A dimly lit street.
Gu Hanzhou walked down the street.
He opened his phone, hesitating whether to send a message to gege.
He saw the little red dot indicating a Moments update.
Gu Hanzhou clicked on Moments.
He happened to see Ji Anche's bright smiling face in the photo, with Duan Qiran's hand on Ji Anche's shoulder, the two of them leaning close together.
They looked very intimate.
The update showed it was posted one minute ago.
Gu Hanzhou's gaze was fixed on the photo, on Duan Qiran's hand resting on gege's shoulder.
He clenched his phone, his fingertips turning bluish-white.
It was Duan Qiran again.
It was this person again.
Gu Hanzhou's eyes darkened, a strange glint appearing in their depths.
He knew Ji Anche liked things that were bright and sunny.
Duan Qiran happened to possess these qualities; they were the same kind of people.
And he was not.
He was born in darkness, grew up in the mire, his whole being nourished by malice.
Even his well-behaved obedience was all an act.
Gege would only like people of the same type; it was impossible for him to like him.
But what if he didn't like him?
A pleasant smile spread across Gu Hanzhou's lips.
Gege was his.
Could only be his.
Gu Hanzhou walked into the alley, his figure casting a strange dark shadow on the ground.
Not far away, Green Hair had just finished a barbecue with his brothers, his spirits high. He happened to see a boy in a school uniform walking ahead. The boy was wearing the uniform of the Foreign Language High School and looked thin and weak, probably an easy target.
Heh heh, a fat sheep has arrived!
Green Hair had a cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth and swaggered behind, calling out, "Hey, classmate, lend us some money to spend."
The small-time thugs behind him echoed loudly, "This is our territory. If you pass by, leave some toll money, or you won't be able to leave."
"Hey, you kid in front, we're talking to you. Tonight, either leave money or leave your life, you choose one."
Gu Hanzhou stopped.
He turned around leisurely, chuckling softly, "Are you talking to me?"
"If I'm not talking to you, am I talking to a ghost?"
Green Hair took a puff of his cigarette and sneered, "Can't understand human language?"
The dim yellow streetlights shone on Gu Hanzhou's face.
After clearly seeing Gu Hanzhou's appearance, Green Hair was so scared that the cigarette fell from his mouth.
He took a few steps back in fear, "Crap crap crap, how is it you?!"
He would rather have encountered a ghost right now.
Encountering a ghost was better than encountering this demon in front of him.
Gu Hanzhou walked slowly towards Green Hair, chuckling softly, "Long time no see."
Green Hair still vividly remembered the brutal beating he had received last time. He retreated in terror, "Don't come over, I'm warning you, don't come over."
"If you come over again, I... I... I'm calling the police!!!"
The lackey next to him asked in disbelief, "Boss, are you crazy?! You're actually going to call the police???"
"If the police come, will they catch us or him?"
Green Hair's eyes were full of bitter tears, "You guys don't understand anything! It's obvious you've never been brutally beaten!"
At least being in the police station was safe and secure.
Staying here, he might be beaten beyond recognition by his own mother.
The injuries he had suffered from the beating a long time ago hadn't fully healed yet.
Gu Hanzhou's eyes were dark, the corners of his lips slightly raised in amusement, "Are you trying to rob me?"
Green Hair swallowed hard and hurriedly retorted nervously, "No no no! Absolutely not! We were just joking, hahaha."
"The weather is really nice tonight, suitable for sitting down and having a cup of tea to talk about life."
"Classmate, let's sit down and talk properly. Please don't resort to violence. Fighting is uncivilized, such a rude thing to do. I personally hate anything involving weapons. We are all polite and sensible good citizens, we can't fight. If it really doesn't work, we can even chat about Lagrange's mathematical theorems!!"
The lackeys all looked at Green Hair in shock.
Someone tentatively asked in a low voice, "Boss, have you been possessed?"
Green Hair fiercely knocked the person's head and cursed, "Get lost! You're the one who's been possessed."
Gu Hanzhou walked towards them, his expression subdued, "I'm not interested in talking about math with you."
A thrill of malicious excitement spread through his eyes, "But we can talk about other things."
o0o
Ji Anche came out of the orphanage, the sky not yet completely dark.
A hidden anticipation surfaced in Duan Qiran's eyes, and a gentle smile curved his lips, "Che-ge, there's a ramen shop nearby that tastes really good. Shall we go try it together?"
His stomach growled. Ji Anche was indeed a bit hungry and was about to agree.
Suddenly, his phone rang.
The caller ID displayed [Son].
It was a call from Gu Hanzhou.
It was so late, what was Gu Hanzhou calling him for?
Ji Anche hesitated for a moment, then answered the phone, "Hello, Xiaozhou, what's wrong?"
On the other end of the phone, Gu Hanzhou's voice trembled slightly, filled with uncontrollable panic and fear.
"Ge, there are so many thugs here, they're surrounding me with steel bars. Ge... I'm so scared..."
Hearing that something had happened to Gu Hanzhou, Ji Anche's heart instantly clenched. He asked anxiously, "Tell me where you are first? I'll go find you right away."
Gu Hanzhou murmured softly, "Ge, you don't need to come, it's dangerous."
Ji Anche was almost frantic, "Stop stammering, tell me quickly!"
"I'm at the fifth...turn left at Qingping Road..."
Before Gu Hanzhou could finish speaking, the call was abruptly disconnected.
"Xiaozhou? Xiaozhou???!"
There was no response from the other end of the phone, only the empty beeping sound remained.
Ji Anche gripped his phone tightly, took a deep breath, and tried hard to calm down.
Don't panic, don't panic! The male lead definitely wouldn't be in danger.
Seeing the change in Ji Anche's expression, Duan Qiran asked worriedly, "Che-ge, what's wrong?"
Ji Anche frowned tightly, his face showing unconcealable anxiety, "I suddenly have some urgent business to attend to, I have to go first. You go ahead and eat. Don't worry about me."
Ji Anche turned around and ran.
The whistling sound of the late summer breeze rushed past his ears, and the roadside lights flashed rapidly before his eyes.
The speed of his heartbeat increased more and more intensely.
After five or six minutes, Ji Anche arrived at Qingping Road, which Gu Hanzhou had told him about.
There weren't many pedestrians on this street. He suppressed the impatience in his heart and quickly ran to the entrance of the fifth alley.
With the help of the dim streetlights, he could just make out a group of people gathered together inside.
Ji Anche rushed directly into the alley, ran to Gu Hanzhou's front, and shielded Gu Hanzhou behind him.
Seeing that the male lead was okay, he finally breathed a sigh of relief and calmed down.
His gaze turned to the thugs in front of him. One of them had non-mainstream green hair and a tiger tattoo on his arm, looking very familiar.
Ji Anche's eyes narrowed slightly, "How is it you again?"
Green Hair: "..."
He also wanted to know why he was the unlucky one again!
Green Hair forced a dry laugh, "Hahaha... what a coincidence."
Ji Anche turned around and helped the male lead, who was curled up on the ground, to stand up. "Xiaozhou, where are you hurt?"
Gu Hanzhou obediently and sensibly curved his eyes, smiling with pale lips, "Ge, I'm fine, you don't need to worry about me."
Gu Hanzhou's clean white shirt was stained with dust.
Messy bangs fell across his forehead, Gu Hanzhou's eyebrows and eyes looked pale and fragile, and there were intertwined purplish bruises on his fair arms.
Seeing his son being bullied, the veins on Ji Anche's forehead bulged. His sharp gaze pierced Green Hair, and he gritted his teeth, "I remember warning you before not to provoke Gu Hanzhou again. It seems the lesson last time wasn't deep enough, was it?"
Green Hair had unspeakable bitterness in his heart. He really didn't want to provoke him.
Who would save him!
He was forced! Aaaah!
Wuwuwuwuwu!
Noticing Gu Hanzhou's sinister gaze behind him
The sight of the green-haired thug's softening legs and the cold sweat soaking his back made Gu Hanzhou realize the discrepancy between the seemingly harmless boy and his ruthless methods.
Green Hair put on a brave face, gritting his teeth as he said, "Do you think I'll do whatever you say? Who do you think you are?"
"I don't need you to tell me what to do! Get lost! Otherwise, I'll beat you up too!!!"
After uttering those harsh words, Green Hair shakily leaned against the nearby wall, trying his best to keep his legs from trembling too violently.
Ji Anche moved his wrist joints, "Alright then."
"Let's settle both the old and new scores together. All of you come at me."
The hem of his shirt was gently tugged.
Ji Anche turned his head and saw Gu Hanzhou's pale and weak face.
"Ge."
"Your knee isn't fully healed yet. Don't fight, you'll get hurt."
Ji Anche said helplessly, "Xiaozhou, I'm afraid it's not up to me."
With so many thugs gathered here, it was impossible to just say a few empty words and let them leave.
"Even if my knee isn't completely better, dealing with them," Ji Anche raised an eyebrow contemptuously and sneered disdainfully, "is more than enough."
Damn it, this kid's words were still as infuriating as before!
Green Hair gritted his teeth in silent resentment.
Receiving Gu Hanzhou's cold gaze from behind Ji Anche, Green Hair sighed helplessly.
Damn it, a real man knows when to yield!
Temporary forbearance is for a better future!
Green Hair took out his phone and put it to his ear, pretending to be making a call, muttering to himself, "Hello, is there something? What is it? Let me tell you in advance, don't bother me if it's not important. Oh wow, that important!!! Okay, brother will be right there!"
"Consider yourselves lucky tonight, I have something to do and I'm too lazy to bother with you," Green Hair said fiercely, leaving behind harsh words, "Don't let me see you again, or you're dead."
Please, please don't let us meet again.
He really didn't want to meet them again.
From now on, we'll go our separate ways.
Let bygones be bygones, and let us each be happy.
Tomorrow, Green Hair planned to go to the temple to burn incense and worship Buddha, praying that the heavens would be more lenient towards him.
Whatever he did wrong, please let the law punish him.
Instead of letting him have the misfortune of encountering these two people.
A group of small-time thugs ran away in a mighty manner.
They ran quite fast, as if they were fleeing for their lives.
A question mark slowly rose in Ji Anche's mind.
Was it resolved so easily?
He hadn't even had a chance to show off.
"Xiaozhou, where are you hurt? Let ge see." Ji Anche worriedly held Gu Hanzhou's wrist.
"I'm fine, ge, you don't need to worry about me."
Gu Hanzhou put his wrist behind his back, lowered his eyes, and asked softly, "Ge, weren't you going to accompany Duan Qiran? Weren't you having fun? Why did you come back to find me?"
Ji Anche explained without realizing anything, "Xiaoran and I just came out of the orphanage when we received your call."
"Gu Xiaozhou, do you know you almost scared me to death?"
Ji Anche gasped with lingering fear, "The moment I heard something happened to you, my heart almost stopped."
"I'm sorry, gege, I made you worry."
Then, Gu Hanzhou's voice uncontrollably became cheerful and light, "So gege cares about me so much."
"Silly boy, of course I care about you."
Ji Anche sighed helplessly, "I only wasn't by your side today, how did you end up like this?"
"Then can gege often stay by my side in the future?"
Gu Hanzhou's voice held a cautious expectation, his tone very light, "I can't take good care of myself, my personality is simple and weak, I'm not good at fighting, and I'm not smart either. I'm easily bullied by bad people."
"So, can gege protect me?"
"I'm very well-behaved and won't cause trouble for gege."
Ji Anche's heart felt as if it was soaking in lemonade, the sour and sweet emotions涌出来 along the cracks. Even if Gu Hanzhou asked him for the stars in the sky at this moment, he would pluck them down and give them to Gu Hanzhou.
He hugged Gu Hanzhou tightly and comforted him, "Xiaozhou, ge will protect you from now on."
Ji Anche asked strangely, "By the way, why weren't you staying obediently at home so late? Why did you run to such a remote place? This kind of wilderness is very dangerous, don't come alone in the future."
"Ge, I don't know either."
Gu Hanzhou lowered his eyes and murmured softly, "I felt a little uncomfortable, so I left home and just walked randomly on the street. As I walked, I came here, I didn't pay much attention."
"Silly boy, you wouldn't even know if you got lost one day," Ji Anche sighed helplessly.
"Yes, I'm very stupid. Gege, don't dislike me."
Gu Hanzhou's voice was very soft, containing a hint of sadness, "Ge, I thought you wouldn't come."
Ji Anche asked strangely, "How could I not come?! Of course I would come to save you if something happened to you."
"But..."
A dim look covered Gu Hanzhou's pupils, "But gege hasn't paid attention to me all day."
Xiaozhou was in a bad mood, could it be because of him?
A strong sense of guilt surfaced in Ji Anche's heart.
He originally wanted to keep a distance from the male lead, but now it seemed he had gone too far.
Nothing else mattered, he only wanted Gu Hanzhou to stay healthy by his side. To hell with keeping a distance in the future!
"Gege won't ignore you anymore in the future, never again."
The crescent moon hung in the sky.
Thick clouds obscured the light.
The alley became dim, with only sparse and scattered streetlights barely maintaining a glow.
"Ge, I'm bleeding."
Gu Hanzhou's eyebrows and eyes were pale as he revealed the back of his hand hidden behind him.
A bloody gash marred his fair hand.
The bright red blood stained his cold white skin, creating a strange and eerie beauty.
The wound on the back of his hand was so deep that bone was visible, looking shocking.
Ji Anche's fingertips trembled, "Why didn't you tell me just now?!"
The wound on the back of his hand was clearly cut by a sharp blade.
He hadn't seen any weapons in the hands of those thugs just now, let alone sharp objects like knives.
He didn't expect Gu Hanzhou to still be injured.
Ji Anche's expression was extremely anxious, his voice uncontrollably trembling, "Xiaozhou, don't be afraid, ge will take you to the hospital now. We'll go right away."
He supported Gu Hanzhou's shoulders, wanting to quickly pull Gu Hanzhou forward.
Gu Hanzhou stood still, his dark eyes glistening with moisture.
"Gege, it hurts so much."
"The wound hurts so much."
Seeing the bloody wound on the back of his hand, Ji Anche's heart clenched, and he asked anxiously, "Wh... what should we do?"
"Xiaozhou, we'll go to the hospital, it won't hurt anymore at the hospital."
"Don't want to go to the hospital," Gu Hanzhou shook his head gently.
Gu Hanzhou's lips were bloodlessly pale, his neck drooping into a fragile curve.
His voice was soft, his eyes red-rimmed as he pleaded softly, "Gege's kiss will make it not hurt anymore."
Ji Anche's expression faltered.
Reason completely dissipated.
The thought of keeping a distance had long been thrown to the back of his mind.
At this moment, he only wanted Gu Hanzhou to not be in so much pain.
Ji Anche's heart ached like it was being twisted by a knife. He leaned over with heartache and hugged him.
Warm and moist kisses landed on his eyebrows and the corners of his eyes.
A light, trembling shiver ran through his heart. Gu Hanzhou raised his bleeding fingertips and tightly embraced the waist of the young man in his arms.
A madly obsessive infatuation and a strange possessiveness emerged in Gu Hanzhou's eyes.
His eyelashes were stained with a thin layer of mist, and a faint blush appeared on his ears.
"I will be good."
"Gege, don't like other people."
Gu Hanzhou's canine teeth bit into the warm, tender nape of the young man's neck, his teeth ambiguously caressing it.
He murmured softly, "Just like me alone, okay?"
A knife was revealed from under the hem of Gu Hanzhou's shirt.
The sharp blade was stained with bright red blood, the blood still warm.
Fresh blood dripped down the blade, staining the pure white shirt red.
A flower of malice bloomed.
o0o