Chapter 111

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They left the mountain the next morning without saying goodbye to Lu Nianxin beforehand. Yang Youming called him, and the other man said, “Let’s get together again next time we’re all free.”

On the way back, Xia Xingcheng received a call from Huang Jixin, who asked him where he was the moment the call connected.

Head resting on the car window, Xia Xingcheng languidly uttered, “On the way home, what’s up?”

Huang Jixin asked, “Did you know that your brother’s here?”

Xia Xingcheng froze at his words. “Say that again?”

Huang Jixin sounded quite calm—it was rare that he wasn’t yelling at him. “Your brother called me at dawn today and said you weren’t home, then asked me where you were.”

Xia Xingcheng gripped his phone and looked over at Yang Youming. Yang Youming motioned with his eyes, asking him what was wrong.

He whispered, “My brother came by.” He then asked Huang Jixin, “What did you tell him?”

Huang Jixin said, “What was I supposed to tell him? I just told him that you recorded a program last night and didn’t go home, and I need to confirm with you first when exactly you were planning on going back.”

Xia Xingcheng suppressed the panic and anxiety in his heart, and said, “All right, I’ll contact him.”

Huang Jixin hummed, then asked, “Does he know about your relationship? Why didn’t he call you before running off to your place straight away? What is this, an inspection?”

For a moment, Xia Xingcheng didn’t know what to say, so he only said, “I’ll contact him first.”

At first, Xia Xingcheng wanted to call Xia Ye the moment he hung up, but right when he scrolled to Xia Ye’s phone number, his finger hovered over the call button for a long time. In the end, he set his phone aside and said to Yang Youming, “Ming ge, send me back to my house first. My brother’s here, there’s something I want to say to him face to face.”

Yang Youming had heard him on the phone, and he’d probably guessed what they had talked about. He asked, “What do you want to say to him?”

Xia Xingcheng weighed the phone in his hand, tossing it up and catching it again and again. A few days ago, he had called home to say that he wouldn’t be going back home, as he had work during the Lunar New Year. When his mother answered the phone at the time, she told him that it was fine, work is important. At that time, Xia Xingcheng had wanted to spend the Lunar New Year abroad with Yang Youming, and after the New Year, he’d find the time to go back home on his own.

Yet he never expected that Xia Ye would suddenly turn up. Moreover, he’d gone directly to his house without giving Xia Xingcheng any prior notice. His apartment hasn’t been occupied for quite a long time, and Xia Xingcheng’s things had all been moved out bit by bit. In the beginning, there’d been someone who would come and clean up periodically, but later on, he sealed the doors and windows tightly, covered the sofa and bed with a dust cover, and the regular cleaning was also stopped.

Xia Ye had the key to his house. He didn’t know when exactly Xia Ye had come, but as long as he opened the door and entered the house, he’d definitely know that Xia Xingcheng hadn’t lived there for a while.

If he really had to scrounge up an explanation, it wasn’t that it was impossible, but Xia Xingcheng thought—somewhat aggrievedly—why couldn’t he even tell his own family that he was dating?

He glanced at Yang Youming, and suddenly recalled the time they had gone home Last New Year’s, when Yang Youming had been against him telling his family about their relationship. He immediately grew even more anxious.

Yang Youming didn’t wait for his answer, and softly said, “Don’t be scared, I’ll accompany you to see him.”

Stunned, Xia Xingcheng turned to him, “Ming ge?”

Yang Youming was still driving, keeping his eyes to the front. His voice was low as he slowly said, “It ought to be said. And they’re already here too. Do you want me to send you there to face him alone then make myself scarce?”

Xia Xingcheng was on tenterhooks. “But you didn’t want me to tell them last time.”

Yang Youming said, “You said that you wanted a lifetime—are you able to keep this in the dark for a lifetime?”

The restless Xia Xingcheng cheered up for a split second because of his words, but he quickly got caught up again in his worries. “We’d still better not, my big brother has a violent temper, I’m scared that he’ll target you.”

Yang Youming comforted him, “Fear must be confronted. He’s your brother, after all. He loves you too.”

Xia Xingcheng hesitated for a long time before nodding.

Xia Xingcheng hadn’t returned to his apartment for almost six months. He and Yang Youming exited the elevator one after another; he reached into his pocket to take out his key, and couldn’t help but look back at Yang Youming as he opened the door.

Yang Youming placed a hand on his shoulder and told him to open it.

Xia Xingcheng opened the door with the key, and was met with two people standing in the living room. One was Xia Ye, and the other was his sister-in-law, Fang Ying.

There were also two small children playing chasey and causing a racket. Ding Ding was right in the middle of pulling at Dong Dong’s hair.

Visibly irascible, Xia Ye yelled at Dong Dong, who’d crashed into his leg, “What are you running around for?!”

Fang Ying was immediately displeased, and she reached out to shove at him. “What are you angry at the kid for?”

Dong Dong drew back, slightly afraid, and as he turned his head, he saw Xia Xingcheng and Yang Youming at the door. He promptly recognized them and let out a soft ‘Oh!’, but couldn’t remember what he ought to call them.

It was Xia Xingcheng who called out to him first, “Dong Dong.” He then shouted, “Da-ge, sis-in-law.”

Xia Ye and Fang Ying turned to him at the same time, and they naturally also spotted Yang Youming, who’d come in with Xia Xingcheng.

In that instant, Xia Ye’s face visibly darkened, as if he’d been slapped in the face. He looked indignant as he concealed his embarrassment.

Fang Ying nervously pulled at Xia Ye’s sleeve.

Xia Ye pushed her hand away and said, “Take the kids inside.”

Fang Ying said to him, “Talk to Xingcheng nicely.”

Xia Ye didn’t look at her, merely shouting, “Go!”

Fang Ying called out to Ding Ding and Dong Dong to follow her into the bedroom. As she closed the door, she shook her head at Xia Xingcheng with a frown, then gestured at Xia Ye once more.

Xia Xingcheng nodded to her.

Xia Ye was standing with his legs apart and his hands in his pockets, and when the door closed, he took a deep breath and asked Xia Xingcheng, “How long has it been since you’ve been back here?”

His hands behind his back, Xia Xingcheng fumbled for the hem of Yang Youming’s clothes and tugged him close. He then said, “Almost half a year.” He felt Yang Youming grasp his hand.

Xia Ye’s hands clenched into fists in his pockets, and his expression grew more and more unsightly. “Then where have you been staying all this time?”

Before Xia Xingcheng could say anything, Yang Youming gently clapped his shoulder, pulling Xia Xingcheng to stand behind him. He said to Xia Ye, “He lives at my place.”

Xia Ye was like an enraged beast as he suddenly advanced on Yang Youming with his balled up fists held high.

Frightened, Xia Xingcheng exerted all his strength to pull Yang Youming and bar Xia Ye from him, but Yang Youming was his hand, not letting go, and he neither avoided nor raised a hand to block him, taking Xia Ye’s punch directly.

Xia Ye’s full-strength punch landed on Yang Youming’s face, and in an instant, he staggered to the side, the corner of his mouth smeared with blood.

Xia Xingcheng pulled Yang Youming away in a fit of rage, then rushed in front of him and shoved Xia Ye back before a second punch could come flying.

Xia Ye stumbled a few steps back at Xia Xingcheng’s shove, braced himself on the sofa, and looked at Yang Youming indignantly, cursing, “Fuck you, you shameless trash! You’re so much older and divorced yet you still go coercing my little brother! If I don’t beat you to death today, my surname isn’t Xia!”

Right then, having heard the ruckus going on outside, Fang Ying came out of the room, held Xia Ye’s arm, and dragged him back. She staggered along and almost fell, flustered and exasperated as she yelled, “Are you insane? If you have something to say then say it properly, why are you using your fists?”

Xia Ye made to push Fang Ying away. “It was them who made Xingcheng act in that disgusting movie. He screwed my little brother over, can’t I beat him up? If I kill him, then it’s because he deserved it!”

“He didn’t!” Xia Xingcheng was holding Yang Youming. He checked the injury on his face, distressed to near tears. “I was the one who chased after him, why are you hitting him?”

Yang Youming’s cheek instantly swelled up. He wiped at the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. Some blood flowed out immediately after.

Xia Xingcheng immediately said, “Let’s go to the hospital.”

Yang Youming held his shoulder. “I’m fine, don’t worry.” His speech was a little unclear, yet his tone remained steady, sounding ineffably reassuring.

Meanwhile, Fang Ying was still struggling with Xia Ye. Also angered, she shouted “Can you stop acting like a savage? Is violence the only thing in your head?!”

Fang Ying hadn’t had the time to close the bedroom door when she rushed out earlier, so Ding Ding and Dong Dong were peeping out. When Fang Ying spotted them, she yelled, “Don’t watch! Go back and close the door!”

Ding Ding didn’t move. Even when Dong Dong tugged at him, he still didn’t move, so Dong Dong gritted his teeth and dragged him back inside with all his strength, then closed the door obediently.

Xia Xingcheng’s hand was stained with Yang Youming’s blood. Panicked to the extreme, he fished out his phone to call Huang Jixin.

Yang Youming reached over and grasped the hand Xia Xingcheng was holding the phone with, hugged him, and patted his back, saying, “Don’t be scared, I’ll talk to him.” He then let go of his hand and walked over to Xia Ye.

Fang Ying was holding onto Xia Ye’s arm tightly, preventing him from doing anything impulsive.

Xia Ye could only throw a resentful death glare at Yang Youming.

Yang Youming walked up to him and said, “If you feel unsatisfied, feel free to hit me again.”

Xia Ye glared at him ferociously, balling up his right hand once more.

Xia Xingcheng immediately blocked Yang Youming off and said to Xia Ye, “You wanna try hitting him again?”

Xia Ye’s eyes fell on Xia Xingcheng. “I’m your older brother! Are you crazy?”

Xia Xingcheng glowered at Xia Ye. “Not even my older brother is allowed to hit him! He’s the man I love—as long as I’m here, no one’s allowed to touch him!”

Xia Ye raised his clenched fist at Xia Xingcheng.

Xia Xingcheng bellowed, “Hit me then!”

Yang Youming embraced Xia Xingcheng from behind and pulled him aside. “It’s all right, don’t get too excited.”

Xia Xingcheng was still looking at Xia Ye with a hateful glare.

Xia Ye was both agitated and angry. He raised his leg, then kicked the coffee table in the middle of the living room, and the glass tabletop fell and shattered to pieces.

Following the loud crash, Fang Ying pulled Xia Ye back, watching the broken glass scatter in every direction. The room suddenly quietened.

Yang Youming’s hand was on Xia Xingcheng’s nape from beginning to end, squeezing not too lightly nor too firmly, as if he was placating a frightened kitty. He then asked Xia Ye, “Are you all right?”

Needless to say, Xia Ye didn’t answer.

Fang Ying hauled Xia Ye around the broken glass, maneuvering him to sit on the edge of the sofa. “Sit down and don’t get up, I’ll sweep the glass.”

Xia Ye looked away without responding.

Fang Ying asked Xia Xingcheng, “Where’s the broom?”

Xia Xingcheng’s chest rose and fell. With Yang Youming kneading his nape, he gradually calmed down, and said, “Corner of the balcony.”

Fang Ying turned around and made her way to the balcony.

“Can we talk?” Yang Youming said to Xia Ye.

Xia Ye sneered. “What else is there to talk about?”

Yang Youming said, “About Xingcheng.”

☆ ☆ ☆

t/n – Thank you to Bolshv, izzie, and Anon for the kofis!

fun fact: this (dramatic) chapter was released on valentine’s day two years ago LOL

⟵ Chapter 110 | TOC | Chapter 112 ⟶

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