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Qi Zhao found the movie and watched it.
The film’s style was light and airy, the colors and camerawork creating a sweet, romantic atmosphere.
But the ending offered a chilling twist, revealing the unsettling truth behind the seemingly perfect facade—
The protagonist burned a black-and-white photo of his partner. As the photo burned, the scene flashed to images of a horrific accident, blurred glimpses of mangled flesh and blood.
Then the scene shifted back to the protagonist’s partner, smiling as he jumped on his back, asking him about having barbecue that night, suggesting they set it up in the courtyard.
Even though the protagonist agreed, and the final scene showed them holding hands, walking into the house, the protagonist asking what he wanted to eat, Qi Zhao couldn’t smile.
He wasn’t scared, just overwhelmed by a sense of oppression and unease.
…In Qi Wei’s eyes, was he just a phantom?
Was that why he clung to him so tightly, why he wanted to keep him close, so…
Qi Zhao felt lost.
How could he make Qi Wei understand that he wasn’t a figment of his imagination?
That afternoon, after returning to his office from the meeting, Qi Wei checked the surveillance footage on his phone.
Qi Zhao had fallen asleep on the sofa, the TV still on.
He sighed softly and remotely adjusted the thermostat, raising the temperature slightly to prevent Qi Zhao from catching a cold.
As he watched Qi Zhao, he was lost in thought for a moment.
After so many years abroad, Qi Zhao had learned to take care of himself.
He knew that Qi Zhao, when relaxing at home, would cover himself with a blanket while watching TV, so he could easily pull it over himself if he fell asleep, avoiding a cold.
But this Qi Zhao, who didn’t take care of himself, who needed him to watch over him… was just like the Qi Zhao in his imagination.
Qi Wei knew he always wanted Qi Zhao to be dependent on him, whether it was in the past—how long ago?—or now. He craved Qi Zhao’s reliance.
He liked Qi Zhao needing him, asking him for help, and he loved taking care of him, in any way he could.
He even wanted to personally feed Qi Zhao, watching him open his mouth obediently in his arms…
But Qi Zhao fit his ideal image so perfectly that it felt unreal.
Especially since Qi Wei knew he wasn’t a good person, not even a decent one. He had clawed his way to the top, committing countless dirty deeds along the way: schemes, conspiracies, manipulation, and betrayal. He was a villain, stepping on the bones and blood of others to rise to power. How could he deserve someone as good as Qi Zhao?
When Qi Wei returned home that afternoon, Qi Zhao was painting.
He had learned how to paint; Qi Wei knew this. Although he wasn’t particularly talented, his paintings were technically proficient.
Qi Zhao was copying a famous oil painting to calm his mind.
Seeing Qi Wei, he put down his brush and took off his apron.
He had intended to act naturally. He had spent the entire afternoon calming himself down, but the moment he saw Qi Wei, he couldn’t help but walk over and hug him.
Qi Wei paused slightly, then hugged him back, lowering his head and kissing his eyelids softly. “Why did you suddenly decide to paint?”
“The paints were about to expire,” Qi Zhao said, “so I took them out, to avoid wasting them… What about you?”
The fact that Qi Wei didn’t ask what was wrong, but about his painting, calmed Qi Zhao’s heart. So he could say with a smile, “Why buy them if you’re not going to use them?”
Qi Wei said casually, “I bought them for you.”
This was the truth.
When he bought the paints, he had imagined Qi Zhao painting.
He had seen Qi Zhao paint many times, especially when Qi Zhao was still studying in Z Country, his head lowered, his hand moving the brush slowly across the canvas.
Sometimes, on rainy days, with the incandescent lights on, Qi Zhao’s skin would seem incredibly fair. He was still growing at the time, his frame slender, handsome and refined, especially when he smiled faintly, a youthful, refreshing aura about him.
Sometimes, on sunny days, Qi Zhao would hide in a corner to avoid the direct sunlight, but the sunlight would still find him, making him look even more dazzling, breathtaking.
At those times, Qi Wei would think that if Qi Zhao liked painting, he would buy him a house full of paints, build him a studio, and keep him there.
But for Qi Zhao, painting was just a hobby, a way to pass the time.
And… to calm his turbulent emotions.
Qi Wei had heard from his friends that whenever Qi Zhao encountered something troublesome or upsetting, he would sleep, and then paint, to clear his mind.
His young Ah Zhao wasn’t naturally so composed; he had been forcing himself to mature, to not act like a child.
So now… had he caused Qi Zhao trouble?
Qi Wei caressed the back of Qi Zhao’s head, and he heard Qi Zhao ask, slightly stunned, “These paints have a shelf life of ten years. Did you buy them ten years ago?”
“Not quite,” Qi Wei took his hand, gently rubbing away the black paint on his fingers, “I bought them three years ago.”
Qi Zhao didn’t understand at first. “Why three years ago?”
But then he realized something. “…You were planning for me to return three years ago?”
Qi Zhao had just graduated then.
Qi Wei hummed in agreement. “I had made many preparations, but unfortunately, there were some problems along the way, and it was delayed for three years.”
Qi Zhao pursed his lips. “What problems?”
Qi Wei said casually, “It wasn’t a big deal, just that Qi Yuanyu wasn’t willing to give up and collaborated with a few other board members to prevent me from taking over.”
He said, “I realized I didn’t have complete control of the Qi family yet, and bringing you back then would have put you in danger, so I didn’t.”
What Qi Wei didn’t say was that what truly stopped him three years ago wasn’t just Qi Yuanyu’s unwillingness to give up.
But that while he was making preparations, Qi Yuanyu had suddenly gone crazy, somehow persuading those board members to target him, a super S-rank.
It wasn’t just business competition anymore, but a carefully planned assassination attempt, without a shred of evidence.
Everything was meticulously calculated, from choosing the time when Qi Wei’s rut was approaching, when he was most vulnerable, to drugging him, tampering with his car, a runaway truck, even a group of assassins lying in wait…
Although there was no evidence, alphas were like mad dogs.
And as a fellow mad dog, Qi Wei naturally knew who was behind it.
After all, Qi Yuanyu was the only one who would benefit.
It was at that time that Qi Wei realized one thing.
Even in Z Country, even in Kyoto, it wasn’t necessarily safe. He couldn’t bring the person he longed for back yet, especially not to his side.
Qi Zhao: “…”
But he didn’t know any of this.
He knew Qi Wei had done a lot for him, but he hadn’t imagined…
Qi Zhao’s breath hitched, and he buried his face in Qi Wei’s embrace, murmuring, “Qi Wei, this is the first time someone has cared about me this much.”
Even An Xinzhi hadn’t cared about him this much.
She had loved him, but she had also loved Qi Mu.
Her life would wither because of Qi Mu, but it wouldn’t be rekindled because of him.
Qi Zhao didn’t blame her, not because she was an omega, destined to fade away when she sensed her partner’s changing affections, but because he understood that An Xinzhi was An Xinzhi first, then his mother.
If she thought that was better, then let it be.
But Qi Zhao had also hoped that one day…
And that day had arrived.
Qi Wei loved him, would wither because of him, and would also burn for him.
This made Qi Zhao ask, “Qi Wei, if… if I hadn’t stood up for you back then, would you still like me?”
Would he love him like this?
“Ah Zhao.”
Qi Wei lowered his head and kissed Qi Zhao, saying seriously, “There are no ‘ifs.’ What happened, happened. You speaking up for me, fighting for me, made me realize that I had to become stronger myself, to face those rumors and gossips, to silence those people. This is what happened, you changed my life, this is an undeniable fact, there are no ‘ifs’.”
Qi Zhao’s heart trembled.
It was truly amazing.
The current Qi Wei was like the past him, and the current him was like the past Qi Wei, lost and uncertain.
But the past Qi Wei had been helped by the past him, and the current him was being helped by the current Qi Wei.
Qi Zhao took a deep breath and didn’t say anything more, just kissing Qi Wei back.
He didn’t know what to do, how to make Qi Wei understand that he wasn’t a figment of his imagination.
So he decided to be bold.
After dinner, after Qi Wei helped him finish his painting,
He went to take a bath.
Qi Zhao showered more carefully than usual, and afterward, he didn’t put on a T-shirt and pants, but a bathrobe, tying the belt securely.
He usually wore a bathrobe at home when he lived alone, but not with Qi Wei, because it was too…
So it wasn’t appropriate.
But things were different now.
Qi Zhao took a deep breath, his ears burning slightly, and walked out, a little embarrassed.
Qi Wei, working in the bedroom, looked up as if sensing his presence, and froze.
Qi Zhao liked dark colors; most of his clothes were dark, so this thin bathrobe was also black.
The smooth fabric shimmered under the warm light, the V-neck inevitably revealing his chest, the faint marks Qi Wei had left on full display.
Qi Zhao’s skin was very fair, making the marks even more noticeable against the black fabric.
When he stood before Qi Wei, Qi Wei couldn’t help but reach out and wrap his arm around his waist, wanting to bury his face in Qi Zhao’s embrace and inhale deeply, but he didn’t dare, just murmuring hoarsely, “Ah Zhao.”
Qi Zhao hummed in response, incredibly flustered. “Y-you… go shower first…”
These words were even more tempting to Qi Wei.
Qi Wei’s arousal, already considerable, intensified, his breathing heavy as he looked up at Qi Zhao, who was avoiding his gaze, his eyes dark and intense, as if wanting to devour him whole, yet his voice was strained and hesitant as he suppressed his emotions. “Ah Zhao, do you… mean what I think you mean?”
Qi Zhao felt Qi Wei’s hand burning hot against his waist, as if he was being roasted, and he nodded haphazardly. “Yes.”
