A chance was something given to others as well as to oneself. When Chu Yao had agreed to be with Xie Linxi, he had thought it through carefully and meant it to last forever. Life was long, and there were bound to be a few wrong turns along the way. Even when his father was alive and his parents had been on such good terms, they still argued sometimes. So now that they’d talked things through, if Xie Linxi was smart, he’d keep his distance from that person. But if he kept seeing him, then he wouldn’t be worth Chu Yao’s effort anymore.
Chu Yao wasn’t petty. There was nothing wrong with normal contact, but he did have his limits. He couldn’t accept a partner straying emotionally or physically, not in the slightest.
“I promise I won’t have anything to do with him from now on.” Sitting beside Chu Yao, Xie Linxi tugged lightly at the man’s sleeve, looking obedient and a little ingratiating.
“Don’t be mad at me.” He’d simply been caught off guard by all those coincidences and found them a little novel. He really hadn’t meant anything by it.
“I’m not that angry.” Chu Yao set the freshly rinsed bowl and chopsticks in front of him.
“Let’s drop it.” Just then, the waiter brought over their food. Xie Linxi obediently let the subject go and cleverly changed the topic.
“Did you compete today?” He glanced at Chu Yao as he picked up the blue drink decorated with butterfly-and-flower motifs and took small sips.
“Yeah. I won.” Chu Yao rinsed his own bowl and chopsticks, then began eating unhurriedly.
Xie Linxi’s gaze traveled over the exposed skin on Chu Yao’s body. Only after confirming there were no obvious injuries did he ask, “So, are you going to have to train harder for a while?”
After all, Chu Yao would soon be facing world-class fighters.
“The training will be a little more intense.” Chu Yao usually ate a lot of fish, so he used the serving chopsticks to pick the bones from a piece and put it in Xie Linxi’s bowl.
“It won’t change much.” In other words, they could still meet for meals and dates as usual. He was pretty fearless about it.
As someone close to Chu Yao, Xie Linxi naturally felt the pride swelling from deep within him. He set down his drink, his chest warm.
“How are you so amazing?” He turned and hugged Chu Yao.
“It’s just what I’m good at.” Chu Yao put an arm around his shoulders, then let go.
“Come on, eat. I’ll take you back when we’re done,” Chu Yao said. Xie Linxi released him.
Over the next half hour, he glanced at Chu Yao several times as if he wanted to say something, but held back. Only after they’d finished eating and Chu Yao had paid the bill and they were outside did he speak, his earlobes faintly red.
“We’ve been together for months now.” They’d done nothing but hold hands and hug.
“?” Chu Yao didn’t understand what he meant. At this point, it hadn’t even crossed his mind.
Under the streetlights, Xie Linxi’s earlobes grew even redder. He murmured, “I’ve been an adult for ages.”
“…” Only then did Chu Yao notice the bashful, veiled look in his eyes. He took Xie Linxi’s hand.
“It’s not time yet.” He couldn’t even give Xie Linxi a decent life right now. How could he take things further?
Xie Linxi should have been happy, since it meant Chu Yao was taking their relationship seriously. But for some reason, he still felt a little disappointed. So all the way to the school gates, he kept sighing pointedly, making sure Chu Yao could hear.
“Want to have dinner together tomorrow night?” Xie Linxi held one of Chu Yao’s fingers and gave it a little sway. Chu Yao met his gaze, his expression softening.
“Sure. I’ll come over tomorrow.” That meant going to the restaurant Xie Linxi liked.
“Then I’ll start waiting right now…” Xie Linxi drew out the last word, acting coy in front of Chu Yao.
Chu Yao chuckled. “If that’s too long, you can start waiting tomorrow.”
Seeing him smile, Xie Linxi broke into a big grin too. “It’s not long at all. Just a dozen or so hours.”
They lingered together, chatting for a while before finally wishing each other good night. When Chu Yao got home, his mother was already asleep. He moved quietly, washed up quickly in the bathroom, then checked the doors, windows, and gas. After making sure everything was in order, he went to his room to sleep.
The next day, after breakfast, Chu Yao packed the medical records, bank card, and other things into a sports duffel.
“Mom, do you want me to curl your hair?”
“I don’t know how to do it,” his mother said. She’d always been hopeless at that sort of thing, both back when Chu Yao’s father had spoiled her and now.
Chu Yao found a video online. “Let me give it a try.” He plugged in the curling iron.
“Honestly, I think it looks fine as it is…” His mother seemed reluctant to sit down.
“It looks natural,” she added. Chu Yao gently reassured her.
“It’s fine. I’ll make it look pretty, I promise.” His confidence only made his mother more nervous.
“Just be careful, okay?” She was genuinely a little scared.
“Sure, don’t worry.” Before things had gone wrong at home, his mother had always cared a lot about her appearance. He didn’t want her to settle for less now, either.
His mother watched herself in the mirror with her heart in her throat, afraid Chu Yao would burn what little hair she had left.
“Is it about done?” Every few seconds, she asked the same thing.
“I think that should do it.” Chu Yao set down the curling iron and tidied her hair a little with his fingers. Then he nodded in satisfaction.
“Looks good,” Chu Yao said. His mother was a little surprised by the result.
“Not bad for a first try.”
“The online tutorial was very thorough.” Chu Yao unplugged the curling iron.
“Let’s go. The sooner we get there, the sooner we’ll be back.”
They always found the drive to the hospital difficult, but neither of them showed it, not wanting to worry the other. Fortunately, the results of the full examination were good. She’d reached the point where she could stop taking her medication. The tension Chu Yao had been carrying for so long finally eased, just a little.
“You won’t need to take medicine anymore.”
“That’s right. No more medicine.” His mother’s voice was hoarse. She tilted her face toward the sun, her eyes glistening.
“You’ve had a hard time all these years.”
“It’s been all right.” Chu Yao handed her a tissue.
“Do you want to cry?”
“…” His mother said, “Could you not be so blunt? I have my pride, too.”
Chu Yao laughed. “Okay. I’ll be more tactful next time.”
On the way home, they were both noticeably more relaxed and even felt like joking around. Just as they were talking, Chu Yao’s phone chimed.
It was a message from Chen Hongyang: [Come to the club later. Remember to use the back entrance.] Chu Yao read it and sent back a one-word reply: “Okay.”
“Going to the club?” His mother heard the notification and turned from the passenger seat to look at him.
Chu Yao nodded. “I need to train.” He paused, still not quite reassured.
“Will you be all right at home by yourself? Should I ask Aunt He to come over?” Aunt He was a temp worker he’d hired. Whenever he was busy or couldn’t be there, she looked after his mother.
His mother shook her head. She didn’t want to keep holding him back.
“No, I can take care of myself.”
“Then remember to wear your phone watch.” After getting out of the car, Chu Yao walked her home, then changed into casual clothes before heading out again. His mother cooperated readily.
“I’ve got it on.”
“See you tonight.” Chu Yao smiled and said goodbye, put on his baseball cap, and left again.
Half an hour later, at Mengyi Club, Chen Hongyang waved to him from beside the floor-to-ceiling window. “Chu Yao, come over here and take a look.”
Chu Yao pulled on his boxing gloves as he walked over. “What is it?”
“See that drone?” Chen Hongyang lifted his chin, his expression complicated, then lowered his eyes to indicate the street below.
“That Black Mesh guy who keeps saying he wants to take care of you followed you all the way here.”
Thanks to the little angel who sent a landmine: wzjszlz, 1.