TSIBAMS Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Qi Guang closed his eyes and took a deep breath, slowly turning around.

The person in front of him was no different from two years ago. He particularly loathed those eyes, eyes exactly like his own, which, on this person, were anything but gentle, extremely annoying.

The man spoke slowly, his voice firm and resolute, devoid of any surprise at being reunited, only blame, “Am I not good to you? Isn’t everything at home provided for? You’re served like a young master! And you run off here to serve others?!”

Qi Guang tried his best to steady his breathing, looking directly at him, his gaze piercing.

The person before him showed no fear of his sharp look, reaching out to pull his hand, “Come back with me, the past is all water under the bridge.”

Qi Guang forcefully shook off his hand, his tone icy, “Water under the bridge? You say that so casually, do you even have the right to make it water under the bridge?”

“Qi Guang! Do you know who you’re talking to?”

“Qi Jingsheng! Who do you think you are?” Qi Guang said, looking straight at the person before him, raising an eyebrow.

He never expected that his father, whom he used to have to look up to two years ago, was now the same height as him.

Qi Jingsheng chuckled disdainfully, “As expected, a poor place breeds troublesome people, you shouldn’t have come to this place.”

Qi Guang knew that he had always looked down on this place, which was why, before he was ten, he had never visited it even once. Of course, Qi Jingsheng also didn’t expect that after running away from home, he would return here. Qi Guang couldn’t help but sneer, “This is where I was born, where I grew up, the one who shouldn’t be here is you!”

“Come back with me!” Qi Jingsheng didn’t have the patience for lip service, reaching out to grab him again.

Unsurprisingly, Qi Guang shook him off again, “Go back with you? To watch you and those two women live happily as a family? And remind me that it was these two people who killed my mother? Oh, right, and you too!”

Qi Guang’s voice grew louder and louder, becoming increasingly furious. To exert all his strength, he instinctively leaned forward, as if a beast within him was about to be summoned at any moment.

After all, it was a beast that had been suppressed for two years.

Qi Jingsheng, however, was unexpectedly calm. He answered seriously, “You need to understand, your mother’s death was just an accident, we were all very sad.”

“Put away that face of yours. Even if my mother’s death was an accident, none of you are innocent! You can put on a show in front of others, but don’t come and insult me!” Qi Guang felt his body trembling. To hide his panic, he shoved his hand into his pocket.

There was a pack of cigarettes in his pocket!

At this moment, anything could temporarily support him. Qi Guang, as if discovering a lifeline, gripped the cigarettes tightly with his trembling hand.

After all, Qi Jingsheng had been through many battles. Even in the face of his own son’s aggressive posture and tone, he could communicate calmly, “Qi Guang, in these two years, we haven’t stopped looking for you. Although we didn’t get along very well before, and there were many misunderstandings, so much time has passed, it’s time to let go of some things, and you should grow up.”

“Qi Jingsheng, do you really think we’re like this now because of misunderstandings? Are you going to say that those were just my absurd actions during my rebellious phase? I didn’t expect someone who’s almost fifty to be so naive.” Qi Guang leaned against the door, not daring to lean on it too hard. The music inside the bar and the good soundproofing of the door meant that the people inside wouldn’t hear what was being said outside, but he was still a little afraid, afraid that the door would open, afraid of running into someone other than Brother Xu.

He was more afraid of being seen by others in his current disheveled state, his mind clouded by anger, more afraid of them seeing his biological father looking down at this place, looking down at his life.

But Qi Jingsheng remained calm, his voice loud but still composed, “Is that not the case? What kind of hatred can exist between parents and children? Would I harm you? Why do you think I’ve been looking for you these two years?”

Qi Guang tried his best to steady his breathing, his voice slightly trembling, “Are you looking for me just because I’m your son? Mr. Qi, it must be uncomfortable having people laughing behind your back for the past two years! A ‘desperate search’, it must have moved you so much. But I’m sorry, you may not harm me, but I can’t guarantee I won’t harm you, or your new wife.”

He really didn’t know how to stop his body from trembling. He took out the cigarette pack from his pocket, took one out and lit it. He hadn’t even had time to put it to his mouth when his hand was grabbed by Qi Jingsheng.

He looked at Qi Guang with a serious expression, his eyes filled with a mixture of helplessness and disappointment at his incorrigibility.

“I don’t know what your teachers here have been teaching you, turning you into this, but today you are coming back with me no matter what!”

Qi Jingsheng, without explanation, pulled him towards the car. He was a little powerless and it was only when he was dragged to the car door that he reacted.

Qi Guang supported himself on the door with one hand, turned his head and looked at Qi Jingsheng, saying, “If you insist on taking me away, then you’ll have to take my corpse.”

The calm way Qi Guang spoke these words was strange, and Qi Jingsheng was clearly startled.

“What did you say?!”

Qi Guang pulled up his sleeve. The scars on his arm were not very clear under the streetlight, but the distance was close enough, “I’ve already died once, I’m not afraid to do it again.”

“Qi Guang…I didn’t expect you…” Qi Jingsheng looked at Qi Guang in disbelief. This was not the rebellious teenager who used to act up, but an unpredictable person whom, apart from blood relations, he did not know more about.

Shocked, his hand unconsciously loosened a little, and Qi Guang immediately pulled his hand away.

Before he had even eased the pain from his wrist, Qi Guang saw a woman sitting in the passenger seat of the car. It was the person who had caused his family’s ruin, whom he would recognize even if she was ashes.

He actually had the gall to bring this woman to this place!

She did not deserve it.

Qi Guang was instantly filled with rage, punching the car window, yelling at him loudly—

“You can get lost now!”

Qi Jingsheng was not intimidated by his voice. His expression was somewhat dejected. He didn’t expect that he, who could dominate the business world, couldn’t handle his own son, who would rather die than go home with him.

Was he so hateful?

He steadied himself and asked, “Fine, I’ll ask you one more time, do you really want to live this miserable life here? With no money, no relatives, and having to work in a place like this.”

“To your disappointment, I’m doing very well, excuse me,” Qi Guang stood up straight, turned sideways, and walked towards 1984.

“Qi Guang, remember what you said today, I’m waiting for you to come and find me,” Qi Jingsheng said behind him.

“Don’t even dream about it.” Qi Guang didn’t turn back, opened the door, and closed it naturally, as if drawing a clear line between them.

Qi Jingsheng watched him disappear inside the doorway, muttering to himself, “You will come to find me.”

It wasn’t yet the busy time at 1984, only a few tables of customers were sitting scattered about playing on their phones. The piano music playing in the bar was also making people drowsy.

Qi Guang walked straight to the bar, supporting himself on a high stool for a bit.

“I almost rushed out just now,” Brother Xu handed him a glass of water.

“It’s a good thing I held you back,” Bai Shu glanced at Qi Guang helplessly, “Otherwise someone would definitely end up in the hospital.”

Brother Xu stretched his neck, “I still know my limits, after all, this is the doorstep of my own bar.”

Qi Guang didn’t say anything, taking the water and drinking it all in one go.

He put the empty glass back in its place. Brother Xu, holding a water pitcher, poured another glass for him. Then, Brother Xu’s eyes swept over Qi Guang and noticed the clothes he was wearing, “Why are you wearing Bai Shu’s clothes?”

It was only then that Qi Guang reacted. He looked down at the hoodie he was wearing and replied, “No wonder it’s a little small, I just grabbed it from the sofa.”

As he was about to take it off, Bai Shu stopped him, “It’s okay, you can keep wearing it.”

“No, I…” Qi Guang was a bit embarrassed, after all, he wasn’t that close to Bai Shu. More importantly, he had just been seething with rage a while ago and felt… “a bit hot.”

“Okay, just put it on the chair then.”

“Oh, right,” Qi Guang took out the crumpled cigarette pack from his pocket, “Sorry.”

Bai Shu smiled and looked at Brother Xu, “It’s okay, it’s not mine.”

Brother Xu looked at the absent-minded Qi Guang, not saying anything.

“I’ll go check upstairs,” Bai Shu stood up and patted Qi Guang’s shoulder.

Brother Xu came out from behind the bar, pulled out a high stool, and sat down next to Qi Guang, “Is the matter resolved?”

“I guess so, I’ve already made my words quite clear anyway.”

“Then why do you look like this?”

Like a soulless ghost.

Brother Xu held up his phone screen, showing Qi Guang his reflection.

Qi Guang pushed away his phone, turning his head to the side, “He actually brought that bitch here, how can they be so arrogant!”

“The one in the car?” Brother Xu asked.

“Yeah.”

“I should have gone out there, smashed the window and her face with one blow.”

Qi Guang didn’t know whether Brother Xu was teasing him or if he was really just unable to restrain his gangster nature. Although he didn’t want to laugh at this time, he couldn’t help but smile a little.

“Did you talk to him about this?” Qi Guang didn’t specify whom he was talking about, but other than Bai Shu, there was no other “he” between them.

“No, he wasn’t curious either. Besides, I wouldn’t talk about your stuff to just anyone,” Brother Xu was fiddling with a strangely shaped cigarette pack, trying to restore it to its original form.

“It’s okay, I said that you’re not an outsider. I trust your friends too,” Qi Guang sat on the high stool, his feet still firmly on the ground, “But… don’t make me say it, I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Okay, I understand,” Brother Xu picked up his jacket from the chair, putting the cigarette pack back in.

Qi Guang looked at the jacket in his hand, “How come Bai Shu’s clothes are at your place? I thought you started wearing tight clothes.”

“He lives alone, I live alone too. Sometimes he comes to my place to cook and then comes straight to the bar, it’s more convenient,” Brother Xu replied.

“I don’t think it’s just ‘sometimes’, more like ‘often’,” Qi Guang smiled.

Brother Xu looked up, “This afternoon I already felt like you were subtly trying to ask me something, just say it directly.”

“Ah?” Qi Guang was confused, “Say what directly?”

“Did you hear something?” Brother Xu asked.

“Hear what?” Qi Guang still looked bewildered.

Brother Xu swallowed, “About… Bai Shu.”

“No, I’m not that familiar with him, plus I’m not curious about other people,” Qi Guang said.

“Okay,” Brother Xu sighed, pushing Qi Guang toward the exit, “You look like you’re out of it today, go home and rest early.”