Translated by Eve
Edited by Kara
Xiao Yuanmu handed in his resignation letter the day he had said he would. Because of Song Xuanhe"s orders, Xiao Yuanmu"s resignation was processed very quickly. Less than two hours later, his resignation had been approved. Because the new hires had been working with Xiao Yuanmu this whole time, he was able to skip having to teach and easily handed over his work to someone else.
In the venture investment division"s break room, Song Xuanhe leaned against the counter with his arms folded and cast a sidelong glance towards Xiao Yuanmu. “When are you going to move your things out?”
Xiao Yuanmu said in a flat voice, “When you"re off work.”
“Forget it.” Song Xuanhe raised his hand and twirled his car keys around his finger. “Let"s move your things now. I can skip work.”
Xiao Yuanmu didn"t speak. He looked at Song Xuanhe quietly, eyes slightly lidded. The angle of the lighting here seemed to soften his indifferent features, giving off an illusion that he was looking at Song Xuanhe with deep affection.
However, as soon as he parted his lips, his cold voice split that illusion in half. “We haven"t broken up yet.”
That"s right; they still haven"t broken up yet.
Or rather, Xiao Yuanmu was unilaterally refusing to break up. When they had still been at the hotel this morning, Song Xuanhe had asked him, “Why do you think that I"ll be willing to keep dating you even after you quit my family"s company and move out of my apartment?”
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At that time, Xiao Yuanmu"s eyebrows had knitted together slightly. Those unreadable eyes had examined Song Xuanhe inch by inch as if he had really been pondering over this. Or, perhaps he had been wondering whether he should waste time explaining this to Song Xuanhe.
In the end, Xiao Yuanmu had chosen to spend a bit more time on this. He had placed his spoon down. When he looked down, his eyes also had changed. His cool, refreshing voice had become hoa.r.s.e and deep. It had sounded like there was a smile mixed into his speech. But in reality, he had been very calm as if he had been aggressively advancing his argument over a conference table. “Getting together was up to you. Breaking up is up to me. That"s only fair.”
Song Xuanhe had been shocked. He hadn"t thought that Xiao Yuanmu would say something that sounded both accusatory and shameless. Because of his shock, his eyes had widened. He had asked, “Are you joking?”
Xiao Yuanmu hadn"t been joking. After taking in the other"s astonished look, he had said in an insipid tone, “What do you think?”
Song Xuanhe had said, “You must be joking. We"re breaking up, not getting a divorce. If I want to break up, you have no right to refuse.”
Xiao Yuanmu didn"t refute him. He had only given him a meaningful look before replying, “You know well whether or not we were actually dating before. Since the start and progression of our relationship has been illogical and fake, then the ending of this relationship can be the same.”
Song Xuanhe had felt his guard rise as the other had looked at him with his piercing gaze. Although he had already completed most of his scenes already, he still needed to stay in this world for more than a year"s time. If Xiao Yuanmu realized anything or continued to concern himself with him, his life would not be easy in the future.
Moreover, since Xiao Yuanmu was going to leave the Song Group very soon and even move out of his apartment, that meant that the probability that they would see each other in the future again would be close to zero. There was no reason to argue for an oral agreement over breaking up. Xiao Yuanmu was right. They both knew that they were not like normal lovers when they were together. In the future, when they didn"t live together, it would be even less likely for them to seem like genuine boyfriends.
The adaptable Song Xiao Shaoye had weighed the pros and cons of his choice in a blink of an eye. He had then raised his chin in an apathetic but haughty manner. “Fine.”
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Song Xiao Shaoye, who had already thought that the two of them had nothing to do with each other anymore, widened his eyes in surprise when he heard Xiao Yuanmu say that they hadn"t broken up yet. “I didn"t say that we had already broken up. I"m saying I"m willing to skip work to help you move. Shouldn"t loving boyfriends make sacrifices for each other? It can"t be that you think we"re not a loving couple?”
After he had said this, Song Xuanhe beamed at Xiao Yuanmu. He thought that he"d be able to disgust Xiao Yuanmu for sure with this reply.
When Xiao Yuanmu saw those seemingly innocent, lidded eyes that held a mischievous glint that could not be hidden, the light in his own eyes flickered, and they abruptly curved into a smile. He planted his hands onto the counter and brought his face close to the other"s. It looked like there was affection swirling in his gleaming eyes. His long, straight lashes looked like glinting swords. He was extremely attractive but also seemed as sharp as a blade. Song Xuanhe couldn"t help but shrink back.
“What are you doing?” Song Xuanhe looked calm, even glancing at the work area outside as part of his facade. “We"re at work.”
“A loving couple can"t hold themselves back even if they"re at work.”
Song Xuanhe had no choice but to admit that Xiao Yuanmu had a pair of devastatingly charming eyes. He was like a siren, lounging on a rock in the sea. As long as he wished for it, with a simple gaze, he could make a vigilant sailor fall so hard that he would be willing to offer his life to the other.
Before he had met Xiao Yuanmu, he had never believed that someone could change their temperament by just changing the look in their eyes. He hadn"t thought that even actors could do that.
A person"s charisma relied on all their facial features. If you got rid of the eyebrows, it would be hard for an average person to convey emotions with just their eyes.
But right now, Song Xuanhe changed his mind. But, he didn"t feel enticed at all. In his memories, Xiao Yuanmu"s eyes had been free of vulgarity and utterly serene. He would hide his emotions deep beneath the pond that was his eyes. No one could see through them. They were incomparably dangerous.
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Song Xuanhe backed up slightly, keeping his calm. After getting up this morning, he had discovered that Xiao Yuanmu had seemed to have changed. Maybe it had been because Song Xuanhe had seen a side of him that he hadn"t wanted anyone else to see. Maybe that was why Xiao Yuanmu felt more dangerous to him today. The other was like a trapped beast, who no longer pretended to be calm. The beast was slowly revealing its true nature and eyeing him, its prey, in an attempt to find his weakness. It was like the beast was pondering over where it should strike.
“But, they wouldn"t do it in the break room where people might come in.” Song Xuanhe"s heart trembled. He reached out to push against Xiao Yuanmu"s chest. When he saw that the other had backed away, he sighed in relief inwardly. But, he didn"t show any of this on his face. He raised his keys again and said, “Let"s go. I"ll help you move.”
Regardless of anything else, he"d just focus on getting Xiao Yuanmu out of his apartment first. Considering how busy Xiao Yuanmu had been recently, it looked like the other would be too busy to take so much as a step out of his home for a long time. It"d be hard to say whether they would actually see each other again.
As for whether the other would cause trouble for him, by the time Xiao Yuanmu returned to the Xiao Family, he would probably have no energy to pay him any more attention. By the time he did have the time and energy to care about him, Song Xuanhe would already be back in his own world.
“Let"s go.”
Xiao Yuanmu took half a step back, and his expression became indifferent again. His eyes were once again tranquil like a still pond. If it hadn"t been because he had seen it for himself just now, Song Xuanhe would never have expected that such a seductive, enticing expression could have ever been on that cold, ascetic face.
The apartment was situated very close to the company. When the two of them had reached the entrance of the apartment, the moving company they had contacted was already waiting for them there. When they saw Song Xuanhe, one of them said, “Mr. Song, our movers are already all here. Where is the address of the new home?”
Song Xuanhe looked at Xiao Yuanmu. Xiao Yuanmu glanced at him coolly and then said, “You"re thoroughly prepared.”
“We only need two people.” Xiao Yuanmu looked at the moving company employee and then pointed to another apartment building just a garden away. He said in a flat voice, “The 39th floor.”
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The mover turned and said hesitantly, “Are you saying that you"re just moving to the same floor but in that building?”
Xiao Yuanmu nodded.
A bad feeling had arisen in Song Xuanhe"s chest as soon as he had seen Xiao Yuanmu point at the building next to his. Now, that premonition had come true. He then said in a snarky tone, “So, you"re going to Building 6? Won"t we see each other if we open our balconies" curtains?”
Xiao Yuanmu looked at him coolly but didn"t respond.
This neighbourhood was made up of villas and high-rise apartments. The villa district was on the east side, and the high-rises were on the west side. However, because it catered to high-end clientele, regardless of whether it was the villas or the apartments, the facilities and environment were both outstanding. The apartment buildings were also not built too closely together to save money either. There were only two apartment buildings per row, and there was a rather large garden and fountain between each pair of high-rises. Because each tenant owned a whole floor, they had two balconies. One of the balconies faced the garden, which by extension, meant it faced the other building"s balcony. Although they were not close together, if both people in each building were to step out onto their respective balconies, they would be able to see each other.
Moreover, because Song Xuanhe preferred minimalist design, and he never had a neighbour in the opposing building before, he had never thought about covering up his balcony. The sunlight would simply shine into the room. If someone were to use binoculars, they would be able to see his living room very clearly from the balcony of the opposite apartment.
However, Xiao Yuanmu would never use binoculars to spy on him. When he thought of this, Song Xuanhe relaxed.
The mover noticed that the two of them didn"t seem to be in the type of relationship he had thought. Neither of them mentioned when they would be moving either. He could only cautiously ask, “Mr. Song, then…when should we move?”
“Right now.” He then turned to look at Xiao Yuanmu. “You"re fine with that, right?”
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“Let"s do it.”
After having packed up all of Xiao Yuanmu"s things, Song Xuanhe realized that the other had a pitiful amount of stuff in the apartment. If you didn"t include his work computer, it would have been enough for a single mover to just help carry his suitcase. There was no need to involve a moving company at all.
The boss of the moving company also noticed this. He nervously said, “How about…we charge you for the number of employees that actually worked this time?”
When Song Xuanhe had hired them, he had offered fifty thousand. The moving company had thought that it would be a large-scale move in which the entire apartment would be emptied. Therefore, they sent a small team. They hadn"t expected that only two people would be needed. All they had carried was a suitcase and a computer. They had rode one elevator down only to ride another up. It had been extremely easy.
If the moving company accepted that much money for such easy work, they"d feel guilty.
“Forget it,” Song Xuanhe said, “We"ve wasted your time by making you bring so many people. I"ll pay what I promised.”
When Xiao Yuanmu heard this, he glanced at Song Xuanhe but looked away before the other looked over.
After the movers had left, Song Xuanhe took a look around Xiao Yuanmu"s ash grey modern apartment that was even emptier than his. His mood suddenly improved, and he said, “Since the move is over, I"ll be leaving.”
“Are you doing anything tonight?” Xiao Yuanmu asked.
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Song Xuanhe didn"t even think and replied, “Yes.”
“What?”
“I have plans with Zhou Nan and Xiao Shenglin,” Song Xuanhe lied without batting an eye, “Why?”
Xiao Yuanmu said, “When you next have time, come visit the Director with me at the orphanage.”
“Okay.”
Song Xuanhe very happily agreed. This was because an idea had popped into his head when he heard Xiao Yuanmu say this. He finally understood why Xiao Yuanmu was unwilling to break up with him despite clearly not liking him: he had been afraid that the Director would worry.
He had nearly forgotten that Xiao Yuanmu currently had a soft spot. This meant that he would not be as vicious and unrestrained as he had been in the book. This also meant that the only reason they were still together was because of the orphanage director.
All he had to do was stay in this fake relationship and go see the Director with Xiao Yuanmu for a short period of time, and then, he"d get to return home peacefully. It was definitely worth it.
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The next morning after work, Song Xuanhe followed Xiao Yuanmu"s directions to a car with an unfamiliar plate. He had been about to knock on the window when it slid down and revealed Xiao Yuanmu"s face. “Sit in the front.”
Song Xuanhe sat in the pa.s.senger seat. He looked around this obviously new car and asked in a feigned shocked voice, “You said that you had bought the apartment with the money you had earned from playing with stocks. Did you buy this car with that money too?”
Xiao Yuanmu glanced at him, the corner of his lips rising slightly. The smile didn"t reach his eyes. It was like he was laughing at Song Xuanhe"s bad acting.
Song Xuanhe shrugged. But, he was genuinely curious. “How much did you make?”
“Three hundred million.”
“Three….” Song Xuanhe laughed. “Hahaha, impressive.”
Truly worthy of being the protagonist of this world. He had been able to earn such a large sum of money so easily. He remembered that Xiao Yuanmu had only invested about five million yuan in the book. For him to be able to make that into three hundred million in such a short amount of time…he was more impressive than a Wall Street broker.
Neither of them spoke on their way to the orphanage.
It was probably because Xiao Yuanmu had already informed the Director that they were coming over that the Director was waiting for them at the gate. When she saw them climb out of the car and walk over, she gave them a kind, gentle smile. “You"re both working men. You can just come over on the weekend. There"s no need to come over after work. You must be tired, ah.”
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“We"re not tired.” Xiao Yuanmu smiled faintly and went over to support the Director by the arm.
The Director held Song Xuanhe"s hand on her other side. She beamed at him. “Yuanmu, child, you forgot Xuanhe. Is he usually like this?”
Her last question was obviously directed at Song Xuanhe. Xiao Yuanmu"s gaze shifted towards the other man"s direction.
“No.” Song Xuanhe"s eyes curved into a smile. The yellow glow cast by the setting sun on his pale face made him look especially lovable and warm. “It"s because he saw you, Granny. If it wasn"t because he is faster than me, I would have come to help you.”
The Director"s smile deepened. She turned to Xiao Yuanmu on her left and said, “Our Xuanhe is really sensible and filial. Yuanmu, you have to treat him well. If Xuanhe ever tells Granny you"re not treating him well, Granny will scold you for him.”
Song Xuanhe hadn"t expected that the Director would say this. The smile on his face turned stiff. Xiao Yuanmu noticed this. Originally, he wasn"t going to reply, but when he had seen the other"s unwilling expression, he said, “Okay.”
The Director then turned back to Song Xuanhe. “Xuanhe, ah, Yuanmu isn"t very talkative, but he"s got a warm heart despite his cold face. You should know that the best. If he ever makes you unhappy in the future, please forgive him.”
A warm heart despite his cold face. Song Xuanhe laughed. His heart is colder than his face.
With both the Director and Xiao Yuanmu"s gazes on him, Song Xuanhe smiled warmly. “I will forgive him.”
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“That"s good.”
The Director walked back into the orphanage, holding both their hands. They ended up in the centre of a crowd of rather young children. She smiled. “You two, help me watch these kids while I go check to see if dinner is ready.”
The children had already eaten dinner. The dinner the Director was referring to had been prepared solely for Xiao Yuanmu and Song Xuanhe. Now, she left, leaving behind Song Xuanhe and Xiao Yuanmu in an awkward deadlock.
Everything was quiet around them.
When they had just arrived, the children had still been noisy and lively. Why had everything gone quiet?
A thin child tugged on Song Xuanhe"s sleeve. When he saw Song Xuanhe look down, he raised his head timidly. “Gege, are you going to play here?”
Song Xuanhe glanced at the bony little children, who had all gathered by his legs, in the area farthest away from Xiao Yuanmu. He finally asked the question that had popped into his head since his second visit. “What did you do to make these kids so afraid of you?”
Xiao Yuanmu sat on a nearby bench. He didn"t even look at Song Xuanhe. He gazed into the distance.
Song Xuanhe followed the other"s gaze, but Xiao Yuanmu then looked back at him. He said in a flat voice, “I don"t know.”
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“Gege….”
Song Xuanhe looked down again at the skinny little kid and crouched down. “How old are you?”
“Six years old.”
Song Xuanhe was taken aback. Because of the other"s weak, frail appearance, he had thought that he was only four or five years old.
Xiao Yuanmu said coolly, “He has a congenital heart disease. He develops more slowly than typical children.”
When the boy heard Xiao Yuanmu"s voice, he cowered towards Song Xuanhe, frightened. He wrapped his arms around Song Xuanhe"s neck as if afraid that upon Xiao Yuanmu uttering another word, he would eat him.
Xiao Yuanmu looked away again, his eyes slightly hooded. His lips were pressed into a flat line. There was a trace of self-deprecation on his lips.
“Gege…” the boy rested his head on Song Xuanhe"s shoulder and whispered, “Is Yuanmu gege really scary?”
Song Xuanhe subconsciously glanced at Xiao Yuanmu, who was once again looking into the distance. He didn"t seem to have heard the boy"s words.
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“He"s super scary.” Song Xuanhe nodded solemnly. The other children, who were listening in, shivered. They got a little closer to Song Xuanhe.
“But, Yuanmu gege is only scary because he needs to protect you guys and the Director,” Song Xuanhe continued, “If he wasn"t scary, then the orphanage would be shut down by bad people, and you guys would be left without a home.”
The boy blinked and then cautiously glanced at Xiao Yuanmu. When he saw the other look over, he cowered back. In a trembling voice, he said, “Really? But, Liang gege said that Yuanmu gege is really really bad. He said that Yuanmu gege would bully kids and that he had even killed a puppy.”
Song Xuanhe paused while rubbing the boy"s head. The smile on his face didn"t change. “Who"s Liang gege? Where is he?”
“He has already left the orphanage,” a girl said, “Liang gege used to take care of us. Yuanmu gege wanted to go to university, and Director Granny only had enough money to send one person there. So, Liang gege couldn"t go to university. Therefore, he left. He said that he had to go make money.”
“Is that what Liang gege said?”
The kids all nodded. “Mn!”
Song Xuanhe"s lips pursed slightly, and his smile disappeared. “He was lying.”
The children all widened their eyes. Song Xuanhe said, “Xiao Yuanmu went to university on a scholarship. The school paid for him to attend, so he didn"t use Director Granny"s money. Therefore, the reason Liang gege didn"t go to university has nothing to do with Xiao Yuanmu.”
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When a slightly older girl heard this, she puffed out her cheeks. “You"re the liar! I saw that dead dog! It was so pitiful. Yuanmu gege had been the one holding it, and it had also been him who had killed it! And, Liang gege couldn"t go to university because of Yuanmu gege! You"re a big liar!”
After saying that, the girl picked up a rock and threw it at Song Xuanhe. The boy with the congenital heart disease was still in Song Xuanhe"s arms. If he were to dodge, that rock would scare the child when it hit him. It normally wouldn"t matter if a typical child were to be frightened, but Song Xuanhe didn"t know how serious this child"s condition was. He didn"t want to take the risk.
Song Xuanhe changed positions, protecting the boy in his arms. He raised a hand to cover the back of the boy"s head.
Advertis.e.m.e.nts That rock isn"t small. It will probably leave a bruise that will last a few days. I can only hope that the girl isn"t too strong.
As the rock throttled through the sky, that was the only thought in Song Xuanhe"s mind.
But, the rock never hit him. It made no sound either. Song Xuanhe lifted his head, frowning, and saw that Xiao Yuanmu"s hand was in front of his head. He had caught the rock.
“Apologize.” Xiao Yuanmu looked at the girl coldly. He didn"t hold back the chill around him at all. His tone was terrifyingly icy. “Apologize in three seconds, or this rock will smash against your head.”
The girl was so frightened that her eyes turned red. The other kids also ran away in fear.
Song Xuanhe stood up. He was a bit surprised at Xiao Yuanmu"s terrifyingly cold expression. However, when his gaze landed on the other"s injured hand, his jaw tensed.
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“Let"s go treat your wound.”
Xiao Yuanmu didn"t move. It looked like there was a storm gathering in his eyes. He raised the hand holding the stone and said in a frigid voice, “Your last second.”
“I"m sorry!” The girl screamed, scared out of her wits. After saying that, she made a run for it, afraid that Xiao Yuanmu would really hit her with that rock.
Song Xuanhe put down the boy in his arms and then picked the rock out of Xiao Yuanmu"s hand, tossing it to the side. With pursed lips, he said, “Thank you.”
Xiao Yuanmu gave him an insipid glance, pulled his hand back, and then left.
Song Xuanhe was about to run after him, but the boy with the congenital heart disease hugged his leg. There was a flush on his face, perhaps from the fright he had suffered just now. Quietly, he said, “Gege.”
“What"s wrong?” Song Xuanhe looked in the direction that Xiao Yuanmu had headed in and squatted down.
“I believe that Yuanmu gege is a good person.” The boy blinked. “Gege is also a good person, and Director Granny is a good person too.”
Advertis.e.m.e.nts Song Xuanhe was startled. He then smiled. “It"s one thing to call your Yuanmu gege and Director Granny good people, but we"ve only met for the first time. How do you know I"m a good person?”
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“You are one.” The boy looked at him stubbornly. He then wrapped his arms around Song Xuanhe"s neck and whispered, “I want to tell you a secret.”
“What secret?” Song Xuanhe smiled.
“Yuanmu gege didn"t kill that puppy.” The boy whispered into his ears. “Liang gege had been the one to kill the puppy. I saw it. He did it, because Yuanmu gege liked the puppy.”
Song Xuanhe"s gaze fixed onto the boy. Although he believed that Xiao Yuanmu would never do something as senseless as killing a dog, when he had heard this boy tell him something like that, which would seem very cruel to a child his age, in this hushed, calm, childish voice, he didn"t know why, but he felt uncomfortable.
The boy let go of Song Xuanhe. He then said in a timid voice, “But, no one believed Yuanmu gege, because he had been covered in a lot of blood that day the dog had died.” He sounded like the outcome had been expected.
Eve: First, I laughed at the mental image of XYM watching SXH with a pair of binoculars. As amusing as that would be, I"m sure Mumu would use more efficient means of "surveillance." And then I felt soft for SXH being good with kids and defending Mumu. And then I felt sad for Mumu T^T
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