96
New Year’s Eve fell on December 31st. It had been a long time since Qi Zhao celebrated the Spring Festival in Z Country.
So Qi Wei asked him if he wanted to go out, offering to take him to see the Spring Festival Gala live, or to travel and experience the festive atmosphere elsewhere.
But Qi Zhao refused.
He nestled in Qi Wei’s arms, unconsciously uttering the sweetest words, “I just want to spend New Year’s with you, just the two of us.”
Although only twenty-four, Qi Zhao had already experienced so much, his youthful exuberance spent, and now he just wanted to stay home with Qi Wei.
Watching the Gala, or doing something else, just the two of them.
Quiet and peaceful.
And…
“I can make paper cuttings,” Qi Zhao smiled, “my mother taught me. We had those kinds of art classes in school. Should I teach you?”
Qi Wei had never learned.
He went to school in Guangtang when he was young, and their art classes were just simple drawing and painting, no crafts.
Later, after transferring to a school in Kyoto, he had given up on art class, using that time to study other subjects and improve his grades.
So Qi Wei agreed.
They weren’t making the paper cuttings for decoration, just for fun.
So they simply folded A4 paper and started cutting.
Qi Zhao demonstrated first, making a few simple cuts. “I’m not very good at it.”
He unfolded the paper, and although it didn’t look like much, Qi Wei’s eyes lit up. “It’s beautiful.”
He took the white paper cutting from Qi Zhao’s hand and whispered, “It’s very beautiful.”
Qi Zhao coughed slightly. “Stop blindly praising me.”
Qi Wei looked at him. “My eyes are wide open.”
Qi Zhao: “…”
Qi Wei smiled and kissed him. “Ah Zhao, I’m not just anyone, it’s only natural for me to praise you.”
He carefully placed the delicate paper cutting on the table. “And I genuinely think it’s beautiful.”
This was his first time seeing someone make paper cuttings, and it was Qi Zhao.
This made it even more special.
Qi Wei held Qi Zhao’s hand from behind, took another piece of paper, and folded it, mimicking his actions. “Teach me again?”
Qi Zhao didn’t think Qi Wei hadn’t seen clearly, but he didn’t say anything, just guiding Qi Wei’s hand. “First, cut it into a square.”
Then he helped Qi Wei fold the paper. “If you cut it like this, you’ll get a lacy edge.”
He handed the scissors and paper to Qi Wei. “Then you can just cut randomly in this area.”
Qi Zhao pointed to the small triangle. “If you cut an obtuse triangle here, you’ll get this pattern when you unfold it.”
He traced the shape on the web of Qi Wei’s hand between his thumb and forefinger.
“Axial symmetry?”
“Yes,” Qi Zhao nodded, smiling, “Student Qi is very smart.”
Qi Wei chuckled softly and kissed his temple. “It’s because Teacher Qi is a good teacher.”
They spent the afternoon in the study, making a table full of paper cuttings, not with any particular design in mind, just for fun. It wasn’t until the alarm went off at 3 pm that they finally stopped.
Qi Wei had to start preparing the ingredients for their New Year’s Eve dinner. Qi Zhao had requested dishes like four-joy meatballs and spicy fish fillets, all of which were time-consuming.
But Qi Wei didn’t mind; he was happy to be needed by Qi Zhao.
“Should I help you?”
“Sure,” Qi Wei didn’t refuse.
He enjoyed cooking with Qi Zhao.
But Qi Zhao didn’t have much to do, just washing the vegetables that the machine couldn’t clean, mixing the seasonings and eggs, and that was about it.
By the time the dishes were ready, it was already six o’clock.
Qi Zhao turned on the TV, took a picture, and posted it.
He thought for a moment, watching Qi Wei fetch the coconut milk, then typed with a smile.
[Qi Zhao: @Qi Wei, Chef Qi, Happy Spring Festival! Next year, I want spicy chicken, spicy rabbit head… [photo]]
Qi Zhao’s notifications were set to alert Qi Wei, so his phone rang.
After pouring the coconut milk for Qi Zhao, Qi Wei picked up his phone and glanced at it.
Seeing Qi Zhao’s post, he smiled and slowly typed a reply, right in front of Qi Zhao. [Received. Noted on the schedule. Will definitely arrange it next year. [Little rabbit saluting.jpg]]
Qi Zhao smiled, put down his phone, and raised his glass of coconut milk towards Qi Wei, who had just sat down beside him. “Happy Spring Festival.”
Qi Wei raised his glass, clinking it lightly against Qi Zhao’s, Qi Zhao’s image reflected in his eyes in the warm, orange light. “Ah Zhao, Happy Spring Festival.”
This was their first Spring Festival together, sharing a meal.
At the Qi family home.
Under pressure from the bank, the Qi family couldn’t enjoy a peaceful Spring Festival.
After the news from the pre-parliamentary banquet spread, Qi Wense knew that there was no hope for him, Qi Zhao probably wouldn’t even acknowledge him as his brother anymore.
Qi Wense looked at Qi Mu, who seemed to have aged ten years in just a few months, and lowered his eyes, saying nothing.
His parents weren’t the type to argue loudly, but their silent treatment and the cold atmosphere were a clear sign that their relationship had reached a freezing point.
Perhaps because it was the Spring Festival, the debt collectors had temporarily stopped their harassment, giving them a moment to breathe.
But it was this brief respite that finally shattered the already cracked ice.
“…Would it be helpful to ask Qi Zhao for help?”
It was Jiang Qingyue who asked.
To be fair, there was no real conflict between her and Qi Zhao. They were always polite to each other.
And during Qi Zhao’s years abroad, Jiang Qingyue would even send him money during holidays and festivals, although Qi Zhao clearly hadn’t accepted it. She had told Qi Wense that Qi Zhao was a proud person, and intelligent, so it was best not to make an irreversible enemy of him.
She had tried her best, but the problems between Qi Mu and Qi Zhao were too deep, and by the time they erupted, it was already too late.
Not to mention…
Qi Wense knew very well, “It’s not Qi Zhao we’re dealing with, but… Second Young Master Qi.”
The oppressive aura of the super S-rank alpha lingered in his mind; Qi Wense didn’t even dare say his name.
“It was my misjudgment,” Qi Mu held his head in his hands and sighed deeply, “I thought his relationship with Second Young Master was mostly about benefits, so even if he wanted to help his subordinate, it wouldn’t reach this point. I didn’t expect…”
The pre-parliamentary banquet, the Qi Corp annual meeting, all of it showed how much Qi Wei treasured Qi Zhao.
They were all alphas; they could see it. The look in Qi Wei’s eyes when he looked at Qi Zhao, besides intense possessiveness, was filled with love.
It could even be said that it was because he loved him so much that he had such strong possessive desires.
Jiang Qingyue looked at the two alphas in the family. “Then what should we do now? Are we truly going to declare bankruptcy?”
Qi Mu didn’t speak, but Qi Wense said calmly, “He’s a super S-rank, and Qi Mao has many unresolved issues. He clearly wants Qi Mao to die. No one would dare help us at this time. Especially those S-ranks; they naturally form a circle. Not helping us, or even stepping on us, is just a matter of convenience for them.”
That’s how the ABO hierarchy worked.
A secondary gender wasn’t just a simple label, but a complex social construct with many implications.
That’s why everyone wanted to be an alpha or omega, and the higher the rank, the better. Because of pheromone suppression, exclusive social circles, genetic advantages, and so on.
Qi Wense said, “Our best option now is bankruptcy liquidation.”
He looked out the window at the quiet night and whispered, “I believe that when we choose bankruptcy, someone will approach us.”
He was also an alpha, so he knew what Qi Wei would do next.
Offer them money and a choice.
Struggle domestically, or have more opportunities abroad.
Qi Wense’s eyes flickered slightly. He murmured, “Just like how you sent him abroad back then.”
Qi Zhao didn’t hold grudges, but that alpha remembered everything, every single detail… He wouldn’t let anything slide.
After leaving the study, Qi Wense exhaled softly and looked down at his phone.
He and Qi Zhao were half-brothers after all. Although Qi Zhao had blocked him everywhere, and he didn’t dare contact him anymore, lest Qi Wei take even harsher measures, he still saw a screenshot of Qi Zhao’s post in a group chat, someone commenting on how lovey-dovey they were.
Qi Wense knew he shouldn’t look, but he couldn’t help himself, clicking on it masochistically.
The dazzling post and reply, their sweet interaction, made it difficult for him to breathe.
He vaguely remembered Qi Zhao raising his glass and wishing him a Happy Spring Festival.
His faint smile, his calm eyes, yet incredibly beautiful and dazzling under the light.
Especially the wine in his glass, how it looked against Qi Zhao’s skin… it was indescribable.
But…
Qi Wense lowered his eyes.
Qi Zhao was different when he was with Qi Wei.
He had always found Qi Zhao incredibly attractive, that elusive quality, like glass, seemingly touchable, yet always just out of reach.
But after seeing so many photos and videos of Qi Zhao and Qi Wei together, Qi Wense knew.
Qi Zhao wasn’t truly happy with them.
He liked a version of Qi Zhao that wasn’t real.
Qi Wense took a deep breath, deleted the chat history, left the group, and severed the last connection he had with Qi Zhao.
Qi Zhao had always been good to him.
He knew that.
So he hoped Qi Zhao would be happy, not forced to continue being his older brother or anything.
He had warned Qi Zhao only because he was afraid he would be deceived by Qi Wei, falling into a trap unknowingly. But now that Qi Zhao knew, and still chose to be with Qi Wei, there was no need for him to interfere.
Lest he make Qi Zhao hate him even more.
Even if they never saw each other again, Qi Wense still hoped that, at the very least, he wouldn’t become like Qi Mu, his relationship with Qi Zhao turning into hatred.
