Lu Zixi was deeply shocked at this moment. He just thought that Zhou He’s personality had changed a lot, but he never imagined that the other person had actually become someone else entirely.
Zhou He was He Lang.
Lu Zixi moved his gaze away from the half-open door and leaned against the nearby wall, sinking into confusion.
He Lang didn’t die? Or did he reborn from Zhou He?
He actually turned out to be He Lang!
Considering this fact reluctantly, Lu Zixi began to wonder why He Lang didn’t tell Gu An? What did he mean by “regret” and “hurt” just now? Did he cause Gu An to become like this?
Would He Lang hurt Gu An? Lu Zixi shook his head, feeling that it was the most impossible thing. Since they met, He Lang had always deeply loved Gu An. They hadn’t even argued once.
Lu Zixi’s doubts grew heavier, and he felt increasingly uneasy.
At that moment, the door suddenly opened.
001: [Host, the male lead has left, you can wake up now!]
The young man on the hospital bed blinked his eyelashes and opened his eyes.
Lu Yue rolled up his sleeve and stared at the reddish-purple needle mark for a long time.
Lu Yue: [That darn doctor is really ruthless, actually giving me such a deep injection! And you, why didn’t you shield my sense of pain?]
001: [Well… I was deeply impressed by the host’s acting skills at the time, so I didn’t have time to…]
Lu Yue interrupted: [001, as an advanced intelligent system, you’ve actually learned to lie and flatter. Aren’t you ashamed?]
001 hurriedly said: [Okay, my bad, I admit I was busy with system tasks and lagged a bit. But I didn’t flatter. I was genuinely shocked when the host went crazy and bit someone. I definitely not lying!]
Lu Yue then let go of 001, half-believing his words. He wasn’t intentionally grumbling at his own cute and silly system, but that injection just now did hurt a bit. If he hadn’t endured it, the male lead would have noticed something was amiss.
Sigh! It’s really exhausting!
Relieved that his host didn’t press further on the matter, 001 breathed a sigh of relief.
001: [Host, there are only 5 points left for the blackening value, how do we decrease it?]
Lu Yue: [With only 5 points left for the blackening value, we can only use the last move.]
001: [??? What move?]
Lu Yue said in a deep voice: [——The ultimate move.]
001’s data nerves twitched. Little troublemaker Lu’s serious demeanor was really intimidating. Male lead, oh male lead, you’re on your own now!
On the roadside not far from the hospital, two tall men confronted each other coldly.
After leaving the hospital room, He Lang was immediately called out by Lu Zixi waiting outside. They had been rivals before, and they still were, so neither of them gave the other a friendly look.
“Why did you call me out? If you have something to say, just say it. I’m busy,” He Lang said bluntly, his eyes full of impatience.
Lu Zixi sneered and didn’t answer his question. “Should I call you Zhou He or He Lang?”
A hint of coldness finally appeared on He Lang’s originally expressionless face. “Did you hear it?”
“So what? So, you didn’t die?”
He Lang instantly regained his composure. He quickly calmed down, speaking slowly, “Of course, I died, but I came back to life. But what does it matter to you?”
It was indeed He Lang. He spoke about life and death so casually, without even a hint of sympathy.
Lu Zixi held back his anger and said in a deep voice, “Did you have anything to do with Gu An’s situation?”
He Lang suddenly turned his head to look at him, his dangerous eyes narrowing slightly. He spoke slowly, word by word, “It’s none of your business! Gu An is my lover, and our affairs don’t need your interference.”
Lu Zixi laughed bitterly. Now he was more certain that He Lang had really did something to Gu An. He reached out and grabbed He Lang’s tie, furious. “Have you lost your mind? Gu An was so devastated by your ‘death,’ and yet you still treat him like this! If you don’t love him, then stay away from him!”
He Lang’s heart was numb as if it had been shocked by electricity, but his face remained unchanged. He seemed to numb himself, saying, “Naturally, I love him.”
But I’m no longer worthy of loving him.
Lu Zixi looked at him as if he had heard a joke. “You love him? Yet you drugged him with such madness? If Gu An finds out, do you think he’ll forgive you?”
He Lang’s tone suddenly turned cold. “You can’t tell him.”
Of course, he knew he couldn’t tell Gu An because it would definitely trigger him and worsen his condition. This was the last thing he wanted to see. However, how could he let the person who had caused him so much suffering continue to stay by his side?
Just as Lu Zixi’s anger reached its peak, He Lang spoke again. “I won’t hurt him anymore. You have to believe me.”
Lu Zixi looked deeply into his eyes. He Lang’s sharp black eyes, usually so fierce, now flowed with a dim light, like a silent and sorrowful river.
Unexpectedly, the flames in Lu Zixi’s heart dissipated in an instant. He pursed his lips and turned away.
“No matter what you say, Gu An must not have any more problems, otherwise, I won’t let you off,” he said before leaving.
Watching Lu Zixi walk away, He Lang finally raised his hand to cover the painful spot in his chest. It was hurting again.
How could he bear to hurt Gu An again? He wished he were truly dead, so he wouldn’t continue to hurt his innocent lover.
Before entering the ward, He Lang deliberately adjusted his mindset. His current identity was Gu An’s assistant—a plain and unremarkable role but the most suitable one for him at the moment.
He couldn’t meet him as He Lang, so he could only accompany him as an assistant.
As soon he pushed open the door, He Lang saw the young man lying quietly on the bed. He walked slowly to the bedside, taking light steps.
The young man’s eyes were tightly closed, and his delicate eyelashes trembled occasionally, full of anxiety and fragility.
Having another nightmare? He Lang thought bitterly.
Was it about Deng Hui, or was it about him?
He Lang gently stroked the young man’s pale face, using his fingers to trace his features, as if sketching a precious piece of artwork.
On one hand, he didn’t want the young man to dream of him, but on the other hand, he desperately wanted the young man to remember him, to not have anyone else in his dreams. But the him in the dreams would only hate the young man, bringing him pain and suffering.
As He Lang felt both conflicted and pained, the person on the hospital bed suddenly opened his eyes and stared straight at him. Lu Yue’s eyes had lost the previous madness, returning to the calm black amber-like gaze.
He Lang’s breath caught, and his heart thundered. He even forgot his identity as an assistant.
After several minutes of silent eye contact, Lu Yue slowly spoke, “What… happened?”
The sedative effect on Lu Yue had just worn off, and he still felt a bit tired. He remembered that Lu Zixi had come to see him earlier and mentioned something about Deng Hui. Right! Deng Hui!
Without waiting for the assistant to reply, Lu Yue grabbed the man’s arm and asked anxiously, “How was the trial? Was Deng Hui sentenced?”
“The trial ended this morning. Deng Hui was sentenced to life imprisonment. You can rest assured,” the tall assistant replied seriously, definitely not lying.
“That’s great, that’s great!” Lu Yue heaved a sigh of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his heart. Then, belatedly, he realized he was still clutching his assistant’s sleeve and hastily apologized a few times.
“It’s okay.” He Lang looked at his blushing lover apologizing and couldn’t help but feel incredibly fond, warmth surging in his heart.
“What happened to your neck? Did a dog bite you?” Lu Yue pointed to the clearly visible teeth marks on the assistant’s neck and asked.
After asking, he looked at the marks, which didn’t seem like they were from a dog but rather from a person, which made him even more puzzled.
The assistant spoke after a few minutes of silence, “It was Mr. Gu who bit me.”
After a brief pause, a deep chuckle came from the man. “I lied to you.”
Lu Yue’s surprised eyes turned into an angry glare, wondering how his usually silent assistant had suddenly learned to tease his boss.
Looking at Lu Yue’s eyes filled with anger, He Lang felt relieved that the young man finally showed a hint of vitality. This was his lover.
“By the way, I’ve been away for a few days. How are things at the company?” He Lang lowered his gaze.
Actually, news of his supposed death had already made headlines when the trial began, which had some impact on the company. However, they had secured investments, and since the blame mostly fell on Hongzhi Group, the company’s overall impact wasn’t significant.
After considering, He Lang replied, “Everything’s normal at the company. You don’t need to worry.”
“That’s good. You can go back for now, I’ll be back soon,” Lu Yue smiled faintly at his assistant. He Lang suddenly wanted to rush over and hug the young man tightly, telling him that he was He Lang—his lover. But reason pulled him back.
“Okay.” He Lang stood up and left, closing the door behind him.
That night, Lu Yue moved back home. Before leaving, the doctor gave him a bottle of medicine to help with his recovery, instructing him to take two pills a day. He accepted it with a smile, but forgot to take it when he returned.
Lu Yue didn’t take this matter seriously. He only felt a bit tired. There’s nothing serious enough that he needed to take a medicine.
After returning home, looking at the empty house, Lu Yue felt an overwhelming sense of loneliness. His heart didn’t know where to settle.
Before, he could hold his hatred towards Deng Hui, but now that everything was over, he suddenly felt lost.
Lu Yue didn’t feel hungry, so he skipped dinner. He took a shower, then went to the bedroom. He noticed He Lang’s urn still on the table, and the image of the flames from that day flashed in his mind again, consuming He Lang’s body, turning it into ashes.
“Ah Lang…”
Lu Yue softly called out his lover’s name in his heart. Red blood vessels seemed to entwine in his eyes, and his blood flowed abnormally throughout his body. The heartbeat in the room grew faster…