KEIGHTY: Special thanks to Banananim for the ko-fis! ٩(๛ ˘ ³˘)۶♥ (Extra Chapter 5/5)
He Yu was in a very low mood. When he got home, it was almost dawn.
Qiao Mudong helped him turn on the water upstairs for him to take a bath and then went downstairs himself, intending to help He Yu warm up a glass of milk so that he could have a good sleep.
Finally, when he returned upstairs, he saw He Yu still sitting beside the bathtub in a daze, without even taking off his clothes.
He put the milk on the bedside table, walked to the bathroom, pulled He Yu to stand up, and started to help him take off his clothes.
He Yu lowered his head and watched Qiao Mudong bend down to help him unbutton his clothes. After taking off his clothes, he unbuttoned his jeans and squatted down to help him pull them down.
He Yu was quite cooperative and raised his legs to let him take off his pants.
After taking off his clothes, the injury on He Yu’s back looked a bit shocking. Qiao Mudong stretched out his hand to press it and asked, “Does it hurt?”
He Yu shook his head. “It doesn’t hurt very much.”
Qiao Mudong said, “Go in and wash yourself. Do you want me to help you?”
He Yu said, “No need.” He stepped into the bathtub himself.
Qiao Mudong saw him sitting down on the edge of the bathtub, still looking distracted. So he took off his clothes, stepped in, sat down next to him, and then took him into his arms.
He Yu rested his head in his arms tamely.
Qiao Mudong held up the hot water, poured it on his shoulders, and asked, “What are you thinking about?”
He Yu closed his eyes and said, “I’m not thinking about anything.”
Qiao Mudong said, “Aren’t you going to tell me what you’re thinking?”
When he spoke, his chest vibrated slightly. He Yu pressed his face against it and heard his steady and powerful heartbeat, and then said slowly, “I just feel unworthy of my mother.”
Qiao Mudong said, “You shouldn’t have this kind of feeling, that you are unworthy.”
“No, it’s different,” He Yu argued. “I don’t know how my mother, a kind and honest woman, could meet such a man and a son like me in this life.”
“What’s wrong with a son like you?” Qiao Mudong asked.
He Yu was silent for a moment and said, “If I hadn’t been in prison for those three years, nothing would have happened to my mother.”
He Yu didn’t want to say more about this matter. He knew that ever since the day they had dinner at Ma Tian’s house, Qiao Mudong had been convinced that He Yu was helping Fu Chenshan commit the crime. However, he had checked with the company and couldn’t find any strong evidence. He Yu didn’t want Qiao Mudong to know that he was innocent, but he was afraid that if Qiao Mudong found out, he would let Ling Qiang know that since he had served three years in prison, he agreed to help Fu Chenshan until the end.
Qiao Mudong figured out what he was thinking. At this time, he hummed without saying anything, inserting his fingers into his scalp and pressing it gently.
He Yu relaxed his body comfortably.
Qiao Mudong squeezed the shower gel into his hand and applied it gently to He Yu’s body. There were some bruises on his back, but there was no broken skin, yet he was still very gentle with him, as if he were afraid of hurting He Yu.
He Yu suddenly hugged Qiao Mudong tightly with his arms and called out, “Qiao Mudong.”
Qiao Mudong’s chest was hugged tight by him, and his breathing turned a little unsmooth. He asked, “What’s wrong?”
He Yu opened his mouth slightly but couldn’t say what he wanted to say. He could only shake his head and hug Qiao Mudong tighter.
Qiao Mudong rarely felt that he was so needed by He Yu. He was hugging his chest tightly with both hands, as if he would disappear as soon as he let go. This brought Qiao Mudong an unspeakable sense of satisfaction. He lowered his head and kissed him deeply. He caressed He Yu’s forehead and then hugged him tightly.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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It was probably taken by a pinhole camera placed on the TV cabinet opposite the bed. The video was not very clear, but one could recognize that the woman on the bed was Zhou Xuelan.
Qiao Mudong only watched the beginning before turning off the video. He sat at the table and stared blankly at the screen, suddenly feeling that Zhou Xuelan was also quite pitiful. He had no special feelings for Zhou Xuelan and his daughter. His dislike of Ling Zhilu was only for her alone, not because of her identity as Ling Qiang’s daughter. As for Zhou Xuelan, in Qiao Mudong’s view, she was just a poor woman betrayed by her husband. Well, no, it shouldn’t be called betrayal. At least Ling Qiang had abandoned Qiao Mudong and his mother before marrying her.
Zhou Xuelan chose to cheat, maybe because of Ling Qiang’s neglect or maybe because of revenge on Ling Qiang, but Qiao Mudong really didn’t know why. Qiao Mudong only knew that she had chosen the wrong person again.
Sometimes, this was how fate worked. Just like He Yu, he had been a good boy since he was a child, but God just refused to let him live in peace and contentment.
Qiao Mudong tapped his fingers on the table. Suddenly, his cell phone next to him rang.
Qiao Mudong saw that the call was from Ling Qiang. When he answered the phone, he heard Ling Qiang say, “Come back.”
“Now?” Qiao Mudong asked.
Ling Qiang said, “Mhm, now.”
After hanging up the phone, Qiao Mudong returned to the room upstairs. Seeing that He Yu was still sleeping soundly, he didn’t wake him up. He took a set of clothes, changed into them, and went out.
He drove to the Ling family’s house. As soon as he walked in the door, he saw Zhou Xuelan sitting on the sofa downstairs, wiping her tears. Ling Qiang sat on the single sofa next to her with a serious look on his face, while Fu Chenshan stood behind Ling Qiang with a dazed look on his face.
Qiao Mudong threw the car keys in his hand and asked, “What’s up?”
Ling Qiang glanced at him. “You’re finally back?”
“Yes.” Qiao Mudong walked over, sat down on the arm of the sofa, and asked again, “What’s wrong?”
Ling Qiang then said in a deep voice, “Your sister said she wants a divorce.”
Qiao Mudong looked at Fu Chenshan.
Fu Chenshan still had an expressionless look on his face, with his hands in his trouser pockets and his gaze falling on the carpet in front of him.
Qiao Mudong said, “Why are you asking me to come back? It’s not like I can persuade her.”
Ling Qiang suddenly slammed the table. “What happened last night?”
Qiao Mudong asked back, “How would I know what happened between the husband and wife?”
Ling Qiang said, “What did Zhilu mean when she said it has something to do with that He Yu? Chenshan, tell me!”
Fu Chenshan took a deep breath and said, “I’m sorry, Dad. I’ll go up and try to persuade Zhilu.”
Zhou Xuelan suddenly stood up and said, “You don’t even want to explain things clearly. How are you going to persuade her? Zhilu is so agitated right now. What kind of persuasion is she willing to listen to?”
Fu Chenshan didn’t refute or say anything else. Zhou Xuelan didn’t let him go, so he simply stopped going upstairs.
Qiao Mudong thought for a while and said, “Actually, it’s nothing. Something happened to He Yu last night. I went to Wuyun to pick him up.”
Zhou Xuelan asked Fu Chenshan, “What does that have to do with you?”
Fu Chenshan glanced at Ling Qiang and said, “He Yu is a friend I grew up with. If something happens to him and he is asking for my help, then I have to go.”
Zhou Xuelan still had a disbelieving tone in her voice. “What’s so important about him that you left your wife at home on your wedding night without a care and rushed out in the middle of the night?”
Qiao Mudong also stood up and said, “Let me tell you, it’s like this. He Yu has a father named He Wutong who left home for many years and hasn’t come back. He owed money to someone, and He Yu was involved in their debt collection. They took him there and made a phone call late at night to collect the payment.”
When Qiao Mudong mentioned He Wutong’s name, he clearly saw Zhou Xuelan’s face suddenly turn pale, and then her body swayed back as she sat on the sofa. But Ling Qiang and Fu Chenshan obviously didn’t notice.
Zhou Xuelan stopped talking.
Ling Qiang asked Fu Chenshan, “He called you and asked you to borrow money?”
Fu Chenshan shook his head. “Maybe his father knew me and knew that He Yu and I had a good relationship before, so he called me. Dad, I know that I should be sorry for Zhilu, but human life is at stake, and I can’t just watch something bad happen to my friend.”
Ling Qiang turned around and asked Qiao Mudong, “Is that so?”
Qiao Mudong said, “Maybe.”
Ling Qiang raised his hand and pressed it against his forehead. Even though his expression was still cold, Qiao Mudong knew that he felt uncomfortable with this. Ling Qiang said to Fu Chenshan, “Whether it’s true or not, this matter is all your fault.”
Fu Chenshan admitted, “Yes, Dad.”
Ling Qiang said, “I won’t agree to divorce. I don’t care what methods you use. Go and persuade Zhilu to make up with you. Stop making trouble at home every day.”
Fu Chenshan agreed, “I understand.”
Ling Qiang called Zhou Xuelan again and said, “Xuelan.”
Zhou Xuelan was startled. She shrank and raised her head to look at Ling Qiang.
At this time, both Ling Qiang and Fu Chenshan could tell that something was wrong with her.
“What’s wrong?” Ling Qiang asked.
Zhou Xuelan quickly shook her head. “I’m just a little dizzy.”
Ling Qiang said, “If you feel dizzy, go upstairs and take a rest. You’re her mother. Go and persuade your daughter not to be so angry. She just got married yesterday and is now asking for a divorce! So soon! We, the Ling family, cannot afford to be disgraced by this person!”
Zhou Xuelan said, “I know.”
Ling Qiang stood up from the sofa and cursed, “What a mess!” When he passed by Qiao Mudong, he said, “Even you are provoking me!”
Qiao Mudong let him speak without opening his mouth to refute.
When Ling Qiang went upstairs, Fu Chenshan followed him. “I’m going to see Zhilu.”
“Mhm.” Ling Qiang nodded.
After watching them leave, Qiao Mudong’s eyes fell on Zhou Xuelan, who was still sitting on the sofa in a daze. He said, “Aunt Zhou, go upstairs and rest for a while. I can see that you’re not feeling well.”
Zhou Xuelan suddenly came back to her senses and said, “I’m fine.”
Qiao Mudong said, “He Wutong asked me to say hello to you.”
Zhou Xuelan looked at him in horror. “What are you talking about? I don’t understand!”
Qiao Mudong smiled. “I don’t understand either. He just asked me to convey it, so I thought you knew him.”
“How could it be?!” Zhou Xuelan denied. “I don’t know him!”
Qiao Mudong said, “That was probably just my misunderstanding. I won’t disturb you anymore. I’m leaving first.”
He walked to the door, turned around, and saw that Zhou Xuelan was still full of panic before walking out of the door with a silent sigh. Qiao Mudong suddenly felt that Ling Qiang would surely notice Zhou Xuelan’s abnormality before he could even tell it to Ling Qiang. By then, the Ling family will be even more lively.
Qiao Mudong suddenly wanted to pay homage to his mother and tell her, Look, the man who abandoned you is not doing well right now. His wife also betrayed him. He thinks he is happy, but he can never understand true happiness from the relationship of being together with the person he truly loves.
Qiao Mudong called He Yu while getting in the car. He Yu had already gotten up and was lying on the sofa upstairs, watching TV. He hadn’t had lunch yet.
Qiao Mudong said, “I’ll be back soon. I’ll bring with me whatever you want to eat.”
He Yu thought about it seriously: “I want to eat rice rolls and fish-flavored eggplant.”
Qiao Mudong said, “Okay, I’ll buy them for you.”
Qiao Mudong drove to Cantonese tea restaurants and Sichuan restaurants. Not only did he buy He Yu’s rice rolls and fish-flavored eggplants, but he also packed claypot rice and Kung Pao chicken.
He Yu expressed that he was very satisfied with these. He sat up from the sofa, picked up the lunch box of rice rolls, and asked Qiao Mudong to get the chopsticks.
As soon as Qiao Mudong walked to the kitchen, his cell phone rang. He took out two pairs of chopsticks, took them to the living room, and answered the phone.
He Yu sat on the sofa and took the chopsticks. He hesitated for a moment, wanting to pour the fish-flavored eggplant soup onto the rice rolls. So he grabbed the corner of Qiao Mudong’s clothes and shook it, trying to make him get the spoon again, but he heard him exclaim, “What?”
He Yu looked up and saw Qiao Mudong’s serious expression, so he didn’t speak up this time.
After Qiao Mudong hung up the phone, He Yu asked, “What happened?”
Qiao Mudong said, “Qiao Song is dead.”
Qiao Song died in the nursing home.
In the morning, the nurse pushed him downstairs to bask in the sun. At noon, he was asked to take a nap. When he was woken up to take his medicine, they found that he was no longer breathing.
Except for Qiao Mudong, his grandson, he had no other relatives, so the nursing home directly called Qiao Mudong.
The two of them finished their lunch hastily. He Yu then accompanied Qiao Mudong to the nursing home.
Qiao Song was still lying on the bed in the ward, and the nurse covered him with a quilt.
Qiao Mudong held He Yu’s hand and did not enter the ward. He only glanced outside the door and then called the funeral home.
While waiting for the funeral home to pick up the old man, Qiao Mudong went to settle the bill with the people at the nursing home, while He Yu sat alone outside the corridor, waiting for him.
When Qiao Mudong came over, he immediately said, “Are you tired? We can go back after the funeral home picks him up, and then we can arrange a date for the cremation and burial.”
He Yu asked, “Is it in a cemetery?”
Qiao Mudong simply said, “I will contact them today and try to get him cremated tomorrow.”
He Yu patted the seat next to him and asked him to sit.
Qiao Mudong said, “Are you going to work tomorrow?”
He Yu shook his head. “I’ll ask for a leave.”
Qiao Mudong held his hand. “That’s good; you can rest at home for two more days.”
“No.” He Yu said, “I want to stay with you.”
Qiao Mudong said, “No need. Since no one else is coming, then there’s no need for any ceremony or formality. I can handle it by myself.”
He Yu replied, “You’re all by yourself, that’s why I have to accompany you.”
Qiao Mudong was silent for a moment. “Okay, let’s go together.”
I love their companionship. Always caring and supporting others no matter what
This Fu something could go very far, right? Boring as hell
Thank you translator and Amazing person who donated the kofis ❤️
ahh i love their relationship so much 🙁 i can’t even explain how happy i am that they crossed this line when they were both in a vulnerable position and weren’t scared to go for comfort of each other 😭🙏 i love them so so much…i hate that he yu was in such situation but at the same time i really loved this and last chapters because he yu and qiao mudong got even more closer to each other 🙁 my babies
thank you so much for your work!!!
Their support and comfort for each during their good and bad times is just so wholesome 😭♥
Thank you for the update!
I love their relationship so much.
Thank you for the chapters!
Ah so sweet! 😍
Thanks for the chapters!