The tea on the table had completely cooled.

Qi Wang neatly placed the documents back in order, no longer glancing at them.

He asked Pei Zhao, “Have you already given this to Yu Nian?”

To his surprise, Pei Zhao shook his head.

Pei Zhao sighed and looked out the window.

His fingers touched the gilded handle of the cup, the slightly rough surface brushing against his fingertips, making his heart restless.

In fact, he didn’t need to say so much to Qi Wang.

Before meeting Qi Wang, his understanding of Qi Wang came from the information collected by his secretary.

Ruthless, cold, deeply scheming, a villain who deliberately misled Yu Nian.

That was Pei Zhao’s original impression of Qi Wang.

But meeting Qi Wang in person was somewhat unexpected.

This young man, who grew up in the mire, had clean and profound eyes.

This made the disgust in his heart fade slightly.

He lifted his hand and rubbed his nose bridge, feeling somewhat weary.

“Let me put it this way, I’m Yu Nian’s brother, and I hope my brother can break free from a relationship that’s not worth it, but I also can’t bear to see him truly hurt.”

He looked at Qi Wang, his eyes filled with deep helplessness. “If I give these documents to Yu Nian, how much pain do you think he’ll be in?”

And how could he bear to see Yu Nian truly heartbroken?

He said, “Yu Nian is only eighteen years old. Heartbreak isn’t terrifying for him, but if he discovers that he never truly understood you, that the person he fell in love with isn’t clean, and may even be a criminal in the eyes of the law… how devastated do you think he’ll be?”

That’s his position as a brother.

Just like if someone were to tell him now that Yu Xinli, who he spends his days with, actually has another side, even though he’s experienced the world, he still wouldn’t be able to bear it.

Thinking about this, Pei Zhao turned his head and glanced at Yu Xinli.

Yu Xinli’s face was as cold as ice, but she kept silent.

If it were up to Yu Xinli, there wouldn’t even be this conversation. It was Pei Zhao who insisted on meeting Qi Wang, wanting to see for himself what kind of person his beloved younger brother had fallen for.

But even Yu Xinli, after struggling for a long time, hadn’t decided to reveal the truth to Yu Nian and let him see the records on these thin pages.

Water droplets gradually condensed on the window glass, then slid down like a picture riddled with holes.

Pei Zhao said to Qi Wang, “Mr. Qi, I don’t know if you can understand the heart of us as guardians. I hope Yu Nian breaks up with you, I hope you reject him. But ironically, I also don’t want him to know about your past.”

“I hope Yu Nian thinks that he just met someone who wasn’t firm enough in love, succumbed to power, and discarded him because of sweet talk. He will be sad, but this sadness will only be a small bump in his life. After a while, he’ll be able to mend his pain and move on with his life. Do you understand what I mean?”

Of course, Qi Wang understood.

In this rough and tough life, how could he not understand the implications behind others’ words?

He thought, Yu Nian indeed has a pair of responsible and caring siblings, who would do anything to protect him from any harm.

So much so that he even found a bit of comfort in it.

It’s good, he thought. So Yu Nian wasn’t a poor little thing fallen from a wealthy family. He was a little prince born in a land of plenty, bathed in the gentle light of the stars and moon, sleeping on beds made of luxurious fabrics, never knowing any sorrow.

But Qi Wang lowered his eyes, unable to speak up.

He didn’t know if it was because the heating in this coffee shop wasn’t warm enough or because he had taken off the scarf Yu Nian had given him, but sitting in this corner by the window, basking in the sun, he still felt a chill all over his body.

When he refused Yu Nian initially, he said so many cruel words, describing the wounds of his upbringing.

But he didn’t dare to reveal everything.

Perhaps people always want to preserve a bit of dignity in front of their lovers, to put on a bit of a glamorous facade, even if covered in dust, to clean their hands and pretend to be clean, just so they can dare to hold Yu Nian’s hand.

He didn’t tell Yu Nian about the home invasion at fifteen.

The contractor at the construction site withheld half of his wages because he was young and had no relatives or friends. If he hadn’t pretended to threaten him with a knife, he might have frozen to death on the streets.

He also didn’t mention that he almost went to prison.

Those street thugs were people he had once known, and although he had managed to break free from the mire, he had circled back, back to when he started fighting with people.

Violence and brutality still flowed in his blood, just like the barren little city where he grew up.

All these things.

Weighed on him like a mountain.

Making him reflect on himself on countless nights, perhaps he wasn’t any better than those fallen thugs, they were all rootless people, drifting in the world, not knowing when they would turn to dust, scattered in corners no one cared about.

How could he say all of this to Yu Nian, who was as white as pearls?

He couldn’t utter a word.

He also hoped that in Yu Nian’s heart, he could barely be considered a good person, even though he had made mistakes in his youth, he had now turned over a new leaf.

He also wanted Yu Nian to always see him as the silent coffee barista at “Morning Ten”, not too friendly with his colleagues but able to get along peacefully, occasionally giving candies to friends in the restaurant, and helping elderly customers with umbrellas on snowy days.

He wasn’t too good.

But he wasn’t too bad either.

Qi Wang gently closed his eyes, feeling a slight heat in his eye sockets.

His throat felt like it had been cut open by a knife, bleeding profusely.

Even making a sound seemed to take his life.

He knew he should say to Pei Zhao, “Alright, I’ll do as you wish.”

He knew that Yu Nian, such a pure and innocent person, was like two tracks that shouldn’t intersect with him.

Breaking up would be good for both of them.

But he couldn’t really do it.

He remembered that morning in Jiangyang County when Yu Nian sat on the tram through the water willow forest, tears streaming down his face as he looked at him.

He surrendered helplessly to Yu Nian, agreeing to be his temporary boyfriend for a month.

He had thought about refusing.

But it was too difficult.

In his chaotic and dark first twenty years, Yu Nian was the only ray of light on his dry canvas.

Yu Nian always liked to say that his love for him was like a moth to a flame, rejected once or twice, and still confessed a third time.

But he was actually the moth in the darkness.

Even if he knew he would be burned to ashes in the next second, he still wanted to kiss Yu Nian’s fingertips.

But he didn’t expect that, just twenty-nine days later, he would lose Yu Nian.

Even within a month, they didn’t get to have it.

It was too fleeting.

Short like a wisp of smoke.

He didn’t even have time to grasp it before it slipped away from his hands.

Pei Zhao and Yu Xinli watched in surprise as tears flowed down Qi Wang’s face.

Like a cold and numb stone statue, suddenly shedding tears, as if it would shatter into pieces in the next moment.

Pei Zhao couldn’t help but feel surprised.

Since entering the coffee shop, Qi Wang had remained calm and composed, communicating with them appropriately, showing no signs of emotional fluctuations, as if discussing other people’s affairs.

He was even a bit displeased, thinking that this person might not really love Yu Nian that much. As an older brother, he couldn’t help but feel sorry for Yu Nian.

But now he saw Qi Wang’s tears.

There was no breakdown, no emotional outburst, not even any attempts to defend or plead for himself.

But anyone could feel the pain and despair emanating from every part of his being, like winter rain, cold and sticky, seeping into his bones bit by bit.

Pei Zhao suddenly stopped himself from speaking, his words of counsel to Qi Wang halted on his lips.

He turned to look out the window.

The winter street was desolate, the freezing weather keeping even the usually chirpy sparrows out of sight, and pedestrians hurriedly passing by.

Pei Zhao thought to himself, he really didn’t like winter.

“I’m sorry, I have to leave for a moment,” Qi Wang stood up.

Without waiting for Pei Zhao and Yu Xinli to respond, he hurriedly left his seat and headed for the restroom.

And twenty minutes later, when he returned, he had regained his previous calm demeanor. Apart from the water stains on his forehead and the slight redness in his eyes, there was almost no sign that he had cried.

At the end of the day, Qi Wang still didn’t give a definite answer.

He said softly, “I need a few more days to think about it. Until I’ve made up my mind, I won’t disturb Yu Nian.”

Pei Zhao and Yu Xinli didn’t press him further.

Yu Xinli nodded, engaging in her first conversation with Qi Wang since entering the coffee shop.

“Alright, Pei Zhao and I can also assure you that we won’t bother you for the next few days. But everything that needs to be said has been said. We hope, Mr. Qi, that you can choose a path that is good for both you and Yu Nian.”

She paused, then added softly, “If you’re willing to break up with Yu Nian, as compensation for you, we will arrange for you to attend school, continue your studies, and even provide you with some cash to ensure your well-being. After all, you have taken care of Yu Nian, and he has had many happy days these past few months. We should thank you. If you have any other requests, you can also let us know.”

As soon as she finished speaking, she heard a short laugh.

It was so quick that it was almost impossible to catch.

She frowned and looked up at Qi Wang, seeming to detect a hint of mockery in the young man’s face.

Qi Wang picked up his bag and the gray scarf, not responding to Yu Xinli’s words.

But when he reached out to push open the door, he stopped.

He lowered his head slightly, his eyelashes trembling, not knowing what he was remembering.

He said softly, “I don’t have any requests. But Yu Nian hasn’t been feeling well lately. I hope you can take care of him a little, and don’t let him eat cold food. Also, he had a bit of an allergic reaction recently, I don’t know why. He was fine before, but he developed a rash after eating mangoes. He’s not very strong, so if he keeps crying, he’ll get sick easily. Please… take care of him.”

After speaking, he opened the door of the coffee shop and quickly walked out.

He gradually disappeared from Yu Xinli and Pei Zhao’s sight, walking to the bus stop at the street corner, waiting for the next bus.

The cold air of winter attacked from all directions, penetrating his joints and bones, making him ache all over.

He thought, Yu Xinli and Pei Zhao would probably find him ridiculous.

After leaving, Yu Nian returned to his own world of flowers and splendor, surrounded by people’s adoration, protecting this precious young master from the slightest breeze, from the slightest cold.

But he still worried that Yu Nian wouldn’t receive good care.

He didn’t know if Yu Nian would cry.

Would he lose his appetite out of anger?

His body was already a bit delicate, if he fell seriously ill, what would happen?

Thinking about these things, for some reason, his originally straight back gradually bent down, and the air from all directions seemed to thin out.

He couldn’t breathe.

His already pale face became even paler, like a tree that had been uprooted, still tall and sturdy-looking, but collapsing heavily.

The passengers waiting for the bus beside him were startled, crouching down and calling out to him anxiously, “Hey, are you alright…”

But Qi Wang couldn’t hear anything.

He closed his eyes wearily.

Before coming to meet Yu Xinli and Pei Zhao, he had gone nearly forty-eight hours without sleep.

Inside the cafe, Yu Xinli and Pei Zhao were unaware of what was happening outside.

Pei Zhao furrowed his brows, looking down at the table, feeling conflicted.

The few pages of information about Qi Wang were still there. He picked them up and flipped through them.

Outside the window, dried leaves drifted down, brushing against the roadside railing before falling to the ground, trampled by passersby.

Pei Zhao sighed softly, asking Yu Xinli, “Do you think… this Qi Wang might actually have some feelings for Yu Nian?”

If that were the case…

If that were the case.

He felt a wave of conflict inside him, not knowing what he wanted to say.

Today’s meeting had been somewhat unexpected.

Throughout, Qi Wang hadn’t tried to plead with him and Yu Xinli, hadn’t resorted to begging, hadn’t attempted to use Yu Nian as leverage in negotiations.

This young man came as calmly and solemnly as a lone bamboo, and left just as quietly.

It was as if he had known the outcome all along and was prepared to accept it.

Yue Xinli didn’t reply.

After a while, she slowly stood up, picked up her handbag, and said to Pei Zhao, “Let’s go.”

^[1]Author’s Note: Tomorrow I’ll take a day off, and the next few chapters should be the last chapter of “Youthful Mirror Shattered”. After that will be a new volume – … Continue reading