CH 99

Before knowing Qi Yanbai’s true personality, Lu Ye had once thought about compensating Qi Yanbai with a “home.”

At that time, they had just established a deeper connection, transitioning from the life of a single bachelor to a couple. Their mindset and perspectives had changed, and they both desired stability.

However, later on, when Lu Ye discovered that Qi Yanbai was not who he thought he was, at that point, he should have given up on this naive and somewhat foolish idea. But instead, he emptied his savings and exchanged it for this set of keys.

“The area isn’t too large, but the location is decent.” Lu Ye flicked his cigarette butt into the ashtray and casually remarked, “It’s about the same distance from the police station and school. On a free day, we can go take a look.”

Since he received the keys, Qi Yanbai had been in a daze. He held the keys, still covered in white dust from the renovation, and stared at Lu Ye for a moment. After a few breaths, he seemed to grasp something and lowered his head to look at the keys in his hand before looking back at Lu Ye.

“A house?” Qi Yanbai asked incredulously, “Did you buy it?”

Lu Ye crossed his legs and lazily leaned back against the windowsill, raising an eyebrow when he heard this. He said with a serious expression, “No, I stole it.”

Qi Yanbai: “…”

“Well, what else could it be?” Lu Ye couldn’t resist teasing him when he saw Qi Yanbai looking baffled. He playfully flicked his forehead and said with a smile, “Do you think it fell from the sky?”

Qi Yanbai still hadn’t fully grasped the situation. He instinctively held Lu Ye’s hand, took a few steps closer, and jingled the keychain in front of him, asking, “Did you suddenly buy this… to live together with me?”

“Of course, If not with you then with whom?” Lu Ye lowered his eyes, used his thumb to wipe off the lime dust from the back of Qi Yanbai’s hand, and teased, “With my sister? Or maybe with Mingming?”

Qi Yanbai didn’t pay attention to his playful remarks. He blinked and almost immediately extracted the key point he wanted to hear from Lu Ye’s words.

—Lu Ye bought this for him.

Lu Ye moved out not just to deceive or scare him but also for this reason.

Lu Ye wanted to be with him for a lifetime, and this was not an empty promise. It was a tangible commitment that had run through Lu Ye’s love for him from beginning to end, even when Lu Ye was most disappointed with him.

Qi Yanbai didn’t care about material things, let alone money and houses—when he was in the Qi family, a painting could buy a whole house, and money was just a number to him. Whether it was a lot or a little, it was hard to stir any emotions in his heart.

But now it was different. This wasn’t just a house; it was evidence of Lu Ye’s unwavering commitment to him.

Qi Yanbai’s excitement surged, and he threw himself into Lu Ye’s arms.

“Lu Ye, I’m so happy,” Qi Yanbai’s eyes lit up, eagerly suggesting, “How about we go see it now?”

“Now?” Lu Ye glanced meaningfully at the night outside the window and asked, “Are you sure?”

The moon was bright outside the window, and in the vast villa area, it was so quiet that not even the barking of dogs could be heard.

Qi Yanbai also knew that it was getting late, but he was too excited. He could hardly wait any longer and wanted to witness everything firsthand.

“Yes now,” Qi Yanbai said with a soft voice, lightly kissing Lu Ye on the lips, “The timing is perfect. Let’s go check it out, and we can grab some late-night snacks on the way back.”

His voice was soft and gentle, and as he spoke, he deliberately got closer to Lu Ye, kissing his neck and lips from bottom to top, like a cat trying to charm its owner for treats.

Qi Yanbai had no patience when he was in a good mood, and he wanted everything immediately. Lu Ye was amused by his act of cuteness and, seeing his response, playfully poked his forehead with a finger, asking, “Are you not going to pretend anymore now?”

Lu Ye’s tone had a slight teasing lilt, like a little hook, tickling Qi Yanbai’s heart.

In response, Qi Yanbai glanced at Lu Ye, didn’t say a word, but playfully rubbed his hand against Lu Ye’s hand, nuzzling it gently.

In the end, Lu Ye took Qi Yanbai to the new house.

Lu Wenyu had no choice but to tolerate the impatience of these two young love birds. After making a couple of sarcastic remarks, she finally sighed and called the security booth to arrange for a car to pick them up.

The new house that Lu Ye bought was located near the river. It was a high-rise residential complex that had been completed for over three years. The occupancy rate was quite high, and the entire area was well-lit. It was much livelier than the neighborhood they used to live in.

Lu Ye hadn’t visited the place much before, so he took a moment to remember the way. He then led Qi Yanbai to their target building.

The new house was on the seventeenth floor, considered a mid-to-high level. Since nobody had lived there yet, it was still in its original condition. A deep blue film was stuck on the door, and it took some effort to turn the key and open it. As soon as the door was opened, a layer of dust fell onto the floor. The walls were rough, and touching them felt coarse.

But Qi Yanbai was in high spirits. He didn’t mind the dust that covered the entire place. He stepped into the apartment ahead of Lu Ye, looked around for a moment, and then fixed his gaze on the massive floor-to-ceiling window in the living room.

Bright lights streamed in from outside, casting mottled shadows on the concrete floor. Qi Yanbai walked to the center of the living room, looked around, and suddenly blinked before smiling.

“It’s not as grand as the Qi family mansion,” Qi Yanbai remarked as if lost in thought.

“Really?” Lu Ye playfully replied, “Are you disappointed?”

“Of course not,” Qi Yanbai said, “I meant that it’s better than any place I’ve ever stayed.”

This place didn’t have anything—dark and unfinished as it was. It didn’t even have clear walls or rooms. But Qi Yanbai somehow felt that everything was perfect here. Unlike the Qi family mansion, which was lavish but lacked a sense of homeliness.

“My sister found this house for me,” Lu Ye explained, knowing that Qi Yanbai wasn’t one to complain about such things. He continued, “When she was looking for it, I gave her only one requirement, apart from the location, size, and price.”

“What requirement?” Qi Yanbai asked.

Lu Ye didn’t answer directly. He casually put his hand in his pocket, strolled toward the massive floor-to-ceiling window in the living room, and then gestured toward a certain direction, saying, “Look over there.”

He pointed in the direction of a low building that stood out among the well-lit high-rises nearby. Qi Yanbai squinted and tried to see, but it was difficult to make out the details due to the darkness.

“What’s that?” Qi Yanbai asked.

“That’s the sub-bureau where I work,” Lu Ye said, emphasizing the “I.” Then he added, “If you stand here, you can see it at any time.”

Qi Yanbai blinked and then took a few steps forward, almost leaning on the floor-to-ceiling window. It was like he wanted to get a clearer view of the building outside.

“It’s not very clear,” Qi Yanbai said with a playful tone, “Can I use binoculars?”

“No, you can’t,” Lu Ye said with a smile.

Qi Yanbai also smiled, but soon, the joyful and excited expression on his face faded away. He couldn’t help but look outside again, beyond the lights and the night, to the small shadow in the distance.

From this angle, he couldn’t see much, but he couldn’t help but imagine what Lu Ye looked like in that building. He imagined Lu Ye’s presence there, feeling the “close at hand” and “within reach” sensation. Suddenly, at this moment, he felt an overwhelming sense of peace.

This feeling, so relaxing and pure, washed over him in an instant. Qi Yanbai stood there, and he felt as if his entire heart had silently turned into a pool of water.

He felt a sense of security, a feeling of complete peace, as if he didn’t have to do anything except wait here for Lu Ye.

—As long as he waited here for Lu Ye, Lu Ye would give him everything he wanted.

This overwhelming sense of security was unfamiliar to Qi Yanbai, but he found himself strangely addicted to it. He had once detested the feeling of losing control, but this time, he was falling into this feeling of peace without any resistance, letting himself sink deeper and deeper into it.

Because Qi Yanbai knew that all of this came not just from the nearby building but from Lu Ye’s care and accommodation, as well as Lu Ye himself.

Lu Ye had done everything he could, and Qi Yanbai thought there couldn’t be anything better.

Outside the window was the bustling city night scene, with lights from countless buildings flickering. In the distance, neon lights shimmered. Qi Yanbai stood by the window, gazing at the low building in the distance, and he felt as though he was both looking at the night outside and looking at the person behind him.

“If we could stay here forever,” Qi Yanbai whispered softly, “I would stand here forever, watching you.”

“Watch me forever?” Lu Ye asked.

“Watch you forever,” Qi Yanbai affirmed.