CH 24

After finishing work that day, Chi Xueyan drove him according to the familiar route, just like before his marriage.

Han Zhenzhen and Chi Zhongyuan weren’t at all surprised when they saw their son, who ran home alone to eat and sleep on the third day after moving into the marriage house. Aunt Ling even asked him with concern how the dishes made by He Qiao tasted.

In any case, Chi Xueyan was a person who could go directly to get the marriage certificate the day after a blind date.

Meanwhile, He Qiao actually cooperated in the whole process despite seeming to be much better behaved than him.

So as long as they didn’t suddenly get a divorce certificate, the Chi family fully understood the strange behavior of these two people.

They were just inevitably a bit curious.

After the meal, Chi Xueyan answered countless questions about his relationship with He Qiao, such as whether there were any quarrels, the taste of their meals and who did the housework.

Of course, he described it all in the best direction and described He Qiao as the perfect lover.

There were no quarrels, their taste was the same, the housework was all done by He Qiao on his own initiative and even the bath water would be prepared for him in advance.

Parents always wanted their children to be taken care of. Chi Xueyan hoped that saying this would make them feel at ease.

In fact, the first two points were true but apart from cooking, the other housework was divided in half at his request and there was no bath water prepared.

It was because they were really just roommates and partners, living in different rooms. It was another form of respect.

Han Zhenzhen was very satisfied with his description. “I didn’t see it. I thought He Qiao couldn’t do housework but he is actually so capable.”

She had a thought. “On the day when you are doing cleaning in the house, call me over. I will see how he does housework.”

Chi Xueyan: “……”

He accidentally forgot that a lie could be debunked.

He could only wrong He Qiao at that time.

After discussing her son’s newlywed life, Han Zhenzhen came over mysteriously and asked with a face filled with the desire for gossip, “Yanyan, tell me the truth. Have you secretly been in a relationship behind our backs before?”

“In any case, you are married now and I am very satisfied with your partner. You don’t have to worry about me interfering in your love life.”

She questioned her son in a serious manner and also gave information. “I heard Xiaoyue say that He Qiao is in love for the first time.”

Chi Xueyan said helplessly, “He is also my first love.”

His mother cast a skeptical gaze at him. “That isn’t like you. You might spend all day and night playing and seem like you have no time for a relationship, but that isn’t the case.”

“……” Chi Xueyan raised his hand and vowed. “It is all Su Yu’s fault. I’m really not lying to you.”

Speaking of Su Yu, he remembered the other person’s news bombardment for the past two days and took the initiative to ask her, “He is broken in love again and asked me to go fishing on Saturday. Mom, are you going?”

Hearing this, Han Zhenzhen immediately gave up exploring her son’s love history and turned around to leave without hesitation. “I’m sleepy. Good night.”

Chi Xueyan smiled as he saw her hurriedly fleeing back. Then he couldn’t help sighing as he remembered the sea fishing activity scheduled for Saturday.

People often thought he had rich experience in love due to Su Yu.

It was because he had heard at least a hundred love stories from Su Yu.

In college, he was in the school of medicine and Su Yu was in the school of law. Their schools didn’t get along with each other so they didn’t have a chance to get to know each other. At most, they had just heard of each other.

Chi Xueyan had a new hobby every few days and he heard there was a strange person in law school who often changed girlfriends. In addition, every girl had a good impression of him after breaking up. There were always people who saw Su Yu drinking and wiping his tears after a breakup.

Still, this affection didn’t delay him from quickly starting his next relationship.

At that time, Chi Xueyan thought this person was very funny. He once happened to meet this person of the law school who was drowning his sorrows through drinking. Therefore, he listened to Su Yu complain about his suffering once. During this time, he listened very seriously like he was observing a rare human being.

Si Yu had already annoyed his roommates to death. He met such a patient audience for the first time. The pain of breaking up and this unspeakable emotion were mixed together and he became even sadder. He talked about it for three hours.

The next time he broke up, he approached the enthusiastic medical school classmate with a beer bottle.

Then the two of them became friends and damaged each other to this day.

In a sense, he and Su Yu were quite similar. This was why they had been good friends for so long. It was just that the two people were interested in completely different things.

In addition, their orientation was different. Su Yu was a completely straight man and only liked girls.

Speaking of which, He Qiao also claimed to be a straight man.

…He didn’t seem to be quite straight.

Chi Xueyan suddenly remembered the kiss under everyone’s eyes.

It was his first kiss, even if no one might believe it.

In the eyes of others, he always seemed to be a little ‘bad.’

Duan Ruo, whom he saw during the day, was the opposite. He was a person who looked extraordinarily simple.

Chi Xueyan took advantage of this quiet time alone to carefully sort out his thoughts about the protagonist who suddenly appeared.

It was just like he told He Qiao. At first, his feelings toward Duan Ruo were somewhat complicated. Then that quickly dissipated due to the joke.

No matter what, it had nothing to do with a ‘love rival.’

In his view, memories and experiences formed perspectives. This in turn determined his feelings when looking at people and things.

He hadn’t experienced those plots in the novel. Even if he listened to He Qiao tell it in detail, it wasn’t a memory that he had really experienced and it was difficult for it to give birth to a real feeling. He could only listen to it as a distant story.

For example, he didn’t love or hate Lu Siyi, who had misunderstood his ‘own’ good intentions. He also wouldn’t have any hostility toward the so-called love rival, Duan Ruo.

Chi Xueyan‘s biggest emotion toward Lu Siyi right now was to wonder if this graduate student obsessed with experiments looked at his Moments and if he had seen the wedding news posted by the bar owner.

He only thought about asking Wang Shaojing if Lu Siyi had liked it.

However, he couldn’t figure out how to ask in a way that seemed reasonable.

He couldn’t blame all outrageous requests on the fortune teller.

As for Duan Ruo, every time Chi Xueyan thought of this person, he would think of the passage where Teacher Xiao Huang slowly called Duan Luo.

In addition, that really nice song.

One was a cold student with an unusually stubborn personality but would express basic courtesy and concern for strangers who had helped him. The other was a down-and-out singer who was passionate about music and looked at Chi Xueyan with almost envious eyes.

In short, the villain’s mood wasn’t serious at all when facing the current appearance of these two protagonists.

What’s more, he wasn’t the ‘Chi Xueyan’ in the novel who did all the bad things.

Therefore, after thinking deeply about it, Chi Xueyan preferred to regard the novel story in He Qiao’s mouth as a possibility of the world.

At least, at today’s forked crossroads, Duan Ruo walked toward Duan Luo.

He Qiao hadn’t mentioned Duan Ruo to him before, but he felt that there wasn’t such a plot in the novel.

He Qiao’s tone had been hesitant when calling. He obviously hadn’t expected to meet Duan Ruo today.

In the recording studio, a trace of surprise had flashed in his eyes at Duan Ruo’s proposal.

Therefore, in the novel, Duan Ruo should always be Duan Ruo and there wasn’t such a passage.

Chi Xueyan thought of this and suddenly laughed.

He seemed to be subconsciously collecting clues about He Qiao.

It was like an explorer walking through a puzzle with a novel and joyful mood.

The One Thousand and One Nights that suddenly appeared in his life was much more interesting than the Rubik’s Cube he rotated in his hands on the weekend or the detective novel that he hastily turned toward the end.

The heartbeat when bungee jumping, the scary scenes that might appear at any time in horror movies or the crying or obedient children with bad teeth in different conditions… these were all unknowns that Chi Xueyan liked.

Since childhood, he had always been fascinated by the uncertainty brought about by the unknown.

The appearance of He Qiao brought him a more mysterious unknown.

It was an unknown and adventure unique in this world.

Chi Xueyan couldn’t imagine any comparable alternatives.

Therefore, in this agreed upon marriage that had already entered the stage of detachment, the only thing that could make him feel an instinctive attraction he couldn’t refuse was the main unknown stories brought to him by He Qiao.

…He really seemed to be like the king who loved to listen to stories on One Thousand and One Nights.

He didn’t know when the next story would appear.

It seemed that there was no chance.

He Qiao should now be alone in the new house, enjoying the freedom he finally gained.

Chi Xueyan thought so as he walked to the room where he had lived for several years, preparing to wash and sleep to welcome a new day.

From Tuesday to Thursday, he lived in the marriage house and continued to treat He Qiao as a respectful guest while going to work separately during the day.

On Friday, he returned to his home and on Saturday, he went to listen to Lawyer Su’s bitter feelings.

At first, this activity was held in food stalls or bars. Later, Chi Xueyan got tired of it and changed it from time to time. They played basketball, visited haunted houses, did sea fishing… he tried to make this frequently held event a bit of fun.

A small yacht floated on the slightly windy sea.

The captain stared in front while Chi Xueyan waited behind him for the fish to take the bait. At the same time, he listened to Su Yu next to him sighing for a long time. There was a glass of wine on the table next to him.

Lawyer Su was sincere. “I thought I would continue to the end with her.”

Chi Xueyan calmly exposed him. “You said the same thing last time.”

“It is different. Old Chi, even you are married. Do you know how much this matter has shocked me? I was even the best man. At the end of the day, I want to get married…”

After the wedding, Su Yu started to call him Old Chi, as if to embody a brand new identity.

Chi Xueyan didn’t care about this heartbroken person.

In the noise of the sea breeze, this conversation didn’t scare away the fish at all. Su Yu even let the captain put on music that matched his mood.

In any case, they didn’t mean to fish.

However, the fish took the initiative to bite the hook one after another.

Chi Xueyan was just putting away his fishing rod when the phone in his pocket rang.

The caller was He Qiao, whom he hadn’t seen for two days.

He picked it up with a bit of surprise.

Next to him, Su Yu’s long speech was constantly interrupted by the shaking fishing rod.

“Why is it here again? So annoying! My wine is going to spill! Old Chi, quickly come here and help me hold it—”

The moment the call was connected, He Qiao recognized Su Yu’s voice and heard the vague ambient noise.

At the same time, there was the faint sound of music.

In addition, wine.

What was ‘come here’?

Chi Xueyan was stopped by him. His voice drifted a bit further away and contained a bit of helplessness. “I told you not to use the glass but you had to use it.”

He helped Su Yu hold the wine glass before returning his attention to the phone. He casually explained to He Qiao, “We are fishing.”

He Qiao was silent for a moment before reflexively repeating, “Fishing?”

All the clues conveyed in this phone call made the phrase ‘fishing’ lose its original meaning.

“Yes.” Chi Xueyan’s tone was very calm. “Is there anything I can do for you?”

He Qiao controlled his thoughts and said, “The office building opposite the clinic can be moved into. I will officially start working there from next Monday and there will be a simple moving ceremony on Sunday.”

Chi Xueyan’s place of work was next to it and he should be informed.

It was in case the other person wanted to attend the moving ceremony.

Immediately afterward, He Qiao heard a lazy response. “It is quite fast. Congratulations.”

Chi Xueyan really wasn’t interested in this and directly ignored the invitation hidden behind this sentence.

However, his voice was leisurely and he didn’t seem to be in a hurry to do anything else.

So He Qiao quietly changed the topic. “Do you remember Xiao Huang?”

“I remember.” Chi Xueyan teased, “Teacher Xiao Huang.”

“His colleagues in the company call him that and very few people call him by his full name.”

In the next second, Chi Xueyan’s voice became a bit clearer. “Why?”

“It is became his real name is Huang Man, the Man that means slow. I hear it is because his parents are quick-tempered, so they wanted their son to have a more stable personality,” He Qiao answered. “As a result, the steadiness was too much and even his speech became very slow.”

“Once someone calls him by his full name, his reaction becomes slower like a robot with a low battery. It is as if he is cursed by the name.”

Chi Xueyan couldn’t help laughing when he heard this and he asked softly, “Really?”

“I haven’t seen it with my own eyes but I guess it is true,” He Qiao said. “His colleagues from the music department asked him to speak at the ceremony as a department representative so Secretary Li told me about it.”

At his gentle narration, the laughter on the other end of the phone was like a feather, lightly curling in the radio waves and signals.

“You just said… the moving ceremony is on Sunday?”

“Yes, it is in the afternoon. My family should also be coming.” He Qiao politely asked for his opinion. “Do you want to attend?”

This time, Chi Xueyan promised very neatly. “Okay, see you tomorrow.”

Invisible feathers tickled over his ears.

Therefore, he also responded softly, “See you tomorrow.”

—

The author has something to say:

One of the secrets of fishing for a wife: hang a Xiao Huang on the hook.

A kiss with the taste of seawater~3~