Yu Nian hesitated, but walked over anyway.
Qin Yuheng took his wrist and drew him down to sit beside him. "Nian Nian, I want you to be honest with me, all right?"
Yu Nian pressed his lips together and said apologetically, "I just... haven't quite recovered yet."
In other words, he had still been frightened.
Qin Yuheng asked patiently, "Did you think I was scary?"
Yu Nian nodded, then shook his head. "Brother Yu, you were different just now. You barely even seemed like yourself. It was this... this... I don't quite know how to describe it."
He sounded guilty. "I'm sorry. It's my fault. You were standing up for me, and I was still afraid of you."
"Do you dislike me?" Qin Yuheng asked.
"I don't dislike you. I just..." He shook his head frantically, his words becoming muddled. He was just terribly afraid of meeting a gaze like that.
That expression had been like a wild beast's, like a cold-blooded creature devoid of feeling. A disregard for life and a cruelty had radiated from deep within him, nothing like what a normal person should possess. Even though that gaze had not been directed at him, it had still brought back bad memories for Yu Nian.
But remembering that Qin Yuheng had only been trying to help him, Yu Nian chose his words carefully and forced a smile. "It's okay. I'm just not used to seeing you like that yet. But when I think about it, it's really nothing. I know you're a good person, Brother Yu. I was overthinking it."
Qin Yuheng, however, frowned slightly. He had never seen Yu Nian like this.
In his memories, Yu Nian had always been full of life, brave and fearless.
Whether he had been facing Sea Star's unfair treatment or Xie