Starting to Waver

Gu Yuechen took Xu Rui out for hot pot. When it was time to pay, he pulled out his phone and paid first.

Xu Rui looked at him reproachfully. "We agreed I'd treat you."

"You took me in. How could I let you pay?"

"No, I have to treat you next time."

Xu Rui was already hinting at another meal together. Gu Yuechen gave a faint smile, neither agreeing nor refusing.

As they left the hot pot restaurant, Gu Yuechen spotted someone who had been following them through the reflection in the shop window across the street.

The corners of his lips curled up as he slipped an arm around Xu Rui's waist instead.

Xu Rui looked over in shock, too nervous to speak.

"B-But it's so cold..." Gu Yuechen tightened his hold a little.

Realizing he had read too much into it, Xu Rui scratched his head awkwardly before looking at Gu Yuechen's clothes.

"I was too careless. I should've lent you a thicker coat." Afraid Gu Yuechen would get cold, Xu Rui put an arm around his shoulders, trying to share his body heat with him. "Let's walk faster."

"Let's stop by the convenience store first," Gu Yuechen said. "I need to buy some disposable underwear. I'm wearing yesterday's, so I have to change."

Xu Rui's ears reddened slightly. He nodded. "Okay."

The two entered the convenience store. Seeing Gu Yuechen pick out disposable underwear, Xu Rui felt too embarrassed to keep watching.

"I... I'll go look around... see if there's anything else we need to buy." Xu Rui was so nervous that he stuttered.

Gu Yuechen nodded.

As soon as Xu Rui left, Gu Yuechen's indecisiveness over shopping vanished. He casually grabbed five packs of disposable underwear and tossed them into the basket.

He was not sure whether Yu Yaochen had come inside, so he pretended to browse while frantically searching for Yu Yaochen from the corner of his eye.

He finally spotted him by the checkout.

Yu Yaochen stood outside the convenience store, his gaze fixed tightly on Gu Yuechen.

Gu Yuechen sneered inwardly. He was quite persistent, following them all the way here.

He sent Xu Rui away, claiming he had forgotten to grab a drink.

Once Xu Rui had left, Gu Yuechen reached toward a row of boxes in front of the register. Ignoring the gazes around him, he picked one up and seriously studied the instructions on the back.

He could feel that gaze growing more intense, as if some emotion were being forcibly restrained.

Gu Yuechen smiled soundlessly and tossed the box into his shopping basket.

Once he had paid, the feeling of being watched disappeared.

Gu Yuechen frowned and turned to look outside the convenience store.

Yu Yaochen had left.

Gu Yuechen instinctively tightened his grip on the shopping bag.

He had thought this would force Yu Yaochen to show himself, then take him away by force and agree to break off the engagement with Pei Huanyi.

Had he gone too far and made Yu Yaochen decide never to see him again?

No. He had to have faith in his own plan.

If he really lost the gamble, then he would accept it.

Just then, Xu Rui ran back. "I looked for ages, but they don't have the lemon tea you wanted."

Of course they did not.

Gu Yuechen had deliberately checked the drinks section for a long time. After confirming that they did not have that drink, he had intentionally tricked Xu Rui into looking for it.

"Forget it if they don't have it. Let's go back."

Only then did Xu Rui notice the bag in his hand. Surprised, he asked, "You already paid?"

"Yeah. It was my turn, so I paid."

"How can that be? Most of what's in there is my snacks." Xu Rui had taken so many things because he had planned to pay. "I'll transfer you the money now."

Gu Yuechen held Xu Rui's hand down. "Forget it. It wasn't much."

He had been using Xu Rui in the first place. He considered today's expenses compensation for him.

Xu Rui smiled sheepishly. "I'll carry it."

"No need. We're almost home, and you'll need to take out your keys to open the door soon. Carrying a bag will be inconvenient."

Besides, before they reached Xu Rui's home, he needed to throw away the box in the shopping bag.

"Okay, then." This time, Xu Rui linked arms with him.

Yu Yaochen was no longer following them, so Gu Yuechen no longer had any need to put on an act.

Pretending to switch the bag to his other hand, he deliberately put some distance between them when Xu Rui let go, not allowing Xu Rui to link arms with him again.

Two days later, the redness and swelling on Gu Yuechen's face had mostly faded and was nearly invisible to the naked eye.

Gu Yuechen touched his face in the mirror, then picked up his phone and messaged his supervisor, telling them he would return to work the next morning.

At noon, Gu Yuechen went out for food as usual.

Although Xu Rui had told him not to stand on ceremony, Gu Yuechen did not want to owe him too much. He had only taken a bottle of milk on the first day; after that, he had eaten outside.

After leaving the apartment, Gu Yuechen looked around to see whether there was anything nearby that he wanted to eat.

Suddenly, a clear, cool voice called out to him.

"Yuechen."

Gu Yuechen paused and turned toward the voice, seeing Yu Yaochen's somewhat haggard, pale face.

He raised an eyebrow slightly, and the teasing amusement in his eyes deepened.

They had known each other for so long, yet Yu Yaochen had always appeared before him spirited and confident. When had he ever looked so lost and dejected?

It seemed his plan had worked.

Gu Yuechen walked up to Yu Yaochen and put on a surprised expression.

"Why are you here?"

Yu Yaochen's beautiful eyes remained fixed on Gu Yuechen's face. After a long moment, he gave a less-than-pleasant smile.

"I came to see how your face was doing. I was worried it still hurt."

Gu Yuechen touched his face, his manner overly polite and courteous. "It doesn't hurt anymore. Thank you."

"I..." Yu Yaochen lowered his eyes, then continued, "I've already taught Xie Wangchi a lesson. He won't come trouble you again."

Gu Yuechen was just about to ask how he had taught him a lesson when he noticed the wound on Yu Yaochen's right knuckles.

"You got into a fight with Xie Wangchi?" Gu Yuechen grabbed his hand and asked worriedly, "Are you hurt?"

Seeing Gu Yuechen care about him like this, Yu Yaochen's gaze softened.

"He didn't fight back. He probably knows he was wrong too."

Mockery surfaced in Gu Yuechen's eyes.

Of course he had not fought back. Yu Yaochen was Xie Wangchi's darling, someone he was afraid to break even by holding too tightly. How could he bear to hit him?

"Don't fight next time. Even if he didn't fight back, you still got hurt. It must hurt, right?"

"It doesn't." Yu Yaochen suddenly clasped Gu Yuechen's hand in return, a hint of pleading in his voice. "I can't add you anymore. Can you not block me?"

Gu Yuechen pressed his lips together, then shook his head.

"Chenchen, I'm very grateful that you taught Xie Wangchi a lesson for me. But let's forget about us. We can't keep being friends. What would be the point of adding each other?"

Yu Yaochen said anxiously, "I can promise you that I'll only look at your Moments. I definitely won't disturb you casually in everyday life."

Gu Yuechen said nothing, lowering his gaze to stare at the ring on Yu Yaochen's hand.

After a long while, he said softly, "You're still wearing Doctor Pei's ring. Is it really appropriate for you to be acting like this?"

Yu Yaochen seemed to wake from a dream. His grip on Gu Yuechen's hand loosened slightly, but less than a second later, it tightened again.

Before he could speak, Gu Yuechen used all his strength to wrench his hand free.

"Chenchen, don't come looking for me anymore."

Gu Yuechen cast Yu Yaochen a cold glance, then turned and left.

He knew Yu Yaochen had begun to waver.

Then he needed to push him a little harder, make the scales in Yu Yaochen's heart tip completely toward him, and make him choose only him between Gu Yuechen and Pei Huanyi.