𝐷𝑒́𝑝𝑎𝑦𝑠𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡「LCF x MDZS」

Chapter 80 - 『The Thoughts That Crept From Within Your Addled Mind』

The days that followed that were like everyone around him walking on thin eggshells.

Everyone couldn't perceive how to deal with his mood, even with the help of Jiang Yanli and Wei Xun.

'Something has changed.'

And Jin Guangyao befriending Jiang Cheng signifies that change.

Deep in his thoughts, Jin Zixuan didn't notice that they had already arrived at the place where Jin Ling's party will be held tomorrow until Jiang Cheng had call him out of his trance.

"You can leave those on the floor. Go back to Shijie and your son."

Jin Zixuan blinked at the coldness of his tone before nodding briefly.

"Yes...don't tire yourself too much."

Jiang Cheng never answered him then, just simply scurrying away to keep himself busy.

"Well, I'm glad that the two of you are now friends." Jin Zixuan added a comment then before leaving the room.

Jiang Cheng just scowled at the word that was used, making Jin Guangyao see his expression before gasping.

"How cold, Cheng Cheng." Jin Guangyao says the moment his half-brother was nowhere out of sight.

"Do not try my patience, Lianfang-zun." He says as he dropped the box intendedly, creating a loud thud that echoed throughout the pavilion.

Jin Guangyao do want to test his patience, so he spoke, "Right, noted. Only your martial brother, Wei Wuxian can call you that."

The next moment Jin Guangyao blinks, a purplish hue was threatening to strangle him on his neck.

It was Zidian.

"Jin Guangyao."

Friends? What a load of bullshit. He would rather kill himself than be in the same category of friends with this man.

"Aiya. I yield, I yield, Young Master Jiang."

Jiang Cheng clicked his tongue out of annoyance before taking Zidian back, the ring crackling a purple lightning before it calmed down.

Then again, Jiang Cheng does not have the time to be conversing with the likes of him.

"Just leave me alone."

He does not have the need to want a person to pity him when he's already furious with Wei Wuxian.

"If you say so, I will be back later dear friend."

Jiang Cheng just wanted to kick him in his shin at this moment.

"Get lost!"

And Jin Guangyao did get lost, deciding not to loiter around this fuming punk.

Jiang Cheng sighs, before lightly kicking the boxes of decoration beside his feet.

He regretted it soon though.

He kneeled, attempting to ease the crease he made to the poor box before giving up.

He just muttered a small sorry to it.

"Jiang Cheng."

At the sound of his name being called, Jiang Cheng stood straight abruptly making his head spin from the sudden movement. He stumbled considering his legs came numb from squatting so long that he had to lean to the person who called him.

"Don't stand up immediately, you idiot."

It was geㅡWei Xun.

"I understand so please let go of me." He says after he calmed himself.

When Cale had tried to reach for the arm that forcefully tore itself from the redhead's hold, he wanted to hold it down firm but Cale knew he's not strong enough to do it.

"Jiangㅡ"

"Please leave me alone."

That's it?

He didn't bother to call the older by his endearment, gege? What's more, Jiang Cheng does not even dare to look at him in the eye.

"Tell me what happened."

Of course the only probable cause of his behavior is because something had happened without his knowledge.

Something always happen with him being like that. And it irks the redhead in every possible way he knows.

"Jiang Cheㅡ"

"I said leave me alone!"

There was a small, purple spark that ignited between the two of them, making Cale flinch in pain and his hand recoiled in instinct.

Jiang Cheng's pupils shook with fear, he could smell how foul the burn he inflicted on him.

"Iㅡ!"

The younger forced himself to stop, to stop reaching out to the redhead out of fear.

And Cale could see this, but he didn't push on.

If he doesn't want to talk about it, then he won't force him.

The hand that was about to reach out to him earlier fell on the sides of Jiang Cheng, his head lowered as if he was ashamed of himself.

"You were asking what happened, was it?"

When Cale was about to say yes, Jiang Cheng did not bother to let him speak.

In fact, he doesn't want the older to speak at all.

"It was suffocating. Everything is."

'What is?' Cale wants to ask, but he forced himself to shut up and let younger pour his feeling out.

Cale knew that Jiang Cheng does not want any comfort at the moment.

He knew, because he was also like that. He still is.

"It was hard that I looked like I was the only one who was holding to something I thought is tangible, and the moment I woke myself up, everything shattered."

Cale's heart thumped roughly against his chest, the incantations tattooed in his neck started to spark a small wave of pain.

"I was the only one who was trying to salvage of what was left between the three of us."

Cale's lips quivered, 'No...it's not like thatㅡ!'

The pain in his neck intensified as his emotions grew rampant, his body froze in retaliation to at least hide it away.

'See? Even when you are agonizing, you won't let anyone know.' Jiang Cheng had thought before continuing his statement.

"When I realized that I was the only who was trying to make an effort, I let go."

Cale couldn't help himself but answer, "You weren'tㅡ! I didn't let goㅡ!"

"I was, I felt like it was that exact thought."

What had he done for Jiang Cheng to think like this?

"So I gave up, because it was the only choice that was given to me."

There was a small, polite smile that was plastered on the younger's face, yet Cale could see how Jiang Cheng's face trailed with tears running down without stop.

What had Cale really done for him to become like this?

'I...I didn't let...go...why did you easily gave...up?'

As if reading the older's thoughts, Jiang Cheng had hit the final nail on the redhead's conscience.

"Because I feel like you all gave up on me first."