Rebirth, but baby, where are you?

Chapter 48

It took Qin Yu a long time to regain his composure. Still somewhat shaken, he walked over to Qin Huanxi’s side and carefully examined him from head to toe. Only after confirming that Qin Huanxi was completely unharmed did he breathe a sigh of relief and say, “I’m glad you’re okay.”

Qin Huanxi smiled: “Little uncle, I know my limits. Ning Shen wouldn’t really cause too much of a disturbance on the Qin family’s territory.”

Qin Huanxi hesitated, wanting to say more. These words were only meant to prevent Qin Yu from worrying and overthinking. The current Ning Shen was no longer the caring little uncle from three years ago. He didn’t know what Ning Shen had experienced after his death to become someone who looked so infuriating.

The current Ning Shen was unpredictable at best. Calling it “deep and mysterious” would be putting it nicely. In reality, he was truly moody and erratic. Qin Huanxi even suspected that Ning Shen had some kind of mental problem. Otherwise, how could he be so easily triggered? He had also learned to be clingy and unreasonable. The once aloof little uncle who disdained everyone and everything had long since vanished without a trace.

Qin Yu didn’t know his former self, so naturally he couldn’t understand Ning Shen’s intentions. He assumed Ning Shen was just trying to make things difficult for him. But Qin Huanxi understood clearly that Ning Shen’s actions just now were merely to test him.

Qin Huanxi suddenly remembered the incident where Brother Shui and his gang’s residence had been burned down. The police had been investigating ever since, and although they caught a suspect, many doubts remained unresolved. He remembered Mo Shaoheng’s strange expression at the time, clearly hiding something from him. Now thinking about it, could this incident be related to Ning Shen? Was the missing Brother Shui in Ning Shen’s hands?

“Huanxi!” Just as Qin Huanxi was lost in thought, Mo Shaoheng’s car finally arrived. He pushed open the car door and quickly walked to Qin Huanxi, gripping his shoulders tightly with both arms. His eyes were full of worry as he asked anxiously, “Are you alright?”

Qin Huanxi had never seen Mo Shaoheng so frightened and worried. His mood, which had been disturbed by Ning Shen, finally calmed down. He placed his hands over Mo Shaoheng’s and comforted him: “I’m fine. Ning Shen has already left. On the Qin family’s territory, he would still have some reservations and wouldn’t act rashly.”

Mo Shaoheng looked at Qin Huanxi and silently pulled him into a tight embrace, bending down to place several gentle kisses on his forehead. He hadn’t expected Ning Shen to be so bold as to follow them all the way from the Mo residence to here. He had tried to prevent Ning Shen from encountering Qin Huanxi, but ultimately his plan had failed.

Mo Shaoheng tightened his arms around Qin Huanxi even more, only releasing him after a long while: “I’ll drive you to school.”

Qin Huanxi nodded gently. He didn’t feel embarrassed by Mo Shaoheng’s somewhat uncontrolled display of intimacy. From the moment he decided to be with Mo Shaoheng, he had never thought of hiding their relationship. Besides, he and Mo Shaoheng had a connection from their past life, so even if he wanted to escape, he couldn’t.

“Little uncle, why don’t you come to school with me? It might help change your mood.” Qin Huanxi suggested. “I only have two classes this morning, and at noon we can have lunch with Shanshan and Su Yang. After lunch, I can accompany you for a walk around campus.”

Qin Yu thought for a moment: “That sounds good. I’d also like to experience the artistic atmosphere of T University’s music school.”

In his current state, he wasn’t suitable to go home and face people anyway. But when it came to T University’s music school, Qin Yu’s mood improved somewhat. Before deciding to go abroad, his greatest dream had been to get into T University’s music department. But plans could never keep up with changes, and in the end he had been a coward, fleeing from the troubles of the Qin residence.

“Then let’s go.” Qin Huanxi actively took Mo Shaoheng’s hand and gestured for Qin Yu to get in the car together.

Mo Shaoheng dropped them off at school and then left. It was clear that Mo Shaoheng had indeed dropped everything to rush over. Before leaving, he didn’t forget to remind Qin Huanxi not to leave the school, and that he would come pick him up after classes.

Qin Huanxi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. It seemed the unpleasant incident this morning had truly traumatized Mo Shaoheng. Because the other party was Ning Shen, Mo Shaoheng couldn’t help but worry. When it came to romantic rivals, people were always particularly sensitive. Whether man or woman, a romantic rival was like a thorn in one’s heart. The slightest touch would pierce the heart.

“Mr. Mo really cares about you.” Qin Yu finally believed that Mo Shaoheng truly cared for Qin Huanxi. He had seen intense affection and concern in Mo Shaoheng’s eyes.

For someone like Mo Shaoheng, only those he cared about could catch his attention. From the moment Mo Shaoheng appeared before them, his eyes had only held Qin Huanxi. Even until he left, Mo Shaoheng’s gaze had never lingered on anyone else. If this was caring, perhaps the word “love” would be more appropriate. Mo Shaoheng deeply loved Qin Huanxi.

Qin Yu suddenly felt a bit envious. Only now could he truly understand the profound meaning of “the observer sees clearly.” As an observer, he could clearly see Mo Shaoheng’s feelings for Qin Huanxi, which allowed him to more accurately assess Ning Shen’s feelings toward himself. To Ning Shen, he probably didn’t even count as someone he liked.

“Yes, so I’ve always trusted him!” Qin Huanxi nodded with a smile. “Little uncle, I need to go to class now. Just wander around campus and we’ll have lunch together.”

“Go ahead, focus on your classes. Don’t worry about me.” Qin Yu’s smile wasn’t as bleak as before. It carried some genuine warmth.

Qin Huanxi felt reassured. Holding his textbooks, he entered the academic building, believing that Qin Yu wasn’t as fragile as he had imagined. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to go to a foreign country alone all those years ago. When facing Ning Shen’s devastating emotional torment, he had only hidden away to heal, without losing his sanity or giving up on himself.

The two classes passed quickly. As soon as class ended, Qin Huanxi hurried out of the classroom. Just as he exited the academic building, he saw Qin Yu already waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs. Perhaps the artistic atmosphere of the music school had been therapeutic, because Qin Yu’s mood had clearly improved, and his smile was deeper.

“Shanshan and Su Yang are already waiting for us in the student cafeteria. Let’s hurry over.” Qin Huanxi said.

“Alright.” As they walked, Qin Yu said, “T University’s music school truly lives up to its reputation. Two hours of wandering wasn’t nearly enough to see everything.”

Qin Huanxi laughed: “Little uncle, if you have nothing to do this afternoon, feel free to explore T University more. We can go home together in the evening.”

Qin Yu indeed had this plan. Whether it was escapism or a genuine desire to appreciate T University’s scenery, only by staying in this youthful and vibrant campus could he feel at peace and slowly heal the wounds in his heart.

The feeling was like returning to his most innocent student days, when he was still that dreamer who only knew how to practice violin diligently. Nothing had happened yet. No Ning Shen, no grief, no love and hate. He could still wholeheartedly pursue his path as a performer.

Mo Shanshan and Su Yang were also happy to see Qin Yu. The four of them chatted while eating, having quite an enjoyable time. After lunch, Mo Shanshan and Su Yang could tell that Qin Yu was troubled, so they made an excuse to leave, allowing Qin Huanxi to accompany Qin Yu for a stroll around campus.

December in T City was already quite cold, so Qin Huanxi suggested going to the school café to sit. Qin Yu had the same idea.

“Little uncle, would you mind telling me about you and Ning Shen?” Qin Huanxi took a sip of coffee and asked.

He didn’t want to deliberately reopen Qin Yu’s barely healing wounds, but given Ning Shen’s attitude today, he obviously wouldn’t let Qin Yu go easily. And Qin Yu clearly still had lingering feelings for Ning Shen. Qin Yu needed an outlet for his emotions. Many things, when kept bottled up inside, only became heavier. Speaking about them could actually provide relief.

Qin Yu looked down, gently stirring his coffee with a spoon. After a long pause, he slowly began: “Ning Shen and I met in France last year. We were both invited to a banquet where I performed on violin. After the performance, he approached me to chat and expressed his appreciation for my playing. I was truly happy then—to meet him in a foreign land, and he understood violin very well. We talked enthusiastically and found each other very compatible.”

Qin Yu recalled the excitement and flutter of meeting a kindred spirit when he first met Ning Shen. That feeling still seemed to linger in his heart. What followed developed naturally. Ning Shen stayed in France for a long time, and they progressed from friends to confidants, quickly becoming lovers.

Qin Yu had struggled with it. Before meeting Ning Shen, he had never considered accepting a man’s affection. But the gentleness and happiness Ning Shen brought him made him fall deeply before he could refuse. In his entire life, aside from his deceased mother, Ning Shen was the person who had been most considerate and caring toward him.

“I even considered our future countless times. I didn’t care whether we could marry or not. Even if father would disown me after finding out, I didn’t care. I’ve been alone since childhood, and after mother’s death, I didn’t dare hope for warmth anymore. As long as I could be with him, I would have been willing to never return to the country.”

Qin Yu’s smile was full of bitterness: “I was so naive, so foolishly imagining a future with him. Only now do I understand that his future never included me, only that person who had passed away. I was merely a carefully crafted substitute for when he missed that person.”

Qin Huanxi silently lowered his eyes. He could understand the confusion and helplessness of someone awakening from a beautiful dream. When beautiful expectations turned out to be just a dream, that instant feeling of emptiness and loss could make one feel utterly hopeless. The beautiful dream would then become a nightmare.

Qin Huanxi said softly: “It’s not that you were too foolish, but that the dream Ning Shen wove was too real. So real that people didn’t want to wake up. But little uncle, you’re awake now. You can clearly understand the difference between dreams and reality. That means you didn’t wake up too late. There’s still time for everything.”

Qin Yu tugged at the corner of his mouth, his eyes full of desolation: “You’re right, I’ve awakened. But Huanxi, you don’t understand. It’s very, very difficult to forget someone. I’ve tried countless times. I even thought about hiding away alone until I completely forgot him. But I still can’t forget him. Even though he broke my heart, whenever I think of the happy times we shared together, my heart is still moved by him.”

Qin Huanxi didn’t interrupt, listening silently. What Qin Yu needed most now was to vent his bottled-up emotions.

“I think that villa he took me to was originally meant for Ning Xue too. Besides being in that villa, when I was touring the campus just now, I also looked up Ning Xue’s profile. No matter how many years pass, Ning Xue’s influence at T University has never faded. Calling him absolutely brilliant wouldn’t be an exaggeration. Not everyone has the courage to compare themselves to such a person.” Qin Yu took a sip of coffee, the light bitterness stimulating his taste buds, yet it wasn’t even one ten-thousandth of the bitterness in his heart.

Qin Huanxi wasn’t heartless, nor was he as unmoved as he appeared on the surface. But for Qin Yu, the true reality was even more cruel than Ning Shen’s pain, because Qin Yu could never imagine that the person sitting before him was the real Ning Xue.

Matters of the heart were unpredictable. They couldn’t be resolved with simple words about being suitable or unsuitable. But the current Ning Shen was beyond what Qin Yu alone could handle. Perhaps his death had indeed dealt Ning Shen a tremendous blow, creating Ning Shen’s crazy side. But Qin Yu was ultimately the most innocent party in all this.

“Little uncle, stay home during this period. Don’t think about anything. Only when both sides have calmed down can you better consider future matters.” Qin Huanxi could only offer such comfort. “By the way, I go to Uncle Mo’s house every day to tutor Xiao Yuan and teach him violin. If you’re interested, you can come with me.”

Qin Yu thought for a moment and nodded: “Alright, as long as Mr. Mo doesn’t mind.”

Qin Huanxi chuckled softly: “Even Su Yang often stays at the Mo residence. How could he mind you, little uncle?”

“That’s true. Since he’s already with you, theoretically I would be his little uncle.” Qin Yu also made a joke.

Qin Huanxi thought carefully. Mo Shaoheng seemed to be a few years older than Qin Yu?