Chapter 51: Ming Ying’s Avengers Plan 2

Plans never keep up with changes.

Because the wound on his hand was a bit infected, Ming Ying tossed the phone aside and tossed and turned in bed for a long time, unable to fall asleep.

After ten minutes of struggling, Ming Ying finally confirmed it. Damn, he felt like he really had a fever.

Driven by survival instinct, Ming Ying sat up to find water and medicine.

He couldn’t die before reaching the peak of his life.

There was no pharmacy nearby. Ming Ying could only cough while turning on his phone.

The moment he turned on his phone, XI’s messages popped out.

XI: Who are you staying with tonight? Call me back.

XI: Ming, I asked Thomas. He didn’t assign you any outside projects.

XI: Still at school?

The last one was from three minutes ago.

XI: Ming, explain clearly. What’s going on now?

Ming Ying felt he was quite perverted himself. Otherwise, why would seeing Silas’s messages make him feel both thrilled and awful at the same time?

But that didn’t change anything. He was still going to make the Old Bastard weep bitterly in regret after he became a winner in life.

Classmate Ming Ying seemed to have fueled his self-torture with chicken blood. In the middle of the night, without informing anyone, he spent a fortune to call 911 and went to the hospital.

He sat on the white hospital soft chair, lamenting his white, flowery money.

Fortunately, because the fever made him a bit delirious, rather than feeling heartache over the money, he felt more heartache for himself. He was truly miserable.

—But soon, he sobered up.

Because Silas was standing in front of him, wearing a coat.

It was past 2 AM New York time.

Ming Ying, his face pale, lowered his head, looking at the leather shoes in front of him, then slowly moved his gaze upward. The man seemed a bit travel-worn, uncharacteristically not so impeccably put together.

“…”

Neither of them spoke.

Silas didn’t speak because, seeing Ming Ying with messy hair, crooked clothes, and a bandaged hand, a desire to spank the kid rose in his heart, but he restrained himself.

Ming Ying didn’t speak because his first reaction upon seeing Silas wasn’t even wondering how he knew he was in the hospital, but fear-induced guilt.

Afraid Silas would scold him.

However, Silas didn’t scold him. He just bent down, picked up Ming Ying’s paw, brought it before his eyes, and asked, “Ming, what happened?”

Ming Ying’s expression was flat. “Got beaten up in a fight.”

Silas said nothing.

Then, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, Silas talked to the doctor, then took Ming Ying to get a shot, treat the wound, and pick up medicine.

While treating the wound, the nurse peeled off the gauze he had hastily wrapped. Ming Ying yelped in pain.

But when he yelped and looked at Silas, the Old Bastard had no expression whatsoever. For some reason, Ming Ying felt a bit hurt.

That rebelliousness inside him began to sprout again. He was going to leave! Hmph.

But it really hurt, and he was so sleepy…

“Ming, put your clothes on properly. Sleep inside.”

Ming Ying woke with a start. He saw the familiar house before him… the half-built swing… and the familiar scent of the person beside him…

Damn, he had somehow fallen asleep leaning on the Old Bastard at some point!

Even worse, he had actually followed the Old Bastard back!

…

After stepping into the living room, Ming Ying stood in the entrance hall and didn’t go any further. He was waiting for Silas to settle the score with him.

According to his understanding, after causing such a scene, he would absolutely be lectured by the scruff of his neck again.

Now, one person stood at the entrance hall, one stood in the living room.

At this moment, Silas suddenly raised his hand!

Ming Ying alertly swallowed!

—But fortunately, Silas only took off his coat.

At this moment, Silas suddenly picked up a clothes hanger!

Ming Ying alertly steadied himself against the wall with his good paw!

—But fortunately, Silas just hung up his overcoat.

At this moment, Silas suddenly walked toward him!

Ming Ying alertly stepped back!

—But fortunately, Silas just walked to the coat rack by the door to hang up his coat.

Classmate Ming Ying had single-handedly acted out an entire martial arts scene.

And the other party merely said, “Ming, go rest first.”

“…”

“Oh.”

Ming Ying looked down at his paw. Forget it. His grand ambition would have to wait until he resurrected and recovered some HP.

And so, Ming Ying slept through the entire afternoon.

When he got up, Silas had just finished an online meeting and was about to get water.

Ming Ying stood at the doorway.

Silas saw him and asked, “Awake?”

Ming Ying gave an “Mm.”

Silas: “Hungry? What do you want to eat?”

Ming Ying felt some anger inside. “Do you have nothing you want to ask me?”

Silas looked at him. His expression wasn’t very stern. He just said in an almost forbearing tone, “Ming, I do have things I want to discuss with you, but right now you’re not physically fit. We’ll talk once you’re fully recovered.”

For some reason, Ming Ying really, truly hated this look on him.

Ming Ying said, “But I have something to say to you.”

Silas put down his coffee and quietly watched him. “What do you want to say?”

“…I, I,”

Ming Ying choked for a moment. What did he want to say?

Ask him why he hadn’t taken him to that damn party?

That would be strange.

Because that wasn’t what he wanted to ask at all.

Ask him if he actually liked him, what he took him for?

Not appropriate.

Because Ming Ying simply couldn’t be sure of the answer.

So, Ming Ying threw caution to the wind. “I’m moving back.”

The air at the staircase landing stilled for a second.

Then Silas looked at him, nodded, and said, “When you’re better.”

Damn.

Ming Ying was furious.

Ming Ying: “I want to move now.”

“One hand is injured. How are you going to move?”

“Then I’ll move single-handedly.”

“…”

Silas looked at the person clamoring in front of him and couldn’t help but raise a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose.

Last night, after returning from downtown, he had received that cryptic message. When he called back, the other party had shut off his phone and didn’t answer. He could only contact Thomas in the middle of the night. After a long, busy while, he received a charge notification from the hospital. So he drove through the night to the hospital, coaxed the Little Bastard back, then went to a meeting. The meeting lasted five hours. It had just ended, and he hadn’t even taken a sip of water before someone blocked his door and challenged him.

The two stood in a silent standoff at the staircase for ten minutes.

Silas finally spoke. “Ming, I need a reason.”

Ming Ying: “No reason.”

Silas could see it. He was deliberately looking for trouble.

Silas didn’t argue with him further. He only said, “Ming, you need to rest right now. Even if you want to do something, calm down and solve the problem. Don’t refuse to communicate, and even more so, don’t communicate with emotion. Now, go rest.”

However, the Board Member was casting pearls before swine. Ming Ying couldn’t listen to a single word. What damn emotions, what damn reasons.

Just hearing it annoyed Ming Ying. He raised his face. “What’s the matter? Just because you can do whatever you want with no reason, I can’t? Who do you think you are? Are you God, the great Board Member?”

Silas looked at him and said nothing.

Having turned the tables after a long history of subjugation, classmate Ming Ying was tough as nails.

Seeing the man say nothing, he moved to go downstairs on his own, dragging his injured paw. When he got downstairs, his anger grew the more he thought about it. He stopped walking and kicked a cabinet.

A loud bang.

In the empty living room, it was exceptionally loud.

Ming Ying looked back. “I’ll give you a reason. I hate you. Will that do as a reason?”

“…”

As if that still wasn’t enough to vent his anger, he walked to the entrance hall, not only kicking the shoe cabinet there but also yelling loudly at Silas, who had come downstairs: “I HATE YOU!”

After shouting this, he stomped out toward the yard.

Ming Ying had originally wanted to stage a scene where he walked out that door, making it so you could never catch up with him, and you’d regret it.

Too bad. The person he hated was taller and had longer legs. In just a couple of steps, Ming Ying was caught up.

Silas walked past him without looking back. “You stay here, I’ll go.”

Ming Ying: “…”

Ming Ying: “Who wants your stupid house! I’m going back to my own place!”

Silas had a bit of a headache. He turned around, frowning. “Then I’ll drive you.”

Ming Ying: “Who wants you to drive!”

Silas looked at the person who had started being unreasonable; his tone gained a seriousness that brooked no argument. “Ming, listen. It’s impossible for me to let you leave alone like this.”

“…”

“Stay here, or I’ll drive you. Choose.”

“…”

No one spoke in the car; the atmosphere was oppressive.

Under this atmosphere, time seemed infinitely stretched, agonizing. After an unknown amount of time, they finally arrived downstairs at Ming Ying’s old apartment building.

No one got out.

Finally, Silas asked, “Sober now?”

“…”

Ming Ying: “I have always been very calm and very sober.”

Silas: “Then you can give me a reason.”

Ming Ying suddenly raised his voice. “Fine, if you really want to ask!”

His emotions changed so quickly. Silas looked at him without speaking.

Ming Ying took a breath and couldn’t help asking, “Then let me ask you, did you go home yesterday for some birthday party or what?”

Silas paused for a moment, then found it almost laughable. “Birthday party? Who told you that?”

Ming Ying: “None of your business who. Just tell me, yes or no.”

“That was,” Silas stopped himself. Why should he talk about this with a child?

He summarized simply: “That was a work occasion.”

“Work occasion?” Ming Ying frowned. “Your friends weren’t there? Your family wasn’t there? Couldn’t I go?”

The moment those words were spoken, Silas understood completely.

Ming Ying’s values differed from Silas’s. Ming Ying had the most traditional, or common, habit of valuing a partner’s family. But Silas’s family background was too complicated. Coupled with the fact that he lived alone year-round, he considered Ming Ying his own lover, separate from his family. Naturally, he hadn’t considered navigating this layer of conflict.

Silas unbuckled his seatbelt, turned sideways, and patiently explained. “Ming, I need to make things clear to you.”

Ming Ying looked at him.

Silas: “First, that was not some birthday party. It was a social event, no different from others I’ve attended before. Second, some things aren’t as simple as you think. You couldn’t handle that kind of occasion. Lastly, Ming, of course, you can meet my parents and friends, but like I said, some things are very complicated. I’ll explain them clearly to you later. Right now, it’s not appropriate.”

Too young, his ability to handle problems and judge people wasn’t mature enough. Going to those messy occasions too much would affect his mood.

However, after listening to him, Ming Ying felt no happier in his heart. “I understand. So just how complicated is it? You treat me like a child, thinking I can’t accept things or handle them?”

Silas frowned. He truly couldn’t understand the young boy’s thinking.

Ming Ying emphasized again: “I’m an adult, and a man. I’m not your son, not your child. I can accept it!”

Silas countered: “You are an adult?”

Ming Ying froze, then subconsciously said: “I, how am I not?”

Silas: “Mm, an adult who gets his hand cut by rebar and doesn’t know to immediately get a shot to prevent infection.”

Ming Ying: “You, you…”

The evil fire in Ming Ying’s heart flared up. He hammered the car door. “I want to get out of the car!”

Silas felt a little helpless. He knew he had said too much again.

But he was not a god; it was impossible to remain one hundred percent calm in such a situation.

With a click, the car door lock opened.

Ming Ying pushed the door open, and Silas got out of the car with him.

The two went upstairs, one after the other.

Mark was shocked when he opened the door.

“Oh, this.”

Mark looked at the expressionless Mr. Aston and the indignant classmate Ming Ying. For a moment, he didn’t know if he was standing in the middle of a battlefield or his own doorway.

Half an hour later.

Mark brought a cup of coffee and walked to the sofa. “Mr. Aston, coffee.”

Silas looked up from his book. “Thank you, but I’ve already had three cups of coffee. Let’s leave this one aside for now.”

Mark: “…”

Mark: “Ok, ok.”

Silas seemed to find the comic book they read very boring, so he put the book aside and asked, “Your name is Mark?”

Mark: “…”

He actually didn’t want to answer.

Mark: “Yes, sir, I’m Mark.”

Silas asked in the tone he used to inquire about students: “Mm, what major? What year?”

“Oh…”

Silas: “What was your assessment score last academic year?”

Mark stood up. “Sir, I think I’d better go check on Ming first!”

Saying this, Mark scrambled to his feet and quickly ducked into Ming Ying’s room.

Ming Ying sat at the desk, harboring the thought of reaching the peak of life and making someone regret it, studying with one hand.

Mark rushed in and hugged Ming Ying as if seeking salvation. “Ming!”

Ming Ying coughed. “What’s up?”

Mark said, “I’m very, very glad you could come back. Very happy! But can’t you think of a way to get the person outside to leave?!”

Ming Ying: “…”

Mark: “Ming, can students like us really be in the same room as a school leader?!”

Ming Ying: “You said it yourself, he’s a school leader. If he wants to sit there, what can I do? Why don’t you call Alex over? Then there’ll be exactly four of us. We can play mahjong.”

Ming Ying was talking nonsense at a time like this, but Mark’s expression showed a flicker of loss. “Don’t mention Alex anymore. We broke up.”

Ming Ying said, shocked: “What?”

Just then, the door was knocked on.

“Ming? Come out for a moment.”

Ming Ying and Mark exchanged glances, saying nothing.

Then he heard the person outside the door say: “Ming, I just received a notice from the N-Cube organizing committee. The awards ceremony has to be moved up. Come out.”

Ming Ying heard this and hurriedly checked his phone.

No notification email.

But that was normal, N-Cube had many category awards, judges would naturally receive emails earlier.

Ming Ying hesitated. In the end, Mark went out, and Silas came in.

The two stood inside the originally cramped, now empty little room. Ming Ying preemptively said, “I won’t go with you.”

Silas looked at him, silent for a moment, then said, “Fine, I’ll go first. Calm down, and then use what you call an ‘adult’s way’ to solve the problem.”

…

After sending the great Buddha Aston away, Mark finally felt slightly more relaxed.

However, Ming Ying’s state was thoroughly deteriorating.

It had nothing to do with the Old Bastard—the day after the Old Bastard left, he received an email notification from N-Cube.

Good news. His work had won an award.

Bad news. The award he won did not qualify him to stand on the podium.

Ming Ying clicked through every single announcement page on the website, looking carefully, scrolling from the first page to the last, throughout the entire night.

His emotions went from initial anger and disbelief to final conviction, and even utter despair.

When Mark came in, he saw Ming Ying sitting on the windowsill, lighting a cigarette.

He was very surprised. “Ming, didn’t you say you don’t smoke?”

It was a long time before Ming Ying exhaled smoke, but he didn’t speak.

Mark walked over. “That cigarette of yours, it seems pretty good? Got any more?”

“On the table.”

Listening to Mark chattering non-stop by his ear, Ming Ying suddenly frowned and asked a philosophical question: “Mark, do you think I’m too much of a failure?”

Mark was stunned. “Why do you ask? You’re the calculus little genius I admire most!”

“What if I didn’t help you with your homework?”

“Then you’d still be a little genius.” Mark pouted. “But I wouldn’t worship you.”

Ming Ying laughed out loud a couple of times, then shook his head. He just suddenly felt a strong sense of detachment. Maybe it was because of his fight with Silas, maybe it was the unexpected competition ranking. In short, it felt like someone had slapped him, smacking him from a distant dream back into cold reality.

“Mark, how did you and Alex break up?”

Mark took a drag of his cigarette before saying, “He hates that I smoke.”

“…”

Three days later.

Silas returned to Manhattan from the N-Cube venue. He went home, showered, and changed clothes.

Passing through the yard, he saw the unfinished swing frame and frowned slightly.

So, he took out his phone.

He hadn’t contacted Ming Ying for four whole days.

Not just because of being busy, but also somewhat deliberately.

Silas was truly at his wit’s end regarding Ming Ying. They both needed to be calm and restrained.

He went to the garage and drove the car out. However, when he clicked on Ming Ying’s page, his finger suddenly paused.

The kid’s profile picture had turned black at some point.

XI: Ming, are you at the apartment? I’ll come pick you up.

Naturally, no one answered the phone.

Silas sighed. In his heart, he was angry to the point of laughter.

Half an hour later.

Silas knocked on Mark’s door. After three knocks, someone finally opened it from inside.

It was Mark. He said, “Good afternoon, Mr. Aston.”

Silas nodded at him. “I’m here to pick up Ming. Is he in his room?”

Mark shook his head.

Silas: “He’s at school?”

Mark shook his head.

Silas frowned.

Then he saw Mark, with immense difficulty, hand him a piece of paper from behind his back: “Mr. Aston, Ming asked me to give this to you.”

The paper was terribly crumpled. Silas took it and looked down.

“Mr. Aston:

Hello, I watched the celestial phenomena at night last night and found that I am inconsistent with your five elements and the constellations. I hereby inform you that we will have no future.

Ming.”

Mark, helping to the end, said, “Ming said you don’t need to look for him. He turned into a little bird and flew away.”

Then, Mark watched as Mr. Aston first expressionlessly put away that piece of paper, then slightly raised his neck and tugged at his tie.

Finally—

He heard Mr. Aston laugh.