Chapter 19

　Li Mu asked someone to pull some strings.

“It’s a girl, 15 years old, named Xu Yue. She was diagnosed with leukemia three years ago and has been waiting for a suitable bone marrow transplant. Half a month ago, a suitable donor was found, and the surgery was scheduled.” It took less than five minutes for Li Mu to call back.

At that time, Bi Yuan was buying gum at a convenience store.

　　“Bi Yuan, Xu Yue is Xu Yang’s sister…” Li Mu paused on the phone, as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t bring himself to do so, settling for a simple statement.

“I see,” Bi Yuan said after hanging up. He stared at the darkened screen of his phone for a moment, murmuring Xu Yang’s name.

　　“Xu Yang has been on leave for several days. His sister is apparently having surgery, so he asked his boss for time off. Are you looking for him, sir?” The young man in the convenience store vaguely heard Xu Yang’s name and looked at Bi Yuan in confusion, thinking that Bi Yuan was there to find him.

“He works here?” The young man’s words surprised Bi Yuan.

　　Bie Yuan didn’t know much about Xu Yang. Perhaps it could be said that, aside from knowing that Xu Yang urgently needed money, Bie Yuan knew nothing else about him.

“Yes, he comes here to work part-time at night. He said it’s to save money for his sister’s medical expenses. It’s at that hospital.” After saying that, he pointed to the “Medical University Affiliated Hospital” lit by a dim white light.

　　After giving him the money, Bi Yuan followed the young man’s direction and walked to the hospital entrance, but hesitated to step inside. He had been inside that hospital earlier that morning.

The cool, refreshing taste of the chewing gum he was chewing spread from his chest to his stomach. It felt as though something had suddenly entered his body, cool and slightly frightening.

Ever since he saw Xu Yang desperately pleading with him to take him to the hospital, Bi Yuan’s heart had been pounding nonstop, as though something was about to happen, something that would shatter the things he had always held dear.

Fear.

　　For the first time, Bi Yuan felt helpless, lonely, and powerless. He suddenly thought of the cat emoji that the younger employees in the company’s work group often used—weak, helpless, and pitiful, with a self-deprecating smile on its lips. He began to doubt whether what he had been holding onto all these years was right or wrong.

　　Over the years, Bi Yuan had interacted with many people, but none of the relationships lasted long. The sincerity he once felt was gradually eroded by one shopping request after another.

　　There had been many young men who had told him, “I like you,” so sincerely, so movingly, with a pure light in their eyes. But in the end, weren’t they just constantly taking from him?

Expensive gifts, credit cards, this and that… How ridiculous!

　　Gradually, Bi Yuan put on a facade, giving endlessly while watching those who claimed to love him end one relationship after another in ugly ways, as if it were a joke.

He had thought Xu Yang was one of those people, and even if he was still holding back now, he would eventually become corrupted over time. But when Xu Yang pleaded with him with a look of despair in his eyes, a strange emotion surged from his chest to his head. A terrifying voice told him, “Bi Yuan, you’re finished. You’ve met your match. You’re going to be defeated. You’re going to be conquered!”

　　He had seen all kinds of looks—ambiguous, flattering, even blatantly lustful for money and sex—but no one had ever looked at him with such complexity as Xu Yang did.

　　It seemed as though he was afraid of something, terrified, yet with an unwavering determination that could not be refused—so pure and sincere. Such a gaze drove Bi Yuan mad. It shouldn’t be so pure! The gaze of the Bi family’s young master shouldn’t be so pure!

　　So he must plunder, seduce, and taint that pure gaze with the ugliness of desire.

But in the end, it seemed, he had failed.

　　He reached into his pocket for a cigarette, but as his hand touched his pants pocket, he remembered the gum he was chewing and withdrew his hand, then walked toward the hospital filled with the smell of disinfectant.

He tried not to make any noise as he walked, and arrived at the operating room door he had visited earlier that morning. As expected, Xu Yang was still there.

　　“Xu Yang.” He tried to make his voice sound gentle, but Xu Yang reacted as if he had heard something terrifying. His head, which had been lowered to his chest, suddenly snapped up, his eyes widening in surprise as he stared at Bi Yuan standing not far away.

　　Xu Yang’s heart was racing. The moment he lifted his head and saw Bi Yuan, he felt a strange sensation—he was still wearing the same suit from yesterday, but his entire demeanor had lost its usual sharpness, seeming somewhat softer. Xu Yang stood up and walked to Bi Yuan’s side, wanting to say something, but his gaze shifted nervously to his mother sitting nearby. His lips trembled for a long time, but no words came out.

　　“Yangyang, who is this…” Xu’s mother’s face was also filled with fatigue. Seeing Mr. Bi’s appearance, she looked even more puzzled—she had never seen this person before, nor anyone like him.

　　Besides his colleagues of the same age who taught at the private school and the young man from the convenience store, Xu Yang had never been seen with someone like Bi Yuan, who was dressed in a suit.

　　“Hello, I’m Xu Yang’s boss.” As if sensing Xu Yang’s concerns and Xu’s mother’s confusion, Bi Yuan extended his hand to Xu’s mother in a friendly manner. Xu Yang was a bit at a loss for words at Bi Yuan’s sudden self-introduction.

With a glance to reassure Xu Yang, Bi Yuan sat down on the lounge chair opposite Xu Yang, revealing a section of dark blue nylon socks beneath his black suit pants.

　　“Are you the convenience store owner?” Xu Yang’s mother, pulled down to sit beside him, was still processing the situation. Seeing Bi Yuan’s suit, she couldn’t imagine him running a convenience store, so she looked at Xu Yang with confusion.

　　“I’m an investor in a studio at the film and television base. Xu Yang is currently working for me…” The last two words were spoken after Bi Yuan deliberately glanced at Xu Yang and paused for a moment. Xu Yang’s eyes shifted slightly upon hearing this.

“Mom, I’m writing theme songs for some small-scale web dramas…” His voice was soft, his pace slow, and he seemed calm and composed, but Bi Yuan could clearly sense a hint of unease beneath his composure.

After he finished speaking, Xu Yang’s mother looked at him with a hint of guilt in her eyes, and her eyes instantly filled with tears. “Yangyang…” She choked up and threw herself onto Xu Yang’s shoulder.

　　“Mom! What’s wrong…” Knowing that his mother was upset because he was juggling multiple roles, Xu Yang felt a mix of emotions—a bit of bitterness, a bit of sadness, a bit of resentment. Even Xu Yang, who had been trying to “put on a brave face” in front of Bi Yuan, couldn’t help but tear up.

　　In such a family, whether it was supporting the household or paying for his sister’s medical treatment, all the financial pressure fell on the sole male breadwinner. Xu Yang had no choice but to grit his teeth and bear it.

Watching the mother and son hugging each other and crying, a bitter sense of loneliness spread from his chest to his throat, and even the saliva he swallowed tasted bitter.

　　As an outsider, he couldn’t intrude into their warm family, where there was love he couldn’t hope to attain.