Summer in Yuncheng came fast and left just as quickly.
The weather forecast warned of a cold front moving south. One day it was nearly 40°C, and by the next morning—after a single night of rain—the temperature had dropped to 18°C.
When summer’s in full swing, it feels like it’ll never end. But when it does, you realize how quickly time has flown by. The season slips away before you’ve had time to do anything you meant to do.
Lu Nanyang’s social feed was flooded with girls’ laments:
— “I swore I’d lose weight this summer. Now summer’s almost over and I haven’t even started!!”
— “I bought that gym membership last fall thinking I’d go in winter. Then winter came and I thought, okay, I’ll go in spring. Now summer’s ending and I still haven’t gone. Ahhhh!”
Lu Nanyang really wanted to scream too, but not because of body management—rather, it was because the holiday was almost over and he hadn’t written a single word of the towering pile of holiday practice reports he was supposed to finish.
Their major was a special one. Almost every holiday, they were required to submit a social practice report—as long as the activity was law-related, whether it was legal education, civil case assistance, or an internship at a law firm, it counted.
In previous years, Lu Nanyang always had the richest experience. His reports were lengthy and well-written, and even a casual write-up would be several thousand words more than his classmates’.
But this year, not only had he not written the report, he hadn’t even completed a single activity.
And the reason? Well, that was thanks to a certain someone.
After being discharged from the hospital, Xie Quan moved back into Lu Nanyang’s apartment. When they were leaving the hospital, Dr. Liu stood at the doorway frowning at the two of them packing, his eyes full of disapproval. He repeatedly emphasized to Lu Nanyang that Xie Quan’s current condition was more suitable for inpatient observation.
Lu Nanyang repeatedly promised that he would live together with Xie Quan this time and fulfill his role as a guardian properly, and only then did the doctor finally relent.
On one hand, Lu Nanyang didn’t think that staying in a place like this hospital was necessarily a good thing; on the other, he didn’t believe that Xie Quan’s condition was as severe as Dr. Liu described.
He had known Xie Quan for quite some time now. While Xie Quan did have a dependency on medication, he was clear-headed, rational, and self-controlled. He had even voluntarily reduced his dosage before. That didn’t match up at all with Dr. Liu’s description of someone who needed constant supervision.
Lu Nanyang optimistically believed that Xie Quan was just under too much pressure and that with some rest, he would soon be back to normal.
But at the time, Lu Nanyang didn’t realize that this line of thinking was no different from that of shop-owner Ying Jie, who believed depression was just “overthinking it.”
……
“Xie Quan, I want to talk to you about something.”
“Go ahead,” Xie Quan didn’t even look back, fully focused on cleaning the room—as if roaches had grown out of the cracks in the wall in the week he’d been gone.
“Come over here and sit down.” Lu Nanyang slapped the chair in front of him with an exaggerated sense of seriousness. “This is important.”
Tch.
His lovely roommate always got strangely serious at the most random moments.
Xie Quan put down the cleaning tools and sat in front of Lu Nanyang. Though his face showed no expression, the way his arms were crossed and the flicker of emotion deep in his eyes clearly showed his impatience.
“Go on.”
Lu Nanyang asked seriously, “Xie Quan, we’re friends now, right?”
Xie Quan: “…?”
What kind of nonsense was this idiot spouting again?
Wasn’t that painfully awkward conversation about “being friends” in bed enough already?
Lu Nanyang didn’t expect a response and continued, “Since we’re friends now, I think we should seriously discuss the harmful effects those little pills have on your body.”
“Just spit it out.” Xie Quan didn’t want to go around in circles.
So Lu Nanyang extended a hand toward him. “I think your diazepam pills should be kept by me.”
Lu Nanyang had prepared himself for every excuse Xie Quan might throw at him.
From what he knew, Xie Quan was a control freak. He had to have a tight grip on all his resources and always be in control of interpersonal dynamics. He even had to change all the bedsheets and quilts in the apartment to his own. Asking him to hand over medication he had long depended on was basically a fantasy.
But Lu Nanyang believed this matter was crucial. If Xie Quan ended up back in the hospital due to an overdose, the consequences might be far worse next time.
No matter how long it took, he was determined to help Xie Quan overcome his dependency. Even his loss of taste might be related to long-term excessive medication use.
But unexpectedly, Xie Quan responded calmly, “Oh, that’s all?”
He got up, walked to the bedroom, opened the cabinet, and took out five bottles of pills, placing them in front of Lu Nanyang. “They’re all here. Four unopened, one half-used. You’re right—it’s better for you to keep them.”
Lu Nanyang was a little stunned. He looked up at Xie Quan. “This… is it really okay?”
“You brought it up, and now you’re asking me if it’s okay?” Xie Quan raised an eyebrow. “I’m a doctor too, I obviously know how this should be handled.”
Lu Nanyang took the bottles. “Starting today, you can’t exceed the recommended dosage on the label—no more than three tablets a day.”
“Alright.” Xie Quan’s face remained calm. “You make the call.”
Lu Nanyang was a little surprised by Xie Quan’s attitude, but also happy. It meant Xie Quan was beginning to take his addiction seriously. It also meant he was finally starting to trust him.
After all they had been through, Xie Quan was finally beginning to treat him as a friend.
It felt good to be needed.
…….
And it turned out, Xie Quan really could keep his word.
Every morning, Lu Nanyang gave him three diazepam pills, and Xie Quan took just those three. He kept it up for over a week.
No accidents, no sudden breakdowns. None of the withdrawal symptoms Dr. Liu had warned about ever showed up.
The only difference might have been that Xie Quan seemed a bit more irritable during… certain intimate activities.
That week, Lu Nanyang had signed up for a legal awareness event. Just as he was about to arrive at the venue, he realized he’d forgotten one page of the materials. He hurriedly rushed back to the apartment.
But the moment he opened the door with his key, Xie Quan pinned him against the wall. Before he could even react, his lips were already pressed into a rushed, impatient kiss.
For some reason, Xie Quan’s skin always felt cold—his hands cooler than even his wrists. But the inside of his mouth was scorching, and when their tongues tangled, it was almost like sparks were flying.
Lu Nanyang caught a bitter taste from Xie Quan’s mouth. He didn’t have time to figure out what it was before he was shoved down onto the couch.
“Damn, what’s wrong with you?” Lu Nanyang said in disbelief. “I’m just here to grab something. Once I’ve got it, I have to go back!”
“Then don’t go,” Xie Quan said briefly, his long legs crossing over the sofa, pressing against one side of Lu Nanyang’s body. With skilled hands, he reached for Lu Nanyang’s pants to unbutton them.
“Are you crazy?!” Lu Nanyang struggled, “I’ve already made plans with someone—”
Xie Quan unreasonably pinned both of Lu Nanyang’s wrists, pressing them to his head, his voice hoarse. “The plan you proposed, you have to take responsibility for.”
Is there any research suggesting that when someone quits an addiction, their desire might increase?
Lu Nanyang stared somewhat blankly at the bulging area below Xie Quan’s waist.
The pamphlet he got from Dr. Liu clearly said that patients tend to feel irritable, lethargic, and have a decreased desire…
It was all a lie.
In this past week, Xie Quan and he had helped each other more than five times.
At first, they were still decent in the bedroom, but gradually, the battleground moved to the bedside, the window, the bathroom, and now, it had finally evolved into being pinned to the sofa as soon as he walked in the door.
“Are you out of your mind?” Lu Nanyang struggled desperately. “We already did it this morning!”
Xie Quan still held onto his hands, but slightly raised his upper body, squinting his eyes as he leisurely watched him. “Did I reduce the dosage as agreed?”
“…Yes,” Lu Nanyang replied.
“When you said you’d keep the medication, did I object?” Xie Quan asked again.
“…No,” Lu Nanyang had no choice but to answer reluctantly.
Xie Quan leaned down, his gray eyes revealing a sly glint. He smiled as he moved closer, his hoarse voice carrying an inexplicable allure. “Nanyang, am I not obedient?”
Lu Nanyang got goosebumps and reached out to push him away but was instead pressed down, followed by a maddening, chaotic moment.
When his bare thighs made contact with the cold air, Lu Nanyang thought to himself, it’s over, once again caught in this bastard’s hands.
But the reason Xie Quan gave was something he couldn’t refuse. Clearly, he was doing the right thing, but whenever he looked into Xie Quan’s eyes, he felt an inexplicable sense of guilt and apology, as if he owed him something.
At that moment, Lu Nanyang still didn’t realize that Xie Quan was like a seasoned venomous snake, skilled at finding others’ weaknesses and quickly turning them into tools for his own advantage, holding them firmly in his grasp.
For example, kindness and a sense of morality were both Lu Nanyang’s strengths and his weaknesses, making him easily manipulated.
The intimate pleasure twisted wildly around them, and Lu Nanyang gave up struggling, focusing on enjoying everything he could.
Xie Quan tightened his grip, trapping Lu Nanyang in the whirlpool of pleasure, while his other hand reached behind him.
Lu Nanyang instantly snapped back to reality, reflexively gripping his wrist, breathing heavily. “What do you want to do?”
Xie Quan’s fingers brushed against the nearby skin, trying to make him relax. “I’ll be gentle. I won’t hurt you.”
Lu Nanyang tightened his grip on his hand, “No.”
Xie Quan’s hand was painfully squeezed, but he continued to coax, “Aren’t you curious what it feels like? In this circle, there are more bottoms than tops. Do you think they’re all fools?”
But Lu Nanyang showed no sign of yielding, his grip on Xie Quan’s wrist tightening further. He repeated, “It has nothing to do with that. No means no.”
Xie Quan clicked his tongue and loosened his grip. He wasn’t someone who would suffer losses right away; he knew when to give up and bide his time for the future.
Of course, he had anticipated that Lu Nanyang would refuse, but to refuse so decisively and without even a hint of hesitation—this still sparked a surge of anger in Xie Quan’s already irritated chest.
Why?
What was it about him that Lu Nanyang didn’t like? Not skilled enough, not big enough, or perhaps not gentle or considerate enough?
At that moment, Lu Nanyang’s phone, which had been tossed aside, suddenly rang. Lu Nanyang was startled and only then realized he was already over ten minutes late.
He reached for his phone, intending to hang up, but his wrist was suddenly seized by Xie Quan.
Xie Quan, looking down from above, flashed a cold smile and raised his chin. “Answer the phone. If you do, I’ll let you go.”
