"Stay With Me Tonight"

Confession? What confession?

The moment Shen Mingjin heard Xu Duwan's drunken words, his mind went blank, as if a disconnected telegraph had suddenly lost all its signals.

He was absolutely sure—without a doubt—that he had never heard Xu Duwan confess to him before.

So why did he just say, "my previous confession"?

Could it be that Xu Duwan was drunk, mistook him for someone else, and was confusing him with the person he actually had a crush on?

With that thought, Shen Mingjin's gaze darkened slightly. He lowered his head and looked at Xu Duwan, who was leaning on the table, secretly waiting for his reaction. After a moment, he cautiously asked,

"Are you drunk?"

"I'm drunk?" Xu Duwan paused, his alcohol-fogged brain struggling to process the question. After a while, he reluctantly nodded, "Fine, I guess I'm drunk."

Since Shen Mingjin said he was drunk, then he must be.

Even in his hazy state, Xu Duwan instinctively trusted Shen Mingjin's words.

Shen Mingjin choked for a moment.

"..."

He stared at Xu Duwan's flushed cheeks and the way his unfocused eyes darted around. He wasn't sure whether he should believe his drunken words or not. In the end, he stepped forward, bent down, and picked him up.

"Stop eating," Shen Mingjin said, his voice unreadable. "If you eat too much after drinking, you'll just end up throwing up later."

He didn't ask Xu Duwan who he mistook him for. Maybe he didn't dare to. Maybe he just didn't want to.

Xu Duwan obediently wrapped his arms around Shen Mingjin's shoulders. As he was being placed onto the bed, he quietly buried his face against Shen Mingjin's neck, taking a deep breath.

"..."

He looked like a little puppy craving a bone, reluctant to let go.

For some reason, Shen Mingjin slowly reached out, gently stroking the back of his neck—part soothing, part affectionate.

"Go to sleep."

"Stay with me tonight," Xu Duwan mumbled.

His legs wrapped around Shen Mingjin's waist, his soft black hair brushing against Shen Mingjin's chin.

"Like before."

Shen Mingjin's pupils trembled slightly.

"..."

What does he mean by like before?

Had they slept together before?

That couldn't be...

For a moment, countless thoughts raced through Shen Mingjin's mind.

He always considered himself someone with strong self-control. Sure, Xu Duwan was good-looking, but that didn't mean he would just sleep with anyone. Unless...

Shen Mingjin lowered his head, looking at Xu Duwan's half-closed eyes and long, dark eyelashes. His heart clenched slightly as he struggled with his thoughts.

If it was Xu Duwan… losing control wouldn't be that surprising…

Xu Duwan, noticing Shen Mingjin's stiff posture and reluctance to hold him, frowned slightly. Like an elegant yet spoiled ragdoll cat, he nudged Shen Mingjin's shoulder and clung to him, mumbling,

"Hug me..."

The last bit of Shen Mingjin's hesitation vanished.

He sighed, covered the leftover food with an empty plate, turned off the lights, and returned to the bed. Wrapping his arms around Xu Duwan, he pulled him into his embrace.

Satisfied, Xu Duwan squinted his eyes and snuggled into his warmth. Even in his sleep, he wasn't still—just like a small animal afraid of the cold, he kept burrowing into Shen Mingjin's arms.

Shen Mingjin barely slept that night. In his half-conscious state, he was plagued by strange dreams—one moment he was seeing a blurry-faced boy, the next he was seeing Xu Duwan. By the end of the dream, he somehow found himself drowning in a vast sea. The salty water filled his lungs, and just as the suffocating sensation became unbearable, he instinctively lifted his head—only to wake up and find Xu Duwan sprawled on top of him, completely pinning him down.

Shen Mingjin blinked sleepily, his head pounding, and let out an annoyed tsk.

What a ridiculous dream.

Without hesitation, he shoved Xu Duwan off his chest, got up, and went to wash up.

By the time he came out of the bathroom, Xu Duwan was still fast asleep.

Shen Mingjin's head was still aching, so he ignored him, dressed himself in front of the mirror, and left the room.

The moment the door clicked shut, Xu Duwan—who had seemed to be in deep sleep—opened his eyes.

His gaze was sharp and clear.

He blinked slowly, recalling the brief moment when he had caught a glimpse of something last night. A flicker of confusion crossed his mind—

When did Shen Mingjin get all those scars on his lower back?

—

Shen Mingjin worked a physically demanding job at a food stall. By the time he returned to the dorm, sore all over, Xu Duwan was already gone.

Staring at the empty bed and the messily tossed blanket, Shen Mingjin slowly realized something—

That rich and spoiled Young Master Xu hadn't even bothered to make the bed before leaving.

He felt both annoyed and amused, an odd sense of being used and discarded creeping up on him.

Shaking his head, he pushed away the ridiculous thoughts, awkwardly making the bed himself. Just as he finished, he suddenly remembered the money Xu Duwan's father had given him last night.

Startled, he quickly sat up and searched the room. Sure enough, he found the thick wad of cash tucked neatly inside the cabinet.

It was still wrapped in tissue paper, sitting there untouched.

Xu Duwan had never intended to take it with him.

…Maybe he just didn't care about such a small amount of money?

Shen Mingjin's expression turned complicated.

What exactly did Xu Duwan mean by all this?

Was he trying to keep him? Or… was he treating him as a replacement?

Ever since he lost his memories, Shen Mingjin had stopped thinking too deeply about complicated things—especially anything related to his past. Every time he tried to remember, his head would ache unbearably, like someone was hammering at his nerves. The moment he tried to recall something, chaotic and blurry images would flash through his mind, instantly throwing his emotions into turmoil.

Taking a deep breath, Shen Mingjin forced himself to calm down, inhaling the cold air into his lungs.

He would not think about the past.

It was obvious that things weren't going the way he wanted. Ever since that nightmare, it felt like Xu Duwan had flipped a switch—like the butterfly that started a storm. Even if Shen Mingjin tried not to think about the past, his temples still throbbed in pain, and his vision darkened.

Shen Mingjin had no choice but to slam the empty plate on the table, shattering it into pieces. He grabbed a shard and dragged it across his arm, cutting deep until bright red blood rushed out, spilling from his torn skin. Only then did the overwhelming panic and suffocating pressure in his chest begin to ease.

From the blood loss, his face turned a little pale, making him look unwell.

Outside the door, Yu Qingbie happened to be passing by when he heard the noise from Shen Mingjin's room. Without thinking, he walked up to the door and knocked.

"Mingjin? Are you okay?"

The shard in Shen Mingjin's palm pressed deeper into his flesh at the sound of Yu Qingbie's voice. A wave of dizziness hit him, and he could barely keep himself upright, using the pain to steady his balance and stop himself from falling over.

"I'm fine."

He tossed the broken shard into the trash, wiped the blood off his arm carelessly, and quickly changed into a long-sleeved shirt to cover the wounds. Then, as if nothing had happened, he opened the door.

"What's wrong? Need help with something?"

He thought he had concealed everything perfectly. But Yu Qingbie, seeing his gloomy expression, was so startled that he took two steps back, his heart racing from the shock.

"Mingjin, are you sure you're okay?"

Yu Qingbie hesitated, studying Shen Mingjin's face before speaking carefully.

"You look terrible."

Of course, Shen Mingjin wasn't about to admit that the constant interactions with Xu Duwan were bringing back memories that made his head pound. So instead, he just muttered vaguely, "It's nothing. I just didn't sleep well last night."

Last night?

Didn't Mingjin sleep with Xu Duwan last night?

Yu Qingbie recalled how Xu Duwan's cheeks were still flushed when he left. Now, looking at Shen Mingjin's pale complexion, a thought struck him like lightning. He glanced at Shen Mingjin's tall figure and sharp, cold features, and suddenly—his worldview crumbled.

Wait. Mingjin isn't the top? That doesn't make sense!

But…

Yu Qingbie wavered. Shen Mingjin was beautiful. If someone like him were on the bottom, it wouldn't be that bad, right?

Shen Mingjin had no idea what kind of nonsense was going through Yu Qingbie's head, and he didn't care. He brushed past him with a cold expression and headed to the kitchen to help out.

But he had forgotten—his palm had been cut by the broken porcelain. After an entire day of washing dishes, his hands were soaked and wrinkled, and the wounds were starting to turn red.

Shen Mingjin ignored it. His headache had lasted all day, and he just swallowed a painkiller before lying down. He didn't bother treating the wound. A few days later, it became infected, and he developed a high fever.

Meanwhile, Xu Duwan had been busy handling company matters after returning home. His scheming stepmother and that fake young master were up to their tricks again, constantly causing trouble for him, which was already annoying enough.

But what was even more frustrating—Shen Mingjin hadn't contacted him at all.

Didn't he leave his number in Shen Mingjin's phone before leaving? Why couldn't Shen Mingjin take the initiative for once?

Why did it always have to be him?

Xu Duwan felt irritated with himself. It was as if he was stubbornly waiting for Shen Mingjin to make the first move, refusing to reach out first.

Whenever the frustration became too much, he would head to a bar for a drink. Then, he'd return home to battle wits with the fake young master. And yet, no matter how many days passed, Shen Mingjin still hadn't contacted him.

Just like before—if Xu Duwan didn't reach out, the two of them became complete strangers, with no connection at all.

Thinking back to all the ridiculous things he did while chasing after Shen Mingjin, Xu Duwan felt embarrassed. His mood soured as he sat in his office chair, his face dark. His assistant, noticing his expression, started wondering if he had somehow messed up today.

Finally, Xu Duwan spoke in a light, casual tone, as if he didn't care at all.

"Did he call today?"

There was a hint of expectation in his voice.

"Who?" The assistant was confused.

Xu Duwan clicked his tongue impatiently.

"Oh! Oh!" The assistant suddenly realized. "Young Master, are you talking about Mr. Shen? No, he didn't call."

"Not even once?"

Xu Duwan's expression darkened further.

"...No."

The assistant carefully chose his words, internally panicking.

Oh god, who the hell is this person, and why does our young master care about him so much?!

Xu Duwan had no idea what his assistant was thinking. He took a deep breath, pressing his fingers against his temples as if trying to calm the storm inside him. After a few seconds, he stretched out his hand.

"Give it to me."

"…What?" The assistant was confused again.

"My phone!" Xu Duwan was running out of patience. At this point, he was seriously considering firing this assistant in a few days—and when he did, he would make sure to roast Shen Mingjin while he was at it.

He had spent so much money on him, and yet Shen Mingjin still refused to make the first move?!

Xu Duwan had dropped so many hints that he was filthy rich. Why hadn't Shen Mingjin come to freeload off him yet?!

Even if he had to act desperate, he still had some dignity left!

After thinking it through, Xu Duwan made up his mind. He spat out each word like he was forcing them through clenched teeth:

"If he won't call me, then I'll call him."

This time, he was going to get his answer—once and for all!