Qi Xiu Yuan obsequiously gave the vice principal a call to request a leave of absence, then went off to purchase breakfast–actually, it was better off saying it was lunch–along with some hospital necessities. With those things in hand, he made his way back to Han Jia’s room.
Although Han Jia was temporarily out of danger, he was still unconscious. Xiao Li sat at his bedside and looked at his pale face as if lost in thoughts.
Qi Xiu Yuan quietly walked over and placed the things that he had bought on the table to the side. Looking at him with that appearance, he couldn’t help but to struggle with his words, “You guys……have a really good relationship……”
A faint smile appeared on Xiao Li’s face as silence continued to press down on him.
An inexplicable sense of loss draped Qi Xiu Yuan’s heart. He gave Han Jia a quick glance but couldn’t say anything else, then he pulled out the T-shirt that he has just purchased and passed it Xiao Li.
Xiao Li got up and went to the bathroom, and tore off the blood-soaked clothes. He rolled it up and shove it deep into the trash can before using a wet towel to wipe away the bloodstain that painted the upper part of his body. Afterwards, he changed into the white T-shirt Qi Xiu Yuan had given him.
When he came out, Qi Xiu Yuan was already sitting at the table waiting for him to eat breakfast. Once he saw Xiao Li’s empty hand, he asked, “Where’s your clothes?”
“I threw it away.”
Qi Xiu Yuan gave him a glance, then suddenly smiled, “The wholesale T-shirts that you bought before, you didn’t throw them all away like this, did you?”
After that, he saw a change in Xiao Li’s eyes, as if some sort of sadness had rushed into him. He reluctantly nodded his head then sat down to eat.
Qi Xiu Yuan understood that he had said something wrong again and he vaguely knew where he was wrong. He watched as Xiao Li silently ate his bowl of congee. He ate his bland food and thought of how to open his mouth to speak. As he hesitated for what seemed like half a day, he suddenly heard Xiao Li speak.
“Yeah.”
He raised his head to look at Xiao Li, however, Xiao Li did not look back at him. As if he had not spoken a second ago, he merely lowered his head and stared at the bowl of congee.
When Qi Xiu Yuan was about to ask, what happened, Xiao Li instead said with a blank expression, “Those T-shirts were all thrown away because they were stained with blood. Sometimes my blood, but most of the time, it was someone else’s. Qi Xiu Yuan, I’ve told you many times, this is the kind of person I am. I’m far more dreadful and hateful than you’ve imagined. If you don’t want to die, you…” he looked up at him, eyes cold and fierce, “It’s best if you stay a bit further away from me.”
Qi Xiu Yuan, however, did not look back at him. Instead, he turned slightly and gave Han Jia, who was still lying unconscious on the sickbed, a glance. Then he turned back to look at Xiao Li’s scar, the cuts that was expose at the opening of the T-shirt collar, and the bloodstain on his arm that was not wiped cleanly. Only after that, did his gaze met with Xiao Li’s.
“I don’t like you being in the underworld. But, I am not afraid by those things,” he said slowly and firmly with an unyielding determination, “I’ve also told you many times.”
That’s right, he had said it many times. He appeared at the back alley of the Arc de Triomphe, he appeared at the abandoned school when Da Gui had kidnapped Xiao Yang, then after escaping, he even reappeared a second time in front of Da Gui, and now he appeared again at a hospital that’s hundreds of miles away from where he works at, assisting him in taking care of someone that was hit in the lung by a bullet.
This man was warm, kind, courageous and passionate. He possessed the upright qualities that he had always secretly admired, his creditable work, and everything else under the sun.
However, he used that incredible dedication and courage to purse him instead.
These things made Xiao Li felt even more shaken and confused.
“What exactly do you like about me?” Xiao Li honestly could not understand. He had asked the same question many times, but had yet to receive an answer, “Even my younger brother hates me —“
His voice disappeared into Qi Xiu Yuan’s mouth.
Qi Xiu Yuan had one hand pushed against the narrow and small table, while the other hand pressed against Xiao Li’s shoulder. As he leaned in to kiss him, he knocked over the bottle of soy sauce on the table.
Xiao Li’s body froze.
He could easily push Qi Xiu Yuan away at any time, then punch him with his fist, but Qi Xiu Yuan’s fingers gently yet nervously caressed his shoulder. Qi Xiu Yuan’s kiss was soft and tender. It was as if he was not a violent gang member but rather a fragile treasure that needed to be handle with love and care. His lips softly sealed his lips, then lightly pressed on it with a bit more pressure.
A trembling sensation emerged and spread from the spot that Qi Xiu Yuan touched. Xiao Li felt something warm, soft and wet lick his lower lip. As if encouraged by his sense of defeat, that tongue nimbly thread in and attempted to pry his mouth open and explore the warmth inside. With this kind of hot and wet sensation startling him, Xiao Li couldn’t help but to draw back. But once Qi Xiu Yuan immediately sense his attempt to escape, his fingers firmly dug into his shoulder.
Then he opened his eyes.
Jin Ting is one of Xiao Li’s territory. He had always though that he had seen all kinds of eyes, malicious, greedy, eager, desire……although within Qi Xiu Yuan’s eyes there were the familiar sense of desire and longing, but there was something more that he was unable to make sense of. In simple terms, it was as if he was adoring him, loving him.
This idea made him even more uneasy.
He reached out to push Qi Xiu Yuan away, however, Qi Xiu Yuan looked as though he was competing with him as he exerted more strength into his hand. When he was unable to reach into his lips for more kisses, he started to carelessly kiss his forehead and cheeks. It was as if he was not afraid that Xiao Li would suddenly use brutal force to knock him down.
While they were tugging at each other, one pulling and the other pushing, the door into the room was pushed open.
“What are you doing?”
Li Shi Qing and his bodyguard appeared at the door with an extremely displeased look riding across his face.
He narrowed his eyes and looked Qi Xiu Yuan up and down, “Who is he?” he asked with a rather murderous aura looming above him.
Just as his eyes swept past his face, Qi Xiu Yuan felt as if this person had cut him with a blade.\n