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Join the ServerLiang Fei had grown quite tall. Standing up, he could look Ji Xiao straight in the eye. He gritted his teeth. “I must have heard that wrong, right?”
“You heard right. That house has been maintained all these years. You can move in with just your suitcase,” Ji Xiao said coldly. “I’ve already packed all your things.”
Liang Fei had been partying in the living room with his friends all evening and hadn’t gone back to his room. At the words, he glanced into the second bedroom—it was empty. All his usual stuff was gone.
He stormed back to the living room. “It’s my birthday today! And you guys are kicking me out?!”
Chen Shuhui said awkwardly, “Xiao Fei, it’s not like that. Your father Che said you’re an adult now, you need to be independent, so…”
Liang Fei shook his head in disappointment. “Father Che, Father Che—that’s all you know. He’s got you wrapped around his finger. He must have tricked you!”
Over the years, whenever Liang Fei made a small mistake, Ji Xiao wouldn’t punish him at all. Instead, he’d hoist Chen Shuhui up and carry him back to the room, locking the door.
Liang Fei would wait nervously outside. When the door opened again, Chen Shuhui’s eyes were red, clearly he’d been crying. He staggered and told Liang Fei to go to bed, obviously having been beaten badly.
But no matter how many times Liang Fei urged Chen Shuhui to stay away from that tyrant Ji Xiao, Chen Shuhui refused to leave. He always said the same thing.
[I love him. I’m not leaving.]
Damn it!
Chen Shuhui frowned. “Xiao Fei, how can you say that? Over the years, hasn’t he treated you well? Don’t you have any idea?”
“He just bullies me—”
“Bullshit!” Liang Fei was furious. “Don’t think I don’t know. He’s always bullying you! If I make a small mistake, he beats you until you cry. I see he has violent tendencies!”
“No,” Chen Shuhui’s face flushed. “He didn’t actually hit me…”
“He beat you so hard you couldn’t even walk straight!”
“…”
Ji Xiao suppressed a smile, shoved the keys into Liang Fei’s hand, pulled him outside, slammed the door shut, and locked it.
Liang Fei stared at the closed door, clutching the keys in his palm. He pounded on the door frantically. “My phone! I didn’t get my phone!”
Ji Xiao opened the door and tossed him the phone. “Get lost!”
“Qin Che, you—”
“Bang—”
Chen Shuhui said helplessly, “Why did you do that? He misunderstood you.”
“It’s fine. He’ll understand once he’s in a relationship.”
“Oh, you—go take a shower. These kids are crazy. The living room is a mess. I’ll clean up.”
“I’ll help.”
“Okay.”
…
Liang Fei knew that once that tyrant made up his mind, even if he cried and begged, he couldn’t go back.
Fuming, he started making phone calls while heading to the house that now belonged to him.
When the call connected, he blurted out everything before the other person could speak, throwing in a few curses at Ji Xiao at the end.
The person on the other end was Ao Zhun, who had been his classmate since middle school.
Ao Zhun also lived in a nearby neighborhood. Through three years of middle school and three years of high school, they had become best friends who told each other everything.
“Send me your address. I’ll bring some beer and have a couple of drinks with you.”
“Come quick!”
Liang Fei’s anger had nowhere to go. On his way past Ji Xiao’s supermarket, he walked in and grabbed a case of beer. “Put it on my dad’s tab.”
The cashier was new. He quickly said, “Boss…”
“It’s my birthday today. My dad told me to take it!”
“…”
Liang Fei carried the case of beer home.
Soon, Ao Zhun arrived at his door with another case.
As soon as Liang Fei saw him, he couldn’t help complaining. “Look how clean this house is. All my stuff is neatly placed inside. Not a single daily necessity is missing. The fridge is even stocked with fruit and drinks! Qin Che definitely planned this long ago!”
Ao Zhun opened a can of beer, took a calm sip. “So what are you mad about?”
“It’s my birthday today! My birthday!”
Liang Fei tilted his head back and chugged, his voice bitter. “After you guys left, they kicked me out. On my birthday! Couldn’t it have been tomorrow? Waa.”
Ao Zhun silently drank too. “You really don’t know how lucky you are.”
Liang Fei: “?”
“Everyone wants to move out of their house and live freely. You, on the other hand, just turned eighteen and already have a house. You can live alone and do whatever you want. And you’re still not satisfied?” Ao Zhun clicked his tongue. “This place—is it far from Uncle Chen’s place? Just a few minutes’ walk. If you miss them, you can always go back.”
Liang Fei’s hand holding the beer paused. Stubbornly, he said, “But Qin Che beats my dad. He dared to do it when I was there. Now that I’m gone, I don’t know how much my dad will be bullied.”
Ao Zhun was speechless. “Uncle Chen isn’t stupid. If Uncle Qin really treated him badly, would he still stay?”
“Yes, he would. He beat my dad until he cried!”
“…”
Ao Zhun used to think that too. But recently… he’d seen some things only adults should see, and suddenly he felt something was off.
Liang Fei kept drinking and continued to find faults with Ji Xiao. “In all these years, he never gave me a single cent. When I wanted to buy a birthday gift for a classmate, he took me to pick it out and bought it directly. He just wouldn’t give me money! I told him I’d pay him back with the leftover money from buying the gift!”
Ao Zhun said, “But he bought you whatever you wanted… Your food, clothes, everything—always the best.”
“But he didn’t give me money!” Liang Fei looked at him with red eyes and let out a burp. “My dad secretly gave me some money, but when he found out, he used that as an excuse and beat my dad again!”
At this point, he almost started crying.
Ten years. For a full ten years, he could count on one hand the times he’d actually touched money.
And every time, it was either Chen Shuhui secretly slipping it to him or his own scholarship money.
“When girls confessed to me, I turned them down, saying I needed to study hard,” Liang Fei sobbed. “Was that really about studying? I could get full marks with my eyes closed. It was clearly because I had no money!”
If he started dating and went out on a date, he’d have no money on him. Would he have to make his date pay?
That would be so embarrassing.
Ao Zhun recalled all the times they’d shared everything over the years. He sighed and opened another bottle. “I’d trade places with you…”
Other than having no money, Liang Fei had it all.
Chen Shuhui and Ji Xiao always prioritized his wishes. They never forced him to do anything or strictly controlled him.
Unlike him—his parents always forced him to do things he didn’t like, all in the name of “for his own good.”
And speaking of having no money… now Liang Fei even had a two-bedroom apartment.
Liang Fei kept complaining.
Ao Zhun drank in silence.
Until both cases of beer were empty, Liang Fei let out a drunken burp. “I… I need to use the bathroom. Do you need to go?”
Ao Zhun looked at him, his gaze blurry for a moment before focusing. He staggered to his feet. “Yeah.”
They ended up taking a shower together in the bathroom, the hot water making their heads even more muddled.
“Ao Zhun, I think I’m a little drunk…”
“Me too…”
They supported each other back to the bedroom and collapsed onto the bed.
Ao Zhun said absently, “I don’t think Uncle Qin ever hit Uncle Chen…”
“Bullshit! He did!”
Ao Zhun fumbled around. “Where’s my phone?”
Liang Fei hugged his dizzy head, mumbling, “Did it fall in the toilet?”
Ao Zhun gave up searching. He forced himself to roll over beside Liang Fei, cupped his face, and asked dazedly, “Last time, Xiao Fang and the others said they’d watch a movie at his place. Did you not go?”
“What’s there to see? Don’t you know what they wanted to watch? What’s so great about that stuff?”
“You haven’t seen it?”
“No. Have you?”
“I secretly watched it at home later. I think Uncle Qin and Uncle Chen might… not actually have been fighting.”
“Bullshit!”
“Really! Try it and see!”
“Try what? You’re supposed to be on my side. How can you speak for him!”
…
Chen Shuhui looked out at the night, a little worried. “Do you think Xiao Fei is really angry? It’s his birthday today. We shouldn’t have been so hasty.”
“It’s fine. He’s not a kid anymore. Look how smart he is—what are you worried about? Right now, he’s probably cursing me under the covers,” Ji Xiao said dismissively.
Chen Shuhui said, “I’m afraid he won’t be used to being alone…”
“What’s there not to get used to? The two houses are so close. If he wants to come back, he can anytime.”
“…” That was true.
Ji Xiao patted the spot beside him. “Don’t stand there in the draft. Close the window and come to bed.”
“Mm.”
Ji Xiao pulled Chen Shuhui into his arms, unable to hold back a laugh. “I can’t believe he’s eighteen and still thinks I was really hitting you back then. I guess I need to teach him some basic biology another day.”
Chen Shuhui said, “It’s because the impression you gave him is too deep-rooted.”
“It’s okay. Once I teach him, he’ll understand.”
“Probably not a good idea…”
“What’s wrong with that? If I don’t teach him and he accidentally makes a mistake, what then?”
“Fine, fine.”
They didn’t know that their son was crying right then. He would learn the truth when he woke up tomorrow.
The next day.
Liang Fei woke up with a pounding headache. The memories of his drunkenness slowly came back.
He hadn’t blacked out, just been a little drunk…
Ao Zhun had woken up even earlier. He stood stiffly by the bed, looking at him guiltily. “Fei… Fei, does your head hurt? Are you feeling bad? Should we go to the hospital?”
Liang Fei: “…”
He stood up. He was wearing pajamas, which Ao Zhun must have put on him.
His steps were unsteady. He pointed at Ao Zhun, about to start cursing, when a mirror was suddenly held up in front of him.
Ao Zhun held the mirror, cautiously saying, “Look. Doesn’t this look just like Uncle Chen after Uncle Qin ‘beat’ him until he cried?”
Liang Fei looked at his own red-eyed reflection in the mirror, then thought about his wobbly legs now. Furious, he shouted, “Ao Zhun!”
“Thump—”
Ao Zhun knelt neatly, calmly saying, “Don’t be mad. Please don’t be mad. I’ll take responsibility. Really.”
“Go to hell—”
…
A few days later, Chen Shuhui and Ji Xiao went to check on Liang Fei. They found he had adapted well, completely different from his earlier furious state. He was even planning his college life with them.
Ji Xiao said, “Aren’t you afraid I’ll hit your dad?”
Liang Fei: “…”
Chen Shuhui explained, “Actually, your father Che has never hit me even once.”
Liang Fei gritted his teeth. “I know.”
Ji Xiao squeezed Chen Shuhui’s hand. “Xiao Hui, I noticed the living room is a bit messy. Go tidy it up. I’ll give Xiao Fei a lesson.”
Chen Shuhui nodded, walked out of the room, saw the clean and tidy living room, sat on the sofa, and pulled out his phone to play.
Inside the room.
Ji Xiao seriously gave Liang Fei a lesson. Seeing his face turn more and more uncomfortable, Ji Xiao chuckled. “Embarrassed? I’m telling you this because I want you to have safety awareness. Don’t go to college clueless and end up hurting some girl.”
Liang Fei’s face was taut. He turned away. “Don’t worry!”
“Oh?”
Ji Xiao leaned in, pulled open his shirt collar, and his eyes narrowed. “You’re in a relationship?”
Ji Xiao said, “This girl is quite wild. Did you take safety measures? Who is she?”
Liang Fei: “None of your business!”
Black Cat: “Ao Zhun.”
“Ao Zhun?” Ji Xiao frowned. “Childhood sweethearts? I didn’t see that coming…”
Liang Fei jumped up. “How do you know!”
Ji Xiao patted his shoulder reassuringly. “Don’t panic. I’m a very open-minded father. Now answer me seriously: you and him… you weren’t influenced by me and your dad, were you?”
“You’re so annoying. I’ll handle my own love life. Don’t tell Dad.”
“Mind your boundaries.”
“I know!”
On the way home, Chen Shuhui asked Ji Xiao, “How did it go?”
Ji Xiao said enigmatically, “He got it.” Very likely through firsthand experience.
“That’s good.”
…
Liang Fei and Ao Zhun went to the same college. They went through a lot together—from an accident to genuine feelings—and truly got together.
When Ji Xiao and Chen Shuhui were about to leave, they left all their property except money to Liang Fei.
All their savings, apart from buying Liang Fei a car and a house, were donated.
Liang Fei cried in Ao Zhun’s arms. “He just won’t give me money. He just won’t give me money!”
Ao Zhun said rationally, “The money they donated wasn’t much. The rest was used to buy properties in your name.”
“Anyway, he just won’t give me money! Waa.”
Knowing he was just finding an excuse to cry, Ao Zhun said softly, “It’s okay. My money is all yours.”
Liang Fei hugged him tightly. “It’s okay even if he doesn’t give me money. I just don’t want them to leave.”
Ao Zhun patted his head.
…
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Read : The Lich’s Journey in Another World After Reincarnation
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