ABOES 48: Can’t Say No

After icing his eyes for nearly half an hour, the swelling finally started to go down.

“Is it still obvious?” Chi Yunxing removed the eye mask, and after having it on for so long, the sudden brightness made him squint. His eyes were still moist from the lingering discomfort, and he looked toward Duan Zhiyan with an innocent expression.

Duan Zhiyan tilted his head and studied his face carefully for a moment before replying, “Not too obvious, but if someone looks closely, they’ll see you’ve been crying.”

Chi Yunxing’s skin was pale, so even the slightest trace was hard to hide.

“Seriously?” He blinked against the light, his long lashes lowering as he frowned slightly. “What should I do, then? Maybe we should stay out a bit longer?”

Duan Zhiyan’s gaze lingered at the corners of his eyes before he glanced at his watch. “It’s already past eleven. If we wait too long, Auntie Tan will call and start asking questions. We’d better head back.”

Chi Yunxing finally adjusted to the light and opened his eyes fully. He pulled out his phone, turned on the front camera, and stared at his still-reddened eyes for a while before sighing. “Alright.”

There was no helping it, they had to go home.

On the drive back, Chi Yunxing kept pulling out his phone every few minutes to check his eyes on the camera.

After seeing it several times, Duan Zhiyan finally couldn’t hold back, “Stop rubbing them. It’ll only make it worse.”

Chi Yunxing quickly lowered his hand but was still clearly anxious. If Tan Yao noticed, what excuse could he come up with?!  

Before he could come up with a good lie, the car slowly rolled to a stop outside the Chi family villa.

He lingered in the car for a bit longer, but Duan Zhiyan eventually opened the door for him. “Let’s go.”

Chi Yunxing had no choice but to get out.

As soon as they stepped inside, Tan Yao greeted them with a smile. “Yunxing, Zhiyan, you’re back? Go wash your hands. Dinner’s almost ready—”

Her eyes landed on the corners of Chi Yunxing’s eyes, and her brow furrowed. “Yunxing, what’s wrong with your eyes?”

Chi Yunxing’s heart sank. He racked his brain for an excuse, but Duan Zhiyan spoke up first.

“On the way back, we came across an injured stray cat that had been hit by a car. We rushed it to the hospital, but it didn’t make it. Yunxing was a little upset.”

Chi Yunxing froze, then looked at Duan Zhiyan in surprise only to see him wink.

He immediately understood and forced out a slightly awkward smile. “Yeah… that’s what happened. Don’t worry, Mom. I’m okay now.”

Tan Yao looked at him, then at Duan Zhiyan, and finally let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank goodness. You scared me,” she said, gently patting his shoulder. “It’s alright. You did everything you could. Don’t blame yourself.”

Chi Yunxing nodded guiltily. “Mm.”

“Go wash up now, come on,” Tan Yao nudged him toward the sink, then called out to Duan Zhiyan, “Zhiyan, you too.”

Duan Zhiyan looked up and saw Chi Xiweng standing on the stairs with arms crossed. He replied, “Coming.”

Only after watching Tan Yao lead Yunxing away did Chi Xiweng slowly come down the stairs, frowning at Duan Zhiyan. “So which pet hospital did you take that stray cat to?”

Duan Zhiyan knew that flimsy excuse wouldn’t fool him. He headed out toward the garden. “Let’s talk somewhere else.”

Chi Xiweng followed him with a scowl.

They sat at the pavilion. Duan Zhiyan glanced at his sulking friend and smirked. “Yunxing’s acting is pretty bad.”

Chi Xiweng snorted as he sat across from him. “What, you planning to coach him now?”

Duan Zhiyan nodded. “Yeah. I think he’s starting a new role soon, but he’s clearly still got a long way to go.”

Chi Xiweng’s expression eased slightly. “Good. You should help him. Keep him busy. Don’t let him check Weibo. I can handle the trending topics, but not the hard news. That kind of thing, I can’t make it disappear.”

They both fell silent for a moment, their expressions dark.

Duan Zhiyan had seen the trending topic but didn’t know the full story. “What exactly happened?”

“The police statement on Weibo wasn’t very detailed,” he added.

Chi Xiweng rubbed his temples, then finally said, “I only found out after I saw the news. It’s already spreading, but thankfully no one knows the victim was Song Jing. We have to keep that from Yunxing, he’d be terrified if he knew.”

He paused before continuing, “That bastard Xia went to Song Jing’s place last night. The neighbors called the police after hearing screaming. When they arrived, the place was covered in blood…”

“Song Jing was rushed to the hospital. They saved his life, but his legs were beyond saving. And mentally, he’s already gone. The cops said that sick bastard…”

Chi Xiweng clenched his fist so tight his hand trembled. After a long pause, he said, “He didn’t attack Song Jing right away. First, he… did it with him. Then afterward, he pulled out the tools he’d brought and broke his legs.”

“Fucker,” Chi Xiweng slammed his fist on the table. His face was livid. “He’s a goddamn psycho. Thank god Yunxing’s okay. If he hadn’t been…”

“Yunxing’s fine,” Duan Zhiyan said softly. “He knows how to protect himself.”

Chi Xiweng exhaled slowly, nodding. “Yeah… I know. I’m just glad he cut ties with that scumbag early.”

Duan Zhiyan’s eyes darkened. His voice was hoarse. “Mm.”

Chi Xiweng didn’t notice the change in his friend’s expression. A moment later, he asked again, “So what really happened with Yunxing today? Don’t feed me that stray cat story, you used that excuse every time you snuck him out for ice cream when we were kids.”

Duan Zhiyan chuckled. “You remember that?”

“Of course I do.”

After laughing for a while, Duan Zhiyan said, “Yunxing and I made a promise not to tell anyone.”

Chi Xiweng’s face changed. “Not even me?”

Duan Zhiyan nodded. “Not even you.”

Chi Xiweng fell silent for a long time before finally nodding. “Fine. If Yunxing doesn’t want me to know, I won’t push it. But,” he looked seriously at Duan Zhiyan, “Tell me this, did he suffer?”

“He did,” Duan Zhiyan said honestly. “But it’s over now.”

Chi Xiweng shot to his feet, shadows in his eyes. “So it was the Xia family.”

Duan Zhiyan glanced toward the house. Not seeing Yunxing, he let out a quiet breath. “I said it’s over. Don’t worry, Yunxing knows how to take care of himself.”

Chi Xiweng’s face still looked awful. “They got off too easily.”

Just as Duan Zhiyan was about to reply, the door to the house opened and Chi Yunxing peeked out.

“Ge,” he said, then looked at Duan Zhiyan, his voice quieter, “Zhiyan Ge, Mom says dinner’s ready.”

Duan Zhiyan quickly masked his emotions and smiled. “Coming.”

Chi Xiweng also forced a smile and looked at Yunxing, teasing, “What did you do to him today, huh? He’s actually calling you Ge now?”

Chi Yunxing froze, glancing instinctively at Duan Zhiyan.

Duan Zhiyan got up, slung an arm around Yunxing’s shoulders, and steered him inside. “I am his Ge. You’re the fake.”

“You—!”

Tan Yao walked out of the kitchen with a dish in hand, just in time to hear them bickering. She laughed. “Alright, alright, instead of arguing, come help me with the food.”

Duan Zhiyan led Yunxing into the kitchen. “Coming, Auntie Tan!”

Chi Xiweng was about to follow but got pulled aside by Tan Yao to help fetch wine from the cellar.

Duan Zhiyan washed his hands and, while Tan Yao was still in the cellar, leaned close to Yunxing and whispered, “Don’t worry. Your brother doesn’t know anything. He’s just mad at me because he thinks I upset you.”

Chi Yunxing’s guilt flared. “It’s my fault…”

Duan Zhiyan handed him a dish and, with one damp hand, pinched Yunxing’s cheek. “Told you, it’s not your fault.”

Chi Yunxing hadn’t expected the touch and stood frozen. He had just taken a bath, and water still clung to his lashes. His wide, wet eyes stared at Duan Zhiyan in shock.

He looked too soft and cute. Duan Zhiyan’s heart skipped.

He resisted the urge to reach out again, grabbed two more dishes, and asked casually, “You’re starting filming soon, right?”

Still dazed, Chi Yunxing followed behind. “Mm… In half a month.”

“Web series?” Duan Zhiyan asked.

“Yeah. It’s a modern romance. I’m playing the second male lead.”

After placing the dishes down, Duan Zhiyan took the ones from Yunxing and smiled. “Then our second lead definitely needs to improve a bit. You managed to fool Auntie Tan earlier, but your brother saw through it right away.”

Chi Yunxing lowered his head, ears burning. “I have been going to acting classes…”

“I know,” Duan Zhiyan guided him back to the kitchen. “But forget those classes. Let me teach you instead.”

Chi Yunxing’s eyes widened. “You mean…”

Duan Zhiyan looked back at him, eyes full of warmth. “You called me Ge, didn’t you? So it’s only right that I do what a ge should do, right?”

Xie Yi’s words still echoed in his ears.

Chi Yunxing opened his mouth, but in the end, he found that he couldn’t say no.