Chapter 21: Together Through It

Chapter 21: Together Through It

Lu Yan had never seen Yu Zechuan like this. He cautiously reached out to pat the other's face and, with a frown, whispered, "Are you alright?"

Before he could finish his sentence, his wrist was suddenly gripped tightly.

In the cold room, Lu Yan became the only source of warmth beside Yu Zechuan. In his daze, Yu Zechuan mistook him for his deceased mother, holding onto his wrist tightly as if refusing to let go. Tears burning with heat rolled down his cheeks and fell onto the floor as he stammered, "Mom! Don't jump! Please don't jump!"

Lu Yan instinctively tried to pull his hand back but was instead held even tighter. Yu Zechuan trembled in panic, as if his mother, who was precariously perched on the window ledge, would fall to her death if he loosened his grip. He pleaded softly, "Mom... please don't let go... I beg you... don't let go..."

"Kill me... don't torture yourself..."

Yu Zechuan's sobs were barely audible, and he had a habit of curling up into a ball. Lu Yan felt his hands soaked with tears. Struggling to move his fingertips, he realized he couldn't free himself and reluctantly reassured, "Alright, I won't go. Just let go of my hand first."

Never in his life had he imagined that he would one day have to act as someone's mother.

It was unclear if Yu Zechuan believed him, but his grip lessened slightly. However, he still refused to release Lu Yan's wrist.

The harder Lu Yan pushed away, the closer Yu Zechuan clung to him.

Finally, Yu Zechuan nestled against Lu Yan's legs like an animal seeking shelter, his brows knitted tightly as he squirmed restlessly before finally settling down. However, every now and then, he would jolt in a startle-like manner, muttering incoherently.

Sitting against the wall on the floor, unable to move, Lu Yan saw how pitiful Yu Zechuan was and reluctantly took off his coat to wrap the younger man up. He then firmly held down Yu Zechuan's wandering hands.

His physique wasn't breathtakingly muscular, but he had a well-built body with toned lines that were pleasing to the eye. A heated heartbeat throbbed steadily in his chest, a subtle testament to his vitality.

The warmth of Lu Yan's embrace and the enclosed space within the coat offered Yu Zechuan a sense of security. He buried his face into Lu Yan's abdomen and whispered softly,

"Jiang Boyun... Jiang Boyun... I want to kill him..."

Lu Yan casually replied, "Mm, kill him, do it however you want."

Yu Zechuan continued, "And... and Min Donghang too..."

Lu Yan raised an eyebrow. Min Donghang? Who was that? It didn't matter; he couldn't be bothered with others' troubles. "Mm, kill him too."

Yu Zechuan added, "Also... Lu Yan... He has to die too..."

Lu Yan instantly lowered his head. "You can't kill this one!"

Despite being such a kind-hearted person, why did Yu Zechuan always have the urge to kill him?

But Yu Zechuan remained silent. Clad in Lu Yan's coat, he trembled uncontrollably with beads of cold sweat trickling down his forehead. He alternated between complaining about headaches, thirst, coldness, and heat.

With patience, Lu Yan got up to fetch him water, only to find Yu Zechuan clinging tightly to his waist, perhaps mistaking him for his deceased mother. "Don't go... Don't leave... Don't abandon me..."

Lu Yan reassured, "I'm not going anywhere. I'm just getting you some water."

Closing his eyes, Yu Zechuan shook his head. "No... No water..."

Lu Yan had no choice but to return to his seat.

Curling up in his embrace, Yu Zechuan murmured, "I'm thirsty."

Lu Yan: "..."

Tugging at the hands that were constricting his waist, Lu Yan couldn't help but question why he was willingly serving someone like a deity. Carrying Yu Zechuan, he walked over to the couch and fetched an unopened bottle of mineral water from the coffee table, twisting it open to feed him a few sips.

He didn't give much, yet Yu Zechuan managed to spit out more than half of it.

"Cough, cough, cough!"

Yu Zechuan choked, his eyes reddening from the intensity, tears spilling over. His eyelashes, like raven feathers, clumped together with moisture, yet his pallid skin and bloodless lips prevented the faint flush on his cheeks from conveying any sense of vitality. Instead, it gave off an impression of fragile, brittle bones.

Lu Yan didn't mind being covered in vomit. He placed the water aside and gently patted Yu Zechuan's back to help him regain his breath. Softly, he asked, "Do you want more?"

It was clear that Yu Zechuan wouldn't be drinking anymore. With his eyes closed, he shook his head blindly before clumsily nestling back into Lu Yan's embrace. He laid his head on the man's thigh, this time truly asleep.

Lu Yan tried to lift Yu Zechuan's head and move it to the side cautiously. However, he found that Yu Zechuan's alertness in his sleep was surprisingly heightened. The slightest movement from Lu Yan caused Yu Zechuan's fingertips to instantly clench, nearly digging into the flesh with their strength.

Lu Yan's face contorted in pain, and he eventually had no choice but to obediently sit back down. His gaze inadvertently fell upon the purple Ageratum that Yu Zechuan had discarded in the corner by the floor-to-ceiling window. Perhaps due to days without sunlight, the plant seemed somewhat wilted.

If this pot of flowers were to wither and die, Yu Zechuan would most likely throw it away.

Lu Yan was already contemplating what excuse he could use next time to send flowers to him.

As the light dimmed, the sofa was too soft, so Lu Yan propped his arms on the backrest and closed his eyes lightly, unknowingly drifting off to sleep.

In the depths of the night, around four o'clock, the sky began to take on a faint blue hue amidst the darkness, with a sliver of dawn appearing on the horizon. It wouldn't be long before daybreak.

Yu Zechuan had a very long and beautiful dream that he almost didn't wish to wake up from. In it, his mother, who had once been mad and abusive, suddenly became gentle, sitting by his bedside to tend to him when he was ill with a fever. She patiently coaxed him and fed him water.

This was a kind of treatment Yu Zechuan had never experienced in his childhood.

Involuntarily, he drew closer to that warm embrace, but suddenly, his nose tickled as if brushed by a feather.

Yu Zechuan frowned and, half-asleep, opened his eyes only to be met with an unexpectedly close-up view of a handsome face. The person, overcome by sleepiness, nodded off, and as they lowered their head, their hair accidentally touched Yu Zechuan's forehead, likely the source of the itch.

"..."

Yu Zechuan's pupils dilated gradually.

It was a completely unfamiliar face, strikingly good-looking to the point of disbelief. With a high nose bridge, thin lips, a chiseled jawline, and disheveled black hair that fell across the eyes, the man had enviably thick eyelashes.

Despite the dim lighting, the man's appearance only seemed more enigmatic and profound.

However, no matter how attractive the stranger was, it couldn't conceal the fact that Yu Zechuan didn't recognize him.

But the clothing he wore allowed Yu Zechuan to identify this unexpected intruder in his home as the peculiar neighbor from next door.

Yu Zechuan's expression turned exceptionally grim. He slowly straightened his posture, ready to rouse the unfamiliar man and interrogate him about why he was in his home. However, as if sensing something, the man suddenly opened his eyes.

Yu Zechuan paused, "…."

Their eyes met, and the chilling murderous intent overshadowed any awkwardness.

Lu Yan, "…."

No wonder it was so cold just now; the deadly god had awoken.

Lu Yan cast a fleeting glance at Yu Zechuan's hand hidden in his sleeve, holding the knife, and pretended not to notice. He greeted Yu Zechuan, "You're awake."

Deciding to take the initiative, Lu Yan straightened up from the sofa while Yu Zechuan was still processing his words, pinching the bridge of his nose as if he were genuinely exhausted. With an apologetic tone, he continued, "Sorry, when I got home yesterday, I heard unusual noises coming from your room, and the door was ajar. I got worried and came in to check on you..."

He paused for a moment, allowing Yu Zechuan to imagine the rest, "I accidentally spent the night here. I'm really sorry about that."

Yu Zechuan's mind was undoubtedly muddled, and his thoughts disoriented. By saying he found the door unlocked when he entered, Lu Yan was taking a gamble, betting that Yu Zechuan wouldn't recall whether he had locked it during his episode last night.

In reality, Yu Zechuan couldn't quite remember, but there was something else that mattered more to him –

Had Lu Yan really witnessed his frenzied state during the episode?

The answer was clear: not only had Lu Yan seen it, but he had also stayed with him through the entire night.

Yu Zechuan's face turned ashen with an array of emotions surging forth—humiliation, hatred, and countless others. Memories of classmates secretly calling him crazy in his childhood resurfaced, along with Jiang Boyun's horrified and disgusted gaze when he accidentally caught Yu Zechuan in the midst of an episode. Cold sweat seeped through his palms, and his fingers trembled uncontrollably.

In a subtle manner, Yu Zechuan clenched the knife hidden in his sleeve, fixating his gaze intently on Lu Yan. His disheveled black hair concealed his bottomless eyes, barely concealing his paranoid and oversensitive nature. "What did you see yesterday?"

Any ordinary person would be frightened by his condition, no one wanting to associate with a madman.

However, perhaps due to spending too much time in the hospital where people were often unwell, Lu Yan seemed relatively unperturbed. Gazing at Yu Zechuan's reddened eyes, he carefully chose his words. "I didn't see anything. I just felt that..."

Lu Yan paused before continuing, "You might be missing your mother a bit."

Silence enveloped the air as Lu Yan finished speaking. Yu Zechuan froze, unsure how to react.

After speaking, Lu Yan tugged at his sleeve. Having sat for a long night, his once neat clothing now bore wrinkles. His weary profile, bathed in the ambiguous light, acquired a tender quality under the night's veil.

"It's getting late. I'll be going back first."

"Should you ever need assistance in the future, don't hesitate to approach me. I'm just next door."

The sincerity in his words was a third genuine, and seven parts insincere.

Lu Yan was willing to help Yu Zechuan, but his instinct for self-preservation warned him against getting too close to the man.

With a gentle click, the man left the house, closing the door so softly that not even a speck of dust stirred. Only the residual warmth on the sofa served as a reminder that he had spent the night there.

Yu Zechuan sat motionless on the couch, momentarily lost, though he himself couldn't pinpoint the source of his confusion. Weariness and pain caught up with him, compelling him to lower his head and curl up on the sofa, now devoid of the comforting embrace he had just experienced.

As the sun began its slow ascent, the remaining warmth would soon fade away.

Back in his own home, Lu Yan refreshed himself with a splash of water in the bathroom. His foggy mind cleared slightly, accompanied by a lingering sense of unease.

Lu Yan knew well that being a good Samaritan wasn't without risks. Escaping unscathed from Yu Zechuan's grasp today was a stroke of luck that might not repeat itself.

Steam fogged up the mirror, obscuring his reflection.

He wiped at it casually, and his gaze inadvertently fell upon his reflection. He noticed a faint bluish tinge beneath his eyes. He was about to retreat to his room for a nap when something suddenly crossed his mind, making him pause with a look of uncertainty.

Did he not wear a mask just now in front of Yu Zechuan?

As Lu Yan pondered this, his brows knitted tightly, an inexplicable sense of dread pulsing through him:

Could it be that Yu Zechuan recognized him?!