Chapter 49: Fleeing in Disarray

Chapter 49: Fleeing in Disarray

Zhou Liao clenched his fists and cursed under his breath. Then he turned around and unlocked the door. He looked at the man standing outside, his face twisted with displeasure.

"Are you going to bang on the door again?"

The man, seeing the two men inside—one fierce, one sullen, both taller than him—suddenly lost his nerve and walked in, holding back his anger.

"Well, if not, don't lock it."

He immediately went into a stall and locked the door behind him.

Once the conversation was interrupted, neither continued. Qin Zhan merely glanced at Zhou Liao before leaving the restroom.

"Damn it."

Zhou Liao, seething with suppressed anger, watched Qin Zhan's retreating back and kicked the door of the stall where the man had gone in, startling the person inside.

After that day, Zhou Liao and Qin Zhan crossed paths several times at school. Zhou Liao would often find Chen Xian and others to play ball or eat together, while Qin Zhan usually left alone after packing his bag, standing out in his solitude but more noticeable than ever.

Qin Zhan maintained his usual cold demeanor, as if he hadn't seen Zhou Liao at all. Zhou Liao wasn't sure if it was pride or stubbornness, but he refused to look at Qin Zhan, even though every part of him felt like he was going through withdrawal symptoms.

It felt like whoever looked first would lose.

For the entire week, he suffered from insomnia, worse than before. Even though he kept up the habit of chaining himself to the bedhead with handcuffs, every time he closed his eyes, he saw the face of the person he despised yet craved, almost driving him mad.

He sought another session with a psychologist, but it did little to help.

"I almost fell asleep during class," Chen Xian said, leaning back in his chair and twirling a pen. After a moment, he put away his iPad.

Zhou Liao, slinging his bag over one shoulder, stood impatiently in front of their table. "Hurry up."

"What’s tonight’s plan?" asked a guy with dyed yellow hair.

"Playing ball? Racing, cards, or what?" Chen Xian glanced at Zhou Liao.

Just as Zhou Liao was about to speak, a familiar female voice rang out from the doorway: "Qin Zhan!"

He turned to see Bai Ling in a long dress, waiting for Qin Zhan at the entrance. From Qin Zhan’s perspective, he couldn’t see Zhou Liao. Qin Zhan had just finished talking to the teacher on the podium and nodded at Bai Ling before returning to his seat to pack his things, never looking in their direction.

"Is that girl dating Qin Zhan after breaking up with Liao?"

Chen Xian, curious, knew Qin Zhan tutored at Bai Ling’s house. "No way, Qin Zhan dating someone? Don’t scare me."

"But I often see them together, sometimes even taking the subway home together."

The guy with yellow hair watched Qin Zhan reach the door. Though there was no intimacy between them, he found it strange that someone like Qin Zhan would be so close to a girl, especially when he saw Qin Zhan carrying Bai Ling’s bag and her smiling in thanks.

"Who would believe they’re not dating?"

Chen Xian fell silent for a moment, glancing at Zhou Liao. As expected, Zhou Liao was staring intently at their backs, his expression dark and menacing, as if ready to pounce.

He guessed Zhou Liao’s pride couldn’t handle it, given that the girl who once followed him was now with someone he hated. But Chen Xian didn’t understand why Zhou Liao would fixate on Bai Ling, who wasn’t his type, just because he hated Qin Zhan.

"Don’t mess with Bai Ling; she won’t pay attention to you." Chen Xian always thought Bai Ling was from a different world. If Zhou Liao hadn’t dropped out suddenly, he would have been hurt even more. "And forget about Qin Zhan. They’ve known each other for a while; maybe they just happen to go home together. Don’t worry about these two; you can get any type of girl you want."

Zhou Liao turned and sneered. "Who said I care?"

Chen Xian thought to himself but didn’t dare say it aloud. "If you don’t care, that’s good."

"I’ve been thinking." Zhou Liao narrowed his eyes slightly. "Let’s go to a bar tonight; it’s been a while."

The others were shocked. "Really, Liao? We thought you’d lost interest after taking those meds."

Chen Xian was also surprised; they hadn’t been to a bar since Zhou Liao got out. Every time they played, he’d get drowsy after taking his medication, leading to nights of gaming or racing and cards.

"Sure, let’s go. It’ll be fun to see some beauties and experience the old you."

The bar was filled with flashing lights and moving bodies, creating an atmosphere of seduction and excitement.

Each of them had a girl by their side, and the stacks of Black Aces bottles proved their wealth. Attractive girls confident enough to approach them came to flirt.

Zhou Liao held a bottle of alcohol, but his expression was grim.

The loud music that used to energize him now only made him feel overwhelmed, his head throbbing. The flashing lights irritated him even more.

He took a swig of alcohol, watching his friend kiss a woman, but Qin Zhan’s face flashed in his mind.

He took a deep breath and turned away. The image of Qin Zhan and Bai Ling leaving earlier replayed in his mind, his grip tightening on the bottle, his chest burning with rage.

Why could Qin Zhan move on so easily? Why could he date Bai Ling? Why could he start a new life?

The thought of Qin Zhan and Bai Ling doing what they once did made his chest ache. It wasn’t about love; it was about the pain of sharing intimate moments with someone else, leaving him alone to suffer.

This imbalance made him want to tear Qin Zhan apart.

"Hello, handsome. Are you alone?" a sweet female voice whispered in his ear. "Can I sit next to you?"

Zhou Liao turned, hiding his emotions. The woman was stunning, her eyes captivating, dressed in a tight black strapless dress, her figure perfectly outlined. She held a drink, tilting her head expectantly.

"Yeah."

"Something wrong? Not happy?" The woman, a regular, sat beside him, whispering in his ear. "Can I help you?"

Zhou Liao hadn’t been this close to a woman in a long time. Her words sent shivers down his spine.

Thinking of Bai Ling and Qin Zhan, he smiled, trying to recapture the old feeling. "How do you plan to help me?"

"How do you want me to help, baby?" she leaned closer, her eyes slightly glazed, looking at the others. "Like them?"

Around them, people were kissing, hugging, and those who weren't were dancing in the dance floor.

Zhou Liao looked at her lips, but a strange conflict welled up inside him. He still liked women; their beauty and bodies naturally attracted him both physically and psychologically. Yet, there was an inexplicable resistance deep down that he couldn't pinpoint, causing him frustration.

"Sure, but isn't it too fast?"

"We're adults." The woman noticed Zhou Liao staring at her lips and laughed softly, reaching out to hook his neck. "Why would it be too fast?"

Perhaps it was the alcohol, perhaps it was the allure of her smile, or perhaps it was his desire to overcome his inner resistance. Zhou Liao gripped her chin and kissed her.

The kiss started gently as Zhou Liao adjusted, but it soon became more intense. Her lips were soft, unlike that person's slightly cold ones, and different from the combative kisses with that person driven by male instinct. This kiss was entirely under his control, and he could smell a faint feminine fragrance, which heightened the atmosphere in the dimly lit booth.

"You're quite skilled," the woman said, threading her fingers through his hair during a break. "You must have done this a lot before."

Suddenly, Zhou Liao's mind conjured images of Qin Zhan and Bai Ling doing the same. His gaze darkened, and he grabbed her jaw, kissing her again, trying to suppress the thoughts.

"Why talk about others now?"

...

"Mmm... gentler."

The woman was pressed against the bathroom door, half-resisting and half-encouraging, hitting Zhou Liao's shoulder lightly. But he caught her wrist and their lips and tongues tangled once more.

They weren't the only couple in the bar's bathroom, and sounds from the next stall added to the atmosphere.

She hooked her arm around Zhou Liao's neck, enjoying how he held her waist and kissed her from her lips down to her collarbone, thinking she had chosen the right person tonight.

When Zhou Liao sucked on her collarbone, she moaned softly, and her other hand reached for him, initially around his neck but quickly moving to his chest.

She rested her hand on his chest, feeling around unconsciously until she paused at one spot. The next second, he stopped too.

Still not fully understanding, she thought something was wrong with Zhou Liao: "Did you get this tattooed? Does it hurt?"

He didn't respond. His expression, previously that of a lustful leopard, now turned grim, like a storm brewing.

Embarrassed, she asked, "I'm sorry... did I hurt you?"

Zhou Liao remained silent. That spot throbbed slightly, burning like fire, reminding him of who had pierced that hole in his flesh, who had brought him pain and ecstasy, and what they were doing then.

It was just like now, filled with desperate longing for each other.

After a few moments of confusion, his vision suddenly overlapped with Qin Zhan's. A wave of nausea hit him, and he turned away to vomit.

Her face fell, especially since Zhou Liao hadn't drunk much: "What are you doing! If you can't handle it, don't play!"

Zhou Liao held his stomach, enduring the dizziness and nausea, while the throbbing pain in his chest made him feel miserable.

Amidst her complaints, he pushed open the bathroom door and fled, almost in panic.