Fan Xing looked at him, suppressing his anger and calmly asked, “Is everything you said true?”
Xiao Yu confessed unapologetically, “Absolutely true.”
“Scum! You’re a despicable criminal! I’ll make you pay!” Fan Xing couldn’t contain his anger any longer and rushed forward, intending to give the scum a beating.
However, He Qingmo grabbed his wrist, stopping him.
Fan Xing looked at He Qingmo in disbelief, “Brother, you…”
He Qingmo patted his shoulder soothingly, “I’ll handle this.” He then released Fan Xing and delivered a heavy punch to Xiao Yu’s cheek.
Startled by Fan Xing’s sudden outburst, Xiao Yu hadn’t reacted in time, and the punch landed hard on his face, making him see stars.
Covering his stinging cheek, Xiao Yu laughed nonchalantly, “Goodness, He San, how many times have I told you not to hit me in the face? Are you jealous that I’m more handsome than you or what?”
Bang!
He Qingmo punched him again, even harder this time, causing Xiao Yu’s nose to bleed.
Angry, Xiao Yu wiped away the blood and glared at He Qingmo, “He Qingmo, are you insane? Just now, you realized who I am? Playing the hero for your little wife?”
He Qingmo seized his collar, delivering another punch to his face. Xiao Yu staggered back several steps, barely maintaining his balance.
He Qingmo stared at him intensely, his voice cold, “I don’t care about what you did before, but this time… you’re scum!”
Adjusting his clothes, Xiao Yu sneered, “Yes, I’m scum. Go ahead, let Lu Chi report me!” With that, he turned and left, slamming the door behind him.
Fan Xing, infuriated, grabbed his phone to call Lu Chi and report the incident to the police.
However, Lu Chi’s phone was unreachable, as He Qingmo had taken Fan Xing’s phone.
Confused, Fan Xing looked at He Qingmo. The man approached him, gently embracing him and said, “Fan Xing, I know you see Lu Chi as a friend, and you’re angry on his behalf. But calm down and think. Will it be better for him to know the truth, or is it better to let him remain oblivious?”
Fan Xing didn’t understand, “What do you mean? Just let him be clueless about what Xiao Yu, this scum, did? Shouldn’t he be held accountable for his actions?”
He Qingmo, understanding Fan Xing’s distress, patted his back gently, “Xiao Yu’s actions are indeed shameful, but even if Lu Chi learns the truth, what can he do? He has no evidence. Besides, you know Xiao Yu’s background. Lu Chi can’t do anything to him.”
“So…” Fan Xing felt even more frustrated, struggling to push He Qingmo away.
He Qingmo increased his grip, not letting Fan Xing break free, and interrupted him again, “Fan Xing, I understand your feelings. I’m not defending Xiao Yu, but I don’t want you to act impulsively now, tell Lu Chi the truth, and then regret it when he suffers even more. Let me show you something. After seeing it, decide what to do, okay?”
Fan Xing remained silent for a moment, calming down. He nodded, “Okay.”
He Qingmo made sure that Fan Xing had calmed down before releasing him. He then called Song Yang, saying, “Send me Lu Chi’s information.”
He had seen Song Yang’s investigation results on Lu Chi before, but they were not saved, so he asked for them again.
Fan Xing was puzzled about why He Qingmo had Lu Chi’s information. Meanwhile, the electronic file had already been sent from Song Yang’s end to He Qingmo’s phone.
He Qingmo handed the phone to Fan Xing, saying, “Take a look. It’s all verified.”
Fan Xing opened the document. Although it was concise, consisting of only a few pages, he scrutinized every word carefully.
After a while, he finally finished reading, gently put down the phone, looked at He Qingmo, and sat on the sofa, feeling helpless.
Previously, he only occasionally found Lu Chi’s temper a bit peculiar. Most of the time, he was friendly, but occasionally, he would suddenly turn hostile without any warning.
However, Fan Xing didn’t think much of it, considering that everyone had different personalities and temperaments.
But now, he knew. Lu Chi had a hidden inferiority complex.
The aloof and unapproachable goddess appearance when cross-dressing was merely a protective facade to conceal his inner fears and insecurities.
Otherwise, how could he be deceived by Xiao Yu for three months without realizing that it wasn’t He Qingmo, all because of excessive self-doubt, preventing him from seeking the truth?
When someone unintentionally touched upon the thing he cared about the most, such as cross-dressing, he would immediately become extremely aggressive. This was also a form of self-defense.
The primary cause of this personality was his past experiences.
Lu Chi was born in a backward and remote place where people found it hard to accept someone different from them.
From a young age, Lu Chi endured ridicule and humiliation. Even his family thought he was sick and took him to the hospital for brain examinations multiple times. In middle school, he was even sent to the town’s psychiatric hospital for a period.
Despite facing such circumstances, Lu Chi persevered without losing himself, ultimately achieving the highest score in the town’s history and getting into the best university in the country, escaping his difficult situation.
After entering college, Lu Chi almost cut off all ties with his family. He earned his own tuition and living expenses. Fortunately, the new environment was more open and accepting, and he was no longer treated like a monster or a lunatic.
However, the past events had left an indelible trauma on him.
It was evident that he was actively concealing his true character, maintaining an impeccable image in public.
Until now, Fan Xing had never thought about Lu Chi in this way. He still remembered He Qingmo’s mention during the lecture at Qing University, about how harsh the public opinion was when Lu Chi worked at the Forbidden Palace.
At that time, Fan Xing thought Lu Chi was a carefree person. But now, knowing the truth, Fan Xing was shocked. He couldn’t fathom how Lu Chi had come through all of that.
“Brother, what you said is right. We can’t tell him about this.”
After a long time, Fan Xing detached himself from Lu Chi’s past and spoke softly.
He Qingmo’s concerns were valid. If they revealed the truth to Lu Chi, the situation might worsen. Lu Chi might even do something extreme, given the intense aggression typical of an inferiority complex.
Self-doubting personalities tend to hold onto past humiliations for a long time. If they can’t find a solution in such a state, things might take a drastic turn, as strong aggression is also a significant characteristic of a self-doubting personality.
He Qingmo ruffled his hair and comforted him in a soft voice, “You don’t have to draw conclusions now. You can try convincing him to see a psychologist. If the psychologist can ensure his emotional stability, then you can tell him the truth. Let him decide for himself then, okay?”
Fan Xing thought it was a workable plan and sighed softly, nodding, “Okay. But I still can’t accept it. Is Xiao Yu sick? How can there be someone like him in the world? His behavior is disgusting to the core.”
He previously thought Xiao Yu was just a rich second-generation, appearing to be a debonair young master. However, He Qingmo mentioned that he was decent, plus being He Qingmo’s childhood friend, Fan Xing had a somewhat favorable impression of him.
Never did he expect that Xiao Yu would do something so disgusting, and the key was that Xiao Yu didn’t feel he did anything wrong! He acted as if it was his prerogative, challenging anyone to do something about it.
Fan Xing felt he had encountered enough shameless people, but Xiao Yu was the only one who reached such nauseating levels.
He Qingmo pinched his brow, remained silent for a while, and then spoke, “Lu Chi looks a lot like Xiao Yu’s first love.”
“What?” Fan Xing was caught off guard but quickly understood. “So, Xiao Yu is looking for a substitute? No wonder Zhou Haoran and Lu Chi look alike. But even if Xiao Yu can’t forget his first love, that doesn’t excuse such shameless behavior, right? Does he still think he’s exceptionally romantic? In reality, it’s just a crime!”
He Qingmo, with a helpless smile, grabbed the indignant little one into his arms, gently biting his earlobe.
The angry little one instantly quieted down, his pink earlobe dripping with blood, obediently held by the man without moving.
The man smiled with satisfaction, softly whispering in the little one’s ear, “I know you’re angry, but can I finish speaking before scolding me?”
Fan Xing’s face buried in the man’s shoulder, his voice muffled, “Go ahead then.”
“Okay. Xiao Yu had a boyfriend during his university days who died in a car accident, roughly around the time Lu Chi is now…”
It was an event six or seven years ago, and He Qingmo hadn’t interacted much with Xiao Yu’s first love, so the impression was not deep. He vaguely remembered that one day, Xiao Yu disappeared. The entire Xiao family went crazy searching for him, only to find out later that his first love had died. Xiao Yu had gone mad and almost beaten the driver who caused the accident to death. He was arrested by the police.
Afterwards, when the Xiao family had paid enough money, the driver wasn’t prosecuted.
Following that incident, Xiao Yu remained depressed for a long time before recovering. However, he never entered into a serious relationship again, opting instead to directly support someone for a while and then switch to someone new when he got bored.
“So, as I said, it’s because Lu Chi looks so much like Xiao Yu’s first love, stirring up his memories. Otherwise, even if Xiao Yu has no morals, he wouldn’t do something like this.”
“So, it’s still Lu Chi’s fault? Is it his fault for looking like him? Regardless of Xiao Yu’s reasons, his actions are utterly disgusting!”
In this matter, Fan Xing couldn’t empathize with Xiao Yu. Regardless of Xiao Yu’s mindset, the things he did were unforgivable.
He Qingmo pinched his cheek, smiling, “I’m not defending him. He’s scum, there’s nothing more to say. I promise you, from now on, every time we meet someone like him, we’ll give them a beating. How about that? I know you’re angry, but what can you do by being angry here? Are you going to help Lu Chi sue him? In this matter, Lu Chi is the victim, and he has to decide how to handle it. As for you…”
The man leaned over, locking eyes with Fan Xing, sounding somewhat aggrieved, “Shouldn’t you accompany your husband? It’ll be days before you see me again after I go to school.”
Fan Xing’s emotions were lightened by his childlike appearance. Feeling a bit guilty, he knew he was making He Qingmo take him to meet someone who, for He Qingmo, was a rival in love.
Thinking this way, he took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, and then proactively moved closer, hugging the man’s neck and placing his lips on his.
The man’s lips were soft and moist, like cotton candy. Fan Xing couldn’t help but lick them gently. The man’s hands, holding him around the waist, tightened, but his lips didn’t respond.
Fan Xing knew this wasn’t enough to soothe him. So, with a brave face, he leaned in, following the experience of the previous times. He kept teasing the man like a kitten until the man couldn’t take it anymore, pulled him into his arms, and kissed him deeply.
After the kiss, the watery-eyed little one softened and coquettishly said, “Brother, can you take me there now?”
Who could resist such a request?
So, even if He Qingmo felt unhappy, he had to obediently send Fan Xing ahead.
During the journey, He Qingmo received a call from his elder brother, He Qing’an. He mentioned that his nephew, who was abroad, had gone missing. It had been two days with no news, and there were no transaction records. He asked He Qingmo to find someone.
After hanging up the call, He Qingmo looked helpless. “Missing again? Do kids nowadays have no other hobbies? Disappearing every three days!”
“What do you mean? Does he often go missing?” Fan Xing didn’t know much about He Qing’an’s son, who was studying abroad. He had only heard of him and knew he was studying abroad, with a strained relationship with He Qing’an. He didn’t know anything else.
Initially worried when He Qing’an mentioned the disappearance, Fan Xing now sensed that He Qingmo seemed to imply that this was a frequent occurrence.
“Yeah, he’s always been like this since he was a kid. Now, even in college, he still acts like this. Who knows what he’s thinking.” He Qingmo said while dialing Song Yang’s number to ask him to find the nephew.
Fan Xing was somewhat surprised. When He Qingmo hung up, he immediately asked, “Is the elder brother’s son in college?”
“Yeah, 18 or 19 years old?” He Qingmo seemed not to know much about his nephew. After thinking for a while, he couldn’t recall which university the nephew was attending and gave up thinking about it.
Fan Xing’s brow jumped. Wasn’t the time when Eric left China around the same time as He Qing’an’s son went missing? Moreover, to avoid letting family know about his whereabouts, he didn’t even use a credit card, so there would be no transaction records.
Initially, Fan Xing thought He Qing’an’s son was around 14 or 15 years old, in junior high school. However, the nephew was around ten years older, just like Eric.
Could it be just a coincidence?
“Brother…”
Fan Xing was about to ask He Qingmo the nephew’s name to confirm, but He Qingmo received another call, this time from He Qing’an.
Surprisingly, it was a call to report that the nephew was safe. As usual, he intentionally caused trouble for the family but didn’t really get into any trouble, so there was no need to worry.
He Qingmo hung up, looking displeased. He couldn’t understand why, being around the same age, He Qing’an’s nephew was causing so much trouble, unlike his own well-behaved and understanding nephew. Wasn’t the nephew idle at home, living off his earnings?
Meanwhile, Fan Xing’s relieved heart finally settled. It seemed he had been overly suspicious, and Eric was not He Qing’an’s son.
That’s a relief!
Approaching 4 p.m., He Qingmo dropped Fan Xing off at Qing University.
Although He Qing’an’s nephew was fine now, He Qingmo still planned to go home. After all, the two elderly at home were quite concerned about their grandson studying abroad. Even if nothing really happened, the two elders were probably genuinely worried. So, without delay, after letting Fan Xing off, He Qingmo drove home.
Fan Xing checked the time and decided to first go find Eric. Lu Chi might have classes in the afternoon, and he didn’t want to disturb him. Turning around to head to Eric’s hotel, he noticed Eric standing on the other side of the road, watching him.
That expression seemed like he had not just arrived but had been standing there for a long time.
So, maybe he saw the car that brought Fan Xing?
Fan Xing started feeling uncomfortable again. He noticed that whenever he saw Eric now, he felt overwhelmingly guilty.
But Eric, on the opposite side, suddenly turned and walked away.
Fan Xing hurriedly crossed the road to catch up, “Eric, listen to me, okay? I…”
“What are you saying? Are you telling me you like someone else and I shouldn’t be delusional? Or should I mind my own business, and you’re happily with that shameless old man?” Eric suddenly stopped and turned around, pulling Fan Xing into a small alley on the roadside. His hands were on both sides of Fan Xing, trapping him against the wall, and he roared with anger, frustration, and hurt visible in his dark eyes. Even though Fan Xing’s various behaviors yesterday made him think Fan Xing might really be falling for that shameless old man, he still couldn’t admit it in his heart.
But now…
He just wanted to see Fan Xing after class, wanting to come earlier to see him, and check out Fan Xing’s living environment during this time. However, he ended up seeing Fan Xing getting out of a luxury car.
Don’t ask him how he knew it was that old man’s car; he could guess it with his toes!
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