During his nearly three-month stay in the detention center, Zhang Ze saw Huo Cifeng only a handful of times.
Often, even when you encounter them, you can only watch from afar, because they are not qualified to approach, nor do they deserve it.
The detention center has strict regulations and is under very strict supervision; no one can cause trouble inside.
There's no chance of doing so in private; the place is heavily monitored, an impenetrable fortress. Every single person imprisoned here is a ruthless character.
Huo Cifeng, however, remained completely unaffected and returned to his daily routine of reading, almost oblivious to the world around him. Perhaps because he had been treated well, everyone inside avoided Huo Cifeng like the plague.
Since learning the truth, Zhang Ze has been plagued by nightmares for several nights. He is sometimes in a daze, and sometimes he can't distinguish between dreams and reality.
He wanted to explain to Huo Cifeng, but he had nothing left to explain.
A mistake is a mistake.
Even if he knelt down and apologized, he couldn't bring back the Huo Cifeng of the past.
Everything he did was deserved.
After the verdict was handed down, he lost all contact with Huo Cifeng and had no idea which prison Huo Cifeng was in; information was scarce in this area.
He hated himself, hated his past self for hurting the person who once cared about him the most...
Two weeks later, Zhang Ze died in prison, reportedly due to depression, and committed suicide.
--
A light drizzle began to fall from the gray sky.
After leaving Blue Sky University, Zhang Ze walked home alone. The rain intensified, and he picked up his bag, put it on his head, and tried to run away. Just then, a passing car stopped beside him.
A clear voice rang out inside the car.
" Zhang Ze, get in the car."
"No need, you can go now."
A black Mercedes was parked beside him, and a handsome but aloof face stared straight at him.
In the end, Zhang Ze couldn't withstand that commanding gaze.
He opened the car door and got in.
After the car drove away, a young man emerged, holding a black umbrella. He smiled and softly said, "Welcome to a parallel universe."
-
After getting on the bus, Zhang Ze told the driver his home address. He felt the air conditioning in the bus was too cold and couldn't help but sneeze.
The young master frowned almost imperceptibly and tossed the blanket beside his legs to him.
Zhang Ze pulled the blanket off his head and chuckled twice, "You're so kind."
Huo Cifeng didn't look at him, but stared blankly out the window, his hand tightening slightly as if he were thinking of something.
Zhang Ze observed his expression from the side.
Before going to university, Huo Cifeng had been ill and lived a secluded life. Many people around him knew that Huo Cifeng was a sickly young master.
However, every time this young master appeared before him, he was always covered in injuries. No one knew where those injuries came from, but Zhang Ze had heard his father and mother whisper that the young master was often beaten by his mother, and his academic performance was almost entirely due to the beatings.
In addition, Huo Cifeng was born prematurely, so his physical condition was particularly poor. It is said that he did not walk until he was over two years old, and his bones were not well developed. He could sit but hardly walked.
He had visited the Huo Family once or twice and saw that Huo Cifeng was almost always sitting in a wheelchair, his eyes lifeless, often staring blankly at the flowers and plants in the back of the Huo residence's garden.
No one knows what he's thinking.
This is all the information Zhang Ze currently has about Huo Cifeng. He doesn't know much more. His father used to be Huo's father's assistant, but later, in order to advance his career, his father stopped staying with the Huo Family and quickly invested in a venture capital company.
Huo Cifeng said calmly, "What are you looking at?"
Zhang Ze was unaware that he was engrossed in what he was watching, and the blanket covering him gradually warmed him up.
"Young master, you are so handsome."
Huo Cifeng seemed not to hear him and slowly closed his eyes.
Zhang Ze wasn't embarrassed; after all, he was a young master, and it was normal for him to have a temper. As they approached home, he folded the blanket neatly, smiled, and thanked him, "Thank you, young master. See you tomorrow."
Zhang Ze had countless opportunities to get close to this young master, but he didn't dare.
But when he met Huo Cifeng again today, he felt that this young master was different from what he had imagined. Although he was a bit aloof, he was still a very nice person and was even willing to take him home.
No one expected that after that, the news of Zhang Ze getting into Huo Cifeng's car would spread throughout the prestigious school.
A boy with dyed red hair and several others cornered him in the toilet, poured a bucket of water over him, and repeatedly punched and kicked him.
When he was hit with the first punch, he was stunned and his mind went blank.
He was unaware of and unclear about this unprovoked malice; it was the first time he had been treated this way, and it made him feel extremely humiliated.
He tried to resist, but was stomped to the ground by several people. He struggled to open his eyes, trying to see who the people in front of him were, but was slapped hard across the face.
"What? You want to pursue Huo Cifeng? Did I agree to it?"
The one who said this was Song Ziming, a tall and burly man who was a notorious bully at Blue Sky University.
At school, everyone knew that Song Ziming's favorite person was Huo Cifeng Huo Cifeng, who excelled in everything from academics to piano and art.
Zhang Ze vaguely recalled getting into Huo Cifeng's car yesterday. There was no one around at the time, so how could anyone know?
He swallowed hard, trying to explain, but the school bully wouldn't let it go. His henchmen slammed his face to the floor again, his cheekbone hitting the ground and quickly turning bruised and black.
After this incident, Zhang Ze took a week off.
No one knew what had happened to Zhang Ze. When he returned to school with his bag, he had become gloomy, and anyone who saw him from afar would feel that he was not someone to be trifled with.
Back in the classroom, he saw the slender Huo Cifeng. Huo Cifeng was startled when he saw him return, but quickly ignored him.
Zhang Ze's undisguised gaze at the young master's face made even Song Ziming, who was passing by, feel disgusted.
"What a pervert." Song Ziming glanced at him with disgust.
A strange thing happened. A few days later, everyone in the class felt a chill down their spine and got goosebumps whenever they saw Zhang Ze. They wished they could take a detour, let alone verbally abuse him. Of course, Song Ziming and his group were an exception.
Later, he voluntarily switched seats with the classmate next to Huo Cifeng. He didn't listen to the lectures, but just slept on the desk. He didn't disturb Huo Cifeng, but just stayed by Huo Cifeng's side until the end of class. Zhang Ze stayed by Huo Cifeng's side the whole time.
After Huo Cifeng got into the car, the young master suddenly left him with a cold message: Zhang Ze, please stay away from me.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Ze's eyes reddened. Watching the car drive away, his hoarse voice was filled with deep regret, "I'm sorry, but I didn't want to..."