Chapter 178. It’s All Just A Trap

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Arc 9: Real World.

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An hour after placing the order, Chen You wanted to cancel it, but his man was watching a movie on the computer and wouldn’t budge no matter how much he pestered, dragged, or coaxed him.

Fine, you bull. LaoZi will use phone.

Chen You took his phone to the balcony and found that the store had already shipped the goods. The shipping speed was incredibly fast. He contacted the seller and requested a refund.

The seller was a peculiar person, but instead of agreeing, he first asked why.

Chen You leaned over on the balcony, held his phone out the window, and typed on the keypad, bluntly stating that he didn’t want it anymore.

Even at this point, the seller is still asking, why doesn’t he want it? Does he have any questions about the product?

Chen You chatted with the seller for about half a cigarette’s worth of time until he got annoyed: LaoZi already said he doesn’t want it, why the hell are you still asking questions?

Seller: Fuck, I’m trying to communicate with you properly, why are you swearing? Are you looking for a beating?

Chen You glanced at the seller’s nickname, Youth Dies in Summer. To be honest, this name was the kind that would give anyone goosebumps just by looking at it. He felt that the seller gave him a strange feeling, as if he had seen this before.

After thinking for a moment, Chen You sent another message: Shopkeeper, are you a man?

The seller, Youth dies in summer, was away from the computer and has left behind a simple and straightforward automatic reply: For questions about promotional offer, please press 1; for returns and exchanges, please press 2; for inquiries about delivery time, please press 3; for casual sex, please press 4.

Chen You pressed 4, and a reply popped up, go to hell!. He shrugged. He figured that nine out of ten people who came to buy things would click on it for fun. He ignored it: Do you play online games?

A minute or two later, the seller, Youth dies in summer, replied: Play.

Chen You: I play too. Tell me the name, maybe we’re even playing the same game on the same server.

Seller, Youth dies in summer: Then you won’t request a refund?

Chen You: That won’t do, we still have to cancel it.

Seller, Youth dies in summer: It’s already been taken by the courier. If you want a refund, refuse to accept it.

Chen You checked the shipment details, but it didn’t show that the package had been picked up. What a load of rubbish! Do they think he was a newbie? Do they think saying that will make him think it’s too much trouble, and since it’s already been sent, he’ll just let it go?

Suddenly, a loud thud came from inside the room. Chen You turned around and saw a chair overturned, and the man standing up, staring at the computer screen that had turned blue.

“……”

Watching a movie can even cause a computer to crash with a blue screen – that’s impressive!

Chen You put his phone back in his pocket and went to take care of his laptop. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at the purple water gun the man was holding. He had no idea when the man had taken it out. The man’s intelligence had become like that of a three or four-year-old child, but his hobbies hadn’t changed much. He still liked playing with water gun.

“Go play with the water somewhere else, don’t stand here. If you splash water on my family’s old member, I’ll never forgive you.”

Li Yan pursed his lips, “Not going.”

When Chen You saw the man pointing the gun at him, he quickly grabbed his laptop and jumped aside, “Are you leaving or not? If you don’t leave, I’ll get angry!”

Li Yan said in a hoarse voice, “I feel terrible.”

Chen You said, “I’m also feeling terrible.”

This old member accompanied him through his youthful years at eighteen, through countless days and nights, fighting alongside him to conquer a vast and beautiful land. Although it is no longer young, with proper care and recuperation, it can still enjoy its later years in peace.

Looking at the situation right now, it seems risky.

Chen You tried to persuade the older child to go play with the water gun in the bathroom by himself first, and that he would play with him after he fixed the computer.

Later he went to the bathroom, where the older child was sitting on a small stool with a water gun, not playing, but waiting for him.

Chen You sighed, ai, my Li’er, when will you understand that there’s another way to have fun in this world, called entertaining yourself? Always relying on your friends is not right.

Taking the toy water gun from the man’s hands, Chen You examined it closely. It has many features, a large capacity, adjustable length, and allows you to control the water flow of the powerful nozzle, and even the thickness of the water stream. The trigger is voice-activated, and the shooting range can be controlled at any time. The most striking feature is its design, it’s entirely a noble purple color, with very stylish and fluid lines, and the feel in the hand is superb.

When Li Yan saw that Chen You wanted to play with him, his tense face finally relaxed, and he became happy.

The bathroom is quite spacious and has a high-end interior. Besides toiletries, it also features a sofa, a round table, magazines, and incense. If you’re feeling bored, you can even sit in there, close your eyes, and relax.

Chen You couldn’t quite grasp the intention behind it. He is just a low-life. When he was on the toilet, he would at most scroll through his phone and couldn’t do anything else.

Li Yan got impatient and wanted to shoot.

Chen You had no choice but to tell him where to aim the water gun, and that he couldn’t just shoot it randomly like last time, spraying water everywhere and making it difficult to clean up.

Li Yan wouldn’t listen to reason and stubbornly insisted on playing with him.

Chen You doesn’t like children. They’re easy to raise but hard to teach. The less intelligent ones are actually okay, as long as you guide them slowly with care. But the smart ones are completely uncontrollable and might even be dragged along.

For example, his current state is pretty much like that of a dead dog.

After playing with him for several hours, Chen You was completely exhausted. He put away the toy water gun for Li Yan, took a shower, and went to bed to sleep.

Li Yan sat on the edge of the bed, touching Chen You’s face, eyes, nose, and mouth, and finally moving upwards, his thumb resting on the mole at the corner of Chen You’s eye, rubbing it gently.

“Fool, when will you get better…”

Chen You murmured something in his sleep, nuzzled against Li Yan’s arm, and instinctively hugged him, pressing his face against his.

Li Yan frowned, “I’m not a fool.”

The sleeping person had his mouth slightly open and started snoring.

Li Yan pulled down his rolled-up clothes, covering the exposed part of his waist.

Chen You finally understood the meaning of the idiom being so engrossed in trivial pursuits that one neglects important matters. After playing with water guns with Li Yan, he forgot about the orders. There was no refund request, so the seller didn’t withhold the packages, order was shipped after all.

Chen You rushed online to check, only to find that the shipment information showed it was already being delivered. He was furious and demanded an explanation from the seller.

Seller, Youth Dies in Summer: I’ve noticed you’re really a chatterbox, just like one of my high school classmate.

Chen You：……

He swallowed hard, his heart inexplicably racing. After a long pause, he replied: Really? A high school classmate? It’s not your deskmate, is it?

The seller, Youth dies in summer, lost access to the automatic reply function.

No idea if they were busy or simply didn’t want to deal with the issue.

Chen You twitched his lips, finding himself quite amusing. Ever since he saw that photo that looked exactly like Xia Hong, he had started to have wild thoughts, his imagination running wild and he couldn’t stop them, and Li Yan hadn’t been able to fill them up.

He ran his hand through his hair, let out a long sigh, and muttered, stop thinking nonsense, you idiot Chen You. You don’t have many brain cells to begin with, so use them sparingly.

After lunch, the deliveryman brought the package over. The butler accepted it, and by the time Chen You found out, it was too late to refuse it.

The package was a cardboard box, and the waybill didn’t specify what the contents were. The seller’s address was just a neighborhood name, and the name was just a store name—all useless information.

Chen You stared at the phone number, which was blurry and he could only make out the first few digits. He clicked on the online listing, but the address was unknown and the provided number was not in service. This store had two crowns, but it still felt like a scam.

Whether a deal is made depends entirely on whether the parties hit it off or not.

Chen Weidong asked what it was. To be honest, he just asked casually and never expected his son to react so strongly, quickly picking up the cardboard box and running upstairs.

That can be summed up in few words—a guilty conscience.

Chen Weidong asked the butler.

The butler carefully chose his words and said rather subtly, “I’ve heard the master mention it, it’s probably some new little toys.”

“…” Chen Weidong was silent for a while, “Come on, let’s play chess.”

The butler wasn’t very enthusiastic, anyone would get tired of this routine of playing chess morning, noon, and night. He secretly glanced upstairs, estimating that this time it would take at least three games to finish.

As dusk approached, the commotion upstairs didn’t subside, and the faint sound of a dog barking could be heard.

As night fell, the barking became clearer, with occasional two or three barks. Laifu thought it was other dogs, so it barked excitedly towards the stairwell, its tail wagging vigorously.

Chen Weidong’s old face was a sight to behold, “Go and cook dinner, it’s almost time.”

The butler instructed the servants, and continued playing chess with him.

Chen You walked downstairs to eat, his legs still in the same positions, neither twisted into a pretzel nor limp like noodles, but his waist really hurt, much more than his buttocks.

Although Li Yan was mentally impaired, his strength remained immense. What’s most terrifying is that he still has his skills. Chen You is over 180 cm tall and can handle a female classmate easily, but he can’t gain the slightest advantage against him.

The shop gave away a lot of little trinkets, including colorful hair clips and black and red ribbons that could be used as shoelaces or decorations. They looked great tied in bows anywhere.

Li Yan was curious, so Chen You became the one to try it out.

He died, then was brought back to life by Li Yan, dying and coming back to life repeatedly.

There was a little incident in the middle. Li Yan accidentally dropped his ring down the drainpipe. He anxiously knelt down by the pipe opening, trying to reach for it, all the while muttering about wanting his ring back.

If Chen You hadn’t stopped him, Li Yan would have stuck his entire arm in. Heh, then there would have been three possible outcomes.

The drainpipe is blocked, the arm is stuck, and the drainpipe has ruptured.

Which situation would be worse? Having to call a plumber for repairs, and it’s the weekend, so they might not even be working today.

In the end, it was Chen You who helped Li Yan get the ring. Don’t ask about the process, it’s really hard to describe. It’s beyond what the words I have no will to live can sum it up.

Li Yan washed the ring clean and put it back on his ring finger, feeling as if his soul had returned.

Chen You kicked the man’s shin, telling him to get a cloth to wipe the water coming out of the drainpipe, and while supervising him, said, “Can you take better care of it next time?”

Li Yan carefully wiped away the water stains.

Chen You snorted, “If you can’t, then take off the ring and I’ll keep it for you.”

Li Yan shook his head and said firmly, “No.”

Chen You grasped the man’s hand, speaking with great emotion, “Darling, please take it easy. Promise me you won’t cause any more trouble. Although I’m young, I have a low tolerance for emotional stress.  Seriously, my heart is very fragile. If you do something like this again, I’ll break down.”

Li Yan suddenly raised his head, “You won’t break down.”

What do you mean by that? Can’t you see I’m trembling as I speak?  My weak and barely audible voice isn’t fake, you know. Chen You said, “I’ll break down.”

Li Yan pressed down on Chen You’s shoulder, “No, you won’t.”

Chen You’s shoulder hurts a lot, “I will.”

The two of them wouldn’t talk for ten minutes or so, like two childish fools.

Li Yan’s thin lips were pressed tightly together, his facial features tense, as if he were about to burst into tears at any moment.

What could Chen You do? He could only hug the man and pat his back, “No, no, I won’t break down. I’m perfectly fine. I can do anything for you, not just retrieve a ring, but even reach for the moon at the bottom of the sea. I was just teasing you.”

With this reassurance, Li Yan calmed down.

Chen You’s thoughts returned. He smelled the aroma of chicken soup wafting from the kitchen and knew it was from a hen, an old hen, which was very nourishing.

The servants brought the food to the table.

Chen Weidong served his son soup, saying, “Drink more.”

Chen You nodded and buried his head in his soup. He needed to replenish his energy, if he continued like this, he would become a deflated balloon and collapse before winter arrived.

Chen Weidong knew that Li Yan was a vegetarian, so the table was full of meat dishes.

Li Yan ate white rice, bowl after bowl, finishing three bowls in a row. He wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and watched Chen You eat.

Chen You then asked him if he wanted a piece of chicken gizzard.

Li Yan said no, “You eat quickly, and then we’ll go to sleep.”

“pfff——”

The moment the word sleep reached his ears, Chen You spat it out, feeling sorry for that mouthful of chicken soup.

Chen Weidong told his son to sleep with him that night, saying it was necessary to hold a family meeting for an hour or so and give him another lesson in moral education.

Li Yan got angry and grabbed Chen You’s hand, refusing to let go. No matter what Chen Weidong said, whether it was knocking over a teacup or moving a chair, it was no use.

Chen Weidong and Li Yan were locked in a stalemate, staring at each other.

The former thinks that as an elder, you, the junior, should know some manners and respect the elderly. The latter may be foolish, but he has all the traits in his bones. He always stands on high and looks down on others, and he will never back down.

Chen You looked at his man, then at his father, and sighed, “A harmonious family brings prosperity, so let’s all keep quiet.”

He secretly scratched the man’s palm. Quickly admit your mistake!

After a long pause, Li Yan said, “Dad, I’m sorry, Youyou is mine, I can’t give him to you.”

Chen Weidong glared at him, “Mr. Li, I don’t like what you’re saying. Youyou, he is my son, when did he become yours?”

Li Yan was unreasonable, “Mine!”

Chen You winked at him, what are you doing, you idiot? I really want to beat you.

Chen Weidong’s blood pressure was about to spike. He turned and went back to his room. Chen You quickly jogged after him, not forgetting to turn back and give Li Yan a warning look, telling him not to cause any more trouble.

Li Yan wanted to go with them.

The butler floated over and said, “Master, it’s better if you don’t go for now..”

Li Yan glanced at him coldly.

The butler, keeping his eyes downcast and speaking slowly, said, “Mr. Chen and his dad are father and son.”

The implication is that your jealousy is completely unreasonable.

Li Yan stopped at the door and stood there expressionless, like a great Buddha.

After entering the room, Chen Weidong looked at his son, whose face was flushed and who seemed to be doing well, not looking thin and sickly. However, he noticed some distinct marks on his son’s collar, and they were quite prominent. He said, “Youyou, you need to take it easy.”

Chen You coughed and said he knew.

Chen Weidong couldn’t help but say, “You two can’t have children, so what’s the point of you doing this every day?”

Ai dad, your thinking is wrong, having sex isn’t just for the kids. Chen You scratched his head, “Well, it can promote emotional interaction.”

Knowing there was someone outside, Chen Weidong deliberately raised his voice, “He’s not going to get better, he’s always acting like an idiot, not only being unreasonable but also rude and aggressive. Are you just going to put up with this forever?”

Chen You said, “Might as well put up. He always took care of me in the past, now it’s my turn to take care of him, it’s only right.”

He chuckled, “Dad, you don’t know this, but I dream of having Li Yan depend on me.”

Chen Weidong didn’t know what his son was referring to when he said in the past, so he didn’t understand why his son was so happy, nor did he understand what kind of emotional bond it was.

“Dad’s words are just that. You need to keep that in mind. You’re twenty years old now, and you need to be responsible for your actions.”

“I will.”

Chen You said, “Dad, let me find you a companion.”

Chen Weidong waved his hand, “No, your dad, I, wants to live a few more years.”

Chen You ，“……”

Chen Weidong asked Chen You about his future plans, saying that life had just begun, and while he didn’t necessarily have to achieve great things, he should at least have something to do and not waste his time.  Everyone only lives once, so he should live his life well.

Chen You then mentioned the script, saying he had a plan.

Earning money to support the family, taking care of his father, and finding a way to help Li Yan get better—these three things must be done simultaneously, and none of them can be neglected.

After chatting for less than half an hour, Chen You said goodnight to his father, opened the door and went out. He reached out and took his man’s hand as they went upstairs to sleep.

Chen You lay on the bed, writing a review for the store, just two words, bad review.

Every store is the same, only negative reviews can attract the seller’s attention, so he did just that.

Putting down his phone, Chen You narrowed his eyes, lost in thought. The script he had given to Hu Wei contained names like Gold, Qin Feng, Zhou Yi, Guo Qiang, and even Xiangxiang and Lulu. Any one of these names, if mentioned to someone in the know, would be a huge deal.

If that lookalike of Xia Hong who is being sponsored by investors is the Xia Hong he knows, then once he sees the script, he will definitely have a huge emotional reaction and will definitely take the initiative to contact him.

Chen You rolled over, stretched out his arms, and hugged the man’s waist. Just wait, the truth will soon come to light.

Two days later, Hu Wei called Chen You, saying that the investors wanted to meet him.

Chen You went, this time with Li Yan. They had agreed before he left that Li Yan had to obey, or there would be no shooting that night.

Li Yan knew what shooting meant, so he was very well behaved.

When they arrived at the place, it was a private villa. As soon as the car entered the big iron gate, they were so overwhelmed by its extravagance that they could hardly open their eyes. The words filthy rich were spread all over the ground.

Lin Fuxing holds two positions, one is one that his family forced upon him, the so-called inheritance of the family business, and the other is his hobby. It is obvious that the latter holds a higher place in his heart. He is going to have surgery today, so he is not here. Hu Wei came to act as the middleman.

Mr. Zhang was wearing a bathrobe, sitting on the sofa with his legs crossed, drinking red wine. When he saw the three people enter, his gaze swept over one of them, and he instantly stood up from the sofa. The movement was so sudden that the wine glass in his hand wobbled, and the red liquid almost spilled from the rim.

“Mr. Li.”

Li Yan remained expressionless.

Chen You breathed a sigh of relief. Great, that’s it. Keep it up. Don’t let your persona crumble. Even when you’re just taking a breath, you exude a unique air of pretentiousness.

Mr. Zhang went to change out of his bathrobe and reappeared before Chen You and the other two, neatly dressed. His attitude was very respectful, even showing a hint of fear. He said, in a rather obsequious manner, “I didn’t know this film was related to Mr. Li. Please forgive any unintentional disrespect.”

As he spoke, Mr. Zhang shot Hu Wei a reproachful look, as if to say, why didn’t you explain it clearly to me?

Hu Wei rolled his eyes, I gave you the script two days ago, you’re the one who didn’t read it. Is that my fault?

The atmosphere in the hall was subtle.

Mr. Zhang had met Li Yan at a banquet years ago, but they hadn’t spoken. He never expected that they would get to know each other because of a trivial script.

God knows, he agreed to invest so that his darling could have some fun.

“Mr. Li, is the coffee not to your liking? Would you like to switch to tea?”

Li Yan sat upright and ramrod straight, his eyelids drooping, his attitude indifferent to everything, “No need.”

Mr. Zhang’s gaze moved back and forth between Chen You and Li Yan. Logically speaking, these two could handle the investment and production themselves without having outsiders interfere.

Could it be that Li Yan has gone bankrupt?

So his little lover wrote scripts and made movies to help him get through his difficulties?

Mr. Zhang, stroking his cup, wondered what was going on since he hadn’t heard any such rumors lately.

Or Li Yan simply wanted to go along with his lover’s wishes and support him in doing what he liked, which is why he accompanied him personally.

The latter conjecture is more reasonable.

Chen You sipped his coffee, his eyes darting around. Where is the cutie who looks a lot like Xia Hong? He asked, “Mr. Zhang, do you have any comments on the script?”

Mr. Zhang said no, “To be honest, I haven’t read the script yet. I agreed to it because of the title 《Big Shot》. As soon as I heard it, I felt it would become a hit next year.”

Chen You’s lips twitched, he was convinced.

Hu Wei spoke up and asked, “May I ask, Mr. Zhang, what is the reason for you contacting us this time?”

Mr. Zhang didn’t beat around the bush and said directly that it was his family’s Chenchen’s idea, “Chenchen stayed up all night reading the script, getting angry, sad, and even crying until his eyes were swollen because of the plot. He thought the script was exceptionally good and told me he wanted to meet the talented screenwriter. Since I saw he genuinely liked it, I asked you to come over.”

He was in his thirties, good-looking, and quite handsome when he smiled, “I heard that getting to know each other before filming starts is very beneficial for future collaboration.”

Chen You casually offered a flattery, “Mr. Zhang is truly gentle and considerate.”

Mr. Zhang was a better bootlicker than him,” Not even one ten-thousandth of Mr. Li’s ability.”

Li Yan, “Hmm.”

“……”

Mr. Li, the king of awkward silences, is now online! He’s a self-proclaimed mobile refrigerator capable of freezing everyone around him.

Footsteps echoed from the stairwell, accompanied by a servant’s call, “Young master Chen.”

Chen You turned his neck back and looked at the slender boy on the stairs. He looked even more like the boy in the photo. His wet eyes, his walking posture, and his smile before he even spoke were all exactly the same as Xia Hong in his memory.

Mr. Zhang’s face was full of tenderness, “Chenchen, come here.”

The boy walked down the stairs, wearing a loose-fitting black sweater with a wide neckline, revealing his prominent collarbones and slender neck, which drew people’s attention. When he bent down, he exuded an ultimate allure.

The three guests were gay, one of them a couple. Hu Wei was muscular and exuded strong hormones, was the type to tie someone up and have his way with them at the slightest provocation, he had no interest in effeminate boys.

Mr. Zhang felt much more at ease when he realized no one was staring at his precious one. He glanced at Hu Wei and said, “Chenchen, this is Hu Wei, the agent from xx Company. You’ve met him before.”

The boy greeted him politely, “Hello, Mr. Hu.”

Hu Wei said, “Hello.”

Mr. Zhang continued, “This is Mr. Li, and next to him is his lover, Chen You, the screenwriter you want to meet.”

The boy’s gaze fell upon Li Yan, and a flicker of light flashed in his eyes, fleeting and gone in an instant. It seemed to be an instinct of his, a way of judging strangers, dividing them into two categories, rich people and poor people.

After exchanging greetings, his gaze shifted to the screenwriter, who looked to be about the same age as him.

Chen You smiled.

The boy smiled and said, “So young!”

Mr. Zhang said that the young man was promising, and then added, “Mr. Li has provided excellent guidance.”

Chen You，“……”

Ai DaGe that’s enough already. There’s a rhythm to bootlicking someone. If you keep doing it like this, you might get trampled to death by my man’s horse.

With one more person, the atmosphere became even stranger.

Hu Wei didn’t know what to talk about, so he forced the conversation. He was struggling so much that he was practically suffering from internal injuries, when Chen You finally spoke up to help him out a little.

“I heard that Young Master Chen likes the character Xia Hong that I created?”

The boy pursed his lips, a gesture that carried a hint of seduction, as if it were innate or a habit, “Xia Hong’s character is very pitiful.”

“He’s an orphan like me, without parents. If I hadn’t met Mr. Zhang, I probably wouldn’t have fared much better…”

Mr. Zhang hugged the boy tightly, saying, “Don’t cry, baby.”

The boy sobbed softly, crystal tears sliding down his fair cheeks, a hint of sadness in his eyes, breathtakingly beautiful.

Chen You and Hu Wei were suffocating, they lowered their heads and busied themselves picking at their goosebumps.

Li Yan didn’t react, he had entered a meditative state.

As long as he makes as little noise as possible, avoids revealing his emotions, and behaves in a way that is as subtle as possible, there won’t be any major flaws.

The boy cried for a long time before stopping. Mr. Zhang felt heartbroken and held the boy’s face, wiping away his tears.

This scene truly encompasses a mix of joy, sorrow, and everything in between.

Chen You, who had been secretly observing, narrowed his eyes. The little habits—picking at his fingernails and shuffling his feet—were exactly the same. If this wasn’t Xia Hong himself, he would definitely not cry and beg for mercy when Li Yan got his hands on him tonight.

Alright, now all that’s missing is to give them a one-on-one opportunity.

Before leaving, Chen You said he had left his phone behind and needed to go back to get it, “Hu DaGe, could you keep an eye on Li Yan for me? I’ll be right back.”

He hadn’t walked far when he saw the boy under the tree, as if he were waiting for him.

The scenes in the script depicting the interactions and dialogues between Xiangxiang and Lulu, and the moments in the rented apartment, could not have been written by someone who wasn’t involved.

In other words, if the boy is Xia Hong, then he must know that Chen You is Zhou Yi.

Chen You walked up to the boy, stopped, put his hands in his pockets, and waited for the other to speak first.

If so, then there’s no need to test it, it can’t be wrong.

“Zhou Yi, is that you?”

“It’s me.”

After the initial shock subsided and the calm exchange of questions and answers subsided, silence fell beneath the tree, silently surrounding the two peers.

Chen You said, “When I saw the photo, I knew it was you.”

Xia Hong said, “I only found out you came into this world after reading the script.”

Chen You raised an eyebrow, tacitly agreeing.

Xia Hong raised a question, “I’m using my own body, but you’ve changed yours. Why is that?”

It’s a secret, I won’t tell you. Chen You said, “I don’t know.”

Xia Hong frowned, “After you went with ErYe, neither Qiang Ge nor I heard anything from you.”

Chen You thought to himself, of course, I died! He said, “ Just like in the script, I was with ErYe.”

Xia Hong responded with an oh, it was unclear whether he believed it or was indifferent.

Back then, he benefited from his connection with this person, getting transferred from the fourth floor to the sixth floor. Many customers who came to the Gold specifically requested him. If they miss the chance to taste the person that ErYe fancies, trying his fellow villager isn’t a bad alternative.

For a year or two, Xia Hong was very popular. Although he didn’t become Gold’s top performer, he was close. With money in hand, he bought a house and a car and lived a very good life.

Until one day, Xia Hong encountered his nemesis.

For more than seven years, Xia Hong devoted his heart and soul to that person, giving him all his savings to start a business. However, the other party became increasingly greedy for fame and fortune, and even drugged him for the sake of the project, letting several business partners play with him for a week.

In a fit of rage, Xia Hong plotted to kill the person and went to jail. His health collapsed because of that incident, and he died in prison after a few years. He hated the injustice of fate and died with overwhelming hatred, unwilling to accept that his life had ended like that.

When Xia Hong regained consciousness, he found himself in a strange world. His body was still his own, but he was not the sickly version of himself, he was a teenager.

It happened on the street, and Xia Hong almost knelt down and kowtowed to God several times to thank him for his mercy.

As luck would have it, Xia Hong met Mr. Zhang less than an hour after arriving in this world.

The scene was very similar to that in idol dramas. Xia Hong was hit by Mr. Zhang’s car. When he was carried into the car, he had a fantasy that he was the protagonist this time, not a supporting character.

That’s how things went after that, nothing special. Xia Hong thought to himself, God gave him a second chance at life, and he couldn’t go down the same old path again.

Otherwise he’ll be looked down upon. But see? I get a chance, and still nothing but a plaything.

Xia Hong calculated that he and Mr. Zhang were currently getting what they needed. He gave his body, and Mr. Zhang gave money. They were giving each other what they had, and it was all voluntary. There was no coercion involved. Once he had saved enough, he would go into
business, open a shop, and make his future life more exciting.

In fact, even if it’s still the same thing—giving up one’s body—life is a thousand times better now than before. Xia Hong no longer has to entertain multiple clients a day, fat men with teeth full of tobacco stains, some of whom have such a strong odor that they can make him vomit up his leftovers. Not only that, but he also has to endure some clients becoming nicer and making him feel like a dog.

Besides, Mr. Zhang is young and generous, and doesn’t have that kind of hobby.

Xia Hong clenched his little fingers. He dared not tell anyone about his past, afraid of being locked up as a lunatic. He dared not drink too much, and he could not sleep soundly, worried that he would talk in his sleep.

“Do you know how to make someone lose their memory? I really want to forget the past.” There’s too much pain, there’s no need to remember it.

Chen You was taken aback. “Why don’t you bang your head or jump off a building?”

Xia Hong，“……”

“Just kidding, please don’t do that, it’s very dangerous, your life is more important.” Chen You became serious, “Hypnosis might be worth a try, I heard it can replace the original memories.”

Xia Hong remembered it and decided to save money first.

Chen You then casually asked, “What about the others?”

Xia Hong couldn’t explain, “I haven’t met any acquaintances other than you.”

That probably means it’s over. Chen You couldn’t understand why Xia Hong was able to come over. He called the system, “Old 4, Old 4, this is Chen You, please respond if you hear me.”

Absolutely nothing.

“In this world, there is no Xia Hong, only Xia Chen.” Xia Hong said, “There is no Zhou Yi, only Chen You.” He thought his fellow villager’s experience was the same as his own.

Chen You couldn’t explain the cause and effect, he just said, “Right.”

Xia Hong chuckled, “I will play Xia Hong in this play because I like the ending you arranged for him.”

Chen You recalled what he had written. He was killed in the bombing, and Xia Hong was still in Gold. He didn’t know what would happen to him later. He had just written the role randomly.

As a kind person, he naturally hopes that everyone can be happy and fulfilled. In Chen You’s script, Xia Hong meets someone in Gold who truly cares for him and takes him away from Gold to live in a small town. They have a cat, a garden with beautiful flowers and plants, and a vegetable patch where they grow fruits and vegetables. They live a peaceful and comfortable life.

After some time, perhaps a minute or two, or even less than a minute, Chen You and Xia Hong embraced each other.

Chen You had his back to the iron gate, but he and Xia Hong simultaneously recoiled from the chilling, murderous aura that emanated from behind them—it was definitely coming from his man, there was no mistake.

He turned his head and met Li Yan’s angry gaze. The look in his eyes was that of someone looking at a young wife who had cheated on her husband, someone guilty of infidelity.

Holy crap, I’m going to die.

Chen You shuddered, his face turning pale.

Xia Hong said indifferently, “In the original world, you got involved with ErYe, and here you’re with Li Yan, who’s of similar status to ErYe. Zhou, Chen You, how come you’re so lucky…”

It’s all the same. My luck has been bad for nineteen years, and this is the only time it’s been good. Chen You didn’t dare to stay any longer, so he quickly said goodbye to Xia Hong and ran to his man’s side.

Hu Wei got off the car midway because he couldn’t stand the oppressive atmosphere inside, it was suffocating.

The driver was still the same driver, oblivious to the people and things in the car, as if he were completely deaf and blind, focusing solely on driving.

Chen You shifted his posture, facing the sulking man, and said, “That’s an old friend of mine.”

Li Yan asked, “Why were you hugging him?”

Chen You added, “Between old friends, it’s polite to say goodbye and give each other a hug before leaving, it’s very common, right, Xiao Liu?”

The driver didn’t want to hear it, but since he was called out, he had no choice but to reply, “Yes.”

Li Yan’s expression remained unchanged.

Chen You whispered in his ear, “Don’t be angry, I only like you.”

Li Yan’s eyes flickered for a moment, then became still again.

Chen You gritted his teeth, let me tell you, don’t push me. If you push me any further, I might say something that will disgust me to death.

Li Yan clearly wanted to hear the disgusting part, the more disgusting the better.

Chen You kissed the man’s ear, “I’ll tell you when we get back.”

After arriving home, Chen You was dragged upstairs and locked in a room. He was not released until the next day.

He lay in the rocking chair, the yellow puppy on his lap, and Xiaojin on the yellow puppy’s back. All three were very comfortable, thinking about their own things.

After taking a sip of yogurt, Chen You bit the straw with his teeth. Could it be that the people from the mission world could appear in his real world for some reason?

Since it can’t be said explicitly, it’s just put in that song?

Chen You took out his phone, pressed the earbuds into his ears, and listened to 《The Fireworks of Last Winter》 again with doubt. He listened to it ten times in a row, but still got nothing. His brain is really not good.

What will he do when he get old? ……

The yellow puppy wanted to drink yogurt and licked it several times.

Chen You tore the box open, “Laifu, there’s only a little yogurt left. You can have a taste, but eating too much isn’t good for your stomach.”

The yellow puppy went over and made a smacking noise.

Chen You patted its head, then scooped the little golden snake into his hand, “Son, is that you?”

“If so, wrap around my index finger.”

The little golden snake looked listless because winter had arrived again.

Chen You pinched its tail and scratched its belly, but nothing worked.

“Never mind, I’ll go check the time and wait to take my medicine.”

Overthinking isn’t a good solution.

Chen You then put the little golden snake into his sleeve. The snake crawled and crawled, wrapping around his arm, and he shuddered.

Grow up quickly, maybe you can evolve into a human.

It’s getting cold, so Chen You was going to the mall to buy wool sweaters for Laolao and his father.

A few days ago, he asked his DaBo, and it turned out Laolao didn’t react too strongly to his derailment, which was a relief.

When Chen Weidong heard his son say he was going to the mall, he went along to get some fresh air and buy some dates to cook porridge.

So the entire Chen You’s family came out.

This was the first time his father and Li Yan had appeared in public together since he came out as gay.

Chen Weidong is not a celebrity, nobody knows him, and after entering the mall he just pushes his little cart around by himself.

Chen You was wearing a mask and black-rimmed glasses, and Li Yan was also wearing a mask, the two of them walked together.

After browsing for a short while, Chen You’s phone rang. It was an unknown number. He ignored it the first two times, but answered on the third try, saying, “Who is this?”

The voice coming from the other end was very young, “Mr. Chen, is that right? I’m Youth Dies in Summer, that store’s owner. I saw your review of our shop. Is there anything you’re dissatisfied with?”

Chen You leaned over the shopping cart, watching the man buy snacks, “There’s nothing I’m dissatisfied with, I just like giving negative reviews.”

The call was abruptly cut off, then came back, yelling, “Screw your grandpa!”

He hung up after he finished cursing.

Chen You called, “Screw whose grandpa? Did LaoZi’s grandpa offend you?”

“Your grandpa didn’t offend me, buddy, you are unreasonable. What did my store do to offend you? If you don’t want the item, just refuse to accept it. What’s the point of accepting it and then leaving a negative review?”

Chen You rolled his eyes, if I didn’t leave a bad review, how would I have gotten your phone number? It’s all just a trap.

He grinned broadly, “I’m happy to do so.”

A tall, burly boy came around the end of the aisle, leaning against a sign advertising instant noodles. He held a cell phone in one hand and a lady’s handbag in the other, muttering curses and acting aggressively.

“Damn it, if a piece of trash like you showed up in front of me, I’d kill you…”

Chen You glanced at it and froze.

Aiyo, it really is you, school heartthrob.

(TN: From arc 6)

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