Chapter 19

Editor: mako

Proofreader: jlycen

I decided to call Meng SiQi to tell him I was all right. However, when I picked up the receiver, there wasn’t any sound, and everything was silent. It was then that I slightly regretted not taking my cell phone with me when I left the house.

Disheartened, I returned downstairs. The living room was well-illuminated, and Qiao Yi had not returned to his room yet. With his feet propped on the glass coffee table and his arms draped over the back of the sofa, his eyes were gazing blankly at the ceiling like a dead man.

“Pei JiYu, I suddenly remember who you are now,” he said.

“I am greatly honored that you remembered,” I casually answered him as I walked towards the telephone in the living room. After picking up the receiver, I realized that there was no sound too.

I couldn’t help asking, “Are all the phones in this house for decorations only?”

“It’s already so late. Who are you going to call?” he asked me languidly.

“Naturally, it’s to call up those who care about me.” I then asked, “Can I borrow your cell phone?”

Qiao Yi didn’t acknowledge me. He just turned his head and fixed his eyes on me.

“Why does Qiao Lang like you? You don’t understand anything and are outrageously naive.”

I frowned, not understanding what he was saying.

“Where’s Qiao Lang? I want to have a talk with him.”

“Someone made trouble, so he went to solve it. After tonight, another third of the city’s territory will be in the hands of Qiao Lang.”

Qiao Yi said such words easily, as if the bloodshed was just like spilled syrup in his eyes.

“I will have to say congratulations then.”

Without Qiao Lang around, I had no choice but to give up the idea of contacting Meng SiQi.

After putting down the receiver, I sat next to Qiao Yi. As the night was still early, this scene of two sleepless people was inexplicably melancholic.

“What’s gratifying? You should cry for me instead,” said Qiao Yi. “The man he went to settle business with tonight is my grandfather.”

I wondered, “Isn’t your grandfather the same as his?”

Qiao Yi threw me a glance. “We have the same father but different mothers.”

Oh, the drama of the rich and powerful.

What I’ve seen and heard tonight was comparable to popular TV drama series.

“Pei JiYu, are you aware that I ever thought of kidnapping you?”

When Qiao Yi suddenly changed the topic, I was startled. “Why?”

I was confused, as I don’t remember offending him. Most importantly, I don’t even know him!

“When you brought him back from England, you lived with him.”

“Just because of that?”

“That’s already enough.” He said, “You brought a demon back and destroyed the Qiao family.”

I was shocked by what he said. From his expression, it also didn’t seem like he was joking with me.

“Qiao Lang’s mother got in between my parents’ marriage, so my grandfather sent a warning to the woman, and she disappeared. No one knew that she was pregnant, so when Qiao Lang came to my house, Father received a great surprise. How laughable!”

At this time, I realized that there were no other family members in the Qiao house except Qiao Yi and Qiao Lang. How could such an old and well-known family be lacking in numbers?

“Where’s the rest of the Qiao family?”

“There is no one else in the Qiao family except me,” he said softly, and his expression had no traces of a ripple.

I had my doubts, but I ended up not asking. After I leave tomorrow, I will have nothing to do with Qiao Lang anymore.

So, I shouldn’t interfere any further.

At this moment, Qiao Yi stretched out his legs and got up from the sofa.

I couldn’t help asking, “Why didn’t you kidnap me in the end?”

“Because he abandoned you, so I thought that he was just taking advantage of you.” Qiao Yi said with a self-mocking smile, “Now I know it was just a little trick that Qiao Lang used on me. He had won.”

As I remained stunned in place, Qiao Yi had already returned to his room.

I woke up feeling Qiao Lang’s gaze. As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw him sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at me in silence. I didn’t know how long he had remained like that.

I’m glad I slept with my clothes on last night. Otherwise, it would be embarrassing to dress in front of him at this moment.

“You shouldn’t come into my room anytime you desire.” I sat up. “You gave me a fright.”

“Sorry, I just wanted to see you.” When he spoke, he looked a little exhausted. Perhaps what he did last night had kept him occupied, and he didn’t manage to sleep.

Besides, what else could I say? As someone living in the Qiao’s house, I could only temporarily submit myself and go along with him.

The weather today was fine and cloudless while bright sunshine fell into the room. It was during this moment that I finally saw the other person in front of me clearly. Dressed in black, his hair was very neat, and he was so much more mature compared to the him from four years ago.

He was the second son of the Qiao family and not the youth I met who had nothing.

Instead, on the contrary, I had become poor and lost control of my life.

“I haven’t seen you in four years,” he said. “I thought you would go back to the Pei’s, but I couldn’t find you.”

I asked him, “I’ve been elsewhere – why are you searching for me?”

As his dark eyes became fixed on me, it reminded me of the first time we met a long time ago.

In life, only the first meeting was the best. Anything after was just superfluous.

“Four years ago, I abandoned you because of another reason.”

I was not surprised at all.

Last night, Qiao Yi’s vague words were enough for me to make certain deductions. I sighed – if I were living in a novel, then the author really had no imagination.

“Because someone could threaten you using me?”

I was familiar with all the bad plots in TV dramas.

Qiao Lang immediately became alert. “You’ve met Qiao Yi?”

“Last night, when I got up to look for water, I met him downstairs.” I continued, “He said some stuff to me, but it wasn’t much.”

Qiao Lang’s face sank, and I could see the loathing he harbored towards Qiao Yi.

“What does he know?!”

I wryly smiled. “At least he knew more than me.”

I was always the concerned party, but yet, the one who knew the least every time. Qiao Lang may have done it with good intentions, but I didn’t feel it was anything good at all, as I could only be at a loss every time – being in agony and yet, unaware.

“However, now I know,” I told him. “Such a thing had happened a long time ago, so you shouldn’t put it in your heart. I also don’t blame you anymore.”

For me, the act of leaving the Pei family was not for a totally pure motive, as I had my own selfish desires. I had no right to blame him, as I should reap the fruits of my actions. It was also useless to blame others.

“No, you don’t know anything at all!” He became agitated and suddenly stood up, toppling the chair over.

Looking at him, his eyes were red due to staying up all night. However, it remained sharp, like a lone wolf running in the wilderness with passion.

I then thought of Qiao Yi’s words: “Qiao Lang is a devil who would destroy everything.”

The young eagle I met in the past had sharpened his sharp claws.

After taking a few deep breaths, Qiao Lang calmed down. He also lifted his chair back up and sat down.

He told me, “Pei, please let me finish my story. This is my only request.”

To that, I could only agree.

In the end, he told me a story that was completely different from Qiao Yi’s.