The Flaw

The lights in the living room were off. Beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, the sunset had already stained the sky red. The sun slowly sank, slipping behind the high-rises at an angle, and the carpet lay dappled in dim, scattered shadows.

A man was sunk deep into the black leather sofa, his body curled up, his right hand clamped tightly over his abdomen. The force of his grip brought pale veins to the back of his hand. Cold sweat ran down his bloodless cheeks, carrying the muted signs of pain he was trying to endure.

When Yu Zechuan arrived at Lu Yan's apartment, this was what he saw. He froze for a moment, then quickly walked over and crouched by the sofa, frowning as he patted Lu Yan's face. "Are you okay?"

Lu Yan had suddenly called him earlier, saying his stomach hurt so badly he was about to die, and asking whether Yu Zechuan could come over and help. He'd given him the door code and hung up.

Yu Zechuan had thought it was a prank. He hadn't expected the other man to look genuinely unwell.

At his words, Lu Yan's eyelashes trembled. Several seconds passed before he slowly opened his eyes. Seeing Yu Zechuan in the room, he managed a weak smile. Even now, he couldn't resist making a joke. "I just made a call, and you actually came."

Yu Zechuan was truly ruthless, but truly foolish too. They had known each other only a few days. At most, they were neighbors. Lu Yan had never imagined that he would really come rushing over because of one phone call.

Yu Zechuan's expression darkened at once. "Were you messing with me?!"

"Do I look like I'm messing with you?" Lu Yan asked weakly.

Yu Zechuan choked back his answer. He really didn't. "What's wrong with you, exactly?"

Lu Yan thought for a moment before saying, "Mm... maybe I didn't eat anything all day, so my stomach hurts a little?"

Yu Zechuan narrowed his eyes slightly. "Didn't you go to the convenience store for oden this morning?"

Lu Yan was perfectly justified. "It didn't taste good, so I threw it out."

Yu Zechuan: "..."

Yu Zechuan had the distinct feeling that Lu Yan was down to his last breath. He bent down and helped him up from the sofa, his voice low. "My friend happens to be here, and he has a car. I'll have him take you to the hospital on the way."

That wouldn't do. Lu Yan had come home precisely to avoid Xue Jin. How could he let him take him to the hospital? Puzzled, he asked, "A friend? Don't tell me it's your boyfriend?"

Without waiting for Yu Zechuan to answer, he lay back down on the sofa and lowered his eyes. "Forget it. It wouldn't be good if it caused a misunderstanding with him. My condition isn't serious. I'll be fine if I just tough it out."

At hearing him call Xue Jin his boyfriend, Yu Zechuan was briefly stunned. When he caught on, a thin layer of anger darkened his eyes. He wanted nothing more than to strangle Lu Yan. "I said he's a friend, and that means he's a friend. Do you think everyone is as promiscuous and unreliable as you?!"

Lu Yan had been reasonably serious only when they'd first met. After that, everything he said had become increasingly outrageous. Yu Zechuan had already privately labeled him a playboy.

Lu Yan sprawled lazily on the sofa and lifted his eyelids to look at him, sounding aggrieved. "How am I promiscuous? I've never even had a boyfriend in my life."

The vein at Yu Zechuan's temple throbbed. "Are you going to the hospital or not?"

Seeing that Yu Zechuan's patience had run out, Lu Yan could only hold out an arm for him to help him up. "Then give me a hand. I don't have any strength left. I know a private clinic. The doctor there is pretty well-known."

Lu Yan was a grown man and quite heavy. Yu Zechuan supported his arm as they headed out, only to see Lu Yan quietly pull a mask from his pocket and put it on. He frowned. "Why are you always wearing a mask?"

Lu Yan blinked. "I'd hate to infect someone else."

Yu Zechuan was about to say that a stomachache wasn't contagious, but then he saw the amusement hidden in Lu Yan's eyes. He was clearly teasing him. Yu Zechuan shut his mouth at once and, suppressing his anger, took Lu Yan down in the elevator.

Lu Yan had been worried all along that they would run into Xue Jin, but fortunately, they didn't. He had overheard Xue Jin mentioning the old accounting records next door and felt his heart pound with alarm, afraid he might say something he shouldn't. So he had no choice but to pretend to be sick and lure Yu Zechuan over with a phone call.

Lu Yan deliberately named a private clinic far away. Taking a cab there practically meant circling half the city.

Lu Yan's stomach did hurt, but it wasn't nearly as bad as he'd made it out to be. While the doctor examined him, he reclined halfway on the bed, looking much more alert than before. "Doctor, my stomach doesn't seem to hurt that much now. Why don't you just prescribe me some stomach medicine?"

The doctor seemed to see through his act and asked blandly, "It really doesn't hurt anymore?"

Lu Yan nodded weakly. "It's much better."

The doctor could only say, "All right. I'll prescribe some stomach medicine. Avoid spicy and irritating foods for the next few days. If it really hurts badly next time, you'd better go to a hospital."

The clinic was neither large nor small. When it came time to fill the prescription, he gave his name and age. Lu Yan only gave the name Yan, and the doctor didn't press the issue, turning a blind eye and letting him get away with it.

While Lu Yan was being examined, Yu Zechuan went out for a cigarette. When he came back, Lu Yan had already picked up his medicine and was paying.

Yu Zechuan went to stand beside him. His clothes carried a faint scent of smoke, a little like mint. "You don't need an IV?"

Lu Yan shook his head and kept up the weak act. "An IV takes too long. I don't want to hold you up, and I'm feeling much better now... By the way, is that friend of yours still at your place?"

Yu Zechuan's voice was indifferent. "He left."

Lu Yan breathed a sigh of relief.

Yu Zechuan still had no idea that Lu Yan was his enemy. He helped him hail a cab at the roadside and head back. He was uncharacteristically patient. Though he had a bad temper, he didn't complain once from beginning to end.

Even someone as heartless as Lu Yan felt a little awkward. Sitting in the backseat, he was a bit carsick, so he simply lay down with his head on Yu Zechuan's lap. Yu Zechuan frowned, but perhaps because Lu Yan was ill, he ultimately said nothing.

Lu Yan closed his eyes and felt the car's slight jolts, but what churned through his mind was the scene before his death in his previous life. For no apparent reason, he smiled. "Yu Zechuan..."

Yu Zechuan lowered his eyes, only to hear Lu Yan murmur to himself, "You're actually a pretty good person."

But things didn't end well for you in your previous life.

Yu Zechuan said nothing. He watched the scenery flash past outside the window, seized by an inexplicable sense of familiarity. It was as if he and Lu Yan had once ridden in a cab like this before. He curled his lips in mockery. "I'm not a good person, and I don't like being one."

So,

"Don't say things like that again."

By the time they reached the apartment, it was already late at night. Yu Zechuan saw Lu Yan home. Entering the living room, he bent down and tossed the bag of medicine in his hand onto the coffee table.

"The medicine's on the table. Remember to take it. I'm heading back."

Yu Zechuan turned to leave after speaking, but Lu Yan suddenly called after him. "You haven't eaten all day. Do you want to stay for dinner?"

It wasn't that Lu Yan didn't know there was a risk of being exposed if he spent too much time with Yu Zechuan. But he had suddenly realized that Yu Zechuan didn't seem as crazy as he'd imagined. At least when he wasn't having an episode, he was mostly normal.

Yu Zechuan halted, but didn't turn around. After a moment, he said only two words.

"No need..."

Lu Yan had helped him last time, and he had returned the favor by helping Lu Yan while he was sick. They were even now. There was no need to keep getting entangled.

Click.

The door shut with a soft sound, and this time the apartment fell completely silent.

Yu Zechuan returned to his own place and turned on the living room light. But the decor was all cool tones, and rather than making the room brighter, the warm yellow glow looked oddly out of place.

Several takeout containers sat on the table, leftovers from Xue Jin's lunch. That bastard had eaten his fill, patted his ass, and left. He couldn't even be bothered to throw out the trash.

Yu Zechuan sat on the sofa, in no mood to clean up. He didn't want to look at his phone or sit in front of the computer again. He stared blankly by himself at the dark projection screen on the TV wall.

Drip.

Drip.

A light rain began to fall beneath the black canopy of night, and winding droplets crept across the glass windows. Yu Zechuan always felt that every rainstorm after his release from prison was strangely familiar, as if every drop that fell had once soaked him.

Yu Zechuan slowly sat up straight, belatedly feeling hungry. He reached over and opened the cold takeout containers on the table, only to find them empty except for a pile of bitter shredded green pepper. His expression changed.

That bastard Xue Jin hadn't even left him a bite of rice.

Yu Zechuan got up, packed up all the containers, and threw them into the trash. He couldn't help feeling irritated. Just as he was about to shower and go to bed, someone knocked on the outer door. Lu Yan's muffled voice came through.

"Yu Zechuan, open up. It's me."

"..."

Yu Zechuan thought, Why should I open the door just because it's you?

He tossed the jacket he'd taken off onto the sofa, but still went to answer it. Lu Yan stood there holding a tray with two steaming bowls of instant noodles. Each had a fried egg, vegetables, and ham sausage, and they smelled surprisingly good.

Yu Zechuan was stunned for a moment, then looked uncomfortable. "What are you doing?"

Lu Yan seemed to have just showered. His clothes were loose and casual, his hair still damp with fine beads of moisture. He wasn't wearing a mask, and as he leaned against the doorframe, the impact of that handsome face was especially striking. "Eating. I happened to have two packs of noodles left at home. It would be a waste not to use them."

With that, he squeezed through the gap in the door without the slightest politeness. Yu Zechuan had no choice but to step aside for him. Lu Yan was already seated on the sofa, waving him over. "Come on. It won't taste good cold."

Yu Zechuan closed the door behind him and walked over with a frown, his voice low with displeasure. "I told you, I'm not eating."

Lu Yan looked puzzled. "Why not?"

Yu Zechuan curled his lips coldly and stared at him, enunciating every word. "Because I don't like eating with other people. It kills my appetite."

Yu Zechuan seemed to enjoy doing this. Whenever anyone approached him with kindness, he suspected that kindness was poisoned, barbed. Then he would throw it to the ground in front of them and viciously crush it underfoot.

"..."

Lu Yan was silent for three seconds. Then he picked up his own bowl of noodles and turned toward the door. Yu Zechuan's expression changed. He grabbed him with quick reflexes. "Where are you going?"

"Back to my room to eat," Lu Yan replied as if it were obvious.

If Yu Zechuan preferred eating alone, Lu Yan didn't mind going back to his room.

Yu Zechuan suddenly felt as though he couldn't catch his breath, nearly furious to death. He held it in for a long while before forcing out a sentence. "Sit down and eat with me! Do you expect me to bring the bowl to your room?"

Lu Yan was unconcerned. "You can just throw it away."

It wasn't like a bowl cost much.

Yu Zechuan silently clenched his teeth. "..."

This damned guy!

Whenever Yu Zechuan faced Lu Yan, he felt the powerless frustration of punching cotton. He gripped Lu Yan's wrist tightly. He wouldn't let him leave, yet he couldn't bring himself to ask him to stay and eat. For a moment, they were at an impasse.

Lu Yan asked in confusion, "Do you need something else?"

Yu Zechuan gritted his teeth and said nothing. He also realized how unhinged his earlier behavior had been, but apologizing wasn't his style. He had never bowed his head to anyone in his life.

As Yu Zechuan's mind raced, trying to figure out how to keep Lu Yan there, a soft laugh suddenly sounded beside his ear, jarring in the still air.

"Forget it. I was joking. Sit down and eat with me."

Lu Yan had been teasing him in the first place. With that, he carried the noodles back to the sofa. Yu Zechuan's stern expression eased slightly at the sight, and only then did he sit down beside him with a sour face, unwillingly sharing the noodles with Lu Yan.

Yu Zechuan was in a bad mood and found fault with everything. He frowned and poked at the vegetables in his bowl. "I don't like vegetables."

Lu Yan ate while playing on his phone, not even looking up. "As long as you like the noodles."

Yu Zechuan jabbed his fried egg to a pulp with his chopsticks, resentment pouring off him. "I don't like noodles either!"

Lu Yan finally looked up, thinking Yu Zechuan wasn't supposed to be a picky eater. "Then eat the egg. If that's not enough, you can have my egg too."

The moment the words left his mouth, the air fell into deathly silence.

"..."

Yu Zechuan frowned at Lu Yan, his tone dangerous. "What did you just say?"

"Cough!"

Lu Yan choked. Only then did he realize his words could be taken the wrong way. Covering his mouth, he stood up to look for tissues as he explained, "That's not what I meant... I meant... you can have the fried egg in my bowl too... Cough, cough..."

Yu Zechuan was obviously hopeless at everyday life. There wasn't even a pack of tissues on the coffee table, so Lu Yan could only turn toward the bathroom to get some.

Still in a foul mood, Yu Zechuan took the fried egg from Lu Yan's bowl while his back was turned and stabbed it into a mess in his own bowl.

Lu Yan's phone lay quietly on the table when it suddenly buzzed with a ringtone. Yu Zechuan glanced at it instinctively, but before he could make out the name, a hand shot over with lightning speed.

Bang!!

The table shook violently, nearly splitting apart.

Yu Zechuan looked up on instinct and saw that Lu Yan had already returned. He frowned. "What are you freaking out about?"

Lu Yan: "..."

Fuck, that was close. That was Jiang Boyun's custom ringtone. If Yu Zechuan found out, he was dead.

Lu Yan shook his head. "Nothing. I was in a hurry to answer it."

He snatched his phone back and hung up immediately, unaware that this strange behavior had caught Yu Zechuan's attention. Yu Zechuan narrowed his eyes sharply, rose from the sofa, and slowly walked toward Lu Yan. His question gave away no emotion.

"Who was calling?"

Lu Yan's heart skipped a beat.

Yu Zechuan raised an eyebrow faintly, probing. "If you were in such a hurry to answer, why did you hang up?"

Lu Yan gave an oh and slipped the phone into his pocket without changing expression.

"It was my eldest uncle in the countryside."

"He got hit by a three-wheeler last month and borrowed a bunch of money from me for treatment. He still hasn't paid it back. I was afraid he was calling to borrow more."

Yu Zechuan didn't seem convinced. "Is that so?"

Lu Yan countered, "Why would I lie to you?"

Yu Zechuan seemed intrigued. He suddenly held out a hand to Lu Yan, his voice making Lu Yan's heart tighten.

"Then let me see the contact name."

Lu Yan: "..."