He Cried

Next to Tonghua Community is Tonghua Kindergarten, along with Tonghua Elementary, Tonghua Middle School, and Tonghua High School. This area is a hub of educational resources in City A, with bookstores, piano shops, toy stores, and restaurants all centered around the schools.

After having Qin Shu, Fu Quezhi and Qin Chaochen bought an apartment here. It’s not only close to where Qin Shu will study in the future, but also near the office building Fu Quezhi rented.

Qin Chaochen stepped out of a black business car and looked at the well-landscaped community in front of him. Roses climbed into the windows, and the residents inside waved at him and Fu Quezhi.

“We live on the third floor,” Fu Quezhi handed Qin Chaochen a brand new key. “You lost your key in the car accident, so I made a new one.”

The small key fell into Qin Chaochen’s palm, and Fu Quezhi’s slightly cool fingertips brushed against his hand.

Standing in an apartment three times smaller than his previous home, Qin Chaochen couldn’t believe it and was quite resistant: “Did I go bankrupt too?”

The Qin Family is a well-known socialite family in City A, and the second young master of the Qin Family has always lived in luxury, residing in a grand villa and driving the coolest sports cars. Now, he’s living in such a small place?

Fu Quezhi replied, “It’s not bankruptcy; we were kicked out.”

Qin Chaochen: “…”

Even worse, right? The three of them were thrown out. What a miserable life.

“I, I understand,” Qin Chaochen awkwardly gripped the key, using his toe to nudge the door, still a bit dazed about how he ended up following Fu Quezhi home.

He felt a bit lost, but it should be fine… right? He comforted himself that although the house was small, it had everything they needed.

While Qin Chaochen was lost in thought, Fu Quezhi had already entered the apartment, naturally waving at Qin Chaochen with a gentle tone: “Welcome home, Chaochen.”

In the interplay of light and shadow, Fu Quezhi’s face held a hint of warmth amidst his usual cool demeanor, with emotions Qin Chaochen couldn’t quite decipher.

Qin Chaochen straightened his back, walking with confidence until he saw a small figure on the sofa, causing him to pause and clutch the door, meeting the round eyes of his little one.

Although curious about his child in the hospital room, Qin Chaochen had a bad habit—he was afraid of kids.

The Qin Family had many relatives, and theirs was the most outstanding. During holidays, relatives would bring their children over, taking his toys, his cars, and even his watches from his bedroom. Qin Chaochen didn’t have a good impression of children.

“What’s wrong?” Fu Quezhi asked with concern after changing his shoes, noticing the little son on the sofa, a smile playing on his lips.

“Nothing, nothing,” Qin Chaochen replied, a bit guilty.

He couldn’t possibly admit he might be afraid of his own little one. Qin Chaochen focused on Qin Shu, who seemed healthy and lively, a small bundle of energy.

Suddenly, Qin Chaochen felt as if he were floating on clouds, light as a feather.

He had a little one. How strange.

In his eighteen years, he hadn’t even held someone else’s hand, and now his ears turned a bit red.

Despite Qin Chaochen clinging to the door, it didn’t dampen the little one’s enthusiasm. The little one was delighted: “Daddy! Daddy!”

The little one ran with his short legs and clung to Qin Chaochen’s leg, not even half the size of Qin Chaochen’s leg.

Unaware of Qin Chaochen’s fear of kids, Fu Quezhi had never shown it after Qin Shu was born, and he was happy to see the father and son getting close.

Qin Shu looked up at Qin Chaochen, rubbing his face against him: “Daddy, are you playing hide and seek with me? Daddy is so silly.”

“You didn’t hide well, and I caught you right away.” Qin Shu reached for Qin Chaochen’s shoulder, but being too short, he couldn’t reach it and felt a bit dejected.

Daddy’s white arm looked like a giant ice cream cone, and he really wanted to eat it.

Qin Chaochen stood stiffly, tentatively lowering his arm and placing his good hand on Qin Shu’s head.

So small, so soft, so cute. Qin Chaochen felt like he was exploring the mysteries of the world, gently rubbing Qin Shu’s head. Qin Shu tilted his head back comfortably, eyes full of admiration for his father.

Qin Chaochen’s heart felt like it was soaking in a jar of honey, slowly unraveling the knots of tension, leaving him warm all over.

Fu Quezhi said, “Don’t block the doorway, hurry… Qin Shu, don’t eat!!”

Qin Shu had reached for Qin Chaochen’s injured hand, quickly opening his mouth to bite down on the cast!

Qin Shu silently sniffled, tears falling onto the floor and Qin Chaochen’s cast.

“Daddy, my teeth hurt.”

Qin Shu moved so fast, and seeing the mini version of himself, Qin Chaochen couldn’t care about anything else. He quickly squatted down, anxiously saying, “Baby, open your mouth and let Daddy see.”

Fu Quezhi didn’t idle either, immediately heading to the bedroom to find the medical kit, his steps hurried.

Qin Shu sniffled, his dark eyes shedding big tears, obediently opening his mouth wide.

Qin Chaochen carefully examined Qin Shu’s teeth, which were white and flawless, with slightly red gums but nothing serious, finally breathing a sigh of relief.

Qin Shu cried, “Daddy, will my teeth fall out?” He pursed his lips, speaking cautiously.

“No, no, when I was little, I bit things too, and it was fine. Your Fu Daddy did too, and look how handsome he is now!” Qin Chaochen sweet-talked, quickly calming Qin Shu down.

Seeing Qin Shu stop crying, Fu Quezhi also relaxed. Qin Shu cried just like Qin Chaochen, neither of them crying loudly, just silently shedding tears, making their bodies shake with sobs, which was heart-wrenching.

He applied some medicine to Qin Shu, but before he could relax, drop by drop, tears fell onto the back of Fu Quezhi’s hand holding the medicine.

The water droplets were warm, and Fu Quezhi felt them land on his heart.

Above, Qin Chaochen’s voice came: “Fu, Fu Quezhi… I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”

Fu Quezhi looked up, gently comforting, “Don’t cry, don’t cry, it’s okay.” He stood up, using his thumb to wipe Qin Chaochen’s tears.

Qin Chaochen said with grievance, “Who’s crying, who’s crying?” He sniffled.

Qin Chaochen’s face was a bit red from crying: “Impossible, I’m not crying.”

Fu Quezhi chuckled, “Alright, alright, you’re not crying, you’re not crying, I must have seen wrong.”

Back in the apartment, Fu Quezhi had taken off his jacket, revealing a white shirt and black vest, his abs visible beneath, his cold white skin showing his shoulder blades, and his suit pants outlining his waist and long, straight legs.

His tone was gentle and lingering: “As long as you don’t cry, I’ll agree to anything.”

Fu Quezhi’s brow bone was cool, his facial features sharp and handsome, with pale lips under the sunlight, his heart skipping a beat.

He knew Qin Chaochen wasn’t crying on purpose. He cried softly, holding back, only opening his lips slightly when it hurt, biting back the sound.

He used to have a prejudice against Qin Chaochen, a prejudice that blinded him, preventing him from truly seeing Qin Chaochen, yet he could still glimpse a bit of light and warmth in passing.

He wanted to speak loudly, to break the rose, to hold Qin Chaochen in his palm until the world collapsed, until the moss on the steps melted, until the horizon submerged the mountains and rivers.

In a dark, cramped corner, everything had decayed, and a heart had grown amidst the rot. Until it was shattered bit by bit, painted over to become bright and shiny.

*

Qin Chaochen seemed startled, sitting on the sofa, clutching his clothes. Qin Shu had already been taken to bed by Li Ma, and Fu Quezhi was in the bedroom putting away the medical kit, leaving Qin Chaochen alone in the living room.

He could still hear Li Ma coaxing Qin Shu to sleep and Fu Quezhi’s words in his ear, hugging a pillow, his face red as he buried it in the pillow.

How could Fu Quezhi say such things? They were supposed to be arch-enemies, how could he say such… embarrassing things, especially in front of Qin Shu. Waaaah, how could he face anyone after this?

Right! Fu Quezhi must be trying to confuse him.

Then, after capturing him, he’d show off to everyone how the foolish Qin Chaochen fell into his trap.

Fu Quezhi had eight hundred tricks up his sleeve.

And he only had one, both in quantity and quality, he couldn’t compare.

“Are you going to sleep?” Fu Quezhi came out of the bedroom, having changed into more casual clothes.

Patients need rest, Fu Quezhi remembered firmly, as if urging Qin Chaochen to sleep.

“I’m not sleepy yet.”

Actually, Qin Chaochen was a bit sleepy.

He curled up on the sofa, blinking: “Fu Quezhi, when did we get together?”

The sofa next to him sank a bit, and Fu Quezhi sat at a perfect distance from Qin Chaochen, neither too close nor too far.

With a cool voice, he said, “It was the summer of our senior year in high school, that’s when we got together.”

Fu Quezhi moved a bit closer to Qin Chaochen, restrained yet sly like a hunter. From Qin Chaochen’s perspective, he could see Fu Quezhi’s pale shoulder blades, causing him to look away awkwardly, maintaining proper decorum.

Something flashed in Fu Quezhi’s eyes, and he suddenly grabbed Qin Chaochen’s hand, sincerely saying, “Chaochen, it’s so good that you woke up, otherwise I wouldn’t know what to do.”

Fu Quezhi relaxed his shoulders, subtly moving closer to Qin Chaochen, sneakily unbuttoning three buttons on his shirt from the bedroom.

Qin Chaochen felt a bit uncomfortable, with a twinge of guilt. Had he misunderstood Fu Quezhi?

Maybe Fu Quezhi wasn’t so bad, maybe he was a good person.

He didn’t pull his hand back, stammering, “You, I’m still alive, you don’t have to worry too much.”

“A bit sleepy.”

Qin Chaochen blushed: “…Then you sleep.”

The apartment wasn’t too small, with several rooms besides the living room. One room was for Li Ma, and there were three guest rooms. The bedroom was the second room down the hallway, with Qin Shu’s room being the first. It took less than a minute to walk from the living room to the bedroom, but Fu Quezhi had already leaned his head on Qin Chaochen’s shoulder, warm breath brushing his neck.

Fu Quezhi said, “Then I’ll go to sleep first.”

He walked into the bedroom, and Qin Chaochen breathed a sigh of relief, instinctively touching his neck, goosebumps rising all over.

*

Fu Family

Fu Changtian frowned, “We still haven’t secured that land?”

Fu Zhao, dressed in a suit and looking handsome, replied, “Dad, they won’t sell it to us because too many people are approaching Old Xu. Old Xu plans to auction off that land.”

Fu Changtian’s brows furrowed tightly, “What a cunning old fox!”

Old Xu is a major landowner in the area. They got wind that a piece of land in the city center would be developed into a new community, and Fu Changtian had his eyes on it. But Old Xu was unyielding, accepting gifts without a word, returning people sent to negotiate, and money was the lowest form of persuasion. At his level, Old Xu no longer cared about money.

Fu Zhao said, “Dad, the Qin Family also wants that land.”

Fu Changtian’s brows could kill a fly.

Ever since that Qin kid got together with Fu Quezhi, the Qin Family had been somewhat yielding to the Fu Family, offering concessions in profits and collaborations, with the highest being a ten percent profit margin.

The Qin Family’s heir, Qin Yuanshen, is Qin Chaochen’s brother, known for doting on his sibling. Logically, the Qin Family should yield this time too. If they do, their pressure would be greatly reduced.

Fu Quezhi still has some use.

Fu Changtian instructed, “Have Secretary Sun invite Qin Chaochen and Fu Quezhi over for a family meal tomorrow. Chaochen had a car accident and needs to be nourished. Take out the ginseng from the storeroom to make soup, and prepare some snacks for Qin Shu.”

If they could secure that land, what’s a bit of ginseng? Fu Changtian felt relieved, thinking if two ginseng roots could secure that land, everyone would be eager.

“Dad, I’ll head back to my room to organize the documents.”

Fu Zhao returned to his room, veins throbbing on his forehead, fingers digging into his palms, blood seeping through, clenching his jaw with a grim expression.

Why does Fu Quezhi get to be so happy? He’s just a fake young master occupying someone else’s nest. If he had received the same education from a young age, he would have done better than Fu Quezhi, maintaining good relations with the Qin Family and becoming Qin Chaochen’s boyfriend.

How is he inferior to Fu Quezhi? He’s the rightful young master of the Fu Family.

Fu Zhao casually threw a vase from the table onto the lawn outside, shattering it with a crash, releasing some of his pent-up frustration.

A scream came from the lawn.

Fu Zhao said gently, “Sorry, I accidentally knocked over the vase. Are you okay?”

▍Author’s Note

Previously, Fu Quezhi: A weakling of a man.

Now: Hook him! Hook him!!