Chapter 3
Qu Tongqiu began calling Ren Ningyuan “Boss.”
He didn’t dare call him by name, and Chu Mo would probably smack him for it anyway. Calling him “Brother Ren” like the other lackeys felt strangely syrupy, and besides, Ren Ningyuan hadn’t actually taken him under his wing.
“Boss” felt like the most accurate way to express what he thought of him.
Ren Ningyuan only smiled at the title and neither confirmed nor denied it, but Qu Tongqiu firmly believed it suited him perfectly.
Though Ren Ningyuan looked refined and usually appeared gentle and tolerant, who said a gang leader had to look brutish? Being a boss was a matter of presence.
Qu Tongqiu was perfectly happy running errands as a follower, while Zhuang Wei—who had once been highly regarded by them—seemed to have offended Chu Mo again for some unknown reason.
That day was Chu Mo’s birthday. A group of them gathered at his off-campus apartment to celebrate. Zhuang Wei had of course been invited, and thanks to his recent diligence as a loyal errand boy, Qu Tongqiu was also allowed to tag along under Ren Ningyuan’s protection.
Qu Tongqiu hadn’t eaten his fill in ages. Faced with such abundant food, he ate with all his might. After receiving several disgusted looks from Chu Mo, he retreated to an empty corner and continued stuffing himself in peace.
He was so focused on eating that he didn’t notice what was happening with Zhuang Wei until he heard a commotion and realized everyone else had scattered like frightened birds.
Completely confused, he wondered what he had missed—then saw Chu Mo emerge from the bedroom with a murderous expression. Zhuang Wei was nowhere to be seen.
Before he could process it, the bedroom door began shaking violently from kicks, accompanied by shouting and curses.
Qu Tongqiu jumped in fright. He had missed the best chance to escape, and now only a few people remained in the apartment. Still clutching a piece of cake, he kept sneaking glances at Ren Ningyuan as he spoke with Chu Mo, unsure whether to leave or stay.
“Ren… Boss…”
“Stop shouting and eat,” Chu Mo snapped. “Then shut up!”
Seeing how he hurriedly stuffed the cake into his mouth in fear, Ren Ningyuan couldn’t help smiling. “You should go back first.”
Chu Mo yanked open his collar, furious. “You can all leave!”
“I advise against that.”
“We’ve already torn things apart. What difference does it make now?”
Ren Ningyuan smiled. “There are big tears and small tears.”
“I don’t care,” Chu Mo said through clenched teeth. “I’m determined.”
“You’re not calm right now. You’ll probably regret it later,” Ren Ningyuan said. “Why don’t you come out with us for a walk? I’ll teach you a trick—wait until your heart rate drops below seventy per minute, then decide. If you still feel the same, go ahead. He’ll still be in your hands.”
Chu Mo hesitated. “What if he runs away?”
They exchanged a glance, then both turned toward the trembling Qu Tongqiu.
“Hey, you! Stay and watch him. Don’t let him run. You love eating so much, right? Don’t leave until you finish everything in this room!”
Qu Tongqiu looked helplessly at Ren Ningyuan. “Boss…”
“Just do as he says,” Ren Ningyuan said gently. “Don’t talk. Don’t meddle.”
When the front door closed behind them, Qu Tongqiu was left alone to guard Zhuang Wei in the bedroom. Terrified but too afraid to leave, he sat in the living room and kept eating.
At first, Zhuang Wei kept kicking the door and shouting, but gradually the noise stopped.
That silence felt even more frightening.
Zhuang Wei wasn’t the type to cooperate even for trivial things, and small incidents often escalated into group beatings. If something serious had happened—and the one he had angered was Chu Mo—what would become of him?
Qu Tongqiu shuddered.
Being beaten by Chu Mo ranked among his top fears. But seeing a dormmate lying dead in front of him was also high on the list.
Which was worse was hard to say.
He had never dared to play the hero. His courage was the size of a mung bean.
After agonizing for a long time, he remembered Chu Mo’s two orders: guard Zhuang Wei, and finish the food. The second task was clearly impossible.
Gathering his courage, he crept to the bedroom door and called softly, “Zhuang Wei?” No response. He knocked again. Still nothing.
Panic rising, he imagined the worst—what if Chu Mo had stabbed him?
He turned the handle and opened the door. The room was dark, lit only by the living room light. Feeling along the wall, he found the switch.
When the lights came on, he saw Zhuang Wei lying on the bed, looking unwell.
He reached out to touch his shoulder—and suddenly his wrist was grabbed. Startled, he realized Zhuang Wei still had plenty of strength, so he relaxed in relief.
The relief lasted only a second before he was yanked forward and fell onto the bed.
Before he could react, his lips were sealed.
Qu Tongqiu let out a strangled sound, flailing wildly. “Zhuang Wei—it’s me—” he managed before being silenced again.
He struggled desperately, terrified. Had Zhuang Wei gone mad? Was he possessed?
“Help! Help!”
“Shut up!”
“It’s me—you’ve got the wrong person— I’m Qu—ahhh—help!”
After struggling in vain, being kissed and bitten like a pig’s trotter, Qu Tongqiu finally realized Zhuang Wei didn’t care who—or what—he was kissing.
Chu Mo must have given him something. He was clearly drugged, unable to distinguish anything.
Horrified, Qu Tongqiu found Zhuang Wei acting like a crazed assailant, tearing open his shirt and biting his neck, forcing a knee between his legs.
“I’m not a girl!” he cried in terror.
Zhuang Wei stripped off his pants in seconds.
“I don’t even have what you want—help—!”
Zhuang Wei, eyes red and burning with feverish desire, groped in frustration and found no way forward. Growing more agitated, he tried anyway.
Qu Tongqiu was horrified. “That’s impossible—you’ll kill me—help!”
Unable to succeed, Zhuang Wei flipped him over and forced his legs together, moving frantically between them.
Pinned beneath him, feeling the rough friction and hearing Zhuang Wei’s ragged breathing thunder in his ears, Qu Tongqiu broke out in goosebumps all over his body.
Fortunately, that way of venting didn’t actually hurt him anywhere. Although Qu Tongqiu felt both terrified and disgusted, he couldn’t move. Trembling, he told himself he might as well sacrifice his legs and help hold them together. Gritting his teeth and frowning, he waited what felt like an eternity for Zhuang Wei to finish.
Suddenly he felt a sticky wetness between his legs, and goosebumps erupted all over him like bamboo shoots after rain.
He thought miserably that it was finally over. But Zhuang Wei only seemed to grow more agitated. He flipped him over again, panting, and kissed his open mouth in shock.
This time the kiss lasted much longer. It was no longer just lips touching—his tongue slipped inside, turning it into a deep, invasive kiss.
That was far too much. Qu Tongqiu struggled desperately but was pinned tightly. Not only was the tongue in his mouth out of control, their lower bodies were pressed together as well.
Feeling the hard erection again, Qu Tongqiu felt as if every goosebump of his life had been used up in one night.
Even knowing Zhuang Wei had been drugged, being confronted so directly with another man’s arousal was horrifying. His expression froze into pure shock.
Zhuang Wei was good-looking, but he never resembled a woman. Qu Tongqiu had never thought of him as gay, and he himself had absolutely no intention of getting involved with men.
“Zhuang Wei, wake up! If you need to, do it yourself—mmph!”
Their genitals were pressed together and rubbed, and Qu Tongqiu’s vision went black with shock.
He rarely even masturbated for fear it might affect his memory. This was far beyond anything he had imagined. Being rubbed repeatedly, his mind went blank and his body stiffened like stone.
Men… were acceptable too?
After who knew how long, a rush of release shot through him, warmth spreading across his abdomen as Zhuang Wei climaxed on him.
Qu Tongqiu was stunned. After a few frozen minutes, understanding finally hit. With a scream, he shoved Zhuang Wei away, yanked up his pants, and fled the apartment.
Inside, the now-sober Zhuang Wei also realized who he had grabbed and what he had done, and let out a horrified scream as if he had stepped in something filthy.
From that night on, Qu Tongqiu crept around timidly, hugging walls like a rat crossing the street.
He had nightmares all night, waking again and again in cold sweat.
The next morning he skipped class and hid under his blanket, trying to suffocate those unbearable memories.
By noon hunger forced him to the cafeteria. Trembling, he bought the cheapest meal and sat in a corner to eat.
Suddenly someone grabbed his collar and yanked him up, then kicked him hard to the ground.
Before he could react, fists and kicks rained down on him. Tables and chairs clattered over. Though it was past peak mealtime, students still filled the cafeteria, yet no one stepped in—everyone only watched.
“Stop… please stop…” he begged weakly, feeling blood running from his nose.
Chu Mo kicked him again in fury. “Fat pig! You still dare come eat? I’ll let you eat!”
In truth, this was unfair. By now Qu Tongqiu had already lost over ten kilograms. Life had been harsh and frightening, full of errands and scolding, and he ate frugally. As his late growth spurt began, his remaining fat had stretched thin across his taller frame—he barely qualified as “fat” anymore.
Beaten badly, he crawled under a table in survival instinct, blood nearly clogging his mouth. “Spare me… I won’t do it again…”
He knew Chu Mo would be angry that Zhuang Wei had escaped, but he hadn’t expected this.
Chu Mo overturned the table, dragged him out, and kicked him twice in the chest so hard he couldn’t even cry out.
“I told you not to take advantage of him!”
No one intervened. People crowded around to watch, eager for gossip later, yet when questioned they would all claim they saw nothing.
Even those who felt uneasy had no courage to speak. Even someone like Zhuang Wei couldn’t do anything.
Curled on the ground, Qu Tongqiu hoped to faint and escape the pain, but he stayed conscious as every blow rang in his ears. His whole body burned, his face covered in blood, tears, and mucus.
Then, suddenly, the beating stopped. Silence spread.
A cold voice said, “That’s enough.”
Gasps rose from the crowd. Through swollen eyes, Qu Tongqiu saw the speaker step forward and punch Chu Mo in the jaw. The blow didn’t look strong, yet Chu Mo staggered back.
“He’s obedient enough. What more do you want?” the voice said calmly. “Chu Mo, there must be limits.”
The cafeteria fell silent. Though people wanted to watch the drama between Ren Ningyuan and Chu Mo, no one dared stay. Soon the hall emptied.
Through blurred vision, Qu Tongqiu saw Ren Ningyuan bend toward him.
“Can you still walk?” A hand rested on his shoulder as Ren Ningyuan frowned. “This is serious. Let’s call an ambulance.”
Qu Tongqiu thought that was too extreme. In his mind, ambulances were for the dying. Terrified he didn’t deserve one, he shook his head repeatedly.
“Then I’ll take you to the hospital.” One arm slid under his neck and the other under his knees as if to lift him. That was how people carried children or women; feeling the strength in his hands, Qu Tongqiu jumped in shock and stared at him wide-eyed.
Ren Ningyuan exerted a little force, then withdrew it and pulled his hands back, smiling. “Hmm, you really are a bit heavy.” Qu Tongqiu flushed with embarrassment, yet hearing the teasing made things feel less bleak, and his mood lightened; even the pain seemed to ease.
Ren Ningyuan helped him up, then turned and gestured for him to climb onto his back. Qu Tongqiu never expected he would actually carry him, and, flattered and nervous, he carefully draped his arms over his shoulders.
This time Ren Ningyuan stood up easily, carried him out, and even freed one hand to call a car.
After they got in, Ren Ningyuan settled him in his seat and lent him a shoulder to lean on. Afraid his head would feel too heavy, Qu Tongqiu only half-leaned and half-supported himself.
Ren Ningyuan glanced at him, gently pressed him down so he could lie on his lap, and smiled.
“Relax, you’re not that heavy.” Qu Tongqiu lay there timidly for a while before murmuring, “Boss…”
“Hmm? Does it hurt badly?”
“N-no.” It was already the second semester of university; being bullied had become a long habit. No one had ever spoken up for him before.
And the first person to do so was Ren Ningyuan.
Qu Tongqiu had never imagined he would be this lucky. More than flattered, he felt deeply moved and grateful.
Ren Ningyuan was someone he should follow forever.
With Ren Ningyuan accompanying him, everything at the hospital went smoothly and efficiently. He was examined from head to toe. His eye sockets were bruised but the eyeballs were unharmed; his teeth were only slightly loosened; despite the heavy bleeding, his nose wasn’t broken; his body was covered in injuries, but fortunately none were fatal or likely to leave lasting damage.
He truly was lucky.
Knowing he wouldn’t die, and seeing Ren Ningyuan not immediately planning to leave, Qu Tongqiu asked uneasily, “Boss…”
“If you don’t urgently need to go back to class, you should stay in the hospital and recover.”
“No, no, I’m not that bad…” The thought of hospital bills terrified him. Being beaten was one thing—losing money on top of it was worse. His hands turned cold. Ren Ningyuan said nothing, just poked his chest lightly with a finger. Qu Tongqiu immediately bent over in pain with an “Ow!”
“See? You can’t even attend class like this. No one will take care of you. Better rest here a few days.”
“Boss, I…”
“I’ll pay the fees,” Ren Ningyuan smiled. “You don’t owe me. I’ll get every cent back from Chu Mo.”
Ignoring the pain, those days turned out rather pleasant. Dormmates and classmates visited him one after another, asking about his injuries and venting their resentment by criticizing Chu Mo loudly and enthusiastically.
When no one visited, Ren Ningyuan had brought him magazines and books to pass the time peacefully.
Even Lü Yang came. Only Zhuang Wei never appeared.
Perhaps it was better that way—Qu Tongqiu didn’t know how he could face him without his face twitching.
He lived comfortably for a while. Apart from the aching wounds, he ate and slept well. Though hospital food was bland, he felt he had even regained some weight.
When Ren Ningyuan visited, he brought candy, which delighted him. As his body recovered, his appetite returned, but the nurses only gave him children’s sweets.
Ren Ningyuan sat by his bed, studied him, pinched his cheek lightly with thumb and forefinger, and smiled. “Much better. Getting used to staying here?”
“I’m completely fine now. I want to be discharged.”
Ren Ningyuan nodded. “Hospitals aren’t pleasant places. Then congratulations on your discharge.”
After packing his belongings and finishing the paperwork, they walked out of the hospital and saw a car waiting. It didn’t look like the taxis he rarely rode.
Ren Ningyuan knocked on the window and opened the door. The man in the driver’s seat removed his baseball cap—it was Chu Mo.
It felt like a horror movie scene. Qu Tongqiu’s heart jolted and he almost ran, but was grabbed.
“Don’t be like that,” Ren Ningyuan laughed helplessly. “He’s here to pick us up. He lives near the hospital.”
Terrified, Qu Tongqiu stiffened and refused to get in.
“Don’t worry. Chu Mo came to apologize.”
Both Qu Tongqiu and Chu Mo froze. Chu Mo said stiffly, “Impossible. He deserved it.”
“He only meddled. You had no right to treat him like that.”
After a tense moment, Chu Mo relented. “Sorry. I hit too hard that day.”
Stunned, Qu Tongqiu was pushed into the car, clutching his belongings nervously.
Chu Mo grumbled while driving, “You protect him too much! I’ve beaten others before and you never fussed like this. What’s special about this fatty?”
Ren Ningyuan smiled. “He’s rare.”
After leaving the hospital, Qu Tongqiu felt his luck improve. He was no longer beaten at school. Even when he paid less money, the seniors were surprisingly polite, and eventually stopped collecting from him altogether.
People around him became kinder, no longer shoving or slapping him. When asking him to move, they actually told him first.
He hadn’t heard “fat pig” in a long time; everyone called him by name now, and it took time to get used to.
One day he picked up money his family had sent and, before returning to campus, happily bought several lamb skewers to bring to Ren Ningyuan.
On the way back, he realized he was being followed. Alone and slow-looking, he seemed an easy target; after flashing money earlier, he became prey for street thugs.
They tried to corner him quickly, but he ran faster than expected. Still, he was caught before reaching the school gate.
“Hand over the money!”
“No! Why should I?” he struggled. They tried to search his pockets; he resisted desperately and was slapped.
Another slap sounded—but he felt nothing. Looking up, he saw the bald thug who had searched him clutching his cheek.
“B-Boss!”
Ren Ningyuan withdrew his hand calmly and wiped it. Others stepped forward and beat the thugs half to death.
“Boss…” Qu Tongqiu accepted his old wallet back, almost in tears.
Ren Ningyuan smiled. “Didn’t expect you could run so fast.”
Still shaken, Qu Tongqiu eagerly held out the skewers. “Boss, these are for you.”
He still clutched the bamboo skewers of the lamb out of instinct. After running so far—and possibly even using them as weapons while struggling—only a few scraps of meat still clung to them.
Seeing the miserable state of the skewers, Qu Tongqiu felt both heartbroken and disappointed, and feared Ren Ningyuan might get angry. He had only bought meat because he finally had money; before this, he had lived on radishes for half a month.
Ren Ningyuan gave an “oh,” actually picked a piece and ate it, then smiled. “I appreciate the thought. Thank you.” Seeing Qu Tongqiu’s tearful gratitude again, he added, “No need for that. If you got robbed clean, who would buy my breakfast?”
From then on, Qu Tongqiu followed Ren Ningyuan even more attentively, practically becoming his little tail and personal attendant. He would even wait outside the restroom for him.
Whenever Ren Ningyuan hinted he should leave, he would tactfully withdraw. He wasn’t nosy or annoying, spoke little, worked hard, and most importantly, was loyal. Before long, he became the unofficially acknowledged follower always at Ren Ningyuan’s side.
Ren Ningyuan once joked to Chu Mo that he protected him because his cowardice had reached such a level that it stirred pity. Qu Tongqiu found this strange—he had never thought his cowardice could be useful, or that someone’s pity could bring him benefits.
Even he didn’t think cowardice was manly. A man should be like Ren Ningyuan; Ren Ningyuan was the ideal male figure he admired.
Like roommates who put up posters of sports stars or read biographies of business tycoons, he clipped newspaper reports of Ren Ningyuan’s tennis victories and even kept his photo in his wallet.
Since becoming Ren Ningyuan’s dedicated follower, Qu Tongqiu found he suddenly knew more people. Classmates who had ignored him now invited him out for drinks.
At that age, most students were innocent about girls. Their faculty had very few female students, so meeting girls from the literature department became popular. Sometimes, boys even called random girls’ dorms for meetups.
The boys inviting him were going to meet girls from the Chinese department—and somehow invited him too. Though he didn’t believe he had luck with women, he still went, hoping just to look.
Honestly, the boys weren’t particularly impressive besides smooth talk, and Qu Tongqiu dragged down the average even more. The girls, however, were pretty and outstanding; without strong performances, the boys wouldn’t even get phone numbers.
Soon, one boy casually said, “Ren Ningyuan was supposed to come today but had something urgent. It’s his loss not meeting you.”
Qu Tongqiu was shocked; the girls reacted faster.
“You’re kidding!”
“The student council president?”
“You know him well?”
“Of course. We’re brothers. Asking me is the same as asking him.”
Qu Tongqiu was horrified. Even Chu Mo, the former president, wouldn’t call Ren Ningyuan “kid.” Who were these boys?
“Impossible! I see Ren Ningyuan often but don’t recognize you.”
“You’re bragging.”
The boy grabbed Qu Tongqiu. “I’m just low-key. But you recognize him, right?”
Qu Tongqiu realized his role too late. The girls studied him closely.
“That’s the chubby one always with Ren Ningyuan.”
“He looks kind of cute up close.”
The atmosphere warmed instantly.
Only then did Qu Tongqiu witness the magical power of Ren Ningyuan’s name.
Thanks to that name, they got the girls’ phone numbers and another date. But Qu Tongqiu was excluded afterward because he kept saying, “Isn’t it wrong to use Ren Ningyuan’s name to trick them?”
He soon forgot the incident and, as usual, ran to the new popular cafeteria early to reserve a window seat for Ren Ningyuan.
Inside, he saw Chu Mo already sitting there. Startled, he quickly placed his bag to reserve a seat and went to order dishes.
“Hey, fatty,” Chu Mo suddenly barked. “Come here. I want to ask you something.”
Terrified, Qu Tongqiu moved the opposite direction—just as Ren Ningyuan entered. “Boss!”
Chu Mo sneered, “What, is he your bodyguard?” Ren Ningyuan smiled faintly, sat across from Chu Mo, and told Qu Tongqiu, “No need to save seats. We’re eating together.”
Chu Mo said, “You’ve got guts, using Ningyuan’s name to pick up girls.” Qu Tongqiu turned pale.
Ren Ningyuan tapped his chopsticks. “Stop it. Eat.”
Relieved he didn’t seem angry, Qu Tongqiu still didn’t dare leave until Ren Ningyuan waved him over.
“Go buy four cold beers.”
He hurried off. After returning, the two men ate and drank without speaking to him. He waited until they finished.
When they left, he followed as usual. Passing freshmen, they greeted Ren Ningyuan and even called him “Senior Qu.” Delighted, he said, “Boss, they’re polite to me too.”
Ren Ningyuan smiled. “Haven’t you heard the phrase ‘borrowing a tiger’s might’?”
Even without saying it directly, Qu Tongqiu sensed his displeasure. Using his name to show off was a serious offense. He could only hope Ren Ningyuan would forgive him once his anger faded.
