ITOTIABSAM | Infinite Flow | 178
A missing button?
Considering the fabric and the comfortable fit, the shirt Gu Cong lent to Xie Ye was indeed a casual style. It was missing the top button, causing the collar to form a slight V-shape. However, even if it was slightly oversized, it was by no means revealing for a male or even a female.
Recalling the past couple of days they spent together, Xie Ye always kept himself tightly wrapped up. Gu Cong, who always respected others' privacy, unexpectedly felt a surge of curiosity. He had originally intended to offer to switch shirts, but the words took a turn at the last moment. "This shirt is the only one left. What about the other T-shirt?"
Xie Ye immediately shook his head.
What if it had a round collar? That would be even more troublesome. At least this shirt could still stand upright.
Closing the door again and retreating back to the bathroom, Xie Ye, illuminated by the moonlight streaming through the vent, faced the mirror above the sink and whispered, "Shirt."
The one Dis was wearing looked good.
Since he could transform sugar, umbrellas, and rabbits, transforming a piece of clothing should be simple. However, the magician, who was expected to perform well by Xie Ye, clearly lacked the courage to explore this territory. Xie Ye patiently waited for a while, but the bathroom remained empty.
Several minutes later...
Gu Cong, leaning against the headboard and resting, suddenly caught a glimpse of a dark shadow. Like a little cannonball, barefoot and with rapid speed, it swiftly dove into the blanket, bringing with it a chilling sensation. "I'm sleepy."
"Goodnight."
The single bed had limited space, and inevitably, they were pressed together. Even through their pants, Gu Cong could feel Xie Ye's icy feet against his shins.
On the pillow closer to the bathroom, only a mass of soft, fine hair was visible. Gu Cong found it amusing but also feared that he might smother Xie Ye, so he gently lifted the corner of the blanket.
At first, Xie Ye inside seemed to be engaged in a tug-of-war with him in the darkness, but then, as if suddenly remembering something, he quickly eased off his grip. "Your arm..."
Caught off guard by a pair of worried phoenix eyes, Gu Cong couldn't help but smile.
He rarely laughed like this, especially after each baptism of the quick-dressing tasks, being able to see in the darkness as usual. Xie Ye was momentarily captivated by the curve of the man's lips, fluttering his eyelashes in fascination, completely forgetting that he was still playing "hide and seek."
But soon, Gu Cong's relaxation vanished without a trace.
His thin lips pressed tightly together, forming a rigid line. His gaze fell upon Xie Ye's collar that had been disturbed by his fidgeting, focusing on the area between his Adam's apple and collarbone, where the scar coiled like a snake.
It was long, so long that it couldn't be seen in one glance, long enough to snake into the shadows on either side of the shirt. The edges were uneven, resembling jagged teeth, indicating that the person who inflicted the wound was not skilled, or simply wanted to torment the other.
Xie Ye's skin was smooth and porcelain-like, especially in the areas rarely exposed to sunlight, resembling a peeled egg, which should have been flawless but instead highlighted the horrifying scar.
Gu Cong's eyes darkened completely.
Xie Ye felt a bit panicked. He sensed that the other was angry, but he didn't understand what he was angry about. Compared to the fear and disgust he often experienced with other players, this made him even more confused.
Xie Ye dryly opened his mouth, murmuring, "I..."
In the dim light, the man's raised hand silenced Xie Ye's words. From this angle, Xie Ye had seen too much of the same things, too many times. What usually followed was an array of weapons, or even a frenzy of physical violence, purely to vent emotions.
Xie Ye rarely resisted.
Partly because he detested the power of the dark mist, and partly because no one had taught him how to fight back.
Just as the game was designed to be completed, to die at the hands of the players was also his purpose of existence.
He should have closed his eyes.
Reflexively, Xie Ye closed his eyelids, quietly awaiting the anticipated pain. But in the end, the force that landed on his neck was gentle, soft like a feather.
"Does it hurt?"
In astonishment, Xie Ye secretly opened his eyes just a crack and shook his head.
The uneven skin that had grown back was far less sensitive than the surrounding flesh, but Xie Ye could still clearly feel the calluses on Gu Cong's fingertips, lightly brushing against him and causing a slight itch.
Almost recklessly, those fingertips followed the direction of his collarbone, slowly probing deeper.
Covered by the soft fabric, the deep pink scars, menacing and crawling up to the junction of his shoulder and neck, stopped there. The same was true on both sides, almost severing half of Xie Ye's neck, which easily brought to mind how his trachea had once been viciously severed, and how blood had gushed out violently.
Struggling to suppress the anger churning in his heart, Gu Cong's voice was hoarse as he asked, "Who did this?"
Xie Ye was taken aback. With so many rebirths, his memories were already fragmented. But these injuries, they all came from one type of person, bearing the same name: players.
However, he didn't want to tell the man this answer.
Half truth, half lie, Xie Ye murmured softly, "I forgot."
Gu Cong: ...
His mind was sharp. If he could guess Xie Ye's identity and then retreat impulsively, he could naturally guess the source of the scars. But Gu Cong wanted to hear Xie Ye say it himself, whether it was complaints or resentment, it shouldn't be a matter of indifference.
"It really doesn't hurt anymore," Xie Ye said, seeing no sign of softening in the man's expression. He allowed his life to be held in the man's hands, his vocal cords pressing against the man's fingertips, trembling slightly. "Really."
As their eyes met, Gu Cong felt as if his heart was being kneaded by an invisible hand, sour and swollen.
Accurately asking the key point, Gu Cong asked, "Can't fight back, or won't fight back?"
The black-haired Xie Ye in the blanket immediately blinked innocently, pretending to be mute.
With his arm against the bed, Gu Cong sighed in exasperation, unable to truly scold the other but also unwilling to let it slide. So, he mustered all his patience and seriousness and commanded, "You should fight back."
"No one, including me, has the right to hurt you," Gu Cong added firmly.
It was the first time Xie Ye had heard such words. After a moment of serious consideration, he nodded, then shook his head. "Others can."
"But I don't want you to feel any pain," Gu Cong insisted.
Jiang Chuan was good to him, genuinely gentle without any ulterior motives, and he liked that. So, even if one day Jiang Chuan became like other players, Xie Ye would still be willing to fulfill his wishes, even if it made him a little sad.
Xie Ye's tone was casual, unaware of how deeply moving he was at that moment. His sincerity was like that of a child, so genuine that it left Gu Cong speechless, his throat tight with emotion.
The long-overdue jealousy surged fiercely within Gu Cong. He couldn't help but think back to Liuyun Mountain, where he first met the young Xie Ye. Was he the same back then, untouched by the world's indifference and unscathed by the plot's trials?
Gu Cong realized that he had touched this untouched softness many years too late.
"Well," Xie Ye felt awkward as the other party stared at him from top to bottom. He raised his hand and touched the scar on his neck. He was speechless, "What are we going to do tomorrow?"
The change of subject was so obvious that any player with long eyes can see it.
Gu Cong straightened up and extended his hand, saying, "Get up."
Recognizing that Gu Cong was using his uninjured arm, Xie Ye obediently complied, placing his hand in the warmer and broader palm of Gu Cong's hand. With a firm grip, they faced each other.
Gu Cong retrieved the bandages and suppressed his instinct to assist, instructing, "Pull your shirt down a bit."
Zhao Dong next door was sleeping soundly. The request for the lonely man to stay on the same bed initially seemed ambiguous and abrupt.
However, Xie Ye didn't hesitate for a moment. He obediently undid the top button, pulled from left to right, revealing the slightly rounded shoulders on both sides.
Carefully, the unfolded bandage adhered to the scar on his neck.
The injury near the shoulder close to the chest made Gu Cong's movements somewhat slow but extremely careful. The tension of the bandage was wrapped just right, neither too tight to cause discomfort nor too loose to fail in covering the hideous long scar perfectly.
"Tomorrow morning if anyone asks, just say you got injured tonight," worried that the knot would affect Xie Ye's dressing, Gu Cong exchanged a roll of medical adhesive tape from the store and tore off a piece, sticking the end, "No one will ever undo it..."
After finishing the bandaging, Gu Cong's attention shifted away from Xie Ye's neck. Suddenly, his gaze was invaded by a small patch of undulating snowy white, with flat yet graceful lines, accompanied by two hidden cherry-like red spots.
He didn't get to finish his sentence.
His exceptionally sharp eyesight deprived him of the chance to dodge and evade completely. Unfortunately, Xie Ye remained oblivious, curiously leaning towards him and asking, "Undo it?"
"No one will undo it to look," Gu Cong replied, his Adam's apple rolling uncontrollably. As he answered Xie Ye's question, he personally buttoned up the other's shirt.
His fingers were nimble, even with the injury on his left side, he could still button up swiftly with just one hand.
Xie Ye, realizing that the man was no longer angry, was far from being as honest as at the beginning. He lifted his arm, quick yet cautious, and pinched the man's earlobe, saying, "It's so red, are you feeling hot?"
Gu Cong revisited the sensation of "shivering" after a long time.
Xie Ye's fingertips were very cold.
His spine tingled like an electric shock, but not because of that.
Fortunately, his acting skills honed in countless small worlds finally came in handy at a critical moment. With a calm expression, Gu Cong replied, "Hmm."
Then, he saw a blatant envy in Xie Ye's eyes.
Xie Ye was a ghost—at least in the game's definition. He could only keep warm with external objects and often felt extremely cold when alone.
Although Jiang Chuan's ears were warm, they weren't like the boiling water downstairs that would stir up Xie Ye's increasingly numb pain.
He liked it.
Gu Cong’s throat, which had just drunk most of a glass of water not long ago, felt a thirst worse than when he had lost too much blood. Unable to let Xie Ye continue to randomly touch him, Gu Cong used a little trick to press him down onto the soft pillow.
"Go to sleep," he said.
Xie Ye, who wasn't sleepy at all: ...
Even so, he obediently pulled up the blanket and grabbed the man's coat, pulling it down: "Together."
The injured person needed rest the most.
The casually draped coat slipped off effortlessly. They silently locked eyes for three seconds. Gu Cong eventually gave in first, lying down as instructed, turning to his side and leaving more space for the youth.
Just over ten minutes ago, he hadn't felt anything wrong with his casual attire for the sake of convenience. But now, he wanted to grab a T-shirt from the warehouse, put it on securely, and keep watch on the ground floor.
But the youth didn't give him that chance.
After pretending to sleep for a while, Xie Ye, whose hands and feet were ice-cold, opened his eyes. "Jiang Chuan."
"The blanket has a gap in the middle."
"You should move closer to me."
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