The Awakened Red Rose [17]

Zhou Jinheng’s heart trembled, and he incredulously asked, “Who are you? What qualifies you to say such things?”¹I also thought I missed something turns out this really was the start of the chapter I really did miss something LOL, I’ll be using a different source now for my raws coz the one that I was using cut off some parts of the chapters, like I guess all chapters of the novel? I’ll be editing the uploaded chapters. Thankfully someone pointed it out, thank you so much ReadingismyPassion.

Lou Wang’s corner of the mouth hooked coldly, patiently explaining, “I am Yin Minglu’s superior and also his pursuer. I have been pursuing him for a long time.” In fact, he hadn’t, but only after witnessing this man surnamed Zhou cheating and the relationship breaking, Lou Wang dared to step forward, revealing himself as the pursuer of the young man.

Zhou Jinheng originally didn’t want to pay attention to this man in front of him. However, since the other party spoke up, watching this handsome man confidently claim to be the pursuer of Little Rose, it seemed like he wanted to reveal his ambitions to take advantage of their relationship crisis. For Zhou Jinheng, this was quite stimulating.

He had always known that his child was good-looking, with mischievous eyes that could turn in a charming way, attracting admirers. But he hadn’t expected that there was a wolf lurking around the young man, and it turned out to be the child’s superior, who shamelessly declared that once he cheated, he lost the qualification and it was his turn to pursue the young man, which infuriated Zhou Jinheng.

Thinking of such a threatening rival who had been lurking around the young man, waiting for an opportunity, Zhou Jinheng’s eyes were ablaze with fury. He was filled with an indescribable jealousy, wanting to scold the man: “What qualifications do you have to pursue someone else’s boyfriend? The sweetheart is his! They are about to get married, and you, an unknown man, roll aside for me.”

Before he could say anything, he was quickly intercepted by the entourage that followed, beaten severely, and many photos were taken. If it weren’t for his identity as the young master of the Zhou family, and the hotel manager arriving in time to stop their actions, this commotion would have continued.

But when did Zhou Jinheng fall into such a miserable situation? Bare-bodied, with only a thin piece of cloth covering him, being pointed and talked about like a caught customer in a public place, he was infuriated to the point of turning black. Not to mention, due to the loud commotion, other hotel guests came out to see what was happening, and the news spread quickly.

Towards the root cause of all this, Qiao An, Zhou Jinheng not only felt pity but also instantly developed hatred. There were countless witnesses to this affair, and Zhou Jinheng had no time to argue. After dressing again, he hurriedly returned home.

But he found that the lights in the house were off, and there was no sign of anyone. His heart pounded in panic as he rushed into the young man’s room, only to find it empty. The wardrobe and drawers were bare, and even the carefully tended potted plants on the balcony were gone, not a single leaf left behind.

The decisiveness of breaking up in a swift manner made Zhou Jinheng’s nose tingle with a pang of sorrow. Clearly, it was his own fault, but for the first time, he felt the pain of being abandoned by the young man, as if someone had forcibly taken away something precious from his life, never to return.

He took out his phone to call the young man but discovered several text messages and missed calls on his phone, all marked with exclamation points, expressing the young man’s excitement, anger, and jealousy.

“Jinheng, you lied to me about going on a business trip, but are you actually at the Xingli Hotel? Call me back! And tell me, who is the person following you? Why did you go to the hotel? My colleague has already seen you, don’t think you can deny it!” If this message was still a questioning one.

The next text, however, revealed anxiety: “Why aren’t you answering my calls? What are you doing? Are you drunk, or are you doing something that betrays me?”

The last message read, “I’ve come with friends to find you! I’m telling you, Zhou Jinheng, if you dare to do something that betrays me, we’ll break up immediately! If you come back now, I can still forgive you.”

At this point, though the young man was still angry, his tone had become weaker. Despite the threat of breaking up, as if trying to make the man return with an ultimatum, he still hadn’t received any response from him.

Gradually, the young man seemed to understand something and fell into complete silence.

The clear timeline of these text messages and missed calls was like a stark revelation, piercing Zhou Jinheng’s eyes. Through the words, he could almost feel the young man’s emotions. It dawned on him that when he was deliberately intoxicated by Qiao An, his little rose at home had already discovered it. He had continuously called him, worrying about him, even humbly saying that if Zhou Jinheng could return to the right path, he could overlook it. However, the vibrating phone, continually shaking with messages, had been ignored by him, immersed as he was in the joyous moment.

Now there is no turning back, thinking about the other person turning away in front of the hotel room, that tearful little face, looking at him with eyes filled not only with almost overflowing disappointment but also with a coldness as if looking at a stranger. Even when he reached out, the other quickly avoided his touch, with an expression of bone-deep disgust, as if he were something dirty to be avoided at all costs. The alienation and indifference made Zhou Jinheng feel as if he were in an ice cellar, understanding in his heart that the young man would not forgive him for the time being.

He hated himself for not seeing those letters earlier. He pulled at his own hair, shamefully pounded himself a few times, feeling pain and regret rushing in like a landslide, almost driving Zhou Jinheng insane.

What breakup! He refused to accept it, hastily calling the young man, hoping that he could forgive his momentary mistake. The phone rang for a long time, but after persistent dialing, he finally got through. Zhou Jinheng was so excited that tears were about to come out. His first words were filled with tenderness and concern: “Baby, I was wrong. Where are you right now? It’s late, and you’re dragging heavy luggage. Where did you go? I know I messed up, and you’re very sad, but please don’t run around randomly. I’m really worried about you!”

The meaning is: “Come back. As long as you come back, even making him kneel to apologize is acceptable!” Zhou Jinheng expressed his humble concern to the fullest, but Yin Minglu was not the original owner and didn’t buy into this act at all. While Zhou Jinheng passionately confessed on the other side, Yin Minglu took a bite of an apple with a “crunch,” tucked his feet under the warm cushion, and was almost ready to stretch and yawn, looking completely comfortable and content.

He knew that Zhou Jinheng must be imagining him, carrying a half-person-high suitcase, holding a plant in his hands, walking pitifully in the cold wind on the street. So, the emotions of pity flooded, but in reality, he was comfortably staying in the house he secretly bought. Despite Zhou Jinheng and a group of friends searching every nook and cranny of the city’s main streets and alleys, they couldn’t find a trace of the young man, wasting energy and effort in vain.

Despite worrying about the safety of the young man, they had to search. When the young man finally answered the phone, Zhou Jinheng immediately blurted out, asking him to come home and not to joke about his own life safety.

Yin Minglu sneered, too lazy to listen to his babbling. In the previous life, the original owner and Zhou Jinheng had quarreled more than once or twice. However, due to not having a place to go, every time, despite being angered to near death, the original owner dared not leave home. At most, he would stay in a hotel for a few nights, but the expenses were too high. The original owner often couldn’t afford it after a few days and could only sneak back home. So, knowing that the original owner was angry again, Yin Minglu was naturally confident that he would eventually come back, and Zhou Jinheng would be even more fearless.

In this life, Yin Minglu naturally learned his lesson. He first bought himself a small apartment, not needing much, just enough to have a place to settle and hide. Otherwise, with the influence of the Zhou family, if he casually opened a hotel, he would undoubtedly be caught by those rich kids the very next day, causing endless annoyance.

Seeing that the young man had not replied for a long time, Zhou Jinheng’s anxiety rose. Although he was worried, he couldn’t help but soften his tone, “Baby, are you in a hotel now? Many hotels are not safe these days, and they might invade guests’ privacy. Come back quickly; I don’t want you to get hurt.” Just as he finished speaking, he signaled to his good friend Qu Yan with his eyes. Qu Yan nodded and instructed someone to investigate the list of new guests in various major hotels.

After not finding the young man among the newly checked-in guests, Zhou Jinheng became anxious. He adjusted his expensive gold-rimmed glasses and forced a smile, “Baby, don’t be angry. Are you with a friend?” In reality, what he feared more was that the young man was staying at the home of that pursuing boss. He would be insanely jealous if that were the case!

“No.” Fortunately, the young man quickly answered, relieving Zhou Jinheng. He then began to repeatedly admit his mistakes and earnestly begged for the young man’s forgiveness.

Following the script, Yin Minglu’s tone remained cold, “Do you want to say that you were actually drugged? You believed Qiao An’s words, and it was just a moment of confusion? All because Qiao An actively seduced you, plus hypocritical sweet words. You were drugged again, so you fell into the trap. Is that what’s in your heart?”

“Yes, baby, please forgive me. I’m just a man who makes mistakes! Give me a chance to change and I promise not to let you down again from now on.” Though he knew the young man couldn’t see him, Zhou Jinheng’s face still displayed an affectionate expression.

Unexpectedly, the next words from the young man abruptly woke him up like a bucket of cold water. “Zhou Jinheng, I didn’t expect you to be this kind of man. Since you’ve cheated, the facts are right in front of you, yet you can’t even confess boldly? If Qiao An seduced you, and he happened to be your first love, I don’t believe you didn’t have any desires. You should know that such things don’t happen with just a slap. I put my heart and soul into my career with Qiao An, thinking it was for the best, but he turned around and stabbed me in the back, seducing you. Naturally, I hate him, hate him to the bone.”

“But I am more disappointed in you because, at this point, you are still trying to distance yourself, blaming all the mistakes on Qiao An. Clearly, in my eyes, both of you are equally filthy, equally despicable, equally hypocritical to the extreme, playing people around like puppets! Don’t use the excuse of being confused to explain infidelity. Let’s part ways amicably. I wish you and Qiao An a hundred years of happiness!”

The young man’s questioning words cut through like a sharp blade through flesh, making Zhou Jinheng’s cheeks tingle, and tears of heartache and guilt welled up because the young man had spoken the absolute truth. He couldn’t argue, but he still tightened his throat, hoarsely saying, “Baby, I was wrong. I admit it, I admit everything. I was foolish and reckless, but would you still be willing to give me another chance…? Because we had so many beautiful moments between us, we loved each other so much.”

In response, the young man let out a mocking cold laugh, as if mocking himself for having no foresight before, or laughing at Zhou Jinheng’s wishful thinking. “Get lost, not interested!”

After saying that, he ruthlessly hung up the phone and blocked Zhou Jinheng’s number. Then, he pulled out the SIM card, replaced it with his newly bought one, and celebrated the breakup with the scumbag. Finally, he could break free from this toxic relationship.

It wasn’t in vain that he attached a recorder underneath when tying Zhou Jinheng’s tie earlier in the morning, capturing all the drama for his ears. Consequently, he knew every move Zhou Jinheng made.

In fact, he had given Zhou Jinheng too many chances. However, Zhou Jinheng’s infidelity was within Yin Minglu’s expectations. One-night stands were too easy and low-cost, coupled with the hope that he wouldn’t find out, leading to this ambiguous relationship. Behind the scenes, there was guilt towards him, but more so an unforgettable attachment to an old love and the excitement of cheating on a pale moonlight.

In the previous life, it was the same. Zhou Jinheng thought a one-night stand meant nothing. But in matters of the heart, how could things remain normal after bedding with someone? Once he had his first time with Qiao An, it naturally led to a second and third time, while the original owner was kept in the dark about Zhou Jinheng and Qiao An’s affair from start to finish.

The other party indulged right under his nose, even going to great lengths to deceive the child’s heart.

Since he wanted to indulge in this life, Yin Minglu deliberately made it public for the whole world to know. He waited until the consequences were dire, wanting to see if they still found pleasure in their so-called illicit affairs.

Yin Minglu went online, browsed through the lively photos of catching the cheaters, specifically blurring his and Miss Chen’s face and personal information before organizing and editing the whole thing. He then posted it online.

Whether it was “Scumbag Cheating,” “Same-Sex Deception in Marriage,” or “Bizarre Elderly Person Protecting His Son,” all had their own appeal, not to mention the explosive pictures and plot summaries. Netizens enthusiastically dug up every detail about the involved parties.

While there was much disdain and abuse directed at Zhou Jinheng and Qiao An, there was an equal amount of sympathy and compassion for the young man and Miss Chen. No matter how wealthy and influential Zhou Jinheng might be in the capital, being able to rely on the family’s business, the less reputable newspapers and magazines might, at most, describe it as a scandalous affair, teasing about a caught affair. However, the extent to which he was publicly exposed was disgraceful. Beyond damaging his reputation, the personal attacks and verbal threats from other netizens were likely insignificant to him.

But Qiao An couldn’t endure it.

He was just an ordinary person, relying on his job as a designer to make a living. Once the scandal broke out, especially with the widespread rumors of him poaching clients in the industry, his original company couldn’t tolerate him. After being fired, and to protect their outstanding designers, they even kicked him out.

When he applied to other companies, they didn’t want a designer with such a tarnished reputation. Qiao An, feeling desperate, claimed that he could work anonymously like “m,” a mysterious designer. However, the other companies weren’t foolish. From Qiao An’s glamorous English resume, they saw that he was just a gilded product without real talent, so they refused to hire him.

So, Qiao An faced obstacles at every turn, even being ridiculed wherever he went. Unable to stay in the capital, he had no choice but to sell his old house at a low price and raise money to move to another city.

His elderly parents followed him around, enduring great hardship. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, his father dropped his cane and said, “Son, why not go abroad? Everyone in the country knows about you. Let’s go overseas, spend a few years there, and then come back! Salaries are higher abroad; it’s much better than the three or four thousand you’re making now!” They couldn’t stand living a life where they were constantly pointed and whispered at, whether buying groceries or joining a square dance²a form of group dancing typically performed in public squares, parks, or other open spaces. It is a popular recreational and social activity among middle-aged and elderly Chinese people.. This situation left them humiliated and frustrated.

Qiao An felt extremely awkward and immediately rejected without much thought, “No, even without considering the passport issue, you won’t know English if you go abroad. You won’t be able to communicate with people, and you won’t even know how to buy groceries. You’ll feel lonely after a while.”

“Son! We can get passports, and we can learn English! When square dancing became popular, we started with uncoordinated limbs, and now we can sing and dance. As long as we are willing to learn, we can definitely learn English and communicate with others quickly.” The elderly couple patted their chests, expressing their determination to learn new skills for the sake of their son.

Qiao An couldn’t bring himself to say it. He didn’t want to tell them about the mess he faced abroad—frozen credit cards, substantial bills affecting his credit, and the negative impression from foreign friends and mentors due to poorly managed projects. His relatives and friends in China thought he returned in glory, but only he knew how he managed to “escape” back. He had already made up his mind not to go out again after returning to China. In this situation, how could he slip away to go abroad?

Both in China and abroad, things were equally chaotic for Qiao An. He could only endure it, looking at the murky sky above. Qiao An felt a bit dazed, as if his life had changed since his credit card was frozen.

As for that man, Zhou Jinheng, whom Qiao An thought he could rely on as long as he was willing to compromise his sexual orientation, ended up breaking ties with him after the truth came out. The affluent circles couldn’t tolerate him either. Returning to China with the intention of showing off, Qiao An found himself in an unexpected predicament. Things didn’t go as planned, and he became an outcast both in and out of those wealthy circles.

He didn’t know how Zhou Jinheng was doing now, whether he had obtained forgiveness from the young man. However, Qiao An didn’t really care. He chuckled self-mockingly and gradually distanced himself from his elderly parents.

Author’s note: Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or provided nourishing liquids~

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  I also thought I missed something turns out this really was the start of the chapter I really did miss something LOL, I’ll be using a different source now for my raws coz the one that I was using cut off some parts of the chapters, like I guess all chapters of the novel? I’ll be editing the uploaded chapters. Thankfully someone pointed it out, thank you so much ReadingismyPassion.
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  a form of group dancing typically performed in public squares, parks, or other open spaces. It is a popular recreational and social activity among middle-aged and elderly Chinese people.