Chapter 13: CH 13

Sometimes, life is like a dream. A few days ago, the two of them were still intimate. Today, they are walking down their own paths.

In ‘C’ University, the finance building and the accounting building were situated next to each other, as the university can only be so big. You could walk in and out of the university, and 1 out of 10 times, you’ll run into the person you didn’t really want to meet.

Fang Qi and the gang always did things together and all of them were handsome and wealthy young men. No matter who it was from the group, they were all famous people of ‘C’ University. And no doubt Huo Ming Chen was the top of the top. He seemed to have returned to his days of his youth, doing everything and anything without a care in the world, unrestrained. He enticed people to come closer but also made people scared of approaching him.

Lu Qi had classes in the afternoon, and he always had the habit of going ten minutes earlier to find a seat. They say that if you are avoiding someone, you will definitely see them. A couple of meters away, he could see the group that called Huo Ming Chen their leader. 

After that one night passed, Lu Qi had let it all go. There are always gold mountains out there somewhere. He kept an air of normality and did not hide. But he also did not greet them and just calmly passed by. 

“Ah, isn’t that……”

Fang Qi did not know they broke up, and when he saw Lu Qi, he wanted to greet him. Huo Ming Chen gave him a quick kick and said as he looked away,

“Don’t greet those you don’t know.”

“Ack, did you eat something weird?”

Fang Qi thought to himself that whenever they met on the streets like this, Huo Ming Chen always went up to say hi, no matter how hard he tried to stop him. But now it’s weird between the both of them as they seemed to have changed personalities.

Cheng Tian Yao sensed that something was going on and looked back at Lu Qi’s silhouette, thinking about something. He thought he guessed the problem, and patted Huo Ming Chen’s shoulder in consolation,

“Hey, alright, how old are you to still be throwing tantrums? Whatever problem you two are having, just say it. There isn’t anything that can’t be resolved between brothers.”

Huo Ming Chen snorted, eyes ice cold, 

“Hmph, who wants to be brothers with him.”

Do people have sex with their brothers?

Fang Qi was the only one that knew the two of them were in a relationship, and he really wanted to ask about the situation. However, there were too many eyes around them, so he waited until lunch before dragging Huo Ming Chen away.

“Ya, what is up with the two of you? What are you guys doing?”

Fang Qi normally looks stupid, but for important situations like these, he can see things pretty clearly. He was afraid that these two were making an issue out of nothing,

“You two were fine when you first got together. What’s with the distance between you two? There are some things that you won’t be able to notice, but as onlookers we can see it very clearly and Lu Qi has been pretty good to you. If you are fighting, then talk about it and clear up air. If you can’t solve it, then endure it. Don’t give up now. The problem will pass soon.”

Huo Ming Chen thought to himself he’s already growing a green pasture over his head1, what else would he have to endure? Was he such a simpering bastard that he’d just let Lu Qi walk all over him?

“There are some things you just don’t understand.”

He extinguished his cigarette on the table with force, only letting go when it was mushed up and in pieces. He thought about over and over and then couldn’t hold it back anymore,

“He cheated……”

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“What? Who cheated? You or Lu Qi?”

“Do you believe him or do you believe me? That woman was literally hanging on to him as they went into a hotel.”

He was not that bored to put a green hat on his head2.

Fang Qi was silent for a very long time as he didn’t really know what to say. After a while, he said quietly,

“……Is that woman still alive?”

He was not kidding. If the person being cheated on is Huo Ming Chen, that question must be asked.

Huo Ming Chen’s face became colder and colder as he heard that. He slowly leaned back, and his face was emotionless. 

“…… I haven’t investigated it yet.”

Fang Qi saw the expression on his face and knew that there would not be a good ending to this. Huo Ming Chen hasn’t returned to reality yet, still too stunned about the situation. Once he does and starts looking for payback, Lu Qi wouldn’t be in too much trouble, but that woman, oh that poor woman. 

“Right right right. It’s perfect that you haven’t checked yet. I’ll help you investigate, see who is this woman who ate a pill of courage to become a homewrecker!”

Filled with justice, he took over the situation, scared that Huo Ming Chen would turn this into something bigger, something much bigger that could not be stopped.

Lu Qi was oblivious to everything, and in a blink of an eye, half the school term was already over. Then midterms were fast approaching, and he put all his effort into obtaining scholarships and rewards.

Friday was Sports Day, and the teams were split between the majors. Lu Qi was too lazy to join any of the competitions, as it would take time away from his studies. Instead he voluntarily signed up to join the event team that sets up the fields.

It has been freezing cold lately, and today was a rare warm sunny day. After he moved a small portion of the chairs, he lazily sat down, soaking up the sun’s warmth. Suddenly, he was covered by shadows.

He opened his eyes and took in the situation, his sharp and quiet stare was like a still, frozen pond. Fang Qi felt his back growing cold, being stared at so intensely by Lu Qi. He unconsciously took a half step backwards, and then remembered why he came. He boosted up his confidence and stepped half a step forward again.

Lu Qi sighed and patted his head, returning back to looking like a harmless human being,

“Why are you here?”

Fang Qi moved a chair to sit near him.

“You are intelligent, so you should already know why I’m here. There are some things that have been greatly misunderstood, and there just needs a simple explanation to dissolve it.”

Notes:

*1 growing a green pasture over his head is a saying that means your partner has cheated on the person and had sex/relationships with other people – usually the greener or the larger the pasture it is referenced, the more people/more times your partner has cheated on you. So with this, Huo Ming Chen is referencing that Lu Qi cheated. You can also say “被绿了”, meaning “I’ve been green” or like in footnote 2, “wearing a green hat” which means you’ve been/are being cheated on.

There’s a lot of bad connotations with green which is based on multiple factors of history and other myths and legends such as turtles (don’t hide like a coward, like a turtle) or in some dynasties, those related to prostitutes (in the same family, blood related or married to) were supposed to wear a green scarf.

*2   As like footnote 1, growing a green pasture over his head is like wearing a green hat. It’s also been associated that if you wear a green hat, you should be ashamed/embarrassed (as you’re going to be or already have been cheated on). This kind of saying has been around quite a long time (albeit in the beginning, it meant a different thing) but no one really knows where it originated from. You can search up “绿帽子” to see some of the commonly used stickers for chats which are mostly self mocking or tease(or to curse) someone.

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