The Little Grey Man

Chapter 47: 

Fang Huaining had developed the habit of keeping a diary since elementary school. At first, he used a similar hard-covered notebook; his entries were concise, and he used up a book every two to three years. Later, in high school, he became accustomed to using a computer, and by university, the logs in his lemon tree were almost a direct reflection of his love for documenting daily life.

Due to his appearance and intellect, Fang Huaining was very popular in school from a young age.

However, he did not enjoy lively surroundings; perhaps it was because his parents often traveled between domestic and international locations and were seldom by his side. He had grown accustomed to and enthusiastic about solitude. Although his grandparents treated him very well, much of Fang Huaining's childhood was spent alone. Unlike his neighbor Qian Kun, who was constantly getting into trouble, he was quiet and orderly wherever he went. After school, he always returned home immediately, either reading books or watching television, with various stories enriching his life.

But this did not mean Fang Huaining was lonely. On the contrary, he lived a very rich and fulfilling life, just as he wrote in his diary, which was filled with his thoughts and feelings about the different works he admired—considering which characters were wonderful and which plot segments were exciting and impressive. It was like a vibrant little world that deeply moved Fang Huaining.

However, this focus only occupied the first half of the diary. As time passed, in the latter half, a different person began to frequently appear in the lines of young Fang Huaining's diary.

A person named "Little Grey Man."

April 8, 200x, Rain. I finished reading "The Invisible Man," which introduced me to Little Grey Man last night, and I ended up dozing off in class today. But the teacher didn't even notice! Could it be that I drank the invisible potion like Griffin?

July 4, 200x, Sunny.

January 21, Strange Fruit

Today, my grandmother gave me a very unusual fruit that resembles a dinosaur egg. To my surprise, it tastes sweet. I shared this information with Little Grey Man, who told me that he had eaten it before.

To my astonishment, he then said that he had also eaten real dinosaur eggs. According to him, these eggs were harder than ostrich eggs and even had a hard yolk. I am quite skeptical, but I wonder if ostrich eggs are indeed as hard as he claimed.

January 23, The Little Grey Man's Alchemy Recipe

I recently received an alchemy recipe from Little Grey Man, which he claimed to have found online. The recipe, however, had some instability issues with the color, and Little Grey Man admitted that he had tried to make a small batch. The chemical formula in the recipe looks confusing, and I'm starting to question its credibility. I think I need to research this further.

February 3, Exposed

After looking up the chemical formula, I discovered that it's fake! It seems that Little Grey Man is lying again. I'm starting to lose trust in him.

... Little Grey Man... Little Grey Man... It's all about the Little Grey Man.

As Fang Huaining grew closer to Little Grey Man, he learned that his pen pal's real name was not actually "Little Grey Man." They primarily communicated through email from elementary school to junior high school.

Fang Huaining had been submitting his work to a magazine called "The Mysterious World" since that time. This magazine had multiple age versions and was widely distributed nationwide. It even had high sales, with some schools requiring subscribers.

Fang Huaining was a successful author, having published two short stories in the magazine after passing rigorous evaluations. He earned praise from both his teachers and peers for his exceptional writing talent.

He was already well known, and at that time, his classmates admired him even more. He had disclosed his email address in the school magazine and received a large number of emails within just a few days.

Fang Huaining particularly enjoyed receiving this affection back then; he personally opened and read each one and even asked his grandfather to read them aloud to him. However, like the messages under the lemon tree, most were simple expressions of affection from children, with only a few discussing the two stories Fang Huaining had written. He chose a few of the letters to reply to and maintained correspondence with several classmates. However, after a few exchanges, only one letter friend, known as the "Little Grey Man," chose to maintain contact with him.

The Little Grey Man was also fond of science fiction themes. He said his nickname came from this, inspired by the story of a boy from outer space who crashed on Earth, specifically in Roswell, and was referred to as the "Little Grey Man."

The two had similar interests and would often share interesting anecdotes from their lives. Although Fang Huaining had become somewhat fuzzy on many of the details of that time, the feeling of relaxation and happiness remained vivid in his memory.

However, after maintaining this connection for two or three years, it was suddenly severed. The Little Grey Man stopped responding to his emails, and the letters Fang Huaining sent to him went unanswered.

After a long time, Little Grey Man finally said that he had moved away to attend junior high school, which was very far from his original home. Without a computer, it was inconvenient to send letters, and they probably wouldn't be able to keep in touch often.

Fang Huaining remembered feeling very disappointed at that time. After writing several letters to Little Grey Man without receiving a single reply, he gradually stopped checking that email. That innocent companion from his youth slowly faded into a clear yet blurred shadow in his mind.

Lost in thought, Fang Huaining quickly skimmed through the diary. He found himself skimming perhaps because, without Little Grey Man, life had lost much of its joy. By that time, Fang Huaining was already in the eighth grade, and towards the end of the diary, his writing style took a sharp downturn, becoming increasingly brief and sparse. Upon reaching the last entry, he discovered he had recorded only three sentences.

In the first sentence, he wrote that he wanted to temporarily say goodbye to this diary and everything contained within it.

In the second sentence, he noted the email and password he had used, as if afraid that his future self would forget them.

A few days ago, the modeling and robotics interest group from San Zhong in City A came to perform at their school. They were particularly impressive and remarkable.

He had always dreamed of attending San Zhong and going to A University, where he hoped to create highly intelligent robots one day, just as he had confided in the little gray person about his ambitions for when he grew up.

The diary entry came to an end. Fang Huaining stared at the last line, lost in thought for a long time. Highly intelligent robots? Dreams for when he grew up? It was as if he had been hit by a meteor and left dazed before suddenly regaining consciousness. Alien boy... Little gray person... Fang Huaining groggily pushed himself up and sat down at the computer, opening the browser and typing in the email address from the last page, letter by letter. His fingers trembled slightly as he did so. He was afraid that this account had already been canceled, after all, it had been more than ten years.

However, after a long buffering period, the page finally appeared, presenting him with a series of account unfreezing processes. Perhaps out of pity from the heavens, he finally managed to log into that ancient realm he hadn't stepped into for thousands of days and nights. As soon as he opened the inbox, nearly a hundred emails flooded before his eyes. He quickly began to scroll through the first email, but unfortunately, due to storage limits, the earliest ones had not been preserved. He could only see the communication content from the last two years between them.

He selected the oldest email and opened them one by one...

March 5, 200x Why are you asking me my real name again? I told you I come from another planet — I'm the little gray person! I just went to the field and picked a big orange. How does it look? It's my dinner! The dog in our field is both fierce and stupid. It doesn't even recognize me, even though I go there every day. If it weren't for A Chang, I might have been bitten again; if this continues, I'll have to set up a mouse trap to deal with it!

April 10, 200x The reason I had oranges for dinner is that the cook and my grandma had to take care of my mom and didn't have time to make food for me, but it doesn't matter; I like eating oranges, and I like pomelos too. By the way, I made an incredibly large kite and successfully sent an apple into the sky. I've decided to make an even bigger one to see if one day I can send those two dogs up there too; wait for my good news.

May 1, 200x Our school is on break too, but I didn't go traveling like you did. I don't like to travel; it's nice here, and I'm used to it. I finished reading "The Time Machine" that you recommended. I can understand the original version. My grandma has been teaching me English since I was little. Let me tell you! I suspect there really is a time machine. A couple of days ago, when I was swimming in the river, I felt like I saw the future.

There was a faint glow emanating from the river, and numerous buildings stood illuminated within it, yet I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease; I think my home is lovely as it is. July 4, 200x I didn't succumb to drowning, nor was I delusional, and I certainly didn't deceive you. In fact, I'm a skilled swimmer; I taught myself. I viewed the photos you sent; it appears you've traveled to the opposite side of the Pacific Ocean. I've never seen the Pacific Ocean before; is it truly as vast as they say? My computer malfunctioned last month. Unable to repair it, I was fortunate that my grandmother eventually remembered and purchased a new one for me. Computers can be quite troublesome; do you think humans are more intelligent or computers? What are your aspirations for the future? Who is your role model? ... As Fang Huaining immersed himself in the countless words, he felt as though he'd been struck by lightning. When he opened the next email, he was completely frozen in shock. October 15, 200x That email contained very few words, but only a few photographs – a row of particularly beautiful small villas and a vast field of purple morning glories, accompanied by a distant orchard, resembling a fairy tale world. I'm sorry, but I won't be able to send you my photo; here's a picture of my temporary home on Earth – isn't it beautiful? Fang Huaining gazed at the attached message and the three characters "little gray person," and heavily closed his bloodshot eyes in exasperation... He wished he could punch himself!

Fang Huaining spent the entire night barely finishing all those hundred emails, and when he finally came to his senses, it was already dawn outside. He sat at his desk for a long time without moving until his senior brother Wu Yi knocked on the door, urging him to pack up as everyone was getting ready to head to the airport.

Fang Huaining snapped back to reality in a daze, and then, still in a trance, he packed his luggage and got into the car. Throughout the journey, his thoughts remained scattered. Regarding Li Ting, Fang Huaining had long felt that their relationship was just shy of friendship, leaving them unable to grow closer. However, now the little cat had transformed into a long-time childhood companion he felt deeply connected to, naturally bridging that lifeless gap. Fang Huaining should have been ecstatic, thrilled, and overjoyed. Yet, at that moment, all he felt was regret and depression.

The numerous similarities between the little cat and the little gray person weighed heavily on him. Clearly, one was cunning while the other was mischievous; one was smart while the other was sharp-witted. Yet he felt as if he had been blind, completely overlooking so many related clues and the sensation of déjà vu. The pride he took in his insight had now turned into a source of shame; if it hadn't been for discovering the diary, he might never have considered this angle.

Moreover, the many differences between the little cat and the little gray person deepened his sense of despondency.

What transformed that carefree and free-spirited alien boy into the shrewd, withdrawn little miser he was today? Fang Huaining didn't dare to ponder too deeply. He reflected from the hotel to the airport, and once in the waiting area, he couldn't resist pulling out his phone to reread those emails, especially the last one from the little gray person during their farewell. Back then, the little gray person's words lacked liveliness and playfulness, yet the vocabulary of a child just over ten years old was calm and concise, as if they had suddenly matured significantly. At that moment, he hadn't fully grasped the implications. Fang Huaining remembered how he felt receiving that letter—depressed and sad, with a sense of anger, as though he had been betrayed by a good friend.

After all, he had once thought this was a beautiful migration for the little gray aliens, a chance to find a new world. Who could have known that it was actually a young alien being forced to leave home, a lonely exile? What has Li Ting truly experienced over the past ten years? Fang Huaining softly asked himself. At that moment, an announcement from overhead rang out, notifying them that their flight was ready for boarding. Fang Huaining closed his email, thought for a moment, and then reopened the chat app to post on his social media.

He initially intended to make it visible to just one person, but upon reflection, he worried that the message might be overlooked, so he decided to share it with multiple people. After posting, Fang Huaining put away his phone and boarded the plane with his senior and teacher. ... In the Hyacinth Cottage, Wei Ping indeed noticed the message right away. She couldn't decipher the cheesy words, but her intuition suggested it was related to that person. After a moment of hesitation, she approached him, wanting to remind Li Ting to pay attention to someone's updates. However, as she got closer, she found that Li Ting was actually looking down at his phone, and the screen displayed the familiar interface of the chat app. Wei Ping silently pondered, he's not indifferent after all. Li Ting had indeed seen it; since he last opened the chat app, he hadn't disabled the notifications. At that moment, as he opened it, he noticed a lemon avatar appearing in the first row. It featured a picture of the airport that looked almost identical to the one he had left, but this time, the plane in the photo was much larger and clearer. Li Ting stared at the image for a moment before shifting his gaze to the text below the photo. When he read it, he couldn't help but freeze for a moment. A lemon: Sorry, I just found the spaceship to your planet. I'll be back soon, my little gray alien... "...Li Ting? Li Ting? What's wrong?"

Wei Ping noticed that Li Ting had been standing still for a long time, his expression growing increasingly serious. She felt a wave of concern that her second son might say something foolish that would scare someone. Just as she was about to approach him subtly, Li Ting blinked and slowly regained his composure.

"It's nothing…" Li Ting said, his expression returning to normal, though his tone seemed to have shed its usual coolness, sounding rather soft.

Wei Ping was slightly surprised and was about to ask again when Li Ting's phone rang.

Li Ting tightened his grip on the phone, and upon seeing who was calling, his eyes relaxed a bit.

Gathering his thoughts, he answered the call.

"Hello?"

On the other end, Tian Dian said, "Li Zi... do you have time now? Is it convenient for you to come to my restaurant?"

Li Ting sensed hesitation in his tone. "What's wrong?"

"Well... it's not me," Tian Dian hesitated, "it's Li Han. He... he came to find you but got beaten up."

Li Ting furrowed his brow tightly.

...

The September private restaurant wasn't far from Hyacinth Cottage. Li Ting arrived there shortly after taking the electric bike.

In the morning, the restaurant was still preparing for the day, and there weren't many customers. Li Ting walked around for a while until he spotted Tian Dian standing next to a slightly chubby man, while Li Han was curled up in a corner.

Seeing him, Tian Dian hurried over. "It's not particularly serious—just a little scraped scalp and a bruise on his face. Don't be nervous."

Li Ting had already seen Li Han's injuries; to him, they might seem minor, but the impact of such wounds on Li Han was different.

A large bandage was plastered on Li Han's head, the corner of his mouth was swollen and purpling, and his eyes were red and puffy from crying.

Upon seeing Li Ting, Li Han's face crumpled with sadness, looking pitiful.

Li Ting asked, "How did he find this place?"

Tian Dian replied, "Did you not tell him where you worked? When you didn't answer your phone, he could only track me down. Guess what? He actually found the bar I used to work at and made his way here, and as a result..."

"What happened?" Li Ting's expression darkened.

"The result is... he got cornered at the entrance of the restaurant." As he said this, Tian Dian felt a bit guilty as well.

Li Ting glanced back at Li Han, who was mumbling about getting beaten up.

"I had just gotten to the entrance... a very tall man stopped me and dragged me into the emergency exit, where there were several people. They... they thought I was you and beat me up... boohoo..."

Of course, they eventually realized something was off; otherwise, if they had targeted him specifically, he wouldn't have only sustained such minor injuries, and Li Ting was well aware of that.

He stepped forward to pull Li Han closer. "I'll take you back."

Li Han looked quite aggrieved. "Brother...

"It hurts so much." Li Ting carefully touched his wound and led him outside. Tian Dian called after him, "Li Zi." Li Ting turned back. Tian Dian said seriously, "Be careful." He wanted Li Ting to avoid running around alone for a while, but he knew Li Ting always had his own ideas. ... After sitting on a plane for over two hours, Fang Huaining landed just before noon. Originally, he was supposed to return to A University with his teacher and senior, but Fang Huaining suggested that they part ways. Considering the exhausting two days of travel, Old Ni agreed. As soon as Fang Huaining retrieved his luggage, he eagerly hailed a taxi. In the car, unable to hold back any longer, Fang Huaining dialed Li Ting's number for the first time, but it rang for a long time without anyone answering. Could he be busy? Fang Huaining called Qian Kun, who had just finished swimming, and he mentioned that he hadn't seen the little lifeguard at work. Fang Huaining then called Wei Ping and found out that the little waiter had just left Hyacinth but didn't say where he was going. After pondering for a moment, Fang Huaining decided to head directly to Youyou Community. He had seen the little cat around there before and roughly knew which building he lived in, but he wasn't sure about the specific floor or unit. Fang Huaining called Li Ting again while wandering around, hoping for some luck.

Perhaps his luck wasn't too bad today; before long, he actually spotted a familiar figure approaching him from afar. Isn't that the cohabitant of the little cat?! "Eh, Scientist? What are you doing here?" "Where's Li Ting?" They both nearly asked the questions simultaneously upon seeing each other.

Tian Dian was even more surprised as he observed the worried expression on the scientist's face and glanced at the luggage beside him. Was he planning to search for Li Ting the moment he got off the plane? "Do you have something to do with him?" Fang Huai, with disheveled hair, pushed his bangs aside and replied, "Yes, where is he now?" "He..." Tian Dian looked at the tall, handsome man with untidy hair and thought to himself that he was so anxious he didn't even care about his appearance. People unfamiliar with him might think his partner had run away. ...Wait a minute! Tian Dian, particularly sensitive in this regard, suddenly turned serious and fixed Fang Huai with an intense gaze. Fang Huai's eyes widened in shock as Tian Dian's penetrating gaze seemed to delve into his very soul. "You..." Fang Huai: "?" "Is it you?" Tian Dian exclaimed, "It's really you! I was wondering where this wild man came from, and it turns out he's the one who's been bewitching Li Ting's soul!" Fang Huai was initially taken aback by Tian Dian's outburst, but after processing the latter part of his sentence, he paused for two seconds, his face turning red. "Does he... also miss me?"

Fāng Huái couldn't help but wonder, but what he voiced aloud was still the same question: "Where did he go?"

Tian Dian replied in confusion, "Lì Tīng went home... oh, not this home, but his other one, the one that's a bit strange..."

Fāng Huái's expression turned serious upon hearing this, and he hesitated about whether to chase after Lì Tīng to Su Mei Garden. Just then, Tian Dian suggested, "He should be back soon; why don't you come with me and wait for him?"

Fāng Huái agreed, and after struggling to lug his luggage up the stairs for what felt like an eternity, they finally arrived at the rundown dormitory. As soon as they stepped inside, Fāng Huái was taken aback by the stark simplicity of the environment.

Tian Dian invited him to sit down, but Fāng Huái remained standing. "Hey, don't mind the place; it's already an improvement from our previous rental apartment."

An improvement?

Fāng Huái scanned the room and, feeling a bit uneasy, chose a relatively new stool to sit on.

Tian Dian continued to stare at him, his gaze fixed and unblinking, as if he still hadn't recovered from the shock of the news. Under this silent scrutiny, Fāng Huái felt compelled to break the silence. "Why did he go back?"

As they began to discuss the topic, Tian Dian put aside his surprise and revealed a guilty expression, as if he bore the weight of the trouble.

"It's all because of me... I got Lì Zǐ into trouble," Tian Dian said, explaining the entire situation regarding Cài Yáng, including how Lì Tīng had been injured because of him.

"Lì Zǐ is being held back by me; I always drag him down," Tian Dian said, looking down at himself in self-disgust. It turned out that Lì Tīng had been hospitalized because of this incident, a realization that came too late for Fāng Huái. However, he didn't have time to ponder this further and suddenly asked, "Where is Cài Yáng now?" He had managed to grab Lì Huán, but if he failed to catch Lì Tīng, he certainly wouldn't give up easily.

Tian Dian shared this concern and had taken the afternoon off to wait for Lì Zǐ. "I don't know; he was at the restaurant earlier but disappeared after a while. He shouldn't be bold enough to follow Lì Zǐ all the way..." But the more Tian Dian spoke, the more unease settled in.

Fāng Huái pulled out his phone and tried calling Lì Tīng again. This time, the call went straight to voicemail. His expression changed instantly, and he immediately stood up.

Chapter 49: I sympathize with him, just like I pity you. Jiǔ Yuè Private Kitchen was some distance from Su Mei Garden. Lì Tīng rode his small electric bicycle with Lì Huán sitting behind him, tightly clasping Lì Tīng's waist and resting his head on his back. Although Lì Huán was quiet, Lì Tīng could feel that he was still crying, as his T-shirt had become dampened by Lì Huán's tears.

After riding for several dozen minutes, the bicycle came to a stop in front of a small villa. Lì Tīng waited for a moment, but Lì Huán didn't react. He gently turned his head to look at Lì Huán and asked, "Does it hurt?"

Lì Huán didn't respond at first, but after a while, he nodded slightly before shaking his head. Lì Tīng, understanding him well, directly struck at Lì Huán's weak point, asking, "Shouldn't you be angry instead of sad when something like this happens to you as a boy? Even if you just curse at yourself, it would be better than crying."

Lì Huán finally lifted his head, his eyes nearly swollen shut, and spoke with a tone of resentment and grievance: "No one has ever hit me before." His father hadn't, his mother hadn't, and his friends and relatives wouldn't dare to. Today's incident had dealt a nearly devastating blow to Lì Huán's self-esteem, and his psychological pain was worse than his physical pain.

Lì Tīng got off the bicycle and, maintaining a calm tone, said to his younger brother, "There was no one before, but the world is so big; how can you expect everyone to love and pamper you? Why do you always have to be so obsessed with gaining everyone's approval?"

This remark made Lì Huán pause. Even if Lì Tīng wanted to impart some life lessons, it wasn't the right time. Shouldn't he be apologizing and expressing regret for getting Lì Huán into trouble? Moreover, what did he mean by "obsessed with gaining everyone's approval?" The person Lì Huán had recently developed feelings for didn't like him at all.

Thinking about this, coupled with what had happened earlier, Lì Huán couldn't help but feel even more sorrowful. "You're talking about Fāng Huái, aren't you?"

Lì Huán blurted out impulsively, "He avoids me but cares about you; are you pleased with yourself?"

Upon hearing Fāng Huái's name, Lì Tīng's previously calm expression flickered with a hint of coldness. However, he, who typically had little patience, did not get angry. Instead, he remained silent for a long time before responding, "Lì Huán, you should learn to grow up."

Lì Huán realized he had misspoken, as he had many times before, and tears welled up in his eyes as he quickly apologized. "Sorry, brother, I—"

Brother?

Lì Tīng shook his head, interrupting him. "This game of being good brothers—how many more years can I keep playing along with you?"

The words were light, yet they carried more weight than any reprimand. Lì Huán stood there, stunned and pale, unable to respond.

Lì Tīng did not look back at him. Instead, he locked his bicycle and walked toward the villa, knocking on the door. Since he had sent the person home, it wouldn't be right to leave without seeing the others.

The servant quickly opened the door. Upon seeing Lì Tīng, she immediately furrowed her brows. However, when she spotted Lì Huán in the distance, her expression changed dramatically, and she shouted, "Mr. Lì! Mrs. Lì!!!"

Shortly after, Di Wei came out, and Lì Eryang was also home today. The expressions on the couple's faces mirrored those of the three people before them, though Di Wei's reaction was noticeably more exaggerated.

She rushed past Li Ting and hurried outside to find her son, anxiously inspecting his face.

"Hanhan, what happened? How did you get hurt? Let Mommy take a look, don't cry, don't cry…"

Li Han, who was often troubled, started crying even harder in response to her questions, looking at his brother with disbelief in his eyes.

To Di Wei, that glance conveyed a clear message. She and Li Eryang both turned their gaze toward Li Ting, their eyes filled with questions.

Li Ting knew without waiting for them to speak that this person had been sent back to him more than once, either drunk or injured. No matter how he explained, it felt unnecessary. Moreover, Li Han had indeed gotten into trouble because of him today, so Li Ting simply accepted the responsibility.

"The person who tried to hit me mistook him for someone else; I apologize."

Upon hearing this, Di Wei wiped her son's tears with one hand while clenching the other into a fist, angrily glaring at Li Eryang, as if wanting her husband to stand up for her. However, when Li Eryang started with his usual clichés, Di Wei couldn't bear it and interrupted him.

Normally, she might have managed to remain composed, but when it came to her precious child, Di Wei didn't care about any pretense. She pointed at Li Ting, her eyes blazing with anger, her voice trembling with emotion.

"Li Ting, I know you've never considered us your elders. You've acted recklessly, caused trouble, and rebelled— I could overlook all of that.

"You can hate me and resent me, but Li Han is different. He has been close to you since childhood, believing you liked him. But Li Ting, can you honestly say you treat him like a brother!?"

In stark contrast to the agitated family of three before him, Li Ting remained unfazed by the accusation, even curling the corners of his mouth in disdain. His indifference finally provoked Li Eryang's anger.

Li Ting suddenly raised his hand and effortlessly blocked the slap aimed at his face.

He looked coldly at the so-called father who had attempted to strike him and said, "You couldn't hit me three years ago, and you won't be able to today either."

Li Eryang was about to curse loudly, but Li Ting had already turned to Di Wei.

Then Li Ting smiled and said, "You're mistaken. I truly don't like Li Han that much, but I don't hate him either. I pity him, just as I pity you."

Di Wei's temples throbbed with fury: "What do you mean by that?"

Li Ting easily shook off Li Eryang's hand: "You keep claiming to love your son, yet you've unknowingly raised him to be just like the woman you despise most. Don't you think that's pitiful?"

Watching Di Wei's shocked expression, Li Ting's smile deepened: "Am I wrong? Wanting everyone's affection, vain and willful, naive yet cruel, endlessly self-centered, perpetually immature—too much like her… Except she's a bit dumber than Li Han, with poor judgment in choosing whom to trust, only realizing her mistake just before her death."

"And people with such personalities never end up well, especially when they encounter two true scoundrels like you... Their families are destined for destruction, and they ultimately meet a miserable end."

Li Ting then turned to Li Han, saying, "Why would I need to hate someone like that? Isn't it more deserving of pity?"

If Li Ting's words had merely been attacks or insults, the three in front of him might have shot back, but his perspective was too peculiar and incisive, leaving the Li couple dumbfounded, particularly Li Eryang. It seemed he was lost in memories of a woman from his past, struggling to find the words to respond.

Li Ting lost interest in their expressions, having accomplished his purpose. He turned to leave, only to suddenly hear a sorrowful sob.

"Brother..."

Li Ting turned back to see the pitiful Li Han gazing at him. This time, his tone was laced with warning.

"I can't be bothered to argue about anything you do, but... stay away from Fang Huaining."

After saying this, he brushed past the servant leaning against the door, stepping outside.

Climbing onto his small electric bike, Li Ting drove out of Su Mei Garden. Along the way, he passed through a wealthy neighborhood. Checking the time and realizing the plane was about to land, he hurriedly planned to take a shortcut. However, just as he turned a corner, he sensed something was off, noticing in the rearview mirror that a van was closely following him.

Li Ting accelerated, trying to shake off the van, but it drew closer and closer. At a T-junction, an oncoming car unexpectedly blocked his path, forcing him to come to a stop.

Li Ting watched as the doors opened and seven or eight tall men emerged from both vehicles. Finally, a familiar face appeared from one of the cars—Cai Yang. Unlike Li Ting's cold attitude towards him, Cai Yang looked at Li Ting with malicious excitement.

"Finally caught you… I had to wait so long," Cai Yang grinned, exposing his teeth. "This time, there's no way you're getting away…"

Realizing things were going awry, Fang Huaining restrained the panicking Tian Dian while his mind raced.

After a moment, he forced himself to calm down. "Although Cai Yang hasn't harmed you, it doesn't mean he won't cause trouble for you later. Just stay here and don't run off; maybe Li Ting will be back soon. I'll have my friends keep an eye out near the swimming pool and the hyacinth. If there's no news in half an hour, you should call the police."

"What about you?" Tian Dian asked anxiously. A scientist wouldn't just go off looking for someone alone, right? City A is so big; where could he go?

Fang Huaining frowned tightly and said earnestly, "I will find him."

With that, he opened the door and left Youyou Community with his luggage.

The weather had been pleasant when the plane landed, but now dark clouds were rolling in, the sky becoming heavy, and it looked like it was about to rain.

Fang Huaining hurriedly crossed the street while calling Qian Kun and Wei Ping, asking them to help check the area around the hyacinth and the swimming pool. However, he didn't go anywhere else and headed straight home.

Once upstairs, he turned on his computer and logged into the small farm. This app was originally created by Fang Huaining for personal use, but Li Ting had inadvertently intruded into his private domain, catching a glimpse of Fang Huaining's hard work. However, this was only possible because Li Ting's privacy was entirely exposed to Fang Huaining. When the small farm was successfully installed, it meant the owner had implicitly obtained all permissions from Li Ting's phone, including his contact list, text messages, operational records, and even all his program passwords. Of course, it also included Li Ting's location—everything depended on whether Fang Huaining wanted to access that information.

At that moment, Fang Huaining didn't have the luxury of making choices. He opened the backend and used GPS to locate Li Ting's phone. As long as Li Ting didn't turn it off, the small farm would remain operational, and he would certainly be able to find him.

While Fang Huaining busily operated the system, Qian Kun and Wei Ping called one after the other, both reporting that they had not seen Li Ting. At that moment, a rumble of thunder echoed outside, and suddenly, torrential rain poured from the sky.

Fang Huaining couldn't help but recall their encounters on the two rainy nights before. The first time, he had met that stray kitten at the station. The second time, he had finally brought the kitten home as he wished. And now, this third time... where was the kitten? Would it encounter any bad people or dangers? When could it return home? Fang Huaining's anxiety reached a boiling point.

Finally, the computer narrowed down the search range, gradually focusing the target on the city, district, street, building... Following that address, Fang Huaining's eyes lit up with hope, and he was stunned.

It wasn't until another clap of thunder sounded outside that he suddenly stood up, took two or three steps towards the entrance, and pulled the door open. Outside, his little kitten stood there, completely soaked from head to paw, looking at him with innocent eyes.

Chapter 50: Being Too Concerned, Instead Not Knowing What to Do.

Li Ting was drenched from head to toe, his hair matted down by the rainwater dripping from his cheeks in strands. He had probably walked all the way in the downpour.

Fang Huaining was shocked for a moment, hastily reaching out to pull Li Ting inside without worrying about the state of the floor. He grabbed Li Ting and examined him up and down.

"Where have you been? Why didn't you answer my phone calls? Who did you meet? Is everything alright?"

Li Ting silently looked at the anxious and nervous Fang Huaining, allowing him to raise his hands to carefully search and check. After a while, as if he had admired such an expression enough, Li Ting finally spoke, "I'm fine."

Fang Huaining could not believe this, still holding onto Li Ting as he heard him say, "I feel really cold; I want to take a shower first."

Fang Huaining regained his senses and then noticed that the person in his grasp felt icy and slick. He had no idea how long Li Ting had been in the rain. Temporarily setting aside all his doubts, he observed that Li Ting moved without significant inconvenience and led him into the bathroom. Li Ting hadn't brought a change of clothes this time, so Fang Huaining thought for a moment, went into the bedroom, and brought out a new T-shirt and pants of his own to hand to him.

The bathroom door closed right in front of him, but this time, Fang Huaining no longer tried to distract himself as before. He focused intently on the sounds inside, fearing that something might change midway. Fortunately, Li Ting was still quick; it wasn't long before he emerged clean again.

Fang Huaining immediately approached, staring at him seriously without letting up.

Li Ting faced the tall figure blocking his way, feeling quite helpless, and asked, "I'm really tired. Can I sit down? Lying down is fine too."

Fang Huaining's T-shirt hung loosely on Li Ting's thin frame, and the pants were oversized past his knees.

Fang Huaining glanced over Li Ting's exposed limbs and didn't find any obvious bruises, which made him breathe a sigh of relief. Seeing that Li Ting looked genuinely exhausted, Fang Huaining glanced around before grabbing his wrist and leading him into the bedroom. "Just sleep here for a bit."

Li Ting looked at the large bed with a light blue sheet and a single pillow. After raising an eyebrow, he readily sat down. Just as he was about to lie back, Fang Huaining stopped him.

Fang Huaining quickly left the room and soon returned with a large bath towel, carefully draping it over Li Ting's head.

"Dry your hair before sleeping, or you'll catch a cold," Fang Huaining instructed.

Li Ting did not resist, obediently allowing him to wrap the towel around his head. His disheveled hair spilled over his face, making his eyes squint and giving him the appearance of a lazy cat. The friction from the towel also tinted the area behind Li Ting's ears a rosy red, which Fang Huaining noticed; his gaze flickered, and he quickly averted his eyes.

"All done."

After drying his hair, Fang Huaining helped Li Ting lie back down but did not walk away.

"Your roommates told me everything," Fang Huaining said, lowering his head.

Li Ting met Fang Huaining's intense gaze, slightly surprised that he had gone to his dorm to find out what had happened, realizing that Fang Huaining was indeed worried.

Li Ting admitted, "After I dropped off Li Han and came out, someone blocked my way halfway."

"That guy Cai Yang even smashed my phone screen, making it impossible for me to answer my calls." Fang Huaining was taken aback and leaned down. "Did he make things difficult for you?" Li Ting locked eyes with him. "Not really; I managed to escape." According to Tian Dian, the last time Cai Yang ran into Li Ting in the back street of a bar, he had two or three men with him but still couldn't trap Li Ting. This time, he was well-prepared, and he surely had even more help. Fang Huaining didn't believe Li Ting could escape so easily. Li Ting knew he couldn't just brush it off and said, "It was somewhat difficult, so it took some effort." Facing so many men, Li Ting also realized it was hard to rely solely on brute strength, so he just ran around them. He didn't get hit much, but the old injury on his chest had been aggravated by running, and now it felt quite uncomfortable and exhausting. "And… luckily, I encountered a helper." If it had only been himself, it would have truly been dangerous. "Who?" Fang Huaining asked in confusion. Li Ting replied, "I don't know… just a fellow student who lives nearby." "University?" "High school." Fang Huaining was about to ask again, but Li Ting had already closed his eyes. "In short, Cai Yang shouldn't show up again."

Although Fang Huaining didn't quite understand, seeing the slightly pale face of the person on the bed, he swallowed his urge to ask more questions. "Sleep for a while first."

He pulled the blanket up for Li Ting, and before leaving the room, he couldn't help but gently reach out to touch Li Ting's face, his fingertips brushing against his cheek in a soft and cautious gesture. Li Ting remained motionless, not stirring until he heard the sound of the door closing, and only then did his head gently rub against the pillow, a faint smile on his lips, as he drifted off to sleep with a sense of security.

This sleep was quite deep, but when he woke up, the surroundings were shrouded in darkness. Li Ting sat up, just about to get out of bed when the door opened, and Fang Huai Ning turned on the light, standing at the door with a tray of food in his hand.

"I ordered takeout," Fang Huai Ning said as he walked over to Li Ting, his footsteps soft on the floor. Li Ting took a look and saw a bowl of fish soup with rice. The white broth and tender fish meat appeared savory and appetizing, but for Li Ting, who had been hungry for almost a whole day, it was far from enough to fill his stomach.

He asked somewhat inconsiderately, "Are you feeding a cat?" Fang Huai Ning thought to himself, isn't that the truth? However, he still explained, "You just got caught in the rain; let's warm your stomach first, and if it's not enough, there's more." The bowl was placed in front of Li Ting, but he didn't move; instead, he looked at Fang Huai Ning, who stood patiently by.

Fang Huai Ning understood and slightly curved his eyes, "I've already eaten." It was already past nine o'clock, long beyond dinner time. Li Ting then took the chopsticks in his hand. Li Ting possessed significant physical strength, and his appetite naturally matched his robust physical build.

Fang Huai Ning sat quietly on the side, watching as Li Ting gulped down the fish soup with rice, finally feeling full after finishing three large bowls.

After eating his fill, Li Ting reclined, listening to the sounds of Fang Huai Ning cleaning up the dishes. After a while, he went to the bathroom to wash up. He took his time, and when he finally came out, he lingered outside, not entering the room.

Noticing the footsteps coming and going just outside the door, Li Ting couldn't help but ask, "If you want me to sleep on the sofa, just say so."

Fang Huai Ning hurriedly entered the room, his brows tightly knitted. "No," he replied.

Li Ting looked at him and said, "Then you sleep on the sofa."

Fang Huai Ning thought to himself, how could I possibly agree to that?!

Ultimately, his desire for closeness triumphed over his hesitation. Ignoring the relationship that had rapidly developed without clear definitions, Fang Huai Ning took a pillow and carefully lay down beside Li Ting, pulling the blanket over them both.

The bed was quite large, and Li Ting curled up slightly, taking up very little space—similar to when Fang Huai Ning slept alone. However, the undeniable presence of Li Ting was hard to ignore.

In the darkness, no one spoke, and the only sounds were the soft breaths from both sides: one slightly quickened, the other calm, as if waiting for something to happen.

Fang Huai Ning had a lot he wanted to say but felt at a loss for words with Li Ting lying beside him. His hands under the blanket gripped and released, gripped and released, tense with nervousness.

Hadn't Li Ting's decision to come directly to his place instead of going back to the dormitory already indicated his feelings? Should he apologize first or confess his emotions? Should he discuss their past or focus on their future? A man who could write 300 lines of code without hesitation was now anxiously contemplating and rehearsing, even debating whether he should wait until Li Ting was fully awake before speaking to him. Because he cared too much, he felt overwhelmed.

Just as Fang Huai Ning was hesitating, Li Ting stirred beside him. He slowly turned over, then turned again, each time moving further away from Fang Huai Ning. The distance between them, which was originally within arm's reach, grew larger.

Fang Huai Ning sensed that this little cat might be playing a trick again. Was Li Ting unhappy? Was he about to run away once more? After finally finding him, could he really allow this half-formed relationship to linger?

So when Li Ting rolled all the way to the edge of the bed, Fang Huai Ning's thoughts became frantic, and without considering the logical course of action, he reached out and pulled Li Ting back, firmly embracing him from behind. Li Ting was small, almost a head shorter than Fang Huai Ning, and his arms could wrap entirely around him.

The familiar scent of lemon soap wafted up to his nostrils, fresh and enticing, causing Fang Huai Ning's very soul to quiver. The feeling was akin to firecrackers exploding within his five organs and six viscera, bubbling and boiling, finally allowing Fang Huai Ning's anxious heart, which had been weighed down all day, to find solid ground once more. It also reinforced his deep affection for the person in his arms, bordering on infatuation.

Little cat...

He had caught the little cat...

Unlike Fang Huai Ning's unbridled excitement, Li Ting didn't struggle, lying passively in his arms like a doll, until he felt the arms wrapped around him constrict, making it hard for him to breathe. He then had to open his mouth to exclaim, "Are you going to suffocate me?"

Fang Huai Ning lowered his head, gently bringing his nose to rest on the back of Li Ting's neck, his face flushed in the darkness as he declared, "Don't even think about leaving."

Li Ting fell silent for a moment, feeling half his body rendered numb before he helplessly uttered, "I was just trying to get a drink of water from the bedside..."

Even after Li Ting explained the situation, Fang Huai Ning refused to let go. Li Ting was forced to release a low, muffled murmur from his nose.

At the same time, Fang Huai Ning felt his heart being fiercely scratched by the soft, gentle claws of a cat. The sensation was both excruciatingly painful and maddeningly itchy, as if the nerve endings in his chest were electrified.

With a slightly stiff movement, Fang Huai Ning turned Li Ting's shoulder, his throat dry as he asked, "What's wrong? Where does it hurt?"

Li Ting turned to Fang Huaining, the two facing each other in the darkness. Fang Huaining wasn't sure if Li Ting could see his face, which felt like it was about to catch fire, but he could see that Li Ting's eyes glowed exceptionally bright in the night, as if infused with silver moonlight. He couldn't tell if it was the night casting its influence, the fatigue weighing down on him, or the emotional defenses he usually wore being momentarily laid bare in the rain tonight. Now, he had tucked away his past indifference and sharp edges; the softness in Li Ting's gaze meeting Fang Huaining's seemed gentle and tender, combined with the delicate and small touch of his embrace, almost melting Fang Huaining's heart.

After noticing Li Ting's hand resting on his chest, Fang Huaining inwardly cursed his impatience, realizing how he had overlooked this detail. He quickly relaxed his grip but still hesitated to fully let go of the person in his arms. He was too afraid to completely cover Li Ting with his hand, worried that his already restless emotions might spiral out of control. Instead, he could only loosely circle Li Ting with one arm, gently patting his back as if hoping to alleviate his pain.

Li Ting's lips curved slightly, almost as if he wanted to scoff, yet he ultimately held back, remaining still as he lay on Fang Huaining's arm without resistance.

He silently listened to the steady and heavy thumping of Fang Huaining's heartbeat against his chest, and gradually, as the hand on his back continued to pat gently, his eyelids began to droop, feeling drowsy.

At this moment, Fang Huaining suddenly asked softly, "How did this happen?"

He was naturally inquiring about Li Ting's injury. Fang Huaining remembered that during their last hospital visit, the doctor had mentioned Li Ting's previous broken ribs, which hadn't healed properly and had left lingering complications.

Li Ting did not answer immediately, and just as Fang Huaining thought he had fallen asleep or was unwilling to reveal the truth, Li Ting quietly said, "Fighting."

Fang Huaining had actually anticipated this answer: "High school?"

"Yeah..."

"Why?"

Li Ting slightly lifted his gaze: "What else could it be? I didn't like what I saw."

The harshness of those words, coming from such a soft and mellow voice, lacked any killing intent, but Fang Huaining knew that real life was not as simple as it sounded. He had heard from Li Ting's younger brother that Li Ting attended A City No. 1 High School, which was notorious for its chaotic rules and culture. Given Li Ting's stubborn and strong-willed nature, it was easy to imagine he would end up offending someone.

"They hit you, so you hit them back?" Fang Huaining asked.

Li Ting shook his head: "You don't understand that school."

There are plenty of wealthy kids who never get their hands dirty, and there are many small-time thugs from other schools." Li Ting's expression was so deceptive that anyone would feel they could easily take him down.

Fang Huaining furrowed his brow.

Li Ting continued, "But if he sent someone to block me, how could I let him get away with that..."

The truth was, if Li Ting had been a pushover, a few harsh words followed by a punch would have settled the matter. Yet, he was made of tough, diamond-like resilience; if he didn't make you submit, he wouldn't stop. As a result, trivial squabbles turned into deep-seated grudges, small conflicts escalated into major confrontations, and skirmishes erupted into all-out wars. On the day it happened, the small-time thugs had been harassing Li Ting for half a month, and when he could no longer bear it, he lost his final patience. After dealing with several boys who challenged him at the back gate and dragging his injured body back to school, he pulled the main instigator from the next class down the stairs and beat him mercilessly in front of many classmates, stripping him of all dignity.

"It was just bad luck, the wrong timing," Li Ting summarized that experience, hinting at regret.

Fang Huaining's brow was nearly knotted; this was a life he couldn't comprehend.

"What timing?"

Li Ting thought for a moment: "A City No. 1 High School... 90th anniversary celebration."

Fang Huaining: "??"

Li Ting: "That day, city and school leaders were present, and it seemed the reporters were there as well."

Fang Huaining: "So…"

Li Ting: "So I ended up in the newspaper."

Fang Huaining: "......" He could only imagine how thrillingly dramatic that report would be.

Then he suddenly recalled what Li Ting had said about Cheng Peng; that person had mentioned Li Ting had a criminal record.

"Yeah," Li Ting admitted readily. Cheng Peng was one of those petty thugs who always confronted him, and it was surprising to discover he was an alumnus. "I do have a record."

Fang Huaining: "?!"

Li Ting: "I knocked that guy out; he suffered a concussion, so his family sued me." Their family was well-off, especially in such a critical situation; how could they let Li Ting off easily?

The hand patting Li Ting's back finally stopped, and Fang Huaining looked at him with deep concern: "Is that why... university…"

Li Ting's gaze flickered, then he lowered his head: "The school wanted to expel me, but according to my father, who is a professor, he used all his resources, both financial and personal connections, to help me keep my student status. He wanted me to transfer or repeat the year, to be obedient and compliant, but I felt that was unnecessary. In the end, I barely stayed in school for over half a year and managed to get into a school like this."

Li Ting's words were straightforward, but Fang Huaining knew that the reality of the situation could not be so simply expressed in those three years. Although students with criminal records could still enter universities, the nature and social impact of Li Ting's case, which had gained media attention, were different. That moment effectively cruelly severed all his chances of attending top-tier institutions. If Li Ting's father worked in education, he surely understood the nuances involved. Even if he really had connections, he probably wanted Li Ting to make some equivalent sacrifices. Given Li Ting's temperament, it wasn't surprising that he chose to cut ties decisively.

After a long pause without hearing Fang Huaining's response, Li Ting looked up with amusement.

"It doesn't matter where I go; I could raise a useless person in a golden house, and a grass hut could still yield gold bars. It's just a little out of sync with your high-achieving path."

In Li Ting's view, Fang Huaining didn't understand him. Di Wei had been right about some of his remarks; he was indeed combative, reclusive, rebellious, and even selfish and materialistic. He and Fang Huaining were completely different types of people. Perhaps a high achiever would be shocked once they actually interacted with him.

When the time comes… will he regret it?

However, when Fang Huaining heard this, his heart felt twisted into a knot, churning repeatedly.

He couldn't help but think about how Li Ting's life was free from the frustrating setbacks that he'd been facing; from beginning to end, he was the only one dealing with them, and to make matters worse, those around him had heaped so much slander and misunderstanding upon him. Without a family and devoid of friends, he, who shared a childhood bond with Li Ting, found himself as clueless as anyone else, unable to grasp the numerous clues that were staring him right in the face. Fortunately, his little cat, with its strong spirit and independence, stood by him and remained his pillar of strength when they reunited.

Unable to shake off his thoughts, Fang Huaineng felt a familiar lump in his chest rise to the surface once more as he leaned slightly closer to Li Ting and asked, "Why didn't you tell me?"

Li Ting looked puzzled: "What?"

Fang Huaineng's gaze locked onto his beautiful brows and eyes: "'The Mysterious World'."

Li Ting's eyelashes fluttered, as if the phrase meant nothing to him.

Fang Huaineng compressed his lips, a hint of annoyance flickering in his eyes, and he couldn't help but feel a bit wronged. If Li Ting had been more transparent with him earlier, perhaps they wouldn't have had to circle around each other for so long.

Li Ting stared back at him, seemingly weighing his options before responding, "You mean... the little gray man?"

Fang Huaineng paused for a moment before tightening his arm around Li Ting's waist: "Yes, sorry."

Fang Huaineng's apology was genuinely heartfelt.

As Li Ting listened, he raised an eyebrow and suddenly said, "Who told you I'm the little gray man?"

Fang Huaineng looked taken aback.

Li Ting turned his head, gazing into the void as he spoke softly: "I have to be honest, even if it kills the mood – that's not me."

Fang Huaineng spoke: "But you..."

"I know some background stories; I only learned of them through reading the emails you wrote," Li Ting replied calmly, "I read them when I was a child."

"So, who is the... little gray man?" Fang Huaineng's eyes widened as he gazed at Li Ting's hazy profile, leaning in a bit closer.

Li Ting pressed his lips together: "He's my little cousin. We lived together on Shiyi Road. He was a fan of science fiction magazine and loved the stories in it. Every time he read them, he would share them with me, including what you wrote and the emails between you two. His online nickname was the little gray man."

"Then where is this 'little cousin' now?" Fang Huaineng asked, observing the way Li Ting's eyes shifted back and forth.

Li Ting paused for a moment: "He passed away due to illness. I guess he cut contact on purpose to avoid upsetting you."

His ashes are scattered beneath the field I planted; they nourish my crops, which is why I think of returning to see him during the New Year and festivals…" Just as he got halfway through his sentence, Li Ting suddenly fell silent. He felt a soft touch gently brush against his cheek, then glide over his lips, finally lingering at the corner of his mouth, softly hesitant to part. Accompanying this was Fang Huaineng's warm breath, which brushed against Li Ting's cool skin, leaving him momentarily stunned. Their lips barely brushed against each other before Fang Huaineng quickly lifted his head, taking two deep breaths before saying in a hoarse voice: "If the 'little cousin' is the little gray man… then the 'little brother' is a little liar."