Chapter 75: Tears

Chapter 75: Tears

Ping'an Alley—the very alley where he had lived in the basement for ten years.

Jin Zexu hadn’t set foot there in over a decade.

Decades had passed, yet the old alley’s structure remained unchanged, untouched by urban renewal plans. Jin Zexu had no time for nostalgia, nor to notify anyone. He abandoned his car at the alley’s entrance and sprinted down the path he had traversed for much of his childhood.

Childhood memories were deeply etched in his mind. Under the sunlight, his tall, urgent figure merged with that of the well-behaved child, backpack slung over his shoulders, walking home over a decade ago. Jin Zexu rushed past his younger self without pause or hesitation.

He entered the basement and stood before the door.

"The key... the key!" Jin Zexu’s palm was slick with sweat, his hand trembling as he fumbled with the key. "Chu Jin! Are you in there?"

Silence.

Jin Zexu grew more frantic. The lock was heavily rusted; no matter how many times he jammed the key in, it wouldn’t turn.

He kept calling Chu Jin’s name, desperate to hear his voice, hoping a reply would ease his growing dread.

The unease in his heart intensified. The sharp edge of the door handle sliced into Jin Zexu’s palm, drawing blood. He glanced around, about to search for something to force the door open, when the key in the lock finally clicked.

The door opened.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment.

Jin Zexu was oblivious to the blood flowing from his palm. He felt no pain, no awareness of his surroundings. Through the narrow crack, he saw the familiar single metal-framed bed, the blue-and-white patterned floor tiles covered in dust. Gripping the doorknob, Jin Zexu suddenly froze.

His feet felt like lead, and he inexplicably lost the strength to push the door open.

Since learning of Chu Jin’s origins, Jin Zexu had felt an emptiness in his heart. Once he began to reminisce, everything from the past and present seemed like an ethereal dream, a fragile bubble ready to burst at the slightest touch.

Elusive and impossible to grasp.

Holding his breath, Jin Zexu slowly stepped into the room and walked toward the desk.

He bent down cautiously, his fingertips gently brushing Chu Jin’s hand resting on his arm. The touch was light, fleeting—he feared that any heavier movement would shatter Chu Jin’s dream, and his own.

Chu Jin was asleep.

...Thankfully, he was only asleep.

Jin Zexu sank down in relief, half-kneeling before him, wanting to slap himself. He knew he shouldn’t have brought Chu Jin to the company, yet he did. He knew Chu Jin was pregnant, yet he allowed him to be placed in danger. He knew he should have stayed by his side at all times...

He could give up everything—company shares, reputation, or status. He could let go of all resentment and hatred, as long as Chu Jin stayed, as long as Chu Jin...

The strain on Jin Zexu’s nerves had reached its breaking point. He looked down at the crimson drops of blood on the floor, his tears mixing with them. Muffled sobs carried the fear and relief of getting him back. Thankfully, he was safe—otherwise, Jin Zexu would never forgive himself.

In his sleep, Chu Jin stirred, a frown creasing his brow. The sound of crying was right nearby. Slowly, he opened his eyes and sat up. He had fallen asleep at the desk and had no memory of how long he had been sleeping.

Turning toward the sound, Chu Jin saw Jin Zexu crouching before him, his head resting on his lap.

He was crying...

As a child, left alone in the basement, he hadn’t cried. When mocked as an illegitimate child, he hadn’t cried. When he realized his father’s distorted love, he hadn’t cried... But now, Jin Zexu was sobbing uncontrollably against his knees.

Chu Jin was taken aback. Instinctively, he reached out to touch Jin Zexu’s head, but his hand froze just before making contact.

"Stop crying," Chu Jin sighed softly. "What’s wrong..."

Before he could finish, Jin Zexu looked up abruptly. His red, tear-filled eyes made Chu Jin swallow the rest of his words.

"You’re awake? Are you feeling unwell? Did Jin Shenting do anything to you?"

Jin Zexu made to examine him, but Chu Jin quickly stopped him.

"I’m fine," Chu Jin reassured him. "They didn’t do anything to me. The baby is fine too." Worried Jin Zexu might doubt him, he added, "If you don’t believe me, check for yourself."

Jin Zexu’s eyes were still red, but he didn’t dare reach out. Chu Jin furrowed his brow slightly, catching a faint scent of blood as Jin Zexu tried to hide his hand. Looking down, he saw the blood on the floor had pooled.

Chu Jin’s breath hitched. He seized Jin Zexu’s arm, which he was trying to hide, and asked, "What happened to your hand?"

"It’s nothing," Jin Zexu admitted, knowing he couldn’t hide it. "I was in a hurry to open the door and cut myself on the doorknob. It doesn’t hurt."

Chu Jin glanced at the iron door and examined the wound, his expression serious. "The cut is deep. It needs to be bandaged. The door is rusty, so you’ll need a tetanus shot, just in case. How did this happen?"

Jin Zexu let Chu Jin hold his hand, his heart warming at the clear concern in Chu Jin’s eyes. Feeling his touch, seeing him right in front of him—real and tangible—Jin Zexu’s eyes welled up again.

The wound didn’t matter. Jin Zexu couldn’t tear his gaze away from Chu Jin. As long as you’re here, as long as you haven’t left...

Chu Jin looked up at the sound of Jin Zexu’s quiet sobs. Their eyes met, and Jin Zexu’s tears were impossible to ignore.

Since when had he become so prone to crying?

His eyes were red, his nose was red, his hair was a mess—he looked like a stray puppy that had finally found its way home.

There was no proper bandage nearby, but Jin Zexu had changed into a suit for the meeting that morning. Without another word, Chu Jin untied his tie and began bandaging the wound.

Chu Jin’s movements were skilled, but the wound was deep. Even with his gentle touch, it was impossible to avoid causing some pain. Jin Zexu watched him intently until a sharp pain shot through his palm. He instinctively tried to pull his hand back, but Dr. Chu held it firmly.

"Don’t move," Dr. Chu said, his tone carrying the authority of a doctor.

Jin Zexu froze. He stared at Chu Jin, who was focused on bandaging his hand, and suddenly smiled. "Dr. Chu, can you be a little gentler? It hurts."

Chu Jin glanced at him, tightened the tie, and said flatly, "Endure it."

He’d been scolded.

Jin Zexu secretly smiled, obediently kneeling before Chu Jin, staying silent and still. The faint scent of disinfectant on Chu Jin was enough to make him feel at ease.

After bandaging the wound, Chu Jin finally asked how Jin Zexu had found this place.

"My mother gave me the key," he said.

Chu Jin was taken aback. He hadn’t expected Bai Huihe to be the one who told Jin Zexu. Should he come clean about certain things now?

Chu Jin hesitated for a moment. Perhaps it was better not to say anything.

"Your mother... How did she know I was here?" After all, it was Jin Shenting’s men who had brought him here.

"I’m not sure. But the person who brought you here was my father, Jin Shenting." Jin Zexu didn’t want to dwell on it, but he knew the situation was no longer safe for Chu Jin. He glanced at the desk and asked softly, "Chu Chu, do you know what this place is?"

"Yes," Chu Jin nodded. "The things here were never taken away."

"Right."

But what couldn’t be taken away was far more than just these objects.

Jin Zexu's smile was tinged with bitterness as he lowered his head and said, "Chu Jin, this used to be my home. I lived here alone for most of the time before I was ten. Pretty impressive, huh?"

Chu Jin's heart suddenly ached.

"That's really impressive," he replied.

Chu Jin was aware of Jin Zexu's background, so he didn’t press further about where his mother had been back then. Instead, he picked up a yellowed exam paper from the desk and added, "And it seems little Zexu was taking good care of himself back then."

"Of course," Jin Zexu replied, not wanting to make it sound so heavy when talking about his childhood or the conflicts of the older generation—things he preferred to keep from Chu Jin. "Actually, there were quite a few neighbors around at the time, and they were all very—"

"Jin Zexu," Chu Jin interrupted, looking directly at him and cutting off his forced cheerful talk. "It must have been tough being alone."

Jin Zexu clearly froze. He looked at Chu Jin, his pupils trembling. After a long moment, he finally spoke, "...Chu Chu, do you know why I didn’t want you to leave the villa?"

"Why?"

"Because I was scared I wouldn’t be able to find you," Jin Zexu’s voice trembled slightly. "I was afraid that if I let my guard down for even a moment, you would disappear from the world. I’m afraid of losing you... Chu Jin, I’m scared."

Every day, he lived in constant anxiety and unease.

He feared that all of this was nothing more than a fleeting dream, and that Chu Jin was the person in that dream whose face remained blurred—unclear, unreachable.

"I’m sorry," Jin Zexu choked out between sobs. "Chu Jin, I’m sorry..."

Chu Jin stopped what he was doing. He hadn’t expected Jin Zexu to have these worries, and suddenly, he realized something. "Was it Ceng Fan who told you I would leave? What else did he say to you?"

"...Nothing else."

Jin Zexu lowered his head and half-knelt before Chu Jin, silent. His demeanor made Chu Jin unable to say anything harsh to him. Chu Jin let out a deep sigh and asked, "Then did he tell you why I wanted to leave?"

Jin Zexu remembered clearly. "He said there was nothing in this world that could make you stay."

Yes, that was true at the time.

Ceng Fan had once questioned him, asking whether his refusal to support the experiment was an attempt to bring this absurd transmigration story to an end with him.

No, he wasn’t that selfless, Chu Jin thought. When he first arrived in this world, he had been relieved to escape his identity as a disabled Omega. But reality was harsh—he became pregnant, and here, he was still an outsider, an anomaly without even a formal identity.

Gradually, he felt more and more out of place and firmly believed he had to leave. But when exactly did he start hesitating?

Even Chu Jin himself didn’t know.

Perhaps he had been hesitant all along...

Luo Changqing once told him that relationships between people are strange—once a connection forms, it can change at any moment. Yet all of this happens imperceptibly, growing every second, and by the time you notice, it’s already deeply rooted.

That’s what fate is.

Some people are destined to meet, destined to know each other, destined to fall in love... even if their time together is brief.

Chu Jin admitted his heart had softened. He bent down, cupped Jin Zexu’s face in both hands, and made him look into his eyes.

"Jin Zexu, look at me," Chu Jin said calmly and seriously, meeting his teary eyes. "I’m going to tell you now—someone who can make me stay in this world has appeared."

Chu Jin’s face was so close that Jin Zexu instinctively held his breath, his heart racing.

Chu Jin smiled. "That person is looking into my eyes right now."

"Mm—"

Author's Note:

Updated.

Revised, with some additions.