Chapter 49 “Don’t Be Afraid”

When Jiang Yao moved in, he brought two small suitcases. Now, only one was left in the corner directly opposite the door.

Duan Zhuxian’s mind went blank for a moment before he strode into Jiang Yao’s bedroom. He looked around and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the architectural books Jiang Yao treasured were still there.

In the few seconds it took to enter the room, a complete plan had already flashed clearly in his mind—how to find Jiang Yao, capture him personally, and keep him under his watch until he no longer mentioned leaving.

Duan Zhuxian curled his index finger and pressed his knuckle against his temple.

Jiang Yao occupied the softest spot in his heart. Normally, he couldn’t bear to touch him, yet he was having such dangerous thoughts.

Duan Zhuxian took out his phone and opened Jiang Yao’s profile with the proud little fox avatar. He slowly typed two words: [Ran away?]

He quickly received a reply: [I didn’t run away, it’s a team-building event!!!]

Three exclamation marks in a row.

A smile appeared on Duan Zhuxian’s lips. He could almost picture Jiang Yao’s defiant face, but with his ears turning red.

*

At a gas station several kilometers away, Jiang Yao sat in the back seat of an off-road vehicle, wearing sunglasses, with the heat on his earlobes not yet dissipated.

A subordinate next to him asked, “Isn’t Xiao Jiang feeling hot? Your face is all red. Should I open a window?”

“Don’t open it,” Jiang Yao stopped him, “I don’t want everyone catching a cold.”

After refueling, the driver started the car and asked curiously, “Xiao Jiang said the day before yesterday that he was going to meet a client and wouldn’t join us. Why did you change your mind suddenly?”

Jiang Yao’s eyes, hidden under the sunglasses, flickered briefly. His expression remained calm as he said, “The client got sick. I’ll meet him another day.”

The girl in the front passenger seat clasped her hands together, “Thank the client for giving Xiao Jiang back to us. I hope he gets well soon.”

“Yes, yes, may he live a long and peaceful life.”

The car was immediately filled with cheerful laughter.

Though there was some flattery, everyone sincerely hoped he could join the team-building event.

Jiang Yao brought the same skills of being the favorite in school to the company. Back when he joined the team suddenly, he didn’t have time to provoke any gossip before he quickly silenced everyone with his extraordinary work abilities. In just half a year, he had revitalized their nearly defunct project team, eliminating the risk of unemployment for all.

Deciding to join the team-building event was a decision he made just this morning.

Last night, he lay in bed, pondering for half the night, feeling a stubbornness welling up inside. In the end, he decided to take Chen Yiqi’s advice and keep his distance from Duan Zhuxian for now.

As long as he didn’t think about Duan Zhuxian, it would be fine.

How hard could that be?

Jiang Yao thought dismissively.

Having not slept a full night for two consecutive nights, Jiang Yao held his phone and fell into a light sleep as the off-road vehicle moved smoothly.

In his dream, Duan Zhuxian’s figure was almost omnipresent—sometimes confessing to him at a wedding, sometimes confessing at home, those deep-set eyes staring at him intently, as if wanting to drown him in them.

Struggling to open his eyes, Jiang Yao gasped heavily.

If he had woken up a second later, Duan Zhuxian would have murdered him in his dream…

At that moment, his phone vibrated in his palm. Duan Zhuxian had sent another message: [Where’s the thermometer?]

Jiang Yao replied: [On the round coffee table in the living room. Do you have a fever again?]

Duan Zhuxian: [Yeah, seems like it.]

Jiang Yao paused, recalling how Duan Zhuxian had pretended to be weak on the phone yesterday. When he rushed back anxiously, he found Duan Zhuxian full of energy and handling work. He couldn’t help but roll his eyes.

Trying to trick me again?

Let me tell you, this trick won’t work anymore!

Jiang Yao coldly replied with a simple [Oh.]

After that, Duan Zhuxian didn’t say anything further.

This was somewhat unexpected for Jiang Yao. Normally, the other side would continue to provoke him.

After another half hour, Jiang Yao couldn’t sit still and sent Duan Zhuxian a message: [Did you take your temperature?]

Duan Zhuxian: [Yes.]

He then sent a picture of the thermometer, showing 37.9 degrees Celsius.

So he really does have a fever.

Jiang Yao frowned slightly, immediately sat up straight, and called the family doctor.

The doctor said that fluctuating body temperature is normal, but if the fever persists for three days without subsiding, he should consider seeking medical attention.

Hanging up the phone, Jiang Yao slowly leaned back in his seat, his gaze falling on the navigation screen in the front row.

The kilometers from Lingbei City were continuously increasing, the numbers seemingly turning into an invisible line stretching between them, growing longer and tighter.

They had lunch at an open-air restaurant by the roadside at noon and arrived at a resort in a small town next to Lingbei in the afternoon.

After settling their luggage, the group headed to a nearby riverbank for a picnic.

The pale sunlight melted into the clouds, scattering golden specks of light. The remaining snow adorned the dark stone piles, with green pines nearby and misty distant mountains, creating a picturesque scene.

It truly was a great place to relax and unwind.

Near the riverbank, there was a guqin platform, with a stone stele beside it recording romantic tales that had taken place there. Jiang Yao skimmed through it and suddenly remembered that Duan Zhuxian could also play the guqin.

In his second year of high school, the school held a New Year’s Eve party. Duan Zhuxian, dressed in a white shirt and black pants, performed a solo guqin piece called 《The Mountains Have Trees》, an original composition of his.

Duan Zhuxian’s cold demeanor and the deep, resonant guqin melody were a perfect match, surrounded by the captivated eyes of the audience. At that time, Jiang Yao was sitting below the stage with his legs crossed and arms folded, inadvertently becoming entranced as well.

As the performance ended, the audience erupted into near-frenzied applause. The host asked Duan Zhuxian about his inspiration for the composition. He replied lightly that the piece was written for someone.

At that moment, Jiang Yao happened to catch Duan Zhuxian’s eye. Among thousands of spectators, he alone noticed the fleeting tenderness in Duan Zhuxian’s eyes when he mentioned that person.

Thinking back now, Duan Zhuxian was probably referring to Shen Tang. After all, the next line of the poem 《The Mountains Have Trees》 is 《My heart is for you》, a subtle confession. Despite his frosty demeanor, Duan Zhuxian had a romantic side.

This made Jiang Yao even more puzzled.

He and Shen Tang were completely opposite types. Shen Tang’s gentleness and thoughtfulness were qualities Jiang Yao lacked. He couldn’t fathom what Duan Zhuxian saw in him.

Could it be that Duan Zhuxian was a masochist who enjoyed being targeted and teased by him?

Jiang Yao kicked at the stones beneath his feet with his hands in his pockets, and lost in thought until someone called him over for barbecue.

A perceptive female subordinate teased, “Xiao Jiang is here in body, but not in spirit.”

Jiang Yao forced a laugh. He wished he could have a word with his heart that kept wandering off.

Was the scenery not beautiful enough, or did the barbecue not smell good?

Could he stop thinking about a certain someone?

The team-building event lasted only two and a half days. Initially, he was full of determination, resolved to forget Duan Zhuxian, but now he worried he might fail on the first day.

Jiang Yao took a big bite of the cumin pork belly on the skewer, chewing with force, as if he could turn someone into the meat he was eating.

Just then, Duan Zhuxian sent another message: [My current temperature is 37.2℃, tending towards normal.]

Jiang Yao replied: [None of my business.]

Duan Zhuxian: [I thought you’d want to know, considering you even worry about me in your dreams.]

Jiang Yao almost laughed out of anger. Ignoring the grease on his hands, he furiously typed: [Stop spreading rumors. Who dreams about caring for you?]

A moment later, Duan Zhuxian sent a video.

Jiang Yao’s heart skipped a beat, and he opened it instinctively.

In the video, he was lying beside the bed, eyes closed, mumbling, [Duan Zhuxian… are you hot… Duan, Zhuxian… Duan… hmm…]

The jerk filming it apparently wasn’t satisfied, as there was a rustling sound, and the camera moved closer, capturing the slight furrow in his brows and the blush at the corners of his eyes in vivid detail.

Jiang Yao abruptly closed the video, and stunned for a long moment.

Is that embarrassing person really me?

Duan Zhuxian: [You looked so cute calling my name. I couldn’t help but film it.]

Jiang Yao’s face turned beet red with embarrassment. He immediately sent a furious voice message: [You pervert, stop spying on me! If I talk to you again, I won’t be called Jiang!]

He swore he’d never want to see Duan Zhuxian again.

Gritting his teeth, Jiang Yao opened Duan Zhuxian’s profile, heading straight for the block option. His thumb hovered over the blacklist button but hesitated.

To block or not to block?

In that moment of indecision, a low battery notification popped up, sparing Duan Zhuxian a final verdict and granting him a reprieve.

Jiang Yao walked to a tree, intending to find a power bank to charge his phone, when he felt a tug on his pant leg.

Looking down, he saw a little girl of about four or five years old. Her face was dirty, her knee had a small tear in the fabric, and it seemed she had twisted her ankle and couldn’t walk.

Noticing the situation, everyone gathered around.

Someone asked, “Do you remember your family’s phone number?”

The little girl shook her head.

Jiang Yao asked, “Do you know where your home is?”

The little girl nodded and pointed north, timidly saying, “Not far.”

The child was very shy and seemed scared of everyone, except Jiang Yao. So he decided to carry her on his back and said to the others, “You guys continue playing. I’ll take her home first.”

However, what was supposed to be “not far” turned out to be quite the trek. Following the little girl’s directions, Jiang Yao made numerous turns, passing by several fields before finally seeing the village she mentioned.

The girl’s grandmother was standing at the village entrance, leaning on a cane and looking out. When she saw Jiang Yao, she repeatedly thanked him, explaining that her granddaughter had gone out to play with some other kids but didn’t come back for lunch.

Seeing the elderly woman’s difficulty in walking, Jiang Yao decided to help all the way and carried the girl back to her home. Just as he was about to leave, the grandmother handed him a set of car keys.

“If the child’s parents were home, they could drive you back to the village entrance. It’s getting dark, and the roads aren’t good. Driving back to the resort will be faster and safer.”

Jiang Yao looked at the setting sun on the horizon and didn’t decline the grandmother’s kind offer. He followed her to get the car.

The brick-red, peeling paint on the small car indicated it was an old model from many years ago. The windows were manual, and the seats creaked loudly when he sat down. However, four wheels were still faster than two legs.

After agreeing with the grandmother to return the car the next day and bidding farewell to the little girl, Jiang Yao started driving.

But perhaps the horizon was too wide and the dusk fell too quickly. Despite initially remembering the direction, he soon found himself a bit lost.

The car twisted and turned across the fields until the last ray of sunlight disappeared behind the mountains.

The car’s electrical system was old, and the headlights were very dim. Jiang Yao struggled to recognize the way. As he turned a corner, the wheels suddenly got stuck in a dirt pit, and the car stalled, with even the headlights going out.

The sudden darkness made his heart race. He tried to restart the engine, but the car remained motionless.

Realizing he needed to get out and check the car, Jiang Yao tried to gather his courage but couldn’t bring himself to step into the vast darkness outside.

Steadying his nerves, he took out his phone to seek help. When he unlocked it, he saw his chat with Duan Zhuxian. The battery indicator showed only 1% remaining. He remembered that he was about to charge his phone before taking the little girl home.

Fighting against the trembling of his fingers, he instinctively sent his location to Duan Zhuxian in the chat.

Just as the location was sent, the phone screen abruptly went dark, merging the only light source into the surrounding darkness.

Realizing what he’d done, Jiang Yao felt like he’d gone mad. Instead of seeking help from his companions, he used the last bit of his phone’s battery to send his location to Duan Zhuxian…

The last message in their chat was him cursing Duan Zhuxian.

Besides, Duan Zhuxian was sick; he had probably gone to bed early.

Fortunately, this wasn’t some remote forest. There were villages within a few hundred meters, so there was no real danger. Worst case, he could just wait in the car until morning.

Jiang Yao kept reassuring himself.

Cold wind intermittently blew in through the slightly open car window, sending chills down his spine.

Trapped in a complete visual blind spot, Jiang Yao felt the space around him growing tighter, as if something dreadful was approaching.

As time passed, the darkness seemed to gain substance, clinging to his skin with a wet, cold touch, seeping into his bones. His wildly beating heart sent rapid, needle-like pulses through his veins.

Once again, Jiang Yao had overestimated his tolerance for darkness. Even sitting in a safe car, he couldn’t help but feel a dread reminiscent of the dark, damp factory from twenty years ago.

Years ago, he had been kidnapped by his parents’ business rivals. Before being searched, he had secretly sent a message to his father using his smartwatch, but his father was socializing at the time and didn’t see the message until hours later.

Because of this, his parents felt guilty and showered him with extra care and love, no longer holding high expectations for him, just hoping he would grow up safe and healthy.

But Jiang Yao never blamed anyone. He only blamed his younger self for not practicing running enough, because he was caught due to exhaustion while trying to escape and was thrown into a lightless shipping container in a factory.

From a young age, Jiang Yao learned a hard truth—that in this world, no one would be by your side immediately when you needed help. You could only rely on yourself at any moment.

Thus, stubbornness, determination, and a refusal to admit defeat became his core traits. He always aimed to be first in everything and instinctively challenged anyone stronger than himself.

Tick, tick, tick…

In the dead silence, the sound of water dripping echoed from somewhere, reminiscent of twenty years ago when he had heard the sound for two days and nights, the rusty water flowing from old pipes, each drop like blood struggling through his veins.

Jiang Yao clenched his teeth, frozen in the driver’s seat, feeling like a leaf about to fall in the wind, with his last taut nerve being the stem that held him up.

The sound of water in the darkness awakened too many forcibly buried memories, tormenting him to the brink of madness. Yet, he forced himself not to be afraid, not to bow his head.

It was unclear how much time had passed when suddenly a car horn sounded from ahead.

His thoughts lagged for a moment as Jiang Yao sluggishly lifted his head. Two beams of headlights were speeding towards him.

The light was so intense that it seemed to tear through all the darkness from twenty years ago to this very moment.

Then, a familiar SUV stopped opposite him. A man with a pale, sickly face got out and walked step by step to the car window.

Through the glass, Jiang Yao stared at him for a long while before pretending to be unscathed. He opened the car door, hiding his trembling right hand by his side before slowly stepping out with one foot.

As he stepped out with the second foot, his leg suddenly gave way, and he unexpectedly fell into an embrace.

The man in front of him caught his disheveled form steadily.

All the willpower he had been holding onto, shattered the moment those strong hands touched him. As his strength vanished, leaning against the man’s warm, firm chest, he suddenly found himself unable to breathe.

His chin was quickly and gently cupped, and a deep, slow voice sounded in his ear, “Yao Yao, don’t be afraid. Breathe.”

Blinking, Jiang Yao looked at the man illuminated by the car lights.

How could there be someone so gentle and reliable?

And yet, this was the same face he had scorned countless times.

His nose tingled, and he slightly parted his lips, but due to the lack of oxygen, he couldn’t manage to say the man’s name.

In the next moment, that face suddenly came closer, and his lips were firmly covered by another pair.

As their lips met, oxygen flowed into him in a continuous stream.