Blinded by Lust chapter 37

To be completely honest, without a car, Wu Bie really felt like he’d be washed away by the rain. The windshield wipers were set to their highest speed, yet the rain still gathered into streams, pouring down the glass.

As soon as it rained, more cars hit the roads. A trip that normally took Wu Bie ten minutes stretched to forty due to the heavy downpour.

While waiting at a red light, he considered lowering the window to get some fresh air. However, as soon as the window went down halfway, raindrops eagerly rushed into the car.

“Damn it, it’s even blowing into the car,” Wu Bie cursed, slapping at the water on his leg. His gaze shifted to the rearview mirror, where through the misty rain, he noticed a motorcycle wedged between the steady stream of cars.

It’s not that Wu Bie was overly sensitive; it’s just that whenever he would see a motorcycle now, he would inevitably think of someone he didn’t want to remember. He glanced at the rearview mirror, unable to help but scrutinize the person on the motorcycle.

From the helmet to the riding gear, the rider was covered completely, making it impossible to tell if they were male or female.

It’s a man, it must be a man, Wu Bie thought to himself. If he didn’t harbor any delusions, he wouldn’t be deceived again; whether the rider was a man or a woman didn’t matter to him at all.

He wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but Wu Bie always felt like the rider was looking at him too.

Tsk…

He furrowed his brows tightly, unable to help but reassess the other person. The chances of it being Huo Zhanyan were very slim, but that didn’t mean it was impossible.

With a beep, a sudden honk interrupted Wu Bie’s thoughts. He looked up at the traffic light; it was already green. He had no choice but to start the car and leave. As he closed the window, he sneaked another glance in the rider’s direction. There were too many cars blocking the motorcycle in front; no matter who it was, they definitely wouldn’t get through the red light.

Once he thought it through, the frown on Wu Bie’s face slowly relaxed. He turned on the car stereo, and an old song played. His heavy heart quickly lightened.

As soon as he returned home, Chen Xian and Shen Jixue followed closely behind, carrying a lot of groceries.

“Why are you back so fast?” Wu Bie asked.

Chen Xian handed the bag to Shen Jixue and went to open the door. “I told you to come with me. The road from the company is already busy, and with the rain, it’s rush hour, of course, it’ll be congested.”

With a beep, the door was opened, Wu Bie and Shen Jixue followed Chen Xian inside.

“Sit for a bit; it will be ready soon.” Chen Xian took off his jacket, tied on an apron, and went straight to the kitchen, moving fluidly while leaving Wu Bie and Shen Jixue alone in the living room.

Wu Bie was still as comfortable as before, like it was his own home. He grabbed the remote, turned on the TV, and switched to a show he liked, sprawling on the two-person sofa, completely ignoring whether Shen Jixue was watching or not.

A humorous and chatty skit played, and Wu Bie laughed intermittently, seeming somewhat carefree.

It wasn’t until the commercial break that Shen Jixue found an opportunity to speak up, “Did someone dump you?”

Wu Bie froze for a moment, realizing Shen Jixue was talking to him. He felt a mix of surprise and guilt, retorting in a defensive tone, “Who the hell told you that? I’ve never even been in a relationship, so how would someone dump me?”

“What about that female college student you mentioned online?”

Wu Bie maintained a calm facade, but his heart raced. “I already said it was online; you all know it’s unreliable. Do you think I wouldn’t know?”

Shen Jixue silently scrutinized Wu Bie’s profile, as if trying to find signs of deceit on his face.

Wu Bie felt beads of sweat trickling down his back; he had to admit, Shen Jixue was incredibly observant, keen, and meticulous. If his expression was even slightly unnatural, Shen Jixue would spot the flaw.

After a long pause, Shen Jixue withdrew his gaze and said blandly, “If you so. But you came back early; that seems abnormal. It’s normal for Chen Xian to worry.”

This made Wu Bie feel a twinge of guilt. However, before he could respond, Shen Jixue adopted his usual sarcastic tone.

“I said you definitely weren’t deceived in an online romance; I told Chen Xian not to worry about it unnecessarily.”

Before Wu Bie could even feel touched, Shen Jixue’s true colors were revealed; he was purely waiting to see a joke unfold.

Wu Bie chuckled awkwardly, “Mind your own business.”

The verbal sparring didn’t escalate, as Chen Xian came out of the kitchen, saying they were out of sesame oil and needed to go buy some.

“I’ll go.”

Shen Jixue had just started to get up when Chen Xian stopped him. “Don’t go out. It’s pouring, and you still have work to do. I’ll go.”

What a letdown, Wu Bie thought, secretly criticizing Chen Xian. Since Shen Jixue wasn’t going, he wouldn’t join the commotion either. He even called out to Chen Xian.

“Then bring me back a pack of Li Qun cigarettes.”

Chen Xian replied with a “Sure,” took off his apron, put on a jacket, and headed out with an umbrella.

With work still pending, Wu Bie couldn’t understand why Shen Jixue was occupying the living room. He glared at him.

This time, Shen Jixue took the hint. “You watch your show; I have some things to take care of.”

Wu Bie watched Shen Jixue leave, making a gesture of disdain in his mind, as if anyone cared about him being there.

……

The rain was coming down hard, almost as if it would bring the sky down with it. Huo Zhanyan, riding his motorcycle, circled the neighborhood a couple of times, confirming that Wu Bie’s car had entered the parking lot. However, it was a bit troublesome for him to get in; both the front and back gates had access control, and there were security guards in the parking lot. Huo Zhanyan knew this type of community well; if he couldn’t provide a specific house number or the owner’s name, he wouldn’t be casually let in.

Moreover, he had only one chance. If he appeared suspicious, the guard would definitely raise an eyebrow, possibly leading to unnecessary trouble.

As the rain soaked through his clothes, just as he was at a loss, a familiar face appeared from the side gate. The person was holding an umbrella and moving quickly, greeting the guard before rushing into a nearby convenience store.

Chen Xian.

Huo Zhanyan hurriedly parked his motorcycle and waited under the bus stop sign, ready to move. When Chen Xian came out after shopping, Huo Zhanyan seized the moment and quickly followed him in.

As soon as the guard saw a stranger, he leaned out from the security booth. “Who are you looking for?”

“Chen Xian, the one who just went in.”

Indeed, the one who just went in was Chen Xian. Seeing that the person was decent-looking and didn’t seem like a scammer, the guard opened the gate while asking, “Are you relatives?”

“Yeah, he invited me to dinner with Wu Bie.”

Knowing that even Wu Bie knew him, the guard estimated that the person wasn’t lying. “You don’t even have an umbrella? It’s pouring, you’re soaked; hurry up and go inside.”

“Thank you.” Huo Zhanyan gave a grateful smile to the security guard and playfully called out, “Chen Xian,” before jogging forward.

Chen Xian probably heard some noise and turned around, only to see a tall figure running toward him through the rain. As the figure got closer, he realized it was a tall and handsome boy, but they didn’t know each other.

For some reason, the boy slowed down his pace. Chen Xian politely assumed he was a resident of the complex and smiled, saying, “Why aren’t you using an umbrella?”

“I was too rushed when I left and forgot to bring one,” the boy replied, his deep voice contrasting with his youthful appearance.

After taking a few steps, Chen Xian noticed the boy still beside him. Being the good person he was, he invited the boy to come in to escape the rain. “I’m in Building Seven. Which building are you in? I can walk you there.”

The boy didn’t refuse Chen Xian’s offer. “I’m also in Building Seven.”

“What a coincidence! I’ve never seen you before. Did you just move in?” Since they lived in the same building, Chen Xian thought it would be good to establish a friendly relationship. “I’m Chen Xian. What’s your name?”

“Huo Zhanyan.”

He was good-looking, and his name sounded nice too. When Huo Zhanyan got closer, Chen Xian was surprised; although he wasn’t short at 1.8 meters, Huo Zhanyan was still taller. What are kids eating these days to grow so tall?

Building Seven was just a few steps away. Before Huo Zhanyan could feel happy about it, as they entered the elevator, his mind suddenly went blank; he had to swipe his card and select the floor. Why were modern apartment complexes so complicated?

Chen Xian fumbled for his card to select the floor, then stepped aside to let Huo Zhanyan take his turn. Huo Zhanyan’s heart raced as he pondered how to concoct a lie when Chen Xian suddenly spoke to himself.

“Oh no, I forgot to buy cigarettes for Wu Bie.” Chen Xian looked apologetically at Huo Zhanyan. “I still have some things to buy, so you go ahead.”

Huo Zhanyan smiled slightly, nodded, and told Chen Xian to take care. As the elevator doors slowly closed, he finally felt relieved.

The elevator soon stopped, and Huo Zhanyan hesitated as he looked at the two doors. He guessed that Wu Bie likely lived on the same floor, but he had no way of knowing which door he was behind.

He moved a little closer and, through the door, heard the sound of a TV.

Whatever happens, I’ll just knock and see. Huo Zhanyan raised his arm and knocked on the door, hearing a familiar voice from inside.

“Open it yourself,” said Wu Bie.

Wu Bie, feeling irritated, wondered why Chen Xian wouldn’t open the door himself and was persistently knocking. When he heard the second knock, he reluctantly got up.

“Is your hand broken?” Wu Bie’s voice trailed off as he opened the door, his pupils dilating in shock. What the hell! How did Huo Zhanyan find his way here?

Could that person with the motorcycle earlier really have been him? But that didn’t make sense; even if he found the complex, there was no way he could get in.

The sound of the elevator ascending and the sound of the bedroom door opening coincided, and Wu Bie’s blood pressure rose with the elevator’s ascent, especially when he heard Shen Jixue’s voice.

“Is Chen Xian back?”

Wu Bie jolted, pulling Huo Zhanyan into the next room. As he shut the door, he thought he heard Chen Xian speaking.

“Hey? Why is the door open?”

The room was dark without lights. Wu Bie pressed Huo Zhanyan firmly against the door, signaling him not to make a sound.

With the faint light from outside, Huo Zhanyan could vaguely see Wu Bie’s shocked and angry expression. His forehead was tense, breathing quickened, and he was slightly sweating.