Page 46

Fortunately, reason told him that a president involved in real estate development probably wouldn't be interested in the pharmaceutical industry.

Chi Ning poked at the vermicelli in his bowl with his chopsticks.

He suddenly recalled the taste of the food in the thermos.

There had been pigeon soup with the solids strained out; carefully rolled preserved-vegetable pork wrapped around rice; and congee with a broth base that had clearly simmered for at least eight hours.

After Qin Heng had begun bringing him meals in his second year, Chi Ning's stomach problems had never flared up again.

Chi Ning blinked and said softly, "They're all pretty tasty."

Xu Jiahao laughed, shaking his little fan with a "kuakua" sound. He raised his chin and pointed it at Qin Heng, saying to Chi Baichuan, "Your son actually knows how to compliment people. Top students recommended for admission really are different—they make compliments sound sweeter."

Chi Baichuan: ...

He'd been speaking sarcastically to make Xu Jiahao and Qin Heng back off! Not so these two could feel smug after being praised!

Papa Chi felt a little bitter.

How had this happened? Was the cooking at home not good enough? Could a serving of vermicelli really trick Chi Ning away? How could that be?

This Qin fellow was deeply calculating.

Qin Heng met Chi Baichuan's gaze and smiled. "The ingredients are good, so anything made with them tastes good. It's not to my credit."

Chi Baichuan choked.

You father and son had said all the good and bad things yourselves. How unlucky.

Qin Heng set the cooked food he had originally prepared for Xu Jiahao in front of Chi Baichuan. "Uncle Chi, I'll have to trouble Chi Ning to look after me more in the future. Sorry for the trouble."

Chi Baichuan nearly snapped his chopsticks.

Chi Ning shot the two of them a light glance.

Chi Baichuan merely smiled, restrainedly sticking his chopsticks into the vermicelli. "Classmates should help each other. These brothers of mine are all people I met in high school or college. Friendships formed when you're young last longer. The people you meet after growing up... those relationships aren't as pure."

Qin Heng pretended not to understand. With a smile on his face, he nodded. "You're right, Uncle."

Then he turned and sat back down beside Chi Ning, tilting his head as he asked, "What else do you want to eat?"

Chi Ning paused while slurping vermicelli.

He glanced sideways at Qin Heng, staring into his eyes as his father's words circled through his mind.

In his previous life, he hadn't made many sincere friends. His life had been filled with lies, and even the one person he'd believed was sincere had deceived him with falsehoods.

Were relationships formed when young really purer and longer-lasting?

Instead of answering, Chi Ning asked softly, "Qin Heng, have you ever lied to me?"

Qin Heng froze.

Chi Ning immediately regretted asking. Qin Heng was a smooth-talking little liar who lied as easily as breathing. He probably said more polite lies than truths. How could he possibly never have lied?

"Forget it." Chi Ning slurped up some vermicelli. "It's nothing."

Sometimes lies really were useful. For example, [I already have someone I like] and [I spent the money on the person I like] had helped him solve plenty of problems.

Qin Heng pressed his lips into a straight line.

By reflex, he reviewed every action and word since he had met Chi Ning.

Surprisingly... he had never lied to Chi Ning. At most, he had concealed things.

Even those concealments had been compromises—saying something ambiguous rather than directly making up a convincing lie to deceive him.

Distracted, Qin Heng stuffed a grilled chicken gizzard into his mouth.

It was too salty.

Chi Ning had eaten a little too much. He stood and kicked his leg out. "Bro, I'm going to see whether the desserts are ready."

Chi Yang said, "Go ahead."

Big men didn't care much for desserts, so the kitchen had only made enough for the younger generation and the women accompanying everyone.

By the time Chi Ning carried his plate back into the courtyard, the gathering was nearing its end.

Chi Baichuan was showing off the artificial rockery in the courtyard to his old friends. "This needs to be sprayed with water every day. Look at the moss here—isn't it adorable?"

Chi Ning took one look and couldn't tell what was adorable about that green, fuzzy stuff.

His dad's hobbies were rather unusual.

Chen Mingxian distributed cups of mung bean sweet soup among her friends and laughed as she scolded, "Look at your dad, acting so childish."

Her tone brimmed with cheerfulness and contentment.

Chi Ning smiled as well.

The last of the daylight had vanished. The dark sky blanketed all of Yangcheng, and lights came on in the courtyard of the Chi Residence. The charcoal brazier crackled, with foil-wrapped beef bones roasting over it.

There was already too much food to finish.

"Take some home." Chi Baichuan called for several uncles to pack up leftovers.

President Lu staggered drunkenly. "Hey, hey, hey, we can't waste food."

He grabbed six marrow bones and packed them into a food container, saying as he did, "This tastes even better than what my chef makes at home."

Alcohol had numbed the brains of these workplace elites. Once they drank too much, they dared to say anything.

President Lu grinned and reached for the shrimp in front of Qin Heng. As he took them, he said, "Kid, you're really good at this. Whoever ends up with you will be over the moon."

Chi Ning shifted his little stool, suddenly finding the chair he had been sitting on all evening rather uncomfortable.

President Lu continued, "So? Any girl you like? You're an adult already, right? Want me to introduce you to one?"

Qin Heng swept all the skewers in front of him into President Lu's food container with astonishing speed. "President Lu, I'm in my final year of high school. I'm not thinking about that."

Watching the courtyard lights come on, Chi Ning felt his chair become comfortable again.

It was just a little upsetting that all the skewers had been given away. He nudged Qin Heng and whispered, "Save some."

Qin Heng ignored him. Only after sending President Lu away did he say, "I accidentally put too much salt in those."

Chi Ning: Pfft.

"Fine."

Qin Heng smelled of charcoal smoke, utterly unrelated to the "respectable man" from his previous life. The dim yellow courtyard lights fell over him, lending him an easy, down-to-earth air.

Chi Ning's gaze fell on his high, straight nose. When he looked upward, he unexpectedly met Qin Heng's eyes.

Not far away, Chi Baichuan was still boasting to his friends about the fungi that had unexpectedly grown on the rockery. Those voices had been close, but at that moment, they seemed far away.

Muffled, as though covered by a layer of cloth.

The courtyard was spacious, yet Chi Ning felt as though he had been shut inside the cramped confines of a fitting room. He even recalled the time, a few months ago, when he had been taking photos at Mo Yuanzhou's place and Qin Heng had pushed him into the fitting room, pinning him against the wall.

That time, he had only been confused, even impatient. But this time seemed different.

This time, it was as if someone had trapped him in a small, unlit fitting room, so hot that even his breath burned.

"Wh-what... you?" Chi Ning stumbled over his words. "Why... have you been staring at me?"

The adults were gone. The fathers' generation had gathered around Chi Baichuan, while the mothers' generation had been led inside by Chen Mingxian.

Only Chi Yang sat beside Chi Ning.

Chi Yang watched the scene with a guarded gaze, nearly grinding his back teeth to pieces.

He didn't dare interrupt. He was afraid that if he made a move, his little brother would immediately have some earth-shattering realization.

Liking two people would become liking one person.

Then there would be no going back.

Don't interfere, don't say a word. At least they were at the Chi family home. No matter how bold Qin Heng was, he couldn't confess puppy love to the host family's younger son while visiting their home, could he?

Qin Heng curled his fingertips. "I..."

Chi Yang stared at Qin Heng without blinking.

Qin Heng looked away and pulled out a wet wipe, handing it to Chi Ning. "Wipe yourself."

"...Oh." Chi Ning took it and casually rubbed at his mouth.

He was certain that wasn't what Qin Heng had wanted to say just now.

Why didn't he say it?

What had Qin Heng originally wanted to say?

When Chi Ning turned to throw the used wipe into the trash can, he met Chi Yang's wandering gaze.

Chi Ning: ...

No wonder Qin Heng hadn't said it. It must have been something inconvenient to say with elders around.

Chi Yang smiled, rising in good spirits. "I'll get someone to clean up."

Chi Ning gave an absentminded "oh." He was still thinking about Qin Heng.

What could be inconvenient to say around elders? Tutoring? Definitely not. What was inconvenient about that?

Studying hard was perfectly proper.

It couldn't be a confession.

Chi Ning's ears reddened, and his gaze drifted. That was probably impossible too. Qin Heng showed no sign at all of liking him, and besides...

Who said that someone who had liked him in his previous life would definitely still like him in this one?

They had met at different times. Maybe their story would be different too.

It was already good enough that they could be friends in this life.

Yet as Chi Ning thought that, President Lu's earlier teasing words to Qin Heng abruptly rang in his ears.

[Do you have a girl you like? If not, want me to introduce one to you?]

The timing was different. Could a person's sexual orientation change? It probably couldn't, since sexual orientation was innate.

Then who would Qin Heng like in the future?

Chi Ning glanced at him.

Qin Heng reached up and pulled out a wet wipe.

Chi Ning paused, licking his lips. "Didn't I wipe it clean just now?"

Qin Heng said, "No."

He reached out, hooked an arm around the back of Chi Ning's neck, and pulled him forward.

Following the force, Chi Ning moved forward and met Qin Heng's eyes directly.

Their gazes crossed for an instant before immediately shifting away.

The cool wet wipe pressed against the corner of his mouth and gently swiped over it. Chi Ning shivered at the icy touch, suddenly finding the chill strangely thrilling.

Instinctively, he wanted to lean back, but Qin Heng's hand pressed against the back of his neck, leaving him unable to move. He could only watch as Qin Heng folded the wipe one-handed and tossed it into the nearby trash can.

Chi Ning swallowed. His mouth was unbearably dry, and even his throat felt as though something were caught in it.

Just as he was about to speak, the burning hand at the back of his neck loosened.

He froze.

Qin Heng casually picked up the last egg from over the flickering charcoal. Its shell had not been peeled away, so it had gone unnoticed for seeming too ordinary.