When Dai Yuan called out those two words, his eyes showed a level of dependence that didn’t match his age.
A strange sense of unease quickly crept into Huo Youqing’s heart.
Almost as fast as a blink, Huo Youqing pulled his hand back. He stared at the person before him for a long time before he could speak a single word, “You…”
Dai Yuan’s expression turned sorrowful, but he softly begged Huo Youqing not to leave. After his request, he quickly pulled out his phone, tapping a few times on the screen before holding it up for Huo Youqing to see.
Instinctively, Huo Youqing looked over. The screen showed a photo—
There were two people in the picture.
One person, sitting on a couch, wore a white shirt with the top two buttons undone, casually exposing a fair collarbone marked with plum blossom-like spots. His eyes were relaxed as he looked into the camera, even smiling slightly.
His hand rested on the head of someone lying on his lap, indicating their closeness.
As for the person having their hair petted, they were gazing up at the person sitting on the couch. Even though only half of their face was visible, it was clear from the expression—dependence, longing, and affection.
Huo Youqing stiffened and turned his face away. Dai Yuan’s delicate voice echoed in his ears, “Brother, I wasn’t lying. You loved me.”
“Don’t—don’t call me that,” Huo Youqing’s voice faltered, his emotions urging him to leave, while his reason pushed him to seek the truth.
He remained in place, calming his feelings before turning back to Dai Yuan. With as much composure as possible, he said, “Let’s talk somewhere else.”
***
They ended up talking in a private room at a high-end tea house.
Huo Youqing poured himself a cup of tea, preparing to speak, but when he saw the young man sitting across from him, head bowed, he swallowed his words.
Despite being taller than most men, Dai Yuan often showed a vulnerable side, appearing pitiful—and strangely enough, it didn’t feel out of place.
Feeling conflicted, Huo Youqing poured a second cup of tea, this time for Dai Yuan.
Dai Yuan seemed to notice the sound and quickly lifted his head. When he saw the tea in front of him, his gaze softened as he looked at Huo Youqing.
His deep-set eyelids concealed some emotion, making those amber eyes seem even more innocent. He looked pleased and softly thanked Huo Youqing.
This only made Huo Youqing feel more conflicted. But no matter how complex his emotions were, there were some things that had to be said.
“When I woke up in the hospital last time, I realized I’d forgotten a lot. Can I ask how we met, and what happened between us?”
“Of course.” After replying, Dai Yuan fell into silence for a moment. Just as Huo Youqing was about to say something, Dai Yuan spoke first.
“We met the year you returned to the country, when you were 22. The first time was at Ah Lang’s birthday party. Ah Lang introduced you to me, saying you were his good friend. We exchanged contact information that day. After that, you started asking me out. At first, it was just normal hangouts—we went to restaurants, played sports, and attended concerts. But one day, you invited me to your house, saying you saw the photos I posted on social media and wanted me to take pictures of you.”
“Since we were friends, I agreed immediately. But when I got to your house, you suddenly told me you liked me and asked if I’d be with you. I… didn’t agree right away because I thought of you as a friend… But we ended up together. At first, things were good between us, but then you… became more obsessive. You always said I didn’t love you enough.”
As he spoke, Dai Yuan began to tremble as if terrified. “So, I quit my job and stayed at home every day waiting for you, but you still thought it wasn’t enough…”
Listening to the terrible things that he had done—or rather, that his future self had done—through someone else’s words was a bizarre and unsettling experience. Huo Youqing’s eyelashes fluttered as he took a sip of tea, trying to mask his discomfort.
The person Dai Yuan was describing simply wasn’t him.
Dai Yuan seemed to sense Huo Youqing’s unease and stopped recounting the past. Slowly, he knelt down in front of Huo Youqing. Before Huo Youqing could react, Dai Yuan cautiously rested his cheek against Huo Youqing’s knee, his thick eyelashes casting a shadow over his amber eyes.
“Do you not love me anymore, brother?” he asked.
“Stop calling me brother,” Huo Youqing said, trying to push Dai Yuan away. But as soon as his fingers brushed against Dai Yuan’s cold skin, he quickly pulled them back.
Avoiding looking at Dai Yuan, who was kneeling beside him, Huo Youqing said, “What you’re saying doesn’t match what I know. I can’t just believe a photo and your words. Everyone else says I hate you and want to…”
Dai Yuan stayed silent, his cheek still pressed against Huo Youqing’s leg. Since it was spring, Huo Youqing was wearing thin suit pants, and the heat from his body transferred through the smooth fabric to Dai Yuan’s face. At first, only his cheek felt warm, but soon his whole body followed suit.
It was as if Huo Youqing’s blood was flowing into his body.
“Hmm?” Huo Youqing noticed Dai Yuan’s prolonged silence. He shifted his leg slightly to distance himself, but when he moved, Dai Yuan followed.
Dai Yuan lifted his face and looked up at Huo Youqing. Sunlight from the window caressed his overly delicate and beautiful features, and oddly enough, a blush spread across his pale skin. His lips and tongue peeked out from behind his teeth as he murmured, “I have other evidence.”
—
As soon as Huo Youqing stepped into the apartment, he realized that its style matched his own preferences. He liked floor-to-ceiling windows, and every room in this apartment had them, especially the master bedroom, where three of the walls were made entirely of glass.
The cozy decorations, the paired furniture, and even the two pairs of slippers by the entrance all indicated that two people lived here.
In the master bedroom’s walk-in closet, there were many clothes. With Dai Yuan’s permission, Huo Youqing checked them, and they were all from his favorite brands. Even the sticky note on the glass cabinet was written in his handwriting.
The note must have been there for a long time because it was barely adhesive, falling off as soon as Huo Youqing touched it. It read, “Take these clothes to the dry cleaner.”
An ordinary message, yet it exuded a sense of daily life.
Dai Yuan had told him that they had lived together for a while. Maybe not exactly lived together, but it was clear that Huo Youqing had forced Dai Yuan to stay here. This was the place, a place Huo Youqing had never been to before, yet it was filled with his presence.
Huo Youqing’s face paled as he picked up the note. “Did we live here for a long time?”
Noticing that Huo Youqing had shifted from saying “me and you” to “we,” Dai Yuan nodded and added, “There’s one more thing. Do you want to see it?”
Huo Youqing turned around. Suddenly, he had an ominous feeling that whatever came next would be something he couldn’t handle. But now he was standing on the edge of the truth, like being at the brink of a cliff—knowing the danger yet unable to resist peering into the abyss.
“Where is it?” he asked Dai Yuan.
Dai Yuan pointed outside, looking hesitant and a bit nervous. “It’s in the living room.”
Though he seemed reluctant to let Huo Youqing see it, he still led him to the living room, inviting him to sit down while he went to the TV cabinet. Turning on the television, Dai Yuan used the remote to pull up a video.
The video’s setting was the master bedroom of this very apartment.
Once again, Huo Youqing saw himself on the screen—along with Dai Yuan.
—
Before the video even finished, Huo Youqing abruptly turned it off.
He stood there stiffly, his face even paler than before. Dai Yuan cautiously observed his expression before softly asking, “Are you okay, brother?”
The voice was the same as in the video, only the tone was different. This eerie similarity made Huo Youqing incredibly uncomfortable. He quickly averted his gaze, unable to look at Dai Yuan. “If what you’re saying is true, then why did I…” He paused, then corrected himself, “Why did I do those things to hurt you?”
“Because you said I wasn’t being good, that I always wanted to leave. You also said I attracted too much attention, that I wasn’t just yours.”
Huo Youqing turned to stare at Dai Yuan in shock.
Dai Yuan spoke with a calm, even tone.
“If you… know I’ve forgotten these things, why are you still telling me?” Huo Youqing asked with difficulty. “Wouldn’t it be better if you stayed far away from me?”
Dai Yuan lowered his head. The tattoo on his long neck, the character “You,” felt like a needle piercing into Huo Youqing’s heart.
“I’ve gotten used to being loved by you this way,” Dai Yuan whispered.
