GBT Chapter 32
by VolareIt was imprisoned.
Jiao Bai’s gaze lingered on the red mark around its neck. What would happen if he took the thin wire off?
His hand, hanging at his side, moved slightly.
There were stray cats in his uncle’s neighborhood, white, yellow, gray, and black. Just because he had fed them a few times, they would all follow him when they saw him. He liked cats. Stroke it once, the corners of his mouth rise; stroke it twice, the corners of his mouth crack.
But this cat wasn’t an ordinary cat, it represented Qi Yi Liao himself.
Jiao Bai stuffed the hand he had raised slightly back into his pocket, completely dispelling the impulse to untie the thin wire.
He couldn’t untie it, he couldn’t even touch the cat.
He had tried it the first time this cat avatar appeared, unconsciously reaching out to touch it. That fluffy, cold, soft sensation was just his illusion.
Leave it alone.
At least for now, leave it alone.
Jiao Bai calmly told himself.
“You’re really good at placating elders, aren’t you?”
Jiao Bai heard the sigh above his head. He raised his eyelids and met Qi Yi Liao’s dark gray eyes reflecting the blurred light. For a moment, Jiao Bai had a creepy feeling of being looked down upon by some old monster.
By the time he composed himself and probed, he only saw himself reflected in those eyes.
It was night, and no matter how many lights there were, or how bright they were, they couldn’t compare to daylight. And he wasn’t getting close enough to be face-to-face, but he saw himself, or rather, it was a feeling.
So damn eerie.
“You say you’re listening, but you’re still daydreaming.” Qi Yi Liao didn’t blame him, he just shook his head. “At your age, you’re still in school. If you can’t concentrate, what will you do in class? Will you get your palms smacked by the teacher?”
Jiao Bai: “…” That’s none of your business.
Qi Yi Liao had a smile on his lips: “Let’s go, I’ll show you around.”
Jiao Bai said, “My ribs hurt.” In reality, the painkiller hadn’t worn off yet. He was lying purely because he didn’t want to tour a graveyard.
At this time, if it were Shen Ji, he would definitely grab Jiao Bai and drag him along, but Qi Yi Liao wouldn’t. He helplessly patted his forehead: “Look at my memory, Old Shen said you broke three ribs in your back, I didn’t remember for a moment.”
Qi Yi Liao didn’t have the cold-blooded domineering air of a person in a high position. He considerately said, “Then you should go back and rest. Next time you come, I’ll take you around.”
Jiao Bai responded verbally, “Okay.”
The more amiable Qi Yi Liao’s attitude was, the more gentlemanly he was, the more tense Jiao Bai became.
Ever heard of a gentle knife?
“Old Shen is always reckless. You should be resting in bed, not moving around so much.” Qi Yi Liao walked in front of Jiao Bai, not too far away, just a step’s distance, so as not to seem arrogant. He said as he walked, “There’s too much grass in the backyard, all tangled up on the ground, watch your step.”
Jiao Bai had been walking fine, but hearing Qi Yi Liao’s reminder, he tripped over a vine.
Even though Jiao Bai didn’t cry out, the person in front seemed to have eyes in the back of his head, and turned around in time to steady him.
Qi Yi Liao’s physique was streamlined and restrained. He didn’t look like the type who worked out regularly, but the strength Jiao Bai felt was no weaker than what Shen Ji gave him.
Jiao Bai stood firm. Before he could break free, the five fingers supporting his arm withdrew.
Qi Yi Liao asked, “Are you alright?”
Jiao Bai shook his head: “Thank you, Chairman Qi.”
Qi Yi Liao put one hand in his pocket, the hand that had supported Jiao Bai remained outside. He said gently, “If you’re sick, don’t run around.”
Jiao Bai had a creepy illusion of being about to get a spanking from his dad.
But obviously that kind of thing couldn’t happen.
First, this person wasn’t his dad.
Second, he wouldn’t let anyone spank him.
Qi Yi Liao’s voice was mixed with the rustling sound of leaves being stirred by the wind: “Given your current condition, if you fall once and get injured a second time, there’s a very high chance that the bones could pierce your lungs, that would be very dangerous.”
Jiao Bai felt a lingering fear.
“Is life more important, or curiosity?” Qi Yi Liao bent slightly to look at him, his eyes as deep as a mountain, “Hmm?”
Jiao Bai blurted out: “Of course life is more important.”
Qi Yi Liao coughed softly, his voice even hoarser: “Then are you still going to run around?”
Jiao Bai shook his head: “No, no.”
Qi Yi Liao smiled again: “Uncle knows you’re a smart kid who can understand reason.”
Jiao Bai chuckled twice.
A fourteen-year age difference, uncle was still alright.
That old thing Shen Ji was a full eighteen years older than him, he should be called grandpa.
Qi Yi Liao didn’t seem to notice Jiao Bai’s rebellious spirit, and walked straight through a few slender trees.
The fallen leaves rustled and fell, becoming the only background sound in this world, permeated with the cold chill of the old forest at night.
Jiao Bai glanced at the white cat, no change. He walked behind the cat’s owner and casually brought up: “Chairman Qi, is that a graveyard over there?”
“Yes, it is.” Qi Yi Liao’s footsteps didn’t stop.
Jiao Bai walked a little faster, getting closer to him: “How can a graveyard be behind a residence?”
“It’s a custom in my family.” Qi Yi Liao explained patiently, “The dead and the living live together.”
He took a fallen leaf with the hand that had supported Jiao Bai, stroked it a few times with his fingertips, and crushed it: “The dead, guarding the living.”
Jiao Bai felt a chill run down his spine. This kind of protection was unnecessary.
Open the window and there’s a graveyard.
On Tomb Sweeping Day, paper money would flutter into the house.
When Jiao Bai entered the door, the earthy smell of trees and grass in his breath disappeared, replaced by an all-encompassing coldness.
Even a light couldn’t dispel it.
Jiao Bai turned around to watch Qi Yi Liao close the backyard door. His gaze darted towards the graveyard through the crack in the door that wasn’t fully closed: “Is it bad for your health to live in this kind of place for a long time?”
Qi Yi Liao closed the door with one hand and turned around: “Hmm?”
Jiao Bai said it was nothing.
Qi Yi Liao walked two or three steps and stopped: “Xiao…”
Jiao Bai pursed his lips and raised his gaunt chin at him. Speak, go on, I’m listening.
It took Qi Yi Liao a long moment to spit out the last word: “Xiao Huang.”
Jiao Bai: “…”
The Book of Chinese Surnames might be late, but it would never be absent? Lan Yi Zhai called him Little White, how long had it been now, and he was already Little Yellow? Tomorrow would it be Little Green or Little Red? His blood rushed to his head, a layer of excited crimson dyeing his pale face, and a voice suddenly rang in his ears, “Wrong.”
Qi Yi Liao pondered: “It’s Xiao Bai.”
“Xiao Bai, ah.” Qi Yi Liao’s tone was very strange, as if it was overflowing from a trembling throat. He smoothed his hair a few times and hunched his straight back. “Xiao Bai, right?”
Jiao Bai: Hmph.
“Looks like it is.” Qi Yi Liao straightened up with a smile, standing under the light, a few mature fine lines piled up at the corners of his slightly raised eyes, accumulating a soft halo, which made him look like he had a depth that people wanted to look up to.
That was the charm that came from flowing through the river of time, and from experience.
Jiao Bai took a few more glances at Qi Yi Liao. It wasn’t that he was overjoyed and couldn’t control himself, or that he wanted to kneel at the feet of the other party’s casual pants, but…
How should he put it? It was very strange.
He actually thought the other person was happy.
What was there to be happy about calling his old friend’s little plaything by the right name?
Jiao Bai firmly believed that even if Qi Yi Liao was truly delighted, it wouldn’t be because he called his name right, it was for another reason.
Qi Yi Liao said apologetically: “Uncle has a bad memory, Old Shen can attest to that.”
Jiao Bai secretly probed this old chairman for a while, and couldn’t help but feel suspicious. Could it be that he had misunderstood, and the other party really couldn’t remember people’s names?
“Is that what you were originally called?” Qi Yi Liao walked towards the left corridor.
Jiao Bai yawned: “My original name was Wang Chu Qiu, but I changed my name after leaving Qin Lin Garden, I changed it to Jiao Bai, grass radical, followed by the ‘jiao’ of traffic, and the ‘bai’ of white.”
“A new beginning.” Qi Yi Liao nodded understandingly, “Life needs a sense of ritual.”
“Old Shen has never brought anyone here before.”
This sentence didn’t relate to the previous one, it was very abrupt.
Jiao Bai tutted. Was Qi Yi Liao’s subtext saying, “Don’t be ungrateful?”
Qi Yi Liao, who was walking in front, stopped at some point, turned around, and looked at Jiao Bai with eyes that seemed to be able to see through everything.
There were dense small lights on the walls on both sides of the corridor, like a hornet’s nest.
Jiao Bai faced Qi Yi Liao from a distance, he didn’t walk over immediately, but inquired with his eyes.
Qi Yi Liao asked with a smile, “Do you remember which room you’re staying in?”
Jiao Bai: “I remember.”
“Then get some rest early.” Qi Yi Liao turned into another corridor.
Jiao Bai heard the friend offline notification, and only then did he walk towards the guest room that Aunt Liu had arranged for him.
The gongs in “Broken Wings” were all big figures in the business world, and their attributes didn’t overlap. Jiao Bai had the most contact with Shen Ji, and his persona was very clear: arrogant, ruthless, and promiscuous.
However, Shen Ji in front of Jiao Bai had a very big temper, was violent, and would spout CEO quotes at every turn. He thought he was hiding every change in his emotions very well, but in reality his Pikachu had long betrayed him.
He was very easy to deal with.
As for the other two CEO friends who had been online, Qi Yi Liao and Qi Zi Zhi, the former had more dealings with Jiao Bai, especially counting the scene just now.
But throughout the entire comic, Qi Yi Liao’s appearances added up to less than ten chapters, the plot was disjointed, he didn’t explain much, and his persona wasn’t clarified either. Jiao Bai had no way of seeing his life trajectory through the original work.
That white cat of Qi Yi Liao’s was also difficult to deal with, as mysterious as the man himself, not as stupid as Pikachu.
So, compared to Shen Ji, who valued desire above all else, was powerfully sharp, and disregarded the law, Qi Yi Liao had really hidden everything. The things he showed were all things he wanted to show, used to cope with the facade of those who wanted to know what kind of person he was.
The set of methods Jiao Bai used on Shen Ji wouldn’t work on Qi Yi Liao, he needed to change his approach.
The specific tactics to use depended on the opponent’s personality.
He couldn’t quite figure it out yet.
It was very difficult.
Jiao Bai wanted to grab the author of “Broken Wings” and shake them three hundred times, why didn’t they describe Qi Yi Liao more? Why, why?
The information given was too little, he had no golden finger to open, he could only rely on his own improvisation.
But his level hadn’t risen much…
Forget it, he’d put it aside for now.
Old Shen Dog’s activity level had been hovering around 50 for a few days, not moving, he didn’t know what he wanted to do.
Jiao Bai returned to his room irritably. He had been lying down for not long when he heard the sound of a car engine. Jiao Bai assumed it was Shen Ji and Chu Dong Shan’s group, and ignored it, until he heard footsteps pass by his door, and then he opened his eyes.
The sound of the footsteps wasn’t CEO-like.
Jiao Bai propped himself up from the bed, the effects of the painkiller had worn off, and he endured the pain to ease himself a bit. He put on his slippers and went to the door, tiptoeing to look out through the glass window above the door.
It was a male student.
Wearing a cotton jacket, his legs were thin like bamboo poles. He was walking towards the stairwell, fussing with his hair, seemingly trying to tidy himself up, his movements both flustered and uneasy.
Jiao Bai saw the paint on the male student’s pant legs, and his tiptoed feet returned to the ground.
The art student who was taking over Jiang Yan’s position was the one outside.
It was so late, and Qi Yi Liao still ordered someone to bring him over, tsk.
Jiao Bai scratched his stomach through his pajamas. Shen Ji’s climaxes were all about high and mighty bestowal, so what about his old friend Qi Yi Liao?
He couldn’t imagine it.
Would Qi Yi Liao elegantly arch forward?
Jiao Bai slapped his face to interrupt his own mental imagery. He lay back on the bed, and before long there were footsteps again, dragging and sluggish, a very dejected rhythm.
No way, was it over?
Jiao Bai really didn’t want to get up again, it was too tiring, but he couldn’t control himself. He opened the door.
The male student, who was walking with his head down, trembled in fright, his mouth wide open, flat nose, and a face full of acne.
He probably wanted his acne to get better soon, so he squeezed them one by one, and the infection became a bit inflamed, causing his entire face to be red and swollen.
Jiao Bai recognized this face, recognized this art student. When he debuted, Qi Yi Liao’s fan club exploded.
Because the art student’s predecessor was Jiang Yan, the difference was too great, and the fans who couldn’t accept it clamored that they wouldn’t read it, and went to spray the author for several days.
When the update day came, they all came back eagerly.
Who told them they loved this kind of dog blood?
Jiao Bai was also shocked when he saw it. At that time, all the characters that the author detailed were high in appearance, except for this art student.
At that time, Jiao Bai thought that that kind of art style shouldn’t appear again later, he didn’t expect there to be more later.
They were all people of Qi Yi Liao.
Qi Yi Liao’s standards were unique and unexpected. His fans comforted themselves with “Our Master Qi doesn’t judge people by their appearance” to deal with the other character fans.
Shen Ji’s fans had been ridiculed for a long time because he changed his bed partners too frequently, and they didn’t dare to be arrogant outside. After the people around Qi Yi Liao became consecutively fat and ugly, not even counting as ordinary, they seized this opportunity to wildly step on Qi Yi Liao.
As everyone waited for the comic update, the center of the topic changed from Qi Yi Liao having special fetishes, to him having problems in that area.
Thus,
#QiYiLiaoCantDoIt# trended on social media.
Jiao Bai scrolled through that trending topic, and just laughed it off, purely as entertainment.
But now…
Did the art student go up and down in over ten minutes? No, right?
Jiao Bai sized up the art student from top to bottom. There were indentations on the soft flesh inside the other party’s mouth, which was still open, broken, obviously bitten to endure something.
The art student’s body twitched from time to time, and there was a lot of sweat on his head, obviously he had suffered pain. And it was a very terrible kind of pain.
This was,
Had they done it?
It was very terrifying and fierce.
But it was, less than ten minutes?!!!
Jiao Bai couldn’t believe this fact. As a paper man gong, a real work session started at two hours, the passing line was from morning to night, and being able to go on until the next day was a high score.
What was going on with Qi Yi Liao? Was he really impotent?
The gongs in this comic were all donkeys. If Qi Yi Liao was really impotent, then he was a dead donkey.
However, Jiao Bai hoped that he was thinking in the wrong direction.
Because if Qi Yi Liao was really impotent, then he must be a pervert.
While Jiao Bai was thinking, the art student had been staring blankly at him, his thoughts all written on his face, quite simple. He didn’t know what Qi Yi Liao had picked him out for.
Jiao Bai could see that the art student had misunderstood him as one of Qi Yi Liao’s people too, so he decided to play along.
“Hello,” Jiao Bai smiled and took the initiative to show goodwill.
The art student blushed, and stuttered: “Y-you, you, hello.”
Jiao Bai was a little stunned. Holy crap, this voice was too good, clear and crisp, like a golden oriole.
Seeing that the art student was about to leave, Jiao Bai said to him in a low voice: “I only came here tonight, what about you?”
The art student’s volume was even lower, vaguely unclear: “I came more than half a month ago.”
“Then Mr. must like you a lot.” Jiao Bai made an expression of puzzlement, “Why did you come down so quickly tonight?”
The art student shuddered violently.
Jiao Bai patted him on the shoulder: “Buddy, I knew when you passed by me, that’s why I was surprised that you didn’t stay in Mr.’s room for long.”
The art student twisted his hands together: “I… I made a mistake.”
“Made a mistake twice.” He closed his eyes and his face was pale, as if he had escaped from some terrifying situation.
Jiao Bai was about to continue asking, when he suddenly realized that the art student’s shoulder curvature was wrong. The other party had been shrinking his shoulders back, as if he was propping up the clothes on his back, not letting the clothes stick to his skin.
“What’s wrong with your back?” Jiao Bai asked in a low voice.
The art student opened his eyes wide to look at him, and shook his head: “N-nothing… I… I’m going to leave…”
Just as Jiao Bai’s hand was about to touch the art student’s back, an old voice came from the end of the corridor.
“Xiao Ji.”
Xiao Ji suddenly distanced himself from Jiao Bai, backing away from his doorway, looking at Aunt Liu in panic and bewilderment.
Aunt Liu stood not far away, her eyes cold: “The car is waiting, aren’t you leaving?”