After finishing dinner, Xiaotian found himself with nothing to do.

He didn't have any close family or many friends, so he didn't know how to spend his evenings.

He did have a mobile phone, but it was a second-hand one he had bought at a low price from a flea market. It could make calls and receive them, but as for internet access, the data plan was practically non-existent.

He wasn't very familiar with using the internet either and was afraid that if he pressed random buttons, he might end up breaking the phone he had spent money on, which would be a real loss.

Xiaotian felt overly full from dinner, his stomach a little uncomfortable. So, he walked out of the back door, planning to take a short walk to a nearby small market to aid digestion.

This industrial park was a bit far from the city center. Taking the bus required two transfers and would take at least an hour to get to the city center. Xiaotian didn't usually go there unless necessary.

First of all, it was inconvenient for him as a person with a disability to go out. Secondly, for everyday necessities and such, the small market in the industrial park was more than sufficient.

What was more important was that the cost of living in the city was too high. He couldn't afford it. Even a bottle of water costs a yuan more there than here, not to mention other expenses. Once he went to the city center to buy a second-hand phone and had dinner there at a small restaurant. When he paid, they charged him over twenty yuan, and he still didn't feel full. So, Xiaotian visited the bustling city center even less. That place wasn't suitable for him.

As he walked, more people started to appear. There was a small LED screen in the middle of this small market. Sometimes it displayed some news, and other times it showed old movies. There were some old public chairs below the screen, with a group of kids sitting around, watching.

Xiaotian bought a bottle of soy milk and sat down on one of the chairs below the screen. He looked up at the colorful LED screen. Tonight, they were showing a performance from the central TV station, with people joyfully dancing to Yangko folk music.

He often spent a few hours here, using the big screen as his evening entertainment. When it was almost bedtime, he would return home alone, and the next day would be a new day. No one spoke to him; he seemed to be watching a program but also seemed lost in thought. The bright screen reflected in his dark pupils, making him seem both lively and lonely.

Suddenly, a little boy stood next to him, staring intently at him. More accurately, the boy was staring directly at the soy milk in his hand.

Xiaotian glanced at the boy, who looked so eager and found him quite cute. He smiled and teased, "What's up, little buddy, do you want some?" At the same time, he shook the soy milk in his hand.

The boy seemed to be suppressing himself from talking to a stranger but also appeared a bit shy. However, in the face of delicious food, he still nodded.

"Are you here alone, or are your parents around?" Xiaotian looked around but didn't see any parents nearby, so he asked the boy.

"Dad went to work," the little boy replied honestly, swallowing hard.

"So, are you playing here by yourself?" Xiaotian ruffled his little head.

After dinner, Xiaotian had some free time on his hands.

He didn't have any family to look after him, and he had very few friends, so he didn't know how to spend his evenings.

He had a mobile phone, but it was a cheap, second-hand one he had bought from a flea market. It could make calls and receive them, but when it came to internet use, the data plan was practically non-existent.

He wasn't very skilled at using the internet and was afraid that pressing the wrong buttons might damage the phone he had spent money on.

The little boy's behavior reminded Xiaotian of his own childhood. Back then, he was just like this, with no one to take care of him and nowhere to go. When he saw someone with something delicious, he would envy them and couldn't help but salivate.

"So, would you like me to buy you some soy milk?" Xiaotian immediately felt fond of this little boy who resembled his younger self so much. How could he resist the sight of a child with such a longing expression?

The boy nodded happily, and Xiaotian bought him a bottle of soy milk, along with a handful of candies when he paid.

Seeing the boy happily sipping through a straw, his cheeks puffed up, Xiaotian's mood improved.

"Take your time drinking, and make sure to go back home after you're done. Otherwise, your dad will worry when he comes back from work and can't find you."

"My dad has a woman outside and doesn't care about me," the boy blinked and said.

Xiaotian nearly immediately hugged the boy tightly.

Perhaps they were both people who had fallen on hard times.

After Xiaotian became disabled, his dad stopped taking care of him. His father would get drunk every day, and whenever something didn't go his way, he would beat and scold Xiaotian.

He also stopped paying for Xiaotian's education. Sometimes, he wouldn't even give him a single cent for living expenses. Xiaotian could only work as an odd job laborer in the factory with the guidance of some skilled workers, earning a little money for himself. Later on, he gradually became a full-time employee. In just a few years, his father, drunk, fell into a pond and disappeared.

The loving father from the past had disappeared without a trace as if it had all been a dream.

"Big brother, will I see you again next time?" the boy waved goodbye reluctantly but couldn't help asking.

"Yes, I work nearby," Xiaotian held the boy's soft little hand and said, "Next time, I'll treat you to soy milk again, okay?"

"Wow, big brother, work hard!" The boy was overjoyed and ran off with a big smile, clutching his candies.

Xiaotian, for some reason, found his eyes moist.

They were both of a kind, lacking care and security, craving external support but taking cautious steps.

Living was actually quite tiring.

The next day, it was Xiaotian's turn for the night shift, from 8 p.m. until 8 a.m. the next day, a full 12-hour night shift. During this time, he had to patrol the entire factory area every hour. The security room had a small folding bed for the on-duty security guard to rest.

An experienced colleague, Lao Quan, had secretly taught him a rule: Rules are dead, people need to live. There were no ghosts or shadows at night, and there was no need to patrol so frequently. Just patrol for two hours, then take a break to check the surveillance cameras for any anomalies.

These were tricks of the trade from Lao Quan, who had been a security guard for many years. Naturally, he felt justified in his actions and was adept at slacking off a bit.

However, for Xiaotian, who had just started his job and had a very strong sense of responsibility, he would never do something like that even if someone dared him to.

Moreover, he had just faced the risk of unemployment, so he cherished his job even more now.

Old Quan, seeing Xiaotian's honest look, which showed that he was not willing to engage in any unethical behavior, felt somewhat displeased. "You cripple, you're quite an honest guy."

Xiaotian just smiled and said, "Just doing my job."

Late at night, the bright moon hung high in the sky. The night had a bit of a chill, and Xiaotian had just finished patrolling with a flashlight and returned to the security room. He rubbed his hands to warm them, took a sip of hot tea, and glanced at the clock. It was almost 10:30 p.m.

He limped on one leg, so he walked slower than the average person. It usually took a normal person 15 minutes to complete a lap around the factory area, but he strolled leisurely, taking nearly 30 minutes.

However, it was also because of his strong sense of responsibility that he would take his time to check with a flashlight here and there and make sure that the power switches were properly set. This caused him to spend even more time than necessary.

He opened the folding bed and was about to lie down and rest for a while when he heard a loudspeaker outside the door.

Xiaotian was almost startled out of his skin. Who could it be at this late hour?

He hurriedly got up, put on his shoes, and went to check.

To his surprise, it was the same shiny black 6888 from yesterday!

The headlights illuminated the factory road, making it exceptionally bright in the otherwise dark industrial park.

Xiaotian looked at the driver's seat, and it was the same handsome young man from yesterday.

While he was still in a daze, the loudspeaker sounded again, urging him to open the gate.

Xiaotian came to his senses and quickly took out the electronic key. He took a few steps forward, pressed it to the sensor, and the gate slowly began to rise.

He initially thought the car would drive forward, but it remained motionless, and the car window rolled down.

Li Yicheng's face appeared behind the car window, and he turned to stare directly at the security guard.

Li Yicheng had noticed this person when he was stopped last time. He was short and slender, like a piece of vine. However, he gave Li Yicheng a strange feeling, a feeling of inexplicable closeness.

Li Yicheng thought he might be going crazy. How could he feel such a connection with a complete stranger? Could it be that he had been emotionally deprived for too long, causing some strange illusions?

Everyone thought he had gone to the capital to study and had experienced the typical playboy lifestyle abroad. Little did they know that he had reached this age without ever having had a girlfriend.

In fact, Li Yicheng didn't need a girlfriend because he was gay. He had realized this at a very young age.

You might ask how young he was. It probably started when he met Tiantian. Yes, he liked that kid, the one who used to go treasure hunting with him. He was just too young at the time to realize it. By the time he did, he couldn't find him anymore.

He had never been with other men. For over twenty years, he had remained celibate and chaste. He wasn't willing to settle or experiment. He wouldn't let his primal desires dictate his actions. He believed that love was sacred and beautiful, and sex had to be built on a foundation of love; otherwise, it would be an insult to his own body.

He wanted to reserve his body for the person he loved. Even though the person he loved only existed in his memories so far, he believed that he would find him soon, that he had been waiting for him all this time.

Not all second-generation rich kids were as decadent and playboyish as they were portrayed in TV dramas. In fact, due to their education and upbringing, they often had better character and refinement.

Li Yicheng finally withdrew his gaze.

He had come back to work overtime tonight. He had just taken over the job a few days ago when a major client requested modifications to a contract. So, here he was, working late into the night. At this moment, he shouldn't waste too much time on a security guard.

As for desires and such, he could take care of that himself later tonight.

Xiaotian was starting to feel weak under his intense scrutiny. He was afraid that he had offended this young boss with something that happened yesterday. He had been slow to open the gate, and now this man seemed displeased.

He couldn't afford to lose this job again, Xiaotian thought. So, he decided to be extra courteous and gave a respectful nod, following the advice Old Quan had given him.

The man, whether he saw Xiaotian's silly salute or not in the dim light of night, pressed the accelerator, and the car sped away, leaving Xiaotian behind.

Now Xiaotian couldn't risk lying down again. He looked up at the dark office building. A room on the seventh floor was lit. He was afraid that if he lay down and dozed off, he might neglect to open the gate when the boss left.

But should he go on patrol now? Xiaotian hesitated. What if he's on patrol when the man decides to leave?