Chapter 17

The next day, Xiao Yi didn’t show up at school.

Perhaps he didn’t want to face him for the time being, Fu Yu thought.

After school, at about the same time as the previous day, Fu Yu went to the gymnasium. He had thought about what he wanted to say, and he had hardly slept last night, leaving him feeling a bit tired.

He wanted to tell Xiao Yi that he couldn’t accept his feelings for now, but he respected his intentions and was willing to give it a try if Xiao Yi could find a more appropriate way to approach him.

Fu Yu didn’t really know what the signs of liking someone were, nor did he know how much Xiao Yi liked him. His mind was filled with questions, but when he lay awake at night, contemplating whether he could accept a new kind of intimacy with Xiao Yi, a voice deep inside told him:

“Yes, you can. You want to.”

When he arrived at the usual spot, he didn’t see anyone around. The gymnasium door wasn’t fully closed, leaving a crack.

Could Xiao Yi be waiting inside? Without overthinking it, Fu Yu entered.

The indoor gym relied solely on the overhead lights for illumination, and at this time, the lights were off, with only a faint stream of light from outside shining on a small area. Fu Yu followed his memory to find the light switch. However, before he had walked a few steps, he suddenly heard a “bang!” The gym plunged into darkness.

The door behind him was closed.

He hadn’t even realized if it was the wind or someone else entering when he was forcefully pushed to the ground.

The wooden floor wasn’t too hard, but being thrown onto it made Fu Yu cry out in pain. His phone, which was in his coat pocket, was thrown away, and he heard the sound of it shattering as it hit the ground.

However, the situation was far from over. While he was still dizzy from the blow to his head, someone took the opportunity to grab his hands and tie them with something that felt painfully tight. Then, his mouth was gagged haphazardly with cloth.

The person didn’t stop there; they proceeded to open Fu Yu’s coat, pulling down his shirt collar. Their trembling hands touched his exposed skin urgently and nervously.

Fu Yu was shocked by everything that was happening, and his mind went blank for a moment. Suddenly, he remembered the contents of that letter:

“…I want to tie you up in a place where no one can see, strip you naked, touch every part of your body, and violate you…”

The situation playing out before him was exactly as described in the letter, and this person couldn’t be anyone else but Xiao Yi.

He couldn’t believe it, nor did he want to believe it. Why would Xiao Yi, who knew how much he despised this kind of violence and violation, do this to him? Just because he had rejected him? Did he want to degrade and destroy him because he couldn’t have him?

But the critical situation left Fu Yu with no room for further thoughts. The person’s hands continued to explore, undoing his belt and attempting to remove his pants.

Fu Yu quickly regained his composure, remaining still and pretending to give up struggling, letting the person continue their actions. When the person momentarily relaxed their guard and moved their thighs away from him, Fu Yu swiftly kicked with all his might.

Perhaps it was a lapse in their vigilance, but Xiao Yi let out a muffled groan as Fu Yu kicked him directly off. Fu Yu had expected a physical struggle, given Xiao Yi’s physique, but he had managed to push him away with that single kick.

As Fu Yu remained on the ground, he removed the cloth from his mouth and, despite the pain in his bones, stood up and groped for the light switch. Regaining the light, he saw that his wrists were tied with a school tie, and the number “36” was imprinted on it.

36 was Xiao Yi’s student ID.

Fu Yu didn’t know how he left the gymnasium. When he snapped back to reality, he was walking alone on the way back home. He had dismissed his driver, and now he just wanted to be alone for a while.

Shock, confusion, humiliation, disappointment—various emotions swirled within him, turning his typically calm heart into a turbulent sea. He had never expected that his most trusted friend would treat him like this. Were all the friendships they had built over the past year just a facade? Was this the true intention and purpose behind Xiao Yi becoming friends with him?

His heart was gripped by a pain that felt like vines coiling tightly around him, suffocating him.

After walking for nearly an hour, Fu Yu finally arrived home. However, the person he hated the most was standing at his doorstep.

How could he dare to come see him after what he had just done?

Xiao Yi appeared anxious and apologetic, and his first words upon seeing Fu Yu were, “I’m sorry…”

Fu Yu took a deep breath, his icy expression seemingly freezing the air around him. “Xiao Yi, I’ve made up my mind about your answer.”

Xiao Yi understood and forced a bitter smile. “You still can’t accept it, right? It’s okay, we can still be friends.”

“Friends?” Fu Yu retorted mockingly, his eyes devoid of warmth. “After what you did, do you really think I can still consider you a friend?”

Xiao Yi stood there, looking like he didn’t understand what Fu Yu meant.

“We can never return to being friends. I don’t even want to see you anymore, Xiao Yi. You make me feel disgusted, like a pervert.”

Xiao Yi froze, seemingly unable to comprehend what Fu Yu was saying.

“I don’t want to repeat myself. Please disappear from my sight immediately, and never come near me again.”

Each word that Fu Yu spoke felt like a knife plunged into his own heart, bleeding profusely. He clenched his fists, concealing his trembling fingertips, and didn’t look at Xiao Yi again. He turned and entered his home, slamming the door shut with a resounding “bang,” cutting off Xiao Yi’s cries on the other side of the door.

 

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