Pei Zhao paused for a moment, his voice weakening a little, and said softly, “You usually work so hard or design things, you should also go out and relax. This friend of mine happens to be opening an art gallery recently and wants to invite some friends from the art world to gather for a small party. If you’re free, would you like to join and make some new friends?”

This was almost a clear indication.

This friend has some familiarity with Zeng Nanyue, and with the opening of an art gallery, he wants to invite people from the art world to join in.

Most likely, Qi Wang would be at this party.

And based on Yu Nian’s understanding of his brother, the probability of this happening should be over 95%; otherwise, his brother wouldn’t have brought it up.

For a moment, Yu Nian didn’t know what to say.

The chess piece in his hand was pressed tightly, the protruding shape of the chess piece pricking his palm, although the surface was smooth, it made his palm ache a bit.

In just a few seconds, many thoughts crossed his mind.

But after a while, he still raised his head and smiled lightly, “No need, I don’t want to go.”

Pei Zhao wanted to say something more.

But Yu Nian shook his head lightly, stopping him.

Yu Nian said, “Alright, there’s no need to say more. I know what you mean, but that’s all in the past, ge.”

It had been eight years since his breakup with Qi Wang.

Many things were already unclear, and the broken thread wasn’t so easily reconnected, even though he and Qi Wang had met and had private dealings.

Pei Zhao could only keep quiet, but his face still looked somewhat melancholy.

But Yu Nian seemed unperturbed; he easily took the “king” that defeated Pei Zhao.

“You lost again, ge.” Yu Nian smiled.

After tidying up the chessboard, Pei Zhao returned to his room, and Yu Xinli just finished her meeting, bumping into each other in the hallway.

“Where’s Yu Nian?” Yu Xinli asked.

“He went back to his room to sleep,” Pei Zhao said, “He seemed quite tired today.”

Yu Xinli nodded.

After entering the room, she changed into her pajamas and combed her hair in front of the mirror. Thinking for a moment, she turned around and asked Pei Zhao, “What did you just say to Yu Nian? If he doesn’t want to meet the guy I recommended, that’s fine, but did you tell him about the opening of Zeng Nanyue’s art gallery?”

Pei Zhao leaned back on the bed, wearing flat glasses on his face, looking even more refined and scholarly.

He listlessly responded, “I did, but he doesn’t want to go.”

Yu Xinli paused.

She tightened her grip on the wooden handle for a moment before releasing it weakly.

“This child…” She sighed softly, but couldn’t say anything else.

After tossing and turning for a few years, she no longer cared about who Yu Nian would end up with.

Whether it was with Qi Wang or someone else, as long as Yu Nian was happy.

But Yu Nian seemed to have entered a state of meditation.

Sometimes she even suspected that her little brother would eventually become a monk.

Pei Zhao pushed up his glasses and comforted her, “Don’t worry, we intervened too much back then. Now that he’s grown up and has his own ideas, it’s even harder to interfere. Even if he really chooses to remain single for the rest of his life, that’s his own choice.”

Yu Xinli’s expression dimmed.

She didn’t say anything more, continuing to groom her long hair.

Yu Nian sat on the sofa in his room watching a movie, but after a while, he glanced at his phone several times.

His phone had just vibrated a few times, all messages from Qi Wang.

For a moment, he almost subconsciously clicked on them.

But ultimately, he let it go.

The words he spoke to his brother held no falsehood.

He truly couldn’t forget Qi Wang, but the person he couldn’t forget was the young man he met at eighteen, with a surly face, a cold temperament, yet completely submissive to him.

Now, too much time has passed.

Things have changed.

Though he rolled in bed with this person again, there was a moment of desolation when he looked at Qi Wang, cigarette in mouth.

Eight years have passed, and even he himself has become unfamiliar.

Let alone Qi Wang.

Even if he wanted to be with Qi Wang now, there were no longer the same obstacles as before.

But who could guarantee that this time it was redemption for his youth, and not another bout of despair?

He was twenty-six now, his ability to heal only worse than before.

He had learned to be timid.

After firmly deciding not to see Qi Wang again, the next morning, he sent the first text to the number he knew by heart, despite lacking a name.

“Don’t bother me.”

Then he blocked Qi Wang.

Even after blocking him, he didn’t feel relieved, just a bit lost.

Like a pearl dropped into darkness, shining brightly but lost in obscurity.

For one night, almost everyone who approached him was rejected.

In the end, he settled the bill, left the pub, lit a cigarette, checked his watch – it was nearly eleven fifty, almost New Year’s.

The square nearby was already crowded.

He had drunk some alcohol, feeling a bit tipsy, but the cold wind outside made him shiver.

He saw a stall at the edge of the square selling hot cocoa and cookies. It seemed to be run by some college students. He decided to buy some.

When paying, the students even gave him an extra piece of candy.

The girl with a ponytail, especially lively, asked him, “Hey handsome, are you also here to celebrate New Year’s with friends?”

He shook his head, took a sip of the hot cocoa, his lips reddened by the steam.

“I’m alone.”

The students opposite him were incredulous.

“No way, you, you’re alone?” The girl with the ponytail widened her eyes, a myriad of complex emotions crossing her face like “Isn’t it too rare to find someone so handsome alone?” “Is the market for handsome guys bad these days?”

Yu Nian was amused.

He raised his cup to the students, “Thanks for the candy.”

Then he slowly walked towards the square, joining the crowd waiting for the New Year’s countdown.

The square was packed, and as midnight approached, the air grew colder, causing people to shiver.

But everyone was in high spirits, loudly counting down together.

“Ten, nine, eight, seven, six…”

The festive atmosphere filled every corner of the square.

Yu Nian had already finished the cookies and hot cocoa. Out of caution, he wasn’t interested in squeezing with the crowd and stood on the edge.

But above him, hanging on the trees for the holiday, were glass lanterns, shining brightly in the night sky like stars. When the wind blew, these lanterns swayed, casting fragile and dangerous light.

The accident happened at this moment.

The countdown was underway throughout the crowd.

There was no pushing or shoving; everything was peaceful, like the most beautiful night.

But near the center, someone’s bag had leaked, spilling a pile of aluminum cans.

Initially, just one or two people stumbled accidentally, but with the crowd so dense, the commotion quickly spread like ripples.

Yu Nian was originally standing on the outer circle, theoretically the easiest to leave.

But just then, he happened to receive a New Year’s greeting from a friend.

By the time he looked up, he had been pushed to the side by the surging crowd.

“Damn it…”

He muttered softly, his back hitting the rough tree trunk heavily.

Ahead of him, the crowd was packed tightly, blocking the way out of the square.

Everyone was shoulder to shoulder, leg to leg, the shorter people could barely see over the heads, struggling to show their faces.

Yu Nian was not feeling well under the pressure.

Although he was tall, his slim figure offered no advantage in the crowd.

While others were pushing, he was stuck with his back against the rough tree trunk, with no way out.

He could even feel the air being slowly squeezed out of his lungs.

For a moment, he even had the thought in his mind.

Is today going to be his last day here?

This was too absurd.

He might as well go back to the Pei family with his siblings for dinner. It might be noisy, but nothing would go wrong.

If something happened to him, his siblings would be devastated.

Just as he was thinking this, as if to add insult to injury to this dangerous situation.

Amidst the chaos, Yu Nian’s ears caught a subtle sound of rupture.

He quickly looked up.

Perhaps it was due to the constant jostling of the crowd, or perhaps the glass lanterns on the trees were not securely installed to begin with.

The glass lantern, about the size of a palm and shaped like a lily, fragile and beautiful, was swaying anxiously with the surrounding crowd.

Finally.

This lily swung to a high point, as if unable to withstand the impact.

The screw holding the lantern came loose, and the glass lantern fell slowly, as if in slow motion.

Yu Nian was trapped under this lantern.

Instinctively, he closed his eyes.

It’s over.

He thought, the lantern wasn’t big, but falling like this, he might end up with a head injury at best.

But almost simultaneously, because the police arrived to maintain order, the crowd finally loosened a bit.

A figure struggled to Yu Nian’s side.

Before Yu Nian could react, he was pulled into an embrace.

His nose hit the soft cashmere fabric, the black round button brushing against his eyebrows.

A hand pressed against him, shielding him like a child, palm cradling the back of his head, while the person slightly turned, maximizing the protection.

Almost at the same time, the glass lantern finally fell, hitting the person directly.

Glass shards fell softly.

One piece even cut Yu Nian’s hand, leaving a shallow blood mark.