Chapter 8
Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW
Liu Cheng knew that what he was doing was wrong, but simply recognizing it didn’t stop him. Self-awareness is often the least convincing thing in the world.
“This is all my fault,” he said. “Xiao Chen, I shouldn’t have gotten so angry just because you forgot our anniversary. I’m sorry. I just felt like you didn’t care about our relationship, and I wasn’t trying to push you away on purpose—I was just throwing a tantrum. I never thought you’d get hurt…”
Liu Cheng gazed at Sun Chen with an expression full of guilt—his most genuine emotion. He truly felt sorry, but if this was the only way to stay close to Sun Chen, how could he let that chance slip away?
The doctor confirmed that it was unlikely Sun Chen would regain his memory in the short term. With Liu Cheng being the only person Sun Chen could rely on to learn about his situation, it didn’t take Liu Cheng more than a second to concoct a story.
“…Actually, when you were being robbed, you should have just run away—but this is all my fault! If I hadn’t kicked you out, you wouldn’t have been dragging a suitcase around and run into that robber… I’m so sorry, Xiao Chen…” He repeated “sorry” over and over, both intentionally and unintentionally.
“So, our relationship…” Sun Chen tried to piece together the information Liu Cheng was deliberately feeding him, but the conclusion he reached only made him more confused.
Liu Cheng quickly reassured him, “We’re still lovers. We didn’t break up!”
Sun Chen stared at Liu Cheng for a moment, still unsure. “I’m sorry, but I don’t quite remember your name?”
“I’m Liu Cheng. ‘Liu’ as in willow, and ‘Cheng’ as in city,” Liu Cheng said with a smile. “Our names both have the ‘Chen’ sound.”
“‘Cheng’ has a nasal sound at the end. We’re not the same,” Sun Chen pointed out seriously, with no hint of humor. His words were always logical and devoid of emotion.
But for some reason, Liu Cheng found this more amusing than any joke. “It doesn’t matter if we’re different; being together makes everything right.”
This comment caused Sun Chen’s expression to stiffen slightly. Then, he cautiously studied Liu Cheng before asking, “But I don’t remember anything.” His words carried a hint of rejection.
Liu Cheng didn’t give him the chance to object further. “We used to live together, and you don’t have any other place to stay. Yesterday, you left with your luggage, but you hadn’t found a hotel yet, so everything was stolen, and you got hurt. I understand that you feel like you don’t know me right now and don’t want to be too close, but, Xiao Chen, I promise I won’t do anything to make you uncomfortable. At the very least, please let me take care of you! Trust me! I just want to make sure you’re safe!”
With this, Liu Cheng cut off all of Sun Chen’s potential escape routes. Sun Chen lowered his head, sitting at the edge of the bed, looking hesitant and lost.
Liu Cheng leaned forward and took Sun Chen’s hands in his. “Xiao Chen, it doesn’t matter if you’ve forgotten me or if you don’t trust me. I’ll make sure you get to know me again. Give me a chance to become the person you trust the most.”
For a moment, Liu Cheng almost believed his own words. It took him a while to remember that everything he was facing now was built on a foundation of lies.
Sun Chen stared into Liu Cheng’s eyes, cautiously confirming, “Even if I don’t fulfill the duties of a lover, it’s okay?”
“You don’t have to fulfill any duties. Just think of it as me courting you all over again!” As Liu Cheng heard himself speak, he felt an inexplicable warmth spreading through his body, as if he were both excited and eager.
Sun Chen remained relatively calm and asked further, “So, we won’t have any sexual relations until I’m ready?”
Even though Liu Cheng knew how blunt Sun Chen could be, he was still left speechless for a while.
Sun Chen interpreted Liu Cheng’s reaction as reluctance and explained, “I’m sorry. I don’t even remember if I like men, so I’m still trying to understand and accept this. Plus, I don’t seem to remember anything about the technical aspects of same-sex relationships.”
“…It’s fine…” Liu Cheng finally found his voice, though it sounded a bit strange. “I’ll be very patient. I’m not in a rush. You know, I’ve already waited thirty years for you.”
Finally, Sun Chen stopped pressing. He seemed satisfied with Liu Cheng’s answer, and for the first time, Liu Cheng saw him smile. The person who was so good at maintaining a cold expression had eyes that curved softly when he smiled, radiating a warmth that was difficult to describe.
Since Sun Chen’s injuries weren’t severe, and there was no immediate treatment for his memory loss, the doctor soon discharged him. Liu Cheng, who had been by his side the whole time, drove him back to his apartment.
They stopped at a supermarket on the way to pick up some essentials. Liu Cheng had to explain that, in his anger, he had thrown away things like Sun Chen’s toothbrush. Sun Chen didn’t pay much attention to the explanation; instead, he focused on choosing toothpaste.
To Liu Cheng’s surprise, the Oxford-educated scholar seemed to have a hard time making decisions. After much hesitation in front of the shelves, Sun Chen finally asked Liu Cheng what flavor he preferred. Liu Cheng picked out a matcha-flavored toothpaste for him and also chose several sets of pajamas. Sun Chen was picky about a pair of light blue patterned pajamas, but Liu Cheng resolved the issue by saying, “You look good in anything.”
When they arrived at Liu Cheng’s apartment, the host personally prepared the guest room. “I know you probably don’t want to sleep in my bed right now, but don’t worry—I can handle being lonely,” Liu Cheng jokes, feeling light-hearted at the thought of them living under the same roof.
Sun Chen nodded in agreement. “If it comes to that, you can always handle it yourself.”
Liu Cheng nearly tripped over his own feet. Carefully setting the bedding on the bed, he suggested, “Maybe we should air out the bedding?”
He had never aired out bedding before, but suddenly, everything seemed interesting.
Unfortunately, Sun Chen had a different view. “These blankets seem to have been aired out recently.”
Liu Cheng raised an eyebrow in surprise. “This apartment is regularly cleaned by staff, but I didn’t expect them to be so diligent that they’d air out the unused bedding.”
“Maybe they were worried we’d sleep in separate rooms,” Sun Chen casually speculated.
Liu Cheng chuckled bitterly. “Don’t say that. We have a good relationship.”
Sun Chen wasn’t convinced. “You kicked me out just yesterday.”
Liu Cheng began to regret the story he’d made up. Why couldn’t he have cast himself as the tragic heroine? Even if he couldn’t gain sympathy, at least Sun Chen wouldn’t keep bringing it up to blame him.
“Didn’t I bring you back within 24 hours?” Liu Cheng quickly helped make the bed, fluffing the pillows vigorously, hoping to change the subject. “You’ve never slept in this bed before, so if it’s uncomfortable, I can switch rooms with you.”
“This room is fine,” Sun Chen replied, seriously inspecting the room. “It has a door, windows, and even a TV.”
Liu Cheng was left speechless. He couldn’t figure out where Sun Chen had gotten his criteria for judging a room. “I hope you don’t get too attached to this room. After all, I’m hoping you’ll be back in ‘our’ bedroom soon.”
Sun Chen seemed to have remembered something and turned to Liu Cheng. “So, do you have any ‘educational videos’ here? I’d like to study in my free time.”
Liu Cheng’s eyes widened. He could swear that even before losing his memory, Sun Chen, while logical, wasn’t nearly as “innocent” as he seemed now.
“…I’ll get you a laptop… You can buy whatever you want online.” It took him a while to respond.
Sun Chen narrowed his eyes slightly, contemplating before changing the subject. “So, do I have a job? Why are you the one paying for everything?”
You just lost your job because of me—Liu Cheng obviously couldn’t say that.
“As long as I’m working, you don’t have to worry about anything.”
Sun Chen processed this information. “So, you’re supporting me?”
“…Our relationship isn’t that shallow.”
“It’s okay,” Sun Chen said, probably noticing Liu Cheng’s tense expression. “Don’t worry; I can handle the truth. Life is harsh.”
“Reality isn’t that harsh…”—but you certainly have a sharp tongue! Liu Cheng could only laugh at how Sun Chen’s bluntness cut through everything. “I doubt we’ll be able to recover your clothes, but you’re not much shorter than me. My clothes should fit you for now, so let’s make do. Tomorrow, we’ll go shopping for new clothes.”
“Tomorrow is Friday. Don’t you have work?”
“I have people working for me. Whether I go to the office or not doesn’t make a difference.”
“If it doesn’t matter, then it seems your work skills aren’t very useful.”
“…Can we maybe say fewer blunt things and stick to less direct topics?”
“We can.” Sun Chen nodded in agreement. Though he had likely slept a lot in the hospital, he seemed tired again. “It’s late. We should rest.”
Liu Cheng instinctively glanced at his watch. “It’s only 9 p.m. It’s not that late.”
“You just told me not to be so blunt, and now look who’s being direct?”
Liu Cheng realized that even with amnesia, he was no match for Sun Chen. Raising his hands in mock surrender, he acknowledged defeat. “Fine, I won’t bother you anymore. I’ll leave.” But he couldn’t resist staying a bit longer. “How long do you think it’ll take for you to let me stay here again?”
“We can create a schedule tomorrow, and then we’ll know.”
“Can I at least get a goodnight kiss tonight?” Liu Cheng asked, thick-skinned, not really expecting success but enjoying the banter. However, to his surprise, Sun Chen actually considered the question seriously. After a moment, Sun Chen slowly approached him.
Suddenly, Liu Cheng’s heart began to race. It was ridiculous—he wasn’t some innocent boy, far from it. In fact, he was well-versed in such things, but for some reason, everything felt like a first with Sun Chen. The man who had asked for a goodnight kiss stood there, staring dumbfounded at the other person approaching him, feeling like a bashful teenager.
A few minutes passed with the two standing face to face, inches apart. Finally—
“On second thought,” Sun Chen said, “I don’t think we’re close enough for that.”
“…You’re actually messing with me, aren’t you?!” Liu Cheng was both exasperated and amused.
Sun Chen shook his head seriously. “I’m not messing with you. I just really couldn’t bring myself to do it.”