AS CH 20

Chapter 20

As expected, Xu Wenhao never appeared at Lü Chenyue’s house again. Even at school, he treated Lü Chenyue like he was invisible. Gone were the days when he would come up with all sorts of excuses to get close to him; the burning black eyes that used to follow his every move during breaks had completely disappeared.

It was now the second semester of their third year. Today, the homeroom teacher handed out the parental consent forms for the graduation trip, asking those who wanted to join to get their parents’ signatures and return the forms the next day.

Lü Chenyue didn’t even glance at it. He just shoved the form into his bag. After all, he was always alone in class. He didn’t have any friends — aside from Xiao Yuqi, but Xiao Yuqi had other friends too and couldn’t always stay with him.

As for what his relationship with Xu Wenhao was?

They weren’t even friends. Barely even classmates, really. So his absence from the trip would probably make the others happier. That’s why he had no intention of going.

The next morning, all the students handed their signed forms to Xu Wenhao — except for Lü Chenyue.

Xu Wenhao felt a sharp twist in his chest, a mix of pain and sorrow. Of course he knew why Lü Chenyue didn’t want to join the trip.

Lü Chenyue had always been alone in class. He probably thought it didn’t matter if he went or not — no one would want to sit next to him, share a room, or include him in any group activities. He was hurt by how his classmates isolated him, even if he never said it aloud.

But deep down, Xu Wenhao really hoped Lü Chenyue would go on the graduation trip.

There had been a few chances to approach him lately, but Lü Chenyue had deliberately avoided him, and each failed attempt left Xu Wenhao feeling more and more defeated. In the end, he never got the chance to talk to him again.

Lü Chenyue returned to his usual routine. After disappearing for a while, he suddenly reappeared at the bar. Everyone was happy to see him again — but they all noticed something had changed.

He was seeking out physical encounters with unusual intensity, as if that was the only way to numb himself. It was like he needed that kind of stimulation to forget the image of Xu Wenhao constantly surfacing in his mind — or the warmth Xu Wenhao once gave him.

Watching Lü Chenyue’s sudden change in behavior left everyone in the company not only shocked but confused. Some had tried to stop him, worried they couldn’t keep up with his pace. Even for someone young and physically strong, this was not normal. Why was he so determined to push himself to the edge?

Eventually, even Gao Junting couldn’t take it anymore. Today, he called Lü Chenyue into the office.

“Xiao Yue, did something happen recently?” he asked.

“I’m fine, Brother Gao,” Lü Chenyue replied coldly.

Gao Junting narrowed his eyes and asked in a steady voice, “You’ve changed. What happened that made you so unlike yourself?”

“There’s no reason, Brother Gao!” Lü Chenyue suddenly raised his voice. “I ran out of money. I just want to come back to work. Isn’t that good enough? Why is everyone looking at me like that? What’s wrong with me coming back?”

There was a trace of agitation in his tone.

“But I’ve told you before — don’t force yourself,” Gao Junting replied, his voice turning a little stern. He could tell Lü Chenyue was clearly lying to himself.

Seeing Lü Chenyue this agitated pushed even Gao Junting’s usually calm temper to the limit. He slammed his palm on the table — hard — producing a loud bang that echoed throughout the office. Even people outside could hear it clearly. No one dared approach. The tension in that room was thick enough to choke on.

“I’m not forcing myself. I want to do this!”

He just wanted to forget that man—Xu Wenhao, who had once treated him so well. But the more he said it out loud, the more his chest hurt, as if the very act of speaking those words made it harder to breathe.

“You’re a human being, not a machine. Sooner or later, you’ll collapse!” Gao Junting rebuked him sharply. “Go home for today. I’ll cancel all your clients!”

Lü Chenyue lowered his head, saying nothing.

Seeing that Lü Chenyue still had no intention of leaving, Gao Junting’s expression turned grim as he spoke coldly, “Do I need to call someone in here to drag you out before you go?”

Lü Chenyue took a deep breath, turned around, and silently left with dim, lifeless steps.

(To be continued…)