The Same, Yet Different

"Lan Zhan?" Wei Ying said after they had arrived at home and taken off their coats.

"Mn?" he grunted.

He turned to him. "I'm going back to school tomorrow. I'm ready to."

Lan Zhan was taken aback by this statement, to say the least. He thought he would make this decision after the weekend.

"Are you absolutely sure of this, baobao?" he inquired, his tone solemn. "I personally do not believe that it is a good idea for you to return yet. It may not be safe for you to. And you know that I will not be able to be there since I have to work."

"Yeah, I know. I just don't want to fall behind. I haven't really caught up with my classes as much as I wanted to as it is," Wei Ying sighed.

Lan Zhan kissed him on the forehead. "No one would blame you, what with everything that has been going on. But I think that you should wait until Monday. I know that Shijie would not mind if you visited her again tomorrow."

"Probably not, but I still want to go back. At least I will be keeping busy. It would take my mind off of things. Plus, I don't want to be a burden on her."

He laid a hand on his cheek. "You would never be a burden. And if she were here, she would agree with me."

Wei Ying looked away from him and didn't comment on this.

Lan Zhan exhaled deeply. "Well, if you are going back, please...be careful. I do not agree with your choice because I want you to be safe, but I understand why you want to return.

"Do not hesitate to call me or the police if something happens. And if you have to, speak to the campus police as well. You know that they will be more than willing to help you. Detective Gang said that he will inform them of the situation. And do not forget to let me know how you are occasionally," he remarked.

"I won't, Airen. Will you call or text me while you're at work to let me know you're all right too?"

"Mn."

"Okay. Thank you."

He kissed him again. "There is no need to thank me, baobei."

"I know. But thank you anyway."

Wei Ying then called Uncle Jiang and Jiang Yanli to let them know how the interrogation at the police station went. He sent the details of it to Jiang Cheng as well, though he still didn't answer him.

Lan Zhan gave him something to snack on after that, since he hadn't eaten in hours. Then they went upstairs to go to bed. Wei Ying was beyond tuckered out and wanted nothing more than to throw the covers over himself.

He did just that once he had kissed Lan Zhan and bid him good night, and fell asleep almost immediately afterwards.

xXXXXXXx

The sky was still in its predawn phase when Lan Zhan woke him up the next morning. He didn't get out of bed right away, however, since he was still tired. The former let him doze for several more minutes, then gently reminded him that he had to get ready for school.

Wei Ying yawned as he set out his clothes before taking a shower. He tended to his injuries with Lan Zhan's help once he had dried off and got dressed after that.

As usual, breakfast was already prepared when he entered the kitchen minutes later. Wei Ying did his best to eat the pancakes and eggs that had been made; he was starting to feel somewhat apprehensive. He was hoping that everything would be all right during the day.

"Nervous?" Lan Zhan queried, seeing his expression.

He nodded. "Yeah. It just feels weird and...scary to be going back to the things you normally do," he replied in a low voice.

"That is understandable. It does. But it won't be after a while."

For Lan Zhan found it quite daunting himself. Nothing had ever been quite the same for him either after what happened to Wei Ying. He knew that it never would be also.

The latter checked his phone. "A-Cheng still hasn't contacted me yet. A-Ning didn't either," he noted worriedly.

"Mmm. They will. Give them time."

Wei Ying could only sigh as he resumed eating. He had given them nothing but time. He wondered if they were okay.

"Did you let your teachers know that you are coming back?" Lan Zhan asked next.

"Yeah. I sent them an email after I put on my clothes."

"Mmm. I know they will be happy to see you again."

He shrugged. "I guess. Some of them think I'm irritating."

"Irritating or not, Wei Ying is an intelligent student. I know they think highly of you because of that."

"Maybe. I don't know. I can't read their minds."

"You shouldn't think so little of yourself, baobao. I am sure that it is the truth."

They got ready to leave after they had finished their breakfast. Wei Ying checked himself in the bathroom's mirror before they did, making sure that he was presentable.

Lan Zhan did the same before smiling at him. "Do not worry. You look as beautiful as you always do." He rubbed his shoulder. "Let's go. We do not want to be late."

Wei Ying peered at his reflection gloomily when he had left and shook his head to himself. He still believed otherwise, as he had when he complimented him two days ago.

That's right. There's nothing remotely beautiful or attractive about you. Look at those shadows under your eyes. Look at how pale you're getting. You're ugly! You look like a freak! Wen Chao's voice sneered in his head.

A tear rolled down his face, but he quickly wiped it away. He didn't want Lan Zhan to see it if he happened to come back in.

The latter noticed the change in his mood as he soon as he stepped out of the bathroom. "What is the matter, baobei? Have you changed your mind about going back? Are you feeling ill?" he questioned in concern.

"No. It's not that," Wei Ying murmured, walking over to the closet to put his coat on. "We better get going. I know you want to be at work early."

Seeing that he was refusing to discuss the matter further, Lan Zhan pursed his lips as he did the same. He couldn't understand why he wouldn't tell him what was wrong.

He reminded him to keep in touch with him a second time as he drove him to the college. He also gave him some money to take the taxi home, in case he was unable to get a ride, or didn't want to take the bus. He didn't want him to make the trip alone.

Wei Ying just nodded as he took it. He rarely went anywhere in the cab. He had no need to ride in one, nor did anyone else in their town. Just about everyone who was of age had a car. He himself had his license, though he didn't drive often. He only did on the few occasions that he needed to borrow Lan Zhan's car; they went almost everywhere together.

The people who mainly used the taxi service were tourists. They were wont to complain that it was slow because there weren't that many drivers, but that was the way it was since the city was small.

Before he knew it, Lan Zhan had reached the school's campus. He drove up to the entrance before stopping the car.

Wei Ying eyed the doors nervously as he unbuckled his seat belt. Lan Zhan placed a hand on his to catch his attention.

"If you do not want to go in, you don't have to. I still have enough time to take you to Shijie's house if you would rather be there instead," he remarked.

He shook his head. "No. We're already here, and I don't want to cancel at the last minute, even though I know my teachers will understand. And as I said yesterday, I don't want to fall behind. If I take any more days off, I'll never catch up," he said.

Lan Zhan sighed as he stroked his cheek. "Okay. I hope your day will be good. Let me know if you do not feel well or need me to pick you up. I will leave work early."

"All right. I'll call or text you when I get home. I love you, sweetheart."

"I love Wei Ying too."

They kissed each other for a long moment before Lan Zhan pecked his temple. "Go on, baobei. I will see you later."

"Bye."

Wei Ying got out of the car and shut the door. After walking up the steps, he looked around just in time to see Lan Zhan cruising halfway through the parking lot. He stared after his vehicle wistfully; it would have been better if he didn't have to work today. A part of him wanted to join him while he did.

With a sigh of his own, he made his way through the entrance and down the hall. He took in his surroundings, thinking of how strange it felt to be back. It was as if he had been away for years instead of a few days. A number of people glanced at him as he passed by, but there were no odd looks or frowns. It was likely that no one had found out about what happened yet, but he knew it would only be a matter of time before they did.

Because he was early, his first class was nearly empty when he stepped into it. He sat down in the front corner of the room and piled the books he needed on the desk. His teacher, Zhong Laoshi, noticed him and inclined his head in welcome.

The lecture began after the rest of the students showed up. Wei Ying paid as much attention to it as he could as he took notes. He didn't understand several of the concepts that Zhong Laoshi explained initially, but he was able to eventually.

He headed to the library to study afterwards. It was too cold to go to the courtyard that he, Jiang Cheng, and his friends hung out in. He had just found a table when he saw Nie Huaisang waving at him from across the library.

"Wei-xiong! Over here!" he hissed.

A tiny, amused grin spread across his face as he sat across from him. "Hey. What are you doing here? You hate the library!" he whispered.

Nie Huaisang snickered. "I know. But it's freezing outside, and the student lounge is packed, so I decided to come here. I didn't expect to see you today. You doing all right?"

"I am so far," he responded. "Are you okay? Did Da-ge tell you that he saw me and Lan Zhan yesterday?"

"Yeah, he did. He sent your message along. How did everything go at the police station?" he asked in an even quieter voice.

"Not too bad. They asked a thousand questions, but I expected that. I can't wait until all of this is over."

He nodded. "I hear you."

Wei Ying opened his notebook. "Have you talked to A-Cheng or A-Ning at all?"

"Not since Wednesday. Why?"

"Because I haven't either. Last I heard from Shijie, they had to speak to the dean yesterday. Wen Qing told her."

"Uh oh! I hope that they don't get expelled. You know how he can be."

"Yeah."

Nie Huaisang left him alone then so that he could study. The next hour passed by in silence, the only noise being the turning of pages or occasional whispers. Keyboards clicked in the computer section.

When it was time to go to their second classes, Wei Ying told him that he would meet him in the cafeteria for lunch. After that, they went their separate ways.

His Computer Graphics teacher, Gu Nuan, beamed from the other side of the room when he came in. He was one of her favorite students.

"Good morning, Mr. Wei. It's wonderful to see you!" she exclaimed.

"You too, Gu Laoshi. How have you been? Were you able to hold down the fort without me?" he managed to inquire jokingly.

She chuckled, as did some of the other students. She never minded his silliness like his other teachers did.

"Oh, it wasn't too hectic, dear. Your classmates are pretty well behaved. But it was too quiet without you here."

Wei Ying laughed a little.

He actually had enjoyable time as she taught everybody how to make complex 3-D images. It was the best he had felt since Monday afternoon. Plus, learning how to create the images on his own was so challenging that he couldn't think of much else.

That is, until Gu Laoshi came to check his work. He saw deep lines creasing her brow as he showed it to her, but they vanished as quickly as they had appeared. He could tell that she had noticed the bruises on his forehead and wrists. He sighed to himself; that was the last thing he wanted.

The class ended soon afterwards, and he gathered his things before putting them in his bag. Just as he was about to leave, however, Gu Laoshi pulled him aside.

"Mr. Wei, could you stay here for a bit, please? I would like to have a word with you," she said.

"Why? Is...is something there wrong?" he asked, feeling uneasy.

"No, no. I just wish to speak to you in private."

"Oh. Okay."

She sat down on her desk once the class was empty. Wei Ying remained standing, shifting from one foot to the other.

A kind smile lit up her face a moment later. "I had intended to ask you this earlier, but I didn't get a chance to. How are you, dear? Are you recovering well? Those are quite some bruises you have there," she observed.

He shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. And I'm fine."

She peered at him closely, as if she were assessing him. Then she nodded. "Hmm. That's good to hear. I was very worried about you."

"There's no need to be. I'll be all right."

"Don't be absurd. What kind of teacher would I be if I didn't worry about my students?"

Wei Ying didn't answer. This concerned Gu Laoshi. He usually would have with a teasing response.

She waved her hand with a sigh. "That is all I wanted to know. You may go. Your next class will be starting soon."

He nodded and made to leave.

"And Mr. Wei."

Pausing, he turned his head in her direction.

"I don't know the reason for why you were absent. But you know where to find me if you ever want to talk about it. And there is a crisis center on campus if you need to go there."

Wei Ying froze, stunned.

Why would she recommend a crisis center if she didn't know? Did she have an idea of what happened? Or perhaps, she suspected? He couldn't be sure.

But what he did know was that she was the last person that she wanted to tell about the incident. Even though she was one of his favorite teachers, he couldn't imagine discussing it with her. He dreaded to think of how she may have reacted if he did.

Nevertheless, he inclined his head again. "Thank you, Gu Laoshi," he murmured.

And he left the room without another word.

Most of his third lecture was spent thinking over what she told him. His professor noticed how inattentive he was; he often called on him. Luckily, he knew the answers to his questions.

Wei Ying sent Lan Zhan a text message when his class was dismissed an hour later. Then he headed to the cafeteria, trying to decide what to have for lunch.

He was just crossing the lawn leading to the aforesaid place when he suddenly heard a familiar voice.

"Wei Ying!" it shouted.

Turning, he saw Wen Ning - who had called to him - approaching, with Jiang Cheng and Nie Huaisang trailing behind. Wei Ying jumped in surprise. The former two were the last people he expected to see.

"Hey. What are you doing here? I thought you two would be at home," he said to them.

Wen Ning embraced him. "No. The dean allowed us to stay since it was our first offense."

"And because A-Niang, A-Die, and Granny Wen asked him to let us on our behalf ahead of our meeting with him," Jiang Cheng added, briefly hugging him next. "He didn't let us off easy, though. We have to clean up around the campus and tend to every lawn after classes for the next month, starting this afternoon. He said to be grateful too, because it wasn't half as harsh as the punishment he wanted to give us. He was pissed."

Wei Ying bowed his head. "You wouldn't have to do this if I had asked you not to go after him. I never wanted you to do that."

Jiang Cheng scowled. "Hey. I don't regret any of it. I would have done it even if you had told us not to. That fucker had it coming to him."

"Yes, he did. I'm not sorry that we were arrested either. Even if we were expelled, I wouldn't be," Wen Ning remarked fiercely.

"But I know that Madam Yu thinks that I put you two up to it. She probably blames me for everything," Wei Ying mumbled.

Grimacing, Jiang Cheng said, "She did think that you asked us to at first, but I told her that it wasn't your fault at all."

Wei Ying doubted that she believed him, of course, but he didn't say this.

"Come on. Let's go and get something to eat. I'm starving."

They went in the cafeteria and picked out what they wanted for lunch. Wei Ying chose to have just a small bowl of hotpot. Unlike his brother, he wasn't really hungry.

"I got your messages, by the way. Sorry I didn't answer," Jiang Cheng told him when they were all sitting down. "I wasn't in the mood to talk, plus I was busy meeting with the dean, as you know. And I had my classes."

He nodded. "It's okay. I understand."

Wen Ning took a bite of his noodles. "A-Cheng and Nie-xiong said that you talked to the police last night. I hope that creep ends up in prison for a long time."

"Me too. He should be locked away under the fucking building," Jiang Cheng snarled.

"Yeah," Nie Huaisang agreed.

Wei Ying could only nod a second time. They noticed how tense he was and changed the subject.

"If you thought that we were at home, I definitely thought that you would be. What made you come back so soon?" his brother questioned.

"I just didn't want to miss any more classes. I would have to make them up otherwise, and that's one of the last things I need to be worried about on top of everything else."

"That's fair."

Wen Ning smiled a little. "It's good to see you, though. I hope you're not having a tough time here."

"Not at the moment, no. It's just weird being back. The school seems different, even though everything still looks the same."

He hummed. "I'm actually surprised that Wangji-xiong agreed to let you come. He must have wanted you to stay home, or go to A-Li's place."

Wei Ying let out a mirthless chuckle. "He did, but he understood why I wanted to be here. He wished that I had waited until Monday, though."

"I can't say that I blame him. You know that he's going to spend the whole day worrying about you until he gets home from work."

"Yeah."

Lunch soon ended, and they all left for their next classes. Jiang Cheng escorted Wei Ying to his, even though the latter told him that it wasn't necessary. But he knew that he just wanted him to arrive there safely.

"I'll call you later on tonight, okay? See you tomorrow," Jiang Cheng stated when they were in front of the door. Then he waved before disappearing into the crowd.

Not much happened during the remainder of the afternoon. Dai Huimin, the teacher of his fifth class, had written a note for him on a test that he had graded. He said to get well soon, and to contact him if he needed anything.

Again, Wei Ying was confused. Why did he and Gu Laoshi want him to speak to them so much? He never talked to them about any of his problems before. It wasn't in his nature to do that. Did they want to know the reason why he had gone to the hospital? If so, he wouldn't give it to them. Enough people already knew about what happened, and he hoped that it would remain that way.

He was glad when it was finally three o'clock. The mental gymnastics had long since given him a headache by then. He rubbed his temple as he walked out of the building.

The next question was how he would get home. He knew that it would be ten minutes before the bus came, but he didn't feel like waiting for it. Besides, what if Wen Chao's father, his girlfriend, or one of his friends were on it? That wouldn't be good at all.

He decided to take a cab instead, although he was reluctant to spend the money that Lan Zhan gave him that morning. It would be safer, even if it took forever to come, which was likely.

Just as he had taken out his phone, however, Nie Huaisang appeared beside him. He nearly dropped it as he yelped and clutched his chest.

"Warn a man when you're coming, will you? You nearly gave me a heart attack!" he exclaimed.

"Sorry, Wei-xiong. I didn't mean to scare you. About to go home?" Nie Huaisang inquired.

"Yeah. I was about to call a taxi."

He waved his hand. "There's no need to do that. Come on. I'll take you."

"Thanks," Wei Ying said in relief.

A few minutes later, they were speeding away from the school. Nie Huaisang talked about how his day went as he drove, complaining that the pop quiz he took for mathematics was beyond difficult. He would probably have to walk to school after his results came back. Da-ge would take his car or books from him once he learned that he (almost certainly) didn't pass.

Wei Ying couldn't help but laugh at this. It wouldn't be the first time his brother did that. Nor was it likely to be the last.

He didn't volunteer much information about what happened in his own classes, though. He knew that Nie Huaisang found this odd from the perplexed stare he gave him. He also looked concerned.

"Are you feeling okay, Wei-xiong? Do you need me to hurry up?" he queried.

"No. My head just hurts, that's all. I'll take something for it soon."

It was not long when he was stopping the car in front of his house. Before Wei Ying could get out, however, he reached out to place a hand on his arm.

"Would you like to me to stay with you until Wangji-xiong comes home? If you do, it won't be a problem. I can call Da-ge and let him know."

Wei Ying thought it over for a moment, then shook his head. As much as he hated the idea of being alone for even a couple of hours, he didn't want him there either. He didn't want to bring his friend into his problems. Still, his offered touched him.

"No. I should be all right."

"Are you sure? What if...what if something happens? You shouldn't be by yourself if anything does."

"I know. If worse comes to worse, I'll just call the police."

Nie Huaisang bit his lip. "I still don't think that you should be alone. At least if I'm with you, I can help you if you have an emergency."

Wei Ying conceded. He was right, after all. He just hoped that he wouldn't have one.

"Fine, fine. You can stay."

With a nod, he parked the car and followed Wei Ying inside. The latter gave him something to drink once they had settled in before texting Lan Zhan.

Hi sweetheart. I'm home. Nie-xiong gave me a ride, and he'll be here until you get back from work

Seconds later, he responded.

Lan Zhan

Good. I will be sure to thank him for that. Stay safe. Try not to leave the house unless it is absolutely necessary.

Wei Ying

I won't. See you soon

Lan Zhan

All right, baobei. You know what to do if you need me.

Wei Ying

Yeah

There were no more messages after that, so he put his phone away and started on his homework. Nie Huaisang alternated between doing his and watching TV, sipping his beer every now and then.

"You know..." he began after a while. "If wasn't for the fact that you just took some pain medicine, I would have asked where your Emperor's Smile is."

Wei Ying blinked. It suddenly struck him that he hadn't had a bottle of it since the previous weekend.

"I didn't even think about that. But I couldn't have any even I did want some. Lan Zhan would be upset if I had to go to the hospital again for drinking that after taking it."

Nie Huaisang snorted. "You aren't wrong. And I know that you don't want to go back there any time soon."

"I actually am tomorrow. I have to get tested."

"Oh okay. Good luck."

"Thanks. I need a lot of it."

Wei Ying returned his attention to the assignment in front of him then, and Nie Huaisang let the matter drop.

The next hour and a half passed by in relative silence. There were no emergencies, for which they were grateful. Neither of them believed that they could handle any more trouble at the moment.

It was nearly dark outside when Wei Ying heard Lan Zhan's vehicle. He looked out of the window to see him stepping out of it before walking up to the door.

He peeked into the living room once he was inside. "Hello, Wei Ying. Good evening, Nie Huaisang."

The latter waved. "Hi Wangji-xiong," he replied.

"Hi. Did everything go okay at work?" Wei Ying asked.

"Mn. How were your classes?"

"Fine. No different than usual."

"Did you eat lunch today?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I had hotpot."

"Mmm. Good."

Nie Huaisang stood after putting his things in his backpack. "I better get going. Da-ge should be home now unless he was asked to work late. He'll be wondering where I am soon," he announced.

Wei Ying clapped his shoulder. "All right. I guess I'll see you on Monday, then," he said.

"Yeah. Bye, guys."

Lan Zhan nodded as well. "Good-bye. And thank you for keeping Wei Ying company. I appreciate it."

"It wasn't a problem, Wangji-xiong. I just didn't want him to be here by himself, that's all."

"Mn. Neither did I."

Nie Huaisang smiled, and after waving to them again, he left the house.