RBNR Ch77: As long as you take a step towards me

After Mr. Qin left, Qin Bao stopped packing. He sat amidst the mess for two hours, and even the takeout that was delivered went cold and uneaten.

In truth, many things didn’t need Mr. Qin to say; Qin Bao could feel them himself. But he didn’t know that Feng Chengyu had already made a choice before Qin Bao proposed divorce.

The next day, back at the film set, everything in the hotel room was as before. The bedroom door was also tightly closed, suggesting Feng Chengyu had not been inside.

On the table, Qin Bao found a small box left by Feng Chengyu.

It was a small square box, heavy.

Opening it, he found a ring inside. It was a three-band ring design, each band encrusted with diamonds arranged irregularly to look like fragments of a starry sky.

Qin Bao immediately recognized it as his wedding ring.

He had only worn it during the wedding registration and the ceremony. After the wedding, he took it off and gave it to Feng Chengyu, saying, “Mission accomplished. I have no use for it. You keep it.”

At that time, Feng Chengyu had accepted it with a calm expression and said, “Okay. I’ll keep it for you.”

What did this mean now?

Did Feng Chengyu specifically come to the film set to return the ring because of the impending divorce?

It didn’t seem necessary to make a special trip for this.

So, was Feng Chengyu using the ring to give them another chance, adhering to the so-called contract?

Unfortunately, his attitude at the time was too poor, and he had dismissed him with some careless words.

Feng Chengyu must be upset.

Qin Bao couldn’t figure it out. He held the ring in his hand, and the cold metal quickly warmed up with his body temperature. He gripped it so tightly that it hurt a little.

There was still filming in the evening, which Qin Bao took seriously.

After finishing, he didn’t see Xu Tangzhou or his assistant, Wu Nana. He asked Xiao Xu, “Where did Xu Tangzhou go? Have you seen him these days?”

Xiao Xu said, “I don’t know. I haven’t seen them.”

Qin Bao felt a bit worried.

The next day, Xu Tangzhou’s phone was finally answered. Qin Bao couldn’t help but scold, “Xu Tangzhou, where have you been? No one’s in the room, and you’re not answering your phone. Don’t you know I’d worry? Did you run off to find Ling Che?”

The voice on the other end denied, “I didn’t.”

Xu Tangzhou’s voice was hoarse, which startled Qin Bao: “Who is this? Why does your voice sound so bad?”

Xu Tangzhou said, “…Ling Che came to find me. Bao, I really can’t get out of bed.”

——

Qin Bao: “…”

He didn’t know what had happened between them these days. Qin Bao felt like he was burned, and he quickly hung up the phone.

Xu Tangzhou sent another message, looking pitiful: [Can you come and pick me up and bring some clothes? Long sleeves…]

Qin Bao: “…”

Speechless!

After all these years, being shown off by these two! Is there no justice?

Anger aside, he still had to go pick them up.

To protect their privacy, Qin Bao arranged for his own car, without bringing an assistant, and went to the hotel to pick them up, trying to give them as much time together as possible.

Qin Bao had only seen Ling Che once two years ago during an MV shoot. After two years of honing his skills in the music industry, Ling Che looked even more unattainable. With his mixed-race handsome face and light brown eyes, combined with his talent, Qin Bao couldn’t help but marvel at how the heavens favored him.

But after seeing Xu Tangzhou covered in bite marks, Qin Bao privately scoffed. Unattainable my foot!

Is Ling Che a dog?

Look at what he did to Xu Tangzhou!

This couple was so lovey-dovey on the way. Qin Bao, head down, walked towards the car, turning back every now and then to be blinded by their PDA. Once, he even saw them kissing.

Fortunately, the hotel was owned by Ling Che’s good friend, Ying Chen. They could be as careless as they liked; otherwise, if paparazzi had caught that scene, it would have caused a sensation.

“Remember to apply the medicine when you get back,” Ling Che instructed Xu Tangzhou. “Don’t wait up for my call tonight.” Xu Tangzhou obediently replied, “Okay.”

Ling Che leaned down and gave him another kiss. “Rest early and get a good night’s sleep.”

Xu Tangzhou looked at him with hesitation. “I’ll miss you.”

Ling Che glanced at him for a few seconds, then took off a necklace from his own neck and put it on Xu Tangzhou.

Qin Bao: “…………”

His own love life was troubled, but his friends’ love lives were even more heart-wrenching!

He was even more annoyed.

Is being in love so great?!

If it weren’t for what happened, he and Feng Chengyu could have been like this too!

Finally, the two of them slowly made their way to the car. Ling Che, who had been aloof and critical during the MV shoot, was now exceptionally friendly and sincerely thanked Qin Bao, “Thank you, Qin Bao, for coming all this way to pick him up so late.”

Qin Bao was at a loss. “Haha, you’re welcome.”

After saying goodbye to Ling Che, Xu Tangzhou reluctantly got into the car with Qin Bao. They didn’t talk much on the way.

Qin Bao understood why. Every time he spent more than a day with Feng Chengyu and then parted ways, it felt like this. He was too familiar with it.

When they arrived at the barbecue place, Xu Tangzhou had indeed adjusted and asked, “How are things with you?”

He didn’t know Qin Bao had been to the capital recently, nor did he know Feng Chengyu had been here.

Qin Bao wore the ring on a chain around his neck, hidden beneath his T-shirt, and just shook his head. “Your apology letter was very effective. Even Ling Che came over for your sake.”

Xu Tangzhou chuckled, “Because I know he likes me, and he’s soft-hearted. Once I took the initiative, he forgave me.”

Qin Bao also knew Feng Chengyu liked him.

There was no need to ask, no need for confirmation, and no need for anyone to remind him.

But Feng Chengyu was not soft-hearted.

Qin Bao touched the ring and thought, someone who could be so harsh on himself, would he really give him another chance?

Qin Bao found it hard to imagine there was something in this world that could be obtained unconditionally without him having to give anything in return. He truly had nothing left to offer Feng Chengyu.

After Mr. Qin’s visit, everything returned to calm.

The old man didn’t call to question the divorce, and nothing dramatic happened. Feng Chengyu also stopped bringing it up. Days went by, seemingly racing towards the inevitable end, becoming a countdown.

By the end of the month, the filming of “With The Wing” was completed, and Qin Bao returned to the capital.

The gardener was turning the soil on the side of the house where some shrubs had previously been. Qin Bao asked, “Are you renovating this area?”

The gardener replied, “Yes, Mr. Qin. Mr. Feng wanted to plant some daffodils here.”

Qin Bao’s feet felt like they were frozen on the step. “…Daffodils?”

“Yes, but the kind Mr. Feng likes isn’t really suitable for outdoor planting; it’s more suited for indoors. But he wanted to plant some outside so he could see them when he came home,” the gardener said. “The horticulturist selected a modified variety, Beiye Star, imported from abroad. I’m just here to prepare the soil. It’ll be ready to plant once the temperature drops at the beginning of the month.”

Qin Bao asked, “When did he say this?”

The gardener replied, “A few months ago.”

A few months ago was when Qin Bao had asked Feng Chengyu if he could send him daffodils.

Thinking about it, Qin Bao’s heart softened again.

He entered the house and found that it was no longer in the disarray he had left it in.

He asked the housekeeper, who said, “I didn’t know your plans, so I didn’t touch anything when I came to clean.”

Now everything was neat and tidy, which could only mean that Feng Chengyu had actually returned and helped organize.

Qin Bao hurried upstairs and indeed saw that everything had been put back in place, but Feng Chengyu’s clothes were missing a few items.

Half a year after the establishment of Magic Eye, there was finally major progress. They had discovered the wreckage of a mining ship near Feilu Star. According to the serial number, it was from the Starfall Group’s batch twenty years ago but had never been registered or reported missing to the Empire.

The rare materials in the wreckage had been exhausted, but from the blast holes and energy residues on the wreckage, the ship had clearly been bombarded.

Magic Eye was just a small company, so when they discovered such massive space debris, they towed the wreckage and recorded the process with a recovery ship.

The shocking part was that Magic Eye inadvertently captured real-time footage of Feilu Star during a live broadcast.

Previously, the public had only seen images of Feilu Star from fifty years ago. Now, that barren and ruined planet completely overturned people’s perceptions, causing a national uproar.

The harsh reality that had been hidden was finally laid bare, and the call for the Empire Council to continue pushing the ban on mining reached its peak.

Military experts analyzed the wreckage and suggested that the attack could have been carried out by interstellar terrorists, possibly led by Tuduo.

Why was there a “ghost ship” from the Starfall Group with no records? Had they secretly mined rare materials? If so, where did those materials go?

Some immediately pointed out that the exposure of this matter must have been directed by Feng Chengyu behind Magic Eye.

After Feng Chengyu withdrew from politics, he had not appeared in the management of Magic Eye. The public generally believed he was still recovering from old injuries and was serving as an advisor to Magic Eye, continuing his work in environmental protection and energy.

During a small seminar hosted by Magic Eye at the Capital University, a reporter attempted to interview Feng Chengyu about this but was politely declined due to health reasons.

In the footage, the S-class Alpha was dressed in a suit, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, exuding elegance with no sign of discomfort. He answered students’ questions from the stage, and the tie clip Qin Bao had given him glittered under the lights.

The video was taken a few days ago, and Feng Chengyu was still engaged in the Q&A session with students, which had now reached a more relaxed stage. Qin Bao looked out the window at the students and heard, “Mr. Feng, do you and Qin Bao usually discuss these issues at home?”

—The room erupted in cheers.

Feng Chengyu replied, “Of course we do.”

Student: “But it seems like there’s a big industry gap. He’s an artist and studied creative design. We thought he wouldn’t be interested in these things.”

Feng Chengyu: “In fact, he has a wide range of interests. He even bought a book by Professor Fu from Capital University, which you might have read, called The Secrets of Stardust Energy. It’s about a planet called PU-31. I looked through it as well, and it’s quite interesting.”

Qin Bao had no idea Feng Chengyu paid attention to what books he bought.

The book mentioned in the video was among the stack of books beside the sofa, which he sometimes read in the evenings, but he stopped reading it when Feng Chengyu returned. He didn’t know Feng Chengyu was so aware of it.

Student: “Last time Qin Bao participated in charity fundraising and donated to the refugees of Feilu Star. Was that a decision you made together?”

Feng Chengyu smiled, “No, I wasn’t aware of it before he made the donation. He also frequently makes ‘donations’ to our company.”

Student: “Both of you are involved in charity and environmental causes. You’re such good role models for us.”

Looking out the window, Qin Bao saw that the daffodils planted by the gardener had already sprouted, with tender green leaves emerging from the moist soil, quivering with curiosity about the world.

Qin Bao pulled his gaze away and glanced at the clock on the wall.

It was 3:10 PM.

The past and future were all blurred together, but an impulse surged up, gradually taking control of his body.

The clock ticked on.

There were still nearly two hours until the end of the workday.

Qin Bao sprang up.

He dashed down the stairs to the garage, put on his helmet, and then mounted his motorcycle, starting it and heading towards the city.

The roar of the engine pressed against his eardrums, and the impulse became clearer.

So what if he owed Feng Chengyu? So what if he dragged Feng Chengyu into it?

Life is short. Since Feng Chengyu had come to him, then now he would be selfish for once and shamelessly make it count. After half an hour, he arrived at the building, where a fan recognized him outside the elevator: “Qin Bao!”

Qin Bao had just removed his helmet, his hair still disheveled, and nodded to the fan. “Hi.”

The fan exclaimed, “Ah, I’m such a huge fan of yours! What are you here for? Can we take a photo together?!”

Qin Bao agreed to the photo and autograph, but his mind was elsewhere, and he was inexplicably handed a bouquet of flowers.

Taking the elevator up to the floor, he entered Magic Eye smoothly. Secretary Zhong was pleasantly surprised to see him. “Xiao Bao, what are you doing here?”

Seizing his courage, Qin Bao asked, “Secretary Zhong, is Feng Chengyu here?”

“He is, he’s in the office,” Secretary Zhong looked him over with a smile. “You can go straight there.”

Noticing her smile seemed a bit odd, Qin Bao looked down and realized the fan had given him a large bouquet of red roses, which were likely intended for a romantic partner.

Gritting his teeth, he thought it was just as well. The timing was perfect.

He knocked on the door, and a calm male voice responded, “Come in.”

Qin Bao pushed open the door.

Feng Chengyu looked up, their eyes met, and Qin Bao’s face flushed immediately.

The office was comfortably warm. Feng Chengyu was wearing a shirt with the top two buttons undone, his black hair styled back, looking both handsome and refreshed.

Seeing Qin Bao, he didn’t seem very surprised, and he calmly looked back at his computer screen.

Qin Bao closed the door and placed the flowers on Feng Chengyu’s desk. “They were given to me. I’m giving them to you.”

The bouquet was a bit bulky and knocked over a photo frame on Feng Chengyu’s desk.

Qin Bao glanced at the frame: “…”

He cursed himself internally.

The photo in the frame was of him.

It wasn’t a wedding or couple’s photo used to create a good family image, but rather a single photo of him taken by Feng Chengyu.

At the post-wedding dinner, Qin Bao was holding a wine glass, listening to the guests, with a faint smile on his face.

Qin Bao had seen this photo before; Feng Chengyu had shared it and even received praise from the wedding photographer. He just hadn’t expected Feng Chengyu to have it printed and kept in the office.

Feng Chengyu lifted his gaze, seemingly looking at the flowers but also at the toppled photo frame.

Qin Bao’s heart raced. He quickly set the frame upright. “I’m, I’m sorry.”

Feng Chengyu said nothing, tapping on the keyboard and appearing very busy.

Qin Bao dared not make a fuss, sitting awkwardly on the sofa in the reception area of Feng Chengyu’s office. He had rushed from home and forgotten his phone, so he could only look down at his hands resting on his lap to pass the time.

Feng Chengyu was doing this on purpose.

Qin Bao knew it well. He was aware that Feng Chengyu was angry, and since he was the one who initiated the divorce, he had to be very obedient and cautious.

After a long while, the sound of typing stopped, and Feng Chengyu closed his laptop, as if finally noticing Qin Bao’s presence, and said, “Have you finished writing the divorce agreement?”

Qin Bao looked up, meeting Feng Chengyu’s sharp gaze, and his heart tightened. “N-no, not yet.” In reality, he had written half of it, feeling guilty.

Feng Chengyu replied coldly, “Then what’s the matter?”

Qin Bao wasn’t sure how to start, his gaze shifting to the watch on Feng Chengyu’s wrist. “The watch you’re wearing, is it mine? Your old one was used up.”

Feng Chengyu: “Who said so?”

“My dad,” Qin Bao said. “He said your watch broke because you were set up last time, and they arranged an Omega in estrus for you…”

Feng Chengyu’s expression didn’t change much, but it was clear he didn’t want to discuss the topic. “Yes, I’m wearing your watch. Do you want it back?”

Qin Bao: “No, keep it. It looks good on you.”

No one looked better wearing that watch than Feng Chengyu.

Feng Chengyu replied with a simple “Hmm,” and said, “Then I’ll keep it. When the divorce happens, I’ll buy you something else to make up for it, or you can estimate its value.”

Qin Bao hurriedly said, “No need, I don’t want a divorce anymore.”

Unfortunately, he spoke too softly, and Feng Chengyu didn’t hear him clearly. “What did you say?”

Qin Bao hesitated, his face burning, and the rising temperature wouldn’t go down. Feng Chengyu stood up, walked over to him, and stood in front of him, leaning down with concern: “What did you say? I didn’t hear you clearly.”

Qin Bao looked down and repeated what he had prepared to say earlier: “I said, let’s not get divorced. Is that okay? I won’t bring it up again or say anything to upset you. How about that?”

“Let’s divorce,” Feng Chengyu said, “I’m afraid it might delay your chance of finding a partner.”

Qin Bao felt like he wanted to sink into the ground: “…It won’t delay anything.”

The scent of daffodils grew closer.

Feng Chengyu touched his face, making him look up and meet his eyes.

Feng Chengyu’s eyes seemed to hold unspoken emotions. Qin Bao felt that he wasn’t angry. Before he could discern if it was a hint of a smile, Feng Chengyu spoke.

“It’s better to get divorced. That way, you won’t be misunderstood if you’re seen with someone you like.”

How could this person hold a grudge?

Qin Bao panicked and hurriedly explained, “No, it’s because the person I like is—”

“I love you.”

Feng Chengyu interrupted him.

Those three words were too heavy, too sudden.

His pupils dilated, and Qin Bao felt like he was frozen in place. Feng Chengyu also dropped the hint of malicious teasing and became serious and earnest.

As if confirming something, the Alpha slowly crouched down, holding Qin Bao’s hands tightly, and looked up at him.

Feng Chengyu spoke slowly, firmly, “I love you. Did you hear that?”

He made it clear and solemn.

“I originally planned to say this on our fifth anniversary, to make it more formal, but plans were disrupted.”

He admitted, “I wanted to say it when I came to the set, but I missed you and was too upset to eat.”

He confessed, “I can’t understand. You obviously care about me, so why do you want a divorce? Is it because I don’t have anything more important to you?”

Qin Bao’s eyes turned red, and he couldn’t say a word, quickly shaking his head.

“I love you, Xiao Bao. Not because of the marriage, and not because of the agreement. You don’t owe me anything, and I don’t need you to make any sacrifices.”

“Although sometimes I’m afraid and hurt, as long as you’re willing to take one step towards me, I will steadfastly take the remaining ninety-nine steps towards you. ‘Baobao,’ do you understand?”