Chapter 45

“I didn’t!”

As soon as the man’s voice fell, Fan Xing’s denial came out involuntarily. After saying it, he regretted it. It was like confessing without being prompted.

The man didn’t speak, just looked at him, his deep eyes unwavering.

It seemed emotionless at first glance, but Fan Xing could inexplicably see worry, concern, and even other emotions in them.

Suddenly, he felt that maybe he could tell the truth.

But as he opened his mouth several times, he hesitated and swallowed the words back.

The man didn’t urge him, patiently waiting while still looking at him.

After a while, Fan Xing finally made up his mind. Looking into the man’s eyes, he gently asked, “Brother and…”

At this moment, his phone rang, interrupting the question he had hesitated to ask multiple times. He suddenly regretted it, and the words he was about to say were swallowed back. He quickly pushed the man away, reached for his phone, and didn’t even have time to see who was calling before answering, “Hello, hi.”

“Dana, it’s me.”

“E…” Fan Xing subconsciously choked on that name, glanced at He Qingmo, feeling a bit guilty. He remembered that He Qingmo had said not to contact Eric in front of him.

But He Qingmo just looked at him without showing any displeasure.

Feeling relieved, Fan Xing asked Eric in a low voice, “What’s wrong?”

Earlier in the morning, he had received a call from Eric at the hospital entrance. At that time, he was worried about He Qingmo, so he didn’t have time to ask. But Eric had called him twice in a very short time, indicating that there might be something serious.

“I’m at the airport. Can we meet?” There was some noise on the other end, and Eric’s voice sounded a bit weary.

Fan Xing was stunned, “What… What are you saying? Airport?”

“Yes, at the international airport in City B.”

“You… Have you returned to the country?” Fan Xing was still a bit slow to react, and his voice unconsciously raised a few decibels.

“Yeah, and now I’m penniless, not knowing anyone here. Honestly, I’ve never been back, and I don’t know anyone in the country, so I can only ask you to rescue me.” Eric pitifully said.

“Ah? Wait a moment, I’ll come over now.” Fan Xing couldn’t even ask what had happened. As a friend, he couldn’t ignore such a situation. After agreeing, he hung up, explained to He Qingmo, “Brother, I need to…”

“No!”

As soon as he spoke, the man interrupted him with an unyielding tone.

Fan Xing looked at He Qingmo in surprise because the man had never spoken to him in such a tone. But facing the deep eyes of the man, Fan Xing’s heart trembled. The man’s eyes were colder, clearly indicating genuine anger.

Fan Xing also knew he misunderstood. He quickly shook his head, “No, I didn’t know he came back. I haven’t contacted him at all.”

“Then, don’t ever contact him again! Haven’t I told you? When you’re married, you should behave like a married person! What’s the meaning of meeting an old lover in front of me?” He Qingmo’s tone didn’t change much, but his attitude was firm, and the grip on Fan Xing’s wrist became stronger.

He was genuinely angry!

Even though he had told Fan Xing last time not to contact that special friend in front of him, it was just words. He had never actually restricted any of Fan Xing’s actions.

He knew Fan Xing was sensible and would never do anything inappropriate. He was confident that he could make Fan Xing forget about his previous love.

However, that didn’t mean he could tolerate Fan Xing meeting that special friend in front of him, especially when the friend had deliberately returned to the country.

Fan Xing’s wrist hurt from being gripped tightly, but for some reason, he felt a pain in his chest. He looked up at He Qingmo, his thick eyelashes trembling as he spoke softly, “So, what about you…?”

What about you? You always remind me to act like a married person, but what about you? I always remember, and the person I can’t forget is you.

But in the end, he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue, lowered his head, and refused to look at the man anymore. “Brother, I’m sorry, but I really have to go.”

“Not allowed!” The man’s tone was cold, unforgiving.

Fan Xing struggled lightly, attempting to free his hand from the man’s grip, but the man held on even tighter.

He didn’t try to break free anymore because he knew he couldn’t.

He still kept his head down, not looking at the man. His voice was as light as a feather, “So, brother, are you planning to keep me locked at home?”

He Qingmo suddenly froze, and the grip on Fan Xing’s wrist relaxed slightly. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but Fan Xing’s soft voice reached his ears again, “Brother, that’s my friend. If anything happens to him because I didn’t go today, I won’t forgive myself, and maybe, I won’t be able to forgive the one who stopped me either.”

He Qingmo remained still, looking at Fan Xing’s lowered back. After a while, he gradually released his grip on Fan Xing’s hand but remained silent.

Having gained his freedom, Fan Xing didn’t look at him either, just thanked him softly, “Thank you, brother,” and then turned and left.

He Qingmo stood there, watching Fan Xing’s departing figure, silent for a long time. Finally, he turned and went upstairs.

For the first time in his life, he didn’t know if his choice was right or wrong.

He didn’t want Fan Xing to go see that so-called friend, but Fan Xing’s words echoed in his mind. Did he intend to keep Fan Xing locked at home? Would Fan Xing resent him in the future?

No, he didn’t want either, but involuntarily, he had let go of Fan Xing.

Yes, this way, Fan Xing wouldn’t hate him, but perhaps the old feelings with the ex-boyfriend would rekindle.

He Qingmo pinched his forehead, smiling self-deprecatingly. He didn’t expect that at this stage of his life, he would be caught up in such emotional turmoil.

On the other side, Fan Xing hastily took a taxi to the airport. Even so, when he arrived, it was almost noon.

From a distance, he saw a tall and slender young man with a simple backpack, casually leaning against the side with round glasses perched on his nose.

Passersby, especially girls, couldn’t help but take a few more glances, and some even tried to sneakily take pictures with their phones. However, the person showed no reaction, lowering his head slightly, either lost in thought or daydreaming.

Fan Xing looked at him, stopped for a long time, and pondered for a while. Finally, he realized something was strange about himself today. When he decided to marry He Qingmo, he had planned to completely forget about the dream from the past. After all, it was just a dream he had alone, and he had forgotten about it.

In fact, he rarely thought about it anymore. Sometimes he felt like he might have already forgotten.

But today, those supposedly forgotten memories suddenly became clear and vivid in his mind. Was it because Eric suddenly appeared?

He might have stood there for too long. Eric finally moved, raised his wrist to check the time, realizing he might be getting impatient.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Fan Xing hurriedly walked over, greeted him cheerfully, “Hi! Long time no see. You…”

As a result, the other person looked up at him, said nothing, and directly grabbed his wrist, striding quickly in a direction where no one was around.

Being pulled forward by him, Fan Xing felt concerned about Eric’s state. “Eric, what’s wrong? Where are we going? You probably haven’t eaten yet, and you need to adjust to the time difference. Let me find a place for you to rest.”

But Eric completely ignored him, tightly holding onto Fan Xing’s wrist and walking faster.

Due to ongoing construction between the two terminals, the exit on this side couldn’t be used. After walking for a while, there were no people around.

It was only then that Eric stopped, turned around, took off his sunglasses, and looked into Fan Xing’s eyes. “Are you married?” he asked.

Fan Xing seemed to hear things wrongly for a moment, looking at him blankly. After a while, he came to his senses, realizing he hadn’t misheard. Eric indeed knew.

Fan Xing nodded slightly. “Yes. How did you…”

“Really?” Suddenly, Eric tightened his grip on Fan Xing’s wrist, pulling him closer, his tone filled with disbelief.

Fan Xing felt the pain in his wrist; the way Eric held it was similar to He Qingmo, adding to the discomfort. He didn’t notice the change in Eric’s emotions but nodded, “Yes, it’s true. Can you let go first?”

Eric seemed to completely ignore his words. His eyes, sometimes sly and sometimes serious, were now filled with disbelief and anger. “It’s true? You actually… really got married? Jacky told me you returned to the country and married an older man. I didn’t believe it. But now, you’re telling me it’s true? Because of your grandmother’s medical expenses? I’ll pay for it. Divorce him! ”

Fan Xing looked at Eric with surprise. He had never seen Eric like this—urgent, angry, and carrying a hint of sorrow, like an injured beast.

Fan Xing was puzzled, but there was a sense of unease in his heart. Opening his mouth, he couldn’t find the right words. In the end, he asked indifferently, “How did Jacky know?”

Jacky was Fan Xing’s childhood friend who dropped out of school early but treated Fan Xing very well. Fan Xing liked him a lot.

However, regarding his return to China and getting married, he hadn’t even mentioned it to his grandmother, so how could Jacky know? Besides, Eric seemed to dislike Jacky; they rarely spoke when they met. Even if Jacky knew, he wouldn’t have told Eric.

But at this moment, Eric couldn’t hear anything. He only had one thought: make Fan Xing divorce and go back with him!

“I said, divorce him! I’ll pay for your grandmother’s follow-up medical expenses. How could you marry someone you don’t love for such a small amount of money? Divorce now, and come back with me!” Eric said, taking Fan Xing’s phone and starting to dial numbers from his contacts.

Fan Xing, unable to sort out what Eric was thinking, could only quickly stop him. “Eric, listen to me. It’s not what you think. This has nothing to do with that person I’m married to… And I can’t divorce. I…”

“Why?” Eric’s emotions suddenly erupted, roaring and cutting him off. “Why? I said I’d help you with the medical expenses. Why won’t you divorce? Don’t tell me you’ve fallen in love with him and can’t bear to leave!”

“I haven’t…” Fan Xing subconsciously wanted to deny, but for some reason, he couldn’t continue. The latter part of his sentence got stuck in his throat, and he couldn’t say it.

Seeing Fan Xing’s reaction, Eric’s emotions suddenly burst forth. He grabbed Fan Xing’s wrist even harder, and his eyes, once occasionally cunning and solemn, were now filled with disbelief and anger. “Really?” He stared at Fan Xing, his voice getting lower and lower. “What about me?”

“What?” Fan Xing’s wrist hurt, his head ached, and he couldn’t even hear clearly what Eric was saying.

“What about me?” Eric’s injured eyes stared tightly at Fan Xing’s face. “What about me? I’ve been waiting to go to university with you and confess my feelings to you.”

Fan Xing’s mind went blank with a loud roar. He froze, not feeling the pain in his wrist anymore. He looked at Eric in disbelief, “What are you… saying?”

“I’m saying I like you!” Eric looked into his eyes and solemnly expressed his feelings, “I liked you from the first time I saw you. But I noticed you’ve been deliberately keeping your distance from me. I know you think we’re not from the same world. So I waited, waited until we went to H University together. I thought you wouldn’t have this psychological burden then, and I could confess to you. But you went back to China without a word, saying you wouldn’t come back. Do you know how long I spent thinking about how to confess to you to make you accept me, to give you a surprise? And in the end… you got married to someone else, and you fell in love with him, right? Then, what am I? If you knew you could marry someone for medical expenses, why didn’t you come to me? Marry me, and I’ll take care of it!”

Fan Xing looked at Eric’s moving lips, hearing every word clearly, but when they were put together, he couldn’t understand their meaning.

What does it mean to like someone from the first meeting? What does it mean to spend time thinking about confessing? Fan Xing suddenly felt a headache. He couldn’t understand anything, and the more he tried to calm himself down, the more confused his mind became.

But Eric kept talking, “Dana, divorce him. You’re too naive. How could you fall in love with a man who forced you to marry him for a small amount of medical expenses? A person like this will treat you like this today and will do the same to others in the future. I’ll repay the money for you. Divorce him, come back with me, and let’s start over. Dana, I really like you. If I could forget you, I wouldn’t have come after you right away when you left without a word. When I knew you got married to someone else, I only had one thought: I have to come back and snatch you away. I can’t watch you be with someone else.”

Fan Xing felt like he hadn’t slept all night, and his brain was not functioning properly. The more Eric spoke, the more confused he became.

He bit his lip hard, and the pain made him slightly calm down. He forced himself not to think about Eric’s words, diverting the topic directly, “Let’s go. Let’s leave the airport first.”

“Dana, you…” Eric tried to continue, but Fan Xing gently interrupted him, “Eric, I’m sorry. My mind is a bit chaotic right now. Can we not talk about this for the time being?”

Fan Xing hadn’t slept all night and had a restless morning. His already haggard face, now with dark circles under his eyes, almost lacked any color. His voice also revealed an undeniable fatigue.

Only now did Eric notice his abnormality. He felt sorry and guilty, realizing he shouldn’t have pressed Fan Xing at this moment. He nodded, and they left the airport together.

After settling down, it was already dark. Although Eric wasn’t in a hurry to rest and adjust to the time difference, seeing Fan Xing dragging his tired body to accompany him, he couldn’t bear it. He suggested Fan Xing go back to school to rest.

Fan Xing left all the money on him for Eric and asked him to call if anything happened. Then, he left the hotel.

The hotel was not far from Qing University, about a ten-minute walk. However, when Fan Xing arrived at the school gate, the sky was already completely dark.

He stopped and looked at the school gate for a while. After a long time, he turned around and headed to the subway station.

At this moment, He Qingmo vaguely heard a slight movement outside. Thinking it was Fan Xing returning, he opened the study door, only to find the hourly maid, Aunt Wu.

He was a bit puzzled. Normally, unless there were specific instructions, the hourly maid only came to clean the house during the day.

Aunt Wu, upon seeing him, immediately smiled and spoke, “Mr. He, have you finished your work? Fan Xing called and asked me to come over to prepare dinner. He said you’re alone at home, not feeling well, and wanted me to prepare some light food. I’ve cooked some millet porridge and a few vegetarian dishes. Do you want anything else?”

He Qingmo was slightly absent-minded. “Fan Xing called you?”

“Yes, he called me a little after four in the afternoon. He said he might not make it back and was worried that you’d be alone at home with nothing to eat.” Aunt Wu praised, unable to contain her admiration, “Fan Xing is truly considerate.”

Qingmo nodded lightly, not saying a word, and went downstairs.

On the dining table, the food was already prepared, all light and suitable for his current appetite. Unfortunately, after a day without eating, he had no appetite. He took a few bites and put down the chopsticks. As he prepared to go upstairs, Aunt Wu came over holding a paper bag, asking him, “Mr. He, do you know what’s inside this bag? The packaging is quite good, and it seems valuable. It was tucked away in the storage room corner. Is it a gift from someone, and you forgot to open it?”

Aunt Wu took advantage of the time waiting for Qingmo to finish eating to organize the storage room, and that’s when she discovered it.

Lacking interest, Qingmo replied, “Just throw it away, or you can take it home if you want.”

Aunt Wu shook her head repeatedly, “How can we do that? Maybe it’s something important. You should open it and see.”

But Qingmo wasn’t interested.

Aunt Wu, being practical, couldn’t bear to simply throw things away. Seeing his lack of interest, she suggested, “I’ll open it then. At least see what’s inside. What if it’s something important.”

Qingmo had already turned to go upstairs, but he heard Aunt Wu’s voice suddenly rise a few notches, “Oh, this is prepared by Fan Xing…”

She didn’t finish her sentence, but Qingmo had already turned back and took the opened gift box from her. Soon, he froze.

Inside the box was a hand-drawn postcard depicting two cute figures sitting on a swing, looking at the stars. Next to it was written: “Brother, Happy Birthday! – Fan Xing.”

Qingmo’s hands trembled slightly as he took out the postcard. Below it was a fountain pen engraved with his name, a simple and classic design indicating its likely high value.

Qingmo gently took out the pen, holding it tightly in his hand, feeling a sudden tightness in his chest.

Aunt Wu, however, looked surprised, “Oh, Fan Xing prepared this birthday gift for you. How thoughtful. He decorated the house so beautifully yesterday. I thought that was already a surprise, but it seems this kid had another trick up his sleeve.”

“What are you talking about? What decoration?” Qingmo suddenly felt he might have missed something crucial. He quickly asked.

Aunt Wu said, “Don’t you know? It was your birthday yesterday. Fan Xing decorated the house beautifully, prepared a table full of your favorite food, even tried making the birthday cake several times. He said you don’t like sweets, so he wanted to make something you’d enjoy. Oh, this kid is really thoughtful. I wanted to help, but he insisted on doing it all by himself. How come you don’t know?”

He Qingmo fell silent for a moment, then suddenly grabbed his phone and rushed out, driving towards Qing University.

Thinking that Fan Xing would probably go directly back to school at this time, given that there were classes tomorrow, He Qingmo hadn’t gone far after turning when he saw a nearly deserted roadside with a slender figure crouched on the ground.

Fan Xing?

His heart sank, and he accelerated, the car rushing over to stop beside Fan Xing.

Fan Xing, crouched on the ground, heard the commotion and raised his head, revealing a pale face.

He Qingmo quickly got out of the car, picked him up, and urgently asked, “Fan Xing, what’s wrong with you?”

Fan Xing’s complexion was terrible. Despite the coolness of the season at night, his forehead was covered in sweat.

Fan Xing seemed somewhat surprised. After looking at him for a while, he weakly spoke, “My stomach hurts a bit, probably from hunger.”

Having gone over 24 hours without eating anything, he didn’t feel much initially. However, on the subway ride back, his stomach suddenly began protesting, producing acid and churning together, causing intense pain.

He initially tried to endure it, but it got worse after leaving the subway station. Unable to bear the pain, he decided to squat down to ease it.

 

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