Chapter 61: I Can’t Afford What’s Yours

Chapter 61: I Can't Take What's Yours

The T-shirt Zhuang Shubai was wearing had a big American-style graphic logo printed on it—clearly one of Zhao Yu's shirts.

Walking out of Zhao Yu's place in the morning still wearing his clothes—it was hard not to jump to conclusions.

Gu Hansheng's expression darkened. He flung away his cigarette and stormed over.

Just then, Zhao Yu had just helped Zhuang Shubai into his car and was standing by the window talking when he was suddenly yanked back by a force from behind, stumbling backward into someone's arms.

Zhao Yu turned around, and the moment he saw Gu Hansheng's face, he quickly broke free.

Gu Hansheng's expression was icy as he sneered at Zhuang Shubai: "Interesting. A doctor sleeping with his patient. Are you a doctor or a whore?"

Before Zhuang Shubai could respond, Zhao Yu shoved him back hard and stepped in front of the car window: "What the hell are you talking about? Dr. Zhuang is my friend!"

"Friend?" Gu Hansheng's gaze was practically boring a hole through Zhao Yu's face, his voice simmering with barely contained anger: "Doesn't he have his own place? Why's he gotta sleep at yours?!"

"He didn't—" Zhao Yu started, then caught himself. His relationship with Gu Hansheng was over. Why should he explain anything? So he switched gears: "So what if he slept at my place? What's it got to do with you?!"

Zhuang Shubai had gotten out of the car too, watching Gu Hansheng with a calm expression. As the two men locked eyes, sparks practically flew.

A few years earlier—when Gu Hansheng's temper was still raw and he acted on pure impulse—he would've thrown a punch the second Zhuang Shubai got out of that car.

Of course, Zhuang Shubai, as a doctor who constantly had to deal with unreasonable patients, also knew his way around a fight.

The air was ready to ignite. Zhao Yu's nerves were strung tight as he stepped between them and said to Zhuang Shubai: "Dr. Zhuang, don't worry about this. You should go."

Zhuang Shubai didn't leave. Instead, he said to Gu Hansheng: "Mr. Gu, you're being pretty aggressive. What right do you have to talk to Xiao Yu like that?"

"Who the hell do you think you are? What gives you the right to talk?"

"Xiao Yu and I are friends." Zhuang Shubai added, then: "I like Xiao Yu. I'm pursuing him."

Gu Hansheng's face darkened instantly.

Zhao Yu was completely dumbfounded.

While Zhao Yu was still frozen, Gu Hansheng grabbed Zhuang Shubai by the collar, his voice turning venomous: "You? You think you're worthy of him?"

Zhuang Shubai pressed down on his wrist, looking like he was at a disadvantage, but his strength matched Gu Hansheng's, and he stayed eerily calm: "What's your deal with Xiao Yu? Why are you trying to block someone from pursuing him?"

"My relationship with him? Kissing, sleeping together, living together—we've done it all. He didn't tell you?"

"I don't care about his past. What I know is he's single now."

Zhao Yu pried their hands apart, shoved Gu Hansheng back, and wedged himself between them again.

"Dr. Zhuang, quit joking around," Zhao Yu said.

"I'm not joking." Zhuang Shubai said, his tone serious. "Xiao Yu, I like you."

Zhao Yu stared at him, completely blindsided by the sudden confession.

Gu Hansheng's face was black as a storm cloud. He didn't know when Zhuang Shubai had gotten close to Zhao Yu behind his back, or how long he'd been circling with bad intentions, throwing around words like "like" so casually.

Zhuang Shubai's confession wasn't impulsive—he'd seen right through Gu Hansheng's game. He wanted Zhao Yu to know there was another option, that he didn't have to look back at the person who'd hurt him.

Unable to read Zhao Yu's feelings, Gu Hansheng grew agitated and sneered: "You've known each other for what, a few days? 'Like'? That's a little cheap."

"I'll prove my feelings aren't cheap," Zhuang Shubai said without backing down.

"How?"

"That's for me to know."

"Enough." Zhao Yu cut through their back-and-forth, turning to Gu Hansheng. "What do you actually want from me? Just say it."

Gu Hansheng did have something to say, but he hated having Zhuang Shubai there. He tugged at his collar. "Let's talk somewhere else."

Zhao Yu didn't want his mess to keep dragging Zhuang Shubai in, so he turned to him and said: "Dr. Zhuang, I'll get in touch with you later. Sorry about today. I'll handle the rest myself."

"If you run into trouble, you can always come to me," Zhuang Shubai said.

The "trouble" he meant was obviously Gu Hansheng, who let out a cold, contemptuous laugh—clearly unimpressed by a doctor's capabilities.

"Thanks," Zhao Yu said. "I think I can handle it myself."

The moment Gu Hansheng started talking about the things they'd done together, Zhao Yu already felt humiliated. Gu Hansheng could freely brag about having had Zhao Yu, but for Zhao Yu, that time was full of shame and things he himself found despicable.

Zhuang Shubai saw the look on Zhao Yu's face and understood—there were too many things he didn't want anyone to know.

So Zhuang Shubai shot Gu Hansheng a wary look, then got back in his car. It wasn't retreat—it was a calculated step back to protect Zhao Yu's dignity.

After driving out of the neighborhood, Zhuang Shubai pulled over nearby. In his view, Gu Hansheng was dangerous and extremely self-centered—the type to stop at nothing to get what he wanted. If Zhao Yu couldn't handle it, one phone call would bring him back in a flash.

Only after confirming Zhuang Shubai was gone did Zhao Yu pull Gu Hansheng behind the quiet flower beds, lowering his voice: "What exactly do you want? Yeah, I slept with you for money, but that's over! I've already stepped aside and given the spot back to Chen Xitong. What more do you want?!"

"I'm through with Chen Xitong," Gu Hansheng said.

"What?"

"It's not exactly 'done'—because we never started. And we never will." Gu Hansheng continued: "Last time you asked what about Chen Xitong—this is my answer."

Zhao Yu was confused, bewildered. After a long pause, he asked, "What do you mean?"

Gu Hansheng's expression was unlike anything Zhao Yu had seen before—a barely perceptible urgency, and a seriousness that no longer treated feelings like a game: "I won't make you my side piece anymore. I'll make you the only person by my side—the one with a real title."

Zhao Yu took a long moment to process what Gu Hansheng meant, then found it utterly absurd.

After everything, Gu Hansheng was going to cut ties with Chen Xitong and give Zhao Yu a proper title?

Zhao Yu couldn't make sense of it. Gu Hansheng had told him more than once not to flatter himself, so even when he'd caught feelings, he didn't dare say a word. He could only bury his feelings, terrified they'd be found out and trampled without mercy.

He knew Gu Hansheng liked Chen Xitong—the way he cherished him in small ways was proof of love.

Gu Hansheng, who treasured Chen Xitong like a jewel, would just let him go? How was that possible?

"Are you messing with me?" Zhao Yu said. "What, Chen Xitong turned you down, so you're gonna promote me from stand-in to the real deal? Do I look that pathetic to you?"

Not expecting that misunderstanding, Gu Hansheng frowned slightly and explained: "I'm the one who cut him off. I won't treat you as a replacement. By my side, you just need to be yourself."

He was serious—even if Zhao Yu could barely believe it, hearing Gu Hansheng say something so unlike him made it impossible not to.

That day in Chen Xitong's hospital room, Gu Hansheng had told him—this "fake"—to get lost. He'd "gotten lost," wanting nothing but to live quietly afterward. But now Gu Hansheng had come chasing after him, as if his earlier attitude meant nothing.

Told to leave, he left. Told to come back, he comes running.

Did the world really work like that?

Zhao Yu found this ridiculous: "What's between you and Chen Xitong is none of my business, and I'm never going back to your place. If you're done talking, then that's it. I'm going home."

Just like that?

Gu Hansheng's nerves jolted. He'd spelled it out clearly, but Zhao Yu didn't appreciate it one bit—this wasn't how he'd pictured it going. He'd done all this—wasn't it enough?

"Is it because of that doctor? Are you gonna say yes to him?"

"What does it have to do with you whether I say yes or not? Don't you dare mess with him!"

Zhao Yu kept defending Zhuang Shubai, and that finally set Gu Hansheng off: "I won't mess with him—I'll just shut that hospital down!"

Threats, again. Always threats. Zhao Yu was sick of having his weaknesses used against him. He let out a cold laugh: "Fine, go ahead and try. Think I'm scared?"

Seeing the utter indifference on Zhao Yu's face, Gu Hansheng suddenly regained his senses.

His jealousy of Zhuang Shubai had clouded his judgment. He hadn't come here to force Zhao Yu back with cheap threats—he wouldn't stoop that low.

When Zhao Yu shook him off and started to leave, he finally got a grip on himself. He grabbed Zhao Yu's wrist, furrowed his brow, and said, "I didn't come here to fight with you. I don't care about anyone else. Just come back, and you can do whatever you want from now on. Money, power, connections—whatever you need, I can give it all."

He'd backed down another step, making his position clear. The old controlling behavior would be gone; Zhao Yu would have freedom by his side and could use all his resources to do what he wanted.

Who wouldn't want resources that could lift you up the social ladder? But even that didn't sway Zhao Yu.

"Keep your things for yourself. I can't afford them."

"What do you want? Tell me."

"I want you to stop coming to me. Pretend none of the past ever happened—you don't know me, and I don't know you. We're just two strangers who never crossed paths!"

With that, Zhao Yu yanked himself free and walked into the building without looking back.

Gu Hansheng watched his figure disappear behind the door, vanishing in an instant. Those cold, deliberate words told him that everything he possessed no longer held any appeal. Whether it was money or anything else, Zhao Yu didn't need it.

Everything was spiraling out of control. Gu Hansheng had already made changes, thinking he had cleared the obstacles to Zhao Yu's return, yet he couldn't understand his heart at all.

Pretending to be strangers who never crossed paths—that meant erasing the past completely, as if they had never known each other. Those moments spent together, the intimate and passionate kisses, the countless nights and mornings embraced in each other's arms—all of it was to be treated as if it never happened.

The more Zhao Yu wanted him to forget, the clearer the details of those memories became. Every frame tore at his heart repeatedly, until the wounds left by those words bled profusely.

At that moment, Gu Hansheng didn't yet know where the pain was coming from, why it hurt so badly. It was only when he followed the stabbing ache down to his chest that he realized—it was his heart.