26: Visiting Zhou Langxing

Qin Yan spent the entire afternoon distracted, constantly thinking about Ah Ling.

When a man thinks about a woman, it’s nothing but love.

He refuted in his mind, “No, I don’t like her. She’s not tall, not pretty, her face has freckles, and her skin is as pale as a ghost. Most importantly, I don’t like women. There’s already someone in my heart.”

He just felt that there was a huge secret hidden within that woman.

Qin Yan wasn’t a curious person, but at this moment, he was like someone possessed, desperately wanting to uncover that secret.

Ten minutes before school ended, Qin Yan distributed the new toys. These were purchased by the principal online in bulk as gifts for Children’s Day, and each child received one. It was a rubber duck about the size of half a palm. When you squeezed its belly, it would make a loud “quack” sound.

A little girl in the front row held the duck and wiggled it, her voice innocent. “I’m going to put my little duck in my swimming pool when I take a bath tonight.”

“Wow, you have a swimming pool at home?”

“Yeah!” She proudly lifted her chin. “My mom bought it. It’s flat, and when you inflate it, it becomes really big. I take a bath in it every day!”

Qin Yan noticed her braid had come undone. Taking advantage of the fact that the bell hadn’t rung yet, he quickly rebraided her hair.

The little girl smiled brightly. “Thank you, Teacher Dou Sha Bao!”

After school, when he sent the children to the school bus, he looked around the school gate. There were many adults, but he couldn’t see Ah Ling. He let out a sigh of relief. At that moment, he truly didn’t know what kind of expression to put on to face her.

He didn’t immediately take the subway. Instead, he walked down a street to a fresh food supermarket to buy ingredients for dinner that night.

He bought pasta, tomatoes, chicken breasts… and planned to make tomato chicken pasta. He also bought twelve ice creams.

Carrying the bags, Qin Yan sat on the subway. Suddenly, he received a call from Zhou Langxing. His voice sounded a bit strange—hoarse and weak, and at first, Qin Yan didn’t realize it was him.

“Langxing… are you sick?”

“…I had a fever. Just got better.” Zhou Langxing replied on the other end. “Last night, I went down the elevator. It felt off. Don’t take it for a while.”

Huh? He had noticed the elevator was off last night, but only called to warn him today. Could he have been sick for a whole day and night and just recovered his senses?

“You got stuck in the elevator too? At ten o’clock last night, the firefighters came to rescue people trapped in the elevator. I saw in the group chat that it’s being repaired now.”

“Yeah, I was stuck for more than ten minutes. It’s fine.”

“Then you got sick…”

“The doctor said I caught a chill.” He sounded a bit embarrassed saying this.

“…” Qin Yan blinked. With Zhou Langxing’s build, he really didn’t seem like someone who would catch a cold just from a breeze.

There were words he wanted to say, thoughts he wanted to voice. He wanted to visit Zhou Langxing, but as soon as he thought about meeting his dad, he hesitated.

He didn’t say anything before hanging up.

Qin Yan sat in silence on the subway, growing increasingly uncomfortable with his thoughts. Zhou Langxing had gone over the wall to get him a pack of cigarettes, regardless of the danger, while Qin Yan was here overthinking everything. He felt guilty, unfaithful, and lacking in integrity!

He made up his mind, went home in a rush, stuffed the groceries into the fridge, grabbed his phone, and dashed out of the house. He ran downstairs, out of the neighborhood, and hopped into a Didi car, out of breath.

He didn’t notice that someone was standing by the window on the eighth floor.

Zhou Shurong had been counting his working hours and had been standing by the window since Qin Yan finished work.

His expression was a bit indifferent.

Qin Yan’s university wasn’t in this city, and he had no friends nearby—just a few colleagues and neighbors he exchanged pleasantries with. Zhou Shurong seemed to have guessed where he was heading.

The little ghost crawled around his feet. He picked it up and ruffled its fluffy head, then placed it on the sofa and turned on the TV to let it watch cartoons.

“You be good. Once I find your mother’s phone, I’ll have money, and I’ll buy you incense and treats to fill your belly.”

The little ghost seemed to understand, showing her two tiny teeth.

Meanwhile, Qin Yan was calling Zhou Langxing from the car.

Visiting someone’s home was a kind of guest visit, so naturally, he first notified the host.

Zhou Langxing was thrilled upon hearing this and gave him the address. Qin Yan could feel the excitement in his voice, even through the phone.

So happy? Qin Yan’s anxious heart suddenly swelled with pride.

His decision was right!

While waiting at a traffic light, he noticed a fruit store at the corner. He quickly called out to the driver to stop.

“Driver, wait a second. I’m going to buy some fruit. I’ll be quick!”

He rushed into the store and picked out fruit. The Zhou family was well-off, so he didn’t need to worry about buying expensive gifts or whether his money was enough. The Zhou family had plenty of money, and they didn’t lack expensive gifts.

Qin Yan was very selective with each fruit. When he went to pay, he suddenly regretted not buying some good ingredients to make a nice soup to show his sincerity.

At this point, it wasn’t just about visiting Zhou Langxing anymore.

It was about leaving a good impression on his father.

That was Zhou Shurong’s Father!

Back in the car, his confidence began to dwindle again.

He thought, would Father Zhou think he was being casual or indifferent if he only brought a plastic bag of fruit, without even a decorative basket?

He hesitated, but it was too late. The car had already passed the point of no return. An hour and a half later, the car drove from the west to the east, from the bustling city center to a quiet suburban area. The car finally reached the foot of a mountain, and the driver woke Qin Yan, who had dozed off.

When he got out of the car, what lay before him was an unimaginably luxurious estate.

And Zhou Langxing stood at the ornate European-style wrought iron gate, carved with rose patterns. He was wearing a soft, serene light blue home outfit, his black hair slightly curled as if styled with a curling iron. This unique attire softened his overly sharp features, making him look gentle and cultured.

Qin Yan inexplicably thought that he would look good wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses.

Not because he was nostalgic for Zhou Shurong, not because he saw his shadow in Zhou Langxing.

But simply because of his personal aesthetic, and he instinctively beautified him according to his preferences.

Half an hour earlier, Zhou Langxing had been preparing to go out.

The housekeeper was preparing dinner in the kitchen, and Father Zhou was sitting on the living room sofa, drinking tea while watching the evening news. When he saw Zhou Langxing preparing to leave, his brows furrowed.

“Dinner is ready. Where are you going?”

“I’m going to pick up… a friend.” His tone wasn’t as steady as usual.

“A friend?” Zhou Shurong thought he was going out with his drinking buddies to party, play ball, or race cars. He frowned and said, “No nonsense!”

“We’re not going out,” Zhou Langxing replied.

Father Zhou was surprised. This friend had the guts to come over as a guest. It couldn’t be one of those unpresentable troublemakers.

“So suddenly, coming over to visit at this time?”

Zhou Langxing glanced at him coldly and said, “He called an hour ago. It’s not sudden. I’ve already informed Aunt Li. Just need to prepare another set of dishes. If you don’t welcome him, we’ll go eat out. We won’t disturb you!”

He glanced at his angry son, then took a slow sip of his tea, saying lightly, “Why are you so angry? Can’t I just ask?”

Zhou Langxing grumbled, “It’s not that.”

“I see. You’ve recovered enough that your skin is itching again.”

Seeing his son glaring, Father Zhou waved his hand. “Go ahead, go pick him up. Let me see what kind of great person is worth your attention.”

Zhou Langxing’s ears turned slightly red at the comment, but he still kept a cold face. It made him look awkward.

Father Zhou couldn’t help but wonder—was this friend male or female?

He had a look of disdain, then hurriedly urged, “Go on, go on, you’re blocking my light.”

Zhou Langxing gave him a silent glance, turned, and left the house.

Father Zhou, seeing him go, quietly stood up and walked into the kitchen. Aunt Li and two helpers were still preparing the meal.

He asked, “Did Langxing tell you whether his friend is male or female?”

Aunt Li turned around. “Oh, Mr. Zhou. Young Master Langxing didn’t say.”

“Then what does his friend like to eat? Any dislikes?”

Aunt Li hesitated. “He didn’t say either.”

“Is that so?” He pondered, “He doesn’t even know their tastes, probably haven’t met them much. Met online? What era is this, still doing online dating. It’s so backward.”

He rubbed his chin and sat back on the sofa, “This kid, seems like he’s never had a crush before. I did hear about some scandal with a girlfriend.”

However, at that time, Zhou Langxing got very upset, his face turning red with anger, almost stomping his feet and throwing things, shouting, “There is no scandal! None! No, no, no!”

Zhou Shurong laughed, a bit gloating, as if he was the one who had spread that rumor about the girlfriend.

He thought the two brothers were just arguing again.

Zhou Shurong said, “There is none, someone just assumed it.”

He was confused, how could anyone just assume a scandalous girlfriend?

When Zhou Shurong crossed his mind, Father Zhou couldn’t help but feel a little sad. He wiped his face and picked himself up.

“Then he just hasn’t dated,” Zhou Father concluded, “His skills with women are so poor, not like me. When their mother was young, she was so beautiful, she wouldn’t marry anyone but me!”

Zhou Langxing waited for half an hour.

The feeling of waiting felt familiar, as if he was back at that gloomy funeral. He waited for a long time, counted for a long time, and finally waited for the one person he had been thinking about.

This time, Qin Yan’s gaze landed on him in an instant.

“Langxing—” He walked over, “Why are you out in the wind? Come inside. Are you feeling better?”

Zhou Langxing’s eyes brightened, “I feel great.”

“I decided to visit you on a whim, I only brought some fruits.”

Zhou Langxing took the fruits, looked into the bag a few more times, then smiled and said, “Thank you. I received your thoughtfulness. Come with me, my dad wants to meet you!”

“Huh?”

Seeing Qin Yan freeze in place, Zhou Langxing reached out to pull him, gently coaxing, “Don’t worry, everyone has a dad, what’s so special about this identity?”

Zhou Langxing’s words greatly reassured Qin Yan, and as they passed through the large iron gate and walked down the long road, the light scent of orange blossoms filled the air. He curiously observed everything around him, spotting a fountain.

“Wow, your home is so big and beautiful!”

“Because my family is nouveau riche,” Zhou Langxing said nonchalantly.

“……” Qin Yan replied, “You know, I work at a kindergarten. Our principal also went to a rich family’s villa once, and she praised how big and beautiful their house was. Guess what the homeowner said?”

Zhou Langxing paused for a moment, “That’s my house, not my home.”

Qin Yan was stunned, “How do you know?”

Zhou Langxing shrugged, “They all say it, rich people have many houses. Though it’s true, it’s also showing off.”

“…Your house smells good too, you’ve planted a lot of flowers?”

“We have a backyard, lots of flowers. But the smell isn’t from flowers, it’s the insect repellent spray.”

“Insect… repellent?”

“My dad is crazy, insists on putting the house at the foot of the mountain. In the summer, it’s full of buzzing bugs. So annoying!”

Qin Yan silently glanced at Zhou Langxing. Don’t talk anymore, every time you open your mouth, your house’s taste drops a notch.

Zhou Langxing didn’t hear his thoughts and continued chatting away, practically saying everything he could, so different from the cool guy he had first met.

“My house is decorated like a nouveau riche. Don’t be too shocked when you go inside—the ceiling in the living room is really high, the marble columns are huge, and the crystal chandelier could blind someone. Standing inside, you’d feel so small. But don’t panic… well, if you feel awkward, just keep thinking in your head: nouveau riche, nouveau riche, nouveau riche!”

Qin Yan couldn’t help but laugh.

Zhou Langxing smiled and looked at him, “It works really well. I invited a friend over in high school. He said, thanks to his hatred of rich people, he answered my dad’s questions with confidence, never backing down.”

“My dad later told me, that guy is pretty good, he’s bold.”

Qin Yan suddenly became curious about this high school friend. He seemed so interesting—if they stopped contacting each other, that would be a shame.

“Do you still keep in touch with that friend?”

“He’s a college genius, went to the capital to study. I don’t know what he’s busy with, we only talk two or three times a month.”

“You have good taste in friends.”

“Haha, you’re basically praising yourself indirectly.”

Zhou Langxing downplayed his own house, ultimately trying to relieve Qin Yan’s stress. Zhou’s family was a well-known business family in the city, and he was worried Qin Yan might feel nervous.

And indeed, Qin Yan wasn’t nervous anymore.

Zhou Langxing took Qin Yan inside, and as soon as they entered, they saw Zhou Father on the sofa. He introduced, “Dad, this is my friend, Qin Yan—he works in early childhood education.”

Qin Yan smiled, “Good evening, Uncle Zhou.”

Father Zhou’s curious gaze fell on his face—pale, with traces of mixed heritage, and very lively. But his eyes were somewhat unsettling, a faint sadness lingering there.

“Qin Yan’s a teacher, huh? Not bad, not bad,” Zhou Father commented, “Much better than some of Zhou Langxing’s friends from KTV and bars.”

He was a bit disappointed about the gender of this friend, but didn’t show it. As he was about to give a polite smile, his gaze suddenly fell on the hands that were holding each other.

His polite smile turned a little awkward.

Zhou Langxing and Qin Yan both noticed something was off, looked down, and—oh—they were both surprised. When did they hold hands? How?

They quickly let go of their hands and distanced themselves.

Zhou Langxing’s ears turned red, his mind spinning rapidly. He suddenly remembered it was him who had reached out first!

Qin Yan recalled the details and quickly grasped the truth—he had been so shocked when Father Zhou wanted to meet him, he froze in place and was hurriedly pulled away by the eager Zhou Langxing.

Holding hands was nothing. If they were both pure, there was no problem.

But he didn’t understand—how had he not noticed something was off the entire way?

Had he stopped guarding against Zhou Langxing?

However, if one stays righteous, there’s nothing to fear!

Qin Yan quickly calmed his emotions, leaving Zhou Langxing stuck in his own thoughts.

At the dining table, Father Zhou kept glancing at his youngest son with a look that mixed springtime and disapproval, almost wishing he could throw a plate at his face.

Fortunately, Zhou Langxing understood his gaze and immediately changed to a serious and formal expression. This surprised Father Zhou, who hadn’t realized his youngest son could switch faces so quickly.

Even more surprising was that Zhou Langxing was suddenly very attentive, serving food to Qin Yan.

It was like a different person.

Father Zhou was amazed, and a little jealous. Zhou Langxing, at his age, had never been this filial. He cleared his throat twice, pretending to cough. “Langxing, pass me some cold cut beef from in front of you, I can’t reach it.”

Zhou Langxing glanced at him, reluctant, but since Qin Yan was there, he couldn’t ignore him. If he wanted to create a good image, some sacrifices had to be made.

He put on a smile, his eyes full of warmth, and with great filial piety, he served his father a large portion of beef with the serving chopsticks.

Father Zhou, holding back his laughter, ate contentedly. He had never tasted beef so delicious. Not enough, he wanted more.

Most importantly, seeing his youngest son so rarely show such filial piety made him feel very pleased. He had found a shortcut to his heart.

“Langxing, get me a bowl of soup.”

Zhou Langxing held his ground.

“Good drink! Ah Xing, another bowl.”

Zhou Langxing continued to endure.

“Ah Xing—”

“Dad, you can’t drink any more! You have high blood pressure.”

Father Zhou wanted to ask when he ever had high blood pressure, but seeing Zhou Langxing’s concerned yet gritted teeth expression, he clicked his tongue.

“Ah Xing, would you be interested in going to the big screen?”

Zhou Langxing almost pulled a long face. Wasn’t this a direct mockery of his acting skills? Really, Zhou Shurong had inherited his sarcasm!

“Huh?” Qin Yan asked in surprise. “Isn’t Langxing’s major finance?”

“You know my major?” Zhou Langxing quickly turned his head.

“Yes. Shurong mentioned it, you both studied the same major.”

“Although they studied the same major, their grades are worlds apart.” Father Zhou wiped the soup from his beard, then suddenly fixed his gaze on Qin Yan. “You’re also a friend of Ah Rong?”

Qin Yan paused for a moment before nodding.

Father Zhou continued staring at him for a long time, then suddenly seemed to remember something. “I remember you! You… you attended Ah Rong’s funeral!”

The atmosphere immediately cooled.

Talking about the death of a close one always brings discomfort. The dinner ended in a heavy silence.

After the meal, Qin Yan asked to offer incense to Zhou Shurong.

Father Zhou instructed a servant to lead the way. “His portrait and tablet have been moved to his room. You can go.”

Then, he called Zhou Langxing over. “Ah Xing, I need to talk to you. Come to my study.”

They headed upstairs, where there were two directions.

On the left was the elevator, on the right, the stairs. Zhou Father and Zhou Langxing took the left, while Qin Yan followed the servant up the right.

Zhou Langxing could guess what the upcoming conversation would be. After all, his father was a shrewd businessman, the best at reading people. His intentions were as clear as day, and no one could fool him.

That was also why Zhou Shurong hadn’t brought Qin Yan home under the guise of being his friend.

Entering the study and shutting the door, it felt as though they were cut off from the outside world. Not a sound could be heard from beyond.

“Ah Xing, sit.”

Zhou Langxing wasn’t polite—this was his home, and the person seemingly interrogating him was his father. What was there to be afraid of? He was the precious only child. He plopped down without hesitation, his gaze direct and unashamedly focused on his father.

Zhou Father chuckled in amusement. “You think I can’t do anything to you?”

Zhou Langxing raised an eyebrow. “You couldn’t control me when you were young.”

“I’m old now, I really can’t control you.” Zhou Father stared at him, his voice slow and heavy. “But I thought you would mature once you became an adult. But you went and learned street racing. Then, I thought after your brother passed, you’d grow up. But…”

“The emotional card doesn’t work on me.” Zhou Langxing’s face remained cold at first, then he paused and added, “But what?”

Zhou Father clenched his hands tightly, a sharp glint in his eyes.

“That friend, is he really just a friend?”

Zhou Langxing stood up, glaring at him angrily, raising his voice, “What identity? What identity do you want?! When you married my mom, weren’t you a poor guy marrying a rich beauty?”

Zhou Father closed his eyes briefly. “You misunderstood me. I don’t have that strong a sense of class.”

Zhou Langxing refused to sit down, towering over him. “Then what do you mean?”

“I want to know, what is his relationship with Ah Rong?”

Father Zhou’s sharp eyes locked in on his target. Zhou Langxing suddenly felt weak under the pressure. He slumped back into the chair, quickly turning his face away. “What… What relationship?”

He now understood that things had taken a turn. His guilty conscience made it hard to say a word clearly.

“He attended Ah Rong’s funeral, and you sent the invitation. I asked you, and you said he was Ah Rong’s friend. What a unique friend—your brother was well-liked, yet only this one friend attended the funeral. Why does he catch your eye?”

Zhou Langxing fell silent, his soft hair sticking to his face, giving him a somewhat obedient appearance.

Father Zhou’s heart softened. “What are your thoughts?”

Zhou Langxing raised his eyes.

Father Zhou smirked, a bit mocking, a bit teasing.

“Planning to take over your brother’s handsome little widower?”

“…” Zhou Langxing nearly choked on his own saliva, looking at him in disbelief.

He struck the table with his fingers, voice sharp: “Speak, lost your voice? Do you or don’t you want it? Stop being so wishy-washy, no wonder you’ve been single for 23 years!”

“…I do!”

Upon hearing this, Father Zhou fell silent. After a long pause, he sighed, “Brothers always compete, did you two fight to the death in your past life?”

Another long pause passed before he stood up and threw out a final remark. “If you don’t want me to interfere, then I won’t. I’m busy—making millions every minute. Tomorrow I’m ending my home office and will be staying at our city center property for a while. Don’t disturb me.”

Zhou Langxing simply muttered “Oh.”

Father Zhou left, but quickly returned, pointing at Zhou Langxing.

“By the way, when is the exam at school? Remember to go.”

When Zhou Langxing made a face, Zhou Father threatened, “If you don’t go, I’ll hire a few retired special forces soldiers to drag you to make up the exam! I’m giving you one year—graduate and come help me with the company. Got it?”

“…Okay.”

Zhou Father finally left.

The room grew quiet again. Zhou Langxing sat there, lost in thought, muttering to himself, “Give me one year… is he really not going to care what I do?”

He slumped into the wide chair, letting out a long sigh.

It felt like he was seeing his dad in a new light—when had he become so forgiving and likable?

“Wait—”

Zhou Langxing was startled by the sudden voice. It was Zhou Father returning once again.

“This is my study, get out. You’re here just to wait for me to entertain your friend?”