Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Xu Yan immediately sent a message to Year.

"Yan Yan": I'm screwed.

"Yan Yan": One of my leg bands is missing.

"Yan Yan": Could it have been picked up by my roommate? [sobbing]

Not long after, Year replied.

"Year": Which one?

"Yan Yan": The white bow one.

He had sent Year a video before, so Year should remember.

"Year": How’d you manage that, baby?

"Year": If your roommate finds it, it’ll be troublesome, won’t it?

"Year": What if all your skirts are seen too?

"Year": Hiding so many little skirts in the dorm—won’t people think you’re weird, baby?

Xu Yan’s eyes grew even wider. He was already anxious enough, but Year was being such a jerk—not comforting him at all, just messing with him instead.

He checked again carefully. Fortunately, everything else in the wardrobe was still there—only that bow was gone.

Xu Yan remembered seeing it just a couple of days ago, so it must have disappeared during the time he was sick.

Did someone actually take it?

But neither roommate had mentioned anything about it.

"Yan Yan": Quit freaking me out.

"Yan Yan": I don’t want to talk to you anymore.

Only then did Year switch to comforting him.

"Year": Maybe you just misplaced it somewhere, baby.

"Year": Your roommate won’t find it. Don’t worry.

"Year": It might turn up on its own after a while.

"Yan Yan": Really?

"Year": Yeah.

"Year": Dummy.

"Year": You lose track of your own stuff.

This had indeed happened before—the more he searched, the more it disappeared, only to reappear days later when he wasn’t searching anymore.

Year also reminded him to remember to lock his wardrobe door in the future and smoothly changed the subject. Gradually, Xu Yan’s suspicions faded.

Over the next few days, he was busy with classes and handing in a pile of midterm assignments. No one in the dorm mentioned finding anything strange, so Xu Yan soon forgot about it.

Before he knew it, a month had gone by since he last messaged the high-end store clerk about the lighter. One afternoon, Xu Yan finally received a message from the clerk, informing him that the parts finally came in from the overseas manufacturer and that he could swing by to get it fixed whenever he had time.

Xu Yan happened to have no classes that afternoon, only an elective in the evening, so it was the perfect opportunity to return the repaired lighter to Wen Sinian.

He first sent Wen Sinian a message on WeChat, saying he could go to the store alone, then headed out happily with the lighter in his bag.

After taking the bus to the mall and handing the lighter over to the clerk, Xu Yan was given a slice of cake.

The clerk asked him to wait on the nearby sofa, saying they’d let him know once the parts were replaced.

Xu Yan sat obediently, eating his cake and waiting patiently.

Before he could finish the cake, his phone buzzed with an incoming call—the caller ID read "Zhuang Sheng."

Xu Yan hesitated for a moment when he saw it. His grandmother had just mentioned a few days ago that Zhuang Sheng was coming to Beishi for work.

Was he here already?

*

Xu Yan was a no-show for the evening elective, so Shen Nanli helped him ask for leave.

The professor had said everyone was allowed two absences, no penalty.

Lin Xingxian and Wen Sinian sat at the back of the classroom. Lin Xingxian had even saved seats for Shen Nanli and Xu Yan, but only Shen Nanli showed up.

From the moment Xu Yan’s absence was noticed, Wen Sinian’s expression had been icy. Lin Xingxian didn’t dare speak to him, quickly asking Shen Nanli instead.

"Yan never skips class. Why did he suddenly take leave today? What’s up?"

Shen Nanli explained, "He went out earlier this afternoon to get the lighter repaired. I was going to go with him, but I had to finish an assignment, so he said he’d be fine on his own and went by himself..."

Wen Sinian rested one hand on the desk, his fingers drumming absently against the surface as if listening intently to the conversation beside him, his eyes sharp and intent.

He had been in a work meeting at the gaming company when Xu Yan messaged him that afternoon, so he couldn’t go to the store.

But it was already evening, and Xu Yan still hadn’t returned. Moreover, the clerk had messaged him at 5 p.m., saying the lighter had been repaired.

So where’d he go?

Lin Xingxian: "Did fixing it take this long?"

As he spoke, Shen Nanli glanced at the expressions of the two beside him. Senior Wen looked pissed—what was his deal?

"They wrapped up ages ago, but Yan texted me before class saying he was still out eating and couldn’t make it back, so he took leave directly."

Lin Xingxian perked up, nosy. "Eating? With a friend?"

Shen Nanli: "I barely know him. I’ve only met him twice back in our hometown. He’s the guy next door—they’ve known each other since childhood and are really close. Yan said his brother just started working in Beishi too. They haven’t seen each other in a long time, so they probably had tons to talk about."

The moment the words left his mouth, his fingers stilled mid-tap.

*

To be polite, Xu Yan had wanted to treat Zhuang Sheng to the meal, but Zhuang Sheng wouldn’t let him pay, insisting that he was already working while Xu Yan was still a student.

As they ate and talked, they slipped back into their old rhythm.

But mid-meal, Xu Yan received a message from Year.

Usually, Year knew not to text him during class—Xu Yan made that rule so he wouldn’t get distracted, and Year had always listened.

But today...

"year": Baby, you have class tonight.

year already knew his schedule by heart, so Xu Yan wasn't surprised.

"year": Did you go to class obediently?

Xu Yan puffed out his cheeks and replied.

"Yan Yan": Yes!

If year knew he was having dinner alone with another guy, he would definitely grill him and might even go full possessive-jealous mode. Xu Yan had been burned before.

So he decided not to tell year. As long as he kept his mouth shut, there was no way year could find out.

"year": You're really in class?

"Yan Yan": Really~

"year": Baby knows I hate it most when you lie, right?

"year": Are you lying to me?

"year": Out with it.

Xu Yan's heart jumped—year always saw right through him.

"Yan Yan": I'm not lying to you.

"year": Send me a pic of your desk.

Xu Yan suddenly panicked. He was just having dinner with a friend, yet he felt like a cheating bastard, having to lie to his boyfriend.

It wasn't his fault for becoming sneaky—it was year's fault for being so controlling.

Luckily, Shen Nanli was there. Xu Yan quickly messaged him for help.

Across the table, Zhuang Sheng noticed him glued to his phone and asked with a smile, "Yan Yan, are you dating someone at school?"

Shen Nanli replied quickly, sending a photo of the back-row desks during class. Xu Yan blurred out the people and forwarded it, getting defensive first.

"Yan Yan": You don't trust me.

"Yan Yan": See? I sent the photo.

"Yan Yan": I'm done talking.

Only then did he look up. "Brother Zhuang Sheng, what did you say just now?"

Zhuang Sheng pointed at his phone. "Girlfriend checking up on you?"

Xu Yan gave a nervous laugh. "No..."

Not a girlfriend.

A boyfriend.

Suddenly, another message popped up on his main WeChat. Xu Yan hadn't expected dinner to be this hectic.

"Wen Sinian": Is it fixed?

Xu Yan realized he'd forgotten to update him and quickly replied.

"Xu Yan": It was fixed this afternoon, senior. I'll bring it to you next time we meet.

"Wen Sinian": Not tonight?

Xu Yan bit his lip. That had been the plan, but then he ended up having dinner with Zhuang Sheng.

"Xu Yan": I skipped tonight's elective. By the time I get back, class will be over.

"Xu Yan": Next time, okay?

"Wen Sinian": What time are you coming back?

Xu Yan snuck a glance at Zhuang Sheng before replying.

"Xu Yan": I'm still out for dinner... I'm not sure...

"Wen Sinian": Alright.

Seeing his agreement, Xu Yan put his phone down.

Zhuang Sheng waited until he was done before saying, "You're in college now—dating is normal. Just make sure it's someone reliable. The world's crazy, and there are all kinds of people out there. You're so innocent—don't get scammed."

Xu Yan said earnestly, "There's nothing about me worth scamming. It's fine."

Zhuang Sheng put down his chopsticks and looked at him. "How can you be sure?"

Xu Yan blinked, looking pure and innocent.

He looked far too easy to fool.

Zhuang Sheng said seriously, "Don't let your guard down. A friend of mine got catfished—he was in an online relationship, and the other person saved intimate photos of him, then shaked him down for over 100,000 yuan. The legal battle's still a mess, and the money hasn't been recovered."

Xu Yan's eyes went wide. "Online dating? I- intimate photos?"

"They took photos of... their junk and sent them," Zhuang Sheng explained. "His face and that part were both visible, so he couldn't ignore it. Otherwise, the other person threatened to post the pictures online."

Xu Yan clenched his chopsticks and dropped his gaze, silent.

He and year had also started online. The photos and videos he'd sent never showed his face or junk. And year wouldn't actually use them to blackmail him...

He had no money—he was broke as hell. year knew that.

Seeing Xu Yan spacing out, Zhuang Sheng changed the subject back. "Are they in your major?"

Xu Yan immediately shook his head. "No."

"So you really are dating?"

Xu Yan didn't argue this time, giving a small nod. "Mm."

Zhuang Sheng looked surprised and let out a chuckle. "How long's this been going on? You've been keeping quiet about it. Does your grandmother know?"

"No, not yet," Xu Yan said. "Can you keep it from her for now?"

Zhuang Sheng hesitated, then nodded. "Alright. But why can't she know?"

Of course he couldn't say it—not only was he in an online relationship, but the other person was also a man. If his grandmother found out, she might get seriously upset.

Seeing that Xu Yan didn’t want to reveal more, Zhuang Sheng didn’t push the matter.

After the two finished their meal, Xu Yan still hadn’t received any messages from Year.

Zhuang Sheng took Xu Yan back to the university. It was already quite late, and Xu Yan wanted Zhuang Sheng to head back first, but Zhuang Sheng said he wanted to check out Beishi University’s campus. So Xu Yan led him all the way back to the male dormitory, pointing out landmarks as they walked.

It was almost ten o’clock, and there were still quite a few students returning to their dorms.

“Is the coursework stressful at your school?” Zhuang Sheng asked.

Xu Yan answered honestly, “It’s alright. Sometimes the assignments can be a bit much, but if you budget your time right, there’s still some downtime.”

“Every time I go back to Wuzhen, I hear the family bragging about you, saying you’re still as sensible as when you were little, never needing to be worried about.”

They had already reached the dormitory entrance and stood on the clearing next to the steps, chatting for a while longer.

Xu Yan said, “Brother Zhuang Sheng, you’ve done really well for yourself too. Now that you’ve been transferred to Beishi, it must mean you got a promotion, right? Maybe you can put down roots here in the future—that’s amazing.”

Zhuang Sheng laughed lightly. “What’s so amazing about that? But at least now I know someone in Beishi. We can have meals together often, and on holidays, we can go back home together. I’ll drive, so you won’t have to scramble for train tickets. And Shen Nanli, who’s always with you—we can bring him along too.”

Xu Yan was quick to refuse. “No, no, that would be too much trouble for you. He and I can just take the train—it’s plenty fast.”

Zhuang Sheng looked at his face and edged half a step closer. “It’s no trouble at all. It’s on the way. When you were little, you always followed me around to play. Now that you’re grown up, why does it feel like you’re being so distant?”

“Besides, your house is right next to mine. If I go back, I’ll have to pass by your place anyway. And if I don’t take you with me, your uncle and aunt will give me an earful first…”

As Zhuang Sheng continued speaking, Xu Yan’s attention was drawn to his phone, which had been lighting up nonstop.

There were messages coming in on both his main and burner accounts.

He tapped into the burner account first, and the more he read, the more his heart pounded out of control.

Year: You’re being such a bad boy.

Year: Pissing me off again.

Year: Do you remember what happens when you lie to me, hm?

Year: Did you forget?

Year: That photo wasn’t taken by you, was it?

Year: Baby skipped class. What were you doing out there, lying to me?

Year: Meeting up with some other man?

Year: Have I been too easy on you?

Year: You say no meeting, so we don’t meet. You say no messages, so I don’t send any.

Year: Baby.

Year: Do you really think I can’t catch you?

Boom. Boom. Boom.

Xu Yan could clearly hear his own uncontrollable heartbeat, as if a ghostly hand had reached out from the screen to gently squeeze his heart while another hand tightened around his fragile throat.

He was a helpless prey, run to ground, with nowhere to hide.

Year: When I catch you, I’ll devour you.

Xu Yan was frozen speechless, his entire body stiff as he stared unseeing at his phone.

Had Year discovered something else about him?

But he frowned, coming up empty no matter how hard he thought.

His fingertips went numb, his panic overwhelming as he shakily switched to his main account to check.

Wen Sinian: Waiting for you downstairs.

Suddenly, he felt a gaze—sweltering, clinging, and suffocating, like a venomous snake piercing through the air. When he looked up, he was genuinely startled by the figure that had appeared not far away, his doe eyes going round in shock.

Unblinking, he stared in horrified recognition.

Under the tree shadows just a few steps away from the dormitory, a figure stood in the darkness, dressed in black, his expression cold. The dim streetlight cast a faint glow on the sharp line of his jaw.

His gaze was dark and piercing, carrying a smothering presence that seemed capable of nailing Xu Yan to the ground—staring straight at him.