CH 87

lu ye knew that he might be a bit cruel in doing so.

but just like resetting a broken bone, sometimes you have to muster the courage to shatter the deformed wound from the outside to have a chance at true healing.

the unfamiliar knocking on the door outside didn’t sound again. qi yanbai finished drawing that cup while holding lu ye’s hand, then took it off the canvas and stuck it on the wall behind the living room sofa.

“is it nice?” qi yanbai knelt on the sofa with one knee, gesturing with his hands, and turned to smile at lu ye.

“it’s beautiful,” lu ye leaned against the bedroom door and chuckled. “anyway, it’s your painting; how could it not be beautiful?”

“this is your work,” qi yanbai lied with his eyes open, saying with a smile, “this is your first lesson’s masterpiece, i need to find a good place to put it.”

the kids in the art class always produced a piece of artwork each class. to motivate the children, the training center would collect their works one by one and hang them on the wall. after accumulating enough, they would have a small “art exhibition.”

lu ye came to pick up lu mingming every week and was very familiar with their training center’s “rules of the game.” on the day of the art exhibition, these teachers would personally select the best works from their respective classes and put them in the most prominent positions, both as encouragement and recognition of outstanding students.

as a star teacher in the eyes of the children, qi yanbai’s spot on the art exhibition day always attracted a lot of attention. he would carefully choose the best works, but never had he encountered a “student” like lu ye, who wasn’t making progress himself and was even looking for a stand-in.

out of personal favor for his beloved, he unconditionally stuck lu ye’s painting right in the middle of the living room. lu ye looked at his eager expression and shook his head helplessly, thinking that he didn’t know how disappointed the children at the training center would be if they saw him like this.

he found it amusing, but watching qi yanbai’s joyful expression, his mood couldn’t help but become complicated. his lips, which were about to form a smile, fell back into a tight line.

qi yanbai was oblivious to the storm raging in lu ye’s heart. he used tape to secure the painting and then jumped down from the sofa. he walked over to lu ye and gave him an appreciative smile.

“not bad,” qi yanbai said, “this student seems to be very talented.”

qi yanbai was always gentle and likable, and lu ye was no exception. he blinked, gave a faint smile, and then wordlessly turned his head to kiss him.

qi yanbai’s eyes lit up, and he immediately went along with it. he lightly nibbled lu ye’s tongue and then opened his mouth, taking the opportunity to entwine with him.

perhaps knowing what would happen the next day, lu ye’s kiss was particularly passionate. qi yanbai found himself pressed against the door frame, his spine firmly against the wall. it almost felt like lu ye was about to devour him.

“lu ye,” qi yanbai struggled to keep up, couldn’t help but grab the fabric around his waist, and gasped as he looked up, teasingly saying, “why are you so enthusiastic today?”

“i like you,” lu ye softly chuckled and asked, “is that not okay?”

of course, it was okay. qi yanbai was trembling from lu ye’s sudden affection but couldn’t help but reach out and wrap his arms around lu ye’s neck, lifting his foot to kick the bedroom door shut.

the strange and abrupt knocking at the door seemed to have no impact on their lives. qi yanbai had initially been worried that the person might try to contact lu ye through other means if they couldn’t reach him by knocking. so, he had spent the night guarding his phone while lu ye was asleep. eventually, seeing that nothing happened, he had finally relaxed.

the next day, the sky outside was gloomy from early morning, and the air was heavy with moisture, making one’s heart feel uneasy.

lu ye had woken up early, and when qi yanbai came out of the bathroom, he saw lu ye standing by the balcony, looking down with a calm expression, lost in thought.

qi yanbai walked up to him quietly, put his arm around lu ye’s waist, and leaned in to see what he was looking at. he smiled and asked, “what are you looking at?”

“just now, there was a child downstairs who didn’t want to go to school and got scolded by his mother. he’s gone now,” lu ye smiled and, seemingly unaffected, shifted his gaze away. he turned to look at qi yanbai and asked, “by the way, are you going out today?”

as luck would have it, yesterday afternoon, lu ye had been thinking about how to find a reason to send qi yanbai out. then, in the evening, the training center called and asked about qi yanbai’s health and whether he could come back to teach a class.

qi yanbai hadn’t officially resigned from the training center yet, so he had to take sick leave and only occasionally return to teach a class, using the excuse of not feeling well. he didn’t want to leave the house every day, so he frowned when he heard this and rubbed his forehead against lu ye’s back for a moment before making a soft, reluctant sound.

“i really don’t want to go,” qi yanbai sighed, muttering to himself, “actually, i have some savings. even if i don’t work, we won’t starve.”

lu ye chuckled and pushed the arms wrapped around his waist down. he turned to face qi yanbai and said mysteriously, “sitting idly by will only lead to trouble in the long run. if you don’t work, you’ll end up selling paintings to support me.”

qi yanbai frowned at this, looking somewhat dissatisfied, but lu ye quickly smiled and leaned in to kiss him.

“perfect. when you come back, remember to bring some live shrimp,” lu ye softened his voice, negotiating, “i want to have spicy shrimp balls today.”

qi yanbai wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about going to work, but he was more proactive in satisfying lu ye’s requests. hearing this, his eyebrows twitched, and he finally showed a hint of interest.

“also, when you pass by the newsstand, remember to buy me a magazine,” lu ye said. “i’ve read everything at home.”

saying this, he walked back to the bedroom, lay down, and then raised his hand to wave at qi yanbai impatiently, urging him, “hurry up, don’t waste time; you’ll be late for work.”

during this period, as long as qi yanbai was at home, he rarely controlled lu ye’s movements. however, every time he left the house, he couldn’t help but lock lu ye up, confining his activities to the bedroom.

the bedroom had been thoroughly cleaned by qi yanbai from the beginning. not to mention any escape tools, even the glass cup on the bedside had been deliberately replaced with a paper one before he left.

lu ye understood that qi yanbai was still anxious inside, so every time he didn’t resist, he treated it as a “necessary procedure.” after a few times, both he and qi yanbai got used to it.

“alright, you be careful at home, i’ll be back soon.”

qi yanbai said as he walked to the side of the bed, pulled out the long chain from under the bed, and fastened the lock to lu ye’s wrist, tightening it securely. then, he bent down gently and hugged him.

“so, i’m off?” qi yanbai smiled and said, “wait for me to come back, lu ye.”

lu ye lazily responded with a “okay.”

the half-open balcony window allowed a chilly breeze to creep into the room. qi yanbai walked over, closed the window, and absentmindedly picked up the water glass from the bedside table before leaving the bedroom.

lu ye listened to his footsteps moving back and forth in the living room for a few minutes. then, there was a light sound from the outer door, followed by the mechanical click of the lock core, sealing the door shut.

qi yanbai had left, lu ye thought.

his originally wavering heart settled completely with the closing of the door. lu ye felt his heart rate slow down, and as his breathing rhythm gradually stabilized, it returned to a calm pace.

the room fell completely silent, and for a while, all lu ye could hear was the sound of his own breathing. he lay still on the bed for a few minutes, ensuring that qi yanbai had indeed left. then he sat up, peeled off the restraint on his right hand, and reached into the gap between the splint and bandage. with a little effort, he pulled out an extremely thin and tough piece of wire.