Abandoned White Moonlight Chapter 73

Valentine’s Day is a special day for lovers, but for single people, it’s just an ordinary day.

Hou Youqing sat lazily on the carpet in front of the living room coffee table, watching an old movie. He had already showered and was wearing thin, comfortable loungewear, with his legs curled up, revealing a stretch of pale calf, while the heater kept the room warm.

“Bzzz—”

His phone vibrated.

Hou Youqing glanced at it. It was a call from Dai Yuan.

It had been several months since Dai Yuan last contacted him. The last time was through email, not a phone call.

Realizing something, Hou Youqing grabbed his phone but hesitated for a moment before pressing the button. The dialogue from the movie’s leading couple drifted into his ears, but it was as though he didn’t fully hear it, with only the buzzing of his phone filling the air.

Just as the call was about to hang up automatically, he picked it up.

Dai Yuan’s familiar sweet voice came through, “Older Brother, come downstairs.”

“Hm?”

Dai Yuan chuckled on the other end, “I’m here to claim my reward.”

Hou Youqing pursed his lips. “You succeeded?”

“It’s not just me who succeeded, we succeeded. I can’t explain over the phone—come downstairs. It’s snowing outside, dress warmly,” Dai Yuan said and then hung up.

Hou Youqing stood up and walked to the balcony of the living room. From his high floor, he could vaguely see a white figure down below.

The white figure seemed to spot him too, raising an arm to wave in his direction.

After observing the figure for a while, Hou Youqing finally turned around to put on some clothes. He threw on a long down jacket and headed downstairs. While waiting for the elevator, he sent a message to his cousin.

Sure enough, the white figure was Dai Yuan. Hou Youqing walked a few steps forward but stopped in a place where the security camera could still see him.

“Older Brother,” Dai Yuan walked toward him, his eyes tired yet brimming with excitement. He hurriedly hugged Hou Youqing the moment he got close but quickly let go. “Fine, I won’t hug you—put your taser away.”

Hou Youqing stuffed the taser back into his jacket pocket. “Why are you here?” After a pause, he hesitated before asking, “Where is Dai Yixin?”

Dai Yuan raised an eyebrow. “The stuff you gave me worked. My father finally recognized my abilities, and my brother is free now. That’s why I’m standing here in front of you.” He raised his hand as if to caress Hou Youqing’s lips. Having just come from a warm room, Hou Youqing’s face was slightly flushed, his lips a rosy shade.

Hearing Dai Yuan’s words, Hou Youqing was momentarily dazed. The thing he had been waiting for had finally come to pass, but it was almost too unbelievable.

“Older Brother,” Dai Yuan called out, a hint of impatience in his voice. “My kiss.”

Hou Youqing wasn’t eager to kiss Dai Yuan, but he had already agreed to it and didn’t want to go back on his word, just as he hoped Dai Yuan would keep his promises too.

Looking straight at him, Hou Youqing grabbed Dai Yuan’s arm and pulled him closer. He only intended for a light kiss, but Dai Yuan had other plans. Just as Hou Youqing tried to pull back, Dai Yuan wrapped an arm around his waist. Hot breaths brushed his cheek, and he felt Dai Yuan’s cold nose graze his.

When Dai Yuan tried to slip his tongue in, Hou Youqing gripped his waist harder, his eyes icy cold as they stared at the person before him. Dai Yuan sighed silently, unhappily opened his eyes, and released his hold. But moments later, he licked his lips and smiled smugly.

“Thanks for the reward,” Dai Yuan said, turning his head.

Following Dai Yuan’s gaze, Hou Youqing noticed other figures standing near the building entrance.

“I did this to help you make him give up. Don’t be mad at me, Older Brother. Here’s your Valentine’s gift,” Dai Yuan said, taking out a gift box and quickly stuffing it into Hou Youqing’s coat pocket before he could refuse. Then, he swiftly turned and left the building. Once outside, he waved to the bodyguards behind the trees.

The two bodyguards loosened their grip.

It had been months since Hou Youqing last saw Dai Yixin, and he had lost a lot of weight. The bodyguards hadn’t given him an umbrella, so as he walked toward Hou Youqing, his black coat became covered in snowflakes. Even his thick lashes were weighed down by snow, and his pale, handsome face looked undeniably haggard.

Hou Youqing noticed that Dai Yixin was limping, and his brow furrowed unconsciously. He had seen Dai Yixin like this once before.

Dai Yixin stopped in front of him, silently reaching out to wipe Hou Youqing’s lips with his long, cold fingers, as if trying to erase any trace of Dai Yuan. His fingers pressed too hard, and Hou Youqing’s lips turned so red they seemed about to bleed.

With a pained intake of breath, Hou Youqing tried to pull away. Dai Yixin stopped, but his hand didn’t retreat. Instead, it gently caressed Hou Youqing’s face, as if wanting to cup it.

Hou Youqing broke the gesture before it could happen.

He took a step back.

“Are you doing okay now?” he asked Dai Yixin.

Dai Yixin’s deep, dark eyes, framed by his thick brows, looked like a pool of still water, reflecting the soft yellow light from the nearby lamps as if it was cradling moonlight within. His expression rippled slightly at the question, like water disturbed by a passing breeze.

He nodded, about to speak, but was interrupted again.

Seeing the obvious affection in Dai Yixin’s eyes, Hou Youqing quickly cut him off. “Don’t get any ideas. I did all of this not just for you, but for myself too. Remember that dream I told you about? Recently, I’ve seen how it ends—you had brain surgery to turn yourself into an idiot, and I became unstable, seeing everyone around me as if they were fish. In the dream, neither of us ended up well.”

He closed his eyes for a moment, biting the tip of his tongue.

“I once asked you, if I treated you the way you treated me, would you be happy? You said yes back then. Now, let me ask you again, if that person were Christian instead of me, would you still be happy?

“Maybe you fell in love with me long ago, obsessively watching me day and night, but to me, you’re just someone I’ve met a few times. Our first meeting was in M Country, and after that, you followed me back here. Even then, we only saw each other a few more times.”

“In truth, you’re no more familiar to me than Christian is to you. You think Christian is a stranger, but he’s silently loved you for a long time. He was even willing to stay in that room with you, something I couldn’t do. If I stayed in that room, I would’ve gone crazy faster than you. But you almost killed him.”

Love has never been about one-sided feelings. Just because you love me doesn’t mean I have to love you back. The emotions you force upon me are often a burden. Even though I understand what you’ve been through, I can’t save you. In fact, your expressions of love make me feel like a terrible person.

I always wonder if I did something wrong to make you love me in such a radical, irrational way, never considering what I want. I’ve thought about suicide, about dying with you, about many ways to escape this nauseating situation. But eventually, I realized I didn’t do anything wrong. The one who’s wrong is you.

Dai Yixin, I’m not a god. I can’t save you. I’ve won your freedom for you; it’s the only thing I can do, and it’s all I can do. The person who can truly save you is yourself. I can’t accept you. When I’m with you, my emotions are always negative. Every day, I feel so miserable. So please, let me go. Go get treatment, live well, and move forward. I want to move forward, too.”

By the time he finished speaking, his eyes had started to sting.

The young man standing across from him wasn’t doing much better—he looked like he had been completely crushed. If there was still a glimmer of hope when Dai Yixin had arrived, it had now been shattered into dust. His tall frame barely held up his pale skin, which seemed to bleed and cry out as Huo Youqing firmly reiterated his words.

“Go. This time, I’ll watch you leave.”

“I…”

“Go.”

Dai Yixin bit his lip so hard that it bled, red drops rolling down his pale chin. He lowered his gaze, and the light in his amber eyes slowly dimmed.

With Huo Youqing watching him, Dai Yixin turned around. One step, two steps, three… Before his hand could touch the glass door, he quickly turned back.

With the chill of the wind and snow, like it was the last time he would ever see him in this life, he embraced his moonlight.

“That dream you spoke of—I won’t let it come true. I’ll get better. Don’t be sad. I’m sorry.”

It was the only complete sentence he said that night.

***

Dai Yixin left.

He limped away into the wind and snow, his black figure fading into the darkness.