All Square

[We are all hit square in the forehead by a bullet that arrived years too late, dying over and over again.]

Zhuang Yihan still hadn't learned to let go; he was just forced to. Just like when his father suddenly passed away years ago, he had no choice but to shoulder the heavy family business. He never had a choice in anything.

After Chen Shu left, Zhuang Yihan seemed to have lost his last bit of support. His body swayed uncontrollably a couple of times before he closed his eyes and fell back into the pillows. His face was pale, his shirt stained with melted snow, clinging wetly to his skin, so cold it made him shiver. A weakness emanated from him, from the inside out, yet all he could do was wrap his arms tightly around himself, curling into a tight ball as if that could bring him some warmth.

Zhuang Yihan used to be very afraid of the cold, so Chen Shu would always hold him.

But now, the night outside the window was endless. The vast sky was filled with fluttering snowflakes, and that person was walking away, step by step. In the end, the glass window fogged up, blurring even his retreating figure.

How Zhuang Yihan longed for Chen Shu to turn back.

Just as in their past life, when Chen Shu was drowning in the river, he had hoped Zhuang Yihan would turn back to save him.

But they were all stumbling forward on the path of fate, battered and bruised, with no room left to retreat or turn around.

The snow fell heavier and heavier.

Chen Shu didn't take a coat when he left. The moment he stepped outside, the cold wind stole all his body heat, yet he seemed to feel no cold at all. He walked slowly, step by step, and finally hailed a cab by the roadside in the blowing snow, making it back to the dorm just as the lights went out.

Back when Yu Hui was around, he would always place a rechargeable night light by the bed, brightly illuminating the entire dorm room. But Duan Chengcai didn't have this habit. Now, the dorm was plunged into darkness, its silence unsettling.

Chen Shu had no energy to change his clothes. He found his bunk in the darkness, took off his shoes, and collapsed wearily onto the bed. He wrapped himself in the cold quilt, closed his eyes, and lay motionless. Before long, he fell asleep.

No dreams, no pain, only a pitch-blackness so deep you couldn't see your hand in front of your face, an endless path that seemed to have no end.

Perhaps from the cold, Chen Shu came down with a high fever the next day. He had no strength and couldn't even get out of bed. He didn't want to go to the hospital, so he just took a few fever reducers, planning to tough it out.

Because he wasn't going home for the New Year, his younger brother Chen Ji called him specifically to ask. His chirpy voice couldn't hide his excitement: "Bro, are you really not coming back for the New Year? Our family bought a new house in the County Town, and it's decorated so beautifully. Your room isn't furnished yet. Dad said to wait for you to come back and pick out the furniture yourself, in case you don't like it. Why don't you come back and stay for a couple of days?"

Chen Shu was weak from the fever, his head throbbing with a dull ache. It took him a few seconds to process what his brother was saying. He closed his eyes and said, "No, the ticket home is expensive. I'll wait until next year's summer break to go back."

Chen Ji heard Chen Shu's hoarse voice through the phone and was surprised. "Bro, what's wrong with your throat?"

Chen Shu: "I have a cold. I'll be fine in a couple of days."

Chen Ji said, "Oh. Bro, how much is the ticket from your end? If it's too much, I can buy it for you. I heard there's hardly anyone in the city during the New Year. It must be so lonely for you to stay at school by yourself. Dad misses you too."

Chen Shu frowned and asked weakly, "Where did you get the money?"

Chen Ji hesitated for a moment before dropping a startling piece of news: "Bro, Dad sold the old house and the land back home. He went through the procedures a couple of days ago and transferred the money to your card. Remember to check it later."

Chen Shu was stunned. The news cleared his head a little. He instinctively sat up in bed, his brows knitted tightly, wondering if he had misheard. "What did you say? Dad sold the house?!"

Their family had been well-off in the past, leaving behind a quaint old house with several hundred years of history. Coupled with the beautiful scenery nearby, with its clear waters and green mountains, tourism developers and B&B owners had come to survey and ask for a price over the years, but their old-fashioned and stubborn Father Chen had always rejected them flat out.

In the eyes of the older generation, selling the ancestral home was a disgraceful act that would invite gossip and scorn. That was why Chen Shu had never imagined his dad would actually sell the house.

Perhaps sensing Chen Shu's mood, Chen Ji's voice became much softer. He mumbled, "When Dad was hospitalized for surgery, didn't you borrow a million from a friend? And buying the house in the County Town also cost a lot. Dad said you haven't even finished your studies yet, how could you carry such a huge debt? A developer just happened to come by and ask for the price, so he sold it."

"Dad said he doesn't know if that's enough money, and he told you to pay back a portion first. If it's not enough, we'll scrape together the rest ourselves. The New Year is almost here, we can't let the person you borrowed from go without money for the holiday."

Chen Shu didn't speak. After a moment of silence, he asked, "...How much did it sell for?"

Chen Ji looked down and calculated. "It was mainly the old family house that was valuable. Since we moved to the County Town, we don't farm anymore, so he sold a patch of forest on the mountain and a few acres of land along with it. The developer also took a liking to a few old vases and wooden ornaments in the house, said they were antiques or something, so he took them as a package deal. Altogether, it was about one and a half million."

Rural land was cheap and not very valuable; three thousand yuan could buy a fish pond. To farmers who toiled the land, over one and a half million was an astronomical sum.

Chen Shu had been sick with a headache for the past two days and hadn't looked at his phone much. He exited the call and checked his bank account balance, only to find an extra one point three million or so. After deducting fees and taxes, his dad had probably kept only a hundred thousand for the family and sent the rest to him.

"...I understand."

Chen Shu closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingertips, and said in a hoarse voice,

"I'm not coming back this year. Tell Dad I'll return the money right away."

Chen Ji was inevitably a little disappointed to hear that, but he couldn't say anything more. He could only remind Chen Shu to take care of himself, chatted about some trivial family matters, and then hung up.

Chen Shu had borrowed five million from Zhuang Yihan. Aside from what he spent on his father's hospitalization and buying the house in the County Town, he had saved the rest. He hadn't touched much of the monthly living expenses Zhuang Yihan gave him later, either. He had saved up some capital from part-time jobs, then used his memories to buy a few stocks that did well, repeatedly buying low and selling high. He had accumulated a considerable amount of savings. Adding the money from his family, it was enough to cover the original shortfall.

Chen Shu forced himself to pull himself together, found Zhuang Yihan's bank account, and transferred the money. He watched the "Transfer Successful" notification pop up, then closed his eyes and turned off his phone screen, feeling as if the last bond between them had been severed.

"Click—"

Suddenly, a dull sound came from the dorm room door. It must have been Duan Chengcai coming back from buying breakfast downstairs. Chen Shu heard footsteps approaching, and then his bed curtain was yanked open with a whoosh. Sunlight streamed into the dark bed, so bright it made him close his eyes.

"Chen Shu, you haven't eaten for two days. Are you planning to starve to death?"

Hearing this, Chen Shu subconsciously opened his eyes. He saw Duan Chengcai standing in front of his bed, wearing a black down jacket. His brows were furrowed, snowflakes still clinging to his shoulders. He placed a bag heavily on the table with a dull thud. "Eat."

"..."

Chen Shu pushed himself up with his hands, his brain still a bit sluggish. "What?"

Duan Chengcai: "Can't you see for yourself?"

Chen Shu opened the bag and saw that it was a bowl of hot congee. He paused, then thanked him in a hoarse voice, "How much was it? I'll transfer the money to you."

Duan Chengcai stuck his hands in his jacket pockets, his tone tinged with faint sarcasm. "I can afford a bowl of congee. Chen Shu, you're so meticulous about settling scores with everyone, not wanting to owe a single cent. In the end, can you really settle everything so clearly?"

Chen Shu's movements paused at his words. He looked up, but Duan Chengcai had already turned back to his own bunk, taken off his jacket to hang on the bedside, and was unwrapping his own portion of fried noodles.

Chen Shu had no choice but to open the take-out box and take a spoonful of the hot congee. His throat stung as he swallowed, and he couldn't taste anything, but at least it provided some warmth. After a moment, he said:

"Things like money can of course be settled clearly if you want to."

In his last life, after accepting Zhuang Yihan's kindness, if it had just been about paying back the money, things would have been simple. He could have stayed at the company and helped Zhuang Yihan diligently, becoming his capable right-hand man in business without asking for anything more. Perhaps the ending would have been better that way.

But what followed the money was far more than that. It was salvation during desperate times, a bowl of hot soup when starving, the figure shielding you from the storm. It was a debt of gratitude that could never be repaid. Once you've tasted such kindness, you begin to have expectations, to crave more, even to the point of betting your entire life on it.

Chen Shu looked at Duan Chengcai and said seriously, "The hardest thing to repay is a personal favor. Do you understand?"

Did Duan Chengcai understand?

Perhaps he did, perhaps he didn't. He only felt that Chen Shu's few light words had struck a hidden pain of his, making even the food in his mouth lose its taste.

Duan Chengcai slowly exhaled and said irritably, "I don't get it. The congee was seven yuan. Transfer it to me on WeChat later!"

Chen Shu didn't say anything and directly transferred two hundred yuan to him via his phone. "I don't have the strength to go downstairs. For the next few days, please grab an extra portion for me when you get food."

He was just sick and had no appetite; he wasn't actually planning to starve himself to death.

Duan Chengcai gave a humorless smile. "Didn't you say you don't want to owe anyone favors?!"

Chen Shu said calmly, "Yes, I don't want to. Didn't I transfer you two hundred? I'll eat at most one hundred yuan worth of food. The remaining hundred is your delivery fee."

Duan Chengcai cursed, "Fuck! Have you no fucking shame?!"

Chen Shu: "I want food."

Duan Chengcai: "..."

Despite the argument, Duan Chengcai did buy Chen Shu's meals for the next few days. Even without an appetite, Chen Shu forced himself to eat something every day. His spirits finally improved, and his fever gradually subsided.

One morning, Duan Chengcai went downstairs to buy breakfast but didn't return for a long time. Chen Shu keenly sensed that something was wrong. Just as he was hesitating whether to call and ask, his phone buzzed. Duan Chengcai's name was displayed on the screen.

Without much thought, Chen Shu answered the call. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, asking, "You've been gone for over an hour just to buy breakfast. When are you coming back?"

But the voice on the other end wasn't Duan Chengcai's. It was a cold, playful male voice, which sounded vaguely familiar. "Chen Shu, long time no see. How about we get together?"

There was too much static on the line, and Chen Shu couldn't immediately recognize who it was. "Who is this? Where's Duan Chengcai?"

The person on the other end seemed to sneer. "It hasn't been long since you dumped my brother, yet you've forgotten me so quickly? Don't worry, Duan Chengcai is fine, just great. If you want to find him, get to the school gate within ten minutes."

Chen Shu's face fell. He hadn't expected it to be the reckless Zhuang Yifan. "Zhuang Yifan, what are you trying to do?"

Zhuang Yifan didn't answer him. "Ten minutes. If you're late, I can't guarantee Duan Chengcai won't be missing an arm or a leg."

With that, he hung up, leaving only a dial tone. Chen Shu frowned at his phone screen. With no time to think, he hurriedly threw on a jacket, went downstairs, and rushed towards the school gate.

In the dead of winter, the roads were covered in snow.

When Chen Shu arrived at the school gate, he saw a silver supercar parked by the side of the road, followed closely by a van. A devil-may-care young man was standing by the road smoking, flanked by several bodyguards. Who else could it be but Zhuang Yifan?

Upon closer examination, Zhuang Yifan was actually more dangerous and troublesome than Zhuang Yihan. After all, the latter at least abided by some rules and logic when he did things. If Zhuang Yifan decided to act recklessly, he would disregard everything.

Chen Shu slowly let out a breath, thinking that this matter probably wouldn't be resolved peacefully today. He walked forward and asked, "Where is Duan Chengcai?"

Seeing Chen Shu approach, Zhuang Yifan raised an eyebrow through the smoke. "Yo, you finally deigned to come down. I thought you, Young Master Chen, had your eyes on the sky, not answering calls, blocking texts. We know each other, after all. No need to be so heartless, right?"

Ever since Jiang Xi got beaten up by his brother that day, Zhuang Yifan had finally figured out the situation. It turned out it wasn't his brother who had dumped Chen Shu, but Chen Shu who had dumped his brother.

When he first got the news, Zhuang Yifan was stunned for a long time before he came to his senses. His first thought was that it was impossible. Chen Shu loved his brother so much! Not to mention his usual thoughtfulness and meticulous care, but even when he fell into the pool and lost consciousness, he was still calling his brother's name. When they went out to sea, he even jumped in to save someone, disregarding the danger to his own life. Why would he break up for no reason?

But no matter how he asked, Zhuang Yihan remained silent. Zhuang Yifan could only vaguely guess that it might have something to do with Jiang Xi. He didn't think it was a big deal. Young couples, right? Who doesn't have a few bumps and misunderstandings? They just needed to talk things out face-to-face, right?

He was a man of action, so he immediately called Chen Shu to ask him out for a talk. But to his surprise, Chen Shu had not only blocked his brother, but him as well. What was even more infuriating was that Fang Yiting and Xue Miao hadn't been blocked. Wasn't this blatant discrimination?!

You've got some nerve, Chen Shu! Are you specifically picking on us Zhuang brothers?!

The two of them were already miserable enough without a father or mother, and now Chen Shu was kicking them while they were down!

Chen Shu didn't want to waste words with Zhuang Yifan. He said flatly, "Just say what you want to say. Don't waste time."

It was early morning, before dawn, the coldest time of the day. Puffs of white vapor escaped their mouths when they spoke. Zhuang Yifan's cigarette had gone a bit damp. Hearing Chen Shu, he threw the cigarette butt on the ground, stubbed it out with his leather shoe, and said with a humorless smile, "Chen Shu, you want to break up with my brother with just a few words? Dump him just like that, without even giving an explanation?"

Chen Shu's lips twitched into a sarcastic smile. "An explanation? Did you ever give an explanation when you broke up with all those exes of yours?"

"You!" Zhuang Yifan was momentarily choked up, then became angry out of embarrassment. "How can that be the same?! How can they compare to my brother?!"

Chen Shu: "How is it different? Are those people missing an arm or a leg compared to your brother? It's just a breakup. Can you make it out to be something special?"

Zhuang Yifan gritted his teeth, finally giving up on arguing with Chen Shu. "I don't care. You have to see my brother today and clear up all the misunderstandings! Do you have any idea what he's become recently? He's neither human nor ghost. Not only is he drinking like his life depends on it, but he's also acting like a lunatic every day, targeting the Jiang Family's businesses, cornering them at every turn, even willing to lose money just to ruin them! Everyone is saying he's lost his mind! If you have even a shred of conscience, go and make things clear with him right now!"

After speaking, he grabbed Chen Shu's hand and tried to drag him to the car, but Chen Shu stood his ground, unmoving. The biting wind swirled around him, turning his exposed skin slightly red.

"I've already said everything that needed to be said to your brother. There's nothing to explain. Let Duan Chengcai go. This has nothing to do with him. If your brother finds out you're messing around out here, he'll only be angrier."

Zhuang Yifan stared coldly at Chen Shu, his gaze turning menacing for a moment. "I told you to go see my brother and you keep making excuses. Now you're bringing him up? What? Trying to scare me?!"

He let out a laugh of exasperation. "You two really are classmates, both so heartless. No wonder you get along so well! Let me tell you, Duan Chengcai's business is one thing, and your business with my brother is another. He forced Chen Chuyao to be hospitalized and slit his wrists last time. I haven't settled that score with him yet!"

With that, Zhuang Yifan snapped his fingers. The van door behind him slid open with a whoosh, and a person was thrown out. It was none other than Duan Chengcai, who had been cornered at the school gate.

Chen Shu's heart sank at the sight. He immediately went forward to help him up. "Duan Chengcai? Are you okay?!"

It wasn't that he was overreacting; Chen Shu had suffered at Zhuang Yifan's hands in his previous life. He didn't think for a second that Zhuang Yifan would have held back when dealing with Duan Chengcai.

Fortunately, Duan Chengcai wasn't seriously hurt, just took a fall when he was thrown out. He stood up with Chen Shu's help and shook his head. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me, hurry back to school..."

Chen Shu's brows furrowed. "Don't talk right now. I'll take you back to the dorm."

As he spoke, he supported Duan Chengcai and started to leave, but Zhuang Yifan grabbed his shoulder. With a smirk that wasn't a smile, Zhuang Yifan made it clear he was looking for trouble. "Did I say you two could go?"

Chen Shu glanced at his shoulder, thinking that Zhuang Yifan was truly a leopard that couldn't change its spots. He'd pulled this move in the last life, and he was doing it again in this one. He said coldly, "Let go."

Zhuang Yifan: "What if I fucking don't let go? What? You want to fight me..."

"Bang—!"

Before he could finish, his world spun, and he was thrown to the ground by Chen Shu in an over-the-shoulder throw, letting out a miserable cry. The bodyguards beside him were shocked and rushed forward to help Zhuang Yifan up from the ground. "Second Young Master, are you okay?!"

"Okay my ass! Why don't you try taking a fall?!"

Zhuang Yifan was furious. What kind of bodyguards had he hired? They had no professional etiquette at all! Grimacing, he got up from the ground and pointed angrily at Chen Shu and Duan Chengcai. "Block them! Don't let them run!"

He had come here today to corner them, bringing at least five bodyguards. At his command, they immediately rushed forward and surrounded Chen Shu and Duan Chengcai. It was early morning, so there were few pedestrians. Even if there were, they didn't want any trouble upon seeing this scene and quickly left, keeping their heads down.

Seeing this, Chen Shu wisely stopped. He wasn't stupid. Why would he take on five guys? Even a fool would know he couldn't win. "Zhuang Yifan, what exactly do you want?"

Zhuang Yifan pushed through the crowd, nursing his sore bottom. 'Chen Shu is a real ruthless bastard,' he thought. 'No wonder he dumped my big brother without batting an eye.' "I don't want to do anything. Just one question: are you going with me to see my brother or not?!"

Chen Shu's tone was calm. "I'm not."

Zhuang Yifan laughed in anger, pointing at him and nodding repeatedly. "Fine, Chen Shu, you're ruthless! I'll lay it all out for you today. If you're still dead set on not seeing my brother, believe it or not, I'll beat this Duan guy to death!"

Chen Shu also chuckled and looked up at Zhuang Yifan. "Are you threatening me?"

Zhuang Yifan lifted his chin coldly. The way he made threats was a spitting image of his brother. "If you have the guts, just walk away. I dare you to leave, and I'll kill him!"

He could see that this Duan guy's relationship with Chen Shu was unusual. If he couldn't handle Chen Shu, couldn't he handle Duan Chengcai?! Even if Chen Shu didn't want to yield, he would have to admit defeat at his hands!

However, the unexpected happened. Chen Shu first looked at Duan Chengcai, then at the bodyguards blocking the way. After a moment of thought, he actually pushed Duan Chengcai towards them. The bodyguards instinctively caught Duan Chengcai, and before they could react, they heard Chen Shu say:

"Then go ahead and kill him. I can't be bothered anymore."

After saying that, ignoring Zhuang Yifan's stiff expression, Chen Shu zipped up his jacket, stuck his hands in his pockets, and turned to leave. He didn't look back once, even as he entered the school gates.

Zhuang Yifan stood there dumbfounded, so angry he started to stutter, "Ch-Chen Shu! I fucking... Do you believe I'll really kill him!!"

He never expected Chen Shu to be so unpredictable. He had already made his threat, but the other guy just turned and left?! But Zhuang Yifan couldn't actually kill someone, so he was left in an awkward position.

Duan Chengcai was also dumbstruck. "Chen Shu! You're really not gonna give a fuck about me?!"

They were roommates, for god's sake! He'd brought Chen Shu food for a few days, for god's sake! At the very least... at the very least, they were schoolmates!!!

"Chen Shu!! Come back!!"

"Come back my ass!"

Zhuang Yifan's anger flared upon hearing this. He grabbed Duan Chengcai by the collar and cursed, "What the hell are you shouting for! You think anyone's gonna come save a scumbag like you who plays with people's feelings?! I'm telling you, it's useless even if you cry for your ancestors today! I'm definitely going to kill you!!"

Did Zhuang Yifan end up killing Duan Chengcai?

Of course not.

Because Chen Shu had directly called the police.

Zhuang Yihan was in a meeting at the company when he suddenly received a call from the police station, asking him to come pick someone up. They said his younger brother was involved in a group fight and was currently detained with several bodyguards for investigation. He immediately guessed that Zhuang Yifan must have caused some trouble again, and the headache in his already chaotic mind intensified.

During this period, the Jiang Family had lost a lot of business because they were being targeted by Zhuang Yihan. Jiang Xi had been calling constantly, trying to smooth things over, but Zhuang Yihan had already blacklisted him. His calls to the secretary also went unanswered, causing a stir throughout the company and creating quite a bit of trouble.

Zhuang Yihan didn't have time to ask many questions after receiving the call. He immediately stopped the meeting and left his office. When he rushed to the police station with his secretary and lawyer, he saw Zhuang Yifan sitting dejectedly in an interrogation room, looking rather defiant, while a police officer next to him was patiently trying to reason with him.

Zhuang Yihan frowned imperceptibly at the sight and knocked on the door. Zhuang Yifan instantly looked up at the sound, and upon seeing him, he quickly stood up as if he had seen his savior. "Bro! You're finally here!"

"Hey, hey, what's the excitement? Sit back down. Your paperwork isn't finished yet."

The police officer pushed Zhuang Yifan back down. Holding a record in his hand, he walked to the door and looked Zhuang Yihan up and down. He saw a tall man who, despite his quiet and detached demeanor, had a noble air. His face bore a five or six-tenths resemblance to the one inside. "Are you Zhuang Yifan's older brother?"

Zhuang Yihan nodded. He had been seriously ill recently, and on top of that, he couldn't sleep at night, so his fatigue was evident in his eyes. He covered his nose and mouth with his collar as he spoke, letting out a few low coughs occasionally. "I am. I heard my brother got into a fight. Is it serious?"

The police officer gave him a serious look. "This time, the victim wasn't injured and isn't pressing charges. They said they were just friends fooling around and are willing to mediate. Later, you can just sign the papers and pay a fine, and you'll be free to go. Although they didn't actually fight, his family must discipline him for this kind of behavior. If there's a next time, it won't be as simple as a fine."

The officer then pointed at Zhuang Yifan inside and said, "You need to talk to your brother, too. He was still defiant when we brought him in. It's lucky no one was scared to death. If someone had actually died, it would be too late for regrets."

Zhuang Yifan said stubbornly, "Who was defiant? I just asked who called the police."

Zhuang Yihan shot him a cold glance. "Shut up! Say one more word and you can stay locked up in the police station. Let's see who dares to bail you out!"

Zhuang Yifan immediately deflated, muttering, "I was just doing it for you. You don't appreciate my good intentions."

Hearing this, Zhuang Yihan's eyes narrowed sharply, as if he suddenly realized something. He frowned and asked, "Who were you trying to beat up just now? Chen Shu?"

Zhuang Yifan: "I didn't hit Chen Shu. I wanted to teach a lesson to that classmate of his who played with Chen Chuyao's feelings!"

He then clutched his arm and complained indignantly, "Bro, let me tell you, Chen Shu is damn ruthless. I just grabbed him for a second, and wham, he threw me to the ground with an over-the-shoulder throw! My ass still hurts!"

Zhuang Yihan said nothing. He just gave his brother an expressionless glance, then, in front of everyone, threw down the pen he was about to sign with and turned to walk out the door. It looked as if he had no intention of bailing him out.

Zhuang Yifan was shocked and grew anxious. He craned his neck and shouted after him, "Hey! Bro, why are you leaving?! Sign the papers and get me out of here first!!"

"Lawyer Zhao! Lawyer Zhao! Come back!"

Zhuang Yihan stopped and finally turned back to look at Zhuang Yifan. His voice was emotionless as he said, "You'll stay in here and reflect for the next few days. You can come out when you've thought things through. Let's see who dares to bail you out!"

He had doted on this younger brother too much since childhood, to the point where he had become lawless. If he didn't learn his lesson, who knew what kind of bigger trouble he would cause in the future. The lawyer Zhuang Yihan had brought with him didn't dare to say a word, ignoring Zhuang Yifan's anxious shouts from behind as he silently walked out.

But unexpectedly, just as Zhuang Yihan and the lawyer stepped out of the police station, they ran into Chen Shu and Duan Chengcai. Both parties stopped in their tracks and stared at each other. The atmosphere instantly became tense and awkward.

"..."