Chapter 63

Chapter 63

You Nan found himself pinned against the wall, a warm body pressed close. His eyes widened, mouth muffled, a damp trace on his neck.

A sharp "rrrip"—the shriek of a zipper being torn open. The sound sent a shiver through You Nan. He tried to kick his assailant, but Yi Jiahe effortlessly scooped up his leg, hooking it against his hip.

The lounge was dark, heavy curtains drawn shut, allowing only a sliver of daylight to peek through.

A breath approached. You Nan furrowed his brows, closed his eyes tightly, pressed his lips together, and flinched away, but Yi Jiahe's kiss met the corner of his mouth.

Yi Jiahe sensed You Nan's fear and panic, his own chest tightening painfully. He straightened up, towering over him, his gaze fixed on the person before him.

Their bodies were so close, yet his heart felt as though it were gaping, a cold wind whistling through.

Yi Jiahe reached out and lifted You Nan's chin.

The touch was delicate and warm. His thumb brushed over You Nan's lips, trying to part them, to reveal an opening that might offer sweet words. "Do you like me?"

"Let me kiss you, and after that, I'll let you go," Yi Jiahe murmured, lowering his head until his forehead rested against You Nan's.

You Nan didn't respond.

His body was pressed tightly against the wall, pushing to create a safe distance between himself and Yi Jiahe.

He didn't dare open his mouth, afraid Yi Jiahe's fingers might invade.

The two remained locked in a stalemate in the dimly lit room. You Nan's leg, supporting his weight, grew weak and trembled, threatening to buckle.

Yi Jiahe was right in front of him, able to observe every slight movement You Nan made. Yet he pretended not to see, not to understand, and didn't let go.

He left You Nan to struggle alone.

Yi Jiahe was in no hurry. Like a hunter waiting for his prey to stumble into the trap, he had all the patience in the world.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps sounded outside, rushing into the building.

Jiang Songen had searched the entire sports field and found no one.

He stood on the field, calling out You Nan's name, one shout after another. Students around him turned to look, their gazes filled with curiosity, scrutiny, even hostility and disdain.

Jiang Songen ignored them all.

His heart was filled only with thoughts of You Nan; he couldn't care less about anyone else.

But where exactly had Yi Jiahe taken You Nan?

Standing on the field, Jiang Songen scanned the area, his eyes settling on the nearby gymnasium.

"You Nan!"

"You Nan! Are you in here?"

You Nan's lowered eyelids snapped open—it was Jiang Songen's voice.

You Nan immediately began to struggle. "Mmph—mmph—"

*I'm here!*

But his struggles were easily suppressed by Yi Jiahe, who pressed closer.

Perhaps because Yi Jiahe was pressing too tightly against him, crushing his stomach, You Nan felt nauseous. He stretched his neck forward, his upper body doubling over in discomfort.

Sensing his distress, Yi Jiahe quickly eased back slightly.

His other leg was released, and You Nan's toes touched the ground.

You Nan sank down against the wall, ignoring the discomfort, crouching into a ball on the floor as he tried to slip away. Yi Jiahe reached out, but You Nan grabbed his hand, digging his nails in until warm blood welled up.

You Nan bit down on Yi Jiahe's hand, clenching his teeth and refusing to let go.

You Nan used all his strength. Yi Jiahe's hand trembled, but he didn't even flinch.

Jiang Songen's footsteps faded into the distance as he moved further into the gymnasium. He didn't discover that inside this very lounge was the person he was desperately searching for.

You Nan's heart sank along with the fading sound of those footsteps.

Yi Jiahe crouched down and, from behind, wrapped his arms around him.

"He won't come in. I've locked the lounge door. He won't hear anything either."

The lounge was built to protect students' privacy, with excellent soundproofing.

Unless the noise inside was very loud and someone outside pressed their ear to the door, they might make out only fragments.

Yi Jiahe's voice was low, whispered close to You Nan's ear like a lover's murmur.

He confessed his feelings to the person he loved. "I originally wanted to wait until after you graduated to say this. But I realized I can't wait any longer."

The depth of emotion between You Nan and Jiang Songen was clear to anyone watching.

Everyone was an adult now, still in school, holding back.

After graduation, there would be no more constraints—anything could happen.

By then, would he, Yi Jiahe, stand a chance against Jiang Songen?

"Listen to me. Let's go abroad together." To a city where no one knows us.

*I'll be the only one you can depend on.*

You Nan's eyes widened in the dimness. Hearing the voice so close, he couldn't help but shiver.

*He's crazy. Has Yi Jiahe lost his mind?*

*I thought Yi Jiahe liked Jiang Songen?*

He had no intention of going abroad with him.

Jiang Songen searched high and low in the gymnasium, unable to find You Nan or Yi Jiahe anywhere.

Sweat dotted Jiang Songen's forehead and body—from his frantic search, from his anxiety over You Nan's safety.

Jiang Songen walked back to the gymnasium entrance. Just as he was about to leave, his gaze suddenly fell upon several lounge doors to the side.

He pressed his ear to the door, listening for sounds within.

His footsteps were very light. Yi Jiahe and You Nan didn't hear him; both thought he was still elsewhere in the gymnasium.

You Nan heard Yi Jiahe's question by his ear and shook his head in refusal without thinking.

He blinked, and tears rolled from his eyes, dropping one by one onto the back of the boy's hand that was restraining him.

The tears carried only a faint warmth from You Nan, yet Yi Jiahe felt them scorch intensely.

It wasn't just his hand that burned; his heart trembled as well.

You Nan's face was cupped by the other, Yi Jiahe forcing him to lift his head and meet his gaze.

"Aren't you short on money? As long as you're with me, you'll have plenty. My money is yours—use it however you want."

Yi Jiahe softened his voice to coax him.

You Nan lowered his eyelids, giving no response.

Yi Jiahe's expression darkened. Just as he was about to say more, the locker room door was suddenly unlocked from the outside and opened.

You Nan and Yi Jiahe instinctively looked over.

You Nan's eyes widened sharply; having adjusted to the dimness, the sudden brightness from outside stung, and tears fell again.

Yi Jiahe met Jiang Songen's gaze at the door, and a silent tension instantly flared between them.

The teacher on duty pulled the key from the lock, frowned abruptly at the ambiguous atmosphere inside, and asked, "School's already over. Why are you still in the gym?"

The teacher scrutinized them.

The taller one had the shorter one cornered, and the shorter one was crying.

The muscular teacher looked stern. "Hurry up and come out. I need to lock up."

Jiang Songen thanked the teacher, stepped inside, his legs slightly weak.

It was the relief after the intense tension, making his legs feel like jelly.

Jiang Songen's sharp eyes caught a small detail.

He noticed a red mark the size of a fingernail below the collar of You Nan's shirt.

Jiang Songen frowned abruptly, his heart pounding heavily.

He stepped in front of You Nan, blocking the teacher's view, and bent down to grab his arm.

Yi Jiahe forcefully swatted his hand away.

Jiang Songen's wrist instantly reddened.

Jiang Songen ignored him, his gaze icy and unmistakably hostile.

You Nan reached out toward him, and Jiang Songen grabbed his hand firmly.

Yi Jiahe couldn't just watch Jiang Songen take You Nan away. Without a second thought, he grabbed You Nan's wrist, preventing him from leaving with Jiang Songen.

Jiang Songen suppressed his anger.

In front of the teacher, he couldn't exactly start a fight with Yi Jiahe.

"Let go."

Jiang Songen's clear, sharp gaze was like a knife, piercing Yi Jiahe.

You Nan didn't hesitate. Once Jiang Songen appeared, his only thought was to go with him. When he couldn't break free from Yi Jiahe's grip, he lowered his head, closed his eyes tightly, and bit Yi Jiahe's hand.

Yi Jiahe hissed in pain, his brow twitching.

You Nan had bitten down hard, holding nothing back.

It felt like You Nan was biting clear to the bone.

Yi Jiahe shot back in a low voice, confronting Jiang Songen, "Why should I?"

Jiang Songen tried to pry Yi Jiahe's hand off You Nan, but Yi Jiahe grabbed his wrist instead.

The P.E. teacher at the door looked bewildered.

He didn't know what had sparked the fight right in front of him.

But he reacted quickly, stepping in with a loud shout, shoving them apart with a hand on each. "No fighting on school grounds! Anyone who fights will be reported and criticized!"

The teacher, being muscular, shoved them apart with surprising force.

Neither Jiang Songen nor Yi Jiahe had expected it, and they stumbled backward.

Yi Jiahe was forced to let go of You Nan's hand, and You Nan immediately released his bite.

You Nan hurried to Jiang Songen's side, grabbing hold of Jiang Songen's arm to steady him and prevent him from hitting the wall.

Since no one caught him, Yi Jiahe stumbled back, his calf hitting the sofa behind him, nearly falling.

The P.E. teacher scowled, pretending to be fierce. "What's going on here?"

All three remained silent.

The P.E. teacher was at a loss. The only thing he could do was try to scare them straight.

Both Yi Jiahe and Jiang Songen were big shots on campus—not just among students, but teachers knew their names and faces too.

The P.E. teacher was just a regular guy. The Yi and Jiang families were powerful; no teacher at school wanted to cross them.

Even their own homeroom teachers adopted a soft approach, acting more like friends than authority figures. When issues arose, they'd gently talk things out, never letting on how much trouble it really was to handle them.

The P.E. teacher had heard the stories before and had been glad he was just a P.E. teacher, not one of their head teachers, spared the headache. Little did he know his number was up today.

The P.E. teacher stood there in silence for a moment, feeling his authority slip away.

He cleared his throat. "It's getting late. Don't let this happen again! You all head back now. I need to lock up!"

He needed to check the other locker rooms carefully in case any other students were still inside.

The teacher had spoken. Jiang Songen gave him a nod. "Goodbye, teacher."

You Nan quickly echoed. "Goodbye, teacher."

The two walked out without a backward glance, leaving Yi Jiahe behind.

Yi Jiahe glared after them, his expression dark, until they were out of sight, before finally turning away.

The P.E. teacher was left standing there, feeling awkward.

Looking at Yi Jiahe like this, could he have something on his mind? Should he ask now and play therapist?

But before he could figure it out, Yi Jiahe had already walked away without looking back.

The P.E. teacher: "..."

*Alright, alright, he was butting in where he wasn't wanted.*

Jiang Songen took You Nan out of the gym and headed straight to his family's private car waiting by the roadside.

Along the way, Jiang Songen couldn't get that little red mark below You Nan's collar out of his mind.

It stuck in his head, impossible to shake.

His footsteps unconsciously quickened.

He wanted to know what had happened between You Nan and Yi Jiahe during the time they were away.

Jiang Songen was like a man possessed, only snapping out of it when You Nan, unable to keep up, jogged over and tugged at the hem of his clothes.

He stopped walking, turned his face slightly, and under the dappled light filtering through the trees, his usually bright, bold face appeared soft and dreamlike.

"After he took you away today, did he do anything to you?"

Jiang Songen asked.

You Nan lowered his eyes, not daring to look at Jiang Songen.

He clenched his hands at his sides, not sure how to say it.

Jiang Songen had come to understand You Nan's personality well during this time.

Seeing You Nan's hesitant expression, he knew what was up.

Yi Jiahe must have done something to You Nan before he had found them.

You Nan had always been open with him—they were good friends who shared everything. But now, You Nan couldn't bring himself to speak.

What he couldn't say was related to the mark under his collar.

If it wasn’t something shady, what was it?

Jiang Songen took a deep breath, not realizing his own face had gone blank, his eyes calm yet turbulent, as if drained of spirit yet buzzing with pent-up frustration.

This wasn’t the Jiang Songen You Nan knew.

You Nan fidgeted with his collar.

The two stood there in silence, neither speaking.

Jiang Songen's unusual behavior made You Nan anxious and on edge.

The silence was too much. You Nan tugged at Jiang Songen's sleeve. "Are you angry?"

"I didn't want to go with him; he forced me to leave."

The rest was too embarrassing to say. He’d rather not tell Jiang Songen, so he skipped over it and finished, "He took me to the lounge and wouldn't let me leave. Luckily, you came in the end, or I’d probably still be trapped there."

Jiang Songen clenched his fists at his sides. Sensing You Nan's worry and tension, he forced a smile to reassure him.

"No, I'm not blaming you." The smile was stiff, awkward.

Suddenly, Jiang Songen pulled You Nan into a tight hug, burying his face in the other's neck.

He inhaled You Nan’s scent—the same laundry detergent he used. "I just blame myself."

"If only I had gone to find you earlier."

*If only he had discovered you were in the gym sooner. Then Yi Jiahe wouldn't have done these things.*

You Nan was held so tightly by Jiang Songen that it almost hurt.

But You Nan didn’t say a thing. Instead, he raised his arms and gently patted Jiang Songen's back.

The two stood holding each other in silence.

Jiang Songen didn't try to press You Nan for details about what Yi Jiahe had done in his absence.

He saw You Nan home, then went to pick up You Nan's younger brother. Dinner was still at You Nan's house.

This was normal for both of them.

The grocery money came from Jiang Songen's mother, and it was a lot.

He and You Ruan could eat well on a hundred yuan a week, but Jiang's mother directly gave five thousand yuan a month for them to eat together, occasionally having the driver deliver nice cuts of meat or fancy ingredients.

She always politely and a little apologetically asked You Nan to take care of her son.

You Nan, of course, wouldn't refuse such a nice lady. He could tell that Auntie Jiang was low-key helping him and his brother.

He was so grateful, of course he got along with Jiang Songen.

After eating, Jiang Songen helped with the dishes and was about to head out.

You Ruan had gone to take a shower, leaving only him and You Nan in the living room.

Jiang Songen walked to the door, then turned back to look at You Nan.

"Xiao Nan," he said, "tell me what school you want to attend. Let's go to the same one."

You Nan paused, surprised, then his eyes curved into a smile. "Okay."

He told Jiang Songen the schools he wanted to attend.

Jiang Songen immediately ran through the possibilities in his head, seeing if their scores were a match.

After confirming they could both get in, Jiang Songen relaxed.

But his eyes wandered back again to You Nan's collar.

You Nan watched, wide-eyed, as Jiang Songen turned and walked back, coming to a stop right in front of him.

They were standing close—only thirty centimeters apart.

You Nan's heart raced. The 007, lying on the sofa and watching intently, raised a tiny paw to cover its face, though the gap between its claws was wide enough to reveal one entire eye.

"Wh-what's wrong?"

With Jiang Songen so close, You Nan didn't know where to put his eyes.

Jiang Songen looked at You Nan's flushed face; his heart softened, and he couldn't help but laugh.

His fingers brushed against You Nan's collar, and his index finger tugged it gently, revealing the mark that had been troubling him all night.

"Did he leave this?"

Jiang Songen's words rang in You Nan's ears.

You Nan lowered his head to look.

It was indeed left by Yi Jiahe.

The expression on You Nan's face already gave Jiang Songen the answer to his question.

Jiang Songen stared at the mark for a long while, not knowing what came over him. Suddenly, the world went dark for You Nan as the tall boy bent down, and the spot where the mark was was met with a damp press.

You Nan's face was filled with shock.

His pupils contracted sharply, and his eyelashes trembled.

By the time Jiang Songen straightened up again, the mark had become darker and deeper, its area slightly expanded.

Jiang Songen licked his lips, his mind finally clearing. All the emotions he had felt toward You Nan before—this was what they meant.

He lowered his head, his gaze fixed intently on You Nan.

"Xiao Nan, I think I like you."

The boy's voice was light, as if afraid anyone besides the two of them might hear.

Yet it was also heavy.

It struck directly into You Nan's heart.

You Nan's heart hammered erratically.

He pushed Jiang Songen away, his palm covering the mark.

He turned sideways, not daring to meet his intense gaze.

"You should go home now."

You Nan urged, "It's too late. Go back and rest early."

You Nan lowered his eyes. "I won't walk you down."

Jiang Songen didn't leave. His intuition told him he couldn't go just yet.

He took two steps toward You Nan, reached out, and pulled him into an embrace. The person in his arms pushed against him twice but couldn't break free, eventually giving up in defeat.

Holding You Nan, the part of his heart that had felt empty every night during this time seemed to be instantly filled.

"Xiao Nan, it's okay if you don't agree right now. Just give me a chance to win you over, okay? I'll protect you and won't let anyone hurt you again."

*And I won't let anyone take you away again.*

Jiang Songen tried to kiss You Nan's ear, but You Nan dodged it.

You Nan didn't directly answer his earlier question, and the distance between them returned to a safe distance.

"Xiao Ruan is about to come out. Stop talking." You Nan's face was flushed bright red; clearly, he was anything but calm inside.

You Nan's heart pounded heavily in his chest, thumping loudly as if afraid others wouldn't hear it.

"Hurry up and go." You Nan urged again anxiously.

Jiang Songen could easily tell what You Nan was feeling.

You Nan wasn't one to shy away from rejecting people. Since he hadn't outright refused his two requests, it meant You Nan might have feelings for him too.

The more Jiang Songen thought about it, the happier he became, almost feeling like jumping for joy right there.

Unable to contain himself, he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around You Nan's waist, spinning him around several times.

You Nan was stunned. By the time he regained his senses, his head was already spinning.

He slapped at Jiang Songen's thin yet powerful arm muscles, strained from lifting him, and cried out, "I can't take it! Put me down!"

Jiang Songen did as he was told, quickly setting him back on the ground.

You Nan stumbled, tilting to the side.

Jiang Songen caught him around the waist, letting him lean against his chest.

You Nan covered his forehead with his hand, eyes closed as he waited for the dizziness to pass, when suddenly his lips grew warm.

He felt Jiang Songen's breath.

You Nan's eyes flew open wide.

He stared at the face filling his vision, his breath catching.

It felt like a long time had passed, but in reality, only two seconds went by before Jiang Songen, with his eyes closed, was pushed away by You Nan.

Before Jiang Songen could react, he saw You Nan lose his support and fall to the ground with a yelp. Jiang Songen hurriedly rushed over to help him up.

But You Nan refused to let him touch him, his face burning hot enough to fry an egg. He raised his hand to swat Jiang Songen's hand away but didn't expect Jiang Songen to bend down, and his hand connected with Jiang Songen's cheek instead.

You Nan froze in shock.

Jiang Songen reached up and touched his cheek.

It didn't hurt.

You Nan couldn't possibly use real force on him—his hand was soft, the strength like a feather.

Jiang Songen ran his tongue over the inside of his cheek, the emotion in his eyes growing even more intense.

You Nan's dizziness subsided a bit, and he reached out regretfully to touch Jiang Songen's face. "Why didn't you dodge? I didn't mean to hit you. I just didn't want you to pull me—I was trying to push your hand away."

Jiang Songen mumbled in response, his voice tinged with seriousness as he covered You Nan's hand, which was still cupping his face.

"I understand. You're too good to ever bear to hit me, Xiao Nan."

Jiang Songen tightly held You Nan's hand as he tried to pull away. He brought You Nan's hand to his lips and kissed it.

Then he unfolded You Nan's palm, tracing the lines on it, before suddenly, with a soft "smack," like a fool, he slapped his own face again with You Nan's hand.

Jiang Songen sighed contentedly, a thrill running through him, his Adam's apple bobbing uncontrollably.

"Xiao Nan, I like you so much."

*So much it's driving me crazy.*