When Su Yiran heard his mother bring up the matter again, he couldn’t help feeling embarrassed. He glanced shyly at Ting-ge, recalling what had happened back then.

It was during the summer break of their second year in high school. Ting-ge had suddenly confessed to him, making their long-standing, hazy, ambiguous feelings come into the open all at once. Caught completely off guard, Su Yiran panicked and began to avoid him, always keeping his distance.

But later, he saw with his own eyes how Ting-ge’s condition worsened—how he became more irritable and dispirited, his grades plummeting. Especially in the integrated science subjects that Su Yiran had painstakingly helped him improve, his marks crashed again in the new semester’s exams. The hard-earned progress they had made vanished in one big slump.

Su Yiran couldn’t bear to see Ting-ge waste his studies and throw away such a promising future. Helplessly, he stopped avoiding him and began tutoring him again.

They made an agreement: focus on studying first, and wait until the college entrance exam was over to talk about anything else. Truthfully, Su Yiran also felt relieved—he forcibly set the matter aside, pretending it had never happened, and restored their previous relationship.

After that came a period of peaceful yet busy school life. Before they knew it, the college entrance exam arrived. Two tense days passed quickly, and when it was all over, Ting-ge hugged him excitedly in the small grove behind the school and confessed again. Only then did Su Yiran realize—the time they had agreed upon had come.

Their daily routine had given Su Yiran the illusion that this matter was already in the past, something he had “forgotten.” He was completely unprepared, and in a fluster, made an excuse to leave Ting-ge. His mind was in utter chaos, and somehow he wandered out the school’s back gate without knowing exactly how.

Still dazed, unable to sort through his thoughts, he ducked into a small teahouse along the street. He ordered something at random and sat alone in a corner, spacing out. Gradually, he calmed down and began to seriously reconsider his relationship with Ting-ge.

The teahouse had a dim, moody interior. Without realizing it, the sky outside had darkened. Su Yiran thought he had only been there for a short while, but in reality several hours had passed.

His phone battery had died, leaving it switched off. Outside, Ting-ge and his parents were frantic. When Ting-ge finally found him, Su Yiran emerged from his own private haze, shocked to realize it was already past ten at night.

That memory flashed by. Over the years, this little “black history” was often brought up by Su’s parents, and every time, Su Yiran felt embarrassed. Although he’d only been eighteen at the time, counting his past life, he had already lived two lifetimes. Such a grown man, yet pulling a “missing child” stunt.

Especially when he thought of the scene after Ting-ge found him—red-eyed, holding him tightly, secretly crying—he felt deeply guilty.

Ah… Ting-ge…

Even back then, Ting-ge had been so insecure. Now, thinking of Ting-ge’s current psychological issues, Su Yiran’s heart ached even more.

Su’s mother wasn’t thinking that deeply; she had no idea about Gu Yuanting’s mental state. Considering various factors, Su Yiran had never told his parents about it.

Now, when she saw Gu Yuanting silent, she asked in puzzlement, “Ting-ting?”

Gu Yuanting looked at Ranran, meeting the gaze that seemed to be awaiting his answer. He mumbled vaguely, “I… don’t really remember.”

Su’s mother was surprised he didn’t remember either. “You can’t recall it, too?”

Gu Yuanting made a vague “Mm” in reply.

Su Yiran glanced at Ting-ge in mild confusion, then told his mother awkwardly, “It was in a teahouse on the street behind the school.”

Su’s mother immediately remembered, laughing. “Yes, yes, that’s right—in a dessert shop. You, this child, got into a fight with Ting-ting, and then you went off to eat sweets. This sweet tooth of yours really has been there since you were little…”

In her mind, a teahouse was the same as a dessert shop.

Since neither Su Yiran nor Gu Yuanting had told the truth, his parents always believed he had run off in a huff after a quarrel, and because of his sweet tooth, ended up in a dessert shop.

Smiling, Su Yiran chatted with his mother for a bit, but noticed Ting-ge’s silence. Remembering how Ting-ge had claimed not to recall where he’d found him, he grew more suspicious and looked at him in puzzlement.

For both of them, that incident was a special turning point. Seeing Ting-ge crying quietly after finding him had completely softened his heart.

From then on, his mindset had shifted, and he began to accept Ting-ge’s feelings. Gradually, he realized he had already liked him for some time without knowing exactly when it started.

That’s why Su Yiran’s memory of the event was so vivid.

Moreover, since his parents often teased him about it, and judging from Ting-ge’s reactions each time, Su Yiran had thought Ting-ge remembered it even more clearly than he did. By all logic, there was no reason for him to suddenly forget.

Noticing Ranran’s doubtful gaze, Gu Yuanting’s whole body tensed as if every invisible hair stood on end. He froze rigidly, even his toes curling with tension.

But Su Yiran’s suspicion lasted only a moment before he dismissed it. It was normal to suddenly forget something—he’d experienced it himself.

After dinner, Su’s mother went upstairs to see the baby. The dishes were left for the housekeeper to clean. Su Yiran naturally reached for Gu Yuanting’s hand to lead him to the living room, but was startled to find it ice-cold.

He immediately grew worried, cupping the cold hand in both of his to warm it. “Why is your hand so cold?”

Being suddenly held, Gu Yuanting’s fingertips stiffened. He forced a smile. “It’s nothing, maybe I’m just a bit cold.”

“Cold?” Concerned he might catch a chill, Su Yiran quickly raised the air conditioning temperature, poured him a cup of hot water to warm his hands, and only relaxed once he felt them return to normal.

Gu Yuanting stayed silent, watching Ranran bustling around him.

Not until bedtime did his tense, chaotic emotions begin to ease. He recalled what Dr. Sun had said earlier—“a distorted perception of oneself and the world.”

Just now, he had almost exposed himself. Or rather, he was about to.

Ranran had already sensed something was wrong. So… when would he realize he was not the “original” Gu Yuanting?

Incident after incident had stretched his nerves taut, that string called “reason” on the verge of snapping.

And when Ranran discovered the truth… what would he do?

…Would he leave me?

Gu Yuanting’s gaze darkened. He looked at Ranran in his arms with an unreadable expression. The air between them grew silent and oppressive.

Sensing the shift, Su Yiran thought of Ting-ge’s emotional outburst earlier and tried to put him at ease. Nestled in his arms, he kissed him lightly. “Ting-ge, let’s sleep early. Don’t worry—tomorrow we’ll rest at home, and the day after, we’ll go for your follow-up. Listen to the doctor and cooperate with the tests and treatment, and you’ll get better soon.”

Cooperate… with tests and treatment…

Hearing that, the already fragile string in Gu Yuanting’s mind snapped.

He even began to suspect Ranran had figured something out earlier, and that was why he was urging him toward the prying gaze and “treatment” of a psychiatrist.

That suspicion was the final straw, crushing his reason completely.

Suddenly, he rolled over, pinning Su Yiran beneath him, kissing him fiercely while undoing the buttons of his cotton pajamas.

Leave? Don’t even think about it.

Even if Ranran discovered he wasn’t the original… even if he stopped loving him… even if it meant chaining him up, locking him away forever… even if Ranran came to hate him—he would never let him go.

Cruel thoughts brewed in his mind. He had already prepared for the worst. Lowering his head, he kissed Ranran’s soft lips gently, even feeling a faint excitement—an almost perverse thrill.

The thought of the future made his heart tremble with anticipation: one day, he could lock Ranran away in a golden house built just for him, or in a high tower where no one could see or touch him. Ranran’s eyes would reflect only his image. His smiles would be for him alone.

He would become Ranran’s entire world.

With Ranran completely under his control, the “original’s” problems would be nothing at all.

He kissed Ranran with feverish excitement.

The act of defiling his beloved filled his entire body with burning heat.

Su Yiran, who had thought they were going to sleep, was taken aback by Ting-ge’s sudden fervor. Helpless but indulgent, he let him have his way.

Well… he was used to it.

This way, Ting-ge might sleep better. Tomorrow, they could spend the day at home—watch some TV, bask in the sun, take it easy.

Late at night, Su Yiran had already fallen asleep.

Gu Yuanting held him close, brushing back a damp strand of hair from his forehead and kissing him tenderly.

Something occurred to him, and he stared at Ranran, lost in thought. After a long moment, he kissed him again, his gaze growing resolute.

He no longer hoped for Ranran’s wholehearted love. If Ranran learned his secret and tried to leave, he would simply keep him forever, never letting him take another step away.

Even if Ranran hated him, as long as they could muddle through life together for the rest of their days, it would be enough.

In time, “muddling through” could become a peaceful, happy life.

Thinking this, Gu Yuanting finally relaxed. He let out a long breath, held Ranran tightly, kissed him, and felt a sweet sense of satisfaction.

Now that he had found the perfect solution to his greatest fear, there was no need to worry about losing him again. Ranran would belong to him alone, forever. All his emotions settled into calm.

In fact, the thought of keeping a well-behaved Ranran in a golden house, at his mercy, made even his nerve endings tingle with excitement.