Chapter 19

What was this dry, parched feeling in his mouth?

Qi Jing hadn’t quite figured it out when Bo Chengyan reached out to pour him a glass of water and beckoned him over with a casual wave. “Come here.”

The man was perched on the edge of the desk, his posture relaxed as he leaned back against the chair, gazing up at Qi Jing with lifted eyes.

Qi Jing stared at the glass of water. Was this just simple thirst?

The young man stood by the desk lamp, cradling the cup as he drank. A small red mole nestled in the hollow of his collarbone, peeking out faintly. Above it stretched a stretch of snow-white neck, marked by a subtle, protruding Adam’s apple.

It bobbed gently with each swallow.

Bo Chengyan watched for a moment. He remembered the first time he’d brought Qi Jing back—the boy’s Adam’s apple had been barely noticeable back then. He hadn’t spoken much, always a bit reserved and stiff.

“I’m done drinking.”

Qi Jing spoke on instinct, and the empty cup was swiftly taken from his hand and set back on the desk.

Truth be told, the Old Estate didn’t come equipped with desks like this. Bo Chengyan had simply made a habit of providing one for him, even going so far as to stock it without fetching a single book.

It was as if some ingrained cultural notion demanded it: a child’s bedroom simply had to have a desk.

“What did she say to you today?” Bo Chengyan looked up and asked. The whole business of hearing heart voices was too outlandish—it might frighten the boy. Better to just ask him outright.

Qi Jing still hadn’t fully snapped out of his daze. He stared at Bo Chengyan’s prominent brow bone and mumbled dully, “Nothing…”

Bo Chengyan’s brows furrowed ever so slightly. Was he not going to get anything out of him?

But the next moment—

“She said I’m your little wife.”

Qi Jing took a few steps forward, positioning himself right by the armrest of the chair. He looked perfectly obedient.

“Why are you just standing there? Go sit on the edge of the bed.”

Bo Chengyan had just started to reach out to guide him over when Qi Jing suddenly grabbed his fingers. His expression was deadly serious.

“Am… am I?”

The young man’s heart pounded wildly in his chest. His mind was a blank whirl, and he bit down on his lower lip.

Tsk.

“No.”

Qi Jing’s throat instantly felt clogged. His eyes went wide and vacant, and his fingers slipped away from Bo Chengyan’s grasp.

Was that hurt in his eyes?

It was hard to tell.

“I…”

His wrist was seized in return and yanked forward until he was right in front of Bo Chengyan, positioned like a doll.

The man gripped Qi Jing’s wrist firmly and repeated, “No.”

Tears welled up in Qi Jing’s eyes, threatening to spill over.

“There hasn’t been time to explain this to you before. Back when I brought you home, there were all sorts of rumors floating around outside. I didn’t bother shutting them down because…”

Bo Chengyan had no intention of putting on a false front for Qi Jing. He spoke frankly. “In a way, I used you. Having you by my side kept others from trying to push people onto me, and it kept the Old Estate from meddling in my marriage prospects.”

“Marriage?”

“Yes. I’m twenty-nine now. The outside world has its eyes on that.”

“You… you don’t want me anymore…”

Qi Jing couldn’t follow all the intricate logic. He’d been studying for two years now, trying to solidify his place. He was a goldfinch, after all.

His throat felt tight and stuffy. He couldn’t get any more words out.

“No.”

“Little Jing, listen to me. I’ve nipped those sugar-daddy rumors in the bud at the source. Remember this—you’re not my goldfinch.”

Qi Jing burst into tears right then and there. The rims of his eyes flushed a vivid red, like ink bleeding across paper.

Bo Chengyan’s brow twitched. His hand tightened involuntarily, and he tugged Qi Jing even closer.

The young man wobbled unsteadily on his feet, his nose tip turning pink from crying.

“I… I get it…”

Bo Chengyan frowned and tried to soothe him. “Little Jing, listen. Being a goldfinch isn’t some enviable role.”

“Your household registration is here at the Old Estate—Macau residency. I won’t touch it until you’re heading to university.”

“Once you’re settled here, get familiar with the Joint Recruitment Exam. Worst case, I’ll pull strings to get you into a local Macau school and fast-track you to the mainland…”

“Then when you’re studying in the Capital City, I’ll figure out how to transfer your household registration under my name. Sound good?”

It was like gentle coaxing.

But Qi Jing wasn’t listening at all.

He cried heartbreakingly, nodding along without a word, his lips caught perpetually between his teeth.

Until his wrist was yanked once more. Bo Chengyan lifted him onto his lap and pried open Qi Jing’s mouth with his fingers, his thumb nudging the boy’s teeth apart.

“Don’t bite.” His tone wasn’t particularly gentle.

For once, Qi Jing squirmed to get down. His hands pushed instinctively against Bo Chengyan’s chest, but they were neatly pinned in one of the man’s hands.

It felt like a shackle.

Bad habits were hard to break.

Bo Chengyan pinched the nape of Qi Jing’s neck. The boy shook his head frantically. “I… I won’t bite anymore…”

His lips had been rubbed raw and red.

He had no idea how he fell asleep that night. Qi Jing cried the whole time, and not even half an hour later, he spiked a fever.

Bo Chengyan stayed by his side all night, nursing him. He brushed the hair back from Qi Jing’s forehead and wiped away the sweat.

An emotional fever. It was a first.

Qi Jing was dreaming.

In his dream, 996 notified him coldly: 【Detection: You are no longer a goldfinch. Deportation to your original world in three seconds.】

A kaleidoscope of bizarre scenes flashed by.

No, no… There were still more than twenty days left…

Qi Jing thought he was about to be erased. When he woke in the morning, he stared blankly at his own fingers for a moment.

He was still alive.

996 sat primly on the edge of the bed, its beady eyes peering at Qi Jing with curiosity. 【What’s wrong? I went and checked on Ruan Heng’s information.】

Qi Jing scooped up 996 with one hand and grabbed a decorative mirror from the desk. He checked his reflection—his eyes were swollen from crying.

His voice came out hoarse.

“I thought I was going to die.”

“He told me himself. He said I’m not a goldfinch anymore.”

“What do I do?”

996 froze. It was a major issue, but it quickly pinpointed the crux.

【You’re crying over that?】

Qi Jing nodded, frantic. “What now? I haven’t even gotten into undergrad yet.”

So innocent.

996 waved its little hand grandly. 【Don’t worry too much. Aren’t you fine right now? Bo Chengyan still only has you by his side—no real change. The world line won’t detect it.】

【After your exams, head to Harbor City! I already talked to my host. He’ll take you in.】

Qi Jing’s mood steadied a bit. He rubbed at his face and asked curiously, “That super handsome guy?”

996 nodded smugly.

【Of course!】

Realizing he wasn’t dead after all, Qi Jing let out a huge sigh of relief. As long as he could hold on a little longer…

His spirits lifted, and the fever broke right away.

The only problem was, he couldn’t find Bo Chengyan anywhere.

~~~

“What? You just laid it all out for him like that? Way too abrupt.” Lin Se had flown in from the Capital City, originally hunting for some high-quality herbs, but he’d heard this bombshell first.

The man on the other end sounded thoroughly irritated, his voice icy. “What else was I supposed to do? He’s still just a kid. Letting those rumors fester—wasn’t that just harming him?”

Simply denying the boy’s identity had sent him into tears, followed by a fever.

Bo Chengyan was caught off guard, honestly. He’d never imagined a teenager could develop such raw, unfiltered emotions.

To be depended on so completely, so wholeheartedly…

Truth be told, it was addicting.

“But he hasn’t even started university yet. What’s the rush? Once Little Jing gets to college and meets people his own age—young, full of energy—his attention will shift naturally.”

Lin Se saw it as straightforward. In relationships with a big age gap, as long as the older one had patience and morals, giving the younger one room to grow and freedom…

Everything would sort itself out.

“Just let Little Jing date a few people.”

Bo Chengyan’s brows knit together, his lips pressing into a thin line. He said nothing.

“You’re rushing to strip away the identity he could define himself by, but you haven’t given him a new one that makes him feel secure. He’s young—it’s normal for him to fall apart.”

Lin Se paused, then added, “A lot of his feelings toward you are just worship of authority. Most of the time, there’s nothing deeper.”

“Is Little Jing gay? Does he watch that stuff because of you, or did he seek it out on his own?”

Bo Chengyan’s dangling fingers twitched faintly.

Boiled down, it all meant one thing.

“You’re saying he doesn’t actually like me.”

Lin Se waved it off with a mild smile. “I didn’t say that. Physical adulthood doesn’t mean psychological maturity—otherwise, how do you explain all those mama’s boys out there?”

“I’m saying a gentler approach might work better.”

The young man in the white coat leaned against the workbench where he prepared his herbal medicines, propping his chin on one hand as he offered his earnest suggestion. “You should guide him to figure out his own orientation, and what his body actually responds to.”

It was around two in the afternoon.

Qi Jing tilted his head back to eye the thermometer clutched in Bo Chengyan’s hand. The man frowned at it for a couple of seconds.

“Still feverish?”

“It’s better now.”

Their gazes locked for a beat.

There was a knock at the door. Qi Jing glanced at Bo Chengyan out of habit first, then—as if he’d learned the cue—called out softly, “Come in.”

It was the doctor.

Lin Se was dressed casually, his beige jacket making him look especially youthful. He carried a slim briefcase and bent down to greet Qi Jing with a wave.

“Hey there, Little Jing.”

Qi Jing was sitting in a chair and started to rise, but Bo Chengyan was leaning against the desk, blocking off a huge swath of space around him.

“Hi.” His voice still carried a faint rasp.

A lingering effect of the fever.

Lin Se straightened up and cleared his throat a few times, all business. “Hey, hey—you head out first. Your being here will mess with his judgment.”

Qi Jing didn’t quite follow. He looked up at the man beside him like a bewildered little animal.

Bo Chengyan didn’t budge at first.

Until the young man opposite shrugged and waved a hand, his gaze signaling for him to look to the right.

The teenager was gazing at him, utterly focused.

“…”

Bo Chengyan seemed to furrow his brow slightly, a helpless expression crossing his face as he reached out and turned the boy’s head back around.

“Lin Se, you’ve met him plenty of times before, right? He’s been missing you a little and wants to have a chat. Is that okay?”

Qi Jing nodded, though he didn’t quite understand. Still, he said, “Sure.”

Bo Chengyan stood and left the room.

Lin Se watched in disbelief as the kid’s eyes locked on like a homing missile, practically glued to the other man.

“Ahem…”

The door clicked shut softly behind him.

Qi Jing sat in the chair, shifting his gaze to the doctor. In a warm voice, he said, “Hello.”

Lin Se took in the room. The windows were large and filled with light, and outside stood a flamboyant tree in full bloom.

It was the sunniest room on the second floor, facing the garden directly for maximum privacy and space.

He had certainly put thought into the choice.

Lin Se arched a brow faintly but said nothing. Instead, he pulled out a stack of photos.

In a very gentle tone, he said to the boy, “Little Jing, how about we play an interesting game?”