Chapter 2 N-Close at Hand

In the misty rain, beautiful memories flooded my mind like a tidal wave.

Chu Beiling's tongue went numb, and his hands, hanging by his sides, clenched into fists until his fingertips ached before he finally loosened them.

He never expected that Xing Yu, whom he thought about day and night, who was tormented by the memories of the past, yet who refused to give up and never forgot, would be the one he longed for.

And just like that, we met suddenly, without any preparation or expectation.

The rain grew heavier and heavier, rushing down the gray-blue tiles in a torrent, forming flowing silver chains that gleamed with a metallic sheen.

Inside the wooden corridor, the tourists coming and going are transformed into blurred renderings, becoming empty shadows.

Only they remained clearly visible to each other.

Xing Yu's tall and upright figure froze on the spot, his throat dry and tight, and his hand holding the amulet trembled.

That was a newly obtained one. After ten years, it finally worked. He pinned his hopes on it, clinging to illusions and praying year after year, only to despairingly face reality.

This year, the unexpected happened again, catching him completely off guard.

And the question I just had also been answered.

Several years have passed since we parted, but she remains the same.

Chu Beiling still carried the shadow of her youth, but she had shed her boyish naiveté and become more mature, losing some of her sunny vitality and gaining some of her coldness and aloofness.

Xing Yu moved to step forward, but Zhu Qing'an grabbed Chu Beiling's sleeve and pointed to a popular tourist spot: "That spot looks good, shall we go take a picture together?"

Chu Beiling's heart stopped beating. He couldn't hear what Zhu Qing'an, who was standing beside him, was saying at all; he only knew that Zhu Qing'an was talking.

But he had no interest in it.

Seeing that he hadn't paid any attention to her, Zhu Qing'an assumed that Chu Beiling was busy admiring the scenery and hadn't heard him speak, so she spoke up again: "Beiling, that spot over there is nice, do you want to go down and take a picture?"

Still no response—

Zhu Qing'an followed Chu Beiling's gaze and looked over.

There was a person standing below them.

The person under the corridor was just as good-looking as Chu Beiling, but their styles were completely different.

Even a long, dark brown trench coat couldn't hide his perfect physique: broad shoulders, narrow waist, and long legs. Coupled with his striking, angular features, unlike the softer features of most East Asians, he exuded a strong, aggressive aura, making him seem unapproachable at first glance.

Especially his long, narrow eyes with slightly upturned corners, sharp and cold, full of contempt.

If it weren't for the gentleness hidden in his eyes.

Zhu Qing'an would think he was looking at some kind of massive piece of trash.

Perhaps noticing his scrutiny, the people in the corridor seemed to have finally discovered him, and their gazes gradually shifted from Chu Beiling to him.

In that instant, her gentle and expectant gaze turned cold, her chilling eyes piercing him before quickly glancing away and turning to walk downstairs.

As Zhu Qing'an approached, she thought she was hallucinating.

It might just be his imagination; they were just strangers, and there was no reason for them to see him like that.

Zhu Qing'an turned her gaze to Chu Beiling, who was standing motionless to the side. Having known him for six or seven years, she had never seen him like this before—

He looked somewhat lost and dejected.

It felt like half of my soul had been drained away.

Zhu Qing'an asked in confusion, "What, do you know that person down there?"

Nobody paid him any attention.

Zhu Qing'an snapped his fingers in front of him, and Chu Beiling mechanically turned to look at him before glancing at Xing Yu.

Xing Yu had already walked a distance under the corridor when Chu Beiling snapped out of his daze and sprinted after him.

Zhu Qing'an was stunned, never expecting that Chu Beiling, who had always been calm and composed, would suddenly act like this. She stood there for a quarter of an hour before she reacted and followed him, saying, "Beiling, wait for me."

Chu Beiling quickly caught up with Xing Yu, staring at his back. After hesitating for a moment, she pinched her thigh hard before reaching out to grab Xing Yu's arm.

Xing Yu stopped moving, turned around to look at him, and then looked down at Chu Beiling's hand that was holding his wrist.

Chu Beiling released his grip instantly as if he'd been electrocuted, and gave an embarrassed and helpless laugh: "Sorry."

Xing Yu frowned slightly: "It's been so long, I haven't seen you..." He caught a glimpse of Zhu Qing'an following behind.

He took a step back, turned around, and quickly left.

Xing Yu's expression and tone just now were full of displeasure, as if the person who grabbed him was some kind of filthy thing, and he didn't even bother to say a complete sentence, like "long time no see."

A piercing ringing sound came from his ears, and his head began to throb again. Chu Beiling couldn't help but sway and reached out to hold onto a wooden pillar to steady himself.

Zhu Qing'an quickly helped him up and asked with concern, "Are you alright?"

Chu Beiling's mind was in a mess, and she was completely unable to process the information at the moment. She could only subconsciously reply, "I'm fine."

Zhu Qing'an stared at his pale face, still somewhat worried: "Is it because you're not used to the new environment? Should we go to the hospital to get it checked out?"

Chu Beiling let go of his hand, stood still, shook his head, and casually made up an excuse: "I might have low blood sugar."

"Perfect timing, I have two candies here." Before departing, Zhu Qing'an was bored in the airport lounge, so she took a few candies to eat for fun. He ate a few, and there were still some left, which she could give to him.

Chu Beiling took the two grape-flavored gummy candies from his palm, peeled off the plastic shell, and put the candies in his mouth. His mouth was filled with bitterness, and he couldn't taste any sweetness in the sweet candies.

After a moment, once he had calmed down, Chu Beiling said, "Let's go."

Zhu Qing'an: "Why don't you take a break?"

"No need." Chu Beiling shook her head and walked downstairs on her own before he could react.

The two walked to a nearby parking lot. Chu Beiling filled in the information on the app and prepared to take a taxi to West Lake. It was raining today, and their location was relatively remote. They waited for a long time, but no driver accepted their order.

Chu Beiling was wondering whether he should walk back to Lingyin Temple, where transportation would be more convenient, when a black-suited thug stopped in front of him and the driver's side window rolled down.

The headlights from the car not far away blurred into dim and indistinct halos.

Xing Yu's sculpted features, like a sculpture, seemed veiled in the misty rain, exuding both freedom and nobility.

No ordinary person may touch it.

Xing Yu's gaze swept over him inch by inch, as if he were looking at a stranger, or as if he were investigating something.

Their eyes met for a long time—

Xing Yu broke the silence: "I felt you looked familiar, but I couldn't quite place you for a moment. Now I suddenly remember, you're Ke Jincheng, right?"

Chu Beiling nearly lost his footing.

Time is truly a cruel yet beautiful thing. It not only draws a clear line between them, but also keeps all the beautiful moments of the past in an untouchable past.

It can also erase most of a person's memories.

So much so that his boyfriend, who had once been very close to him and called his name countless times, mistook him for someone else, unable to match his face with his name.

It turns out that in Xing Yu's heart, he wasn't even as good as an ordinary classmate.

It's not worth remembering.

Before Chu Beiling could answer, Zhu Qing'an, who had been relegated to the background, spoke up after a long pause, "Are you sure you haven't mistaken me for someone else?"

Xing Yu's cool eyes probed the background board beside him, his slender fingers tapping the steering wheel casually: "Probably not, my memory is pretty good."

Zhu Qing'an thought to herself, "Not bad at all. Your memory has a rather low limit."

He then turned to Chu Beiling, who was staring intently at Xing Yu, and asked, "You know him?"

Chu Beiling forced a stiff smile: "I know you. We were high school classmates and roommates."

He was also her ex-boyfriend.

Xing Yu's expression froze for a few seconds before he said, "It's hard to get a taxi here. Where are you going? I'll give you a ride, since we were high school classmates."

He emphasized the words "high school classmate" as if they were being singled out.

Chu Beiling stood still, trying her best to hide her terrible expression.

The horns of the cars behind Xing Yu blared, urging him on. He said, "Don't stand there for too long, the cars behind are getting impatient."

"Then I'll trouble you... Xu Tunan, please take us to West Lake, thank you." Chu Beiling opened the back door of the car and gestured for Zhu Qing'an to come along.

Xing Yu's lips curled up almost imperceptibly. After they got into the car and were seated, he turned around and looked at them. "No need to be polite, Ke Jincheng. We're classmates, so it's no trouble to give you a ride."

After a pause, he squeezed out another line, a line often uttered upon a long-awaited reunion: "Long time no see, how have you been?"

Chu Beiling gave a bitter smile and sincerely asked, "We have a very good relationship, so good that you could say 'How have you been?' Sorry, I don't quite remember!"

Xing Yu mistook him for Ke Jincheng, and his answer didn't seem to be a problem.

Xing Yu glanced at him casually: "It was just a polite remark, but you took it seriously. Your old habits haven't changed at all."

Chu Beiling: "You too."

As always, he's a smart aleck.

The car drove off the side road and onto the main road.

The cramped carriage fell into complete silence, with only the deep, magnetic melody of a cello emanating from the car stereo.

Standing close by, Chu Beiling could smell the familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar faint lemon scent emanating from Xing Yu. Xing Yu particularly loved the smell of lemon; almost everything he owned smelled like lemon.

It has a sweet and sour taste with a subtle freshness, which is very refreshing.

I never expected it to still be like this.

Chu Beiling's gaze swept over him, finally settling on Xing Yu's hands, which were gripping the steering wheel and had distinct knuckles. On his right hand, there was a scar that ran diagonally from his middle finger to his wrist bone. Ten years had passed, and the long scar was still conspicuous, without fading in the slightest.

He had always admired Xing Yu's hands, with their distinct joints and clear, artistic lines.

Because of the scar he had, Chu Beiling couldn't help but kiss it and draw on his hand to cover it up. Xing Yu would often watch casually, indulging him in his playful antics.

After he'd had his fill of playing, Xing Yu would beckon him with his finger, signaling him to come over and kiss him.

Things have changed, people are no longer the same.

People who were once so close can no longer even exchange an awkward greeting.

Noticing Xing Yu's gaze about to fall upon him, Chu Beiling subtly dodged away.

The person on the backdrop leaned closer and spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear: "Are there a lot of good-looking people in your class?"

Chu Beiling looked over in confusion. His face, as elegant as the picturesque landscapes of Jiangnan, could appear gentle and lively with just a slight expression.

Zhu Qing'an felt that anyone who had seen his face would never forget it.

unless--

Zhu Qing'an said, "Unless there are a lot of good-looking people in the class, all of them are top-notch handsome guys, there's no reason for me to forget you."

Xing Yu raised his eyes, glanced at the rearview mirror with a cold gaze, and then looked at the intersection ahead.

Chu Beiling curled her lips in a mocking smile: "Perhaps I'm not worth remembering."

Zhu Qing'an disagreed: "So much time has passed, and we haven't been in contact for a long time, so it's normal to forget."

Moreover, many high school classmates only exchange glimpses. After leaving the school environment, many gradually disappear from each other's lives. If they do bump into each other, they might just nod and exchange polite greetings. Some might not even remember who the other person is after saying hello, and if they do, it's probably just—

Oh, it was him! He's changed so much!

It is rare for two people's lives and life trajectories to intertwine.

Chu Beiling felt a dull pain in his heart, which subsided after a moment—

He said, "Yes, it's normal to forget."

Ten years, 3652 days, is a really long time, and all sorts of changes are normal.

Half an hour later, Xing Yu parked the car near Youdian Road. After the car came to a stop, Chu Beiling remained seated in the car, driven by an overwhelming and uncontrollable instinct.

Seeing Chu Beiling's hesitant expression, Xing Yu was about to ask when his phone suddenly vibrated. He glanced at the caller ID and answered.

Chu Beiling planned to wait until Xing Yu finished talking before asking him for his contact information.

He had already missed it once, and he didn't want to miss it again.

Even if you don't have any other fantasies, at least leave a contact number so that you don't disappear into the crowd without a trace.

The next second I heard him say, "What else do you need?"

Xing Yu chatted gently with the person on the other end of the phone, without glancing at Chu Beiling once more.

Although the voice on the other end of the phone wasn't loud, he clearly heard a sweet-voiced young boy asking him to buy a box of condoms.

No one lives in the past or gets stuck in it; everyone is boldly moving forward.

He shouldn't have been so presumptuous. His ex-boyfriend, who had already forgotten who he was, was now having a tender conversation with the person on the other end of the phone, discussing buying condoms.

How could he possibly have any other expectations or fantasies?

"Thank you for bringing me here." Without waiting for Xing Yu's reply, Chu Beiling hurriedly fled this suffocating place of trouble.

Zhu Qing'an quickly followed and helped Chu Beiling, who was unsteady on his feet: "Is it low blood sugar again?"

Chu Beiling shook her head: "Not this time, I'm just a little carsick."

"Wait a minute." Zhu Qing'an bought a bottle of hawthorn juice from a nearby fruit shop and handed it to Chu Beiling: "Drinking some will make you feel much better."

"Thanks." Chu Beiling took the hawthorn juice, drank a few sips, and raised his chin: "Let's go, we'll reach West Lake at the end of this street."

Among the thugs in black suits, Xing Yu stared at the rearview mirror, his eyes growing increasingly dim.

The figures of Chu Beiling and another man, intimately close, grew increasingly blurry until they disappeared into the misty rain, never to be found again. Just like ten years ago, he watched helplessly as Chu Beiling turned and walked away.

He didn't look back even once.

Seeing that Xing Yu didn't respond for a while, the person on the other end of the phone tentatively asked, "Brother Xing?"

Xing Yu snapped out of his daze: "Is there anything else?"

The person said, "No need, just the painting set."

Xing Yu: "Okay."

Just as I hung up, my phone rang again; this time it was Xu Tunan.

He said, "Xing Yu, are you still at Faxi Temple? The cooperation plan with ECho has been completed according to their requirements and sent to your OA email. Take a look, and we'll adjust it now if there are any problems."

"Just finalize the general plan. We'll adjust the rest after confirming with ECho. Once you've confirmed there are no problems, that's fine." Xing Yu parked his car in a nearby parking lot and went to West Lake to find someone.

As evening approached, the rain finally stopped, and the air was filled with the smell of freshly turned earth.

Chu Beiling took Zhu Qing'an to have dinner in the shopping district surrounding Gonglian CC.

The rain stopped, but there was still some water on the road. The colorful LED signs of the surrounding shops were reflected on the wet road, blending together like an overturned palette of paint, vibrant and dreamlike, dazzling to the eye.

And then there's the undeniable, massive LED advertising screen at Gonglian CC.

It read: "The new year is almost here. Can we meet before Christmas?"

Immediately following, the second line of text appeared: "Winter is not only a time for longing, but also a time for meeting up."

Chu Beiling twitched the corner of her mouth. Was it appropriate to meet? At least there was still hope if they didn't meet. But if they did meet, reality would slap them hard, make them realize who they were, and tell them to wake up and stop fantasizing.

Rather than being slapped awake, he preferred to live in his fantasy, at least he was certain that Xing Yu would always love him.

For the next two days, Chu Beiling held online meetings with his subordinates in Singapore at the hotel to repeatedly confirm the revision plan for Chu Meng Animation. The rest of the time, he either stayed at the hotel or was invited by Zhu Qing'an to act as a tour guide and stroll around the West Lake.

Two days later, around nine o'clock, he and Zhu Qing'an arrived at the Chumeng Animation Building.

After informing the receptionist of my purpose for visiting, the person in charge sent an assistant named Yang Feng to receive me.

Yang Feng told them, "Our boss has some urgent business to attend to and will be here soon. I'll arrange for you to go to the meeting room first."

Chu Beiling nodded slightly: "Lead the way."

Yang Feng arranged for them to stay in the reception room and asked them if they would like coffee or tea.

Zhu Qing'an: "Have a cup of tea."

Coffee and tea both stimulate the nerves, so Chu Beiling neither wanted to drink them nor could she, and instead asked for a glass of plain water.

The assistant left the meeting room, and the door opened again a short while later.

Chu Beiling assumed it was her assistant bringing water, so she didn't look up and continued scrolling through her phone, trying out one password after another on various social media platforms that Ms. Li might have set.

Zhu Qing'an, who was standing to the side, nudged Chu Beiling's arm, gesturing for him to look towards the door.

Seeing that Chu Beiling did not react, Zhu Qing'an had no choice but to lean slightly to the side.

He covered his mouth and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear, "That extremely handsome guy we met a couple of days ago, the high school classmate who misremembered your name, what a coincidence, he's actually a business partner."

The other day I ran into an incredibly handsome guy, was he my high school classmate? Xing Yu?

Chu Beiling paused for half a second, then instantly looked up.