I’m Keeping the Overbearing CEO After He Went Bankrupt [Rebirth] 29

Chapter 29: Qingbao is Aggrieved

Chu Qing returned to his room in a daze and found it empty.

Ah… right. The contestants have a party tonight, they said they’re going to drink together. Most of them went, but I didn’t.

…

I still can’t learn.

Chu Qing lowered his head, stood by the door for a moment, then got into bed and pulled back the covers.

“Hi.”

????!!

Chu Qing was so startled he stumbled back several steps, almost falling to the ground.

“Mr. Huo…?!”

Why, when I pull back the covers, do I see Mr. Huo lying in my bed, looking like he’s obediently offering himself up!

Huo Li was lying flat on his back, his hands folded on his stomach, his tone exceptionally obedient. “Sponsor Daddy, I was wrong. I got carried away.”

“…”

“Thunder, rain, dew—all are the emperor’s grace,” Huo Li continued. “I shouldn’t have been arrogant because of your favor. Please forgive me, Sponsor Daddy.”

It hadn’t been easy for Huo Li. To give Chu Qing a surprise, he had raced against time, climbing through windows and taking shortcuts up the building, just to arrive in the room a step ahead of Chu Qing, who was taking the normal route, and hide himself.

“………”

Chu Qing stood to the side, feeling as if he had been struck by lightning.

You really… don’t have to go this far…

He stood there blankly, for a moment thinking he had opened the door the wrong way.

Seeing that Chu Qing was still ignoring him, Huo Li sat up and started unbuttoning his shirt.

Chu Qing: “???”

He made a decisive move, turned, and immediately walked away.

Whoosh—

Huo Li was faster. Just as Chu Qing’s hand was about to touch the doorknob, he successfully blocked him, pinning him against the door.

Chu Qing’s back was against the door panel, and in front of him was a wild wolf, trapping him in its arms.

He stared blankly at Huo Li.

“I shouldn’t have been fierce with you. I was wrong,” Huo Li said seriously. “Qingbao, don’t ignore me, okay?”

Chu Qing looked at him for a moment.

…

A minute later, his eyes turned red.

“Qingbao, don’t cry, don’t cry.” At this point, Huo Li wanted to beat himself to death. He had promised to protect him, so how did he end up making him cry?

“I was wrong, I was wrong. Please don’t, Qingbao, baby…” The old man, a full generation older than Chu Qing, was now panicking like a child.

“Be good, Qingbao…” Huo Li coaxed in a gentle voice. “I know I was wrong. Please don’t cry, okay?”

Chu Qing’s eyes were just red, he wasn’t crying, and he kept shaking his head.

“I… I’m not sad because Mr. Huo was fierce with me. Mr. Huo wasn’t wrong,” he said, sniffling. “I just… I just don’t know what I did wrong.”

He wanted to change, but he didn’t even know how. That’s why he was sad, why he felt aggrieved.

Why do others understand things that I don’t, and I even made Huo Li angry?

“Qingbao, you did nothing wrong,” Huo Li said, pulling him into his arms gently. “It was me who didn’t understand you.”

The number of times Chu Qing had been shown goodwill by outsiders was close to zero. He had no friends growing up besides Yu Weixi and had always lived in his own little world of musical notes, indifferent and insensitive to the outside world, as if he had lost contact, passively accepting everything the world gave him.

And now, it was because of Huo Li that he was willing to slowly step out.

Chu Qing shook his head desperately.

Huo Li gently patted his back. “Then how about I tell you why I was angry, okay?”

Chu Qing paused and nodded slightly.

Huo Li pulled him to the bed and took his wrist. “Do you know why Jiao Changxu gave you the keychain?”

“To… be friends with me?”

“If the camera later captures the keychain Jiao Changxu gave you on the pencil case you carry with you, and he even posts about it on Weibo, what is that if not pushing a ship?”

“…”

“Then do you know why he’s pushing a ship with you?”

Chu Qing said cautiously, “To gain benefits…?”

Huo Li huffed. “Half of it. The other half is because he likes you, and not in a friendly way.”

Now Chu Qing was completely stunned.

He stammered, “I… he’s just like a friend to me, no different from… others…”

Huo Li raised an eyebrow. “It’s hard to distinguish. There’s a fine line between friendship and ambiguity. Even an ordinary person would find it hard to tell.”

Chu Qing fell silent.

“But to say he likes you… that ‘like’ is a bit cheap,” Huo Li sneered. “He likes you, but he hasn’t controlled the public opinion at all. He’s even thinking of killing two birds with one stone, trying to develop a relationship with you while using you to leech off your fame and gain benefits.”

“He likes you, but it’s just to satisfy himself. Do you understand?”

Chu Qing didn’t know what to say and just quietly listened to him.

“So, when my Qingbao accepted a gift from someone like that, it made me… a little angry,” Huo Li said, leaning over and loosely wrapping his arms around him. “Qingbao, in this world, only I truly like you.”

Chu Qing was stunned.

“You can only be with me. You’re mine,” Huo Li said, taking his wrist and lowering his gaze slightly.

If Chu Qing had looked up, he would have seen the intense emotion in his eyes, so intense that it was frightening, that it made one want to flee.

He said blankly, “Does Mr. Huo… like me?”

“Can’t you feel it?” Huo Li smiled and placed Chu Qing’s hand on his heart. “Can’t you feel the difference between me and everyone else, and Jiao Changxu?”

“…” Chu Qing’s cheeks slowly turned red.

“I…”

After a pause, he said in a small voice, “Is it that kind of ‘like’?”

“What do you think?” Huo Li raised an eyebrow.

Chu Qing pulled his hand back and looked away. “That rabbit keychain… I don’t want it anymore.”

He didn’t feel too sad, just… a little disappointed.

He had thought…

Chu Qing lowered his gaze.

He was still overthinking things. He hadn’t made a friend.

Seeing him quietly lost in thought, Huo Li reached out and rubbed the top of his head. “Qingbao…”

“I’m going to the practice room first.”

Huo Li stood up and took his hand. “Shall I go with you?”

Chu Qing shook his head, gently pulled his hand back, and after a pause, said, “I want to practice alone. My… my piece is suitable for being alone. I want to find the feeling.”

“…Qingbao.”

“Mr. Huo… I’m sorry,” Chu Qing said, clutching the hem of his clothes earnestly. “I’ll be careful next time.”

“I should apologize too,” Huo Li said gently. “You’re not angry anymore, are you?”

“I’m not angry,” Chu Qing said, shaking his head repeatedly.

He left the room.

After the door closed, Huo Li rubbed his temples with a headache.

Chu Qing was lying. He clearly still minded.

This little one…

Huo Li sighed, considering whether he should order a durian to kneel on.

On the other end, Chu Qing had fled from the practice room back to his room, and then from his room back to the practice room. Fortunately, Huo Li was sensible enough not to chase after him relentlessly.

Chu Qing placed his hands on the piano and pouted.

He really wasn’t angry, but…

He felt a little aggrieved.

Mmm…

To be honest, he was very, very aggrieved.

As he thought, he played. The piece, which was originally dull and without ups and downs, themed on a love that couldn’t be waited for, came to life under the owner’s indignant emotions.

The owner of the piece, also rarely, uncharacteristically, came to life once more.

…

The next day, the atmosphere in the dormitory was a bit more serious. After the dinner party, the contestants didn’t arrange to drink and chat together, and Jiao Changxu had no time to continue looking for the elusive Chu Qing to pester him.

Because this was the second to last day for the contestants to prepare their songs. In two days, they would go on stage to compete with their original songs.

However, Chu Qing was the exception. He wasn’t nervous at all, still holding his guitar leisurely, preparing at his usual pace, and even revising the lyrics. During the day, he was also learning the waltz with the teacher the production team had arranged for him, which stunned the viewers in the livestream room.

XXX: Others are rushing to write songs, and our Teacher Chu is leisurely learning to dance? The difference between people. There really is a wall between artists and singers

XXX: Sister, you missed something! Our Teacher Chu is a musician, artist, and singer, a trinity! Awww, I’m so looking forward to his performance. It looks like he’s added a dance element. I went to look, and I’ve never seen him dance before. The brave Teacher Chu who is breaking through himself is amazing!! Proud of you!

XXX: Awww, so looking forward to it. Teacher Chu is writing about waiting, and I’m also waiting

XXX: Anyway, there’s no doubt that Teacher Chu will be first

XXX: Come on, with such a slack and arrogant attitude, I don’t believe he can get a good result this time. Pride leads to regression

XXX: Someone who’s never danced before wants to learn it quickly and perform on stage?? Don’t end up drawing a tiger and getting a dog, and even messing up the song 🙁

The buzz around Chu Qing never died down.

In any case, Starry Sky was very satisfied. Whether the buzz was good or bad, he was always in the spotlight and attracting many new fans.

During the day, he practiced dancing. At night, he sat alone on a bench in the park outside Angel’s Home, holding his guitar to continue finding the feeling.

The reason he wasn’t in the practice room was because they were all full today. All the contestants were staying up late to prepare, and Chu Qing would rather not be with others if he could help it.

“Qingbao.”

After playing for a while, he saw Huo Li come looking for him.

“So you were hiding here.”

Chu Qing paused, not knowing how to react for a moment.

Huo Li sat down next to him and handed him his medicine and a thermos.

He took it and ate it.

“And this. Open your mouth,” Huo Li said, handing him an unwrapped milk candy.

Chu Qing held his guitar and obediently opened his mouth to eat it. The sweet taste immediately spread across his tongue.

“Good boy,” Huo Li said, pinching his ear.

“Qingbao… actually,” Huo Li sighed. “I also prepared a gift for you… it’s just that I was a step too late in giving it, so it seems like I’m deliberately competing with Jiao Changxu.”

Ever since Chu Qing had told him about the Rubik’s Cube that day, Huo Li had been thinking about giving him a few more gifts.

That night, he had called the jewelry designer Norman in France and asked him to rush to design a limited-edition necklace that only Chu Qing could own.

He had originally wanted to wait until the competition was over, have a romantic date with him, and then give it to him when the atmosphere was right.

But he felt that now was more suitable, and… it wasn’t like he could only give one gift.

He even wanted to give the whole world to him.

“A gift…?” Chu Qing’s hand, which was strumming the guitar strings, paused.

“Yes.”

Huo Li huffed like a child whose candy had been stolen. “Only primary school students give ornaments. And a rabbit, so childish. You can tell at a glance that he’s a little brat who hasn’t settled down yet.”

Chu Qing looked at him, a little confused.

“Adults should give more mature gifts,” Huo Li said, clearing his throat and carefully handing him a jewelry box.

He looked as if he were afraid Chu Qing wouldn’t like it, but also wanted praise and couldn’t help but be secretly proud.

“Thank you…”

Chu Qing took the jewelry box, opened it just as carefully, and then was stunned.

A delicate men’s necklace lay on the velvet, with a cute little tiger pendant.

The little tiger was handcrafted from diamonds, silver with red stripes. The small figure sparkled in the moonlight, exquisitely beautiful.

The light refracted by the diamonds was not dazzling, but rather restrained and elegant.

It was a gem that had broken away from the mortal world, untainted by a single speck of worldly fire, beautiful and proud.

Chu Qing’s eyes lit up the moment he saw it. It was the feeling he liked.

“So beautiful…”

He carefully took out the necklace, unable to put it down, and gently poked the little tiger. “So cute.”

“As long as you like it,” Huo Li said, letting out a sigh of relief and grinning smugly.

“But Mr. Huo…” Chu Qing blinked. “Didn’t you say that only primary school students give animal-shaped pendants?”

“No, it’s different,” Huo Li said, clearing his throat righteously. “A little rabbit is childish, a little tiger is brave.”

“Okay,” Chu Qing paused, his fingertips gently touching the little tiger. “This… is very expensive, right?”

Didn’t you say you were bankrupt?

“Not expensive,” Huo Li said without batting an eye. “It’s from a street stall. I saw it was pretty and bought it.”

If Norman knew that his masterpiece, which he had worked on day and night with precious gems, was being called a street stall product, he would probably die on the spot.

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Mr. Huo can’t lie to me.”

Huo Li swore, “I’m not lying to you. It’s just a street stall product.”

“Then… I’ll wear it?”

“It’s your gift, your thing. You can do whatever you want with it,” Huo Li said, taking the necklace. “I’ll help you.”

He was very much looking forward to seeing Chu Qing wear it.

Chu Qing could feel Huo Li’s approach, watching as his two hands went around his neck and gently fastened the necklace.

“Done.”

The little tiger lay obediently on his chest. He smiled and tucked it into his clothes.

“It’s beautiful,” Huo Li said, his fingers gently brushing his neck, teasing, “You’re not angry anymore, are you?”

“…” Chu Qing pouted.

“It seems you’re not angry anymore,” Huo Li said, pulling him into his arms and patting his back. “I’m giving you the little tiger, hoping that in your competition the day after tomorrow, and in the future, you can be as brave as a little tiger, okay?”

“Okay,” Chu Qing struggled for a moment, then couldn’t help but make a request.

“Then Mr. Huo… in the future, you can’t be fierce with me,” he said, his voice as thin as a mosquito’s buzz. “Okay…”

Huo Li was stunned.

At this moment, Chu Qing’s head was resting on his shoulder, his two hands on his back, clutching the fabric of his clothes, like a little cat depending on its owner.

“Okay.”

Huo Li’s tone was normal, but in his heart, he was doing a free-fall Thomas spin, the excitement and happiness almost overwhelming him.

Oh my god… Chu Qing is acting cute with him, making a request of him!

Forget not being fierce, he could even meow twice on the spot!

“Mr. Huo, what’s wrong?”

“…”

Huo Li took a deep breath and directly pushed him down.

Caught off guard, Chu Qing was pressed onto the bench, still holding his guitar. His notebook and pencil also fell to the ground.

“Qingbao…”

Huo Li lowered his head and took his Adam’s apple into his mouth.

“Mr. Huo…?!”