I kind of feel bad for Cheng Ran. Just kinda.
When the nurse said these words, not only was Jiang Yu stunned, but Cheng Ran himself was also dumbfounded.
He looked at Jiang Yu with disbelief, his eyes widening in shock, his mind going blank, and he could hardly believe the words he had just heard were real.
In a daze, Cheng Ran recalled an afternoon not long ago when he had found Ye Zhou with the report, and the words Ye Zhou had said to him before leaving.
“Instead of worrying about me, you should worry about yourself first.”
Those words echoed in Cheng Ran’s ears. At the time, he hadn’t taken them seriously, thinking Ye Zhou had just said them to retaliate against him. But who would have thought that one day, Ye Zhou’s seemingly casual words would come true?
The words he had once used to provoke Ye Zhou were now happening to him verbatim. When the protagonists were Ye Zhou and Jiang Tingyuan, Cheng Ran thought it was ridiculous, and even felt a sense of schadenfreude. But when it happened to him, Cheng Ran was completely numb.
He had mocked Ye Zhou as a mobile heart donor, but now it seemed that he himself was no different.
Cheng Ran looked at Jiang Yu, motionless, trying hard to discern the answer he wanted from Jiang Yu’s face, even if it was just a meaningless affirmation.
But Jiang Yu didn’t say a word, and although he remained silent, his gaze couldn’t deceive anyone.
Cheng Ran was all too familiar with that kind of look; he had seen it countless times in Zou Rong’s eyes. In their eyes, he was no longer a person but an object that could be manipulated at will.
When faced with that kind of gaze, Cheng Ran opened his mouth and wanted to ask Jiang Yu for an explanation, but before the words came out, a wave of nausea caused Cheng Ran to vomit directly on Jiang Yu’s face.
Jiang Yu instinctively frowned, stepped back a few steps, and looked at Cheng Ran with a hint of disgust in his eyes.
Previously, no matter how extreme Jiang Yu’s actions were, Cheng Ran had never felt so disappointed. But when he saw the disgust and disdain in Jiang Yu’s eyes, he suddenly understood.
Jiang Yu did not love him at all, nor had he ever.
Cheng Ran didn’t know how he had run out of the hospital. He ran aimlessly on the streets, running until he was drained of the last ounce of strength in his body, and sat down exhausted on the curb.
Suddenly, he felt ridiculous. Jiang Yu was ridiculous, he himself was ridiculous, and the love he had carefully maintained, the energy he had invested over the years, was even more absurd and laughable.
Cheng Ran sat on the side of the road, watching the flow of traffic, his mind in a mess. He didn’t know how long it had been when he suddenly recalled his conversation with Ye Zhou not long ago.
Although they had both been used, Cheng Ran found Ye Zhou’s clear-headed and nonchalant attitude inconceivable at the time. But now, looking at his own pitiful state, Cheng Ran suddenly felt a tinge of envy toward him.
Ironically, the person he disliked the most, Ye Zhou, was now the one he envied the most.
If only… if he could be as clear-headed as him, perhaps he wouldn’t be in such a pitiful state.
He didn’t know what drove him, but in such a terrible situation, Cheng Ran found himself wanting to call Ye Zhou.
As his eyes gradually regained focus, Cheng Ran took out his phone and dialed a string of numbers. He had memorized Ye Zhou’s phone number by heart during that previous period, and it was even more familiar than Jiang Yu’s number.
After hearing the busy tone, Cheng Ran, without blinking, switched his phone to a new SIM card. His movements were so practiced it was heartbreaking. During that time, Cheng Ran almost always carried five to ten SIM cards on him, usually having to change a few cards just to complete a full sentence.
So, when it came to being blocked by Ye Zhou, Cheng Ran was an expert!
As expected, the new SIM card finally got through, but the phone rang for a while with no answer. Cheng Ran didn’t give up, calling several times in a row, until finally, after who knows how many tries, the phone was answered.
“Hello? Who is this?” Ye Zhou’s voice, heavy with sleep, came through the receiver.
“It’s me, Cheng Ran.”
“Beep beep beep——”
Ye Zhou was exhausted from the day and was woken from his sleep, so he was already in a bad mood. When he heard it was Cheng Ran calling, he didn’t bother with any pleasantries and simply hung up and blocked the number in one go.
Cheng Ran looked at the blocked number, not the least bit angry. He skillfully went to a newsstand that was about to close and bought a few more SIM cards, quickly switching them out and redialing.
After repeating this a few times, Ye Zhou was nearly driven mad.
When the phone was answered again, he didn’t even bother pretending, saying bluntly: “If you have something to say, say it. If not, hang up. If you call again, I’ll turn off my phone.”
After he finished speaking, the other end of the phone fell silent for a long while. Just as Ye Zhou was becoming impatient and about to turn off his phone, Cheng Ran’s voice finally spoke up.
“Can I… can I talk to you for a bit?”
His voice no longer carried the usual polite and gentle tones, sounding no different from a normal person.
Ye Zhou was nearly amused by this guy. With his eyes closed, he said, “Hey brother, are we close? Why are you being so familiar? Do you have something to say or not? If not, I’m hanging up. It’s the middle of the night, and while you’re not sleeping, I still need my sleep.”
Cheng Ran glanced at the time on his phone; it was just before 10 o’clock. Wasn’t it a bit early to call it the middle of the night?
Of course, this was something Cheng Ran definitely wouldn’t dare to say out loud. After a moment of silence, he thought it over and gritted his teeth, saying, “Yu Qiuze is back in the country.”
“I’m hanging up.”
Afraid that Ye Zhou would really hang up, Cheng Ran’s heart tightened, and a hint of struggle flickered across his eyes. After much hesitation, he finally blurted out the truth like spilling beans.
“Yu Qiuze and I got into a conflict this afternoon.”
This finally piqued Ye Zhou’s interest a bit as he asked, “You two fought?”
“Yeah.” Cheng Ran’s expression was somewhat awkward, but he didn’t deny it in the end.
Hearing that the protagonist shou and protagonist gong’s white moonlight actually got into a physical fight, Ye Zhou became more alert, raising his eyelids to inquire further, “Who won?”
“…Yu Qiuze was hospitalized.”
“Whoa, that’s quite impressive.”
Ye Zhou said it so naturally that Cheng Ran couldn’t immediately tell whether it was praise or criticism.
Unable to draw a conclusion, Cheng Ran skipped over the topic and cut straight to the point, “At the hospital, I found out you and I have the same blood type.”
Hearing this, Ye Zhou didn’t seem particularly surprised, giving an indifferent response.
Actually, when saying those words, Cheng Ran had prepared himself to be mocked by Ye Zhou, but unexpectedly, Ye Zhou didn’t ridicule him.
This left Cheng Ran with an indescribable feeling, a sense of unfamiliar defeat that was exceptionally clear. If their positions were reversed and he learned that Ye Zhou was in trouble, he couldn’t possibly remain as calm as Ye Zhou.
On impulse, Cheng Ran raised his voice to ask, “Don’t you hate me at all?”
“No, I don’t hate you,” Ye Zhou rubbed his brow, finally fully awake as he sat up in his tent. He countered, “Why would I hate you? What is there to hate you for?”
“To be honest, I’ve never taken you seriously.”
Since the conversation had reached this point, Ye Zhou saw no need to hide anything further and laid it all out, speaking slowly and deliberately, “We’re just two parallel lines that will never intersect as long as you don’t cause trouble. So…”
“Stay away from me, understand?”
This was truly Ye Zhou’s innermost thoughts. The reason he spoke so bluntly to Cheng Ran was because, through Cheng Ran’s tone and manner of speaking over the phone earlier, Ye Zhou sensed that he wasn’t being as foolish as usual and could hold a somewhat reasonable conversation.
The other end of the phone fell silent again. Ye Zhou scratched his head and asked, “Is there Anything else? If not, don’t call again. It’s annoying for both of us.”
Cheng Ran blurted out, “I apologize to you for the things I did before, and for the things I said, like calling you Yu Qiuze’s heart supply.”
“Actually, the one who’s been treated as a heart supply source is me.”
“If…I mean, if—” Cheng Ran’s voice paused for a moment before he slowly asked, “If you were me, what would you do in this situation?”
Hearing this, Ye Zhou finally understood the real reason the protagonist shou was calling him – he was essentially seeking advice from him like an understanding older brother.
Either the protagonist shou’s brain had short-circuited, or did Ye Zhou really look that kind and charitable, like someone running a philanthropic organization?
Ye Zhou offered a reminder in a tone filled with pity.
“You’re asking me for advice on this? You must be out of your mind from the shock. Here’s what you should do – after you hang up, go to the nearest hospital and get yourself checked into the psychiatric ward for an evaluation or something. Don’t let your brain get fried.”
Ye Zhou expected Cheng Ran would drop the idea after that, but unexpectedly…Cheng Ran agreed! He straightforwardly admitted it!
“Yes, I am asking for your opinion,” Cheng Ran tightened his grip on the phone, calmly admitting it before continuing to inquire, “If you were me, what would you do?”
Ye Zhou felt like he was in a magical world where even the protagonist shou was seeking life advice from a cannon fodder like him!
This time, it was Ye Zhou’s turn to fall silent. Just as Cheng Ran thought he wouldn’t answer, Ye Zhou suddenly asked, “If you weren’t there, could Jiang Yu’s company still function normally?”
Cheng Ran was stunned for a moment. “My position at the company isn’t high, but when it comes to work, he trusts me a lot. We discuss and decide on many things together. If I wasn’t there…”
Although he didn’t directly answer, Ye Zhou had already understood.
“You don’t need to explain so much to me. I just want to know, if Jiang Yu’s company didn’t have you, could it still operate? What role do you play at Jiang Yu’s company? Are you indispensable and irreplaceable?” Ye Zhou interrupted.
This was a rather sharp question. By common sense, as long as Cheng Ran’s brain wasn’t damaged, he shouldn’t openly answer Ye Zhou’s question because, whether the answer was affirmative or negative, it would be extremely embarrassing for him.
But Cheng Ran had truly been deeply shaken today. Without thinking, he impulsively answered – he actually answered.
“I…I don’t know, but he consults me on everything. When it comes to work, he’s never hidden anything from me. I suppose I’m someone he trusts a lot.”
Ye Zhou seized on the key part of his words, “‘Suppose?'”
“…Suppose.”
His tone was slow, but Ye Zhou could detect the extreme lack of confidence behind that sentence.
He couldn’t help but feel a bit reflective. Sometimes, we actually already know the answer deep down, but our hearts are still unwilling to admit it, always thinking we can avoid it if we just run away. But is this really an issue that can be evaded?
It’s nothing but self-deception.
“If you can’t be sure, then let me tell you.”
“In terms of your career, your efforts and rewards have never been equal. You’ve exhausted yourself for him, running around for his sake. Even a stranger should compensate you appropriately, but all you get from him is a flippant so-called ‘trust’. Putting it bluntly, what benefit does Jiang Yu’s ‘trust’ bring you? Have you earned more money or advanced your career? No, you got nothing.”
“If Jiang Yu respected you even a little bit, just a tiny bit, he wouldn’t have let you work yourself to the bone at the company for so long without giving you a position commensurate with your contributions.”
Ye Zhou paused here and sighed. “To put it harshly, in your career, you’re nothing but a cheap tool.”
“As for your relationship, his motives for being with you were impure from the start. You understand the concept of a substitute, right? It means his feelings for you are entirely based on the premise that you resemble his white moonlight Yu Qiuze.”
“You love him, but he loves the physical resemblance you share with his white moonlight. Do you think that kind of feeling is equal?”
“Unequal feelings have no future to speak of.”
“You just asked me what choice I would make if I were you, right? Let me tell you now – if I were you, I would leave him.”
Ye Zhou looked straight into Cheng Ran’s eyes and said softly,1This could be a metaphor because we all know you can’t look at the other’s eyes if you are on a phone call unless it’s a video call. There isn’t any mention in that they are in a video call.
“He’s so obsessed with Yu Qiuze, isn’t he? Let them be together, then. In this relationship, he’s the one who made the mistake, not you. Why are you punishing yourself for his wrongdoing? He should be the one feeling guilty and insecure, not you.”
“Can you not live without him? Does he think he can treat you as Yu Qiuze’s substitute and also expect you to provide a heart for his white moonlight? Does Jiang Yu deserve that? No, he doesn’t.”
“Leaving Jiang Yu might disrupt his life, but not yours. Without him, your life will only be ten, a hundred times better than it is now.”
“So why not leave?”
His words were so bold and crazy that Cheng Ran was stunned for a long time before he could barely comprehend Ye Zhou’s meaning.
Cheng Ran swallowed hard, his voice carrying a hint of uncertainty, “You mean…”
“Leave him, you fool! And don’t forget to take the compensation he promised for keeping you as his lover – that’s the least you deserve.”
But as soon as Ye Zhou finished speaking, he realized that Jiang Yu’s company didn’t seem to be doing well financially. After investing in several money-losing films, not only had Jiang Yu lost his fortune, but the company was also in debt with little liquidity.
To put it bluntly, Jiang Yu’s company was just a shiny shell that was empty and leaking inside.
Thinking this over, Ye Zhou reflected for a moment before adding, “If he doesn’t have much money, then sell off whatever assets of his you can – his house, car, watches, bags, and so on. Get as much as you can, but don’t take more than the amount he initially promised.”
Having just been led by Ye Zhou to open the door to a new world, Cheng Ran’s mind was in a daze.
“…Leave him?” Cheng Ran unconsciously repeated those two words.
Sensing his wavering, Ye Zhou continued to add fuel to the fire, “I’m only saying this out of pity for you. We’re in the same boat, so I’m telling you this with true sincerity.”
“Regardless of what Mr. Jiang wanted from me, he never shortchanged me financially. We had a fair exchange. But what about you?”
“After you got together with Jiang Yu, what did he ever give you? Besides sleeping with you and letting you handle his troubles, what else did he give you? Did he give you any money?”
Cheng Ran answered unconsciously, “No…none.”
In fact, ever since their relationship warmed up, Jiang Yu never mentioned the previously agreed-upon annual compensation of one million yuan. Later, as the company’s debts piled up and Jiang Yu’s financial situation became more strained, not only did he not give Cheng Ran money, but he even had to sell off assets he had bought for Cheng Ran during their passionate times.
This kind of life had dragged on for too long until Cheng Ran had grown accustomed to pinching every penny and splitting hairs over expenses.
Ye Zhou posed a soul-searching question: “So tell me, what exactly were you hoping to get from him?”
“I wanted his feelings, I wanted him. He used to treat me so well, he…” Cheng Ran tried to defend Jiang Yu, but as he spoke, his voice grew softer until he didn’t know if he was speaking to Ye Zhou or himself.
Ye Zhou sighed, “You wanted his feelings, huh? Well—never mind, I’ve said my piece. I wish you the best of luck.”
Cheng Ran felt like he was trapped in a thick fog, lost and stuck, unable to move forward. But deep down, he sensed that Ye Zhou’s voice could guide him out of this fog he had been lost in for so long.
“Tell me anything, I can accept it. Tell me,” Cheng Ran heard himself say.
Ye Zhou sighed and obliged, “Since you’ve met Yu Qiuze, you must have realized that if all the deep feelings you’ve sensed and seen are based on Jiang Yu treating you as a substitute for someone else, it’s just too tragic.”
As Ye Zhou spoke, Cheng Ran recalled those sweet moments he had once cherished so dearly. Thinking of them used to fill him with sugary sweetness, but now with the premise that he was just someone’s replacement, those sweet images suddenly became nauseating.
Hearing the sounds of retching on the other end, Ye Zhou concluded, “So leaving in time is really not a bad choice.”
“Compared to being unknowingly wheeled into surgery one day to have your heart removed and transplanted into Yu Qiuze, cutting your losses now is the right choice, don’t you think?”
“Thank you, I think I…”
“Understand.”
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