BFILWY CH 52

Chapter 52: Enemies Meet

Just as Ye Qinghe was about to step back into the corner, someone forcefully bumped into him from behind. His entire body lurched forward, and his forehead slammed directly against the protruding signboard of an empty stall.

“Hiss…” Ye Qinghe staggered back a couple of steps, clutching his forehead, sucking in a sharp breath from the pain.

Several people behind him cried out in alarm: “Watch out for the person behind you!” “Xiao Qi, be careful!”

“Xiao Qi, are you okay?” Xu Yang, with sharp reflexes, quickly caught his unsteady boyfriend before he could fall.

“I’m fine, I’m fine.” Qi Shaobai^[1] steadied himself with Xu Yang’s support before quickly turning around. “Sir, are you alright?” It was only then that the others shifted their attention to the person Xiao Qi had accidentally bumped into.

Qi Shaobai felt truly apologetic. Today, he had successfully secured a new design project for the company. The client was willing to pay a high price, but he was notoriously picky in the industry. Initially, Xu Yang hadn’t wanted to take the job, but Qi Shaobai was eager to challenge himself and see just how difficult this client could be. So, he volunteered to take it on. Unexpectedly, the process went more smoothly than anticipated. After continuous communication and his proactive revisions, they finalized the design and signed the contract in less than six months—a record-breaking speed for this client. The entire Auto Design Studio was overjoyed and proud. Their boss, Xu Yang, even popped open a bottle of champagne in the office to celebrate.

After work, Qi Shaobai dragged his boss and boyfriend, Xu Yang, along with his direct supervisor, Lu Qian, and Lu Qian’s boyfriend, Jin Lang, out for a celebratory dinner. They drank a little and, still riding the high from their success, Qi Shaobai insisted they continue the night by exploring the night market.

As they entered through the street food section, Jin Lang grumbled, “We just ate, and now we’re at a night market? How are we supposed to eat more?” He turned to Xiao Qi and asked, “Qi-ge, do you still have abs left?”

“Why do you care if I do or not? As long as I don’t mind, it’s fine,” Xu Yang interjected.

“Ha, as if yours are still there? If anyone should mind, it should be him,” Jin Lang retorted, as usual, starting another playful argument with Xu Yang.

“What do you mean, not there? I’ll show you my six-pack right now—” Xu Yang made a move to lift the hem of his shirt.

Jin Lang wasn’t about to back down. “Go ahead, I’m not scared. I have eight.” Saying that, he also reached for his shirt, ready to flaunt his abs.

Both of them were slightly buzzed, and their childish sides were in full display. Lu Qian, laughing nonstop at their antics, was still sensible enough to step in. He was worried that Xu Yang’s display might be too much for passersby, and even more concerned that paparazzi or fans might catch an international master like Jin Lang baring his stomach in a night market. Quickly, he stopped them before they could strip any further.

Qi Shaobai, who was the most excited from drinking, didn’t even notice the three people behind him tugging and arguing. He turned around and enthusiastically introduced the night market to the others. “This place isn’t just about food! Besides the snacks, there are a lot of fun things to see. If we keep going forward and take a turn, you’ll see. There are all kinds of small art pieces, and sometimes, even street artists…”

He spoke animatedly, gesturing as he walked backward, completely caught up in his excitement. Before Xu Yang could warn him to watch where he was going, Qi Shaobai had already crashed hard into the person behind him.

Ye Qinghe was hit so abruptly that the bag of deep-fried milk he had been holding scattered all over the ground. He stood frozen in place, head lowered. One hand gripped several shopping bags, while the other pressed against his forehead.

Qi Shaobai, worried, reached out to pull the other’s hand away to check the injury, anxiously saying, “Ah, it’s already swollen, and it’s bleeding. It’s too dark here—I can’t tell how deep the wound is. Does it need stitches?”

Lu Qian, who had been crouched down with Jin Lang picking up the fallen deep-fried milk, immediately stood up when he heard that the person was bleeding. He quickly pulled out some tissues and handed them to Qi Shaobai. Qi Shaobai carefully pressed the tissues against Ye Qinghe’s forehead, trying to stop the bleeding.

“I’ll do it myself, thank you.” Ye Qinghe raised his hand and applied pressure to his wound on his own.

Seeing him keep his eyes shut tight in pain, Qi Shaobai grew even more flustered and kept talking non-stop. “Are you okay? Do you feel dizzy? Could this be a concussion? Is the bleeding still going? Let’s take you to the hospital, okay? You—” He suddenly stopped. His voice turned a little unnatural. “Are you… Ye Qinghe?”

Lu Qian and Jin Lang had long forgotten who Ye Qinghe was, but Xu Yang hadn’t. The moment he heard Qi Shaobai say that name, he immediately stepped between them, pushing Qi Shaobai behind him protectively.

“Hm?” Ye Qinghe was in so much pain that he had kept his eyes shut. When he heard his name, he let out a confused sound. Slowly, he opened his eyes. The pain had caused his vision to blur slightly with moisture. Through the hazy view, he looked at the shadowy figure in front of him and said blankly, “I’m Ye Qinghe. And you are…?”

For a moment, the atmosphere turned strange.

Xu Yang frowned slightly, his tone hesitant. “I’m Xu Yang. Do you remember me?”

“…”

Ye Qinghe’s brows were already furrowed from the pain, but upon hearing that name, his expression tightened even further.

How could he possibly forget?

That beating had turned his world upside down and left him with lifelong regrets.

But he knew he couldn’t blame Xu Yang for it. Considering his actions back then, if Xu Yang hadn’t beaten him up, someone else would have.

Every cause has its consequence. Everything he had done had led to this moment, and he could only bear it himself.

Suppressing the stinging pain in his forehead and the burning tightness in his throat, Ye Qinghe forced himself to stay composed and said as calmly as possible, “Xu Yang, hello. I heard you calling ‘Xiao Qi’ just now—is it Shaobai? Shaobai is here too?”

“No need to call him so affectionately.”

Xu Yang’s expression darkened the moment he heard Ye Qinghe say “Shaobai” so intimately. His tone turned even more guarded.

“Isn’t he standing right in front of you? What are you pretending for?”

“Sorry, but I really can’t see anymore,” Ye Qinghe said.

Everyone was stunned, exchanging looks of shock. Even Xu Yang was caught off guard. He hesitantly waved a hand in front of Ye Qinghe’s face to test it. “You really can’t see?”

“How did this happen? How could you suddenly go blind?” Qi Shaobai couldn’t hold back his question. No matter how much he resented Ye Qinghe, seeing someone lose their sight like this was still unsettling.

Jin Lang had just returned from throwing away the spilled deep-fried milk when he caught the tail end of the conversation. Startled, he asked, “No way… You lost your sight just from that collision?”

Then, lowering his voice, he muttered to Lu Qian, “You think he’s trying to use this to blackmail us for money?”

Qi Shaobai, panicked, asked urgently, “Wait, wait—was it because of me? Did I really hurt your eyes when I bumped into you?”

“No, it has nothing to do with you,” Ye Qinghe replied honestly. “I was in a car accident more than half a year ago. Broke my leg, was in a coma for two months. When I woke up, I couldn’t see anymore.”

Hearing that Qi Shaobai wasn’t responsible, the others let out a breath of relief. But almost immediately, a wave of sympathy followed—Ye Qinghe was just incredibly unlucky.

Xu Yang, remembering Ye Qinghe’s past actions, couldn’t help but mutter under his breath, “A broken leg… and now blind? That’s… quite the coincidence.”

Ye Qinghe knew exactly what he meant.

Blind. Crippled.

All the people he had once hurt, all the disabilities he had mocked—now, karma had come full circle.

Wasn’t it too much of a coincidence?

Though Ye Qinghe’s leg looked fine on the surface, only he knew the bone-deep soreness that came after a day of walking. Whenever the weather turned cold or damp, the pain would seep into his bones like needles piercing his flesh.

And his eyesight… Still blurry. Still unable to see clearly.

It truly was an extraordinary coincidence.

(To be continued…)