Transmigrated as My Best Friend's Ex

131. I’m Partial to You

Translator: Guy Gone Bad

With an evil smile, Nancheng Lie leaned forward and pressed Max against the car seat. Max raised a questioning eyebrow, looked up at Nancheng Lie and then wrapped his arms around Nancheng Lie’s neck.

With a crack, Nancheng Lie unfastened Max’s seat belt.

“That’s what a gentleman should do. No need to thank me.” Nancheng Lie opened the door for Max and sank back into his seat. “It’s okay to have tea together at leisure, but… you should know that I’m no longer the apparently eternally playboy you remember,” Nancheng Lie said. He was smiling, but there was a note of warning in what he said. Max knew what Nancheng Lie meant.

“You have changed.” Although the door was open, Max had no intention of getting out of the car.

“Really?” Nancheng curled up his lips with disapproval. He had never changed. In the past, he pretended to be a playboy just because he was afraid that Xu would stay away from him.

“People always think you are a heartless playboy, but in fact, you are very faithful to the one you love.”

“You think so highly of me.” Nancheng Lie had thought that in the eyes of the public, he was good for nothing but his money and handsome appearance. He was surprised that Max thought of him as a spoony man.

“When we had sex, you always bit your lips in order not to make a sound. At that time, I didn’t understand why you did that. But now I understood you. You were afraid that you would be tempted to call out his name, right?”

Nancheng Lie smiled at Max and kept silent.

“I watched the news about Han Mingxu. He has returned to Leiluo Kingdom. Can you give me a chance, Lie?”

Nancheng Lie burst into laughter.

“What are you laughing at?”

Nancheng Lie raised his hand to cover his heart and said in a casual tone, “I can only love one person. By the way, you seem to be a different person. Why are you so eager to have sex with me? It’s not your style. I can’t believe that you are such a straightforward man.”

Max was stunned for a moment before he chuckled, “Forget it. You are my first love. I was a little excited when I saw you again. Alright, goodbye, see you next time.” With that, he pushed open the door and got off the car. He waved to Nancheng Lie and walked away.

Without hesitation, Nancheng Lie slammed his foot on the accelerator and soon the car was speeding off.

Max went upstairs to his apartment, and Nancheng Lie drove away. Then out of a shadowy corner came a man. He watched Nancheng Lie leave and slowly curved his lips into a smile.

After sending Max home, Nancheng Lie phoned Li Qinghao. “Xu, where are you?”

“I’m at home. Is the party over?”

“Yeah. I’ll be home in half an hour. Can you prepare some food for me? I’m hungry.” Nancheng Lie put on an act to get sympathy.

Sitting in front of his computer with a cup of coffee in his hand, Li Qinghao was surfing the Internet. Suddenly, a news report caught his attention. He narrowed his eyes. “No problem,” Li Qinghao replied casually. But in fact, he didn’t hear what Nancheng Lie said just now.

The thought that he could eat the food cooked by Li Qinghao made Nancheng Lie excited. He pressed down hard on the gas pedal and rushed home. However, when he arrived home, he was greeted by a deep blackness, which poured cold water on his enthusiasm.

“Xu?” Was Xu asleep? Nancheng Lie went to the bedroom first and found no one inside. Then he went to the attic, but still didn’t see Li Qinghao. He could no longer keep a cool head. “Xu?” Could Xu have been kidnapped? Nancheng Lie didn’t think it was possible. They had just talked on the phone half an hour ago. He didn’t think anyone could take Li Qinghao away in such a short time. After all, their housing estate had a good security system.

So, he soon composed himself. ‘Xu must have gone out to buy me a midnight snack,’ Nancheng Lie thought to himself.

He went back to his bedroom to have a bath, because he stank of alcohol and tobacco, which Xu didn’t like.

After taking a bath, he sat on the sofa in the living room watching TV. After half an hour, Li Qinghao still didn’t show up. Nancheng Lie could not resist phoning Li Qinghao.

“Hello.” Li Qinghao answered the phone within five seconds.

“Where are you, Xu? I’ve been home for half an hour.”

What?!

Hearing this, Li Qing was stunned for a second. “I’m at home,” he answered. Then he stood up and opened the door of the study.

“What?! You are at home?” Nancheng Lie stood up and looked around. Hearing the door open, he turned around and saw Li Qinghao standing at the door of the study. He was dumbfounded. “Have you been staying in the study until now?”

Li Qinghao felt puzzled at Nancheng Lie’s question. “Yep. Why didn’t you make any noise when you got home?”

Nancheng Lie felt that he had been wronged. “I called your name several times, but you gave no response. I thought you went out to buy me a midnight snack.”

“I can order food delivery online.” Li Qinghao rolled his eyes at Nancheng Lie. “Sorry, I didn’t notice when you called my name. I saw a piece of news about Yangming Electronics on the Internet.”

“Yangming Electronics?” Nancheng Lie remembered the company. “Although it’s not a large enterprise, its factory is highly profitable. What’s wrong?”

“Yangming Electronics was acquired.”

“What?” Nancheng Lie was surprised. “I haven’t heard the news.” Yangming Electronics was a big factory. By rights there must be some news if it were acquired, although it was not a large enterprise. After all, the reputation of a factory was closely related to its owner. Many companies would reconsider partnerships with Yangming Electronics if it were acquired.

“I came across a report about the prospects of medium-sized and small enterprises in our city when I was surfing the internet. Someone revealed that Yangming Electronics was acquired. I remember the owner of Yangming Electronics, Mr. Yang has a good relationship with my dad. You know, my dad often sends me text messages, but he didn’t mention that.”

“Show me the news report about Yangming Electronics.” Nancheng Lie followed Li Qinghao into the study. He forgot to ask for his midnight snack. “The analysts of my company have analysed the prospects of Yangming Electronics. I remember… Ah, Nancheng Group intends to cooperate with Yangming Electronics.”

Li Qinghao pointed at the computer screen and said, “Look at this.” The web page he had just browsed was not closed yet.

That was a report, including some people’s opinions towards Yangming Electronics. Someone said that Yangming Electronics was acquired a week ago.

“Mr. Li and Mr. Yang are good friends. Are you worried that Mr. Li would be involved?”

“I have met Mr. Yang once. He’s a responsible person, and his every decision is made after much deliberation. Although Yangming Electronics can’t compare with some large listed companies, it is highly profitable. If Yangming Electronics had really been acquired, there must be a very unusual cause behind it,” Li Qinghao explained. “I’ve asked Yinting to look into the matter. I believe that we will soon know the truth.”

“Mu Yinting?” Nancheng Lie was indignant at the thought of Mu Yinting, because that guy had once tried to hide Li Qinghao’s real identity from him. “He idles and does no decent work every day. I can’t understand why Yingli is willing to be with him. In my view, Yingli is such an excellent man.”

Hearing this, Li Qinghao crossed his arms over his chest and looked meaningfully at Nancheng Lie. “You are said to be a playboy. Do you know why I’m willing to be with you?”

Nancheng Lie flushed. “Because you love me.”

Li Qinghao sneered, “That is what we call ‘different strokes for different folks’.”

“Ah… Xu, you are so partial.”

‘We are a couple. How could you take sides with Mu Yinting?’ Nancheng Lie thought, feeling sad.

“Yep, I’m partial to the person on my left,” Li Qinghao admitted.

“Ah?” Nancheng Lie was dumbfounded. He didn’t expect Li Qinghao to admit so frankly.

Li Qinghao’s face softened and he smiled, “I’m partial to the person who lies on my left every night.”

Nancheng Lie was stunned for a moment, but soon he came back to his senses and yelled happily, “Xu, give me a kiss.” With that, Nancheng Lie lunged at Li Qinghao, held him closely and kissed him on the lips.

“Get away from me! Let me go!”

Li Qinghao’s angry voice reverberated in the study.

The next day.

Nancheng Lie and Li Qinghao woke up almost at the same time. Li Qinghao followed Nancheng out of the bed and headed to the bathroom to wash up.

“Why did you get up so early?” asked Nancheng Lie.

“I have to go to Mu Yinting.”

“Because of Yanming Electronics?”

“This is one of the reasons. The second reason is that I’ve decided to invest in his private detective agency. Yesterday I had a chat with him, and I’m now interested in being a detective. The long summer vacation is drawing near. I have to find something to do.”

“Are you serious?” It was not that Nancheng Lie looked down upon Li Qinghao. In his opinion, only ordinary-looking people could be detectives. But his Xu was extremely good-looking.

Li Qinghao smiled, “Yinting said that I’m too young to look like a detective, but this is my biggest advantage because no one would see me as a detective.” Nancheng Lie tried to speak, but Li Qinghao interrupted him. “Let it go at that. Can you drive me to the hospital first? I have to receive acupuncture and massage treatments today.”

Nancheng Lie drove Li Qinghao to the hospital. At the gate of the hospital, he looked at Li Qinghao with puppy dog eyes, hinting that he didn’t want to leave. Li Qinghao patted Nancheng Lie on the head tenderly and said, “Lie, you have to go to work. After all, I can only count on you now.”

Nancheng Lie’s lips convulsed uncontrollably. He obediently started the car again and drove away.

Li Qinghao quietly watched Nancheng Lie’s car disappear in the distance. He shook his head helplessly. ‘I know Lie is clingy. In the past, I didn’t need to sweet-talk him. But now I have to learn to speak honeyed words. I feel as if he were my little son,’ Li Qinghao thought to himself.