He had slept for a full two hours, and when he woke up, Gong Lang was lying beside him playing a game on mute. Almost the moment Huo Youqing moved, Gong Lang noticed and immediately put down his phone, propping himself up to ask, “Youyou, what do you want for lunch?”
Huo Youqing laid there for a while longer before sitting up. Ever since he found out he was a bad person, his resistance toward Gong Lang had slightly lessened. He listed a few dishes he wanted and suddenly remembered something. “Did you take the letter on my desk?”
“What letter?” Gong Lang’s attempt to feign ignorance was too obvious. Huo Youqing shot him a look of irritation and began to get up.
Halfway through standing, Gong Lang grabbed his arm and pulled him back into bed. His warm breath brushed against Huo Youqing’s ear, “Alright, there was a letter. That brat Qiu Wenfei was complaining again, wasn’t he? I knew that guy had bad intentions. Why are you asking about that letter anyway?”
Huo Youqing tilted his head slightly, avoiding the annoying warmth. “Someone wrote a letter to me. Why can’t I ask about it?”
“You can ask, but it’s better if you don’t.”
Gong Lang’s response made Huo Youqing turn his head. He stared at his childhood friend. “Why would you say that?”
Gong Lang’s handsome face showed disgust. “The contents of the letter… weren’t good. You don’t want to know. The person who wrote it is a pervert.”
His expression didn’t seem fake.
A pervert?
Huo Youqing recalled the boy who had rushed up to him that day. Because it had happened so suddenly, he hadn’t gotten a good look at the boy’s face, not even remembering any distinctive features.
Unable to figure it out, Huo Youqing decided to drop the subject and patted Gong Lang’s hand, which was wrapped around his waist. “Let go, I’m hungry.”
Huo Youqing stayed at the villa for two more days until his vacation was over, and he had to return to school. Gong Lang drove him back to the dormitory, but once there, Gong Lang immediately turned to Qiu Wenfei, who was sitting at the desk, and said, “Hey, you. Let’s talk.”
Sensing something was off, Huo Youqing called out to Gong Lang.
Gong Lang smiled at him. “I’m not doing anything. I just want to have a little chat.”
Qiu Wenfei stood up silently from his desk and walked out of the dormitory. Halfway out, he turned back to look at Gong Lang. “Didn’t you want to talk? Let’s go outside.”
Huo Youqing could feel the tension between them and wanted to say something, but both insisted it was nothing, so he sat back down.
Gong Lang had been hovering around him for the past few days, leaving him with almost no personal space. Now, he had something he wanted to do.
According to a coworker from the twenty-seven-year-old timeline, Dai Yuan had once been a famous photographer. He hadn’t asked much at the time, but now his curiosity was piqued.
Huo Youqing opened his laptop and searched for “Dai Yuan” online. A flood of information appeared. As he scrolled through it, Gong Lang suddenly leaned in. “Youyou, what are you looking at?”
Huo Youqing panicked for a moment, trying to close the laptop, but it was too late. Gong Lang had already seen everything on the screen. He read the name aloud, “Dai Yuan,” and then his expression darkened. “Dai Yuan again? Youyou, why are you looking him up?”
“I’ll explain to you later.”
The word “later” instantly calmed Gong Lang’s jealous heart. He glanced mockingly in one direction.
At the end of that direction was Qiu Wenfei, who was sitting with his back to them, clutching his abdomen. The pain contorted his face as he realized the area had bruised.
For the next little while, Huo Youqing’s life returned to normal. He told Gong Lang that the name “Dai Yuan” had come to him in a dream, which Gong Lang believed, though he did caution Huo Youqing to avoid focusing too much on that name.
“A dream is just a dream,” Gong Lang said with certainty.
Huo Youqing groaned softly, pushing away Gong Lang, who had somehow ended up on his bed again. “It’s hot. You should go back to your own dorm.”
Gong Lang’s gaze greedily swept over Huo Youqing’s exposed skin. The power outage had cut off both the air conditioning and fans, leaving the room sweltering. Huo Youqing, who was always sensitive to heat, was covered in a light sheen of sweat, clinging to his pale legs.
He was so fair-skinned that even in the dimly lit room, it almost seemed like he was glowing. His skin was so white that it dazzled the eyes and tugged at the heart.
“Why don’t we go sleep somewhere else tonight?” Gong Lang suggested.
Huo Youqing, nearly delirious from the heat, mumbled, “I have an 8 a.m. class tomorrow.”
“I’ll make sure to wake you up and drive you back in time. I promise you won’t be late.”
With that assurance, Huo Youqing finally agreed. He quickly packed a set of clothes and prepared to leave with Gong Lang.
As they were heading out the door, they bumped into Qiu Wenfei.
Qiu Wenfei glanced at Huo Youqing and then at Gong Lang, seemingly guessing what was going on. “You’re staying out tonight? The dorm supervisors might check.”
Huo Youqing nodded. “I’ve already told the dorm leader. He’ll cover for me.”
Qiu Wenfei didn’t say anything more, watching silently as the two left.
Halfway down the hall, Gong Lang turned back and flipped Qiu Wenfei off, a gesture filled with disdain and provocation.
Seeing this, Qiu Wenfei gritted his teeth, rushing back to his bed and drawing the curtains around him. He hurriedly replied to a message on social media.
“He’s going out to stay with Gong Lang tonight.”
It was the first time he had responded to that number. After sending the message, his phone and fingers felt as though they were burning, especially when a large sum of money was transferred over.
For just a few simple words, he received a payment of five thousand yuan.
Qiu Wenfei couldn’t bear to look at his phone any longer. He clutched his face in anguish.
***
On the other side of town, Gong Lang had brought Huo Youqing to a five-star hotel near their school. Gong Lang had a permanent reservation for a suite there. He had wanted to share a bed with Huo Youqing, but was flatly rejected, so they ended up in separate rooms.
After settling in, Gong Lang put on his headphones and started gaming, not noticing when room service knocked on the door.
Huo Youqing had just finished showering when he heard the knock. He opened the door to find hotel staff delivering some late-night snacks.
Feeling a bit hungry, Huo Youqing let them bring the food in. As the staff left, he was about to call for Gong Lang when he noticed something on the carpet—another letter.
It looked exactly the same as the last one he had received.
Same color, same envelope, and the same sender’s name on the front.
“Sent by Dai Yixin.”
Huo Youqing froze.
For a long moment, he just stared at the letter before finally bending down to pick it up. Did the staff who brought the food leave it behind?
Last time, Gong Lang had told him that the contents of the letter were too unsightly to read and that it was better not to look.
He trusted that Gong Lang wasn’t lying to him about that.
As he hesitated, Gong Lang, having just finished a game, came out of his room. He immediately spotted the envelope in Huo Youqing’s hand and without hesitation, snatched it away. “What’s this? Another letter from that person? Where did it come from this time?”
“I don’t know. Someone brought up food just now, and after they left, the letter was on the ground,” Huo Youqing explained.
Gong Lang glanced at him and, because the recipient was standing right in front of him, tried to be patient this time. “Let me check it for you. If it’s nothing too terrible, I’ll give it back.”
After thinking for a moment, Huo Youqing agreed.
What happened next was watching Gong Lang’s expression quickly darken with anger. Before Huo Youqing could say anything, Gong Lang crumpled the letter into a ball and stuffed it into his pocket, his brows furrowed deeply. “Don’t read it.”
“What did it say?” Huo Youqing couldn’t help but ask.
After a moment of silence, Gong Lang forced a smile and said, “Just eat your snack. Let me handle this. It’s just some creepy weirdo who’s better off ignored.”
Seeing how unusually serious Gong Lang was, Huo Youqing nodded. As he drifted off to sleep that night, he thought to himself that he should ask how Gong Lang planned to handle the situation.
But it was already late, so he decided to ask in the morning instead.
Little did he expect that when he woke up, he would find himself back in the timeline of his 27-year-old self.
Since taking Dai Yuan to the doctor on Wednesday, things had been quieter. Dai Yuan hadn’t sent any more messages. Huo Youqing also began considering finding a new job. His last one hadn’t made him any money and had actually cost him, leaving him at a loss.
This time, he was much more cautious with his job search. He wouldn’t sign any contract on the same day as the interview and would thoroughly research each company beforehand. By Friday, he had successfully landed a job at a foreign company, once again working in translation.
The department seemed harmonious. On his first day, his coworkers suggested going out for drinks, quickly settling on a bustling local bar.
In his limited life experience, Huo Youqing had only been to bars twice—once with his college roommates and once with Gong Lang. Both times, his friends felt that bars weren’t really his scene, so they had taken him to quieter, more relaxed venues. This time was different.
Seated in the booth, Huo Youqing absentmindedly played with his phone, completely uninterested in the chaotic crowd on the dance floor. He had come to join the social gathering but didn’t feel the need to please anyone. So when his coworkers offered him drinks, he didn’t take a single sip. After repeatedly turning them down, some of their faces began to show displeasure.
Especially someone named Brother Hao.
There was something off about Brother Hao. Ever since Huo Youqing had started that day, this man had been hovering around, asking all sorts of random questions. Just moments ago, he had come over with another drink, noticing that Huo Youqing had listed himself as 27 years old on the employment form, and asked if he had a partner. If not, Brother Hao said he could introduce someone.
After being politely but firmly turned down several times, Brother Hao’s expression grew increasingly sour.
As Huo Youqing sat there, he found himself thinking that this job might be a lost cause, and he decided to slip away.
The moment he stood up, several people asked him, “Where are you going?”
“Restroom,” he said, using it as an excuse.
In reality, he was planning his escape.
The lighting in the bar was dim, and the place was crowded. Most of the time, Hou Youqing was bad with directions, and after searching for the exit for a long time, he not only failed to find it but also ended up deeper inside the bar. Only then did he realize that the bar had a hidden second floor.
Realizing he had gone the wrong way, Hou Youqing was about to retrace his steps when he suddenly heard footsteps. Someone was coming down the stairs.
A casual glance allowed him to clearly see the person leading the group.
Dai Yuan, dressed in a suit, was walking down with a cold, expressionless face.
His demeanor was completely different from how Hou Youqing had seen him before.
Several people followed behind Dai Yuan. Someone said something to him, and he suddenly stopped, raised his hand, and slapped the person on the far right. The slap was so fierce that it made the person spit blood.
