The Awakened Red Rose [14]

Qiao An had hoped to flaunt his “friendship” with Zhou Jinheng in front of the young man but was caught off guard when Zhou Jinheng hastily avoided him. Before the young man even looked up, Zhou Jinheng had already stuffed his head into his own coat, anxiously saying, “Baby, feeling cold? Look at your blushing face. Let’s go home quickly. It’s warm at home.”

Every time the young man tried to lift his head, Zhou Jinheng pressed him back into the coat. It was evident that Zhou Jinheng didn’t want him to know the nature of his relationship with Qiao An, or rather, he didn’t want the young man to realize that the “Qiao An” in front of him was his past lover who had been jealous to the point of eating vinegar.

Otherwise, given the young man’s temper, he would have torn them apart on the spot. This was Zhou Jinheng’s guilty conscience at play.

Qiao An was taken aback, about to rush over, but Zhou Jinheng protected the young man and quickly ushered him into the front passenger seat. After closing the car door, they drove away.

Qiao An was furious, immediately understanding Zhou Jinheng’s intentions. Zhou Jinheng cared a lot about the young man’s feelings and didn’t want them to deliberately cross paths. Despite being the white moonlight in Zhou Jinheng’s heart, Qiao An felt more like an inappropriate third party in front of the young man. He didn’t even have the qualifications to show off in front of him.

How could Qiao An not be angry?

Just then, Chen Ke’s call came in, her sweet voice full of genuine concern, “Qiao An, have you finished work? I cooked a pot of abalone today. I brought it to Uncle Qiao’s place. Let’s have a meal together after you finish work.”

Qiao An was still angry, and in response to Chen Ke’s invitation, he coldly replied, “Eat? I have to work overtime and don’t have time for dinner. Enjoy your meal by yourself!” He never liked Chen Ke, but due to his parents’ preferences and Chen Ke’s ability to win over elders, every time she came, Qiao’s parents would urge him to get married. This added significant pressure on Qiao An. Today, Chen Ke called precisely at a time when he was being ignored by Zhou Jinheng, making him even more upset. How could he be in the mood to feel happy?

Regardless of the caller’s gender, after scolding her, he abruptly hung up the phone, leaving only the busy signal.

Chen Ke, who was genuinely concerned, was shocked by the scolding, especially the tone of Qiao An’s dismissiveness and anger. Holding a spoon, she stood there in bewilderment.

After a while, she bit her lip, and her eyes flickered slightly.

Zhou Jinheng, who met Qiao An on the other side, was not in a calm mood either. He daydreamed several times while driving. Yin Minglu sneered inwardly and looked out the window, saying, “Jinheng, are you driving? You’re slower than the bicycle next to us.”

As soon as the young man spoke, a middle-aged woman riding a bicycle in the adjacent lane leisurely overtook them. A chubby little boy sitting in the back of the bike even made a “firing a gun” gesture at them, giggling.

Zhou Jinheng was embarrassed and only snapped back to reality after a moment.

Upon returning home, he pressed down on the vibrating phone in his coat all the way home and said to Yin Minglu, “Darling, I have a lot of documents to deal with today, no time to cook. Why don’t you order takeout?” Without waiting for any response from the young man who was taking off his shoes, he pretended to be cold and went into the bathroom to take a shower.

After entering the bathroom, he took out his phone, finding it filled with missed calls and messages from Qiao An, still vibrating continuously

—

“Jinheng, what’s wrong with you? An old friend greeted you, but you left without even looking back. It’s really heart-wrenching. Do you really not want me to return to China?”

“I just wanted to invite you out for a drink. Does your partner not allow even this simple request? He seems overly possessive. Are you truly happy being with such a jealous young man, Jinheng?”

“I always thought you would spend your life with someone mature. That young man is indeed lucky.”

“I heard from Qu Yan that you’re getting married next year and planning to have a child with your partner. I just wanted to meet you once and personally hand over a gift for the child. After all, I’m considered the child’s uncle. Thinking that the unborn child might resemble you a bit, I felt happy and cute, eager to see him grow up.”

“Did I do something wrong? You’re unwilling to meet me even once. Can our true brotherhood never return to the past?”

…..

…….

“Two days from now, at seven in the evening, let’s meet at our old place. Let’s indulge in a drink for the last time. I won’t bother you anymore. I’m sorry for being too attached, too persistent. I forgot the boundaries between brothers. I wish you and him everlasting happiness.”

No, Qiao An, you’re not wrong. It’s him who’s wrong.

The mirror inside the bathroom reveals everything clearly. In the steaming heat, the man anxiously tugs at his black hair, his face filled with pain and struggle. Indeed, he loves the little rose, but Qiao An is someone he can’t let go of, someone unforgettable. Compared to the little rose he later met, he has spent nearly ten years with Qiao An, who once brought him many beautiful memories in his youth.

Especially when Qiao An said so humbly that it would be the last time they meet, Zhou Jinheng doesn’t want, due to the emotions he can’t restrain in his heart, to fail even in being the last brothers with Qiao An…

Saying he’s dealing with official matters to the young man, Zhou Jinheng’s gaze has actually been fixed on the computer screen the whole time. Undeniably, Qiao An’s words have touched his heart.

Maybe meeting once isn’t a bad idea…

Perhaps they could share a drink, talk about the memories of the past like old familiar friends. He imagines many scenes: Qiao An might attend his wedding with the little rose, and he would present the child, somewhat resembling himself, to Qiao An. Maybe Qiao An would love the child as if it were his own. As the child grows up, perhaps he would affectionately call Qiao An “uncle.” Despite them growing old and losing their youthful charm, they could still sit together, drink, and chat. Thinking about it, Zhou Jinheng’s face shows a hint of a smile, feeling that this kind of companionship has a romantic charm like a slow and steady stream.

That night, Zhou Jinheng suddenly couldn’t bring himself to look directly at the young man’s face, even though he was undeniably handsome. He said, “Minglu, I… something has come up suddenly the day after tomorrow. I won’t be able to take you to meet my parents.” They had agreed to go to Zhou’s family old house after work on Friday to meet Zhou Jinheng’s parents.

Zhou’s parents had already seen pictures of the young man and knew about his character, so they didn’t have any special feelings or opinions. Regarding the previous lifetime where the original owner ran away from marriage, Zhou’s parents instinctively sided with Zhou Jinheng , blaming the lack of charm in the original owner and his inability to take care of Zhou Jinheng . Minglu might not even want to meet them.

However, according to traditional customs in China, since the two intended to get married, they eventually had to meet each other’s parents, hence the arranged meeting. Zhou Jinheng was not aware of how abrupt and unusual it was for him to suddenly switch from calling the young man “baby” to using his actual name.

He didn’t consider the young man’s feelings at all. They had agreed to meet his stubborn parents for the first time, and meeting parents was a serious matter. However, he suddenly changed his mind when the time came. Would his parents have any objections? Zhou’s parents wouldn’t dislike their own child, but they would certainly have opinions about the young man.

What could be more important than taking the young man to meet his parents? Zhou Jinheng couldn’t come up with an excuse for a while.

“Is it a business trip?” The considerate young man automatically took over the conversation, even providing an excuse for the man. “I know you’re busy with work. I didn’t expect that even weekends are no longer free for you.” As he spoke, he took a few steps forward and wrapped his arms around the man’s, his fair and tender face pressed against the man’s neck. This rare intimacy would have pleasantly surprised Zhou Jinheng at any other time, but now his body stiffened for a moment, and he belatedly reciprocated the embrace.

“Yes… that’s right… It was a sudden notice, and I had no choice.” Zhou Jinheng forced a smile, one that was strained by official duties, while his captivating peach blossom eyes instinctively avoided something.

“How many days will you be away?” the young man asked, his face rubbing against the man’s hand in a coquettish manner, and he spoke with a tender and affectionate tone, “I’ll miss you if it takes too long.”

It had been a while since this cute little rose had appeared. Zhou Jinheng’s gaze blurred for a moment. If it were before Qiao An appeared, he would have surely hugged the person tightly. But now, the more the little rose acted cute, the heavier the burden on his heart. His body remained stiff like a stone, and his chest was filled with an unbearable sense of guilt.

“I should be back on Sunday,” Zhou Jinheng instinctively continued the fabrication, considering he had already claimed to be on a business trip out of town. It wouldn’t make sense to go out for a drink on Friday and return immediately.

“Are you taking a plane? Do you want me to drive you on that day?” the considerate young man offered. It was the first time he had volunteered to be Zhou Jinheng’s driver since the drastic change in his disposition. Unexpectedly, as long as he showed a bit of weakness and mentioned being busy with work, the usually assertive little rose could also become gentle. Zhou Jinheng felt a complex emotion. Unfortunately, such a privilege occurred at a time when he had to weave lies with all his might. Zhou Jinheng had no chance to enjoy it and could only decline, saying, “No, there’s no need. My secretary will take me to the airport that day. You don’t have to come specially to send me off.”

Telling one lie requires countless others to cover it up. Zhou Jinheng hadn’t realized that his refusal seemed a bit deliberate.

“It’s a pity that the first meeting with your parents fell through. I had prepared a gift for them specifically, but I can only bring it next time,” the young man pouted with childlike disappointment, seeming genuinely eager to meet his uncle and aunt.

“It’s okay. They’re in the capital, and they’re in good health. We can arrange to meet them anytime next time,” Zhou Jinheng comforted the young man, his tone incredibly gentle, resembling every man who had done something wrong or was about to do something wrong.

Oh, so you can meet your parents whenever you want, and it doesn’t matter if we meet again. Isn’t that right? The young man, who had seen through the man’s behavior, suppressed the urge to roll his eyes, maintaining a look of disappointment and dejection on his face, like a child who couldn’t get candy.

Seeing the young man’s dejected face, Zhou Jinheng felt deep sympathy. However, the lie had been told, and he could only pretend not to see, not daring to turn around.

The young man’s understanding nature, coupled with the heavy guilt when fabricating lies, completely extinguished Zhou Jinheng’s initial excitement about meeting for the appointment.

He struggled inside, feeling that he was unfair to the young man.

—

After receiving the confirmation message for the appointment, Qiao An’s heart settled. He was convinced that Zhou Jinheng still had feelings for him. Without good friends to assist, it was much more challenging to arrange a meeting with Zhou Jinheng. Even those friends suggested he find a wealthy patron elsewhere, as Brother Zhou already had a family and matched well with his little sister-in-law. They advised him not to engage in things like trying to steal someone’s partner, bluntly exposing Qiao An’s hidden feelings and making him feel embarrassed, leaving him with no choice but to handle it himself.

Fortunately, Zhou Jinheng was still nostalgic about their past relationship, falling for Qiao An’s tactics. Anticipating what would happen that night, Qiao An began ordering his own “battle attire” online. After all, it was his first time trying to seduce a man, and he had no certainty about the tastes and preferences in the bedroom. 

The day of their meeting arrived quickly.

During these days, Yin Minglu was not idle either. Whenever he met people, he would talk about how good he was to Qiao An, even mentioning plans to include Qiao An in Fanluo’s projects. He portrayed himself as a senior with genuine care and sincerity for Qiao An. Word spread throughout the entire company, and people were envious of Qiao An, wondering why such good fortune hadn’t happened to them. They thought, if they had encountered a discerning and appreciative senior like Yin Minglu when they were interns, they wouldn’t have had to work so hard to climb the corporate ladder.

Especially those returnees, since Yin Minglu exposed their family backgrounds, they slightly changed their habit of bragging and became more down-to-earth. They even regarded the words of the young man as an awakening, often regretting their past mistakes. Consequently, the entire company admired and envied Qiao An, considering him an exemplary figure.

Hearing about how good Qiao An was from the young man, they felt even more dissatisfied. Often in public, they sarcastically mocked Qiao An, making sure everyone knew about the young man’s praise for Qiao An.

The boss took notice and called the young man into his office, saying, “You don’t need to treat your assistant so well.”

The young man asked, “Why?”

Although the boss wanted to say that there was no need to treat Qiao An so well, that he wasn’t worth it, he couldn’t bring himself to say it in the face of the young man’s puzzled eyes. After all, it was the personal matter of employees, and he had no right to interfere.

However, for some unknown reason, he always felt that the kind and giving young man would sooner or later get hurt, making him unable to rest easy. As expected, it didn’t take long for something to happen. He could never forget the sight of the young man crying that day, breaking his heart into pieces.

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Author’s Note: Thank you to the little angels for casting votes or nourishing the story with nutrients~

 

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