Fang accepted it very quickly, and the first thing he left was a very long vocal message, Xin Yi clicked on it to listen to it, Qi Fang called him, ¡°Little kid, you¡¯re finally awake.¡± Xin Yi slowly typed yes, sat on the sofa, and started to exchange texts with him. The fan banners that were half signed last night also lay on the sofa, Xin Yi collected them in passing and paused. ¡°Brother Xiao Fang¡­ Did you sign the fan banners last night?¡± ¡°Signed, but only signed half of them.¡± There was a lingering fear in Qi Fang¡¯s voice, ¡°Isn¡¯t it because brother Zhou came after that, I saw his eyes and was scared to death, so I didn¡¯t continue.¡± Xin Yi poke the brand new one, the fan banner without any writing, counting them one by one, then asked him in a small voice, ¡°Then did you take any?¡± The other party sent him a questioning emoji over, and said with some doubt, ¡°Which main lord would take their fan¡¯s autograph, I left them all there, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Xin Yi dug the palm of his hands, looked at the stack of fan banners confused, and slowly shook his head, ¡°nothing.¡± His voice was very soft, carrying a soft and sticky tone of someone who¡¯s not really awake, Qi Fang then sent another long vocal message, Xin Yi was listening to it and was also looking for the missing fan banners, and suddenly heard a familiar voice, hurriedly clicked on pause, typed to ask him, ¡°Zhou MuHui is together with you.¡± The other party didn¡¯t answer for a long time, Xin Yi didn¡¯t dare to move again, only hugging the fan banners and huddling on the sofa well-behaved, waiting for his reply. ¡°Fudge, scared me to death, I didn¡¯t even know when brother Zhou came in!¡± Qi Fang switched to typing, Xin Yi saw that on the screen that he was typing, was stunned, and couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll put a word for you.¡± The other party let out an ¡®oh¡¯, then laughed out loud. ¡°That¡¯s right, I have an accomplice!¡± ¡°Ai, not talking anymore, not talking anymore, I have to go to a meeting, little kid, I¡¯ll come to find you to play after it ends!¡± Xin Yi answered ok, and saw that his WeChat notification showed a ¡®1¡¯, and clicked on it again. Zhou MuHui: Warm the food in the fridge, don¡¯t eat snacks, and remember to eat the medicine. Xin Yi didn¡¯t reply to him, because Zhou MuHui was editing his next message, Xin Yi waited, then couldn¡¯t help but ask him. ¡°What are you writing?¡± ¡°¡­Nothing.¡± The other party replied very quickly, then added another sentence, ¡°Don¡¯t run around.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Xin Yi changed his position, sat on the sofa, and sent him a vocal message, ¡°I won¡¯t run around, I am very obedient, I am waiting for you at home.¡± He sent a kissing cat emoji over and pursed his lips into a smile. Probably because he has shared some of the fear in his heart, Xin Yi seemed to let a sigh of relief, an ease that he cannot explain. ¡°Right, did you see the fan banners on the sofa last night?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Just as he spoke that sentence, a vocal message was sent at the same moment, but because Xin Yi got the time to click on it, Zhou MuHui withdrew it, then quickly replied with another sentence. ¡°No.¡± Xin Yi was stunned, then sat up straight, and hastily asked him, ¡°What did you just withdraw?¡± Zhou MuHui replied very quickly as if evading something, ¡°I¡¯m going to the meeting.¡± Xin Yi asked him again, but he didn¡¯t reply again, the feature showing that someone was typing appeared and disappeared on the screen, but he didn¡¯t get a new text for half a day, Xin Yi blinked, and looked at the phone in his hand with doubt. ¡°Hey!¡± Mao Mao who was on one side suddenly jumped on, burying himself in the nook of his neck and throwing him down, Xin Yi fell on the sofa due to the inertia, and caught the falling phone in a hurry. The phone¡¯s screen was still on the original screen page, but after a while, another text appeared, Xin Yi looked distractedly at ¡°I didn¡¯t see them.¡± below Zhou MuHui¡¯s profile photo, finally reacted, and tardily blinked. At noon, he was even more well-behaved than usual, he warmed up the dishes in the fridge, even sent a photo to Zhou MuHui, but Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t reply, Xin Yi thought that he was probably busy, so he carried the banners and went in the bedroom. He walked very slowly, and was also a bit fidgety because he wanted to find back something, it was something Zhou MuHui left a long time ago. Advertisements Or it could be said, the certificate that Zhou MuHui ¡°had borrowed from him¡±. But he couldn¡¯t find it. The box in which he and Zhou MuHui put their delicate items was turned over, Xin Yi¡¯s fingers searched carefully along the inside and bottom of the cabinet, but he couldn¡¯t find that piece of paper. Xin Yi lowered his head in confusion, held the box, and sat on the ground, thinking, could it be that he threw it out? Qi Fang said, Zhou MuHui only went into this industry because of his debt, Xin Yi was actually a bit confused because he never knew that Zhou MuHui owed someone money, but toward the one million1 he heard from Qi Fang¡¯s mouth, he had a vague impression of it. Because in Xin Yi¡¯s memories¡­many years ago, he seemed to have given one million to Zhou MuHui. But that¡­ How could it be counted as a debt? Zhou MuHui needed money, that was something Xin Yi noticed after that night. He confessed to the man with difficulty, the man looked at him dumbfounded for half a day, then told him while frowning, ¡°Don¡¯t mess around.¡± Xin Yi felt wronged, his body still hurt, but Zhou MuHui heard his confession and just wanted to leave, Xin Yi caught up, and said pitifully that he wasn¡¯t messing around, as a result, the other party glared at him. Zhou MuHui told him to get lost, but Xin Yi weirdly wasn¡¯t afraid of him anymore, on the contrary, carried his backpack and followed behind him, and asked him where he was going. Zhou MuHui¡¯s mood was probably not good, because he totally ignored him, it was actually very late that day, but Xin Yi still didn¡¯t leave, he wasn¡¯t very clever, but he could sensibly feel that night was different from others, Xin Yi couldn¡¯t leave, not when the man threw out such a big bomb. Or else, he probably won¡¯t be able to see Zhou MuHui anymore. Advertisements And it proved to him that it was indeed like that, Zhou MuHui changed for another job, when Xin Yi was looking at him with anxiety in a corner, he was dragged out by Zhou MuHui. ¡°Go back.¡± ¡°¡­ Not, not going back!¡± Zhou MuHui furrowed his brows, and looked at him with a cold expression, ¡°What do you exactly want to do?¡± Xin Yi¡¯s face turned beet red, and expressed the confession from before one again with embarrassment. ¡°Pursue you¡­¡± Zhou MuHui¡¯s expression was very ugly, Xin Yi couldn¡¯t think of the reason, but he didn¡¯t want to make Zhou MuHui unhappy, hence he slowly let go, letting go of the corners of the man¡¯s clothes that he was secretly grabbing on. ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t be unhappy, then I¡¯ll go back.¡± Xin Yi whispered. Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t reply to him, thus Xin Yi turned around with disappointment, but he only took a few steps, then he suddenly turned his head around and pursed his lips at Zhou MuHui who was at the end of the alley. ¡°I am not messing around¡­ I really do like you.¡± Xin Yi didn¡¯t know if Zhou MuHui heard him, but Zhou MuHui was still there when he came on the second day, Xin Yi carefully looked at him, when he confirmed that Zhou MuHui wasn¡¯t going to drive him away, turned to look back repeatedly at every step at the cat which entered the alley. That job of Zhou MuHui¡¯s ended earlier than the previous one, Xin Yi hurriedly followed when he saw him walk out, he knew that Zhou MuHui had to go to another job, Zhou MuHui was very busy, from morning to night he had endless jobs, Xin Yi roughly knew that he needed money, but didn¡¯t understand why. After Xin Yi followed him for most of the month, Zhou MuHui changed his night job again, this time it was at a bar, Xin Yi just arrived at the door around eight o¡¯clock, when he was stopped. The other party told him to show his identity card, Xin Yi didn¡¯t dare to take it out, because he wasn¡¯t eighteen yet. ¡°Little kid, this is not a place where you should come.¡± Xin Yi pursed his lips and nodded, sneakily looking behind him, Zhou MuHui had already gone in for a while, Xin Yi couldn¡¯t see him no matter how he looked, but Xin Yi couldn¡¯t wait for too long, because he had yet to finish his homework. ¡°¡­ This, can I go in?¡± Xin Yi anxiously took out a stack of money, and whispered, ¡°I¡¯ll just go in for half an hour, is that ok?¡± Xin Yi didn¡¯t even get to stay for half an hour, that he got dragged out by Zhou MuHui, the man¡¯s expression was very cold, Xin Yi put his hands behind his back anxiously, and whispered, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to follow you¡­¡± Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t speak, just irritably looking at him, with obvious implication. Xin Yi was pricked by his stare, and only said after a while, ¡°I wanted to say that¡­ I am going to exams¡­¡± ¡°Next week¡­ I won¡¯t be able to come.¡± Because he didn¡¯t know when Zhou MuHui was going to be able to come out, and he was also afraid that the other party would be anxious if he suddenly disappeared, that¡¯s why just like a fartknocker, he sneakily went in to find him, wanting to tell him. I am leaving, you don¡¯t have to worry. ¡°En.¡± But the man only let out a hum, Xin Yi looked at him dumbfounded, then slowly nodded, and turned around disappointed. ¡°Xin Yi.¡± Zhou MuHui called his name for the first time, his voice was cold, but Xin Yi¡¯s heart skipped a beat, hastily turned his head around, ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± Zhou MuHui walked over, lowered his head looking weary, and said, ¡°Don¡¯t come again, I am very busy, don¡¯t have time to play with you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not playing¡­¡± Xin Yi grabbed the straps of his backpack, and said anxiously, ¡°Did I disturb you, then I¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like men.¡± Zhou MuHui cut him off, ¡°Xin Yi, did you understand that?¡± Notes: CH 17 12-16 minutes 26.07.2022 Xin Yi finally understood, he knew that there were people who liked men, people who liked women, he just focused on the fact that he liked Zhou MuHui, and forgot to consider the fact that Zhou MuHui would like him or not. ¡°But, but¡­¡± Xin Yi couldn¡¯t speak anymore, he stuttered and then went silent, and only anxiously looked at him, Zhou MuHui¡¯s face was very ugly, especially under the reflection of the neon lamp, even making Xin Yi a bit afraid. After a long moment, Zhou MuHui left, but Xin Yi didn¡¯t move for a long time. He didn¡¯t know how to respond to the question that Zhou MuHui left, Xin Yi did so many exercises, and only realized that this was the most difficult question so far. Xin Yi did not eat when he went back home, even the homework was written mechanically, and toward the end, he couldn¡¯t help but shed some tears, big drops of tears falling one after another, and were quickly wiped off by him, when it was time to sleep, he lied under the blanket to cry. Young people getting heartbreak is more important than the sky collapsing, moreover when he felt attached for two months, and did not even get to hold hands. When Xin Shao came, Xin Yi didn¡¯t hide his sobs in time, it was just like he was a kid and the blanket got lifted, his mom let out a sigh, patted his back, asking him what was wrong. Xin Yi wiped his tears in a hurry, he still couldn¡¯t help in the end, and sprawled on Xin Shao¡¯s shoulder and told him that he had a heartbreak. ¡°He said he is very busy¡­and doesn¡¯t have the time to play with me.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m not playing.¡± It¡¯s been years since Xin Yi cried like this, Xin Shao was distressed, and a bit puzzled. ¡°Is she older than you?¡± The hand Xin Yi used to wipe his tears paused, and only noticed then that he let it slip. ¡°He, he is busy with his studies¡­¡± Xin Yi explained while stuttering, Xin Shao was stunned, then wiped off his tears, and carefully said, ¡°Xiao Yi, mom is not trying to stop you from being in a relationship, but you¡¯re a third-year in high school, studies are also equally important, do you get what mom means?¡± Xin Yi sniffed, choked and lowered his head, ¡°I¡¯m studying well, last time I was ranked tenth¡­¡± Xin Shao sighed, and caressed the overcast shadow under his eyes, asking him in a whisper, ¡°Lately, what time do you go to sleep?¡± Xin Yi sneakily looked at him, and after a while he said in a small voice, ¡°¡­ two o¡¯clock.¡± Because he went to find Zhou MuHui, but he couldn¡¯t leave his homework, and could only work harder, but he was really not clever, no matter how he studied he couldn¡¯t be the best. Xin Shao didn¡¯t say anything, only rubbed his head, Xin Yi looked at him anxiously, even forgetting to wipe his tears. ¡°Then lately do you go to find her in the evenings?¡± Xin Yi didn¡¯t dare to lie, and whispered, ¡°En.¡± ¡°Really like (them)?¡± Xin Yi was stunned, and nodded very hard, ¡°Like!¡± ¡°¡­Then try again.¡± Xin Shao said, ¡°She said you were playing, then you have to be more sincere, and let her see that you are being serious.¡± ¡°But if she doesn¡¯t like it, you can¡¯t go to find her every night.¡± Xin Yi nodded ignorantly, not understanding why. ¡°You are going to scare her.¡± Xin Shao looked at him gently, sighed, ¡°Xiao Yi, we cannot hurt others, because of our love, she can also be scared.¡± Xin Yi understood, and nodded seriously. ¡°Ok.¡± ¡°Then, what should I do if he doesn¡¯t like me?¡± After all, Zhou MuHui said¡­ he doesn¡¯t like men, Xin Yi felt wronged to death, this wasn¡¯t something he could control, there was nothing he could do. Xin Shao wiped his tears for him, coaxing him, ¡°Then change for another one, we are not short of people to like.¡± Xin Yi went to find Zhou MuHui half a month later, he was very scared when he went over, scared that Zhou MuHui changed his job, and also scared that Zhou MuHui would ignore him, but when he really saw Zhou MuHui, he couldn¡¯t even speak, as if his eyes grew roots, and only knew to stare at the other party. ¡°¡­¡± Zhou MuHui also saw him, but just turned around to leave just like before, the hands behind Xin Yi¡¯s back were twisted together, until he counted to a hundred in his heart, did he anxiously walk over, and whispered, ¡°Zhou MuHui¡­¡± He was a bit anxious, because Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t speak the whole time, Xin Yi pursed his lips, then remembered that Xin Shao also said that Zhou MuHui could also feel scared, and hurriedly took two steps back. ¡°Can I speak¡­?¡± After a while, Xin Yi asked in a small voice. ¡°¡­ En.¡± Zhou MuHui replied to him this time, Xin Yi¡¯s eyes turned bright, looked up and smiled at him. He was a bit anxious, and also a bit afraid, but still mustered up the courage to continue speaking. ¡°I¡¯ve carefully thought about what you said last time, is it because I am too young, that you think that I am not being serious?¡± ¡°But I really am not playing around.¡± Xin Yi said, ¡°I seriously seriously like you.¡± ¡°As for the gender¡­¡± Xin Yi pursed his lips at a loss, and asked in a small voice, ¡°Zhou MuHui, do you feel repulsed while looking at me?¡± Zhou MuHui turned around to look at him, and suddenly asked, ¡°Wasn¡¯t it one week?¡± ¡°¡­ Ah?¡± Xin Yi raised his head in confusion, and reacted half a beat later again, and explained hurriedly, ¡°I, I was afraid you would dislike it, you would be busy.¡± He looked at Zhou MuHui at a loss but Zhou MuHui only furrowed his brow, turning around to leave. ¡°Zhou MuHui!¡± Xin Yi was barring in front of him. Xin Yi¡¯s heart was racing nonstop, he couldn¡¯t guess why Zhou MuHui would ask him, maybe because he was too stupid, but Xin Yi really wanted to know the answer. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°¡­ Nothing.¡± Zhou MuHui said, ¡°Move away, I¡¯m about to get busy.¡± Xin Yi did not, he was in such a hurry that his tears were about to come out, ¡°You liar, you obviously already clocked out!¡± He especially picked the time he was coming, precisely because he was afraid to disturb Zhou MuHui. Zhou MuHui paused, and called him, ¡° Xin Yi.¡± That was the second time that Zhou MuHui seriously called him like this, Xin Yi echoed with his voice carrying a sob, but he still barred in front of him, and even stretched out a hand. ¡°Zhou MuHui, am I disgusting?¡± Xin Yi grabbed Zhou MuHui¡¯s hand, and looked at him tearfully, ¡°Are you going to shake me off?¡± ¡°If you really hate¡­ really hate me¡­¡± Xin Yi raised his head to look at him, choked, and said, ¡°Then I won¡¯t come to find you, I don¡¯t want you to be unhappy¡­¡± Zhou MuHui¡¯s wrist was wet, he thought that was probably the sweat from Xin Yi¡¯s palm, he was strangely quiet at that moment, because he couldn¡¯t bring himself to say that he hated Xin Yi. He found Xin Yi annoying, because he didn¡¯t know how to cope with people like Xin Yi, being sarcastic and ignoring him wasn¡¯t like him. A little kid like this, chattering all day and circling around people, silently waiting for him in a corner when he was working, finding himself a place to do homework, he was even happier than him when he got off work, cheering here and there, smiling at him. He didn¡¯t care about Zhou MuHui¡¯s past, and also wasn¡¯t scared of the scar on Zhou MuHui¡¯s face, when Zhou MuHui scared him for the third time, he shook his head with his trembling hands, and told him that he wasn¡¯t afraid. A Xin Yi like this, Zhou MuHui couldn¡¯t bring himself to say he hated him. Read it on milkteatranslations.wordpress.com ¡°If you don¡¯t speak then it means no¡­¡± Xin Yi sneakily took a step closer, wiping off at the speed of the light the tear that was threatening to fall, and smiled at him, ¡°I asked you, don¡¯t regret it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhou MuHui simply remained quiet until the end, ignoring him. ¡°The results from my exams came out, I did not fall behind, but did not progress.¡± Zhou MuHui had to hurry to his next job, he just carried his backpack on his back following behind Zhou MuHui, stepping on his shadow and talking, ¡°We have final exams next month, I will be going back an hour earlier than usual, Zhou MuHui, do you that I¡¯m going to progress this time?¡± They walked into the alley, the dim yellow street light printed their shadows on the wall, Zhou MuHui quietly took a look at him, and saw that he was bouncing here and there behind, but did not answer him. He cannot indulge himself, just like a moment ago, he obviously should have pushed away Xin Yi¡¯s hand. How could he have compromised like this, he doesn¡¯t even like this little kid. ¡°Are you still working at that bar? Later I will leave once I¡¯ve seen you go inside, I¡¯ve told my mom, tonight I still have a text to learn by heart.¡± Zhou MuHui looked down, and took off the mask on his face. ¡°You, why are you not wearing your mask again?¡± Xin Yi seemed like he wasn¡¯t afraid of him anymore, sneakily moving closer, asking him in wonder. ¡°They need it.¡± Zhou MuHui said. Zhou MuHui opened his mouth, but Xin Yi stopped speaking, he seemed to realize the reason, and stiffly stopped the conversation. ¡°Afraid?¡± Zhou MuHui suddenly stopped, turning around to ask him. Xin Yi was stunned, and shook his head. ¡°Not afraid.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Zhou MuHui lowered his head looking at him seriously, he was half a head taller than Xin Yi, but maybe because the little kid hadn¡¯t finished growing, he was too small, Zhou MuHui thought, maybe only six or seventeen years old. He knew what was like, what was love.1 It¡¯s just the whim of a little brat. Xin Yi blinked, and carefully held his hand. ¡°Your eyes are really pretty¡­¡± Xin Yi softened his voice, as if he was afraid to startle him, ¡°Zhou MuHui, if one day you tell me why, then I will also tell you why.¡± It was a reason beyond like and love, Xin Yi wasn¡¯t afraid of Zhou MuHui, won¡¯t be afraid even if he was fiercer. Zhou MuHui did not ask anymore, only quietly looking at him, as if contemplating. ¡°Zhou MuHui, can I come to find you tomorrow?¡± They almost reached their destination, Xin Yi quietly let go of him, and hide the hand he used to grab Zhou MuHui behind his back, looking up and smiling at him. Xin Yi¡¯s mom said, liking somebody should not put them in a difficult position, but if Xin Yi asked for the other party¡¯s opinion first, then he probably can come to see Zhou MuHui. ¡°¡­ As you like.¡± Zhou MuHui with his back facing him and walked toward the bar not far away. Xin Yi cheered, carrying his backpack, and jumped. ¡°Then I¡¯ll get going, we¡¯ll see each other tomorrow!¡± Zhou MuHui¡¯s footsteps did not stop, and did not even answer him, but Xin Yi seemed to be very happy, even from afar his excited shout could be heard, calling his name. ¡°Zhou MuHui! I am very good!¡± He shouted. Zhou MuHui¡¯s hand that was gripping the door handle trembled. ¡°You are also very good!¡± The little kid behind him was still laughing, Zhou MuHui lowered his head and looked at his right hand, pushing open the door. Like could bewitch someone¡¯s eyes, take wrong as right, take ugly as beautiful, Zhou MuHui¡¯s good and bad, nobody was clearer than he is. Notes: I am swamped with work. I thought it would get better but I don¡¯t see the end of it, we had +80 studies to do, and they keep increasing every single day! I have to admit I am kinda repulsed by the thought of sitting at a computer for hours once I get home so I can only slowly work on the projects¡­ CH 18 Xin Yi did not come as frequently as before, probably because he was about to have his exams, he always came in a rush, and left in a rush. After that, Zhou MuHui also told him to leave, but the little kid¡¯s eyes would turn red when he was told that, looking at him pitifully with his hands behind his back, asked, ¡°Zhou MuHui, do you dislike me?¡± Zhou MuHui furrowed his brows, he obviously just needed to say that he disliked the little kid for him to go, but no matter how many times, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to really say that out loud. Xin Yi was very obedient, every day after he was done he would silently follow behind him, and would pull on him when he was about to go into the bar, asking him if he could come on the next day. Sometimes Zhou MuHui told him to do as he pleased, sometimes said he couldn¡¯t, but most of the time his tone was too casual, Xin Yi couldn¡¯t make the difference, always mixing it up. Then on the second day, Zhou MuHui said no, appeared in front of him, looking at him with anxiety and fear, asking, ¡°Zhou MuHui, do I have to go?¡± Zhou MuHui said yes, he would really obediently leave, then sneakingly reappear two or three days later, asking if it was ok today. Only that he was really too afraid, around the tenth of January, he was panicking with sweat all over his head, his pair of hands tightly gripping his backpack, his knuckles turning white. Zhou MuHui thought, if he said no, Xin Yi would probably cry. Thus he temporarily became quiet for a while. Xin Yi caught on to his silence, and lifted his head to beg him, ¡°Zhou MuHui, I¡¯m just staying for a while, is it ok?¡± Zhou MuHui thought that he was a bit strange, because he noticed that he couldn¡¯t bring himself to refuse, fortunately, the little kid was also stupid, only caring about being happy, not doubting his unusual answer. Xin Yi was very busy, maybe because Zhou MuHui¡¯s silent agreement gave him the guts, Zhou MuHui was working, so he found a table at the restaurant next door to write his homework, and when Zhou MuHui finished busying himself around, he would chitty-chatter following behind him, accompanying him on the way to the bar. On the week before his exams, Xin Yi said he couldn¡¯t come, the little kid pursed his lips feeling wronged, standing in front of him and mumbling, ¡°I have to revise well, I cannot mess up this time.¡± Advertisements Read it on milkteatranslations.wordpress.com He probably hoped that Zhou MuHui would say something to encourage him, but Zhou MuHui stared at him for half a day, only nodded in the end, and said one word, ¡°Hm.¡± Xin Yi with his hands behind his back, and looked up at him. It was winter, he was wearing a lot, a wide down jacket carefully wrapped around him, Zhou MuHui was rarely dazed, he thought that kids around this age should all want to be good-looking, how come only he was always wrapped like a ball, and moreover still look so¡­ His thoughts abruptly came to a stop in the next second, ZhouMuHui frowned, forcefully restraining the inexplicable swaying heartbeat he felt just then. ¡°Then I¡¯ll come to find you once my exams are over.¡± Xin Yi said, ¡°Zhou MuHui, can I text you during these few days?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t.¡± ¡°¡­ Ah?¡± Zhou MuHui¡¯s eyelid kept twitching, he did not keep looking at the kid before him, doing his best to forget the strange thought he just had now. ¡°Need money.¡± Zhou MuHui said. Xin Yi looked at him for a long while, and said while feeling wronged, ¡°Oh.¡± He felt disheartened, and lowered his head in grief, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go.¡± He was like a little kid, turning his head at every step, Zhou MuHui looked at him for a while, then became aware of his mistake, but before he get to turn around, Xin Yi came running back. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve forgotten it!¡± Xin Yi smiled at him, his snow-white little face was bright and beautiful, Zhou MuHui¡¯s fingers quivered, and his heart felt alarmed for the first time, but Xin Yi held his hand before he got to do anything. ¡°Not allowed to take it off.¡± Xin Yi bounced back, waving his hand at him, ¡°Wait until I¡¯m done with my exams!¡± He ran very fast, he was gone without a trace after a short while, Zhou MuHui lowered his head, looked at the soft hand-knitted gloves on his hands, and blinked quietly. Too childish, just like a little kind. Zhou MuHui thought, he wouldn¡¯t have used it even when he was a teenager. But even after the bar¡¯s door was pushed open, he did not take off that pair of gloves. Advertisements Xin Yi came very late after being done with his exams, Zhou MuHui until the end of work, only saw him at the end of the alley outside, the little kid¡¯s face was full of sweat after running, seeing him coming over, hurriedly ran over, calling him, ¡°Zhou MuHui!¡± Zhou MuHui hasn¡¯t said anything yet, he rapidly looked at him, and said, ¡°I, I came late.¡± Indeed a bit late, usually it would be almost time for him to go home at this time. But Zhou MuHui only hummed, and did not ask why. Xin Yi saw that he wasn¡¯t speaking, was a bit flustered, following behind him letting a slip of tongue, explained to him while stuttering, ¡°I¡¯ve forgotten to take my backpack, only noticed after I walked there¡­¡± And could only turn back, and as a result, wasted two hours going back and forth. Zhou MuHui looked at the backpack behind him, pausing for a while, ¡°No need to explain.¡± Xin Yi slowly nodded, then felt a bit disheartened, not even chitty chattering like usual. Zhou MuHui heard a sob coming from behind him when he was almost at the bar, he stiffened, turning his body around. The kid was secretly wiping his tears, the corners of his eyes were red to death, and tears were still hanging on the thick lashes, he probably did not think that Zhou MuHui would turn around, maintain the same position, and look at him slow wittily, Zhou MuHui frowned, his mood wasn¡¯t very good, ¡°What are you crying for?¡± Xin Yi did not dare to speak, only hurriedly wiped off his tears, his wet fingers were still with tears, Zhou MuHui saw that, and his eyelid violently twitched. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°I, I think I messed up my exams.¡± The hem of his clothes was grabbed by someone Xin Yi lifted his head to look at him, doing his best to hold back his tears, only the corners of his eyes turned redder and redder, his voice gradually carrying a sobbing tone. ¡°My classmate compared their answers with mine, a lot of them were different.¡± Xin Yi was so upset that he was about to cry, holding the hem of his clothes without letting go, he was almost unable to hold back toward the end, big drops of tears falling down, unable to wipe off all of them no matter what. He was really afraid, afraid that he hasn¡¯t done well, afraid that he wasn¡¯t diligent, he was already this stupid, if his grades were any worst, he won¡¯t be able to go to university. Furthermore¡­ furthermore if they (grades) were very bad, he won¡¯t be able to come to find Zhou MuHui regularly. He cried until his face was full of tears, not being able to see anything clearly, and didn¡¯t notice that the man before him was quiet for a long while, until a big hand dropped on the top of his head. The owner of that hand seemed to be struggling with words, Xin Yi stopped his tears, and looked up at him, the man¡¯s good-looking brows furrowed, through the water mist in his eyes he couldn¡¯t see why, but in the next second the other party opened their mouth, their voice low, ¡°Won¡¯t.¡± The man stiffly caressed Xin Yi¡¯s hair, Xin Yi didn¡¯t dare to say anything, didn¡¯t dare to move either, afraid that he would wake an unusual Zhou MuHui, until a long while after that, he secretly leaned toward Zhou MuHui¡¯s body, and nodded carefully and feeling aggrieved. ¡°En!¡± Advertisements Probably because Zhou MuHui successfully gave him confidence, when Xin Yi got his grave report he was so happy that he couldn¡¯t find the North, he couldn¡¯t stop his excitement when he went to find Zhou MuHui and kept hovering around Zhou MuHui for a whole night. Zhou MuHui wanted to ignore him, but he didn¡¯t care either, he just laughed on his own, and squatted beside Zhou MuHui to give him a hand. Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t stop him, the little kid seemed to have eaten excitement drug today, told him to stop but he won¡¯t, and when it was time to go to the bar, he got so many guts that he directly held his hand, Zhou MuHui was stunned, his eyes stopping on his soft back of the hand. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Xin Yi let go of his hand at the speed of the light, looking at him innocently. ¡°Don¡¯t be like this.¡± Zhou MuHui said. Xin Yi blinked, nodded obediently, then after a few seconds secretly pulled him. ¡°¡­ Xin Yi.¡± The little kid didn¡¯t let go of his hand anymore, looked up at him with an obedient expression, ¡°Just for one minute.¡± Zhou MuHui frowned, but Xin Yi wasn¡¯t afraid, genuinely held his hand for a whole minute, then let go of his hand feeling perfectly content. ¡°I¡¯m going to go!¡± Xin Yi laughed, ¡°During these few days I am going to do all my homework, then I¡¯ll come to find you.¡± He pursed his lips into a smile, ¡°Zhou MuHui, you have to wait for me.¡± Zhou MuHui looked at him, putting the back of his hand that just got touched now behind his back, coldly replied to him, ¡°Not waiting.¡± As if Xin Yi believed him, Zhou MuHui was completely different from his appearance, Xin Yi was less and less afraid of him. ¡°Next time take off your mask alright.¡± Xin Yi said in a low voice, ¡°I want to see.¡± His demands were more and more numerous, Zhou MuHui was too lazy to pay attention to him, turning around to leave. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Xin Yi¡¯s mouth deflated, ¡°Then I want to text you.¡± He ran back after saying that, not giving Zhou MuHui the chance to refuse, until the footsteps behind him have completely disappeared, only then did Zhou MuHui return to his senses and took a step, he stood in front of the back door of the bar, someone pushed open the door and came out, seeing him standing there, asked him, ¡°Brother Zhou, what are you doing?¡± Zhou MuHui paused, and replied in a low voice, ¡°Nothing.¡± But the hand that hung down at his sides ground his fingers together, then carefully closed up. CH 19 Xin Yi sent him two texts in the evening, one saying I got home, one saying I¡¯m going to sleep, but Zhou MuHui did not reply to him, Xin Yi turned and tossed for most of the night, in the end, he sneakily charged ten bucks of call credits for him, and sent another one. ¡°According to the basis of seventy characters per text, you can send me one hundred texts, Zhou MuHui, begging you.¡± After sending it, Xin Yi immediately closed his mobile phone, and pulled the quilt over his head to sleep, until the day turned bright, he crawled up still dazed and confused, the first thing he did was to check his phone. The inbox on his phone was still empty, there was only the text that notified him that the credits were charged on the account, Xin Yi blinked, still haven¡¯t really reacted, until he looked at it again after finishing brushing his teeth and washing his face, only then he noticed that Zhou MuHui who changed call credits for him. Read it on milkteatranslations.wordpress.com He returned the ten bucks that Xin Yi charged for him. Xin Yi was in a trance, feeling wronged to death, wrote his homework absent-mindedly, in the evening directly texting him after closing his books, asking him, ¡°Zhou MuHui, is it because you don¡¯t want to pay attention to me.¡± Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t reply to him, Xin Yi was afraid that he was busy, pouted and put away his phone, not daring to disturb him again. One week passed very slowly, Zhou MuHui really did not reply to a single of his texts, the little kid finished writing his winter vacation homework with difficulty, ran out in the evening without eating his dinner, and hurriedly went to see Zhou MuHui. Zhou MuHui was also stunned when he saw him, because Xin Yi came out in a hurry, he only had a thin coat on him, and the little kid was squatting in a corner and trembling, his face was frozen white, seeing that he came out, he looked up and smiled at him. But Zhou MuHui couldn¡¯t bring himself to smile, his whole body was so cold that it was scary, he trotted over and pulled Xin Yi up. ¡°I, I am fine¡­¡± Xin Yi then felt that he did something wrong, and hurriedly added, ¡°I am not cold!¡± His voice had fallen yet, he let out a shudder, Zhou MuHui¡¯s face became uglier, without saying a word, dragged him to sit at a table, and left in big strides. The lady boss of the shop knew him, hastily got him a cup of hot water, and let him lean closer to the air conditioner, scolding him, ¡°You little kid, how come you¡¯re wearing so little?¡± Xin Yi started to feel uncomfortable now that he has gotten warm, holding the water and feeling dizzy, and nodded in a daze, ¡°¡­ I forgot.¡± There were no thick clothes in the shop, the lady boss could only bring him cup after cup of hot water, saying over and over again, ¡°Even that can be forgotten, look at how anxious it made your brother.¡± Xin Yi kept coming to find Zhou MuHui for these few months, his build was small, the neighbors liked to tease him, and they also assumed that he was Zhou MuHui¡¯s little brother, Xin Yi didn¡¯t dare to talk back, only shrug his shoulders admitting his mistake, apologizing in a small voice. Advertisements He eyed the entrance from time to time. Zhou MuHui¡¯s reaction made him a little bit afraid, Xin Yi was panicking, afraid that Zhou MuHui was really angry, and would ignore him. Zhou MuHui returned very quickly, his facial expression did not become better, Xin Yi holding the water, blinked and looked at him, waiting for him to get closer, then carefully moved closer, begging him, ¡°Zhou MuHui, don¡¯t be angry.¡± Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t reply to him, only handing him the down jacket he just bought, telling him in a cold voice, ¡°Wear it.¡± They left half a quarter later, Xin Yi obediently said goodbye to the lady boss, and jogged behind Zhou MuHui and left. Zhou MuHui was angry, because he turned around when Xin Yi caught up to him, and told him to go back expressionlessly. Xin Yi wasn¡¯t willing, standing next to him white-faced and shook his head, saying in a small voice, ¡°Not going back.¡± He carefully looked at Zhou MuHui, and inexplicably started to feel wronged, and asked, ¡°Zhou MuHui, why didn¡¯t you answer my texts.¡± He got more and more guts, habitually in the past he would never talk to Zhou MuHui like this, not even mentioning having demands, one moment he didn¡¯t want to leave, one moment he wanted Zhou MuHui to pay attention to him. Changed to more severe. Zhou MuHui thought. ¡°Go back, you are not allowed to come back again.¡± He sensitively noticed the shift in himself, but refused this shift to continue, Xin Yi and him were people from two different worlds, Zhou MuHui shouldn¡¯t, and couldn¡¯t continue to indulge in himself and fool around with him. Xin Yi was still a kid, but he wasn¡¯t. Zhou MuHui called a car for him, and forcefully stuffed him inside, Xin Yi was dumbfounded by these subsequent actions until the man closed the car¡¯s door, did he anxiously call him, ¡°Zhou MuHui!¡± ¡°Study well.¡± Zhou MuHui looked at him coldly, and said, ¡°Xin Yi, you don¡¯t belong here.¡± A clean and bright sun, should not be associated with dark night. Snow has fallen in the morning, it was actually very cold, Xin Yi knew that he was wrong, he should have turned around and gone back when he noticed that he wore the wrong clothes, and not been uncaring and disregarding, and come to find Zhou MuHui in a hurry. But he wanted to quickly come to see him. I just, just missed him so much¡­ Xin Yi thought, was that also not ok. His feeling of being wronged skyrocketed, maybe what Zhou MuHui said was right, he indeed unconsciously pampered, and spoiled Xin Yi, that¡¯s why it made Xin Yi get an inch and want a mile, wanting to ask for Zhou MuHui¡¯s love. Even though Xin Yi never noticed it. He was just like any hot-headed young person, sometimes reckless and impulsive in front of their beloved, clumsy and laughable, but impatient to see the other party. Hence, Xin Yi told the car to stop in the next second. He was probably getting a fever, because cold sweat was starting to emerge from his body, don¡¯t know why Zhou MuHui walked faster than usual, Xin Yi ran for a while before he got to see his silhouette. His legs soften, almost kneeling down, Zhou MuHui heard the movement and turned around, but he still hadn¡¯t said anything, Xin Yi staggered and pounced over. He gasped for breath, his tone was also trembling, the first thing he said after opening his mouth was. ¡°I came seventh place in the exam.¡± Xin Yi felt wronged to death, he progressed in his studies, and also finished all his winter vacation homework, he didn¡¯t even get angry that Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t reply to his texts, why did he still want to drive him away. His cheeks were a little red, not ashen like it was before, when he looked up at Zhou MuHui, his body was leaping with a degree of heat. He has gotten a fever. Zhou MuHui caught him when he fell over. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You made me so angry that I got dizzy¡­¡± Xin Yi¡¯s words made sense, he grabbed his collar and complained, asking him again, ¡°Zhou MuHui¡­ What do you want to do?¡± His breath was very hot, when it sprayed on Zhou MuHui¡¯s arm it gave him goosebumps, Zhou MuHui paused for a while, and avoided his glance. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Where do you live, I¡¯ll send you back.¡± He shut up refusing to talk, but Xin Yi wasn¡¯t anxious either, only resolving the most difficult problem. ¡°Then I¡¯ll come again tomorrow.¡± Xin Yi used a pair of watery eyes to look at him, saying in a small voice, ¡°Is it ok?¡± Zhou MuHui wanted to say that it wasn¡¯t ok, but Xin Yi¡¯s eyes were too red, that pair of eyes were full of carefulness and apprehension, and even the hand that was supporting his arm was trembling, Zhou MuHui paused for a while, and couldn¡¯t bring himself to say the ¡®not ok¡¯ that was on the tip of his tongue. Xin Yi couldn¡¯t detect anything unusual, he didn¡¯t dare to get any closer after the other party helped to support him, his uneasiness seemed to have taken roots, he pitifully looked at Zhou Muhui, and said, ¡°Zhou MuHui, I¡¯m begging you.¡± Zhou MuHui¡¯s face was chilly, Xin Yi was anxious but not scared, asked softly, ¡°You don¡¯t want to pay attention to me, is it because you hate me?¡± His cheeks were still red, and the air he breathed out was also scalding hot, Zhou MuHui looked at his watery eyes, and only opened his mouth after a long while. ¡°¡­ No.¡± He seemed to have compromised, and was also convinced. Zhou MuHui thought, it¡¯s just a little kid, it was the age when one goes fishing for only one day and dries the net for the rest two days, the interest he had for someone could be maintained for many days, there was no need ¡­ to arouse his rebellious mentality. Advertisements ¡°You have to reply to my texts.¡± Just when he was about to get off the car, Xin Yi emphasized once again, ¡°You can reply to only one, but you cannot not reply at all.¡± Zhou MuHui looked at him, and said, ¡°I know.¡± Thus, Xin Yi smiled again, his face carrying a dizzying heat, and waved his hand at him, ¡°You¡¯re so nice, then I¡¯ll go.¡± He went home all excited, it started to snow again outside, after drinking the medicine Xin Yi watched while sprawled on the windowsill, Zhou MuHui left a long time ago, but he still did not want to move, he grabbed his phone to send him another text, asking him if he has arrived. Zhou MuHui replied to his text half an hour later, saying he was still on his way. Xin Yi was lying under his blanket and smiling, his whole person sprung up to sprawl on the bed, replying to him word by word, ¡°Then you be careful on the way, I¡¯ll come to find you tomorrow.¡± He sent a kissing kaomoji, but covered his phone in embarrassment after sending it, buried his face, and smiled like a fool. He confusedly got clear-headed during the night, and thought about the fact that they got a forty-minute ride on their way to come here, how come Zhou MuHui was still on his way back at that time. But before he got to think further about it, sleepiness swept him up, and when he woke up once again, he had put that behind his mind. Xin Yi went to find Zhou MuHui the day before the Lunar New Year¡¯s eve, he wore the cloth that Zhou MuHui bought him the other day, stood in front of him super obediently, and said in advance to Zhou MuHui, ¡°Happy New Year.¡± He won¡¯t be able to come for the next few days, Zhou MuHui probably also has to go back home, today the man has taken off his mask on one of the rare occasions, Xin Yi was so captivated that he was giddy, looked up and said, ¡°If I send you a Happy New Year tomorrow, you have to reply to me, ok?¡± Zhou MuHui hummed, ¡°Understood.¡± Xin Yi couldn¡¯t help but smile, his fingers were restlessly twisting behind his back, looking at him anxiously. ¡°Zhou MuHui¡­ I want to hold your hand.¡± Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t indulge him anymore, putting his two hands in his pockets, and saying expressionlessly, ¡°You can¡¯t.¡± His face was cold, and wasn¡¯t even wearing the gloves that he gifted him a while ago, Xin Yi was anxious and disappointed, in the end, he could only feel wronged and replied an ¡°Alright then.¡± But today wasn¡¯t a loss, because Zhou MuHui wasn¡¯t wearing his mask the whole time. He had to leave after saying that, approaching the new year, he couldn¡¯t be capricious like before, his dad and mom were still waiting for him at home to eat. ¡°I have to go once again, Zhou MuHui, tomorrow is the New Year, I¡¯m wishing you in advance good health, happiness, and may all go well with you. ¡°Although you¡¯re not willing to hold my hand¡­¡± The little kid sneakily looked at him, his cheeks puffed in anger, Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t reply to him, and he once again found himself a way to back out of the embarrassing situation, ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯m really not gonna say anymore.¡± Advertisements Xin Yi held back until New Year¡¯s eye, in their family they had to habit of staying up all night on Spring festival¡¯s eve, at eleven they each went to their own bed, on Xin Yi¡¯s bedhead were the three share of lucky money1 his dads and mom gave him, Xin Yi took it to count, then sneakily stuffed it into his pocket. He texted Zhou MuHui, and wished him a happy new year, after a short while Zhou MuHui answered, Xin Yi pursed his lips into a smile, asked him what he was doing. He was thinking that at this time Zhou MuHui must have just finished eating, or must be watching the television, outside, the Spring Festival Gala hasn¡¯t finished broadcasting, if he went to switch it on, they could watch the same show. As if they were both together. ¡°Busy.¡± Zhou MuHui said instead. Xin Yi was stunned, and hurriedly asked, ¡°You¡¯re still at the bar?¡± Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t reply, and only said after a long while, ¡°Yes.¡± Xin Yi knew that he was surely special, because of his identity, also because he was in dire straits at the moment, but Xin Yi never asked him, he was afraid he would bump on Zhou MuHui¡¯s wounds. He was afraid that Zhou MuHui would be hurt. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Xin Yi suddenly got up from his bed, wore his clothes in a tearing hurry, and texted Zhou MuHui forty minutes later, asking him, ¡°When do you get off work?¡± Zhou MuHui replied very quickly, but Xin Yi had already seen him. ¡°Zhou MuHui!¡± Along with his voice, the sound of falling fireworks filled up the night sky, bright and dazzling rose mid-air, then became bits and pieces that fell down, Zhou MuHui¡¯s eyes rose from his mobile phone, and saw Xin Yi who was waving at him not far away, his heart suddenly skipping a beat. They both have forgotten, that it was already midnight at that time. ¡°Zhou MuHui, Happy New Year!¡± Notes: So sorry for the late update!!! I was so tired that I was convinced that I didn¡¯t translate this chapter while I actually already translated 90% and was 2 paragraphs short of being done with it? I opened the file yesterday and I was like ¡°wtf why did I not publish it then??¡± I can¡¯t believe I was so out of it during the whole week and I literally had some kind of partial amnesia¡­ CH 20 13-16 minutes 29.08.2022 Zhou MuHui hadn¡¯t celebrated New Year in a very long time. His childhood was spent in violence and quarrels, his youth spent in gloom and prison, and after he came out, he was running around for a living, his head was full of making money, and passing the New Year meant more banknotes than usual for him, it only meant that the road was even deserted after getting out of work. But Xin Yi ran over, taking advantage of the fact that Zhou MuHui hadn¡¯t returned to his sense to hold his hand, chitty chattering and hovering around him, the alley at night was almost without light, but Zhou MuHui could see the slight brightness beside, a light that seemed like fire, making Zhou MuHui unable to remove his eyes from it. Read it on milkteatranslations.wordpress.com ¡°Did you already eat dumplings?¡± Xin Yi asked him. Zhou MuHui shook his head, he hasn¡¯t said a single word from the moment they came out till now, but Xin Yi didn¡¯t seem bothered. ¡°Dang dang dang¡ª ¡ª!¡± Xin Yi took out an insulated lunch box from his bloated down jacket, and lifted his head to smile at him, ¡°I made it together with dad and mom, but it has cooled down a little bit, you have to warm it once you get home.¡± Zhou MuHui was stunned, and only said after a while, ¡°Ok.¡± Xin Yi carried the insulated bow in his hand, then went to hold his hand, ¡°Is your house far from here, how about I send you home?¡± ¡°Right right, tomorrow is the New Year, do you have to go to work?¡± ¡°¡­En.¡± Xin Yi blinked, ¡°What is the ¡®en¡¯ for? Or is it for both of them?¡± Xin Yi¡¯s hand was very hot, his palm print was very light, Zhou MuHui ______ ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Xin Yi looked at him weirdly, Zhou MuHui stiffened, and held up the impulse to look at his palm. ¡°As you want¡­¡± He avoided the hand that was held by Xin Yi. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Xin Yi¡¯s grasp was loosened, he foolishly looked at Zhou MuHui, and put his hand behind his back, whispered, ¡°Okay then.¡± Zhou MuHui was distracted the whole way, Xin Yi said a lot, but his eyes always unconsciously landed on Xin Yi¡¯s hand, the little kid¡¯s talk was incessant, he often speaks then started to laugh by himself, but still did not notice Zhou MuHui¡¯s strange behavior. Until the next intersection, Zhou MuHui called him. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡± Zhou MuHui said. Xin Yi sneaked a peek behind him, it was a row of very normal residential areas, he obediently nodded, handed him the insulated lunch box in his hand, told Zhou MuHui, ¡°You have to eat it.¡± Zhou MuHui said he knows, but didn¡¯t turn around and left as he would¡¯ve done usually, Xin Yi also had something on his mind, pursed his lips in anxiety for a long while, and taking advantage of the fact that he wasn¡¯t paying attention, suddenly took a step closer. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I want to hold hands¡­¡± His voice was very small, and lacked confidence, his eyes timidly looked at Zhou MuHui from time to time, Zhou MuHui paused for a while, and lowered his head. The little kid¡¯s fingers were twisting and intertwining the hem of his own clothes, that piece of cloth was about to be ruined by his rubbing, Zhou MuHui also did not know he felt so keen on this, once or twice wasn¡¯t enough, he always had to come and provoke Zhou MuHui. But he hasn¡¯t spoken yet, Xin Yi already hugged him. The little kid was very nervous, sticking at his waist and looking at him confusedly, Zhou MuHui could feel his hands trembling, and was sounding out like a kitten behind his waist. ¡°Zhou MuHui¡­¡± Xin Yi begged him in a small voice, ¡°Give you lucky money, hold hands with me, ok?¡± Two fingers stretched toward his palm, it was Xin Yi sounding him out, Zhou MuHui lowered his head looking at his panic-stricken face, and frowned. Xin Yi stuffed money into his pocket. That hand came out from his pocket, and sneakily stretched downward, and before he got to speak, lightly held him. ¡°Begging you.¡± Xin Yi¡¯s eyes were imploring, but the palm that was weakly holding his was full of sweat, Zhou MuHui could feel that it was moist and sticky with cold sweat, called him, ¡°¡­Xin Yi.¡± Usually, when he called Xin Yi¡¯s name it was for him to let go but this time Xin Yi didn¡¯t listen to him, he slowly blinked, holding his breath and said, ¡°You took the money, you cannot go back to your words now that you¡¯ve taken the money.¡± He pursed his lips after saying that, fluttering his eyes, anxiously and fearfully looking at Zhou MuHui. He was very anxious, Zhou MuHui could perceive it, maybe because tonight the moonlight was too dim, or maybe because he wasn¡¯t really in his right mind, therefore he was easily captivated by that pair of eyes. Zhou MuHui did not say anything else. ¡°Shh, don¡¯t wake up the moon.¡± Xin Yi saw that he didn¡¯t speak, he carefully started to smile, ¡°I¡¯ll accompany you to stay up to see the new year in, let¡¯s not let him know.¡± Xin Yi was sometimes very easy to satisfy, he could so happy that he was unable to find the North by just simply holding hands, Zhou MuHui saw him loosen his grip on him, the clingy cat finally got off his body, called him, ¡°Zhou MuHui, tomorrow¡­ no, today you have to eat well.¡± Zhou MuHui said nothing, he then stretched a hand again to touch Zhou MuHui¡¯s face, carefully pulled down the mask on his face, and touched the scar on his face. ¡°It¡¯s obviously very cool, don¡¯t hide it next time.¡± He always talks about it like an adult, Zhou MuHui lowered his head to look at his palm, very pink, and also very smooth, the palm lines were twined on his hand like the roots of a tree, it wasn¡¯t that light. Zhou MuHui silently let out a sigh of relief. This night it was as if admitting defeat, Zhou MuHui indulged even more in Xin Yi¡¯s approach, but Xin Yi couldn¡¯t perceive anything, because since the start of school he was prohibited from going to find Zhou MuHui. Zhou MuHui knew that he was in his third year in high school, near the gaokao1, he was afraid it would affect Xin Yi¡¯s studies, did not allow him to come, Xin Yi didn¡¯t dare to refute, but really couldn¡¯t help but beg him, but in the end, was on only allowed to come to see him once at every half of the month. ¡°¡­ I will study well.¡± Xin Yi came to find him on an April evening, squatting next to him moaning and groaning, ¡°but this time my performance wasn¡¯t good, mom keeps giving me supplementary lessons.¡± Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t speak, but he could continue to speak by himself. ¡°They are all very smart, don¡¯t know why I am so dumb¡­¡± Xin Yi really could understand it, and asked him, feeling wronged, ¡°Zhou MuHui, are smart people¡¯s kids also supposed to be smart?¡± Zhou MuHui looked at him, ¡°It is not necessarily your case.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Xin Yi felt discouraged, and didn¡¯t want to argue with him, ¡°My mom is amazing, went to college at sixteen years old, after that he didn¡¯t pursue his studies, after five or six years he went back to take the exam, and got into S university at once.¡± Xin Yi asked him, ¡°Isn¡¯t it awesome?¡± S university was one of the best universities in the country, it is naturally very awesome. Zhou MuHui paused for a while, only saying after a long while, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I also want to pass the exam¡­ but it is really difficult.¡± He was a bit upset, probably because this time¡¯s exam really was a heavy blow to him, Zhou MuHui saw that he kept his head lowered, paused for a long while, then hesitatingly caressed him. Xin Yi perceived the warm palm on his head, but didn¡¯t lift his head, and just asked him while maintaining this posture, ¡°Zhou MuHui, were your grades good before?¡± Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t speak, Xin Yi didn¡¯t ask anymore, he then felt that he seemed to have asked something he shouldn¡¯t ask, but when they were done and about to leave, Zhou MuHui suddenly spoke a word. ¡°Average.¡± Xin Yi looked at him, ¡°Ah?¡± Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t continue to explain, only following behind Xin Yi, tonight he didn¡¯t need to go to the bar, the little kid also had a day off tomorrow, muttering for half a day when leaving, in the end, pounced over with a little voice, saying that he wanted to send him home. Zhou MuHui told him to go back when they were almost there, and called a car for him, Xin Yi waved his hand saying no need, and closed the door in a flash before he got to give the money. ¡°Quickly go, I¡¯ll text you once I get home.¡± Xin Yi leaned on the car¡¯s windows and waved at him, Zhou MuHui took his hand back, and nodded. Xin Yi reacted after the car drove for two-three minutes, he had something he wanted to give Zhou MuHui, but he had forgotten it when he left, Xin Yi hurriedly looked behind, then told the driver to drive back. He was thinking that Zhou MuHui probably hasn¡¯t gone far away, he started running after he got out of the car, and also took out his mobile phone wanting to call Zhou MuHui, but the call hadn¡¯t been made that he saw Zhou MuHui. Zhou MuHui was very far from him, the direction he took wasn¡¯t the row of residential neighborhoods, Xin Yi was stunned, and followed behind because of the curious coincidence. Xin Yi could guess that Zhou Muhui didn¡¯t have it easy, but he was stupefied when he saw it, where Zhou MuHui lived was very messy, Xin Yi foolishly followed behind him, and saw that he went into a small alley, narrow and obscure, but it seemed to be his house. ¡°How come you¡¯re so late?¡± A woman came out to greet him, Xin Yi was stunned, hiding behind the corner in a hurry, that person was probably around her fifties or sixties, Xin Yi thought, maybe it was Zhou MuHui¡¯s mom. Because they really looked alike. ¡°Not late.¡± Zhou MuHui supported her, ¡°Let¡¯s go in, mom.¡± The woman made a sound in agreement, walking out of the dark, Xin Yi¡¯s breathing unconsciously stopped, because the other party was very close, because he could see her head was full of white hair. ¡°I¡¯ve saved up some money again, tomorrow I¡¯ll remit it to your little uncle.¡± The woman said, ¡°You can resign from that job of yours, our debt has almost been fully repaid, you should find a proper job, you¡¯re not that young, you cannot keep wasting it like that.¡± (wasting his time) Xin Yi heard Zhou MuHui pause, not replying to her, only asking, ¡°Did you go to the hospital, what did the doctor say?¡± The woman let out a cough, her voice seeming to have become sluggish, ¡°¡­ Nothing wrong.¡± They were still talking, but Xin Yi wanted to leave quietly, he could feel that he was a bit offensive, because Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t tell him these things, Xin Yi was a little stupid, but he understood that this time he ventured into Zhou MuHui¡¯s secret base. Although it was unintentional. ¡°It¡¯s already past the Qing Ming Festival2 ¡­ Your father¡¯s side¡­ ?¡± The sound of the woman¡¯s incessant coughs came from behind, not knowing when a drunk man walked past the alley, fiercely tossed a bottle of alcohol, the glass shattered around Xin Yi¡¯s body, Xin Yi got a scare, his body nervously leaning against the wall, looking at the other party at a loss. ¡°Where did that cat come from, his mother¡¯s, scared this laozi to death!¡± The voices inside stopped for a moment, Xin Yi saw that not far away a back cat leaped over there, softly mewed in his direction, Xin Yi panicked, in the next second, the man who was about to move closer turned around, chased toward the opposite direction. ¡°F*ck, don¡¯t run!¡± The back cat¡¯s cry was shrilling, Xin Yi¡¯s heart abruptly trembled, but before he got to chase up, he heard a thunder3 that fell with a loud band behind him. ¡°He probably, doesn¡¯t want someone who killed him to go to his grave.¡± Notes: I think I might change to updating in the middle of the week instead of the weekend because I am way too busy during weekdays and I only want to slowly work on my translation during the weekend and often don¡¯t finish it on time. I am just giving a heads-up so you guys aren¡¯t surprised if I don¡¯t update during the weekend. CH 21 PUBLISHED ON 20 September 2022 ¡°Xin Yi?¡± Zhou MuHui called him, and bowed down to carry him into the room. He came back early in the evening, and the first thing he saw when opening the door was Xin Yi sitting on the sofa hugging the cat and in a daze, his movement when coming in couldn¡¯t be counted as light, but the little kid hasn¡¯t noticed it at all, until Zhou MuHui walked in front of it. He seemed to have been scared, and distractedly looked at Zhou MuHui, Zhou MuHui asked him what was wrong, he let out an ¡°ah¡±, then slowly shook his head negatively. ¡°No ¡­¡± His voice was very light, and with an absentminded expression just like that, Zhou MuhHui furrowed his brows further, examining him. Xin Yi was absent-minded, Zhou MuHui could feel it more and more clearly, he was making dinner, and the little kid¡¯s sight landed on him, then moved away, the frequency was too high, making it very hard for him to ignore it. It was even harder when they were eating, he only ate a few mouthfuls out of the bowl of rice, mostly using his time to glance at Zhou MuHui. Zhou MuHui was quite perturbed by all his watching, when he looked at him once again he hadn¡¯t moved his chopsticks for a long while, and carried him up with a cold face. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t allow him to move, and asked him while pressing on his chin. Xin Yi hurriedly sat up on the bed, ¡°¡­ nothing.¡± Mao Mao was locked outside by Zhou MuHui, probably because Zhou MuHui was a bit fierce, he was scratching the door and meowing and meowing, Xin Yi¡¯s line of sight skipped over him, and whispered, ¡°Mao Mao is calling.¡± Zhou MuHui hummed, but didn¡¯t make any move, Xin Yi could also feel his own stiffness, carefully moving away his hand, wanting to open the door for his cat. Advertisements ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Move away¡­¡± Xin Yi pushed him away, Zhou MuHui was unmoving as a mountain. ¡°Why are you not happy.¡± Xin Yi¡¯s hand that was pushing him trembled, hurriedly taking it back. Xin Yi didn¡¯t dare to look at him, didn¡¯t dare to reply, hesitantly lowering his head, not even caring for his cat anymore. Zhou MuHui needed money before, but didn¡¯t tell Xin Yi, Xin Yi sneakily learned that by himself, on the day he took the money and went to find him, Xin Yi already have forgotten what expression Zhou MuHui had back then, but now thinking about it, surely it wasn¡¯t a happy one. Or else, why would he write him an IOU. ¡°Speak.¡± Zhou MuHui told him. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Xin Yi drooped his ears, picking his own fingers with his head lowered, ¡°¡­ not speaking.¡± He wasn¡¯t not happy, it¡¯s just that he felt a bit depressed in his heart. Because he didn¡¯t know when he lost the piece of paper that Zhou MuHui had given him, and only noticed it today. Although he didn¡¯t even want that thing, but it was related to Zhou MuHui after all, furthermore¡­ Zhou MuHui gave it so much importance, even working to death was for that thing. But now Xin Yi messed it all up. Advertisements He was a bit disheartened, even more not daring to lift his head. But Zhou MuHui was amused by him into laughter, lowering his shoulder and leaning closer, asking him. ¡°Angry?¡± He was leaning very close, Xin Yi felt a bit itchy, and also a bit shy, but he seldomly saw Zhou MuHui smile like that, so even though his head was lowered he couldn¡¯t help but steal some glances at him. His heart was beating vividly, even though he was the one who was being stubborn, not willing to explain it clearly to Zhou MuHui. Zhou MuHui saw his line of sight, and let out a sigh in his heart. ¡°Do you want to know¡­¡± Zhou MuHui¡¯s eyebrows were tightly furrowed, as if he was thinking about what he should say, Xin Yi was distracted by him, carefully and confusedly raising his head, asking, ¡°What?¡± Zhou MuHui was inexplicably a little bit embarrassed, even his ears turned a bit red, especially when the gaze Xin Yi was using to look at him was too bright, it was rare for Zhou MuHui to be stuck, evading his gaze. ¡°My WeChat text at noon.¡± Xin Yi was stunned, then reacted that Zhou MuHui was talking about the text that he called back at noon, Xin Yi was anxious, hurriedly sat down, and energetically, ¡°Want!¡± His urgency was beyond words, Zhou MuHui regretted he dug such a big pit for himself, but all in all Xin Yi didn¡¯t have that unhappy expression he had back then, Zhou MuHui let out a sigh in relief, and said with an unchanging expression, ¡°Still angry?¡± Xin Yi looked at him with confusion, and shook his head dumbfounded. ¡°Not angry.¡± ¡°Then what were you thinking back then?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Xin Yi reacted, grabbed his collar, and widened his eyes, ¡°You speak first¡­¡± He unknowingly was led by Zhou MuHui, Zhou MuHui saw that he was anxious, and didn¡¯t tease him anymore, the wall lamp beside the bed was quietly switched off, Zhou MuHui half kneeled in front of him, whispering his name. ¡°Xin Yi.¡± Xin Yi hummed, and did not really understand what he wanted to do, he was just saying something, why did the light have to be switched off. ¡°It¡¯s ok if¡­ your guts are a little small.¡± Zhou MuHui said, ¡°there¡¯s still me.¡± Zhou MuHui slightly moved closer, lowered his forehead, looking at him gently. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid of saying anything, ok?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Xin Yi didn¡¯t say anything for a long time, after a long time, only he did stammeringly open his mouth. ¡°Very coward, is it ok if I am very cowardly?¡± ¡°It¡¯s ok.¡± ¡°Then is it ok if I say anything?¡± ¡°Ok.¡± Zhou MuHui touched his hair, ¡°Xin Yi can say whatever he wants.¡± But Xin Yi stopped speaking, only staring at Zhou MuHui, then hugged him tightly. ¡°You¡¯re so nice.¡± Xin Yi¡¯s voice was a bit hoarse, his arms very tightly wrapped around his neck, wiping the salty and wet tears that suddenly surged out on his body. ¡°Zhou MuHui, I seemed to have worsened (being a crybaby) a little bit.¡± He was buried in Zhou MuHui¡¯s neck, and sniffed, ¡°Wait for me a little bit, very quickly¡­ very quickly I¡¯ll be asking you.¡± Zhou MuHui wiped his tears for him in the dark, sighed and nodded. ¡°Alright.¡± He could see that Xin Yi was afraid, but he didn¡¯t know why, but Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t want to force him, Xin Yi could choose to say it or not say it, it is Xin Yi¡¯s right. Zhou MuHui only wanted him to not be afraid, no matter what he does, or what he says, Zhou MuHui wouldn¡¯t leave him. Read it on milkteatranslations.wordpress.com In mid-June Xin Yi had to prepare for his exams, he and Fang YiHe huddled in the library for the whole day, Xin Yi¡¯s grades were average, but Fang YiHe was very smart, and marked off a lot of important points for him, and told him to look at him at home. Xin Yi nodded, the week before the exams he was hugging his books and did not let go of them, his character was too soft, in his sophomore year his family asked for his opinion, does he want to continue his studies after graduation or go to work, Xin Yi was very stupid, but he still said he wants to stay at school, thus he spent more effort than others, and managed to stay with difficulty. Advertisements ¡°Those which have been marked off have to be reviewed once more tomorrow, do you understand?¡± Fang YiHe said goodbye to him in front of the library, the exam is on the day after tomorrow, and they won¡¯t be coming here tomorrow, Xin Yi hummed, and hugged tightly the backpack in his arms. ¡°And here too, all these needed to be reviewed.¡± Fang YiHe was flipping the books and showing him, but Xin Yi was absent-minded, Zhou MuHui sent a text a while ago to say that he will be waiting for him in front of the school, Xin Yi was a bit in a hurry, when Fang YiHe spoke for half a day and didn¡¯t have the intention to leave, he hurriedly snatched the book in his hands. ¡°I have to go!¡± Xin Yi didn¡¯t have the time to say goodbye, turned his head and ran. Fang YiHe let out ¡°hey¡±, gave him a glare behind his back, knowing that he was going to find Zhou MuHu again. After they talked it through last time, Xin Yi evaded it less and less, Fang YiHe wasn¡¯t someone who was bashful either, the day after that when Zhou MuHui sent Xin Yi over, he went to apologize. He took a look when he was apologizing, although Zhou MuHui was speaking with him, all his attention was on Xin Yi. Hence, Fang YiHe let out a sigh in relief, and let off his old mother¡¯s heart. Xin Yi ran off very anxiously, because Zhou Muhui was already waiting outside for a while, he was still sweating when he hopped into the car, Zhou MuHui saw it, pressed him into the seat, and gave him another lesson. The weather was hotter after the beginning of summer, Xin Yi¡¯s cheeks were red after running for ten minutes, he obediently put on the safety belt and nodded at Zhou MuHui, saying, ¡°I will be slower next time.¡± Zhou MuHui pulled out a tissue to wipe off his sweat, paused after hearing that, and said, ¡°You indeed should be slower, there¡¯s nothing to be in a hurry for.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t be leaving.¡± Zhou MuHui said. Xin Yi¡¯s heart suddenly turned sour, you not leaving and me not leaving is not the same meaning, you might not leave now, but are you never going to leave? He inexplicably felt wronged, and angrily pulled off Zhou MuHui¡¯s hand. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhou MuHui frowned, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The hand that he pulled off was a bit bigger than his, Xin Yi¡¯s guts were as big as a mouse¡¯s, and became afraid in the blink of an eye, and stole a glance at Zhou MuHui using the corner of his eyes, then grabbed his hand and putting back into place. ¡°Wrongly pulled it off¡­¡± He murmured. ¡°¡­¡­¡± It was rare for Zhou MuHui to get stuck, and let out a sigh after a long while, and pinched his face in this position, scolding him, ¡°So stupid.¡± Xin Yi was not happy that he was told off, but he didn¡¯t refute, only looked at him silently, and whispered, ¡°Alright.¡± Anyway, he is indeed stupid. Advertisements Zhou muHui got a call after getting out of the car, Xin Yi was very close and heard a little, he quietly lowered his head, following behind the man and stepping on his shadow, but Zhou MuHui who was in front of him stopped, and grabbed his wrist. ¡°Walk correctly.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Xin Yi let out an ¡°Oh¡±, and obediently walked next to him. Zhou MuHui was still on call, Xin Yi heard him saying that he was free, saying that he was going tomb sweeping, Xin Yi slowly looked at him, and guessed whose call it was. ¡°I also want to go¡­¡± After the call was hung up Xin Yi pulled Zhou MuHui¡¯s sleeves, afraid that Zhou MuHui wouldn¡¯t agree, Zhou MuHui paused for a moment, and turned his head to look at him. ¡°I also want to go to see aunty¡­¡± Xin Yi begged him, ¡°Zhou MuHui, take me with you.¡± CH 22 PUBLISHED ON 1 October 2022 Zhou MuHui¡¯s mom left at the beginning of this year, because of stomach cancer, she endured it for many years, Xin Yi didn¡¯t know if this could be considered as freeing herself from it, because when they went to see her for the last time, she was very very thin, almost unable to speak. Xin Yi squatted next to her to accompany her, she was holding Xin Yi¡¯s hand without letting it go, and said with difficulty, ¡°Xiao Yi, it¡¯s been hard on you.¡± At that time, Xin Yi didn¡¯t understand what it meant, only shaking his head negatively in confusion, saying it wasn¡¯t hard. He thinks that Zhou MuHui¡¯s mom was very nice, both gentle and good-looking, and also very nice to him, before, she always used to make tasty food for him, helping him to scold Zhou MuHui who always had a cold face, and also weaved winter sweater for him. Read it on milkteatranslations.wordpress.com Advertisements ¡°Xiao Yi¡­ Do you like him?¡­¡± It took her a lot of effort to speak, because the doctor said that it was something that would happen in these two days, so they didn¡¯t leave during those few days, but at that time Zhou MuHui went outside, leaving only the two of them in the hospital room, Xin Yi looked at her with confusion, and said (he) likes. Likes very very much. Xin Yi was slumped on the hospital bed to speak with her, brushing her slightly messy hair, Xin Yi saw her smile, but her smile carried some sadness, but also seemed to carry some relief, he slowly blinked, and asked her what was wrong. She strenuously shook her head, stretching a hand to caress Xin Yi¡¯s hair. ¡°Good child¡­¡± She softly said, ¡°It is Xiao* Hui¡¯s fortune.¡± (*little) Xin Yi¡¯s face turned red, being praised by an elder made him not even know where to put his hand, and he was a little embarrassed to speak the next sentence. ¡°In the future don¡¯t¡­ this¡­ indulge this much on him..¡± She gently looked at Xin Yi, speaking intermittently, ¡°Xin Yi, don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Xin Yi understood even less, he thought he wasn¡¯t afraid of Zhou MuHui, but he didn¡¯t dare to say it, he could only confusingly nod, saying he understands. Aunty only smiled, and gently patted his hand, Xin Yi also smiled, although he didn¡¯t understand what the other party was talking about. After that, it was already late in the night, he was woken up in surprise by Zhou MuHui in the dark, the hospital room was a mess, Xin Yi¡¯s ears were full of the sound of electric current, Xin Yi could hear the doctors loud shoutings, and could also hear his own heartbeats almost break through his chest, he stood at the same place at a loss, seeing the hand that was dangling next to the bed, skinny and bony, almost devoid of life. He wanted to turn his head to look for Zhou MuHui, but he couldn¡¯t shift his line of vision at all, until someone pulled him to the front, saying that his mother was looking for him. Advertisements Mother this form of address was very familiar, but also very foreign. Because Xin Yi never called her this way, but the night before that she opened her mouth first, pulling Xin Yi¡¯s hand and smiling, saying, ¡°When we¡¯ll see each other next time¡­call me mother¡­¡± Xin Yi was so embarrassed that his whole face was red, Zhou MuHui was still at his side, he was happy but also embarrassed, only hesitantly agreeing, saying, ¡°¡­ Ok.¡± ¡°We¡­ dragged, dragged you down¡­¡± Her voice was almost inaudible, Xin Yi was pressed very close to her, Xin Yi could feel her very weak breath, the life that was disappearing at a great speed, Xin Yi was scared silly, tears were running down uncontrollably, looking at her foolishly. ¡°Xiao, Xiao Hui didn¡¯t say¡­¡± ¡°When he will¡­ return¡­¡± ¡°Good¡­live a good life¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t die¡­¡± Xin Yi could hear her words, and only widen his eyes at a loss, begging her mechanically, ¡°Don¡¯t die.¡± Time flies very quickly, at seventeen years old, she was still Zhou MuHui¡¯s mother, pulling Zhou MuHui¡¯s hand and asking him why he came back so late, until twenty-two years old, she suddenly became his mother. Loving him just like Xin Shao, doting on him. Being concerned with him and Zhou MuHui for every single moment. ¡°It¡¯s not even past New Year¡­¡± Xin Yi begged her, ¡°Mom, it¡¯s not even past New Year.¡± Xin Yi was scared, looking at her sorrowfully. A big hand landed on their intertwined hands, Xin Yi¡¯s tears pattered on the top of them, Zhou MuHui lowered his body, his voice hoarse. ¡°Mom.¡± Her voice turned quieter and quieter, as if it was in a virtual world, Xin Yi¡¯s body kept shaking, watching her lips open and close, each time seeming to consume her life, but Xin Yi was helpless. ¡°I failed¡­ failed you¡­¡± 1 Her eyes looking sad, she said to Zhou MuHui, ¡°Mom failed¡­ failed you¡­¡± She¡¯s been a burden to everyone in her whole life, especially to her child, couldn¡¯t protect him when he was little, and after growing up he had to take responsibility for her own mistake, it is good that at least there was Xin Yi¡­ At the last moment, she struggled to hold their hands, her eyes started to become blurred, and her mind also seemed to be floating, she was thinking, it¡¯s good, it¡¯s good that at least there was Xin Yi. Their Xin Yi ah¡­was just like a gift from the heavens. Obviously so inaccessible, a sun that was so bright, but he landed in their family. Driving away the gloom, just like the light, pulled Zhou MuHui who was about to fall into the abyss, it is only that he was too obedient¡­ making her worried, afraid that Zhou MuHui would bully him. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t¡­ bully him.¡± She murmured, but it seemed that no one heard it, Xin Yi was crying, Zhou MuHui was holding her hand, his eyes were silent2, but slowly gave a nod. Thus she let out a sigh of relief, and her consciousness dissipated. ¡°Mom!¡± Xin Yi called her in a panic, she heard it, but couldn¡¯t reply, death swallowed all the sounds, leaving only sins, she had to prolong it.3 But it was only natural, she had to redeem herself. The last third of June was Zhou MuHui¡¯s mother¡¯s birthday, after finishing his exam Xin Yi went to see her along with Zhou MuHui. Zhou MuHui spoke very little, only quietly placing things, sweeping away the dust on the tombstone. Xin Yi had a lot to say, talking about their life during these few months no matter how big or small, as if he wanted to make up on the behalf of Zhou MuHui who didn¡¯t say anything. The person on the tombstone was very young, their hair was still black, it was a picture that Xin Yi personally picked. ¡°Mom has to go all pretty and beautiful.¡± Xin Yi pulled Zhou MuHui¡¯s hand, and said it very seriously. It was the first time Xin Yi experienced separation in life and death, he seemed to have lost his soul, and his tears were unstoppable, but when he saw Zhou Muhui on the second day, he didn¡¯t dare to cry anymore. Xin Yi¡¯s brain turned rusty, he thought, what should he do. In the future, Zhou MuHui will be a child without his mother, he dislikes speaking so much, his mother isn¡¯t here anymore, where would he go when he¡¯s sad. If he¡¯s wronged again, who will he complain to. And all these childhood moments he missed, why doesn¡¯t he have a little more. Xin Yi hurriedly wiped his tears, when Zhou MuHui walked over, he tightly hugged him. Zhou MuHui seemed to have lost quite a lot of weight overnight, Xin Yi¡¯s heart was very sour, so sour that he wanted to cry, but he endured it, he didn¡¯t want Zhou MuHui to have to worry about him. Xin Yi endured his own sadness, accompanying Zhou MuHui to be busy around, keeping silent together with him, keeping vigil beside the coffin together with him with his head lowered. Under the dim light, his side profile was as cold as usual, but Xin Yi saw sadness in the half-lowered eyes. He moved closer like a quail, taking advantage of the half-bright half dim light to hug Zhou MuHui, just like he was hugging a helpless cub that was seeking warmth, using strength to paste himself against the other party. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid¡­¡± He held Zhou MuHui¡¯s pallid hand, coaxing him clumsily, wanting to absorb all his sadness over. ¡°There¡¯s still me.¡± He whispered. Advertisements ¡°Mom, we have to go.¡± After Zhou MuHui stood up, he also climbed up, the flowers in front of the tombstone were still moist with dew, because they came very early, and even the sun had barely risen by then. Zhou MuHui opened his mouth at this moment. ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ been angry with her before.¡± Xin Yi was surprised, hurriedly looked at Zhou MuHui, and suddenly reacted in the next minute. ¡°Zhou MuHui¡­¡± Xin Yi called him at a loss, hastily coaxing him, ¡°Don¡¯t think about it anymore, let¡¯s hurry back home.¡± He held Zhou MuHui wanting to go hurriedly, Zhou MuHui paused, and gently pulled him. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Zhou MuHui said. The sun was very strong in the early summer, but there were many trees embedded on the sides, under the trees¡¯ shadow, Zhou MuHui caressed his hair, whispering his name, ¡°Xiao Yi.¡± Xin Yi anxiously hummed, staring at him, and whispered, ¡°Zhou MuHui, don¡¯t be sad.¡± The opposite of Zhou MuHui¡¯s mom was his father, but Zhou MuHui barely mentioned the other party. Xin Yi knew the reason, he carefully hugged Zhou MuHui, standing on his tippy toes and acutely kissed the scar on his face, lowering his voice, ¡°Don¡¯t be sad.¡± Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t move, but he lowered his head when Xin Yi moved close, then quietly hugged him. Xin Yi¡¯s body was very hot, the skin under his thin t-shirt was pressed against him, Zhou MuHui¡¯s breath was sprayed against his neck, closing his eyes deeply. ¡°She¡¯s been delivered.¡± Zhou MuHui said, ¡°But¡­ I still think about her.¡± Notes: We¡¯ve reached half of this novel! I am still very busy with work although I wished I could finish this novel quickly and move into my next project. (T_T) I saw so many nice danmei web novels. CH 23 Zhou MuHui thought he could be delivered, along with her death. But he actually did not. From time to time, he will still be startled, and will unconsciously look for her. They actually don¡¯t seem to have any emotional bond between them, when he just came out from jail, he was even a stranger to his mother. They only met a few times during these seven years, at first she came diligently, then less after that, from once every few months, it gradually became once every six months, once a year, in the later years, Zhou MuHui counted many times, only did he realized that she only came one. Maybe because she hated him, Zhou MuHui lowered his head and thought. Anyway, from childhood, she never really cared about Zhou MuHui. Zhou MuHui also didn¡¯t really want to see her that much, he always told himself that, but when he saw her hunched back outside the jail¡¯s entrance, his heart still quivered. Zhou MuHui thought, it seemed that he hadn¡¯t seen her for three years, how come she aged so much at once. She didn¡¯t have the cowardice she had back then, she stumbled over to look at him, but didn¡¯t say a single word, opened her mouth and cried. Zhou MuHui at that time thought, his plan might have been messed up, and maybe he could still have a family member. Also his single family member. Advertisements He came from a normal household, normal to the point that hitting and scolding was something regular, his mom was the one who was beaten when he was little, and it became him after he grew up a little, Zhou MuHui never thought about why, only staying quiet and quiet, then revolted. Then getting suppressed. After all, his mom refused to divorce that man. Just like the epitome of a woman who is oppressed, only telling him to be more obedient, and not make his dad angry. Zhou MuHui coldly looked at her, then quietly lay back in his bed. He was studying, he has written his homework till the third page of the book, when his father came home carrying the smell of alcohol on him, breaking the alcohol bottles in the living room, shouting angrily, Zhou MuHui heard his mother who originally was hidden away run out again, just like a rabbit that was trembling under an eagle, approaching in fear, and violently flogged. vThen Zhou MuHui opened the door. Zhou MuHui was very clear-headed, if he didn¡¯t go to help her share it, the man would even hit her to death. After all, she was almost strangled to death by the other party. Thus Zhou MuHui went back with his body full of bruises. His back was scratched open by the broken glass beer bottle, he was lying on the floor, almost unconscious, but the other party still did not loosen his grip, Zhou MuHui heard his mother cry, but she couldn¡¯t do anything, they couldn¡¯t win over him. Zhou MuHui was only thirteen years old, still unable to struggle against a full fledged adult. She was crying with trembling hands, she moved Zhou MuHui onto the bed with great effort, then helped him clean it, and fed him some regular anti-inflammatory medicine. She didn¡¯t dare to bring Zhou MuHui to the hospital, because the doctors would help them to call the police, then would admonish him in a symbolic way, his biological father would be easy to talk to, and say that he was just too angry for a moment, he would surely pay more attention in the future. Then suddenly pulled a long face after the door had closed, lifted the stool at one side and smashed it on Zhou MuHui. His mother, cowardly, and timid, did not have the guts to agree to report it to the police. Only Zhou MuHui would do it. When he was little, he knew to go to the police station, taking advantage of the fact that he wasn¡¯t home to install cameras, recording the menace and wicked words he had said. To have his father arrested. Then to the mother who was occasionally gentle to him, confessed it all. She is a weak and kind-hearted person, a little bit of sweetness is enough to move her, Zhou MuHui often endured his biological father¡¯s madness, and still has to hide from his mother¡¯s betrayal. Even if that man calls him a white-eyed wolf1. But Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t care. Fortunately, it became better after that, although Zhou MuHui disliked him, he is still grateful that he wasn¡¯t born as a shorty because of him. Thus Zhou MuHui could finally fight back, press him on the ground, holding a bottle of alcohol, smashing it open next to his head, then using the sharp part to point at him, and calmly said, ¡°Don¡¯t hit my mom.¡± An adult¡¯s authority isn¡¯t easy to provoke, but Zhou MuHui who was sixteen years old didn¡¯t know that. They are cunning, smooth talkers, stumbling and falling in society made them unusually sophisticated, speaking human speech when they see humans, speaking ghost speech when they see ghosts. Zhou MuHui was rarely beaten after that, but not his mother. The man¡¯s anger turned toward the woman, during the days when Zhou MuHui wasn¡¯t at home, venting the hatred of being oppressed by an underaged son. And his mother, for an unknown reason, never mentioned it to Zhou MuHui. Advertisements His father was a man with an elegant demeanor outside, very few people would be able to discover the malevolent face under his mask, their house¡¯s door seemed to be a boundary, he pretends to be human outside, and be a ghost after returning home. So after that when Zhou MuHui accidentally missed and killed him, a lot of people didn¡¯t believe it, some people even believe that it was a ¡°normal¡± dispute between father and son, and Zhou MuHui was heavy-handed. ¡°If it is really like this, then why didn¡¯t you report it to the police?¡± They asked. Zhou MuHui lowered his head to look at the cuffs on his hands, and didn¡¯t speak for a long time. His oral testimony and report history from the past were flipped over many times already, but they still had to ask him that question, perhaps it was an inherent character that they didn¡¯t think a father hitting his son, a husband hitting his wife was something wrong. So they were turning and tossing trying to find an excuse for ¡°that kind of person¡±. After all, in their eyes, the other party¡¯s (father) act ¡°won¡¯t really beat you to death.¡± Zhou MuHui was judged as having used excessive force in self-defense, and sentenced to eight years. When the court hearing declared it his mother even fainted on the spot, her cries were too mournful, when Zhou MuHui was restrained on the way back, he could only listen to heartbreaking howls. ¡°He is only eighteen-ah, he is only eighteen-ah!¡± Maybe it was regret. Zhou MuHui thought, because he has never heard her cry like this before. But it was too late, Zhou MuHui heard the door behind him close with a bang, thinking in his heart, it was also too late to regret. It¡¯s not that he never got angry with her. Angry that she was too cowardly, and too obstinate, because of a few years of joy when she was young, clinging obstinately to old habits, never caring about the young Zhou MuHui. When Zhou MuHui was still little he would indulge in fantasies, imagining that he could fly, and could take her along and fly out of the house, getting far away from that person, he would diligently go to school, diligently attending school, then in the future, he would find a good job. But when he could finally fly, only did he notice that she actually didn¡¯t want to go with him. Thus Zhou MuHui was like a bird unable to escape, definitely being stranded here when he turned into an adult. Advertisements ¡°Zhou MuHui¡­¡± Xin Yi called him in a whisper, lightly tapping his back. Xin Yi¡¯s hand was very soft, stroking along Zhou MuHui¡¯s back would often make him dizzy, Zhou MuHui hummed, but didn¡¯t get off his shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± Xin Yi said, ¡°The sun is too strong.¡± Zhou MuHui looked at the tree¡¯s shadow behind him, paused for a while, and slowly straightened up. He led Xin Yi down the mountain, Xin Yi was very quiet, obediently leaning against him the whole time, he was still hugging an empty basket in his arms, he had just presented her with the gift he had carefully prepared. It was a knit sweater, Xin Yi knitted it himself. When Xin Yi got into the car he didn¡¯t put on the security belt, until Zhou MuHui sat on the driver¡¯s seat and kneel sat, calling him seriously. ¡°Zhou MuHui.¡± Zhou MuHui tilted his head to look at him, asking, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Xin Yi seemed to be a little embarrassed by his stare, Zhou MuHui saw that the hand that was hanging at one side was curled up, he let out a sigh in his heart, stretched a hand to caress Xin Yi¡¯s face, telling him, ¡°Sit properly.¡± Xin Yi didn¡¯t move, using this position to hold his hand, then using the moment he was stunned to shift closer. ¡°What ¡ª ¡ª¡± His voice abruptly stopped, and something soft landed on his lips. Xin Yi¡¯s breathing was very light, as if he was desperately restraining it, when it fluttered on Zhou MuHui¡¯s lips, Zhou MuHui frowned. Xin Yi was licking him. Just like a kitten, the wet tongue was shifting along the seam of his lips, Zhou MuHui was wet because of him, looking down at the little kid in front of him. His guts were too small, both of his hands were on his shoulders, but his ears were wide open, looking at him anxiously. It was obvious that he was almost unable to control his breathing, fluttering on him sometimes heavily, sometimes softly, but still didn¡¯t dare to use strength, and also didn¡¯t dare to beg Zhou MuHui, just letting out a few murmurs that himself wasn¡¯t even aware of. Zhou MuHui let out a sigh in his heart, his palm reaching for the back of his waist, pressing him against himself. ¡°Stupid.¡± Zhou MuHui whispered, putting in the tongue that he was fooling with for half a day. Xin Yi led Zhou MuHui back home, it was about noon, and they still hadn¡¯t eaten, Zhou MuHui was about to go into the kitchen, that he was stopped by Xin Yi. ¡°Go shower first.¡± Xin Yi pushed him, ¡°Shower first then cook after that.¡± Zhou MuHui replied in agreement, and turned to get into the bathroom. Xin Yi saw the door not far away close, sighed in relief, carried up the cat that was circling around his feet for a while, and sneakily walked toward the kitchen. Xin Yi didn¡¯t know how to cook, but could still read a recipe, twenty couldn¡¯t be counted as long, but it was enough for him to make a bowl of noodles. He didn¡¯t dare to put too many things, counting the time he hurriedly carried it out, it just happened that Zhou MuHui came out, looking at his back facing himself, and frowned. ¡°Xin Yi?¡± Zhou MuHui couldn¡¯t see his movements, but the hunched waist of the little kid was too obvious, one can tell with one look that he was up to no good. ¡°¡­ Ah?¡± Xin Yi was startled, looking at him, and was busy shaking his head, smiling at him. ¡°Zhou MuHui, you come quickly!¡± Advertisements Xin Yi didn¡¯t know whether he was naturally talented, because the bowl of noodles was entirely eaten by Zhou MuHui, Xin Yi was sprawled and looking at him from the opposite side, pursing his lips into a smile. ¡°Is that tasty?¡± Xin Yi embarrassedly asked him. Zhou MuHui nodded, ¡°Tasty.¡± The cat on Xin Yi¡¯s lap moved, and struggled to stretch out his head from his embrace, and sprawled along with him on the table, eagerly looking at Zhou MuHui. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me.¡± Xin Yi blinked, and murmured, ¡°Don¡¯t force yourself if it¡¯s not good.¡± Zhou MuHui put the last bit of egg next to his lips, and said, ¡°It¡¯s not.¡± (a lie) Xin Yi tasted it, and couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Tasty.¡± He was sprawled on the table inclining his head to look at Zhou MuHui, the cat took a turn at his neck, softly wrapping him. ¡°Not hungry?¡± Zhou MuHui asked him. Xin Yi shook his head, and stickily went to hold his hand, whispering, ¡°Not hungry.¡± Sitting at his opposite was a bit straining, Zhou MuHui was also held by him and couldn¡¯t move, hence Xin Yi let go of his hand, then stretched his leg under the table, hooking his thigh. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I want to lean on you.¡± Xin Yi was being unreasonable, lifting his other leg and putting it up, burying his face in his arms, looking at him prettily. Zhou MuHui paused, Xin Yi thought he was going to be told off, as a result, Zhou MuHui only looked at him, then drew his two legs up. Xin Yi was stepping on his lower abdomen, seeing that he really didn¡¯t move, he lifted his head in curiosity. He wanted to make Zhou MuHui laugh, or make Zhou MuHui angry, anyway was fine, this way Zhou MuHui wouldn¡¯t think about these sad matters anymore, but how come Zhou MuHui kept indulging in him, not showing temper at all. Xin Yi¡¯s feet moved slightly, using his toes to step on him, the cat in his embrace lamented, seeing that Xin Yi didn¡¯t pay any attention to him, climbing down along his arms, falling on Xin Yi¡¯s legs. ¡°Hey ¡ª ¡ª!!¡± Xin Yi was knocked down. His legs dropped from Zhou MuHui¡¯s body. Zhou MuHui paused, and frowned at the kid sprawling at his opposite. Xin Yi saw his expression, sheepishly smiled at him, and complained in a small voice, ¡°Mao Mao is too bad¡­¡± ¡°Meow ¡ª!¡± The cat jumped on Zhou MuHui¡¯s leg, and also complained to Zhou MuHui. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Xin Yi didn¡¯t speak, pouted and ducked under the table, catching his cat. But bumped straight into Zhou MuHui. The cat was left behind in their minds, jumped on the table, and howled, Xin Yi foolishly looked at Zhou MuHui who also crouched down, asking him, ¡°What are you doing.¡± Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t say anything, only looked at him quietly, then took advantage of the shade as a cover to move closer, and silently kissed him. Notes: CH 24 Zhou MuHui falling for Xin Yi, was something of a matter of course. Although he always found himself some excuses, disliking Xin Yi for being too sticky, and disliking him for being too talkative, but in reality, when Xin Yi didn¡¯t come to find him, he couldn¡¯t help but feel irritable. Just like after that day, the kid who said he¡¯ll come to find him still hadn¡¯t shown his face, Zhou MuHui¡¯s face was so long that it was about to touch the ground, but he still refused to open his mouth first to ask Xin Yi, where have you gone. In the evening when it was near the time to get off work, the lady boss called him from behind, at that moment Zhou MuHui was unloading the merchandise, just in time to hear her say ¡°Your little brother¡­¡±, his back suddenly turned stiff. His heart shook, and there was a furtive growing numb trembling sensation in his fingertips, Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t turn around, as if he prevented himself on purpose, said indifferently, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He thought that Xin Yi came, and thought that Xin Yi was standing in that corner and looked at him sneakingly. ¡°Oh, nothing, just asking why your little brother hasn¡¯t come for half a month? Isn¡¯t he usually quite diligent?¡± The lady boss walked past him, seeing that he was carrying a box but hadn¡¯t moved for a while, strangely looking at him, ¡°Wasn¡¯t it meant to be sent away? Why are you carrying it?¡± Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t say anything, it was just that his face turned a bit uglier, and he only opened his mouth after a long moment, but his tone was so stiff that it was scary. ¡°Don¡¯t know.¡± Xin Yi didn¡¯t come to find him again since that day, not even sending the text messages that he liked so much, Zhou MuHui isn¡¯t someone who likes to look at his phone, but that day he frowned and stared at it for half a day, and even doubt if it wasn¡¯t because there wasn¡¯t credit anymore, charging one hundred on it. As a result, on the second day there was no text. Zhou MuHui sat on his bed expressionlessly, outside, his mom called him to eat, Zhou MuHui made a sound in agreement, frowned, and started to delete the texts. He once again thought that it was because the storage was full, pressed the keyboard to the bottom, and deleted one by one the spam texts, until he finished deleting fifty messages, but still hasn¡¯t received new texts. Zhou MuHui pursed his lips, and reluctantly stood up after half a day. Xin Yi played enough, that was his first thought. Advertisements Until it was past three or four days, when it was definitely past Xin Yi¡¯s half-month promise, this guess grew roots in the bottom of his heart, the pressure around Zhou MuHui was very low, he thought it was obviously the result he wanted, the little brat was uncertain, only pursuing him because of curiosity, not because he really liked him. But he was still irritable, irritable from April till May, always pulling the long face, going out to work once the sun was up, and only coming back at one or two in the morning, two hours later than usual, even not willing to speak much. The lady boss from the store thought that the two of them had a dispute, went aiyo for a while, but couldn¡¯t tell the whys and wherefores about Zhou MuHui¡¯s icily cold face, only that he was paying more attention to outside than usual, having to look outside every once in a while. In mid-May when Zhou MuHui basically thought that Xin Yi wouldn¡¯t come anymore, but Xin Yi appeared. The kid was crouching in a corner in front of the store and looking at him sneakily, seeing him come out, carefully called him, ¡°Zhou MuHui¡­¡± He didn¡¯t boldly move closer like he used to do, he obviously hasn¡¯t been hiding in the corner like this for a long while. Zhou MuHui was expressionless, and was thinking he probably came to something he wouldn¡¯t like to hear. Xin Yi anxiously blinked, seeing his long face, he was a little scared in his heart. ¡°Zhou MuHui, pay attention to me.¡± He said in a small voice, but his body didn¡¯t dare to move. As if as long as Zhou MuHui nodded, he would stay crouched there and not move. Zhou MuHui obviously didn¡¯t want to pay attention to him, he didn¡¯t come for such a long time, and didn¡¯t look for him, why did Zhou MuHui have to pay attention to him. But he inexplicably hummed. The little kid¡¯s eyes lit up, and called out Zhou MuHui once again with a soft voice, Zhou MuHui paused, and swallowed back the ¡°won¡¯t pay attention¡± that he almost blurted out. Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t want to pay attention to him, it¡¯s just that he was used by this little kid¡¯s pleas, thus agreeing as a conditioned reflex. Zhou MuHui told himself that. Xin Yi pursed his lips into a smile, his fingers digging in his backpack¡¯s straps, and looking at him shyly. ¡°It¡¯s almost eight o¡¯clock, I¡¯ll wait for you.¡± Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t say yes, only stopped before him after he finished tidying the things, then moved forward with his face as usual. Xin Yi made a hey, and hurriedly chased after. Advertisements He had something on his mind, Zhou MuHui could feel it. The little kid usually has a lot to say, because the way toward the bar was the only moment he could chat with Zhou MuHui, Xin Yi usually won¡¯t be so quiet when following him, and also sneakily looking at him from time to time. Zhou MuHui stayed calm and collected, but was looking at him from the corner of his eyes. ¡°Zhou MuHui¡­¡± Xin Yi stopped before him when they were almost at the end of the alley, looking up at him with his hand behind his back, his face showing some fear, as if he was afraid, yet Zhou MuHui was a bit annoyed in his heart, because he take off his mask when he came out, and also because he didn¡¯t understand what Xin Yi was afraid of. It was obviously the kid who told him before that he wasn¡¯t afraid. ¡°Can you go out with me ah¡­¡± Xin Yi¡¯s voice was very small, Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t hear him clearly in the beginning, he frowned, staring at Xin Yi coldly. ¡°What?¡± Xin Yi was a bit embarrassed by his stare, his cheeks started to redden, he was twisting his fingers anxiously, stammeringly saying it once again. ¡°with me, go out with me!¡± Zhou MuHui was stunned, he thought he heard it wrong, and didn¡¯t say anything for half a day, Xin Yi also panicked, probably because he didn¡¯t expect Zhou MuHui to neither accept nor reject him, only staring at him for half a day. The kid was afraid and anxious, not knowing where to put his hands, the dim yellow streetlight was scattered on Zhou MuHui¡¯s body, Xin Yi darted a look at him, not knowing where the courage came from, he suddenly pulled him and pressed him against the wall beside. Zhou MuHui was stunned, lowering his head to look at him. Xin Yi hugged him, looking up with his voice trembling, and said, ¡°How come¡­ you¡¯re not speaking¡­¡± Zhou MuHui was already prepared for him to leave, but he never thought that the kid who disappeared a whole month, the first thing he said when coming back would be this. ¡°Say what¡­?¡± His voice was very low, and even the gaze that was falling on Xin Yi¡¯s was a beat slower, if Xin Yi listened to it seriously he would have noticed that Zhou MuHui was not quite right. Unfortunately, he was very nervous himself. ¡°An-, Answer!¡± Xin Yi tugged at his collar and gulped, begging him stammeringly, ¡°Be in a relationship with me, Zhou MuHui¡­¡± Zhou MuHui¡¯s heart suddenly trembled, that scorching heat was pressing under Xin Yi¡¯s hand, Zhou MuHui was absent-minded in a rare way, and didn¡¯t say his rejection for half a day. Advertisements Xin Yi trembled with fear, that day he unintentionally followed Zhou MuHui home, and heard something so important, he was scared silly, running away after Zhou MuHui went inside, until after he ran home he realized that he lost his phone. But he didn¡¯t have the energy to look for it, he was extremely panicked, hidden under the cover and trembling, he was indeed too young, and couldn¡¯t understand what could have happened to someone, that could make them kill their own father. Xin Yi was afraid, even his mom noticed that something was wrong with him, walking over worryingly the next day, asking him what was wrong. Xin Yi was hugging the cat while sitting on the sofa in a daze, he looked at Xin Shao, suddenly resting his head on Xin Shao¡¯s shoulder with his eyes red. ¡°Mom¡­¡± Xin Yi was hugging his neck without letting go, and said sadly, ¡°There is something that I cannot understand.¡± Xin Shao caressed his hair, asked him what was wrong, Xin Yi was a bit anxious, grabbing Xin Shao¡¯s hair and tangling them for half a day, then slowly asked, ¡°If someone did a wrong thing, but now he is very good, then does he count as a good person¡­ ?¡± Xin Yi was stunned by his question, then frowned, pondering very seriously. ¡°Between a good and bad person¡­ the boundary isn¡¯t actually very precise.¡± Xin Shao said, ¡°Xiao Yi, humans are very complex beings, each person has good and bad in them, just like someone can be wicked beyond redemption, but maybe he would also save a little kid on the side of the road, or someone who is always good to others, but would hurt other people because of certain things, these are overall characters that could appear on them.¡± ¡°It¡¯s very hard for us to judge somebody, but one always has to pay the price for doing something wrong.¡± Xin Shao carefully explained to him, speaking while looking at him, ¡°Before finishing to pay the price for it, you can choose to not forgive her.¡± ¡°Then, then what about after?¡± Xin Shao was silent for a moment, then let out a sigh. ¡°Determine the cause of the facts, take into account the circumstances.¡± Xin Shao touched his face, told him, ¡°Xiao Yi, you always did better than us.¡± Xin Yi bewilderedly nodded, then thought about it for a long time, then did he come to find Zhou MuHui. ¡°I like you, I want to be with you.¡± He anxiously and seriously said, ¡°Zhou MuHui, you are a good person, agree with me.¡± CH 25 Zhou MuHui rejected him. He grabbed Xin Yi¡¯s wrist, Zhou MuHui could feel that the person who was pressing on him kept trembling, maybe because he was anxious, or afraid, especially when he heard him say no, that pair of eyes suddenly dimmed down. He reckoned that the kid was going to cry, Zhou MuHui saw that his eye sockets turned red, but he only sniffled, then quietly nodded. ¡°Alright, then¡­ I am going to ask you again next time.¡± He did his best to squeeze out a smile, and said to Zhou MuHui. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It will also be no next time.¡± Zhou MuHui took his hand back, lowered his head to look at him, ¡°It will be no any time.¡± His tone was a bit heavy, but Xin Yi didn¡¯t notice it, he was only looking at Zhou MuHui foolishly, then the rim of his eyes turned redder and redder, pulling Zhou MuHui¡¯s hand at a loss. ¡°Why¡­¡± Xin Yi suddenly cried, his thick lashes wet with tears, his wasn¡¯t like before nodding and saying yes, or acting spoiled and saying no, only standing and wiping his tears in front of Zhou MuHui, looking at him heartbroken. ¡°I am almost grown up, wait for him.¡± Zhou MuHui¡¯s body turned stiff, he indeed wanted to reject Xin Yi, but not with this kind of angry tone, but the kid didn¡¯t notice, and he has no way to say it one more time. Because Xin Yi cried too sadly, although Zhou MuHui rejected him so many times before, but he never cried like this. Xin Yi went to pull Zhou MuHui¡¯s hand, Zhou MuHui dodged it in a conditioned reflex, the little kid¡¯s tears were hanging on his lashes, foolishly looking at the empty hand that he stretched out. ¡°Zhou MuHui¡­¡± Xin Yi called him with a crying tone, as if he was rejected by Zhou MuHui, or that him avoiding his hand was as if the sky have collapsed, he shredded more and more tears, Zhou MuHui started to be irritable, as if the air was blocked in his chest, following Xin Yi¡¯s tears and pooling at the bottom of his heart, not scattering no matter what. Zhou MuHui frowned, and increasingly couldn¡¯t understand what was wrong with him. Xin Yi was extremely sad, falling apart and wailing like a real kid, Zhou MuHui looked at his cheeks which were wiped by the back of his hands until they turned red, and at those mottled tears, and was momentarily stuck, not knowing how to end this farce. He was not good at comforting others, especially when Xin Yi was crying. Xin Yi was wiping his uncontrollable tears, taking advantage of Zhou MuHui¡¯s inadvertence to sneakily hold the hem of his clothes, Xin Yi was crying and calling his name at the same time, then anxiously nestled up, calling him, ¡°Zhou MuHui, I like you.¡± This is the twelfth time that Xin Yi said he likes him, Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t know why he remembers so clearly, he lowered his head to look at the kid who cried uglily1, his fingers were stiff, slowly stretching them toward his (XY¡¯s) shoulders. The light of the street lantern on one side flickered twice, the light sparks particles fell on Xin Yi¡¯s shoulders, Zhou MuHui paused, then quietly put it down. ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡± He stiffly said. Zhou MuHui tardily noticed his unusual action, and an unbelievable thought sprouted in his mind, but Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t dare to think deeply about it, only when this thought emerged from the fog, he used force to push Xin Yi away. Xin Yi¡¯s hand was forced to separate from Zhou MuHui, the kid was pushed away and was stunned, but in the next second, he didn¡¯t care and pounced over, like a fearless and courageous lion cub, holding tightly Zhou MuHui. ¡°Not okay, your no, is not okay!¡± He desperately said. So strange, Xin Yi¡¯s voice was obviously a bit hoarse, and the words he spoke out were a bit messy, but Zhou MuHui understood. Xin Yi cried until he was about to faint, it was not easy for him to sort out his ideas, how could Zhou MuHui say that it was always going to be no. He could understand that today was not okay, tomorrow was not okay, but it couldn¡¯t be always not okay. Xin Yi was almost a grown-up. ¡°I will be eighteen once my exams are over.¡± Xin Yi looked at him with tears in his eyes, and complained to Zhou MuHui, ¡°I¡¯m grown-up, I want to be in a relationship with you.¡± No one would ask for love in this way, it was clearly a threat, but it also seemed like a little kid throwing a tantrum, Zhou MuHui looked at that pair of eyes that were dense with water light, but didn¡¯t say his rejection once more. Did it count as him being indulgent? When Xin Yi stood on his tippy toes and moved closer, Zhou Muhui got distracted. But when those lips really brushed over him, Zhou MuHui seemed to have gotten the answer. He was indeed¡­ being indulgent. Advertisements Xin Yi¡¯s first kiss ended between his tears and snot, he soaked Zhou MuHui¡¯s face with tears, until when they were about to part away did he notice that Zhou MuHui¡¯s lips were bitten and broken by him. The other¡¯s party lower lip was dyed in deep red, overflowing from the narrow hole, and even split a bit of it on his own lips, Xin Yi dumbly pursed his lips, hurriedly lowering his head, afraid that Zhou MuHui would notice the criminal evidence on his own lips. But forgot that there would be pain if there was a wound, and Zhou MuHui wasn¡¯t stupid. ¡°¡­ Xin Yi.¡± Zhou MuHui called him. Xin Yi was scared witless, his guts were as small as a mouse, afraid to admit it after making a mistake, scared and at a loss he hid in Zhou MuHui¡¯s arms, and hurriedly said, ¡°Xin, Xin Yi isn¡¯t here!¡± Zhou MuHui was suffocated by him, he lowered his head to look at the soft hair swirl on the top of the kid¡¯s head, Zhou MuHui frowned, the wound on his lips made him uncomfortable, his physical reflex was wanting to lick it, but he couldn¡¯t. It was still covered with Xin Yi¡¯s saliva. Xin Yi only sneakily lifted his head after a while, Zhou MuHui was quiet the whole time, he was a bit anxious, but strangely wasn¡¯t afraid. The trace of tears on his face was all over the place, it was rubbed when he hugged Zhou MuHui just then, Xin Yi had a bit guilty conscience because he remember that he seemed to have sniffled his nose, not knowing if he has wiped his snot on Zhou MuHui¡¯s body. But his messy thoughts haven¡¯t ended, Zhou MuHui spoke. ¡°Get up.¡± Zhou MuHui called him, ¡°About to be late.¡± Xin Yi slowly reacted, then hurriedly took up straight, and nodded at Zhou MuHui. He didn¡¯t dare to speak, because Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t say anything either, only walking quietly in front of him, Xin Yi didn¡¯t dare to disturb him, afraid that Zhou MuHui would turn around, and reject him once again. Xin Yi would surely cry. He was walking behind Zhou Mui while stepping on his shadow, and was secretly calling Zhou MuHui¡¯s name in his heart. During this one month he really really missed Zhou MuHui, the first thing he did after getting his new phone was to save Zhou MuHui¡¯s phone number, but didn¡¯t dare to text him, because he was afraid that he couldn¡¯t help but go to find him. But at that time, Xin Yi hadn¡¯t sorted out his own mind. But it was fine now, Xin Yi was following behind him and quietly watching him, thinking, he was already prepared to continue liking Zhou MuHui this good and also bad person. Of course, Xin Yi hoped that he could always stay good. Just like when they met for the first time, although Xin Yi bumping and hurting himself was unrelated to him, he still seriously took responsibility. Zhou MuHui is too great, making Xin Yi even more surprised why he wasn¡¯t good before. Advertisements Zhou MuHui turned around when they were almost at the bar, Xin Yi¡¯s heart missed a beat, thinking that he was about to reject him one more time, but he didn¡¯t dare to interrupt him, because Zhou MuHui kept staring at him. They were staring at each other eye-to-eye, and Xin Yi couldn¡¯t bring himself to open his mouth. But he didn¡¯t speak even after a long time, Xin Yi couldn¡¯t help himself, asking a question in a small voice. ¡°¡­ What do you want to say.¡± Zhou MuHui was pondering quietly, even his expression didn¡¯t fluctuate, Xin Yi was anxious, and added in a hurry, ¡°not allowed to say no!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhou MuHui paused for a while, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it after your exams.¡± Xin Yi blinked, understanding that he passed another hurdle, but couldn¡¯t resist wanting to get a foot after getting an inch, asking him, ¡°Can I be in a relationship with you after my exams?¡± Zhou MuHui¡¯s no was very quick, but Xin Yi acted as if he didn¡¯t hear it. ¡°Try with me.¡± Xin Yi was playing dirty, ¡°Zhou MuHui, I¡¯ve already pursued you for such a long time.¡± Of course, Zhou MuHui knew it, this little kid has been following him for almost a year. the three-minute warmth that he calculated has been broken by Xin Yi, it¡¯s been such a long time already, but he still hasn¡¯t lost one bit of interest. ¡°You even kissed me¡­¡± He then stole a glance at Zhou MuHui, not admitting defeat, ¡°You have to take responsibility after kissing.¡± Zhou MuHui quietly look at the wound on his lips, not exposing him for confusing truth and falsehood, this kid said before that he likes him, but now he has redoubled his effort wanting to go out with him, Zhou MuHui thought, how could he have small guts, they were obviously so big that he was going to be absolutely lawless. Read it on milkteatranslations.wordpress.com Advertisements In the end, Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t promise anything, Xin Yi also didn¡¯t dare to ask anymore, only pulling at the hem of his clothes not wanting him to go, and leaving him his new phone number. ¡°Lost my phone last time¡­¡± He hesitantly said, not daring to be too detailed. Zhou MuHui¡¯s line of vision on him slightly paused, watching him for a while, then nodded. Xin Yi seemed to still have something to say, the hand that was gripping at the hem of his hand hadn¡¯t loosened up, Zhou MuHui lowered his head to look at him, putting behind his body the phone which the kid touched, furrowing his brows, ¡°What are you doing?¡± An uneasy expression on his face. ¡°I, I have an exam next month!¡± The little kid was scared by his sudden question, looking at him in a hurry, ¡°Zhou MuHui, you¡¯ll come to see me ok?¡± Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t even think about it and said no, college entrance exams2 are too important, and there is no way he was going to disturb Xin Yi. ¡°¡­¡­¡± The kid¡¯s disappointment was obvious to the eye, Zhou MuHui was a mess due to his stare, he couldn¡¯t say that he was irritated, especially when Xin Yi looked at him so sadly, it was as if he did something wrong. Zhou MuHui¡¯s thoughts were in turmoil, pulled away the hem of the clothes he kept holding onto, and took a step back. ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡± Xin Yi was sadder, even his mouth deflated, Zhou MuHui saw that his eye rims turned red again, and inexplicably stiffened, he wanted to explain, but didn¡¯t know where to start. ¡°Zhou MuHui¡­¡± Xin Yi called him, his voice soft and pitiful, Zhou MuHui immediately turned around, not daring to look at him. ¡°In the evening.¡± He seemed to be fleeing in panic, but his hand was gripping tightly the phone that Xin Yi touched, ¡°After you are done with your exams.¡± Notes: CH 26 Xin Yi¡¯s last exam ended in the afternoon, his mother as usual was picking him up outside of the examination center, but Xin Yi was looking around over his shoulders, Xin Shao paused for a moment, asking him, ¡°Is she also here?¡± Xin Yi let out an ¡°ah¡±, his face was a little red, ¡°Don¡¯t know.¡± Xin Shao, seeing that he hasn¡¯t moved his eyes away, found it funny, ¡°Then are we leaving or not?¡± Xin Yi obviously didn¡¯t want to leave, the people outside of the examination center were too numerous, densely packed, unable to see the end of it, he still hadn¡¯t found Zhou MuHui, and naturally didn¡¯t want to leave now. Thus he embarrassedly moved closer, begging Xin Shao, ¡°Mom, you go home first, alright?¡± Xin Shao lifted an eyebrow, ¡°Not letting me see?¡± Xin Yi¡¯s face almost burned up, muttering his disagreement, ¡°I still haven¡¯t successfully pursued them.¡± He was always a spoiled child In front of Xin Shao, and he also knows that although his mother looked cold, in reality, especially loved him dearly, furthermore, Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t agree, how could Xin Yi tell Xin Shao about it now. Xin Shao looked at him thoughtfully, but in the end, couldn¡¯t help at Xin Yi¡¯s plea, he let out a sigh, said, ¡°Then come back home early after eating dinner, not allowed to mess around.¡± Xin Yi was very clear about what the mess around he talked about meant, he blushed, thinking about that wet kiss stained with tears the other day, Xin Yi was embarrassed, hurriedly pulled him to the car, stammeringly said, ¡°Ab- absolutely not the case!¡± Xin Yi was a person who went through there after all, and also knew what kind of guts his own kid had, only pinched his face, saying, ¡°You guys are still too young, you cannot.¡± Xin Yi hurriedly nodded, said understood, and begged him, ¡°Mom, leave quickly.¡± He would hold hands at most, how would he dare to do something else. Moreover, Zhou MuHui wouldn¡¯t agree, Xin Yi thought, he doesn¡¯t even want to hold hands. Advertisements Xin Yi waited in the flock of people for a while, until everybody happily scattered, he still hadn¡¯t found Zhou MuHui¡¯s shadow, Xin Yi was a bit anxious, holding his phone and looking all around, and finally mustered the courage to give Zhou MuHui a call. He was afraid that the sound of a text would be too small, Zhou MuHui wouldn¡¯t be able to hear it. The phone rang four or five times before it went through, it was the first time that Xin Yi called him, hesitating for many seconds, before saying with a quiet voice, ¡°Zhou MuHui?¡± Zhou MuHui hummed, saying, ¡°Turn around.¡± His voice was cold, with the sound of electronic machinery it even felt strangely unfamiliar, but it was as if Xin Yi got an electric shock, his fingers became numb, he dizzily nodded, until Zhou MuHui called him, did he suddenly react, busily turned around. The person he was waiting for was standing under a tree not far away, raising his phone and looking at him. ¡°Come over.¡± Zhou MuHui said. Xin Yi¡¯s heart was struck, looking at Zhou MuHui it was as if his soul lost its weight, couldn¡¯t wait to run over, calling him, ¡°Zhou MuHui!¡± Zhou MuHui¡¯s phone was almost knocked over by him, he furrowed his brows, looking at the kid that was entirely hanging on him, his face was a bit green. ¡°Get down.¡± ¡°When did you come ah! I was looking for you for a long time!¡± Xin Yi was smiling the whole time, even pasting and rubbing against his face, ¡°You¡¯re so obedient, didn¡¯t even wear your mask.¡± Zhou MuHui was standing hidden, but it couldn¡¯t help that there were still a lot of people near the examination center, this little kid was hugging him like a koala, even his legs were wrapped around his waist, Zhou MuHui couldn¡¯t move, but was afraid of being seen by others, and couldn¡¯t only support him with one hand entering the alley on one side.¡± ¡°Get down.¡± Zhou MuHui said it one more time, Xin Yi blinked, looking at the cold face that was in front of him, then pasted himself against him again, grumbling in a small voice, ¡°Not getting down.¡± He seemed to be provocative on purpose, hugging Zhou MuHui¡¯s neck and getting closer little by little, whispering, ¡°I am not getting down.¡± His breath and Zhou MuHui¡¯s were mixed together, Xin Yi didn¡¯t know what happened, but suddenly thought about the messing around Xin Shao talked about, he started to feel aggrieved, thinking, he actually wants to mess around with Zhou MuHui, but Zhou MuHui wouldn¡¯t allow it. He was more and more angry, feeling that Zhou MuHui was too narrow-minded, not letting him hold hands, also not kissing him, and still loving to scare him. Making Xin Yi happy for a while then scared for a while, worried about personal gain and losses like a fool. Zhou MuHui was too bad, Xin Yi must punish him. ¡°I want to kiss you¡­¡± His lips opened, but didn¡¯t make a sound. Zhou MuHui naturally didn¡¯t hear it. Thus Xin Yi snicked with no qualms, pressed against his lips, and bit them. Advertisements He was really bitting, the fine teeth came in contact with Zhou MuHui¡¯s lips, dyeing Zhou MuHui red, making Zhou MuHui dazed, standing dumb like a wooden chicken. Xin Yi was very greedy, clambering up his shoulders and sucking on his lips, hooking him in his mouth, and using his tongue to give it a light lick like a kitten. He didn¡¯t really know how to kiss yet, his teeth would knock Zhou MuHui¡¯s lips from time to time, Zhou MuHui finally reacted, he wanted to pull off Xin Yi and rebuke him for messing around, but also wanted to throw him off on the spot, then never seeing him again. But he could do neither of them. Xin Yi was very sweet, Zhou MuHui thought. Like candy, a little sweet kid, even the muffled sounds that spilled out during the kiss were carrying a sweet flavor, hence Zhou MuHui was frozen, not knowing where to put his hands, hanging on Xin Yi¡¯s shoulders for half a day, but not really pushing him off. Xin Yi kissed until he made himself dizzy, resting his head on Zhou MuHui¡¯s shoulder and gasping for breath, he thought that this time he finally lived up to expectations, he really did mess around, when his mom is going to berate him again, Xin Yi will probably really have to lie. ¡°Get down.¡± After a while, Zhou MuHui spoke, his voice was hoarse, and it carried the calm before a storm. Xin Yi let out a sticky ¡®en¡¯, rubbed against his neck, but in the next second he was grabbed by the life door1. Zhou MuHui pinched the scruff of his neck, making him raise his head. Zhou MuHui¡¯s face was quite ugly, Xin Yi was pinched by him unable to move, and forced to look at him. He reacted half a beat slowly that Zhou MuHui was angry, Xin Yi gulped, and asked carefully, ¡°Are you angry?¡± Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t speak, but his pair of eyes were so dark that it was scary, Xin Yi was a bit flustered by his gaze, then regretted messing around like this, pulling on his clothes and begging him, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry ah¡­¡± He became afraid afterward, his pairs of trembling legs loosening around Zhou MuHui, saying, ¡°I am getting down is that still not enough.¡± Zhou MuHui also let him go, Xin Yi was freed, but wasn¡¯t too happy, because Zhou MuHui kept pulling a face and not speaking, Xin Yi couldn¡¯t tell what he was thinking about. He was afraid that Zhou MuHui would dislike him. ¡°I¡¯ll wipe it for you¡­¡± Xin Yi shrank his neck, timidly said, then held up his fingers towards his lips, ¡°It doesn¡¯t count as kissing after wiping it.¡± His strength was very big, maybe because he was scared of Zhou MuHui, he hurriedly wipe the water stain on Zhou MuHui¡¯s lips, Zhou MuHui was startled, he often couldn¡¯t guess the kid¡¯s trick, thus he was caught off-guard every time by Xin Yi. But his reaction was very quick, he caught Xin Yi¡¯s dishonest hand in the next second. Zhou MuHui¡¯s lips were wiped ¡®till it was a bit painful, and maybe ¡®till it was a bit red, because Xin Yi¡¯s hand was caught by him he was afraid anymore, he stare straight at him, suddenly said, ¡°Zhou MuHui, you are so good looking.¡± Zhou MuHui couldn¡¯t get his train of thought, but he didn¡¯t want to be entangled with Xin Yi anymore, he felt weird every day, as if he was sick. ¡°Done looking.¡± Zhou MuHui¡¯s voice was cold, loosened his grip around him, ¡°I am going back.¡± Xin Yi let out an ¡®ah¡¯, looking at him foolishly, until Zhou MuHui was really about to leave, only did he react, hurriedly blocking in front of Zhou MuHui. ¡°Cannot, cannot, too fast!¡± Xin Yi was not even afraid anymore, said hurriedly, ¡°I am wrong Zhou MuHui, don¡¯t go.¡± Xin Yi regretted it to the point his intestine turned green, he was thinking he was too stupid, Zhou MuHui was a tiger, how could he be plucking whiskers on the tiger¡¯s head, even threatening to punish him. It was all good now, the tiger was angry, and he made the tiger angry until he was about to leave. Zhou MuHui looked at him expressionlessly, then bypassed him. He couldn¡¯t continue to act like a fool, Zhou MuHui kept losing control. Zhou MuHui ignored him, Xin Yi was anxious, ¡®till he followed Zhou MuHui for a good half of the street, Zhou MuHui still did not speak to him, Xin Yi really panicked, rushed in front of him, hugged him with force. ¡°Not allowed to leave!¡± Xin Yi was about to be aggrieved to death, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you were going to wait for the end of my exam before being in a relationship with me?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhou MuHui was stuck, frowning, ¡°Who agreed with you?¡± Xin Yi was acting embarrassed, then speaking righteously, ¡°You.¡± It was the first time that he was being so unreasonable, looking up at Zhou MuHui obediently, his fears were following Zhou MuHui¡¯s mood, this time seeing him stop, he couldn¡¯t resist beginning with him, whispering, ¡°Not being in a relationship is also ok, you cannot be angry with me.¡± They still have plenty of time anyway, he could slowly wait until Zhou MuHui agrees. ¡°Is that ok?¡± Xin Yi was hugging his waist without letting go, pestering people to death, ¡°Zhou MuHui, isn¡¯t it very cost-effective.¡± Advertisements Half an hour later, Zhou MuHui looked at the little kid who was chirping on one side, and for the first time, he really felt that he was sick. He was like a fisherman who was bewitched by a mermaid, Xin Yi would randomly call out and he would agree, Zhou MuHui walked forward with a cold face, thinking in his heart, he doesn¡¯t if Xin Yi could be counted as a mermaid, but he sure was a real fool. ¡°Arrived.¡± Zhou MuHui stopped, and moved to the opposite side of the little kid. Xin Yi didn¡¯t notice his movement, looked in the distance, then turned his head toward him, ¡°Are you leaving?¡± They still had to gather together for a meal after the exams, Zhou MuHui was pestered by him ¡®till he couldn¡¯t help, and could only send him on the way here. Zhou MuHui put both his hands into his pockets, nodding. Xin Yi let out an ¡®oh¡¯, he learned to be obedient, and also knew that he couldn¡¯t ask for a foot after taking an inch, and said, ¡°Alright, then be careful on your way back.¡± He then stole a glance at the hands that Zhou MuHui hid away, pursed his lips feeling a bit aggrieved, ¡°I¡¯m going in.¡± Zhou MuHui hummed, ¡°Go.¡± ¡°Then tonight¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no tonight.¡± Zhou MuHui did not even have to think about it, ¡°Go home directly.¡± Xin Yi¡¯s words were stopped by him, and couldn¡¯t only nod unwillingly, saying discouraged, ¡°Understood.¡± The steps he took to go inside were very slow, but he didn¡¯t turn around the whole time, Zhou MuHui thought, maybe he was feeling wrong, kids at this age always felt that the heavens have to go along with their wishes. And Zhou MuHui had to do the contrary. Zhou MuHui looked at him for a while, then quietly turned around, the nighttime arrived slowly during summer, the sky hasn¡¯t completely turned dark, he actually asked for a leave tonight, because the little kid begged him the other day, saying that he wanted to see him. But Zhou MuHui cannot continue to act foolishly. Thankfully Xin Yi was stupid, although his temper was sometimes very big, but he was still very stupid, not getting anything, and didn¡¯t even notice the numerous unusual behaviors Zhou MuHui had. So he didn¡¯t get that the person who was older than him by twelve years was playing along with his whims was childish. But thankfully he didn¡¯t know, so Zhou MuHui¡­ still had a chance to correct it. Read it on milkteatranslations.wrdpres.cm In the night, he went back earlier than usual, but turning in the alley he paused for a while, the man standing not far away was very familiar, it was a famous rascal around here, Zhou MuHui frowned, but he didn¡¯t stop. The smell of alcohol coming from the other party was overwhelming, Zhou MuHui¡¯s expression was unchanged, but he stiffened when they walked past each other, he turned sideway, and lowered his head to look at the hand of the man who just walked past him, and called him in slow response, ¡°Stop there.¡± That person drunkenly turned around, and cursed him in a loud voice, ¡°Who the f*ck are you, care¡­¡± His voice abruptly stopped, because he was kicked to the ground by someone. ¡°¡­ Where did you get that?¡± Zhou MuHui¡¯s voice was ghastly, looking at the mobile phone in his hand, approaching him. CH 27 Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t think he would see Xin Yi¡¯s mobile phone here, the kid¡¯s phone was so easy to recognize, on the phone case was his own writing, Zhou MuHui stayed with him for a good little year, how could he not remember it. ¡°Pick-, picked it up!¡± The person under his foot scream was piercing, using strength wanting to move Zhou MuHui¡¯s foot that was stepping on him, Zhou MuHui¡¯s voice was icy, returning the question to him, ¡°Picked it up?¡± The other party nodded, frightened, he got just pressed down by Zhou MuHui and beaten up, how would he dare to tell a lie, ¡°Really picked it up, not lying to you!¡± He was so scared that the effect of alcohol disappeared, pointing at the small alley on one side and begging him while trembling, ¡°Bro, just, just there!¡± Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t take his word for it, his foot stepping even harder, the person under him was scared badly, crying and howling, ¡°I¡¯m not lying to you! I¡¯m not lying to you! A kid lost it!¡± Zhou MuHui turned his head to look at it, but paused in an instant. The other party took advantage of the gap he made while being in a daze to roll and crawl away, but Zhou MuHui was blankly staring at one side, the corner leading to his house, then after a long while, only then did he slowly squatted down, picking up the mobile phone that was forgotten. Read it on milkteatranslations.wrdpres.cm It was Xin Yi¡¯s mobile phone. ¡­ that was lost here. He inexplicably thought about Xin Yi¡¯s avoiding his gaze when he gave him his new number, and there was also¡­ The time that the other person mentioned, was the night when Xin Yi sent him back. He probably heard something, Zhou MuHui thought. The night Xin Yi sent him back home, he then went around and followed him, what did he say that day, so the kid didn¡¯t come for a month. Zhou MuHui turned around, walking forward with his face expressionless, it was very messy here, even the ground was randomly paved with gravel slab, Zhou MuHui intentionally stepped on a twig, it was probably left by the rainstorm, it made a cracking sound under his foot. The dark and quiet alley was innocently broken by the sound, but Zhou MuHui paused for a while, then stopped without making a sound. Advertisements He remembers now. It was just past Qing Ming Festival that day, he sent home the little kid on the car, because he came back a little bit late, his mother waited a bit for him at the door, Zhou MuHui went up to greet her, and the other party talked about their family¡¯s debt, then wanted him to change job, and finally sounded him out about¡­ that person. Zhou MuHui¡¯s heart inexplicably trembled, he actually doesn¡¯t care about other people finding out about this matter, after all, as long as someone is willing, although it¡¯s been six or seven years, it is still possible to find it on the internet. He never thought about hiding it, but Xin Yi¡­ Zhou MuHui silently clutched the phone in his hand, so that¡¯s why Xin Yi looked at him with fear that day, Zhou MuHui thought, turned out¡­ he already knew about it. Xin Yi became extremely clingy after his college entrance exams, he didn¡¯t have homework to write, and also didn¡¯t have to be constantly nervous about his studies, so he ran out to find Zhou MuHui every day, and even volunteered to work together with Zhou MuHui. But it didn¡¯t even take two days for him to be dragged back by his dad. Xin Yi texted Zhou MuHui aggrieved, saying that he might not be able to go over for a while, his family wanted to take him out to play, Xin Yi couldn¡¯t refuse. Zhou MuHui replied very quickly, Xin Yi looked at the single ¡®hmm¡¯ on the screen, pouted, jabbed at his phone and replied a ¡®okay¡¯. Xin Yi originally determined that he¡¯ll only be back in July, but Zhou MuHui saw him at the end of July. The kid was a bit tanned, and didn¡¯t appear as small as before, standing prettily by the side of the road, waving at him, ¡°Zhou MuHui!¡± Zhou MuHui paused, and saw him run over in a hurry, even the box in his arms trembled. Zhou MuHui was a bit unusual, Xin Yi didn¡¯t notice the whole time. ¡°Why are you not speaking.¡± Xin Yi circled around him, looking at him weirdly. Zhou MuHui put down the object, with his back facing him, muttering, ¡°No.¡± Xin Yi couldn¡¯t see his face, then hurriedly ran in front of him, said while looking at him, ¡°You¡¯re not happy to see me?¡± Xin Yi couldn¡¯t tell what was wrong, but Zhou MuHui had this expression like he didn¡¯t really want to see him, Xin Yi was anxious, squatting in front of him and moved closer to him, called him in a whisper, ¡°Zhou MuHui, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± He was still all good before he left, why was he suddenly like this. Zhou MuHui was making an inventory of the things on the ground, hearing that he turned his head, looked at him, ¡°Not unhappy.¡± Only not understanding, Xin Yi already knew, why does he still dare to pester him. Xin Yi looked at him confused, after a while Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t show any other abnormality, only then did he slowly rest assured. ¡°I¡¯ll be checking my grades the day after tomorrow.¡± Xin Yi moved to his sides, pulled at the corner of his clothes, pursed his lips, and said, ¡°Zhou MuHui, I am a bit afraid.¡± Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t move, said while keeping the same posture, ¡°Afraid of what?¡± He didn¡¯t know how to speak words of comfort, fortunately, Xin Yi didn¡¯t want him to comfort himself, listened to his words and said, ¡°I am afraid I didn¡¯t do well on my exams, Zhou MuHui, you accompany me to check my grades, I specifically slip away and came back.¡± He smiled at Zhou MuHui, begging him obediently, ¡°Is that okay?¡± Zhou MuHui paused for a moment, and evaded his eyes. ¡°Hm.¡± Advertisements Xin Yi¡¯s grades came out at eight in the evening, the kid couldn¡¯t sit still during the whole afternoon, Zhou MuHui watched him walk back and forth around himself, and for the first time didn¡¯t tell him not to move around randomly. ¡°What are you eating?¡± Xin Yi followed him for a whole day, and only randomly ate two bites at noon, and now was sicklily slouched on the table, shaking his head at him. ¡°I am unable to eat¡­¡± He only showed a pair of eyes, looking pitifully at Zhou MuHui, ¡°I am stressed.¡± Zhou MuHui lowered his head to look at him, ¡°It¡¯ll be fine.¡± He walked out after saying this, the weather was very hot today, and the store was empty without any person, the boss lady let the two of them watch the store, and also went out, Zhou MuHui pulled down the door curtain, calling him, ¡°I¡¯m coming back in a while, don¡¯t run out.¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± Xin Yi hurriedly sat up. ¡°Buying dinner.¡± Xin Yi let out an ¡®oh¡¯, and slouched back on the table disheartened. Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t know what he wanted to eat, so bought a little more, the place he went was a bit miscellaneous, which delayed his return a bit, but he hadn¡¯t even walked near the store when he saw a crowd of people in the front, Zhou MuHui couldn¡¯t tell what was that feeling, but he was stunned for a moment in a conditioned reflex, stopping his steps. Not far away someone saw him, Zhou MuHui¡¯s eyelid twitched, seeing the other party yelling at him in a panic, ¡°Xiao1 Zhou!! Come quickly!¡± ¡°Your little brother was taken away by the cops!¡± Zhou MuHui was already that the age where he would panic when encountering troubles, but that day he still couldn¡¯t help but tremble, the soups and water fell on the ground altogether, but Zhou MuHui couldn¡¯t bring himself to care about it, chased fast-paced in the direction the neighbor pointed. It was actually quite stuffy that day, with weather under thirty-eight degrees2, it was so sunny that it made people dizzy, but Zhou MuHui could only hear his violent heartbeats, along with his hands that couldn¡¯t stop trembling, their area was an old urban area that has been deserted a long time ago, the police station was not too far away, but Zhou MuHui still felt that he couldn¡¯t reach the end of it no matter what. They said that Xin Yi fought with people, Zhou MuHui thought, how could that be possible? This little kid was so timid, usually when he was knocked into or bumped into his eyes would turn red, he was someone who would quiver and tremble when seeing him, how could he dare to get into a fight with others. ¡°It¡¯s real! Your bro is so fierce, seizing people and pressing them to the ground to beat, we almost didn¡¯t dare to stop him!¡± ¡°Other people were taller than him by half a head, were pressed under his body and fiercely beaten, we didn¡¯t see it clearly, the two people spoke then started to argue, then after that, they were fighting.¡± Advertisements Zhou MuHui was called into the police station. ¡°Oh, speaking about C¨¢o c¨¡o and here he comes3.¡± The policeman made a sign at Zhou MuHui, and said while pointing at Xin Yi, ¡°It¡¯s your little brother? Watch him, a five-hundred-word self-criticism report, cannot be short of a single word.¡± Zhou MuHui¡¯s back was drenched with sweat, seeing Xin Yi back to him, with his ears hanging down, and did not turn around even after hearing that he had come, with the appearance of someone who was guilty after making a mistake. ¡°What are you looking at, you have to write too!¡± The yellow head at one side shrank his neck, and nodded in a hurry, ¡°Write! Write! Immediately gonna write!¡± The policeman pushed the door and left, Zhou MuHui paused for a moment, turning his head to look at the person who had just spoken. ¡°Zhou, brother Zhou¡­¡± The yellow head smiled at Zhou MuHui apprehensively, Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t move for a while, only looking at him quietly, just now he felt that this voice sounded familiar, now that he is seeing the person, he discovered that it was really an acquaintance. It was the ¡°coworker¡± from the car washing station from before. ¡°Zhou MuHui¡­¡± Xin Yi called him in a whisper from behind, Zhou MuHui withdrew his gaze, but his heart seemed to have missed a beat in the next second. The corner of Xin Yi¡¯s mouth was still green, the knee under his short pants was also scraped, Zhou MuHui¡¯s eyes scanned over, on his body were seven or eight obvious bruises, and some were still bleeding, Zhou MuHui was stunned. ¡°The policemen wanted me to call my guardians¡­ I didn¡¯t dare to¡­¡± The little kid smiled carefully, pulling his hand. ¡°Zhou MuHui, wait for me to finish writing and we¡¯ll go home.¡± The hand he stretched out was covered in bruises, Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t move, only staring at him, next to it was a fit of overwhelming anger. ¡°Why did you get into a fight?¡± Zhou MuHui asked him, Xin Yi blinked, said to please him, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just¡­¡± ¡°Why did you get into a fight?!¡± Zhou MuHui snapped at him. This is the first time Zhou MuHui showed such a fit of obvious anger, Xin Yi was scared silly, looking at him dumbly. ¡°Zhou Mu¡­¡± ¡°I am asking you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Xin Yi¡¯s eyes were quickly filled with tears, yet Zhou MuHui¡¯s face didn¡¯t show the slightest change, and even throwing off his hand, Xin Yi was stunned, looking at his arm that was hanging down at one side, lowering his head blankly. He didn¡¯t speak, closing his lips tightly, not daring to speak a single sentence. But the yellow head at one side spoke, saying that he didn¡¯t provoke the kid, just went in to buy a few things, how could he know that Xin Yi would rush out, and would randomly punch him. He was speaking and calling injustice, probably because he saw that Zhou MuHui¡¯s behavior toward Xin Yi wasn¡¯t good, and started to speak more and more nonsense, saying that Xin Yi was crazy, and even blamed Zhou MuHui for not looking after Xin Yi. Advertisements ¡°Brother Zhou, say how could you have such bad luck, and also have such bad eyesight, finding a lil bro like this.¡± Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t speak yet, when Xin Yi rushed over, gritting his teeth and kicking him, ¡°You¡¯re farting4!¡± His move was too abrupt, no one reacted, the yellow head¡¯s scream in his throat went out, because Zhou MuHui dragged Xin Yi back, then looked at him profoundly. That look was so ruthless that it could kill, almost drowning him in this hot air. Yellow head¡¯s spine on his back almost exploded. Before Zhou MuHui left he went to deposit the bail, Xin Yi was following behind him with his head lowered, the two of them walked quite far away, then Zhou MuHui turned around. ¡°Why did you get into a fight?¡± He asked one more time. Xin Yi¡¯s eyes turned red, with his hands behind his back refusing to answer, his knees were still slightly bleeding, Zhou Muhui paused, suddenly carrying him, and put him down on the steps at one side. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°He was talking about you.¡± Xin Yi was trying his best to hold it, but his tears still fell out, ¡°I just had to hit him.¡± They stayed at the police station for a long time, the sky was painted black, Zhou MuHui looked at him for a long while, then squatted in front of him. Zhou MuHui knew that it had something to do with him when he saw Yellow head, Xin Yi is very obedient, never provoking others for no reason, not even mentioning fighting, Zhou MuHui could almost guess what the other party said, to be able to make an always soft kid angry like this, even making him raise a hand. ¡°You already knew¡­ don¡¯t you?¡± Zhou MuHui caressed his head, calling him, ¡°Xiao Yi5.¡± This is the first time he is calling Xin Yi like this, Xin Yi scrunched his nose, raising his head a bit dully. Zhou MuHui handed him the mobile phone he kept to himself for a few days already, whispering, ¡°Picked it up¡­near my house.¡± Xin Yi lost his voice, even forgetting to let his tears flow, ¡°I¡­ Zhou MuHui¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be angry¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to eavesdrop¡­¡± Zhou MuHui lowered his head, ¡°I know.¡± He knows what kind of person Xin Yi is, he always knew. Only Xin Yi¡¯s liking was too bright, Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t dare to have it. ¡°What you have heard, and what he said, it¡¯s all true.¡± Zhou MuHui said, ¡°He wasn¡¯t wrong.¡± His voice was very soft, as if he silently let out a sigh. Zhou MuHui though, it¡¯s also good that he knew, it¡¯s good that they talked it through. This way, he will be afraid, hide far away, it would be best if he considered him like a severe flood and fierce beast6, not going near him again. Also letting Zhou MuHui.. put out this inexplicable state of mind. ¡°But, but¡­¡± Xin Yi became anxious, sitting on the steps and looking at him at a loss, his eyes were bright, Zhou MuHui thought at first that it was light, but noticed afterward that it was water. Because large streams of sensation of coolness dropped on the back of his hand. ¡°I don¡¯t want others to bully you.¡± Xin Yi wailed, ¡°No one can.¡± He cried until he was almost out of breath, the back of his hand randomly wiping his face, doing his best to say, ¡°I want to protect you, Zhou MuHui, I like you.¡± The bright moonlight was imprinted on his face full of traces of tears, the kid actually isn¡¯t good-looking when crying, yet Zhou MuHui was looking at him, and didn¡¯t come back to his senses for a long time. His heart was beating wildly at this moment, Xin Yi¡¯s phone rang, Zhou MuHui saw him lower his head, only showing the green purple on the corner of his mouth, but his finger couldn¡¯t help but move. Zhou MuHui thought. He might have to admit defeat. He fell into the enemy¡¯s hands. Notes: This chapter was a bit long! It was 3855 characters (o_o) compared to 3392 in the previous chapter, but the next chapter is going to be longer, 4277. (Thus, might take me more time) I personally quite like the last two sentences in this chapter! hehe. And WordPress is still driving me nuts, it¡¯s been over two months and the font in the text editor is tiny like it happened to me months ago¡­ And no one has the solution to it, I¡¯ve looked on Google already¡­ NB: I made a slight change in chapter 22: ¡°She¡¯s been delivered.¡± => ¡°She¡¯s been liberated.¡± I originally put ¡°delivered¡± because it meant she was delivered from the pain and everything but I read it again and it sounds a bit weird so I changed it. CH 28 *utter chaos Xin Yi¡¯s grades and his confession came all together, at a quarter past eight, his teacher had searched once already for him, and sent it to him, Xin Yi¡¯s snot bubble hadn¡¯t even broken yet, and was caught off-guard by his own grades. ¡°Zhou MuHui¡­¡± Xin Yi called him with a trembling voice, raised his head while holding tears, Zhou MuHui stiffened, and held his breath along with him. He looked at the kid¡¯s screen, it was a white background with his college exams grades, Zhou MuHui also received one in the past. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Zhou MuHui held the hand he stretched out, he knew that the kid was nervous, maybe he didn¡¯t carefully look at it, he turned around Xin Yi¡¯s phone, but just when he was about to lower his head, Xin Yi¡¯s scream fluttered over. ¡°Zhou MuHui!!¡± He was crying and laughing at the same time, and pounced at Zhou MuHui knocking him to the ground, and was going crazy in his arms. The ambiguous and anxious feeling vanished without a trace, Zhou MuHui was stunned, lowering his head to look at the kid in his arms, and couldn¡¯t help but also laugh. Read it on milkteatranslations.wrdpres.cm Xin Yi was giggling the whole way, holding Zhou MuHui¡¯s hand and chattering nonstop, Zhou MuHui just carried him on his back to go return to the store, and put on medicine for him, the boss lady waited for them at the store for a while, seeing that both of them were safe and sound, hurriedly pushed them to go home. Zhou MuHui sent him back, but Xin Yi didn¡¯t want to call a car, took out two coins from his pocket, and gave them to him, wanting him to carry him to the bus station. ¡°There is no one at home, it¡¯s okay to be a little slower¡­¡± Xin Yi said sheepishly, ¡°I want to talk to you for a little bit longer.¡± Advertisements A gust of wind blew over when they got off the bus, only then did Xin Yi remember what he had forgotten, he blinked, looking at their intertwined hands. Zhou MuHui was very easy to talk to tonight, and did not push him away the whole way. But Xin Yi was a bit uneasy, he slowly was reminded of Zhou MuHui¡¯s reproachful question, Xin Yi didn¡¯t know if he was still angry or not, but was he easy to talk to now because he was interrupted by his sudden grades that came out. Xin Yi was absent-minded, having to glance downward once in a while, Zhou MuHui noticed that, but said nothing, and didn¡¯t loosen the hand that was holding his. Summer nights were messy, making people¡¯s hearts restless, Zhou MuHui couldn¡¯t think like usual, only deciding that at this moment he was going to follow his heart. ¡°Zhou MuHui¡­¡± After a while, Xin Yi called him. His eye rims were still red, because of crying too fiercely just then, Zhou MuHui silently came to a stop, lowering his head to look at him. They were walking very slowly, because the little kid didn¡¯t want to be carried by him. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry at me, okay?¡± Xin Yi opened his mouth first, looking up at him carefully, he felt that Zhou MuHui was really very nice, not at all like what the yellow head had said, Xin Yi was just angered by his nonsense, thus raising his hand on the other party. ¡°I won¡¯t be this reckless next time¡­¡± Xin Yi saw that Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t speak, he was feeling a bit panicked in his heart, sneaking a glance at him from the corner of his eyes, asking for pardon in a quiet voice, ¡°Zhou MuHui, don¡¯t be angry.¡± The corner of his mouth was still blue, it seemed a bit swollen when looking at it, Zhou MuHui looked at him quietly, and nodded. Maybe he replied a bit too fast, Xin Yi didn¡¯t react for a while, he looked at Zhou MuHui foolishly, then pursed his lips into a smile, as a result, his smile got wider and wider, and even Zhou MuHui frowned. ¡°I like you, I am not afraid of you.¡± He smiled with his head raised, and said to Zhou MuHui, ¡°You¡¯re not like what they said, I know it all, you¡¯re particularly good.¡± He stretched his hand to touch the scar on Zhou MuHui¡¯s face, Zhou MuHui seldom wore his face mask in front of him, Xin Yi stood on his tippy toes and pulled on his shoulders, and before he reacted, suddenly kissed him. A burning hot and soft kiss landed on the slightly protruding skin, Zhou MuHui was startled, looking at the kid before him who was chuckling. ¡°Zhou MuHui! Is very cool!¡± Xin Yi limped backward, saying to Zhou MuHui, ¡°I know you don¡¯t want to talk about it, but it¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll protect you anyway, always, always.¡± The little kid¡¯s eyes were like starlight, Zhou MuHui thought, or maybe it wasn¡¯t the case. He was the light itself. ¡°My always is worth a lot of money, Zhou MuHui, don¡¯t look down on me!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t let others bully you.¡± Xin Yi bumped against the iron door behind him, letting out an aiyo, Zhou MuHui watched him laugh, even if he hurt himself, he was still laughing. Xin Yi returned home, but Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t leave, he put in his pocket the hand that Xin Yi held for a whole night, looking at the lights that switched on not long ago not far away. It was probably Xin Yi, he ground his fingertips together while thinking, then quietly turned around. Summer nights were restless, the bugs were calling and chirping and his heart was also calling, Zhou MuHui looked at the faint shadows under the street lamps, thinking in his heart, he did his best already. But rejecting Xin Yi, was really too difficult. Advertisements (back to the present) Xin Yi was startled when he woke up because Zhou MuHui still hadn¡¯t left, he carefully flipped around, looking at the man sleeping at his side, and slowly moved closer. He found it a bit strange, but also couldn¡¯t really understand, because he knew that Zhou MuHui has to go out today, moreover, Zhou MuHui never overslept. Zhou MuHui isn¡¯t like him. But Zhou MuHui really didn¡¯t wake up during the whole time, even his deep eyebrows didn¡¯t even wrinkle up. Xin Yi was quietly laying, watching him without moving, Xin Yi should wake him up, but even after a long while, he didn¡¯t open his mouth. Xin Yi couldn¡¯t bear to, Xin Yi wanted to take a good look at him like this. Maybe his breathing was a bit heavy, or maybe his gaze was overwhelming, thus Zhou MuHui was woken up by him, Xin Yi look at that pair of eyes slowly open up, and he wanted to dodge in a delayed reaction, but the next second, he was grabbed by the waist and dragged under the blanket. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± Zhou MuHui called him in a hoarse voice, and pinched the back of his neck in this position. The other party¡¯s hot breath sprayed against the side of his back, Xin Yi blinked ignorantly, looking at Zhou MuHui who was before him, and stretching out a hand to touch the somehow messy hair on his forehead. Zhou MuHui was rarely this¡­ lazy, no matter if it was before, or now. Xin Yi attributed the reason to yesterday, thus nodded at him, dragging his sore and weak arms and hugged Zhou MuHui. ¡°You¡¯re going to be late¡­¡± He reminded Zhou MuHui in a murmur. But Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t move, only hugging him even tighter, and said with a hoarse voice, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± His palms went down along Xin Yi¡¯s spine, his fingers slowly stopping on his waist, slowly appeasing him. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Xin Yi felt a bit sore, but also a bit itchy, but he couldn¡¯t get away, because Zhou MuHui was hugging him very tightly, as if he was afraid that Xin Yi would slip away. Not knowing when the cat at their feet had woken up, lazily meowled twice, gripping the end of the bed sheets and wanting to climb down the bed, but was driven away by Zhou MuHui in the next second. Xin Yi hurriedly looked at him, and said, ¡°What are you doing-ah.¡± Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t move, only saying in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s not like you can hug him.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Xin Yi paused, then covered up his mouth hastily. Advertisements He felt that Zhou MuHui was a bit unusual, Xin Yi thought thoroughly, and felt that the change had started from the moment Xin Yi found that divorce agreement paper. He would often accompany him, tell him nice things, and even clumsily try to make him happy. A being completely different from the Zhou MuHui from before, who was introverted and didn¡¯t like to speak. Xi Yi should be sad, but he couldn¡¯t help but indulge in it. Xin Yi thought, even if it was the compensation that Zhou MuHui is giving him, he¡¯ll take it. Who let Xin Yi be stupid and useless, not able to withstand the sweetness that the other party is giving out. Zhou MuHui went out for a moment in the afternoon, but then came back very quickly, Xin Yi was reading a book at home at that moment, and he picked up Zhou MuHui¡¯s call. ¡°Come down.¡± On the other side of the call was Zhou MuHui¡¯s low voice, Xin Yi slowly closed his book, and asked while sprawled on the carpet, ¡°For what.¡± Thinking that Zhou MuHui was joking with him. The man was very busy, how could it be possible for him to go to the company and come back immediately. ¡°Taking you to play.¡± Zhou MuHui said. Xin Yi only realized after going down that Zhou MuHui was really waiting for him, he dizzily opened the car¡¯s door, and was pulled by the man at one side to sit properly, Xin Yi slowly lowered his head, asking him as if he was bewitched, ¡°Where are we going?¡± He came down confusedly, and randomly wore some clothes, Xin Yi looked at his own t-shirt and shorts, lifting his arms blankly, ¡°My outfit doesn¡¯t look good¡­¡± Zhou MuHui helped him put on the seatbelt, caressing his head, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± His fine was very short, his tone even carrying a faint smile, making Xin Yi even more confused, looking at him foolishly. Xin Yi was dazed after getting out of the car, because the place they came to was very familiar, it was somewhere Xin Yi loved to bring Zhou MuHui to. Xin Yi had just started to go to college at that time, and also loved to stick to Zhou MuHui, but Zhou MuHui was very busy, and didn¡¯t have the time to accompany him every day, they would go to the outdoor cinema next to the barbecue restaurant during Zhou MuHui¡¯s break. Because there were not many places of entertainment that didn¡¯t require money, Xin Yi was reluctant to make Zhou MuHui spend money. Advertisements ¡°It¡¯s Love Letter today.¡± Zhou MuHui said, ¡°Let¡¯s sit in the back ok?¡± Xin Yi blankly nodded, and was pulled by the hand by Zhou MuHui to sit behind the crowd of people. The shouts at one side were incessant, a familiar face was passing through the group of people, Zhou MuHui asked for two cups of water, Xin Yi saw him talk to the other party, and even his brows were relaxed. ¡°You guys didn¡¯t come for a long time.¡± The other party laughed, then wiggled their brows at Xin Yi, ¡°Little brother, what are you in a daze for.¡± Xin Yi was startled, and hurriedly took the water that he passed over. They indeed haven¡¯t come for a long while, since Zhou MuHui works in the entertainment circle, Xin Yi hasn¡¯t sat here with him like this for a long time, watching a movie they wouldn¡¯t really watch, under the lights and candles of myriad families. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Zhou MuHui tidied his hair, hugging him from behind, he was wearing a regular long-sleeved shirt, not looking at all like someone who was almost thirty. But it might be because he was always good-looking, Xin Yi secretly thought. ¡°Not hungry.¡± Xin Yi shook his head, leaning on his body. ¡°Why did you want to come here?¡± Xin Yi asked him. Zhou MuHui put a jacket on him, pausing a moment after hearing that, and said in a low voice, ¡°You said it before.¡± It was long ago, they don¡¯t know why they got into an argument, the little kid shut him outside the door for a whole night and ignored him, Zhou MuHui doesn¡¯t like to speak, and could only change to another way and send him texts, asking him where was the broom for a moment, then saying that the gas in the kitchen was broken at another moment, making the kid so angry that his head was hot, dashing out after opening the door, biting him fiercely. Making him apologize, and also wanting him to take him here. Zhou MuHui agreed, but didn¡¯t take him here in the end. Because something went wrong with the artist he was in charge of, Zhou MuHui sent Xin Yi back midway, afterward¡­ they did not come again. Xin Yi didn¡¯t speak, only quietly leaning against him, the projection screen was showing the end, but the crowd of people didn¡¯t disperse, because it was barely night, and the time was still very long. Xin Yi often felt like it was a dream, he fell in love with Zhou MuHui in his teens, then asked for love, and got married. Although Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t really like to speak, his character was also quite cold, but he was still very nice to Xin Yi, and was willing to accept Xin Yi¡¯s childishness, and his liking that got hens flying and dog running. ¡°Zhou MuHui¡­¡± Xin Yi called him in a whisper amidst the noise. Zhou MuHui let out a hum, moving his eyes away from the front, but before he asked what was wrong, the kitten at one side stretched out his paw stickily, tightly holding his hand. ¡°I want, I want to always be with you.¡± Xin Yi said, but his eyes were lowered, not daring to look at him, ¡°It¡¯s Xin Yi¡¯s kind of always¡­¡± Zhou MuHui was stunned, and said, ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± This time it was Xin Yi¡¯s turn to be stunned, raising his head and looking at Zhou MuHui stupidly, ¡°You are not going to reconsider it?¡± ¡°Reconsider what?¡± Zhou MuHui frowned, touching his quite messy hair after rubbing it around. ¡°Your always is worth a lot of money, I remember.¡± Zhou MuHui helped him to sit straight, his sight looking at the movie in front of them, and said, ¡°Alright, don¡¯t fiddle around anymore.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Xin Yi nodded, then after a while said in a loud voice once again, ¡°OH!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The audience line of sight on one side was attracted by him and looked at him curiously, but Xin Yi didn¡¯t notice that, Zhou MuHui lowered his head, looking at Xin Yi who buried his head and laughed like a fool, and wrinkled his brows in surprise. Don¡¯t know what his family¡¯s little kid saw that made him happy. Advertisements Xin Yi was especially excited when he returned home, holding Zhou MuHui¡¯s hand, and could help but giggled the whole way, Zhou MuHui asked him what happened to him, but he didn¡¯t say why, until Zhou MuHui pushed him to take a shower, he was still sprawled on the sofa, saying that he wanted to be carried by Zhou MuHui. Zhou MuHui was getting water for him, and paused after hearing that, calling him, ¡°Get up.¡± Xin Yi wasn¡¯t willing, Mao Mao chimed in on one side, sitting next to Zhou MuHui¡¯s feet and biting his shoes, Xin Yi seeing that, exposing a pair of eyes from the crook of his arms, calling in a soft whisper, ¡°You hurry up.¡± Zhou MuHui has no status in this family, so ultimately he got what he wished, when he was done he went back to carry him out, as if he was coaxing a living ancestor. The living ancestor was wrapped in a bath towel and sat on the bed, prettily looking at him, on the half-exposed right side of his neck was a touch of red, Zhou MuHui walked over while maintaining his composure, using the blanket to cover that place. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you washed up yet.¡± Xin Yi urged him, pursing his lips into a smile, ¡°Hurry and go.¡± He felt that his courage had been filled to the brim, Xin Yi thought, Zhou MuHui already promised him, so he can ask Zhou MuHui the reason now. If Zhou MuHui still wants to leave, then Xin Yi is going to be angry at him, and is going to act shamelessly with him. Because Zhou MuHui has already promised him tonight, to always be together with Xin Yi. Zhou MuHui always kept his word. The more Xin Yi thought about it the happier he was, his face tinted with red, waiting for Zhou MuHui to finish showering and he was going to ask him. But Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t move, on the contrary, he sat on the bedside. ¡°To do what.¡± Xin Yi wanted to fall on him, but he remembered that he still hadn¡¯t taken a shower, his body was half bent then hurriedly sat back. ¡°Xiao Yi.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Xin Yi crookedly stole a glance at him, rubbing his eyes to hide his gaze, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Zhou MuHui was silent for a moment, using a strange gaze to look at him, that gaze seemed to carry forbearance, but it was a bit weird, Xin Yi saw it from the gap of his peripheral vision, and was startled for some reason. He slowly lowered his hand, dull-wittily asking him, ¡°Zhou MuHui?¡± Zhou MuHui hummed, softly gripping him. The seemed to be a hard object between the intertwined palms, Xin Yi lowered his head, but couldn¡¯t see it clearly yet, and heard Zhou MuHui call him. ¡°The code is your birthday.¡± Xin Yi ignorantly raised his head, he didn¡¯t know where that instinct came from, his eyelid furiously twitched, Xin Yi sat up surprised, wanting to stop Zhou MuHui from continuing speaking, but it was too late, Zhou MuHui already said it. ¡°There is one million inside.¡± Zhou MuHui said softly, not letting him loosen his grip. CH 29 It turned out that the money was really for him. Xin Yi was stunned, and didn¡¯t return to his senses for a while. But Zhou MuHui was still talking, Xin Yi saw his mouth open and close, seeming to be saying a lot of things, but Xin Yi couldn¡¯t hear any of it. His mind was only on that thin card, seeming to hold his mind captive, scalding to the point it made people tremble. It was really scalding, Xin Yi even felt that he was about to burn up, just like grass that has been stained with fire sparks, one roll was enough to burn it until his body was torn and bones were crushed. ¡°Xin Yi?¡± Zhou MuHui approached him, propping his forehead against his, before, Xin Yi loved to stick to Zhou MuHui the most, but now Xin Yi was a bit afraid. ¡°Xiao Yi?¡± His eyes were pinched by Zhou MuHui, Xin Yi hurriedly lifted his head, and this time he heard it, it was Zhou MuHui who was calling him. ¡°Ah¡­?¡± Xin Yi blankly opened his mouth, he felt exhausted, and he didn¡¯t even want to ask Zhou MuHui what he said, Xin Yi thought, he only wanted to hide and cry for a moment, not even wanting to see Zhou MuHui anymore. He was feeling very sad, it was a sourness spreading from his palm, that small delicate card was about to defeat him, Xin Yi even felt that he was about to be out of breath, he obviously was only looking at Zhou MuHui, even his teeth were chattering. What was happening. Xin Yi was thinking. He was about to ask Zhou MuHui why, he almost had the courage to ask him about the divorce agreement, Xin Yi even made a rough preparation, it was completely different from what he had expected, just that Zhou MuHui said that he was going to be together with him. That¡¯s why Xin Yi¡­ ¡°Why are you spacing out?¡± The warmth on his forehead retreated, Xin Yi saw him furrow his brows, Zhou MuHui¡¯s expression was a bit strange, Xin Yi¡¯s mind had turned into a paste, thus coming down to the conclusion that his expression was ugly. ¡°¡­ Nothing.¡± Xin Yi did his best to squeeze out these two words, then used force to retrieve his hand. The hard surface made of plastic material grazed harshly against his palm, but Xin Yi didn¡¯t cry out of pain, he only lowered his head blankly, looking at his curled-up hand, and at the fragment of blue color that showed between the gap of his fingers. ¡°Tomorrow I have to go to B city, you be obedient and stay at home.¡± Zhou MuHui also seemed to have something on his mind, Xin Yi could perceive the strangeness in his behavior. Not very steady, even seeming to be a bit impatient, even his voice wasn¡¯t as cold as usual. But Xin Yi didn¡¯t dare to think about it, only nodded perfunctorily, and said, ¡°Understood.¡± There was a layer of fog in front of his eyes, the person he glanced at out of the corner of his eyes also became a lump of dark, Xin Yi almost lost his spirit, whispering at him, ¡°You go take a shower first.¡± Xin Yi didn¡¯t dare to look at him, Xin Yi only wanted to stay alone for a moment. But Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t move, even holding his breath and leaning over. ¡°Xiao Yin, we are quits now, aren¡¯t we?¡± In the beginning, Xin Yi¡¯s fingers twitched, then became sore, then an astringent feeling came from the depths of his heart, in the end, his four limbs were hurting, Xin Yi did his best to contain his tears, he thought, it turned out Zhou MuHui was lying to him all this time, it only took one night. He already wants to be quits with Xin Yi. He wanted to shake his head, but his body didn¡¯t listen to him, as if something invisible was pressing the back of his neck, Xin Yi seemed to have an out-of-body experience, watching the Xin Yi under him nod, clumsily and slowly nod. Xin Yi wanted to stop him, he was shouting on one side, don¡¯t nod, don¡¯t agree to it, he felt that he was about to shout until his voice was broken, but Xin Yi couldn¡¯t hear him. How could he be so useless. Xin Yi thought. Too useless, truly a coward. Yet Zhou MuHui smiled, it was a relieved smile, he caressed Xin Yi¡¯s head like usual, then stood up. Xin Yi had a reset at this moment. Zhou MuHui went into the bathroom, the frosted sliding door and the gap produced a light collision sound, Xin Yi opened his mouth with difficulty, his voice sounded like sharpened gravel, doing his best and struggling to speak. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t want to.¡± He threw away that card, saying dully, ¡°I don¡¯t want that, I don¡¯t want to be quits with you!¡± His eyes rims turned red, big droplets of tears hung on his eyelashes but didn¡¯t fall, the little kid was trembling from the tips of his fingers, then hurriedly got off the bed, then used force to break that bank card. The sharp edges scratched the back of his hand, but Xin Yi couldn¡¯t care less, he was solely feeling aggrieved, and angry, angry that Zhou MuHui kept his words, angry that he wanted to part with him. He even wanted to go to B city, Xin Yi thought while gripping that broken card, his new job was also in B city. So does that mean that Zhou MuHui was going to leave tomorrow, that¡¯s why he took him out to play today, and even stayed by his side at home for so long. Xin Yi thought, it was actually like this. He wasn¡¯t going on a business trip, he just simply, simply wanted to leave Xin Yi. ¡°I don¡¯t like you anymore¡­¡± Xin Yi said in a small voice, ¡°Zhou MuHui, I don¡¯t like you anymore.¡± His tears fell in big droplets, dripping on the back of his hand that just got scratched, burning Xin Yi to the point he trembled. He felt that it was as if he was about to die, and his throat was tightly clutched by someone, Xin Yi did his best to breathe, wanting to struggle, but couldn¡¯t move no matter what, his tread of thoughts was broken because of the chaos, countless fragments squeezed in his body, fiercely chewing him into pieces, then mocked him in a loud voice. Idiot. Coward. He is going to leave isn¡¯t he, doesn¡¯t want you anymore does he! They were saying in a loud voice. Xin Yi was covering his ears, curling up in front of the bathroom door, like an evil dragon guarding his treasure, but couldn¡¯t help but cry sluggishly. Zhou MuHui was stupefied when he came out, he hurriedly crouched down, wanting to hug his family¡¯s little kid, but just when he stretched out a hand, Xin Yi pushed him away forcefully. ¡°Don¡¯t want to be hugged by you!¡± Xin Yi threw the handful of broken bits of the card at him, like a big-tempered bad child, fierce and crying violently, ¡°I don¡¯t want your hug!¡± He was wearing the same pajamas as Zhou MuHui, it was Zhou MuHui who just helped him wear that, Xin Yi saw the clothes on his body, his teeth chattering, unknowingly turned angry, and forcefully pulled his jacket. ¡°Don¡¯t allow you to wear that.¡± He cried while saying it. The kid sat on the ground curled into a ball, not knowing how the back of his hand was scratched with blood marks, Zhou MuHui¡¯s face turned ugly in an instant, not caring about his refusal, unyieldingly hugged him. ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± Zhou MuHui locked his arms, hugging him tightly in his arms. Yet the little kid cried while kicking him, he never used that much force, abruptly struggled out from Zhou MuHui¡¯s embrace, then crashed on the floor with a bang, Zhou MuHui was astonished, helped him up in a panic, but got fiercely bitten in the next second. The kid¡¯s teeth were very sharp, and the strength he used to bite down was also very strong, when he retreated he even left a bloody tooth mark on the back of his hand, but Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t care about that. Xin Yi was crying too fiercely, even his body was trembling, he was blocking the door and not letting Zhou MuHui go outside, Zhou MuHui was stranded in the small space behind the frosted glass door, watching him with red eyes, with traces of mottled tears and opened hands, blocking in front of him. The rotten red bloodstain was torn open during his struggle, winding down his wrist, mixed with the tears that, who knows when, the little kid has wiped on it, creating a big halo of red, Zhou MuHui¡¯s heart was suffocated, shouting in a severe voice. ¡°Xin Yi!¡± He didn¡¯t know what was wrong with Xin Yi, and why was he crying, but Xin Yi was hurt, how could Zhou MuHui let him mess around. Zhou MuHui¡¯s voice was very frightening, Xin Yi got frightened, he looked up, and even his tears momentarily stopped. Zhou MuHui was very angry, his face was livid, Xin Yi¡¯s sight slowly landed on the back of his hand, it was sunken and protruding unevenly, it was the print made by Xin Yi¡¯s teeth. ¡°I, I¡­¡± Xin Yi was scared now, also unable to speak, his body¡¯s instinct was to cower, pressing him to lower his hands, stop his tears, and better wipe his face clean like an obedient kid, then obediently hug Zhou MuHui, and apologize to Zhou MuHui. Then muddle-headlessly reveal this matter. But he couldn¡¯t bring himself to do that¡­ Xin Yi tried many times, wanting to laugh, not wanting to cry, but he failed every time. Because he didn¡¯t want Zhou MuHui to leave, no matter if he is going to B city, or leaving Xin Yi. Xin Yi didn¡¯t want any of it. He broke free from Zhou MuHui, and before Zhou MuHui had the time to react, then rolled over, hiding under the quilt. He was just like a pitiful sad egg that nobody wanted, hiding in the dark to cry, he was anxious and frightened at the same time, because he was too stupid, not knowing how to deal with this chaos. He didn¡¯t want to be quits with Zhou MuHui, and didn¡¯t want Zhou MuHui to be angry at him. ¡°¡­ Xiao Yi.¡± Zhou MuHui followed, Xin Yi could feel the mattress sink on one side, he let out a shiver, and moved back while sobbing to avoid it. But Zhou MuHui hugged him. Pulling the person along with the quilt in his embrace, Zhou MuHui¡¯s voice was hoarse, caressing his head through the quilt, asking, ¡°Why are you crying?¡± His voice was different from the cruel tone earlier, Xin Yi could hear the sound of his breathing, in that chaotic atmosphere, it was sensitive and heavy, so even if Xin Yi was crying, he could hear it all. ¡°Alright, alright, not crying anymore.¡± Zhou MuHui coaxed him, clumsily kissing him through the quilt. But his not crying wasn¡¯t useful at all, and Xin Yi didn¡¯t feel his kiss at all, Xin Yi was scared soulless by his being quits, who would be afraid if their partner wanted to disentangle from their relationship, Xin Yi thought, he was bound to be frightened, he was originally (already) frightened. He still remembers those things Qi Fang told him, he said that Zhou MuHui was doing his best to pay back his debt, so once he finished paying it back, it meant that he was going to leave. Xin Yi¡¯s tears couldn¡¯t be stopped no matter what, the dampness blocked him, and the stickiness from the midsummer air tightly choked his throat. Zhou MuHui hardly felt this flustered, he didn¡¯t why the time he took to just to take a shower, the kid became like this, but Xin Yi cried really too fiercely, his sobbing voice shocked Zhou MuHui, Zhou MuHui was burning with anxiety, but the little kid refused to speak. ¡°Xiao Yi¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want you to leave¡­¡± Xi Yi gripped his hand with force, as if it was a weird tone that he forced out from the depth of his throat, forcing himself to speak. Xin Yi thought, he was indeed very stupid, and also had little guts, just like what his family said, always being dull-witted in front of Zhou MuHui, letting him bully him, even if he was told off by Zhou MuHui, and only daring to purse his lips feeling wronged, saying a yes. Never really be angry at Zhou MuHui. But Xin Yi didn¡¯t want to say yes on this matter. He came out from under the quilt, with a face full of messy tears, looking at Zhou MuHui, forcing, and doing his best to contain his fear, saying. ¡°Zhou MuHui, don¡¯t think about leaving.¡± You cannot take back your words, and not allowed to take back the love you gave out, Xin Yi decided to be unreasonable, and be a very very bad child. Only this once. CH 30 Warning: Mention of blood, assault, murder Xin Yi is a kid that has been bathing in sugar since he was little, with doting parents, and friends¡¯ companionship, he was accustomed to things going smooth sailing, never encountering any hardship, until he met Zhou MuHui, and started to be sad. Zhou MuHui is the person who made his heart swayed ignorantly and enlightened him, and he is also the culprit that made him worry about personal gains and losses. Him being scared of Zhou MuHui¡¯s departure is something engraved in the marrow of his bone, when the other party took out that card, telling him that they were quits, Xin Yi didn¡¯t even have the time to think about it, that one million were like something extremely dangerous, washing away Xin Yi¡¯s sanity and courage, making him cry and make a fuss like a little kid, throwing away that card with force, and stopping in front of Zhou MuHui not letting him leave. Read it on milkteatranslations.wrdpres.cm He took this matter very seriously, but had forgotten why at that time, Zhou MuHui needed that sum of money. Advertisements After Xin Yi¡¯s college entrance exam, he successfully gotten his wish to get into S University, he felt that everything was going smoothly and was like a dream, because even Zhou MuHui who kept rejecting him has become easy to talk to, sometimes Xin Yi would secretly test him out, wanting hugs, wanting kisses, the other party would refuse to budge for a moment, but won¡¯t really push him away. Everything went along Xin Yi¡¯s will, and furtively asked, if it meant that they are in a relationship. Because Xin Yi has reached an agreement with him previously, they will be together with him once his exams are done. Although Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t agree to it. Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t reply to him, the man¡¯s face was calm, only that Xin Yi never gave up on holding his hand, then quietly moved his hand away. The little kid¡¯s summer vacation was reaching its end, loving to cling to him even more, taking on the responsibility of looking after the store¡¯s door, confidently accompanying him. ¡°You won¡¯t even speak.¡± Xin Yi was making a fuss, mumbling behind him. Zhou MuHui also discovered not long ago that the kid¡¯s temper was quite big, probably because he got carried away recently, in front of Zhou MuHui, he was delicate and innocent as hell, if Zhou MuHui slightly went against his will, he will secretly hide behind and reproach him. But he will not curse people, only saying that Zhou MuHui is bad again and again, and was always ignoring him. Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t recognize their romantic relationship, but became more and more indulgent toward Xin Yi, the little kid was busy for a while before attending university, because he had military training1, and didn¡¯t have the energy to run to him every day. Fortunately, S University wasn¡¯t far from Zhou MuHui¡¯s place, so even if Xin Yi was almost paralyzed from fatigue, he would still come over to find him once every two or three days. Then squat down beside the tall man, collapsing on him exhausted. ¡°I¡¯m so tired.¡± He mumbled, ¡°Zhou MuHui, I want to charge up.¡± Charging up was his exclusive term, before that Zhou MuHui would be sneakily attacked by him from time to time. The little kid was addicted to kissing people, wanting a hug after holding hands, then wanting a kiss after hugging, not even caring if Zhou MuHui agreed or not, seizing any opportunity to move closer. But he must be tired today, and did not even have the energy for a sneak attack, only leaning on his body to doze off, his hazy consciousness saying that he wanted to charge up. Zhou MuHui paused for a moment, this job of his was long-term, because the lady boss opened a branch store, and let him manage the current shop. The sunlight of four or five o¡¯clock in the afternoon, it was yet the time for the night market to be busy, the shutter door in front of Zhou MuHui was half opened, he silently gazed at him, then lowered his head. Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t kiss him, only using his lips to touch his hair, the sensation was almost inconspicuous, practically no one would be able to feel it. ¡°Sleep for a while.¡± Zhou MuHui said with his expression unchanging, but his fingers slipped down from the place he just kissed, and pinched the back of his neck. Xin Yi did not perceive anything, groaning like a cat, his gate of life was pinched by the man, and couldn¡¯t help but act spoiled toward the other party. ¡°Not charging up?¡± Zhou MuHui covered his eyes, and told him, ¡°Sleep.¡± Advertisements Xin Yi vaguely felt that he got into a relationship with Zhou MuHui at the end of his eighteen¡¯s, at that time, Zhou MuHui and him have already known each other for two years, and the little kid was wronged to death, the day before his birthday he came over to find him, and drunkenly said, ¡°Zhou MuHui, why don¡¯t you like me yet.¡± He probably drank some alcohol, he was by Zhou MuHui¡¯s side and was in an utter disorder, at that time Zhou MuHui was standing by the door, a few guys beside him were teasing him, asking him if he hugged the wrong person, why would he say that he likes his older brother. Not knowing which of the kid¡¯s nerves that sentence triggered, he got up aggressively, and shouted, ¡°No!¡± ¡°I just like him!¡± The guys were roaring with laughter, they were prepared to leave, and didn¡¯t take these words seriously, simply coaxing that little drunk, egging him on, ¡°Then go kiss your older brother, it has to be the kind that is mouth-to-mouth.¡± Xin Yi confusedly widened his eyes, looked at the man who was locking the door, and nodded vigorously. ¡°Ok! Just you wait!¡± Xin Yi probably really drank too much, Zhou MuHui could hear them speaking, but didn¡¯t hear specifically what they said, only that after turning around he saw Xin Yi standing behind him, he was just about to ask him what was wrong, that Xin Yi already threw himself over. Xin Yi¡¯s body was very warm, his lips too, and that pair of eyes were sparkling and emitting light, Zhou MuHui was stunned by his kiss, but the little kid ran very fast. ¡°Did you see that! I really kissed (him)!¡± He acclaimed while running over, going in circles around them, the guys were laughing so much that they could almost not straighten their waists, they clearly took his act as acting crazy while being drunk. Zhou MuHui looked at it on the side for a while, then called him over. ¡°All of you go back.¡± Zhou MuHui held down Xin Yi, not letting him move, and said to the guys who were beside him. The weather was still very hot at the end of spring, Xin Yi was wearing a long sleeve t-shirt and walking beside Zhou MuHui, he was walking crookedly, Zhou MuHui at his right was looking at him, sending him back. He took his evening off and didn¡¯t need to go back to the bar. ¡°My mom even laughed at me.¡± Xin Yi was grumbling beside him, ¡°I pursued you from seventeen years old to eighteen years old, and I¡¯ll be nineteen years old tomorrow, how could you still don¡¯t like me?¡± Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t speak, he continued to speak by himself, ¡°If you still don¡¯t like me, then I¡¯m gonna stop liking you.¡± Zhou MuHui paused for a moment, his steps slowed down half a beat, but before he got to say anything, Xin Yi raised his head dumbly, and spoke ahead of him, ¡°Joking with you.¡± He didn¡¯t where he go to drink alcohol, his cheeks turned red, when bouncing and jumping and stopped before Zhou MuHui, that pair of moist eyes were scorching, Zhou MuHui also stopped, asking him, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Xin Yi was smiling dumbly, the alcohol made his brain messy, just going along with his instinct and moved closer, and furtively said, ¡°I want to be in a relationship with you.¡± It seems like he was telling a secret, he lowered his voice until it was very quiet, Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t speak, only paused, then lowered his head, avoiding his gaze. ¡°The kind that is wanting a dating partner!¡± Xin Yi stood up, and forcefully hugged him, Zhou MuHui felt that someone went into his pocket, the little kid got a handful of coins from who knows where, giving them all to him. The sound of collision was crisp, spinning around in his pocket, Zhou MuHui watched his wrinkled face, leaning on his body and humming, and said with complete confidence. ¡°I have money, then, then it¡¯s decided!¡± The little kid let out a burp, then smiled sheepishly, ¡°Hehe.¡± Advertisements Zhou MuHui looked at him quietly, after a long moment he held his arm, and took him toward the bus station. Catkins were growing in late spring, but there were not too many of them, but the kid was tangled and anxious, he was shaking and swaying his head beside him, avoiding the white fluff that was flying over. Zhou MuHui was quietly leading him along, and putting the hat on him, a light shaking sound came from his pocket during his movement, he slowed down half a beat, but just pretended that he hadn¡¯t heard anything. ¡°Zhou MuHui¡­¡± Xin Yi looked up at him letting him put the hat on him, calling in a sticky manner, ¡°Do you know that I like you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I know.¡± Zhou MuHui said in his heart. ¡°I have a hundred likes for you.¡±2 Xin Yi sneezed, rubbing his eyes and leaning on his body, saying, ¡°In the future, once I¡¯ve earned money, I¡¯ll give it all to you.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll buy a big house, a big car! Then open a shop, let you be the boss, alright?¡± Zhou MuHui lowered his gaze, straightened his crooked body, and made him sit on a chair next to the bus station. He didn¡¯t say yes or no, only sitting quietly beside Xin Yi, listening to him speaks nonsense. Xin Yi had even more things to say than when he was sober, nagging on his own, resting against Zhou MuHui¡¯s shoulder, and wouldn¡¯t stop no matter what. But Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t cut him off, he just quietly looked in front of him. The cars under the streetlights were coming and going, on the opposite side was a couple holding hands, chatting and laughing and walking this way, but the little drunk ghost next to him was still going crazy, holding firmly Zhou MuHui¡¯s hand, intertwining their ten fingers. ¡°I killed my father when I was eighteen.¡± Zhou MuHui spoke amidst his muttering, his voice hoarse, ¡°On the second day after I received my admission letter.¡± The little drunk ghost was ignorant, pulling on his shoulder and smiling dumbly, ¡°Like you, I want to earn money¡­¡± ¡°He was committing domestic violence, and ever since I can remember I have been fighting with him, that day he became crazy and tore my admission letter, I wasn¡¯t at home, my mom sent me a text.¡± ¡°I told her to ignore it, an admission letter wasn¡¯t something that important, and I wouldn¡¯t be unable to go to school because of that, but she didn¡¯t listen.¡± ¡°So tired¡­ When has the car gone¡­¡± ¡°Elders are all like this, thinking that this thing is our life, wanting to snatch it from that person¡¯s hands, then use the glue to stick it back together, and continue to use it.¡± Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t lower his head, looking at the yellow light flashing weakly from afar. ¡°But she didn¡¯t listen to me.¡± ¡°I was working outside at that time, earning my tuition, and also the living expenses for her and me in the future. ¡°I needed money, a lot a lot of money.¡± Zhou MuHui smiled, and said, ¡°Because she finally planned to get divorced.¡± ¡°Buy a big house¡­ Not bullying Zhou MuHui¡­ so tired¡­¡± ¡°I went back home very late that day, the building was very quiet, there was not a single sound, I opened the door with the key, pushed it open, and it was dark.¡± ¡°She should be at home, but the house was dark, very quiet, very dark, very smelly.¡± ¡°I switched on the lights, she was lying on the floor, told me, ¡®Run.¡¯ ¡° The red light lit up, the pedestrians on both sides stopped, and the white crosswalk looked like a gulf, Zhou MuHui turned to look at it, struggling to use his sight to cross it. But it was very difficult, as if there was a barrier, firmly blocking him, Zhou MuHui couldn¡¯t leap over, staying on the side that was dark, unable to see the bottom. ¡°He was angered at work, venting it on my mom, I didn¡¯t see him, there was only my mom lying on the floor, seeming to have lost her lift, looking at me with her eyes widened.¡± Passer-by was making noise, cars honking through, the little drunk ghost beside him was chatting endlessly, hugging Zhou MuHui¡¯s arm and yawning, and randomly rubbing against him. ¡°Her voice was very hoarse, speaking very strenuously, I ran over wanting to help her up, but she kept repeating¡­¡± ¡°Run.¡± ¡°Run!¡± ¡°The house was very messy, the floor was full of broken alcohol bottles, and the admission letter that was torn into pieces, he was laughing hidden behind the door, when I had my back facing him, he suddenly pounced on me.¡± ¡°Wu, the light is green¡­ why hasn¡¯t the car come yet¡­¡± ¡°I pushed him away, he turned crazy after drinking alcohol, I saw blood stains on the corner of his clothes, he was kicked to the ground by me, laughing at me, and I ignored him.¡± ¡°My mom had to go to the hospital, I didn¡¯t know where that person had hit her, her pupils were almost completely dilated, but when I helped her up, I saw that there was blood on the back, it was a slash made by a knife.¡± Zhou MuHui said, ¡°I could recognize it.¡± ¡°Want to go home¡­ Mom is waiting for me¡­¡± ¡°He halted his laughing, the room was full of his intense panting, it was similar to a drum, but carrying a knife and waving it over.¡± ¡°His steps were very light, his breathing very heavy, carrying a stench of alcohol, but I didn¡¯t notice it.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t notice.¡± Zhou MuHui smiled, ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened back then, the alcohol stench was obviously very strong, so close to me, but I didn¡¯t notice it.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t have the time to turn around, my mom saw it, and did her best to pull me away, but her strength was very weak, her voice very quiet, I saw her mouth open, anxiously pulling me, calling him, pushing me¡­ but I didn¡¯t react on time. That person rushed behind me very quickly, the knife he was holding was full of blood, it was my mom¡¯s blood.¡± Zhou MuHui paused. ¡°She stood in front of me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s raining, it¡¯s raining.¡± Xin Yi was shaking his head, blankly falling toward Zhou MuHui¡¯s body, ¡°Want to go home.¡± ¡°The admission letter on the floor was dyed red, I was pressed by her on the floor, and she was lying in front of me, that person was holding the knife and stabbed down.¡± ¡°One stab, two stabs.¡± ¡°It was full of blood.¡± Zhou MuHui took back his glance. ¡°I was a bit afraid, I was very afraid.¡± ¡°Will someone come to save her.¡± ¡°Will someone come to save me.¡± ¡°Probably none, I snatched the knife in his hand.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t let my mom die.¡± Zhou MuHui lowered his head, looking at Xin Yi in his arms, ¡°I killed him.¡± Advertisements The feeling of the sharp blade cutting through flesh and blood was terrifying, he obviously already fell down, but Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t stop, the next moment the knife landed down, he finally downed himself to death along with him in that damp air, with no way of turning back from then on. ¡°Where is my home.¡± Notes: CH 31 13-16 minutes 05.02.2023 Xin Yi fell asleep, Zhou MuHui waited a long time after giving him a piggyback ride home, but he didn¡¯t wake up at all. There was a big patch of rose bushes in front of Xin Yi¡¯s house, April was almost gone, and the roses were also slowly blooming*, Zhou MuHui knew that it was his birthday tomorrow, the little kid drank a lot, pulled him during the evening and blabbered it all out. (* was originally put by the author with no note) Probably because he still wanted to be with Zhou MuHui, nagging on the whole way, saying that he only wants that gift, Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t speak, he also didn¡¯t react, then repeated it a few times again after turning and tossing around. Zhou MuHui called him next to the fence, his voice was very low, Xin Yi moved, just like a child, hugging his neck, arched the back of his neck, rubbing against him stickily, then changed direction and continued to sleep. Zhou MuHui paused, and couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh. The evening breeze was cool, but people¡¯s hearts were impetuous. Zhou Mu turned to block the wind coming on his way, and opened his mouth after a while. ¡°Happy birthday, Xiao Yi.¡± No one accepted the soft whispers, taken away by the wind of the spring night, Xin Yi who was on his back smacked his lips, and grunted twice, Zhou MuHui was startled, carefully listened to it, and noticed that he was saying ¡°There are bugs.¡±. Zhou MuHui was dumbfounded, carried his bare calves, and lowered his head to laugh. The little kid has drunk an unknown amount, and still carried a faint smell of alcohol, but it didn¡¯t smell bad, Zhou MuHui rang the doorbell, and called him once again, ¡°Xin Yi.¡± He didn¡¯t lower his voice on purpose anymore, the little kid was awakened by the series of movements, dizzily opened his eyes while on his back, and called him, ¡°Zhou MuHui¡­¡± Zhao MuHui let out a hum, said, ¡°You¡¯ve arrived home.¡± Xin Yi hasn¡¯t quite sobered up, pasting his face against his neck, and asked, ¡°What?¡± The moment he opened his mouth and drew his breath, the hot air sprayed on Zhou MuHui¡¯s ear, Zhou MuHui stiffened, and avoided him in quite an unnatural way. ¡°Don¡¯t mess around.¡± The drunk little kid was pestering, Zhou MuHui already have seen it, he put Xin Yi down, but Xin Yi was wrapped very tightly around him, his two legs wrapped around his waist, and anxiously said, ¡°¡­ I¡¯m about to fall down.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Won¡¯t.¡± Zhou MuHui stopped his movements, and spoke in a low voice. Hasty footsteps came from the corridor not far away, someone shouted in a loud voice, ¡°Xiao Yi?¡± Zhou MuHui quieted down, and silently patted him. The little kid sobered up slowly, after hearing that voice, he slowly turned his head, and after seeing the person, he dumbly smiled. ¡°It¡¯s my dad.¡± His body was dyed with some rose freshness, when he stuck it to Zhou Mu¡¯s neck it made his mind wander, Zhou Mu avoided him calmly, and nodded. ¡°You¡¯re going home.¡± Xin Yi confusedly let out a hum, ¡°Not going back.¡± He rested his head on Zhou MuHui¡¯s shoulder, as if deliberately acting dishonestly, ¡°Not going back, not going back.¡± He said it again and again, wrapped very tightly around Zhou MuHui, not letting the person go, not caring at all about the person striding over from the other side. Zhou MuHui couldn¡¯t get away from him, and called him several times in a low voice, the little kid was unwilling to let go, and the sound of footsteps on the side was getting closer and closer, Zhou Muhui was helpless, just about to take him and turn into the corner, Xin Yi yelled, ¡°Dad!¡± ¡°Running out just after finishing drinking alcohol.¡± ¡°The black iron door was forcefully opened, Yu TingYun scolded him, ¡°Still not getting down.¡± Yu TingYun saw him with one glance, his own family kid¡¯s alcohol tolerance isn¡¯t good, liking to stick to people after drinking, so he didn¡¯t think much about it, only dragging him by the waist and pulling him down. Xin Yi got stunned, and anxiously shook his head. ¡°Not getting down.¡± His pair of arms were wrapped around Zhou MuHui¡¯s neck, hastily hiding from the hands that Hu TingYun stretched over. ¡°Don¡¯t pull me, I¡¯m about to sleep.¡± v¡°Yu TingYun found it awkward yet funny, making a face to scare him, ¡°Xin Yi, Yu NanShan is coming.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Xin Yi immediately let go, ¡°I am getting down!¡± He was wobbling and standing unsteadily, Zhou MuHui could only reach out to support him, but that thought only lasted for a moment, and he immediately took it back. Yu TingYun caught him, and hated iron for not becoming steel1, ¡°Bully the weak and fear the hard, revolting behavior.¡± He scolded Xin Yi and turned around, then looked at Zhou MuHui, and said, ¡°Xiao Yi¡¯s friend?¡± Zhou MuHui said yes, he put his mask on his way here, the half-revealed brows and eyes were profound, but he lowered his head slightly when the eyes met. Yu TingYun glanced at him, his own child was making a fuss, and kept moving while being held by him, Yu TingYun didn¡¯t really pay attention to him, and only said. ¡°Troubled you, wait for a little, I¡¯ll tell someone to send you back.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Zhou Mu shook his head, but was stuck in the next second, Xin Yi didn¡¯t behave, and was messing around under Yu TingYun¡¯s eyes, grabbing his arm. Zhou MuHui couldn¡¯t help but look at him, the little kid became obedient, looked up and smiled at him. ¡°Going home!¡± Xin Yi suddenly dragged him over, and said to Yu TingYun, ¡°Dad, I¡¯m leaving!¡± He didn¡¯t wait for Yu TingYun to speak, leading Zhou MuHui toward the house, the two men were stunned by his actions, and Zhou MuHui only returned to his senses, after following him by taking three or four steps. ¡°Xin Yi.¡± ¡°Xin Yi!¡± Yu TingYun pulled him, his face became black2, gnashing his teeth, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Xin Yi lifted his head ignorantly, ¡°Going home ah-.¡± ¡°People have their own home.¡± Zhou MuHui¡¯s hand was forcefully torn down, Yu TingYun¡¯s eyes were sharp, as if he saw something, almost wanting to cut him up alive. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°No!¡± Xin Yi was anxious, ¡°I want to take him home, I want to buy a big house to put him in!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re going home.¡± Yu TingYun was about to faint from anger, lifting Xin Yi over his shoulders. He didn¡¯t realize who Zhou MuHui was until now, some time ago Xin Shao said that Xin Yi got himself a little girlfriend, always running out to find her, but his mother hadn¡¯t realized that, that said girlfriend has a scar. Zhou MuHui and Xin Yi were forced to come out of the closet, among the rose bushes void of people, Zhou MuHui chased behind wanting to explain, but Yu TingYun stopped him. ¡°Tomorrow afternoon, come here.¡± Yu TingYun stared at him viciously, ¡°The matters of two people, I don¡¯t want it to be explained by a single person.¡± Zhou MuHui was left behind, the little drunk ghost did not notice anything, hanging on Yu TingYun¡¯s back and smiling at him, ¡°Zhou MuHui, I¡¯ll take you home.¡± The impatient Yu Tingyun slapped his leg ruthlessly. ¡°You are going to anger me to death.¡± Zhou MuHui left very late, it was the middle of the night, the villas turned off all the lights, the spring night is quiet, and the bugs¡¯ buzzings were almost inaudible, Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t turn his head back, and turn back following the path he took to come here. On the way, Zhou mother called him, asking him why he still wasn¡¯t back yet, Zhou MuHui looked at the Bluestone road in front of him, and cast his eyes down, ¡°Almost there.¡± But it actually wasn¡¯t true, Xin Yi¡¯s house was very far, he also walked very slowly, and at this pace, he doesn¡¯t even know when he will get home. But even if it was the case, Zhou MuHui still didn¡¯t want to speed up. Tonight he made a confession to the drunk little kid, the little kid was very obedient, maybe heard a bit of it, but perhaps he would forget everything by tomorrow, but it didn¡¯t matter to Zhou MuHui. He only wanted to speak to Xin Yi. Xin Yi is too young. Younger than him by almost ten years old, and stupid as hell, saying to Zhou MuHui that he likes him, saying that he will take him home, and asking him pitifully, why he still doesn¡¯t like him. Zhou MuHui lowered his head to look at his mottled palm, thinking. How could he not like him. In countless long fragments of time, Zhou MuHui wanted to push him away, wanted to be fiercer with him, nastier, say some harsh words to force him to leave, do bad things to intimidate him, or even just ignore him, and never see him again. But without exception, he never succeeded. The nonsense spoken by the kid, obviously should be regarded as a joke, and should not be taken as the truth. But Zhou MuHui¡¯s heart just had to be shaken. His heart got shaken, setting his death sentence. He is a flower that bloomed from mud, and what he handed out was his rotten heart. Zhou MuHui closed his hand, thinking, only he was willing to accept it, only he was willing to take a glance at it. Zhou MuHui took a day off the next day, Zhou mother paused when seeing him at noon, saying, ¡°Going out?¡± Zhou MuHui put on an over-shirt jacket, and hummed. Zhou mother looked at him weirdly, staring at him for half a day, and suddenly asked, ¡°Made friends?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± Zhou MuHui avoided her, and repeated once again, ¡°Nothing of the sort.¡± But Zhou mother smiled, ¡°It looks quite good, go.¡± As if ignoring his denial. Thus Zhou MuHui paused, and didn¡¯t refute anymore. Xin Yi called him before he left the house, he didn¡¯t say everything, that he swallowed his saliva first, Zhou MuHui thought that he would be afraid, or will tell Zhou MuHui not to come, but it was neither of them. ¡°I told my family, that I am the one who is chasing you, you did not agree, my father made a mistake¡­ Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Zhou MuHui stopped for a moment, ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± They didn¡¯t continue to speak, the electric current deepened each other¡¯s breathing, Zhou Mu leaned against the wall and lowered his head, listening to the kid¡¯s long and pleasant voice on the other end. Very light, very slow, tugging at one¡¯s heartstrings. ¡°Are you going to come?¡± Xin Yi asked, his voice slightly astringent, ¡°Zhou MuHui, do you know what it means if you come?¡± Xin Yi said very seriously, ¡°If you come, you can only be together with me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhou MuHui ground the red brick beside him, his fingertips were stained with red, it was then lightly rubbed off by him. ¡°I know.¡± He took his hand back, and didn¡¯t speak anymore, only telling Xin Yi to be obedient, and wait for him. Those two words were very heavy, Zhou MuHui thought, Xin Yi can probably hear it very clearly. Zhou MuHui admitted defeat at the end of the spring, going to his little friend¡¯s house to find him to go to play, Zhou MuHui thought, maybe Xin Yi will regret it one day, will be afraid, but it¡¯s alright. He is only nineteen, Zhou MuHui is willing to become the first stepping stone on his way to growing up. If it is right, Xin Yi will be happy, if it is wrong, Zhou MuHui will help him carry it. It will be alright anyway, Zhou MuHui will always be there. Notes: Author¡¯s note (translated): Brother Zhou¡¯s eight years refer to recent anti-homicide cases, Kunshan/Shandong/Lijiang/Shaanxi cases, etc. Zhou¡¯s point is whether he advocates legitimate defense, or excessive defense and manslaughter. Moreover, novels are not writing about reality, and the progress of contemporary social civilization rarely causes situations like Brother Zhou¡¯s to appear, I understand everyone¡¯s uncertainty and not understanding, if you find it really not understandable, then the reason is the author¡¯s writing skills and insights are not good, thank you for reading (bowing seriously. I am finally back!! Since I transferred, my new position requires me to go to the office earlier than my old position, and it¡¯s killing me because I am not a morning person at all, it¡¯s making me sleep almost an hour less than before. So although I¡¯m done with work earlier, it¡¯s not helping at all since the first thing I do is take a nap¡­ I am withering and cannot find time to work on translations at all. (TT_TT) CH 32 PUBLISHED ON 6 March 2023 Xin Yi acquired a boyfriend on his birthday, and also a beating from his fathers and mother, also the suffering was very light, but Xin Yi still felt very wronged. ¡°But you guys didn¡¯t ask me¡­¡± How could he have known that gender was that important. ¡°It¡¯s not because of that.¡± Xin Shao frowned, and felt for the first time that he was too relaxed with him. ¡°Xiao Yi, do you know¡­ his past?¡± His family learned that he got himself a boyfriend, and he was also personally caught by Yu TingYun, they didn¡¯t disturb the little kid¡¯s sleep, only looked into who Zhou MuHui was on the same night, and noticed something wrong when they were done with it. Xin Yi¡¯s lover, is not some kind of regular kid. He originally thought that Xin Yi didn¡¯t know about it, or only knows some part of it, but Xin Yi said he knows. He knows it from the beginning to the end. Xin Yi got drunk, but didn¡¯t save them from trouble, waking up from a sweet dream, the first thing he remembered wasn¡¯t the embarrassment of being caught by Yu Ting Yun last night, but the bus station after the rain, Zhou MuHui¡¯s low and dull narrative. As if he was talking about someone else¡¯s matter, but Xin Yi was lost in thought for a long time while hugging his cat. Xin Yi first acted nice, said that Zhou MuHui was very good, and guaranteed to his parents, the other party wasn¡¯t some kind of evil person. ¡°Mom, he was also scared, if there was someone who was about to hurt you, I would also fight him.¡± Xin Shao¡¯s brows still didn¡¯t straighten, as if thinking about something, Xin Yi saw that he was a bit strange, but when he was about to ask something, Xin Shao shook his head, and didn¡¯t continue to speak. The adults were wearing troubled looks, but Xin Yi was so happy that he wasn¡¯t able to find the North, Zhou MuHui became his proper boyfriend, Xin Yi can hug, can kiss, can do whatever he wants to do, and do everything he wants to do. He sent Zhou MuHui a text in class, going to find Zhou MuHui in the evening after class, they sat on the floor eating street food, Zhou MuHui would give him the egg from his own bowl, Xin Yi returned to the carrots he doesn¡¯t like to eat. They were like a normal couple, quietly in love within the gaps in time, Xin Yi still liked to sneak attack him like usual, hold his hand, kiss his face, and accompany him to the bar after he got off work, or Zhou MuHui sent him home. His family didn¡¯t talk about being opposed again, when Zhou MuHui came over the over day he was called upstairs by his father Yu NanShan, Xin Yi doesn¡¯t know what they talked about, but when they came down, Xin Shao made Zhou MuHui stay for dinner, Xin Yi sat on the chair and sneakily looked at him, and was fiercely knocked on the head by Yu TingYun who was beside. Xin Yi smiled sheepishly, acting spoiled to his dad, he could see his family¡¯s behavior, although not very happy, but didn¡¯t really make it difficult for Zhou MuHui. When Zhou MuHui left Xin Yi also wanted to follow after him, but was only allowed to send him to the door, Zhou MuHui was wearing a nice shirt, Xin Yi was bewitched by him, carrying the cat and looking at him dizzily. He wanted to kiss Zhou MuHui, but was afraid that Zhou MuHui would not agree, the man frowned slightly, the look he used to look at him was also extremely calm, Xin Yi thought he was going to be pushed away, but he actually wasn¡¯t. Zhou MuHui pulled him toward the rose bushes outside, and before he raised his head and leaned closer, kissed him first. This is the first time Zhou MuHui kissed him, although very short, although very lightly, Xin Yi was still very happy, he surely will make this day Zhou MuHui¡¯s anniversary, piling it on top of his birthday, in this way, Zhou MuHui can celebrate it with him. Xin Yi likes holidays, because he would receive a lot, a lot of love during holidays, Xin Yi also wants Zhou MuHui to have it. Advertisements Xin Yi would sometimes pull Zhou MuHui home to have a meal, but Yu TingYun didn¡¯t agree to it, he find Zhou MuHui unpleasant to the eye no matter how he look at him, feeling that Zhou MuHui abducted his family¡¯s little kid, Xin Yi begged him, pulled Xin Shao out for help, Xin Yi was in a dilemma, but in the end still decided to allow it. Unilaterally suppressing Yu TingYun¡¯s no. Yu Tingyun resisted to no avail, was angry for a long time, and did not speak to Xin Yi for two or three days, Xin Yi went to find him at his company, asking puzzled, ¡°Dad, why?¡± Yu TingYun was working at that time, and was stunned hearing him speak, only saying after a while, ¡°Little Xin Yin, you deserved better.¡± His family hasn¡¯t called him like this for a long time, after Xin Yi slowly grew up, his dad and mom unanimously changed this way of calling him. As if hiding the soft from that brave and strong child when he was young, not wanting him to suffer any harm. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Xin Yi was stunned, then walked and squatted down in front of him, looking at him seriously. Yu TingYun stopped working on the things in his hand, lowered his head to look at him, their little kid has grown up, the kid who was following behind him eagerly when he was little saying dad don¡¯t go, the kid pulling him to wear dinosaur onesie and sing together with mom to sing little green dragon, unknowingly grew up into an adult. Knowing to be happy for others, knowing to worry for others, as his mother wished, gentle, soft, although often dumb and dull-witted, but is a kid who is happy every day. He never had any high expectations from Xin Yi, only hoping that he could be happy, wherever he wanted to like boys or girls didn¡¯t matter, but Zhou MuHui was too special. Yu TingTun cannot bear to see him endure any hardship in the future. But his kid was smiling, looking up and looking softly at himself, his gaze was the same as his mother¡¯s years ago, gentle, brave, moving forward bravely. Eternally unchanging, the obstination toward love. ¡°He is already very good¡­¡± Xin Yi held his hand, and said softly, ¡°Dad, no one is better than him.¡± His Zhou MuHui, is a treasure he wants to put in his heart, maybe some people don¡¯t value him, don¡¯t love him, but it¡¯s ok. Xin Yi will give him a lot, a lot of love, along with everything before, making it up altogether for him. Advertisements Xin Y lost sleep during the winter night of his twenty years old, and began to seriously consider the matter of marriage. Zhou MuHui resigned from his job at Wen Miao after his (XY) college entrance exams, starting to concentrate on taking care of the store in his hand, Xin Yi¡¯s vacations started early on, often running over to find him, staying for a whole day every time. But right at that time his family had something to deal with, Xin Yi and his parents left S city for half a month, and when they came back, unexpectedly noticed that a girl was working at Zhou MuHui¡¯s workplace. Coming to find Zhou MuHui every two or three days consecutively. Xin Yi ran into them by coincidence on the first day, he originally wanted to surprise Zhou MuHui, how could he know that he didn¡¯t even turn out of the corner that he saw his own boyfriend being confessed to. A pretty girl that is fragrant and soft, blocked in front of Zhou MuHui not letting him go, raising her head saying she likes him, Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t wear his mask, the face under the dim yellow light was as handsome as ever that it made people¡¯s heart flutter, Xin Yi was stunned for a moment, squatting in the corner and staring at them in a daze Because Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t leave immediately. And even stayed for a while, talking with her. This is the first time Xin Yi bumped into him being confessed to, he knows that Zhou MuHui is very good, and is worthy of everyone¡¯s liking, but when he really comes to see it, he still cannot help but feel hurt. He wants Zhou MuHui to only like him, not look at others anymore. Xin Yi didn¡¯t even turn his head and headed back home, sprawled on his bed and was being angry at Zhou MuHui. His anger was totally unjustified, he obviously knew that he was wrong, but still couldn¡¯t help it. MaoMao at one side jumped over, meowing, Xin Yi pursed his mouth, pulling him tightly into his embrace, looking at his phone that kept lighting up, his heart feeling torn, and still turned it over angrily. But his anger deflated on the second day, the little kid¡¯s anger came quickly and was gone as soon as Xin Yi saw the four or five texts that Zhou MuHui sent over, and became happy for no reason, and planned to give Zhou MuHui another surprise. As a result, he bumped into her again. Advertisements The girl and Zhou MuHui were in the alley beside, Xin Yi was very close, and heard her confess to Zhou MuHui one more time, she said a lot, praising Zhou MuHui, praising herself, Xin Yi listened to her for half a day, and suddenly turned around. He didn¡¯t hide on a purpose, but Zhou MuHui just didn¡¯t see him, Xin Yi was angry and wronged, the cat at the corner of the alley wanted to go, he felt that he shouldn¡¯t keep up with his surprises, or else he would be angered to death first. But just when he moved, he heard Zhou MuHui¡¯s voice. Aloof, almost impersonal. ¡°I¡¯ve said it, I have a partner.¡± Xin Yi was stunned, blinked, then obediently returned to his original position. He stretched his head out of the corner, and saw Zhou MuHui frown and turned around, Xin Yi pursed his lips into a smile, fingers clinging to the end of the red brick wall, the hint of a smile hidden in his eyes. But not even a moment later, he suddenly changed his expression. The girl chased Zhou MuHui, grabbing Zhou MuHui¡¯s hand forcefully. ¡°Not even married, freedom to love! Could it be that she is more beautiful than me?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Xin Yi was stunned, for a moment he wasn¡¯t sure if he should be angry at her words first, or angry at her ill-behaved movement, but then his head was throbbing with anger. The other party was taking a foot after getting an inch, she actually hugged Zhou MuHui! Xin Yi jumped out of the corner, like a cat with his fur standing up, and stormed over in a threatening manner. ¡°Husband!¡± Xin Yi called him. Zhou MuHui was stunned, even forgetting to push away the other party, looking at Xin Yi startled. Xin Yi didn¡¯t care about him, his eyes seemed to be frozen, and he looked at the other party angrily, then pulled her hand down. ¡°Why are you hugging my husband!¡± Xin Yi glared at her, ¡°He already said that he has a partner.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The girl was pushed away by him, opened her mouth in shock, and said after a long moment, ¡°Really is?¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s true.¡± Xin Yi barked in front of Zhou MuHui, and added viciously, ¡°I also think that I am better looking than you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The girl stopped speaking, looking at him awkwardly, probably because she didn¡¯t think that a partner would really jump out, and furthermore, a boy. ¡°¡­ I didn¡¯t do anything.¡± After a while, she took a step back, looking at Xin Yi bluffing, ¡°You are only going out together, could it be that you won¡¯t allow others to strive for?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Of course I won¡¯t allow it!¡± Xin Yi was almost angered to death, not understanding what her logic is, ¡°How do you know that we are only going out together, we are not playing house.¡± The other party did not refute, Xin Yi was glaring at her angrily, going ahead of her. ¡°Don¡¯t think about it, every cause has a consequence, and his wife is me1! You really have the guts, I think you don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Bye bye!¡± Xin Yi said loudly. ¡°¡­¡­¡± The girl was stuck, with black lines all over her face, ¡°¡­Damn gay.¡± But left like a thief with a guilty conscience. Advertisements Xin Yi waited until she left before turning around, and looking at Zhou MuHui fiercely, asking, ¡°I am good looking or she is good-looking?¡± Zhou MuHui paused for a moment, then lowered his head to laugh. His wrist is still held by Xin Yi, but Zhou Muhui didn¡¯t seem to have the slightest attention to pull away, even using this position to hold him back, saying, ¡°You are good-looking.¡± His voice was low, but it carried a smile, Xin Yi was done being angry, then squirmed and leaned against his body, sulking. ¡°When did you come back?¡± Xin Yi glanced at him from the corner of his eye, then said with an angry tone, ¡°Yesterday!¡± And then Zhou MuHui, he held the little kid¡¯s frozen hands until it was a bit red in his palms, leading him inside. ¡°What are you doing, I am very angry right now, and won¡¯t forgive you, don¡¯t¡­¡­¡± The voice stopped abruptly, because Zhou MuHui lowered his head, and kissed him. ¡°Next time tell me when you¡¯re back.¡± Zhou MuHui rubbed against his lips, and said in a whisper. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m not going to.¡± Xin Yi was kissed by him until he lost his spirit, but used a pair of misty eyes to glare at him. Who told him to have that many contacts with that person, not pushing her away early on. ¡°Was driving her away already.¡± Zhou MuHui was very soft, the slow rise and fall were making his lips numb, ¡°Have been driving her away since yesterday.¡± ¡°I said I don¡¯t like girls.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Not right!¡± Xin Yi was even more angry, biting his lips angrily. ¡°You have to say you like me!¡± He said vaguely and angrily. Zhou MuHui smiled, good-naturedly letting him bite, and nodded while keeping this posture. ¡°Zhou MuHui, you cannot like someone else¡­¡± Xin Yi finished venting, and felt wronged again, let go of him and leaned against the wall to watch him ¡°You can only like me.¡± It was the sweetheart that Xin Yi worked hard to chase, the person that he wanted to protect for a whole life, and cannot look at someone else. Not even a single glance. ¡°En.¡± Zhou MuHui coxed him patiently, and gently wiped off the wetness on his lips with his thumb. ¡°You have to reply to texts.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Xin Yi was obviously angry, but turned around and was scolded by him, he lost the momentum of playing dirty, and could only nod while feeling wronged, saying he knows. But Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t let him go, stayed pressed on his body, and looked at him through the shadows under the dim street lights. ¡°What did you call me just now.¡± Zhou MuHui looked at him, and unexpectedly asked him. Notes: CH 33 PUBLISHED ON 11 April 2023 Xin Yi¡¯s face immediately became red, stammeringly said: ¡°N-, nothing!¡± He pushed Zhou Muhui away wanting to run, but Zhou MuHui hugged him tightly, Xin Yi was being stared at by him until his whole body felt weak, his hand was on his shoulder for a long time, and he still softly deflated. ¡°I just called (husband), what¡¯s wrong¡­¡± Xin Yi took the courage to refute him, ¡°A-, and she even hugged you!¡± His words were full of sourness, he obviously was angered until he became ruthless just now, but Zhou Muhui paused, and let go of him. He did not say anything, so Xin Yi went along and climbed up the pole1, pulled the hem of his clothes, and kicked him with a muffled grunt. Zhou MuHui heard him speaking, being evasive as if stuck in his throat, Zhou MuHui grabbed his hands which were causing trouble, asking him, ¡°What are you saying?¡± Xin Yi was embarrassed, his lobes were dyed red, watching him swallow down at last, whispering, ¡°¡­ I want to get married.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± It was one of the rare times Zhou MuHui was stuck, his mouth was open for a long time, and barely managed to utter two words ¡°Nonsense.¡± After Xin Yi finished saying that, he knew that he would agree to it, he shrunk his neck, ¡°Alright, alright, I won¡¯t say it anymore.¡± Xin Yi thought, this is an important matter, he has to think about it carefully, it cannot be said so hastily. Zhou MuHui is very good, and Xin Yi also has to be serious toward him. Thus, he let go with peace of mind, and decided that he would think it over, then talk to Zhou MuHui. Advertisements Xin Yi tossed and turned for a whole winter, and when New Year¡¯s Eve was approaching, he still hadn¡¯t given up on it, and when he was with Zhou Muhui, he stuck to him more than usual, Zhou Muhui didn¡¯t really put these two things together, only thought that the child was lazy in winter, thus he keep leaning against his body. Xin Yi is soft-hearted, looking at Zhou MuHui eagerly, and was a bit embarrassed to say it directly, only hugging him and wanting to kiss and hug, and going around the curves and skirting the corners saying to Zhou MuHui that he particularly likes him, and want to be with him for a lifetime. Accentuating on particularly and a lifetime, carrying Xin Yi¡¯s consistent soft tone. No matter how indifferent Zhou MuHui was, he still couldn¡¯t help if he was showing his love like this, he pinched the back of Xin Yi¡¯s neck to prevent him from fiddling around, lowered his head, and asked him, ¡°What do you want to do?¡± His mouth is so sweet. Xin Yi shook his head, standing in front of him and looking at him quietly. Xin Yi was good looking, and also liked to show off his good looks, but precisely as soon as it¡¯s winter, he only liked to wear the same cloth again and again, Zhou MuHui¡¯s eyes landed on his black down jacket, and his heart softened quietly. He put the kid¡¯s hat on for him, then tied up his scarf carefully, winter nights are very cold, and it just snowed in the afternoon, Xin Yi couldn¡¯t help but feel cold, once Zhou MuHui was done with work, he sent him back home. ¡°Zhou MuHui¡­¡± Xin Yi hid in the soft scarf, and called him in a whisper. His hand was restless, taking advantage of when Zhou MuHui was tying the scarf back for him, he grabbed the hem of his clothes, Zhou MuHui hummed, and then carefully checked his whole body, then asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I am almost twenty years old.¡± Xin Yi blinked, and sneakily said it. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhou MuHui frowned, not understanding what he meant. ¡°It¡¯s not even New Year2.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that¡­¡± Xin Yi was a bit anxious, looking up at him, ¡°I am twenty years old!¡± He repeated himself once again. Zhou MuHui looked at him with even more confusion, not understanding what he wanted to do. They were almost home, yet the little kid stood in the middle of the road refusing to walk, because Zhou MuHui thought for a while, and asked him at last, ¡°What present do you want?¡± Xin Yi was almost angered to death by him, it was still two or three months away until it was his birthday, who would want such an early present! ¡°You¡¯re too stupid!¡± Xin Yi looked at the man in front of him who was frowning in confusion, but still couldn¡¯t hold back and pounce on him, biting his (ZMH¡¯s) lip ferociously. ¡°Stupid Zhou MuHui, you¡¯re hopeless.¡± Advertisements Xin Yi implicitly and explicitly said so many times that he wants to get married, but he never seriously listened to them. Xin Yi unilaterally entered into a cold war with Zhou MuHui, and the two of them didn¡¯t speak for many days, on the night of New Year¡¯s Eve, Zhou MuHui texted him, telling him not to come over today, Xin Yi was sprawled on the bed hugging his cat, replied to him word for word, ¡°I won¡¯t go.¡± Zhou MuHui caused him to be angry, there¡¯s no way Xin Yi will easily forgive him. He turned over angrily, tossing his phone to one side, Xin Shao called him for dinner soon after, Xin Yi answered, but before going out of the door he stopped his step, and took a glance at the phone which was still on the bed. ¡°Nevermind¡­¡± He muttered softly, ran back, and took the phone back. Zhou MuHui has always been stupid anyways, Xin Yi cannot stop liking him because of that reason. The night ended as usual, Xin Yi waited until the end, he was in the living room playing with the cat, Xin Shao didn¡¯t pay much attention, but Yu Nanshan on the other side took a look, and then asked Xin Shao, ¡°Is the door locked?¡± Xin Shao was stunned, ¡°It¡¯s locked ah, it was already locked when I was cooking the dumplings.¡± Xin Yi¡¯s ears were pricked up, and was stunned when he heard their words, but before he could speak, his father gave him another meaningful look. ¡°Look after the cat, don¡¯t let it run around.¡± Xin Yi shook, his body shrunk straight into the depths of the sofa, gulped and nodded. ¡°Mao Mao won¡¯t run around¡­¡± He refuted in a small voice. His parents were talking again, and soon after they went upstairs, Xin Yi carefully put down the cat, and crept over to the door, but just when he inserted the key, a clear male voice came from behind. ¡°Xiao Yi?¡± It was his mom¡¯s voice. Xin Yi was scared to death, put down the key in a hurry, looked back pretending to be calm. ¡°Mo-, mom.¡± Xin Shao looked at him, asking, ¡°What are you doing?¡± His gaze was scrutinizing, Xin Yi hurriedly shook his head, picked up the cat and ran upstairs. ¡°Nothing, nothing mom! We¡¯re going to sleep!¡± The cat was lying in his arms and meowing nonstop, as if explaining to Xin Shao, but Xin Yi was guilty in heart, rushing upstairs taking two steps instead of three. He didn¡¯t dare to stay downstairs anymore, or else he really won¡¯t be able to leave tonight. He was a bit in a hurry when he closed the door, there was a loud bang, the cat was startled, it lay on his arm and looked all around, Xin Yi panted and squatted down, comforting him hurriedly, and stopped in the next second, looking at Mao Mao that was in his arms, asked, ¡°What should I do?¡± He wanted to go to find Zhou MuHui, but how could he know that his parents would lock the door in advance. If he knew that earlier he would be angry at him. Xin Yi thought, he hadn¡¯t seen Zhou MuHui for three or four days already. Furthermore, Zhou MuHui¡¯s had to come today, it was simply as if he was asking to make up with him. Mao Mao couldn¡¯t understand his words, ignorantly rubbing against his palm, Xin Yi sighed in despair, hugging him and sitting on the floor, picking up the phone that he hadn¡¯t touched for half a day. His and Zhou MuHui¡¯s texts stopped at that don¡¯t come, Xin Yi looked at it again and again, and suddenly scrambled up. The cat was put on the floor by him, walking in circles around him, Xin Yi changed his clothes in a hurry, hearing him meow, hurriedly shushing him, ¡°Mao Mao! Don¡¯t call!¡± He remembered that there was a window that was still open in the guest room downstairs, he discovered it in the afternoon while looking for Mao Mao. ¡°Shhh!¡± Xin Yi winked at the cat, smiled and went downstairs cautiously. Advertisements Zhou MuHui was stunned when he saw him, the little kid sat on the steps opposite the bar and was dozing off, his left hand which was supporting his face was already frozen stiff and red, Zhou MuHui breathing paused, strode over. ¡°Xin Yi?¡± Xin Yi woke up confused, and saw Zhou MuHui in the blink of an eye. ¡°You¡¯ve come out.¡± Xin Yi yawned, and leaned against him. He hadn¡¯t quite woken up yet, and was also very lazy, as if his body lost its bones, directly sticking to Zhou MuHui¡¯s body. Zhou MuHui hummed, grabbed his hand and stuffed it into his pocket, the man¡¯s generous palm rubbed vigorously along the back of his hand, Xin Yi felt ticklish, and couldn¡¯t help but evade and laugh. ¡°I am not cold.¡± Zhou MuHui shot him a glance, and didn¡¯t speak. This is the first time the two of them haven¡¯t seen each other since that day, Xin Yi had mixed feelings, and it all became happiness after seeing him. They shouldn¡¯t have argued. Xin Yi¡¯s hand was held by him, looking at Zhou MuHui who had a serious face, and was thinking. He still liked to look at Zhou MuHui like that every day, although Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t like to speak, and wasn¡¯t very intelligent. But Xin Yi still liked him very much. It was already late at night, and already past midnight, even the fireworks had dissipated unknowingly, Xin Yi took out his hand from his palm, and touched his cheek which was also quite cold. ¡°I¡¯m a bit late this year, Happy New Year, Zhou MuHui.¡± His palm still carried the scorching heat that had just faded from Zhou Muhui¡¯s body, Zhou MuHui kept his head lowered, he paused after hearing his voice, looking at him seriously. ¡°Xiao Yi, why were you angry?¡± Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t get it, he didn¡¯t come to find him after arguing with him that day, only getting one reply although he sent three of four texts, Zhou MuHui has a stupid mouth, he usually doesn¡¯t know how to coax him happy, but at least he doesn¡¯t want to make him sad. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Xin Yi didn¡¯t think he would ask it like this, he slowly blinked, his finger poked the scar on Zhou Muhui¡¯s face, and said, ¡°Because you¡¯re stupid.¡± Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t understand, ¡°What did I do wrong?¡± He looked serious about asking for an explanation, but Xin Yi was embarrassed by his look, and even for a moment, he felt that he was making trouble for no reason. But he really wanted to get married to Zhou MuHui, not only because of the girl of that day¡¯s provocation. He wanted to give Zhou MuHui a family. A home a thousand times, ten thousand times better than before, with fathers, a mother, Xin Yi, and also Mao Mao. They will be good to Zhou MuHui, and love Zhou MuHui very much. ¡°Zhou MuHui¡­¡± Xin Yi leaned closer in this posture, he knows that Zhou MuHui is very busy lately, and gets off work an hour later than usual, he is also the last person on this street, Xin Yi wasn¡¯t afraid to be heard by others. ¡°On the night when I turned nineteen years old, I drank a lot of alcohol at home, and ran over to find you.¡± ¡°You were very nice, accompanying me to mess around, and kept holding my hand, I asked you if you liked me but you didn¡¯t shake your head, I kissed you and you didn¡¯t push me away, you put the hat on me, lowered your head to look at me, calling me Xiao Yi.¡± ¡°You said, ¡®Xiao Yi, don¡¯t be that nice.¡¯ ¡° ¡°Your voice was very quiet, but I heard it.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t get it at that time, I thought, what do you mean don¡¯t be that nice, is Zhou MuHui disliking me now, disliking me for being stupid? Then when I woke up, I understood that wasn¡¯t it.¡± ¡°My Zhou MuHui wanted to say, Xiao Yi, don¡¯t be that nice to me.¡± Xin Yi held his face, pressed his forehead against his, his voice was very soft. ¡°But I like you, like you very very much.¡± ¡°Later you held my hand and waited for the bus together, I said I would buy you a big house, and we would be together forever, I kept looking at you, but you were watching the traffic lights.¡± ¡°I was thinking at that time, how could Zhou MuHui be that stupid, I said so many nice things, why doesn¡¯t he come to give me a kiss, praise me.¡± ¡°But you said¡­¡± Xin Yi¡¯s voice choked up slowly, and something cold overflowed from the corner of his eyes, Zhou MuHui¡¯s voice turned hoarse, squatted in front of him and looked up at him. They both know what that non-spoken phrase was, Zhou MuHui held his hand, calling him in a rough voice. ¡°Xin Yi¡­¡± ¡°You said¡­ You are very afraid.¡± His tears fell down, carrying an unreachable heat in winter, like a butterfly, flapping its wings, but burning Zhou MuHui¡¯s heart. ¡°Zhou MuHui.¡± Xin Yi called him almost silently, stroking the slight protruding part of his face with his fingertips. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to be afraid.¡± Xin Yi is willing to become Zhou MuHui¡¯s new family, forever protecting him. Xin Yi leaned over, getting closer to him with his sloppy face, and touched him. Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t speak for a long time, only staring at Xin Yi in a daze, Xin Yi cried silently, Zhou MuHui thought, this is the first time the little kid cried so obediently. Only crying. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Zhou MuHui only spoke after a long while, he embraced the kid sitting on the steps, and comforted his slightly trembling back ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± He said. ¡°I heard it.¡± ¡°I heard it all.¡± ¡°Zhou MuHui, I am very sad.¡± Advertisements Xin Yi lay on his shoulders, the tears wet a whole patch on his shoulder, the child¡¯s voice was very small, and the breath from his mouth was hot, Zhou MuHui half-kneeled in front of him and hugged him, as if he were about to be drowned by his wet and hot tears. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Zhou MuHui lowered his head, reassuring him with word after word, he seemed unable to say anything else to comfort Xin Yi, at least to not make Xin Yi this sad. Because he was also somewhat inexplicably depressed. But why was it. Why after Xin Yi said it out, he felt a bit saddened, although it¡¯s been like this for a long time, although he hadn¡¯t kept it in his heart all these years, Xin Yi said it, Xin Yi cried, as if his heart had been stabbed, making him almost breathless. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Zhou MuHui closed his eyes, hugging him tightly. ¡°It¡¯s all in the past.¡± He didn¡¯t mention the confession that day again, he carefully covered up those chaotic emotions little by little, he thought, it turns out it was like this to be taken to heart. It turns out. It feels like this to be doted on. Notes: For those who are wondering, I still got my tenosynovitis, it got better but I still cannot really flex my thumb and the area is still a bit swollen. I am saying this because my coworkers keep asking if I¡¯m done with it because originally the pharmacist told me 3-4 weeks at least and everyone expected me to be done with it and I included lol. Sucks to be old, I hurt my shoulder the other day carrying all my grocery home, it got better today so I¡¯m updating now. So far, 2023 has been so good to my wallet (stable job) but so bad to my body, I can¡¯t even lmao. There¡¯s also drama at work going on¡­lol Thank you for the coffees! I appreciate it, leave a comment too! I don¡¯t get much feedback. CH 34 PUBLISHED ON 15 May 2023 Xin Yi didn¡¯t return home that night, because he cried until exhaustion, he fell asleep on Zhou MuHui¡¯s back, Zhou MuHui wanted to send him home, but after being startled awake he hugged Zhou MuHui¡¯s neck and shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t send me away.¡± ¡°His voice was hoarse. Zhou MuHui couldn¡¯t reject him, and in the end, he took him back to his own home, the little kid slept peacefully in his bed, his half-covered cheeks hidden under the quilt, pulled his hand, and said in a daze, ¡°Tomorrow wake me up early¡­¡± He still remembered to be afraid of being discovered, and wanting to return early. Zhou MuHui sat beside the bed looking at him, and agreed in a low voice, waited until he was asleep, then got up silently, and walked out of the door. Mother Zhou was old, and had been wounded before, so fell asleep early. Zhou MuHui made do with a stool and spent the night outside, their house was small, there were only two rooms, a big and a small one, and even the living room was almost nonexistent, Zhou MuHui rest his head using his hands as a pillow and was in a trance, thinking of the kid inside who is separated from him by a wall. Xin Yi is a sincere and bright child, with a softness that is rare at this age, Zhou MuHui thought, like a little sun, reaching out to him countless times, wanting to pull Zhou MuHui forward and brush the mud off him, and even looked at him seriously, saying that he wanted to marry him. Marriage. It was not the first time Xin Yi said it, but it was the first time Zhou MuHui took it seriously. That day, the child was hugging him stickily in the alley, but Zhou MuHui thought he was messing around, but tonight he said it again. Holding Zhou Muhui¡¯s hand and looking at him seriously, as if he was really proposing to Zhou MuHui, and said. ¡°Zhou MuHui, I¡¯ve thought about it for a long time, but I think it¡¯s a very serious matter, so I think you should think about it a bit longer.¡± ¡°Although I like you very very much, and even wish that you could answer at this moment.¡± Xin Yi pursed his lips uneasily, ¡°But I am serious, it¡¯s enough as long as you don¡¯t say that I am messing around.¡± Zhou MuHui was stunned, touching his puffy red eyes, said, ¡°Won¡¯t.¡± He will no longer take the little kid¡¯s words as jokes, his Xin Yi is more serious than anyone, and the love he gives is always one hundred percent, so Zhou MuHui has to also take it seriously. Zhou MuHui carried him up on his back, feeling his soft breath on his neck, his hands were hanging in front of Zhou Muhui¡¯s body, Zhou MuHui kissed him in this position, and said once again, ¡°Won¡¯t.¡± The night dropped its curtain, the late night was slow, they walked in silence, Xin Yi did not ask him again, and Zhou Muhui did not answer him again, but they both knew, this matter hadn¡¯t been passed over sloppily. But just waiting for a better time. Because Xin Yi is worthy of even better, Zhou MuHui thought. At least the next time Zhou MuHui brings him home, he can¡¯t sleep there anymore. Zhou MuHui looked at the half-fallen ceiling, and the wet water stains, and closed his eyes silently. His Xin Yi is a pearl, he has to shine inside of a bright shell. Advertisements The next day, before the day had risen, Zhou MuHui carried the little kid up, and sat next to the bed putting the clothes on Xin Yi, calling him, ¡°Xiao Yi, get up.¡± Xin Yi replied in a daze, then turned his head, leaned on his shoulder, and continued to sleep, he was really too sleepy, he couldn¡¯t wake up no matter how Zhou MuHui fiddled with him, Zhou MuHui grabbed his wrist and put his sleeves on him, in the end, he couldn¡¯t help sighing, bowed his head and kissed him. ¡°Lazy.¡± Zhou MuHui said in a low voice, but there was a smile in his voice. It snowed in the middle of the night, the outside was a vast expanse of whiteness, Zhou MuHui carried Xin Yi on his back and went out, the scarf around the kid¡¯s neck fell on his shoulders, Zhou MuHui supported him up, and called again, ¡°Xin Yi?¡± Xin Yi ignored him, shrinking his chin in the scarf, and said, ¡°Sleepy¡­¡± Zhou MuHui couldn¡¯t help but laugh, and did not call him again, only looking at the expanse of white in front of him, and said in a low voice, ¡°Happy New Year.¡± No sound came from his back for a long time, Zhou MuHui wasn¡¯t anxious either, only carrying him on his back and walking outside, the houses here are clustered together, and the trails are narrow, one has to go outside to call a car. There was a creaking sound as the footsteps landed on the snow, in the next second there were other sounds that came in. ¡°Happy New Year¡­¡± Xin Yi replied slowly in the scarf. Zhou MuHui was distracted for a moment, but the little kid on his back yawned and struggled to wake up. ¡°I heard you calling me.¡± Xin Yi said in a daze, ¡°Happy New Year, Zhou MuHui.¡± Zhou MuHui returned to his senses, the corners of his lips couldn¡¯t help but raise up, and said in a low voice, ¡°Happy New Year, Xin Yi.¡± ¡°This is the first time we are spending New Year together.¡± Xin Yi wasn¡¯t quite awake yet, rubbed against him stickily, ¡°But I haven¡¯t washed my face yet.¡± Zhou MuHui paused, ¡°¡­ I¡¯ve forgotten.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine.¡± Xin Yi forgave him easily, ¡°You¡¯ve said that I¡¯m the best-looking one anyway.¡± Zhou MuHui was stuck by what he said, and after a while, he couldn¡¯t help but laugh, Xin Yi dared to say anything when he was in a daze, hugging his neck and saying he wanted to kiss him. ¡°It seems that I haven¡¯t brushed my teeth either, but I want to kiss you.¡± He pouted his lips and leaned over, climbing up Zhou MuHui¡¯s shoulder. Zhou MuHui thought for a moment that he drank again last night, but only for a short while, Xin Yi had already succeeded. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go home.¡± Xin Yi was satisfied, and yawned again, leaning on his shoulders. His sweet breath still remained on Zhou Muhui¡¯s cheeks, Xin Yi kissed confusedly, he didn¡¯t reach the right place, Zhou MuHui seemed to only realize it when he walked out of the alley, stretching a hand to touch his face. Xin Yi had already got down at that time, standing beside him waiting for the car, seeing him touch his face with his head lowered, and said surprised, ¡°Zhou MuHui, what are you doing?¡± Zhou MuHui was startled, ¡°Nothing.¡± He put his hand down as if nothing had happened, and put it behind his back. Advertisements Xin Yi returned home at six in the morning on the day of the New Year, he quietly climbed over the window from last night, but as soon as he entered the living room, he saw his father sitting on the sofa, waiting for him with his eyes closed. ¡°You¡¯ve returned?¡± Yu TingYun snorted coldly. Xin Yi was scared awake from his sleepiness, he let out a shiver, and sneaked up to look upstairs with his hands behind his back, but before he could see anything, Yu Tingyun spoke again. ¡°Don¡¯t know.¡± He opened his eyes, looked up and down at Xin Yi, said, ¡°What, want me to tell them?¡± Xin Yi hurriedly shook his head, and jogged up to plead him, ¡°Dad, don¡¯t tell them.¡± He kneeled down in front of Yu TingYun, his voice anxious, Yu TingYun¡¯s anger was stuck in his throat, he asked him, ¡°Where is the person?¡± Xin Yi was being elusive, but in the next second his shoulder was grabbed by Yu Tingyun, Yu TingYun leaned over with a stern face, and pushed aside the scarf that half covered his face with his fingertips, and he felt faint in an instant. ¡°Left, he left ah.¡± Xin Yi hurriedly pushed him away and said while covering his mouth. He didn¡¯t know what happened when Zhou MuHui and he were waiting for the car, he suddenly pulled his head back, and before Xin Yi had time to speak, he was pressed down and kissed by him. That was the first time Zhou MuHui kissed him fiercely, Xin Yi¡¯s lips were bitten broken by him, Xin Yi¡¯s face was completely red, avoiding his dad¡¯s angry eyes. ¡°Motherfucker.¡± Yu TingYun cursed, standing up and walking outside, Xin Yi was stunned for a moment, and hurriedly stopped him. ¡°Dad! What are you doing¡­¡± Xin Yi was barring the entrance, not letting him go, anxiously pressed down his voice, ¡°I am not a kid anymore.¡± Yu TingYun was so angry that it made him dizzy, staring at the little kid with his elbow turned to the wrong side1. ¡°How are you not, you are only that old!¡± He said with gritted teeth. The more Yu TingYun thought the angrier he was, he hated that he couldn¡¯t grab Zhou Muhui and peel his skin and pull out his tendon, Xin Yi was not even twenty, and that rascal dared to mess around with him. ¡°I¡¯ve come of age already¡­¡± Although Xin Yi was stupid, he knew that this wasn¡¯t a big deal, he dragged Yu Tingyun¡¯s arm back, pleading him in a small voice, ¡°Dad, don¡¯t wake mum up.¡± He didn¡¯t dare to let his parents know yet that he slipped out last night, and didn¡¯t even come back at night. During their argument something fell off, Xin Yi lowered his head and was stunned for a moment. ¡°¡­ Where did that red envelope come from.¡± Yu TingYun was stuck as he just finished speaking, Xin Yi slipped out last night, they haven¡¯t given any red envelopes yet, it was self-evident whose it is, he wanted to talk again, but Xin Yi has already squatted down, looking up and smiling at him. ¡°Dad¡­¡± Xin Yi hugged the red envelope while calling him, and said, ¡°I want to marry him.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Yu Tingyun almost failed to catch his breath. Advertisements Xin Yi couldn¡¯t go out for the whole new year, his father harden his heart and pulled him and talked reason with him every day, telling him not to marry Zhou MuHui casually, but Xin Yi didn¡¯t want to absorb any oil or salt2, and only pretended to be obedient and nodded in front of him, then turn around and stickily sending texts to Zhou MuHui. But Zhou MuHui was very busy lately, sometimes it was already two or three in the morning when Xin Yi receive his texts, and he often didn¡¯t get to wait until he receives them that he is already sleeping, after that, he managed with difficulty to stay up until late at night, just when Zhou MuHui¡¯s text came, he immediately called him, asking how come it was so late. ¡°¡­I have found another job.¡± Zhou MuHui¡¯s voice was overcast, coaxing him, ¡°Sleep first, we¡¯ll talk tomorrow.¡± How could Xin Yi fall asleep, big and small confounded, Zhou MuHui had to do three jobs, and at the end of the month, he still had to go out to give supplementary lessons to others, Xin Yi hadn¡¯t seen him rest much before, how could he bear it now. ¡°Zhou MuHui¡­¡± Xin Yi anxiously scratched his head, he wanted to ask Zhou MuHui if he encountered some difficulties, but before he could open his mouth, Zhou Muhui said he was busy and hung up the phone. Xin Yi looked at his phone dejectedly, and once again the impulse of going to see Zhou MuHui formed in his mind. But his father was in a fit of anger, just like Xin Yi, would neither absorb oil nor salt, not listening to Xin Yi¡¯s explanation, and he watched him very closely every day, and when he see any sign of Xin Yi slipping out, he would glare at him fiercely, and coughed at him deliberately, and will even glance at Yu NanShan who was on the side. Warning him that if he didn¡¯t listen, he would tell Yu NanShan. The one Xin Yi was the most afraid of in this house is Yu NanShan, but those two had to coincidently take some vacations to stay at home to accompany his mom, everyday Xin Yi would look outside eagerly while holding the cat, until Xin Shao asked him, how come he was so obedient and stay at home lately. Xin Yi looked at Yu TingYun who was sitting on the sofa, muffled, ¡°Want to accompany mom.¡± Xin Shao found it funny, and called over the child who was full of grievances, asking, ¡°You still haven¡¯t seen him this year, do you?¡± Xin Yi hesitated, then whispered, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Tomorrow will be the fifteenth, it will be the Lantern festival, ask him if he wants to come to have a meal, if he doesn¡¯t want to, then give him this.¡± Xin Shao took out three red envelopes, ¡°From dad and mom, don¡¯t know about the previous years, so we¡¯ll start counting from this year, alright?¡± ¡°Shao shao!¡± ¡°¡­Thank you, mom!¡± Xin Yi didn¡¯t even want the cat anymore, took the red envelopes and ran outside, ¡°Mom! I¡¯ll ask him face to face!¡± Advertisements Xin Yi ran very fast, even Yu TingYun didn¡¯t have the time to react, Xin Shao at one side kicked him, ¡°What are you doing, you even have to manage the kid¡¯s love relationship.¡± Leaving Xin Yi aggrieved in the house for half a month, even the cat¡¯s fur was about to be pulled out until it was bald. Yu TingYun was so angry that he had a headache, he couldn¡¯t directly say that their child was about to be abducted into bed by that bastard, so he could only hold my chest and shake his head, gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Afraid that he¡¯ll be bullied.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°He has the measure.¡± Xin Shao sighed, ¡°Xiao Zhou isn¡¯t some bad kid.¡± He frowned, but was picked up in the next second, and Yu TingYun carried him upstairs, his teeth itching with hatred. ¡°You¡¯ve only known him for a few days, besides, people would all change, if I knew that little Xin Yi could be kidnapped with a piece of candy ten years ago, I would have broken that bastard¡¯s hands a long time ago.¡± Saving him from seducing his son ten years later. Notes: CH 35 PUBLISHED ON 6 June 2023 Zhou MuHui happened to be absent when Xin Yi got there, the store was hectic, and the guy who was familiar with him said that brother Zhou was outside picking merchandise, and still needed a while. ¡°Don¡¯t know what sister Chen and brother Zhou are doing lately, always busying here and there, xiao Yi, you wait first.¡± Sister Chen is his boss lady from before, Xin Yi hurriedly nodded and found an empty spot to stay by himself, Xin Yi didn¡¯t call Zhou MuHui, he was afraid that Zhou MuHui was busy outside, and disturbing him. In the meanwhile, the store calmed down for a moment, someone gave him a cup of water, Xin Yi took a look at the door, but Zhou MuHui hadn¡¯t come back yet. ¡°I guess it will take another while.¡± The other party said. Xin Yi nodded, but in the next second, he hesitated to speak. Xin Yi had actually hidden matters in his heart, he didn¡¯t come for half a month, just because he roughly felt that Zhou MuHui was a bit unusual, but he didn¡¯t have the chance to ask, Xin Yi debated for a small while, and couldn¡¯t help, saying in a quiet voice, ¡°Is Zhou MuHui very busy lately?¡± ¡°Busy, not even idle for a moment, during the half month you weren¡¯t there, he was going out early in the morning and coming back late at night, it just got better these two days, and he probably is going to come back in a while.¡± Just as they finished speaking, noises came from outside, and the guy smiled at him, ¡°See, go quickly, it¡¯s probably brother Zhou.¡± Xin Yi stood up the moment he was speaking, running outside in a hurry, he hasn¡¯t seen Zhou MuHui for half a month, and he was already missing him terribly, however, when he really got to see him he still didn¡¯t dare to throw himself over, because Zhou MuHui was in a mess, even his hair seemed to be soaked in water. ¡°Xiao Gu! Quickly get a towel! Xiao Zhao! You go to the back to see if there are any superfluous clothes, fucking shitty grandson, want to cooperate or not cooperate, even dare to take it out of people, tomorrow I will dig up his ancestral grave, and see what kind of immortal his ancestor looks like, and fucking¡­.. Xiao, xiao Yi?!¡± Xin Yi paused for a moment, looking at the wet Zhou Muhui, he widened his eyes in a daze. ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing.¡± Zhou MuHui was also stunned by his sudden appearance, but it was only for a moment, he stretched his hand out to Xin Yi. ¡°Come here.¡± Xin Yi and the towel came together at Zhou MuHu¡¯s hand, Zhou MuHui pulled him toward the store, sister Chen was beside saying aiy¨­ for half a day, till Zhou MuHui went inside to change clothes, only then she whispered to the dumbfounded Xin Yi, ¡°Your brother is fine, xiao Yi, don¡¯t be afraid.¡± They came back in a hurry, and absolutely didn¡¯t notice that the little kid was also in the store, sister Chen knows that Zhou MuHui always cares for this little brother, and naturally didn¡¯t want him to worry. But Xin Yi didn¡¯t speak, just now he was very close to Zhou MuHui and noticed that Zhou MuHui¡¯s forehead was also swollen, the little kid spoke up after a long while, asking sister Chen, ¡°What happened?¡± Advertisements Didn¡¯t they go to get the merchandise, how come his whole body is soaked and he was even wounded. Sister Chen was stammering and didn¡¯t manage to speak, the person who was articulate and swearing just now looked at Xin Yi¡¯s eyes as if they were stuck. Fortunately, Zhou Muhui finally came out, and sister Chen hurriedly stepped back and said, ¡°Xiao Zhou, you can go back to rest today, I¡¯ll watch the things here.¡± ¡°Xiao Yi ah, you accompany your brother and go back, if you have any questions come to find me.¡± Xin Yi didn¡¯t speak, but Zhou MuHui pulled his hand and nodded toward sister Chen. ¡°Then I¡¯ll come tomorrow, don¡¯t go over there alone anymore.¡± ¡°Go what his mother¡­ Oh, alright alright.¡± Zhou Mu took back his sight and hummed. Xin Yi was led halfway by him before he opened his mouth, Zhou MuHui had already changed into clean clothes at this moment, and even his hair was completely blown dry, only the swollen and purple forehead was the only way one could tell what happened just now. ¡°¡­Zhou MuHui.¡± Xin Yi stopped his steps, ¡°You¡ª ¡ª¡± ¡°Sister Chen wants to expand the store, and went to discuss cooperation but failed to come to an agreement, the other party had some temperament, and I blocked it.¡± Zhou MuHui touched his cold face, and said in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, don¡¯t be scared.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Xin Yi nodded, but in the next second, he used his strength to hug him. ¡°How come they even hit people ah¡­¡± The little kid¡¯s voice carried a sob, and soon, his tears wet Zhou MuHui¡¯s neck, Zhou Muhui comforted him softly, stroked his hair, and kissed him, ¡°It¡¯s okay, it doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± Xin Yi¡¯s tears didn¡¯t stop, he felt highly distressed, yet Zhou MuHui¡¯s mood seemed to be very good, even coaxing him softly, and kissing him from time to time. Xin Yi raised his head with his eyes misty with tears, looking at him blankly, ¡°What are you doing ah.¡± He was almost feeling distressed to death, but Zhou MuHui was still smiling. Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t reply, only helped him to wipe off his tears, lowered his voice, and asked him, ¡°How come you came over today.¡± Xin Yi told him before, he wanted to spend the new year with his mother, and couldn¡¯t come out often. Only then Xin Yi remembered what Xin Shao said, he was distracted for a moment, then hurriedly dug out the red envelopes, giving them to him. ¡°My, it¡¯s from my father and mother.¡± Xin Yi randomly wiped dry the tears on his face, and said a bit embarrassedly, ¡°It¡¯s for you.¡± Zhou MuHui was surprised, he originally wanted to refuse, but Xin Yi looked at him shyly, a pair of eyes eagerly filled with anticipation, thus Zhou MuHui lost his voice, and nodded seriously. ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°Al-, also!¡± Xin Yi hastily added, ¡°My mom is asking you if you want to come for a meal tomorrow!¡± Zhou MuHui paused, and answered, ¡°Coming.¡± Xin Yi instantly smiled, grabbed Zhou MuHui¡¯s hand and looked up at him. ¡°Do you want me to come to pick you up?¡± He asked stickily. ¡°No need.¡± Zhou MuHui said, ¡°I¡¯ll come over on my own.¡± Xin Yi nodded strongly, ¡°Then we will wait for you at home tomorrow.¡± His voice was soaked in honey, it was so sweet that it was about to dissolve Zhou MuHui, but after seeing the injury on Zhou Mu¡¯s forehead, he pursed his mouth, and his whole face fell down again. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Zhou MuHui sighed inwardly, holding his hands, and moved forward, whispering, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Advertisements Xin Yi was only reminded of what he had forgotten once he got home, he originally wanted to ask Zhou MuHui how come he found so many jobs lately, but he didn¡¯t get to ask, and was interrupted by what happened before. But he¡¯s eventually coming tomorrow, Xin Yi let out a yawn, and turned over in bed, thinking, he can still ask that tomorrow. He only hoped that it was not a major issue, it made Xin Yi a bit worried. What they agreed was dinner, Xin Yi was already helping out Xin Shao in the afternoon, he doesn¡¯t know how to cook, so he followed behind Xin Shao acting as an assistant, Xin Shao found him annoying, picking up a basket of vegetables for him to wash, and told him to go on a corner, and stop wandering in front of him. The little kid was chattering the whole afternoon, especially toward Yu TingYun, not allowing him to get angry, and also not allowing him to give Zhou Muhui the attitude, Yu TingYun, Yu TingYun was told off by him until he was full of anger, but he still nodded with hatred in the end. Xin Shao was in Yu NanShan¡¯s embrace, and was laughing on one side, Xin Yi shook his butt in another direction, pleading with them anxiously, ¡°Dad, you cannot scare him either.¡± Their family was a little special, Xin Yi has had two fathers since he was little, but Xin Yi never deliberately made a distinction on what to call them, thankfully both of them also didn¡¯t care about it, so they just went along with whatever Xin Yi called them. Yu NanShan cocked an eyebrow, asking, ¡°When did I ever scare him.¡± Xin Yi groaned, thought about it carefully, and then turned around to give Yu TingYun repeated orders. Yu TingYun spoke in an odd sarcastic way, ¡°You just listen to him, you believe him no matter what he says.¡± Xin Yi let out an ah, but Yu TingYun didn¡¯t explain, he rolled his eyes and turned around to go upstairs, said, ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go send him a text!¡± The little kid finished washing the vegetables, and busily ran outside, Xin Shao listened to him talk over it for a whole afternoon, nodding in a hurry, ¡°Go quickly.¡± Xin Yi ran very quickly and also sent the text very quickly, but it was just two o¡¯clock, and Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t reply to him immediately. Xin Yi waited for a while, and was thinking that maybe he was occupied, so he didn¡¯t pay too much attention to it, then ran back to the kitchen to harass his mom. Xin Yi looked at his phone when it was almost five o¡¯clock, there was still no movement from Zhou MuHui, the little kid frowned at the strangeness, a bit puzzled. Zhou MuHui has agreed with him to come today, and wouldn¡¯t not reply to his texts. Could it be that he encountered something like the other day? Xin Yi suddenly became nervous, and gave Zhou MuHui a call. But no one answered even after the ringback tone rang to the end, Xin Yi looked worried, and it happened that Xin Shao was calling him, Xin Yi answered, got up and ran to the kitchen again. Maybe he was really busy. Xin Yi thought. He decided to wait for another while, it was still early for dinner time anyway, perhaps Zhou MuHui is going to come by himself in a while. Advertisements But until the afterglow of the sunset fell, his dads both came downstairs, there was not a shadow of Zhou MuHui, Xin Yi stood in front of the French window pursing his lips, mechanically listening to the female voice coming from the other end of the phone. ¡°Sorry, the person you are calling is unable to answer your call, please call again in a moment¡­¡± He sent Zhou MuHui many texts, and gave him many calls, but got no answer. The guy from the store said that he hasn¡¯t come by since the afternoon, sister Chen said that Zhou MuHui asked for the day off early on, Xin Yi looked at the screen which had gone back quiet, and didn¡¯t speak for a long while. Zhou MuHui must have taken a day off to come to his house, but Xin Yi did not see him come. ¡°What happened?¡± Xin Shao came over asking in a whisper. His hand landed on Xin Yi¡¯s shoulder, and gently turned the silent child around. Their family¡¯s little kid¡¯s head was lowered, there was no smile on the face that always carried a smile, Xin Shao had never seen him so sad, he caressed Xin Yi¡¯s hair, a bit distressed. ¡°Sorry mom¡­¡± Xin Yi gripped his phone tightly, not daring to look at Xin Shao. His family put a lot of importance on this meal, this is not the same as before when Xin Yi pulled Zhou MuHui home, this is the Lantern Festival, it is the reunion festival, and it was his family who took the initiative to call Zhou MuHui over for a meal. But Zhou MuHui didn¡¯t come. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Xin Shao patted his shoulder, and said softly, ¡°Maybe something happened, do you want mom to go with you and see?¡± They didn¡¯t ask any questions the whole time just now, because they were afraid that Xin Yi would blame himself. Xin Yi shook his head. ¡°I am going by myself.¡± His two dads said nothing all along, Yu NanShan sat on the sofa with his eyes downcast and said nothing, Xin Yi looked in his direction, then walked beside Yu Tingyun, calling him softly. ¡°Dad, he wouldn¡¯t suddenly not be coming, don¡¯t hate him later on, ok?¡± Yu TingYun was angry inwardly, but he didn¡¯t show it, because his family¡¯s little kid¡¯s tears were about to fall down, he choked for a moment, restrained himself, and nodded. ¡°Go, dad understands.¡± Xin Yi hummed, turned around, and left. But he didn¡¯t find Zhou MuHui. No matter if it was at his workplace, or at his house, Xin Yi didn¡¯t find him. Zhou MuHui disappeared, and Xin Yi couldn¡¯t find him.