Chapter 17 Stalking

Chapter 17: Tailing

Wen Yu glanced at his phone: 11:54.

The date between Liang Hule and Wen Xiaoyi had begun at ten and concluded in under two hours.

...Dr. Xiaohe is quite polite.

Wen Yu pocketed his phone and continued to tail—or rather, follow—the two toward the restaurant.

The sunlight beside him was suddenly blocked. Behind his light-colored sunglasses, Wen Yu’s eyes flickered.

"Hello," the man said with a faint, polite smile. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Gu Wei."

"......" Wen Yu pretended not to hear.

Receiving no response, Gu Wei’s smiling lips curved with a hint of helplessness. "Don't worry, I'm not a bad guy. I just hoped to make your acquaintance. May I have the honor of knowing your name?"

He extended a hand, ready for a handshake.

Wen Yu shook his head, declining the overture. "No need. I have things to do, so I'll be going now."

"Wait," Gu Wei took a swift step, blocking Wen Yu’s path. "How about we exchange contact information and chat properly another time?"

Behind him, Wen Xiaoyi and Liang Hule turned a corner, entering a wooded path and disappearing from Wen Yu’s sight.

"No thanks," Wen Yu sidestepped the man and quickened his pace along the path.

The not-so-burly young man possessed surprising stamina—his strides were long and swift, leaving the person behind him several meters away in an instant.

Gu Wei pursued for a few steps, then stopped.

He'd seen enough; it was better to part amicably. There was no need to persist.

Besides, he had other matters to attend to.

As the young man’s figure vanished into the woods, Gu Wei regretfully withdrew his admiring gaze. Checking the time, the sense of duty he had just suppressed surged anew.

If he recalled correctly, Brother Mao and Liang had mentioned going for a meal. There were only two dining spots nearby. One was... Huh?

Gu Wei raised an eyebrow and followed the path Wen Yu had taken, heading toward "Forest Snacks."

Wen Yu tugged his collar up, covering the lower half of his face.

During hospital internships, students weren't required to stay in the hospital constantly unless notified by their supervisor. Wen Yu couldn't shake his concern for Liang Hule and Mao Mao, so he simply decided to follow them.

However, he rarely frequented such places and was unaware of one crucial detail.

White Moon Beach, B City’s premier dating spot, was a place brimming with hormones. On the beach, it was common for people to make eye contact and then head off to hotels together.

Thus, a lone individual became a walking magnet, especially one as handsome as him.

In just an hour, he had been approached three times. Wen Yu quickly bought a pair of light-colored sunglasses to conceal his captivating "peach-blossom" eyes, but they couldn't mask his striking, refined demeanor.

...Might as well consider it a rare exercise in psychological assessment.

The training effect was immediate.

For instance, the man who had been following him at a steady, unhurried pace, his gaze perpetually fixed on Wen Yu. Each time Wen Yu met his eyes, the man would offer a smile, as if to say, "Fancy meeting you here!"

Wen Yu: "..."

Coincidence, my foot.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't convince himself it was mere chance—there were numerous paths to the beach cafe, but this was the most secluded, and they were the only two on it.

Wen Yu thought to himself: What normal person would skulk along a back path like a thief?

It wasn't as if he was trying to avoid people on the main road.

The footsteps behind him quickened slightly, and Wen Yu’s heart gave an alarmed thump.

"Hey, we meet again?" Gu Wei caught up to Wen Yu, leaning in slightly. "Given our undeniable connection, how about we exchange contact information?"

"...No thanks."

Gu Wei chuckled softly: "Don’t be so cold..."

Ahead, through the trees, the light pink door of a small restaurant appeared. Just then, Liang Hule and Wen Xiaoyi emerged. Wen Yu paused, then veered off toward a gazebo along the woodland path.

Finding a spot where they could observe the two without being seen, Wen Yu and Gu Wei simultaneously sat down on the same bench.

Feeling the added weight on the bench, they both turned to look at each other.

Gu Wei grinned playfully: "Isn't this what they call 'great minds think alike'? Out of all the benches, you picked the same one as me. Hahaha."

"...Yeah, what a coincidence," Wen Yu replied, his face betraying no emotion, though inwardly his suspicion of this man spiked by twenty points.

"Hahaha, don't we look like a pair of master thieves?" Gu Wei laughed brightly.

More like a pair of weirdos... Wen Yu couldn't help but scrutinize the man through a cynical lens.

Through this filter, Gu Wei’s disarmingly friendly smile was reinterpreted as a cunning disguise meant to lower defenses, and his charming features took on a sly, almost sinister cast.

Wen Yu crossed his arms and shifted slightly away from the man, turning his attention back to the restaurant entrance.

Wen Xiaoyi and Liang Hule were animatedly discussing something, gesturing wildly.

Suddenly, the child dug into the sand at his feet and pulled out a fat bug, holding it in his hand.

Wen Yu’s eyelid twitched in disgust.

"Eww!" The man beside him made a strange sound.

"?" Wen Yu turned his head.

What's with the "eww"?

Seeing the attractive person’s gaze return to him, Gu Wei couldn’t resist flashing another polite smile, tilting his head as if wordlessly suggesting—Come on, just think about it? Let’s exchange contacts~

Behind his light-tinted sunglasses, Wen Yu’s eyes narrowed with a hint of veiled meaning: Isn't this just harassment?

And what a coincidence—currently, only four people were visible.

He thought: There’s no way this guy is also following Wen Xiaoyi and the others, is he?

Over there, Liang Hule brushed the bug off his older brother's hand and pulled him in a certain direction.

At the same time, the man's phone chimed with a *ding*.

Gu Wei picked up his phone to check.

Wen Yu temporarily set aside some impulsive thoughts, stood up, and chose a path that ran in the same general direction as the two but was distinct from theirs.

His movements were somewhat hurried.

Before leaving, he cast a sideways glance at the man—it seemed this guy was giving up.

Wen Yu let out a sigh, feeling a slight easing of tension.

Behind him, Gu Wei remained seated, a hint of excitement on his face as his fingers flew across the screen, sending an emoji to someone nicknamed "Pighead."

It was a clueless pig head emoji, asking a question.

Then, seeing the other person’s wordless reply of just a period, he smugly crossed his legs, feeling refreshed.

Unlike Wen Yu, who was unfamiliar with White Moon Beach and had to stick close to the kids to avoid losing them, Gu Wei knew the area well.

After all, the two were headed to a restaurant. "Forest Snacks" was a private chef establishment, a bit pricey, so they would likely opt for the other dining spot—the food street by the opposite beach.

Gu Wei knew a shorter route, so he could afford to chat a bit longer.

He then opened Xue Shu’s WeChat.

Playboy: Your dad went to your company. He just messaged me asking where you were. I sent him this.

Playboy: Piggy has no idea.jpg

Playboy: Heh heh, I’m currently collecting evidence on that bastard. Just wait, I’ll get revenge for you.

Playboy: Hot guy wink.jpg

Playboy: By the way, let me tell you, I met a real beauty.

Playboy: We’re totally connected by fate—it’s like destiny. Even without talking, we ended up taking the exact same path.

Xian Yin: Were you stalking someone?

Playboy: Don't be ridiculous! How could I do something like that scumbag would do? It’s fate! The beauty and I have fate.

Xian Yin: I've got something to discuss with you.

Playboy: ?

[Xian Yin withdrew a message]

Xian Yin: .

Playboy: Hiss, who are you chatting with, some little beauty?

Xian Yin: .

Playboy: Heh, must be some boring work stuff again.

Xian Yin: .

Playboy: I have a feeling the beauty and I will meet again.

Playboy: Tsk tsk tsk, isn't this like careless planting willows becoming shade?

Playboy: Even though I’m investigating that scumbag for my aunt, the heavens are rewarding my efforts by handing me a destined encounter.

Xian Yin: .

Playboy: I can sense jealousy in your period.

Playboy: Heh heh heh heh, too bad for you—jealousy won’t help.

Playboy: Next time we meet, I’ll definitely get the beauty’s contact info. Then... just wait for the news of me being taken.

Xian Yin: Get lost.

Hah, getting defensive after being called out, huh?

Gu Wei finished his playful banter, stood up, and continued his search for the "brother" duo.

Joking around is one thing, but he couldn’t forget his real task.

Meanwhile, Wen Yu received several messages on his phone, forcing him to find a secluded spot to check them.

"..."

Why was he being so cautious?

Wen Yu frowned, pondering for a moment but failing to understand how he’d ended up in this situation.

It seemed to have started when Liang Hule kept acting foolishly in front of the girl... Couldn’t someone teach him how to properly pursue a girl?

Wen Yu glanced in the direction of his hopeless case.

Wen Xiaoyi and Liang Hule were playing rock-paper-scissors over a small pothole on the road. The loser had to spit into the hole.

Inside the hole was a type of water-fearing poisonous bug that would writhe wildly upon contact with water but wouldn’t die immediately.

"..."

This would probably take a while. Wen Yu opened WeChat.

Xue Shu: Wen Yu, you’re not at the hospital today?

Xue Shu: Where are you?

Xue Shu: I need to talk to you about something.

[Xue Shu withdrew a message]

Xue Shu: It’s about my mother’s condition.

Qing Yu Mao: Ms. Guya’s primary doctor is Dr. Lin. If there’s anything, you can talk to him.

Xue Shu: Where are you?

Wen Yu hesitated. The gift he’d promised Xue Shu a few days ago wasn’t ready yet. The simplest option—just giving money—was ruled out, and nothing else seemed quite appropriate.

Some inexplicable guilt made him reluctant to see Xue Shu at that moment.

Qingqing Yumao: Sorry, Mr. Xue, I really don’t feel like working today.

Qingqing Yumao: Tears.jpg

The other person was typing for a while.

Mr. Xue: Sorry.

Mr. Xue: Sorry for bothering you.

For no reason, Wen Yu detected a hint of disappointment in those words, and his heart stirred. He quickly tucked his phone away, burying some indescribable emotions along with it.

Over there, Wen Xiaoyi lost several rounds in a row; his bug got spit-killed by Liang Hule. The boy’s face showed a trace of sadness, reminding Wen Yu of another face not far away.

Wen Yu helplessly rubbed the bridge of his nose, feeling as though a heavy weight had settled in his heart ever since he understood Xue Shu’s feelings.

Why… after just a few meetings, how could Mr. Xue act as if he were deeply in love? And besides… wasn’t there supposed to be a "white moonlight" who had once abandoned him?

Unable to comprehend, Wen Yu felt uncharacteristically annoyed and decided to put it all out of his mind.

Screw it, he’d just deliver the gift and avoid him afterward.

Wen Xiaoyi and Liang Hule finally started moving again, heading toward the food street.

Just as Wen Yu was about to follow, someone emerged from a side path.

Their eyes met.

Gu Wei: Wow, a fated encounter!

Wen Yu: Tch, you hooligan.