Chapter 14

After hanging up the phone, Zhu Shiyan still had a smile lingering at the corners of his mouth, feeling in high spirits as he prepared to take a shower. Yet, just as he was about to step into the bathroom, he paused, furrowing his brows.

For some reason, an uneasy feeling gnawed at his heart.

Xi Wan’s voice had sounded off, and since he didn’t have a mobile phone, if he wanted to call, he would have borrowed someone else’s phone. So why was it a landline number?

Who still had a landline these days?

If it was a landline...

Zhu Shiyan frowned thoughtfully. Could the number he dialed from the old-style phone booth have been a landline?

But it was the Lunar New Year’s Eve, the biggest night of the year—why would Xi Wan go to a phone booth just to call him?

The more Zhu Shiyan thought about it, the more unsettled he became, though he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what felt wrong. After showering, he sat restlessly in his room, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

Eventually, he couldn’t bear it any longer. Taking his phone, he stepped out into the early hours of New Year’s Eve, just past one in the morning.

Walking the streets, he thought he might be crazy. Maybe Xi Wan simply wanted to stop by a phone booth to say “Happy New Year,” and nothing more.

If he recklessly went out to look for him and found him asleep... just the thought made him cringe.

Yet, Zhu Shiyan couldn’t rest without seeing him. If something was wrong, at least he could lend a hand.

He hailed a car and gave the address of Xi Wan’s home.

He had known the address since the very first day he transferred to this school, but this was his first time coming this way.

C City was considered a large city, but this area was choked with dust and littered with sewage—a far cry from the glittering urban center.

The driver stopped at the entrance of a rundown urban village and refused to go any further, taking his fare and leaving without a word.

In his haste, Zhu Shiyan wore only a light coat. As he stepped out, the biting cold wind stabbed deep into his bones.

He hunched his neck and, relying on memory, pressed forward.

Before finding Xi Wan’s home, he spotted an old phone booth.

Inside, it seemed someone was lying down.

Zhu Shiyan froze, a bad premonition rising in his chest. He quickened his pace and rushed over, his pupils contracting sharply as he saw the figure inside.

“Xi Wan!”

Xi Wan felt as if he were dying.

His body had grown numb from the cold; his head throbbed as if about to explode, and darkness swam before his eyes.

His leg was probably broken—he wasn’t sure—but he couldn’t stand.

Clutching his coat, he curled into a ball, suddenly thinking that perhaps dying like this wasn’t so bad.

On a cold winter night, on the eve of the Lunar New Year, quietly departing alone.

No one cared about him anyway...

His parents treated him like an enemy; teachers and classmates viewed him as a menace. He had no family, no friends, and today, he had even killed his own father.

Perhaps his very existence was a mistake.

Perhaps he should have died long ago.

If he died, those people would only rejoice.

No one would mourn his death.

No.

That wasn’t right.

There was one person.

As if recalling something, Xi Wan struggled to open his eyes, a flicker of emotion passing through their emptiness.

There was one more person...

And only that person.

***

That person cared about his wounds, concerned over his moods and feelings, willing to be his friend and attentive to his feelings.

—The only warmth he had ever felt in his dark and barren life.

Xi Wan clenched the coat tightly, slowly resting his head with a look of longing.

He hoped that after his death, the young master wouldn’t be too sad...

“Xi Wan!”

A sudden sharp voice exploded near his ear. Xi Wan wanted to open his eyes to see who it was, but his eyelids were too heavy. Unable to keep them open, he drifted back into darkness.

Before completely losing consciousness, he thought:

That voice really sounded like the young master—was it a hallucination?

The emergency room lights flickered on. Zhu Shiyan sat on a chair outside, his fingers trembling nervously, heart pounding as if it would burst from his chest.

God knew how terrified he was when he saw Xi Wan lying bloodied in the phone booth. The system’s storyline didn’t mention anything about this New Year’s Eve, so he hadn’t thought much of it—yet something so serious had happened!

If Xi Wan hadn’t called himself, and if he hadn’t felt uneasy and decided to come looking for him, Xi Wan might have bled out and frozen to death that night!

The overwhelming fear and shock made cold sweat break out along Zhu Shiyan’s back, and his body trembled slightly.

At this moment, he wasn’t thinking about his mission or the male lead—he was thinking about Xi Wan himself.

...He had almost witnessed his death.

Xi Wan only woke up near noon the next day.

It took him a full minute after opening his eyes to realize he was in a hospital.

His wounds were all bandaged, his clothes changed, and his leg was in a cast. The air smelled strongly of disinfectant.

Someone seemed to be nearby, leaning over. The swirl of hair looked familiar.

His heart raced uncontrollably as he realized who it was, reaching out carefully to touch.

The familiar feeling stunned him instantly.

...So last night wasn’t a hallucination. The young master really came to find him.

Zhu Shiyan’s sleep was light—or rather, he hadn’t truly fallen asleep, just dozed off slightly. The moment Xi Wan touched him, he woke up.

He rubbed his eyes and sat up, an expression of relief on his face. “You’re awake? Is your head still dizzy? Any other discomfort?”

Xi Wan stared at him unwaveringly, shaking his head slowly.

“Hey, don’t shake like that,” Zhu Shiyan said, adjusting his head. “You still have a head injury. Be careful of headaches.”

Xi Wan obediently kept his head still and asked, “How did you know where I was?”

His voice was hoarse, rough like sandpaper scraping a table.

“You still haven’t told me ‘Happy New Year’,” Zhu Shiyan muttered while pouring him a glass of water. “But you didn’t say you were hurt! If I hadn’t felt uneasy and come looking for you, do you know you almost died?”

Xi Wan showed no sign of guilt, instead staring at him almost greedily.

The memories of last night, soaked with blood and insults, felt like a dream. The despair and numbness seemed to fade with the rising sun, replaced only by Zhu Shiyan’s worried scolding.

He had survived.

Xi Wan suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude.

Fortunately.

He had survived.

Only by living could he see the vibrant young master again, only by living could he hear his voice once more.

Zhu Shiyan spoke until his mouth was dry, only to notice that Xi Wan wasn’t really listening, his gaze distant as if lost in thought.

Frustrated and anxious, Zhu Shiyan raised his voice, emphasizing, “If something like this happens again, you must call me immediately, got it?”

Xi Wan returned to reality with a soft “Mm.”

***

Zhu Shiyan said he was tired and sat back down. After hesitating for a moment, he casually asked, “Where did you get those injuries?”

Xi Wan’s expression stiffened, and he muttered vaguely, “I fell.”

Zhu Shiyan gave him a look that said, “Do you take me for a fool?”

“Can a fall cause injuries like this?”

Xi Wan was silent for a second before correcting himself: “I was hit by a car.”

Zhu Shiyan narrowed his eyes. “What kind of car?”

“...A sedan.”

“What about the driver?”

“He ran away.”

Zhu Shiyan didn’t believe a word.

He had seen the medical report. The injuries were clearly from being beaten, especially the wound on the head, described by the doctor as caused by a sharp glass object. What kind of car accident leaves a cut like that?

Just as he was about to press further, there was a knock at the door.

Zhu Tingyun leaned lazily against the doorframe, beckoning with a finger. “Xiao Yan, come out here.”

Zhu Shiyan had no choice but to hold his tongue and follow her out.

Zhu Tingyun didn’t stop until they reached the end of the corridor. Crossing her arms, her tone was serious, a stark contrast to her usual laziness.

“Xiao Yan, what exactly is his relationship to you?”

“A classmate... no, a friend.”

That night, when Zhu Shiyan found Xi Wan, he had immediately called emergency services and then contacted Zhu Tingyun to help arrange the hospital and keep the matter hidden from the rest of the Zhu family.

Zhu Tingyun hadn’t asked many questions. Upon receiving the call, she quickly arranged everything at the hospital and only left in the early hours.

Now, she held a file in her hands with a grave expression. Zhu Shiyan instinctively felt it was related to Xi Wan’s beating.

How serious could it be to make Zhu Tingyun look like this?

She asked again, “Is he important to you?”

Zhu Shiyan nodded, “Very important.”

“Good.” Zhu Tingyun handed him the photos. “Then you decide what to do.”

Zhu Shiyan stared at the photos for a long time without speaking.

Zhu Tingyun said, “Xiao Yan, anyone who can do something so cruel to their own father is no ordinary person.”

Moreover, he was only a sophomore in high school, with such a temperament at such a young age—it even startled her.

But Zhu Shiyan couldn’t focus on her words; his mind was a chaotic mess.

How could this be?

How could this part of the story be so prematurely revealed?

Xi Wan’s break with his nominal father was supposed to be in senior year, close to the college entrance exams, and it was only a scuffle—no stabbing involved.

What had really happened?

Why was the storyline so wildly off course?

Zhu Tingyun thought he was frightened and patted his shoulder gently.

“You can’t judge a book by its cover. Xiao Yan, you should be cautious about who you befriend.”

“No, it’s not his fault,” Zhu Shiyan instinctively defended, clenching his fingers. “That man doesn’t deserve to be called his father. He drinks, beats him, stops him from going to school, and exploits him in every way possible. Xi Wan must have been driven to the brink before he finally fought back.”

Zhu Tingyun raised an eyebrow. “It’s tragic, yes. But tragedy brings trouble. Like now—he stabbed his father. That man won’t let it go. He’ll be taken back and suffer even worse abuse. What can you do? Call the police?”

Zhu Shiyan remained silent.

If calling the police worked, Xi Wan wouldn’t have endured until senior year, until he was eighteen and legally an adult, before completely severing ties with that scoundrel.