Chapter 141: A Shadow Substitute

Chapter 141: The Substitute Who Cannot See the Light

By his calculations, Ning Zhong had traveled from the capital to Lingbei for at least six or seven days, so before Qin Jiao even laid eyes on the letter, their deadline for cutting ties had already passed.

He Zhao leaned in and read the letter over his shoulder. He found the broken stone and Ning Zhong's sour expression hilarious, and used sign language to ask Cong Shuang who wrote it, since it was so entertaining.

Cong Shuang gave him the rundown on Jiang Qingrong's penny-pinching ways, and He Zhao pulled an exaggerated "damn, he's impressive" face. "This guy's a riot. If I ever make it to the capital, I've gotta meet him."

Cong Shuang signed back, deadpan, "Yeah, don't bother."

Qin Jiao watched their sign language exchange, caught between amused and exasperated.

"Cousin, what are Cong Shuang and this guy going on about?"

Ning Zhong couldn't read sign language, and seeing their odd expressions, he figured they were laughing at him for getting "played" by Jiang Qingrong into hauling a stone all the way here for Qin Jiao.

Qin Jiao had no idea Ning Zhong was fretting over something so absurd. "Nothing much, just small talk," he said offhandedly, then tucked the letter and the stone away.

Ning Zhong had delivered his gifts, but since this wasn't the Qin estate, Qin Jiao couldn't exactly play host and ask him to stay for dinner. Luckily, Ning Zhong had the sense to take off as the sun dipped below the horizon.

Qin Jiao walked him out himself. There was a loose brick on the threshold of He Zhao's courtyard that was a trip hazard. Sure enough, Ning Zhong "steadily" tripped over it on his way out, and Qin Jiao had to grab him to keep him from eating dirt.

When Qin Jiao steadied him, their bodies unavoidably brushed, and Qin Jiao watched Ning Zhong's face go beet red, his words coming out all stammered.

Qin Jiao blinked, thinking, this can't keep going on.

So while Ning Zhong was still buzzing over "my cousin cares about me" and "did we just hold hands?", Qin Jiao doused him with ice water, flat-out saying, "Cousin, I like Xie Nai, and we love each other."

Qin Jiao's words came with zero warning or sugarcoating, like a sudden quake or tidal wave. If Ning Zhong hadn't been in love with him, he might've missed the subtext entirely.

But unfortunately, Ning Zhong was in love, and he got it.

"Oh... ah, really? Well, that's... good." Ning Zhong hadn't expected Qin Jiao to be so direct. He was totally blindsided, left fumbling for words.

"Xie Nai gets into Lingbei tomorrow. If you're free, cousin, we can grab a meal and catch up."

At that, Ning Zhong's composed mask nearly cracked. "Alright, we'll see. I, I should get going."

"Mm, safe travels, cousin." Qin Jiao stayed put, watching Ning Zhong scurry off.

Yeah, that was just who he was—he drew a hard line between love and apathy, like and dislike. He might hesitate at first, but once he knew his own heart, he'd act fast and nip any budding confusion in the bud.

Ning Zhong walked tall down the busy street, but the second he felt Qin Jiao's eyes leave him, it was like all his strength gave out, and his shoulders slumped.

He trudged on, dejected, until a shadow fell over him.

"Qing Yi?"

Ning Zhong looked up, and the instant he saw who it was, his face went white as a sheet. "You—why are you out? Didn't I tell you to stay home?!"

Ning Zhong whipped around in a panic, and only once he was sure Qin Jiao was really gone did he snap at Qing Yi, "Get back to the residence with me now, and you're not stepping foot outside again!"

Qing Yi dodged, sidestepping Ning Zhong's grab. "Why can't I leave the house, cousin? Afraid someone might see me?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Ning Zhong, caught off guard, was flustered and pissed, his usual patience wearing thin.

Qing Yi acted like he hadn't noticed Ning Zhong's temper and said softly, "I saw you talking to someone just now, cousin. I was too far to make out their face—was that a friend of yours?"

"He..."

Ning Zhong was at a loss for words, but also secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

He didn't know how to explain to Qing Yi, and he certainly didn't dare let Qin Jiao see Qing Yi or know about his dirty thoughts. Right now, he just wanted to take Qing Yi away as quickly as possible.

"He's a distant relative of mine. We don't usually have much contact."

Ning Zhong steadied himself and gently coaxed Qing Yi, "When I return to the capital this time, I brought you a gift—it's your favorite drunken crab. Let's go back to the residence, and I'll peel it for you myself."

"Alright, thank you, cousin."

Qing Yi didn't press further, but affectionately linked arms with Ning Zhong. "I also want you to feed me, cousin."

Looking at that face so similar to Qin Jiao's, Ning Zhong couldn't bring himself to refuse. "Alright, whatever you say, cousin."

Ever since discovering Qing Yi's resemblance to Qin Jiao, day after day, night after night, Ning Zhong had looked at Qing Yi like this, indulging him, just as he had looked at the person he loved in his youth but had missed out on.

Qing Yi walked side by side with Ning Zhong, and when Ning Zhong wasn't paying attention, Qing Yi suddenly turned back to take a deep look at the spot where Qin Jiao had just been standing.

Qing Yi had lied.

Actually, he had seen it just now—Qin Jiao's face that was seventy percent similar to his own, Ning Zhong's panic, and his undisguised infatuation and favoritism. Qing Yi had seen it all.

He had even discerned from their lip movements that Qin Jiao called Ning Zhong "cousin," and Ning Zhong called Qin Jiao "cousin" in return.

Combined with the probing just now, Ning Zhong didn't want Qin Jiao to see him. He was afraid.

Qing Yi had come from the Guanhua Troupe, so he understood immediately.

Earlier, after Qing Yi and Cao Gui had parted ways, he had originally been heading back to the residence, but just as he was leaving, he suddenly spotted a travel-worn Ning Zhong. Qing Yi had been genuinely happy at that moment, thinking Ning Zhong had come specially to pick him up.

Because he didn't want to reveal his meeting with Cao Gui, he chose to hide first. But as it turned out, Ning Zhong wasn't there to pick him up at all—he was eagerly rushing off to see his beloved real cousin.

So he was just a substitute that couldn't see the light.

Qing Yi curled his lips in self-mockery, a complex emotion surfacing in his eyes—something between jealousy and resentment. "Cousin, do you like me even a little? When you sleep with me, do you look at my face and think of him?"

Qing Yi's mind was a tangled mess, various thoughts like tentacles churning wildly in his head.

Ning Zhong wasn't much better off either. He was so weighed down by his troubles that when Qing Yi came to him that night, he called out the wrong name in bed.

At that moment, Qing Yi's arms around Ning Zhong stiffened. A dark light flickered in his eyes, as if he had made up his mind about something. He held the person before him even more tightly, and in the midst of their dizzying passion, a cold smile curled at the corner of Qing Yi's lips:

It's fine. He would keep his cousin.

----------------------------------------