I’m Keeping the Overbearing CEO After He Went Bankrupt [Rebirth] 39

Chapter 39: Qingbao’s Possessiveness

Chu Qing felt his body alternating between hot and cold. His head and back were also aching dully, and his whole body felt dehydrated and weak.

Huo Li had him curl up in the bed, first applying a cooling patch to his forehead, and then crawling in to hold him.

Huo Li felt a little hot, even starting to sweat, but Chu Qing was very comfortable and finally stopped saying he was cold after hugging him.

The night grew deeper.

Chu Qing fell asleep in a daze, his mind in chaos.

In the floating of his consciousness, he had countless dreams.

…

“Qing ah… your parents, they’ve gone to a better place.”
“Where is a better place? Can I go find them? Will they come back?”
“Well…”
“But I miss them.”
“Be good, okay? Pack up. You’re going to a new place to live tomorrow.”
“I… I don’t want to go. I want to wait here for Mom and Dad to come back. They’ll come back.”
“Don’t be difficult. Hurry up and pack. There are many children waiting for you there. It’s a lot of fun.”

…

“Mr. Huo… will you come back in the future? Will you still come to see me perform?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Then… when are you coming back to the country?”
“I probably won’t be coming back.”
“…”
“It’s okay. I’ll wait for you to come back.”

…

“Wish” was always naive and pure, and “Waiting” was always a journey from anticipation to final acceptance.

All the images appeared chaotically like a slideshow until Chu Qing opened his eyes, still a little dazed.

“Qingbao, how do you feel? Are you still uncomfortable anywhere?”

Huo Li, who had been sleeping next to him, also opened his eyes and touched his forehead. “The fever has gone down a lot.”

Worried that something might be wrong with him, Huo Li hadn’t really slept all night.

“Ah…” Chu Qing stared blankly at Huo Li lying next to him, his eyes suddenly turning red.

“What’s wrong?” Huo Li took his hand. “Where are you uncomfortable?”

He just shook his head.

“Then shall I go out and heat up some congee for you?”

He nodded.

After Huo Li left, he curled up in bed, in a daze, tears flowing unconsciously.

He took a deep breath, got up, washed up, and changed into clean clothes, trying his best not to look so disheveled.

“Here,” Huo Li said, walking into the room with two bowls of congee.

“Thank you,” he said. His limbs were still a little weak, but he still had the strength to drink congee. He took the bowl and spoon from Huo Li and obediently started to drink.

“Qingbao.”

Huo Li glanced at him, paused, and then asked, “Are you hiding something from me recently?”

“No…”

“Then what have you been thinking about recently?” Huo Li frowned. “What did you mean by what you said last night?”

“N-No…” he shook his head vigorously.

“Qingbao,” Huo Li said, tapping his nose. “I’m not going to be facing unemployment, am I? If there’s anything, you have to tell me, you know?”

He was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, “Let’s talk… after the competition is over, okay?”

Huo Li’s brows were tightly furrowed.

“Just, after the competition…” he put down his bowl, his hands fidgeting with the hem of his clothes. “I’ll tell Mr. Huo after the competition.”

“Alright.”

Huo Li lowered his gaze, constantly thinking about what had happened recently. Why has Chu Qing become so strange?

“By the way, Mr. Huo, um… I transferred the money yesterday,” he said cautiously. “Is it enough?”

“You…” Huo Li didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “You’re my sponsor, baby. Whatever you give is what it is.”

He opened his phone to check and was stunned.

It’s a lot.

No, this is… too much, isn’t it?

“Qingbao, where did you get the money?”

“It’s my savings,” he said.

“…” Huo Li frowned. “What are you giving me your savings for?”

He was sure that Chu Qing’s mentality was good now. Because he exercised regularly, he didn’t have episodes often and wouldn’t have any extreme emotions.

So could it be…

A breakup fee…?

“Qingbao, I think we need to talk,” Huo Li said, standing up sharply. “Come and tell me…”

“Mr. Huo…!” Chu Qing also interrupted. “Can we talk after the competition is over?”

“…”

“After the competition…” he almost pleaded.

Huo Li took a deep breath. “Alright.”

“Qingbao, I’m with you,” he said, helpless against the little one. He sat down again, word by word. “I’ll be with you from now on.”

He paused and nodded.

Next was the grand finale. The grand finale had a different significance, so there were no restrictions. The contestants could write whatever they wanted.

After breakfast, Huo Li took him back to the hotel.

After the contestants gathered, they began to draw lots. Then there was a long-awaited team-building recording activity, playing games together, and a dinner party in the evening. The whole day would be busy.

After dropping him off at the hotel, Huo Li received a call from Mr. Pan and left the hotel in the evening.

…

In a bar located in a corner of the city, although it was remote, it was still famous. At night, it was a mix of all kinds of people, and the crowd grew.

Huo Li, wearing a mask and a hat, pushed open the door of the private room and saw that it was already a mess inside.

“Hey! Ah Li, over here.”

Mr. Pan patted the empty seat next to him with a smile. “You’re late.”

On his other side sat a scantily clad beauty. There were other men and women in the room, and the table was covered with empty wine bottles and butts.

Huo Li also noticed a few boxes of Rush and shook his head helplessly.

These people.

“Yo, is this Mr. Huo?” sitting opposite Mr. Pan was a tall, thin, blond, blue-eyed foreign man. The man’s eye sockets were dark, and his cheekbones protruded, looking as if his kidneys were so deficient that he was about to die at any moment.

“Mr. Brian, hello. I’m Huo,” he said, and also sat down, shaking hands with him.

“Ah, mmm…” Brian had his arms around a man and a woman, not at all shy. He took a bag of powder from his pocket with a trembling hand and poured it into his wine glass, then tilted his head and gulped it down.

Seeing him like this, Huo Li frowned and looked at Mr. Pan.

They were in the underworld, but they never touched drugs. This stuff hurt people and oneself, and it would devour a person’s brain and soul. Not good.

Mr. Pan smiled and nodded.

It’s okay. Brian looks unreliable, but the person he found won’t be wrong.

“I’ve heard the situation. Z has contacted Huo Liao… ahem, they’ve teamed up,” Brian said with a smile, his lips curving weakly. “I have a project here. I can go and lure Huo Liao in.”

“Hmm?” Huo Li raised an eyebrow.

“Let him… jump in himself, and then I’ll let go. The rest, you guys, cough cough… take care of it yourselves,” Brian said, hugging the woman next to him and nuzzling her neck. “I’ll just be the bait.”

Mr. Pan also smiled. “So far, Brian’s project is the most suitable.”

…most suitable for messing with people.

At that time, when he and Z were on the hook, they would report the project to the US government, and someone would help them clean up the mess.

Huo Li nodded. “Thank you, Mr. Brian.”

“Oh, no thanks, no thanks… just give me a little more reward, and you can…” Brian smiled and handed him a wine glass.

He waved his hand and politely refused.

“Oh my, oh my… this wine has no drugs in it. What are you afraid of…”

He said with a blank expression, “The one at home doesn’t like me to drink.”

“…”

As soon as he said this, the whole room fell silent.

Mr. Pan covered his face helplessly. “This Ah Li, he’s embarrassing me today.”

The others burst into laughter, especially Brian, who was in disbelief.

At this moment, Huo Li was surrounded by a scene of debauchery, the lights were dim, the noise and sex were layered, and men and women were playing together.

And Huo Li was sitting in the middle like a rock, his expression serious, his clothes neat, as if he were here for a meeting.

“I’ve heard for a long time that Mr. Huo never gets involved in these things. This life is too boring,” Brian said, shaking his head with a smile.

He said nothing and went back after finishing his discussion with Brian.

In the car, he sniffed his shirt. It was full of the smell of alcohol and perfume, very ambiguous, as if he had just done something bad.

Hiss.

Fortunately, Chu Qing was not at the hotel when he got back, so he didn’t have to explain and went straight to take a shower and change his clothes.

…

After the dinner party, just as Chu Qing was about to go back to his room, he was stopped by Jiao Changxu.

“Teacher Chu, I have something to tell you.”

There were no cameras around. He had stopped him in the hallway. Chu Qing frowned slightly. “What?”

“There’s something that Teacher Chu might not know yet, right?” he said, his tone as gentle as ever.

“?”

He smiled. “I know your relationship with your bodyguard is not ordinary, but… he’s much more complicated than you think.”

“…”

He handed him his phone.

“My friend works at ‘Nightscape.’ This is what he just took.”

On the phone screen was a blurry photo, but Chu Qing could still recognize the side of Huo Li’s face.

He was wearing a mask and was heading towards a private room.

“Do you know who’s in the private room?” he said, shaking his head. “It’s Mr. Pan from the US.”

He didn’t know what his motive was for coming to see him. As soon as he received the photo, he had eagerly come to show him.

He looked at the photo silently, with no reaction.

“Mr. Pan… is an economic magnate in the US. On the surface, he’s in the stock market and software companies, but he’s the head of Panda. Everyone knows that.”

He smiled. “Panda is an urban legend in the US. It’s said to be a company founded by a Chinese person in the US, and it’s also the most powerful group in the underworld. It doesn’t follow the usual legal channels, but it’s protected by people in high places, so it’s legitimate…”

“I know all this,” he said, his gaze slightly lowered.

He paused. “I came to remind Teacher Chu that your bodyguard is not simple. Bed-climbing is not a big mistake, but… this gentleman is not easy to provoke. What if you get involved in trouble and it affects you?”

He smiled. “I’m just worried about your safety.”

“Teacher Jiao.”

He looked up. “Please delete this photo immediately.”

“Ah…?”

His voice was a little cold, his gaze sharp. “Delete it immediately. I don’t want this photo to be spread around.”

“You…” he was a little surprised.

“If I see this photo anywhere else, Teacher Jiao… although I have no power or influence, I at least have Starry Sky behind me. We can still perish together,” he said, his words getting colder and colder.

Perhaps because he had been with Huo Li for a long time, he had naturally learned that imposing manner without being angry. His face was clearly expressionless, but it could make people feel oppressed.

“…”

This made him feel like a clown who was eager to perform, showing off in front of him.

He repeated, “Can you delete it?”

The smile on his face also disappeared, and he silently deleted the photo.

“Thank you,” he nodded and turned to leave.

…

When he returned to his room, Huo Li was still in the shower.

He took his clothes, which were hanging by the door, and was about to throw them into the washing machine, but he frowned slightly.

The clothes were full of the smell of alcohol and perfume.

This…

He held the pile of clothes and was stunned.

Right.

Jiao Changxu had just shown him the photo.

He was silent, not knowing what he was thinking.

“Qingbao, you’re back… um,” he said.

Just then, Huo Li also finished his shower. As soon as he pushed the door open, he saw him holding his clothes in a daze. His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly said, “Qingbao, I did go to a bar, but I wasn’t there to play.”

He chose to confess.

“Mmm…” he lowered his head.

“Really,” he said, not even bothering to dry his hair. He put his arm around his shoulder and sat down on the side, explaining in a logical manner, “I’m bankrupt, you know that. I was there to discuss a project with other bosses. I didn’t drink, and I didn’t touch anyone. I swear.”

“Ah…” he lowered his gaze. “With Mr. Pan?”

Huo Li was stunned. He hadn’t expected him to know.

He was extremely annoyed. It was all his fault for not telling him before he went. Now he didn’t know how he had suddenly found out so much. He hoped he hadn’t misunderstood.

He met his surprised gaze and said in a low voice, “Did Mr. Huo go to find someone else?”

Huo Li came back to his senses and raised his hand. “I swear, I was really just there to discuss a project. Mr. Pan is also one of the project partners.”

He said nothing more.

He was always calm and gentle, which made Huo Li feel that something was wrong.

“Qingbao, I didn’t find anyone else. I only have you,” he said, taking his hand, his voice gentle. “My sponsor is so beautiful and has so much money. Why would I need to find someone else?”

He lowered his head. “No matter how hard I try, I’m not as amazing as Mr. Pan.”

“No, listen to me,” Huo Li said, taking a deep breath and deciding to confess. “Mr. Pan is my…”

He’s my sworn brother! The kind who has drunk sworn brotherhood wine.

“I clearly worked so hard…!”

Whoosh—

Before he could finish, he saw him pounce on him.

He wrapped his arms around his neck. “Mr. Huo promised me that he wouldn’t find anyone else!”

Now he was completely petrified.

This…

He’s angry.

He looked at him in disbelief. He’s… angry?!

At that moment, he was in… ecstasy.

He had never seen him like this before.

On the sofa, he hugged him and pressed down on him from above. “Mr. Huo said it. Mr. Huo promised me.”

“…Yes,” he was so happy and excited that he had a hard time finding his voice. He put his hand on his waist, his voice hoarse. “Right.”

But the next moment, he couldn’t be happy anymore. He saw his eyes turn red, and he sobbed, “Mr. Huo didn’t keep his promise.”

“No, I…”

“Mr. Huo is mine,” he suddenly leaned over and hugged him, saying stubbornly, “Mr. Huo is mine.”

“…” he stared with wide eyes.

He hugged him, but then suddenly came back to his senses.

He wanted to possess him.

This…

No, wait, I had clearly made up my mind to…

It’s over. What am I doing.

Ah… what’s going on.

No, wait, it’s a mess.

He let go of him as if he had been electrocuted. “I… I…”

This is not right.

“Anyway, anyway, that’s how it is. I… I’m going to the practice room.”

He jumped off the sofa and turned to run away in a fluster.

Fleeing in panic.

Huo Li lay flat on the sofa, stunned, thinking he was in a dream.

…Fck.*