Zhou Yunchen went to the convenience store and bought several bottles of mineral water and one bottle of Erguotou—Red Star, 52 proof, strong enough to knock you out.
When he returned, Zhuang Ze was still standing by the door, head lowered and lips pressed together, looking timid and almost afraid. But Zhou Yunchen knew that if Zhuang Ze looked up, his eyes would be as bright as the sun—filled with unshakable stubbornness and determination.
Zhou Yunchen looked away and handed him the water.
Zhuang Ze took it and noticed the Erguotou in the bag.
He looked up at Zhou Yunchen, who unscrewed the cap and took a swig straight from the bottle.
Zhuang Ze’s lips parted, but in the end, he only managed to say, “She… she must like you. Forgive her, you…”
Zhou Yunchen glared at him sharply.
Zhuang Ze fell silent.
A long, heavy silence followed. One drank water, the other drank liquor. Both were in the same room, thinking of each other, both in pain.
Zhuang Ze felt dizzy just from the smell of the alcohol. “Stop drinking.”
Zhou Yunchen’s eyes were bright—not tipsy at all, but almost more alert. He stared at Zhuang Ze with an indescribable intensity.
His voice was strangely hoarse. “Are you afraid?”
Zhuang Ze didn’t understand. “Afraid of what?”
Zhou Yunchen laughed. “Yeah, what do you have to be afraid of?”
Zhuang Ze stopped trying to persuade him. If Zhou Yunchen wanted to drink away his sorrows, so be it. Maybe if he drank enough, he’d forget about her.
Time ticked by. As dawn approached, Zhou Yunchen finally fell asleep.
He sat on the carpet, leaning against the foot of the bed, head drooping. One long leg stretched out, the other bent at the knee. Zhuang Ze thought his straight leg looked handsome and well-proportioned, but the bent one was even more attractive—a strong knee, a taut calf, as if he could leap up at any moment.
Zhuang Ze didn’t dare wake him. He watched quietly and felt an overwhelming sense of happiness.
This was probably the best distance between them.
After this, they would go their separate ways. Zhuang Ze couldn’t bear to be friends—it would be too painful.
But he also couldn’t bear to be too far away—that would be even worse.
This was just right. He could see him, but didn’t have to get too close.
He felt a little satisfied, but not enough to breed the kind of greedy longing that would only make him miserable.
As the sky began to lighten, Zhou Yunchen stirred.
Zhuang Ze quickly closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep.
Zhou Yunchen woke, frowning as he looked at Zhuang Ze.
Zhuang Ze wasn’t sure if Zhou Yunchen was looking at him, but he wasn’t good at pretending to sleep, so he opened his eyes anyway.
Their gazes met, and both looked away at the same time.
Zhou Yunchen stared at the liquor bottle in the distance, as if he had finally found a breath of air after being suffocated for so long. “I give up.”
Chapter 05
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