Chapter 233
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Lou Yan suddenly opened his eyes, the familiar ceiling coming into view.
He sat up abruptly from the bed, looking at the familiar furniture arrangement around him. In an instant, he got the answer: this was Lijiang Community, his home in Chengjiang City.
Outside the French windows, the lights were on. Houses in the community were scattered with lights, and Lou Yan could see a long line of cars on the distant road, various colored lights bustling in the city, and he could even hear the laughter of children playing outside.
Everything was so peaceful, so unfamiliar yet familiar.
Lou Yan remembered something, and he looked down at his hands. He tried to use the anomalous power in his body, but there was none! He had no anomalous power anymore!
Right, innate abilities… no innate abilities either!
Lou Yan was pleasantly surprised and stunned for a moment, feeling a bit unreal. Right, Fu Xuezhou… Fu Xuezhou!
Lou Yan hastily reached for the pockets on his body, only to realize that there were no pockets on his pajamas. He scrambled off the bed and looked around, finally spotting the silver lighter on the bedside table.
The lighter sat quietly there, and Lou Yan tremblingly picked it up, his eyes burning again. “…The lighter is here… how could he possibly disappear!”
Lou Yan stood up abruptly, grabbed his car keys and phone, randomly pulled on a black windbreaker from the wardrobe, and left the house without even changing out of his pajamas.
He stood at the elevator door for a while, but the elevator didn’t come. Lou Yan couldn’t wait any longer and turned to walk into the staircase.
He walked down from the 16th floor, the brisk pace causing the wind to lift a corner of his windbreaker. When he reached the fourth floor, Lou Yan suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Lu Haoxiu was squatting at the entrance of the anti-theft door on the fourth floor, his backpack placed against the wall. He held a black pen pitifully as he wrote on the wall.
It was a line of boring graffiti: “Times forgotten to bring keys record QAQ.”
He made the final stroke on the character “正” below, representing that he had forgotten to bring the keys five times.
Hearing footsteps, Lu Haoxiu subconsciously looked up at Lou Yan. Their eyes met, and Lou Yan stared tightly at the safe and alive Lu Haoxiu, his eyes moist, unable to speak for a moment.
Lu Haoxiu looked at Lou Yan curiously, feeling a bit awkward as he stood up from the ground, smiling embarrassedly. “Hello, are you the neighbor upstairs? I’ve seen you in the elevator before.”
“Yeah,” Lou Yan’s eyes softened, “Hello.”
Lu Haoxiu felt that this handsome neighbor seemed to have known him for a long time, and there was even a hint of sadness in his eyes. He couldn’t help but stare for a moment, summoning the courage to ask, “Do I know you from before?”
It shouldn’t be, he didn’t remember meeting this neighbor before. But from the moment he saw this neighbor, he couldn’t help but feel close and trusting towards him. Lu Haoxiu felt that this might be fate at first sight.
“No… we don’t know each other.”
Lou Yan walked up to Lu Haoxiu, smiling gently at him. “Did you forget your keys? Do you want to wait at my place for a while?”
“No, no!” Lu Haoxiu shook his head quickly, glanced at the anti-theft door, covered his mouth, and leaned close to Lou Yan, whispering, “My parents are home. They deliberately left me outside as punishment for forgetting my keys so many times. I’ll be able to get inside in a little while!”
Seeing him so lively, Lou Yan couldn’t help but smile again. “Alright.”
After a pause, Lou Yan said, “Then I’ll go ahead?”
“Oh, okay,” Lu Haoxiu nodded hurriedly, “You go ahead and take care of your business!”
Lou Yan glanced at him one last time before turning to leave. But just as he took a few steps, Lu Haoxiu suddenly stopped him. “Wait!”
Lou Yan turned back, patiently looking at Lu Haoxiu.
After hesitating for a few seconds, Lu Haoxiu ran over and asked, “Neighbor, what’s your name? I feel like you’re very familiar… can we exchange contact information and be friends?”
Lou Yan smiled and took out his phone. “Sure.”
The two exchanged names, and Lu Haoxiu excitedly added Lou Yan. He reluctantly waved to Lou Yan. “Well, Brother Lou, you go ahead and do your thing. Let’s see each other next time.”
Lou Yan looked at him for a few seconds and suddenly opened his arms. “Come here, Little Lu.”
For some reason, tears welled up in Lu Haoxiu’s eyes. He almost rushed over and hugged Lou Yan tightly, tears dripping onto Lou Yan’s shoulders.
Lou Yan patted Lu Haoxiu’s back and said with a smile, “Next time you forget your keys, come to the 16th floor to find me, got it?”
Lu Haoxiu choked up, unable to speak, but nodded vigorously.
Lou Yan patted Lu Haoxiu’s back again before bidding him farewell and leaving the community.
As he drove out of the garage, Lou Yan hit the road and hurried towards Happiness Community. On the way, he couldn’t help but call Li Sanxin again.
Li Sanxin’s voice, tinged with a smile, echoed in the car. “Yanzi, what’s up?”
“Nothing, just wanted to call you.”
Lou Yan’s voice trembled slightly, becoming unclear as it transmitted through the phone, but Li Sanxin still heard it. Li Sanxin’s tone suddenly became serious, “Yanzi? Is everything really okay? Why do I feel like you’re crying?”
“Have you ever seen me cry?” Lou Yan cleared his throat, the tremor in his voice disappearing, reverting to his usual confident tone. “Sanxin, do you still remember—”
He wanted to ask Li Sanxin if he remembered the resurrection of the anomaly, but then he thought, how could Li Sanxin possibly remember? So he simply changed the subject. “It’s nothing… Are you free now?”
“I am,” Li Sanxin replied readily. “You must have something on your mind, huh? Go ahead, what’s the matter?”
“Could you help me pick someone up,” Lou Yan exhaled, “at an abandoned factory, a man named Duan Zege? Could you check if he’s there for me?”
Lou Yan gave Li Sanxin the address, and after Li Sanxin noted it down, he joked, “Duan Zege? Who’s that? How come there are still people you know that I don’t?”
Lou Yan chuckled but didn’t directly answer the question. “If he hasn’t shown up by midnight tonight… then there’s no need to wait for him.”
Li Sanxin simply agreed.
The closer he got to Happiness Community, the faster Lou Yan’s heart beat. A sense of unease and fear overwhelmed him, causing him to constantly tap the steering wheel. He was afraid that Fu Xuezhou was really gone, afraid that he would witness something he didn’t want to see with his own eyes.
At a traffic light, Lou Yan stopped the car. He rolled down the window to breathe in the fresh air outside, watching the lively crowd on both sides of the road.
This ordinary scene made Lou Yan feel a bit distracted, until the honk of a car behind him snapped him out of it. He stepped on the gas pedal and drove forward.
As he passed by a square, Lou Yan glanced sideways and suddenly saw the large screens on both sides of the square playing advertisements featuring Wen Yian and Wen Jiu.
The siblings were endorsing a brand of perfume for men and women. Their handsome and beautiful appearance was pleasing to the eye, and many people gathered around the screens to watch the advertisement.
In the crowd, Lou Yan saw a familiar figure. He was stunned for a moment, subconsciously parked the car by the side of the square, and hurriedly walked towards the family from behind.
It was a young couple taking their daughter out for a stroll. The husband and wife held hands with their daughter between them, watching Wen Yian on the big screen with fondness, occasionally whispering to each other.
“It was hard to get tickets to Wen Yian’s concert. Honey, you must find a way to take time off, so we can take Little Yu to the concert in a few days.”
“I’ll definitely take time off for that, dear. You’ve reminded me several times already. Don’t worry, I’ve already talked to my supervisor.”
“That’s good! Little Yu hasn’t been to Wen Yian’s concert yet. We should try to take her to see Wen Yian more often. If only Little Yu could grow up to be as good looking as my idol~”
“Our Little Yu is perfect as she is now, isn’t she, Little Yu?”
Little Yu looked at the screen with bright eyes, nodded vigorously in response to her father.
Her father was so sweetened by his adorable daughter that he immediately hugged her and kissed her, saying, “Daddy’s Little Yu is so cute!”
Little Yu giggled twice, suddenly saw Lou Yan, and froze, unconsciously staring at Lou Yan.
Little Yu’s parents followed Little Yu’s gaze and also saw Lou Yan, their eyes showing some confusion.
“You…” Lou Yan only realized that his voice was hoarse after speaking. He paused, put on a polite smile, and said, “Hello, I just heard you talking about going to Wen Yian’s concert?”
Although Lou Yan was wearing pajamas when he went out, the windbreaker outside was long enough, coupled with the cover of night, he still looked elegant and mature. Plus, his extraordinary temperament and handsome appearance made him stand out from ordinary people.
Little Yu’s parents were just ordinary workers, and they were obviously a little nervous. They unconsciously adopted the attitude they would use with their company leaders and said cautiously, “Yes, we were indeed discussing that. Sir, do you have something to ask?”
Lou Yan remembered that Little Yu’s family had a car accident on their way back from Wen Yian’s concert.
He smiled at the family of three and was about to speak when Little Yu suddenly reached out her arm towards Lou Yan. “Hug!”
Little Yu’s parents smiled awkwardly at Lou Yan and hurriedly advised Little Yu not to be naughty. But Little Yu stubbornly stared at Lou Yan, her big clear eyes slowly misting up.
Lou Yan reached out and hugged Little Yu, telling her parents with a smile that it was okay. Little Yu leaned her head against Lou Yan’s shoulder, suddenly moved closer and kissed Lou Yan on the cheek, laughing brightly, “Brother, you’re so handsome!”
Little Yu’s father smiled awkwardly twice, muttering in his heart about how his daughter already knew how to appreciate handsome men at such a young age. He said, “Little Yu, this is Uncle! Say hello to Uncle.”
Lou Yan chuckled. “Yes, say hello to Uncle.”
Little Yu was usually obedient, but this time she shook her head stubbornly and insisted, “He’s brother.”
“If Brother then brother,” Lou Yan indulged Little Yu. He looked at Little Yu’s parents and said, “Here’s the thing, I’m also a fan of Wen Yian, but I couldn’t get tickets to her concert. Could you sell me your tickets? I’m willing to offer ten times the price.”
Ten times the price would be a considerable amount for an ordinary family, and Little Yu’s parents couldn’t help but be tempted. Lou Yan looked at them as they whispered to each other and quietly said to Little Yu, “How about skipping the concert this time and staying at home with your parents? When there’s another chance, I’ll invite Wen Yian to perform and then invite you, how does that sound?”
Little Yu nodded seriously, “Okay!”
After discussing it, Little Yu’s parents agreed to sell the tickets. After they exchanged contact information and sorted out the matter, Lou Yan suddenly remembered something. He quickly said to the family, “Wait for me,” before rushing into the square.
Soon, he came out again, holding a beautifully packaged box in his hand. Lou Yan squatted in front of Little Yu and took out a smart children’s watch from the box. He gently placed it on Little Yu’s wrist and said with a smile, “This watch has my phone number stored in it. You can use it to video call me whenever you want to see me.”
Little Yu stared at the watch on her wrist, then looked at Lou Yan smiling at her. She felt a sourness in her heart, as if being gripped by a hand.
Lou Yan stood up, brushed off Little Yu’s parents’ refusal with a few words, waved goodbye to Little Yu, and then turned back to his car.
The sky grew darker, and more people came out for evening walks and entertainment. Lou Yan passed through the crowd and finally arrived at Happiness Community.
He parked his car outside the community gate and found Fu Xuezhou’s building by memory. Looking at the familiar yet dark staircase, Lou Yan suddenly hesitated and couldn’t bring himself to go in.
What if Fu Xuezhou was really gone… What if Fu Xuezhou didn’t come back… What should he do?
Lou Yan didn’t know. He subconsciously rejected the thought of that outcome, but the darkness of the staircase brought him immense unease.
He stood silently for a long time, finally mustering up the courage to step forward.
First floor, second floor, third floor… He reached it.
Lou Yan slowly approached Fu Xuezhou’s door, hesitated, raised his hand, then put it down, and finally, he knocked on the door forcefully three times.
“Coming!”
A gentle female voice came from inside, and the door opened. Lou Yan saw the face of a middle-aged woman who bore some resemblance to Fu Xuezhou between her brows.
Fu Xuezhou’s mother must have been an academic, with her unique calm and poised demeanor. Her eyes were kind and tolerant as she smiled and asked, “Who are you?”
“Who’s there?”
A deep voice came from the kitchen, and Fu Xuezhou’s father, wearing an apron, poked his head out. He immediately spotted Lou Yan and guessed, “Is this a friend you brought home from school?”
“No,” Mother Fu shook her head with a smile.
“Hello, may I ask if Fu Xuezhou…” Lou Yan took a deep breath, trying to remain calm, “…is he home?”
Mother Fu was surprised. “You’re a friend of Xuezhou’s? He’s not home, he hasn’t come back yet. It’s strange, usually he would have been home by now, even if he wasn’t coming back for dinner, he would have let us know. But today, he hasn’t come back, nor has he called or sent a message. It’s really strange… We don’t know where he’s gone. Young man, would you like to wait? Shall I give him a call?”
Lou Yan’s heart sank slowly. His throat rolled, and he had a bad feeling. “Sure, please.”
Mother Fu took out her phone and called Fu Xuezhou, but there was no answer. Mother Fu sighed and hung up the phone, apologizing, “I’m really sorry, this child probably didn’t see the call. He’s always like this, not very fond of touching his phone.”
As the conversation ended, Mother Fu saw the young man standing at the door close his eyes, his eyelashes trembling. Although his handsome face showed no expression, it made Mother Fu feel like he was about to cry.
Mother Fu suddenly felt sorry for this young man. “Young man, are you okay?”
Lou Yan waved his hand, feeling somewhat dehydrated. He leaned against the door, his long fingers pressing against it with force until they turned pale. In a daze, Lou Yan heard Mother Fu’s anxious voice asking him what was wrong. He raised his eyes, and his gaze darted past Fu Xuezhou’s parents, looking at this familiar yet unfamiliar place, Fu Xuezhou’s home.
He used to live here with Fu Xuezhou, where they had left their traces of lovemaking in the living room, kitchen, bathroom, balcony, and Fu Xuezhou’s bedroom.
Fu Xuezhou had pinned him against the wall and furniture countless times, kissing him passionately, and Lou Yan had rejected Fu Xuezhou’s advances countless times as well.
“Have some water, young man, warm water!”
Mother Fu’s anxious voice brought Lou Yan back to reality. Lou Yan looked at the cup in front of him and said hoarsely, “Thank you.”
He took the cup and drank a sip of water. The lukewarm water slid down his throat, feeling uncomfortable even though it wasn’t hot.
Lou Yan handed the cup back, forcing a smile, trying to regain his usual graceful demeanor. “Thank you, aunty, I’ll be leaving now.”
“Child, would you like to come in and wait for Xuezhou?” Mother Fu looked at Lou Yan with concern. “Or would you like to have dinner with us? My husband and I often go out for archaeological work and don’t come back often. We finally came back for a while and would like to get to know Xuezhou’s friends.”
“No need,” Lou Yan’s smile became increasingly difficult to maintain. “Thank you, aunty, I’ll be leaving now.”
With that, Lou Yan almost rudely turned and left without waiting for Mother Fu’s response.
He walked downstairs, supporting himself against the wall, and quickly left the building. No one knew, except Lou Yan himself, that Fu Xuezhou wouldn’t be coming back.
Fu Xuezhou died in the past, or perhaps he died in a future that would never happen again. He really wouldn’t be coming back.
Lou Yan didn’t know how he got into the car, nor did he know how he returned to the residential area. He walked out of the garage and slowly made his way through the beautifully landscaped greenery towards his building. It was March now, and in the south, March had already begun the revival of all things. Tender grasses sprouted green shoots, and the clear chirping of birds filled the air.
Lou Yan watched the birds, slowly walking through the greenery.
Suddenly, there was a faint sound of wind breaking behind him, and a white paper airplane flew past Lou Yan’s face, landing in front of him.
Lou Yan looked at the paper airplane, his feet freezing in place. His heart suddenly started racing, and he turned his head to look back, seeing the black-haired male college student standing under a tree with his hands in his pockets.
Fu Xuezhou smiled at him, his eyes reflecting the streetlights, shining brightly, “Date? Boyfriend.”
—End of the main text—
Author’s Note:
The main text ends here, ahhh. I’ll take a two-day break, and then start updating the sweet extra stories of the little couple~
The extras should be about the CEO x Male College Student’s daily life. Is there anything else you’d like to see?
Can’t wait until next week to see more? Want to show your support? Come to my Patreon where you can get up to 5 more chapters of Monster Resurgence right away ! Or go donate at Paypal or Ko-fi to show your appreciation! :)
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