So-called Awakening
Though it was a question, the tone was certain and laced with hostility.
Yet, Wen Muyan was met with complete silence.
And a gaze that made him uncomfortable.
Wen Muyan looked at the indifferent man before him, slightly furrowed his brows, and gently placed his glasses back into his jacket pocket.
“Xiao Han, Zhuo Fan is resting and doesn’t want to see you. I also don’t want someone like you to hurt him again. Please leave.”
Xiao Han had no intention of paying attention, but his steps halted at the door of the hospital room because Wen Muyan’s arm blocked his path.
“Move aside.”
Wen Muyan’s brows furrowed even tighter, and he said sternly, “I’ll say it again, Zhuo Fan doesn’t want to see you. Please don’t hurt him anymore! His leg is already burned! What’s more painful is his heart. Do you still think you haven’t hurt him enough?”
Xiao Han found it somewhat amusing, so he laughed. “Was it me who started the fire?”
Wen Muyan was momentarily stunned, then heard the other say, “You’re blaming me for the injuries from the fire instead of the restaurant?”
Wen Muyan laughed in anger. “Weren’t you only concerned with saving your old flame and ignored Zhuo Fan’s life?”
“So according to you, Chenli should have died?”
Wen Muyan didn’t fall into the other’s logic. Instead, he caught the meaning in the words and mockingly said, “Then you can go take care of your Chenli. Zhuo Fan has me, so you don’t need to worry.”
Actually, I really don’t want to worry about this.
Xiao Han said silently in his heart, but out loud he could only say:
“Zhuo Fan is my boyfriend. It’s only right for me to see him.” With that, he brushed aside the other’s arm and entered.
Sure enough, he saw Zhuo Fan leaning against the hospital bed, staring blankly at the branches outside the window. Hearing the door open, he slowly turned his head, stared at Xiao Han’s familiar handsome face for a while, then hoarsely mocked, “Weren’t you ‘just a friend’?”
After speaking, he turned his head back to look out the window, as if looking at Xiao Han any longer would give him an eye infection.
Xiao Han understood, so he stood at the bedside with “unprecedented seriousness” and said to Zhuo Fan, “You know I never like to explain myself, but today I’m saying this just to make you feel better. I didn’t intentionally leave you to save Chenli that day. I just didn’t see you…”
“But you kept calling out Liang Chenli’s name!” Zhuo Fan turned his head in anger, unable to suppress his emotions.
Xiao Han wanted to ask why Zhuo Fan didn’t call out to him if he heard, but the script wouldn’t allow him to embarrass the protagonist, so he could only show a guilty expression and say in a low voice, “I just wanted to get him out first and then come back for you…”
“So in your heart, I’ll always just be Liang Chenli’s substitute! A second-rate product!” Zhuo Fan shouted out the accusation buried in his heart for years, feeling a sense of liberation, his whole body relaxed, his mind dizzy, and he fell back onto the pillow, his chest heaving violently.
Wen Muyan was startled, quickly came over to help him breathe, his expression displeased but his tone full of concern: “Zhuo Fan, the doctor said getting emotional is bad for your condition. This guy isn’t worth your sadness. Promise me, don’t pay attention to what he says anymore, okay?”
“Muyan, thank you. Luckily, I still have you by my side.”
“Zhuo Fan, we’ve grown up together since we were kids. No need to say such things.”
Wen Muyan comforted him for a long time before Zhuo Fan gradually calmed down.
Watching the two exchange glances, Xiao Han, the legitimate boyfriend, was left standing aside, which was intentional in the script. It was meant to make the scumbag boyfriend watch their intimacy and feel “extremely annoyed,” “oddly find Wen Muyan an eyesore,” “Zhuo Fan is clearly mine,” and other such sudden jealousy-induced personality splits.
Who knew Xiao Han, after watching for a while, did something very inappropriate—he accidentally yawned.
He couldn’t help it. This romance drama was just too boring, and standing for so long made his legs sore.
Fortunately, the protagonist and the devoted supporting character were immersed in the satisfaction of avenging the scumbag, completely unaware.
Xiao Han felt the scene was about done, so he said in a low, slightly melancholic voice, “Get some rest. I’ll come see you tomorrow.”
As expected, he heard Zhuo Fan’s cold response: “You don’t need to come anymore. I never want to see you again.”
Xiao Han paused appropriately, then walked out the door indifferently, sitting on the bench in the hallway, waiting for the supporting character to come find him.
In less than two minutes, Wen Muyan indeed came out, surprised to see Xiao Han still there, seemingly not expecting him to be so close.
“I happen to have something to say to you.” Wen Muyan put on his coat, adjusted his glasses, “Come with me.”
Where else could they go but the underground parking lot?
Xiao Han leaned against the cold wall, thinking about the scene of two men fighting over another man, finding it particularly ridiculous. However, the frustrating part was that he had to hold back his laughter, which was quite difficult.
Wen Muyan adjusted his glasses, his expression serious as he began, “I’ll say it again, please don’t appear in front of Zhuo Fan anymore.”
“Who are you?” Xiao Han didn’t actually want to mock the poor guy in front of him, but from a plot perspective, he indeed didn’t even know the other’s name yet.
Wen Muyan paused, not showing any displeasure, whether because he had a good temper or was good at hiding it: “I’m Wen Muyan, Zhuo Fan’s friend since childhood.”
Seeing Xiao Han not respond, Wen Muyan continued, “Zhuo Fan has done so much for you, and you’ve ignored it all. At this point, what face do you have to ask him to come back to you? Someone like you doesn’t deserve him!”
Xiao Han shifted his position against the wall and cooperatively said, “And what makes you think you do?”
“Because only I truly love Zhuo Fan.” Wen Muyan solemnly declared.
Xiao Han finally gave Wen Muyan a proper look, finding it both amusing and pitiful, unable to hold back anymore, so he gave a thin smile, revealing a set of white teeth.
“Zhuo Fan loves me, he always has and always will. I won’t let him leave me.”
Xiao Han left those words, patted Wen Muyan’s shoulder, and then leisurely walked away.
Of course, the final action was his own improvisation.
But in truth, Xiao Han was quite troubled. He wasn’t worried about winning Zhuo Fan back, but rather that from now on, according to the script, he would become a truly devoted boyfriend, commonly known as a “pathetic boyfriend.”
This was simply intolerable!
But he didn’t know what the consequences would be if he defied the script, though it certainly wouldn’t be pleasant.
After a tough mental struggle, Xiao Han decided to wash up and sleep.
The next morning, Xiao Han went into the kitchen to make a pot of chicken soup, but when he saw the plucked chicken on the cutting board, he was frustrated. He didn’t know how!
But no worries, the all-powerful script was there!
So the chicken soup was swiftly made. You ask why not worry about bird flu? Don’t be silly. In novels, there are plenty of unprotected relationships, how many get AIDS?
When Xiao Han brought the chicken soup to find Zhuo Fan, Wen Muyan happened to be absent.
“What are you doing here?” Zhuo Fan looked at him coldly, the previous warmth and caution completely gone.
Xiao Han “felt a pain in his heart,” placed the soup on the table, and softened his tone: “I see you’ve lost so much weight compared to before. I made this myself. You used to do these things for me all the time, and I didn’t appreciate it. That was my mistake.”
Zhuo Fan was visibly surprised, but quickly turned to sarcasm: “What do you take me for? A dog that can be coaxed back with a little treat? I said I don’t want to see you anymore!”
The protagonist at this moment didn’t realize the depth of Zhuo Fan’s despair, thinking it was just a regular tantrum, so Xiao Han scooped a spoonful of soup, blew on it, and offered it to him, saying, “I’ll leave once you finish it.”
Zhuo Fan closed his eyes and turned his head away, the spoon following him, completely ignoring his demand for Xiao Han to leave.
“I told you to leave!” Zhuo Fan felt his dignity was severely trampled, angrily waving his hand, spilling the entire bowl of chicken soup. The hot liquid splashed onto both of them, making Zhuo Fan wince in pain.
Just then, the hospital room door opened again, and Wen Muyan walked in with lunch.
“Xiao Han, what did you do to Zhuo Fan?!”
Xiao Han had anticipated this, quickly avoiding the hot soup from hitting his skin, and took out the tissues he had prepared to clean up. Of course, Zhuo Fan tried to dodge, and in the scuffle, Wen Muyan clearly misunderstood.
A fist swung towards Xiao Han’s face!
But it didn’t land, grazing his cheek as Xiao Han caught the wrist.
Xiao Han felt the force in his hand, his expression turning grim. If that punch had landed, he might have lost a tooth.
He glanced at Zhuo Fan, who still turned his head away coldly, not even sparing him a glance.
Missing the first punch, Wen Muyan, still angry, wouldn’t let it go, aiming another punch at Xiao Han’s stomach!
Even though it was acting, Xiao Han was getting angry. He sidestepped the punch and delivered an elbow strike to Wen Muyan’s stomach, making the already non-combative Wen Muyan retch.
“Stop!” Zhuo Fan, seeing his friend getting hit, couldn’t bear it, immediately trying to get out of bed, and naturally moved his injured leg, predictably falling into the supporting character’s arms.
“Muyan, are you hurt?” Zhuo Fan looked at him guiltily, “It’s my fault, I accidentally spilled the soup, making you misunderstand and getting you hurt.”
Wen Muyan gently held him, shaking his head, “Of course it’s not your fault.”
“Zhuo Fan, what’s wrong with your leg?” Xiao Han patiently tried to show concern.
“It’s none of your business! Xiao Han, how dare you hit Muyan? Since I was hospitalized, the first person to come see me was him, and he’s been by my side ever since. What right do you have to hit him?!” Zhuo Fan glared at Xiao Han with as much disdain as he could muster.
Xiao Han sneered inwardly, thinking it was perfectly fine for Wen Muyan to hit him, but he gets scolded for hitting back.
He suppressed his anger to continue the plot, stepping forward to pull Zhuo Fan from Wen Muyan’s arms, his face dark and voice cold: “Come home with me. I’ll take care of you from now on.”
“Let go of me!” Zhuo Fan, with one leg injured, struggled but couldn’t break free, so he used his other hand to swing with all his might!
“Smack—!”
With that sound, the room fell silent.
A second later, Xiao Han began to feel the burning pain on his right cheek, and it only got worse.
Damn it!
What kind of karma did he have in his past life to end up with this plot!
Xiao Han felt like spitting blood in frustration, but it wasn’t over yet. Zhuo Fan’s slap didn’t satisfy him. He looked out the window indifferently, not even deigning to give Xiao Han a glance: “Xiao Han, I don’t love you anymore. Let’s break up. Don’t ever appear in front of me again.”
Xiao Han’s gaze gradually turned inscrutable, staring at him for a long time before slowly turning to leave the room.
But he didn’t go far, because the script required him to sit at the door all day, reflecting, and then go back in the next day, looking haggard, to apologize to the man who had just slapped him.
Wen Muyan came over to support Zhuo Fan’s shaky figure, saying with relief, “Xiao Han is a jerk, only making you sad. It’s just as well, you still have me.”
Zhuo Fan seemed not to have fully recovered from his daze, his gaze a bit unfocused. After Xiao Han left, his eyes involuntarily fixed on the door again, and he subconsciously broke free from Wen Muyan’s support, forcing a smile, “I’m fine. The doctor said I can be discharged in a few days.”
“Really? That’s great.” Wen Muyan lowered his hands, which had been awkwardly hanging in the air, and smiled.
“Mm…”
With a bang, the door unexpectedly opened again, and in walked Xiao Han!
Seeing Xiao Han walking towards him, Zhuo Fan frowned, turning his weary face away, speaking in a ghostly tone, “Xiao Han, just let me go. No matter what you say now, I won’t come back to you. Give up, I don’t—”
He stopped mid-sentence, not because he was interrupted, but because Xiao Han walked past him without stopping, heading straight to the table—picking up the insulated chicken soup container he had left behind.
Realizing his mistake, Zhuo Fan’s face instantly turned extremely sour.
Xiao Han, holding the container, walked to the door, then suddenly turned back to Zhuo Fan with a smile: “To hell with your dead heart, goodbye.”
The door closed again, and this time Xiao Han walked out feeling refreshed, finally free from this ridiculous situation. Although he didn’t know what the consequences of altering the script would be, there was no way he would let himself be slapped on one cheek and then offer the other for more.
Driving away from the hospital, the sunlight outside was as bright as his mood.
Just as Xiao Han was thinking about how to live without following the script’s arrangement, a truck suddenly rushed towards him—!
Everything happened too fast, and Xiao Han only had time to leave his last words in this world.
Just two words: Ha ha.