The Zhou Residence.
Before He Qian could even set foot inside the villa, he was swept up and pressed against the wall. The expensive red wine in his hand sloshed unsteadily.
“Mm!”
He Qian could not utter a single word of refusal; Zhou Xuying’s hand had already blocked his mouth. He Qian never had a good temper when it came to Zhou Xuying, especially at times like this. He was stingy and stubborn, refusing to give even a muffled groan, acting as cold and indifferent as possible. Yet, the more He Qian acted this way, the more excited Zhou Xuying became.
Restraint and surrender were separated only by a single thought. It was not an impassable chasm; it could be broken through, torn apart, or leaped over. At worst, one could build a bridge. It did not matter if it was time consuming or exhausting. Zhou Xuying had plenty of patience.
“Hold it tight,” Zhou Xuying squeezed out the words stiffly.
He was referring to the red wine. The liquid inside the bottle refracted the light, casting a deep crimson glow where He Qian’s neck met his jawline. It was intensely sexy.
Zhou Xuying was tall with long legs, and his well defined muscle lines were beautiful and fluid. He held He Qian, looking down from above. With his features partially buried in the shadows, he exuded the absolute aura of a superior. A cold wristwatch brushed against He Qian’s collarbone.
“Call my name,” Zhou Xuying’s voice was ambiguous, thick and raspy.
At such a close distance, Zhou Xuying looked into He Qian’s cold eyes and took a deep, heavy breath. He Qian pursed his lips and said Zhou Xuying’s name. There was no logic to it, only submission. Zhou Xuying brushed against He Qian’s cheek and kissed him fiercely.
The special assistant had informed him of the conversation between He Qian and Chen Ran on the rooftop tonight. That sentence, “I have a boyfriend,” repeated in Zhou Xuying’s mind in He Qian’s voice, stimulating every cell in his body. Zhou Xuying was utterly ecstatic.
The next day when He Qian went to school, Chen Ran did not save a seat for him as he usually did. Instead, he sat in the corner with dark circles under his eyes. It was not until they ran into each other during the break, facing off in a narrow corridor, that their eyes met. He Qian’s gaze was cold, devoid of any ripples. Chen Ran looked as if he wanted to say something, but he lowered his head and walked away.
He Qian did not have much of an emotional reaction to this. If even Shen Xi could end up like that, what more Chen Ran?
A few weeks into classes, the school began holding its sports meet. He Qian signed up for the five thousand meter long distance run. His endurance was good, and he desperately needed the credits. He wanted to go abroad to escape Zhou Xuying. As a “lover,” he needed to leave himself enough time to please his benefactor. However, his benefactor did not allow him to have contact with others. He Qian could not consider joining any clubs or departments.
He Qian knew that every year, the school fully sponsored the top student in the department to study abroad. It was a difficult spot to secure. He Qian could not afford to be slack; he had to seize this chance. He Qian naively thought this was his only opportunity, unaware that a much larger cage was waiting for this “canary.”
During this period, Zhou Xuying’s elder brother had escaped from prison and fled the country, only to die in an accident. The elder Mr. Zhou fainted from the shock, and the full power of the Zhou family fell into Zhou Xuying’s hands. Busy with taking over and auditing the Zhou family’s industries for a merger, Zhou Xuying was incredibly tied up. He Qian did not see him for half a month. For this, He Qian felt immensely relieved.
That is, until the day of the sports meet.
He Qian was running on the red track in his sports gear. The five thousand meter run was physically demanding. Midway through, many athletes were constantly being given water by classmates and friends. He Qian’s relationship with his classmates was average, so he did not count on it.
The sun was exceptionally hot today. A layer of crystal clear sweat broke out on He Qian’s long, fair legs under the sunlight. After four laps, he gradually slowed down to conserve his strength. As He Qian rounded the bend for his fifth lap, a hand holding a bottle of mineral water reached out. “Thank you.”
He Qian reached out to take it and drank a few sips. When he handed the water back, the person started running alongside him from the inner field. “He Qian, can we talk?”
It was Chen Ran’s voice. He Qian froze for a split second, frowning and pursing his lips. His exhausted physical state left him with no energy to think. Chen Ran continued, “I have not known how to talk to you lately. He Qian, I think you have your reasons. You can tell me; we can solve it together.”
He Qian remained silent, his breathing becoming much heavier.
“He Qian, I just wanted to tell you that I do not look down on you because of this or want to draw a line between us. We are still, friends.”
Chen Ran’s gaze was hotter than the sun. That look scorched He Qian, who used his hand to shield his eyes. His dark pupils dimmed as he said with a cold expression, “We are not friends. I do not need you to look up to me. Finally, why on earth would I solve anything with you? We are not close enough for you to judge my private life.”
Every one of He Qian’s words struck like a thorn.
“He Qian.”
“Go away.”
He Qian quickened his pace. Chen Ran stood frozen in place, not giving chase.
During this lap where He Qian accelerated, his rhythm was disrupted, making his body even more exhausted. The subsequent laps were clearly a struggle. With only two laps left, another bottle of water entered his field of vision. It was a bottle of water that had already been opened. He Qian noticed and looked up. He saw a Patek Philippe watch and a thin wrist bone. He was startled and lifted his gaze further.
Under the blinding sun, Zhou Xuying was wearing a white baseball cap and a mask. Dressed in black sportswear, he stood against the light.
“Drink.”
He Qian took the water. The cap had been unscrewed. He hurriedly took two sips and continued running. Zhou Xuying ran with him on the inner track without saying a word, only reminding him to adjust his breathing and pace.
Zhou Xuying’s running pace was very rhythmic. He Qian followed his lead, getting himself back on track. Zhou Xuying only accompanied him for two hundred meters before stopping, as being too close could lead to a disqualification for a foul.
The distance in the long run was large. He Qian could not catch up to the top two, but the person behind him was far away. He Qian crossed the finish line at a steady pace, taking third place as expected. The moment he crossed the line, he stumbled forward two steps and fell into a solid embrace. Zhou Xuying wrapped an arm around his waist, supporting the trembling He Qian as he led him toward the inner field.
He Qian was so weak he wanted to collapse on the spot or sit down right where he was, anything but standing. Zhou Xuying caught him. “Endure it for a bit; do not sit yet.”
Zhou Xuying poured water into He Qian’s mouth, his movements slow and steady. He Qian’s face was deathly pale, and he leaned over, feeling nauseous. His leg muscles were twitching violently, and his breathing was so unstable he felt he might faint.
“Tired, I want, want to sit.”
“Walk one lap. I will help you stretch in a bit.” Zhou Xuying was not negotiating. Holding He Qian’s waist, he forced him to walk a lap around the playground.
After He Qian finished the lap, the twitching muscles in his legs relaxed significantly. Only then did Zhou Xuying let him sit down, squatting beside him to help him stretch. He Qian looked down at the half-squatting Zhou Xuying. Sweat from his forehead ran past his brow and into his mask. His hands, with veins bulging, kneaded He Qian’s legs with professional movements until the muscles gradually relaxed.
He Qian leaned back on his hands and said casually, “Zhou Xuying, did you study nursing in university?”
Zhou Xuying lifted his gaze to look into He Qian’s eyes. “No.”
From Zhou Xuying’s gaze, He Qian captured a flicker of an indescribably complex emotion.
“Did you drink his water just now?”
“…”
“However much you drank, you will pay it back.”
Zhou Xuying’s tone was both heavy and husky, filled with hidden meaning. He Qian’s legs began to tremble again. He could not afford to pay it back. He had drunk half a bottle.