Passion Raga Novel (Completed) - Chapter 37

He pushed through the crowd and came straight towards them, his gaze never leaving Ling Xinlu. His eyes, fierce as if they would spit fire at any moment, glared at Ling Xinlu until he stopped within arm’s reach. Ling Xinlu merely glanced at the man, who was trembling with suppressed rage, his shoulders heaving, and then casually spoke with a smile.

“Qing Min, why is today’s protagonist coming to a corner like this? Come to think of it, I didn’t properly greet you earlier, did I? Happy birthday.”

“—Yes, thank you, Uncle. Earlier, as soon as you arrived, you didn’t even glance at me and snatched my girlfriend right in front of me, so it’s an honor to receive your greeting now. What on earth do you think you’re doing?!”

A sharp, aggressive voice burst out. It was so loud that even people further away turned to look. Ling Xinlu silently stared at the man for a moment but showed no particular emotion. He just smiled awkwardly, as if troubled, and then softly called his name, “Qing Min.”

“I didn’t know she was your girlfriend. I told that lady you seemed close, and she only said you knew each other from before. Who would think she was your girlfriend if she answered like that?”

The man called Qing Min’s face hardened. Ling Xinlu was directly stabbing him with a knife regarding something he himself had been harboring.

“Besides, I had no other intentions. I just thought she resembled someone I knew, so I was happy and struck up a conversation. We just exchanged a few words. I don’t think it’s something you need to get so angry and rush at me for.”

Ling Xinlu slightly hunched his shoulders, speaking in a tone that clearly conveyed: You’re overthinking it. Besides, I just spoke to someone I didn’t think was your girlfriend, so it’s problematic if you get angry at me.

Qing Min glared at him with terrifying eyes. He followed Ling Xinlu’s gaze, which briefly turned to the woman who was hiccuping and glancing their way, and decided to vent his frustration about the situation on Ling Xinlu, not her. Perhaps he thought that was more manly.

“Stop making excuses! Are you treating me like an idiot? Do you think I didn’t hear? From the moment you first saw her, your eyes went straight to her, and you asked her if it was okay to talk to her, saying you wanted to have a conversation, didn’t you? And you say there were no other intentions?! Ha, a passing dog would laugh! Just be honest! You knew she was someone else’s girlfriend, but she caught your eye, so you wanted to lightly flirt with her!”

Qing Min shouted.

The hall was already as quiet as if water had been poured over it; no one was speaking loudly. Everyone was silent—or whispering in low voices—and looking their way.

In that piercing, thorny silence, Ling Xinlu’s expression didn’t change. No, it did change. The smile vanished from his face, and a hint of annoyance appeared. “Hmm,” he sighed, then slowly opened his mouth.

“What’s the problem? Did I touch that woman? Did I trick her and drag her away? I just exchanged a few words and gave her back to you. I clearly told her to go back to her boyfriend. But she didn’t understand and kept holding onto me, so I explained it more clearly and gave her some friendly advice. I told her, ‘Isn’t it awkward to go back after you immediately abandoned your original boyfriend and ran to me as soon as someone who looked better appeared? Still, he’s kinder than me, so if you cry a little and apologize nicely, he’ll probably take you back.’ So, why? Didn’t she go to you and apologize? She seemed to be crying, though.”

Ling Xinlu said coldly, his brow furrowed, “Why is everyone making such a fuss just because we talked a little?” As his voice carried across the silent hall, the woman, who had been hiccuping as her crying subsided, began to sob loudly again. Her irreparably damaged pride, the humiliation of having her vulgar desires exposed without gaining anything, and a certain amount of frustration and disappointment were all steeped in her tears.

With her far behind him, Qing Min glared at Ling Xinlu, his face pale. His tightly clenched jaw was trembling. Finally, he ground his teeth, his voice trembling as much as his jaw, consumed by rage.

“Yes, you don’t have to tell me. I saw everything. I don’t know why you did it, but you blatantly seduced her, and then, when you realized it wasn’t what you wanted, you immediately turned away. Do you think I didn’t see? —I’m not a one-eyed cripple pretending to be normal like you, Uncle?!”

A loud shout echoed through the hall.

A perfect silence, where even the faint whispers from here and there had vanished as if washed away.

In that ominous and chilling quiet, Qing Min, his face bluish, glared at Ling Xinlu, his shoulders heaving. His rough breaths trembled, as if he could no longer control himself.

In front of him, Ling Xinlu, his expression gone, silently looked at him. His cold, dark eyes stared directly at him. Both eyes were directed at him, but in fact, only one eye was looking at him, just as he had said.

Finally, he spoke coldly.

“You seem very angry, so I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that. I don’t think it’ll do either of us any good to talk for long, so I’ll just point out one thing for your sake. Whether you continue to date that frivolous woman who immediately abandoned you and ran to me just because I said a few pleasant words, that’s none of my business. But she will never become your aunt. Wouldn’t she be more suited to you, who, after being treated like that, still rushes at me to pick a fight, wanting to look cool in front of the woman who humiliated you?”

“—!!”

Qing Min’s eyes flashed white for a moment. Overwhelmed, his vision blurred, and he lunged to grab Ling Xinlu by the collar.

However, just before his hand could grasp the collar, Yuri, who had been standing aside watching them, stepped between them. And he grabbed Qing Min’s wrist, restraining him.

“Calm down. For now.”

“Let go! Get out of the way! That bastard—!!”

Holding onto Qing Min, who was wildly thrashing and trying to shake off his wrist, Yuri gestured to the men who were standing awkwardly nearby. They immediately rushed over and held Qing Min back.

Several men rushed to pull him away, shouting and cursing loudly, and took him out of the hall. And the lady in white, who had been sniffling in the corner, also followed her friends out.

An awkward atmosphere remained in the hall, with people briefly glancing at each other with uncomfortable expressions. In the midst of it, only Ling Xinlu, who was cold but not unpleasantly so, merely showing a hint of annoyance, calmly walked to the table and picked up a glass of water.

After lightly wetting his throat, he exchanged greetings with a few people and engaged in casual conversation. The uncomfortable atmosphere in the hall gradually settled, and people awkwardly, yet casually, began to chat again. Before long, although this incident would surely be the talk of the town after today, the immediate situation had more or less returned to its previous atmosphere.

Yuri received the drink glass from Xiao Qun, who had finally managed to bring it after being stopped for a long time by the tense atmosphere, as he returned from the table.

“I like Uncle… I don’t think he’s a bad person… but he seems a little bad today.”

“Although Brother Qing Min seemed to overreact a bit,” Xiao Qun said softly beside him. Yuri briefly looked at her, then turned his head away and said nothing. Just then, Ling Xinlu, who had regained his customary smile while chatting with people, suddenly looked their way. His eyes met Yuri’s.

Ling Xinlu, who had been silently looking at Yuri, slowly wiped the smile from his face. He tilted his head, staring intently at Yuri as if trying to confirm something.

He excused himself to the person next to him, saying, ‘Just a moment,’ and walked towards Yuri. Yuri watched him with his usual indifferent expression. Soon, Ling Xinlu stood in front of Yuri. And he stared intently. Yuri also met his gaze without any particular change in expression.

“Are you angry?”

“…….”

“Are you angry at me?”

“…….”

Ling Xinlu, who read the answer from Yuri’s silence, subtly frowned.

“Why is Mr. Gable angry at me?”

“I’m not angry. I just think this isn’t right.”

“That’s being angry. What’s wrong?”

Ling Xinlu frowned, arguing as if he didn’t understand.

Yuri fell into thought. His thoughts lingered for quite a while, but Ling Xinlu, standing before him, waited patiently for his answer, even with an annoyed expression.

Finally, Yuri finished his thoughts, but shook his head.

“This is not a justifiable act.”

Ling Xinlu let out a hollow laugh, “Ha,” and looked at Yuri with hurt eyes as Yuri flatly denied and raised his head. Even Xiao Qun, who was watching from the side, slightly hunched her shoulders and looked uneasy at his fierce gaze, but Yuri calmly met it.

“Mr. Ling Xinlu. I try to view things from a neutral perspective, but if possible, I try to understand from your perspective. …No, I don’t even have to try; it happens naturally. After all, I have more affection for you than for them. But even so, this isn’t right. You already suspected it even before you spoke to her.”

That she was his girlfriend.

How she would react if he spoke to her, who had been sending him subtle glances of admiration.

And when he spoke to her directly, even though she resembled someone, how he would ultimately feel about her.

Ling Xinlu must have known all of it. Even if he didn’t consciously calculate and act on all of it, he could calculate such things subconsciously, and yet he still approached her.

Just a momentary curiosity.

Just to quench a sip of thirst—a thirst not caused by her.

“What wrong did they do to you?”

Ling Xinlu said nothing. He just stared intently at Yuri. His face was chillingly cold, as if he had never imagined such a situation—perhaps even resentful of Yuri for showing him his own unconscious true feelings right in front of him.

“It’s not Mr. Gable’s place to criticize me. The people who can criticize me are the parties involved. —Don’t you think you’re overstepping?”

A cold retort came back.

But after those words, Ling Xinlu, who had been coldly staring at Yuri, turned and walked away. Yuri let out a silent sigh, watching his back as he walked back into the crowd without looking back.

“…, …Uncle Yuri. I like Uncle Maknae, but I’m still on Uncle Yuri’s side.”

Seeing Xiao Qun, who was whispering cutely, clenching her fist and saying, “Fighting,” Yuri, who had been looking gloomily at Ling Xinlu, muttered indifferently.

“If we pick sides and fight here, I think I’ll be at a disadvantage.”

Hearing him chuckle, Xiao Qun laughed aloud.

“What do you mean, one against a hundred? Should I help too? Then the two of us can take down two hundred people.”

No sooner had Xiao Qun finished speaking than a voice quickly interjected.

Xiao Qun exclaimed happily, “Oppa!” when she saw the person who had just thrust his head between them, his cheeks bulging as he chewed, holding a croquette in one hand and a duck leg in the other, as if he had just grabbed them from the table.

“You just got here? You said you’d be late, but you’re earlier than I thought?”

“I escaped. If I had stayed, I would have been there all night. Would you like some of this?”

Fei, who had just returned and hadn’t even changed out of his stiff suit, abruptly offered Yuri a duck leg. But before Yuri could say anything, he bit into it himself, muttering, “Oh, right, Uncle Yuri doesn’t like meat much.”

“But why is the atmosphere like this? What about Qing Min? I should wish him a happy birthday.”

Fei, who was looking around and nodding to people whenever their eyes met, seemed to sense something was off even in the seemingly returned-to-normal atmosphere, and turned his round eyes to Xiao Qun, asking. Xiao Qun pouted and shrugged her shoulders.