By Zephyria 
Chapter 17: We Were Trapped Together
Following the incident at the Qingkang Psychiatric Hospital, Xie Xue became a legendary professor at the school.
Since Xie Xue returned to the podium, not a single student arrived late or left early. Every day, the classrooms were packed to capacity, with students from other departments sneaking in to audit the lectures. Even the students of Class 4 from the Acting Department lingered around just to get a glimpse of Xie Xue. Everyone was desperate to see the legendary “golden carp” who had escaped from the hands of a perverted serial killer.
A superstition even emerged that if one printed a photo of Xie Xue and pasted it on their dormitory door, everyone living there would avoid receiving an F grade.
Xie Xue, for her part, was completely oblivious. She simply remained confident that her lectures were so captivating that she was enjoying this unprecedented popularity.
“I really must be a genius at teaching,” Xie Xue said with a satisfied smile as she reviewed the assignment submitted by He Yu.
“Oh, by the way, He Yu. Are you feeling better? The school wants to give you an award. Recklessly rushing into a fire scene isn’t exactly exemplary behavior, but well… the president said your heart is kind and your courage is commendable…”
At those words, He Yu smiled.
“I’m much better. That award is just going to my parents anyway.”
After hearing about the incident, He Jiwei and Lu Zishu did not come to see their son, despite knowing he was safe. Those who didn’t know Lu Zishu well would see only her cheerful side—always greeting others with a smile and enjoying jokes—and assume she was someone who prioritized family and home.
However, those who had known her for a long time, like Xie Xue or Xie Qingcheng, knew that her humor and kindness were fake. To her, her business was more important than her eldest son, who had suffered a psychological shock.
And yet, she had called the school and pressured the board to ensure He Yu was well comforted.
In truth, He Yu didn’t care about such ice-cold rewards.
Xie Xue was momentarily speechless. Not wanting to dwell on family matters in front of the pitiful He Yu, she hurried to find a lighter topic.
“Um, anyway, the school is hosting a garden party this Friday. You went through so much last time. I think it would be a great chance to hang out with your classmates and refresh your mood. Want to go?”
“I’m good. I have something to do on Friday.”
“I see…”
A look of disappointment crossed Xie Xue’s face.
“That’s a shame. I wanted to go together.”
He Yu’s indifferent gaze landed on her face.
“Are you going?”
“My attendance is mandatory.”
Xie Xue pulled out the head of a fluffy fox demon mascot from behind the desk, then reached out again to pick up a snow-white tail.
“Look at this.”
“What is it?”
“A fox demon mascot costume. The school told the adjunct professors to dress up in mascot costumes. But my luck is just terrible. It’s bad enough that I’m forced to participate, but I ended up at the most boring event site in the lottery.”
“…Usually, fools are lucky, but how is it that you have both a low IQ and bad luck?”
He Yu sighed and asked, “Where were you assigned?”
“Dreamy Island, made by renovating the school’s main lake.”
Xie Xue’s expression soured. She looked as if she didn’t even have the energy to vent her grievances to He Yu.
“It’s called ‘Dreamy Island’ in name only; in reality, the students just put up a few lights and used a beam projector for a night sky effect, so it’s no different from usual. It’s far from here, too… Sigh. I tried to cancel it, but the president said it was a traditional project and pushed it through anyway…”
Then, she gloomily tossed the fox demon mascot tail and slumped into her seat.
He Yu picked up the fluffy mascot tail Xie Xue had thrown on the table, examining it with a meaningful gaze. He didn’t add any words, but he was already calculating in his head.
And so, Friday arrived.
The sweet, milky scent characteristic of cakes wafted from the baking center.
He Yu opened the refrigerator, placed a freshly made cake on white parchment paper, and put it in a box. He meticulously tidied up the baking center he had borrowed in place of the cleaning lady and stepped outside.
The garden party was in full swing.
He Yu, who had said he didn’t have time to stop by, strolled leisurely across the campus with a fresh cream mango mousse cake—Xie Xue’s favorite—in one hand, while the other was tucked in his pocket.
He had finished a maze puzzle and won a puppy doll as a prize. The white Samoyed doll tucked under He Yu’s arm looked at him with round eyes, like almond chocolates.
“Look over there!”
On one side, female students clenched their fists and covered their mouths. A few words occasionally reached He Yu’s ears.
“It’s He Yu! The senior who saved the professor from the fire… He’s even more handsome in person than in photos…”
“What senior? Wake up, girl. He’s our junior! Class 1001, Directing Department!”
“Eh? A junior, but he’s so tall… 180? No, maybe 190…?”
“I have a friend in the same major, and she said He Yu’s family is incredibly rich. He’s handsome and his grades are amazing, too.”
“Then he’s just like Senior Wei Dongheng?”
“Hey, compare him to someone on his level. And why call that arrogant human Wei Dongheng ‘senior’? There’s no need to even treat him like a man, just call him ‘unnie.’ Look at how he acts all high and mighty just because his family has money. Do you know what he said when the prettiest girl in Acting Class 5 confessed to him last week?”
“What did he say?”
“‘You? Don’t you look in the mirror? Should I gift you a skincare set?’”
“…”
“But He Yu is different. His personality is genuinely soft, he’s incredibly polite, and he doesn’t brag. Hey, he even risked his life to save Professor Xie. Where else can you find a guy this good?”
Hearing them talk about him, He Yu deliberately gave them a bright smile. The female students shrieked, whispering, “He heard us!” before running away in embarrassment.
He Yu withdrew his kind and elegant smile. Soon, his gaze grew dim.
Xie Qingcheng really should have heard this.
That no one would like me?
However, he had no interest in these girls. What he wanted…
Was only one person.
Just then, the phone in his pocket vibrated.
[President He. Should I really cut the suspension bridge?]
It was a message from a senior in the second-year outdoor sports club.
Dreamy Island was an island created in the middle of the garden lake at Huzhou University. In the center of the island was a campsite exclusive to the outdoor sports club, which this senior usually managed.
He Yu replied immediately.
[It hasn’t been repaired in a long time, so it’ll be dangerous if left as is. Cut it completely so the president can prepare a new one.]
[But the dean called people to repair it once right after the semester started. Dreamy Island is an area managed by our club, so if the facilities break suddenly like this, our outdoor sports club has to pay for it. Even though it’s a small suspension bridge, repairing it costs over 3,000 yuan…]
After this message, a loud notification suddenly sounded from the senior’s phone.
5,000 yuan has been deposited into XX Bank.
Immediately after, another message from President He flew in.
[Senior, please make sure to cut it perfectly.]
“…”
The communication method of a capitalist was indeed simple and clear.
According to the garden party guide map, the fox demon was to wait for students at the swan boat pier and head toward Dreamy Island with the first guests.
He Yu headed toward the lakeshore, where dry branches and fallen leaves had accumulated. Sure enough, Xie Xue, wearing the fox demon mascot costume, was waiting for students to come and take the boat.
The white fox demon sat quietly in the boat. The tail hung precariously over the surface of the lake. Ripples shimmered every time the swan boat swayed.
He approached the white fox demon. Dry twigs snapped softly under his feet. Even as he drew near the water, the fox demon mascot didn’t seem to notice his presence.
“Xie Xue.”
The fox demon paused for a moment and turned its head toward him.
He Yu smiled.
“Didn’t expect me, did you?”
He then looked around and added, “This place really is in the middle of nowhere. Only I would come here; other people would never. You would have been stuck sitting here all day.”
As if not particularly agreeing, the fox demon remained silent and looked at him.
“Who else would come all the way here to see you like I did? Your brother?”
“…”
He Yu’s voice was quite affectionate.
“Your brother is almost at the age of menopause. He’s probably too busy recovering with herbal cold medicine after getting angry at a blind date he was forced into, so he wouldn’t have time to look after you.”
“…”
He Yu lightly stepped into the boat.
“Come on, I’ll go with you. Let’s go to Dreamy Island.”
Even though it was the central lake, it was an artificial lake built on campus, so its scale wasn’t particularly large. After rowing for less than two minutes, the swan boat carrying the two of them arrived at Dreamy Island, which was closer to a ‘clump of dirt.’
As expected, the island was utterly bleak. The campsite, decorated with a few lights for the sake of appearances, had tent materials scattered haphazardly, covered in a thick layer of dust. Since it was mosquito season, the outdoor sports club hadn’t been able to hold a single event even though a month had passed since the start of the semester.
“I’ll sell the ticket. Where do I stamp it?”
“…”
The fox demon tilted its head and pointed the way.
Seeing that sight, He Yu couldn’t help but laugh.
“It’s hot out; isn’t it stifling to keep wearing that? Want me to take it off for you?”
When He Yu reached out his hand, the fox demon coldly stepped back.
“…You don’t want to?”
A nod.
“…Ah, okay. Then keep it on. Just don’t cling to me and cry because it’s hot.”
The fox demon indifferently let its white front paws hang and crossed its arms.
He Yu stared at the fox demon.
“You’re cute when you’re quiet. Stay that well-behaved. Later, this ‘oppa’ will give you five stars in the satisfaction survey.”
“…”
“Tell me where the spot is.”
The place to stamp the attendance was the central area of Dreamy Island, where a simple station had been set up with a lectern and a chair. The fox demon silently leaned against a tree and turned its head toward the spot.
After finishing the stamp and looking back at the fox demon, He Yu laughed again. On one hand, he wondered if that mascot head was heavy. Moreover, as someone whose hobby was teasing others, he felt an itch in his hands when Xie Xue refused his help to take off the costume.
Not missing the moment the fox demon turned its head away, he silently approached from behind and swung his hand toward the mascot head. Then, he spoke with a smile.
“Xie Xue——.”
What is this?
Under the vanished fox demon mascot head, the person turning around with disheveled hair was not Xie Xue. It was Xie Qingcheng, boasting a gaze that was murderous to anyone who saw it.
“…”
“…”
Professor Xie’s lips parted and closed, twitching for a long while. He soon raised his hand and roughly brushed back the stray hairs falling over his forehead. Beneath a gaze that cut through He Yu like a blade, clean teeth were slightly visible between his thin lips.
He spoke abruptly in a piercing voice.
“Are you crazy?”
He Yu’s expression soured along with the discovery of Xie Qingcheng.
“No, why didn’t you let me know you were here while wearing this kind of mascot costume?”
Xie Qingcheng threw the mascot head into He Yu’s arms and, with a frown, stripped off the damn fox demon costume. It was a rare sight. To think he would see the elite Professor Xie, who had lived a flawless life, crawling out of a mascot costume looking like a mess.
“Why would I let you know? To a guy who does nothing but spout nonsense the whole way here. If you’re done with the stamp, get lost.”
He Yu glared at him with a sour feeling.
“Where’s Xie Xue?”
“He hates the heat, so I agreed to take his place. …Who said someone was recovering with herbal cold medicine after a blind date?”
“…”
As Xie Qingcheng’s gaze, sharp as a scalpel, flew toward him, He Yu recalled what he had just said and smiled.
“I’m sorry. It really didn’t mean anything.”
Their first meeting since parting at the police station. As the chilling thriller came to an end, an awkward atmosphere settled in.
This was especially true for Xie Qingcheng. That day, he had felt a bit of regret after showering He Yu with beer. He was a man who was cold in all matters. That day, the emotional stress had been too great, and because He Yu had happened to poke exactly at his sore spot, he had behaved unsightly. Otherwise, he would never have reached the point of fighting with a kid thirteen years his junior.
Meanwhile, as He Yu apologized again, Xie Qingcheng stopped the hand that was brushing back his hair. A slightly softened tone broke the strange and eerie atmosphere.
“…Forget it. Didn’t you say you didn’t have time today?”
“…Yes. How did you know?”
“Xie Xue must have asked if you had time. I heard he originally wanted to ask you to fill in. But since you said you were busy that day, he just kept his mouth shut.”
“…”
A long silence followed. Instead of answering, He Yu set the mascot head and the Samoyed doll aside, placed his hand on his forehead, and stood there having a moment of reality realization. Then, he turned around, picked up the bag containing the mango mousse cake, and headed back the way he came.
“…I should have checked today’s horoscope before leaving the house.”
However, when He Yu returned to the Dreamy Island pier with a sliver of hope, what he found was the swan boat parked proudly on the opposite shore. Perhaps because of the distorted light reflecting off the water, the swaying golden beak looked as if it were curving in a sneer.
Only then did he recall his own plan. He had asked the senior in advance to block all means of transportation once he entered the island. It was so he could trap Xie Xue on the island and confess in a situation where they were alone.
Is this what they mean by shooting oneself in the foot?
He Yu’s brow furrowed quietly.
“What?”
Footsteps echoed behind him. There was no need to check who it was. The only other primate breathing on this island would be Xie Qingcheng. The original plan was for a lonely man and woman to spend a cozy night on an island and confess. But now, it looked like two lonely men would be spending it cozingly. And with the man he hated most.
The more he thought about it, the more he felt a surge of anger. In this secluded island, he even felt an impulse to bind Xie Qingcheng’s hands behind his back, tie him to a tree, and torment him all night long. Until Xie Qingcheng’s face turned pale, until he fainted covered in grass and wood debris. Since no one could come anyway, he wouldn’t even need to confess that he had raped this man. Regardless, he didn’t want to waste this uninhabited island he had so carefully prepared.
So, who told them to ruin my plan?
The physique emerging from the mascot costume looked slender and cool. As he approached, He Yu felt as if he could smell the cold scent of medicine and disinfectant at the tip of his nose.
Whenever he smelled this scent, he felt his patience reaching its limit. After composing himself and shelving his unrealistic criminal desires, he turned his head again.
“I don’t know why, but the boat went to the other side.”
“…I suppose they remote-controlled it from the control room.”
Xie Qingcheng thrust his hands into his trouser pockets and spoke after thinking for a moment with an expressionless face.
“It’s fine. There’s the suspension bridge. Follow me.”
Five minutes later.
Xie Qingcheng looked at the suspension bridge, which had miserably sunk into the lake, with a complicated expression.
“The suspension bridge is broken too.”
“Ah, I must have stepped on a wrong tile. I think someone is filming a prank show.”
A shadow also fell over the heart of He Yu, who was pretending to be calm and composed. Yes, isn’t it surprising? Do you know what’s even more surprising? In a little while, you’ll realize that your phone signal doesn’t work either.
Since he had planned to be on this island with Xie Xue until midnight, he had specifically obtained a signal jammer used during the national college entrance exams.
No, it was likely a far superior device than the models used in the exams. This was because he had modified the equipment program himself.
He Yu was an expert in this field. When he was bored, he would hack computer systems or steal information just for a change of pace.
Hacking, where one had to cross the opponent’s firewall while fighting against every second, was effective in suppressing pain and inhibiting seizures. If there was a side effect to spending years obsessed with hacking, it was perhaps that he had unconsciously become a terrifying hacker.
Of course, he didn’t tell the senior that the signal jammer was his own creation. He simply told him to turn on the equipment and wait on the opposite shore. It wouldn’t matter even if Xie Xue held onto the phone and sent messages everywhere. He had instructed that if anyone tried to go to Dreamy Island, they should be told it was temporarily closed because it was a boring event.
He Yu thought there was no more perfect solo confession project than this.
That was why he had specifically requested the senior:
[Wait at the pier and take the boat away at 12 midnight.]
[Yes, President He.]
[Even if we call for help desperately in the middle of it, please ignore us. I need to put on a bit of an act in front of Xie Xue. Otherwise, she’ll definitely get suspicious.]
[There will be no problem, President He.]
And now, looking at Xie Qingcheng’s slender and tall back, President He felt a throbbing headache. No problem? What could be a more serious problem than this…
“Wait. There’s someone on the other side.”
After circling halfway around the mud-clump island, Xie Qingcheng spotted a senior guarding the opposite shore in the distance.
“I’ll call out to them.”
“It’ll be useless even if you do.”
He Yu let out a deep sigh and clung to his last shred of hope.
“I’ll do it.”
“Why can’t I?”
“I’m trying to be filial. The spirit of respecting one’s elders—do you understand?”
Irritation surging, He Yu ignored Xie Qingcheng and raised his voice toward the ‘bodyguard’ on the opposite side.
Fifteen minutes later…
Young Master He, his voice now hoarse, leaned his back against a tree.
Xie Qingcheng spoke indifferently.
“Filial piety over? Do you not even have the energy for that anymore?”
Male students who have just become adults tend to have pride that reaches the sky, and they hate the words ‘you can’t do it’ the most. However, he couldn’t exactly explain the internal circumstances. He didn’t even want to look at someone like Xie Qingcheng. He Yu turned away completely, keeping his back pressed against the tree. Then, he plucked some knee-high foxtail grass and shook it irritably to drive away the mosquitoes flying around him.
As he stood there for a moment, the more he thought about it, the more sick he felt. He flung the foxtail grass away and turned toward the forest.
“Where are you going?”
The voice that answered Xie Qingcheng’s question was raspy and cracked.
“…I’m going to get some water from the campsite.”
After walking for a while, He Yu took out another phone that hadn’t been blocked and, with a pale face, sent a message to the senior.
[Something went wrong. I’m sorry, but please find a way for me to get out.]
A reply from the senior flew back immediately. He didn’t forget to flatter the bourgeois president.
[President He, you’re amazing! Even this message is part of the act, right?]
And a few seconds later.
[President He, I remember you told me to ignore any requests for rescue last time. I’ll keep my promise, so don’t worry. I’ll come pick you up again after midnight. Even if someone else tries to approach dreamy island, I’ll drive them away effectively, so don’t be nervous and enjoy your time together.]
“….”
He Yu was speechless.
What on earth am I supposed to enjoy on this deserted island?
Enjoy Xie Qingcheng?
If murder were permitted, he could tie Xie Qingcheng up, throw him into a pile of hay, and enjoy himself all night, but what the hell was he supposed to enjoy?