Qi Cong immediately left Kevin and with his highest speed ran out of the tea shop. Standing outside he looked at the cars parked in front of the tea shop with a look of panic.

A hand suddenly reached out from the side and grabbed his arm. Qi Cong’s body immediately tensed up and he twisted his head to look. He met Gu Xun’s eyes and he froze for a moment, but after coming back to his senses, he quickly tugged Gu Xun’s arm and anxiously said, “Quickly let Jiang Zhaoyan go, don’t do something stupid. You quickly – “

Gu Xun raised his hand to hold the back of Qi Cong’s head, bent down and kissed Qi Cong’s lips.

Qi Cong froze, looking at Gu Xun’s face that was so close, his eyes wide.

Gu Xun let him go and straightened up to wipe off the cold sweat on Qi Cong’s forehead. Looking at Qi Cong’s dazed gaze, he frowned and said, “Don’t let me hear the name Jiang Zhaoyan from your mouth again.” 

After saying this, he took hold of Qi Cong’s hand and dragged him to a black car parked on the side of the road, opened the door and shoved him inside.

The comfortable air-conditioning and a faint scent of perfume surrounded the car, making Qi Cong return to his senses. He raised his hand and touched his lips. He wanted to continue to persuade Gu Xun, but he just watched as he also squeezed into the car and slammed the car door behind him.

The two of them were touching leg to leg, body to body. The other person’s body heat and smell surrounded Qi Cong wantonly, rattling his emotions so he quickly moved to the side, trying to make himself calm. “Gu Xun, you shouldn’t involve yourself in things between me and Jiang Zhaoyan.”

Gu Xun suddenly reached out and pressed Qi Cong sideways against the back of the seat, lowering his head to block Qi Cong’s voice.

Qi Cong froze again.

Gu Xun looked down into Qi Cong’s dazed eyes. This time, he didn’t part with a single touch. Instead, he took advantage of Qi Cong bewilderment to directly pry open his stiff and helpless lips and teeth, driving right into them. In dominant entanglement, he pressed the back of Qi Cong’s head, not allowing him to retreat. His other hand circled around Qi Cong’s back, holding him firmly in his arms.

Boom.

He felt as if fireworks exploded in his brain. Qi Cong’s emotions that finally calmed down were all shattered by this unprecedented intimacy.

He was dumbfounded and frozen, looking at Gu Xun’s dark eyes, his thoughts shattered into millions of pieces.

He didn’t know how long it took for Gu Xun’s kiss to suddenly become gentle as his hand circled around Qi Cong’s back slightly loosened. Stroking Qi Cong a few more times before finally releasing him and backing out, he ended the kiss. He rubbed Qi Cong’s slightly red lips and said, “I said, don’t let me hear the name Jiang Zhaoyan from your mouth again.”

Qi Cong finally came back to his senses, and after quickly getting out of Gu Xun’s breathing range he wiped the wet marks on his mouth with his sleeve. He wanted to speak, but he suddenly found that he no longer knew how to use his tongue. Looking at Gu Xun, whose expressionless face didn’t express any positive or negative emotions, he became anxious. It stirred certain provoked feelings, making his eyes red with anxiety.

“You…” he breathed deeply. Trying to ignore the discomfort in his mouth, he continued, “I have no more involvement with you, don’t interfere.”

Gu Xun leaned in again.

Qi Cong hurriedly leaned back to dissipate the sound and emphasized, “I didn’t mention his name.”

Gu Xun continued to stretch out his hand. Gently rubbing Qi Cong’s red eyes, he spoke. “You say you have no involvement with me. Are you treating me, Gu Xun, as a dog that can be called and waved away at will?”

Called and waved away at will…. 

Qi Cong looked at Gu Xun in disbelief and realized after the fact that Gu Xun wasn’t right today.

He looked at Gu Xun’s soulless eyes and indifferent expression. Feeling the low cold aura emitted by Gu Xun made his feverish brain cool down a little.

The current Gu Xun was completely different from the one he knew.

Apparently aware of what Qi Cong was thinking, Gu Xun took back his hand and sat back, smiling indifferently. “Didn’t you always ask me to show you the real me? This is my truth. Qi Cong. Since you have recovered your memory, this is the most real appearance of mine you have seen. Why are you showing this surprised expression?”

Sure enough… but….

No, there was no but. He was the one who hurt Gu Xun first.

Qi Cong forced himself to collect his emotions. Hands clenched into fists in his lap, he said, “Gu Xun, please don’t interfere in my affairs. We are over.”

“Didn’t we never start?”

Qi Cong was stunned for a moment, his fingernails digging into his palms. He avoided looking at Gu Xun’s expression and nodded. “Yes, we never started. So… don’t worry about me anymore.”

Gu Xun didn’t say anything.

Kevin pulled open the driver’s door and sat in. While putting on his seat belt, he turned his head towards Gu Xun and said, “Boss, everything is ready.”

“Go to the cinema.” After Gu Xun finished speaking, he looked at Qi Cong, his eyes falling on the clasped hands in his lap. He moved away after a second, his tone still indifferent. “I remember I asked Zhao Zhenxun to convey to you that if you don’t do the things you promised, I will never let you back off. I’ll let Jiang Zhaoyan go after watching a movie with you. Don’t worry, he’s fine and is being served with good food and drink.”

Qi Cong sniffed as he looked at Gu Xun’s profile, but Gu Xun had already closed his eyes. He had leaned into the back of his seat, looking unwilling to continue their talk.

The car became very quiet.

Qi Cong slowly retracted his eyes, turning his head to look out of the window in the direction of Nanyang Road. Obviously the most anxious worry about this matter has been settled, but he still couldn’t calm down his heart.

He vaguely realized that Gu Xun’s current actions and behavior may have been decided depending on today’s situation. Whether his decision would be to willingly give up or not, he wasn’t sure.

If he wasn’t ready to give up, how could he convince Gu Xun to stay away from the right and wrong around him? But if he had already decided to give up… he moved his eyes to look at Gu Xun’s profile with a little emotion through the blurred reflection of the car window, bowing his head to hide his expression.

If he already decided to give up… then he must finish this last paragraph well.

The tea shop was too close to the cinema and just in a few minutes, the car parked in the underground parking lot below the cinema.

He didn’t know if it was the original route, or if it was a deliberate detour. When the car came over, it took the path behind the cinema, avoiding the well-decorated square.

After Qi Cong discovered this, his fingertips became even colder.

Gu Xun opened his eyes the moment the car stopped, and pushed the door open to get out of the car, without calling or looking at Qi Cong. Qi Cong paused, opened the door and got out of the car.

“Enter the elevator.” Gu Xun said toward Qi Cong, then took the lead walking to the elevator, with big steps and a very cold aura.

Qi Cong used all his strength to make himself appear calm, and took a step to follow.

If this was the end then he hoped to end it with some decency.

The two of them finally stopped together at the door of the elevator, entering the beautifully furnished but empty cinema, and turning into the screening area. They stopped at the door of the No.7 screening hall together.

Gu Xun hadn’t spoken for a long time. Now he finally spoke, looking at the decorations hanging on the door of the No. 7 projection hall and reached out before handing something to Qi Cong. “For you.”

Qi Cong froze, looking at Gu Xun’s expression that became milder than before. He took the red five-pointed star with rough workmanship, and said, “Thank you.”

Gu Xun looked at Qi Cong for a few seconds and then suddenly said, “You really don’t remember.”

Qi Cong froze again, wanting to ask what he meant, but Gu Xun had already pushed open the door of the screening room and disappeared inside. Qi Cong returned to his senses and took a step to follow before the door closed automatically behind him.

The 7th screening room was the couples hall with seats placed in pairs. In front of the screening room in the open space, a cake made in the shape of a bird’s nest was quietly placed on a carefully arranged small table emitting a sweet smell.

Qi Cong unconsciously stopped walking and stared at the cake in awe.

“I was going to help you celebrate your new song’s big success, but it seems that I made a fool of myself.”

Gu Xun’s voice brought Qi Cong back to his senses as he looked over and saw Gu Xun standing by the only pair of couple’s seats put down in the middle. Gu Xun was looking at him with no expression.

“Come here.” Gu Xun gestured to the big screen where the opening sequence appeared. “The movie is about to start, I have work to do later, hurry up.”

Qi Cong was stabbed by Gu Xun’s indifferent expression and tone. Unconsciously grabbing the five-pointed star in his hand, he lowered his head and stepped over.

The two settled down, and the screen began to play the warnings before watching the movie.

Gu Xun took out popcorn from somewhere and put it on the small table between the two seats, then took out a bottle of champagne, opened it, and asked Qi Cong, “Want to drink?”

All the signs were moving towards the latter decision. Qi Cong looked at the very unfamiliar expression on Gu Xun’s face and nodded. “Yes.”

Gu Xun took out two glasses and poured half a glass of wine into each of them.

The opening credits of “Heaven asked?” appeared and Gu Xun put down the bottle, took a glass of wine and took a sip. Then he leaned into his chair and looked at the big screen as he said, “Watch.”

Qi Cong struggled to look away from Gu Xun’s indifferent profile. Finally his eyes were on the big screen, but his attention wasn’t focused on the film.

He had done his homework. The total length of “Heaven Asked?” was 118 minutes, close to two hours.

Now that it has already played for a minute, his time with Gu Xun was only 117 minutes left.

No, it might as well be less than 117 minutes.

He suddenly recalled the scene when he first met Gu Xun. There was heavy rain and Gu Xun was wearing a thin old cotton jacket, hiding in a convenience store. When their line of sight met, he smiled at him very coyly.

At that time he thought that this person’s eyes were very beautiful, gentle and clear.

Gentleness was the innate impression he had formed of Gu Xun from the first time he saw him, but now this gentleness, which always accompanied Gu Xun, seemed to have disappeared.

“The first time I saw you was when I was thirteen years old. We attended the same international summer camp. You were in Camp 2 and I was in Camp 4. I got into trouble with a guy from your camp and you suddenly appeared while I was fighting with him and hit me without asking.”

Qi Cong froze as he jerked his head to look at Gu Xun.

Gu Xun also looked at Qi Cong, slightly paused for a second before turning back to look at the big screen. “I disliked you at that time and felt that you weren’t able to distinguish between right and wrong.”

Qi Cong was a little confused.

When Gu Xun was thirteen years old, wasn’t that when he was about ten years old? He did go to international summer camp when he was ten years old but he didn’t remember clashing with anyone at all.

No, it’s not that he doesn’t remember getting into trouble with anyone, it’s that he had a very vague memory of what happened during that entire camp.

That year, because the incident of his biological father cheating and transferring his property broke out, their family was at war every day. His mother sent him away for fear that he would be hurt by his biological father.

For that summer camp, his only clear memories were the phone calls from his mother at the same time every day and the endless hatred and anger towards his biological father in his heart.

It turned out that Gu Xun was also at that summer camp? Did they meet so early?

“The second time I saw you was when I was almost fifteen years old and you came to my cousin’s school for a study program exchange. At that time, you were completely different from the state you were in when we first met. You grew up, smiled when you met people, and were gentle and considerate to everyone, completely different from the prickly personality you had when we first met. I even suspected at that time that I had mistaken you for someone else. But after you gave me another punch, I knew I wasn’t mistaken.

Qi Cong became confused again.

He and Gu Xun had actually met at the study program exchange? He also punched Gu Xun again?

Gu Xun’s tone turned sullen as he said this, looking sideways at Qi Cong. “You protected the guy who slandered me by complaining, and warned me not to bully an underclassman again, but it wasn’t me who bullied him at all. It was him who stole my stuff and I just caught him. Qi Cong, you owe me an apology.”

Qi Cong looked at Gu Xun in daze, certain memories blurred by the years vaguely flooded back, but he still couldn’t grasp the clue.

Gu Xun looked back again.

“During that study program exchange I met you a total of four times. The first time you didn’t recognize me, the second time you hit me, the third time you helped my cousin send away the senior who harassed her, and was also punched by that senior. I then saw you in the infirmary with injuries and you were still smiling as you tried to calm down my cousin. The fourth time was when you and a Chinese exchange group were preparing to leave. I’d just dyed my hair back to black and changed my clothes so you actually didn’t recognize me again. You even mistook me for the student representative who was sent to send you away and hugged me with a smile.”

A hazy figure of an upright teenager wearing a suit faintly emerged and quickly disappeared. Qi Cong looked at Gu Xun dumbly, his throat seemed to be blocked by something making him unable to say anything.

He remembered helping a girl to drive away some nuisance but the rest of what Gu Xun said… he really had no memory of it.

Gu Xun once again looked at Qi Cong. After seeing Qi Cong blank expression, his eyes dimmed and he withdrew his eyes as he spoke. “I should have hated you, but the way you looked when you were smiling and hugging me was just too stupid. Really too stupid.”

The persistence of young people comes for no reason Maybe because they wanted to get an apology from someone who misunderstood them, maybe because they were unwilling to be beaten twice, maybe because the sun when they hugged that day was too bright. In short, at some time, Gu Xun began to pay attention to the person named Qi Cong.

“After you left, I asked my cousin to find out more about you. What your name is, what grade you are in and where you are from. I found a lot of award-winning information about you and noticed that you were smiling everywhere and to everyone, while everyone praised you as a good boy who knew how to be gentle.

“I didn’t think it was fair. You smiled at everyone, so why did you only give a cold look to me? I didn’t do anything wrong, it’s you who misunderstood me.”

Qi Cong instinctively said, “I’m sorry.”

Gu Xun stopped, turned his head to meet Qi Cong gaze and then lowered his eyes, picked up his wine glass and touched Qi Cong’s glass lightly before drinking the wine.

“I forgive you, although you still don’t remember me.”

Qi Cong’s mouth opened, but he couldn’t say anything.

He really still didn’t remember Gu Xun. He found it unbelievable. Obviously Gu Xun had such a distinguished appearance, and in a situation where he and Gu Xun had had several head-on conflicts, why would he still have no impression of Gu Xun at all?

“Two more years passed after that. I became an adult, and then I heard my cousin say that her alma mater opened another student exchange with the Chinese city of Haicheng. That was the last time I saw you before I put on my disguise to approach you.”

Gu Xun suddenly stopped talking as he put the empty wine glass on the small table. “Didn’t you always wonder why I lied to you?”

He knocked on the table top, and suddenly smiled. “Because you told me personally that you hate people like me who have a strong temperament and resemble your biological father. Because of your biological father, I watched you instinctively guard against all people with the same characteristics as him and reject them from your circle of friends. You weren’t even willing to look them in the eyes. What can a person like me, who you yourself said was like your real father, do? I wanted to get closer to you, so besides pretending to be a gentle and non-aggressive character like your mother and step-father, what other choice did I have?

Qi Cong didn’t expect Gu Xun’s reason for deception to be like this. He couldn’t help but shake his head and say, “I didn’t-

“You did.” Gu Xun interrupted Qi Cong and reached out to touch his face. Gu Xun’s expression was light, his tone gentle. “Cong, you always had. Come out of your protective shell and see, not all strong people will hurt you and your mother, and not only simple and harmless people like Shen Jia can make you feel at ease with your relationships.”

Qi Cong fell silent as he listened to Gu Xun’s gentle voice. Looking at Gu Xun’s indifferent expression with a hint of repression in his eyes, his mood turned sour as he said again, “I’m sorry. I didn’t know, I didn’t mean it, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. Live well in the future.”

Gu Xun pulled his hand from Qi Cong’s face and then also slowly withdrew the tender feelings in his words. “After so many years, I’m tired too. I’m tired of chasing behind you and disguising myself in front of you. I also don’t want to compete with garbage like Jiang Zhaoyan for a place in your heart. Reason tells me that I used too many wrong methods on the way to get closer to you, and I am to blame for getting today’s result, but emotionally it’s hard for me not to blame you. Qi Cong, as you wish, I will not meddle in your affairs and interfere with your life anymore. Let’s stop here.”

As if his heart was thrown into a basin of ice water, Qi Cong clenched the armrest next to him, blinking his eyes desperately to suppress the tears, and replied, “Okay. After so many years…thank you, and I’m sorry.”

Gu Xun didn’t speak again. He retracted his eyes and stood up. Qi Cong’s heart trembling violently, making him want to reach out and pull him back. He stretched his hand halfway, then pulled it back abruptly. Pinching his nails into his palm, trying to control his breathing, he asked, “Are you leaving?”

It was very dark in the screening room as Gu Xun stood up and turned his back to the screen. Qi Cong couldn’t see his expression clearly, he only heard Gu Xun reply in a very flat tone. “Hmmm.”

Qi Cong barely managed to squeeze out a smile in Gu Xun’s direction and say, “See you then. Thanks for the movie, and be safe on your way.”

Gu Xun seemed to have taken a step forward, but a closer look revealed that he had only inserted his right hand into his pocket.

“Remember to eat the cake. I’m leaving.”

After Gu Xun finished speaking, he turned around and strode out. Qi Cong leaned forward uncontrollably and sat down. The breath held was broken by the collapse of his emotions, almost sounding like a real whimper. He bent down in pain, but even as he desperately blinked his eyes he couldn’t stop the tears from pouring out.

“Qi Cong.”

Qi Cong stiffened, quickly pretended to be bending down just to pick up something, raised his hand to wipe off tears after sitting up straight and looked at Gu Xun who had almost reached the door of the screening hall. He replied, “What’s wrong?”

Gu Xun stood in a corner where the light couldn’t shine, his expression hazy, making Qi Cong unable to see his expression. Qi Cong then heard him say, “I’ve booked this place for the day. You can wait for less people to be out there before you leave, lest you want to be photographed by some paparazzi so they can write something bad.”

Qi Cong used the darkness to hide his expression. Repeatedly swallowing his saliva, trying to get his voice back to normal, he answered with a low cough. “Okay, I’ll pay attention.”

The two looked at each other across the darkness. Gu Xun stood still for another two seconds before turning to go out.

Then the door closed.

Qi Cong’s once strong uplifted spine bent down violently, curled up as he hugged his body, suppressing all indecent sounds and emotions in the small world he created by enveloping himself with his arms.

This was originally what he wanted, this was good, this was good….

Gu Xun won’t be implicated anymore, this was good.

Outside the screening room, Gu Xun immediately tore off all his disguise of indifference. He then forcefully ripped open the collar of his shirt and took out his phone to make a call, a little annoyed. “Are you sure this way he can get better? You better not lie to me, he’s clearly on the verge of a breakdown.”

There was no telling what the other side said but Gu Xun’s expression looked a little better as he glanced back at the door of the screening room and asked in a deep voice, “How long will it take?”

Two seconds later he frowned. “Three months?”

The other side seemed to say something else as Gu Xun’s tone became calmer, and gritting his teeth, he answered. “Okay, then three months.” 

After hanging up the phone he strode toward the direction of the cinema’s monitoring room.

 

Edited by: Antiope1

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