Chapter 50
Fan Xing didn’t want to see Eric like this.
Eric should always be confident and proud, able to face any situation with calmness. He should be the young man who can excel in math competitions, effortlessly handling fights with troublemakers.
When did Eric become like this? It was as if the whole world had abandoned him. He roared in frustration, trying to hide the fear and hurt in his heart.
Fan Xing felt an intense heartache because he was the one causing this.
He tightly clenched his hands, nails digging deep into his palms, feeling the warmth and stickiness becoming more apparent.
Then, he finally made up his mind. No matter how guilty he felt, no matter how unbearable it was, for Eric’s sake, it was better to be honest and put an end to the uncertainty than to let Eric constantly guess without giving a clear answer, using not wanting to hurt him as an excuse.
He believed that even if Eric felt sad and pained now, he would eventually adjust because he was Eric!
Fan Xing took a deep breath, looked up at the young man, and in his clear eyes, there was no confusion or reluctance but determination. “Eric, I…”
“I’m hungry!”
However, Eric abruptly interrupted him and then turned to walk away.
Fan Xing was caught off guard, but he realized that Eric had already left the alley. He quickly caught up, “Eric, let me finish. You wanted to…”
“I said I’m hungry! Why aren’t you being a good host? I haven’t eaten anything all day. Take me to eat something delicious now!”
Eric interrupted him again, avoiding eye contact throughout, clearly not wanting to continue the conversation.
Fan Xing, who had finally made up his mind, hadn’t expected Eric to back off. Moreover, as they walked out of the alley, the street was bustling with people. Even if he wanted to explain everything, he couldn’t do it here.
Moreover, Eric had traveled a long way for him, and leaving him in the hotel without food for a day was indeed not appropriate. So, he could only take him to eat first.
Conveniently near Qing University, Fan Xing also wanted to show Eric around his school, so he took him to the university cafeteria.
They arrived a bit early, and the cafeteria wasn’t crowded. Fan Xing bought food and found a quiet corner to sit down, attempting to communicate with Eric. However, every time he tried to speak, Eric found various excuses to cut him off.
Fan Xing didn’t want to affect Eric’s appetite, so he let him be until Eric finished eating. Only then did Fan Xing speak, “Eric, I think we should talk and clarify things.”
“You haven’t taken me to visit your school yet,” Eric interrupted again.
Fan Xing sighed, “Eric, don’t you also want to know what’s happened with me, what I really think? Can I tell you everything, please?”
But Eric stood up directly, coldly saying, “I’m going back,” and then walked away.
Fan Xing hurriedly caught up, trying to hold him back, but before he could say anything, Eric’s voice reached his ears, “Dana, let me be alone for a while, okay? I need some time to be quiet.”
Without turning back, Eric kept his head slightly lowered, his bangs covering his eyes. His voice sounded calm but with a hint of loss and even a trace of confusion.
Fan Xing felt a dull pain in his chest, as if pricked by needles. He released his grip on Eric’s hand.
Then, Eric walked away without looking back.
Fan Xing stood there, watching the tall and slender figure gradually disappearing into the crowd, feeling lost once again.
What should he do?
He never thought that someone like Eric would one day deceive himself and refuse to face the truth.
“Hey, Xiao Xing, you’re back to school? The counselor said you were on sick leave. How are you feeling now?” It was the peak time for dinner after school, and a few of Fan Xing’s dormmates came together to greet him.
Feeling a bit down, Fan Xing greeted his roommates briefly and went back to the dorm.
After returning to the dorm, Fan Xing took some time to calm his emotions. He then called Lu Chi, wanting to meet up. However, Lu Chi wasn’t on campus, and he wouldn’t be back until next week. Fan Xing felt that some things were better discussed face-to-face, so he scheduled a meeting with Lu Chi for next week. After hanging up, he checked the time; it was not even 7 PM.
With nothing much to do and not wanting to be alone with his thoughts in the dorm, Fan Xing decided to go to the library.
However, before he could leave, Qin Xiuming and the others returned.
Fan Xing greeted them with a smile and asked if they wanted to go to the library together. Their reactions were strange—Qin Xiuming hesitated, and Yu Cheng and Lu Zirui looked awkward and kept glancing at Qin Xiuming.
Perplexed, Fan Xing asked, “What’s wrong?”
Lately, he felt like he was being pushed to the edge of his dorm life, and these three seemed to be hiding something from him.
Yu Cheng and Lu Zirui exchanged glances, then began making excuses.
“Oh, I remembered I have something to do.”
“Yeah, yeah, I remembered too. I’ve got things to take care of.”
After saying this, the two immediately turned on their computers and started using their phones, signaling that they didn’t want to be part of the conversation.
Feeling confused, Fan Xing didn’t press further. He smiled, “If there’s nothing, I’ll head out. See you!”
At this point, Qin Xiuming spoke, “Did you check the campus forum?”
Hearing about the campus forum, Fan Xing felt a headache coming on, expecting some trouble.
“No, why? Did they announce the results of the campus beauty contest? Please tell me I didn’t win,” Fan Xing joked.
Qin Xiuming shook his head, looking somewhat strange. He handed his phone to Fan Xing, saying, “Take a look for yourself.”
Fan Xing glanced at the phone and was instantly stunned. It was a photo of him and Eric, taken just earlier at the cafeteria.
The title was more eye-catching than the photo itself: “Prospective Campus Beauty Actually Taken.”
The post described the entire process from their entrance to the cafeteria until Eric left. The conclusion was that the prospective campus beauty’s boyfriend was a scumbag, showing cold indifference throughout, leaving the beauty with a desolate expression resembling a waiting stone.
It was a typical case of judging a book by its cover, but the gullible onlookers believed it.
A large number of people pitied the beauty for having a boyfriend, and another group condemned the “scumbag,” saying he wasn’t worthy of the beauty. There were also fans of the “scumbag” praising him, mainly because Eric was exceptionally handsome.
Fan Xing was somewhat helpless. He couldn’t believe that just having a meal with a friend could attract so much attention. Moreover, Eric was now being criticized because of him.
Luckily, it wouldn’t affect Eric, and Fan Xing was not bothered by it. After expressing his boredom, he returned the phone to Qin Xiuming, feeling puzzled about why his dormmates had such a strange reaction to this minor incident.
Then Qin Xiuming asked, “Is he really your boyfriend?”
“Huh? Oh, no, he’s just a friend visiting from abroad,” Fan Xing replied.
“Then why…” Why did he look at you with such a heartbroken expression?
Qin Xiuming stopped himself from saying that out loud and changed his words, “Well, you should take him around.”
Fan Xing didn’t want to continue this conversation. He smiled lightly, “Yeah, I will. I’m heading to the library now.”
This time, he truly left. Unseen by Fan Xing, Qin Xiuming had a disappointed expression on his face.
The two roommates, who pretended to be busy, stopped their act. With Fan Xing gone, Yu Cheng and Lu Zirui discussed the situation.
“Xiao Xing said they’re just friends. Why is Qin so disappointed?” Yu Cheng wondered.
“Yeah, and why did he look so gloomy when he saw the post on the forum? It’s not like Fan Xing did anything wrong,” Lu Zirui added.
Qin Xiuming was feeling upset because, despite his feelings for Fan Xing, after seeing that post, he couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. How could such a good person like Fan Xing end up with someone who didn’t cherish him?
He became angrier the more he thought about it, but he felt powerless. He could only change his clothes and go to the basketball court to vent his frustration.
Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the He family was tense.
As soon as He Qingmo entered, he heard Ji Jin scolding He Qing’an.
“As a father, can’t you scold him a bit more? Can he be like this? For so many years, tell me, have you fulfilled the responsibilities of being a father? You rarely look at him all year round. Rarely call him, and when you do, it’s to scold him. How can he be close to you? Now, the person is missing, do you know how worried I am? What have you been doing before? Anyway, if you don’t find my grandson tonight, we’re not done!”
He Qingmo walked in briskly, interrupting Ji Jin’s next round of attacks. “What’s going on? Didn’t you say you found him?”
“Found what? I was wrong! What is the butler doing? After taking care of our child for so many years, he can’t even recognize him from the surveillance footage. I rushed over only to find out it wasn’t Ning Ning at all. It infuriates me! After this incident, I’ll personally go over and fire those in our house who only take money and don’t work.” Ji Jin was furious, her face turning pale.
He Qingcheng, although silent, had a cold face that could freeze the entire living room.
He Qing’an and his wife were present, He Qing’an enduring the scolding while Lin Lin comforted Ji Jin. He Qingchen stood in the distance making a phone call.
It was another family mobilization.
Every time He Shuning, that boy, went missing abroad, the He family would turn into this.
He Qingmo sometimes wished for an opportunity to fly abroad and give his troublesome nephew a good beating!
But obviously, that wasn’t feasible right now.
“Now, what’s the situation? Any news?” he asked.
Coincidentally, He Qingchen hung up the phone and walked over. “He’s back.”
“What?” He Qing’an was shocked. “Back?”
Not only He Qing’an, but everyone in the He family was surprised. After all, He Shuning had never come back before. It wasn’t that the He family didn’t allow him; he simply wasn’t willing to return.
Why did he suddenly decide to come back this time?
So when He Qingchen said this, all eyes focused on him.
He Qingchen nodded. “Yes, I’ve checked the entry records. He entered B city yesterday morning.”
“Are you saying he’s here?” Ji Jin’s eyes lit up. “Has he finally realized and decided to come back and see his family?”
“What are you thinking, Mom? If he really wanted that, why didn’t he contact the family in these two days he’s been back? I think…” He Qingmo’s words were cut off, and he felt a twitch at his brow. Could it be a coincidence?
His love rival, who had chased after him from the M country, seemed to have arrived yesterday morning.
“Now is not the time to discuss these things!” He Qingcheng, who had been silent with a frozen face, took on the role of the family head. He sternly asked He Qingchen, “Where is he now? Why hasn’t he been found yet? He hasn’t been back for so many years, unfamiliar with the place. In case of an accident…”
“Tsk tsk, crow’s mouth! How could my grandson have an accident? Shut up quickly. Second son, quickly find him first. Once he’s found, everything else can be discussed later.” Ji Jin urged anxiously.
“Already looking for him, but his phone is off, and we can’t locate him. He doesn’t use a credit card, so it might take some time,” He Qingchen explained while still in contact with others.
In deep thought, He Qingmo sent a message to Fan Xing – What’s the name of your friend?
But after waiting for a long time without a reply, he knew Fan Xing was in the library and didn’t check his phone. He didn’t pay it much attention, planning to wait until Fan Xing saw the message and replied.
At this moment, Fan Xing was no longer in the library. Half an hour ago, he received a call from Yu Cheng saying that Qin Xiuming had gotten into a fight and was taken to the police station. He quickly packed his things and returned to the dorm. With Yu Cheng and Lu Zirui, he rushed to the police station.
“What’s going on? Why did he fight with someone? Who is the other person? Is he okay?” Fan Xing knew nothing about what Yu Cheng had said on the phone.
But Yu Cheng and the others were also not clear. They received a call from the police station, saying that Qin Xiuming had listed them as contacts, asking them to come over and act as guarantors.
“We’re also puzzled. We saw him going out with a basketball. How did he end up fighting with someone? Lao Qin is really good at finding trouble with us.” So the three of them went to the police station without knowing much, and upon arrival, they saw Qin Xiuming with a swollen nose and bruised eyes, looking disheveled. Obviously, he didn’t gain any advantage in the scuffle.
This surprised all three of them. Qin Xiuming was tall and muscular, with a strong athletic build. It seemed like he could have the upper hand in any physical altercation.
It was unexpected to see him in such a disheveled state. They saw the other person on the other side of the office.
Fan Xing froze for a moment, exclaiming in astonishment, “Eric?”
The person Qin Xiuming fought with turned out to be Eric, and Eric’s condition wasn’t any better than Qin Xiuming’s. His mouth and eyes were bruised, and there was even some blood.
Fan Xing quickly ran over, “How are you? Why did you end up fighting with someone? Are you seriously injured?”
On the other side, Qin Xiuming, seeing this scene, couldn’t face Fan Xing and glared fiercely at Yu Cheng and Lu Zirui, “You two coming is enough. Didn’t I tell you not to inform him?”
Yu Cheng and Lu Zirui, seeing that Qin Xiuming’s opponent was Fan Xing’s… friend, also felt awkward.
“We thought you might not be in a good mood, so we asked Xiao Xing to come and comfort you. How did you end up fighting with him? Duel? Who lost and has to withdraw?” Yu Cheng tried to lighten the mood.
Qin Xiuming ignored them and kept staring at the other side.
Eric, on the other hand, wasn’t in a better mood. Seeing his disheveled appearance being witnessed by Fan Xing, he felt embarrassed. So, he remained silent.
But the police officers were delighted. They quickly pulled Fan Xing aside and asked, “Do you know him? That’s great. This kid hasn’t said a word since he entered. He won’t provide any information—no name, no address, no contacts. Street fighting is indeed wrong, but it didn’t cause serious consequences. We brought him here for education. However, he won’t provide any information. We wanted to find someone to bail him out, but he refused. Since you know him, can you handle it?”
Fan Xing hurriedly nodded, “Okay, okay, I’ll handle it. Thank you, officer, for your trouble.”
It wasn’t a big deal, and after Fan Xing completed some simple procedures, he was about to leave with Eric. However, at this moment, another police officer rushed over and stopped them, “I’m sorry, is this Mr. Eric? Please wait for a moment. Your family will arrive soon…”
Before the officer could finish, Eric suddenly slapped away the hand trying to stop him, grabbed Fan Xing, and walked away.
“Hey, please wait…”
“Ningning, Ningning, it’s really you!”
Ignoring the police officer, Eric suddenly hugged Fan Xing and walked away.
“Sorry, can you wait…”
“Ningning, Ningning, it’s really you!”
The police officer wanted to stop them, but Eric slapped away his hand and hugged Fan Xing. A worried yet pleasantly surprised woman’s voice echoed in the office, followed by a middle-aged lady in high heels rushing in. She hugged Eric, “My grandson, I finally found you. You really scared Grandma to death…”
Fan Xing, upon hearing that voice, froze.
It took him a while to mechanically turn his head to look at the entrance. Almost the entire He family was present, and the last one to walk in was He Qingmo.
Thanks for the update
It feels like you’ll be caught cheating 🤣
Thanks for the update!! 🤗 🤗