Chapter 41: Change
Bai Qi was too embarrassed to say that he wanted to wear it as a gift for Bo Yan. Under the Class Monitor’s scrutinizing gaze, he stammered that he had just suddenly remembered it and was a bit curious.
This excuse wouldn’t fool anyone. Luckily, the Class Monitor had an idea of what was going on and didn’t ask further. He only let out a deliberate sigh: “Bo Yan is a lucky man.”
Bai Qi: “…”
His face was bright red as he finally finished the class. He left with the baseball cap and jacket the Class Monitor had given him.
The baseball cap covered his hair and eyes, the mask hid his face, and the oversized jacket concealed his body and hands. Aside from being a bit hot, almost no one could recognize him once he stepped out.
Bai Qi preferred a life without being the center of attention. Feeling relaxed now, he kept looking at that photo.
Uncle Li drove him to a nearby shopping mall.
Because it was a basic style, Bai Qi easily found a set almost identical to the one in the photo. There was virtually no difference; it could perfectly pass for the original.
After thinking about it, he even bought an identical black umbrella. He packed everything into a beautiful bag, planning to wear it once he got home.
Throughout the process, he didn’t try on the clothes and deliberately lowered his voice. Aside from the shop assistant thinking he was a bit strange, no one paid much attention to him.
Perhaps because he was no longer tight on money, he no longer felt that “heart-aching” feeling when buying clothes. He could truly enjoy shopping.
Everything ended smoothly, and Bai Qi headed to the underground parking lot.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he stepped out of the elevator, he bumped into someone he never wanted to see again.
His cheerful mood plummeted to rock bottom in an instant.
A middle-aged man wearing a leather jacket stood there. He was much more hulking than Bai Qi, with a body full of corded muscles. Even with the marks of time on his face, one could tell he had been quite handsome in his youth.
However, the hostility between his brows was too heavy. In the somewhat dim underground parking lot, he looked very much like a criminal, possessing a very strong sense of aggression.
Bai Qi gripped the bag in his hand tightly, his body trembling uncontrollably as he gritted his teeth.
This was his deepest shadow from childhood. He was so traumatized that he would even feel afraid whenever he saw someone of this build. Even when it came to dating, he only dared to look for someone refined.
Bai Qi wanted to pretend he didn’t recognize him and keep walking, but Zhang Shen’ao blocked his path. His voice was coarse and raspy, and he tried to soften his tone.
“Xiao Qi, Dad is out of prison.”
Hearing him call himself “Dad” made Bai Qi feel a surge of fear and disgust from the bottom of his heart. He even felt a strong urge to rush forward and hit him.
But right now, the man wasn’t drunk. With his own thin build, Bai Qi couldn’t possibly do it. He also hadn’t expected to be recognized while being so bundled up.
At this moment, Zhang Shen’ao said to himself, “I heard you’ve latched onto a wealthy man and even moved into a villa with your mother. I didn’t ask for money before because I thought you two were pitiful, but now that you’re grown, you should fulfill your duty of support.”
Bai Qi felt like vomiting.
He tried his best to take deep breaths to calm himself down and continued walking forward: “Impossible. Don’t even think about it.”
“Don’t be like that. I just got out of prison; I have no job and no savings. How do you expect your dad to live?”
Bai Qi’s footsteps paused, and he suddenly turned back to look at him: “My mom had nothing when she divorced you. She even carried a debt of two hundred thousand to raise me. Didn’t she survive?”
His voice was a bit agitated, and for the first time, he couldn’t control himself from saying something almost vicious: “Aren’t you just getting what you deserve now? Why didn’t they keep you locked up for a few more years?”
Hearing this, the violence in Zhang Shen’ao’s eyes could no longer be suppressed.
“You brat, you’re just like your mother! You think your wings are strong now that you’ve latched onto the Bo family?!”
His face began to twist uncontrollably. “What do you mean I deserve it? That slut must have cheated long ago! Otherwise, how did she pay off that 1.2 million debt when we divorced?! I don’t know which bastard sent that money to her!”
His voice was coarse and loud, and these words echoed heavily throughout the parking lot, ringing in Bai Qi’s ears.
Bai Qi was stunned.
One point… two million?
His mind was a mess, and he couldn’t process it. Zhang Shen’ao was still continuing his threats.
“If you dare not give me money, I’ll tell the whole world! I’ll go to the TV station and make a scene! I’ll make sure both you and Bo Yan’s reputations are completely ruined! We’ll see if the Bo family still wants you then!”
As he spoke, he stepped forward bit by bit, his tall frame approaching like a demon.
Bai Qi was forced into a corner by him. The fear accumulated since childhood was about to overflow. Instinctively, he didn’t want to be beaten.
However, he was grown now. That mysteriously repaid 1.2 million made him uncontrollably think of Bo Yan.
His mother would never cheat. It must have been Bo Yan who paid it.
But back then, Bo Yan himself was having a hard time.
His family had suffered a major upheaval, and he had to drop out of school to enter the unfamiliar entertainment industry alone. Every cent he earned, starting from minor roles and extras, was earned with his blood and sweat.
In a place Bai Qi didn’t know about, Bo Yan had suffered so much. Bai Qi couldn’t imagine how he, who wasn’t even famous yet, managed to produce such a large sum of money in a short time to help him pay the debt.
Clearly, from Bo Yan’s perspective, Bai Qi hadn’t replied to the love letter and had already rejected his confession.
Bai Qi’s heart ached intensely, and bloodshot streaks appeared in his eyes.
This money was earned by Bo Yan himself. Why should it be given to Zhang Shen’ao?
He gritted his teeth and looked at Zhang Shen’ao, a strong flare of anger rising in his heart: “Forget it. I won’t give you a single cent.”
Hearing such a decisive refusal, Zhang Shen’ao’s barely maintained calm completely exploded.
His face was distorted, and his leather jacket was stretched taut by his muscles. He raised his fist high, intending to use it to subdue this unfilial son just like he did in the past.
As the fist swung toward him, Bai Qi gritted his teeth and prepared to fight back with everything he had.
He didn’t want to endure it anymore. He’d rather be beaten half to death than let this man have his way.
All his misfortunes were brought about by this man.
All the strength in his body seemed concentrated in his fist. However, the expected pain did not arrive.
Bai Qi only heard a muffled thud. Zhang Shen’ao hissed in pain, while his own fist successfully landed on the other man, whose muscles were terrifyingly hard.
He looked up blankly, and a shadow even taller than Zhang Shen’ao loomed over him.
The fist Zhang Shen’ao had trained in prison was vulnerable under Bo Yan’s grip. Zhang Shen’ao’s wrist was pinned behind his back by a large hand, twisted in a distorted manner. His face turned red from the pain, yet he couldn’t struggle at all.
“You!”
Bo Yan’s eyes were filled with sharp violence. He swiftly tied him up, gagged him, and pressed him down in front of Bai Qi.
The entire process was extremely fast and professional. Zhang Shen’ao was completely subdued before he could even finish his sentence. His limbs were limp after being dislocated, and he was tied into a ball.
Seeing the dazed Bai Qi, the coldness surrounding Bo Yan suddenly vanished, replaced by a heavy sense of worry and apology.
He pulled Bai Qi into his arms, feeling a sense of lingering fear. “I’m sorry I came too late. It will never happen again.”
“Qiqi, if you want to hit him, go ahead. Then I’ll have Uncle Li take him to the police station. He was gambling in a crowd before he came here.”
Bai Qi’s trembling body was pulled into Bo Yan’s embrace. Hearing his nervous whispers, his heart pounded wildly in his chest, and his entire body felt like it was on fire.
Bo Yan had won.
The shadow that had loomed over his heart since childhood was so easily defeated by Bo Yan. Bai Qi’s breathing was in complete disarray.
Never before had he felt such a strong sense of security from Bo Yan’s tall frame.
Bo Yan was not Zhang Shen’ao. This powerful strength would not be used to bully him, but to protect him.
With their heartbeats echoing close to each other, Bai Qi slowly hugged Bo Yan back. His hands were still trembling uncontrollably, but he tried his best to hold him tightly.
Being tall seems quite nice.
Bai Qi buried his head in Bo Yan’s chest. The scorching body temperature invaded him without reservation, but he didn’t retreat; instead, he held on tighter.
His voice was muffled, and he couldn’t help but sob a little: “Thank you. I’m so glad you’re here. But I don’t want to see him anymore. Can my mom hit him?”
Bo Yan was stunned for a moment. Bai Qi’s hugs had always been light, polite, and gentle; he was rarely this forceful.
He held on for a bit longer, finding it hard to let go, then smiled: “Alright. Let’s go home now.”
By this time, the tall Uncle Li had already taken Zhang Shen’ao into another car. Bo Yan walked back while holding the limp Bai Qi. Looking down, he noticed several large bags on the ground.
Bo Yan picked them up casually: “Are these yours?”
Bai Qi looked down nervously. Seeing the bags were intact and tightly wrapped so the contents couldn’t be seen, he sighed in relief and nodded obediently.
Fortunately, Bo Yan didn’t ask further.
Entering the familiar car, Bai Qi was fed a mouthful of warm soy milk, and he felt the remaining coldness in his body vanish completely.
He looked at Bo Yan and asked somewhat impatiently, “Was that 1.2 million repaid by you?”
The question was quite abrupt. If Bo Yan didn’t know about it, he would surely have asked for clarification.
At this moment, Bo Yan was setting up a small table for Bai Qi. Hearing this, his movements paused slightly.
The two were very close, close enough for Bai Qi to see the fleeting panic he quickly hid.
Then Bo Yan nodded and said in a flat tone, “Yeah. I just paid it back casually back then. Don’t worry about it.”
How could it be “paid back casually”?
Even if Bai Qi had forgotten his conversation with Bo Yan back then, he knew that with Bo Yan’s personality, he would never have dropped out of school to enter the entertainment industry unless he was at the end of his rope.
He had specifically searched when he was looking for a gift. When Bo Yan first debuted, he often took on dangerous action scenes. Only those paid well and quickly. Fans had speculated with heartache whether he was in debt.
Bo Yan had such a great image, yet he would rather risk his life than film romantic scenes. It was also because of this that the title of “frigid” had followed him ever since.
Bai Qi felt an overwhelming sense of heartache.
Thinking about it now, the debts Zhang Shen’ao owed were all gambling debts. The creditors were very aggressive and even came to their door to harass them. The two hundred thousand owed to their relatives was borrowed when they were first divorced and being hounded by one of the groups.
If Bo Yan had paid that back too, they would have found out, so he must have left it for that reason.
Bai Qi’s breathing became labored, and his vision gradually blurred.
How could Bo Yan be so foolish?
During those days of working frantically with no hope in sight, how did Bo Yan persevere?
He had never mentioned any of this.
And after doing so much, all he got in return was Bai Qi’s agreement to date for one month. Bai Qi even usually avoided him and didn’t really want him to touch him.
The more Bai Qi thought about it, the more guilt he felt. Moved and guilt-ridden at the same time, his tears burst forth, turning into an emotion he wasn’t quite sure of himself.
Beside him, Bo Yan turned to put away Bai Qi’s beautiful bags. When he turned back, he saw Bai Qi curled into a ball, sobbing. His eyes and brows were red, looking like a pear blossom bathed in rain.
Bo Yan’s expression changed instantly.
He immediately pulled Bai Qi into his arms in a panic, only to be kissed by soft, moist lips the next moment.
Bai Qi wrapped his two slender, pale arms around Bo Yan’s neck and shoulders, offering himself up like a sacrifice. He clumsily yet proactively pressed his red lips and tender tongue tip against him. Even though his body trembled from the stimulation, he tried his best to relax and slump against him.
Bo Yan was driven wild by the kiss. His handsome face flushed deep red, and he couldn’t help but kiss back obsessively.
The large hand gripping Bai Qi’s thin waist gradually tightened, highlighting the clear bones of his hand, and the veins on his forearm bulged.
It was clearly an extremely lingering and gentle kiss, yet it held an affection that was stretched to its absolute limit.
After a long time, Bai Qi was flushed all over and was carried to the small, soft bed at the back of the RV.
Bo Yan couldn’t bear to leave him to drive. His high nose bridge gently rubbed against Bai Qi’s cheek as he closed his eyes and gasped for breath.
This was the first time Bai Qi hadn’t pushed him away.
It was so wonderful it felt like a dream, making his heart uncontrollably produce wild fantasies. He asked the question he had been thinking about for who knows how long.
“Qiqi, let’s go public, okay?”
“I really want an official status.”
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