WTIETWOQT Chapter 2

When You Ning went out from the washroom, he found Shu Yu still waiting for him outside.

Shu Yu was standing beneath an old acacia tree, his phone in his hand. When he noticed You Ning walking out, he put the phone away and smiled.

The afterglow of the setting sun fell on his shoulders through the leaves of the acacia tree, and his whole body was wrapped in a film of light called gentle. But who knew what he would look like after that film was ripped off?

You Ning’s gaze on Shu Yu was smitten and slightly shy; the usual gaze of a young man in love. He had interpreted it almost perfectly.

His date with Shu Yu was simple; they had dinner because Shu Yu worked part-time in the evening and didn’t have much free time to spend with You Ning.

You Ning did not bother him, and he went home immediately after dinner. Although Lu Anlan loved Shu Yu in his previous life, he was always a well-behaved lover; he was never clingy and never invaded Shu Yu’s personal space. As a result, Shu Yu had no suspicions today and only told You Ning to be careful on the way.

You Ning returned home and went straight to the bathroom upstairs. Despite the fact that it was autumn, he was sweaty from the game due to this human physique.

The bathroom had a mirror, and it was through it that You Ning crossed over—that is, when Lu Anlan traded his soul for rebirth.

Lu Anlan’s revenge list consisted of six men. Among them, the one he hated the most was Shu Yu, the senior whom he liked, his legal husband, and the one who pushed him into the abyss of darkness.

He was depressed and committed suicide at the age of twenty-four and the turning point for everything was the winter he turned nineteen.

It was a rare sunny day that winter, and the warm sunshine added to Lu Anlan’s already cheerful disposition. Today he was going on a date with his senior. Lu Anlan’s heart raced like a deer jumping around because his senior had taken the initiative to ask him out. Not to mention his senior’s suggestion that they spend the night together because the view at night was spectacular.

He took a shower at home, half excited, half shy, and chose an outfit that was flattering but not overpowering, then drove out in a low-key car. While the Lu family was wealthy, his senior’s family background was average, so driving a luxury car to flaunt wealth would be inappropriate.

Shu Yu had booked a room at a popular hot spring resort in S city. Aside from the hot springs, there was a large plum forest nearby. It was ideal for enjoying snow and plums in the winter, so it became a popular retreat for couples.

Shu Yu invited Lu Anlan to dinner, and although Lu Anlan wanted to go early in the morning, he decided to spend the entire morning in the city picking out a gift for Shu Yu in order not to appear too impatient, and only began to leave in the afternoon. Nonetheless, because it was a holiday, there was a lot of traffic, even in the afternoon.

Lu Anlan finally got off the expressway after being stuck in traffic for some time, and it was then that he realized the problem was caused by a car accident.

The bloodstains on the ground and being stuck in traffic for so long made Lu Anlan’s good mood to drop by two points.

Early in the winter, the warm sunlight is quickly replaced by cold darkness. The appointment was almost over, but the fact that he had not yet arrived at the resort irritated Lu Anlan.

However, upon seeing what appeared to be a broken-down car parked on the side of the road towards the resort and the owner waving to him for assistance, Lu Anlan slowed down to stop and ask what was wrong.

There were no other cars passing by on the road to the resort at the time, and it was possible that the car owner had been waiting for help for who knows how long.

It had just gotten dark, and the distant sound of car horns could be heard. It was a black SUV with a license plate that was many times higher than Lu Anlan’s. Furthermore, the car owner’s kind words and gratitude caused Lu Anlan to relax a little—if someone with bad intentions wanted to do something, they wouldn’t do it in such a blatant way.

But unfortunately, these people were that arrogant.

When Lu Anlan got out of the car and approached the noticeable SUV, the rear door opened unexpectedly, revealing the four men inside. Lu Anlan had a bad feeling and turned to run back to his car, but it was already too late. One of the men had already caught up with him and was dragging him back. Before he could call for help, the owner of the car covered his mouth, and he was quickly brought inside.

They moved with alarming skill.

The SUV passed Lu Anlan’s car and took a small concrete road in the middle of nowhere instead of the main road to the resort. Because the concrete road had not been rolled, it was already old and worn out, with potholes. However, the car was so good that it was unaffected by anything. The car came to a halt in front of a small fishing hut, and it was there that Lu Anlan was subjected to inhuman treatment.

All the cursing, begging and crying during that period were like a catalyst for their excitement.

Lu Anlan could no longer make a sound as time passed; he felt he was dying; the pain all over his body was blurring his consciousness; and he seemed to hear one of them talking about piercing his feet with a fish hook and hanging him on a fishing net, saying it must be beautiful. But they didn’t do it because the tools in the fishing hut were too primitive for them to use.

Lu Anlan, who had been declared dead by the five, was eventually thrown into the half-dry stream outside the fishing house, where only some silt remained. The five men laughed and drove away in their expensive SUV, as if they’d had their fill of alcohol and food.

Lu Anlan had no idea how he got to the shore or how he was discovered by passing villagers and taken to the hospital. He only knew he couldn’t die; he didn’t want to die yet; he had parents who were optimistic about him, and his senior was waiting for him at the resort. Even if he had to die, he wanted to apologize and say goodbye to them in person.

Lu Anlan was fortunate to be rescued in the end. Despite the tragedy of the incident, his parents’ love and his senior’s unwavering support gave him the courage to live, and he actively participated in his treatment and rehabilitation.

Although the nurses’ stares were like thorns, his classmates’ words were full of sharp sympathy, and he couldn’t stop trembling from fear in the middle of the night, he was able to endure it all for the sake of those he loved, living and giving hope to himself and his family.

Those who have their hearts set on the light would never remain in the dark.

Because of that incident, Lu Anlan took a break from school to recover from his injuries, and Shu Yu would come to the hospital or go to Lu Anlan’s house to be with him whenever he could.

At first, Lu Anlan’s parents blamed him, but after seeing him accompany their bruised son out of the darkness time and again, they realized it wasn’t entirely Shu Yu’s fault.

Later, after Shu Yu graduated, he proposed to Lu Anlan, and the Lu couple didn’t have any objections. They knew their son liked the boy, and the boy had only been kind to their son during this time.

They married soon after in a low-key but very warm and touching ceremony.

Everything seemed to be going in the right direction, and more than once, Lu Anlan felt that he had loved the right person, and always thanked Shu Yu from the bottom of his heart.

Lu Anlan’s body had mostly recovered, and he was relieved to be able to marry his senior. On the wedding night, he was nervous and apprehensive as well, but his senior was a gentle man; he should trust him.

But Shu Yu didn’t touch him; instead, he told Lu Anlan to take his time; there was no hurry; he would stay with him.

Lu Anlan was eager to explain that he had improved and had forgotten the past, but he swallowed the words. He wasn’t sure if he’d gotten over it, and if he’d ever think about those nightmares again during intimacy.

After a few months, Shu Yu continued to treat Lu Anlan with the utmost care and affection, and anyone looking at them would think they were very happy, sighing that Lu Anlan had found a good man.

But Shu Yu still didn’t touch Lu Anlan. At most, they only kissed.

This made Lu Anlan very uneasy. Despite his efforts to convince himself that it was due to Shu Yu’s consideration for him, he couldn’t help but suspect that Shu Yu considered him dirty and unfit for him.

He had no doubts about Shu Yu’s feelings for him; the incident in the past had deeply hurt him, but his desire to survive and the love of those around him had allowed him to overcome it.

But once his emotions fell into negativity, those memories came like bloodthirsty worms that were eager to suck all his blood.

Lu Anlan had depression, and the symptoms were severe by the time it was discovered—which was not surprising given what he had been through. But it was still heartbreaking for his parents, and they chastised Shu Yu, accusing him of being an incompetent husband.

Shu Yu was even more upset than they were. Lu Anlan was discovered hurting himself in the bathroom and was rushed to the hospital. In his hospital bed, he wrapped his arms around Lu Anlan, as if his world was leaving him.

After the treatment, Lu Anlan calmed down a lot, he knew that he couldn’t go on like this, so he asked Shu Yu why he wouldn’t touch him.

Shu Yu was also on the verge of a breakdown, but he held back, saying that he loved him so much—so much that he didn’t know how to love him—and that he was afraid of being hurt again, so he chose caution. In the end, said that he didn’t know his actions hurt Lu Anlan.

He apologized to Lu Anlan, hugged him and cried, and Lu Anlan believed him.
Lu Anlan remembered one of the criminals who had caused so much damage, and he had worked with the police to describe him in detail. Unfortunately, the person was never apprehended by the police. Later, his parents continued to inquire, but there was no new information.

The Lu family had an estate, but Lu Anlan’s matter had physically and mentally exhausted the two elders, and Lu Anlan’s condition was not suitable for managing the company; it was eventually handed over to Shu Yu to handle. Father Lu was initially concerned, but they gradually relaxed after witnessing Shu Yu’s management skills and love for their little An.

At one time, Lu Anlan was in good condition and Shu Yu was going to a business reception, so he asked if Lu Anlan wanted to go out, and the latter agreed.

But he never expected to meet one of those five men at that cocktail party. He didn’t know the other man’s name, but he heard the people at the reception, as well as his husband, respectfully calling him Master Shen.

His enemy was right in front of him, but Lu Anlan could do nothing but tremble. He couldn’t even ask for help.

Lu Anlan had nightmares and a high fever after returning home that day. During this time, he could hear his parents’ and husband’s tired cries and sighs.

He thought that he had become a burden after all. He was no longer the sunny and cheerful Lu Anlan from back then, so instead of making everyone suffer, it was better to make it easy for them.

After waking up, Lu Anlan committed suicide.

Lu Anlan did not vanish immediately after his death, but remained for seven days. After his death, he was free of depression, but he regretted his cowardice when he saw his parents sobbing uncontrollably over his body.

His close friends, loved ones, and family members were in deep mourning at the funeral, and they silently saw him off in the cold wind and rain, sobbing uncontrollably after the rest of the funeral attendees had left.

Lu Anlan couldn’t comfort them, he could only kneel beside them and shed tears with them.

But there was no point in regretting it because he was already dead and there was nothing he could do about it.

He wanted to say goodbye to those who cared about him, even if they couldn’t hear him.

He spent two days with his parents and then went to see his husband, Shu Yu.

Shu Yu returned to the office, physically and mentally exhausted, after dealing with the funeral arrangements. Lu Anlan was worried about him because he hadn’t returned home in two days.

Everyone was very understanding of Shu Yu, believing that he was afraid of returning to the home that no longer had Lu Anlan’s. Even Lu Anlan thought so.

But reality gave him a slap in the face.

Shu Yu, who was alone in his office, did not look sad. Apart from his haggard face and slightly unkempt appearance, his entire face was relaxed.

There was a photograph of Lu Anlan on his desk, and he was looking at it with a victorious smile, clearly in a good mood. It wasn’t the paralysis and distortion caused by losing his life’s love, but the relief he felt from the bottom of his heart.

Lu Anlan froze for a long time before returning to his senses, expecting everything in front of him to be an illusion. He only noticed Shu Yu when the office door was knocked on, who skillfully put on an act of being overly sad and only able to numb himself with work.

Lu Anlan could no longer deceive himself.

Shu Yu didn’t love him.

Probably because he was unwilling to believe it, Lu Anlan followed Shu Yu for the rest of the time, and the more he followed, the colder Lu Anlan felt.

Not only did he not love him, but he had also deceived him for years, and everything that happened to him, including his death, was caused by him.

But why is that? Shu Yu didn’t have to treat him that way even if he didn’t love him or wanted to take over his parents’ business. It wasn’t until Shu Yu had a nightmare and woke up in the middle of the night, muttering to the empty room, that Lu Anlan realized what was going on.

Shu Yu had been reborn and had hated him in his previous life.

And now, Lu Anlan despised him as well. He had not only destroyed his life and taken over his parents’ business, but he had also put on a disgusting mask of love for him, deceiving everyone around him.

He regretted beyond measure that he had not seen this man clearly, and that he had died before he could. If there was such a thing as regret, Lu Anlan would already have full points.

But what was even more heartbreaking was that he didn’t have time; he was dead; he was about to vanish; there was no going back.

“Oh no, dear.”

Suddenly, Lu Anlan heard a voice, it was like a ray of light in the darkness of despair.

“Dear, have you ever made a deal with the devil?”

Lu Anlan opened his eyes after an unknown amount of time, perhaps a moment, perhaps a century, and found himself back at the age of nineteen, his reflection in the bathroom mirror free of any unsightly scars.

Nothing had happened yet.