Yan Hang, I like you.

In the end, Chu Yi still chose this especially old-fashioned, unoriginal, artless, no-way-back way of expressing himself.

The only tiny bit of leeway he left for himself was probably because he wasn't face to face with Yan Hang, so if there was any embarrassing expression on Yan Hang's face, he wouldn't see it.

Not seeing it would make it less humiliating. Even if it was rejection, he could avoid half of the double blow from words and expression.

And just this one sentence had already used up almost all of his courage.

He just stood there on the sidewalk holding his phone, with street lamps in front and behind. He just stood there in the unobstructed light, with cars passing by on the left and people walking by on the right. For a stray dog who was used to always walking close to the base of walls, this was a scene he wouldn't have dared to imagine before.

I like you.

He just stood there, looking ahead.

After saying this sentence, everything around him quieted down. All his senses shut off, all his perception focused on his right ear pressed against the phone receiver.

Yan Hang, I like you.

It was very quiet on the other end. Chu Yi could clearly hear Yan Hang's breathing pause because of this sudden sentence.

His heart was beating very fast, everything around him ceased to exist.

Nervous, scared.

And a hint of regret.

He didn't know how long Yan Hang's pause on the other end was.

0.1 seconds or 0.2 seconds, longer or shorter.

He didn't know.

In this instant, he suddenly really wanted to hang up the phone. Only now did he realize that waiting for an answer was actually much more difficult than saying "I like you".

After the brief pause on the other end, he heard Yan Hang's breath, accompanied by a very low sound... He couldn't tell what this sound meant, if it was a hum, a sigh, or something else.

Before he could attempt to discern it from his confusion, there were a few crackling sounds from the other side.

The call was hung up.

Chu Yi stood there stunned, holding the phone.

Yan Hang had hung up the phone.

After he said "I like you", Yan Hang had hung up the phone.

In this moment, he lost even the ability to experience what it felt like, there was only bewilderment.

The silence in the receiver disappeared.

The silence around him also disappeared.

His senses slowly returned to his body. He heard a car pass by, saw two passersby walk past him. He even saw the slightly probing gaze an approaching middle-aged woman swept over his face.

In this moment, he really wanted to hide, to shrink back, to huddle into the tree shadows beside him, to huddle into the corner of the wall.

With great difficulty, he brought the phone in front of his eyes and looked. The screen had already gone black.

He lit up the screen. The call interface had disappeared, as if nothing had ever happened.

Yan Hang had hung up on him.

How could this be?

Yan Hang had never treated him in such a simple and crude way.

Except for those troublemaking punks and thugs, the Yan Hang in his heart would not have this attitude even towards strangers.

Was it because this was a "confession" call?

But Yan Hang had clearly said he would say thank you.

Even Zhou Chunyang could get a gentle thank you.

Why was this the answer he got?

Chu Yi frowned, looking down at the tips of his shoes.

Why did Yan Hang do this?

What was going on?

...What was going on?

Yes, what was going on?

Chu Yi suddenly raised his head. After a moment of hesitation, he dialed Yan Hang's number again. When he put the phone back to his ear, he found his hand was trembling.

He didn't believe Yan Hang would hang up on him.

Nor did he believe Yan Hang would reject him in this way.

Yan Hang was not that kind of person.

Yan Hang was the kind of person who, even when completely engulfed in darkness, would still think about whether he had eaten and would order takeout for him.

This hung up call was an accident.

But what kind of accident, he didn't know.

The call didn't connect. The receiver was completely silent, then a female voice spoke: "Sorry, the number you have dialed is temporarily unavailable. Please try again later..."

Chu Yi paused for a moment.

Then he shoved the phone into his bag and took off running.

Human intuition is a very magical thing. It usually only senses bad things, and once the intuition appears, the mind will turn very quickly. Back and forth, all the details can be strung together in a second.

Yan Hang's unreachable phone, Yan Hang suddenly hanging up, Yan Hang's short sound that he couldn't tell was a sigh or a gasp, Yan Hang's somewhat distracted conversation, Yan Hang telling him not to come over...

In the two or three steps he ran, this string of details going backwards had already made him so scared he felt all his hair standing on end.

It had been a long time since Chu Yi had run like this, with all his might.

The wind by his ears and the roaring in his head blended into one. All the blood in his body surged upwards from the tension, his hands and feet were ice cold, but his eyes were hot, the kind of hot that made them red.

In just a dozen seconds, he rushed past the bus stop. He didn't see Yan Hang. Yan Hang had said at first to wait for him at the bus stop. Coming out of the hotel and crossing the street was the bus stop, but now there was no sign of him.

Yan Hang had told him to wait there, but now he found that Yan Hang hadn't walked towards him at all.

Something must have happened!

Chu Yi's steps paused, wanting to see clearly his surroundings, to see where Yan Hang might be.

Just as he slowed down, from a corner twenty meters ahead, a person ran out. They first glanced this way, seeming to pause upon seeing him, then turned and ran in the opposite direction.

This person!

It was this person!

Chu Yi didn't know what he based this judgment on.

But when he took off chasing after them, his mind was filled with this judgment.

This person was related to Yan Hang suddenly hanging up the phone and his phone being unreachable!

He knew he ran pretty fast. Although not as fast as Yan Hang, much faster than the person in front of him, especially in a situation like this. He was probably running the fastest he ever had in his life.

In his panicked, confused, chaotic consciousness, he felt he caught up to this person in just a few steps.

But he didn't know how to make this person stop.

He could only rely on instinct. He suddenly kicked off the ground, using the momentum to almost leap into the air and kick the man in the lower back. For a moment, he had the illusion that if he missed, he would fly right over the man's head.

The man was kicked heavily to the ground.

After landing, he didn't pause and immediately pounced on the man, grabbing his collar and lifting him up. He didn't even consider the consequences if he had kicked the wrong person.

At this moment, something that fell out of the man's hand at the same time made him freeze on the spot.

It was a knife.

Although there wasn't enough light for him to see if there was blood on the knife, he saw blood on the man's right hand that was holding it.

When this small amount of blood entered his vision, it was as if someone had struck a loud gong next to his ear, the buzzing sound shaking his head.

He grabbed the man's right hand and twisted it behind his back.

No wound.

The man's hand was not injured.

Judging from how he ran, he didn't seem to be hurt either... whose blood was it?

Chu Yi leaped up from the man, ignoring everything else. Between catching the man and checking on Yan Hang, he didn't need to think before choosing Yan Hang.

He ran towards the small garden around the corner.

As he ran, he shouted, "Yan Hang!"

No one answered him.

After the sun set, the autumn wind blew over with a chill that could easily penetrate two layers of clothing, yet his entire back was sweating, and sweat from his temples even slid down to his chin.

Running along the pebble path beside the fountain, after passing a stone table, he saw a person lying by the road ahead.

He also saw the familiar clothes the person was wearing, the ones Yan Hang had just changed into when he left in the morning, a black zippered hoodie.

"Yan Hang!" His voice was completely hoarse when he called out, almost unable to make a sound.

His legs felt a bit weak, and he stumbled as he fell to Yan Hang's side.

"I told you not to come!" Yan Hang moved and said in a low voice.

"What's wrong with you?" Chu Yi knelt on the ground, gently touching Yan Hang's arm a few times. He didn't dare to support Yan Hang or move him.

"It's nothing." Yan Hang said, trying to sit up but couldn't muster the strength.

"Don't move!" Chu Yi quickly supported his shoulder, and when he wanted to hold his arm, he felt a handful of wetness.

It was blood.

A hand full of blood.

Chu Yi looked at his own hand, suddenly feeling his vision turn red. "Where are you hurt? I'll call the police!"

"Call 120 first," Yan Hang frowned, "then call Cui Yi."

"Okay." Chu Yi almost tore open the zipper of his bag, and when he reached in to take out his phone, he felt the blood on his hand becoming a bit sticky.

As his fingers trembled slightly while dialing 120 to report the address, Yan Hang reported Cui Yi's phone number beside him, then closed his eyes.

Chu Yi tried his best to control his emotions, slowing down his speech, trying to make himself speak more smoothly. "Right across from the hotel, next to the fountain... it should be a knife wound..."

After hanging up the 120 call, he quickly dialed Cui Yi's number. He admired himself for being able to remember the numbers Yan Hang reported in this situation.

"I'll be right there," Cui Yi said calmly, "Check where his injury is and press on it for him, don't move him."

"Okay." Chu Yi answered hoarsely.

After finishing the call, he didn't even bother putting his phone back in his bag and threw it directly on the ground. He half-knelt and half-lay down beside Yan Hang. "Where are you hurt?"

"On the waist." Yan Hang said.

Chu Yi took off his own jacket. "I'll press on it for you."

"Mm," Yan Hang smiled, "a bit... towards the back."

When he released his hand that had been pressing on his waist, Chu Yi saw the blood on his hand. That area of his clothes was all wet. The black clothes couldn't show the color of blood, but Chu Yi smelled the metallic scent.

He carefully rolled up the jacket and pressed it on Yan Hang's waist.

"Use more force." Yan Hang said.

Chu Yi applied a bit more strength.

"It's okay, I won't die," Yan Hang opened his eyes and glanced at him, "What are you shaking for, you're making me shiver too."

"I'm not shaking." Chu Yi looked at him.

Yan Hang's complexion didn't look as pale as it was portrayed on TV after being stabbed. It was basically still normal, but it could be seen that he was in a lot of pain and a bit weak.

"Alright, it's me who's shaking then." Yan Hang started laughing.

"Don't laugh," Chu Yi didn't know how Yan Hang could still laugh at a time like this. He firmly pressed on the wound without loosening his grip, "Don't talk!"

"Mm," Yan Hang responded, paused for a while, then asked again, "Did you just run into..."

"Yes," In order to save his energy, Chu Yi directly interrupted his words, "I could have caught him... Don't talk."

The ambulance arrived quite quickly. Before Chu Yi and Yan Hang could say a few more words, they heard the siren of the ambulance.

"I'll go to the road," Chu Yi pulled Yan Hang's hand and placed it on the clothes, "You press on it."

Yan Hang didn't say anything and reached out to press on the wound.

Chu Yi threw the bag on his body to the side and sprinted out along the path. He stood by the road, jumping and shouting at the approaching ambulance with flashing lights, "Here! Here! Here!"

Seeing the stretcher being taken out of the vehicle, he finally felt a bit more at ease. He led the doctor to Yan Hang's location.

Examination, simple bandaging to stop the bleeding, lifting Yan Hang onto the stretcher... Chu Yi kept watching from the side.

When the doctor lifted Yan Hang's top, Chu Yi saw the knife wound on his waist.

He didn't see it too clearly, but at a glance, the bloody sight made him feel as if someone was grabbing and twisting hard inside his body.

When the phone rang, he realized that he had thrown his phone on the ground. He quickly picked it up and answered the call.

"Has the ambulance arrived?" Cui Yi asked on the other end.

"It's here." Chu Yi walked quickly beside the stretcher towards the vehicle.

"Which hospital are you going to?" Cui Yi asked again.

Chu Yi reported the name of the hospital. "Going there now."

"Okay, I'll go directly to the hospital," Cui Yi said, "Don't panic."

"Mm." Chu Yi responded.

At the corner, he saw something glinting in the grass.

It was Yan Hang's phone.

He picked it up and looked at it. The screen was full of cracks. Frowning, he put the phone in his bag.

Yan Hang must have been standing right here at that time... He didn't dare think further.

When Chu Yi followed the ambulance to the hospital, Cui Yi had already arrived.

Seeing Cui Yi, it was like seeing a pillar of support. His whole body suddenly went limp and he almost knelt down.

"You go with him," Cui Yi gripped his shoulder. "I'll take care of the paperwork."

"Okay." Chu Yi nodded.

He was an inexperienced kid who had never dealt with anything, not even going to the hospital. With Cui Yi's arrival, he finally started to slowly emerge from the panic.

If nothing else, at least he could help run errands and pay fees.

Cui Yi seemed to know people at the hospital. After making a couple calls, a doctor who looked quite senior in age arrived.

Chu Yi wasn't in the mood to listen to what Cui Yi and the doctor were saying. He only knew that Yan Hang was about to have surgery.

"Dog Bro." Yan Hang called out to him.

"Hm." Chu Yi looked at him.

"Smile," Yan Hang said. "Your face is about to droop like a donkey's."

Chu Yi forced the corners of his mouth into a smile.

"Go request a few days off from school," Yan Hang said. "Come take care of me."

"Okay." Chu Yi nodded.

Forget a few days, even if he had to drop out immediately it would be no problem.

When Yan Hang was wheeled into the operating room, Chu Yi kept following until Cui Yi pulled him back. Only then did he hear the nurse say: "Family members wait outside!"

Family.

This term filled Chu Yi with a sudden warmth, but it was quickly followed by heartache.

Family? What family?

Yan Hang had no family.

His only relative had disappeared too.

He walked to the side with his head lowered and leaned against the wall.

"What happened?" Cui Yi came over and asked.

"I don't know," Chu Yi still felt cold all over, as if the wall kept radiating a chill. "I was on the phone with him and suddenly it cut off."

"Then what?" Cui Yi took off his own coat and handed it to him.

"I'm not cold." Chu Yi quickly waved his hands.

"I have more clothes in the car. I'll go get them in a bit," Cui Yi looked at him. "Your face looks worse than Yan Hang's."

Chu Yi felt a bit embarrassed. He lowered his head and put on Cui Yi's coat. "Then I ran over and saw someone running out."

"What did the person look like?" Cui Yi asked.

"Middle-aged," Chu Yi furrowed his brows trying hard to remember. He had locked eyes with that person for a moment, but other than remembering he looked to be in his forties, he couldn't recall much else. "Hair was quite dirty."

"This needs to be reported to the police," Cui Yi said. "When the police question you later, just tell them what you know. No need to be nervous."

"Okay." Chu Yi nodded. He sighed inwardly.

He had experience with police questioning.

Chu Yi didn't know how long this kind of surgery would take, what length of time was normal, what was abnormal, what indicated light injuries, what meant severe injuries.

He just kept standing by the wall, staring at the operating room door.

There were other surgeries going on besides Yan Hang's. Two other people, conditions unknown, were also wheeled in howling in pain.

Chu Yi was a bit worried. What was it like inside the operating room? Would the wailing affect the doctor operating on Yan Hang?

He shifted his weight between his feet anxiously.

"I'm going to get something to eat," Cui Yi came over and told him. "You keep watch here. Call me if anything happens."

"Okay." Chu Yi nodded.

"Sit for a bit," Cui Yi sighed looking at him. "You don't have mysophobia, do you?"

"No," Chu Yi forced a smile. "I can't sit still."

Cui Yi glanced at his legs.

"I'm nervous." Chu Yi said.

"It's not as serious as you think," Cui Yi said. "Relax a little. Don't collapse before he even comes out. I can't take care of two people."

"Okay." Chu Yi sat down on the chair, feeling a bit embarrassed.

Only now did he notice a display screen on the wall next to the operating rooms. It seemed to show the status of each surgery.

Yan Hang's name was there, operating room three.

Chu Yi stared at it until his eyes started to sting before rubbing them.

After sitting down, his whole body felt heavy, as if being dragged down by something - his head, shoulders, arms all weighed down.

He rubbed his face, elbows on knees, face in hands.

His hands were ice cold. Covering his face with them made him feel a bit better.

He never imagined something like this would happen today.

Had Yan Hang discovered something beforehand? Perhaps related to that strange phone call before. But Yan Hang never mentioned anything to him.

And he never asked either.

Why didn't he pry and ask?

If he had asked, would he have reacted sooner today? Maybe Yan Hang wouldn't have...

The bloody gash on Yan Hang's waist flashed before his eyes.

He raised his face and looked at his hands.

He had just washed them, but he could still faintly smell the scent of blood.

He wasn't afraid of blood. When he smashed Liang Bing's head with a bat and drew blood, he felt no fear at all. But now he felt awful.

This was Yan Hang's blood.

How could something like this have happened?

Yan Hang's reactions were so quick. Normally no one could get close enough to lay a hand on him.

Yet he was stabbed?

The person he kicked down didn't look that formidable either... How did he manage to injure Yan Hang?

Chu Yi pressed his fingers to his temples, brows tightly knitted.

A few seconds later, his head suddenly shot up.

Was it because of his phone call?

Yan Hang was still on the phone with him at that time. The distraction then must have been when he noticed something was wrong. But... in order not to alert him, Yan Hang didn't hang up.

And if it was just talking on the phone like that, perhaps Yan Hang wouldn't necessarily have been distracted.

It was his words "I like you".

In that one second pause from Yan Hang, and then... He took a deep breath, leaned back in his chair, and stared at the light on the ceiling.

Chu Yi, your timing is impeccable.

Did you have to say it today, did you have to be so nervous that you only dared to say it over the phone... Yan Hang's tone was already clearly off, and you actually didn't hear it...

He clasped his hands tightly together.

It wasn't until Cui Yi gently patted his hand that he suddenly came back to his senses.

"Eat something," Cui Yi handed him a small paper cup, "I guess you can't eat much, so I didn't buy a big one, just eat a couple bites to pad your stomach."

Chu Yi lowered his head and looked at the small paper cup in his hand. It was a cream puff in a paper cup, very fragrant.

He composed himself and took a big bite.

It's better to calm down now. Yan Hang is still in the operating room. Thinking about these things here, besides making himself absent-minded and unable to help, has no other meaning. Regardless of whether he blames himself or not, it cannot change the fact that Yan Hang has already been injured.

He bit his lip, trying to calm himself down.

After an unknown amount of time, the text on the display finally changed. Yan Hang's surgery was over.

"Why isn't he coming out?" Chu Yi stood up, staring at the door of the operating room somewhat anxiously.

The doctor who performed Yan Hang's surgery came out, but Yan Hang was not seen.

"I'll ask about the situation first." Cui Yi patted his shoulder.

The situation is still okay... not too much blood loss... very good physical condition...

Chu Yi stood behind Cui Yi, listening to the doctor talking to Cui Yi. He always felt that the voice was somewhat distant and unclear, probably still nervous.

...No important organs were injured... small intestine ruptured...

The doctor was probably trying to say that Yan Hang's injury was not particularly serious, and did not injure any important parts. Moreover, Yan Hang's physical condition was very good and he should recover quickly... but Chu Yi still felt that every sentence he heard made his heart ache.

Yan Hang was finally pushed out of the operating room, but could not return to the ward yet. The nurse said he had to stay in the observation room first.

Chu Yi followed closely beside the hospital bed, staring at Yan Hang's face.

He had thought Yan Hang's complexion was normal before, but now that the surgery was over, Yan Hang looked a bit pale.

"Mutt." Yan Hang smiled at him, a bit tired and weak.

"I'm here," Chu Yi gently squeezed his hand, putting the other hand behind his back, "Wagging my tail for you."

"Mm," Yan Hang smiled and closed his eyes for a moment, then called out to Cui Yi again after a while, "Old Cui."

"I'm here," Cui Yi responded beside him, "But I won't wag my tail."

Yan Hang laughed, and the nurse beside him also laughed: "In good spirits, laughing so happily."

Outsiders were not allowed in the observation room, so Chu Yi and Cui Yi could only wait outside.

When Yan Hang was pushed in, he glanced at Chu Yi: "Brother Dog, go... take your temperature, you have a fever."

"Ah." Chu Yi was stunned for a moment.

"Don't worry," Cui Yi said, "I'll take his temperature in a bit."

The door to the observation room closed, and Chu Yi stood at the doorway staring at the door.

Cui Yi reached out and felt his forehead: "It does seem like you have a bit of a fever, I'll go ask the nurse for a thermometer."

Chu Yi didn't make a sound.

After Cui Yi walked away, he suddenly squatted down and buried his face in his arms.