71 – Like Crazy

Chapter 71: Like a Madman

Xie Qingcheng felt as if a thunderous roar was echoing in his head.

It felt as though something was crashing down, and something else was exploding into a terrifying blaze.

His eyes widened. In an instant, the thread of reason in his mind melted and snapped completely.

He had never dreamed that He Yu would do such a thing.

He Yu hated being treated as a homosexual more than anything in the world. Back in middle school, when a male student confessed to him while giving him a rose, he had kicked the boy’s calf so hard it fractured.

And yet, that same He Yu was now, under the lights of a bar, in front of countless customers, waiters, and bartenders… in front of everyone, kissing him.

No matter how rational a person Xie Qingcheng was, this situation was far beyond the scope of what he could handle.

Unconsciously, his cheeks flushed. A massive shock struck the back of his head.

Regardless, He Yu devoured his lips roughly. His mind went blank at the bold, deep [unauthorized copy]kiss. It was only after their lips parted for a moment that Xie Qingcheng snapped [unauthorized copy]back to his senses. The moment he tried to stolen contentquickly turn his head away, He Yu grabbed him by the hair, pulled him back, and entwined his tongue even deeper.

Every breath was filled with the boy’s hot respiration. This was the first time in Xie Qingcheng’s life he had experienced such a violent kiss. And in a public place, no less.

To be kissed in such a passive position.

And by a male college student.

As his reason returned, his entire body trembled with rage. His eyes turned bloodshot in an instant.

Of course, the onlookers here thought differently.

Unlike movie theater audiences, the social crowd gathered in a bar was open-minded and loved a good spectacle. As the two kissed passionately, people began to give standing ovations and burst into laughter.

“You two are amazing!”

Some thugs even whistled.

“Brothers, there’s a love hotel on the upper floor of this building! We’ve had enough of this public display of affection, so go upstairs and do your business!”

Xie Qingcheng’s masculine pride could not tolerate [unauthorized copy]such humiliation. unauthorized copyAs he struggled violently, He Yu’s thin, moist lips—still entwined with his tongue—pulled [unauthorized copy]away just a fraction of an inch, and he chuckled in a voice only Xie Qingcheng could hear.

“You seem surprised. But actually, this much is fine. Everyone plays around like this in bars.”

He Yu continued, their noses lightly brushing.

“Right now, it’s just a decent spectacle, but if you keep rambling, Teacher, you’ll become a laughingstock. Do you want to experience that?”

“…”

“Anyway, I don’t care if I’m embarrassed. Do whatever you want, Teacher.”

It was a great relief that the bar lighting was dim. Thanks to the colorful psychedelic lights, no one noticed that Xie Qingcheng had turned pale with shock.

He Yu rubbed his nose against his once more, affectionately.

“Instead, if you promise to come back to my side, I’ll let you go right now.”

“I’d rather you just go out and die.”

A non-human madness glinted in He Yu’s eyes. Yet, He Yu was still smiling. It [unauthorized copy]was a smile [unauthorized copy]that was both cute and grotesque.

“Oh… then let’s just keep going. Let’s go all the way right here.”

“…!”

Xie Qingcheng’s complexion, which had been pale blue, now turned white as a sheet of paper.

The way of thinking of a He Yu who had lost his reason was entirely different from that of a normal person. Since he was already in a state of desperation, no one knew when he might suddenly trample over the final line like a piece of trashy weed.

In the past, whenever Xie Qingcheng looked into He Yu’s pretty eyes, he could discern the mischief, hesitation, and sincerity within them at a glance.

But now, even though he was looking at those eyes right in front of him, he saw nothing. As if a layer of fog had descended, he could no longer see into the heart of the boy that had once been so transparent.

He Yu was truly not in his right mind. His hand even began to fumble with Xie Qingcheng’s buttons.

The onlookers raised their voices further, drumming on tables and chairs. Some were holding up phones to record videos.

In this regard, He Yu was somewhat conscientious. As if he didn’t care if he himself was filmed, he used his other hand to half-cover Xie Qingcheng’s face, from his forehead to the tip of his nose. Thanks to this, only his slightly panting thin lips and tilted jaw were visible.

When Xie Qingcheng remained frozen and motionless, He Yu finally smiled and spoke again.

“Xie Qingcheng, just come back.”

Even Xie Qingcheng, who prided himself on fearing nothing in the world, felt something akin to terror in this moment.

Madman.

A guy like this is a member of our society? At this point, doesn’t he lack all reason?

Meanwhile, He Yu covered his eyes and kissed him lightly again.

Xie Qingcheng did not want to be kissed this way. He clamped his mouth shut. He Yu’s hot lips pressed down upon those cold, heartless lips.

“…”

Being suddenly kissed in front of others left him speechless.

In contrast, He Yu closed his eyes and rubbed Xie Qingcheng’s cheek as he spoke.

“Hyung, if you keep ignoring [Read on Read BL Novels]me, [stolen content]I’ll take it as a sign that you’re consenting.”

As soon as he finished speaking, He Yu suddenly opened his eyes and stared at Xie Qingcheng’s face, which was half-hidden by his palm. His gaze locked onto those thin lips.

It was a look that said if those lips opened even for a second, he would roughly kiss him to shut them without listening to a single word.

To think that he, a homophobe who loathed being treated as a homosexual, would do such a thing without hesitation to Xie Qingcheng. He couldn’t even understand the reason himself.

Xie Qingcheng’s entire body stiffened. A brutal crack appeared on the edge of the wooden table where Xie Qingcheng’s hand was resting.

For a moment, he sincerely wanted to kill He Yu.

After agonizing until the very last second, he barely managed to restrain himself.

Even after the long tug-of-war, Xie Qingcheng could not clearly reject He Yu. It was because his reason had been clouded by rage. This was the first time in his life he had encountered a war that grated on his nerves this much. For the first time in his life, his vision went dark, unsure of how to overcome the situation he was in.

However, in He Yu’s eyes, this behavior looked like tacit consent.

Thus, He Yu released Xie Qingcheng with a satisfied heart, and then, smiling like a victor, he pulled him into his embrace to prevent the onlookers from carelessly photographing his face. Outwardly pretending to be calm, while inwardly dancing with joy.

He raised his fingers. His expression was completely that of a madman, visit our siteyet his touch was [Read on Read BL Novels]very tender. Even though the man in his arms was cold and stiff, the boy didn’t mind and softly stroked the man’s ear.

While hugging Xie Qingcheng, he stood by the bar’s dance floor and leaned in. Like a child who had bought a cake he had dreamed of for a long time, he bowed his head and whispered into Xie Qingcheng’s ear.

“Hyung, you’re a good boy. You gave me permission, right?”

“…”

“Then I won’t tease you anymore. As long as you listen to me, I’ll live as your little boy until the end.”

“…”

It was a tenderness that sent chills down the spine.

“Be nice to me this time. Don’t deceive people again. Got it?”

The boisterous heat of the bar spread in all directions. Now that the kissing had ended on this side, another fire had ignited over there. As He Yu and Xie Qingcheng grew quiet, the onlookers’ interest shifted elsewhere.

Xie Qingcheng, freed from the restraint, did not seem to be in the mood to speak.

Does an excessively cold person react unauthorized copy[unauthorized copy]indifferently even to [stolen content]the afterglow of such strong stimulation?

Although no one was thrusting their phones forward anymore, He Yu was a person very sensitive to private boundaries. While he didn’t mind his own face being photographed, he hated it when the person he touched and had sex with was photographed, so he remained obsessed with covering Xie Qingcheng’s face until the end.

He took off the ball cap he was wearing, put it on Xie Qingcheng, and pressed the brim down firmly.

He seemed to be in a very good mood.

After meticulously covering Xie Qingcheng’s face, He Yu spoke.

“Wait here for a moment.”

Xie Qingcheng merely looked at him with a chilling gaze, as if he weren’t a living person.

He Yu just kept smiling, as if he were oblivious to everything.

Then, he turned to the staff behind the bar and said something. Soon, a staff member nodded.

Occasionally, there are customers in bars who steal the DJ’s spotlight—people aiming for expressions of affection or to show off their charm. Bored people. Or adolescent boys who purely want attention.

He Yu didn’t know which category stolen contenthe fell into. He simply had a sudden impulse to [Read on Read BL Novels]go on stage and put it into practice.

After coordinating with the staff, he climbed onto the stage and received a guitar handed to him.

Under the pale spotlight, He Yu looked down and played a song that Xie Qingcheng had never heard before. It was a pop song with a very calm and beautiful melody.

The fingers plucking the guitar were as light as feathers. Occasionally, he looked over and smiled.

With such a free and gentle appearance, he played the song Xie Qingcheng didn’t know.

A soft singing voice. The male student singing and playing the guitar on stage unconsciously turned his head. His gaze fell upon Xie Qingcheng’s face, half-submerged in the darkness.

Xie Qingcheng didn’t look back, but He Yu felt infinite satisfaction just by seeing him from afar.

As the song neared its end, He Yu bowed his head and focused on the guitar. Finally, he set the guitar down and slowly closed his eyes under the spotlight falling upon his head.

The dust floating in the beam of light did not settle quickly. The people below the stage gave a round of applause. In that moment, He Yu’s heart felt at peace. He felt far more comfortable than he had during his teenage years, living under strict rules.

He thought that from now on, he would go and seize whatever he wanted.

Even if it wasn’t given, he would seek it out and demand it until the end.

In the past, he had been too cautious and acted too nicely. If there was nothing to gain even after pathetic efforts, what was the point of receiving praise and recognition?

Rather, one can obtain anything only by throwing away face and pride, just as he was doing now.

Only then can one grasp what they desire.

Unfortunately, however, this satisfaction did not last long.

A few days later, He Yu had completed all preparations. Having personally cleaned the room where Xie Qingcheng had previously stayed, he felt certain that Xie Qingcheng would be comfortable here, and with a joyful heart, he called him to ask when he would come.

And soon, the smile facing the phone slowly withered.

The smile vanished, and frost froze around the corners of his mouth.

After some deliberation, the man firmly rejected He Yu. On He Yu’s face, as he heard the man’s cold voice over the phone, there was even dust that hadn’t been washed off after the deep cleaning.

The man’s intention was firm.

-I can’t do this.

The moment He Yu tried to mention the photos, Xie Qingcheng cut him off even faster.

-Go ahead and spread the photos. Do whatever the fuck you want. But if you send them to Xie Xue, consider our relationship over. Sex partners or whatever, it’s the end. Judge for yourself.

The excitement drained away like air from a balloon, and only a sense of failure remained on He Yu’s face.

What Xie Qingcheng was saying was clear: let’s each take a step back. In any case, sex was nothing more than a physical pastime to Xie Qingcheng. Xie Qingcheng had long since accepted this matter with indifference. Therefore, He Yu could not hurt Xie Qingcheng in this way. It was even more impossible to obtain anything from him.

Looking at it now, it seemed that the one who was miserable was actually He Yu.

The person who had lost their direction was He Yu.

Xie Qingcheng was not like that at all.

The first time they had sex had caused Xie Qingcheng immense stress, but now it was nothing. He had sufficiently mastered his mind. Inwardly, he even treated He Yu as a gigolo coming for a home visit service.

Of course, he didn’t need such a service. In fact, it couldn’t even be called a service. But this mindset placed him in a higher position than He Yu.

—He cannot return to the days of being a personal physician.

This was a matter involving social status and employment relations. If he accepted He Yu’s demands, he would lose not only his body but also his spirit to He Yu. Moreover, he would waste his precious time.

That is why he rejected He Yu.

He had to honestly admit it. Xie Qingcheng was far more skilled than He Yu at manipulating the other party.

While it seemed like Xie Qingcheng was the one losing out through sex, it was actually He Yu who was losing his sense of self through the act.

Xie Qingcheng remained a cold and heartless doctor until the end.

Having been firmly rejected, He Yu fell into depression. He felt as if he had plummeted from a season of full spring blossoms into the dead of winter.

He had been swollen with hope. He had even sat properly with a confident face, waiting for the person who had abandoned him and left four years ago to return.

But what returned to him was a harsh barrage of slaps.

Once again, his dream was shattered into pieces.

He Yu had no choice but to shut himself in his room and take medication.

People tend to get sick easily when their emotional swings are abrupt. He Yu was no exception.

Psychological Ebola is a disease that worsens every time it breaks out. His body felt as cold as ice, yet his temperature rose to forty degrees. It was a high fever that felt as if it were burning his retinas.

Lying in bed, he sent messages to Xie Qingcheng. I’m sick. I had another seizure.

I’m sick, Xie Qingcheng.

I’m sick, Teacher.

However, the chat window remained silent.

Xie Qingcheng might have thought He Yu was lying. He might have thought, What does it matter to me whether you die or not.

Regardless, he did not send any reply until the end. In this long wait, He Yu’s symptoms grew deeper.

Still, He Yu remained steadfast. Various doctors visited the mansion in turns, but they could not alleviate his symptoms. Eventually, He Yu was the one to first refuse home treatment.

It was inevitable if he wanted to suppress the desire to stab others.

Shut himself in his room, he pulled a book from the bookshelf that dealt with rare diseases from around the world.

That book covered a case called ‘Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva’ (FOP), which had once left a deep impression on He Yu.

A foreign boy who had grown normally suffered a fracture while playing soccer at the age of six. The doctor proceeded with surgery according to the case, but the boy’s leg began to swell severely after the surgery, and hyperostosis began to appear at the site of the fracture.

To recover his health, the boy underwent thirty surgeries, both large and small. Only after repeated surgeries did the doctor realize that the boy’s muscle tissue was abnormal and was shocked. When the boy suffered an external injury, his body activated a powerful self-protection mechanism, creating hard bone to counter the external impact.

-It looks similar to ALS, but it’s actually a scarier disease.

Xie Qingcheng had explained it to He Yu this way.

-Because you must not receive even the slightest impact. A normal person gets a bruise when they hit something, but an FOP patient grows bone. Gradually, they become trapped in bone and unable to move.

The boy in the case watched as bone tangled within his own body through long years of illness, and he ended his painful life in his thirties.

-FOP patients cannot undergo surgery because of the FOP. Even if they wanted to draw blood from the wound for analysis, they couldn’t. So, before he died, he promised to donate his body to the hospital. He did so in the hope that doctors would study this case so that people with FOP in the future could be properly treated and live a life entirely different from his.

At that time, Xie Qingcheng spoke to the boy, who was lost in the story.

-That skeleton is still kept in a museum.

In the photo printed in the book, a severely twisted set of remains stood quietly in a transparent, clean display case. Below it, the patient’s date of birth, date of death, and name were visible.

Along with a short explanation: The patient’s total body ossification rate reached seventy percent at the time of death.

However, He Yu’s interest was drawn to another photo. In a display case placed near the man’s skeleton, there was a similar skeleton. Instead, it was smaller than the man’s, and the ribs were almost fused into one.

-That’s another girl.

Xie Qingcheng, noticing He Yu’s gaze, explained.

-The two patients were of different nationalities. Back then, communication was not as developed as it is now. While the man was enduring a loneliness that no one else knew, he didn’t know that there was a girl with the same disease on the other side of the ocean. It was only after the girl died that he learned there was someone in the world who shared his plight. But this girl was very positive. She didn’t give up on life just because she had FOP. She took an interest in fashion and worked as a designer creating special dresses… and before she died, she also decided to donate her body like the man. Later, people displayed the two skeletons side by side in a medical museum. The blueprint the museum official dreamed of was that the two people, who could not meet in life, could support and comfort each other even after death.

Closing his book, Xie Qingcheng looked at He Yu, who was drowsy from the chills of a fever, and spoke.

“Actually, you just don’t know it, but there might be someone else out there suffering from the same illness as you. Who knows, maybe that person is living their life just as diligently as you are. He Yu, so don’t lose to that person.”

Young He Yu’s vision was blurred by the high fever. He wanted to throw a tantrum and drink blood, but his body would not obey. Buried in [stolen content]the soft stolen contentblankets, the boy squinted his flickering eyes and looked at Xie Qingcheng’s face.

“Then, if I die, will there be someone displayed side-by-side with me in a museum?”

“I don’t think there’s much point in displaying your bones,” Xie Qingcheng said.

“So, why don’t you start by thinking about how to live your life well?”

But what meaning could there be in life?

For money, power, or fame. Or for love and family. The meaning of life must vary from person to person.

However, such things no longer seemed to have any relation to He Yu. It wasn’t that society had abandoned him; he had lost interest in society.

He Yu toyed with the utility knife in his hand. Even after taking the strongest medication, there had been little effect. He sat by the window, watching the heads of people being sliced off one by one, before turning his gaze away.

His hands trembled, and his pupils contracted sharply. His face remained expressionless.

He pushed the blade up and pressed it against his wrist. Just like before, he aimed the impulse to stab others toward himself.

The scars and tattoo marks remaining on his wrist had long since faded. He tilted his head slightly to observe those traces, unauthorized copythen stood the visit our siteblade upright and slowly carved into his skin.

N-o-t-h-i-n-g…….

The voice of the tattoo artist seemed to linger in his ears.

“If it’s this long, it’ll hurt and take a lot of time. Using the specialized machine will also cost extra. Do you want something shorter?”

“No, I’ll go with this.”

Nothing of him that doth fade,

But doth suffer a sea-change

Into something rich and strange.

He stared intently at the scene as cobweb-like blood flowed beneath each engraved letter. He thought to himself: perhaps this is the karma that Xie Qingcheng wanted to see so badly.

If he died right now, Xie Qingcheng would probably set off fireworks in celebration…….

The young man sat quietly by the window on the second floor of the villa. He couldn’t open Read on Read BL Novelshis eyes against the terrifying flames engulfing the outside. Read on Read BL NovelsHis body, intoxicated by hallucinations, swayed precariously.

Suddenly, his body felt light. The evening breeze brushing against his face gifted him a distant sense of tenderness.

His body, leaning forward, soon fell downward…….

Thump, a heavy sound echoed.

“Young Master! Young Master fell!”

“Aaah! Oh my god!”

“An ambulance! Call an ambulance, quickly!”