AFAILIAST CHAPTER 3

Chapter 3 — There’s a Child?!

Cars sped past on the wide avenue, their horns blaring. Pei Ji stood by the roadside, lost in thought for a long time before finally gathering his courage. “Chu…”

But as soon as he spoke the name, he felt his tongue burn. Considering what kind of ambiguous relationship they supposedly had, even saying Chu Tinghan’s name felt awkwardly intimate.

Aunt Zhang looked at him in confusion.

Pei Ji decided to just go for it. “Where is Chu Tinghan now? I… want to see him.”

Aunt Zhang froze for a moment. “You want to see Mr. Chu?”

“Yeah,” Pei Ji said, quickly making up a half-reasonable excuse. His voice still carried a hint of guilt. “I just want to… say goodbye properly.”

Aunt Zhang frowned, clearly surprised. “That’s…”

Her hesitation made Pei Ji’s stomach drop. It seemed seeing Chu Tinghan wouldn’t be so easy.

Sure enough, the next second Aunt Zhang gave him an apologetic smile. “Mr. Chu has been very busy lately. I don’t think he’ll have time.”

Since she was politely refusing, Pei Ji couldn’t push it. “Alright then, maybe another time.”

“The wind’s strong out here,” Aunt Zhang said, opening the car door. “You just got discharged. Don’t catch a cold, get in.”

The black car was empty except for the driver.

Pei Ji still wasn’t used to this new life seven years later. His mind was hazy and before he realized what was happening, Aunt Zhang had gently pushed him into the back seat.

It wasn’t until the car drove ten meters down the road that Pei Ji finally asked, “Where are we going?”

Both Aunt Zhang and the driver were people hired by Chu Tinghan.

But now that Chu Tinghan had supposedly broken things off with him, why were they still helping him?

Pei Ji couldn’t figure it out.

When he was hospitalized, Aunt Zhang coming to care for him had made some sense, it was probably Chu Tinghan being cautious. He didn’t want to deal with him directly but still felt responsible in case something serious happened.

But now that he’d recovered, there was no reason for Chu Tinghan to keep an eye on an ex who had “dumped” him.

Unless… this car ride was heading to some deserted place where they’d dump his body afterward?

Pei Ji felt a cold sweat gather on his forehead. He hesitated. “Are you… taking me home or…?”

Aunt Zhang said slowly, “I’m taking you back to where you used to live. You still need to pack up your things before you go, don’t you?”

Hearing that, Pei Ji let out a huge sigh of relief.

So it was just to grab his stuff. They were kicking him out, not killing him.

“Alright,” he said, nodding.

---

Half an hour later, the car stopped.

Pei Ji got out and froze.

In front of him stood a luxurious three-story villa, elegant and modern. Everything about it screamed wealth and taste.

So he really had landed himself a rich patron…

He lingered outside the gate for a long moment before Aunt Zhang called him in.

Pei Ji stepped inside slowly, taking in the surroundings. “Aunt Zhang, this place is…?”

Aunt Zhang poured him a glass of water as she spoke. “This is Mr. Chu’s home. You’ve been living here with him for the past two years.”

From the entryway to the living room, everything came in pairs, the slippers at the door, the mugs on the table, the matching pillows on the couch. The place looked exactly like a couple’s shared home.

Pei Ji, who had never actually been in a relationship before, suddenly felt a little uneasy. He quickly averted his eyes and sat properly on the couch, posture stiff as if he were a nervous college student meeting someone’s parents.

Aunt Zhang chuckled. “Xiao Pei, your room’s on the left. Why don’t you go pack up your things first?”

She gestured in that direction, and Pei Ji finally remembered why he was here. He jumped up and hurried to his room.

But when he reached the door, he stopped. His palm was sweating on the doorknob.

He and Chu Tinghan were supposedly in a passionate two-year relationship. Didn’t that mean… they probably slept in the same room?

Couples who live together, well, you can imagine what happens.

Would there be… things in there he shouldn’t see?

Just thinking about it made Pei Ji hesitate. He pulled his hand back and awkwardly rubbed his nose. “Um… Aunt Zhang, which room does Chu Tinghan usually sleep in?”

In his mind, he was praying hard: Please say upstairs. Please say upstairs.

“Mr. Chu lives on the second floor,” Aunt Zhang said, pointing upward.

Not the same room!

Pei Ji exhaled in relief, finally daring to open the door.

The room was neat and minimal. One bed, one bookshelf, one wardrobe, and a desk with a computer.

But there were two pillows on the bed.

He froze again, staring at them, then decided he was overthinking things.

So what if there were two pillows? That didn’t have to mean anything. Who said a single person couldn’t use two pillows?

He did that himself sometimes.

Feeling calmer, Pei Ji began scanning the bookshelf. Most of the books were about music composition and songwriting, just his type.

Still, no matter how hard he looked, there wasn’t a single trace in this room that showed he had ever been deeply in love with Chu Tinghan.

He sighed quietly. Wow, I really was an asshole.

After shaking off the thought, he grabbed a suitcase, folded up his clothes neatly, and tossed a few books inside.

Once he was done packing, he didn’t hesitate for even a second, just walked straight out.

Seeing how fast he moved, Aunt Zhang, still tying her apron, blinked in surprise. “Xiao Pei… you’re leaving already?”

“Mm,” Pei Ji answered simply.

“It’s almost noon,” she said. “Why don’t you stay for lunch?”

He waved his hands politely. “No, thank you, Aunt Zhang.”

Before she could say another word, he was already out the door.

Pei Ji left fast, as if afraid she’d change her mind and make him stay.

In his mind, every extra second he spent in that house increased the chance of bumping into Chu Tinghan.

And sure, he wanted to meet Chu Tinghan, but not yet.

Not until he was ready.

---

That afternoon, Pei Ji checked into a nearby hotel and bought himself a new phone.

His old one had been smashed to pieces in the car accident; the screen looked like glittering dust and wouldn’t turn on.

He had originally hoped to use that phone to find clues about what happened over the past seven years, but no luck.

Still, he didn’t give up completely. He left the broken phone at a repair shop. The technician had said it probably couldn’t be fixed, but he’d try.

Now, all Pei Ji could do was pray for a miracle, that somehow the phone would power on and reveal the truth.

Once he could see what was in it, he’d finally understand everything.

That night, lying on the hotel bed, Pei Ji thought long and hard about his future.

He used to depend on Chu Tinghan for everything, but that wouldn’t happen again.

He hated having his life in someone else’s hands, hated the feeling of living off another person’s mercy. It was humiliating.

He needed to find his own path.

But two years ago, he had been blacklisted and told to “get out of the industry.” Making a comeback wouldn’t be easy.

The thought made his head ache.

Still, one thing was clear. Before worrying about a career, he had to sort out the whole Chu Tinghan situation.

That morning, he’d already asked Aunt Zhang for the address of Chu Tinghan’s new company.

Now that he was calmer, he knew he couldn’t avoid it any longer. He had to meet Chu Tinghan and figure things out face-to-face.

He couldn’t spend the rest of his life being called a scumbag or a kept man.

And he wasn’t going to be someone who ran away from responsibility.

---

The next morning, Pei Ji picked out the most formal clothes he could find. As he changed, he noticed something around his neck, something he hadn’t paid attention to before.

It was a silver necklace, and instead of a pendant, it had two small silver rings threaded through the chain.

He lifted it and looked closely. The rings were about the same size, not quite like wedding bands but not earrings either. The chain was long enough that normally, only the silver line showed above his collar, never the rings themselves.

He couldn’t figure out what it meant. Probably just a decorative piece he used to wear.

Maybe he’d just gotten used to it over the years.

He shrugged, slipped it back under his shirt, and headed out.

Following Aunt Zhang’s directions, he soon arrived at the office building where Chu Tinghan’s new company was located.

According to what he’d read online, Chu Tinghan had left his old agency months ago and started his own studio, which now occupied the 13th floor of this building.

The building had strict security; visitors had to register, and someone from inside had to come down to escort them.

Pei Ji had no choice but to ask the receptionist to call up.

As he waited, anxiety twisted in his stomach. What if Chu Tinghan refused to see him at all?

Ten minutes later, someone finally came down.

The man recognized him immediately, even from a distance.

“Pei Ji? What the hell are you doing here?” The man’s tone was cold.

It wasn’t Chu Tinghan.

Pei Ji stepped forward politely. “And you are?”

“I’m Chu Tinghan’s assistant, Guan Nan,” the man said flatly.

Pei Ji forced a smile and extended his hand. “Hello, Brother Guan.”

Guan Nan glanced at the offered hand but didn’t take it. “Don’t act familiar with me. You want to see Mr. Chu, right?”

Pei Ji awkwardly withdrew his hand, trying to stay sincere. “Yes. I came to apologize.”

“Apologize?” Guan Nan raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced.

Pei Ji nodded. “Yes.”

Guan Nan let out a humorless laugh. “You think an apology means anything now? It’s too late.”

Pei Ji frowned. “Too late? What do you mean?”

Had he done something even worse?

Guan Nan gave a cold snort. “Don’t play dumb. You didn’t want to take responsibility. You didn’t want a serious relationship. Then why the hell did you have a child?”

“What?”

A child?!

Pei Ji’s mind went blank.

Oh fuck. His future self was truly a disaster.

As soon as Guan Nan mentioned the child, his anger flared again. “Now you’ve broken up, what happens to the kid? Xiaobao adored both of you. How’s he supposed to handle you splitting up like this?”

“If you weren’t going to be responsible, you shouldn’t have taken him in. It’s way too late for apologies now!”

Pei Ji couldn’t even get a word out.

At this point, he had only one thought, maybe it would’ve been better if that car had just killed him.

Was it too late to hang himself now?

He never imagined that his future self wasn’t just a freeloading jerk, but also someone who’d gotten tangled up with a sugar daddy and ended up with a kid in the mix.

What kind of twisted soap opera life was this?!

He had absolutely no idea how things had gone this wrong.

“One of you’s irresponsible, the other’s heartless,” Guan Nan muttered.

Pei Ji felt like crawling into a hole. “Can I at least see him? I really need to talk to him.”

“Forget it,” Guan Nan said, crossing his arms. “Mr. Chu isn’t going to see you.”

He turned to leave.

Pei Ji panicked and grabbed his sleeve. “I—I’ll take responsibility!”

Guan Nan turned back, stunned, as if he’d just heard the craziest thing in the world. “What did you just say?”

Pei Ji straightened his clothes to look more serious, cleared his throat, and muttered, his ears and cheeks burning, “I said… I’ll take responsibility.”

His voice was small, but Guan Nan heard it clearly.

The assistant’s expression turned complicated.

After a long pause, Pei Ji finally looked up again, gathering every ounce of courage he had left. “Please tell him for me… I’ve changed.”

Then, after another deep breath, he said, with all the awkward sincerity in the world:

“I want to live a good life with him.”

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