Han Ji did not pick up He Wenqi.
After the last message was sent, He Wenqi lost contact.
Han Ji had said he still had things to handle, but in fact, he went to pick up a car.
While having a driver was convenient, there was always a third person present. Moreover, men have a natural love for cars—enjoying the pleasure of self-control and feeling the release of speed and passion.
With a matte black body, a top-of-the-line flagship model, a handsome exterior, and a strong sense of sporty driving, it appeared much more low-profile compared to certain flamboyant luxury brands.
Han Ji was very satisfied.
After a test drive to adapt, he sent a message to He Wenqi, preparing to ask where he was so he could pick him up, but the other party did not reply for a long time.
He called directly, but the phone rang until it automatically disconnected without anyone answering.
Han Ji felt it was strange. What was He Wenqi busy with? Could he not see the messages or hear the phone ring? He said he was going home to feed the cats; Han Ji knew where He Wenqi lived, so he drove there.
Arriving downstairs, Han Ji checked his phone; there was still no reply from the other side.
Han Ji: I am downstairs at your house.
After waiting a short while, there was still no movement. He called again, and still, no one answered.
Han Ji couldn’t sit still anymore. He went upstairs and knocked on the door; no one responded.
He felt somewhat uneasy, wondering if something had happened at home. He still remembered the front door code, so he unceremoniously opened the door and went in.
No one was home; only the two cats came over one after the other to rub against his trouser legs.
He searched everywhere upstairs and downstairs, and after confirming no one was there, Han Ji hurriedly called Qiao Yuan.
“Qiao Yuan, is He Wenqi with you?”
“Han… President Han, hello.” Ever since learning that Han Ji was the company CEO, Qiao Yuan couldn’t help but speak to him with solemnity. “That… I’m eating dinner.”
“I’m asking you if He Wenqi is with you!” Who wanted to ask what he was doing.
“Brother Qi? No.” Originally, they had agreed he would cover a shift for a weekend, but He Wenqi said he wouldn’t do it and really didn’t.
Not being with Qiao Yuan, Han Ji couldn’t think of anyone else to ask.
Han Ji suddenly realized that he understood nothing about He Wenqi’s current life.
He thought that because they had lived together for over ten years growing up, regardless of how He Wenqi treated him now, he considered himself the person who knew He Wenqi best and was his closest person. But at this moment, he realized that the four missing years had pulled the distance between them very far apart. So far that he didn’t even know who else He Wenqi knew in Jing City besides Qiao Yuan.
Han Ji calmed his emotions slightly and asked again: “Qiao Yuan, He Wenqi and I made an appointment to eat dinner tonight, but I can’t contact him now. Do you know where he might go? Or do other friends know?”
Qiao Yuan: “Brother Qi isn’t the type to break an appointment for no reason; something must have delayed him. As for other friends, I’m not very clear; it seems he doesn’t usually associate much with anyone else.”
Han Ji: “If he contacts you, tell him I am looking for him.”
Qiao Yuan: “Don’t worry, President Han. Maybe Brother Qi will contact you in a bit.”
Hanging up the phone, Han Ji returned to the car and made several more calls to He Wenqi; still, no one picked up.
Han Ji: What happened? Why aren’t you answering the phone?
Han Ji: Call me back!
Han Ji was irritable and restless. He rummaged through the car, a familiar sense of imbalance hitting him; he urgently needed something to chew on. He usually liked to keep mints in the armrest box, but he forgot that this was a new car and had nothing.
Han Ji leaned back against the seat and closed his eyes, taking several deep breaths to calm himself.
Looking at the string of messages that had vanished into the ocean, Han Ji comforted himself, thinking that perhaps He Wenqi really was delayed by something, hadn’t seen the messages, or didn’t have his phone with him.
By this time, the appointed time had already passed. Han Ji called the restaurant to ask if a young man had been there; the other party replied no.
“Mr. Han, do you need to cancel your reservation?” the restaurant waiter who answered the phone asked.
“No cancellation.”
“Alright, Mr. Han, we will extend the reservation time for you. However, Mr. Han, today is Friday and we have many guests; around what time do you think you can come over?” The other party was very polite.
“Can you accept online payments?”
“Yes, Mr. Han.”
“Good. Whether I come over today or not, keep the table for me. I will settle the bill in advance.”
Han Ji sent the money through the restaurant’s online payment system and pre-deposited a sum, directly upgrading to SSSVIP status.
The lights were dim, and the starry night was blurred.
Han Ji drove aimlessly around Jing City, the joy brought by the new car long forgotten. He didn’t know where to go, let alone where he could find He Wenqi.
Time seemed to rewind to four years ago; after He Wenqi went to his school to find him, he also suddenly couldn’t be found.
At first, he didn’t care, just thinking the kid was angry and throwing a tantrum for a few days. He had many things to do himself; besides school matters, he had already started his own business as a form of experience. When he got busy, he forgot about it. It wasn’t until he finished the tasks at hand that he remembered He Wenqi hadn’t contacted him for nearly three months.
It had never been like this before; even if the two had a quarrel, He Wenqi would find him within three days. When Han Ji finally thought to contact him, he found that He Wenqi had blocked him.
However, back then he could still ask people—He Wenqi’s classmates; and there were places to search—the old house in their hometown. Although he ultimately came up empty-handed, he at least wasn’t as clueless and without a starting point as he was now.
And that time was different from the current situation.
He Wenqi had presented his university admission notice before him then, looking radiant. The setting sun reflected on him, as brilliant as a child eating candy for the first time: “Brother Ji, I got into the Animation Design major at X University.”
X University was a top-tier “Double First-Class” university in the country, and the Animation Design major was a hot and popular one; He Wenqi had ranked first in the professional exam.
“Congratulations, your year of hard work wasn’t in vain. Actually, telling me over the phone would have been fine; coming over without saying anything in advance—what if I wasn’t at school?” Han Ji hadn’t expected He Wenqi to run over directly; he was very surprised.
Since Han Ji went to university, although the two would usually have video calls, they hadn’t been face-to-face like this for a year. He Wenqi had grown another head taller.
“Brother Ji, X University is also here, in the same place as you. We can be together again in the future.”
“Hmm?” Han Ji didn’t hear clearly; several of his college classmates were calling him from a distance at the same time.
“I said, we can be together again in the future. Brother Ji, I like you. Can we… be together?”
The youth was fearless, his heart open, pulling out a warm heart with pure sincerity.
Han Ji froze, caught completely off guard.
“Han Ji, what are you doing? We’ve called you several times.” A few boys gathered around, followed by a beautiful girl with a high ponytail.
“I heard you. Is there something?” Han Ji’s mind was suddenly made messy by He Wenqi’s words; after being interrupted, he simply changed the subject.
“Zhou Xue is looking for you for something.” The boys walked over, then retreated to the side, laughing secretly.
“Han Ji, do you have a girlfriend?” Zhou Xue walked up to Han Ji with poise, glanced sideways to see He Wenqi, and asked, “Who is he?”
“He is… my neighbor, he is… my younger brother.” Han Ji was flustered and spoke randomly.
He Wenqi’s smile suddenly froze.
“What do you want with me?” Han Ji fixed his gaze on Zhou Xue.
“I asked if you have a girlfriend?” Zhou Xue didn’t shy away from He Wenqi standing nearby and continued to ask him, “If not, how about considering letting me be your girlfriend?”
Another unexpected turn; the surrounding classmates were watching them from not too far away.
Zhou Xue was very beautiful, recognized as one of the top beauties in the school; since entering school, she had no lack of pursuers. It was no secret that Zhou Xue liked Han Ji; although she never admitted it directly, during the year at university, she always looked for various opportunities to get close to Han Ji and participated in all activities where Han Ji was present.
Anyone with eyes could see it, but Han Ji himself was completely insensitive to it.
Liking someone should be a very joyful thing. Zhou Xue took a step forward, and the lightly swaying tip of her ponytail accidentally brushed across He Wenqi’s face; He Wenqi felt his cheek sting as if pricked.
“Han Ji, I really like you. Date me?” Zhou Xue’s large black eyes were bright and clear. She stretched out a hand toward Han Ji, radiating confidence.
“Brother Ji?” He Wenqi stood to the side of Zhou Xue and called him softly, looking at Han Ji with clear, transparent eyes.
“I… don’t like men,” Han Ji said in a low voice, and took Zhou Xue’s outstretched hand.
…
Screech—
Han Ji slammed on the brakes, stopping the car in the emergency lane by the side of the road.
It was after this incident that He Wenqi never appeared in his life again. He had tried to find him, but the person seemed to have vanished, until Luo Feiwen sent him that video.
Seeing He Wenqi dancing so freely on that neon-lit stage, Han Ji’s heart felt as if it were being lightly squeezed by someone, aching with a sour swelling.
He could hardly wait a moment; he flew back to the country the next day and went directly to the Night Club upon landing.
He wanted to catch the person and ask why he suddenly disappeared, and why he would be in a place like a nightclub twisting his waist and hips to please others.
Then he stumbled upon the scene where He Wenqi was held down by Zhang Wei and forced to drink the medicine.
Han Ji covered his face with both hands and took a deep breath, realizing late that He Wenqi’s current coldness and rejection of him might be related to what happened back then.
Did he… back then… break his heart?
Han Ji did take Zhou Xue’s hand at that time, but it really was just a handshake.
“Classmate Zhou Xue,” Han Ji took the hand Zhou Xue stretched out and then let go, “Thank you for liking me. I don’t have a girlfriend, and I don’t plan to look for one right now. I’m very sorry.”
That was what he had said at the time.
But He Wenqi didn’t know; at the moment Han Ji took Zhou Xue’s hand, he turned and left, not looking back no matter how much he was called.
—I don’t like men.
He said those words then; he was telling the truth. Even later on, he hadn’t figured out whether he liked men or not.
But there was one thing Han Ji could be certain of later: he regretted it. He regretted not saying “We can be together” to He Wenqi at that time.
At midnight, Han Ji drove around every place he could think of, even making a trip to the Night Club.
The search yielded no results.
Han Ji dialed the number he had already called countless times tonight once again. This time, what he heard was that the phone was powered off.