ABOES 45: He Wasn’t Wrong

Chi Yunxing thought he’d misheard and repeated in disbelief, “A live arrest?”

Duan Zhiyan: “Mm. Want to come?”

After confirming he hadn’t misheard, Chi Yunxing quickly reasoned it out in his head.

Duan Zhiyan wouldn’t bring him to see some random stranger being arrested so whoever it was must be related to him. In other words, someone he knew.

He immediately thought of Xia Huaiming.

The other end of the call was quiet, save for the faint sound of breathing.

Duan Zhiyan waited patiently, not pushing him.

After a long silence, Chi Yunxing finally said, “Okay. I’ll go.”

Duan Zhiyan chuckled softly. His low and pleasant voice crackled gently over the line. “Alright. I’ll be at the hospital in half an hour.”

“Okay.”

When Duan Zhiyan arrived at the hospital, Chi Yunxing was helping his grandmother walk along the corridor for her daily stroll.

She’d been doing better lately—her energy returning—and insisted on walking with him every day.

She spotted Duan Zhiyan before Chi Yunxing did and patted his hand with a grin. “That rascal Zhiyan is here again.”

Chi Yunxing looked up and saw him at the end of the hallway. Duan Zhiyan wore a hat and a mask, holding a large bouquet of vivid red roses. At first glance, Chi Yunxing didn’t even recognize him until he caught sight of those smiling eyes beneath the brim.

As Duan Zhiyan approached, he removed his hat and mask and greeted her first. “Grandma.” Then he turned to Chi Yunxing. “Yunxing.”

Chi Yunxing sucked in a shallow breath but couldn’t bring himself to get past the awkwardness. “Mr. Duan.”

Duan Zhiyan raised an eyebrow, clearly not pleased with the formality, but didn’t press the issue. Instead, he handed the bouquet to Grandma Chi. “Do you like them? The roses at home just bloomed, so I had the housekeeper cut some for you.”

Grandma Chi took the flowers and leaned in to smell them. A smile lit up her face. “Mm, roses from home really are fresher than the store-bought ones. You didn’t have a job today? What brings you back to the hospital?”

Duan Zhiyan smiled. “Just came to bring you flowers.”

She didn’t buy that. Glancing at Chi Yunxing, she teased, “You’re here for Yunxing, aren’t you?”

The corner of Duan Zhiyan’s lips lifted. “You saw right through me, Grandma.”

“I watched you grow up—how could I not know what’s on your mind?” she said with a chuckle.

She was genuinely happy that Duan Zhiyan had come to take Yunxing out. In her view, young people should go out more instead of staying cooped up in the hospital with her all the time.

“I’ll just be gone for a little while,” Chi Yunxing said. “I’ll be back soon.”

Grandma Chi frowned at him disapprovingly. “Why come back so soon? Go have fun, it’s not like I don’t have someone here to look after me.”

She waved for the caregiver to help her back to her room. When Yunxing tried to help, she shooed him away. “Go enjoy yourself. Don’t worry about me, Then she looked to Duan Zhiyan. “Zhiyan, take good care of him.”

“Of course, Grandma,” Duan Zhiyan replied.

Only after watching her leave did he turn to Yunxing. “Ready? Got a mask and hat?”

Chi Yunxing nodded and went next door to grab them before heading down with him.

In the garage, Chi Yunxing was surprised to know that Duan Zhiyan had driven himself.

Noticing the reaction, Duan Zhiyan opened the passenger door for him and explained with a smile, “Where we’re going today is a bit special. It’s not convenient to use the usual car.”

Chi Yunxing thanked him softly and got in.

Once in the driver’s seat, Duan Zhiyan buckled up and looked at him. “Curious about anything?”

Chi Yunxing met those calm black eyes and nodded. “I am.”

He had many questions. Like why Duan Zhiyan would bring him specifically to watch Xia Huaiming’s arrest. How did he even know the exact time and location? And most of all—what crime had Xia Huaiming committed?

Duan Zhiyan didn’t rush to answer. He started the car and pulled out of the underground garage. Chi Yunxing didn’t snap out of his thoughts until he noticed the familiar buildings outside the window.

They were close.

In his past life, he hadn’t discovered Xia Huaiming and Song Jing’s true faces this early, and had fallen for that seemingly perfect man.

After they got engaged, Xia Huaiming had taken him to the Xia family estate.

Chi Yunxing hadn’t liked the stifling atmosphere of that house but he had loved the tree-lined road leading to it. Sunlight now streamed through the leaves, dappling the road with light and shadow. A summer breeze stirred the air.

Chi Yunxing took a deep breath and turned to the man beside him, who had been quietly waiting for him to speak but the question he asked had nothing to do with what he had originally planned.

“I heard… you were the first to recognize me?”

Duan Zhiyan was clearly caught off guard. He glanced over quickly, then turned back to the road and curved his lips faintly. “Your brother told you?”

Chi Yunxing nodded. “Mm.”

“Do you remember the first episode of the show?” Duan Zhiyan asked.

Even though he had already suspected, hearing the confirmation from Duan Zhiyan’s mouth still shocked Chi Yunxing. “So that’s why you asked if we’d met before?”

“Mm,” Duan Zhiyan nodded. “At the time, you just looked familiar. I didn’t recognize you right away.”

A flicker of regret passed through his eyes.

“If only I’d realized earlier…” he murmured, brow furrowing briefly before smoothing out again.

Chi Yunxing caught that flash of guilt and gently said, “It’s not your fault. People do change as they grow.”

Duan Zhiyan’s mouth curved faintly upward. As the light turned red, he glanced over at Chi Yunxing. He said with a smile after a pause, “Yunxing, you really are still just like when you were a kid.”

Chi Yunxing blinked. “Huh?”

Duan Zhiyan just smiled again and didn’t explain.

The car rounded a corner and entered a luxury villa district.

He seemed familiar with the area, no GPS needed. He soon parked beneath a tree.

“We’re here,” he said. “This is as far as we can go but from here, we’ll have a clear view.”

Chi Yunxing looked out.

At the end of the road stood the Xia family’s villa.

—

Xia Huaiming has been a mess lately.

After the company’s cash flow collapsed, they had to take out loans and beg former partners for help.Times had changed. Now, Xia Huaiming truly understood what it meant to be kicked when you’re down.

When their company had been thriving, executives from other firms had groveled before him. Begging for favors and afraid to offend him. He had thought himself as generous, approving most proposals as long as there were no major issues.

Yet the moment trouble hit, those same people not only refused to help. They even swooped in and stole projects from him.

Xia Huaiming was furious, nearly spitting blood. He was now the one begging for favors. He had no choice but to swallow his pride.

And still, no one relented.

These past few days, he had been hitting wall after wall.

After yet another sleepless night, he told himself he would go home and get some real rest after finishing the day’s work.

Just then, his secretary came in with a stack of papers.

“Mr. Xia, these are resignation letters.”

These days, waves of employees are quitting. The topic alone soured his mood. “Just send them to HR, why bring them to me? What, is your brain broken too? Can’t even prioritize properly?”

The old Xia Huaiming would’ve been met with a fake smile and compliance but not today.

The secretary slammed the papers on the desk with a sneer. “You’re the one with the broken brain. These are the execs resigning. Should HR approve those without telling you?”

“Idiot!”

Then he turned and stormed out. Halfway down the hall, he called back, “By the way, my resignation letter’s in there too. I quit!”

Before Xia Huaiming could even react, he heard a loud cheer from outside.

His office windows were one-way. People couldn’t see in, but he could see out.

The moment the secretary left, the entire office broke into celebration.

Colleagues surrounded the secretary, laughing and patting his back. Some started packing up their desks.

In no time, groups of people left the building with boxes in hand.

The secretary was the last to leave. He glanced back at the office and flipped him off.

Xia Huaiming went pale with his eyes bloodshot.

He wanted nothing more than to storm out and beat them up but he knew full well: he was outnumbered. If he lashed out, he would probably be the one getting beaten and sued.

After several deep breaths, he forced himself back to his desk.

He couldn’t give up. The company had ended up like this because of his recklessness.

He truly regretted it now.

If only he hadn’t argued with netizens online…

Maybe the bad press wouldn’t have blown up. The investors might’ve stayed. The company might’ve survived.

It was all his fault.

Then he paused.

Was it really his fault?

He had just cussed out some netizens. Who doesn’t swear these days?

If anything, it was their fault.

If they hadn’t provoked him, he wouldn’t have fought back.

It was his private life, what business was it of theirs?

He just slept with a man. So what?

Even Ye Xinian didn’t complain, why were they so outraged?

Suddenly, he realized he hadn’t heard anything about Ye Xinian in a while.

He opened Weibo and there it was, trending: Ye Xinian… Name Change?

What?

He changed his name?

Reading the details, Xia Huaiming’s expression twisted into something grotesque.

His own company was on the verge of bankruptcy, and Ye Xinian had the time to reunite with his real family and change his name?

He was falling apart and Ye Xinian was fine?

Unbelievable.

He leaned back and fell asleep, drained.

It wasn’t long before his phone rang shrilly, yanking him out of his nap like a curse.

Irritated, he picked up without checking the caller. “What?”

“Xia Huaiming! When the hell are you going to send me the money? No, sorry, I shouldn’t yell. Please, Huaiming, I’m begging you. I’m about to be taken to court, I need money, please…”

“You promised, remember? You said you’d buy me a house. I don’t want the house anymore, just give me some cash, please?”

“I’ve got no other options… Huaiming, I’m begging you. Just pity me, please? Give me the money. I swear I won’t bother you again. Just this once…”

Song Jing’s voice was frantic and incoherent. Every sentence drips with desperation and greed.

All Xia Huaiming could feel was revulsion.

Money. Always money.

Did he owe Song Jing anything?

It was all his fault.

If Song Jing hadn’t seduced him, none of this would’ve happened.

No cheating, no public backlash, no investor withdrawal. The company wouldn’t have collapsed.

It was all Song Jing’s fault.

He knew Xia Huaiming loved Ye Xinian and still shamelessly seduced him.

It was all his fault.

Still babbling on the other end, Song Jing pleaded for mercy.

Xia Huaiming’s eyes darkened with bloodlust. He suddenly chuckled softly.

“Where are you right now?” he asked.

The night had fallen outside.

In the dark office, the phone’s cold light cast eerie shadows across Xia Huaiming’s twisted face.