Chen Shu didn't know Zhuang Yihan's thoughts. Even if he did, he would probably just smile.

He hugged the other person like before, kissing him gently again and again. His scorching palm pressed tightly against Zhuang Yihan's back, caressing it nonchalantly through the thin clothes. Although he could have easily undone the shirt buttons, he chose to ignore them, kissing the person in his arms until he went soft like a puddle of water. Only then did he slowly withdraw his hand.

Seeing this, Zhuang Yihan's hand around his neck suddenly tightened. He said in a low, annoyed voice, "Chen Shu—"

Chen Shu's voice was lazy at the end of his word: "Hm?"

'Are you fucking impotent?'

Zhuang Yihan held it in for a long time but ultimately couldn't bring himself to say it. Chen Shu was young and strong; no matter how you looked at it, he didn't seem impotent. Could he be... asexual?

Some things were better not to think about too deeply. The more he thought, the colder his heart grew.

Zhuang Yihan thought to himself that he had only fallen in love twice in his life. The first time, it was with a straight man, which was one thing. But the second time, he actually fell for an asexual man. Was God playing a trick on him?

"...It's nothing."

Zhuang Yihan still cared about his pride. He would rather die than do something like grabbing Chen Shu by the collar and questioning him. He stiffly turned his head and averted his gaze, changing the subject in frustration: "By the way, can you swim? We're going out to sea next week. If you can't, I'll find a coach to teach you. There's still time to learn now."

Swim?

Of course, Chen Shu could swim. He grew up in the countryside. Opposite his front door was a mountain, and on the other side of the mountain was a turbulent river. He had learned to dive and hold his breath by the time he was seven or eight. Then, at the age of twenty-nine, he had committed suicide by jumping into a river.

How could he not know how to swim?

Chen Shu gazed quietly at Zhuang Yihan. For some reason, the image of the other person walking away without looking back in his previous life kept appearing in his mind. He slowly raised his hand to brush aside the stray hair in front of the other's eyes, as if feeling the boundless cold of drowning at the bottom of the river again. Yet, his tone remained gentle: "I can swim, but my skill isn't very good."

Zhuang Yihan was amused. "Then you're better than Zhuang Yifan. He's grown up this much and still hasn't learned to swim. He even has to use a floatie."

Chen Shu smiled. "Not being able to swim might be a good thing. The ones who drown are always the ones who know how to swim..."

Before Chen Shu could finish, Zhuang Yihan covered his mouth, his brows tightly furrowed. He found the words grating, giving him a heart-stopping feeling. "Don't say things like that. It's bad luck."

Chen Shu wasn't stubborn and nodded to show he wouldn't say any more. Seeing this, Zhuang Yihan slowly released his hand and said irritably, "How is not being able to swim a good thing when you're out at sea? Don't you dare be like him."

After a pause, he added, "Even if you can't swim, it's fine. I'll be there."

Zhuang Yihan was an excellent swimmer, but his younger brother Zhuang Yifan was a complete landlubber. When he heard that his older brother was going to an island next week to plan a resort project, he clamored to go along. He even specifically held a pool party at their suburban villa over the weekend, claiming it was to help everyone practice their swimming skills.

"I'm telling you, that's enough. You've been practicing for so long and you can still only doggy paddle. You might as well just stay on the yacht."

The autumn sun was neither hot nor dry, feeling warm and pleasant on the skin. Fang Yiting wore sunglasses and lay on a chair, sunbathing. He was so comfortable he almost fell asleep and was quite dissatisfied with Zhuang Yifan's noisy splashing in the water.

"None of your damn business. I'll have learned the freestyle in a few more hours."

In private, Zhuang Yifan didn't care about his image at all. He was splashing up and down in the water, clinging to a flamingo floatie. He hadn't been swimming for long before he was tired as a dog, nearly getting a stitch in his side.

Xue Miao happened to walk out of the house with a plate of grapes. Seeing the scene, he couldn't help but be amused. He stood by the pool, took out his phone from his pocket, and aimed it at Zhuang Yifan. While adjusting the angle, he said, "Yes, yes... Look here. Make your expression a bit more resolute, your gaze a bit fiercer. Later, I'll find an artist to paint a portrait of you. You can hang it on the wall as a family heirloom in the future..."

"Splash!"

Zhuang Yifan splashed a handful of water at him. "Get lost! You're the one who'll be hanging on a wall!"

Xue Miao got splashed with water but didn't mind. He just turned to the side to protect the grapes, then found a lounge chair and sat down. "To learn to swim, you need perseverance. You can't achieve anything if you're too impetuous. When are you going to change that stinking temper of yours? Learn from your brother; he's steady."

Hearing this, Zhuang Yifan pulled off his swimming goggles. His face was fifty to sixty percent similar to Zhuang Yihan's, yet it had a different, wild and arrogant style. He cleaned his ear and said, "My brother? He's only steady when he's handling work. The rest of the time, he's worse than me. Don't you agree, Chen Shu?"

As he spoke, he looked at the man who had been sitting quietly on the edge of the pool without interjecting. It was a pool party today. Fang Yiting and the others were all wearing knee-length swimming trunks, their upper bodies completely bare. Chen Shu, however, seemed to have no intention of getting in the water. He was wearing a loose, casual white shirt and light gray trousers, looking particularly lazy and weary in the sunlight.

His aura was always very clean, yet it carried a hint of coolness, unlike those green university students. Even when he was alone, he didn't seem downcast. He was unperturbed by favor or disgrace, like a cool breeze, lacking the eager enthusiasm others had for climbing the social ladder.

Chen Shu had been looking at the scenery. Hearing Zhuang Yifan's question, he gave him face and looked up. After a moment of thought, he said, "Not really. When he encounters matters related to Jiang Xi, he isn't very steady either."

He deliberately brought up this name, and the expressions of the others became a bit subtle.

Outsiders might not know, but the few of them who were close knew how much Zhuang Yihan fancied Chen Shu. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so eager to give him a car and a house, and bring him to every private gathering. They estimated that his status changing from "little lover" to "boyfriend" was only a matter of breaking through a paper-thin window.

At a time like this, no one would be tactless enough to bring up the past between Jiang Xi and Zhuang Yihan. Wouldn't that just be asking for trouble?

Xue Miao was meticulous and asked tentatively, "Did Yihan tell you about Jiang Xi?"

Chen Shu smiled, pretending not to understand their subtle intentions. "Yes, he said that the sea trip next week was President Jiang's invitation."

Xue Miao was a bit skeptical. "Just that? Nothing else?"

Chen Shu nodded earnestly. "Nothing else."

Xue Miao let out an imperceptible sigh of relief. 'So Zhuang Yihan didn't tell Chen Shu,' he thought. 'That makes sense. There's no benefit to talking about it, why bring it up and cause trouble? Good thing we didn't blurt anything out just now.' But then he suddenly remembered what Chen Shu had said earlier, and his heart tightened again. "How do you know Yihan isn't very steady when it comes to Jiang Xi?"

Chen Shu's answer was watertight. "A guess. I saw them competing in drinking at your birthday party last time. It looked like they had some... history?"

He pondered for a moment before uttering this slightly ambiguous word.

This time, even before Xue Miao could try to smooth things over, Zhuang Yifan had already reacted. Hugging his flamingo floatie, he swam over to Chen Shu and subtly cleared up his brother's relationship with Jiang Xi. "Why bother with Jiang Xi? He's just a scoundrel. What kind of history could he have with my brother? He owed my brother a large sum of money from two years ago and still hasn't paid it back. How could my brother not be anxious?"

Chen Shu seemed to understand. "Just because of that?"

Zhuang Yifan lounged carelessly on the edge of the pool. "Just that. What else could it be? What, are you afraid there's something going on between him and my brother?"

As he spoke, he subconsciously glanced upstairs. Zhuang Yihan had an urgent matter and was in a video conference on his computer. He shouldn't be able to hear them.

Xue Miao secretly shot Zhuang Yifan a glare, then gently tried to persuade Chen Shu, "Don't overthink it. Yihan really cares about you. He hasn't had anyone else by his side for so many years. If you hear any rumors, don't take them to heart. Those people are just jealous."

What he said wasn't exactly a lie. Zhuang Yihan's record had indeed been clean for all these years; there had never been anyone else. Even when he pursued Jiang Xi in the past, he never succeeded. Nothing had had a chance to happen.

Although Zhuang Yifan was smiling, his eyes were lazily narrowed, unable to hide the fierceness he shared with Zhuang Yihan. "Exactly. If anyone spreads rumors in front of you in the future, just tell me. I'll take care of them."

Fang Yiting had taken off his sunglasses at some point. He looked at Chen Shu from across the pool with a somewhat complicated gaze. He had a faint feeling that hiding the matter with Jiang Xi from Chen Shu wasn't a good idea. After all, there were no permanent secrets in the world. Rather than letting it blow up and become a trigger later, it would be better to lay everything out clearly from the beginning.

Zhuang Yihan was always clear-headed and rational. It was unexpected that he would be muddle-headed this time.

Fang Yiting put his sunglasses back on and sighed imperceptibly. The faint sounds of their conversation reached his ears.

"Then logically, his relationship with your brother should be bad. Why would he invite your brother to go out to sea? And you all agreed?"

Zhuang Yifan always acted like he was second only to heaven. "My brother also invested in that piece of land of his. It's perfectly natural for my brother to go inspect his property. Even if Jiang Xi didn't invite us, we could go on our own openly and honorably. What's there to be afraid of?"

Xue Miao was more polite when he spoke. "He doesn't invite us out more than a few times a year. We're all friends, so it's not good to refuse."

His simple sentence revealed the most realistic situation in the adult world. Even if they disliked Jiang Xi, even if there were undercurrents in their relationship, they would still maintain a superficial harmony due to family ties and business interests. This kind of relationship wasn't sincere, but it was solid in another sense.

Having lived two lives, how could Chen Shu not understand this logic? But he didn't care, so it didn't matter. He went along with Xue Miao's words, "It's good to go out and relax."

As they were talking, Zhuang Yihan, having finished his meeting, came downstairs at some point. He saw Xue Miao and Zhuang Yifan gathered around Chen Shu, talking, and found the scene quite unusual. He walked over and asked, "What are you talking about? It's so lively."

What were they talking about? They were talking about Jiang Xi.

Could they say that? Of course not, not even if they were beaten to death.

Zhuang Yifan wanted to distract him. His eyes darted around, and he suddenly noticed that Chen Shu and Xue Miao were sitting right at the edge of the pool. A mischievous idea popped into his head. He grabbed one with each hand and pulled them both into the water. Caught off guard, the two of them fell into the pool like dumplings being dropped into a pot, splashing water several meters high. Zhuang Yihan instinctively turned his head to avoid the water, forgetting the previous topic of conversation.

"Zhuang Yifan! You bastard!"

Xue Miao was an average swimmer. Being pulled in so suddenly, he choked on several mouthfuls of water. He thrashed around a couple of times before getting his bearings, then hurriedly swam to the side of the pool to catch his breath, looking utterly wretched.

Zhuang Yifan stood in the water, overjoyed. "That's what you get for laughing at my doggy paddle. You're not much better than me. Xue Miao, you're in your twenties, can't you be a little more composed? Look at Chen Shu, he's not even cursing..."

Halfway through his sentence, he suddenly realized something was wrong. He turned to look and immediately cried out in alarm, "Holy shit! Chen Shu!"

He thought Chen Shu could swim, so he hadn't paid any attention at first. He never expected that after splashing twice upon falling into the pool, the other man would go still and sink straight to the bottom like a complete novice.

Seeing this, Fang Yiting and Xue Miao's expressions changed, and they immediately prepared to rescue him. But they didn't expect another figure to be faster than them. With a splash, he jumped into the water, dived under, and swam rapidly towards Chen Shu.

It all happened too suddenly. When Chen Shu fell into the pool, he only felt a bone-deep shadow instantly engulf his heart, bringing with it an indescribable terror that made him forget even the instinct to swim for survival. The pool water, glittering golden under the sun, suddenly turned into the pitch-black, ice-cold river. The unique muddy smell from the riverbed filled his nostrils. No matter how he swam, he couldn't reach the shore or break the surface. Only a boundless suffocation enveloped him.

The wind howled. In a daze, Chen Shu smelled the cold scent of accumulated snow again, returning to that night that represented death.

When he was submerged in the river, he felt as if all his limbs were frozen stiff, yet his mind was conscious. Every minute, every second was an agony. At that moment, even his resolve to die wavered.

He longed for someone to come and save him.

Anyone would do, even his father who liked to whip him with a belt. But the person closest to him walked further and further away, his back indifferent, without a single glance back.

Zhuang Yihan... Zhuang Yihan...

Did you really look back that night?

Did you really not look back even once?

It's good that you didn't... It's good that you didn't...

Let's neither of us admit we were wrong. Let neither of us look back...

Chen Shu could clearly feel himself slowly sinking. All the sounds in his ears were fading away. He desperately reached a hand upward, not knowing what he was trying to grab, but his fingertips only touched a void. Finally, his strength gave out, and his hand slowly fell. But at the last moment, his wrist was suddenly gripped tightly and pulled upwards with force, out of the churning water.

"SPLASH—!!"

As if something long-sealed had suddenly broken the surface of the water, the feeling of suffocation receded like a tide, replaced by fresh air rushing into his nasal passages. A series of heart-wrenching coughs suddenly echoed through the once-quiet room. Chen Shu, who had been unconscious on the bed, abruptly woke up and turned over, coughing painfully over the edge of the bed as if he wouldn't stop until he had coughed up his internal organs.

"Cough, cough, cough, cough, cough, cough—!"

"Chen Shu!"

"My good lord, you're finally awake! You scared the hell out of me!"

The group waiting by the bed was startled by the sight and immediately crowded around. A jumble of concerned voices rushed into his ears, eventually turning into a series of meaningless buzzing characters. Zhuang Yihan quickly patted Chen Shu's back to help him catch his breath, his brows tightly furrowed:

"How are you? Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere else?"

Because he was close, these words sounded particularly clear.

Chen Shu recovered, only then realizing he was in a room upstairs. Xue Miao and the others were all there with him. He glanced around, his gaze finally landing on Zhuang Yihan. He shook his head, his face pale, and uttered hoarsely, "I'm fine..."

Hearing this, Zhuang Yifan was instantly relieved. He pulled over a chair and collapsed into it. "You scared me to death just now. You fell in without making a sound. My brother even said you could swim. At this level, you're not even as good as..."

Zhuang Yihan's voice was cold. "Are you asking for a beating? Why did you pull him into the water for no reason?"

His face was terrifyingly dark; it was obvious he was genuinely angry. There was a long gash on his right arm, a scrape from the edge of the pool when he had hastily jumped in to save Chen Shu. Although it was no longer bleeding, the skin was slightly torn, making it look a bit gruesome.

Xue Miao and Fang Yiting looked at each other, neither daring to speak. After all, they had never seen Zhuang Yihan care so much about someone. In the past, even when he was giving money and gifts to Jiang Xi, he had never let himself get hurt.

Zhuang Yifan didn't dare complain anymore either. After all, his brother had kicked him right when it happened, and his butt was still sore. His voice weakened by several degrees as he spoke, "I was just teasing him and Xue Miao. I didn't know Chen Shu couldn't swim..."

Xue Miao gave him a light kick. "Even if I could swim, I wouldn't want to be pulled in by you."

Among the group, he was the only one who had studied medicine. If he hadn't stopped him earlier and said Chen Shu was fine, Zhuang Yihan might have already sent him to the hospital. Seeing Chen Shu awake, Xue Miao walked over and gave him a quick check-up, asking if he had symptoms like nausea or vomiting. After receiving a negative reply, he finally sighed in relief:

"He's fine, he'll be better in a couple of days. But he should still be quite dizzy now, so it's not suitable for him to ride in a car. Let him rest here for the night."

Chen Shu nodded, not trying to act tough. Seeing Zhuang Yihan's still gloomy expression and Zhuang Yifan standing by like a quail, he took the initiative to reassure them, "I'm fine. I just wasn't prepared when I fell in and choked on a couple of mouthfuls."

Zhuang Yihan said irritably, "Didn't you say you could swim? How did you end up choking on water?"

Chen Shu smiled, a touch of liveliness in his eyes. "I can. But I nearly drowned once as a child, so I might have some psychological trauma. I was a bit scared when I got in the water and hadn't recovered yet."

Zhuang Yifan piped up from the side, "So you almost drowned as a kid? That's a big deal. You have to learn to overcome it, or else next time..."

Before he could finish, Zhuang Yihan shot a cold glance his way. "Will you lose a piece of flesh if you say a few words less?"

Zhuang Yifan knew he had caused trouble and quickly raised his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright, I won't say any more. I'll go check if dinner is ready. Chen Shu must be hungry. I'll ask the auntie to make something light."

After speaking, he quickly slipped away. Fang Yiting and Xue Miao saw this and also found their own excuses to go downstairs, so as not to disturb the two of them.

After everyone had left, Zhuang Yihan held Chen Shu's face and said in a low voice, "You scared me to death just now. If you can't swim, why did you tell me you could? Stay away from places like pools next time, understand?"

His clothes and hair were still wet; he had probably been waiting by the bed and hadn't had time to change. Chen Shu thought of the dream he just had, and his feelings became complicated, though he didn't show it on his face. He reached out and touched Zhuang Yihan's wet clothes, reminding him in a low voice, "Go change your clothes. It's cold, don't catch a cold."

Lying on the bed with a pale face, he looked a bit weaker than usual, making one feel a sense of pity. Zhuang Yihan couldn't help but lean over and kiss his cold lips. Remembering that Chen Shu had nearly drowned as a child, he wondered if he had been frightened today. He rested his forehead against his and comforted him, "Alright, I'll go change. Don't think too much about what happened today. There's nothing to be afraid of about falling in the water. I'm here."

After speaking, Zhuang Yihan turned around. While pretending to get clothes from the wardrobe, he took off the watch on his wrist and inspected it carefully. Seeing that it wasn't damaged by the water, he quietly sighed in relief. This watch was one Chen Shu had helped him pick out. He had always treasured it, and even though it wasn't a gift from him, he had never taken it off. It would have been bad if it had been ruined.

Zhuang Yihan gently placed the watch on the table and went into the bathroom to shower. The translucent glass door closed, and the sound of drizzling water could be heard. Chen Shu also felt a bit tired and lay on the bed, closing his eyes to rest.

After an unknown amount of time, the spot beside him suddenly dipped. A faint scent of shower gel filled his nostrils. Zhuang Yihan slipped into the quilt and hugged Chen Shu, seeming to hesitate as if he had something to say.

Chen Shu seemed to sense it and opened his eyes. "What's wrong?"

The sun had already set by this time, and the light in the room had dimmed to a faint, dark blue, creating a quiet and gentle atmosphere. Zhuang Yihan looked at Chen Shu's deep profile steeped in shadow, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Chen Shu, you seemed to be crying when you were unconscious today."

Chen Shu's expression froze.

Zhuang Yihan added, "You also called my name."

Chen Shu fell completely silent. "..."

He had called out that name in his sleep only out of hatred and unwillingness to accept his fate, but Zhuang Yihan seemed to have mistaken it for another kind of affection. And it wasn't just him; even Xue Miao and Fang Yiting, who had been nearby, had misunderstood. They either sighed with emotion or lamented, thinking that Chen Shu was desperately in love with Zhuang Yihan.

"Mmm..."

Chen Shu closed his eyes and hummed an emotionless "mmm."

"I wanted to call for you to save me."

Hearing this, Zhuang Yihan couldn't help but let out a laugh. He held Chen Shu tighter in the darkness. The thin clothes couldn't block their body heat, and they were so close they could even hear each other's heartbeats. The wound on his arm had been treated and was wrapped in a layer of gauze, which felt slightly rough against the skin:

"What are you afraid of? Didn't I save you?"

'But you didn't in my last life.'

Chen Shu thought calmly.