A Tooth For a Tooth

Mai Yao suddenly changed.

He no longer worked overtime and now hardly traveled. Every day, he cooked various delicious meals for Xu Qing Nuo. You could hardly see a smile on his face anymore. He became less talkative and more addicted to cigarettes…

It was now Xu Qing Nuo’s turn to eat, sleep, and go out to play, pretending not to notice his changes. Pretending not to see the sad and panicked look in his eyes.

After a few days like this, Mai Yuan called Xu Qing Nuo, asking, “Has anything happened to you and my brother recently?”

“No, why?”

“Last night, he asked me to go out for a drink, got drunk, hugged the lamppost, and cried. He yelled your name and asked you not to leave him.”

“Is there such a thing?”

“You didn’t even notice he was drunk, did you?!” Mai Yao raised his voice unconsciously.

Xu Qing Nuo’s expression was indifferent, “I went to bed early last night, and when I woke up, he had already left for work, so I really didn’t notice.”

“What’s wrong with you two?”

“It’s nothing.”

“It’s nothing; it’s nothing for you to have this tone?! If it’s nothing, why would my brother tell me that you have someone outside? I’m warning you, Xu Qing Nuo, if you dare to wrong my brother, I’ll find someone to beat you to death!” Mai Yuan said in a stern voice.

When he hung up the phone, Xu Qing Nuo’s heart felt like icy wind passing through, full of chill.

He didn’t blame Mai Yuan. No matter how close the two of them were, he was Mai Yao’s younger brother, after all. His heart naturally favored his closest relative.

He took out his wallet from his bag. In the inner pocket, his photo with Mai Yao had been long torn up and thrown away. Now there was only a photo of him with his parents. It was taken during the summer after graduating from high school when they went together to the beach on vacation. In the photo, he was only 18; his parents pampered him; he had a bright future ahead, and he was innocent and happy.

He went back home several times, but he was afraid to face his parents’ sad and disappointed eyes. He could only secretly take advantage of them being out to place the various bags he had bought in front of the house, then hide in the alley and wait for them to return so he could look at them from a distance.

He suddenly felt so tired.

He missed his mom and dad so much.

He really wanted to go home.

The world was big, but his only home was the one with his parents.

Xu Qing Nuo listened to Kitty Chen’s Come Back When It’s Cold song the entire afternoon.

In the past, I sat with the radio learning to sing old songs
I asked mother why sorrow seemed like joy
Mother laughed, saying she didn’t know either
I wanted to go out for a walk; mother nodded
Come back when it’s cold outside, don’t linger in the cold wind
There was a look of understanding and a sliver of helplessness in mother’s eyes
In the cold, I thought of coming home, but the childhood was gone
Yesterday’s raindrops fell; they’re called
Woo ~ Don’t linger in the cold wind, woo ~ come back when it’s cold outside.

In the evening, Lin Xiao Wen went to the store. Seeing Xu Qing Nuo in tears, with a heartbroken look, he was shocked. “Qing Nuo, what’s wrong with you? What happened?”

Xu Qing Nuo didn’t take the tissue he handed over and carelessly wiped his eyes with his sleeves. “It’s okay.”

When Lin Xiao Wen saw the photo in the wallet on the table, he thought Xu Qing Nuo was merely homesick. Displaying brotherly love, he patted him on the shoulder and said, “Let’s go back home this New Year’s Eve. It’s been so many years; my uncle and aunt must forgive you.”

Xu Qing Nuo didn’t answer him but asked calmly, “Did you come to see me for something?”

“Can’t I find you if there’s nothing wrong?” Lin Xiao Wen pursed his lips. “Qing Nuo, you have been so cold to me lately!”

Xu Qing Nuo looked at him and smiled.

His eyes seemed to penetrate the heart, and Lin Xiao Wen suddenly felt cold behind his back. He looked away uncomfortably, pulling the green leaves of the flower pot on the table, and said, “Damn, Meng Ting Hui really likes someone else.”

“He should have done this a long time ago.”

“Qing Nuo?!” Lin Xiao Wen stared at Xu Qing Nuo incredulously.

Xu Qing Nuo smiled and whispered, “A slut like you, are you worthy of him?”

At this moment, he looked like a stranger.

Lin Xiao Wen was so shocked that he couldn’t say a word.

Xu Qing Nuo got up happily, walked out of the bookstore, and called Jiang Heng. “Come to my house tonight?”