A Tooth For a Tooth – Chapter 11

1 a.m.

Xu Qing Nuo returned home smelling like alcohol. As soon as he opened the door, he was overwhelmed by the powerful smell of cigarettes. The lights were turned off. Mai Yao was standing in front of the wall-to-wall window and was smoking. His back looked sad and lonely.

“Back?” he turned around and asked in a hoarse voice.

Xu Qing Nuo couldn’t see his expression clearly in the dark, but he could detect the hidden anger and sadness in his voice.

Oh, will you also be angry and sad?

“Sorry, honey. My unlucky friend was dumped by his girlfriend, and he wouldn’t let me go. He forced me to stay with him, so I had a couple more drinks.” Xu Qing Nuo said in an apologetic tone.

May Yao said nothing.

“Uh, I need to confess one more thing…”

“What?”

“I drank too much, and I thought my friend was you… and accidentally kissed him.”

“Really?”

Mai Yao’s tone was still cold and indifferent, but Xu Qing Nuo heard him breathe a long sigh of relief.

After taking a shower, Mai Yao immediately pulled Xu Qing Nuo into the room and pestered him passionately.

Holding back his nausea, Xu Qing Nuo grabbed the hands moving up and down his body, dodged his kisses, and said, “I’m so tired. Can we do it another day?”

“No…” Mai Yao lowered his head to take off his clothes.

Xu Qing Nuo pushed him away hard, and his tone also cooled down. “I’m exhausted and not in the mood.”

Mai Yao’s movements froze. He raised his head and stared at Xu Qing Nuo with cold eyes. “Are you seeing someone else?”

Xu Qing Nuo was startled and laughed, “Fool, what nonsense are you talking about?”

May Yao didn’t speak.

Xu Qing Nuo patted him on the head. “I’m really just tired. Don’t think about it. Go to bed early; you have to work tomorrow.”

Mai Yao silently took him into his arms. After a long, long time, when Xu Qing Nuo let out a long breath, he kissed him on the forehead, and in a barely audible voice, said, “Qing Nuo, I love you… “

His voice was full of infinite tenderness and affection. Xu Qing Nuo’s heart couldn’t help but tremble.

Pretending to be asleep, he rolled over, turned his back to Mai Yao, and burst into tears.

You love me? Unfortunately, I don’t love you anymore…

Two days later, Lin Xiao Wen came to the bookstore to find Xu Qing Nuo.

He walked around the store grumpily. “That bastard Meng Tin Hui!! Who does he think he is? How dare he treat me indifferently? Bastard! I won’t care about him anymore!”

Xu Qing Nuo was organizing the bookshelf while comforting him. “Maybe he’s been busy lately.”

“Busy? He used to call me every day even if he was busy, but recently he hasn’t called me once. Not once!” Lin Xiao Wen’s eyes were red as he grabbed his hair and gritted his teeth while saying, “Something’s wrong. Something’s definitely wrong. The bastard must have a new love!”

Xu Qing Nuo was silent for a few seconds and then said calmly, “Even if he has a new love, it’s normal. After all, you’ve never promised to be with him. He’s not your boyfriend, is he?”

Lin Xiao Wen was chocked by these words. It took him a long time to come up with an unreasonable remark. “Even if I didn’t promise him anything, he said he liked me and would wait for me forever. He can’t break his promise!”

Forever… promise…

Xu Qing Nuo looked up and laughed. Lin Xiao Wen, you are too ignorant and confident.

In this world, no one will wait for anyone forever, no one will tolerate anyone forever, and no promise can’t be broken. When you have worn out the other person’s patience and reached his bottom line, he will turn around and leave without a second thought.

Every love has a shelf life.

The same goes for friendship.

After Lin Xiao Wen left, Xu Qing Nuo checked the time. It was 4.30 p.m.

He squinted at the blue sky and bright sunshine outside the window, smiled faintly, and called Jiang Heng. “I’m going to sit at the Starbucks next to Century Square for a while. Want to come out for a cup of coffee?”

Jiang Heng was a little surprised. “Now?”

“Um, have no time?”

“Yes, wait for a moment. I’ll be right there.”

This was the first time Xu Qing Nuo asked Jiang Heng out during his working hours.

Jiang Heng’s hair had been cut short. He was wearing a white shirt, a black suit, a tie, black shoes, and had a diamond watch on his wrists.

This look of a successful elite was completely different from the one Xu Qing Nuo was used to in the past.

“Latte, please.” After sitting down and ordering, Jiang Heng took off his suit jacket, untied his tie, and raised the corners of his mouth. He looked at Xu Qing Nuo sitting opposite and asked, “Am I handsome?”

Xu Qing Nuo returned to his senses, lowered his head, and smiled. Right. This gangster was the Jiang Heng he knew.

Xu Qing Nuo didn’t speak for the rest of the time. He was immersed in the cafe music, looking at the square in a daze.

Jiang Heng didn’t care about this either. He took out his phone, lowered his head, and played Plants vs. Zombies.

They just sat there in silence for almost an hour.

“Aren’t you curious about what I do?” Jiang Heng couldn’t help but finally speak first.

Xu Qing Nuo shook his head.

At this moment, his phone rang, and seeing the caller ID on the screen, he stretched out his right index finger on his lips to silence Jiang Heng, and then answered the call.

“Where are you?”

“At the bookstore.”

“Coming home for dinner tonight?”

“Not coming back. I have to rush the draft. Just order a takeaway.”

“Oh.”

“Anything else?”

“The friend you mentioned last time, have you seen him recently?”

“No, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing…”