Chapter 56

Fan Xing looked up at his eyes, his expression very earnest. “Brother, do you see me as a girl? I am also a man, capable of fighting and protecting myself! If you always try to shield me from everything, wouldn’t I become a burden to you?”

Only then did He Qingmo understand Fan Xing’s meaning. He lightly pinched the hand they were holding and asked with a smile, “If today you saw me about to get beaten up, what would you do?”

“I…” I would intervene.

The words almost slipped out of Fan Xing’s mouth, but he held them back. He looked at the man without speaking, already understanding the man’s intention.

He Qingmo pinched his cheek and spoke with a gentle and pleasant tone, “I haven’t treated you like a girl, just a reflex. You also have such instincts. Don’t tell me you treat your husband like a girl?”

Fan Xing pouted without saying anything, but a warm flow surged in his heart, sweet and tender.

Instinctive reaction… well, it is just an instinctive reaction, regardless of whether the other person is a man or a woman, just not wanting them to get hurt.

This understanding made Fan Xing feel exceptionally good. The clear eyes also revealed a light sweetness, especially pleasing.

The man looked at him, his deep eyes dimming slightly. He gently rubbed his hair and asked, “Did you really fight with people often before?”

After Fan Xing fought with Gu Mingyu last time, he told He Qingmo that he hadn’t suffered any losses. He Qingmo was somewhat skeptical because Fan Xing didn’t seem like someone who would fight.

But now he witnessed it himself during the brawl at the bar. He saw how agile Fan Xing was in avoiding attacks and how he managed to knock several people down.

He Qingmo even felt that if Fan Xing had a physique and strength similar to his own, along with the keen insight and skills, he might not be able to win against him.

The always tolerant and friendly little guy, under what circumstances did he learn all this?

Fan Xing didn’t expect him to ask about this, and for a moment, he instinctively wanted to evade the question. But facing the man’s profound gaze, he changed his mind.

There’s nothing he can’t say, at least in front of He Qingmo, there’s nothing he can’t say, right?

He smiled at the man, held his hand, and spoke softly, “Because I lived abroad, looked different from them, and excelled in my studies, many Western kids used to pick on me when I was little. I had to protect myself, so of course, I had to fight with them. They were numerous, and physically stronger than me initially, so I used to get beaten up. But as time went on, I gained more experience and could deal with them. In the end, they became fewer, and some didn’t dare to mess with me anymore.”

At the end of his words, Fan Xing felt a bit proud, his fair face beaming with a sunny smile.

But the man beside him looked melancholic, and his gaze towards him carried a mix of regret and tenderness.

Fan Xing belatedly noticed the man’s emotions, grabbed his hand, interlocking their fingers, and smiled while continuing, “I know hearing these things must make you uncomfortable, but it’s all in the past, and these experiences only occupy a small part of my life. Most of the time, I meet good and kind people. Like I had a good friend named Jacky since childhood. Whenever someone bothered me, he got even angrier than me. Every time, we fought together, and he would end up beaten, and then scolded by his dad when he got home. But he still helped me next time. One year, we got a new math teacher, a beautiful blonde sister. She knew a few students in our class would bother me after school, so she waited for me every evening and walked with me. And do you know how I met Gu Mingyu?”

“Don’t want to know!”

Fan Xing was passionately narrating, but the man suddenly interrupted him with an unhappy expression.

He Qingmo shook his head, and Fan Xing took the opportunity to hug him, whispering in his ear, “If Brother doesn’t want to know, then I won’t say. I just want to tell you, don’t mind the past. I’m fine, and most people around me are not annoying; they are mostly cute, righteous, and kind.”

The man gently stroked his hair without saying a word.

In fact, since Fan Xing mentioned after fighting with Gu Mingyu last time that he used to fight a lot in his childhood, He Qingmo had faintly sensed that Fan Xing must have been bullied in school.

Even with mental preparation, when he heard Fan Xing say it out loud, he still felt uncomfortable, heartbroken, and regretful.

But Fan Xing’s casual tone made it seem like those experiences were ordinary for him, not worth mentioning.

He Qingmo has always found it strange why Fan Xing seems to remain calm and composed in any situation. Even after being hurt by his own biological mother, he simply made a decision to cut ties with her and didn’t let it affect his emotions. There was no resentment or desire for revenge against Fan Meixi. In Fan Xing’s world, it seems that no matter how bad things are, a good night’s sleep can make him forget.

He Qingmo knows that Fan Xing hasn’t forgotten; he has just chosen not to hold grudges. This level of tolerance and magnanimity is not something that many people, living in extremely happy and warm environments, possess. Yet, Fan Xing has it.

He Qingmo thinks if he were in Fan Xing’s shoes, he might have become an antisocial personality, let alone being as forgiving as Fan Xing. Now he understands that Fan Xing’s nature is to remember the kindness others have shown him.

He believes that whether it’s the childhood friends who fought for him or the math teacher who waited for him every day after school, they must be a minority. In Fan Xing’s life, the difficulties he faced far outnumbered these occasional acts of kindness and warmth, but he remembers those acts vividly and cherishes them.

It’s this innate nature that allows him to maintain a pure and soft heart, regardless of the challenges he faces. He Qingmo hugs him tightly, feeling a mix of heartache and gratitude.

He buries his face in Fan Xing’s shoulder, voice somewhat unclear, “I wish I had met you earlier.”

This way, you wouldn’t have had to go through those unbearable things.

Fan Xing pats his back gently, soothing him with a soft voice, “I think meeting Brother now is also good.”

He Qingmo doesn’t say anything, just holding onto Fan Xing, reluctant to let go until the plane begins to descend.

When the plane lands in City B, it’s already past five o’clock, with a faint light in the eastern sky. By the time they drive into the city, the day has fully dawned.

Eric, on the other hand, sleeps like a log, still showing signs of a beating with a bruised and swollen face. If Ji Jin saw him like this, she would surely be heartbroken. He Qingmo doesn’t think it’s suitable for the current Eric to meet the He family, so he directly takes him to the house near Qing University that he showed Fan Xing the night before, making it convenient for Fan Xing to go to school.

Eric is sound asleep, and He Qingmo doesn’t intend to bother him. He takes Fan Xing to the master bedroom, intending to let him rest properly.

After all, with so much happening in the past few days, Fan Xing hasn’t had a proper rest.

It’s important to note that the little guy is only eighteen this year, still growing, and how can he function properly without adequate sleep?

But Fan Xing, looking at the mess that is Eric tossed onto the bed by He Qingmo, feels a bit guilty.

He grabs He Qingmo, his tone exceptionally sweet, “Um, Brother… why don’t we give him a bath and change into clean clothes? Look at him, he smells of alcohol, and his clothes are torn…”

Under He Qingmo’s gaze, Fan Xing’s voice becomes increasingly guilty, and the rest of his words get stuck in his throat.

He Qingmo doesn’t say anything; he just looks at Fan Xing, his expression somewhat displeased, but not truly angry—more like a childish petulance.

Actually, Fan Xing knows that whether it’s for Eric or for He Qingmo, he should maintain an appropriate distance from Eric. But he feels it’s not quite right to leave Eric like this, especially after learning about Eric’s past. He feels they should be more concerned about Eric.

So he gently wraps his arms around He Qingmo’s arm, smiles at him with a tender and sweet expression, and with a soft, coquettish voice, says, “He is Brother’s nephew, isn’t Brother unwilling to just leave him like this?”

“I am willing!”

This retort danced on the tip of He Qingmo’s tongue, but he swallowed it back. He pinched Fan Xing’s face in a petulant manner, then walked over to lift the passed-out Eric into the bathroom.

Fan Xing happily laughs; he knew He Qingmo is just stubborn with a soft heart. He follows along.

However, after He Qingmo throws Eric into the bathtub and turns back, he blocks Fan Xing outside the door, arching an eyebrow at him, “What? Do you want to stay and help him wash?”

Fan Xing is stunned, realizing what he said, and quickly shakes his head, “No, no, no!”

Jokingly, if He Qingmo helps Eric take a bath, he might get angry and throw Eric out. Also, he followed just because he was a bit worried that He Qingmo might not know how to do it, as he doesn’t seem like someone who would help others bathe.

However, it doesn’t matter; even if He Qingmo doesn’t know, it’s not like he can stay and help. So, he obediently said, “I’ll go out first, call me if you need anything, Brother,” then turned and ran.

He Qingmo was finally satisfied and turned back to take care of the drunken young master.

With nothing to do after leaving the guest room, Fan Xing took a moment to inspect the new house. It was similar to what he saw in the video, but there was now a hammock on the balcony, similar to the one at home. The kitchen and refrigerator also had a more homey feel, presumably prepared yesterday.

He sat on the hammock on the balcony, feeling the fresh morning air and enjoying the pleasant view. Having not slept the whole night, swaying here with the breeze, he gradually felt a bit drowsy.

So, when He Qingmo finally finished taking care of the drunk young master, he found Fan Xing already asleep.

Seeing the fatigue in his eyes, He Qingmo felt sorry for him. He bent over to lift him up, planning to take him to the bedroom. However, Fan Xing woke up, gently pushed him, jumped out of his arms, and said, “I’ll go back to school to sleep. I’m afraid Eric, if he wakes up, doesn’t want to see me right now.”

“I don’t care…”

He Qingmo started to speak irritably but was silenced as Fan Xing covered his mouth, smiling sweetly at him. “Brother doesn’t want me to see him, right? Alright, I’m going back to school.”

As he spoke, Fan Xing had already reached the entrance to change shoes, then stopped He Qingmo, who was following, holding the car keys. “No need to accompany me, it’s close by; I’ll walk there. Brother should hurry up and take a shower and rest.” After saying that, he went out, pushing He Qingmo back in the process.

He Qingmo watched as the door closed and felt quite upset. He had arranged this house to make things easier for his future wife. Now, the rival was comfortably sleeping, and his wife had to return to school.

The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to throw his nephew out of the guest room. Of course, it was just a thought; if he really did it, his parents and older brother would confront him, and his wife would also be angry.

So he had to endure it and went to take a shower and sleep.

After a day and night of turmoil, including a fight, he was very tired. As soon as he lay down, he fell asleep. When he woke up, it was already afternoon.

He groggily picked up his phone to check the time and saw numerous missed calls, mostly from family members. Ji Jin alone had made dozens of calls.

He leaned back on the bed, rubbed his temples, and was about to call back when Ji Jin’s call came in again.

“He Qingmo, where the hell are you? Song Yang said you came back with Ning Ning this morning. Where are you now? That’s your nephew. I’m telling you, if it’s for some reason…”

“Alright, he’s with me. He’s sleeping right now; we’ll talk when he wakes up.” He Qingmo felt a bit of a headache. His mother was mostly reasonable, but when she wasn’t, it was troublesome.

“What do you mean talk when he wakes up? Where are you? We’re coming over now.”

“Are you sure he wants to see you?” He Qingmo asked.

“What do you mean by that? I’m his real grandmother. Why wouldn’t he want to see me?”

Just as He Qingmo heard movement outside, he got up and saw Eric, post-hangover, stumbling out of the guest room, surveying the unfamiliar surroundings.

He Qingmo handed the phone over, “Your grandmother is looking for you. Do you want to answer or not?”

Eric looked up, his gaze somewhat scattered. He seemed to recognize He Qingmo after a while, and his already pale face turned even paler. Ignoring the phone with Ji Jin’s calls, he turned to leave, paying no attention to Ji Jin’s calls coming through the phone.

He Qingmo gave Ji Jin a sentence, “I’ll call you later.” Then hung up. In a few quick steps, he caught up with Eric, pulling him back onto the sofa.

Seeing He Qingmo’s face, Eric was furious. At this moment, He Qingmo still wanted to fight with him? He stood up, ready to confront He Qingmo.

Unfortunately, he was already unstable on his feet; how could he fight someone in this state?

He Qingmo casually twisted her arm and threw herself onto the sofa.

As he was about to take action, He Qingmo, already impatient, coldly spoke, “If you want to fight, we can do that later. Let’s talk about business first. What’s your plan? Are you going back to M country, or are you going to continue causing trouble here?”

Eric, obviously not interested in talking to him, replied with an even colder attitude, “What’s it to you?” After saying that, he tried to leave.

“Heh, if it weren’t for your grandmother causing a scene at home, and your dad acting like he lost his soul, why would I bother with you?” He Qingmo sneered, casually opening the access control system on his phone and locking the door.

Eric, who initially didn’t intend to speak, tried various methods to leave but couldn’t. Eventually, he had to come back, glaring at He Qingmo, “This is illegal detention! I can report you!”

“You can report all you want!” He Qingmo, who hadn’t eaten for a day, felt a bit hungry. After leaving these words, he saw that Eric wouldn’t calm down and have a rational conversation with him anytime soon. He went straight to the kitchen.

Fortunately, he had foresight and had Song Yang bring some prepared food from the home refrigerator. It came in handy now.

While heating his meal, he paid a little attention to Eric’s situation. After discovering that the door wouldn’t open, Eric immediately went to the balcony. The 27th floor made him give up the idea of leaving through the balcony. Then he searched the whole room for his phone, probably thinking of reporting to the police.

However, his phone was most likely lost during the bar fight last night, and no one bothered to pick it up for him. So, he definitely couldn’t find it now.

Unable to leave and unable to report, he clearly didn’t want to say another word to He Qingmo. He angrily sat on the sofa, not revealing what he was thinking.

He Qingmo glanced at him and silently added an extra serving in the pot. Although this guy was a love rival and always causing trouble, he was still his nephew. Moreover, he was a quite pitiful nephew. It wouldn’t be right if he developed problems due to hunger here.

 

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