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For the next half month, Qi Xing continued to stay with Ye Xingzhou and spent time with him as usual. He thought it would take a while longer, but unexpectedly, the time for their separation came so quickly—just half a month later.
The new semester happened to start at the end of May, and with the help of Mr. Chen’s connections, all the necessary procedures were completed within two weeks, just in time.
The night before his flight, Qi Xing finally returned home to pack some luggage.
In truth, there wasn’t much to pack. Over there, his father had arranged for a housekeeper to take care of his daily needs. All he had to do was focus on his studies and behave himself.
His phone kept buzzing with new messages from his rowdy friends, inviting him out for one last drink to celebrate. Qi Xing wasn’t in the mood. They’d already had their farewell dinner two days prior, and another round of drinks didn’t seem necessary. Besides, Yang Kaiming and the others weren’t exactly known for their profound wisdom. They’d probably just tell him to remember them when he made it big. Qi Xing rested his chin on his hand, thinking that he was already quite well-off, but unfortunately, he was about to plunge into the hardship of academic life, with a future that seemed bleak and uncertain.
When Ye Xingzhou’s message came in, Qi Xing had just returned from a shower.
“Don’t go out tonight. Stay home and rest.”
Qi Xing casually replied, “Even if I did go out, you wouldn’t be able to stop me, would you?”
Ye Xingzhou had flown to Beijing that morning for an important government-sponsored business event and wouldn’t be back until the day after tomorrow. Originally, he had planned to send someone in his place, but Qi Xing had immediately dismissed the idea when he found out.
It was just as well that Ye Xingzhou wasn’t around. Qi Xing didn’t want him to come see him off at the airport. What if he couldn’t hold back and ended up crying like a fool? That would be beyond embarrassing.
It was only a year or so apart—not a life-and-death separation. He didn’t want to make it feel like one.
“Go to the balcony and take a look.”
Seeing this, Qi Xing was puzzled but pushed open the balcony door. “Look at what?”
His room faced the Huai River, and it was 8 p.m., the time when the city lights on both banks were at their most vibrant.
“Look up.”
Another message came in.
Qi Xing instinctively raised his head.
At exactly 8 p.m., the LED lights on the city’s tallest skyscraper across the river suddenly lit up with a message.
『Love You』
Qi Xing froze.
The background lights around the building kept changing colors, but those two words remained fixed above, dazzling and radiant.
From the balcony connected to the living room, he faintly heard his mother’s voice, “Some young people are probably wasting money on a grand gesture again. Why didn’t they even write a name?” Qi Xing snapped out of it and laughed.
He replied, “Daddy, you’re so cheesy. Isn’t this a bit too clich├й?”
Ye Xingzhou: “Cheer up.”
Alright, Qi Xing thought. Did this guy have some kind of mind-reading ability? How did he always know when Qi Xing was feeling down?
He picked up his phone and dialed directly. Ye Xingzhou answered after just one ring. “Ye Xingzhou, how long is this going to stay lit?”
Ye Xingzhou: “It’ll turn off at midnight.”
Qi Xing: “Oh.”
“Where are you now?”
“Just finished a cocktail party. On my way back to my place.”
“Oh, I’ll see you next time then.”
Next time would be a year and a half later. Ye Xingzhou reminded him, “If you don’t want me to see you off, then pull yourself together.”
Qi Xing: “Don’t come.”
Otherwise, he might really cry so much that he’d drain the Huai River, and this jerk would probably laugh at him for the rest of his life.
Ye Xingzhou: “Alright, I won’t come.”
The call stayed connected the entire night. They chatted about this and that until the phone became too hot to hold, and Qi Xing drifted off to sleep with Ye Xingzhou’s voice still in his ears.
As the plane began its descent, Qi Xing, who had slept through most of the flight, leaned against the window and looked down. The city beneath the clouds was faintly visible.
Ye Xingzhou had also lived in this country for several years. Because of that, Qi Xing felt a little less resistant to the idea of being here.
Qi Xing’s unremarkable life as an international student began on this day. It wasn’t exactly a life of extreme dedication, but he did work hard, hoping to earn his degree as soon as possible and return to see Ye Xingzhou.
Having spent over twenty years lazing around, it was finally time for him to buckle down and strive for something.
Every time he left the school library late at night, or stayed up late working on group assignments or writing papers, Qi Xing couldn’t help but marvel at how powerful the force of love could be.
His classmates came from all over the world. Some were second or third-generation heirs like him, some were successful entrepreneurs, and others were outstanding industry elites. Qi Xing often saw traces of Ye Xingzhou in these people, but none of them were Ye Xingzhou.
If he had to describe it, Ye Xingzhou was truly one of a kind—whether it was the commanding presence he exuded in business, or the way he would lose control and go mad for Qi Xing, yet still ultimately be willing to compromise and accommodate.
Only he.
Just two months after arriving, a classmate confessed to Qi Xing. The man was impressive—a banker in his early thirties, both a second-generation heir and a self-made success.
Handsome and charming, and the foreign man’s deep blue eyes seemed to hold endless affection when he spoke seriously. Qi Xing looked at him, but his mind conjured up another pair of deep, dark eyes—the kind that always seemed cold to the outside world, but were filled with warmth and life only for him.
The man eagerly invited him out on a date. Qi Xing raised his left hand, letting the man clearly see the ring on his ring finger, and smiled brightly. “Sorry, I’m already married. My husband is wonderful, and I love him very much.”
The man’s eyes flickered with momentary surprise, followed by profound regret.
Perhaps outsiders didn’t understand. He was only twenty-four and his life just begun. How could he so easily commit to one person?
His elders had advised him to take a break from Ye Xingzhou and think things through calmly. But the more Qi Xing reflected and the more he experienced, the clearer it became to him that Ye Xingzhou was the best and the most suitable for him.
Being together was a mutual fulfillment.
By the third month, Qi Xing had gradually started to adapt to the intense pace of his studies. Although he often complained to Ye Xingzhou about how hard it was and how he didn’t want to continue, his performance in class was excellent, and his exam results were consistently among the top.
Ye Xingzhou would occasionally give him some pointers during their casual chats, helping him think outside the box. Qi Xing’s ability to persevere was largely thanks to Ye Xingzhou’s encouragement.
“Your hair’s getting long. Remember to get it cut when you have time.”
During one of their video calls, Ye Xingzhou suddenly reminded him.
Qi Xing tilted his head to glance at the mirror beside him. His hair wasn’t short to begin with, and it had a natural wave. After months without a trim, it was almost down to his shoulders, long enough to tie up.
“No wonder last night, when I went to a bar with my classmates, the bouncer kept insisting on checking my ID. Even after seeing it, he didn’t believe me and thought I was an underage girl.”
Being mistaken for a minor was one thing, but being thought of as a girl? Qi Xing sometimes wondered if these foreigners had something wrong with their eyes. How could they make such a mistake?
“You still have time to go to bars?” Ye Xingzhou raised an eyebrow, always quick to focus on the key point.
Qi Xing: “It was a proper bar, a class gathering and I barely had any alcohol. They ended up laughing at me for being an underage girl and only gave me soft drinks.”
Ye Xingzhou: “Seems like you’re getting along well with your classmates.”
Qi Xing laughed: “What else can I do? I have to make some friends. Otherwise, I’d be bored out of my mind every day. You’re not here to keep me company.”
After saying this, they both fell silent for a moment. Ye Xingzhou spoke first: “Hang in there. Time passes quickly.”
Qi Xing thought to himself that he didn’t feel like time was passing quickly at all. If anything, it felt like each day dragged on forever.
Ye Xingzhou: “Be good.”
Qi Xing: “Even if I’m not good, you can’t do anything about it…”
Ye Xingzhou: “Baby, be good.”
Qi Xing was momentarily speechless. This jerk, Ye Xingzhou, had started using these two words to tease him every time, and he said it with such seriousness that it made Qi Xing’s scalp tingle and his face flush.
“Shut up.”
This baby doesn’t want to talk to you anymore.
It took him a while to squeeze out that sentence, and his finger was already hovering over the end call button. Before hanging up, he reminded Ye Xingzhou: “Remember to check for a package tomorrow.”
The package from the UK arrived at Ye Xingzhou’s home the next day, right on time. It contained both a Qixi gift and a birthday gift—a watch and a pair of underwear.
The watch was a matching pair with the one Qi Xing wore, and the underwear… was also a matching pair with the ones Qi Xing wore.
The ridiculously flamboyant underwear had two letters embroidered in black thread along the edge—Qi Xing’s initials. A note was attached.
“Daddy, happy birthday and happy Qixi. Next time, remember to wear them for me.”
Ye Xingzhou chuckled, utterly helpless.
Though they couldn’t meet in person, they occasionally indulged in video play when the mood struck. Qi Xing had always been adventurous and eager to explore new things, but Ye Xingzhou was more than happy to go along with it.
After all, Qi Xing’s antics usually ended up benefiting him.
During the Christmas holiday, Qi Xing went on a trip to a nearby city with a few classmates.
After finishing a business dinner, Ye Xingzhou received a photo from Qi Xing on his way back home in the car. It showed a familiar red-brick building with a phoenix tree beside it.
Qi Xing asked, “Did you take classes in this building before?”
Ye Xingzhou loosened his tie. The moment he received Qi Xing’s message, the noise and chaos of the outside world seemed to fade away.
“Why did you go there?”
Qi Xing: “Just wanted to see it.”
He wanted to see all the places Ye Xingzhou had been to before.
After replying, Qi Xing asked his classmates to take a photo of him with the phoenix tree and the red-brick building in the background. The photo turned out great, though it was a shame that they were in the same space but separated by over a decade.
Qi Xing felt a bit sentimental. Sometimes, he envied Teacher Lin. After all, he had never had the chance to meet Ye Xingzhou when he was in his teens. But he was also grateful to him, because he had made it possible for him to meet the Ye Xingzhou of today.
He sent the photo he had just taken to Ye Xingzhou and decided that he would definitely bring Ye Xingzhou here for a photo together next time. Or maybe he could find a photo of Ye Xingzhou from his teenage years and Photoshop it in.
In the photo, Qi Xing’s eyebrows were raised, and his eyes sparkled with life. Ye Xingzhou stared at it for a while before replying, “Looks good.”
Qi Xing was pleased. He didn’t even need to say anything—Ye Xingzhou would know what he was thinking.
Ye Xingzhou opened the calendar and checked the date before finally relaxing.
Christmas was soon followed by the Lunar New Year.
Qi Xing didn’t have a break during the Spring Festival, so his parents flew to the UK to spend it with him.
At noon, Qi Ronghua entered the kitchen to personally prepare the New Year’s Eve dinner. Qi Xing hid in his room to call Ye Xingzhou, asking if he was spending the holiday alone again this year.
“On a plane.”
Ye Xingzhou’s answer surprised Qi Xing: “On a plane? Where are you flying to?”
“Going abroad for a business meeting,” Ye Xingzhou said casually.
Qi Xing: “Today? It’s New Year’s Eve…”
Ye Xingzhou: “That’s why I’m going abroad.”
Qi Xing’s heart stirred, and a vague idea began to form. He didn’t ask which country Ye Xingzhou was going to: “Then get some rest first. Call me after you land.”
For the rest of the afternoon, he was restless and constantly checking his phone, until evening fell.
When Ye Xingzhou’s call finally came in, it was already 10 p.m.: “Qi Xing.”
“Where are you?” Qi Xing asked immediately.
Ye Xingzhou chuckled softly: “Happy New Year. Go to the window and look.”
Qi Xing quickly walked to the window. The moment he looked up, fireworks suddenly shot into the sky from the distant mountain and exploded in a dazzling display against the dark night.
The fireworks were brilliant, like shooting stars streaking across the sky and like the Milky Way pouring down.
Qi Xing stood stunned for half a minute. The person on the other end of the phone asked, “Do they look good?”
Qi Xing: “Did you arrange this?”
Ye Xingzhou: “Yes. It’s also ‘Love You.’”
Qi Xing took a deep breath: “…Where are you?”
“Don’t ask,” Ye Xingzhou warned him. “If you don’t want all this effort to go to waste, don’t ask.”
Qi Xing fell silent. If Ye Xingzhou told him, he might really do something reckless like before and run out to meet him.
The fireworks on the mountain continued to rain down as their colorful lights reflected in Qi Xing’s eyes. His turbulent emotions gradually calmed: “How long will these last?”
Ye Xingzhou: “Until 1 a.m. That’s the latest they’re allowed to go.”
Qi Xing laughed: “Are you really here for a business meeting? Or did you come all this way just to set off fireworks for me?”
“Both.”
“Ye Xingzhou, I used to think you didn’t understand romance. I guess I was wrong.”
“Yes.”
“Keep it up.”
Even the most cold-hearted person becomes different once they fall in love.
It just depends on whether there’s someone who can make them fall in love.
If Qi Xing were to evaluate it, the tyrant’s style of romance might be a bit cheesy, but he had to admit it worked for him.
“I feel like you’ve become better at sweet-talking me?”
Qi Xing thought about it. It was probably after he left to study abroad that Ye Xingzhou finally became open and straightforward. No longer constantly butting heads with him.
Being with him day and night was loving him. Traveling thousands of miles to set off fireworks for him was loving him. Enduring the separation to ensure his efforts weren’t wasted was also loving him.
Ye Xingzhou’s “Love You” was truly heartfelt.
“Are you happy today?” Ye Xingzhou asked.
Hearing this, Qi Xing suddenly understood. Everything Ye Xingzhou had done was to ensure that this year and a half apart would be happy and enjoyable for him.
“Well.....that,” he stared at the still-bursting fireworks and a smile appearing in his eyes, “I guess I am pretty happy.”
Even though they couldn’t meet, they stood under the same night sky and watched the same fireworks.
In that moment, he finally let go.