IMPGS Chapter 70

Xiao Cheng’s words sounded ambiguous. They were not really a promise but more like a dismissive remark made out of impatience.

However, Luo Jingshu seemed to have received a pardon, as a smile appeared on his face. His hands trembled as he grabbed Xiao Cheng’s hand, radiating an unusual excitement, like a little dog being rewarded with a bone after acting cute. If Luo Jingshu had a tail, it might have been wagging furiously at this moment.

Xiao Cheng’s face, which had held a hint of helplessness, was finally infected by Luo Jingshu’s excitement. He pushed the man’s arm away. “Not crying anymore?”

Luo Jingshu showed no signs of embarrassment for shedding tears in front of Xiao Cheng. His gaze settled on Xiao Cheng as he locked the photo and ticket back into the safe. His expression finally softened a little.

“Should we keep searching?” Xiao Cheng scanned the room with his eyes. “Maybe we’re overthinking it.”

Up to this point, they only had the things they had found earlier.

But it wasn’t entirely without progress.

This time, Xiao Cheng meticulously searched the room. He began to feel familiar, and some of the objects made him vaguely recall when they were bought.

Perhaps his memories were not lost after all.

Luo Jingshu furrowed his brow. “Maybe we should consult a professional.”

The tricky part was that no one could know about their rebirth.

Xiao Cheng didn’t respond to Luo Jingshu’s suggestion. He trusted that Luo Jingshu knew what he was doing, as long as he didn’t hide anything from him.

“Then let’s go,” Xiao Cheng stood up. He had been crouching for too long, and as he stood abruptly, everything went black, and he felt dizzy.

Luo Jingshu grabbed his arm to steady him. “Are you okay?”

Xiao Cheng pressed a hand to his forehead, waiting a few seconds before responding, “I’m fine.”

But once he recovered, a sense of discomfort lingered inside him.

“Brother Cheng, do you have plans for lunch?” Luo Jingshu let go of his arm and focused on Xiao Cheng’s face. “We haven’t had a meal together in a while.”

He truly brightened up with just a little attention.

Xiao Cheng glanced at him, suppressing a nauseous feeling, “Are we that close?”

He had already shown some patience by not giving Luo Jingshu a cold look, but now Luo Jingshu wanted to eat with him? Xiao Cheng couldn’t imagine himself eating in front of that face.

“If you say we’re not close, then we’re not.” Luo Jingshu nodded at his words, then added, “That’s why we need to get closer.”

Xiao Cheng waved his hand and dusted off his pants. “No, I have other things to do.”

“What are you going to do?” Luo Jingshu asked.

He could tell Xiao Cheng was brushing him off, but from his tone, there was no impatience, so he carefully probed again.

Xiao Cheng furrowed his brow. “Why do you ask so many questions?”

That was his way of saying he didn’t want to deal with him anymore.

Luo Jingshu clicked his tongue, took a deep breath, then slowly smiled again. “Okay, I won’t ask.”

“Do you need me to take you?” he asked, trailing behind Xiao Cheng as they walked out, not in a hurry.

“No, my driver is waiting for me.” Xiao Cheng’s gaze swept across the living room, then landed back on Luo Jingshu.

“My necklace?”

Earlier, he had asked Luo Jingshu to hand it over downstairs, but Luo Jingshu had refused. After entering, Xiao Cheng forgot where he had put the necklace.

“It seems to be in the entryway.” Luo Jingshu, rarely showing any embarrassment, answered.

They walked out, and not only was the necklace in the entryway, but also the half-drunk milk tea Xiao Cheng had left.

“The milk tea’s cold. Throw it away.” Xiao Cheng picked up the milk tea cup with one hand and grabbed the necklace bag with the other, preparing to head downstairs.

“Brother Cheng, let me hold this for you.” Luo Jingshu took the half-cup of milk tea from Xiao Cheng’s hand and held it tightly, like it was some kind of treasure.

The surrounding temperature wasn’t high, so the milk tea didn’t feel fully cold, but it was clearly not as warm as before.

Luo Jingshu shook the liquid in the cup and stared at it, feeling the urge to take a sip.

Xiao Cheng, with his head lowered as he examined the necklace in the bag, was oblivious to Luo Jingshu’s thoughts.

Taking advantage of Xiao Cheng’s distraction, Luo Jingshu decisively inserted the straw into his mouth and took a gentle sip.

The sweet, rich flavor spread in his mouth. It was just ordinary milk tea, but thinking about it being Xiao Cheng’s made it taste extraordinary.

Luo Jingshu licked the milk tea stain from the corner of his lips, the sound of him swallowing ringing out in the quiet space.

Xiao Cheng turned his head, his gaze drifting from his lips to the milk tea. His expression turned incredulous, his lips moved as if to speak, but no words came out.

“Brother Cheng?” Luo Jingshu smiled like a cat that had just stolen a fish, knowing his embarrassing behavior had been discovered but not feeling awkward at all.

“If it really doesn’t work, how about I buy you another cup?”

Xiao Cheng regretted giving him the milk tea so easily. Had he known that Luo Jingshu was this shameless, he would have rather kept it himself than give it to him.

“No, I want this one,” Luo Jingshu, after being caught, acted even more openly, finishing the remaining milk tea in the cup in a few sips.

Xiao Cheng fought the urge to scold him, turning his head away to avoid looking at the mischievous smile on Luo Jingshu’s face.

“Do you really like eating other people’s leftovers that much?”

Although he hadn’t dirtied the milk tea, and the rest was still drinkable, it had been his. If they were still in a relationship, it wouldn’t be such a big deal, but the problem was, they had already broken up.

“It’s not someone else’s.”

Luo Jingshu was willing to let go of all his habits for Xiao Cheng, even his fear of pain and his obsession with cleanliness, which didn’t matter in front of Xiao Cheng.

In fact, because it was Xiao Cheng who gave him all of this, Luo Jingshu felt stimulated by it. Every time Xiao Cheng hit him, the pain only made him feel an intoxicating rush of heat.

Luo Jingshu didn’t think of himself as an M, but that was only true as long as he wasn’t dealing with Xiao Cheng.

He would always be moved by Xiao Cheng, in any way.

By the time they reached downstairs, the milk tea cup in Luo Jingshu’s hand was empty, and Xiao Cheng confirmed that the necklace in the bag was indeed his.

They should have parted ways downstairs.

Xiao Cheng took a deep breath, about to say something, when he suddenly noticed a familiar car parked not far away.

He frowned and looked more carefully for a moment, confirming that the car belonged to his family.

“What’s wrong?”

Luo Jingshu turned his head to follow Xiao Cheng’s gaze and also saw the car parked by the roadside. He looked back at Xiao Cheng’s expression. “Do you know them?”

Xiao Cheng walked a few steps closer. “That’s my family’s car.”

He didn’t need to guess. The only ones who could have followed him were the twins.

“Is it the twins?” Luo Jingshu asked.

“Probably,” Xiao Cheng replied, walking briskly ahead, the bag in hand. Luo Jingshu lagged behind for two steps, then hurriedly caught up, staying right behind him.

When Xiao Cheng reached the car door, he knocked on the window. After about five or six seconds, the window rolled down, and the people inside were indeed Xiao Yixi and Xiao Yinan.

“When did you two come?”

Xiao Cheng wasn’t sure what to say, but it felt like everything was expected. If the twins had easily given up, they wouldn’t have troubled him.

“Right after you left,” Xiao Yixi replied. He had been waiting downstairs for over forty minutes, and his patience was nearly gone. If Xiao Yinan hadn’t held him back, he probably would have called Xiao Cheng by now.

Xiao Yinan was much calmer. From the moment Xiao Cheng appeared in his sight again, he had examined him from head to toe, his gaze lingering on the red ring around his wrist, his expression cold.

Xiao Cheng’s hickeys on his neck were hidden under his clothes, so the twins hadn’t noticed, or else they might have thought something else.

“How long have you been waiting here?”

If they had followed him right after he left, did that mean they’d been watching since he met with Luo Jingshu downstairs?

Xiao Cheng had probably already guessed it, and he was surprisingly calm, even a little surprised.

Xiao Yinan was fine, but Xiao Yixi was impulsive and easily angered, never considering the consequences of his actions. He also had a strong possessive streak. If he had really seen the interaction between Xiao Cheng and Luo Jingshu, it was surprising that he hadn’t rushed up immediately.

“We waited as long as you were gone,” Xiao Yixi said, his face sullen, speaking in a sarcastic tone.

He had intended to take Xiao Cheng’s arm, but before his fingers even touched Xiao Cheng’s sleeve, Luo Jingshu pulled Xiao Cheng back.

Xiao Cheng didn’t notice in time, and his back ended up resting against Luo Jingshu’s chest. Luo Jingshu’s arm slid around his back, pulling him half into an embrace.

Xiao Cheng braced himself with his elbow against Luo Jingshu’s body to steady himself.

Although Luo Jingshu loosened his hold, he still maintained a dominant posture, keeping Xiao Cheng close. His eyes were cold and dark, full of hostility, as he looked at the twins.

“I’m holding onto Brother Cheng, not you,” Xiao Yixi said, clearly displeased with Luo Jingshu’s’ ‘main wife’’ attitude.

If Luo Jingshu were really Xiao Cheng’s boyfriend, it would be one thing, but he was clearly just an ex.

“I don’t want you touching Brother Cheng.”

Luo Jingshu’s expression was icy. If it weren’t for the fact that they were Xiao Cheng’s cousins, and he didn’t want to make things difficult for Xiao Cheng, Luo Jingshu would have already used force to make them leave.

“Who do you think you are, representing Brother Cheng?” Xiao Yixi, shorter than Luo Jingshu, had to look up at him and felt his own stature diminish under the pressure.

“Just because I’m his…” dog.

Before he could finish the word, Xiao Cheng elbowed Luo Jingshu in the abdomen sharply, his eyes fierce and filled with warning.

Luo Jingshu silently swallowed the word he hadn’t said.

Xiao Yixi watched the two of them “flirting” in front of him, wanting to shake Xiao Cheng and make him snap out of it.

Since you’re already broken up, can you just pretend he’s dead?

Why are you still tangled up like this?

“Brother Cheng, do you think the same way?” Xiao Yixi asked, feeling wronged.

His parents clearly spoiled him, and with his pretty, obedient face, almost no one dared to oppose him.

When Xiao Yixi was around Xiao Cheng, it was when he faced the most coldness and impatience.

Xiao Yixi’s willfulness stemmed from the indulgence of those around him. He knew that his looks made others lower their guard, and he often used his appearance to win people’s favor.

But compared to his looks, the attention and tolerance he received were more due to his identity.

When it came to scheming, Xiao Yixi would never compare to Luo Jingshu.

Luo Jingshu was much better at using his appearance to gain sympathy and playing the pity card. Especially when it came to making Xiao Cheng soften, Luo Jingshu had never failed.

With Luo Jingshu, the big green tea, by his side, Xiao Yixi’s little green tea tricks were no match. Even someone as clueless as Xiao Cheng could see through his act of being wronged.

Xiao Yixi was so angry he couldn’t speak.

At the critical moment, it was Xiao Yinan who spoke up and asked:

“Brother Cheng, are you done with your business?”

“Almost,” Xiao Cheng clenched the bag in his hand and looked down at his watch. It wasn’t even 10 o’clock yet.

“Since the weather is nice today, how about you take us to see your high school? Would that be okay?” Xiao Yinan softened his voice. He was much quieter than Xiao Yixi and understood Xiao Cheng’s personality better.

Brother Cheng was the type who responded better to gentleness than force.

Nagging and acting cute wouldn’t work on him. The more you tried to force Xiao Cheng to do something, the more he would resist.

On the other hand, as long as you kept your tone humble enough, Xiao Cheng would feel embarrassed to refuse.

“Why would we go to my high school?” Xiao Cheng didn’t immediately reject him, as Xiao Yinan’s tone was still polite.

“I’ve never seen Brother Cheng’s school before,” Xiao Yinan pouted slightly, half complaining and half hopeful. “Every time I brought it up before, you never agreed.”

Xiao Cheng was stunned for a moment. “Why?”

After realizing the twins’ feelings for him, he knew that rejecting them was the normal response. But just two years ago, he had no idea what the twins thought of him.

Why did he still refuse them?

Xiao Yixi, who had been holding back, finally had a chance to speak and quickly interjected, “Because you said…”

“Don’t bring up school during the holidays.”

Xiao Cheng: …

That actually makes sense, he could definitely see himself saying that.

“When you were in high school, you didn’t want to go back and visit the school during breaks. Now that you’re in college, can’t you take us around?”

Seeing that Xiao Cheng seemed to be loosening up, Xiao Yinan quickly seized the moment and spoke with expectation.

Xiao Cheng couldn’t think of anything else to do. If he went home now, the twins would definitely bother him again. It might be better to just take a walk outside.

At least with other people around, the twins wouldn’t be so audacious.

“Alright then.”

Xiao Yixi immediately became happy, not bothering to hide his emotions. As soon as he got Xiao Cheng’s approval, he shot a smug look at Luo Jingshu.

Luo Jingshu’s eyes shifted, and he innocently looked at Xiao Cheng. “Brother Cheng, can I come with you?”

Xiao Cheng frowned. “Why would you follow us?”

Us.

Luo Jingshu ground his teeth, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable.

This discomfort wasn’t directed at Xiao Cheng, but at the pair of twins in front of him.

Why should they get to be included in the “us”?

“Since the school has been renovated after you graduated, some parts are different from last year. I could give you a tour,” Luo Jingshu winked, his peach blossom eyes still carrying a hint of a smile. His fingers, hanging naturally by his side, lightly brushed Xiao Cheng’s fingertips.

Xiao Cheng moved his hand away. He had originally wanted to refuse, but then he realized that Luo Jingshu had a point.

He wasn’t familiar with his old school, and if the twins asked questions he couldn’t answer, it would likely raise suspicions.

It was better to bring Luo Jingshu along.

“Alright then.”

Xiao Yixi immediately became anxious. “What’s he coming with us for?”

He wanted to have some alone time with Brother Cheng, not have an annoying ex-boyfriend tagging along.

“Or maybe we won’t go?” Xiao Cheng’s face darkened, showing no warmth to any of them. “What’s all the fuss about?”

Xiao Yixi couldn’t argue anymore and had no choice but to accept this strange combination.

What’s worse, Luo Jingshu was quick with his movements and even more difficult to deal with than Xiao Ziyue. As soon as Xiao Cheng agreed, Luo Jingshu proactively opened the car door and sat inside.

“Let’s go, Brother Cheng.”

Xiao Cheng was momentarily stunned, but didn’t say anything.

He would rather have Luo Jingshu sitting next to him than the twins.

Xiao Cheng had always been biased from the start, but unfortunately, Xiao Yixi hadn’t noticed, and he felt displeased with Xiao Cheng’s choice.

Xiao Yinan, on the other hand, had noticed.

The last two times he saw Luo Jingshu, Brother Cheng had been rather indifferent toward him. What had happened in between?

Why had Brother Cheng’s attitude changed so drastically?

“Xiao Xi.” Xiao Yinan’s gaze crossed the car window and met Luo Jingshu’s for a moment. He clenched his fist and grabbed his younger brother’s arm.

“Let’s go to another car.”

Xiao Yixi turned to him, confused. “Ge, aren’t you afraid?”

Luo Jingshu was clearly trying to steal Brother Cheng from them. Wasn’t Xiao Yinan afraid that he would take away Xiao Cheng?

“Let’s go.” Xiao Yinan, unusually firm, pulled Xiao Yixi back, and the two of them got into the car they had originally arrived in.

Xiao Cheng only glanced at them for a few seconds before turning his attention away.

The two of them likely wouldn’t fight.

Although the twins sometimes disagreed, their relationship was very good. Xiao Yinan was very good at guiding Xiao Yixi’s thoughts. If they did argue, Xiao Yixi would never win against Xiao Yinan.

“Brother Cheng.” Luo Jingshu saw him turn his body to look back and spoke in a slightly heavier tone, “Don’t look at them.”

Xiao Cheng… leaned back, stretching his long legs naturally. He rolled his eyes at Luo Jingshu. “If I’m not looking at them, should I look at you?”

“Do I look bad?” Luo Jingshu tilted his head slightly, staring at Xiao Cheng without blinking.

He had an innocent and pure face, and doing this action didn’t seem pretentious at all. Instead, it gave off an inexplicable charm and cuteness.

Describing a grown man with these two words was a bit strange, but it was the only way Xiao Cheng could think of.

In his mind, he silently muttered: Narcissistic.

Xiao Cheng had learned his lesson and didn’t respond to Luo Jingshu’s words.

Luo Jingshu was always shameless. The more Xiao Cheng scolded him, the more excited he got.

The best way to deal with him was to ignore him and let him feel awkward by himself.

Seeing that Xiao Cheng wasn’t engaging with him, Luo Jingshu quickly lost interest. However, his gaze never left Xiao Cheng.

Having such a large presence beside him made it impossible for Xiao Cheng to ignore the attention. His expression grew increasingly stiff, and finally, he closed his eyes and pretended to doze off, acting like he hadn’t noticed anything.

The car drove all the way to S City No. 1 High School.

Because people still lived on the campus, the school wasn’t closed during the holidays, and anyone could enter, though there weren’t many guards.

Xiao Yinan must have said something to Xiao Yixi because Xiao Yixi’s eyes were a bit red, and his gaze toward Xiao Cheng seemed strange. Xiao Cheng was confused.

After entering the school, Xiao Yixi gradually became more lively.

He leaned toward Xiao Cheng and asked, “Brother Cheng, which classroom did you used to have?”

The first question he asked was hard for Xiao Cheng to answer.

Xiao Cheng kept his expression neutral, glancing at the distant teaching building before slowly shifting his gaze to Luo Jingshu.

Luo Jingshu smiled slightly and looked at Xiao Cheng without turning away. “The current teaching building has been demolished and rebuilt. Your classroom, Brother Cheng, no longer exists.”

Xiao Cheng sighed with relief inwardly.

Thankfully.

Xiao Yixi seemed a bit disappointed. “I’ve never seen it before.”

He had lived abroad for years and could only see Xiao Cheng during the holidays.

Brother Cheng never shared his life with him, and Xiao Yixi was extremely curious. He had originally wanted to visit Brother Cheng’s old classroom, but it was gone now.

“Forget it,” Xiao Yixi said, feeling a bit down for a moment, but quickly cheered up again. “Looking at someone else’s classroom, I can still imagine what it was like for Brother Cheng when he was in school.”

When he said this, the others fell silent.

Luo Jingshu stared at Xiao Cheng’s side profile, tracing from his slightly trembling eyelashes down to his soft lips.

He also wanted to know what Brother Cheng was like in high school.

Unfortunately, even though they had both been at the same school for two years, he hadn’t paid attention to Brother Cheng. Though he had heard of him, he never actually saw him.

When they first met, Brother Cheng had already graduated from high school in both this life and the previous one.

Luo Jingshu suddenly realized that the time they missed wasn’t just those five years.

Even earlier, he had a chance to be part of Brother Cheng’s high school life, to witness the young and innocent version of Brother Cheng.

But in the end, they missed it.

Luo Jingshu sank into a sense of loss and regret.

Xiao Cheng glanced at him, his expression unreadable. Just a moment ago, Luo Jingshu had been wary of Xiao Yixi, but now, he seemed a bit down for some reason.

Could the school scenery have triggered some painful memories for him?

Xiao Cheng fell into thought.

Luo Jingshu probably hadn’t been bullied in school, right?

He was excellent academically and a model student in the eyes of his teachers. No one would have dared to openly pick on him, but could there have been people who secretly bullied him?

Xiao Cheng suddenly remembered that Luo Yuan was also at this school. According to the original storyline, Luo Yuan harbored deep resentment and jealousy toward Luo Jingshu.

Luo Yuan would pretend to be kind in front of Madam Luo, intentionally slandering Luo Jingshu and badmouthing him in front of classmates, making him seem worthless.

There were bound to be people who did not understand Luo Jingshu and believed Luo Yuan’s words. Would they secretly make things difficult for him?

He had always believed what Luo Jingshu told him, but later he started to feel that the things he said weren’t entirely true. Now, thinking back, maybe what Luo Jingshu told him was a mix of truth and lies.

Some things were indeed lies, but some of them might have been his real experiences.

Xiao Cheng glanced at Luo Jingshu again, his curiosity written all over his face.

The twins were visiting Xiao Cheng’s school for the first time, so they were curious about everything and didn’t notice the two of them behind.

Luo Jingshu hooked Xiao Cheng’s finger, and when he felt Xiao Cheng struggle, he didn’t let go. He lowered his voice and asked, “Brother Cheng, why do you keep looking at me?”

Xiao Cheng wanted to ask him which of his words were true and which were lies, whether he had ever been bullied.

But he felt that asking would make it seem like he cared about Luo Jingshu.

Xiao Cheng kept those questions to himself.

“It’s nothing.”

He avoided Luo Jingshu’s gaze, but the fingers that Luo Jingshu gripped tightly against his hand made Xiao Cheng feel the warmth from his touch, which burned through his skin. For a moment, it felt like a sharp, painful heat.

“Let go.”

The twins were walking ahead, but the two of them were secretly making small gestures behind, almost like they were having an affair.

Luo Jingshu bit his tongue, the pain clearing his mind.

“I won’t let go.”

He gripped Xiao Cheng’s finger tightly, his long fingers like a vice. No matter how Xiao Cheng tried, he couldn’t pull his hand back.

“Unless you tell me what you were thinking just now, Brother Cheng.”

Xiao Cheng met his gaze, took a deep breath, and then hooked his finger at him.

Luo Jingshu, almost entranced, leaned in closer, their breaths mingling.

“Brother Cheng,” he lowered his voice, his words almost sweet, especially soft and pleasant.

“I was thinking…” Xiao Cheng’s voice became softer, then suddenly bumped his head against Luo Jingshu’s, making a loud “bang.”

Luo Jingshu was caught off guard, wincing in pain and instinctively loosening his grip.

Xiao Cheng rubbed his forehead, gritting his teeth as he completed the sentence: “I was thinking, how could there be such a shameless person like you?”

The loud sound caught the attention of the twins in front, and they turned around to look at the two of them.

…

“Brother Cheng, what are you two doing?!”