“Dai Yuan?” Gong Lang repeated the name, looking even more confused than Huo Youqing. “Who?”
At this point, even Gong Lang didn’t know Dai Yuan?
Huo Youqing lowered his eyes.
It wasn’t a dream.
It wasn’t amnesia.
It was his 18-year-old self somehow traveling into his 27-year-old body, and then randomly returning to the past.
Suddenly, Gong Lang’s face came closer, his confusion turning into irritation. “Why is Youyou asking about someone named Dai Yuan? Is he a guy or a girl? When did you meet them…”
Gong Lang rambled on, but Huo Youqing just pushed him away and sat up.
He opened the bed curtain and noticed that Qiu Wenfei was there too.
Gong Lang’s earlier comments had been loud, and Qiu Wenfei must have heard them. He glanced over briefly before looking away again.
Huo Youqing couldn’t help but look at Qiu Wenfei. The two openly hostile men would later team up, working together to bring him down because of Dai Yuan.
Just who is Dai Yuan?
“Youyou, why are you looking at him?”
Gong Lang turned Huo Youqing’s face back toward him, his cool fingers pressing against his cheek. The coldness brought a wave of discomfort, and Huo Youqing knocked Gong Lang’s hand away. “Just looking.”
With that, he got out of bed.
Gong Lang quickly followed suit, watching as Huo Youqing started changing clothes right in front of the desk. His anger flared, but with someone else present, he held back, trying to block Huo Youqing’s body with his own.
But Huo Youqing had no time to deal with whatever Gong Lang was thinking. He hurriedly changed and washed up, ready to leave the dorm.
“Youyou.” Gong Lang chased after him again, confused as to why Huo Youqing woke up asking about someone named Dai Yuan and now didn’t seem to want anything to do with him. “You don’t have class this morning, do you? At least eat breakfast before you go.”
“I’m not hungry. Gong Lang, I just want to be alone for a bit.” This was the first time Huo Youqing had spoken so earnestly to Gong Lang.
Gong Lang noticed the difference between this and the last time Huo Youqing told him to go home at the internet café. A thousand thoughts raced through his mind, but on the surface, he only showed the most gentle one, with a hint of grievance. “Okay, how long do you need to be alone? When can I come find you?”
Huo Youqing rubbed his neck. “I don’t know. I’ll let you know later.”
With that, he left.
For the first time, Huo Youqing was determined to find Dai Yuan. He even felt an impulse to post on the school forum, asking if anyone knew this person.
But in the end, he gave up on the idea.
What’s the point of finding Dai Yuan?
There’s no meaning to it.
***
After that day, Gong Lang didn’t come to look for Huo Youqing anymore, but he still sent messages every day on social media, asking about what Huo Youqing ate and if he was sleeping well. He also continued to send things to Huo Youqing’s dormitory, as usual.
In just a few days, the dorm leader started asking, “Little Huo, how come your… good buddy hasn’t come to see you recently? Is he really busy?”
Huo Youqing didn’t want to accept the things Gong Lang sent, but the people delivering them looked troubled, saying they’d be scolded if Huo Youqing didn’t accept the items.
Initially, Huo Youqing wanted to throw them away, but his dormmates stopped him.
“These are really good things, why throw them away?”
“If you toss them in the trash, someone else will just pick them up right after.”
So, Huo Youqing divided the items among his dormmates and then calculated the value of the items, converting it into cash and transferring it to Gong Lang.
During this time, Huo Youqing had been walking around alone. He had declined his dormmates’ invitations, but one day, as he was leaving the ninth lecture hall, someone grabbed his arm and dragged him into an empty classroom.
“Gong Lang?” Startled, Huo Youqing recognized the person and immediately struggled. “What are you doing? Let go of me!”
Gong Lang shut the door and cornered him between the desk and the wall. He seemed to have had a rough time recently, looking noticeably thinner.
He tightly restrained Huo Youqing’s arms, his eyes fixated on him like a wolf. “No, I won’t let go!”
Huo Youqing frowned and pressed his back against the wall, trying to create some space. However, the more he tried to distance himself, the closer Gong Lang got, practically pressing his whole body against him. The hot breath on his cheek, ear, and neck made Huo Youqing feel uncomfortable, even nauseous from the excessive closeness.
“Gong Lang!” He tried with all his might to push him away, but despite his struggles, Gong Lang held on firmly. Frustrated, Huo Youqing turned his face away, but Gong Lang didn’t seem to notice his discomfort, his gaze fixated on Huo Youqing’s neck.
Pale and slender.
A stretch of snow-white skin.
Like a swan’s neck.
As his eyes traveled upwards, they landed on Huo Youqing’s ears, flushed red from the heat.
Gong Lang’s expression darkened as he lowered his head, seemingly about to bite down, when Huo Youqing’s calm voice interrupted, “Do you want me to hate you?”
His movement froze.
Closing his eyes, Gong Lang tried to suppress the restlessness inside him. “You haven’t been responding to my messages lately. You don’t even want to accept the things I send, and you insist on returning the money. Youqing, what did I do wrong? Why are you suddenly treating me this way?”
“I…” Huo Youqing didn’t want to explain how he had traveled nine years into the future. No one would believe him, and they’d likely think he was crazy. “I just think we were too close before. I like how things are now.”
Suddenly, a fist slammed into the wall behind Huo Youqing.
Startled, Huo Youqing looked at Gong Lang in surprise. Although he had seen Gong Lang’s violent side nine years in the future, he hadn’t expected him to show signs of aggression so early on.
Gong Lang’s eyes were now bloodshot. “I don’t agree.”
Only he knew how much effort it had taken to become the closest person to Huo Youqing. Over the years, countless people, overtly and covertly, had tried to get close to Huo Youqing, but Gong Lang had driven them all away.
Huo Youqing had lost his parents early, and though his aunt and uncle had taken care of him, he was still somewhat naive in dealing with relationships. He often didn’t realize that his relationship with Gong Lang wasn’t like a typical friendship. And whenever he did notice something off, Gong Lang would smooth things over.
Using this trait, Gong Lang had long considered Huo Youqing to be his. Now, hearing that Huo Youqing didn’t want to be close to him anymore? He couldn’t allow it.
Seeing that Huo Youqing was clearly startled, Gong Lang reluctantly took a step back. “In any case, I don’t agree with what you said. You can’t just decide on your own. I know I scared you just now, but that’s only because I care too much about you. Youqing, there are so many bad people out there. Without me by your side, you’ll be taken advantage of. Where were you planning to go? Let me…”
His phone rang.
Gong Lang glanced at the screen, his brows furrowing. He turned slightly and answered the call.
Two minutes later, he hung up. “I have to head to the company for a bit. Once things are sorted out, I’ll come find you again. Make sure you eat properly.”
Gong Lang pulled out a card from his wallet and forced it into Huo Youqing’s hand. “The password is your birthday. You have to keep it. I’ll be back.”
Gong Lang’s family was wealthy. Even though he was still in university, they had already given him a company to manage as part of his training.
The company issue must have been urgent, as he quickly left the classroom.
Looking at the bank card in his hand, Huo Youqing felt a wave of frustration.
At that moment, another voice interrupted his thoughts.
“Youqing.”
Qiu Wenfei walked in through the door Gong Lang had just exited, approaching step by step. “Did you and Gong Lang have a fight?”
Huo Youqing had no intention of explaining his relationship with Gong Lang to Qiu Wenfei, so he shook his head. He wanted to leave, but Qiu Wenfei blocked his path. “Do you need me to go with you to the clinic? You don’t look well.”
Following Qiu Wenfei’s gaze, Huo Youqing noticed the red marks on his wrist, left by Gong Lang’s grip. Because of his pale skin, the marks appeared particularly striking.
“No need.” He flexed his wrist. “It’s just a bit red. No need to go to the clinic. If there’s nothing else, I’d like to leave.”
“Wait.”
Qiu Wenfei pulled out a cartoon band-aid from his pocket, crouched down, and placed it on Huo Youqing’s ankle.
“You’re bleeding here,” he said softly, looking up at Huo Youqing.
