atypical dependency

The taxi was slowly moving forward in the crowded traffic. Wei Zhuoyan sat in the car and kept staring at the man's face on the phone screen.

From time to time, loud horns blared on the road, but Wei Zhuoyan seemed to be immersed in his own world, with various complex emotions running through his face alternately.

Carefully rubbing the screen of the phone with his thumb, Wei Zhuoyan couldn't help moving his Adam's apple when he thought that he would be able to dig out some information about the other party even if he didn't see him in person.

The aggrieved, anxious, and longing that had been so hard to calm down for several years seemed to be smashed out again in an instant, and the clamor shocked his heart and shook his heart, wishing that all reason would be reduced to dust in the next second.

Driven by the uncontrollable restlessness, Wei Zhuoyan stretched out his hand and rubbed his chin back and forth, almost rubbing off a layer of skin.

Nearly an hour had passed by the time the taxi finally escaped the crowded queue of off-duty vehicles and arrived at the business district where the E-ligh company was located.

Wei Zhuoyan studied it carefully, and realized that if he had known the location of E-ligh company before, he would have saved a lot of time on foot from the square where Jinyang and Jinyang were located before.

After paying and thanking the driver, Wei Zhuoyan leaned forward into the night.

The main light of the commercial street is noble gold, which adds a touch of luxury to this sleepless street corner.

Wei Zhuoyan gathered his uniform jacket, looked up at the skyscraper where E-ligh Company was located against the night wind, and couldn't help feeling a wave of turmoil in his heart——

It was as if he had been reborn from V City, and the grade of Xiao Yi's company's location had obviously improved to a higher level, which made Wei Zhuoyan suddenly recall the uncomfortable feeling when Xiao Yi invited him to eat at that elegant and luxurious high-end restaurant for the first time.

At this moment, he was still wearing the dirty uniform from the previous mission, and the ends of his hair were quite messy, which was not decent at all.

He thought that if he really had a chance to see Xiao Yi at night, he would go there with this dignity, it was really a bit embarrassing.

However, after standing silently in the night wind for a long time, the strong emotion of wanting to see Xiao Yi still overwhelmed everything else.

When Wei Zhuoyan inquired about the floor of E-ligh company at the information desk in the main hall on the first floor, the receptionist still looked at him intently, thinking that something happened to their building.

Knowing that his uniform caused the misunderstanding, Wei Zhuoyan smiled wryly and explained to the other party, and the little brother was relieved to guide him to the 24th floor.

While waiting for the elevator, many people who came out of the previous elevator looked curiously at Wei Zhuoyan at the door.

Avoiding the scrutiny of those people in embarrassment, Wei Zhuoyan could only keep an official smile and step into the elevator.

When he reached the 4th floor, a man in a suit and leather shoes entered the empty elevator. Wei Zhuoyan didn't even look at him, and turned slightly to make room for him, staring at the elevator control panel wholeheartedly.

He noticed that the stranger's finger stuck on the 24th floor he had pressed before, and then pulled it away.

The long elevator journey makes the space for only two people quite embarrassing.

In the middle of it, Wei Zhuoyan looked around curiously, and noticed that the other party was a handsome man, probably in his early thirties.

The other party also seemed to be bored by the silence, and turned his head to Wei Zhuoyan in response, nodded, and started the conversation: "Comrade, there is no fire here, right?"

Hearing the sound, Wei Zhuoyan couldn't help but smile in frustration: "No." He stretched out his hand and teasingly tugged at the collar of his uniform, "I'm just looking for someone."

The strange man smiled, nodded in response and said nothing more.

The elevator went up to the 15st floor.

"Sir, let me ask you something—the E-ligh company is on the 24th floor, isn't it?" Taking advantage of the other party's going to the 24th floor, Wei Zhuoyan thought that maybe the other party was an employee there, and he might be able to trick him out News about Xiao Yi.

"Yes." The man glanced at Wei Zhuoyan and nodded, "They have a new software conference today—it will be very lively."

"Really." Wei Zhuoyan pursed his lower lip clearly.

"Actually, I'm here for the first time today." When the elevator reached the 24th floor, the man pursed his lips towards Wei Zhuoyan, turned slightly, took out a name tag from his pocket and pinned it on his chest, "Come here to join in the fun."

Unconsciously glanced at the three characters "Bai Yexiang" on the opponent's chest, Wei Zhuoyan nodded politely, and responded: "Then thank you, Mr. Bai."

The man named Bai Yexiang pursed his lower lip towards him, then stepped out of the elevator and walked generously towards the corner at the end of the corridor.

Wei Zhuoyan stood in the corridor, looking around with a serious expression.

Unexpectedly, this corridor was quite quiet, with only a few huge doors sticking out of sight.

It can be imagined that each room here occupies a large area, and he was thinking about where to go.

In the end, after walking back and forth many times in the silent long corridor covered with dark red carpet, Wei Zhuoyan couldn't help feeling a little puzzled.

After staying in the corridor for a few more minutes, just as he was about to decide to start searching the rooms one by one, a door at the end of the corridor in his vision suddenly opened wide, and the corridor that was previously as quiet as a valley suddenly became noisy like a frying pan.

Wei Zhuoyan noticed that many reporters poured out of the door in an instant, taking pictures, asking questions, flashing lights shouting intertwined, and the dead sea-like silence seemed to have never appeared before.

Curiously watching the movement over there, Wei Zhuoyan squinted his eyes and stood there, trying to identify it.

It didn't take much effort, he noticed that the group of reporters probably attacked around two core figures, and there was a man and a woman beside those two people who were dedicatedly pushing away all the reporters blocking their way, looking disheveled. Quite embarrassed.

Recognizing at a glance that the man and the woman were Yan Tian and Ji Yi, Wei Zhuoyan's curiosity disappeared in an instant.

Standing on the spot like a wooden stake, he suddenly poked his eyes at the core figure whose face was paled by the flash——

The other party frowned, but seemed to be calm, just wrapped one hand around the waist of a thin man who was shorter than him, and walked quickly towards Wei Zhuoyan's direction while avoiding the reporter's forced follow.

Ji Yi and Yan Tian continued to fend off the enemy desperately in the back, frantically blocking the surging tide of reporters like a crumbling dam.

Wei Zhuoyan stood on the spot with a frozen expression.

The handsome man in a suit and leather shoes hugged the skinny man beside him and got closer and closer to him, as if fleeing from a refugee, they depended on each other for life.

He really wanted to turn his body sideways and pretend to be a passerby, but his feet seemed to be nailed to the ground, and Wei Zhuoyan couldn't move.

When the man in the field of vision passed by Wei Zhuoyan almost half-embracing the man in his arms, he glanced curiously at the guy in the firefighter uniform.

With his face downcast, Wei Zhuoyan stood still without saying a word.

The man in the suit took two steps with the person in his arms in his arms, and his footsteps faltered slightly. He turned his head and glanced at Wei Zhuoyan's back, but he didn't become suspicious.

"Xiao Yi."

However, just two steps away, he suddenly heard a call from behind that was so faint that it was almost inaudible.

Wei Zhuoyan clenched his fists tightly, staring fiercely at the two men at the end of the corridor.

Poking his head out of the tall Xiao Yi's arms, the young man who looked like he was just 20 years old frowned and looked in Wei Zhuoyan's direction. He looked puzzled and turned his back to Xiao Yi: "Brother Yi, who is it?"

After the voice fell for a long time, the man in the suit slowly turned around.

When meeting the opponent's eyes, Wei Zhuoyan felt an unbearable strong electric shock in his heart almost instantly.

Xiao Yi didn't have any special expression, his eyes fell on Wei Zhuoyan calmly, like clouds stained with ink before the rain, dull but with oppressive force buried: "Zhuoyan."

Hearing those two long-lost words, Wei Zhuoyan's shoulders almost trembled.

However, maintaining his composure, he hesitated for a while before slowly walking in front of Xiao Yi, his eyes flicked to him and the man in his arms, and he nodded: "—You... have returned to your country."

"Yes." Xiao Yi affirmed calmly, Xiao Yi's expression did not change much.

With a wry smile, Wei Zhuoyan was silent for a while before reconnecting: "Why - didn't you say anything?"

"It's just a temporary transfer." Xiao Yi's vision was still clear, "It's not a big deal."

"..."

"Brother Yi." Feeling as if he was being ignored, the man in Xiao Yi's arms stretched out his hand and patted him on the shoulder, and asked again, "Is he...?"

Only then did he realize something, Xiao Yi lowered his eyes to look at the person in his arms, pursed his lips and smiled lightly: "He is someone I knew in China before."

"Oh, that's right." The strange man smiled freely, "Brother Yi still has friendship with firefighters?"

Xiao Yi lowered his eyes and didn't respond.

Seeing the man letting Xiao Yi hug his waist without hesitation, Wei Zhuoyan's face was a little stiff, and it took him a long time to speak again: "You—how are you doing recently?"

"Okay." Xiao Yi looked at Wei Zhuoyan's expression full of distance, "—what about you? Why are you in City A?"

"It's just a temporary transfer." Wei Zhuoyan responded.

"Really. What a coincidence." Xiao Yi opened his eyes sideways.

"Yes. What a coincidence." Responding mechanically, Wei Zhuoyan controlled the undercurrent of emotion in his heart.

Not far away, Yan Tian and Ji Yi were almost overwhelmed, Xiao Yi glanced over there, and saw a reporter squeezed out of the crowd, stumbling towards Xiao Yi and the thin man with a microphone in his hand: "Mr. Xiao— —May I ask if you announced your coming out on the day of the press conference to increase the exposure of the product?"

One person here broke through the net, and the rest became even more ebullient. They cut through the waves and overcame all difficulties to defeat Yan Tianjiyi's line of defense, and rushed to the thin man: "Mr. Xiang Jie, are you sure you and Mr. Xiao are dating? "

"Of course." The man called Xiang Jie responded with a smile, "Otherwise, do you think we were joking just now?"

Xiao Yi remained expressionless the whole time, not saying yes or no.

The light from the strobe lights in the field of vision fills the entire space.

However, Wei Zhuoyan felt as if he had fallen into a silent night, all the voices around him became noise, and there were only bright spots of light, only that man.

It seems that he and the other party are thousands of miles away, just a passerby who has nothing to do with the fun.

The flow of reporters became more and more turbulent, Xiao Yi protected Xiang Jie with one hand, trying his best to prevent more exposure.

Slowly squeezed to the outermost circle of the crowd, Wei Zhuoyan looked at Xiao Yi in the crowd who was showing restless eyes to Jie, and a wry smile slowly appeared on the corner of his lips.

Standing and watching silently for a while, he stretched out his hand to wipe his dirty face, turned around and returned a little bit along the way he came.

The elevator hadn't arrived yet, but he felt that he couldn't wait anymore, so he simply turned sideways into the corridor and walked down the stairs.

The noise in my ears gradually faded away.

He didn't stop until the voice was completely inaudible.

Standing on the steps, he slowly stretched out his hand to reach the tip of his hair, tightening it a little bit.

He almost couldn't hold back the fiery and crazy stinging pain and jealousy.

— Jealous to the point of...going mad.

His legs were a little weak, he wanted to regain his calm as soon as possible, but the picture of Xiao Yi hugging Xiang Jie tightly was replaying in his mind repeatedly.

Probably in the life of the other party, he is not even as good as a passerby.

——He was someone I knew in China before——

He remembered how Xiao Yi introduced him in this way.

Not friends, not even acquaintances, just casually "acquainted" people.

However, he really can't pursue such a ridiculous word - the other party is right - he and him, now there is probably nothing left except "knowledge".

After sorting out his emotions in the corridor, Wei Zhuoyan continued to walk down.

When he got out of the building and stood in the howling night wind, he covered his cheek with one hand, and a self-deprecating smile appeared on the corner of his lips.

At this age, I am an idiot for thinking of things so ideally.

Of course the other party has already moved on, and I didn't plan to contact him, but I still went to see him.

So in this unclear love battlefield, he lost quite completely.

When he rejected the other party back then, and came back with a shy face and asked the other party to accept him, the other party could of course throw the current affection on his face generously.

Shaking his head, Wei Zhuoyan stood for a long time before he stopped a taxi.

After looking for the other party for so long, I thought that I could die easily after I came to City A.

It's clear, though, that life never plays out as it should.

After getting in the taxi, Wei Zhuoyan thought for a while and dialed Jinyang.

"Jin Yang, do you have a class at night? I'll go over there for a while."

**

The crowd of reporters was really crazy, and it was not until Ji Yi and Yan Tian called the security guards that they completely calmed down.

When Xiao Yihu escorted Xiang Jie away from the group of reporters, he frowned and looked sharply at the periphery of the chaos, searching for someone.

Instead, Xiang Jie took Xiao Yi's wrist and dragged the man who was much taller than him into a meeting room.

After sealing the door tightly, Xiang Jie leaned against the door, shaking his head and teasing: "Fuck, these people are just a bunch of leeches."

Xiao Yi leaned against the conference table with a very serious expression.

"I said Brother Yi—" with his hands in his pockets, Xiang Jie stared at Xiao Yi and said, "Why on earth do you want me to help you out of this closet?"

"..." Xiao Yi lowered his face in silence, and Xiao Yi didn't respond.

"Is it because of your mother? Forcing you to marry that Jessie?"

"Xiang Jie." Xiao Yi looked up at the other party and nodded, "Thank you in advance for today's matter."

"Pfft, thank you." Xiang Jie patted Xiao Yi on the shoulder, "I've already become your lover, why are there so many nonsense."

Xiao Yi smiled wryly.

"Hey, let me tell you, isn't your lie so frightening?" Recalling the firefighter they met by chance in the corridor, Xiang Jie teased, "Your acquaintance knows that you are gay, so don't be shocked to death."

Closing his eyes, Xiao Yi's self-deprecating smile deepened: "You don't have to worry about this."

—He was already terrified.

and……

"I said, it's true that you're gay, isn't it?" Xiang Jie joked, spreading his hands and shrugging, "Anyway, so am I, why don't we really try everywhere?"

Xiao Yi sneered: "Don't make trouble."

"What's wrong with me?" Xiang Jie raised his eyebrows.

"..." Xiao Yi leaned against the table and didn't move.

"What's the matter, is it really as in the legend—" Xiang Jie approached Xiao Yi with a playful look on his face, "The reason Mr. Xiao from E-ligh hasn't been in a relationship is because——he's not good at kissing?"

Xiao Yi shook his head, walked towards the door again, listened to the movement outside, and didn't intend to respond to the kid's teasing.

"Hey, Brother Yi." Stepping in front of Xiao Yi, Xiang Jie looked curious, "Have you ever liked anyone?"

Xiao Yi ignored him.

"Sue me." Taking advantage of being younger than the other party, Xiang Jie took advantage of it and acted like a kid.

Looking sideways at the skinny boy, Xiao Yi raised his eyebrows: "What are you doing?"

"Brother Yi, if you come with me once, I will believe you."

"Come what?"

"Kiss me once." Xiang Jie had a smirk on his face.

Xiao Yi frowned: "Didn't you hear what I said just now?"

Xiang Jie stood there observing Xiao Yi, and suddenly said out of nowhere: "So you really have someone you like."

Xiao Yi was taken aback.

"Ah, I guessed it right." Xiang Jie tilted his head.

Xiao Yi: "..."

"So, imagine me as him and kiss me once." Xiang Jie continued to laugh, "This way I can be sure of your kissing skills."

"..." Xiao Yi shook his head in frustration, and turned around to open the meeting room door.

"You don't dare to kiss, it means you don't love him at all." Looking at Xiao Yi whose back was turned to him, Xiang Jie challenged, "If he is standing in front of you, are you going to leave like this?"

Xiao Yi's hand froze when he pressed the doorknob.

"What, did you hit me?" Xiang Jie continued to laugh, "Or did you just find an excuse to cover up your poor kissing skills?"

"..."

"Hey, if you say that the person you like is pretty miserable, never once—"

Before he could finish a sentence, Xiang Jie was horrified to see Xiao Yi turn around from the door and stride towards him.

In the next second, before he could parry, Xiao Yi hugged him fiercely by the waist and threw him on the conference table. Xiao Yi's body was squeezed between his legs, and he was firmly pressed against the hard table by the tall man.

Panting and staring at Xiang Jie, Xiao Yi bent down, his fingertips almost tore the other's shoulders.

There was only an inch or so away from Xiang Jie's lips, Xiao Yi looked down at him with blurred eyes, his chest heaving and falling.

Frightened by the other party's brutal appearance, Xiang Jie froze under Xiao Yi's body, not daring to move.

After a while, he saw Xiao Yi's cheek slowly approaching his ear, and said lightly, "You are not him."

After speaking, Xiao Yi stood up, straightened his collar, turned around and opened the door to enter the corridor.

Silly on the edge of the table, Xiang Jie sat up tremblingly after digesting for a long time.

Ever since he met Xiao Yi, he had never seen him look so out of control.

Although he didn't have any feelings for Xiao Yi, but for some reason, in the instant of Xiao Yi's blazing gaze just now, he suddenly envied that man whom Xiao Yi loved.