Don't Contact Me Again

Xu Rui went to work early the next morning. Before leaving, he stuck a note on the refrigerator, telling Gu Yuechen to help himself to anything he wanted to eat and not stand on ceremony.

Although Xu Rui lived alone, he took excellent care of himself. His place had everything, and the refrigerator was stuffed full.

Gu Yuechen stood before the refrigerator for quite a while before ultimately taking out only a bottle of milk.

He sat on the edge of the bed and carefully looked around the room.

Even Xu Rui's life was leagues beyond his. No wonder Xu Rui had encouraged him to pursue Pei Huanyi back then.

When someone lacked nothing, confidence came naturally.

Gu Yuechen had also wanted to save up properly and live a better life.

But something always happened, such as his grandmother falling ill again or an appliance at home breaking down, forcing him to drain his savings time and again. In the end, he even owed some money to relatives.

After finishing the milk, he called his grandmother and lied that he was attending a team-building event and would not be able to return for a few days.

Afraid that the old woman did not have enough spending money, Gu Yuechen transferred her a thousand yuan through WeChat after the call.

Once he was done with all that, Gu Yuechen planned to sleep a little longer. But just as he lay down, a message suddenly popped up on his phone.

Yu Yaochen: [Did you get home safely last night? Wangchi said he already saw you home, but I'm still a little worried.]

Gu Yuechen glanced at it, then put down his phone.

He truly did not want to deal with Yu Yaochen.

Yet an hour later, Gu Yuechen still picked up his phone and called Yu Yaochen.

His face still hurt.

Yu Yaochen's protector had hit him.

No matter what, he could not swallow this grievance.

"Yuechen, how are you?" Yu Yaochen asked worriedly. "I went to your workplace, and they said you'd taken sick leave. Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"

Gu Yuechen fell silent for a moment before softly saying, "Let's meet."

After hanging up, Gu Yuechen sent Yu Yaochen his location through WeChat.

When Yu Yaochen arrived downstairs, Gu Yuechen did not even change out of his pajamas before heading down.

Yu Yaochen stood beside his car, looking at his phone while scanning the surroundings.

When he finally spotted Gu Yuechen, he smiled. Then his gaze fell on Gu Yuechen's pajamas, and his brows drew together slightly.

As Gu Yuechen approached, Yu Yaochen was just about to take off his coat and drape it over him when he suddenly caught sight of the slight swelling on half his face.

"What happened to your face?" Yu Yaochen raised a hand and held up Gu Yuechen's chin, anxious and heartbroken. "Yuechen, did someone hit you?"

Gu Yuechen lowered his eyes, biting his lip without saying a word.

Yu Yaochen immediately realized something. Obvious anger laced his voice. "Was it Xie Wangchi?"

Gu Yuechen's eyelashes trembled as he choked out, "It was my fault. I shouldn't have taken you drinking."

"How was it your fault? I was the one who drove you to the bar, and I drank willingly." It was the first time Yu Yaochen had spoken so rapidly; he was clearly furious. "Xie Wangchi went too far. How could he lay hands on someone?"

"Don't be angry with him. He was worried about you too."

Yu Yaochen did not want to bring his bad mood to Gu Yuechen. After taking a deep breath, he suppressed his anger and gently caressed Gu Yuechen's injured face.

"Does it hurt?"

Gu Yuechen pressed his cheek against Yu Yaochen's palm, putting on an utterly dependent air.

"It doesn't hurt anymore."

Yu Yaochen gazed at Gu Yuechen's face, his eyes full of softness. "Should I put some medicine on it for you?"

"No need. I'll just go back and put some ice on it."

Yu Yaochen looked up at the building behind Gu Yuechen, assuming this was where Gu Yuechen actually lived.

He let go of Gu Yuechen, took off his coat, and draped it over Gu Yuechen's shoulders.

"It's so cold out. Why didn't you wear more?"

"I don't have any clothes." Gu Yuechen paused before saying, "I'm staying with a colleague right now. Even these pajamas I'm wearing are his."

Yu Yaochen froze briefly, but when he saw Gu Yuechen's face, he roughly understood why.

"I'll book you a hotel room."

"No need." Gu Yuechen shook his head. "There's no need to spend that money. My colleague's bed is pretty big, and it doesn't feel crowded when we sleep together."

Yu Yaochen's brow furrowed tightly. "You sleep together?"

As though he had not noticed the storm gathering in Yu Yaochen's eyes, Gu Yuechen continued, "Yeah. He's been really good to me. Ever since I started working at the pet hospital, he's always taken care of me."

Anxiety now stained Yu Yaochen's cool eyes. He gripped Gu Yuechen's hand, possessiveness bordering on obsession in his voice.

"You should stay at a hotel. I'll book one for you now."

Gu Yuechen lowered his head and looked at their clasped hands. After a moment, he put some force into shaking Yu Yaochen off.

"Chenchen, don't be so good to me anymore." Gu Yuechen said, "I asked you to come today because I wanted to make things clear. I'm willing to let go of my feelings for you. From now on, let's be strangers."

"Yuechen, I..."

Gu Yuechen interrupted Yu Yaochen, his eyes resolute.

"Don't contact me again."

After saying that, Gu Yuechen took off Yu Yaochen's coat and stuffed it back into his hands.

Then he turned around and walked into the apartment building without looking back.

When he sat down on the bed again, his phone vibrated. It was a message from Yu Yaochen.

Yu Yaochen: [Can you come out again? Let's talk properly.]

Gu Yuechen stared expressionlessly at the message, then curled his lips in a smile and blocked Yu Yaochen on both WeChat and his phone.

That evening, when Xu Rui returned home from work, Gu Yuechen eagerly suggested that they go out for dinner.

It was the first time Gu Yuechen had asked him to eat together, and Xu Rui nodded in flattered surprise.

The two of them went downstairs together, and Gu Yuechen quickly noticed the luxury car parked some distance away.

As expected, he had not left yet.

Gu Yuechen smiled faintly, intimately hooked his arm through Xu Rui's, and raised his other hand to smooth Xu Rui's bangs.