Why did such an embarrassing thing have to happen to him?
Xiao Cheng practically wanted to smack himself for being so focused on drying his hair just now.
Was there really no other time he could’ve dried his hair?
He took a deep breath, fingers trembling as he typed his reply.
[Xiao Cheng: Mr. Bai, I’m sorry, I accidentally sent it to the wrong person]
Now that he looked closer, he realized just how different Bai Yiheng’s profile picture was from Luo Jingshu’s, so how had he even confused the two?
[Xiao Cheng: When did you change your profile picture, Mr. Bai?]
The old SpongeBob one had been cute and stood out, instantly recognizable as Bai Yiheng.
[Mr. Bai: Because my niece doesn’t like SpongeBob anymore]
Xiao Cheng: Fair enough; that’s a reason no one could argue with.
Before he could respond, Bai Yiheng sent another message.
[Mr. Bai: I thought I was about to get a surprise]
The awkwardness he’d been trying so hard to forget came rushing back. He decided to just roll with it.
[Xiao Cheng: Is there something Mr. Bai would like as a gift?]
Even though he hadn’t started working, giving a gift to his future boss could look like bribery. Still, Bai Yiheng wasn’t just his boss but a friend of Xiao Yu, his uncle, so he could just think of it as giving a family friend.
Bai Yiheng replied with a laughing emoji, seemingly amused.
[Mr. Bai: Can the receiver really make demands on a gift?]
Xiao Cheng responded with a sheepish, scratching-head emoji. There was some truth to it; asking what someone wanted kind of killed the surprise.
[Xiao Cheng: Then Mr. Bai can look forward to a surprise.]
Finally, he managed to smooth things over, and a wave of relief washed over him. The whole situation had been so awkward that he wasn’t sure he’d ever want to see grapes again.
Exiting the chat with Bai Yiheng, Xiao Cheng double-checked that he was actually talking to Luo Jingshu this time and then sent the photo again.
He repeated what he’d told Bai Yiheng just moments before, and this time, he quickly received a response.
[Luo Jingshu: May I come by tomorrow to get it?]
The tone sounded somewhat tentative.
Xiao Cheng thought about it and realized he didn’t have much planned for the next day. [Sure]
Since Luo Jingshu wanted the item, he had to hold onto it for now.
As he recalled Jian Lin’s medical expenses, Xiao Cheng decided to transfer a thousand yuan to Xie Zhao.
[Xie Zhao: ??]
Xiao Cheng explained: [Medical expenses]
Jian Lin had gotten injured while with Xiao Ziyue, protecting her, so both logically and morally, it felt like the right thing for Xiao Cheng to cover the expenses.
At the very least, it shouldn’t be Xie Zhao’s responsibility.
[Xie Zhao: Are we really going to be that formal with each other, junior?]
He didn’t accept the transfer.
Xiao Cheng was firm about it. Other things could be discussed, but it was better to keep things clear when it came to money.
[Xiao Cheng: Thanks for helping out today, senior. Next time, dinner’s on me, but you really have to accept the money.]
Typing didn’t seem like it could fully explain his stance, so Xiao Cheng called Xie Zhao.
“Senior, it was such a big help having you there today, but this money is actually from me on behalf of Ziyue. I can’t let you cover it.”
Xie Zhao sighed slightly. “It’s not a lot, and I can afford it. You don’t need to be so formal.”
Xiao Cheng ran a hand through his hair, which still felt damp, and blinked his tired, stinging eyes. “Even close brothers should settle accounts clearly. I don’t like owing people.”
Especially since Xie Zhao wasn’t just any classmate—he had once been Xiao Cheng’s suitor.
Xie Zhao’s voice softened. “Alright, have it your way.”
Xiao Cheng was strangely persistent in some areas and had a unique wariness toward Xie Zhao.
Sometimes, Xie Zhao didn’t quite understand why Xiao Cheng was so guarded with him. Anytime he showed even the slightest hint of interest, Xiao Cheng would distance himself, not leaving him a shred of hope.
Xiao Cheng yawned, planning to say goodnight and end the call, but Xie Zhao suddenly asked, “By the way, is Luo Jingshu’s hand alright? I noticed he tore the wound open again in the car. It looked pretty bad.”
Xiao Cheng’s unfinished yawn got stuck in his throat, making him feel a bit choked, and his eyes even watered slightly.
“He’s fine; it’s been rebandaged.”
Xie Zhao sighed and casually added, “He was bleeding a lot. I even urged him to get it treated, but he didn’t seem to care much.”
He chuckled, sounding like an adult scolding a naughty child. “We used to be neighbors, and I’d often see him with injuries back then. It made me wince just to look at him, but he always acted like it was no big deal.”
Xiao Cheng’s mind conjured up the image of Luo Jingshu in the hospital, eyes slightly red with pain, which hardly fit the image of someone unfazed by injury.
Either Luo Jingshu was pretending, or…
Deep down, Xiao Cheng leaned toward the idea that Luo Jingshu was playing up his weakness to earn sympathy.
Not particularly interested in Luo Jingshu’s past, he was about to change the subject when the necklace he’d noticed earlier came to mind.
Pushing himself to stay awake, he asked, “Senior, how much do you know about Luo Jingshu?”
Xie Zhao hadn’t expected Xiao Cheng to ask this, so he stayed silent for a while. If it weren’t for the sound of his breathing, Xiao Cheng would have thought the call had been disconnected.
“Senior?”
“Oh.” Xie Zhao snapped out of it. “I don’t actually know much about him. Even though we lived across from each other, Luo Jingshu didn’t talk much, and when we ran into each other, it was like we were strangers.”
Xiao Cheng wasn’t disappointed and kept asking, “Then, do you know if he had any friends in the past?”
Did the original owner even know Luo Jingshu?
“I don’t think he had many friends. He was quite withdrawn back then,” Xie Zhao said, somewhat reluctantly, not wanting to say anything in favor of his rival or to evoke Xiao Cheng’s sympathy for Luo Jingshu. Still, he continued honestly, “Because his foster father was abusive. Life was hard for him and his foster mother.”
“Most of the injuries you see on him were caused by his foster father.”
Xiao Cheng’s hand stopped rubbing his eyes. He lowered his gaze. Luo Jingshu had never told him about his past. Whenever he saw him, Luo Jingshu always seemed gentle and harmless.
So, Luo Jingshu also had an unfortunate past.
This new information left Xiao Cheng feeling somewhat conflicted. Not that hearing it would make him forgive Luo Jingshu for his deceit and manipulation, but he vaguely understood why Luo Jingshu might have developed such a twisted personality.
Rather than thinking someone targeted him for no reason, Xiao Cheng preferred to believe there was an underlying issue.
Did Luo Jingshu’s trauma from severe abuse twist his personality?
Xiao Cheng felt sympathy for Luo Jingshu’s past, though it didn’t mean Luo Jingshu could use it to justify his lies and manipulation; after all, his unfortunate past had nothing to do with Xiao Cheng.
“What about his foster mother?”
Luo Jingshu must have harbored deep resentment for his foster father after enduring years of abuse, which was why he had never mentioned him. But what about his foster mother?
“She passed away,” Xie Zhao said. “She was gentle, but she was too timid.”
She couldn’t protect herself, let alone Luo Jingshu.
Xiao Cheng fell back onto his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. “I see.”
“They seemed to have a decent relationship, but unfortunately…”
Unfortunately, everyone who genuinely cared for him in that home was gone.
Xiao Cheng closed his eyes. “Thanks, senior, for sharing this with me.”
It seemed that Xie Zhao didn’t like Luo Jingshu much, and Luo Jingshu disliked Xie Zhao even more.
There must have been some sort of conflict between them.
Xie Zhao sighed softly. “I should be the one apologizing; I ended up saying more than I intended.”
From Xiao Cheng’s tone, it didn’t seem like he had softened his heart much.
Xie Zhao’s intention was partly to test the waters because Luo Jingshu was excellent at feigning vulnerability. He feared that Luo Jingshu might use his past to gain Xiao Cheng’s sympathy, leading to forgiveness.
Although Luo Jingshu had indeed suffered, Xie Zhao hoped Xiao Cheng wouldn’t reconcile with him just because of that.
Hopefully, he wasn’t being overly paranoid.
Early the next morning, Xiao Ziyue headed to the hospital, planning to spend the whole day with Jian Lin.
After dropping her off, Xiao Cheng returned to the apartment and messaged Luo Jingshu, asking him to come over to pick something up.
Luo Jingshu arrived quickly. When Xiao Cheng opened the door, he could see a faint tension in Luo Jingshu’s expression.
“Brother Cheng.”
Xiao Cheng handed him the bag, and as Luo Jingshu reached out to take it, his sleeve moved, releasing a subtle, sweet grape scent.
Xiao Cheng’s eyes swept casually over the boy in front of him.
Luo Jingshu wore a light gray coat over a white sweater, highlighting his rosy lips and fair skin. The thin, fitted sweater was tucked into his pants, accentuating his narrow waist and hinting at the shape of his abs. His black pants showed his long, straight legs.
One of his hands was still wrapped in a fresh bandage, with no traces of blood visible. However, there was a faint bruise on his face, just at the corner of his mouth. It didn’t make him look unkempt; rather, it gave him a certain fragile beauty.
Xiao Cheng withdrew his gaze and was about to close the door when Luo Jingshu said, “Brother Cheng.”
“Could I have a little bit of your time?”
One hand held the bag, and his bandaged hand rested on the doorframe.
“There are a few things I want to say to you.”
Xiao Cheng kept one hand on the door handle. Since forcing the door shut would hurt Luo Jingshu’s fingers, he decided to stay put and gestured with his eyes for Luo Jingshu to let go.
When Luo Jingshu moved his hand back, Xiao Cheng crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe. “Go ahead.”
Luo Jingshu pressed his lips together, and his long lashes cast a shadow over his slightly reddened eyes, making him look like an abandoned puppy, standing pitifully in front of Xiao Cheng.
“I’m sorry, Brother Cheng. I was wrong. I shouldn’t have said those things, and I shouldn’t have played with your feelings. I definitely shouldn’t have hurt you again afterward, acting without any remorse.”
His eyes were rimmed with red, slowly filling with a glimmer of tears. His gaze was both red and glistening, looking even more pitiful.
Xiao Cheng closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to contain his frustration. “What good is saying all this to me now?”
“I never properly apologized to you,” Luo Jingshu said, looking deeply into the young man in front of him. “Brother Cheng, please give me one chance to apologize, would you?”
Afraid of being turned down, he quickly added, “I know you don’t want to forgive me. Just let me finish talking, and I’ll leave. Please?”
The last time they’d been face-to-face here, Luo Jingshu had been cold, sharp-tongued, and utterly unrepentant, even though he was wrong.
This time, he seemed to tread with the utmost care, asking Xiao Cheng’s permission with every sentence, his attitude completely different.
Xiao Cheng’s head started to ache faintly. He moistened his lips, his fingers tightening around his arm. “Come in.”
“Just say what you have to say… then leave.”
