TLSOTMTKOGAYWHTDI Chapter 74

Chapter 72: It’s Over, Landmines Buried!

Qi Yanwang looked at the bottle of mineral water handed to him, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.

The originally noisy atmosphere in the private room suddenly quieted down, with everyone’s gaze seemingly inadvertently drifting in their direction.

“No need.”

He shifted further to the side of the sofa, his tone as indifferent as refusing a document.

Xiao Zhu’s fingers tightened around the bottle, knuckles turning white.

“Brother Qi, your lips are dry…”

A potential crisis had emerged, and the number one CP fan, Li Yang, was determined to defend his ship!

“Ouch!”

Li Yang suddenly lunged between the two, slapping his forehead exaggeratedly.

“Look at my memory! Qi always allergic to mineral water!”

He turned to shout at the waiter, “Bring a bottle of Evian! The kind in a glass bottle!”

A few stifled laughs echoed in the private room.

Liu Jinchen immediately understood and pulled Xiao Zhu away.

“Come, come, help me check if the cake is ready.”

Qi Yanwang seized the opportunity to stand up and glanced at the time on his phone—22:47.

The screen displayed a message sent by Zhuo Huaimo five minutes ago: “Having fun?”

He quickly replied,

“Bored, want to go home.”

Only after sending it did he realize how much the sentence sounded like a spoiled request, and quickly added,

“Is your shoot going smoothly?”

“Qi,”

Li Yang leaned closer, lowering his voice, “You’re being a little too obvious with your defenses.”

Qi Yanwang glanced at him. “If I’m not obvious, some people won’t remember.”

“This level of devotion to his man, truly impressive!”

Li Yang swirled his wine glass. “Damn it, seeing you like this makes me want to turn over a new leaf!”

“Hold it right there!”

Qi Yanwang teased. “There are two requirements if you want to turn over a new leaf!”

Li Yang raised an eyebrow. “Which two?”

“First, you have to be lucky enough, like me, to meet someone who can make you want to turn over a new leaf!”

Li Yang thought for a moment, then pouted. “Difficult. They either want my money or my looks!”

He then looked at Qi Yanwang. “What’s the second?”

“The second?”

Qi Yanwang couldn’t help but chuckle. “You have to be ‘good’ to begin with!”

He looked at Li Yang, teasing, “You, like Lao Liu, are notorious. Just live your life like that!”

“Qi Yanwang, you—”

Li Yang’s face contorted with anger. “You’re really heartless! I even tried to set you up back then!”

Qi Yanwang had only drunk two glasses of whiskey, but his temples had already started throbbing.

The air in the private room had become unbearably thick, and even breathing felt like a burning pain.

“I can’t do this…”

He leaned on the sofa to stand up, his vision blurring. “I’m going back first.”

Liu Jinchen quickly supported his swaying body.

“Damn, when did your alcohol tolerance get so bad?”

Before he could finish speaking, his phone suddenly vibrated.

Qi Yanwang squinted to make out the caller ID, a smile involuntarily tugging at the corners of his lips.

“Huaimo…”

“You’ve been drinking?”

Zhuo Huaimo’s voice came through the receiver, filled with obvious worry.

Qi Yanwang subconsciously shook his head, then realized the other person couldn’t see him.

“Just two glasses…”

The sound of papers rustling quickly came from the other end of the line.

“Let Liu Jinchen take the call.”

Liu Jinchen took the phone, nodding repeatedly.

“Understood, understood… Director Zhuo, rest assured…”

After hanging up, Liu Jinchen grabbed Qi Yanwang without explanation.

“Director Zhuo said you’re staying here tonight. I’ve booked a room for you upstairs.”

“I’m fine…”

Qi Yanwang tried to struggle, but Li Yang grabbed him from the other side.

“Don’t be stubborn,”

Li Yang rolled his eyes. “Your man has spoken. Who would dare let you go?”

The three of them stumbled through the corridor.

Qi Yanwang felt his consciousness slipping further and further away. All he remembered was being helped into a soft, large bed, someone taking off his shoes and pulling the covers over him.

“Water…” he mumbled.

Someone lifted his head, and a cool glass touched his lips.

Qi Yanwang greedily drank a few mouthfuls and then fell into a heavy darkness.

The alcohol and low fever made his thoughts linger. He dreamed of Yunnan during the rainy season, Zhuo Huaimo standing on the bluestone path, turning back to smile at him.

The dream gradually turned romantic. He dreamed of pinning Zhuo Huaimo against the carved wooden door of a guesthouse and kissing him. The sensation of Zhuo Huaimo’s fingertips tracing his spine was terrifyingly real…

“Mmm…”

Qi Yanwang let out a contented sigh in his dream.

The shrill ringtone of his phone suddenly tore through the dream.

He groggily reached for his phone. The screen displayed the words “Huaimo,” and the time: 02:47.

“Hello?”

Qi Yanwang answered the phone, his voice hoarse, still feeling the warmth in his arms.

“Feeling better?”

Zhuo Huaimo’s voice was raspy from staying up late. “I just finished the night shoot.”

Qi Yanwang closed his eyes and chuckled softly. “I dreamed about you.”

“What did you dream about?”

“I dreamed…”

His voice lowered, filled with lingering desire. “In a Yunnan guesthouse, I kissed you until you couldn’t stand straight…”

The sound of a glass falling came from the other end of the phone.

Zhuo Huaimo cleared his throat. “You’re delirious from the fever. I’ll have to keep a closer eye on you in the future. Drink less!”

Qi Yanwang laughed along, but froze as he turned over—

He felt a warm sensation on his back, someone pressed tightly against him, with their arms around his waist.

That just now… wasn’t a dream?

“Huaimo?” He called out subconsciously.

“Mm?” Zhuo Huaimo responded on the phone.

Qi Yanwang’s blood instantly turned to ice.

He slowly turned his head, using the faint light from the streetlights outside the window to see Xiao Zhu’s sleeping face close at hand.

“Damn it!” He jumped up, his phone falling onto the bed.

“Qi Yanwang?”

Zhuo Huaimo’s voice came from the receiver. “What’s wrong?”

Qi Yanwang frantically picked up the phone, his voice trembling.

“N-nothing, I kicked the bed frame… Huaimo, I’ll hang up now!”

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Zhuo Huaimo’s voice was filled with worry.

Qi Yanwang splashed cold water on his face, forcing himself to calm down.

“Really, nothing… just… just miss you a little.”

Silence stretched for a few seconds on the other end of the phone.

“I miss you too.”

Zhuo Huaimo said softly, “Sleep, let’s talk tomorrow.”

Qi Yanwang subconsciously felt for his pants, his first reaction being that his underwear was still on!

He stumbled into the bathroom, locked the door, and started dry-heaving into the toilet.

Cold sweat soaked his pajamas, and his temples throbbed.

Just now, if it hadn’t been for that phone call…

No, what about before that phone call?

What did they do?

Did he do something to betray Zhuo Huaimo?

If, if what happened today got out, would they be completely finished!

Qi Yanwang stared at himself in the mirror—his face pale, his eyes bloodshot.

He took a deep breath and yanked open the bathroom door.

Xiao Zhu was standing at the door, looking at him hesitantly!

“Brother Qi, I…”

“Did you drug me?”

His voice was terrifyingly hoarse, like a demon crawling out of hell.

Xiao Zhu’s pupils constricted sharply, and he instinctively took a step back.

“I, I didn’t…”

“Bullshit!”

Qi Yanwang grabbed his collar, slamming him against the wall.

“You think two glasses of whiskey would knock me out? Do you think I’m a three-year-old?”

Tears instantly welled up in Xiao Zhu’s eyes, rolling down his cheeks.

“I just… just wanted you to sleep better…”

Qi Yanwang’s fist grazed Xiao Zhu’s ear and slammed into the wall, making a dull thud.

He gasped for breath, feeling a strange heat rising from his spine, and his vision began to blur.

“Get out!”

He released him, his voice as cold as ice. “Now, immediately!”

Xiao Zhu staggered to his feet and suddenly lunged forward, hugging him around the waist.

“Brother Qi, I really like you so much…”

Qi Yanwang pushed him away violently, the force causing Xiao Zhu to fall directly to the ground.

He grabbed the mineral water bottle from the table and threw it, water splashing everywhere.

“I’m disgusted by you, get out!”

Xiao Zhu was about to turn and leave when Qi Yanwang stopped him.

His eyes instantly lit up!

“Phone!”

He held out his hand, his voice terrifyingly low. “Give it here.”

Xiao Zhu tremblingly handed over his phone.

Qi Yanwang snatched it and quickly scrolled through the photo album and chat history.

When he saw dozens of photos of himself taken in secret in the photo album, his stomach cramped.

Qi Yanwang deleted all the photos and threw the phone back to Xiao Zhu.

“If a single word of what happened tonight gets out, no one can protect you!”

Xiao Zhu’s tears fell. “I won’t say anything…”

Qi Yanwang suddenly felt dizzy and had to lean against the wall.

The heat was getting stronger and stronger, and sweat had already soaked his shirt.

He bit the tip of his tongue to force himself to stay awake.

“Get out!”

The shower in the bathroom was turned on to the maximum, and the cold water washed over his scalding skin.

Qi Yanwang tilted his head back, letting the water hit his face.

He remembered the dream just now, and boundless coldness and fear spread throughout his body!

“Damn it!”

He punched the tile wall, and blood immediately seeped from his knuckles.

At four in the morning, Qi Yanwang finally recovered from the effects of the drug.

He sat by the window, smoking one cigarette after another, the ashtray filled with butts.

Qi Yanwang stood up and pulled open the curtains. The sky was already turning light in the east.

He reached for the phone on the pillow. The screen showed a photo of him and Zhuo Huaimo—taken in Hokkaido last winter, the two of them wrapped in the same scarf, their noses red with cold, but smiling like idiots.

He trembled as he typed, “Suddenly miss you so much.”

The moment the message was sent, the screen jumped to “The other party is typing…”

Zhuo Huaimo: “Me too.”

Qi Yanwang stared at those three words, his eyes burning.

He wanted to fly back to Yunnan immediately and tell Zhuo Huaimo everything that happened tonight.

But he was afraid… afraid that the person who had finally opened his heart to him would retreat back into his shell again.

He couldn’t say anything. He absolutely couldn’t say a word. He had to let this matter rot in his stomach, and Xiao Zhu had to be sent away as soon as possible!

He decided to fly to Yunnan today. He had to see Zhuo Huaimo immediately and hold him tightly in his arms!

Only real touch and embrace could reassure him, could make him believe that this person was still his!

Some things couldn’t wait.

Qi Yanwang booked the earliest flight, grabbed his coat, and rushed out!

Standing in the hallway, Xiao Zhu gripped the railing tightly, his face contorted with anger!

Damn it, just one step, just one step away!

If it hadn’t been for Li Yang, that drunkard, bumping into him at that time.

Causing his hand to shake, scattering most of the powder on the table. That dose was clearly enough!

Just one step, and he could have truly become Qi Yanwang’s person!

A twisted expression appeared on his face as he opened the cloud drive on his tablet…