APCF – Chapter 90 Confusion

Autumn had arrived, and the flowers and trees were gradually withering. Qi Xingchen was pulled back by Liang Jing, stepping onto the pile of fallen leaves by the flowerbed, producing a crisp “crunch, crunch” sound.

It was like the sound of nerves snapping—subtle, faint, yet impossible to ignore.

Qi Xingchen stared at Liang Jing in front of him, his back stiffening. Every tiny hair on his body stood on end, and the muscles in his legs tensed to the point of near cramping.

Only when the cold wind swept past, sending a chill from the top of his head down to his feet, did his rationality return slightly.

His first reaction was: How does Liang Jing know he’s not the original Qi Xingchen?

His second reaction: Liang Jing didn’t expose him at the dinner table but waited until they were alone. Was he testing him because he lacked concrete evidence?

Or was he afraid that even if he spoke up, the Qi family wouldn’t believe him?

Or… was he deliberately covering for him?

If so, for what purpose?

Before dinner, Qi Xingchen had considered revealing his transmigration to the Qi family. At the time, he thought all dangers had been eliminated, that the Qi family had escaped their fate as cannon fodder.

But now it seemed that Liang Jing was still entangled in some unseen crisis. For now, he couldn’t expose himself.

If his identity was revealed and the original owner’s family and friends distanced themselves from him, saving anyone would become nearly impossible.

He had to endure.

No matter why Liang Jing was doing this, as long as he didn’t expose him in front of the Qi family, he still had room to argue and cover up the truth.

Qi Xingchen struggled to recall the way the original owner spoke on QQ and deflected, “What are you talking about? Who else could I be?”

Liang Jing stared at him silently, offering no response. Instead, the grip on his arm tightened further.

“Hiss—” Qi Xingchen gasped in pain, unable to suppress a soft whimper.

Liang Jing immediately let go.

The burning pain on his arm dissipated, and Qi Xingchen was momentarily stunned. This action revealed something—

Liang Jing cared about him.

Perhaps because Liang Jing wasn’t 100% certain that he was an outsider, he still treated him like his childhood friend. Or maybe, for some unknown reason, Liang Jing had developed a certain level of fondness for him.

That was probably why he hadn’t told the Qi family.

In fact, Qi Xingchen was right about one thing—Liang Jing did have feelings for him.

But he was wrong about the reason for Liang Jing’s silence.

Liang Jing didn’t speak up not because he wanted to protect him—but because he himself was unwilling to accept or believe that “Qi Xingchen” had been replaced.

Time rewound to a night more than half a month ago.

That night, a colleague had taken Liang Jing to a club for drinks, where he ran into a patient’s older sister, Tao Tao.

Tao Tao was kind-hearted. Seeing that he was drunk, she offered to take him home.

The Liang family was a prestigious clan in H City. Liang Jing’s father had been a highly respected researcher in his younger days. He didn’t want his drunken state to be seen by others and tarnish his father’s reputation, so he agreed.

After giving Tao Tao his address, she escorted him home but didn’t leave immediately. She helped him back to his room and even made him a cup of warm milk with great care.

“Thank you,” Liang Jing accepted it. His vision was swimming, and he muttered, “Sorry for the trouble tonight.”

“You’re always busy with work and don’t have time to take care of Xiao Xuan personally. I’ve been helping you, so really, you should be the one thanking me,” Tao Tao said as she sat by the bed.

Liang Jing was drunk, but he was still aware that letting a young woman stay in his room was inappropriate. As a man, it wouldn’t affect him much, but if rumors spread, it would damage the girl’s reputation.

So, he quickly downed the milk, planning to chat for a bit before arranging for someone to send her home.

Tao Tao’s voice was gentle: “How do you feel? Any better after drinking?”

“A little better.”

“I heard from Xiaoxuan’s attending doctor that you spend all your time in the lab. What made you decide to drink today?” Tao Tao widened her eyes slightly; they shimmered like rippling water, making her look especially beautiful. “Did something sad happen?”

Mentioning the reason for his drinking, Liang Jing felt a splitting headache. He wasn’t the type to confide in others, but maybe the alcohol had weakened his resolve, or perhaps Tao Tao’s voice was just too gentle. He couldn’t help but say, “Because today, the person I like told me… they like someone else.”

A drunk person’s words often lacked logic. Tao Tao seemed to take a moment to process his sentence, only reacting after more than ten seconds. “Oh… I see. To be honest, I’ve had a similar experience. The person I like is getting close to someone else now. I understand how you feel—it must be really painful and hard to accept. Who is it that you like? A friend or a colleague? Can you tell me?”

Hearing Tao Tao reveal her own experience just to comfort him, Liang Jing was inexplicably touched.

But since Xiaoxingxing was a public figure, he didn’t want to cause trouble for him. He vaguely replied, “I like the girl next door.”

“A childhood friend you grew up with?”

Liang Jing let out a soft “Mm.”

“Being close in proximity gives an advantage. Besides, girls often develop feelings for their older neighbor brothers,” Tao Tao said curiously. “Why didn’t you pursue her earlier?”

“Because…”

Liang Jing paused, then gave a bitter smile. “When she liked me, I didn’t like her. By the time I realized her good qualities and fell for her… she had already—”

“Already fallen for someone else?”

“Mm.” Liang Jing nodded.

Hearing this, Tao Tao seemed to sense something off. She blinked, her big, fluttering eyes filled with confusion. She looked adorably serious and trustworthy.

She sighed. “The worst thing in love is realizing too late. If only you had noticed her good qualities earlier.”

“Earlier…” Liang Jing thought back to the school days of Xingxing and shook his head. “He wasn’t like this before.”

“What do you mean?”

“How should I put it…” Liang Jing said, “Before and after I went abroad, he changed drastically. He used to love it when I patted his head, but now he resists my touch. He used to message me all the time, but now I can go a whole month without hearing from him. Most importantly, I know how much he relied on me… How could he possibly—how could he possibly let go of me so quickly?”

As he spoke, Liang Jing’s voice dropped lower, and all the emotions he had suppressed for so long burst out at once. His eyes reddened in an instant.

“I understand how you feel.” Tao Tao comforted him softly for a while, then said, “But from what you’ve said, I think this ‘girl next door’ is acting a little strange. People can change, but fundamental traits don’t shift overnight. No matter what happened to her, there should have been a process—it’s impossible for her to have changed so suddenly.”

“Why would this happen…” Tao Tao muttered. “Could it be like those TV dramas I’ve acted in—where souls get swapped or someone time-travels?”

Liang Jing froze.

“Oh no, don’t listen to my nonsense.” Tao Tao waved her hands, laughing self-mockingly. “I must be a little drunk too. I haven’t even figured out my own feelings, so I have no right to analyze yours. Alright, you should rest. I’m heading back to the club.”

“You’re not going home?”

“Nope. It’s easier to sleep when I’m drunk.” Tao Tao turned around. “Or… do you have any alcohol at home? Since we’re both heartbroken, we can drink under the moonlight—no stopping until we’re wasted.”

Somehow, Liang Jing agreed to her suggestion.

And the result of their “no stopping until wasted”?

When he opened his eyes again, Tao Tao was lying on the bed beside him, her clothes in complete disarray—practically… naked.

For a moment, he didn’t know how to react. Tao Tao was just as flustered. She quickly threw on her clothes and ran away.

Shutting himself in his room without eating or drinking for two days, he finally accepted the reality that he had wronged a girl.

His father had always taught him to treat relationships seriously. If something happened, he should take responsibility like a man.

That was why, when Qi Xingchen confessed to him, he had chosen to leave.

He didn’t dare to make promises lightly, nor did he want to carelessly hurt someone close to him. He needed time to figure out his own feelings and give the other person space to consider carefully.

But all of that was ruined in one drunken night.

He had no choice but to contact Tao Tao and tell her that if she felt wronged, he could give her the title of “Madam Liang.”

Even if he didn’t like her.

Even if he knew she didn’t like him either.

Tao Tao’s response was vague—she said they weren’t familiar enough yet, that she was confused and didn’t know what to do. So recently, he had been trying to spend time with her, helping her make decisions. Sometimes, he would ask her to visit the hospital, where they would chat and eat together.

Fortunately, the Liang family owned a restaurant business, so the media hadn’t noticed their frequent meetings. But the butler, having heard from a restaurant manager that the young master was spending a lot of time with a certain girl, reported it to Liang’s mother, and the news eventually reached Qi Yujing’s ears.

That night, because of something Tao Tao had said, Liang Jing became increasingly convinced that the person he knew as “Xingxing” was not the same as before. And with Tao Tao’s presence wearing him down further, he felt utterly exhausted.

It had been a long time since he’d had a proper meal or a good night’s sleep. His energy was drained, and his complexion was at its worst.

But the saddest thing was—Liang Jing stared straight at the “Qi Xingchen” in front of him—

Even if the person across from him had truly changed souls, he still couldn’t stop loving him. He had fallen hopelessly in love.

Qi Xingchen had no idea what was going through Liang Jing’s mind in those short minutes. Seeing him remain silent, he explained, “You might not know this, but I had a life-threatening incident in the spring—I almost didn’t make it. After that, I decided to live seriously, to cherish each day. I didn’t want to go on living aimlessly anymore.”

Liang Jing responded with a faint “Mm.”

Before asking this question, he had already made up his mind: whether or not the other person admitted it, he would respect their answer.

“So…” Qi Xingchen asked, “Is there anything else you don’t understand?”

“No. Sorry for offending you.”

Qi Xingchen let out a breath of relief, though Liang Jing’s apology left him feeling uneasy. He turned to leave, adding, “You don’t have to apologize. It’s normal for you to be suspicious. But please, don’t doubt my concern for you. And don’t keep things from me because of it. Trust me—I would never, ever hurt you.”

After a long silence, Liang Jing finally responded, “Okay.”

Qi Xingchen knew Liang Jing was not someone who was easily fooled. He didn’t know why Liang Jing had ultimately chosen to believe him, but since he didn’t seem to be faking it, Qi Xingchen felt a little more at ease.

Still, that night, as he lay in bed, he tossed and turned, unable to sleep. His mind refused to settle down.

It felt too sudden to Liang Jing, completely without warning—his disguise had plenty of flaws, sure, but there was no reason for Liang Jing to suspect anything before. So why had he suddenly reached a conclusion the moment he returned home, without doing anything at all?

The only explanation was that, while he had been away, Liang Jing had discovered some kind of clue—through someone or something—that revealed he was a different soul.

Another problem was how close Liang Jing and Tao Tao had become, which was definitely not a good sign. And on top of that, Liang Jing’s current condition was clearly not right. He needed to figure out why.

Just overthinking it wouldn’t help, so after a sleepless night, he downed two cups of coffee to stay awake and decided to go to the hospital to investigate.

The first stop, naturally, was Tao Xuan’s hospital room.

By chance, it was the weekend. When he arrived, Qi Jiaze was already there. The two young boys were holding burgers, chatting back and forth about something.

Seeing this scene, Qi Xingchen spaced out for a moment. After spending over half a year in Night of the Peach Blossom, he had gradually adapted to the life of a celebrity and had almost forgotten that, in real life, he was still a university student who needed to study hard and rely on scholarships to pay for tuition.

Not wanting to disturb the peaceful moment between the two younger boys, Qi Xingchen took a deep breath, knocked on the door, and smiled. “Jiaze, I told you to take good care of Tao Xuan, and yet you’re feeding him junk food?”

“No—”

It was Tao Xuan who responded first, hurriedly explaining, “I was the one who wanted to eat a burger, so I asked Jiaze to bring me one.”

“Ge!” Qi Jiaze exclaimed in surprise, rushing over to him. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming home?!”

“I’m here now, aren’t I?”

“That’s not the same thing!” Qi Jiaze pouted. “If you had told me earlier, I could have seen you a few hours sooner! I missed you so much I was going crazy.”

“A few hours make that much of a difference?” Qi Xingchen chuckled, amused. “Alright, alright, next time I’ll tell you in advance.”

“Now that’s more like it!”

Having received his promise, Qi Jiaze happily pulled Qi Xingchen over to sit in a chair beside the hospital bed.

Seeing that his brother hadn’t lost or gained weight, Qi Jiaze felt relieved. Then, suddenly, something struck him. “Wait a second, Ge, the first thing you said when you walked in wasn’t to check on me—it was to scold me! You’re actually siding with Tao Xuan over me?! Who’s more important, me or him?”

This kid could get jealous over anything—Qi Xingchen was speechless. “Too much greasy food is bad for your kidneys; it’s not good for Tao Xuan or for you. And besides, Tao Xuan was kind enough to explain things for you, so what are you even arguing about?”

“…You’re right. Fine, I won’t argue with Tao Xuan. But I will argue with someone else. Ge, come here, I need to ask you something.”

Qi Jiaze curled his finger, motioning for him to come closer. So Qi Xingchen leaned in to listen to his younger brother whisper in his ear.

Sitting beside the hospital bed, Tao Xuan watched the two brothers interact harmoniously, a deep sense of loneliness flashing through his eyes—though he quickly suppressed it.

About half a minute later, Qi Xingchen sat up straight with a completely lifeless expression, the tips of his ears turning suspiciously red. “We’ll talk about this when we get home.”

“You better remember! Don’t disappear on me!” Qi Jiaze reminded him.

“I’ll try my best.”

Tao Xuan wasn’t the type to pry into other people’s secrets, so he lowered his gaze and pretended he hadn’t heard their cryptic conversation. But after dealing with Qi Jiaze, Qi Xingchen turned to him and spoke first. “Xiao Xuan, you look pretty good—seems like you’ve been recovering well.”

“I’m doing fine, thanks for your concern.”

At this point, Qi Jiaze wasn’t happy. He poked Tao Xuan on the shoulder and said, “He’s my brother, so you should call him ‘Ge’ too. Come on, say it.”

Qi Xingchen: “…”

Oh god, was this kid playing schoolyard bully now?!

Was Tao Xuan going to shut down because of him?

Qi Xingchen was about to tell him to stop, but before he could say anything, Tao Xuan hesitated for a moment, then quietly said, “Xingxing Ge.”

Qi Xingchen: “…”

“…Ahem. No need for that, really. Just call me whatever you’re comfortable with.”

Qi Jiaze huffed triumphantly. “No way, it has to be that.”

Ignoring him, Qi Xingchen picked up an apple from the bedside table and started peeling it while making casual conversation. “By the way, Xiao Xuan, you seem to be in a good mood. Is it because your sister has been visiting often?”

Since Liang Jing and Tao Tao had been spending a lot of time together, it made sense that Tao Tao was in H City. If that was the case, she would likely visit her younger brother frequently.

“My sister?”

Tao Xuan was confused as to why he would bring this up and replied, “She hasn’t visited me recently.”

_{I was really hoping Tao Tao to be a good person, but I hoped for too much I think.}