CH 35

PUBLISHED ON 6 June 2023

Zhou MuHui happened to be absent when Xin Yi got there, the store was hectic, and the guy who was familiar with him said that brother Zhou was outside picking merchandise, and still needed a while. 

“Don’t know what sister Chen and brother Zhou are doing lately, always busying here and there, xiao Yi, you wait first.” 

Sister Chen is his boss lady from before, Xin Yi hurriedly nodded and found an empty spot to stay by himself, Xin Yi didn’t call Zhou MuHui, he was afraid that Zhou MuHui was busy outside, and disturbing him. 

In the meanwhile, the store calmed down for a moment, someone gave him a cup of water, Xin Yi took a look at the door, but Zhou MuHui hadn’t come back yet.

“I guess it will take another while.”

The other party said.

Xin Yi nodded, but in the next second, he hesitated to speak.

Xin Yi had actually hidden matters in his heart, he didn’t come for half a month, just because he roughly felt that Zhou MuHui was a bit unusual, but he didn’t have the chance to ask, Xin Yi debated for a small while, and couldn’t help, saying in a quiet voice, “Is Zhou MuHui very busy lately?”

“Busy, not even idle for a moment, during the half month you weren’t there, he was going out early in the morning and coming back late at night, it just got better these two days, and he probably is going to come back in a while.”

Just as they finished speaking, noises came from outside, and the guy smiled at him, “See, go quickly, it’s probably brother Zhou.”

Xin Yi stood up the moment he was speaking, running outside in a hurry, he hasn’t seen Zhou MuHui for half a month, and he was already missing him terribly, however, when he really got to see him he still didn’t dare to throw himself over, because Zhou MuHui was in a mess, even his hair seemed to be soaked in water. 

“Xiao Gu! Quickly get a towel! Xiao Zhao! You go to the back to see if there are any superfluous clothes, fucking shitty grandson, want to cooperate or not cooperate, even dare to take it out of people, tomorrow I will dig up his ancestral grave, and see what kind of immortal his ancestor looks like, and fucking….. Xiao, xiao Yi?!” 

Xin Yi paused for a moment, looking at the wet Zhou Muhui, he widened his eyes in a daze.

“…It’s nothing.”

Zhou MuHui was also stunned by his sudden appearance, but it was only for a moment, he stretched his hand out to Xin Yi. 

“Come here.”

Xin Yi and the towel came together at Zhou MuHu’s hand, Zhou MuHui pulled him toward the store, sister Chen was beside saying aiyō for half a day, till Zhou MuHui went inside to change clothes, only then she whispered to the dumbfounded Xin Yi, “Your brother is fine, xiao Yi, don’t be afraid.” 

They came back in a hurry, and absolutely didn’t notice that the little kid was also in the store, sister Chen knows that Zhou MuHui always cares for this little brother, and naturally didn’t want him to worry. 

But Xin Yi didn’t speak, just now he was very close to Zhou MuHui and noticed that Zhou MuHui’s forehead was also swollen, the little kid spoke up after a long while, asking sister Chen, “What happened?” 

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Didn’t they go to get the merchandise, how come his whole body is soaked and he was even wounded. 

Sister Chen was stammering and didn’t manage to speak, the person who was articulate and swearing just now looked at Xin Yi’s eyes as if they were stuck. Fortunately, Zhou Muhui finally came out, and sister Chen hurriedly stepped back and said, “Xiao Zhou, you can go back to rest today, I’ll watch the things here.”

“Xiao Yi ah, you accompany your brother and go back, if you have any questions come to find me.” 

Xin Yi didn’t speak, but Zhou MuHui pulled his hand and nodded toward sister Chen.

“Then I’ll come tomorrow, don’t go over there alone anymore.” 

“Go what his mother… Oh, alright alright.” 

Zhou Mu took back his sight and hummed. 

Xin Yi was led halfway by him before he opened his mouth, Zhou MuHui had already changed into clean clothes at this moment, and even his hair was completely blown dry, only the swollen and purple forehead was the only way one could tell what happened just now.

“…Zhou MuHui.”

Xin Yi stopped his steps, “You— —”

“Sister Chen wants to expand the store, and went to discuss cooperation but failed to come to an agreement, the other party had some temperament, and I blocked it.” 

Zhou MuHui touched his cold face, and said in a low voice, “It’s nothing, don’t be scared.” 

“……”

Xin Yi nodded, but in the next second, he used his strength to hug him.  

“How come they even hit people ah…” 

The little kid’s voice carried a sob, and soon, his tears wet  Zhou MuHui’s neck, Zhou Muhui comforted him softly, stroked his hair, and kissed him, “It’s okay, it doesn’t hurt.”

Xin Yi’s tears didn’t stop, he felt highly distressed, yet Zhou MuHui’s mood seemed to be very good, even coaxing him softly, and kissing him from time to time. 

Xin Yi raised his head with his eyes misty with tears, looking at him blankly, “What are you doing ah.”

He was almost feeling distressed to death, but Zhou MuHui was still smiling.

Zhou MuHui didn’t reply, only helped him to wipe off his tears, lowered his voice, and asked him, “How come you came over today.” 

Xin Yi told him before, he wanted to spend the new year with his mother, and couldn’t come out often. 

Only then Xin Yi remembered what Xin Shao said, he was distracted for a moment, then hurriedly dug out the red envelopes, giving them to him. 

“My, it’s from my father and mother.”

Xin Yi randomly wiped dry the tears on his face, and said a bit embarrassedly, “It’s for you.” 

Zhou MuHui was surprised, he originally wanted to refuse, but Xin Yi looked at him shyly, a pair of eyes eagerly filled with anticipation, thus Zhou MuHui lost his voice, and nodded seriously. 

“Alright.”

“Al-, also!”

Xin Yi hastily added, “My mom is asking you if you want to come for a meal tomorrow!” 

Zhou MuHui paused, and answered, “Coming.” 

Xin Yi instantly smiled, grabbed Zhou MuHui’s hand and looked up at him.

“Do you want me to come to pick you up?” 

He asked stickily. 

“No need.”

Zhou MuHui said, “I’ll come over on my own.”

Xin Yi nodded strongly, “Then we will wait for you at home tomorrow.”

His voice was soaked in honey, it was so sweet that it was about to dissolve Zhou MuHui, but after seeing the injury on Zhou Mu’s forehead, he pursed his mouth, and his whole face fell down again.

“It’s nothing.”

Zhou MuHui sighed inwardly, holding his hands, and moved forward, whispering, “Let’s go.” 

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Xin Yi was only reminded of what he had forgotten once he got home, he originally wanted to ask Zhou MuHui how come he found so many jobs lately, but he didn’t get to ask, and was interrupted by what happened before.

But he’s eventually coming tomorrow, Xin Yi let out a yawn, and turned over in bed, thinking, he can still ask that tomorrow.

He only hoped that it was not a major issue, it made Xin Yi a bit worried. 

What they agreed was dinner, Xin Yi was already helping out Xin Shao in the afternoon, he doesn’t know how to cook, so he followed behind Xin Shao acting as an assistant, Xin Shao found him annoying, picking up a basket of vegetables for him to wash, and told him to go on a corner, and stop wandering in front of him. 

The little kid was chattering the whole afternoon, especially toward Yu TingYun, not allowing him to get angry, and also not allowing him to give Zhou Muhui the attitude, Yu TingYun, Yu TingYun was told off by him until he was full of anger, but he still nodded with hatred in the end. 

Xin Shao was in Yu NanShan’s embrace, and was laughing on one side, Xin Yi shook his butt in another direction, pleading with them anxiously, “Dad, you cannot scare him either.” 

Their family was a little special, Xin Yi has had two fathers since he was little, but Xin Yi never deliberately made a distinction on what to call them, thankfully both of them also didn’t care about it, so they just went along with whatever Xin Yi called them. 

Yu NanShan cocked an eyebrow, asking, “When did I ever scare him.” 

Xin Yi groaned, thought about it carefully, and then turned around to give Yu TingYun repeated orders.

Yu TingYun spoke in an odd sarcastic way, “You just listen to him, you believe him no matter what he says.”

Xin Yi let out an ah, but Yu TingYun didn’t explain, he rolled his eyes and turned around to go upstairs, said, “Understood.” 

“I’ll go send him a text!” 

The little kid finished washing the vegetables, and busily ran outside, Xin Shao listened to him talk over it for a whole afternoon, nodding in a hurry, “Go quickly.” 

Xin Yi ran very quickly and also sent the text very quickly, but it was just two o’clock, and Zhou MuHui didn’t reply to him immediately. 

Xin Yi waited for a while, and was thinking that maybe he was occupied, so he didn’t pay too much attention to it, then ran back to the kitchen to harass his mom. 

Xin Yi looked at his phone when it was almost five o’clock, there was still no movement from Zhou MuHui, the little kid frowned at the strangeness, a bit puzzled. 

Zhou MuHui has agreed with him to come today, and wouldn’t not reply to his texts. 

Could it be that he encountered something like the other day? 

Xin Yi suddenly became nervous, and gave Zhou MuHui a call.

But no one answered even after the ringback tone rang to the end, Xin Yi looked worried, and it happened that Xin Shao was calling him, Xin Yi answered, got up and ran to the kitchen again.

Maybe he was really busy.

Xin Yi thought.

He decided to wait for another while, it was still early for dinner time anyway, perhaps Zhou MuHui is going to come by himself in a while. 

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But until the afterglow of the sunset fell, his dads both came downstairs, there was not a shadow of Zhou MuHui, Xin Yi stood in front of the French window pursing his lips, mechanically listening to the female voice coming from the other end of the phone.

“Sorry, the person you are calling is unable to answer your call, please call again in a moment…”

He sent Zhou MuHui many texts, and gave him many calls, but got no answer. The guy from the store said that he hasn’t come by since the afternoon, sister Chen said that Zhou MuHui asked for the day off early on, Xin Yi looked at the screen which had gone back quiet, and didn’t speak for a long while.

Zhou MuHui must have taken a day off to come to his house, but Xin Yi did not see him come.

“What happened?”

Xin Shao came over asking in a whisper. 

His hand landed on Xin Yi’s shoulder, and gently turned the silent child around.

Their family’s little kid’s head was lowered, there was no smile on the face that always carried a smile, Xin Shao had never seen him so sad, he caressed Xin Yi’s hair, a bit distressed.

“Sorry mom…”

Xin Yi gripped his phone tightly, not daring to look at Xin Shao.

His family put a lot of importance on this meal, this is not the same as before when Xin Yi pulled Zhou MuHui home, this is the Lantern Festival, it is the reunion festival, and it was his family who took the initiative to call Zhou MuHui over for a meal. 

But Zhou MuHui didn’t come.

“It’s fine.”

Xin Shao patted his shoulder, and said softly, “Maybe something happened, do you want mom to go with you and see?” 

They didn’t ask any questions the whole time just now, because they were afraid that Xin Yi would blame himself.

Xin Yi shook his head.

“I am going by myself.”

His two dads said nothing all along, Yu NanShan sat on the sofa with his eyes downcast and said nothing, Xin Yi looked in his direction, then walked beside Yu Tingyun, calling him softly.

“Dad, he wouldn’t suddenly not be coming, don’t hate him later on, ok?” 

Yu TingYun was angry inwardly, but he didn’t show it, because his family’s little kid’s tears were about to fall down, he choked for a moment, restrained himself, and nodded.

“Go, dad understands.” 

Xin Yi hummed, turned around, and left.

But he didn’t find Zhou MuHui. 

No matter if it was at his workplace, or at his house, Xin Yi didn’t find him. 

Zhou MuHui disappeared, and Xin Yi couldn’t find him.