May this promise last a lifetime

Chapter 47 - A brotherly phone call

Zhongli's POV

 Hmm...

 So that was Wriothesley.

 Only after I got to my car did I fully snap out of my daze.

 He hugged Neuvillette and Neuvillette allowed it.

 From the little girl's words, It wasn't the first time either.

Yesterday was the 9th of the month, wasn't it? Then he should have met with Baizhu. That snakelike guy surely knows something.

 Having realized this, I called Baizhu as soon as I got back to my office.

 "Ah... Well if it isn't our local rich asshole?" Baizhu's voice sounded from the other end of the call.

 "Snakelike bastard." I retorted.

 "Piggybank."

 "Grasshead."

 "Elder brother." He said sweetly.

 A shiver ran down my spine as he said that. It's cute from Neuvillette, but incredibly unpleasant from this guy.

 And he knows that. I feel like I can sense that damned smirk of his through that phone.

 "Neuvillette wants a boyfriend." I threw out.

 "Sure and I'm getting married." He threw back mockingly.

 "If it goes on like this, you might actually be the last one to do so."

 Silence fell on both sides, but only for a few moments.

 "Is it that Wriothesley guy? Tall, black hair with gray streaks, has quite a few scars, and comes with a kid?" Baizhu asked.

 ...

 "You know him."

 "We met yesterday. Didn't get too much time to talk in private before Neuvillette tossed me out with a warning though." He sighed.

 "You don't seem all too surprised by the fact that I just told you that Neuvillette wants to date him." I pointed out.

 My words were answered by yet another tired sigh.

 "It can't possibly come as a surprise. Not when I know that Neuvillette not only let him stay at his house but also gave him a rough rundown of that incident."

 Oh?

 He told him about that too?

 While it isn't a secret you should keep at the cost of your life, it isn't like he goes around advertising it.

 "Neuvillette also had a pretty bad episode. Wriothesley apparently helped him through it. That's probably why he was a lot calmer even though this one was worse than usual."

 Hmm?

 "Neuvillette had an episode?"

 It didn't show.

 Usually, he is kind of out of it for another day or two and while most people don't notice, for someone who grew up with him, it becomes pretty obvious.

 "Yeah, and a pretty bad one too. he actually wanted to use the sedative he has back home. He didn't do it in the end, but the intent was there."

 Damn.

 "That bad? What triggered it?"

 "He tried to wake Wriothesley up and he in turn reacted to Neuvillette's touch rather violently. He lashed out and it ended with him being pinned to the bed and Neuvillette nearly choking him to death. As you might expect, Neuvillette didn't take choking his crush half to death all that well."