Chapter 49

Mi Zhao stumbled back into the dorm in a daze. It was rare for Yan Qinting to get out of bed, but he happened to run into him as he returned from the bathroom.

Yan Qinting shook his freshly washed hands and casually wiped the water on his clothes before preparing to climb back into bed.

Mi Zhao, as if he hadn’t seen Yan Qinting, drifted into the dorm like a wandering soul, silent and unnoticeable.

“Hey, hey, hey, what’s wrong with you?” Yan Qinting finally sensed something was off. He poked his head out from the bed, watching as Mi Zhao sat down and started staring blankly ahead. “Weren’t you at your parents’ place? Did they pressure you to bring a boyfriend home again?”

Mi Zhao blankly replied, “Haven’t they always been pressuring me?”

“Yeah, it’s not like this is the first time. Why do you care so much? Just let it go in one ear and out the other.”

Mi Zhao lowered his head in silence for a long time before muttering, “It’s not that.”

Yan Qinting leaned over the bed railing, blinking curiously. “Then what is it? Did that guy contact you again?”

He had to admit, his intuition was spot on—but still too conservative.

Mi Zhao nodded, then shook his head. He really didn’t know how to explain. Li Sipei’s words were like fish bones stuck in his throat—he couldn’t spit them out, nor could he swallow them, leaving him so uncomfortable he wanted to cry.

He had never expected Li Sipei to think that way.

Even after learning Li Sipei’s real identity and realizing his own misunderstanding, he had assumed that Li Sipei was just playing around with him. Maybe their relationship had started on a foundation of insincerity, so he had never considered that Li Sipei had been taking their relationship seriously.

Now that he knew the truth, many things suddenly made sense.

No wonder Li Sipei had wanted to meet his parents.

No wonder Li Sipei had been so angry when he refused.

Lowering his eyes, Mi Zhao picked at his nails as a sour sensation spread around his eyes. His eyelashes trembled violently, and suddenly, a teardrop fell onto the back of his hand.

Behind him, there was the sound of Yan Qinting getting out of bed. He didn’t even have time to put on his slippers before taking a quick stride toward Mi Zhao.

The next second, a pair of hands forcefully cupped Mi Zhao’s face.

Caught off guard, Mi Zhao was forced to tilt his head back and meet Yan Qinting’s gaze. By the time he reacted and tried to lower his head to avoid it, Yan Qinting had already seen the tears streaking down his face.

“You’re crying?” Yan Qinting looked incredulous, then his expression suddenly changed as he realized something. “Did that guy bully you? Did he curse at you or hit you?”

Mi Zhao shook his head.

Yan Qinting was getting worked up, practically breathing fire from his eyes. He grabbed Mi Zhao’s face again, inspecting him from top to bottom. “Let me see if you’re hurt. What the hell is wrong with him? Can’t he just end things on good terms? You already spelled it out for him, so why is he still clinging on? With his status, what kind of people couldn’t he get? Forget about the wheelchair—even if he were completely bedridden, wouldn’t there still be tons of people throwing themselves at him? Why the hell does he have to hang himself on your tree?”

When Yan Qinting got riled up, he had no filter. Whether the words were comforting or harsh, they all poured out like beans spilling from a bamboo tube.

But instead of comforting Mi Zhao, his words only made his expression darker and darker.

Mi Zhao shoved Yan Qinting’s hands away. “He didn’t hit me. He’s not that kind of person.”

“Then did he insult you?”

“No.”

Yan Qinting scratched his head, confused. If that guy neither hit nor insulted him, then what was there to cry about?

Mi Zhao wiped his face roughly with his sleeve, cleared his throat, and said, “It’s over between us.”

Yan Qinting froze for a moment before breaking into excitement. “He said it? That’s great! No, we have to celebrate tonight. You finally got what you wanted—wait, why are you crying again?”

Mi Zhao had no words.

He just felt miserable.

For some reason, unbearably miserable.

The entire month of November passed in a blur for Mi Zhao. He followed Yan Qinting’s routine of attending classes, eating, and sleeping in the dorm. Occasionally, he would spend weekends at his parents’ rental home, sharing a meal with them.

Lately, Mi Bin and He Linfang had been in frequent contact with that “Mr. San” and their relationship seemed to be progressing well. As a result, their moods were brighter than ever, and even their mealtime conversations revolved around what birthday gift to get him next month.

Mi Zhao quietly ate while listening. Suddenly, he remembered that next month was also Li Sipei’s birthday.

12/12.

Less than half a month away.

He asked He Linfang, “Have you guys decided on a gift yet?”

Seeing her son take an interest in Mr. San, He Linfang beamed with gratification. Finally, he was starting to recognize what was important. She replied, “I heard some exhibitions are selling famous paintings. Your dad and I plan to check around. If we find something good, we’ll gift it to him.”

Mi Bin added, “You’re a painter yourself, aren’t you? Help us find one. We don’t want to bother looking elsewhere.”

Mi Zhao knew very little about this man, only what his parents had exaggeratedly praised. His mom and dad had a habit of seeing people through rose-colored glasses, and now they practically worshipped this man. Their words were bound to be exaggerated—more than half of it was probably untrue.

Given his parents’ track record with the people they associated with, Mi Zhao asked skeptically, “Are you sure he even appreciates art?”

“Of course, of course!” He Linfang glared at Mi Zhao. She could tell just from his tone that he was doubting her. “He is nothing like the people we’ve known before. He’s not only rich but also cultured! He went abroad for high school and stayed until he got his master’s degree before coming back.”

Mi Bin chimed in, “Remember that auction your mom and I attended when we first arrived in A City?”

“How could I forget?” Mi Zhao put down his chopsticks, leaned back, and folded his arms with a sarcastic smile. “You guys even lied to me about going.”

“…” Mi Bin wiped his face awkwardly before forcing a laugh. “The final auction item that night was a painting by—uh, what was his name again?” He turned to He Linfang.

He Linfang had a good memory. “Earl!”

“Right! Earl!” Mi Bin’s eyes gleamed with admiration as he recalled that night. “That painting went for eight million . Guess who bought it?”

Mi Zhao blinked. “…Mr. San?”

“Yes!”

That guy actually bought an Earl painting?!

Mi Zhao was extremely surprised.

Earl was a Chinese-Canadian artist who had suddenly risen to fame over a decade ago but passed away unexpectedly just as he was about to reach the peak of his career. His works were scarce, and after his death, their prices skyrocketed.

Although Mi Zhao admired his work, he objectively believed that it had not yet reached a value of eight million.

Unless that painting was kept for several decades, there might come a day when its worth far exceeded eight million.

As this realization slowly dawned on him, Mi Zhao chuckled and said, “He might not have bought the painting because he liked it. Instead of going to all this trouble to buy a painting for him, you might as well stack up some cash neatly in a suitcase and hand it to him.”

“What nonsense are you talking about?!” He Linfang scolded, “ Mr. San isn’t that kind of person!”

Mi Zhao shrugged and said nothing.

Despite his words, once he returned to school, he still helped look into it. His personality took after his parents—stubborn. Once he decided on something, he had to hit a wall before reconsidering whether to continue.

Even if he refused, they would find someone else to help them.

Mi Zhao asked everyone he could and actually managed to gather some information.

One of his club members had connections and knew that there would be an exhibition in A City around New Year’s. Most of the paintings on display would be new works by emerging domestic and international artists, along with a few famous paintings borrowed for exhibition rather than sale to attract visitors. The value of art was ultimately assigned by people—sinking money into it was bound to be a losing game. It was better to focus on the content and be creative, which would save money while also making a good impression.

After chatting with this person for a while, Mi Zhao found their words quite reasonable and asked for the contact information of the exhibition’s organizer.

[Yu Xingteng: Just mention my name. I’ll give my aunt a heads-up.]

[mrz: Okay, thank you.]

[mrz: I owe you one. If you ever need anything, just ask.]

[Yu Xingteng: How is this a favor? My aunt has quotas to meet too—it’s just mutual benefit. Don’t worry about it.]

Mi Zhao smiled and sent back an emoji.

Just as he switched out of WeChat to call Mi Bin, another message popped up at the top of the screen. When he clicked on it, it was still from Yu Xingteng.

[Yu Xingteng: Can I tell you something?]

[mrz: What is it?]

[Yu Xingteng: The person who spread those rumors about you and your boyfriend was Lin Qiuzu from the neighboring dance academy. Did you know?]

Seeing the name Lin Qiuzu, Mi Zhao took two or three seconds to process it. He hadn’t seen Lin Qiuzu around campus for a long time and had almost forgotten about his existence.

In the past, just thinking about Lin Qiuzu made him sick—his mind would be filled with images of Lin Qiuzu and Li Yan tangled up in the woods. But now, when he thought about him, he felt nothing at all.

[mrz: I know.]

The other side took a long time to type, clearly caught off guard.

[Yu Xingteng: You knew?]

[Yu Xingteng: You’re way too calm. He did that to you, and you don’t even care?]

[mrz: I don’t want to bother with him.]

To Mi Zhao, Lin Qiuzu was nothing more than a pile of dog shit—stepping on him would only dirty his shoes, and the stench would linger for a long time. People always said it was better to offend a gentleman than a petty person, and he had truly learned that lesson from Lin Qiuzu.

Besides, what Lin Qiuzu did hadn’t actually caused any real harm to him or Li Sipei.

The other side hesitated for a while before finally sending another message.

[Yu Xingteng: You might be able to let it go, but I can’t. I’m going to expose all the dirty things he’s done. It might involve you a little, so just be prepared.]

[Yu Xingteng: But I’ll try my best to keep you out of it.]

Mi Zhao suddenly recalled what Feng Nian had told him two or three months ago—Yu Xingteng and Lin Qiuzu had a past.

It seemed like Lin Qiuzu had racked up quite a few debts.

Expressionless, Mi Zhao typed his reply.

[mrz: Do whatever you want.]

[mrz: I don’t care.]

—

After contacting Yu Xingteng’s aunt, Mi Zhao arranged a meeting with her. There was still a month before the exhibition opened, and it was currently in the preparation stage, with many paintings yet to arrive. For now, they could only visit the vault to see the ones that were already in storage.

When Mi Zhao informed Mi Bin and He Linfang about this, the couple was overjoyed. They weren’t good at keeping secrets, and during a meal, they accidentally let it slip to Li Sipei.

Recently, Li Sipei had been meeting with them quite frequently, but he was in a poor mood. He rarely spoke and often stared into space, lost in thought. His state was eerily similar to Mi Zhao’s.

Mi Bin and He Linfang could ask Mi Zhao directly about his troubles, but when it came to Li Sipei, they didn’t dare to pry. They could only try to cheer him up in their own way.

They had initially planned to surprise him with the painting after purchasing it, but who knew that Mi Bin, that big mouth, would blurt it out after having a few drinks?

Li Sipei didn’t react much, but since buying paintings wasn’t really the couple’s style, he asked, “Are you going yourselves? Where did you find the connection?”

He Linfang assumed that Li Sipei, like Mi Zhao, was worried they’d get scammed, so she quickly explained, “We didn’t find it ourselves—our son helped us. You know, since he studies art, he knows a lot of classmates and professors. He just asked around and got the information.”

Li Sipei was silent for a moment, then turned to gaze at the lake. His expression was even calmer than the still water. “That was thoughtful of him.”

“He’s already arranged everything with the seller. We just need to go and take a look. Having our son handle things makes us feel much more at ease,” He Linfang said proudly.

Li Sipei let out a soft hum of acknowledgment.

They sat by the lake as the cold wind howled. Mi Bin and He Linfang, despite being bundled up, were still shivering, while Li Sipei, clad in just two thin layers, stood tall like a pine tree—only his hair seemed slightly tousled by the wind.

The couple always claimed to love fishing, yet after setting their rods, they completely ignored them. Instead, they sat side by side behind Li Sipei, their eyes fixed on him.

They thought Mr. San was truly exceptional—outstanding appearance, excellent qualifications, and an impressive family background.

Most importantly, he was completely different from the wealthy people they had tried to cozy up to in the past. There wasn’t a trace of arrogance in his bones. He was humble, polite, and respectful toward them.

The only downside was that he wasn’t very talkative…

But that wasn’t a big deal!

Previously, he had been in a wheelchair, which was a bit of a disability, but now that he was getting used to using a cane, he might be able to walk on his own soon. When that time came, the number of people trying to curry favor with him would only increase.

It was a pity that someone so outstanding wasn’t meant for their son.

If only Mr. San and his partner broke up…

As soon as this thought crossed He Linfang’s mind, she was startled. Immediately, she regretted it so much that she wanted to smack herself.

What was she thinking?!

He had been nothing but kind to them, yet she had such a wicked thought. That wasn’t right!

The wind grew stronger, and the sky showed signs of rain. Li Zhixuan came over to remind them.

Li Sipei picked up his cane and stood up, instructing Li Zhixuan to call someone to pack up the site.

Mi Bin and He Linfang naturally followed Li Sipei on the way back.

As they walked, Li Sipei’s footsteps suddenly paused slightly ahead.

“Oh, right.” He didn’t turn around, so they couldn’t see his expression, but his voice was exceptionally cold. “When did you arrange to meet the person selling the painting?”

He Linfang had no idea why Mr. San was asking this and answered in confusion, “This Wednesday at four in the afternoon.”

“Where?”

He Linfang was even more puzzled. “Near A University, there’s a financial plaza. I think the exhibition’s paintings are stored in the vault of X Bank there. We’re meeting outside X Bank.”

Mi Bin asked excitedly, “Is Mr. San going too?”

Wouldn’t it be even better if he personally selected the painting? That way, they wouldn’t have to worry about choosing something he didn’t like.

“No.” For some reason, there was an added chill in Li Sipei’s tone. “Not interested.”

With that, he walked away, leaning on his cane.

Mi Bin and He Linfang stood frozen in place, exchanging glances.

After a while, Mi Bin whispered, “Is Mr. San angry?”

He Linfang wasn’t sure. “Seems like it.”

“Why?” Mi Bin was completely baffled. “We didn’t say anything wrong, did we? Didn’t we already tell him about buying the painting?”

He Linfang sighed. “I think Mr. san has been in a bad mood lately. Before, whenever he was with us, he’d be on his phone, texting his partner from time to time. But now, he doesn’t even use his phone anymore. I suspect something might have happened between them.”

Mi Bin said blankly, “Why is everyone’s love life going so badly? Even our son has been looking miserable lately.”

As he spoke, a sudden thought struck him, and his eyes lit up. “Hey, do you think Mr. San and our son…”

Before he could finish, He Linfang smacked him hard on the back. “Don’t even think about it! Who do you think we are? And who is he? Do you think someone like him would be interested in our son? That’s like a toad wishing to eat swan meat!”

—

On Wednesday morning, Li Sipei attended a meeting with the company’s shareholders.

The company was something he had started on a whim, but he never managed or operated it himself. Initially, Li Zhixuan had helped out, but after he stepped back from everything, the old Madam Li had temporarily assigned a professional manager to take over.

As the largest shareholder, Li Sipei usually didn’t bother showing up. But for major meetings, he had to at least make an appearance.

However, throughout the entire meeting, he sat in the main seat without saying a word. When it was over, he got up and left immediately.

Several shareholders, sweating nervously, hurried to follow him.

“Third Master Li, since you’re here, why don’t we have a meal together? We hardly get to see you all year, and we never have a chance to chat over dinner.”

“That’s right! It’s rare to meet in person—how about a meal before you go?”

As they all spoke one after another, Li Sipei suddenly stopped.

They quickly fell silent and halted in their tracks as well.

Li Sipei turned his head slightly, his gaze landing on the shareholder who had spoken first. His tone was indifferent, but it carried an undeniable pressure.

“President Wang, are you complaining that I don’t come often enough?”

The shareholder, President Wang, felt his legs go weak under Li Sipei’s gaze. Sweat poured down his forehead in large drops.

The others, seeing this, wisely kept their mouths shut.

President Wang stammered, “ Third Master Li, I didn’t mean that… You know how I talk too fast sometimes. I just meant it’s been a long time since we’ve seen you…”

Li Sipei gave him a look before continuing forward.

President Wang swallowed hard. Noticing the sympathetic glances from the other shareholders, he felt embarrassed, wiped the sweat off his forehead with a handkerchief, and grumbled, “What’s with the air conditioning in this building? It’s way too cold—don’t they know about energy conservation?”

But just as they caught up with Li Sipei, he suddenly stopped again.

President Wang was so startled that he instinctively tried to hide behind the others.

But Li Sipei only asked, “What time is it?”

A shareholder in front of President Wang checked his watch. “Third Master Li, it’s already 11:10.”

“I’ll have someone book a restaurant. Let’s have lunch together.”

The shareholders were momentarily stunned before their faces lit up with delight. They eagerly agreed, especially President Wang, who was visibly relieved. “Which restaurant does Third Master Li have in mind? If it’s far, I can have my assistant prepare a car.”

“It’s not far,” Li Sipei said. “There’s a plaza near A University. We’ll eat there.”

The shareholders: “…”

That’s at least twenty or thirty kilometers away! Not far?!

“Oh, and,” Li Sipei added, “we leave at three. You can rest for now.”

The shareholders: “…”

Is this lunch or an early dinner?!