Chapter 46

Chapter 46

When had he offended his childhood friend? Was it necessary to corner him and yell nonsense?

But Jiang Tiyan’s scolding missed the mark entirely. Qi Yanyu was speechless yet unwilling to take the hit, snapping back sarcastically, "What did your psychiatrist say?"

Jiang Tiyan let out a bitter laugh. "If I were you, I’d have already gone crying to Qi Yunpu in the capital."

Gu Jinglan glanced over—looked like someone was tearing into Qi Yanyu.

Qi Yanyu wasn’t one to stay silent either, retorting, "Then go find him. Why the hell are you yelling at me? Did you even land a single good jab?"

The more his childhood friend cursed, the more hatred seeped into his gaze toward Gu Jinglan. He wasn’t listening to Qi Yanyu at all, just spewing crap: "No wonder you got your ass kicked—dating such a deadweight."

"Since when did you get a say? Did I ever say he’s my boyfriend?" Qi Yanyu thought he’d lost it.

"You getting beaten isn’t without reason—it’s all your own doing," Jiang Tiyan, fuming, blurted out every nasty thing he could think of. "With screws this loose, I’d say you weren’t beaten enough."

"You’re off your rocker," Qi Yanyu shot back, baffled by his inexplicable rage. "Cut the act and get your head checked."

"This is bullshit." Qi Yanyu was done with his shit and turned to leave.

Jiang Tiyan stood rooted in place, fuming as he watched Qi Yanyu storm off.

His expression darkened, his chest burning with rage.

Still pissed, Qi Yanyu headed back to his dorm.

Gu Jinglan’s eyes were dark as he followed behind.

Did they have a fight? Or were they exes?

What exactly was their relationship?

Qi Yanyu realized he’d forgotten his key. At the door, Gu Jinglan stepped forward and opened it for him.

Inside, the lights were on, but no one was there.

Maybe Qi Yuanhan and Huang Shaoze had gone next door to rooms 415 or 416 to discuss assignments.

His hand was suddenly caught in Gu Jinglan’s grip, who watched his breathing closely.

Qi Yanyu was already in a shitty mood from the earlier scolding, his breath uneven.

Gu Jinglan noticed his left hand clenched into a fist and tried to pry his fingers open.

Seeing Gu Jinglan just made Qi Yanyu feel even crappier.

He pulled his left hand back. "I’m going to sleep. Leave me alone."

Gu Jinglan replied, "Then sleep." He wasn’t about to stop him.

When Qi Yanyu tried to pull free, Gu Jinglan just held on tighter to his wrist.

He’d known all along that there wasn't a single good person in this novel.

Perhaps it was also Jiang Tiyan's inexplicable sarcasm and insults earlier, the fury in his chest now lashing out at Gu Jinglan too. "Get lost too."

"Your chest hurting?" Gu Jinglan, however, was concerned about his condition.

Qi Yanyu told him, "My pain’s none of your damn business."

Gu Jinglan knew, of course, that Qi Yanyu was venting his anger on him for no reason. Maybe it was because of Jiang Tiyan earlier... or perhaps weeks of pent-up hurt and resentment.

"Quit preaching and quit butting in," Qi Yanyu said coldly.

Gu Jinglan scanned him—his lips were pale, his breath coming short, but the fingers he had touched earlier weren’t overly clenched.

Huang Shaoze walked in right then to grab his textbook and saw the two of them by Bed No. 3. He asked, "Dosing up No. 3?"

"Done," Qi Yanyu bit out.

Huang Shaoze picked up his book and headed for the door. "Oh, okay. No. 2 and I are in Murong Adong's dorm. Have you guys finished the pathology assignment? If not, there are answers in 415 you can reference."

Gu Jinglan replied indifferently, "Done," while Qi Yanyu said nothing.

Huang Shaoze gave a distracted "Oh" and hurried out with his book. Though it was Saturday, the assignment had to be submitted by midnight, and there was only an hour left.

Once Huang Shaoze left, Qi Yanyu's breath hitched again.

"Asthma?" Gu Jinglan's keen eyes caught the irregularity in his breathing.

"Even if it is asthma, it's none of your concern," Qi Yanyu shot back stubbornly.

Silent, eyes dark, Gu Jinglan moved to haul him upright, intending to make him kneel on the bed to ease his breathing.

But Qi Yanyu ignored him, slapping his hands away several times.

"Stop touching me," he fumed, managing only a weak glare at Gu Jinglan.

Wordlessly, Gu Jinglan lifted him up despite his protests. Qi Yanyu wheezed and fought him every step. "Let me go—"

He carried him straight downstairs. Since it was past eleven, there was no dorm monitor on duty. Gu Jinglan set Qi Yanyu on a long table and went to fetch the communal med kit.

The medical kit was fully stocked—many of the supplies were donated by students or purchased by the student council. Most medications could be found inside. He remembered they had bought salbutamol aerosol or some other inhaler last time.

Finally, Gu Jinglan found ipratropium bromide aerosol and wiped the mouthpiece with alcohol.

He helped Qi Yanyu sit up slightly on the table, but Qi Yanyu refused to open his mouth for the inhaler.

So, Gu Jinglan used his knuckles to force his jaw open and inserted the nozzle.

"I don't need—"

Ignoring him, Gu Jinglan pressed the inhaler a few times. After Qi Yanyu took a few breaths, he pressed the pump several more times.

Something flashed in Qi Yanyu's eyes as his emotions surged. "Stop holding me."

His silver-flat eyes lifted to meet Gu Jinglan's. "What do you think you are?" He was just pitying him, just like Jiang Tiyan’s pity.

"Fighting with your boyfriend?"

The way Gu Jinglan looked at him was a lot like when he had dragged him into that small hotel room.

Teasing, ambiguous—hard to read his emotions.

Qi Yanyu nodded repeatedly, going along with the mistake. "Right."

Gu Jinglan felt his heart grow cold. He asked again, "You don’t want him to stay with you?"

"Not your concern. Stay out of it," Qi Yanyu said, sitting up and moving to climb down from the table.

Gu Jinglan didn’t know—was that celebrity really Qi Yanyu’s boyfriend?

Then, had he liked me while dating someone else?

Were they really together?

Gu Jinglan wasn’t buying it.

Qi Yanyu took a few steps forward, while Gu Jinglan followed slowly behind, watching him.

He had a boyfriend.

A celebrity boyfriend.

But what did a boyfriend even matter?

Had Gu Jinglan ever seen them on a date? Since the start of the semester, when had Qi Yanyu not been at school? The only days he wasn’t at school were when he went home to recover from illness. This boyfriend might as well not exist.

Gu Jinglan wanted to sweep him up and take him away, but Qi Yanyu refused, and they were back at it, arguing on the stairs.

"Don’t. Touch. Me. One more try, and I’m changing dorms."

Gu Jinglan looked at him, not understanding the meaning behind his words. "Then why’d you save me?"

Qi Yanyu wiped away his tears. "I saved you... couldn’t let someone die right in front of me."

Gu Jinglan scoffed at the contradiction. "Then isn’t me helping you now the same as your reasoning?"

"Bullshit. It’s not the same," Qi Yanyu retorted. His earlier statement—"couldn’t let someone die right in front of me"—had been a lie, which was why he now told Gu Jinglan, "Quit dangling hope in front of me."

What did "quit dangling hope" mean? Gu Jinglan couldn’t quite grasp it.

"Fake kindness—what’s the fucking point?" Qi Yanyu said.

Qi Yanyu wrenched free and stormed upstairs.

Gu Jinglan lingered, watching him go.

When Qi Yanyu returned to the dorm, the power was out. The dorm was pitch black. Weekend lights-out was eleven.

The dorm stayed deserted.

He went to his own bed.

Gu Jinglan returned to the dorm a while later, stopping by his bed. "I didn’t want to upset you."

Then, quieter: "Don’t be sad."

Qi Yanyu stayed silent.

Gu Jinglan left the lamp off, simply saying to him, "Get some rest. I’ll leave you be."

With that, he turned around to wash up and never came back to talk to Qi Yanyu again.

Only the two of them were in Dorm 413.

The shower’s water stream echoed in the bathroom. Qi Yanyu wiped the corners of his eyes over and over, finally telling himself that a little romance wasn’t worth the heartache.

Head tilted, eyes shut, he dozed off.

·

On Monday morning, Qi Muyao was surprised.

What surprised him was Jiang Tiyan coming to his company for an appointment. "What wind blew you into my company?"

Jiang Tiyan gave a faint smile, barely keeping things civil. His first words were, "Long time no see. I saw Qi Yanyu a few days ago."

Hearing him mention Qi Yanyu unprompted, Qi Muyao knew they were childhood friends who’d always butted heads. "Oh? Did you arrange to meet?"

"I had an event and saw him at his school," Jiang Tiyan said, holding back words. "What’s with the bandages on his hands and knees?"

"He didn’t tell you?" Qi Muyao wasn’t sure what this visit was about.

His relationship with Qi Yanyu wasn’t close enough for Jiang Tiyan to come playing advocate for him.

So Qi Muyao doubted Jiang Tiyan was here to speak up for Qi Yanyu.

"He went home like a good boy, didn’t he? Why do this again?" Jiang Tiyan asked.

"Do what again?" Qi Muyao didn’t understand. He took a sip of tea, waiting to hear more.

"Last year, didn’t you break his leg?" Jiang Tiyan barely touched his cup. Now a big-shot star, he looked every bit the heartthrob. "Why do it again this year? What exactly has he done to displease you?"

Qi Muyao listened, only half-getting it, smiling faintly. "Qi Yanyu’s leg was broken again?"

"Don’t play dumb," Jiang Tiyan said, his attempt at a mocking smile faltering. "His screwups don’t warrant breaking him like a dog, do they?"

Aside from rumors about Qi Yanyu being gay, he hadn’t heard of him causing any real trouble.

Breaking him like a dog? Jiang Tiyan really had the nerve to say that. "Reconnecting with your old pal?" Qi Muyao wondered how their relationship had suddenly improved. He chuckled. "Did he complain to you?"

"Complain? If he could complain, I wouldn’t be here today. He’s a damn idiot—when I asked him, he clammed up." Jiang Tiyan gritted his teeth. Qi Yanyu had even cursed at him.

He was standing up for him, and Qi Yanyu had the audacity to lash out. The guy’s hopeless.

"If he clammed up, then that’s not him. Are you sure you got the right person?" In Qi Muyao’s memory, Qi Yanyu couldn’t tolerate the slightest grievance. If someone insulted him, he’d retaliate tenfold.

Jiang Tiyan grew serious. "He wasn’t like this before, was he?" From what he knew, the reason he disliked Qi Yanyu was precisely because the guy was arrogant and full of himself.

"If he’s finally learned his place, maybe that’s a good thing." Qi Muyao’s tone made Jiang Tiyan suspect he genuinely thought so.

"Do you want to train him into some circus animal?" Jiang Tiyan lifted his cold gaze, staring at Qi Muyao.

Qi Muyao remained unhurried, smiling like it was nothing. "He eats my food, wears my clothes—isn’t it right for him to listen to me? I’m not harming him. I’m straightening him out. What’s wrong with that?"

"Then why not just put him in the ground? That’d be the best way to repay you." Jiang Tiyan didn’t hold back, even resorting to such harsh words.

"What? Who the hell are you to judge?" Qi Muyao’s displeasure was evident, though his tone remained calm, his expression darkening.

Jiang Tiyan almost laughed in his face. "I don’t have the right, and neither does Qi Yanyu. The one who mattered’s rotting underground, isn’t he? It’s a goddamn miracle Qi Yanyu’s not in a straitjacket."

"If he gets another scar or has his bones broken again, I won't be this polite when I come to talk to you." Jiang Tiyan stared at him.

"If you were my brother, I'd teach you a lesson too." Qi Muyao's expression darkened slightly.

"You've tortured Qi Yanyu enough—if he ever loses his mind, it'll be because of you! You’d better watch yourself."

As Jiang Tiyan left, Qi Muyao's eyes turned stormy, slamming the teacup lid down in anger. Who does this kid think he is, talking to me like that?

·

On Monday, Qi Yanyu walked across the campus grounds.

Gu Jinglan didn’t sit with him during the morning class. By late afternoon, the campus was nearly empty—he’d skipped his lab session.

Two dogs ran up to him. Qi Yanyu tutted, and they actually pressed against his legs.

He crouched down to pet them. They were Shelties—sleek-muzzled, tall-eared, thick coats, mostly sable and white.

Both were multicolored: one with a gray-black face, the other with a tan-brown one.

The two Shelties bowled him over playfully.

Wen Ruxu walked over and helped him up.

It started raining, so they ducked into a café to stay dry. Qi Yanyu shared his yogurt with them.

Wen Ruxu gently wiped the dogs’ mouths with a damp towel.

They talked about their majors.

Wen Ruxu, a third-year forensics major, asked about his field.

Qi Yanyu nodded. "Do you like dogs? Want to take them for a walk?"

He almost shook his head out of habit—years of hiding his feelings made refusal automatic. So he stayed silent for a moment.

Seeing how happy Qi Yanyu looked playing with the dogs on the grass, Wen Ruxu said, "We have a dog club. Come by to play with them sometime if you’d like."

During Tuesday evening’s class, Gu Jinglan saw Qi Yanyu sitting with Wen Ruxu.

His eyes turned stormy.

A strange ache twisted in his chest.

His fingers clenched unnaturally tight, then the pen snapped with a sharp crack.

Gu Jinglan glanced at the twisted pen, blinked once, his expression blank.

He sat behind Qi Yanyu, watching them.

After class, he spotted them walking the dogs on the field.

The next day, it happened again.

Gu Jinglan watched them on the grassy area where pets played.

His face was unreadable.

Wen Ruxu was at the coffee shop, and Gu Jinglan deliberately followed him.

The two knew each other. They were high school classmates.

Wen Ruxu came from money, and so did Gu Jinglan.

"That person you're hanging out with," Gu Jinglan had heard about Wen Ruxu's sexual orientation, "a friend?"

Wen Ruxu nodded.

"Are you two dating, or did you just meet?" Gu Jinglan asked casually, playing it cool.

"Why not ask about your old friend's recent life instead?" Wen Ruxu said.

"I’m showing concern for your love life," Gu Jinglan replied with a faint smile.

Wen Ruxu said, "We're pretty much dating."

Gu Jinglan still smiled, though he blinked slightly before lifting his gaze, his eyes calm as still water. "He's my classmate. Need me to be wingman for you?"

Wen Ruxu was surprised but remained composed. "You know him?"

"I know a little about him. He’s got great grades," Gu Jinglan lowered his eyes, then smiled faintly, as if pondering something related to Qi Yanyu. "His family’s well-off too."

Wen Ruxu remained unfazed. "Huh. Small world."

Back in the dorm,

Gu Jinglan saw that Qi Yanyu had made it back just in time.

The lights went out as soon as he got back, but Qi Yanyu's phone kept lighting up with texts.

Gu Jinglan zoned out, his face blank.

He blinked, zoning out, then his gaze turned icy and distant as he knocked out his part of the competition project.

Qi Yanyu used to be inactive past 11:30 PM, but these past few nights, he had been replying to messages.

While working on a 3D lesion model, Gu Jinglan paused his mouse and glanced at him typing replies under the dim desk lamp in the dorm.

Eventually, Qi Yanyu turned off his phone and headed to the bathroom.

Qi Yuanhan asked him, "You good now? No more meds?"

"Yeah."

"You don’t have to be so reserved. A few days ago, Huang Shaoze and I weren’t in the dorm—Brother Gu helped apply it for you, right?"

"Yep."

Three was being frosty, but Qi Yuanhan was used to it. He glanced at Gu Jinglan. "Who got on Three’s bad side?"

Gu Jinglan's gaze shifted, but he said nothing.

Qi Yuanhan went back to his desk, turned on his lamp, and dug into his work.

At 6 AM, Qi Yanyu's alarm went off.

Gu Jinglan woke up too but stayed in bed without moving. Normally, their dorm usually slept till 7 for class. He watched as Qi Yanyu got ready but he didn’t budge. Qi Yanyu then took off.

Gu Jinglan got up, grabbed his jacket, slipped on his shoes, and headed out.

Qi Yanyu went to a café that served fresh-baked bread and hot coffee in the mornings.

Wen Ruxu was waiting there, the dog leashed to a tree near the entrance.

They had soy milk and a light bite, then each leashed a dog and headed to the empty soccer field.

A handful of early-risers were out exercising, with occasional figures jogging on the sports field.

They walked two Shelties.

Eventually, they grew tired.

Wen Ruxu leashed the dog to the goalpost.

Pulling out a tissue, he took Qi Yanyu’s hand and gently wiped it, smiling. "Did Xixi and Kaka tire you out?"

Qi Yanyu shook his head.

Gu Jinglan watched—close, but not quite dating-level intimacy.

Wen Ruxu claimed they were dating. Really?

If they were dating, they’d hold hands. Why weren’t they? Because they didn’t want to?

He mused oddly, a hint of bitterness creeping in.

Wen Ruxu walked the Shelties off-campus, and after saying goodbye, Qi Yanyu headed to the teaching building for class.

He got to class just after 7:40, finding only back-row seats left.

Qi Yanyu found a seat by the aisle and sat down.

Gu Jinglan entered and slid into a seat behind Qi Yanyu.

He cracked his book open but neither read nor listened to the lecture.

Instead, his gaze lingered on Qi Yanyu’s back, words caught in his throat.

Then he pulled up Wen Ruxu’s chat and texted: "Where are you two going this weekend?"

Wen Ruxu was in class too—forensics was a five-year degree, with no fewer specialized courses than clinical medicine.

"My family owns a place in Kanbei’s suburbs. Wanna join?"

"Sure," Gu Jinglan typed. "Didn’t I promise to wingman for you?"

Wen Ruxu sent him the name and location of the resort. "No clue if he’s into CS."

Gu Jinglan replied, "Back when some dorm buddies played PUBG, he held his own."

Qi Yanyu hadn’t joined them, though.

But over a meal, Qi Yuanhan had asked, and Qi Yanyu had mentioned being a decent shot—Gu Jinglan hadn’t forgotten.