BFILWY CH 18

Chapter 18: Mr. He, is he Mr. Ye’s boyfriend?

“So, after we finished eating that day, and I left, you got hit by a car not long after?” He Zhifan finally understood what had happened to Ye Qinghe, and a wave of fear washed over him. He had almost lost him without even knowing, only to find out half a year later. He also remembered that Ye Qinghe had just confessed about the little blind person, and now, he was blind himself. Such a dramatic twist was truly thought-provoking.

“Was that passerby really your little blind person?” He Zhifan asked.

“I don’t know,” Ye Qinghe replied helplessly. “One second, I got hit by a car, and the next second, I woke up two months later, blind and crippled. I don’t remember anything in between, so how would I know if it was him? But it shouldn’t have been him. That person wasn’t blind, he could see the road. When I shouted at him, he almost ran off.”

He Zhifan thought for a moment and said, “Do you want to find him? That little blind person? You could hire a private investigator, maybe we could track him down.”

“How would we find him? I’ve even forgotten his name,” Ye Qinghe shook his head. “I don’t want to find him. How could I face him? That day, I was just acting impulsively, ranting at a passerby. And besides, what would I even say to him now?” Ye Qinghe smiled bitterly. “Especially now that I’m blind too, I realize how awful I was back then. If someone had done that to me, I would have wished them dead.” Ye Qinghe lowered his head, feeling downhearted.

He Zhifan was silent for a while before asking, “Do you think your eyes will heal? It doesn’t look like there’s any external damage. Maybe you should go abroad to check, there might still be a chance for recovery.”

“No need, I’m fine as I am right now,” Ye Qinghe said, returning to his indifferent demeanor. “An Yue has taught me a lot, and I’m adjusting well.”

“You’re at it again,” He Zhifan snapped, looking somewhat exasperated. He knew that ever since Ye Qinghe’s parents and older brother had the accident, he had become obsessed with cause and effect, always talking about karma. After the plane crash, he insisted it was because he had done too many bad things. Now that Ye Qinghe had gone blind, he was even more convinced that this was the retribution for his past deeds.

“These are all accidents. Don’t tie them together like this. If you really feel guilty, then you should get better quickly, find that blind person, and see if you can help him in some way to make up for it. Or maybe earn some money and do some charity work. Don’t turn yourself into a blind person. What good does being blind do for anyone?”

Ye Qinghe shook his head. “I can still make money like this, and I’ve been doing charity work too. You don’t have to be healed to help others.”

“Well, you don’t have to be blind either!” He Zhifan shouted angrily. He really couldn’t figure out if Ye Qinghe’s brain had been damaged in the car accident or what, he just couldn’t understand him at all.

“I feel at peace in my heart,” Ye Qinghe said calmly.

“…” He Zhifan gasped for a few breaths, his frustration mounting.

“Drink some tea. An Yue made some really good tea,” Ye Qinghe said as he fumbled around on the table. He Zhifan shoved the teacup into Ye Qinghe’s hands. “You even need someone to help you drink tea? What’s the point of having peace of mind?”

“I don’t need your help,” Ye Qinghe took a sip of tea, ignoring He Zhifan who was fuming beside him.

“Right, you don’t need me. Your An Yue teacher can help you for a lifetime,” He Zhifan snorted through his nose. “I’m exhausted. Can I borrow your bathroom to take a shower? I’ll rest a bit, and then we can go out to eat later?”

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An Zhi had gone to the old shop to pick up pork’s trotters. He had been in a hurry to return but later thought that Mr. Ye might want to catch up with his good friend alone, so he wasn’t in a rush anymore. He remembered that a few days ago, his mother had called, saying she missed him, so he decided to go home to see her and ease Mrs. An’s longing.

“Mom, I’m back,” An Zhi said as he changed into slippers by the entrance. Hearing the sound of the TV in the living room, he called out without seeing anyone. But when he walked into the room after changing shoes, he was surprised to find not only his father at home but also An Heng from the opposite door. The three of them were having lunch. Mrs. An was overjoyed to see An Yue and hurriedly invited him to come eat, while An Heng stood up to pull out a chair for him.

“Dad, Heng Ge, you’re both here too?” An Yue asked, walking into the dining room with a puzzled look. “It’s Thursday, aren’t you both supposed to be working?” After he sat down in the chair An Heng had pulled out, An Heng continued eating. An Yue couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. This was always how An Heng was. Aside from the occasional few times he had gotten road rage and gone a bit crazy, he usually maintained this aloof, cold, and polite demeanor.

“Mm, today An Heng and I are flying to Japan, so we’re not going to the company. Uncle Li will come to pick you up later,” Mr. An said. “We’re going on a business trip for two weeks, so if you have time, come back and spend more time with your mom.”

“No need, no need. Who do I need to be with? I’ll be more relaxed without you two at home. I’ve already made plans with Aunt Baojia to go out for a trip in a few days,” Mrs. An said as she brought a bowl of rice from the kitchen and handed it to him. An Yue quickly took the bowl from her. “Mom, I’ll do it myself. Sit down and eat.”

After they all started eating, Mr. An continued speaking to An Yue. “Your mom told me you’ve taken on a new part-time job, taking care of a blind person?”

“Yes,” An Yue paused, putting down his chopsticks to answer. “It’s a patient who suffered brain damage from a car accident, which affected his vision. He’s looking for someone to help him adapt to life with blindness. That day, I was volunteering at the ophthalmology department, and Director Zhong asked me to help. Since he doesn’t have any other family members to take care of him, I’m currently helping him.”

“Well, you’re thoughtful. It’s great that you’re able to help.” Mr. An said.

“Instead of being a volunteer, you’re actually getting paid.” An Heng grumbled from the side.

“It’s not strictly volunteer work. I’m being paid.” An Yu explained awkwardly. “You know I’m not interested in the company’s affairs…”

“That’s your…” An Heng glanced at Mr. An’s slightly stern face and unwillingly changed his words. “That’s our family’s company. You can’t just keep avoiding it and ignoring everything.”

“Alright, An Heng, Xiao Yue doesn’t like it, so forget it. You’re better than him in managing, so you take on more work.” Mr. An said kindly to An Heng. An Heng pursed his lips, helplessly said, “I’m done eating. I’m going to check if Uncle Li’s here.” He then got up and left the dining room. Mrs. An anxiously watched An Heng leave. “An Heng…”

“It’s okay. He has his own mental block to get past, but he’ll understand in time. I have faith in the child I raised.” Mr. An patted his wife to reassure her.

“An Yue, when you have time, you should visit the company. Don’t leave everything to your brother. Look at him, he’s so busy he doesn’t even have time for a girlfriend.” His mother scolded him lightly. Unfortunately, this usually gentle woman couldn’t really be stern, and An Yue wasn’t afraid at all.

“Please. With his gruff attitude, who would dare be his girlfriend?” An Yue stuffed a piece of sweet and sour pork into his mouth and mumbled under his breath.

“Who are you calling gruff?” An Heng entered with his luggage, overhearing An Yue’s complaint. His eyes narrowed with anger.

“…Cough, cough, cough.” An Yue almost choked on the piece of pork. His mother hurriedly patted his back, and Mr. An couldn’t help but laugh when he saw how An Heng had gotten angry at An Yue.

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After sending off the two people who were rushing to catch a flight, Mrs. An pulled An Yue aside to ask a few questions about his situation. “Is it okay living alone outside?” “Is your blind employer easy to get along with?” After hearing that his employer was nice and had hired a housekeeper to handle chores, and that the work wasn’t too hard, Mrs. An felt relieved.

An Yue went back to his room, dug through his closet for a few thick coats, and found his swim trunks, cap, goggles, and a few other small items, planning to pack them all. He spent the afternoon watching TV with his mom and chatting about celebrity gossip. By the time he returned to the Greenview Forest in the evening, it was already dusk, and neither Ye Qinghe nor He Zhifan had come back yet.

He wandered around the house, went out to the balcony to fold the blanket, and passed by the study where He Zhifan’s expensive cello was leaning there. The RIMOWA suitcase had already been dragged into Ye Qinghe’s room, leaning against the small sofa in the master bedroom. An Yue went in and laid the blanket back on the bed. He stared at the suitcase for a while, then gently closed the door behind him and left. He went to his room to sleep. When he woke up, it was almost 8 PM, and Ye Qinghe still hadn’t returned.

He thought about calling Chairman Ye to ask if he was coming home for dinner, but he put the phone down again. He remembered that Mr. He was probably with Ye Qinghe now. Were they together? With how Mr. He barged in and placed his suitcase inside, their relationship was clearly not just that of an friends.

An Yu walked around the house, his stomach a little growling. Feeling a bit irritated, he grabbed some cookies to fill himself up. He didn’t know when Ye Qinghe would return, so he went to the kitchen to cook some noodles, planning to have dinner as soon as Chairman Ye got home.

(To be continued…)