Lu Xingzhe felt like he had lost out badly. He couldn't quite put his finger on where he had lost out, but he just felt that way. He shouldn't have been so nosy yesterday. What business was it of his if someone was filming Xi Nian? Sending him home should have been enough, but he even...

Lu Xingzhe's eyes darkened, and his body suddenly slumped back into the chair. Then he fumbled for a cigarette from the drawer and lit it with a lighter. His hand trembled slightly, and it took him two tries to get it lit.

The smell of smoke filled the room, adding a touch of desolation.

Lu Xingzhe thought, 'Perhaps Xi Nian is laughing at him in his heart right now, laughing at him for losing the bait along with the fish, laughing at him for offering himself up for free.'

The cigarette butt was silently crushed out on the corner of the table. Outside the window, the rain pattered down.

Due to the weather, and also because Shen Xilin's injury had caused a huge uproar, the Star Games was forced to be postponed for a week. This Friday at 8 p.m., the second elimination round was broadcast on schedule on the Sports Channel.

Some time had passed since the last video was exposed. Su Ge had not appeared for a long time and was already in a state of being semi-shelved. Although netizens were scolding him incessantly, there were always times when things were forgotten, until the show aired and they were reminded again.

Unlike the last time when the Gezi Fans dominated the screen, this time they were unusually quiet, barely making a peep. It was unknown when it started, but the four words "Su Ge's fans" had become something shameful to utter.

It was inevitable that others would mock them sarcastically, after all, they had offended too many people in the past. When the camera focused on Su Ge, the bullet comments were uniformly filled with "puke." The smile that once seemed gentle and handsome now only felt hypocritical and greasy.

In contrast was Xi Nian. His fanbase was already beginning to take shape. He hadn't even started to draw his bow and nock his arrow on screen, yet his fans were already eagerly cheering him on.

Ten rings, ten rings! It has to be ten rings!

My Brother Xi never misses!

Xi Nian is sure to win, if he doesn't, I'll twist my own head off.

...

With just a soft "swoosh," Xi Nian indeed did not disappoint them, hitting the center of the ten-ring target. The moment the camera zoomed in, some viewers noticed the black arm guard he was wearing and, recalling the recent incident where Su Ge scalded him with water, couldn't help but speculate.

Xi Nian is wearing an arm guard to cover the wound, right?

Most likely. Counting the days, the second elimination round was only a day after Su Ge scalded him, his hand definitely wasn't healed.

How can the difference between people be so great? A certain someone faked an injury and wished the whole world knew about it, while Xi Nian was injured but still persisted in competing with his injury. I didn't hear him complain a single word from beginning to end.

Some people weren't Su Ge's fans, just simple keyboard warriors: It's just a scald, what's the big deal? Besides, isn't he shooting just fine? If he were really injured, how could he possibly hit the ten-ring target?

But this statement was soon and savagely refuted. During the second elimination round, Xi Nian's injury flared up. The first arrow was already the last of his strength. When he shot the second arrow, through the close-up shot, anyone could see his hand shaking violently.

His face was pale, and the back of his shirt was soaked with sweat, revealing a large dark patch, as if he was forcefully enduring something.

The audience present at the time didn't understand why Xi Nian had delayed so long in shooting that arrow. Now they understood, and they all fell silent.

Through the screen, they saw the man, despite his injury, painstakingly draw the bowstring and aim again and again, then hit one ten-ring target after another. When the referee walked up and asked if he needed medical attention off-site, he shook his head and refused.

Someone noticed that at this moment, Xi Nian turned his head and glanced at the audience. His gaze passed through layers of obstacles and briefly landed on the few fans who were hoarsely cheering for him, then he looked away again.

He rarely looked around. His gaze was focused solely on the target. The few times it strayed, it landed on them and was fully captured by the camera.

When the Niangaos saw Xi Nian shooting arrows while enduring the pain, they wished they could hack Su Ge to death, filled with killing intent. But when they saw this scene, their eyes turned red.

That look Xi Nian just gave, wuwuwuwu, is it my imagination? So dreamy.

So I was once looked at by him with that kind of gaze. I'm suffocating. I can die with no regrets, Mama!!!

I'm crying, my heart aches for him. At that time, he was being torn apart by a certain fandom. He'd be cursed if he won, and he'd be cursed if he lost. But because he wasn't popular, only a few fans supported him. I only found out a few days ago that his hand was also scalded by Thousand Cuts Su.

Wuwuwu, I can't take it, my eyes are all red. Xi Nian, why didn't we get to know you sooner?

Why didn't we get to know you sooner.

When you weren't famous, you must have suffered a lot. If only we had known you sooner.

Their hearts ached, unable to have protected him in his humble beginnings...

Xi Nian was also watching the show. As the lines of bullet comments flashed before his eyes, he propped his head up with his hand and frowned, trying hard to think for a long, long time. Many years ago, had someone said the same thing to him?

The light overhead was bright, making him dizzy after staring for a while. Amidst a jumble of confused and chaotic memories, Xi Nian silently raised his eyes. Through the constantly changing scenes on the computer screen, he seemed to remember something.

In a suite on the top floor of a hotel, two bodies had once been entangled, rolling from the bed to the floor, and then from the floor to the sofa. A dark-haired man with bewitching eyes had once sat on top of him, facing him, then panted by his ear, their breaths intertwining: "Director Zhang's new drama, you're the male lead."

The man's crimson lips tried to kiss Xi Nian, but he turned his head to avoid it. Xi Nian frowned: "Shao Hansong also auditioned. Director Zhang has already unofficially decided on him."

"Do you know why he was unofficially chosen," the man whispered in his ear, "because he latched onto a female sponsor. If a scandal like that got out, who would dare to use him?"

Xi Nian's expression softened slightly. Seeing this, the man smiled: "Xi Nian, what would you do without me?"

Without connections, so what if you have acting skills? You'd just have your opportunities snatched away time and again by those who rely on connections.

The man's blurry face suddenly became clearer bit by bit. His eyes and brows were those of Lu Xingzhe. He lowered his eyes, held Xi Nian's face, and said seriously: "We should have met sooner."

We should have met sooner...

At that time, Xi Nian didn't understand the meaning of that sentence, but now he suddenly understood a little. Humans are creatures of delayed realization. A cut finger takes a few seconds to feel the pain. Words heard in the past might only be suddenly recalled in the dead of a silent night forty or fifty years later, and only then would their true meaning be understood.

Xi Nian was slower than all of them. A lifetime had passed, and only now did he understand.

The System saw it clearly. In his previous life, on the verge of death, he had been overcome with regret.

The third elimination round of the Star Games was rescheduled to Saturday. When Xi Nian left the house with his bag in the early morning, he found Sun Ming waiting downstairs in his car, looking at his watch and glancing around furtively.

Xi Nian pretended not to see him and walked straight towards the parking lot. Who would have thought Sun Ming had sharp eyes and quickly ran over to block him: "Xi Nian, Xi Nian, where are you going? I drove over specially to pick you up."

It would be strange if Xi Nian paid any attention to this fence-sitter. He stepped aside to avoid him and walked away: "I'm not worthy."

Sun Ming didn't feel awkward at all, his face still wreathed in smiles: "I know, I was blind and offended you before. You are a bigger person, so please don't hold a grudge against me. I really have something to discuss with you this time."

After speaking, he forcefully grabbed Xi Nian's arm and, half-smiling apologetically and half-bowing, pulled him into the car. A free driver was better than no driver. Xi Nian sat in the back seat and took off his mask: "What is it?"

Sun Ming told his assistant to drive, then took a paper contract from his briefcase and handed it to him: "It's like this, the Star Games competition is almost over. The company has considered it and feels that now is the best time for your popularity to rise, so we got you a live-action experience reality show called Escape Room: Decode. The participants are all popular stars, so this is a very rare opportunity. We fought for it for you for a long time..."

This show was indeed very popular, and Xi Nian had heard of it. He took the contract from Sun Ming's hand and opened it. However, when he glanced at the first few lines, his movement paused imperceptibly, and he raised an eyebrow slightly: "What is the meaning of this?"

What he held was not a variety show contract, but a contract renewal.

Meeting Xi Nian's icy gaze, Sun Ming felt a little timid. He chose his words carefully before saying: "It's like this, it really wasn't easy for the company to get this opportunity for you, and your contract is about to expire anyway, so let's just sign them together. It's a mutually beneficial thing."

Although he was being euphemistic, his underlying meaning was clear: sign the indenture contract first, then sign the variety show contract.

Xi Nian thought to himself that the old fox Ouyang Shanxing was indeed not that easy to fool. He pinched the thirty-year contract in his hand, pondered for a long time, and then slowly broke into a smile: "Renewing the contract is something that will happen sooner or later. Why the rush to do it today?"

Sun Ming looked at him: "Ah, Xi Nian, don't be foolish. The big boss is willing to use resources to promote you now, that's a good thing. Others can only dream of this opportunity. If you sign the renewal contract early, I can also help you finalize things on the variety show side as soon as possible."

How could Xi Nian be fooled by his few words? He pointed at the contract and said: "I'm not satisfied with these few clauses. Let's set a time another day, find a place, and discuss it slowly."

Sun Ming just found him slippery. Another day? Any later and the contract would expire. Su Ge's comeback was already hopeless. They had to get a firm grasp on Xi Nian. Thinking this, his tone unconsciously became a bit forceful: "You keep putting it off, is it because you don't want to sign? Could it be that you've already found your next company? Xi Nian, think it through. Other companies might not be able to offer such generous terms to promote you. Don't do something stupid in the heat of the moment, or you won't be able to bear the consequences."

In this life, Xi Nian hated being threatened the most. He looked through the car window and saw they had arrived at the entrance of the sports arena. He put his mask back on, then threw the contract in his hand directly back, saying with a half-smile: "You guessed right. I just don't want to sign."

After speaking, he opened the car door, got out, and then slammed the door shut with a bang. The movements were fluid and seamless. Sun Ming was so stunned he couldn't even react.

Xi Nian walked straight into the sports arena, thinking, 'If we're going to fall out, then let's fall out. Making me sign a thirty-year contract with Shanxing and leave my life there? I might as well go home and sell sweet potatoes.'

After the last elimination round, only eight people were left in the men's archery group. Because of Xi Nian's almost freakish ten-ring hit rate, rumors were already starting to circulate online that the championship this time was his without a doubt, and everyone else was just there to accompany him.

Xi Nian's ranking on the Superstar Leaderboard had shot up from the bottom to the top three. Although there was still a bit of a gap in votes compared to Meng Qianlin and Yu Fan, it wasn't too far off. This time, the audience had undergone a complete reshuffle. Besides the fans of Meng Qianlin and Yu Fan, those supporting Xi Nian actually took up a full third of the seats.

"Xi Nian! Go! Xi Nian! Go!"

"We all support you!!"

When Xi Nian entered the arena, the wave of sound behind him was deafening, almost threatening to blow the roof off. He glanced back, his eyes sweeping over the crowd, but he didn't see that familiar figure.

This time, the person competing against Xi Nian was the eighth-place contestant. He probably also knew he was just there to accompany him and held no hope at all. The commentator, as usual, displayed their sharp-tongued style, remarking with a sigh: "It seems there's no suspense about the result of this match. I wonder if Xi Nian can maintain his standard and set another record of all ten-ring hits?"

At the referee's signal, Xi Nian drew his bowstring and aimed the arrow at the bullseye. This time, his back was no longer empty, but laden with honor.

"Swoosh!"

After the soft thud, it was a direct hit on the ten-ring target.

His score seemed to be only this single number.

As time gradually passed, the number of arrows on the distant target also continued to increase, all of them without exception concentrated in the central inner circle.

Just as the referee had said, there was no suspense in the outcome of this competition. After all twelve arrows were shot, Xi Nian's score was still an astonishing perfect score of all ten-ring hits. When the result was announced, thunderous applause erupted, and the entire venue was shouting his name.

The fans of Meng Qianlin and Yu Fan internally orz: Is there any way for our Gege to survive?

Lu Xingzhe was standing behind the crowd. This time he was wearing light-colored clothes and no hat. A quick glance wouldn't draw any attention to him. He looked like an ordinary young man, except for the single-strap camera bag still slung over his shoulder.

He couldn't explain why he had come either. Perhaps deep down he felt that since he had watched the first two rounds, there was no reason not to watch this one.

After Xi Nian left the field, he went straight to the spectator area. Fans stretched out their arms, asking for his autograph. As he took the photos and signed them one by one, his gaze swept across the crowd, as if searching for something.

Lu Xingzhe's position was hard to spot without a careful look. Or perhaps he never thought Xi Nian would deliberately look for him. Therefore, when his gaze was caught off guard by the man's deep eyes, he was uncharacteristically stunned for a moment.

The surroundings were noisy and bustling, yet the air fell silent for a moment.

In Xi Nian's memory, Lu Xingzhe always seemed to like wearing a hat to hide his face. It was rare for him to be so undisguised. He looked at the other person, and for some reason, didn't avert his gaze for a long time.

Due to his personality, Lu Xingzhe didn't show any panic. He just sized Xi Nian up from a distance with an unreadable expression, then smiled, gave the latter a flirtatious whistle, and turned to disappear into the crowd.

Xi Nian quickly signed the last photo, handed it back to the fan, and unobtrusively avoided the cameras as he returned to the backstage area. He recalled that the direction Lu Xingzhe had left in seemed to be the C exit. His steps paused, and then he followed.

Xi Nian chose a shortcut. When he followed, he happened to see Lu Xingzhe's back disappearing around a corner in the corridor. Without much thought, he immediately followed, but when he turned the corner, there was no one in sight.

"Why are you following me?"

A familiar voice suddenly sounded from behind him like a clap of thunder on a clear day. Xi Nian subconsciously turned around and saw Lu Xingzhe, who had appeared behind him at some point, squinting and sizing him up.

Xi Nian didn't answer, or perhaps he couldn't answer himself: "How did you spot me?"

Lu Xingzhe said with an unreadable tone: "If I couldn't even spot this, wouldn't I be too bad at my job?"

As he spoke, he approached Xi Nian step by step, not letting go of the previous question. He stared into his eyes and asked: "You still haven't answered, why were you following me just now?"

Xi Nian didn't speak, seeming to be thinking of a suitable reason.

No matter how many times, Lu Xingzhe would always be intrigued by his cold demeanor. Not hearing a reply for a long time, he deliberately lowered his voice, with a hint of faint playfulness: "What, could it be that you can't bear to part with me?"

Just as Xi Nian was about to answer, the sound of footsteps approaching from a distance suddenly reached his ears. He frowned, directly pulled Lu Xingzhe into a nearby equipment room, and shut the door behind him.

The light inside was broken. It was pitch black all around, and only some old, dusty equipment could be vaguely seen. Xi Nian leaned his back against the door. After hearing the chaotic footsteps outside leave, he realized he was still clutching Lu Xingzhe's hand.

His fingertips paused. For some reason, he didn't let go.

Lu Xingzhe couldn't see Xi Nian's face, only able to feel their intertwined breaths and heartbeats. He lowered his eyes to look at his captured hand: "Do you know what you're doing?"

He had asked this question that night as well. The difference was, Xi Nian was very sober now.

This equipment room had probably not been used for a long time. Dust danced in the air, and even a faint musty smell could be detected. Xi Nian tightened his grip slightly, forcing Lu Xingzhe closer to him, and then asked an abrupt question: "Why did you help me?"

Lu Xingzhe: "What?"

Xi Nian reminded him: "Su Ge's video."

Lu Xingzhe came to a realization upon hearing this and raised his eyebrows imperceptibly: "I just don't like the look of him, can't I?"

Xi Nian knew he wasn't telling the truth. Perhaps unable to stand Lu Xingzhe's constantly smug look, he flipped their positions, pinning him against the door, and asked with slow, deep breaths: "I rejected you that day, don't you hate me?"

In his last life, he had a falling out with Lu Xingzhe, which directly led to his complete ruin and disgrace.

Xi Nian didn't know why, but he really wanted to know the reason.

Hearing the word "rejected," Lu Xingzhe seemed as if his sore spot had been suddenly stepped on. His mood became irritable, and he silently narrowed his eyes: "You followed me just to ask these boring questions?"

Xi Nian didn't answer, which was a tacit admission.

The two of them were deadlocked in this position, making Lu Xingzhe unconsciously recall that night. His expression turned slightly cold, and he began to struggle without warning, trying to push Xi Nian away. But he was held down with even greater strength, his limbs bumping against the door, making a dull sound.

Lu Xingzhe couldn't break free no matter what, so angry his liver hurt. His eyes darted, and he deliberately let out a muffled grunt, his face pale as he said: "You... let go, I knocked my leg, it hurts..."

Xi Nian was startled at his words, and the strength in his fingertips loosened: "Where does it hurt?"

Lu Xingzhe's body slowly slid down as he clutched his knee: "My leg..."

Xi Nian remembered Lu Xingzhe's personality of not easily showing weakness and took him at his word, thinking he was really in pain. He immediately squatted down, fumbled for Lu Xingzhe's left leg in the darkness, and asked: "Is it the old injury? Does your knee hurt?"

Hearing this, Lu Xingzhe quietly looked at him in the darkness and said nothing. Because of the struggle just now, his breathing was heavy, making it seem quite realistic.

Hearing no reply, Xi Nian took it as a default. He rolled up Lu Xingzhe's pant leg in the dark and reached in, only to have his hand grabbed and held down.

Lu Xingzhe's tone was wary: "What are you doing?"

Xi Nian's handsome face was in shadow, making it hard to see clearly. His cool fingertips pressed against Lu Xingzhe's calf, and he could faintly feel some light calluses: "To check your injury."

Hearing this, Lu Xingzhe slowly let go of him.

Xi Nian rolled his pant leg up to the knee and felt the injury with his fingertips. He only felt an uneven surface, covered in scars, but thankfully there was no wet blood. He put Lu Xingzhe's pant leg back down: "I'll take you to the hospital."

Lu Xingzhe's gaze remained on him: "What, afraid I'll be crippled?"

He was just teasing out of habit, but to his surprise, Xi Nian actually admitted it, saying with an unreadable tone: "Yes, I'm afraid you'll be crippled."

Lu Xingzhe was slightly stunned by his words. Just as he was about to say something, he heard Xi Nian ask: "Can you still walk?"

Hearing this, Lu Xingzhe's fingertips unconsciously landed on his leg. Then he raised an eyebrow and uttered two words: "I can't."

Xi Nian: "..."

Lu Xingzhe seemed to notice his hesitation and supported himself to stand up from the ground. He avoided Xi Nian's helping hand, was silent for a moment, and then suddenly asked out of the blue: "Do you look down on me a lot?"

Xi Nian said: "No."

Perhaps he did in his last life, but not in this one.

The audience was all watching the match, so there were few people in the outer corridor at this time. Xi Nian walked out of the equipment room, patted the dust off himself, took a black mask from his pocket and put it on, then squatted down and said to Lu Xingzhe: "Get on, I'll carry you."

Lu Xingzhe wanted to say he was faking it, but looking at Xi Nian's broad back, he swallowed his words.

Xi Nian just felt a weight on his back, and then his neck was wrapped in someone's arms. He glanced back, then stood up and started walking downstairs with Lu Xingzhe on his back, his steps steady.

Lu Xingzhe pressed against Xi Nian's scorching hot back, his thoughts unknown. He reached out and pinched Xi Nian's earlobe: "You're just carrying me like this, aren't you afraid of being discovered by reporters?"

Xi Nian said calmly: "Don't worry, other people aren't as bored as you are. Even if they find out, they'll only praise me for being helpful and assisting the disabled."

Who else besides Lu Xingzhe would be so idle as to stare at him all day long?

Lu Xingzhe wasn't angry at all. His crimson lips slowly approached Xi Nian's ear, and he asked with great interest: "Then what if the matter of us sleeping together gets discovered?"

Xi Nian's steps paused, then he continued walking: "As long as you don't tell, then no one will know."

While they were talking, they had already reached the parking lot. Xi Nian hadn't driven today. He found Lu Xingzhe's car, unlocked it with the key, opened the back door and helped him in. Just as he was about to close it, he heard Lu Xingzhe suddenly say: "What if I insist on telling?"

Xi Nian's movement paused. He looked up and met Lu Xingzhe's dark, silent eyes: "You want to threaten me?"

Lu Xingzhe had just said it casually. Who would have thought that upon hearing this sentence, a nameless fire would ignite in his heart? He directly gripped Xi Nian's wrist and pulled him into the car. The car door slammed shut with a bang, cutting off everything outside.

In the narrow, dim space, the two were forced to press tightly together. Lu Xingzhe grabbed Xi Nian's collar and pinned him underneath, his expression unclear, reminding him word by word: "Xi Nian, that night, you were the one who initiated it. It wasn't me begging you to sleep with me."

His tone was calm, but the word "me" betrayed his inner emotions.

Xi Nian could even feel his fingertips were tense to the extreme.

Lu Xingzhe said: "It was my first time."

He said: "It was my first time..."

Being forcefully pinned to the bed by a drunk person, spending the night in a daze, then returning home the next day, exhausted, and clumsily cleaning his body.

Even so, he had never thought of harming Xi Nian. Never.

Lu Xingzhe asked him: "What, do you think I'm cheap, that I'd sleep with anyone?"

When he said this, his eyes were red. For some reason, Xi Nian subconsciously raised his hand to cover his eyes and said in a low voice: "No."

Lu Xingzhe didn't speak, his breathing heavy.

Xi Nian slowly pulled down the hand gripping his collar, then reversed their positions and pinned Lu Xingzhe underneath him, repeating again in a low voice: "I didn't think that."

Xi Nian said: "That day was an accident, I was drunk..."

The end of his last few words gradually dissipated into the air, because the hand covering Lu Xingzhe's eyes suddenly felt a trace of wetness. Xi Nian belatedly realized something, and his body stiffened slightly.

He had never seen Lu Xingzhe cry.

Really, never.

The light in the car was dim, and everything was hard to see clearly. Xi Nian did not move his hand. He knew that Lu Xingzhe hated others seeing him in a pathetic state, but he didn't know what to say. As if possessed, he reached out, wrapped an arm around his waist, and with a little force, pressed him into his embrace.

"Don't cry,"

Xi Nian said: "Don't cry."

He knew Lu Xingzhe's grievance, but being used to being selfish and cold-blooded, he rarely thought about these things. It was just as the System once said: some people understand all the reasoning, but whether they can act on it is another matter.

Lu Xingzhe had frozen the moment he was pulled into the embrace. Neither of them spoke. The air fell into a heavy silence for a moment, with only the sound of their heartbeats, pounding restlessly.

Xi Nian waited quietly for a long time, until the slight dampness under his palm had dried, before he finally moved. Just then, Lu Xingzhe's low, hoarse voice suddenly sounded by his ear: "Xi Nian, if you hadn't been drunk that day, would you not have deigned to touch me at all..."

Xi Nian thought, 'What's there to deign or not deign? This kind of thing just needs to be consensual.' He lowered his palm slightly, met Lu Xingzhe's dark eyes, and asked in return: "Then were you forced by me?"

Lu Xingzhe looked at him, paused, and said: "No one can force me to do something I don't want to do."

The implication was, he was willing.

Xi Nian's thoughts were unknown. He was silent for a long time after hearing this, then suddenly let out a low laugh, making it difficult to discern the emotions it contained. He remembered Lu Xingzhe's leg again, so he simply got out of the car, walked around to the driver's seat, and started the car, driving towards the hospital.

But Lu Xingzhe automatically categorized that low laugh as Xi Nian's sneer at him. His face turned pale for a moment. He sat up straight and then slammed his fist on the car window: "Stop the car!"

Xi Nian didn't listen to him, merely locking all the car doors. He belatedly realized that Lu Xingzhe had been tricking him just now: "What, your leg doesn't hurt anymore?"

Lu Xingzhe's eyes reddened with anger: "This is my car, get out!"

Xi Nian ignored him and drove on. After parking steadily near the hospital, he got out, walked around to the back, opened the car door, and asked Lu Xingzhe leisurely: "Do you want to go to the hospital, or do you want to go to my place?"

Lu Xingzhe's hands and feet were ice-cold, his face devoid of color. Hearing this, he gave Xi Nian a cold look, inexplicably hearing a hint of ridicule in it. He stood up to get out of the car but was held down by the shoulder by Xi Nian.

This time, Xi Nian leaned down slightly, bringing his gaze level with his. He was silent for a moment, then asked again seriously: "Do you want to go to the hospital, or do you want to go to my place?"

Xi Nian felt that the meaning he wanted to express was already very clear.

But what Lu Xingzhe understood was, going home = hooking up. He angrily threw off his hand: "Go to hell!"

He flung his hand with too much force, and Xi Nian was caught off guard. His right hand unexpectedly slammed against the car door with a dull thud. The back of his hand visibly reddened over a large area.

Xi Nian was stunned, because of that "Go to hell."

But Lu Xingzhe remembered that Xi Nian's hand was needed to draw the bow and shoot arrows in the competition. His body suddenly stiffened, and a rare trace of panic flashed in his eyes: "You..."

He subconsciously grabbed Xi Nian's wrist. His palm was covered in cold sweat, and he was speechless for a long time. His eyes darted around, searching for a hospital, but he couldn't see any sign of one. He had to look at Xi Nian: "Where's the hospital?"

It was just a knock, really not a big deal.

Xi Nian caught a glimpse of imperceptible worry in Lu Xingzhe's tense expression. He paused, then gripped his hand back, only to feel sticky cold sweat. He slammed the car door shut with a bang and then said in a low voice: "To my place."

It was noon. Unlike the continuous drizzle of the past few days, a scorching sun hung in the sky. The sycamore trees along the road were densely packed in rows, casting a stretch of shadow. An occasional gust of wind would rustle the leaves.

Lu Xingzhe's mind was a complete blank. He didn't even know how he ended up at Xi Nian's home. He only vaguely heard the door open and close with a soft click, and then his back was pressed against a cool wall. His waist was tightened, and he was slowly enveloped by the man's scorching aura.

Lu Xingzhe was instantly jolted awake. He looked up and met Xi Nian's deep eyes. The man didn't speak, just slowly brought his slender fingertips up to cup the back of his head, then buried his head, leaving a trail of intimate kisses from the collarbone, pausing, and finally landing on his lips.

For some reason, Lu Xingzhe's face was frighteningly pale.

Xi Nian noticed his stiff body and looked up at him, only to see Lu Xingzhe's lips trembling slightly. He was silent for a moment and then asked in a low voice: "You're not willing?"

Lu Xingzhe couldn't speak. In his mind, only Xi Nian's ambiguous sneer in the car replayed over and over. He looked at him with his dark eyes and suddenly asked out of the blue: "What were you laughing at?"

Laughing at him for being shameless?

Or for sleeping with people so casually?

Xi Nian was stunned for a moment before realizing what he was asking. He then released the hand cupping the back of Lu Xingzhe's head and said as if he had seen through his thoughts: "I wasn't laughing at you."

He said half-jokingly, half-seriously: "I was laughing at myself... for being so charming."

He was actually laughing at karma. To be entangled with the same person for two consecutive lifetimes was, in a way, a skill.

Lu Xingzhe was half-believing, half-doubting. Xi Nian knew he was sensitive but didn't mind. He just silently caressed his back, relaxing his tense body, then pinched Lu Xingzhe's chin and kissed him, asking indistinctly: "Do you remember how I took you that day..."

Breathing low, heart beating wildly.

Lu Xingzhe didn't expect Xi Nian to ask such an intimate question. His pupils shrank slightly. He turned his head, wanting to avoid the man's close, scorching kisses, but felt as if he were paralyzed, unable to move. He was held as he stumbled into the bedroom and then fell onto the bed.

Lu Xingzhe subconsciously gripped his shoulders, his throat feeling as if it were blocked by something, dry and hoarse: "Xi Nian..."

His voice was trembling.

For the first time while sober, Xi Nian patiently soothed him: "It's okay."

He pulled off Lu Xingzhe's pants. With a soft sound of clothing falling to the floor, the injury on Lu Xingzhe's left leg was exposed to the air. Xi Nian lowered his body slightly, as if trying to recall the memory of that night, and placed one scorching kiss after another next to the hideous scar, burning him right to the heart.

Lu Xingzhe's eyes turned red: "Don't..."

Of course, Xi Nian wouldn't listen to him.

The bedroom curtains were drawn tightly, blocking out most of the daylight. All the furnishings inside were in a state between light and shadow. Xi Nian followed the habits of his previous life in his tormenting, but Lu Xingzhe felt like he was about to lose half his life, stammering: "Stop... stop..."

He inexplicably recalled that muddled night, unconsciously closing his eyes. His fingertips tightly gripped the bedsheet, and sweat dripped from his chin, staining a patch wet.

Xi Nian gazed at Lu Xingzhe's crimson lips, rubbing them back and forth with the pad of his finger. Satisfied to see the color become more and more magnificent, he lowered his head and kissed them, this time with a domineering force as if to swallow him whole.

Xi Nian asked breathlessly: "How does it feel?"

Lu Xingzhe didn't know if it felt good or not. He only remembered that after last time, there wasn't a single place that didn't hurt. After a long silence, he uttered a single word with a trembling voice: "Pain..."

He didn't feel anything else, seeming to only remember the pain.

Xi Nian's body paused at his words. He gazed at his reddened eyes, then reached out and gently brushed aside the stray hairs on Lu Xingzhe's forehead, asking in a low voice: "Was it very uncomfortable last time?"

Lu Xingzhe shook his head.

Xi Nian knew he was lying with one look. He kissed his eyes, and covered the uneven scar on his leg with his warm palm: "What about here?"

Lu Xingzhe still shook his head, burying his face in the pillow. He was silent for a long time, and then, thinking of something, said in a muffled, unreadable tone: "If you're going to do it, then do it quickly. Don't ask so many questions."

Xi Nian's rare kindness seemed to have been treated as ill-intent. He buried his head in Lu Xingzhe's neck, feeling a rare sense of frustration.

After the deed, the bed was a complete mess.

Lu Xingzhe lay on the bed without moving, his chest rising and falling unsteadily. He looked at the ceiling, and after making sure Xi Nian had no further actions, he got up, got out of bed, and picked up the clothes on the floor.

Seeing this, Xi Nian grabbed his wrist: "What are you doing?"

Without raising his head, Lu Xingzhe said: "Going home."

Xi Nian frowned: "Going home?"

Lu Xingzhe's lips curled into a seemingly mocking smile: "If I don't go back, should I wait for you to kick me out?"

His voice was still a little hoarse, and his face was pale. He dressed without a word, covering all the purple and blue marks on his body. His jaw was sharp and thin, and he looked even thinner than some time ago.

Hearing this, Xi Nian's eyes darkened with anger, then he suddenly laughed out of exasperation. He casually grabbed a piece of clothing to put on, then pulled Lu Xingzhe back, pinching his chin and asking: "What do you think I brought you home for? A hookup?"

Lu Xingzhe indeed thought so.

Xi Nian really didn't know what to do anymore. His fingertips tightened slightly, and he mulled it over for a long time before saying: "It's not that, anyway."

Lu Xingzhe thought, 'You've already fucked me, and now you're telling me it's not that': "Then what was it for?"

Xi Nian gave him a deep look and pursed his lips: "...Think about it yourself."

He seemed to not want to talk anymore and directly took Lu Xingzhe into the bathroom. The hot water from the showerhead poured down over his head, splashing everywhere in an instant. In this kind of situation, Lu Xingzhe could only be at the mercy of others. He reacted a beat too late, only to find that his clothes were already wet.

Xi Nian's fingertips brushed past the hem of his clothes, helping him clean up. Amidst the pattering sound of water, he said: "Wear my clothes later."

Lu Xingzhe let out a muffled grunt at his sudden action, his legs going weak and almost giving out. Xi Nian steadily supported his body, his palm pressed firmly against his back. After a long while, he finally asked: "Did you wash yourself last time?"

Lu Xingzhe's breathing was chaotic, his face flushed. He thought, 'If I didn't wash myself, did a ghost help me wash?'

In the hazy steam, he could barely see Xi Nian's face, only feel the other's strong body. In a daze, he heard the other person say a sentence: "You left too quickly last time."

Lu Xingzhe's heart skipped a beat: "What did you say?"

Xi Nian: "Nothing."

After the shower, he directly carried Lu Xingzhe out of the bathroom in his arms, then bent over and placed him on the bed. As he pulled his hands out from behind him, he touched his face instead. Xi Nian brushed aside his damp black hair and said: "Don't wander off, I'll get you a set of clothes."

His gaze seemed different from before.

Lu Xingzhe faintly guessed something, but didn't quite dare to be sure. He stared blankly at Xi Nian's back, the question swirling on the tip of his tongue, but he just couldn't ask it.

After Su Ge was shelved, Xi Nian finally had a moment where he felt that his current path wasn't so bad. He began to try to walk out from the demons of his past and reconcile with his past self.

And Lu Xingzhe...

Xi Nian took a set of clothes from the wardrobe. When he turned around, he saw him looking at him. He handed over the clothes in his hand and asked: "What are you staring at me for?"

Lu Xingzhe had just finished showering, his face fresh and clean. He lowered his head to get dressed, buttoning up one by one. After a moment of silence, he suddenly said without warning: "I can stop being a paparazzi."

Xi Nian froze.