At the exit, two figures were spotted leaving. It wasn’t just Chi Yan, but also the girl. They walked closely together.

Feng Min stood in place, his lips curling into a smile, one devoid of warmth—completely cold. He should have chased after them, but in that moment, Feng Min felt a surge of helplessness, as if his legs were filled with lead, unable to move.

He took a step back and ended up sitting where Chi Yan had just been. Lowering his head, his shoulders trembled slightly, accompanied by soft laughter masked by the loud music.

He simply liked someone, and he couldn’t understand why. He just wanted to be with Chi Yan. Why couldn’t such a small request be fulfilled?

Feng Min laughed for a while before suddenly lifting his eyes, noticing the cup Chi Yan had held. Subconsciously, Feng Min picked it up. Chi Yan had used this cup and drank from it.

Bringing it to his lips, Feng Min pressed his mouth to the cup’s rim. Could this be considered an indirect kiss with Chi Yan?

This tiny thought oddly satisfied him.

He had assumed it was alcohol in the cup, but as he drank, he realized it was just plain water. Why did Chi Yan come to a bar and not drink alcohol but water instead?

In Feng Min’s memory, Chi Yan wasn’t allergic to alcohol. So, what was the reason for the water? Feng Min’s thoughts wandered.

Suddenly, he wondered if Chi Yan wasn’t feeling well. That would explain why he wasn’t drinking alcohol. Back when they were together, something similar had happened. Chi Yan had fallen ill but refused to go to the doctor, wanting to tough it out on his own. In the end, it was Feng Min who dragged him to a clinic.

At this realization, Feng Min couldn’t sit still any longer and hurriedly left the bar.

But the delay in the bar had cost him time, and by the time he stepped out, all he saw was the young girl who had been with Chi Yan earlier—no sign of Chi Yan himself.

Feng Min walked straight towards Fang Yuan. She had just seen Chi Yan off into a taxi. Once outside the bar, Fang Yuan noticed Chi Yan looked unwell, but he refused her offer to take him to the hospital, saying he was fine and just needed some rest.

Though they weren’t quite friends yet, Fang Yuan had a sense that while Chi Yan appeared gentle on the surface, he wasn’t as approachable as he seemed. After working for a few years, Fang Yuan wasn’t blind to such things. Getting his contact info was already a big deal. Many in the bar could only watch from afar, not even managing a single word with him.

As Fang Yuan turned to rejoin her friends, an imposing man with a cold aura approached her. His gaze was so intense that she felt a chill down her spine.

Fang Yuan was certain she didn’t know such a handsome man. Her throat felt dry as she nervously swallowed.

Feng Min moved quickly, his long legs bringing him to Fang Yuan in just a few steps. He was tall—over six feet—and loomed over her, like a solid, icy wall. For a moment, Fang Yuan could hardly breathe.

“Did he leave? Where did he go?” Feng Min’s voice was as cold as his expression, throwing Fang Yuan off.

“The person who was with you just now—where did he go?” Feng Min clarified.

Fang Yuan immediately understood, and her expression shifted slightly. “Are you asking about Chi Yan? He wasn’t feeling well, so he took a taxi home.” Under Feng Min’s intense stare, Fang Yuan didn’t hold anything back.

“He’s sick?” Feng Min’s voice, like his entire demeanor, was ice-cold.

“Well, he didn’t look well. Are you…” Fang Yuan started to ask if Feng Min knew Chi Yan, but before she could finish, Feng Min had already turned and walked away, as swiftly as he had come.

Once his figure had disappeared, Fang Yuan’s stiff body finally relaxed.

She took out her phone, added Chi Yan as a contact, and hesitated for a moment before sending him a message.

Inside the taxi, Chi Yan leaned his head against the seat, gazing out the window at the high-rise buildings blanketed in darkness.

Out of nowhere, a deep sense of loneliness washed over him. This feeling would creep up occasionally, and every time it did, Chi Yan felt incredibly uncomfortable. It was like the whole world was rejecting him, abandoning him.

He smiled silently, though it didn’t drive the feeling away. It would leave on its own eventually, at least it didn’t last long.

Chi Yan sighed softly, his lips pursed as the taxi stopped at a red light. His phone buzzed with a message. He glanced at it indifferently, but his eyes tightened when he saw the content.

His fingers hovered over the screen until it dimmed. Only then did he unlock it again and reply: “He’s my ex-boyfriend.”

“I got the feeling his temper wasn’t great. Is he bothering you?” Fang Yuan asked, suddenly realizing that the man showing up at the bar couldn’t have been a coincidence.

A stalker—that’s what Fang Yuan thought.

“No,” Chi Yan responded. “Maybe before, but recently, he hasn’t been around.”