—

On Friday, Lu Heyang learned from a message Xiao Feng sent that 17 hadn't taken time off to rest his injury this time, and had been scheduled once again to fight a free exhibition match.

Xiao Feng asked Lu Heyang: do you know how 17's injury is?

Lu Heyang replied: not really sure.

He genuinely wasn't sure. Since that Tuesday swimming class, Lu Heyang could clearly feel Xu Ze avoiding him. They'd happened to cross paths on campus twice, and each time Xu Ze, spotting him from a distance, had turned and walked the other way.

And once after school, on the way to the parking lot, Xu Ze was pulling his bicycle out of the bike shed. He Wei called out to him; Xu Ze hummed in reply, then quickly said 'I'm heading off,' keeping his head down the whole time without once looking at Lu Heyang.

He Wei had watched Xu Ze's retreating back at the time and asked Lu Heyang, puzzled: "What did you do to Xu Ze?"

After dinner, Lu Heyang and Gu Yunchi went to Chengxi first. They waited in the car about ten minutes or so before He Wei arrived, bringing another Alpha with him.

"He Yu, my cousin." He Wei closed the car door and introduced him. "An idle rich second-generation with no real learning or skills."

"?" He Yu asked, "are you talking about yourself?"

He Wei laughed, slung an arm around him, and they went into the building together.

When the four arrived, it happened to be the halftime exhibition match. 17 stepped into the cage as calmly as every time before—no trace of a recently healed injury on him. Hiding pain was probably one of the things he was best at.

17 didn't glance toward the audience this time, staying focused entirely within the Octagon Cage. His opponent was still heavier than him. 17 had no intention of stirring up the crowd tonight—his strikes came fast, precise and vicious, and he ended the match cleanly in forty-five seconds.

After watching three more matches in a row and comparing the other fighters, He Wei asked: "What do you think?"

"Workable. With proper training he could definitely level up a few more notches. He's the best fit here." He Yu said, "the others are too vicious. Professional fighting needs ambition, not bloodlust. I'm running a legitimate Underground Club—if they fight like that, they'll get shut down in two matches."

"Then let's go talk to 17." He Wei turned to Lu Heyang. "Do you have his number?"

"I'll go backstage and find him." Lu Heyang stood and walked toward the audience corridor.

Xiao Feng was leaning against the door cracking sunflower seeds again. Seeing Lu Heyang, he straightened up immediately: "17's not backstage."

"He left?"

"No, moving drinks." Xiao Feng said. "No pay for exhibition matches today, so he's earning tips. Small change, but it's dinner money."

Lu Heyang followed Xiao Feng's directions to the hall past the elevator. Pink light drifted, hazy and dreamlike. Through the crowd, Lu Heyang saw an Alpha in a baseball cap placing drinks into a vending machine, with an Omega server in a tank top and hot pants standing beside him, laughing and saying something.

After stacking the drinks, Xu Ze straightened up, closed the door, turned the lock, pulled out the key. The Omega stepped forward, wrapped both arms around Xu Ze's arm, pressed close, tilted their head up, chin resting on Xu Ze's shoulder, leaned in close to his ear, and whispered a few words with a smile.

Xu Ze tilted his head slightly toward the Omega, not seeming put off, just gently drawing his arm free.

The Omega took something out of their bag and handed it to Xu Ze, then waved and bounced back to their counter.

Xu Ze gathered the plastic crates on the ground, stacked them, and picked them up. The moment he turned, he saw Lu Heyang not far away—and visibly startled.

Then Xu Ze lowered his head and walked toward another corridor on the left.

Lu Heyang followed at an unhurried pace. The corridor was narrow, with little foot traffic. After a few steps inside, Lu Heyang called out: "Xu Ze."

He saw Xu Ze's steps pause, then stop, then turn around. The corridor was very dark. Xu Ze stood there holding the plastic crate, a vague and silent figure.

"Are you done with work?" Lu Heyang walked toward him, asking.

He actually had other things to ask, but He Wei and the others were waiting, so he could only pick the most urgent.

"What is it?" Xu Ze asked quietly.

"He Wei's cousin recently opened a boxing club, professional matches. He Yu came to watch your match today and wants to talk to you."

"About what?" Xu Ze raised his head slightly.

"He Yu wants to train some new fighters."

Xu Ze's cap brim was pressed very low; Lu Heyang couldn't see his expression. After a little while, Xu Ze answered: "Okay."

Not a trace of surprise or pleasure.

"What did that Omega just give you?" Lu Heyang glanced at Xu Ze's pants pocket and asked.

"Makeup remover." Xu Ze said. "For the paint on my face."

Long ago, Xu Ze used to wash the paint off with plain soap. Once by chance the Omega saw him, immediately gave him a bottle of makeup remover, even taught him to use cotton pads. Unfortunately Xu Ze wasn't particular about these things—at most he'd pour the remover into his palm and smear it across his face.

After that, the Omega began giving him makeup remover regularly. Xu Ze refused many times, to no avail.

Lu Heyang said: "You two seem pretty close."

"...It's alright." Xu Ze wasn't sure what 'close' meant exactly, but since Lu Heyang had put it that way, he'd agree—probably not wrong.

Lu Heyang reached out and gently lifted Xu Ze's cap a little, revealing his eyes. Lu Heyang said: "I thought you weren't very good at making friends."

Xu Ze agreed with him, but most people here were very open, so even though he wasn't good at socializing, there were people willing to talk to him. Xu Ze said: "They're nice."

"Mm." Lu Heyang responded lightly.

Then he went back to backstage with Xu Ze and put the plastic crate away. He Wei and the others were already sitting in a booth at the Underground Club bar. It was still early, the bar wasn't crowded, and it actually felt quieter than other places.

"So this is what you look like." He Yu looked Xu Ze up and down, smiling. "You could make a living off your face alone, why fight underground."

Lu Heyang and Xu Ze sat down side by side. He Yu casually poured a drink for Xu Ze: "Can you hold your liquor?"

Xu Ze nodded. Lu Heyang glanced at him.

"Have you eaten dinner?" Lu Heyang turned his head to ask, before Xu Ze took his first sip.

"I have." Xu Ze lowered his eyes, didn't look at him.

After a few drinks and idle talk, He Yu got to the point: "Have you thought about fighting somewhere else? Try professional matches—might suit you better."

"...Sorry." Xu Ze held his glass with both hands, voice low. "Probably not possible."

He said 'probably,' but you could hear there was no room left for negotiation. He Yu looked at He Wei, He Wei looked at Lu Heyang, and Lu Heyang looked at Xu Ze—after refusing, Xu Ze had picked up his glass, and somehow his hand was unsteady, the drink spilling onto the back of his hand.

Xu Ze stared at the spilled drink. Lu Heyang thought he was at a loss or distracted, but Xu Ze calmly lowered his head and licked the wine off the back of his hand, then pressed his lips to the rim and finished the rest.

"No worries, think it over some more, let me know anytime if you have any thoughts." He Yu didn't press further, pushed his business card toward Xu Ze. "I know the situation here is complicated, might not be easy to walk away from, but if you really want to leave, we can figure it out together."

Xu Ze picked up the card, nodded once, said: "Thank you."

After that, no one brought it up again. They chatted about other things. Xu Ze stayed silent, drinking one cup after another. He barely looked at Lu Heyang all evening—not deliberately ignoring him, but exerting every effort not to look.

The more he drank, the lower Xu Ze's head drooped. Lu Heyang reached toward Gu Yunchi beside him: "Give me the car keys. You ride with He Wei."

Gu Yunchi looked up from his Mobile Phone game, glanced at Xu Ze, said nothing, and handed the car keys to Lu Heyang.

"Stop drinking." Lu Heyang pressed Xu Ze's wrist. "Let's step outside."

Xu Ze's gaze fell on Lu Heyang's five fingers pressing his wrist. After a few seconds, he set down his glass. Lu Heyang withdrew his hand, said goodbye to He Wei and He Yu, then stood up. Xu Ze stood up too—he'd drunk too much, was a bit unsteady. Lu Heyang steadied his shoulder to keep him from pitching forward.

Xu Ze's cap had been left on the sofa. Lu Heyang picked it up for him.

The bar was very lively now. Xu Ze staggered, constantly getting bumped on the shoulder or arm by people. Lu Heyang stepped forward quickly, put the baseball cap on Xu Ze's head, pressed the brim down, then wrapped an arm around Xu Ze's waist and led him through the crowd toward that narrow corridor from before.

Xu Ze was barely conscious, his thoughts completely blank, being led by Lu Heyang. All the way to backstage, under the gazes of passersby, Lu Heyang pushed open the changing room door at the end, went in, closed the door and locked it behind them.

His hand stayed on Xu Ze's waist. Through the T-shirt, Lu Heyang could feel Xu Ze was very warm. Xu Ze's waist felt more supple than he'd imagined—perhaps because he was relaxed now, not tense like during a match. Both were sweating a little. Lu Heyang held Xu Ze with one arm and swept the water bottles and clutter on the old table aside with the other.

Xu Ze didn't know what Lu Heyang wanted to do, but it was very late, and he wanted to remind Lu Heyang to go home—otherwise it wasn't safe. But just as he was about to open his mouth, Xu Ze felt his feet leave the ground—Lu Heyang had scooped him up onto the table with one arm around his waist, and at the same time removed his cap with the other hand.