Evil Love Appears chapter 97

Fu Xiaoyu stared at the last sentence that Wen Huaixuan sent on WeChat. For a few seconds, his intuition told him that Wen Huaixuan’s words were probably not ordinary. But without thinking, he immediately replied with a single word: “Okay.”

This moment was probably one of the few times in his life when his emotions were so intense that he didn’t want to think at all. He didn’t want to be stuck here; he wanted to release his emotions, break free, and didn’t care where he went.

Wen Huaixuan only took ten minutes to drive over and pick up Fu Xiaoyu. His home was conveniently located on the other side of the Junya Park, in the North City District.

He was dressed as an alpha, looking sharp in a black shirt paired with a gray suit vest. He had clearly taken special care of his hairstyle, with his hair swept back, which might have been a bit much, but it added an air of elegance to his overall appearance.

“How was your rest today?” Wen Huaixuan asked softly as he drove. “Actually, this afternoon I wanted to ask if you’d like to have dinner together, but I remembered you said your family was coming to see you today, so I waited until after dinner to message you.”

“My stepmother brought my dad’s cat with her, and we had dumplings for dinner. Um… I also rested quite well,” Fu Xiaoyu replied while holding his phone in the passenger seat.

He was still immersed in a bewildering and directionless emotion and didn’t even ask Wen Huaixuan where they were going.

Wen Huaixuan was also unusually quiet.

The night view in the North City District was beautiful, with wide and quiet streets, and most of the shops on both sides were still open, brightly lit.

Fu Xiaoyu looked out of the car window, and it wasn’t until Wen Huaixuan turned into a street he rarely passed that he suddenly sat up straight. “Wait a moment, stop the car.”

Wen Huaixuan was taken aback but pulled over to the side of the road and turned to look at Fu Xiaoyu.

Fu Xiaoyu, with his beautiful round eyes, was staring blankly at something, and Wen Huaixuan’s heart skipped a beat, but before he could speak, he suddenly realized that Fu Xiaoyu wasn’t looking at him.

Fu Xiaoyu was gazing intently across the street through the rear window.

Wen Huaixuan awkwardly turned his head, only to see a storefront across the street named “Well of the Cat Hotel.” The sign depicted a cute cat paw, with a few lines beside it describing their services: Cat boarding, cat supplies, and cat grooming.

“Ahem,” Wen Huaixuan cleared his throat, trying to ease the awkwardness. “Xiaoyu, your stepmother brought her cat, right? Are you thinking of buying some toys or something? I can accompany you to check it out.”

“…No need,” Fu Xiaoyu remained silent for a few seconds before responding.

A faint, ambiguous expression flickered across his lips.

Well of the Cat Hotel wasn’t far from Fu Xiaoyu’s home in the northern city area. He might have passed by it several times without realizing it.

Of course, it wasn’t a particularly sentimental location. It was just an odd twist of fate that brought a strange sense of bitterness, almost overwhelming his underlying anger.

“Mr. Wen.”

When Fu Xiaoyu spoke, he suddenly realized that Wen Huaixuan had just called him “Xiaoyu.” This unexpected show of intimacy made him acutely aware that he had to ask.

“Why did you want to meet me today?” he said softly.

“Ah…” Wen Huaixuan hesitated for a moment and then spoke softly, “How about we go up the hill to talk later? The scenery is better there.”

Fu Xiaoyu shook his head, “Let’s talk right here.”

He understood that going somewhere special would have its implications, and that’s why he insisted on talking here.

Wen Huaixuan fell silent for a moment and then said, “Alright.”

With his fair share of dating experience, Wen Huaixuan had hinted at his intentions when he first invited Fu Xiaoyu. Now, since Fu Xiaoyu had agreed to meet him, he was filled with confidence.

However, at this moment, when Fu Xiaoyu refused to go to the prepared location, Wen Huaixuan began to feel an ominous premonition.

But they had come this far, and there was no turning back now.

Taking a deep breath, Wen Huaixuan turned to face Fu Xiaoyu squarely and spoke slowly, one word at a time, “Xiaoyu, I like you, and I mean it.”

“I think I’ve been quite obvious these days, but I haven’t said it directly. But during those days in Vietnam when you were sick and I was taking care of you, I knew I didn’t want to wait in ambiguity anymore. I really like you, I want to take care of you, I want to be your alpha. Can you give me a chance?”

Wen Huaixuan’s confession filled the car with silence.

He locked eyes with Fu Xiaoyu, and five, ten seconds passed with no response.

His heartbeat gradually quickened, and he waited nervously.

“Mr. Wen, I have a question.”

Fu Xiaoyu finally spoke.

However, instead of answering Wen Huaixuan, he asked seriously, “When did you start liking me? When we first connected on WeChat, we didn’t talk much, right?”

“Yes,” Wen Huaixuan replied, somewhat nervous, waiting for Fu Xiaoyu’s response.

“When we first connected, I just thought of you as a blind date introduced by my family… I didn’t take it too seriously. But after a while, one day you changed your WeChat profile picture to that photo of you smoking in the snow.”

But Fu Xiaoyu’s expression carried an indescribable feeling. He seemed to be gazing at him and simultaneously traveling to a mysterious place through his gaze.

Wen Huaixuan was getting nervous, and the pheromone scent of alpha in the car intensified as he explained.

“Do you still have that picture?” Fu Xiaoyu suddenly asked. “The one you mentioned.”

“Of course,” Wen Huaixuan took out his phone but was stopped by Fu Xiaoyu, who tapped his arm.

“No need, let’s get out of the car,” Fu Xiaoyu said, stepping out of the car first.

The cool autumn night breeze hit their faces. Fu Xiaoyu stood there, gazing at a 24-hour convenience store for a moment before entering.

Wen Huaixuan was still processing what happened when he saw Fu Xiaoyu grab a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from under the cashier’s counter, quickly pay for them, and then stride out to stand with him by the roadside.

“Mr. Wen, do you smoke?” Fu Xiaoyu asked, abruptly.

“No,” Wen Huaixuan shook his head.

“To be honest, I don’t smoke either,” Fu Xiaoyu said, smiling.

While saying this, Fu Xiaoyu lit a cigarette and held it between his lips, but he didn’t take a drag immediately. Instead, he asked, “Actually, I think that was the first time I smoked. It was Xu Jiale who taught me.”

Wen Huaixuan watched as Fu Xiaoyu slowly exhaled a puff of smoke, looking deep in thought.

“The photo you mentioned, it’s also a picture that Xu Jiale took of me.”

Fu Xiaoyu slowly blew out a smoke ring and stared at the passing cars on the street, continuing, “He taught me not to inhale the smoke into my lungs, just let it pass through the mouth. It’s not really smoking, is it?”

“It’s just a mood.”

Fu Xiaoyu narrowed his eyes, and just like that time in the snow, he took a rebellious drag from the cigarette, lighting it with a snap of the lighter before closing it.

“Wen Huaixuan, you probably didn’t like my previous WeChat profile picture. But that was the old me. Besides work, I had no life. I didn’t have any entertainment, and I had a distant relationship with my family. Besides Han Jiangque, I hardly had any friends, and I… have never experienced love.”

When Fu Xiaoyu thought back to that time, he didn’t actually feel sad.

Reflecting on the self who had always been tense, neither happy nor charming, he even felt a touch of tenderness in his heart.

That was the former, not very likable Fu Xiaoyu.

“So, the Fu Xiaoyu you fell in love with was actually…discovered by Xu Jiale.”

Wen Huaixuan looked at Fu Xiaoyu in astonishment, unable to speak.

At that moment, he didn’t know whether it was Fu Xiaoyu’s beauty that made him emotional or Fu Xiaoyu’s words that touched him.

His heart seemed to be sinking faintly, and only at this moment did the feeling of confession suddenly become uncontrollable, unlike any time before.

At this point, Fu Xiaoyu couldn’t help but tilt his head back and gaze at the dark night sky.

The wind blew the smoke back, making his eyes sting, and the smell of smoke lingered in his mouth, mixing with the desolate streets.

It wasn’t the light scent of the ladies’ cigarettes that Xu Jiale smoked; it was the bitter taste of stronger, more intense men’s cigarettes.

“Wen Huaixuan, thank you. Thank you for liking me.”

Fu Xiaoyu repeated his thanks twice.

He was sincere.

The love he had experienced with Xu Jiale had awakened in him a sensuality and beauty he had never had before.

That feeling was the most precious treasure in his life. And at this moment, he suddenly felt that he would never lose this treasure again.

What Xu Jiale had brought to him, the experiences in his life, had left permanent and indelible marks in his life.

Compared to what Wen Huaixuan had given him, it was too shallow.

“But I’m really sorry.”

Fu Xiaoyu put out the cigarette and, facing Wen Huaixuan, whispered, “I can’t give you a chance.”

Of course, Wen Huaixuan had already guessed.

But when he heard it, he was sadder than he had imagined.

It was absurd; his affection for Fu Xiaoyu had unexpectedly reached a new peak at this moment.

“Damn it.”

Wen Huaixuan muttered to himself, not in anger but in frustration.

This was unusual; he usually spoke eloquently and politely, never using profanity.

When he looked up again, he felt a slight soreness in his nose. He awkwardly touched his own hair and said with a muddled mind, “I’m not cursing at you, not expressing any displeasure, Xiaoyu. I mean, I understand, I get it. It just takes some time to accept this. Should I… should I take you back now?”

“Okay.”

Fu Xiaoyu hesitated to speak but felt that saying more at this point would be meaningless.

He had already walked with Wen Huaixuan to the car, but when he saw the Well of the Cat Hotel across the street, he stopped in his tracks.

The bitter scent of smoke still lingered in his mouth.

At the same time, he felt a hidden anger surging.

The love he had experienced from Xu Jiale made it difficult for him to accept any seemingly good relationship hastily.

But the one who had given him that love was a coward.

Xu Jiale, the coward, had left the deepest mark on him.

The suppressed emotions that Fu Xiaoyu had been struggling to hold back seemed to become even more unpredictable because of the recent conversation and the cigarette.

After many days of separation and endurance, he had not shown any signs of pain to anyone. But now he had had enough. He didn’t want to endure anymore.

“Wen Huaixuan, you don’t need to drive me back.”

In almost an instant, Fu Xiaoyu made up his mind. He pursed his lips and spoke softly.

…

When Fu Xiaoyu’s call came, Xu Jiale was in the hospital room, receiving an IV and talking to Jin Chu on the phone.

“What do you mean? Explain it more clearly,” Jin Chu’s voice sounded a bit annoyed over the phone.

“I mean my father’s surgery is over now, and it’s time. I want to have a proper conversation with you.”

“We can talk now.”

“No,” Xu Jiale said quietly. “I don’t mean just a casual chat. I want to sort out everything between us, from finances to custody, and even how to explain the divorce to Nanyi. So I think it’s best to have lawyers present for both of us.”

“Xu Jiale, you…” Jin Chu on the other end of the phone seemed to be taken aback. For a moment, he fell silent as if at a loss for words.

“Jin Chu?” Xu Jiale urged.

“You want to bring lawyers?” Jin Chu’s voice became even softer. “Can’t we just talk?”

“Yes, we’ll each bring lawyers,” Xu Jiale said. “This way, neither of us will feel uneasy, and…”

Xu Jiale’s voice suddenly trailed off.

He was holding the phone, staring blankly at the caller ID on DingTalk.

It was Fu Xiaoyu.

Fu Xiaoyu!

“Jin Chu, something came up. I’ll talk to you later.”

Xu Jiale was lost in thought for two or three seconds and then quickly hung up Jin Chu’s call. He urgently pressed the answer button on the DingTalk call.

“Where are you?”

The omega on the other end of the phone didn’t greet him and just asked bluntly.

“I’m at Renxin Hospital. Xiaoyu, I’m at…”

Xu Jiale felt his throat go dry but was abruptly interrupted.

“Come out in ten minutes, in the parking lot.”

“Xiaoyu, I’m on an IV right now. Are you at home? I’ll come over right away.”

Xu Jiale had barely finished speaking this whole sentence before he realized that Fu Xiaoyu had already hung up the call.