NASAY CH 70

Luo Xing had always been reserved and restrained in front of Huo Xingzhou, never willing to expose the deep-seated fear and anxiety hidden in his heart. He always tried to show him his best side.

But now, as he screamed at him in utter despair, he was already teetering on the edge of collapse.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry… I came too late… I’m so sorry…”

Huo Xingzhou kept apologizing, over and over again, regardless of whether Luo Xing could even hear him. He rested his chin on the top of Luo Xing’s head and repeated his words tirelessly.

Even if Luo Xing hadn’t questioned him, the guilt was already crushing him. Why had he entrusted him to someone else? Why had he allowed him to suffer such terror? He wished he could punch himself—anything would be better than this pain in his chest.

“It was my fault. I came too late…”

After that desperate question, Luo Xing finally quieted down. He didn’t keep crying or demanding an answer—he just lay there, breathing weakly in silence.

Huo Xingzhou could no longer hold back. The moonlight illuminated Luo Xing’s deathly pale face, stabbing into his heart like a needle. He feared that if he waited any longer, he himself would break down alongside him.

The initial panic, the rage when he found him, the terror when he touched him—all of it mixed together like a tidal wave, nearly drowning him.

His arms trembled, his legs felt weak, and even though Luo Xing was thin, carrying him felt like bearing an unbearable weight. Staggering, step by step, he made his way back to the dormitory.

Luo Xing was like a small blade of grass growing out of a crack in a cliff—battered by storms, trampled underfoot, yet still struggling against all odds to survive.

“Loving someone is the most helpless thing in the world. No matter how much you like them, no matter how much you’re willing to sacrifice, you might never receive the same in return. But sometimes… just one glance from them is enough.”

“Actually, I’m luckier than most people. I have you, and I have Dad Huo and Mom Xing.”

“I love him. Except for death, nothing will make me leave him.”

This person…

Even with so many painful memories, even after spending his childhood licking his wounds in the darkness of that tiny room, forcing himself to grow through loneliness and fear—

Even knowing all this, Huo Xingzhou still felt his chest tighten every time he thought about it.

Recently, he had remembered a little more about the time when he and Ye Qiaoqiao had gone looking for Xue Jian as kids.

He had been lying on top of a not-so-high wall, reaching through a rusted window to hand over a piece of candy.

That child had the darkest eyes—like two black pearls—staring up at him with a look of both longing and restraint.

That gaze suddenly resurfaced in his mind.

Huo Xingzhou thought to himself, if he were given another chance, he wouldn’t just hand over a piece of candy.

He would reach out a hand and tell him:

“Little one, come with me.”

---

Lu Qinghe rushed over, seeing Huo Xingzhou running with a heavy load, and asked worriedly, “Let me help you.”

“No need.”
Huo Xingzhou’s voice was hoarse as he asked without turning his head,
“Where is he?”

“He never returned to the dormitory, but I checked with the gatekeeper—he didn’t get an exit pass. If he didn’t climb the fence, then he must still be somewhere on campus.”

Pausing for a moment, Lu Qinghe scanned the school grounds and made a deduction:

“He hates you and Luo Xing so much. He went through all the trouble of stealing your phone and luring Luo Xing out—just to see you both suffer. He must be nearby.”

“Alright, I’ll be right back.”

With that, Huo Xingzhou strode toward the dormitory without looking back.

Lu Qinghe gave a silent nod and turned to head in the opposite direction.

Feng Jia had already learned that Luo Xing had been found, so he returned to the dormitory ahead of time and stood outside the dorm building with Li Lefan and Ye Qiaoqiao, waiting.

As soon as he saw Huo Xingzhou approaching from a distance, carrying Luo Xing in his arms, he instinctively ran over. But when he reached them, he hesitated, opening his mouth as if to speak, only to swallow his words back down.

“You’ve worked hard.”
Huo Xingzhou said.

Hearing this, Feng Jia didn’t know what to say. His chest tightened with emotion, and his eyes stung. He wiped his face roughly, cursing under his breath in frustration.

Li Lefan pressed his lips together, staying silent, while Ye Qiaoqiao glanced at the two of them, taking a deep breath before exhaling slowly. In the end, she said nothing either, simply retrieving her phone in silence.

“Let’s go back.”
Huo Xingzhou said as he carried Luo Xing step by step into the dormitory building.

“Your hand… Do you need to go to the hospital?”
Ye Qiaoqiao called out.

Both he and Luo Xing looked terrible, and his clothes were stained with large patches of blood. It was impossible not to worry.

Huo Xingzhou stopped for a moment and replied,
“It’s nothing.”

He continued into the dorm building, leaving Ye Qiaoqiao unable to follow. She hesitated for a moment, then quickly turned to Li Lefan and said,
“Wait here for me. I’ll go grab some supplies. Make sure he bandages his wound later.”

Li Lefan nodded. “Alright.”

Upstairs, Feng Jia followed closely behind Huo Xingzhou. Since the dorm had lofted beds with desks underneath, there was no way to lay Luo Xing on the bed, so he simply placed him in a chair instead.

Luo Xing had regained a bit of awareness. He swallowed twice, clutching onto Huo Xingzhou’s sleeve as he rasped, “Where are we?”

“The dorm.”

Huo Xingzhou reached out to touch his cold, sweat-drenched face. He turned to head to the bathroom to get some water to wipe his face, but Luo Xing grabbed his hand tightly.

Huo Xingzhou turned back and knelt down, his voice soft. “What’s wrong?”

“Don’t go.” Luo Xing clutched his hand tightly, his eyes filled with panic. Seeing that expression made Huo Xingzhou’s heart sink.

“Alright, I won’t go.”
He gently squeezed Luo Xing’s hand in return.
“Are you hungry? I’ll have Feng Jia get you something to eat, okay?”

Luo Xing shook his head. “Not hungry.”

Feng Jia was drowning in guilt. Looking at Luo Xing’s pale face made it hard for him to breathe. He walked to the bathroom and splashed his face with cold water.

Huo Xingzhou had trusted him enough to leave Luo Xing in his care.

But he had lost him.

And now, Luo Xing was in this half-dead state.

“Feng Jia.” Huo Xingzhou called out.
“Bring me a basin of warm water.”

“Oh! Oh!” Feng Jia was dazed for a brief second before snapping back to reality. He quickly followed the instructions, bringing a basin of warm water, dipping Luo Xing’s towel in, and wringing it out.

Feeling uneasy, he avoided Huo Xingzhou’s gaze, clearing his throat awkwardly.
“Uh… I ordered some food just now. I’ll go wait for it at the school gate.”

Huo Xingzhou took the towel and simply replied, “Okay.”
He didn’t watch as Feng Jia hurriedly left.

As he reached into the basin to wring the towel, his brow furrowed sharply.

“You’re hurt!” Luo Xing exclaimed in shock.

“It’s nothing, just a small cut. It’s not serious.”
Huo Xingzhou rinsed his wound in the water, then wrung out the towel to wipe Luo Xing’s face. But Luo Xing suddenly grabbed the towel, holding onto his injured hand instead.

The tears he had been holding back for five hours in the abandoned exhibition hall finally spilled over.

“You say it’s nothing, but the wound is so deep! You’re still bleeding so much!”

His eyes were red with panic, tears dripping onto the back of Huo Xingzhou’s hand, scalding him like fire.

“It’s really not serious. Don’t cry.”
Huo Xingzhou lowered his head and pressed a gentle kiss to Luo Xing’s tear-streaked eyes, murmuring softly,
“Really, have I ever lied to you?”

Luo Xing shook his head furiously, his nose stinging with emotion. This wasn’t about lying or not—how could such a deep wound not hurt?

“It’s really nothing.”
Huo Xingzhou didn’t want him to worry about it, so he quickly changed the subject.
“By the way, how did you end up in that abandoned exhibition hall?”

At the mention of it, Luo Xing’s body trembled violently. The fear he had just barely pushed away surged back in an instant. His breathing became rapid as he clutched onto Huo Xingzhou’s wrist tightly.

“If you’re scared, don’t say anything. It’s okay, it’s okay.”
Huo Xingzhou hurriedly reassured him, wringing out the towel again and wiping Luo Xing’s hands. The faint scent of blood still lingered from his wound.

Luo Xing took a deep breath and struggled to close his eyes for a moment before forcing himself to speak.

“I… I got a WeChat message from you.”

“I told you to go there?”

“Mm.” Luo Xing swallowed hard, his voice hoarse.
“You said you had something to tell me and asked me to go there after the first self-study period. When I got there, no one was around… and then… I was knocked out from behind.”

Huo Xingzhou was shocked and immediately reached out to touch the back of Luo Xing’s head. Sure enough, there was a swollen bump.

Luo Xing pulled his hand down, shook his head, and took a deep breath before continuing,
“When I woke up again, I was already in the exhibition hall. I didn’t see the person who hit me.”

Huo Xingzhou responded with a quiet “Mm.” He hadn’t expected Luo Xing to have seen anything useful. Xue Jian wouldn’t act so recklessly. If he had dared to use Huo Xingzhou’s phone to send a message, he wouldn’t have left such an obvious trail behind. He wouldn’t let himself fall into such an amateurish trap.

Li Lefan opened the door and entered, bringing in the medicine Ye Qiaoqiao had given him. While explaining how to use it, Feng Jia also returned, carrying a large bag of food.

Luo Xing set everything else aside and first helped bandage Huo Xingzhou’s wound. Only then did he find time to thank Feng Jia.

“Don’t—don’t say that…”
Feng Jia already felt ashamed beyond words. He hadn’t expected Luo Xing to thank him, which only made him feel even more guilty.

Huo Xingzhou was feeding porridge to Luo Xing when he glanced at Feng Jia and remarked,
“That’s enough, quit the act. You’re making it seem like you failed to save the world in time.”

Feng Jia blurted out, “F***, you’re the one acting! I really do feel bad.”

Li Lefan chuckled and coughed twice to smooth things over.
“Alright, alright, since Luo Xing is fine, let’s just leave it at that. Huo Xingzhou didn’t even blame you, so what are you feeling guilty about? Stop being so fake—ugh.”

“You two are animals!”
Feng Jia took a vicious bite of his ribs, then paused and quickly pushed the shredded chicken over to Luo Xing.
“Cousin, eat more. If it’s not enough, I’ll buy more.”

Luo Xing didn’t think much of the title “cousin” and instead smiled apologetically.
“You don’t need to feel guilty. This isn’t your fault. If anyone’s to blame, it’s me.”

Huo Xingzhou snorted coldly and, without even looking up, said,
“What are you waiting for? Kneel down and thank your savior.”

Feng Jia fell silent. He realized that, given Huo Xingzhou’s attitude, he had been too naive to think he’d get any sympathy. Huo Xingzhou had always been straightforward and reasonable. He never blamed people without cause.

It was Feng Jia who had been overthinking things.

After finishing the meal, Huo Xingzhou urged Luo Xing to go brush his teeth and wash his face. Meanwhile, Feng Jia gave him a meaningful look and whispered,
“Lu Qinghe sent a message saying they found him at the climbing wall.”

Huo Xingzhou responded with a simple “Mm.”
“Tell him I’ll be there soon. Have him wait a bit.”

Feng Jia nodded and turned to message Lu Qinghe. Li Lefan asked quietly,
“What does that mean? Does this have something to do with Xue Jian?”

Feng Jia wasn’t sure either, but judging from the situation, Xue Jian was likely behind what had happened to Luo Xing. The climbing wall had been abandoned for a long time, and across from it was a plaster statue exhibition hall. If Luo Xing was afraid of the dark, that place was practically a nightmare.

He didn’t answer. Li Lefan asked again,
“So, are we going with Huo Xingzhou later? We need to keep an eye on him, make sure he doesn’t beat Xue Jian to death.”

Feng Jia shuddered at the thought and turned to look at Huo Xingzhou. He saw him tilting his head slightly, gazing into the bathroom where Luo Xing was. His eyes were filled with such deep tenderness that it seemed like he could melt the whole world.

The gentler he was to Luo Xing, the harsher he would be to Xue Jian.

If he went to see Xue Jian like this, there was a real chance he might beat him to death!

“Of course, we’re going!”
Feng Jia clenched his teeth, his pupils narrowing slightly.
“If he beats him to death, count me in!”

“Hey, I meant we should go to hold him back a little, not to help him!”
Li Lefan was startled and quickly pushed him.

These two were crazy! Killing someone wasn’t a joke!

Luo Xing gripped the sink with both hands, took a deep breath, and quietly turned the water temperature from warm to cold. He scooped up the icy water, splashed it onto his face, and tried to clear his mind.

His mind was muddled tonight, and he couldn’t remember many things. He could only recall bits and pieces of what Huo Xingzhou had said while holding him.

His mind was buzzing, yet he couldn’t hear anything. The hearing he had left seemed to vanish in an instant. He raised his hand and pressed his ears.

No sound.

What was going on? Was it because of the blow he had taken earlier, hitting a nerve just right? Or had the overwhelming fear in the exhibition hall caused temporary deafness?

He couldn’t tell. All he felt was exhaustion and frustration.

His chest was filled with chaotic emotions that he couldn’t put into words or sort out. The discomfort made him want to throw things and scream. But he couldn’t. If he did, Huo Xingzhou would be upset.

Feng Jia would feel guilty too.

Luo Xing took a deep breath, grabbed a towel, and wiped his face. There was still a faint scent of blood, making his mood even more irritable.

After hanging up the towel and composing himself, he finished washing up before walking toward Huo Xingzhou, smiling lightly. “I’m done.”

Huo Xingzhou touched his face gently and responded with a soft “Mm.”
Luo Xing had no idea how loud the sound was because he could no longer hear anything at all. His world had finally fallen into complete silence.

“It’s late. Get some rest.”

Luo Xing responded and climbed into bed, afraid that if he kept talking, Huo Xingzhou would notice something was wrong. He figured if he went to sleep early, maybe by morning, he would regain some of his hearing.

Huo Xingzhou supported him by the waist, helping him onto the bed. Once Luo Xing was settled and covered with the blanket, Huo Xingzhou climbed up as well, sitting on the inner side. He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on Luo Xing’s forehead, whispering, “Sleep. I’m right here with you.”

Luo Xing responded softly and closed his eyes.

Maybe he was too exhausted—he fell into deep sleep in less than five minutes. His complexion remained pale, his lips dry and chapped, peeling slightly.

His sleep didn’t seem peaceful. His long, dark eyelashes trembled occasionally, like the fluttering wings of a frightened butterfly.

Huo Xingzhou let him hold his hand for a while. Once Luo Xing’s sleep deepened, he carefully withdrew his hand, got out of bed, and stood up.

The gentle gaze in his eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a chilling sharpness—cold and dangerous.

“Feng Jia, stay here with Luo Xing. If he wakes up, call me immediately. I’m heading out.”
Huo Xingzhou glanced at the sleeping Luo Xing again and tucked the blanket around him.

Feng Jia hesitated for a moment, looking at him as if wanting to say something. But in the end, he simply nodded. “Alright.”

Huo Xingzhou said nothing more, turned around, and walked out.

Li Lefan hurried after him, barely able to keep up, panting from the effort.

—

“Let me go!”

Xue Jian’s fair and delicate face was pressed against the rough, uneven surface of the climbing wall as he struggled and shouted angrily,
“Why are you grabbing me!”

Lu Qinghe, despite his seemingly refined and scholarly demeanor, managed to restrain him effortlessly with just one hand. It was then that Xue Jian remembered—this man came from a military family.

“Lu Qinghe, why don’t you go take care of your precious Ye Qiaoqiao? What do you want with me? This is none of your business! Let me go! Did you hear me?!”
Xue Jian writhed uncomfortably, trying to break free.

Lu Qinghe couldn’t be bothered to respond. Though he had restrained Xue Jian, he hadn’t harmed him in the slightest.

This matter was for Huo Xingzhou to deal with.

No one else had the right to interfere.

Huo Xingzhou arrived and saw Xue Jian pinned against the climbing wall. Their eyes met, but instead of the cold smirk Xue Jian expected, there was only indifference.

Huo Xingzhou looked at him as if he were nothing more than a piece of trash, not even worth sparing an extra thought.

That gaze pierced through Xue Jian. If it had been filled with hatred, anger, or even mockery, he would have felt satisfied.

But there was nothing.

It was as if, without Luo Xing, Huo Xingzhou wouldn’t even bother to look at him.

Why?

Why? Why?!

Xue Jian clenched his teeth tightly. Lu Qinghe let go of him, and he immediately lost his strength, falling forward and hitting his cheek against the protrusion of the climbing wall.

Huo Xingzhou lowered his gaze and began unwrapping the thick layers of bandages Luo Xing had used to treat him. One layer after another, until all that remained was a long strip of torn, blood-stained cloth, discarded onto the floor.

He flexed his fingers a little, then walked up to Xue Jian, his voice flat and devoid of emotion.

“Where’s the phone?”

Xue Jian froze. He had thought Huo Xingzhou came to interrogate or beat him, but the first thing he asked about was this? A twisted smile immediately appeared on his face.

“That’s right, I have it.”
Xue Jian pulled the phone from his pocket, but before he could finish his sentence, Huo Xingzhou had already snatched it from his hands.

He swiped up to unlock it, ignoring the balance, messages, or any personal information. Instead, he went straight to the photo album.

His fingers moved across the screen, and then he let out a light, relieved chuckle. His expression softened, a warmth in his eyes so deep it could drown someone in an instant.

Xue Jian looked up in confusion.

On the screen, besides the group photo from the barbecue, there was a blurry, poorly composed photo of Luo Xing, taken from a distance through a window. It was grainy and ugly.

Just a single photo—yet it was that important?

In Huo Xingzhou’s heart, he was worth less than a single photograph.

A wave of fury and jealousy surged through Xue Jian, almost drowning him. He lunged forward, trying to snatch the phone back and smash it to pieces.

Huo Xingzhou lifted his hand. “Lu Qinghe.”

Lu Qinghe looked up at his name just in time to see the phone being tossed his way. He caught it with precision but barely had a chance to breathe before—

A scream echoed.

Xue Jian was on the ground, his cry of pain still lingering when Huo Xingzhou stepped on his fingers, twisting his foot cruelly. His voice was ice-cold.

“Do you even remember how much blood these hands of yours have stained?”

Xue Jian gasped in pain, his face contorting—but then, strangely, a smile slowly crept onto his lips. It was as if the more he suffered, the more satisfied he felt. He let out a couple of deranged laughs.

Huo Xingzhou frowned.

Li Lefan stepped forward, intending to intervene, but Lu Qinghe stopped him with a raised hand.

“I advise you not to get involved.”

“But—”

Lu Qinghe lifted his eyelids slightly and glanced at him.
“This is what he owes Luo Xing. And what he owes Min Yao. If you’re afraid of getting implicated, then don’t stop him.”

Xue Jian struggled to breathe, his voice coming out in broken laughter.
“Hit me… just kill me. If I die at your hands… you’ll never forget me. Just like I have to carry the burden of Min Yao’s death… I want you to carry me… forever.”

“Fuck!” Li Lefan, who had originally been trying to stop Huo Xingzhou, was furious. He was worried about the consequences—if Huo Xingzhou killed or seriously injured Xue Jian, and Xue Jian reported it, he would be held responsible.

But this? This was beyond shameless!

He actually wanted to die at Huo Xingzhou’s hands, to escape while dragging Huo Xingzhou down with him?

Huo Xingzhou lifted his foot and grabbed Xue Jian by the collar, dragging him up. He threw punch after punch into his face, expressionless, as if he were just hitting a piece of rotten meat.

The abandoned building was deathly silent, the only sound being fists landing against flesh.

Xue Jian could no longer laugh—because he realized something.

Huo Xingzhou was hitting him, but there was no emotion behind it. Not the rage, hatred, or resentment Xue Jian wanted.

Blood—whether it was his own or Huo Xingzhou’s—mixed together. Xue Jian stretched out his tongue and licked his lips lightly.

He couldn’t stand being ignored. Despite the pain, he forced himself to speak, deliberately provoking,
“Did you know? When Luo Xing called your name here, his voice was miserable—like a wounded animal whimpering.”

“I never knew he was afraid of the dark. But, oh… he couldn’t hear anything, could he?”
Xue Jian tilted his head, feigning innocence.
“I stood right next to him, speaking to him, but he didn’t hear a word. He just kept calling for you, begging for you to save him.”

“And you should really thank me, you know. If it weren’t for me creating this situation, you wouldn’t have known he was scared of the dark, or just how much he loves you.”

Huo Xingzhou looked up, his fingers loosening slightly. He watched in silence as Xue Jian’s body trembled.

Xue Jian lost all support and collapsed onto the ground, gasping, his laughter turning manic.

“He even tried to find his phone to use the screen as a light,”
Xue Jian sneered,
“but too bad—I smashed it. Because he had your picture as his wallpaper. Tell me…”

He paused.

“Isn’t that just disgusting?”

Huo Xingzhou crouched down, looking at him with pity in his eyes.

“Xue Jian,” he said softly,
“do you know what’s most pitiful about you?”

Xue Jian froze.

His smile stiffened as if he had been stabbed. His lips trembled as he tried to retort,
“I’m not pitiful. Not at all!”