Chapter 69

Chapter 69

After their meal, the two of them chatted as they walked. Su Jianzhou felt that Ning Qiuyan had changed a lot; he was no longer so despondent or lifeless. While he still couldn’t be described as a passionate or bubbly person, his eyes sparkled whenever he spoke of the person he liked.

Su Jianzhou had never met that Mr. Guan who lived on Du Island, nor did he know that the man once had a photograph that went viral online. Every time he heard Ning Qiuyan mention him, he merely sketched a vague image in his mind of a sickly young scion of a wealthy family-erudite, lonely, and shrouded in a bit of mystery.

But that was enough. Based on those traits alone, it was sufficient to leave the artistically inclined Ning Qiuyan completely head over heels.

Su Jianzhou asked, “Does he know?”

Ning Qiuyan immediately understood that Su Jianzhou was asking about his earlier admission: “I like him.”

After thinking for two or three seconds, Ning Qiuyan replied, “…He knows.”

He had never actually confessed to Guan Heng, but he felt it was impossible for Guan Heng not to know.

After all, even Lu Qianque could see it.

No, everyone around them could probably see it. Ning Qiuyan was simply too poor at hiding his emotions.

“So, what was his reaction?” Su Jianzhou frowned slightly. “Did he accept you, or has he not taken a stance? Ning Qiuyan, you haven’t had much contact with people of that social class. Often, they say nothing and just string you along to get what they want from you. Don’t just give blindly, blinded by the kindness he shows on the surface.”

Su Jianzhou was, after all, several years older than Ning Qiuyan and had seen more of the world, especially working in a place like a hospital where he had witnessed the full spectrum of human nature. He spoke these truths in a calm tone, not sounding overbearing.

Ning Qiuyan paused his steps. Knowing Su Jianzhou meant well, he responded as obediently as he had when they were children.

Then, he told Su Jianzhou seriously, “Guan Heng isn’t that kind of person.”

This was the first time Ning Qiuyan had spoken Guan Heng’s name aloud.

Saying those two words directly felt far too intimate no matter how he looked at it. But once they were out of his mouth, the distance between him and Guan Heng, far away on Du Island, seemed to vanish instantly, reminding him of the fact that their relationship had already moved a step forward.

“Mr. Guan doesn’t want anything from me,” Ning Qiuyan said. “Besides… it seems like there’s nothing in this world that he wants.”

Guan Heng already had everything.

Or to put it another way, he no longer needed to possess anything else.

The atmosphere grew quiet.

As they continued walking, Su Jianzhou suddenly sighed and asked, “Is he already very seriously ill?”

Ning Qiuyan let out a startled “Ah.” He hadn’t expected Su Jianzhou to think in that direction. He had no choice but to take off his hat, rub his hair in frustration, and mutter vaguely, “…Yeah.”

“See if you can ask him for a copy of his medical records,” Su Jianzhou said seriously. “Even though this isn’t my specialty, my mentor knows many famous hematology experts both at home and abroad-”

“There’s no need,” Ning Qiuyan said quickly. “They have their own arrangements.”

Su Jianzhou looked at him.

Ning Qiuyan added, “There are professional doctors on Du Island at all times.”

This wasn’t exactly a lie; Dr. Ling lived on Du Island long-term.

Su Jianzhou waved it off. “True. A tycoon like that has probably already consulted every expert in the world. I wouldn’t be much help anyway.”

Ning Qiuyan could only nod again.

The persona of Guan Heng as a sickly man with little time left had been deeply reinforced during their conversation. This misunderstanding wasn’t going to be cleared up anytime soon.

Afterward, the way Su Jianzhou looked at Ning Qiuyan remained somewhat somber, as if lamenting the unfairness of fate. Ning Qiuyan had finally found someone he wanted to cherish, yet that person was destined to leave him.

When they parted ways, Su Jianzhou gave Ning Qiuyan a brief hug and patted his shoulder comfortingly.

***

After talking with Su Jianzhou, Ning Qiuyan would sometimes wonder: since Guan Heng didn’t intend to get anything from him, how exactly should he define this relationship?

Guan Heng had said he wanted Ning Qiuyan to give himself over completely, that he would make stricter, more excessive demands of him, and that there would be generous rewards.

Ning Qiuyan didn’t care about rewards, but… what if the contents of that small leather suitcase were those so-called “excessive demands”?

Ning Qiuyan felt a bit of a breakdown coming on.

He had secretly searched for related information online. Much of what he found left him slack-jawed and incredulous; he hadn’t known people in the world had such hobbies. Some things repulsed him to the core, making him feel physically uncomfortable, nauseous, and angry. Others, however, made his face flush red again, opening the door to a whole new world.

Regardless, he knew deep down that if the person doing those things to him was Guan Heng, it didn’t seem so unacceptable. He even felt a shameful sense of anticipation.

Guan Heng noticed his distraction.

On Christmas Eve, his roommates all had plans, so Ning Qiuyan went to the Black House.

That was right-he now called that dark-toned house with the black marble the Black House.

After looking around, Ning Qiuyan hadn’t been able to pick out any furniture. He had only been drawn to an adjustable smart mattress in a magazine, so he went to a store himself to buy a very thin bed frame and put the delivered mattress on top of it.

Aside from this mattress, the house contained a set of audio equipment and some of Ning Qiuyan’s clothes and daily necessities. There was nothing else.

The small leather suitcase, of course, couldn’t be kept in the dorm anymore, so he had stuffed it into his luggage.

Guan Heng’s video call came at nine o’clock. At the time, Ning Qiuyan was lying prone on the mattress, editing audio.

Recently, his senior’s studio had accepted a commission from a small brand to compose music for a new perfume advertisement. A sound sample Ning Qiuyan produced at the studio had been recommended. The pay wasn’t much-only a few thousand yuan after the split-and everyone else found it a hassle, so Ning Qiuyan had to handle the correspondence himself and make revisions according to the proposal.
“I’m already on the fourth version,” Ning Qiuyan said. “Now they want to go back to the beat from the second version-the one you’ve heard-but they want to keep some of the changes I’ve made since then.”

He was wearing large monitoring headphones that made his face look particularly small. He tugged at a section of the cord, a rare look of distress on his face.

Guan Heng asked, “You don’t want to change it?”

“No.” Ning Qiuyan took off the headphones, rolled over, and flopped onto the bed.

The mattress was huge, allowing Ning Qiuyan to roll around however he pleased. He had put on a set of pure white linens; his short-cropped black hair was spread across the sheet, revealing his Ruby Earring and a stretch of pale neck.

He honestly admitted to Guan Heng, “It’s such a hassle. I think the first version was the best. Didn’t they want to buy it because of the original version in the first place? Why do they keep making me change things?”

“That’s just how clients are,” Guan Heng said. “If you find it troublesome, next time you can just put your work on a website to sell. Price it according to the scope of the copyright usage, and you won’t have these problems.”

Guan Heng’s side was brightly lit; he was in his studio.

His phone seemed to be propped up on a stand not far away. Guan Heng was wearing a long, dark gray dressing gown. He picked up a brush and began mixing colors.

His smooth, long hair was tucked behind his ear. Just by standing there, Guan Heng was already a magnificent painting in his own right.

Ning Qiuyan simply couldn’t take his eyes off Guan Heng. He also noticed that Guan Heng was barefoot again. The irritability he had felt earlier gradually dissipated upon seeing Guan Heng, replaced by a sudden sense of calm.

“I can’t do that,” he evaluated himself objectively. “I don’t have any impressive works yet, and I have no reputation. If I put it on a website, I won’t get any recommendations, and no one will buy it. Right now, I’ve just gotten lucky with a huge opportunity. I should just be honest and change it to what they want.”

Guan Heng finished mixing the colors and looked at the camera. “Do you want help?”

Ning Qiuyan knew Guan Heng was offering to help him with the arrangement, but he shook his head. “No, I’ll do it myself.”

“Mm.” Guan Heng raised his hand, and the sleeve of his gown slid down, revealing a cool, white, and firm forearm. “Is this what’s been bothering you lately?”

Ning Qiuyan unconsciously bit his lip. “…A little.”

Guan Heng made a stroke on the canvas. Ning Qiuyan couldn’t see what he was painting, and he didn’t make a sound to disturb him.

The prosperous city of Sujing never slept.

Inside the vast house, it was quiet. The fireplace crackled as it burned, and the heat from the underfloor heating was rising. Ning Qiuyan was wearing nothing but a long T-shirt, his bare legs tucked into the duvet.

Aside from music, they didn’t actually have much daily small talk to share.

Ning Qiuyan suddenly thought of something. He set his phone down and crawled out from under the covers to unplug his headphones. He plugged in the speaker cable instead, and after he started a playlist, music instantly filled the space.

The song playing was an original track called “Dim Lights” by the female singer vietra. The tune was lazy and ambiguous, perfectly suited for the current atmosphere.

When he returned to the bed, as if they were sharing a telepathic moment, Guan Heng happened to look over again.

“Is there anything else?”

Guan Heng spoke softly, his voice full of patience.

Ning Qiuyan was suddenly transported back to that hotel room from a while ago. He felt as if those annoying shirt stays were still cinched around his upper thighs while he sat before Guan Heng, enveloped by the man’s aura. Guan Heng had looked down at him from above, making him offer up his total trust and proactively accept his punishment.

So, he knelt in the center of the bed, nodded at the phone, and voiced the trouble that had been weighing on him these past few days. “Li Tang gave me a small leather suitcase. Did you have him prepare that?”

Guan Heng said, “Yes.”

He stepped closer to the camera. His face grew larger on the screen, the light reflecting in his pitch-black pupils.

“What’s wrong?”

Ning Qiuyan found it a bit difficult to speak. “…The things inside the suitcase are a bit strange.”

He looked away shyly, staring at the window. “I don’t know how to use them.”

Guan Heng said, “You don’t need to know how to use them.” Then he asked, “Are you afraid?”

Ning Qiuyan looked back at the phone screen. The air around him felt hot. He answered, “A little.”

Guan Heng’s gaze was deep. He only said, “Overcome it.”

Two simple words, leaving no room for argument.

Before Ning Qiuyan could speak, Guan Heng added, “Otherwise, you will get hurt.”

With his face flushed red, Ning Qiuyan murmured an agreement.

There was a knock at the door. It was Uncle Kang, bringing Guan Heng’s dinner as per his routine.

Ning Qiuyan watched Guan Heng’s back as he went to open the door, then saw him return to the camera holding a glass. There wasn’t much in the glass, but the color was fresh. He didn’t know if it was deer blood or goat blood, but since people brought it back in insulated boxes, it should still be warm.

Lately, unless he wanted Ning Qiuyan to see, Guan Heng avoided feeding in front of him.

Seeing that the video call was about to end, Ning Qiuyan spoke up for the first time before Guan Heng could hang up. “Sir-” he asked bravely, “can we just stay connected like this?”

Guan Heng asked, “Why?”

“Today is Christmas Eve. I want to spend more time with you,” Ning Qiuyan said nervously. “I’ll work on my changes, and you can paint. We’ll just keep the video on. I won’t disturb you.”

He carefully extended his feelers, saying everything he wanted and requesting Guan Heng’s permission.

Because he knew that the more honest he was, the more indulgence he would receive.

Just as Ning Qiuyan expected, Guan Heng actually agreed to his request.

However, he called his name coldly and commanded, “Put some clothes on.”