Chapter 26: All Pieces Fell Into Place
Translator: Léon
Qing Bo had been watching Shi Chen secretly all the time. According to Ke Zhen, Bo often drove to Chen’s school after finishing doing overtime and pulled off on the way Chen generally took to go home after the evening self-study. He would sometimes just come to have a look at Chen or follow him all the way slowly to his residence, and turn around and leave before ever being discovered by Chen.
During those days, all Ke Zhen thought about were Qing Bo. Zhen had been so obsessive about Bo that he could try to dig up all close relatives of the men Bo had shaken hands with. Thus he couldn’t miss the conspicuous amulet Chen wore around his neck.
“I tended to feel that Bo already knew I was stalking him, too. But he seemed ok with it.” Zhen sounded a little disappointed. “He wouldn’t care no matter what I do. He’s just not into me.” Chen did not know how to responder to his words. After being silent for a while, Chen said, “Come on, that’s not what it is. You’re so good-looking and people will like you.”
“Well that’s true. I am good-looking!” Zhen stared at Chen. “A hundred thousand times prettier than you used to be!”
“Hmm-hmm, right, right.”
“You remember to apply cream. Start using skin care products. It could only be right for you to buy the most expensive kinds since Bo is so rich!”
All Chen was thinking now was the stalking stuff of Bo. Unable to think about anything else, Chen nodded absent-mindedly.
Seeing Chen sitting in a daze, Zhen also shut up his mouth. He stared at Chen’s face and replayed again and again in his mind all those stupid things he had done in that body. Some of the scenes were simply embarrassing. Zhen rubbed her arms and thought to himself it was good indeed for him to get rid of that body. It was like getting rid of all the past he would so yearningly want erased. He could have a better life leaving the man who didn’t love him back.
Zhen breathed a long breath, and was finally able to let it go, though there were new troubles awaiting him after he had this new identity.
He couldn’t figure out what was wrong with his brother Xun Zhen that he tended to grope on him recently even if he knew who he really was. It was very annoying to Ke Zhen. What was more annoying was that Ke Zhen found nobody as handsome as his brother now and he would panic as long as he was not with his brother for a while. He couldn’t figure out what was wrong to himself, either.
Zhen took a look towards the window of the second floor, where Qing Bo and Xun Zhen had left, and then stood up. He had a glance at Chen again and suddenly felt sympathy for him.
Chen was an orphan, adopted once when he was a child. But his foster father got cancer within the few months Chen arrived in his new family. His foster mother was so sad that she thought the adoption of Chen was the beginning of this bad thing. So, she often had Chen tied up and beat him hard without any reason. Chen was so scared that he tried to escape by running more than five kilometers barefoot one night. He didn’t stop until he was totally worn out. In the end, some kind-hearted people helped send him back to the orphanage.
The director of the hospital felt sympathy for what had happened to Chen, so he called his adoptive mother and had a protracted negotiation with her before she finally agreed to lift the adoption agreement. Chen had been living there since then until he was fifteen. The director was about to emigrate with his daughter and gave Chen a sum of money and a key to a rental house. Since then Chen had truly become an orphan.
The car accident seemed to take away from Ke Zhen everything he once had. In fact, he actually had more after becoming Yi Zou. There was a brand-new life waiting for him. He would have new friends and a new lover, and also parents and brother who loved him. In comparison, Chen got nothing.
All he had left was Qing Bo.
Zhen kicked Chen.
“What’s wrong?” Chen looked up at him.
“For the sake of your taking care of my body temporarily, I have something to tell you.” Chen straightened up his back spontaneously. “Go ahead.”
“Though Qing Bo and I have been married for two years, we actually …”
“I know.” Chen laughed, “He has told me.”
“Son of a bitch!” Zhen stamped his feet in anger and glared at Chen, “What else has he told you about me?”
“Nothing else.” Chen raised his two arms. “There’s really nothing else. You’ve got to believe in me.”
“I do believe in you, but I don’t believe in him!” Zhen sat back and said to Chen, “Listen, you shouldn’t believe in anything you’re told. Be careful. If he gives you money, just keep it and save it privately, just in case in the future … Well, you know, there’s never harm in saving some money anyway.” Chen actually didn’t fully understand it, but he knew he needed to nod now.
“Hmm, I see.”
It had been a long time for Zhen to not be with brother. Thus, he was a little anxious. He got up and emphasized to Chen again before taking a leave, “Remember to use cream on your face!”
Chen nodded again.
After lunch, several of them sat drinking tea. Xun Zhen asked to leave with Ke Zhen and Bo went to see them out. Chen vaguely overheard that Xun Zhen said something like “Marriage” and then was punched on the back by Bo.
Chen stared in a daze at their leaving direction and did not turn back in a hurry to look somewhere else until Bo appeared in his sight again.
It was too obvious and how could Bo not see it through that Chen was avoiding him.
Bo probably knew the reason but he had no intention of explaining it. He wanted Chen to take the initiative to ask.
As long as Chen asked, he was willing to say anything.
Cheng Yu and Yunsheng Liang stayed until the afternoon. Before they left, Liang asked Chen in a whisper. “Have you quarreled with my uncle?”
Was it really so evident that even Liang saw it through?
Chen did not know how to explain to him. It was still a mess in his head. So he only shook his head, “No.” Liang did not keep asking, saying instead, “Call me if you need.”
Chen nodded.
As soon as they left, there were only three people left in the house. Feng Ma disappeared again after finishing cleaning up. Well, then there were only two left.
Bo had gone upstairs and was supposed to be in the study. He might be working, or not.
Chen sat alone until ten o’clock and he finally couldn’t contain himself anymore. He went upstairs and knocked on the door of the study.
The door was opened, with Bo standing inside in a bathrobe. He had a glass of wine in his hand. The way he looked at Chen was very gentle, as if he had waited for him for a long time. “Come on in.”
They had fooled around on bed till very late last night, and there were still bite marks on Bo’s chest left by Chen. Chen felt uncontainable by this scene so he looked away, and walked in with his head bowed.
“Are you afraid of me?” Bo suddenly asked in this way.
Chen looked up and was pecked on his lips.
“You …” Bo held Chen around his waist and threw him into his arms. “Tell me what you’re thinking about.”
“You let go of your hands first.”
“Baby, you can always ask me if there’s something you want to know.” Chen had given every corner of his body to Bo and was now hardly able to stay cool when facing him at close distance.
“I, I have nothing … Ah!” Bo felt strength on his hands and made Chen pressed close to him, with their lower bodies attached together.
Every tiny change happening on either of them was now perceptible to both of them. Chen’s cheeks were hot, “You, you are drunk.”
“No, I’m not drunk. I just miss you.”
“But we’ve been all together these days.”
Chen struggled and couldn’t get rid of him. On the contrary, he was held even tighter by Bo. “Even that. I’ve been thinking about you for a long time.”
Chen’s body got warmed up. And he thought that Bo was really drunk.