Afraid He Wouldn't Recognize Him

Yu An had pretended long enough. He coughed, spat out a mouthful of water, and slowly opened his eyes.

Even though Song Yuechi already knew Yu An was faking it, the instant he saw him open his eyes, his own eyes still reddened. "Yu An, it's so good that you're not dead."

Sheng Yilin and his group walked over.

He looked down at Yu An, who was still lying on the ground, his gaze as sharp as a hawk's. "Yu An, you've got guts. I'll remember you."

After saying that, Sheng Yilin led his people in a grand procession toward the professional pool on the other side.

Only after watching them all get into the water did Song Yuechi collapse onto the ground as if drained of strength. "Yu An, you scared me to death just now. I thought you really..."

His voice had already taken on a sobbing note.

"I'm fine. I was pretending." Yu An felt that he seemed to need comforting, so he added, "I practiced holding my breath when I was little."

Earlier, at He Li'an's house, he really had been drowning.

Because Zhu Wen and He Li'an were both fairly smart and not easy to fool.

Song Yuechi seemed somewhat comforted. Sniffling, he said, "I'm sorry. I got you involved."

Yu An stood up from the ground. "Do they always bully you like this?"

Song Yuechi stammered out a denial. "Not really..."

So Sheng Yilin bullied him often.

Yu An didn't press further and went to get his backpack and coat.

Song Yuechi ran over to help him carry them. "I have clothes in the locker room. Do you want to wear some?"

"Mm." In weather like this, going home in wet clothes would make him sick.

Yu An took a quick hot shower in the bathroom. After changing into Song Yuechi's clothes, he came out and saw a bathroom with an enormous sign at the other end. Song Yuechi had just finished changing too. "That's Sheng Yilin's private bathroom."

"Oh."

Another privileged person, just like He Li'an.

As they left the locker room, Yu An glanced once more at Sheng Yilin's private bathroom and asked Song Yuechi, "Is Sheng Yilin's family rich too?"

"Mm. The Sheng family is quite influential in A City. They were family friends with the He family in the early years, but after something happened to the He family, their relationship grew more distant..." Song Yuechi looked worriedly at Yu An. "We already offended Sheng Yilin today. He won't let you off easily. Do you want to..."

"No."

Yu An knew Song Yuechi meant that he should seek He Li'an's protection.

He didn't need it.

Song Yuechi blamed himself. "It's all my fault. If you see him again in the future, just avoid him."

Yu An neither agreed nor disagreed. "What about you?"

He wouldn't avoid him.

Because he had no intention of letting Sheng Yilin off either.

"Actually, Sheng Yilin has a grudge against my fiancé, so he always takes it out on me. But he won't really do anything to me..." Song Yuechi found the matter rather humiliating, and his tone was somewhat embarrassed.

Yu An frowned. "Your fiancé caused the trouble. Isn't he going to step up and deal with it?"

Song Yuechi forced a smile, then shook his head.

Yu An understood. "Your fiancé really isn't much of a man."

He had no sense of responsibility at all. He was far worse than He Li'an.

Hm?

Why had he thought of He Li'an?

Yu An was a little irritated. "I'm hungry. Let's go eat."

Song Yuechi felt oddly satisfied hearing him insult his fiancé and said happily, "I'll treat you to dinner tonight."

Yu An didn't stand on ceremony. "Mm."

"By the way, when you jumped in with that splash just now, weren't you afraid they'd really let you die?"

"What courage could people who bully the weak possibly have?"

"...That's true."

"The weak one I meant was you, not me."

"..."

Song Yuechi spent a large sum treating Yu An to a lavish meal.

Song Yuechi was very good at taking photos. Yu An used the photos he took to post on his Moments, making a nine-photo grid.

In the empty, spacious restaurant, He Li'an sat alone at the dining table. Looking at the two identical Moments posts that had appeared almost simultaneously on his screen, he asked Zhu Wen with a stiff expression, "How far is this restaurant from us?"

"Thirty kilometers. But it's rush hour right now, so it will take nearly two hours by car."

"If I go now..."

"If you leave now, you won't make it in time."

"What if..."

"Yu An's dining speed cannot possibly exceed one hour."

"Zhu Wen!"

He Li'an's tone sharpened.

Zhu Wen lowered his eyes. "If you want to see Young Master Yu An, I still suggest that you wait for him directly downstairs from his home."

He Li'an was silent for a moment, then decisively stood and headed outside.

"Young Master, your dinner is still..."

"I'm full from looking."

"Oh, all right."

Yu An and Song Yuechi came out after dinner at exactly nine o'clock.

He told Song Yuechi, "I'm sleepy. Let's go to my place next Friday."

Song Yuechi was a little disappointed. "You're sleepy this early?"

Yu An said, "Mm."

"All right, then." Song Yuechi took out his phone. "I'll call you a car."

"Thanks."

"No need to be polite. We've been through life and death together."

Song Yuechi was still so careless.

When Yu An got out of the car, he habitually surveyed his surroundings, especially the dark places where people or cars could hide.

When he reached the building, he passed the spot where He Li'an had parked before and unconsciously stopped.

When he turned to look, there really was a car there.

The car looked expensive and unfamiliar, and so did its license plate.

Yu An walked away somewhat disappointed.

Inside the car, He Li'an sat up from his reclined seat and watched Yu An walk toward the building.

He had his head lowered, as if he were looking at his phone.

He Li'an frowned. Walking while looking at his phone this late at night—didn't he know how dangerous that was?

The next second, his phone vibrated.

[Yu An]: He Li'an

The child had actually noticed him.

He Li'an repeatedly clenched and loosened his free hand before finally sending a self-deceiving reply.

[He Li'an]: I was passing by.

Yu An stopped in his tracks and turned back blankly.

Once his eyes adjusted to the light, he saw the car door open and He Li'an step out of the darkness on his long legs.

Yu An stood where he was and waited for him. He Li'an stopped a meter away from him. "Was the restaurant you went to tonight good?"

His clear voice was slightly hoarse.

"It was good." Yu An asked, "You came all this way just to ask that?"

He Li'an didn't keep insisting that he had merely been passing by. He nodded very lightly.

Yu An said, "I already answered you."

"Mm." He Li'an didn't move. "You should go on ahead."

Yu An turned and left immediately.

He thought He Li'an was very strange.

He had come from so far away just to ask whether dinner had tasted good.

He had changed both his car and license plate, yet still parked in the same old place. Yu An didn't know whether he was afraid Yu An would recognize him, or afraid that he wouldn't.

After getting home, Yu An leaned by the window and looked down once more.

But the floor was too high, and the place where He Li'an had parked was too dark. He couldn't see anything.

Yu An closed the window, turned around, and sat on the carpet. He opened his computer, entered the campus forum, and typed three words into the search bar: Sheng Yilin.