Chapter 25

After entering the house, there was nothing left for the younger generation to do. They ran off to play elsewhere, and though Li Yan wanted to go upstairs to continue his game, one sharp look from Li Tianqing forced him to obediently follow the adults.

Seeing that Li Yan hadn’t left, his younger cousin also felt too embarrassed to sneak away. Instead, he stuck close to Li Yan and whispered, “Uncle looks in pretty good shape today. He seems more energetic than last time.”

Li Yan glanced at him but said nothing.

“And his outfit looks great too. He doesn’t seem much older than us—I almost feel like calling him ‘brother’ instead.”

Hearing this, Li Yan said the name of a brand with a blank expression.

“Huh?” His cousin looked confused.

“That’s the brand Uncle is wearing. It’s a niche foreign brand,” Li Yan explained. “The piece he’s wearing is this year’s autumn-winter collection. Costs over ten thousands.”

His cousin pouted. “Not too bad, not that expensive.”

Li Yan shot him another glance.

His cousin scratched the back of his head. “I thought anything under one hundred thousand wouldn’t catch Uncle’s eye. Who knew his spending habits were on the same level as mine? Hahaha… Hey, where are you going?”

Li Yan walked away with a dark expression, completely ignoring his foolish cousin.

He went to the staircase landing for a cigarette. He hadn’t even finished smoking when Li Tianqing rushed over. Before she even spoke, she smacked him on the shoulder.

“You brat! Your Uncle finally comes back, and instead of staying with him, you’re out here smoking?”

Li Yan exhaled a puff of smoke, watching Li Tianqing with a half-smile. “Mom, today is my birthday, not Uncle’s. Did you forget?”

Li Tianqing was momentarily stunned, a flicker of guilt flashing in her eyes before another emotion took over. “Of course I remember. I’ve even got your birthday gift ready. I’ll give it to you after dinner.”

“What did you get me?”

Li Tianqing blinked. “It’s a surprise.”

“A thousand-yuan pair of shoes again? Or maybe another two-thousand-yuan red envelope?” Li Yan’s face was smiling, but his voice was icy. “Mom, have you paid back the 1.2 million yuan you borrowed from your cousin? And what about the two million Grandpa and Grandma asked for last week? Why is it that when it comes to me, you’re suddenly so stingy?”

Li Tianqing’s first reaction was guilt, but by the time he finished speaking, she was more annoyed than anything. “Money, money, money—that’s all you ever care about! Do I owe you something? I’ve been good to you! I bought you a house and a car, and you get a ten-thousand-yuan allowance every month. Do you think your father and I are cozying up to your Uncle for our own sake? We’re doing it for you!”

Li Yan listened quietly, his gaze slowly trailing from the earrings on her ears down past her scarf, her top, her skirt…

Finally, he settled on her expensive high heels.

He let out a soft chuckle and crushed his cigarette on the tiled floor.

Since it was Li Yan’s birthday, the kitchen staff had prepared an extravagant dinner. After the meal, they brought out a luxurious three-tier cake.

Li Tianqing beamed with joy, standing by the cake and calling him over. “Our birthday boy is twenty-one now!”

Li Yan was forced to put on a ridiculous party hat. His younger siblings dragged him in front of the decorated wall and took a bunch of embarrassing pictures.

After cutting the cake, Li Tianqing encouraged him to give the first slice to Li Sipei.

Holding the plate with both hands, Li Yan walked up to his Uncle. Since Li Sipei was seated in a wheelchair, he was much shorter than Li Yan, forcing Li Yan to bend down humbly as he carefully handed over the cake.

“Uncle.”

To his surprise, Li Sipei didn’t even bother with polite refusal. He waved his hand decisively. “I don’t eat sweets.”

Li Yan’s expression stiffened, his hands frozen in midair.

The dining room suddenly fell into an awkward silence.

Seeing this, Ruan Xin quickly laughed to smooth things over. “Third Master has always had a mild palate and never liked sweets. Give it to someone else first.”

Li Yan blankly responded, “Oh.” Maybe because everyone’s attention was on him, his hands started to tremble slightly.

It felt terrible.

The gap in status, the difference in seniority, even the disparity in class—all of it was painfully apparent when he stood in front of Li Sipei. He felt like a weed buried in the dirt, craning his neck as high as he could, but still unable to catch a glimpse of the person sitting in the sedan chair above him.

His pride was crushed.

Expressionless, he slowly withdrew his hands. Just as he was about to turn and walk away, Li Sipei suddenly spoke.

“Wait.”

Li Yan stopped in his tracks.

He saw Li Sipei glance at Ruan Xin, who immediately understood and pulled out a red envelope, handing it to him.

Li Sipei took the red envelope and offered it to Li Yan. “Happy birthday, Xiao Yan. I came back in a hurry and didn’t have time to prepare a gift, so here’s a little something. Buy yourself something you like.”

All the resentment and frustration that had been simmering in Li Yan vanished instantly. Holding the cake in one hand and the red envelope in the other, he was overwhelmed with surprise. “Thank you, Uncle.”

Li Sipei gave a faint smile.

At that moment, Li Yan caught a glimpse of the watch on Li Sipei’s wrist, and his smile faltered.

Very quickly, though, Li Sipei retracted his hand, and the familiar watch became half-hidden beneath his sleeve.

As the cake was distributed, Li Yan found himself lost in thought.

How could it be such a coincidence?

It was one thing for his Little Uncle to wear that brand, but to also be wearing that particular watch? As much as he didn’t want to admit it, he had to face the truth—the style of that watch did not suit his Little Uncle at all.

To put it bluntly, there was no way his Uncle would ever wear something of that price range. Unless… Pei Yu had lost her influence.

Somehow, an absurd thought began to take shape in Li Yan’s mind.

After the cake was handed out, his younger siblings excitedly insisted on seeing how much money was inside the red envelope from Li Sipei. Li Yan had no choice but to open it in front of them.

He pulled out a check.

Amount: 210,000 yuan.

“…Holy sh*t?” Li Yan sucked in a sharp breath.

His younger siblings gasped like they had just witnessed something unbelievable.

With his heart pounding, Li Yan quickly stuffed the check back into the red envelope, along with the ridiculous notion that had been forming in his mind.

He realized he was being delusional.

How could Mi Zhao possibly have anything to do with his Uncle?

What kind of person was his Uncle?

And what kind of people were he and Mi Zhao?

They weren’t even worthy of carrying his Uncle’s shoes.

Before nine o’clock, Li Sipei announced that he was heading upstairs to rest. His departure essentially marked the end of the birthday banquet, and Li Tianqing instructed Li Yan to escort him upstairs along with Ruan Xin and the others.

Li Yan quickly agreed—he had wanted to thank Li Sipei in person anyway.

Since Ruan Xin and the others had rooms downstairs, they could tell that Li Yan and Li Sipei had something to talk about. So after escorting Li Sipei to the second floor, they left.

Li Yan followed Li Sipei into the room and closed the door behind him. Unable to contain himself, he blurted out, “Uncle, you gave me way too much money.”

Li Sipei replied calmly, “Just a small gesture. Don’t feel pressured.”

Twenty-one thousand was indeed a lot, but it was merely a fraction of what Grandmother Li had squeezed out of Li Yan’s parents. If she found out about this, she would probably demand double the amount back from them.

Thinking about this, Li Sipei closed his eyes for a moment.

Li Yan didn’t dwell on it. Feeling a little shy, he said, “Then… thank you, Uncle.”

Li Sipei hummed in acknowledgment and took out his phone. When he glanced at the screen, something made the corners of his lips twitch slightly. He had just unlocked it when he sensed something. Turning his head, he saw Li Yan still standing there, staring at him expectantly.

Li Sipei locked his phone and raised his chin slightly. “Is there something else?”

On the way upstairs, Li Yan had hesitated many times. He had feared Li Sipei since childhood and almost backed out multiple times. But when he thought of that check, he somehow mustered the courage to ask, “Uncle, are you dating someone?”

The moment he said this, the room fell into silence.

In the pin-drop quiet, Li Yan’s heart pounded so hard it felt like it was going to burst out of his chest. He wavered between wanting to persist and regretting his question. He even considered just flopping onto the carpet and playing dead.

After a long pause, Li Sipei finally spoke. “Why do you ask?”

“Well, I… I just got that feeling.” Li Yan couldn’t read Li Sipei’s emotions, so he cautiously observed him while stammering, “In the photo you posted last Monday, I saw a bouquet of roses in your bedroom.”

Not to mention, the way he had looked at his phone just now—it was the same look his roommates had when they texted their girlfriends.

Like they were drowning in honey.

Only, his uncle was more reserved.

Li Sipei didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he quietly observed Li Yan, his deep black eyes giving nothing away. It wasn’t until Li Yan was practically suffocating under the silence that he nodded.

“You guessed right.”

He really is dating someone?!

Even though Li Yan had prepared himself, he was still thoroughly shaken. He couldn’t even begin to imagine what kind of woman would be worthy of Li Sipei—probably some heiress so far above him that he wouldn’t dare look her in the eye.

“This matter—” Li Sipei instructed, “Don’t tell anyone else for now.”

Li Yan snapped back to his senses and nodded like a pecking chick. “Don’t worry, Uncle! I won’t say a word to anyone!”

Then, after some hesitation, he asked cautiously, “Uncle, did your partner buy you the clothes and watch you’re wearing?”

“Mhm.”

No wonder. Li Yan couldn’t help but comment, “Your partner’s taste is really similar to my ex’s. My ex also liked buying me this brand and this style…”

Before he could finish, the previously composed Li Sipei suddenly darkened.

“I’m going to rest now.” His expression turned icy, and he bluntly dismissed him.

Li Yan was completely baffled. He had no idea what he had said wrong. Confused and a little scared, he called out, “Uncle?”

But his uncle didn’t give him any leeway. “Out.”

“…”

Realizing that Li Sipei was genuinely upset, Li Yan didn’t dare stay a second longer. He stammered a farewell and bolted out of the bedroom, making sure to close the door behind him.

With a soft click, the entire room fell into silence.

Li Sipei sat motionless in his wheelchair, phone in hand, his expression growing darker by the second.

Outside, the night was deep and starless, like a heavy curtain pressing down, ready to suffocate everything beneath it.

The wind rustled the leaves, clawing at the air like a frenzied beast.

Li Sipei stared out the window, lost in thought. After a while, he finally seemed to remember something and turned on his phone.

Mi Zhao had sent several messages.

[Mi Zhao: Where are you?]

[Mi Zhao: Asleep?]

[Mi Zhao: If you’re asleep, at least say so!]

[Mi Zhao: Knocking meme.jpg]

Li Sipei’s eyelashes drooped slightly as his gaze lingered on Mi Zhao’s profile picture—the same one he had never changed.

He was certain that the person in the picture wasn’t Mi Zhao.

And Mi Zhao was extremely mindful of copyright and privacy. Even when he painted something himself, he would never use a portrait of someone else as his own profile picture.

Ex.

The word surfaced in Li Sipei’s mind, along with the memory of the person who had called Mi Zhao earlier, pleading for a conversation.

His brows knitted tightly together.

A wave of bitter jealousy surged from deep within his heart, reminding him of a type of candy he had accidentally tasted as a child. It had been sour from the first bite, and the longer it stayed in his mouth, the more unbearable it became. The adults had loved that sourness, but he had despised it—so much so that he spat it out before even finishing.

And right now, that same unbearable taste seemed to be flooding his mouth again.

But now, he could endure it without showing a single sign.

Instead of replying to Mi Zhao, he called Ruan Xin upstairs. After hanging up, he inadvertently caught a glimpse of his own reflection in the floor-to-ceiling window.

His face was so dark it looked like it could drip ink.

He thought—

Why do exes even exist in this world? Wouldn’t it be better if they didn’t?

—

Mi Zhao wasn’t sure if Li Sipei was really asleep or just in a mood. While working on a commission, he kept an eye on his messages, waiting for a reply. But even by midnight, there was still nothing.

Hesitantly, he asked Yan Qinting, who was lying on his bed, “Do you think I should call him?”

Yan Qinting was still awake, listening to music and reading a novel. Hearing Mi Zhao’s voice, he pulled out one earbud and poked his head out. “What?”

Mi Zhao stood beneath his bunk, tilting up his pale face with concern. “He still hasn’t replied. It’s been hours. That’s not normal.”

Yan Qinting: “…”

Mi Zhao clutched his phone and repeated, “Should I call him?”

“…” Yan Qinting let out a long-suffering sigh, rolling his eyes. “Dude, he’s an adult, not a child. Drop the worried-mother act, will you?”

Mi Zhao awkwardly scratched his head. “I’m just worried he’s upset again…”

“If he’s upset, let him be. What’s it got to do with you?” Yan Qinting said. “Maybe he just wants some space. Give him some.”

Thinking it over, Mi Zhao realized Yan Qinting had a point. When he was dealing with his breakup with Li Yan, he hadn’t wanted to talk to anyone either. He had just wanted to be alone.

So, after tidying up his desk a bit, he went to bed.

—

The next day, Mi Zhao slept until almost noon. The moment he woke up, he checked his phone.

On his lock screen was a message from Li Sipei, sent seven hours ago.

[Xiao Li: Change your profile picture.]

Mi Zhao blinked, rubbed his eyes, and sat up to read it again.

He hadn’t seen wrong. That’s really what it said.

And the time?

4:30 AM.

“…” Mi Zhao fell into deep thought.

Later, while eating lunch at the cafeteria, Yan Qinting noticed something. “Hey, why’d you change your profile picture?”

Mi Zhao absentmindedly poked at his rice with his chopsticks. “Just felt like it.”

“Finally!” Yan Qinting gave him an approving look, like a teacher pleased with a good student. “I’ve been meaning to tell you—keeping your ex’s drawing as your profile picture after breaking up was seriously weird.”

“……” Mi Zhao’s chopsticks paused for a moment, feeling inexplicably guilty.

“Oh, right.” Yan Qinting pulled out his phone and checked Mi Zhao’s newly changed profile picture. “Who did you draw this time? There’s no face.”

Mi Zhao coughed lightly and answered concisely, “Him.”

Caught off guard by this unexpected public display of affection, Yan Qinting expressionlessly put away his phone and channeled all his frustration from being shown off into devouring his meal.

Evening hadn’t arrived yet when news of Li Yan treating everyone to dinner spread through their social circle. Some mutual friends, unaware that Mi Zhao and Li Yan had dated and broken up, messaged Mi Zhao privately to ask why he hadn’t shown up for Li Yan’s birthday celebration that afternoon.

“Wow.” Already sprawled lazily on his bed, Yan Qinting let out a sarcastic comment. “It’s just a birthday, but the way they’re going about it, I thought an emperor was setting off for battle.”

After brushing off the private messages, Mi Zhao clicked into his social media feed and was momentarily speechless.

The event was indeed extravagant.

It seemed they had gathered at some private club in the afternoon. Many people posted photos and videos, capturing Li Yan surrounded by a crowd of young men and women, laughing freely.

After scrolling for a while, Mi Zhao unsurprisingly spotted Lin Qiuzu in one of the photos.

It was a picture of Li Yan making a wish in front of his birthday cake. Lin Qiuzu stood beside him, very close. Even in the dim lighting, his eyes shone brightly, gazing at Li Yan with an unusually focused expression.

Mi Zhao: “……”

He coldly turned off his phone.

Yan Qinting, who had also come across the post, abruptly sat up in bed. “Lin Qiuzu went too?”

Mi Zhao remained silent, taking out his tablet to start working.

“What the hell, Li Yan is such a piece of trash, isn’t he? He invited Lin Qiuzu but lied to you, saying he didn’t.” Yan Qinting was furious. He threw his phone onto the bed and cursed, “He’s a shameless scumbag, through and through. He’s gonna rot in hell. I swear, I’ve never seen someone this disgusting in my life.”

Mi Zhao propped his tablet in a comfortable position and twirled his stylus between his fingers. He already had a concept in mind, but for some reason, he just couldn’t put pen to paper.

Yan Qinting was still cursing from the bed.

Mi Zhao responded calmly, “Maybe he didn’t invite both of us at the same time. Maybe after I rejected him, he invited Lin Qiuzu instead.”

There was a brief silence before Yan Qinting fumed even more. “That bastard!”

Mi Zhao didn’t say anything. However, his fingers unconsciously sped up as he twirled the stylus. He realized that his emotions were off. He had thought he could remain indifferent, yet the moment he saw that picture of Li Yan and Lin Qiuzu together, the sting of betrayal resurfaced silently.

He didn’t like Li Yan anymore.

But the pain Li Yan had caused him remained—like a healed wound that left an undeniable scar.

With a scrape of his chair against the floor, he abruptly stood up.

The sudden noise startled Yan Qinting, who immediately leaned over the bed railing. “Where are you going this late?”

“I can’t draw. Going out for a walk.” Mi Zhao grabbed a thick coat and left the dormitory.

By late September, the days were still warm, but the evenings had started to turn chilly. Mi Zhao had only been wearing a thin shirt, and it wasn’t until he pulled on his coat that he felt warm again.

He wandered aimlessly out of the campus gate and, without realizing it, ended up outside a supermarket. Hesitating for a moment, he stepped inside.

Sunday evenings were peak hours, and lines had already formed at the checkout. When it was finally his turn, he was surprised to see a familiar face behind the register.

“Qi Luo?” Mi Zhao asked in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

Qi Luo was a classmate of his. They had been on decent terms before but had grown closer after Mi Zhao helped him deal with Lin Qiuzu’s harassment. Qi Luo had always been grateful to him for that.

Tall and lanky, Qi Luo was a shy and reserved guy. He gave a slightly embarrassed smile. “I work part-time here.”

Mi Zhao nodded in understanding. Since there were still people in line behind him, he didn’t chat much and simply pointed to a shelf. “One pack.”

Qi Luo turned around to check and immediately froze. “You smoke?”

Mi Zhao replied, “Occasionally.”

Back when he was under a lot of stress, he’d often smoked and drank, though Yan Qinting had nagged him about it so much that he’d cut back significantly. It had been a long time since he last smoked, but tonight, he really didn’t want to hold back.

Qi Luo’s expression grew complicated as he slowly grabbed a pack of cigarettes and scanned it.

After paying, Mi Zhao picked up the pack and raised an eyebrow at Qi Luo with a grin. “Thanks.”

“Mm.” Qi Luo’s voice was soft, and his ears turned red.

Mi Zhao walked along the street by himself, the cigarette burning low between his fingers. When he reached the campus gate, he suddenly noticed a familiar-looking car.

He stopped in his tracks, narrowed his eyes, and took a closer look.

Then, he stubbed out his cigarette in a trash can and quietly approached from behind.

A glance at the license plate confirmed his suspicion—

It was Li Sipei’s car!

Instead of knocking on the window immediately, Mi Zhao took a moment to think. Then, he stealthily retreated behind a tree big enough to conceal him, keeping his eyes locked on the half-open window as he pulled out his phone and dialed Li Sipei’s number.

From his position, he could clearly see Li Sipei’s partial silhouette inside the car. But Li Sipei remained completely still, as if he hadn’t heard the ringtone.

Weird.

Did he put his phone on silent?

Just as Mi Zhao was about to hang up, he saw Li Sipei sluggishly pick up the phone.

Mi Zhao: “……”

So that’s why he always takes so long to answer calls.

The call connected, but as usual, Li Sipei said nothing.

Mi Zhao deliberately asked, “Where are you? Have you eaten yet?”

“I’ve eaten,” Li Sipei replied.

Mi Zhao pressed on, “Then where are you now?”

Silence.

If Mi Zhao hadn’t been watching him hold the phone, he would’ve thought Li Sipei had hung up. The man just sat there, head slightly bowed, deep in thought.

After a long pause, he finally answered, “At home.”

Mi Zhao wasn’t surprised in the slightest. He had expected Li Sipei to say that. If Li Sipei ever gave him a straightforward answer, now that would be shocking.

The call was still connected, and Li Sipei was waiting for his response.

Mi Zhao strode up to the car, ended the call, and knocked on the half-open window.

Inside the car, Li Sipei visibly tensed. When he turned to meet Mi Zhao’s gaze, his strikingly handsome face froze in real time.

Mi Zhao struggled to suppress his growing smirk. Tilting his head, he looked around the car interior. “This is your home? Since when do you live in your car?”

Li Sipei: “……”