His other hand clamped down hard on Yan Heqing's chin, forcing him to look up at him.
"Hmm? Or do you only have eyes for that other man, Feng Zhixian?"
Lu Muchi leaned close to that lovely, translucent ear, a vicious laugh in his voice. "What, is he that good in bed? Did he fuck you so well?"
His chin hurt as though it were about to be crushed. Worst of all was the patch of skin Lu Muchi touched-slimy and disgusting, as though infected by a virus, rotting away bit by bit at a frantic pace.
Yan Heqing's brows knitted tightly. He clenched his fist, raised it with a clear target, and swung hard at Lu Muchi's nose.
Lu Muchi had never expected Yan Heqing to dare fight back. He neither dodged nor ducked, taking the punch squarely on the nose. He grunted in pain, released Yan Heqing, and stumbled back a few steps to touch his nose. Then a hot stream gushed from his nostrils, wetting his fingers.
His nose was bleeding from the punch.
Moving his fingers away and looking at the blood on them, Lu Muchi laughed in fury. "You dared hit me?"
Several distinct thumbprints marked Yan Heqing's chin, and his face was very pale, but the gaze he met Lu Muchi with was sharper than a blade. "Just returning the favor."
Lu Muchi pressed the tip of his tongue against the corner of his mouth and wiped his thumb across his lips, picking up more blood.
"Good. Very good."
His shoulders began shaking wildly, his laughter particularly frightening. Suddenly, he strode toward Yan Heqing, intending to throw him over his shoulder and leave.
This action appeared frequently in the original novel.
No matter where they were, as long as Lin Fengzhi wasn't there, Lu Muchi treated Yan Heqing like a dog. When pleased, he tossed him a little treat; when displeased, he beat and cursed him anytime, anywhere.
When desire struck, he was just as heedless of the setting, throwing Yan Heqing over his shoulder and leaving.
Yan Heqing's eyes darkened slightly. The instant Lu Muchi grabbed his shoulder, he spoke coldly. "Do I look that much like him?"
Lu Muchi had intended to carry Yan Heqing back to his shabby apartment and fuck him to death. At those words, his desire and raging anger vanished instantly.
As though frozen in place, he stood rigid before Yan Heqing.
Yan Heqing knew?
Yan Heqing knew he liked Lin Fengzhi?
Lu Muchi stared at Lu Muchi in shock. With blood still smeared beneath his nose, his stiff features looked utterly ridiculous.
Yan Heqing coughed quietly a few times. "I already know. You and my younger brother are childhood friends."
"You like Lin Fengzhi."
Yan Heqing raised his eyes coldly. "But you're weak. You're a coward. You don't dare confess, so you found me to be his substitute!"
"Shut up!" His sore spot exposed, Lu Muchi lost his composure and instinctively raised his hand to slap Yan Heqing. "Say another fucking-"
Yan Heqing neither flinched nor dodged. He watched Lu Muchi calmly. With his palm less than a centimeter from Yan Heqing's face, Lu Muchi clenched his back teeth hard. "Fuck."
He actually couldn't bring himself to hit him.
Lu Muchi's hand slid down, grabbing Yan Heqing's collar instead. He lowered his voice. "I'm warning you. If you dare let Lin Fengzhi find out, I'll have you expelled!"
Sure enough, Yan Heqing's body gave a slight shudder.
Lu Muchi's eyes abruptly lit up. He had found Yan Heqing's weakness-his studies!
He had only meant to test it at first. An outstanding student like Yan Heqing, ranked in the top three of his major, presumably loved studying. He had actually guessed right.
Feeling he had regained some ground, Lu Muchi's mood improved. He snorted coldly. "I mean what I say."
Of course Yan Heqing knew Lu Muchi could do it. At this point in the original novel, Lu Muchi had long since had his withdrawal papers issued.
His eyes brimmed with contempt. "Don't worry. I wouldn't tell Fengzhi about something so disgusting and filthy."
Lu Muchi's face changed color several times in an instant. He ground his teeth. "I may be disgusting and filthy, but sooner or later, you'll have to be disgusting and filthy with me."
Then he loosened his grip and released Yan Heqing, his dark eyes narrowing slightly. "Yan Heqing, don't think I'll let you off just because you're Zhizhi's biological older brother. My patience is limited. You'd better come around on your own. Don't force my hand."
Lu Muchi left.
Yan Heqing never looked back. Lowering his eyes, he crouched to pick up the can of cat food by his feet. This one was unopened. He hooked his index finger through the pull tab.
Click.
He lifted the lid and placed the opened can of cat food among the stray cats' feast.
At the same time, Lin Fengzhi was writing in his diary.
A small, exquisite Ultraman stood beneath the desk lamp. Lin Fengzhi took a Polaroid and carefully pasted it onto today's diary page.
[I never knew I liked Ultraman when I was little! He-Yan Heqing gave me an Ultraman figure today, and we had hot pot together.
The hot pot was especially delicious! The baby cuttlefish and blueberry juice were all so tasty!
Yan Heqing must love me a lot, right? He remembers every one of my habits and interests.
That's it for today. Another happy day, and another day of missing Uncle Lu Lin!]
The bedroom door gently opened, and Lin Fengyi came in carrying milk. "What are you doing? You're smiling so happily."
Lin Fengzhi hurriedly put away his diary, fumbling as he stuffed it into a drawer. "Nothing." He turned around, saw the milk, and scrunched up his whole face. "Milk again...?"
"A glass before bed helps you sleep." Lin Fengyi walked over to the desk and set down the milk with a smile. "It's still a little hot. Let it sit before you drink it."
"We'll see," Lin Fengzhi muttered.
Leaning back against the desk, his gaze evasive, Lin Fengyi asked what he had really come for. "Did you go see that Yan guy today?"
"He has a name. It's Yan Heqing," Lin Fengzhi corrected him immediately.
Lin Fengzhi was actually defending Yan Heqing, quite unlike his usual self. Puzzled, Lin Fengyi also worried that Yan Heqing had gone back on his word and shown Lin Fengzhi the video of him French-kissing a man, tarnishing his image as a good older brother.
"All right, Yan Heqing." Lin Fengyi probed indirectly. "He... what did you two talk about?"
"Lots of things. Food, drinks." Lin Fengzhi paused, then suddenly leaned forward over the desk and grabbed the Ultraman figure, waving it at Lin Fengyi. "And this! The Ultraman he gave me! He said I liked Ultraman when I was little."
Lin Fengzhi showed nothing unusual, and Lin Fengyi's anxious heart finally settled. It seemed Yan Heqing had kept his mouth shut. At least he knew what was good for him!