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At seven in the morning, Qi Xing woke up being dazed for a few seconds and realized he was still at Ye Xingzhou's house. He immediately jumped out of bed while disregarding the soreness in his body and rushed to the bathroom.
If he didn’t go home soon, his parents would really come knocking.
After a hasty shower and getting ready, he went downstairs and saw Ye Xingzhou having breakfast. Qi Xing rushed over, grabbed a steamed bun and stuffed it into his mouth: “Hurry, take me home. No, take me to your company. My car is still there, and I need to get it before I head home.”
Ye Xingzhou glanced at his comical expression and handed him a glass of milk: “Sit down and eat your breakfast first.”
Qi Xing nearly choked on the bun in his mouth but reluctantly sat down while thinking that it wouldn’t hurt to eat for a bit longer.
He turned on his phone, which had been off all night and opened his WeChat.
There were messages from his mom and urging him to hurry back as soon as he woke up.
Qi Xing frowned: “Whose phone did you use to message my parents yesterday? What did you say?”
Ye Xingzhou replied, “I called your dad and told him you came to the company to deliver documents then we had dinner together last night and you got drunk, so you stayed at my place for the night.”
Qi Xing: “...Did my dad believe it?”
“Why wouldn’t he?” Ye Xingzhou said without a hint of embarrassment. “Unless you’re feeling guilty.”
—How could you be so shameless?
Who was it that lied to him last night and said that he messaged his parents from a friend’s house? You didn’t specify that it was yourself as that friend!
Qi Xing held back the words that were on the tip of his tongue. Ye Xingzhou had always had a thicker skin than a city wall, so he shouldn't be surprised anymore.
After finishing breakfast, Ye Xingzhou insisted on giving him another dose of medicine before finally agreeing to take him out.
They arrived at the Ye Corporation building before eight.
Ye Xingzhou got out of the car with Qi Xing in the underground parking lot. Qi Xing waved him off: “You go to work and don’t worry about me.”
But Ye Xingzhou stood by his car and didn’t move. After Qi Xing got into the car and started the engine, he rolled down the window and poked his head out: “Aren’t you going up?”
“Are you going back to your hometown today?” Ye Xingzhou suddenly asked.
Qi Xing nodded: “It’s already the 28th; the New Year is just a couple of days away.”
Ye Xingzhou looked at him then bent down and kissed him through the car door.
Qi Xing was caught off guard and Ye Xingzhou’s tongue pushed into his mouth before forcefully swirling around. Just as Qi Xing was about to push him away in annoyance, it turned into a tender entanglement. Qi Xing, breathless from the kiss, simply gave up resisting and let him continue.
But after all, they were in a public place and it was Ye Corporation’s office building. If Ye Xingzhou wasn’t afraid of losing face, why should he be?
After the kiss, Ye Xingzhou still didn’t pull away as their lips were still touching as they breathed softly against each other. Qi Xing chuckled and reminded him: “What do you think your employees would think if they saw the big boss kissing a man here?”
Although it was still early and there were few people in the parking lot and they were in a relatively secluded spot, but what if? Not to mention the ever-present surveillance cameras.
Ye Xingzhou’s gaze was calm while staring intently at him.
The distance was too close and Qi Xing could clearly see his own reflection in Ye Xingzhou’s eyes.
That subtle emotion bubbled up again but he pulled his head back into the car: “No more kissing. I’m leaving now.”
Ye Xingzhou slightly raised his chin: “Safe travels.”
Qi Xing couldn’t stand his clingy demeanor and quickly rolled up the window, blocking his face from view.
As he drove away, he glanced back at the person still standing there in the rearview mirror.
That bastard Ye Xingzhou was getting weirder by the day.
Was it really necessary to act like this just because he was going back to his hometown for the New Year?
But then again, with only two days until the New Year, how was that bastard planning to spend it? If he was alone?
Qi Xing thought for a moment, shook his head but... why was he feeling uncomfortable? He shouldn't be as it had nothing to do with him.
He pushed aside those complicated thoughts then pressed down on the gas pedal and sped out of the Ye Corporation’s underground parking lot.
When he got home, his parents were waiting for him. Qi Xing felt a bit guilty and cautiously asked if they were leaving now. Qi Ronghua glanced at him but said nothing and instead called the driver to prepare for departure.
Wang Cuilan scolded him a bit then suddenly seemed to notice something and leaned in to look at his face: “What happened to your face? It’s scraped and this side is red? Did you get into a fight again?”
“No,” Qi Xing quickly replied, “I got drunk last night and fell while walking and I just happened to hit my face. I really didn’t get into a fight.”
Wang Cuilan felt sorry for her son again but still nagged him about whether it still hurt and if he had hurt anywhere else. Qi Xing responded perfunctorily.
Qi Ronghua’s gaze roamed over his face a couple of times and Qi Xing felt increasingly uneasy under his father’s scrutiny. He turned his eyes away and smiled at his mother: “Mom, let me help you with the luggage.”
He suspected that his dad had already figured something out but clearly wasn’t planning to ask directly, so he could only keep pretending.
After that, the family took a car back to their hometown in a neighboring province and to a less developed prefecture-level city.
Qi Ronghua’s business had been booming in Huaicheng over the years and it had been a long time since he brought his wife and son back to their hometown for the New Year. This year, an uncle who had taken care of him in the past was celebrating a milestone birthday, so the whole family took the opportunity to return together.
Qi Xing’s great-uncle lived in a village below the city. After spending two days in the village, Qi Xing felt right at home and had a great time. He completely forgot about Ye Xingzhou and did not contact him again.
It wasn’t until New Year’s Eve that he was outside with a group of kids setting off firecrackers when he suddenly remembered that poor Ye Xingzhou probably hadn’t experienced this before, so he casually snapped a photo and sent it over.
When the photo came through on WeChat, Ye Xingzhou was at the Ye family’s ancestral home and lazily lounging on a single sofa while a circle of people stood or sat around him, led by an imposing uncle, who was questioning him or, rather, reprimanding him.
“Nice photo, have fun.”
“Where are you? You’re not spending New Year’s alone at home, are you? So pitiful [crying emoji]”
“At the Ye family home.”
“Wow, you’re actually spending New Year’s with that bunch of heartless people [shocked.jpg]”
“Just here to watch the show.”
“[applause][applause][applause]”
Qi Xing liked to add emojis to every reply, which amused Ye Xingzhou and making him smile.
The others noticed that Ye Xingzhou, who had been indifferent to them just moments ago, suddenly laughed while looking at his phone and treating them like air, which made them even more resentful. The uncle slammed his cane on the ground: “Xingzhou, did you hear what we said?”
Ye Xingzhou lazily raised his eyes as the smile faded from his lips till his expression was cold: “I heard it.”
The uncle: “What do you mean?”
Ye Xingzhou: “It means nothing and I don’t agree.”
The uncle: “You—!”
This family gathering wasn’t just for a reunion dinner; in fact, this uncle was using the name of Ye Xingzhou’s deceased father to demand that Ye Xingzhou return tonight to pay respects, otherwise, he wouldn’t have come at all.
These people just wanted him to give them a way out and not to completely cut off the Ye family but they still put on a high-and-mighty attitude while using the so-called family reputation and hollow kinship to coerce him and even suggesting that Ye Wanqing and Ye Wanqi’s brother, Ye Wanyao, should return.
Little did they know, Ye Xingzhou didn’t even want to pretend and just directly refused their demands without room for negotiation.
“Don’t go too far. We all have a stake in this company and it’s not just yours. Do you really think you can control everything?”
Ye Wanqing gritted his teeth. Having played the role of the obedient brother in front of Ye Xingzhou for so long, only to gain nothing and be publicly kicked out of the company. He wished he could tear Ye Xingzhou apart but unfortunately, times had changed and Ye Xingzhou was no longer the “nice guy” they could easily trample on.
Ye Xingzhou shot him a cold glance: “If Ye Wanyao feels uncomfortable staying abroad then he can resign from the company. I’m not capable of controlling everything, so if he wants to leave Ye Corporation, I can’t stop him, nor will I.”
“Is it really necessary to be like this? We’re all family…”
The uncle tried to reason with him but Ye Xingzhou interrupted him directly: “I have things to do tonight, so I won’t be having dinner. If you have nothing else to say, I’ll be leaving.”
As he stood up, Ye Wanqing raised his voice: “I went to see my mom yesterday but they didn't let me in to see her. I’m her biological son, so why can't I see her? What do you want to do?”
Ye Xingzhou coldly reminded him: “You personally signed the papers to send your mom to the nursing home. The nursing home has its own rules, so asking me is useless.”
As soon as he said this, the room erupted in an uproar. The uncle’s brows furrowed tightly while looking at Ye Wanqing in shock.
Ye Wanqing’s face turned bright red in an instant with his eyes wide open. His reaction clearly indicated that what Ye Xingzhou said was true. Perhaps the suggestion had come from Ye Xingzhou but the one who personally sent her in was indeed Ye Wanqing, her good son.
Most of the Ye family members were not good people but someone like Ye Wanqing, who had personally signed to send his own mother to a “nursing home” just to please Ye Xingzhou, was truly heartless.
If Ye Xingzhou had no conscience then Ye Wanqing was a complete beast.
The family’s misfortune made the old man, who had always valued family reputation above all else, furious and he no longer had the face to lecture Ye Xingzhou.
Ye Wanqing’s face was flushed and he stammered for a long time without being able to say a word. Being publicly exposed by Ye Xingzhou for his beastly actions left him unable to respond with his expression dark and almost ferocious.
Ye Xingzhou couldn’t be bothered to deal with him or the others in the room and he left directly with no one daring to stop him.
As he walked out of the Ye family’s door, Qi Xing’s new photo came through, showing him making a face while holding a sparkler.
The bright fireworks illuminated the scene and Qi Xing’s half-visible smiling face was even more dazzling.
Ye Xingzhou paused for a moment while staring at the photo on the screen then clicked to save it.
After teasing Ye Xingzhou, Qi Xing happily put away his phone and continued to set off fireworks until his mom called him back inside.
In the room, all the elders were smiling at him and Qi Xing felt something was off: “...Is there something going on?”
Wang Cuilan called him over to sit beside her and excitedly told him that she would take him to the city tomorrow to meet a girl and reminding him to think about how to behave so he wouldn’t embarrass himself when they met.
Qi Xing: “Huh?”
In other words, it was a blind date.
The introducer was one of his aunts sitting there, who smiled and said the girl was her sister-in-law’s niece, twenty-five years old and just graduated with a PhD from a prestigious school abroad and was working in Huaicheng. She was quite pretty and happened to be back for the New Year, so they could meet and be friends.
Qi Xing was left speechless.
Qi Ronghua shot him a cold look: “What, you’re not satisfied? She’s a twenty-five-year-old PhD that you can’t even catch up to her. What’s there to be dissatisfied about?”
“If I can’t catch up, why are you making me meet her?” Qi Xing muttered unhappily, “I’m only twenty-three; is there a need to rush into blind dates? I’m younger than her, my education is far inferior and I have nothing to offer. What could she possibly see in me?”
Unless she was interested in his family’s money or his looks.
The aunt smiled and said, “Xing, you’re good-looking and girls care about looks. She wasn’t willing at first but after seeing your photo, she agreed to meet.”
Qi Xing: “…”
So she really was interested in his looks.
“I’m not going.”
Qi Ronghua frowned: “Why not?”
Qi Xing: “I’m not going; I don’t want to go on a blind date and I don’t want a girlfriend.”
Qi Ronghua: “At your age, how can you not date or get married? You’re just like everyone else, wasting time drinking and fighting outside. Look at what you’ve become!”
Qi Xing figured his dad had been holding this in for several days, so he didn’t argue: “I’m not going.”
Wang Cuilan quickly nudged her son’s arm and tried to smooth things over: “What’s the harm in meeting? It’s not like it’s a commitment. Instead, you can make more friends.”
Qi Xing: “I’m not going.”
Qi Ronghua was so angry that he almost threw the teacup beside him at Qi Xing: “I’m telling you to go and you have to go; you don’t have a choice.”
“You all go then but I won’t go. Even if you tie me up, I won’t go.” Qi Xing was unyielding. Not that he couldn’t fool his parents but it was pointless. He could deceive them for a moment but not for a lifetime.
Wang Cuilan: “You’re being so stubborn about this…”
“Mom, I really don’t want to go,” Qi Xing insisted.
Wang Cuilan: “What’s your reason? You must have a reason for not wanting to go, right?”
Qi Xing glanced at his dad then lowered his head and said nothing.
Qi Ronghua was furious while glaring at Qi Xing but mindful of the other people present, so he didn’t explode on the spot.
Seeing the atmosphere between the father and son turn sour, the relatives in the room began to rise to leave.
The aunt who made the introduction also helped to smooth things over before leaving: “If Xiao Xing really doesn’t want to go, then forget it. It’s my fault for bringing it up. Don’t let this ruin your New Year’s, you two.”
Qi Xing kept his head down and remained silent. The screen of his phone lit up for a moment; a new message from Ye Xingzhou came in: “Still setting off fireworks?”
Qi Xing pressed the screen off and did not reply.
Once they were alone, Qi Ronghua spoke again: “Are you going or not?”
“I’m not going,” Qi Xing raised his head then looked at his dad. His voice paused before finally speaking the truth, “Dad, I’m not going. And I don’t want to harm others. I like men and I can’t change that.”