Lack of Love

Zhong Qiran and Li Qi lived far apart from each other. They would only meet at the company during their internship and didn’t have much contact outside of work. However, after two months of getting to know each other, their relationship grew closer. They would occasionally exchange phone calls and even make plans to have meals together after work.

It was on the street that Yan Hao caught a glimpse of Zhong Qiran dining at a restaurant by the floor-to-ceiling window with another man. They seemed to be enjoying their conversation, discussing something joyful.

Two months ago, after returning to the country, Yan Hao became extremely busy. He not only had to complete the accumulated work, but also had to spend extra time closely monitoring various departments for promoting fitness equipment. Every company knew that selling a product with almost no reputation in the country was the most challenging task. It meant starting from scratch and required a significant investment in advertising and marketing efforts. The unrealistic idea that a product could sell well simply because it was good was a dream only young entrepreneurs would entertain.

Since Yan Hao had the ability to manage the company, he had never made such a mistake before. However, now he not only made a mistake but also failed to stop it in time, making one mistake after another.

Yan Hao’s father severely criticized him for his impulsive decisions and told him to clean up the mess on his own.

It was unclear whether it was planned or not, but as the secretary had predicted, Yan Hao did indeed personally come to M country to inspect as stipulated in the contract.

Unexpectedly, shortly after he had just disembarked from the plane, he came across the scene before him.

Yan Hao didn’t show any obvious emotional changes, but for some reason, he felt a sense of unease and discomfort in his heart.

Li Qi vaguely noticed a tall and handsome man standing across the street, seemingly staring in their direction. However, he didn’t pay too much attention to it. There were thousands of pedestrians passing by on this street, so it could have been just an illusion. He focused his attention on Zhong Qiran sitting opposite him, thinking only about what he was going to say next. After spending this period of time together, he liked Zhong Qiran a lot and even had thoughts of taking things further.

Li Qi was someone who took action once he decided on something, he did it without hesitation. He always felt that they had a connection since they met and that their personalities were compatible, so he wanted to give it a try.

Furthermore, since the semester was almost over, it was a good opportunity to go on a trip together. He proposed a plan to go skiing during the winter vacation to Zhong Qiran.

Zhong Qiran was a perceptive person and would easily grasp the meaning behind certain suggestions. Going on a trip together implied taking their relationship to the next level. It had been nearly two years since he and Yan Hao separated, and indeed, he wasn’t against forming  a new relationship. However, he still felt a bit hesitant.

Li Qi wasn’t going to back down. He knew that hesitating was a sign of wavering, so he sincerely said, “Qiran, can you give me a chance? After the trip, you can reconsider whether we should be lovers or just friends.”

This statement was cleverly and skillfully expressed, and Zhong Qiran couldn’t find a reason to refuse. He felt that his current life was good, and he didn’t want any intentional changes. The main issue was that his feelings for Yan Hao in the past were too deep. Even though he didn’t feel as heartbroken when thinking about it now, he still felt a bit melancholic.

Li Qi didn’t dampen the mood by asking if he was still thinking about his ex. Instead, he redirected the conversation back to the matter at hand and said, “Don’t overthink it. Let’s just treat it as a regular outing, okay?”

Zhong Qiran smiled helplessly and didn’t push back this time. He said, “If it’s just to relax and unwind, then I guess it’s fine.”

Li Qi’s eyes lit up. Even though Zhong Qiran was only willing to go as friends for now, it was enough. Proposing the invitation was just the first step, and the most important thing was that he made his intentions clear to Zhong Qiran. As long as Zhong Qiran didn’t feel repulsed, it meant that he still had a chance. “Then it’s settled.”

“Okay,” Zhong Qiran replied without knowing whether it was a good or bad decision. But he couldn’t keep dwelling in the past. Perhaps trying to get along with someone else wouldn’t hurt. He picked up the coffee on the table and took a sip, casually turning his head to look at the street view outside the window.

Li Qi followed his gaze and found that the man across the street had disappeared. He thought to himself, it must have been just an illusion.

In front of him, the person in charge of FE was speaking, but Yan Hao didn’t register a single word.

He knew he was behaving oddly, but he didn’t understand why. He was certain that he didn’t have any emotional fluctuations, yet he kept zoning out. Was it because of Zhong Qiran?

“Mr. Yan, Mr. Yan…”

Yan Hao lifted his head at the sound. Perhaps his gaze was too cold, as the person in charge was startled. “Are you okay? You don’t look well.”

“I’m fine.” Yan Hao didn’t realize that his expression had subtly changed. He responded in a business-like manner, “I’m sorry, let’s finish here for today.”

He returned to his designated hotel and made a phone call to inquire about Zhong Qiran’s place of residence. After obtaining the address, he took a taxi and headed there.

Yan Hao sat in the car, looking at a rundown small apartment building behind the school. This was currently Zhong Qiran’s place of residence, where people coming in and out were a mix of various types, and there was no security guard. Although there were many students around, making it relatively safe, Yan Hao still frowned slightly. He didn’t understand why Zhong Qiran, who was considered wealthy, would choose to live in such a place.

As he pondered, he suddenly felt fragments flashing through his mind. It was a memory of when Zhong Qiran was still studying at the university, and Yan Hao went to the school to look for him and discovered that he lived in an off-campus small apartment.

At that time, Zhong Qiran was not comfortable with Yan Hao coming to see him because he felt embarrassed about his rundown living conditions and didn’t want to let Yan Hao inside.

Yan Hao remembered asking him back then, “Why don’t you live in the school dormitory?”

Zhong Qiran shook his head and said, “I don’t want to inconvenience others.”

Four years had passed, and this person hadn’t changed at all.

Yan Hao got out of the car and saw a notice posted at the entrance of the apartment. He walked over and read that it was a rental advertisement.

He made two phone calls, one to inquire about renting the place and the other to a private security guard.

When Zhong Qiran returned home after class, he noticed that the notice at the entrance had been torn off. A week ago, the student living in the neighboring room had moved out, and he didn’t expect someone to rent it so quickly.

The rent there was cheap, so the soundproofing wasn’t great. He didn’t have many requirements; he just hoped the new tenant wouldn’t be too noisy.

Final exams were coming up the following week, and he had a pile of assignments and exams to deal with, along with his internship. He didn’t have the energy to think about other things for the time being.

Most  days, when he was at home at night, he could hear some noise from next door. It must be the new neighbor who had moved in. He didn’t pay much attention and continued to bury himself in his own paper.

A week later, Zhong Qiran finished his exams successfully and then remembered to arrange a time to meet Li Qi and go out to play.

He called Li Qi from the window with good reception, took note of the meeting location and time, and had a conversation for a while, discussing some academic and work-related matters.

Zhong Qiran had always been serious about his studies since his time as a student, and it was the same for his work. For him, Li Qi was not only a friend but also a study partner and a potential competitor in the future.

However, when they could maintain a pure friendship, he wouldn’t think too much about it.

After hanging up the phone, Zhong Qiran started to pack his luggage.

He had no idea that all the neighbors next door had heard the content of his phone conversation.

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