Chapter 42

The rain was still pattering down steadily.

It was the first time Qi Jing had laid eyes on the man everyone called Chen Zhuo.

Perhaps due to preconceived notions, he’d imagined this person as some thuggish delinquent who did all sorts of evil deeds—ugly and utterly repulsive, no doubt.

But that wasn’t the case at all.

The man actually had a rather scholarly air about him. At first glance, he looked every bit the promising young talent.

“You’re Chen Zhuo?”

Qi Jing took a step back, positioning himself to shield Jiang Xiuyuan. There was something oddly childish about the gesture.

The young man behind him seemed to daze for a moment, then reached out to grab the boy’s hand and pulled him back.

Their positions swapped again.

Chen Zhuo: “…”

“What are you doing here?” Jiang Xiuyuan asked, pulling his wrist back slightly. His tone wasn’t exactly icy, but it held no warmth either.

“Can’t I come? Once your family matters are sorted, come back with me.”

Chen Zhuo might have looked refined, but his actions were anything but. The young man in front of him instinctively frowned.

“I’m not going back to the Capital City.”

Jiang Xiuyuan figured he’d long since abandoned any lingering attachments. He’d gone to the Capital City as a teenager and lived like neither man nor ghost.

He was filthy enough as it was.

Better to stay in his hometown.

He took a deep breath and said earnestly, “Young Master Chen, I appreciate you handling my family issues, but can you just let me go?”

“I never got into that kind of thing anyway.”

“I’ll pay you back. I-I’ll repay you.”

The young man kept his head bowed, his lips nearly frozen white.

He’d already cast his pride aside.

Can you just let me go…

“Can you even afford to pay it back?”

The other’s tone was calm, laced with a hint of sarcasm.

Jiang Xiuyuan felt a chill seep through his entire body. His ears rang in waves, and he could barely stand steady.

But right at that critical moment…

“I’ll pay it for him.”

The heavy gloom lifted like dark clouds parting.

—Money could make more money, but at its core, it was just a tool. There were many things it couldn’t buy, and excessive materialism wasn’t admirable.

—Yet in society, money could solve a lot of problems. Whether you used it for yourself or to help others, that was your freedom.

Those were Bo Chengyan’s words to him on the day Qi Jing had received Jiang Xiuyuan’s message—the day he’d wanted to go deliver that one million.

Confidence was something built up bit by bit.

Qi Jing was thoroughly displeased.

Jiang Xiuyuan froze for a second, then tugged at the boy’s elbow and whispered, “No need.”

“Don’t speak,” the boy murmured, patting the back of the man’s hand reassuringly.

The scene hung in a bizarre tension.

“…”

Chen Zhuo closed his eyes briefly, glanced at Qi Jing, then said nothing as he turned to gaze at the rain in the courtyard.

It lasted maybe a second or two.

He still couldn’t hold back.

“Seriously, why do you have such a huge prejudice against me?”

“Lin Se, right? I heard you think pretty highly of him?”

“Why?”

Qi Jing blinked, caught off guard by the sudden topic shift, his mind blank.

Chen Zhuo seemed genuinely pissed off, a wicked glint in his eye as he said, “You hate me so much, but Bo Chengyan and I are so close. He can’t be anything good either.”

“Chen Zhuo!”

“Right here.”

The first voice was furious; the second, rather nonchalant.

Caught between the two men, Qi Jing felt a bit out of place, vaguely sensing he was in the way.

He thought for a moment, then explained sincerely, “I don’t have that big a prejudice against you.”

Chen Zhuo arched a brow and looked over.

Qi Jing pursed his lips, clearly troubled. “It’s just that what you did was wrong from the start. Domestic violence.”

“That’s against the law…”

Chen Zhuo went still. “Wait, when did I ever—”

An awkward silence fell.

Just then, a sleek black car pulled up through the rain curtain, stopping right at the warehouse entrance.

Qi Jing, clad in a yellow raincoat, couldn’t help lifting his gaze. A man stepped out from the vehicle, shooting Chen Zhuo a look.

“What are you doing here?”

The voice was low and tinged with displeasure.

“I didn’t say much.”

Qi Jing instinctively stepped forward. Bo Chengyan took his hand—it was cold—and asked mildly, “Tired?”

The boy shook his head and naturally clasped the hand in return.

“Say goodbye to your friend. Time to eat.”

Jiang Xiuyuan felt a twinge of discomfort for an instant. Was he a friend?

He couldn’t even bring himself to look that way.

“I’ll come back this afternoon, then. Heading back to the hotel first?”

Qi Jing waved generously.

“Mm-hmm.”

“See you.”

Jiang Xiuyuan’s heart was actually racing. He tried to maintain his composure until the man beside him said politely, “Thanks for looking after him.”

The gaze was distant, but equal.

Jiang Xiuyuan waved his hands hastily. “No, no, Little Jing’s great. Just great.”

They’re all great.

The car slowly drove off, leaving the young man staring after it in a daze.

“If you really hate me that much,”

“I can leave.”

“But you can’t stay in Z Province. Pick anywhere else you like.”

~~~

Once Qi Jing got in the car, he shrugged off his raincoat and wilted into Bo Chengyan’s arms, ready to sleep right then and there.

He always got sleepy the moment he sat down in a car—just like back in high school.

It was about a ten-minute drive.

The rain still fell outside. When the door opened, a cold gust slipped in. Qi Jing vaguely heard Bo Chengyan speaking to the driver.

Only when an arm slid under his armpit did he crack his eyes open. “Is there someone outside?”

[If not, I’m not getting out.]

Bo Chengyan scooped him up effortlessly, held the umbrella with one hand, and shut the car door.

“Two fifty in the afternoon. Thanks for the hard work.”

The patter of rain on the umbrella echoed as Qi Jing rested against his shoulder, arms wrapping around him again.

The driver seemed to acknowledge it, confirmed the schedule, and then drove off slowly.

“No one’s here.”

But the boy in his arms insisted on getting down, looking sheepish.

In the dim light of the overcast sky, Qi Jing’s neck gleamed especially pale. When he tilted his head up, it was hard not to get lost in the sight.

“You can’t keep carrying me like this. I’ve realized sometimes I don’t even want to walk.”

The boy said it with utmost seriousness.

Bo Chengyan merely lowered his gaze to circle the boy’s slender wrist, heading for the elevator as he murmured, “Mm.”

[Bad, bad.]

[Good thing 996 isn’t here right now…]

Bo Chengyan paused mid-step. The boy behind him wasn’t watching where he was going and nearly bumped into him—only for his chin to be gently lifted.

Guided closer.

“What’re you thinking about?”

A straightforward probe, no frills.

Qi Jing pursed his lips and reached up to try prying the hand away, but it wouldn’t budge. Baffled, he just let his head’s full weight rest against it.

“Nothing.”

His eyes flicked upward, the picture of someone spouting nonsense.

[Why does he always ask me that? I’m thinking one, two, three, four, five, six, seven…]

Bo Chengyan tugged the wrist lightly, grasping the boy’s slim arm. He had a rough guess now.

So that’s it. When that thing’s gone,

he can hear it.

It had been one o’clock when they’d finished lunch. Qi Jing was about to nap when he’d learned they were leaving tomorrow.

“Already done? That fast?”

He’d only arrived in Z Province yesterday. He hadn’t even participated much in the relief efforts, and now they were leaving?

Bo Chengyan asked impassively, “Didn’t you help out today?”

That was enough.

He could let Qi Jing experience life, but there was no need to drag it out. The mud and filth outside would only soil his clothes.

“True.”

Qi Jing didn’t dwell on it. Then something occurred to him, and he looked up. “But aren’t you on a business trip? Finishing this quick too? Doesn’t the Foundation have a ton of work here?”

“It’s fine.”

Bo Chengyan sat on the edge of the bed as always. Qi Jing’s sleepshirt was buttoned haphazardly. He tilted his head.

“Then why bring me along?”

If the Foundation’s matters were so simple they could head back in two days, why bring him?

A flicker of surprise crossed Bo Chengyan’s mind.

He had to admit, he’d never used any elaborate schemes with Qi Jing. It was all too straightforward, leaving natural gaps.

“Because I wanted to.”

He couldn’t let anyone know even a scrap about his “parents.”

Qi Jing’s neck flushed red in an instant. He mumbled, “Oh.”

[You’re so clingy.]

“Yes.”

~~~

By afternoon, the rain had mostly stopped, and even the sun peeked out—a rare sight. Many folks from the factory sheds headed home to check things out.

Some to see if any valuables were left behind, others to clean the muck from their doorsteps.

Bo Chengyan spotted the location ping shift during the banquet and frowned as he made a call.

“Mm… what’s up?”

The voice on the other end was soft and warm, with some background noise from a crowd. He was somewhere unfamiliar.

“Where are you?”

The conversation started oddly—no one asked about things they already knew.

But the boy didn’t mind, chattering excitedly instead. “The sun came out, so I went with the group to the village. Some houses collapsed here…”

“Jiang Xiuyuan said his hometown’s nearby, so I…”

Bo Chengyan endured it, listening until the boy finished. In the end, he only said, “Wear your mask. Don’t touch anything in the disaster zone houses.”

“I’ll pick you up at four? Sound good?”

The voice on the other end of the phone hesitated for a moment before asking in bewilderment, “Why is it even earlier this time?”

Bo Chengyan was just about to explain.

“Alright then, I won’t chat with you anymore. I can’t afford to waste time—I’ve got to go help out more.”

“Bye-bye.”

The call disconnected.

Bo Chengyan glanced at his phone screen as a strange emotion welled up inside him. He felt like he was losing control.

Why run around like that?

He rubbed his brow and dialed the number for a Foundation staffer. The line connected almost immediately.

“Has the disinfection work started in Lin Village?”

“Make it top priority.”

“And don’t forget to distribute masks to the staff.”

~~~

Food and furniture that had been washed by the rainwater needed to be replaced entirely, since they could harbor all sorts of germs.

After every great disaster comes plague.

There was wisdom in the words of the ancients.

Qi Jing had already spotted medical personnel over at the factory warehouse. Some of the children had come down with fevers, likely affected by the disaster.

“You’re heading out tomorrow already?” Jiang Xiuyuan was genuinely surprised. By his count, Qi Jing had only been there for a single day.

“Aren’t the universities in the Capital City on break? Do you have something waiting for you back home?”

That was the natural assumption.

Qi Jing caught on and shook his head. “No, it’s just that Bo Chengyan might need me for something.”

“Oh, President Bo must be swamped.”

Jiang Xiuyuan led the way forward along a narrow dirt path. At the end stood a small house, likely built long ago from sturdy materials.

Miraculously, it hadn’t collapsed.

“This is my grandma’s place.”

Jiang Xiuyuan had been born in Z Province, a major agricultural hub. His parents had left early to find work elsewhere, claiming they couldn’t look after him—only to have a new son on the coast.

Fate plays cruel tricks on us all.

He had wondered if they simply didn’t love him, but he never imagined they would use the money from selling him off to buy a wedding house for that brother and save up his dowry.

He was gay, after all.

Of course, he wanted nothing from them.

“It’s pretty rundown, right?”

“Not at all. I’ve lived in houses just like this.”

Qi Jing tilted his head up to look at it, his gaze calm and steady, his cheeks smooth and well-nourished.

“You mean Great Cool Mountain?”

Jiang Xiuyuan had heard the rumors in their circles: two years ago, President Bo had brought back a boy, and after that, no one dared send him “gifts” again.

Qi Jing’s expression turned faintly puzzled. “No… I…”

“I just… I can’t remember clearly.”

“How did I end up getting picked up?”

Just then, a staffer came panting up behind them, eyes lighting up at the sight. “There you are! Finally found you two.”

Qi Jing’s wandering thoughts snapped back to the present. He frowned in confusion. “Haven’t you already cleaned around here?”

“No, no, that’s not it.”

The staffer pulled out a thick stack of masks.