Chapter 71

Chapter 71

"Yeah, I brought this all on myself," Qi Yanyu said with a slight nod, echoing the taunts thrown at him. His eyes flicked to the IV needle he had pulled out and picked it up again, like he was looking for another place to jab it.

Jiang Tiyan's hand shot out fast, grabbing his wrist and snatching the needle away, furious now.

"If you keep acting like this, I’ve got a hundred ways to shut you down!" he snapped.

He muttered curses under his breath, but couldn’t bring himself to be too harsh—his eyes stayed fixed on Qi Yanyu.

Only now did he notice that something was off. Qi Yanyu’s face was smeared with a sickly gray pallor, his expression distant.

"Qi Yanyu," Jiang Tiyan said, afraid the man might be out of it from fever. He seized both hands, trying to stop him from hurting himself while also forcing him to calm down. "Stop scaring me. What is it? Where does it hurt? I’ll call the doctor right now."

At first, his voice still carried an edge of anger, but it quickly gave way to pleading. He softened his tone, trying to soothe him.

"Tell me where it hurts. Don’t do this. Are you crying?"

Hearing the door open, Jiang Tiyan turned sharply and saw the doctor and Qi Muyao walking in.

He instantly stopped talking, his expression shifting into cold detachment.

He watched Qi Yanyu’s delirious state with distant eyes, still holding his hands, while Qi Muyao spotted the bloodstains on the bedsheet.

"I pulled out the IV," Jiang Tiyan said flatly. "Qi Yanyu said it hurt earlier."

The doctor and nurses rushed over to handle the situation.

Meanwhile, Qi Yanyu seemed completely out of it.

Held down, he just stared blankly, his face still damp.

"You’re having the surgery in a few days," Qi Muyao said as he approached. Only then did Jiang Tiyan let go of Qi Yanyu’s hands.

Qi Yanyu didn’t respond.

Afraid Qi Muyao might hurt him, Jiang Tiyan stepped in. "I’ve got this. Let me talk to him."

Qi Muyao shot him a doubtful look.

Jiang Tiyan replied with cool detachment. "He’ll listen to me—somewhat."

Noticing the tear streaks on Qi Yanyu’s face, Qi Muyao reached out and touched his jaw. The lack of resistance told him Qi Yanyu wasn’t fully aware. He signaled the medical staff to hook the IV back up.

Jiang Tiyan immediately grabbed Qi Yanyu’s hands again, worried he’d pull it out in front of Qi Muyao.

His grip was firm, but his eyes searched Qi Yanyu’s face carefully. He whispered, "Don’t cry."

As Qi Muyao moved to grab a wet wipe, Jiang Tiyan murmured softly, so only Qi Yanyu could hear: "I’ll protect you."

Seeing Qi Yanyu’s agitation fade into blank exhaustion, Jiang Tiyan felt a sharp ache in his chest for a moment. He looked away, switching to a polished tone when speaking to Qi Muyao.

"He’s barely awake and not all there. Let’s wait until he’s better before bringing up the surgery, Muyao."

"Has he been like this since he woke up?" Qi Muyao asked.

Jiang Tiyan glanced at Qi Yanyu as Qi Muyao took a wet wipe and gently cleaned his face, wiping away pinkish blood streaks and dried tears.

"Perhaps I said something wrong earlier," Jiang Tiyan murmured, his eyes dim with sorrow. Seeing Qi Yanyu in that state only deepened his regret. Each breath came with an aching strain.

Qi Muyao, relieved to see that Qi Yanyu hadn’t suffered cardiac arrest, allowed himself a moment of eased tension. He spoke defensively: "You should say things he likes to hear. Look at him now—"

"My fault," Jiang Tiyan quietly agreed. He stole another glance at Qi Yanyu, now numb and *“docile”* from the sedatives. His knuckles whitened as he clenched his fists.

If given the chance, he would take Qi Yanyu across oceans.

With shadowed eyes, he studied Qi Muyao’s every move.

If Qi Muyao dared to strike Qi Yanyu in front of him and the doctors, he wouldn’t hesitate to throw punches in return.

Yet there Qi Muyao was, gently wiping Qi Yanyu’s hands and face, speaking in a soft, coaxing tone: "We’ll go home soon. The doctor said you’re fine—it was just a sudden heartache."

"What would you like to eat when we get back? I’ll have Chef Zhai make it for you."

"You’ve been so good," Qi Muyao whispered, wiping away the tear streaks on Qi Yanyu’s dazed face before squeezing his hand. "It must be because you haven’t come home these past few days. You’ve exhausted yourself, and your old illness flared up again."

Good? Jiang Tiyan sneered inwardly. Sedated into compliance—was this Qi Muyao’s idea of a *“good brother,”* forever subdued under drugs and control?

Though hatred churned within him, he could do nothing to change things now.

Watching as the doctor reinserted the IV needle, Jiang Tiyan softly said, "Be gentle. He’s afraid of pain."

The medical staff took extra caution.

After some time under observation, Jiang Tiyan sat in the backseat of the car, having just told Qi Muyao, "Let me take care of him."

Qi Muyao, seeing Qi Yanyu’s blank stare and Jiang Tiyan’s tender care, surprisingly agreed.

Qi Yanyu had no strength left; without support, he might collapse sideways.

In the car, Jiang Tiyan asked the driver to go slowly. Then he took Qi Yanyu’s hand and rubbed it subtly.

Qi Yanyu was barely conscious—likely not crying. Jiang Tiyan maintained his cold front in front of Qi Muyao’s people.

When they arrived at the Qi estate, a servant opened the car door to help Qi Yanyu out.

But Jiang Tiyan simply scooped him into his arms and carried him upstairs to his room.

Inside the room, with no third party present, Jiang Tiyan tucked him into bed. Looking at his gaunt, ghostly appearance—clearly worn down by suffering—he softened completely:

"Sleep for a while. When you wake up, I’ll take you out, alright?"

"Close your eyes and rest," he murmured, sitting beside the bed and massaging Qi Yanyu’s left hand. "I’ll take you away when you wake up, okay?"

His words were more comfort than promise.

He couldn’t whisk Qi Yanyu away immediately, but if that was what Qi Yanyu wanted, he’d arrange everything as soon as possible.

Looking at Qi Yanyu’s ashen complexion, empty, dull eyes—there was something heart-wrenchingly meek about him.

Jiang Tiyan’s heart softened. He brushed a knuckle lightly against Qi Yanyu’s cheek and coaxed gently, "Sleep. I’m here. Your brother won’t come in. And I won’t leave when you wake up—I promise."

Qi Yanyu did seem rather sweet when he wasn’t babbling foolishly.

With his delicate, spoiled-rich-boy look now stripped of its sharpness, all that remained was a dazed compliance—making him seem even more pitiable.

"Alright, Qi Yanyu?"

Jiang Tiyan worried he might be uncomfortable sleeping, so he reached under Qi Yanyu's back to check the sheets. "Relax, nobody’s gonna hurt you."

He was talking about someone else’s pain, but it was *his* heart breaking.

He dimmed the bedside lamp—it was only a little past eleven at night. For people like them, partying around the clock, this was way too early for their usual routine.

Jiang Tiyan sat on the soft edge of the bed, eyes distant. "Anywhere is fine. I promised you... I’ll make damn sure of it..."

As he spoke, he lifted his eyes to Qi Yanyu, whose face showed signs of drowsiness, eyes half-open and unfocused. "At the hospital, I didn’t mean to blame you..."

"I was just... angry at you," Jiang Tiyan muttered distractedly.

Qi Yanyu closed his eyes, giving a faint "Mm," as if reconciling with Jiang Tiyan.

Jiang Tiyan was stunned—only strengthening his determination to take Qi Yanyu away.

Jiang Tiyan stayed at Qi Yanyu’s home until morning. The next day, Qi Muyao skipped work instead of going in as usual.

He knocked and entered, finding Jiang Tiyan by the bed, zoning out at a picture frame on Qi Yanyu’s nightstand. Somewhat surprised, he asked, "Didn’t rest all night?"

"Got some shut-eye," Jiang Tiyan replied, glancing briefly at Qi Muyao, who had come so early. "You waiting to yell at him when he wakes up?"

Qi Muyao laughed. "What’d I scold him for?"

Jiang Tiyan studied Qi Muyao’s expression—it didn’t seem like a joke. "Then he’s still asleep."

"You think I’d wake him up?" Qi Muyao countered, his gaze already drifting to the man resting peacefully.

Hard not to think you came in to scold him. Jiang Tiyan thought, then said, "He hardly touched his food last night."

The implication was clear: Qi Yanyu was weak from illness and shouldn’t be reprimanded now.

Qi Muyao looked at him. "We weren’t in touch much during shoots."

"No matter what, I’ll have to return eventually to take over the family business. Qi Yanyu isn’t exactly a demon—why avoid him?"

Qi Muyao, not wanting to wake Qi Yanyu, said, "Go crash somewhere."

It was obvious Qi Muyao wanted some alone time with Qi Yanyu. Even if Jiang Tiyan were clueless, he couldn’t miss that cue, so he agreed and left.

After closing the door, Jiang Tiyan froze in place outside Qi Yanyu’s room.

His expression darkened, knuckles whitening.

He had vowed to protect Qi Yanyu—and couldn’t even do that.

Qi Muyao could brush him off so easily.

Just then, Qi Xizhi happened to pass by and saw Jiang Tiyan standing there. He knew, of course, that Jiang Tiyan was Qi Yanyu’s childhood friend. He greeted him, "Need a place to rest? I can show you one."

Qi Xizhi couldn’t possibly be unaware of their strained relationship. It was likely Jiang Tiyan had brought Qi Yanyu back just to torment him.

Hearing the voice, Jiang Tiyan lifted his cold, defiant eyes. Recognizing who it was, he snapped, "The hell are you? Didn’t know the Qi family collected every bastard."

Qi Xizhi’s face darkened.

Jiang Tiyan ignored him and went downstairs to the living room to wait for Qi Yanyu to wake up.

He’d wait for Qi Yanyu to wake up so he could properly explain that he could get him out of there.

Inside the room, Qi Muyao gazed at his younger brother’s sleeping face.

He couldn’t possibly be as terrifying as Jiang Tiyan had suggested—waking Qi Yanyu just to scold him.

His brother looked too fragile, his face ghostly pale.

Qi Yanyu didn’t wake up until well past noon. At first, he thought he was still in the hospital, where apart from Zhang Liu and the others, no one else would’ve been around.

Then he saw Qi Muyao sitting beside him, looking at a folded old travel map.

Qi Yanyu immediately tried to sit up, wanting to snatch the map from Qi Muyao’s hands.

But Qi Muyao tossed the map aside and helped him up instead. He barely had the strength to move. “Where’d you even go? Traveling till you gave yourself a heart attack?”

Qi Yanyu stayed silent. Compared to waking up in the hospital last night, he was much more lucid now—

That was the map from his trip with Gu Jinglan.

Maybe it’d been stuffed in a pocket or something—Qi Muyao must’ve dug it up. He’d forgotten to trash it in time.

Seeing his silence, Qi Muyao assumed he was hungry and brushed a thumb over his chalky cheek. “Hungry? I’ll have the kitchen bring your favorite dishes.”

“No,” Qi Yanyu had no intention of eating. Going hungry would make Qi Muyao’s punishment easier to bear. Blacking out from pain would at least make time fly.

Did Qi Muyao know Jiang Tiyan had ratted him out about Gu Jinglan? How was he planning to punish him?

He couldn’t tell if it was his heart or his gut twisting—was it fear or just dread messing with him?

Despite hearing his refusal, Qi Muyao patiently instructed the kitchen to bring up the food.

While waiting for the porridge to warm up, he asked Qi Yanyu, “How come you didn’t snap any pics with that girl on your trip?”

The second he said it, Qi Yanyu looked like he’d been slapped.

He couldn’t believe what Qi Muyao had just said. Had he misheard? Since when had he gone out with a girl?

Seeing him stunned, Qi Muyao flicked his cheek like he was teasing a kid. “Didn’t Dongfang Yuxiao just post a bunch of hiking pics on your feed?”

“Why haul ass all that way just to hike?”

Was Qi Muyao fed lies, or was he playing mind games?

Why did he think Qi Yanyu had gone hiking with Dongfang Yuxiao?

Didn’t Jiang Tiyan say his fans saw him with Gu Jinglan at the amusement park?

Hadn’t Jiang Tiyan told him about his relationship with Gu Jinglan?

Qi Yanyu was speechless, totally shell-shocked.

Qi Muyao, seeing his dazed expression, assumed it might be a lingering effect of his heart condition.

Against his better judgment, he felt himself relent. “You’ve got a bad heart, and you went hiking? Trying to kill yourself?” Qi Muyao thought his usual bark had Qi Yanyu too scared to talk, so he gentled his tone further.

Qi Muyao squeezed his icy fingers. “Once you’re through surgery, you can go wherever the hell you want.”

Qi Yanyu was filled with astonishment, yet his face remained pale and lifeless.

"After the surgery, you won’t have heart problems anymore. You’ll be just like a normal person," Qi Muyao held his hand, gazing at his wan, compliant face. "You can settle down if you want, or play around for a few more years."

Seeing Qi Yanyu’s lashes tremble, Qi Muyao thought he might be putting too much pressure on him—worried that Qi Yanyu feared the surgery. "The doctor said there’s an 80% chance of permanent recovery—no more heart issues. The success rate is very high."

"You can go wherever you want with the girl you like. Didn’t you say you wanted to pursue med school?"

Qi Muyao smiled faintly at him. His younger brother really looked like a fragile rag doll—bloodless, doll-like, achingly obedient in a way that tugged at the heart. "Hmm? What do you think? Why aren’t you saying anything?"

Qi Yanyu's pulse hammered with dread, unsure whether it was fleeting hope or a gamble as precarious as walking on razor’s edge.

He feared Qi Muyao was setting him up—that Qi Muyao actually knew about his relationship with Gu Jinglan but was deliberately framing it as time spent with Dongfang Yuxiao.

So he remained silent, his face still ghostly pale.

From last night until now, Gu Jinglan must have noticed he hadn't returned to the dorm and would have messaged or called him. His phone had been with Qi Muyao the whole time—how could Qi Muyao not know?

Why was he speaking to him like this now? Was he probing him?

Qi Yanyu’s inner torment made him feel as though threats lurked everywhere—he couldn’t tell whether it was his heart or stomach that hurt so unbearably.

He closed his eyes briefly, only to feel something being pressed into his hand. When he opened them, he heard Qi Muyao say, "Reply to Dongfang Yuxiao. She was looking for you this morning."

Qi Yanyu found his own phone in his hand. He opened WeChat—Gu Jinglan’s chat wasn’t pinned at the top. He always deleted the logs whenever Gu Jinglan messaged or called him.

He clicked on Dongfang Yuxiao’s chat, which was fifth or sixth in his list, preceded by muted notifications from his counselor and group chats.

Dongfang Yuxiao had sent: "Why didn’t you like my posts?" along with a standard WeChat emoji—a helmeted figure puffing smoke.

Her tone was so casual it could easily be mistaken for them being close-ish friends.

Qi Yanyu’s fingers trembled slightly. He replied with an "Okay," then opened Dongfang Yuxiao’s Moments, only to find her location-tagged travel posts overlapped with the places he and Gu Jinglan had visited.

He went through and liked each of her posts one by one.

His mind raced—Dongfang Yuxiao must have broadcasted a generic request asking for likes.

Qi Muyao, who regularly checked his phone, must have seen this, and combined with the map in his pocket, jumped to the conclusion he had skipped school to travel with Dongfang Yuxiao.

His voice rasped from thirst. "When… is the surgery?"

He was terrified of losing what he had with Gu Jinglan.

It had taken him so long to find a reason to keep living in this world.

If Qi Muyao destroyed this relationship, he didn’t know what else could dull the pain of existing enough to endure this story.

"You’ll need a month of pre-op meds. The earliest we can schedule it is two months from now," Qi Muyao said gently, noticing how dry his voice was, and handed him a glass of water. "Drink some."

Qi Yanyu’s thoughts were in chaos. Maybe if he had the surgery, Qi Muyao would stop interfering in his relationships.

Since Qi Muyao now mistakenly thought he was dating a girl, that meant he could still be with Gu Jinglan.

As long as Qi Muyao didn’t find out, he could scheme his way out of town sooner—move to another city for school or work, and sneak around with Gu Jinglan secretly. That is, if their bond could last that long.

Would two or three months be enough? He’d find a way to leave.

He had mentioned wanting to transfer schools before—hadn’t Qi Muyao once planned to ship him off to another school? Just my luck.

Would Gu Jinglan go with him to the new school? How much does Gu Jinglan like him—enough to transfer schools for him?

Just then, there was a knock on his door.

Jiang Tiyan pushed the door open, carrying a bowl of porridge from the kitchen. "Brother Muyao, let me feed him," he said with a smile to Qi Muyao, adding, "I’ll take care of him." The words made Qi Yanyu feel as if he were swinging between heaven and hell once again.

When Qi Muyao agreed to leave, the person now sitting by the sickbed still caused Qi Yanyu pain—but the pain Jiang Tiyan caused was far milder than what Qi Muyao brought.

Jiang Tiyan gently stirred the porridge with a spoon, noticing Qi Yanyu’s blank expression, just like the night before.

He coaxed him: “Come on, take a bite.”

Qi Yanyu shifted his gaze slightly. “You didn’t tell Qi Muyao?”

At this, Jiang Tiyan realized Qi Yanyu was conscious. The tender concern on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a self-satisfied smirk. “You’re welcome, by the way.”

Qi Yanyu sneered, “Get the fuck out of my sight.”

Jiang Tiyan smiled faintly and set down the hot porridge. “I did you a favor. I’m doing you a kindness, and this is how you treat me?”

Seeing Qi Yanyu’s deer-in-headlights look—as if he’d returned to the stunned daze after last night’s delirium—Jiang Tiyan adjusted his tone, probing: “Still out of it?”

Qi Yanyu stayed silent. Jiang Tiyan assumed it was because he was still recovering, not fully coherent yet. “Just eat and take your meds,” he said.

“Whatever you want, it’s yours,” he added.

He was coaxing Qi Yanyu—though it sounded like coaxing, it was also a promise.

While waiting for the porridge to cool slightly, Jiang Tiyan picked up the pillbox packed with meds and looked through them.

“What illness do you have?”

He hadn’t had a chance to ask the doctor clearly at the hospital last night. In his mind, Qi Yanyu couldn’t be that sick—if surgery could fix it, it wasn’t serious.

Qi Yanyu remained silent.

Jiang Tiyan figured he either didn’t want to talk or was still loopy from the sedatives given the night before and that morning.

“Here, try a bite.”

He held out the spoon, but Qi Yanyu turned his head away. His voice was icy and detached: “When the hell are you leaving?”

Jiang Tiyan shed all pretense of kindness. His eyes, though naturally shaped like those of a phoenix, showed only cold glare. “If you don’t take your medicine, I don’t know if you’ll live to see that relationship last.”

“What are you trying to say?”

Qi Yanyu was paranoid—Jiang Tiyan hadn’t actually threatened to expose anything.

But seeing Qi Yanyu react so strongly, Jiang Tiyan decided to press further. “Me keeping quiet now doesn’t mean I will later…”

Qi Yanyu gaped at him, face unreadable.

Jiang Tiyan hadn’t expected him to look so shell-shocked—as if a single sentence could determine his fate.

“Relax, I was messing with you. Now eat.”

Jiang Tiyan picked up Qi Yanyu's medicine, but there weren't even any instructions. "Should this be taken before or after eating?"

As he was still trying to figure out if there were any directions, Qi Yanyu took the pills from him. Jiang Tiyan quickly handed him some water, watching as he took all the pills in one go. Afraid he’d choke, Jiang Tiyan stood up and gently patted his back.

After taking the medicine, Qi Yanyu asked, "When are you leaving?"

Jiang Tiyan looked at him. He still thought he looked more pitiful when quiet.

Seeing that Qi Yanyu had finished his medicine, Jiang Tiyan told him to eat his porridge. "I’ll leave once you finish it."

Qi Yanyu started eating on his own, and Jiang Tiyan thought to himself that this guy was like a kid who needed to be coaxed.

After a few bites, the porridge hardly budged. Seeing Qi Yanyu barely making a dent after a while, Jiang Tiyan said, "If you can’t finish it, just leave it for later."

"Don’t you have filming to do?"

"Kicking me out now?"

Just as Qi Yanyu was about to say something, Jiang Tiyan, not wanting to pick a fight with someone fresh off being sick, said, "Go to sleep. I’ll leave once you're asleep."

Qi Yanyu fell asleep and woke up later, finding Jiang Tiyan gone from his room, figuring he’d gone.

The next day at noon, when he went downstairs for lunch, Zhang Liu told him Jiang Tiyan was waiting at home for him.

After having lunch together, Jiang Tiyan took him out for a drive and then brought him back home.

In the car, Jiang Tiyan asked cheerfully, "Feeling better today?"

"Still alive," Qi Yanyu replied flatly.

"What if I said I could take you away from here?" Jiang Tiyan had expected Qi Yanyu to light up like he'd just won the lottery—overjoyed or stunned.

"Away from where?" Qi Yanyu couldn’t even pretend to care.

"Away from Qi Muyao," Jiang Tiyan said, driving. They had left under clear skies, but now light rain began to fall, so he flicked on the wipers. "Don’t you want to get out of here?"

Hearing this, Qi Yanyu just smirked at his old friend’s dumb idea. "What’s the catch?"

"Of course, if you wanted to reward me a little, I wouldn’t say no."

Maybe because he had just recovered, Qi Yanyu couldn’t be bothered to fight. "Take me home. I don’t feel like driving around anymore."

"You’re not going stir-crazy stuck at home?"

"Nope. I’m actually happy."

"Serves you right." Jiang Tiyan was slightly annoyed, but he knew—Qi Yanyu was just pigheaded, always assuming kindness came with strings attached.

Ignoring Qi Yanyu’s request to go home, Jiang Tiyan kept his eyes ahead, the wipers swiping away the rain. "I can get you a new identity and get you out of the country."

"What, am I cramping Young Master Jiang’s style here?" Qi Yanyu was feeling okay, but the gloomy rain only made him ache for Gu Jinglan more.

He didn’t know whether he needed a relationship or just someone who cared and could share his life.

He hadn’t figured out yet whether he wanted love, was starved for affection, or was simply making excuses to keep going.

Biting back his annoyance, Jiang Tiyan asked coldly, "Why did Qi Muyao break your limbs last time?"

Qi Yanyu answered, "Like I said—I took a spill."

Jiang Tiyan laughed, "What shameful thing happened last time? Did you get on your knees for some guy again or what?"

Amid the continuous mockery, Qi Yanyu smiled faintly and casually agreed, "Sure, sure, whatever you say."

Jiang Tiyan didn’t want to play along with his jokes. Since it was a weekday on the suburban highway, he stepped hard on the accelerator. Even in autumn, the scenery outside the car window was streaks of vibrant green as it sped past.

He accelerated all the way to 120 or 130 km/h, driving to an empty stretch of countryside, stopping the car just before the entrance of a tunnel.

This wasn’t a highway but a backcountry road in the middle of nowhere.

Once the car stopped, Jiang Tiyan unbuckled his seatbelt and turned with a dead-eyed stare. "Why don’t you run?"

"Run from who?" The other man was baffled.

"Why don’t you run when someone hits you? Is it because that person puts food on your table and clothes on your back? So you can’t bear to fight back?"

Qi Yanyu finally understood—Jiang Tiyan was talking about Qi Muyao. He had no idea who gave Jiang Tiyan such old intel. Qi Muyao didn’t beat him all the time. Occasionally, he’d even give him a day or two without beating him.

Seeing Qi Yanyu remain silent, Jiang Tiyan observed his expression, but there was no spark of defiance.

Jiang Tiyan sneered, "In that case, let’s talk about the kneeling incident."

He simply couldn’t stand Qi Yanyu’s beaten-down attitude. Why couldn’t he at least say one bad word about Qi Muyao in front of him? Who was he putting on this submissive act for?

"The very first time Qi Muyao broke your leg, how long were you in a wheelchair?" Jiang Tiyan continued, his eyes dead and empty. "Did you not spend enough time in it? Or did you not kneel enough?"

Qi Yanyu played dumb with a dumbfounded, "How did you know?"—provoking a harsh chuckle from Jiang Tiyan, who then unbuckled Qi Yanyu’s seatbelt to force him to face him properly.

He wanted to know: Was Qi Yanyu being sarcastic, or had Qi Muyao already trained him like an obedient punching bag?

"Be gentle, it hurts." Qi Yanyu didn’t resist in his seat, only offering whining pleas for mercy.

Jiang Tiyan had intended to provoke Qi Yanyu with everything he had, but instead, a single sentence from the other man easily got under his skin.

Furious, Jiang Tiyan gave a mirthless laugh. Looking at him like this, anyone would want to hit him a few more times just to make him cry.

"Why are you so numb?"

Qi Yanyu didn’t know what time it was—his phone wasn’t on him; it was with Qi Muyao. He asked, "What's the time? Are you going to hit me? Then hurry up and finish so you can take me home sooner."

He didn’t have his phone or any cash on him. If he had to flag down a taxi back, he wasn’t even sure if taxis came out this far.

"What are you going back for?" To let Qi Muyao beat you some more?

Qi Yanyu hesitated before replying, "I’m hungry." He was lying through his teeth.

"So I can’t take you to eat, is that it?"

Qi Yanyu added, "Then after you hit me, take me to eat."

Jiang Tiyan was so angry he didn’t want to say another word.

His kindness was thrown back in his face by Qi Yanyu—every word that came out of Qi Yanyu’s mouth turned into mockery.

Classic. "You really are a well-trained dog under Qi Muyao," Jiang Tiyan said through clenched teeth, glaring at him.

Qi Yanyu replied, "I'm flattered."

Wordlessly, Jiang Tiyan buckled his seatbelt, not caring whether Qi Yanyu had done the same, and turned the car around at the tunnel entrance to head back.

He floored the accelerator the entire way without uttering another word.

Yet when they were still a few kilometers away from Qi Yanyu’s house and stopped at a red light, Jiang Tiyan—despite his scowling face—still handed him a coat to wear before getting out, since it was cold outside.

As Qi Yanyu put on the coat, Jiang Tiyan leaned in and taunted, “Look at you now. Don’t you look just like Qi Muyao’s obedient mutt?”

Qi Yanyu tuned him out like white noise, sluggishly shrugging into the coat.

But as he dressed, the red light still hadn’t turned green. Jiang Tiyan’s eyes dulled. After hemming and hawing for a while, he finally voiced what he had meant to say all along: “I’ll give you a chance. Leave the Qi family. You’ll still live in luxury, never short of money. Are you willing?”

He asked again.

Even if Qi Yanyu stayed silent, he’d take that as agreement.

He’d drive straight to the airport, no looking back, pull out the passport and documents he had prepared days ago, and get him on a flight out.

“The Qi family treats me so well,” Qi Yanyu replied. “Why would I leave?”

“If you’re being sarcastic, Qi Yanyu, I won’t get mad,” Jiang Tiyan said, his tone matching his words—finally being upfront for once. “I’ll still… get you out of here, like I promised.”

Qi Yanyu knew he was only home recovering because Jiang Tiyan had told Qi Muyao he was sick.

This time, he claimed illness. Next time, he might say he was dating a man.

If Jiang Tiyan really meant to send him away…

Would he truly be beyond Qi Muyao’s reach?

Would leaving mean escaping this story?

He had thought about running away himself—why couldn’t he bring himself to try?

Then why did Jiang Tiyan’s offer feel like mockery?

Maybe he thought Jiang Tiyan was just messing with him.

Wanting to see him humiliate himself even more.

So Qi Yanyu whispered so softly it was barely audible, “I’m not from this world. I’m stuck here.”

Jiang Tiyan didn’t catch it. “Was your last line sarcasm?” He assumed Qi Yanyu was answering his earlier question.

“I haven’t repaid my brother’s debt for raising me yet.” Qi Yanyu laughed, telling himself this guy was just playing games—no doubt about it. No need to fall for it. “Can you drop me home? Right in time for lunch.”

“Loyal little dog.” Jiang Tiyan’s glazed-over eyes finally noticed the green light had been on for a while. Horns blared behind them. He slammed the gas.

After a few days recovering at home, Qi Yanyu finally returned to school.

Back in the dorm, there was no sign of Gu Jinglan. When he asked Qi Yuanhan, the latter noted that Qi Yanyu had missed two weeks of class—the first week, not even Gu Jinglan showed up; this week, it was just him.

“He’s probably at the library. His group had a meeting,” Qi Yuanhan answered, then grilled him, “Playing hooky for a date?” It was the weekend, and he was in the dorm cramming homework while eating takeout.

“No.”

Qi Yanyu checked the ground-floor lobby but didn’t find Gu Jinglan. He went upstairs and spotted him in the glass-walled study room, in a meeting with his competition team.

He found the best spot to watch Gu Jinglan and sat down.

He came empty-handed, so he grabbed a random book from the shelf and placed it in front of him.

He took a seat, watching Gu Jinglan from afar.

The study room had several small glass pods—enclosed spaces meant for students who needed to talk and discuss. Gu Jinglan, with his pale, jade-like complexion and cool, detached expression, listened as the members of his competition team presented their ideas.

Gu Jinglan had a habit when offering suggestions—he would sharpen his gaze, staring levelly at someone for a long moment. If they resisted, he’d talk them into submission until they gave in.

He used to hate that way of speaking. Back then, Gu Jinglan would talk to him in that same insufferably cocky, emotionless tone. That’s why his first impression of Gu Jinglan was terrible—he thought the guy was nothing more than a pretty face, good for nothing else.

Now, looking at him, Gu Jinglan really was just as arrogant, wearing that pissed-off look like someone had personally wronged him.

Qi Yanyu sneaked glances at Gu Jinglan while placing an order on a delivery app, adding extra drinks just in case some members stepped out to use the restroom.

When the order arrived, Qi Yanyu carried several bags of coffee and milk tea over to the glass booth.

He opened the door to the study room’s discussion pod, walked in, and placed the drinks on their table. The group inside looked surprised. “Who ordered these?”

Qi Yanyu put on a delivery guy act. “Uh, it was ordered by Mr. Gu. Did I get the wrong place? No, the address is here.” Gu Jinglan looked up at him, his face showing complete disbelief at seeing Qi Yanyu standing there.

Qi Yanyu smirked smugly to himself, carefully setting down the drinks before pushing open the glass door and ducking out.

He deliberately walked outside the study area, mentally counting down, wondering how many seconds it would take before Gu Jinglan came after him.

After watching him leave, Gu Jinglan stood and said, “I’ll be right back,” then followed him out.

The guy had bolted faster than he expected. Gu Jinglan hurried out of the study room and found Qi Yanyu pretending to examine a potted plant nearby. As soon as Gu Jinglan stepped out, Qi Yanyu lifted his eyes and met his gaze confidently.

“Tch, thirteen seconds flat,” Qi Yanyu muttered with a pleased grin.

Silently, Gu Jinglan led him toward the elevator. It happened to be stopped on their floor—the sixth—and Gu Jinglan pressed the button for downstairs. They stepped in alone.

Gu Jinglan looked at him. “Did your heart stop again?”

Qi Yanyu was still grinning. “Of course not.”

It had been a week since Gu Jinglan last saw him. Taking in his appearance, Gu Jinglan cradled Qi Yanyu’s face right under the elevator camera and kissed him full on the lips.

Qi Yanyu blinked in surprise at the surveillance camera pointed directly at them, but Gu Jinglan held his face and peppered him with kisses for half a minute.

“Where have you been? I thought something happened to you,” Gu Jinglan finally murmured, reluctantly letting go just before the elevator doors opened.

Gu Jinglan grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the library.

Not seeing Qi Yanyu for a week made Gu Jinglan worry he’d had another heart scare—just like the time he missed a month of school due to cardiac arrest.

Even though Qi Yanyu had called their dorm during that time—basically telling Gu Jinglan he was safe—Gu Jinglan still feared the worst.

Seeing him alive and well, his pallor unchanged, Gu Jinglan held his hand tightly. “Did you miss school because of your heart?”

Holding hands on campus made Qi Yanyu happy, though he kept glancing around nervously. He simply said, “I was just messing around at home for a few days.”

Gu Jinglan didn’t buy it. “Did you see a doctor? Are you taking your meds? Why the secrecy with me?”