CH 12

PUBLISHED ON 13 June 2022

Zhou MuHui was angry, Xin Yi could distinctly feel that.

His wrist was held very tightly, the man lead him out of the kitchen without an expression, Qi Fang was spread out on the sofa and playing a game, hearing them, he thought that it was time to eat, he didn’t even lift his head and told them to wait a little more, and said that he was going to finish this round before getting up.

“It’s not done yet.”

Xin Yi obediently explained and tried to extricate his hand from Zhou MuHui’s hold.

The man’s hand held him very tightly, Xin Yi was a bit scared, but he didn’t know why he was angry.

“Then you come here, I’ll teach you, let’s play together.”

Xin Yi hadn’t said anything yet, their cat jumped on the sofa, slapped Qi Fang’s hand, and made his game console fall, Xin Yi let out a hey, and hurriedly called him, “Mao Mao, come down.”

Qi Fang was caught off guard and his face got covered, letting out a frightened cry, when he lifted his head he saw Zhou MuHui give him a cold-eyes glare, then did he tardily react and saw that Zhou MuHui was also there.

“What’s, What’s wrong…?” 

Qi Fang scooted back in a conditioned reflex and looked at Xin Yi. 

Xin Yi was blushing, and did not get free of Zhou MuHui’s grip, Qi Fang was relying on the cat and looked at their left and right, then slowly shrank further into the sofa.

“Nothing.”

Xin Yi comforted him, put their intertwined hands behind his back, then used his other hand to drag Zhou MuHui.

Zhou MuHui looked at Qi Fang for a long while before loosening his grip, 

“Little kid, what happened to your hand?”

He made a fuss for nothing, Xin Yi was stunned, he hastily hid it behind him, and shushed him. 

Zhou MuHui was already very angry, Xin Yi didn’t dare to add fuel to the fire. 

Zhou MuHui didn’t say anything, he only quietly gave Qi Fang another glance, Qi Fang’s back felt cold, and saw him turn away to leave, he pulled Xin Yi and anxiously asked him, “Little kid… Did I do something wrong?”

Why did he stare at him in such a scary way?

Xin Yi lowered his head, rubbed his wrist, then gently closed his hand again.

“…No.”

He was immersed in his own feelings, and said in a small voice, “He is angry at me.”

Qi Fang let out an ah, his eyes moved back and forth between his hands, and saw the small piece of gauze on Xin Yi’s palms, and was silent for a moment, then he suddenly moved over and asked sneakily, “You guys had an argument?”

Xin Yi shook his head, and said honestly, “No…I hurt my hand before, and only noticed it when I was washing the vegetables.”

“…”

“Little kid, how did you and brother Zhou get together?”

Qi Fang changed his position, and looked at Xin Yi with a strange look, “You just scratched your hand and he is already this anxious? Back then when I got into a car accident, my mom didn’t even shed a tear.”

Xin Yi was silent, for a while he didn’t know if he should go along with what he said and nod, or said that he was really pitiful.

The quieter he was, the more interested Qi Fang was, he simply stopped playing his game and squeezed himself next to Xin Yi.

“Little kid, speak, I still have never heard about brother Zhou’s gossip.”

He gave him a surreptitious wink now and then, Xin Yi paused, and suddenly lifted his head.

“Do you think…he likes me?”

He looked at Zhou MuHui behind the frosted door, and asked Qi Fang in a whisper.

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Xin Yi’s confusion started when he fell sick, and gradually overthrew his initial process of thoughts.

Zhou MuHui liked him?

Or else, why would he take his matters to heart no matter how big or little, even accompanying him like this every day, it doesn’t seem like what Xin Yi thought was compensation.

But Xin Yi didn’t dare to believe it, because if he likes him, then why would Zhou MuHui not say it, and even signed a divorce agreement, wanting to leave Xin Yi.

And even in the beginning, his hard-working, it was all in order to pay him back.

Xin Yi thought about it some more, he still didn’t understand what Zhou MuHui meant.

Qi Fang scratched his head, he didn’t understand what he meant.

“Probably like, I also have a brother*, I wasn’t careful and offended my sister-in-law, he would also use his eyes to chop me up.”

*a good friend

Xin Yi’s fingers dug in his wounded palm, a bit dazed. He glared at me just now because he thought that you hurting your hand was because of me, I am really miserable, I came here to hide from the journalists and became your guys’ third wheel.”

“…”

“He isn’t angry at me?”

Xin Yi was stunned, he even thought that…  Zhou MuHui was angry because of him.”

Qi Fang smiled narrowly, as if he understood something, sat up in a serious manner, and said, “Little kid, you are really stupid.”

“Tell me the gossip, then I’ll tell you what brother Zhou is thinking.”

The cat jumped down from Qi Fang’s knees into Xin Yi’s arms, and bit his uninjured finger, Xin Yi didn’t pay attention to it, looking up stunned, and looking at him with some doubt.

Qi Fang could see his perplexed eyes, and smiled enigmatically.

“I’ve debuted for so many years, I’ve caused unnumbered troubles for brother Zhou, I’m the most familiar with his expressions, little kid, trust me.”

Qi Fang was strangely confident on this matter and lied to him with some nonsense.

Xin Yi believed it, he slow wittily nodded, let the cat in his arms to bite him freely, and tardily said, “…Ok.”

Xin Yi got to know Zhou MuHui, that was because of his mom Xin Shao. 

At that time, it was almost Xin Shao’s birthday, Xin Yi had just finished selecting the gift with difficulty, not long ago, a piece of Xin Shao’s ink stone at home got knocked off, Xin Yi kept it in his mind, he left home and was running around the streets, to buy his mom a new ink stone. 

Xin Yi didn’t know a thing about it, he only knew that his dad would often go to auctions, he didn’t even know where the door of it was, less mentioning to go there to buy. After that, he entrusted someone to find one, but in the end, his deskmate at school saw that, and solemnly told him that was a fake one, it was a counterfeit. 

“If you don’t believe me then go to Wen Miao to find someone to look at it, tomorrow is Sunday anyway!”

His deskmate was a clever and mischievous person, he grew up in a heap of books, and knew a lot of things that Xin Yi didn’t know, Xin Yi foolishly nodded, holding that piece of ink stone, he went to Wen Miao the next day.

Wen Miao is an antique market in their city, Xin Yi was impatient, early in the morning, he was carrying his back and waiting at the door, the moment the big door was unlocked, the uncle next to him ran even faster than him, Xin Yi was bumped silly, hurriedly hugged his backpack in his arms, and pressed himself in a corner waiting for them to go first.

He was an unfamiliar face, and also small, someone got their eyes on him since he was crouching at the entrance, Xin Yi hadn’t even taken the thing out, the other party already moved closer and tried to be friendly with him, Xin Yi got scared, he hurriedly said something then ran away in a fast pace.

Xin Yi didn’t really get it, but he was lectured by his deskmate before coming there, the other party told him not to believe those glib tongues, and told him to find someone who looks like they won’t pay attention to him, that was someone experimented.

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Then Zhou MuHui appeared at this moment.

In the beginning, Xin Yi actually didn’t notice him, because Zhou MuHui was wearing a mask, he is also tall, so he didn’t see his face at all when he walked past him, until he circle half of the antique market and collide with head first in the other’s party arms.

At that moment, Zhou MuHui was carrying merchandise and was still carrying a solid wooden box, Xin Yi stood there and was watching others inspect objects, got squeezed by someone on the side of the path, then with a blank mind, he got knocked on the box in Zhou MuHui’s arms.

He was knocked silly, he didn’t even get to cry out in pain when his butt landed on the ground, Zhou MuHui was also confused, when he finally lowered his head, the little kid’s eyes were full of tears, hugging his backpack and was crying for a while already.

“……”

The people carrying the delivery nearby were calling him, Zhou MuHui furrowed his brow, and handed the object to the other party, saying, “You go first.”

Then bent down to drag Xin Yi up. 

“Can you still walk?”

Zhou MuHui asked him.

Xin Yi’s eyelashes were wet, seeing that he was a bit familiar, then only did he tardily reacted, just now when he came in, Xin Yi met him accidentally.

“…Can.”

Xin Yi rubbed his eyes and nodded while hugging his backpack.

His forehead was feeling hot and stinging with pain, it seemed like a part of it was swollen, but it also felt like the skin was broken, the weather in October wasn’t warm, but in the antique market that was in full swing, it was really felt a bit stuffy, it pickled the wound and made it feel like it was about to burst.

“Follow me.”

Zhou MuHui let go of him.

Xin Yi paused, stared at his back for a while, then returned to his senses, and hurriedly followed after him.

After that, he felt like he wasn’t precautious enough, others tell him to follow them and he would follow, but then Xin Yi thought about it and felt that couldn’t be blamed on him, after all, at that time he was knocked silly, and Zhou MuHui’s half-exposed eyes looked really good, he muddleheadedly nodded, and followed the other party. 

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Zhou MuHui led him to disinfect it, Xin Yi obediently stood in the shop waiting for him, just now he entered in a hurry, only now did he notice that this shop was a bit different from the other shops he just visited, he hugged his backpack and look at it with curiosity, but didn’t expected that someone inside would suddenly call him, “Little kid, what are you doing?”

Xin Yi got scared, hastily took a step back, and explained to the other party.

“I, I am waiting for someone.”

An old man came out from behind the door curtain, he was skinny as a bamboo pole, wearing an undershirt and waving a bamboo hand fan, and gave him a careless glance, “Waiting for who, I am the only one in this shop.”

Xin Yi swallowed his saliva, tightly hugged his backpack, and said in a quiet voice, “That person who is wearing a mask… who is very tall.”

And also very good looking.

Zhou MuHui coincidently came back at that time, iodophor and gauze in his hands, and told Xin Yi to go over. 

It was as if Xin Yi saw his saving star, and hurriedly hid behind him. 

“Xiao Zhou1, didn’t you go to deliver the merchandise?”

“Knocked on a little kid on the road, already handed the merchandise to Du Jia.”

His mask hasn’t been taken off yet, he used the alcohol to wash his hands, then did he help Xin Yi to deal with his wounds.

Xin Yi kept his head lowered and glanced at him from the corner of his eyes, not daring to say anything, he and Zhou MuHui were really close, from that angle, he could see the other party’s high nose bridge, and the shadow cast by the dense eyelashes.

It was the first time that Xin Yi was curious about someone, his heart wasn’t listening to him and was pounding nonstop.

This feeling was too unfamiliar so he didn’t react even when the old man behind him called him for half a day.

“Little kid.”

The skin on his forehead seemed to be really broken, the other party applied some ointment for him and used the gauze to wrap it, Xin Yi was dizzy during the whole process, he felt like he was swimming in clouds, fortunately, the person in front of him didn’t like to speak, and didn’t ask him anything, Xin Yi blinked, and saw him tie a knot, and lowered his head while packing up the things.

“Little kid, what are you hugging in your arms?”

Xin Yi’s shoulder was slapped, and he blankly lifted his head, the person who called him just now was standing before him, and was stretching his neck to see the object in his arms.

“…Inkstone.”

He said in a small voice but didn’t want to take it out.

Because that person didn’t seem like an experimented person like his deskmate has said.

“Want to sell? Or is it to find someone to look at it?”

Xin Yi said nothing, and unconsciously rested his sight on Zhou MuHui.

“Go to the hospital if it’s inflamed, this is my number, tell me the expense.”

He handed him a piece of paper, Xin Yi raised his head and looked at him in confusion.

“…It’s not you who bumped on me.”

But his hand was very honest, and tightly curled up the piece of paper in his palm. 

Zhou MuHui looked at him, and did not argue with him.

“I’ll take you out.”

He tidied up the things, turned sideways and told Xin Yi to follow him.

“Little kid, take it out for me to see, I’ll help you take a look at it.”

The old man saw that he was about to go, and waved his bamboo hand fan to urge him, Xin Yi was stunned for a moment, and hurriedly shook his head, “No need, no need.”

“If you don’t want to sell it, then you’re not short of me taking a glance, or else, if you randomly find someone on the street, they will fool you with a few unreliable sentences.

He raised his head, and said, “I happened to have made it on time today, if you miss it, you won’t have any other occasions.”

He shook his fan and walked back, sat down behind the counter, and drank a few mouthfuls of tea, Xin Yi’s hands that were hugging the backpack tightened, and slowly stopped his footsteps.

“… Is he reliable?”

Xin Yi didn’t believe him, he pulled the hem of Zhou MuHui who was next to him, and sneakily asked.

Zhou MuHui was stunned, and said, “He’s ok.”

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“… Then help me to look at it.”

Xin Yi turned around and took the inkstone out of his backpack.

The day after tomorrow is his mom’s birthday, he didn’t have much time. 

The old man behind the counter moved the cup of tea, showing a wide-eyed smile, he hurriedly said, “Zhou MuHui, you wait for a while before leaving! Bring me the things from the back!”

Xin Yi stopped without a word, and looked at him from the corner of his eyes, when the man went into the room, he then asked in a small voice.

“Is he here every day?”

The old man did not even lift his head, “Here on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, I don’t open on other days, today is an exception, only opening for a while.”

Xin Yi let out an “oh”, and secretly smoothed the piece of paper in his palm, and carefully put it in his pocket. 

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