The hot air in the corridor gradually solidified between the two people who were at an impasse.

Yan Chen’s eyes were red, staring hard at the cold and sarcastic figure in front of him, determined to see through his mask, to see through him with all his might.

An Yi’s heart tingled, unable to withstand Yan Chen’s gaze.

He turned his head away, one hand behind his back already bleeding from being picked at, the gauze soaked with a small patch of blood.

Several seconds felt like years, An Yi cleared his throat with difficulty, and said reluctantly, “Yan Chen… don’t come looking for me anymore. Let’s part ways amicably, as giving each other a final bit of dignity.”

“…I don’t want dignity. An Yi, I want you. I just want you.”

The determined tone carried an unwavering determination, making people believe that even if An Yi fled to the ends of the earth, Yan Chen would never give up.

Such a strong and fervent love declaration made An Yi, who had been pursuing and waiting for five years, feel a hint of sadness.

Not all love needs to be proven precious through “loss.” Yan Chen’s current insistence on keeping him would only turn his five years of waiting into a cheap joke.

Did Yan Chen really like him? Maybe a little.

But is he insisting on him coming back only because of this tiny bit of affection?

An Yi remained pessimistic about this.

“You’re more unwilling to let go, aren’t you?” An Yi’s eyes slowly filled with tears. “You’ve always had everything you wanted since childhood. Now that you want me back, isn’t it just because I was the first to leave?”

“I am unwilling!” Yan Chen admitted this straightforwardly. “Have I treated you badly in the past six months? Why do you have to leave? Besides, being unwilling and wanting you aren’t contradictory. Come back with me.”

He held An Yi’s wrist again, firmly clasping his hand in his own.

“I’m really not used to being without you at home. I want to eat the food you cook. Can you come back and cook for me?”

An Yi forcefully withdrew his hand. “That’s easy. You can find a more considerate housekeeper.”

“…” Yan Chen choked for a moment. “That’s not what I meant. I just want you to come back with me, so we can live well together!”

“What else can we do?” An Yi blinked, tears wetting his vision, making it clear again. “I’ve slept with someone else already. I’m older now, I can’t handle this kind of mess anymore. I’m no longer the ‘pure and obedient’ guy you once knew.”

His tone was clearly tinged with resentment and sarcasm, making Yan Chen feel especially desperate at this moment. He wished he could go back in time and give himself a good slap.

His impulsive words from the past were being thrown back at him.

Yan Chen was very impatient, not knowing what else to say.

It seemed that no matter what he said now, An Yi could interpret it differently.

He thought that as long as he compromised and retreated a little, he could soften An Yi’s heart and persuade him to reconcile, but now he was feeling a bit panicked.

He was even afraid.

Because he could clearly feel that he was slowly losing An Yi, he couldn’t hold onto him anymore.

An Yi’s palm hurt badly, and his whole heart was sore and painful.

Before, he couldn’t bear to see Yan Chen unhappy. Whenever Yan Chen frowned, he wished he could offer him his softest love and patience. Perhaps love has inertia; even now, despite the breakup, he resented Yan Chen and blamed him, but seeing the confusion and hurt on that handsome face, he felt no relief. He just felt sad.

An Yi didn’t say goodbye anymore, turning around and walking away quickly.

He went to a noodle shop next to the training center, ordered a plate of fried noodles, then lowered his head to unravel the bloody bandages, replacing them from the backpack.

As he was tying the knots, someone sat down on the other end of the long bench and said to him, “Let me help you.”

An Yi felt the voice was familiar. Looking up, he was surprised.

Qin Muye smiled. “It’s been a few months. Do you still recognize me?”

An Yi nodded. “Of course. What are you doing here?”

“I came with that guy,” Qin Muye said, reaching out to help him tie the bandage, then ordering a plate of noodles as well and moving to sit across from An Yi. “You left without a word, couldn’t be reached by phone or WeChat. Especially that guy Yan Chen, he went crazy looking for you everywhere but couldn’t find you. He even made me worry for a while.”

An Yi looked guilty. “I’m sorry, I was too stubborn.”

“It’s good to be a bit stubborn, Yi ge, you used to live too carefully, always taking care of this and that, but never properly taking care of yourself,” Qin Muye said, watching him with his chin resting on his hand. “How are you doing now? Are you happier?”

An Yi nodded, speaking a few words about his future plans.

Qin Muye was very pleased. “You’re talented, it’s great that you’re not wasting it. And remember, when you become famous in the future, make sure to make a few limited edition porcelain paintings for me to collect.”

An Yi smiled sincerely, thanking him.

“Actually, I came to find you with a mission,” Qin Muye sighed. “Dr. Lin is even more worried about you than I am, especially since your previous withdrawal situation wasn’t good. He’s always afraid that your condition will worsen. So, when you have time, send him a message or give him a call. He’s just too busy, otherwise, he’d come here to see you himself.”

An Yi felt relieved.

“Okay, I’ll contact him later.”

He had always remembered Lin Yuming’s number. After dinner, he called him.

On the other end of the phone, the usually gentle Dr. Lin was unusually stern. An Yi apologized repeatedly, promising to apologize in person when he had the chance to return to Xichuan, finally calming the other’s emotions.

After confirming that these two had reestablished contact, Qin Muye bid a casual “goodbye.”

An Yi sat in the noodle shop until it was almost time for class before hastily returning to the training center.

Yan Chen was already gone, and An Yi breathed a sigh of relief, but his eyes were unsettled for the entire afternoon.

He felt ashamed when the teacher came to inspect him, and after class, he voluntarily stayed behind to rebuild the model due to his frequent distractions today.

Xie Nancang called to say he wanted to pick him up and take him home.

An Yi thought for a moment and declined Xie Nancang’s kindness with the excuse of staying behind in class.

Without asking further questions, Xie Nancang just inquired about his hand injury before hanging up the phone.

However, after being rejected several days in a row, Xie Nancang finally decided not to be a gentleman anymore and directly drove to the building to wait for An Yi after class.

Jin Hai has been drizzling incessantly recently, with a hint of autumn chill. An Yi was dressed lightly, and as soon as he got in the car, Xie Nancang wrapped a thin blanket around his shoulders.

“Thank you,” An Yi smelled the fragrance of flowers in the car, and sure enough, when he looked up, Xie Nancang had placed a bouquet of white roses in his arms.

“Passed by a flower shop and saw this bouquet, thought it looked beautiful, so I wanted to buy it for you,” Xie Nancang said.

“…” An Yi thanked him again, “It’s very beautiful.”

Xie Nancang looked deeply at him and asked, “Are you tired today? Does your hand still hurt?”

An Yi shook his head and said he was fine.

Xie Nancang asked again, “Do you want to go for French food? A friend said there’s a new French restaurant nearby with delicious food. Do you want to go and try it together?”

An Yi pursed his lips and said, “Let’s do it another day. We still have food at home that we haven’t finished, and I don’t want to waste it.”

Xie Nancang smiled and drove him home.

When he got off the car, An Yi looked around nervously, but didn’t see any familiar cars or people. It wasn’t until he returned to the apartment that he truly breathed a sigh of relief.

Xie Nancang was very sensitive and asked him, “Has Yan Chen come to see you these past few days?”

An Yi was trimming flower branches to wake them up, and when he heard Yan Chen’s name, his hands shook, almost stabbing himself with the scissors. He frowned and said, “He only came once.”

Xie Nancang was silent for a moment. “An An, are you thinking of moving to a different place? He might come looking for you here again.”

An Yi lowered his head and put all the flower branches into the water, washing his hands clean. “I plan to.”

“You can come to my place first,” Xie Nancang added, “You can rest assured, I will fully respect your personal space.”

An Yi was silent for a second before saying, “I’ve already paid the deposit for a new house yesterday, so…”

Xie Nancang frowned slightly, feeling his heart sink at An Yi’s decision to move but not telling him. Coupled with An Yi avoiding meeting him these past few days, Xie Nancang could no longer pretend that everything was fine.

“An An, can you tell me the reason?” Xie Nancang was brought up to express himself and communicate, and while he accepted An Yi’s restraint and reserve, he didn’t want to be kept in the dark.

“Has my intention caused you trouble?”

“No,” An Yi immediately shook his head, “No.”

“Then why?” A hint of hurt appeared in Xie Nancang’s deep eyes, “I thought after these days of getting along, you would at least have some good feelings and trust in me.”

An Yi looked at Xie Nancang, his face full of sorrow and seriousness. “I just don’t want Yan Chen to bother you anymore.”

“I’m not afraid of him,” Xie Nancang said.

“But I am,” An Yi interrupted him, “Because of the things between him and me, you’ve been hurt twice already. If I drag you into it again, I really…would feel guilty, I wouldn’t have the face to see you again, nor would I have the face to see Grandpa.”

Xie Nancang took a step forward, holding An Yi’s injured right hand. The bandage was already wet, and as he gently unwrapped it, he softly asked, “So, what you’re saying… Can I understand it as you actually caring about me a little?”

An Yi’s fingertips curled slightly, but he didn’t respond.

Xie Nancang didn’t really want an answer.

He solemnly called out, “An An,” holding An Yi’s hand and pressing his scabbed palm against his own chest.

An Yi was forced to meet a pair of intense, gentle eyes.

“I know our start might have seemed casual to you,” Xie Nancang said, pressing the back of his hand and speaking softly, “But I still want to tell you, I like you. I like the confused and broken you on the boat, and I also like the gentle, resilient, and talented you now. I’m serious.”

“Can you give me a chance to take care of you?”