When Chen Shu, holding an umbrella, walked to the school gate, he saw a black Maybach parked quietly by the roadside. The car's body looked mysterious and elegant under the washing of the rainy night, but the man sitting in the driver's seat had a cold expression, revealing an indescribable gloom.

As it should be. After all, no one would be in a good mood after a breakup.

Chen Shu smiled almost imperceptibly and walked over. He bent his finger and knocked lightly on the car window, bending down to ask through the slightly lowered gap, "President Zhuang, is there something wrong with the watch?"

Zhuang Yihan glanced at Chen Shu's rain-splashed shoulder, his brow furrowing slightly. He said in an emotionless tone, "Get in the car first."

Although Chen Shu looked confused upon hearing this, he still nodded, walked around to the other side, and sat in the passenger seat. The sound of the rain was instantly cut off, becoming a muffled, indistinct blur.

He closed the umbrella, bent down to place it by his feet, and as he looked up, he inadvertently saw a gift bag on the dashboard. Under the glow of the purple ambient lighting, the brand logo was clearly visible. It was, surprisingly, the watch Zhuang Yihan had purchased that day.

Chen Shu paused, then gave a "well-intentioned" reminder: "President Zhuang, if there are any defects with this watch, remember to tell me. I'll contact the repair department as soon as possible, so you don't miss your friend's birthday..."

Before he could finish, Zhuang Yihan, as if a sensitive nerve had been struck, suddenly lowered the window and flung the gift bag out. It landed squarely in a roadside trash can. The exquisite and expensive gift box tumbled out of the bag, stained by the foul-smelling garbage, making it impossible for anyone to tell it was worth nearly a million.

Chen Shu was stunned by the sight. "President Zhuang?"

Zhuang Yihan sneered, "What, you think it's a pity?"

Zhuang Yihan had always been elegant and aloof, rarely showing his emotions like this. However, no matter how many times he recalled what happened at the birthday banquet today, he would get so angry that his hands couldn't stop shaking. His gaze was gloomy and dark, brewing a bottomless storm.

Jiang Xi was really something. To avoid him, he actually found a woman he'd known for less than ten days to be a shield, even announcing their engagement in public. Everyone in their circle knew he liked Jiang Xi. For Jiang Xi to specifically invite him over just to pull a stunt like this, what was the difference from throwing his face on the ground and stomping on it?

To be honest, sometimes even Zhuang Yihan himself didn't understand why he had to like this person. For so many years, Jiang Xi's attitude towards him had always been hot and cold. When it was good, it was exceptionally good, but it could turn cold in an instant. That confused and chaotic emotion flashed through his mind so quickly he couldn't even grasp it, leaving only a blank space behind.

"Whoosh..."

The sound of the night wind blowing outside the window finally jolted Zhuang Yihan from that strange emotion. When he realized his surroundings, a deep sense of powerlessness washed over him, and he couldn't help but slowly sink back into his seat. He watched the side of Chen Shu's face in the rearview mirror and tugged the corner of his mouth into a smile, which, upon closer look, carried a hint of almost imperceptible, self-deprecating mockery:

"Why aren't you talking?"

It was inexplicably terrifying, giving the feeling that saying the wrong thing would have dreadful consequences.

Chen Shu had never seen this side of Zhuang Yihan. After all, in his previous life, the man had never deigned to show the slightest emotion in front of him, not even getting angry when he sold the company's chip technology.

'Probably because he didn't care, right?'

Look, Jiang Xi had now hit a sore spot.

After realizing this, Chen Shu felt as if he were hallucinating again, as if that Black Snake was coiled around his wrist, watching the show and mocking his jealousy and unattainable desires.

Chen Shu closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he had regained his earlier composure. "President Zhuang, gifts are meant to please people. If it can't make you happy, then it's not a pity even if you throw away ten million."

Hearing this, the irritation in Zhuang Yihan's heart was strangely soothed a little, but only a little. His tone remained difficult to read. "Don't you want to know why?"

Chen Shu: "If I ask, will you tell me?"

Zhuang Yihan frowned and looked away, replying without a second thought, "No."

Being a simp wasn't exactly a glorious thing, especially a failed one. A person like Zhuang Yihan, who valued dignity and propriety above all, would never tell anyone about it.

Chen Shu: "So there's no point in asking. But... I really want to know why your hand is injured."

Hearing this, Zhuang Yihan subconsciously followed his gaze and only then noticed a patch of dried blood on the knuckles of his right hand. At the birthday banquet today, almost everyone had been watching him make a fool of himself. Zhuang Yihan had been suppressing a burning rage at the time, his mind a complete blank. He didn't know if he had punched something on his way out to vent, leaving behind this wretched wound.

Zhuang Yihan pulled down his sleeve, his tone indifferent. "I scraped it by accident."

Chen Shu didn't call him out. "There's a 24-hour pharmacy up ahead. Let's buy something to treat it, to avoid infection."

Zhuang Yihan's frown deepened. "Don't I need to go to the hospital?"

Though he acted nonchalant, he felt his injury was actually quite serious.

Chen Shu: "No need. It won't be too late to go to the hospital next time you scrape it and fracture a bone."

Zhuang Yihan choked on his words, saying angrily, "You!"

But Chen Shu suddenly smiled at Zhuang Yihan. He took his hand to examine the injury seriously, his voice low with a deceptive concern and gentleness. "I'm kidding. Do you want to go to the hospital? I'll take you."

...

The breath caught in Zhuang Yihan's chest, unable to be released or swallowed. He irritably pulled his hand back. "No need, I didn't break any bones!"

'Not bad, he's pretty self-aware.'

Chen Shu glanced at the subsiding rain outside, opened the car door, and got out. Seeing this, Zhuang Yihan thought he was angry. His heart inexplicably tightened, and he subconsciously asked, "Where are you going?"

Chen Shu turned back to look at him. His figure appeared particularly upright in the night. The faint light from the streetlamp cast his profile in deep and warm shades, the perfect look and age to make one's heart flutter. "I'm going to buy medicine. Wait for me in the car."

'So he was going to buy medicine for me...'

Zhuang Yihan's lips moved, and for a moment, it seemed he wanted to say something, but he said nothing in the end, only watching helplessly as Chen Shu left. He sank back into his seat in silence. His usually proud posture now seemed somewhat wretched and dejected. He frowned and rubbed his chest, feeling an itch somewhere inside, as if something were about to sprout. It was very strange.

About ten minutes later, Chen Shu returned with a pharmacy bag in his hand. The rain had stopped by now, and the cool night breeze made the car feel a bit stuffy in contrast.

"Want to get out and get some air?"

Faced with Chen Shu's invitation, Zhuang Yihan found he couldn't refuse. He opened the car door and got out. He noticed a long bench by the road and was about to walk over and sit down when he saw the fine water droplets on its surface, and his movement came to an abrupt halt.

Seeing this, Chen Shu took off his jacket and tossed it onto the bench. "Sit."

Zhuang Yihan glanced at him. "What about your jacket?"

Chen Shu was unconcerned. "I can just wash it."

Although Zhuang Yihan hesitated, he still sat down. He frowned to himself, wondering why he kept doing such muddle-headed things today. He'd inexplicably called Chen Shu out, thrown the watch away in front of him—he must look like a lunatic. And now he had to trouble the other man to apply medicine for him. He couldn't help but say in a low voice:

"I can treat the wound myself."

But Chen Shu paid him no heed. He leaned over and crouched in front of Zhuang Yihan, silently tearing open a cotton swab packet. He dipped it in povidone-iodine and began to carefully clean the other's wound. When Zhuang Yihan's fingertips tensed and trembled from the pain, Chen Shu's movements paused. "Am I being too rough?"

Zhuang Yihan let out a low breath, a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. "No, keep going."

So Chen Shu continued to clean Zhuang Yihan's wound. His eyes were lowered and his expression was gentle, but the pressure he applied didn't lessen in the slightest. Naturally, the pain grew more intense with each passing moment, yet no one seemed to notice.

'Is Zhuang Yihan in a lot of pain?'

'It's right that it hurts. Liking Jiang Xi is supposed to be painful, agonizingly so.'

An almost imperceptible smile touched Chen Shu's lips, but his eyes were ice-cold. After applying the medicine, he tied a neat knot with a gauze bandage. Only then did he look up at Zhuang Yihan, only to see that the man's face was pale with pain, his forehead covered in cold sweat. Yet, because he didn't want to make a sound, he could only grit his teeth tightly.

In that moment, Chen Shu's heart felt as if it had been pricked by something, and a subtle emotion welled up.

He had almost forgotten something.

He, too, had once loved Zhuang Yihan.

"...Does it hurt a lot?"

Chen Shu suddenly spoke in a low voice. He raised a hand to touch Zhuang Yihan's bitten lower lip. His cool, pale fingertips were a stark contrast to the color of the lip, and as he stroked it, there was an indescribable gentleness, even a hint of pity that was hard to tell if it was real or fake:

"If you had made a sound just now, I would have been gentler."

'But Zhuang Yihan, you're too stubborn. You were like this in the last life, and you're still like this in this one. If you don't suffer, who will?'

Zhuang Yihan keenly caught the flash of pity in Chen Shu's eyes and was momentarily stunned. He came back to his senses, trying his best to ignore the strange feeling in his heart, and said hoarsely with a frown, "I already said it doesn't hurt."

'But a series of questions popped up in his mind.'

'Why is he looking at me with such a pitying gaze? Why did he rush out in the middle of the night just because of one phone call from me? We've only just met, haven't we?'

Zhuang Yihan's mind was a mess. 'Could it be because I'm rich, so he doesn't dare to offend me?' he thought. This idea was like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing the fiery restlessness in his heart and calming him down.

Zhuang Yihan stared at Chen Shu and couldn't stop himself from asking, "Why did you come out as soon as I called?"

It was so dark, and the rain was so heavy. Even if he were worried about a problem with the watch, it was long past closing time. Chen Shu could have very well ignored him.

Chen Shu looked down, gathering the scattered cotton swabs from the ground. "Because you're rich."

For a second, Zhuang Yihan suspected he had misheard. "What did you say?"

Chen Shu simply stopped what he was doing and looked up at him. "Isn't that what you wanted to hear?"

...

Their gazes met in the air. The surroundings were so quiet that for a moment, only the sound of the wind could be heard. Zhuang Yihan felt as if his innate cunning and shrewdness were laid bare under Chen Shu's gaze. The curve of his lips slowly flattened, his expression gradually turning blank. Although he was silent, he was inexplicably terrifying.

This was the real Zhuang Yihan—cold, gloomy, and suspicious.

And he had been seen through by Chen Shu.

After an unknown amount of time, Zhuang Yihan finally moved. Just as Chen Shu was wondering if he would fly into a rage from embarrassment, Zhuang Yihan suddenly let out a low laugh, breaking the dead silence.

He leaned forward slightly, reached out, and pinched Chen Shu's chin. His gaze carefully swept over the man's handsome features, his thoughts unreadable, his tone low and serious:

"You're quite interesting. Want to be with me?"

'After all, Jiang Xi already has a fiancée. What's the big deal if he keeps a little lover?'

"Chen Shu, stay with me, and you can have whatever you want in the future."

But he forgot that he himself had something he couldn't obtain. What right did he have to say such a thing?

...

The night wind blew. Zhuang Yihan was met with silence. It took a moment for Chen Shu to understand what "be with" meant. He then gave a slight smile, hiding an imperceptible mockery, and turned his head to avoid Zhuang Yihan's touch:

"Sorry, there's nothing I want."

Chen Shu's refusal was so clear that Zhuang Yihan couldn't even deceive himself. Normally, he would have laughed at the other person for not knowing what's good for them. After all, besides Jiang Xi, no one had ever made him stumble so shamelessly. But now, facing Chen Shu, Zhuang Yihan uncharacteristically found a bit of the patience he used in business negotiations. His tone was deep. "You don't have anything now, but that doesn't mean you won't in the future."

Chen Shu: "That's also a matter for the future."

Zhuang Yihan's expression was unreadable. "Aren't you afraid of offending me?"

His mood today had already been utterly ruined by Jiang Xi. Provoking him at this juncture was definitely not a wise choice. After all, Chen Shu was just a poor student. With a flick of his finger, Zhuang Yihan could make it impossible for him to survive in A City.

Chen Shu: "President Zhuang doesn't seem like such a petty person."

Zhuang Yihan raised an eyebrow, his face expressionless. "Is that so? Then you probably don't know me very well."

Anyone familiar with him would have laughed their head off if they heard that. Zhuang Yihan not petty? If he weren't petty, then what about all the business rivals he had driven to bankruptcy over the years? This man clearly couldn't tolerate even a speck of dust in his eyes.

But Chen Shu dared to pull a tooth from a tiger's mouth. He stood up from the ground, patting the non-existent dust from his pants, looking completely unconcerned by Zhuang Yihan's threat. "Perhaps. President Zhuang, it's getting late. I'll head back to school now."

After speaking, he placed the pharmacy bag beside Zhuang Yihan and turned to leave, but his wrist was suddenly gripped tight. He was caught off guard and pulled back, nearly falling onto Zhuang Yihan. In his haste, Chen Shu could only grab the back of the bench behind the other man to steady himself. He lowered his head and met Zhuang Yihan's gaze, so close their breaths mingled. His eyes darkened slightly, and his voice grew hoarse:

"What is the meaning of this?"

Both of their fingertips were ice-cold, and for a moment, it was hard to tell who was chilling whom.

Zhuang Yihan stared at his own reflection in Chen Shu's pupils, his heart starting to beat a little faster, an almost imperceptible thirst rising. He unconsciously swallowed, his sharp features tainted by worldly desire in the darkness, like a handful of pure white snow soaked in ink. He lifted his chin slightly, unable to hide his determination to win:

"Chen Shu, there are very few things I want that I can't get."

The corner of Chen Shu's lips curled up. "Is that so? I don't believe you."

After saying this, he ignored Zhuang Yihan's volatile expression and turned to leave cleanly, inexplicably reminding one of a summer evening breeze—young and unrestrained, yet impossible to catch.

After returning to his dorm, Chen Shu barely slept all night. He lay in bed with his eyes closed, unable to stop thinking about his past life, how he had shamelessly pestered Zhuang Yihan just to get a chance to be kept by him. He never expected that in this life, the other party would be the one to propose it.

'On what grounds? Why?'

He was questioning on behalf of his past self, filled with bitterness and unwillingness. In a daze, something cold coiled up his wrist. Chen Shu slowly opened his eyes and met a pair of scarlet snake pupils.

[Why didn't you agree to his offer?]

The Black Snake felt that if Chen Shu had agreed to Zhuang Yihan's offer, they might have been able to complete their mission faster.

Chen Shu chuckled softly. "Do you think you know him better, or do I?"

Zhuang Yihan was a man with countless riches, yet he hated it when people approached him for his money. The Chen Shu of the previous life had made this mistake; how could he possibly repeat it in this life?

Chen Shu closed his eyes, his well-defined profile sinking into the shadows as if he had already fallen asleep. In the darkness, he said in a voice only he could hear, "Don't worry, he won't let it go just like that..."

The Black Snake flicked the tip of its tail boredly. [Fine.]

'Humans are truly complicated creatures.'