Chapter 15: I am running away from home.

During this kind of crisis, as a loyal system, 179 was bound to be on the same side as Xia Yi and hate their enemy. 

“Ptooey.” 179 spitted towards Huai Yu in Xia Yi’s mind, “Little bitch.” 

“Right? Even a straight ger like you noticed there’s something wrong with Huai Yu.” Xia Yi said to 179 in jealousy. 

On the other hand, the true straight guy Gu Wen Zhu had not noticed anything unusual about Huai Yu from the start. Xia Yi was secretly hoping Gu Wen Zhu would be mean to Huai Yu, but Gu Wen Zhu was very polite to her every time they conversed. 

Unhappy. 

Xia Yi found it embarrassing to tell Gu Wen Zhu about his thoughts, therefore he could only sulk by himself. Although his appetite was not affected, Xia Yi would become picky with Gu Wen Zhu’s dishes. 

“Too salty.” 

“Too bland.” 

“It’s too hot! Did you want me to scald myself?” 

“It had been fried for too long. It’s too rubbery.” 

Gu Wen Zhu: …I mean, I haven’t put that on the plate yet. 

He just thought that Xia Yi was having a bad temper because of him recalling his parents during the fungi picking incident, causing him to be picky about everything. Didn’t people say that one always vent to the ones who are closest to them? If he did not vent to him, who could he vent to? Just let him let it all out. It will get better afterwards. 

When Gu Wen Zhu recalled the sadness shown on Xia Yi’s face on that day, he felt more protective towards him and treated him more gently. Xia Yi wanted to argue with him and took the opportunity to ask him about Huai Yu. However, Gu Wen Zhu did not act as expected. He only agreed with whatever Xia Yi said every day. 

Xia Yi felt as if he was punching a bunch of cotton, unable to let out his emotions, making him even more mad. He finally exploded when Huai Yu came for the ninth time. 

Both of their clothes were left with unmade sleeves, Huai Yu thought that she would not be able to approach Gu Wen Zhu after completing the clothes. She thus mustered the courage to tell Gu Wen Zhu how she felt when Xia Yi was not around and had left Gu Wen Zhu preparing dinner by himself in the yard. 

Xia Yi had agreed to meet up with a ger in the village called Liu Qing to pick chestnuts in the mountain today. Hence, he went to work in the farmland early in the morning and now he was preparing to go home to pack his things then find Liu Qing. 

As soon as he got to the front door, he had intended to push it open, but when he heard Huai Yu’s voice, he immediately halted and listened closely. 

“Gu. I haven’t had a partner for all these times only because I want to find someone who suits me…” 

“We were right! This minx wanted to seduce your man!!” 179 yelled in anger. 

“I see you don’t have anyone by your side, and you take care of your brother…” 

“What brother? What brother? You are his fiancé ger! Let me rip her mouth out.” 179 was so angry that his voice was trembling. 

“I wish to serve you for the rest of my life.” 

… 

“I don’t want to listen anymore.” Xia Yi suddenly turned and walked towards the outside of the village, “It’s annoying. 179, starting from this moment, don’t say a thing. Let me have some alone time silently.” 

Xia Yi found a bush outside the village and let himself fall onto it facing the sky, emotions stirring in his heart. He could not go and make a scene with Gu Wen Zhu. He did not even have the courage to ask Gu Wen Zhu about it. I am a guy, not some jealous little girl. 

But it sucked to be unable to let it out. 

Xia Yi felt like there was fire burning in his heart, causing him to roll around in the bush, making the beggar-ticks stick all over him. 

“179, I am running away.” Xia Yi abruptly sat up, saying in a firm tone. 

“What? Then what about the farmland? Those radishes are still there! Moreover, how can you give Gu Wen Zhu away just like that?” 179 was shocked, “You can’t give up without a fight, you do not seem like the ger I know. Besides, even if you cannot beat that minx, you can try to become his second wife, you can stay and protect your farmland.” 

“No no no, I am not really running away. I will leave him plenty of clues like those people did in the dramas.” Xia Yi analyzed for 179 calmly. “He will try to figure out why I ran away and follow the clues to find me. According to the plot, he should explain to me, saying hey baby, you have misunderstood, I didn’t have that kind of intention…” 

Alright. 

Xia Yi went back home and Gu Wen Zhu was not there. Xia Yi had written three words on the rough straw paper on the table, I am leaving. Then he wrapped his clothes and money bag with a piece of cloth. He also took a few flapjacks from the pot and a few pieces of charcoal from the stove, commencing his plan to run away. 

Kirin shook his tail, following behind, but Xia Yi would not allow it. He stroked its head and said softly, “Good boy, I will be back soon. You go find Big Black and play with them.” Just like that, Kirin stopped tailing him and sat in front of the front door, watching Xia Yi going further away. 

He arrived at the entrance of the village, pulling out a piece of charcoal, Xia Yi drew a puppy on the big stone on the side. In order for Gu Wen Zhu to recognize, he had drawn Kirin. 

“Pretending to be thinking about a lot and drawing randomly along the way. No matter how he looks at it, he should know that it is drawn by me.” Xia Yi explained, “This looks like unintentional clues. At the end, I can’t have some necklace or earrings falling off exactly like the TV shows. Not mentioning I don’t have them, even if I have them I wouldn’t want to. Those would be picked up by someone and I would cry.” 

After walking for a while, he came to a fork on the road. Xia Yi drew Kirin on a tree. More than one hour later, he reached a grove. He had already drawn a few Kirins at this point. He found a clean big stone and sat on it. Taking out some flapjacks, Xia Yi ate and slept. 

“Let that man worry at home. Upon discovering that you are gone, he will cry his heart out and stamp his foot.” 179 laughed coldly with his anger vented. 

Xia Yi slept under the warm sun, and even had a dream. 

In his dream, Gu Wen Zhu read the message and dashed out, crying out in immense pain in the rain. The rain and the tears fell off his face together… Xia Yi felt his emotions come out but it was painful at the same time. He wanted to tell him he was there, but he woke up when he was trying to voice out. 

Looking around, there was no trace of Gu Wen Zhu but the sounds of the birds chirping and the wind brushing through the leaves. 

Whatever, let’s sleep again, maybe he will find him before he wakes up. 

… but I can’t sleep… how is he not coming? 

The sun is setting! Are the clues not obvious enough so he could not find him? 

And so Xia Yi got up, he walked back to one of the roads and added two more Kirins on trees on both sides. 

The sky had dimmed, the sun had almost set fully among the mountains. Gu Wen Zhu still could not be seen. Xia Yi was no longer waiting on the stone. He went to the middle of the road, looking around anxiously. 

“Cut it out. He only needs to travel for an hour to get here. If he was trying to find you, he would be here already.” 179 said harshly. 

The villagers farming nearby passed by Xia Yi by twos and threes, going home. They greeted Xia Yi, “Yi, what are you doing here not going home? The sky is getting dark.” 

Xia Yi stood on the side of the road. He was scratching a piece of tree bark sadly, eyes filling with tears, and sniffed from time to time. 

“Don’t be sad, go home.” 179 persuaded him in a soft tone, “It’s getting dark. He is not coming for you.” 

“Then I will die out here. I am not going back.” Xia Yi’s heart tightened and began to sob uncontrollably. 

“That’s ridiculous. Why would you risk your life for a stinky guy? Go back and act like nothing happened. Farm properly from now on and complete missions early.” 179 coaxed Xia Yi. 

Xia Yi could not think of a place for him to go. Therefore, he brought his belongings with his head down, and walked slowly towards home. 

He pushed the front door open without much force, standing there for a while thinking, then gathered up the courage to go in. The moment Kirin saw him, it merrily came up and licked his palm. 

“You are back?” Gu Wen Zhu’s happy voice rang, “How many chestnuts have you picked? Come here and have dinner. I have been warming them up waiting for you. I was even thinking of finding Liu Qing if you were still not back.” 

“Wha, what chestnut?” Xia Yi looked up at Gu Wen Zhu sharply, his expression from confused to vexed, “Right, I told you yesterday that I was going to pick chestnuts with Liu Qing.” 

“Yes, didn’t you leave me a message before you left?” Gu Wen Zhu was baffled, he asked in puzzlement, “Have you not picked chestnuts?” 

Xia Yi remembered that message he left on the table: I am leaving. 

Xia Yi: … 

All those Kirins he had drawn were in vain. 

This guy did not even realize that he was running away. 

Xia Yi felt wronged. He had been suffering in the mountains for the whole afternoon, waiting for a regretful Gu Wen Zhu to come to him crying, but Gu Wen Zhu, in fact, did not know about this and had even made a full table of delicious food. 

Gu Wen Zhu began to eye Xia Yi all over, seeing Xia Yi’s things wrapped by cloth in his hand, Gu Wen Zhu’s face fell, “Where did you go with your stuff packed?” 

Xia Yi scratched his arm with a few mosquito bites he got when he was in the mountain. He could not hold in anymore and shouted explosively, sobbing, “You didn’t even notice that I ran away? I have been waiting for the whole afternoon and you didn’t come for me!” 

“R, ran away? Why did you run away?” Gu Wen Zhu stammered. He opened his eyes wide in shock, stunned. 

“I heard Huai Yu talk to you.” Xia Yi kept sobbing with red eyes. 

“Babe, you have misunderstood. I didn’t even have that kind of intention…” Gu Wen Zhu suddenly saw the light, without knowing whether it was better to cry or to laugh, he walked up and held Xia Yi in his arms, explaining. 

179: … 

“I haven’t even noticed her before that, I didn’t know she thought that way. After she told me about it, I declined her on the spot. I even told her to stop working on our clothes and got them back. I told her not to come to our house anymore.” Gu Wen Zhu said gently and stroked Xia Yi’s head at the same time. 

“Really?” Xia Yi had basically believed him, but he still showed doubt. 

“Really. I can only see you, I can’t see others in my eyes.” Gu Wen Zhu knew, at times like this, he should promptly confess his feelings. 

Hearing this, Xia Yi could not help but laugh out, making two dimples appear beside the corner of his mouth, “What about those clothes? Let me see them.” 

Two thick coats, one in light purple, another in dark blue. Both of them, all parts were made except the sleeves. 

“What should we do with them?” Xia Yi picked up two sleeves and swung them in the air, starting to worry. “We have kicked the tailor out.” 

Gu Wen Zhu, with a persistent look, said, “I’ll do it!”