MNL Chapter 105

Chapter 105: A Glimpse in a Foreign Land

Chapter 105: A Glimpse in a Foreign Land

In Xu Jing’s eighteenth year, he boarded a plane to America alone.

The overnight flight headed east, the cabin bathed in dim yellow light. Through the dark windows, faint glimpses of clouds, mist, and the subtly blinking tail lights could be seen. Soaring nine thousand meters above ground, among a myriad of stars, one could survey all the brightly lit cities stretching to the horizon.

As the plane crossed the coastline, Xu Jing pulled down the sunshade. He thought this would be the most impulsive thing he would ever do in his life.

He drifted off to sleep, waking up just as the plane landed.

Xu Huaiyang had arranged for a friend living in the States to pick him up. The man was a warm and enthusiastic middle-aged man who immediately gave Xu Jing a hug.

“You’re truly a handsome young man, even more so than your dad was when he was young.” Xia Wenbo took Xu Jing’s luggage while introducing himself with a smile, “My surname is Xia, you can just call me Uncle Xia.”

Xu Jing said, “Thank you, Uncle Xia.”

“Don’t be so polite, your dad and I have been friends for over twenty years.” Xia Wenbo said amiably as he drove, “I should have been the one to show you around, but I’m swamped with work. However, I have a son your age, I’ll have him keep you company in New York these next few days.”

Xu Jing refused bluntly, “That won’t be necessary.”

“Oh, don’t be so formal. My son is named Xia Zhixing. You two even played together when you were kids.”

After Xia Zhixing’s mother passed away, Xia Wenbo never remarried. Unlike other wealthy individuals, Xia Wenbo was a devoted son-lover, and could sing his son’s praises for half an hour without repeating himself. Xu Jing’s memories of this person were extremely vague, and coupled with a lack of interest, he leaned back in his seat and fell asleep.

He woke up only after Xia Wenbo called his name several times. Seeing Xu Jing’s embarrassment, Xia Wenbo immediately offered a way out, “The ride must have tired you out. I’ve had your room prepared. Just make yourself at home, and don’t hesitate to ask me if you need anything.”

Xu Jing responded with a concise “Okay.”

Just as Xia Wenbo described, Xia Zhixing was tall and slender, with fair skin and rebellious, fiery red hair. His right ear was pierced, adorned with a pricey diamond stud. He was exceptionally good-looking, with dark eyes and sharp, defined features. Despite his lazy posture, his sharp demeanor made him hard to ignore.

Upon entering, Xia Wenbo immediately cleared his throat twice.

Xia Zhixing, who was on the 1992nd level of a game, lazily lifted his eyelids at the sound. He scrutinized the person before him for a few seconds before suddenly smiling.

“Xu Jing?” Xia Zhixing turned off his phone and approached, his tone excited. “If I had known it was you, I would’ve picked you up myself.”

Xia Wenbo interjected, “I have some matters at the company. Zhixing, why don’t you show Xiaojing around these next few days?”

Xia Zhixing replied quickly, “No problem.”

From the living room to the guest room, from reminiscing about a childhood he barely remembered to introducing the local customs of New York, Xia Zhixing’s mouth never stopped moving. Xu Jing turned away from the window and interrupted, “That won’t be necessary.”

Seeing the awkward atmosphere, Xu Jing added, “I’m just here to see someone.”

Xia Zhixing paused, smiling, “Who? Your girlfriend?”

Xu Jing was expressionless. “No.”

“Then who is it?”

Xu Jing suddenly found himself speechless. Since their separation over a year ago, Shen Yan had been out of contact. He had traveled thousands of miles with only a single photo, yet he didn’t know how to answer when asked what their relationship was.

Xia Zhixing joked, “Wouldn’t be your boyfriend, would it?”

Xu Jing remained silent. The smile on Xia Zhixing’s face froze. After a few seconds, he said nothing.

A childhood friend turning out to be gay.

Who could accept that?

“Running so far just for… a net love?” Xia Zhixing exploded like a firecracker. “Are you sick, Xu Jing? Do you know how dangerous that is? I remember you being pretty smart when you were a kid, did you get your brains squeezed by a door later?”

Xu Jing: “…”

Ignoring the relationship with the older generation, he really wanted to throw this noisy, non-mainstream red-head out the fourth-floor window.

Xia Zhixing was completely oblivious and kept asking questions. Finally, Xu Jing couldn’t take it anymore and said, “It’s not a net love, you can leave.”

He denied the net love, but not the boyfriend.

Xia Zhixing’s forehead twitched several times. He swallowed hard and said, “When did you realize you were… that way? Also, are you the top or the bottom?”

Xu Jing: “…”

If he had known there was such an annoying thing here, he would have vehemently opposed Xu Huaiyang’s phone call.

Xu Jing tried to calm himself, silently reciting, “For Xia Wenbo’s sake, I can’t hit him, I can’t hit him.”

“You’re still ignoring me? Then let me see what he looks like, I’ll go back to my room after I see him.”

Xia Zhixing sat on the bed with his legs crossed, determined to get what he wanted. Annoyed, Xu Jing pulled out his phone album. But in that instant, he regretted it.

Shen Yan’s identity was different now than before. If Xia Zhixing paid any attention to the news, he would definitely recognize him. The more people who knew about this, the more trouble it would cause for him.

However, Xia Zhixing was quick, snatching the phone and clearly examining the photo of Shen Yan and the snowman.

Sure enough, his tone changed.

“His dad even invited Old Xia to attend their engagement banquet a few days ago. You two…? Ah?”

Xu Jing suddenly froze, his entire mind buzzing from the thunderbolt. He didn’t know how long he stood there before forcing down the turbulence in his heart and saying, “You’ve misunderstood.”

But what had he misunderstood? Xu Jing himself didn’t know. He only felt his brain was in chaos, and he was already rambling.

“When is the engagement banquet?” Xu Jing’s voice was hoarse.

Xia Zhixing’s gaze was fixed on Xu Jing’s face, which was trying to appear calm. He unconsciously frowned.

“Five days from now, I think.”

Xu Jing nodded. After that, no matter what Xia Zhixing said or asked, he didn’t say another word.

The weather in New York was great those few days. Xia Zhixing knocked on the door several times, wanting to take Xu Jing out, but was rejected every time. Xu Jing locked himself in the guest room, not eating or drinking all day, without making a sound. Xia Zhixing was worried that the man would die in his house, so he pried the lock open.

Xu Jing was sitting by the window, staring blankly, when Xia Zhixing broke in. He furrowed his brow in confusion.

It was hot. Xu Jing was only wearing a white T-shirt, his thin frame like a sheet of paper. Xia Zhixing’s gaze moved away from the hint of a slender waist, his Adam’s apple bobbing, and said, “What are you doing? If you die in my house, my house will be haunted.”

Xu Jing said coldly, “I won’t die.”

Xia Zhixing had stayed at Xu Jing’s house for a period of time during the summer of his eighth year. At that time, Xu Jing was white and tender all over, his skin as smooth as jade. What impressed him the most was the sight of Xu Jing wearing a princess dress, put on him by Qin Xin. Even after ten years, he still remembered that feeling.

He really wanted to take this beautiful boy home.

But looking at Xu Jing now, Xia Zhixing was inexplicably irritable and angry, although he didn’t know what he was angry about.

So he couldn’t help but lecture, “There are plenty of people in this world who betray sincerity, are you stupid for torturing yourself for this kind of person?”

Xu Jing was too lazy to bother with Xia Zhixing, saying calmly, “You talk too much.”

“…I talk too much? Fine, I talk too much.” Xia Zhixing turned to leave. Xu Jing didn’t hear anything for a long time, thinking the man had left, but when he turned around, he found Xia Zhixing was right at the door, also turning around. Their eyes met, and he saw the other’s chest heaving a few times, before saying in a muffled voice, “Want to play games?”

Xu Jing: “…”

Xia Zhixing was a hardcore esports enthusiast. He had a dedicated esports room, filled with top-notch equipment. To Xu Jing’s surprise, the man was quiet when playing games, silently operating, unlike Yan Zhe, who could send his regards to the other nine players’ ancestors for eighteen generations.

Moreover, after spending a few days together, Xu Jing discovered that Xia Zhixing didn’t have a good temper. He had a “get lost” expression for everyone around him, except in front of him where he acted very childish. Specifically, the more Xu Jing ignored him, the more Xia Zhixing would try to get his attention in various ways.

But Xu Jing wasn’t easy to get along with either. One time he really got angry, and they almost got into a fight. Xia Wenbo suddenly came home and stopped the war.

After five days of arguing and fighting, Xu Jing followed Xia Wenbo and Xia Zhixing to the banquet.

Xia Wenbo gently pinched the back of Xia Zhixing’s neck, smiling, “You never wanted to come to these places before, why are you willing to accompany dad today?”

Xia Zhixing said lazily, “I’m bored.” He added, “But don’t include me in your socializing, I’m not interested.”

Xia Wenbo was interrupted before he could even speak, turning his head to hum. “Then I’ll take Xiaojing.”

As soon as he said that, they both turned around, only to find the person who was behind them a second ago was now gone.

Xia Zhixing scanned the surroundings, frowning, “I’ll go find him.”

But at that moment, the person they were talking about was standing in the corner of the hall.

Xu Jing had imagined many scenarios for seeing Shen Yan again, wondering if it would truly be like the description in books, love at first sight. But when he saw the impeccably dressed, dignified, and aloof young man enjoying the attention around him at the center of the banquet, Xu Jing felt utter strangeness, as if he had never truly known this person.

In the past, they were so far apart, separated by national borders. Yet it was as if there was a long thread connecting them, so that even thousands of miles away, he felt Shen Yan was by his side. But now, the person he longed for was within reach, and he realized that the thread had long been broken, and the distance between them had long grown farther and farther with each passing day.

Like the photos in the news, the daughter of the international banker was indeed very beautiful, standing next to Shen Yan without being overshadowed. As the news reported, they were a perfect match.

But he was like a shameful thief, hiding in the corner of the hall, watching those people’s respectful flattery, listening to those people’s laughter and blessings.

Because of the root of his illness from over a year ago, Xu Jing felt extremely calm at this moment. So calm that he couldn’t feel his heartbeat, so calm that he was like a puppet without emotional functions. He was like a walking corpse, out of tune with the laughter and joy around him.

But the puppet’s gaze was still unconsciously deep, his heart still reluctant.

“Young Master Shen, you’re so lucky.”

“Such a handsome couple, I wonder how beautiful their children will be.”

“The company will have to rely on Young Master Shen’s care in the future.”

“Be sure to invite us to your wedding.”

…

One last look, Xu Jing said to himself.

From then on, everything would be settled. His obsession, his luck, all the beautiful feelings of his youth would be in the past.

At the moment of making up his mind, Xu Jing closed his eyes and left without looking back, just like he had rushed to New York without hesitation. That was his only impulsive moment in this life.

From then on, he would let time wash away his memories, until he completely forgot this person.

Flowers will bloom again, but the boy is no longer a boy.

This grand banquet was held on the most bustling street in Manhattan. As soon as Xu Jing went out, he was swallowed by the crowd. Here, the skyscrapers soared into the clouds, so dense that they seemed to be pressing down towards the center. Land was expensive, the lights were always bright, and the upper class was always glamorous. Looking up was extravagant, looking down was corrupt, such a sense of division making people live in a dreamlike state.

“Hey baby, are you free tonight?”

The voice came from behind him. Xu Jing turned around and saw a black man, tall and burly, with well-developed limbs and muscles, almost twice his size.

Xu Jing didn’t hear the English clearly, and wasn’t interested. Just as he was about to leave, the black man suddenly reached out to touch his shoulder. His eyes were extremely aggressive. Being in a foreign country, Xu Jing felt uneasy. Just as he was about to run, someone suddenly appeared beside him.

Xia Zhixing was dressed casually today, but with the red hair, the ear studs, and the cold face, he looked intimidating. They spoke in English, extremely fast, which Xu Jing didn’t understand at all. He only saw that the black man looked at Xia Zhixing with fear when he left.

Seeing Xu Jing not reacting for a long time, Xia Zhixing said in an unkind tone, “Not going to say thank you?”

Xu Jing turned his gaze away from the row of women squatting on the street smoking marijuana, and said softly, “Thanks.”

Xia Zhixing saw Xu Jing’s expression and scoffed, “Scenes like this are common in New York. If you’re lucky, you might even see people pitching tents in the subway, publicly relieving themselves on the street, dancing naked, or climbing on traffic lights, pretending to be Spider-Man.”

After speaking, Xia Zhixing gently bumped Xu Jing’s arm with his elbow. “Hey, why don’t you go to college here?”

“Not interested.”

“Then what are you interested in?”

Xu Jing didn’t answer. Xia Zhixing was furious when he saw his absent-minded appearance. His voice suddenly lowered, “You’re not still hung up on that engaged person, are you?”

Xu Jing said coldly, “Is it any of your business?”

It wasn’t his business, Xia Zhixing thought, but why did he feel inexplicably irritable whenever he saw Xu Jing looking so despondent?

It was as if something precious hidden deep in his heart had suddenly been violated, creating a sense of helpless anger.

A phone call interrupted Xia Zhixing’s complex psychological activity. Xia Wenbo’s voice mixed with the sound of the event host came from the other end of the phone, “Son, where did you and Xiaojing go? The engagement ceremony is about to start.”

From Xia Zhixing’s perspective, he could see Xu Jing’s eyelashes flutter several times at that moment. That fragile body was like a piece of ice about to melt, so fragile that it was unbearable to look at.

“We’re leaving, watch this boring stuff yourself.”

Xia Zhixing hung up the phone quickly, and the following actions were also swift. He grabbed Xu Jing’s hand, his eyes curving into a beautiful arc, smiling wildly, “Let’s go, I’ll take you to do something fun.”

At this moment, the guests in the hall had already taken their seats, everyone’s attention was on the young man on the stage.

The young man walked steadily, appearing even taller and more aloof under the dazzling lights. He slightly lifted his eyelids, indifferently scanning the crowd below, and finally faced the media reporters’ cameras, saying word by word, “Thank you all for attending this banquet. Here, I would like to clarify one thing: I have never had any intention of getting engaged. Please, all colleagues and media present, stop spreading rumors.”

The scene instantly became noisy. No one had expected such a thing to happen. Shen Linzhi’s face changed drastically. The president of the international bank overturned the table on the spot, pointing at Shen Linzhi’s nose and asking what he meant. The beautiful girl in the gown next to him simply lowered her eyes, without much reaction.

Shen Linzhi frowned, immediately having Liu Xiaoguang contact all entertainment news reporters, instructing that not a single word about tonight’s events should be leaked.

Shen Linzhi caught up with Shen Yan, who had already walked out the door, and angrily said, “What do you mean by this?!”

Shen Yan’s expression was cold and somber, his voice without the slightest fluctuation, “You know my bottom line.”

Shen Linzhi suddenly understood.

Shen Yan had always known that he wanted to consolidate the company’s position in the market through a marriage alliance, but he never refused from beginning to end. Instead, he chose to make a public statement at the engagement banquet, first to retaliate against him for hacking all his accounts, and second to completely cut off his own ideas in this regard.

Shen Linzhi calmed his emotions and said in a deep voice, “You almost killed yourself for him back then. Has he come to see you even once since you came to New York? It’s been so long, he may have already forgotten you. The easiest thing to change in this world is people’s hearts, don’t be naive, son.”

Shen Yan stopped, turning his head to stare at Shen Linzhi, his cold voice echoing word by word in the night.

“That’s his business. I will respect any choice he makes, but in this life, I will only love Xu Jing.”

Shen Yan left silently. Shen Linzhi reacted and couldn’t help but cough, finally slowly squatting down, vomiting blood all over the ground.