Discovery

After Su Ran closed the door, he felt a bit uneasy. He Zhiwen had originally taken him in out of goodwill, but now knowing that he had colluded with Jiang Yi to deceive him, and to think he had beaten Jiang Yi so badly…

Su Ran paced back and forth in his room, thinking it really shouldn’t be such a big deal; was it really necessary to beat someone up so badly over this? The image of Jiang Yi’s bloodied face sent chills down his spine.

Maybe he should just leave now… He could stay in a nearby hotel and slip away once the drama concludes…

While he was mulling this over, the sound of the keypad lock echoed, tightening Su Ran’s chest as he anxiously watched the door. The next second, He Zhiwen opened the door. He looked disheveled and rushed, as if he had hurried back for some urgent matter, not even bothering to change his shoes, bringing a chill into the room as he pulled Su Ran into his embrace.

Surprised, Su Ran didn’t understand what was happening, but instead of scolding him, He Zhiwen seemed genuinely concerned for him. After a moment, He Zhiwen let go and said, “Jiang Yi told me everything. Don’t forgive that bastard again.”

Su Ran blinked in confusion, “Aren’t you mad at me for deceiving you?”

A smile appeared on He Zhiwen’s face as he ruffled Su Ran’s hair, “That’s the least of it. Compared to what you’ve been through, the deception is minor. I just want you not to be soft-hearted, not to go back to him.”

Su Ran’s eyes reddened, “Yeah, I won’t go back.”

He Zhiwen hugged him again, relieved by the answer. Meanwhile, Jiang Yi was completely losing control elsewhere.

Given his current situation, he couldn’t return to the company. He had lost his job and his will was sinking, spending his days drinking in his room, refusing to step outside.

Jiang Yi’s parents were frantic with worry, and turned to Ye Qiao, “Please talk some sense into him. He can’t go on like this, he’s ruining his health.”

Ye Qiao was leisurely pouring water in the kitchen. These days, his mood had been good. He could watch Jiang Yi’s self-destruction up close, delighted to see how Su Ran had moved from total obedience to resolute independence, and how Jiang Yi had gone from vigorous to listless. “It’s no use talking to him now. He’s pushed away anyone who could have helped, chased away by you and your meddling.”

Jiang Yi’s parents were left speechless by his sharp words. They hadn’t expected Su Ran to have such an impact on their son… If they had known, they would have stayed out of it. Now, they had to face the consequences.

Entering Jiang Yi’s room, they were hit by a wave of alcohol. Jiang Yi was slumped on the floor, surrounded by empty bottles, asleep against the bed.

Looking disheveled and unshaven, the sight of him pained his parents. They quickly tried to rouse him, “Son, be sensible, go sleep on the bed.”

Jiang Yi was slowly waking, but when they tried to help him up, he pushed them away, “Leave me alone…”

His parents were distraught, “Look at yourself, over just one man! Is it worth this?”

Jiang Yi was guzzling down alcohol, feeling the burn from throat to stomach. He was a rational person, but everything he had done recently was out of control.

Like quitting his job. Only he knew how hard he had worked to climb to that position, yet he had resigned without regret.

Even that significant project he valued, he had been inexplicably kicked out after just two days of no contact, now everything was lost, seemingly confirming his failure.

He knew his current actions were absurd and self-destructive. As his parents said, it was just over a man. But he couldn’t stop; whenever his mind cleared, all the pain rushed back, images of Su Ran, moments of their life together flooding his thoughts uncontrollably, only by numbing himself like this did he feel any relief.

“Really troubling…” his mother lamented, “You’re an adult, how can you be so impulsive? Quitting your job over this, you still have a mortgage, car payments, even if you divorced, what does it have to do with your job? Why quit?”

Jiang Yi smirked bitterly at his mother, “Mom, do you think they would’ve kept me if I hadn’t resigned?”

“Of course, you’re so capable, why would the company let go of you for no reason?” his mother retorted.

Jiang Yi opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it again, “Anyway, I can’t work there anymore.”

“Ah,” his mother sighed deeply, stepping out to discuss with Jiang Yi’s father. Given Jiang Yi’s current state, they feared he might never recover.

“Now what do we do…” Jiang Yi’s mother was anxious, “How much savings did he say he had? Over a million, right?”

“Yes, that might last a while, but if he continues like this…” his father shook his head, “I see now, you can’t just stop living here.”

They had never imagined encountering such a scene on this visit.

Meanwhile, Su Ran was feeling much better. He didn’t want to stay at He Zhiwen’s place any longer than necessary and planned to talk to him that evening; continuing to stay wasn’t the way forward.

That afternoon, Su Ran was preparing dinner in the kitchen. These days, He Zhiwen would come home early every day, seemingly unaffected by the absence of his Vice President at the company.

Su Ran was rinsing vegetables when He Zhiwen, having changed into comfortable clothes and donned an apron, came over excitedly, “What’s for dinner tonight?”

“Thinking of stir-frying some cucumber with eggs, braising some ribs, and making a side dish,” Su Ran said, then smiled at He Zhiwen, “Would you like some soup? Tofu soup or sponge gourd soup?”

He Zhiwen’s heart softened. He was tall and robust, but at that moment, he leaned down and nuzzled his head against Su Ran’s, almost playfully, “Either sounds good, I’ll let you decide.”

Su Ran enjoyed this dining companion, quickly deciding on the sponge gourd soup, “Then you can help blanch the ribs.”

Su Ran spoke straightforwardly, as He Zhiwen was completely compliant in the kitchen, a routine they had comfortably fallen into over the past few days, much to his pride.

“Alright, following orders,” He Zhiwen responded and immediately got to work.

As Su Ran stirred the eggs, he stopped and said, “He Ge, I’m planning to move out tomorrow.”

He Zhiwen froze, looking at Su Ran, “Why?”

Su Ran explained, “It’s not good for me to keep staying here. I should move out sooner.”

He Zhiwen had just placed the ribs in the pot but forgot to turn on the heat. He stepped closer to Su Ran, taking his hand, “I respect your decision, but you can stay here as long as you like, without any pressure. If you really want to move out, I’ll help you find a place, but… it’s not really that important…”

His hand was warm, causing Su Ran’s eyelashes to flutter, and he asked, “What?”

He Zhiwen’s eyes were full of warmth, “I’ve been looking for the right opportunity, the right setting, the right moment, but there’s no such thing as the perfect time. I’m just a bit cowardly. Su Ran, I actually…”

Suddenly, Su Ran felt nervous, feeling like He Zhiwen was about to confess his feelings, his affectionate gaze, and his increasingly suggestive words.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Su Ran quickly withdrew his hand, saying, “I’ll see who it is.”

As he turned around, he breathed a sigh of relief, feeling like he had narrowly escaped. Behind him, He Zhiwen, hand on his forehead, looked slightly frustrated.

Opening the door, he saw an unexpected sight—Jiang Yi’s parents, two middle-aged individuals with lines of worry etching their faces, slightly stooped. Seeing Su Ran, they smiled, a mix of appeasement and awkwardness.

Su Ran opened the door wider, allowing them in, but Jiang’s mother immediately waved her hands, “No, no, we’ll just stay at the door.”

He Zhiwen saw the two figures and frowned as he approached. His tall, robust frame made the elderly couple look even more stooped.

“What’s the matter?” He Zhiwen’s voice, usually warm and magnetic, sounded cold now.

Faced with He Zhiwen, a man exuding an aristocratic aura and their son’s former boss, Jiang Yi’s parents felt intimidated. They had spent their lives in a small town, initially farming and later running a small business to afford their son’s education in the city. They had been proud of their son, able to stand tall in front of Su Ran, but shrank in front of someone like He Zhiwen.

“It’s nothing… we just came to see Su Ran…” Jiang’s mother said, then suddenly grabbed Su Ran’s hand, her face sorrowful.

“Su Ran, please look at Jiang Yi. He’s falling apart, completely unrecognizable.”

The parents looked on the verge of tears, a sight Su Ran had never seen before. He quickly withdrew his hand, and He Zhiwen immediately stepped in front of him. Su Ran then spoke up, “How Jiang Yi is doing has nothing to do with me anymore. We’ve… broken up.”

This was the first time Su Ran had rejected them, and they were visibly taken aback, not expecting such a standoffish response from him.

At that, Jiang’s mother burst into tears, almost kneeling down, with Jiang’s father mimicking her actions, thankfully caught by He Zhiwen. It was the first time he had seen such a scene, and he was somewhat at a loss.

“Su Ran, even if it’s just the two of us old folks begging you, come have a meal at our place. We’ve already made the food, just waiting for you…”

Su Ran felt helpless, looking to He Zhiwen, who shook his head, his eyes seemingly pleading.

But in the end, he agreed. Otherwise, what were the old couple doing, blocking He Zhiwen’s doorstep? He didn’t want to make a scene.

The elderly couple received their answer and returned to the neighboring house, quieting the atmosphere. He Zhiwen looked at Su Ran, cautiously asking, “You… won’t soften your heart, right…”

Su Ran hadn’t expected to be the one to reassure him, “Don’t worry, He Ge, I’ll come back right after dinner.”

“Okay,” He Zhiwen said, “I’ll wait for you at home.”

In truth, Su Ran was bound to go; he needed to see how the story would unfold. Without any contact with Jiang Yi, how would the plot progress?

Upon entering the neighboring house, he saw Ye Qiao adjusting the placement of the dishes. Seeing him, Ye Qiao immediately smiled, “You’re here, Brother Ran Ran.”

Su Ran smiled back.

But then, seeing Jiang Yi emerge from the bathroom, he quickly composed himself. Jiang Yi’s chin was now clean-shaven, and apart from the bloodshot eyes and the weariness on his face that couldn’t be washed away, he looked much as he usually did.

“Hello,” Jiang Yi greeted, his voice a bit hoarse.

Su Ran nodded, and everyone took their seats. The dining table was quiet, the atmosphere strained, except for Ye Qiao, who seemed completely at ease, casually peeling shrimp. Jiang Yi had no appetite, mechanically chewing his food, his gaze frequently drifting towards Su Ran, as if fixated.

“Su Ran…” Jiang Yi’s eyes reddened, as if he had a lot to say, but it all stuck in his throat.

Su Ran looked at him, “Today, I’m just here for dinner, let’s not talk about anything else.”

Jiang Yi stared at him for a long moment before saying, “Okay.”

Just then, Ye Qiao placed a peeled shrimp in Su Ran’s bowl, a gesture that made Jiang Yi frown.

In the past, he might not have minded, but after the incident with He Zhiwen, he had become sensitive and suspicious.

And he realized that liking Su Ran didn’t need any rules or boundaries; falling for him was too easy.

This made him unable to ignore any small gesture. The way Ye Qiao looked at Su Ran, the emotions in his eyes… The time he had intervened to let Su Ran go during their argument… Did he really speak well of him after their fight? Why had Su Ran’s attitude completely changed the next day? Why, during their trip to the resort, did he always take Su Ran aside? Was it really just to have him as his model?

The more he thought about it, the more uneasy Jiang Yi felt, his chest seeming to burst, his hands unconsciously clenching into fists, his body beginning to tremble…

But seeing Su Ran there, eating, he forcibly suppressed that surge of emotion. Maybe he was just being overly suspicious…

The dinner ended in this awkward atmosphere. Jiang Yi’s parents returned to their room after eating, wanting to give them space to talk.

Jiang Yi wanted to say something to Su Ran but noticed him heading to his old room, so he got up silently to clear the table.

Su Ran was there to retrieve some things he had left behind in his haste the last time. Many items had not been properly packed away.

He had just opened the closet when Ye Qiao also came in, “What did you leave behind? I’ll help you pack.”

“It’s nothing much, I mostly took everything last time.” Saying this, Su Ran pulled open a drawer, then smiled, “The most important thing I forgot was these two watches.”

Su Ran took out the watches, but Ye Qiao seemed upset. He took his own watch over, “Brother Ran Ran, you don’t like it, do you? I’ve never seen you wear it.”

“How could I not?” Su Ran quickly said, “I really like it! It’s just too precious, I was afraid of knocking it, so I never wore it.”

Ye Qiao pouted, “Liar.”

Saying that, Ye Qiao grabbed Su Ran’s hand, admiring his delicate, soft wrists, then opened the box and put the watch on Su Ran.

At that moment, Jiang Yi, who had come to seek Su Ran’s forgiveness, saw the two sitting on the bed, Ye Qiao putting the watch on him, knowing the value of that watch.

He felt like his head was splitting open, his mind a blur of red and white. He turned around and went into Ye Qiao’s room, rummaging through his drawers, and found a stack of drawings, each one featuring only Su Ran.

Ye Qiao’s brushstrokes were delicate and tender, capturing every detail of Su Ran, his everyday life vividly recreated on paper. The dozens, even hundreds of drawings, clearly revealed his intentions.

Seeing the dates, it became clear that Ye Qiao had coveted Su Ran for a long time, much earlier than he had realized…

Jiang Yi suddenly felt a mix of amusement and despair. Why had he brought Ye Qiao home? Just to have him encroach on his territory?

Had the two been secretly conniving all along?

Suddenly, he felt a warm sensation in his nose, a drop of bright red blood falling onto the paper.