26 – After Sobering Up

Chapter 26: After Waking from the Alcohol

“I like you….”

“…….”

“I truly like you….”

“…….”

He Yu’s lips fluttered close to Xie Qingcheng’s mouth. Stray hairs fell across He Yu’s forehead. His gaze was confused and burning.

He gripped Xie Qingcheng’s hand tightly. Caught in the middle of this sudden, out-of-the-blue confession attack, Xie Qingcheng became a complete idiot.

If he had been simply angry and stolen contentsurprised until a moment ago, he Read on Read BL Novelswas now shocked as if he had been struck by lightning.

He even forgot to resist.

Who does he like?

He Yu likes me?

This is absurd….

We’re both men. Moreover, He Yu has never shown any homosexual tendencies until now. And I’m thirteen years older than him….

Lying on He Yu’s bed, drenched in sweat and wearing a disheveled gown, he turned his stiff head to look at the male student sprawled on top of him. He had no idea that the student was looking through him, seeing a certain girl who resembled him.

“I really like you….”

“…….”

“Please. Don’t date that guy….”

“…….”

The moment those words came out, Xie Qingcheng finally snapped out of his shock. He gritted his teeth and muttered.

“…You fucking piece of—!”

This brat just mistook someone else for someone else because he’s drunk!

He shifted his gaze away from He Yu. It felt as if all the questions that had piled up until now were finally strung together. The sudden acceptance of the shoot, the abrupt onset of the illness. The mention of wanting to confess to some girl, the incomprehensible drunken rambling…. There was a reason for all of it.

Xie Qingcheng felt he finally understood.

He confessed to that unlucky girl and got rejected.

Xie Qingcheng lifted his head and pressed his hand to his forehead. Because they had struggled as fiercely as men fighting, his forehead was covered in sweat. He pushed back his damp, messy hair and breathed in short, ragged gasps.

His neck, which had been gripped by He Yu, throbbed. But his head hurt even more. While wondering what kind of dog-shit disaster this was, he also felt relieved that the lady, whom he had never met, was safe.

At least she wasn’t the one who suffered this disaster.

And as for He Yu.

For a Psychological Ebola patient, calmness and self-control are essential; they must reduce their emotional range and maintain rationality as much as possible. It is better to keep bothersome emotions like love at a distance. Yet, it was as if He Yu had developed ‘Xie Qingcheng PTSD’; he listened to others literally but acted like a contrarian in front of him.

That was why things had ended up like this.

Still, this was on the better side of things. There was still room to clean this up.

Having assessed the situation while pinned down visit our siteby a sturdy, hot body, Xie [Read on Read BL Novels]Qingcheng pushed He [stolen content]Yu’s chest with a hardened expression.

“You brat… get off me right now. Now!”

He Yu’s gaze had long since gone vacant and unfocused.

As the medication he took earlier took effect, drowsiness washed over him. The strength in He Yu’s hands, which had been stubbornly holding onto Xie Qingcheng, began to fade. The seizures subsided, and his breathing gradually stabilized.

For a moment, his eyes even cleared. However, that brief flicker of consciousness quickly scattered again.

Xie Qingcheng did not miss this opportunity and desperately escaped from He Yu’s embrace. As he gripped his gown and stood up from the bed, his wrist throbbed.

Finally, He Yu grew quiet. Perhaps the medication had paralyzed his violent impulses. Even though he had been pushed away roughly, He Yu showed no reaction.

After staring blankly ahead for a long time with empty eyes, he spoke softly.

“…You know… I can’t see the bridge….”

“What?”

“I can’t see it…. I can’t get out of here…. No matter what I do… I can’t get out….”

It wasn’t a comment directed at Xie Qingcheng, nor was it aimed at any specific person; it was just a short monologue. Looking at his hollow expression, it seemed he didn’t even know where he was. It sounded like nonsense rambled into the darkness.

He Yu slowly closed his eyes. His eyelashes trembled slightly.

Because he was on the verge of losing his mind due to the disaster of the night, Xie Qingcheng didn’t realize what that “bridge” was. Swallowing his irritation and disgust, he kept his expression stiff, left He Yu on the bed, tossed a blanket over him, and went straight to the bathroom to brush his teeth.

The somewhat cold Xie Qingcheng generally disliked unnecessary skinship, let alone being kissed by a man.

Nausea surged within him. He left the tap running and washed for a long time, then splashed a handful of water on his face and leaned against the sink to barely compose himself. Finally, he looked up at his face in the mirror, where water droplets were clinging and flowing.

The young man’s emotions were like a trash can filled with all sorts of garbage. Even a cursory rummage sent chicken [unauthorized copy]feathers [unauthorized copy]flying everywhere. If he hadn’t [visit our site]been touched, he would never have dug through this trash can.

It was a situation that would make even a ghost wail in grief. To think he would ever experience something like this in his life.

Since he had looked after He Jiwei’s child on his behalf, he deserved to be paid. This was money that absolutely had to be received. He decided that once he returned to Huzhou, he would definitely seek out He Jiwei.

After spending a long time suppressing his anger with a gloomy expression, he rubbed his throbbing temples, turned off the faucet, and walked out to sit blankly on the sofa next to the bed.

By the time he came out, He Yu had already fallen asleep under the influence of the medication. The sight of him lying on the bed, hugging the blanket, was quite docile. He looked exactly like the honor student he usually portrayed. The beastly side that had clung to him so persistently moments ago was nowhere to be found.

Xie Qingcheng’s expression turned grim. To calm his anger, he opened a bottle of mineral water provided by the hotel. However, as soon as his lips touched the rim of the bottle, he felt a throbbing pain. He groaned and touched his lips, only then realizing that He Yu had bitten him. —It was the first time in thirty-two years that he had been bitten on the lips by someone. Xie Qingcheng’s face darkened completely.

He set the water bottle down heavily and, ignoring He Yu, lit a cigarette and began to smoke. Only after gifting the sleeping young beast plenty of secondhand smoke did he crush the cigarette butt.

…Fine.

Just let it be!

Ultimately, he thought: Fuck, a kiss is just a kiss, so what?

Since it was a man, there was nothing to lose. Aside from the fact that it was disgusting, there was no problem. Moreover, this was an accident born purely of a misunderstanding.

As a very rational person, Xie Qingcheng did not waste his emotions on a stupid misunderstanding.

Thinking rationally, He Yu’s current condition was more important.

In a way, he had personally experienced He Yu’s symptoms at this stage. Even though it wasn’t a full-blown seizure and was in a controlled state, he was incredibly violent.

What if he had a full seizure? He would be even more violent than this.

He Yu’s situation might not be as optimistic as it appeared on the surface.

Xie Qingcheng closed his Read on Read BL Novelseyes. [visit our site]He had predicted early on that He Yu’s romance unauthorized copywould have some impact on his illness.

The reason he had stopped He Yu’s confession on the island that day was partly because he was worried about the girl, but it was also a consideration for He Yu. Yet, He Yu had ignored his words in the end.

He had even said this:

—Have I ever harmed anyone until I turned nineteen? I just like someone. Are you saying I don’t even have that right?

At that time, while meeting He Yu’s eyes, he had suddenly been left speechless.

From what he had observed from a young age until now, He Yu’s symptoms were very severe. He was a patient with an abyss existing both mentally and physiologically. Even though he had wandered for over a decade approaching twenty, he had not found an exit. Such patients often harbor deep-seated anger in their hearts, and the moment a mental illness manifests, they tend to become extreme, violent, and cruel.

However, He Yu always chose to suppress it internally.

He always stayed shut inside his own cave. Even if he wailed in agony and slammed his head against the cave walls, he never went outside to harm innocent people. He simply endured the pain alone in the darkness.

So, is that girl he’s never met the single ray of light that He Yu is chasing?

Recalling the tears He Yu had shed over him and the way he had sobbed while confessing his love, Xie Qingcheng looked back at the young man sleeping on the bed.

Is that why he left school, and why the knot in his heart finally burst after hitting his limit?

Xie Qingcheng absentmindedly touched the lips that had been kissed by He Yu. In a mind filled with the thought ‘disgusting brat,’ a feeling of ‘pitiful brat’ leaked through.

However, because he was so genuinely shocked, Xie Qingcheng missed an important part. It was regarding the word ‘Xie’ he had heard earlier; he simply assumed that He Yu had vaguely recognized him and called his name. He never dreamed that it could have been Xie Xue.

In Xie Qingcheng’s mind, no matter if they were of the same generation, there was a five-year gap between He Yu and Xie Xue. In his opinion, a man and woman with a five-year age difference would find it difficult to become lovers. Thus, he had never suspected that He Yu would harbor romantic feelings for Xie Xue.

Besides, how old was He Yu now? Nineteen. Strictly speaking, he was a minor who hadn’t even had his coming-of-age ceremony.

To be honest, the feudalist old-timer Xie Qingcheng thought nineteen was too young to be dating. What do these things, who haven’t even grown hair or graduated, know about romance? How long would they date with such immature hearts? And if an unexpected situation occurred, would they have the ability to take the girl to the government office, fill out a marriage registration, and stamp it? The ability to support not only a family of three but also the elders of both families on their own? The ability to earn enough for formula so that the wife wouldn’t have to worry about livelihood during pregnancy, without parental support?

Useless brats. Without even having that capability.

That’s not a man; that’s just an underdeveloped boy.

Naturally, Xie Qingcheng had no intention of accepting such a greenhorn as his future brother-in-law.

Just then, the young man lying on the bed frowned his pure brow, as if something had upset him in his dream. Xie Qingcheng didn’t want to look at him anymore. He wanted to avoid looking at the ruined bed even more.

With that, he stood up and pushed open the door to leave.

By the time He Yu woke up, it was already the next morning.

Opening his bleary eyes and brushing back his messy bangs, he cupped his cool forehead.

Memories that follow a hangover are like shards of broken pottery; to piece them back together, one must endure the pain of being scratched by the sharp edges.

His head throbbed as if a spring were being wound. The [Read on Read BL Novels]events of last night began to surface one by one, revealing a rough outline. He froze as he recalled [visit our site]the kiss where he had mistaken the person due Read on Read BL Novelsto intoxication. At the same time, he realized something.

This… it feels like… I kissed Xie Qingcheng….

“…….”

He hoped it was a nightmare, but blood was still clinging to his bitten, burst lip. As he swept his tongue over his lip, he felt a pain that couldn’t be clearer. It was vivid evidence that everything that happened last night was reality.

Since childhood, He Yu had an exceptional capacity for acceptance and adaptation. This was a typical trait of honor students: accepting various things and reacting quickly. However, this reality exceeded the threshold of his capacity for acceptance. Consequently, he sat blankly on the bed with a pale face.

At that moment, the sound of a card key being tapped at the entrance was heard, and the front door swung open. Soon, the person he had unintentionally sexually harassed last night entered with a stern expression.

After returning to his room last night, Xie Qingcheng had spent several hours in a daze, staying up all night, and had become very cold. Having finished his shower before He Yu woke up, he discovered a conscious He Yu as soon as he entered the room. He Yu was looking at him with almond-shaped eyes beneath his messy hair.

For some reason, he looked desolate and wronged. Looking at him with the face of an honor student—red lips and white skin—it almost seemed as if he were the victim.

Beastly brat.

Xie Qingcheng snatched a T-shirt sprawled on the sofa and threw it over the face of the top-ranked beast, covering that gaze that made him so angry.

Then, he spoke in a cold voice.

“Get up.”

The top-ranked beast pulled down the white T-shirt and spoke with difficulty.

“Xie Qingcheng. Last night… the two of us… by any chance….”

An ice-cold answer returned.

“That’s right.”

He Yu’s expression distorted further.

“Enough. Don’t ever bring up that unpleasant topic again.”

“…….”

He Yu became blank once more. He hadn’t expected this older brother to be so merciless the moment he opened his mouth. He was glad he hadn’t completely blacked out last night. If he had, he might have suspected that instead of mistaking the person and kissing him, Xie Qingcheng had plotted a scheme to screw him over.

The merciless Xie Qingcheng crossed his arms and leaned against the TV stand, looking at He Yu with a cold and solemn expression.

“Get dressed properly. I have something to say.”

Regardless, the two of them had engaged in embarrassing skinship last night. Even if it was a misunderstanding, it was true that his conscience pricked him.

As the primary perpetrator of sexual harassment, he had no excuse no matter how many mouths he had. Normally, he would have talked back, but He Yu stepped back and dressed as Xie Qingcheng instructed.

“You went to find the girl you like and confessed, right?”

“…I didn’t.”

“You’re lying even now? I guess you don’t remember what you said last night.”

He remembered some parts, but his head was still cloudy. He only managed to answer after a long while.

“…Yesterday, I mistook the person. It wasn’t that I confessed to that girl and got rejected, but that I found out the person I like already has someone… Forget it, why am I explaining this in such detail. Laugh all you want if you want to.”

He Yu looked up.

“You must feel great. It turned out exactly as you said, Teacher. No one likes me, and I couldn’t control myself. It’s exactly as you predicted, so how is it? Are you happy?”

Xie Qingcheng looked him straight in the eye and said.

“I’m happy that you didn’t have a more severe seizure.”

A short silence followed, and He Yu’s entire face bristled with wariness. Perhaps he had expected such an answer. Patient, I’ve thought of two treatment options overnight. Chemical castration or physical castration—please choose one without hesitation.

Xie Qingcheng let out a deep sigh. He truly didn’t want to waste time bickering over such childish issues. He spoke bluntly.

“…Forget it. He Yu, let’s just let this incident slide.”

He Yu stared at him. Honor students are naturally good at speed quizzes. Even as a beast on a bed, this top-ranked student was no exception. He Yu anticipated Xie Qingcheng’s follow-up and asked first.

“In exchange, there’s some other condition, right?”

“In exchange—”

Interrupted by He Yu, Professor Xie, feeling displeased, straightened his expression, scanned He Yu’s face, and continued.

“I thought about what happened last night, and it seems your condition is serious. Yes, I’ll be honest. unauthorized copyI spoke with your father last time, and he asked me to keep a close eye [unauthorized copy][unauthorized copy]on you. It is forbidden to abuse medication and try to hide it from everyone even when symptoms manifest. So….”

The lecture from He Yu’s second father, CEO Xie, began.

Meanwhile, He Yu remained dazed. His mind was muffled, and his attention kept drifting. Even though CEO Xie’s lecture had started, he only heard the first sentence and let the rest go in one ear and out the other. The content was obvious. I can never forgive you, or something like that.

But thinking about it, he had never once asked Xie Qingcheng to take care of him. It was always Xie Qingcheng who dove in on his own. Like Xie Qingcheng, He Yu was a heterosexual who had not the slightest interest in men. He had stepped in dung just as much, so he couldn’t say he owed a debt.

Not mentioning Xie Xue’s name yesterday was a godsend. If he had uttered that name, he wouldn’t have been able to fix the mess.

“…Basically, I want it to be like this.”

The father, having finished his lecture, concluded with a final word.

“Do you understand properly?”

He Yu looked up. Xie Qingcheng’s gaze, which felt like falling ice shards, met his.

Thirsty from talking, Xie Qingcheng picked up the water bottle next to him, opened the cap, and said coldly while drinking.

“…If you agree to do that, I’ll just let this incident slide.”

In truth, He Yu hadn’t even been properly listening to what was said. His head, throbbing from a hangover, had selectively picked out only the words, “I’ll let it slide this time.” Being a model student when it came to feedback, he nodded habitually.

Xie Qingcheng scanned him from head to toe with an expressionless face.

“Right. Come find me at the medical school once the shoot is over.”

“…….”

Only then did He Yu’s mind clear. What request of Xie Qingcheng’s had he unconsciously accepted? Suddenly snapping awake, he asked in a raspy voice.

“Wait a second. Sorry, but what did you say?”

Xie Qingcheng’s face darkened instantly. His retort was blunt.

“Do you need further conditions here?”

What conditions? He Yu thought to himself.

He had absolutely no memory of what Xie Qingcheng had been saying while his lips were moving a moment ago.

This is driving me crazy. What on earth did I promise Xie Qingcheng?

Meanwhile, Xie Qingcheng believed he was being incredibly generous toward He Yu.

He had even quietly overlooked the damn accident that occurred last night. Of course, the primary reason was that he never wanted to mention that horrific kiss again.

Had he been unaware of He Yu’s current state, it would be one thing, but having seen it with his own eyes, he couldn’t just let it [Read on Read BL Novels]pass. He Jiwei’s request was one thing, but even if another patient had shown such [unauthorized copy]a state before him, he would never have stood by and watched.

Though he could no longer treat him directly as he once did, helping He Yu manage his emotions and guiding him toward the right path seemed worth a try.

Furthermore, he could use this opportunity to work He Yu like a day laborer. As long as he listened well, He Yu was a very intelligent and durable tool. If he could utilize this tool as he had in the past, he could overlook this incident as if it were a mere dog bite.

Killing two birds with one stone; a win-win for everyone.

Seeing the dazed He Yu, Xie Qingcheng explained once more in a simple, annoyed tone.

“Once the shoot is over, come to the medical school and undergo psychological training my way. You’ll distract yourself by doing the tasks I assign. Don’t just mope around and dwell on useless thoughts, Jin Zongyi. Since you’ve found someone you like, you need to learn how to steady your heart and manage your emotions in the moment. It won’t be a losing deal.”

After a short silence, He Yu spoke.

“……That girl already has someone else she likes.”

At those words, Xie Qingcheng sighed.

“That girl you like, she’s still young, right?”

“……Yes.”

“You never know what the future holds. Of course, there’s no guarantee she’ll come to like you. But then again, who’s to say you won’t fall for another young lady in the future? It would be good if you could control your symptoms by then.”

Falling back into silence, He Yu suddenly asked.

“……Aren’t you going to ask who the person I like is?”

“What does that have to do with me?”

“…….”

He Yu lowered his head. A hint of mockery flickered in his downcast eyes.

“I suppose it doesn’t.”

He recalled the conversation he had with Xie Qingcheng at the police station.

Xie Qingcheng had told him that no one would ever love him, and that he was destined to fail.

It had felt like a stinging slap to the face. That was why he had resolved that if he ever started dating Xie Xue, he would make sure Xie Qingcheng saw him in a state of mental collapse and pathetic desperation—but now, the situation had flipped.

Instead, he was the one who had shown his pathetic side to Xie Qingcheng.

If he backed down now, he would be completely losing face before this man.

He Yu closed his eyes tight, opened them, and smiled.

“Be honest. You came yesterday on purpose to see my condition, didn’t you?”

“Think that if you want to.”

“…….”

The man’s cold yet provocative gaze made He Yu’s heart sink darkly.

Since he was young, he had truly hated this attitude of Xie Qingcheng’s. Every time this happened, Xie Qingcheng’s cold personality and obnoxious pressure hit him deep in his chest.

Swallowing his gloom, He Yu finally looked up at Xie Qingcheng.

“You said I should distract myself by doing what you tell me. What are you going to make me do?”

“I haven’t decided yet.”

His tone was quite indifferent.

“Still, since we’ve spent years together, you know my personality well. I’ll put some effort into making sure you truly suffer.”

“……Are you planning to kill someone?”

Xie Qingcheng paused for a moment, then quirked an eyebrow.

“Are you scared?”

Having already lost face, He Yu didn’t want to lose his pride as well.

“What a funny joke. I’m not scared of anything.”

Upon hearing the answer, Xie Qingcheng lowered his head, took out a cigarette, placed it between his lips, and spoke in a muffled voice.

“I hope you take this seriously. Don’t come crying stolen contentto me that you Read on Read BL Novelscan’t do [stolen content]it after attending for three days. There’s a lighter on the headboard, give it to me.”

Ignoring him, He Yu climbed out of bed and headed to the sink to brush his teeth. The lingering feeling of that kiss from yesterday had vanished, but he still felt nauseous. The thought that he had mistaken someone and shared such an emotional kiss with a man made his entire body feel uncomfortable. He felt an urgent need to wash himself clean.

Before entering the bathroom, he glanced back at the man he had mistaken and clung to last night. Now that he had regained his composure, he looked like a virtuous, upright saint. It was almost hard to believe who it was that had pinned someone to the bed and kissed them as if in heat.

“Don’t include secondhand smoke in the training. That’s practically chronic murder. If you really want to smoke, do it outside.”

With a firm word, he closed the bathroom door and went to wash.

In front of the sink.

He Yu stood before the mirror and stroked the lip that Xie Qingcheng had bitten the night before.

Then, he scooped up a handful of water to wet his face and gripped the faucet.

Veins bulged on the back of the young man’s [visit our site]hand. As he tightened his grip on the faucet, the flowing water Read on Read BL Novelsstopped abruptly. He straightened his back and looked at his reflection in the mirror.

Train what? He’s just going to keep mocking, tormenting, and using me, isn’t he?

……This time, it really was a mistake. He shouldn’t have messed with an old thug like Xie Qingcheng.