Staring at the empty bedroom, Pei Yan felt as if his heart had been hollowed out, leaving him dazed and disoriented.
After a few seconds of stunned silence, he suddenly turned and walked out, calling in a low, heavy voice, “Pei Wenwen!”
Pei Wenwen jumped in fright. “W-What are you shouting for?”
Pei Yan asked, “When did he leave?”
“Just…just a little while ago.” Pei Wenwen retreated a step, frightened by Pei Yan’s terrifying eyes and hoarse voice. She hurriedly called out to stop him, “Ge, are you going to look for Xiao Feng? If you go like this, you’ll only scare him.”
Song Zhe also came over to advise, “Pei Yan, calm down first. Qi Feng has only left your home, he can’t have gone far. First, think carefully about why he left. Could it be because of Su Qiao?”
Pei Wenwen asked, “Who’s Su Qiao?”
But Pei Yan paid no attention to their words. As he walked towards the exit, he firmly grasped his phone and dialed Qi Feng’s number.
His entire body emanated a violent, brutal aura, causing the two people in the room to become nervous as well.
Pei Wenwen was afraid that Pei Yan would lose control of his emotions and do something reckless to hurt Qi Feng. She hurriedly chased after Pei Yan and shouted, “Ge, if you really like Xiao Feng-ge, you should first learn to respect his thoughts.”
“Since he wanted to leave you, he must have had a reason to do so. If you want to get Xiao Feng-ge back, first figure out why he left you…”
The elevator doors closed, blocking off Pei Wenwen’s voice.
But Pei Yan had also heard that last bit: Respect Qi Feng’s thoughts, figure out the reason Qi Feng left.
From the first night he met Qi Feng and got involved with him to forcibly bringing him back home to live together and proposing to date…he had never asked Qi Feng if he was willing.
Perhaps Qi Feng had been forced by him from the very beginning.
Pei Yan had never regretted anything he had done before. But at this moment, he realized for the first time that regret could make one feel so powerless and helpless.
That night, he clearly had ten thousand ways to start a relationship with Qi Feng, yet he had chosen the worst possible method.
No wonder Qi Feng didn’t like him.
—-
Qi Feng hadn’t been back home in a while. When he pushed open the heavy door and saw the living room, which was not big but simple and clean, he instantly felt a sense of belonging, as if he had arrived home.
This was where he belonged.
Fang Cheng had only come over to clean up briefly in the morning. He hadn’t bought any food or supplies yet, so the kitchen and refrigerator were completely empty.
As he tidied up Qi Feng’s luggage, Fang Cheng said, “It’s too late today. I’ll come over early tomorrow morning to bring you breakfast and go to the supermarket to buy some food and supplies for the house. Just make do for tonight. For drinking water, I bought two bottles of mineral water on my way here just now.”
“Thanks for the trouble.”
Qi Feng arranged his orchids and musical instruments out on the balcony, saying, “Don’t go home tonight. Just sleep over here.”
“Oh?”
Fang Cheng had originally intended to stay over to accompany Qi Feng.
On the way back from Pei Yan’s house, although Qi Feng looked calm on the surface, Fang Cheng somehow felt that he was repressing something in his heart that he couldn’t figure out.
And Qi Feng had moved out from Pei Yan’s place without a single word of explanation. With Pei Yan’s personality, he would definitely come chasing to ask for an explanation. He might even get furious at Qi Feng. Just thinking about Pei Yan’s angry look made Fang Cheng involuntarily frightened.
No matter what, he had to stay here with Qi Feng tonight.
He silently sighed and tentatively asked Qi Feng, “Xiao Feng, are you really breaking up with Mr. Pei? I don’t think it’s necessary. It’s obvious that Mr. Pei is serious about you. If it’s because of Su Qiao, then….”
Qi Feng flatly cut him off. “Stop talking.”
Fang Cheng could only swallow back what he wanted to say, lowered his head and silently tidied the luggage.
No one had lived in the house for a long time, and it felt somewhat piercingly cold.
Qi Feng was also afraid of the cold. Fang Cheng turned on the heaters in every room. In the quiet house, only the sounds of the heaters could be heard blowing for a long time. Yet Qi Feng’s hands were still icy cold and felt somewhat stiff when plucking the strings.
The crisp ringing of the doorbell broke the oppressive silence in the house.
There was no need to guess who was pressing the doorbell downstairs.
“Mr. Pei came so quickly?” Fang Cheng looked at the monitoring screen displaying Pei Yan’s frosty face and asked worriedly, “Xiao Feng…what should we do? Should we let him in?”
Qi Feng’s phone contained countless missed calls and messages from Pei Yan. But he hadn’t looked at any of them or replied. Let alone meet Pei Yan face-to-face.
He sat by the guqin stand plucking the strings, saying, “Go tell Pei Yan I want to be alone and ask him to go back.”
“Alright.”
Fang Cheng secretly sighed.
He understood Pei Yan’s temperament – aloof, arrogant, overbearing, and aggressive. He couldn’t imagine what Pei Yan’s reaction would be after returning home only to discover Qi Feng had taken all his belongings and left him.
He would surely fly into a rage, right? Would he give him a beating?!
Fang Cheng nervously made his way downstairs. As soon as he opened the corridor door, he saw the black luxury car parked to one side.
The cowardly Fang Cheng didn’t dare walk forward. Clutching the door with one hand, he prepared to flee at any time.
But when he saw the man next to the car, he was suddenly stunned. “M-Mr. Pei?”
Pei Yan did not display the violence and impatience Fang Cheng had imagined. Instead, he stood quietly in the cold autumn wind like a stagnant pond, looking haggard and dispirited without any vigor. Even his dark eyes were unusually calm, unlike how Fang Cheng usually saw him.
“Where is he?” Pei Yan asked in a hoarse, weary voice.
Fang Cheng’s heart inexplicably ached. He didn’t dare relay Qi Feng’s words of ‘Our relationship is over’. Instead, he euphemistically said, “Xiao Feng said….. he wants to be alone and asked you to go back for today.”
Pei Yan: “Tell me, what exactly happened?”
Fang Cheng hesitated. “I…”
Qi Feng had concealed it deeply. He also didn’t understand exactly what had prompted Qi Feng to suddenly decide to move out from Pei Yan’s house.
Pei Yan asked again, “You’re his assistant. You must know.”
His low, husky voice carried an aura that brooked no refusals.
Fang Cheng faltered. He told Pei Yan about his own guesses: “When Xiao Feng was filming today, he met Su Qiao. He, he said that he was the one you used to like before, and Xiao Feng was merely found by you as his replacement.”
“If Xiao Feng doesn’t leave you, Su Qiao said he would let everyone know that Xiao Feng is only his stand-in and that Su Qiao was the one you actually liked before.”
These were the threats Su Qiao had made towards Qi Feng.
Fang Cheng wasn’t certain if this was the reason Qi Feng left Pei Yan. But out of selfishness, he also wanted Pei Yan to know that there was someone who had threatened Xiao Feng before.
“Su Qiao.” Pei Yan uttered the name heavily. His dark pupils seemed to harbor frozen daggers as he asked, “Now go back up and tell Qi Feng that I’ve never had any relationship with Su Qiao. Don’t let him believe those rumors.”
“Also…tell him that I will personally deal with that Su Qiao.”
Pei Yan put away his suppressed edge, speaking in a low voice, “And tell him that I want to see him. I want to ask him personally.”
“Yes.” Fang Cheng hurried back, relaying Pei Yan’s words verbatim to Qi Feng: “Mr. Pei said he wants to meet you. He also said he will resolve the matter with Su Qiao.”
“Xiao Feng, he looked quite sad to me. He didn’t seem angry at all about your sudden departure. Why not give him a chance?”
Qi Feng calmly strummed the guzheng. “I said I want to be alone for now. I can’t meet him. Go back and tell him again that our relationship is already over.”
“Xiao Feng.” Fang Cheng frowned and persuaded, “I don’t think there’s any need for you two to be like this. Mr. Pei already said he’s never had any relationship with Su Qiao. You…”
“This has nothing to do with Su Qiao.” Qi Feng looked up at him, speaking coolly and clearly: “Go back and tell him to leave.”
Fang Cheng was taken aback. He suddenly felt that the calm and indifferent Qi Feng was actually more awe-inspiring than the seemingly cold and irritable Pei Yan.
Not daring to say anything more, he could only go back downstairs again to relay Qi Feng’s words to Pei Yan like a messenger.
“Mr. Pei, Xiao Feng said your relationship is already over. It’s cold outside, please go back home first.”
“It doesn’t matter.” Pei Yan said, “You have to tell him that I’ve figured it out. Our previous relationship should indeed be over.”
Fang Cheng: !!!
Pei Yan had also suddenly accepted the breakup?!
But in the next moment, he heard Pei Yan say:
“However, you still have to tell him…” Pei Yan took out the bouquet of red roses from his car and shoved them into Fang Cheng’s hands, speaking in a low and determined tone, “Give these to him and say: From now on, I, Pei Yan, will start pursuing him again. As long as he has not fallen for another man, no matter how long it takes I will keep chasing him until he likes me back.”
Fang Cheng was stunned for several seconds before he understood the implication behind Pei Yan’s words.
His eyes widened abruptly, and his formerly heavy heart leapt with joy and elation.
In fact, from the very start, even he knew that the beginning between Qi Feng and Pei Yan was merely each taking advantage of and using the other. Mainly because Qi Feng was at a low point in his career then, so meeting someone like Pei Yan, who could greatly help him, was of great help to him.
Thus, he had tacitly accepted their kind of relationship by default in his heart. But that kind of relationship was, after all, not true, genuine love. If one were to truly fall for the other under such circumstances, it would definitely be agonizing.
Perhaps this was the reason Qi Feng left Pei Yan.
And now, Pei Yan’s intention was precisely so. Abandoning their previous unequal relationship to truly start loving each other anew.
How could this be considered a breakup? It was a fresh beginning!
Fang Cheng understood now. His eyes brightened as he took the fiery red roses that seemed to burn with ardor. “Yes! Mr. Pei, I will relay your words to Xiao Feng verbatim!”
Clutching the heavy flowers as if embracing heavy love itself, he dashed back briskly, his footsteps light.
The author has words to say:
The chase for his wife has begun.
Many people said before that the front part of this book was heartbreaking. It is indeed so because the two people in their past lives were truly very miserable.
But this life is different. From now on is the sweet journey of the husband chasing after his wife. However bitterly they may have suffered in their former life, their present life will be equally sweet to compensate.
The data for this book may not be good, but this story is very complete in my heart. I will properly narrate it for everyone to hear. Heartfelt thanks to readers who have continued supporting all this while, as well as little angels who have provided rewards.
I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. If you want to show your support, you can buy me a coffee. It would make my day! For every five coffees I get, I will release a bonus chapter. You can also follow me on Ko-fi to get the latest updates on my translation progress and new projects. I appreciate your love and feedback.
