Rong Yi’s alcohol-soaked brain couldn’t process things immediately.

“What’s real?”

Chen Keyao didn’t answer. Instead, his gaze shifted toward Zhou Li.

Zhou Li was sleeping soundly, completely motionless. If Rong Yi hadn’t carried him up and felt that he was still warm, he might have thought he was dealing with a corpse.

Rong Yi followed Chen Keyao’s gaze and stared at Zhou Li’s “lifeless” body for a while, then suddenly raised his head. “Why are you staring at him? That’s rude.”

“I…” Chen Keyao awkwardly averted his eyes. “I just wanted to ask, is he…”

Rong Yi didn’t wait for him to finish. He quickly walked up to him and said, “Why are you standing there so awkwardly?”

“Huh?” Chen Keyao, leaning against the doorframe, looked confused and instinctively stood up straight under Rong Yi’s gaze.

“It’s so late. Why are you still in my room?” Rong Yi pointed at him accusingly. “What are you trying to do?”

Chen Keyao hesitated. “…This is my house, right?”

“Oh, true.” Rong Yi nodded, then turned back to the room. But after a few steps, he suddenly realized something wasn’t right and spun back around. “I’m paying rent! I get to govern my own space!”

Chen Keyao stared at him for a moment, then chuckled. “Looks like you’ve had a bit to drink too, huh?”

Rong Yi shook his head. “I haven’t.”

“Sure, if you say so,” Chen Keyao replied, turning toward the door. “If you’re tipsy, just rest up early. Don’t do something silly.”

Rong Yi, feeling sharp and clear-headed, immediately caught the contradiction in Chen Keyao’s words.

He quickly followed him. “I drank, but I’m not drunk.”

Chen Keyao, bending down to change his shoes, responded absentmindedly, “Mm, not drunk at all.”

Rong Yi, now satisfied, started heading back to his room. But after taking a few steps and hearing the sound of the door opening, he turned around again. “Where are you going?”

“The convenience store downstairs,” Chen Keyao replied. “Don’t lock the door; I’ll be right back.”

Rong Yi thought for a moment, then walked over to the door and started putting on his shoes. “I’ll go too.”

Chen Keyao looked like he wanted to stop him. “No, really. If you need something, just tell me. I’ll bring it back for you.”

But Rong Yi had already changed his shoes with quick, efficient movements.

He felt entirely sober, his mind clear, his actions smooth, with not the slightest hint of drunkenness. He couldn’t understand what Chen Keyao was fussing about.

“I can go by myself!” Rong Yi puffed up his chest and marched out of the house, standing before Chen Keyao with a raised hand. “Let’s go!”

As he boldly strode to the elevator and pressed the button, Chen Keyao soon followed, wearing a look like he wanted to say something but couldn’t. In the end, the two of them entered the elevator without him saying a word.

“Don’t you think this elevator’s shaking a bit?” Rong Yi stood in the center of the elevator, frowning as he asked.

Chen Keyao looked at him, his expression complicated. “…Maybe, just a little.”

Rong Yi quietly backed up to the wall and pressed against it. “Creepy.”

Chen Keyao said nothing, just turned his head silently, showing Rong Yi the back of his head.

When they stepped out of the building, a gust of cold wind hit his warm skin, making Rong Yi feel instantly refreshed. His mood also brightened.

He started chatting with Chen Keyao. “Why are you going to the convenience store so late?”

“Hungry, getting something to eat,” Chen Keyao replied. “I sleep late, so the meal you usually make when you come back is actually my lunch.”

“Why do you sleep so late?” Rong Yi asked again.

“I’m used to it,” Chen Keyao said. “My body clock is set that way.”

Rong Yi looked at him curiously. “Why are you used to it?”

“…”

Chen Keyao didn’t answer.

“Why are you used to it?” Rong Yi persisted.

“Because…” Chen Keyao glanced at him. “If you sleep with the first light of dawn for 300 years, you can become immortal.”

Rong Yi, hearing this, was momentarily confused. He stopped walking and stood still, lost in thought.

Chen Keyao looked back at him standing there, head tilted as he pondered. He smiled. “Come on, keep up.”

When the two of them entered the convenience store, Chen Keyao headed to the refrigerated section to pick out a late-night snack, while Rong Yi stood in front of the candy shelf, hesitating.

He felt a bit restless, and his throat was uncomfortable. He wanted to buy some mint candies, or gum would do. But the rows of small boxes in front of him all seemed unfamiliar; none of them matched the brands he usually bought.

As he furrowed his brow, Chen Keyao returned with a rice ball in hand.

Rong Yi grabbed him and pulled him over to the shelf, pointing with his chin.

“Which one do you think tastes better?”

“…”

“Haven’t you tried any of them?”

Chen Keyao glanced at the shelf and then at Rong Yi’s face, cautiously shaking his head. “…No.”

Could’ve said so earlier, wasted my time.

Rong Yi ignored him, reached out for a random small box, and looked at it. Then, turning to the cashier, he asked, “Which flavor of this series is the best?”

The cashier hesitated. “I haven’t tried them, but I think none of them are very good… Sir, you could look at the ones on the lower shelf; those have more flavors.”

As he spoke, he glanced at Chen Keyao.

Chen Keyao immediately shuffled two steps to the side, quickly distancing himself from Rong Yi before handing his rice ball to the cashier. “Heat this up, please.”

Rong Yi bent down to check the lower shelf and saw boxes with various food images on them. After thinking for a moment, he picked a strawberry-flavored one, grabbed a bottle of cola from the fridge, and paid at the counter.

After leaving the convenience store, Chen Keyao had a very strange expression on his face.

“Zhou Li’s passed out, so you should probably keep your thoughts in check.”

“Huh?” Rong Yi didn’t understand.

As he puzzled over this, he casually tore open the pack of gum he had just bought and offered it to Chen Keyao.

“Want one?”

“…”

Chen Keyao visibly swallowed.

Why is he suddenly being so polite? He clearly wants one but won’t take it himself. Rong Yi found this annoying, so he took out a piece and shoved it into Chen Keyao’s hand holding the shopping bag.

“Here, try it.”

The gum was surprisingly individually wrapped, quite fancy.

After silently appreciating that for a moment, Rong Yi took one out for himself, bit into the packaging, tore it open, and popped it into his mouth.

Chen Keyao stared at him in horror.

“What are you doing?”

Rong Yi frowned and kept chewing silently.

Chen Keyao, filled with suspicion, stared at him for a long time before asking, “…Is it good?”

“Not at all,” Rong Yi shook his head. “That cashier lied to me.”

“…”

“The texture’s weird, all slippery,” Rong Yi said as he spat the half-chewed piece back into the wrapper. “Kinda gross.”

Chen Keyao looked down at the flat little square package that had been forcefully shoved into his hand earlier.

“You shouldn’t eat it either. Just throw it away,” Rong Yi said as he walked toward the trash can. “It’s really gross.”

After a few steps, a burst of laughter erupted behind him.

Turning around, he saw Chen Keyao squatting on the ground, laughing so hard he could barely breathe, almost to the point of tears.

“What’s so funny?” Rong Yi asked, confused.

Chen Keyao tried to say something but couldn’t stop laughing long enough to form words. He bent over, covering his face.

“What’s wrong with you?” Rong Yi was baffled.

In response, all he got was more uncontrollable laughter that almost seemed painful.

“Stop laughing,” Rong Yi said, spreading his arms out wide to keep his balance. “You’re laughing so hard you’re making everything shake!”

Just as Chen Keyao had managed to calm down a bit, he glanced up at Rong Yi and then immediately doubled over again, shaking uncontrollably.

So weird.

Rong Yi ignored him and carefully tiptoed toward the trash can like he was walking on a tightrope, determined to throw away the disgusting gum.

When he finally reached the trash can and tossed the chewed-up gum inside, Chen Keyao suddenly grabbed him from behind.

“Don’t throw it away. That’s such a waste,” he said, still laughing. “Keep the rest for now.”

“It’s really gross.” Rong Yi seriously informed him.

“I’m begging you, just keep it for one more night,” Chen Keyao’s face was twisted with laughter. “Throw it away tomorrow, okay?”

“Why?”

“You’ll… understand tomorrow.”

After saying the last word, Chen Keyao started laughing like a madman again, slapping his thigh as he continued.

Rong Yi stared at him for a while, then tossed the open pack of gum into Chen Keyao’s shopping bag.

“Here, it’s yours.”

Rong Yi began to think Chen Keyao wasn’t quite right in the head.

But at that moment, as the elevator rocked like a swing, this unstable person became his only support.

“Hold me,” Rong Yi pressed himself against the wall of the elevator, looking miserable. “This is terrifying.”

Chen Keyao, still laughing, reached out to steady him. “Why’d you buy more alcohol if you’re already like this?”

“What alcohol?” Rong Yi tensed up, gripping his sleeve tightly.

Chen Keyao pointed at his hand. “That right there.”

Rong Yi looked at the half-full bottle in his hand, confused.

He distinctly remembered gulping down most of a bottle of cold cola before getting on the elevator. But the half bottle in his hand now—how come it looked suspiciously like fruit wine?

He muttered softly, “Who swapped this on me?”

“…” Chen Keyao continued chuckling.

Rong Yi turned and glared at him. “Was it you?!”

“Nope,” Chen Keyao smiled and shook his head.

“There’s no one else here,” Rong Yi said seriously. “It has to be you!”

“…” Chen Keyao, torn between laughing and crying, finally nodded. “Alright, it was me.”

“You little—” Rong Yi lunged forward, but before he could finish his sentence, both his steps and his voice wobbled.

Losing the support of the wall, the whole world started spinning again. Rong Yi couldn’t stand steady, staggering left, then right, and finally crashing forward as Chen Keyao shouted, “Watch out!”

Chen Keyao, who had been reaching out to catch him, was knocked back, and they both ended up slamming into the wall together.

Once Rong Yi’s head hit Chen Keyao’s chest, he finally found something solid to hold onto. Feeling comforted by the warmth and security of the body in front of him, he instinctively reached out and hugged him.

The half-empty bottle of fruit wine dropped to the floor with a thud and rolled to the other side of the elevator.

As it came to rest in the corner, the elevator door opened.

“…Uh,” Chen Keyao stammered, “we’re here.”

Rong Yi nodded. “Oh.”

Then he chuckled softly.

“…What are you doing?” Chen Keyao asked nervously.

“You… hugging like this feels really nice,” Rong Yi murmured, snuggling closer. “So comfortable.”

In the silence that followed, the elevator doors automatically closed.

Feeling cozy, Rong Yi soon became drowsy and let his eyes drift shut. But just as he was about to completely lose consciousness, the person he had been hugging, who had been stiff as a board, suddenly pushed him away forcefully.

Dazed, Rong Yi shook his head and realized Chen Keyao was frantically hammering the “open” button on the control panel. As soon as the doors opened, he bolted out without looking back.

Rong Yi leaned against the wall for a while, then staggered out. He found Chen Keyao standing around the corner in the hallway.

Chen Keyao was bent over, clutching the handrail, violently throwing up.