A wounded beast might retreat to a cave, licking its wounds and enduring in solitude. But once offered warmth and care, it crumbles, yearning for more. A hardened shell, once shed, is incredibly difficult to reconstruct alone.

Lu Heng tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. The day's events still made his heart pound and his face flush. He couldn't tell if it was the humiliation of crying in front of another man, or the dependence that arose from exposing his vulnerability to Jian Ming. But undeniably, the moment he heard Jian Ming call himself a "friend," Lu Heng's composure shattered.

From the first glance, Lu Heng knew Jian Ming existed in a completely different world. Everything about him seemed so distant, so unattainable. Such a person, let alone a friend, had never appeared in Lu Heng's life before; Jian Ming's sense of distance felt innate.

He had always thought his relationship with Jian Ming would be limited to doctor and patient. Even with that simple dynamic, he instinctively wanted to avoid it at first. They hadn't known each other long, but Lu Heng subtly felt a powerful force drawing him to Jian Ming – a confidence more resolute than his own. The nightmare that had plagued him for three years seemed, in Jian Ming's eyes, like something that could be swept away in an instant.

To befriend such a person, Lu Heng found himself powerless to resist, nor did he want to.

Closing his eyes, Lu Heng repeatedly told himself in the darkness, Trust Jian Ming, trust him, he can save you... Gradually, sleep overtook him. This night was peaceful; he hadn't taken medicine, and the nightmare didn't come to torment him.

On a Sunday night, the streets were as bustling as ever. People gathering and playing showed no signs of slowing down just because it was Monday tomorrow. Along the vibrant roads, rows of colorful neon lights traced beautiful streaks of light as Jian Ming's car moved forward.

He was on his way to what Wei Dong called a welcome dinner. When they spoke on the phone that afternoon, Wei Dong had thoughtfully invited a few old classmates, also from their high school basketball team, saying a larger group would prevent awkward silences. Jian Ming didn't really mind; Wei Dong always arranged these gatherings, and he simply participated.

Traffic was a bit heavy. Jian Ming turned on his car's Bluetooth, connected his phone, and with a gentle swipe, a song slowly began to play in the car...

Through the shadows of the old high rise

Cross the footnotes of self sacrifice

Some place somewhere there are bluer skies

My lover lies under

Pass the battle hymns of late night bars

Through the endless lines of motor cars

There's a quiet night of quiet stars

My lover lies under

I do believe I've lost my faith in Hollywood

Those dreams upon the screen aint for the likes of us

But I swear somewhere there is a heart that I could love

But sometimes I wonder

Passing the warring tongues and prying eyes

Through the subways and the city lights

Some place somewhere there are bluer skies

My lover lies under

“Some place somewhere there are bluer skies, My lover lies under…” Jian Ming hummed along, but a quote from Freud suddenly appeared in his mind: "When a person is in insurmountable and unavoidable pain, they will fall in love with this pain and regard it as happiness."

His thin lips curved into a slight arc, a smile that wasn't quite a smile.

He was the last to push open the private room door upon arriving at Caesar's Palace Club. All the invited old classmates were already seated, which made Jian Ming feel a bit awkward. As he entered, he apologized, "Sorry, traffic was bad on the way. Kept you all waiting."

Wei Dong was sitting near the outer door. Seeing Jian Ming enter, he stood up and pulled him to his side. "It's fine, the timing's perfect, you're not late at all. We were just eager to see you, so we all left early, right, everyone?" He laughed, looking to the other classmates for affirmation.

About six or seven people had come. Jian Ming only clearly remembered Wei Lan, who played forward on the basketball team back then, and Zhu Yan-jun, the guard. The other faces didn't quite match his remaining memories, and he couldn't quite recall all their names. He smiled somewhat sheepishly, thinking, When in Rome, do as the Romans do, and play it by ear. With Wei Dong beside him, he felt much more at ease.

After a round of greetings, the atmosphere at the table began to heat up. Everyone raised their glasses, mostly flattering Jian Ming, the博士 (doctorate holder) who studied abroad, with playful banter. They occasionally reminisced and sighed about their youthful high school years. After two rounds of drinks, everyone's faces were flushed, and their conversations grew increasingly unrestrained.

"Hey, big shot doctor, what do you overseas returnees think, huh? Isn't life abroad pretty sweet? Why come back to our little corner of a city? Can't figure it out, haha..." The speaker was a slightly overweight man with glasses, a seemingly high-quality fake Versace patterned shirt stretched over his bulging beer belly. Everyone seemed to call him Hu Zi (Tiger).

Jian Ming wasn't quite used to such blatant teasing and sneering, and for a moment, he couldn't respond. His lips twisted unnaturally, still trying to formulate his words, when he heard an unfamiliar voice. "I say, Hu Zi, you probably haven't even been out of our little corner of a city, have you? Get some culture, alright? What era are we in now, still thinking the moon abroad is bigger and rounder? Told you to play less mahjong and read more current events. Foreigners are flocking to our country. If you don't understand, don't talk, you're really showing your ignorance." The speaker hadn't said much since the dinner started, quite unremarkable. Jian Ming couldn't recall his name but still gave him a grateful smile for rescuing him.

The man smiled and nodded back at him, his eyes never leaving Jian Ming's face, a dark, ambiguous current flowing within them. This made Jian Ming feel a prickle of unease deep down.

Hu Zi was cut off and felt disgruntled, his eloquence still lacking. He could only put on a facade of complaining and arguing. "As if you, Tong Xiaofan, go abroad often, you..." He grumbled, looking thoroughly annoyed. Everyone, fearing an unpleasant scene, started chiming in to smooth things over. The atmosphere became boisterous, and Jian Ming's ears began to buzz. Having already drunk a few glasses of wine, he was now feeling dizzy. He massaged his temples, wanting to go to the restroom to splash some water on his face and clear his head.

He quietly excused himself to Wei Dong and left the room. Turning right not far, he pushed open a grand, reddish-brown wooden carved door. This club was extravagantly decorated, and even the restrooms were designed to a high standard. If not for the sign on the door, it would be difficult to identify it just by its elaborately carved facade.

After using the urinal, he walked to the sink and rinsed his hands. He turned the water flow to maximum, bent down, and splashed water on his face. The cool water instantly made him feel much refreshed. Suddenly, he became aware that someone seemed to be standing behind him. Jian Ming immediately straightened up and looked in the mirror to see it was Tong Xiaofan, the old classmate who had helped him earlier.

"Are you... using the facilities?" Clearly not. Seeing Tong Xiaofan leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets, staring at him with a fascinated, lingering expression, Jian Ming keenly sensed impure intentions.

At that moment, no one else was in the restroom. The two, enveloped in an unsettling atmosphere, seemed poised for a scene of simmering passion. Tong Xiaofan approached step by step, embracing Jian Ming from behind, his hands sliding through Jian Ming's arms, palms repeatedly caressing Jian Ming's chest in a teasing manner. "I liked you in high school, Jian Ming, but by the time I realized we were the same kind of people, you were already about to go abroad. I thought we'd never see each other again." He leaned against Jian Ming's shoulder, close enough for his breath to stir the hair near Jian Ming's ear. His whispered words carried a hint of nervousness, but more prominently, intense excitement and fervor.

Jian Ming was currently wearing only a very close-fitting thin knit shirt. The warmth of the hands on his chest slowly burned away his rationality. Having been untouched for so long, his breathing grew heavy with this sudden intimate contact. The man behind him was almost a stranger, yet the mere fact that he was a man was enough to stir the long-abstinent Jian Ming's desires. Just as hormones threatened to take over his body, Jian Ming saw in the mirror that the person pressed tightly behind him had damnably transformed into a blurry, intoxicated Lu Heng.

He panicked. His rationality instantly reasserted itself, and with a reflexive pull, he moved away from the sink, creating distance between himself and Tong Xiaofan.

"Jian Ming, you..." Tong Xiaofan was no fool; he clearly felt Jian Ming's reaction. Everything had been going smoothly, but this sudden derailment greatly disheartened him.

Jian Ming calmly adjusted his clothes, suppressing his flustered expression, and looked at Tong Xiaofan. "I think you're mistaken. We're not the same kind of people." The words were exceptionally calm and cold.

"Haha, how could that be? You might have forgotten we went to the same university. What happened between you and Leng Feng back then, even if others didn't know, I was perfectly clear about it. Do you think my conditions are inferior? That I'm not good enough for you?" Tong Xiaofan instinctively glanced in the mirror. He was confident in himself; although not as exceptionally handsome as Jian Ming, his elegant and dashing appearance would not lose to anyone in any setting. Moreover, he had a prominent family background that most people lacked. He had genuinely believed he wouldn't be rejected.

"Jian Ming, if it weren't for hearing this was your welcome party today, I wouldn't have come." He said, a hint of resentment in his voice.

"Oh... is that so? I'm truly sorry. I never knew you went to the same university as me, because just now, I only learned your name was Tong Xiaofan from Hu Zi. I apologize. If you know Leng Feng, you should be even clearer that you are not the type I like. That's what I meant when I first spoke; perhaps it was a bit subtle, and you didn't understand." Jian Ming brushed his damp sideburns, responding to Tong Xiaofan calmly and collectedly. He hadn't wanted to be so direct, but it seemed this man wasn't adept at picking up on gentle hints.

"You..."

Jian Ming feigned pulling out his phone, as if to make a call. "I won't disturb your convenience. I'll head out first." With that, he walked towards the door. As he turned the doorknob, he realized the guy had locked it from inside. He let out a knowing cold laugh, leaving Tong Xiaofan with an overbearing retreating figure.

Back in the private room, Jian Ming's mind kept replaying the absurd scene from earlier – Lu Heng's face, suddenly appearing before his eyes. The subconscious mind was truly terrifying. He suddenly realized that Lu Heng was slowly encroaching on his fortress, this private territory he had meticulously built and carefully maintained. He felt a sense of unease, beginning to question whether the risky decision he had made earlier was right or wrong.

Wei Dong noticed Jian Ming, who had been sitting in a daze since returning, and nudged him with an elbow. "What's wrong? Something on your mind?"

Jian Ming snapped out of it. "Nothing, just drank too fast, feeling a bit dizzy." He pointed to the liquor in front of him.

Just as he was about to gather his spirits and chat with his old classmates, his phone rang on the table.

"Eating?" It was Jiang Luchuan.

"Yes, a class reunion." Jian Ming stood up and moved away from the noisy environment.

"Oh, good, relax. My flight is tomorrow morning, so you don't need to see me off. Aren't you going to Jian Qi's place? I've already arranged a car." Jiang Luchuan stated the main points succinctly, then added, "Oh, and the new apartment from your parents' old house demolition is ready. The paperwork is on the table. See when you have time to pick up the keys. I'm going to sleep now; I won't wait for you. It's an early start tomorrow."

"Okay, Dad, have a safe trip." Jian Ming felt it must be Jiang Luchuan's influence; his own way of speaking had also become simple and direct, without any extra words.

He hung up and checked his phone, finding a text message that had come in shortly before.

"Didn't take medicine last night, slept very well. Thank you."

Lu Heng.