HL 17

Ying Yusheng carried the unconscious Xu Nanxiao to a secluded lounge chair behind the bar, a spot rarely visited by anyone.

Throughout the process, they drew no attention. After all, dragging a comatose drunk near a bar was as ordinary as the sun rising from the east every day.

Ying Yusheng dropped Xu Nanxiao onto the bench and looked down at him from above, as if gazing at a lump of rotting flesh or a lifeless object.

Then, he knelt one knee on the bench, reached out, and clamped Xu Nanxiao’s jaw, forcing his face upward, examining him from side to side. Xu Nanxiao was fast asleep, his brows relaxed, showing an unusual docility.

Ying Yusheng thought to himself—truly a scumbag with nothing but a good face.

For a degenerate like this, whose mind was full of himself, a dog unable to control his urges, kind words were a waste of time. Far more effective was to carve fear into his very bones.

With that thought, Ying Yusheng bit down on Xu Nanxiao’s lips.

He kissed with brutal force, as if trying to devour him. Even unconscious, Xu Nanxiao let out pained murmurs.

Perhaps his tongue had torn the mucous membrane, or his canine teeth had scraped the corner of his mouth. Before long, the taste of blood filled both their mouths.

But that metallic taste only fueled the fire. Ying Yusheng grew more restless, pressing his body down onto Xu Nanxiao.

When Xu Nanxiao woke up, he didn’t know how much time had passed.

He sat up slowly from the lounge chair, holding his dizzy head. He looked around in confusion, unable to remember how he’d ended up in this godforsaken place.

Then he felt a sharp sting inside his mouth.

Xu Nanxiao hissed and instinctively touched the wounds with his tongue. To his surprise, he found several small cuts inside his mouth, some places even raw—each touch brought a slight prick of pain.

What had he done? It wasn’t like he’d swallowed hydrochloric acid—how could his mouth be so torn up?

As he was puzzling over this, he noticed a piece of clothing draped over him. It wasn’t his. He picked it up—

It was a black hoodie.

In an instant, all those photos and videos flooded back into his mind.

How could he not recognize this garment? Of course he recognized it! And he also remembered what had happened before he blacked out—the person who’d knocked him out and brought him here was exactly a man in a hoodie!

Immediately, Xu Nanxiao understood what the odd sensations in his mouth meant. His head buzzed, and his heart felt like a series of explosions going off in his chest, pounding so hard it nearly leaped out of his throat.

Xu Nanxiao checked himself over thoroughly. Aside from his mouth, his body hadn’t been touched—not even a single coin was missing from his pocket. Given the hooded man’s level of depravity, this was almost uncharacteristically chaste.

He could have erased all the evidence, yet he’d deliberately left the hoodie on Xu Nanxiao.

Had he done it so Xu Nanxiao wouldn’t catch cold? Impossible. It was a provocation—a message meant to tell Xu Nanxiao:

Whenever I want, I can do whatever I please with you. This time was just a warning. Next time, I’ll collect with interest.

A suffocating fear of being controlled and watched enveloped his entire body. He frantically scanned his surroundings—the shadows of the bushes, the corners of buildings all seemed to hide the hooded man’s silhouette, as if every move he made was being savored.

Xu Nanxiao finally broke down. For the first time, the thought of calling the police crossed his mind.

But then he imagined showing those photos and videos to cops, recounting the details of being stalked and harassed to a bunch of strangers, enduring their pitying or mocking gazes…

And Meng Zhao.

That guy who tried to save him like he was some fallen youth, so naive and self-righteous—Xu Nanxiao felt sick just thinking about him.

His pride would never allow him to go to the police.

Xu Nanxiao didn’t remember how he’d stumbled home. He was terrified and just wanted to crawl into bed, sleep, and forget all this mess.

But when he opened the door, he saw that the light in Ying Yusheng’s room was on.

It was already two in the morning.

With Ying Yusheng’s schedule, he always went to bed at ten without fail—his lifestyle was as healthy as an old man’s.

But tonight, he stood leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, expressionless, eyes cast down. He usually wore a smile, so this look was especially unfamiliar—like a mask fixed in place.

“Not asleep?”

“Yeah, working on a paper until now.” Ying Yusheng straightened up and said casually, “Before she left, I asked the housekeeper to make some hangover soup. I’ll heat it up for you.”

“No need. I’m going to sleep.” Afraid that Ying Yusheng would notice something off, Xu Nanxiao turned to go to his room.

“Nanxiao.” Ying Yusheng called out to him. “Let’s talk.”

“We can talk tomorrow—”

Xu Nanxiao turned around impatiently, but when he saw Ying Yusheng’s cold expression, he fell silent abruptly. Before his mind could catch up, his mouth had already caved.

“…Okay.”

Ying Yusheng still heated up the hangover soup for him. The housekeeper made it well—Xu Nanxiao drank it all in big gulps.

More importantly, he wasn’t inclined to defy Ying Yusheng right now.

“Did you have fun today?” Ying Yusheng asked with a smile.

Xu Nanxiao studied his expression carefully. Seeing that it was no different from usual, he unconsciously relaxed a little. “Not bad.”

“What were you doing when I called?”

“…”

“Met a girl you liked?”

“…”

“If I hadn’t texted, would you have slept at her place?”

“…”

Xu Nanxiao was no stranger to this line of questioning—his previous regular hookup had interrogated him the same way. But who did Ying Yusheng think he was? What gave him the right?

Suppressing his anger, Xu Nanxiao said, “You said you had OCD, so I never brought anyone home. Can’t I even go out? It’s not like I don’t shower after!”

“I’m not asking you to be celibate. You can have a steady girlfriend.”

“Easier said than done.”

Xu Nanxiao couldn’t do it. He no longer had the heart or the ability to build a long-term relationship with anyone.

And Ying Yusheng knew better than anyone that he couldn’t—which was exactly why he said it.

Ying Yusheng said nothing, just stared silently at Xu Nanxiao. His pupils were calm and still, yet they made Xu Nanxiao’s skin crawl.

“Fine. I understand.” Finally, Ying Yusheng spoke. “Then move out of my place.”

Xu Nanxiao froze.

“If you can’t respect my values, then please pack your things and leave.”

Xu Nanxiao had always treated Ying Yusheng as someone he could summon and dismiss at will, and Ying Yusheng had never said no. He’d taken Ying Yusheng’s kindness for granted, never expecting to hear such words.

Though flustered inside, he still put up a tough front. “Fine by me. I’ll—”

“Don’t come to me anymore—whether it’s insomnia or harassment.” Ying Yusheng’s voice was flat. “During the time you’ve lived with me, has the hooded man ever appeared before you? No. I’ve always suspected he’s among those fair-weather friends of yours, but clearly you can’t bring yourself to cut ties with them.”

“?!”

“Nanxiao, I wanted to get along with you. But you’re full of yourself, and honestly, I’m getting tired of it. So that’s it. I don’t want to help you find the hooded man anymore. Whatever he does to you from now on, it’s none of my business.” With that, Ying Yusheng stood up. “You can wait until you find a new place before moving out. I’m going to bed.”

In that moment, Ying Yusheng suddenly no longer seemed like a convenient tool to Xu Nanxiao.

He realized, all at once, that his life was full of benefits Ying Yusheng had given him—the comfortable living, the spacious house, the meticulous care, the treatment for his insomnia, someone to confide in… All of these were provided by Ying Yusheng, and he could take them away just as easily.

He was the one in control of these privileges.

And Xu Nanxiao had grown accustomed to all of it, without even noticing.

“I…” Xu Nanxiao forced out a single word, but in the end, he couldn’t call Ying Yusheng back.

Back in his room, Xu Nanxiao stood blankly in front of the bed.

He’d finally be able to sleep, but now he couldn’t fall asleep at all. His mind was a mess—and surprisingly, not because of the hooded man, but because of Ying Yusheng.

Was he… reluctant to move out?

There had been wealthy women who wanted to keep Xu Nanxiao before, offering quite tempting terms, but he’d always kept his distance. He was afraid of exactly this—once he grew dependent on someone, he’d inevitably have to lower his head for the rest of his life.

He’d long had his fill of living under someone else’s roof.

He’d avoided the comforts of rich women’s arms, only to end up tripped up by Ying Yusheng? What was this?

He’d go back tomorrow.

Back to his little thirty-or-forty-square-meter rental, chewing cold frozen breakfasts every day, riding his motorcycle an hour to work through scorching heat and freezing cold, weathering sickness alone, enduring silent nights and sleepless hours. No—that place had been found by the hooded man; it wasn’t safe anymore. He’d have to move somewhere else, somewhere else.

The hooded man.

Xu Nanxiao’s mouth stung again. He trembled under the covers, every tiny wound in his mouth cutting into his dignity like a knife.

No, he couldn’t live alone. If he did, the hooded man would eventually find another opportunity to strike!!! Without hypnotherapy, without someone to face it with him, without someone to listen—he’d definitely go insane!!!

Xu Nanxiao squeezed his eyes shut, forcing himself to sleep. But even as dawn broke, he hadn’t lost consciousness.

When he got up, Xu Nanxiao went to wash up with dark circles under his eyes.

After washing his face and brushing his teeth, he was still groggy. Maybe the lack of sleep had turned his brain into a poorly functioning bearing.

He pushed open the door and saw Ying Yusheng already eating breakfast, with political news playing on his iPad. The housekeeper was busy in the kitchen, the sound of running water coming from within.

“Good morning.” Ying Yusheng held his coffee cup and spoke coolly, distantly, without even looking up.

“Mm.” Xu Nanxiao gave a low, muffled response and slowly sat down at the table.

As they spoke, the housekeeper brought out a plate of basil-fried bacon. Ying Yusheng didn’t forget to thank her politely.

Xu Nanxiao took a bite—it was delicious. The bold, smoky flavor burst into his nostrils, carrying the charred aroma of burned fruitwood. He couldn’t help but eat four strips in one go.

Just as he was about to reach for a fifth, he suddenly realized Ying Yusheng still hadn’t touched his chopsticks.

Normally, he would have eaten the whole plate without a second thought, not caring about Ying Yusheng at all. But today, for some reason, Ying Yusheng’s words from last night suddenly came to mind.

[“You’re full of yourself.”]

[“Honestly, I’m getting tired of it.”]

[“You can wait until you find a new place before moving out.”]

Xu Nanxiao’s arm went rigid—he couldn’t bring himself to pick up his fork. He stared blankly at the plate for a long, long time. Then, slowly, he pushed it toward Ying Yusheng.

Like a dog that had finally learned not to guard its food.

His change didn’t escape Ying Yusheng’s notice.

But Ying Yusheng merely closed the news feed nonchalantly and asked, as if casually, “Any plans for today?”

It could have been concern about his schedule—or a nudge to move out soon.

Xu Nanxiao wasn’t sure, so he didn’t answer right away. He opened his mouth several times, but no sound came out. Ying Yusheng didn’t rush him; he waited quietly.

“Last night…” Xu Nanxiao finally forced out the words. “I didn’t sleep with any woman. I came straight home after drinking.”

Ying Yusheng swiped his finger across the tablet, saying nothing.

“I deleted all the women from my phone.” The words came harder and harder. “It won’t happen again.”