Destiny Rewritten

Zhuang Yihan asked for a new private room.

When Chen Shu arrived after receiving a message from the supervisor, he found the room completely empty. Not even the lights were on. Outside the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows, skyscrapers stood in dense clusters, their dazzling neon lights appearing both prosperous and decadent against the endless night. Fine strands of rain slanted against the glass, attempting to awaken this city lost in hedonistic dreams, only to slide down powerlessly in the end.

Chen Shu watched for a moment before slowly sitting down on the black leather sofa, lost in thought. The phone in his pocket vibrated incessantly with messages from Duan Chengcai. At first, the other party was typing, but later, exasperated, he switched entirely to voice messages.

[Chen Shu, Johnny just said the supervisor told you when he called for us to gather, why didn't you tell me??]

[I'm seriously going to die of anger because of you!!!]

[Do you have any idea how rich the clients in that private room were? The two of us not going was a huge loss! Even the ones who weren't chosen got two thousand yuan each!!]

[My god! For heaven's sake! What on earth are you trying to do!! If you have a problem with me, you can just say it, don't take it out on money!!]

Even through the screen, it was easy to feel Duan Chengcai's frenzy. After all, it was a full two thousand yuan, enough for three months of their frugal living expenses.

Chen Shu didn't reply. Instead, he directly transferred two thousand yuan to Duan Chengcai, then switched his phone to silent and leaned back on the sofa to rest with his eyes closed. The mottled, colorful lights from outside the window fell on his face, like a profound and magnificent oil painting.

What was the point?

He didn't know what the point was either.

Chen Shu just felt that if Duan Chengcai never met that person, living so carelessly might have been fine too. Two thousand yuan to buy a peaceful latter half of his life was, by any measure, incredibly worthwhile.

Including himself.

As this thought crossed his mind, Chen Shu couldn't help but slowly wrap his arms around himself, feeling a slight chill in the heated private room. He never would have thought he could still be alive after jumping off that bridge. When he opened his eyes, he found himself in the bar's locker room. After all, that Black Snake had once said that if Jiang Xi died, he would die along with him...

This unexpected rebirth brought him not joy, but rather a sense of confusion about fate.

"What are you thinking about?"

A low, familiar voice suddenly sounded in the air, seeming particularly clear in the dimly lit room. Chen Shu subconsciously looked up to see that Zhuang Yihan had, at some point, pushed the door open and entered. He had made his steps extremely light, as if afraid of disturbing something. Finally, he stopped in front of him and slowly crouched down—

It was a posture of extreme reverence and caution.

As if he wanted to get closer to something, yet was afraid of startling it.

Zhuang Yihan stared at Chen Shu without blinking, afraid that he was dreaming. It wasn't until he tentatively took Chen Shu's hand, which was resting at his side, and his fingertips touched its cool, solid reality that he felt a sense of truth. He lowered his voice and asked nervously:

"Chen Shu, do you still remember me?"

"..."

With just that one sentence, Chen Shu understood that Zhuang Yihan had also been reborn.

But he didn't speak. He just silently looked at the other man, a trace of lingering confusion in his deep, quiet eyes, as if he didn't understand why fate, after all its twists and turns, had entangled them together once more.

When Zhuang Yihan didn't get an answer for a long time, his heart sank. Although he had guessed that the probability of rebirth was minuscule—it was rare enough for one ordinary person to experience it, let alone two people at the same time—he still held onto a desperate hope that Chen Shu had returned. He lowered his voice and asked again:

"Chen Shu, do you really not remember me?"

"..."

After a long silence, Chen Shu finally spoke in a low voice, "The supervisor said, you are President Zhuang."

This sentence made Zhuang Yihan's heart plummet to the depths. A look of shock crossed his face, and he couldn't help but clench his fists, a flash of genuine pain and unwillingness in his eyes. He clearly didn't understand why Chen Shu hadn't been reborn like him. At the same time, however, he knew very well that getting a chance to start over was something others couldn't even beg for. How could he be so greedy? So, he could only desperately tell himself to be content.

Isn't being reborn already good enough?

It doesn't matter if Chen Shu came back or not, as long as he is still by my side. As long as this person can appear before my eyes, alive, it is already the greatest gift from heaven.

'Zhuang Yihan, don't be greedy, don't be greedy. What if God gets upset and takes back even this pitiful bit of salvation?'

Thinking this, Zhuang Yihan's turbulent emotions finally calmed down a bit. Fearing he would scare the Chen Shu he was meeting for the first time in this life, he forced a smile, suppressed the sourness rising in his throat, and took the initiative to introduce himself:

"You don't have to call me what they do. My name is Zhuang Yihan. The 'Yi' from 'yixin yiyi' (wholeheartedly), and the 'Han' from 'hanleng' (cold). What about you?"

But Chen Shu said, "Didn't you already know my name just now?"

Realizing he had misspoken, Zhuang Yihan froze for a moment before explaining, "Oh, I heard it from your supervisor just now. Your name is Chen Shu? Which 'Shu'?"

Chen Shu looked at him quietly, then raised his hand and slowly traced a character in the air. "The 'Shu' from 'ruxin shu' (to forgive, with 'heart' as a component), the 'Shu' in 'forgiveness'."

Unlike the other male models, Chen Shu wasn't dressed flamboyantly. His clean, well-fitting clothes seemed overly simple in a lavish club like this. He was like a sharp green bamboo that had abruptly sprouted in a splendid urban garden, far less suited to him than the mountain winds and streams.

Zhuang Yihan had asked himself countless times if he could truly blame Chen Shu for what happened back then. It was he who had personally dragged him into this world of debauchery, yet he was unable to be responsible for his future. In the end, how could he watch as the other was drowned by the lavish lifestyle, and then blame him for not staying true to himself?

At one point, Zhuang Yihan was so sad he could barely breathe.

In the end, all suffering arose because of him, and all sins rested upon him...

He composed himself and silently tightened his grip on Chen Shu's cold hands. He wanted to say something, but a bar's private room was hardly a suitable place for a conversation. After a moment's thought, he said, "Let's go. It's too noisy here. I'll take you somewhere else."

Chen Shu didn't actually move, but he couldn't resist being led by the hand by Zhuang Yihan. He was taken out of the room just like that. Along the way, many people were secretly sizing them up, but Zhuang Yihan ignored them all. He went straight to his car parked outside, gently pushed Chen Shu into the passenger seat, and then got into the driver's seat and started the engine.

The windshield wipers started, clearing away the blurry rainwater on the glass.

Zhuang Yihan had originally planned to take Chen Shu home, but he suddenly remembered that he had arranged for a housekeeper to clean today, and it would probably take a few hours. So, he turned the car midway and drove to a hotel instead.

The same one where they had met in their previous life.

Seeing the familiar hotel entrance outside the car window, Chen Shu's body stiffened almost imperceptibly. He asked, feigning casualness, "President Zhuang, where are we going?"

Zhuang Yihan unbuckled his seatbelt and glanced at him. "A hotel."

Chen Shu: "I know it's a hotel. I mean..."

What did he mean?

His job was a male model. To put it bluntly, wasn't it to accompany clients for drinks and sleep? Asking this question seemed rather pretentious, didn't it?

Chen Shu paused for a moment, then swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue. "It's nothing."

Zhuang Yihan didn't think anything was wrong either. He booked a premium suite and went upstairs directly with Chen Shu. He had a good memory and still remembered the room number—it was the same one they had stayed in in their previous life.

"You sit and rest for a bit. I'm going to take a shower."

Zhuang Yihan had been in the private room for a long time and felt like he reeked of smoke. After speaking, he took off his jacket to head into the bathroom, but noticed Chen Shu was standing perfectly still. He paused his steps. "...Why don't you go first?"

Actually, showering together would have been fine, but Zhuang Yihan was afraid of scaring him.

Chen Shu leaned against the corner of the desk and shook his head slightly. "You go ahead. I showered in the locker room half an hour ago."

He watched Zhuang Yihan quietly. Although he said nothing, his gaze inexplicably made one's heart race. The warm yellow light cascaded down from above, outlining a lean and sturdy figure—not as thin as an ordinary youth, but not overly muscular either. Everything was just right.

Those eyes were naturally bewitching.

As if they could see right through his little schemes.

Zhuang Yihan turned and walked into the bathroom with a hint of panic, sliding the door shut behind him. In his previous life, he had been so intimate with Chen Shu, but the other man had never truly touched a single finger of his, right up until his death.

Zhuang Yihan didn't know if it was because Chen Shu had some psychological block or for some other reason. He only knew that this matter was quickly becoming his own psychological block.

He turned on the shower, and hot water quickly filled the entire bathroom.

Zhuang Yihan took a long, thorough shower before coming out. He wore a slightly loose bathrobe, his hair dripping wet with steam. Because his skin was very pale, the slight redness at the corners of his eyes was particularly noticeable. Paired with his cool expression, it made one feel a strong urge to corrupt him.

Unfortunately, Chen Shu showed no reaction. He took a cigarette case from his pocket and seemed about to turn toward the balcony for a smoke, but Zhuang Yihan reached out and grabbed him. "Where are you going?"

Chen Shu gestured with the lighter in his hand. "To smoke."

Zhuang Yihan asked in a hoarse voice, "Do you have to smoke right now?"

He pressed his lips together slightly, looking a little nervous, but his gaze was fixed stubbornly on Chen Shu, demanding an answer.

"..."

After a slight delay, Chen Shu had to take the cigarette from his lips. His long, slender fingers tapped idly against the cigarette. He pondered for a moment before speaking slowly, "President Zhuang..."

Zhuang Yihan: "I already told you my name."

Chen Shu: "Zhuang Yihan..."

Zhuang Yihan's voice was low. "Do you have to be so distant with me?"

Chen Shu paused. In the end, he didn't voice the reminder that they had only known each other for less than three hours in this life. "Alright, Brother Zhuang..."

Hearing this, Zhuang Yihan choked slightly. "Let's talk about it later."

Zhuang Yihan shrewdly sensed that Chen Shu might say something he didn't want to hear, so he cut him off beforehand. After speaking, he pinned Chen Shu against the corner of the desk. The scent of his body wash filled the air. Normally it might have seemed a bit cloyingly sweet, but in this dim, ambiguous atmosphere, it was just right.

Chen Shu was too tall; Zhuang Yihan had to tilt his head up slightly to reach his lips. But he still didn't dare to kiss him, only daring to hover closely. After all, they had just met. Being too intimate might seem offensive. He asked earnestly in a low voice, "I brought you here. Are you scared?"

Chen Shu replied distractedly, "A little."

After much hesitation, Zhuang Yihan finally took Chen Shu's cold hand gently. He only dared to hold his hand. "Don't be scared. I don't mean anything by it. It's just that when I first saw you, I felt like we clicked..."

This was the most reasonable excuse he could rack his brains to come up with, the one least likely to make Chen Shu suspicious.

Chen Shu didn't know what to say. He lowered his eyes and remained silent.

Zhuang Yihan assumed he was scared and slowly let go of him, asking with concern, "Are you sleepy? If you are, go rest on the bed. Don't worry, I won't do anything. I'll take you back to school tomorrow morning for class."

Although Chen Shu couldn't quite figure out what Zhuang Yihan was thinking, he had just been reborn. His mind was a mess, and he truly needed to rest, so he nodded. "Okay, I'll go rest then."

He seemed completely unconcerned that Zhuang Yihan might be a wolf in sheep's clothing who would go back on his word. After speaking, he took off his jacket, draped it over a chair, then removed his shoes and lay down on the other side of the large bed to sleep in his clothes. The white comforter outlined his back, his breathing even, as if he had fallen asleep in no time.

Zhuang Yihan stood by the bed watching for a long time. Finally, he quietly lifted the covers and got into bed, lying on the other side. He was so afraid of waking Chen Shu that he even made his breathing as light as possible. He reached out to turn off the dim bedside lamp and silently gazed at the other's back in the darkness, his eyes focused and full of deep affection.

That night, Zhuang Yihan thought about many things, but couldn't make sense of any of them. He was terrified that this scene was just a dream, so he kept his eyes open, not daring to sleep. However, the mental strain was too great. Countless waves of exhaustion washed over him, and in the latter half of the night, he finally succumbed and fell into a heavy sleep.

"..."

In the darkness, Chen Shu silently opened his eyes.

He calmly took out the phone from under his pillow and saw that Duan Chengcai had returned the two thousand yuan and sent over a dozen voice messages demanding to know why, clearly baffled by the transfer.

But Chen Shu didn't have the energy to explain right now.

He silently turned off his phone screen and quietly closed his eyes. He thought to himself that in this life, without the Black Snake's manipulation, without that heavy, burdensome love and hate, he could finally walk the path he wanted. He could control his own life, his own career, and if possible... even rewrite Duan Chengcai's destiny along with his own.

For the first time in his life, he finally felt a sense of relief in his heart. The love and hate that had weighed him down for two lifetimes, making it hard to breathe, seemed to have been completely dissolved by the river water at the moment of his death in his past life.