Chapter 57: He looks like you

On the drive home, Yi Shiqi’s cheeks were unnaturally flushed from excitement. He hesitated several times, glancing intermittently at the man driving.

Xie Bo knew this guy must have been bursting with questions. He slowed down and murmured, “If you want to ask something, go ahead.”

“Who is that guy? Damn!!!” Yi Shiqi would have jumped if they weren’t in the car. “I did a basic examination on him. How long has he not seen the sun? His physical functions have degraded a lot, and his nutrition is inadequate.”

“Can it be treated?” Xie Bo asked calmly.

“Of course, the physical issues are manageable, but his mental state is also off. So, who is he, and how did he end up like this?”

“He’s Lin Yiwei’s brother,” Xie Bo explained without hiding anything, “He’s been ghostwriting for Chi Xiyu for over two years, always in hiding. Starting from now, every three days, you’ll go and help him restore his physical functions.”

Xie Bo trusted Yi Shiqi; he was a dear friend for many years. But sharing all this wasn’t just about trust. He needed Yi Shiqi’s ongoing assistance—

“I need to find a way to save him.”

Yi Shiqi paused for a moment, understanding Xie Bo’s intention. “You… want to get him out? How do we do that?”

“I haven’t planned it yet, but I need you to ensure he remains unharmed.”

After a moment of thought, Yi Shiqi said, “I can definitely help with that, but…”

“Thanks.” Xie Bo cut off his “but.”

Yi Shiqi lacked a sense of tact; whatever he wanted to say had to come out. “But, Xie Bo, you’re about to get engaged, yet your mind is still on your ex-girlfriend. You’re risking going against your future father-in-law just to help her. Aren’t you afraid of angering the Chi family or your dad’s wrath?”

“Of course, I’m afraid,” Xie Bo said coolly, gripping the steering wheel with one hand, gazing ahead at the dark suburban road without streetlights. “After finally getting to where I am today, gaining control of Yumei Fresh Chain, I’ve really gotten in my own way just to offend that old man.”

“If this blows up, a couple of Chi family members will be affected, and the stock price will plummet, affecting Yumei Fresh as well.”

Xie Bo glanced at him. “I only promised to help Lin Yiwei. I didn’t say I’d bring down the Chi Group. I’m not stupid.”

Now heavily invested in Chi Group’s interests, he would never jeopardize his foundation.

He needed a win-win solution to deal with the person in the basement.

Hearing Xie Bo’s explanation, Yi Shiqi felt slightly relieved and joked, “It looks like you haven’t been blinded by love after all. Okay, I’ll take care of this favor.”

“I’m not love-blinded,” Xie Bo said coldly.

Yi Shiqi grinned at him, “Don’t be so stubborn; we all agree you are.”

“We? Who are you?”

“Me and Li Du. We even made a bet in private.”

As he spoke, Yi Shiqi covered his mouth, “Oops, I let it slip.”

Li Du would kill him!

Since Xie Bo needed his help now, he naturally wouldn’t hold it against him. But he wondered if there’d be payback later with his vengeful nature.

“What did you bet on?” Xie Bo asked curiously.

“Uh, nothing.”

“Spill it.” He didn’t give him room to refuse.

Yi Shiqi had no choice but to confess, “We bet on your engagement day… you’d…”

“What?”

“If Miss Lin can’t hold it together and causes a scene at the wedding, crying and stopping you from getting married, Li Du said there’s a good chance you’ll elope with her.”

Xie Bo scoffed. Before he could speak, Yi Shiqi quickly expressed his sincerity—

“I immediately said, ‘This is absolutely impossible! Is our Brother Bo such an impulsive person?’ So I made a bet with him, wagering a car that you definitely won’t be a runaway groom!”

Xie Bo gave him a look, “Have him prepare your first car after you graduate.”

“Alright! I’ll tell him right away!” Yi Shiqi texted while bowing his head. Cheerful message tones chimed in the quiet car.”

Li Du replied,” Yi Shiqi showed Xie Bo his phone, smiling, “He said, from head to toe, our Brother Bo is the most stubborn. We’ll see his true colors at the wedding.”

Xie Bo scoffed, “That won’t happen; she won’t be able to enter the wedding venue.”

“It’s not like she has to be there; Li Du says, a tearful phone call would suffice, and Brother Bo will melt.”

“Tell him to go as far away as possible.” Yi Shiqi replied with a smile.

While Yi Shiqi responded to messages, Xie Bo’s mind couldn’t help but wander, imagining if one day, at his wedding… No, no, no, it’s impossible; that girl may act, cry, and perform like an Oscar-winning actress, but she wouldn’t truly shed a tear for him. But if she prevents him from getting engaged… What would he do? Xie Bo immediately dismissed the thought. He didn’t know how he’d react.

The car sped towards the DS Racing Club; Li Du was also there. During this time, Xie Bo stayed at the club instead of returning to the Ramon apartment. Yi Shiqi joined him, and tomorrow Xie Bo planned to introduce him to Chi Youhuai, to discuss Lin Xie’s situation. Details about his illness required careful consideration.

Xie Bo relaxed with a hot bath, ruffling his damp hair as he exited the bathroom. Yi Shiqi and Li Du were playing pool in the recreation room. Both tall, standing over 1.8 meters, they were well-proportioned. Li Du into fitness, had a stronger physique than Yi Shiqi, who was more delicate with fair skin.

Xie Bo went to the bar for a mint mojito, taking out his phone to message Lin Yiwei that he had met Lin Xie.

He knew she would call to inquire about the situation. Xie Bo didn’t want to lie to her; Lin Xie’s health was dire, and saying nothing would only worry her. Once Yi Shiqi adjusted her, they could discuss it. Xie Bo couldn’t risk a confrontation with the Chi family, and any rescue must ensure his clear separation.

Maybe they could stage an “accident” during transportation. With half a glass of wine down, Xie Bo thought of her. Days were busy; only at night could he focus on missing her. He suddenly thought of the Redmi phone, growing curious. He powered it on, an older model without a fingerprint lock. The SIM was inactive, but that didn’t matter.

The phone was clean, devoid of what he wanted to see. Xie Bo finished his drink, tossing the phone aside, feeling restless. Later, he remembered the SIM slot and found a card. He topped it up with 500 yuan, restoring the signal. Xie Bo opened WeChat using the number verification, easily logging in. But the notifications overwhelmed the phone.

Nonetheless, Xie Bo patiently waited for the flood of WeChat messages to end. In the billiards room, Yi Shiqi and Li Du noticed the incessantly vibrating phone on the table and approached him curiously. After a while, the phone finally calmed down. Xie Bo unlocked the screen, the WeChat app opening.

All messages were from a familiar penguin profile picture—

“Breeze”

At the same time, Xie Bo noticed Lin Xie’s WeChat profile—a simple, cartoonish polar bear paired with a cartoon penguin, clearly a sibling pair. Xie Bo’s lips curled slightly; he liked Lin Yiwei, and even Lin Xie seemed adorable to him now. His chest filled with a feeling of affection.

He had to find a way to bring him out and restore his health.

“Isn’t this a couple’s profile picture?” Yi Shiqi appeared behind him, surveying the two icons in the chat box. “They’re pretty cute.”

Xie Bo’s face darkened slightly. He spun his chair around, kicking Yi Shiqi’s knee. “It’s not a couple’s picture; they’re siblings.”

“Okay, okay, they’re siblings if you say so. No need to kick me,” Yi Shiqi rubbed his knee, sheepishly backing away.

Xie Bo’s gaze returned to the screen, zooming in on the two icons and carefully comparing them. It seemed to be a hand-drawn image—a polar bear leading a penguin on an iceberg, split in the middle to form their respective icons.

If considered a couple’s design, it also made sense. Strong jealousy surged within him. He had never used a couple’s avatar with her.

Simultaneously, Xie Bo noticed their nicknames—微风 (Breeze) and 斜阳 (Setting Sun).

Xie Bo hesitated for a moment, then clicked into the chat history he had not intended to pry into.

As he read through the messages Lin Yiwei had sent to Lin Xie over the past two years, dark waves stirred in the man’s deep eyes.

Yi Shiqi, unaware of Xie Bo’s changing mood, rummaged through cabinets nearby, looking for a game console.

“Brother Bo, where did you put the controller last week?”

Li Du tugged at him, silencing him, and both turned to look at Xie Bo. The man’s face turned icy, fingers sliding incessantly across the phone screen. The more he read, the darker his gaze became. Yi Shiqi keenly sensed Xie Bo’s displeasure. He exchanged a glance with Li Du, and the two left the recreation room, giving Xie Bo some private space.

“Brother Bo, it’s getting late. We’ll discuss that matter tomorrow morning,” Li Du said.

Xie Bo remained silent, absorbed in his phone, searching and searching…

Finally, he came across that message—

Breeze: “I slept with a handsome stranger.”

Breeze: “I thought he looked like you with glasses.”

Breeze: “Brother, I miss you.”

Breeze: “Brother, I dreamed of you. When I woke up and found you weren’t there, I cried for a long time.”

Breeze: “I used to like you, did you know?”

Breeze: “We were supposed to be together. Where are you?”

“Heh.” Xie Bo threw his phone down, suddenly bursting into laughter.

His name was 斜阳 (Setting Sun), and hers was 微风 (Breeze). So that’s how it was. In the darkness, Xie Bo sat alone for a long time, a frozen smile on his lips.

He suddenly hurled the phone across the room, smashing it on the billiards table. He had been deceived for so long, like a fool who believed her.

“The first to fall in love finds no resting place.”

Only now, after experiencing such excruciating pain, did Xie Bo finally understand this saying. From the moment he surrendered his heart, he had been pushed into an abyss of torment.

…..

Meanwhile, Lin Yiwei was walking her dog by the Thames when she received a WeChat message from Chu Ang— “Heard it was your birthday last month, belated happy birthday. Also, how have you been lately?”

It had been a long time since she’d seen his message. Lin Yiwei did not reply. She had a TikTok account for daily sharing—capturing scenery or pets, sometimes taking selfies. Few people followed her, but she could see the footprints of visitors on her homepage.

Chu Ang often visited her page to peek. He thought she was unaware, but Lin Yiwei could tell as soon as she clicked onto his page. The content was routine—training and learning-related. The photos showed the adjacent police academy; even a fool could guess his identity.

The words had been said, no need to say more. Chu Ang was just an ordinary passerby in her life, and there was no need for their paths to cross.

On her homepage, besides Chu Ang’s frequent visits, there was also Xie Bo, but Xie Bo’s account named “thin” was open and straightforward about liking her posts. Xie Bo would like every video she posted within minutes of it going up. He seemed to have set up special alerts for her content, ensuring he was notified immediately whenever she posted.

Each time, he would simply like without commenting, adopting an attitude of “I’ve seen it.”

This led to Lin Yiwei often refreshing her page after posting a video, checking to see if “thin” had liked it. Every time, Xie Bo never disappointed her—except tonight. She posted a video of the moon, stars, and a little dog and waited ten minutes, but didn’t see Xie Bo’s like. However, she noticed that “thin” had visited her page two minutes ago.

Lin Yiwei felt something was off but couldn’t quite put her finger on it. Feeling unsettled, she walked back home.

A few days later, Chi Xiyu’s personal art exhibition opened at the Starlight Art Hall. Watching the online live broadcast, Lin Yiwei saw those paintings—Lin Xie’s paintings.

There were several heavily inked abstract renditions without specific content. Lin Yiwei, highly sensitive to color, felt her heart seized upon seeing those paintings.

She could sense the frenzied and painful emotions behind these artworks. She knew Lin Xie’s mind was on the verge of extreme collapse, which was reflected in these paintings. Unable to bear it any longer, she called Xie Bo.

Xie Bo answered but remained silent, his breath low and deep on the other end.

Lin Yiwei controlled her emotions, cautiously asking him, “Master Bo, is there any news about Lin Xie? I’m not rushing you, but I just saw Chi Xiyu’s art exhibition… You mentioned there would be news within the next month or two. Have you seen him?”

Xie Bo didn’t answer directly; instead, he asked, “Why don’t you call me ‘brother’ anymore?”

His voice was as low as ever, with a calmness that unsettled Lin Yiwei. “Brother,” she obediently called out.

However, what Xie Bo said next sent her straight into hell—

“Lin Yiwei, I want you to honestly tell me, every time you called out ‘brother’ in bed with me, who were you calling out to…?”