Night fell, and moonlight streamed mottled through the window beside Xu Huan's hospital bed.
Her heart hammered like a drum as her fingertips danced lightly across the phone keyboard, every single character carrying the courage of her soaring expectations.
Xu Huan had never been in a relationship before, and she had no idea how to talk to her boyfriend without seeming stiff and distant.
To make sure her half-month-long romantic journey didn't seem too dull, Xu Huan had specifically looked up how to chat with a boyfriend on Baidu.
Seeing that Baidu suggested showing timely care when a boyfriend was busy, Xu Huan pondered for a moment, then typed and sent: "Busy until so late every day, it must be exhausting, right?"
*
Deep within the heart of Lincheng, a city not particularly known for its prosperity, was hidden a club called Dark Night Flowing Light.
It was not only the largest entertainment venue in the city, but also a secretive stage where Lincheng's powerful elite and socialites intertwined.
Night fell, and neon lights flickered, casting a mysterious and alluring veil over the building.
The exterior of the club was not flamboyant—even somewhat understated—but inside, it was a whole different world.
Pushing open those heavy carved wooden doors felt like stepping into another dimension.
Inside the club, luxurious decor and low jazz intertwined into the prelude of the night.
Crystal chandeliers cast a soft glow, reflecting off the deep red velvet sofas, lending the space an air of noble elegance.
In the dim, perfectly lit ambiance, Pei Cheng clinked glasses with Lu Xinglan, a childhood friend who had specifically come to see him.
The two sat in a corner booth, with several bottles of expensive imported liquor placed on the table. The ice cubes in their glasses gently clinked with their movements, making a crisp sound.
A phone vibrated, and a message flashed onto the screen.
Lu Xinglan had sharp eyes; he snatched Pei Cheng's phone in a flash and teased, "Well, well, whose young lady is this, sending you goo-eyes this late at night? It looks like our big boss Pei hasn't lost an ounce of his charm, even while hiding his identity down here!"
His tone carried a hint of banter, and his eyes gleamed with gossip.
As the phone was snatched away, Pei Cheng's gaze naturally fell upon that message.
Yet at just a single glance, his brow furrowed involuntarily, and an indescribable irritation welled up in his heart.
Before he could think twice, his finger habitually swiped across the screen and unhesitatingly hit that decisive button—block.
The action was ruthless and left no room for maneuver.
Seeing this, Lu Xinglan's smile deepened, a sly glint flashing in his eyes.
He chuckled, "You iron tree that hasn't bloomed in a millennium, you probably don't plan on blossoming in this lifetime, do you? You can't even fancy a woman, or could it be..."
He deliberately drew out his tone, "You have unique tastes and prefer men?"
Before the words had even faded, Lu Xinglan took a solid punch from Pei Cheng.
"Ow!" Lu Xinglan rubbed his chest, wincing as he complained, "Just joking, just joking. Why'd you have to throw punches?"
Pei Cheng said nothing, merely giving Lu Xinglan a deep, meaningful look.
There was no real anger in that gaze, but it carried a hint of warning.
Seeing this, Lu Xinglan muttered a low curse, "Serves me right."
He shrugged, picked up his glass, and motioned for Pei Cheng to keep drinking.
Pei Cheng wasn't genuinely angry; this was simply their usual way of interacting.
The two had grown up together since childhood, and their tacit understanding had long since seeped into their bones.
Pei Cheng picked up his glass and gently clinked it against Lu Xinglan's, the amber liquid inside catching the light.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, Xu Huan was nervously waiting for Pei Cheng's reply.
She curled up on the hospital bed, her fingers unconsciously twisting a lock of hair, her eyes fixed intently on the phone screen for fear of missing any sign of a response.
However, as the seconds and minutes ticked by, the screen remained stubbornly silent, devoid of any expected flash.
Seeing that Pei Cheng hadn't replied for so long, Xu Huan sat in silence for a few minutes. In the end, unable to hold back, she sent another message to Pei Cheng: "Are you asleep?"
Yet the moment the red exclamation mark appeared, Xu Huan's mind went completely blank.
She stared blankly at the symbol for a long time, as if she didn't recognize what it was.
Xu Huan blinked in utter confusion, and it took quite a while for a single thought to pop into her head.
Had she been—blocked?
Why would he... block her?
Did she do something wrong?
Xu Huan's heart plummeted violently, as though pierced by winter's chill, freezing her straight to the bone.
She felt a wave of suffocation, as if her entire world were collapsing in an instant.
*
At 2:00 AM, moonlight spilled mottled through the clouds onto the steps at the entrance of the tattoo parlor.
Xu Huan sat huddled in the corner with her arms wrapped around her knees, her eyes dead and lifeless, resembling a non-living bionic robot.
Pei Cheng's block was like a heavy blow that completely shattered Xu Huan's last remaining hope.
Her heart felt as though it had been torn to shreds, every piece carrying an unspeakable agony.
Unable to hold back, she had run all the way to the tattoo parlor, still clinging to a sliver of wishful thinking that she could ask Pei Cheng face-to-face if he regretted things, if he didn't want to be in a relationship with her anymore.
Yet when she breathlessly sprinted to the entrance of the tattoo parlor, she found the doors tightly shut, the dark glass windows devoid of a single ray of light.
Pei Cheng wasn't at the shop at all.
In that instant, Xu Huan's world seemed to have collapsed.
She stood at the doorway, her legs feeling as though they were nailed to the ground, unable to move an inch.
Her fingers unconsciously clawed at the door frame, her fingertips turning slightly white, as if she could somehow grasp onto something that way.
At last, she slid powerlessly down into the corner, wrapping her arms around her knees and curling herself into a tight ball.
The night breeze blew gently, bringing a touch of chill that failed to soothe the pain within her heart.
Her head was lowered, her long hair draped in disarray across her shoulders, veiling her pale face.
The moonlight fell coldly upon her, reflecting the despair and helplessness in her eyes.
She looked like a child abandoned by the world—lonely, helpless, and aching almost to the point of suffocation.
*
Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, Pei Cheng and Lu Xinglan's gathering had just come to an end.
After dropping Lu Xinglan off at the hotel, Pei Cheng gave a wave of his hand and said indifferently, "I'm heading back."
Lu Xinglan spread his arms with a slouchy, unbothered air, feigning reluctance to let him go, "We haven't seen each other in so long, why not stay the night?"
His tone carried a hint of banter, and his eyes gleamed with mischief.
Pei Cheng shot Lu Xinglan a sidelong glance, his tone cool, "Still not weaned?"
Lu Xinglan was used to Pei Cheng's sharp tongue; he gave a light shrug, his tone full of banter, "I just missed you, didn't I?"
Pei Cheng couldn't be bothered to entangle with him any further and waved his hand, "I'm off."
The night was already deep, and Pei Cheng was rushing back to rest; he had no mood to keep trading banter with Lu Xinglan.
He was a neat freak and disliked staying in hotels. What Lu Xinglan had just said was nothing more than friendly teasing.
It was getting late, and Lu Xinglan stopped joking around.
He waved goodbye to Pei Cheng, saying, "My flight is early tomorrow morning, no need to come see me off."
Pei Cheng's deep, magnetic voice drifted over leisurely from ahead on the night wind, "Got it."
Watching his friend's receding figure, Lu Xinglan felt a pang of reluctance.
He couldn't help shouting out, "You really don't plan on going back to the Capital?"