Chapter 5: Rehabilitation Center, or Kissing Center?
The warm yellow glow of streetlights illuminated the dimly lit ward. Chi Qui Lin, inhaling the familiar scent of disinfectant, fell into a deep sleep. When he opened his eyes again, the sun was shining brightly outside. Liu Ming Zhou was sitting by his bed, gazing at him intently.
Remembering last night’s events, Chi Qui Lin felt no guilt whatsoever. Instead, he bossily instructed, “Millet porridge for breakfast. No sugar.”
Liu Ming Zhou nodded and slowly got up to leave.
The ward fell silent again. Chi Qui Lin laboriously turned over, facing the window, ready to doze off, when the sound of the door opening echoed once more.
Chi Qui Lin assumed it was Liu Ming Zhou returning and didn’t respond, until Yao Xin Yu’s voice came from behind him, “Where’s Mingzhou?”
Chi Qui Lin was startled. He struggled to sit up, but couldn’t. His hasty movements made him look clumsy. Yao Xin Yu calmly approached and lifted him up with his strong arms.
They were incredibly close, close enough to hear each other’s heartbeats. Chi Qui Lin blushed, lowering his gaze to the blanket to hide his nervousness, but his rapidly beating heart betrayed him.
Fortunately, Yao Xin Yu didn’t connect Chi Qui Lin’s unusual behavior with romantic feelings. He straightened up, speaking calmly, “Mr. Jing, you don’t have to be so afraid of me. I was emotional yesterday. If I offended you, I apologize.”
Chi Qui Lin was surprised again – Yao Xin Yu had learned to apologize? In Chi Qui Lin’s memory, Yao Xin Yu was always stubborn and unyielding. He still clearly remembered Yao Xin Yu arguing with three policemen at the police station for an entire afternoon. The contrast between the impulsive youth and the mature man now was striking, making Chi Qui Lin feel unreal and somewhat heartbroken.
He couldn’t help but wonder what Yao Xin Yu had gone through to change so much in just a year.
Driven by curiosity, Chi Qui Lin casually started a conversation, “What is your relationship with Liu Ming Zhou?”
Yao Xin Yu answered calmly, “We’re friends.”
“Oh—” Chi Qui Lin’s anxiety finally subsided. It seemed Liu Ming Zhou hadn’t lied; he and Yao Xin Yu weren’t together.
After this exchange, an awkward silence fell. Seeing Yao Xin Yu straightening his clothes, preparing to leave, Chi Qui Lin couldn’t contain his curiosity any longer, eagerly asking, “Yesterday, you said I resembled a dear friend of yours. Who was that friend?”
Yao Xin Yu didn’t answer immediately, creating an awkward atmosphere.
Chi Qui Lin nervously cleared his throat, casually providing an escape route, “I was just curious. If it’s inconvenient, forget it—”
“His name was Chi Qui Lin,” Yao Xin Yu suddenly said, his voice much lower than usual, “He was my lover.”
Lover? A tidal wave of emotion surged through Chi Qui Lin, leaving him speechless. Hadn’t Yao Xin Yu broken up with him? Yet now he said he was his lover.
Was he feigning sentimentality? Chi Qui Lin dismissed the thought. Yao Xin Yu was unlikely to waste his time feigning sentimentality to a stranger.
So why did he say that? Chi Qui Lin couldn’t understand. He couldn’t believe Yao Xin Yu still liked him, yet the word “lover” clouded his judgment, rekindling his dwindling hope.
Seeing Chi Qui Lin’s silence, Yao Xin Yu continued, “He committed suicide a year ago, on his birthday.”
Chi Qui Lin felt a sharp pain in his chest. Even knowing the answer would be a piercing blade, he still wanted to know the truth, so he instinctively asked, “Do you know why Chi Qui Lin committed suicide?”
“Because of a text message,” Yao Xin Yu’s voice was subdued, “He received a text message where I broke up with him, and then he killed himself.”
Chi Qui Lin was puzzled. Yao Xin Yu’s tone implied the message wasn’t sent by him.
Chi Qui Lin voiced his doubt.
“It wasn’t sent by me,” Yao Xin Yu said gravely.
This answer was unexpected. Overwhelmed with emotion, his voice cracked, “Who sent the message?”
Yao Xin Yu seemed to realize he had said too much, and clamped his lips shut. But Chi Qui Lin’s mind flashed back to the night of his fall – Yao Xin Yu had gone home with his phone, and the only other person in the apartment was Liu Ming Zhou.
Liu Ming Zhou. Chi Qui Lin gritted his teeth in hatred. Liu Ming Zhou again – no wonder he was so afraid of mentioning his death; he was the culprit.
In the midst of his anger, the culprit returned with a bag of breakfast. His gaze went past Yao Xin Yu, directly to Chi Qui Lin on the bed. “Brother, eat. After you eat, I’ll give you a bath, then we’ll go to the rehabilitation center.”
The ignored Yao Xin Yu showed no displeasure, his gaze fixed on Liu Ming Zhou, deep and tender.
This gaze deeply stung Chi Qui Lin. He suddenly realized that even if the text message wasn’t from Yao Xin Yu, even if Yao Xin Yu still called him “lover,” it couldn’t change the fact that Yao Xin Yu deeply loved Liu Ming Zhou.
No matter what Chi Qui Lin did, even if he sacrificed his life, he could only gain the title of “lover.”
He couldn’t win back Yao Xin Yu’s heart.
With this realization, Chi Qui Lin subtly turned his head away, avoiding Yao Xin Yu’s ardent gaze toward Liu Ming Zhou.
Liu Ming Zhou didn’t look at that gaze. He sat by the bed, patiently cooling the porridge and feeding it to Chi Qui Lin. Seeing Yao Xin Yu’s slightly envious and jealous expression, Chi Qui Lin had a sudden idea to cause some trouble for the heartless villain.
So he suppressed his negative feelings toward Liu Ming Zhou and insincerely praised, “Mingzhou, this porridge is delicious.”
Liu Ming Zhou looked up in surprise, “It’s just porridge from the hospital cafeteria. If you like it, I’ll cook it for you myself when we get home.”
Catching sight of Yao Xin Yu’s clenched fist, Chi Qui Lin felt his suppressed sadness replaced by a sense of vengeance. He became emboldened, pushing further, “Okay, Xiaozhou, you’re so good to me. I want chicken congee, with cilantro but no green onions.”
Before he could finish, Liu Ming Zhou looked at him with a complex expression again. Chi Qui Lin realized he had unintentionally revealed his past preferences. He wanted to correct himself, but then he became suspicious – because Yao Xin Yu loved green onions, his past self had always eaten green onions with Yao Xin Yu. Even Yao Xin Yu didn’t know he disliked green onions. How could Liu Ming Zhou know?
With this thought, Chi Qui Lin looked Liu Ming Zhou straight in the eye, “I know I’m handsome and it doesn’t cost anything to look at me, but there’s no need to stare at me like this, right?”
Perhaps Chi Qui Lin was too confident. He didn’t notice Liu Ming Zhou leaning closer, until Liu Ming Zhou pressed a gentle kiss to his lips.
The kiss was sudden and fleeting. Before Chi Qui Lin could react, the warm, soft lips left his, leaving behind only a trace of warmth.
Chi Qui Lin’s brain froze.
What just happened?! He was kissed? He was kissed by his rival?!
【Author’s Note: Yao Xin Yu: Are you two being polite?!】
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