Chapter 35: 33
The following morning, in the cafeteria, in the hotel's lobby.
Xie leisurely sat at the table beside the translucent window. In one hand is his phone and in another hand is a cup of milk tea.
The lift opened up, and a man with a pair of slender legs came out with a steady step. He walked briskly into somewhere.
A tall man with dark-blue hair, reaching his broad midback, slowly approached Xie, who sat alone in the cafeteria.
The corner of his mouth is slightly curved. You can even sense his elated mood as the man almost skipped when he saw Xie from a distance.
Xie is waiting for the rest of his friends to come down. He had a cup of tepid milk tea on the table and a plate of fluffy pancakes for his breakfast.
"Xiya?" A low, magnetic voice sounded from behind him.
Xie lifted his eyes from his phone and turned around. A question mark appeared on his face. Huh? Who is Xiya?
He came to face with a man with a towering height, standing at 2 meters, one head and a half taller than him. His green eyes resembled the color of fresh celery, and they brimmed with unusual excitement directed at the dumbfounded Xie.
The stranger looked like a foreigner, and his slightly tanned skin made his gentle countenance look fierce at first glance. He wore a casual outfit that outlined his muscular stature.
Xie: "..." Me?
The stranger, whose smile gradually got wider, gladly nodded his head, affirming Xie's unspoken question.
They stared at each other for several minutes.
It is awkward. Xie didn't know how to respond to this situation.
The stranger's eyes initially looked cautious, but later they had a sliver of expectation within them, and his excitement overflowed once he confirmed Xie's identity.
"It is really you, Xiya!" The man excitedly said. He slightly bent his body and circled an arm on Xie's waist, bringing their body closer, chests stuck together in a compromising position that would surely make people suspicious of their relationship. His palm casually stroked Xie's nape, and another hand brushed his waist.
His action is way too casual as if not once or twice he treated Xie like this.
Xie is bewildered. His hands hang in the air, feeling restless, unsure whether to pull or push the man. They hugged for a while before the man released him.
Xie looked up blankly at the stranger. There was a whizzing sound inside his mind as his brain worked up in haste, trying to find any relevant information about this man that out of nowhere acted buddy-buddy with him. Unfortunately-
Xie: "...??!!!!" Nothing? There's no relevant information about this man. Why? Is he a minor character far less significant than cannon fodder? Is he a legendary passerby that appeared in only one paragraph from a whole story as a backdrop prop for the main character?
By the way, why did a stranger hug him out of the blue? Is today an anniversary of something? Free hug event? If not, how come someone can embrace you intimately like this without reason?
Oh no, his reaction is illogical. Right now, he should get angry. Isn't this sexual harassment?!
Wait, wait, since he came to approach him, this man must know him. Are they acquaintances? Are they not? How should he address him?
"Why did you look at me like that, Xiya?" The stranger tilted his head. "Oh."
The man leaned in again, and his handsome appearance magnified before Xie's eyes. Suddenly, he kissed Xie's cheeks and shamelessly licked him, acting like a homesick puppy.
Before Xie could do anything, the man had retreated, avoiding his furious smack. He grinned like a Cheshire Cat, which irked him up.
Xie hastily wiped his cheeks. He definitely felt a wet sensation on his skin. That kisses must have left some saliva imprint on his face! Eww!!!! So disgusting!
Xie warily scanned the man. His glare intensified.
"Who...who are you?!" He asked, still furiously wiping any trace left on his cheeks. No matter how hard he wiped it with his sleeve, he still felt something stuck there stubbornly, reluctant to part from his skin! "Isn't it impolite to kiss a stranger's face?!"
The stranger smiled innocently. He looked down at the man before his eyes. The corner of his lips imperceptibly rose as his gaze settled on two smudges of lips imprinted on his pale, white skin. They were not noticeable but still there to act as a reminder.
Xie felt his face get abnormally warm as embarrassment flooded his entire self. He immediately put a distance between himself and that stranger.
"Go away, you pervert!" He growled when the man tried to touch him again. "One step closer, and I will kick you out! Who are you anyway?!"
"Ouch, that's really hurt me. Xiya, how could you forget about me?" The man showed him a wronged look. He pretended to wipe invisible tears from his eyes. "I was your fiance's brother. Ethan." Ethan seemed to ponder for a while before adding, "It is more proper to say a former fiancee, instead?"
Xie: "...." Oh, god. He is beyond dumbfounded. Did the relationship between a brother and his sister's ex-fiancee were this good? Why did he act like he was the one who got engaged with him and not his sister?
Shouldn't he feel angry that a scum man like him annulled his engagement with his sister without a proper reason and even smeared their supposedly clean reputation?
Since he had introduced himself, a part of Xie's memory concerning his former fiancee had resurfaced.
Xie Winchester once had a fiancee. A duke's daughter, Maria Redcliff. And she did have an older brother, Ethan Redcliff whose three years older than Xie.
His relationship with the sibling was stale and lukewarm, neither hot nor cold. It was, after all, an engagement arranged by both parties to exploit beneficial benefits.
But, after what he did that night, where he forced Arthur to marry him, the engagement went annulled on the spot. Well, since the one who discovered him red-handed was his soon-to-be father-in-law and the Emperor.
His soon-to-be father-in-law's face was pretty ugly. His glares drilled into the back of Xie's head, wishing to drill a hole in him.
The girl married off to another Aristocrat's son, and their wedding was grander than ever as if to wash away the shame that Xie had smeared on their faces.
The Duke's family couldn't openly show their hatred, but what Xie had done had tarnished their reputation, and it was hard to whitewash it clean.
The nobles ridiculed the Duke's family openly or discreetly and gloated at their misfortune. They said his daughter undeserved the title of the prettiest girl in the country since the Second Prince rejected her for another man.
Isn't she pitiful because her fiance chooses to be with a man instead of a woman? Is her charm as a woman could no longer bewitch anyone? Is she that unappealing?
Since she got married, the Duke and his family relocated to another country. They couldn't bear the disdainful gazes of the other people.
"Pardon? Maria's brother?" Xie showed a puzzled look.
"Yes." The man eagerly nodded his head.
"What do you want?" Xie gave him a skeptical look. Why did this man approach him? Even acted intimately with him? Was it such a norm to promote such a gesture? He looked at him up and down. "If this about the engagement, me and Maria had peacefully settled that matter."
Ethan shamelessly sat across from him, still smiling.
"Why would I ask about your past engagement with my sister? Relax, Xiya. I'm not going to say anything about Maria."
Xie scooted backward. He looked uncomfortable when Ethan closed in their distance.
"Then...then why are you here? Are we that close for you to come and talk with me?" And even dare to hug and kiss him.
"I miss you. That's why." With a thick face, Ethan replied.
Xie: "....." Pardon? Did he mishear it? He missed who? Me?!
Xie shuddered. A chilling shiver ran down his spine. Goosebumps immediately erupted all over his skin. Creepy person alert!
A creepy man was sitting with me at my table, suddenly claiming he missed me when they were basically a stranger!
Xie wanted to bolt out of the cafe and ran back to his room.
Ethan knew what Xie was thinking about since he was the transparent type. An open-book kind of person. Everything he thinks will display on his face. How adorable.
"Oww, I'm not a scary person. There's no need to run away from me."
Xie went stiff. He gazed at him again with a wary look. Right now, Xie clearly distrusted him. Well, their relationship was stale, especially after the engagement broke up. But, they are also not familiar enough to be called a close friend. At most, they were acquaintances.
Before Xie could run away, Ethan had already blocked Xie's escape route. He pulled the man's chair, turned it around, and made Xie face him.
Ethan's arms rested on the armrest as he pressed forward, and he had slightly intruded Xie's personal space. The distance between them was far too close, and Xie disliked it.
Xie leaned into his backrest, putting a safe distance between them.
"I'm kidding, Xiya. Stop looking at me like that." Ethan patted Xie's head and his fingers, whether intentionally or not, smoothly trailed along the silky-like strands until they reached the end of his hair. Not once or twice, Ethan's cold fingers brushed over his neck.
Xie frowned. Ethan...must love to initiate skin contact with others. I let you off this once. Next time, I will hit you!
"What are you doing here, too far from your comfort zone, not within Arthur's domain?" Ethan looked around, and black lines creased his forehead. "Are you alone?"
Xie pursed his lips. He was reluctant to answer. Will he tell Arthur about his whereabouts?
Ethan waited for his answer, yet he got none.
Xie's eyes flickered here and there, his lips pursed out and an indifferent expression plastered on his face. Ah, I see. Ethan inwardly thought. He must be out here without Arthur's permission.
He had mastered Xie's aversion trick when he was unwilling to reply to some difficult questions. If it is easy, he would already blurt out an answer long ago.
"Are you running away from Arthur again? What did he do this time?"
Xie looked at him in disbelief. He unconsciously clenched his cup.
"Who...who said I..."
"If you did go somewhere this far, even courageously crossed the border, I think it is beyond Arthur's knowledge you are here, Xiya. You're not the type who is brave enough to wander into another country without someone you trusted. You preferred to stay inside your comfort bubble instead of venturing outside." Ethan sighed.
"I'm not. Who says I'm afraid to venture alone? I am an adult, not a kid." Xie snorted.
Ethan chuckled.
"Alright. Whatever suited you, Xiya." He glanced at Xie's simple breakfast. "Can I join you for breakfast?"
"You're already inviting yourself to my table," Xie said in a deadpan tone. "Why bother asking for permission?"
Ethan's hand moved again and brushed the stray curls on his forehead. His spring-like smile kept adorning his face.
"Thank you."
Xie scowled. He arbitrarily lifted his hand, wanting to smack away that hand that shamelessly played around with his hair. Before he could do that, someone had beat his turn.
Smack!
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