Chu Yi had always been emotionally detached since childhood. Even when his own mother passed away, he felt little more than a ripple.
He had never imagined that losing someone he truly cared about could hurt this much.
Because of the incident involving Wang Qing, Chu Yi found himself forced to contend with that madman Ning Wang. While the two were locked in a confrontation inside the meeting room, they overheard hushed whispers from outside.
"Hey, hey, did you hear? Wang Qing from the Physics Department is going to jump."
"Jump? What happened? Why would he jump?"
"Haven't you checked the forum? Everything he did got exposed. How could he possibly have the face to go on living? Jumping seems pretty normal, doesn't it?"
Jumping? Who's jumping?
Wang Qing?
That's impossible. How could Wang Qing jump?
Chu Yi's hands trembled as he pulled out his phone and opened the school forum. The first thing that met his eyes were photos of Wang Qing—with him and with others.
Chu Yi's pupils contracted sharply. Without a second thought, he bolted out of the meeting room, running faster than he had ever run in his entire life.
Yet he was still a moment too late.
Just as he reached the base of the teaching building, two figures plummeted down with a sickening impact.
The sound made Chu Yi freeze solid. Mechanically, he turned around and saw the two bodies lying in a pool of blood.
And the one on top—was the boy he cherished with all his heart.
The boy lay sprawled on top, having been—
Chu Yi fought desperately to suppress the panic rising in his chest. His hand trembling, he reached out to check on the boy's condition.
The moment his fingers brushed against him, he saw the massive bloodstain spreading across the boy's back, soaking his shirt entirely red.
That amount of blood—it didn't come from the fall.
Only then did Chu Yi realize that the boy's heart had been completely pierced through by something. He had stopped breathing long before the body hit the ground.
In an instant, it was as if all the strength drained from Chu Yi's body. He collapsed onto the ground, overcome by a coldness unlike anything he had ever felt—a chill that made his entire body shake uncontrollably.
Eyes red-rimmed, as if his very soul had fled, he clutched the boy's lifeless body tightly in his arms.
The world around them fell utterly silent, for no one had truly believed the two would actually jump.
Woo—woo—woo— The sound of police sirens drew closer. Someone, it seemed, had called the authorities long before.
Chu Yi had long ceased to care about anything else, nor could he hear the clamor around him. With trembling hands, he gently stroked the head of the person in his arms, his voice quivering as well.
"Don't be afraid. I'll have everything taken care of soon."
"No one will hurt you ever again."
The police arrived quickly. Everything that had happened before had been broadcast live, and now nearly more than half the people present were taken away—Ning Wang was no exception.
Only Chu Yi was left untouched.
Trembling, Chu Yi lifted the youth into his arms and walked step by step toward his own residence. Blood dripped along the way, winding across the ground like plum blossoms in full bloom.
No one stopped him. No one made a sound.
After returning to his residence, Chu Yi wiped the bloodstains from the youth's body clean and changed him into spotless clothes. His face wore the same refined gentleness as always.
As if the youth had never died at all.
As Chu Yi smoothed the youth's sleeves, he spoke softly, tenderly. "The forum posts have been deleted, and all students are forbidden from discussing anything about you. No one will say anything anymore."
"Are you happy?"
Silence was the only reply in the room, yet he seemed entirely unaffected, continuing to speak with the same gentle warmth.
"Those who bullied you have been taken in. They won't bother you again."
"I've already paid off your penalty fees. From now on, you are no longer an employee of 'Huayue.' Ning Wang can't threaten you anymore either."
Only Chu Yi's voice filled the entire room, but as though he knew no fatigue, he spoke on alone for a very long time.
He seemed to need no rest, nor did he ever close his eyes.
By now, he was no longer that mild-mannered and refined dean of the physics department. He looked more like an unkempt vagrant.
His suit was badly wrinkled, stained with dried blood, and a considerable stubble had grown on his face. He looked utterly wretched.
No one who saw him would connect this man to the elegant and illustrious Chu Yi of before.
A corpse will eventually stink, but Chu Yi seemed unable to smell it. He simply held the youth, murmuring softly, as if he intended to embrace him until the end of time.
No matter who came to persuade him, he would not listen—or perhaps he could not hear them at all.
It was as though he had sealed himself away in a world of his own, a world that contained only him and his boy.
His family simply couldn't stand to watch any longer and came knocking at the door with people in tow.
"He's already dead."
"No." Chu Yi's expression remained calm and gentle as he softly stroked the youth's hair, his touch incredibly tender.
"He isn't."
"You've gone mad." The person frowned, a trace of pity flickering across his face, but he still signaled for others to restrain Chu Yi and snatched the already decaying body from his arms.
Chu Yi's eyes widened, and he struggled frantically, desperate to take the youth back.
"Give him back to me!"
"Give him back!!!"
Though Chu Yi hadn't eaten or drunk anything for days, his strength was such that several men could barely hold him down. In the end, a doctor had to administer an injection to finally render him unconscious.
While Chu Yi lay unconscious, his family took the opportunity to bury the body without delay.
...
After the class bell rang, the university lecture hall was packed with students—even the seat that had always been empty was now occupied.
Occasionally during the lecture, Chu Yi's gaze would drift toward that once-vacant spot. It was an unconscious habit. When he saw the youth blink at him, his heart tingled, and his Adam's apple bobbed subtly.
"Wang Qing, please come up and solve this problem."
The person called out froze, his expression stiffening instantly. The youth endured it for a moment but ultimately couldn't help glaring at Chu Yi.
Seeing this, the corner of Chu Yi's mouth curved upward into a faint smile.
The youth was always skipping class—how could he possibly solve the physics problem on the board? Holding the chalk, he stood there for ages without writing a single stroke.
Chu Yi walked up behind the youth, his tall figure completely enveloping him, as though he were embracing him from behind.
He took hold of the hand that held the chalk and guided the youth stroke by stroke to write out the answer. After finishing, he spoke with a soft laugh.
"Wang Qing, it's not good to let your mind wander in class."
The only response Chu Yi received was yet another glare.
The youth's features were exquisitely beautiful and striking; even his glares held no intimidation whatsoever—in fact, they looked more like playful pouting.
With the person he loved right there in his embrace and the faint scent of orchid blossoms wafting over him, Chu Yi had to exert tremendous effort to keep himself in check. He let out an awkward cough.
"Off you go."
Soon the bell signaling the end of class rang. The teacher always left the classroom before the students. Once Chu Yi had gone, the students in the room gradually dispersed as well.
In the end, only the boy remained.
The boy did not leave through the door. Instead, he walked straight over to the window. The classroom was on the ground floor. He stepped onto a desk and looked outside.
There, just beyond the window, Chu Yi—who had just left—stood leaning against the wall, waiting.
The person he was waiting for was, naturally, the boy.
Chu Yi watched as the boy by the window widened his eyes. Just as he was about to tell the boy to use the door, the boy leapt directly from the window.
Chu Yi's heart lurched, and he immediately caught the boy.
Only when the boy was safe in his arms did his heart settle. His face darkened as he scolded him.
"Ridiculous. How could you jump out the window?"
The boy wrapped his arms around Chu Yi's neck, his face beaming with a radiant smile. Affectionately, he nuzzled against Chu Yi's cheek.
"I knew you would catch me."
No one could resist the boy's coquettish charm. Chu Yi's stern expression crumbled in an instant, and his tone softened considerably.
"Even so, you mustn't put yourself in danger."
The boy nuzzled his cheek again. "Alright, alright."
"I won't do it again."
Just as Chu Yi was about to say something more, a cold touch landed on his forehead. The sensation caused the entire scene to recede and fade.
The voices grew more and more distant. At some point, the person in his arms had vanished as well.
Chu Yi opened his eyes. His vision sharpened from a blur to clarity, and what met his gaze was the sky.
Ah.
It was a dream.
Chu Yi was sitting before a gravestone, his back resting against the very tombstone behind him—the one that belonged to the boy.
He looked up at the sky, where rain had begun to fall. His eyes were hollow and vacant.
So tired.
He felt like he couldn't hold on any longer.
A world without the boy seemed utterly, unbearably dull.
Chu Yi no longer knew how he had lived through those first twenty-some years of his life. Without the boy, he couldn't seem to find any reason to keep living.
He was so, so tired.
Even breathing felt exhausting.
Chu Yi slowly closed his eyes, as if he had simply fallen asleep.
No one knew how much time had passed when—
Bang—!
A single gunshot rang out, and the entire world fell into silence.
