Chapter 27 Approaching

Huazhong University of Science and Technology officially started its winter vacation a week ago, and there were very few people staying on campus. Cheng Che opened the door of the dormitory, and when he pressed the switch with his finger, he realized that it was already late at night and he could not turn on the lights.

The sticky cold fog on my body refused to dissipate, mixed in the darkness, and its density blocked the light outside the window, as if covering an unbottomed abyss. It was obviously a familiar space, but it gave rise to a suffocating silence. As time ticked by, it became darker with every second.

Cheng Che was moving in the dark when his knee hit the bench blocking the way with a dull thud. His kneecap and finger bones ached slightly, and his panic and irritability quickly spread and merged with the darkness before his eyes.

He stood there, adjusting to the dark space, looking at the empty bed next to him. He almost lost his temper, his heart sank and slowed down, a biting chill spread throughout his body.

He took out his cell phone and wanted to call someone, to hear the voice, the sound of someone talking, no matter who it was, but his grandmother was not in good health and he couldn't disturb her sleep so late at night.

Cheng Che has no one to contact.

The name [Li] on the phone interface was as dazzling as fire, making Cheng Che's eyes ache. He thought of Li Zimai on the stage and his own miserable life, and a feeling of exhaustion and helpless frustration welled up in him.

In the middle of the night, Cheng Che suddenly woke up from his dream. His finger joints were in excruciating pain. With the weak light of his mobile phone's flashlight, he took a closer look and saw that the joints were swollen, blue and purple, with faint red spots.

Cheng Che knew that it was because of his sensitive constitution and didn't want to care about it, but he couldn't sleep. After suffering from insomnia for a long time, he simply got up to draw, but saw a faint light flickering in the crack of the door.

Cheng Che stared at the crack in the door for a long time, but the light didn't disappear. He moved over and put his hand on the door handle. His fingers curled up together, as if they were shaking and seemed to have lost their strength. After a long time, he finally opened the door.

The dim and blurry light from the emergency passage outlined the clear contours of Li Zimai's face. His blazing and bright gaze fell directly on Cheng Che. His gaze seemed to have strength and warmth, almost lighting up the dark space.

At that moment, Cheng Che's heart felt like it was being grabbed by someone. He hated Li Zimai for coming closer again and again, proving how despicable he was again and again. He simply...didn't need Li Zimai.

"Are you going out?"

Li Zimai held a plastic bag from the pharmacy in his hand and asked softly, "I bought you some medicine. Does your hand hurt?"

Cheng Che's eyes suddenly felt sore, and his fingers gripping the door handle tightened and tightened. He turned his head to avoid the close gaze, gritting his back teeth as if he was enduring something.

Li Zimai added, "I didn't bring my key and couldn't get in. Luckily, Brother Che came to open the door for me."

Cheng Che was silent for a long time, until the voice-activated lights in the corridor went out and darkness enveloped them completely. Then he spoke: "Li Zimai, I don't have a relationship, not with anyone."

He was answering a completely irrelevant question, but Li Zimai knew better than anyone the rejection implied in this sentence. He suppressed his disappointment and pretended to be relaxed, "Okay, I understand."

The voice-controlled light lit up again at the sound of his pleasant and deep voice, and Cheng Che's chest was filled with warmth, like a sudden warm current in the cold night.

It was not until the other party squatted down and turned on the flashlight to shine on the back of his hand that Cheng Che finally reacted. He subconsciously put his hands behind his back and took a half step back, not wanting to be burned by that scorching gaze.

Li Zimai didn't say anything, but frowned slightly. He used more force to push his fingers back to stop his dodging movement, while his other hand gently applied the white ointment upwards bit by bit.

Li Zimai is constantly chipping away at Cheng Che's armor.

Perhaps because they had waited too long, Li Zimai's hands were cold from the inside out, but when his fingertips touched the back of Cheng Che's hand, he felt an inexplicable warmth. The dark red bloodstains on the crack there were shocking, but Cheng Che didn't seem to feel any pain.

Li Zimai sighed inaudibly, "Cheche, there are many ways to resolve violence. It doesn't necessarily have to be fought with violence."

"Are you going to let me watch that woman get beaten?"

Cheng Che shook his head, "You don't understand, Li Zimai, you won't understand."

"How can I understand if you don't tell me?"

Cheng Che felt the anxiety in his heart change tone, mixed with something else. He couldn't put his finger on it. He remained silent, but the slightly red corners of his eyes betrayed his uneasiness. His fingers curled up tiredly, and after a long moment, he asked in a muffled voice, "...Will that man call the police?"

After all, he was just an adult boy. His passion for justice would be tempered by reality. He would later start to regret, "I couldn't control myself..."

That level of assault could be considered intentional injury, and Cheng Che didn't have the courage to get a criminal record.

Li Zimai said without any expression, "Are you scared now?"

Cheng Che said nothing, biting his lower lip nervously.

Li Zimai raised his hand to rub the corners of his red eyes and whispered, "You can cry when you are unhappy, why do you always hold it back?"

Cheng Che pushed him away, clenching his fists and rubbing his eyes furiously. He was clearly the one who perpetrated the violence, yet now he was completely defeated. He said stubbornly and awkwardly, "...I don't want you to care."

Li Zimai looked down at him and saw his eyelashes trembling slightly, a little wet, and his heart softened. He reached out and put his arm around his shoulders, a fist's distance away, as if to comfort him.

Cheng Che's body was stiff and he refused to relax, like he had built the heaviest and thickest wall. Not until the voice-activated lights in the corridor of Li Zimai's building went out and darkness enveloped them completely did he tentatively and slowly move his forehead closer to Li Zimai's shoulder, but he still refused to loosen his clenched fists.

After a long moment, Cheng Che explained with a heavily nasal voice, "...I'm not someone who likes to resort to violence. I'm not that kind of person. I just...I just can't control myself."

"Yeah. I know."

Li Zimai leaned over, trying to see Cheng Che's expression clearly in the darkness. He then touched his head and whispered, "Cheche is a brave man who stands up for what is right. Where can you find such an upright brother like him?"

Cheng Che said nothing, and gently pushed Li Zimai away. He knelt on the edge of the bed with his shins, and climbed onto the bed with a little effort.

Li Zimai touched the hard edge of the bed. The cushion that had been tied there a long time ago had been taken off by Cheng Che at some point. He never took care of his body.

Li Zimai took the trouble to put the small cushion back on the edge of the bed in the dark, tucked in the quilt for Cheng Che, and said softly, "You should get some rest first. Don't worry about what happens tonight."

Cheng Che said "hmm" softly, and seemed to say "thank you" again. His head was completely buried in the quilt, and his body curled up like an ostrich. Li Zimai's hand stiffened for a moment, and finally fell on the fabric that was permeated with his warmth, and patted it inaudibly.

In the following week, the two seemed to have forgotten their previous awkwardness and unpleasantness, and tacitly agreed not to mention the drunken incident that night.

Cheng Che didn't know how to respond.

Li Zimai didn't want to push too hard.

Boss Zhang's bar has seen many young new customers in recent days. The common feature is that they all take pictures of the band on stage with their mobile phones every night, especially the young man who occasionally works as a drummer.

As Cheng Che was walking between the booths, a gentle male voice came in.

The last time Cheng Che met Gu Wei, he was dressed very respectably, wearing square silver-framed glasses, and had elegant conversation and a strong scholarly air. If Li Zimai was a contradiction of arrogance and gentleness, then Gu Wei was pure elegance and dignity. They both had the same good upbringing.

Although Gu Wei was wearing a loose, loose windbreaker this time, less formal and distant, he still looked out of place in the chaotic and noisy bar. Cheng Che nodded at him, "The Lizimai will be over soon, please wait."

Gu Wei smiled and gestured for him to go to the bar. After the environment quieted down, Gu Wei said, "I just happened to be here to take care of something. I heard from a friend that Zimai was here, so I stopped by to take a look."

Cheng Che explained, "The band was short of people a few days ago, and he happened to be there."

Gu Wei glanced at the tightly surrounded people and said, "I haven't seen him do this for a long time."

Cheng Che didn't know how to continue this topic. He had known Li Zimai for no more than a year, and their interactions had only been in the last six months. For him, Li Zimai didn't have the concept of "a long time".

Someone came to ask about the wine, and Gu Wei said apologetically, "Sorry to bother you at work."

Cheng Che wasn't a sociable person, so he followed his words and said he was going to work, telling Gu Wei to do as he pleased. Before he left, Gu Wei politely asked, "Can you add me as your contact?"

Cheng Che agreed inexplicably. Perhaps it was because Gu Wei seemed too gentle and non-aggressive, or perhaps it was some other factor, such as the fact that he was Li Zimai's friend.

After Cheng Che finished his work, Gu Wei was chatting with Li Zimai in the booth. They sat in the corner, the two of them taking up the space for more than ten people, which was unique.

They are waiting for Cheng Che.

Cheng Che subconsciously didn't want to go there and didn't want to integrate into Li Zimai's circle, but Li Zimai didn't care and insisted on pulling Cheng Che into his own world, showing him everything without reservation.

"Cheche, I have something urgent to do and need to go home."

Before they could say a few words, Li Zimai suddenly received a call from home. He handed the bag back to Cheng Che and said, "Gu Wei will pass by the school. You two can go together. Send me a message when you arrive."

Cheng Che asked, "Is it serious?"

"It's okay. My grandma won't take her medicine and is clamoring to see me. I'm going back."

"good."

Li Zimai took a taxi. On his first day at the bar, he drove a silver ear Audi and wanted to take Cheng Che back to school because the subway station was closed after get off work every night. But Cheng Che insisted on riding his bike back because he didn't want to trouble others. After that, he never saw Li Zimai drive here again.

Cheng Che didn't want to trouble Gu Wei, so he politely declined the other party's invitation to go the same way.

"It's so late, and we're on the way. Why don't we go together?" Gu Wei tried to invite him again. "I just returned to China recently, so I'm not very good at using navigation, and I'm not familiar with that road."