TVDC 3: Stealing

Qiu Xuning hesitated after hearing Zhou Mingmei’s words. This wasn’t entirely He Zhiyuan’s fault—“Qiu Xuning” was in the wrong too. He shouldn’t have stolen someone’s watch, and after being caught, not only refused to return it but even cursed at the owner. If it had been him, he would’ve been angry as well.

But Qiu Xuning didn’t dare say it aloud. If he did, the fact that He Zhiyuan owned an expensive watch might no longer stay a secret, and when that happened, He Zhiyuan might just take it out on him.

He kept his head down, the thought making him tremble slightly. The Qiu family didn’t know He Zhiyuan’s true nature but he did. After He Zhiyuan came of age and reclaimed the funds his parents had set aside for him, he immediately turned around and went after the entire Qiu family.

Although He Zhiyuan always glossed over the details when talking about it, Qiu Xuning could tell from his temperament that he would never go easy on those who had bullied him. The Qiu family’s future was easy enough to predict with just a little thought.

Qiu Xuning took a few bites of his meal, then stopped again, his eyes darting slyly. There were six members in the Qiu family. Father Qiu was still working and not at home, and the eldest sister Qiu was also at work. Those two had the worst tempers and were hard to talk to. But Mother Qiu, Qiu Zhaozhao, and Qiu Shuohai were much easier to handle.

“…Let him come eat. I’m fine now, don’t punish him anymore,” Qiu Xuning said softly.

Everyone looked at him in surprise. Qiu Zhaozhao asked, “Ningning, what’s wrong with you? Your head got split open! You bled so much, and you’re still speaking up for him? People like that are just rotten to the bone, being nice to him is useless.”

Qiu Shuohai sniffled and agreed, “Exactly. Our family already has too many people and too many problems, and all he does is cause trouble. Tell me, did his parents really not give our family any benefits at all? Are we just raising him for nothing?”

Zhou Mingmei ignored him and said to Qiu Xuning, “Ningning, eat your food. Don’t worry about him.”

Qiu Xuning let out a breath and murmured, “Mm.”

Qiu Shuohai pressed on, “Mom, answer me, are we really just raising him for nothing?”

Zhou Mingmei shot him a glare. “Why do you care so much about that?”

She refused to say anything more, and Qiu Shuohai couldn’t pry an answer out of her. In the end, he had to shut his mouth in frustration.

Qiu Xuning wasn’t very hungry. He only ate half a bowl of rice before putting down his chopsticks.

“Not eating anymore?” Zhou Mingmei asked.

“I’m full,” Qiu Xuning replied.

Zhou Mingmei gave him a suspicious look. Under her sharp gaze, Qiu Xuning felt uneasy. A faint blush crept onto his pale face, and he didn’t dare meet her eyes. His eyelids trembled slightly as he mumbled, “I… I’m going to do my homework.”

Even his speech faltered a little. When he stood up, he nearly tripped over a chair leg and had to grab the table in a panic to steady himself.

“Careful!” Zhou Mingmei’s voice rose a few notches. Qiu Xuning flinched, his shoulders jerking, and shot her a quick glance before lowering his head and hurrying away from the table.

“Mom, why do I feel like Qiu Xuning’s brain got messed up this time? Look at how timid he is,” Qiu Shuohai said casually as he shoveled rice into his mouth, glancing in the direction Qiu Xuning had gone.

The old Qiu Xuning had been extremely domineering. He would pull all the best dishes in front of himself, and at the slightest displeasure, he would shout and slap the table, almost like he had a temper disorder. On the outside he looked delicate and clean, but inside, he was nothing like that.

Even so, his grades were excellent. He was the smartest and most promising child in the family, so everyone doted on him and put up with his behavior.

Qiu Shuohai’s offhand remark was like a thorn pricking Zhou Mingmei’s heart. Her brows furrowed, and her expression darkened.

Qiu Xuning knew his behavior was completely different from that of the “Qiu Xuning” they knew. Lying facedown on the desk, his face still burning, he thought about how he was never good at lying and his very existence was already a lie. That made it impossible for him to speak normally with the Qiu family, because deep down, he felt guilty.

The weather had turned cold. That night, when Zhou Mingmei came in to lay out fresh bedding for him, Qiu Xuning instinctively said, “Thank you.”

Her hands froze mid-motion, and she stared at him with an odd expression.

Qiu Xuning didn’t realize anything at first. He met her gaze, his eyes clear as still water, catching the light so that tiny shards of brightness glimmered in their depths, giving him a quiet, serene look. In the next moment, as if he had done something wrong, he lowered his head slightly and dared not meet her eyes.

Zhou Mingmei withdrew her gaze, quietly finished making the bed, and left the room.

Qiu Xuning had only been sitting on the bed for a short while when the man of the house, Qiu Shunming, pushed the door open without warning and bellowed, “Ningning, come here!”

Qiu Shunming had a crew cut, dark yellowish skin, and a tall, imposing build that made him seem hard to get along with. The moment Qiu Xuning met his gaze, his whole body went rigid.

Maybe it was because he had grown up without a father figure, but he had always felt a bit afraid of older men, even though, in “Qiu Xuning’s” memories, Qiu Shunming had always doted on him and never once laid a hand on him in anger.

“Ningning, what are you standing there for? Come here!” Qiu Shunming beckoned. Qiu Xuning hesitated, then slowly shuffled forward until he stood in front of him, keeping silent as his eyes quietly fixed on the specks of mud on Qiu Shunming’s pants.

“Let me take a look,” Qiu Shunming said.

As he spoke, he removed Qiu Xuning’s hat and tilted his head under the light, examining him closely for quite a while before finally saying, “You need to get it checked at the hospital again.”

With that, he took Qiu Xuning by the arm, ready to lead him out the door.

Qiu Xuning was taken to the hospital by Qiu Shunming for a full set of tests. When the results came back, the doctor glanced at the report and said, “Nothing serious, it’s just a superficial wound. Once it scabs over, you can come back to have the stitches removed.”

Qiu Shunming frowned and said gruffly, “Doctor, did you even look properly? My son’s been acting slow ever since he hurt his head, how can that be nothing? Where’s your director? Go get your director. If you can’t read it, I’ll find someone who can.”

Hearing this, Qiu Xuning froze. His usually sluggish mind suddenly worked a bit faster. He realized Qiu Shunming suspected he had become mentally slow.

Meanwhile, Qiu Shunming was still giving the doctor a hard time. “You doctors, if someone’s sick, you say they’re fine, and if they’re fine, you say they’re sick. My son used to be so smart and quick-witted, sweet-tongued too. Now look at him, standing there blankly like an idiot, not saying a word, and you’re telling me he’s fine? Go get your director.”

Qiu Xuning quickly tugged on his arm and said, “I’m fine. Let’s just go home, okay?”

Qiu Shunming turned to him. “What did you say?”

Qiu Xuning hurriedly repeated himself, and Qiu Shunming paused, studying his face. “You’re really fine?” he asked.

Qiu Xuning quickly nodded. Qiu Shunming asked, “What’s 1999 plus 2345?”

Qiu Xuning hesitated for a moment before answering, “4344.”

The doctor beside them adjusted his glasses and said kindly, “His brain hasn’t suffered any damage, it’s just a superficial wound. Avoid certain foods, no spicy dishes, no fish, meat, or eggs. That’ll help the wound heal faster. Alright, you can go now—next patient.”

Leaving the hospital building with Qiu Xuning, Qiu Shunming grumbled under his breath, “Waste of money. What a pointless fuss.”

After muttering, he reached over and gave Qiu Xuning a pat on the back. “Your Mom keeps insisting something’s wrong with your brain, but I think it’s working just fine. Nothing wrong at all. If she says anything again when we get back, just ignore her. Go do your homework.”

Qiu Xuning murmured an “Mm,” wanting to say something but unable to get the words out. He still couldn’t talk to Qiu Shunming as easily as the “original” Qiu Xuning could. He hadn’t even called him “Dad”—and the rough, straightforward man didn’t notice it at all.

Back home, Qiu Xuning switched on the desk lamp and started working on his homework.

By coincidence, or maybe not, the “original” Qiu Xuning had been the same age as him, seventeen, in the third year of junior high, with just a few months left before the high school entrance exams. Because of those upcoming exams, Mrs. Qiu Yanru kept a very close watch on him. To prevent him from hanging out and playing with classmates, she would even personally drive to the school to pick him up. He had no privacy at all, and the books he borrowed from a female classmate could only be read in secret under the covers.

But… Qiu Xuning’s pen paused mid-stroke. If the flow of time in the two worlds was different, and time here moved more slowly, wouldn’t it already be daytime over there?

If so, had that book he had been sneaking reads from already been discovered by her?

The thought was like having the last scrap of dignity ripped away and his heart seemed to curl in on itself, aching with a mix of shame and regret.

This was already his biggest secret.

A faint mist welled up in Qiu Xuning’s eyes again. He took a few deep breaths, forcing back the sour ache in his chest, but when he looked at his homework again, he found he couldn’t write another word.

He got up and went downstairs, intending to get a drink of water.

Halfway down the stairs, Qiu Xuning stopped. He saw that the kitchen door was slightly ajar, the light inside still on. A strip of bright light spilled through the crack, faintly illuminating one corner of the living room.

Qiu Xuning walked over and pushed the door open, intending to switch off the light but out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a figure standing motionless in the kitchen. Startled, he let out a short, sharp cry. When he saw who it was, he quickly covered his mouth, a look of fear flickering across his face.

He Zhiyuan, startled by the sudden scream, turned his head to glance at him. Seeing it was only Qiu Xuning, he set the pot lid back down with a sharp clang.

Out of the corner of his eye, Qiu Xuning caught the movement and realized he had been looking for food.

Qiu Xuning knew that Zhou Mingmei had been guarding against him sneaking bites, so she had taken all the dishes and leftovers into her bedroom. There was nothing in the kitchen he could possibly eat.

He Zhiyuan turned and headed toward the doorway. Qiu Xuning took a few steps back, moved aside, and lowered his head, not daring to meet his eyes.

But when He Zhiyuan reached him, he stopped in his tracks.

Instinctively, Qiu Xuning lifted his face and saw He Zhiyuan staring at him, his gaze dark and deep, like the tide under a night sky. It was silent yet pressing in with invisible force.

A shiver ran through Qiu Xuning’s chest. His throat bobbed once before he managed to murmur, “Are you… hungry?”

His voice was soft, his expression timid, with none of the arrogance he’d shown before.

He Zhiyuan kept staring at him, saying nothing.

Qiu Xuning stumbled over his words again. “I… I have some food. If you don’t mind, you… you can have mine.”

As he spoke, his eyes flickered away, restless and evasive, like someone trying to keep hold of a skittish rabbit.