Everyone fell silent, unsure of how to continue the conversation.
Jiang Zihe felt so embarrassed that he was almost breaking into a cold sweat, quietly putting down the skewers in his hand.
Xiao Cheng silently sighed in his heart, thinking, “What are you all staring at? Why don’t you eat?”
He forced a smile, picked up a skewer, and took a bite under everyone’s gaze.
The tense atmosphere suddenly became lighter, and everyone almost simultaneously let out a sigh of relief.
Only Xie Zhao, who had been watching Xiao Cheng thoughtfully, glanced at him, then discreetly averted his gaze, continuing to grill the chicken wings in front of him.
Xiao Cheng noticed the shift in Xie Zhao’s attention and felt the awkwardness gradually dissipate.
He acted recklessly when he pursued Luo Jingshu, even driving out late at night to find him. Everyone, including Jiang Zihe, was aware of this, and he didn’t think much of it.
But the thought of Xie Zhao knowing about all those reckless things made Xiao Cheng feel a little embarrassed.
As he pondered these troubling thoughts, his appetite waned, and he could only manage a few more skewers before he could no longer eat.
Just as he had said earlier, when Xiao Cheng stopped eating, Xie Zhao seemed determined to finish what was left on Xiao Cheng’s plate.
This strange feeling bubbled up again.
Although the food was on a clean plate and he hadn’t dirtied any leftovers, the thought of Xie Zhao eating his leftover food was oddly uncomfortable.
Given their relationship, they weren’t quite at the level of intimacy where such behavior felt appropriate.
Xiao Cheng held back, then pressed his hand over Xie Zhao’s, saying, “These are all cold; let me grill some fresh ones for you.”
Xie Zhao didn’t change his expression and kept his skewer in hand, saying, “It’s fine; I can still eat.”
Xiao Cheng had only meant to hold his hand, but when he saw Xie Zhao prepare to eat again, he instinctively gripped it tighter.
“You really can’t just eat my leftovers; let’s just pack these up to go.”
Xie Zhao relaxed his grip, but just as Xiao Cheng was about to sigh in relief, he heard Xie Zhao quietly ask, “Xiao Cheng, do you really dislike me that much?”
Xiao Cheng was taken aback. “I don’t…”
His feelings towards Xie Zhao had never been one of dislike, but there was no romantic affection either; he simply viewed Xie Zhao as a caring senior.
He hadn’t thought much of it before, believing it was fine to be a little closer with friends, but Luo Jingshu had reminded him otherwise.
Facing someone he didn’t like who was pursuing him, it was better to be coldly dismissive than to ambiguously accept.
Since he didn’t have feelings, why leave any hope for the other person?
Their voices were quiet, and the noise of the barbecue restaurant drowned them out. The others didn’t quite catch what they were saying, but no one was blind; Xiao Cheng’s rejection was clear, and no one dared to interject.
The one most worried was Jiang Zihe, who had invited Xie Zhao. He initially wanted Xie Zhao to keep Xiao Cheng company, hoping to cheer him up, but it seemed things had gone awry.
Fortunately, Xie Zhao didn’t appear embarrassed at all. In fact, after Xiao Cheng denied his dislike, he visibly relaxed. “As long as you don’t dislike me, that’s good.”
He leaned back, resting one hand on the back of his chair, his eyes drooping slightly, exuding a lazy demeanor.
“Then I’ll trouble you, junior.”
Xiao Cheng took some fresh ingredients from the plate and leaned closer to ask Xie Zhao about his preferences. His demeanor was particularly earnest, leaving Jiang Zihe momentarily stunned.
If he didn’t know Xiao Cheng had just rejected Xie Zhao, he might almost suspect they were the ones pursuing each other.
Xie Zhao quietly answered Xiao Cheng’s questions, his focused expression making Jiang Zihe’s teeth ache.
Once Xiao Cheng began grilling seriously, Xie Zhao picked up his phone and started tapping on the screen for a while. Suddenly, his lips curled into a smile, and he set the phone down.
Jiang Zihe sensed something was up and took out his own phone to check his moments.
What he saw made him stare in disbelief.
Xie Zhao had just posted a moment a minute ago.
[ Xie Zhao: Late-night snack.jpg ]
Jiang Zihe opened the picture, which showed only a pair of hands and a pile of skewers. The filter gave it a strangely romantic vibe.
Those hands belonged to Xiao Cheng.
Jiang Zihe smacked his thigh hard, suddenly realizing everything.
Xiao Cheng and Xie Zhao must have been flirting, and he had missed it entirely!
Xiao Cheng and Xie Zhao were both drawn to him by the noise he made and turned to look at him.
Xie Zhao was merely intrigued, while Xiao Cheng appeared exasperated as if asking why Jiang Zihe was acting silly.
“What’s wrong with you now?” Xiao Cheng asked.
Jiang Zihe glanced at Xie Zhao, who met his gaze and even winked at him.
Jiang Zihe chuckled inwardly, thinking he had figured it all out—Xie Zhao was just putting on an innocent front!
The earlier disappointment from being rejected might have been all an act, aimed at making Xiao Cheng feel guilty or perhaps even sympathetic.
He could see how nice Xiao Cheng was being to him right now.
It made sense; how could food grilled by someone you liked not taste better than anything you grilled yourself?
Xie Zhao thought that he might have had this in mind from the beginning, which is why even after Xiao Cheng repeatedly emphasized he couldn’t eat anymore, Xie Zhao still grilled a whole bunch.
He had calculated that Xiao Cheng wouldn’t let him eat the leftovers, and it would be awkward for him to grill more for himself. So he planned to help Xiao Cheng grill, which would naturally allow him to enjoy the food Xiao Cheng had made.
Plus, none of it would go to waste, because Xiao Cheng wasn’t the type to waste food; he would definitely take it home.
This crafty man had managed to hit two birds with one stone, fulfilling his desire to feed Xiao Cheng while also enjoying the fruits of his labor.
Jiang Zihe saw through Xie Zhao’s little scheme, but he couldn’t possibly tell Xiao Cheng this in front of Xie Zhao. He feigned a cough under Xiao Cheng’s skeptical gaze, saying, “I suddenly feel like I haven’t eaten enough. Cheng Cheng, grill me some pork belly!”
Xiao Cheng nearly lost grip on the skewer in his hand, shaking and spilling a bunch of chili powder. With a complex expression, he put the ruined skewer of cauliflower on top of the pile to take home and said to Jiang Zihe, “You can, but can you be a little normal?”
Jiang Zihe had always called him Xiao Cheng, occasionally jokingly referring to him as Brother Cheng, but he never called him “Cheng Cheng.”
Only He An and Xiao Yu ever called him that.
It wasn’t that only parents could use that nickname; it was just that Xiao Cheng had never heard a third person call him that, making him feel a bit awkward.
But Jiang Zihe misunderstood his discomfort, and with a huff, he patted his thigh, saying, “What’s wrong? We’re so close, of course, it’s fine to use a more intimate nickname.”
“Good friends should be like this.”
Xiao Cheng was speechless.
Fine.
As Jiang Zihe continued, he sneakily glanced at Xie Zhao. “Right? So it’s okay for me to call you Cheng Cheng?”
“Fine, fine, fine. Call me whatever you want.” Xiao Cheng just wanted to skip over this topic quickly, stuffing the pork belly he had intended for Xie Zhao into Jiang Zihe’s hands. “Here, eat up.”
Jiang Zihe felt an inexplicable sense of victory, even though he thought his earlier actions were a bit childish, like competing for attention.
But so what?
The thought of Xie Zhao charming Xiao Cheng made Jiang Zihe feel a bit irked.
He felt a sense of sorrow as if a sly guy was taking away his honest friend.
Xie Zhao gazed at Jiang Zihe, or rather, at the pork belly skewer in his hand, his eyes revealing a hint of melancholy.
Xiao Cheng noticed this and couldn’t help but cough awkwardly. “It’s fine; tonight I’m treating, so eat as much as you want.”
After everyone had their fill, Xiao Cheng finished paying the bill when his phone in his pocket suddenly vibrated. He paused and pulled it out, surprised to see it was a call from Xiao Ziyue.
“Cheng Cheng, who is it?” Jiang Zihe, having just called him this, seemed to have gotten used to it, speaking without any awkwardness.
“My sister.”
As Xiao Cheng answered them, he walked to a quieter area and answered the call.
He expected to hear his sister’s sweet voice, but as soon as the call connected, he was met with a man’s angry shouting.
Xiao Cheng’s expression instantly turned cold. “Xiao Ziyue?”
On the other end, the sound was chaotic, accompanied by the faint cries of a girl. Xiao Cheng could barely hear, gripping his phone tightly and speaking urgently, “Xiao Ziyue?! Say something! Where are you?”
After a moment, Xiao Ziyue’s sobbing voice finally came through, “Brother, come help!”
“Where are you?” Xiao Cheng didn’t care about the others behind him anymore; he was about to flag down a car when he heard Xiao Ziyue mention a location.
That place was just a street away from the barbecue restaurant where they had eaten. Xiao Cheng immediately dropped his arm from signaling for a car, clutching his phone and running forward, reassuring her, “It’s okay, don’t be scared. Brother will be right there.”
The cold wind rushed into his collar, but Xiao Cheng didn’t feel the chill; his heart burned with worry.
He heard his sister crying on the line, her voice shaky and interrupted, mingling with what sounded like multiple girls crying, along with the angry shouts of a man and chaotic footsteps.
It sounded like a fight.
How could Xiao Ziyue, a delicate girl, possibly fight back? She must have been getting hurt.
Xiao Cheng was terrified, afraid he would be too late.
He ran quickly, his ears alert to the noise on the other end. As he reached the alley, he grabbed a branch from the ground, roughly the thickness of a rolling pin.
The situation was much better than he had feared.
Xiao Ziyue was indeed not alone; she was with another girl. One was sitting on the ground while the other crouched nearby, with blood streaming down the girl’s calf, as though she had been hurt. The wound was wrapped in a piece of clothing, with drops of blood scattered on the ground.
Not far away, several young men were either lying down or sitting, all with injuries; some were even groaning in pain.
Two bloody knives lay discarded on the ground, likely the cause of the injured girl’s wound.
Only one person was standing—his back to Xiao Cheng, stepping on one of the men’s chests, seemingly saying something.
Xiao Cheng looked at the familiar figure, momentarily stunned, but he quickly snapped back to reality and ran towards Xiao Ziyue.
The moment she saw him, the tears she had just managed to hold back started streaming down her face again, her voice trembling, “Brother!”
Xiao Cheng examined his sister. “Are you hurt?”
Xiao Ziyue shook her head, tears all over her face, her arm wrapped around the girl beside her. “I’m fine, but Lin Lin is badly hurt.”
The girl named Jian Lin had a pale complexion, clearly suffering from blood loss, sitting motionless on the ground.
Xiao Cheng didn’t dare touch her, fearing that he might cause her injury to worsen. “Did you call an ambulance?”
“Yes, we called and reported it to the police too,” Xiao Ziyue sniffed, fear evident in her voice. She had never seen anything so bloody in her life, especially with her best friend hurt. Just a moment ago, she was so scared she didn’t know what to do.
Fortunately, a boy had stepped in to help them.
Xiao Ziyue glanced up at that person. “Brother, it was him who helped us.”
Xiao Cheng’s expression grew complicated as he looked up, and sure enough, he saw a familiar face—one that was bloodied and with cuts on his hand.
Luo Jingshu walked over, just finishing a fight, his body still emanating a fierce aura. His cold, dark eyes were fixed on Xiao Cheng, seemingly oblivious to the blood dripping from his hand onto the ground.
“Brother Cheng .”
Xiao Cheng glanced at the group behind him, narrowing his eyes and tightening his expression.
Luo Jingshu followed his gaze, speaking softly, “They can’t get away.”
He had targeted their pressure points, and now those men were in so much pain they could hardly move, making escape impossible.
Ironically, Luo Jingshu’s skills didn’t come from fighting but were born out of years of domestic violence, the experience forged by suffering at the hands of his abusive foster father.
When he was unable to fight back, he could only curl up on the ground, protecting himself as best as he could to avoid being beaten to death.
Through repeated injuries, he learned which parts of the body, while painful to hit, wouldn’t be fatal.
Xiao Cheng turned his gaze back to Luo Jingshu’s hand. “Thank you for saving my sister. I’m here now; you should take care of your wounds.”
Luo Jingshu pulled out two pieces of paper from his pocket and pressed them against his bleeding hand, but they were quickly soaked through with blood and ineffective.
“I’ll stay here and wait for the police with you,” Luo Jingshu said.
As a witness who had also fought, he would have to give a statement later.
Xiao Cheng couldn’t help but frown, disapproving of his approach, but since he no longer had a relationship with Luo Jingshu, he said nothing further.
Luo Jingshu lowered his eyes, a hint of bitterness in them.
In the past, if there was even a speck of dust on his leg, Xiao Cheng would kneel to clean it, treating him like a fragile treasure.
Now his injuries were far worse, yet Xiao Cheng didn’t seem to care anymore.
Xiao Ziyue wiped her tears away. “Brother, do you know him?”
She felt something strange in the atmosphere between her brother and this boy.
Xiao Ziyue was the only one who didn’t know Luo Jingshu’s identity.
Xiao Yu and He An had investigated Luo Jingshu and knew what he looked like, but Xiao Ziyue only knew that her brother had a friend who greatly cared about him.
She didn’t understand who that friend was; during her last visit to the orchard, she hadn’t seen Xiao Cheng and Luo Jingshu at all.
Thus, until now, she was completely unaware that the boy in front of her was the same Luo Jingshu she had been curious about.
“Yeah,” Xiao Cheng said without elaboration.
Luo Jingshu pressed his lips together and smiled at Xiao Ziyue. “I’m Luo Jingshu.”
“Oh, it’s you!”
Xiao Ziyue had attended Luo Jingshu’s welcome party over two months ago, but she hadn’t seen him that day at all. On the way home, she had complained to Xiao Cheng about it.
She never expected it to be him.
Xiao Ziyue felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude towards Luo Jingshu for saving her and Jian Lin during this dangerous moment, completely unaware that he was Xiao Cheng’s ex-boyfriend. To her, Luo Jingshu was like a lifesaver.
Xiao Cheng initially wanted to explain, but in the end, he said nothing.
At that moment, several figures appeared at the entrance of the alley.
Xie Zhao and the others had followed.
Earlier, Xiao Cheng had rushed off without telling them what had happened. Xie Zhao reacted the quickest and chased after Xiao Cheng, followed closely by Du Yunshen, while Jiang Zihe had asked Xu An to head back first, likely to make sure he got into the car; he hadn’t arrived yet.
“Xiao Cheng!” Xie Zhao called, panting. His anxious expression froze upon seeing Luo Jingshu standing next to Xiao Cheng.
Luo Jingshu looked up, meeting Xie Zhao’s gaze.
His face was still smeared with blood, his eyes dark and cold, devoid of any light.
The familiar scene transported Xie Zhao back to a few years ago when he was in his last year of high school, coming home from evening classes and encountering such a scene in the alleyway below.
The only difference was that the boy from back then had grown much taller now, and his beautiful face had fully matured. His lips were red, his teeth white, and blood was at the corners of his mouth, reminding Xie Zhao of a bloodthirsty demon.
Luo Jingshu was like the male demon in a TV drama, best at using that superior face to charm others.
He unconsciously lowered his head to look at Xiao Cheng’s reaction, only to see that the young man’s gaze was entirely focused on Xiao Ziyue, not giving Luo Jingshu the slightest bit of attention.
Xie Zhao breathed a sigh of relief and took a few steps forward but noticed that the injured little girl seemed a bit frightened by his presence.
Xie Zhao immediately stopped, standing not far from Xiao Cheng, “Is there anything you need help with?”
Xiao Cheng wiped the tears off Xiao Ziyue’s face, “Can you help me keep an eye on those people? Don’t let them run away.”
Hearing this, Luo Jingshu’s expression seemed a bit disappointed, but he also understood what his image was in Xiao Cheng’s mind now, so he didn’t say anything, only looking at Xie Zhao with a gaze that was especially cautious, like a man-eating monster.
Xie Zhao met his gaze boldly, no longer intimidated by Luo Jingshu.
Xiao Ziyue was still in shock. Xiao Cheng wanted to ask her what had just happened, but when he saw his sister’s pale face, he swallowed the words he wanted to say.
The ambulance arrived quickly, and after the doctors took over Jian Lin, Xiao Ziyue finally let out a long breath, then threw herself into her brother’s arms, crying so hard her voice became hoarse.
“Brother, I’m so scared, but I didn’t dare to cry just now.”
She was afraid that Jian Lin would be even more frightened, so she had been holding back her tears, worried that if she made a sound, Jian Lin would start crying too.
In fact, the little girl was very strong; Xiao Ziyue couldn’t help but silently shed tears, while Jian Lin’s eyes were just red.
Perhaps because she had no one to rely on, Jian Lin’s emotions had been tense, and she was afraid to relax.
When Jiang Zihe arrived, the ambulance had just come. He saw Xie Zhao standing not far away, watching the people inside, and didn’t approach too closely, so he leaned over and asked, “What happened?”
He hadn’t seen Jian Lin’s injury, and it was quite dark in the alley; if one didn’t observe carefully, they wouldn’t notice the blood on the ground at first.
Xie Zhao shook his head gently, “Someone is injured.”
Only then did Jiang Zihe see the blood on the ground; he was startled and immediately asked, “Is Ziyue okay?”
Xiao Ziyue lifted her head from Xiao Cheng’s embrace, her eyes red and swollen from crying, “I’m fine; it’s my friend who’s injured.”
Xiao Cheng patted her back to soothe her shaken emotions.
“Do you know where her family lives?” he asked softly.
They must contact Jian Lin’s family; they couldn’t hide it from her parents after such a big incident.
Xiao Ziyue shook her head, “Her family situation is a bit complicated; that’s why we went out.”
She spoke somewhat ambiguously in front of the others, “Brother, I need to go to the hospital with her.”
Xiao Cheng understood, “I’ll go with you.”
He couldn’t leave Xiao Ziyue, a minor, alone at the hospital.
Xiao Cheng simply let the others leave first; he would accompany Xiao Ziyue.
After the three people in the dormitory left, Xie Zhao still stood there without moving.
Just as Xiao Cheng was about to say something, Xiao Ziyue suddenly turned to Luo Jingshu and said, “Luo Jingshu, you should come with us to the hospital; your hand needs to be bandaged and treated.”
Luo Jingshu didn’t agree immediately but looked at Xiao Cheng as if waiting for his decision.
Xiao Cheng didn’t want to be involved with Luo Jingshu any further; upon hearing this, he immediately frowned. However, it was true that Luo Jingshu was injured while helping his sister, so logically, he shouldn’t refuse.
Luo Jingshu understood his silent reluctance and smiled a bit strainedly.
“No need, it’s not a serious injury.”
Xiao Ziyue opened her mouth but didn’t say anything.
Luo Jingshu glanced deeply at Xiao Cheng, “Brother Cheng, today’s incident was beyond my expectations.”
Xiao Cheng replied with an “mm. ” At that moment, the police arrived and took the people on the ground away, so Luo Jingshu also followed to take a statement.
Because Jian Lin was in the hospital and Luo Jingshu was injured, the police decided to take the two of them back to the station along with the troublemakers; they would then go directly to the hospital to give statements.
The police car couldn’t fit six people, so someone had to take a taxi to the hospital.
Luo Jingshu proactively suggested taking the police car. Just as Xie Zhao was about to say something, he heard Luo Jingshu say, “Brother Xie Zhao, why don’t you come with me?”
He called Xie Zhao “Brother,” but his tone was unrespectful, and his expression was indifferent.
Xie Zhao was momentarily taken aback, then turned to look at Xiao Cheng, “Okay.”
Xiao Cheng lowered his gaze at Xiao Ziyue next to him, not giving his attention to either of them.
After they left, Xiao Cheng finally sighed, “Let’s go.”
He took Xiao Ziyue to hail a taxi, letting her get in first, then following her inside, “Driver, to the city hospital.”
Once the car began heading to the destination, Xiao Ziyue secretly glanced at him, “Brother, do you have a conflict with Luo Jingshu?”
She had wanted to ask this question just now. Her brother obviously didn’t want Luo Jingshu to follow them, and she thought Luo Jingshu made a good impression; she didn’t know what had happened between him and her brother.
She always felt that Luo Jingshu was trying to please Xiao Cheng, but Xiao Cheng clearly didn’t want to engage with him, barely directing his words toward Luo Jingshu.
“A few unimportant small matters.”
Xiao Cheng clearly didn’t want to elaborate. After answering, he asked again:
“How did you end up here?”
His face was serious, and though his tone wasn’t harsh, he was probably afraid of scaring Xiao Ziyue.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Ziyue immediately wilted.
“Jian Lin’s family had an incident; only her and her father are in the family. It seems her father’s work has some problems, and his health isn’t good either.”
Jian Lin had been suppressing her emotions for too long and was on the verge of breaking down, so she invited Xiao Ziyue out for a walk that evening to share her feelings.
“We were just eating something at a convenience store on the street, planning to hang around here for a bit.”
Who knew they would run into a few drunk men, who pulled out a fruit knife when they couldn’t tease them.
“Because they were drunk and unsteady, they fell on the ground.”
In the end, those men insisted it was her and Jian Lin’s fault and started swinging the knife around. In the chaos, Jian Lin’s leg was cut by one of the people lying on the ground.
Xiao Ziyue sniffed, tears streaming down her face again, “We were so scared at that time; thankfully Luo Jingshu was there.”
When she reached this point, she couldn’t help but glance at Xiao Cheng beside her, silently closing her mouth.
Her brother didn’t like Luo Jingshu.
Xiao Cheng nodded, “He should be thanked.”
One thing is one thing; Luo Jingshu did indeed help his sister.
But how did he end up here?
In the police car on the other side, two police officers sat in front, while Luo Jingshu and Xie Zhao sat in the back seat, both leaning against the window, with a considerable distance between them.
After hesitating for a while, Xie Zhao still asked, “Does your hand need to be treated again?”
The bleeding seemed to have stopped, but the wound was still hideously exposed to the air.
Luo Jingshu glanced at the wound on the back of his hand, his voice cold and hoarse: “Xie Zhao.”
“Don’t have any ideas about him.”
