Cambiaformas

Capítulo 20

Feng Qi recalled the silent child, thin and frail, with feminine features, who was always bullied by the other children. But he never cried or made a fuss, preferring to play alone and dance by himself. Because of the bullying, his food was often thrown away, but he never complained to the teacher, preferring to go hungry. Feng Qi, two years older than him, sometimes couldn't bear to see him like this and would share some of his own food with him. He never said thank you, just kept eating. After finishing, he would have the energy to continue dancing.

Qianye rarely smiled. Children who don't smile are never lovable. But Feng Qi had seen him smile. Qianye's happiest moments were when he was dancing until he was too exhausted to continue and lay on his back on the cold cement floor. At those times, he always had a satisfied smile on his face.

One day, Feng Qi saw Qianye standing on the rooftop railing of the dormitory.

His heart pounded, fearing that the frail child might fall. But the child turned around and gave him the brightest smile: "Feng Qi, I want to be a dancer in the future, so that the whole world can see my dancing."

No one was more dazzling than Qianye at that moment.

But that was fifteen years ago. They hadn't seen each other for fourteen years. Feng Qi looked Qian Ye up and down carefully and said seriously, "You've changed so much, I didn't recognize you."

Qianye, now known as Henry Du, touched her nose and smiled, "I've had plastic surgery. Look, I used to have single eyelids, but now I have double eyelids, and my nose has been raised a bit. No wonder you didn't recognize me. But you haven't changed at all; you look exactly the same as when you were a child."

Feng Qi jokingly picked up the documents in his hand and waved them around: "This document is also quite misleading. What should I call you, Qianye, or Henry?"

"That's made up. Heh, just call me Henry, I don't like the name Qianye."

Seeing Qianye casually reminiscing about the past, Qingfei, who was standing to the side, already looked nervous. Qianye noticed her nervousness, turned her head, and said softly to her, "Sister Qingfei, can we leave for a moment? Feng Qi is an old friend of mine, and I'd like to talk to him alone." When she spoke, her tone was very low, as if she were pleading with her, and her eyes held a childlike coquettishness.

Qingfei paused for a moment, glancing back and forth between Feng Qi and Qianye, before finally nodding helplessly and leaving.

Seeing Feng Qi smiling at her without saying a word, Qianye also smiled silently and met his gaze.

"You've changed a lot. You used to be very introverted."

"I'm not outgoing now, but I'm a little excited because I haven't seen old friends for many years."

Whether Qianye was just being polite or genuinely considered him a friend, Feng Qi looked down and flipped through the interview outline in his hand. He couldn't bring himself to ask any of the questions he had wanted to ask. He cleared his throat and chuckled, "Ahem, knowing she's an acquaintance makes the interview even more difficult."

Qianye shrugged indifferently: "Those documents were all made up. You know I came from an orphanage, so I just wrote something to get by."

Feng Qi raised an eyebrow: "Given your personality, you never give up until you've done something well. When have you ever advised me to be perfunctory? Or is it that when it comes to yourself, everything has to be perfect, while other people's matters can be handled carelessly?"

“Look at what you’re saying,” Qianye said. “Are you going to interview me and ask me to say that I had a heart condition since I was a child, so I was abandoned at the gate of an orphanage, that I grew up in an orphanage, was adopted at the age of 7, and that my adoptive parents died when I was 16, and that if I hadn’t met a teacher, I would have been a waiter or a handyman for the rest of my life?”

Feng Qi sighed: "That's not how it is."

"What happened?" Qianye leaned closer to Feng Qi, a sigh escaping his lips: "I thought that old friends would be happy and cheerful when they met, but instead they just talked about annoying things."

The Qianye of the past wasn't this eloquent. Feng Qi was about to say something when Qianye's phrase "old friend" reminded him of his purpose for coming. He had come to ask about Yu Gang. But after seeing Qianye, he had been hesitant, unsure whether to ask those questions.

"Weren't we supposed to be doing an interview?" Qianye skillfully lit a cigarette, settled into a comfortable position, and waited for Feng Qi to ask his questions. He felt a sense of closeness to Feng Qi, after all, Feng Qi represented his most innocent years. But the initial excitement he felt upon meeting Feng Qi was extinguished by their distant conversation. He remembered their identities: one was an artist, the other a reporter. The only thing connecting them was work.

Chapter Five: Past Events

Chapter Five

Time ticked by, and while Feng Qi's true intentions remained hidden, Qian Ye was evasive and digressing. The interview proceeded with extreme difficulty. Looking at the pile of content he knew was false filling the paper, Feng Qi finally threw down his pen and said helplessly, "This interview probably can't continue."

Qianye shrugged: "Isn't everything going well? I've been telling you everything I know."

Feng Qi glanced at Qian Ye, who seemed indifferent, knowing that if the interview continued in this formal manner, Qian Ye, whose mouth was tightly sealed, wouldn't reveal anything that interested him. He had to change tactics. Feng Qi smiled and said, "Then I'll write it this way." He packed his things, not in a hurry to leave, and asked, "Interested in having a drink with an old friend?"

Qianye narrowed his eyes, glancing towards the other end of the lobby, then suddenly flashed a mischievous smile: "Alright, I haven't relaxed in a long time either." Before Feng Qi could react, he had already stood up, grabbed Feng Qi's hand, and strode towards the lobby entrance. Feng Qi was caught off guard by Qianye's sudden action and quickly grabbed his things to leave.

Qingfei, who was at the other end of the lobby, tried to catch up, but was stopped by a waiter who asked her to pay the bill.

Qianye and Feng Qi squeezed into a taxi, exchanged a glance, and burst into laughter simultaneously. Qianye grabbed Feng Qi's hand, panting, the joy still lingering in his eyes. He said, "Did you see her like that? It was hilarious." Feng Qi recalled Qing Fei's angry, contorted face and couldn't help but smile again. "She was just like Teacher Gu used to be. Every time I skipped class, that's how she looked." Qianye calmed down before slowly saying, "A long time ago, I envied you. You were always so full of energy. Later, as I grew older, I stopped envying you. Everyone has their own way of life. I just happened to be born as Qianye, so I'm going to live Qianye's life. The more you envy others, the more pathetic you become. I don't want to become pathetic."

Upon hearing this, Feng Qi remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "You have everything now."

"That's nothing but a castle in the air. If something unexpected happens one day, it might all disappear like a bubble."

"Who isn't like that? Success always brings a sense of gain and loss."

Qianye chuckled softly, "Feng Qi, you've changed more than I have. I miss the fearless you from when you were a child."

"And you, do you miss yourself when you were a child?" Feng Qi asked casually.

Qianye glanced at him and smiled: "You've been in the car for so long, and you still haven't told the driver where you're going. We need a place to drink, right?"

Seeing that he had changed the subject, Feng Qi didn't press the matter further and turned to the driver, saying, "Driver, to Maya Bar."

Qianye's expression changed upon hearing the name Maya, and he looked at Feng Qi in shock.

The driver didn't know Maya's exact address. Although Feng Qi noticed Qianye's reaction, he didn't point it out, but instead leaned forward to carefully explain it to the driver. Once the driver understood the address, he leaned back on the sofa without turning his head. He knew Qianye's gaze remained fixed on his face.

"Maya? Feng Qi, what made you think of going there?"

"Qianye, you've been there? It sounds familiar."

"No—Feng Qi? You...you're not testing me, are you?"

Why would I test you?

"This bar..."

"What's wrong with the bar?" Feng Qi asked, feigning ignorance. "A friend of mine recommended it to me."

“It’s nothing… I’m feeling a little unwell, let’s have another drink next time.” Qianye finished speaking and was about to ask the driver to stop the car so he could get out. Feng Qi turned and grabbed the car door, stopping Qianye. He chuckled, “That’s dangerous. We’re almost there, let’s go check it out. My friend said this place is very interesting, unlike other bars.”

Qianye took a deep breath: "You never used to force people like this."

“Just as you said, we haven’t seen each other for many years, and we’ve both changed a lot. I only recently learned to force myself to do things.” Feng Qi patted Qianye’s shoulder reassuringly: “Qianye, relax, it’s nothing serious, we’re just going to have a drink.”

Qianye suddenly looked at Feng Qi: "Feng Qi, don't push me." His nervousness wasn't feigned. If he was confident and relaxed in the hotel coffee shop just now, then Qianye, approaching Maya step by step, was like a leopard with its fur standing on end in a defensive posture. Feng Qi could already see Maya at the street corner through the car window. He patted the driver's shoulder lightly and said, "Driver, let's stop here."

Before the car had even come to a complete stop, Qianye rushed out of the door, instinctively wanting to walk in the opposite direction. But Feng Qi grabbed his hands, and even Feng Qi himself didn't understand why he was doing this. Was it because his desire to know the truth was too strong, or because he wanted revenge for Qianye's arrogant attitude towards him? In any case, he practically dragged Qianye towards the direction of Maya.

Sweat poured down his face, and Qianye's lips trembled. He tried to break free, but his body was too weak. Just as he was about to reach Maya, he finally couldn't hold back any longer and collapsed to the ground, vomiting violently. He vomited up a mixture of acid and the food he had eaten earlier. Feng Qi hadn't expected Qianye to react so strongly and stood there, staring at the vomiting Qianye with a questioning look.

When Qianye finally stopped, Feng Qi took out a tissue and handed it to her. Qianye wiped her face with the back of her hand and pushed Feng Qi's hand away unappreciatively.

"Qianye, why did you meet with Yu Gang?" Feng Qi asked calmly.

Qianye stiffened and vehemently denied it: "I don't know any Yu Gang."

"You don't recognize Maya's boss?"

"So what if we know each other, or so what if we don't?" Qianye had already stood up, but after vomiting just now, she was leaning weakly against the wall.

He had a stroke a few days ago.

"What does this have to do with me?" Qianye took out a cigarette, lit it, and slumped against the wall in dejection. He looked up at the night sky, but his eyes were lifeless.

“Before he had his stroke, your assistant met with him and gave him a sum of money that wasn’t too much,” Feng Qi said with a smile. “It’s not difficult to find out that.”

Qianye exhaled a puff of smoke: "So what?"

"Why should I give it to him? I want to know that, and also, what's your connection with him?" Feng Qi stood in front of Qian Ye and said sincerely, "I've been investigating a strange case recently, which has many connections to Maya. I want to help you."

"Feng Qi, your words are getting nicer and nicer, I'm really touched." Qian Ye laughed sarcastically, "You brought me to Maya just to force me and blackmail me, didn't you? Why put on such a disgusting act?"

Feng Qi smiled somewhat awkwardly, but Qianye's words didn't deter him. He continued, "Qianye, I'm not threatening you. I just want to stop more people from being harmed. Five years ago, you were in Maya..." He was about to ask, since Qianye was connected to Maya and also a homosexual, perhaps she knew what happened back then. But Qianye's gaze after hearing this made him swallow back the question he was about to ask.

That was murderous intent. A gaze that seemed to want to tear someone to pieces. It made the originally elegant person appear shrouded in a dangerous mist.

Qianye tossed away his cigarette, slowly approached Feng Qi, and asked, word by word, "Did he tell you?"

A thought flashed through his mind, and Feng Qi frowned slightly: "No, nothing at all." This reaction only deepened Qian Ye's suspicion. He revealed an expression of certainty, his eyes growing even colder: "You're just like him, trying to threaten me? Trying to drag me down from the top?"

Yu Gang threatened Qianye? These few words sparked a flurry of thoughts in Feng Qi. He stepped back, wiping his nose with his index finger. His mind raced, quickly piecing together all the clues and events. He was always adept at arranging things in order.

If we consider the timeline, Qianye returned to China two months ago, and immediately after his return, several of Maya's former clients suffered strokes. Assuming Qianye was behind all of this, his motive was to prevent his homosexuality from being exposed and affecting his career. Perhaps those people blackmailed him. But many of those patients were celebrities, not short of money. Some were even quite ashamed of their homosexuality; why did they also suffer?

What exactly happened four years ago? Feng Qigang suspected Qianye, but then dismissed his suspicions. Looking at Qianye approaching step by step, he decided to cut to the chase: "You know that besides Yu Gang, many other people have recently contracted the exact same illness as him. Those people were all present in Maya five years ago. Qianye, don't tell me that none of this has anything to do with you."

Hearing Feng Qi's words, Qian Ye, who had been very agitated, calmed down. He said casually, "It doesn't matter. I've been very busy since I came back, I don't have time to contact those unimportant people."

The two stared at each other for a moment, each trying to gauge how much the other knew. Qianye spoke first, saying, "Feng Qi, it took me a long time to understand that once someone makes a wrong step, it takes a hundred times the time and effort to clean up the mess. Since you know about my situation, you should understand how much effort I need to put in to cover it up. My life has just begun anew; this is what I've dreamed of for years. My energy can only be focused on how to dance better, how to climb higher. Besides," he paused, his eyes showing a hint of distance and coldness, "first, you're not a policeman and have no right to interfere with me. Second, even if you were a policeman, I have ample time to provide witnesses to prove I have nothing to do with your so-called patient. You simply want to write some sensational news to gain greater success. We're all the same, aren't we? Powerless and without influence, we seize every opportunity to climb the ladder. Why make things difficult for each other?"

Feng Qi couldn't deny that Qianye's words had touched him. They were essentially the same kind of people. Since there was a past friendship, there was no need to force things. He smiled with relief, approached Qianye, and said, "Come on, I'll take you to a really good place. The environment might be a bit lacking, but the barbecue there is truly delicious."

Qianye took a step back, keeping her distance from Feng Qi: "I can't eat high-calorie foods like barbecue. After all this commotion today, I probably won't have any appetite for anything. Let's call it a day. I only came to catch up with you on a whim, and we've been out for quite a while. Qingfei should be worried."

He clearly didn't care whether that woman was worried or not. Ever since Feng Qi had convinced himself that Qianye was gay, and seeing his expression and manner of speaking, he guessed that Qingfei was just an excuse for Qianye to leave. Since they were old friends, they didn't make things awkward. He didn't invite him again, only saying regretfully, "Then we'll have to do it next time. But, Qianye, if—and I mean if—you are involved in those events, I hope you can extricate yourself in time. Such behavior is already a crime."

Qianye's eyes darkened. He knew that Feng Qi did not believe him. He snorted coldly and turned away without saying a word.

"Qianye? Qianye! You're Qianye, right!" An excited voice came from across the street. Feng Qi and Qianye turned around at the same time and saw Hao Jie excitedly crossing the street, coming up to them, and hugging Qianye tightly.

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Even though Qianye had mentally prepared himself for the possibility of running into Hao Jie and the others the day he arrived in Zhicheng, this sudden enthusiasm still left him feeling overwhelmed. He pushed Hao Jie away, his tone cold and distant: "Long time no see, Hao Jie." His indifference clearly didn't affect Hao Jie; the man paused only briefly before grabbing Qianye's hand again and continuing animatedly, "I saw your performance and news interviews on TV. You're really something! I always knew you'd make it big."

Qianye withdrew her hand, took a few steps back to keep a certain distance from the other two, and then smiled: "You all, stay away from me."

"Qianye?" Hao Jie seemed hurt by Qianye's undisguised rejection, a trace of sorrow flashing in his bright, dark eyes. Seeing Hao Jie's expression, Qianye's smile deepened, but it never reached his eyes. He placed his hand on his forehead, lowered his eyes as if he hesitated, but then quickly let it slide down again, tilting his head back arrogantly, and said, "I think we won't see each other again." With that, he hailed a taxi and drove away.

Hao Jie stood there, gazing in the direction Qian Ye had gone. After a long while, he let out a long sigh. Only then did he remember that there was another person there. He turned to Feng Qi and smiled helplessly, "So you know him."

Feng Qi stared straight at Hao Jie, his expression unchanged, still gentle and kind, and said, "We just met. Why do we know each other, Hao Jie? You should know." Hao Jie avoided Feng Qi's gaze and muttered to himself, "Your abilities are quite good; you managed to find this out."

“Everyone involved has fallen ill. Do you think you can escape it?” Feng Qi said calmly. “Those people before weren’t necessarily as greedy as Yu Gang.”

Hao Jie was startled and looked at Feng Qi: "What do you mean?"

"The best way to protect a secret is to prevent the person who knows it from speaking out. People who are prone to suspicion will not trust others. So the best way is to make the person who knows the secret disappear, which is what I used to think. But murder is a crime and comes with consequences. In my previous experiences, I learned that there are many ways to keep someone from speaking that are outside the law. It seems that it may just be one coincidence after another."

"This... has nothing to do with me."

“Hao Jie, you are someone who knows the secret. You can’t get away with it just by not speaking.” Seeing the hesitation in Hao Jie’s expression, and that he seemed to be moved by her words, Feng Qi quickly added, “I can give you the list of victims I’ve collected. You might as well take a look and see who else hasn’t been implicated.” After saying that, she took out a document from her bag and handed it to Hao Jie.

Hao Jie, still somewhat skeptical, flipped through the lists and documents under the dim streetlights. Before he had even finished reading, his expression changed drastically. After he finished, his eyes were filled with both fear and confusion. He clenched the documents tightly in his hand: "As far as I know, only Xiao west and I are left."

Chapter Six: The Performance

Chapter Six

In the dimly lit room, only the computer screen emitted a faint blue light. The computer was playing a video of Qianye's performance abroad. Xiaoxi sat with her knees drawn up in a swivel chair, staring intently at the screen while biting her nails.

When Hao Jie returned home, this was the scene he found. He habitually muttered a few words like, "You're wearing so little, be careful not to catch a cold," and "Staring at the computer for too long is bad for your skin," before going into the bathroom to shower. Xiao Xi seemed not to hear him, remaining motionless and staring at the computer. When Qianye finished dancing in the video, revealing a proud and confident expression, a strange smile appeared on Xiao west's previously stiff face.

Because the video was downloaded from the internet, the player's screen froze at the moment Qianye smiled at the end. Xiaoxi stared intently at Qianye on the computer screen, his dry lips moving as if he were talking to himself. A few minutes later, Hao Jie, carrying a towel, walked over to Xiaoxi, hugged him, and asked softly, "Don't you get tired of watching this every day?"

Xiao Xi turned his head blankly, looking at Hao Jie, but his gaze wandered to an unknown place. Only after Hao Jie's warm temperature warmed his cold body did he seem to just realize what was happening, and suddenly pushed Hao Jie away: "I'm not tired of it! What do you want, not letting me see? Don't think that just because I live in your house and use your computer, you have the right to interfere in my affairs!"

Having anticipated his hysterical outburst, Hao Jie hugged Xiao Xi from behind again, saying, "If I wanted to take care of you, I would have done it a long time ago." He then whispered some comforting words, and Xiao Xi gradually calmed down. He looked up at the Qian Ye poster he had pasted on the ceiling, his handsome face filled with confusion, and asked Hao Jie, "Jie, why do I feel like I'm drifting further and further away from him? He's so pure, but I'm getting dirtier and dirtier." He felt Hao Jie's arms tighten around him from behind, but his voice remained as usual: "You're not dirty, not at all."

Xiao Xi chuckled a few times, then looked up with a seductive smile: "That's right, even the dirtiest can't compare to you..." Before she could finish, her lips were already pressed against Hao Jie's. Hao Jie's anger lasted only half a second; he muttered resentfully, "You little slut!" and immediately responded to Xiao Xi's passion. Xiao west, even more smug, slipped her cold hands inside Hao Jie's shirt, pressing them against his burning body.

After their lovemaking, Hao Jie leaned against the headboard smoking, while Xiao Xi lay naked on top of him. Hao Jie tried to cover him with a blanket, but Xiao Xi refused. Hao Jie could never resist Xiao west's advances, so he had no choice but to let him be.

"I ran into Qianye today," Hao Jie said slowly.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Xi immediately sat up and stared intently at Hao Jie. Hao Jie glanced at Xiao Xi and continued, "He was with Feng Qi. Oh, you probably don't know Feng Qi. Feng Qi came to our bar a while ago. He's a reporter, and he wanted to investigate some things." Xiao Xi gritted her teeth and asked after a long pause, "How... is he?"

After thinking for a while, Hao Jie picked out a word and replied, "Very glamorous."