Zhou Zike effortlessly carried Tang Zhen into the room, as if he was holding not a living person but a small creature just growing its baby teeth. If he couldn’t touch it, it was fine, but once it was in his hands, nobody could escape. His actions seemed so natural that Wen Xin didn’t immediately realize that something was off. She attributed it to the unusual circumstances of the day, thinking that even the usually distant Zhou Zike had voluntarily reached out to help Tang Zhen Laoshi – although his “help” might have been slightly excessive. But in Wen Xin’s eyes, Zhou Zike was not an ordinary person, and whatever he did was naturally not like what an ordinary person would do.
Zhou Zike bowed his head and placed Tang Zhen on the bed. Tang Zhen reached out to support himself with the bed, and Zhou Zike hesitated for a moment before letting go.
Wen Xin held a glass of water and a pillbox containing red, white, and blue pills and capsules. She set down what she was holding and helped Tang Zhen pull the blanket over him, making sure he was covered.
Tang Zhen leaned against the headboard of the bed and looked at Zhou Zike, who was standing nearby. He asked Wen Xin, “Where is Qi Lu?”
“He was called to the office and will be back soon,” Wen Xin said. “Once he’s here, Guo-jie and I will leave.”
Tang Zhen nodded and then asked her, “Where is my phone?”
“Why do you need your phone? It’s time to sleep, you shouldn’t be using it,” she replied.
“I just want to take a look,” Tang Zhen pleaded with Wen Xin. “There are a few messages from my colleagues… I’ll go back to sleep afterwards, okay?”
Wen Xin glanced at Zhou Zike and hesitated for a moment before taking Tang Zhen’s phone out of her pocket. It was an outdated antique that should have been replaced many years ago. In this era of touchscreens, this phone still required pressing each key on the nine-square grid. “There are so many messages. Do you want to read and respond to each one?”
Tang Zhen said, “Just let me see.”
“Alright…” Wen Xin thought for a moment. “How about this? You tell me what you want to reply, and I’ll help you send the messages.”
Tang Zhen smiled and looked at Zhou Zike, the third person in the room, saying, “What’s happened to Wen Xin lately? I haven’t seen her for a few days, and now she’s being so nice to me.”
Zhou Zike remained silent, but it was Wen Xin who got upset. “What do you mean by ‘haven’t seen her for a few days’?” she retorted.
Tang Zhen was taken aback, and Wen Xin wore a mournful face. “You’ve been to the hospital for days, and you think it’s easy. And you say ‘haven’t seen her for a few days.’ I’ve been waiting for you outside the ward every day, and I haven’t slept properly for days.”
Tang Zhen started to panic, as he couldn’t bear to see a girl crying. Wen Xin began wiping her tears and said, “And, have I ever treated you badly before?”
“No, you haven’t,” Tang Zhen hurriedly replied. “You’ve always been the best to me.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“In that case, let me type for you,” Wen Xin said with her head lowered, sniffling. She sat by the edge of the bed, fumbling with the phone, and choked out, “You type too slowly, and this phone is so difficult to use. When will we finish replying to all these messages?”
Kjcu Itfc ibbxfv ja tfg. Vevvfcis, j tjcv gfjmtfv bea jcv aemxfv tlr tjlg yftlcv tlr fjg, mifjglcu tlr ojmf.
Kjcu Itfc iloafv tlr tfjv jcv wfa Wljb Itbe’r ujhf.
Zfjcktlif, Qfc Wlc mbcalcefv ab mbwqijlc, “Ktlr qtbcf’r mbcajma ilra lr rb tjgv ab cjnlujaf. Pa ajxfr rb wjcs ajqr ab olcv j qfgrbc’r cjwf. Zjxlcu mjiir jcv rfcvlcu wfrrjufr lr remt j tjrrif. P’nf yffc afiilcu sbe ab mtjcuf sbeg qtbcf, yea sbe cfnfg vb.”
Tang Zhen said, “I’ll change it in the future.”
“Alright, tell me what you want to reply,” Wen Xin said, showing him an open message on the phone.
Tang Zhen lowered his head and read the message attentively. After thinking for a moment, he told Wen Xin the content he wanted to reply.
Wen Xin typed each word slowly, mostly responding with phrases like “I’ve been discharged,” “I’m in good health,” “Thank you for your concern,” and so on. After replying to a few messages, Wen Xin’s shoulders began to tremble, but she persisted and typed a few more words. Then, she couldn’t hold back anymore and burst into tears, startling Tang Zhen.
Zhou Zike kept his head down and remained silent. Wen Xin hugged Tang Zhen tightly, and her tears fell heavily onto his light-colored clothes. After hesitating for a moment, Tang Zhen reached out and hugged her back.
Zhou Zike quietly left the bedroom. Wen Xin sobbed in Tang Zhen’s embrace and then whispered something to him. She said she missed Tang Zhen Laoshi so much and had been so scared these past few days. She was exhausted but afraid to sleep, living in constant fear that she might never see Tang Zhen Laoshi again.
Tang Zhen caressed her head and listened as she cried. Wen Xin also mentioned that she had been swearing a lot in front of Zhou Zike these past few days. She despised herself and felt that her carefully cultivated image of a refined lady had been completely ruined.
Tang Zhen asked why she was swearing.
“Because you were sick,” Wen Xin lamented. “I was so worried, and whenever I get anxious… Zike kept calling me too, unlike before when he would always hang up on my calls. It would have been better if he didn’t answer at all. The more we talked, the more I revealed my true self…”
Tang Zhen chuckled.
“And he’s been so good to me during this time. He bought me a lot of things when he came back from Japan,” Wen Xin said, pouting. “But he often buys the wrong things, like men’s clothing… Well, he’s been busy… Besides, in the whole company, who has he ever bought gifts for? Not even Guo-jie. But he actually bought things for me…”
Tang Zhen nodded.
“And you know what? I kept all the mistakenly bought men’s clothing for you. My dad can’t wear them, but I think they would fit you well. The sizes are just right!” Wen Xin said.
Tang Zhen lowered his head and said, “Okay.”
Wen Xin stopped crying and nestled in Tang Zhen’s embrace. “Zike also said that if I ever encounter any problems at work or in life that I can’t solve… I can call him anytime.”
Tang Zhen lowered his gaze.
Suddenly, Wen Xin looked up at Tang Zhen. “And I’ve noticed that Zike cares a lot about you.”
Tang Zhen was taken aback.
“Don’t be fooled by his usual poker face. In reality, he’s warm-hearted. When you had an accident, he called me several times. I’ve never seen him like that before. He was nearly going crazy with worry.”
Zhou Zike stood outside the door, watching as Tang Zhen took his medication. The medicine quickly took effect, and Tang Zhen fell asleep within a short while. Zhou Zike observed him for a moment when he heard the sound of the door opening behind him. He turned around and saw a handsome young man entering through the foyer.
Zhou Zike looked at him, and the latter appeared equally surprised upon seeing Zhou Zike.
“Qi Lu,” Guo Xiaoli hurriedly approached and gave detailed instructions to the young man. “I’ve sorted out the gifts. When you have time, take them upstairs. Put away any sharp objects in the room. I’ve locked the doors and windows. If you open the windows during the day, make sure he doesn’t go near them or simply don’t open them at all. Even if he’s alone in the room, you should listen carefully even if you can’t see him. Be extremely cautious. I’ll come back tomorrow, so message me if anything comes up.”
Qi Lu nodded, his face pale. Guo Xiaoli called for Zhou Zike to accompany her, and as Qi Lu looked up at Zhou Zike, Zhou Zike passed by him. Qi Lu opened his mouth but couldn’t say anything, only letting out a few “ah” sounds. Zhou Zike glanced at him and then walked away.
Luo Tiantian had dyed his hair red and the stylist applied a burgundy eyeliner before the performance. This had become a tradition for ASE idols. From the older generation Mattias to the current company favorite Xiao Yang, they had all showcased such bold and fiery looks during concerts. Occasionally, these looks would be compared and reviewed in various magazines. However, Luo Tiantian, who debuted between the two, always seemed to be overlooked, both in terms of age and popularity.
Luo Tiantian mumbled, “Where is your nanny car?” Liang Qiuyun gently ran his hand over Luo Tiantian’s newly dyed hair, his fingers sinking into the soft strands, and pressed down on Luo Tiantian’s head. Luo Tiantian suddenly couldn’t speak.
A moment of silence followed. Liang Qiuyun rubbed Luo Tiantian’s flushed cheeks, lightly patting his face.
Today, Tiantian was wearing shorts, and his knees were red from kneeling on the carpet for a long time. He had forgotten to remove two earrings, which Liang Qiuyun noticed and reached out to take them off and toss them aside.
Liang Qiuyun didn’t like to talk much during this process, sometimes not even opening his eyes. When he was in a good mood, he enjoyed touching Luo Tiantian’s face, running his fingers through his hair, like playing with a cat. Occasionally, they would exchange a few words, he would embrace him for a while, and sometimes they would end up on the bed while hugging. When he was in a bad mood, he wouldn’t touch Luo Tiantian at all. He didn’t want to hear any sound, often summoning Luo Tiantian only to vent his frustrations, then leaving as if the other person wasn’t capable of making any sound, merely a puppet, a tool.
Most of the time, like now, Luo Tiantian couldn’t tell if Liang Qiuyun was in a good or bad mood. Sometimes he would touch him, and other times he wouldn’t allow him to speak. Luo Tiantian had been busy recently, ever since Tang Zhen’s health deteriorated last year. Many of the projects that were originally meant for Tang Zhen were now given to Luo Tiantian. He worked day and night, leaving little time to spend with Liang Qiuyun.
After it was over, Luo Tiantian wiped his mouth and asked, “Does my new hair look good?”
Liang Qiuyun asked, “Who did it for you?”
Luo Tiantian sat on Liang Qiuyun’s lap and mentioned the name of a stylist. “He said that red suits me and that I look better with red hair than Tang Zhen.”
Liang Qiuyun chuckled.
Luo Tiantian noticed that Liang Qiuyun was in a good mood. “What time are you leaving today?” He asked.
Liang Qiuyun glanced down at the pitiful red marks on his knees and then at Luo Tiantian’s uncertain expression. He wrapped one arm around his waist and scooped up his slender legs like noodles, carrying him to the bed.
Luo Tiantian held Liang Qiuyun’s head in his hands, anxiously kissing the sweat on his forehead while gasping for breath. He asked, “Am I better at it, or is Tang Zhen better?”
Liang Qiuyun looked at his face, his red hair, and the red corners of his eyes. Liang Qiuyun’s eyes flickered, creating a sense of unease in Luo Tiantian.
“It’s still better with Tang Zhen,” Liang Qiuyun said.
“I don’t believe it…” Luo Tiantian frowned.
Luo Tiantian looked at Liang Qiuyun and said, “You can’t see his true nature… I really can’t tell…”
“You can’t see a lot of things,” Liang Qiuyun said, with a smile on his face but a harsh tone.
After fucking him twice, Liang Qiuyun’s phone rang, and he answered the call. Luo Tiantian hadn’t recovered yet, feeling like his entire body wasn’t under his control. His mind couldn’t function, his vision was blurred, and even the sounds seemed muffled.
Luo Tiantian took a shower, feeling so exhausted that he could barely stand. As he stepped out, he saw Liang Qiuyun standing on the balcony, smoking. He wondered if the person on the other end of the call was refusing to answer Liang Qiuyun’s phone. Liang Qiuyun would hold the phone to his ear for a while, then put it down, glance at it, and press it to his ear again.
“A-Zhen,” Liang Qiuyun finally spoke to the person on the other end of the phone. His tone was gentle. Finally, someone answered his call. The spark at the end of his cigarette glowed brighter in the night. “Have you arrived home?”
Luo Tiantian dried his hair, silently gazing at Liang Qiuyun’s figure from behind.
