Chapter 148: Obsession

The window in the corridor was left open, and the biting cold wind whipped through, stinging the skin like needles.

Xu Zezhan had heard the footsteps following him, but he had no intention of stopping, heading straight back to his room. Looking at the side of his face, which had swollen up, a cold sneer escaped his nostrils.

Gu Bai happened to hear it the moment he walked in. Feeling a pang of guilt, he stood frozen in the doorway, not daring to step further. Since childhood, he had always hung around Xu Zezhan; whenever he got into trouble, Xu Zezhan was the one to take the fall. Even back in high school, when their puppy love was discovered by Elder Gu, it was Xu Zezhan who took the lashes in his stead. For so many years, Gu Bai had occupied the role of the one being cared for, which led him to treat Xu Zezhan’s protection as a matter of course. In his memory, Xu Zezhan had never once lost his temper at him or spoken a harsh word.

The door was ajar, and Gu Bai poked his head in to look for Xu Zezhan. The spacious room appeared empty, and it wasn't until the sound of water came from the bathroom that he slunk inside, closing the door behind him. He walked over to the sofa and sat down, his posture stiff and proper, like an obedient student.

Gu Bai waited for half an hour before Xu Zezhan finally emerged from the bathroom. "Xu..." he stammered.

Xu Zezhan’s gaze lingered on him for only a second before shifting away, treating him as if he didn't exist. This dismissive attitude left the rest of Gu Bai’s words stuck in his throat. Fortunately, having spent so much time with Fu Wenzhou, Gu Bai had developed a hide thicker than a city wall.

He stood up, walked over to Xu Zezhan’s side, and offered a conciliatory smile. "Xu Zezhan, are you still angry?"

Xu Zezhan couldn't even be bothered to look at him this time. He took a medical kit from the cabinet and tore open an iodine pad to treat his own wounds. Seeing this, Gu Bai hurriedly crowded in, snatched the iodine from his hand, and fawned, "Let me, let me."

Xu Zezhan slapped his hand away without mercy. "No need."

Gu Bai’s hand remained suspended in mid-air. He carefully tugged at Xu Zezhan’s bathrobe. "I'm sorry, don't be mad anymore."

Xu Zezhan’s expression froze for a moment. He took a deep breath and said with a sardonic smile, "Is that the only trick you have?"

Gu Bai choked. Seeing that Xu Zezhan was immune to both soft and hard tactics, he grew anxious. "I only punched you because I thought you were giving up on Wenzhou! How was I supposed to know? It’s clearly your fault for not being clear!"

The expression that had just softened on Xu Zezhan’s face turned cold again.

Unfortunately, Gu Bai didn't notice. "If it's really that bad, I'll let you hit me back, alright? Come on, hit me right here! If I let out a single sound, I’m not a Gu!" He thrust his face toward Xu Zezhan, leaning his body in and pointing at his own face, shouting.

Xu Zezhan watched him in silence for two seconds, then a cold smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "If you want to apologize, do it properly. If you don't want to, get out."

Gu Bai: "..."

He felt both angry and anxious. "Then what do you want? I didn't do it on purpose! I’m apologizing to you, isn’t that enough? You were so vicious to me just now, don't you have any fault in this?"

Xu Zezhan was nearly driven to laughter by his audacity—it seemed that getting punched was his own fault now. He darkened his face, intending to kick him out.

Unexpectedly, Gu Bai’s next sentence was filled with grievances: "You called me a 'giant baby.' You’ve never called me that before."

Xu Zezhan: "..."

Gu Bai had large, double-lidded, watery eyes that were incredibly beautiful; when he looked up at someone, it was impossible not to feel a surge of pity. Since childhood, Xu Zezhan had been swayed by those eyes countless times. Whenever Gu Bai used them to act spoiled, he was left helpless. This time was no exception.

Xu Zezhan sighed. "Fine, it’s my fault. I apologize."

When Gu Bai heard him actually apologize, he felt embarrassed and gave a sheepish laugh. "No, no, I apologize to you. Please don't be angry. I was just impulsive earlier; I really felt terrible not being able to find Wenzhou for so many days."

"Mm." Xu Zezhan turned to take clothes from the cabinet, shedding his bathrobe to change.

Gu Bai said again, "Let me go with you tomorrow. We can look out for each other."

Xu Zezhan replied, "Don't come along and make things more complicated."

Gu Bai frowned. "How am I making things complicated? It’s so dangerous for you to go in alone. What if you... what if you end up like Wenzhou, and we can't find you either?"

Xu Zezhan paused in his dressing. He turned slowly and scoffed, "And here I thought you only had eyes for Fu Wenzhou."

Gu Bai said with displeasure, "What kind of talk is that? Why are you comparing yourself to Wenzhou for no reason? The three of us grew up together; everyone is important to me."

Xu Zezhan stared at him for a while before speaking: "Stay behind and keep Song Qingyou company. Can't you see that her emotional state hasn't been right? Keep an eye on her and make sure nothing else happens to her."

Although Gu Bai was thick-skinned and oblivious, he had sensed that Song Qingyou’s condition had been off lately. She was like a puppet—eating at set times, sleeping at set times, and remaining silent the rest of the day. Sometimes, Gu Bai would call her name several times, and she wouldn't react.

At this thought, Gu Bai said, "Fine. You be careful, and if there’s any danger, don't force your way in."

Xu Zezhan gave a hum. "I’m not as stupid as Fu Wenzhou."

Gu Bai was silent for a moment before saying, "He’s not stupid; he’s just stubborn. Forcing him to admit that Yun Fang is already dead means admitting that Song Qingyou’s illness is hopeless. Even if he dies in that forest, he will never accept that reality."

Xu Zezhan said nothing.

Fu Wenzhou had been obsessed with that frail, sickly youngest daughter of the Song family since he was just a child. After returning from the Song residence with Elder Fu, he would constantly ramble about Song Qingyou, saying that the Song family had a sister who was very cute but always being bullied, and that he had to become strong so he could protect her in the future.

Back then, Fu Wenzhou didn't even know that Song Qingyou was older than him.

Later, the ten-year-old Fu Wenzhou stayed at the Song residence for a while, and from then on, the name "Song Qingyou" was almost always on his lips. Every day, the things Xu Zezhan and Gu Bai heard him say the most were:

"Song Qingyou helped me with my homework today; her hands are so beautiful."

"Song Qingyou said she doesn't like candy, but she’s lying. Her eyes always curve into crescent moons when she eats sweets."

"Song Qingyou scolded me today because I didn't finish my homework, but even the way she scolds is beautiful."

"Xu Zezhan, Gu Bai, I’m done for. I love Song Qingyou so much, I love her to death."

"Song Qingyou has it so hard. I want to marry her, I must marry her. I will give her everything best in the world. But wait, the best thing in the world is me, and she already has me—she must be so happy."

Back then, Xu Zezhan and Gu Bai had heard the name "Song Qingyou" so many times their ears had calloused. Yet, Fu Wenzhou never tired of it; even when Song Qingyou scolded him, he accepted it with joy.

Gu Bai would mock him for having no backbone, but Fu Wenzhou would just grin and say they didn't understand.

It wasn't until later, when Elder Fu tried to force him into the military, that he refused and was nearly beaten until his leg was broken. He snuck out of the hospital to find Song Qingyou, only to see her standing under a plane tree with his uncle.

What happened under that tree, Xu Zezhan never found out, because Fu Wenzhou refused to say. He only knew that after Fu Wenzhou returned, he was like a lost soul. He was utterly devastated, and when Elder Fu sent him abroad in a fit of rage, he didn't even resist.

Then came the news of the engagement between Song Qingyou and Fu Tingshen. Fu Wenzhou flew back overnight, ran to Song Qingyou, and knelt to beg her not to marry. It was pouring rain that night.

Xu Zezhan still remembered the wretched state of Fu Wenzhou that night. He knelt in the rain, clutching an umbrella Song Qingyou had tossed him. He hadn't cried when Elder Fu beat him, and he hadn't cried when he was beaten half to death in illegal fights abroad—yet he cried for a woman.

They had all felt that Song Qingyou was ruining Fu Wenzhou, which was why they had always been prejudiced against her. In truth, how can an outsider ever see clearly into matters of the heart?

Song Qingyou had been Fu Wenzhou’s obsession since his earliest memories. If Song Qingyou were to die, Fu Wenzhou would not survive.

Xu Zezhan sighed. "I wonder what his situation is like in the Mist Forest."