“Why is that? Mingxi.” Shuichang turned, his deep-set eyes fixed on the man in front of him dressed in white casual attire.
Zhao Mingxi, the youngest son of the mayor of City C, was also Lu Mingchen’s ex-boyfriend. He had a straightforward personality and did not spare anyone’s feelings, being the only one bold enough to tell Lu Mingchen that he was inadequate right in front of him.
“I heard you got married, so I came to congratulate you. But I’d like to remind Mr. Qi that being married and living like a widow is worse than not getting married at all, don’t you think, Mr. Lu?” Zhao Mingxi’s eyes were sharp, and his attitude was aggressively direct.
“Whether I am capable or not is not for Young Master Zhao to judge; as long as my partner knows, that is what matters,” Shuichang replied.
“Ha!”
“Mr. Lu? What a coincidence.” Two young men walked over arm in arm, “Mingxi, do you know Mr. Lu?”
Zhao Mingxi awkwardly turned his head away, “Cousin.”
Zhao Mingxi’s cousin, Yang Xu, and his partner Hua Tu were previously Lu Mingchen’s ex-boyfriend and ex-boyfriend before that. After breaking up with Lu Mingchen, the two of them got together.
The group teased, “Oh! The four of you can easily form a mahjong table.”
Shuichang thought, “I’m innocent.”
Qi Sheng coldly remarked, “Mr. Lu has quite a history with relationships, doesn’t he?”
The group warned, “Beep! Beep! Warning! Qi Sheng’s emotional index is in danger of falling. Please swiftly calm Qi Sheng’s emotions!”
Zhao Mingxi turned his head uncomfortably in front of Yang Xu. He had known from the beginning that Lu Mingchen was dating Yang Xu but had intentionally tried to snag his cousin away. Although Yang Xu soon ended up with Hua Tu, Zhao Mingxi still felt a sense of guilt towards Yang Xu, making him unable to face him.
Meanwhile, Yang Xu felt a bit awkward seeing Zhao Mingxi. He had fallen in love at first sight with Hua Tu, but at the time, Hua Tu was dating Lu Mingchen. To break them apart, Yang Xu had to take matters into his own hands, even using his blunt cousin for support…
“Mr. Lu, thank you. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have met such a great man as Yang Xu,” Hua Tu sincerely expressed his gratitude to Lu Mingchen.
Hua Tu was the purest and least pretentious among Lu Mingchen’s ex-boyfriends. A romantic by nature, he was heartbroken when Lu Mingchen suggested breaking up but quickly crumbled under Yang Xu’s pursuit, transferring his affections from Lu Mingchen to Yang Xu.
He believed that if it weren’t for Lu Mingchen, he and Yang Xu would never have met and, thus, would not have their current happy life, so Hua Tu felt very grateful to Lu Mingchen, his ex-boyfriend who had let him go.
Shuichang gracefully said, “I wish you all happiness.” He then took Qi Sheng’s hand and began to walk out, “We have other matters to attend to; we’ll leave first.”
“We should go greet Li Chen; I’ll explain everything to you when we get home.” Shuichang tightened his grip on Qi Sheng’s hand, not allowing him to pull away.
Qi Sheng secretly struggled, finding Shuichang’s grip quite strong, and not wanting to embarrass himself in front of everyone, he reluctantly gave in and allowed Shuichang to lead him.
After greeting Li Chen and exiting the venue, Qi Sheng sarcastically remarked, “Did Mr. Lu forget something? You don’t even have a car; are you planning to walk home?”
“That wouldn’t be so bad.”
“What?” Qi Sheng was taken aback.
“Walking home hand in hand,” Shuichang said with a gentle smile, his deep eyes sparkling like stars, “I think that’s very beautiful.”
With that, Shuichang began walking towards home, hand in hand with Qi Sheng. Qi Sheng forgot to resist.
The streets at night were filled with bright lights and lively sounds, completely devoid of the night’s stillness. Passersby who noticed their intertwined hands would often smirk knowingly.
Internally, Qi Sheng rejected this situation, but perhaps it was the cool night breeze, the bright moon hanging high, or just this man in front of him—he actually felt that this was quite nice too; walking hand in hand and returning to their shared home.
After walking for an hour, Qi Sheng stopped, tugging his left hand free from Shuichang’s grip. They had only made it halfway, and his leather shoes had begun to hurt his feet. When had this pampered young man ever endured such pain?
At eleven o’clock at night, the streetlights glowed brightly, and the traffic noticeably decreased.
Shuichang, in a good mood, was still holding onto Qi Sheng’s little hand when he was suddenly taken by surprise as Qi Sheng shook him off. Seeing Qi Sheng start to waver, he rushed over to support him, “Are you okay?”
Qi Sheng winced slightly at the pain in his feet, his cold eyes shimmering as if holding back tears.
“I’m fine.”
How could he look fine? Shuichang noticed that Qi Sheng’s legs were trembling, his weight resting on one foot. “Did you hurt your foot? Why didn’t you tell me? If you’re hurt, I’ll feel sad too.”
Shuichang turned around to face away from Qi Sheng and squatted down, saying, “Get on my back; I’ll carry you.”
Though Qi Sheng was thin, he was still a man, and after walking an hour himself, Shuichang wasn’t sure if he had the strength to carry him.
Worried he might fall, Qi Sheng cautiously asked, “Are you sure you can manage?”
Shuichang raised an eyebrow and smiled, his handsome face even more striking, “Hasn’t anyone told you that you shouldn’t tell a man he can’t?” He added teasingly, “If you don’t get on, I’ll just carry you in my arms.”
Qi Sheng was stunned into silence by his sudden domineering demeanor, his mind racing with thoughts of Lu Mingchen carrying him around, where people would point and gossip. It was evident that being carried or being held—one was more embarrassing than the other.
He pursed his lips, staggered forward a couple of steps, and finally leaned onto Shuichang’s back, draping his arms over Shuichang’s strong shoulders.
“Hold tight.” Shuichang instructed with a grin as he stood up, wrapping his arms around Qi Sheng’s legs and lifting him effortlessly.
“You’re so light.” Shuichang teased, bouncing Qi Sheng slightly, which startled Qi Sheng into tightening his hold, “Be steady!”
“Easy, babe! I’ll carry you home.”
Their intertwined silhouettes stretched and shortened under the lights, and Shuichang felt the weight of Qi Sheng on his back as if he had the entire world.
However, dreams are called dreams for a reason—they are often out of reach.
Shuichang had good stamina, but carrying a man who weighed over a hundred pounds for ten kilometers on foot was still a bit challenging, especially since he had already walked ten kilometers beforehand.
His breath grew heavier, sweat glistening down his cheekbones, while Qi Sheng’s arms brushed against Shuichang’s neck, warm and damp, his pulse racing fast. Qi Sheng began to feel uneasy, “Hey, Lu Mingchen, you’re too tired. Put me down; let’s just take a cab home.”