Huo Youqing quickly left the internet cafe, but he hadn’t gone far when Gong Lang caught up and grabbed his arm.
“Youyou, let me take you home,” Gong Lang said, his voice hurried, as if he was afraid Huo Youqing would refuse. “Your driver didn’t come today, and I was the one who brought you here. I won’t feel at ease if you go back alone. Let me take you home, okay?”
Huo Youqing stayed silent for a moment before pulling his hand free. “No need.”
“Why?! Youyou, I didn’t mean to upset you. I just don’t understand why you’re suddenly mad at me and won’t let me take you home.” Gong Lang’s expression turned sad and dejected.
At the same time, another image of Gong Lang flashed in Huo Youqing’s mind.
An older Gong Lang, several years his senior, with a face full of rage, cursing and hitting him.
Huo Youqing’s mind was a mess. One moment, he had been in the hospital, and the next, he was in an internet cafe. And Gong Lang had changed too.
Just as he was about to accept that he had lost his memory, he suddenly found himself back nine years earlier.
Was it all a dream?
Or had he gone mad?
Huo Youqing wanted to be alone to clear his head. And even if he had to be with someone right now, that person definitely couldn’t be Gong Lang.
So, he shook his head at Gong Lang and said, “I want to go home by myself.”
Gong Lang pressed his lips together, saying nothing, but also refusing to leave, staring at Huo Youqing. Not wanting to engage in a standoff with Gong Lang, Huo Youqing simply turned and walked away.
He called the family driver and sat on a bench by the street to wait.
As he waited, Huo Youqing suddenly heard someone calling him.
He looked up and saw it was Qiu Wenfei.
Qiu Wenfei was the second person he’d seen at the hospital, and also his university roommate.
Qiu Wenfei looked like he had just come from the supermarket, carrying a large plastic bag, and was walking toward him.
At the same time, Huo Youqing spotted his family car. He didn’t respond to Qiu Wenfei and got into the car directly, under the other’s gaze.
Qiu Wenfei stopped in his tracks as he walked toward him.
Huo Youqing didn’t look back. He leaned back in his seat, feeling a bit tired, and asked the driver to take him home. His phone in his pocket suddenly buzzed; it was a text from Gong Lang, asking him to send a message when he got home safely.
Huo Youqing’s finger hovered over the screen for a moment but in the end, he didn’t reply.
After staying home for quite some time, Huo Youqing finally gathered some energy. The calendar showed it was Saturday, and he was due back at school on Sunday afternoon.
***
The next morning, the first thing Huo Youqing did after getting up was run to the bathroom to look at himself in the mirror. He was still 18, and hadn’t turned into his 27-year-old self.
Maybe it was just a dream, but it had felt all too real.
In the afternoon, when he went back to school, it was inevitable that he would run into Qiu Wenfei.
When Huo Youqing arrived at the dorm, there were already four people inside. Their dorm had six beds: three of them were from out of town, and the others were locals.
The dorm leader looked up from his computer and greeted Huo Youqing, “Little Huo, you’re back, huh? That’s unusual—where’s Gong Lang? He didn’t bring you?”
As he said this, Qiu Wenfei, who was standing by the sink, quickly raised his eyes to look over.
Huo Youqing’s expression remained calm as he put his bag down on the desk, “I came by myself.”
He didn’t explain further. In fact, Gong Lang had offered to come back to school with him, but he had refused.
Huo Youqing and Gong Lang had known each other since middle school, and then continued attending the same schools, including university. People often said the two were inseparable, or more accurately, Gong Lang was always revolving around Huo Youqing.
After putting his bag down, Huo Youqing went to the sink to wash his hands. As he washed, he felt a warm body pressing up against his arm. “You saw me yesterday, didn’t you? Why didn’t you talk to me, Youqing?”
Huo Youqing lowered his eyes. Before he could think of a response, his body reacted first, shifting away slightly.
Qiu Wenfei’s eyes darkened. He didn’t say anything but took a tissue and started to help Huo Youqing dry his hands. After just a couple of wipes, Huo Youqing’s hand slipped away like a fish.
“I can do it myself,” Huo Youqing said, still with his eyes downcast, avoiding Qiu Wenfei’s gaze as he walked away.
Not long after, all the roommates had returned, and they were about to head to the cafeteria for dinner. Huo Youqing said he wasn’t hungry and stayed behind.
Alone in the empty dorm room, he laid on the desk in a daze.
Huo Youqing was still thinking about that dream.
He was so lost in thought that he didn’t even hear footsteps until a figure appeared in his peripheral vision. He sat up and saw it was Gong Lang.
Gong Lang’s eyes were bloodshot, like he hadn’t slept all night. He crouched in front of Huo Youqing, a very humble posture. “Youyou, please don’t ignore me. I shouldn’t have taken you to the internet café. I really… I was so stupid. They said it was lively there and that gaming had a nice atmosphere, and I forgot that you don’t like those places. I’ll never take you there again. Please stop being mad at me. If you want, you can hit me—however hard you want, just as long as you talk to me.”
He grabbed Huo Youqing’s hand and slapped his own face with it. After the first slap, seeing Huo Youqing frowning and trying to pull his hand back, Gong Lang tightened his grip, refusing to let go. “Youyou, I’m sorry. Please forgive me.”
Huo Youqing furrowed his brow but then slowly relaxed. “I… I’m not mad because of the internet café.”
“Then what is it?” Gong Lang asked.
Huo Youqing looked a bit confused. “I think I had a dream. I… I dreamed that—”
“Hmm?”
“I dreamed that you hit me, and—”
Before he could finish, Gong Lang started laughing, looking at Huo Youqing in disbelief. “How could I possibly hit you? I’d never lay a hand on you in my entire life. So, just because you had a dream at the internet café, you got mad at me? Youyou, that’s so unreasonable. I’ve been feeling terrible these past two days.”
Not only was his tone sticky and sweet, but his actions were as well.
Gong Lang tilted his head and kissed Huo Youqing’s palm, his downcast eyelashes trying to hide his desire.
Huo Youqing was a bit lost in thought from Gong Lang’s words, and by the time he snapped out of it, he quickly withdrew his hand. He grabbed a wet tissue from the table and wiped his palm several times. “Don’t kiss my hand. That dream felt so real.”
“No matter how real, it was just a dream,” Gong Lang said, still crouching. He seemed much happier now. “You haven’t had dinner yet, have you? Let’s go eat out. I remember you really liked the dessert at that French restaurant last time. Let’s go get some, okay?”
Huo Youqing still hesitated, but he was afraid that it was all just a dream. He didn’t want to ruin his relationship with Gong Lang over a dream.
***
When Gong Lang dropped him back at the dorm, it was already 10 PM.
Huo Youqing greeted his roommates and then went to shower before heading to bed. Just before he was about to sleep, Qiu Wenfei walked over to his bed and asked, “What do you want for breakfast tomorrow? I’m going for a morning run, I can bring it for you.”
The other roommates overheard and started chiming in with what they wanted.
But Qiu Wenfei didn’t respond to them. He just kept staring at Huo Youqing, who had just finished showering.
Huo Youqing, feeling hot, was wearing short sleeves and shorts as pajamas. He laid on his bed, his well-proportioned legs exposed. The silk sheets highlighted his pale skin, a stark white that was almost blinding.
The one being stared at let out a soft sound and turned his head, saying, “No need. Gong Lang said he’ll bring me breakfast tomorrow.”
Qiu Wenfei forced a smile, suppressing the displeasure in his eyes. “Alright, sleep early.”
When he woke up, Huo Youqing was still feeling a bit drowsy. He groggily tried to get out of bed to use the bathroom, but instead of seeing the familiar dormitory setting, he saw a hospital room and his cousin with red eyes.
As soon as his cousin saw that he was awake, he rushed over. “Does your head still hurt? Can you hear me? That b*stard Gong Lang… he really tried to kill you! It wasn’t enough that he almost killed you once in the hospital, but as soon as I left, he came back again… And to think I used to believe the only bad thing about him was how clingy he was with you…”
Was this all just another dream?
