Symbiosis

The icy, surging river water instantly devoured the person whole.

Zhuang Yihan only felt himself sink into a long, drawn-out dream.

It was as if he had returned to the year he was twenty-six,

the time he first met Chen Shu...

The other's features were youthful and simple, carrying the unique vibrance of that age. When he woke up confused in bed, that person was standing by the sun-drenched window, his hair glowing golden, his gaze looking over, slightly at a loss, his eyes filled with gentle kindness.

People were masters of disguise, but their eyes couldn't hide anything.

At that moment, Zhuang Yihan couldn't muster any anger. He was unable to utter a single furious word to such a pair of eyes, but the terrible night could only make him coldly dress, turn, and leave without a word. He never expected that turn to become a knot in their hearts for a lifetime.

He then remembered their meeting in the second life...

A light rain was falling outside, and the private room in the bar was noisy and clamorous.

He was curled up in the lounge, sleeping groggily, when someone pushed the door open, walked in, bent down, and gently lifted him into their arms. The embrace was filled with Chen Shu's familiar scent...

"Brother? Brother? Why are you sleeping here?"

Zhuang Yifan, worried while partying outside, had taken a moment to check on him. He found his brother curled up asleep in a corner of the sofa, his forehead covered in a cold sweat. Suddenly, his brother's eyes shot open, and he cried out a strange name he had never heard before in a panic: "Chen Shu—!"

Zhuang Yifan was stunned. "Brother, were you having a nightmare?"

"..."

Zhuang Yihan stared at the ceiling with unfocused eyes, his chest heaving. After a few seconds, he slowly came to his senses. He turned his head to look at Zhuang Yifan, feeling a sense of déjà vu. His pale, chapped lips moved silently, but the question he asked was: "What's the date today?"

Zhuang Yifan: "Huh????"

Zhuang Yifan thought his brother must be muddled from sleep. "It's the ninth today. You haven't even had a drink yet, how can you not remember that?"

"The ninth?"

Zhuang Yihan murmured to himself upon hearing this, sharply sensing that something was wrong with the time. He staggered up from the sofa while checking his coat and clothes, as if trying to confirm something. Finally, he suddenly grabbed his younger brother's collar, his tone icy and dangerous, and asked in a low, deliberate voice, "Where's Chen Shu? Where is Chen Shu?!"

Zhuang Yifan was completely bewildered. "What Chen Shu? Brother, what nonsense are you talking about? I don't understand a single word! When did I ever know someone named Chen Shu?!"

Zhuang Yihan's body stiffened at his words. With an ugly expression, he asked, "You don't know Chen Shu?"

Zhuang Yifan shook his head blankly.

Zhuang Yihan glanced around, confirming once more that the environment was correct. "Then why did you bring me to the bar today?!"

'In my last life, at this very time, he had been rejected after confessing to Jiang Xi. To help him relax, his brother had dragged him to this bar. This was where he had met Chen Shu, right?'

Zhuang Yifan found his older brother's expression somewhat terrifying and subconsciously shrank back. "I saw you were working too hard, so I brought you out to relax. What does that have to do with whether I know some Chen... Chen Shu? Brother, what's wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell somewhere? If you're not feeling well, just tell me. Please don't scare me."

Zhuang Yihan asked, shocked and suspicious, "Because I was working too hard?"

'Wasn't it because of Jiang Xi?'

Not giving up, Zhuang Yihan asked, "What about Jiang Xi? You must know Jiang Xi, right?"

However, Zhuang Yifan actually stared at him blankly and shook his head. "Brother, why do you keep talking nonsense? Who's Jiang Xi? I don't know anyone with the surname Jiang."

Zhuang Yihan's expression was ugly. He suspected for a moment that his brother was deliberately joking with him, but after staring at Zhuang Yifan for a long time, he couldn't find any cracks in his expression. Finally, he pulled out his phone and frantically scrolled through his chat history and contacts, trying to prove this was all an absurd prank, only to find that everyone who should be there was there, except for Chen Shu. Even Jiang Xi was nowhere to be found.

In that instant, it was as if all the strength had been drained from Zhuang Yihan's body. He collapsed onto the sofa in stunned disbelief.

'How could this be? How could this be?'

According to the time on his phone, he had clearly been reborn to the night he first met Chen Shu. But how could Jiang Xi suddenly disappear, vanishing into thin air without a trace?

'It doesn't matter if he's gone, but what about Chen Shu?'

'In the last life, both of them died. Could Chen Shu also disappear like Jiang Xi, completely losing all traces of his existence in this world?!'

This terrifying guess was like a pair of invisible hands, viciously choking Zhuang Yihan's throat, making him feel suffocated, as if he had been plunged into an ice cave.

Zhuang Yifan, oblivious to the gravity of the situation, leaned in again. "Brother, what's wrong? Are you just muddled from being too busy and tired at work?"

Zhuang Yihan didn't speak, his face pale and unsightly. He gripped his phone tightly, almost wanting to dial Chen Shu's number immediately to see if he was there, but he was afraid of doing something uncontrollable that would change the timeline of their meeting. He could only dig his nails into his palm, forcing himself to calm down. "...I'm fine. Go on and have fun. I'll lie down for a bit longer."

Zhuang Yifan asked tentatively, "How about I take you to the hospital? We can hang out tomorrow, it's all the same."

Zhuang Yihan cut him off abruptly. "Didn't you hear me tell you to go have fun?! Just go out there and sit obediently, and don't you dare leave a minute early!!"

'If you dare to leave, I'll break your damn legs!'

Although Zhuang Yihan didn't say it out loud, Zhuang Yifan had already read the dangerously-implied words in his brother's eyes. He nodded hastily. "Okay, okay, Brother. Don't be angry. I'll go have fun now, I'll go have fun now. I definitely won't leave early."

After he spoke, he darted out of the lounge and went back to the KTV area to sing with his gang of dissolute friends. Zhuang Yihan sat alone for a moment to calm down, but after some thought, he still felt uneasy. Worried that some misstep would affect his chance of meeting Chen Shu, he simply grabbed his jacket, got up, and followed.

Zhuang Yihan had never been able to get along with those idle second-generation rich kids. He didn't like drinking competitions, hitting on girls, or engaging in a series of thrilling and dangerous games like street racing, which were deemed disreputable by their elders. After leaving the lounge, he simply found a spot next to Zhuang Yifan and sat down. Although he said nothing and just sat there quietly, his presence still put an inexplicable pressure on the group of rich kids who were used to playing freely.

"Um, Brother Yihan, I just remembered I have something to do at home. You guys eat and drink well, I'll be leaving first. Yifan, let's get together again when we have time."

"Hey, don't go, give me a ride. I just remembered it's my girlfriend's birthday today."

It was unclear who started it, but like pulling a radish out with the mud still attached, the others also started making excuses to leave one after another. One said his third aunt was hospitalized, another that his grandfather was celebrating his sixtieth birthday, and yet another that his good friend had been cheated on and needed comforting. The excuses were varied and plentiful. In less than half an hour, the previously lively private room had mostly emptied out, leaving only Zhuang Yifan and his brother sitting awkwardly and lonely on the sofa.

The awkwardness belonged to Zhuang Yifan; the loneliness belonged to Zhuang Yihan.

Zhuang Yifan knew perfectly well why his gang of friends had slipped away. They were simply afraid his big brother would run into their fathers in the business world and tattle on them. Besides, with such a great guardian deity standing there, who would dare to hit on girls? Even holding a girl's hand would feel like a crime.

'His big brother was so pitiful. He finally wanted to "rejoice with the common people" for once, and those people didn't even play along.'

Zhuang Yifan, thinking he understood his big brother's thoughts, patted his shoulder comfortingly. "Brother, it's okay. Don't you still have me with you?"

His eyes welled up with tears, and he almost moved himself. "We're biological brothers. I don't despise you."

Zhuang Yihan ignored him, keeping his head down and staring at the watch on his wrist. As the seconds and minutes ticked by, he suddenly asked out of the blue, "Aren't you going to order a male model for me?"

Zhuang Yifan slowly formed a question mark: "?"

After waiting a long time for a response, Zhuang Yihan finally looked up at his younger brother. His brow was furrowed, his tone low and as serious as if he were discussing matters of state. "When are you going to order a male model for me?"

Zhuang Yifan: "???!!!"

'Damn it, my brother must have really lost his mind, hasn't he?!!'

...

"Hurry, hurry, go in and line up according to your numbers. No one is allowed to cut in line!"

"Get the guys from Group A to room 608 too!"

"Remember to perform well later. You won't be short on commission this month..."

Zhuang Yifan was a regular at this bar. Today, out of consideration for Zhuang Yihan's presence, he hadn't ordered too many companions. But now that his brother had taken the initiative, he, as the younger brother, couldn't be too reserved, could he? With a single command, the supervisor summoned nearly all the off-duty male models from the back.

The previously empty private room was instantly packed with people. Fashionably dressed male models filed in through the door, lining up according to their number tags. There were sunny and cheerful types, pure and shy types, and occasionally a few who were so outstanding they were qualified to star in an idol drama.

The supervisor was a refined man in a suit. He leaned close to Zhuang Yifan's ear and said with a wide smile, "Second Young Master, these are all the off-duty models from the back. There are a few more waiting outside. Do you see anyone who catches your eye?"

Zhuang Yifan didn't answer. Instead, he turned his head to gauge his brother's reaction. Seeing Zhuang Yihan's cold, silent expression, he immediately understood and waved dismissively at the supervisor. "All of you, go. Bring in another batch."

The room emptied in an instant, and the next batch came in. Their looks were even more outstanding than the previous group, yet Zhuang Yihan remained silent, his expression even turning a little sour.

Zhuang Yifan peeked at his brother's slightly gloomy expression and had no choice but to wave at the supervisor again. "Another batch, another batch! What kind of people do you have here? Not a single one my brother finds appealing!"

The supervisor secretly wiped away his sweat and hastily gestured for another change. An hour passed, and people filed in and out of the room. At least fifty male models had been switched out, and even those who were already on duty had been called over to show their faces. But as Zhuang Yihan's gaze swept over all the different faces, he never saw Chen Shu's familiar figure. A chill ran through him, and his heart sank to the bottom of a pit.

'Why is there no Chen Shu?'

'How could there be no Chen Shu?'

'According to the timeline, shouldn't he be working part-time at the bar right now? But I already had the manager bring out all the full-time and part-time models, not missing a single one. Why do I still not see Chen Shu?'

'Could he really have disappeared along with Jiang Xi?!'

This thought made it hard for Zhuang Yihan to breathe. He reached up and loosened his tie. The emotions he had been forcibly suppressing since his rebirth finally erupted. He suddenly stood up from the sofa with a cold face, kicked the coffee table out of his way, and strode towards the outer area. He didn't even hear Zhuang Yifan calling after him. His chaotic mind was left with only one furious thought—

'To hell with the damn timeline! He didn't care anymore. He was going to have someone investigate right now. Investigate Chen Shu's hometown! His school! His major! His phone number! He would dig three feet deep into the earth to find him!'

He had to find Chen Shu! If he couldn't, he would die with him one more time!

Zhuang Yihan's face was grim; he had completely lost his sanity. However, just as he was passing the corner by the elevators, a commotion suddenly erupted from not far away. It sounded like people arguing. The voices, mixed with the bar's clamorous music, sounded vaguely familiar, causing him to stop dead in his tracks.

"Why the hell can't I give you trouble?! Didn't the supervisor just say for everyone to go to the VIP room? You son of a bitch, you're playing tricks on me, deliberately not telling me, right?!"

"Duan Chengcai, stop acting crazy. It was a last-minute notice. You were in the bathroom and didn't hear it, who's to blame? Besides, they called in over fifty guys and didn't like a single one. It would've been a waste of time for you to go anyway!"

"Of course the client wouldn't like you with that ugly mug of yours. If it were me, maybe they would've picked me!"

"Duan Chengcai! Who the hell are you calling ugly?! Say that again!"

"I'm talking about you! What, you want to fight? Bring it on!"

Not far away, two male models were arguing, grabbing each other by the collars, on the verge of a fight. Zhuang Yihan didn't recognize one of them, but the other looked somewhat familiar. Wasn't he Chen Shu's roommate?

Duan Chengcai was pulled aside by someone breaking up the fight, still looking quite indignant. He angrily straightened out his torn clothes, threw out a few more harsh words, and then turned to a man standing in the shadows and said:

"Chen Shu, let's go!"

It was an ordinary sentence, almost lost in the bar's noisy music, but Zhuang Yihan's ears caught it clearly. His body froze. He looked over in disbelief and saw a familiar figure come into view, standing quietly and silently in a corner. Who could it be but Chen Shu?

He was wearing the same clothes as in the last life, his face stunningly beautiful under the lights. He hadn't been noticed only because he was standing in a hidden corner. The glitz and clamor of the surroundings swirled around him, but he was like a quiet river, his eyes lowered calmly, completely unperturbed.

Seeing this, Zhuang Yihan's breathing grew ragged. He almost wanted to rush forward immediately, but his legs felt as if they were filled with lead, and he didn't dare to move. He was terrified that the scene before him was a hallucination that would shatter at the slightest touch. He remained frozen until the supervisor, drenched in sweat, caught up from behind, apologizing profusely with a face on the verge of tears:

"President Zhuang, I'm so sorry, so sorry. It's our mistake for not being able to find someone to your satisfaction. Please don't be in such a hurry to leave. If you have any feedback, we can sit down and discuss it. How about we comp all your drinks today? I know you don't care about such a small amount of money, but it's a gesture from our establishment..."

"Is he from your establishment too?"

The supervisor's torrent of words was cut short as he suddenly felt a tightening around his neck. Zhuang Yihan had unexpectedly grabbed his tie. He instinctively looked up and saw the other man staring fixedly at the new male model in the distance, a dark, churning emotion in his eyes, too complex to read.

The supervisor didn't understand, but he still nodded. "Ye-yes, he's from our establishment."

Zhuang Yihan spoke resolutely, uttering only three words: "I want him."

After he spoke, as if afraid the supervisor hadn't heard clearly, his eyes reddened and he repeated in a low, hoarse voice:

"I want him."