Unexpectedly, he had overheard her conversation with Jiang Xue. Shi Meng frowned and said, "You were eavesdropping."

“I wasn’t eavesdropping, I was listening openly.” Fu Xuanliao shrugged. “I just got here, and you two just happened to come out.”

"What are you doing here?" Shi Meng asked.

If he remembered correctly, before they parted last time, he told Fu Xuanliao that there was only one way to "revive".

That was simply impossible.

As expected, Fu Xuanliao made no attempt to bring up the matter, but instead pointed to the sky and said, "Let's look at the stars."

Almost reflexively, Shi Meng looked up at the sky.

Just then, Fu Xuanliao, who had walked up to him, grabbed one of his wrists, lifted it up, and quickly hung something heavy on it.

When he came to his senses, he quickly withdrew his hand, looked down, and saw that it was a bracelet that looked somewhat familiar.

It looks familiar because of the clear and beautiful sapphire, but it's hard to be sure because the original gemstone, which was the size of a pigeon egg, has been replaced by several pieces strung together by a silver chain. The overly ornate design has been replaced by a low-key and everyday style, making it more suitable for everyday wear.

As a result, the dazzling gemstone seemed to be scattered, encircling the wrist like stars, and the subtle shimmering light made Shi Meng pause in surprise, as if she really saw stars.

In a daze, he heard Fu Xuanliao's voice very close.

"Happy birthday."

Fu Xuanliao raised his arm, his palm hovering above his head, forming a gesture to shield him from the wind and rain.

"I hope that on every birthday from now on, the little mushroom will never get wet in the rain."

Shi Meng refused to admit that he was a mushroom.

Even though he once really wanted to know why Fu Xuanliao gave him the nickname "Mushroom" and wanted to see what he actually looked like in Fu Xuanliao's writing.

He didn't believe Fu Xuanliao could restore the painting to its original state, since even he himself couldn't do it.

However, Fu Xuanliao still followed him into the house, shamelessly saying that he was starving and would eat anything, which confirmed Shi Meng's guess.

Although Shi Meng still failed to guard the gate this time, he didn't intend to pay any more attention to him, thinking that Shi Meng would leave on his own when he got bored.

After entering the house, Shi Meng went straight to the kitchen, disposed of the leftover food waste from dinner, and then threw the used pots and pans into the dishwasher.

While boiling water, Shi Meng remembered that the bracelet was still on her wrist. After washing her hands, she took it off and walked out. Just as she was about to return it, she looked up and saw Fu Xuanliao lying face down on the table with his eyes closed. As she took a few steps closer, she could faintly hear his slow and even breathing.

She actually fell asleep.

Shi Meng was caught in a dilemma. Reason told him that he should wake the person up and kick him out, but another voice in his mind advised him, "Look how pitiful this person is. He's so tired that he's fallen asleep. Let him rest for a while."

Perhaps drowsiness is contagious; after a brief moment of hesitation, Shi Meng also began to feel sleepy.

Unlike his slightly irritable temper, Fu Xuanliao has a very good sleeping posture. He can sleep soundly until dawn, and when he lies down, his face is only turned to the left, with his long legs relaxed and spread apart under the table, just like when he lay on his desk in school.

The only difference was that his eyes and brows were etched with the marks of time, and a lingering sense of melancholy hung in them.

Who made him, who was originally carefree and cheerful, become melancholic and unpredictable?

As I pondered this, my mind and vision became increasingly blurred, but the images in my memory slowly became clearer until they overlapped with the scene before me.

Without realizing it, Shi Meng reached out her hand, just like she had done many years ago in the afternoon classroom.

Fortunately, she still had her senses. Just a second before she was about to touch him, Shi Meng snapped out of her reverie, her fingertips trembled violently, and she quickly withdrew her hand.

He stood up almost hastily and ran upstairs without looking back.

When Fu Xuanliao woke up, it was already broad daylight.

The aftereffects of sleeping on the table all night became apparent the moment I opened my eyes. My entire spine was stiff from maintaining the same posture for so long. Any movement felt like forcibly turning a rusty gear, causing so much pain that I grimaced and almost cried.

His body had become weak from prolonged hunger, and the mere act of standing up made Fu Xuanliao tremble several times. If it weren't for the table he could hold onto, he might have collapsed to the ground.

The only good thing was that Shi Meng didn't take advantage of him falling into a deep sleep and throw him out the door like trash.

To ensure his survival, Fu Xuanliao followed his instincts and went to the kitchen to find something to eat. He casually scooped up a piece of cake left over from last night and put it in his mouth. Just then, he heard a noise at the door. Shi Meng, who had gone to hang clothes in the yard, had returned.

After hastily swallowing the cake, Fu Xuanliao, holding a spoon covered in cream, greeted Shi Meng with an unseemly "Good morning." Shi Meng glanced at him, then at the cake on the counter, ignored him, and turned to leave.

Having been ignored these days, Fu Xuanliao was not affected at all. Seeing Shi Meng finish his work and sit down in front of the easel, Fu Xuanliao, who was well-fed and rested, went over and moved a stool to sit next to him.

He remembered that Shi Meng didn't like being watched while he painted, so he found a spot to the side of the canvas, but his mouth couldn't stop. One minute he was asking Shi Meng if he wanted to know where he had been these past few days, and the next he was saying that the convenience store owner nearby was taking advantage of newcomers. Last time he bought a few daily necessities, he only found out after checking the receipt that a few items had been scanned twice when he wasn't looking, and he had been overcharged.

"Now that everyone knows I stole things, won't they have even more reason to bully me in the future?"

As Fu Xuanliao spoke, he glanced at Shi Meng.

Shi Meng still looked indifferent, dipping his brush in paint on the palette. His focused expression made Fu Xuanliao wonder if he was even listening.

With a helpless twitch of his lips, Fu Xuanliao dared not object to the current peaceful way they got along.

He glanced listlessly at the pile of gift boxes by the door, feeling gratified, and then asked Shi Meng, "Now you have good teachers, good friends, and loving family, all you lack is a lover."

"Look, can I try to get this position?"

Less than a day after making those boastful remarks, Fu Xuanliao ran into someone else at the door who also coveted the position.

Pan Jiawei had been busy all week. He had no classes on Friday afternoon, so he took the bus home early. After dropping off his things, he went to find Shi Meng next door.

When he encountered someone blocking his way, a Land Rover parked on the side of the road honked twice at him. He walked around it and the car honked twice more, and its headlights suddenly turned on, blinding him.

Helpless, Pan Jiawei opened the passenger door and got in, sighing as he asked, "What's up, bro?"

With one hand on the steering wheel and the other elbow resting on the door frame, Fu Xuanliao said with a forced smile, "Nothing much, just wanted to have a chat."

Pan Jiawei scoffed, "Who wants to talk to you?"

They said that, but their bodies betrayed them by staying in the car.

Pan Jiawei said he only had five minutes and cheekily asked Fu Xuanliao what he did for a living. Fu Xuanliao replied perfunctorily that he worked, and Pan Jiawei gloated and mocked, "You got fired, didn't you? No wonder you're so free."

When asked if the car was comfortable to sleep in, Fu Xuanliao said it was fine. He then said, "Can it be as comfortable as a bed?"

Later, he even recommended that Fu Xuanliao find a job nearby: "At the end of this street, turn left and go through two intersections. There's a nightclub on your right that rich women love. With your looks and figure, you might be able to be the top hostess."

Despite being provoked like this, Fu Xuanliao was not angry at all. Instead, he listened with a smirk, as if to say, "Let's see what other tricks you have up your sleeve."

Being young, Pan Jiawei quickly lost patience and couldn't help but start asking around.

"You don't actually do this kind of work, do you?" he asked tentatively. "I heard you were forced... or something."

When he asked that question, Fu Xuanliao knew what was going on. Clearly, Shi Meng had told him this, most likely to get him to give up.

However, judging from this situation, the young man is quite resilient and still dares to harbor such fantasies.

“Yes, I’ve forced myself to be genuinely in love,” Fu Xuanliao said, playing along. “Now I can’t live without him, and he can’t live without me.”

Pan Jiawei was initially shocked, then thought it was nonsense: "Come on, I don't see how he can't live without you?"

Fu Xuanliao asked casually, "So you want to steal my girlfriend?"

"This isn't called poaching; this is called fair competition."

“Oh.” Fu Xuanliao nodded knowingly. “Fair.”

As he spoke, he reached out and pressed the lock button, then slammed on the gas to start the car.

Amidst the roar of the engine, Pan Jiawei witnessed his actions, turned around, and realized he couldn't open the car door, immediately panicking.

"What are you doing? Don't do anything reckless! ...Stop, stop, stop, where are you taking me?"

The car sped forward a short distance before suddenly stopping, the inertia causing Pan Jiawei to lurch forward and bounce back heavily.

After finally settling down, Pan Jiawei looked around and saw a concrete wall in front of him. His legs went weak with fear, and he stammered, "Are you...you're crazy?"

Fu Xuanliao remained calm, but his words were terrifying.

"If he wants me dead, I'd run him over right now."

Fu Xuanliao abandoned his nonchalant attitude and became menacing, his eyes filled with an overbearing, self-righteous, and unreasonable air.

Although he doesn't like bullying children, but...

Turning to the person sitting motionless in the passenger seat, Fu Xuanliao asked, "What about you? Do you dare?"

"Do you still think it's fair now?"

When news of this outrageous "jealousy" reached Shi Meng's ears, it naturally caused quite a stir.

That evening, in the living room, Shi Meng coldly looked at Fu Xuanliao, who had knocked on the door under the pretext of asking for a free meal: "Have you made enough of a scene?"

Fu Xuanliao looked at him and said, "Not yet."

Why scare him?

"To make him give up."

"Who wants you dead?"

"I don't want to die," Fu Xuanliao said frankly, "but I want you to know that if you die for me, I can do the same."

A sense of powerlessness washed over her again, and Shi Meng felt exhausted: "What exactly do you want?"

Where exactly do you want me to hide, and to what extent should I retreat?

Without much hesitation, Fu Xuanliao said, "I want to get back together with you."

Seemingly stung by the last two words of the sentence, Shi Meng retorted, "Reconcile? Were we ever together?"

"Of course. We've always been together before."

Shi Meng couldn't help but laugh: "What you call being together is just me using tricks to bind you, and you unwillingly fulfilling the contract?"

"no."

Fu Xuanliao wanted to say no. At first, he was unwilling because of a misunderstanding, and later he resisted because he was afraid of falling in love. Our entanglement is two-way, and so is love. How can a contract cover up a mutual affection?

But it's too late to say all this now, so late that mentioning the word "love" only brings cold laughter and sarcasm.

It's too late, there's no going back, and nothing can undo the damage. Only now does Fu Xuanliao truly understand what it feels like to be pushed to the brink of despair.

He took a deep breath, took out the original contract he had obtained from Shi Huaiyi, and placed it in front of Shi Meng.

"This contract shall come into effect on the date of signing and shall not be terminated without the permission of either party."

Fu Xuanliao read one of the precautions to Shi Meng, and then, as one of the parties, stated, "I disagree, so the contract shall continue to be performed."

Shi Meng then realized that his disappearance for several days, leaving him exhausted, was all for this thing.

An indescribable sense of absurdity washed over me, like walking into a giant maze, surrounded by paths, yet not knowing which one led to the exit.

Shi Meng refused to back down, stubbornly bowing her head and saying, "I don't want to, go away."

Before long, Fu Xuanliao gently pinched his chin and lifted his gaze to look at another thing in his hand.

A single sheet of paper unfolds into a painting; the lines are rough, and the color scheme is not particularly refined, but the style is quite distinctive. If that painting, "Flame," were still available, and placed next to this one, it might be mistaken for being by the same artist, or even a deliberate imitation or reproduction.

Even though the subjects of the paintings are different—one painting is of fire, and this one is of rain—the torrential rain extinguishes a raging wildfire. What should have been an instinctive struggle for dominance is instead met with the seemingly powerful fire willingly and quietly letting the rain extinguish and surround it, without complaint.

If "Flame" represents longing, then this painting speaks of submission.

Shi Meng didn't want to interpret the content of the painting, but Fu Xuanliao was too rough and direct, interpreting the promise he made with all his actions.

“Didn’t you say that as long as it can be restored to its original state, that’s fine?” Fu Xuanliao said. “What you gave me can’t be restored, but what I gave you, I have control over.”

The implication is—now, I give you my heart.

Love and hate are essentially a zero-sum game; the attack and victory of one side will inevitably lead to the defeat and loss of the other side.

Hearing a sound like loose parts coming from her mind, Shi Meng snatched the painting from Fu Xuanliao's hand, picked up the lighter by the windowsill, turned the grinding wheel with her thumb, and let the flame engulf the thin paper, burning it as quickly as possible.

Everything happened too fast. The vibrant painting instantly turned into ashes. Fu Xuanliao stared at the scene before him, mouth agape, seemingly stunned.

Shi Meng breathed a sigh of relief.

Even if history repeats itself and its power is no longer there, even if it can't bring Shi Meng any pleasure, it will at least give him a sense of relief, like escaping from a dead end.

"I don't need compensation, I don't want anything." Shi Meng flicked a pinch of ash from his fingertips and announced, "There's nothing left, you can leave now."

He thought that should be enough, and there was no reason for him to continue arguing. But the next second, Fu Xuanliao suddenly strode forward, grabbed Shi Meng's arm, and pressed him against the wall with force.

Before she could react, a torrent of hot breaths and kisses landed on Shi Meng's cheeks, lips, and ears that had inexplicably turned bright red.

At times like these, an evenly matched relationship always turns into one-sided domination. Fu Xuanliao pressed down on Shi Meng's soft lips while effortlessly restraining both of his wrists with one hand, pinning them above his head for convenience, before leaning in to deepen the kiss.

They hadn't been intimate for so long that the sudden touch of their skin was like a thunderbolt, the energy so immense that it instantly awakened memories of countless nights of physical intimacy and insatiable desire.

The long-awaited yet all-too-familiar entanglement of lips and teeth was long and thorough, as if they were eager to make up for the days that had been lost all at once. All senses gave way to greed, and the two of them habitually closed their eyes.

Like being in a swamp, the more you struggle, the tighter you get entangled. Only when you're gripping the thin line of clarity in the chaos do you find the chance to open your teeth and bite down hard.

The moment the smell of blood spread, accompanied by a painful gasp, the physical restraint transformed into a gaze of imprisonment. Fu Xuanliao, slightly hunched over, looked down at the person who had just bitten him, panting heavily, his breath coming in gasps that were hard to tell whether it was excitement or anger.

No, there was no anger.

Shi Meng saw that in those deep eyes, which he had described so many times, there was nothing but dense longing and overflowing infatuation.

Like a wild beast locked in a cage, its long-suppressed nature is finally released, and it roars and runs wildly in the free world.

“I’m not leaving.” Fu Xuanliao’s eyes and breath were equally intense. “I know you don’t want me to leave.”

If previous judgments were based on speculation, this one is a confirmation derived from past practice.

Faced with his approach, Shi Meng could have remained indifferent and coldly resisted as before, but Shi Meng chose to seize and destroy, which was proof that he still cared.

Finally, after enduring this agonizing tug-of-war, Fu Xuanliao eagerly loosened the left collar of his shirt, pulling it down to his chest so that Shi Meng could see the marks etched on his skin.

It was the same rain.

Shi Meng slowly opened his eyes and watched as the painting that had just been destroyed came back to life, landing in a position that was connected to his heartbeat, seeped into his flesh and blood, and could never be erased as long as he was alive.

His lips parted, and after a long pause, Shi Meng said in a trembling voice, "You're crazy..."

Seeing that he finally responded, Fu Xuanliao breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yeah, I'm crazy. You were the one who was crazy before, now it's my turn." Fu Xuanliao smiled. "See, aren't we a perfect match?"

First, you stubbornly forced me to do this, and then I stubbornly insisted on taking you back. That's what fairness is.

He released Shi Meng's wrist, grasped one of his hands, and placed the soft palm precisely against his heaving chest.

"I give you my restored heart. Now, it is your turn to fulfill your promise."