Chapter 47: Ji Huaizhi: Dundun and I Miss You…

The two of them took the bus home together. As soon as they arrived, Ning Shuang only managed to change out of his shoes. He didn’t even have time to remove the shoulder bag slung across his back or his jacket.

Ji Huaizhi followed right behind him. He took the backpack off Ning Shuang’s shoulders and then helped him shrug out of his jacket.

Afterward, he found himself shut out of the room.

Ning Shuang had something weighing on his mind and completely forgot about the man behind him. A gust of wind from closing the door tightly lifted the stray hairs at his temples.

Ji Huaizhi stared at the firmly shut door in front of him and drew a deep breath.

No big deal. Ning Shuang must have some private business to handle, which was why he had left him outside alone. After all, even Ning Shuang had plenty of things he kept hidden from him.

Ji Huaizhi’s restless heart gradually settled.

He glanced down at Ning Shuang’s jacket and backpack clutched in his hands.

Suddenly, he buried his face in the jacket and inhaled deeply.

Someone else’s scent.

When he lifted his head from the jacket, the look in Ji Huaizhi’s eyes as he stared at the door had completely changed.

The darkness pooling in his gaze made him seem like a figure who had crawled out of the depths of hell itself.

The next second, the door swung open from the inside.

Their eyes locked. Ji Huaizhi froze—it was too late to school his menacing glare back into something neutral. He parted his lips to explain himself, but Ning Shuang suddenly pulled him into a hug.

“Ah, darling, I didn’t mean to leave you out in the cold. Don’t be mad.” Ning Shuang gave Ji Huaizhi a squeeze, then cupped his face and planted a kiss on the corner of his mouth. “I’ll try to get home early. Be good while I’m gone, darling.”

Ning Shuang’s gestures flowed as smoothly as water. By the time Ji Huaizhi snapped out of the haze of that tenderness, Ning Shuang had already hurried downstairs, slipped on his shoes, and was ready to head out.

Ji Huaizhi rushed after him. “Can I come with you?”

Ning Shuang had just finished lacing up his shoes and stood, snatching the jacket from Ji Huaizhi’s grasp. He shrugged it on while saying, “I’ve got important business. Next time, if there’s a chance, I’ll take you along. Gotta go.”

Ning Shuang truly didn’t want Ji Huaizhi finding out about his Miao Frontier roots or his use of gu just yet.

He slung the shoulder bag he’d grabbed from the room over one shoulder. After pulling open the door, he turned back for one more hug. “Wait for me to get home. I’ll be back soon.”

With that, he turned on his heel and left.

Ning Shuang really was the type to slap you across the face and then offer a sweet—first ignoring him, then sweetly coaxing him back.

And Ji Huaizhi just ate it up.

He had a pretty good guess—seventy or eighty percent, at least—about what Ning Shuang was off to do. After taking a moment to steady himself, Ji Huaizhi turned and headed back to the living room.

Whatever. As long as Ning Shuang liked him best.

~~~

By the time Ning Shuang reached the villa, night had already fallen.

Moonlight cascaded from the sky overhead, spilling across him and stretching his shadow long across the ground. The leaves rustled in the breeze. Ning Shuang hadn’t been there long when Lu Yuyang arrived home as well.

Sure enough, taking in Lu Yuyang’s beaming smile and that springtime glow on his face, Ning Shuang knew he had the measure of things.

“Ning Shuang! What’s got you missing me so bad today?” Lu Yuyang slung an arm around Ning Shuang’s neck from behind and ruffled his hair for all he was worth.

Ning Shuang grabbed a fistful of Lu Yuyang’s hair and yanked his head aside. “Let go! Let go!”

“You first!” They tussled like a pair of squabbling elementary school kids, neither willing to back down.

Once they’d had their fill of horseplay, Lu Yuyang kicked off his slippers and flopped onto the sofa. The housekeeper brought over two cups of steaming tea for them.

Ning Shuang lifted his cup and took a sip.

Then he leaned in and sniffed at Lu Yuyang.

Lu Yuyang shot him a baffled look and raised his own arm to sniff his sleeve. “What’re you sniffing for?”

Ning Shuang let out a cheeky grin, hooked an arm around his neck, and hauled him toward the stairs. “Upstairs. We’ll talk there.”

Lu Yuyang followed him up.

Once back in the room, Ning Shuang’s playful smile vanished in an instant.

He dragged Lu Yuyang over to the sofa and made him sit, then abruptly leaned in close to his face. Lu Yuyang whipped his head aside and shoved at Ning Shuang’s encroaching face. “What the hell are you doing…?”

“Reading your fortune,” Ning Shuang said.

Lu Yuyang burst out laughing. “Since when do you read fortunes? What exactly can you do?”

Ning Shuang straightened up and fished a small vial from his bag, pouring some warm water into a teacup. “I’ve divined it: your latest romance is a rotten peach blossom.”

Lu Yuyang’s laughter died on his lips. “What’re you getting at?”

“You’re not actually into Guo Ran.” Ever since dosing Ji Huaizhi with the Love Gu, Ning Shuang had pored over that book he’d brought back from his hometown. Mixing up this batch of Love Gu-Dissolving Medicine came far more naturally now.

Lu Yuyang was smack in the middle of the honeymoon phase and had no patience for talk like that. He reached out to grab Ning Shuang’s hand for a proper explanation, but seeing how busy he was, he held back and simply crouched down beside him instead. “I don’t get it.”

Ning Shuang slid the cup toward him. “Drink this, and I’ll explain.”

Lu Yuyang peered down at the murky liquid, then snatched it up and drained it without a second thought.

“Mom! That’s nasty—what the hell is it?” Lu Yuyang’s whole face scrunched up in disgust. Ning Shuang laughed out loud and snapped his fingers right in front of him. Lu Yuyang’s dark pupils dilated wide in an instant.

Moments later, he slumped right onto the carpet in front of Ning Shuang, out cold.

Ning Shuang grunted with effort as he hauled Lu Yuyang onto the sofa. Then he made a beeline for the computer, firing it up and diving into a game.

Time slipped by, minute by minute.

The housekeeper knocked on the door, calling them down for dinner. Ning Shuang finally powered down the game. “Coming! Just a sec, Uncle Zhang!”

He figured enough time had passed. Squatting down beside the sofa next to Lu Yuyang, he studied him.

Lu Yuyang looked like he’d been through a nightmare—sweat beaded his face, and his lips were deathly pale.

It had been a few days since Ning Shuang had last seen Lu Yuyang, and he’d smelled the gu on him right away.

Truth be told, Ning Shuang wasn’t much of a gu maker, but he was Miao Clan through and through. His nose for gu was keen. Those herbs were unique to the Miao Frontier, most of them carrying a peculiar tang that stood out sharply on ordinary folk.

“Lu Yuyang, I know you’re awake. Quit faking it,” Ning Shuang called out.

The eyelashes on the man sprawled across the sofa twitched, but he still wouldn’t sit up. Ning Shuang had a pretty good idea why—likely wrestling with how he’d ended up dating someone he didn’t even like.

So Ning Shuang flopped down beside him and laid it all out: the Matchmaking Website, his suspicions, everything.

When he finished, the man on the sofa finally cracked his eyes open. He lurched upright, his fists clenched so tight his knuckles cracked audibly. “I’m gonna kill that bastard.”

Ning Shuang slapped a hand down on his. “Whoa, rule-of-law society here—what do you think you’re doing?”

“That scumbag!” Lu Yuyang ground out through gritted teeth.

No surprise there. Playboy all these years, only to trip up like this. Ning Shuang couldn’t help but chuckle.

Lu Yuyang shot to his feet. “I’m gonna end him.”

“Hold up—he’s clueless about it. Normal people just think it’s a legit match. No way he’d suspect gu. Tomorrow, we’ll go find him together and sort it out.” Sure, Lu Yuyang talked a big game about killing someone, but he wouldn’t actually go that far. Still, dragging the guy into some deserted alley and beating him half to death? Totally doable.

Ning Shuang wasn’t out to protect the jerk—he just didn’t want to tip off whoever was pulling strings behind the scenes. He needed to get to the bottom of it.

Lu Yuyang was still fuming. “So what do we do?”

“Hey, hey, this involves you, so I’ll take care of it properly. I’ve reached out to the elders back in the clan—not sure when they’ll show up. Tomorrow, we’ll see if we can catch the culprit red-handed?” Thing was, if he left it to Lu Yuyang, who knew what Miao Frontier secrets might spill out to the world.

Carrying this identity around was nothing short of frustrating.

“Besides, what good does pounding him do? Isn’t that damn website the real problem?” Ning Shuang’s voice took on a heavier edge.

Lu Yuyang calmed down a fraction at that. Ning Shuang clapped him on the shoulder. “Dinner first. I’m starving. We can hash out the details upstairs later.”

“Not hungry.” Still seething, Lu Yuyang trailed after him anyway.

Ning Shuang led the way. “Fine, more for me.”

“Ning Shuang! I almost blew my whole reputation! Are we even friends anymore? Where’s the concern?” Lu Yuyang caught up and demanded.

Ning Shuang mulled over that phrase—”blew my reputation”—then cracked up laughing. “Not concerned enough? The second I suspected gu, didn’t I call you right away? Wasn’t it you who insisted on sticking around with him?”

“You can laugh about this? You should’ve knocked me out cold and dragged me home!” Lu Yuyang was every bit the massive dog barking mad at thin air.

Ning Shuang settled at the dining table, grabbing his bowl and chopsticks to dig in. “Easy for you to say. If I’d tried that, security would’ve nabbed me before I even got off school grounds.”

Fair point. Lu Yuyang had no outlet for his rage, and it wasn’t aimed at Ning Shuang anyway—just that scumbag.

Ning Shuang kept soothing him. “Come on, eat up, Young Master Lu. I’ll make sure this gets handled.”

Ning Shuang’s words acted like a sedative, soothing Lu Yuyang’s currently irritable heart. Lu Yuyang had no appetite and simply sat down beside Ning Shuang, resembling a majestic Buddha statue.

As Ning Shuang ate his meal, his gaze drifted over Lu Yuyang. He wasn’t sure what crossed his mind, but he suddenly lost his appetite too.

He set down his chopsticks and patted Lu Yuyang’s shoulder. “Come on, let’s head back upstairs.”

~~~

By the time Ning Shuang finished talking with Lu Yuyang and emerged, it was already past ten at night.

Lu Yuyang had originally wanted Ning Shuang to stay the night, but during their conversation, Ji Huaizhi had sent a barrage of messages. He kept asking when Ning Shuang would be home and whether he planned to crash at a classmate’s place.

Ning Shuang had replied that he would head home to sleep.

That was why he turned down Lu Yuyang’s invitation to stay.

【Ji Huaizhi: Heading home? Want me to come pick you up?】

【Ji Huaizhi: Ning Shuang, can you reply to me the moment you see this?】

【Ji Huaizhi: Dundun and I really miss you】

…

Lu Yuyang had his family driver take Ning Shuang home, so Ning Shuang hadn’t checked his phone from the upstairs room all the way to the car. Once inside, he chatted with the driver for a bit. By the time he finally remembered to look, Ji Huaizhi had sent more than ten messages.

Ning Shuang hurriedly replied: 【111】

【Ning Shuang: Darling, I’m riding back in my friend’s family car. Be home soon.】

Ji Huaizhi replied almost instantly: 【Okay, I’ll be waiting for you at home.】

Ning Shuang let out a breath of relief.

When the car reached the familiar park entrance, Ning Shuang asked the driver to pull over. He got out right there.

“Mr. Ning, should I take you all the way home?” The driver stopped the car and turned around, noticing that Ning Shuang had already opened the door.

“No need, Uncle Driver. I could use a walk to digest my dinner.” Ning Shuang waved at him.

Only then did the driver press the accelerator and drive off.

Ning Shuang tugged his jacket tighter around himself and slowly made his way toward home.

In truth, while chatting with Lu Yuyang earlier, Ning Shuang had watched his friend’s furious expression and naturally thought of his own situation with Ji Huaizhi.