Chapter 33: Chapter 8- Cherish Only You, Support You Unreasonably

Chapter 8- Cherish Only You, Support You Unreasonably

Next morning when Qiu Chen came down to go to the practice arena, he saw Ruan Li sitting in front of the gate of the villa. He looked quite pitiful with his head down on his knees. By this time he should have been in the research center. Ruan Li was not a person who would break his routine for no reason. This made Qiu Chen worry. He walked up to Ruan Li.

“A-Li, what happened? Why are you sitting here?”

In response, Ruan Li just pointed outside. Qiu Chen looked at the direction Ruan Li pointed at. An Qing was holding an enlistment for his new team. He did not bother to go to the headquarter of the camp as his father’s personal headquarter was here. He just noticed people come here and test their ability. Not only did Ruan Li not know An Qing, but he was also afraid of crowds. So he just sat pitifully at the door. Seeing the situation just smiled and shook his head. He extended his hand to Ruan Li,

“A-Li, come with me, okay? I will be with you. Don’t be afraid, okay?” He himself did not know how soft his voice was.

An Qing’s primary ability was psychic. So he spotted the person and his thoughts very early on. Although he could guess the identity of this boy, he did not bother with it. What he did not expect was his generally spoiled and hard mouth cousin would be so soft and coaxing with this person. So when Qiu Chen came out holding Ruan Li’s hand, he called Qiu Chen to stop. Qiu Chen patted Ruan Li’s hand to appease him, and then went to An Qing holding his hand.

“Speak,” he told An Qing in an irritated voice.

“Why are you so hard on your cousin all the time? I heard you speaking quite nicely to that kid? Who is he anyway?” An Qing asked, but did not lose his temper.

“Why? Do I have to be courteous with you?” Qiu Chen asked back with his nose high.

The two cousins had a staring battle but An Qing had to give in.

“Fine, speak however you want,” he said helplessly, “Who is this young man? Introduce us.”

Qiu Chen snorted, “He is Ruan Li. He lives here now. I am taking him to the research center.” With that he turned around and left with Ruan Li.

Within two minutes Qiu Chen came back, this time alone. He stood in front of An Qing and threatened him, “Do not even think about bullying A-Li, he is still a kid in heart!”

An Qing also snapped at him, “Am I that kind of a person? Is everyone you? Scolding people left and right?”

Qiu Chen just hmphed and skipped to where he told Ruan Li to wait.

An Qing went to resume enlisting he saw people were trying hard to hide their smiles after witnessing the childish fight of the cousins. This made An Qing greatly ashamed, but he had nothing to do. He had always been like this with this mischievous cousin of his.

When Qiu Chen went to the Research center he also asked about the situation with the crystal nucleus to which he was answered that it will take one more week at the very least. Thanking the junior researcher, he went to the practice arena.

This one week various teams went on the mission of collecting crystal nucleus as much as possible. After a week passed by, the result of the research was here. According to the researchers, the crystal nucleus was formed in the zombies’ heads due to their survival instinct and from the urge to do better, in a word, the zombies are evolving and grew the nucleus. This nucleus was the source of their power. The advanced the zombie, the powerful the nucleus is. This crystal nucleus is also useful to humans with abilities. They can strengthen their core by absorbing it. But the absorbtion should be kept within limit. Otherwise the result may vary. This aspect was still under research.

The research center gave some of the ability users crystal nucleus for research purpose. Qiu Chen and Yan Changyi was among them. Although it was for research purpose, both their abilities solidified by leaps and bounds. Within a month Qiu Chen could control the fire and water even when they were separated from his body. But he was most thrilled to see yan Changyi’s progress, because the use of the ice ability did not make him sick after absorbing a few nucleuses.

During this testing period their team would go on a mission every once in a while but the people who had the schedule of absorbing the nucleus would skip.

On this particular day it was Qiu Chen’s turn to go the research center and absorb the nucleus. So he did not go on the mission. When he got out of the research center with Ruan Li with him, it was already afternoon. The team set out before dawn, so they should be back by now. But when Qiu Chen looked for them he came to know that they did not return. He decided to go to the gate of the base to wait for them. Ruan Li was the most comfortable when he was with Qiu Chen, so he also went with him.

After sitting at the gate for nearly an hour Qiu Chen saw the familiar jeep. After the jeep stopped outside the gate Qiu Chen stood up indending to rush there but he stopped on his track when he saw the person who just got down from the jeep. It was Wen Han, following him was Jiang Lin and five of his old acquaintances. The smile on his face froze. He never guessed he would meet Wen Han and Co so early, not to mention his man would be the one to bring them to him.

Wen Han also noticed him at the same time. His expression changed for a moment, but only for one moment. He instantly recovered his sweetest smile and came to him after registering his name to the base register.

“Xiao Quan! Are you okay? I was so worried for you. After that day we couldn’t find you anywhere!” He spoke as if he were super worried for Qiu Chen.

Qiu Chen did not buy it. He looked at Yan Changyi who brought them here and ask in a frosty tone, “Why did you bring them here?”

Before Yan Changyi could response Wen Han interrupted, “Don’t blame Brother Yan, we were under attack when a group of zombie attacked us. If it were not for them, we would be dead. And also…….. and also, after you drove us out, we had no place to stay. Brother Yan took mercy on us and let us come. Do not blame him.”

Then he turned to Yan Changyi, “Brother Yan, Xiao Quan is still a kid. Please pardon him.”

Yan Changyi did not say anything just looked at Qiu Chen thoughtfully.

Qiu Chen did not know what he felt right now. Only thing he could detect was he was furious, at the same time he was scared. He shouted at Wen Han, “It’s not up to you to decide who I should blame! You have no position to interfere!”

Wen Han looked like he was about to cry, “Xiao Quan I am sorry. I am sorry that Jiang Lin fell in love with me. But he did not love you. You cannot force feelings. If you are still angry about it I will let him be with you, okay?”

They were at the busiest place of the base. There was already a crowd watching them. Wen Han said it in a way it seemed like he was being unreasonable who forces other people’s feelings and drives them out when he cannot get it. Qiu Chen was so angry that he laughed.

“Oh? You are sorry? I will not forgive you! What can you do? Do you think after what you did I would ever forgive you?”

Jiang Lin and his team members who were silent till now started speaking up.

“Wen Quan, I don’t love you. No matter what you do, I will only love A-Han.”

“Whatever happened, happened. Didn’t you also drive us out?”

“A-Han is also your brother, he is apologizing. Do you have to be so cold hearted?”

Qiu Chen did not speak, as if he was at loss under such a tornado of words. But a timid voice spoke, “Shame shifting. It is when you blame the victim for not forgiving the abuser.” It was Ruan Li, who spoke looking at the ground.

Jiang Lin snapped at him, “Who are you? Didn’t your parents teach you not to speak when people are talking about their personal matters?”

Qiu Chen valued Ruan Li a lot. This scene reminded him of the scenario in the original timeline when Ruan Li also defended the original owner which earned him his death sentence. He shielded Ruan Li behind his back. Then he roared at Jiang Lin, “Who are you to talk to him that way? And what qualification do you have to say anything at all? You cheating b*tch! You were my fiancé! Mine! You cheated on me with that filthy thing!” He turned to Wen Han, “Force love? You stole my fiancé! I had you driven out of my property! Did I do anything wrong?”

Jiang Lin, “Huh? Drove us out? You powerless little thing. You are acting so high because of your uncle. If it was not the soldiers sent by him could you do anything at all?”

Wen Han also supported him, “It is not your mansion, Xiao Quan. Do not make trouble here. Your uncle always helps you, but this base under General Yan. If you cause trouble here, aren’t you dragging him down with you?”

Qiu Chen almost lost it, “You don’t have to worry about that. At least I am not like you who, after getting adopted by his uncle, claims to his illegitimate son. Nor did I try to cheat my uncle’s son of his property. Wen Han, you tarnished my father’s reputation, who died saving you! I will never forgive you.”

Wen Han’s face paled. He never thought things will develop this way. Previously whenever Wen Quan was agatiated, he would just be stubborn, not explain himself. Why did he do it now.

Suddenly a sturdy hand hugged Qiu Chen’s shoulder. Qiu Chen looked up, but was disappointed. It was An Qing.

An Qing hugged Qiu Chen’s shoulder with one hand and held Ruan Li’s wrist with other. Then he spoke to the crowd, “Xiao Chen can cause whatever trouble he wants to for me or my father. It is not for the outsiders to educate him.”

After that he led the two youths away from there.

Qiu Chen looked back to Yan Changyi for the last time. Yan Changyi was standing in his previous place looking down, his thoughts unknown. Qiu Chen wanted to laugh at himself. He felt cold despair.

Qiu Chen was absent minded all the way home. Even upon returning he did not utter a single word. He went upstairs and shut himself in a room. He did not come out, not even to eat. His aunt called him several times. But it was as if there was no one inside. None of the An family dared to break down the door. They decided wait for a day before doing so.

Qiu Chen was really not in the room. After returning he slumped on the bed feeling numb and exhausted. Then he fell asleep. Unbeknownst to him, he entered his space after falling asleep.

Qiu Chen woke up after around fourteen hours. He was already exhausted after absorbing the nucleus, then he had to face a lots of things. When Qiu Chen woke up he found himself sleeping on green grass. He checked around a bit, then understood where he was. This time nucleus absorption gave him direct ability to enter his space.

Qiu Chen came out of the space. He did not feel even a little bit of freshness that should come after the sleep. But he was no longer numb. So he could feel the despair even more vividly.

Qiu Chen laughed maniacally. This is what should happen. How could he expect anything from anyone! No one has ever loved him. He was always so replaceable. He forgot everything, but this feeling was buried in his bones. Whenever he loved anyone, he found out his place in the other person’s heart was so easily shakable. Just a little wind, and he would lose his home.

Tears rolled down his eyes as he laughed louder and louder. He dared to hope that, after two lifetimes, that man would most definitely love him. Otherwise how would they meet again and again. But just a little Wen Han, and he was no longer important.

Yesterday he thought Yan Changyi would protect him. But he did not. Only he knows how happy he felt when he felt someone hugging his shoulder. He hoped Yan Changyi would finally come, but it was An Qing. Yan Changyi never came.

On the other side of the door, three An family members were standing worried sick. They heard Qiu Chen’s laughter. After a few minutes Madame An could no longer hold on. She banged on the door, “Xiao Quan, Xiao Quan! Listen to aunty, open the door. Please? Open the door, Xiao Quan. Otherwise I will tell your cousin to break it. Please come out, okay?”

Qiu Chen came to his senses hearing his aunt’s plea. In this world, not related to him, someone still cared for him. Well, not for him, but for the person whose body he’s occupying. But it was okay, he would cherish it to his death, or, until he was again forgotten once again.

Qiu Chen wiped his eyes and came out. He saw three worried faces outside his window. He tried to smile, but he could not. Madame An was checking his body to see if something was wrong. Tears filled his eyes again. In the first world he thought it was Qin Shui’s emotions that made him cry every time. But now he understands, it was always himself who craved love. That was why he couldn’t hold back every time he got it from his family. Same was true now.

He wiped his eyes again, looked at An Qing, “Cousin, is there any vacancy in your team? Do you need a fire-water ability user?”

One day later when Yan Changyi went to the practice arena, he did not see Qiu Chen again. He did not come two days in a row. It never happened. He summoned Ji Anming.

“Where is Wen Quan?”

Ji Anming looked at him with strange eyes, “Boss, you don’t know? I thought you knew.”

Yan Changyi’s face dropped, “What don’t I know?”

“Wen Quan joined An Qing’s team. Do you think he is angry with us because we brought back those people?”

Yan Changyi grinded his teeth, “That’s his fiancé! You heard him say it.”

Yan Changyi turned and left the arena. He did not feel like doing anything. So he returned home. When he entered, he saw his grandfather sitting in the living room, reviewing some documents. Yan Changyi went up to him and sat down.

After a while the old man spoke, “Changyi, if you have upsetted him, go and apologize.”

“When did I upset him?”

“Xiao Wen is not someone impulsive. He came to me to apply to change teams. He was upset. He was so pale, I assumed he neither slept nor ate. I invited him for lunch. He could not eat a bite.” After a pause he continued, “I heard what happened. You were at the wrong, figure it out. If you can’t, go and ask him.”

Yan Changyi stormed out of the house when he heard Qiu Chen was sick. When he ran to An Qing’s practice arena he did not find Qiu Chen. He turned to look for other places when An Qing stopped him from behind.

“Yan Changyi,” An Qing said as he approached him, “He is at the big tree behind the base. If you truly care for him, cherish him. Don’t hurt him again, he is hurt enough. His temper is very fierce but his heart is soft, so soft that it bleeds even at a scratch. Treat my brother well.”

Yan Changyi nodded and started running towards the back of the base.

Qiu Chen knew about this tree from the original’s memory. This was the place he got to know Ruan Li first. By that time all of the An family were gone. Wen Quan spent his isolated night sitting beside Ruan Li, far away from the festive crowd. This place, with one large tree overhead, but basically hidden from the noise of the base, embodied loneliness.

When Yan Changyi arrived, he saw Qiu Chen sitting on a protruding root of the tree, looking up blankly, his hand holding a cigarette going up and down at a dangerous rate. There was already a pile of filters at his feet. His face was just as Grandpa Yan described, pale and sick. His beautiful eyes had blue shadows under them. The loneliness in his eyes made Yan Changyi feel like someone brought out his heart from his chest and was cutting it with a blunt knife. This was the second time he felt it. First time was when he heard that the boy had a fiancé.

Yan Changyi took a deep breath and walked in front of Qiu Chen.

Qiu Chen felt someone was in front of him. When he focused, he saw it was Yan Changyi. Neither of them said anything, just looked at each other; the eyes of both people were full of pain.

Yan Changyi broke the silence first, “Why did you change the team?”

Qiu Chen answered in a dull and cold voice, “My cousin is back, it’s not unreasonable for me to join his team.”

“Then I will ask again, why did you leave my team?”

Qiu Chen looked down and said, “Because I wanted to.”

Yan Changyi restlessly sat down beside Qiu Chen, and asked again, “Did I make any mistake? Did I upset you? Why did you leave?”

Qiu Chen suddenly laughed as he extinguished the fire, his eyes full of pain and mockery, “What can our dear Brother Yan go wrong? Who am I to be upset?”

“Why are you calling me….” Yan Changyi thought of what Ji Anming said. “Is it because I brought them?” He asked again.

Qiu Chen shook his head, “It’s your duty to help people in need. And, please leave. I don’t feel like talking now.”

Qiu Chen tried to get up from the root, but Yan Changyi grabbed his wrist, preventing him from moving.

“Can you please tell me what I did wrong? This upset look doesn’t suit you at all. If I made a mistake, punish me, don’t punish yourself like this.” Yan Changyi’s voice sounded more pleading than coaxing.

This somehow broke a strand in Qiu Chen’s water tight attitude. He shouted, “If you can’t even say what you did wrong, is there even any point if I say it?”

He felt his tears rolling down his face, but did not bother wiping it. He did not want Yan Changyi to see his tears either. So, he just kept his head down.

Qiu Chen freed his wrist from Yan Changyi’s grip and said, “When everyone was against me, I hoped you would be by my side. But you weren’t. No matter what they said, how they cursed me, you were far away. Just anyone can speak to me for you. Yan Changyi, leave me alone.”

Yan Changyi knelt down on both knees in front of the crying boy. He bent his head down trying to look at Qiu Chen in the eyes, “Xiao Chen, do you know how I felt when I heard that you had a fiancé? On top of that, it sounded like you loved him very much.”

Qiu Chen looked up when he heard it. Yan Changyi caressed his hair with one hand while his hand with the other and continued,

“Who am I? Just a man you got to know a few days ago. And, I’ve seen you missing someone from time to time. You miss that person to death. If that person was in front of you, who am I to interfere?”

Qiu Chen looked at Yan Changyi in trance. So, his man never gave up on him? It was just a misunderstanding?

All the pain and love that he bottled up inside him suddenly overflowed. He hooked Yan Changyi’s neck with his free hand to bring the man closer. Qiu Chen planted a tear stained kiss on the other’s lips.

After a few seconds Qiu Chen parted their lips a few centimeters, pressed their foreheads together and said, “You will always have the utmost right to interfere in my matter.”

When Qiu Chen kissed him, something exploded in Yan Changyi’s head. He was dumbstruck until he heard Qiu Chen’s voice and finally processed what happened.

As soon as Qiu Chen finished speaking Yan Changyi kissed his lips. It was not like the peck that Qiu Chen gave him. Yan Changyi sucked on Qiu Chen’s lips, licked his lips with his warm moist tongue. Qiu Chen parted his lips cooperatively. Tongues entangled, the people dived down into their feelings. The kiss which started with the feeling of despair, ended with dedicated love.

Yan Changyi never liked the scent of smoke. But every time it came from his beloved, it felt so alluring fragrant to him that the best perfume of the entire world stood no chance. Like just now, the nicotine flavored kiss was the best thing he had ever tasted in his life.

Qiu Chen hugged Yan Chengyi tightly. He rested his head in the crook of the other’s neck and inhaled his scent heavily. It happened again, the river of warmth tickling his soul flowed inside his chest again. It happens when they kiss for the first time in every world. Qiu Chen laughed relieved.

Yan Changyi also hugged him tight. He whispered in a low hoarse voice, “Little devil.”

Qiu Chen pinched him in reply to which he heard a soft sexy laugh. He moved his head from Yan Changyi’s neck, still hugging him.

Yan Chanyi looked at his little devil who was looking at him in a coquettish spoiled manner. The hazy light of the setting sun fell into eyes making them glaze like the sun itself. He couldn’t help kissing his eyes again again.

Qiu Chen enjoyed his lover’s intimacy. He looked at the sharp and handsome face close to his eyes. He told him caressing his cheek with the back of his hand, “You are allowed to cherish only me.”

Yan Changyi replied indulgently, “Cherish only you.”

“Support me even if I am unreasonable!”

“Support you unreasonably.”

“All my enemies are your enemies.”

“All your enemies are my enemies.”

“I am your most important person.”

“You are my most important person.”

After making the man vow, Qiu Chen was satisfied. He planted a loud kiss on the man’s cheek, “I love you too.”

Yan Changyi held the boy in his arms like he was guarding his treasure. Qiu Chen nestled in his lover’s arms peacefully.