Chapter 66

Chapter 66

◎ Go downstairs and come home with me. ◎

After Meng Qi asked his question, the living room fell dead silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The smile on Qi Yun’s face vanished instantly, his expression turning solemn. His eyes, locked on Meng Qi, flickered with sorrow and brimmed with emotion.

Even Kuang Hui and Dong Jiaming, sitting at a distance, stopped joking and turned their heads together toward Meng Qi and Qi Yun, holding their breath, waiting for Qi Yun’s answer.

Though they hadn’t known Qi Yun for long, worry was written all over their faces at that moment.

It just goes to show, meeting people is all about fate. When fate hits, even one second can make you soulmates. Without it, no matter how long you spend together, it doesn't mean a thing.

After a long pause, Qi Yun was the first to look away. In a low, heavy voice, he shot back with his own question: “Why are you so nice to me? Will you always be this nice to me? If I said I couldn't feel the same way, would you still be this nice to me?”

Meng Qi knew his reasons for helping Qi Yun weren't totally selfless—they were ultimately for himself. His desperate hope that Qi Yun would turn down Ren Suiwu was really about making sure Qi Yun, with Wang Boyuan's face, wouldn't get into trouble. For him, as long as Qi Yun was around, Wang Boyuan was around, and with “Wang Boyuan” present, he wouldn’t feel so alone here. The will to keep fighting so he could make it home alive to his grandparents wouldn’t be easily shattered.

But this was a deeply private and selfish matter. He couldn’t tell Qi Yun the truth—at least not yet.

He was probably losing it…

“Of course I will. I said we’re friends. Who helps a friend through tough times while constantly thinking about rewards, right? That would be too exhausting and hypocritical,” Meng Qi replied, 80% fake, 20% real.

If Qi Yun didn't resemble Wang Boyuan, they might still have become friends, but whether Meng Qi would have gone this far for him under those circumstances—even Meng Qi didn't know.

But a lot of things don't have "what ifs," so overthinking was useless. Meng Qi fell silent.

Across from him, Qi Yun's expression started to soften, a flicker of struggle in his eyes. Then, under Meng Qi's hopeful gaze, he asked softly, “How can I trust you? Other people have said the same stuff to me, but in the end, they all broke their promises… They took way more from me than they ever gave.”

Meng Qi's heart went out to Qi Yun again, but he also caught the change in Qi Yun's expression. So he toughened up and kept pushing, “That’s because you didn’t see their true colors in time. I’m not like that. If you don’t believe me, I can swear right now I'll always treat you like my best friend and help you out no matter what, whenever you need it, without expecting anything back.”

To make it more believable, Meng Qi thought a second and added, “Kuang Hui and Dong Jiaming can back me up.”

Qi Yun followed Meng Qi’s pointing finger to Kuang Hui and Dong Jiaming, who were caught off guard by being called out. After recovering, they both nodded at Qi Yun, to show they'd vouch for Meng Qi.

Meng Qi kept going, “Even if you don’t trust me or Kuang Hui, you should at least trust Dong Jiaming. His rep at school is solid.”

What the hell? Kuang Hui was pissed. You drag yourself into it, why drag me in too!

Before Qi Yun could respond, Kuang Hui jumped off the couch and charged at Meng Qi, yelling, “Meng Qi, what's that supposed to mean! You dare to trash my rep right in front of me? Is that any way to act?”

Meng Qi wasn't about to just take it. Seeing Kuang Hui almost on him, he bolted, but not far—just circling the dining table, playing cat and mouse with Kuang Hui while dodging his sneak attacks and still asking Qi Yun, “Have you made up your mind? If so, call Brother Wu quickly and turn him down, to avoid any trouble.”

“Worry about yourself, you're asking for it!” In a flash, Kuang Hui hopped onto the table like a monkey, making Meng Qi jump. He spun around and ran to Dong Jiaming.

Dong Jiaming, off to the side, shared a knowing smile with Qi Yun. They both moved at once to stop Kuang Hui and Meng Qi—one reaching out to pull Kuang Hui down, the other spreading his arms to shield Meng Qi. In an instant, the living room’s atmosphere revived, brimming with youthful energy. Even the lazy Meng Lingzhi and Ren Baizhi poked their little heads out of their shells to watch the commotion.

But happy moments are always fleeting. Meng Qi had barely hidden behind Dong Jiaming, catching his breath, when his phone suddenly rang with a sharp trill. He quickly raised one hand in surrender to Kuang Hui while grabbing the phone with the other. Seeing who was calling, his face fell instantly. Grimacing, he pressed a finger to his lips, signaling Kuang Hui to be quiet. “Shh, stop. It’s Ren Suiyi.”

Ren Suiyi was the ultimate trump card in this world. At the sound of his name, Kuang Hui froze, his expression showing he’d lost all interest in the roughhousing.

Meng Qi slowly lowered his raised hand, switching to holding the phone with both hands, as if the device had suddenly gained weight and one hand couldn’t manage it.

Recovering, Kuang Hui, just to annoy him, leaned in and whispered gleefully, “Hey, what are you spacing out for? Answer it!”

Meng Qi looked up at the ceiling in exasperation. “Here, since you’re so excited, you answer it for me.”

Saying and doing are two different things. Kuang Hui darted half a meter away, then flatly refused, “What’s it got to do with me? Whoever’s phone it is, they answer it.”

Sigh…

Unsure why Ren Suiyi was calling, but with a nagging feeling it might be related to Meng Kaize accidentally eating chili, Meng Qi braced himself for a scolding. His anxiety came fast, making his heart race. He frowned first, then cleared his throat, and finally, as if throwing caution to the wind, pressed the answer button.

But the expected anger didn’t come. Ren Suiyi’s voice on the other end was calm as he said, “Go downstairs and come home with me.”

Ren Suiyi’s voice was incredibly penetrating. Even at its calmest, it carried an undeniable, commanding pressure.

As the saying goes, a wise man adapts to circumstances.

The word “no” circled on Meng Qi’s tongue three times. Finally, taking a deep breath, he almost gritted his teeth and replied, “Okay, give me five minutes. I’ll be right down.”

He really couldn’t figure out what this was about. Why couldn’t he just stay put in his own home? Why did he have to go to the Ren family?! Was the tycoon too lazy to talk, or what—couldn’t he spare a single explanation?

After hanging up, Meng Qi ignored how Qi Yun, Kuang Hui, and Dong Jiaming were looking at him. He first threw a few punches into the air, releasing all his pent-up frustration, then rubbed his face and listlessly instructed Kuang Hui, “Take good care of the house. I’m off.”

Then he turned to Qi Yun, still dejected, and continued, “Make sure to call Brother Wu back, okay? And since it’s this late, don’t go back to school. Sleep in my bed. There’s pajamas in the closet—pick a pair.”

“If you’re thirsty or hungry, help yourselves. I can’t even save myself, so I can’t look after you.”

Qi Yun nodded worriedly and followed Meng Qi to the door, seeing him off step by step.

Kuang Hui and Dong Jiaming stood by, looking like they were thoroughly enjoying the show, as if convinced that this trip would be uneventful for Meng Qi.

When Meng Qi stepped out of the building, Ren Suiyi was waiting in the car, engine still running. Gangzi wasn’t there—Ren Suiyi was driving himself.

Having learned his lesson, Meng Qi buckled his seatbelt as soon as he got in, then hesitantly asked Ren Suiyi why he was being taken home.

Better to rip off the Band-Aid quickly. Rather than keep guessing wildly, it was smarter to ask outright. At worst, it would just be a scolding.

“My mom heard your stomach is weak, so she specially made you some nourishing soup. She told me to bring you back to drink it,” Ren Suiyi said as he started the car, his tone normal, with no sign of anger.

That’s all?

Meng Qi instantly relaxed a lot. So Ren Suiyi wasn’t here to hold him responsible for not “looking after his little brother.”

“Why do you look disappointed? What did you think I called you down for?” Ren Suiyi glanced at Meng Qi, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips.

Smiling again!

But this smile really felt like mockery—not nice at all. Meng Qi didn’t like it. He pursed his lips and mumbled, “I thought you were going to yell at me. Before I came down, I was ready for a scolding.”

Ren Suiyi looked at Meng Qi in surprise. “Why would you think that?” His expression was sincere, not fake.

“I didn’t watch Xiaoze properly and almost got him into trouble…”

Ren Suiyi chuckled dryly. “He’s old enough to take care of himself. If something happens to someone his age, it’s his own fault. What does it have to do with you? Don’t worry, I won’t scold you for that.”

Such a fair-minded tycoon, Meng Qi silently breathed a sigh of relief.

“But I will scold you for not taking care of your own health,” Ren Suiyi added immediately.

Meng Qi: …

He hadn’t been neglecting his health.

But hearing that, his heart sank a little, dreading that his guess might be right.

He'd only ever thought about how to avoid getting pregnant, never once considering what he would do if he actually got pregnant...

What now? Just wait to die?

"What's the deal with Qi Yun? Isn't he a waiter at Jin Gaoliang? How did you get so close to him?" After a pause, Ren Suiyi shot Meng Qi an annoyed look and pressed on, "Have you gone to see Qian De'an lately?"

Qian De'an? Who's that? No idea.

Flustered and distracted, Meng Qi puffed out his cheeks, first insisting he'd been on his best behavior lately and hadn't gone to Jin Gaoliang even once, then explaining his relationship with Qi Yun to Ren Suiyi, "He's my college classmate. He needed money urgently for some reason, so he took a job as a waiter at Jin Gaoliang. He's not a bad person at heart, and he's very hardworking. I admire his indomitable spirit, which is why I became friends with him."

"You sure know how to make him look good." Ren Suiyi let out a scoff, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

Meng Qi wasn't stupid; he could tell. He wrinkled his nose in displeasure and shot back quickly, "That's just how it is. He's really not bad. Don't judge people by appearances."

Ren Suiyi raised an eyebrow. "I won't interfere with your freedom to choose friends—that's your right. And I won't make judgments about your friends—that's my respect for you. But if he ever does anything to wrong you, please tell him on my behalf that I'll teach him some manners."