58 – That Person Is Not a God Either

Episode 58: He Is Not a God Either

He Yu stood in a corner, far from the entrance of the alley.

Thanks to that, no one paid him any attention.

The old alley, which was neither a cultural heritage site nor a social media hotspot, was teeming with crowds. All sorts of people were busy buzzing around with their phones held high.

A few hours prior. Xie Qingcheng had headed toward the Moyu River alley immediately after leaving the club.

At that time, Xie Qingcheng had returned by taxi.

Not only had he woken up late because he had spent the previous night having frantic sex with He Yu, but he had also gotten into an argument with He Yu over the club expenses. By the time he returned to Moyu River, it was already evening. Normally, this would have been the time everyone was eating dinner at home.

However, the entrance to the Moyu River alley was different.

When the taxi arrived near his house, Xie Qingcheng spotted police officers standing at the entrance of the alley. They were pushing back people who were taking photos and videos with their phones.

“I’ll have to drop you off here,” the taxi driver said, seeing that the road ahead was a one-way street.

“Then please let me out here. Thank you.”

The moment he paid and stepped his long legs out of the taxi, a bright white flash suddenly flickered before Xie Qingcheng’s eyes. For a moment, he thought he was experiencing [Read on Read BL Novels]a visit our sitebout of dizziness because his physical condition was a mess. Only later did he realize that the onlookers, blocked by the police, were taking pictures [Read on Read BL Novels]of him. He couldn’t understand why they were doing this when he wasn’t even a celebrity.

“It’s him!”

“Mr. Xie Qingcheng, could you tell us how you are connected to the control tower murder case?”

“Why did the culprit distribute videos of your past? Why you and no one else? Are you affiliated with the Qingkang Psychiatric Hospital?”

“There are allegations that you confined and molested a mentally ill woman at Qingkang Psychiatric Hospital; why aren’t you explaining yourself?”

“Xie Qingcheng, who do you think you are to insult Professor Qin Ciyan? Where else can you find a patriot like him! Do you have no conscience? Do you think you’re the only doctor in the world? Hurry up and get to jail!”

Xie Qingcheng had a rough idea of the situation before arriving. He had heard that due to the control tower murder case at Huzhou University, his family home had become like a pitiful small boat facing a storm. Someone had leaked Xie Qingcheng’s home address online, and everyone from internet BJs to ordinary pedestrians began flocking to the Moyu River alley like a school of piranhas smelling blood.

Setting aside the fact that paint had been splashed on his house, the neighbors had suddenly become collateral damage.

Aunt Li had rushed out and raised her voice. However, people filmed that scene and spread it online with the false claim that Xie Qingcheng’s mother was acting out.

To make matters worse, Xie Xue was pointed out as Xie Qingcheng’s mistress.

The video uploaders made a fortune in views thanks to this.

Later, as Xie Xue reported the incident to the police while sobbing, officers including Chen Man were dispatched. The police drove the onlookers out of the alley, and Chen Man personally sent a few who had caused severe disturbances to the police station.

Once some people were taken away, others stopped their rampage of [unauthorized copy]splashing paint. Yet, they remained stationed at the entrance of the alley until the end. Xie Qingcheng visit our sitewould surely return home. And yes, as expected, he had returned.

“Take the shot!”

“Mr. Xie Qingcheng, please look this way!”

“…….”

Fuck, you think I’ll look?

Completely ignoring the crowd, Xie Qingcheng slammed the taxi door shut as if a mob boss were arriving, and with a stern face, stepped past the police line and inside. The old, beat-up Huzhou taxi was suddenly upgraded to a supercar that had delivered a boss.

“Brother! Brother!”

The inside of the alley was unexpectedly quiet. Xie Xue, who had been sitting on the bench in front of the house, sprang up the moment she saw Xie Qingcheng. When a weight of forty-five kilograms lunged at him, his already aching waist felt as if it were about to break. Feeling the pain, Xie Qingcheng flinched and stepped back.

Normally, Xie Qingcheng would have not only caught Xie Xue with one hand but would have easily lifted her and spun her around a few times. When he couldn’t even handle this charge, Xie Xue looked up with reddened eyes, bewildered.

“Brother, what’s wrong? Do you feel unwell?”

“……No.”

Xie Qingcheng replied with a dry cough.

“I just lost my balance for a second.”

Chen Man also approached.

“Brother Qingcheng.”

The neighbors were gathered in the yard. From elderly grandfathers and grandmothers to uncles and aunts, they were waving fans to drive away insects, then focused their gaze on Xie Qingcheng as he entered through the gate.

Everyone was silent.

Aunt Li, wearing floral pajamas, was sitting under an old camphor tree and crying. Her slippers, put on the wrong feet, were dangling from her toes.

Xie Qingcheng held Xie Xue in his arms, patting his sister’s head and back as he looked around. Because the internet BJs had swarmed in to film videos, the alley, which had been old but elegant, now looked like a battlefield. Uncle Liu’s flowerpots were shattered, Auntie Zhao’s fence had collapsed, and the doghouse of the husky raised by the neighbor’s son was miserably destroyed.

As if still unable to believe the reality, the husky stood stupidly beside it. Wasn’t I the primary culprit who always broke the house? How could these people tear down my home more like beasts than I do? It looked as if the dog was thinking exactly that.

That was one problem, but the two houses situated side-by-side with Xie Qingcheng’s house had suffered an even greater calamity. Blood-red paint had been splashed everywhere, from the walls to the doors and windows. Insults like “Get out,” written in red lacquer, were prominent.

Possessing great psychological fortitude, Xie Qingcheng did not panic even in the face of such a sight. In fact, he wasn’t particularly shaken. After all, after what he had experienced last night, what more could possibly shake him?

He simply felt distressed at the thought that he had caused harm to his neighbors, and for a long while, he couldn’t find the words to speak. Looking at the neighbors gathered in silence in the yard, he finally opened his mouth.

“I am sorry for causing such a nuisance.”

The evening breeze swept bleakly through the yard. [unauthorized copy][Read on Read BL Novels]The loquat trees, the ivy, and the pajamas of the aunts and uncles swayed in the wind.

Soon, the silence was broken.

“Xiao Xie…….”

Grandmother Zhang spoke first.

Thinking Grandmother Zhang was calling Xie Xue, Xie Qingcheng did not respond. It had been a long time since he was called “Xiao Xie” by the neighbors. Everyone called the indifferent and accomplished man Professor Xie or Doctor Xie.

Come to think of it, he seemed to have been called Xiao Xie only during his student days.

Only after Grandmother Zhang staggered closer and gripped Xie Qingcheng’s arm with a hand like tree bark did he realize that the person she was calling was him.

“That, Xiao Xie. Don’t worry too much…… we left our phones at home. There are no phones here, so no one will take pictures of you recklessly…….”

Xie Qingcheng was momentarily stunned.

Only then did he see the tears filling Grandmother Zhang’s clouded eyes, along with her worry.

“It’s alright, child. Go home and get some deep sleep. The police are outside, so those people can’t come in anymore. We’ll clean the yard…… so don’t worry. It’s okay, it’s okay.”

“Yes, Xiao Xie. It’s alright.”

“Those are all ghosts wearing visit our sitehuman visit our siteskin. Don’t pay too much attention to those BJs [Read on Read BL Novels]or whatever they are.”

“That’s right. And our fence has been used for over ten years anyway. Since it’s broken, I’ll just replace it with a new one.”

“Brother Qingcheng, we can just change our doghouse to a bigger one. We bought it when he was a puppy, so it’s too narrow for him to sleep properly now anyway.”

Outside, Xie Qingcheng was emotionally numb. Verbal abuse was nothing. They were trash, less than dust, and not worth his attention. He didn’t even care to look at them. As long as no one was physically hurt, he could be at peace.

However, the moment he faced the neighbors he had lived with for over twenty years, he suddenly felt a heavy pain, as if something inside his chest had been torn open.

“……I am truly sorry. For causing such a severe inconvenience.”

He didn’t know what to say. Especially seeing the white orchids Uncle Liu grew in the yard trampled along with the shards of a broken pot, he felt he had no excuse.

He felt as if his own heart had been cut by a piece of porcelain. Looking at Uncle Liu, whose back had bent with age, he said:

“……Auntie Sun planted this long ago.”

Auntie Sun was Uncle Liu’s wife, who had passed away from lung cancer a few years ago. Having loved white orchids most in her life, she had planted this orchid herself over twenty years ago. Back then, Auntie Sun was a woman with a booming voice, and Uncle Liu was a middle-aged man with a straight posture.

The flowering tree, which had not broken under wind or rain for twenty years, had its waist snapped, trampled by the crowd that surged in this night.

Uncle Liu stared blankly at the growth rings of the broken tree. Each layer of the rings was a beautiful memory, a gentle ripple of his wife’s laughter.

Even the naturally blunt Xie Qingcheng found his emotions [visit our site]wavering at this point. Read on Read BL NovelsWhen he finally spoke after a long silence, his voice was slightly husky and choked.

“……Uncle, I’m sorry.”

“……Aigoo. It’s alright, Xiao Xie.”

Only after a while did Uncle Liu come to his senses; he approached using his cane and patted Xie Qingcheng’s back. It was the same touch as when he had worked at the steel mill and patted a young Xie Qingcheng with his large, tower-like hand.

“It’s alright, it’s just a tree. As long as the people are safe. No one was hurt, so it’s fine. The tree…… the tree…… we can just plant another one…….”

Having said this, Uncle Liu finally bowed his head and wiped away tears.

Who didn’t know that even if they planted another, it would no longer be the original tree? Just as the person who planted the tree was buried in the ground, the tree had also vanished forever, leaving only its fragrance.

Uncle Liu wiped his tears and tried to smile with his wrinkled face.

“You bought this tree at the flower market to give to Wan Yun. Your mother and father helped plant it too. Do you think I’m senile? I remember everything.”

“So, Xiao Xie. We’ve lived here for over twenty years; how could we not know what kind of person you are and what kind of people your parents were? No matter what they blabber about outside, you and Xiao Xue have us neighbors, so don’t worry too much. Understand? Hurry inside, wash up, and get some rest. You look like a total mess right now.”

“Yes, hurry and wash up. Look at your complexion. Ugh, if your parents were alive, they would have cried their eyes out from heartache…….”

Xie Xue, who had been looking at the neighbors with teary eyes while held in Xie Qingcheng’s arms, seemed overwhelmed by emotion and buried her face in her brother’s chest, bursting into tears.

Only after repeatedly [stolen content]apologizing to [visit our site]the neighbors did Xie [visit our site]Qingcheng take Xie Xue back into the house.

Chen Man and Aunt Li also stopped by their home.

Looking out from inside the house, the paint splashed on the windows looked even more gruesome, like blood.

“…….”

As Xie Qingcheng remained silent, Chen Man spoke from beside him.

“Brother Qingcheng, don’t worry too much. This will only last for a bit and will soon quiet down. Since those people committed trespassing and caused a riot, I’ve told my colleagues to handle them decisively. The police will protect you for a while, so nothing bad will happen…….”

Xie Qingcheng coughed lowly. His body was already aching, and it seemed a fever had set in. He was barely holding on with a body on the verge of collapse, but because the fluorescent lights in the house were dim, no one noticed his condition.

He took out a cigarette and was about to light it, but seeing Aunt Li, he put the lighter down.

“…….”

“Brother, what do we do now…….”

“Xiao Xie, there must have been some misunderstanding regarding Professor Qin, right? You…… you told us several times when you returned that you respected that professor. If someone like you said such things…… there must have been…… some reason, right?”

Aunt Li continuously wiped her tears.

“Couldn’t you explain it somehow? Hmm? That way, the people [Read on Read BL Novels]chasing and [Read on Read BL Novels]harassing you will disappear…….”

“…….”

“Xiao Xie, please say something.”

Outside the house was a night so thick and viscous it felt as if it wouldn’t melt.

Inside the house were the people closest to him.

With trembling fingers, Xie Qingcheng opened and closed the lid of his Zippo lighter. By the time the lighter flame had flickered on and off repeatedly.

Finally, he tossed the lighter aside and closed his eyes. A husky, tired, yet resolute and stubborn voice followed.

“No.”

“…….”

“I wasn’t exactly framed. I meant what I said. At that time, I didn’t like Professor Qin Ciyan, who shielded the mentally ill. To the point where my relationship with him completely soured. That’s why I said those things impulsively. I lacked foresight.”

“…….”

“But, Brother—”

“I’m not perfect, Xie Xue. Your brother is just an ordinary person. An [Read on Read BL Novels]ordinary person who feels fear and suffers from worry. My sister was still too young, [visit our site]and I witnessed the professor I respected pass away before my eyes. So, thinking I could no longer endure this medical system…… I was afraid, and I quit my job. That is the fact.”

A short silence followed.

Xie Xue spoke in a voice like a frail kitten.

“……Brother, are you saying you’ll hide the truth from us too?”

Xie Qingcheng was dazed for a moment. His pupils flickered as if ghosts were passing by one by one. Finally, he closed his eyes, lowered his head, pressed his brow with interlaced fingers, and spoke quietly.

“This is the truth. If you’re disappointed…… I’m sorry.”

The conversation of that night eventually ended in a long silence.

The other three also knew well that Xie Qingcheng was a stubborn man whose will could not be broken.

“There are thirty thousand yuan on this card. Please take this, Aunt Li. I will somehow compensate the neighbors for the damage. If it weren’t for me, those innocent people wouldn’t have been dragged into this.”

Xie Qingcheng added.

“I’ll handle the aftermath, so please just rest at home, Auntie. Don’t go anywhere far.”

“Xiao Xie…….”

Xie Qingcheng’s eyes looked exactly like his mother’s. [Read on Read BL Novels]Peach unauthorized copyblossom eyes that were the spitting image of Zhou Muying, and a resolute aura.

Aunt Li’s heart tightened.

She had been abandoned since birth and grew up as an orphan, and in her youth, she worked at a club in Huzhou, selling her body to old customers. Zhou Muying had come to investigate this young woman, who was called a dirty rag by others, while cracking down on prostitution establishments.

At the time, Aunt Li, Li Miaoqing, had sat in the interrogation room with a cigarette given by a policeman in her mouth, haughtily exercising her right to remain silent.

Yes, I’m that dirty rag, so what? Even if I’m caught this time, I’ll just sell my body again once I’m released. That was her attitude.

Then, Zhou Muying had replied like this.

—Li Miaoqing. I have no intention of putting a seventeen-year-old girl in prison. If you become a convict, you’ll carry that label for the rest of your life.

—I know you have no parents, no family. This is my business card. This is the phone number for our detective’s office, and this is my home phone. It’s my personal number.

—Contact me if anything happens. Before I am a police officer, I am a woman and a mother of two. I don’t want to watch a underage girl fall down this path.

—You can just call me Muying. Don’t call me Officer Zhou. I’ll help you, so don’t be afraid.

Back then, those sharp peach blossom eyes had looked at her in the interrogation room.

Li Miaoqing felt as if an earthquake had occurred in her body. The epicenter was her own heart, which was already in tatters.

Starting from that day, she became one of Zhou Muying’s many friends.

This relationship was very stable. Zhou Muying took care of this delinquent youth until the end. Out of pity, she would invite the girl to her home every holiday. Of course, there was no intention of looking down on her.

Later, when Zhou Muying and Xie Ping fell on hard times and couldn’t find a suitable place to live, Li Miaoqing looked for a second-hand house in the shantytown of Moyu River where she lived. In that way, the three became neighbors.

As over twenty years passed after that, Li Miaoqing completely stepped away from the dirty brothels. She became a seamstress who made cheongsams and sewed beautiful clothes for Zhou Muying.

And now. Li Miaoqing had reached an age where the hair around her ears had begun to turn white, and Zhou Muying had become a deceased person buried in the ground.

The last cheongsam she made for Sister Zhou was a shroud. She chose a dazzlingly beautiful silk and tailored the sleeves longer than a normal cheongsam to cover Zhou Muying’s severed arm.

Because she knew well that before Officer Zhou was a police officer, she was a woman, someone’s mother, and a wife.

Zhou Muying loved beautiful things.

She was more beautiful than anyone. She had such steadfast and bright eyes.

Now, it felt as if those eyes were looking at her, having grown old across the river of time.

“I’ve already been through everything in life, so this is nothing.”

At Xie Qingcheng’s resolute attitude, Li Miaoqing let out a sigh and finally remained silent.

Xie Qingcheng let Aunt Li and Xie Xue into the room.

Outside, the rain began to pour.

The night grew deeper.

Wearing a trench coat, he held two umbrellas and handed them to Chen Man.

“Go home early.”

“…Hyung, you’re not staying here tonight?”

Chen Man asked, sounding slightly surprised. Knowing Xie Qingcheng’s personality, he had assumed he would definitely stay by Xie Xue’s side tonight.

However, Xie Qingcheng had finally reached his limit.

His forehead felt as hot as if it were burning, and his body felt as heavy as waterlogged cotton. He felt a dull ache in a part of his body that he dared not mention aloud.

If Chen Man had been just a bit more attentive, he would have noticed long ago that Xie Qingcheng had been standing the entire time since returning home.

“Yeah. I have some things to take care of at school, so I’m heading back to the dormitory.”

“Then I’ll walk you.”

As Xie Qingcheng pushed the door open, the cool air of the autumn rain drifted in.

“It’s fine.”

Holding a large black golf umbrella and wrapping himself tightly in his trench coat, he walked out into the dark night.

He was at his breaking point. Cold sweat seeped across his back, and heat surged toward his head like a pump. His face felt hot, and his vision blurred. He felt as if half of his soul was slipping out of his body.

“But still…”

“I’m leaving. You worked hard today. Go home and get some rest.”

By the time he emerged from the alley, it was already past 2 AM. Even then, he saw people waiting outside in the rain. Xie Qingcheng marveled at their persistence. He called a taxi from inside the police line, and as soon as it arrived, he quickly folded his umbrella and climbed inside. The loud commotion and the barrage of camera flashes were all blocked by the car door.

The moment he entered the taxi, his strength gave out. He leaned back deeply into the rear seat and covered his eyes with his palm.

“…”

“Sir, where to?”

“…”

“Sir?”

Only after the young driver called to him stolen contenta second time did Xie Qingcheng snap [unauthorized copy]out of the burning dizziness.

In truth, given his current state, the right thing to do would be to go to a hospital.

But he absolutely did not want to go to a hospital. How on earth was he supposed to explain it to a doctor?

He intended to take what happened in the club room to his grave, even if it meant grinding his teeth and biting his tongue. How could he explain the cause of this fever?

I was a doctor too, after all.

I’ll just go back and take some anti-inflammatories.

Thinking this, Xie Qingcheng swallowed the word ‘hospital’ that had been lingering in his throat and gave the driver the destination.

“The staff dormitory at Huzhou Medical University.”

The taxi soon sped off, kicking up dust.

Because of this, Xie Qingcheng did not see Chen Man standing amidst the noisy crowd. The young police officer stood there for a long time, frowning with worry, before finally turning back into the alley and emerging again a moment later.

And He Yu, sitting behind the glass window of a 24-hour convenience store across the street drinking coffee, went even more unnoticed.

He Yu discarded his coffee, pulled his hat down low, and stepped out of the convenience store.