The air inside the room was damp, and the sound of the rain was like a flowing stream.
Chi Yuan looked up at the sky, thick with dark clouds. His lips curled slightly in a meaningful expression.
He rotated his watch, his crow-colored lashes dropping heavily to mask the emotions in his eyes. He had been back from Lu Huai’s house for two or three hours, yet his agitation was even greater than the oppression he had felt while waiting in the rain. No matter how many topics he cycled through in his mind, he always returned to Lu Huai’s face, a face that seemed indifferent to everyone. Chi Yuan let out a cryptic, mocking chuckle, pressed his fingertips to his forehead, and sighed to himself. Surely, he could not truly be addicted to that taste.
He pulled the slightly crumpled business card from his jacket pocket. Beneath his dark pupils, a faint chill emerged. Although he had agreed with Lu Huai on the surface, he had absolutely no intention of visiting Fang Qiming.
Having encountered Fang Ting again today, he flipped the business card over in his hand. The sharp corners poked at his fingertips, causing a slight sting. Chi Yuan felt he was increasingly unable to grasp the current situation. Fang Ting, Fang Qiming, himself, and Lu Huai; these four people occupied four corners of a puzzle that should never have been connected. Yet, somehow, he had become the one most unable to see the whole picture.
Folding the business card several times, Chi Yuan sneered and tossed it into the wastebasket beside him. He was certainly curious to see how the situation would unfold.
.
“So?” Lu Huai leaned back lazily in his chair, his expression laced with a hint of contempt. “What is the purpose of pulling me here by every means necessary? Fang Qiming…”
His gaze landed on the man. Fang Qiming was lying on the bed, his flesh appearing to be glued directly to his facial bones. A sickly pallor radiated from him, making him look somewhat terrifying upon closer inspection.
Lu Huai lowered his brows, his voice cold and direct. “Say whatever it is you have to say, and do not delay your treatment.”
“You must be very smug right now, Lu Huai!” Fang Qiming clenched the quilt, his state bordering on mania. His face was twisted into a hideous mask, all decorum lost. “Hahahaha…”
He suddenly laughed wildly, his gaze still fixed fiercely on Lu Huai, as if he could only relieve his hatred by carving a piece of flesh from him.
Lu Huai furrowed his brows deeply, his expression showing profound impatience. He had originally had no intention of responding. Had it not been for Fang Ting’s visit yesterday and the letter Fang Qiming had bribed someone to leave at his door, he would not be here.
The man was already skin and bones, yet he still had the energy to worry about him. Lu Huai did not know how he should feel about that.
Lu Huai looked up with a mocking smile, his eyes filled with a chilling coldness. Under this gaze, Fang Qiming stopped his wild laughter, bit his lip, and lowered his head, shrinking away.
“Why would I be smug?” Lu Huai’s gaze swept past Fang Qiming indifferently. “Because of you, or because of Chi Yuan?”
When Fang Qiming heard Chi Yuan’s name, his eyes turned bloodshot. He bit his lip and demanded sharply, “You know Chen Ying, do you not?”
Chen Ying. Lu Huai lifted his eyes. He did remember the person. That man had ties to Ling Zhi, and they had met a few times, though they were not close. However, what he remembered more vividly was that Chen Ying was the one Fang Qiming had been mutually attracted to. Why would Fang Qiming ask this?
There was no need to argue. Lu Huai met Fang Qiming’s gaze and nodded slightly. “I do know him.”
“So it was you! You are the reason Chi Yuan misunderstood!”
It was as if Lu Huai’s words had acted as a trigger. Fang Qiming’s reaction became violently intense. Had it not been for the restraints on the bed, Lu Huai had no doubt the man would have charged at him. What was he saying? Lu Huai frowned, feeling that his moment of pity had been a mistake. Moreover, this should be Chi Yuan’s burden to bear, not his. Why did he have to deal with this? Did he truly care about the threats of life and death that Fang Qiming was using against him?
“Fang Qiming…” Lu Huai found it laughable. He leaned in closer and whispered, “Do you even know what you are doing?”
“Do you think that blaming others for all your troubles will lighten your guilt?” His voice lowered, each word biting and ruthless. “Is this meant to be a way of winning him back, through a total loss of dignity and arrogance? Or is this just melodramatic obsession?”
Fang Qiming could not endure such an insult. He stiffened his neck, his face, usually gentle but now marred by illness and his own actions, becoming hateful. He trembled as he tried to retort, “Lu Huai, you!”
Lu Huai sighed and interrupted him, his expression cold and frozen. “I have no time to play your emotional games.”
“I only came because I felt you were pathetic. If you have nothing serious to say, I shall take my leave.”
Lu Huai turned to go, only to be stopped by Fang Qiming’s shout: “You will pay the price!”
The price? He turned his head slightly, his brow and eyes full of irony. For every gain, there is a loss. Lu Huai felt he could account for those costs himself without needing others to tell him.
Taking advantage of Lu Huai’s pause, Fang Qiming let out the malice in his chest. His usually submissive eyes were now filled with poisonous, twisted emotions, as if he were truly possessed. His veins bulged on his wrists, which looked thin enough to snap. Fang Qiming, using his strength to prop himself up, vented at Lu Huai’s back: “You call me pathetic? You say I lost my dignity? Are you not proud? Lu Huai? Sooner or later, you will be trampled into the mud like me, and you will end up with nothing!”
But Lu Huai did not stop his pace.
Fang Qiming continued to shriek abuse: “Why do you think anyone would love you? With your high and mighty attitude and your hypocritical way of pretending not to care about anything, how could Chi Yuan ever love you? Do you think no one knows about the diary and the tapes? Lu Huai, you are clearly more disgusting than I am! You say you do not want things only because you cannot have them. How cheap are you?”
Fang Qiming poured it all out without reservation. Seeing Lu Huai’s hand reaching for the door handle, he wanted to squeeze in one last remark.
“Lu Huai, I hate you!”
Silence.
“I will not.” Lu Huai did not turn his head. His gaze fell on the back of his hand, as if watching the dust motes in the air. “Love or not, I will bear it. As for the rest, I will not. There is no sooner or later, and there is no such possibility.”
This sudden flash of sharpness stunned Fang Qiming. He stared blankly for a moment, then began to laugh uncontrollably, as if cursed, muttering the same sentence over and over: “You will. You definitely will… My brother promised me that you would lose every…”
“Fang Qiming! Shut up!”
The door in front of Lu Huai suddenly opened.
He looked up in surprise and caught sight of Fang Ting’s stern face.
Fang Ting first offered him an apologetic smile, then turned and barked at Fang Qiming, who had been silenced by the shout: “Nonsense! Fang Qiming, if you act like this again, I will send you abroad!”
“Brother!”
“Shut up!”
Fang Ting reprimanded him severely. Seeing that Fang Qiming had gone completely silent, he turned his attention to Lu Huai: “Mr. Lu, I am sorry. My brother, he…”
“I have no interest in your family matters.” Lu Huai interrupted, frowning. “I am leaving.”
“Wait.” Fang Ting followed Lu Huai’s footsteps out of the room and closed the door. He adjusted his glasses and smiled. “There is no time like the present. Why not let me treat you to a cup of tea, Mr. Lu?”
Lu Huai raised an eyebrow. He had been suspicious of Fang Ting’s actions since yesterday. While Fang Qiming might truly have gone insane, the slip of the tongue was enough to alert him. He looked coldly at the smiling Fang Ting and nodded. “Very well.”
.
Fang Ting explained: “My brother, he is actually mentally unstable. But these are family matters, and it is not my place to say more. I just hope Mr. Lu can be understanding.”
“Let us get straight to the point.” Lu Huai lowered his eyes, wearing a cold sneer. “I have already said, I do not care.”
Fang Ting smiled in agreement. He pondered for a moment, his hands clasped tightly as if hesitating: “Chi Yuan, yesterday…”
“If you do not get to the point, I will assume you are wasting my time, Mr. Fang.”
Lu Huai’s gaze turned cold, his tone flat. He watched Fang Ting beat around the bush; he was still angry from Fang Qiming’s words, and now he was extremely impatient.
He knew the man had ill intentions. He only wanted to see what medicine Fang Ting was selling in his gourd. But he also believed that if he ignored the man, he would still be able to find out the truth himself. He was simply out of patience.
“Regarding Star River, I believe Mr. Lu has already investigated it thoroughly.” Even with Lu Huai’s harsh words, Fang Ting remained calm. “I have no ill intentions. I am simply impressed by Mr. Lu’s methods and would like to be friends with you.”
Hearing this, Lu Huai’s eyes deepened, feeling that Fang Ting was quite cunning.
He looked down and smiled, his voice cold. “I do not believe that is Mr. Fang’s true intention.”
Fang Ting stopped smiling and stood up to pour Lu Huai a cup of tea. “Mr. Lu…”
“Just call me Lu Huai.” Lu Huai interrupted him, his smile not reaching his eyes. “If you wish to interfere with Star River, there is no need to beat around the bush here. I only care about the project I am working on with them. You may do as you please.”
Lu Huai spoke flawlessly. Seeing Fang Ting lose his calm composure, he looked down and took a sip of tea.
“If Mr. Fang has nothing else to say…” Lu Huai stood up, the corners of his lips curving slightly. “I shall take my leave.”
Fang Ting could not stop him.
His gaze was sinister as he stared at the teapot. It contained top-grade Junshan Yinzhen, which he had prepared according to Lu Huai’s preferences. In the end, it was only lightly tasted.
After a while, he laughed eerily and removed his glasses. Fang Ting picked up Lu Huai’s teacup, his gaze fixed on the rim where Lu Huai’s lips had touched, and a hint of madness flashed in his eyes.
Lu Huai, to break such a person, naturally, one must make him lose everything and shatter his pride until he chooses to submit of his own accord; that would be interesting.
He could not tolerate the love Fang Qiming had for him; settling for less in the end only invited resentment.
He had coveted Lu Huai for a long time, yet only today had he heard that news from his good brother. Lu Huai actually liked Chi Yuan? Fang Ting’s fingertips wiped slowly along the edge of the cup, his eyes full of intrigue.
So, it is Chi Yuan again.
He laughed softly and rubbed the teacup in his palm, sighing. It does not matter, as long as my plan can be executed smoothly.