WIL CH 6

Chapter 6: His Text Message

Lin Xi pulled out his phone and opened the banking app. The balance was nowhere near enough to cover one and a half million. After three and a half years, he had saved less than four hundred thousand. When would he ever be able to pay back Wen Feng’s one and a half million?

He let out a long sigh. It seemed he had no choice but to work even harder.

That night, Lin Xi fell asleep on the sofa. When he woke up, the sky was still dark. He stumbled back to his room in the pitch black, then quickly drifted off again.

Lin Xi’s work hours grew longer—arriving earlier and leaving later each day. He was practically living a routine of “leaving early, returning late.” He asked Lu Mingyu for more assignments, big and small, taking on anything as long as it made money.

Kong Zhao suspected something was wrong. Worried for his friend, he asked, “Xi Xi, did something happen to you? Why are you working yourself to death taking on so many jobs?” He eyed Lin Xi with doubt and hesitance. “Did you… go bankrupt?”

Lin Xi hugged his drawing tablet, working on a two-dimensional character design for a big brand. Without lifting his head, he replied calmly, “Mm. I owe some money, so I need to work hard to pay it back.”

Although Kong Zhao had already guessed as much, hearing Lin Xi admit it so flatly still startled him. “Ah, so it’s true.”

Looking at Lin Xi’s thinning figure, Kong Zhao said, “Do you need help? I can lend you money. Honestly, I’m scared you’ll drop dead before I do at this rate.”

Lin Xi could tell from Kong Zhao’s lifestyle that he came from a well-off family. The way he dressed was flashy, and having spent so much time around Wen Feng, Lin Xi recognized the luxury brands—none of them cheap. No way could Kong Zhao afford that kind of wardrobe on just his job alone.

Turning away from his tablet, Lin Xi met Kong Zhao’s gaze with clear, bright eyes. “Thank you, Kong Zhao, but not for now. The commissions Teacher gives me pay pretty well. If I just draw more, it’ll be fine.”

Lin Xi hated troubling others, and besides, this wasn’t a small debt.

“Alright then, but if you ever need it, you’d better tell me,” Kong Zhao said. Despite his usually careless appearance, he could be loyal and dependable when it mattered.

Lin Xi acknowledged the kindness with a small smile. “Mm, I will.”

It had been nearly a month since Wen Feng last came home. Lin Xi privately guessed that the woman he’d seen at the restaurant must be someone Wen Feng really liked—liked so much that he’d already forgotten about Lin Xi’s existence. Wen Feng didn’t even bother coming back to satisfy his own physical needs anymore. Still, that was fine. At least Lin Xi didn’t have to waste time dealing with him.

In the past, whenever Wen Feng came home on weekends, he would always press Lin Xi down on the bed for two days straight, leaving him unable to get anything done.

This weekend, Lin Xi sat alone in the game room in front of the computer, working overtime. But his thoughts were restless. A simple coloring task that should have taken two hours dragged on for the entire morning. His efficiency had dropped drastically.

Eventually, he had no choice but to take out his phone to relax for a bit. He opened his social app—the update requests for his comic had already piled up to “99+.” But Lin Xi had no inspiration at all. He didn’t know what to update, so he chose to ignore them, cleared the messages, and headed to the kitchen.

The villa was simply too big. When he was home alone, his footsteps echoed. Since it was the weekend and he didn’t have to go into the office, he thought about how Wen Feng would usually order in good food when he was around—or sometimes even cook himself.

The first time Lin Xi tasted Wen Feng’s cooking, he had been shocked. He never expected someone who looked like a cold and untouchable rich second-generation heir could actually cook. And more surprisingly—the food had been pretty good.

Opening the fridge now, however, he found it nearly empty. Aside from a few bottles of Wen Feng’s usual mineral water, there was nothing else. Lin Xi had no choice but to make a trip to the supermarket to stock up on some instant meals, along with snacks, bread, and milk. He would be swamped with work for a long time, and chances were, most of his energy would have to come from snacks.

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In the upscale villa district, everything was well-equipped—even large supermarkets were nearby. Exiting the gates of the community and crossing a single street, Lin Xi reached the supermarket. He strolled leisurely, the air carrying a hint of chill. Maple leaves had already begun to fall along the roadside.

A gentle breeze blew, and a leaf landed on his shoulder. Lin Xi picked it up and examined it carefully. Suddenly, memories surfaced—back in his freshman year, in autumn, not long after he had started dating Jiang Boqing.

At that time, Lin Xi was still very inexperienced in relationships. Jiang Boqing had asked to meet him along the sycamore avenue ^[1]on campus. But that day, Lin Xi’s schedule was extremely tight—or rather, it was always tight. Apart from classes, nearly all his time was spent working part-time. His dates with Jiang Boqing were squeezed in with great effort. Every meeting was fleeting—just a few words of affection, holding hands in secret corners where no one was watching. He never dared to show open intimacy on campus. Of course, part of it was also because Lin Xi was conservative.

That day, the two of them walked side by side down the avenue. Whenever Lin Xi was alone with Jiang Boqing, he couldn’t help blushing shyly. Jiang Boqing had said, “They say that couples who walk together down the sycamore avenue will stay together forever. Do you think we’ll last forever?”

Jiang Boqing’s smile was gentle, like a warm spring breeze. Lin Xi was so dazed he didn’t even remember replying. Jiang Boqing reached out and affectionately ruffled his hair. “Lin Xi, what are you daydreaming about?”

Snapping out of it, Lin Xi still didn’t really understand what “forever” meant. But his heart back then was both confused and expectant. He replied, “Maybe.”

Jiang Boqing had tried to hold his hand. Lin Xi hesitated, not wanting others to see. As a gay man, he didn’t want people gossiping about Jiang Boqing because of him. But Jiang Boqing patiently waited. Just as Lin Xi was about to extend his hand, a classmate suddenly rushed past them. Lin Xi was so startled that he instantly pulled his hand back into his sleeve.

That classmate was Wen Feng. He passed by swiftly, brushing past Lin Xi with the wind, and even made eye contact with him. There was something in his gaze—an inexplicable hostility, cold and sharp. Wen Feng walked a few steps ahead of them and then maintained a distance of about two or three meters. His figure was tall and upright, dressed in a black sports hoodie, a backpack slung over his shoulders, both hands in his pockets. His presence was striking.

Because of Wen Feng’s unexpected appearance, Lin Xi and Jiang Boqing dared not show any more intimacy. Just like that, Lin Xi watched Wen Feng’s back as he and Jiang Boqing walked the rest of the way down the sycamore avenue.

Lin Xi had already seen Wen Feng many times back then, though they had never spoken. Wen Feng was the president of the student council. Rumor had it his father donated five million to the school’s construction fund—the air conditioning system alone was his father’s contribution. But unlike typical spoiled rich heirs, Wen Feng wasn’t someone who only knew how to waste money and play around.

Double-majoring in finance and law, Wen Feng was famous in their university for his academic excellence. Not only did he come from a wealthy family, but he also held himself to high standards. By his second year of graduate school, he had already begun managing affairs in his family’s company.

Back then, Lin Xi never in his wildest dreams imagined that a year later, he would end up marrying Wen Feng. Fate could be unbearably cruel.

Before he knew it, Lin Xi had reached the supermarket entrance. He asked a staff member for a cart and headed straight for the instant food aisle, stocking up on dumplings and instant noodles. Then he moved to the familiar snack section, carefully picking out potato chips, spicy sticks, and bread.

As a child, Lin Xi rarely got to eat snacks. Lin Youshan never gave him pocket money, nor did he buy him treats. Lin Xi often stood outside shops or at school, watching enviously as other kids munched on spicy sticks with their mouths shiny with oil.

Now, buying snacks felt less about liking them and more about making up for those childhood deprivations. Whether he truly enjoyed eating them or not, he wasn’t even sure. Still, he bought plenty to stock at home—something to grab for breakfast or late-night hunger after work.

As he pushed his cart along, thinking about what else he might need, there was a sudden bang—his cart was bumped lightly. Looking up, Lin Xi saw a sweet, cute-looking girl. She, too, was browsing the shelf and had bumped into him unintentionally. Both immediately apologized.

Lin Xi shook his head. “It’s alright, I wasn’t paying attention either.”

“Yunxue, what happened?”

A familiar voice rang out. Jiang Boqing emerged from behind the shelf with something in his hand. Clearly, he hadn’t expected to run into Lin Xi here, least of all under these circumstances.

He froze, stiffly standing in front of the shelves, staring at Lin Xi.

Xie Yunxue came up and naturally slipped her arm through his, speaking in a sweet, intimate tone. “It’s nothing, I just accidentally bumped this gentleman’s cart.”

But Jiang Boqing was still looking at Lin Xi, as though he hadn’t heard her words at all.

Xie Yunxue glanced between them, sensing something off about the atmosphere. She asked curiously, “Do you two know each other?”

Lin Xi was the first to speak. “We don’t. Sorry for bumping into you. I’ll be going now.”

With that, he calmly went to check out.

No sooner had Lin Xi stepped out of the supermarket doors than Jiang Boqing chased after him.

“Lin Xi, wait!”

Lin Xi turned, his expression composed. “Mr. Jiang, what is it?”

A few days ago, Jiang Boqing had met an old classmate who told him what happened to Lin Xi after he left. “Lin Xi, I heard about your withdrawal from school. You were forced to marry Wen Feng, weren’t you?”

Lin Xi looked straight at him, eyes clear as ever—just like back then. He said, “It was my choice. No one forced me. Not even him.”

Jiang Boqing hadn’t expected things to turn out this way. After a long pause, he said quietly, “If I’d been there back then, would the outcome have been different?”

Lin Xi gave a faint smile. Jiang Boqing’s greed was like a crystal mirror before his eyes. Back then, when Jiang Boqing chose to leave without a word for the sake of his mother, Lin Xi could understand. If it had been him, he might have done the same—filial piety was a serious matter.

But now, Jiang Boqing wanted the benefits that Xie Yunxue could bring him, while also wanting the affection Lin Xi had once given him. How could the world work that way? Between gain and loss, Lin Xi—who had nothing—had already been discarded long ago. And now Jiang Boqing merely wanted to make him his secret lover.

“There’s no such thing as ‘if’ in this world,” Lin Xi said calmly. “You gave up on me back then. So now, stop clinging to me. Besides, doing this is very disrespectful to Miss Xie.”

Jiang Boqing’s expression turned grim. He anxiously explained, “Xie Yunxue and I only have a superficial arranged relationship. Today I went to visit her parents, and that’s why I accompanied her to the supermarket.”

Lin Xi felt utterly exhausted. Talking to Jiang Boqing now only made him tired. He wanted to go home as soon as possible; he shouldn’t have come to the supermarket today.

“Jiang Boqing, I’m saying this for the last time: we have nothing to do with each other anymore. You don’t need to explain anything to me.”

“Lin Xi… is there really no way for us to go back?”

If they still needed a proper ending, then let it be done now. Lin Xi’s demeanor was calm, showing no trace of lingering affection.

“It’s been over for a long time. Jiang Boqing, I stopped liking you a long time ago.”

With that, Lin Xi picked up his bags and walked home, leaving Jiang Boqing with only a resolute back view.

Since returning to the country, all three times they had met, Jiang Boqing had only been able to watch Lin Xi’s back. It had never been like this before—Lin Xi had always liked walking beside him. Maybe they truly couldn’t go back. Both of them had changed and grown; some things had become more important than love. Jiang Boqing had no choices left—he could only watch as Lin Xi’s back grew smaller and smaller in the distance.

When Lin Xi arrived home, he dropped the bags on the kitchen counter with a sigh, regretting not checking the almanac before leaving. A perfectly good weekend had turned into a series of unpleasant encounters.

He collapsed onto the sofa, pulling out his phone from his pocket. There were seven or eight unread messages—all from Wen Feng.

What day was it today, for Wen Feng to actually be sending him messages? He tapped open the first one on WeChat.

Wen Feng: Not home?
Wen Feng: Where did you go?
Wen Feng: Lin Xi, answer me.
Wen Feng: Are you back yet?
Wen Feng: Lin Xi.

Lin Xi didn’t know what Wen Feng’s intentions were. His slender fingers typed out a reply on the screen:

Lin Xi: Yeah, I’m home. I was at the supermarket just now and didn’t check my phone.

Wen Feng replied instantly:

Wen Feng: Okay.

Lin Xi stared at the screen for a long time, but nothing else came. That was it. Wen Feng only wanted to confirm whether he was home.

Lin Xi almost began to suspect Wen Feng had installed surveillance on him. How was it that every time he ran into Jiang Boqing, Wen Feng would do something odd? He searched the house but found no cameras anywhere.

Could it be that Wen Feng had installed a tracker on his phone?

(To be continued…)