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HMPS: Chapter 12

The smooth glass of the mirror shattered and scattered through the air.

In the midst of the loud noises that were accompanied by dull impacts, the reflections elongated by the light swayed chaotically.

The sudden eruption of movement in the bathroom quickly attracted the attention of the surrounding employees.

The sound of hurried footsteps came one after another.

Arguments and fights were all too common in a place filled with alcohol and hormones.

However, the identities of the two protagonists who fought tonight still started the employees who came to break up the fight.

Interesting people heard the movement and came out of the box to watch the excitement.

The same was true of the box where He Qiao’s friends were.

They were feeling curious about the noise at the end of the corridor when they suddenly realized that the position in the center of the sofa was empty, like losing the brilliance of the moon.

Three people left the room.

They never came back.

The well-dressed young people suddenly quieted down and looked at each other.

This party, which was originally used to announce happiness, ended in secret whispers.

An unusual breath floated in the late night air.

Someone glimpsed Fang Shier’s bruised and mottled face when he was helped by an employee to leave. He completely lost the decency and dashing appearance he had when he came.

In comparison, He Qiao’s situation looked much better.

At the very least, a close lover tended to his wounds, not a cautious employee.

In a box specially vacated for He Qiao, the colored lights and screens were dimmed while a well-stocked first aid kit was placed on the coffee table.

Chi Xueyan skillfully disinfected the small wound on a corner of He Qiao’s forehead without the slightest panic.

He had watched his father Chi Zhongyuan train students since he was a child and later became a dentist who saw blood every day. Such scenes could only be regarded as commonplace.

Then he looked down and saw He Qiao’s bloody right hand. He couldn’t help sighing sincerely. “I would rather this be syrup.”

He Qiao stretched out his hand cooperatively without a trace of pain on his face. He apologized for the emotions implied in these words. “Sorry.”

Chi Xueyan shook his head. He inspected the wounds on the hand very gently and used tweezers to remove the fine glass chips.

He Qiao and Fang Shier had smashed the mirror next to the sink when they fought. The sharp glass shards had cut their hands and splashed across their foreheads.

Fortunately, the wound wasn’t deep and didn’t hurt the artery. It looked tragic but it was mostly just superficial scratches. The bleeding quickly stopped.

Unlike him, who had received a professional education in fighting, He Qiao didn’t know the most efficient and labor-saving places to strike that could quickly make people lose their ability to resist.

In his smooth and bright life, there was no chance or need to fight with others.

Thus, he just waved his fists at Fang Shier in a disorderly manner, filled with strong anger. This was completely different from his usual meek and easygoing self.

There was no hesitation or pauses even when the sharp mirror pieces pierced his skin and blood gushed out.

At that moment, Chi Xueyan almost had an illusion.

The person in front of him seemed to really love him deeply.

In the blood-red world that was spinning around, shards of glass scattered in the stainless steel tray shimmered in the light.

After disinfecting the wound, Chi Xueyan restrained his thoughts and carefully bandaged the other person.

“I just did a simple cleaning. It is best to go to the hospital for another checkup. In addition, I don’t know if there will be any scars. You can go and get some scar medicine prescribed.

Chi Xueyan let go of his hand and turned to tidy up the first-aid kit.

He Qiao looked at his properly bandaged right hand hovering in midair and didn’t speak. His expression was as gentle as usual.

It was just trivial things that didn’t matter.

A moment later, they walked out of the box together.

Unlike Fang Shier, who was hit hard by Chi Xueyan initially, He Qiao had the upper hand in the fight and didn’t need anyone to help him. There was just his hand hanging by his side that was covered with bandages.

Not far away, there were still friends who had attended the party.

One of the young men noticed their appearance and quickly left the group. He ran over with a concerned expression, the gold necklace around his neck was shaking wildly.

Obviously, this astute nouveau riche who had just entered the circle had found another opportunity to repair his relationship with the second young master of the He family.

No one doubted this.

“Brother, how are your wounds?” Chen Xinzhe hurriedly came up to him. “Do you want me to take you to the hospital?”

He Qiao ignored him and left this place with Chi Xueyan.

Chen Xinzhe didn’t give up. He closely followed the two of them and seemed to still be looking for an opportunity to get closer.

The doorman drove the red sports car to the door. Chi Xueyan took the keys and consciously took on the role of a driver.

He Qiao definitely wasn’t suitable for driving at the moment.

As He Qiao got into the front passenger’s seat and closed the door, Chen Xinzhe persistently followed and leaned against the window.

At an angle that other people couldn’t notice, his words became a bit more sincere.

“Brother, are your hands okay? Is this okay?”

He Qiao looked at him sideways. His tone had returned to his previous calm. “It’s okay. It is just a scratch.”

It was only then that Chen Xinzhe sighed with relief. His previous eloquence faded away and he said sincerely, “That’s good. I was scared just now. I didn’t expect you to fight.”

Chi Xueyan listened quietly and didn’t show any surprise.

It turned out that He Qiao didn’t just lose to Chen Xinzhe on purpose.

The two of them knew each other before.

Chen Xinzhe saw He Qiao’s undisguised reaction in front of Chi Xueyan and immediately realized that their relationship must differ from their appearance.

An impatient horn sound came from the car behind them. The young man playing the role of a nouveau riche handily seized the time and said quickly, “Brother, I think I should give a marriage gift. Shall I change it to 2:8 this time?”

“No need.” He Qiao smiled and withdrew his gaze. “Just do it as usual.”

Chen Xinzhe was no longer polite when he heard this. He showed a mouthful of white teeth and smiled frankly. “Okay, thank you Brother. Happy marriage, I wish you a hundred years of a happy marriage!”

He stepped back smartly and waved to the two of them. He watched the sports car drive away and put on the appearance of a slick person again.

The wind of the summer night whistled.

Chi Xueyan held the steering wheel and asked his lover next to him, “Did He Xiao buy the car that you lost to that person?”

He Qiao responded, “Yes.”

Then the thing he lost to Chen Xinzhe last time was naturally the same.

He was quietly exchanging gifts in the name of favor, borrowing other people’s hands and quietly exchanging them for weapons he might use.

Chi Xueyan stopped asking. He stared intently at the road ahead, his eyes full of the colorful night lights.

He suddenly felt that He Qiao beside him was much more villainous than him.

The flame-red sports car stopped outside the villa.

Chi Xueyan turned off the ignition and asked him with a side glance, “Logically, should I send you in and explain what happened to Uncle and Aunt?”

“It is late. Drive back and rest.” He Qiao shook his head. “I’ll explain it.”

Chi Xueyan guessed that this person probably already had a plan and no longer insisted.

He Qiao pushed open the door with his left hand. He was about to get out of the car when his movements paused slightly and he looked back.

“I knew he would bring Chen Xinzhe.” He Qiao spoke honestly, as if apologizing. “I just didn’t know his purpose was you.”

“I didn’t know you would fight him either.” Chi Xueyan’s tone was casual. “Then we can be considered even?”

Hearing his relaxed tone, He Qiao was silent for a while. He stood next to the car and asked softly, “Do you mind if I use this matter as an excuse?”

This question made Chi Xueyan laugh.

He looked at He Qiao’s tightly wrapped right hand and said sincerely, “You shouldn’t be able to peel nuts for a while.”

Apart from his parents, who peeled and fried chestnuts for him when he was young, He Qiao was the first person to do so.

A mellow and rich aroma seemed to be between his lips and teeth.

“Remember to call someone to pick up the car.’ Chi Xueyan restarted the sports car, waved at him and said goodbye in a pleasant manner. “Have fun.”

He Qiao quietly watched him go away.

He walked into the house and the first thing he heard was Sheng Xiaoyue’s exclamation, “Hey, what’s wrong with your hand? Where did you hurt it?”

“It is a small injury. It is nothing.” He shook his head in an expressionless manner. “I accidentally got it.”

Next, he said a curt goodnight to his mother and went straight into his room. It seemed he wasn’t in the mood to talk about his wounds.

It wasn’t until the next day that Sheng Xiaoyue learned about what happened last night from He Xiao.

She knocked on the door of her son’s room in a worried manner. “I called the doctor. Let him look at your hand, okay?”

He Qiao opened the door. He didn’t seem to be in good spirits as he refused, “Xiao Chi has already helped me deal with it. It is just a small injury.”

“I forgot, Xiao Chi is also a doctor.” Sheng Xiaoyue’s heart relaxed a bit and she took the opportunity to ask, “Xiao Chi wasn’t injured yesterday, right? I heard he fought as well.”

“He’s fine.”

“That’s good.” A layer of anger appeared in Sheng Xiaoyue’s beautiful eyes. “I already told your father that this kid was really messy. However, I thought you had a good relationship…”

“Mom, it is useless.” He Qiao interrupted his mother’s innocent words and smiled bitterly. “There is no point at all if you help me teach him a lesson.”

Sheng Xiaoyue looked up blankly at her son, who seemed to have matured a lot overnight.

“In their eyes, I am He Huali’s son and He Xiao’s younger brother, not He Qiao.” There was a gloomy air in his voice. “No one really respects me. It is because I am nobody without all of you.”

“Mom, I should grow up. I can’t keep messing around like before.”

He finally said, “I want to be He Qiao, He Qiao without any prefixes.”

In the suddenly still air, the layers of gauze around his hand were submerged in the sun. It was like dazzling white snow with faint red marks oozing from the depths.

Both love and hate had the power to change a person.

In this moment, he chose love as the most appropriate catalyst.

That evening, He Huaili once again rarely came home early and the family of four had dinner together.

He Huaili wasn’t surprised by the changes in his youngest son after the flash marriage. This was human nature.

“There are two ways if you want to come to the company,” he said calmly. “One is to take a position at group headquarters. It is easier to observe and learn from the executives.”

“The other is to start from a basic position like your brother, rotating between different departments and start from the bottom up to get familiar with the business.”

Once he finished speaking, He Qiao replied without hesitation, “I choose the second one.”

His expression showed obvious seriousness and firmness, which made He Huaili feel quite gratified. He was about to remind He Qiao of what hard work it was when the observing He Xiao interjected.

“Dad, I have a suggestion.”

The other three people looked over and He Xiao continued talking with his usual expression. “If you start from the bottom like me, each step is more solid but the process is too hard. In particular, the company’s current situation is different from that time. The business scope is much larger and the things learned from the job rotations are too specific. This isn’t suitable for you.”

He Huaili didn’t speak and patiently listened to his older son’s thoughts.

“Of course, it isn’t appropriate to hold a post at headquarters. This is contrary to He Qiao’s original intention. He wants to do things steadily.” He Xiao glanced at his younger brother across the table and asked with a smile, “Are you interested in advertising and marketing?”

He Huaili instantly understood what he meant and frowned slightly. “You want to hand over the media business to him?”

The Wanjia Group had an independent subsidiary, Wanjia Media. This company was mainly in charge of the advertising and marketing business of various catering brands in the group. It had been managed by He Xiao previously and was running well. It had a good reputation with the outside world.

“It is a young industry and what is needed is passion and energy. There shouldn’t be too many rigid rules and regulations,” He Xiao said. “I also have many jobs right now. It is a good thing if He Qiao is willing to get in contact with these things.”

He Xiao’s tone was serious as he looked at his father, who was in deep thought. “Dad, you should trust him more and let him do it.”

Sheng Xiaoyue was really happy. She saw her son’s faintly surprised expression and persuaded him, “Huaili, I think He Xiao is right. You should let him try it. It is rare for him to make up his mind and his brother will definitely teach him well.

Her oldest son, who wasn’t related to her by blood, had always taken good care of this half-brother.

This was a lucky thing for a restructured family.

After dinner, He Qiao found He Xiao alone.

He hesitated to thank his brother. Then he said bluntly, “Brother, I didn’t expect you to directly let me manage a company.”

He Xiao stood by the window. He watched the gardener watering the flowers through the glass and answered gently, “I really am too busy. You should believe in your own ability.”

In the dim light, crystal water droplets fell loudly, drenching the deep and shallow branches, leaves and petals.

He didn’t look back. Therefore, He Qiao stared at his back, took a deep breath and said, “I’ll try not to screw up.”

“You won’t mess it up.” He Xiao smiled and turned to chat with him. “I see that the garage is empty. Where did your car go?”

He Qiao’s movements froze. He deliberately shook his right hand that was still wrapped in bandages and said in a low voice, “Xiao Chi sent me back yesterday and drove home. I will pick up the car another day.”

He Xiao thought, ‘I wasn’t asking about that car.’

However, he didn’t say it.

His mediocre and stupid younger brother never let him down.

“By the way, Brother.” He Qiao remembered something and abruptly changed the subject. “I remember you said that the company has expanded a lot recently and you plan to change the office location?”

He Xiao finally turned to look at him and there was laughter in his tone.

“Yes, it is up to you to decide this.”

Outside the glass window, flying water droplets gradually soaked the root system of the plant.

The increasingly colorful petals swayed in the evening wind.

It was another busy working day.

In the afternoon, Chi Xueyan finished eating and took a nap in the office. He was woken up by the alarm clock and prepared to work in the second half of the day.

He got up, still a bit dazed. He planned to wash his face to sober up.

Chi Xueyan was passing by the window when his footsteps stopped.

There was a sudden change that took away the sleepiness hovering in his mind.

The road outside was still full of traffic and pedestrians passing by.

Directly opposite him, the long-hanging advertisement for rent on the exterior wall of the brand new office building was gone.

The eye-catching advertisement was removed, revealing the original color of the walls. The closed windows reflected the dazzling daylight.

In this brilliant light that had the right temperature, a wonderful hunch suddenly rose in Chi Xueyan’s heart.

He stood at the window and took a photo. Then he sent it to He Qiao, attaching a seemingly ordinary message.

[Shahryar: The expensive office building across the street from the clinic has been rented out.]

A minute later, two notification tones sounded one after another.

[Little Eleven: The price can be negotiated. It isn’t too expensive.]

[Little Eleven: This location is more convenient to come and pick you up by car.]

His hunch came true.

In astonishment, Chi Xueyan noticed He Qiao’s profile picture.

In the chat interface, the small square on the left was a large area of gorgeous, sunset red clouds. It seemed to have been taken casually at dusk.

It seemed to echo the azure sea surface of the small square on the right.

It wasn’t like this before.

However, he couldn’t remember what He Qiao’s last profile picture was.

Chi Xueyan stared at the different shades of red. A few seconds later, he smiled and his fingertips touched the screen.

The signal traveled through the hustle and bustle of the city and quietly swam into the palm of his lover.

[Shahryar: Well played.]

The author has something to say:

A kiss with the smell of signals ~3~

Comment

  1. Suzy says:

    I have no idea what the relationship between He Qiao and Chen Xinzhe is. It went over my head.

    Beyond not being able to say no???? Some kind of trade off? I’m so confused.

    But I’m glad that he got rid of one scumbag and can use this point to start doing what he wants to do. So cute! Both of our MCs are just so cute together.

    Thank you for the update!

    1. White Lily says:

      It doesn’t go into too much detail but He Qiao uses Chen Xinzhe to get rid of things his brother gave him and keep up his foolish image. Meanwhile, Chen Xinzhe can sell these things for money and split the profits with He Qiao.

      1. Mndless says:

        Ah, that’s a fairly clever way of accruing start-up investment capitol without directly asking for it from his family. It is still a bit suspicious, though, and his brother seems to have picked up that something is off. By this point in time, though, He Qiao should already have his plans far enough underway that he won’t be bothered even if his brother does figure it out.

        1. Suzy says:

          Thank you both for answering. It makes so much more sense now. :3

          The concept of it starting all from the og!hq and part of why he had such a bad end (cause it was hinted at). I need more of their past, both the original and our ML. The mystery continues.

        2. mors says:

          Ah it isn’t that the brother is suspicious of him selling it is that he is looking down on him because he knows that he lost the car in a bet and thinks that hq doesn’t disappoint with his foolishness

          1. Haruka says:

            Somewhere in previous chapters we got a glimpse of how his brother look down on him and ignores little details , He Qiao already said that his brother look down on him and justify his slip ups himself, he is blinded by prejudice he don’t think of his brother as his enemy

  2. Mndless says:

    They’re cute with their high-IQ tacit understanding of each other.

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