Chapter 43: The Young Master Has Become Strapped for Cash

Chapter 43: The Young Master Is Strapped for Cash

Chi Xingcun finished showering in the other bathroom, dried his hair, and lay down on the bed.

Why's Qin Liyi taking so long in there?

His phone vibrated at that moment. He picked it up—it was a message from Xie Yean, finally replying.

"Did you like it?"

Chi Xingcun replied, "I really liked it."

He added, "Why'd you get off work so late today?"

On the other end, Xie Yean was drenched in sweat, barely able to sit down and rest. He typed back, "Yeah, it really was late today."

Chi Xingcun grew worried: "Don't run yourself ragged."

Xie Yean felt like a little sun had forced its way into his chest, warming him until he felt flustered. His fingertips brushed the screen: "Don't worry."

Chi Xingcun hesitated, then asked, "When can I come see you?"

Xie Yean took a long moment before replying, "Soon."

When Qin Liyi came out of the shower, he saw Chi Xingcun on his phone, chatting happily with someone.

He climbed onto the bed, chin resting on Chi Xingcun's shoulder, eyes glued to the phone screen: "Who're you chatting with?"

He could already tell—it was Xie Yean.

Chi Xingcun didn't try to hide it, answering, "Xie Yean."

Qin Liyi reached over, turned off the light, and wrapped an arm around Chi Xingcun: "Time to sleep."

It was time to say goodnight anyway, so Chi Xingcun set his phone on the nightstand and closed his eyes.

As time ticked by, Qin Liyi's heartbeat quickened, flames spreading inch by inch, threatening to consume his entire body!

The young master just smelled too damn good.

But aside from breathing in the young master's scent, there wasn't anything else he could do to him.

So he got up and went to take another cold shower.

Chi Xingcun was fast asleep. He heard the commotion but didn't pay it any mind, just turned over and buried half his face in the blanket, sleeping soundly.

......

The next day, Chi Xingcun slept until noon, and when he woke up, Qin Liyi was gone.

Qin Liyi had left a note on the table: "Something came up, I'll be back tonight. Your meds and lunch are in the warmer—remember to eat, be good."

Chi Xingcun stayed alone in the villa, read the note, and thought for a long time, feeling that now was the right moment.

He'd originally wanted to tell Qin Liyi last night about moving back to the dorm, but it got too late and he forgot.

He could roughly imagine what would happen if he told him—Qin Liyi would definitely get angry and wouldn't let him move his stuff back to the dorm.

Since Qin Liyi happened to be out, he could move first and tell him afterward.

By then, there'd be nothing Qin Liyi could do to stop him.

So Chi Xingcun pulled out his suitcase, packed all his stuff into it, and walked out of the villa.

The detective across the street finally spotted him and immediately snapped a photo to send to Qin Liyi.

Qin Liyi was currently with some woman. The moment he saw the message, his mood turned ice-cold, and he replied to the detective: "Find a way to stop him."

So the detective got out of the car, flashed a fake police badge, and approached Chi Xingcun.

"Hello, police. I need you to cooperate."

Chi Xingcun froze, then snapped back and asked, "Hello, did something happen?"

The detective said, "There've been a few burglaries in this area recently. We're doing door-to-door inquiries. Once we question you and confirm there's no problem, you can leave."

Chi Xingcun had no idea about any of this, but he had no choice but to cooperate, so he pulled his suitcase back into the villa.

He didn't know when the police would get around to questioning him, if ever.

But as it turned out, no police ever came knocking, all the way until dark.

He opened the door and looked toward the road—that car was still parked there. He suddenly remembered the car that had followed him when he went out yesterday... It looked exactly like this one.

It was probably the same car.

A bad feeling crept over him. He walked out to the car and bent down—the door was half-open, and no one was inside.

At nine that evening, Qin Liyi came back.

"You're back." Chi Xingcun was cutting fruit in the kitchen.

"Where were you planning to go with that suitcase at noon?" Qin Liyi's face was expressionless, those his first words, his pupils darker and deeper than usual.

Chi Xingcun looked at him, his heart starting to race: "How did you know?"

Qin Liyi said, "The police called me and told me they'd seen you. I explained things to them, so they didn't come back for you."

So that's what happened.

Right—Qin Liyi was the homeowner, so of course the police would've contacted him.

Chi Xingcun thought, if he'd known the police would call Qin Liyi, he wouldn't have waited this long.

Qin Liyi took off his coat and tossed it aside, advancing toward Chi Xingcun.

Chi Xingcun was inexplicably intimidated by his presence and backed up until his waist hit the table.

"I—"

"Young master, you just sweet-talked me yesterday, and today you're trying to hide things from me again?"

Qin Liyi's eyes gleamed sharp and menacing, like a predator locking onto its prey!

Chi Xingcun hunched his shoulders, lowering his gaze: "I... I just thought the school's closer to where I work part-time, so living in the dorm would be more convenient."

"Then why didn't you say something?"

"You weren't here, so I just—"

"You couldn't even text me?"

Chi Xingcun couldn't keep lying any longer; he was feeling pretty drained.

Qin Liyi was really hard to appease.

He reached up and stroked Qin Liyi's hair, murmuring, "Why are you always angry? Can you just stop being mad?"

Qin Liyi's heavy eyelids fluttered slightly. He knew his emotions had been all over the place lately, but that wasn't his fault, right? The young master was always hiding all kinds of stuff from him.

He tilted his head up, nuzzling into Chi Xingcun's hand.

"Because you're always keeping stuff from me. I don't know why you're downgrading your life now, but as long as I'm with you, I won't let you do this!"

Qin Liyi had never thought about it that way before, always blaming someone else. But when the detective told him Chi Xingcun had left with his luggage again, and he realized Chi Xingcun was moving back to the dorm, it finally hit him—the one thing all the young master's actions had in common:

He was tightening his belt.

He didn't order everything he wanted at meals anymore.

He hadn't bought any new clothes or pants in months.

No trace of essential oils on him, just the simple scent of shampoo and body wash.

He hadn't gotten a haircut, though longer hair suited him too. He trimmed his own nails at home.

Back in the day, the young master would hit the auction house every week to buy stuff like pearls, gems, agate, and jade.

But now he didn't just skip the auctions—he stopped going out for fun altogether.

Even when he did go out, he'd ask if it was pricey, like with that private room last night.

It definitely wasn't that the young master's card was empty—it was that he didn't want to, or even dared to, spend more!

The young master didn't want to stay at his place either, because he didn't want to live somewhere so nice.

That's why he picked that tiny, run-down dorm!

Qin Liyi's temples pulsed with veins, seething with anger.

Who the hell had turned the young master into this?!

A bunch of useless PIs! After all this time, they hadn't dug up a damn thing!

He was furious and heartbroken at the same time, his eyes reddening as he hugged the young master tight.

If it was just a bad mood, he could fix that, but what if someone had hurt him? Could he still make it better?