My Youth Began With Him

At the headquarters of the GK Corporation.

After Qin Chu got off work, he exited the building and saw Rick waiting for him in his black Palamera.

Qin Chu took off his coat, opened the car door, and got onto the car.

“Where do you want to drink?”

“Wherever is fine with me.”

Qin Chu wasn’t in a great mood, as he sounded quite down. Rick had known him for years and knew what he was like.

Seeing the situation made him drive away without asking any questions.

Twenty minutes later.

The two arrived at a small bar inside a development zone near the east end.

The name of the bar was Old Captain.

The logo was a carribean pirate, and there was an atmospheric pirate captain statue by the entrance.

There weren’t many people inside, only a few tables were occupied, and there was an indie rock singer on stage.

The two entered and chose an empty corner to sit down at.

“Good afternoon, gentlemen. What would you like to order?” the waiter asked.

Rick looked at Qin Chu.

“Whatever,” Qin Chu said, expressionless.

“Give him a bottle of whatever,” Rick said.

The waiter was silent, since he was confused by what the two patrons were playing at.

“Two packs of Budweiser,” Qin Chu finally ordered.

He was bored of wine.

He ordered the most basic beer, so their statuses as billionaires were unknown.

“Okay, please give us a second.”

It wasn’t long before beer and some complimentary snacks were delivered.

Rick swiftly opened two cans of beer and clinked it against Qin Chu’s.

“Let’s chug these, you don’t look well tonight.”

Without speaking, Qin Chu and Rick chugged their beers within five seconds.

Their lung capacities were undefeatable…

“You haven’t seemed like yourself since you came back from Yunnan,” Rick started the conversation.

It was quite difficult considering how silent he was.

“Lu Yan is missing,” Qin Chu said.

“There’s been rumors that Ian and Nalo kidnapped Lu Yan amidst the chaos… It hasn’t been confirmed yet, so everyone is just speculating.”

“Do you think they did it?” Qin Chu asked Rick.

“Not sure, it is possible.”

Qin Chu lowered his head and remained silent…

“Chu, is it because you lost your child, so…”

“That’s not the main reason,” Qin Chu replied.

“I know it’s hard for you, it’s hard for me to hear too… But we have to accept the truth, no matter how cruel it is. Xixi and Huo Mian were at similar stages in pregnancy, and she wanted to visit Huo Mian, but I didn’t want Xixi to trigger her. After all, it must be devastating for both of you.”

“Rick, you don’t understand… The baby isn’t the issue… Between us, even if Huo Mian never bears my child, I would love her still the same. But now…”

“Now what? You don’t love her anymore?” Rick felt the hidden meaning in Qin Chu’s words.

Qin Chu shook his head. Without words, he opened a second can of beer and downed it faster than the first.

“Rick, I keep on getting the feeling that something isn’t quite right.”

“What isn’t right?” Rick looked puzzled.

“I don’t know, I can’t describe it. I just have the intuition that something is wrong, and that’s a terrible feeling, you know?”

Qin Chu’s expression looked distressed. He only showed this type of anxiety in front of Rick.

Gao Ran had been busy lately, as cases of child disappearances were popping up and they were overwhelming him.

So, he didn’t get the chance to have a heart-to-heart with Qin Chu yet.

“Chu, is the trauma causing it to relapse?” Rick meant the paranoid personality disorder that Qin Chu had while he was in America.