RES Chapter 78

Around nine o’clock in the evening, the Lu family’s villa.

The slap marks on Lu Ming’s cheek were obvious. He wanted Aunt Zhang to help him prepare an ice pack but even after he shouted twice, no one answered him. Only then did he remember that Aunt Zhang was off today and went home early in the morning.

Lu Ming had to go into the kitchen by himself. He dug out some ice cubes from the ice cube tray in the refrigerator before wrapping them in a thin towel and tied them into a ball. He held the simple ‘ice pack’ for a while and the pain was significantly relieved.

Because he didn’t deal with it in time, the right side of his face was slightly swollen, looking very ugly.

Lu Ming hissed and threw away the ice pack.

He poured a glass of water and was hungry. Remembering that he had not eaten dinner, he casually took the sandwich that Aunt Zhang had prepared for him in the refrigerator, served it with a drink and took a few bites to satisfy his hunger.

As he was alone in the villa, the villa felt very empty and deserted. Lu Ming was in a trance, probably because he was used to staying with Chi Qiu, and now he was not used to this loneliness.

For this reason, unlike in the past, today he washed up early and lay down on the bed. However, within a few minutes of falling asleep, his head was buzzing and he woke up with pain. Lu Fengshen’s slap was so hard that he still had a headache.

Not only that, in the recent prolonged state of fatigue, without Chi Qiu by his side, Lu Ming often suffered from insomnia.

He got up and went to the collection room, taking out a bottle of wine from the cabinet and pouring himself half a glass.

He drank it in one gulp, hoping that he could sleep peacefully tonight.

On the phone, Chi Qiu still did not reply to his messages.

Lu Ming wondered, in the past, Chi Qiu always replied quickly. He thought to himself that he should go to Chi’s house tomorrow morning, but the mark on his face would make Chi Lanyan suspicious. In the next few days, he probably would not be able to meet with Chi Qiu.

Just when he was thinking about how to explain to Chi Qiu, the door of the villa opened.

Through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the living room, Lu Ming saw Ji Yanchen’s car slowly drive into the front yard. He was stunned for a moment but quickly reacted. Before, because Ji Yanchen often visited them and Lu Ming noticed that Chi Qiu would be happy when Ji Yanchen visited, he entered Ji Yanchen’s license plate into the system. So when he came over, the guards let him drive in directly.

The heavy rain had turned into drizzle, scattering down.

Lu Ming put down the wine glass, and the glass and the tabletop made a light touch, sounding as crisp as the raindrops outside.

The door to the house was opened from the outside, and only Chi Qiu came in, Ji Yanchen did not get out of the car.

Lu Ming saw that Chi Qiu didn’t hold an umbrella, with his hair and shoulders wet, and he didn’t even have the cane he always used when going out.

The sky on the rainy night was dark but Chi Qiu was familiar with every tile in front of the villa, so he didn’t trip over a single step. Perhaps it was the faint street lights in the front yard and the open headlights of Ji Yanchen’s car that illuminated the difficult road for him.

Lu Ming looked at him inexplicably and walked towards him quickly. As he was approaching him, Lu Ming found that Chi Qiu’s eyes were slightly red, obviously crying.

Lu Ming didn’t care about anything, he held his hand as usual: “What happened?”

Chi Qiu was silent and pulled out his hand bluntly. As if he could not see Lu Ming, he went straight inside and went into the bedroom.

Lu Ming’s heart tightened and he quickly followed him, unable to care about Ji Yanchen who was staying in the front yard.

“Chi Qiu.” Lu Ming called Chi Qiu’s name and stood in front of him again

And Chi Qiu’s purpose was to put the wedding ring that he carefully treasured into the drawer.

He ignored Lu Ming’s words. The moment his hand touched the drawer, he habitually touched the edge of the drawer. For some reason, the corners of his mouth twitched stiffly and he laughed self-deprecatingly.

After so many years of disguise, how many blind people would act like he did in his subconscious action? Chi Qiu didn’t know anymore, because he could see clearly, but he had become a real blind man.

Couldn’t see anything, everything was kept in the dark.

That was why he was coaxed around by Lu Ming’s superficial deception, foolishly thinking that he was really loved by him, foolishly thinking that God was finally on his side, foolishly thinking that he could really find his way back to the spring days of that year.

But he didn’t know that his self-deprecation was really more like a wry smile.

“Chi Qiu.” Lu Ming spoke out, his fingertips stroking the corners of Chi Qiu’s eyes that were swollen from crying, “What’s wrong? Can’t you tell me?”

Chi Qiu did not look at his face. Since he was a blind man, he should have the behavior of a blind man.

Lu Ming wanted him to be blind, he should be blind then.

It was a pity that Chi Qiu was wrong again. At this moment, he should take a look to see how ‘intense’ the expression on Lu Ming’s face that had changed for him was, how it was more conspicuous than any previous expression.

Chi Qiu lowered his head: “Lu Ming.” He finally spoke, with a hoarse voice, “Why are you lying to me?”

After asking around and thinking about it, he only wanted to know this answer. Others had already said it a hundred times but he did not believe it, he wanted to hear Lu Ming tell him personally.

In an instant, the warmth on Lu Ming’s face disappeared.

Lu Ming was confused, suspicious, and more than anything, remained silent. He stood in front of Chi Qiu, his numb face reappeared as an unmelting frost.

It was at this moment that Chi Qiu raised his eyes slightly. Lu Ming’s icy face fell into his eyes, making his body chill all over.

Lu Ming had always been like this, as if he didn’t care about anything, as if he didn’t like anything.

In the past, this estrangement would make Chi Qiu feel distressed that he would get closer to him, hug him tightly, wanting to give him his love and warmth together. Now, when he saw Lu Ming like this again, he was disappointed, feeling ridiculous, and even more sad.

Chi Qiu closed his eyes and frowned in pain. He slightly bent down, one hand on his heart, clutching the thin clothes. His movements were small, like a bird in a cage, struggling hard but unable to break free from the cage.

He didn’t want to delay any longer. Every minute of Lu Ming’s silence was a lingering blow to Chi Qiu.

He asked Lu Ming: “Jin Chengjun’s pursuit of my sister…was arranged by you, wasn’t it?”

Lu Ming paused and stopped all his doubts.

It turned out that Chi Qiu knew.

But the most terrifying thing was not that they knew each other’s secrets, but Lu Ming’s ‘frankness and sincerity’. Almost three seconds after Chi Qiu asked, he decisively admitted: “Yes.”

Chi Qiu was stunned for a while; his eyes were wet as he raised his head blankly and looked straight at Lu Ming: “You just admit it?” Not even a word of rebuttal, just admitted it so readily?

Lu Ming still had that expressionless face. He was terrifyingly calm, never unreasonable, only standing in front of the solution that could be analyzed and answered the question: “Since you can ask me, it means you already know. It is useless to say more.”

“It’s useless to say more?”

Chi Qiu laughed dumbfoundedly. That’s right, Lu Ming is like this. When he wanted to play with you, he would do everything; if he didn’t want to play, he wouldn’t even bother to open his mouth to lie to you.

Chi Qiu pinched his palm, his nails already strangled the flesh with blood red. Compared with Ji Feining’s straightforwardness, Lu Ming’s own admission could break him to pieces. He stood dumbfounded in front of Lu Ming, tears fell down indefensibly. In just a few hours, Chi Qiu didn’t know how many times he had cried.

He couldn’t hold back his tears, couldn’t control his feelings, as if this impotent catharsis became his last resistance. He was burning all over, like a handful of dry wood in spring, burning in the fire, stinging every inch of his nerves. The pain spreading from the bottom of his heart was attacking his whole body, laughing at his self-deception for more than a year.

Chi Qiu stumbled a step and held the table.

Lu Ming’s heart also stumbled a little. His hand subconsciously tried to hold Chi Qiu’s hand, but Chi Qiu viciously avoided it.

Chi Qiu asked softly, “Why?”

It was still this question, Lu Ming didn’t answer immediately.

Chi Qiu took a step back slightly and twitched the corners of his mouth: “Just for Grandpa’s property?”

“…”

Chi Qiu cried: “You talk!”

“Yes.”

“…”

They were both silent.

Chi Qiu’s heart sank: “Just for this…you lied to me?”

Lu Ming stood upright in front of him, with no intention of running away. The words in his mouth were like clotted stones, how could he spit them smoothly? In the end, he could only say: “Sorry.”

But was it this apology that Chi Qiu wanted?

“Who wants your apology——” Chi Qiu’s voice gradually went higher, his eyes seemed to be filled with blood, seemed to be overflowing with tears. He helplessly wanted to seek justice. He didn’t know whether it was for him or for Chi Xia.

“Just for this, you arranged for others to chase Xiao Xia and let her elope? Just for this, have you ever thought about my sister’s safety? In case that man hurts her, in case that man…”

Lu Ming interrupted him and finally had an explanation other than an apology: “I have investigated, although Jin Chengjun has a hard life, but the person is not bad. Chi Xia and him have long had a mutual affection for each other. Chi Xia doesn’t like Lu Yinliang at all. I just set her up with Jin Chengjun, I didn’t force her. I didn’t expect them to elope.”

Even in the face of such intense questioning by Chi Qiu, Lu Ming was able to answer calmly.

He couldn’t feel strong emotions, so he didn’t understand how terrifying and desperate a love full of lies was. Lu Ming was unable to empathize with all of this, that was why he did this.

Whether it was for Chi Xia or Chi Qiu. He didn’t have a clear idea of ​​how wrong he was.

“…”

Chi Qiu whispered, “That’s how you are, you don’t take any feelings seriously.”

He was so disappointed in Lu Ming that he couldn’t say anything any more.

What was the use of him saying more, Lu Ming’s stubbornness and selfishness was manifested in just a few words.

 

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