Chapter 19 A-19

Chapter 19

Yun Xiu froze, his paintbrush nearly veering off course.

He recoiled sharply, suppressing his voice in shock. "What are you doing?!"

The sensation of skin contact vanished, leaving Jiang Tinghan with an aching void in his heart that refused to be filled.

Under the bright moonlight and the flashlight's diffused glow, Yun Xiu clearly saw the other's flushed face—something was undeniably amiss.

"Are you sick?"

Yun Xiu hesitated briefly, set down his palette, and reached out to press his hand against Jiang Tinghan's forehead.

His temperature was normal; no fever.

Yet Jiang Tinghan reacted strongly—the moment Yun Xiu's hand touched him, he immediately raised his own hand in response.

Their hands clasped together. Yun Xiu's eyes widened in surprise, for while Jiang Tinghan's forehead felt normal, his hand was alarmingly hot.

Combined with his flushed complexion, it was clear something was seriously wrong.

Yun Xiu decided on the spot to find the teacher and request leave, explaining he needed to take his friend to the hospital.

The day after tomorrow was the return-to-school date. Everyone had completed their assignments, and the teacher had only organized this impromptu activity to keep the students engaged.

Fearing for a student's well-being—even if not from their own college—the teacher quickly granted the leave.

The teacher advised, "Pack your bags and keep valuables with you. The village head will arrange for someone to take you down the mountain later. As for your other belongings, we'll bring them back for you when we leave. If anything happens, make sure to inform your parents or teachers promptly."

Leaving on leave meant taking responsibility for their own safety. Given Yun Xiu's obedient and well-behaved demeanor these past few days, the teacher couldn't help but offer a few extra words of caution.

Yun Xiu assented to each point. There was no time to pack up his easel, so he asked Xu Dong and his roommate for help, promising to treat them to a meal later.

Xu Dong dismissed it as a minor favor.

The sudden incident disrupted the peaceful sketching outing. Their classmates watched them depart with a mix of concern and curiosity.

Yun Xiu had been doing all the talking and decision-making; Jiang Tinghan couldn't get a word in edgewise. When he finally managed to say, "I don’t think we need to go to the hospital," he was silenced by Yun Xiu’s gaze.

It wasn't a terrifying look, but rather the kind that implied, "You might drop dead any second now"—an ominous sort of expression.

To prove he was perfectly healthy, Jiang Tinghan conceded.

They went to C City’s First People’s Hospital, registered at the emergency department, and were then referred by the on-duty doctor to the psychiatry department.

After filling out numerous forms and answering the doctor’s questions, they were told to wait outside for the results.

It was well past midnight by the time they finally received the report.

When both saw the diagnosis, they simultaneously fell silent.

Skin hunger.

Another psychological disorder—a craving for physical contact with others, accompanied by feelings of loneliness, low self-esteem, and other negative emotions, as well as a lack of security. If left unaddressed for too long, it could lead to extreme behaviors.

Yun Xiu drew a sharp breath.

His poor roommate had taken a week off from classes and traveled all the way to Antong Village specifically to manage his OCD. How was it that his mysophobia hadn't improved much, and now he had skin hunger on top of that?

Who wouldn't feel despair?

But Jiang Tinghan wasn't as despairing as Yun Xiu imagined.

His exceptionally high IQ and self-preservation instincts led him to instinctively act in his own best interest. "Please keep this a secret for me, Xiu Xiu. I don’t want anyone to know about this for now."

He paused, then added somewhat awkwardly, "If I can’t help it… could you help me relieve it? I won’t overstep."

What did "not overstep" truly entail?

Yun Xiu felt as if he were staring into a giant chasm he had no choice but to leap into. His expression shifted repeatedly as he carefully weighed his words. "It depends."

Ultimately, he still couldn’t overcome his inner reservations.

Even though his engagement with Yun He was in name only—a mere contractual marriage that would likely end soon after the Yun family announced Yun Qian’s true identity—he still couldn’t bring himself to deceive Jiang Tinghan. Maintaining some distance was better for both of them.

Yun Xiu wasn’t afraid the other would come to dislike him; in fact, that might accidentally fulfill Side Quest 3 and tarnish his own reputation.

Seeing the young man’s evasive gaze and hesitant demeanor, Jiang Tinghan’s expression suddenly turned cold.

His question had been partly a test. Yun Xiu repeatedly dodged the main issue and changed the subject—he could no longer pretend not to understand.

The hospital was much quieter in the early morning hours compared to the daytime. Most people who came at night were there for emergencies, hurrying by without a second glance. No one would notice two boys having a minor argument in the corner.

Jiang Tinghan: "Xiu Xiu, are you hiding something from me? I believe, given our relationship, we should at least be honest with each other."

It was true that partners in a relationship should be honest with each other, but the two of them hadn't officially defined their relationship, and Yun Xiu didn't dare define it.

"Not at all," he said, lowering his gaze. Anyone could tell he was uneasy. Then he uttered words that made Jiang Tinghan’s expression shift dramatically: "We’re roommates, after all. I can handle it. Thanks for your concern."

"Roommates?!"

Jiang Tinghan’s voice rose sharply, drawing disapproving looks from others in the emergency hall.

Yun Xiu didn’t dare meet his eyes, but he also didn’t want their issue to disturb others. Tugging at Jiang Tinghan’s sleeve, he whispered, "Let’s talk about this later. We’re bothering people here…"

He had a place in C City—or rather, the Yun family had bought properties in every major city for the younger generation, just in case.

They’d agreed on the way down the mountain where they would stay after the check-up. Since the Yun family’s place was closer, they decided to go there.

But at that moment, Jiang Tinghan couldn’t care less about anyone else. He shook off Yun Xiu’s hand. What little rationality remained allowed him to lower his voice, though it was laced with urgency and anger. "We’ve kissed more than once. Are you trying to lead me on and then abandon me? If you don’t give me a reasonable explanation, this isn’t over!"

His words came out faster, a clear sign he was extremely angry.

With that, he turned and walked away without another glance at Yun Xiu.

Yun Xiu had no choice but to take the diagnosis report and hurry after him.

On the taxi ride home, Yun Xiu kept thinking: should he tell Jiang Tinghan directly that he was already married, or should he keep it hidden and attribute his need to create distance to not having thought things through?

After much deliberation, he felt being honest was better.

For one, the Yun family had no intention of hiding his marriage to Yun He. Yun He had only objected to the marriage because there was no emotional connection between them—there was no need for such formality.

Secondly, hiding the truth felt disrespectful to Jiang Tinghan. Being vague and leaving a thread of hope was no different from stringing him along.

Besides, the Jiang family was on the same social standing as theirs. It was only a matter of time before Jiang Tinghan found out the truth.

If he agreed to be with Jiang Tinghan, the matter of his marriage would hang over them like a sword of Damocles. Rather than living in constant worry, it was better to end things before they began.

Once he had sorted things out, Yun Xiu's expression gradually hardened.

...

When the Yun family bought the property in City C for Yun Xiu, the switched-at-birth situation had not yet been exposed, so naturally, Yun Xiu was given the best.

Located in a villa district in the city center, right next to the commercial area, it was peaceful despite the surrounding bustle, overlooking the vibrant city.

Yun Xiu had never been here before, and he thought to himself: the neighbors are far apart, so you could argue without bothering anyone.

That alone was enough.

In Yun Xiu’s imagination, they would sit facing each other. He would confess the truth, and whether Jiang Tinghan wanted anything to do with him afterward, he would accept it.

Although Jiang Tinghan had initiated the kiss and was wrong to do so, Yun Xiu’s own concealment and inaction were also wrong.

But he never expected that as soon as they entered the house, while Yun Xiu was fumbling for the light switch in the entryway, his wrist would be abruptly seized, and a strong force yanked him—

Yun Xiu crashed into a scorching, passionate embrace.

He instinctively tried to resist, pushing with his other hand, but the other person grabbed that wrist as well, pinning both his wrists to the wall with one hand!

His hands were held above his head, his feet blocked by the shoe rack, his hips pushed away from the wall, forcing his body to arch backward.

The only points of support for his entire body were his feet and Jiang Tinghan’s hand gripping the small of his back.

Yun Xiu was stunned. He might not have personal experience, but he recognized this.

As the second male lead, he had often seen the main lead use this position to press the love interest against the wall. He didn't need to be a genius to guess what would happen next.

This was completely contrary to the heart-to-heart conversation he had imagined—he couldn’t just stand by and let the other person kiss him!

But Jiang Tinghan had already lost his rationality, consumed by the thought that Yun Xiu didn’t like him. No matter how much he explained, it would only lead to talk of staying friends or classmates—things he absolutely did not want to hear!

The fleeting pleasure of physical contact couldn’t soothe the sharp, stabbing pain in his heart. With his nose pressed against Yun Xiu’s, his voice trembled with grievance, "Xiu Xiu, just be with me, okay? Please? I’ll treat you well, and you’ll be the only one for me, forever."

Naturally, Yun Xiu couldn’t agree.

Just as he was about to say something to make Jiang Tinghan release him, he felt a cool drop of liquid fall onto his cheek. His gaze froze, and he was momentarily stunned.

It was in that moment of distraction that Jiang Tinghan leaned in and kissed him.

Unlike the previous two innocent kisses, this kiss was torrential—fierce and overwhelming. Jiang Tinghan advanced relentlessly, and Yun Xiu could only retreat step by step.

Having missed the best opportunity to speak, he'd lost his chance to say anything.