TLSOTMTKOGAYWHTDI Chapter 81

Chapter 79: Cracks

The villa door was slammed shut by Zhuo Huaimo, making a loud “bang.”

Qi Yanwang followed closely behind, raindrops dripping from his hair onto the floor, spreading into a dark stain.

“Huaimo, listen to my explanation—”

“Explain what?”

Zhuo Huaimo suddenly turned around, bloodshot eyes filled with anger, “Explain how he drugged you? Or explain whether you actually slept with him?”

His voice was soft, but sharp as a knife.

Qi Yanwang took a step forward, “I did drink the wine he gave me that night, but I swear nothing happened between us!”

“Swear?”

Zhuo Huaimo sneered, “You swore you wouldn’t lie to me back then, and what happened?”

The words hit Qi Yanwang like a heavy hammer, causing him to stagger backward.

Those unbearable past events—the trap he set to force Zhuo Huaimo to break up, those carefully crafted lies—were now all sharp blades aimed at himself.

“This time is different!”

Qi Yanwang’s voice trembled, “I woke up as soon as you called, and then I kicked him out, I…”

“Call?”

Zhuo Huaimo suddenly remembered that night of Liu Jinchen’s birthday. He had called Qi Yanwang, and he was very flustered at the time. It was the first time he was so anxious and took the initiative to hang up the phone!

He never thought that the scene on the other end of the phone was like that. The thought of that person sleeping on Qi Yanwang’s bed disgusted him. What if that call hadn’t been made? Would they have…?

Zhuo Huaimo dared not think about it!

The assumption caused a stomach ache.

He turned and walked to the liquor cabinet, his fingers trembling so much that he could barely hold the glass.

He looked at him coldly, “So, you flew to Yunnan to find me the next day.”

Zhuo Huaimo suddenly realized something, and his pupils contracted sharply.

“Because you felt guilty? Because you felt ashamed?”

Qi Yanwang’s face was pale, and he tried his best to deny it, “No!”

He hugged him from behind, his burning chest pressed against his back.

“Huaimo, look at me…”

“Let go!” Zhuo Huaimo’s voice was as cold as ice.

“I won’t let go!”

Qi Yanwang tightened his arms, his lips against his ear, “Calm down, listen to me. We’ve been through so much together, why won’t you believe me? It was wrong of me to go out for a drink, and it was also wrong of me to let someone drug me and take advantage of the situation, but I really didn’t do anything to hurt you, I swear!”

Zhuo Huaimo’s body stiffened. “You swear? Qi Yanwang, you have no credibility with me anymore!”

Raindrops dripped from the hair of both of them, gathering into small puddles on the floor. Zhuo Huaimo’s breathing gradually quickened, and his chest heaved violently.

“How can you make me believe you?”

His voice was hoarse, “Two years ago, you lied to me, saying you didn’t want to break up. What about two years later? Will you sleep with someone else someday and lie to me with the same reason?”

“Every time, every time you do something wrong and want me to forgive you, you tell me it’s because you don’t want to break up with me, and then you lie to me. How many times are you going to use this excuse?”

Qi Yanwang hugged him tightly from behind, “Please don’t go… You can hit me, you can scold me, but don’t drive me away…”

His voice choked up, “I was wrong, I really know I was wrong…”

Zhuo Huaimo trembled all over, “Let go!”

“I won’t let go!”

Qi Yanwang hugged him even tighter, hot tears falling on the back of his neck.

“I’m done for if you leave… Huaimo, I’ll fucking die…”

Zhuo Huaimo suddenly turned around and punched him in the face.

“You fucking deserve it!”

Qi Yanwang staggered back two steps, and blood immediately appeared at the corner of his mouth.

Without wiping it, he immediately knelt down and hugged Zhuo Huaimo’s leg.

“Hit me again, hit me to death, as long as it makes you feel better… as long as you’re still willing to touch me, I beg you!”

Zhuo Huaimo shook off Qi Yanwang’s hand, turned and walked into the bedroom, slamming the door shut.

He leaned against the door panel, his chest heaving violently, his fingertips numb.

He took out a cigarette case, lit one, and took a deep puff. The smoke rolled around in his lungs before barely suppressing the surging feeling of suffocation.

One, two, three…

The ashtray quickly filled up, and the room was filled with a strong smell of tobacco, but his temples were still throbbing, and his mind was full of Xiao Zhu’s pitiful face and Qi Yanwang’s flustered eyes.

–“You were clearly that night…”

–“I told you to shut up!”

He closed his eyes, his knuckles turning white.

What if he hadn’t made that phone call that night?

The thought wrapped around him like a poisonous snake, almost suffocating him.

…

Outside the door, Qi Yanwang sat on the floor, leaning against the wall, his fingertips pressed against his brow, his eyes bloodshot.

He didn’t dare to leave, and he couldn’t leave.

He was afraid that Zhuo Huaimo would disappear as soon as he turned around.

He knew him too well—Zhuo Huaimo seemed calm and restrained, but once he was really hurt, he would leave more decisively than anyone else.

Two years ago, he had watched him leave like that.

He couldn’t repeat the same mistake.

Qi Yanwang clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white.

If Zhuo Huaimo really wanted to leave…

A hint of gloom flashed in his eyes.

–Then he would lock him up.

–Guarding him every step of the way, until he accepted himself again.

The thought grew wildly, almost swallowing his reason.

He couldn’t lose him, even with the most extreme methods.

…

At three in the morning, the bedroom door was suddenly pulled open.

Qi Yanwang suddenly looked up and met Zhuo Huaimo’s tired eyes.

His face was pale, with dark circles under his eyes, obviously he hadn’t slept all night.

Qi Yanwang’s throat tightened, his voice hoarse,

“…Huaimo.”

Zhuo Huaimo’s fingertips curled up unconsciously.

He remembered when he told Qi Yanwang about his “Star of Calamity and Loneliness” fate, Qi Yanwang hugged him without hesitation, saying—

“I don’t believe in fate, I only believe in you.”

At that time, his eyes were so firm that they seemed to be able to split through all the haze.

And now…

Zhuo Huaimo closed his eyes, a sour pain rising in his chest. After a long silence, he finally spoke,

“Qi Yanwang, this is the last time!”

Qi Yanwang’s heart skipped a beat, and he immediately stood up.

“I swear, there will never be a next time!”

Zhuo Huaimo tugged at the corner of his mouth, the smile not reaching his eyes.

“You better remember what you said today.”

He paused, his voice low and hoarse.

“If there is a next time, we are completely finished.”

Qi Yanwang’s eyes grew hot, and he reached out to hug him, but he was afraid that he would resist, so he just cautiously grabbed his wrist.

“…Okay.”

Zhuo Huaimo didn’t break free, he just closed his eyes wearily.

“Also, clean up this matter yourself.”

Qi Yanwang nodded immediately,

“I will make him disappear forever!”

Zhuo Huaimo looked at him, a little worried. Sometimes, he really didn’t dare to overestimate his moral standards!

Qi Yanwang said softly,

“I know, I just… won’t let him appear in front of you again.”

Zhuo Huaimo looked at him for a while, and finally sighed softly.

“…Sleep.”

Qi Yanwang’s eyes grew hot, and he asked cautiously,

“Can I… hug you?”

Zhuo Huaimo didn’t speak, he just lay down silently, with his back to him.

Qi Yanwang didn’t dare to push his luck. He tiptoed behind him, his arms wrapped around his waist, not daring to use force, but reluctant to let go.

Zhuo Huaimo could feel his hot breath spraying on the back of his neck, with careful restraint.

Zhuo Huaimo still didn’t move, he gently closed his eyes and sighed wearily.

–The last time.

–Trust him one more time.

—

When Liu Jinchen’s call came at three in the morning, Qi Yanwang was leaning against the floor-to-ceiling window of the hotel suite, smoking.

The ashtray was full of cigarette butts, and the city lights outside the window were bright, but they couldn’t illuminate the gloom in his eyes.

“Still haven’t found him.”

Liu Jinchen’s voice was tired. “That kid has disappeared into thin air.”

Qi Yanwang’s fingers tapped on the window frame, making a dull sound. “Keep looking.”

“Old Qi…”

Liu Jinchen hesitated. “Do you think he might already be…”

“Alive, I want to see him. Dead, I want to see his corpse!”

Qi Yanwang extinguished the cigarette butt, his voice as cold as ice. “I don’t believe he can hide forever.”

After hanging up the phone, Qi Yanwang turned to look at the bedroom.

The door was ajar, and he could vaguely see Zhuo Huaimo’s figure with his back to the door.

Since that night, there seemed to be an invisible film between them—they lived under the same roof, but always kept a proper distance.

The promotion period for “Early Spring” became the best excuse.

Zhuo Huaimo left early and returned late every day, giving interviews, running announcements, and participating in roadshows, while Qi Yanwang followed him like a shadow, guarding him not too far and not too close.

“President Qi, look at this interactive part…”

Li Yang came over with the process list, but stopped when he saw Qi Yanwang’s gloomy face.

Qi Yanwang glanced at it, “Proceed as usual.”

“But…”

Li Yang glanced at Zhuo Huaimo, who was being interviewed, hesitantly. “Director Zhuo hasn’t been answering your questions these past two days. Fans have already started speculating…”

“Then let them speculate.”

Qi Yanwang’s eyes never left Zhuo Huaimo’s back. “Our business is none of their concern.”

Li Yang opened his mouth, and finally sighed and walked away.

He remembered that Qi Yanwang would cooperate with a smile when he joked about CP fans before, but now he was too lazy to even pretend.

At the event site, the host enthusiastically invited Zhuo Huaimo and Qi Yanwang to the stage to interact.

The screams of the fans under the stage almost lifted the roof, and the flashlights lit up.

“I heard that the two of you often had disputes on set because of creative ideas?”

The host asked with a smile, “Who gives in in the end?”

Zhuo Huaimo had a proper smile on his face. “Artistic creation inevitably has differences, but in the end, it’s all for the good of the work.”

A standard and official answer, perfectly avoiding any personal emotions.

Qi Yanwang stood half a step away from him, his eyes always on his profile.

“What about President Qi?”

The host turned to Qi Yanwang, “As an investor and…”

She paused ambiguously. “How do you balance work and personal relationships?”

There was a burst of booing from the audience.

Qi Yanwang suddenly reached out and naturally put his hand on the back of Zhuo Huaimo’s chair. “He has the final say!”

The intimate gesture made the scene boil.

Zhuo Huaimo’s body stiffened almost imperceptibly, but quickly returned to normal, and even smiled at Qi Yanwang in cooperation.

Only Qi Yanwang knew that the smile didn’t reach his eyes at all.

Backstage, Zhuo Huaimo immediately pulled away. “I’m going to the bathroom.”

Qi Yanwang stood in place, watching his back disappear around the corner, his fists clenched unconsciously.

Li Yang cautiously came over. “President Qi, you and Director Zhuo…”

“We’re fine.”

Qi Yanwang interrupted him, his voice hoarse. “We will be together.”

Li Yang saw a kind of almost paranoid firmness in Qi Yanwang’s eyes for the first time, and couldn’t help but shiver.

Every time Qi Yanwang encountered Zhuo Huaimo’s affairs, he was a little crazy!

On the other side, in an old warehouse in Jiangcheng, Xiao Zhu was waiting for the man in a suit and leather shoes to bring him food.

“Whirr—”

The warehouse door opened, throwing bags of food on the table.

“How is it outside?”

Xiao Zhu took a sip of mineral water and casually rummaged through the food in the bag.

“The whole city is looking for you. You’ve gone too far this time!”

Xiao Zhu smiled noncommittally. “Didn’t you teach me that!”