Chapter 166

Chapter 166

◎ Bold Declaration of Love ◎

Meng Qi could never have imagined that his casual remark would have the power to freeze time.

Many people, when praised by others, habitually deflect with self-deprecation to ease their embarrassment. Meng Qi was no exception; he spoke without much thought, almost reflexively, words that came out without thinking.

But while the speaker may be careless, the listener takes it to heart.

It was that very sentence that instantly made Ren Suiyi tense every muscle, his breathing growing heavier. His hands, wrapped around Meng Qi’s waist, tightened again and again, like a wolf on high alert, its sharp claws and fangs ready to tear apart everything around it.

Meng Qi didn’t understand why Ren Suiyi had suddenly changed like this, but he vaguely felt that 99.9% of the reason was because of him. The remaining 0.1% possibility might be due to Liang Wenkai? But in the end, it still had to do with him... So he quickly sobered up, put away his playful thoughts, and cautiously stole a glance at Ren Suiyi.

...

He should have just stayed still like a quail—he shouldn’t have stolen that glance. Meng Qi muttered uneasily to himself. Who would have thought that the face, which just a moment ago was as radiant as spring blossoms blooming among mountain flowers, could turn so dark in an instant? If he reached out to poke that taut cheek, he was afraid his fingers would get frostbitten.

What should he do? Meng Qi began to panic.

Even when Ren Suiyi first found him, he hadn’t been so... angry? Violent? Out of control? Even when Ren Suiyi pounded on the door noisily and said, “If you run again, I’ll break your legs,” he still had an undeniable gentleness about him. That’s why Meng Qi had dared to brazenly confront that version of Ren Suiyi.

But what now? How had it come to this? Forget confronting Ren Suiyi—heaven knows he was deliberately slowing the rate and depth of his breathing...

Unable to pinpoint the cause of Ren Suiyi’s change, Meng Qi dared not speak rashly or move recklessly before Ren Suiyi said something. At this moment, the only parts of his body that remained movable were his two eyes, so he distracted himself by moving his eyes around while simultaneously racking his brain for the reason and a countermeasure.

They say green represents hope, winter symbolizes desolation. The splash of green among the grayish-brown patches of winter made Meng Qi breathe a sigh of relief.

As the off-road vehicle drew closer, he slowly stood up, intending to move back to his original seat—partly to prepare to get out of the car in advance, partly to flee the storm of panic that had overwhelmed him, and partly to put some distance between himself and Ren Suiyi before Liang Wenkai looked back. After all, sitting on someone’s lap was something he was too thin-skinned to have a third person witness.

But the moment he moved, Ren Suiyi tightened his grip again.

For Meng Qi, staying still when told to do so, or being seen when he didn’t want to be—these he could endure. But what he absolutely couldn’t bear was the strength of Ren Suiyi’s hands. Those large, knobby hands were like iron pincers, gripping him painfully, making it hard to breathe. He felt suffocated...

Worse still, at one point, he even felt his little one move inside him, clearly also in great discomfort.

“Brother, let go! My waist is about to break!” Meng Qi had to shout at Ren Suiyi, while frantically trying to pry Ren Suiyi’s hands off.

Hearing the commotion, Liang Wenkai instantly turned his head back, looking at Meng Qi with confusion. “What’s wrong, Young Master Meng?”

So he saw, it doesn’t matter. Meng Qi sighed. Then he thought, well, it doesn’t matter. Seen is seen. Since he had decided to accept Ren Suiyi, scenes like this would only increase... right? He needed to start getting used to it.

Having convinced himself, Meng Qi adjusted his posture. Just as he was about to tell Liang Wenkai it was nothing, Ren Suiyi spoke over him, his voice icy as he addressed Liang Wenkai, “Stop the car. Get lost. Come back when I tell you to.”

It was a voice that had dropped to freezing point, colder and harder than a machine’s tone.

“Brother!” Meng Qi frowned.

This version of Ren Suiyi was too unfamiliar—not only was his tone cold and harsh, but he had also forgotten basic respect. Meng Qi didn’t like it, nor was he used to it.

Except for that first night when Ren Suiyi, in a rage, had told him to “get lost,” Ren Suiyi had always been the image of a gentle and refined superior, not a tyrannical king! Even when occasionally angered by someone, he never lost his basic decorum and grace. That was why Meng Qi had gradually fallen into his tender trap, unable to extricate himself.

But what was this now? Had everything he seen before been an illusion, and this was the real Ren Suiyi? Meng Qi, who had once been trapped in the mire of bullying, didn’t want to believe it.

Liang Wenkai followed the instruction and stopped the car, but he didn’t get out. Instead, he remained in the driver’s seat, looking at Meng Qi with unease. His concern for Meng Qi outweighed the anger Ren Suiyi was radiating at him. He probably wanted to stay, to help Meng Qi withstand Ren Suiyi’s wrath at any time.

But what he didn’t know was that, in Ren Suiyi’s eyes, his silence at that moment had twisted into provocation. It inadvertently gave Ren Suiyi an outlet for his anger. When Ren Suiyi shouted “Get lost!” at him again, his eyes were like ice knives, mercilessly slicing up and down Liang Wenkai’s body.

Liang Wenkai flinched for a moment, but his legs didn’t move an inch.

Meng Qi quickly stepped in to mediate, forcing a smile toward Liang Wenkai. “Go check out that car over there. It hasn’t been driven for a few days—who knows if it’ll start?”

A rugged off-road vehicle worth millions doesn’t break down that easily. Even if it hadn’t been driven for a few days, or even three months or half a year, it would still be ready to go when needed.

But Liang Wenkai understood Meng Qi’s implication and could see that Meng Qi was relatively calm, likely able to handle the situation alone. So he nodded at Meng Qi, turned, and jumped off the tricycle, walking without looking back toward the off-road vehicle.

Meng Qi refocused all his attention on Ren Suiyi, carefully observing the changes in his expression as he spoke in a soft, pleading tone, “Loosen your grip a little, brother. My waist really hurts.”

Perhaps Meng Qi’s submissive attitude had an effect, or maybe Liang Wenkai’s departure had taken away Ren Suiyi’s anger. In any case, after Meng Qi finished speaking, the cold aura around Ren Suiyi miraculously dissipated. His large hands turned from gripping to massaging.

What surprised Meng Qi even more was that Ren Suiyi not only didn’t continue to press him or interrogate him, but also took the initiative to apologize. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have hurt you. I shouldn’t... shouldn’t...”

Shouldn’t what? Shouldn’t have lost his temper for no reason, or shouldn’t have turned Liang Wenkai into an imaginary enemy? Meng Qi speculated about the rest of Ren Suiyi’s sentence.

But instead of completing that “shouldn’t,” Ren Suiyi suddenly pulled Meng Qi tightly into his arms, his voice trembling as he pleaded with Meng Qi in return. The voice was filled with endless pain and lingering fear. “Please don’t be angry with me, okay? And don’t be disappointed in me. Don’t hide away and make me unable to find you again. I’m actually not that clever—I almost couldn’t find you... Heaven had pity on me, letting me find you before I went mad. You have no idea how afraid I was that I would never see you again, or even that I couldn’t control myself. Meng Qi, I don’t want to go through that damned feeling of losing control ever again. Just take pity on me, okay? Stay by my side always. Don’t be disappointed in me. Never...”

For the second time, facing Ren Suiyi’s vulnerability, Meng Qi realized again how much his leaving had hurt Ren Suiyi. He also realized that in this strange world, where he had felt he was struggling alone, there was someone silently loving him, searching for him tirelessly... How fortunate that was. His heart clenched instantly, like an electric shock—numb, sour, swollen, and painful—but soon it was enveloped by a great sense of happiness, softening into a pool.

He knew what he needed to do.

He turned and hugged Ren Suiyi back, choked out, “I’m not angry with you, and I won’t be disappointed in you. At least so far, I haven’t been disappointed in you.”

“Then promise you won’t be disappointed in me in the future, okay?” Ren Suiyi stared intently into Meng Qi’s eyes, urgently seeking a promise.

But how could such things be said so absolutely? Just as he loved himself, there were times he was disappointed in himself. Could he really promise never to be disappointed in Ren Suiyi? Meng Qi hesitated.

Not getting an answer, Ren Suiyi changed his approach. “Forget it. It’s easier to demand from myself than from you. I will make sure I don’t disappoint you, so you won’t ever have a day when you’re disappointed in me.”

Huh? The logic was sound, but this leap in awareness was too high. Meng Qi was stunned.

Ren Suiyi took Meng Qi’s hand and continued, “I think this isn’t hard to achieve, but it requires a key requirement—we need to be honest with each other, no deception, no concealment. After all, honesty is the beginning of any good relationship, right?”

Right. Meng Qi agreed with that. It was just that for now, he couldn’t do it...

But then again, his concealment from Ren Suiyi didn’t cross any moral boundaries. It was a white lie, which should be understood and forgiven, right?

Or should he take this opportunity to tell Ren Suiyi the truth? Meng Qi hesitated again.

Sensing Meng Qi’s hesitation, Ren Suiyi forcefully cupped Meng Qi’s face, squeezing his chubby cheeks into thin pancakes. His tone was frustrated and helpless, as if he couldn’t figure out what to do with Meng Qi. “Just how many secrets are you hiding from me? I really want to crack open your head and find the answers myself.”

“But cracking it open wouldn’t help—it’s just a bunch of meat,” Meng Qi blurted out. Seeing Ren Suiyi frown again in frustration, he quickly smiled placatingly. “I promise I’ll tell you every secret, but you need to give me time—I’m still confused and haven’t sorted things out.”

“Really?” Ren Suiyi was skeptical.

Meng Qi immediately raised three fingers. “I swear it’s the truth! I swear!”

Finally, Ren Suiyi was coaxed into a smile. The mountain flowers blossomed again, even more brilliant than before.

Seeing Ren Suiyi’s bright smile, Meng Qi laughed too, unable to help adding, “Brother, you’re really handsome when you smile.”

Liang Wenkai’s voice came from a distance at an inopportune moment. “The car’s fine. We can leave anytime.”

Ren Suiyi, who had been smiling just a second ago, his smile disappeared, and he asked Meng Qi, jealousy dripping from his voice, “Is he more handsome when he smiles?”

Wow! So even the male lead can get jealous!

Meng Qi just blinked. “He’s just a friend. You’re my boyfriend. Even if he looks good when he smiles, he’s absolutely not as good-looking as you.”

The word “boyfriend” was like a small pebble thrown into a still lake, instantly disturbing the calm surface and stirring up ripples. It deepened the smile on Ren Suiyi’s face, brightened the light in his eyes, and softened the aura around him. Slowly, he pressed his forehead against Meng Qi’s and asked softly, “What did you say? Say it again. There was wind just now—I didn’t quite catch it.”

Such a poor excuse...

But it made Meng Qi’s heart feel sweet and warm. He raised a hand to block Liang Wenkai’s view of him and Ren Suiyi, then quickly pecked Ren Suiyi on the lips and said each word slowly and earnestly, "You are my boyfriend, my partner, my... my lover, my most favorite person!"

Stunned by Meng Qi's bold confession, Ren Suiyi was frozen for a long moment before snapping out of it. Then, ignoring whether Meng Qi was shy or whether Liang Wenkai in the distance could see, he kissed Meng Qi fiercely until Meng Qi’s face was flushed red.

While Meng Qi was catching his breath on his shoulder, Ren Suiyi said to Meng Qi in an equally serious tone, "You are also my most favorite person, my lover, my partner, my boyfriend."

"Author's Note"

Do you know, on December 6th and 7th, 2025, during the two days we weren’t on the leaderboard, our "Rage Rework" actually gained 5 new collections! 5, can you believe that?! A Double Color Ball lottery ticket only has 7 numbers, and we got 5 of them! [burst into tears]. I instantly cried like a total newbie [burst into tears][burst into tears][burst into tears][burst into tears][burst into tears]

These two days are so worth commemorating, I have to write it down! (Screenshot saved [hug hug])

And today another one came—now it’s 6! One more and we'll have won the Double Color Ball first prize [burst into tears]

Half this medal is yours! Thank you, thank you [hug hug][hug hug][hug hug]