“No puppy love.” Jian Heng replied.
Qin Cheng breathed a sigh of relief, but after he felt relieved, he felt something was off, though he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.
Lao Xu was obviously more relieved than he was. When he noticed Qin Cheng’s eyes, he glared at him again, clearly not wanting this promising talent to be taken advantage of by him.
Qin Cheng was instantly left speechless, thinking to himself; you might not believe me if I told you, but it’s your promising talent who wants to take advantage1嚯嚯 (huò huò): 嚯 (huò) is an onomatopoeia expressing admiration or surprise or sound of a laugh; means to destroy and ruin something. T/N: Related term; 嚯嚯别人 (huò huò bié ren), a popular Internet term and a Northeastern dialect, means to ruin others and bring harm to others. of me.
***
In October, the willow branches have wilted quite a bit, and the leaves are falling down with a rustling sound.
Jinhua City has done a good job of greening, but the sanitation is poor; the wind blows piles of leaves everywhere.
Qin Cheng sat in the back seat, his legs dangling down, kicking at the leaves playfully, when he accidentally kicked a small stone.
“Hey,” Qin Cheng called out.
“Mm?”
“Nothing, just talking to myself,” Qin Cheng sighed.
Qin Cheng couldn’t quite explain what kind of relationship he had with Jian Heng now.
If he says it’s the same as before, both of them feel differently about each other now. Jian Heng, in particular, is constantly expressing his feelings through his gaze and actions.
Qin Cheng finds himself caught off guard every time, blushing like a girl who’s never seen the world. It’s embarrassing.
But if he says it’s different from before, the two of them still go to school together, leave school together, buy groceries together, eat together, and do homework together…
They do everything except sleep together. Outsiders definitely wouldn’t notice anything unusual at all.
Qin Cheng sighed again, and just as he was about to press his face on Jian Heng’s back as usual, a voice suddenly came from ahead.
“Qin-ge! Qin-ge! Wait a moment!”
Qin Cheng looked up and saw a boy in a first-year high school uniform from the Fifth High School standing by the roadside ahead. He was a bit short and looked quite honest and simple.
He’s either a Beta or an Omega; he can’t smell it.
The boy was excitedly calling out to him, holding a stack of books in his arms.
Everyone in the Fifth High School knew Qin Cheng, but Qin Cheng couldn’t remember everyone, so he didn’t pay attention to the voice. He tapped Jian Heng’s arm, signaling that he should ride over.
Jian Heng didn’t say anything. After riding over, he silently stopped the bike. Qin Cheng called out to the boy: “Is there something you need?”
The boy trotted over, a bit of sweat on his forehead. His cheeks flushed as he looked at him. He cautiously glanced at Jian Heng and asked: “Qin-ge, can you come over here for a moment?”
“Ah?” Qin Cheng was taken aback for a moment before laughing. He used to help his junior schoolmates resolve issues like school violence and extortion from other schools, so he didn’t think much of it this time. He assumed that his junior had something inconvenient for Jian Heng to listen to, so he immediately got off the bike and walked over to him, smiling as he asked: “What’s the matter?”
Jian Heng saw his movements and looked at the so-called ‘junior’, frowning slightly.
Qin Cheng stood three meters away from Jian Heng. When he saw his junior schoolmate beckoning him to lower his head, he instinctively glanced at Jian Heng and coughed uncomfortably: “Why don’t you just send me a WeChat message?”
The junior’s face was still red, but upon hearing those words, his expression changed, and with a hint of fierceness, he whispered: “Senior… aren’t you being a bit too careless?”
Before the words were finished, the hand holding the knife hidden behind the book suddenly thrust forward. Qin Cheng’s pupils constricted, and he reacted swiftly, grabbing the blade with his hand, then fiercely kicked with his knee, sending both the person and the knife flying.
A stream of red blood flowed down his fingers, and his brain went blank for a moment.
“Qin Cheng!!!” Jian Heng suddenly shouted.
Qin Cheng only had time to turn his head, and the next second he was knocked to the ground by Jian Heng.
The sound of a bicycle falling down, the dull thud of the □□ against the ground, and the chaotic noise of a sharp blade piercing through the flesh and blood stabbing into the body all intertwined, piercing through the eardrums.
While Qin Cheng was staring ahead, two passers-by with knives suddenly lunged at him from behind. Jian Heng kicked one away, but he couldn’t kick the other away in time, so he could only wrap his arms around Qin Cheng from behind, using his body to shield him.
The switchblade plunged directly into his side.
“Jian Heng!”
Qin Cheng felt like he might be going crazy. He closed his eyes several times as he held Jian Heng in a trance. His bloodied hands trembled as they covered the wound on his ribs; he couldn’t tell whose blood it was.
The three people finished stabbing and ran away. Qin Cheng didn’t have time to look; his eyes were bloodshot as he bandaged Jian Heng’s wound with trembling hands. He crazily dashed across the street and flagged down a taxi.
Today, there’s an elementary school celebrating its anniversary, and all the taxis have gone there to pick up passengers; it’s been half a day, and not a single one has come by this side.
Finally, he spotted a taxi, but it also wasn’t empty. Qin Cheng rushed over directly, shouting: “Stop——stop!! I told you to fucking stop!!!”
His reckless way of hailing a cab finally worked.
In the back seat of the car sat a middle-aged man, who rolled down the window and scolded him: “Fuck you, you little bastard. Do you want to die?! This barren thing, are you in such a hurry to meet the King of Hell——”
Qin Cheng reached through the car window and grabbed him by the neck, gritting his teeth: “Get out!”
The man, nearly choking from the grip, looked at him in terror, and the moment he let go, he immediately jumped out from the other side of the car and ran away.
Qin Cheng immediately carried Jian Heng and got into the car.
Even though there was a bone in the way, it was still going in so deep. Stabbed in the side ribs. Blood flowed all over Qin Cheng’s hand, soaking his entire T-shirt.
Qin Cheng was so panicked that his whole body trembled. He covered the wound and shouted at him, his voice shaking: “Jian Heng, Jian Heng, look at me! You can’t close your eyes, do you understand? Look at me!”
Jian Heng’s gaze was unfocused, but he still tried his best to reach out and grasp his wrist, using his last bit of strength to reassure him: “Not sleeping… it’s… fine…”
“You’re not a doctor!” Qin Cheng pressed hard on the wound and turned to shout at the driver, his voice cracking, “Master2師傅 (shī fu): teacher; master; sifu; shifu (usually of a trade); polite form of address for an adult; polite way to address a skilled worker (carpenter, plumber etc.) or craftsman., lives are at stake; hurry up!”
The driver floored the gas pedal: “Right away, right away, there’s no traffic jam today!”
***
Upon arriving at the hospital, Jian Heng went straight into the operating room. Qin Cheng signed the papers and ran back and forth to pay the fees and complete the admission process by himself. Halfway through, the police came to understand the situation. Qin Cheng gritted his teeth and described the appearances of several people. The police said there were no surveillance cameras nearby, and it might take some time, so they asked him to take care of the patient first.
During this time, Qin Cheng received a call from Song Yingmei.
It was the first time Qin Cheng came home late and forgot to report it, so he hurriedly lied, saying that his classmate Jian Heng wanted to go out to have fun, and he was showing him the way, so he wouldn’t be going home.
It was only at the last moment that Qin Cheng remembered he had forgotten to call Tan Qi over to help.
His heart raced to the point where his mind went completely blank, as if it had rusted over; he couldn’t think of anything at all.
It was already midnight when they brought Jian Heng out. The doctor said there was no major issue with his internal organs, just some lung lacerations and fractured ribs.
The top Alpha had excellent physical condition, assuring him not to worry; he would be discharged in a week and fully recover in a little over a month.
How could Qin Cheng not be worried?
When he returned to the ward after getting the medication, Jian Heng was still under the influence of the anesthetic. He lay unconscious on the bed, his face so pale that it almost matched the colour of the sheets.
It was the first time Qin Cheng had seen him looking so weak.
He sat down on the chair and gently placed the meal he had just bought down. The doctor said that the person should wake up in a little while.
Looking at Jian Heng’s face, Qin Cheng’s eyes went blank.
The strength he had been holding on to dissipated, and he felt like a deflated balloon, unable to muster any energy.
He rested his arm on his leg, pressing his fingertips hard against his forehead.
As he pressed, his face sank into the bed, his head firmly buried in the mattress beside Jian Heng. The heat radiating from the top of his head was Jian Heng’s.
Jian Heng is still alive.
It was only after everything was settled that the terror and panic in his heart began to rise.
The scene from that moment keeps replaying in his mind; Qin Cheng trembles all over, as if he can still feel the warmth of Jian Heng’s blood on his hands.
What was Jian Heng thinking when he took the knife for him?
Did he ever consider that this knife might not just stab the ribs, but if the angle is off, it could pierce the heart instead?
Qin Cheng felt that he must have thought about it. A meticulous school tyrant like him couldn’t possibly overlook that.
Even though he had thought about it, he still blocked it. What a fool; even a school tyrant can be a fool.
Even more foolish than him.
No, he’s the biggest fool.
Not being able to see whether he’s really his junior schoolmate and just rushing in, he deserves to get stabbed.
But even if he deserves it, why should Jian Heng be hurt on his behalf?!
Qin Cheng’s trembling hand, wrapped in thick gauze, reached out and finally grasped Jian Heng’s hand tightly; the warmth transmitted from his palm was Qin Cheng’s last life-saving straw.
The gauze was stained deep red as the wound split open.
Qin Cheng was completely numb to the pain, his mind a chaotic blur, with scarlet flooding his vision, as if trapped in a loop that replayed over and over again.
Why did Jian Heng block the knife for him? In that moment, did he think of anything other than the fact that he would get hurt?
Did he ever consider whether this person was worth his sacrifice?
Qin Cheng clenched his teeth, his eyes feeling hot and damp, his nose tingling, struggling to hold back the tears.
He wasn’t worth it.
“What’s… wrong?” A hoarse voice broke the silence, and Qin Cheng suddenly sat up.
Jian Heng opened his eyes, and when he looked at him, surprisingly, there was a hint of a smile at the corners of his mouth, his gaze soothing. When he raised his head, he suddenly frowned and asked him: “…Did you cry?”
Qin Cheng sniffed, his nose tingling with bitterness upon hearing those words, and tears streamed down uncontrollably. He raised his arm and wiped it away, his eyes bloodshot, gritting his teeth: “Whose fucking eyes are red? You still have the time to care about me? Do you know that if that knife had been just a little off…”
The last few sentences were spoken in an increasingly lower voice, until they became nearly inaudible.
Jian Heng looked at him, his voice hoarse but his demeanour very calm: “Mm, I understand.”
Qin Cheng couldn’t hold it in any longer, tilted his head slightly, and did his best to suppress the tears that were about to overflow.
Qin Cheng, you’re an Alpha, not an Omega. Stop being a fucking bitch.
He picked up the lunch box, his voice hoarse: “The doctor said to eat something easy to digest first.”
Jin Heng looked at him and said, “Have you… eaten?”
Hearing him speak made Qin Cheng’s nose tingle; how could he still care about him when he was in such a state!
“Your hand. What did the doctor… say?” Jian Heng’s gaze fell on his hand, his brow slightly furrowed.
“You fucking…,” Qin Cheng suddenly turned his head to look at him, his eyes red and his lips trembling, “Can’t you just ask about yourself? What the fuck could happen to me! Just look at yourself, okay? I… I…”
Qin Cheng became increasingly agitated, gritting his teeth as if competing with someone, but in the end he could only lower his head and clench his fists tightly.
The regret and frustration in his heart almost crushed him.
He couldn’t compete with anyone. Jian Heng was already hospitalized. What was the point of trying to fight?
Jian Heng looked at him for a long time, sighed, raised his arms, and said softly: “Come here.”
Qin Cheng gazed at his face, his lips moving; like a bow drawn to its limit, suddenly eased by a gentle touch, his whole body relaxed. In the end, his head gently rested on his arm, his hand gripping tightly.
The fact that Jian Heng was fine and woke up stimulated his heart, and tears streamed down his face, unrestrained and free.
It wasn’t the first time he had been in a fight, but it was the first time he watched a knife plunge into someone’s body, and that person was Jian Heng.
When Jian Heng was taken into the operating room, Qin Cheng almost knelt down in front of the doctor.
He couldn’t remember how many deities he had begged or how many deals he had made; all he knew was that if Jian Heng could be safe, he would do anything.
Jian Heng retracted his arms and placed his palm on the back of his neck, gently pressing in a soothing manner.
The scent of burning incense surrounded Qin Cheng gently, completely enveloping Qin Cheng inside.
Qin Cheng gritted his teeth, holding back his tears, desperately inhaling Jian Heng’s pheromones, like a dying person seeking a final remedy.
An unprecedented fear washed over him, yet there was also an unparalleled sense of relief.
By the time Qin Cheng came to his senses, his voice was hoarse from crying, and his snot and tears had smeared all over Jian Heng’s arm.
Qin Cheng’s face suddenly felt a bit warm.
As a grown man, not only did he shed tears, but he also couldn’t handle a casual remark from the other person. He curled up next to the person, crying heart-wrenchingly, wishing he could cry the Yangtze River dry…
Qin Cheng didn’t want to get up.
He felt too ashamed to face anyone.
“Can’t get up?” Jian Heng squeezed his fingers and suddenly asked, as if he could read his mind, “Ashamed?”
Qin Cheng’s old face flushed; he sniffed, and with a heavy idol persona resurfacing, he spoke in a hoarse voice. He cried so much that he hiccupped while speaking: “You, close your eyes; Qin-ge will tidy… tidy things up.”
Qin Cheng heard Jian Heng sigh and then said: “It’s closed.”
Qin Cheng quickly lifted his head and glanced over to the other side. He reached into his pocket and took out some paper, put it on his face, and vigorously wiped it a couple of times.
Jian Heng said he closed his eyes, so his eyes were closed. After a while, he asked him: “Did you wipe it clean?”
“No,” Qin Cheng looked at Jian Heng’s hospital gown, sniffled, and felt his face heat up, “…I’ll get you a new one.”
“No need,” Jian Heng opened his eyes and glanced at his sleeves. He seemed to be startled by the amount of tears. After a moment, he asked him: “Scared silly?”
“Not scared silly; I was scared to death. I was just a hair’s breadth away from dying.” Qin Cheng sat down next to him, frowning as he helped him roll up his sleeves and asked, “Why… did you take the knife for me?”
If this matter isn’t clarified, Qin Cheng might suffocate himself to death. From childhood to adulthood, he has always taken the hits for others. Even with Tan Qi, the two brothers took care of each other, and it had never been this serious before.
For the first time, Qin Cheng found himself being protected like this, and he was at a loss. He didn’t even know how to respond to this overly heavy feeling.
Because Jian Heng is different from others, Jian Heng is not just his brother; Jian Heng also likes him. Qin Cheng protects this relationship more carefully than anyone else.
“Is there a need for a reason?” Jian Heng gently placed his fingers on Qin Cheng’s left hand, cautiously touching it. “What did the doctor say?”
“I told you to ask about yourself first!” Jian Heng’s gentle words struck a nerve in Qin Cheng, and in an instant, he was on the verge of breaking down. “Why the fuck do you keep asking about me? Even if I lose my hand, I can’t lose my life. He stabbed you in the stomach; aren’t you scared? Aren’t you, aren’t you…”
“You always ask me…” Qin Cheng turned his head away from him, his Adam’s apple bobbing, his jaw tense. “I, a person like me can’t bear to have you treat me like this…”
“Why can’t you bear it?” Jian Heng asked seriously, as if he could see through his thoughts, frowning. “Is it because you rejected me? Or is it because you’re not gay?”
Qin Cheng lowered his head, momentarily caught off guard by his own thoughts, feeling even more embarrassed to look at him: “… It’s both.”
Jian Heng asked him: “If it were me, would you block it for me?”
“Of course I would. I would definitely block it for you.” Qin Cheng raised his head, but after a few seconds, he lowered it again. “But this time, it’s you who block it for me.”
Jian Heng ignored his last sentence: “Why?”
Qin Cheng frowned: “Do you even need to ask? You are my brother, someone I would risk my life for, so I definitely can’t let anything happen to you.”
Jian Heng looked at him: “So why do you think you’re not worth me risking my life for?”
The author has something to say:
The author defended himself by holding a teapot in his hand and a pot lid on his head: So, do you all have a deeper understanding of this dog compared to the author now? All guessed wrong~
Hehehe~
(Take a close look at the word count of this chapter; it’s truly conscientious! Please don’t scold me; I firmly believe that the word count for this chapter is conscientious~ Seeking Death.jpg)
【Draw the first three lucky babies to give red envelopes, yay~】 Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or nourished me with nutrient solutions during the period from 2020-05-10 16:16:10~2020-05-11 17:40:53~
Thank you very much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
List of Idiom in Chapter 39
無時無刻 (wú shí wú kè): (prescribed) at no time; never; (proscribed or Cantonese) at all times; anytime; incessantly; every minute of the day; without a moment’s pause.老實巴交 (lǎo shi bā jiāo): (colloquial, often derogatory) well-behaved and cautious; honest and simple; docile; biddable; describe a person who is well-behaved, cautious and timid.
人命關天 (rén mìng guān tiān): human life is beyond value (idiom); a case involving human life is to be treated with the utmost care; (a matter) of life and death; of vital importance; a case involving a human life is a matter of great importance—matter of life-and-death (importance); life-and-death matter; matters related to human life are extremely important.
肆無忌憚 (sì wú jì dàn): brazen; unbridled; wanton; unscrupulous; absolutely unrestrained; without the slightest scruple; be afraid of nothing; act recklessly and care for nobody; act outrageously; run riot; to act recklessly and without any scruples.
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