When Zhou Xuying reached the villa entrance, he heard a sharp “thud” from the direction of the sofa. It was the sound of an ashtray hitting the floor. It was also the sound of He Qian wishing he would leave.
Zhou Xuying lowered his eyelids and walked into the night with long strides. As he climbed into the car, a doctor in a white lab coat handed him a report.
“Severe bipolar disorder.”
Zhou Xuying remained silent.
“Zhou Xuying, say something!” Lin Xu spat, his voice strained.
“Mhm.”
Zhou Xuying lit a cigarette unhurriedly. As he rolled down the car window, his hand trembled slightly, though his expression remained as indifferent as ever.
“Did he mention you?”
“No.”
Zhou Xuying looked at the driver and commanded, “To the airport.”
The driver started the engine, and the car sped down the main road. Lin Xu watched Zhou Xuying in silence. He did not speak again because he already had the answer. He knew that only He Qian could make Zhou Xuying break.
When the car reached the airport, Lin Xu shoved two bottles of medicine toward Zhou Xuying.
“Take these on time. Do not have an episode and beat your old flame to death.”
Zhou Xuying took the medicine, his fingertips tightening. He would not beat He Qian. He would only punish him.
Lin Xu furrowed his brow and could not help but curse, “Zhou Xuying, look at yourself! Why do you not tell him? Have you ever thought that he will hate you?”
Zhou Xuying’s gaze darkened, making the stars in the sky seem colorless. Lin Xu sighed deeply. “Your hand is injured. Be careful.”
“Mhm.”
“Come back alive. No one else will take care of that canary of yours.”
“I am leaving.”
Zhou Xuying bit down on his cigarette and lit it. His voice was as calm as a light breeze as his tall, thin figure disappeared into the darkness. His suit pocket bulged slightly with a hard velvet box. He had not given it to him.
After He Qian washed up, he returned to his room and searched for a case from six years ago. As expected, he found many trending topics from that time.
Chen Shufang falsely accused a principal of sexual assault for eighty thousand yuan! Chen Shufang died of a cerebral hemorrhage! Divine retribution! The falsely accused principal decided not to pursue further legal action against the female student.
He Qian’s hands shook as he read the news. When He Qian was thirteen years old, a sexual assault case had shocked the entire country. Eventually, it was dismissed due to a lack of evidence. Chen Shufang, acting as a mother, had caused a scene at the school. The police intervened, but the truth was twisted. Online public opinion drove Chen Shufang to her death, and a ten-year-old girl was shrouded in shadows, never leaving her home.
In this parallel world, this case actually existed. This world was almost identical to his original one. He Qian had attended the same elementary, middle, and high schools. All his classmates and teachers existed. The friends and people he knew in his memory, even Zhou Xuying, existed.
The only person who did not exist was He Qian. He was not in the graduation photos. He had no parents. He Qian felt as though he had been abandoned by the world. He did not know why he had come here or why he had nothing left but to endure these humiliations. He Qian took a few deep breaths, finding it difficult to sleep.
The next day, He Qian went to school early. Chen Ran sat down naturally beside him. “Morning!”
He Qian nodded and opened his book to listen to the lecture. He rarely made small talk during class. Chen Ran brought out a large stack of books and began preparing for lessons.
After class, He Qian watched Chen Ran pack his things and suddenly asked, “Chen Ran, where do you work as a tutor?”
“Oh, at a training institution.”
“Can you introduce me?”
Chen Ran was surprised by the request. He Qian lived off-campus, which suggested he was a local, and roommates had seen him getting into a luxury car. It was clear He Qian did not lack money. However, Chen Ran did not ask for details.
“I will ask for you. Do you have any competition awards? Mathematics, physics, chemistry?”
“2019 National Mathematics Competition Champion, 2021 National Physics,” He Qian stopped abruptly. He had no proof. “I can solve the problems, but I did not participate.”
“It is not a big deal. Anyone who gets into Beijing University of Political Science and Law has solid skills. I will ask and let you know if there is news.”
With a smile, Chen Ran left. He Qian did not know Chen Ran in the other world. He was nineteen and should have been a sophomore, but now he had to start over as a freshman. He sat in the library to read and did not return to the Zhou residence until after evening self-study.
As soon as he entered, he saw a servant wearing yellowed gloves standing at the door with hands folded. She greeted him respectfully, “Mr. He.”
“Mhm.”
“Please follow me.”
He Qian followed her to the living room and saw a massive pile of oranges on the coffee table, likely weighing ten pounds.
“Mr. He, the young master has ordered that you must finish all of these within a week.”
The servant knelt on one knee and began peeling an orange for him.
He Qian was speechless. Is Zhou Xuying insane?
“I do not want to eat oranges,” He Qian said coldly.
The servant panicked instantly. “Please, Mr. He, do not make things difficult for me.”
“I am not making things difficult for you.”
“The young master said that you like oranges the most.”
He Qian cursed inwardly, his expression turning sour. Seeing that he would not eat, the maid began to cry. He Qian forced himself to eat quite a few to stop her. Afterward, he called Zhou Xuying to confront him. The call was answered after the second ring.
“He Qian.”
Zhou Xuying’s voice on the other end was faint. He sounded as if he had just woken up or was weak from illness.
“I do not want to eat oranges.”
“Hmm?”
“I said I do not want to eat oranges! I do not want to eat them!”
“You seemed to like Chen Ran’s oranges very much.”
He Qian fell silent. He had only done that to spite Zhou Xuying; he did not actually like them. Zhou Xuying was doing this to punish him. Zhou Xuying possessed an extreme sense of ownership over his lover. He Qian was not allowed to have contact with any men, and women were no exception. If He Qian even looked at someone for too long, Zhou Xuying would find a way to punish him. It was blatant and reckless.
In the past, most punishments happened in bed. Fortunately, Zhou Xuying was away, so He Qian had escaped that fate, but eating ten pounds of oranges was certainly unpleasant.
“Forget about the tutoring job.”
Zhou Xuying’s voice over the phone was like cold, breaking jade, dragging He Qian back to reality. He Qian’s heart sank. Even though Zhou Xuying was thousands of miles away, he still knew everything. It was as if he had planted a listening device on him.
He Qian hung up the phone immediately. He lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. He was like a small bird in a cage. The door was not locked, but a beast stood guard outside. He could not escape and would be torn to pieces if he tried. He was forced to be obedient.
He Qian eventually fell asleep. When he woke up, it was the next day. He went to school as usual. When he reached the classroom, Chen Ran was already there.
Chen Ran walked over, looking apologetic. “I asked the teacher at the institution yesterday. They do not need any more tutors for now.”
He Qian nodded, having already expected this. Chen Ran noticed his vacant expression. “Do you really need money that badly?”
He Qian shook his head. He just wanted to help someone. He wanted to help a family.