Boyfriend Always Thinks I'm a Little Pitiful Chapter 2

The flat-headed pockmarked face was instantly defeated, his self-esteem taking a devastating hit. He wanted to throw some harsh words at Xie Ci, but before he could open his mouth, Huang Mao dragged him away.

Huang Mao, feeling intimidated, didn't dare to lash out at Xie Ci. Instead, he turned to Chen Zhanpeng and shouted, "Tomorrow afternoon at the usual place, if you don't pay up, don't blame me for being rude!"

After saying this, Huang Mao instinctively glanced at Xie Ci's back and added through gritted teeth, "Come alone!"

Chen Zhanpeng, with a stern face, waited until the roar of the motorcycle engine faded away before angrily catching up to Xie Ci and grabbing his shoulder. "Xie Ci! Not only do you refuse to help me pay back the money, but you also egg them on to hit me?!"

"Didn't you deserve it?" Xie Ci pulled down the hand on his shoulder with little effort but undeniable firmness. "Chen Zhanpeng, I have my limits."

Chen Zhanpeng was infuriated by his words. "Don't give me that! You eat and live at my house, what's wrong with helping me out a little?"

Xie Ci replied, "Is that so?"

Chen Zhanpeng looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I don't owe your family anything." Xie Ci didn't want to look at his face any longer and pushed past him, heading out of the alley.

In his past life, he had achieved financial freedom by the time he was in college, while his cousin Chen Zhanpeng barely managed to get into a vocational college. He spent three years there, and after graduation, he couldn't find a job, spending his days at home playing games and being fed by his aunt until he weighed over 200 pounds.

When his company went public, his cousin was still living off his parents, just like his uncle, who loved stock trading but was terrible at it, losing all their savings and racking up debts. He often came to his company to cause trouble, demanding money.

He had no fondness for that family of three. During college, he had thought about getting revenge for the painful experiences of his youth, but as his career grew, those thoughts faded.

When you climb high enough, looking back, those people and events seem insignificant. Dealing with them was easier than squashing an ant, but it wasn't necessary. With his cousin's character, they would ruin themselves without his intervention.

His aunt was his grandmother's beloved youngest daughter. For his grandmother's sake, he had given them a sum of money, considering it repayment with interest for the ten years he had lived with them.

During those years, he was busy expanding into foreign markets, working around the clock in several countries, and had no time to pay attention to his aunt's family. Later, he only heard from his secretary that his cousin Chen Zhanpeng was involved in fraud and went to jail. It seemed he had used his name to conduct illegal fundraising, swindling the retirement money of lonely elderly people, causing a heart attack that led to an old man's death at his doorstep, creating a huge scandal in Blue Sea City.

His aunt and uncle camped out at his company every day, hoping he would help. He had no time and didn't want to see them, not even interested in the aftermath of the incident.

Until three years ago, when he and Gu Yufeng were in Country D for an art exhibition and ran into his father's former assistant, he learned that the house his aunt's family lived in was actually his father's property.

Back then, his father had asked his aunt to take care of him, and in return, he let them live in the city house. At that time, his uncle had just started his job and didn't have the qualifications to buy a house in Blue Sea City.

For some unknown reason, it wasn't until he was eight that his aunt suggested bringing him home. He later guessed it might have been because he was too young to take care of himself, which was troublesome.

So, between him and his aunt's family, there was never any so-called gratitude. If you really think about it, it was just a transaction.

Outside the alley, the street vendors lined up in a row, occupying the motor vehicle lane, making the already narrow old street even more cramped. Besides stationery shops, there were KTVs and internet cafes, popular hangouts for students from nearby schools.

By three in the afternoon, quite a few students had already gathered here. Returning to this place after so many years made Xie Ci feel a bit nostalgic.

Watching the students either queueing at the stalls or squatting in groups by the roadside, eating and chatting, he suddenly understood the sense of incongruity he felt.

He had returned to being seventeen, but he could never truly go back to being seventeen.

A police car turned the corner on the right, and Xie Ci didn't linger, heading towards the left side of the street.

If he remembered correctly, this was the direction to First High School.

"Excuse me, how do I get to Xingfu West Road?"

The voice sounded familiar, and Xie Ci casually glanced over, his steps suddenly halting.

Across the street, a tall boy in a white shirt was talking to a nearby sports school student.

The boy was about the same height as him, with fair skin, soft and smooth hair, and features that were rare among boys. The shirt buttons weren't done up properly, and as the wind blew, the collarbone beneath the neckline was faintly visible. The sleeves were casually rolled up, revealing a slender forearm and a sports watch on his wrist.

The afternoon sun cast a light brown hue on the boy's hair and pupils, making him look like a pure white elf who had accidentally wandered into the human world.

In this dirty and chaotic old street, the boy seemed even more out of place than he did.

Xie Ci scrutinized the slightly thinner figure than he remembered, unable to believe he would encounter the youthful Gu Yufeng here.

In his mind, the thirty-something Gu Yufeng overlapped with the young man before him, and for a moment, the sense of temporal dislocation became tangible.

The boy was holding a black backpack in his right hand, and the time on his watch was around twelve-thirty, which was Country D's time.

Could he have just returned to the country?

Gu Yufeng's grandfather was from Country D, making him a quarter mixed-race.

Xie Ci had lived for thirty-five years, meeting all sorts of people, but he had never seen a man more beautiful than Gu Yufeng, enough to blur gender lines, yet making it clear he was a man.

He and Gu Yufeng had been married, but it only lasted five years.

Gu Yufeng grew up in Country D, and in his past life, they first met at a wealthy businessman's party in Country D.

The market in Country D was monopolized by major conglomerates, and he had hit several roadblocks, unable to find a breakthrough. Attending the party was a gamble.

While resting on the terrace, he overheard a group of foreigners at a nearby table discussing Gu Yufeng. After all, with looks like his, he stood out like a beacon wherever he went, hard to ignore.

Gu Yufeng's father was the president of the Gu Group, and his grandfather was a tycoon in Country D. However, in recent years, they had been besieged by other capital forces, falling into a predicament, with the risk of being swallowed up at any moment. It seemed they were also seeking a breakthrough, and Gu Yufeng was gay.

Such conditions were too perfect.

A voice in his head screamed—he's the one, the key to unlocking the Country D market.

He began to inquire about Gu Yufeng's personality, preferences, and habits, formulating a detailed plan to pursue him, even though he didn't like men.

From deliberate approach to interaction, the process went smoother than he expected. If there was any surprise, it was that Gu Yufeng was more interesting than he had imagined.

Neither of them were the type to get caught up in romance. On the contrary, they were rational, shrewd, ambitious, and passionate about pursuing power and wealth, enjoying the feeling of standing atop the mountain, controlling everyone's fate in their hands.

The new house he had prepared for their marriage was more like a nest for two ambitious people. Occasionally, they would prepare a candlelit dinner on a leisurely weekend, deciding others' fates amidst laughter, or roll around in a tipsy night.

People in their circle gossiped about him, cursed him, envied him, calling him crazy for marrying a man for the sake of profit.

But at the time, he didn't see anything wrong with it.

He had seen dirtier means than marriage alliances, so what was this?

He and Gu Yufeng each had their own careers, often not returning home for ten days or half a month, but they had a mutual understanding, never questioning each other's whereabouts.

At that time, he vaguely sensed that something was wrong between them.

Gu Yufeng's frequency of returning home decreased, and even when he was home, he stayed in the study working. Even when they shared a bed, he no longer sought him out.

But work was too busy, and he didn't take it seriously. Perhaps he firmly believed that whether to maintain the marriage wasn't important.

The purpose of the alliance had been achieved. Apart from not being in love, they were very compatible in other aspects. Even if they divorced, their relationship wouldn't change substantially. If there was any difference, it would probably just be not sharing a bed anymore.

That night, Xie Ci was in a meeting when he suddenly received a call from Gu Yufeng's assistant.

"President Xie, could you come over when you have a moment? President Gu drank too much tonight and isn't in a good state!"

Xie Ci detected a hint of abnormality in the assistant's tone, left a group of subordinates behind, and drove to the bar himself.

When he saw Gu Yufeng, the latter was leaning on the sofa in the private room, almost unconscious.

"Xie Ci?" Gu Yufeng struggled to keep his eyes open, looking at him in a daze.

"It's me." Xie Ci lifted him up by the waist.

Once he confirmed the identity of the person, Gu Yufeng clung to Xie Ci's shoulder.

Overworked, sleep-deprived, and drunk, Gu Yufeng developed a high fever before they even got home.

Xie Ci contacted his private doctor and performed emergency cooling measures once they got home.

"You're being a bit too hasty with your work lately, don't push yourself too hard."

Xie Ci handed a glass of ice water to Gu Yufeng, who was leaning against the sofa. "Is the Rongyu Group's acquisition case ahead of schedule? I had someone investigate Desen, that old man has a few lives on his hands, be extra careful when dealing with him."

Gu Yufeng just looked at him without speaking.

Xie Ci said, "Forget it, let's not talk about work. Have some water and rest, the doctor will be here soon."

Gu Yufeng didn't take the glass, instead sitting up and looking at Xie Ci. "Are you concerned about me?"

Xie Ci was puzzled. "Can't I be concerned?"

Gu Yufeng stared at Xie Ci for a moment.

Just when Xie Ci thought something was wrong with Gu Yufeng, the latter tore off the cooling patch from his forehead, grabbed his tie, and kissed him forcefully.

They ended up on the carpet, clothes scattered everywhere.

The drunk person straddled him, going crazy without reason, as if trying to take both their rationalities away.

In the pitch-black night, the room temperature soared.

The feverish person's body temperature was shockingly hot.

The hand resting on his chest brushed over his collarbone, and the long fingers suddenly clamped around his neck, nails digging deep into his flesh. Xie Ci had no doubt that Gu Yufeng would kill him.

Gu Yufeng laughed lowly, his eyes, which had been filled with passion and confusion a moment ago, now icy cold, with some suppressed, fanatical, and obsessive emotions bursting forth.

"Xie Ci, after all these years by your side, have you ever truly seen me?"

Xie Ci frowned, sensing that something was off with Gu Yufeng tonight. "Let go, you're drunk."

"In your world, there's only room for yourself."

Gu Yufeng's sigh-like whisper, wrapped in a disheveled shirt, stood up, the open collar slipping down his arm. As he moved, sweat slid down his muscular chest, looking down at him with a chilling calmness, "We're done."

Xie Ci had imagined the day they ended would be a peaceful parting, sitting down calmly to analyze the pros and cons of divorce, adjusting their future cooperation, each smiling and clinking glasses, wishing each other "happy divorce," rather than saying goodbye in such a cruel, flesh-tearing way.

"Xingfu West Road is quite long, where exactly are you going?" The sports school student asked.

The voice from the side interrupted Xie Ci's thoughts.

Gu Yufeng replied, "The bus stop for the 625 route."

The sports school student said, "Just follow this road, go through two traffic lights, turn right, and walk another three to five hundred meters, and you'll be there."

Gu Yufeng said, "I'm not familiar with this place, and my phone is dead and turned off. Could you take me there?"

Xie Ci listened to a couple of sentences, thinking there shouldn't be any problem, and nonchalantly withdrew his gaze, continuing to walk forward.

Some mistakes only need to be made once.

Gu Yufeng said, "Don't worry, I'll pay you for your trouble. Is this enough?"

The sports school student exclaimed, "Whoa! Is this whole stack for me?!"

Xie Ci's eyelid twitched, and when he turned his head, he saw Gu Yufeng pulling out a stack of unwrapped hundred-yuan bills from his backpack, handing it to the two sports school students.

This street had a lot of students, but also a lot of thugs.

Carrying so much money around was bound to attract attention, and with Gu Yufeng's refined appearance and clear eyes, he looked like a naive young master, easy to deceive.

Sure enough, four or five shady-looking guys immediately surrounded him, eager to lead Gu Yufeng.

If he really followed these thugs, he'd be stripped down to his underwear.

Xie Ci held back, thinking that even though he was young, he was still that Gu Yufeng, surely he wouldn't be so easily fooled, right?

Gu Yufeng said, "Sure, thank you."

Xie Ci: "..."

One of the guys said, "If we take you to the bus stop, all this money is ours?"

Gu Yufeng nodded, "If it's not enough to share, I have more in my bag."

Xie Ci: "…………"

The guys were overjoyed, hooking their arms around Gu Yufeng's shoulders, leading him into a small alley.

But before they could take more than a couple of steps, someone grabbed their collars from behind.

The guy angrily cursed at the person behind him, "What the hell?! Let go!"

Gu Yufeng also turned around, looking puzzled.

Xie Ci, with a blank expression, glanced at the few punks, then focused on Gu Yufeng. "I happen to be heading to the bus stop, I'll take you there."