KM: Chapter 33

"You Chen, are you crying?"

Suddenly, Ji An's soft voice reached his ears. You Chen lifted his head to see Ji An squatting in front of him, his small face close, gently wiping away his tears. He asked what was wrong and why he was crying.

You Chen tilted his head, rubbing his face against Ji An's hand, and asked, "Do you still like me?"

Ji An didn't speak, so You Chen continued, "Do you hate me?"

Ji An immediately shook his head, "No, I don't hate you."

"Then why do you keep avoiding me? Why did you resign? I returned your resignation letter, but you'll apply again, won't you? Why do you have to avoid me, Ji An?"

"…Because I'm sick."

"So you have to stay away from me? What if I get sick too?"

Ji An's eyes widened as he looked at him, anxious and worried, asking, "What kind of illness?! Have you seen a doctor?"

"No."

"Then what should we do? Why aren't you seeing a doctor?"

You Chen reached out to hug him, burying his head in Ji An's neck, whispering, "If you're by my side, I'll get better."

Ji An was stunned, feeling the hot tears on his neck increasing, which startled him. He never thought he would see You Chen's tears one day.

Ji An gently hugged You Chen back, whispering, "If you're sick, you shouldn't be with me."

"If I help you get better, then I'll be cured."

Ji An glanced around at the onlookers and shifted his body slightly to shield You Chen.

Now, You Chen seemed so fragile.

What illness did You Chen have? Was it as painful as his inability to eat or sleep? Or even more painful? His pain was due to being apart from You Chen, so was You Chen's pain the same?

If they didn't separate, wouldn't they both be free from pain?

Ji An turned back, pressing his face against You Chen's head, asking, "Then… will we… separate again?"

You Chen hugged him tightly, affirming, "No."

"Alright then." Ji An lightly touched You Chen's hair, "Thank you… for being willing to help me get better."

You Chen chuckled softly, tears flowing even more.

"Thank you for always liking me, Ji An."

"Can you move in and live with me?"

You Chen asked cautiously, staying close to Ji An.

Ji An didn't have much strength; the last time he moved, his suitcase only contained a few clothes. Many important things were still in the rental apartment, as Ji An had mentioned.

You Chen couldn't help but wonder, what were these important things? Could they be related to him?

Ji An nodded, "Okay."

His legs were still weak; the day before yesterday, You Chen had kept him up for too long, and he couldn't muster any strength when he woke up. The next afternoon, he had to rush to the company, his legs trembling as he walked.

After spending a night in the hospital, he finally felt a bit better.

Seeing Ji An walk unsteadily, You Chen discreetly supported his waist and asked, "Then you should take a temporary leave and focus on recovering, okay?"

Ji An nodded again, "Okay."

They reached the fifth floor and stood at the door. Ji An unlocked it and pushed the door open, but You Chen stood at the entrance, not moving. When Ji An turned around, puzzled, he asked, "Can I come in?"

Ji An paused, feeling a sudden sadness.

"You can."

You Chen asked again, "Can I sleep here tonight?"

"You can."

Only then did You Chen take off his shoes and enter the apartment. Ji An lived alone and didn't have a second pair of slippers, so You Chen followed barefoot.

The rental apartment wasn't large, with one bedroom and a bathroom. The bed was a bit small, and the nightstand was cluttered with miscellaneous items. You Chen glanced at it, his gaze suddenly fixed on something, and he stepped forward.

Ji An was faster, turning to block the nightstand, preventing him from looking.

You Chen stopped, smiling at Ji An, and asked, "What are you hiding? Can I not see it?"

Ji An didn't speak, just lowered his head.

You Chen asked again, "Can you show me?"

Ji An remained silent, but You Chen pulled him into his arms, kissing his nape for a while, asking softly, "Baby, what treasure are you hiding? Can I see it?"

Ji An, softened by You Chen's kisses, lay down on the bed, unable to refuse, and nodded. As You Chen turned to rummage through the nightstand, Ji An carefully slipped under the covers, clutching something from under the pillow.

The nightstand was filled with green-wrapped candies, almost taking up half the space, and the trash bin was nearly overflowing with the same wrappers.

You Chen recalled that sour kiss, coaxing Ji An to eat one sour candy after another, the same green wrappers. Ji An cried from the sourness, and You Chen pretended to help by eating them, taking the opportunity to kiss him deeply. In the end, he bit into the candy, making Ji An cry again.

Back then, he knew Ji An feared sour things, yet he still teased him, just to see Ji An cry, because he found Ji An's tears adorable and beautiful.

It turns out that when someone seeks revenge, they don't necessarily need a weapon, nor do they need to confront directly or secretly attack. This kind of revenge, not meant as revenge, this kind of revenge in the name of love, is the most powerful.

You Chen felt his heart sour as if he'd swallowed a thousand sour candies. The few candies he coaxed Ji An to eat were now returned to him in spades.

Ji An, seeing him unmoving, anxiously tugged at his clothes, asking what was wrong. He didn't speak, so Ji An swept all the candies into the trash, bracing for his uncontrollable emotions.

But after a long time, You Chen only said, "Do you have cavities? Let me see."

Ji An's face was gently held, coaxed into opening his mouth, and You Chen examined it seriously, then sighed and kissed him deeply.

Ji An was unprepared, and You Chen easily took over his breath, kissing him deeply and heavily, his tongue pressing against Ji An's cheek, making it sour. Ji An held back and held back, eventually pushing at You Chen, only to have his fingers caught and bitten.

The long kiss ended, and Ji An, breathless, didn't have the energy to mind his licked fingers, just gasping, filled with You Chen's scent. It was like a beast marking its prey; his whole body would be covered in You Chen's scent.

"You Chen."

"Hmm."

You Chen responded, and as Ji An's mind was in disarray, he reached behind Ji An's waist, pulling out the hidden item.

"Baby, if you could pull tricks under my nose, I would have died in some dark alley long ago."

You Chen's lips curled into a helpless smile, but when he looked down at what was in his hand, he froze.

It was a plain ring strung on a silver chain.

The letters engraved on the inner wall looked shallow. Who knows how many times it had been touched, to the point where the engraving was worn down.

You Chen felt suffocated.

Ji An, flustered, snatched it from his hand, clutching it tightly to his chest.

You Chen blinked, his gaze shifting to Ji An, emotions swirling in his eyes like a vortex, calm yet dangerous.

He couldn't describe this feeling.

It was like being dragged into a memory and unable to escape, like having the cloth covering his eyes torn away. He finally understood all the missing pieces of the past five years, and he had to bear them.

In every moment he hated Ji An, Ji An was painfully loving him.