The so-called three rules were more like Yan Chen’s unilateral restrictions on An Yi.

When An Yi dropped out of school hastily, he didn’t say goodbye to any of his classmates before moving elsewhere, including Yan Chen, of course.

When they met again five years later, Yan Chen was in his junior year of college and would go to nightclubs with his friends to have fun whenever he had free time. An Yi, on the other hand, worked as a drink salesman at nightclubs for high commissions.

Although the lights were dim that day, An Yi’s gaze was immediately drawn to Yan Chen’s handsome and compelling face in the crowd.

He almost immediately recognized Yan Chen.

Instinctively wanting to avoid him, An Yi accidentally spilled the drinks on a table, which angered the customers.

An Yi kept apologizing, all the while feeling Yan Chen’s gaze on him and ended up in an even more embarrassing situation.

In the midst of panic, Yan Chen calmly spoke up, not only helping him out of the predicament but also generously boosting his performance to a level that would have taken him a month to achieve.

“Thank you.” An Yi was eager to leave, hoping the other person hadn’t recognized him.

As he turned around, he heard Yan Chen’s teasing laughter. “Thanking me and running away? Not very sincere, An Yi.”

An Yi’s heart skipped a beat.

Feeling both embarrassed and inexplicably touched, he couldn’t find the right words to greet Yan Chen, who was already walking towards him, pulling him along.

“Where do you live? I’ll take you back,” Yan Chen said.

An Yi dared not refuse, but Yan Chen still forcefully barged into his messy life.

From accompanying him to and from work every few days to helping him change jobs, move houses, and even transferring his sister to a better school…

Compared to his arrogant demeanor in high school, Yan Chen had clearly matured a lot in the five years. The sharp edges of his personality had been well rounded, and coupled with his charming face and remarkable demeanor, he easily stirred someone’s heartbeat.

Moreover, Yan Chen had genuinely helped him a lot.

An Yi couldn’t help but develop feelings for him.

So, on a rainy spring night, he, fueled by some alcohol and courage, devoutly offered himself to Yan Chen.

And Yan Chen responded fervently.

With intimate whispers and tender affection, An Yi thought he had finally found a bit of sweetness amidst the bitterness of life.

But after Yan Chen found that old school uniform, his acting skills faltered, and he no longer concealed his inherent arrogance.

“An Yi, have you been secretly in love with me since high school?”

An Yi was stunned and shook his head.

He kept that school uniform only as a source of solace in times of hardship, not because of any ulterior motive for their reunion.

Afraid that Yan Chen might misunderstand their reunion as a calculated scheme, An Yi hurriedly tried to explain, only to see Yan Chen visibly relieved.

“Well, that’s good.”

It was still that handsome face, devoid of the gentle tenderness but instead bearing a cynical smile.

“I don’t like relationships. They’re too troublesome, and you might have to break up eventually. What do you think?”

An Yi’s expression began to change, puzzled.

Then he heard Yan Chen say, “But I do quite like you. Interested in a long-term arrangement?”

“Long-term arrangement… What do you mean?”

“Bed partners, friends with benefits, whatever you want to call it,” Yan Chen was so straightforward that it felt cruel. “We won’t talk about feelings or the future, just seek happiness. Of course, if you have a new target, remember to tell me, and I’ll step back because I don’t like to share.”

An Yi’s hands and feet turned cold.

Yan Chen dressed and, before leaving, planted a light kiss on his sweaty forehead. “Think about it and give me a call.”

And then he left just like that.

An Yi’s mind went blank, and it took him a long time to cover his tear-streaked face.

So, it was all his own wishful thinking.

And rightly so. A person as superior as Yan Chen, surrounded by fluttering admirers, how could he possibly linger for someone as mediocre as him?

It wasn’t a fairy tale world after all. Two grown men together could only be driven by passion, nothing more than a fling.

He should thank Yan Chen for his candor.

He realized that from the beginning, what lay before him wasn’t a babbling brook of love but a fiery pit of desire.

That’s how it was supposed to be.

An Yi understood and stopped being so tormented.

He remained calm for a month before calling Yan Chen, willingly jumping into the arrangement.

At that time, his thoughts were very simple. Being able to sleep with someone he liked and occasionally being held by Yan Chen to spend a less lonely night, he was quite content.

As for his feelings for Yan Chen, he could silently bury them, never causing any trouble to the other party.

And Yan Chen could be considered a perfect lover.

With outstanding looks, a great physique, superb skills in bed, just on a physical level alone, he was enough to enjoy. Not to mention his wealth and generosity, even though An Yi had always refused to accept gifts, he couldn’t deny the comfort they brought.

After being with Yan Chen, his life became much easier.

Yan Chen helped him deal with the violent coercion from debt collectors, allowing him to no longer constantly move and change addresses with his sister. And An Ya was able to go to a better school for education.

The two huge stones that had long pressed on his chest were easily shattered by Yan Chen, and An Yi’s feelings for him uncontrollably deepened.

He remembered once, when emotions were running high, he absentmindedly said, “I love you.” At that time, Yan Chen didn’t respond verbally, but he kept him waiting for two months afterwards.

With a heart full of love, just as the flame began to flicker, it was extinguished by a bucket of cold water poured over his head.

Coincidentally, Yan Chen had just graduated at that time and taken over an entertainment company. During the two months of no contact, there were constant rumors about him. He seemed worried that An Yi wouldn’t see them, so he had Jiang Hai act as a mediator.

An Yi understood his intention.

He also understood that there was no possibility of developing feelings between them in the long run.

The initial “not talking about feelings, not talking about the future” was actually Yan Chen warning him not to overstep boundaries. As for the third rule, “not liking to share,” it was simply Yan Chen unilaterally demanding that he keep his body clean.

In this game for two, Yan Chen had already seen through his cards, with victory in his hands. If An Yi didn’t want to quit, he could only abide by the rules of the game set by Yan Chen.

Actually, even if Yan Chen didn’t ask, An Yi would still be careful to keep his distance from Lin Yuming.

Lin Yuming’s eyes filled with regret whenever he looked at him, making An Yi uncomfortable.

He tried to cut off ties with the past as much as possible, especially the gloomy senior year of high school.

However, since Lin Yuming was rotating in the blood center, he couldn’t completely avoid him.

Every time there was a ward round, Lin Yuming’s figure could be seen. And usually when he wasn’t on duty, Lin Yuming would make time to visit An Ya in the ward.

As a result, An Ya became familiar with this Dr. Lin first, and even added him on WeChat.

When An Yi came to accompany her, hearing her affectionately call him “Yuming ge” made him feel uneasy.

“Be careful, if Yan Chen ge hears you, he’ll be jealous.”

Actually, he was worried that Yan Chen would misunderstand and cause trouble with Lin Yuming.

An Ya smiled mischievously. “Yan Chen ge can’t teleport, can he? He can’t just fly over from the south.”

“…He’s in the south?”

An Yi suddenly remembered that Yan Chen had mentioned a ribbon-cutting ceremony at a resort last month, and judging by the timing, it was these past few days.

“He said he would bring me some local specialties before he left.”

An Yi was even more surprised. “Did he come to see you before he left?”

“We talked via video call last night,” An Ya said strangely. “He’s chatting with me a lot lately, even though he doesn’t talk much… Did you two have a fight?”

“We didn’t.”

“Really?”

“…Why are you so nosy?” An Yi handed her a workbook. “If you’re bored, study.”

“Ge! Are you a devil?” An Ya protested. “Some of these questions cover topics I haven’t learned yet.”

“If you don’t know, ask me.”

“After so many years since you graduated, do you still remember?”

An Ya spoke straightforwardly without much thought, only realizing after she said it that she had touched a sore spot for her brother.

An Yi chuckled. “If there’s something I don’t know, I’ll ask someone else. When you get to high school, I’ll wait for you to teach me.”

“Then when the time comes, let’s go to college together,” An Ya tried to lighten the mood, “or you can review for another year, and then you’ll have to call me ‘senior sister’.”

An Yi sighed and laughed. “By then, I’ll be in my thirties. Middle-aged junior?”

An Ya burst into laughter.

“What are you talking about? You seem so happy.”

A knocking sound came from behind, and An Yi turned around to see Lin Yuming walking gracefully towards them, his smile stiffening slightly.

“Yuming ge!” An Ya waved happily.

Lin Yuming blinked in agreement with her and glanced at the workbook in front of her, saying, “You’re working too hard. At this stage, you should rest well and conserve your energy.”

With him backing her up, An Ya immediately called out to An Yi, “Ge, did you hear that?!”

An Yi glanced at her, his eyes full of indulgence.

Lin Yuming turned to An Yi and asked, “I haven’t seen you much lately. Have you been busy?”

“Yeah, a little.”

During the day, An Yi was teaching pottery to students, and at night, he worked as a designated driver. With his time fragmented throughout the day, he didn’t visit the hospital as often as before.

Lin Yuming said, “Today’s rare, let’s have a meal together after I finish my shift. I promised to treat you last time.”

An Yi thought for a moment and still found an excuse to decline.

Regret flashed across Lin Yuming’s face. “Then let’s make it another time.”

An Yi wasn’t good at lying, and his guilt was evident every time he made excuses. After rejecting Lin Yuming multiple times, he felt ashamed of himself.

Lin Yuming wasn’t a bad person; on the contrary, he was very responsible when it came to taking care of An Ya. In terms of human relations and reasoning, it should be him treating Lin Yuming to a meal.

He couldn’t keep rejecting Lin Yuming just because of his own difficult-to-mention pain or a word from Yan Chen.

The two found a restaurant near the hospital and ordered several stir-fried dishes. Lin Yuming unbuttoned his coat and sighed, “It took a lot of effort to finally get you out. It wasn’t easy.”

“…I’m really sorry, I’ve been really busy lately.”

An Yi unpacked the utensils and carefully washed them with hot water before handing them to Lin Yuming.

“Just kidding, don’t take it seriously,” Lin Yuming saw the scars on his fingertips and said thoughtfully, “You… must have had a hard time these past few years.”

An Yi smiled slightly and remained silent as he poured the tea.

“I’m not trying to pry,” Lin Yuming explained, “but An Ya has told me a lot about your past…”

“It’s okay,” An Yi interrupted him with a smile. “I’m used to it.”

Lin Yuming took the tea cup handed to him and said, “When we were in school, you were the closest to me. I never thought that after that day after school… we wouldn’t see each other again until ten years later.”

An Yi lowered his eyelids, his fingertips spinning around the edge of the cup.

Lin Yuming continued, “What’s even more unexpected is that you’re still in contact with Yan Chen.”

An Yi finally looked up at him. “You know Yan Chen?”

“Who in the school doesn’t know him?” Lin Yuming hesitated for a moment before continuing, “How could you get involved with someone like him? Did he force you?”

“…I don’t understand what you mean.”

“No need to hide it from me. Yan Chen has been sending people to the department every day to make his presence known. Even my supervisor knows about your relationship.”

An Yi: “…”

Lin Yuming looked distressed. “I can’t understand. He has made you suffer so much, how can you still be so calm and stick with him?”

This time, An Yi really didn’t understand. “He… made me suffer?”

Lin Yuming gritted his teeth. “Didn’t you drop out of school because of him?”

Aside from using coercion, Lin Yuming couldn’t think of any other reason why An Yi would give up the college entrance exam and his bright future.

He couldn’t understand why An Yi would still be entangled with the perpetrator.