This time, however, Feng Ze didn't make any more snide remarks at Tao Zhiyan. He headed upstairs while replying to a message, without so much as another glance at him.
Tao Zhiyan let out a sigh of relief.
Night fell, and everyone returned to their rooms.
Tao Zhiyan had slept too much during the day and had a little trouble falling asleep that night.
Even after midnight, he was still lying in bed scrolling through short videos, thoroughly engrossed.
Bang.
A sudden sound came from upstairs. It wasn't very loud, and Tao Zhiyan paid it little attention.
A while later, a series of footsteps sounded.
Only then did Tao Zhiyan snap out of it and look up at the ceiling.
It was almost three. Why wasn't Feng Ze asleep yet?
As though something had occurred to him, Tao Zhiyan suddenly frowned and got out of bed.
Feng Ze had bipolar disorder, and his last episode hadn't been long ago. It had happened around this same time in the early morning.
Tao Zhiyan ran upstairs. Feng Ze's bedroom door was shut, but occasional noises came from inside, confirming that he was still awake.
Tao Zhiyan knocked on the door and asked, "Young Master, is something wrong?"
The room fell quiet for a moment before the man's voice came through. "...Nothing."
Something was wrong.
The man's voice clearly didn't sound right.
Tao Zhiyan pressed close to the door and listened for a while, then raised his hand and knocked several more times. "Young Master, is there anything I can help you with?"
"No need."
The man sounded as though he had forced those words out through gritted teeth. His tone wasn't gentle; it was irritated, even a little harsh.
But Tao Zhiyan showed no intention of leaving. He knocked a few more times. "Young Master, you can tell me if you're not feeling well."
"Could you open the door?"
"Young Master?" Tao Zhiyan called several more times, but there was no response from inside. The silence was frightening.
Feng Ze had shown self-destructive tendencies during his last episode. Now that he had been quiet for so long, Tao Zhiyan was worried something might have happened to him.
He knocked several more times, but there was still no sound from the room. Gritting his teeth, Tao Zhiyan stepped back, preparing to force his way in.
Just as he charged forward, the door suddenly opened.
Startled, Tao Zhiyan desperately tried to stop. He flailed for a moment, but momentum carried him straight into Feng Ze's arms.
The man was wearing pajamas, and his body heat seeped through the thin fabric, alarmingly hot. A faint scent of tobacco lingered around Tao Zhiyan's nose. It wasn't strong or acrid, and even smelled a little better than ordinary cigarette smoke.
Feng Ze reached out to steady the back of his neck. Only once he had regained his footing did Feng Ze take half a step back, putting some distance between them.
"Did you need something?" Feng Ze was in bad shape. His face was dark, his breathing somewhat heavy, and beads of sweat covered his forehead.
Tao Zhiyan slipped sideways into the room and asked, "Are you feeling unwell?"
Feng Ze said nothing.
Tao Zhiyan glanced at the table, then turned back to ask, "Where's your medication?"
Feng Ze's brows were tightly knitted. After a long moment, he answered hoarsely, "Took it. Didn't help."
With mental illness, medication was only an aid. Often, it couldn't do much.
His heart was racing, and his head was full of noise-crying and screaming, as though he were back at the orphanage where he had lived as a child.
Then it seemed that teacher had thrown him into the sewer again.
The stench in the room wouldn't go away. He could even feel things crawling over his body.
"Do you need something? If not, get-"
Before Feng Ze could finish, he looked up and saw the corpse of a black cat appear in the doorway.
Black tape was wrapped around the cat's neck. Its belly had been slit open, leaving all its organs exposed.
Rustle-
Feng Ze heard a noise.
Rustle, rustle-
Countless rats crawled out of the walls, following the smell to the dead cat.
Feng Ze's breath caught. Cold sweat soaked his back, and the intense discomfort made him nauseous. He wanted to look away, but couldn't. His gaze seemed fixed on the dead cat.
Fear swept over him. Feng Ze could barely control his emotions, and he clenched his fists like an agitated wild beast.
Tao Zhiyan stepped forward, blocking Feng Ze's view, and asked softly, "Can you still see it now?"
No.
Tao Zhiyan had completely blocked the terrifying scene from view.
Feng Ze stared at Tao Zhiyan for a long moment, then shook his head.
Tao Zhiyan let out a breath and took Feng Ze's wrist. "Don't be afraid. None of that is real."
"Come on, let's get you back to bed." Tao Zhiyan turned Feng Ze around and led him toward the bed. "You won't be scared once you're asleep. I'll stay with you."
Feng Ze looked at the hand Tao Zhiyan had wrapped around his own.
Butler Tao's hand was a little cool, like a piece of smooth jade. It felt soothing against his burning skin.
"Lie down." Tao Zhiyan straightened the pillow, eased Feng Ze down, then pulled the covers over him. "I'm here with you. Don't worry. Nothing will dare come near you."
Feng Ze's eyes never left Tao Zhiyan.
After coming to the Feng Family, he had suffered frequent episodes.
But Feng Ze's Father was busy, and Feng Ze wasn't a child who cried or made a fuss. Whenever this happened, he endured it alone.
Butler Tao had been there during his last episode, too.
But Feng Ze's condition had been severe that day, and he had somewhat lost his reason. He wasn't sure how Butler Tao had soothed him, and he had forgotten what it felt like.
Today, however, he could feel it clearly.
"..."
It was a strange feeling, but not an unpleasant one.
Feng Ze looked at Tao Zhiyan. After a long moment, he asked in a muffled voice, "Do you think it's funny?"
Tao Zhiyan didn't quite understand. "What's funny?"
"The hallucinations," Feng Ze said. "There's clearly nothing there, but I say there is. Isn't that funny?"
Tao Zhiyan's expression shifted slightly at those words. Then he shook his head and answered with complete seriousness, "It isn't funny."
It was the first time Feng Ze had seen that expression on Tao Zhiyan's face.
Those bright eyes shone in the darkness, holding an enduring resilience, like those of some small animal.
Feng Ze suddenly felt that Tao Zhiyan looked a little too serious.
Could it be... that he had experienced this too?
Feng Ze spoke. "I lived in an orphanage when I was little."
At the word "orphanage," Tao Zhiyan's expression changed. He instinctively lowered his eyes and pressed his lips together.
Feng Ze caught that expression immediately and found it strange.
Choosing his words, Feng Ze stared at Tao Zhiyan and said, "You probably wouldn't understand how terrifying an orphanage can be."
Tao Zhiyan swallowed. His eyes lost focus for a moment before his fingers clenched. "...I understand."
"I spent a long time in an orphanage, too."
A different emotion flickered in Feng Ze's eyes.
He had looked into Tao Zhiyan's background.
Tao Zhiyan had grown up in a very happy family. An only child whose parents were both in business, he came from a well-off household and had excellent grades.
How could he have lived in an orphanage?
A probing look entered Feng Ze's eyes.
Tao Zhiyan clearly didn't notice. Pulling himself out of those unhappy memories, he took a deep breath, then drew the covers higher over Feng Ze. "Go to sleep. I'll stay here with you."
Feng Ze was silent for a long time, then turned away and closed his eyes.
Tao Zhiyan sat there for over ten minutes. Only when the man in bed began breathing steadily did he get up to leave.
To his surprise, as soon as he stepped outside, he saw a fluffy head peeking around the corner.
Seeing Tao Zhiyan emerge, Bai Ruan approached with a troubled expression and asked quietly, "Butler Tao, why are you coming out of the eldest young master's room so late?"
Tao Zhiyan was a little surprised that Bai Ruan was still awake. "The eldest young master wasn't feeling well, so I came up to check on him."
"Have you forgotten?" Bai Ruan seemed deeply worried that his idol would be deceived. He stressed, "You can't trust CEOs! Especially ones named Feng!"
Tao Zhiyan chuckled. Turning back, he took the door handle and slowly pulled the door shut. "You can trust the eldest young master."
Bai Ruan remained skeptical. "Really?"
"Really." Tao Zhiyan thought for a moment, then answered, "I think the eldest young master is a very good person."
Thud-
The door closed.
In the darkness, Feng Ze slowly opened his eyes. He turned over and looked at the tightly shut door.
After a long while, he gave a quiet chuckle.
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