Wen Zhiyan, why did you try to kill yourself?

Jiang Lan noticed Wen Zhiyan's distraction, and his own thoughts could no longer return to the game either. His mind was filled with the finger Wen Zhiyan hadn't put down in the previous round.

He felt as though the large mouthful of liquor he had just swallowed was starting to give him a headache.

How the rest of the game went, what he said, and how it ended all felt like a dream to Jiang Lan. Once it was over, it seemed to have left no impression at all.

Only when the production team announced the reward did Jiang Lan barely come back to his senses.

The reward was straightforward: the final winner would get first choice of a partner for tomorrow's date.

And that lucky winner happened to be Jiang Lan, who had already gained a slight advantage in the previous round.

When his name came over the speakers, Jiang Lan was still a little bewildered. For a moment, he couldn't tell whether he had really won or had simply forgotten to put his fingers down during the last few questions.

By then, everyone was a little tipsy.

Perhaps Xu Can really was a little drunk, or perhaps the alcohol was just an excuse to act wild. Upon hearing the reward, Xu Can stood straight up on a chair and shouted at Jiang Lan:

"Lan-ge! Pick me! I want to go on a date with you!"

While everyone was still stunned, Qiao Xin, who couldn't hold her liquor either, unexpectedly had a burst of competitiveness at precisely the wrong moment and said to Jiang Lan:

"No, pick me!"

She meant nothing else by it.

It was simply because Xu Can was standing too high, and she wanted to compete with someone who looked taller than her.

But everyone there had already had quite a bit to drink. With the evening breeze blowing, they were all woozy, and Qiao Xin's sudden interruption got Pei Du started too.

As always, Pei Du didn't care when it came to anyone else, but when it came to Qiao Xin, he absolutely had to compete.

So he stood up too and said fiercely to Jiang Lan, "Jiang Lan, if you're my brother, pick me. You absolutely cannot pick Qiao Xin."

Jiang Lan watched coldly from the sidelines.

The alphas were starting to let loose, and Tan Duoduo joined in too. "Lan-ge would have to be crazy to pick any of you. You're all hard all over. He'd be better off picking me."

Yu Nan looked left and right, then asked Jiang Lan, "Lan-ge, if you pick Qiao Xin, can you take me along? I'll carry your bags."

Ye Qiunian's cheeks were flushed, and he was bleary. "I want to go too."

Lin Ziyou hadn't drunk too much and was clearheaded, but since everyone was talking nonsense, he joined the fun:

"Then count me in too? I can take pictures for everyone?"

Jiang Lan had no words.

Watching everyone grow increasingly ridiculous, he pressed his lips together and glanced at Wen Zhiyan.

He didn't have the courage to invite Wen Zhiyan alone at a time like this, so he chose to be ridiculous along with everyone else.

He looked up at the sky and swept his hand:

"Then let's all go. Everyone."

Wen Zhiyan: "..."

The speakers: "..."

A member of the production staff found the director. "Should we intervene?"

The director waved a hand. "It's pretty entertaining. Let them be."

With the game over, everyone returned to their rooms.

Having switched rooms with Ye Qiunian, Wen Zhiyan went down to the second floor with Jiang Lan.

His room was diagonally across from Jiang Lan's. Before pressing down on the door handle, he looked back at Jiang Lan.

At that familiar look, Jiang Lan's Adam's apple bobbed. He said nothing and turned back into his bedroom.

He changed and showered. Close to midnight, he took a lighter out of the bedside drawer and went to the balcony to light a cigarette.

At 12:01 a.m., the red light on the room's camera went out. Wearing pajamas and slippers, Jiang Lan left his room and stood outside Wen Zhiyan's door.

Before he could raise his hand to knock, Wen Zhiyan's door opened from inside.

Wen Zhiyan looked at Jiang Lan standing outside. "I was just going to..."

Unfortunately, before he could finish, Jiang Lan shoved him back inside.

Jiang Lan strode into Wen Zhiyan's bedroom, reached back to shut and lock the door, then pinned Wen Zhiyan against the wall with a fierce gaze and kissed him.

Mint toothpaste mingled with the faint scent of tobacco and filled Wen Zhiyan's nose.

Wen Zhiyan turned his head slightly. "Jiang Lan, you've had too much to drink."

Looking into Wen Zhiyan's eyes, Jiang Lan gripped his chin and bit his lower lip.

"I'm not here to listen to your bullshit, Wen Zhiyan. Open your mouth."

Wen Zhiyan lowered his eyes to Jiang Lan's face, so close to his own, and chuckled. He opened his mouth, letting Jiang Lan run rampant inside it with his blustering bravado.

Jiang Lan couldn't remember how long it had been since he had last kissed Wen Zhiyan.

The warm, wet sensation was both familiar and strange, making every pore on Jiang Lan's body open completely in that moment.

The intense scent of roses after rain, mingled with a faint metallic tang of rust, burst from the back of Jiang Lan's neck, enveloping Wen Zhiyan completely.

Roses ought to smell sweet and alluring, but too strong a scent made them garish.

But not Jiang Lan's roses. His were vivid and thorny, carrying the metallic sweetness of rust, with none of that delicate beauty-only an aggression that most alphas utterly rejected and shunned, utterly domineering.

Wen Zhiyan drew a deep breath and wrapped his arms around Jiang Lan's waist.

Sensing Wen Zhiyan beginning to respond, Jiang Lan stopped. He pulled back, breathing hard, stared into Wen Zhiyan's eyes, and asked:

"Wen Zhiyan, why did you try to kill yourself?"

Wen Zhiyan raised a hand and gently stroked the back of Jiang Lan's head. "It's nothing, Lan-ge. It's all in the past."

Jiang Lan wouldn't accept that. "It's in the past just because you say so? What do you take me for? An ex you could take or leave? A past not worth mentioning?"

"You know perfectly well that's not true."

Helpless, Wen Zhiyan tried to lower his head and kiss Jiang Lan, only for Jiang Lan to cover his mouth and push him back against the wall.

"No kissing me. Answer the question."

Wen Zhiyan's eyes curved, and he lightly licked Jiang Lan's palm.

Jiang Lan had gone without desire for too long. Now even his palm had become sensitive, and his scalp instantly tingled.

He glared at Wen Zhiyan. "Don't act cute, Wen Zhiyan. That doesn't work on me."

Wen Zhiyan caught Jiang Lan's wrist and moved his hand away from his face. "I can't answer your question with your hand over my mouth."

Looking at Jiang Lan's fierce expression and clenched fist, he said in amusement, "You look like you're about to hit me."

Jiang Lan pulled free of Wen Zhiyan's grip. Noticing the wrist where Wen Zhiyan always wore his watch, he caught it in turn and pushed the watch strap up a little.

A hideous scar that ran almost all the way across Wen Zhiyan's wrist lay exposed before Jiang Lan.

Jiang Lan closed his eyes briefly and pressed his fingers against the scar, unable to imagine what resolve to die Wen Zhiyan must have had to cut himself so deeply.

At that moment, he felt as though all the strength had been drained from his body.

Holding Wen Zhiyan's hand, Jiang Lan relaxed his grip and rested his forehead against Wen Zhiyan's shoulder. "Does it hurt?"

Wen Zhiyan couldn't see Jiang Lan's expression. He could only hear the almost imperceptible tremor in his voice.

He embraced Jiang Lan again, brushed his cheek against his, and whispered in his ear:

"No. It stopped hurting a long time ago."

Jiang Lan reached out to return Wen Zhiyan's embrace. His tone softened, and he asked with some sadness:

"Wen Zhiyan, was it because of me?"