Chapter 28 Suspicion

Chapter 28 Suspicion

Zhou Liao froze in place, a strange mix of goosebumps and an eerie sense of security washed over him. He broke out in goosebumps, but the previous unease seemed to vanish instantly.

Unlike Zhou Liao's desperate mental preparation, Qin Zhan's expressionless kiss felt more like a consolation. It seemed that Qin Zhan found nothing odd about two men kissing.

Zhou Liao was a completely straight man; any intimate gesture with another man would make him extremely uncomfortable. If this had happened before, he would have punched the other person immediately. But now, not only did he lack the courage, he even drew a long-lost sense of security from this discomfort.

It was as if Qin Zhan's response proved that he wouldn't abandon him.

Zhou Liao almost forgot how to speak. His lips opened and closed several times before finally closing again, but his heart was pounding fiercely. Blood rushed to his head, making him feel as if he had returned to an endless darkness, the moment Qin Zhan pushed open the door and light flooded in.

Like a sacred savior.

Qin Zhan looked at Zhou Liao and seemed to read something from his trembling pupils and red ears. He inserted his fingers into Zhou Liao's hair and tightened his grip on the back of Zhou Liao's head. The pain from having his hair pulled caused Zhou Liao's face to contort slightly, and he couldn't help but let out a muffled groan.

"Do you think I like you?"

Zhou Liao swallowed hard, trying to endure the pain in his scalp. He hadn't expected Qin Zhan to ask such a question, but his heart was almost leaping out of his chest under the intense gaze.

"…No."

"Of course, you should know your place." Qin Zhan rubbed Zhou Liao's chapped lips with his thumb due to the dry winter air.

Zhou Liao's breath hitched as Qin Zhan's thumb pulled his lips apart. The taste of the medical gloves Qin Zhan usually wore at home filled his mouth. Saliva dripped down the corner of his mouth onto Qin Zhan's glove.

The pain in his lips intensified as Qin Zhan's fingers stirred inside his mouth, as if trying to stir up chaos in his brain.

"Qin Zhan…"

"Pain…"

Even single syllables were barely complete when Zhou Liao suddenly felt a sharp pain in his lips. Qin Zhan bit his lower lip, and blood quickly seeped out from the broken skin.

Before he could wipe it away, Qin Zhan grabbed his chin, extended his tongue, and licked the blood off his lips. The warmth and wetness mingled together, causing Zhou Liao to shudder from this peculiar comfort, his body involuntarily leaning back.

After a few seconds, Qin Zhan finally released his lips.

"Do you still want to eat the noodles?" Qin Zhan stood up straight. "If you don't eat, you'll be hungry."

Qin Zhan asked a question unrelated to the previous atmosphere. Zhou Liao paused, his heart still racing, before finally coming back to his senses.

"…Yes."

"They're clumped together." Qin Zhan picked up the bowl and dumped its contents into the trash can. "I'll cook you a fresh bowl."

Zhou Liao watched Qin Zhan walk to the kitchen counter and then touched his bitten lip, which still carried the warmth of Qin Zhan's lips and tongue.

He couldn't understand Qin Zhan's attitude or what he was thinking. All the new scars on Qin Zhan's body, aside from the old ones, were inflicted by Zhou Liao himself. Qin Zhan hated him but treated him well, even though Zhou Liao knew what he meant to Qin Zhan…

Yet after the fear, he strangely enjoyed these moments. With nannies and servants around, he usually ordered takeout whenever he wanted to eat. No one asked if he was hungry or cared for him meticulously. Everyone indulged his whims only because they were paid by his family. But Qin Zhan was different. Despite everything Zhou Liao had done to him, he didn't understand why Qin Zhan offered him a sweet after a slap.

It was like a sugar-coated hallucinogen, carrying an evil, mesmerizing aura, making him unable to discern his own thoughts and actions, leaving him to succumb to fear and seek companionship and security from Qin Zhan.

About ten minutes later, Qin Zhan brought him a steaming bowl of noodles. After saying thank you, Zhou Liao ate them quietly.

Perhaps due to past experiences, Zhou Liao could feel severe damage to his brain. Even now, he still experienced hallucinations and nightmares, although less frequently. So he dared not think too much, as excessive thought would cause a dull headache and slow his mind.

Later, Qin Zhan took him to the bathroom to wash his hair. Because of his leg injury, Qin Zhan provided a chair for him to sit on and supported him with his arm when needed.

After washing his hair, Qin Zhan dried it as usual. Zhou Liao sat on the chair, staring into the corner, feeling drowsy from the warmth of the dryer and the sensation of Qin Zhan's fingers combing through his hair.

"Tired?"

Zhou Liao didn't hear the question amidst the sound of the hairdryer. Fully trusting Qin Zhan, he soon closed his eyes.

Qin Zhan looked down at the head resting against his chest and abdomen. Zhou Liao had fallen asleep, unconsciously clinging to him. After drying his hair thoroughly, Qin Zhan turned off the dryer, lifted Zhou Liao half-carrying him, and placed him back in the makeshift bed made of sheets.

Under the dim light, Qin Zhan gazed at him for a long time. Zhou Liao seemed to be having nightmares even in his sleep, with the scab on his lip still bearing traces of blood.

Since Zhou Liao entered this warehouse, Qin Zhan had lost track of how long it had been since he last checked the dead animals in the corner. In his mind, fragmented memories overlapped with Zhou Liao's face.

Once a proud and unruly man, Zhou Liao was now shattered glass, relying on him to piece him back together.

Looking at the scab on Zhou Liao's lip, a strange heat surged within him. After a while, he reached out his hand.

In recent days, due to the end of the semester, Qin Zhan had been going to school frequently and returning late.

Zhou Liao, initially uncomfortable, had to accept it. The first time Qin Zhan left, he kissed Zhou Liao's corner of the mouth as a consolation, but there was no further indication afterward.

Until this time, Zhou Liao, unable to bear the increasing anxiety over Qin Zhan's late returns, mustered the courage to call out his name as Qin Zhan was leaving. Qin Zhan looked at him with an unreadable expression as he struggled to walk up to him with his crutches.

"What is it?"

"When… will you be back today?"

Qin Zhan looked at him without immediate reply.

Zhou Liao, heart pounding, closed his eyes tightly and cupped Qin Zhan's face, forcing himself to endure the discomfort of being close to another man. He lightly brushed his lips against Qin Zhan's.

Qin Zhan merely frowned, offering no response.

Their kiss was more like a strange touch to confirm something between them.

As soon as they separated, Zhou Liao, forgetting to use his crutch, put pressure on his injured foot, causing him to nearly fall from the pain.

Qin Zhan swiftly wrapped his arm around his waist and then picked up the fallen cane with a stoic expression: "I'll be back."

After closing the door, a cold wind blew over. Qin Zhan tugged at the collar of his coat and then walked towards the subway station half an hour away.

The library was well-heated, making many people drowsy inside. After a while, Qin Zhan put down his pen, rubbed his temples, left his belongings in place, and went to the café next to the library.

Upon entering, he ordered the cheapest extra-strong Americano. Since few people order such bitter coffee, the part-time girl gave him a surreptitious glance before handing over the receipt after a moment.

The automatic greeting sound from the café's entrance rang out as the glass door was pushed open.

Chen Xian paused when he saw the person in the waiting area. He turned his head and asked the girl beside him, "What would you like to drink?"

"A hot mocha," said the attractive girl, flicking her hair behind her ear, "Thank you."

"No problem."

After paying, Chen Xian also stood in the waiting area. When their eyes met, he looked away somewhat awkwardly. Neither of them spoke.

Qin Zhan's coffee arrived first. After receiving it, he went to the straw dispenser. Once his own was ready, he took both cups to the seat Ling Yang had reserved earlier.

"So, Brother Chen, what did you want to talk about?"

Chen Xian fell silent for a moment: "When did you stop contacting Zhou Liao?"

The other seemed surprised by this question: "After he took a leave of absence, we gradually lost touch. After all, City Z is quite far."

"Did he ever mention being followed when you were out together?"

"Not that I recall..." Ling Yang paused, then seemed to remember something, "Wait, there was one time when we were out, he kept looking back as if something was bothering him. Did something happen?"

"Nothing." Chen Xian had been feeling increasingly uneasy these past few nights. Zhou Liao's replies were normal, but he always refused video calls. Not wanting to raise suspicion, he had discreetly questioned all the girls who had interacted with Zhou Liao, except Bai Ling, whom he found too difficult to approach. "Just curious."

Ling Yang appeared puzzled but refrained from prying due to the other's status.

"Any details?"

"Let me think." Ling Yang could barely recall events from months ago, "But there was indeed something strange. We were walking by the river... things were getting a bit intimate when suddenly a bird dropped dead. He said it was intentional."

Chen Xian didn't seem to understand.

"Then a person appeared. I couldn't see their face clearly because it was dark and there weren't many streetlights. The person wore a mask and a hat, but they seemed tall... They picked up the dead bird, but they definitely weren't staff because of the time. Also, they seemed young."

"What happened next?"

"Zhou Liao had gone to the restroom. After picking up the bird, the person also went to the restroom, probably to dispose of it." Ling Yang tried hard to remember, "When Zhou Liao came out... he glanced back at the figure. I thought he recognized the person, but he said he didn't."

Chen Xian frowned: "Any other details?"

"I really can't remember much from so long ago." Ling Yang shook her head, troubled, "So... he wasn't actually on leave; was he kidnapped or something?"

As soon as Ling Yang finished speaking, the glass door was pushed open, and a gust of cold wind blew in.

Chen Xian turned his head. Qin Zhan was pushing the door open with his coffee, his gaze fixed ahead with no expression. But Chen Xian felt his spine chill under that gaze.