Found Him! My 'Glass-Hearted' Ex is a Pop-Up Star - Chapter 2

Ying Ruo asked, “Oh? Boy-what?”

Ying Ruo felt that starting life with amnesia, debt, and being exiled abroad to face a mountain of deadlines and presentations was already a “collapse-level” beginning. However, he thought that having a boyfriend might be taking things a bit too far.

Another silence fell.

The late-night street was virtually deserted. Two Chinese men stood on the cobblestones, staring at each other in a silent standoff. After a very long time, Ying Ruo finally broke the silence.

“That, that is impossible,” he said.

The youth looked Duan Zhuyan up and down, covering his mouth in disbelief. “How could I possibly be dating you?”

Duan Zhuyan replied, “?”

Ying Ruo said honestly, “You look so fierce, you have so many piercings, you look like a delinquent, and your temper does not seem that great. How could I possibly be dating you?”

Duan Zhuyan was stunned. “What? Huh?”

Duan Zhuyan uttered in disbelief. He pointed at himself and lowered his head so Ying Ruo could get a better look. “I am tall, I have a good build, I am handsome, and I am rich. I have straight A’s in every subject and I can cook. You actually think it is impossible for you to be dating me?”

Ying Ruo shrank back slightly and muttered under his breath, “But you have so many ear piercings.”

Duan Zhuyan’s face darkened further. “Is getting piercings not a human right anymore?”

“I did not mean it like that,” Ying Ruo said. He saw that the man seemed genuinely angry, so he stepped forward and tugged at the man’s sleeve in a placating manner, soothing him. “Do not be so sensitive.”

Duan Zhuyan was speechless. The man’s ears turned red at a visible speed, with the flush spreading down to his neck.

He was at a loss for words. Frustrated, he rubbed his bangs and clenched his jaw, covering half his face with his hand. The veins on the back of his hand bulged, and his knuckles turned white from the force of his grip. His exposed ears, contrasted against his black studs, looked increasingly scorched.

Duan Zhuyan stared at Ying Ruo, his face dark and silent. He was utterly baffled. After a long while, he let out a low “tch.”

“Ying Ruo,” he called.

Ying Ruo flinched. The voice was flat, low, and heavy, thick with a sense of restrained, cold irritation. That deep-set, unapproachable face looked even more terrifying now. His brow betrayed his displeasure. Aside from the red ears that did not match his icy expression, he looked aggressive enough to pounce at any second.

Ying Ruo could not help but swallow hard, giving a small, uncertain response. “Present?”

Then, his face was suddenly pinched. The man’s hand was large, and his fingers were slightly curved as he cupped the youth’s soft cheek. Ying Ruo’s cheeks puffed out. The warmth of the palm formed a sharp contrast with the chill of the night.

Duan Zhuyan frowned and said coldly, “Are you joking with me?”

Ying Ruo was not laughing. He would not dare.

Originally, Ying Ruo had wondered how this stranger knew his name, but then he remembered that this was apparently his “boyfriend.” Thinking about it that way made it even scarier.

Then he heard Duan Zhuyan say, “Give me the bag.”

Ying Ruo thought, And you claim this is not a robbery!

The youth was forced to tilt his head back, his palm-sized face held in the large hand. His almond eyes blinked rapidly, and his curled lashes trembled. His rosy lips were pressed under the palm, leaving only a sliver of his upper lip visible. Both of his hands climbed onto the man’s forearm, his face practically screaming, “Please do not steal my bag.”

Duan Zhuyan, however, thought he was acting spoiled. He looked at the soft flesh of Ying Ruo’s cheek, indented by his thumb, which left a faint red mark on the snowy-white skin. He thought Ying Ruo was still so delicate, as he had not even used any strength.

Carrying such a big bag on those narrow, small shoulders, did he not find it heavy? As Duan Zhuyan watched him, his anger dissipated on its own. He could not even bring himself to look away from Ying Ruo’s face.

He leaned in closer and gently pinched Ying Ruo’s nose. His expression was cold, yet his face was flushed, and his voice softened unconsciously. It was unclear if he was talking to Ying Ruo or himself. “Did the fever burn your brain out, making you forget to miss me for a moment?”

Ying Ruo thought, What is wrong with this guy?

Ying Ruo did not quite understand, but he respected the situation. However, right now, he really just wanted to run away. He hunched his shoulders, but before he could even move his legs, the bag on his shoulder was taken by the man.

Ying Ruo was shocked. How can you just snatch it like that?

Duan Zhuyan had an excellent upbringing. When out with a partner, he would proactively help carry their bags. Moreover, his boyfriend was so tiny, with thin arms, a thin waist, and little strength. He had barely any meat on his bones. Duan Zhuyan never missed a chance to display his “boyfriend power.”

Then, he saw his little boyfriend looking at him with utter horror. No, he was looking at the bag in his hand.

Duan Zhuyan asked, “What now?”

“Classmate—no, Big Brother,” Ying Ruo said as he slowly and invisibly shuffled toward his bag. “I really do not know what you are talking about. Even though it sounds ridiculous, I am not lying to you. I have amnesia. I just got out of the hospital, and I truly do not know you.”

Ying Ruo’s eyes were fixed solely on his bag, the computer inside, and his 100 pounds. His slender white hand reached out cautiously to grab the edge of the bag, and he mumbled, “Can you give me the bag back first? There is really nothing in there, just an essay draft with 65 words.”

At those words, Duan Zhuyan froze. “Amnesia?”

Ying Ruo finally grabbed his bag, pulled it back, and hugged it to his chest before nodding.

“You do not remember who I am?” Duan Zhuyan frowned. “Not even my name?”

“That is the case,” Ying Ruo said. “I really do not know you.”

“When did this happen? What about your health?” Duan Zhuyan leaned down, though fortunately, he did not try to take the bag again. “How did you lose your memory? Were you injured? Do you feel unwell anywhere now?”

Ying Ruo was just beginning to think this person was genuinely worried about him, but then he heard, “You just got out of the hospital and you dared to come work in a place like this? Are you trying to boost the hospital’s year-end revenue?”

Ying Ruo replied, “…”

“My body is fine, and I was not injured. I just forgot some things,” Ying Ruo explained anyway. After speaking, he gave an awkward but polite smile and turned to run. “Um, so that is that. I will be going now.”

“Come back here.”

Ying Ruo was caught and brought back again. Duan Zhuyan checked him over completely front, back, left, and right concluding that the person was indeed physically fine.

But he just lost his memory like that? And he forgot him? Duan Zhuyan suddenly felt a bit disgruntled. It was like a child sulking, completely irrational and awkward.

He asked yet again, “You really do not remember me?”

Though baffled, Ying Ruo patiently answered, “I do not remember.”

Silence followed.

Duan Zhuyan looked at Ying Ruo. This beautiful, cute face was definitely Ying Ruo, but how could someone lose their memory so easily? Was he really not messing with him?

But if he really had amnesia and remembered nothing, did that not mean Duan Zhuyan could say whatever he wanted?

“My name is Duan Zhuyan,” he said. “I am your boyfriend of ten years, and you love me more than life itself.”

Duan Zhuyan felt a bit smug after saying it, but to his surprise, he saw Ying Ruo scratch his cheek with a troubled expression. “Um, excuse me. I think I only lost one year of my memory.”

Duan Zhuyan was silent.

Ying Ruo watched as this man, who was over 190 centimeters and twice his size, turned beet-red at a visible speed. The guy looked like he was about to lose it. The veins in his neck were popping, yet he was still trying to act cool. He made many fidgety movements in a single minute, and his voice stuttered slightly.

“Ha, of course. I knew that. I was just testing to see if you were lying. Do not overthink it.”

Ying Ruo felt like the guy was about to break into a rap. Is this kind of guy really my boyfriend? Ying Ruo rubbed his hands together, still wanting to verify the situation. “Um, you say you are my boyfriend, but do you have any evidence?”

He could not judge whether the man was telling the truth because he had not seen anything related to “romance” or “Duan Zhuyan” when he checked his phone earlier.

Duan Zhuyan took a long time to compose himself. Finally choosing to ignore his own blunder, he uncomfortably rubbed the back of his neck and adjusted his expression back to his cold, aloof persona. However, his lips were tightly pressed together and his ears were even redder. Maintaining his stoic facade with every ounce of effort, he handed his phone to Ying Ruo.

Ying Ruo wondered why he was giving him the phone. Next, he saw his own face unlock Duan Zhuyan’s phone via Face ID.

Duan Zhuyan did not speak. He just raised an eyebrow as if to say, “See? Evidence.”

“Ah, that—that cannot count as strong evidence,” Ying Ruo disagreed. “What if you had ill intentions and secretly recorded my face?”

Duan Zhuyan was offended. “What benefit would I get from secretly recording that?”

“That is true.” After all, Ying Ruo was a law student and valued the basis of judgment. “But is there anything else?”

Duan Zhuyan pursed his lips reluctantly. After a moment of awkwardness, he showed Ying Ruo a treasured photo. In the photo, Ying Ruo was sleeping, his eyes closed against the pillow. From his brow to the corners of his lips, he looked incredibly beautiful and obedient.

Ying Ruo’s assessment was, “This looks like a creep shot.”

Duan Zhuyan was speechless. “Damn it,” he muttered.

Duan Zhuyan’s ears were burning. Annoyed and frowning, he looked at Ying Ruo and said in a low, cold voice, “Can you not just look at our chat records yourself?”

Ying Ruo tilted his head. “But I did not see them earlier.”

Duan Zhuyan could not sit still now. He said, “Give me your phone.”

Ying Ruo immediately clutched his phone tightly.

“Tch.” Duan Zhuyan saw Ying Ruo looking at him warily and said through gritted teeth, “Do I look like I am lacking a phone like yours?”

Ying Ruo was in the weaker position and did not dare disobey. After hesitating for a long time, he handed his phone over. “You have to give it back to me in a bit, okay?”

Duan Zhuyan took the phone, turned the screen toward Ying Ruo, and said, “Unlock it.”

Ying Ruo obeyed.

This was actually the first time Duan Zhuyan had looked at Ying Ruo’s phone. He had no interest in checking a partner’s phone. He had only added Ying Ruo’s Face ID to his own phone because he had heard it gives a boyfriend a sense of security, but he had never asked Ying Ruo to do the same.

Duan Zhuyan first opened the photo gallery. There were not many photos; they were mostly lecture slides, screenshots, or some landscape shots. There were zero photos related to Duan Zhuyan.

There was no need to check phone numbers or WhatsApp, as they truly had not exchanged those contact methods. So, he opened WeChat. The chat list was cluttered with Chinese student groups and London second-hand trade groups.

But Duan Zhuyan scrolled to the very bottom and could not find his own chat box. His frown deepened. Refusing to believe it, he clicked into the contacts and searched. Then, he saw a cold, formal contact name: [U Univ. BMS Duan Zhuyan].

Duan Zhuyan was stunned. He took a deep breath, trying to stay calm, thinking, It is okay, it is okay.

Then he clicked into the contact profile. What greeted him was that notifications were muted and the chat was minimized.

Duan Zhuyan was truly going to be driven mad by Ying Ruo.

Ying Ruo watched Duan Zhuyan’s face turn darker and darker as he stared at the phone. For a moment, he even thought about just giving him the phone and running for his life. But on second thought, phones are expensive, and even more so to replace abroad, so he dropped the idea.

Duan Zhuyan’s expression cooled by another three degrees. His eyes were downcast, and his breathing was slightly erratic. He handed the phone back to Ying Ruo, his finger tapping heavily on the screen. His voice carried a trace of suppressed fury as he said harshly, “Take a good look for yourself.”

Ying Ruo took the phone with both hands. He looked down and said, “Ah, I was wondering why I did not see it. It turns out I had you muted.”

Duan Zhuyan was speechless.

Ying Ruo scrolled through the records. It seemed he had cleared them before; they were not very long, nor did they have the obvious ambiguous traits of a couple chatting. However, this Duan Zhuyan person frequently called him “baby.” It did feel like an unusually close relationship.

“But looking at this chat,” Ying Ruo looked up, his eyes sparkling as he looked at Duan Zhuyan, and his words were utterly merciless, “Have we not already broken up?”