Chapter 43
After a moment of hesitation, Fan Xing chose singing over telling a bedtime story because he had never told or heard a bedtime story before.
“Little mouse on the lamp, stealing oil but can’t get down, meow, meow, meow…”
“Haha!”
Before Fan Xing could finish singing, the man on the other end burst into laughter. “Do you take me for Xinxin? Singing a children’s song to fool me?”
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Fan Xing explained that he learned the song from watching TV with Xinxin. Suddenly asked to sing, he didn’t know what to sing, so he chose this one.
“What does Brother want to hear?” he asked.
“Don’t want to hear children’s songs. Just sing your favorite song,” the man’s voice still carried a hint of laughter, evidently amused by the earlier children’s song.
“My favorite?” Fan Xing tilted his head, thought for a moment, and a melody came to his mind. He softly hummed and sang along with the simple lyrics, an English folk song describing carefree and happy childhood times.
Fan Xing’s voice was particularly soft and pure. The simple melody and lyrics gently flowed from his lips, evoking an image of a happy family outing and picnic.
He repeated the song several times until the sound on the other end gradually faded away. He softly called out, “Brother?”
There was still no response, but the man’s steady breathing could be heard. It seemed like he had fallen asleep, with the phone still against his ear.
Fan Xing felt a bit… sorry.
The fact that he could fall asleep while talking to him indicated genuine exhaustion. Considering He Qingmo’s journey, it had only been two days and one night. The flight alone took ten hours, and there might not have been time to adjust to the time difference, already diving into work. Was he eating properly?
Lost in these thoughts, Fan Xing realized he had kept the call active until he reached the dormitory building. He softly spoke into the phone, “Good night.”
After hanging up, he noticed that Qin Xiuming had just returned from outside. He raised his hand in greeting, “You just came back too?”
Qin Xiuming glanced at him, “I remembered something; I’ll be back later.” With that, he turned and left.
Fan Xing stood there watching him walk away, feeling a bit inexplicable. This might not be his imagination; these two days Qin Xiuming seemed to be avoiding him.
If it were in the past, Qin Xiuming would have taken the initiative to greet him from afar, then come up and chat with him, sharing various gossip. However, these past two days, he rarely saw Qin Xiuming in the dormitory, and even when he did, he didn’t take the initiative to speak. Moreover, his attitude seemed to have become colder, as if he didn’t want to talk to him at all.
Fan Xing couldn’t understand. He hadn’t done anything to upset Qin Xiuming.
What was even stranger was that this situation continued until the weekend without improvement. Every day, Qin Xiuming returned early or late, didn’t sit with them in class, and ate with the basketball team instead. Fan Xing couldn’t find an opportunity to ask him directly.
On Friday night, as Fan Xing leisurely packed his things, the dormitory door opened, and Qin Xiuming walked in, holding a basketball. Apparently, he didn’t expect Fan Xing to still be there and hesitated upon seeing him before turning to leave.
Fan Xing was also surprised because Qin Xiuming usually didn’t return to the dormitory before eleven. However, after the surprise, he immediately jumped up and rushed over to grab him. “Old Qin, wait a minute. Explain to me, where did I offend you? Tell me, I want to know. If I did something wrong to you, I’ll apologize. Why do you run away when you see me?”
With his arm being held, Qin Xiuming couldn’t escape and had to reluctantly turn back. He had intended to make a casual remark, but seeing Fan Xing’s clear eyes filled with an undeniable urgency and a hint of self-blame, he realized that Fan Xing had already concluded that he had done something wrong to make Qin Xiuming angry.
Qin Xiuming’s heart tightened, and a sense of guilt and self-reproach overwhelmed him.
It was clearly his fault. That night, when Fan Xing looked at him amid the crowd, showing that slightly flustered expression and hastily avoiding eye contact, like a panicked little white rabbit, his heart swayed for that moment. When he looked at Fan Xing again, everything felt different—no matter how he looked, he found him handsome, cute, and likable.
Fan Xing was so good, both in appearance and personality, so it wasn’t surprising to develop feelings for him. However, unfortunately, the other party already had a boyfriend. What could he do even if he liked him? Expressing his feelings would only make things more awkward for both of them. Therefore, he chose to remain silent. In order to prevent his involuntary true feelings from surfacing, he had been avoiding Fan Xing during this time.
He thought his approach was the best and correct, but he forgot that, from Fan Xing’s perspective, his behavior was undoubtedly a form of emotional neglect, a silent treatment.
Being someone willing to correct mistakes, he turned to face Fan Xing, speaking sincerely and earnestly, “Fan Xing, I’m sorry. I’ve been a bit unhappy recently, so my attitude might have been problematic. It’s not directed at you. As you’ve seen, I’ve been avoiding Yucheng and the others too. But it seems to have caused you trouble, and I apologize for that. How about I treat you to dinner another day to make up for it?”
By the end of his statement, his tone had already lightened, taking on a half-joking tone, and his usual smile returned.
Qin Xiuming was already very handsome, and casually playing it cool on the basketball court would attract fangirls to send water and towels. When he smiled, he looked especially sunny and healthy, possessing a contagious charm.
However, with his abnormal behavior for a week suddenly disappearing, it felt like a rapid change. Fan Xing couldn’t believe it.
“Lao Qin, just tell me the truth. What did I do…”
“Eh? Xiao Xing, why haven’t you gone home by now? You used to run faster than anyone on Fridays. Could it be that your boyfriend is busy today and couldn’t make a date with you?”
Yucheng returned at this moment, surprised to see Fan Xing still there.
Fan Xing hesitated for a moment before replying, “What are you talking about? I was just about to leave.” Saying that, he turned back to continue packing his things.
Yucheng glanced at him and then at Qin Xiuming. He leaned in toward Fan Xing, “No, something’s not right. You don’t seem eager to go home. What’s wrong? Did you have a fight with your boyfriend, or is there something going on at home?”
Fan Xing looked up, “No, I’m just leaving now.” After saying that, he hurriedly packed his things and waved to them before running away.
Once outside, his steps unconsciously slowed down. He headed towards the subway station in a daze, feeling like… Yucheng’s words might be right. He really didn’t feel like going back. Going back meant being alone; what was the point?
But even on previous weekends, He Qingmo might not have been at home, often occupied with phone calls or other activities. Fan Xing also spent a lot of time shooting videos, essentially being busy with his own things. Being alone at home wasn’t much different, so why did he lose the motivation to go home when he realized he would be alone this weekend?
Because of the lack of motivation and enthusiasm, coupled with the crowded subway station during the weekend rush, Fan Xing missed several trains. By the time he returned home, it was already past 10 p.m.
Without wanting to cook, he prepared something hastily, then went upstairs to take a shower.
After the shower, when he came out, it was already past 11 p.m. Thinking about it, he had nothing else to do, so he decided to go to bed. However, he tossed and turned for a while without feeling sleepy, so he picked up his phone to pass the time.
After watching videos from popular content creators on video platforms and scrolling through Weibo and campus forums, everything seemed dull. Finally, for some reason, he opened the calendar and started counting the days until He Qingmo’s return. After counting several times, he suddenly realized that next weekend would be He Qingmo’s birthday, and most likely, he would be coming back on that day.
Staring at the phone for a while, Fan Xing couldn’t help but lightly smile. Suddenly, it didn’t seem so boring anymore.
For the next week, Fan Xing’s thoughts were focused on how to celebrate He Qingmo’s birthday. Instead of directly asking He Qingmo, he secretly called Song Yang and learned that He Qingmo basically didn’t celebrate birthdays. Inviting He Qingmo’s family to celebrate together was also rejected by him.
By the weekend, confirmed that He Qingmo would definitely return, Fan Xing began preparations.
First, he decorated the house a bit. Considering He Qingmo’s occasional childlike nature, he opted for a relaxed and playful style. The food was naturally prepared according to He Qingmo’s taste. The trouble came with the cake. He Qingmo didn’t like cakes at all, and Fan Xing felt that the reason he hadn’t celebrated his birthday for so many years was probably because he didn’t want to eat birthday cake.
Therefore, to cater to his taste, Fan Xing attempted several times to adjust the sugar and cream ratios to the minimum, finally making a low-sweetness birthday cake.
Once everything was ready, it was already past 7 p.m. According to He Qingmo’s estimated arrival time, he should be arriving around this time.
While Fan Xing was busy before, he didn’t feel much. Now that he was waiting, he found himself looking forward to it and feeling a bit nervous. He quietly waited for a while, unable to resist checking the time. It seemed like time was passing exceptionally slowly, with every tick taking a long while.
At around 7:30 p.m., unable to hold back, he ran to open the door, standing in the garden and looking outside. However, it was silent, only a few dim streetlights illuminated the surroundings.
At 8 o’clock, the man still hadn’t returned. The anticipation and nervousness in Fan Xing’s heart had transformed into worry. He went back to the room and called He Qingmo but no one answered after a long time. Thinking of calling Song Yang, a message came in. Thinking it was from He Qingmo, he quickly opened WeChat, only to find it was a message from Lu Chi.
He absentmindedly clicked on it, finding a photo Lu Chi sent of He Qingmo at the airport. It seemed to be when he returned to the country today, but it wasn’t just He Qingmo in the picture. There was also a handsome young man by his side—Zhou Haoran.
How did they end up together? Fan Xing was surprised. Following that, Lu Chi sent another message, a link to a news article. Fan Xing clicked on it and saw a prominent headline: “He Qingmo and New Lover Return from Overseas Vacation, Low-Key Return Today.”
The news mainly featured pictures of He Qingmo and Zhou Haoran together at the airport, with the text emphasizing their closeness and intimacy.
After seriously reading every word, Fan Xing exited the news and opened Weibo. As expected, “He Qingmo’s New Lover” was trending again. The enthusiasm of netizens surpassed his imagination. Every time such trending topics emerged, it triggered speculative discussions, similar to when Fan Xing and He Qingmo were photographed at the wholesale market last time.
However, it was strange. Last time, Fan Xing could still cheerfully read the comments and find them amusing. This time, he didn’t want to look at them at all.
After leaving Weibo, he noticed another message from Lu Chi: “How are you? I’m free tonight, can accompany you until dawn.”
Fan Xing stared at the message, momentarily not understanding why Lu Chi wanted to stay until dawn.
Lu Chi probably thought he was heartbroken and wanted to comfort him. Immediately, another message arrived: “I told you, he’s just a scumbag. Sooner or later, he’ll get tired and dump you. Weren’t you prepared for this? Still thinking of being with such a person for a lifetime? Don’t be silly. Cheer up, he’s not worthy of you. Where are you? I’ll come find you?”
Fan Xing gradually came to his senses. Lu Chi thought he was going through a breakup and wanted to console him.
He smiled lightly and replied to Lu Chi, “Thanks, Senior. I’m fine.”
“Really? It’s not embarrassing to feel sad after a breakup. Anyway, you’ve seen me in a more embarrassing state, so you don’t need to force a smile in front of me.” – Lu Chi.
“I really am fine. If something happens, I’ll definitely tell you.” – Fan Xing responded.
He was indeed fine, apart from feeling a bit low-spirited, he didn’t feel much.
After replying to Lu Chi’s message, he went back to the room, closed the door, and went upstairs to take a shower. When he came out, it was already past 9 p.m. Holding his laptop, he settled on the couch to edit videos. By the time he finished editing videos for the next week, it was close to midnight. He Qingmo’s birthday was about to end, but there was still no sign of him coming back.
Putting down the computer, he stood up and went to the dining room.
The untouched dishes on the table were already cold.
He thought for a moment, picked up his phone, and dialed He Qingmo’s number again. Like last time, it rang for a long time, and just when he thought it wouldn’t be answered again, someone picked up.
“Fan Xing…” The man’s voice came through intermittently, with a hint of hoarseness. “Sorry, I still need to…”
“He Qingmo, come and make a wish and cut the cake. It’s almost midnight.”
Fan Xing’s words were interrupted by another lively voice. Fan Xing remembered that voice; it was Zhou Haoran.
He heard He Qingmo say, “Fan Xing, don’t wait for me. Go to bed early. I…”
Beep, beep, beep…
The call was cut off.
Fan Xing maintained the phone-holding posture for a while before gently putting it down. He tidied up the food and cake on the table and threw them into the trash. This was the first time he wasted food, but keeping it wouldn’t make a difference since no one would eat it.
The decorations at home were no longer needed. Everything was put away or thrown away. After carefully checking again and making sure nothing was left out, he put away the computer and prepared to go to bed. However, Lu Chi’s call came in.
Fan Xing hesitated for a moment but answered it. Lu Chi’s voice immediately came through, slightly slurred and unclear, “Xiao Xing, come out quickly. I know you’re sad. I’ll drink with you. Hurry! I give you ten minutes to appear in front of me!” After saying that, he hung up, followed by a location sent through WeChat.
Fan Xing glanced at the time; it was already 2 a.m. He couldn’t understand why Lu Chi wasn’t sleeping at this hour. The location was a well-known bar street, so Lu Chi probably thought he was upset and wanted to drown his sorrows in alcohol. Fan Xing wondered if Lu Chi wanted to buy drinks for himself or if he wanted company.
However…
In the end, Fan Xing decided to go. The reason being that he probably wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight either.
When he arrived at the bar where Lu Chi was, it was evident that Lu Chi was almost drunk, still dressed in women’s clothing with a super short skirt. His long, white legs swayed restlessly, attracting many ill-intentioned men.
Fortunately, this bar seemed to be one Lu Chi frequented, and the bartender recognized him, keeping an eye on him and preventing anyone with ulterior motives from taking him away.
Seeing this, Fan Xing decided to take Lu Chi back. He knew Lu Chi rented a place outside, so he didn’t have to worry about getting back to school after midnight.
But when Lu Chi saw Fan Xing, he instantly sobered up a lot. He pulled Fan Xing into a hug, acting like a caring older sister, consoling him incoherently, “Xiao Xing, don’t be sad! That scumbag is rotten to the core, not worthy of us. We look so good; can’t we find someone better than him? Come on, learn from Senior. Senior doesn’t care, no matter how many new lovers he has. Who cares about him? He’s not worth our sadness!”
Fan Xing struggled to breathe under his tight embrace and could only nod along, “Yes, yes, Senior, you’re right. I’ll listen to you.”
But Lu Chi couldn’t really hear him. He continued to hug Fan Xing, alternately trying to comfort him and scold He Qingmo. Gradually, he stopped talking and buried his head on Fan Xing’s shoulder, crying.
Fan Xing gently patted his back, not saying a word.
He had always thought that Lu Chi had truly moved on. After all, he looked so carefree before. Now he realized that Lu Chi had forced himself to appear carefree. When faced with the sight of the person he liked having a new lover, he still felt sad.
After a while, Lu Chi’s emotions stabilized. He let go of Fan Xing, ordered another drink from the bartender, and got a soda for Fan Xing. Then, he quickly downed the entire glass of alcohol before speaking, “Made you witness a joke again. I wanted to comfort you, but…”
He turned to look at Fan Xing, “Are you really okay?”
Fan Xing smiled lightly. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly remembered something. He stared at Lu Chi for a while.
After venting, Lu Chi seemed much clearer-headed. Seeing Fan Xing’s expression, he chuckled, “Did you notice that the boy who was with him today looks a lot like me?”
Fan Xing nodded, “Yes, their features do resemble each other.”
The moment he saw Zhou Haoran, he felt a sense of déjà vu. However, he couldn’t recall where he had seen him until Lu Chi mentioned it. Zhou Haoran’s features indeed resembled Lu Chi’s.
Coincidence?
Lu Chi sneered, “Do you think that scumbag He Qingmo followed some template when choosing new lovers for us?”
Lu Chi, despite saying he was guessing, clearly believed that He Qingmo was following a certain template to find substitutes, hence his involvement with both Lu Chi and Zhou Haoran.
Fan Xing remained silent, quietly sipping his water.
Lu Chi had claimed he would accompany Fan Xing until he wasn’t drunk, but in the end, he got himself completely drunk. It was almost dawn when Fan Xing reluctantly brought Lu Chi back to the rented house.
After settling Lu Chi, Fan Xing poured him a glass of water and placed it by the bedside before leaving on his own.
It was barely 6 a.m., and since it was a Sunday, there were not many people outside. Fan Xing aimlessly walked along the road, reaching a crossroads where he suddenly felt disoriented, unsure of which direction to take.
He stood there, watching the traffic lights change several times before he sighed deeply, realizing he should probably go home and get some sleep.
At that moment, his phone rang, and to his surprise, it was a call from Song Yang.
He found it strange because Song Yang rarely initiated calls.
“Hello,” Fan Xing answered.
As soon as he spoke, Song Yang’s voice came through, “Fan Xing, He Qingmo is in the hospital. Can you come over now? I’ll send someone to pick you up.”
Fan Xing’s heart skipped a beat. “No need, I’ll come by myself. What happened to my brother?”
“Nothing serious. Just come over, and I’ll send you the address.” Song Yang sounded busy and promptly ended the call.
Fan Xing felt a sense of urgency and quickly took a taxi to the hospital. Luckily, the roads weren’t congested at this hour, and the taxi driver, sensing Fan Xing’s urgency, drove at a fast pace. In half an hour, they arrived at the hospital.
Fan Xing paid the fare in a rush and hurried inside. Just as he was about to enter the elevator, he received another call, this time from Eric.
He hesitated for a moment but decided to answer. Looking at the screen, he noticed it was Eric calling.
“Dana, you…”
“Eric, sorry, I have something urgent here. I’ll contact you later. Goodbye.”
Ending the call, Fan Xing entered the elevator and headed straight to the top floor.
