Chapter 19 Do you want to be stuck with him?

"……"



"…………"



"………………"



Jing Zhengxuan pulled the phone away to check if the call was still connected, then pressed it back to his ear.




After what felt like an eternity, Xi Qing finally found her voice again—fragile, stammering. 

 

"You… um… that is… I…"



Even through the receiver, Jing Zhengxuan could hear her trembling.



Though same-sex relationships were legal now, they remained a minority. 

 

 

Mainstream society still favored heterosexuality, with some extremists vehemently opposing anything else.


The Jing family was an ancient lineage, centuries old. 

 

 

Over the years, a few members had been homosexual—without exception, their endings were tragic.



Take Jing Zhengxuan’s distant uncle, for example.



Once a prodigy, he’d publicly come out only to lose his inheritance, get swindled by his lover, and spiral into depression. 

 

 

He was still in treatment today.


Xi Qing’s fears weren’t unfounded. That uncle at least had siblings to rely on. 

 

 

Jing Zhengxuan was an only child—if something happened, he’d have no one.


Moreover, "marital freedom" for heirs like him was a myth. 

 

 

Elders paid lip service to personal choice but ultimately prioritized lineage and social standing.


Xi Qing had lived through it herself. She’d been lucky to meet Jing Heng.


She knew what Jing Zhengxuan’s grandfather expected. 

 

 

That’s why she’d arranged these matchmaking meetings so early—at nineteen, 

 

 

when she hadn’t even started until her twenties.


To her, Jing Zhengxuan’s confession was a thunderclap. 

 

 

To the rest of the family, it’d be a nuclear detonation.


Personally, Xi Qing wasn’t opposed. She took a steadying breath. 

 

 

"Zhengxuan, even if you don’t want to go, don’t use this as an excuse. It’s irresponsible."



"Not an excuse," he said flatly. "It’s the truth."




"..." Seeing his resolve, she switched tactics. 

 

 

"When did you realize?"



"High school."


"How?"



"Mom." 

 

His patience snapped. 

 

 

"Interrogating me won’t change facts. I like men. I’m not going on any dates."


He hung up.


Two WeChat notifications popped up on the phone in his hand.


Jing Zhengxuan and Huai Xu used the same model. 

 

 

Distracted, he opened the messages without checking whose phone it was.



[Shu Jinwei]: Senior, that famous musical troupe is touring Jincheng next week. A friend gave me two tickets—want to go together?


Jing Zhengxuan’s thumb hovered over the reply box—then froze.


Since when did I have Shu Jinwei’s contact?


Realization struck. This was Huai Xu’s phone.


He meant to set it down, but the second unread message taunted him.


He knew it was an invasion of privacy. 

 

 

Knew it was wrong.


But curiosity and possessiveness overrode all reason.


He read on.


[Xie Kaiyan]: Free tomorrow? There’s a medical forum worth attending. Interested?


Jing Zhengxuan: "……"



Now it was his turn to lapse into silence.



His temples throbbed as he stared at the screen. 

 

 

It took every ounce of self-control not to scroll through Huai Xu’s chat history with these two.


Two messages already feel like a knife twist.

 

What would a full thread do to me?

He didn’t want to know.



Marking both as unread, he stayed in the study until his expression smoothed into neutrality before returning to the living room.


---




Sunday Afternoon




Huai Xu prepared to leave for the medical forum.


Events like these were typically industry-exclusive, with strict entry criteria. 

 

 

As a second-year med student, Huai Xu’s attendance was entirely Xie Kaiyan’s doing.


Feeling guilty for freeloading, Huai Xu told Jing Zhengxuan before leaving: 

 

 

"I should treat Xie-senior to dinner tonight. Can’t keep mooching off his connections."


Jing Zhengxuan took a sip of water, then suddenly hissed in pain.


Huai Xu rushed over. "Did your wound act up?"


Jing Zhengxuan pressed his lips together, shaking his head as he clutched his knee. 

 

 

"Just pulled it. Nothing serious."


Huai Xu: "……"


He peeled back the bandage. 

 

 

The scrape had scabbed over—likely stiff from the dressing.


"No more bandages," 

 

Huai Xu declared, tossing the gauze. 

 

 

"Let it air out. And watch it when you move."


Jing Zhengxuan nodded. "Got it."


"Then I’m off?" 

 

 

Huai Xu checked his phone—Xie Kaiyan was already waiting at the gate.



Jing Zhengxuan lowered his head. 

 

 

When his lashes lifted again, all shadows in his gaze had vanished, replaced by calm detachment.


A thousand warnings bubbled up—Don’t go. Don’t leave me.—but what came out was: 

 

 

"Go. Stick to our usual spots. Your stomach can’t handle anything else."


Huai Xu grinned, ruffling his hair. "Yes, Mom."


Jing Zhengxuan caught his wrist, thumb brushing the sandalwood bracelet. "I’ll walk you out."


"With that knee? You’ll tear the new skin."


"Need to stretch."



Huai Xu sighed—once Jing Zhengxuan dug his heels in, not even a team of oxen could budge him. 

 

 

"Fine. Lean on me."


They left the apartment, but Jing Zhengxuan didn’t take his support, walking normally instead.


Huai Xu assumed he was being considerate. 

 

 

After several failed attempts to coax him, he gave up—Jing Zhengxuan showed no sign of discomfort.



At the gate, Xie Kaiyan’s car came into view.



Jing Zhengxuan let out a soft groan, sagging against Huai Xu with calculated precision—close enough to seem intimate, but not enough to strain him.


Huai Xu tightened his grip. "Knee again?"


"Mm."


"Let’s get you back—"


Xie Kaiyan approached. "Your friend okay?"


"Overestimated his recovery," Huai Xu laughed.


Jing Zhengxuan’s arm slid possessively around his shoulders.


Xie Kaiyan eyed the injury. "Need help?"


Before he could answer, Huai Xu said, "I’ll take him home first."


"Makes sense." Xie Kaiyan withdrew his hand.



But Jing Zhengxuan straightened abruptly. "No need. I’ll manage."


Huai Xu frowned. "You’ve ‘pulled it’ three times in ten minutes. You’re not going alone."



A flicker of something passed through Jing Zhengxuan’s cold amber eyes as they met Xie Kaiyan’s—gone so fast it might’ve been a trick of the light.


Until Xie Kaiyan saw the smirk curling his lips.


No illusion after all.


Adjusting his glasses, Xie Kaiyan smiled. "Why not swing by the hospital? Persistent pain might indicate complications."


Huai Xu checked Jing Zhengxuan’s watch (allergic to metals, he could only wear pure gold or silver). 1:23 PM—the forum started at 2:00.



"Senior, you go ahead," 

 

 

Huai Xu decided. "I’ll take him to the ER and catch up."




Jing Zhengxuan cut in: "Skip the hospital. You’ve been looking forward to this."




The thought of wasting Huai Xu’s chance gnawed at him—as did his own hospital-related PTSD.




Huai Xu wavered. "Sure you’re okay?"




"Positive."




"Call me if anything happens."




Jing Zhengxuan opened the car’s rear door—safest spot—with a pointed glance at Xie Kaiyan.




Huai Xu flushed at the implied chauffeur treatment.




Xie Kaiyan merely chuckled. "He’s not wrong."




As the car drove off, Jing Zhengxuan stared after it until the taillights vanished.




Then he turned on his heel, summoned his driver, and gave the forum’s address.




---




In the Car




Xie Kaiyan eyed the rearview mirror. "Your friend’s awfully… attached to you."




Huai Xu stifled a yawn (cars always made him drowsy). "That’s just how he is. Why?"




"Nothing." Xie Kaiyan’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. "He seems to cling to you."




Another suppressed yawn. "My fault, really. I’ve made him insecure."




"And you’re okay with that?"




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