TLLKTBD CH 28

Chapter 28: Sorry, I’m Not Him

Xu Yang led Qi Shaobai into the house. For a brief moment before turning on the lights, an awkward silence hung between them. Both seemed to recall the last time they had entered this place together—

In the darkness, Qi Shaobai had been pinned against the door by Xu Yang, kissed until his legs nearly gave out. Clothes were yanked and torn in a tangled struggle, their impatience making them almost crash onto the dining table right then and there. Harsh breaths and low growls mixed with soft moans, sweat-drenched skin pressing together, and the humid, lingering scent of intimacy…

Xu Yang stiffened for a second before swiftly flipping the light switch with a loud snap. The warm yellow glow instantly filled every corner of the room, dispelling the lingering traces of that heated memory.

Qi Shaobai, still covered in dirt and grime, stood at the doorway. His face, smudged with soot, had been wiped with wet tissues, but streaks of black and gray remained. Yet even so, his reddened ears were impossible to hide.

Xu Yang strode further inside and pointed to the room opposite the master bedroom. “You’ll sleep in the guest room.”

His tone was casual, but given the thoughts that had just crossed their minds, the words sounded oddly conspicuous. If not the guest room, then what? His bed? Both of them immediately registered how awkward that sounded.

“Ahem.” Xu Yang, thick-skinned as ever, continued as if nothing had happened. “I’ll get you some clean clothes. Wait here.”

He soon returned from his bedroom with a fresh set of pajamas, underwear, a new toothbrush, and a towel for washing up. Handing them over, he said, “Go wash up. You can use any of the towels inside.”

Qi Shaobai gratefully accepted them and softly murmured, “Thanks,” before heading into the guest bathroom.

Inside, he stripped off his clothes and glanced at the mirror, seeing his body covered in bruises and minor wounds. Though not severe, washing up would be troublesome. He hesitated briefly, then dismissed the thought—there was no way just wiping down would feel clean.

Forget it. He’d just take a proper shower.

Ignoring the doctor’s advice about keeping his wounds dry, he turned on the shower and let the water run freely over him, enjoying the refreshing sensation.

Hearing the continuous sound of running water from outside, Xu Yang immediately realized that Qi Shaobai had ignored his instructions and was showering directly. His brows furrowed in frustration.

This kid… Always so reckless, never thinking ahead! Can’t even be trusted to take care of himself!

Annoyed, he muttered complaints under his breath, yet his hands had already begun rummaging through the house’s medical kit, preparing to reapply medicine for him.

Qi Shaobai finished his shower and even took the time to quickly wash his dirty clothes—otherwise, he wouldn’t have anything to wear when going out tomorrow.

After changing into the clean pajamas, he noticed that the new underwear was a bit loose. That was to be expected—Xu Yang was tall and well-built from years of working out. The man was at least ten centimeters taller than him, so naturally, his clothes wouldn’t fit properly.

But after putting on the pajama set, Qi Shaobai started feeling a bit strange.

Sure, the clothes were too big for him, but they clearly weren’t Xu Yang’s size either. There was no way Xu Yang could fit into them.

Tilting his head slightly, Qi Shaobai thought for a moment. Ah… these must have been prepared for Qian-ge, right?

He let out a small smile, rolling up the oversized sleeves and pant legs with a helpless sigh.

I really never had any intention of taking what doesn’t belong to me.

Xu Yang’s expression darkened as he watched Qi Shaobai step out of the bathroom.

“You’re done?” he asked, stating the obvious.

“All done. Thank you, Director.” Qi Shaobai nodded obediently.

“Come here. I need to change your dressing.” Xu Yang didn’t even bother asking—he simply ordered.

“…” Qi Shaobai hadn’t expected Xu Yang to notice that he had gotten his wounds wet. He had planned to secretly pat them dry and leave it at that. But now that he was caught red-handed, there was no point in arguing.

Quietly, he walked over and extended his arm, letting Xu Yang disinfect, apply medicine, and wrap the bandages again. Throughout the process, Xu Yang’s face remained grim, but his hands were unexpectedly gentle. For someone like Qi Shaobai, who was afraid of pain, it was a relief that the dressing change wasn’t as bad as he had feared.

“Thank you, Director. Sorry for troubling you… It looks… really nice.”

After Xu Yang finished, Qi Shaobai sincerely expressed his gratitude once more. He smiled as he looked at the bandage, admiring Xu Yang’s skill—though he couldn’t help but notice how excessively wrapped it was.

“…” Xu Yang glanced at the gauze, realizing he had accidentally wrapped a few extra layers. He felt a little annoyed with himself.

Still, his mouth remained as sharp as ever. “If you don’t want to trouble others, then stop doing dumb things that need cleaning up. You’re already an adult, yet you’re still as reckless as a kid—completely unreliable.”

As he packed away the medical supplies, his nagging only intensified. “You’ve been with Lu Qian for months now, haven’t you? How come you haven’t learned even a bit of his steadiness? You’re always so—”

Xu Yang suddenly sensed that something was off. He looked up at Qi Shaobai.

Qi Shaobai was still smiling. But he said, “Sorry, I’m not him.”

His voice was light, his expression calm. Yet for some reason, it unsettled Xu Yang.

“I didn’t mean it like that, I was just—” Xu Yang tried to explain, but Qi Shaobai interrupted him.

“Director, I’d like to take a day off tomorrow. I need to replace my phone and buy some essentials. After that, I’ll start looking for a place to stay.”

He bowed slightly with a bright smile. “Thank you for tonight. Goodnight.”

Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked back to the guest room.

Xu Yang watched his retreating figure—still smiling, yet clearly holding back anger.

A complicated feeling swirled in his chest.

Xu Yang left a note on Qi Shaobai’s door:

“Leave approved for tomorrow. No rush in finding a place.”

After thinking about it for a moment—tonight’s fire had been terrifying—he added another line:

“Safety first.”

The next morning, as soon as Xu Yang stepped out of his room, he noticed that the note on the opposite door was gone. He pushed open the slightly ajar guest room door and saw that the bed was neatly made. Even the pajamas had been washed and were now hanging to dry in the bathroom.

Xu Yang took the pajamas out, intending to hang them on the balcony. But as he left the guest room, he noticed a note stuck to his own bedroom door.

It had just one word:

“Thank you.”

Qi Shaobai had left early in the morning. Xu Yang wasn’t sure if he was still upset. He glanced back at the guest room and saw that A-She was still there, curled up beside the pillow. For some reason, he let out a quiet sigh of relief.

He carried the pajamas to the balcony, and as he hung them up, a wave of emotions washed over him.

This set of pajamas had indeed been bought for Lu Qian. He still remembered how he had purchased two sets—same design, different sizes—secretly feeling pleased with himself, imagining the day when Lu Qian would wear them, and they would match like a couple.

But in the end, his own set had long since been worn out and discarded, and Lu Qian had never once stayed the night.

What surprised him the most was that the pajamas he had once treasured so much had been taken out and given to someone else without a second thought.

The love he had once believed to be so deep and unwavering… turned out to be something that could fade so easily.

Xu Yang chuckled to himself, feeling a sense of relief. This wasn’t so bad, either.

Then, he thought of Qi Shaobai wearing those pajamas last night.

Even though he had bought a smaller size back then, the clothes were still too big on Qi Shaobai, the sleeves and pant legs folded over several times, making him look like a kid sneaking into an adult’s wardrobe.

Xu Yang let out a sigh.

Yeah… a kid.

Why was he getting worked up over a kid?

He decided to adjust his mindset. Since he had already chosen to help Qi Shaobai, there was no need to overthink it—no need to worry about misunderstandings or getting tangled up in unnecessary complications. If he was going to do a good deed, he might as well see it through properly.

Let the kid stay.

And maybe… stop scaring him with that stone-cold face all the time.

After tidying up and getting ready to leave for work, Xu Yang noticed a neatly prepared sandwich on the dining table.

A satisfied smile spread across his face.

Not bad at all.

He provided the place to stay, and Qi Shaobai took care of the meals.

Learning from the Lu Qian-Jin Lang model, huh?

(To be continued…)