For him, what was Lu Qin to him? A gold master?
If he wanted to find a gold master, he didn’t need to wait for Lu Qin to appear. The reason he was willing to agree to cooperate with Zhou Hang and “do business” with Lu Qin was becauuse the other was different from others. However, the extent of this difference was hard for Pei Rong to determine.
His sense of self-worth came from the belief that he could terminate the relationship whenever he wanted. If it ever became challenging to end it, Pei Rong felt he was no different from those colleagues who were lured and held captive by power.
Moreover, he could not be certain about Lu Qin’s attitude toward the absurd existence of this child.
Lu Qin didn’t like children; that much was known.
Wen Zhenrui left a phone number, saying it’s quicker to contact him directly next time. He left the fetal heart monitor for Pei Rong and left with his bag.
Pei Rong stared at his departing figure, recalling Jiang Yan’s experience of unrequited love.
Even though his romantic feelings were not reciprocated, when Jiang Yan had a problem, he always sought out his senior. A single phone call, and Wen Zhenrui would come without complaints, willingly making the trip for him. This type of friendship was sufficient to soothe the feeling of disappointment. If they were to be completely honest about everything, that valuable connection would be lost.
However, Pei Rong thought that if Dr. Wen remained single, Jiang Yan could give it a try.
Just like Lu Qin, when Zhou Hang once confidently claimed the other was abstinent. This showed that nothing was certain.
Pei Rong held the phone in contemplation for a while. Since he was determined to step back from the entertainment circle, he decided to abandon Lu Qin along with the celebrity aura that came with him.
Lu Qin was infatuated with his body but disapproved of his uninspiring personality. He wished for him to change, to learn, but... how could that ever be possible?
***
On the other end, Lu Qin got carried away with his words to the point where he regretted it after ending the call. He felt unfamiliar with this side of himself.
Tossing and turning throughout the night, the next day, to make matters worse, there was a business trip to deal with.
At the airport, Lu Qin stood firmly in front of the terminal. He even forgot how to walk the familiar path until his assistant reminded him of the limited boarding time.
Throughout the day, Lu Qin repeatedly asked himself the same question: aside from this, did he have any other way to keep Pei Rong?
He racked his brain, but the answers were all negative.
He closed his eyes. Since that’s the case, what else could he do?
But on the way back to S City, as he got closer to Pei Rong, his heart began to pound.
He remembered Pei Rong, who didn’t want to ride horses and took half an hour just to put on a riding suit. He remembered Pei Rong, who got seasick on the cruise and slept in the room all day. He remembered Pei Rong, who wanted to vomit at the sight of Jiang Tian at the party, daringly puking into his collar. He remembered Pei Rong, who didn’t want to wear a suit, showing off his tiger head shoes with a charming smile...
It turned out the other had endured so many things that were previously unimaginable.
Was there a moment in their time together when Pei Rong resembled the rumors about him?
However, he arranged courses for Pei Rong based on the rumors, and had him act in a TV drama that he thought was good.
Unconsciously, Pei Rong tolerated so much from him.
Perhaps... perhaps withdrawing from the circle and traveling wasn’t an excuse to leave him.
No matter how vast the world was, three years, five years were enough. By that time, Pei Rong might have wanted to stay in one place to rest.
While Lu Qin was reflecting, Pei Rong called him, and he quickly answered.
“Lu Qin, let Zhou Hang go,” Pei Rong’s voice was soft, like sun-dried cotton.
“Okay.”
Lu Qin agreed instantly, but suddenly felt anxious.
He couldn’t agree.
He realized.
A sentence got stuck in the throat, about to blurt out.
Pei Rong smiled, “Actually, you can quit.” (T/N: He’s referring to Lu Qin’s desire to sleep with him.)
It’s not as essential as eating or sleeping, and it’s not like being soulmates. If it’s not there, it’s not there. After a while, who would be so emotionally attached?
Without giving Lu Qin a chance to say a second sentence, Pei Rong hung up the phone. The sunlight in Country M made him squint, forcing him to lower his hat.
Jiang Yan looked behind Pei Rong. “Goodness, you really didn’t bring anything.”
Pei Rong looked at his watch. “Well, your nephew is hungry.”
Jiang Yan handed him a prepared thermos. “How did you get out?”
How did he get out?
Lu Qin looked at the hotel surveillance with a grim face.
In the footage, Pei Rong, dressed as a delivery guy, calmly walked out from under the bodyguards’ noses, bought an international flight ticket, and disappeared on the streets of Country M after a dozen hours.
“For over ten hours. Are you all useless?”
Even if they couldn’t discover it immediately, didn’t anyone notice whether Pei Rong was in the room for a whole day?!
Lu Qin had a way to intercept a person from leaving the airport without appearing in public. However, it’s challenging to find someone like Pei Rong on the vast streets of Country M.
The bodyguard sweated nervously, “President Lu, the takeout orders for Room 709 are always on time. Three meals a day, and even the trash is left at the door. We have no idea if Mr. Pei is not in.”
The young man who replaced Pei Rong for a day, ordering takeout and comfortably leaving after finishing his last meal, sat snugly in the room.
To avoid upsetting Pei Rong, the bodyguard didn’t stay at the room’s door but remained outside. Every time a delivery arrived, the front desk would call to confirm with the customer. With just a listen, the bodyguard could tell that Mr. Pei was eating well with no major issues.
Lu Qin bit his posterior molar. “He hasn’t shown up all day. Isn’t it abnormal? Shouldn’t someone go in and check?”
The bodyguard stammered, “It’s quite normal. Mr. Pei has always been like this.”
“...”
Lu Qin pinched his brow, his eyes as red as if he hadn’t slept in three days and nights.
He had been careless.
He thought that by controlling Zhou Hang, Pei Rong wouldn’t make any rash moves. Lu Qin was unwilling to escalate the conflict by resorting to surveillance methods.
By suing these two individuals, he could freeze all of Pei Rong’s assets, and the money for the global trip would be worthless.
But he forgot that Pei Rong dared to spit on his collar after meeting only a few times.
Pei Rong had him figured out; a soft voice on the phone, and he would agree to anything.
Even though Pei Rong understood him so well, he still chose to leave. He didn’t care about their relationship.
Now, could he force Pei Rong to come out by freezing his assets?
With Pei Rong, who had nothing with him, did these things matter? Was he willing to sacrifice them?
Pei Rong was indeed cunning.
Facing the desolate evening breeze, Lu Qin vividly clarified a matter that had confused him for months—he never intended to quit when he returned from Siberia. (T/N: Quit from sleeping with Pei Rong.)
However, when he saw Pei Rong in the hallway, he effortlessly set a trap, subtly diverting his thoughts with just a few words, laying the foundation for their destined and mistaken beginning.
Because... Lu Qin closed his eyes, “Every two days, every two days...”. Cleverly using this huge temptation, Pei Rong diverted his attention and never fulfilled the promise.
He dug a pit, a deep one, and had nowhere to hide.
T/N: If you enjoy reading this story, please do rate it favorably on Novel Updates! ^^ Link: Beauty Regrets.
