Even though, the pistol was pointed straight at Qi Xiu Yuan, he however, looked as if he wasn’t taking notice of it at all. His eyes traveled passed the pistol and focused solely at Xiao Li’s eyes instead, before he slowly asked, “So you’ve actually checked it out?”
The calmness and tacit approval in his words made Xiao Li ‘s murderous intent increase with an even stronger fury. He grabbed Qi Xiu Yuan by the collar and violently pulled him up from the ground. Not bothering for him to have a firm stand, Xiao Li’s fist beat into his ribs. The strong impact caused Qi Xiu Yuan to stagger back a few steps before he fell to the ground. Xiao Li crouched down in front of him and pointed the pistol in front of his head again.
“Tell me again, is Du Yan San Ge your grandfather or not?”
Enduring the pain that seared throughout his body, Qi Xiu Yuan looked squarely at Xiao Li. In between strenuous gasped, he firmly tells him, “No.”
Using the buttstock of the pistol, Xiao Li smashed it roughly against Qi Xiu Yuan’s head causing it to ring to the side upon impact. The brutal collision drew Qi Xiu Yuan’s breath in in one sick motion.
A cold and deranged air consumed Xiao Li as he tapped the pistol barrel against Qi Xiu Yuan’s cheek and use it to turn his face back toward him so that he could still aim the pistol back at his forehead.
“Say it again!!”
“No.”
Once again Xiao Li hauled him up and throws him cruelly against the cold wall. Then, with anger racing at a thousand miles in his head, he let his fist smashed into Qi Xiu Yuan’s body countless more times.
Qi Xiu Yuan was completely unable to ward off those powerful punches nor did he have the strength to fight back. He groaned into the pain and willed his mind to endure the swelling that breached his body.
After what seemed like a long time, Xiao Li finally stopped, his heated breath seemingly fanned over the other man’s presence. With one quick and strong move, he roughly captured Qi Xiu Yuan’s chin with one of his hand and lift his head up while placing the muzzle of the pistol in between his brows with the other hand.
“’The path they walk may be different from ours but just like us, they are humans’,” one by one Xiao Li spat those words out, “You lied to me about those as well?”
Qi Xiu Yuan felt as though his temple has been broken once it was smashed against the wall. He could sense the freshly drawn blood sliding down the left side of his head and painting the corner of his eye a slight shade of red, causing his field of vision to become askew. But even then, he could still see Xiao Li’s hand tremble as he held the pistol.
It was as if he urgently needed his answer.
It was as if he was afraid of his answer.
It was as if this answer would change everything.
Qi Xiu Yuan finally opened his mouth to speak. This was the first time he avoided Xiao Li’s eyes, “Yes.”
The hand that held his chin tightened with an intense strength. Xiao Li stared at him, eyes cold like the winter’s snow, “Look at me!!”
Qi Xiu Yuan’s eyes unwillingly shifted back towards Xiao Li.
“Say it again,” Xiao Li’s pistol pressed heavy against his temple and even his tone of voice became irascible, violent, “You lied to me?”
Once those words left his lips, it struck Qi Xiu Yuan with a great impact. He stared straight into Xiao Li’s eyes that were riddled with confusion. Then with a gentle yet firm voice, he answered, “Yes.”
Contrary to what was expected, this time Xiao Li did not strike him again. But nonetheless, the strength in his hand became stronger than it ever was while the expression in his eyes drew danger into it.
“Explain,” his voice was casted with a gloomy yet intense sense of violent.
Qi Xiu Yuan froze and became speechless.
Xiao Li released his left hand, then swung the buttstock of the pistol at him, “Explain!! Tell me, why did you lie to me!!” he roared out in a thunderous tone, “You appreciate me? You want to be my friend? Did you fucking take me as a fool you motherfucker? Tell me!!”
He lifted his pistol up once again. Both of his eyes shined a brilliant ray of light from the rage that encircled him.
In that agonizing moment that erupted inside his throbbing heart, Qi Xiu Yuan suddenly reached out and seized the back of Xiao Li’s neck, then he exerted all of his strength into pulling him close toward him.
His breath hitched as he desperately kissed those lips that he had longed for all along.
He was beaten until his entire body was painted in bruises; a section of his field of vision was covered in a light shade of red and worse Xiao Li’s pistol was still pressed painfully between both their necks. But, even then, this was all he wanted to do. He had already desired this for far too long. Even if the pistol were to go off at any given second, he still longed for it. He was no longer able to stop himself.
In the second that the kiss happened, and after that second passed, in the next second that followed, Xiao Li responded. He swung his fist hard, with almost all the strength in his body, and let it rain down on Qi Xiu Yuan, causing him to hit the rough ground.
Xiao Li used the back of his hand to wipe his lips while ruthlessly kicking him.
“I want to be with you.”
Qi Xiu Yuan lied on the ground and unable to bear it, a burst of coughs filtered the air.
Xiao Li’s movements halted for a moment.
“Didn’t you want an explanation?” The words quickly flew out of Qi Xiu Yuan’s mouth. He was afraid that if he didn’t speak fast enough, Xiao Li will lose interest and won’t listen to him anymore.
“I want to be with you. Xiao Li, I want it with all my being. I want you to leave the underworld. I want you to no longer do those kind of things. I want you to like me. I want you to like me, to treat me well not because of my relations to Xiao Yang,” he let out a bloody cough, “But, you don’t like me. You’ve always been very distant from me, then you took me just as someone that helped you, your benefactor. I don’t want it to be like that. I just want to be by your side. Xiao Li, Xiao Li, I had no other way. I had no other way……”
He lifted his head up and desperately tried his utmost to look at Xiao Li, but because his vision was obscured by the blood and his aching head throbbed violently, his sight was a complete blur. He couldn’t clearly see the expression on Xiao Li’s face.
In the dimly lit alley, he could vaguely make out as Xiao Li slowly lifted his pistol towards him then gradually lowered it. It was as if he had waited an entire day……an entire night. The long waiting suffocated him, but no soon Qi Xiu Yuan heard him coldly say:
“In the future, I’ll take it as I don’t know you.”
Then without any emotions at all, he paid no heed to Qi Xiu Yuan and walked across his body. In that looming darkness, Qi Xiu Yuan weakly watched as his body disappeared into a corner of that dark alley.