Chapter 37: I Am Jealous

So they are brothers, though they do not look the least bit alike. This thought flashed through Chen Yuning's mind, but she did not pay much attention to it.

The surrounding atmosphere was somewhat strange. Qu Zizhi seemed not to notice, shifting his gaze to Yan Zhuo with an expression of surprise that was more pronounced than before. "Yan Zhuo? You are Yan Zhuo, aren't you?"

"You haven't changed a bit." He stepped forward a few paces and raised his hand, as if intending to touch Yan Zhuo.

"Get lost." The extended hand was slapped away mid-air, Yan Zhuo’s expression one of undisguised disgust.

Qu Zizhi hissed, his brows knitting together in pain, yet he did not get angry; a smile still lingered on the corners of his lips. "Ten years without seeing each other, and this is the welcome gift you give me? That’s not very friendly."

His tone was overly familiar. "When did you two meet? Older brother must have caused you a lot of trouble, after all, with his legs..."

"Xiao Zhi." Someone approached from ahead, interrupting his words.

Qu Zizhi paused, his expression unchanged as he called out, "Brother Yu, come quickly. Look who I’ve run into."

Rong Yu walked over carrying an ugly parcel. He moved deliberately slowly, but his limping gait remained obvious, revealing a vulnerability that could not be hidden.

Qu Yan rested his chin on his hand, noticing that the glasses on Rong Yu’s nose were crooked, the broken temple held together by tape. It was very crude—something the old Rong Yu would have absolutely refused to tolerate.

People change at every moment, especially when facing death.

Rong Yu looked at Qu Yan with a complicated expression, hiding the parcel in his hand behind his back. Realizing this action, his expression darkened further. Speaking became a difficult task; he remained silent for a long time, only calling out Qu Yan’s name.

This was to be expected. Qu Yan recalled the last time he had been in contact with Rong Yu, back at the apartment, when Rong Yu had said to him over the phone: "Qu Yan, why don't you just die?"

In a corner where no one was watching, Yan Zhuo’s hands, gripping the wheelchair, tightened and then slowly relaxed.

Entanglement was meaningless. Qu Yan felt a bit nauseous and said in a cool tone, "Aren't you supposed to be in a meeting? You're going to be late."

Chen Yuning jolted as if waking from a dream. "Oh, right! I almost forgot."

Qu Zizhi stepped aside politely, smiling. "I’ll come visit you when I have time, brother."

Chen Yuning could not tell whether their relationship was good or bad. Her soul of gossip burned fiercely, but in the end, she wisely chose not to interfere in other people's family affairs and followed behind them.

Back where they had been standing, the smile on Qu Zizhi’s face vanished. Rong Yu looked worried. "Xiao Zhi, you..."

Qu Zizhi looked ahead, his voice very soft. "My brother and I have some misunderstandings. I will explain things to him properly."

Rong Yu stopped trying to persuade him, only reaching out to smooth his hair. "Don't make me worry."

"Mm." Qu Zizhi turned away, a flicker of fleeting disgust appearing in his eyes.

The community property office had been converted into a meeting room. The door was half-open, and a dying pothos plant sat by the entrance. The sound of conversation drifted out intermittently, but Yan Zhuo was in no rush to enter.

"Ignore them." Qu Yan guessed what he was about to say. "They are nothing but clowns." Whether it was Qu Zizhi or Rong Yu, they were no longer worth him spending even a shred of thought on.

His tone allowed for no objection, and Yan Zhuo nodded.

Watching Yan Zhuo enter, Chen Yuning naturally reached out to help push Qu Yan’s wheelchair.

Qu Yan stopped her movement, saying politely, "Thank you, I can manage."

Chen Yuning silently withdrew her hand and walked ahead to lead the way.

When Qu Yan arrived, Wen Xi was pulling the blinds. With a *swish*, the sunlight spilled in. Wen Xi stood sideways, his features blurred in the light. He was hooking something with his fingertips, the reflection catching the light, somewhat blinding.

Chen Yuning closed the door thoughtfully from the outside. Only then did Qu Yan speak: "What do you want with me?"

He asked straight to the point, and Wen Xi did not delay. He tossed the object in his hand toward him. "For you."

With a clatter, the object fell into Qu Yan’s lap, heavy.

It was a pair of silver-white handcuffs.

Qu Yan did not touch them. "What is the meaning of this?"

"To save you from too much trouble." Wen Xi poured a cup of tea for Qu Yan and sat opposite him. "Next time Yan Zhuo loses control, just cuff him."

"Just for this?" Qu Yan weighed them; they were much heavier than they looked.

Wen Xi hummed. "I’ve tested them. They are very sturdy; even for Yan Zhuo, they would be hard to break free from."

These were handcuffs meant for criminals, not designed with the user's comfort in mind. The inner rim felt abrasive to the touch. Qu Yan pressed his fingertip hard against it, and a mark quickly appeared.

He did not intend to accept these handcuffs. "No need."

"Why not? Perhaps next time Yan Zhuo’s loss of control will be even worse." Wen Xi was stating a fact; this was something no one could predict.

Qu Yan was currently the only person who could hold Yan Zhuo back. For both public and private reasons, Wen Xi did not want him to get hurt, especially not because of Yan Zhuo.

"It would hurt, wouldn't it?" Qu Yan opened both hands and pulled at the cuffs. "When struggling with force like that, it would dig into the flesh."

Wen Xi looked astonished, asking with difficulty, "Are you... serious?"

Qu Yan shook his head and did not answer.

In a sense, he was a perfectionist. Yan Zhuo belonged to him; it stood to reason that every inch of skin, flesh, and bone on Yan Zhuo should remain perfect.

"Suit yourself." Wen Xi finally shrugged. "I had intended to bring them to you directly, but there have been too many things lately; I kept getting busy and forgetting."

"Is there anything else?" Qu Yan did not think his relationship with Wen Xi had reached the point of idle chatter.

Wen Xi composed his expression and leaned back. "Yan Zhuo is a human."

Qu Yan raised an eyebrow. "And?"

"Don't treat him like a monster. He only became this way because of certain reasons."

Qu Yan voiced his guess: "Is it Yan Hangzhang?"

Wen Xi raised his eyebrows in surprise and did not deny it. "In any case, Yan Zhuo is human. That is all you need to know."

The tea leaves sank to the bottom of the cup, and the room was filled with the lingering aroma of tea. Wen Xi’s smile did not reach his eyes. "Those are very painful memories for Yan Zhuo. He likely won't tell you; one always wants to keep a shred of dignity in front of the person they like."

His voice lowered, and Qu Yan had to strain to hear him clearly.

These words sounded understated, yet he suddenly recalled the scene on the second floor of Yan Hangzhang’s villa. Had those strange instruments been used on Yan Zhuo? Or even, had Yan Zhuo lain on that central operating table, his limbs bound, without even the ability to resist?

Imagination provided the imagery. Qu Yan’s expression darkened. He did not know if this anger stemmed from his own possession being touched by others, or something else.

The meeting did not end early. When Yan Zhuo came out, Qu Yan was already waiting for him outside the door.

"Qin Ji asked me to lead a team to clear the West District tomorrow, and there is night duty. It’s on a three-day rotation, and tonight is my turn." Yan Zhuo recounted the details of the meeting meticulously. "The new regulations start next week. Whether they are ability-users or ordinary people, everyone must complete a certain amount of tasks each month to obtain daily necessities."

"Then you’ll have a hard time." Qu Yan was still thinking about Wen Xi’s words. He did not really understand Wen Xi’s intent in telling him these things, but there should have been no malice.

He was somewhat perfunctory. Yan Zhuo’s expression grew dull, and he kicked a stone by the roadside.

Halfway home, Qu Yan recovered from his thoughts and only then noticed something wrong with Yan Zhuo.

"What do you want to say?"

The foot Yan Zhuo had just raised instantly withdrew. He nudged the surviving stone with the tip of his shoe; he was hesitating.

Yan Zhuo was always hesitating. What made him hesitate were always things that were difficult to voice—such as admitting he spied on Qu Yan, stole Qu Yan’s personal belongings, or begged for kisses and caresses.

Qu Yan felt that he was about to hear something interesting again.

Yan Zhuo lowered his head in self-abandonment. "Because of Rong Yu."

Rong Yu? Qu Yan couldn't quite grasp it for a moment. "What does he have to do with anything?"

"I am very jealous." Yan Zhuo said after a few seconds of silence. "Every moment, whenever I look at you, he is always by your side."

They were best friends; they sat side-by-side in class and arranged to meet at the library on weekends. Clearly, Qu Yan disliked the touch of others, yet he would never refuse Rong Yu’s hugs.

Rong Yu had easily occupied the most important position beside Qu Yan—the position Yan Zhuo coveted immensely, the one he had fantasized about in his dreams countless times.

He lowered his eyelashes, his brow hidden in the shadow cast by his bangs, revealing a touch of gloom. "A-Yan, I am jealous to the point of madness."