After Being Mistaken for His Boyfriend by His Amnesiac Childhood Friend CHAPTER 8
Chapter 8
Shamefully, while Liang Xun managed to finish Jian Huaiyi’s bland noodles, Jian Huaiyi himself kept stirring his own bowl, unable to bring himself to eat a single bite.
His stomach had been spoiled by the Jian family chef; he was a picky eater and found his own cooking unappetizing.
He couldn’t imagine how Liang Xun had eaten those tasteless noodles.
Seeing the empty bowl in front of Liang Xun, Jian Huaiyi felt a renewed sense of awe.
In the end, they went out.
Jian Huaiyi drove, and Liang Xun sat in the passenger seat. There was a highly-rated Japanese restaurant nearby, and Jian Huaiyi asked Liang Xun if he wanted to eat there; Liang Xun had no objections. He parked in a nearby park, and they went to the restaurant.
They ordered sushi, salmon, and a Japanese beef bowl.
Liang Xun ate sparingly at home, occasionally using his chopsticks, mostly watching Jian Huaiyi eat.
Jian Huaiyi, when he liked something, would indulge in it, picking it up several times to eat. His cheeks would puff out and then deflate, like a hamster storing seeds.
Other people’s cooking was better.
After finishing the last piece of sushi, Jian Huaiyi put down his chopsticks and pulled out a napkin to wipe his fingers. His movements were elegant and refined, as if the hamster he’d been a moment ago never existed.
“Are you finished?” Jian Huaiyi asked.
“Yes,” Liang Xun nodded.
After paying, they left the restaurant. The car was parked across the street, a distance away.
“Jian…Huaiyi?”
Jian Huaiyi looked towards a nearby noodle shop. A tall, muscular man with a crew cut called out to him.
Jian Huaiyi recognized him after a moment: “Lao Gao.”
Lao Gao approached, his gaze flitting between the two, his tone unfriendly: “Is this Young Master Jian’s new boyfriend?”
“Lao Gao, what are you doing? You’ve had enough to drink, are you trying to welsh on a bet…?”
Another man came out of the noodle shop. Jian Huaiyi vaguely remembered him; he was also a friend of Lu Yang’s racing team.
Lao Gao waved his hand, the cigarette in his fingers barely glowing. He tossed the butt into the sewer and said to the man behind him: “Let’s go.”
Lao Gao, powerfully built, stood in front of them like a mountain, reeking of cigarettes and alcohol.
“Young Master Jian, this isn’t very honorable. You just broke up with Lao Lu a few days ago, and you already have a new partner,” Lao Gao’s words were pointed, his gaze unfriendly.
When he learned that Lu Yang and Jian Huaiyi had broken up, he first thought Lu Yang had gotten bored again; after all, his past relationships never lasted more than a month, let alone with a man like Jian Huaiyi.
But that night, Lu Yang, drunk, kept muttering Jian Huaiyi’s name, clearly still hung up on him. He sensed something was wrong and got the reason for their breakup from Lu Yang.
Lu Yang was his good friend, and while he thought Lu Yang was at fault, Fang Chengyi was even more wrong for messing around with Lu Yang knowing he had a boyfriend.
Jian Huaiyi, in part, was also unreasonable for breaking up with Lu Yang over this matter.
Already resentful of Jian Huaiyi, seeing him with a new partner so quickly made Lao Gao even angrier. Perhaps he’d already found a new lover and used this as an excuse to break up with Lao Lu.
Jian Huaiyi’s expression was calm, seemingly unaffected by Lao Gao’s words.
“Lu Yang told you?”
“What?” Lao Gao frowned.
“New partner.”
“Young Master Jian, that’s a funny thing to say. At that gathering, didn’t Young Master Jian leave Lao Lu to pick this guy up?” Lao Gao gestured towards Liang Xun sarcastically.
“You were following me,” Jian Huaiyi frowned.
Lao Gao’s expression faltered; his mouth ran away with him: “Young Master Jian’s already done it, so why would he be afraid of others finding out?”
Jian Huaiyi looked at Lao Gao with a cold gleam in his eyes, refusing to take the bait: “You really are Lu Yang’s dog, barking without knowing the facts.”
“You—” Lao Gao’s face changed.
Jian Huaiyi sneered: “I was careless, trying to avoid making the breakup too messy, giving you the confidence to stand here and lecture me. If you’re unsatisfied, let Lu Yang come forward, and let’s settle the account for those ten-plus Agustas, the apartment in the city center, and all the expenses in A City.”
He was, after all, the young master from one of the four great families, the Jian family. Jian Huaiyi possessed an inherent authority ordinary people couldn’t match, especially since he had seized Lao Gao’s weakness – money.
Upon mentioning money, Lao Gao’s expression changed.
No wonder Lu Yang had been changing cars so frequently lately, always the top-of-the-line Agustas – Jian Huaiyi had been paying.
Back in the car, Jian Huaiyi recalled Lao Gao’s words, his knuckles tightening on the steering wheel.
He hated being followed.
Liang Xun fastened his seatbelt. He had remained silent since Jian Huaiyi’s conversation with Lao Gao, the turmoil in his heart refusing to settle.
His temples throbbed. He calmly closed his eyes, then opened them, meeting his own reflection in the rearview mirror.
The colorful lights of the park behind the car were lit, their green glow illuminating his head.
“Lu Yang, who is he?”
Jian Huaiyi suddenly snapped back to reality, his light-colored eyes blinking as he turned to meet Liang Xun’s dark, emotionless gaze, his heart jumping.
He had forgotten he was Liang Xun’s “boyfriend.”
Jian Huaiyi pursed his lips, his mind racing, trying to figure out a plausible explanation.
Liang Xun felt a chill. Jian Huaiyi’s brief silence confirmed his suspicions.
His boyfriend had likely cheated.
Probably during one of his past business trips, Liang Xun pinched his furrowed brow. The other person’s name was Lu Yang, a racer…
He replayed Jian Huaiyi’s conversation with Lao Gao. Jian Huaiyi had spent a lot of money on Lu Yang, not seeming like he was coerced.
Therefore, they were in love.
Liang Xun’s heart sank. Although his feelings for Jian Huaiyi were far from those of a lover, the mere thought of Jian Huaiyi being with someone else caused him discomfort, as if countless needles were pricking his nerves.
He despised anyone unfaithful in love.
“You cheated,” Liang Xun adjusted his tone, looking at Jian Huaiyi, his dark eyes unsettlingly deep: “His name is Lu Yang, right?”
Jian Huaiyi: …
“When?” Liang Xun tried to suppress his disgust, his voice hoarse: “How long have you been together?”
Jian Huaiyi moved his lips; this feeling of being caught cheating was…absurd.
“Two years ago, for over a year,” Jian Huaiyi answered truthfully.
Liang Xun’s brows jumped. Over a year, a whole year.
How obtuse had he been to not notice his boyfriend cheating and letting them carry on for nearly two years right under his nose.
Liang Xun began to doubt his intelligence. He closed his eyes and looked at Jian Huaiyi again.
Jian Huaiyi calmly raised an eyebrow, his light-colored eyes sparkling, seemingly without the tension of being caught.
Was he going to break up with him?
Could they be good brothers again?
Liang Xun suddenly understood himself better. He might not have noticed, or he pretended not to notice.
After all, it was almost eight years of feelings, from age eighteen to twenty-six. It would be a shame to break up over an outsider.
Liang Xun took a deep breath, seemingly making a big decision. He asked Jian Huaiyi: “Is it over?” His voice was gravelly, as if worn by time.
Liang Xun’s question took him aback.
The words “Let’s break up” were forced back, Jian Huaiyi’s expression faltered, the hopeful look in his eyes fading, his gaze toward Liang Xun becoming indescribable.
He’d planned to put on a breakup show with Liang Xun, then go their separate ways, and return to their previous relationship after Liang Xun’s memory was restored, but…
Forget it.
Jian Huaiyi dug his fingers into the steering wheel emblem, sighing silently.
His temples felt even more painful. Liang Xun frowned. After a while, he heard Jian Huaiyi reply: “It’s over.”
His brow smoothed. Liang Xun’s palm curled slightly, and he said in a low voice: “Mm.”
