"Don't go…"
It was Jie's voice, murmured right by his ear.
Di froze, forgetting to breathe.
But before he could even react, another name slipped out from the same lips—
"Lan…"
Like a pebble dropped into still water, the sound rippled through him—quiet, but utterly shattering.
Strangely, Di wasn't surprised.
Or rather, he had already seen it coming.
Ever since that confession, ever since that almost-embrace at sunset, he had known—deep down—that in this three-person journey, not all feelings would be treated equally.
Jie's embrace remained tight around him, his body still radiating heat. But to Di, that warmth suddenly carried a biting chill—like sea wind sneaking through a collar in the middle of summer, sending a cold shiver down his spine.
He closed his eyes. Didn't struggle anymore.
Just let himself be held in Jie's "cold" embrace, sinking deeper and deeper into sleep.
Even as their bodies remained locked together—Jie's muscular arm looped across his chest, their legs faintly tangled beneath the sheets—Di felt more distant than ever.
—
In the morning, sunlight spilled through the curtain's gap, casting dappled shadows across the floor.
Jie sat up groggily, rubbing his eyes. The first thing he saw was Di standing in the corner of the room, gulping down a bottle of water like he hadn't had a drop in days.
"Hey, why are you up so early?" he asked.
Di set down the empty bottle. His voice was hoarse. "Throat's sore. Might've caught a chill from the AC last night… or something."
He didn't look at Jie. Just turned around, already searching for another bottle.
Jie scratched his head, clearly having no memory of what happened the night before.
But then, his gaze happened to drift across Di's arm—and paused.
There, faintly visible in the morning light, were several reddish marks—like the kind left behind by an embrace that had been held a little too tightly for a little too long.
Jie said nothing.
Just looked away, head dipping slightly in thought.