I’m Keeping the Overbearing CEO After He Went Bankrupt [Rebirth] 37

Chapter 37: Qingbao’s Little Thoughts

“Think about it, okay?”
“I’m pursuing you.”

Thus spoke Huo Li.

Chu Qing stared blankly at him.

The two faced each other until his face was so red it was about to burn.

Then, Chu Qing swallowed and said blankly, “Is… is that so?”

Huo Li: “…”

This little one is quite good at playing dumb.

Huo Li said firmly, “It is.”

“Not only that, I even slept with you.”

After he said it, he immediately corrected himself, “No, wait, you slept with me.”

“…”

Chu Qing lowered his head, nervously picking at his hands, as if he didn’t know what to do.

Huo Li paused, then said with a smile, “It’s okay. I just wanted to let you know… as long as you know, you don’t have to give me an answer right now.”

He pulled him up and said gently, “Shall we eat first?”

“Mmm…” Chu Qing quietly let out a sigh of relief.

He was used to avoiding things, used to not knowing. But Huo Li clearly hadn’t given him that chance, reminding him again and again, hoping to push their relationship forward.

Huo Li hoped that he could become his support.

“You have hypoglycemia. Eat more meat and eggs.”

The two sat at the dining table. Huo Li served him some meat and placed an egg in his bowl.

Chu Qing glanced at the table, poked his rice with his chopsticks, and muttered, “Are there no vegetables…”

Huo Li raised an eyebrow. “If I bought vegetables, you wouldn’t eat the meat.”

“Be good. Eat more meat,” he said, taking a bite himself with a smile. “This meat has almost no gamey taste. It’s especially fragrant and delicious.”

He had specifically looked up what was good to eat nearby before ordering takeout for him. After all, he couldn’t cook himself.

“Mmm…” Chu Qing forced himself to eat the piece of meat.

After he ate it, Huo Li served him another piece and put it in his bowl, saying with a grin, “Come on, keep eating.”

Chu Qing swallowed. He thought, So this is what it feels like to be pursued.

To be, to be doted on…

His face was a little red. He pressed down on Huo Li’s chopsticks. “I’ll get it myself.”

Huo Li smiled. “Good.”

After they finished eating, Huo Li even supervised him as he took the medicine the doctor had given him. Then, Yu Weixi and Jonathan arrived.

Jonathan was a short, chubby man who looked very enthusiastic. As soon as he arrived, he grabbed Chu Qing’s hand to greet him.

Yu Weixi had grown up in the US, and Chu Qing had once studied abroad with Huo Li’s sponsorship, so there was no problem with communication between the three of them.

The three of them were huddled on the sofa, holding guitars and chatting, the table covered with music sheets and papers.

Chu Qing was easygoing, and his insights into music were very on point. When he disagreed, he would also explain his reasons slowly and logically. The three of them worked together very happily, and their progress was much faster than expected. In just one afternoon, the basic demo was already out, and they just needed to add more elements and refine it.

Basically, once the demo was done, it was half-finished. Chu Qing and Yu Weixi decided to spend more time focusing on the dance next.

To this, Jonathan even laughed at the two of them, saying that this was a singing and creation show, but Chu Qing had turned it into a dance show, and the creation part had been solved so easily.

In the evening, as the sky gradually darkened, Jonathan left. Yu Weixi stayed behind to guide Chu Qing in his dance.

Thump…!

Chu Qing’s body suddenly tilted, and he reached out to support himself on the coffee table.

Huo Li, who had been looking at documents on his tablet on the side, heard the sound and immediately put down his things to support him.

He saw that his face was a little pale.

Yu Weixi frowned. “Let’s stop for now. You rest first. We’ll practice again tomorrow.”

“No… you don’t have to,” Chu Qing insisted. “Let’s finish this set of moves before we rest.”

He was covered in sweat, his face flushed and pale, looking very unwell.

Huo Li said to Yu Weixi, “Qingbao fainted from hypoglycemia this morning.”

“Huh???” Yu Weixi said loudly. “Then what the f*ck are we still practicing for! Stop practicing! Are you trying to kill yourself?!”

“No, I…” he said anxiously. “Let’s just finish this set…”

Yu Weixi interrupted him directly and reassured him, “You don’t have to push yourself so hard, right? There’s plenty of time, and your progress is very good. You’ll be able to make it for the stage.”

“I’m fine, really. Xixi’s usual practice time is also several times longer than this. I have to work just as hard,” he said. He was right. As the king of dance, Yu Weixi’s practice time could be considered insane, which was why his waist injury had never fully healed.

Hearing this, Yu Weixi rolled his eyes. “I push myself because I’m in good shape and have good stamina. I can go downstairs and run five laps for you without even panting right now. Can you? Huh?”

Chu Qing: “…”

Huo Li said flatly, “Qingbao can’t.”

“So rest. I’m going back,” Yu Weixi said, patting his shoulder. “We’ll continue tomorrow. I’ll bring Niangao over tomorrow. Good night.”

“Good night…” Chu Qing had no choice but to compromise.

After Yu Weixi went back, Huo Li took a small towel to wipe his sweat and said gently, “What’s the rush?”

“Because, because…” he lowered his head. “I promised you. I’ll work hard.”

“Huh?”

He said nothing more.

Huo Li said he was pursuing me… then shouldn’t I at least…

He didn’t know what he was thinking. He was just so dissatisfied with himself, so upset.

Someone like me, who was unwilling to work hard before, or rather, who was useless even after working hard… if I don’t work even harder, I really don’t deserve this pursuit.

“I know you’ll work hard. I also know you’ve always worked very hard,” Huo Li said, rubbing the top of his head. “You’re already amazing. But as Yu Weixi said, you have to work hard within your means. Otherwise, it’s meaningless. Understand?”

He was stunned.

“Mmm…”

After he wiped his sweat, the two of them tidied up a bit and then left the hotel.

He had to go home to get his own sound equipment and move the necessary things to the hotel.

After returning to that simple home, he still felt a little strange.

The plants on the balcony were watered by natural rain every day. Without pruning, their wild growth was even more beautiful. The place was deserted and had lost its human touch from being empty for a long time.

But it still made him feel a sense of security.

He still found it a little hard to believe that he had been away from this home for so long.

That he had the ability to leave.

After they finished eating, he went to take a shower. He had been active all day, and it was really uncomfortable not to shower.

He always took a long time to shower, dawdling and being in a daze. Huo Li was used to it and was in no hurry to heat up the food.

He looked around and decided to fulfill the duties of a canary and clean the house for his boss. After all, this home hadn’t been returned to in a long time, and the furniture was covered in a thin layer of dust, which was not good for health.

He thought, This is how it’s written in the novels. The canary wears an apron, sticks out his butt, and wipes the table for his boss. Then the boss is very happy, grabs the canary by the waist, and the mosaic begins.

He took a cloth, wet it, and happily began to wipe the TV cabinet, completely oblivious to how awkward it was for someone with his image to complete the above scene.

This was the first time he had done housework. He approached it with a sense of sacredness and novelty, so even though the TV cabinet had many compartments, he was still very patient and opened them one by one to wipe.

…although it wasn’t really necessary, as there wasn’t much dust in the compartments.

When he got to the last compartment, he was stunned when he opened it.

In this corner compartment was a small bundle of thick, three-ply nylon rope.

It wasn’t strange to have a rope at home, but…

He reached out and took out the sturdy rope, his eyes darkening.

“Mr. Huo…”

Just then, Chu Qing also came out of the shower. He was wearing a bathrobe and walked out, his face turning pale when he saw Huo Li holding the bundle of rope with a grim expression.

“Mr. Huo!”

He rushed over, wanting to take it back.

“Chu Qing,” Huo Li’s face was terrifying as he asked, “What is this?”

Little did he know how much effort Huo Li was using to suppress his overwhelming emotions and ask this question in a not-so-extreme and scary tone.

“G-Give it back to me…!”

He wanted to snatch it back.

Huo Li held the rope in one hand and hugged him with the other to stop him.

“Chu Qing!”

The raised volume made him freeze in fear.

“Qingbao, don’t scare me… What is this?” Huo Li’s voice was hoarse. “Qingbao.”

He was held by Huo Li and slowly calmed down. He lowered his head. “I, I…”

“Tell me properly. Don’t be afraid…” Huo Li put down the glaring object, hugged him, and sat down on the sofa, his voice gentle. “Is that yours?”

“Mmm…” he nodded slightly.

“You bought it before?”

“Mmm…”

“Why?”

He paused for a long moment before saying slowly, “When I first got sick, I didn’t know what was going on… and I was not in a good mood then, so on impulse…”

Huo Li took a deep breath, his trembling hands clenched into fists, and said, controlling his volume, “So, you bought this before?”

“Yes, but I didn’t use it… I just bought it, and then… then I calmed down,” he said, his head bowed, a little scared. “I bought it a long time ago.”

How did Huo Li find it…

He was a little annoyed.

The rope had been in the corner for too long. He had forgotten to hide it, and he didn’t expect Huo Li to suddenly open it.

Now that it was discovered, it was so, so embarrassing.

He was a little dejected. He didn’t want Mr. Huo to see this side of him.

I’m really not the kind of person who is always threatening to die, nor am I someone without fighting spirit and willpower…

He had even almost forgotten about its existence.

Huo Li interrupted his thoughts. “Then why didn’t you throw it away?”

He was stunned.

Huh?

Why didn’t I throw it away…?

“I…”

“I’ll help you throw it away, okay?”

“Um…” he didn’t know how to answer, as if throwing away this rope was like throwing away some kind of power, which made him afraid.

“You…” Huo Li was also afraid.

He had never been afraid of anything. Even when he was surrounded by ten thugs in a back alley, he didn’t think it was a big deal.

But finding this thing, and his current vague and ambiguous attitude, made him extremely scared.

In his previous life, he had returned to the country too late to see him, but he had seen his body in the coffin. There was a purple bruise on his neck. Yu Weixi had said that he had died by hanging.

He had lost him once. He couldn’t bear it a second time.

And he would not let a second time happen.

“Just for my sake, throw this thing away, okay?” Huo Li said, word by word. “For me.”

He stared blankly at Huo Li’s eyes, and as if he had been bewitched, he slowly nodded.

“Oh…”

Huo Li stood up and threw the rope into the trash can outside.

He stared blankly at his back.

Huo Li said… he was pursuing him.

Huo Li also said… for him.

He suddenly understood. Right, if he agreed to his pursuit, it would be a connection with this world, a sense of responsibility.

Then he could never leave. He had to bear this responsibility.

His entire life trajectory would change because of this.

“Qingbao,” he said, coming back after throwing away the thing, and hugged him directly.

“Qingbao, you have me.”

He desperately swallowed all his emotions and gently patted his back, not knowing who he was coaxing. “Don’t be afraid.”

He rested his head on his shoulder, paused, and nodded.

“Mmm…”

Huo Li lowered his head and planted a kiss on his forehead.

“Qingbao, go to sleep. I’ll be with you.”

“Mmm…”

He closed his eyes in that warm embrace.

…

The night grew deeper.

The city was asleep, and Chu Qing was also asleep in his arms.

— — — —

The next day, Jonathan had something to take care of and could only come to discuss the song with him in the afternoon. Yu Weixi, on the other hand, had brought his child with him.

“Sorry…” he said helplessly. “I’ve been coming back late these past few days. Niangao was crying today and wouldn’t let me go.”

He was holding a three- or four-year-old child in his arms. The little dumpling was fair and clean, and was clinging to his neck shyly, looking extremely cute.

“Good morning, Niangao. I’m Brother Qing. Do you still remember me?” Chu Qing went over and pinched his little foot, his voice gentle. “I’ve been to your house before, and you slept at my place when your dad was on a business trip.”

“Brother… Brother Qing!” Niangao remembered, smiled sweetly at him, and even opened his hands to wave at him like an adult.

“Little Niangao, will you accompany me and your dad in dancing today?”

“Okay…!” Niangao grabbed his sleeve and said in a small voice, “I’ll be with dad and Brother Qing. Dad can’t leave me…”

Yu Weixi nodded helplessly.

He was busy with work and was often away, so he rarely had time to spend with his child. He always entrusted him to his friends, which made the child always think that his dad didn’t want him.

“This is Brother Huo,” Chu Qing said, pointing to Huo Li with a smile. “I’m working with your dad today. Will you let Brother Huo play with you, okay?”

“Okay!”

Yu Weixi looked at him with great interest.

Yo, CEO Huo can even coax a child?

Huo Li: “…???”

I can’t??

After he put the child down, Chu Qing glanced at Huo Li, smiled, and said to Niangao, “That brother is so tall. He can give you a piggyback ride.”

Deliberately causing trouble.

Huo Li: “???”

The little dumpling rushed into his arms and hugged his leg, acting cute. “Brother, I want a piggyback ride.”

Huo Li: “…”

He was in despair.

This soft little thing… he didn’t even know how to hold it, for fear of hurting it.

So next, Chu Qing and Yu Weixi practiced and created, while Huo Li was tormented by the child. It wasn’t until Niangao’s nap time that he let out a sigh of relief and took the opportunity to go out and buy food.

While he was away, Yu Weixi glanced at Chu Qing, who was stiffly moving his limbs to the music, and asked curiously, “Did something happen between you and Huo Li?”

“…?”

Yu Weixi pinched his nose. “I can smell a sour stench in the air.”

“What sour stench…” he said, nervously sniffing his clothes.

“Silly Qingbao, I’m talking about the sour stench of love,” he said, rolling his eyes. “And you’ve been a little distracted today. Jonathan might just think you’re slow to react, but why do I feel that you’re even slower than usual?”

He added, “And you get even slower when you see Huo Li. Tsk tsk.”

“I…” he said, flustered. “I didn’t.”

“Oh?”

He looked at the balcony, paused, and asked cautiously, “Xixi… what do you think Niangao is to you?”

Yu Weixi paused, then smiled. “Niangao is my everything.”

He thought for a moment and asked, “Is he your connection to this world?”

“Mmm… yes.”

The two of them simply sat down to rest. Yu Weixi hugged his knees. “Anyway, because of him, I want to live a good life and work hard even more.”

“Oh…”

He paused for a moment and asked again, “Xixi… what is it like to like someone?”

“…”

Yu Weixi shouted, “F*ck, how would I know! I don’t like anyone!”

He quickly explained, “No, no… I didn’t say you like Best Actor Feng. I’m talking about myself…”

“…Who the f*ck likes him!! I didn’t say you like CEO Huo either!” Yu Weixi’s fur was ruffled.

He was anxious, and he also made him anxious. “You said it… you said it before!”

A moment later.

Chu Qing: “…”
Yu Weixi: “…”

A real-life scene of “no three hundred taels of silver buried here.”

Yu Weixi cleared his throat and held his fist to his mouth. “What were you asking? I have many friends, so maybe I know.”

“I, I also have a friend who wants to know. So…” he asked, “What does it feel like to like someone…?”

“Mmm…” Yu Weixi lowered his gaze, thought for a moment, and frowned. “It’s quite simple, right… you miss them when you don’t see them, and you’re very happy when you do.”

He said blankly, “But I’m also very happy when I see you?”

“It’s different,” he said with a smile. “When you like someone, that person will glow.”

“Of course, it’s not what I think. It’s what my friend said,” he didn’t forget to add.

Glow…?

He lowered his head in thought, a little unable to understand. “How can a person glow?”

“Aren’t you an artist! Think for yourself,” he grumbled.

“Oh…”

The two chatted for a few sentences, and then the doorknob on the side moved, and Huo Li pushed the door open.

He followed the sound and looked over, then was stunned.

The tall man’s expression was always a little cold. He was carrying a large bag in each hand and was taking off his shoes at the entrance.

Huo Li looked up and smiled at him. “I’m back, Qingbao.”

His originally cold expression seemed to have melted a little, and his eyes were also tinged with warmth.

…

He really does glow.