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Chapter 010 Fell Ill
Wang Miao happened to hear Zhuang Jingchun’s words when he walked into the banquet hall.
He looked at their clasped hands in disbelief, as if he had been struck by lightning.
On another side, Lu Feng’s reaction was even more exaggerated. The smile on his face froze instantly, as if he was out of breath, he took a step back unconsciously.
The guest began to whisper in shock and watched the scene with interest.
To be honest, Xu Xizhou kind of regretted it a little bit. Lu Feng was a homophobic senior. Xu Xizhou ran away from home and got into a fight before, so he was very angry. And today, with him coming out of the closet like this, Lu Feng wouldn’t be so angered that he had to be admitted to the hospital, would he?
Zhuang Jingchun didn’t seem to realize that his casual words were like a sudden clap of thunder that exploded in everyone’s ears. As the one in the center of the storm, he looked perfectly calm.
“Mr. Lu, I know that you are Xiaozhou’s adoptive father. Please rest assured. Since I am dating him now, I will definitely take good care of him.”
Lu Feng’s face turned red then white, from white to red. Blue veins bulged on his forehead, but he couldn’t utter a single word.
Lu Rong was also extremely shocked. He stared blankly at Xu Xizhou next to Zhuang Jingchun, with an inexplicable gloom in his eyes.
“Xiao Zhou, is this true? Do you really have such a relationship with Mr. Zhuang?” Xu Mei looked skeptically at Xu Xizhou.
Xu Xizhou nodded, he simply broke the jar and returned the grip on Zhuang Jingchun’s hand instead.
“That’s right.”
“But you obviously liked girls before …”
“He is no longer a member of the Lu family.” Lu Feng was finally able to digest the news. He stared coldly at Xu Xizhou like he was looking at something dirty.
“You don’t have to care about such a degenerate.”
He was so angry that he didn’t realize he had also scolded Zhuang Jingchun with this sentence until a pair of cold green eyes looked over.
“Mr. Zhuang, I didn’t mean you, don’t get me wrong …” Lu Feng explained futilely.
Zhuang Jingchun smiled lightly, “You are Xiao Zhou’s adoptive father after all, of course, I don’t mind, but there are still some matters in the company, so Xiao Zhou and I will go first.”
He took Xu Xizhou out of the door by their linked hands.
Just as they walked to the car, an angry figure stopped in front of them.
“Surname Zhuang, let go of your hand  immediately!” Wang Miao was dressed in a white suit, his face was ridiculously pale, and he gritted his teeth as he stared at Zhuang Jingchun.
When Xu Xizhou saw Wang Miao, he realized that he and Zhuang Jingchun were still holding hands. His ears turned red, and he let go of his hand subconsciously.
“Xu Xizhou, explain to me, what happened just now?”
“You guys talk slowly.” Zhuang Jingchun calmly got into the car.
Xu Xizhou turned and walked to a tall pine tree, staring at the snow on it.
“Exactly as you see it.”
“The black Bentley that sent you before belongs to him, right? And you told me he was just a friend?!” Wang Miao flew into a rage, his whole being was on the verge of going crazy.
Xu Xizhou turned to look at him, a little puzzled, “Didn’t you see Lu Rong just now?”
“How would I even have the mind to care about that Lu Rong or Wang Rong! You want to piss me off, don’t you? You can tell me if you need money, why do you have to be with that guy if you want money?”
“I’m not with him for money.” Xu Xizhou scratched his head, for a while he did not know how to explain it.
“In short, I signed a deal with him. I pretended to be his partner, and he financed my return to the track.”
“Contracted boyfriend?” Wang Miao snorted lightly, “How old are you, do you believe in this tricking children kind of lie? He is the heir of the Zhuang family, he could ask whomever he wanted, why would he ask you to pretend to marry him? Xu Xizhou, wake up, don’t wait until you’re tricked into bed that you regret it!”
“I’m very awake.” Xu Xizhou sighed and looked at him calmly.
“As you said, what could he get from a person like me? I have nothing anyway, right?”
“You still have me!”
Wang Miao’s expression was almost hysterical. He stretched out his hand and grabbed Xu Xizhou’s shoulder with so much force that he almost crushed his bones.
“Since you can accept to be with a man, just stay with me and I’ll give you money, okay?”
Xu Xizhou’s pupils immediately shrank when he heard that, and he looked at Wang Miao in astonishment.
Wang Miao has always been a Bi, that’s why it was not much of a surprise that he would like Lu Rong in his previous life, but he never thought that Wang Miao would treat him…
Wang Miao regretted saying that, he realized that he seemed to have scared the person in front of him.
He calmed down a bit, lowered his head, and looked apologetic, “I didn’t mean that. I mean… If you are short of money, you can ask me for it.”
Xu Xizhou breathed a sigh of relief when he heard his explanation.
“I know you are kind, but this is my own choice. I also know what I am doing. I hope you understand.”
Xu Xizhou turned around and was about to leave when Wang Miao’s hoarse voice came from behind him.
“Is racing that important to you? Is it worth it for you to sacrifice everything?”
Xu Xizhou suddenly laughed. It turned out that even his best friend never understood him.
Racing is his whole dream, his only passion. Therefore, after Wang Miao ruined his racing career in his previous life, he would be in such pain and fall into the abyss of despair.
“It’s worth it.”
Xu Xizhou got into the car, and the warm air from the heater rushed toward his face. His whole body seemed to melt in this boundless warmth. He collapsed on the seat and stared out the window in a daze, he felt both physically and mentally exhausted.
On the way, Zhuang Jingchun didn’t talk to him.
When they arrived at Huanyuan, the housekeeper parked the car in the basement, Zhuang Jingchun gave him a light kick.
“Don’t sleep in the car.”
Xu Xizhou didn’t actually sleep, he just closed his eyes. He began to realize that his rebirth was like a butterfly flapping its wings, and maybe everything would change.
He opened his eyes and met Zhuang Jingchun’s green eyes.
“Just now…thank you.” He said sincerely.
“I didn’t know that your adoptive father was so closed-minded
The corner of Xu Xizhou’s lips twitched.
“Actually, he didn’t agree when I began driving a go-kart, it wasn’t until I started winning awards that he didn’t mind me racing as he felt that he had gained some face. What he always wanted was a well-behaved and obedient son with excellent grades who could be his successor in the future, and Lu Rong perfectly fit his ideas.”
Zhuang Jingchun raised his eyebrows, “Is this the reason you left the Lu family? Because you think you can’t compare to Lu Rong?”
“I’m not saying I’m worse than him, just that he’s more in line with my adoptive parents’ expectations. I’m probably just an unwelcome kid[1], so my biological parents also wouldn’t want me either.”
The loss in the boy’s eyes disappeared in a flash.
Zhuang Jingchun’s Adam’s apple moved. For a moment, there was an impulse in his heart. He wanted to rub Xu Xizhou’s head, but his strong rationality suppressed that impulse again.
You only have a contractual relationship, he reminded himself, you have no obligation to pacify his fragile emotions, let alone to pity him.
“Get out of the car.” In the end, he only said this softly.
He caused a big scene at Lu Rong’s coming-of-age ceremony, the heavens might be unable to bear it any longer and decided to punish this vicious supporting character, so Xu Xizhou fell ill within the next day.
He just didn’t wear a down jacket, after a few hours of being blown by the cold wind on the track, he developed a fever when returned to Huanyuan that night.
He held a thermometer in his mouth, wrapped himself in the quilt, and put a wet towel on his forehead to lower his body’s temperature. Zhuang Jingchun went on a business trip, so he was alone in the villa.
When he was in a daze from the burning fever, a new email alert sounded from the computer. The email said that his application to the UK university had passed. The Academic Affairs Office reminded him to remember to register and pay tuition on time.
Xu Xizhou went to the school’s official website, and when he checked the tuition fees, his heart suddenly became cold.
He can’t afford the tuition at all, even if he can apply for a scholarship, the amount was just a drop in the bucket.
Xu Xizhou turned off the computer and felt that his headache was getting worse as if something was jumping into the depths of his temples. This university ranked in the top 50 in the world. He applied with great difficulty and choose a major that he liked, if he give up just like that…
Xu Xizhou tore off the towel on his forehead, barely propped himself up, and found the phone on the bedside table.
He called Zhuang Jingchun.
The other party seemed to be busy and did not answer his phone. He gave up after calling twice and threw the phone on the bed.
When he was about to fall asleep, his phone suddenly rang.
“Calling me for something?”
The man’s voice was as clear and beautiful as ever.
Xu Xizhou clenched his phone tightly, as though he was holding his last life-saving straw.
“I…received an offer from the school today…”
“Worried about tuition? Don’t worry, since I let you go back to F2, I will naturally let you finish college.”
Xu Xizhou laid down his hanging heart and said thank you.
“Is there anything else?”
“No more, you’re … busy.”
Zhuang Jingchun put down the phone, and the business partner on the opposite side was looking at him a little nervously.
“Mr. Zhuang, is this performance not to your satisfaction? I heard that you are very proficient in classical music, that’s why…”
Zhuang Jingchun pressed his temple, the impatience on his face shouldn’t be that obvious, right?
However, what happened to Xu Xizhou’s voice just now? Sounds like he has a cold?
That guy is pretty though, even if he is sick, he should be able to take care of himself, there’s no need to worry.
He reassured himself like that, but he didn’t see much of the next performance, and he always thought it was a little boring.
He flew back to Wancheng that night. He was supposed to go back to the main house to accompany Jiang Xia, but after getting into the car, he asked the driver to change the route.
Xu Xizhou was delirious from the fever, his body seemed to be immersed in flames, and he seemed to see a pair of light green eyes in his chaotic thoughts.
A cool hand reached out to probe his forehead.
Xu Xizhou didn’t know whether it was his own illusion or something, but he seemed to see a trace of concern in those indifferent eyes.
He didn’t have the energy to think too much, and soon fell into a groggy sleep once more.
When he woke up again, it was already morning. His fever subsided completely, and his whole body felt extremely light, as if he had been reborn.
He left the room, walked to the revolving stairs, and was surprised to find Zhuang Jingchun sitting on the sofa in the living room.
Next to the sofa, there was a huge cardboard box.
“Awake?”
Zhuang Jingchun’s gaze swept over without a trace, there was nothing out of the ordinary in his tone.
“Come and open the package.”
Who would be sending him a package? Xu Xizhou went downstairs in a daze, walked to the cardboard box, and was slightly startled when he saw the name of the sender.
It turned out to be sent by Lu Rong.