Go to my house

The silence of the night makes the air seem thick.

"Where's your home? I'll have the driver take you back." Lu Ziyi's gaze shifted from Cheng Xiaorui's bandaged hands to his drooping eyelashes. His tone was as unquestionable as ever, as if he were simply stating a set procedure.

Cheng Xiaorui subconsciously retracted his fingers, the rough touch of the gauze reminding him of his embarrassing night. "No need, I can go back by myself." He spoke softly, never looking up. "Also...thank you for today..."

Lu Ziyi seemed to have not heard his refusal at all, or perhaps simply didn't care. He repeated, his tone steady but with an invisible pressure: "Where is your home?"

"..." Cheng Xiaorui was silent for a moment, and suddenly seemed to remember something. With a subtle temptation that he couldn't even explain, he asked in a low voice: "Don't you know..." He remembered the malicious intent that was precisely delivered to the vicinity of his home, and the peeping eyes that were everywhere like shadows.

The air stagnated for a moment.

Lu Ziyi's gaze lingered on the top of his head for two seconds before he said calmly, "I forgot."

These three words were light, but like a tiny thorn. Cheng Xiaorui pursed his lips and stood up: "Forget it, I'll walk back by myself."

As he took a step, his wrist was firmly grasped by a warm hand. The force was not strong, but enough to make him unable to move.

"This place is more than ten kilometers from your home. You plan to walk until dawn?" Lu Ziyi looked at him, his brows slightly furrowed. His eyes were like he was looking at an unreasonable fool. "You are so stupid and dumb."

"It's okay..." Cheng Xiaorui responded subconsciously, then suddenly realized, "...How do you know the exact distance?"

Another brief silence fell. The halo of light from the street lamp shone through the window, casting a staggered pattern of light and dark shadows on Lu Ziyi's sharply defined profile.

He let go of her hand, his tone calm and collected, "I suddenly remembered."

Cheng Xiaorui silently sat back on the cool plastic chair, watching Lu Ziyi pull out his phone and walk aside to whisper a call. His slender figure stretched out in the light, carrying an innate sense of alienation that didn't fit in with this ordinary hospital corridor.

When Lu Ziyi ended the call and walked back, Cheng Xiaorui hesitated for a moment, then raised his head and spoke hesitantly, his eyes cautiously testing: "Um... money... can I not return it to you?"

He knew that he was being spineless and even a little too demanding, but the medical expenses were indeed a heavy burden for him, and...it had happened once before, and Lu Ziyi had not asked him to pay it back then.

Lu Ziyi stopped and looked down at his eyes, which were flickering slightly with nervousness. The words "poverty" and "pleading" were clearly reflected in them. He did not answer immediately, and this silence made Cheng Xiaorui's heart sink a little bit.

Just when Cheng Xiaorui was about to give up and wanted to say "I will pay it back", Lu Ziyi's mouth suddenly curled up in a very shallow, playful arc.

"No." He uttered three words clearly, breaking Cheng Xiaorui's last bit of luck.

"...Okay." Cheng Xiaorui lowered his head resignedly, his voice muffled, "Then I'll pay it back in installments."

Seeing him accepting his fate but secretly gritting his teeth, Lu Ziyi softly let out a "tsk" sound, as if he was helpless, but also seemed to find it interesting.

"what ever."

He turned around at the sound of a car engine and walked towards the hospital entrance without looking at Cheng Xiaorui. However, at that moment of turning around, a complex emotion flashed through his eyes that he himself had not even noticed.

Cheng Xiaorui looked at his back, slowly stood up, and followed him. The night wind blew in from the door, bringing a chill, but his mind was in a mess and he couldn't make sense of it.

The car door closed, shutting out the city's clamor. Cheng Xiaorui fumbled with the seatbelt, his gauze-wrapped fingers seeming particularly clumsy. The metal buckle slipped from his fingertips several times, making a small, clanking sound.

Just as he was about to try again, a shadow suddenly fell beside him. Without warning, Lu Zi leaned over, reaching across his body and precisely scooping up the stubborn piece of seatbelt. With a soft click, the buckle snapped back into place.

Cheng Xiaorui held his breath instantly.

It seemed a little too close; he could smell the cold, faint scent of disinfectant and expensive laundry detergent on him. Even more stiffening was the fact that Lu Ziyi's knee was pressing squarely against the seat between his legs, a position imbued with dominance. The warmth of his knees radiated through the thin fabric of his school pants.

Cheng Xiaorui subconsciously wanted to shrink back to avoid this overly aggressive distance.

"Don't move."

A deep voice boomed from above. Cheng Xiaorui froze, his breathing becoming shallow until Lu Ziyi withdrew his hand and sat up straight again, as if the approach just now was just a trivial incident.

The car merged smoothly into the traffic flow. Silence spread in the car, with only the faint sound of the air conditioning system.

After a long while, Cheng Xiaorui looked at the rapidly receding neon lights outside the window and said softly, "Can you take me to XXX Hotel?"

"Why don't you go home?" Lu Ziyi raised his eyes from the phone screen and glanced at him.

"I'm afraid my mom will worry. I don't want her to see me like this." He sighed, his voice full of fatigue. "I've already sent her a message saying I'm at a classmate's house and won't be back tonight."

"Then what are you doing in that shabby hotel?"

"One night's sleep."

"Are you rich?" Lu Ziyi raised his eyebrows with interest, with a hint of amusement in his tone.

"No..." Cheng Xiaorui's voice lowered, "But students there are half price, so it should be... enough." He didn't even have the confidence to say this.

"It's dirty and smelly there," Lu Ziyi's tone turned cold. "What if the wound gets infected?"

The more he pressed, the more embarrassed Cheng Xiaorui became, as if he had been backed into a corner. "It's not important..." He almost stammered, turning his head towards the car window in a futile attempt to hide his embarrassment.

"...Really, so stupid." Lu Ziyi sneered and looked away.

The series of questions left Cheng Xiaorui speechless. He just fell silent, unconsciously picking at the edge of the gauze wrapped around his hand with his fingertips. He knew that the situation tonight was very bad, but what could he do?

"To my house."

Lu Ziyi crossed his arms, leaned back on the leather seat, and uttered three words lightly.

Cheng Xiaorui turned his head abruptly, looking at him in disbelief. How could such words come out of Lu Ziyi's mouth? "No..." He subconsciously wanted to refuse, but Lu Ziyi interrupted him:

"arrive."

The car had stopped at some point. Cheng Xiaorui looked out the window blankly, only to find that they were in a quiet villa area, with streetlights casting a warm glow on the smooth road.

The two got out of the car and it drove away silently. Cheng Xiaorui was still standing there stupidly, looking at the brightly lit house not far away, feeling a little overwhelmed.

"What are you standing there for?" Lu Ziyi took a few steps and looked back at him. His profile was clearly outlined in the night. "If you don't want to go in, sleep outside."

"..." Cheng Xiaorui was speechless for a while. Only then did he realize that from the very beginning, the address Lu Ziyi gave to the driver was probably his own home.

A feeling of being plotted against surged in his heart, mixed with an indescribable complex of emotions. He hesitated for a moment, but ultimately took a step forward and followed the tall, indifferent figure.

Silence spread between the two of them, just like the thick and indissoluble night.

Lu Ziyi pushed open the heavy door, and a warm yellow light streamed out, forming a sharp contrast with the cold outside. Cheng Xiaorui stood behind him, looking at the shiny marble floor with some trepidation, hesitating whether to step in.

"Shoes." Lu Ziyi took out a pair of brand new gray slippers from the shoe cabinet without even turning his head and threw them in front of him casually.

Cheng Xiaorui fumbled with his injured hand, trying to untie his shoelaces, his movements slow and awkward. Lu Ziyi had changed his shoes and turned back to see him still struggling with the laces. His brow furrowed, as if his patience had run out. He walked back a few steps, squatted down, and slapped Cheng Xiaorui's clumsy hand away.

"Don't move." These two words again.

Cheng Xiaorui froze in place, looking down at the top of Lu Ziyi's head. With quick, deft movements, he untied the tightly laced laces on his worn sneakers and helped him slip into soft slippers. The whole process was so fast that Cheng Xiaorui had no time to react, leaving only a slight numbness on his wrist where it had been slapped open.

"Follow me." Lu Zi also stood up and walked straight inside.

Cheng Xiaorui followed him through the spacious and somewhat empty living room. Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows was the carefully tended courtyard landscape, which looked quiet and remote in the night.

He looked around curiously. The house was too quiet. Apart from their footsteps, he could not hear any other sounds.

Lu Ziyi opened a door, revealing a guest room. It was simply decorated, but fully equipped. "You'll sleep here tonight," he said, pointing to the bathroom. "There are new towels and toiletries inside."

Cheng Xiaorui nodded and whispered, "Thank you."

Lu Ziyi didn't acknowledge the thank you. His eyes fell on the gauze that was still oozing with blood. "Hand, hold it out."

Cheng Xiaorui hesitated, then reached out his hand. Lu Ziyi produced disinfectant spray and clean gauze from somewhere, and although his movements weren't exactly gentle, he expertly cleaned and bandaged the wound. The cold disinfectant irritated the wound, and Cheng Xiaorui couldn't help but gasp.

"Do you feel the pain now?" Lu Ziyi glanced up at him, but his hands didn't stop moving. "What were you thinking about when you were catching wild cats?"

Cheng Xiaorui pursed his lips and said nothing.

After the bandage was completed, Lu Ziyi packed up his things, walked to the door, held the door handle, and paused.

"Cheng Xiaorui." He suddenly called him by his full name.

Cheng Xiaorui raised his head.

"Don't touch anything here without my permission." His tone was calm, yet possessive. "Including your own worthless life."

After saying that, he closed the door.

With a soft click, Cheng Xiaorui was left alone in the room. He stood there, looking at his re-bandaged hands and then around the elegant yet cold guest room, his heart in turmoil. Lu Ziyi's actions were full of contradictions, like a charity of assistance, but also like a warning to draw a line.

He walked over to the bed and sat down, the soft mattress sinking slightly. Outside the window lay the boundless night and a world that belonged to Lu Ziyi, a world completely unfamiliar to him. And just inside the door lay his temporary, tiny space, a place he wasn't sure whether it was a sanctuary or a new prison.

This night is destined to be long.

The morning light filtered through the thin gauze curtains, illuminating the guest room. Cheng Xiaorui woke early, or rather, he had barely slept all night. The familiar surroundings, the soft bed, and the dull pain in his hand made it difficult for him to fall asleep.

He left the guest room and found Lu Ziyi already sitting at the spacious open kitchen island, reading the news on his tablet, a steaming cup of coffee beside him. He was wearing simple home clothes, less aggressive than he was at school, but still exuding an unapproachable aura.

The aroma of toast wafted through the air. Without even looking up, Lu Ziyi gestured with his chin to a breakfast on the other side of the counter—fried eggs, bacon, toast, and a glass of milk.

"Go back after you finish eating."

Cheng Xiaorui walked over silently and sat down on the high stool farthest from him. He took a sip of milk, the warm liquid sliding down his throat, soothing his tense nerves. The huge house was still eerily quiet, with only the low murmur of the news broadcast coming from the tablet.

He hesitated for a long time, his eyes scanning the empty staircase and the silent living room several times. Finally, he couldn't help but whisper the doubt that had been lingering in his mind all night:

"Um... Chen Zihan... why isn't he at home? Don't you guys... live together?"

Lu Ziyi paused for a moment as he scrolled across the screen, then returned to normal. He took a sip of his coffee, his tone calm and emotionless.

"He went on a trip with his mother."

Cheng Xiaorui's grip on the glass suddenly tightened.

"Fuck"...

Those two words were like a pebble, dropped unexpectedly into the lake of his heart, sending out complex ripples. He clearly remembered that Chen Zihan's mother was the wife Lu Ziyi's father later married. Legally and nominally, she was also Lu Ziyi's "mother."

But he used "his mother," so clearly separating himself from that reconstituted family, with a kind of silent distance and... perhaps something else.

A brief silence stretched between the two of them. Cheng Xiaorui lowered his eyes, looking at the milky white liquid swaying in the cup. He suddenly felt that the silence in this gorgeous villa was not only due to its emptiness, but also due to a certain emotional emptiness.

"Oh." He finally just responded softly and didn't ask any further questions.

This simple name seemed to reveal more clearly than any fierce conflict what kind of irreparable rift lay beneath the shell of this seemingly perfect family. And at this moment, he and the creator of this rift were silently sharing a room.