Chapter 46 – Behind Him
Gu Han stood on the stage, utterly humiliated.
The venue fell into a brief standstill. Everyone’s gaze was fixed on Lin Yan, who had just spoken. The audience below began whispering among themselves.
“Aren’t they from the same company?”
“Yeah, if they’re from the same company, does it really count as plagiarism?”
“Come on—if the person involved spoke up himself, then it must be true. Otherwise, who would dig a hole for themselves like that?”
The discussion rippled through the venue.
Lin Yan looked at Gu Han on the stage. Without the slightest hesitation, he turned and walked firmly toward the reporting desk.
“Hello. I’d like to report Contestant Number Seven for stealing someone else’s project and entering it into the competition.”
The staff member at the desk asked, “Do you have evidence?”
“Yes.”
His answer was resolute. Over all these years, Lin Yan had never once stopped wanting to do this—never once stopped wanting to fight for the self he used to be.
It was just that back then, his voice carried no weight. No one believed him.
Lin Yan raised his hand and searched himself, trying to find the USB drive. He rummaged through his jacket and pants pockets for quite a while but couldn’t find it.
Breaking down at such a crucial moment—he truly impressed himself.
He looked up, and suddenly remembered.
It seemed he had put it in his bag. And his bag was probably still at his seat.
He turned around to go get it.
The moment he turned, Lu Heng was already standing behind him, holding his bag out.
“Here.”
“Th-thank you,” Lin Yan said, taking the bag. At the instant their fingers brushed, he caught sight of the smile on Lu Heng’s face.
Gentle, yet powerful.
The two exchanged a quiet smile.
Lin Yan took out the USB drive and handed it to the staff member.
“Everything related to this project is inside.”
At the moment the USB drive was passed over, it felt as though Lin Yan saw his own past.
At last, he had given his former self an answer.
By tracing the underlying source code, it wouldn’t be difficult to determine ownership. If it matched Gu Han’s project, it would prove that the project belonged to Lin Yan.
In the end, the host announced that Gu Han would temporarily step down and that the next contestant would continue with their presentation.
Lin Yan and Gu Han were then escorted to a side room. Since there was no final conclusion yet, both were asked to wait there.
Perhaps Gu Han hadn’t expected that USB drive to appear.
A flicker of surprise flashed through his eyes before he quickly regained his composure.
After a while, Lin Yan sat quietly to the side.
“Why?” Gu Han asked suddenly, as if speaking to himself. Then he turned to look at Lin Yan.
Lin Yan seemed far more mature than before—no longer impulsive, replaced instead by a calm steadiness.
So Lin Yan was no longer the person he once knew.
When Lin Yan had first joined the company, Gu Han had still believed he was the same as before.
At some point, without him realizing it, Lin Yan had changed.
“Why what?” Lin Yan asked, genuinely puzzled.
Shouldn’t the one asking why be him instead?
But Lin Yan had long since stopped wanting to dwell on why Gu Han did what he did.
Once something had already been done, there was no point in obsessing over it anymore.
As for things that had already happened, there was no need to keep pursuing them.
The same kind of thing—if done once—would be done again. And again. Countless times.
“You… don’t you like me?” Gu Han’s voice trembled.
In his memory, Lin Yan had always been someone who tolerated him—someone who would forgive him no matter what he did.
But things had already come to this point.
Yes. How had it all ended up like this? Wasn’t it something he had caused with his own hands?
That single sentence stunned Lin Yan.
When had he ever liked this person?
He had always treated Gu Han as a friend—nothing more.
It was Gu Han who had always, deliberately or not, tried to get closer.
Maybe back in high school, he had been normal. But later, from university through graduate school, Gu Han’s closeness had made Lin Yan increasingly uncomfortable.
“When did I ever say I liked you?” Lin Yan asked sharply.
“Isn’t that the case?” Gu Han said. “Don’t you like men?”
That sentence suddenly brought everything into focus.
So during all those past interactions, Gu Han had been deliberately steering things in a romantic direction.
All those moments from before—were they because he knew Lin Yan liked men?
That “special attention” Gu Han showed during their time together—was it simply because he knew Lin Yan was gay?
“So you deliberately got close to me,” Lin Yan shouted angrily, “because you knew I liked men—and then you used me? And you call that liking me?!”
“Isn’t it?” Gu Han lowered his head. His voice still trembled, his hands shaking badly. “Didn’t you say before, ‘What’s yours is mine’?”
Isn’t that what liking someone means? Isn’t love about tolerance?
“What did I ever do to make you misunderstand like this?” Lin Yan demanded.
Gu Han fell silent.
The two of them were from the same hometown.
Gu Han had grown up without affection from either parent. He had raised himself and learned early on that he needed to stand out—that he had to live better than most people.
He met Lin Yan in high school.
Lin Yan would take the initiative to talk to him, think about him, look out for him.
And Lin Yan was the top student in the class, with the best popularity.
So Gu Han swore that he would become just like Lin Yan.
That was why they were together almost all the time. Whenever Gu Han couldn’t make up his mind about something, he would simply choose whatever Lin Yan chose.
This was what he believed to be the right thing.
So—was he wrong?
It seemed like he had only taken one piece of Lin Yan’s chocolate.
Lin Yan had plenty of chocolate anyway. He had only taken the most insignificant one.
And Lin Yan had said he could have it.
So… he was still wrong. He shouldn’t have taken it.
“Do you still remember?” Gu Han murmured, lost in his memories. “We used to be together all the time. We didn’t really distinguish between yours and mine.”
“So you thought that what was mine automatically became yours?” Lin Yan couldn’t understand that way of thinking. To him, these things could not be lumped together at all.
“Maybe,” Gu Han said. “So I misunderstood, Lin Yan. It wasn’t that you liked me, but rather…”
Rather—I liked you.
He didn’t say the rest out loud.
He knew he didn’t deserve it. Someone better would appear beside Lin Yan.
“Gu Han,” Lin Yan said helplessly. “Do you even know what liking someone means? Have you ever truly liked anyone?”
Gu Han’s eyes trembled slightly as he looked deeply at Lin Yan.
Only now did he finally understand his own feelings—but his love had already hurt others. He had realized it far too late.
There was no way to undo any of it.
“I…” Gu Han fell silent. He wanted to defend himself, to say something—anything—but the words wouldn’t come. “To like someone is to stand behind them unconditionally.”
He hadn’t expected such words to come from Gu Han’s mouth.
“So, Lin Yan… do you have someone you like?”
Lin Yan didn’t answer him.
There was no need to respond to such a question.
With everything finally settled, Lin Yan boarded the vehicle for the return trip. After getting on, he once again chose a seat in the very back row.
He was exhausted—both physically and mentally.
Before long, his head drooped. As the vehicle swayed left and right, his head suddenly bumped against a solid shoulder.
Perhaps he was too tired—he didn’t even open his eyes.
Yang Yang happened to turn his head and saw the scene.
He thought to himself: Chen Xin would definitely ship this.
So he took a photo to send her.
When Chen Xin saw the picture, the corners of her lips lifted into a smile.
But at this moment, she had no mood to fangirl.
How was she supposed to tell Lin Yan that Meiqiu had run away from home?
…Forget it.
She’d tell him after they got back.
She was determined to drag Yang Yang along with her to personally apologize.
In his sleep, Lin Yan felt a dull soreness spreading through his shoulder. He unconsciously shifted his neck. With his eyes still closed, he barely managed to prop up his tilted head, his mind not yet fully awake.
A moment later, his body leaned uncontrollably to the other side again.
This time, he felt himself resting against a broad, solid shoulder.
The haziness in his mind was instantly pulled back to reality.
He clearly remembered that the seat beside him had been empty before he fell asleep.
Lin Yan suddenly opened his eyes and turned his head.
Lu Heng was sitting right next to him, focused on the tablet in his hands, seemingly unaware of his movement.
Lin Yan stared quietly, all traces of drowsiness gone.
Lu Heng’s nose bridge was sharp and well-defined, outlining a clean, striking profile. His thin lips were lightly pressed together—yet even without expression, they seemed to curve ever so slightly.
His short hair was neatly trimmed, accentuating his smooth forehead and strong hairline.
He wore a dark, well-tailored shirt, the collar slightly open, revealing the line of his collarbone.
Even seated so casually, he carried an unmistakable presence.
Lin Yan suddenly realized that Lu Heng’s attractiveness wasn’t merely a matter of perfect features, but something deeper—the cold restraint and commanding aura that radiated from within, like an insurmountable mountain that made people both want to draw closer and hesitate in awe.
Just then, Lu Heng turned his head.
Their eyes met—Lin Yan’s gaze still hadn’t had time to move away.
“Awake?” Lu Heng’s low voice sounded especially clear inside the car, carrying a hint of concern that was almost imperceptible.
Lin Yan froze, only then realizing he had been staring for quite some time.
“…Mm.”
“You’ve been tired these past few days.” Lu Heng folded his arms, leaned back, and closed his eyes.
“Use my shoulder if you want.”
When they arrived back at the company, Lin Yan got out of the car. He planned to ride his electric scooter home. He even thought about asking whether Lu Heng was heading back too—so he could give him a ride.
He didn’t know why such a thought had crossed his mind.
President Lu had a driver. How could he possibly ride on his little electric scooter?
While he was still lost in thought, President Lu had already disappeared.
When Lin Yan returned home, he hadn’t seen Meiqiu for two days—he missed him terribly.
“Meiqiu,” Lin Yan called.
Meiqiu jumped down from the bed, stretched lazily, lengthening his body. “Meow.”
Lin Yan scooped the cat up and took a deep breath against his soft fur, inhaling him fiercely. He was just about to tell Meiqiu everything that had happened over the past few days— when the doorbell rang.
He went over and opened the door.
“Brother Yan.”
The two people standing outside stared at Lin Yan, all of them momentarily stunned.
Lin Yan hadn’t expected Chen Xin and Yang Yang to show up—and they had even brought a whole box of milk and fruit.
Meanwhile, when Chen Xin saw Lin Yan holding the cat, she was equally stunned.
She had already prepared herself to confess everything—but the moment the door opened, the kitten was right there in Lin Yan’s arms.
And after seeing the two of them, it even let out a soft meow.
…Huh?
Had this little cat run out again—and then come back on its own?
“Brother Yan… this…” Yang Yang almost blurted out that the kitten hadn’t been at home.
Behind him, Chen Xin pinched his back hard. He winced in pain and immediately changed his words.
“This is the milk we brought for you.”
“Come in and sit,” Lin Yan said warmly as he put the kitten down. “Honestly, you didn’t have to bring anything. You already came all this way.”
He actually felt a little embarrassed. Asking Chen Xin to help take care of the cat had already made him feel bad enough—yet they had even made a special trip to bring him gifts.
While Lin Yan turned around, the two at the doorway exchanged glances.
“Wasn’t the cat just in Brother Yan’s arms?” Yang Yang whispered.
“I don’t know either,” Chen Xin whispered back. “I really didn’t see the cat at all yesterday.”
“Hey, why are you two still standing at the door?” Lin Yan turned back around.
The two obediently walked inside.
“Why did you bring things?” Lin Yan scratched his head. “This is really making me feel awkward.”
Yang Yang was about to come clean, but Chen Xin took over the conversation first.
“I heard you gave Gu Han a really hard blow.”
“Ah…” Lin Yan scratched his head again. “That whole thing really blew up.”
He hadn’t expected everyone to know about what happened between him and Gu Han.
Then did President Lu know too? Was that why he had stood by him?
“Exactly. Brother Yan totally slapped him in the face,” Yang Yang chimed in. “I heard he packed up and left.”
“He just left?” Lin Yan asked.
“Someone who can’t keep his hands clean—President Lu wouldn’t keep him around,” Chen Xin said thoughtfully, resting her chin in her hand. “If he didn’t leave on his own, was he supposed to wait for President Lu to fire him?”
On the table nearby, Meiqiu was lying down. After hearing Chen Xin’s words, he let out a soft meow.
“See? Even Meiqiu agrees with me,” Chen Xin said, stepping forward to pet him.
She hadn’t seen him yesterday, but now that she did, he was absolutely adorable—his little mouth slightly puckered.
She ran her hand down his long fur. It felt amazing.
But Meiqiu seemed to catch the scent of another cat on her. He sniffed her once, then leapt away in clear disgust.
He jumped to Lin Yan’s feet and rubbed his head wildly against Lin Yan’s legs, as if trying to scrub off the unfamiliar scent that had brushed against him.
“Hey, Brother Yan, Meiqiu’s rejecting me,” Chen Xin said with a wronged expression. “Cats usually like me—how did I lose to him today?”
The three of them chatted at home for a while, then returned to the company together.
Lin Yan went back to work as usual—only the seat beside him was now empty.
Time passed in a blur. The constant noise was gone, and so was the person who used to stare at him all the time.
No matter what, they had once been friends. Lin Yan still hoped Gu Han would find a good place to land.
That day, Tian Yu called Lin Yan and invited him to dinner near the company.
After hanging up, Lin Yan understood perfectly well— Tian Yu was calling him because of Gu Han. Even though he knew exactly what the meeting would be about, he went anyway.
A competition of that level usually had Tian Yu serving as one of the judges. Yet for some reason, he hadn’t appeared at the judges’ table that day.
Was it because he knew the two of them would participate—and deliberately avoided any conflict of interest?
“Teacher Tian.” When Lin Yan reached the entrance of the company, Tian Yu was already waiting there.
“Where are we going to eat?” Lin Yan asked.
Tian Yu waved his hand, pulled him along, then patted him on the back. “No eating. Let’s just sit at a teahouse for a while.”
“You already know why I asked you out.”
As soon as they sat down, Tian Yu spoke frankly. He had thought the matter from back then was long over.
But having lived more than half his life, that incident had remained like a thorn in his heart. He knew he had never truly gotten past it.
And if he couldn’t move on, how could the people directly involved—especially the victim—ever move on?
“Yes, I know, Teacher,” Lin Yan replied honestly.
“Gu Han has to pay for his mistakes, so he resigned,” Tian Yu said earnestly. “What happened back then… I truly wronged you. If you resent me for it, I accept that.”
Lin Yan didn’t respond. He remained silent.
For adults, silence often meant tacit acknowledgment.
“Teacher, then what about him?” Lin Yan asked.
“He has his own arrangements,” Tian Yu sighed. “What happened back then made you suffer.”
Lin Yan shook his head. “It’s all in the past.”
Tian Yu raised his hand and patted Lin Yan’s shoulder, then gave it a firm squeeze. He, too, bore responsibility for what had happened.
He was about to retire soon—at least now, this matter finally had an ending.
“President Lu came to see me specifically about this before,” Tian Yu said.
“You mean President Lu already knew about it?” Lin Yan was a little startled.
So President Lu had known all along.
No wonder.
No wonder he had arranged for them to participate in that competition.
“Yes.” Tian Yu lifted his teacup and took a sip. “Your President Lu values you highly. You should work hard and live up to it.”
Lin Yan couldn’t take in anything that was said afterward. His mind was completely filled with Lu Heng.
When it was over, he ran back to the company as fast as he could.
Along the way, he shut everything else out. Only when he stopped at a red light did he manage to catch his breath—his thoughts inevitably drifting to President Lu.
He wanted to know why President Lu had done all this.
In a daze, he recalled the words Gu Han had once said: Liking someone means standing behind them unconditionally.
And in his memories, President Lu always seemed to be standing behind him—encouraging him, caring for him, acknowledging and affirming his past.
He remembered how, in the president’s office, Lu Heng had looked through his previous projects and given him genuine recognition.
He remembered how, back in his hometown, when he had been wronged and was ready to just let it go, it was Lu Heng who told him never to compromise himself, no matter what.
He remembered forgetting his bag—and it was Lu Heng who handed it to him.
It was Lu Heng.
The one standing behind him had always been Lu Heng.
When Lin Yan reached the door of the president’s office, he was panting heavily. Flustered, he straightened his clothes. Sweat streamed down his forehead, and he barely had time to tidy himself up before lifting a hand to wipe it away.
His chest rose and fell unevenly. After calming himself for a long moment, he finally knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
The low voice came from inside. Lin Yan let out a long breath, then pushed the door open with force.
“What’s wrong?” Seeing it was him, Lu Heng set aside the document he was reading and placed his pen down.
“President Lu… did you let me participate in the competition because of me?”
Lin Yan had caught his breath, but his voice still trembled. He couldn’t tell whether it was from running so hard—or from the man standing before him, who made his heart pound uncontrollably.
“Mm.”
Lu Heng had already guessed it. Lin Yan must have found out. There was nothing to hide about it anyway.
After receiving the confirmation, Lin Yan’s racing heart still refused to calm. “I want to know why—”
Before he could finish, Lu Heng spoke first.
“Because you’re worth it.”
Worth everything I’ve done for you.