MLROCSHR Chapter 32

Chapter 32: Little Bitter Gourd

Chapter 32: Little Bitter Gourd

Ming Bao!

This name was like a key, instantly opening the floodgates of memory. Qi Luzhi felt all the blood in his body congeal. He stared intently at the woman in the cleaning uniform before him, her wrinkled face gradually overlapping with the image in his memory.

“It really is you…” The woman’s voice trembled, laced with a hint of sobs, as if emotions suppressed for many years had suddenly burst forth.

Her eyes fixed on the person in front of her, she took a small, involuntary step forward, “Did you change your name? No wonder I haven’t heard from you all these years. I thought you…”

Qi Luzhi took a step back, his face frighteningly gloomy.

Lian Xun sensed something was wrong and gently tugged at his sleeve, “This auntie is…”

“Don’t know her.” Qi Luzhi squeezed out two icy words, turning to leave.

The woman grabbed his wrist, “Ming Bao, wait…” Her eyes reddened, “Are you doing well? You look quite presentable, your job must be good, right?”

Qi Luzhi shook off her hand, “My name is Qi Luzhi.”

“Yes, yes, yes, Qi Luzhi…” The woman wiped away tears, “That’s a good name too, much better than the one I gave you. Back then, you suddenly ran away from the orphanage without a word, and I looked for…”

“Enough!” Qi Luzhi interrupted her sharply, “Stop acting hypocritically, I don’t want to hear any of this.”

Lian Xun rarely saw Qi Luzhi so out of control. He instinctively stood between the two of them, “Auntie, although I don’t know what your history is, he’s not in a good mood today, how about another day…”

“Let’s go.” Qi Luzhi didn’t wait for Lian Xun to finish, grabbing his arm and striding away.

Even after walking a long distance, Lian Xun could still feel Qi Luzhi’s hand trembling slightly. He hesitated for a moment before asking, “That auntie is…?”

Hearing Lian Xun’s voice, Qi Luzhi gradually calmed down. He released his grip on Lian Xun’s arm and slowed his pace.

“She… was the director of the orphanage I was in,” Qi Luzhi’s voice was cold, “I thought I’d never see her again in this lifetime.”

Lian Xun was taken aback, “Why were you so harsh with her? She seemed…”

“Seemed very concerned about me?” Qi Luzhi sneered, “Yes, she’s always been like that, seemingly gentle and considerate to everyone. But do you know? It was this very ‘good person’ who ruined my only chance to change my fate.”

Lian Xun stopped walking, “What happened?”

Qi Luzhi lowered his eyes, seemingly unwilling to mention it.

“You don’t have to say if you don’t want to,” Lian Xun quickly added.

Even though Qi Luzhi had many questions about his experiences over the years, he had never forced him to be honest, only telling him to speak when he felt like it. He didn’t want to pressure him either.

He knew better than anyone that painful pasts that one didn’t want to face were always difficult to tell others.

After a moment of silence…

“That year, I was six years old. A couple with very good conditions took a liking to me and wanted to adopt me. They were very rich, lived in a big house in the city center, the woman was a painter, and the man was a university professor. They liked me very much, saying they would take me to learn piano and send me to the best schools…”

Qi Luzhi’s voice was very calm, as if he were telling the story of someone unrelated.

“I was so happy that I couldn’t sleep all night, thinking that I was finally going to have a home. Do you know how much I longed to have my own mom and dad?”

“But on the day of the adoption, the director suddenly told the couple that I was withdrawn, had violent tendencies, and had even stolen things…”

Lian Xun gasped, how could this be?

“The couple immediately changed their minds.” Qi Luzhi closed his eyes, “I cried and begged them, saying those things weren’t true, but they still left.”

“I cried all night, and the director hugged me and said, ‘It’s okay, this will always be your home’…” He sneered, “How ironic.”

Lian Xun felt something clench his heart.

He remembered the director’s tearful eyes just now and felt that something wasn’t right.

“Maybe…” He said tentatively, “Maybe there’s some misunderstanding? I saw that Director Auntie… the expression on her face when she saw you didn’t seem fake.”

“There’s no misunderstanding,” Qi Luzhi interrupted him, “She was just acting for her own benefit. Do you know? Later, I heard that out of guilt, the couple donated a large sum of money to the orphanage. If I had really been adopted, that money would have been gone.”

“So, the first thing I did when I came of age was to escape the orphanage, change my name, and leave that disgusting place forever!”

Qi Luzhi tried his best to suppress the anger and disgust in his heart, but a hint of loathing still spilled out from his cold, sharp eyes.

Lian Xun only felt heartache, more painful than when he was about to be beaten to death.

He stepped forward and hugged Qi Luzhi, gently patting his back.

“I only knew you were an orphan, I didn’t expect you to be such a miserable little bitter gourd. It’s okay, you have me now!”

Lian Xun tried to make his tone sound light, not wanting the atmosphere to be too heavy.

Qi Luzhi raised his hand and tightened his grip around Lian Xun’s waist, forcefully embedding him in his embrace, as if doing so could give him some strength.

After a long while.

Just when Lian Xun felt like he was about to suffocate, Qi Luzhi finally let go of him.

“I’m not sad, I don’t need your comfort,” Qi Luzhi said expressionlessly.

Lian Xun instantly lost his composure, his pupils widening sharply, “Hey, Qi Luzhi, you’re crossing the river and tearing down the bridge, killing the donkey after it’s done its work, aren’t you?”

“Who was hugging me so tightly just now? I almost died of suffocation!”

Qi Luzhi ignored the hopping Lian Xun and walked straight ahead along the roadside, “I’m tired, let’s find a hotel nearby to rest.”

“Hmph, you stubborn tsundere!”

Lian Xun muttered, lifting his foot to follow.

“Wait for me. Where are we going tomorrow? Now that we’re here, let’s play for a few more days.”

“Qi-gege?”

……

Although the old city was a bit old, it was still very prosperous, with many high-end hotels and shopping malls. Qi Luzhi was a distinguished VVVIP at all the major hotels, and with one phone call, the most luxurious presidential suite was arranged for him to check in.

He originally wanted to book two rooms, but Lian Xun made all sorts of excuses, insisting on staying in the same room as Qi Luzhi, so Qi Luzhi let him have his way.

Just as he finished checking into the hotel and hadn’t had time to move in, he received a call from Li Yang.

“Hey Qi, where are you?” Li Yang’s voice was urgent, “Come back quickly, something big has happened!”

Lian Xun rolled his eyes, “What happened again? Every single day…”

So annoying!

This site has no pop-up ads, permanent domain name ( volarereads.com )