To this day, he could still clearly recall the scene from back then.

In the massive room, the curtains were drawn tight, and the light was dim. The carpet was littered with overturned wine bottles. The man, who had always been elegant and proper, was now passed out drunk on the sofa, his messy bangs covering his eyes, looking unusually despondent.

Chen Shu had never seen Zhuang Yihan in such a state. His heart felt as if it were suddenly seized by an invisible hand, and even breathing brought a dull ache. He didn't know where he found the courage and anger, but he grabbed Zhuang Yihan's shoulders and questioned him in a hoarse voice, 'Is it worth it to be like this for Jiang Xi?! That man doesn't love you at all, and he has never taken your devotion seriously! Why are you tormenting yourself like this?!'

And then... what did Zhuang Yihan say then?

The drunken man on the sofa lifted his eyelids to look at Chen Shu. His expression seemed hazy and confused, but the depths of his dark pupils were perfectly clear. He nonchalantly lifted Chen Shu's chin. Although his face showed no expression, a hint of imperceptible playfulness could be heard in his tone:

"But, Chen Shu..."

Zhuang Yihan's voice was deep, laced with a drunkenness of unknown authenticity:

"Even without Jiang Xi, it would never be your turn."

This man had always been terribly cruel. He liked Jiang Xi, so he would let the other man humiliate him in any way. But if he disliked someone, he wouldn't even bat an eye if they died in front of him. Even his words were malicious and indifferent to the extreme.

Chen Shu froze at his words, staring at him with reddened eyes. A single, scalding tear fell silently. His voice trembled as he said, "But Jiang Xi doesn't like you at all..."

Zhuang Yihan felt the dampness and paused almost imperceptibly. He gently wiped away Chen Shu's tear with his fingertip. In the end, he didn't lose his temper over the comment, but instead softened his tone, "Chen Shu, these are not things you should be concerned with. You should be concerned with your own life. Study hard, find a good job in the future. That's enough."

"Letting others derail your own life is a very foolish thing to do. That's not what I taught you before."

Businessmen prioritize profit. Zhuang Yihan had taught Chen Shu that no matter the situation, the first priority was always to protect oneself, to never harm one's own interests for an outsider.

Having been reborn, Chen Shu felt this made a lot of sense. This life, he planned to protect himself.

His chaotic thoughts gradually settled. Against the backdrop of the bustling night view outside the floor-to-ceiling window, Zhuang Yihan was sitting at the piano, haltingly playing a piece. His usually nimble fingertips now seemed somewhat rusty and clumsy. He had learned various instruments during his school days, but it had been too long since he had practiced, and he had forgotten most of what he knew.

"The fourth note is wrong."

A low, clear voice suddenly sounded beside his ear. Then, the space next to him dipped slightly, and he was enveloped in a dry scent.

Chen Shu's fingers were as pale and slender as Zhuang Yihan's, only more powerful and a bit leaner. He laid his right hand over the black and white keys and replayed the part Zhuang Yihan had just messed up. A melodious sound flowed from his fingertips, perfectly outlining the lonely moonlight within the piece.

Zhuang Yihan's movements paused. He looked at Chen Shu, his gaze filled with unconcealable surprise and a strange gleam. "You can play the piano?"

Chen Shu's family was poor, and his school was neither good nor bad. Zhuang Yihan naturally assumed he would have had no opportunity to touch an expensive instrument like the piano.

He wouldn't look down on Chen Shu because of it, but he wouldn't think highly of him either. The adult world was just that cruel. If you wanted others to think highly of you, you needed to have sufficient capital. Without capital, how could one even talk about fairness and dignity?

Chen Shu shook his head slightly, "I just happen to know this piece."

Zhuang Yihan felt he was being modest. He could also play this piece, but playing it well was another matter entirely. He sat with Chen Shu on the piano bench and said in a low voice, "Play the full piece for me?"

Chen Shu glanced at the sheet music. It was "Half Moon Serenade," a piece he knew by heart. Because it was Zhuang Yihan's favorite song, he had practiced it countless times. However, he didn't agree right away. "I never play the piano for others."

At his words, Zhuang Yihan's gaze swept over him. But before he could get angry, he saw that the man's left hand had already quietly covered the black and white keys. Although he wasn't looking at him, his tone was low and earnestly serious:

"But you're an exception."

You're an exception.

From the day Chen Shu met Zhuang Yihan, he had been repeatedly telling him this: you are different from others, you are unique, you can always be the exception. He wove an invisible and intangible net of tenderness and affection, causing one to fall deep into it without realizing, finding it impossible to break free.

At this moment, Jiang Xi's presence was practically non-existent. No one would think of him at this time, including Zhuang Yihan.

The sorrowful, winding melody of the piano gently rose in the room. Each note seemed to tell of a secret love, hidden and unseen. It was as if Chen Shu's feelings from his past life were being poured from his fingertips into the keys, adding a layer of bone-deep, unforgettable pain to the poignant and lingering piece.

Zhuang Yihan listened, completely entranced, not even realizing when the music had stopped. Unconsciously, he had drawn closer and closer to Chen Shu. By the time he came to his senses, they were so close he could feel the other's breath, and his violently beating heart felt as if it would burst from his chest.

It was the most primal impulse and attraction, coming from the depths of his body and soul. In this moment, reason was finally defeated by desire.

Zhuang Yihan opened his mouth, seeming to want to say something, but his throat was so dry and itchy that he couldn't get a single word out. In a daze, he heard Chen Shu whisper a question by his ear:

"Can I hug you?"

A hug?

Zhuang Yihan was stunned for a second. Then he felt both nervous and amused. He didn't even like sharing a bed with people, so how could he casually hug someone? And yet, meeting the other's fox-like eyes, which held a slight smile, he felt his ears burn and, as if possessed, asked, "Why?"

...

Chen Shu didn't answer. Instead, he reached out and gently pulled Zhuang Yihan into his embrace, tentatively tightening his arms bit by bit. He didn't have the damp, cloyingly sweet scent of cologne like other men, but rather a dry, fluffy scent of sunshine. Through their clothes, Zhuang Yihan could even feel the lean, strong frame beneath, which made him blush quietly.

Zhuang Yihan remained motionless, his back rigid. The sound of his own heartbeat was deafening. After a long time, he finally began to relax into the embrace, but the scorching heat on his body refused to subside. His mind couldn't stop racing with thoughts, becoming a complete jumble.

Why did Chen Shu suddenly hug him?

It was true that they were alone together in the middle of the night. The piano, the moon, their patron relationship—all these factors added up to a truly ambiguous and intimate atmosphere, and young people were prone to act on impulse. But wasn't this a bit too fast? He had clearly told Chen Shu that he didn't like physical intimacy. What should he do if Chen Shu tried to force things later? Should he refuse, or...

"Thank you."

Chen Shu's cool lips pressed against Zhuang Yihan's pale, delicate ear, feeling the scorching heat of his skin as he softly spoke those two words. It was as if he was oblivious to how Zhuang Yihan's body had softened in his arms, how his gaze had grown hazy, and how his desire was stirring. He pulled back cleanly and slowly released his hand from the other's waist.

Zhuang Yihan finally came to his senses at those words. He bit the tip of his tongue in frustration, unable to hide his vexation. "It's nothing. It was just friends helping out."

But Chen Shu knew that behind those words, it wasn't so simple. In Zhuang Yihan's circle, asking for help meant owing a favor, and favors had to be repaid. It was far more complex than just treating someone to a meal between ordinary people. Regardless of the entanglements between him and Zhuang Yihan, the man had indeed saved his father's life. That was a fact that could not be erased, neither in his past life nor in this one.

A life debt... is the hardest to repay...

Chen Shu said, "But it was because you asked that your friends offered to help. I borrowed the money from you for my father's surgery. Now that his surgery is taken care of, I should return the five million to you."

Zhuang Yihan went still at his words and asked with an unreadable expression, "What? You don't want to be with me anymore?"

Chen Shu looked at him without speaking. After a moment, he uttered a single word: "I will."

Zhuang Yihan's tone was teasing. "Why? You'll stay with me even without the money?"

Chen Shu nodded lightly. Although it was a simple sentence, his sincere tone made every syllable sound particularly touching and affectionate. "Because you are a good person."

...

Damn it.

Zhuang Yihan suppressed the corners of his mouth, which were threatening to curve up. He was truly baffled. How did this person in front of him come to be? How could he be so perfectly suited to his tastes in every way? He nonchalantly averted his gaze, his fingertips lightly tapping the keys, but he was unable to produce a melody as moving as Chen Shu's.

"I know you're only with me for the surgery fee. If you've changed your mind, just consider the five million a loan. You can pay me back in the future when you have the money, after you've graduated."

Chen Shu was a little surprised. "Really?"

Zhuang Yihan: "..."

He was just being polite. How did this silly kid take it seriously?

Just as Zhuang Yihan was wondering what he could say to salvage the situation, he felt an arm tighten around his waist, pulling him back into an embrace. He couldn't see Chen Shu's face, but he could hear that his voice was incredibly gentle, almost intoxicating, and tinged with a bit of shyness:

"But I still want to be with you, is that okay?"

At a time like this, there was no way Zhuang Yihan would think he was saying this for money. It had to be out of gratitude and appreciation, and perhaps even a faint stirring of affection.

In the darkness, Zhuang Yihan's cool face flushed slightly. He turned his head away, a little uncomfortable, thinking, 'Are all male university students this clingy these days?' "You've already hugged me, so why are you still asking?"

He couldn't see Chen Shu's face, so he naturally missed the sight of his slightly lowered eyelashes and the perfect calm in the depths of his dark eyes, which held not the slightest trace of shyness or stirring emotion.

Chen Shu pressed his cheek against the man's and closed his eyes silently.

'Zhuang Yihan, so it turns out your principles and rules weren't as unbreakable as I imagined. It's just that in my past life, I was too stupid, too foolish, and that's why I lost so miserably...'