CH 157

Translated by Crooked

Edited by Dust Bunny 

Hearing the middle-aged man’s description, Gu Xizhou’s expression froze. He’d also heard this story from the victim’s mother, but their versions were as different as black and white. Gu Xizhou frowned, watching the stooped back of the middle-aged man as he left. He really couldn’t say anything more.

Gu Xizhou got off work early and returned home full of fatigue. For some reason, whenever he was at home recently, Si Yu was always gone. He lay down on the sofa, closed his eyes, and fell asleep.

Blood.

So much blood. 

Drip. Drip. Thin streams of blood dripped down the stairs, and his eyelids grew heavier and heavier.

Was he dying?

His body felt like it had been crushed, and more blood flowed out down the stairs. His strength faded, and despair rose in his heart. Gu Xizhou’s heart suddenly hurt sorely.

The summer in Ningqing was very rainy. A Maybach drove slowly out of the parking lot.

The driver inside the car was a young man about 27 or 28 years old with regular features. As he drove, he cautiously stole a look at the big boss in the back seat.

The big boss’ eyelids drooped, seemingly lost in thought about something. The driver stealthily glanced back, but just when he wanted to take a closer look, the big boss in the back suddenly raised his head and their eyes met.

The big boss was holding a slip of paper, and his complexion when he looked at it was very gloomy. His whole body was like an ice sculpture, making anyone sharing the space feel inconceivably cold.

Si Yu looked down at the note and crumpled it up into a ball, making a creaking sound with his fingers. Then, he threw the note into the car’s trash can. 

“Big boss, are you… are you okay?” the young driver asked carefully.

Si Yu’s thin lips pursed into a line, and his expression was a little cold. When he heard the driver’s concern, he only gave a light “en”.

Fate?

He’s the person who believes in fate the least, while also being the one who believes in it the most. 

“Do you believe in fate?” Si Yu said suddenly, looking out the window at the passing scenery.

It was as if… no one else was in the car.

“Ah?” The young driver was surprised. After a moment, he responded to Si Yu’s question. “Fate?! I believe it… but I also don’t believe it.”

“Sc?” Vl Te gjlrfv jc fsfygbk lc atf yjmx gbk. “Sijybgjaf.” 

Ktf wjc rjlv delfais, “P vlvc’a mtbbrf ab yf ybgc, yea P mjc mtbbrf ktfgf P ub ab kbgx, ktfgf P ilnf, jcv ktja xlcv bo qfgrbc P yfmbwf. Ktfrf jgf jii ogbw ws tfjga…”

“P mjc’a mtjcuf ktja tjqqfcfv yfobgf P kjr ybgc, yea P mjc mtbbrf ktja tjqqfcr joafg, rb P vbc’a atlcx P’w mbcagbiifv ys ojaf, yea gjatfg P mbcagbi ws bkc ojaf.”

“…Big boss, did I say too much?” The lively young man realized the big boss hadn’t replied to him, and he said with embarrassment, “I’m sorry, I…”

Si Yu glanced at him and spoke indifferently. “You don’t need to apologize. You helped me understand something.” 

The car traveled for over ten minutes before parking in front of a two-story villa.

Seeing that the big boss didn’t get angry because of him, the man took a deep breath. He prepared to drive the car away, but he suddenly saw the big boss beckon to him. He immediately rolled down the car window. “Boss, did you forget something in the car?”

Si Yu shook his head. He stared at the driver and said, “When you go back, don’t take Lotus Road.”

“Okay…” Even though he didn’t know why, the driver still promised Si Yu. 

The young driver started the car and drove away. As if demons and gods were at work, Si Yu opened a cigarette case and took out a small note from inside, spreading it out.

The note said: Do you really think he likes you, or does he merely accept that you were arranged for him by fate?

The note’s letters were crooked like they were written by a child who’d just learned to write, and they were very ugly.

At that time, Gu Xizhou, who was sleeping at home, felt a hand on his forehead, smoothing out the wrinkles from his frown. Then it slid down and lightly patted his shoulder, pulling him out from the nightmare. 

Gu Xizhou woke up and found that it was Si Yu’s hand. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and gasped for breath.

After his resurrection, he’d had this dream several times. This was concealed in the deepest abyss of his memory, but why was he recently dreaming about when he died?

The supernatural world was redemption for ghosts, so how did he not become a ghost? In that case… Could anyone who died come back to life?

When Gu Xizhou thought this, his nose suddenly turned sour. Impossible… everyone died that day, including him. 

There’s no possibility of starting over.

None.

The last time he had that old dream, Gu Xizhou couldn’t understand. He also hadn’t thought about the past recently. After his resurrection, he didn’t have any contact with his last life, and he rarely takes the initiative to think about those things.

None of those old memories were good, and Gu Xizhou wasn’t a masochist. He didn’t think about them. 

But recently, he has always inexplicably dreamt about them. In his dreams, it seemed like he’d returned to the day he died. That powerless feeling pressing down on him was unbearably painful, and he couldn’t breathe at all.

Gu Xizhou pressed down his discomfort and took a deep breath. He looked up and saw Si Yu staring at him deeply, sitting on the sofa.

“Had a nightmare?”

Gu Xizhou nodded. 

“Can you tell me about it?” asked Si Yu deeply, his pitch-black pupils staring at Gu Xizhou.

Gu Xizhou: “It’s not easy to say.”

Si Yu: “I want to know.”

Gu Xizhou changed the subject. He didn’t want to talk about his past at all. It was a nightmare for him. Gu Xizhou asked, “Did you go out?” 

“Heh.” Si Yu saw that Gu Xizhou didn’t want to talk about it and didn’t push him. He laughed quietly. There seemed to be a magnetic attraction from his deep voice that felt like two hands were gently rubbing Gu Xizhou’s ears. “Something happened at the company, so I took a trip over.”

“Oh…” Gu Xizhou sat up on the sofa and stared at Si Yu for a while.

Si Yu’s face was really handsome. Gu Xizhou habitually took a second look.

“Are you peeping at me?” Si Yu asked quietly. He grabbed Gu Xizhou’s hand, bending his eyes. Inside them, they reflected Gu Xizhou’s image. 

Gu Xizhou nodded. “En.”

Hearing Gu Xizhou’s reply, Si Yu’s expression turned surprised. He stared at Gu Xizhou with a faint glimmer.

“Come, let’s eat,” Si Yu said tenderly.

Gu Xizhou swept a glance at him and got up from the sofa. His foot felt a little numb, and he almost fell back down. Fortunately, Si Yu was watching and quickly caught him. He didn’t know whether it was intentional or not, but his lips rubbed against Gu Xizhou’s adam’s apple. His breath swept across at the same time, making him a little itchy and limp. 

Gu Xizhou glanced at him before moving his line of sight away. Then, he said carelessly, “Thanks, let’s eat.”

After Gu Xizhou threw off Si Yu’s hand, he took a few steps forward. Si Yu stepped behind him and directly held Gu Xizhou with strong arms.

Being held like this, Gu Xizhou’s mouth and nose were filled with Si Yu’s scent. Si Yu put his chin on his shoulder, pushing his hands through Gu Xizhou’s black hair, then slid one down to his waist and the other around his neck.

“You like me, right?” Si Yu’s voice sounded deep in his ears. 

Gu Xizhou felt that Si Yu was a little strange. Recently, he always suddenly asked him this question. He asked it over and over. Gu Xizhou already answered him, so why did he ask again?

“Why don’t you say anything?” Si Yu’s eyes drooped as he asked pitifully.

Gu Xizhou’s clothes were in disarray because of Si Yu. He turned his head to look at Si Yu and said, “Like, I like you.”

Si Yu looked down at him. Today he was wearing a white shirt with the cuffs rolled up to expose his strong forearm muscles. His hair was mussed from when they rubbed together, which made his grave temperament show a more ascetic touch. 

Si Yu heard Gu Xizhou’s reply and carefully dragged his chin along to the side to look at Gu Xizhou. Gu Xizhou was embarrassed when he looked at him. He looked down and laughed, asking quietly, “Why are you staring at me? You keep asking strange questions recently.”

Si Yu said, “I’m very happy.”

“Happy?” Gu Xizhou’s eyes moved, stopping on Si Yu’s cheek, and he asked, “Do you really like me that much?”

Si Yu nodded and said, “En. I think I like you even more than you think, no… to be accurate, I should say I love you. 

“Gu Xizhou, I love you.”

Gu Xizhou heard Si Yu’s sudden confession, and even though he was happy in his heart, he didn’t know what to say. He probed, “Is something the matter? You’ve been acting odd.”

“No.” Si Yu rubbed Gu Xizhou’s hair without saying anything further.

Fu Yiran already sent him numerous notes, and the same sentence was written on each note—— 

Do you really think he likes you, or does he merely accept that you were arranged for him by fate?

Fu Yiran was simply meddling in other people’s business.

After eating a meal, Gu Xizhou took a bath and then sat down. For some reason, even though he only meant to sit on the sofa, he fell asleep again.

Drip. 

Drip.

So much blood. A man used his hand to cover his waist as blood flowed down the stairs. Loud voices reached his ears.

“This officer is finally dead.” It felt like someone was speaking indistinctly right in his ear, but Gu Xizhou could hear it very clearly. The man’s tone was full of disdain and contempt.

Around them, there were many people watching the excitement. They gradually went from clear to blurry. 

Gu Xizhou felt like breathing was getting more difficult——

“Xizhou, wake up.” Si Yu came out from the bathroom and saw Gu Xizhou’s twisted brows and his forehead covered in sweat, so he woke him up.

Gu Xizhou opened his eyes in a daze, rubbing his eyes.

“Another nightmare?” Si Yu asked, his voice heavy. 

Gu Xizhou “en”ed. His complexion was a little pale. Recently… It’s odd. He always dreamt about those old affairs, and dreaming about what he saw when he died. Why was it like this?