Chapter 33: I Forgive You
Having his secret laid bare, Chen Jiamu felt so embarrassed he wanted to dig a hole and jump in. And it was Li Qi who had found out, making him even more flustered…
So… how much of the lunchtime drama did he hear?
“How much did you hear?”
“Just… a little.”
“Like… you telling her to get lost.”
That was true. Li Qi arrived just as Chen Jiamu was yelling at Zhang Xin to leave and saying he didn’t want to see her.
“Oh, oh…”
Thankfully, Li Qi didn’t hear the most exciting part, so his face was somewhat saved…
Since Li Qi hadn’t heard the crucial parts, Chen Jiamu relaxed. He propped his chin up and said leisurely, “So, are you asking about now or before?”
“What, do you divide it by time periods?”
When Chen Jiamu acted arrogant, the mole at the corner of his eye would lift, and combined with his expression, he looked very cute.
But Li Qi was suppressing his anger; even cuteness wasn’t enough to make him look twice.
“If you’re asking about before, then yes, I liked her. Now…?”
“Then let her stay wherever she wants.”
Chen Jiamu’s words sent Li Qi’s mood on a rollercoaster.
Suppressing his displeasure, Li Qi sighed inwardly. He maintained a calm exterior, but his gaze deepened.
Just then, the food arrived. The two stopped talking and focused on eating.
Li Qi ordered all Chen Jiamu’s favorite dishes, which Chen Jiamu was very pleased with.
Because they arrived near afternoon, as they ate, it grew dark.
While eating, Chen Jiamu felt something was missing. “Do you have coconut milk? I want to drink some.”
“Yes, I’ll get it for you.”
Li Qi stood up and left the room, returning moments later with a bottle of coconut milk.
He opened it, poured a cup, and handed it to Chen Jiamu. Chen Jiamu took a sip and stopped, curiously asking, “You kept asking if I liked someone else, but I forgot to ask you. Did you have a girlfriend in the four years you were abroad?”
“I heard there are many beautiful women abroad. Didn’t Auntie Song worry about your life?”
After these two days of interaction, Chen Jiamu no longer resented Li Qi.
He didn’t have a choice about going abroad, did he?
Why was he still holding onto this issue? Li Qi must have suffered a lot to become the way he is now. If he kept dwelling on it, he’d be making a fuss over nothing.
Besides, Li Qi didn’t have an obligation to keep accommodating him.
Putting away his sharp edges, the two seemed to return to their relationship from four years ago.
Feeling his change, a huge weight lifted from Li Qi’s heart, and his expression relaxed.
“No.”
“I was very busy abroad and didn’t have the time. Besides, Auntie Song wouldn’t interfere with my life too much.”
“I see. That’s true. Didn’t Auntie Song come back to deal with her and Li Ru’s matters? After that, will she go back abroad?” Chen Jiamu didn’t understand why he asked this question; Song Jin’s whereabouts didn’t concern him much.
“I don’t know about Auntie Song, but I won’t be going abroad after returning.”
“Auntie Song wants me to develop domestically.”
Li Qi’s words inexplicably reassured Chen Jiamu. Li Qi wouldn’t be going abroad.
“You’ve had it tough.”
Chen Jiamu raised his glass, intending to clink it with Li Qi’s. Li Qi just lifted his, and Chen Jiamu pulled back, his expression very annoying.
Li Qi smiled helplessly, thinking of putting his glass down, but Chen Jiamu raised his glass again. “Alright, I’m just teasing you.”
“Let’s drink this coconut milk. I won’t hold you accountable for leaving me hanging for four years.”
Speaking of the four-year-old agreement, Li Qi lowered his eyes guiltily, gently clinking his glass with Chen Jiamu’s. “I’m sorry.”
Chen Jiamu waved his hand, raised his glass, and drank it all in one gulp, completely unaware that Li Qi hadn’t touched his coconut milk.
Only after finishing did he notice that Li Qi hadn’t taken a sip. He asked curiously, “Why aren’t you drinking?”
“I’m allergic to coconut milk.”
Li Qi picked up a piece of meat and put it in his bowl, chewing slowly. Hearing about the allergy, Chen Jiamu didn’t think much of it. “If you’re allergic, then don’t drink it.”
After they finished eating, Chen Jiamu suddenly felt sleepy. He rubbed his eyes, his voice lazy, “I get sleepy after eating too much. People really shouldn’t eat too much.”
“If you’re tired, go back.”
“Mm.”
Chen Jiamu stood up, stretched, and gently patted his face, trying to wake himself up, but he was still incredibly sleepy.
He felt heavy-eyed even while walking, barely making it to the car. He just fastened his seatbelt and fell asleep.
Li Qi glanced at this, just checked his seatbelt, then started the car and slowly drove away from the restaurant.
Ten minutes later, the car steadily stopped in the apartment complex. Li Qi skillfully unfastened his seatbelt and helped the sleeping Chen Jiamu out of the passenger seat.
Adjusting his posture, Li Qi picked Chen Jiamu up and walked upstairs.
Luckily, no one was around at this time, and he reached the third floor smoothly.
Without hesitation, he opened Chen Jiamu’s door, gently placed him on the bed, and sat by the bed, staring at his face.
Perhaps because he had just eaten, Chen Jiamu’s face was slightly flushed.
Perhaps because of longing for so long, Li Qi didn’t know what to do. After a long time, he dared to reach out and gently touch his face…
His fingertips traced from his brow bone down, across his high nose bridge, to the tip of his nose…
Finally reaching his soft lips…
Chen Jiamu’s lips were very pretty, a light pink color. Li Qi suddenly had the urge to kiss him, but his fingertips were trembling…
He had yearned for him for four years, relying on this thought to get through countless nights when he wanted to give up…
He liked Chen Jiamu, and this secret was only known to himself, not even Chen Jiamu knew…
He knew his thoughts were impure, but he couldn’t control himself…
Thinking this, Li Qi slowly leaned down and gently kissed his soft lips…
He thought he would be satisfied, but he underestimated his longing. The kiss started cautiously and ended in a release of desire…
Under the dim light, Li Qi, like a wild beast, gently kissed his salvation…
That night, lonely souls found redemption.
The next afternoon, Chen Jiamu slowly woke up, but his head felt heavy.
Holding his head, Chen Jiamu looked puzzled. Did he sleep too long?
He checked the time: two o’clock in the afternoon. He’d almost slept for a whole day. No wonder his head hurt…
Chen Jiamu didn’t think much of it and went to the bathroom. As soon as he got there, he saw something strange in the mirror.
Why was the corner of his mouth broken?
And why was there a red mark on his neck?