He showed rare consideration, but the young master was unappreciative, sitting on the sofa motionless, as if in a trance.
Does He Qingmo have that good of a temper? No response after calling his name, so he just sat down and started eating, not planning to bother with him anymore.
At this moment, a message from Fan Xing on WeChat came in – Is Eric awake? He must be feeling uncomfortable after getting drunk last night. Dear brother, take care of him. There are ready-made dumplings in the fridge. Brother, please cook them for him.
The man was about to put a vinegar-dipped dumpling into his mouth when he saw this message, instantly feeling no need for vinegar anymore as a sour feeling surged in his stomach.
Following that, another message from Fan Xing arrived – Brother, you should eat more too. I made the dumplings with the filling you like.
The sour and bitter feeling in the man’s stomach disappeared instantly. Feeling more comfortable, he picked up his phone and replied – Since it’s made for my husband, how can I let others eat it?
After replying, he carried the dumplings to the living room and placed them directly on the coffee table.
Eric, however, didn’t even look at it and turned his face away.
Ignoring him, He Qingmo sat across and ate one by one, enjoying the meal.
Fan Xing’s cooking skills were already good, and these dumplings with shepherd’s purse filling were He Qingmo’s favorite. Therefore, she put extra effort into making them, mixing the fragrance of shepherd’s purse with the sauce, creating a tempting aroma in the air.
The key was that Eric hadn’t eaten for a long time.
Although he had dinner with Fan Xing at the cafeteria of Qing University the night before, he had no appetite then. After a fight with Qin Xiuming and a complicated journey to Taihu Lake the next morning, it was already afternoon when he arrived. After booking a homestay, he went straight to the bar, drank himself into a stupor, and had nothing in his stomach except alcohol.
Now, after the hangover, he felt uncomfortable all over, especially his empty stomach.
It wasn’t a big deal if he didn’t see the food, but now there was someone eating deliciously in front of him. The aroma of the dumplings was especially enticing, and although he could endure it himself, his stomach couldn’t. It started making noises.
He Qingmo had almost finished eating and casually pushed the remaining dumplings in front of him.
Eric, holding his growling stomach, looked determined not to bend for a plate of dumplings.
He Qingmo looked at him with a smirk, “What, planning to starve yourself? Acting like a child? If you’re a man, eat your fill and fight me. Instead of stubbornly fasting like a little girl, why don’t you cry, make a fuss, or hang yourself?”
“Who the hell is fasting? I just don’t want to look at your face and can’t be bothered to talk to you!” Eric glared at He Qingmo with a fierce momentum, but unfortunately, his stomach was disobedient, still making noises.
He Qingmo sneered, “Am I annoying you? Fine, as I said, if you’re a man, eat your fill and fight. Acting like a little girl throwing a tantrum, it’s irritating to watch.”
Eric’s Chinese wasn’t that good, and he definitely couldn’t argue with He Qingmo. The key was He Qingmo’s tone, which was really annoying.
Eric, who was in an impulsive age, couldn’t remain calm when faced with such provocation from his love rival. He stared fiercely at He Qingmo, gritting his teeth, “What did you say?”
He Qingmo shrugged indifferently, “I said it.”
“Alright, don’t run away!” After saying that, Eric picked up his chopsticks and wolfed down the food. On one hand, he wanted to finish quickly to confront He Qingmo, and on the other hand, he was genuinely hungry. Originally, he hadn’t eaten anything and thought he could endure it. But now, with the hot and delicious dumplings in front of him, he realized he was really starving.
The appetite of a fifteen-year-old boy was naturally large. He quickly finished the plate of dumplings, seeming to want to go into the kitchen and get more.
On the opposite side, He Qingmo, feeling irritated, knocked on the coffee table, “Stop looking. That’s all there is.”
This kid really didn’t treat him as an outsider. These dumplings were made by his wife for him!
He Qingmo couldn’t help but feel a bit absurd, then got up to clean up the bowls and chopsticks in the kitchen.
Eric, who had declared to fight before eating, now that he was full, seemed to regain his clarity. He had fallen into He Qingmo’s trap.
He Qingmo just wanted him to eat.
Damn! Minding his own business would have been better.
Realizing that he was treated like a child by his love rival, Eric felt extremely displeased. So what if he was ten years younger? There was nothing to show off about.
When He Qingmo came out of the kitchen, he saw the young master glaring at him even more fiercely than before.
However, he didn’t directly rush over to fight, indicating that he was still relatively calm.
He Qingmo was somewhat satisfied with this response. Walking over, he sat opposite, stretching his arms over the back of the sofa, legs crossed and extended, in a relaxed posture. His tone was equally nonchalant, “Now that your head is clear, let’s talk about important matters. So, what’s your plan? Will you continue causing trouble?”
Eric stared at him, his eyes full of hostility. Suddenly, the intense gaze softened, and there was a hint of provocation, “Are you hoping for me to leave? To go far away and never appear in front of Fan Xing? Are you afraid that if I stay too long, I’ll steal your thunder?”
He Qingmo didn’t speak, just calmly looked at him, seemingly anticipating what would come next.
Eric smiled, his tone somewhat smug, “Although I got drunk last night and don’t remember much, I vaguely recall that Fan Xing came to the bar looking for me. It seems I got into a conflict with someone because of me… What do you think?”
“You, as an adult, act recklessly without considering the consequences, making Fan Xing go through a whole night of turmoil. Not only did he almost get hurt, but he also had to force himself to attend classes today. What’s there for you to show off?” He Qingmo coldly interrupted him.
“What did you say? How is Fan Xing?” Upon hearing that Fan Xing almost got hurt, Eric couldn’t remain calm.
“How he is, you don’t need to worry. Take care of yourself. And…” He Qingmo maintained his relaxed posture without moving, staring directly at Eric, a hint of disdain in his tone, “You think I’m afraid you’ll steal the limelight? You’re overthinking it. Just worried that you’ll cause trouble and bring trouble to my wife!”
He Qingmo felt that his temper was really getting better. If it were anyone else, he would have already beaten them up and thrown them out.
He had kindly cooked dumplings for him, even took the effort to make him eat, and this kid turned around to provoke him. Who gave him the face?
However, he quickly noticed a change in Eric’s emotions.
No longer staring at him with hostility, no longer provoking, Eric lowered his head, letting his bangs cover his eyes. He clenched his fists tightly on the sofa, maintaining this posture without moving or speaking for a long time.
He Qingmo felt annoyed and didn’t want to bother. When he was about to leave, he suddenly remembered what Fan Xing had said when leaving in the morning. Fan Xing had said, “Brother, I know you might not like Eric because of me, but he is your nephew. Regardless of any grievances between Big Sister-in-law and his mom, it doesn’t change the fact that you are family. Moreover, what he has done in the past few days has reasons. He’s heartbroken, and the person who caused it is you and me. So, be kind to him, be patient, okay?”
He Qingmo pinched his forehead, feeling a bit of a headache.
But he had to admit that what Fan Xing said was right. Eric had always been overseas, occasionally going missing, but he would always return safely after a couple of days. When the people from the He family, especially He Chengyi and Ji Jin, went to see him, he would accompany them wholeheartedly. Even when He Qingmo occasionally went to see him, although they weren’t very familiar and didn’t talk much, Eric had never been impolite in his words or actions.
This time, he acted like this mainly because of his recent heartbreak. Perhaps another reason was that, for the first time in eighteen years, he returned to China but found that he couldn’t even go back home.
Thinking about this, He Qingmo’s heart softened a bit. Adjusting his sitting posture, he leaned forward, crossing his hands on the table, speaking in a gentle tone, “I know hearing these words makes you uncomfortable right now, but you are well aware that it’s the truth. Both you and I understand what kind of person Fan Xing is. Is he the type to mess around outside after getting married? Besides, he clearly told you that he likes me.”
Eric still kept his head down in silence.
He knew that He Qingmo was actually consoling him, telling him the true reason behind those dismissive words earlier. It wasn’t that he wasn’t qualified, but He Qingmo was very confident in Fan Xing’s character. Fan Xing would never betray him, especially considering their love.
However, these words didn’t make Eric feel better. In fact, what made him uncomfortable was the realization that he was selfish.
Knowing that Fan Xing had already found someone he liked, and he… had no chance at all, he felt like the most pitiful person in the world. He wanted to indulge himself, make everyone unable to find him, and use a trip he had carefully planned, originally meant to be completed with Fan Xing, to mourn his love that hadn’t even started.
But he forgot that Fan Xing would worry about him.
Even though he clearly heard Fan Xing say that he had never liked him, he knew, based on Fan Xing’s temperament, that after rejecting his feelings, Fan Xing must be filled with guilt and reluctance.
If he could walk out calmly, it would be fine. However, if he couldn’t and ended up torturing himself, Fan Xing would definitely attribute all of this to himself, thinking that he caused these consequences.
The Fan Xing he knew had always been like this, unwilling to hurt others and especially unwilling to hurt those who sincerely cared for him.
Eric, in the haze of last night’s drunkenness, vaguely saw Fan Xing’s figure. When he woke up, Fan Xing had already returned to B City, indicating that Fan Xing had indeed come to find him last night.
Initially, Eric discovered this truth with some delight, so he deliberately provoked and stimulated He Qingmo.
However, He Qingmo poured a bucket of cold water on him.
Yes, what was he showing off about? Showing off his reckless actions that made Fan Xing clean up the mess for him?
Was the “love” he spoke of just this kind of willful, childish, and selfish love?
He suddenly felt a kind of defeat he had never experienced before, more severe than when Fan Xing rejected him face-to-face. He realized that he was indeed as He Qingmo described—childish and not at all like a man!
After a long time, he finally suppressed this sense of defeat, looked up at He Qingmo, and his gaze had already calmed down. “I want to ask you a question.”
He Qingmo nodded, “Go ahead.”
“Although Fan Xing said that the person who forced him to marry was his mother, this whole thing ultimately started because of you. If it weren’t for you choosing him, he wouldn’t have to give up his studies, forcing himself to marry someone he didn’t know. No matter how you are now, you must admit that it was your whim that changed his life. If not for you, he would be with his grandmother now, attending the university he longed for. You almost ruined his dreams. Do you feel guilty about it?” Eric stared at He Qingmo tightly while speaking, as if afraid that He Qingmo would run away at any moment.
He Qingmo didn’t avoid it, and his deep gaze met Eric’s. His tone was calm, “If it weren’t for my whim, Fan Xing might have had to give up his studies and work because he couldn’t afford his grandmother’s medical expenses. Even if he worked twenty-four hours a day without eating or drinking, he might still not be able to afford the subsequent treatment costs. You should understand how much Fan Xing cares about his grandmother. If he really can’t afford the medical expenses and it affects his grandmother’s treatment, what do you think…”
“I can help him!” Eric couldn’t help raising his voice, interrupting the man.
He Qingmo smiled, “If in Fan Xing’s eyes, you are really the person he can seek help from, you wouldn’t be sitting here asking me this question today.”
Eric’s hands tightened again, the joints turning white due to excessive force. But he knew that He Qingmo was right; Fan Xing wouldn’t seek help from him.
In other words, they had very little interaction before. Their occasional meetings were always hurried. Eric knew that Fan Xing was avoiding him, feeling that they were not people of the same world. He didn’t want to make things difficult for Fan Xing. Moreover, at that time, they were both still young, so he always thought of waiting, waiting a bit longer.
As a result, they knew each other for several years, but they still only had the relationship of ordinary friends.
He didn’t know how tough Fan Xing had it, and Fan Xing might not even know if he could be of any help. Even if he knew, who would ask an ordinary friend for a huge sum of money?
Even though Eric had already accepted the reality, He Qingmo’s words at this moment still made him feel bitter.
Blaming himself for being too naive, thinking that all the beauty could be waited for, letting countless opportunities quietly slip away from his hands.
He stood up abruptly, “Where’s my passport? Give it to me. I’m going to the airport now; I won’t say goodbye to him.”
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