Chapter 149 - Helper Gong Takes the Stage~
Translated by Eve
Edited by Serefina
7. Helper Gong Takes the Stage~
Xie He still went to school every day because he didn’t want Mother and Father Han to suspect anything. Xie He would say that he was staying at his dorm but was actually spending the night in Han Wenqian’s apartment off-campus every night. Han Wenqian would pick him up from school practically every day. When he was occasionally too busy to come, he would send Secretary Song to get him.
Although the brothers had had a harmonious relations.h.i.+p in the past, the two of them hadn’t actually spent all that much time together. But now, aside from when he was in school, Xie He spent the rest of his time by Han Wenqian’s side. Because it became a frequent thing to be at the company, many people there began to recognize him. They knew that he was President Han’s precious baby brother. It was just that he didn’t look very well. He always looked feeble. However, he was very gentle and meek in nature, so everyone loved him.
Xie He really didn’t want to come to Han Wenqian’s company. There were only humiliating memories here for him. However, what he rejoiced over was that…Han Wenqian seemed to have no intention of embarra.s.sing him in front of others. Except for Secretary Song who was in the know, no one else knew of their real relations.h.i.+p.
Xie He gradually stopped thinking about it. He wanted to end these dark days as soon as possible. However, as time pa.s.sed, all sorts of side effects cropped up. He would frequently get dizzy, vomit, or get insomnia. He would have no strength in his body and his muscles would ache. But no matter how painful it became, he continued to persevere. He never gave up.
Tonight, Han Wenqian held Xie He in his arms, undoing the binds on the other. Xie He looked utterly miserable from his episode just now. His eyes were half-lidded, tears blurring his gaze. He lay in Han Wenqian’s arms, exhausted and not moving an inch…. Han Wenqian gently caressed the young man’s back. The young man had really lost so much weight…. Although he had always been on the slender side, he had never been this thin. Han Wenqian could feel the other’s bones when he touched him. It made his heart ache.
All of Xie He’s struggles, suffering and despair was reflected in Han Wenqian’s eyes…. It had been so long since he had been reborn. He had thought that he had changed many things but there was something that hadn’t changed. The young man was still as beautiful and good as he had been in his memories…. No matter how he was treated, he would not adopt a repulsive countenance. It was as if he were not taking revenge on someone who deserved it, but on an innocent person.
For the first time, Han Wenqian felt some regret. He suddenly felt…that perhaps he shouldn’t have let Zhou Yuebin do such a thing to Xie He.
He had destroyed someone he actually cared deeply about. It brought him no happiness. They were only hurting each other.
【Ding, the target Han Wenqian’s Favourability Value +5, Blackening Value -10. The current Favourability Value is 70. The current Blackening Value is 70.】
Xie He was already in a lot of pain and was exhausted. However, he couldn’t fall asleep.
Han Wenqian got up from bed and brought over a pill and a gla.s.s of water. He brought it to Xie He’s lips and said in a low voice, “Sleep medication.”
Xie He obediently put it in his mouth and took a sip of water.
It was probably the effects of the medication, but Xie He finally fell asleep. Han Wenqian held him in his arms and caressed the other’s face with his thumb. He remembered that this child used to really love to smile. When he smiled, his little dimples would and he would look like an angel.
Han Wenqian had still been a teen the day Xie He had been brought into the Han Family. When he had seen this likeable child, a baffling protective instinct had arisen within him. He had thought that he would protect this adorable little brother…and he had indeed done so for sixteen years….
He had liked him at first glance.
He had thought that it would continue like this for the rest of their lives.
Anguish appeared in Han Wenqian’s eyes. But why did you have to betray me…?
………………………………
For once, Xie He was in a deep sleep. When he woke up the next morning, he discovered that Han Wenqian had already gotten out of bed.
He slowly pushed himself up to a sitting position. When he glanced at the time, he found that it was actually already past ten. Anxiety welled up in his eyes and he got out of bed in a hurry. But because he was in too much of a rush, he nearly fell face-first onto the ground as his legs buckled beneath him.
Xie He sucked in a deep breath and slowly steadied himself. He went to the washroom to wash up. He raised his head to stare at the person in the mirror. The person reflected in it was so pale it looked like all the blood had been drained from his body. His face was so thin that it had become pointy. There were dark circles under his eyes. His skin was dull with no s.h.i.+ne…. Recently, his cla.s.smates had been persuading him to rest at home. But he didn’t want to.
Those people didn’t understand his suffering. The only thing keeping him going was his music and performance. It was the remnants of his previous peaceful and beautiful life…it reminded him that he had not lost everything.
It was the only light he could touch while submerged in darkness.
It reminded him that there was still something worth working hard for, fighting for, and persevering for.
Xie He rubbed his face. He then changed clothes. The clothes that used to fit him just right were now loose on him. When he reached the living room, he found that Han Wenqian had yet to leave. He was sitting on the sofa drinking coffee. When he saw Xie He, he said in a deep voice, “Eat breakfast.”
Xie He didn’t have much of an appet.i.te. He only ate a few bites before putting down his chopsticks. He said quietly, “I’m full. I’m going to school.”
As he spoke, he stood up. However, a wave of dizziness. .h.i.t him and his body swayed.
Han Wenqian frowned. Xie He was not in a condition to go out. Did he want to wear himself out? What did it matter, going to school? He looked at Xie He and said in an indifferent tone, “If you’re not feeling well, don’t go.”
Xie He’s expression changed and he frantically explained, “I-I’m fine. I’m really fine!”
Han Wenqian stared at Xie He. This was called ‘fine’? But when he saw the urgency and fear in Xie He’s eyes, he didn’t have the heart to refuse him. Fine…do what you want. In any case, whether you live or die has nothing to do with me.
Han Wenqian gave him a cold look and spat out, “Suit yourself.”
Xie He finally sighed a breath of relief and said, “Thank you.”
When Han Wenqian heard this, he felt the vein in his forehead throb. He didn’t know why but he didn’t feel happy. But in the end, he didn’t say a thing and just left.
………………………………
When Xie He arrived at school, he hastily apologized to his cla.s.smates and teacher. Although he had come late, no one criticized him. They all tried to convince him not to come if he wasn’t feeling well. His health came first.
Xie He’s eyes felt hot. After thanking everyone for their concern, he sat down in front of his piano.
k3010;Xie HekUU1J;Baby, what has Qin Ye been up to lately? Smile.JPGk3011;
k3010;444kUU1J;Han Wenqian has already begun to attack him. He found out that Han Wenqian is the one trying to take him down but he hasn’t really done anything recently.k3011;
【Xie He：Xiao Qin will be coming here soon. Although some things have been s.h.i.+fted ahead of schedule, the general trajectory has not changed. 】
【444：(⊙o⊙) Oh.】
【Xie He：Baby, don’t forget to let me know when Qin Ye comes.】
【444：(⊙v⊙) Mn! Got it! 】
【Xie He：Very good. ? 】
Xie He didn’t bother with other things and focused on practicing the piano with single-hearted devotion. Only, because his stamina was not as good as before, he found that…his reaction time was sluggish.
He knew that he shouldn’t force himself but he really wasn’t willing to give up…. Therefore, he forced himself to play over and over again, but each time, he only ended up playing worse than before. In the end, his fingers were trembling and wrong notes were everywhere. A restrained pain filled his eyes.
The other students looked over in surprise. It was rare for Xie He to make such mistakes. It was clear that recently his condition wasn’t really good.
Although no one criticized him, Xie He still felt upset being the focus of everyone’s gazes. It felt like he was failing to live up to everyone’s expectations…. He thought that with his current condition, it would be very difficult to get to perfect condition for the performance. He…might not even be able to perform.
He had already worked so hard but nothing had changed. Some things could not be fixed once broken.
His dream was gradually slipping away.
“I’m sorry, I have something to attend to.” Xie He choked. He suddenly stood up and walked out, not looking back.
【444：Host dada, Qin Ye has come!】
【Xie He：Got it. ? 】
Xie He’s eyes were dim. He didn’t watch where he was going. There were students coming and going along the school’s path. They were chatting and laughing. The atmosphere was very relaxed and harmonious. He had used to be like them, naive and without any worries. He had thought that the world only had a beautiful side to it….
Xie He’s sight suddenly went blurry. All of a sudden, someone grabbed his hand from behind. They shouted, “Lin Xin.”
Xie He turned around to look. It was a handsome, steady-looking man. He was dressed up in a mature but fitting fas.h.i.+on. With one glance, one could tell that he was not a student at this school. But Xie He didn’t recognize this person. Xie He gave him a questioning look. “Who are you?”
The man smiled. He said, “My name is….”
Before he could finish, Xie He’s eyes closed and he fainted.
Qin Ye didn’t think that Xie He would suddenly faint. Although he was surprised, his reaction speed was quick. He very quickly reached out and caught Xie He.
When he had the young man in his arms, he found out that he was very thin. He was light as a feather. It was as if all that was left of him was his skeleton. His eyes were shut tight and his face was pale. His long, curled eyelashes were like a feathered fan, peacefully casting shadows on his face. He looked like he was in pain…. He shouldn’t look good, as sick as he was, but the young man’s aura was pure and clear. It made him feel tenderness towards the other.
【Ding, Qin Ye’s Favourability Value +20. The current Favourability Value is 40.】
【444：Host dada, why did you pretend to faint? @[email protected]】
【Xie He：Oh, but this is a good thing. I can kill two birds with one stone, seeing as how I’ll be able to increase Xiao Qin’s Favourability Value and provoke my “boyfriend”. Smile.JPG】
【444：……】
When Xie He woke up, he found himself in a hotel room. When he remembered that he had fainted, he sat up. It was then that he saw the man who had stopped him at school sitting to one side, smiling. The other said, “You’re awake.”
Xie He looked at him and softly said, “Thank you.”
Qin Ye regarded Xie He. According to his investigation, this was Han Chengshan’s adopted son. Lin Yuan’s son. Apparently, the Han Family had treated him very well, seeing him as their own son. But now that he saw the other, it was obviously not the case….
But this was a good thing for Qin Ye.
Qin Ye brought a gla.s.s of water over to Xie He and said softly, “Have a sip of water.”
Xie He was indeed pretty thirsty so he accepted the gla.s.s of water, grat.i.tude appearing in his black eyes. “Thank you.”
Qin Ye laughed. “You just thanked me. You don’t have to keep thanking me.” He was truly a naive, pure child. You couldn’t help but like him with one glance. He was completely different from the vicious Han Family.
If he hadn’t seen it for himself, he wouldn’t have believed that this child would be able to maintain his naivety while living in that kind of household for more than ten years.
【Ding, Qin Ye’s Favourability Value +10. The current Favourability Value is 50.】
Xie He took a sip of water. When he felt that his throat was no longer as parched, he put the gla.s.s back down. He gave Qin Ye an earnest look and said, “Right, may I ask who you….”
Qin Ye smiled and said, “I’m Qin Ye.”
Xie He nodded and politely said, “Mr. Qin, thank you for saving me. I’ve wasted your time. However, I have to go home.” It was already dark outside. He had to hurry back.
Qin Ye looked at Xie He gently. He said, “You don’t look very well. Are you sick?”
A flicker of embarra.s.sment appeared on Xie He’s face. He was afraid of the other finding out the real reason he was sick. He quietly said, “Yes.”
Qin Ye didn’t ask anymore. He stood up and said, “I might as well be a good Samaritan to the end. I’ll take you home. It’ll be troublesome for you to pa.s.s out like this halfway home.”
Xie He shook his head and said, “I don’t want to trouble you. My family will come pick me up.”
Qin Ye smiled and said, “Then I’ll take you back to the school gates. I’ll only be able to feel rea.s.sured when I see you get picked up.”
Xie He declined at once but Qin Ye was very persistent. In the end, Xie He relented. He thought that the other was really kindhearted. He just didn’t know how he could thank the other.
Qin Ye accompanied Xie He out. Indeed, there was a black car at the gates. He said to Xie He, “Is this for you?”
Xie He nodded and spoke to Qin Ye with a smile, “Thank you. I’m going home now.”
Qin Ye couldn’t help but laugh. He gave Xie He a meaningful look and said, “No need to be so polite. I’m very happy to have had the opportunity to help you today. I believe that we will soon meet again.”
Xie He didn’t take this seriously. After bidding him goodbye, he left.
This time, it was Secretary Song who was picking him up. When Secretary Song saw Xie He get in, he said, “Lin shao, did you not get my call? You came out so late today.”
Secretary Song was Han Wenqian’s capable a.s.sistant. Xie He was also a little frightened of him. He quickly pulled out his cell phone to take a look. Indeed, he had missed calls. He nervously said, “I didn’t see them. I’m sorry.”
Secretary Song furrowed his brows. However, he didn’t say anything and took Xie He to Han Wenqian’s office.
Han Wenqian was in a meeting the entire time. By the time the meeting was adjourned, it was already late in the night. He took off his coat and flung it onto the sofa. He also loosened his tie. He asked Xie He, “Have you eaten dinner?”
Xie He nodded and said, “Yes.”
Han Wenqian looked at Xie He and then suddenly asked, “How was school today? What did you do?”
Xie He said, “I practiced the piano for a while. Nothing much.”
In his eyes, nothing much happened. So there really wasn’t much to say.
But a cold glint flashed in Han Wenqian’s eyes. The information he received was not ‘nothing much’. Not only did Qin Ye go to see Xie He at school, he had even taken him to a hotel. They had spent three hours alone together. Only the two of them knew what had gone on for those three hours.
He didn’t understand how Xie He had gotten acquainted with Qin Ye in his last life. Or how they had gotten involved. Therefore, he had a.s.signed someone to keep an eye on them. Indeed…they had still gotten together.
Did you fall for Qin Ye because he helped you in your last life? What about me, who had loved and protected you for more than a decade?
Han Wenqian’s heart froze over. Even if he had been reborn and had changed many things, he had not prevented them from meeting. But that’s fine. This way, he didn’t have to feel bad for this person.
He lived for revenge, after all.
【Ding, the target Han Wenqian’s Blackening Value +10. The current Favourability Value is 70. The current Blackening Value is 80.】
“Come here,” Han Wenqian said.
Xie He walked over cautiously and looked at Han Wenqian timidly. Nothing good ever happened when Han Wenqian called him over. When he heard Han Wenqian call for him, he even felt a little afraid.
Han Wenqian pinched Xie He’s chin and forced him to raise his face. There was faint fear in the young man’s black eyes. His pale lips were trembling slightly.
If it were normal, he’d kiss him. This was his younger brother. He was his…. But when he thought about the scene from his last life, how this person who belonged to him had been embraced and kissed by another man, fury began to boil in his chest.
Han Wenqian stared at Xie He for a long time, emotions rumbling in his eyes. He suddenly let go and then returned to his desk to work.
Xie He had thought that he would be painfully violated. Who would have expected that Han Wenqian would let him go? He suddenly sighed in relief and quietly sat back down onto the couch. It was always like this. He would quietly sit off to the side while Han Wenqian worked. When Han Wenqian finished, he would take him back to the apartment.
But today, Han Wenqian didn’t seem to come close to finis.h.i.+ng. He didn’t even give Xie He a single glance. Time slowly ticked by….
In the end, Xie He began to feel unwell all over. This pain made him feel like he would soon go mad. However, Han Wenqian seemed to have no intention on paying him any heed… In the end, the pain overcame his timidity. Xie He couldn’t control himself and approached Han Wenqian. His eyes darted back and forth, voice trembling. “My…my medicine….”
Han Wenqian finally looked at Xie He and he laughed. “Medicine?”
Xie He nodded with all his might. He was about to lose all reason. He actually reached out towards Han Wenqian’s drawer. He was going to go crazy! At this moment, all he could see was the thing that would alleviate his pain. Not even Han Wenqian could stop him!
But the drawer was empty!
Xie He turned to look at Han Wenqian with red eyes. He reached out and grabbed onto the other’s sleeves, “My medicine…give it to me….”
Han Wenqian smiled at Xie He with a cold look in his eyes.
Xie He could no longer bear it. He grabbed his head and let out a miserable scream. He then began to smash his head against the desk. After some time, he began to tug at Han Wenqian.
But his strength was no match for Han Wenqian. Han Wenqian barely had to exert any strength to throw him off. He watched the young man howl and roll around on the floor with cold eyes. After some time, it looked like Xie He had no more energy to roll. Han Wenqian thus took out a pill case from his pocket.
Xie He’s eyes were bloodshot. He stared at the box and crawled towards Han Wenqian with the last of his strength. However, before he reached Han Wenqian, he saw Han Wenqian throw a pill onto the floor. It rolled across the carpet.
Xie He’s gaze was stuck on the pill. He crawled around on the floor, searching for it frantically. After much difficulty, he found it. He swallowed it in a hurry, not caring that it was dirty.
Han Wenqian’s fists clenched. He narrowed his eyes, a cold, s.a.d.i.s.tic glance appearing in his eyes. He watched as the originally pure, cheerful, suns.h.i.+ne-like young man threw away the last of his dignity and crawled around on the floor. A twisted happiness emerged in his heart…. If Qin Ye saw you like this, would he still like you?
No one will like you except for me.
………………………………
When Xie He woke up, he found himself lying naked on Han Wenqian’s carpeted office floor. There were marks from having done the deed on his body. This kind of situation was no longer unfamiliar with him.
He recalled the events of yesterday faintly. However, just this bit caused him anguish. When he recalled his own berserk, crazed appearance, he began to shake.
Although he knew just how vile and filthy he was now, he still found it so painful that it was hard to breath.
What was he in Han Wenqian’s eyes…? Because he was nothing but a toy, he didn’t even deserve to have the dignity of a person? He had already accepted his circ.u.mstances, but he still felt heartbroken. His heart still hurt…because he really loved his big brother….
Xie He slowly opened his eyes. There was nothing in those black eyes. He staggered to his feet and picked up his clothes from the ground, dressing himself.
Han Wenqian had already left the office. Xie He walked to school with difficulty.
He wanted to leave this place…this place made it hard to breath. It gave him despair. He didn’t want to stay here.
When Xie He reached school, it was already near noon. He didn’t go to cla.s.s. Instead, he found a corner to sit in and stared blankly at the tree in front of him.
What should he do? Would he really be able to get clean? The pain his withdrawal symptoms brought him caused him so much despair. His body was only worsening. His hands were no longer steady. Could he really keep holding on…?
He had once told himself that he could do it, that there would be no problem. He could hold on, he would get through this!
But was that really the case?
Perhaps it was impossible. Perhaps it was all just his wishful thinking…but how could he accept it if he just gave up like this?
Pain and confliction flickered through Xie He’s eyes. For the first time, his determination wavered. He was really afraid that he wouldn’t be able to hold on…. But if that was the case, what meaning was there to all the suffering up to this point?
What about his future…?
“You don’t look very happy.” Qin Ye’s voice quietly sounded from behind him.
When Xie He saw him, he flashed the other a forced smile. Actually, he couldn’t really smile anymore. His expression was of distress.
Qin Ye sighed. “You poor thing.”
He walked over and gently touched Xie He’s face. The other looked like a little animal that was faced with a dead end. He said softly, “And you’re really stupid to boot. You don’t even know who it is that’s hurting you.”
Xie He didn’t think that Qin Ye would suddenly touch him. This action made him really unhappy. Being touched by a man made him recall unbearable memories. Xie He turned his face away and said in a quivering voice, “What are you saying?”
There was nervousness in his eyes. Qin Ye’s actions made him feel uncomfortable, for some reason.
Qin Ye smiled and gave him a meaningful look, “You’ve never thought about it? If he didn’t have Han Wenqian’s permission, how could Zhou Yuebin ever dare to do anything to you?”
The author has something to say:
Darlings, the holes in your brains are so big. 23333 Hahaha, actually it’s not all that complicated. It’s just a dogblood story, ah. 233333
Eve: Dying for the abuse to start.
sere: ya d.a.m.n