Chapter 49 p1
Zhong Yuxiao discovered that Xi Shi was gone two days later. He deliberately gave the other man some time to cool off, waiting for him to contact him first. He didn’t go to the hotel where Xi Shi had stayed to wait for him.
At nine o’clock that night, the central booth at Amore was still empty.
Xi Shi hadn’t shown up at the bar for the past few days. At first, Zhong Yuxiao thought he was tending to his “flower”. After all, chrysanthemums were delicate flowers that had just bloomed and needed to be nurtured to continue blooming.
“Where’s your boyfriend?” Xu Linfeng’s gossip was burning brightly. “Did you do it too hard, scaring him away?”
A possibility that he hadn’t considered before floated into his mind, and Zhong Yuxiao’s expression immediately changed.
He didn’t think that Xi Shi was the type to run away. When he had been drunk and out of his mind, he had still cursed at him, and seemed like he wanted to take a bite out of him. How could he have swallowed his pride and left without a word?
But other than leaving, it seemed there was no other explanation for the situation.
Zhong Yuxiao said nothing and left the bar. He directly took a taxi to the hotel, and after asking the front desk and learning that Xi Shi had checked out two days ago, Zhong Yuxiao could no longer maintain his calm. His expression turned grim.
So, he had just run away.
They had only had sex once and dated for two days. Zhong Yuxiao didn’t have any obsession with Xi Shi, but he couldn’t accept that the other man had run away without telling him.
They hadn’t even broken up. Was it appropriate to leave without saying goodbye?
Xi Shi knew it wasn’t appropriate. As soon as he boarded the plane, he started to regret it. He had run away because he was afraid of Zhong Yuxiao, but when he felt a throbbing pain in his private parts, he was even more determined to run away.
Zhong Yuxiao was a pervert!
Zhong Yuxiao was a trained fighter. He had dislocated his arms, and Xi Shi had no chance of topping him. If they continued, he would be the one to suffer.
It was better to be a coward. He would forget about this, and he would continue to be a playboy and the top of Lincheng.
Xi Shi rubbed his aching waist, feeling sorry for himself. Meeting Zhong Yuxiao at the age of twenty-nine was definitely a hurdle in his life.
When he got back to his residence, he saw the housekeeper that Xi Chongyang had sent to pick him up. Xi Shi suddenly remembered something – the marriage alliance.
He had run overseas impulsively, and ended up getting topped, all because of the marriage alliance that his grandfather was planning with the Zhong family.
His vacation had been too effective, and he had forgotten all about it.
The housekeeper smiled. “Young Master, Sir wants you to go back to try on the clothes. Second Young Master Zhong will be back at the end of the month, and the elders of both families will arrange a meeting.”
Xi Shi: “…”
The best way to forget one problem was to create an even bigger one. Thanks to Night, he now felt that the Zhong family’s second young master, whom he had never met, was a bit more amiable. At least he wouldn’t be a pervert like Zhong Yuxiao and try to top him.
“Since it’s an arranged marriage, is there a need to meet?” Xi Shi laughed at himself. “Why don’t we just skip the meeting and get married? There was arranged marriage in ancient times, and now there’s forced marriage by the elders.”
The housekeeper said gently, “Okay, I will inform Sir of your request when we get back.”
It was like punching cotton. Xi Shi was half-angry and turned around to close the door.
The housekeeper smiled kindly. He had been working for the Xi family for decades, and had watched Xi Shi grow up. He looked at him like he would look at a junior in the family.
The housekeeper put his hand on the door, stopping him. “Young Master, the clothes.”
Xi Shi didn’t want to make things difficult for him. He reluctantly frowned. “I didn’t sleep well last night and just got off the plane. I want to rest for a bit. I’ll try on the clothes tomorrow… no, in two days.”
A blind date and a marriage wouldn’t be the end of the world. He had just experienced the most unimaginable thing, and a marriage alliance was nothing to him now.
Was it possible for a blind date to be more embarrassing than getting topped after trying to top someone else?
As it turned out, it was possible.
Xi Shi looked at the man sitting in front of him, his expression slowly cracking. He felt that the body and mind he had just recovered in the past two weeks were starting to ache again.
Zhong Yuxiao was also surprised. “You’re Xi Shi?”
He had finished his courses overseas, and when he returned, he learned about the blind date from his parents. Zhong Yuxiao was amused. Did he still need a blind date?
“It was Mr. Xi from your family who contacted us first. Do you remember Aunt Xi Yue? Your blind date is her son, Xi Shi.”
Zhong Mu sighed. Time had not left too many marks on her face, but her best friend’s unfortunate experience was a thorn in her heart, a wound that would ache when touched.
Zhong Yuxiao didn’t have a deep impression of Xi Yue, but he knew that she had saved him before.
“Just meet once. If it’s not a good match, then we’ll let it be.”
So Zhong Yuxiao came.
How could he not have guessed that Xi Shi was little Apollo, his boyfriend who had left without saying goodbye?
Zhong Yuxiao quickly collected his emotions. He ordered a cup of coffee. “So we meet again, Apollo.”
That familiar name immediately brought Xi Shi back to his time in KTV, the music playing on repeat, the ambiguous banter, the impromptu date, and the impulsive decision to start a relationship.
Xi Shi’s body felt numb, and his arms were aching.
He had wanted to avoid Zhong Yuxiao, but when Zhong Yuxiao appeared in front of him, Xi Shi suddenly realized that the feeling Zhong Yuxiao gave him was like something that had been etched into his subconscious. Every time he thought about it, he couldn’t help but feel…
Forget about revenge.
Zhong Yuxiao seemed to see his thoughts and sneered. “Try running away again.”
By some twist of fate, the sun had returned to him again. He certainly wouldn’t let Xi Shi run away.
“Who said I wanted to run away?” Xi Shi pursed his lips, his expression unpleasant. “How could you be Second Young Master Zhong?”
The Zhong Second Master that Xi Chongyang spoke of was a model student, with excellent grades, the typical “good kid”.
But Night, whom he knew, was a regular at bars, a seasoned player, a top who was famous in the KTV Chinese gay scene.
How could they be the same person?
Xi Shi suspected that God was messing with him.
“Zhong Yuxiao, as real as it gets.” Zhong Yuxiao took out his ID card. “Night is my English name. I didn’t expect we would be so fated.”
“…”
This was definitely a bad fate!
Xi Shi wanted to leave, but he couldn’t. He wanted to get revenge, but he couldn’t beat Zhong Yuxiao. He was too embarrassed to even look at him.
Zhong Yuxiao was much more relaxed. He took a sip of his coffee. “Boyfriend, don’t you have something to explain to me?”
That name immediately drew them back into a relationship.
“I left you my contact information. Why didn’t you call me?” Zhong Yuxiao’s gaze was sharp, his golden eyes filled with lingering resentment. “Is leaving without a word how you treat your boyfriend?”
At the very least, he should have said something, even if it was goodbye.
“Why should I call you?” Xi Shi was furious. “I haven’t even settled the score with you for lying to me.”
He, a dignified top, had been topped and, what’s worse, Zhong Yuxiao had been so outrageous, making him worry for days.
Because he was embarrassed, he hadn’t even gone to the doctor, and was worried every day about whether he had been damaged.
The more Xi Shi thought about it, the angrier he became. What right did Zhong Yuxiao have to question him?
“Where did I lie to you?” Zhong Yuxiao said seriously. “I warned you from the beginning that I was only a top. You were the one who said ‘let the best man win’. If you could top me, would you have stopped because I was a top?”
Xi Shi was speechless. He really wouldn’t have stopped.
“Xi Shi, you just didn’t top me, so you can’t accept it, and you’re taking it out on me.” Zhong Yuxiao revealed a hurt expression at the right time, his golden eyes seeming to hold endless grievance. “What did I do wrong?”
Xi Shi thought about it and, it did seem to be the case. “Then we’re even.”
“Even?” Zhong Yuxiao looked at him amused. “Do you remember why we’re meeting today?”
For a blind date…
Xi Shi was speechless.
Xi Chongyang had already discussed marriage with the Zhong family. Today’s blind date was just a formality. If you really wanted to put it that way, Zhong Yuxiao could be considered his fiancé.
What had happened in KTV could be even, but now, they were entangled even more deeply, like the lock hanging on Sunrise Bridge, for eternity.
Zhong Yuxiao’s tone was almost cheerful. “I’m afraid we can’t be even.”
Xi Shi’s vision darkened, as if he could already see his miserable marriage life with an aching back and sore legs.
He was still full of confidence, planning to persuade Zhong Er to oppose the arranged marriage with him, and even if they had to get married, they could at least make a pact, and not interfere with each other.
But after learning that Zhong Er was Night, Xi Shi knew that his plan had failed.
God wasn’t messing with him, God was trying to mess him up.
Zhong Yuxiao picked up the document on the table, the one Xi Shi had brought, which listed all the ridiculous things Xi Shi had done over the years, all evidence that he wasn’t suitable to be a partner.
At the end of the document was a fake marriage contract.
Zhong Yuxiao curled his lips. “Apollo, you’re even more playful than I thought.”
Xi Shi was still immersed in his tragic fantasy of the future. He looked up blankly, seeing Zhong Yuxiao sign his name on the contract.
Zhong Yuxiao pushed the contract over. “Is there anything else you need to add?”
Xi Shi was stunned. He hadn’t thought that he would agree to a fake marriage. “Why?”
“Because I also think that arranged marriages are not good. It’s better to have a relationship based on freedom.” Zhong Yuxiao looked at him with a smile, but then his tone changed. “Boyfriend, don’t you think so?”
Xi Shi: “…”
In the end, this man wanted to have a “marriage before love” relationship.
Damn, he was a pervert!
The blind date went smoothly. Before long, with the elders’ encouragement, they got their marriage certificate.
On the wedding day, Xu Linfeng came back from overseas to attend.
“Night, are you really getting married? What about Apollo?”
After realizing Xi Shi had left without a word, Zhong Yuxiao had spent some time looking for him. Xu Linfeng had seen it. Zhong Yuxiao’s feelings for Apollo were more than just for fun, there was a hint of sincerity.
Maybe not much, but it was there.
For Zhong Yuxiao, that little bit of thought was already extremely rare.
“Apollo?”
Zhong Yuxiao paused. He and Xi Shi hadn’t seen each other since the blind date. He had heard that Xi Shi had been staying at the old Xi residence, ostensibly to accompany Xi Chongyang, but in reality, the young master was under house arrest by his grandfather.
He was afraid Xi Shi would run away again.
Therefore, Xu Linfeng hadn’t seen Xi Shi and didn’t know that he was the Apollo he had been gossiping about.
“Yeah, that’s your boyfriend. Weren’t you going to find him and top him?”
The door was pushed open abruptly, and Zhong Yuxiao and Xu Linfeng looked over at the same time. Xi Shi was standing at the door, his expression unpleasant. He had clearly heard what Xu Linfeng had just said.
“Apollo, why are you here?!” Xu Linfeng was shocked.
How did he not know that Zhong Yuxiao had found the other man? When did he miss such a shocking piece of gossip?!
“Are you here to steal the groom?” Xu Linfeng imagined a melodramatic scene.
Xi Shi’s lips twitched. “You don’t seem very smart, you’re really not very smart.”
He looked at Zhong Yuxiao. “How can you have such a stupid friend?”
Xu Linfeng: “…”
Zhong Yuxiao ignored Xu Linfeng and nodded in agreement. “We should care for the mentally challenged. Consider it my good deed for the day.”
Xu Linfeng was furious. “Night, you’re about to get married. You should break ties with him.”
If the Xi family found out, wouldn’t that be the end of it?
