Chapter 9
The next morning, when Fu Yu woke up, he felt like his head was about to explode. He stared blankly at the unfamiliar ceiling lamp, thinking he hadn’t fully woken up.
The door was gently pushed open, and Xiao Yi walked in with water and food. “Awake? Here, have something to eat.”
Fu Yu, unusually dazed, looked at him. He couldn’t distinguish if this moment was a dream or reality, and he struggled to remember the events of last night. All he could recall was having dinner with Hua Ao, drinking wine, and then… he couldn’t remember anything after that.
As he tried to recollect, his head throbbed, so he decided to ask the person in front of him directly, “Where is this place, and why are you here?”
“This is my home. Where else would I be?” Xiao Yi replied, his tone mocking Fu Yu as if he were foolish. He placed the tray he was carrying on the bedside table, and the dolphin toy that had been there before was now put away.
Suddenly, Fu Yu remembered something and was startled. He immediately lowered his head and checked his clothes. Except for his suit jacket and tie, everything else was still in place.
Xiao Yi hadn’t done anything to him while he was unconscious.
“Do you think I would ambush you? Do you think so little of me?” Xiao Yi said in self-mockery.
Fu Yu looked at him coldly. “You’re the worst person I’ve ever met.”
Xiao Yi snorted but didn’t say anything more. He lowered his eyelashes slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips, seemingly lost in thought. After a few seconds of silence, he pointed to the tray beside him. “Eat something.”
Fu Yu followed his finger and saw a bowl of plain porridge and a sandwich in the tray. He was indeed hungry, especially since he hadn’t eaten much last night, just drank a lot of alcohol.
However, he quickly averted his gaze, pushed aside the blanket, and got out of bed. As soon as he stood up, his head spun, and he swayed. Xiao Yi quickly reached out to support him.
“Let go,” Fu Yu said forcefully, shaking off Xiao Yi’s hand as if he had been touched by something dirty, with a disgusted expression on his face.
“I told you not to touch me again.”
He didn’t look at Xiao Yi’s expression at this moment, nor did he want to. He even couldn’t be bothered to find the suit jacket he had taken off. With a pounding headache, he hurriedly left the bedroom.
As Fu Yu left the house, he realized he didn’t have his wallet or phone with him. It must have been his subordinates who had taken care of them when he was drunk last night. Fortunately, he found that this villa was not far from his apartment, so he decided to walk back directly.
Xiao Yi lived in this upscale community, and it was quite large. However, Fu Yu knew this wasn’t Xiao Yi’s actual home; it was likely just one of his personal residences. He had been to Xiao Yi’s real family home, which was astonishingly luxurious.
It was a cold winter day, and the cold wind bit into the streets. Since it was a weekday morning, there were very few pedestrians. Fu Yu was only wearing a thin shirt and slacks, and the combination of his hangover and the cold was torturous. If he hadn’t had good physical conditioning from regular exercise, he might have already passed out on the street.
“Selling scarves… Selling gloves…”
The shaky voice of an elderly person caught Fu Yu’s attention. He looked in the direction of the voice and saw an old lady by the roadside, dressed in simple and worn-out clothes, holding her hands in her sleeves. Her wrinkled face was red from the cold, and she was calling out in a trembling voice. In front of her were two baskets containing various small items, mostly warm clothing and accessories. A bamboo pole for carrying the baskets was standing nearby.
In recent years, the city had increased its efforts to crack down on street vendors, and it was rare to see such roadside stalls. The old woman seemed cautious, constantly looking around to see if the urban management officers were approaching.
Fu Yu didn’t have any money with him, so he couldn’t buy something to help the old lady close up shop. In the past, if he had encountered such a situation, he would have lent a helping hand.
In the past… He remembered a similar scene from his student days. No, it was the first time Xiao Yi had invited him out on a weekend, and it was a similar situation.
At that time, their relationship was already quite good. Despite Xiao Yi’s reputation as a hot-tempered and unruly troublemaker in the eyes of others, Fu Yu had an inexplicable trust in him and thought he could be a friend. He had directly told Xiao Yi about it at the time, and Xiao Yi’s reaction had clearly indicated his agreement. So, the two of them, both individuals who appeared aloof to outsiders, had become close friends who often went out together.
When Xiao Yi invited him to go watch a movie on a weekend, Fu Yu, who liked meaningful films, agreed. Two grown men watching a movie together was not awkward at all, and Fu Yu had expected Xiao Yi, with his personality, to nitpick throughout the movie. However, Xiao Yi watched the entire film silently without a word.
By the time they left the cinema, it was already late in the evening. They walked along the street discussing the plot, and there were many street vendors selling various small items along the road. An old lady was selling winter dates, carrying two small baskets on a bamboo pole and sitting down to sell.
Xiao Yi glanced at it and went over to ask, “How much?”
“Twenty yuan per kilogram,” the old lady replied.
Xiao Yi paid the money, took the bag, and turned to see Fu Yu lost in thought. He raised an eyebrow and asked, “What are you thinking?”
Fu Yu replied honestly, “I didn’t expect you, with your family background, to buy fruit on the roadside.”
Based on Fu Yu’s interactions with Xiao Yi over the past few months, he was indeed proud. He seemed to disdain mingling with others and was known for being a problem student with a hot temper and a rebellious nature. But for some reason, Fu Yu had trusted him back then, feeling that he could be a friend. Xiao Yi’s actions at the time seemed to confirm that trust. So, these two individuals, who appeared highly independent to others, had become friends who frequently hung out together.
Xiao Yi scoffed, “Even if I have money, I still need to eat when I’m hungry and drink when I’m thirsty. Come on, try one.” He handed a winter date directly to Fu Yu’s mouth.
Fu Yu was taken aback. The dates weren’t even washed, and considering his cleanliness, he should have refused. However, at that moment, he didn’t think too much about it and allowed himself to be guided by Xiao Yi’s natural action. He opened his mouth and took a bite, feeling the slightly cool lips touch Xiao Yi’s fingers before he quickly pulled back his hand.
“It’s quite sweet,” he commented, savoring the sweet taste. Xiao Yi then took the half-eaten date directly and ate it. Fu Yu assumed that Xiao Yi didn’t have cleanliness issues and didn’t mind such things, so he asked, “What do you think?”
Xiao Yi’s voice was muffled, “Hmm, exceptionally sweet.”
The two of them continued to eat winter dates as they walked for a while, eventually turning into a secluded alley.
Suddenly, four people appeared in front of them, blocking their path. They looked like a bunch of small-time thugs, and the leader of the group taunted, “Hey, isn’t this Young Master Xiao? It’s a small world, isn’t it? Shouldn’t we settle the old scores?”
Fu Yu took another date, calmly asking, “Do you know them?”
Xiao Yi also took a date, and with disdain, he replied, “Just a bunch of losers.”
Seeing that both of them didn’t seem to care, the small-time thugs became furious. The leader pointed at Xiao Yi and cursed, “Today, I’m going to beat you to the ground and make you cry for your daddy!” Then he looked at Fu Yu, “You’re unlucky too! You’ll get a beating too!”
Bang!
Xiao Yi rushed forward and kicked the guy who was speaking, sending him crashing into the wall. His expression cooled as he said, “If you dare to touch him, give it a try. What are you looking at me for?” He turned to Fu Yu and said, “You go first; I can handle this.”
“Okay,” Fu Yu replied straightforwardly, then turned and ran.
Xiao Yi said, “…”
The small-time thugs said, “…”
When Fu Yu came back later, the two sides were fighting fiercely. The small-time thugs had sticks in their hands, obviously prepared for this encounter, while Xiao Yi fought barehanded. Despite having a significant advantage in terms of combat skills, Xiao Yi was still hit several times by the group of four.
One of the thugs hit Xiao Yi hard on the back, causing him to lose his balance and kneel on the ground. Another thug swung a stick at him, and suddenly, a long pole appeared from the side, hitting the attacker’s knee, making him scream in pain before falling.
“Why did you come back?” Xiao Yi sounded annoyed, but his eyes clearly showed a glimmer of surprise and gratitude.
Fu Yu used the bamboo pole he had bought from the old lady and pressed it hard against his leg, snapping it in half. He held one half, and Xiao Yi held the other, both taking a stance reminiscent of their sword-fighting practice.
With makeshift weapons in their hands, the situation quickly turned in their favor. The remaining small-time thugs were beaten and finally fled, vowing to come back for revenge.
“It seems like we were too gentle,” Xiao Yi said after the fight, sweating but in high spirits. He laughed triumphantly.
When he turned around, his expression immediately became serious and sincere. “Thank you for coming back to help me.”
“Don’t mention it. Friends help each other when they’re in trouble,” Fu Yu replied.
Xiao Yi’s smile faded. “In the past, my friends would have run away when they encountered such a situation. They wouldn’t have needed me to say anything; they would have left first.”
It seemed like the first time Fu Yu had seen Xiao Yi with such a forlorn and helpless expression, as if he had been abandoned. Fu Yu thought to himself that maybe Xiao Yi was unexpectedly a simple and kind-hearted person.
Fu Yu reached out and patted Xiao Yi’s shoulder gently, smiling lightly. “Don’t be upset. I won’t leave you.”
