Chapter 13

Xu Zhengdong got a call from his sister.

She'd been crying all morning, but now she finally let out a breath. 'Xuanxuan's home,' she said. 'He seems fine — slept somewhere last night, his hair's a mess, but he's okay.'

'Did you ask him if anything happened?'

'I asked. He said no, told me not to worry, wouldn't say where he was last night.'

Xu Zhengdong pressed again. 'No injuries on him?'

'None. I checked.'

That eased some of the tension in his chest.

He set down his phone and turned to his friend. 'Sorry for dragging you out here for nothing — my nephew made it home. But I need one more favor. Look into someone for me. Name's Su Xingchuan.'

Half an hour later, his friend sent over a file on Su Xingchuan.

Name, age, ID — all legitimate.

Background was pretty much what Xu Zhengdong had guessed: ordinary middle-class family, parents worked at private companies, both retired a couple years back, living in their hometown. Su Xingchuan had done well for himself — made it into Nancheng No.1 High School, then University A.

Wait. University A?

Xu Zhengdong went still. Xiao Xuan went to University A too.

No way. A cold feeling settled in his gut.

His friend called right on cue.

'Director Xu, you asked me to look into Su Xingchuan's romantic history — I dug a little deeper. Turns out he was in a relationship in college. With a guy. The guy's name was..' His friend's voice jumped up at the end, like he couldn't believe what he was reading. 'Li Xuan?'

Xu Zhengdong's brow lifted.

Well. Wasn't that something.

'I'm just saying,' his friend ventured, clearly fighting a smile, 'Mr. Xu, your nephew and this guy — looks-wise, they're actually pretty well matched.'

'..' Xu Zhengdong had nothing to say to that.

Spotted him once, watched him for three months — how could they not be a match?

The first time he'd seen Su Xingchuan was at a dinner.

Three months ago, Zhongjin Group kicked off its Series A, and Yan Tao smelled an opportunity the second it hit the air — he came running with Guangxin Securities in tow. Su Xingchuan had tagged along to the dinner that day, and Xu Zhengdong spotted him across the room the moment he walked in.

He wasn't that old, but he read a room well — smooth without being slick, always putting Yan Tao first, never letting his own edge show.

Xu Zhengdong's first impression was good.

To get a better read on Zhongjin, Su Xingchuan had gone out of his way to get close to Xu Zhengdong's secretary. After a while, the secretary liked him too. When Xu Zhengdong asked, the secretary said: Su Xingchuan was currently single — whenever anyone tried to set him up with a girlfriend, he declined politely, and nobody had ever seen him flirt with anyone.

Young, good-looking, going places. Hit the gym, dressed well.

Single. Didn't chase women.

With twenty years of playing the field under his belt, Xu Zhengdong put the odds at eighty percent: Su Xingchuan was not straight.

He'd been about to introduce Su Xingchuan to his Xiao Xuan. Xiao Xuan had a prickly personality — he needed someone patient enough to handle him.

And then... well. Turns out that was unnecessary.

He'd hand-picked the guy, and somehow pulled out the kid's ex. Fate, maybe. Or something like it.

He messaged his secretary and told him to have Su Xingchuan come by the office. The secretary wrote back: 'Mr. Xu, Yan Tao over at Guangxin Securities says Xiao Su has been under the weather lately — had a minor procedure and is still recovering. They've sent someone new to handle the project.'

Under the weather?

Xu Zhengdong let out a cold laugh.

In that security footage, the man had carried Xiao Xuan out of the bar and walked to the car like he owned the ground he was on — quick, clean, no hesitation. Spent the whole night doing god knows what and still brought him home. Nothing wrong with that body.

He sent the secretary a follow-up: 'Tell Yan Tao — I want Su Xingchuan running this project start to finish. Non-negotiable. Or the deal's off.'

*

*

'I'm fine, I really am,' Li Xuan told his mother for the third time. 'Stop worrying. I just need to lie down for a bit.'

His mother smoothed his hair. 'Alright, I'll leave you alone. Just let me know if you get hungry.'

'Thanks, Mom.'

The door clicked shut. Li Xuan pulled a photo album out from under his pillow, curled up under the covers, and turned the pages one by one in the thin afternoon light. Every photo — him and Su Xingchuan.

They'd taken so many pictures when they were together. When it ended, he'd wanted to take all of them, but Su Xingchuan had held half down and stared at him, cold and flat, and he hadn't dared push back. He'd grabbed the other half and left.

Every single one carefully laminated, tucked away in the album.

In every shot, Su Xingchuan had his arms around him. And he was always tilting his head up — either angling for a kiss or just going ahead and taking one. All of it shameless, burning. Like the whole world had narrowed down to the two of them.

The last photo was taken a few days before the breakup.

He hadn't known yet. Had no idea that in a few days he'd be ending things with Su Xingchuan. He'd taken him up into the mountains, rented a tent. There was a bonfire party going on outside — Su Xingchuan had wanted to go, but he didn't feel like the noise, so he'd pressed himself into Su Xingchuan's chest and refused to let him leave. Su Xingchuan had indulged every bit of it, just kissed his cheek and said, 'Okay, okay. You selfish little thing.'

Li Xuan lifted his camera and took a photo of himself.

Click.

In the frame, Su Xingchuan's eyes were smiling.

He missed that Su Xingchuan so much. There would never be another one — no one else with that face, that warmth when he held you, that patience so bottomless it made Li Xuan feel guilty just thinking about it.

Never again.

He had good parents, an uncle, a younger aunt who adored him — he knew that. And still. He missed Su Xingchuan. He really, really missed him.

Li Xuan pressed his face down into the open album.

He was right at the edge — tears about to spill — when someone knocked. Xu Zhengdong's voice came through the door: 'You asleep?'

Li Xuan sniffled. 'No.'

By the time Xu Zhengdong walked in, he'd only just remembered the album in his hands. He shoved it under the covers.

'Heard someone didn't come home last night,' Xu Zhengdong said.

Li Xuan's expression went stiff. He pressed his lips together and said nothing.

'Do you know how long your uncle looked for you this morning?' Xu Zhengdong let his tone land heavy. Dead serious.

'Won't happen again.' Li Xuan muttered it into his chest.

Li Xuan was temperamental on a good day — he barely gave Xu Zhengdong, his convenient uncle, the time of day. But the moment he did something wrong he'd go all meek and sorry-looking. Xu Zhengdong saw that pitiful face and couldn't be bothered to lecture him further.

'I pulled the security footage from Grey Shore Bar this morning.'

Li Xuan's eyes snapped to him.

Xu Zhengdong didn't circle around it. 'I saw someone carry you out of there.'

'No,' Li Xuan said immediately. 'You're seeing things.'

'I'm really not.' Xu Zhengdong held up a screenshot and asked, casual as anything, 'This person — you don't know him?'

'Don't know him.' The tips of Li Xuan's ears had gone red. He was rattled, and he was flat-out lying. 'I don't know him.'

Xu Zhengdong had come prepared. 'Oh, perfect then — I already filed a report. Let the police figure out who he is.'

Li Xuan's eyes went wide with alarm. He shot upright and grabbed Xu Zhengdong's wrist with both hands. 'Uncle, don't — don't call the police!'

The album tumbled out from under the covers and hit the floor.

He didn't even notice. He had both hands around Xu Zhengdong's wrist, urgent, almost frantic. 'Go take it back, just tell them — tell them to drop it, I know him, okay? I know him, I know who he is.'

Xu Zhengdong had never seen Li Xuan like this.

Li Xuan was spoiled, yes, but he ran quiet. If he wanted something he'd just hold his hand out to his parents — no scenes, no fuss. After graduation he'd gone abroad alone for three years, and when he came back he was even more closed off. The last time Xu Zhengdong had seen him this undone — when was that? Somewhere around the breakup, he thought.

Always circling back to the same man.

'That person is Su Xingchuan. Isn't it.'

Li Xuan froze.

'The one who dated you sophomore year. Also him.'

'No,' Li Xuan said, the word barely forming. 'It wasn't.'

'Already talked to the police. As long as they find him, that's all that matters. Don't worry — it won't touch him.'

Li Xuan let out a breath.

Xu Zhengdong picked up the photo album from the floor. Right there on the cover — Su Xingchuan and Li Xuan together.

Kissing. Wrapped around each other. Wow.

Li Xuan was twenty-seven now, but he'd spent his whole life cushioned — family around him, a steady path through med school and into work. Whenever Xu Zhengdong looked at him, he still saw a kid.

Like a little bok choy that'd never once been touched by frost.

And now he was watching that bok choy get rooted through by a pig. The feeling sitting in Xu Zhengdong's chest wasn't a good one.

Li Xuan snatched the album back and shoved it under the covers.

Xu Zhengdong closed the door, came back, and sat down on the edge of the bed. 'Come on, tell shushu. Why'd you two break up?'

Li Xuan wouldn't say.

'Did he cheat?'

Li Xuan shook his head. Su Xingchuan cheat? Not a chance.

'You're not going to tell me?' Xu Zhengdong's curiosity got the better of him. 'Here's the thing — Su Xingchuan works at Guangxin Securities. Right now he and his boss are both begging me to hand them the financing deal. One word from shushu either way decides whether Su Xingchuan has a good New Year or a very bad one. You sure you want shushu making his life difficult?'

'Don't you dare,' Li Xuan said immediately. 'Don't make things hard for him.'

'Still looking out for him?' Xu Zhengdong smiled.

'The breakup wasn't his fault. Don't go after him, shushu.'

'Then whose was it?'

'It was —' Li Xuan started, then stopped.

A voice surfaced in his head out of nowhere.

Sharp and cutting, thick with contempt, the kind that made him afraid — Su Xingchuan's mother.

Every time he thought of Su Xingchuan — every time he wanted to go find him — that voice came with it. Scolding him for his selfishness, sneering at his cowardice, leaving him completely at loss.

He didn't dare look back. For a while he'd even lied to himself, ran the same line over and over until he almost believed it: he was over Su Xingchuan.

Then they ran into each other, and he understood. Forgetting had never been an option.

He couldn't get past him. Simple as that.

'Jiujiu,' he said quietly, 'I still really like him. He's the only person I've ever liked.'

'Then go after him. I'll help you — it's just Su Xingchuan, how hard can it be? Want me to drag him over and gift-wrap him for your birthday?'

Li Xuan laughed through his tears. Then the laugh faded and left him feeling even more hollow.

'He has a boyfriend.'

'Who? What does he look like? Better-looking than you?'

Li Xuan scrolled through his phone — he'd pulled it from Guangxin Securities' official website. 'A colleague. Xie Liang.'

'Boyfriend, whatever — Xiaouan, don't worry about it. Jiujiu will figure something out. I'll get Su Xingchuan for you, I promise —'

He didn't finish. His brow creased sharply.

What Li Xuan had shown him was a Guangxin staff photo.

Xie Liang was standing toward the right.

The slightly soft build. The inexplicable retro pompadour. The gold-buckle crocodile belt. The pointy dress shoes that made his legs look short. The Rolex doing its best to slide out past his cuff.

Xu Zhengdong: '………'

He looked at Li Xuan. Then at Xie Liang.

Then back at Li Xuan. Then at Xie Liang again.

A long silence. Then: 'Huh. Didn't know Su Xingchuan had such... varied taste.'