Chapter 59 Argument

Chapter 59 Argument

"How did you know I met Xu Jingshan today? Did you have someone follow me?"

Chu Jin's calm, level voice made Jin Zexu instinctively furrow his brow. "What? No."

Chu Jin: "Right. You didn't."

"Chu Jin, you don't believe me."

Jin Zexu released his grip and stepped back, creating distance between them. The person before him lowered his gaze and leaned against the door, once again adopting a casual, detached attitude. Jin Zexu both loved and loathed this cold, unemotional side of Chu Jin—this demeanor that suggested nothing mattered, nothing was worth caring about!

"Did Xu Jingshan say something to you?"

Chu Jin looked up. "What could he possibly say to me? What do you think he would tell me?"

"Shit!" Jin Zexu turned his head and cursed under his breath.

He knew he shouldn’t have let him go out!

Jin Zexu’s eyes held a stubborn intensity. He hadn’t returned to the old mansion; he rushed home right after the meeting and waited for nearly two hours. And what did he get in return? An accusation without any regard for right or wrong?

Did their months together mean nothing compared to a few words from Xu Jingshan?

"Chu Jin, you’re just taking advantage of the fact that I love you!"

"Love me? If you really loved me, you wouldn’t keep me confined here! If you really loved me, you wouldn’t have someone follow me!" Chu Jin was equally furious. "Jin Zexu, how can I trust you? From the moment we met, have there been any times I went out without you having someone tail me? Who do you think all those surveillance cameras at home are for? Do you think I can’t feel it?"

Chu Jin’s eyes were cold enough to send chills down one’s spine. He said, "Do you really love me? Or is it for the child… or perhaps just to satisfy your own possessiveness? Jin Zexu, if you truly love me, the first thing you need to do is respect me!"

"From the very beginning, what we had was nothing more than a transaction, wasn’t it?"

Chu Jin lowered his head, his voice calm as water but gradually sinking deeper. Yet, that sinking voice seemed to rise abruptly, drowning Jin Zexu’s mouth, nose, and eyes in thin air, making it impossible to breathe.

"If it was just a transaction, why the fuck did you sleep with me!"

"If it was just a transaction, why did you come looking for me at the bar that night? If it was just a transaction, what was that kiss in the cemetery supposed to mean? Chu Jin, do you still think what we have is only a transaction?" Jin Zexu found it hard to believe. "If I only wanted the child, do you think I’d care whether you lived or died?"

Jin Zexu reined in his smile, pressing closer, his ruthless eyes appearing particularly dark and dangerous in the dim living room light.

The next second, Jin Zexu pinched Chu Jin’s chin and forced him to meet his gaze.

"Satisfy my possessiveness?" Jin Zexu let out a cold scoff, lowering his voice. "If I were doing this to satisfy my possessiveness, do you think you’d still be standing here talking to me?"

Chu Jin stared into Jin Zexu’s eyes, his pupils trembling as countless words stuck in his throat.

After a long moment, Chu Jin suddenly let out a deep sigh.

"I’m tired," he said, turning his head to avoid Jin Zexu’s gaze.

"Again." A profound sense of helplessness made Jin Zexu laugh bitterly. "Chu Jin, you’re doing it again. Your secrets, your past, your thoughts—everything about you. You never want to share any of it. Do you really not trust me that much?"

…Even their arguments ended abruptly.

"I…" He simply didn’t know where to begin.

"Bang!"

A loud noise interrupted Chu Jin’s words.

Both he and Jin Zexu were startled. They turned their heads simultaneously toward the sound. The apricots that had been placed on the entrance table were now scattered across the floor, and the watermelon had shattered into pieces.

An apricot rolled to his feet. Chu Jin looked at the mutilated watermelon. What could he say? How could he explain? The fact that he, a man, could get pregnant was already unbelievable enough. Should he tell him that he was an Omega who didn’t belong to this world?

Chu Jin silently clenched the surgical knife Ceng Fan had given him, tucked away in his pocket. Forget it—he couldn’t be bothered to fabricate a lie.

As Chu Jin lifted his eyes to meet Jin Zexu’s gaze, just as he was about to speak, Jin Zexu suddenly released his hand. Chu Jin frowned, and the flicker of helplessness and struggle in his eyes made Jin Zexu’s heart ache.

Chu Jin watched as Jin Zexu clenched his fist at his side. Ceng Fan’s words echoed in his mind.

"I have my reasons for keeping secrets," Chu Jin said, raising his head and looking straight into Jin Zexu’s eyes, his voice cold. "Do you expect me to risk everything for what you call trust?"

"What about Xu Jingshan? Is he someone worth trusting?"

Chu Jin turned his head. "He has nothing to do with this."

"Fine, he has nothing to do with it. Then does that mean I have nothing to do with it either?" Jin Zexu laughed self-deprecatingly. He closed his eyes and hardened his heart. "Chu Jin, do you really want to leave this place so badly? Do you want to leave me and be with Xu Jingshan? Let me tell you, it’s impossible! No matter what Xu Jingshan said to you, I won’t let you leave again!"

Jin Zexu leaned down and slowly raised his hand, placing his palm on Chu Jin’s slightly swollen abdomen. His voice was deliberately low as he said, "Chu Chu, even if it’s because of this child, you’re destined to be bound to me!"

The warmth on his abdomen made Chu Jin shiver involuntarily. He looked into Jin Zexu’s eyes and suddenly calmed down. The two of them were locked in a stalemate when, moments later, footsteps sounded from outside.

The watermelon juice seeped across the floor. When Uncle He came in carrying dinner, he nearly slipped.

"Goodness gracious!"

Uncle He set the things down and walked over. As he approached, he noticed the shattered remains of the watermelon on the living room coffee table.

"Young master, are you all right?"

Jin Zexu snapped out of his thoughts, and the cat, Whisper, who had been in his hands, slipped free and jumped away.

He didn’t say anything. Uncle He had overheard some of their argument outside. Although he hadn’t heard everything clearly, from his time spent with Chu Jin, Uncle He knew he wasn’t the type to make unreasonable demands. So, there must be a reason for their argument.

"Young master, don’t blame me for speaking out of turn," Uncle He said earnestly. "How could Mr. Chu know your intentions for not letting him out? Although Mr. Chu is reserved, I can tell he’s not someone who can be confined. What’s the use of a villa, no matter how big it is? To a bird, isn’t a cage still a cage, no matter how large?"

"Young master, I’ve been by Miss Qin Xian’s side for many years. I watched her go from the bright and cheerful eldest daughter of the Qin family to the silent and demure Mrs. Jin after giving birth to Young Master Cheng Gui. People, when worn down by those monotonous and tedious days, eventually lose their spirit."

Seeing Jin Zexu remain silent, Uncle He sighed. He knew that some truths were pointless to reiterate. Just as he picked up the tray to bring dinner to Chu Jin, Jin Zexu suddenly stopped him.

"Uncle He."

He Rongquan paused. "Yes?"

Jin Zexu glanced at the dinner prepared by the nutritionist on the tray, guessing that Chu Jin probably wouldn’t like it.

"Uncle He, wait a moment."

In less than fifteen minutes, a bowl of wontons was added to the tray in Uncle He’s hands. He stood outside the bedroom door and knocked. "Mr. Chu, I’ve brought you a late-night snack."

A short while later, Chu Jin opened the door, his hair damp. It seemed he had just taken a shower. He had changed into pajamas, and his body was still enveloped in a warm, moist vapor.

"Mr. Chu, would you like me to bring it in for you?"

"Thank you." Chu Jin stepped aside to let him in. He glanced down and noticed Whisper crouching by his bedroom door like a little statue. Chu Jin called Whisper’s name twice, but the kitten continued standing guard as if it hadn’t heard him, so he didn’t insist on letting it in.

Uncle He set the things down and turned to leave.

Chu Jin called out to him, "Uncle He, please come back in twenty minutes to clear the dishes."

"Alright."

After delivering the items, Uncle He returned downstairs to find the watermelon on the living room coffee table was gone.

Having worked as a servant in the Jin family for so many years, He Rongquan understood deeply what Chu Jin’s presence meant—it signified multiple obstacles and dangers. Never mind whether Young Master Jin and Chu Jin would be accepted as a couple; they might not even reach that stage. If Jin Shenting or Bai Huihe were to find out about Chu Jin’s existence, what would await Chu Jin?

Although a full medical team lived in the house, every member refused to speak about Chu Jin’s condition. Uncle He had a gnawing suspicion in his heart—if his guess turned out to be true, Jin Shenting would surely never forgive Chu Jin.

Uncle He shook his head, tidied up the living room, and left.

In the kitchen, Jin Zexu put the watermelon into the refrigerator. A moment later, Whisper jumped out from somewhere and began rubbing against his feet repeatedly.

Jin Zexu was already distraught, and Whisper’s constant rubbing and meowing only added to his irritation.

Scowling, Jin Zexu lifted Whisper by the scruff of its neck and warned, "Whisper!"

"Meow!!!"

Whisper began struggling frantically. Jin Zexu’s frown deepened. In his memory, although the kitten could be mischievous at times, it rarely showed such agitation.

Putting the cat down, Jin Zexu looked into its eyes and asked, "Whisper, what’s wrong?"

The kitten let out a "meow," then turned and ran toward the staircase. After a few steps, it stopped and looked back at Jin Zexu, as if making sure he was following.

Seeing Jin Zexu still standing in place, Whisper trotted back and began circling his feet, meowing.

Finally sensing something amiss, Jin Zexu followed Whisper upstairs and stopped outside Chu Jin’s bedroom door.

Whisper glanced up at him and began scratching at the door.

The sound of the cat’s claws against the door was unnerving. Jin Zexu quickly stopped it, lightly tapping Whisper’s head. "No mischief. He’s asleep."

"Meow, meow, meow!!"

Whisper seemed unusually excited tonight, struggling incessantly even while being held.

"Meow!"

Prompted by Whisper, Jin Zexu knocked on the bedroom door. After waiting a moment, there was no response.

Jin Zexu tried turning the doorknob a few times and realized Chu Jin had locked the door.

Something was wrong. A bad feeling began to grow in his heart.

"Chu Jin, Chu Jin, are you asleep?" Jin Zexu pounded on the door. "Chu Jin, say something!"

When there was still no response from the bedroom, Jin Zexu began to panic, his calls growing more frantic. "Chu Jin!"

The twenty minutes were almost up. Before Uncle He even reached the top of the stairs, he could hear the commotion.

Before he could figure out what was happening, there was a loud "bang!"—the bedroom door was forced open.

Jin Zexu and Whisper rushed in together. The sight of the pale figure lying on the bed made Jin Zexu’s heart stop, his mind going blank.

"Chu Jin!"

Jin Zexu dropped to his knees beside the bed, momentarily afraid to touch him. "Chu Chu, don’t scare me."

His voice trembled.

When Uncle He reached the bedroom door, he froze in place.

The person on the bed lay with closed eyes, serene yet deathly pale, like a thin sheet of ice that might shatter at the slightest touch. His bloodied right hand hung limply, staining the light-colored bedsheet. Drops of blood fell slowly, seeping into the cream-colored carpet. The shocking sight left Uncle He speechless, his mouth agape but no sound coming out.

The sharp scalpel lay on the floor.

"Call the doctor! The doctor!" Jin Zexu shouted desperately.

Judging that Chu Jin’s wound wasn’t deep, Jin Zexu tore something to tie around the proximal end to stop the bleeding. Chu Jin’s hand was cold, and Jin Zexu’s own hands trembled as he cupped his face. "Chu Jin, wake up, look at me..."

Chu Jin had already lost consciousness, leaning weakly against Jin Zexu’s chest. His still-wet hair quickly left a dark, wet patch on Jin Zexu’s shoulder.

"I was wrong, I was wrong, Chu Chu, I was wrong..." Jin Zexu was clearly losing his mind, his words incoherent. "Chu Jin, don’t leave me, please, don’t leave me..."

Uncle He brought the doctor in and finally managed to pull Jin Zexu out of the room.

The atmosphere in the hallway outside the bedroom was so tense that Uncle He hardly dared to breathe.

"Uncle He," Jin Zexu said grimly, "summon Ding Wenping. I need to know where Chu Jin went today."

After Uncle He left, Jin Zexu listened to the intermittent sounds from the bedroom. Clutching the cold scalpel, he slowly slid down against the wall and sat on the floor. Closing his eyes, he let out a bitter laugh.

"...Chu Jin, what am I supposed to do with you?"